Hello all! I am in search of some pen pals to exchange letters and whatnot; stickers, doodles, whatever you want. In the past I've had great success with this subreddit so here I am again! I just moved and would love some new people to send mail back and forth to.
A little bit about me - I have a degree in Criminology and diploma in IT 💻, pursuing cybersecurity! I'm blind without my glasses and love grocery shopping.
Other fun things - I crochet 🧶, code, paint, play video games like Animal Crossing New Horizons and Wild World, Stardew Valley, Sims 4, Roller Coaster Tycoon and more. I am getting into having plants 🪴 and I have a bunch of tattoos!

I’m in desperate need of advice. My f42 eldest sister f49 is diagnosed with cluster b personality disorder, major depression and bipolar disorder. (I’m sure there’s more, she has the mentality of a 12 year old)she’s ruined every big event in mine and most everyone else’s lives, our entire lives. Every time I’ve given birth, when I’ve been sick, my wedding day, every birthday, and recently, our dad’s death, she’s thrown major tantrums over perceived slights and thrown us all into utter misery. Her kids are turning into her mini mes and it’s all become too much for me.
she treated me and everyone around her, including mum and the poor funeral director like bits of dog shit stuck to her shoe. Threw a fit when mum said no to the casket she liked, what day of the week she thought the service should be etc. I made peace so we could have a funeral. She never comforted me nor our other sister and brother. Not one ounce of care was shown to any of us. She was like the widow. Mum had to comfort HER at her own husbands funeral.
She gets away with it because every time she blows up and we react, she runs crying to mum saying we dont love her, and says she might as well be with dad. Since dads passing, she has totally absorbed herself into mums life. Mums demeanour changes when she gets a text or phone call from her. Mum acts like a beaten down wife or a dog that’s been abused its whole life. I’ve done the whole letter writing thing listing all the shit things my sister has put me through my entire life. It just gets ignored and the bad behaviour continues because “she’s a human being and has feelings”. Every time she blows a fuse and we react, she runs crying to mum saying we’re the ones that are mean and wrong blah blah. Then I’m made to make peace with her. Till the next blow up.
I’ve recently told mum I can’t do it anymore. The straw that broke me, was the day my sister and I took mum for a drive to go see a puppy that she was thinking of getting. B sister calls her and demands to know where she is. Mum starts stuttering and acting like she’s a naughty child. She finally says she’s with other sister and I. (Other sister is already nc) She goes off her brain at mum saying she’s been excluded deliberately etc. and hangs up. We get back to mums and she’s a nervous wreck asking me “what do I tell her, how can I explain myself?” I tell her you have nothing to explain nor apologise for, you’re a grown woman and don’t need anyone permission to do anything! She calls my sister and all I hear is “please please! Let me explain! It wasn’t planned! It just happened! Please let me explain myself I’m sorry!”
And now I’m done. I won’t see my mum treated like that. I’m so sick of her getting away with it every time. I’ve blocked my sister and her family on everything and mum knows but of course is heartbroken and “just wants a happy family” which means me bowing down like I do every time.
But the guilt I’m feeling is relentless. I’m the youngest and have always copped the brunt of her behaviour and also made to be the peace keeper.
I’m now dreading calls or texts from mum because I keep getting the “I don’t want a fractured family” speech and guilt trip. How do I stop feeling bad? I’ve started thinking I should unblock her and play nice again for mums sake. I’m just so sick of her manipulating everything and everyone. If youve got this far, Any advice?

Hi yall, 6 years into tattooing here. Im planning on moving to Oregon in the next month or so and seeking advice on how to best meet the states requirements for Reciprocity to transfer my license. Here is what the gov website states:
"the applicant must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the HLO that the applicant has been working as a tattoo artist with the equivalent of three years of experience which was obtained within the last five years or five years out of the last ten years. Documentation proving experience may include, but is not limited to, paystubs, W-2 forms, state and federal tax documents, employer letters or business licensing."
I havent got my taxes done for tattooing due to multiple issues, though I plan on sending my best guess of my income in ammended returns for the past few years for this documentation. Would 1099s help with proof of my history as an artist?
I can get letters of recommendation from the current shop employees an owner I am working for, along with some of my clients, what would a letter of recommendation for state licensure look like?
I have opened an llc for myself as an indipendant contractor although it was started just very recently.
What other ways might I document and prove to the state my history as an artist? Thank you, and no judgement please. I am still learning what to do and not do in this industry as there is not much guidance for the average tattooer after apprenticeship.

Hi yall, 6 years into tattooing here. Im planning on moving to Oregon in the next month or so and seeking advice on how to best meet the states requirements for Reciprocity to transfer my license. Here is what the gov website states:
"the applicant must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the HLO that the applicant has been working as a tattoo artist with the equivalent of three years of experience which was obtained within the last five years or five years out of the last ten years. Documentation proving experience may include, but is not limited to, paystubs, W-2 forms, state and federal tax documents, employer letters or business licensing."
I havent got my taxes done for tattooing due to multiple issues, though I plan on sending my best guess of my income in ammended returns for the past few years for this documentation. Would 1099s help with proof of my history as an artist?
I can get letters of recommendation from the current shop employees an owner I am working for, along with some of my clients, what would a letter of recommendation for state licensure look like?
I have opened an llc for myself as an indipendant contractor although it was started just very recently.
What other ways might I document and prove to the state my history as an artist? Thank you, and no judgement please. I am still learning what to do and not do in this industry as there is not much guidance for the average tattooer after apprenticeship.

I need your hugs 🥺 I am F30 date a guy M35 who divorced around 1-2 years. (They have been together 10 years total). He has been left US and traveling around Thailand and now living in Thailand wants to build the business here. The date went very well untill I asked for exclusive, he has an issue and we managing to commit to exclusive eventually. He has a lot of issues in the past and still. Smoke weed everyday, ask for threesome and prostitude, ash for threesoem with ladyboy, often take drug or magic mushroom. Useed to cheat and drug and sex addict in past relationship with his wife too. I notice he has spent all money for traveling already and so he manage to have salary from his partner for some kind of digital token business.
Many of time his ex wife will call him and he will pick up the phone immediately with me or even at the middle of the night. He will always get moody and sad after the call. Last time his ex called him when their cat die and that night we have some fight because of drink and drug with his friend too.
The day after he told me he is going back to US because his ex offer him the tickets but only to meet his family. Then because of the visa so he cannot leave Thailand now and he got very upset. We continue to have a good relationship after that then one day he called me said his partner is not quite happy with his selling job in Thailand and then he said his partner call him he need to answer the phone. After that he ignored my text and call said he need space with me.
Eventually (3-4 days after) he said he has something to decide with his ex. I wait until I get very anxious then I told him I cannot handle anymore so he said his wife offer him money and will move yo Thailand building a business with him. He said he still love her and why would not he consider this offer. They used to have couple tattoo which on ring finger but has been remove and that night he use the black pen draw it back so I know his heart is completely with her now.
It hurts so much things changed suddenly and shock me so much. I know I have to accept this and move on but I hurt so bad. I don’t know what to do. Should I block? Should I be friend? I cannot eat anything, I feel sad and sorrow. Please help to comment or dm me if you would like.
Thanks!

