Back in 2016, I was working at a roadside diner west of St. Cloud, Minnesota. Neat little place, had a bit of a 60’s vibe to it, but without the hairdo. On the slow hours of the day, or whenever we just had locals around, I’d be humming along with the chefs playing radio out of the kitchen. It wasn’t an exciting time, but it was nice to have a workplace that felt like a second home.
A couple of weekends a month, we had an all-night crew to serve passing truckers. You usually never had to do more than one shift though, and we got to make own schedules. Our boss was pretty hands-off. It was during one of those shifts, at the first week of early summer, that my life took a turn for the worse – and I didn’t even realize it.

We were used to having the occasional odd customer during those hours of the day. When this guy walked in, I didn’t know what to think. He was about 6’2, bald, and pale as chalk. He wore this worn-out t-shirt that looked like it’d been on fire. With every step, he dragged his feet, and collapsed in one of our booths, seemingly exhausted.
I looked back at the chef, and he just shrugged. Guy wasn’t hurting anyone, but he didn’t look like he was all there. But a job’s a job, so I went up to him.
“You alright there?” I asked.
He looked up at me like I was speaking a foreign language, then sunk his head back down, gently shaking it.
“Nah,” he said. “I, uh… I don’t think I am.”
He had this voice on the knife’s edge between a hysterical laugh and a howling cry. He was trembling.
“You need me to call someone?”
“Call?”
“Yeah, call someone.”
“How?”

I didn’t understand the question. I figured he was coming down from some kind of binge, and I wasn’t about to take any chances. I asked the chef to get me a side of bacon to keep the guy calm while I called the police.
As I slid the plate over to him, he sunk his face into his hands, sobbing.
“T-thank you,” he cried. “I-I’m… please…”
I sat down across from him, instinctively reaching out to grab his hand. He let me. Even at a light touch, I could feel the scars on his palm and fingertips. Whatever’d happened to him, it must’ve been awful.
“I can’t go back,” he sniffled. “Don’t make me go back. I can’t. Please, I can’t.”
“You’re not going anywhere. It’s okay,” I smiled. “You’re safe here.”
“Can you help me?” he asked. “Can you keep him out?”
“I’m sure we can figure it out,” I nodded. “Just eat up. It’s okay.”

His fingers trembled as he tentatively bit off a piece of bacon. His teeth were black, and he flinched.
“I need time,” he said. “I need time to run.”
“Don’t worry,” I assured him. “We’ve called for help.”
“I just… I just need time.”
We just sat there for a while. He calmed his breathing but kept staring out the window. I could tell he was looking for something – or someone. All I could see was a road and a handful of moths. We sat there for some time, in silence, as he carefully nibbled on the slices of maple bacon.
As two police officers entered the diner, he got up from his seat. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bundle of scrunched-up trash. A couple of singles, a plastic card, dirt, and something resembling animal bones. He tried to straighten out the bills, pushing them into my hands along with the laminated card.
“Just… I need time. I’ll come back. Please.”
I didn’t understand. I just nodded and accepted it. Seconds later, the officers asked him to step outside and explain the situation. I got busy taking orders from a couple of passing truckers, watching glimpses of the scene through the window. A couple of minutes later, the strange man was taken away.

My shift ended at sunrise. I dragged myself to my car with a yawn, shuffling around my pockets for the keys. I hadn’t thought much about the items he’d handed me, but I took a closer look. I’d thrown away the animal bones and dirt, but there were a couple of dollar bills and that laminated card left. I checked the card first.
It looked like some kind of bookmark. On one side it was completely white, and on the other side there were dried blue flower petals arranged in a spiral. Kinda reminded me of a sunflower. And finally, there were the dollar bills.
I didn’t pay much attention to these at first. Just a couple of singles. But after a closer look, I noticed something unusual. There was a man on the bill that I didn’t recognize. It took me a couple of google searches to realize that this man was Walter Mondale – the man who’d lost to Ronald Reagan’s second run for president back in ’84. Why was this man on a one-dollar bill?

Before heading to bed, I put the items down on my nightstand. In a moment of silent wonder, I looked out the window. What had that man been looking for? What’d he been running from?
There was nothing out there.
Just a couple of moths.

Waking up the next morning, I had a full day off. I spent it cleaning my apartment, watching movies, having dinner with a couple of friends, and ending the night with a couple of drinks at the pub down on the corner. No binge or anything, just got a bit boozy. I was still gonna be in bed by midnight.
I took the scenic route home; a long walk. All the way down main street, past the lake. I took a shortcut through the park by the final stretch, speeding up a bit. That place was trouble.
As I hurried by the fountain, I spotted someone in the distance. A shrouded figure at the edge of the streetlights. I stopped to observe for a second, but as I did, the lights flickered. Coming back on, the figure was gone.
I chalked it up to imagination. I was a bit drunk, after all. Besides – it was small, like a child. What the hell would a kid be doing out at this hour?

A couple of days passed. I didn’t notice anything unusual, but I kept coming back to that distressing feeling of missing something important. Looking back at it now, I just feel dumb. He was there all along. Outside the supermarket. In the parking lot. Off the highway. Hell, he was outside my window at night sometimes, but just too short for me to spot.
I’m getting ahead of myself.
It wasn’t until one morning when I was driving to work that I got a clear view of him. I was crossing a four-way street, taking a sharp left turn, when I had to throw myself on the breaks. There was a kid in the middle of the street.
I hadn’t seen him that clearly before. He was probably around 6, maybe 7 years old. Wearing a plain black shirt and a pair of light blue canvas pants. Short black hair, dark eyes, and no shoes. That particular detail stuck with me. No shoes? Why?
I almost lost control, but I was lucky. There wasn’t much traffic, and I managed to stop further down the road. There were black lines in the pavement from my screeching tires swerving back and forth. Regaining my composure, I looked in the rear-view mirror.
The kid was gone.

But that was just the start.
I’d spot him every now and then. Looking out the window at work. At the gas station. A passing face in the crowd when shopping for groceries. Every now and then, something would pull on my attention, forcing me to whip my head around, looking for the source of that ill feeling crawling up my spine. Sometimes I saw him. And even worse – sometimes I didn’t.
I remember lying awake at night, hearing moths tap against my window. There was nothing else. Nothing outside. I patrolled my apartment six times, checking every window. I’d looked everywhere, and there was no reason for me to feel the way I did. I was growing paranoid.
And yet, in the morning, my front door was unlocked, and slightly open.

It all came to a head one afternoon when I was out on my smoke break. I’d barely slept for the past three nights, and you could kinda tell I was having a bad day. As I stood there, leaning against the side door of the diner, I see the kid again. This time just across the road, maybe 50 feet or so away. I’d had enough. This had to end.
I was furious. I stormed forward, calling him out with every slur and curse I could think of. I was psyching myself up. I was in the right, and I refused to be harassed anymore – kid or not. Didn’t matter. I crossed the road, barely dodging a speeding jeep, and met him face-to-face.
“What the hell do you want?!” I’d yell. “Why are you following me?!”
He was completely expressionless. He didn’t even flinch, no matter how much I pointed or screamed. I snapped my fingers in front of his eyes, and he didn’t even blink. He just stared at me, like a porcelain doll head on a swivel.

I wasn’t thinking about the bystanders though. A couple of middle-aged men stepped up, asking in no kind terms what the hell was wrong with me. I was held back and restrained. Someone called the police. Someone else called my manager – I’d forgotten to take off my apron, so they could see the diner logo. A couple of people filmed it. One of the videos got like 120k views in a day before it fell off the map. I still see it as a react gif sometimes.
It was a disaster. After a couple of officers came by to talk to me, he’d just disappeared into thin air. The officers took me down to the station – not to detain me, but to get me away from the heated crowd. That car ride downtown sobered me up to what the hell was going on. I was being stalked by this kid, but there wasn’t a living soul out there that would believe me.
Well, maybe one.
Maybe.

I was asked a couple of questions and released within about half an hour. They told me to go home and sleep this whole thing off. That wouldn’t be a problem. I didn’t have a job to go back to anyway, according to the (many) texts I’d gotten. I had all the goddamn time in the world.
I was just about to leave when something came to mind. The two officers who’d picked me up were still waiting by their car when I turned back to them.
“Sorry, you picked up the guy I called in about at the diner, right?” I asked.
“Sure did.”
“You got any idea what happened to him?”
The two looked at one another for a moment, shrugged, and turned to me.
“Didn’t have any ID and gave a fake name. I think they took him to psych.”
“Psych?”
“Well, he was saying some, uh… strange things. There were interviews with a, uh…”
The two quieted down and flashed me a smile.
“There’s not that much we can say.”

Coming home, I decided to get to the root of this. It didn’t take me that long to find the place where the guy’d been taken; there aren’t a lot of mental health facilities in this part of the country. Especially facilities that accept involuntary subjects.
But my eyes kept drifting back to the strange dollar bills he’d given me, resting neatly on my nightstand. They were so detailed. A bit old, sure, but that only made them seem more genuine. What the hell was he doing with a handful of clearly fake dollar bills? Like, what’s the purpose? There had to be a purpose.
That unnerved me.

I managed to arrange a meeting. It wasn’t easy, and I think a lot of it boiled down to the police having no idea what could make this guy talk. For some reason, he kept providing them with false information. Maybe a familiar face, for one reason or another, might make him talk.
Just a couple of days later, I was putting my items in a metal bowl on the second floor at a mental health institute in the next town over. I asked one of the nurses if I could keep one of my dollar bills. Apparently, that was okay.
I was shuffled through a couple of locked doors and escorted to an off-white side-room. No décor, no locks. The guy was already there.

He’d been dressed down into these neutral eggshell-white garbs. It was strange seeing him in a lit-up room like this. I didn’t know what to expect.
Getting a closer look at him, he was probably in his 50’s. It’d been hard to tell earlier. I couldn’t get over just how pale he was; it was almost a complete lack of pigment. It looked sickly. His thin arms didn’t help – he looked malnourished. And yet, he was smiling.
“Hello,” he said.
“Hello to you too,” I smiled. “You doing okay?”
“I’m… I’m pretty good,” he nodded. “Thank you.”
I sat down across from him and took out the dollar bill he’d given me.
“I wanted to ask you about this.”
“For the bacon,” he said, matter-of-factly.
“Excuse me?”
“Sorry, was that not enough?”
“No, it’s…”
I took a moment to compose myself. I had too many questions.

He sighed, took the bill, and looked it over. Looking back at me, I could tell there was something painful stirring in his mind. His smile slowly faded.
“Sorry,” he said. “I try to forget sometimes. It’s easier than making sense of it.”
“Let’s start with something simple,” I nodded. “Like… your name. Where you’re from.”
“Those things are pretty far from simple.”
He was looking straight through me; his eyes sinking back to deeper, more uncomfortable thoughts.

