National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) Scholarship: Fully funded by the U.S Department of State, NSLI-Y provides intensive 8-week language & cultural immersion programs in locations around the world. The program is part of a U.S. government initiative to foster international cooperation by ensuring that Americans have the linguistic skills and cultural knowledge necessary to effectively communicate. NSLI-Y provides overseas critical language study opportunities to American youth through merit-based scholarships to spark a lifetime interest in critical foreign languages and cultures.
The program schedule consists of 4 hrs of language study at a local school, cultural excursions after school, free time, time w/ host family, homework.
Pros • Free travel to Indonesia, low income so might be only chance • Learn Indonesian language • Love traveling/ study abroad (my dream) • I’ve been focused on school, I want a break before college • Meet new friends • Could help me get other study abroad • Intangible benefits: personal growth, language, etc. • Short term fun • Can leave home earlier
Cons • College starts the day after I get back (3 hrs away) • Orientation dates are when im gone so I wont be able to go in person • Will probably attend a virtual orientation but its when im already gone • Only chance to participate
Government Internship for rising college freshman: Engineering internship at an Air Force Base w/ a college prep element. 1st & 2nd years do college/ life prep & engineering. 3rd & 4th years are placed on a team.
Pros • If I stay in the program, they will most likely offer a job (main purpose of program) • Guaranteed internship throughout college if I keep a 3.0 GPA • I’ll make around 6,000 (Salaried 30k+) • Salary increases every summer • College prep themes every week: guest speakers in industry, mentors, life lessons, “college hacks”, etc. • Project-based learning assignments: Learn coding in python (currently a beginner), build & program hardware, etc. • Can use all base amenities • Head start to learn Computer Engr & mentorship as first gen low income • Tangible benefits: money, engineering skills, career advancement, etc. • Long term advancements
Cons • Would be giving up other summer opportunities • If I decide I don’t want to do it anymore, I’ll regret not doing NSLI-Y Indonesian summer • Won’t be able to apply until sophomore year & the college prep isn’t included • If I get the post college job, I’ll have to move back near my hometown
I’m really conflicted on what to chose because I really love to travel, and I feel like going on the study abroad will be really beneficial to me. Though a lot of people have told me it would be stupid to pass up this internship because there are so many other study abroad opportunities. But I feel like there are other internships and I’ll be working the rest of my life so I should just enjoy the summer. At first I was gonna chose study abroad then I started to reconsider bc I fear that I won’t be good enough in engineering to get another internship in college.
So would I be “stupid” to pass up this internship for the study abroad?

Ok question time. So I was injured at work a slip and fall in the bathroom. I do have previous neck surgery 4 fused disks. I injured my neck and lower back. I had an mri the day before the accident on my neck for my regular doctor. Which showed NO disk protrusions or anything. Initially they sent me to er. Then when I required further treatment denied me stating previous injury and they said my fall never occurred when it did. They had me do a deposition where both my lawyer and theirs said I was amazing in my deposition no stuttering no missteps no uh huhs etc lol. They still denied me. I got mri of my neck 4 months after the accident now and it shows two herniated disks. I'm attempting to get an mri of my lower back which when it happens will make 6 months since accident. My questions are when the lower back mri comes in and shows most likely more disk herniations since it's been so long and a disk hernia usually heals in less then 3 months and they deny me will a judge rule in my favor? And what if my lower back heals by the time I get the lower back mri done would a judge still accept it? And will insurance still get me treatment for the injuries present? And will it reduce my settlement amount if approved?

hello po, i am currently in a dilemma with which university i should go to for college. it would be vvv big help to hear your comments and suggestions kasi i've been super indecisive and it's been stressing me out na ever since the results came out. here is a detailed list of the pros and cons i have for each uni:

1. ADMU (Ateneo De Manila University)

Priority - BS Psych Offered - AB Pol Sci
PROS: - I've attended the Open House and I liked the curriculum they offered overall (including the abroad programs and such) as well as marami raw silang time nilalaan for orgs

• My parents (and I) like the idea of being an Atenista since it sounds rare and fresh sa family na may taga-Ateneo
  
• I like the idea with studying at the top university of the Philippines
  
• Friendly daw ang profs and they value your mental health which is v important to me
  
• The campus itself is amazing with the view and greenery
  

CONS: - Malayo siya from our home. It'll take me about 4 rides (2 LRT, 2 Jeepney rides) to get into campus so I have to leave my house for about 2 hours earlier than my sched.
-> My parents told me I could get a dorm naman, but I very much prefer going home where my family is (but ofc if I studied here and nahirapan na w transpo, I have no choice)
-> Also, I'm willing to take transpo as long as 'yung course ay gusto ko

• I don't like the course. Indecisive na'ko ever since the applications pa lang and chose AB POS as one of my choices (3rd choice) kasi law ang specialization daw ng ADMU.

-> I was planning to apply for change of degree program into my prio course before enrollment pero there's a slim chance na ma-grant 'yun especially quota course ang psych
-> I can also shift naman on my second year but I don't feel like travelling 4 rides everyday of the week for a course I don't like during the 1st year

• If I ever do enroll sa Ateneo, kaya naman ng family ko mag-pay for tuition but other costs such as transpo and food is a concern for me
  
• I feel like hindi ako fit sa community nila (during the Open House puro fluent sila sa English habang ako mostly tagalog ang naging HS environment ko so I feel like I'll be an outcast hahaha)
  

1. DLSU (De La Salle University)

Priority - Ab Psych Major in Accountancy Offered - Ab Psych Major in Accountancy
PROS: - Only one LRT ride away from my home - Top school (?) ang DLSU for Psychology courses
CONS: - Tuition lalo na tri-sem and double major. Like I said, kaya naman ng family ko although concerned pa rin ako sa gastos kasi among the 3, ito ang pinakamalaking gagastusin.

• Like ADMU, I'm concerned if I'd fit in with the community. I don't like to listen to stereotypes but I'm afraid if baka ma-outcast din ako huhu.
  
• My mom told me 'yung anak ng friend niya nag-drop ng double degree sa DLSU after her first year, I'm afraid baka ganun din ang mangyari sa'kin.
  

1. UST (University of Santo Tomas)

Priority - BS Psych Offered - Ab Behavioral Sci (WAITLISTED)
PROS: - I like their community the best. This is actually the uni that I think best fits for me kasi I feel like mas ka-league ko ang circle ng Thomasians and a lot of the people I know are there.

• It is the most convenient for me. The campus is the closest to my home and mas familiar ako sa lugar compared to taft and katipunan since pumupunta na rin kami ng friends ko near the campus para kumain and such.
  
• I like the campus and their events. The place is full of greenery din and is surrounded by a lot of places na p'wedeng mag-hang out with friends after school. I'm also interested sa events nila like paskuhan, as it feels homey and fun albeit the workload na ibibigay nila.
  
• Mas affordable and less of a burden sa gastusin. Among the 3, ito naman ang pinakamababa na tuition. I also like na maraming food chains/restaurants near the campus na p'wedeng tambayan and very much pasok sa weekly allowance ko.
  
• I like both the prio and alt program I chose here. But if papapiliin, of course BS Psych is still what I want. But I'd settle for my alt program for the first year and plan to shift na lang the second year, no matter how challenging it may be.
  

CONS: - Waitlisted. The news pained me, pero I keep waiting if may available slot for me. Ang kaso, walang assurance naman that I'll get in so I have to decide din which uni I should use as a plan B.

• My parents' view of UST. It seems as though parang least option nila na mag-study ako sa UST. Probably kasi may other universities na mas considered "higher" sa rankings. It's a bit of a concern for me too if I should settle here or dapat sa much "better" uni ako, kasi hindi lahat nabibigyan ng opportunity to go to the other two that I mentioned.

it's a long list, and siguro may maiinis kasi i've been indecisive. tbh, wala naman akong dream uni. but i blame myself for not thinking ahead during the applications. i have been reading sa reddit for opinions about this for god knows how long but i decided to write din here kung sakali na ma-enlighten pa ako huhu.
pero thank you so much in advance.

TIA for any help.
I have a motor vehicle accident release form that I found and paid for online, for the purpose of a cash settlement matching the estimate amount to repair my vehicle, as I was involved in an accident that I am not at fault for.
The person who hit my vehicle would like to sign an accident release form, which is perfectly fine, but I would like a clause in the contract that basically states the contract is null and void until the amount owing is paid in full, and that until the amount is paid in full, I retain the rights to make insurance claims or court proceedings.
Can anyone help me put this in the right words?

Proof
I have busy with a bunch of home improvement projects and I need to liquidate some stuff quickly. I am doing so at what I believe to be attractive prices. Let's make a deal. Gold: 1 100 Euro half ounce gold with OGP and COA $1200 (spot is $1207)
Silver: 17 one ozt silver Aztecs (capsules for all included) $1 under spot per
15 American Silver Eagles (14 BU-ish 2016, 1 circulated 2008; includes tube) Spot
3 one ozt Apollo 11 rounds: $1 under spot ea
$1.10 FV in US 90% junk: 21x
9 war nickels $1.35 ea
$12.45 in Canadian 80% (no 1968s, one .925 5 cent included) $224 (well under spot)
3 South African silver threepence (1933, 1953x2) $2.50 for all (spot-ish)
3 US-occupied Philippines 20 centavos: $9 for all (under spot)
1 1942 UK shilling: $2.25 (under spot)
1 1918 Straits Settlements 5 cents $1.50
1 1962 Panama 1/10th Balboa: Spot
1 1960 Greece 20 Drachmai: $5 (under spot)
1 1944 Curacao 1/4 Gulden: spot
1 1942 Portugal 2.5 escudos: spot
Morgan dollars: NGC MS 63 1883-O
NGC MS 63 1884-O
NGC MS 63 1885-O x2
ANACS MS 63 1889
NGC MS 63 1904-O
PCGS MS 63 1921
Greysheet for the Morgans is $448 total. Take them all for $430.
I much prefer to sell this in large lots or one big lot. Make me an offer if you're interested in that kind of deal.
I accept Venmo and PPFF. I will ship at cost within the United States. Once in the hands of the USPS, I will do everything in my power to aid in the recovery of lost packages, but I cannot take responsibility for their foibles.