This is all free, as it should be.
This is a streamlined version where it chooses the letters for you, but if there is enough interest I could take the time to add a function where you choose the letters. It would just take a lot of prompts up from our 50 prompt/3 hour limit for the ChatGPT 4 users. I am not associated with the brilliance that is Countdown. No, this is just a tribute.
If you have a ChatGPT 4 subscription you can play the assistant version I created at this link.
https://chat.openai.com/g/g-nYiSkjSrZ-countdown-letters-game
If you are a free user, then you'll need to copy and paste this entire prompt exactly into a brand new chat.
We are going to play a game called Countdown. In this game you will choose 9 letters at random from the list of letters at the bottom of this prompt. There must be at least 3 vowels and 4 consonants in the letters you list out. The letters should be listed out as one block of capital letters. The letters are listed out at the bottom of this message. I will try to make the longest word I can out of the letters you give me. I can only use each letter given to me once. Only words that are found in standard dictionaries count. A 9 letter word will get me 18 points, but any 8 letter word only gets me 8 points, 7 letters gets me 7 points, 6 letters gets me 6 points, 5 letters gets me 5 points, and 4 letters will get me 4 points. When I give you my answer, I want you to tell me the how the length of my word compares to the longest you could think of, and then go to the next round. When you share your best word do it in the format of, "The longest word I could find was which is letters long. The game last 15 rounds, each round consists of you giving me the random 9 random letters consisting of at least 3 vowels and 4 consonants. You will add up the scores from those 15 rounds to give me a Game Score equal to the sum of the points I earned in those 15 rounds. I want you to remember my highest game score across the entirety of the chat. Replace that high score with an score after it that is higher.
The first thing you should say in a new chat is how the game works. You will explain that this is a streamlined version of the game to avoid taking up too many of the allotted prompts, and you'll start the first game.
At the end of every 15 round game, give me my current score and my overall high score, then automatically begin another game.
The letters you can choose from are below.
"""
A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, O, O, O, O, O, O, O, O, O, O, O, O, O, O, U, U, U, U, U, B, B, C, C, C, D, D, D, D, D, D, F, F, G, G, G, H, H, J, K, L, L, L, L, L, M, M, M, M, N, N, N, N, N, N, N, N, P, P, P, P, Q, R, R, R, R, R, R, R, R, R, S, S, S, S, S, S, S, S, S, T, T, T, T, T, T, T, T, T, V, W, X, Y, Z

Hello,
I'm an older person and learned Palmer method a million years ago. As a consequence, I feel like my cursive writing still looks like a fourth grader's, especially the capital M with the loop in front of it which is the first letter of one of my names.
I'd really like to learn an interesting and more mature adult script. Can you give me any pointers as to where I might be able to find information on something like that? I've looked, but all I can find is Spencerian, which is fine, and if that's all I can ultimately find I'll try it, but I would really rather have something a bit less flowery and more modern and compact. Thanks.

22-minute read to cover the latest developments in Armenia beyond headlines.

Azeri public continues to discuss the possible return or exchange of Armenian exclave Artsvashen currently under Azerbaijani control

Context in Monday news digest. A ranking member of Azerbaijani parliament suggested returning Artsvashen to Armenia in exchange for the Azeri exclaves, or swapping them so each side can keep what it currently controls. An Azeri analyst called it dangerous to allow Armenians to return to Artsvashen because he believes it would make the entire territory of Azerbaijan "up to Ganja" vulnerable.
AZERI JOURNALIST (Fatima Movlamli): There are currently [Azeri] military positions near the entrance of the village [Artsvashen]. Although the local population is not strictly checked upon entry and exit, some control appears to be in place. The army checks "strangers". The village is also observed from far away. All the houses are empty; they are crumbling. There is no one around. The only people you see are nearby villagers who take their cattle to [Artsvashen's] pasture.
NEARBY AZERI VILLAGER: I visit the [Armenian] village to feed my cattle and my family. If they give it to Armenians, it will be my end. This is our source of bread, and these areas will no longer be safe for us. Many of us rely on these territories for a living. There is total unemployment and none of us have other jobs. We will have to emigrate if they give this village.
NATIN JAFARLI (ReAl party): There are two reasons why the village was not populated [by Azeris, after the capture in 1992]. The first is for legal reasons because Armenia could claim it's their land and demand compensation. There are also socio-economic components that have forced the population to migrate to Baku over the past 30 years. If there was a normal socio-economic policy, there would be no migration. It's not easy to create social infrastructure in Bashkend [Artsvashen] for natural reasons. If we decide to swap the enclaves, then referendums must be held in both countries. Can you imagine the Armenian police or army marching 30 kilometers deep into Azerbaijan? It doesn't sound realistic. The same about Azeris entering the exclaves inside Armenia. How will you guarantee the population's food, banking, communication, gas, etc.? It doesn't seem realistic.
ELKHAN SHAHINOGLU (Atlas research center): Even if Armenians return our 4 villages [presumably within Azeri exclaves], it will be difficult for Azeris to live in them because we will be forced to reach the villages through Armenia. The same is true if we transfer [Artsvashen] to Armenia. Therefore, I believe this issue can be resolved if the lands are exchanged.
AZERI RESIDENT: I used to work as a nurse in [Artsvashen]. I remember how I attempted to save the lives of the soldiers who captured it. I don't want it to be returned to Armenia because I'm concerned that the same events will repeat. Nothing good will happen if Armenians return here. This place connects Shinikhi to the entire Ganja region. Should we allow Armenians to stand between the two? I'm 65 so the future generations will have to live here but no one will dare to come if they hear about the presence of Armenians.
source,

Azerbaijan is still reluctant to include the Almaty Declaration in the final peace agreement despite the April 19 separate agreement to use it for border demarcation

FM MIRZOYAN: Recently we agreed that the demarcation should take place on the basis of the Almaty Declaration and the Regulations of the border commissions should also refer to the Almaty. This is one of the principles, and if we manage to include Almaty in the peace agreement, then we will get very close to a final resolution. Our neighbor is still reluctant to make a clear reference to the Almaty Declaration in the peace treaty, which is a more comprehensive document.
The second issue is with the unblocking of communication routes. Armenia is ready to become a part of the international transit route. The Crossroads of Peace will benefit Armenia and the entire region. Turkey and Azerbaijan would also benefit by connecting East and West. If this is implemented, it will be another interesting way to connect the Persian Gulf countries with the Black Sea economic region.
QUESTION: You froze your participation in CSTO. Do you plan to join NATO?
MIRZOYAN: We do not want to be part of a dysfunctional mechanism [CSTO]. But we are still a CSTO member so it's necessary to take steps to make it function; we are discussing the issues on the AM-RU agenda. Simultaneously we have launched a process to strengthen AM-West relations and to diversify Armenia's economy.
source, video,

