One of the hardest questions to answer on this subreddit is when people ask what their itinerary should be, followed by questions on what an appropriate budget would be, and then suggestions on hidden gems.
The TL;DR is that all three questions need more details if you want them to be answered.
"But kmrbtravel!" you say, "I need an itinerary if I want a budget, and a budget if I want to make an itinerary! It's all so overwhelming, and I don't know where to start! Oh but I also want to find places that have little to no tourists and are your secret hidden gems, just for that variety!"
I'm hoping this post will be a good starting point for the people above but also to let people know that for the vast majority of us, the 'basic' things recommended on Google and YouTube will be perfect! Travelling Japan is fun because there are so many things to be distracted by, and you will be spending a lot of your time wandering and trying things out, even without a detailed itinerary.

About Me

I write this spiel every time, but I'm a 25F solo traveller with friends I stay with in Japan. Played a Japanese martial art for years, and I visit Japan 3-4x every year (usually 1-2 weeks in April, 1 week in September, 1-2 weeks in late Oct/early Nov, and 1 month in December).
I'm currently on a mission to visit all 47 prefectures across Japan, and I'm at 9 right now (Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, Shimane, Mie, Hiroshima, Okayama, Hyogo, and most recently Nagoya). You can read about my biggest and craziest trip here (especially if you're looking for suggestions outside of Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka!)
I speak and understand very basic and noob Japanese. Enough for me to get around, barely enough for me to talk to random obaasans in the onsen who are curious about my travels. I can read hiragana/katakana, and kanji still eludes me (but we'll get there!)
One thing to note about me is that I'm mostly temple/shrine oriented when I travel Japan, so I personally cannot answer questions regarding things like museums/amusement parks/etc.

What Makes Planning a Japan Trip So Hard? (And why is it harder for us to answer your questions?)

Out of any other country that I've visited, I genuinely believe that Japan has the most variety in terms of what you can do and see and can cater wildly to different kinds of people, which sometimes makes it very difficult for us to give you detailed answers. While we all have the same goal of 'exploring Japan,' I personally want to give the best answers possible. I will have different suggestions (and routes!) depending on if you can walk 30,000 steps/day, if you have young kids, if you like anime, if you like martial arts, if you like nature and hiking, if you like shrines/temples, if you don't mind crowds, if you want to just do what everyone else is doing, if you want to do more traditional things, etc. etc. This is why general questions on 'what should my itinerary be' can never fully be answered. We are not mind readers, but we're happy to help with more information.
'They all sound good to me though, and that's why I can't choose!'
Unfortunately, the reality is that you will have to choose by some point. Japan is so much fun because there is an endless amount of things to do, and you have to pick what sounds the most entertaining to you. After 9 prefectures and multiple visits to Japan, I have very, very little things that I personally didn't enjoy. We do not know who you are, and we do not know your preferences. You need to either pick for us, or give us that guidance so we can suggest appropriate itineraries for you.
In harsher terms, for the vast majority of us, an AI-made itinerary, or suggestions from Google or YouTube will satisfy your trip. What us humans can do on Reddit, is to give you specific suggestions, but we cannot give specific suggestions if you do not provide us with (somewhat) specific questions.

1. The Budget Question

I have travelled Japan with less than ¥2000/day, and have travelled with more than ¥20,000/day. The great thing about Japan is that you have the option to do both. Are you broke after plane tickets + hotels? No worries, there are tons of free sightseeing options and you can konbini or street food breakfast/lunch/dinner for very little. Do you want to splurge because this is your 'once-in-a-lifetime-trip?' Don't worry! There are tons of ways for you to sink your money in.
But to be more helpful, I'll break it down just a bit further. After hotels/planes, these are the biggest money sinks:

• Transportation: while transit isn't groundbreakingly expensive, if you're moving a lot and jumping around stations, it can add up. I usually charge around ¥10,000-20,000 per trip (for day-to-day transportation)
  • The big bank-breaking transportation though is of course, the Shinkansen. If you are moving between cities via the bullet train, you need to keep this in mind and weave it into your budget.
  • Other options include:
    • Night bus: pros (usually cheap), cons (you basically waste a day because you're EXHAUSTED the next day)
    • Local subway lines: pros (faster than the bus), cons (do not come on with big luggage and there is a very real chance you may have to stand 3+ hours if it's a busy line—which happened to me in Hiroshima)
    • Day bus: pros (cheap and you don't have to force yourself to sleep), cons (you literally waste a day travelling to get to your location)
• Food: while I'm personally not a fan of Japanese food myself, I still find all sorts of ways to open my wallet with cool cafes, street food, AYCE BBQ, and just general meals.
  • I've found most meals cost between ¥500-2500, though you can do cheaper with konbini-only or street stall foods. Japan is great because even their cheapest options tend to be pretty high quality.
• Tickets/experiences: renting kimonos, Ghibli museums or parks, TeamLabs, amusement parks, Shibuya Sky/Tokyo ToweSkyTree, (some) temples/shrines, gardens, castles, etc. all cost money. We have no idea what you want to do, so you'd need to provide this sort of information for us.
• Ryokans: I know I said 'excluding hotels,' but if you want a traditional ryokan experience, these tend to be much costlier than most other cheap hotel options. I personally still travel like a broke university student and rarely pay over ¥5000/night for a hotel, unless it's peak travel season, so a ryokan is out of my budget. But if you want to experience one, put it in your estimate!
• Souvenirs: if you're bad with money like me, you will be purchasing a lot of souvenirs. As a Canadian, I cannot fathom what on earth people would even want from Canada minus a bucket of maple syrup, but there are tons of options in Japan, all of which adds up quite quickly.
  • Goshuin: I am writing a massive post on goshuin/goshuincho, but Himekat has some great guides if you're not sure what they are.
  • Snacks: great, cheap gifts to get for friends and family. You're lying to yourself if you say you're not going to blitz through a Donki (Don Quijote—a chain of budget/discount stores across Japan that has everything you can possible want) for souvenirs. (It is a scarring but necessary experience for all those visiting Japan).
  • Omamori/omikuji/ema: omamori are those charms (I'm personally wearing a beaaaautiful one from Asagaya Shinmeigu) that are sold at temples and shrines, omikuji are the luck/fortune draws, and ema are those wooden tablets where you can write down a wish. I personally always write one at Meiji Jingu (Tokyo) and Itsukushima Jinja (Hiroshima)!
  • I've personally never shopped at Uniqlo, but I heard it's cheaper in Japan(?). Stationery fans will also be headed towards Loft and Tokyu Hands, I'm sure.
• Arcades: In North America, arcades are those money-wasting things you take your kids to every once in a while and a sure way to lose $1-2 each time. In Japan, arcades are everywhere and you can actually win prizes (a lot of them!) I usually average around ¥2000-4000 per prize. I know some people are totally turned off by anime and don't want any figures or prizes of the sort, but many of us will find ourselves plastered between a cute plushie and the windows inside of a blinding GIGO. Plan some wiggle room, because I find this to usually be an unexpected money sink!
• Gacha: you will be spending money on some gacha machines. You've been warned.

I'm probably forgetting things (and will update as I remember them), but Japan is REALLY good at chipping away at your wallet little bits at a time. It's not like Europe or North America where your cost is just expensive food + an expensive experience. Japan is a lot of cheap, little things that adds up quickly.
Some prices are baked in/unchanging (e.g. TeamLabs tickets or Shinkansen tickets), but many of those 'smaller things that adds up' can be quite random. I always add up my expected costs, subtract it from my total budget, and divide the remainder with the days I will be in Japan for.

• E.g.: 10 day trip to Japan, total budget left: $1000 CAD (after Shinkansen, plane, hotel, Ghibli museum, USJ, SkyTree, etc.) = $100 CAD/day. I also give myself a $200 'emergency shopping fund' for something I REALLY want that's outside of my budget.

2. The Itinerary Question

There are tons of great itineraries on YouTube and Google and I promise you, most of them are good enough for you to just copy/paste and experience. Use us for specific questions you may have in regards to them (e.g. I'm planning on going to xyz on abc dates, is there anything to keep in mind?) (and then we can inform you of any closures, tips, tricks, etc.).
As someone who travels a lot, I want to point out that hotspots are hot for a reason and the ones in Japan are all worth going to unless you can somehow tell it's not going to be your thing (and that's ok!) or you have a serious aversion to crowds.
How one makes an itinerary is always varied, but as someone who's good at going with the flow when travelling (and often plans very last minute), this is how I usually rumble:
0. BRING AN EMPTY SUITCASE: I usually have a slightly smaller suitcase inside of my big suitcase, and the smaller suitcase has all of my clothes + shoes. If you do this, please cover or cushion the wheels of your smaller suitcase inside. I have no idea what happens in the cargo, but I've smashed the wheels of two small suitcases (even though they were fine when they're not inside the larger suitcase). I usually just put some shoes/scarves/dark hoodies for cushioning.

• 1. Pin your itinerary on Google Maps or My Maps: this is my #1 tip for all travellers!
  • This allows you to visualize which areas you will be staying at the most. It allows for you to group your days based on distance (excluding ticket-oriented events with specific dates), find a suitable place for accommodation, and allows you to estimate the distance for your travels.
  • Google Maps: sign into your account, go to Google Maps, and click on the location of your itinerary → Save → New List (if you want) → make a list for your trip! The points will be visible next time you open a map.
  • My Maps: I use this more for archival purposes, but can be useful too :)
• 2. Pick a hotel: your home base. I prefer accommodations that are close to a station. While I never go back to the hotel to drop things off/refresh, I've found that I really didn't enjoy walking the 10-15 minutes back 'home' after 20-30k steps. On the flip side, there are genuinely really nice and more affordable hotels if you don't mind walking that distance.
  • Architecturally, Japan's buildings tend to be much smaller (narrower) compared to North American structures. For Tokyo especially, many budget hotels have very little floor space, which can make opening your luggage and packing really difficult. I've found hotels near popular stations to be smaller and more expensive, but convenient. Hotels some 10-15 minute walk away (which may not sound like much, but I promise you will feel after travelling Japan) tend to be slightly larger and slightly cheaper, but I've also been to a few that did not have any konbinis nearby (a very first world problem, but I live and breathe konbinis)
  • Outside of Tokyo though (even in Osaka/Kyoto), I've had less issues with hotel floor sizes.
  • You should also choose a place that is close to your itinerar(ies), if possible. This is more a 'winter travel tip' than a spring/summer one, but when daylight is tight and you want to get as many things done with limited sunlight, you do not want to waste daylight commuting if you can help it. Obviously some limitations.

My itinerary recommendations are nothing special as I literally pick things off Google. But hotspots are hot for a reason, and these were some of my favourites for Tokyo and Kyoto!

• Tokyo:
  • Nippon Budokan (for my martial arts fans!), Akihabara (for my weebs!)
  • I usually lap Meiji Jingu, Takeshita-dori, Yoyogi Park, and sometimes Omotesando (for shopping) togetheon the same day as they are all right next to each other! Going from the bustling streets of Harajuku/Takeshitadori to the peaceful forest of Meiji Jingu will always give me whiplash.
  • Shibuya, Shibuya Sky, Shibuya 109, Hachiko Statue, I personally didn't find Shibuya Crossing too special but whatever, along with the Nintendo Store + Pokemon Centre + Jump Store + Capcom Store. There's also Loft/Tokyo Hands for my stationery fanatics. Shibuya is massive and can take more than a day to explore if you really enjoy shopping.
  • I also usually walk from Sensoji to SkyTree, but your feet may hate you. You'll also be able to pass by the Asahi Beer Hall (affectionately called 'The Golden Poo' by my Japanese friends).
  • TeamLab Planets was probably the one non-sightseeing touristy thing I did, and I loved it!
  • Ikebukuro: I personally don't think you need to go out of your way for Ikebukuro but if you develop a gambling addiction from the gacha machines there, Sunshine City has the most gacha capsule machines in the world! (They also have tons of other stores like a Mugiwara Store, Crayon Shin-Chan, Pokemon stores, etc.)
• Kyoto:
  • MY HOME BASE (as it is where my best friend lives) and also my favourite city as I am a shrine enthusiast!
  • Fushimi Inari: I climb this place every trip to Japan without fail. There is nothing view-worthy at the top so feel free to turn around at the viewpoint/halfway point! If you hate yourself like me, you can reach the top and pray for safe passages :)
    • This is my biggest pet peeve: PLEASE DO NOT BLOCK THE PATH TO TAKE PICTURES. I PROMISE you, it looks exactly the same at the bottom as it does in the middle and the top. Unless you have some sort of physical ailment that only lets you explore the bottom, PLEASE KEEP MOVING AND STOP BLOCKING THE PATH.
  • Kiyomizudera: along with Ninnenzaka and Sannenzaka is always busy and chaotic, but I still very much enjoy it and you'll definitely get the feeling of 'wow, I'm in a really traditional part of Japan!'
    • Two suggestions that I don't see as much love as Kiyomizudera, but is still close is Yasaka Jinja and Chionin. I personally think Yasaka Jinja looks stunning at night with all its lanterns. At Chionin, everything looks sarcastically large (the gate, the steps, the temple) but I still really love it!
  • Kinkakuji: I will never understand why people say it's not that great when I've seen it 3+ times and I still think the gold looks incredible. Where else are you going to see a fully gold temple?! Sure it's a little out of the way, but I still think it's worth it. The gold is beautiful on a clear blue day. I know there's 'not much else to do and the loop is short' but the gold is still amazing to me (more below)
  • Ginkakuji: a really peaceful, beautifully designed pavilion. It was actually my first time visiting in my last trip and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The path leading up feels like a mini-sannenzaka, with smaller stores and eateries.
  • Arashiyama: one of my favourite places of all time in Kyoto although I do not recommend the bamboo forest and it is ironically my least favourite part of Arashiyama. Instead, I recommend:
    • Kyoto Arashiyama Orgel Museum: cute music boxes, I personally have one of Yonezu Kenshi's Lemon!
    • Nisonin Temple and Seiryoji: you may not appreciate it as much as I do if you don't love temples, but if you're not a fan of crowds I find these two way less busy (but also much more walking to get to). If you visit Seiryoji, there is a garden at the back of the temple (take the slippers and open the door). Nice cool breeze there always!
    • Monkey Park: monkeys! A bit of a hike.
    • Tenryuji: honestly not my favourite place in the world but people seem to like it
    • I usually do not have food recommendations for Japan, BUT I personally believe Arashiyama has some of the best eats!
  • Kinkakuji / Ryoanji / Ninnaji: okay I know I already mentioned Kinkakuji, but the complaint I hear the most is 'it's so far out of the way and there's nothing else there!' WRONG, if you want be stuffed full of awesome temples, I highly suggest the Kinkakuji → Ryoanji → Ninnaji route!
    • Ryoanji: is famous for its stone garden. One of my favourite gardens to study architecturally and design-wise (search up why before you go, and test it out!)
    • Ninnaji: definitely not visited as much by foreign tourists BUT I personally think it has one of the best indoor loops with long walkways and a gorgeous garden that it loops around. If I had a 'hidden gem' for foreign tourists, this would be the one I'm willing to share! (Also a 3 min bus ride from Ryoanji).
  • One place I do NOT recommend minus sakura season is Philosopher's Walk. I passed through it multiple times until someone pointed out it's actually a popular tourist attraction (??) I would not go out of my way for this at all. It looks like any other road in Japan. I don't even know if I'd recommend it during sakura season because there are so many beautiful streets for them everywhere.
  • Other places to check out are Kyoto Station (sick architecture), Tofukuji (especially during fall), Shijo-Kawaramachi (the downtown area of Kyoto), Shimogamo Jinja (another one of my 'hidden gems'—it's an extremely famous and popular shrine, but I rarely see foreign tourists for some reason), and Kitano Tenmangu (if you're a student—this is the studying god!)

3. The 'Hidden Gem' Question

If this is your first trip to Japan, you don't need hidden gems (unless they're food-specific). The major sightseeing attractions are popular for a reason and will be more than enough unless you're literally here for months.
Secondly, and more importantly, I've realized that 'hidden gems' are pretty personal to an individual's tastes. For example, I revealed a few of my hidden gem shrines and temples a few months ago, and immediately got immediately told that it's not actually very great. Well yeah, but that's why it was a hidden gem for me, because I loved it. We will not know what a 'hidden gem' means for you unless you specify the type. Are we looking for hidden gems that are about food? Temples? Specific anime references?
I can promise you that 99% of places worth going to are already spread across social media, and they're popular for good reasons. I personally don't think it's worth travelling far or trying spend so much time and effort looking for that 1%, especially on a first trip.
Lastly, I personally do not reveal my hidden gems unless I know you in person or it's a small business that may appreciate more support. While you may disagree, I think overtourism/overcrowding is pretty real in Japan right now, and I'm hesitant to put smaller places up on public platforms.
With that being said though, for tourists who have already been to Japan and want 'hidden gems' beyond Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka, I highly recommend the Kyushu/Chugoku region trip that I did back in January. I don't have specific itinerary 'hidden gems' but I definitely have 'hidden prefectures' that I loved (and even preferred) to Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka! (They're not actually hidden, just less visited compared to the trifecta).
Full itinerary/trip report here.
My itinerary for these prefectures are nothing special and none of them are 'hidden gems' as they're literally the most popular attractions for each place. But a. I think this proves that the 'top search' on Google is perfectly fine (because that's what I did, and I had an amazing time), and b. the popular attractions are very much worth going to.
There is a special promotion for foreign tourists that lets you take the bus to and from Shimane to Hiroshima for only 1000 yen, and the bus is only around 3 hrs from Izumo to Hiroshima! You can either start in Kyoto and move down, or start in Hiroshima and move up. I did all in 6 days which I do NOT recommend because I had to rush / clocked 30k+ steps in every day / thought I was going to die by the last day / was in a new prefecture every day.

1. Kyoto → Osaka → Kobe → Himeji → Okayama → Izumo → Hiroshima
2. Hiroshima → Izumo → Okayama → Himeji → Kobe → Osaka → Kyoto

Other prefectures nearby that are worth checking out are Nara and Mie.

Thanks for reading!

If you made it to the end, thanks for reading and I hope this was helpful. I definitely don't know everything about Japan and tons of people have amazing tips (that I still learn from every day). This was hopefully to help address some of the more common issues / repeated questions that people had. The TLDR is really just that we need specifics on who YOU are for us to answer your questions better, especially if you're looking for 'hidden gems' that are specific to your interests.
Have an amazing trip, everyone!

Hello!
I had been wanting to get diagnosed for such a long time. Even when I was still in HS, I've always had irregular periods but didn't mind because I thought it's normal to skip some months. I didn't have any other symptoms that time. Now that I'm in my 20s, especially last year, I gained 7-8 kg in a span of few months despite not eating so much and being careful with what I eat. 🥺 Last year, I consulted a dermatologist because of my severe acne (my 2nd breakout overall). Took Isotretinoin for 6 months. I'm kinda scared of "relapse". Huhu I hate it when I had the courage to seek help for my acne but did not go right away to OBGYNE huhu but it's been 6 months since my LAST PERIOD (OCT 2023) I knew something was wrong. Maybe worse!! So this month, I finally consulted a doctor, had my lipid profiles, creatinine, TSH and ultrasound.
And yes, I was damn right. I have PCOS on both ovaries and thickened endometrium. I was so scared. I kept crying every single day.
My doctor has been so gentle and caring. She's so friendly, did not scare me at all and reassured me that everything will be okay and I just need to put in more effort.
I was prescribed PROVERA for 10 days and Mypicos (myo-inositol) twice a day, 12 boxes so good for 6 mos. So expensive huhu anyway, I'm so happy I wasn't given the choice to use birth control pill. ❣️ I've seen lots of comments saying it's a red flag if a doctor opts for a pill right away. So hopefully this can be effective for me! Anyway, she told me we'll do the ultrasound annually which means we'll check my ovaries next year. Is it normal? I thought it's like a monthly visit to the doctor for monitoring or at least 3-6 months, but she said it's 1 year before I visit her again. I'm just surprised because I've never been in this situation. How about you guys? How often do you visit your doctors and do the ultrasound?
I hope I can lose weight, have a regular period and feel better now. ☺️☺️ God bless to us PCOS warriors!
Thank you ❣️
P.S When she saw that my THS level is normal, she said it's PCOS not a thyroid issue. But actually, I want to try the full hormone panel. It's costly, right? But I heard some say that sometimes the TSH turns out normal, but T3 /T4 are not.

