This project took months since i originally conceived it in my head, to actually completing it, since i've been constantly putting it off. Back in January 2024, i started with buying the tablet that i wanted to use for my wall mounted Home Assistant dashboard. I was originally going to go with Lenovo M10 3rd gen model for about 170 euro, but after some digging around i have found a recommendation for another model that is kinda older but slimmer, with a much better looking screen and higher resolution. I went with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e that i found factory refurbished online on a French website Electro Depot for a price of 200 euros - it was in perfect condition, looked brand new when it arrived, kind of a steal for that price. The Super AMOLED screen on it is just amazing, such a nice contrast, black depth and great color rendition.
Since it originally launched in 2019, Android updates stopped, and the last version was kinda aged, so i slapped on a custom ROM on it - LineageOS 21 that runs Android 14. That end of business was fixed, all good to go. Next step was figuring out what wall mount i was going to go with. Having said that, the Galaxy S5e did not have alot of options, there were some VidaBox mounts, TabCare, TabLines etc, that all looked kinda bulky and hella expensive, that wasn't gonna cut it for me, i wanted something slim and sleek looking.
So, i started looking around for some 3D models of wall mounts for it - again, slim pickings. Not alot of people using the Galaxy S5e wall mounted i guess. The only one i found, and ended up using for testing purposes was one on Thingiverse from a dude named Cemera, the problem was, it was missing two upper pieces and not alot of style or a place to hide the USB cable behind. So i kept digging and eventually found a near perfect 3D model of a wall mount that checked all the boxes for me, the problem was - it was designed for a Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 10.5, that had all different physical dimensions compared to the S5e, ouch. So i grabbed the 3D files from this dude named MADSGADEBERG on Cults3D, and went to work. Having said that, i had almost zero experience doing modeling 3D stuff (if we don't count SketchUp floor plan design), so you can imagine the pain of going through the process of actually adapting the 3D model to fit my Galaxy Tab S5e, when the width, height, thickness, camera placement and even the speaker location that are all different.
Anyway, hours and hours went into the Fusion 360 that i grabbed previously with a free personal licence, rummaging through tutorials on YouTube, and finally i got the result that i wanted. I can't say that this was a slight modification of the original wall mount design for the Galaxy Tab A8, since i ended up changing a lot of stuff to it, including volume button notch, area around the usb port was hella sketchy on the original model, had to beef it all up since original one was just begging it to break. I have also remodeled the front cover design, playing with the bezel width, chamfer and fillet of corners, magnets depth etc, all to fit the Galaxy S5E as tight as possible, with really small tolerances. Even added the four openings on the sides for amazing sounding quad AKG speakers. My biggest gripe with all of this, was having to cut that beautiful design into two pieces, as most 3D printers (including my Bambu Lab X1C) do not have the big enough work area to print this in one piece, e.g the mount being all that slimmed up was still ~270mm long, and i had 256x256x256mm on my build plate to work with. Such a shame, but oh well.
Actually the biggest problem that was revolving about the wall mount design was getting a slim enough USB-C cable, actually slim enough connector part, and that was not easy as it sounds. So, you see, you USA guys had the cable i wanted on your Amazon, but living in Europe i resorted to finding something closer. AliExpress was also an option, but i did not have the patience to wait weeks getting it delivered from China. So, i actually found a dude on Etsy from the Netherlands that makes or rather modifies these cables, and it was perfectly sized for my wall mount project. Bingo, i had everything i needed for the wall mount part, except the magnets that i forgot to order - luckily the one day shipping from Amazon in France works like a charm - hurray.
Ok, having finished the wall mount part, i still needed to figure out how the hell i was going to power this on the wall. So, you see, in the USA, you guys have at least some solutions of buying a recessed box for the wall outlet. Here, in Europe, we don't do alot of drywalls, and we don't recess the outlets that much in the brick walls. Luckily, my place here in France is all drywalled up, but still zero solutions online for buying a deeper recessed wall box or media box that would fit my needs. So, as you might have guessed, i had to design and 3D print one up from scratch. As i was getting familiar with Fusion 360, that wasn't as much of a hassle compared to modifying the wall mount design. I had in mind of creating something sleek that would fit an outlet with USB-A and USB-C ports to actually power the tablet.
The problem is, i did not have power wires available right in the area that i was wanting to mount the tablet, but luckily on that wall i had a junction box near the floor. I bought some 2 metre wires, couple of electric connectors to borrow the neutral, live and ground wires from the junction box, cut up a square hole in the drywall and i was good to go. I had 10cm of clearance in the wall, so i used it up to the max, designing a box that is 6cm deep, leaving the 4cm for the round power outlet box. Good thing about this, i could use normal sized chargers in the actual outlet if i had the need to, since 6cm plus the length of the prongs that go into the holes in the outlet gives a nice depth to fit regular sized chargers.
Alright, i know that alot of people just do not care of estetics behind when the tablet and the mount are going to cover all the holes and drilling/cutting mess anyway, but i wanted to keep things clean, designing a cover for the recessed box to hide the cuts in the drywall. I also chose a cheap but nice looking outlet - i like to keep things clean and tidy, sue me. Instead of drilling all the stuff in the drywall and adding screws, i went with a less destructive method, adding a heavy duty double sided tape to everything, holds like a champ and i can peel it off if i ever decide to change the wall mount location.
So there you have it, a project that i wanted to do for years, all the way back when i started getting into Home Assistant, but i always kept delaying it thinking it was too much work - well it was, but having it done in the end, i learned alot of usefull stuff in the process. For instance, modeling in Fusion 360, it will help me alot with my 3D printing hobby, where i will actually design some future items instead of just printing the files that other people made. Also, i love being handy around the house, tinkering with home related projects, but i never have enough chance to do it, so routing that power wires and adding a power outlet to the wall felt nice to do.
For the dashboard part, I ended up going for WallPanel instead of FullyKiosk as a solution for the fullscreen HA, the screensaver, etc. Also, since my Galaxy S5E is rooted, i have added a charging control behavior for it via ACC (Advanced Charging Controller) Magisk module. I keep it charged up to 80%, and having it drop to 20% before starting to charge again. That way i know the battery stays healthy and is not going to swell up being kept at 100% all the time.
Thanks for reading up all the way to the end of my tablet wall mount project, if you have any questions i will gladly answer them in the comments. Check out the full photos that i took during the making of all the stuff in my Flickr album, as there are plenty. Most people add just a couple and i just keep wondering what stuff they did in the actual process, and how they did it. I can also share all the STL files if people want to recreate what i did. Take care guys, peace.