His name was Samuel, and he was born around these parts in back in the 1970’s. He’d worked as a telecommunications specialist out of St. Cloud back in the 90's. He had a wife, three children, and a four-bedroom house.
“But it… that was all before, see?” he explained. “Then it all just…”
“Just what?” I asked. “What happened?”
He looked at me, opening and closing his mouth, looking for the right words to come out. Nothing happened. He shook his head, trying again.
“It started with the street preachers,” he said. “Hundreds of them, marching on every city. All saying the same doomsday shit as always. World was dying. All coming to an end.”
“I haven’t seen anything like that.”
“Then there were storms,” he continued without skipping a beat. “Some would last for weeks. Others longer. Entire cities would be flooded or torn apart. Earthquakes causing monster waves along the east coast, sending shockwaves all the way to mainland Europe. Then, Yellowstone.”
“Yellowstone?”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “Lights out.”

Samuel was painting this apocalyptic vision of a world undone. Catastrophe after catastrophe. Hooded people marching the streets, screaming for the mercy of a mad god. But there was more to it.
“Then things stopped making sense. It’s as if the rules changed,” he continued. “Roads would stop leading home. Trees would change color. People turned twisted and corrupted. Like… one of our neighbors couldn’t eat anything but gunpowder. There was a woman just down the street who tried to kill anyone wearing glasses. It was… pandemonium.”
I didn’t say anything. What he was saying didn’t make any sense, but he was trying his best to keep his rambling coherent.
“The plants died. Trees too. The only thing that could grow in that environment were these twisted blue things that popped up out of nowhere. But people… people are what got twisted the most.”
He told me of these towering 7-foot-tall humanoid creatures that roamed the forests. Black as night – not even reflecting light. Arms reaching all the way to their knees. Elongated, inhuman things that all used to be someone he knew.

“The doomsayers all said the same thing,” he continued. “That God was a scared little boy, and that he was dying. Everything that was happening was just an expression of that ceaseless, bottomless, existential grief.”
Samuel looked back and forth, finally burying his face in his hands.
“It all broke down. Roads stopped leading anywhere. No power. No water. Julie changed. Ollie changed. Tobie made himself a mask and wandered off into the woods. Ira just… disappeared. And for… years? Has it been years? It’s just been me.”
“But you’re here, now,” I said. “And what you’re describing, it… it didn’t happen.”
“It happened,” he insisted. “Just not… here. But here.”
He tapped his finger on the single dollar bill.
“Somewhere, somehow, I must’ve taken a wrong turn. I slipped through something broken, and now I’m here. And… and he’s coming to bring me back. He doesn’t want anyone to leave.”
“Who?”
“Just! Just…” he chuckled. “Just a sad little boy who’s been told he’s going to die.”
I didn’t know what to say. I just sat with him for a while, holding his hand.

Before I left, Samuel got up from his chair. He looked at me, forcing himself to smile.
“If I go back, I’ll try not to… to be like them. I’ll try. And… and I’ll be the one to say something.”
He let out a painful little laugh, shaking his head.
“Maybe just a… hello.”

I left that day with more questions than answers. I couldn’t picture the world he’d lived through. Then again, how could it be true? None of it had happened. But what was he gaining from lying about it?
That was the last time I saw Samuel. A few days later, he went missing, as if he’d disappeared into thin air. I didn’t know what to think of it. There was nothing on the cameras – no one entering or leaving the building. No quick escapes, no clever plans. He’d just walked into his room and disappeared. Nothing left but a couple of moths fluttering about.
And for a while, that was it. That was the end of the story. I got busy looking for a new job, and all the little items given to me by Samuel was put away into a little box in my glove compartment. Life soldiered on, and no matter how many questions I had, there was no one around to answer them. Even the strange kid that’d been following me was, seemingly, gone.

A couple of months later, I was driving home from a friend’s place. I stopped at a four-way street, waiting for a couple of trucks to pass, when there was a knock on the passenger side window. I almost choked on my own spit. Scared me half to death.
Looking out, I could see that kid again. I hadn’t seen him for some time, and I quickly bounced between curiosity and downright anger.
“What do you want?” I yelled out.
There was no response. Instead, the door just opened. It’d been locked. As he opened the door, he pointed to the glove box.
“You want his things?” I asked. “Is that it?”
He nodded. I wanted to lash out, but there was something telling me I shouldn’t. Instead, I reached over, opened the glove compartment, and pointed to the box.
“Just take it and leave me alone,” I said. “Get it over with.”

He reached in and grabbed the box. So much effort for a couple of mementos. I turned my head back to face the road. The kid backed out. But of course, I had to get the last word in.
“Not even a thank you, huh?”
That made him pause. He looked at me, tilting his head. As he opened his mouth to speak, a moth fluttered out. Then another. And another.
Then – darkness.

What happened next is hard to describe. My memory of it is fragmented. It’s like trying to watch a buffering video, where long stretches of it are just nothing – but you know something was supposed to happen in-between.
Blink. I was sitting in my car. There was a dark blue sky. No clouds, no stars. Figures in the distance. An open field with blue flowers bending to a howling wind. A powerful stench of ammonia stinging my nostrils. Something to my immediate left, ripping the car door straight off the hinges.
Blink. Running. Ruins of a town. It seemed familiar, but there was barely anything left. My leg was bleeding. I was being followed. No matter where I turned, or where I ran, I seemed to end up at the same intersection.
Blink. A three-story building, brimming with life. Glimpses of arm-long antennae through the broken windows. Clickety-clack of bursting wings tapping against crumbling concrete. A loud warning shriek as something rubs its legs together; a call for prey.
Blink. Hiding in a tipped-over trash container. The rain has stopped in mid-air. Raindrops held in indefinite suspension. I suck water drops out of the air to quench my thirst. My hands are shaking from the blood loss.

Countless little images. Some in order, some not. I have no idea how much time passed. In the moment, it must’ve been much longer than I can remember. Days. Weeks, even. There’s no way to tell.
Blink. Walking through a barren field. It feels like walking through a dead forest, but there are no trees. Only those willingly impaled and wailing.
Blink. An abandoned booth by a broken highway. A sign offers phone calls, in exchange for “real teeth”. There are six sizes of pliers hanging on a wall within. All are bloodied – even the small ones.
Blink. The church that had burned down the night before had reappeared. The people inside, too. They couldn’t leave. Tonight, they would burn again.

Somewhere in this nightmarish puzzle-pieced fragment of nothing, there was a constant drive in me to get away. To get out. I knew that if I’d gotten there, I could get back home again. I just had no idea how. Maybe finding the kid. Asking. Begging. Something.
The last fragment of memory from that space was being cornered in a cellar. They were banging on the door. I’d tipped over a wardrobe to keep them out, but they weren’t going to stop. They were never going to stop. I couldn’t let them kill me again – not like that.
One of the Changed ones were coming. I don’t know what that means, or how I know the name, but I knew of it. There was a mirror, and I could see the signs. It stepped out. Seven feet tall, black as night. Elongated arms and neck. Barely a body at all – just a void space vaguely shaped like the remnants of a person.
Except this one felt… familiar. It was the first one to speak.
“H E L L O.”

Blink. Running. A cold hand. If I squeezed too hard, my fingers went straight through it. I had to keep up. He was showing me something.
Blink. They were flooding over the school bus, tipping it by their sheer numbers. Eruptions from the sewer grates. They were famished.
Blink. An open field. Sunflowers facing me, no matter where I turn. It’s not far.
Blink. I look back, as I’m pushed over the edge. He looks just like the rest of them. They aren’t angered by his betrayal.
They feel nothing, as I fall.

In February of 2017, I was found by the side of the road. I’d been gone for months. My car was too. I came back with nothing but the clothes on my back and countless scars. I’ve been told that I didn’t make any sense at first; I was just rambling nonsense. Or maybe it just sounded like nonsense to these people.
Over time, I forgot more and more of these fragmented images. And the less I remember, the more I can move on. Still, I’ve written them down over time, and they paint an ugly, insane picture of what I’d been going through. Some of which I, myself, have a hard time believing. Then again, I know myself well enough to see that there’s no point in lying.

I haven’t seen Samuel, or that strange kid ever since. I think this is all over, for now. There’s nothing left for me to give.
But even now, years later, I still wake up to that feeling at night. That there’s something wrong, or that I’m forgetting something. That there’s something near that I’m looking straight through, or past.
And every now and then, I hear the flutter of a moth’s wing, tapping against my bedroom window.
And I think I know what it wants.
It wants me to go back.

I went through every stage of mono and recovered in a month. This is the steps I took to do so, and hopefully they can help you too. I am not a doctor and there is a lot of stuff that could be wrong here, and/or not do anything at all. If you are dealing with issues please go get medical assistance.

1. Sore Throat

For throat pain I visited my doctor and was prescribed prednisone and unfortunately I was dealing with an infection so I had to take anti-biotics. If you are diagnosed with mono and your doctor is assuming it is strep or another type of infection communicate with them the uncertainties you have in order to be tested for strep (taking anti-biotics with mono burdens you with a high chance of a rash).
Besides prednisone. I used a humidifier in my room in order for my throat to not dry out in the back. Even if it hurt horribly I attempted to drink at least 4 glasses of water every 4 hours so I wouldn't be dehydrated.
I suggest not taking Ibuprofen during use of Prednisone as it can cause intestinal issues. Use Tylenol.
I stuck to smoothies and chicken noodle soup for food during this time. Salty broth foods help soothe the throat quite a lot and help you get some nutrients.
It was hard to sleep because of my throat pain, I ended purchasing a sitting pillow for my bed. It took a lot of the stress off my lymph nodes during rest.
Finally I made sure to brush my teeth twice a day and use Orajel hydrogen peroxide mouthwash. Oral hygiene is incredibly important during any issues with tonsils in order to keep an infection from happening and washing off pus from throat scars during mono.

2. Sleep

For me sleep was quite difficult and I unfortunately didn't have many ways to deal with it for the first couple of days.
I tried to not take naps throughout the day and rather hold in my sleep for the nights, as your body does better healing when it's in REM. Which is more difficult to have happen if you take brief short naps.
By around my third day I learned that having a humidifier in my room made it so much easier to breathe and feel a bit better.
I took one extra strength Tylenol right before bed, and 10 mg of melatonin. Keep in mind that melatonin only is going to help put you to sleep and you will need to change your diet to be heavier in magnesium in order to have a better time staying asleep. If I woke up due to the pain at the middle of the night i'd take another tylenol and wait it out until I was able to sleep again. Continue to drink water throughout the entire time.

3. Spleen Pains

I dealt with really bad spleen pain for a couple of days and my only solve for it was laying on my back and using a heatpad on the area where my pain was. I tried not to move around very much. If your pain becomes increasingly worse go in to get screened for a risk of rupture.