Thanks in advance to everyone who spends their time reading through my post. I believe my situation is unique and can't find straight answers after hours of research.
Turned 65 in October 2023. Went to apply for Medicare (both Part A and Part B) the first week of January 2024 (during the initial enrollment period). Had a phone interview with the SSA office in March 2024. Medicare finally approved in mid-April 2024 EXCEPT the SSA messed it up and only approved Part B. Visited the SSA again to understand what happened - they said a mistake happened and that my Part A will become available very soon. Part A finally became available in mid- May 2024. But my Medicare card now says the following:
Part A - effective date 10/01/2023 (they used my birth month when in reality I didn't receive part A until May of 2024)
Part B - effective date 02/01/2024 (again, this is misleading as I didn't receive part B until April of 2024)
I recently worked with a local broker to enroll in Part c. I explained what happened and he said it was not an issue to have me enrolled in their plan. I now have Part c and only intend to hold it for 6 months. I am planning to switch to Original Medicare plus Part G + Part D in the fall. My questions are following:

1. The SSA is asking me to pay the Part B premium for the months in which I did NOT have access to medicare. The bill covers February through June when medicare wasn't approved until mid-April. Is this normal??
   
2. Does the trial period right under the guaranteed issue right apply for me when I try to switch to Original Medicare in December 2024? The rule says it only applies if I enrolled in Part C as a 65 year old who first became eligible for Medicare. This sounds like they are referring folks who enrolled in Part C during the initial enrollment period. I obviously couldn't enroll in Part C as early as I wanted because of the SSA messing up my case.
   
3. If the answer to my question #2 is NO, do I have to worry about any premium increase based on the medical underwriting when I try to join Part G in the fall? I am currently healthy with no underlying conditions or medications.
   
4. Do I have to pay the late enrollment penalty for Part D starting next year? The rule says I have to if I went without the drug coverage for 63 days or longer in a row post the initial enrollment period. Even if I wanted to apply for a separate Part D within that 63 day window, I wouldn't have been able to do so because the SSA didn't approve my Part B until mid-April.
   
5. Now that I look into things further, I am realizing that the broker signed me up for Part C during what's called the special enrollment period. He didn't explain anything to me but there is no other way that He was able to get me signed up for Part C outside the initial enrollment period or the annual open enrollment period. No idea what he gave as the reason to the insurance company for me enrolling during the SEP. Is this going to cause any issue down the road as far as switching to Medigap concerns?
   
6. I am planning to stick to Part C for about 6 months starting June 1st. Will the insurance comany allow me to use the dental and vision related benefits up to the annual limit during this period? I am wondering if they typically prorate the annual limit based on the number of months that the beneficiary is enrolled in their plan (when they are enrolled for less than a year).
   

Thanks so much to everyone who can share their perspective/insights on any of the questions.