This is a discussion about Christian theology. There's some real obvious stuff I discuss up top, and some more arcane stuff later, namely the Doctrine of the Serpent Seed and the View of Felix Culpa. Feel free to jump to those if you don't want a rehash of all the Jesus/Satan parallels in the trailers but I think it's worth a refresh.
Relationships
Miquella is Marika's child. Messmer is Marika's child. The first comes from the world's Golden Order and the second from the Land of Shadow. The gameplay trailer has Messmer referring to "mother" and doesn't say Marika's name directly but she's the most likely candidate to sanction someone becoming a Lord since it's her order that was last in existence.
Christ and Satan
Miquella and Messmer take center stage in the gameplay trailer and both are referenced heavily throughout. If you have the Grace of Gold, you won't meet death. That's a promise of Marika's since within the Golden Order the Rune of Death has been removed. People return to the Erdtree. In contrast, Messmer says "Those stripped of the Grace of Gold shall all meet death in the embrace of Messmer's flame." So to be graced means salvation, and to not be means destruction. Heaven, hell, with Miquella aligned with the salvation aspect and Messmer aligned with the destruction aspect.
So Miquella is pretty heavily aligned with Christ. Miquella's rune blatantly looks like a cross, evoking Christ. The gameplay trailer says he "wields love to shrive clean the hearts of men." To shrive in Christian practice is to hear a confession and absolve a person of their sin. Christ in the Bible is described as a Christian's High Priest who wipes clean a person's heart.
But the most important words here are from the story trailer which says, "Miquella would abandon everything. His golden flesh, his blinding strength. Even his fate." So the motif here parallels Phillippians 2, which says about Jesus, "Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!" Here we have both casting off divinity.
In contrast, and as noted above, Messmer is aligned with Satan in a lot of ways. There's the quote that his fire destroys those not graced by gold, similar to how hellfire is the destruction of the unsaved. There's also the snake imagery, and the fire motif.
The Doctrine of the Serpent Seed
Alright so now for the first doctrine. The story trailer says that in the beginning, there was "The seduction and the betrayal." The story of the Garden of Eden often references Eve being seduced not necessarily sexually but by the allure of becoming a god. The Old King James version specifically says, "Your eyes shall be open, and you shall be as gods." So we have an initial parallel here of this moment being when both Marika and Eve become as gods because of their affair.
For Eve it wasn't a sexual affair, and it might not have been Marika's either. But there's a lot happening in that trailer that evokes sexuality and actual birth, including two images of what looks like the vulva and a birthing canal.
At any rate, the trailer then says this was "An affair from which Gold arose. And so too was Shadow born." So this act of Marika's brings both salvation and destruction. Those blessed by Gold had the prospect of life eternal, while those left in the Shadows faced destruction.
In the Doctrine of the Serpent Seed, it is believed that Eve first had sex with the snake before she had sex with Adam. Her affair with the snake gave birth to Cain, while her relationship with Adam gave birth to Abel and Seth. This doctrine marks the descendants of Cain versus Adam/Seth as two different races of human beings. The first was the wicked descendants of the snake who was cursed to be damned, while the second was the righteous who were bound to have eternal life. And we see in the trailers that Marika's decisions, like Eve, produced two outcomes with a group of the damned and a group of the saved.
And, of course, throughout Elden Ring, the snake is associated with wickedness and a betrayal to the Erdtree, such as with the Duelist Helm, which explicitly states, "The snake is viewed as a traitor to the Erdtree."
Am I saying Marika slept with god like snake? Maybe. If Messmer is the product of that, he is a reflection of Cain and what Cain represents. Adam and Seth, meanwhile, are two bloodlines similar to how Marika/Radagon has two lines through the Godfrey/Rennala partnerships.
The Doctrine of the Serpent Seed says that history is defined by the conflict between these two races and that one day the descendants of Adam will crush the descendants of the Serpent. I'll just say here that Messmer's got snakes coming out of him and I don't think he gets that from Rennala or Godfrey.
The View of Felix Culpa
Felix Culpa in Christian theology means "happy fault," "blessed fall" or "fortunate fall." In Christian theology, it refers to how the Fall of man brought the unexpected benefit of also allowing for mankind to know and understand the saving grace of Christ. I like the Doctrine of the Serpent Seed more but this one may have some application. I say that because the story trailer says that there was a negative event, a seduction and betrayal, but that this allowed for Gold to arise.
So the story trailer notes that despite the evil that came of this seduction and betrayal, there was also the grace of Gold that arose from it and the eternal life that accompanied it. There is the original salvation offered in the grace of Gold. But the image released from Bandai Namco says that Miquella "abandon(ed) Grace in pursuit of something greater." From a Christian theological perspective, there were two methods of redemption used in human history. The first was the use of the animal sacrifice as practiced historically by the Jewish community. Later, there was the sacrifice of Christ that brought a permanent removal of sin. It sounds crass to describe it as an "upgraded" form of forgiveness but that's the most basic way to put it.
So the unfortunate consequence of Marika's actions also birthed the path to the ultimate form of salvation not even in her original design, but through Miquella's sacrificing of his own divinity in pursuit of something greater.
In the end, I think there's a nice little resonance between the Doctrine of the Serpent Seed and Felix Culpa going on in the trailer.