4. Mental Health

Out of all the things I dealt with, this was one of the worst. I felt defeated for most of my days. I tried to feel better by looking at other peoples experiences and seeing how others have it worse. It also can help to call loved ones and friends and talk with them. I also watched shows and movie continuously in order to distract myself. Eating good helped me a lot, once I started making protein smoothies my mood changed for the better. Also try to stay out of the dark for to long, if you can go into a more open room with sunlight and lay during the day it will make you happier. Try to retain your sleep for just the night, this way you feel like you still are holding to a schedule. It also helps with REM which is incredibly important for mental health and can't be done with naps. Finally, self-care was a breakthrough for me. I tried to shower daily, and clean up my face before bed. It made me feel happier and nicer.

5. The Rash

This rash was one of the worst parts of the whole thing besides my throat. It happened after I had taken my antibiotics for 5 days. It itched so badly. In order to deal with the itch I went to the ER and was prescribed hydroxyzine and another dose of prednisone. For the first day I used calamine lotion, I soon realized it was making me even more itchy as it caused my skin to dry up. I switched over to Eucerin anti-itch lotion and it helped so much. I applied when I woke up and before I went to bed. I applied ice packs to my skin, instead of itching and it works much better at stopping the itch. Also try to sleep with a fan pointed towards you. During the rash stage, it is the most important for you to drink as much fluids as possible.
I hope this can maybe help someone? Idk, i am very thankful for this subreddit as most of these posts helped me recover much faster. Thank you all.

The lights in the hospital’s waiting room buzzed incessantly. The floor was freshly bleached from last night's cleaning. A lady in the middle of her third trimester sat with her husband near the entrance. She could feel a headache beginning to come on.
Her husband was flipping through a magazine he found on the rack near the middle of the room. His deep brown eyes scanned its pages, and his brows were furrowed.
“Jack,” she said, “are you alright?”
“Yeah,” he replied, glancing at her. “Why?”
“You seem mad, is all.”
“Mad? Why would I be mad?”
“Oh. I don’t know. You just look; it is all,” she said, placing her hand on the rim of her belly.
“Trust me. I’m not mad,” he said, flipping to another page.
“Well, we were lucky Mrs. Carter let me work a little overtime for this, huh?” She adjusted herself on the seat cushion.
“We are.”
“It only took two months of scrimping by, but we got our reservation, didn’t we? I mean, how many parents, you know, get to see their child before they’re really here?”
“Not many. That’s for damn sure,” he replied.
Her husband closed the magazine and stood up to go get another one.
“Could you get me one?” she asked him.
“They don’t have anything you would like.”
“It doesn’t matter to me.”
“Alright.”
She looked at him from behind and thought he would be a good father. The baby kicked the wall of her belly, and she chuckled. She could overhear the conversation between one woman and another near their seats.
“This is my second time,” one of the women said. “Second?” the other asked.
“Carlos and I came in when I was at the beginning of my second trimester. You know what they say. The earlier you come, the less accurate the reading is.”
“What happened?”
“Our daughter is going to be beautiful. That we know for certain, but around her early twenties, she goes to prison. For murder.”
“What. Really?”
“Yeah. But again, we came early in the pregnancy. We haven’t been able to sleep since that reading. So, we set up another appointment much later. My date is a month away, so the reading should be pretty accurate,” the first woman said.
“What are you going to do if the reading is the same?”
“What most parents would. We can always try again for another.”
The woman’s stomach did a somersault, and her eyes searched for the nearest waste bin, but the feeling subsided when her husband came over and handed her a magazine.
“Thank you, hon’,” she said, swallowing.
“You alright, Em?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little nausea.”
“You going to throw up?”
“Only if you keep talking about it,” she said, looking up and closing her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he said, sitting down. This was the one I thought you would find most interesting.”
She opened her eyes and glanced down at the magazine in her lap. It was a magazine about car parts and overall car maintenance.
“Thank you. I just needed something to pass the time.”
“No problem. How long have we been waiting for? It feels like we have been here forever. I must’ve read every magazine on that rack by now,” he said, smiling.
The woman pressed her thumb and middle finger at her temples.
“Jack?” she asked.
“Yeah?”
“Do you think he will turn out alright?”
The man looked at his wife’s stomach, and his smile faded.
“I am sure he will turn out fine,” he said, grabbing her hand.
She felt a little better now. His words always seemed to soothe her when she needed it most. Though, she felt stupid asking the question she had asked him a thousand times.
“What if he’s an astronaut? Or finds the cure for cancer?”
“If our kid finds the cure for cancer, the doctors will make sure he is born. Whether we want him or not,” he said, laughing.
She only smiled, and it was faint.
“You do want him, right?”
“What?” he asked. She could see his cheeks flush. “Of course I do; why would you ask that?”
She apologized for asking the question. Her eyes darted to the door where the nurse would appear and call people names.
“Why would you ask that?” he asked again.
“I am sorry. I already apologized. I’m just flustered. Pregnancy. It does things to you.”
Her husband’s expression loosened, and he opened the next magazine he grabbed.
The woman skimmed through hers without really reading anything. Motors are for sale, and the “Eight Easy Steps to Keep Your Car’s Battery” did nothing for her.
The door near the front desk opened, and the nurse called her name. Her husband sat up promptly and helped her from her seat. As they walked toward the smiling nurse, the only thing she could think about was the future.

In most cases when sales of a product have plateaued, market saturation is often used. That suggests there is more supply than demand for a given product. Western marketplaces are bursting with work options and ways to make money. Today’s young people must act smart and move quick to locate new employment opportunities.In most cases when sales of a product have plateaued, market saturation is often used. That suggests there is more supply than demand for a given product. Western marketplaces are bursting with work options and ways to make money. Today’s young people must act smart and move quick to locate new employment opportunities.

Suppose one wants to be successful in this field, they should focus on expanding markets, developing innovative technology, and uncovering undiscovered company prospects in highly profitable niche industries, among other things (Agarwal et al, 6). Businesses in crowded markets may cut the price of their products to gain a larger market share. As a result, businesses are always undercutting each other to attract new customers. Cost-cutting is a common strategy for firms when profits are stagnant (Simonazzi et al., 17). Unnecessary or avoidable cost savings are welcome, but they don’t address the underlying issue.

Where do I pay my taxes if I am a digital nomad?

According to the recent reports, westerners already pay too many taxes in a number of business entities. Due to the high cost of living in their new home nation, one out of every five American ex-pats is contemplating renunciation of their citizenship. Senators are concerned about how to pay for the deficit, and Senate rules prohibit raising long-term deficits through reconciliation bills. Consequently, more money will be available to Congress if the budget reconciliation plan generates more revenue. The United States will not make significant investments unless Congress makes significant adjustments to the tax structure (Michel et al., 89). Increased budget deficits could slow the long-term growth of the economy. In addition private investment or borrowing from other countries is used to pay for government borrowing when the economy is close to capacity (Chen et al.440). When a person is experiencing difficulties, it might harm their future well-being. To put it another way, the long-term impacts of tax policy are influenced by its incentives and its budgetary implications.
Digital nomads have historically been seen as a threat in some places, but several countries around the world are now actively seeking to attract this growing digital population through new remote work visas.
All this converges into a superstorm, and more and more people will opt for digital nomad opportunities. While tax regulations can vary significantly depending on where you are in the world, general guidelines may be helpful to for those seeking information on paying taxes as a digital nomad. Naturally, tax filing is done with the country of tax residence as determined by the place of a principal residence. Digital nomads, however, may encounter a variety of additional layers of tax residence due to their physical presence in other countries during a tax year. In addition, state/province/territory and local taxes may also apply.

Cancel culture and family safety issues

The cancellation culture has a lot to do with social media and if it hadn’t been for social media, pop culture would not have gotten the attention it has in the previous decade. In most case the cultures are frequently canceled by unfollowing, blocking, and publicly criticizing an organization or individual on social media. Due to their large social media followings, celebrity cancellations often garner much media attention. As a result of using social media to communicate with celebrities, many teenagers desire to emulate their peers. Most adolescent cancel culture is carried out online, primarily via comments and unfollows (Yar et al., 80). This can happen in the real world, such as at school or in extracurricular activities. They are often rejected, mocked, and disregarded by their peers, who have had their activities canceled. Most Western workers are experiencing job instability due to the growth of a “cancel culture” in the workplace (Dąbrowska-Kłosińska, 30). This can be a terrific method for teenagers to learn and grow, as their peers may call them out for using insulting words or acting inappropriately.

Investment analysis and forecasting as part of the individual development strategy

To produce an accurate financial projection, one must consider both general macroeconomic trends and your organization’s specific circumstances. Predicting how much money a company will generate and spend in the future is known as financial forecasting. A full estimate contains both short-term and long-term revenue estimates and costs that aren’t anticipated at the time of the estimate (Poorter et al.120). People who know how to create models are critical to financial forecasting firms that do a good job. Some people have extensive knowledge of the organization, its sectors, and the communities it serves to support them along the way. Similarly, data collection and analysis are critical to the financial forecasting process and the use of the software.

Scenario planning and personal life choices

Global events like COVID 19, inflation, or food crisis can impact our life choices a lot. To avoid reacting to events, we need to think about what might happen in the future. Scenario planning helps us do this. Scenario planning allows business leaders to consider what might happen, reflect on past actions, and devise strategies for positive and poor outcomes. Scenario planning is more than just a means to think about the future when it comes to financial planning. It can assist one in determining how much money you’ll make, how much money you’ll have, and how to manage hazards. Early warning indications of difficulties can be spotted by leaders who make their organizations aware of potential issues (MacKenzie et al.900). One can use scenario planning papers to quickly run through numerous scenarios and figure out the best course of action in the event of a crisis. Making a strategy in the event of an emergency is essential. Having a strategy in place is critical in the event of a product going viral and seeing a threefold increase in demand in a single day.

Building the right skills for the jobs of the future

To be eligible for future employment, one must possess the abilities that will be most in demand. Coding has taken off swiftly as one of the most sought-after skills. Almost any industry can benefit from the versatility and scalability of computer languages. People believe that coding is so prevalent in the workplace that it will soon become an essential skill for everyone. Learning to code is a difficult task. Learning how to code and the language you choose impacts how long it takes to do so (Moldoveanu et al.40). Before you begin learning how to code, look at several computer languages and determine which ones are relevant to your industry. Many people begin by studying HTML or JavaScript when learning a new language. After you’ve mastered the fundamentals, you can move to more popular and widely used languages like Python. It is possible to store and manage corporate data in the cloud while allowing employees to work from home.

Riding on global trends of tomorrow

By adopting an agile culture, knowing how to cope with ambiguity, pushing outside our comfort zones, and quickly adjusting to new trends, among other things, we achieve success. We all agree that the weather has gotten more erratic in the last few decades. Crop failure, sea-level rise, and water scarcity are exacerbated by global warming. Malaria and dengue fever epidemics are also on the rise due to the influx of people from developing countries. According to the Kyoto Protocol, 175 countries have agreed to begin the long process of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by signing it (Penalva et al., 340). According to business leaders worldwide, firms have a larger role in society and should do more than merely follow the law to reduce pollution. According to a McKinsey survey, this is the case. The “triple bottom line” refers to a company’s efforts to benefit its shareholders and its workers and the environment. Increasing numbers of businesses are waking up to the need to lower their carbon footprints, produce ecologically friendly products, and operate their operations for more than just quarterly profits.