interview with Azeri opposition activist-in-exile Arif Yunusov

REPORTER: Azerbaijan had long refused to use 1991 Almaty for delimitation but on April 19 they agreed to launch the process based on Almaty. Why did they change their position?
YUNUSOV: Because of the problems Aliyev developed with the West. When Blinken makes a phone call, that means extensive work was done prior to the call. The issue of sanctions raised earlier this year was also raised after months of work. The collective West is pressuring Azerbaijan. We have entered the decisive phase of the West-Russia confrontation. The physical fights are taking place in Ukraine, while diplomatic wars rage in the South Caucasus.
Russia attempted on several occasions to destabilize Armenia's internal stability by using Azerbaijan but their efforts have failed and there hasn't been any serious escalation on the AM-AZ border. Pashinyan was not exaggerating the possibility of a war in Tavush a few months ago; there was indeed a real threat. However, the likelihood is much lower now and Azerbaijan has given its approval to launch the delimitation process. The ongoing delimitation process is part of the effort to regulate AM-AZ relations and push Russia out of the region.
REPORTER: Blinken spoke on Sunday with Aliyev and Pashinyan. I'm under the impression that this AM-AZ delimitation, despite being called "bilateral", is actually being moderated by the US.
YUNUSOV: Absolutely agree. Aliyev has a lengthy history of rejecting many Western efforts and being close with Putin, so the fact that he didn't reject it this time indicates serious pressure from the West. By the way, Aliyev became president in February but Biden hasn't congratulated him yet. For Aliyev, it's very important to receive a congratulation personally from Biden.
The US is moderating this process step-by-step. This process began in 2022 when Pashinyan recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan; that was part of the US plan to normalize AM-AZ relations. Under this plan, Azerbaijan announced the formation of a commission to "integrate" Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians. Obviously, it all changed later and the US officials began to raise the issue of Aliyev being too close to Russia and about a need to pull him away from Putin. It appears the US is gradually getting what it wants because the US's role in this demarcation process is huge.
REPORTER: Is this also why Azerbaijan asked Russia to withdraw its military base from Nagorno-Karabakh? Was it under the US pressure?
YUNUSOV: I'm not entirely sure about the full details behind their withdrawal. I don't even know if they are truly being withdrawn because there is a motive to calm the Azerbaijani public that's anti-Russian.
There is also the fact that Russia was unable to deploy those peacekeepers on the AM-AZ border and push out the EU border monitoring mission from Armenia. Russia attempted to achieve this in December 2023 during a meeting in St. Petersburg but Pashinyan rejected Putin's efforts. Moreover, Pashinyan said that Armenia is no longer interested in the fate of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh and that this topic must be resolved between Russia and Azerbaijan. This was followed by Pashinyan's order to remove Russian agents from Yerevan's airport by August 2024. So Russia's effort to pressure Armenia with the hands of Azerbaijan has totally failed.
It's a strange situation, the withdrawal of peacekeepers. We don't know how many were removed and how many remain. I do not have information that the US pressured Azerbaijan to remove the Russian peacekeepers. [audio cuts off] The US is only strong when there is Armenia, during meetings, and we tend to receive information whenever Armenia is part of a negotiation process, whereas Azerbaijan-Russia talks are more secretive.
It appears Russia is withdrawing the equipment first because they need it ahead of the May offensive in Ukraine, before possibly a wider withdrawal by September.
Regarding the demarcation of the AM-AZ border, Russia understands that if the parties reach an agreement, that could mean the end of Russian presence in the South Caucasus. The AM-AZ border is a geopolitical issue. Russia will publicly formally welcome the delimitation efforts but it's not in their interest.
REPORTER: Why is France silent about the April 19 delimitation agreement?
YUNUSOV: France has adopted the correct position. First of all, Western states coordinate their policies [including on delimitation], but in each region, each Western state takes up a different position. For example, on the Ukraine issue, France provides support to Ukraine but the main locomotive is the US. In the South Caucasus, it's the opposite: the US provides the moderation efforts while the main locomotive - in this case, support for Armenia - is France. There is a crisis in FR-AZ relations. So France doesn't want to hinder the delimitation effort by intervening; they let the US handle it. There is currently an anti-French hysteria in Azerbaijan. The French endorsement of the AM-AZ delimitation agreement would be a big blow to the process.
full,

ruling party rejects opposition's motion to conduct the AM-AZ border delimitation based on 1993 "de facto" borders instead of 1991 Almaty borders

Context and debates in April 23 news digest. The opposition is against delimiting borders with the 1991 Almaty maps.
The opposition accuses the ruling party of serving Turkey's interests while the ruling party accuses the opposition of attempting to derail the 1991 delimitation process so they can drag Armenia into a new conflict before bringing the Russian "empire" as a savior to establish their rule in Armenia.
One thing that struck the ruling party's nerves was the opposition's narrative that "Armenia ends where the Armenian soldier stands". The ruling party believes that this principle is both dangerously expansionist [in the case of 2.5 Azeri villages] and would also endanger the fate of occupied Armenian lands. "We have a clear border with Azerbaijan, and it must be reproduced on the ground," said a ranking ruling party MP. Yesterday the government said over 50% of the task was done on a section of the Tavush-Gazakh border.
In response to the opposition's accusations that the ruling party serving the interests of Azerbaijan by "surrendering lands", a ruling MP accused the opposition of pressuring the government to surrender a corridor to Russia and Azerbaijan.
RULING MP: Mr. Sharmazanov [ex-president Serj's party] routinely says the quiet part out loud. At first, he spoke about the need to give a corridor [to Azerbaijan and Russia, via Syunik], and more recently he made another fantastic statement. Sharmazanov said "a homeland is eternal while a state is variable. The state's borders can expand or shrink." This stems from their mentality that today they are MPs of the Armenian parliament but tomorrow they could just as easily be Russian Duma MPs, representing the Armyanski Oblast. This is the clash of values: a stable state with borders vs. a "homeland" with variable borders. For us, the Republic of Armenia is irreplaceable and the independence of Armenia is non-negotiable. //
source, video, source, source,

the independent TV & radio regulator was summoned to parliament to report the 2023 activities