My son’s (12) bedroom has the most awful smell coming from it. I keep a clean house. I clean my son’s room 2-3x a week (everything is wiped down and vacuumed). Food is not allowed in the bedrooms although he can have a drink in there. There isn’t much in his room for things to hide or fall behind. He has a brand new mattress (smell was there prior). Sheets get changed weekly, sometimes more, windows are opened regularly…I’ve resorted to plug in air fresheners with no help, air purifier with no help, oil diffuser, fabric sprays, anything and everything to try to rid the room of this smell. He does have carpeting which I have cleaned with a carpet cleaner, a well kept fish tank and a cat that hangs out in there a lot. The smell is always there, not super strong if the door is left open all day but it becomes unbearable if he has been in there a few hours with the door shut. Once he opens that door the smell starts trickling down the hallway through the rest of the upstairs. I’ve checked his closet, the attic area above his room, it can’t be anything in his walls because I don’t smell this odor in any of the joining rooms. It is just his bedroom. He showers daily, wears deodorant and clean clothes. He doesn’t smell. Just his room. I am at my wits end with it. My husband thinks I am crazy and all boys’ rooms smell like this. I will add I also have an almost 20 year old son whose room never smelled like this. He told me the solution is to just not go in there and keep the door shut. 🙄 Is there something I am missing? What else can I do besides pull up the carpet?

I have photos to back up everything.
Last Monday, May 13th I moved into a new apartment. The day of move in, I was told the apartment still was not ready and to come back in an hour for keys (my originally move in date was pushed back by 5 days). I get the keys, but the carpets STILL were not ready so I was allowed to start moving in while waiting for the carpet cleaners to come in and clean.
They come in and clean the carpet and I finish moving. The carpet initially smelled fine, but a day or two after it had dried the smell of dog urine and cigarettes started to emit from the bedroom (the only place with carpet). Not only is it dirty smelling but there parts of the carpet that are frayed to the point where the carpet padding and concrete can be visible. I also noted and notified the complex of water pooling at the base of my toilet which still has not been looked at. I’m assuming this has been an ongoing issue because of water damage already around the toilet where the water has been leaking.
In addition to these issues there was dog feces from the previous tenant left in my back patio which still has not been cleaned, baseboards peeling from wall, missing closet doors, and etchings left into wooden bathroom vanity. My living room window also had a rock thrown through it around midnight on the morning of May 18th. I filed a police report regarding this.
Now in my lease there is a paragraph which states that I accepted the apartment in clean and good condition, but there is also a section which states I can terminate my tenancy if the complex does not adhere to federal, state, and local laws regarding safety, sanitation and fair housing. I have talked with management about breaking my lease and have had no updates in that regard for the past two days. I am wondering if any of this is worth pursuing from a legal standpoint or if I’m shit out of luck haha, any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!

Hello! After hanging out with my friend a few days ago we learned he had bed bugs. Today I was sitting in my bed and saw one on my chest. I killed him and took literally everything off my bed. All my blankets, pillows, sheets and stuffed animals, and clothes are being washed and dried on high heat. I vacuumed my bed, carpet, and under my bed. Before going on this clean freak I didnt see any other bed bugs. No eggs, no poop or anything. Is it possible that only one bed bug appeared in my house? Or did its friends join and theyre just super good at hiding?

My landlord is being a huge pain and wants me to clean the carpets before moving out. Who has good rates and has flexible availability?

Someone gushed about this web novel in a rant the other day and I couldn't find it on Audible, so I searched Royal Road and it wasn't there, so I googled it and it is on a website called Webnovel.
So what's the deal with this? Is the author just choosing to use alternative publication methods? If so, why? If something isn't on Royal Road, I worry that it has something in it (probably explicit erotica) that is preventing it from being posted on RR. Is that the case?
Does anyone know when the author plans to release the audio book and will it also only be out on an alternative website too?
I listen to audio books while I clean, workout, or play grindy games like Diablo, so a web novel has to have people crowing about it before I'll read it online (like Super Supportive), and even then I'm looking forward to when these will get made into audio books for me to buy.

import machine #pico device from machine import Pin #need to specify the switch is a pull-up resistor import network #for wifi from time import sleep #notify less fast than we can run an infinite loop import json #for pushbullet notification import urequests #for pushbullet notification import gc #garbage collection to prevent overloading PIO memory, which will cause "OSError: [Errno 12] ENOMEM" ''' SETUP: Use pin labels on the back of the device (ex. GP0). This way GP# matches the 0-indexing pin numbers for coding purposes. - Attach float to pins labeled GP0 and GND. - Attach LED for refill needed to pins labeled GP5 and GND. - Attach LED for wifi connection pending to pins labeled GP9 and GND. - Input wifi SSID and password below. - Input pushbullet key below. - Set debugging to false (if not debugging). ''' #Wifi ssid = "ssid" password = "password" #Pushbullet pushbullet_key = "key" url = "https://api.pushbullet.com/v2/pushes" headers = {"Access-Token": pushbullet_key, "Content-Type": "application/json"} data = {"type":"note","body":"Luna's water needs to be refilled.","title":"Luna's Water Bowl App"} dataJSON = json.dumps(data) #watchdog watchdog_url = "google script url" #Debugging options debugging = False sleep_time = 21600 #6 hours if debugging == True: sleep_time = 5 #Inputs and outputs led_onboard = machine.Pin("LED", machine.Pin.OUT) led_refill = machine.Pin(5, machine.Pin.OUT) led_wifi = machine.Pin(9, machine.Pin.OUT) float_status = machine.Pin(0, machine.Pin.IN, pull=Pin.PULL_UP) #Function to connect to wifi def connect(wlan): wlan.active(True) wlan.connect(ssid, password) tries = 0; while wlan.isconnected() == False: tries += 1 for x in range (11): if led_wifi.value(): led_wifi.value(0) else: led_wifi.value(1) sleep(1) if debugging: print("Waiting for connection...") if (tries % 10) == 0: wlan.active(False) wlan.disconnect() sleep(10) wlan.active(True) wlan.connect(ssid, password) #Give some feedback to an external user that we're up and running led_wifi.value(1) led_refill.value(1) if debugging: led_onboard.value(1) sleep(1) led_wifi.value(0) led_refill.value(0) if debugging: led_onboard.value(0) #Start by connecting to wifi sleep(10) #give a bit for system to get going wlan = network.WLAN(network.STA_IF) connect(wlan) led_wifi.value(0) for x in range(3): #give some feedback that we've connected led_wifi.value(1) sleep(0.2) led_wifi.value(0) sleep(0.2) if debugging: print("Connected!") time_until_next_notification = 0 #Run forever while True: # Check connection and reconnect if necessary if wlan.isconnected() == False: if debugging: print("Disconnected. Reconnecting...") connect(wlan) #Check float status and take appropriate action if debugging: print(float_status.value()) print(float_status.value() == 0) if float_status.value() != 0: #float up, no refill needed time_until_next_notification = 0 #reset notification time led_refill.value(0) #turn light off if it's on if debugging: led_onboard.value(0) urequests.get(watchdog_url) #check in with watchdog sleep(sleep_time) #Check every 6 hours else: #float down, needs refill if debugging: led_onboard.value(1) #push to pushbullet if time_until_next_notification <= 0: urequests.get(watchdog_url) #check in with watchdog if not debugging: urequests.post(url, headers=headers, data=dataJSON) time_until_next_notification = sleep_time time_until_next_notification -= 1 #pulse light if led_refill.value(): led_refill.value(0) else: led_refill.value(1) sleep(1) gc.collect() #prevent overloading PIO memory, which will cause "OSError: [Errno 12] ENOMEM" 