Hello!
I had been wanting to get diagnosed for such a long time. Even when I was still in HS, I've always had irregular periods but didn't mind because I thought it's normal to skip some months. I didn't have any other symptoms that time. Now that I'm in my 20s, especially last year, I gained 7-8 kg in a span of few months despite not eating so much and being careful with what I eat. 🥺 Last year, I consulted a dermatologist because of my severe acne (my 2nd breakout overall). Took Isotretinoin for 6 months. I'm kinda scared of "relapse". Huhu I hate it when I had the courage to seek help for my acne but did not go right away to OBGYNE huhu but it's been 6 months since my LAST PERIOD (OCT 2023) I knew something was wrong. Maybe worse!! So this month, I finally consulted a doctor, had my lipid profiles, creatinine, TSH and ultrasound.
And yes, I was damn right. I have PCOS on both ovaries and thickened endometrium. I was so scared. I kept crying every single day.
My doctor has been so gentle and caring. She's so friendly. Shoutout to Dr. Gypsy Tabora from Cebu/Mandaue City! 🫶 She did not scare me and reassured me that everything will be okay and I just need to put in more effort.
I was prescribed PROVERA for 10 days and Mypicos (myo-inositol) twice a day, 12 boxes so good for 6 mos. So expensive huhu anyway, I'm so happy I wasn't given the choice to use birth control pill. ❣️ I've seen lots of comments saying it's a red flag if a doctor opts for a pill right away. So hopefully this can be effective for me! Anyway, she told me we'll do the ultrasound annually which means we'll check my ovaries next year. Is it normal? I thought it's like a monthly visit to the doctor for monitoring or at least 3-6 months, but she said it's 1 year before I visit her again. I'm just surprised because I've never been in this situation. How about you guys? How often do you visit your doctors and do the ultrasound?
I hope I can lose weight, have a regular period and feel better now. ☺️☺️ God bless to us PCOS warriors!
Thank you ❣️
P.S When she saw that my THS level is normal, she said it's PCOS not a thyroid issue. But actually, I want to try the full hormone panel. It's costly, right? But I heard some say that sometimes the TSH turns out normal, but T3 /T4 are not.

Bridges

With the proliferation of L1 blockchains and L2 scaling solutions, alongside an ever-growing number of decentralized applications going cross-chain, the need for communication and asset movement across chains has become an essential part of network infrastructure. Different types of bridges exist to help make this possible.

Need for Bridges

Bridges exist to connect blockchain networks. They enable connectivity and interoperability between blockchains.
Blockchains exist in siloed environments, meaning there is no way for blockchains to trade and communicate with other blockchains naturally. As a result, while there could be significant activity and innovation within an ecosystem, it is limited by the lack of connectivity and interoperability with other ecosystems.
Bridges offer a way for isolated blockchain environments to connect with each other. They establish a transportation route between blockchains where tokens, messages, arbitrary data, and even smart contract calls can be transferred from one chain to another.

Benefits of Bridges

Put simply, bridges unlock numerous use cases by allowing blockchain networks to exchange data and move assets between them.
Blockchains have unique strengths, weaknesses, and approaches to building applications (such as speed, throughput, costliness, etc.). Bridges help the development of ecosystems by enabling blockchains to leverage the innovations of each other.
For developers, bridges enable the following:

• the transfer of any data, information, and assets across chains.
• unlocking new features and use cases for protocols as bridges expand the design space for what protocols can offer. For example, a protocol for yield farming originally deployed on the Electroneum Smart Chain can offer liquidity pools across all EVM-compatible chains.
• the opportunity to leverage the strengths of different blockchains. For example, developers can benefit from the lower fees offered by the different L2 solutions by deploying their dapps across rollups and sidechains, and users can bridge across them.
• collaboration among developers from various blockchain ecosystems to build new products.
• attracting users and communities from various ecosystems to their dapps.

How do Bridges work?

While there are many types of bridge designs↗, three ways to facilitate the cross-chain transfer of assets stand out:

• Lock and mint – Lock assets on the source chain and mint assets on the destination chain.
• Burn and mint – Burn assets on the source chain and mint assets on the destination chain.
• Atomic swaps – Swap assets on the source chain for assets on the destination chain with another party.

Bridge Types

Bridges can usually be classified into one of the following buckets:

• Native bridges – These bridges are typically built to bootstrap liquidity on a particular blockchain, making it easier for users to move funds to the ecosystem.
• Validator or oracle based bridges – These bridges rely on an external validator set or oracles to validate cross-chain transfers.
• Generalised message passing bridges – These bridges can transfer assets, along with messages and arbitrary data across chains.
• Liquidity networks – These bridges primarily focus on transferring assets from one chain to another via atomic swaps. Generally, they don’t support cross-chain message passing.

Trade-offs to consider

With bridges, there are no perfect solutions. Rather, there are only trade-offs made to fulfil a purpose. Developers and users can evaluate bridges based on the following factors:

• Security – Who verifies the system? Bridges secured by external validators are typically less secure than bridges that are locally or natively secured by the blockchain’s validators.
• Convenience – How long does it take to complete a transaction, and how many transactions did a user need to sign? For a developer, how long does it take to integrate a bridge, and how complex is the process?
• Connectivity – What are the different destination chains a bridge can connect (i.e., rollups, sidechains, other layer 1 blockchains, etc.), and how hard is it to integrate a new blockchain?
• Ability to pass more complex data – Can a bridge enable the transfer of messages and more complex arbitrary data across chains, or does it only support cross-chain asset transfers?
• Cost-effectiveness – How much does it cost to transfer assets across chains via a bridge? Typically, bridges charge a fixed or variable fee depending on gas costs and the liquidity of specific routes. It is also critical to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a bridge based on the capital required to ensure its security.

At a high level, bridges can be categorised as trusted and trustless.

• Trusted – Trusted bridges are externally verified. They use an external set of verifiers (Federations with multi-sig, multi-party computation systems, oracle network) to send data across chains. As a result, they can offer great connectivity and enable fully generalised message passing across chains. They also tend to perform well with speed and cost-effectiveness. This comes at the cost of security, as users have to rely on the security of the bridge.
• Trustless – These bridges rely on the blockchains they are connecting and their validators to transfer messages and tokens. They are 'trustless' because they do not add new trust assumptions (in addition to the blockchains). As a result, trustless bridges are considered to be more secure than trusted bridges.

To evaluate trustless bridges based on other factors, we must break them down into generalised message passing bridges and liquidity networks.

• Generalised message passing bridges – These bridges excel with security and the ability to transfer more complex data across chains. Typically, they are also good with cost-effectiveness. However, these strengths generally come at the cost of connectivity for light client bridges (ex: IBC) and speed drawbacks for optimistic bridges (ex: Nomad) that use fraud proofs.
• Liquidity networks – These bridges use atomic swaps for transferring assets and are locally verified systems (i.e., they use the underlying blockchains’ validators to verify transactions). As a result, they excel with security and speed. Moreover, they are considered comparatively cost-effective and offer good connectivity. However, the major tradeoff is their inability to pass more complex data – as they don’t support cross-chain message passing.

Risk with Bridges

Bridges account for the top three biggest hacks in DeFi↗ and are still in the early stages of development. Using any bridge carries the following risks:

• Smart contract risk – While many bridges have successfully passed audits, all it takes is one flaw in a smart contract for assets to be exposed to hacks (example: Solana’s Wormhole Bridge↗).
• Systemic financial risks – Many bridges use wrapped assets to mint canonical versions of the original asset on a new chain. This exposes the ecosystem to systemic risk, as we have seen wrapped versions of tokens exploited.
• Counterparty risk – Some bridges utilise a trusted design that requires users to rely on the assumption that validators will not collude to steal user funds. The need for users to trust these third-party actors exposes them to risks such as rug pulls, censorship, and other malicious activities.
• Open issues – Given that bridges are in the nascent stages of development, there are many unanswered questions related to how bridges will perform in different market conditions, like times of network congestion and during unforeseen events such as network-level attacks or state rollbacks. This uncertainty poses certain risks, the degree of which is still unknown.

How can Dapps use Bridges

Here are some practical applications that developers can consider about bridges and taking their dapp cross-chain:

Integrating bridges

For developers, there are many ways to add support for bridges:

1. Building your own bridge – Building a secure and reliable bridge is not easy, especially if you take a more trust-minimised route. Moreover, it requires years of experience and technical expertise related to scalability and interoperability studies. Additionally, it would require a hands-on team to maintain a bridge and attract sufficient liquidity to make it feasible.
2. Showing users multiple bridge options – Many dapps require users to have their native token to interact with them. To enable users to access their tokens, they offer different bridge options on their website. However, this method is a quick fix to the problem as it takes the user away from the dapp interface and still requires them to interact with other dapps and bridges. This is a cumbersome onboarding experience with the increased scope of making mistakes.
3. Integrating a bridge – This solution doesn’t require the dapp to send users to the external bridge and DEX interfaces. It allows dapps to improve the user onboarding experience. However, this approach has its limitations:

• Assessment and maintenance of bridges are hard and time-consuming.
• Selecting one bridge creates a single point of failure and dependency.
• The dapp is limited by the bridge’s capabilities.
• Bridges alone might not be enough. dapps might need DEXs to offer more functionality such as cross-chain swaps.

1. Integrating multiple bridges – This solution solves many problems associated with integrating a single bridge. However, it also has limitations, as integrating multiple bridges is resource-consuming and creates technical and communication overheads for developers—the scarcest resource in crypto.
2. Integrating a bridge aggregator – Another option for dapps is integrating a bridge aggregation solution that gives them access to multiple bridges. Bridge aggregators inherit the strengths of all the bridges and thus are not limited by any single bridge’s capabilities. Notably, the bridge aggregators typically maintain the bridge integrations, which saves the dapp from the hassle of staying on top of the technical and operational aspects of a bridge integration.

That being said, bridge aggregators also have their limitations. For instance, while they can offer more bridge options, many more bridges are typically available in the market other than those offered on the aggregator's platform. Moreover, just like bridges, bridge aggregators are also exposed to smart contract and technology risks (more smart contracts = more risks).
If a dapp goes down the route of integrating a bridge or an aggregator, there are different options based on how deep the integration is meant to be. For instance, if it’s only a front-end integration to improve the user onboarding experience, a dapp would integrate the widget. However, if the integration is to explore deeper cross-chain strategies like staking, yield farming, etc., the dapp integrates the SDK or API.

Deploying a dapp on multiple chains

To deploy a dapp on multiple chains, developers can use development platforms like Alchemy↗, Hardhat↗, Truffle↗, Moralis↗, etc. Typically, these platforms come with composable plugins that can enable dapps to go cross-chain. For instance, developers can use a deterministic deployment proxy offered by the hardhat-deploy plugin↗.
Examples:

• How to build cross-chain dapps↗
• Building a Cross-Chain NFT Marketplace↗
• Moralis: Building cross-chain NFT dapps↗

Monitoring contract activity across chains

To monitor contract activity across chains, developers can use subgraphs and developer platforms like Tenderly to observe smart contracts in real-time. Such platforms also have tools that offer greater data monitoring functionality for cross-chain activities, such as checking for events emitted by contracts↗, etc.
Tools

• The Graph↗
• Tenderly↗

Further Reading

• Blockchain Bridges – ethereum.org
• Blockchain Bridges: Building Networks of Cryptonetworks↗ Sep 8, 2021 – Dmitriy Berenzon
• The Interoperability Trilemma↗ Oct 1, 2021 – Arjun Bhuptani
• Clusters: How Trusted & Trust-Minimized Bridges Shape the Multi-Chain Landscape↗ Oct 4, 2021 – Mustafa Al-Bassam
• LI.FI: With Bridges, Trust is a Spectrum↗ Apr 28, 2022 – Arjun Chand

Additionally, here are some insightful presentations by James Prestwich↗ that can help develop a deeper understanding of bridges:

• Building Bridges, Not Walled Gardens↗
• Breaking Down Bridges↗
• Why are the Bridges Burning↗

Oh, boy, Charlotte, do I have a doozy for you. It’s such a doozy that it comes in 2 parts. I guess it would qualify as petty revenge, since that’s the only flair that fit, but it’s more of an entitled Karen story.
For the sake of telling the story a little smoother, I'm going to explain some things up front. I (female, early 30s; let's call me Molly) am the manager in the accounting office of a very small loan company. Like, really small. We have less than 30 offices with only 2 employees at each office. For this reason, we are kind of low-tech, old-fashioned. I'm talking paper timesheets that get faxed to our office (we're also the corporate office that handles the payroll). Our office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a half-hour lunch. Me & my employee (who we'll call Sally) work this shift. Our boss (who we'll call Greg) is the owner & CEO. He works in the office starting at 9:00 a.m. till whenever he leaves for the day. Most of the time, that's around the time we leave, sometimes it's earlier due to errands he needs to run.
So, in Oct 2022, Sally (female, early 30s) gave us a note that her doctor wants to have daily appointments with her indefinitely. She let us know she would need to leave at 3:30 every day. Greg granted that request & even gave her the opportunity to come in early so she didn't miss any of her 8 hours each day. So, she began coming to work between 6:45 & 7:00 & would take however long of a lunch she needed to so she would have an 8-hour day.
Due to a combination of our fiscal year-end work in Oct & Nov 2022, playing catch-up from Dec 2022 to Feb 2023, & the other coworker (who we'll call Irene) leaving the company in Feb 2023 so we had to play catch-up again for several months before we got used to the bigger workload, I hadn't been able to pay too close attention to Sally's work. But in the middle of Aug 2023, I began to suspect her. I realized that the tasks Sally had in the morning would usually take me an hour & a half to do, which meant I would be relatively finished by the time I would arrive at 8:30. Sally, on the other hand, would only have stuff halfway done. Now, I knew Sally worked slower than me since I knew the job better than she did, but this still seemed very slow. I began to suspect Sally was either not arriving as early as she said she was (she was the only one in the office before 8:30) or she was arriving on time but wasn't working.
On Aug 21 (Monday), I decided to come in early to the office since I had to make up time due to a doctor appointment later in the week. So, I arrived at work at 6:40. 6:45 rolled around...no Sally. 6:50...no Sally. 7:00...same thing. Sally arrived at 7:20. Now, ok, maybe she ran into traffic. However, that's a bit of a coincidence that the one day I show up early unannounced is also the day she happens to be late. But I waited to see what time Sally would write down on the timesheet. However, she didn't write down her time until Tuesday right before she left. She had written down that she had arrived at 7:05. I asked her about it, and her response was "I must have copied it down wrong from my spreadsheet." That's strange, 'cause you hadn't arrived at 7:05 any other day that week. Just where did you copy it down from?
Now, I am curious as to what time Sally puts down when she believes no one has seen what time she arrives. So, for Sept 4-15, I would arrive in the parking lot across the street & read a book & eat breakfast while I wait to see what time Sally would arrive. Every single day, she would arrive around 7:15 or 7:20, but would write down 6:45 or 6:50, a half hour discrepancy every single day. & we have no way of knowing how long she's been stealing a half hour every day. She could have been doing this for the past year since her schedule changed.
On Sept 18, I write down Sally's actual times from these 2 weeks on a paper & tell her to correct all the times I indicated. Sally says that she will use the office clock to write down her times from now on. Wait a minute, you're saying that your phone is a half hour earlier than the rest of the world? But only when you arrive at work. When you go to lunch & leave work, it matches the rest of the clocks. & then switches during the night so your arrival time can be wrong again the next day? Wow, that's a pretty glitchy phone you got there.
On Sept 20 after Sally left, I installed a camera that connects to an app in my phone. I put the camera in a place where it wouldn't be able to see any computers/paperwork & turned off the microphone (I didn't want to risk any company info being seen/heard). I only needed to see when Sally arrived. Where I ended up placing it, I was able to see Sally where she sat at her desk.
On three of the following days, Sally would arrive 10 to 15 minutes after the time she would write down. I speak with Greg about this, & we decide to write her up. By the way, usually when an employee is caught forging the timesheet like this, it's an immediate termination. At any other office, she would have gotten fired in the beginning of Sept after I first discovered the half hour forgery. I am deciding to give her a chance to make this whole thing right.
On Sept 26 (Tuesday), I give Sally the write up when she arrives.
Sally: I'll sign it, but I don't know why. I mean, I get here at 7:00. (Ok, there's a sign right there. Who signs an official write up when their employer is lying or setting them up?)
Me: I've observed you arriving between 7:10 & 7:15.
Sally reads the write up & then keeps it at her desk for a bit after signing it. After plenty of time, I ask for it back. She grabs it, so I lean forward & hold my hand out (our desks are right next to each other), but Sally flings it at my desk. The whole thing is made better by the fact that Greg is out of town Tuesday thru Thursday. So, Sally proceeds to be angry & have an attitude all the way through Thursday. She refuses to talk or answer the phones. She does that tossing/flicking-papers-around, aggressive-typing, heavily-setting-things-down thing people do when they're frustrated or angry (which she did all...day...long). She sped out of the parking lot & down the street so fast that I could hear her engine rev & tires squeal from inside the building.
On Sept 27 (Wednesday), Sally is still doing that slamming things thing. I enjoy not responding to her whatsoever. I could see out of the corner of my eye that she would slam something down & look at me. I wouldn't give any kind of reaction, wouldn't look at her, & it would piss her off. Sally would then start slamming things around again. I admit, that was fun.
On Sept 28 (Thursday), I see on the camera that Sally arrives at 7:00, but then I watch her sit on her phone for 45 minutes! She is still having attitude issues, &—unbelievably—is still slamming things. After she leaves for the day, I then see the calendar that Sally keeps on her desk as I was passing by. On the box for Sept 26 (the day she was written up), she had written the words "F***ING JOKE!". The audacity of her to write that in plain view of everyone in the office & think she wouldn't get in trouble for it.
On Sept 29 (Friday), Sally arrives at 7:00 but sits on her phone for 30 minutes WHILE VAPING! (Not sure about other cities or states, but it's illegal to smoke or vape inside a building in the city where our office is.) But Greg is back this day, & I had been texting him what's been going on. He had texted back he wanted to do a meeting on Friday. So, the 3 of us go into the breakroom for a meeting.
Greg: So, Sally, what's been going on with this timesheet thing?
Sally: I just, I forget to write down the time when I arrive.
Greg: Ok, well, whether it's done on purpose or through negligence, we can't have wrong times on the timesheet. So, from now on, you won't be able to come to work before Molly gets here at 8:30. Now, are there any other problems you'd like to discuss with us?
Sally: (begins getting worked up) I just, I feel like I can't talk to her. She creates such a hostile work environment.
Now, I am blown away. Me? Hostile? I'm autistic, so I'm naturally shy & hate socializing, so I usually don't talk to anyone very much. Everyone I tell this story to, their eyes widen when I mention this, 'cause there's no way anyone would ever describe me as hostile.
Luckily, Greg interrupts her to defend me: This isn't a hostile work environment.
Sally: (backpedaling) Well, I mean, she gets mad at her printer & bangs on it, & that just flashes me back to stuff. I mean, I'm trying to work on myself & the anxiety, & she just sends me back.
Oh, so now, we're claiming we have PTSD & that my "violent" actions are giving her flashbacks? Um, who is it laughing right along with me every time my printer jams? (By the way, I know she's lying about the PTSD, 'cause I have a couple friends with PTSD & recognize the signs. Sally doesn't show any sign of fear or panic or shrinking away from things, nothing like that. There are no signs whatsoever of her being alarmed by anything I do.) Oh, not to mention the double standards. You're allowed to slam things around (for 3 straight days, by the way), but I'm not?
Anyway, we wrap up the meeting after Greg underlines (for Sally's benefit) that everyone in the office needs to get along.
On Oct 2 (the next Monday), I had a good drive & happened to get there at 8:20. Sally arrives at 8:25 & comes in, stopping at my desk.
Sally: (annoyed) Are you gonna be early all week?
Me: (frowning & caught off-guard) Um, I don't know. It just depends how long my drive takes.
Sally: (with a snarky attitude) 'Cause I had to keep driving around waiting for you, so if you're gonna be early, I'd like to know.
Ok, first of all, no one is forcing you to drive around. You can park your car in the parking lot. Do you really think we're gonna fire you for sitting in the parking lot while you wait for me? We only said you couldn't come in & work before I do. & second, it's none of your business when I get to work. My shift starts at 8:30, therefore, you should aim for 8:30, just like Greg told you to do. How am I supposed to predict the exact minute I get to work? & you're gonna get angry at me 'cause I didn't show up before my shift starts? Since when is it a requirement of mine to come into work before I start working?
Well, a bit of malicious compliance in this entitled story: if I can see I'm going to arrive at work more than 5 minutes early, I stop at the store just down the road & shop until 8:30. 'Cause guess what? Sally gets there who knows how early & sits in the gas station across the street, waiting for me. Fine, you wanna be that way? I can be petty, too.
By the way, Sally has a radio talk show she listens to from before I get to work until it ends at 10:00. I'm not into talk shows, but it wasn't too annoying (most of the time), so I didn't say anything about it. The reason why I started having a problem listening to it was that they would get into inappropriate things (s** toy review, for example). It made me super uncomfortable when they did segments like this. From the moment Sally was written up, she started only listening to the show on her headphones, thinking she was punishing me by me not getting to hear the show. Joke's on her. Sally did me a favor by not having to listen to that thing.
Sally was also told that she is no longer allowed to take smoke breaks on the clock. As no one else in the office takes breaks but chooses to work through them, this change would be made so all employees were equal now. But here’s the interesting thing: Sally suddenly stopped taking smoke breaks at all, but her bathroom breaks grew more numerous & longer. When she had been taking smoke breaks, the alarm on her phone would go off at specific times, such as 2:00. She would then go outside to take her smoke break. After the on-the-clock-smoke-break privilege was taken away, the same alarms would go off, such as 2:00. She would then disappear to the bathroom for 15 minutes. & I even smelled smoke in there when I went in there right after one of these long bathroom breaks.
Ever since the write up, there’s been attitude every once in a while. Most of the time, I have no idea what it is I did that could possibly have set her off that day. All I know is that Sally’s suddenly slamming things around again (hmm, PTSD cured now, is it?). & she’s still constantly making mistakes (like she’s always done).
On Nov 27, Sally is working on the Funding (loan proceeds funded onto a customer’s debit card). What we do is get the list of customers, determine how much the office funded that customer, transfer the money from the office’s bank account to the holding account, & then transfer the total from the holding account to the account that directly funds the debit cards to replenish the money. We had two customers with similar names (say, John Smith & Jack Smith). Sally hadn’t paid attention to the whole name & had applied John’s $0 funding to Jack. However, Jack had been funded $250. So, that money was missed, & I had to make a separate transfer for it.
On Dec 4, Sally is working on the Funding & writes down $0 for a customer. But the report from the office says he actually got $96.
On Dec 8 & 9, we discovered 2 checks that were supposed to be sent to our office (one from Oct, one from Sept). Neither had been cashed, & neither had ever reached us, even though we had the rest of the paperwork that would have come with those checks. Due to the dots I had connected, I had a pretty strong hunch that Sally wasn’t thoroughly checking the mail envelopes to make sure they’d been completely emptied before they got thrown away. I believed these checks were still in some envelopes that were then thrown away by Sally.
On Dec 11, on the bank reconciliation sheets we work at the end of the month (like balancing a checkbook), one of Sally’s offices was out of balance by $68, & she couldn’t find it. I couldn’t find it, either. I pulled out the one done for the month before. I couldn’t find it there, either. But I did notice one thing. The checks that hadn’t cleared the bank yet didn’t add up to the total amount of outstanding checks Sally had written down. By $68. I go back to the month before that one. There were a total of $68 in old checks that never got cashed & therefore should have gotten written off on the fiscal year-end at the end of Oct. But she hadn’t transferred them to the new month’s sheet. So, now, we have to hold onto them for a whole year to write off next Oct.
The same day, I went through all the offices to double check the GL codes that we post the expense checks to (GL codes determine where an expense gets coded, e.g., post an electricity payment to the GL code for utilities). The day previously, Sally had gotten several GL codes incorrect in the Miller office. She had forgotten to change the codes from the one for the Checkbook to the ones for the expense account. She had caught those ones since it affected the balance of the Checkbook, so I had helped her fix those properly. However, there were expense checks sent to a GL code that wasn’t the right one that Sally hadn’t caught.
I talk with Greg, as I feel that every time I turn around, I am either retraining Sally on stuff I’ve trained her on multiple times, I’m correcting mistakes on stuff Sally should know how to do by now (‘cause again, I’ve trained her multiple times), or I’m disciplining Sally about stuff she’s doing wrong. Greg asks how many mistakes due to carelessness she’s made in the last 2 weeks. I check my notes & tell him 4. He says that’s too excessive for an accounting office. We need to write her up.
So, I made the write up, but I just know I’m going to be dealing with the same attitude as the last time I had to write her up. & guess what? Greg’s out of town till Thursday again. I used my phone this time to record the audio of the interaction. That way, if Sally has attitude towards me again, I’m able to play the recording to Greg so he can hear what Sally’s like when he’s not here (which is why the following conversation is pretty much word for word).
On Dec 12 (Tuesday), I sat her down first thing.
Me: So, in the past couple weeks, I’ve noticed some errors happening due to carelessness, & they’ve become a bit excessive for an accounting office. The most important thing in an accounting office is accuracy. That’s why we focus so much on thoroughness & attention to detail. So, whatever needs to happen to lessen those errors, whether it’s slowing the pace of the work itself or double & triple-checking the work before it’s finished, it needs to happen. For example, when I work the payroll, after I get the total for all the offices, I then subtract each person’s individual hours to double check my entries. That way, if there is an error, at least I know it wasn’t ‘cause I was going too fast or not paying attention or something. So, whatever you need to do to decrease the mistakes, please—
Sally: What errors are we talking about?
Me: I have a page here with the items from the last couple weeks. (hand her the write up)
Sally: (reads the pages for a minute) Ok…
Me: So, whatever you need to do to—
Sally: (talking quickly ‘cause she’s pissed now) I’m gonna need more time & focus strictly on Funding. I don’t wanna touch mail, I don’t wanna touch anything else. I wanna focus strictly on that. ‘Cause I’m getting 80 plus a day (which was a lie, we never get nearly that much), & now, I’m gonna start getting in trouble if it’s not 110%. I am human. I will make mistakes. So, if that’s not allowed, then…(shrugs) let me know, I guess. I’ll talk to Greg & I guess figure something out. I am human, & I am gonna make mistakes, A. B, I feel like crap. He (Greg) has been in here sick the last week. I caught whatever he has. I’ve been hacking. I’ve been sicker than sh** the last week. I am trying. You guys usually have until the 12th to close the month. Since I’ve worked here, I’ve closed before the 8th. Yeah, I made mistakes. I told you I made a mistake on the Miller office. I knew what happened. So, to throw it in my face again that I already made that mistake is kinda rude, but…(shrugs) I’m actually kinda shocked to see that on there.
Me: Well, you did catch the errors involving the Checkbook, but there were other mistakes on that office that you didn’t catch, & that’s the reason that was listed on there.
Sally goes back to her work, & I decide to not ask her to sign the write up I had given her right away since she was diving right into the Funding. She had expressed she wanted to focus solely on it to minimize mistakes. I wanted to use positive reinforcement to convey that this was good behavior & good thinking, so I decided to wait for her to finish before asking her to sign & return the write up.
Now, here’s the issues with her little outburst above.