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Synopsis:
Juliette Contzen is a lazy, good-for-nothing princess. Overshadowed by her siblings, she's left with little to do but nap, read … and occasionally cut the falling raindrops with her sword. Spotted one day by an astonished adventurer, he insists on grading Juliette's swordsmanship, then promptly has a mental breakdown at the result.
Soon after, Juliette is given the news that her kingdom is on the brink of bankruptcy. At threat of being married off, the lazy princess vows to do whatever it takes to maintain her current lifestyle, and taking matters into her own hands, escapes in the middle of the night in order to restore her kingdom's finances.
Tags: Comedy, Adventure, Action, Fantasy, Copious Ohohohohos.
Chapter 241: Until Now
The doors to the Hartzwiese Adventurer’s Guild opened.
Before, the sound of raucous laughter could be heard flooding the street outside, filling the quiet of a spring night with all the debauchery the local drunkards had to offer.
Despite the halls of adventurers not being formal drinking establishments, those within were ready to compete in boisterousness with all the taverns, inns and pubs of the town combined. And also win. Handily.
And yet–
The moment the doors parted and I stepped within, a hush as quiet as any grave fell over its inhabitants.
A woman balancing with her derrière upon the head of another became still, the alcohol in her cup the only movement as it dribbled onto a stunned face below her.
A man slurping from the communal cauldron stared wordlessly, the stew pouring in, and then out of his mouth as the muscles of his throat forgot the means to swallow.
A bartender asleep upon a row of kegs quietly rose, the sudden din of silence waking him where the sound of debauchery and those drinking from the taps beside him had failed.
Here, there, and everywhere, eyes widened as the sudden silence was filled with the sounds of my footsteps as I strolled past, my loyal handmaiden and my brother’s attendant in my wake.
And also–
Mreow.
Mrewowow.
Meww.
Cats.
Tabby cats.
Calico cats.
Ragdoll cats.
Cats with twirly whiskers. Cats with puffy faces. Cats with slightly rounded ears.
Behind me, skipping around my legs while taking turns to sit upon my shoulders and very occasionally my head, were a legion of cats of various shapes, sizes and colours.
But no matter the springiness of their whiskers, the shine of their coat or the liveliness of their tails, one thing to bring them all together was the anarchy they caused.
This was no neat line of ducklings following after their mother.
This was a barbarian horde.
With no sense of organisation other than a shared drive to claim everything as their own, they immediately skipped amidst the stunned adventurers, scavenging for all the copious scraps while still turning their noses away from the alcohol forming sticky traps upon the floor.
Saying nothing, I allowed their demanding cries to fill up the hall as I swept forwards, pausing before a wall plastered from end to end with faded notices and requests long gone unanswered.
One by one, I systemically tore every request featuring a crudely drawn image of a cat, gathering into my arms a pile of parchment large enough to reach my chin.
Then, I made my way to the wooden desk.
A receptionist waited with a smile at the ready.
“Greetings! Welcome to the Hartzwiese branch of the Adventurer’s Guild. I see you’ve removed several notices from the–”
Poomph.
Silenced but unperturbed, this latest clone watched as I dropped the stack of requests onto her desk, before promptly topping off the stack with a copper ring.
“Do what must be done,” I said, my voice defiant. “I am ready.”
The receptionist answered me with a smile more permanent than the wall the notices were torn from.
A moment later–
“[Identify].”
A green hue appeared in her clasped palms as she assessed the ring.
“Juliette. B-rank. Your registered branch is Reitzlake.”
The sound of several cups clattered against the floor.
“Welcome again to Hartzwiese. I see from your commission history that you have an extraordinary amount of completions for recovering lost cats. May I assume the significant number of cats now roaming the branch hall relate to the notices removed from the wall?”
I pursed my quivering lips.
“Maybe.”
“Wonderful. And how many cats is it that you’ve rescued?”
“... Lots.”
“I see. Please give me a moment while I confirm the requirements of our commissions.”
The receptionist swiftly retrieved a stack of parchment from a drawer.
As she flicked through, her eyes simultaneously went to every cat roaming, napping and clawing in the hall. A skill not even monstrous overseers from the abyss with their dozens of eyestalks could match. But that’s only to be expected.
Wherever these receptionists were found, it was from a level deeper than any monster dared roam.
Eventually, she gave a nod.
“Thank you for waiting. There appears to be an excess of cats in relation to the number of commissions we have available. We’ll endeavour to ensure that every cat is rehomed at the earliest opportunity through our partner agencies and charities. But unfortunately, I can only provide official acknowledgement for cats rescued through a formal commission.”
I sucked in a deep breath, hoping that patience was one of the things I accidentally inhaled.
“Fine. And how many commissions does that end up being, then? … 10? 15?”
The receptionist flicked through her bundle of parchments once more.
“94.”
“... Excuse me?”
“I can confirm the successful completion of 94 simultaneous F-ranked commissions. Congratulations. This is a new record, breaking what appears to be one earlier set by yourself. A remarkable achievement befitting a B-rank member of the guild.”
The receptionist’s professional smile never wavered.
I thought that would be the worst of it.
But then–
She slowly brought her hands together … and started applauding.
It was the leak which broke the dam.
At once, she was joined by all who were present to witness this crowning moment of regret.
I turned around in time to see a riot in motion.
“W-Wooooooooooo!!!!”
“In … Incredible …”
“A new record … I … I heard it was broken in Trierport … to think I’d witness it broken again!”
“A B-rank adventurer … ?! Where … Where did she come from … ?!”
There was no polite, respectful applause here.
It was the wild cheering of a crowd at a tournament. The whooping cries of theatregoers calling for an encore. The acclaim of my father as he elbowed others to delight in the poetry I’d written when I was 6 and thus now regularly attempted to burn.
Everywhere I turned, I saw and heard the acclaim mixed with shouts of horror as mugs of alcohol were spilled on purpose and by accident. The layabouts stomped on the floor, doing their best to murder decorum under the strain of unbridled emotion.
Only a few falling teardrops formed any hint of more dignified revelry, the glimmer of admiration running down cheeks as sniffles were hidden amidst the raucous cheering.
And then I bore witness to the most morbid sight.
Like a tidal wave of soiled clothes and snotty faces, they suddenly came as one, hands reaching out for me with dripping mugs still in their grips. Horror struck at my soul. And unlike a farmer who’d scarpered into the night, I had nobody who could heal a wound caused by hooligans accepting me as their own.
“A-Amazing!! Take my drink! Take anyone’s drink!!”
“So many cats rescued … even my allergies can’t believe it!”
“My gods, it’s a legend! An adventurer among adventurers!”
This.
This right here.
This was the lowest point of my life … were I not an unparalleled genius.
“Oho … ohoho …”
At once, the wave halted.
Faces which were lit up in unabashed delight turned to looks of mild confusion against the tinkling music of my laughter.
They needed to cycle through the expressions until they reached horror and shame.
“Ohhohohohohohoho!!”
… For I was no drunkard seeking to join their ranks!
No … I was Juliette Contzen, 3rd Princess to the Kingdom of Tirea!
And that meant every action I took, every word I spoke, and every cat I saved was for a reason beyond the hopes and dreams these hoodlums had of wanton debauchery and rusting swords!
Indeed!
A lesser princess than I may slink away into the night, cowed by the utter shame, humiliation and disgrace of completing so many F-ranked requests that I somehow broke a record I’d only just set!
But I was made of greater things!
Of schemes and subterfuges so deep that it would take too long to explain! The plots I weaved were a silken web more intricate than any cogs which made up Coppelia as she doubled up, desperately trying to stop herself from succumbing to more pain from laughter!
And that meant with every cat request now denied to these louts … they would finally do some work!
“Ohoho … ohohohohoho!! Behold and be afraid! Witness before you the coming of a new dawn, here to lift you from your days of boundless reverie! Unfurl the shutters and gaze upon a radiance so pure it brands your dallying minds! The scorching sun has come to test the snail’s back, and all that your bleary eyes see is a great salt lake to devour you whole! Shrivel as you cling upon the sweat which drips upon your brow, for that is the proof you’re yet alive!”
A sudden silence met my proclamation of their coming ordeal.
And then–
“Wooooooooooooooooooooooo!”
“I don’t understand! But what a speech!”
“If she can do it, so can we!”
I raised a hand to my lips, barely covering my smile.
“Ohhhohohohohohohoho … !”
Here it was!
Operation: Gainful Employment!
An entirely new strategy, as bold as it was uncharted!
By removing what was surely the vast majority of missing cat quests available to the adventurers of this town, they would have no choice, utterly none whatsoever, but to engage in actual work! The type of work adventurers openly advertised themselves as doing!
Monster subjugation! Crime prevention! Fetching artifacts from hidden dungeons and then succumbing to their wounds at the entrance while the Royal Treasury pocketed the treasure!
Yes, this was clearly a highly experimental tactic.
But what was I, if not a bastion of creativity?
At the very least, I utterly refused to accept the status quo! An organisation dedicated exclusively to rescuing lost cats or elbowing into my kingdom’s sovereign affairs was no good to me!
Thus … I could not cower like some towngirl nauseous from the smell of their revelry.
Instead, I would squeeze the Adventurer’s Guild dry until the day I replaced them with an army of trained poodles. Until that joyous day, I could never tear my eyes away when they waited to be robbed.
To do so was more than a dereliction of duty …
Why, I’d be an accomplice to their drunken escapades!
My vow remained unchanged. For my goal, I would brave any indignity. The ring I was hoping the receptionist would forget to return was proof of that.
And thus–
I stood tall as a summer reed, proud in the knowledge that I had no need to feel even an inkling of embarrassment over completing 94 simultaneous F-ranked commissions! …
“Pfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffft.”
“S-Stop at once! You are not to laugh!”
“Pffffttt~”
“C-Coppelia!!”
Clearly not seeing the angel of self-sacrifice who I was, Coppelia held one hand tightly around her mouth. Even so, she failed to stop either the sound of her amusement or the tears falling from her eyes.
My only salvation was that it came at significant cost to her. Even now, she careened between laughter and painful regret.
I decided to offer both her and myself mercy.
Turning to the receptionist, I found a modest pouch already waiting upon the wooden desk. As well as a copper ring waiting beside it.
“Thank you for your service to the Adventurer’s Guild,” said the receptionist, her professional smile undaunted by the commotion. “Your total remuneration is 102 gold crowns, 7 silver crowns and 9 copper crowns. I’ve taken the liberty to compile all your separate payments together.”
I took the pouch and ignored the ring.
The receptionist pushed the ring forwards.
A long moment later, I collected it, uncertain what a receptionist would do if I tossed it into the communal cauldron, but knowing it would somehow still end up on my finger regardless.
With my head held high, I bravely ignored the chorus of voices unknowingly cheering for their own hardship as I swept past. Renewed tears and applause filled the hall. A few cats attempted to follow me. I stopped to shoo them away.
And then I was outside, the door closing behind me.
“... Goodness, that was quite the sight,” said Renise with a bemused smile. “It reminded me somewhat of the inns of Reitzlake’s docks. I wonder if all the halls of adventurers are like that, or merely those which you frequent?”
“Please don’t insinuate I’m responsible for the debauchery which occurs wherever the Adventurer’s Guild is concerned. That’s something I can claim no credit for.”
“You say that … but to me, it seems that you caused quite a stir. That really is a remarkable number of cats you rescued, after all. Even I can tell that 94 simultaneous F-ranked commissions–”
“Miss Renise.”
The maid’s smile wavered against whatever fatigued expression I was making.
A moment later, it fell away entirely as she switched to her role as my brother’s attendant and the leader of whatever scoundrels he’d charged her with herding.
“... Yes, I suppose there’s time for idle conversation later. There’s a guardhouse nearby. We should report on all that’s happened tonight.”
I gave a nod of agreement.
Hopefully, the baroness hadn’t woken from her stupor yet. But if she had, I was certain the single portrait of myself I’d returned to the wall of her gallery to smile down at her gagged and bound state would calm her nerves.
Renise hummed towards the direction of Hartzwiese’s centre, before returning her attention to me.
“If you wish to keep your identity incognito, I can see guards sent to where they’re needed using my own authority, and arrange for the appropriate seizure of the goods and crowns we’ve discovered.”
I beamed at once.
My, so prudent! It’s little wonder she was chosen by Roland!
“A judicious offer. And one I’ll accept gladly, providing the burden isn’t too severe.”
“This is merely an administrative task, and little burden compared to what both yourself and Miss Coppelia regularly perform. In any event, it is only efficient. I expect I’ll be spending a significant amount of time at the baroness’s farmstead. It is quite extensive. If possible, I would like to make use of it for Rose House. I imagine having such a facility close to the Granholtz border would have its uses.”
I nodded, already forgetting the barn’s existence.
“I encourage you to use your discretion as required. My brother has put his trust in you, and so I both expect and know that you shall not disappoint in furthering the kingdom’s prosperity.”
The young woman smiled. One filled with appreciation, but also lacking ambition.
Good.
An excellent combination as far as retainers were concerned.
“Thank you. Although I worry you place too much trust in my abilities. In truth, those like Baroness Arisa would have made for a greater asset to the kingdom. Her resourcefulness must be acknowledged.”
“It is not resourcefulness my kingdom requires. It is loyalty. And hers is a pit so empty it drains others.”
“That’s true. But at least we were able to acquire some useful things from her nonetheless.”
Renise pulled out a tiny vial from the belt around her thigh.
A golden liquid was stored within, glimmering with an unnatural light.
“These were in her chamber,” she said, her eyes lacking emotion as she surveyed the bright liquid. “When we met, she actually attempted to purchase my loyalty with this.”
“A suspect vial. How quaint. And what miracle did she promise?”
“One that would wake my parents from their curse of eternal slumber.”
“... And is it?”
“I don’t believe so, no. This is one of many identical vials I found in her chamber’s desk drawer. All prominently labelled with instructions to only drink as required to stave off the effects of bloating.”
Renise returned the vial to her belt with a slightly embarrassed smile.
“It’s still useful,” she admitted. “But just not for what I require.”
I gave a simple nod as my reply.
Nothing else needed to be said.
She hoped to see her parents wake from their prison of dormancy. An understandable wish. And one I wasn’t required to supplement with the comment that no pair named the Smuggler King and the Smuggler Queen were likely to receive as light a sentence as their daughter.
I could not speak on behalf of Roland. Although I imagined that as a kind man, he would prefer not to pass judgements which were total. But as the Crown Prince, he did not have the luxury of kindness.
It would take much to change their fate.
But perhaps that’s why Renise was here, still proving true, and not accepting stomach ailment potions from a baroness.
A moment of silence followed.
Renise gave a short sigh. And that was that.
She set her eyes on the task ahead–at least until whatever words she’d parted her mouth to say were interrupted by Coppelia’s humming instead.
“Sooooooooooooooo … you just want to wake up two people eternally sleeping, right?”
A small smile met her optimistic voice.
“If a cure were readily available, I’m certain I would have found it by now. I believe one might be possible, but it would take skill and ingredients beyond any apothecary I know of.”
“Well, sure, you could go that way. But what about going straight to the source instead?”
“The source?”
“Sure. They’re asleep, right? So just ask the one in charge of where they are now.”
“I’m … not quite sure I follow?”
Coppelia clapped her hands together and beamed.
“The Spring Court is the realm of dreams. Chances are, they must have shown their faces around a few times by now. If you ask the Spring Queen nicely, she might do you a favour.”
“The Spring Queen? … The fae?”
“Mmh~ luckily, we have someone with connections here!”
Renise was startled out of her reply.
It was nothing compared to me. The one being pointed at.
“Coppelia!” I said, truly aghast at the suggestion. “The fae are not to be taken lightly. Why, I still have nightmares about my conversation with the Winter Queen! I learned a side to royalty that day which I shall never forget … and I’m quite poorer for it!”
“You met … the Winter Queen?” asked Renise, her eyes suddenly wide.
“Unfortunately, yes, but I had zero intention of meeting her, and I’ve just as little intention of meeting any other fae as well. Including the Spring Queen.”
I waved away the coming query to declare what was just as important as my lack of enthusiasm.
“Besides, I’ve not the foggiest idea how I would even hope to use these supposed connections I have.”
“Oh, that’s the easy bit,” said Coppelia, her casual disregard for what counted as ‘easy’ more terrifying than any lout I’d met today. “The hard part is getting them to do what you want. But meeting them? The fae are creatures of stories. If the time is right, they’ll speak to you–one way or another.”
“Then they must book an appointment. One which I can formally reject.”
“I mean, I don’t think you have much choice. You didn’t last time, right?”
“The last time, I was sat beside the Winter Queen’s crown. I see no fae artifacts to hook me away. And that means utterly no scenario in which I could be abducted without my express–”
I suddenly stopped, clasping my hands around my mouth.
A moment later, I raised my arms in a martial art I’d just invented, turning repeatedly on the spot.
Renise blinked at me.
“Excuse me, but what are–”
“Shhshhshh!!”
I paused, gazing intently around at the quiet, dark streets of Hartzwiese, all the while ignoring Coppelia’s giggling at my near miss.
That … That was close!
“O-Oho … oho … I almost invited something terrible. Truly, it’s perhaps best not to needlessly voice things which Fae Queens and their deviant brand of magic could use …”
Coppelia nodded at me, as proud as she was clearly disappointed.
“You’re lucky. If the Spring Queen had a sense of humour, she’d have snagged you right there and then.”
“No. If the Spring Queen had a sense of humour, she’d wait until–”
Click.
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Looking for some advice as a first time manager. I work at an insurance billing company for almost 4 years now. I was previously the team lead for a couple months prior to me getting my current role. The only reason I got the manager role was because our director (the person I reported to) was let go and it wasn't a choice for me because they were not going to replace that position. Obviously this came with zero training and guidance. I was already struggling as the team lead because it felt like I was doing the job of multiple people, but now I have to find time to provide a team of 5 with guidance and training, while also managing daily meetings with our owner who micromanages the hell out of me on top of the work I was already previously doing.
Basically everything has been a "figure it out as I go" and I thought I was making some progress with getting a better flow in the department (it was unorganized and all over the place when I took the position.) Then Friday rolls around and before the work day even starts I have an employee come in and quit. She stated that she was getting stressed over having to re-do some of her work and felt like she was doing everything wrong so she didn't want to let the team down. I know I shouldn't do this, but I am really taking this personally because I feel like I let her down. Also, I feel like this confirmed my own belief that I am not a good manager because of the saying "people don't quit their job, they quit their manager." She was honestly a good fit for the role. My team basically calls insurance companies all day to get benefit information for patients. Having reps give you wrong or confusing information just comes with the role and even our longest employees have to call back for a misquote of benefits. No one is going to get it right 100% of the time. She wasn't the only person I was having to get re-do their work. I try to approach this in the best way and offer them guidance on what they should do when this happens, but now I'm wondering if I am going about it wrong. In my daily meeting I had to inform the owner that this person quit and what they said, which he was very confused by. Now I feel like all eyes are on me because again everyone thought she was a good fit for the role and prior to this she gave no signs of being stressed.
I don't feel the need to micromanage my team. I trust that they have all the resources they need to complete the job and be able to manage their daily tasks. I am there if they have any questions or need some guidance. Some of the team members have been there longer than me and they can use each other as a resource. I have had the absolutely worst managers while working here and really try not to make the same mistakes with my team. We have two other departments, one department has no one under them and the other has only one person under them. I went to them about the situation and they told me that I am not doing anything wrong and that I am probably the most helpful manager that they've had, but that I probably cater to them too much. I am not saying I don't trust their insight, but I just don't think they get where I am coming from with this. I also don't feel comfortable going to the owner because he never listens to single concern I bring to him and always makes me feel smaller. IDK if it is cause I am the one with the biggest department, but he is always on my case and wants to know KPIs, volume, performance, and a bunch of other information daily even though we have been ahead of schedule for the longest time. He does not do this with the other departments and I wonder if him stressing me out is making my team stress out??
I have already decide to set up monthly 1 on 1s with each team member to get their thoughts, but are there certain questions I should be asking them? Are there other things I should be implementing with my team to make sure they are not getting overwhelmed? How do I make sure my team knows they can come to me when they have concerns or issues? I think the lack of trust runs rampant in our company because of the horrible leadership we had previously, even I have a hard time trusting concerns with others in the company because in the past doing so has backfired for me. Any advice on how to move forward would be greatly appreciated!

