I was contacted by a recruiter in LinkedIn that my profile fits what they are looking for as an entry level IAM role. I have a help desk experience and my current job search has been SysAdmin position. Now I have to reconstruct my resume and look and YouTube videos to create a project using tools like Auzura and Okta which is not a problem for me. My question is should I still include my Help desk experience on my resume? And if someone can show me a sample of what IAM resume looks like I will really appreciate it.

NADH testing and the Karen Read Blood Alcohol Mystery
u/Upper_Canada_Pango
June 8, 2024
TL; DR
The commonwealth’s estimate of Karen Read’s blood alcohol range is not forensically suitable and should be disregarded by the jury due to all sorts of reasonable doubt.
Introduction
I am not a lab tech, biologist or other sort of expert on human metabolism or toxicology. I do, however, have some education in organic chemistry and a practical understanding of some aspects of anatomy, physiology, biology and pharmacology. For those in the healthcare field that are offended by my deviations from APA formatting, please forgive me: for I absolutely hate APA, I am saddened when I am forced to use it, and I am just not going to follow a specific style guide for this post. In-text citations will not be used, references will be both disorganised and poorly formatted. I will indicate references in-text through the use of numbers in superscript. All times will be given in 24 hour format, not military format, I don’t know why the military is allergic to colons, but I like them, so they’re coming in! I did not proof read this, it’s already taken way too much of my life. I am also quite disappointed that my formatting won't paste properly into the post editor, the markdown editor is very clunky.
Testimony from the Karen Read trial involving the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ opinion of Karen Read’s blood alcohol level at the alleged time of the alleged vehicle strike on John O’Keefe piqued my interest. Particularly I was fascinated by the fact that no direct alcohol breath test or blood test was performed, nor were any tests performed to detect any alcohol metabolite, although I have yet to find a news source that has stated as much, in fact they either omit the test type or misrepresent the test as one to detect the presence of alcohol in blood serum^{2,3,4,5,6.8,etc ad nauseum}.. Instead Dr. Gary Faller, pathologist at Good Samaritan Medical Center, testified that a serum test was run to detect the presence of NADH¹. I know what you’re thinking: “Why did they perform a screening test using an ubiquitous endogenous redox agent with no forensic validity¹³ instead of for alcohol or an alcohol metabolite like acetaldehyde, ethyl glucuronide or ethyl sulphate⁷?” and yeah, that’s what I’m thinking, too! For forensically valid results there needs to be a confirmatory test done¹³, which clearly either didn’t happen or wasn’t useful - otherwise it would have been introduced by the prosecution. So I have put this together to show what NADH testing means, why it is used, how it works and what the limitations of this testing are.
The Basics
Testing for NADH is done to screen for the presence of alcohol. Screening tests are a fast-and-cheap way of getting an idea of what’s going on, and are used when precision and certainty are not necessary. For example if you are in a hospital and have someone on a psych hold, you might want to get an idea of whether their behaviour is in part driven by consumption of drugs. Their life doesn’t depend on the answer and neither does their freedom (beyond the short-term). Forensic lab testing for alcohol uses dual-column gas chromatography or gas chromatography/mass spectrometry¹³. These are large, expensive, delicate machines so you don’t just send everything to GC/MS analysis without a good reason, just like you’re not going to get a CT scan for a sprained thumb. If you are a hospital and the cops want a blood sample for forensic analysis you can just draw blood for them, put it in the freezer until they pick it up, and then it’s the cops’ problem. Hospitals are not in the business of forensics.
So why Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-H testing? Well that’s simple enough. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is an essential, innate redox agent that exists in all your cellular fluids and is there to accept hydrogen atoms as other substances are oxidized¹⁴. It therefor exists in different redox states, the oxidised state NAD+ and the reduced state NADH. “nicotinamide adenine nucleotide (NAD) is required in more enzymatic reactions than perhaps any other small molecule^16.” These two forms are non-destructively converted back and forth in various biochemical reactions, but the nucleotide can be consumed in certain reactions so it has to be constantly manufactured by the body in order for us to continue living.. NAD is synthesised in the liver, nerve cells and immune cells, and salvaged for reuse in a wide variety of tissues.
The primary way alcohol is metabolised it interacts with a class of enzymes called alcohol dehydrogenases¹⁵ (confusingly abbreviated ADH, despite not being structurally similar to NADH). When a molecule of ethanol is oxidised two hydrogen atoms get knocked off, one off the -OH alcohol group, and one off the carbon atom the -OH group is attached to, so the -OH becomes an =O converting the ethanol to an aldehyde called ethanal or more commonly acetaldehyde. These hydrogen atoms are accepted by the NAD+, reducing it to NADH. You have a limited supply of NAD+. Drugs whether recreational or medical, or other substances that are metabolised by oxidation will compete for NAD+, raise NADH levels and slow the metabolism of alcohol. Other oxidation reactions will pump up the NADH levels too. These variables are huge! Worse still, NAD+ conversion to NADH is heavily effected by cellular metabolism, meaning that acute stress and exercise will convert NAD+ into NADH as well¹⁴. Finally multiple sclerosis, which Karen Read has, will approximately double the baseline serum NADH level.¹⁷ Karen Read undergoing acute stress. CPR is exercise. Was she on other medications that increase NADH levels?
Rates of alcohol metabolism can vary up to 4-fold, especially since it occurs primarily in the stomach and liver. Large amounts of ADH are released in the stomach, so when drinks are consumed on an empty stomach they are dumped into the intestines quickly and are absorbed into portal circulation without giving the stomach ADH a chance to mitigate the effects, but then alcohol will be metabolised more quickly after ingestion. Liver damage will slow the rate of metabolism as well.
The Testimony
Dr. Faller reports a time of blood draw around 09:08-09:13 , the blood was centrifuged and seperated, the plasma was put into a machine that tested for alcohol giving result of 93mg/dl serum alcohol level. This, if accurate, would be higher than the whole blood alcohol level. The doctor refused to even ballpark this to a percentage for either serum or whole blood. He did acknowledge that LDH and hemolysis and bilirubin levels can interfere but should be flagged. The defence did bring up abnormal muscle degeneration, and so on but the doctor wasn’t aware of this literature. I don’t know that the defence couldn’t proceed due to this, but I feel they may have missed a trick here. Hopefully they will call a more informed expert on NAD/NADH metabolism.
The forensic toxicologist estimated her peak whole blood alcohol percentage at between 0.135 and 0.292 assuming last drink at 00:45 but I don’t want to even get deeply into these estimates because they’re built on a foundation of sand: we don’t really know when Karen Read started drinking, how much she drank, when she stopped drinking, or how much the NADH test was thrown off by stress, activity, disease or medication. We didn’t also didn’t get into any description of the test process itself. We don’t know if the machine measured NADH once, or if it measured NADH before and after adding ADH, or if it measured NADH only after adding ADH. We don’t know enough to evaluate this information.
On either basis, the results should be discarded.
Armchair Forensics
Personally I think Karen was drunk, at some point, but “is this evidence good enough to secure a conviction for an OWI?” is a whole other question. So is “How much did she drink?”; “How impaired was she, and when?”; “when did she start and stop drinking?” and critically from a conviction standpoint “what was her BAC at the alleged time of the alleged incident, and how do we know?”
We can kind of armchair lab tech this, given some assumptions. I don’t have access to the actual bar receipts but it seems probable, based on what I can find in the news^9,10,11, that while at the two bars she had somewhere between 8 and 15 standard drinks depending on if any of those drinks were doubles. She was drinking these between 20:58 approximately 00:00. I do not have information at this point eliminate pre- and post-drinking, all these people seem like they drink quite a bit. I can’t even discount the possibility that she got up at 04:30 and slammed some back. If we assume that these are all the drinks she had before the alleged incident, and she didn’t have any after the alleged incident, and we accept a weight estimate at 60kg/132lbs¹² then we can use a simple web tools to estimate her BAC(Appendix A). The results are generally mortifying, with estimates essentially ranging from ‘maybe unable to walk without assistance’ to an acute medical emergency . Maybe Karen can hold her liquor quite well or maybe these calculators were all designed by and for lightweights since evidently my wife and basically any girlfriend I’ve ever had could evidently drink the average BAC calculator designer under the table.
Conclusion
Without access to receipts, and since “no one appeared drunk” and at no point did anyone testify to detecting the odour of alcohol from her: not the paramedics, not the cops, not the ER doctor, not her so-called friends so based on my armchair BAC results (appendix A) show either she was stinking drunk and somehow no one noticed or she didn’t actually consume 8+ standard alcoholic drinks in 3 hours. I lean towards the former, but without confirmatory, forensic testing I don’t see how this gets to the “beyond reasonable doubt” standard. I don’t understand why the first police on the scene didn’t perform a PBT on her based on their testimony that she was saying anything like “did I hit him?” or “I hit him.” It also doesn’t make any sense that no one applied for a blood draw warrant once the picture supposedly started getting more clear.
We have another estimated 3+ weeks of trial for things to develop, and clearly there’s information I have not and/or can not access, but I find it very striking that yet again we have supposed forensic evidence that is not up to snuff. In combination with all the other shenanigans and incompetence displayed during and after the investigation this entire process starts looking like it has more to do with tunnel-vision, conspiratorial afterthought, and/or prosecutorial sleight-of-hand.
If I were on the jury I would be fighting to acquit based on copious amounts of doubt regarding essentially every element of every charge.
References
1- Baker, Emily D.. (May 28, 2024). MA. v Karen Read Trial Day 18 - Afternoon Session. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVX-YZ1wkDc
2- Ramer, Holly. (May 28, 2024). Jurors hear about Karen Read's blood alcohol level as murder trial enters fifth week. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/jurors-hear-karen-reads-blood-alcohol-level-murder-110624411
3- Schooley, Matt (May 28, 2024). What was Karen Read's blood alcohol level on the night John O'Keefe died? Experts testify at trial. CBS News.
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/karen-read-live-stream-today-brian-higgins/
4- Ramer, Holly (May 29, 2024), What was Karen Read's blood alcohol level the day John O'Keefe died? Here's what we learned. NBC Boston.
https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/what-was-karen-reads-blood-alcohol-level-on-the-day-john-okeefe-died-heres-what-we-learned-this-week/3382901/
5- Lavery, Tréa. (May 29, 2024). Karen Read trial live updates: Read may have had BAC more than three times limit. MassLive. https://www.masslive.com/news/2024/05/karen-read-trial-live-updates-for-tuesday-may-28.html
6- Reynolds, Lance. (May 28, 2024). Karen Read murder trial Day 18: Witnesses focus on O’Keefe’s injuries, Read’s blood alcohol level. Boston Herald. https://www.bostonherald.com/2024/05/28/karen-read-murder-trial-day-18-witnesses-focus-on-okeefes-injuries-reads-blood-alcohol-level/
7- Ferguson, Sian (May 1, 2023) How is Alcohol Detected in a Urine Test?. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/urine-test-alcohol
8- Benoit, Katie. (May 28, 2023). Expert testifies about Karen Read's blood alcohol content from morning O'Keefe found dead. WJAR. https://turnto10.com/news/local/karen-read-trial-resumes-tuesday-john-okeefe-murder-canton-dedham-boston-police
9- Lavery, Tréa. (June 5, 2024). Karen Read trial live updates: State police investigator recalls interview with Read. https://www.masslive.com/news/2024/06/karen-read-trial-live-updates-testimony-resumes-on-wednesday.html
10- Tenser, Phil (April 16, 2024). Karen Read murder case: Alleged timeline, according to the prosecution. WCVB. https://www.wcvb.com/article/karen-read-case-prosecution-alleged-timeline/60510196
11- Bienick, David. (May 10, 2024). Karen Read murder trial: Owners of home where O'Keefe was found testify. WCVB. https://www.wcvb.com/article/karen-read-trial-live-updates-may-10-2024/60755150
12- Ankit. (February 28, 2024) Karen Read Net Worth, Wiki, Parents, Ethnicity, Religion, Bio, Age, Family And More. SarkariExam.com
https://www.sarkariexam.com/karen-read-net-worth-wiki-parents-ethnicity-religion-bio-age-family-and-more/617729
13- Okorocha, Okorie. (April, 2021). Alcohol Toxicology For Civil Lawyers. Advocate Magazine. https://www.advocatemagazine.com/article/2021-april/alcohol-toxicology-for-civil-lawyers
14- Walzik, David et. al. (January 4, 2023) Tissue-specific effects of exercise as NAD+-boosting strategy: Current knowledge and future perspectives. Acta Physiologica. https://doi.org/10.1111/apha.13921
15- Cederbaum, Arthur. (November 1, 2013). Alcohol Metabolism. Clinical Liver Disease. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cld.2012.08.002
16- Penberthy, Todd & Tsunoda, Ikuo. (March 5, 2009). The Importance of NAD in Multiple Sclerosis. Current Pharmaceutical Design. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2651433/
17- Braidy, Nady et al. (November 6, 2013). Serum nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide levels through disease course in multiple sclerosis. Elsevier. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006899313011475
Appendix A: BAC Calculator results