1. Sally is complaining that she’s human & makes mistakes & we’re not allowing mistakes. We’re not saying that she can’t make mistakes, ‘cause she’s right. Everyone makes mistakes; I make mistakes. What we’re saying is that she’s making mistakes much too often.
   
2. Sally says the reason for these mistakes the last 2 weeks is ‘cause she’s been sick the last week or so ‘cause she caught what Greg had (do you see the timing problem there?). Also, these kinds of mistakes have been happening for months & months. I only brought these examples up ‘cause they were recent.
   
3. Sally pointed out the fact that she closes each month really quick. We don’t care how fast things get done. Our goal isn’t to get things done quickly but to get things done accurately. If we happen to get it done quickly, that’s just a bonus. We would rather things go slow than to have errors causing problems or costing us money ‘cause we didn’t take the time to make sure it was correct.
   
4. Sally states it’s rude that I’m throwing her error back in her face (you already know my reaction to that). She obviously doesn’t know how a job works. Just ‘cause we discussed this error already doesn’t mean it can’t go on the write up. This is just one of the examples that required us to do a write up. We’re not doing this ‘cause we want to write you up or that we’re looking for excuses to get you in trouble. We’re doing our job. If a situation needs correcting, we have to correct it. We can’t just ignore it. & obviously, me talking about your errors all these months hasn’t helped. You’re still making the same mistakes. So, now, we’ve had to escalate to a write up on paper.
   

Sally doesn’t say another word. She, as expected, starts doing her tossing-things-‘cause-I’m-pissed-off thing. I just go back to my work. I’ve said my piece, now we can put it behind us & move on.
Now, we have until 10:30 to make the transfers for this Funding program in order to get the money back to the account the same day. We are still missing the paperwork for 2 customers from an office. (FYI, when we’re missing paperwork, we call the office & ask them to fax it. If we still don’t get it when it gets close to the transfer deadline, we call again & just ask for the amount to get it done.) So, at 10:20, Sally turns to me.
Sally: What do I do for these 2 customers? Do I just skip them?
Me: (frowning) Do what you usually do when you don’t have the paperwork in time. Call the office—
Sally: (in a sharp tone) I did. (she’s assuming I mean call the office to tell them to fax it)
Me: (ignoring her attitude outburst) Call up the office & ask for the dollar amounts.
Sally: But I don’t want to write down the amount without seeing the actual paperwork. If I’m gonna get in trouble for errors now, I don’t want to take down what could be the wrong dollar amount over the phone. I mean, I think that’s only fair to me.
Me: In the instances that were mentioned, they weren’t cases of taking down an amount over the phone. They were instances where we had paperwork or a report to see the amount. We would never write you up if there was a possibility that the office gave you the wrong amount over the phone.
Sally stares at me for a second & turns back to her desk. I turn back to my own work as Sally then calls up the office. I had to deal with her attitude the rest of the day: throwing mail into the mailbox, throwing open the letter folding machine so it made a big bang on the table. I was trying to still be the usual friendly, professional person I am at work; I told her “See you tomorrow” & everything. Sally wouldn’t talk to me unless she had to.
This is when I discovered that Sally has a habit of lashing out at me when she gets in trouble. The first write up involved her trying to drag me under the bus by claiming I’m hostile. This time, it was more personal. See, we do a Christmas gift exchange at the office; we each buy each other a gift. I had searched over & over trying to find something Sally would like. I finally found this desk calendar with gnomes on it (she likes both of these things), so I got it & a couple small items. I open my gift from Sally, & among a few cheap little things, I found…Sally’s own nearly empty bottle of nail polish remover. Wow, this is the thanks I get for not firing you back in Sept with the whole timesheet forgery thing?
& this is where I leave you until Part 2, the conclusion.

I never thought I would have a story to share in one of these threads, but it finally happened. I apologize for the length (so long it has to be split into 2 parts), but this one is a doozy.
For the sake of telling the story a little smoother, I'm going to explain some things up front. I (female, early 30s; let's call me Molly) am the manager in the accounting office of a very small loan company. Like, really small. We have less than 30 offices with only 2 employees at each office. For this reason, we are kind of low-tech, old-fashioned. I'm talking paper timesheets that get faxed to our office (we're also the corporate office that handles the payroll). Our office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a half-hour lunch. Me & my employee (who we'll call Sally) work this shift. Our boss (who we'll call Greg) is the owner & CEO. He works in the office starting at 9:00 a.m. till whenever he leaves for the day. Most of the time, that's around the time we leave, sometimes it's earlier due to errands he needs to run.
So, in Oct 2022, Sally (female, early 30s) gave us a note that her doctor wants to have daily appointments with her indefinitely. She let us know she would need to leave at 3:30 every day. Greg granted that request & even gave her the opportunity to come in early so she didn't miss any of her 8 hours each day. So, she began coming to work between 6:45 & 7:00 & would take however long of a lunch she needed to so she would have an 8-hour day.
Due to a combination of our fiscal year-end work in Oct & Nov 2022, playing catch-up from Dec 2022 to Feb 2023, & the other coworker (who we'll call Irene) leaving the company in Feb 2023 so we had to play catch-up again for several months before we got used to the bigger workload, I hadn't been able to pay too close attention to Sally's work. But in the middle of Aug 2023, I began to suspect her. I realized that the tasks Sally had in the morning would usually take me an hour & a half to do, which meant I would be relatively finished by the time I would arrive at 8:30. Sally, on the other hand, would only have stuff halfway done. Now, I knew Sally worked slower than me since I knew the job better than she did, but this still seemed very slow. I began to suspect Sally was either not arriving as early as she said she was (she was the only one in the office before 8:30) or she was arriving on time but wasn't working.
On Aug 21 (Monday), I decided to come in early to the office since I had to make up time due to a doctor appointment later in the week. So, I arrived at work at 6:40. 6:45 rolled around...no Sally. 6:50...no Sally. 7:00...same thing. Sally arrived at 7:20. Now, ok, maybe she ran into traffic. However, that's a bit of a coincidence that the one day I show up early unannounced is also the day she happens to be late. But I waited to see what time Sally would write down on the timesheet. However, she didn't write down her time until Tuesday right before she left. She had written down that she had arrived at 7:05. I asked her about it, and her response was "I must have copied it down wrong from my spreadsheet." That's strange, 'cause you hadn't arrived at 7:05 any other day that week. Just where did you copy it down from?
Now, I am curious as to what time Sally puts down when she believes no one has seen what time she arrives. So, for Sept 4-15, I would arrive in the parking lot across the street & read a book & eat breakfast while I wait to see what time Sally would arrive. Every single day, she would arrive around 7:15 or 7:20, but would write down 6:45 or 6:50, a half hour discrepancy every single day. & we have no way of knowing how long she's been stealing a half hour every day. She could have been doing this for the past year since her schedule changed.
On Sept 18, I write down Sally's actual times from these 2 weeks on a paper & tell her to correct all the times I indicated. Sally says that she will use the office clock to write down her times from now on. Wait a minute, you're saying that your phone is a half hour earlier than the rest of the world? But only when you arrive at work. When you go to lunch & leave work, it matches the rest of the clocks. & then switches during the night so your arrival time can be wrong again the next day? Wow, that's a pretty glitchy phone you got there.
On Sept 20 after Sally left, I installed a camera that connects to an app in my phone. I put the camera in a place where it wouldn't be able to see any computers/paperwork & turned off the microphone (I didn't want to risk any company info being seen/heard). I only needed to see when Sally arrived. Where I ended up placing it, I was able to see Sally where she sat at her desk.
On three of the following days, Sally would arrive 10 to 15 minutes after the time she would write down. I speak with Greg about this, & we decide to write her up. By the way, usually when an employee is caught forging the timesheet like this, it's an immediate termination. At any other office, she would have gotten fired in the beginning of Sept after I first discovered the half hour forgery. I am deciding to give her a chance to make this whole thing right.
On Sept 26 (Tuesday), I give Sally the write up when she arrives.
Sally: I'll sign it, but I don't know why. I mean, I get here at 7:00. (Ok, there's a sign right there. Who signs an official write up when their employer is lying or setting them up?)
Me: I've observed you arriving between 7:10 & 7:15.
Sally reads the write up & then keeps it at her desk for a bit after signing it. After plenty of time, I ask for it back. She grabs it, so I lean forward & hold my hand out (our desks are right next to each other), but Sally flings it at my desk. The whole thing is made better by the fact that Greg is out of town Tuesday thru Thursday. So, Sally proceeds to be angry & have an attitude all the way through Thursday. She refuses to talk or answer the phones. She does that tossing/flicking-papers-around, aggressive-typing, heavily-setting-things-down thing people do when they're frustrated or angry (which she did all...day...long). She sped out of the parking lot & down the street so fast that I could hear her engine rev & tires squeal from inside the building.
On Sept 27 (Wednesday), Sally is still doing that slamming things thing. I enjoy not responding to her whatsoever. I could see out of the corner of my eye that she would slam something down & look at me. I wouldn't give any kind of reaction, wouldn't look at her, & it would piss her off. Sally would then start slamming things around again. I admit, that was fun.
On Sept 28 (Thursday), I see on the camera that Sally arrives at 7:00, but then I watch her sit on her phone for 45 minutes! She is still having attitude issues, &—unbelievably—is still slamming things. After she leaves for the day, I then see the calendar that Sally keeps on her desk as I was passing by. On the box for Sept 26 (the day she was written up), she had written the words "F***ING JOKE!". The audacity of her to write that in plain view of everyone in the office & think she wouldn't get in trouble for it.
On Sept 29 (Friday), Sally arrives at 7:00 but sits on her phone for 30 minutes WHILE VAPING! (Not sure about other cities or states, but it's illegal to smoke or vape inside a building in the city where our office is.) But Greg is back this day, & I had been texting him what's been going on. He had texted back he wanted to do a meeting on Friday. So, the 3 of us go into the breakroom for a meeting.
Greg: So, Sally, what's been going on with this timesheet thing?
Sally: I just, I forget to write down the time when I arrive.
Greg: Ok, well, whether it's done on purpose or through negligence, we can't have wrong times on the timesheet. So, from now on, you won't be able to come to work before Molly gets here at 8:30. Now, are there any other problems you'd like to discuss with us?
Sally: (begins getting worked up) I just, I feel like I can't talk to her. She creates such a hostile work environment.
Now, I am blown away. Me? Hostile? I'm autistic, so I'm naturally shy & hate socializing, so I usually don't talk to anyone very much. Everyone I tell this story to, their eyes widen when I mention this, 'cause there's no way anyone would ever describe me as hostile.
Luckily, Greg interrupts her to defend me: This isn't a hostile work environment.
Sally: (backpedaling) Well, I mean, she gets mad at her printer & bangs on it, & that just flashes me back to stuff. I mean, I'm trying to work on myself & the anxiety, & she just sends me back.
Oh, so now, we're claiming we have PTSD & that my "violent" actions are giving her flashbacks? Um, who is it laughing right along with me every time my printer jams? (By the way, I know she's lying about the PTSD, 'cause I have a couple friends with PTSD & recognize the signs. Sally doesn't show any sign of fear or panic or shrinking away from things, nothing like that. There are no signs whatsoever of her being alarmed by anything I do.) Oh, not to mention the double standards. You're allowed to slam things around (for 3 straight days, by the way), but I'm not?
Anyway, we wrap up the meeting after Greg underlines (for Sally's benefit) that everyone in the office needs to get along.
On Oct 2 (the next Monday), I had a good drive & happened to get there at 8:20. Sally arrives at 8:25 & comes in, stopping at my desk.
Sally: (annoyed) Are you gonna be early all week?
Me: (frowning & caught off-guard) Um, I don't know. It just depends how long my drive takes.
Sally: (with a snarky attitude) 'Cause I had to keep driving around waiting for you, so if you're gonna be early, I'd like to know.
Ok, first of all, no one is forcing you to drive around. You can park your car in the parking lot. Do you really think we're gonna fire you for sitting in the parking lot while you wait for me? We only said you couldn't come in & work before I do. & second, it's none of your business when I get to work. My shift starts at 8:30, therefore, you should aim for 8:30, just like Greg told you to do. How am I supposed to predict the exact minute I get to work? & you're gonna get angry at me 'cause I didn't show up before my shift starts? Since when is it a requirement of mine to come into work before I start working?
Well, a bit of malicious compliance in this entitled story: if I can see I'm going to arrive at work more than 5 minutes early, I stop at the store just down the road & shop until 8:30. 'Cause guess what? Sally gets there who knows how early & sits in the gas station across the street, waiting for me. Fine, you wanna be that way? I can be petty, too.
By the way, Sally has a radio talk show she listens to from before I get to work until it ends at 10:00. I'm not into talk shows, but it wasn't too annoying (most of the time), so I didn't say anything about it. The reason why I started having a problem listening to it was that they would get into inappropriate things (s** toy review, for example). It made me super uncomfortable when they did segments like this. From the moment Sally was written up, she started only listening to the show on her headphones, thinking she was punishing me by me not getting to hear the show. Joke's on her. Sally did me a favor by not having to listen to that thing.
Sally was also told that she is no longer allowed to take smoke breaks on the clock. As no one else in the office takes breaks but chooses to work through them, this change would be made so all employees were equal now. But here’s the interesting thing: Sally suddenly stopped taking smoke breaks at all, but her bathroom breaks grew more numerous & longer. When she had been taking smoke breaks, the alarm on her phone would go off at specific times, such as 2:00. She would then go outside to take her smoke break. After the on-the-clock-smoke-break privilege was taken away, the same alarms would go off, such as 2:00. She would then disappear to the bathroom for 15 minutes. & I even smelled smoke in there when I went in there right after one of these long bathroom breaks.
Ever since the write up, there’s been attitude every once in a while. Most of the time, I have no idea what it is I did that could possibly have set her off that day. All I know is that Sally’s suddenly slamming things around again (hmm, PTSD cured now, is it?). & she’s still constantly making mistakes (like she’s always done).
On Nov 27, Sally is working on the Funding (loan proceeds funded onto a customer’s debit card). What we do is get the list of customers, determine how much the office funded that customer, transfer the money from the office’s bank account to the holding account, & then transfer the total from the holding account to the account that directly funds the debit cards to replenish the money. We had two customers with similar names (say, John Smith & Jack Smith). Sally hadn’t paid attention to the whole name & had applied John’s $0 funding to Jack. However, Jack had been funded $250. So, that money was missed, & I had to make a separate transfer for it.
On Dec 4, Sally is working on the Funding & writes down $0 for a customer. But the report from the office says he actually got $96.
On Dec 8 & 9, we discovered 2 checks that were supposed to be sent to our office (one from Oct, one from Sept). Neither had been cashed, & neither had ever reached us, even though we had the rest of the paperwork that would have come with those checks. Due to the dots I had connected, I had a pretty strong hunch that Sally wasn’t thoroughly checking the mail envelopes to make sure they’d been completely emptied before they got thrown away. I believed these checks were still in some envelopes that were then thrown away by Sally.
On Dec 11, on the bank reconciliation sheets we work at the end of the month (like balancing a checkbook), one of Sally’s offices was out of balance by $68, & she couldn’t find it. I couldn’t find it, either. I pulled out the one done for the month before. I couldn’t find it there, either. But I did notice one thing. The checks that hadn’t cleared the bank yet didn’t add up to the total amount of outstanding checks Sally had written down. By $68. I go back to the month before that one. There were a total of $68 in old checks that never got cashed & therefore should have gotten written off on the fiscal year-end at the end of Oct. But she hadn’t transferred them to the new month’s sheet. So, now, we have to hold onto them for a whole year to write off next Oct.
The same day, I went through all the offices to double check the GL codes that we post the expense checks to (GL codes determine where an expense gets coded, e.g., post an electricity payment to the GL code for utilities). The day previously, Sally had gotten several GL codes incorrect in the Miller office. She had forgotten to change the codes from the one for the Checkbook to the ones for the expense account. She had caught those ones since it affected the balance of the Checkbook, so I had helped her fix those properly. However, there were expense checks sent to a GL code that wasn’t the right one that Sally hadn’t caught.
I talk with Greg, as I feel that every time I turn around, I am either retraining Sally on stuff I’ve trained her on multiple times, I’m correcting mistakes on stuff Sally should know how to do by now (‘cause again, I’ve trained her multiple times), or I’m disciplining Sally about stuff she’s doing wrong. Greg asks how many mistakes due to carelessness she’s made in the last 2 weeks. I check my notes & tell him 4. He says that’s too excessive for an accounting office. We need to write her up.
So, I made the write up, but I just know I’m going to be dealing with the same attitude as the last time I had to write her up. & guess what? Greg’s out of town till Thursday again. I used my phone this time to record the audio of the interaction. That way, if Sally has attitude towards me again, I’m able to play the recording to Greg so he can hear what Sally’s like when he’s not here (which is why the following conversation is pretty much word for word).
On Dec 12 (Tuesday), I sat her down first thing.
Me: So, in the past couple weeks, I’ve noticed some errors happening due to carelessness, & they’ve become a bit excessive for an accounting office. The most important thing in an accounting office is accuracy. That’s why we focus so much on thoroughness & attention to detail. So, whatever needs to happen to lessen those errors, whether it’s slowing the pace of the work itself or double & triple-checking the work before it’s finished, it needs to happen. For example, when I work the payroll, after I get the total for all the offices, I then subtract each person’s individual hours to double check my entries. That way, if there is an error, at least I know it wasn’t ‘cause I was going too fast or not paying attention or something. So, whatever you need to do to decrease the mistakes, please—
Sally: What errors are we talking about?
Me: I have a page here with the items from the last couple weeks. (hand her the write up)
Sally: (reads the pages for a minute) Ok…
Me: So, whatever you need to do to—
Sally: (talking quickly ‘cause she’s pissed now) I’m gonna need more time & focus strictly on Funding. I don’t wanna touch mail, I don’t wanna touch anything else. I wanna focus strictly on that. ‘Cause I’m getting 80 plus a day (which was a lie, we never get nearly that much), & now, I’m gonna start getting in trouble if it’s not 110%. I am human. I will make mistakes. So, if that’s not allowed, then…(shrugs) let me know, I guess. I’ll talk to Greg & I guess figure something out. I am human, & I am gonna make mistakes, A. B, I feel like crap. He (Greg) has been in here sick the last week. I caught whatever he has. I’ve been hacking. I’ve been sicker than sh** the last week. I am trying. You guys usually have until the 12th to close the month. Since I’ve worked here, I’ve closed before the 8th. Yeah, I made mistakes. I told you I made a mistake on the Miller office. I knew what happened. So, to throw it in my face again that I already made that mistake is kinda rude, but…(shrugs) I’m actually kinda shocked to see that on there.
Me: Well, you did catch the errors involving the Checkbook, but there were other mistakes on that office that you didn’t catch, & that’s the reason that was listed on there.
Sally goes back to her work, & I decide to not ask her to sign the write up I had given her right away since she was diving right into the Funding. She had expressed she wanted to focus solely on it to minimize mistakes. I wanted to use positive reinforcement to convey that this was good behavior & good thinking, so I decided to wait for her to finish before asking her to sign & return the write up.
Now, here’s the issues with her little outburst above.