I’m going to do my best to paint the full picture, this is most definitely not a simple situation and I’ll put my hand up and say I haven’t handled a lot of things well.
First thing, I am white Anglo and my wife is British/Punjabi (born in UK, parents and upbringing Sikh). Just prior to getting engaged in England I offered an idea of us living in Australia (where I’m from) for a period so she could work abroad (a dream of hers) and she could get to know a little about my upbringing. She agreed and was excited about coming over.
2021 was when we arrived here, to summarise things: we stayed with my parents (big house we had space), we had to endure a hard lockdown, our wedding plans were thrown into chaos, my wife had a cancer scare, and then there were a myriad of family related actions/comments that were so far removed from everything she’s known that she felt rejected and disrespected by my mum in particular.
I struggled to fully understand all of this, I tried to find common ground with her and my mum, and I tried to help her to better understand my families “ways” as well as improve my mum’s communication with her. I also told my mum to reign it in, but needless to say I failed. In fact everything I seemed to do only made it worse. When we moved out we essentially went NC with my mum in particular but my family as well. I told my wife that her well-being mattered more to me and I allowed her space to heal, and when she said she needed to quit her job to focus on her mental health I supported her (emotionally and financially). I tried several attempts at trying to help her build a life that wasn’t just based around me, she wasn’t particularly receptive to it.
Then the big one that has set us further back that I’m worried we can’t come back from, I was diagnosed as practically infertile. We have both gone through our own grieving process with it and have tried a couple of rounds of IVF. Needless to say we haven’t had success. We are now preparing ourselves to leave my country to go live near her family, she needs to be close to them and their values, and I appreciate she has given life in my country a go. For a while things seemed to be better with her, she was happy and excited about going back home, but now she has told me that any time I have any interaction with my mum it triggers off all her emotions and reminds herself of the pain she’s experienced. I’m not downplaying her experiences, I know it’s been a struggle to look at my upbringing and realise it’s against so much of what she believes in.
She has consistently told me she wouldn’t stand in my way of spending time with them, in fact she encouraged it. But now she has told me every time I did that it would cause her pain, she would put it aside for me. While I appreciate that, I wish she hadn’t done that. I’m a simple guy, you say something I take it at face value.
So this comes to the current issue I’m at, she gets so upset and angry at the thought of me spending time with them (mum mainly) that she wants to have me essentially go NC with hethem. She has basically given an ultimatum of “her or me”. I hate this, but as I said earlier we essentially did this when we shifted out. We’re going to be busy with work and arranging the move, but I’m also mindful that this will be my last months with them and I hate the idea of leaving them thinking I hate them. They’re in their late 70s, I feel like I might be leaving them behind forever.
Has anyone had experience of having to go close to NC with family through the wishes of your partner? Has anyone else gone through the experience of thinking your family is perfectly and then bringing a partner in you find out they are not what you think they are?
I feel like the stakes are so high no matter what I do, it feels like either way I lose.

So, all the talk right now is FFIE, CRKN, and GWAV. I'm actually in all three and encourage you to stay in for AS LONG AS IT IS GOOD FOR YOU. But I want to talk about the importance of not going full port, and diamond-handing to a loss. There is ALWAYS a next FFIE. In all my years, I've seen so many I can't begin to estimate how many I've seen. As you play this game, you NEED to have stop losses set. You need to remember not to get greedy. Bank your profits, and be getting excited for your next play. Keeping an eye on what is coming up really helps keep you detached from the stock, so you don't get burned and left holding the bag.
Since what has brought most of you to these stocks is the thought of a MOASS, I’m gonna write up some other short stock opportunities. Full disclosure upfront: I’m heavy in two of these, and would love nothing more than 1/100th of the volume ya’ll have generated to come to those stocks.
This list is ranked top to bottom in percentage of short float, and ranked at the bottom in my interest level and my positions.
So, some of the most shorted stocks currently, and my thoughts on each:
Sunpower SPWR
On this list because it is the most shorted (non-penny) stock with 95% short interest. At sub $3 and only 45 million shares, this is as squeezable as it gets. Any sort of squeeze would have to be from meme value as the financials of this company aren’t great. They haven’t met expected earnings in the past 5 quarters, and have actually done worse quarter after quarter.
If this found volume and a rabid community I’d be in… but I’m not touching this thing otherwise. This is a real “all or nothing” stock.
MicroCloud Hologram HOLO
Spend anytime on squeeze forums and youre gonna see this one. Another stock with insane (75%) short interest This company has shown multiple times over that it is capable of a run. Part of that is that the product that they are making is quite intriguing… the other part is that this stock has left a lot of bagholders in its wake. If there were call options available, I’d be buying far dated OTMs hand over fist, because at some point, this thing will explode again.
Childrens Place PLCE
Okay, so this has some fundamentals that could be interesting to some. Heavily in debt, with historically bad gross margins, and a panic sell off when they announced they had breached debt covenants, this stock has gone from over $100 post-pandemic, to roughly $12 today.
Why could it be intriguing? Mithaq capital purchased 7 million shares recently. Backed by the Saudis, and capable of offering better terms on back debt, this could be a takeoveturnaround story. Purely speculative, and high risk, I don't see a squeeze happening here anytime soon, but if messageboard chatter picked up, I’d be grabbing a lot more calls… when this goes, it’ll go fast.
B. Riley Financial RILY
At 56% shorted this is one of my top picks (#2), the one most primed for a squeeze, and I'm heavily in it.
This is also the first company on this list that has a clear path to an increase in stock price. For me personally, this is what I look for in an investment. I love a good squeeze, as it accelerates my profits, but I like betting on companies that are going to get me there regardless of the squeeze.
This company has many facets and if you want backstory, there are several good write ups/DDs available on Reddit. As it stands, despite turning around their slow quarters, and doing better as a business, short sellers have ramped up their positions? Why? Because there is an actual villain in this story. Marc Cahodes. He is an infamous short seller, with a personal grudge against this company, and the short sellers are not running off a functioning thesis. This is about destroying a company to soothe a slighted ego. Soon, short sellers will unwind their position, as the stock has pretty much found its base. A short squeeze in the near future could send this stock up into the $90 range.
Trupanion TRUP
39% short sold, this pet insurance company has recently come under attack by…it’s Marc Cahodes again. Marc did his usual tactic, doxing and harassing supporters, and accusing everybody in the business (down to the janitor) of fraud. However, despite these attacks, the company itself has mostly “Buy” ratings. The share price has slumped, due to bad Q1 earnings and the short attacks, but there is a new CEO and she is intent on increasing profitability, and decent quarterly results could pop this back up to historic $60 levels (+100%).
Cutera CUTR
This company makes hardware for treating acne and other dermatologic issues. 39% shorted this should be on your radar in early JULY. Listening to their earnings call was a lot to be excited about, if you could stand to listen to their hopium bullshit. Clearing up inventory, and debt, they have a lot of potential to have a strong Q2 showing. At $2 a share, I’ve gone ahead and made a small position, as this is might be the bottom.
Immunity Bio IBRX
OH. MY. GOD. I LOVE THIS STOCK. By far my #1 right now. Sitting at 39% shorted, I wouldn't be surprised to find that Merck is behind the shorting; trying to keep the stock price down so they can buy it out. This is a life saving cancer treatment. With recent FDA approval, this company sold 400 million in product ITS FIRST WEEK. With trials ongoing for multiple other uses, and a meeting with the FDA scheduled in June to get it fast tracked as a treatment for lung cancer. I have a $20 price target set for July. $40 by September.
There is honestly so much to say about this company, that I will write up a separate, in depth DD.
Novavax NVAX
If you were paying attention, you just watched this thing pop (260%) Is it done? Actually, yeah, Probably. I’ve read a lot of chatter about how it has a historic high of $300 without people factoring in its 20:1 reverse split. Robinhood needs to fix the UI, because a lot of people are tossing out good money. That said, with 33% short interest, a mild squeeze may happen for a few bucks.
Lucid LCID
A DPAC luxury EV maker on the most shorted list? Who would have thought?! Ok, so, I’ve had a chance now to drive a couple of these… and HOLY SHIT. I want this company to survive. I want one of these cars.
That said, yeah, I’m not putting more money into this. I’m putting it on this list because sometimes, great products fail. This is a prime example. Since first being wow’d by this car, the stock price has fallen 80%. Truthfully, if the Saudis walk away from Lucid, they're done. Don't fall in love with a stock.
AST Spacemobile ASTS
The lowest short interest on this list (28.3% which is still high as fuck!!!) is my #3 pick. And I’m in this bigly. This tech is so good, it’s literally going to change your life. Imagine, no place on Earth being without cell service. Why is it shorted? Delays, and Delays, and Delays. Go on over to the subreddit, and feel the general relief that everyone feels as launch is FINALLY nearing. If you are thinking of getting into this stock, do so before early July, as it nears major catalysts.
There it is. My list.
I’m gonna order them now in the rank that I view them, with my positions.
IBRX (3000 shares and 402 call options)
RILY (2700 shares and 17 call options)
ASTS (5000 shares and 103 call options)
HOLO (1500 shares)
PLCE (25 shares and 10 call options)
CUTR (1000 shares and 20 call options)
TRUP (10 call options)
LCID (No position, sold off at a loss)
NVAX (no position, sold off at a loss)
SPWR (10 call options) - lowest position currently, but if chatter starts happening this goes to #4