• https://smartserve.ca/bac-chart/ has limited weight inputs, if we pick 125lb female and 8 drinks over 3 hours we get a peak BAC of 0.25, a shocking 3+ times the legal limit and physically dangerous, with risks including inadequate breathing pattern, incontinence, inability to walk without assistance and loss of consciousness. Smartserve ballparks an alcohol elimation rate of 1 standard drink per hour, so in the 8-drink scenario, on Jan 29 at 04:53 when she called Jen McCabe she should have had the equivalent of 0-3 drinks left in her system, and none whatsoever when her blood was drawn, but the NADH based estimate for her BAC at time of draw (09:08)was 0.093%1. Unfortunately this calculator goes to a maximum of 9 drinks, so it was clearly designed by and for lightweights but we don’t need to assume any of these drinks were doubles based on the mortifying results from this and other calculators.
• I next tried https://alcohol.org/bac-calculato set for female 132 pounds, 8 drinks with a time since first drink of 3 hours 15 minutes to give blood alcohol at 00:15. It gives 0.31% and states “You're probably not reading this because there's a good chance that you're unconscious. This BAC indicates alcohol poisoning, and there is a very serious risk of long-term damage or death. If you or someone you're with are at this BAC level, you should seek immediate medical assistance.” I played around with this calculator a bit and it turns out it is also designed by and for lightweights. Nevertheless, it suggested that BAC would be back to 0 in 21 hours, which would be around 21:15 on January 29th.
• https://www.drinkfox.com/tools/bac-calculatoca set to 43 year old female, 60kg, gives me a BAC of 0.2267% at 00:00 and says would be down to 0.08% at 09:15, down to zero at 13:35.
• https://globalrph.com/medcalcs/blood-alcohol-calculator-bac-metric-of-alcohol-intoxication/ assuming 12oz drink size average at 5% abv (so 8 standard drinks) female 60kg gives an average female 0.307 blood alcohol at 00:00, 0.222% at 05:00. Finally 0.154% at 09:00

Hey guys, I'm working at a clinic and at my company the secretaries, nurses, and call center people are sending us random direct messages on the EMR direct chat constantly throughout the day.
The issue is that these messages pop up on our screen and we have to click on it or else it keeps on popping up. We see a lot of patients so I don't have time to address random questions that aren't related to my job title. Some of my colleagues just ignore them. I can't since I have a conscience and in case there is actually something relevant that pops up
Here are some samples of the messages I get throughout the day
"Patient is curious if you'll go over test results with him" (I sent patient a detailed message on the EMR patient portal a day or two before. Regardless, pts should be given an appt to go over test results if they so desire)
"Patient is curious if they can get an appt with you" (Inappropriate as I'm not a secretary. I tell call center person to send these messages to the secretary)
"patient is curious if you will call them for their telehealth appt" (I already documented my attempts to reach pt in the EMR which the call center person has access to)
I've told them repeatedly over the last 6 months to direct messages via the non urgent messaging portion of the EMR and not to the direct chat; this way we don't have pop ups interrupting patient care. The non urgent messages go to our inbox and don't pop up on the screen. We are supposed to monitor our inbox daily which I do. Also, the vast majority of these messages are not things that I should be addressing like scheduling appts and such.
I complained and complained and some manager decided to notify a higher up of the company. The clinic manager already knows about this issue but doesn't have control over call center people.

1. I'm trying to not get fired since I want to work her for at least 6-7 more months before moving to a new job and don't want a bad reference. Thankfully even as a youngish attending I am almost financially independent (2 yrs away at current living expenses) due to frugality and a high savings rate.

Is this a fire able offense? I'm only concerned about my resume getting affected or being branded a problem child physician.
The call center's direct boss said that the company wants staff to be able to message doctors directly in the chat for important patient issues and to improve patient satisfaction. I told them that emergent issues should be addressed to clinicians but non emergent messages ("patient wants a refill of chronic X med") should not be sent to the direct chat and are unacceptable/inappropriate. I told them that bureaucratic messages like referral questions should be sent to the referrals coordinators. (it's their job)
2. Do other clinicians get consistent random non clinical questions on the EMR direct chat? I'm not talking about inbox messages but actual direct messages in the chat that pop up on your screen.
At my last job we didn't have these frequent direct messages. In the past at this current company we didn't get these random messages all the time either in the direct chat.
Any advice you can offer? I don't like the job but it's better than my last one, albeit lower paid.
Edit: Other clinicians have told me that they're getting spammed by the call center and random ancillary staff. I was going to let the higher up know that other people are getting inappropriate messages distracting us from our work. Sound good?

SYNOPSIS: Walking your OP monster girlfriend home is easy. No one messes with you. Getting back to your house on your own? That's the tricky part.
Norman has a chat with the Big Bad. Things do NOT go as planned 😬.
Mood Writing Version Sample
First Previous (See NEXT>> in comments)
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“You ignorant dumb dumb!” Norman blurted, pointing a brazen finger at his captor.
John Crow raised an eyebrow. His dreadlocks angled towards Norman, attracted by his brash behaviour.
Norman didn’t flinch.
John Crow chuckled and fanned away the hair tendrils. After knowing what he could do? People didn’t usually talk to him like that, not even the proud and stubborn landlords. It was a foolish way to die fast. Was Norman a fool? Maybe. Maybe not. After all, he was still alive, wasn’t he? Perhaps he had, somehow, gauged the chances that such disrespect would get him killed, and found them lacking. Human instincts were fascinating like that, after all.
At the side of his eye, John Crow glanced at the chat on his pilfered nightsight.

__CHAT

• LEMMY_OUTA_HERE: 🤣 🤣 🤣 Norman just doesn’t care!
• ARN74: 😡 give the stoopid boy back his nightsight
• DARCIE222: 😍 GIVE ME YOUR NUMBER!!! I CAN FIX YOU!

He ignored them, buncha weirdos.
Meanwhile, Norman paced in little circles, rubbing his chin, clearly anxious. The worst part? The nyctal sensed that this nervous behaviour had nothing to do with his ability to instill terror. Norman took another look at John Crow, shook his head with abject disdain and continued pacing.
After massaging his forehead, Norman turned to the nyctal. “And you kidnapped Amy’s boyfriend as bait?”
John Crow shrugged a nod.
Norman’s face contorted with derision as he shook his head at the decision like a foul smell. He face-palmed and began to pace again.
Not really knowing what was going on, the landlord beneath John Crow’s heels began to chuckle. All that mattered was that his master was getting dissed by this boy!
One of John Crow’s dreadlocks flicked against the landlord’s arm and he collapsed. It looked like an accident, but most definitely wasn’t. The muscles twitched, nerves half-useless.
“.̸̲̮͔̼̗͂́̿‘Ey, straighten up, will you?.̶͚̝̦͛̈́̃̌̀̆” ordered John Crow.
The landlord felt the icy chill of more dreadlocks hovering close in the dark. He forced his limb back beneath him, pouring his fear and focus into keeping it there.
Norman rubbed his hands together, inhaled and exhaled, as if trying to meditate away the ambient stupidity.
“Get on the ground. Now,” Norman ordered.
“.̸͍̲̇̿́̀… Excuse me?.̷̝͒̂̿̀̏͝” John Crow smirked.
Norman pointed at the floor. “Get down and beg. Then I’ll know that you mean it so I can genuinely cry and beg on your behalf when Amy comes looking for blood.”
John Crow scanned Norman’s face. His dreadlocks licked at the air around the boy’s head. He sensed no insincerity. Strange …
“.̵͔͚̻̬̊͐͝And you thought … what? Telling me that would compel me to comply?.̴͚̘̮͓̆̄̌̈” leered the nyctal. “.̵̰̃Save some stupid for yourself, Norman..̶̧̜͓͛́͆͝”
“Do you believe Hell exists?” Norman asked out of the blue.
John Crow looked at him funny and scoffed.
“Right. Of course not,” Norman tutted. “In your line of your line of work, you’d like to think you die, and that’s it. Quick or temporary pain, then nothing. Here’s the thing: Amy knows that. She’s not gonna make it quick. She’s not gonna make it temporary. She is not gonna kill you. If you were some run-of-the-mill nyctal acting on impulse, she’d just hand you over to the authorities, but that’s not the impression I’m getting here. You seem like the kind of bad guy who just keeps coming back. Amy won’t let that happen. Remember, she’s got the power of a mind-eater. She can browse your memories, find out what you love about yourself, and take it away; dig up your fears and bring them to life. She can make you forget that there was ever a time when you weren’t living a nightmare. Amy doesn’t kill villains. She breaks them, and takes their ability to rise again. If you don’t fear Hell … all the better. She’ll make you forget that you’re still in the land of the living. Now. Beg. Like you mean it, while you still can.”
John Crow waved a hand. “.̵͔͚̻̬̊͐͝Pass. There’s no way a straight lace like you would date someone like that. Besides, a good hostage goes a long way. You have given me some ideas, though. If you cooperate, maybe I won’t kill the both of you. Maybe I’ll get a little more creative..̴͚̘̮͓̆̄̌̈”
A slapping sound rang throughout the room. Norman had face-palmed again.
John Crow snorted. “.̵̰̃Of all the ploys, hyping up that ditzy little twit? I’ve seen the news like everyone else. Amy is a kitten in a lion’s body, little more than a bumbling idiot. How she took control of an A.M.E. is beyond me..̶̧̜͓͛́͆͝”
Norman’s fists balled, teeth gnashed. John Crow expected him to fly at him, or spout tidbits about why he was wrong. Possibly both. Both would be fun and fine.
“Oh, you’re trying to make me tell you how she mastered the A.M.E.,” Norman deduced, his aggression draining.
John Crow’s dreadlocks briefly froze as his thoughts stumbled to a stop. ~.̵̝̗̜̫͔͒̿͊̚̕… How did he catch on so fast.̴̩̪̓͑͋?~
Norman looked up at the dreadlocks as they slowly resumed their dance. He cracked a grin that made John Crow want to pluck out his teeth.
“Uh huh. Thought so,” concluded Norman. “That thing on your head’s not getting any smaller. I’m guessing it’s a baby, or maybe you stunted it. It’s obviously not as powerful as Amy. Are you worried it’ll bite off your head someday, or are you planning to merge with it? Become the new apex predator?”
John Crow frowned. The chat reacted at the edge of his vision.

