I started an online meal delivery business in West Africa during the covid period. My business has grown organically over the past three years and has now reached the point where I need to further expand physically (get a bigger space, possibly a physical brick and mortar outlet etc). I needed to raise some capital and fortunately I found someone willing to invest. Unfortunately, right around the time we were discussing the investment package, there was a change of presidency in the government and the next president immediately made some decisions that caused a shock economically. For example, the price of fuel tripled in the space of a week of his arrival into office. Anyways, the investor I found was still willing to invest but then I found myself needing more money than I had envisioned, and my evaluations kept changing every time I reflected on the situation.
Long story short, as the economy kept worsening, and the currency kept devaluing, I became more conservative about the growth estimations I had made in my business plans, and I ultimately lost some of the confidence of the investor who felt I was too risk averse and wasn't showing enough growth ambitions. In the end I didn't take the money offered. I was wondering if I made the right decision because almost everyone I spoke to told me to take the money. I just wanted to be honest and not take someone's money if I didn't feel 90-100% confident that I could deliver on my projections.
So, is it wise to raise equity financing before a recession, even though you cannot predict with certainty the depth of the recession? Is it also wise to expand a business during a recession? Should I have taken the money?

Did you start a business first or YouTube first?
For me, my channel is just a hobby separated from my business. I know there are a lot of successful YouTubers that turn their channel into a business.
If you were me, would you start a channel for your business or steer your channel toward a business?
I used GPT to pull some examples of both approaches:
Here are some notable examples of YouTubers who turned their channels into successful businesses:

1. Michelle Phan: She began her YouTube career with makeup tutorials and grew her brand to launch her own cosmetics line, EM Cosmetics. Michelle also co-founded the subscription beauty box service Ipsy, which is now valued at over $500 million oai_citation:1,YouTube Success Stories: How 10 YouTubers Turned Passion into Profit.
   
2. MeganPlays: Known for her Roblox gaming content, MeganPlays turned her channel into a million-dollar business. She expanded into merchandise with StayPeachy, game development, and multiple YouTube channels, managing a team of employees and operating from her own production studio oai_citation:2,Exclusive: How YouTuber MeganPlays turned Roblox videos into a million-dollar business The Business of Business.
   
3. MattyTingles: An ASMR content creator, MattyTingles grew his channel into a business, securing sponsorships with major brands like Audible and Reese’s. He recently formed MattyTingles LLC to manage his growing brand and partnerships oai_citation:3,Salem Youtuber Grows Channel Into Business Salem Business Journal.
   
4. Casey Neistat: A filmmaker and vlogger, Casey leveraged his YouTube success to co-found Beme, a social media app that was later sold to CNN for $25 million. He is known for his unique storytelling and cinematic vlogging style oai_citation:4,YouTube Success Stories: How 10 YouTubers Turned Passion into Profit.
   

On the flip side, there are businesses that have successfully ventured into YouTube:

1. Tasty: Initially a subsidiary of BuzzFeed, Tasty became a YouTube sensation with its recipe videos. It has since expanded into cookbooks, a food delivery service, and merchandise, turning into a profitable brand beyond the YouTube platform oai_citation:5,YouTube Success Stories: How 10 YouTubers Turned Passion into Profit.
   
2. Influencer.com: Co-founded by former YouTuber Caspar Lee, this platform connects brands with online influencers, providing a structured approach to monetizing content creation. Caspar transitioned from being a YouTuber to a business executive, managing a team of over 500 employees across multiple cities oai_citation:6,Caspar Lee: how I became a... YouTuber-turned-entrepreneur.
   

DAY JUNE 8 2024
6-8-2024

‘WE CANNOT SIMPLY GO, GO, GO.’ WHAT IS ‘GIRL MOSSING,’ THE WELLNESS TREND THAT REJECTS HUSTLE CULTURE?

On TikTok and Instagram, people are “girl mossing”: lying on a forest floor, staring up at a leafy canopy or caressing moss. The United States National Forest Foundation even borrowed the term to kick off its 2024 Instagram account. Girl mossing recognizes a need to step away from the pressures of modern, urban life, promoting spending time in nature as a restorative practice. The fast pace and pressure of neoliberal capitalism take an enormous toll on well-being: not just personal, but social and planetary.
6-8-2024

FIVE WAYS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CAN IMPROVE YOUR DATING LIFE

Artificial intelligence is going to transform how we date. The question is: will it be for better or worse? It’s already causing some real problems, especially related to “romance scams” and other fraud. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Used in the right way, AI can actually make dating better. It can help write profiles and find matches, provide dating advice and coaching and, if all else fails, become a date companion. I have spent the last few years studying the impact of technology, and especially AI, on our
6-8-2024