1. Sally is complaining that she’s human & makes mistakes & we’re not allowing mistakes. We’re not saying that she can’t make mistakes, ‘cause she’s right. Everyone makes mistakes; I make mistakes. What we’re saying is that she’s making mistakes much too often.
   
2. Sally says the reason for these mistakes the last 2 weeks is ‘cause she’s been sick the last week or so ‘cause she caught what Greg had (do you see the timing problem there?). Also, these kinds of mistakes have been happening for months & months. I only brought these examples up ‘cause they were recent.
   
3. Sally pointed out the fact that she closes each month really quick. We don’t care how fast things get done. Our goal isn’t to get things done quickly but to get things done accurately. If we happen to get it done quickly, that’s just a bonus. We would rather things go slow than to have errors causing problems or costing us money ‘cause we didn’t take the time to make sure it was correct.
   
4. Sally states it’s rude that I’m throwing her error back in her face (you already know my reaction to that). She obviously doesn’t know how a job works. Just ‘cause we discussed this error already doesn’t mean it can’t go on the write up. This is just one of the examples that required us to do a write up. We’re not doing this ‘cause we want to write you up or that we’re looking for excuses to get you in trouble. We’re doing our job. If a situation needs correcting, we have to correct it. We can’t just ignore it. & obviously, me talking about your errors all these months hasn’t helped. You’re still making the same mistakes. So, now, we’ve had to escalate to a write up on paper.
   

Sally doesn’t say another word. She, as expected, starts doing her tossing-things-‘cause-I’m-pissed-off thing. I just go back to my work. I’ve said my piece, now we can put it behind us & move on.
Now, we have until 10:30 to make the transfers for this Funding program in order to get the money back to the account the same day. We are still missing the paperwork for 2 customers from an office. (FYI, when we’re missing paperwork, we call the office & ask them to fax it. If we still don’t get it when it gets close to the transfer deadline, we call again & just ask for the amount to get it done.) So, at 10:20, Sally turns to me.
Sally: What do I do for these 2 customers? Do I just skip them?
Me: (frowning) Do what you usually do when you don’t have the paperwork in time. Call the office—
Sally: (in a sharp tone) I did. (she’s assuming I mean call the office to tell them to fax it)
Me: (ignoring her attitude outburst) Call up the office & ask for the dollar amounts.
Sally: But I don’t want to write down the amount without seeing the actual paperwork. If I’m gonna get in trouble for errors now, I don’t want to take down what could be the wrong dollar amount over the phone. I mean, I think that’s only fair to me.
Me: In the instances that were mentioned, they weren’t cases of taking down an amount over the phone. They were instances where we had paperwork or a report to see the amount. We would never write you up if there was a possibility that the office gave you the wrong amount over the phone.
Sally stares at me for a second & turns back to her desk. I turn back to my own work as Sally then calls up the office. I had to deal with her attitude the rest of the day: throwing mail into the mailbox, throwing open the letter folding machine so it made a big bang on the table. I was trying to still be the usual friendly, professional person I am at work; I told her “See you tomorrow” & everything. Sally wouldn’t talk to me unless she had to.
This is when I discovered that Sally has a habit of lashing out at me when she gets in trouble. The first write up involved her trying to drag me under the bus by claiming I’m hostile. This time, it was more personal. See, we do a Christmas gift exchange at the office; we each buy each other a gift. I had searched over & over trying to find something Sally would like. I finally found this desk calendar with gnomes on it (she likes both of these things), so I got it & a couple small items. I open my gift from Sally, & among a few cheap little things, I found…Sally’s own nearly empty bottle of nail polish remover. Wow, this is the thanks I get for not firing you back in Sept with the whole timesheet forgery thing?
& this is where I leave you until Part 2, the conclusion.

We bought our house in 2015. Current balance about $92,500 at 3.325%. 2 bedroom 1.5 bath 1204sqft (850sqft above grade) small lot. We don’t like the town we live in (grew up here) and want to move, but our house is super affordable and we’re used to having a lot left over at the end of the month. No car loans, student debt, or other debt. I’m a SAHM with no plans for that to change any time soon.
We were preapproved for 450k but we want to be under 400k. Our house could sell for about 275k and walk away with 164k. We would put 100k down and after closing costs would have 47k.
Current budget:
Mortgage: $624
Phones: $50
529: $100
Netflix: $12.71
Internet: $69.96
Credit card: $2,000 ($500 weekly)
Therapy: $300 ($210 reimbursed when submitted)
Massages: $264
Roth $100 (has a pension and other retirement account at work)
Taxes, insurance, 1 utility: $600
Money market: $200 (30k total in account)
30 per person weekly in our accounts: $240
Vacation: $200
=$4,736.67 + $809 preschool (ending august) = $5,545.67
possible new budget (including only changes): 387k at 6.625% with points
Mortgage: $1838
Tax/insurance/ 1 utility: $845
= (no preschool) $6,219.67
My husbands checks vary based on where he’s working, on what, OT, on call, etc. These are all since switching to his new company. Possible $12 an hour raise in next year or 2. He doesn’t work a lot of OT because family time is important to us.
June: $8,092
July: $6,823
Aug: $7,629
Sept: $7,605
Oct: $6,367
Nov: $7,331
Dec: $9,958
Jan: $7,140
Feb: $7,022
March: $8,608
April: $6,800
Currently we have about 2k left over a month not including pre school costs, but if we moved to this house it could decrease to $500-$900. Would we be crazy to sell our super affordable house in a town we hate to move to somewhere we want to be with less financial freedom?

~RIGL Thesis – 5/18/2024~
Outstanding Shares 175M
131 Institutional Holders
111,129,461 Total Shares Held
63.36% Institutional Ownership
Total Cash on Hand 3/31/2024 = $49.6M
Total Debt: $101.5M
Cash Burn Approximate = $8M per quarter (6 quarters of cash without any increases in revenue)
Q12023 REV = $26M
Q22023 REV = $26.8M
Q32023 REV = $28.1M
Q42023 REV = $35.8M
Q12024 REV = $29.5M (Decline from Q4 likely from end of year versus new-year tracking of Rx and shipments of drugs, resetting of Copays)
Most Recent EPS -$0.05 per share
May 22, 2024 - Vote on S will take place, caution
~Statistics Applicable To Thesis~
333.3 million US Population (2022)
8,109,679,892 Global Population (2024)
~Drugs On Market~
~Tavalisse – Treatment for ITP, FDA Approved April 17, 2018~
~What is ITP?~
Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an illness that can lead to bruising and bleeding. Low levels of the cells that help blood clot, also known as platelets, most often cause the bleeding.
Once known as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, ITP can cause purple bruises. It also can cause tiny reddish-purple dots on the skin that look like a rash.
Children can get ITP after a virus. They most often get better without treatment. In adults, the illness often lasts months or years. People with ITP who aren't bleeding and whose platelet count isn't too low might not need treatment. For worse symptoms, treatment might include medicines to raise platelet count or surgery to remove the spleen. Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic
~What is Tavalisse?~
TAVALISSE is a prescription medication used to treat adults with low platelet counts due to chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) when a prior treatment for ITP has not worked well enough. It is not known if TAVALISSE is safe and effective in children.
The cost for Tavalisse oral tablet 100 mg is around $15,404 for a supply of 60 tablets, depending on the pharmacy you visit. Quoted prices are for cash-paying customers and are not valid with insurance plans. This price guide is based on using the Drugs.com discount card which is accepted at most U.S. pharmacies.
Tavalisse Prices, Coupons, Copay & Patient Assistance - Drugs.com
TAVALISSE IS AN ORAL MEDICATION TAKEN TWICE DAILY WITH OR WITHOUT FOOD¹
A 12-week evaluation period is recommended
60 tablets = 1 month supply, evaluation period = 3 months, Cost for 3 months = $46,212 Cash, assuming cheaper through wholesale, insurance, discount cards, etc.
Dosing TAVALISSE® (fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate) tablets (tavalissehcp.com)
~Addressable Market~
“Our findings suggest that nearly 20,000 children and adults are newly diagnosed with ITP each year in the US, substantially higher than previously reported. Among patients requiring formal medical care, the economic burden during the first 12 months following diagnosis is high, with estimated US expenditures totaling over $400 million.”
Primary immune thrombocytopenia in US clinical practice: incidence and healthcare burden in first 12 months following diagnosis - PubMed (nih.gov)
The estimated prevalence of ITP in the United States is 9.5 per 100,000 people, with a global prevalence of over 200,000 people at any given time [1].
Immune thrombocytopenia. [ Oct; 2022 ]. 2022. https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/immune-thrombocytopenia
~Author Calculations/Estimates~
ITP estimated cases based on measured statistics 31,635 cases a year in the US and 770,355 cases globally each year.
~Rezlidhia – R Acute Myeloid Leukemia, FDA Approved December, 22, 2022~
~What is Relapsed or Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia?~
Relapsed, or recurrent, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) means the leukemia has come back after treatment and remission.
Refractory AML means the leukemia did not respond to treatment. Complete remission has not been reached because the chemotherapy drugs did not kill enough leukemia cells.
Both relapsed and refractory AML need more treatment to reach complete remission.
Your healthcare team will suggest treatments based on your needs and work with you to develop a treatment plan. Some factors considered for your treatment include:
your age
your health
how long the leukemia was in remission
treatments you had before
where the leukemia comes back
Treatment options usually include chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant if possible. Targeted therapy may also be used.
Treatments for relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia Canadian Cancer Society
~What is IDH1?~
Somatic mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) genes occur frequently in adult Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and less commonly in pediatric AML… Enhanced genomic and epigenomic profiling of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has led to identification of recurrent mutations that are prognostic and are candidates for targeted therapy. Somatic mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) genes, IDH1 and IDH2, occur in ∼6% to 16% and ∼8% to 19% of adult patients with AML, respectively.^1-5 In pediatric AML, IDH mutations are rare, occurring in <4% of patients.^6-11
Characteristics and prognostic impact of IDH mutations in AML: a COG, SWOG, and ECOG analysis Blood Advances American Society of Hematology (ashpublications.org)
~What is Rezlidhia?~
REZLIDHIA is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with an isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH1) mutation when the disease has come back or has not improved after previous treatment(s).
Targeted Treatment REZLIDHIA® (olutasidenib) capsules
The cost for Rezlidhia oral capsule 150 mg is around $17,468 for a supply of 30 capsules, depending on the pharmacy you visit. Quoted prices are for cash-paying customers and are not valid with insurance plans. This price guide is based on using the Drugs.com discount card which is accepted at most U.S. pharmacies.
Rezlidhia Prices, Coupons, Copay & Patient Assistance - Drugs.com%20is%20a%20member,on%20the%20pharmacy%20you%20visit.)
~Addressable Market~
The annual incidence of new cases in both men and women is approximately 4.3 per 100,000 population, totaling over 20,000 cases per year in the United States alone.[13] The median age at the time of diagnosis is about 68, with a higher prevalence observed among non-Hispanic Whites. Furthermore, males exhibit a higher incidence compared to females, with a ratio of 5:3.
Acute Myeloid Leukemia - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)
~Author Calculations/Estimates~
Cases of AML with IDH1 would be 11% based on the median of statistics above (6% to 16%) leaving approximately 1500 to 2000 cases a year in the US. Appling the same calculations to world population would amount to approximately 38,500 cases a year globally.
~Gavreto – Treats RET+ Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer In Adults and RET+ Thyroid Cancer in Kids and Adults, FDA Approved August 9, 2023~
For the sake of common ground, I am going to assume these types of cancers do not need to be elaborated on as we all likely have a basic understanding of what they are. The medical conditions treated by Tavalisse and Rezlidhia I felt needed a more in-depth explanation because they are not common. I will elaborate on RET+ a little later in this writing.
~What is Gavreto?~
GAVRETO is an oral once daily prescription medicine used to treat certain cancers caused by abnormal rearranged during transfection ~(RET+)~ genes in:
Adults with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread
Adults and children 12 years of age and older with advanced thyroid cancer or thyroid cancer that has spread who require a medicine by mouth or injection (systemic therapy) and who have received radioactive iodine and it did not work or is no longer working*
It is not known if GAVRETO is safe and effective when used to treat cancers caused by abnormal RET genes in children for the treatment of NSCLC or in children younger than 12 years of age for the treatment of thyroid cancer.
Home GAVRETO® (pralsetinib)
The cost for Gavreto oral capsule 100 mg is around $11,745 for a supply of 60 capsules, depending on the pharmacy you visit. Quoted prices are for cash-paying customers and are not valid with insurance plans. This price guide is based on using the Drugs.com discount card which is accepted at most U.S. pharmacies.
The recommended dosage for adults and children 12 and over is 400mg orally once daily. Each capsule is 100mg, which means you will take 4 capsules. Gavreto should be taken on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal.
Gavreto Prices, Coupons, Copay & Patient Assistance - Drugs.com
~What is Rearranged During Transfection Positive (RET+)?~
RET-positive cancer is caused by a mutation or abnormal re-arrangement of the RET gene. It occurs most commonly in lung cancer and several types of inherited and sporadic thyroid cancers. RET alterations also occur in an estimated 1-2% of multiple other cancers, including ovarian, pancreatic, salivary, breast, and colorectal cancers.
RETpositive Empowering Patients and Driving Research
Rearranged during transfection (RET) rearrangements were first identified as oncogenic drivers in NSCLC in 2012. The proportion of patients with NSCLC who have RET rearrangements (ie, fusion-positive disease) is approximately 1%-2%.
RET Fusion-Positive Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: The Evolving Treatment Landscape The Oncologist Oxford Academic (oup.com)
RET alterations occur most commonly in lung cancer (non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)) and the number of new cases diagnosed each year is considerable, accounting for approximately 37,500 [IG1] cases worldwide and 4,000 cases in the US (2% of NSCLC) (2,3). RET alterations are also common in several types of inherited and sporadic thyroid cancers and can occur in other types of cancers like ovarian, breast, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers, among others (4-8) adding >110,000 cases yearly worldwide (9).
What is RET Positive Lung Cancer? - The Happy Lungs Project
(2) Although medullary thyroid carcinoma represents 5-10% of all thyroid cancers, activating RET gene abnormalities occur in over 90% of hereditary and approximately 40%-60% of sporadic medullary thyroid carcinoma cases.
Patients – RETpositive%20Although%20medullary%20thyroid%20carcinoma,sporadic%20medullary%20thyroid%20carcinoma%20cases.)
~Prevalence of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer~
Most lung cancer statistics include both small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In general, about 10% to 15% of all lung cancers are SCLC, and about 80% to 85% are NSCLC.
Lung cancer (both small cell and non-small cell) is the second most common cancer in both men and women in the United States (not counting skin cancer). In men, prostate cancer is more common, while breast cancer is more common in women.
The American Cancer Society’s estimates for lung cancer in the US for 2024 are:
About 234,580 new cases of lung cancer (116,310 in men and 118,270 in women)
About 125,070 deaths from lung cancer (65,790 in men and 59,280 in women)
Lung Cancer Statistics How Common is Lung Cancer? American Cancer Society
Worldwide, an estimated 2,206,771 people were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2020. These statistics include both small cell lung cancer and NSCLC.
Lung Cancer - Non-Small Cell: Statistics Cancer.Net
~Author Calculations/Estimates~
Approximately 187,664 cases of NSCLC in the US based on an 80% factor.
Approximately 1,765,416 cases of NSCLC worldwide based on an 80% factor.
~Prevalence of Thyroid Cancer~
Rate of New Cases and Deaths per 100,000: The rate of new cases of thyroid cancer was 13.5 per 100,000 men and women per year. The death rate was 0.5 per 100,000 men and women per year. These rates are age-adjusted and based on 2017–2021 cases and 2018–2022 deaths.
Lifetime Risk of Developing Cancer: Approximately 1.2 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 2017–2019 data. Lifetime risk based on data through 2022 will available soon.
Prevalence of This Cancer: In 2021, there were an estimated 979,295 people living with thyroid cancer in the United States.
Thyroid Cancer — Cancer Stat Facts
About 44,020 new cases of thyroid cancer (12,500 in men and 31,520 in women)
About 2,170 deaths from thyroid cancer (990 in men and 1,180 in women)
Thyroid cancer is often diagnosed at a younger age than most other adult cancers. The average age when a person is diagnosed with thyroid cancer is 51.
This cancer is about 3 times more common in women than in men. It is about 40% to 50% less common in Black people than in any other racial or ethnic group.
Key Statistics for Thyroid Cancer American Cancer Society)
Addressable Market
Given Gavreto’s dual treatment capacity, the total amount of potential patients with NSCLC with RET+ indications would be approximately 2,800 cases in the US and approximately 26,500 cases worldwide each year using a factor of 1.5% of total NSCLC cases. The total amount of treatable cases for Thyroid Cancer would be approximately 650 in the US and 16,500 cases worldwide respectively each year applying the same 1.5% RET+ percentage rate. DOUBLE CHECK MATH…
~Rigel Pharmaceuticals Pipeline~
~IRAK/4 – Clinical Trials~
Rigel’s investigational candidate, R289, is an oral, potent and selective inhibitor of interleukin receptor-associated kinases 1 and 4 (IRAK1/4).
Toll like receptors (TLRs) and the interleukin 1 receptor family (IL-1Rs) play a critical role in the innate immune response and dysregulation of these pathways can lead to a variety of inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. Chronic stimulation of both receptor systems has also been implicated in causing a pro-inflammatory bone marrow environment leading to persistent cytopenias in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (LR-MDS) patients1.
R835 is a selective dual inhibitor of IRAK1/4 that blocks TLR4 and IL-1R-dependent systemic cytokine release. In preclinical studies, R835 demonstrated activity in multiple animal models of inflammatory disease2,3 and showed that dual inhibition of IRAK1 and IRAK4 provided more complete suppression of inflammatory cytokines when compared to an IRAK4-selective inhibitor4.
Development of R289:
In a Phase 1 clinical trial, R835 was well tolerated and inhibited LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine production in healthy volunteers, demonstrating proof-of-mechanism.5 Phase 1 clinical studies of R289 (an oral prodrug that is rapidly converted to R835 in the gut) are also complete.
A Phase 1b open-label, multicenter trial of R289 in patients with relapsed/refractory lower-risk MDS is currently enrolling (NCT05308264). The primary endpoint for this trial is safety with key secondary endpoints including preliminary efficacy and evaluation of pharmacokinetic properties.
~Bemcentinib – Bergenbio Partnership~
In June 2011, Rigel entered into an exclusive, worldwide research, development and commercialization agreement with BerGenBio for its investigational AXL receptor tyrosine kinase (AXL) inhibitor, R428 (now referred to as bemcentinib).
Bemcentinib is a potent, selective and orally bioavailable AXL inhibitor and the furthest along in clinical trials. In preclinical studies, bemcentinib was shown to have an effect as a single agent therapeutic in the prevention and reversal of acquired resistance to standard of care cytotoxics and targeted therapies and may also slow or prevent tumor metastasis.
Rigel received an upfront payment and is eligible for milestone payments and potential sublicensing revenue, as well as tiered royalty payments on any future net sales of products emerging from the collaboration.
~R552 Systemic – Eli Lilly Partnership~
Rigel’s investigational candidates are oral, potent and selective inhibitors of receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1).
RIPK1 is a critical signaling protein implicated in a broad range of key inflammatory cellular processes including necroptosis, a type of regulated cell death, and cytokine production. In necroptosis, cells rupture leading to the dispersion of cell contents, which can trigger an immune response and enhance inflammation. RIPK1 inhibition has therapeutic potential in treating autoimmune, inflammatory, and neurodegenerative disorders.
Rigel’s RIPK1 inhibitor program includes R552, a systemic molecule being developed for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, and brain penetrating RIPK1 inhibitors for central nervous system (CNS) diseases. In preclinical studies, R552 demonstrated prevention of joint and skin inflammation in a RIPK1-mediated murine model of inflammation and tissue damage.
Development of R552:
In Q2 2023, the initial Phase 2a trial (NCT05848258) in moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was initiated by partner Eli Lilly.
Development CNS-penetrating RIPK1 inhibitors:
Currently in preclinical studies.
~Milademetan – Daiichi Sankyo Partnership~
Rigel has a long-standing collaboration with Daiichi-Sankyo for developing murine double minute 2 (MDM2) protein inhibitors in cancer, which were discovered in Rigel’s laboratories.
Preliminary safety and efficacy data from an early Phase 1 study of milademetan (formerly DS-3032), an oral selective MDM2 inhibitor, in hematological malignancies suggests that it may be a promising potential treatment for oncology indications.
Rigel received an upfront payment and is eligible for milestone payments, as well as tiered royalty payments on any future net sales of any products emerging from the collaboration.
~Rxxx (CNS Penetrant) – Eli Lilly Partnership~
Rigel’s investigational candidates are oral, potent and selective inhibitors of receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1).
RIPK1 is a critical signaling protein implicated in a broad range of key inflammatory cellular processes including necroptosis, a type of regulated cell death, and cytokine production. In necroptosis, cells rupture leading to the dispersion of cell contents, which can trigger an immune response and enhance inflammation. RIPK1 inhibition has therapeutic potential in treating autoimmune, inflammatory, and neurodegenerative disorders.
Rigel’s RIPK1 inhibitor program includes R552, a systemic molecule being developed for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, and brain penetrating RIPK1 inhibitors for central nervous system (CNS) diseases. In preclinical studies, R552 demonstrated prevention of joint and skin inflammation in a RIPK1-mediated murine model of inflammation and tissue damage.
Development of R552:
In Q2 2023, the initial Phase 2a trial (NCT05848258) in moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was initiated by partner Eli Lilly.
Development CNS-penetrating RIPK1 inhibitors:
Currently in preclinical studies. Pipeline :: Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RIGL)
~Summary and Prediction~
The current share price of sub $1 does not feel justified. I would anticipate financial breakeven by the end of 2024 or potentially in Q1 or Q2 of 2025. The robust pipeline, progress, and expected revenue growth are enough to justify a much higher valuation. The debt load is manageable, but the potential for S is concerning. I believe that the S is not necessary and revenue growth and progress should speak for itself. I am not as bullish as the analysts at HC Wainright for a $15 PT, but the valuation should be at least 3x to 5x from the current value. This thesis does not highlight the patents surrounding their drugs either which some extend into 2035 and beyond. Perhaps what Wall Street is discounting is the fact that most of the drugs are very niche. However, the currently available drugs have an addressable market, albeit less universal than some, but you should value it in the sense of multiple facets (a 1000 headed snake is the phrase I wanted to use). I believe the company should be valued with specialty drugs in mind which would command a higher PE ratio. At the current day and time of writing, the value should be at least $1.50 to $1.75 ~at a minimum~ with a 12 month price target of $3 to $5+. I will be looking for continued revenue growth in each quarter this year and realization of revenue from Gavreto in Q2 or Q3 this year. The partnerships should not be discounted either and the current share price if it lingers here perhaps may attract a merger or acquisition. I initially began the research thinking that perhaps the drugs were too niche, but given the multiple drugs they are working with, I believe their revenue sources will continue to grow if you do not focus on one particular drug as the main performer. With the most recent inflation report being cooler than expected, I would suspect larger funds and institutions will be circling back to riskier assets.