__CHAT

• INQU!SIT_R: HE’S WEARING AN A.M.E.? LIKE A WIG???
• ENTO_MOLLY: Intriguing twist. How does that even work?
• ARN74: if dat ting doesn’t eat off he head, I will 😡
• ARN74: 🤔 nvm. that level of stupid would probably kill me

John Crow leaned back in his chair, taking the annoyances in stride.
“.̵̘͙̮̆́̍̎̕A.M.E.s are not what you think they are,.̶̪̦͔͖̰̫̄͒͋̋͘” John Crow revealed.
Norman raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. “Really? What do you think I think they are?”
John Crow tilted his head. “.̴̯͍̳́̾̓̑Mere monsters. Beasts..̶͇̦̽̃̂͝”
Norman’s brow wrinkled. A smile twitched at his lips before he guffawed.
"You think I'd be this comfortable with Amy's new look if I thought she was in the body of some beast?" he asked.
John Crow narrowed his gaze upon Norman, reevaluating him.
“.̶̢̛̻͚͔͈͗̏̚… You know the truth?.̵͍̾̈́͆̏́ͅ” asked John Crow, his bioluminescent tattoos brightening with tentative curiosity.
“Maaaaaybe,” Norman simpered.
An ice-cold touch brushed across his forehead. It nipped at his mind.
He blacked out.
Norman awoke on the ground in a cold sweat. Steadying his breathing, he looked up to see that John Crow hadn’t shifted much. A contemplative silence had fallen upon the nyctal. The landlord’s afflicted limb still quivered. If Norman had to guess, he’d blacked out for only a few seconds, but it was impossible to know for certain.
“.̴̱̯̳̐̈́̿̓͠You only know in part,.̵͇͔̪͇̐̃͒̀͜” John Crow stated. “.̵̛̹̖̳̳̯̑How?.̵̧̤̜̣̜͚̓”
It was strange, seeing Norman stagger to his feet like a borderline paralytic, yet the savage grin on his face told a different story.
“The same way I know you’re gonna lose,” Norman growled.
He glanced to the side. John Crow sensed a subtle change in the air. He had to know. A dreadlock writhed towards Norman’s head. It smelt his brainwaves. The scent was off.
Norman swatted away the dreadlock like a fly.
The tall man was at a loss. Yes, that lock was only a fraction of Dread’s power, but for a normal guy to smack it away? It was like casually trying to squish an ant with a pinky finger. Then the ant pushed back, and it won.
Norman strode towards him, limbs twitching ever so slightly. It was not from fear. That was only the residual effects of the dreadlock on his nerves. John Crow’s focus riveted upon him, neglecting whatever lurked in the air. Even seated, the nyctal was taller than Norman, but in John Crow’s eyes?
Norman looked big.
John Crow's glowing markings brightened with fascination.
“Let me give you the bare minimum reason why you’re gonna lose,” Norman began. “It’s the same reason why you’ll never master an A.M.E. the way she does. You expect Amy to come at you, thinking in black, white and maybe greys, but that’s not her ‘normal’. She thinks in infrared and ultraviolet: red-hot, radioactive, only visible when the damage is done. She forces herself into monochrome because it’s the only way she knows how to be normal, but all she needs is a reason. You just gave her that reason. You kidnapped her boyfriend. The perfect hostage answers everything, right? No. She’s not gonna beg. She won’t negotiate. Play your cards very carefully, and don’t ever let her see you lay a hand on me*.* I’m going to tell you a secret, and you’re going to call me a liar.”
Norman leant forward.
John Crow leant back.
“Amy’s afraid of her own shadow,” Norman whispered.
John Crow blinked.
Norman’s gaze was dead serious.
The nyctal’s bemusement turned to amusement. He huffed a laugh.
“.̴̜̟̦͚̲̯̄̂̆̉Fear?.̶̦͚̤̤̼͂” John Crow jibed. “.̸̡̐͋That’s the secret to mastering an A.M.E.? What a painfully cliché idea. You can’t fearmonger a monster, Norman. Next time, come up with something more creative, assuming there will be a next-.̴͎̰̤̀̃”
“Not your shadow. Her shadow,” Norman interrupted.
John Crow raised an eyebrow.
“Everyone's got a shadow,” Norman mused. “The ugliest, most unthinkable side of you that never sees the light of day. The Night Shift sets it free, but Amy? She hasn’t changed at all. Ask yourself, why? It’s ‘cause this isn’t new for her. Amy’s laughed with it, played with it, lived in it. Her shadow’s big enough to black out The Sun, and you know what? She decided it just wasn’t worth it.
“So, she stutters. She shrinks back, second guesses herself to the point of self-sabotage. She acts like the nicest girl in the world, because she is ... but that's just the way she tiptoes around herself. Amy’d rather shoot her own foot before you even realise there's a bullet. You'll see her hopping around on one leg. You might even laugh, but you never see the bullet that was meant for you. She'll let you think she's a simpering wimp, because that's the better option.
“Amy doesn't have empathy. She chooses it, and she's not faking. She jury rigs her personality through sheer force of will. Let that sink in. She’s actually a genius, but her brilliance is black as midnight. What looks like incompetence is her way of aborting old thought processes before they surface. She's teaching herself how to think all over again. Baby steps, but make no mistake: those old thought processes? They're all on standby, waiting for someone like you to give them a reason*.*
“Tell me, Johnny, what does it take to override your own soul? Have you ever even tried? Amy did. She does it every day, and ohhh, I does love she baaad for it. Now you understand how she beat her A.M.E. into submission. It’s not her first monster.”
Norman paused, staring into the nyctal’s eyes. John Crow considered tearing his mind out there and then, but those weird brainwaves were back. He could almost see the shadow. No, the light of something big looming behind Norman’s mind. He had to rethink that. BIG … didn’t begin to cut it. The paper-thin fabric of reality seemed to peel away and he felt naked. He sensed them: eyes the size of worlds, bearing down upon him from all directions. He knew what an unholy presence felt like. In a loose sense, he liked to think that he was one of them. This was Something Else, and it was far, far worse.
He kept a straight face, but in the depths of himself he heard his soul scream. Was there something out there more horrifying than the forces behind The Night Shift?
Was there something more terrible than a monster?
John Crow felt his face twitch. A strange, white-hot terror seeped into his skull from the A.M.E. atop it. His eyes widened at a piercing sound. Was that Dread … screeching?
Norman cracked a smirk. He chuckled, then clutched his stomach as a roaring belly laugh surged forth.
John Crow’s dreadlocks hissed a warning as his ego seethed, but there was another laugh behind Norman’s. It sent shockwaves of searing terror through John Crow’s being.
Norman made as though to pat him on the shoulder. John Crow decided there and then that he would die if he actually did it. The hand landed, but he didn’t move. Maybe he couldn’t. His body shook with wrath.
Norman sighed away the last of his mirth as he looked John Crow in the eye. Pity nuanced his features.
“You’re not cut out for this,” Norman declared. “No one is. Just stop. Walk away. Tell the landlords you quit. Maybe anyone can do what Amy does, if they try the right way. Give it a shot. If you need a little help, come find me. This might be your last chance.”
Flabbergasted though he was, John Crow couldn’t believe his ears. Finally, some bravado seeped back into his veins. That old, shark-like grin returned to his face as he gripped the hand on his shoulder and removed it, while squeezing. Ordinarily, he’d feel a couple bones snap. None did, but Norman was bound to be in pain. Stubborn boy, refusing to scream.
“.̸̩͑̋̒͘Look at you, acting as though your words hold any power over your predicament,.̴̖̲̖͐͑̀̎” John Crow sneered. “.̴͚̠̝͚̎̄́̅͠I always find a way to get what I want, and Amy? She’s gonna find what’s left of your body in a-.̴͚͇͚̍̿̆̐̐̐͜”

BBBBMMMM!

John Crow’s eyes popped.
The air seemed to come crashing in on him. His eardrums could survive the atmospheric shock of a grenade blast, but now? They almost ruptured.
He pushed back. His darkness held it all at bay just long enough for him to grab Norman by the hair. He dangled the boy high like a ragdoll of a trophy.
Dozens of claws receded into the shadows. They’d almost reached him. Their owners peering back at him with piercing eyes. Somehow, they were darker than the shadows Dread spawned throughout the room. That was the only reason why he could vaguely see their silhouettes. They looked like Amy’s avatars, but the vibe was several levels of wrong.
How did she get this close? Wait … had Norman been distracting him the whole time?
John Crow tightened his grip. Norman’s hair tugged at the roots. It was a pity that the boy wasn’t making those delicious, little whimpers. That would really sell it. Surely Norman could at least wiggle a little. Trust that boy to be a poor hostage. How John Crow would have loved to make him scream.
He reached for Norman’s throat.
The enemy atmosphere bore down harder, forcing his focus back to keeping it away. Dread’s power was almost completely occupied with the job. That couldn’t be a coincidence. Why would his maximum just happen to be enough to hold her back? The answer was obvious.
It wasn’t.
She hadn’t overpowered him, because she wasn’t trying. Maybe, just maybe, he could hurt Norman before she intervened. Naturally, she wouldn’t want to take that chance. That didn’t mean the odds were on his side, though.
John Crow forced a grin. “Pick your next move carefully, Amy. Maybe you’re far stronger than I am. Maybe you can get to Norman before I punch a hole through his stomach, but are you willing to take the chance?”
The shadow avatars didn’t react. They barely glanced at Norman, beady eyes fixed on John Crow.
The avatars exchanged hissing whispers.
"Who is that?"
"Familiar ..."
"I know him."
"YES."
"John Crow."
“Elusive. Ruthless. High body count.”
“Hee hee, he’s a mȍ̵̳̈́̔̅nster!”
"We foū̴͔͐̀nd you!"
One by one, manic grins spread across the avatars’ faces. Their predatory, hazy white teeth peppered the dark. The whispers slowly quickened and escalated to a frenzy.
"You're perfȩ̴̙̪͓̈́ct!"
"Thank you ... hee hee hee … Thank you!"
"Wö̵̢͍̂͠nderful!"
"I L̸͇͝͝O̶̐̀͜V̸̩̾E̶̪͌͌͝ ̷̲̟̮̆you."
Oppressively warm, dim, blood-red light seeped in through the windows. It was worse than the dark. Outside, the wind picked up, but it didn’t howl. It moaned.
A flash of crimson lightning twisted from the sky. It stopped beyond the window, just bright enough to sting the skin of the average nyctal. Though mostly silent, its infrasonic boom shook the building.
The eyescraper tilted, as though rearing like a horse. It bayed in distress. John Crow braced so as not to shift when furniture began to slide. His living easy chair ran off to the far corner with the landlord, where they tried to make themselves look small.
That lightning writhed and wrought into a humanoid form. There was Amy, floating almost motionlessly. Her face was gnarled in an open-mawed grin spread inhumanly wide. Meat-rending teeth glowed neon red. If not for the sanguine aura outlining her dark form, she might have faded into the background, save highlights such as her teeth, hair and slit eyes. Her pupils flickered and danced like mad little flames. Her form fluxed and vibrated, as though scarcely able to contain her deranged glee.