STUDY ASSESSES ‘THE DANCER PERSONALITY’

“Tell me if you dance and I will tell you who you are!” A study led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, has shown that both amateur and professional dancers are less neurotic than people who do not dance. They are also more agreeable, more open, and more extraverted.
6-8-2024

ONLINE SHOPPERS BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY AFTER CHATTING WITH STAFF OF THE OPPOSITE GENDER, RESEARCH SHOWS

In a digital world where people are mere pixels on a screen, gender bias can show up in unexpected forms. When people are online, anonymity and physical detachment embolden them to behave in biased ways
6-8-2024

INVESTORS BET BIG ON SUNNY DAYS, STUDY FINDS

It’s often said we can’t control the weather. But what if the weather controls how and when we invest our money? More specifically, what if the skies control how much we’re willing to gamble in the stock market? New research by the University of South Australia has found a connection between pleasant weather conditions and higher investment in lottery-like stocks. Lottery-like stocks are cheap compared to other stocks and, like lottery tickets, they can be seen as an opportunity to make a substantial gain. However, the chance of a higher
6-8-2024

TEENS TREATED UNFAIRLY BY TEACHERS MORE LIKELY TO HAVE POPULIST ATTITUDES

Perceived unjust teacher behavior is strongly and positively associated with populist attitudes among children and adolescents. Populist attitudes consist of ideologies including anti-elitism, people-centrism, and a dualistic perception of good versus evil, and where the foundation of political decision-making should be based on the general will of the people. In contrast to the association with teacher behavior, the correlation between young people’s relationships with peers and the development of populist attitudes is less strong, and the correlation between young people’s relationships
6-8-2024

MICROINCLUSIONS IMPROVE WOMEN’S WORKPLACE BELONGING AND COMMITMENT

New research shows how “microinclusions”—brief instances of positive treatment, especially from members of the dominant group—help women feel valued at work. Imagine your first day at a new job. You probably feel nervous, wondering how you’ll fit in with the team. It’s natural to worry if your co-workers will be supportive, or if they’ll take your contributions seriously. This experience is amplified for women in technology companies, who often face underrepresentation and
6-8-2024

BURNT OUT? HOW YOUR EMPLOYER CAN HELP YOU RETURN TO WORK FOR THE BETTER

The working world can be a pitiless one, as competition in the marketplace can put significant pressures on employees. Relentless deadlines, shrinking resources and shifting priorities all take their toll on employees’ well-being and mental health. In my home country of Belgium, more than two thirds (66.4%) of individuals on disability for psychological reasons had cases related to depression or burn-out. These worrisome statistics reflect broader trends across OECD countries, where nearly half (47.6%) of workers with mental-health problems have been absent from the office in the past year, compared
6-8-2024

FAMILY-FRIENDLY WORKPLACES BENEFIT EMPLOYEES, BUSINESSES

Paid leave and employee well-being are the focus of a three-part policy series on family-friendly business practices put together by the Brown School’s Clark-Fox Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis. “Creating a family-friendly workplace benefits both employees and businesses,” said Gary Parker, associate dean for external affairs and director of the institute. “For employees, it enhances work-life balance and job satisfaction,” he said. “For businesses, it leads to higher retention rates, reduced absenteeism and improved productivity. Policies such as paid leave, flexible work arrangements
6-8-2024

HOW TRUMP’S DEFINITION OF A ‘REAL’ AMERICAN HAS GRABBED HIS AUDIENCE—WHAT OUR RESEARCH SHOWS ABOUT WHY

Donald Trump has recently doubled down on his derogatory depictions of undocumented migrants in his bid to win the 2024 presidential election. In an interview with Time magazine, published on April 30 2024, Trump referred to migrants as “criminals,” who “come in and they steal our jobs, and steal our wealth, and they steal our country.” Trump was especially disparaging towards migrants from China, who he said are a “major force that’s forming in our country.” In short, according to Trump, undocumented migration is “an invasion of our country.” Trump’s
6-8-2024

NEW STUDY SHOWS MARKETING A BRAND’S SIMPLICITY CAN BACKFIRE

Irritability is a common side effect of heat. When companies tout the simplicity of their products, they may unknowingly invite customer dissatisfaction, new University of Oregon research finds. For decades, “simpler is better” has been accepted as a universal truth in marketing. Nick Light, assistant professor of marketing at the UO’ Lundquist College of Business, has tested that assumption. He found that most consumers prefer offerings that appear to be easy to use and understand. However, trumpeting simplicity can have a hidden, costly downside. “When marketing convinces consumers that things
6-8-2024