REGULATOR: Last year the broadcasters under our watch operated freely, without government intervention. The TV outlets stated that they were not pressured or obstructed by any branch of the government to limit their freedom of expression.
The issue persists with misinformation and hate speech, but our 3-year-long monitoring reveals that this negative content has been significantly reduced in public multiplex. This positive trend has multiple reasons, including our Committee's fight against the abuse of "freedom of speech". This type of negative content has, by in large, moved from television to the internet and social media.
We are strongly against the government's electoral code amendment that required private media outlets to allocate a limited number of free hours to candidates during electoral campaigns. How is this different from requiring gas stations to provide free gas to candidates? The media outlets are deprived of hours that they could use to generate income.
We've been calling for reforms in the law regulating the media. The 2020 law on liberalizing media regulations is a welcoming change. The field is free, with minimal intervention from the Committee (regulator) or the government.
However, this liberalization also endangers Armenia's media security. For example, foreign channels broadcasted over Armenia's public multiplex and cable often spread content illegal under Armenian law and against the Republic of Armenia's interests. The law does not grant the Committee enough powers to curtail this. At the moment, the Committee has jurisdiction over public multiplex TV and licensed radio channels only. This creates an uneven competition field with channels broadcasted over the net, which do not have to follow the same rules. Under European directives, a minimal level of regulation of internet content has become a requirement for European countries. We advise the government to follow European practices.
The public often wonders what share of cable TV content is in Armenian or made in Armenia. Our research reveals the content based on the country of origin: Armenian 71 (vs 68 last year), Russian 174 (vs 167), European 75, American 38, Other 15. As you can see, relevant parties should take steps to increase the share of Armenian content.
We have very important progress in another metric: Armenian-language programs aired over Armenian channels, nationwide or in Yerevan. The Armenian-language programs accounted for 95% of the air. This includes foreign content translated into Armenian or with Armenian subtitles.
2018: <60%
2020: 79%
2021: 81%
2023: 95%
We have progress in another important area. Over the last 3-4 years, on the public multiplex, the share of partisan ideological content has been gradually replaced by content more beneficial to the general public. For example, (1) we now have a sports program that promotes the development of local sports and provides coverage of local events. (2) We have a family channel called Noor available in Yerevan. Despite some challenges and flaws, they are doing their best to establish themselves as a family channel. (3) We have an educational channel Bun. (4) We have a music channel Dar21.
By in large, the public multiplex still falls short of delivering what we envisage. We believe the time has come to adopt a new state strategy on media to prevent a crisis. We could have a crisis because the state has too many regulations and not enough incentives to allow channels to use their slots to generate income and produce quality content.
We fear that during the next auction for slots in 2027, several slots could be left uncontested, which could pave the way for the entry of propagandistic channels or clearly weak channels unable to deliver quality content. If the channels fail to generate income, they could also be sold to foreign buyers. Therefore, some channels could begin to serve the interests of foreign states and serve foreign propaganda to Armenian citizens.
We advise the government to...
(1) reduce the number of channels on public multiplex. It's an unreasonably high number for a country size of Armenia. Fewer public multiplex channels means each channel would receive more ad dollars, which would raise the quality of content.
(2) establish a media assistance fund to incentivize quality content over the public multiplex.
How do we monitor media channels for compliance? The monitoring phase lasts 2 months per year. In Lithuania and Georgia, it's 1 month. The rest of the time the monitoring is done by NGOs, the public, and other institutions.
We penalized 34 companies for broadcasting pirated content. This is a shamefully high number. There are unfortunately companies that do not respect intellectual property. The only option left is to ramp up the enforcement. The atmosphere of impunity among channels is driven by the fact that the size of the penalty is only $130, which is a lot less than what they'd spend on obtaining the rights to the content.
We've been enforcing rules more vigorously, and in 2023 alone there were 64 administrative proceedings. In comparison, between 2011-2018 there were a total of 17 such proceedings.
2011-2018: 17
2021: 84
2023: 64
Reasons for administrative proceedings: copyright violation, illegal ads, content harmful to children, gore & violence, cussing on air, failure to meet the minimum threshold of 20% for certain types of content, etc.
In December we made a decision to suspend the re-broadcasting of [Russian] Sputnik Radio for a month. We were accused of violating their free speech [by Armenia's opposition factions], however, the radio's leadership visited Armenia, apologized for their content, and agreed to exclude the violating show [Kremlin propagandist Tigran Keosayan] from their programming aired in Armenia. We lifted the suspension.
Once again, the Committee reminds that it will suspend any foreign outlet that broadcasts content that spreads hatred towards the Republic of Armenia or its people, interferes with Armenia's internal affairs, questions Armenia's sovereignty, or engages in provocative actions.
Along with increased enforcement, we also have more complaints filed against our decisions in courts, which shows that the enforcement & appeals process is functioning freely. Sometimes we lose these trials. We learn and gain experience.
We recently signed the first-ever agreement with a country outside Eurasia. The agreement with friendly Argentina's state media agency will allow Armenia's public channel to film a big սերիալ.
The Committee is cooperating with the high-tech ministry to use AI in our work to save resources and raise efficiency.
ASSYRIAN-ARMENIAN MP: The law requires television to provide content in the Assyrian language. Similar programs exist for Yezidis but not Assyrians.
REGULATOR: The law requires the content to be either in Assyrian language or about Assyrian culture. The latter requirement was met.
ASSYRIAN-ARMENIAN MP: But we would like to hear content, speech, in Assyrian language.
REGULATOR: We want to do that by requiring local television channels [presumably where Assyrians mostly live] to provide content in Assyrian language, rather than requiring the public channel to broadcast that content nationwide, because the vast majority of nationwide consumers would not be able to consume content in a language they do not speak. It should be more targeted. Assyrian subtitles on public nationwide channels are also an option so submit your suggestion and we'll negotiate with H1.
RULING MP: I welcome your decision to take action against [Kremlin's] Solovyov and Keosayan for their anti-Armenian and anti-Armenian Republic content, but people wonder why you don't take similar measures against others, like [Kremlin's] Kisilyov. What have you done in this regard and what suggestions have you sent to the high-tech ministry?
REGULATOR: Our Committee has the authority to suspend re-broadcasted radio channels, as in the case of Sputnik, but we cannot suspend television channels. We can only send complaints to the high-tech ministry so they can take action against TV channels based on the AM-RU interstate agreement. We have been frequently sending reports to our high-tech ministry, and after 3 years of inaction, they finally decided to take steps recently. You already know about their actions against Solovyov's content. The ministry is working with Russia to replace the [empty] Solovyov timeslot with other cultural or entertainment content. You can forget about Solovyov. As a reminder, this program was banned in Armenia not for being "anti-Armenian", which is a vague term, but for violating specific laws of Armenia. They often call for violence, incite steps to launch a war, etc. Even Armenian channels are not allowed to broadcast such content. We need to revise the AM-RU interstate agreement to grant the Committee more powers to regulate foreign channels as well. In the future, we should entirely ban all foreign channels on Armenia's public multiplex.
RULING MP: What is Shoghakat TV, who owns it, and does its content meet the requirements? [It's the channel operated by the church]
REGULATOR: Shoghakat was formerly called a religious-cultural channel. Under the new law, it must broadcast cultural-educational content; its genre legally is not religious-cultural. A recent study shows that the share of religious content is too high and it must be reduced by raising the share of cultural-educational programs to meet the requirements. The channel is receiving funds from the state and must therefore meet the cultural-educational programming requirements.
RULING MP: In other words, Shoghakat is a public channel, at least in part financed by the taxpayers, and does not provide the content it is legally required to? Religious content is not a bad thing but we must be mindful of the state resources.
REGULATOR: It's co-financed by the church and state. Shoghakat is also operating from a building owned by the church, and not the public TV.
OPPO MP: Isn't it time to also regulate the TV channels' social media accounts on Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok? They get more views than the content aired over the public multiplex. Children consume dangerous content on YouTube and TikTok. There are countries that are attempting to regulate it. Can Armenia do this? There are also unlicensed channels on the internet that spread whatever they want. How do we regulate all of this?
REGULATOR: This morning the EU's Ursula von der Leyen announced the possibility of banning TikTok in the EU. The same about the US. Even the most democratic states restrict platforms that pose a danger to their societies. It will be expensive to technologically restrict these platforms in Armenia but we must consider any measure that would protect the Armenian society. Armenia is falling behind the EU directives in terms of content restrictions.
OPPO MP: Today a 9-year-old boy sees as many naked girls in one day as the world's richest sultan throughout his whole life. This is going to have a negative impact on children. The same about narcotics. When are we going to amend the law to regulate this?
REGULATOR: In the case of the 9 y/o boy, the most important institutions are the school, parents, and the surrounding environment. As for regulating the media field, I've been saying this for 4 years and this appears to be a bipartisan issue so let's get together and decide how to regulate it.
RULING MP: Under the existing media regulation law, foreign companies are not allowed to operate a cable service in Armenia. Why is Rostelecom able to operate? Should we lift the ban on all foreign firms or should we ban Rostelecom?
REGULATOR: I believe they meet the requirement by not owning over 49% of the company shares. I believe 51% of their shares belong to an Armenian resident company. In their defense, Rostelecom has voluntarily banned Solovyov's show in Armenia.
full report, source,

անախորժ միջադեպ պառլամենտի բակում

The bodyguard of Armenia/ARF MP Levon Kocharyan, the son of ex-president Robert Kocharyan, is accused of punching and knocking down a journalist in the backyard of the parliament building after the outlet's criticism of opposition churchman and his portrayal as a corrupt agent of Russia.
REPORTER (Davit Levonyan, civic.am, affiliated with ruling party): After finishing an interview with a ruling party MP, I noticed that Levon Kocharyan's assistant/bodyguard Arthur Sukoyan was waiting nearby. He approached me and asked to speak for 2 minutes. I asked my operator to stand a bit further from us so we could talk. The bodyguard attempted to provoke a fight. He was unhappy about my opinion about churchman Bagrat [the co-organizer of the opposition's road closures in Tavush] and he said my actions were blasphemy. I said dear Arthur I have the right to free speech and I don't force my opinion on others, and that he can express his own opinion and that I don't really care about his opinion. He went on to escalate it into a physical fight in a way to present it as "two boys fighting" rather than hooliganism. He began to cuss at me. I said, "If you think I'm that type of person then I can say the same about you". I never punched him, knowing well that it was a provocation. He punched me and knocked me to the ground. I got up and cussed at him but chose not to fight. I told him that "you and the likes of you will answer for this". I wanted to verify whose assistant he was so he said Kocharyan's, and he invited me to his office to "settle the dispute". I told him to get the hell out of here and that he will answer later pa lyubomu.
QUESTION: Were there witnesses and is there a video recording?
REPORTER: My operator witnessed it and it was in front of the parliament building's security cameras. //
The alleged suspect, Arthur Sukoyan, is the son of Judge Alexei Sukoyan whose duties as a judge were terminated by SJC last year for "severe violations".
OPPO MP (Mher Sahakyan): That guy has no right to be called a journalist because I've seen his video [about the opposition churchman] and as a Christian Armenian, it's prosto unacceptable for me. Are you telling me you can describe a representative of a church any way you like and not answer for it? //
MP Mher Sahakyan himself was arrested last year after punching a ruling party MP and forcing him to get stitches.
What was the outlet's report that angered Kocharyan's bodyguard? The outlet accused the churchman of serving Russian interests and owning a meat production business in Tavush. A fact-checker has found that the churchman is indeed reported as a 25% shareholder of the company but the company says the churchman hasn't received profits. The ruling faction accuses the church of unethically using the church's media resources to advertise the "churchman's meat business".
source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source,

PM Pashinyan hosted the European Commission's Director-General of EU Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations

Pashinyan considered the AM-EU-US high-level meeting held in Brussels on April 5 as key and emphasized the need for effective implementation of the agreements reached.
Koopman noted that the European Commission is ready to contribute to the implementation of the priorities of the Armenian government to strengthen the resilience of Armenia and its economic growth.
Koopman expressed confidence that Armenia-EU relations will continue to develop and expand dynamically. The interlocutors discussed a wide range of issues related to Armenia-EU cooperation.