__CHAT

• DARCIE222: 😨
• BAJANETTE11: 😨 😨 😨
• HARD-BACK-M8N: 😐 okay
• INQU!SIT_R: 😳 … sooo that’s Amy, huh?
• AMBIVALENT_TRENT: i ain’t sleepin’ tonight
• ARN74: i feel like a sweet little puppy compared to that 😬
• UNREPENTANT-MEMER: Liam Vickers has to see this. inviting him to the chat
• ATTACK-OTAKU: I KNEW it! She IS a waifu! 😍 SCREENSHOT!SCREENSHOT!SCREEEEEEEEEENSHOT!!
• LEMMY_OUTA_HERE: WHAT ARE YOU EVEN LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW?!?

John Crow brandished his hostage a little higher.
Never did Amy even acknowledge Norman’s existence. Her wide, wild eyes remained upon John Crow.
When she spoke, her lips didn’t move. The sound came from everywhere at once. Every syllable sent visible ripples through the air. Low and booming, her voice was enough to shake bones. Thick with longing, it was nauseatingly sickening.

“̵̲͖̠̍J̷̞͖̓͒O̸̘͚͇͊̓̐H̸̩͐͠͝Ń̷̛̳ ̷̟͓̗̎̋̒C̶̙̽͜R̸͈̟̔̑̀O̶̲̙͂͌Ẃ̴̢̜͋ ̴͕̱̈́͗.̵̡͓̃̏̇.̸̜̓̃͘.̷͖̇̀ ̷̺̄͐͂Ī̵̧̬̃͜ ̶̗̍̓͊L̷̫̣̝̒̑͊O̸̟͙̔͝V̶̧̠̈́̽͛Ḛ̴͆̽͘ ̵͙̫͉̃͑Y̵̜̰̲͑̔O̸͙̦̕͝U̶͔͍̾͝.̸̤̙́̔̍”̵͙͘

Every window in the city block shattered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Become a free member on Patreon to read Part 17 early! It will be released there today or tomorrow. For the visual 'mood writing' version (previously called 'artitext') and more Caribbean sci-fi, become a paid member for only $3! See links in comments.
FUN FACT: In Jamaica, john crows (or 'turkey vultures') are regarded as symbols of death. I probably don't have to explain what 'eat crow' means (if you don't know, feel free to look it up). Anyway, thanks for reading!
First Previous (See NEXT>> in comments)

Hello everyone! I am a young professional in the communications world. I have been doing freelancer work online since I was about fifteen years old. I am 25 now, and have obtained formal education in both communications and media.
Right now, I found myself in a tough spot and I have to step away from the career world for a minute. I’m in a hole though, so I’m looking for quick tasks for cash. I have many skills not listed above and listed in my resume if someone wants a copy of my resume or a few personal references. I also have examples of my works from samples I have written of books to resumes I have built from scratch, etc.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you! Thank you.

Heyo. I’m Cody, I’ve been doing this whole writing thing for the past seven or so years now (and have been dabbling in community management for the past year!). I’ve worked with some tiny teams with shoe-strap budgets (and sometimes no budget at all), as well as large studios with teams scattered across the globe. I have a handful of published game titles under my belt, most being moderately/highly successful indie games, a handful of mobile games, along with a smattering of cleanly written web copy to boot.
Despite a handful of years in the industry, it hasn’t managed to beat me down just yet. I’m absolutely in love with what I do, and I’m incredibly passionate about writing, narrative design, and community management, both for games and otherwise. If you’ve got a nifty looking project, and you’re willing to find my quest to find the world’s best hot chocolate, shoot me a message on your preferred platform. (My own preferred platform is Discord. I’ve had some email offers go into spam before.)
I work great with other writers, and I'm happy to step up and work with artists, game designers, and especially voice actors. I adore working with voice actors whenever I get the chance.
I also have done some community management work before! If that interests you at all, please, let me know, I’d love the excuse to work on it. I do also work on non-game-related things from time to time, so if you're curious, just ask.
You can go and check out my Portfolio/Resume/Writing Samples over here: https://uplinkedwriting.wpcomstaging.com/
Pricing: I generally charge anywhere between $25-35/hr (USD), but this is highly subject to change (both up OR down, let's chat) and is usually only included at the bottom of these posts because bots tend to get angry if it doesn't see some numbers somewhere in my post.
Contact: Email: Uplinkedxd@gmail.com Discord: Uplinked Reddit: Uplinked

Heyo. I’m Cody, I’ve been doing this whole writing thing for the past seven or so years now (and have been dabbling in community management for the past year!). I’ve worked with some tiny teams with shoe-strap budgets (and sometimes no budget at all), as well as large studios with teams scattered across the globe. I have a handful of published game titles under my belt, most being moderately/highly successful indie games, a handful of mobile games, along with a smattering of cleanly written web copy to boot.
Despite a handful of years in the industry, it hasn’t managed to beat me down just yet. I’m absolutely in love with what I do, and I’m incredibly passionate about writing, narrative design, and community management, both for games and otherwise. If you’ve got a nifty looking project, and you’re willing to find my quest to find the world’s best hot chocolate, shoot me a message on your preferred platform. (My own preferred platform is Discord. I’ve had some email offers go into spam before.)
I work great with other writers, and I'm happy to step up and work with artists, game designers, and especially voice actors. I adore working with voice actors whenever I get the chance.
I also have done some community management work before! If that interests you at all, please, let me know, I’d love the excuse to work on it. I do also work on non-game-related things from time to time, so if you're curious, just ask.
You can go and check out my Portfolio/Resume/Writing Samples over here: https://uplinkedwriting.wpcomstaging.com/
Pricing: I generally charge anywhere between $25-35/hr (USD), but this is highly subject to change (both up OR down, let's chat) and is usually only included at the bottom of these posts because bots tend to get angry if it doesn't see some numbers somewhere in my post.
Contact: Email: Uplinkedxd@gmail.com Discord: Uplinked Reddit: Uplinked

Heyo. I’m Cody, I’ve been doing this whole writing thing for the past seven or so years now (and have been dabbling in community management for the past year!). I’ve worked with some tiny teams with shoe-strap budgets (and sometimes no budget at all), as well as large studios with teams scattered across the globe. I have a handful of published game titles under my belt, most being moderately/highly successful indie games, a handful of mobile games, along with a smattering of cleanly written web copy to boot.
Despite a handful of years in the industry, it hasn’t managed to beat me down just yet. I’m absolutely in love with what I do, and I’m incredibly passionate about writing, narrative design, and community management, both for games and otherwise. If you’ve got a nifty looking project, and you’re willing to find my quest to find the world’s best hot chocolate, shoot me a message on your preferred platform. (My own preferred platform is Discord. I’ve had some email offers go into spam before.)
I work great with other writers, and I'm happy to step up and work with artists, game designers, and especially voice actors. I adore working with voice actors whenever I get the chance.
I also have done some community management work before! If that interests you at all, please, let me know, I’d love the excuse to work on it. I do also work on non-game-related things from time to time, so if you're curious, just ask.
You can go and check out my Portfolio/Resume/Writing Samples over here: https://uplinkedwriting.wpcomstaging.com/
Pricing: I generally charge anywhere between $25-35/hr (USD), but this is highly subject to change (both up OR down, let's chat) and is usually only included at the bottom of these posts because bots tend to get angry if it doesn't see some numbers somewhere in my post.
Contact: Email: Uplinkedxd@gmail.com Discord: Uplinked Reddit: Uplinked

I’m Mark. I work as a freelancer and run a small YouTube channel as a hobby. Some of the tasks that I have handled in the past include;

1. Research
2. Writing (Creative Writing, blogs, YT Scripts, Resumes...)
3. Graphic Design
4. Social Media Management (Discord, Reddit, Instagram...)
5. Video Editing
6. Organization

And more...
Here is a link to some of my previous works.
Work Samples (Personal Resume, Research & Writing Experience, Logos, and Social Media Posters)
Video Editing Experience (My YouTube Channel)
Resume Samples
Let me know if you need my services. You can reach me at:
Discord: .ToxicChief
Telegram: @ chifusumu
Email: [m.arkgatuati@gmail.com](mailto:m.arkgatuati@gmail.com)
I charge a fair price of 3 USD/hr. We can explore other payment plans for tasks where hourly rates don't apply. Looking forward to hearing from you :)

I’m Mark. I work as a freelancer and run a small YouTube channel as a hobby. Some of the tasks that I have handled in the past include;

1. Research
2. Writing (Creative Writing, blogs, YT Scripts, Resumes...)
3. Graphic Design
4. Social Media Management (Discord, Reddit, Instagram...)
5. Video Editing
6. Organization

And more...
Here is a link to some of my previous works.
Work Samples (Personal Resume, Research & Writing Experience, Logos, and Social Media Posters)
Video Editing Experience (My YouTube Channel)
Resume Samples
Let me know if you need my services. You can reach me at:
Discord: .ToxicChief
Telegram: @ chifusumu
Email: [m.arkgatuati@gmail.com](mailto:m.arkgatuati@gmail.com)
I charge a fair price of 3 USD/hr. We can explore other payment plans for tasks where hourly rates don't apply. Looking forward to hearing from you :)

I rarely find a position within 30 minutes of where I live. A hybrid technical writing job for a medical device company is 11 miles from my house.
Should I dress in business-appropriate attire and hand deliver my resume? I may also include a relevant writing sample. I want to maintain a professional approach and avoid anything gimmicky.
Edit: I would also include a cover letter stating I applied online.
2nd Edit: I'll be rewriting my resume tonight/tomorrow. This is the job I've always wished for but couldn't relocate. Any resume reviewers? I don't really want to post, even anonymously, on Reddit. (Are all writers sensitive like that?)

It's very rare that I find a position within 30 minutes of where I live. A hybrid technical writing job for a medical device company is 11 miles from my house.
Would you dress in business-appropriate attire and hand deliver your resume? I may also include a relevant writing sample. I want to maintain a professional approach and avoid anything gimmicky.