var pushbullet_key = "key" function doGet(e){ checkIn(); var params = JSON.stringify(e); return ContentService.createTextOutput(params).setMimeType(ContentService.MimeType.JSON); } function checkIn() { tryTryAgain(function(){ PropertiesService.getScriptProperties().setProperty("checkIn",1); }); } function checkAndClear(){ var sp = tryTryAgain(function(){ return PropertiesService.getScriptProperties(); }); var checkedIn = tryTryAgain(function(){ return sp.getProperty("checkIn"); }); if(!+checkedIn){ var url = "https://api.pushbullet.com/v2/pushes"; var data = { "method" : "POST", "contentType": "application/json", "headers" : { "Access-Token" : pushbullet_key}, "payload" : JSON.stringify({ "type":"note", "body":"The Raspberry Pi Pico W for Luna's water app missed a check-in.", "title":"Luna's Water Bowl App" }) }; UrlFetchApp.fetch(url,data); } tryTryAgain(function(){ sp.setProperty("checkIn",0); }); } /** * Given a function, calls it. If it throws a server error, catches the error, waits a bit, then tries to call the function again. Repeats until the function is executed successfully or a maximum number of tries is reached. If the latter, throws the error. * * The idea being that Google often asks users to "try again soon," so that's what this function does. * * @param {function} fx The function to call. * @param {number} [iv=500] The time, in ms, the wait between calls. The default is 500. * @param {number} [maxTries=3] The maximum number of attempts to make before throwing the error. The default is 3. * @param {Array} [handlerList=getServerErrorList()] The list of keys whose inclusion can be used to identify errors that cause another attempt. The default is the list returned by getServerErrorList(). * @param {number} [tries=0] The number of times the function has already tried. This value is handled by the function. The default is 0. * @param {function} inBetweenAttempts This function will be called in between attempts. Use this parameter to "clean up" after a failed attempt. * @return {object} The return value of the function. */ function tryTryAgain(fx,iv,maxTries,handlerList,tries,inBetweenAttempts){ try{ return fx(); }catch(e){ if(!iv){ iv = 1000; } if(!maxTries){ maxTries = 10; } if(!handlerList){ handlerList = getServerErrorList(); } if(!tries){ tries = 1; } if(tries >= maxTries){ throw e; } for(var i = 0; i < handlerList.length; i++){ if((e.message).indexOf(handlerList[i]) != -1){ Utilities.sleep(iv); if(inBetweenAttempts){inBetweenAttempts();} //*1/27/22 MDH #365 add inBetweenAttempts return tryTryAgain(fx,iv,maxTries,handlerList,tries+1,inBetweenAttempts); //*1/27/22 MDH #365 add inBetweenAttempts } } throw e; } } /** * Returns a list of keys whose inclusion can be used to identify Google server errors. * * @return {Array} The list of keys. */ function getServerErrorList(){ return ["Service","server","LockService","form data","is missing","simultaneous invocations","form responses"]; } 

16-minute read.

pro-West party leader says they met PM Pashinyan and discussed a referendum to solidify Armenia's shift to EU

KHZMALYAN (European Party of Armenia): The referendum is our suggestion and demand. We presented it to Pashinyan and expect a response within a reasonable timeframe. We advised making a public statement soon. A referendum would also make Pashinyan's job easier by allowing the people's will to decide Armenia's direction.
REPORTER: How did Pashinyan respond?
KHZMALYAN: He suggested the meeting be held in a closed format so I can't reveal all details. We hope that our voice, our offer, our demand, was heard. If we do not receive a positive response, we will take measures by employing the same methods currently used by anti-European forces [the ongoing protests led by pro-Russian ex-regime]. We will take to the streets and demand a referendum for Eurointegration if necessary.
REPORTER: How long are you ready to wait before taking action?
KHZMALYAN: A few months. Georgia will hold parliamentary elections in October, and Moldova will hold a similar Eurointegration referendum - also in October. The U.S. will hold presidential elections in November which will be important for Armenia's future. Even if the worst scenario unfolds in all three countries, Armenia must stand firm and not take a step back. Armenia could become the leader in democracy in all of Eastern Europe if you consider the situation in Georgia, Hungary, and Slovakia [pro-Russia populist leader]. Armenia could receive an unprecedented level of assistance from Europe under those circumstances.
REPORTER: Did Pashinyan say he plans to leave CSTO?
KHZMALYAN: We did not demand specific dates but we urged him to complete all these processes this year, preferably by November.
REPORTER: Did Pashinyan agree?
KHZMALYAN: The participants of the meeting are under the impression that we were able to present convincing arguments but time will show what actions he takes. The government functions very poorly but nevertheless, they are doing something, they are taking steps.
REPORTER: On May 9, Bagrat Galstanyan gave Pashinyan 1 hour to resign but it's May 21 and he is still here. Why wasn't the opposition able to remove him?
KHZMALYAN: The 3 former presidents and their surrogate forces, backed by 30 years of power, were unable to bring forward a figurehead, a single ideology, that could win the hearts of the people. They used various political technologies, they switched between black and white robes, and they extended the 1 hour to 7 days, but none of that helped because the Armenian people hate them more than they hate Nikol Pashinyan.
REPORTER: You used to be a lot harsher on Pashinyan but something appears to have changed in your tone after your recent meeting with him. What is the reason?
KHZMALYAN: We were able to present our demands and the timelines to accomplish them. Unlike the archbishop and the former regimes surrounding him, we did not give "one hour" for Pashinyan to accept our demands; we did not make ultimatums. We believe the current government is carrying out and will carry out the will of the people to overcome the status of a Russian colony and join the ranks of free nations. We did and do see steps [taken by the government] towards this; we cannot ignore this. We saw the Strassbourg, but also Moscow. We saw the [April 5 meeting in] Brussels, but also [the recent meeting between FMs in] Almaty. We are told this is an attempt to "balance" and we understand where they are coming from, but our factions speak on behalf of over 60% of Armenians who view Russia's policies as deadly for Armenia. We expect concrete actions and we have formed a platform to continue this work; there will be petitions and other actions from us. We are ready to assist Pashinyan, who may be constrained due to ongoing negotiations, by being the public voice and saying the things he cannot say. We will continue to work, to pressure, to influence, to demand. Our meetings also continue abroad. We will press on until we reach our goal - the Eurointegration of Armenia. //
Several prominent Western-oriented political parties recently formed an alliance to promote Armenia's Eurointegration.
video,