This is gonna be a long post. I don't have health insurance and can't drive yet so this is the next best thing to therapy for me at the moment. I'll get the help I need when it's available to me, I promise.
I (17 M) had a dramatic falling out with two of my best friends back in December after they started dating (TL;DR I was extremely jealous and had an unhealthy emotional dependency with one of them which led me to lash out) and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.
I learned at some point that they planned to ghost me after graduation because dealing with my constant breakdowns was wearing them both down and trying to talk to me at that point was like walking on eggshells. Hearing that broke me, but I finally accepted the fact that I needed to let them both go because keeping that kind of relationship wasn't good for any of us. I was absolutely devastated, but after a while of not seeing them or interacting with them, I started to feel a lot better. I quit working at the same mall they both worked at and graduated high school, so I've had plenty of space and distance to focus on other things. But I still think about them and about what happened.
During that time when school was still happening, I felt genuine terror whenever I knew I'd see them or I caught a glimpse of either one of them or just beleived I was going to see them. This happened at the mall too. And even now, there's this resturaunt I overheard them saying they went to on a date and everytime I've went since, I felt the same dread thinking I might accidentally run into them. I went today and thought I saw one of them. I didn't freak out immediately but when I left, I started tearing up thinking about the whole thing again.
Also during that time when I couldn't avoid them completely, there were many days where I'd wake up and the first thing I'd think about was them and what happened. Many times during the day too, I'd have, what I'm assuming now, were flashbacks to specific events. I would get lost in thought thinking about memories related to that whole mess. It didn't help that I had multiple vivid nightmares about them and what happened. It got better over time when school was finally out because I wasn't constantly reminded of it, but I went to graduation a couple days ago (which I was already dreading because I knew they'd both be there), I ended up breaking down into tears after seeing them.
And I had a thought that after graduation was over, I'd go home and kill myself because there was no point in living if the only people I ever cared about were much happier without me in their lives. I wouldn't say I'm suicidal. I've thought about dying before because of other things in my life but it's never been something I actually want or ever plan to do. I'm a wimp. I can't even self-harm, even though I've tried many times over the years to build up a habit of cutting or burning myself. But the thought itself of being driven to suicide really scares me. It's like my mind is screaming at me to just fucking do it already. This isn't even the first time suicide has crossed mind when thinking about them. One time after school, I had a similar thought that in a couple years I'd be dead because I was nothing without them. Soon I'd lose all will to live and I'd be so miserable and alone I'd kill myself.
I always feel better after the feeling passes (usually this happens when I get distracted and quit thinking of them or they leave) and the idea of seriously killing myself always feels silly afterwards but those breif moments where the possibility of turning to suicide feels so real and the pain is immeasurable. I don't think about them that often anymore because I don't see them that often anymore and I probably won't ever see them again. Which is a good thing but it still hurts.
I feel like I can't fully heal or get over this because I don't even know what this is. I'm greiving, obviously, because they were very important people in my life, but I feel like everything else I felt and still feel is more than just greif. I feel bad labeling it as trauma because it sounds stupid to me to label petty high school drama as a traumatic experience and I don't want to put the blame on them for traumatizing me or whatever because I was in the wrong. I acted way out of line and they were right to want nothing to do with me at that point. But I get scared thinking that I might do the same things again with the few friends I still have. Or that I might do even worse things to future friends or future partners.
I realize that a lot of what I did and why I did it are because of underlying psychological issues I might have that've never been adressed before. My family has a history of anxiety, trauma, suicide ideation, and depression. Me personally, I can't handle rejection at all. I don't wanna sound like that guy that self-diagnoses himself with all these mental illnesses but I think I might suffer from RSD. The fear I feel at the slightest hint of rejection is so potent and primal, I feel like I lose control and I can't escape from the way my body feels. Which frustrates me because I know logically I shouldn't take things so personally. That's why this whole mess just makes me angry to think about. I hate myself for how I acted because I'd never do any of the stupid shit I did if I had the ability to step out of my body and act rationally instead of acting on instinct. I'm trying not to make this sound like I'm absolving myself of guilt by saying "I couldn't control myself" (maybe that's a manipulation tactic I subconsciously do, I don't know and it scares me to think I do such things without realizing it, I worry sometimes that I'm secretly a narcissist and people only like me because I've manipulated them into beleiving that I'm a good person that cares about them, which is also why this whole situation makes me so mad because I always try to scrutinize everything I say and do to make sure I'm not doing the thing I'm scared I'm doing and this whole thing is the result of me missing so many obvious red flags in myself that I was unfit to be around either of them at at all.)
I don't know. There's probably a lot wrong with me. That entire mess of how I think and feel doesn't always come up in my everyday life. I can function just fine most of the time but the few times I end up thinking about what happened in December and everything else in life revolving that giant mess, it almost feels disabling. I power through it whenever it happens and it's been happening less and less, but I'm still worried about the day where something bad will happen and this entire knot will unravel and I'll fall apart on the spot.
I just want answers. I want the words to explain what I feel or what this is or what's wrong with me so people understand what's happening with me and how to act accordingly. I want the ability to help myself so I don't do what I did with my friends and dump all of that emotional baggage onto them hoping they'd sort through my shit for me. I want to be able to catch myself before I do stupid things a second time. I want to be better.

We have been house hunting for many months. We have walked from one house and put in a few offer rejected offers. We have found another house and agent needs an updated pre approval letter. Our lender writes a letter for each property with the offer price as the loan amount and a one month expiration. She has been MIA and so has her coworker.
I get it’s the weekend but I will be so sad if we lose out on yet another house, esp if it isn’t our fault.
Is this normal for a loan officer? We have never needed anything from her on a weekend so didn’t know she would not be available.

So, all the talk right now is FFIE, CRKN, and GWAV. I'm actually in all three and encourage you to stay in for AS LONG AS IT IS GOOD FOR YOU. But I want to talk about the importance of not going full port, and diamond-handing to a loss. There is ALWAYS a next FFIE. In all my years, I've seen so many I can't begin to estimate how many I've seen. As you play this game, you NEED to have stop losses set. You need to remember not to get greedy. Bank your profits, and be getting excited for your next play. Keeping an eye on what is coming up really helps keep you detached from the stock, so you don't get burned and left holding the bag.
Since what has brought most of you to these stocks is the thought of a MOASS, I’m gonna write up some other short stock opportunities. Full disclosure upfront: I’m heavy in two of these, and would love nothing more than 1/100th of the volume ya’ll have generated to come to those stocks.
This list is ranked top to bottom in percentage of short float, and ranked at the bottom in my interest level and my positions.
So, some of the most shorted stocks currently, and my thoughts on each:
Sunpower SPWR
On this list because it is the most shorted (non-penny) stock with 95% short interest. At sub $3 and only 45 million shares, this is as squeezable as it gets. Any sort of squeeze would have to be from meme value as the financials of this company aren’t great. They haven’t met expected earnings in the past 5 quarters, and have actually done worse quarter after quarter.
If this found volume and a rabid community I’d be in… but I’m not touching this thing otherwise. This is a real “all or nothing” stock.
MicroCloud Hologram HOLO
Spend anytime on squeeze forums and youre gonna see this one. Another stock with insane (75%) short interest This company has shown multiple times over that it is capable of a run. Part of that is that the product that they are making is quite intriguing… the other part is that this stock has left a lot of bagholders in its wake. If there were call options available, I’d be buying far dated OTMs hand over fist, because at some point, this thing will explode again.
Childrens Place PLCE
Okay, so this has some fundamentals that could be interesting to some. Heavily in debt, with historically bad gross margins, and a panic sell off when they announced they had breached debt covenants, this stock has gone from over $100 post-pandemic, to roughly $12 today.
Why could it be intriguing? Mithaq capital purchased 7 million shares recently. Backed by the Saudis, and capable of offering better terms on back debt, this could be a takeoveturnaround story. Purely speculative, and high risk, I don't see a squeeze happening here anytime soon, but if messageboard chatter picked up, I’d be grabbing a lot more calls… when this goes, it’ll go fast.
B. Riley Financial RILY
At 56% shorted this is one of my top picks (#2), the one most primed for a squeeze, and I'm heavily in it.
This is also the first company on this list that has a clear path to an increase in stock price. For me personally, this is what I look for in an investment. I love a good squeeze, as it accelerates my profits, but I like betting on companies that are going to get me there regardless of the squeeze.
This company has many facets and if you want backstory, there are several good write ups/DDs available on Reddit. As it stands, despite turning around their slow quarters, and doing better as a business, short sellers have ramped up their positions? Why? Because there is an actual villain in this story. Marc Cahodes. He is an infamous short seller, with a personal grudge against this company, and the short sellers are not running off a functioning thesis. This is about destroying a company to soothe a slighted ego. Soon, short sellers will unwind their position, as the stock has pretty much found its base. A short squeeze in the near future could send this stock up into the $90 range.
Trupanion TRUP
39% short sold, this pet insurance company has recently come under attack by…it’s Marc Cahodes again. Marc did his usual tactic, doxing and harassing supporters, and accusing everybody in the business (down to the janitor) of fraud. However, despite these attacks, the company itself has mostly “Buy” ratings. The share price has slumped, due to bad Q1 earnings and the short attacks, but there is a new CEO and she is intent on increasing profitability, and decent quarterly results could pop this back up to historic $60 levels (+100%).
Cutera CUTR
This company makes hardware for treating acne and other dermatologic issues. 39% shorted this should be on your radar in early JULY. Listening to their earnings call was a lot to be excited about, if you could stand to listen to their hopium bullshit. Clearing up inventory, and debt, they have a lot of potential to have a strong Q2 showing. At $2 a share, I’ve gone ahead and made a small position, as this is might be the bottom.
Immunity Bio IBRX
OH. MY. GOD. I LOVE THIS STOCK. By far my #1 right now. Sitting at 39% shorted, I wouldn't be surprised to find that Merck is behind the shorting; trying to keep the stock price down so they can buy it out. This is a life saving cancer treatment. With recent FDA approval, this company sold 400 million in product ITS FIRST WEEK. With trials ongoing for multiple other uses, and a meeting with the FDA scheduled in June to get it fast tracked as a treatment for lung cancer. I have a $20 price target set for July. $40 by September.
There is honestly so much to say about this company, that I will write up a separate, in depth DD.
Novavax NVAX
If you were paying attention, you just watched this thing pop (260%) Is it done? Actually, yeah, Probably. I’ve read a lot of chatter about how it has a historic high of $300 without people factoring in its 20:1 reverse split. Robinhood needs to fix the UI, because a lot of people are tossing out good money. That said, with 33% short interest, a mild squeeze may happen for a few bucks.
Lucid LCID
A DPAC luxury EV maker on the most shorted list? Who would have thought?! Ok, so, I’ve had a chance now to drive a couple of these… and HOLY SHIT. I want this company to survive. I want one of these cars.
That said, yeah, I’m not putting more money into this. I’m putting it on this list because sometimes, great products fail. This is a prime example. Since first being wow’d by this car, the stock price has fallen 80%. Truthfully, if the Saudis walk away from Lucid, they're done. Don't fall in love with a stock.
AST Spacemobile ASTS
The lowest short interest on this list (28.3% which is still high as fuck!!!) is my #3 pick. And I’m in this bigly. This tech is so good, it’s literally going to change your life. Imagine, no place on Earth being without cell service. Why is it shorted? Delays, and Delays, and Delays. Go on over to the subreddit, and feel the general relief that everyone feels as launch is FINALLY nearing. If you are thinking of getting into this stock, do so before early July, as it nears major catalysts.
There it is. My list.
I’m gonna order them now in the rank that I view them, with my positions.
IBRX (3000 shares and 402 call options)
RILY (2700 shares and 17 call options)
ASTS (5000 shares and 103 call options)
HOLO (1500 shares)
PLCE (25 shares and 10 call options)
CUTR (1000 shares and 20 call options)
TRUP (10 call options)
LCID (No position, sold off at a loss)
NVAX (no position, sold off at a loss)
SPWR (10 call options) - lowest position currently, but if chatter starts happening this goes to #4