RESEARCHERS CREATE WINNING STRATEGY TO COMBAT VACCINE MISINFORMATION ON X

A new in-depth analysis shows that users who reply to misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a positive attitude, politeness, and strong evidence are more likely to encourage others to disbelieve the incorrect information. Researchers from three Georgia Tech schools found the most
6-8-2024

STUDY SHOWS DISENGAGED STUDENTS MORE LIKELY TO USE AI TOOLS FOR ASSIGNMENTS

A Swansea University psychology study has found that disengaged students are more likely to use AI tools—particularly ChatGPT—for academic assignments, raising questions about academic integrity and the need for proactive interventions. Launched in November 2022, ChatGPT is an AI program capable of answering questions in detailed, human-like ways. Researchers surveyed 160 undergraduate students, aged between 18 and 24, in March 2023 to assess their attitudes towards and past usage of AI tools such as ChatGPT in academic coursework. The study is published in The Internet and Higher Education journal. Thirty-two
6-8-2024

HUMAN CULTURE IS CHANGING TOO FAST FOR EVOLUTION TO CATCH UP—HERE’S HOW IT MAY AFFECT YOU

Research is showing that many of our contemporary problems, such as the rising prevalence of mental health issues, are emerging from rapid technological advancement and modernisation. A theory that can help explain why we respond poorly to modern conditions, despite the choices, safety and other benefits they bring, is evolutionary mismatch. Mismatch happens when an evolved adaptation, either physical or psychological, becomes misaligned with the environment. Take moths and some species of nocturnal flies, for example. Because they have to navigate in the dark, they evolved to use the moon
6-8-2024

YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE UK SAY THEY ARE LESS LIKELY TO VOTE IF THEIR PARENTS REPORT DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS

With a U.K. General Election approaching, new research has found that parental history of depression can predict whether a young person is likely to intend to vote. The research, led by the Department of Politics at the University of Liverpool, found that, at age 26, people were less likely to intend to vote if they had grown up with a parent experiencing high levels of depressive symptoms. Published in the journal Electoral Studies, the research used the British Cohort Study (BCS), which followed more than 16,000 babies born across a
6-8-2024

WHO GETS TO DECIDE WHAT COUNTS AS ‘DISORDER’?

As a scholar of urban governance and data policy, I viewed the responses to protests on U.S. campuses as about more than threats to academic freedom and freedom of speech. They are also threats to the fundamental rights of people in public spaces. The protesters’ tactics, particularly their use of tents in encampments, have brought debates around definitions of public order and disorder to the fore. Over the past couple of months, students in universities across the country, from the University of California, Los Angeles to the Massachusetts Institute of
6-8-2024

STUDYING VIOLENCE TOWARD WOMEN AND ANIMALS CAN HELP US DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO PREVENT BOTH

We live in a world where not everyone feels safe and respected, especially women. Sexual violence and abuse are significant global health issues. Intimate partner violence continues to be a problem in Canada. According to Statistics Canada, of the 117,093 victims of police-reported intimate partner violence in 2022, almost 80% were women and girls. More than half of women in the United States have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact. Given these high rates of sexual abuse, it is imperative that we improve upon what we currently know about violence
6-8-2024

WHY THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY COULD DEPEND ON YOUR GROUP CHATS

I became newly worried about the state of democracy when, a few years ago, my mother was elected president of her neighborhood garden club. Her election wasn’t my worry—far from it. At the time, I was trying to resolve a conflict on a large email group I had created. Someone, inevitably, was being a jerk on the internet. I had the power to remove them, but did I have the right? I realized that the garden club had in its bylaws something I had never seen in nearly all the
6-8-2024

NET ZERO IS NOT JUST GOOD SCIENCE—IT’S ALSO A GOOD DEAL FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE

As the UK moves into a general election, a misinformed debate over the country’s climate transition and legally binding net zero targets risks further dividing people. Much of this debate in the UK focuses on the “cost” of net zero. For instance, energy secretary Claire Coutinho recently stated the government did not want a “net zero leviathan” to crush the nation’s “brilliant enterprise economy,” while the Labor Party had to backtrack on its own headline climate investment pledge, citing “affordability” and “fiscal rules.” But the true “cost” is tricky to
6-8-2024