Pashinyan appoints a ruling party member as a deputy head of the newly formed Foreign Intelligence Service - the Armenian "CIA"

After the 2020 war, Pashinyan said Armenia will need a modern intel agency to gather information and analyze foreign threats, while the NSS -- described as historically a "pro-Russian" agency by many -- will focus on internal matters.
source,

Pashinyan met the deputy head of the United States CIA to discuss bilateral, international, and regional issues

A delegation led by David Cohen is in Yerevan. Cohen also met NatSec Armen Grigoryan.
source, source,

Armenia's Investigative Committee chief hosted U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

Qyaramyan and Yoder discussed bilateral cooperation, the recent retraining for Armenian agents and technical assistance, cooperation between law enforcement agencies of Armenia and the United States, anti-narcotrafficking, and the fight against gender-based violence.
Yoder also met Armenia's Interior Minister Ghazaryan to discuss the ongoing police reforms and formation of new divisions, the fight against narco-trafficking, technical assistance for rescuers, and retraining courses. Yoder emphasized effective cooperation, noting that the achievements within the framework of sectorial reforms are exceptional. The US wants to expand the agenda of cooperation.
source, source,

Armenian army officers continue to take part in NATO exercises titled Regex 2024 held in Moldova

GOOGLE TRANSLATE: The exercise is organized with the support of the NATO Joint Forces Command in Naples, Italy, and aims to train the military according to Western standards for planning and conducting exercises, crisis management, strengthening and assessing the level of interoperability of forces in a multinational environment.
We remind you that the exercise "Regex 2024" consists of several workshops during the current year. The first workshop took place between February 16 and March 1, and the second between 22 − April 26, 2024. //
source, source,

NATO and Armenia strengthen cooperation in defense education

Armenia's defense ministry representatives recently visited NATO headquarters to discuss NATO’s Defence Education Enhancement Programme (DEEP) for Armenia.
NATO: The DEEP programme is an excellent tool to support Armenian military education system reforms and strengthen the country’s cooperation with NATO.
ARMENIA: With the support of DEEP experts we implemented major changes in all levels of our educational curriculum at Military Academy, starting from cadets up to the most senior levels. It helped us to establish cooperation with many international partner institutions.
source,

Armenia is an emerging destination for UK and global investors: Armenia's Ambassador to London Business Matters

👔 Armenia is committed to building a knowledge-based, export-oriented, and inclusive economy.
👔 Armenia is diversifying its growing economy with pioneering sectors, creating ample investment opportunities.
👔 Armenia’s investment legislation grants equal treatment to foreign investors
👔 There are no restrictions on remittances and repatriation of profits, free exchange of foreign currencies and no limitations on staff recruitment
👔 The country’s favorable business climate and ‘open-door’ policy is also reflected in international reputable rankings where Armenia is ranked one of the highest in the region.
👔 Although Armenia has a relatively modest internal market, it offers different models of economic cooperation and serves as a gateway to major world markets
👔 Armenia has maintained a high level of cooperation with the EU through CEPA
👔 Armenia and UK will soon have a CEPA-like agreement
full article, source,

Turkey modernizes an Azerbaijani Su-25ML jet with guided bombs and Teber missiles

It uses KGK laser guidance for missiles and increases the reach to 110 km.
source,

Pashinyan's Chief of Staff hosted the French Ambassador to discuss defense, economy, infrastructure, and humanitarian topics

... also the upcoming events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Charles Aznavour.
source,

Parliament Speakers of Armenia and Ukraine discuss the situation in the South Caucasus and Ukraine

source,

Q&A with ruling party MP Vahagn Alexanyan about the ongoing protests led by pro-Russian opposition