... On Tuesday Armenia, the EU, and Germany signed an agreement to reduce the Armenian rural population's reliance on imported Russian gas

They want to help low-income villagers and municipal buildings of Tavush, Shirak, Gegharkunik, and Syunik provinces to switch to solar energy. It will include solar water heaters, etc.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION rep.: The EU-Armenia relations are stronger than ever and the EU's dedication to Armenia is reflected in the agreements reached on April 5 in Brussels. This is a 3-year program worth €12.5 million.
GERMAN EMBASSY: Why not use the sun's energy for daily activities? Yesterday we noticed on our faces and skins how powerful the Armenian sun is. [please SPF 100 yourselves]
source, source,

World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved a $116 million program for Armenia to enable reforms aimed at promoting green, resilient and inclusive development

It includes a $100 million loan from IBRD and a $16 million grant. This budget support will help the Government of Armenia to build climate resilience and reduce vulnerabilities to future shocks, as part of the 2021-2026 plan.

It includes actions that will fortify anti-corruption measures by implementing a robust framework with a whistleblowing system and gift monitoring mechanism for public servants. Further, it is aligned with the Paris Agreement.

source,

Azerbaijani regime arrested another pro-democracy activist as part of a crackdown on an independent outlet

Mammadli, the head of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre, had his home raided by the police and was detained on Monday on charges of smuggling.
EUROPEAN UNION: This detention is the latest in a series of arrests of independent journalists & activists, and a matter of concern for the EU. All those imprisoned for exercising their fundamental rights should be released.
UNITED STATES: We are deeply concerned about the ongoing arrests of representatives of the Azerbaijani political society, in particular, Anar Mammadli. We call on the government of Azerbaijan to immediately release all those unjustly arrested. We continue to call on the government of Azerbaijan to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all.
source, source,

Armenia's Ambassador to the US Lilith Makunts met the experts of the US-based analytical center RAND that recently advised the West to provide defense assistance to Armenia and not to pressure Armenia to cut all ties with Russia prematurely

Ambassador Makunts presented the latest developments in the AM-AZ peace process and the Crossroads of Peace logistics process.
source, source,

Hungary is blocking the €10 million military assistance to Armenia

Context in April 17 news digest. Hungary is so far preventing the transfer of European Peace Facility resources to provide Armenia with a mobile field camp capability for a battalion-size unit, including a medical treatment facility as well as relevant services and facilities
Armenia submitted the application for funding in 2023. Georgia had earlier received €30 million in assistance as part of the same fund. They received equipment for controlling artillery divisions and engineering equipment.
Hungary, led by Turkish-Azeri-Russian ally Orban, demands that Azerbaijan receive assistance with demining activities in exchange for authorizing the transfer to Armenia. However, since Azerbaijan has not formally requested assistance with demining, it's possible the process could reach a dead end. The internal negotiations continue.
source,

Armenia's Defense Minister discussed AM-FR defence cooperation and army reforms with a French Senator

MOD Papikyan hosted Ronan Le Gloyot from the French Senate Committees on Foreign Relations, Defense, Armed Forces and European Affairs. The parties discussed AM-FR defense ties, the AM-EU ties, the Armenian army reforms, etc.
source,

Armenia and France discussed cooperation in military industry and aerospace (🤔)

High-Tech Minister Mkhitar Hayrapetyan hosted the French Senate delegation led by Ronan Le Gloyot. They discussed cybersecurity, digitization, the establishment and operation of French high-tech firms in Armenia, defense, military industry, and aerospace cooperation.
source,

France donates 4 diesel power generators with 100 kW to city halls and hospitals in Syunik

source, source,

Saudi Arabia's ethnic Armenian Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal Al Saud will visit Armenia

The agreement was reached during the recent visit by Armenia's Labor Minister to SA. The Prince and the Minister also agreed to establish cooperation between the Prince's AGFUND and Armenia's labor ministry.
source,

Armenia's Central Bank continues to cut the refinancing rate

2020: 4.25%
2022: 10.75%
2023: 9.25%
Jan 2024: 8.75%
Mar 2024: 8.50%
Apr 2024 8.25%
source, source,

Armenian migrant workers are sending fewer remittances from Russia and could find working in Armenia more beneficial

The net inflow of individuals' remittances from Russia in Q1 2024 amounted to $656.6 million compared to $1.1 billion in Q1 2023.
CENTRAL BANK: There is a decline this year due to economic and geopolitical issues, the exchange rate, and the ratio of salaries. It is necessary to have an understanding of whether Armenian migrant workers plan to continue working in Russia. Some prefer to return to Armenia and work here, as the difference in salaries now is much smaller than, for example, 10 years ago.
source, full,

agreement is signed to build a World Trade Center in Yerevan

Details in September 7 news digest.
Construction company RenShin presented the $212 million project to the government for approval. It's expected to create 10,000 jobs. There will be 4- and 5-star hotels as well.
PASHINYAN: It will be in place of the HayPost [post office] building on 22 Saryan St. Modern construction standards will be introduced in Armenia. Since our independence, there has never been a complex of this scale. It will help Armenia raise the "we are open for business" flag.
MHER GRIGORYAN: Armenia is the only country in the region without a World Trade Center. Being the last means we can have the best quality and newest technology. //
Armenia-based Renshen will invite the international architectural giant Norman Foster, known for developing the Apple Park in California, Germany's Reichstag Building, New York skyscraper Hearst Tower, the City Hall of Southwark (London), Millennium Bridge in London, Bilbao Metro, and more.
Who will own the complex? 50% investors, 30% HayPost, 20% Government. The company will buy HayPost's shares within the next 5 years. The revenue will help develop HayPost. It will have a new modern sorting facility to handle more parcels.
source,

16-year-old boy survives a fall from Kievian Bridge

source,

Yerevan's Yeritasardakan subway station has new lighting: VIDEO

It's the first of several to come.
video,

`qtype_enc::qe_string my_string_e("Hello World!");` `qtype_hash::qh_string my_string_h("Hello World!");` `qtype_enchash::qeh_string my_string_eh("Hello World!");` `std::cout << my_string_e.get() << std::endl;` `std::cout << my_string_h.get() << std::endl;` `std::cout << my_string_eh.get() << std::endl;` `std::cin.get();` 

`std::cout << "condition is true" << std::endl;` 

`std::cout << "condition is false" << std::endl;` 

`int x = 1;` `int y = 1;` `qcritical::SCRAMBLE_CRITICAL_CONDITION(` `true_, // callback if condition evaluates to TRUE` `false_, // callback if condition evaluates to FALSE` `std::tuple<>{}, // arguments (if any) for TRUE evaluated callback (our callback has no arguments)` `std::tuple<>{}, // arguments (if any) for FALSE evaluated callback (our callback has no arguments)` `x, y, // our condition variables from left -> right order (can be of any primitive type or std::string / std::wstring type for now)` `qcritical::EQUALTO // evaluation type (less than, greater than, equal to, greaterthanorequalto etc. )` `);` `return 0;` 

`if (except.id != qexcept::MEMORY_ALTERATION) // ensure this callback has been raised due to memory alteration` `return;` `std::cout << "Memory access violation occurred, original hash: " << std::hex << except.original_hash << std::endl; // display the original hash of the data when it was valid` `std::cout << "Altered hash: " << std::hex << except.altered_hash << std::endl; // display the hash of the data which was altered` `std::cout << "Memory address: " << std::hex << reinterpret_cast(data) << std::endl; //display the memory address of the data which was altered` `//Here you would normally flag the user for a ban/violation or force-quit the application` 