While I cannot provide specific legal advice or guidance, I can offer a general outline of the remediation process that individuals may consider when seeking damages and restitution in a situation involving Wells Fargo or any other entity. It is important to consult with a legal professional to understand the specific details and requirements of your case. Here is a general outline:

1. Gather Documentation: Collect all relevant documents related to your interactions with Wells Fargo, including account statements, correspondence, contracts, and any evidence of improper fees or charges.
   
2. Understand Your Rights: Research and understand your rights as a consumer, including any applicable laws or regulations that may have been violated by Wells Fargo's actions.
   
3. Consult with an Attorney: Seek legal advice from an attorney who specializes in consumer protection or banking law. They can provide guidance on the specific legal remedies available to you and help assess the strength of your case.
   
4. File a Complaint: If you believe you have been a victim of improper fees or charges, consider filing a complaint with the appropriate regulatory authorities, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) or your state's attorney general's office. Provide them with all relevant documentation and details of your case.
   
5. Class Action Lawsuit: If there is a class action lawsuit filed against Wells Fargo for similar issues, you may consider joining the lawsuit as a plaintiff. Consult with your attorney to determine if this is a viable option for your situation.
   
6. Negotiate with Wells Fargo: Your attorney can engage in negotiations with Wells Fargo on your behalf to seek a fair settlement or restitution for the damages you have suffered. This may involve discussions with Wells Fargo's legal representatives or participation in mediation or arbitration proceedings.
   
7. Document Damages: Keep a record of any additional financial losses or damages you have incurred as a result of Wells Fargo's actions. This may include additional fees, interest charges, or other financial hardships.
   
8. Seek Restitution: Work with your attorney to determine the appropriate amount of restitution you are seeking based on the damages you have suffered. This may include reimbursement for improper fees, interest charges, and any other financial losses.
   
9. Review Settlement Offers: If Wells Fargo offers a settlement, carefully review the terms and consult with your attorney to ensure it adequately addresses your damages and provides fair compensation.
   
10. Consider Litigation: If a fair settlement cannot be reached through negotiation, your attorney may advise pursuing litigation against Wells Fargo. This would involve filing a lawsuit and presenting your case in court.
    

Remember, this is a general outline, and the specific steps and strategies may vary depending on the details of your case and the advice of your legal counsel.

This is a 50-50 between a rant and explanation of my scenario in order for more experienced members of this sub to give me advice.

I am 19 and I really enjoy programming. I am not in CS because its lucrative, I genuinely love the Idea that a hobby I’ve had for 4 years is something I can do as a job. I learned to program properly (i.e. not basic python taught at school) during lockdown and have written code at least a couple times a week since then. My personal projects are mostly basic physics sims written in c# or c++, but I have dabbled with at least 5 other languages. I also compete (and sometimes do well in) hackathons.

I currently work as a software developer degree apprentice at a large finance company, with the degree being provided by a decent (top 25) uni. This apprenticeship is quite sought after, 6^th form careers team recommended I take it over places top 5 unis, and many people at my school were very excited for me when I received the offer.
· This position was advertised as a “software developer degree apprenticeship”
· The description specifically talked about learning coding
· Apprenticeships often have a big centralised hiring scheme, so in initial interviews when I asked about what technologies I would be using I was told what the company used in general (I got an answer like “AWS” or “we have quite a lot of java”)
· In my final stage interview I asked what programming languages I would be likely to use I was told something along the lines of “technically the programming language we use is Java, but we use [insert low code CRM platform]”

It is now obvious to me that at the time I should have thoroughly researched [insert low code CRM platform] and decided to take a position at a good uni, or a different, less prestigious apprenticeship. However, at the time I was a dumb 17 year old, about to take my A levels and ecstatic that such a “big” and “important” company was going to take me on.
I am now 10 months into the apprenticeship and there are definitely positives. My degree is interesting and costs me nothing, there is opportunity to learn and upskill, and I get pretty decent salary. As far as my actual role goes it isn’t great.
· I work on a monolithic, antiquated application, with GUI and drag and drop tools that have 3 seconds of input delay in a low code development environment that actually encourages antipatterns. Documentation is lacklustre
· The people I work with are all offshore. My final stage interview was with the tech lead and project manager. Anybody I actually talk to on a day to day basis speaks English to the level of a 7 year old. Many meetings I feel as if anything useful I add is counteracted by the fact everyone else has to speak broken English for me to understand, which slows everything down to a crawl
· All changes and communication trickles through 100 bureaucratic processes. A lot of the application could optimised and made much cleaner, and the devs know this, but for each hour of development there are 5 hours meetings, show and tells, approval requests etc.
· My company and apprenticeship both require frequent progress reviews, with a lot of input from my managers etc. I get really stressed about this since my managers are always really busy and take nagging to do these things, but if I don’t nag them it reflects badly on me. My last quarterly review my functional lead literally made up all of my targets and review on the spot. My manager was then unhappy that I hadn’t logged them on the review portal.
I really felt like after I finished 6^th form this degree apprenticeship would be a something enjoyable and valuable to future employers. I am not enjoying it (you can probably tell) and it will only be valuable to people employing me to do something I don’t enjoy. I really feel stuck because:
· If I drop out I am liable to repay my tuition
· I have no degree, so CS jobs will just reject me
· I can’t begin another CS apprenticeship since I am already partway through one
· If I finish this apprenticeship, I will essentially be applying to jobs as someone with a degree from a mid uni, rather than a top 5 uni along with thousands of hours of extra projects under my belt
· Re applying to uni is a massive hassle, and seems like a waste of time since I would be repeating 2 years
· All my colleagues are 10+ years older than me and I don’t feel like there is anyone I can talk too or anyone who can relate to the position I am in.
· I feel like a massive idiot knowing I literally chose this
· I am scared to tell anyone that I am unhappy. All my friends/family/girlfriend just think wow OP is doing well for someone his age.

If anyone has any advice, whether it be regarding any other options I have, ways to work better in corporate environment (I literally feel like a child), or anything I could to better my position please let me know.
I may post this in degreeapprenticeships but I think this sub is much more relevant.