Hello,
The query had 281 words in total before the manuscript sample.
I am lost on the agent personalization, Bio, and comparables.
I have no connections to anyone, and any personalization I can conceive of would be a cookie cutter sentence that I imagine would go something like this: “I have contacted you because I reached your letter of the alphabet on querytracker and it said you are open for submissions in the genre I wrote.”
I also have no Bio because I haven't done anything and I am nobody. Should I leave it as nothing, or should I at least put something like: “I am from [country] and I have a bachelors of business administration degree.” I have no comparables.
The inspiration was any story I’ve read or watched that had a prophecy, and how the prophecy's existence only makes sense if there is someone behind the scenes trying to manipulate things and impact character’s actions. (Game of Thrones, Dune, Harry Potter, and Wheel of Time are the ones that come to mind, but I am certain there are others that escape me at the moment. All of these are too big to be compared to.)
Can I get away with not listing any comparables, or should I look for books with similar themes that aren’t too famous, read them, then compare them to my book?
Thank you:
Dear [Agent],
Seventeen-year-old Persephone Trout is an oracle gifted with glimpses into the future, but to her it is more like a curse. When a witch and her companions come to town chasing prophecy, Persephone is compelled to save them from imminent dangers that only she is aware of. The witch rewards this kindness by kidnapping her and forcing Persephone to act as their guide in pursuit of a sword of legend. They are not the only seekers, however, and now danger lurks behind as well as ahead.
Persephone’s attempts to escape the witch go poorly, and dangerous desert wildlife force them all underground. With no prospects of escape, Persephone is forced to accept her situation and they soon find themselves within ancient ruins confronted by a djinn promising wishes. Persephone is the only one who recognises the dangers in the offer, but her captors do not heed her caution and collectively make three wishes, trapping themselves into the djinn’s nefarious agenda, but even Persephone could not have foreseen the djinn granting a fourth, illspoken wish.
Still in search of the sword and harried from behind, they continue forward into a trial devised by the gods to test their worthiness, and Persephone comes to realize the dangers not only to herself, but to the entire realm. She must decide how far she is willing to get involved in this prophecy, or if she can abandon it altogether and simply resume her quiet life as a small town oracle.
PERSEPHONE’S PROPHECIES, YA fantasy/adventure complete at 75,000 words is book one of a planned trilogy. A lighthearted coming of age story exploring the concepts of determinism, free will, and personal responsibility.
First 300 words:
Persephone jiggled her crystal ball, careful to not get shocked while agitating the lightning bug within, prompting spurts of yellow to ripple across the uneven surface. Her client dropped his jaw, sufficiently entranced, but Seph didn’t stop there. She swirled an incense stick slowly back and forth, a thin line of smoke trailing as if the air itself was her parchment. A few traces above flickering candles was more than enough for this particular client.
“Ah yes,” she mused softly and mysteriously. “I see it now, yes…”
Her client pulled his legs under himself, kneeling in his seat now and leaning so far forward his nose nearly touched the crystal ball.
“What?” he breathed. “What do you see?”
Persephone lowered her head to match his eye level and whispered, forcing her client to strain his ears. “To acquire the strength you seek, to become what you most desire, you must…” she let the words linger.
“I must what?” her client breathed, lip trembling.
“You must…” she paused before swiping her hand through the lines of smoke, eddies swirling in her wake as she slapped the top of the crystal ball. The smack was beautifully loud, and her client nearly leapt out of his chair. The lightning bug raged, and Persephone finished her telling with booming command. “You must eat your vegetables!”
Her client collapsed back into his chair and wailed, hands to his face.
“I told you honey,” his mother said, stepping in from the dark edges of the telling room. “Now will you stop being so fussy?”
The boy leapt to his feet, standing on the edge of the chair now to hover over the crystal ball. “Are you sure that's what it says? You promise?” he pleaded, hoping against hope there was a better way.

Hey Guys!
I was trying the Rezi Pro and want to leave you an evaluation!
Rezi is a very intuitive tool that helps us create our resumes. It is easy to use, with a simple and clean interface and a good response time. I need a tool to keep my resume and allow me to edit and share it with companies using a baseline resume.
When I used it to create my first resume, I submitted it as a PDF, and the tool read and structured all the fields correctly. Then, I asked the IA to suggest bullet points for the job description, which was good. Rezi also allowed me to have several resumes in a way that is easy to work with. Another good point was the sample library, which allowed me to get ideas for my resume.
I was surprised by the possibility of an interview with the IA. I think that is a good feature that could aggregate so much value in the product's use.
As a suggestion, it would be very important to gain time if Rezi could read a job description and transform your resume by AI to adapt it to the job. It would also be good to show resume improvement suggestions to the user.
I expect Rezi to help me take the next step in my career.

The global event rental equipment market is expected to grow at a robust CAGR of approximately 14% from 2024 to 2030. This growth is driven by several key factors influencing market dynamics. Favorable economic conditions are pivotal, as a strong economy typically results in more corporate events, weddings, and social gatherings, increasing the demand for rental equipment. Additionally, the trend towards large-scale, lavish events and the growing preference for renting over purchasing equipment due to cost efficiency and flexibility further propel market expansion.
To know more about this study, request a free sample report @ https://www.researchcorridor.com/request-sample/?id=34929
Market Trends:
Surge in Demand for Large-Scale Events: As economies recover and social activities resume, there is a notable surge in large-scale events such as corporate conferences, weddings, festivals, and concerts. These events require extensive rental equipment ranging from tents and stages to audio-visual gear and furniture. The increasing popularity of destination weddings and extravagant celebrations also boosts demand for diverse rental solutions that can cater to various themes and settings.
Rising Popularity of Hybrid and Virtual Events: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of virtual and hybrid events, blending in-person and online experiences. This shift has persisted, creating a sustained demand for advanced audio-visual equipment, high-speed internet services, and sophisticated streaming technologies. Event rental companies are expanding their inventory to include cutting-edge technology that supports seamless virtual experiences, catering to clients who want to reach broader audiences and provide interactive online engagement.
Focus on Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Solutions: With growing awareness of environmental impacts, there is a significant trend towards sustainability in event planning. Event organizers and rental companies are increasingly prioritizing eco-friendly options, such as reusable or biodegradable materials, energy-efficient lighting, and sustainable décor. Companies are also adopting practices that reduce waste and carbon footprints, such as offering digital solutions over printed materials and sourcing locally to minimize transportation emissions.
Technological Advancements in Event Equipment: Advancements in technology are revolutionizing the event rental equipment market. Innovations in lighting, sound systems, and event management software enhance the overall event experience. For example, the introduction of wireless and smart lighting systems allows for more flexible and dynamic event setups. Similarly, advancements in digital signage, interactive displays, and augmented reality create immersive experiences that captivate audiences. Rental companies are increasingly investing in high-tech equipment to meet the growing expectations for technologically advanced events.
Customization and Themed Event Demand: There is a growing preference for personalized and themed events, ranging from corporate branding to unique wedding styles. This trend drives the demand for customizable rental equipment and services that can cater to specific themes and creative visions. Event rental companies are expanding their offerings to include bespoke furniture, tailored décor, and unique installations that reflect the distinct personality and style of each event. The ability to provide custom solutions is becoming a competitive differentiator in the market.
Market Trends:
The event rental equipment market is ripe with opportunities driven by evolving customer preferences and technological advancements. As large-scale events and hybrid formats gain traction post-pandemic, there’s a rising demand for versatile rental solutions, including advanced audio-visual gear, modular furniture, and customized décor to cater to diverse and dynamic event needs. The increasing focus on sustainability offers a significant avenue for growth, as both organizers and attendees favor eco-friendly and reusable options. Additionally, the expansion into niche markets such as corporate retreats, health and wellness events, and themed gatherings opens new revenue streams for rental companies. The integration of digital technologies, from online booking platforms to virtual event support, further enhances customer convenience and operational efficiency.
According to the recent report published by RC Market Analytics, the Global Event Rental Equipment Market is expected to provide sustainable growth opportunities during the forecast period from 2024 to 2030. This latest industry research study analyzes the event rental equipment market by various product segments, applications, regions and countries while assessing regional performances of numerous leading market participants. The report offers a holistic view of the event rental equipment industry encompassing numerous stakeholders including raw material suppliers, providers, distributors, consumers and government agencies, among others. Furthermore, the report includes detailed quantitative and qualitative analysis of the global market considering market history, product development, regional dynamics, competitive landscape, and key success factors (KSFs) in the industry.
Browse the Full Report Discretion @ https://www.researchcorridor.com/event-equipment-hire-market/
Geographically, the event rental equipment market report comprises dedicated sections centering on the regional market revenue and trends. The event rental equipment market has been segmented on the basis of geographic regions into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. Event rental equipment market estimates have also been provided for the historical years 2020 to 2023 along with forecast for the period from 2024 - 2030.The report includes a deep-dive analysis of key countries including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, China, Japan, India, Australia, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa, among others. Thereby, the report identifies unique growth opportunities across the world based on trends occurring in various developed and developing economies.
The Event Rental Equipment Market Segmentation:

By Equipment Type:

• Furniture Rentals
• Tableware Rentals
• Canopy
• Lighting and Sound Equipment
• Kitchenware
• Stage and Flooring
• Others

By Event Type:

• Weddings
• Corporate Events
• Trade Shows
• Concerts and Festivals
• Sporting Events
• Private Parties
• Others

By End-User:

• Individuals
• Businesses
• Others

By Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East & Africa

Key players in the global event rental equipment market include Party People Rentals, US Tent Rental, Nationwide Event Rentals, American Party Rentals, and Allstate Party Rentals. These companies are actively pursuing market expansion through strategic investments, innovative service offerings, and collaborative ventures. By exploring new geographical regions and acquiring complementary businesses, they aim to strengthen their market positions and leverage synergies for a competitive edge.
To know more about this study, request a free sample report @ https://www.researchcorridor.com/request-sample/?id=34929
Key Questions Answered by Event Rental Equipment Market Report:

• Product popularity and adoption based on various country-level dynamics
• Regional presence and product development for leading market participants
• Market forecasts and trend analysis based on ongoing investments and economic growth in key countries
• Competitive landscape based on revenue, product offerings, years of presence, number of employees and market concentration, among others
• Various industry models such as SWOT analysis, Pestle Analysis, Porter’s Five Force model, Value Chain Analysis pertaining to Event Rental Equipment market
• Analysis of the key factors driving and restraining the growth of the global, regional and country-level markets from 2020-2030