`qtype_enchash::init_qtype_hash(&violation_callback); // assign our callback function to the namespace - all instances will refer to this callback if they detect a violation` `qtype_enchash::qeh_int32 MyInteger(999); // instance a hash-checked integer and set its value to 999` `(*static_cast(MyInteger.get_raw_memory_address())) = 998; // use the built-in illegal-accessor for this example to modify the value of the data and trigger our callback` `int32_t value = MyInteger; // store the value held within MyInteger in a normal primitive variable to invoke get() (get() is when the check will occur)` `std::cout << "Hacked value: " << value << std::endl; // print the new / hacked value to the screen (998)` `std::cin.get();` `return 0;` 

`// You do not have to use all of the below functions, however analyze_executable_sections() must be called before morph_executable_sections(), and this must be called before manipulating headers as it depends on information from the headers to perform analyzation` `qdisasm::qsection_assembler sec{ };` `sec.analyze_executable_sections();` `if (sec.morph_executable_sections(true)) // NOW we morph our stored sections and pass true to flag for memory clearance` `std::cout << "Interrupt Padding morphed successfully! " << std::endl;` `else` `std::cout << "Interrupt Padding failed to be morphed! " << std::endl;` `if (sec.zero_information_sections())` `std::cout << "Garbage sections nulled" << std::endl;` `else` `std::cout << "Garbage section wipe failed" << std::endl;` `if (sec.scramble_dos_header(true))` `std::cout << "DOS headers wiped" << std::endl;` `else` `std::cout << "DOS headers not wiped" << std::endl;` `if (sec.scramble_nt_header())` `std::cout << "NT headers wiped" << std::endl;` `else` `std::cout << "NT headers not wiped" << std::endl;` `std::cout << ".text / header permutations complete!" << std::endl;` `std::cin.get();` 

`// Return type is NTSTATUS (template parameter)` `// Argument 1 is the library name (wide / ansi char depend on charset)` `// Argument 2 is name of function or ordinal number` `// all following arguments correspond to the API functions args themselves` `auto status = qimport::qimp::invoke(L"user32.dll", "MessageBoxA", NULL, "Hello World", "Hello World", NULL);` `std::cin.get();` 

`auto status = imp_MessageBoxA(NULL, "Hello World!", "Hello World!", NULL); // call MessageBoxA and assign it's status return to a local` `std::cout << status << std::endl; // output the return status to the console` `std::cin.get();` 

`auto j = std::chrono::high_resolution_clock::now().time_since_epoch().count();` `auto k = j % val;` `std::cout << k << std::endl;` 

`if (alteration.id != qexcept::HOOK_DETECTED)` `return;` `auto casted_arg = reinterpret_cast(alteration.violation_object_);` `std::cout << "Function hook detected, address: " << std::hex << casted_arg->hook_address << "\n";` `std::cout << "Hook size: " << casted_arg->hook_length << "\n";` `std::cout << "Hook data: " << std::endl;` `for (auto i = 0; i < casted_arg->hook_length; ++i)` `std::cout << std::hex << (int)casted_arg->hook_data[i] << "\n";` `delete casted_arg; // thi was allocated with new, must be deleted inside callback to avoid memory leak` 

`std::cout << "initializing hook scanner..." << std::endl;` `qhook::qhook_t::set_client_callback_fn(&callback);` `qhook::qhook_t((void*)&myimportantmethod);` `// any of the below hooks will be detected - you could change the registers used etc. if you wanted to` `unsigned char hook1[12] = {` `0x48, 0xB8, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0xFF, 0xE0 // mov rax, 0x1111111111111111 ; jmp rax` `};` `unsigned char hook2[14] = { // this is a trash hook used to test features of the detection, push rax, pop rax is a NOP essentially` `0x48, 0xB8, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x50, 0x58, // mov rax, 0x1111111111111111 ; push rax ; pop rax ; jmp rax` `0xFF, 0xE0` `};` `unsigned char hook3[12] = {` `0x48, 0xB8, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x50, 0xC3 // mov rax, 0x1111111111111111 ; push rax ; ret` `};` `myimportantmethod(4);` `std::cout << "emplacing hook..." << std::endl;` `auto* ptr = (void*)&myimportantmethod;` `DWORD tmp{};` `VirtualProtect(ptr, sizeof(hook2), PAGE_EXECUTE_READWRITE, &tmp);` `memcpy(ptr, &hook2, sizeof(hook2));` `VirtualProtect(ptr, sizeof(hook2), tmp, &tmp);` `std::cin.get();` `return 0;` 

JOIN: 145.239.166.204:7125 2k radius worldborder.

μETH TOKENS DROPPING SOON.

For any x,y∈ℝ, let ⟦x,y⟧ ≔ {z. x≤z≤y} and for any set X let Xⁿ be the set of n-streams on X.
If f is a function and x is a set, then f[x] ≔ { f b . b ∈ x }.
Let B be the set of Minecraft blocks. A Minecraft world with radius r is a function W : { (x,y,z). x² + z² = r², y∈⟦-128,365⟧ } → B. Let W be a Minecraft world with boundary radius r and let o ≔ [0,0,0].
A token is a record t with fields {id:str, val:ether, key:str, deps:r set}, with value t.val.
Let r μETH be split into r tokens and indexed by a function tok such that: tok : {0..r} → {id:str, val:ether, key:str, loc:W,deps:r set}; ∀i∈r. k = Σi. val (tok i)
Let loc : r → W and val : r → ℤ be the least functions such that:

• loc[tok[r]] is a set of randomly distributed points on W;
• i ↦ val (tok i) increases exponentially as i ↦ d(loc(tok i), o) approaches 0.

Let block : tok[r] → W assign locations to tokens such that for each i ∈ r, block (tok i) is the nearest emerald ore block or chest to loc i.
For each token t ∈ tok[r], let em i be the emerald with name t.id and enchantment t.key. For any Minecraft world W, let W̃ be the world such that for each i∈r. if block i = (x̅, b), then W̃ x̅ = b' holds for some b' such that: - if b is a chest, then b' is b with em i added. - if b is an emerald ore, then b' is an emerald ore block that drops em i when mined. otherwise, W̃ x̅ = W x̅.
For each i ∈ r, let t ≔ tok i:

• t is found by player p when em i first enters a `p`s inventory;
• t is valid when every t ∈ tok[deps i] has been found by some user.
• if t was found by p and t is valid, then t can be redeemed by placing em i in an Ender chest containing a book whose written content is an Ethereum wallet address w.

When t is redeemed, and admin will approve a transaction for t.val to w. Good luck.

JOIN: 145.239.166.204:7125

μETH TOKENS DROPPING SOON.

For any x,y∈ℝ, let ⟦x,y⟧ ≔ {z. x≤z≤y} and for any set X let Xⁿ be the set of n-streams on X.
If f is a function and x is a set, then f[x] ≔ { f b . b ∈ x }.
Let B be the set of Minecraft blocks. A Minecraft world with radius r is a function W : { (x,y,z). x² + z² = r², y∈⟦-128,365⟧ } → B. Let W be a Minecraft world with boundary radius r and let o ≔ [0,0,0].
A token is a record t with fields {id:str, val:ether, key:str, deps:r set}, with value t.val.
Let r μETH be split into r tokens and indexed by a function tok such that: tok : {0..r} → {id:str, val:ether, key:str, loc:W,deps:r set}; ∀i∈r. k = Σi. val (tok i)
Let loc : r → W and val : r → ℤ be the least functions such that:

• loc[tok[r]] is a set of randomly distributed points on W;
• i ↦ val (tok i) increases exponentially as i ↦ d(loc(tok i), o) approaches 0.

Let block : tok[r] → W assign locations to tokens such that for each i ∈ r, block (tok i) is the nearest emerald ore block or chest to loc i.
For each token t ∈ tok[r], let em i be the emerald with name t.id and enchantment t.key. For any Minecraft world W, let W̃ be the world such that for each i∈r. if block i = (x̅, b), then W̃ x̅ = b' holds for some b' such that: - if b is a chest, then b' is b with em i added. - if b is an emerald ore, then b' is an emerald ore block that drops em i when mined. otherwise, W̃ x̅ = W x̅.
For each i ∈ r, let t ≔ tok i:

• t is found by player p when em i first enters a `p`s inventory;
• t is valid when every t ∈ tok[deps i] has been found by some user.
• if t was found by p and t is valid, then t can be redeemed by placing em i in an Ender chest containing a book whose written content is an Ethereum wallet address w.