So this is an insane story that I've put a post on LegalAdviceUK to try get some advice from the legal eagles but that didn't really cover the full story. But having an informal chat in a comments section of this page about it and posting the legal ins and outs yesterday has given me some strength. And if I need to I will have the tub of cookie dough ice cream to comfort my big fat butt. So here we go a story which I've been trying to do for months without feeling nothing but shame and humiliation for allowing this parasite into my life enough to impact it like this.
So some backstory on my life in January 2023 I was working for Uber Eats as a delivery driver and had a Motorcycle accident. As a result I broke my foot, lost my insurance as Uber did everything they could to make sure it was invalidated to avoid responsibility for me. As a result I became jobless and homeless within a matter of days as I was already behind due to high insurance costs and low pay. I spent the next 9 months couch surfing and jumping from job to job until I finally settled working for a convenience store chain and leaving the city of Portsmouth for the town of Gosport across the way. I was settled with a roommate in October and I was doing well again.
During this I'd won a seat for myself into a semi major Poker tournament that I cashed in during August. I made £1300 for a weekend. In enters Mr S the person who will be the focus of this piece. He needed me to help him out with opening up some betting accounts for some online sports betting. He sweetened the deal by saying that he would invest in me to make my dream company come true, making a film business. He would invest £5000 into me to get me started which is all I needed because my plan was to work from home and get film clients and work up to an office. I too would invest £5000 over time. You see Mr S was a successful businessman in the community, a former sports personality and everyone loves this guy. Couldn't find someone to curse his name in a thousand miles I'm pretty sure. I had known him through my times as a poker player for nearly 12 years myself and I couldn't say I knew a bad thing about him. So I opened the accounts thinking nothing of it, then he asked to borrow money off me which I thought nothing of at the time as he said that he had it in cash and could pay me back in the morning as it was in cash not the bank apparently. He regularly did have this issue apparently because he worked in a cash heavy business (buying precious metals) and he was a regular at casinos. So I gave him the money. He paid me back some of it then made me wait another week to get the rest after I was calling him regularly to make him respond. This would be a recurring theme throughout the story.
After this issue was resolved I made a thought to push for the money to secure the investment. Mr S got the call and stated that we needed a business meeting in his office. So I asked to set up the business meeting which he regularly called to reschedule. After two months of this I got fed up of him brushing me off whilst he's borrowing my entire salary to gamble on and off when he ran out of his own money. So I changed the passwords on all the gambling sites to force him to take a meeting and pay me back the most recent amount he borrowed. I was naturally pissed off that this multi-millionaire was so reckless with his money that he was borrowing off of me and was constantly late paying me back. He paid me back and set up a meeting. He didn't make the meeting but assured me he was going to transfer me £3000 without one. He did not claiming his accounts were frozen by the government (I know I should have ran like a Gazelle from a Hyena at this point). Well I excused this behaviour because he reassured me everything would get sorted. This accounts frozen issue also became a recurring theme throughout the story too.
For a while Mr S didn't borrow any money off of me, he just used his own money (or some other poor sods), I kept asking him to invest into the business as I had opened a business account and I was investing my own money and borrowing money via a credit card. In total I put in £5000 whilst working a minimum wage job and using small amounts I'd earned through a bit of penny stock trading and poker, trying to get the money together. I worked 50-60 hours a week to pay for Christmas and invest in the business because of the fact that I didn't want to waste time. I set up business meetings, got business cards, bought equipment and got my friend who I will simply call Angel to work with me to put together a team. My friend Alf and a guy we found on LinkedIn I'll simply call J became our first team. We also found a lovely Graphics Artists online who I'll call Ally. Everyone was on freelance for now as we needed to get clients but we assembled the team. Mr S kept missing business meetings with clients that I set up for him to secure including three major ones that might have cost me a potential 6 figure contract that I spent two months setting up. Making County Football (Soccer for you Yanks) games on a Patreon page and YouTube for live streams. This mega pissed me off and Mr S reassured me he would get the contract back or getting a bigger one. I entrusted him with this task but as far as I can tell he never did anything for it.
On the night of his youngest child being born, whilst his wife was giving birth he spent his time playing online poker or sports betting, I know this because I had the transaction record and he even borrowed money off of me. He took a week to pay me £500 and I almost lost my brand new housing because of this. Thank goodness for my new friend and housemate being understanding of the situation and after this I put my foot down and said no more borrowing from me and if he asked again I would cut him off. I also insisted again that he should invest into the business. He made his excuses of the bank being frozen again and I told him to get his shit sorted out and invest because I'm getting annoyed waiting on him. I wanted to make an advert and without his money I couldn't do this.
So it comes January 2024 I lost my job with the convenience store after I stopped a shoplifter who'd assaulted me when I turned a corner. And by stop I mean used my big boy voice and scared the crap out of them. Don't know why they fired me for that but what do I care it freed me up and paid me £2000 to go away. I got a new job whilst also securing my first client. The client paid the first half of the money which they owed for the filming to be done and Mr S knowing this asked me to lend it to him for the purpose of gambling which I flatly shut down because it was staff wages for the project. When I told him this he said "I'm sure I'll have it back in time and if not they won't mind because they'll get experience." Yep you read that right he was willing to let the staff work for free so he could bet on horses. I told him that I would never put myself or him above my team when it comes to pay because we have no right to ask anyone to work for nothing when they are all multi talented individuals.
Angel was a video editor, animator, photographer, camera operator and lighting expert. She holds a Masters degree in film technology.
J was a camera operator who had worked on major TV documentary sets and was already taking a pay cut to work on this as an investment in the companies future. He held a BA degree.
Alf is a sound operator and musician with a masters degree in music.
Yep this guy wanted to not pay these guys so he could gamble recklessly. I semi caved though by giving him my personal money because he would repeatedly call me three times an hour over this. This was his tactic, begging and harassing me so he can get the money and then when I want the money back ignore and excuse the debt for a week. He regularly said he'd have it back in a day and it would take a week. He gave me £200 extra on top of this debt and said to put it into the business account to help pay for an advert. I did it and yeah that apparently was all I was going to need to make and distribute an advert in his mind. In reality it would barely cover the graphics and music for the advert.
Finally my old debts were catching up with me in March 2024 and I got myself an IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement) to protect myself and the company as a debt management option. This is because of the fact that old bills, credit cards and loans that I'd taken out were catching up with me that I expected to pay off by now. Which I might have done, had Mr S not been screwing around with the investment. In this process I had to shut down all the gambling sites to comply with the IVA. I called Mr S and informed him to which he promptly told me he was no longer going to invest in my business if I won't let him gamble and risk my IVA. According to him he was going to invest when he won £10000 and was going to give me half of the money as his investment forgetting he'd already won that and then some 2 weeks prior and I knew it. I called him out on this fact and told him to pony up or bugger off because he'd wasted 8 months of mine and my teams lives promising his investment and failing on every level. He exploded on me telling me no one talks to him like this, how dare I describe him as a con artist and a fraud. He demanded his £200 back which I flat out refused as I didn't have it. I spent it paying the Angel the money I owed her because she did extra work on the editing that I failed to secure the money for from either Mr S or the Client. She offered to work for less but I flat out refused that offer because it was my mistake and my problem to deal with.
Over the next 6 weeks now I've been harassed every few days over £200 to be paid back which I'm now refusing to pay because screw him. He lied to me for 8 months and as far as I'm concerned he stole money out of the company and then wants me to pay him more money to buy him out and disregard the team members so he can get his money when he's a multimillionaire and the team are like me on minimum wage and freelancing. So AITA for calling him a thief and con artist whilst refusing to pay him a penny so I can prioritise fixing the damage he had caused? If he'd had invested in the business the way he said he would and it was a normal falling out I probably would pay him out as the business would have been more likely on solid ground with an advert made and a chance for the business to thrive. But this was my lot. I've since been told I'm a worthless person because I won't pay him back and take his calls. I'm a terrible friend for letting such a small issue like me trying to sort out my life at the expense of Mr S's gambling life.
As it stands I haven't paid Mr S back, I still owe a small amount to Angel but am paying her back and I've taken a new job at my local Maccies to insure I do. I'm still looking for more clients to do film work with to get my team into the swing of it. Hopefully we do get more work as I have a wonderful team and I want them to get work with me and make a very successful future for us all. I'm looking into getting a start up business grant from the UK government as well so we can go forward properly as well.
So AITA for cutting Mr S out of the business, trusting him at all and risking so much on his word or for not paying him back the £200?
Click here if you are interested in seeing our first clients advert. I apologise to the great Lady Charlotte Dobre for plugging my work on her channel but I would love to have people view my teams wonderful work and hopefully get more work for the future here in Hampshire UK. Please DM me for details to hire us too we intend to make music videos, business adverts and commissioned films.
For all you reading/listening this short novel I thank you and I wish you well. I hope I get more business soon and I want everyone to know that we will be posting up Patreon work soon covering Entitled People and Neckbeard Stories from Reddit along with Documentaries that we might be making with Sky TV, English Heritage and also a planned comedy show in the style of a budget John Oliver Last Week Tonight. Again sorry for plugging myself Lady Charlotte Dobre and I send you love and respect because your videos make my days feel better when depression is biting my ass.
PS - That Ice Cream Tub didn't survive.