References

Agarwal, Khushboo, and Veeraruna Kavitha. “Saturated total-population dependent branching process and viral markets.” arXiv preprint arXiv: 2203.16239 (2022).
Chen, Novia X., and Terry Shevlin. ““US worldwide taxation and domestic mergers and acquisitions” a discussion✰.” Journal of Accounting and Economics 66.2-3 (2018): 439-447.
Dąbrowska-Kłosińska, Patrycja. “The Protection of Human Rights in Pandemics—Reflections on the Past, Present, and Future.” German Law Journal 22.6 (2021): 28-38.
MacKenzie, Meredith A., et al. “Respecting choices and related models of advance care planning: a systematic review of published evidence.” American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine® 35.6 (2018): 897-907.
Michel, Adam N. “When It Comes to Taxation, Borders Matter—Europe and the US Should Act Accordingly.” Heritage Foundation Issue Brief 4855 (2018).
Moldoveanu, Mihnea, and Das Narayandas. “The future of leadership development.” Harvard business review 97.2 (2019): 40-48.
Penalva, Jose. “Innovation, personalised education and Little Red Riding Hood.” International Journal of Lifelong Education 39.4 (2020): 339-355.
Poorter, Lourens, et al. “Can traits predict individual growth performance? A test in a hyperdiverse tropical forest.” New Phytologist 219.1 (2018): 109-121.
Simonazzi, Annamaria, Jorge Carreto Sanginés, and Margherita Russo. “The Future of the Automotive Industry: Dangerous Challenges or New Life for a Saturated Market?” Institute for New Economic Thinking Working Paper Series 141 (2020).
Yar, Sanam, and Jonah Engel Bromwich. “Tales From the teenage cancel culture.” The New York Times (2019).
Authors

Paul Lalovich

Organizational Effectiveness and Strategy Execution Practice

Tesha Teshanovich

Organizational Effectiveness and Strategy Execution Practice

My bf (25m) and I (24f) have been together for a year. For the past month we have been together everyday, he goes to work n comes straight to his house where I’d be working from (I work from home) or comes straight to mine after work so we can sleep together everynight . I have a high sex drive and he praises me for how amazing our sex is every time. If I request for sex when I’m not satisfied hours after he has initiated sex and finished or even the next day , he struggles to get hard, he’s fine during oral but gets soft during penetration and ends up just giving me oral. He says it's because he is completely empty and fully satisfied and it seems recently we only have sex when he’s horny and not if I ask for it. Last night he left his phone unlocked before going to sleep so I went through it and found he was watching twitter porn of a lot Latina girls (I am a black F he is a black M) I went through his instagram and found he was searching none famous Latina girls who post barely clothed pictures and he deletes his searches all the time because there is usually nothing on his instagram searches but last night he didn't clear it, these were in his recent searches. He had cheated on me late February by flying another girl (black F, 22) out for a week they were together in another country and I forgave him because I was going through a traumatic situation with my family and also was not speaking to any of my friends so he was the only one there for me. Him cheating led to him having to get rid of every girl he followed on social media apart from family members and me going through his phone regularly but did not have his passcode(also found out he was trying to see a bunch of other girls n got rejected lol ). I found out about the porn last night 17th of May. He always lied that he doesn't really watch porn but after going through his phone I can see otherwise. He always has a wondering eye when we are outside or being served by attractive waitress. I confronted him about it and all he could say was it's just porn, it's light hearted it's just for him and he's not fantasying when I told him he can watch porn in his own time but secretly while we are together and hiding it is too much with everything we are working through and too weird. i believe it’s another form of cheating and broke up with him. Did I overreact or not?

I’ll be going off to college in a few months and have been wondering more and more how worth it all of this really is. I’ve worked really hard in high school, just finished my last AP exams. I’ve gotten into the computer science program at one of the best public schools in my state. All my life I’ve been told that hard work leads to success but looking at the job market and at others experiences online it really doesn’t feel this way. Why would I work really hard for four years on a really hard program while doing internships if I may not be able to get an entry level job when I graduate. The future seems so uncertain and while I try my best to not be a pessimist, I think it’s important to look at the job market and ask myself if I’ll be able to make enough money out of college to make my degree worth it, and I really don’t know. I’m really wondering whether I should have the mindset of “everything will work out if you work hard” or just not putting in the work for a degree that I may not see any returns for. I can’t look at all of the other people who are unable to find jobs with their degrees and act like I’ll necessarily be different from them. I can’t act like “oh, they just didn’t work hard enough, but I’ll do better”. I don’t know others experiences or what they go through. I don’t want to become depressed over the simple possibility of things going wrong but I also don’t want to feel unprepared for future hardships and I struggle to find a happy medium. When does hope turn into dangerous ignorance and when does being cautious lead to pessimism or an excuse for not trying hard enough?

My boyfriend and I have been planning a roadtrip to Canada for a few months now. We’re set to spend 5 days there and leave this Thursday for the long weekend. I’ve been saving up a bit of money so I decided to book and pay for our hotels in Quebec City and Montreal. I normally try to book hotels with free cancellation when traveling because you just never know- but this time I wanted us to be in a comfortable place that was within walking distance of places we wanted to see or visit so, I caved and booked them. Thursday morning my boyfriend gives me a call around 4am, which is when he normally goes into work (we don’t live together yet btw, but we’ve been together almost 4 years now) he’s in a panic saying that he thinks somebody stole his car! Of course, this woke me up instantly and I was in total disbelief but as he’s talking he goes on to mention that he missed 1 or two monthly payments and maybe they took his car… I thought 1-2 months behind was too little for the bank to repossess your car and he says oh well maybe it was more like 3-4 months behind and he kept stressing and worrying about where he was going to get the money to pay. He was a bit shaken up so I didn’t want to question him about any savings, tried to help him calm down and advised him to just wait, call his lender as soon as they opened & let me know what they said he could do to get his car back. At first Santander demanded that he pay the full 21k loan for his car outright if he wanted it back, then they decided to work with him and asked him to pay $3,500 to get the car back. His monthly payment is something around $600 so that would mean he probably owed somewhere around 4/5 months. Since he didn’t have the money, I gave it to him & I’m not expecting that money back. I’m now worried about the fact that we’ve never actually had a conversation about our finances and we were planning on moving together this year. He always seemed to be doing fine- sometimes he needed a little help to get by and I’d send him $100 to keep him afloat through the week until payday but, this is a bigger problem than what 100 little dollars can fix. I’m starting to wonder where his money is going and I don’t know how to approach that conversation. Especially because he makes more than I do and we both have around the same bills, from what I know. I also now have to reconsider this trip, I’m very excited about it since we’ve been planning for a while now but I’m worried about having to spend all of my savings over there.. Any advice on how I can talk to my boyfriend about all this without making him feel uncomfortable :/ and what should I do about Canada? The hotels are paid for so I’d be losing about $1000 if I don’t go, but can I afford a trip for two with around $2000? I’d have to factor in gas, activities and food, and we love food :( any thoughts/ideas would help greatly! I just don’t know what to do.

Hello again! I’m not sure if you've read or seen my other posts about roleplays but this one will purely be about Jujutsu Kaisen!
INTRODUCTION
My name is Hina. To know more about me, I was born and raised in Japan and I have been an avid writer ever since I moved to the States when I was 11. My second language is English but I believe it’s been pretty good these days. I recently turned 22 years old and I'm female. Talking about age, I would be comfortable with you being 17+ and preferably at least 20. Roleplaying with minors isn’t a big thing for me, I apologize. I’m in the west coast, PST timezone. Let’s see.. What other information can I give you? I would say I enjoy skating, basketball, watching tv shows and anime, and reading. My favorite anime is Nana and Death Note.
ROLEPLAY
For what i’m looking for, i’d have to say basically anything in the Jujutsu Kaisen universe. Perhaps something done in the Shibuya Arc, or even the Culling Games Arc where are our characters are participating. Or maybe something entirely different. I think it would be cool if our characters were strong on their own and everything was set up in the Culling Games Arc, them having to maybe ally or something. But we can also have it be basically them fighting together to make themselves stronger and then fight new enemies as well. I’m down for ideas!
I’m also down for a Modern AU roleplay with the original characters. Maybe an OC x CC or CC x CC in that case!
CHARACTERS
I tend to use character sheets to describe my character, these usually consist of names, background, and personality. More so on appearances, I prefer using animated or drawn references than real life people. I enjoy good enough references where I get the idea of how the character would look like.
The types of characters I write are either the lone wolf type that has some sad past which leads them to want to join someone for a redemption arc or the bubbly character who is the one that brings the mood up and is usually seen as trustworthy and of that kind.
I like all types of tropes, especially enemies to lovers or rivalry. I also really enjoy opposites attract as a whole from either opposite personality or something else they would be opposites in. Enemies to lovers takes my heart, though. I love seeing the characters go past the urge to ultimately hate each other and/or go past their usual way of disliking the others lineage or upcoming.
REQUIREMENT
I think this is my last paragraph on the roleplay. It’s the most important, at least. Requirements. All roleplay searches come with them. Or at least that’s what I heard! But don’t fret, there isn’t much.
I’ve seen this as one of the most used requirements, and I agree with it. As someone who’s first language wasn’t English, I understand that you may not be great at it. But please, I do require a partner that at least has proper use of grammar and punctuation. You don’t even have to use big words or anything, just at least know where to put your periods and the placement of your words.
My second requirement is for you to be LITERATE! Please. I’m a big writer, I tend to ramble on and tend to write more than what I thought I would. (like i’m doing right now) I write multiple paragraphs from the starter until the scene relaxes. I also understand that sometimes writing big blocks of words every response is tiring or boring so I don’t expect it all the time, at least after the starter has been made and in more important scenes. Dialogue also cuts my replies shorter.
Please please please be polite in OOC! We may just be role playing together but kindness goes all ways. If we do include OOC, I enjoy talking about many things. My day, movies, games, funny moments and stories, all of that!
I think that’s the end to this wonderful journey of an ad about my search. I hope you are still here, fellow writer! I would LOVE it if you reached out to me! This wasn’t all for nothing, right!
But don’t leave yet! I do have a passcode. I know this was a jumble of words and rambling but I still have to put one in. I heard that there’s a lot of people on here that don’t read things fully and miss out on rules or information! But.. Just because you read through this all, I’ll gladly give you options on the passcode! Also please put in an introduction of yourself! Don’t think “Oh maybe I shouldn’t bother this person with too much to read”! I like seeing big blocks.
PASSCODE:
What’s your dream country to travel to and why?
OR
Who’s your favorite TV show / Cartoon / Game / Anime character?
Feel free to pick both! Now, that’s all from me. Please don’t put your request as just “Wanna rp”!