THE FASCINATING PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND ‘DINE AND DASH’ AND WHY IT’S ABOUT SO MUCH MORE THAN A FREE MEAL

Sometimes when I read the newspapers, I think that going to a restaurant and leaving without paying has become something of an epidemic. My research into lying has taught me that the psychology behind acts of deception is often deeply complex. Let me start with a confession. I was guilty of dine and dash a very long time ago before it had a catchy name. I was in a group that hung about a chip shop at the turn-of-the-road in north Belfast, a poor and troubled area. I had a
6-8-2024

YOU CAN NOW BE FROZEN AFTER DEATH IN AUSTRALIA. IF YOU’RE REVIVED IN THE FUTURE, WILL YOU LEGALLY BE THE SAME PERSON?

In recent weeks, Southern Cryonics—the southern hemisphere’s only cryopreservation facility, located in rural New South Wales—announced it had successfully cryopreserved its first patient. There are only a handful of cryopreservation facilities across the globe—two in the United States, and one each in Russia, China, Australia and Switzerland. If the claims made on their websites and in the press are accurate, these facilities likely have no more than 600 patients in cryonic storage in total. Media reports however suggest interest in cryopreservation has risen since the onset of the COVID pandemic,
6-8-2024

ENGINEERS HAVE A DUTY TO PROTECT PUBLIC WELL-BEING, BUT LESS THAN HALF LEARN HOW TO DO SO EFFECTIVELY

Engineers who received public welfare responsibility training in classes are more likely to consider the societal impact of technologies they design and to take action when concerns arise, according to a study by University of Michigan researchers published in The Journal of Engineering Education. While engineers are professionally obligated to protect the safety and well-being of those their technologies impact, the study found that nearly a third of U.S. practicing engineers have never received any training in public welfare
6-8-2024

HIRING PRESSURES TO DIVERSIFY ARE INFLUENCING PATTERNS OF DISCRIMINATION IN UNEXPECTED WAYS

In 2004, a pair of economists published a landmark study to measure discrimination in the labor market. In the study, the researchers applied to real job openings with fictitious applicants but changed the applicant names to reflect a different gender or race. They found clear evidence of discrimination: White men and women received 50% more callbacks than Black men and women. More recently, Berkeley
6-8-2024

STUDY FINDS RACIAL BIAS IN TRAFFIC STOPS BY CHICAGO POLICE

Black drivers in Chicago are significantly more likely than white drivers to be stopped by police regardless of where the drivers live or are going, according to a new study led by a Cornell city planning expert that maps the racial composition of roads by using mobile phone GPS data. The study confirms a racial bias
6-8-2024

DO WE HAVE MORE EMPATHY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SIMILAR TO US? NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS IT’S NOT THAT SIMPLE

How do people successfully interact with those who are completely different from them? And can these differences create social barriers? Social scientists are struggling with these questions because the mental processes underlying social interactions are not well understood. One recent concept that has become increasingly popular is the “double-empathy problem.” This draws on research looking at people who are known to experience social difficulties,
6-8-2024

HOW CAN WE MAKE GOOD DECISIONS BY OBSERVING OTHERS? A VIDEOGAME AND COMPUTATIONAL MODEL HAVE THE ANSWER

How can disaster response teams benefit from understanding how people most efficiently pick strawberries together, or how they choose the perfect ice cream shop with friends? All these scenarios are based on the very fundamental question of how and when human groups manage to adapt collectively to different circumstances. Two recent studies on collective dynamics by the Cluster of Excellence Science of Intelligence (SCIoI) in Berlin, Germany, lay the groundwork to promote better
6-8-2024

OTHERS’ WORDS, NOT FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE, SHAPE SCIENTIFIC AND RELIGIOUS BELIEF FORMATION, STUDY FINDS

Three proposals explaining the differential confidence. (A) Intuitively, one might assume that confidence in scientific entities (e.g., germs) is higher than confidence in religious entities (e.g., angels) because scientific entities are observable in principle whereas religious entities are not. (B) The Dual- Pathway Model proposes separate information pathways for scientific versus religious beliefs; belief in scientific entities is primarily driven by direct experience of causal outcomes whereas belief in religious entities is primarily driven by testimony. (C) Contrary to these two models, the Unified Model proposes that belief in both
6-8-2024

TRYING TO SAVE MONEY? RESEARCH SUGGESTS PAYING IN CASH—WHILE YOU STILL CAN

Cash is in crisis. In Australia, it’s now only used for 16% of in-person transactions, down from about 70% in 2007. The situation is so dire that on Monday, independent federal MP Andrew Gee introduced a private member’s bill that would force businesses to accept cash or else face big fines. The reality is that over the past decade, technological advancements have utterly transformed the way we pay for goods and services. Phones and smartwatches can now easily be used to pay by card, and buy-now-pay-later
6-8-2024