REPORTER: You continue to criticize the "holy movement"...
ALEXANYAN: The what now?
REPORTER: ... the "holy movement", by calling it a "pagan" movement. What is the ruling party's stance and do you discuss this internally?
ALEXANYAN: Of course we do, although I don't think Kocharyan's decision to name this movement "holy" is helping them. It's comical.
REPORTER: Do you have proof that Bagrat srbazan is [tied with Kocharyan]?
ALEXANYAN: Bagrat Galstanyan is surrounded by the entire political team of Robert Koharyan, he was a member of Kocharyan's 2022 protests and gave similar speeches he gives today, he received a praise from Russian propagandists, and he was named by a Russian propagandist Aram Gabrielyanov as a potential candidate for a new protest movement just a few months prior to these events, so it's beyond reasonable doubt that Bagrat Galstanyan is part of Kocharyan's team.
REPORTER: You were earlier accusing Galstanyan of being a Russian agent, and now Kocharyan's agent?
ALEXANYAN: Same thing.
REPORTER: The opposition gathered many thousands of supporters on May 9. What does the size of the crowd indicate?
ALEXANYAN: It was similar to Kocharyan's final rally before the 2021 elections. And?
REPORTER: The opposition created a video of "Pashinyan's lies" and broken promises. Will you respond?
ALEXANYAN: The clip itself is a lie and manipulation. For example, one of the supposed lies was Pashinyan's promise of an amnesty for overdue fines and penalties. You are a journalist, you tell me, was there an amnesty or not?
REPORTER: Pashinyan had also said that POWs could wait "just a few more months" and that he wouldn't "sacrifice Armenia's sovereignty" in exchange for bringing them back sooner. Why aren't they back?
ALEXANYAN: Dozens of POWs returned home in December, and efforts continue to bring back the rest. Literally 1-2 days before the POWs' return, the opposition claimed that the POWs were "forgotten" by the government. "Ոչ մի բան չեք անում:"
REPORTER: What about the Nagorno-Karabakh leadership?
ALEXANYAN: There are efforts to return them as well.
REPORTER: Why did the police form a wall to block entry to village Kirants [for nonresidents]?
ALEXANYAN: I think the NSS said they had to take action to prevent interference with the border work. From what I can tell, the protest leader himself went there yesterday and returned only 15 minutes later so there wasn't a big desire to stay there apparently.
REPORTER: They plan to hold a big rally on May 26 where they might nominate Bagrat srbazan as the PM's candidate to replace Pashinyan.
ALEXANYAN: Why not go straight for [alleged narco baron] Mihran Poghosyan [who publicly praised the protests]?
REPORTER: There appears to be a consensus around Bagrat srbazan after a meeting between several forces.
ALEXANYAN: Consensus minus one, where "minus one" is the people. Or to be more precise, "minus two", because the Constitution also prohibits Bagrat from serving as a prime minister. Congratulations on an initiative that's dead on arrival. It's absurd. They suggested replacing the Constitution to allow a dual citizen to serve as PM. Okay... To get Canadian citizenship you have to take an oath to serve the best interests of Canada. To allow dual citizens to serve as PM in Armenia we have to accept for the PM to have loyalty towards another state. The alternative is for the candidate [Bagrat] to admit that his word [oath to Canada] wasn't worth a dime. Երևի մատերը խաչ արած ա երդվել։
REPORTER: But don't you think you are manipulating because Galstanyan received Canadian citizenship just to be able to serve in the church in Canada? He didn't go there to live or conduct business.
ALEXANYAN: It doesn't matter why he went to Canada. He is a citizen of Canada and took an oath. Even religious leaders with dual citizenship cannot become prime ministers. I don't have an issue with him being a dual citizen, but it limits his office options. He still hasn't renounced his Canadian citizenship even after all these talks about a possible nomination.
REPORTER: Galstanyan said he is ready to renounce it as soon as there is a need for it.
ALEXANYAN: In other words, he seeks "guarantees" that he will be the candidate in order to renounce it?
full,source, source,

opposition churchman Bagrat Galstanyan demands the Armenian government compensate the damage done to the church during USSR and "return" the properties "legally belonging" to the church

This was said as a response to the critics of the church leadership who accused the church of turning into a political party and suggested taxing the church like a business.
BAGRAT: We have 19th-century churches that were forcefully confiscated and turned into ruins. The properties of the Armenian church must be returned to the church. The area of Moscow Cinema belongs to the church, half of the Katoghike Church was demolished and belongs to the church, and part of the items in Matenadaran were taken away from the church. Instead of threatening us with taxes, they must think about how they plan to return our properties, fully renovated and ready for service.
source,

the church is actually paying taxes but they do have some exemptions

The church paid $1 million in income taxes last year.
There are tax exemptions to import certain goods deemed for charity. They also don't pay property tax, and taxes on income generated from the sales of ceremonial accessories. The latter two are the frequent targets of church critics.
source,

Armenia's Constitutional Court has a vacant seat. Pro-Russian opposition criticizes Pashinyan's ruling party for favoring a "George Soros-linked" judge who worked for U.S. State Department.