• H 💕

Hello again! I’m not sure if you've read or seen my other posts about roleplays but this one will purely be about Jujutsu Kaisen!
INTRODUCTION
My name is Hina. To know more about me, I was born and raised in Japan and I have been an avid writer ever since I moved to the States when I was 11. My second language is English but I believe it’s been pretty good these days. I recently turned 22 years old and I'm female. Talking about age, I would be comfortable with you being 17+ and preferably at least 20. Roleplaying with minors isn’t a big thing for me, I apologize. I’m in the west coast, PST timezone. Let’s see.. What other information can I give you? I would say I enjoy skating, basketball, watching tv shows and anime, and reading. My favorite anime is Nana and Death Note.
ROLEPLAY
For what i’m looking for, i’d have to say basically anything in the Jujutsu Kaisen universe. Perhaps something done in the Shibuya Arc, or even the Culling Games Arc where are our characters are participating. Or maybe something entirely different. I think it would be cool if our characters were strong on their own and everything was set up in the Culling Games Arc, them having to maybe ally or something. But we can also have it be basically them fighting together to make themselves stronger and then fight new enemies as well. I’m down for ideas!
I’m also down for a Modern AU roleplay with the original characters. Maybe an OC x CC or CC x CC in that case!
CHARACTERS
I tend to use character sheets to describe my character, these usually consist of names, background, and personality. More so on appearances, I prefer using animated or drawn references than real life people. I enjoy good enough references where I get the idea of how the character would look like.
The types of characters I write are either the lone wolf type that has some sad past which leads them to want to join someone for a redemption arc or the bubbly character who is the one that brings the mood up and is usually seen as trustworthy and of that kind.
I like all types of tropes, especially enemies to lovers or rivalry. I also really enjoy opposites attract as a whole from either opposite personality or something else they would be opposites in. Enemies to lovers takes my heart, though. I love seeing the characters go past the urge to ultimately hate each other and/or go past their usual way of disliking the others lineage or upcoming.
REQUIREMENT
I think this is my last paragraph on the roleplay. It’s the most important, at least. Requirements. All roleplay searches come with them. Or at least that’s what I heard! But don’t fret, there isn’t much.
I’ve seen this as one of the most used requirements, and I agree with it. As someone who’s first language wasn’t English, I understand that you may not be great at it. But please, I do require a partner that at least has proper use of grammar and punctuation. You don’t even have to use big words or anything, just at least know where to put your periods and the placement of your words.
My second requirement is for you to be LITERATE! Please. I’m a big writer, I tend to ramble on and tend to write more than what I thought I would. (like i’m doing right now) I write multiple paragraphs from the starter until the scene relaxes. I also understand that sometimes writing big blocks of words every response is tiring or boring so I don’t expect it all the time, at least after the starter has been made and in more important scenes. Dialogue also cuts my replies shorter.
Please please please be polite in OOC! We may just be role playing together but kindness goes all ways. If we do include OOC, I enjoy talking about many things. My day, movies, games, funny moments and stories, all of that!
I think that’s the end to this wonderful journey of an ad about my search. I hope you are still here, fellow writer! I would LOVE it if you reached out to me! This wasn’t all for nothing, right!
But don’t leave yet! I do have a passcode. I know this was a jumble of words and rambling but I still have to put one in. I heard that there’s a lot of people on here that don’t read things fully and miss out on rules or information! But.. Just because you read through this all, I’ll gladly give you options on the passcode! Also please put in an introduction of yourself! Don’t think “Oh maybe I shouldn’t bother this person with too much to read”! I like seeing big blocks.
PASSCODE:
What’s your dream country to travel to and why?
OR
Who’s your favorite TV show / Cartoon / Game / Anime character?
Feel free to pick both! Now, that’s all from me. Please don’t put your request as just “Wanna rp”!

• H 💕

tw mentions of porn, gore and fetishes, possibly childhood trauma
tldr please supervise your kid's internet access so they don't end up seeing grotesque fetish stuff like me
okay so basically i was quite young when i got my first device and my parents trusted me enough with only looking at good things so they never supervised my access. so one day when i was either 5 or 6 i got recommended a set of youtube videos with a niche that i quickly started liking. what was it called? vore of course! (if you don't know what it is, while it isn't over-the-top nsfw research at your own risk). so i quickly get to watching more and i don't even care about all the implications because i'm like 6, and because i watch exclusively in my room nobody finds out.
i keep on the cycle so on and so forth until i'm like 10, i kind of just stop watching at that point, and then when i become 11 i finally start coming around to realizing all the implications and stuff and i don't know why or if i'm dumb for it but all the implications that i watched all this stuff and enjoyed it, even if fictional, hits me hard. When I'm 11 i also start getting exposed to gore and guro (which unlike vore is EXTREMELY over-the-top nsfw). even though i don't like either of the two i keep approaching them either through morbid curiosity or sometimes by accident. i'd also started scrolling through hentai to make me forget about all the gnarly details.
nowadays, all of that has affected me. i'm very introverted, highly distrustful of people who aren't friends, whenever predators/prey/digestion are mentioned i start to feel very upset no matter the context, i feel sick if vore is even mentioned, and even though i know it's stupid to feel all that over things that aren't even real it's how i feel. i've never told anyone and nobody knows except you all. i've just dealt with the baggage. thanks for listening. this is the only real way i can get this all out.
p.s. i don't want to talk to anyone in person about this in concern it'll ruin my image. i don't really know what to do but i've just lived and dealt with it and that's sort of worked but it still plays with my mind. it can't be ptsd because none of it is real. i doubt it's even trauma because i think i knew what i was getting into. i'm horrible, you're horrible, we're all horrible, goodbye.

Background: presently my mother (f 60s) lives with me (male 30s) in my house that she helped me purchase (she gifted the down payment and contributes towards major purchases) about 3+ years ago. The reason my mom lives with me is because she presently can't afford to live on her own and has gone through some severe health issues from which she's recovered from but will have some permanent side effects from that make living on her own hard as well. She has also gone through severe trauma in her past.
Lately her and I have been at odds as I've been dating. I'm currently in a great relationship with a very understanding girlfriend about my situation with my mom. Specifically, that we could make the living arrangement work long term where my mom could live with us due to her health issues.
However, situations have arisen where my mom will not like or feel comfortable with certain things or times I want to do in my relationship and sometimes this creates A conflict. Things can wind being at odds when my mom will try tocontrol me and say things like this:
"Your girlfriend needs to come over later, we need to do things around the house"
"This is Mother's Day weekend. Don't talk to your girlfriend on the phone. If you do, I won't go out on Mothers day"
"We agreed for you not to go to her church regularly. You're not a man of your word"
These are paraphrased too. For reference, I typically don't see my girlfriend Thursday, Fridays or saturdays to devote time to the house and taking care of my mom (my sister works night these days so she could help outside of these nights). Although if there's certain events I do wind up doing them. My girlfriend has been very very understanding here.
The issues wind up being if there's something I want to do that's she's not comfortable with or if she's feels I'm not being responsible to the house (taking care of the yard, dogs watching, cleaning , her medical needs, etc.), she will throw tantrums or say things like above.
Has anyone dealt with this before? My inclination is to do things based on how I feel things are getting done with the house while prioritizing my relationship. I do tend to feel guilty because of all of things that have happened to her but it feels like her wants are too much.

First of all, I’d like to preface this story with a piece I wrote in my journal 2 months ago while still in my relationship.
Here it is:
I’m almost 30M, and wonder how you would deal with this situation?
Backstory: I didn’t have my first girlfriend or even sex until age 20. I was very sheltered when I was younger and shy. I also moved several times so never got the chance to meet girls from social circles. I had almost a 2 year long distance relationship from age 20-22 (seeing each other in person only a few times a year). Well that didn’t work out and it devastated me. I did truly love that girl and she was also my first so it took 3 years to get over.
In that time following the relationship, I slept with more than 10 people, gained experience, and eventually found another girlfriend in person at age 25. That ended at age 26, but was off and on until age 27. It ended for good reason, because it was a tumultuous relationship with a lot of fun, but also arguments. She was super attractive which made it hard to let her go even though I knew it had to be done.
Following that relationship, I yet again worked on myself, dated and slept around, and eventually met my current girlfriend midway through age 28. It was one of those situations where you start out just hanging out and eventually see each other every week… then the question of “what are we happens”… I went along with it even though my eyes were still peeled.
Well now, I’m almost 30, a few months away and I’m scared. A part of me feels like I missed a part of my youth and I’ll never find that stunner I’ve always looked for. Being sheltered all my life and not meeting anyone via social circle messes with me emotionally. I’ve dated beautiful woman, but it’s not like I can change time and go back to 25 again and date around 20 year olds… right?
I also moved to a completely different state and started a new life 2 years ago. But every day I think about my last relationship and the life I used to live in that state. “The good old days” I like to say. I have a new life now and good situation, but a part of me feels lost.
That’s what I wrote back in March. I knew I had a good situation, a very stable relationship and job, but I almost felt like I was still unfulfilled. Mostly because I never really experienced the kind of girls that truly interest me I guess? I hate to sound superficial, but if you read below it will make further sense. It wasn’t all about looks. While she was nice and sweet, she was rather boring and didn’t banter with me.
So fast forward the story to today, my recent ex broke up with me a few weeks ago. We had been dating about a year and a half.
I met her about a year and a half after that toxic relationship to a really manipulative, yet attractive girl I talked about above. This new relationship was the complete opposite, almost to the point of being cringey. She was really loving but it was almost overwhelming. She also was not as atractive as my last gf in terms of looks. Not unattractive by any means, but I certainly didn’t feel super proud walking around with her or introducing her to people. For much of the early part of meeting this new girl, I did still constantly think of the toxic ex and compare, but I was ready for something new and thought I was so far removed from the last relationship - I went along with it.
Anyway, Eventually she asked if I would be her bf at about the 3 month point after meeting. At first I was apprehensive of the idea because I wasn’t sure about committing and if I wanted to keep “searching.” I got to the point that I was done with hunting as I had tried tirelessly to find someone for over a year. She was a great girl but I wasn’t sold on a full on relationship. Instead of being excited to be official like I was in past relationships, with her I was hoping for more a fwb situation like it was the first 3 months. But I decided to go along with it. I told her I still wanted to be able to approach or work on social skills with other girls even if just plutonicly. I didn’t do that and did commit. Fast forward another several months and the I love you statement came up. I wasn’t entirely sure about how I felt but I again went along with it, even though I didn’t actually feel it at at the time.
This gf was a very loving, loyal, committed gf, and did anything for me. Unfortunately I didn’t really find her incredibly magnetizing. She was cute, but not crazy attractive in my eye. Like I mentioned above, I didn’t feel that proud feeling when going out.
I found that taking pictures with her also made me unsure. The first couple weeks of hanging out we never took pics. And then I took a picture with her and looked at it and was repulsed. When she would send me pictures of her with with her family, I didn’t like what she sent. Maybe she’s just not photogenic and actually good in person, but whenever she would send me a photo or FaceTime me I’d get turned off.
Also, the fact that she was so wholesome, it didn’t allow for much banter. Conversations were mostly plutonic, where I’m more of the sarcastic type.
She always wanted to pull out the calendar and schedule plans months in advance every week, even after telling her I prefered being spontaneous. She did all of these crazy google calendar overlays and I felt like I was always being sucked into things I didn’t want to do. She became more clingy than I had realized when I first met her. She asked me about 3 months ago, if we could spend not just weekends together, but also Wednesday nights. (We lived just over an hour apart). I suggested it could be every other week (the opposite)…I didn’t like going to her place because of the road noise where she lived and I would really only see her when she would visit me. I know, all of this sounds really one sided and like I’m an asshole. But I was very loving to her in person and she knows that, hence why it lasted so long.
Unfortunately a lot of things she did turned me off. She was too readily available, always trying to lock up my calendar, talk about marriage and kids in the next 3-5 years and I felt trapped. I was unsure.
We had great sex but it wasn’t crazy passionate, neither was our kissing. When alone, and was feeling aroused, I generally didn’t think of my ex. I constantly found myself checking out other girls places I went (but never talked to them). I felt like wow I wish that was the kind of girl I was with.
It wasn’t all bad though. The sex was phenomenal in terms of the movements. She made $100k plus which is phenomenal for someone at 24, but also had over $100k in student loans. With her wanting to get married within 5 years, I considered those loans as a big issue. She was super loving and would have been a great mother.
In the end she left me. She said we weren’t compatible. I have been a wreck and now I’m wishing I had her. Maybe not for the right reasons though?
I’m trying to figure out why if I wanted to end things myself and that I felt trapped for so long, how come all of a sudden I want her back? Is it just the void of not having someone loyal who’s there for me? The loss of a potential good wife and mother? Who can make plans and bake me things? The fear of not meeting someone as smart? She’s already talking to other guys and I’m just a wreck and need some advice. I can’t go an hour without thinking of her. I think I need to rewire the way I am thinking. I can’t stop thinking that maybe I made a mistake and should have put in more effort, but I feel like if I truly loved/had that spark for her I would have tried more all along. I would have been excited to make plans with her instead of going a week at a time seeing her. Now all I want to do is see her. Should I have stayed in it and worked harder? Are my standards too high? I feel like my first ex and my recent one were so polar opposite. One had the looks and I thought of her when thinking of sex but was toxic and the other was sweet but not as attractive. It even got to the point that to feel emotion, I had to finish inside her. Which did help.
At the time of the breakup, I tried very hard to tell her how I was looking forward to making a fun summer filled with plans together. Just 2 weeks prior she was about it. Now nothing. It’s been total silence on the other end for weeks. I know she loved me more than any guy.
Do you think this was a good thing this happened? How do I rewrire my brain? She was my only friend. This was a relationship that I went into going through the motions, and even a couple weeks before we broke up I wrote that journal entry / question that I shared above. What is going on?