I FIRE'd at probably the worst market conditions in a while on Jan 1, 2022. So it's been about 2.5 years.
Here's my net worth numbers, I am renting, so this is all invested in mutual funds. No additional side income. I am assuming a 3% SWR. I'm now 38 years old, single, no kids.

Date	Net Worth	Percent Change	Safe Withdrawal
Jan 2022	3.4M		104k
July 2022	2.8M	-18%	84k
Oct 2022	2.6M	-24%	78k
Nov 2022	2.8M	-18%	85k
Feb 2023	3M	-12%	91k
Dec 2023	3.3M	-3%	101k
March 2024	3.5M	+2%	105k
May 2024	3.6M	+6%	110k

Withdrawals:

• 2022: 15k ( Had cash on hand already )
• 2023: 77k
• 2024: YTD 32k / Estimated: 64-85k

Analysis / Questions
I think the highest my withdrawals would be this year would be 85k. Given that the lowest my SW number went was around 78k I'm thinking this might be a pretty good baseline to try to keep moving forward?
Aside from tracking my withdrawals, I haven't really been tracking my expenses too much. It's been a breath of fresh air to relax and not be so obsessed with the numbers on a weekly or monthly basis. I have a very simple setup for handling my checking and savings accounts with bills and regular spending that I can share in a follow up post if anyone is interested.
For major upcoming life expenses, I'm looking to buy some land out in the country and eventually build a home on it when / if I decide to move further away from the city center. My strategy for doing this will be most likely a personal line of credit that's secured with investments. I think this will end up being less interest than getting a land loan, but i'm not sure yet. One friend suggests only paying interest on this loan & keeping money in the market as long as possible, but idk. I like the idea of paying it off with whatever excess money I have in my capital gains limit and still be at 0% tax.
The area I'm looking at is an up and coming area that's currently experiencing explosive growth, so it seems like a good time to buy now and I'll be thinking of the purchase as an additional investment for now, since I'll still be renting for a few more years. So I'd keep that amount of money in my safe withdrawal calculations. There's a very good chance it'll appreciate as much or more than the stock market in the next 10 years.
Another area that I have a question: I have about 400k in my 401k and with my excess capital gains I can convert some of it to a Traditional IRA and then roll into a Roth IRA. I'm not sure if this is worth doing vs doing a capital gains harvest if we have another up year.
With a capital gains harvest in 2023, I was able to harvest around 20k and reset the cost basis. I think I could have instead converted 20k from my 401k to my Roth and paid around 10% tax on it in order to do that. I'm curious what y'all think is best?
ChatGPT seems to think the best plan is different depending on up and down years. On up years, harvest as much capital gains as possible while also doing a small roth conversion that keeps me in the lowest income tax bracket of 10%. On down years, harvest losses and do larger roth conversions since the losses can be used to offset taxable income and stay within that 10% bracket.
Learnings
- When you transition to FIRE it's very important to turn off re-invest dividends and have them sent straight to your bank account instead. I made a mistake with this in year 1 & 2 and ended up with a wash sale on some of my re-invested dividends. Then just withdraw extra money as needed throughout the year.

• Retire TO something. This has been mentioned a lot on this forum, but I FIRE'd to escape work hell that I was in and didn't have a solid plan for after. I was under too much stress to formulate much of a plan at the time and I paid for it. I spent almost a year in a deep depression. I would recommend figuring out what you want to do with your time while you're still working. Another thing to consider is you can actually do this stuff a little bit while still working, you'll just have more time afterwards! I did eventually start a few fun projects I wanted to try and made some major life changes, so things are looking up this year!
• Have a consulting side business if it makes sense. If you're planning to actually try to work then you want an LLC otherwise it's cheaper to register as a sole proprietorship. It's pretty fun to hop on phone calls and talk about stuff you're interested in. Very low stress, would recommend. I've only done a few, but I would do more. The major benefit of this is you can write off expenses for a bunch of stuff, which allows you to harvest more gains at the end of the year to reset cost basis and save more money on taxes in the long run. It's important to stay very diligent with separating your income / expenses for business vs personal. But this also provides an opportunity to get a ton of credit card points on a business card if you're planning to set up a home office with a new computer and stuff.
• Pay estimated taxes! I messed this one up last year and got a small penalty.

FAQ

• How did I FIRE at an early age? It was due to a startup that blew up. I consider it to be equal parts hard work and luck to be honest. Not everyone at my company got the same payout though. I had negotiated better terms throughout the time I was there, so that's something to keep in mind.
• Do I plan to stay single and no kids? I'm hoping to find another relationship which I expect will increase my expenses a bit. IDK about kids, but I'm assuming that if I do then I'll need to go back to work or lean on my partner's work if they wish to keep working. I'll make that decision once the time comes. Maybe I'll get with someone that FIRE'd at an even higher amount? hahahaha

Thanks for taking the time to read this and sharing your thoughts!

5/15/24 co CEO Fortress announces closure of Fortress Mgt buyback from Softbank. Now Fortress is ready to roll at Novation Co NOVCQ a public company hidden by SEC Rule 15c2-11 with partners co investors Mass Mutual & sub Barings aka Babson Capital, Jefferies $JEF & White Mountain’s Capital $WTM & NOVCQ Board of Directors Barry Igdaloff’s Howard Amster & Whitney Tilson, Chuck Gillman, Jeffrey Eberwein, David Pointer, Tim Eriksen, Lee Keddie & Robert Pearse. These people are all connected and their 3 NOVCQ restructuring are all connected and advised by 3 third party professionals TPP Boulay Group, Olshan Law, Shapiro Sher. These TPP are no different then Sullivan Cromwell aiding the FTX scheme.
https://www.pionline.com/alternatives/fortress-mubadala-complete-acquisition-fortress-investment-group
World Leading Investors Fortress, EJF Capital aka FBR, MassMutual Barings, Jefferies, White Mountains Capital $WTM are about to create BILLIONS in Capital plus Hundreds of Millions in Cash Flow every year. This is how Whitney Tilson's pals Chuck Gillman, Jeff Eberwein and their co-investors siege control of Novation Companies $NOVC. Use SEC Rule 15C(2)-11 to drive share price down, while taking 16M or 10% of stock at pennies as partial board compensation. Equipped with 40M common shares of NOVCQ they are ready to make Billions plus Create $100Ms every year in cash flow in dividends/Mgt Fees. They have a world class roster of investors supporting them including; MassMutual Barings/Jefferies 40M and Fortress/EJF Capital 31.3M NOVCQ common shares (EJF formerly FBR is owned by White Mountains Capital $WTM). Fortress/EJF Capital also own $NOVCQ only Sr Debt to exit their 1st Ch 11 MD and was used in 2nd Ch 11 in DE filed 8/13/2024. Fortress/EJF invested a few thousand dollars in Off Balance Sheet entities Taberna Trups CDOs I & II/Kodiak CDO I, that hold NOVCQ only Sr Debt. After the 1st Ch 11 NOVCQ Board of Director Barry Igdaloff, Howard Amster hands Fortress/EJF Capital 31M shares allocated by Board at zero basis. This proves NOVCQ Board of Directors was not independent from Sr Debt Holders Fortress/EJF Capital. Sr Debt was a ruse including its use in DE Ch 11. DE Ch 11 was carefully crafted to provide short sellers a way to take tax free gains. The Board with little cash invested holds control of this former NYSE MREIT Novastar Financial Inc. traded under MREIT NYSE Exemption $NFI now Novation $NOVCQ.
Per WSJ Wesley Edens of Fortress is the new MREIT Subprime KING after restructuring Mr. Cooper $COOP and OMF One Main aka LEAF AIG and Citi Bank Subprime CaPersonal Lending unit, and RITM/NRZ and Dynex Capital DX. Manny Friedman Founder of EJF Capital formerly FBR Friedman, Billings Ramsey, is regarded as a leading MREIT expert. They control Novation Companies Inc. NOVCQ thanks to $NOVCQ Board of Directors who they have a past relationship. They renamed Novastar Financial Inc. former traded NSYE as $NFI to Novation Companies, which owns MREIT Novastar Financial Inc., renamed Novastar Mortgage inside 2nd Ch 11 in DE. A new 8-Member Board is waiting in the wings with new name/symbol. I have been told they have big plans for NOVCQ only operating unit http://healthcare-staffing.com HCS which owns and conceals Medmasa http://medmasa.com
I believe they will merge HCS/Medmasa with Jeff Eberwein Hudson Global $HSON to create quarter billion tax free BPO public company. Jeffrey Eberwein is the former NOVCQ COB/CEO that managed 1st Ch 11 in MD with Shapiro Sher. Eberwein is now COB/CEO of Hudson Global $HSON. This merger will monetize NOVCQ $730M NOLs just like both CH 11 the 1st in Maryland, MD & 2nd or last in Delaware, DE. Both used Sr Debt as ruse to execute both Ch 11s which have gone to great length to save NOVCQ $730M NOLs. 2022 NOVCQ triggered SEC Rule 15c(2)-11 which allows NOVCQ to remain public but conceals who is buying NOVCQ as only Expert Investors can accumulate NOVCQ like Putnam Inv. Goldman Sachs, Blackrock & David Dreman of Dreman Value Mgt. and Thomas Akin Talkot Capital fund owns 1.9M common. This SEC Rule is postured as way for small public company to remain public and not have the cost burden of SEC filings. What it really does is stops Retail bid/ask and allows Expert Investors in the know to front run a public company before rolling out true reorganization plans.
They are ready to change Novation Co $NOVCQ name and brand so as to eliminate any reference to the prior board or brand. This is how they roll. I believe they will present the new name/symbol and 8-Member Board comprised of Fortress, EJF Capital aka FBR people once Fortress Management close Softbank SALE of Fortress (DONE See Top 5/15/24 Announcement) to them and Mubadala Investment Company ex Fortress executive Rajeev Misra. Whitney Tilson close small cap co-investors Chuck Gillman, Jeff Eberwein are at the center. I’ve been told they do nothing but sure things. Former George Soros Investments Portfolio Mgr. Jeff Eberwein Wharton MBA, is ready to take $NOVC http://medmasa.com conceal behind http://healthcare-staffing.com & $730M NOLs. This 8-Member Board connected to past Board Members Jeff Eberwein, Chuck Gillman, Barry Igdaloff, Howard Amster I believe will merge Medmasa/HCS with Hudson Global $HSON (see Jefferey Eberwein Form 4s at $HSON & Form 4s filed at NOVCQ between April-Oct 2015 via his fund Lone Star Value Mgt.). Jeff Eberwein & his clan including Whitney Tilson/Chuck Gillman were introduced to the present day NOVCQ Board Barry Igdaloff, Howard Amster. Wes Edens, Founder of Fortress hide their identity behind Off Balance Sheet OBE Entities Taberna Trups CDOs I and II and former FBR Friedman, Billings, Ramsey now called http://EJFCap.com also hide their identity behind OBE Kodiak CDO I.
Fortress/EJF own at the same time both the only Sr Debt to exit 1st Ch 11 MD and months afterward 31M NOVCQ common (9M NOVCQ common shares plus 22.250M Ten Year Warrants. There are co-conspirators with NOVCQ board of directors that own 40M NOVCQ Common & MassMutual & Jefferies own 40M NOVCQ common shares. Novation Companies Inc. $NOVCQ submerged shareholder plans and value under SEC Rule 15c(2)-11 to sub penny stock that can only be traded today by Expert Investors defined by this SEC Rule. Fortress/EJF Capital paid almost nothing for OBEs yet they have spent at least $2M cash in the last Ch 11 in DE. They have every reason to do something big.
I believe that something will be splitting NOVCQ into two tax free public companies worth BILLIONS plus Hundreds of Millions in annual cash flow in MREIT Dividends & Lucrative Mgt Fees just like Fortress did a LEAF/One Main OMF, Newcastle that is New Residential $NRZ now Rithm Capital $RITM and $GCI formerly New Media NEWM and New Senior $SNR sold for over $2B. $RITM aka $NRZ in 2019 10K documented that shareholders paid Fortress over $250M in Mgt Fees annually, plus dividends. Fortress terminated the NRZ/RITM Mgt Deal for cool $400M (simultaneously changing Name/Symbol to Rithm Capital $RITM). NOVCQ Dark Horse are their plans for NOVCQ only operating unit HCS aka Medmasa http://medmasa.com concealed by CH 11 in DE. Medmasa NOVCQ only operating unit is http://healthcare-staffing.com NOVCQ former MREIT NYSE $NFI now named Novastar Mortgage is the Board, EJF Capital and Fortress ticket to monetizing rights (see Exhibit 2.1 of Q3 2007 10Q Service Rights Transfer Agreement Sec 5.04 that defines these rights as Cleanup Call Rights CCR well know to these MREIT experts) that control billions of rich, seasoned collateral assets ideal to be leveraged and securitized into MREIT dividend & like RITM aka NRZ another external management fee for Fortress and/or EJF. Fortress/EJF Capital then FBR did this with NOVCQ Board Barry Igdaloff, Howard Amster 2000-03 at Dynex Capital NYSE $DX. Ask Igdaloff helpers Thomas Akin former CEO/COB of DX he holds 1.9M of NOVCQ in his fund Talkot Capital. Thomas Bruce Akin sat on DX Board for years with NOVCQ Chairman Igdaloff. Igdaloff served 20 years on DX Board per DX 8K 9/3/2020.This is your chance to do what is right. ====================================== ALTERNATIVES
May 15, 2024 12:04 PM

Fortress, Mubadala complete acquisition of Fortress Investment Group

LYDIA TOMKIWERIN ARVEDLUND

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Drew McKnight and Joshua Pack
Fortress Investment Group, an alternatives manager, and Mubadala Investment Co., the investment arm of Abu Dhabi’s $276 billion sovereign wealth fund, completed their acquisition deal May 15, and as part of the close, Fortress management now owns a 32% equity interest.
Mubadala owns the remaining 68%. The acquisition, through Mubadala Capital, is for the 90.01% of Fortress equity that was held by SoftBank Group Corp., according to a news release. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

RELATED ARTICLE

Mubadala seeks co-investors for Fortress in effort to clear U.S. security review SoftBank-Fortress deal turns attention to future arrangements with private equity firms
Fortress’s sale of majority equity was approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States after concessions were made to let Fortress keep data and technology in the U.S., the Financial Times first reported last week.
Fortress, which had $48 billion in assets under management at the end of 2023, said it expects the new joint venture to help it further establish itself in credit and real estate in both public and private markets. Fortress pointed to Mubadala Capital’s global network to help expand client relationships.
“This is a true landmark event for Fortress, for our employees and for the clients we serve,” said Fortress co-CEOs Drew McKnight and Joshua Pack, adding, “We have strengthened alignments of interest, put significant management skin in the game, and deepened our long-term partnership with Mubadala, one of the world’s most highly regarded investors.”
As part of Fortress management now owning a 32% equity interest, its management is entitled to appointment of a majority of board seats. McKnight, Pack and managing partner Jack Neumark were the largest individual investors in the buyout and were joined by about 150 members of the firm.
Mubadala Capital’s CEO and managing director, Hani Barhoush, continues to serve on the Fortress board, a position he has held since 2019 when Mubadala initially invested.
Fortress will continue to operate as an independent investment manager under its own brand and with full autonomy over its investment process and personnel.