A Serj-era judge is leaving the Constitutional Court after receiving a job offer elsewhere so one seat is vacant. It is the judiciary's turn to nominate a CC judge, so hundreds of judges recently held a meeting and voted for Judge Balayan as their candidate. Balayan's father was a CC judge during Kocharyan's tenure. He was accused in the Wikileaks report of having inappropriate deals with President Kocharyan. Pashinyan's ruling party did not vote to approve Balayan. This led to a second gathering of hundreds of judges where they voted to nominate Judge Khachaturyan as their candidate. The parliament summoned him for Q&A on Tuesday.
SPEAKER: We invite the representative of the judiciary to present their nominee for CC.
JUDICIARY REP: 267 judges voted. Judge Davit Khachaturyan, a member of the Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation, won the majority votes.
2000-2005: [blah blah blah]
2003-2006: Legislative Assistance Project Manager at Southern Caucasus Anti-Drug (SCAD) Program, sponsored by European Union and implemented by United Nations Development Program
2006: Program Assistant at U.S. Embassy in Armenia, Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)
2007-2013: U.S. Embassy in Armenia, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Legal Specialist
2014: Academy of Justice of the Republic of Armenian-Russian, Vice-Rector and Lecturer
2015-2016: Council of Europe Office in Yerevan, Program “Strengthening Health Care and Human Rights Protection in Prisons in Armenia”, Legal Expert
2016: EU project “Development and Strategic Studies”, Expert on Judiciary and Human Rights field reforms
2015-2017: EU project “ENP Progress Reports and Assessment Reports on Armenia´s Compliance with GSP+ obligations”. Expert on Rule of Law/Justice.
2013–2020: Law Faculty of Yerevan State University. Lecturer. Development and teaching of courses for the Master Program: “European Standards for the human rights protection in criminal proceedings”, and “Professional Skills of a Lawyer”
etc.
OPPOSITION MP: The ruling faction earlier chose not to confirm the appointment of Judge Davit Balayan; they obviously prefer Davit Khachaturyan. Can you explain why you didn't mention that Khachaturyan served on the board of directors and later as the president of the board at George Soros's Armenia-based Open Society Foundations? How will this record impact his work at CC?
JUDICIARY REP: I presented parts of his professional activities available on the court's public platforms. You can ask the candidate directly.
OPPOSITION MP: The Soros Foundation publicly listed him as a member so I don't understand why it's being hidden now. In your opinion, how will his work at the Soros Foundation affect his impartiality?
JUDICIARY REP: The majority of judges chose him and it's up to Parliament whether to confirm or reject.
RULING MP: Was the voting held in a closed session or can you see how each judge voted?
JUDICIARY REP: It's a closed format. My duty here is to present the candidate. [basically, leave me alone I'm just doing my job]
RULING MP: Why not make the court voting and internal discussions more transparent for the public to see so we will have fewer conspiracy theories on why one judge was preferred over the other?
JUDICIARY REP: I share the view that it needs to be as public as possible but the majority of judges voted to keep the session closed to the press.
RULING MP: Just because the discussions and the vote were behind closed doors that doesn't mean it was anti-democratic, but still, it's better to publicize the process. We hope to see a change in this approach.
JUDICIARY REP: The ballot casting will always be secret and I think that's the right approach in order to allow judges to express themselves without constraints, but I agree that the discussions and speeches should be public. Either way whatever we discuss behind closed doors always reaches the press so in practice there isn't really a major transparency issue there.
CANDIDATE KHACHATURYAN: First, every part of my biography has always been public and part of public discussions. Second, I have always voted in favor of making internal discussions open to the press; it's the best way to avoid incorrect assumptions. Full speech here.
OPPOSITION MP: Congratulations. The ruling party intends to approve your candidacy just as they voted for you in the past for other positions. In all of those instances, you didn't mention your work at the Сорос Foundation. Now, a very interesting coincidence [drumroll... are you guys ready for this bombshell?], during the same time while you worked at Сорос foundation, in 2006-2013, you were also a U.S. Embassy employee [got 'em]. //
Nikol Pashinyan has resigned.
Tavush stretches all the way to Russia.
Bagrat srbazan becomes the Supreme Leader of Historical Soil & Water and the Generalissimos of Slow-Melting Candles... and of course removes the speed cameras from highways.
OPPOSITION MP (continues): With this biography, how do we know you are not an agent of foreign influence?
CANDIDATE KHACHATURYAN: I was not an "employee" at the Soros Foundations. Other famous figures have served on the Board [mentions a famous doctor]. Everyone who was part of the Board had duties but it was not really an "employment". As for my simultaneous work with the U.S. Justice Department, there was no conflict with my membership or presidency at the Board because the latter was fully a public activity and we were only given a symbolic sum to compensate for our expenses; we are talking about less than $100/mo. I will let you be the judge regarding an agent of influence. There is a lot that's missing from my biography that was read here [lists some boring constitutional research work, etc.].
OPPOSITION MP: You keep being "promoted" by the ruling party without having the chance to finish your terms. The longest job you've ever held was at the Сорос Foundation - 8 years. The brother of the head of the Anti-Corruption Committee, who is about to join the CC, cannot be impartial. Again, what guarantees can you present that you are not a [Western] agent?
CANDIDATE KHACHATURYAN: Your expectation for guarantees stems from the assumption that the [Open Society Foundations] were engaged in activities other than the ones they were actually engaged in. I won't present any "guarantees" because there is no "threat" to begin with. As I've said, that part of my biography has always been discussed publicly and the activities were public and covered by the press.
RULING MP: In your speech you spoke about the judiciary in the U.S. and brought examples. The U.S. doesn't have a Constitutional Court. Don't you think we should also merge the Constitutional and [Cassations Court] with the upcoming referendum to have one Supreme Court with corresponding chambers?
CANDIDATE KHACHATURYAN: I support having one unified body like in the U.S., or clarifying the duties to prevent each body from interfering with the other. Lengthy answer.
OPPOSITION MP: A person [in Kirants] received permission [from USSR] to build a house and live in it. Then the [Armenian] government told him there was a mistake [after the clarification of borders]. Some 50 years after this incident, what would your verdict be in this case?
CANDIDATE KHACHATURYAN: I understand the context. This issue is the task of the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister and we cannot interfere in each other's institutions. I assume there will be a peace agreement eventually that will be sent to the Constitutional Court for examination, therefore I will refrain from making prejudgments now in order to be allowed to take part in future processes.
full video, source, source,

anti-corruption: Armenian authorities conclude that luxury Dubai property belonging to former regime MP's relative was not obtained illegally by him therefore will not be seized as part of an asset forfeiture case

Mher Sedrakyan (Tokhmakhi Mher) is a Serj-era MP whose family is going through an asset forfeiture case worth ֏7.5 billion ($19.3 million) that includes 22 real estate properties, cars, and company shares registered under his name and the names of immediate family members.
Additionally, investigative journalists recently found a luxury property in Dubai registered under the ex-MP's relative. Authorities have concluded that he is not the true ownebeneficiary of this Dubai apartment, therefore it won't be seized.
source,

the army concludes exercises for commanders

Context in May 14 news digest. The defense ministry says they have noted improvements and deficiencies and will take steps to correct them.
source,

Defense Minister Papikyan visited the frontlines and the newly built fortifications: PHOTO

The army continues to dig, asphalt, and build.
source,

Armenia's Foreign Minister met the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency during an international forum

ROSSI: Effective cooperation has been established between Armenia and the IAEA. We discussed several issues on the bilateral agenda, oncology and radiation medicine, safety, and reliable operation of the Armenian NPP.
MIRZOYAN: We plan to extend the lifespan of Metsamor NPP until 2036 while exploring new opportunities.
source,

Armenian lawyers went on strike on Tuesday to protest a bill that would move them from a turnover tax-based system to a VAT-based taxation