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Joker glared at the blinking lights. 'Still ass backwards...' He thought, even as he looked down at his communicator. The moment he stepped into the 'garage' a lot of color vanished from his display as much of the red light spectrum was swallowed by the planets atmosphere.
When he looked up again, he blinked, for where he expected their vans to be waiting, there stood now a bulky boxy ship. Not a huge one, but certainly a chunk longer and wider than the Mi-26 that he "flew" in back on earth.
'I should really start reading those notes...'
He heard activity from the other side, so he made his way over. "Hey... since when do we have this thing?"
"This morning actually and before you ask... technically its a shuttle. So essentially its a [school bus]" Diesel answered as he handed a crate to Ra'Kine and Ra'Nora, who deposited inside the shuttle.
"And who paid for it?"
"It was designated to be scrapped, so Pirate was able to buy it at a heavy discount. Still more than twice what the scrapper would've made, but you know him... said something about 'Trust the rust' and whatnot."
"Rust? As far as I can see it's in an alright shape."
"Wait till you see the cockpit." Bambi yelled from somewhere deeper inside the shuttle. " 'Spartan' doesn't even begin to describe it. No autopilot, no flight assist, no atmospheric shielding... analogue throttle and thruster vectors. Basically two systems that are digital and even those, just barely... Comms and Cameras."
"Come on, you make it sound like a bad deal!" Pirate complained from out of sight.
"Because it is!"
"Yeah nah Pirate, I'm with Bambi on this one." Joker mumbled.
"Enough whining, get in." Diesel practically dragged Joker into the shuttle, not giving him any time to answer.
"Fine, fine heh." He surrendered mockingly as he took a look around the inside of the shuttle.
Lines of seats, all facing the middle, stretched to both sides of the passenger cabin. Each side holding enough space for roughly fifty people, if they squeezed shoulder to shoulder. He took note of the lack of any windows or even monitors for that matter. In the back he saw some of their wives helping with the loading procedure and securing their cargo. Before going to the front, he shuffled up next to Ecana, first giving her a warm embrace, then parting with a tender kiss. In the front, he first came upon a miniature kitchen area, opposite the restroom. Continuing further he finally reached the cockpit and leaned up against the backrest of the oversized chair, currently occupied by Pirate.
"You think you can fly this thing?"
"Think? I already flew it... despite the junkers insistence of 'showing me how its done' and wanting to fly me here. Engine's already hot, only thing we're waiting on was the cargo... and your lazy ass." Pirate chuckled, getting an equally amused snort in return.
"Sorry Cap'n had to watch my make up and put on the lacey underwear, you know the trouble I'm sure."
Several heads poked in through the middle corridor to look in his direction, but soon resumed to finish the preparations.
"Is it supposed to.... make that sound?" Ra'Kine shouted towards Pirate as she stared at the ceiling of the shuttle, roughly at the location the ominous rumbling was coming from.
"Mhhh yes and no? It's not meant to go this fast." Pirate laughed loudly.
"I should've asked why you had me reroute those cables..." Diesel shrunk a bit further into his seat, digging his grip harder into the seats cushion. "Not opposed to some speeding... just not used to being passenger in that scenario."
"Thats only half of the reason for the above average speed... the other would be the rather skeletal state the shuttle is in. Like putting a [500 horsepower] engine in a Toyota" came the cackling laughter of Pirate once more, just as the shuttle banked hard.
"Whats a Toyota?" Tsiera glanced over to Diesel.
"Uhhh a brand of vehicles from Earth." Something sounding suspiciously like hail started raining upon the roof and left side of the hull, shortly followed by another banking maneuver that swiftly brought them into the open again. "Uh what was that?"
"Minor landslide~ but don't worry our destination is already in view and I can't burn full throttle above Scavtown" Pirate answered as he decelerated slowly, unlocking the boarding doors to make up for the lack of windows.
This Scavtown as it's nickname suggested, was mainly comprised of hobby or full-time scavengers, but also junkers and miners, searching for usable material, washed up by the planets natural phenomenon. The 'town' aspect however was not as true anymore, as Scavtown was more or less an artificial landmass that had been elevated above the relatively fast decaying soil beneath, settling at the lip of 'The Maw'. Giving it the appearance of an alien version of Venice if it was built on loose gravel and earth instead. Even from this distance they could see giant bulky ships hovering just on the horizon, some descending beneath sightline and others coming back out and returning to Scavtown.
"How come the City we're at doesn't look like this?" Bambi yelled over the rushing wind.
"The researchers that have looked into this were able to determine, that not all of the continental plates shift in the same way that would bring them closer to the phenomenon. To keep it simple, there are continental plates that are too small to be dragged along, thus they kind of just surf on top of the heavier plates edges and are relatively safe to build on long term. Though... it's still unknown how it all started." Pirate narrated as he made the shuttle descend gradually ending with a soft thud as it touched down.
"Who brought this piece of junk into the air and decided to fucking land it here?!" A shrill scream came from an approaching woman, wearing something similar to an enforcer vest, yet the rest of the uniform was missing and instead comprised of casual clothing. Freezing as she catches a glimpse at Joker, then Diesel. "Wh...wh..... uhm... Welcome to Scavtown! How can I help you?" She quickly adjusts, sauntering over with a visibly forced relaxedness, leaning awkwardly against the shuttle. "Fine ship you got here~ Wouldn't mind giving you a tour in my ship"
Hushed snickers go through the group as Pirate finished up and walked back. "Greetings, we're here to meet... uhm." He glances at his communicator. "Raltir from J.J.L."
"J.J.L.? Wouldn't you prefer a more professional Junker shop?"
"To me they made quite the professional impression." He grins.
A few minutes later the group find themselves in a small garage shop with several projects suspended inside, vaguely similar to popular vehicles on Centris, except all of them show patchwork jobs done by combining various pieces from vastly different sources. Under one such unfinished vehicle stands a stocky mechanic lady currently shoulder deep with both arms inside the guts of the landspeeder, her volpir ears flopping about as she notices her guests.
"Gimme-a-sec..." She grumbled, grunting several times as she seems to be pulling on something, then finally she stumbles back catching herself and the large machine part she just ripped free. Dropping it on a nearby table she finally turns to the group. "Greetings, hello and whatever the fuck... my name is Raltir, how may i help yall?"
"You're Jeannas sister?" Pirate inquired.
"Das what I just said, didn-I. Waiiii~t you must be Thomas's friends then!"
"Thomas?!" Bambi, Diesel and Joker piped up simultaneously.
"Oh right, tehe. 'Officer Kennway' "Raltir snickered.
"That's quite right we're with Thomas." Pirate tried to steer the conversation back on track. "He told me, we could get a tour of the Maw with your help, get some samples, do a few small experiments and send all that data back to him."
"Ah sure thing! Bubby told me you'd be coming so I didn't start any big stuff~"
"When did he get himself some wives?" "Since when is his freaking name Thomas?!" "Guess even Kennway is getting out of his shell."
Pirate just rolled his eyes, ignoring the questions and statements that could be misunderstood as indirect insults to their direct superior, source of intel and only known contact back to the Undaunted. "Thank you very much Raltir. We'd rather get started before my crew and friends... dig themselves their own court marshal."
"Sure-sure right this way~" Raltir smiled a little strained, confusion plainly written on her face.
Kennway smiled to himself as he flipped the purple pancakes that mostly tasted like sweet air to him. His communicator pinged, followed shortly after by a buzzing. He opened the private message finding a group photo of Pirate and his crew, together with Raltir, all grinning into the camera, with the giant cliffs of the Maw in the background. He flicked over to the official messages and quickly confirmed the receival of reports and data, then switching back to the group image.
In that moment Jeanna came through the door to the kitchen with her own communicator already pointing his way. "Hey Raltir sent me this super cute photo!" And indeed it was the same he had just received from Pirate. With a second glance he spotted the text beneath it 'Had a great time at the Maw, thanks for your help Thomas.'
"Huh, guess we're on a first name basis now..." Kennway muttered to himself as he typed out a reply. 'Glad you had fun, now kick some ass at the tournament Ricardo.' Just when he went to send it, he stopped himself and pulled a caught off guard Jeanna into frame, snapping a quick picture to attach.
"Daddy! When are the masa patties done??" Trisks angelic voice called over from the living room.
"Almost don..." Kennway froze, jaw hanging loose as he glanced at his wife, whom was staring wide eyed back, till the shock finally wore off and she smiled. Kennway on the other hand blinked a few times, his heart threatening to explode from joy, so he did the only thing he could. Hopping excitedly as he fistpumped and punched the air like an excited teenager, grinning wild, hugging Jeanne and kissing her passionately. He glanced into the living room for a moment, just to confirm it was Trisk and not his imagination playing a trick on him and then quickly hurried back to finish cooking.
"Good morning to all of our wonderful viewers and welcome to~~ Feeding F-f-f-frenzy~~! The time has come to bring you all the professional viewing pleasure and commentary to go with this times tournament! As always, our thanks go out to the Academy for allowing us to view and stream the battles, though we've been told that we're going to be limited on a few matches, but we'd be compensated through the spectator feed and the judge feeds." An energetic Cannidor woman in an intricate suit presented. "Let's hope we can see some spectacular footage of the galactic newcomers. I know i wouldn't mind, from what I heard on the wide net and stories they're quite a force to be reckoned with."
Behind the woman a large screen lit up, first with plain grey steel looking eerily similar to a vault door, laser fire from off screen carved into the grey looking surface. 'Fight for glory! Fight for honor!' The carved text was backlit as the grey quickly turned to familiar red hot metal before a larger plasma burst punched through from behind, quickly followed by a very common frigate class ship plowing through. Blazing text written across its hull 'Maw Academy'.
"All that and MUCH more! Sign up, if you got the tits for it!" A voice-over spoke as the trailer faded into darkness, leaving the Cannidor grinning wide into the camera.
"You heard'em. See you all same time tomorrow and don't forget to use code 'Undaunted' for an ad-free experience thanks to this years major sponsor the Undaunted, special thanks go out to~~" She peeks down at something and cocks an eyebrow. "Uhm special thanks go out to all of our long time fans and supporters, may the tournament be one spoken about for centuries to come! Till next time~~.... Why are there no names-" The broadcast lasts just a few seconds too long, leaving Kennway chuckling to himself as he turns off the monitor.
Previous - Next

11 minutes of Armenia coverage by Transcaucasian Telegraph. Follow for regular updates.

from the Thursday Government session

• Additional funds were allocated for provinces to complete infrastructure projects, bringing the total allocated this year to ֏10B ($25M).
• The Government will use eminent domain, compensate the owners, and appropriate an abandoned area in Kapan that's currently owned by several entities. Upon registering it under state ownership, it will become possible to renovate the infrastructure and build a new sports center that will include a soccer stadium and other sports venues.
PASHINYAN: This started in 2018 after my visit to Kapan, where the residents asked to do everything possible to "bring football back to Kapan". The issue was with the complex legal ownership of different parts of the stadium and adjacent structures. Various owners had disputes, and there were disputes with the soccer club as well. The sport was interrupted in Kapan. We negotiated and pleaded with various entities to resume the games and eventually, it became possible to restore the games to a degree, and two soccer clubs have since been formed in Kapan: Gandzasar and Syunik. Gandzasar FC has been performing well and continues to climb up the ladder, which led to another problem for us: Kapan's soccer stadium does not meet the league standards necessary for Gandzasar. Since the legal issues persist with various owners of various parts of the venue, it's practically impossible to convince them to invest in the stadium; nobody wants to invest in a property belonging to someone else. Վերջը. We decided that the best solution is to declare the problematic areas as state properties and draw a plan for their future management. Gandzasar FC is already in a higher league and if Syunik FC also makes it, this will become a whole new story.
MINISTER: We are building 4 soccer schools in provinces and Yerevan as part of our comprehensive program to develop the sport.
PASHINYAN: Last year during a meeting in Batumi, the Prime Minister of Georgia and I reached an agreement to submit a joint bid to host the 2029 FIFA World Cup for [under-22] youth. I'm glad this process is advancing. This is a great opportunity for us to build 3 additional soccer stadiums with international standards. One of them must have 35,000 capacity, and the other two - 10,000.
MINISTER: We are discussing the construction of the two small stadiums in Vanadzor and Ijevan. The existing stadium in Vanadzor could be rebuilt and upgraded; the preliminary work is underway. As for the large stadium, it will be located in the Academic City and it must be ready by 2029 [the Academic City will be built gradually].
PASHINYAN: Yes, we recently visited the Vanadzor sports field. We had an "emergency landing" there [jokes]. The only issue there is with logistics because you have to travel through district roads but I'm told it's a solvable issue. Under "international standards" we always think of the stadium itself but there is also the logistics and adjacent infrastructure part of it. You need capacity for cars, parking space, etc.
GOVERNOR: As for Ijevan stadium, the new one will be built on a 3.5-hectare land plot not far from the existing one. They will be separated by one road. It can become a cluster.
PASHINYAN: The third one is the bigger National Stadium. It was recently discussed as part of the work around the Academic City. Our German colleagues will submit the final master plan in July, followed by the launch of the implementation phase and decisions on how to finance and manage. //
• Armenia is in touch with international partners to launch a restoration of infrastructure damaged by the floods in the north. Several countries have shown interest in rebuilding bridges. Armenia is currently building smaller and temporary bridges for pedestrians and small cars before the construction of the main infrastructure. Pashinyan administration also seeks financial assistance to compensate the residents for lost property.
• The health ministry has been taking water samples in flooded areas and making regular visits to the newly cleaned-up areas to evaluate the possible risk of the spread of diseases. No major issues have been uncovered, no breakouts.
source, source,

over 2,000 volunteers help/ed clean up and restore the flooded zones

A Polish guy moved to teach English in Alaverdi. The floods struck the following day. He had a new mission...
video,