I DO NOT GIVE OUT PASSWORDS! I USE 2FA & YOU SHOULD TOO! ALWAYS BE WEARY OF PEOPLE PHISHING FOR YOUR PASSWORD OR CLAIMING YOU ARE BANNED!
PAYMENT: Zelle (strongly preferred), Venmo, CashApp, or Paypal FF. High value orders and new to the sub Zelle only.
SHIPPING: USPS $6 less than 10oz. $10 over 10oz. $100 insurance and tracking included. Free shipping on orders over $500. Additional insurance over $100 is optional at buyers liability. Additional insurance $0.80/$100 coverage. I can ship other methods at buyers' request.
AUTHENTICITY: All of these items have been verified for authenticity using acid tests or a sigma. I offer a full money back guarantee on the authenticity of all items listed. I am happy to send a video of an acid / magnet test if requested.
If you need more pictures or info don’t hesitate to ask.
ORDERS SHIP THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS DAY!
PROOF: https://i.imgur.com/L3dDIAR.jpg
All Prices rounded up to the nearest $0.25
Coins:
Mexican Gold 2 Peso 1945 Restrike (2x) - $133ea
Gold Jewelry (ALL 5% BELOW SPOT):
14K Gold 18.5" 3mm Omega Chain / Necklace 22.514g Signed 14K Italy & MI - $968.55 https://imgur.com/a/KA3iKzo
14K Yellow & White Gold Two-Tone Ring Size 6-3/4 Signed 14K Makers Mark 5.267g - $226.50
https://imgur.com/a/1APzy8K
10K Harley Davidson Heart Pendant 3.75mm x 1.5mm bail 1.682g - $51.75 https://imgur.com/a/Qr9uNdV
10K White Gold Fuchsia CZ Heart Necklace and Earrings Set with 18” Rope Chain Signed 10K 4.39g - $135
https://imgur.com/a/6K5i5E7
40g of 14K scrap @ 95% spot - $43.02/gram (Abunch of cheap Walmart Jewelry & a broken necklace)
5.4g of 10K scrap @ 95% spot - $30.72/gram (Abunch of cheap Walmart Necklaces)
Sterling Silver Necklaces:
20” x ½” HEAVY Figaro Chain 238g - $425
https://imgur.com/a/Y5zO5TV
30” x 6.5mm Italian Curb Chain - 54.47g - $109
https://imgur.com/a/ChMAGwi
16” Italian San Marco Chain with 7” San Marco Bracelet 62.3g - $115
https://imgur.com/a/9IS5uhF
31” Puff Heart Necklace with Italy Rope Chain 15.4g - $35
https://imgur.com/a/LXEXGG5
30.5” Box Chain with Owl Pendant / Brooch (has attachments for both) 11.63g - $33
https://imgur.com/a/pTaT52q
18” Italian Byzantine Chain / Necklace 12.21g - $27.50 (Sold)
19” Italian Square Herringbone Style Sterling Chain with Czech Pendant - 6.28g - $20
https://imgur.com/a/ANY2KWM
18” Italian Sterling Box Chain with Ross Simon Cross Pendant 2.61g - $20
https://imgur.com/a/L8DjEYl
20” Italian Gold Vermeil Fancy Rope Chain 5.34g - $20 (Sold)
17.5” Lotus Studio Aventurine Sterling Necklace 2.11g - $12 (Sold)
16” Sterling Abstract Glass Pendant Necklace 15.96g - $25
https://imgur.com/a/c2X7Ykq
18” 925 Box Chain with Synthetic 14x10mm Sapphire Pendant & Matching Earrings with 10x8mm Sapphires 8.12g - $30
https://imgur.com/a/8WAi9jl
18” 925 Gold Vermeil Box Chain with Pear Cut Ceylon Sapphire Pendant & Matching Triangle CZ Earrings 12.13g - $30
https://imgur.com/a/DbenkRb
20” Italian Millefiori Necklace with Circular Glass Pendant 3.18g - $25
https://imgur.com/a/UxC0pBf
15.5” Italian Millefiori Bead Necklace 3.98g - $20
https://imgur.com/a/OXOxnYk
15.5” Italian Murano Style Necklace (Note the wire is ferrous for strength, clasp and non-stone charms are sterling) - $15
https://imgur.com/a/UoyGHPq
15” Native American Fetish Necklace (Note the wire is elastic material for strength, beads and pendants are sterling) - $30
https://imgur.com/a/4OQKVFr
17” Sterling Bead / Clasp Turquoise Nugget Necklace (Note the wire is ferrous material for strength, beads and clasp are sterling) - $15
https://imgur.com/a/5ikva93
Sterling Silver Bracelets & Pendants: https://imgur.com/a/UZ3M9PR
8.5” x ½” Heavy Curb Bracelet 53.6g - $105
Taxco 7.5” Juan Luis Flores 70s Vintage Bracelet 43.49g - $87
Sterling Flower Filigree Bracelet 8” 10.19g - $30
Sterling Rose & Garnet Tennis Bracelet 7.5” 13.43g - $35
Ross Simon Sterling Rose Quartz Aventurine Tennis Bracelet 7” 9.50g - $30
Sterling Native American Bear Bracelet (Note the wire is ferrous for strength, clasp and non-stone charms are sterling) - $40
Sterling Silver 2-Strand Malachite Bracelet 7” 2.32g - $20
Sterling Clasp Faceted AB Crystal Bracelet with amazing sparkle (Note the wire is ferrous for strength, only clasp is sterling) 7” - $15
Taxco Hummingbird Pendant / Brooch (has both attachments) 11.95g - $24
Sterling Pink CZ Butterfly Bracelet 7.25” 7.5g - $27.50
Sterling Silver Earrings: https://imgur.com/a/rTrTKTE
Larimar Dangle Earrings 1g - $12
Dolphin Jumping through Hoop Drop Earrings 6.86g - $15
Taxco Sterling Half Circle Bohemian Hoop Earrings 9.24g - $20
Taxco Sterling Triangle Drop Earrings 9.43g - $18
Taxco Sterling Shell / Feather Drop Earrings 6.01g - $15
Taxco Sterling Triangle / Bead Drop Earrings 21.79g - $25
Flower Drop Earrings with Aquamarine Stones 9.28g - $25
Teardrop Shaped Earring with Black Beads 5.13g - $15
Concentric Oval Earrings 2.05g - $12
Leaf / White Opal Studs (Brilliant Luster on these) 2.22g - $40
Vintage Filigree Sterling Drop Earrings (Super intricate) 14.33g - $20
Vintage Sterling Dragonfly Earrings 12.39g - $20
Heart Shaped Drop Earrings with Lapis Stones 5.22g - $15
Sterling Silver Rings: https://imgur.com/gallery/65jVHip
Bali Swirl Design Sterling Ring Size 7-1/2 11.06g - $27.50
Large 925 Ring with CZ Size 6 5.97g - $18
Large 925 Ring with CZ and Flower Engraving Size 6 9.28g - $18
925 Ring with Bands of CZ Size 6 5.9g - $18
Wedding Band Style 925 Ring with Moissanite Size 6 2.41g - $18
Shablool Didae Israeli Filigree Style Ring Size 7.5 One-of-a-kind 8g - $25
Sterling Silver Kitchen / Dining (MOST @ 95%): https://imgur.com/a/QW6x0ot
Porter Blanchard Sterling Tea Pot 612g - $543.25 (95% of SPOT)
Gorham Sterling Footed Bowl 619g - $549.50 (95% of SPOT)
Sterling Coasters (2) 86g - $76.50 (95% of SPOT)
Pimaral Peru Sterling Serving Set 311g - $276 (95% of SPOT)
Gorham Sterling Etruscan Spoon & Butter Pick 71g - $63 (95% of SPOT)
International Sterling Joan of Arc 5 Piece Set 204g - $181 (95% of SPOT)
Assorted Sterling Spoons (Unmarked and the smaller two are thin) 44g - $39 (95% of SPOT)
English Shell by Lunt Sterling Silver Soup Spoons (4) 135g - $119.75 (95% of SPOT)
La Touraine by Reed & Barton Sterling Tea Spoon 30.34g - $27 (95% of SPOT)
Lunt Lus60 Sterling Silver Salt Spoon 2.94g - $10
51.15g of Sterling Scrap @ 90% - $43
https://i.imgur.com/nHVssYc.jpg

This is about a job interview I'm currently in the middle of for a tech support role (missed including it in the title).
I'm still interviewing, so it's not like I'm comparing offers. The job I'm interviewing for turned out to be, to a T, what I DO NOT want (I know exactly what I don't want, not so much what I want). The job description looked like any other I applied to. The recruiter and HM interview went well - nicer than I expected, exciting projects coming up, etc. I then interviewed with two more people and the way they described what I will be doing, I almost broke down during the interview and had to pull myself together (Internally! took like 5 seconds lol). Not only that, but there were certain things that I noticed that making me feel anything but excited. I'm in NO position to be picky at this point. If I were to be offered the job, I will most likely accept it. I just would have to do a lot of mental work to not let it get to me.
These are the things I have noticed so far that I think are - not so good signs.

• Lack of technical questions: even though my job was going to be tech support, I was not asked a single technical question, not one - unless the yes or no question "have you used this technology before" counts as technical. All of them had to do with project management and behavioral questions.
• Culture fit interviewer: I was interviewed by someone who was not in HR nor the team I was going to join. They were not a technical person either. When I asked how come (because this was the first time I've seen it happen) - they said something like "to see culture fit". I don't know if this is a bad thing - but the way the interview went made me feel like they were looking for an extrovert.
• Interviewer scheduled during their PTO: A manager I interviewed with scheduled someone to interview me, knowing they were on PTO?? They ended up not showing up (good for them). They were scheduled to interview me along with the "culture" person (who said, "yeah, so and so is good about not working on their PTO so they're probably not going to show up"). I waited till the end anyway, I didn't want to give them a reason to mark me down.
• Not many questions asked in general: The HM and another manager who interviewed me spent a lot of time stressing what my responsibilities were going to be and all challenges/problems they were facing;
• Warm and fuzzy, close knit, small team: I was asked what I thought about company events, organized fun activities, etc (by the culture fit interviewer). And the words "warm and fuzzy" were used by someone else who interviewed me lol. I'm an introvert - warm and fuzzy is not my style and company events make me want to retreat to the farthest and quietest corner.
• Org structure and job titles: The way the org was structured was like none that I've seen before. The titles were all over the place - they did not make any sense at all to me. They did mention there would be a reorg soon.

The Good (if I were to be offered the job):

• Job, income, employment, health insurance, purpose, not hiding from humans,
• Everyone I talked to sounded nice, no one interrupted me or made me feel stupid. Even though they spoke more than they asked me questions, it wasn't so much "I like hearing myself talk".

On a scale of "this isn't bad at all, you're lucky if you get an offer" to "oh no, do not join, find something else" - how miserable will I be if I took the job?

TLDWR (Too long don’t wanna read):
Missouri
BIRTH 25 week GA 1 lb 12 oz
NOW 10 months old Trach Ventilator
What the hell do you do about home health coverage?
Long version:
We are 10 months in, and with our G button scheduled Monday, and no other road blocks we are ready to go home. However, everyone kept saying we will now have to find somthing that doesn’t exist: home health nursing. Our insurance policy only covers 90 days, we aren’t below the poverty line so odds are Medicaid is going to get rejected, and we really only need home health at night and on weekends.
My wife is a nurse, I’ve basically become one in the last 10 months. We are both fully competent and confident we can take care of our child. The need for home health nursing was stated by the Saint Louis Children’s medical team.
We would love the help, but it’s 14k a month if we pay out of pocket, and our insurance will only cover 90 days. It sounds impossible to actually find the nursing staff needed as well.
All of that to be said. Is it 100% needed? Has anyone just said “we got this” and left the Nicu and found sleeping in our kiddos room is sufficient? As long as any alarms wake us up, we know what to do in an emergency.
I guess looking for advice/stories on how you handled leaving with a trach, what did you do? What programs paid for nursing? How long did nursing take etc.

Ok technically it wasn’t my 2nd try because I played sekiro not long after it released but DAMN THAT WAS CRAZY.
In my 1st playthrough he was fucking brutal so I went into this not really trying to beat him. I was just watching his animations and taking notes but then I was shocked to see the chance for a deathblow within what felt like a minute or two into the fight. Went into his last phase without heals and almost beat him but I was panicking a little when I needed to do a lightning reversal. I don’t think I did a single reversal in my original play though lol.
Beat him on the next try with most of my heals left and I only had to resurrect once. I didn’t use my prosthetic arm for either of my attempts. I’m so hyped dude.
Anyways…if you struggled a lot with sekiro like I did but you still wanna get into it because it’s a cool ass game then try a bunch of other action games first. Don’t just play through their stories either. Get to know them well and beat whatever difficult challenges that they have to offer. Your skills WILL transfer.
I can’t believe I had an easier time beating him than most of the bosses that came before him including the mini bosses lol