1. ALTERNATIVES

TLDR: wife and I bought a home and have documentation that structural issues were fixed and recently found out they never were. Not sure if I have a suit or what type of lawyer to contact.
My wife and I bought a house with a basement in CO in Oct 2022. We were moving and needed to be quick in finding a place. We found a house we loved but found out during the inspection it had some decent structural issues. The sellers agreed to put in a fix that cost roughly $19k. After the work was “complete” they gave us a copy of the initial Civil Engineer letter that stated work was required, a work order that stated 16 structural wall anchors were installed as well as the final Civil Engineer letter that said all work was complete. The first problem I didn’t realize until recently is the final report from the engineer said 16 steel beams were installed (work order was for anchors) but more on that later.
We bought the house and everything was fine until April 2023, when we received some heavier than normal rain and we got excess water into the basement. Wife was pissed at the sellers then but I didn’t feel like it was something you could go after them for because it’s just the pains of an older house. I cut a lot of the dry wall off about a foot from the ground to help it dry out and it just sat in this state until about March 2024. That’s when I noticed some excess cracking in one of the bathroom basement wall tiles. I thought it was odd since I wouldn’t expect any more settling/structural movement. I tore into one of the walls and could not for the life of me find any wall anchors or structural beams. I tore into a few more places and same story.
Last week I called a water proofing/engineering company to come assess. They quoted me $50k to water proof and put up their version of structural support. Another quote I received was around $60k. Both of them also found the work order and final letter differing in solutions (wall anchors vs steel beams) suspicious.
Question is I’m pretty sure I have grounds for a suit (NAL but sounds like fraud) just not sure who to go after or what type of lawyer to even look for?

Requesting members feedback to help make a decision.
Own a Honda City in Delhi which is about to reach 15 years of registration limit this Oct. ( as per Delhi NCR NCT rules), but the vehicle has been well maintained (odo less than 50k Kms) and has been a family car so all the emotions are also in picture. I'm looking forward to move that car from Delhi to Mumbai (where i reside right now) so i dont need to necessarily scrap the car and once the car reaches physically in MH state, i can change registration to another state and continue with new state rules and pay green tax and continue to use the vehicle or maybe sell in near future.
Cost breakdown(approx) : these have come from google search, cargo is taken by a reputed contact so thats correct.
Service : 10k
Delhi to Mumbai cargo : 35k
New registration : 5k
Fitness and greentax : 3k
Kindly suggest as scraping will probably give us back maybe like 50-75k max, also my entire family is quite attached to the car and dont want to loose it just right now. And affording a new car at this point of time is also quite difficult.

As per a market veteran, greed is at every level. There is greed with F&O traders, hedge funds and exchanges facing M/W/D expiry. Since greed at such expiries are natural, why blame hedge funds for our actions and losses? It is wrong to blame others for our failure to understand the risks of F&O trading. If retail investors don't know the tricks of trading, they should simply step aside and do nothing. Volatility on expiry day is a given fact. One should know how to play against the big sharks or else stay away from F&O trading. We just create excuses for our failure in understanding the terms of business and the risks involved as everyone is addicted to F&O trading despite the huge losses. It is impossible for them to control their greed. Interpreting the right direction on expiry day is a must if one has to survive the volatility in the markets.
As per a market veteran, when market is on its peak, avoid tip and rumor-based trading, as there are chances of getting trapped. Do your own research for every company you choose to invest in. Follow very strictly the single rule allocation - not more than 7-9% of the portfolio in a single stock even if the promoter says so. Do not trade if the concept of the trade is not clear in your mind. Till 4th June, there will be wild volatile swings both ways. But if you have taken a trade without having the clear concept, you will get trapped.
As per a market veteran, never sell your winners to average out your losers! Otherwise, the day is not far when you will end up having a bunch of losers only! Bull markets are like marathons. Those who run it know the importance of consistency and discipline. People expect calamities and catastrophic in steady bull markets. So invest energy to develop patience and face them. Ride the tide and don’t time the ride.
Eco Recycling, first identified by Money Times two-years back and billed as a potential multi-bagger in our Panchratna newsletter this February has posted excellent results and the stock is on its upward journey.
In our 6th Jan MTTs, Sika Interplant recommended at Rs.1395 touched Rs.2504.
In our 21st Oct MTTs, Techno Ele. recommended at Rs. 514 touched Rs.1135.
In our 11th May MTTs, RAMINFO recommended at Rs.143 touched Rs.159, DCM Shriram Ind. recommended at Rs.195 touched Rs.220, Shemaroo recommended at Rs.157 touched Rs.165, Gulshan Polyoils recommended at Rs.197 touched Rs.205.
IRB Infra Q4 PAT grew 45% to Rs.189 cr. and consolidated income rose 47% to Rs.2504 cr. It has a equity of Rs.604 cr. and reserve of Rs.13141 cr. Total aggregate payout of Rs.181 cr. towards final dividend and third interim for FY24 has been declared. Add for decent gains.
Last week, Axis MF bought 26 lakh shares of Anantraj. Keep on radar for decent gains in medium-long term.
Va Tech Wabag results will be declared on 21st May 2024, which are expected to be encouraging. Keep it on your radar.
PNC Infratech results will be declared on 24th May 2024, which are expected to be strong. Further, a health dividend is also expected. Keep it on your radar.
ITD Cementation results will be declared on 28th May 2024, which are likely to be encouraging. Further, a health dividend is also expected. Keep it on your radar.
Vibrant Global notched an EPS of Rs.17.5 in the last 6 months and trades at a P/E of 4x. Promoters hold 71.3% and renowned fund manager, Siddharth Bhaiya, holds 22.64%. Its results on 18th May 2024 are likely to be promising with a healthy dividend. Add for multi bagger gains.
Shri Bajrang Alliance caters to Jubliant Foods, Nestle, KFC & Lulu Group for exports and exports to Australia, USA, Netherlands, Middle East, UK and New Zealand. It posted 9M EPS of Rs.29.77 and trades at a P/E of 8.5x. Buy for multi-bagger gains.
Debt-free Elixir Capital posted Q4 EPS of Rs.13.55 and FY24 EPS of Rs 26.89. It trades at a P/E of 4x. Promoters hold 71.3%, HNI’s & corporates hold 15.93%. Keep it on your radar.
Himatsingka Seide results on 23rd May 2024, which are expected to be strong with a healthy dividend. Keep it on your radar.
Kabra Extrusion Q4 NP rose 450% to Rs.18.97 cr. and declared a dividend of 70%. It is the industry leader 40% market share and partners Hero MotoCorp to supply battery packs & chargers. Thus, FY25 is expected to be the best. Add for 30% gains.
PNB Q4 NP rose 159.8% to Rs.3,010 cr. from Rs.1,159 cr. YoY and 35.4% to Rs.3,010 cr. from Rs.2,223 cr. QoQ. Its FY24 NP grew 228.8% to Rs.8,245 cr. and declared a divided of 75%. Add for decent gains.
Godrej Agrovet is into animal feed, crop protection, dairy, oil palm, poultry & processed foods. Promoters hold 74%, DIIs & FIIs hold 16.3%. It posted FY24 NP of Rs.359 cr. and declared a dividend of 100%. Add for 30% gains.
HCC results on 24th May 2024 are expected to be excellent. Keep it on your radar.
Andhra Petrochemicals Q3 NP grew 923% to Rs.9.82 cr. from Rs.0.96 cr. YoY. Its tie-up with GAIL for Natural Gas will lower production cost and boost its bottom-line. It results on 25th May 2024 are expected to be strong and a healthy dividend is likely. Buy for hefty gains.
Artefact Projects has huge orders for 6 years having bagged Rs.5.50 cr. order from NHAI. It pre-paid its debt of Rs.5 cr. and trades at a P/E of 8x and P/B of 0.86x. Its Q3 NP grew 60% and 9M NP rose 53%. It results on 21st May 2024 are expected to be good. Keep it on your radar.
TVS Holdings not only holds TVS Motor shares but is also engaged in the booming real estate business. Recently, it took over an NBFC aslo. Accumulate.
Hero MotoCorp is going ultra-aggressive in the two-wheeler segment and in the stock market too. Catch it before it goes out of reach. Add.
Maruti Suzuki remains unmatched in its market share, new models, distribution reach & service excellence. The stock is likely to speed up. Accumulate.
Fineotex Chemical receives an in-principle approval from BSE & NSE for preferential issue of warrants. It is in advanced talks for acquisition of a specialty chemicals unit. Add.
JTL Industries posted its highest-ever sales volume of 3,41,846 TPA for FY24 and posted revenue of Rs.2040.2 cr. on the back of robust demand. Buy.
Cellecor Gadgets record significant growth as it broadens its reach, distribution channels & product offerings, which boosted its marketing success. Add.
One Point One Solutions FY24 revenue grew 21.44% YoY to Rs.175.16 cr., EBITDA grew 52.95% YoY to Rs.56.76 cr. and PAT grew 143.5%. Add.
Sakuma Exports announced a substantial investment of £7.1 million in its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sakuma Impex Ltd. UK., which has an order book of £5 million. Add.
Sawaca Business Machines receives strategic proposal from TCS IT Dubai to develop AI based SCM, which includes acquisition of 20-25% stake in Sawaca Business Machines. A big positive. Buy.
Gujarat Toolroom's Rs.572.5 cr. Hybrid-Green Energy Power plant is projected to generate yearly profit of Rs.145.82 cr. Add.
Univastu India into civil construction projects has a Mkt.Cap. of Rs.237 cr. and posted Q3 sale of Rs.29.93 cr. with PAT of Rs.2.49 cr. and Q4 is likely to be better. Strong growth likely amid the infra boom. Buy.
Aartech Solonics, a turnaround player in Electrical Machinery boasts record order book and expansion plans. With investments in USA & UK subsidiaries, is poised for multi-bagger returns in the fancied Defense & Power sectors. Its Q4 results on 30th May 2024 may spring a pleasant surprise to shareholders. Buy.
Rudra Global Infra Products, manufactures TMT Bars, serving top clients like L&T and Reliance. Recently doubled production capacity and launched Rudra Inframart stores. Strong growth expected amid govt.'s infra investments. Buy.
NSE SME-listed ROX Hi-Tech evolved from an IBM & Cisco Business Partner to offer comprehensive IT solutions including AI. It is expected to notch an EPS of Rs 10 in FY24. Its IPO capex of Rs 50 cr. may lead to FY25 EPS of Rs 15+. Buy for hefty gain.
Zero-debt Just Dial from Reliance fame provides local search services through various platforms such as the internet, mobile internet, over the telephone (voice) & text (SMS). It posted 37% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.13.6 and 126% higher FY24 EPS of Rs. 42.7. Buy for 25% gain.
Union Bank has clocked 54% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.19.2. Buy for 20% gain.
Sandesh, Gujarati newspaper, published from 7 centers, posted 74% higher Q3 EPS of Rs.76.2 and 28% higher 9M EPS of Rs.154.3 on small equity of Rs.7 cr., which may lead to FY24 EPS to Rs.185/190. Buy for 25% gain.
Bank of India posted 35% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.4.6 and 65% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.15.5. Buy.
Repco Home Finance posted 36% higher Q3 EPS of Rs.18.2 and 32% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.66.6, which may lead to FY25 EPS of Rs.82+ Buy for a decent gain.
Jammu & Kashmir Bank posted Q4 EPS of Rs.5.8 and FY24 EPS of Rs.6.8. The robust Q4 EPS indicates that FY25 EPS may lead to Rs.24. Buy for 25% gain.
Nile Ltd., manufacturer of Pure Lead & Lead Alloys, plans a Lithium-ion recycling plant. It posted 140% higher Q3 EPS of Rs.39.7 and 78% higher 9M EPS of Rs.84.2, which may lead to FY24 EPS to Rs.125+. Add.
Karur Vysys Bank posted 36% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.5.7 and 45% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.20. Investments in Govt securities rose 19% to Rs.22,344 cr. in FY24, which may lead to FY25 EPS of Rs.27/28. Buy for 20% gain.
NCL Industries posted 152% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.5.2 and 110% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.20.5. Buy for 25% gain.
GPIL into iron ore mining, iron ore pellets, sponge iron, steel billets, rounds & wires, silico manganese, ferroalloys, prefab galvanized with captive power plants is expected to clock an EPS of Rs. 65. Buy for the long term.
Jaysynth Dyestuff manufacturer & dealer in dyes, dyes intermediates, organic chemicals, textile auxiliaries, pigments, resins, plasticizers & emulsions with low equity capital of Rs.0.9 cr. and is all set to garner an EPS of Rs. 9.5/10. Buy for the long term.
Basilic Fly Studios has a strong order book ~ Rs. 80 cr. to be executed in H1FY25, of which 75% is of FY24 total revenue.
Praveg launched Praveg Beach Resort at Nagoa Beach, Diu on May 15, featuring 31 Premium Tents and 4 dual-bedroom suites. It projects a 40-50% occupancy rate and an Average Room Rate of Rs.7,000-9,000. It is also expanding to 12 properties & developing 14 new projects.
Supreme Power Equipment secures Rs. 11.32 crore order to supply 50 MVA transformers for a solar project by Sept 2024, raising its total order book to Rs. 49.52 crore.
Praveg secures a 30-year land lease in Jawai, Rajasthan, for a luxury cave resort with 12 cave rooms, 8 tents, a pool, restaurant, bar & safari experiences, offering a blend of luxury & cultural immersion.
Wardwizard Innovations & Mobility post 135% YoY growth in EV sales of 1,071 units compared to 455 units in April 2023 with retail sales reaching 1,212 units in April 2024.
Mitsu Chem Plast currently operating at 70% of its 26,206 TPA capacity to expand by 1,800 TPA by May 2024 investing Rs. 206.5 lakh in new machinery.
BEL has a healthy order book. All it manufactures is a part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat's programme and is expected to post a strong FY24 along with a good dividend/ bonus. Add.
Shyam Metaliks plans to establish a SS bright bars capacity of 25,000 TPA and an SS wires division with a capacity of 18,000 TPA. Add.
M&M Q4 NP rose 32% YoY to Rs.2,038 cr. and revenue grew 11% YoY. Further, it approved an investment of Rs.12,000 cr. for its EV Subsidiary. Add.
Eicher Motors’s unit, VE Commercial Vehicles signs a JV with I Triangle Info tech. A big positive. Further, it plans to launch its first electric Royal Enfield bike by 2025. Buy.
Glaxo (GSK) Q4 NP rose 46% to Rs.194.5 cr. It now plans 12 launches from 2025, which include new vaccines & medicines for HIV, oncology, respiratory diseases, etc. Add.
Dixon Technologies sees a $10 bn. IT hardware opportunity in India. Recently, it signed a MOU with Acerpure for manufacturing of consumer appliance products. A big positive. Buy.
TVS Motors plans to launch a series of products in the range of 5-25 KW by 2025. Further, it also started its operation in Italy. Add.
Infosys enters in to a multi-year pact with UAE's First Abu Dhabi Bank to optimize and modernize its IT infra. A big positive. Add.
Cochin Shipyard bags huge Rs.500-1000 cr. orders from an European client for Hybrid SOVs. Further, it also has orders worth Rs.11.54 cr. from UDUPI Cochin Shipyard Ltd. Buy.
HAL Q4 profit jumped 52% to Rs.4309 cr. YoY and revenue grew 18% YoY. Analysts are still bullish on this counter. Add for the long term.