When t is redeemed, and admin will approve a transaction for t.val to w. Good luck.

JOIN: 145.239.166.204:7125

μETH TOKENS DROPPING SOON.

For any x,y∈ℝ, let ⟦x,y⟧ ≔ {z. x≤z≤y} and for any set X let Xⁿ be the set of n-streams on X.
If f is a function and x is a set, then f[x] ≔ { f b . b ∈ x }.
Let B be the set of Minecraft blocks. A Minecraft world with radius r is a function W : { (x,y,z). x² + z² = r², y∈⟦-128,365⟧ } → B. Let W be a Minecraft world with boundary radius r and let o ≔ [0,0,0].
A token is a record t with fields {id:str, val:ether, key:str, deps:r set}, with value t.val.
Let r μETH be split into r tokens and indexed by a function tok such that: tok : {0..r} → {id:str, val:ether, key:str, loc:W,deps:r set}; ∀i∈r. k = Σi. val (tok i)
Let loc : r → W and val : r → ℤ be the least functions such that:

• loc[tok[r]] is a set of randomly distributed points on W;
• i ↦ val (tok i) increases exponentially as i ↦ d(loc(tok i), o) approaches 0.

Let block : tok[r] → W assign locations to tokens such that for each i ∈ r, block (tok i) is the nearest emerald ore block or chest to loc i.
For each token t ∈ tok[r], let em i be the emerald with name t.id and enchantment t.key. For any Minecraft world W, let W̃ be the world such that for each i∈r. if block i = (x̅, b), then W̃ x̅ = b' holds for some b' such that: - if b is a chest, then b' is b with em i added. - if b is an emerald ore, then b' is an emerald ore block that drops em i when mined. otherwise, W̃ x̅ = W x̅.
For each i ∈ r, let t ≔ tok i:

• t is found by player p when em i first enters a `p`s inventory;
• t is valid when every t ∈ tok[deps i] has been found by some user.
• if t was found by p and t is valid, then t can be redeemed by placing em i in an Ender chest containing a book whose written content is an Ethereum wallet address w.

When t is redeemed, and admin will approve a transaction for t.val to w. Good luck.

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/6ojoAja
Prices include shipping; accept Venmo, Zelle, CashApp
Mint 13.9” URG (never fired, mint cond.) - $750 * Criterion CORE 13.9” barrel (no rounds) * SOLGW Upper Receiver * SOLGW m89-13 Rail * SOLGW Steel Gas Block * SOLGW Melonite Gas Tube * will come with Magpul dust cover & milspec FWA
Mint 14.5 Proof Research barrel - $715 * .223 wylde * 1:8 twist * previously mounted, pinned, but never fired (note no carbon near gas port, in chamber, or at muzzle - see pics) * includes authentic proof paperwork
New, never mounted FDE Eotech EXPS3-1 - $675
New, never mounted FDE GBRS Lerna Mount - $170
Unused (.076”) mid length BRT EZ Tune gas tube - $50
(2) Aeroknox PMAG mag extensions - $35 each

Hi…
Let me preface this by saying I am a first year music teacher and I am 23; the rest of the teachers in this school are around my parents’ ages (mid 50s) and have been teaching for many years.
My 6th grade class walked in today and asked when the camera is going to be put in my classroom, pointing at the hole in the top of the wall with capped wires sticking out, ready to be connected. I had come immmediately from a meeting with the principal where she said she doesn’t want the students bringing chromebooks to music class. She claims that I don’t monitor them closely enough and that they don’t get any work done, but last week during class a homeroom teacher manually blocked the educational website we were working on for the entire class. I teach pre-K through 8th grade at a catholic school, but only doing technology with second grade and up. I was doing a music production unit and having the younger kids work on chrome music lab and the older kids work on sound trap. It doesn’t make sense to me that administration has no problem using laptops in every class besides mine. I asked the kids if they have cameras in their classrooms. None of the other classrooms have cameras, only the hallways and entrances.
The kids have pointed out how much money the school spends on cameras but they hire specials teachers for cheap through an agency that hires people without education degrees (including me, don’t slander me for that 🙄) instead of paying the money for real educators. The agency is trash and has not assisted me in any way.
Nobody, including the principal, said anything to me about the camera until the kids did, although all of the homeroom teachers knew about it, despite the fact that I’m the only one that’s getting a camera. I don’t feel comfortable having a camera in my classroom. If they install one I’m going to have to cover it or just quit. It kind of feels like they want me gone because the kids like me so much that admin thinks I’m just giving them free time. They’re going to be monitoring my every move so that the first minor slip up gives them an excuse to oust me.
If I’m really that bad at teaching, or if they don’t trust me or like my teaching style, or if they want a constant aide to sit in my class, THAT’S FINE. Just tell me that to my actual face instead of going big brother on me and having the ability to take everything I do out of context.
Oh yeah, principal also said I shouldn’t be giving the kids coloring sheets (I brought in Beatles coloring sheets today and had a brief lesson on how they were influential to music history). My objective with this is to keep their hands busy and encourage active listening. She says the little kids already color too much and they don’t have the attention span to color.
Is this weird to anyone else? Am I just overthinking? What should I do? About to write a strongly worded email to both the principal and my agency.

First Previous Next
-----Damian-----

In the medical bay Damian orders the dogs to lay down, ignoring how they all spread throughout the room, most lying flat out, making it into an obstacle course to move through them all without accidentally stepping on a paw or tail. He carefully takes the small one the red brown one had been carrying (he'll have to look at all their name tags soon) and gently laid it on a counter, wrapping it in a few towels. With the wounds hidden it almost looked like it was sleeping. Tearing his gaze away from the dog he gets to work.

He wanders through the room, looking through cabinets and reading labels on various bottles and containers for something he recognizes to patch up the dogs' wounds. Eventually he finds the things he needs, more or less. He remembers them being used on him and they hadn't had any negative effects so far, so he hopes it won't be bad for the dogs.

His birds did tell him, at the times he was coherent enough to understand, that most of the stuff he grabbed were 'galactic standard issue'. Apparently that meant that, somehow, when the product comes in contact with a living being it adjusts parts of itself to do whatever job it is supposed to with as little damage to the being as possible. He has no idea how Violet and Blueberry used some long-winded overly scientific explanation that lost him after the first chirp. He just smiled and nodded like he understood anything they had said. The main point got across though: it won't hurt any being it is used on as it did its job. It may not be as good as species-specific medicines but it's good enough for now.

He did as best he could to patch up the dogs, working on what minor medical knowledge he could remember from before his abduction, which isn't much. He worked from the worst injuries, in the entire group, to the more minor ones. That meant crisscrossing both the room and the dogs themselves, but he didn't care. The dogs were all good and stayed as still as they could as he patched them up, making him thankful not to use the 'standard issue sedatives' he had grabbed just in case.

By the time he taped off the last bandage he was exhausted. He shook off the exhaustion, though. He slid the dogs, half of which were either asleep or dosing off, towards one side of the room. He chuckled at the sleepy grumbles and grunts the disturbance drew from the dogs, muttering a soft, "(I know: How dare I. How rude.)" under his breath in a slight baby voice. Once the floor was mostly cleared he cleaned up everything he used on the dogs and tried his best to put them back where he got them from. He kept a few out to half-heartedly clean and patch (repatch for some) his own wounds. Only once he completely finished his own wounds and cleaning the area did he let himself sag with exhaustion.