Open Government Partnership: EU for Integrity Programme for the Eastern Partnership forum was held in Yerevan

State officials and civil society groups from several EP states participated in the forum in Yerevan.
Pashinyan's Chief-of-Staff Arayik Harutyunyan thanked the EU for assisting with reforms. He said it's necessary to form a unified front to defend democratic values and combat information warfare and other challenges.
A representative of USAID spoke about cooperating with Armenian partners to increase transparency and accountability.
Eastern Partnership representative Peter Varga said there are extensive reforms in Armenia, including in the anti-corruption and governing system. Varga said PM Pashinyan "has shown dedication" which is "very encouraging" and they are "very optimistic" about Armenia's future.
video,

deputy commander of the Armenian army Zhirayr Amirkhanyan participated in EU's forum in Yerevan where he spoke about cooperation with West and army reforms

REPORTER: What can you tell us about the principles of the army reforms and the goals?
AMIRKHANYAN: Our adversaries prevented us from focusing on peacetime reforms over the last 3 years by their actions, but in any case, there were structures tasked with unrooting the shortcomings of our system. If we set aside the military aspect, we have serious cultural problems in Armenia. The bureaucratic runaround is a major problem - the "red tape". There is too much circulation of paperwork before something is approved and addressed. There are not enough horizontal connections and too many vertical connections.
REPORTER: Is this an issue with the design of the management system?
AMIRKHANYAN: Yes. You could say this is inherited from the Soviet times but we haven't done enough to fix it over all these years. Our planning system is outdated and doesn't meet the Western standards. We need to set priorities. We don't have a good system of strategic planning. The reforms began immediately after the war, and by 2022 we were mainly focused on two things (1) establishment of a new model for professional sergeant staff, (2) a delegated control system, which we referred to as task management. [With it] We authorize our forces, our commanders, to orient and act more independently without waiting for orders from above because those orders can arrive with delay. Of course, the upper echelon is required to supply them with appropriate resources.
REPORTER: Was that one of the lessons from the 2020 war?
AMIRKHANYAN: Yes. By late 2023 and early 2024, we understood that those two reforms could not be accomplished without a revamp in law, financing system, procurement system, and all of those required deep-rooted reforms. With the help of our friendly states of the US, France, and others, we launched a process that we call a "comprehensive transformation of the defense sphere".
By taking into account the existing and potential threats, we must, and we already have, decide what the main objective is. The main objective is as follows: how to confront an incursion by an aggressive neighbor or neighbors in a fragmented terrain without having allies or under isolation from friendly states, all without having strategic depth. In other words, we are taking into account our geographical punishment, geography's revanche. The newly transformed Armenian army must be capable of carrying out maneuvers while relying on strong engineering structures while channeling the adversary to make them easy targets, with the use of proper firepower, self-sufficiency, and freedom to act. With a proper OODA loop (Observation, Orientation, Decision, Action) even small forces can counter a bigger force; a decision dominance can give you the edge.
REPORTER: The US and France have expressed readiness to assist, and Armenia's army commander visited Western states on numerous occasions and agreements have been reached. The press wrote that the US is providing advisors to Armenia. What can you tell us about the level of their involvement? Can they help us transition from the Soviet model to NATO standards?
AMIRKHANYAN: Not just the US and France, but we have close ties with Greece and Poland as well, and also Germany. But the main partners are the US and France with multi-layer cooperation. Regarding the US, we have a separate cooperation program with the [United States] European Command.
We have separate cooperation with various scientific research centers in the US. For example, the Institute for Security Governance is helping us with the aforementioned transformation.
There is a separate cooperation with the Kansas National Guard.
Yes, the US and France are going to appoint resident advisors who will bring the best international experience.
France is mostly focused on Armenia's tactical level: special forces, mountainous forces, armored vehicles, etc. They will send tutors soon to train on the ground. We are very satisfied with the cooperation with France and we have decided to import those radiolocation devices in addition to the vehicles.
The US legislation is still, you know, they call it "non-lethal" weapons and allow us [to have something], but I think you can't last a long time without lethal weapons in our neighborhoods [smiles]. But we are satisfied with the cooperation, especially since their attitude is not "this is all we can offer, you either take it or you don't". Instead, the demand pulls the wagon; we tell them what we need. For example, we want to improve the strategic training of our ranking officers.
REPORTER: How much time will the advisers spend in Armenia and where will they work, at the defense ministry or the army general staff office?
AMIRKHANYAN: The Ministry and CoGS office are quite integrated and we are flexible. We will help them study our flaws and cooperate with them.
REPORTER: Is there a need for new military academies?
AMIRKHANYAN: The Vazgen Sargsyan Academy is being improved. There was a time when the number of applicants was in the tens. A zero was added after some improvements. Today if you enter a classroom you don't see the standard Soviet-era setup; now it's a round table for more interactive learning. It's a cultural change that introduced a feedback loop.
REPORTER: [Opposition parties] claim the delimitation in Tavush has collapsed our defenses there. Is this true?
AMIRKHANYAN: No. The old line of contact, which was just a կահավորված trench, was dangerous for our soldiers. The new engineering structures are much better.
REPORTER: What will the Armenian army look like? Where are we headed to?
AMIRKHANYAN: We are headed to a professional army model, and by professional I don't mean exclusively contractors. The state hasn't yet finalized the grand strategy on who the enemies, friends, and neutral parties are. Until that's clarified, we will preserve conscription but I think it will be shortened. Perhaps soldiers will spend their time training instead of holding the front lines. So by professional, we mean a drastic increase in preparedness. Today the [conscript's] training lasts 6 months, which is nowhere near enough.
full,

PM Pashinyan is not expected to attend the COP29 climate change conference in Baku

source,

US envoy Bono discussed the AM-AZ peace process during a visit to Turkey

source,

Moscow says it won't downgrade diplomatic relations with Yerevan and that its Ambassador Kopyrkin will soon return to Yerevan after a recall for consultations

source,

Russia continues to upgrade relations with Azerbaijan

PUTIN: Support for the Russian language in Azerbaijan indicates the importance of ties with Russia. I know that President Aliyev greatly supports the teaching of the Russian language. This is visible in all vectors. This means that the leadership of Azerbaijan assumes that the Russian language will be useful for the citizens of Azerbaijan. //
Putin spoke with satisfaction about the relations between Moscow and Baku, stressing that Russian-Azerbaijani relations are developing "successfully, reliably, very pragmatically".
PUTIN: We feel the desire by the leadership of Azerbaijan to build interstate relations on the basis of mutual interests and, I would even say, with a certain sympathy for each other. There is no other way to explain the presence of three hundred Russian-language schools operating in Azerbaijan.
source,

US State Department urges Azerbaijani authorities to release political prisoners

MR MILLER: We are deeply troubled by the continued arrest of members of Azerbaijani civil society. Those who exercise their fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, should not face arrest for doing so. And we continue to urge the Azerbaijani Government to immediate release – immediately release all individuals who are unjustly detained and to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all.
source,

another Azerbaijani 2020 war veteran commits self-immolation

Adalet Ismailov poured gasoline and set himself on fire. He was transported to a Baku hospital. This brings the number of known suicides to ~80, with another 50 failed attempts. Several Azerbaijani veterans complained about mistreatment and neglect by the state after the 2020 war.
source,

Pashinyan, Modi attach importance to the further development of Armenia-India cooperation

Pashinyan congratulated Modi on the election victory. Modi expressed condolences after the floods.
source,

the other controversial friend of protest co-leader Bagrat Galstanyan

read,

"Nikol, Prime Minister!", "Turk, Turk, you are a Turk"

A group of ARF-led protesters marched in Yerevan with demands for Pashinyan's resignation when a passerby chanted a slogan in support of Pashinyan. It caused the protesters to use vuvuzelas as a sign of disapproval, while others accused the man of being a "Turk".
video,

Armenia among countries with the lowest prison incarceration rates – Council of Europe

Turkey 408 per 100,000
Georgia 256
Azerbaijan 244
Moldova 242
Armenia 79

... total number of inmates including pre-trial detainees

Turkey 348K
Azerbaijan 24.7K
Georgia 9.6K
Moldova 6.1K
Armenia 2.5K

... Armenia's prison population rate from 2013 to 2023

2013: 155
2014: 137
2015: 129
2016: 130
2018: 119
2019: 76
2020: 75
2021: 66
2022: 72
2023: 79

... other inmate stats

6% of inmates were foreigners
There was 1 minor
53% were untried detainees and 47% were sentenced
Average number of inmates per cell: 3
Prison population per 100 places: 52 (Azerbaijani prisons are almost full and Georgia is getting close)

... average length of imprisonment

Azerbaijan 27.2 years
Moldova 25.3
Armenia 18
Switzerland 2.1
source, source,

births and deaths in January-April

10,547 births (-8% YoY)
9,265 deaths (+6% YoY)
55% died from circulatory problems, 19% cancer, 10% respiratory, 5% digestive, ...
source,

Armenia records inflation in May after deflation in Q1

January -0.4%
February -1.7%
March -1.2%
April -0.7%
May +0.3%
World Bank projects 3% inflation this year. Armenian government projects 4%.
source, source,

Azerbaijani pro-democracy activists have lobbied the US to sanction 30 Aliyev regime officials, with another 14 names added to the list at the request of Armenians: Azeri activist in exile Arif Yunusov

The US continues to pressure Azerbaijan, says Yunusov. Citing his sources, Yunusov said there was an actual threat of major clashes earlier this year before the launch of the border delimitation process.
interview,

massive explosion at a gas station located on Yerevan-Sevan highway: VIDEO

The explosion damaged the vehicles on the highway. 7 people were hospitalized. Some of them are in critical condition. There is a threat of another explosion. Developing.
video, video, video, video, video, video, source, source,

an Armenian border guard was injured from a landmine explosion near the newly delimited section of Voskepar

Doctors said there was no danger to his life.
source, source,

video shows newly renovated backyards in Yerevan's Malatya district

From զիբիլնոց to a hangout place. New irrigation systems. A new playground and asphalted roads are underway. New manhole lids.
video,

Armenians suddenly care about weather forecast

Another one is coming, folks. The cyclone will arrive from the Black Sea and bring rain from June 8-11. The rain will be intense in certain regions. Expect hail. The temperature will drop by 6-10 Celsius.
source,

wild tramway accident in Russia

A passenger of a tramway smelled burnt rubber and warned the conductor about it but the warning was ignored. Moments later the tramway's brakes failed and the driver instructed everyone to get down but most passengers had earphones and couldn't hear. The tramway made a sharp turn at a high speed, causing some passengers to fly out of the cabin onto the incoming traffic. The tramway stopped only after it smashed into another one. Passengers say it saved their lives because if it wasn't for the other tramway, their wagon would have proceeded to fall off the bridge. 1 dead, over 100 injured.
video, video,

a Bug Bounty contest was held in Armenia by white hat hackers

Over 50 cybersecurity experts attempted to crack into systems used by public agencies and ACBA Digital. The organizers gave a list of systems to hack, the rules, and offered a reward.
video,