As per a market veteran, greed is at every level. There is greed with F&O traders, hedge funds and exchanges facing M/W/D expiry. Since greed at such expiries are natural, why blame hedge funds for our actions and losses? It is wrong to blame others for our failure to understand the risks of F&O trading. If retail investors don't know the tricks of trading, they should simply step aside and do nothing. Volatility on expiry day is a given fact. One should know how to play against the big sharks or else stay away from F&O trading. We just create excuses for our failure in understanding the terms of business and the risks involved as everyone is addicted to F&O trading despite the huge losses. It is impossible for them to control their greed. Interpreting the right direction on expiry day is a must if one has to survive the volatility in the markets.
As per a market veteran, when market is on its peak, avoid tip and rumor-based trading, as there are chances of getting trapped. Do your own research for every company you choose to invest in. Follow very strictly the single rule allocation - not more than 7-9% of the portfolio in a single stock even if the promoter says so. Do not trade if the concept of the trade is not clear in your mind. Till 4th June, there will be wild volatile swings both ways. But if you have taken a trade without having the clear concept, you will get trapped.
As per a market veteran, never sell your winners to average out your losers! Otherwise, the day is not far when you will end up having a bunch of losers only! Bull markets are like marathons. Those who run it know the importance of consistency and discipline. People expect calamities and catastrophic in steady bull markets. So invest energy to develop patience and face them. Ride the tide and don’t time the ride.
Eco Recycling, first identified by Money Times two-years back and billed as a potential multi-bagger in our Panchratna newsletter this February has posted excellent results and the stock is on its upward journey.
In our 6th Jan MTTs, Sika Interplant recommended at Rs.1395 touched Rs.2504.
In our 21st Oct MTTs, Techno Ele. recommended at Rs. 514 touched Rs.1135.
In our 11th May MTTs, RAMINFO recommended at Rs.143 touched Rs.159, DCM Shriram Ind. recommended at Rs.195 touched Rs.220, Shemaroo recommended at Rs.157 touched Rs.165, Gulshan Polyoils recommended at Rs.197 touched Rs.205.
IRB Infra Q4 PAT grew 45% to Rs.189 cr. and consolidated income rose 47% to Rs.2504 cr. It has a equity of Rs.604 cr. and reserve of Rs.13141 cr. Total aggregate payout of Rs.181 cr. towards final dividend and third interim for FY24 has been declared. Add for decent gains.
Last week, Axis MF bought 26 lakh shares of Anantraj. Keep on radar for decent gains in medium-long term.
Va Tech Wabag results will be declared on 21st May 2024, which are expected to be encouraging. Keep it on your radar.
PNC Infratech results will be declared on 24th May 2024, which are expected to be strong. Further, a health dividend is also expected. Keep it on your radar.
ITD Cementation results will be declared on 28th May 2024, which are likely to be encouraging. Further, a health dividend is also expected. Keep it on your radar.
Vibrant Global notched an EPS of Rs.17.5 in the last 6 months and trades at a P/E of 4x. Promoters hold 71.3% and renowned fund manager, Siddharth Bhaiya, holds 22.64%. Its results on 18th May 2024 are likely to be promising with a healthy dividend. Add for multi bagger gains.
Shri Bajrang Alliance caters to Jubliant Foods, Nestle, KFC & Lulu Group for exports and exports to Australia, USA, Netherlands, Middle East, UK and New Zealand. It posted 9M EPS of Rs.29.77 and trades at a P/E of 8.5x. Buy for multi-bagger gains.
Debt-free Elixir Capital posted Q4 EPS of Rs.13.55 and FY24 EPS of Rs 26.89. It trades at a P/E of 4x. Promoters hold 71.3%, HNI’s & corporates hold 15.93%. Keep it on your radar.
Himatsingka Seide results on 23rd May 2024, which are expected to be strong with a healthy dividend. Keep it on your radar.
Kabra Extrusion Q4 NP rose 450% to Rs.18.97 cr. and declared a dividend of 70%. It is the industry leader 40% market share and partners Hero MotoCorp to supply battery packs & chargers. Thus, FY25 is expected to be the best. Add for 30% gains.
PNB Q4 NP rose 159.8% to Rs.3,010 cr. from Rs.1,159 cr. YoY and 35.4% to Rs.3,010 cr. from Rs.2,223 cr. QoQ. Its FY24 NP grew 228.8% to Rs.8,245 cr. and declared a divided of 75%. Add for decent gains.
Godrej Agrovet is into animal feed, crop protection, dairy, oil palm, poultry & processed foods. Promoters hold 74%, DIIs & FIIs hold 16.3%. It posted FY24 NP of Rs.359 cr. and declared a dividend of 100%. Add for 30% gains.
HCC results on 24th May 2024 are expected to be excellent. Keep it on your radar.
Andhra Petrochemicals Q3 NP grew 923% to Rs.9.82 cr. from Rs.0.96 cr. YoY. Its tie-up with GAIL for Natural Gas will lower production cost and boost its bottom-line. It results on 25th May 2024 are expected to be strong and a healthy dividend is likely. Buy for hefty gains.
Artefact Projects has huge orders for 6 years having bagged Rs.5.50 cr. order from NHAI. It pre-paid its debt of Rs.5 cr. and trades at a P/E of 8x and P/B of 0.86x. Its Q3 NP grew 60% and 9M NP rose 53%. It results on 21st May 2024 are expected to be good. Keep it on your radar.
TVS Holdings not only holds TVS Motor shares but is also engaged in the booming real estate business. Recently, it took over an NBFC aslo. Accumulate.
Hero MotoCorp is going ultra-aggressive in the two-wheeler segment and in the stock market too. Catch it before it goes out of reach. Add.
Maruti Suzuki remains unmatched in its market share, new models, distribution reach & service excellence. The stock is likely to speed up. Accumulate.
Fineotex Chemical receives an in-principle approval from BSE & NSE for preferential issue of warrants. It is in advanced talks for acquisition of a specialty chemicals unit. Add.
JTL Industries posted its highest-ever sales volume of 3,41,846 TPA for FY24 and posted revenue of Rs.2040.2 cr. on the back of robust demand. Buy.
Cellecor Gadgets record significant growth as it broadens its reach, distribution channels & product offerings, which boosted its marketing success. Add.
One Point One Solutions FY24 revenue grew 21.44% YoY to Rs.175.16 cr., EBITDA grew 52.95% YoY to Rs.56.76 cr. and PAT grew 143.5%. Add.
Sakuma Exports announced a substantial investment of £7.1 million in its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sakuma Impex Ltd. UK., which has an order book of £5 million. Add.
Sawaca Business Machines receives strategic proposal from TCS IT Dubai to develop AI based SCM, which includes acquisition of 20-25% stake in Sawaca Business Machines. A big positive. Buy.
Gujarat Toolroom's Rs.572.5 cr. Hybrid-Green Energy Power plant is projected to generate yearly profit of Rs.145.82 cr. Add.
Univastu India into civil construction projects has a Mkt.Cap. of Rs.237 cr. and posted Q3 sale of Rs.29.93 cr. with PAT of Rs.2.49 cr. and Q4 is likely to be better. Strong growth likely amid the infra boom. Buy.
Aartech Solonics, a turnaround player in Electrical Machinery boasts record order book and expansion plans. With investments in USA & UK subsidiaries, is poised for multi-bagger returns in the fancied Defense & Power sectors. Its Q4 results on 30th May 2024 may spring a pleasant surprise to shareholders. Buy.
Rudra Global Infra Products, manufactures TMT Bars, serving top clients like L&T and Reliance. Recently doubled production capacity and launched Rudra Inframart stores. Strong growth expected amid govt.'s infra investments. Buy.
NSE SME-listed ROX Hi-Tech evolved from an IBM & Cisco Business Partner to offer comprehensive IT solutions including AI. It is expected to notch an EPS of Rs 10 in FY24. Its IPO capex of Rs 50 cr. may lead to FY25 EPS of Rs 15+. Buy for hefty gain.
Zero-debt Just Dial from Reliance fame provides local search services through various platforms such as the internet, mobile internet, over the telephone (voice) & text (SMS). It posted 37% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.13.6 and 126% higher FY24 EPS of Rs. 42.7. Buy for 25% gain.
Union Bank has clocked 54% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.19.2. Buy for 20% gain.
Sandesh, Gujarati newspaper, published from 7 centers, posted 74% higher Q3 EPS of Rs.76.2 and 28% higher 9M EPS of Rs.154.3 on small equity of Rs.7 cr., which may lead to FY24 EPS to Rs.185/190. Buy for 25% gain.
Bank of India posted 35% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.4.6 and 65% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.15.5. Buy.
Repco Home Finance posted 36% higher Q3 EPS of Rs.18.2 and 32% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.66.6, which may lead to FY25 EPS of Rs.82+ Buy for a decent gain.
Jammu & Kashmir Bank posted Q4 EPS of Rs.5.8 and FY24 EPS of Rs.6.8. The robust Q4 EPS indicates that FY25 EPS may lead to Rs.24. Buy for 25% gain.
Nile Ltd., manufacturer of Pure Lead & Lead Alloys, plans a Lithium-ion recycling plant. It posted 140% higher Q3 EPS of Rs.39.7 and 78% higher 9M EPS of Rs.84.2, which may lead to FY24 EPS to Rs.125+. Add.
Karur Vysys Bank posted 36% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.5.7 and 45% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.20. Investments in Govt securities rose 19% to Rs.22,344 cr. in FY24, which may lead to FY25 EPS of Rs.27/28. Buy for 20% gain.
NCL Industries posted 152% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.5.2 and 110% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.20.5. Buy for 25% gain.
GPIL into iron ore mining, iron ore pellets, sponge iron, steel billets, rounds & wires, silico manganese, ferroalloys, prefab galvanized with captive power plants is expected to clock an EPS of Rs. 65. Buy for the long term.
Jaysynth Dyestuff manufacturer & dealer in dyes, dyes intermediates, organic chemicals, textile auxiliaries, pigments, resins, plasticizers & emulsions with low equity capital of Rs.0.9 cr. and is all set to garner an EPS of Rs. 9.5/10. Buy for the long term.
Basilic Fly Studios has a strong order book ~ Rs. 80 cr. to be executed in H1FY25, of which 75% is of FY24 total revenue.
Praveg launched Praveg Beach Resort at Nagoa Beach, Diu on May 15, featuring 31 Premium Tents and 4 dual-bedroom suites. It projects a 40-50% occupancy rate and an Average Room Rate of Rs.7,000-9,000. It is also expanding to 12 properties & developing 14 new projects.
Supreme Power Equipment secures Rs. 11.32 crore order to supply 50 MVA transformers for a solar project by Sept 2024, raising its total order book to Rs. 49.52 crore.
Praveg secures a 30-year land lease in Jawai, Rajasthan, for a luxury cave resort with 12 cave rooms, 8 tents, a pool, restaurant, bar & safari experiences, offering a blend of luxury & cultural immersion.
Wardwizard Innovations & Mobility post 135% YoY growth in EV sales of 1,071 units compared to 455 units in April 2023 with retail sales reaching 1,212 units in April 2024.
Mitsu Chem Plast currently operating at 70% of its 26,206 TPA capacity to expand by 1,800 TPA by May 2024 investing Rs. 206.5 lakh in new machinery.
BEL has a healthy order book. All it manufactures is a part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat's programme and is expected to post a strong FY24 along with a good dividend/ bonus. Add.
Shyam Metaliks plans to establish a SS bright bars capacity of 25,000 TPA and an SS wires division with a capacity of 18,000 TPA. Add.
M&M Q4 NP rose 32% YoY to Rs.2,038 cr. and revenue grew 11% YoY. Further, it approved an investment of Rs.12,000 cr. for its EV Subsidiary. Add.
Eicher Motors’s unit, VE Commercial Vehicles signs a JV with I Triangle Info tech. A big positive. Further, it plans to launch its first electric Royal Enfield bike by 2025. Buy.
Glaxo (GSK) Q4 NP rose 46% to Rs.194.5 cr. It now plans 12 launches from 2025, which include new vaccines & medicines for HIV, oncology, respiratory diseases, etc. Add.
Dixon Technologies sees a $10 bn. IT hardware opportunity in India. Recently, it signed a MOU with Acerpure for manufacturing of consumer appliance products. A big positive. Buy.
TVS Motors plans to launch a series of products in the range of 5-25 KW by 2025. Further, it also started its operation in Italy. Add.
Infosys enters in to a multi-year pact with UAE's First Abu Dhabi Bank to optimize and modernize its IT infra. A big positive. Add.
Cochin Shipyard bags huge Rs.500-1000 cr. orders from an European client for Hybrid SOVs. Further, it also has orders worth Rs.11.54 cr. from UDUPI Cochin Shipyard Ltd. Buy.
HAL Q4 profit jumped 52% to Rs.4309 cr. YoY and revenue grew 18% YoY. Analysts are still bullish on this counter. Add for the long term.

As per a market veteran, greed is at every level. There is greed with F&O traders, hedge funds and exchanges facing M/W/D expiry. Since greed at such expiries are natural, why blame hedge funds for our actions and losses? It is wrong to blame others for our failure to understand the risks of F&O trading. If retail investors don't know the tricks of trading, they should simply step aside and do nothing. Volatility on expiry day is a given fact. One should know how to play against the big sharks or else stay away from F&O trading. We just create excuses for our failure in understanding the terms of business and the risks involved as everyone is addicted to F&O trading despite the huge losses. It is impossible for them to control their greed. Interpreting the right direction on expiry day is a must if one has to survive the volatility in the markets.
As per a market veteran, when market is on its peak, avoid tip and rumor-based trading, as there are chances of getting trapped. Do your own research for every company you choose to invest in. Follow very strictly the single rule allocation - not more than 7-9% of the portfolio in a single stock even if the promoter says so. Do not trade if the concept of the trade is not clear in your mind. Till 4th June, there will be wild volatile swings both ways. But if you have taken a trade without having the clear concept, you will get trapped.
As per a market veteran, never sell your winners to average out your losers! Otherwise, the day is not far when you will end up having a bunch of losers only! Bull markets are like marathons. Those who run it know the importance of consistency and discipline. People expect calamities and catastrophic in steady bull markets. So invest energy to develop patience and face them. Ride the tide and don’t time the ride.
Eco Recycling, first identified by Money Times two-years back and billed as a potential multi-bagger in our Panchratna newsletter this February has posted excellent results and the stock is on its upward journey.
In our 6th Jan MTTs, Sika Interplant recommended at Rs.1395 touched Rs.2504.
In our 21st Oct MTTs, Techno Ele. recommended at Rs. 514 touched Rs.1135.
In our 11th May MTTs, RAMINFO recommended at Rs.143 touched Rs.159, DCM Shriram Ind. recommended at Rs.195 touched Rs.220, Shemaroo recommended at Rs.157 touched Rs.165, Gulshan Polyoils recommended at Rs.197 touched Rs.205.
IRB Infra Q4 PAT grew 45% to Rs.189 cr. and consolidated income rose 47% to Rs.2504 cr. It has a equity of Rs.604 cr. and reserve of Rs.13141 cr. Total aggregate payout of Rs.181 cr. towards final dividend and third interim for FY24 has been declared. Add for decent gains.
Last week, Axis MF bought 26 lakh shares of Anantraj. Keep on radar for decent gains in medium-long term.
Va Tech Wabag results will be declared on 21st May 2024, which are expected to be encouraging. Keep it on your radar.
PNC Infratech results will be declared on 24th May 2024, which are expected to be strong. Further, a health dividend is also expected. Keep it on your radar.
ITD Cementation results will be declared on 28th May 2024, which are likely to be encouraging. Further, a health dividend is also expected. Keep it on your radar.
Vibrant Global notched an EPS of Rs.17.5 in the last 6 months and trades at a P/E of 4x. Promoters hold 71.3% and renowned fund manager, Siddharth Bhaiya, holds 22.64%. Its results on 18th May 2024 are likely to be promising with a healthy dividend. Add for multi bagger gains.
Shri Bajrang Alliance caters to Jubliant Foods, Nestle, KFC & Lulu Group for exports and exports to Australia, USA, Netherlands, Middle East, UK and New Zealand. It posted 9M EPS of Rs.29.77 and trades at a P/E of 8.5x. Buy for multi-bagger gains.
Debt-free Elixir Capital posted Q4 EPS of Rs.13.55 and FY24 EPS of Rs 26.89. It trades at a P/E of 4x. Promoters hold 71.3%, HNI’s & corporates hold 15.93%. Keep it on your radar.
Himatsingka Seide results on 23rd May 2024, which are expected to be strong with a healthy dividend. Keep it on your radar.
Kabra Extrusion Q4 NP rose 450% to Rs.18.97 cr. and declared a dividend of 70%. It is the industry leader 40% market share and partners Hero MotoCorp to supply battery packs & chargers. Thus, FY25 is expected to be the best. Add for 30% gains.
PNB Q4 NP rose 159.8% to Rs.3,010 cr. from Rs.1,159 cr. YoY and 35.4% to Rs.3,010 cr. from Rs.2,223 cr. QoQ. Its FY24 NP grew 228.8% to Rs.8,245 cr. and declared a divided of 75%. Add for decent gains.
Godrej Agrovet is into animal feed, crop protection, dairy, oil palm, poultry & processed foods. Promoters hold 74%, DIIs & FIIs hold 16.3%. It posted FY24 NP of Rs.359 cr. and declared a dividend of 100%. Add for 30% gains.
HCC results on 24th May 2024 are expected to be excellent. Keep it on your radar.
Andhra Petrochemicals Q3 NP grew 923% to Rs.9.82 cr. from Rs.0.96 cr. YoY. Its tie-up with GAIL for Natural Gas will lower production cost and boost its bottom-line. It results on 25th May 2024 are expected to be strong and a healthy dividend is likely. Buy for hefty gains.
Artefact Projects has huge orders for 6 years having bagged Rs.5.50 cr. order from NHAI. It pre-paid its debt of Rs.5 cr. and trades at a P/E of 8x and P/B of 0.86x. Its Q3 NP grew 60% and 9M NP rose 53%. It results on 21st May 2024 are expected to be good. Keep it on your radar.
TVS Holdings not only holds TVS Motor shares but is also engaged in the booming real estate business. Recently, it took over an NBFC aslo. Accumulate.
Hero MotoCorp is going ultra-aggressive in the two-wheeler segment and in the stock market too. Catch it before it goes out of reach. Add.
Maruti Suzuki remains unmatched in its market share, new models, distribution reach & service excellence. The stock is likely to speed up. Accumulate.
Fineotex Chemical receives an in-principle approval from BSE & NSE for preferential issue of warrants. It is in advanced talks for acquisition of a specialty chemicals unit. Add.
JTL Industries posted its highest-ever sales volume of 3,41,846 TPA for FY24 and posted revenue of Rs.2040.2 cr. on the back of robust demand. Buy.
Cellecor Gadgets record significant growth as it broadens its reach, distribution channels & product offerings, which boosted its marketing success. Add.
One Point One Solutions FY24 revenue grew 21.44% YoY to Rs.175.16 cr., EBITDA grew 52.95% YoY to Rs.56.76 cr. and PAT grew 143.5%. Add.
Sakuma Exports announced a substantial investment of £7.1 million in its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sakuma Impex Ltd. UK., which has an order book of £5 million. Add.
Sawaca Business Machines receives strategic proposal from TCS IT Dubai to develop AI based SCM, which includes acquisition of 20-25% stake in Sawaca Business Machines. A big positive. Buy.
Gujarat Toolroom's Rs.572.5 cr. Hybrid-Green Energy Power plant is projected to generate yearly profit of Rs.145.82 cr. Add.
Univastu India into civil construction projects has a Mkt.Cap. of Rs.237 cr. and posted Q3 sale of Rs.29.93 cr. with PAT of Rs.2.49 cr. and Q4 is likely to be better. Strong growth likely amid the infra boom. Buy.
Aartech Solonics, a turnaround player in Electrical Machinery boasts record order book and expansion plans. With investments in USA & UK subsidiaries, is poised for multi-bagger returns in the fancied Defense & Power sectors. Its Q4 results on 30th May 2024 may spring a pleasant surprise to shareholders. Buy.
Rudra Global Infra Products, manufactures TMT Bars, serving top clients like L&T and Reliance. Recently doubled production capacity and launched Rudra Inframart stores. Strong growth expected amid govt.'s infra investments. Buy.
NSE SME-listed ROX Hi-Tech evolved from an IBM & Cisco Business Partner to offer comprehensive IT solutions including AI. It is expected to notch an EPS of Rs 10 in FY24. Its IPO capex of Rs 50 cr. may lead to FY25 EPS of Rs 15+. Buy for hefty gain.
Zero-debt Just Dial from Reliance fame provides local search services through various platforms such as the internet, mobile internet, over the telephone (voice) & text (SMS). It posted 37% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.13.6 and 126% higher FY24 EPS of Rs. 42.7. Buy for 25% gain.
Union Bank has clocked 54% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.19.2. Buy for 20% gain.
Sandesh, Gujarati newspaper, published from 7 centers, posted 74% higher Q3 EPS of Rs.76.2 and 28% higher 9M EPS of Rs.154.3 on small equity of Rs.7 cr., which may lead to FY24 EPS to Rs.185/190. Buy for 25% gain.
Bank of India posted 35% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.4.6 and 65% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.15.5. Buy.
Repco Home Finance posted 36% higher Q3 EPS of Rs.18.2 and 32% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.66.6, which may lead to FY25 EPS of Rs.82+ Buy for a decent gain.
Jammu & Kashmir Bank posted Q4 EPS of Rs.5.8 and FY24 EPS of Rs.6.8. The robust Q4 EPS indicates that FY25 EPS may lead to Rs.24. Buy for 25% gain.
Nile Ltd., manufacturer of Pure Lead & Lead Alloys, plans a Lithium-ion recycling plant. It posted 140% higher Q3 EPS of Rs.39.7 and 78% higher 9M EPS of Rs.84.2, which may lead to FY24 EPS to Rs.125+. Add.
Karur Vysys Bank posted 36% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.5.7 and 45% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.20. Investments in Govt securities rose 19% to Rs.22,344 cr. in FY24, which may lead to FY25 EPS of Rs.27/28. Buy for 20% gain.
NCL Industries posted 152% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.5.2 and 110% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.20.5. Buy for 25% gain.
GPIL into iron ore mining, iron ore pellets, sponge iron, steel billets, rounds & wires, silico manganese, ferroalloys, prefab galvanized with captive power plants is expected to clock an EPS of Rs. 65. Buy for the long term.
Jaysynth Dyestuff manufacturer & dealer in dyes, dyes intermediates, organic chemicals, textile auxiliaries, pigments, resins, plasticizers & emulsions with low equity capital of Rs.0.9 cr. and is all set to garner an EPS of Rs. 9.5/10. Buy for the long term.
Basilic Fly Studios has a strong order book ~ Rs. 80 cr. to be executed in H1FY25, of which 75% is of FY24 total revenue.
Praveg launched Praveg Beach Resort at Nagoa Beach, Diu on May 15, featuring 31 Premium Tents and 4 dual-bedroom suites. It projects a 40-50% occupancy rate and an Average Room Rate of Rs.7,000-9,000. It is also expanding to 12 properties & developing 14 new projects.
Supreme Power Equipment secures Rs. 11.32 crore order to supply 50 MVA transformers for a solar project by Sept 2024, raising its total order book to Rs. 49.52 crore.
Praveg secures a 30-year land lease in Jawai, Rajasthan, for a luxury cave resort with 12 cave rooms, 8 tents, a pool, restaurant, bar & safari experiences, offering a blend of luxury & cultural immersion.
Wardwizard Innovations & Mobility post 135% YoY growth in EV sales of 1,071 units compared to 455 units in April 2023 with retail sales reaching 1,212 units in April 2024.
Mitsu Chem Plast currently operating at 70% of its 26,206 TPA capacity to expand by 1,800 TPA by May 2024 investing Rs. 206.5 lakh in new machinery.
BEL has a healthy order book. All it manufactures is a part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat's programme and is expected to post a strong FY24 along with a good dividend/ bonus. Add.
Shyam Metaliks plans to establish a SS bright bars capacity of 25,000 TPA and an SS wires division with a capacity of 18,000 TPA. Add.
M&M Q4 NP rose 32% YoY to Rs.2,038 cr. and revenue grew 11% YoY. Further, it approved an investment of Rs.12,000 cr. for its EV Subsidiary. Add.
Eicher Motors’s unit, VE Commercial Vehicles signs a JV with I Triangle Info tech. A big positive. Further, it plans to launch its first electric Royal Enfield bike by 2025. Buy.
Glaxo (GSK) Q4 NP rose 46% to Rs.194.5 cr. It now plans 12 launches from 2025, which include new vaccines & medicines for HIV, oncology, respiratory diseases, etc. Add.
Dixon Technologies sees a $10 bn. IT hardware opportunity in India. Recently, it signed a MOU with Acerpure for manufacturing of consumer appliance products. A big positive. Buy.
TVS Motors plans to launch a series of products in the range of 5-25 KW by 2025. Further, it also started its operation in Italy. Add.
Infosys enters in to a multi-year pact with UAE's First Abu Dhabi Bank to optimize and modernize its IT infra. A big positive. Add.
Cochin Shipyard bags huge Rs.500-1000 cr. orders from an European client for Hybrid SOVs. Further, it also has orders worth Rs.11.54 cr. from UDUPI Cochin Shipyard Ltd. Buy.
HAL Q4 profit jumped 52% to Rs.4309 cr. YoY and revenue grew 18% YoY. Analysts are still bullish on this counter. Add for the long term.