He leaned against a counter (originally designed more like a raised walkway for his birds) and sighed. He took a second to try and relax a bit. Ow, ow, ok no. That hurt too much. He sighed again, deep enough it felt like it came from his toes, and stood upright again. He was just about to leave and go find his birds to tell them about their impromptu guests when a half-bark stopped him. It was like when you asked a dog to bark quietly and they made more of a puff of air than a bark, that kind of 'houmph'. Turning he saw the boxer staring at him intently. At his attention it perked and wagged its tail nub.

He smiled and took a step to leave when it whined. He glanced back again, and it looked so sad. It pillows its head on the dog in front of it, causing it to wake, look at him, and whine. This chain reaction swept through all five dogs until there was a horde of sad puppy eyes begging him to stay. He sighed for a third time and shuffled his way over. He sat next to the group of dogs and sent them a look.

"(There. Ya happy now, ya big babies?)" The furthest dog leapt to its feet and bounded over to flop down on him, drawing a breathless grunt from him. The other four followed its lead and, quite literally, dogpiled him. He ended up laying down, head pillowed on one dog (who's head was on his shoulder) with the rest of the group piled around and over him, working together to become a living blanket. He chuckled and petted the ones he could reach.

He opened a holo-pad and quickly sent a message to his birds about his 'guests'. He was about to send a follow-up, longer message explaining what they were, how he found them, and where all of them were when one dog yanked the pad out of his grip with a playful tail wag. It slipped out of its mouth on the pullback and ended up accidentally throwing it to the other side of the room. All six of the group watched it fly, hit the wall (causing a small dent), and land on the ground with a bounce and a few sparks from the certainly now broken pad. There was a second of silence before the dog, a German Shepard if he had to guess, opened their mouth in a smile-mimicking pant and raised its head to look behind it at Damian with a few tail wags. Damian busted out laughing at the action.

"Ok. Point taken." He ruffled the dog's scruff and it closed its eyes, tail thumping. From this angle and distance, he couldn't quite reach it's collar to look at its tag. He turned to the ones he could get to instead. The first one he looked at was the wolfdog looking one. Her collar was one of those chain-collars, the ones where when the dog pulled the collar would tighten. On one of the rings was her name tag.

'Casper' it read in semi-cursive lettering like a ghost wrote it. He pets her head, saying her name to her. She leaned back to lay flat out, shoulder landing on his thigh and head flopping over his lap and one of the dogs already there. He chuckled then paused when he saw a blank spot in her fur. Now that he saw her closer and straight out it wasn't a spot but a long line. It started a bit behind an ear with a chunk missing and traveled down her neck, over her shoulders and spine to end over her opposite hip. He gently brushed the fur aside to see a thick fully healed scar. Her long fluffy fur had hidden it well enough he hadn't realized she even had a scar. Poor thing. He gently pets down the scar a few times before moving to the next dog.

The Great Dane-looking one was the next closest, being the one that volunteered for the pillow position, but he already knew his name. He pats the dog's side with a small cooed 'Braxi-boy'. The dog gave its tail a few sleepy wags before going back to sleep, the jaw of his heavy head digging into Damian's shoulder. He looked at the dog on his chest next. It's the stocky red-brown one with the splash-acid-burn scar on its jaw. Her collar was a, now old and worn, bandanna with the name lovingly stitched into it. 'Dingo' it read. The stitching was a bit sloppy and not very even, giving the impression it either wasn't someone at all skilled in needlework or it was a child's best attempt. He ran his hand down the sloppy stitches and smiled softly. Dingo didn't wake when he pets her with her name on his lips.

The Shepard and Boxer were both out of his reach by and over his legs, but he was just able to read the tag hanging from the Boxer's collar. 'Diesel'. He chuckled. With the black-brown-tan-grey coloring in stripey lines (what was that called? It had a name. Bridle? Bindle? Bundle? It started with a 'B' and ended with an '-dle') covering he had a good guess where the name came from. He rubbed the sleeping dog with his foot as best he could. That just left the Shepard.

He tried to figure out how to read its tag without disturbing the dogs using him as both a pillow and bed when the dog in question got up with a stretch and wide yawn. He watched it as it walked closer and plopped itself down on the pile, ending up pushing one dog a bit further away from him to press between the two. The disturbed dog whipped its head up with an annoyed grunt but flopped back down without further protest. Damian chuckled.

"Well. That works too." He looked at the Shepard's collar, its name was on a plate screwed into the collar itself. 'Tater'. Was that supposed to be 'potato' with a heavy country accent? Thats amazing. He cooed her name while he pets her ears, gaining a sleepy huff and a few tail wags in response. Satisfied with knowing the dogs’ names (he made a point not to look at the towel burrito on the counter) he yawned widely, causing a chain reaction through all the awake or partially awake dogs around him.

That's how his flock found him in their panicked search for him: curled up on the floor of the medical bay with a pack of collared predators piled on and around him. He was snoring. He was dead asleep and snoring. Damian may have gotten relaxed enough to sleep properly and not the 'barely deeper than dose' than he had been before his birds, but it was always either a light sleep or complete unconsciousness because of some other factor like exhaustion or fresh wounds. This is the first time any of his flock had seen him sleep with actual rest like he should.

Ree cautiously walked over and nudged an arm. Normally that was enough to wake him if he wasn't completely unconscious but not this time. Ree blinked in surprise then nudged a bit harder. Damian didn't respond. He glanced at the rest of the flock, unsure. Ares waddled over, barely keeping himself from tripping over tails and paws as he did. He then crouched down, grabbed Damian's wrist with both his tiny paws and lifted it. He then promptly dropped it. The dog it fell onto grunted and shifted, causing more dogs to grumble and shift, but Damian didn't even twitch. His snores stuttered for a second when Dingo shifted on his chest but resumed normally soon after.

He and I had a beautiful union for a few months until we had some conflict which drove us apart. We were reflecting unhealed parts of ourselves on each other and both ended up triggered from it. This led to a soft separation for a month and a half. His feelings were so conflicted the whole time. In a span of a few days he was talking about a future with me, missing me terribly, and then with little to no contact in the days between he broke up with me saying he couldn’t get over the fight we had saying that he wasn’t able to heal from it. During the breakup conversation which started off very calmly, him acknowledging the love he has for me, wanting to remain friends, how hard it was for him, but as the conversation went on he got overwhelmed and incredibly angry blocked me.
It’s been almost two weeks since that happened and I haven’t heard from him but I still feel his energy. I wanted to give his things back to him and figured I would drop them off at his car at work. Last night I wrote a letter apologizing for the things I did that hurt him, letting him know how much I value him and cherish the growth he inspired in me, how I’ll always have a piece of him with me in that. I wrote it as though those were the last words I’d ever say to him. I told him if he chooses to reconnect we can do so as friends and I will approach it as though we were meeting for the first time (because in his breakup text he did mention wanting to still be friends before he got angry with me). I ended the letter with “if we don’t cross paths again in this life I’ll be looking for you in the next.” It was closure.
I was going to deliver this to him today along with some flowers (because I always told him he made me feel like one and I felt like it would be a nice gesture). I woke up and felt my heart pounding in my chest. It did this for hours. My entire body feels weighed down so heavily. I’m generally calm but keep getting waves of emotions that don’t feel like they’re coming from me. It’s to the point I’m physically incapable of going over there to drop his things off to him because I literally feel so heavy. I’ve had a lot of water. I’ve eaten. I slept more than I normally do so I can’t think of any actual reason to feel like this. I wanted to just go over there and have it done with.
It feels like he could sense what I wanted to do. He could feel me trying to pull my energy away and letting go and he’s trying to stop me because maybe he’s not ready for that, to see his things back, to get that letter. Maybe not emotionally ready because he’s hurt or angry still, maybe not wanting to face such closure. I don’t know but it’s the only thing I can think of.

Hey so someone had sent me a fake check through my email and I never accepted it or nun cause it was soooo obviously photoshopped, and now I got a number threatening to get me k**** ? 💀 I checked the numbers they had messaged me with and I’m positive they’re fake, but I do have their one real number still in my blocked list. Is it possible for them to track my phone down or are they just trying scare me? Also it’s been like… an hour. So like idk what they doing 😭