You know when you get that warm fuzzy feeling inside when you see a new message from that certain someone? When you hold onto a hug a few seconds longer because neither person wants to let go? When you ugly laugh to the point of being unable to breathe over the silliest things? Being able to talk about your deepest thoughts and biggest aspirations while sitting in your car at 2 in the morning? I miss having that kind of intimacy in my life. I've been going through a personal growth phase for a while, and I feel ready enough to put myself out there and see what life throws my way. Who knows? This could be the start of something new. cue High School Musical song
About Me:
While I’m not looking to immediately jump into a serious commitment with anyone, I generally prefer to date with the intention of establishing something long-term. My schedule can get pretty busy, so I have no interest in wasting my time or yours. With that being said, quality time is my biggest love language, and I will definitely make time for my significant other when I can. One important thing to put out there is that I absolutely do not want kids. Parenthood has never appealed to me, and dogs are just so much better in my opinion. DINK3D (Double Income, No Kids, 3 Dogs) is my ultimate life goal. Hopefully, you’re down to adopt a German shepherd or three with me in the future.
I'm generally pretty reserved in person until you break me out of my shell, but sarcasm and dry humor mixed in with a tiny dash of existentialism are how I communicate 90% of the time. I'm Korean but never really got into the mainstream wave of Korean pop culture, so I don't really know anything about Kpop or Korean media in general (sorry to disappoint). I'm a bit of a homebody, but I'll never turn down an opportunity to go out for new experiences whether that's trying a new restaurant, visiting a museum, or going to an event. I'd consider myself a major foodie and do a lot of cooking myself. A good chunk of my YouTube history is food-related videos, so I can cook you dinner one day and give you a literal chef's kiss. I also write music occasionally (one good thing about being forced to learn piano as a child).
About You:
Ideally, I'm looking for a 20-27 year old self-certified baddie who is local to Orange County or LA. I'm strictly looking for something that can develop in person, so I'm not interested in anything long distance. I don't really think I have a specific type when it comes to dating preferences as long as you know what you want (both emotionally and generally in life), but I will say intelligence and good communication skills are pretty sexy. Good vibes and compatibility are the name of the game. Also, the no kids part is probably important too.
Anyways, if any part of this post resonated with you, send me a chat, and we can see where things go. Let me know what you’d want me to cook for you, or if you’re feeling really spicy, tell me your red flags (both yours personally and red flags in potential partners) lol.

So I've been doing research, and I can't seem to find a 100% clear answer. I have a question. Is it possible to get a level 1 Buzzwole in Sword and Shield?
The reason is...I know that Pokemon Go has the function to where if you get one with low enough CP, it could potentially come in as a level 1 (Seemingly unlikely, but possible). So I guess inadvertently, that answers my question because you could transfer it through Pokemon Home. I'm guessing this is why all of the Pokemon Sites have a Learnset for him that starts at Level 1 (even on Pokemon Sword and Shield). But I also know that for Genning Pokemon (at least from what I've heard)....you can't gen this same effect (AKA, you can't get a LVL 1 Buzzwole) because it's "goes against the coding of the game." Again, I don't know, this is just what I've gathered from the Internet.
So I guess I'm here trying to see if I can get a straight answer, and possibly any offers if it is. I'm hoping to play an All bug playthrough with some Pokemon I typically don't get to use until late in the game, And I'd love Buzzwole to be one of those.
Note: My apologies if this doesn't relate to Pokemon Home enough, But I'm imagining that Pokemon Home is how I'm going to make this work.
Thanks

Sorry if this is long but plz read the full story⭐️
⭐️Pregnancy⭐️
I’ve been seeing this girl for 9 months, and she’s 4 months pregnant (but we knew eachother for 4 years but didn’t know her all to well before) I have my own place, go to school full time, in a coding boot camp, and taking certificates to get better experience for ML(Machine learning) while also providing all the income for us.
⭐️Before pregnancy⭐️
Flashback to 12 months ago I was in the marine corp for 2 years and had to cut my time short due to adhd/ptsd after losing my dream job that I graudated highscool early for I went through a month of extreme depression. After 3 counselors I got better . I was still actively working right after the military for planning ahead and then lost my tech after 4 months job due to the whole company going under. The next day I found out she was pregnant. I believe she should have the choice since it’s her body /and she choose to keep the baby.
⭐️The problem⭐️
The 1st problem was she didn’t want to work and doesn’t have her license that I pushed her to do but can’t do it herself. I have been nice about it I’ve made whole google docs and videos of motivation, applied for jobs for her, let her use my car to learn to drive, been with her to do it, but still doesn’t want to do anything so I gave up after months and months on trying. A counselor would help but her mom doesn’t believe in that so brings in her mind there no point of getting better. She very shy and has anxiety about it and I do feel very bad but I do to still have anxiety to we’re my legs tremble and hands and feet sweat 24/7 near anyone. She adores her mom more than anyone in the world but her mom is a pill popper who hasn’t worked for over 20 years and even refused to work when they were all on the streets. I took her brother and my girlfriend to Disneyland and mind you spent over of all of the money I earned from the military from the gifts, vacations places, and food because she has never seen any of this before. I knew they would never have the opportunity see it and deserved to because her dad was not on the picture so they were just living off the government. So what I did was work to make enough money and do my college and extra certificates and experience on top networking to land a good job)
⭐️Uncle⭐️
after one month of this her uncle turned homeless and started living with them REMIND YOU her uncle . ( he attempted to s/a her as a kid) but didn’t succeed. He’s says he all Jesus and all that but u can see right through him that’s just words no action. I believe to respect ur adults and the elderly my manners are how I was raised by……………. But this flipped a switch that never was there. Her mom not doing anything and me knowing things she could do to get rid of him ( I even paid her 2,000 dollars) to get rid of him and nobody did anything and that was when she was pregnant) my girlfriend said she was fine about it and she not much afraid of him and started resenting me because how I felt about her mom and I kept dropping it but I couldn’t stand knowing he was there alone with her some days) So I went to online college and then saved up money to get an apartment to be away from him and did it mind you during this whole thing my main focus was that and getting all my certificates and more experience to be a software engineer but she was still getting mad at me because how I felt about her mother.That I was getting in college that I was also actively going to everyday but started to doing online classes because I didn’t feel safe with her being alone her uncle being there. A month goes by and the uncle TALKS ABOUT HER BOOBS INFRONT OF HER MOM. And I just… idk… the forgiving person that I was trying to see is gone forever after that for her mom….. and yes he is still living there and yes we got the aprartment right after that. But after that she still rensentined me because of how I felt about her mom and now I’m losing feelings for her because of the asking for things knowing I have to take out time for studying to make the money we don’t have but I think I do well doing it tho i like getting her things. I am trying just the money a little tight because I know how much cloud computing can make and all the 3 certificates, and all projects and college im doing but having to pay for the certs. But the way I feel about her mom now ( and I really did try to be so nice I promise and even talked to my counclears about it but that’s just not gonna happen anymore). I loved her so much but the more I think about it , if anything goes bad with money WHICH IS GOING TO HAPPEN she would not even be able to be there for me. (Also I want to say it has never slipped my mind that I would not provide for this child that’s the whole point of doing the college and all that I would rather not but I know what I need to do).
⭐️My day⭐️
I workout two hours a day 6 days a week, study mostly all day and then work when I need to for all the bills and whatever she wants or needs is starting to get to me also I I’m doing some meditation so I can sleep. I’ve tried to spend as much time with her but usually I’m done late and I’m jsut so worn out and then she gets sad becasue I’m tired but I try to take her places every week for the most part and get her food she likes. I feel alone most days and now i would rather watch YouTube or video by myself than with her. And the one time we did take a break which was 2 days she cried all day and her mom said she never left her room, and that’s not right for the baby so I went back to get her. I don’t think she would commit sucicde if we broke up but she says it as a joke but most of the time I can’t take it as a joke( my dad attempted and succeeded when I was 10). But if she did I don’t know how I would live with myself or if her feelings hurt the baby).I’ve read so many books on love and just helpful books but nothing helps much.
(Question⭐️
My question is what should I do?
(Also yes I’m talking to a councilor about this but today was just a little hard.)
(Thank you for all responses have a great rest of your day)❤️.