I am not The OOP, OOP is u/loro-rojo
Opposing counsel said in open court that I lied to the court.
Originally posted to Lawyertalk
Thanks to u/soayherder for suggesting this BoRU
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
OC - Opposing Counsel
AO - Agreed Offer
MSJ - Motion for Summary Judgement
Original Post Oct 25, 2023
I represent the defendants in a very contentious lawsuit. Plaintiff’s counsel is an old time attorney, who is borderline senile. Every word he says is a lie, his case is frivolous and he is the biggest pain in the ass. One of the major issues I've had to deal with is his unilaterally setting things without coordinating. He's scheduled hearings, depositions, and mediations without coordinating (he just sets matters, without even a courtesy email giving us notice). I've been forced to file motions to continue, motions for protective order as a result. The court never hears the motions because OC always at the last minute agrees to continue and I agree to simply drop the issue.
Last month he again set a hearing without coordinating. In response, I filed a motion seeking an order requiring OC to confer and coordinate before scheduling anything. I explained in the motion the many times OC unilaterally scheduled matters. I did not seek sanctions, I simply wanted an order on the issue so that OC would stop with the unilaterally setting. I just wanted him to stop being such ass.
Days before the hearing, I reach out to OC asking if he will agree to an agreed order. He ignores me. Yesterday we attend the hearing. I argue my motion at the hearing. In response, OC says in open court that he has never unilaterally scheduled anything and that I was not being candid with the court (ie that I was lying). The judge ordered us to appear at an evidentiary hearing next month on the matter. The judge will hear testimony, evidence and sanction whichever of us is lying.
I of course love the ruling. Finally I will be able to show to the court that OC is a flat out liar. Maybe the judge will sanction him. Hopefully, the judge will refer the matter to the state bar association. Can't wait for the hearing date.
OC called me about an hour ago asking if we can enter into an AO on the motion and avoid the evidentiary hearing. He said that he wants to avoid the cost. I know he's scared that the judge is about to end his career. He admitted to me during the call that he did in fact lie to the court when he accused me of not being candid to the court. I told OC that since he told the judge in open court that I was a liar, I had no choice but to go forward with the hearing and clear my name.
An attorney at my office suggested that if OC is willing to sign a stipulation whereby he withdraws his statement in open court (that he never unilaterally sets matters and that I wasn't being candid with the court), and agrees to confer prior to setting matters, I should agree and not move forward with the hearing. I obviously would rather move forward with the hearing and clear my name. I dont think a simple stipulation has the same power as addressing the matter in court. Obviously going forward with the evidentiary hearing carries its own risks. For example, OC said that he would expose to the court all of my lies during the lawsuit but this is again more baseless crap from this loser. I'mot worried about it but you never know what a judge will do.
Anyone had to deal with this before? Any advice? Is the wise move to agree to a stipulation and move on?
Update - 6 months later May 11, 2024
Here is my original post.
https://www.reddit.com/Lawyertalk/comments/17gk92m/opposing_counsel_said_in_open_court_that_i_lied/
This nightmare of a case is over and I can finally provide an update.
I did not try to enter into a stipulation with OC. As the evidentiary hearing date approached, he continued his antics and overall senile demeanor. I was left with no choice but to proceed with the evidentiary. Something I did not mention in my prior post- this case was set for a BENCH trial. I needed to preserve my reputation with this judge, especially since there wasn't going to be a jury on this one.
In any case, the week before the evidentiary hearing, we have an unrelated hearing on a discovery issue on the same case. During this hearing, I finally discovery a disturbing truth. My senile opposing counsel is best buds with the judge. Before the hearing starts, they talk about their grandkids, the family and upcoming bar events. Once the hearing starts, the judge refused to hear my arguments and denied my motion. He also stated (out of the blue) that he was cancelling the upcoming evidentiary hearing. This was after I spent hours drafting a supplemental motion, attaching exhibits and filing a detailed reply to Plaintiff's incoherent response (interestingly enough, OC admitted in his response to my motion that he did unilaterally schedule matters, but still wanted me to be sanctions for "reasons") OC then told the judge that I had wasted his time and the court's time filing the motion to confer. I was flabbergasted. The judge ruled that the evidentiary hearing would be held after the conclusion of the case. He said that "we need to get along". What a joke. All in all, this whole thing was a big waste of time.
OC's antics continued. In response to my request for production, he said that I could review the documents at his office. He refused to coordinate this, of course. I was forced to file a motion. In response, he tells me to go to his office later that day to inspect the documents. I show up and he kicks me out of the office because they were not "ready". After a couple of hours, I return to inspect the documents. It was a stack of 50 single page documents that could have been scanned to me in less than 10 minutes. In fact, there was a scanner in the attorney's conference room. I reviewed the documents, took pictures of some and left.
We then had another discovery dispute hearing. As usual, deranged OC made a ridiculous request and refused to confer. At the hearing, the judge sustained my objection (shocker). OC told the judge that he wanted to subpoena a non-party. The judge told OC to simply follow the rules (file a notice of intent to serve subpoena) if he wants to proceed with the subpoena. As expected, OC went ahead and served the subpoena anyways, in violation of the Rules and in violation of the Judge's ruling in open court. Luckily I had a court reported at the hearing. I filed a Motion to hold OC in Direct Contempt of Court and set it for hearing.
The following week OC filed his MSJ. This "filing" was the biggest POS I've ever seen. All the attorneys at my firm had a laugh reading the incoherent dribble this guy filed. The following day we went to mediation.
Mediation started with OC insulting my client, calling him a liar, a thief, and a good for nothing. During my mediation opening, I told the opposing side that it was my belief that his attorney was cognitively impaired and that he should not follow his attorney's advice. It was an epic shit show. I've never experienced anything like it and probably never will. Plaintiff wanted my client to pay him high six figures. We proposed a walkaway (we also filed a counterclaim). After hours of BS counteroffers, we impassed.
The next day I received a call from the mediator. Plaintiff is willing to accept $100k to settle. We stood firm on our walkaway offer. Miraculously, they accepted the walkaway. We then drafted the agreement and filed it with the Court. I've never been more relieved in my life.
I'm so glad this case is over. I will go nuclear on this guy if I ever have him again as OC.
RELEVANT COMMENTS
Zer0Summoner

Also, calling OC cognitively impaired directly to his client's face during opening? Chef's fucking kiss. You're my hero for that.

OOP

Lol. I spent too much time contemplating whether to do this. At the end, I was like who cares, case not settling anyways so may as well roast this guy.
Also, OC had previously represented to the court that he was charging his client $250/hr (mentioned it in a sanctions motion he filed against me). During opening I also said that the going hourly rate for a case like this was $150/hr. I knew Plaintiff was bleeding money and wanted to make him think his attorney was ripping him off. I guess it worked.

THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT THE OOP
DO NOT CONTACT THE OOP's OR COMMENT ON LINKED POSTS, REMEMBER - RULE 7

10-minute read.

Moscow's favorite archbishop

REPORTER (1in): While the protest leaders attempt to deny the Russian trace, Moscow is not hiding its strong support for Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan. Famous Russian media manager Aram Gabrelyanov recently wrote that Russian special services' ranking officials, tasked with Armenia-related activities, are impressed by Galstanyan.
What's noteworthy is that last year the same Aram Gabrelyanov wrote about the need to form a new opposition group led by a clergy member, and he even named Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan as the candidate.
This casts doubt on the spontaneous nature of Galstanyan's involvement in the protests. Gabrelyanov also mentioned a similar situation in Chechnya and that the "Chechen ethnos was saved by Haji Kadyrov". It appears the KGB has not changed its modus operandi.
The famous Kremlin ideologist Alexander Dugin, a known anti-Armenian, declared that the ongoing protests in Armenia and Georgia are polar opposites. In Georgia the protesters are Western agents, while in Armenia it's the patriots, Dugin said.
full video,

Այո, շտապեցինք

QUESTION: Do you have a consensus around a PM's candidate to replace Pashinyan?
ARCHBISHOP: That's something you should ask political parties and experts.
QUESTION: Is there any specific recommendation?
ARCHBISHOP: No.
QUESTION: On May 9 you gave Pashinyan 1 hour and 20 minutes to resign, without having a roadmap?
ARCHBISHOP: We rushed. //
Galstanyan said they are taking a break from the "street movement" but "everything that we have, all the plans, step-by-step you will know about everything. There are people fully dedicated to carrying out various activities."
Galstanyan plans to hold another meeting with political forces soon.
LHK (Edmon Marukyan's party): We held talks with Bagrat srbazan and support his movement and share his concerns regarding the border delimitation. But since the movement has turned political, we made certain proposals on how we envisage the movement's future. We need to know who the PM's candidate is. We will end our support if we see that the former regime is being given an opportunity to return to power. // [Did someone slap Edmundo last night?]
source, source, source,

video of the Kirants house that falls under the Azeri side of the border

Context in Thursday digest. The coordinates of one house with its barn, one trailer-style shop, and one garage were found to be located on the Azeri side. The owners will receive compensation from the government. The residents of the house will move out by July 24 to allow border guards to be stationed in the area.
The owner says this house was built sometime in 1972-1974 and that during the ongoing clarifications of coordinates, the government informed him that the Soviet records contained an error [leading to him receiving a cadastre certificate in independent Armenia]. This house was targeted and burned down by Azeris during the war in 1990s. The resident purchased it in 2005.
In related news. Kirants farmers will regain access to 25 hectares of land that was used as a buffer zone since 1990s.
video, video,

Foreign Minister Mirzoyan during the Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

MIRZOYAN: This year we celebrate the 75th anniversary of our Organization. The Council of Europe remains one of the most important international organizations in protection of human rights and the rule of law.
As we navigate through challenging times, where the threshold for violation of these basic principles is alarmingly high, it is imperative that we recommit ourselves to the values that have guided this institution.
Unfortunately, that is not the case for all the member states not only in the context of internal democratic institutions but also in their relations with other states. Humanitarian developments have unfolded in the geographic area of the Council of Europe, particularly in South Caucasus.
In September 2023, after 9 months of blockade, the world witnessed the forcible displacement of the indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of Azerbaijan’s military attack on the region, as documented by the Commissioner for Human Rights after her fact-finding visit in October 2023.
With the help of the international community, the Armenian Government has taken necessary measures to meet the short-term needs of the refugees. Another pressing humanitarian issue remains the issue of the release of all Armenian prisoners of war and civilians illegally detained in Azerbaijan.
Along with this, we should also note the positive developments. In April, Armenia and Azerbaijan finally started the delimitation process based on the 1991 Alma-Ata declaration, which was welcomed by many countries and organizations, including the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
We believe the Council of Europe should contribute to the democratic security of Europe and uphold the rights of all persons living in its geographical area. //
full,

Azerbaijan plans to settle 1,200 Azerbaijani students to study at Artsakh State University in occupied Stepanakert

The regime is accused of altering buildings and churches in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh to remove all traces of the indigenous Armenian population.
source,

Belarus leader Lukashenko visited occupied Shushi, prompting criticism from opposition leader Tikhanovskaya

Yesterday his big mouth spilled some beans about the preparatory phase of the 2020 war. On Friday the two dictators traveled to various regions of Karabakh, and Shushi, located in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh. Lukashenko wants to have a piece of the construction pie; he wants to build a village for 420 families. He gifted several tractors to Aliyev and an hourlong fellatio, praising Aliyev as the de facto "leader" of the "entire South Caucasus".
Belarus's opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya criticized Lukashenko: "Ironically, the Belarus dictator once again undermines Armenia, his ally in the CSTO, and flies to assist Azerbaijan in Karabakh. This illustrates the weakness of Russian 'military alliances' and Lukashenka’s own hypocrisy. The criminal regime only cares for its own survival at all costs."
source, source, source, source, video,

parliament leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met second time in Geneva under the Inter-Parliamentary Union framework

Alen Simonyan and Sahiba Gafarova Farquaad met on Friday. No details as of writing this. Their first meeting took place in March.
source,

IRS collected 8.5% more taxes in Q1 2024 but didn't meet the goal

Collected: ֏501B (only taxes & duties)
YoY change: +8.5%
Performance rate: 92% (fell short by ֏44B)
ACSES analytical center: They set a high bar in 2023 but today the taxes are not growing as fast; the vehicle resale business isn't as large. If in 2023 the top 1000 taxpayers paid 15% more, this year they paid 2% more. //
Q1 expenses: ֏526B (+24% YoY, -17% from target)
Q1 revenues: ֏525B
Deficit: ֏1B (vs. expected ֏74B)
source,

parliamentary committee greenlights a bill to impose administrative liability for filing an inaccurate tax return

The government suggests that administrative liability be introduced for providing inaccurate data in tax returns, that is, data that is not directly related to calculating taxable income, but is significant for analytics

The bill will oblige taxpayers to provide full and accurate information when filing tax returns and seeks to specify the list of violations subject to inspection by the IRS.
There will be a warning for first-time violators. Failing to provide the correct data within a month will lead to a ֏10,000 ($25) fine and ֏50,000 ($130) for subsequent violations.
source, video,

last month IRS issued ֏251 million in penalties to over 600 companies for evading taxes through cash register receipt machinations

Grocery stores, cosmetics & beauty shops, gas stations, appliance stores, etc.
source,

customs authority raided the Evrika shopping center in Yerevan

It belongs to the Usabov family. Last month alone they received a ֏20 million fine for allegedly violating cash register laws.
source, source,

the Mayor of Yerevan visited Paris where he met a French architect to discuss architectural proposals for the Cascade that recently went under the city's control after decades of neglect

Avinyan visited the office of Wilmotte & Associés Architectes and met with Jean-Michel Wilmotte.
Wilmotte recently traveled to Yerevan to inspect Cascade and the Noragyugh quarter of the city. He presented two potential projects on how to complete the Cascade. Mayor Avinyan will soon present them to the public.
Wilmotte also presented a project seeking to renovate the Noragyugh quarter, located near the center of Yerevan. The project is aimed at solving some of the city’s decades-long issues.
See the Cascade video here: video
TIGRAN AVINYAN: The Cascade project will be presented to the public soon. The second program is the reconstruction of Noragyugh. It will essentially become the "new center" of Yerevan. It's a very large project, an entirely new district with elements borrowed from the Tamanyan style. This is going to be one of the most important projects in Yerevan.
WILMOTTE: It's important to finish the construction of Cascade with simple, modest, but at the same time interesting solutions. We propose building a music hall and a gallery inside the facility. I think this will be a wonderful plan for Yerevan. I will be happy to bring my ideas to Yerevan. The city has a circular shape and it's interesting that Noragyugh will also be circular. It will be a modern district and become a symbol of the capital.
source, source,

Փարիզում Շառլ Ազնավուրին նվիրված հուշատախտակ է բացվել

photo,

Moldovans will hold a referendum in October to decide if they want to join EU

President Sandu singled out Russia and corruption as the biggest threats to the sovereignty of Moldova.
In contrast, the pro-Russian opposition parties want to improve ties with Russia and oppose Sandu's rapid drive for European integration and claim the referendum is an attempt to improve Sandu's chances of winning elections.
source, source,

Armenian parliament's answer to Valentina Matvienko:

"Yes", but we aren't even going to respond to your letter.
story & context,

EBRD assists Armenia to reduce energy dependence on Russia

EBRD: We are working on the development of renewable energy, which is very important in terms of supporting the green agenda. It is also important in terms of increasing energy security and reducing dependence on third countries. We had seen the risks of extreme dependency in Europe. The issue is being discussed with the government of Armenia and the assistance in this direction will continue.
We plan to invest €500 million in Armenia this year, a historic figure, and we hope to maintain this level of investment in the future. Some €640 million have already been invested in Armenia over the past 5 years, half of which in the private sector. //
source,

culture ministers of Armenia and Turkey met in Turkmenistan to discuss the reconstruction of the Ani bridge and the benefits of having cultural cooperation

Part of an international forum by Culture Ministers.
source,

Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan provides details about the EBRD forum that was held in Yerevan this year

REPORTER: This was an international-level meeting with over 3,000 delegates and officials from 74 countries. Why was it held in Yerevan this year?
MINISTER: In 2019 PM Pashinyan met the President of EBRD and suggested holding the forum in Yerevan in 2021. EBRD sent a delegation to assess Armenia's potential to see if we are capable of organizing such a large event. It was approved, but COVID delayed it.
REPORTER: Does organizing it in Armenia bring any benefits?
MINISTER: Of course. It's important to hold as many international forums as possile to place Armenia on the map. The quality of the event organization is also important. Many colleagues told us that this was at an "unprecedented" level and they were pleased that Armenia was able to show that it's a great place for investments and that we are moving forward. The forum was split into two parts: meetings by EBRD officials and ministers to draft plans and hold votes, and meetings with the private sector.
REPORTER: Examples of important events...
MINISTER: Tens of panel discussions and meetings. A very good event was held at the TUMO center attended by the EBRD leader; everyone was very impressed by the students. The EBRD elected a president and worked on its strategy for the coming years. Many panel discussions for digitization, green energy, etc. There were discussions about logistics routes. They highlighted that Crossroads of Peace and Armenia must be part of the regional transport routes. There are active talks around the Middle Corridor that connects Europe to China. Armenia found itself as part of these programs.
REPORTER: There were also publications about North-South's Sisian-Kajaran road and the construction of a new logistics center in Syunik.
MINISTER: This year we launched the construction of part of the southern section of North-South. There is going to be a very big tunnel as well. We involved our important partners: EBRD, ADB, EIB, and the French government. Together we are going to build this 60 km section. A loan agreement was signed with EBRD worth €236 million. Similar agreements will be signed with the other partners for other sections. This is part of the Crossroads of Peace as well. Regarding the construction of a new center in Syunik, it will be for customs and logistics. It will serve the entire cargo traffic, faster and more accessible.
REPORTER: But the EBRD president said they plan to invest €500 million this year. So what about the rest of the funds?
MINISTER: The remaining part will be invested in the form of agreements signed with the private sector, not the government. They will cooperate with private banks and the TUMO center. These loans will help Nagorno-Karabakh refugees, SMEs, etc.
REPORTER: So we will have a relatively cheaper loan portfolio?
MINISTER: Usually yes. The international organizations will ensure liquidity for the banks. It will be possible to provide these resources at a cheaper price to private companies. The loans will be insured. In other words, EBRD guarantees to pay the bank if the business doesn't repay the debt to the bank.
REPORTER: Overall, how will this forum's results affect Armenia's economy?
MINISTER: Holding it in Armenia has greatly improved Armenia's reputation as a place for private investments. Many private investors visited Yerevan and saw how well the events were organized; they were presented with various programs. It's an opportunity to attract new investors and increase demand for bonds issued by Armenia. The President of EBRD informed the whole world that they are investing in Armenia and that others should join as well to take advantage of the opportunity. I expect to see new investors within the next 1-2 years.
REPORTER: Archbishop Galstanyan organized protests right next to this forum, "directed" at this forum. Did this help or harm in any way?
MINISTER: When we learned about their plan to hold the protest nearby, the EBRD leadership and various ministers became concerned for safety. There were even talks about not attending the opening ceremony in the opera building. We had to ask the police to provide additional safety measures. I do not understand why they decided to hold the protest simultaneously with this forum.
REPORTER: Were you ever able to figure out why? [here comes Petros, he is about to start...]
MINISTER: No. If they disagree with certain government decisions perhaps interfering with this forum was not the best way to express it. Harming the organization of this forum is the same as harming Armenia. However, the protest played into our hands because the guests noted the democratic nature of Armenia where everyone has the right to express themselves.
REPORTER: The opposition says there were so many police officers brought there, that it amounted to repressions. Maybe the guests thought Armenia is a "police state"?
MINISTER: No. That morning we met the EBRD secretary who was concerned and didn't know what to do. We reassured them that additional safety measures would be implemented. They thanked us, and I'd like to thank our police officers for preventing problems. Even many guests who gathered at the opera backyard had no idea there were protests not far away.
source,