Context on the gray economy and why the government wants to gradually abolish the turnover tax system in May 2 news digest.
A group of lawyers said on Tuesday that their 5% turnover tax [for annual turnover under ֏119M] will become 10% this year, and in 2025 they will be required to switch to a 20% VAT/18% profit tax. The cost of legal services for many clients could increase by over 38%, they warned.
The Ombudsman and the Justice Ministry reportedly oppose this bill by the Finance Ministry.
source, source, source, source,

video shows the new payment terminals in Yerevan subway station

They plan to replace all gates next month. The Soviet-era tokens (zheton) are being replaced with QR codes, an app, and later - bank cards.
All stations will have payment terminals to purchase QR tickets. It prints out a paper with QR. Telcell's app lets you buy a ticket and instantly get a QR on the phone's screen.
Seniors who can't use "high-tech" can approach the token sellers and get a QR paper instead of a token.
video,

Yerevan will host an exhibition on Charles Aznavour’s 100th anniversary

Hundreds of rare artifacts will present the life and legacy of the legendary artist.
Location: National Museum-Institute of Architecture
Date: May 22-July 22
source,

Germany wants to purchase an Armenian man

Dortmund Borussia is interested in the services of Armenian national Edward Spertsyan as a replacement for departing Marco Reus.
During this season, midfielder Spertsyan has played 32 matches, scored 11 goals, and made 7 assists. His ass is worth €18 million.
source,

18 months of hell.
In November 2022 I got accused of a very serious crime and investivated by police. My girlfriend at the time lost her job. I had to move home because rent was getting ridiculous for the area and quality.
Christmas 2022, grandfather dies of a Stoke. At rhe same time, grandmother on other side of family nearly dies of the same thing.
Ny father can't speak at his dad's funeral, I step up, trying to support the family and keep things ordered. I do it. But I see my dad cry fir the first time in my life...
I took out a £15k loan. Which helped with credit card debt (due to my gf at the time not really working or paying for anything), then after I moved, new housemate was a fucking slob who used my good nature to treat the place like a shit tip. Leaving chocolate out for my dog to eat and everything.
Police issue is resolved, no evidence after I get a solicitor and an interview. Still to this day, I flinch when I hear sirens...
Birthday... gf St the time, while sleeping upstairs and I sleep on the sofa cause be and my friend are chatting unti lwe fall asleep ad a heavy day drinking... ex comes down.. stands over me. And hits me so hard I scream. House wakes up. Mate sees this happen. And then housemate comes down, and asks why she got in his bed... she is currently pinning me down, crying and screaming.. I tell everyone to go to bed and deal with it the next day.
Tell gf at the time that she has fucked up... She doesn't know why she did it... says she was sleep walking.. touch starved...
Had to physically remove housemate after 1) his room smelled so bad, that I had to get landlords involved and a professional carpet clean on his room and 2) he pissed on my fucking landing carpet.
Months of me paying nearly as much rent as I earn in wage, due to gf at the time barely paying me... get a housemate in who wants the place to be good to live in.. Ex decides to threaten suicide when it's just me and her, after multiple times she has grabbed and tried to hold me down knowing I am in pain from her hitting me... She locks herself in the bathroom (razors and isopropyl alcohol inside, and apparently as I find out later, our dog). I call 111, she is screaming, I'm taking on the phone to try to get control... I struggle...
Eventually she opens the door, screaming at me... 111 operator can't do anything more... I thank him and hang up.. ex gf screaming at me immediately.. im the worst person, im stupid... can't believe i believed her she might commit suicide. How stupid am I.. all of it.. I broke.. broke up with her. Hated life, hated myself. Still do.
This was November 2023.. she finally left in May 2024. Every day since I havent been able to say a word in my house. I have been belittled, broken, criticised, for the tiniest things... while I can't say a word against anyone... she left dishes to go mouldy, I cant ask her to clean after herself.... and that's the minor things..
I am alone... when she left, she took the dog.. she was ours. She slept with me every night... ans now she is gone.. to a girl who never took her for a walk unless she was the ONLY one to.. and even then.. First walk at 2:30... maybe 5pm...
I dont know anymore. I'm sick of everything.. ex even got to move out of London and keep her job.. Best I could argue was the possibility of a transfer... but I'd lose my London weighting... and fuck over my housemate...
I don't even know what I need.. I've had counselling, the Counsellor didn't turn up to half the sessions... And can't get free ones... I canr get help for domestic violence victims as its not an ongoing issue and I'm a male in my 30s. So im not priority (I get it, but im allowed to say it hurts not getting support).
I just want to be allowed to live a normal life.. I dont want this... I just want to scream.
Thank you if you read this. I'm sorry if its not the usual content.

hi all. I have 4c shoulder length hair. i have a couple questions.
I'm pretty poor and will not be able to afford paying someone to retwist my hair every month or so. is it necessary to get retwists? if so is that something i can keep up myself? is it necessary for microlocs?
I'm planning on putting my hair in super small twists and just leaving it. is this a good method or is there some kind of specific product I'll need? if i don't part it evenly can it still look clean? i don't want it to end up matted at the roots but i also don't want to keep up with parting the new growth😭 how long would i have to keep that up?
finally, how small should i go for microlocs? I was planning to start twsting over the course of a few weeks or so but around how many locs should i realistically aim for? thanks in advance💗

Help Needed: Diagnosing CAT Electric Forklift Issues

Hi caterpillar,
I'm experiencing some problems with my CAT electric forklift and could use some advice from the community. Here are the details:
Model: CAT 2EP6000
Symptoms:

• Intermittent power loss
• Error codes: 1909.1, 1305.1, 2305.1, 9330.7

Steps Taken So Far:

1. Battery Check:
   • Visual inspection showed no corrosion or damage.
   • Voltage measurement was within the recommended range (80V for my model).
2. Connections and Wiring:
   • Checked all electrical connections and wiring for damage or loose connections.
3. Throttle and Sensor Inspection:
   • Inspected and cleaned throttle sensors; no apparent issues.
4. System Voltage Check:
   • Confirmed stable voltage.
5. Hydraulic System Check:
   • No leaks, and fluid levels are adequate.
6. Motor and Controller:
   • No unusual noises; diagnostics pending due to lack of a compatible diagnostic tool.

Questions:

1. Has anyone experienced similar error codes or issues with their CAT forklifts?
2. Is there a specific diagnostic tool or method recommended for CAT forklifts to get detailed error information?
3. Any suggestions for additional troubleshooting steps or common issues I might have missed?