Armenia to acquire American software to supervise crypto transactions

The State Revenue Committee of Armenia will acquire Chainalysis Reactor software to supervise crypto transactions and fiat exchanges. The goal is to combat money laundering.
source,

Hello everyone. My name is Junel and I need to ask for general advice regarding the creation of a new resume.
I'm currently a graduate student going for my Master's degree in Social Work. I'm off for summer break and will be finishing my degree completely when Fall semester comes around. My finishing date will be in mid-December 2024. When Fall semester rolls around in mid-August, I'll need to devote 20 hours a week to my internship.
Currently I am working in a group home with foster kids and I honestly don't want to be here anymore... I got psychiatric hospitalized last month on account of my own trauma in combination with the stress this job has been putting on me. I dread every day going to work. So I've been applying anywhere and everywhere I can since January 2024. Thus far, nobody wants me and I don't know why.
I've actually posted a sample resume on here before and got good feedback, but even then, nobody would accept my resume. I thought it's because I'm overqualified, but even when I took off my degree, used the past three jobs (working with kids with disabilities, group home, social services internship) OR switched those out to display my past three fast food jobs (all pre-2021), nobody would take me.
I have no criminal record, no driving tickets or anything, or anything. I do have a history of being fired before, but I never list those jobs on my resumes and they weren't even fast food jobs.
I'm at my wit's end. I saw a hiring advertisement outside a local weinerschnitzel for $20/hr. I looked online and it says it's for a full time position. I desperately want this job but I'm afraid I'll be turned down yet again.
Please help.

I just graduated with a BA in Communication yesterday and for the past academic year, I've been applying to jobs and internships. I have received a handful of rejections, and been ghosted many more times. This one internship that I had lined up fell through due to financial issues within the company, and now I am in panic mode. My previous work and internship experiences are more geared towards marketing and PR roles, yet I'm finding it a bit difficult to find entry level jobs/internships that will take me. My resume includes relevant work experience, skills, description of what my education focused on, and a link to my portfolio of writing samples. Despite this, I haven't really heard back from many jobs. I'm not really sure what to do to, and I'm scared of being unemployed for too long.
My family and friends think I should go for a PhD in Communication instead because I did well in all my communication research courses. They believe teaching or researching is my "path." I'm more hesitant on this as it is a huge dedication of time for something that may not even help me in the future.
I feel as though my interests within the Communication field are too broad as I enjoy and do well in creative writing, journalism, marketing/PR, and communication research. My varied passions are biting me in the ass now and I don't know what to do about it or what my next move is.
It really feels like I'm falling behind and I would immensely appreciate some cold hard guidance on this situation. I understand that Communication is deemed as a more "useless" field, so I guess I just need help on how to work with what I put myself into.

I've been applying for remote jobs sa indeed and onlinejobs. Sobra ako natatakot mascam pero kelangan ko magwork haha I've read pa na minsan may job listing na ginagaya lang yung name ng company, yung isa ko pa nabasa may possibility daw ng identity theft pag nakapagpasa ka resume. I've read na din yung asa pinned, so how about yung iba na di pasok dun? How would you know kung legit talaga? Medyo paranoid na ata ako. lol
Sa onlinejobs, numerous din naman choices pero may ilan ding hindi naka state kung ano company nila so nagdududa ako. Yung gusto ko sana na isang job na creative writer, three times posted with the exact same description and yung creator different names pero hindi full name ang nakalagay. Ang isip ko lang is baka gusto lang nila maboost yung posting para kita more recently, does it work that way? Kelangan din magsend ng writing sample for the application so takot din akong baka kunin yung work ko without credit or pay. I'm new to this so would it be safe to apply at least? If ever tunay naman pala talaga. Kaya cinoconsider ko magrisk talaga dito kasi di sila naghahanap ng prev work exp or bachelors. Mahilig din ako sa content na gagawin nila which is like works of fiction for yt. Nahihirapan ako makahanap ng ganun. Any alternatives at the very least?
So what do u guys think haha give it to me straight

So first I want to frame my situation with some background on myself and my life. I got a late start to being an adult for a laundry list of reasons but to stay on track, I graduated high school at 19 back in Spring 2017. Had to wait for college a couple years due to administrative and financial aid issues. I was 21 the year I started college in 2019. I started getting my Gen Eds out of the way by doing an Associates at a local community college/technical school. As for my overall goals in life, let me make it clear I am practical. I have no ambitions for greatness or a high status position. I don't care about my name being in the history books of scientists.
Basically, I have three spheres of concern when it comes to how I choose a career path. 1. The career must be capable of sustaining myself and my fiancé financial for the rest of our lives or allowing retirement, until I am eligible for that. This means give the size and types of city we like to be in, the career must offer possible positions which pay at minimum 48,000 to upwards of 60-70k after many years of experience. Our current state is KY, and has a lower cost of living that most places. If we move it would probably be to a location with similar cost of living. We aren't ever having children (in progress of getting sterilized). 2. The job must be meaningful, as in not custom service where I put cans of food on shelves for people to buy and my employer company makes millions while employees have barely over the minimum wage. I have worked nothing but customer service since high school and can't stand dealing with them. If I have to work at all, I want my labor to go towards something that creates a net positive towards people and/or the planet. I don't care if my name gets remembered, we all will fade to obscurity eventually given enough time, but my efforts should be focused towards something with real meaning to it. I can't live with anything less. 3. The career path must be able to accommodate a reasonable amount of flexibility and adaptability to the positions available within it.
Last fall, I started at my current university to finish and have a Bachelor of Science. My major is Environmental, Sustainability, and Geographical Studies. Which is an open ended combination of geography, sustainability, light environmental sciences (very little hard science), and GIS courses. It's very broad but going into it earlier that was a selling point because we apparently can have so many options for job positions. Everyone's journey is different and your course program is curated to what your interests are.
Well, after a year in that major program, I feel like I should have chosen something else. I don't know if this is just something all seniors go through but after taking a couple required courses last semester, 499 Professional Preparation, basically like an intro into life after college, and my GEOG 300 Writing In the Geosciences course where I got to write my first professional Research Proposal. It was hell. Literally learned a new writing style I never once got told about (Harvard style, very specific to geoscience writing) and I also learned I have virtually no employable skills that are desired. I'm not even sure of the material I am learning in my courses. Like, I thought it would be more STEM, chemistry, soil samples, water analysis etc. but so far it's just ideas and theory which isn't bad but I don't feel like I have any technical knowledge to offer employers either.
I am not a bad student, not great either, just got a rough start to college in general thanks to my personal/family life having a bomb dropped on us my first semester when I lived with my parents which wasn't the best environment for a student in college but my little tech school didn't have dorms, being warned about SAP guidelines then my second semester when I tried to fix my GPA so I didn't lose my student loans and pell grant, the pandemic hit. Which caused me to lose my funding and have to skip a semester and pay my way part time the next one after until I could appeal my case and resort my funding, although I remain on SAP watch or whatever if my GPA drops too low or something else happens I won't get any more chances again.
So, that lead to my last couple years playing catch up being stressed out because my grades took priority over everything else. I managed to graduate with my Associates in Science and now I am right at the finish line for my B.S but after all those years just treading water to survive the basic classes and having taken some upper level courses, I feel like I both didn't learn the skills and knowledge necessary to actually work in this field of study and that I am just not smart enough to cut it. I had to retake remedial math 3 times before I could try college algebra which I barely passed then I squeaked by in Statistics class. Math is the bane of my existence.
I don't even know how to get started finding a good position I am qualified for in my science field. I am used to sites like Indeed and SnagAJob to find CSR positions and send in a generic application. Basically it seems like this is a field where you just have to know the right people to get your foot in the door.
Any job I have tried to get in the past that is related to my associates degree, I end up getting denied because I don't have a drivers license. I live in the US where we are severely car dependent but living in a major city for my state public transit and Uber is common. There's no reason why I should have to have a license for a desk job or a job that doesn't require constant transportation as part of the work requirements, unless I'm moving from site to site or doing something that requires me to operate a vehicle to do my duties daily there's no reason for me to have a license required. It's not just for identification purposes because I mentioned I have a state ID apparently that's not good enough, I intend to hopefully try to get my license at some point soon, but I have various cognitive issues that make driving, complicated and dangerous even simply because I have tried for the past decade to get my license license and never had the skill enough to even attempt the road test.I passed the written test my first try no problem but as for the physical action of actually doing the driving, I actually suck at it quite a bit.
Even with the license, I still wouldn't use it unless it was life or death and if I can have reliable transportation to work, it shouldn't matter how. I asked a professor and one of them mentioned that it shouldn't be legal for them to discriminate on the basis of my ability to drive, especially considering I have various physiological and psychological reasons that impair me from driving. However, I have been denied multiple positions based on the fact that I don't have a license even when one wasn't specifically stated to be required. I guess it's just the culture. I'll have to deal with when it comes to living in the United States, but that was the whole point of moving to a city rather than living rural area.
Basically this post is me venting my worries about my impending graduation, since I have no set path or set plans in motion and that's frustrating. The one major reason why: money . My fiancé has been footing our bills for quite some time and I work whenever I have the chance between semesters, but it's not easy and I am beyond tired of customer service. I think I'm just about burnt every town when it comes to retail and fast food, and I'm tired of having to beg him for money to cover everything that we need, the point of going to college so that I could have a stable and sustainable way of bringing in an income for myself and for him. I despise being dependent financially on other people it . makes me feel like I'm still a kid again, but I am 26 years old and still heavily financially dependent on people to pay my way.
The reason why I feel like this major was the wrong one compared to others in my department is that those in the geology and meteorology department have a very structured and set pathway for those when they graduate. They go into their senior year, knowing exactly what's expected of them what they need to get done and when they are close to graduating, they typically have multiple job offers or externships lineup , I know this because my last professional preparation course I had a lot of meteorology seniors in there with me since it is a required course for the department. I thought years ago I wanted a broad major that provided lots of different possibilities and flexibility, but looking at it now, I would much rather have something structured and certain so I know exactly where to go,what to do, and who to talk to, and all that rather than having to hunt around for these mysterious jobs that are supposed to exist for my particular major.
I apologize if this has a lot of grammatical or spelling issues my phone is doing this weird lagging thing when I'm trying to type so I'm having to do speech right now. And I'm from Kentucky. This phone doesn't seem to recognize my accent and phrasing.
If anyone's in a similar position to me or has been and would be willing to provide some advice and insight on what actionable steps, I might be able to take to help alleviate some of these and maybe some sort of concrete plan or something with any semblance of structure that can help me towards graduation and after it would be greatly appreciated. While the sentiment is appreciated as well, I don't want any empty platitudes or vague sentiments that everything will be OK or it'll work out because those do not give me any tangible means of working things out myself, and I don't want to just leave this into fate's hands.
If anything is unclear or I need to provide further details about some thing, please leave a comment doing so and when my phone starts acting correctly, I'll be able to type coherently