Hello everyone, FTB here with a few silly questions.
I viewed a property yesterday evening for the 1st time and thinking about putting an offer in. I am very new to this so have a few questions I would like to ask. The estate agent has said that one offer is already in. The house has been up for several months and has already had one sale fall through. I'm thinking about making an offer on the back of just one viewing, but seeking some opinions.
I know the area well, as I used to work close by so not worried about that. Asking price is £265,000 it says on the website it was reduced previously but I'm not sure from what.
1) Is it reasonable to offer under £265k?
The reason for this is I'm happy with the state of the property (as far as I can tell, not any expertise in this area) however I am chain free and have a large deposit (25-30%), I've heard this can give an advantage, especially as they have already had a sale fall through. Several family members have said not to offer the list price and that it is the "done thing" to offer a little bit under (not sure about this). I'm considering to offer 5%-10% under so around £235-250k. I am a serious buyer and don't want to come off like I'm playing games to try and save a bit of money, but on the other hand, I'm feel I'm an attractive buyer and with one sale already falling through moving quicker for a bit less might be in their interest. Is it reasonable to stick in an offer of 235 and expect to negotiate up to 245 (for example).
2) I would like to go with my parents/sister to visit the property. Should I book a second viewing before or after making an offer? How likely will it be that the owner accepts another offer, in the meantime if I request a second viewing immediately, rather than going straight into the offer, and does my chain free status give me any lee-way here?
I'm thinking maybe to just go right in and offer on Monday, but equally I would like to go with my family to get their opinions. I'd also like to have a look at the loft space, which I couldn't do first time around. I wouldn't class this as essential, but something I would like to do, and I think having someone else look is reasonable. The balance I'm trying to strike here is a bit tricky perhaps.
I don't want the seller, or estate agent to doubt my legitimacy by putting in an offer and then asking for a second viewing, would it make the seller worried, like I'm trying to find some faults with the property or something? Equally I don't want to request a second viewing, and then in the meantime the house is taken off the market by the first offer (which the EA has told me is in). I have no idea about this other offer, it could be that the first offer is by someone in a chain, or a worse financial position than myself. This could worry the buyer as the first sale fell through because the buyer could not secure the correct funding.
3) Should I amend my AIP to be closer in value to the property?
Based on my salary, I could probably mortgage around 280k and I have a deposit of up to around 120k. So in theory I could be looking at properties around 350-400k. I'm not because I'd prefer to not go for the max amount and I am happy with this house after my first visit. If the EA sees I can (in theory) afford another 150k on the house price, they might be more likely to want to me to pay more. On the other hand, it can indicate I am more likely to get accepted for a mortgage (which was the sticking point of the sale that fell through).
4) How honest should I be with the EA? And should I wait for him to call me or shall I call him on Monday?
I'm thinking I could just ring him up and ask directly, "look I like the property, I'm chain free with a large deposit, so you can tell the owner I can move quickly, and more likely to be fine getting a mortgage, this should be more comforting to the owner who had a sale fall through before, I would like to do a second viewing and then immediately put an offer in, I'm very interested, but because of those reasons I'd like to offer 240k".
Or is it better to "play the game"?
5) Did I miss anything, general advice anyone can give.
Ultimately I'm very serious and very interested, just trying to get the best price and hopefully my chain free status and decent deposit should make me more attractive.
Thank you so much for reading, and thanks for anyone considering to comment, looking to get some opinions from all the experts here! :)
Good evening all.

Hello guys I wanted to make this Reddit post so I can get people’s opinions or thoughts on this sort of thing. I wasabi raised in the perfect household just like everyone else. My mother and stepdad have always had a rocky relationship. They always used to fight 1-2 times a year and I know that’s not much but it is to me considering that whenever they argued it would always end in violence and my mom, me, and my siblings to stay over some relatives houses for a little while until things calmed down. I was sort of used to seeing things like this when I turned 6 that’s when it all started. The summer is coming up and the days are going by fast. I feel like I’m being isolated from my own family, it feels like they just want to use me for chores and nothing else. It’s not like I’m not smart, I have a 3.7 GPA at the moment and I am in the ninth grade. I feel like my mom is just pushing me away whenever they call me it’s either to do chores or to do them a favor. I always try my hardest but it feels like I’m never doing enough and when they try to console me when I look or feel down it feels like they are just forcing it so I don’t leave, my stepdad doesn’t know about me leaving for the summer tho. He probably would be either mad or sad about me leaving, I genuinely won’t be surprised if he does end up being angry since he used to get angry about a lot of things in the past. My stepdad and mom used to fight and when they did my stepdad would always put his hands on my mom and I always used to beat myself up because I couldn’t do anything about it. I would always cry myself to sleep knowing that I couldn’t do anything to help her since I knew I was too scrawny to do anything. But even after all of the trauma that my stepdad put me, my mom, and my siblings through she always ended up going back to him for what ever reason, I don’t even know why and whenever she did. I would always feel like I’m slowly losing my love for my own mother. I don’t know what to do I would just lay down on my bed question what do. I would contemplate on killing myself sometimes, thinking of just disappearing and not coming back without anyone knowing. But I knew that everyone would be devastated if I did, but I just don’t feel like I’m doing enough for anyone and I feel like a fucking disappointment who can’t do anything right, like I’ll always have flaws no matter how hard I try to overcome said flaws. So please, anyone please give me advice on what to do. I’m so confused and I don’t know what to do anymore. Please help

Rapid technological development and global big tech have contributed to the widening of the gap between rich and developing countries. Social media networks, fintech, and the internet as a whole have become powerful tools for collecting and using personal and business data. It is no secret that big tech has been collecting, using, and trading personal data without people’s consent solidifying the competitive advantage.Rapid technological development and global big tech have contributed to the widening of the gap between rich and developing countries. Social media networks, fintech, and the internet as a whole have become powerful tools for collecting and using personal and business data. It is no secret that big tech has been collecting, using, and trading personal data without people’s consent solidifying the competitive advantage.

Prometheus, teacher in every art, brought the fire that hath proved to mortals a means to mighty ends.
The data collected has been used to target users with ads and commercial messages for profit. As a result, these digital technologies have been fueling Digital Colonialism, where the rich are fortifying their financial dominance. This phenomenon provides large technological companies from the West a tool for controlling emerging markets and extracting profits and has caused the stagnation of underdeveloped nations.
Unarguably, big tech has an influence over the policies that govern how they do business. In other words, they use their power and influence to set the business standards and rules however it suits their interests. Consequently, technology giants often venture into other industries that were initially dominated by state and local organizations. Often it is the case that governmental and local private organizations cannot compete with large-scale technological companies due to the sheer volume of their resources (Coleman, 2019).
Large, monopolistic companies use their limitless resources to dominate underdeveloped markets. A good example is Uber, which has been running local taxi services out of business wherever they set their operations, like in South Africa. Furthermore, the advertisement and marketing sectors have seen this in action too, as Facebook and Google have brought local media in developing countries on the verge of extinction (Kwet, 2019).

What is Technology Sovereignty?

Technology sovereignty is a country’s ability to develop and implement technology crucial for its technological independence and welfare. It also includes alternative ways of acquiring technology, such as provisioning it from other nations without causing dependence or violating the country’s freedom (Crespi et al., 2021). For a nation to achieve technology independence, it must be able to avoid unilateral dependency, as we see in the case of developing countries where large-scale technology corporations entirely control the infrastructure. In essence, technology sovereignty is reached through independent technological and scientific development, or by adopting external technological solutions but without developing a dependent relationship with the external partner.
Often, the term “technology sovereignty” is used interchangeably with data sovereignty and information sovereignty, in which case the focus is on the country’s ability to provide the IT infrastructure and technology to fulfill the nations hosting interests, needs, and policies (Coleman, 2019). However, no single nation can be entirely self-reliant when it comes to IT, and technology sovereignty goes beyond technological autonomy that allows the adoption of new technology without dependence (Crespi et al., 2021).

Technology Sovereignty and Innovation Sovereignty

Technology sovereignty and innovation sovereignty are directly related, with the former serving as a bridge to the latter. To achieve short and long-term economic goals, innovation sovereignty involves developing technologies at the local level (Crespi et al., 2021). Both technology and innovation sovereignty are reached by generating relevant scientific and technological knowledge. It is important to note that scientific and technological knowledge does not have any real impact on the economy if there are no resources and prerequisites, such as a regulatory framework and infrastructure, for its application (Edler et al., 2021).
Innovation sovereignty serves to guarantee that the technologies employed in a society do not lead to dependence on monopolistic foreign companies. As a product of technology sovereignty, innovation sovereignty ensures that a country can satisfy its long-term technological requirements with local experts.What is Technology Sovereignty? Technology sovereignty is a country’s ability to develop and implement technology crucial for its technological independence and welfare. It also includes alternative ways of acquiring technology, such as provisioning it from other nations without causing dependence or violating the country’s freedom (Crespi et al., 2021). For a nation to achieve technology independence, it must be able to avoid unilateral dependency, as we see in the case of developing countries where large-scale technology corporations entirely control the infrastructure. In essence, technology sovereignty is reached through independent technological and scientific development, or by adopting external technological solutions but without developing a dependent relationship with the external partner. Often, the term “technology sovereignty” is used interchangeably with data sovereignty and information sovereignty, in which case the focus is on the country’s ability to provide the IT infrastructure and technology to fulfill the nations hosting interests, needs, and policies (Coleman, 2019). However, no single nation can be entirely self-reliant when it comes to IT, and technology sovereignty goes beyond technological autonomy that allows the adoption of new technology without dependence (Crespi et al., 2021). Technology Sovereignty and Innovation Sovereignty Technology sovereignty and innovation sovereignty are directly related, with the former serving as a bridge to the latter. To achieve short and long-term economic goals, innovation sovereignty involves developing technologies at the local level (Crespi et al., 2021). Both technology and innovation sovereignty are reached by generating relevant scientific and technological knowledge. It is important to note that scientific and technological knowledge does not have any real impact on the economy if there are no resources and prerequisites, such as a regulatory framework and infrastructure, for its application (Edler et al., 2021). Innovation sovereignty serves to guarantee that the technologies employed in a society do not lead to dependence on monopolistic foreign companies. As a product of technology sovereignty, innovation sovereignty ensures that a country can satisfy its long-term technological requirements with local experts.

Technology Sovereignty and Economic Sovereignty

Adequate infrastructure and the ability to innovate create a favorable environment in which technology sovereignty may lead to economic sovereignty. Economic sovereignty refers to the ability of a country or a country bloc to benefit from independent ventures and partnerships with similar entities without being dependent on any of them (Crespi et al., 2021). Technology sovereignty helps establish innovation independence and eventually results in economic sovereignty, which stems from the need to provide free access to important resources, financing, critical technologies, and data (Edler et al., 2021). Technology sovereignty aims to help the domestic industry by enhancing innovation locally, which makes it intrinsically nationalistic (or regional) in nature. By stimulating innovation, technology sovereignty becomes necessary for achieving development priorities.

How Can Developing Nations Attain Technology Sovereignty

Essential technologies for technology sovereignty are defined using theoretical and conceptual frameworks. Correctly understanding the most critical aspects of technology sovereignty as they relate to technology requires expertise in analysis and relevant procedures (Edler et al., 2020). The initial stage in this process is deciding on the essential skills and knowledge to obtain. This stage is followed by researching the impact of the selected technology on society and the economy and, finally, providing the technology to the local community.
Technological alternatives help strengthen technological independence. Determining the economic viability of a particular alternative helps define its role as an alternative. (Edler et al., 2021). It is, nevertheless, critical to guarantee that technological options are accessible and can be built in developing nations. Technology sovereignty requires creating young talents and obtaining the necessary resources. To produce appropriate technologies in today’s volatile environment, developing nations need to acquire science and technology know-how by utilizing complex R&I instruments and creating knowledge carrier groups (Edler et al., 2020). They can achieve this by simplifying and reforming the curriculum at the relevant institutions of higher education (BCSD, 2020). For instance, the curriculums should be designed to promote research in agriculture tech and data analytics. University education and training must have clear strategies to eliminate knowledge gaps that slow down alternative technology innovation in developing nations.
Nonetheless, the resources and infrastructure necessary for alternative technologies to become a reality are almost always an unsurmountable obstacle for emerging economies. This is often due to the sheer scope of the research that needs to be performed and the need for more equipment and raw materials to develop and test new technologies (Edler et al., 2020). Consequently, to tackle these obstacles, countries and their educational institutions need to choose a narrower field to focus on. Research collaboration and information exchange regarding essential knowledge helps access the necessary technology and prevents unilateral dependencies.
Emerging nations must foster a technology culture and support scientific and technical knowledge throughout the educational system. Children must be allowed to interact with digital technology and develop capabilities while they are very young. For example, using the relevant technology to enable internet access for children in school and at home is a strategy that will improve the quality of learning (BCSD, 2020). To achieve this goal, teachers, researchers, local and state governments, and other stakeholders need to show intent to work together. The path of attaining technology sovereignty for emerging nations starts with understanding the importance of the right approach to technology.Technology Sovereignty and Economic Sovereignty Adequate infrastructure and the ability to innovate create a favorable environment in which technology sovereignty may lead to economic sovereignty. Economic sovereignty refers to the ability of a country or a country bloc to benefit from independent ventures and partnerships with similar entities without being dependent on any of them (Crespi et al., 2021). Technology sovereignty helps establish innovation independence and eventually results in economic sovereignty, which stems from the need to provide free access to important resources, financing, critical technologies, and data (Edler et al., 2021). Technology sovereignty aims to help the domestic industry by enhancing innovation locally, which makes it intrinsically nationalistic (or regional) in nature. By stimulating innovation, technology sovereignty becomes necessary for achieving development priorities. How Can Developing Nations Attain Technology Sovereignty Essential technologies for technology sovereignty are defined using theoretical and conceptual frameworks. Correctly understanding the most critical aspects of technology sovereignty as they relate to technology requires expertise in analysis and relevant procedures (Edler et al., 2020). The initial stage in this process is deciding on the essential skills and knowledge to obtain. This stage is followed by researching the impact of the selected technology on society and the economy and, finally, providing the technology to the local community. Technological alternatives help strengthen technological independence. Determining the economic viability of a particular alternative helps define its role as an alternative. (Edler et al., 2021). It is, nevertheless, critical to guarantee that technological options are accessible and can be built in developing nations. Technology sovereignty requires creating young talents and obtaining the necessary resources. To produce appropriate technologies in today’s volatile environment, developing nations need to acquire science and technology know-how by utilizing complex R&I instruments and creating knowledge carrier groups (Edler et al., 2020). They can achieve this by simplifying and reforming the curriculum at the relevant institutions of higher education (BCSD, 2020). For instance, the curriculums should be designed to promote research in agriculture tech and data analytics. University education and training must have clear strategies to eliminate knowledge gaps that slow down alternative technology innovation in developing nations. Nonetheless, the resources and infrastructure necessary for alternative technologies to become a reality are almost always an unsurmountable obstacle for emerging economies. This is often due to the sheer scope of the research that needs to be performed and the need for more equipment and raw materials to develop and test new technologies (Edler et al., 2020). Consequently, to tackle these obstacles, countries and their educational institutions need to choose a narrower field to focus on. Research collaboration and information exchange regarding essential knowledge helps access the necessary technology and prevents unilateral dependencies. Emerging nations must foster a technology culture and support scientific and technical knowledge throughout the educational system. Children must be allowed to interact with digital technology and develop capabilities while they are very young. For example, using the relevant technology to enable internet access for children in school and at home is a strategy that will improve the quality of learning (BCSD, 2020). To achieve this goal, teachers, researchers, local and state governments, and other stakeholders need to show intent to work together. The path of attaining technology sovereignty for emerging nations starts with understanding the importance of the right approach to technology.

References

Coleman, D. (2019). Digital colonialism: The 21st century scramble for Africa through the extraction and control of user data and the limitations of data protection laws. Mich. J. Race & L., 24, 417. https://doi.org/10.36643/mjrl.24.2.digital
Crespi, F., Caravella, S., Menghini, M., & Salvatori, C. (2021). European Technological Sovereignty: An emerging framework for policy strategy. Intereconomics, 56(6), 348-354. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10272-021-1013-6
Kwet, M. (2019, March 13). Digital Colonialism is Threatening the Global South. Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2019/3/13/digital-colonialism-is-threatening-the-global-south
Edler, J. Blind, K. Frietsch, R. Kimpeler, S. Kroll, H. Lerch, C. Reiss, T. Roth, F. Schubert, T. Schuler, J. & Walz, R. (2020). Technology Sovereignty – From Demand to Concept. Fraunhofer ISI Discussion Papers-Innovation Systems and Policy Analysis.
Edler, J., Blind, K., Kroll, H., & Schubert, T. (2021). Technology sovereignty as an emerging frame for innovation policy: Defining rationales, ends and means (No. 70). Fraunhofer ISI Discussion Papers-Innovation Systems and Policy Analysis.
Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development (BCSD). (2020). The Digital Transformation of Education: Connecting Schools Empowering Learners. International Telecommunication Union.
Authors

Paul Lalovich

Organizational Effectiveness and Strategy Execution Practice

Tesha Teshanovich

Organizational Effectiveness and Strategy Execution Practice

• Welcome to Reddit Light Welcome To Reddit Light (#8YYRVUYC), an official clan of the Reddit Clan System (RCS)! Whether you want to war hard, farm casually, or just make some new friends: COME TO THE LIGHT! Everyone here is very friendly, chatty, and active. We love our relaxed but active group of players who strive to get better at the game. Many of our members are willing to teach if you have the desire to learn; also, many of us are willing to learn if you have something to teach too! Currently looking for th14+
• TH13 65/60/30 Minimum Hero Levels. Mostly if not completely max base from previous townhall.
• TH14 70/70/45/25 Minimum Hero Levels. Mostly if not completely max base from previous
• Find the Reddit clan system password [Our requirements are a bit negotiable but fairly tight due to the size and demand for a spot in an RCS clan.]

What you can expect from us:

• An Active Clan
• We have members online at all times of the day to donate and chat with. Don’t be shy, we are a family and want you to feel like you are a part of it too!
• Many of us found friendships through the can schedule and play a bunch of other games together as well!
• We max out Clan Games every season, which allows you to choose a reward from every tier! (no minimum participation required)

War Schedule

• We war every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday; they are spun around 9:00 PM UTC.
• We spin for CWL the first day we are allowed around 9:00 PM UTC

How to join

• Find the subreddit clan system password at this LINK join our discord at this LINK Hope to see you in-game!

Hello, I received this homework:
Create a console app that: -prepends from the command line the path to a text file (Main method arguments). -loads the contents of the file as a string -checks with the console whether the received file is JSON compliant or not Check the functionality using different examples. Make small changes that break the structure and see if they are detected. Any string that is a valid JSON Value is a valid JSON.
I wrote this class:

 public class Program { static void Main(string[] args) { string file = @"D:\bgm\arithmetic\OOP\JSONValidator\JSONText.txt"; string text = File.ReadAllText(file); Console.WriteLine(text); var value = new Value(); var json = value.Match(text); Console.WriteLine(json.Success() && json.RemainingText() == "" ? "Valid JSON format" : "Invalid JSON format"); } } 

where Value class is built by me and checks if a json is valid, forming a text file where the json text is taken from, and was told so:
"for the program, don't put the json files you're testing with on the repository.
and I want to get the path through arguments, otherwise I have to modify the code so I can run
and try with different files, try and subtly break the format to see if it detects"
I found a video that shows how I can pass arguments by right clicking on project -> properties -> debug -> open debug launch profiles UI and write in command line arguments, but I don't know how I can do that with a whole json file to pass it, then use args[0] instead of that location in D. At least that's what I understood to be done, if you understood better what he was referring to please let me know, also if you know a video or a site where is a good explanation about this please tell me. Thanks.

I never find them boring as it always gives you a proper insight into who a character actually is.
I know Travis hates it but I always enjoyed watching it. Whether it's Vex needing arrows, Percy needing black powder, Caleb needing spell components, Nott going to the post office to send away presents to her family, Keyleth buying an alchemy kit to try and learn how to make their own potions etc. It just adds more depth to them.
I also like them getting presented with options in magic shops, like seeing several cool magic items then they have to prioritise what they can afford and who gets what.
This recent episode where they did inventory management and took stock of what they actually had in terms of currency was great. Travis hates shopping and still went to the effort of counting all the gold the party had so that they could get all 3 of the good magic items plus the potions.
I also cannot wait to see the new art for their new costumes. Some of them deciding to hand-make parts of their outfit was a nice touch. Orym and Chet using parts of FCG's shoulder plate is going to look pretty awesome.
Overall I love these types of episodes in D&D. It allows the characters to breathe more and enjoy the smaller moments. A lot of DM's think combat is the way to go but personally I think a good DM runs a good shopping episode.
I'd like them to properly go through the hole though, there's all kinds of horrors in there...