MESSAGES CAN TRIGGER THE OPPOSITE OF THEIR DESIRED EFFECT—BUT YOU CAN AVOID COMMUNICATION THAT BACKFIRES

The best graduation speeches dispense wisdom you find yourself returning to long after the graduation tassels are turned. Take the feel-good life advice in Baz Luhrmann’s song to a class that graduated 25 years ago. Only on a recent relisten did I realize it also captures one of the research-based strategies I teach for avoiding communication that backfires. The tip is hiding in plain sight in the song’s title, “Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen).” Communication aimed at promoting a certain behavior can have the opposite
6-8-2024

DIFFERENCES IN EDUCATION, VALUES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN CAUSE MISMATCHES WHEN SEEKING A PARTNER, FINDS SPANISH STUDY

The educational expansion of women has led to changes in the differences in educational level of men and women when looking for a partner. Research conducted by the UAB Center for Demographic Studies (CED-CERCA) has examined for the first time the role of discrepancies in gender role values and education among potential spouses. According to the study, about a third of women in favor of gender equality and with a higher education would not be able to find a homogamous male partner. The work is published in the journal Perspectives
6-8-2024

‘FUZZY’ MAPS OFFER INSIGHT INTO LOCAL PERCEPTIONS OF THE VALUE OF VOLUNTEERING

In the global South, volunteer programs are framed by policymakers and scholars as an effective vehicle for empowering women living in poverty. But this narrative often rests on scant knowledge of the perspectives and experiences of a key set of local stakeholders: the volunteers. A new study co-authored by Yale anthropologist Catherine Panter-Brick addresses this knowledge gap by engaging with Syrian refugees and Jordanian women from poor households in Amman, Jordan,
6-8-2024

EXPERTS SAY USE OF POLITICAL MEMES ARE A PREDICTOR OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE

In a study of social media activity prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, researchers at the University of Notre Dame say a sharp increase in politically salient imagery online—visual content designed to influence, dehumanize, manipulate and motivate audiences—was a predictor of the conflict. With collaborators at Colby College and Kennesaw State University, the researchers collected post history from a select group of 989 Russian milbloggers—a term used for “military bloggers”
6-8-2024

PROGRAMS TO PREVENT SEXUAL VIOLENCE SHOW NO EVIDENCE OF CURBING ASSAULTS, ANALYSIS FINDS

Sexual violence prevention programs effectively change ideas and beliefs that underscore assaults, but show no evidence of reducing their actual occurrence, a new comprehensive analysis shows. The findings are published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest. Researchers led by behavioral scientist Roni Porat of Hebrew University challenge the assumption that changing people’s thoughts about sexual violence will change their actual behavior. They call on scientists to study more behavior-centered approaches to reducing sexual
6-8-2024

DIVERSE FRIEND GROUPS PROMOTE BETTER SOCIAL COHESION AND WELL-BEING, STUDY FINDS

New research featuring more than 24,000 people has found that having diverse groups of friends improves well-being and social cohesion, despite people’s tendency to gravitate towards people more similar to them. Led by researchers at the University of Birmingham and published in Psychological Science, the study used data from 24,726 adults from over 10,000 English neighborhoods to examine the composition of people’s social networks according to age, ethnicity, income, and education to understand the implications of homophily (preference for similar people) on social cohesion subjective well-being. Dr. Miguel Ramos, lead
6-8-2024

STUDY SHOWS JUSTICE FACILITY DOGS BENEFIT WELL-BEING FOR CHILDREN FACING COURT

A new Edith Cowan University (ECU) study has revealed that having a four-legged friend at Children’s Court significantly reduces stress and anxiety for young victims, witnesses, and their caregivers. ECU criminology researchers Dr. Suz Rock and Associate Professor Natalie Gately have published the first Australian study to evaluate the impact of introducing a justice facility dog to a Children’s Court. The study “Kids, Courts and Canines: Evaluating the Justice Facility Dog Program through a Therapeutic Lens
6-8-2024

SEXUAL MINORITIES EXPERIENCE MORE EXCLUSION IN EVERYDAY SITUATIONS, FINDS STUDY

Lesbian, gay and bisexual people experience exclusion more frequently than heterosexual people. This is the finding of a recent study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin by researchers from the University of Basel and the RPTU University of Kaiserslautern-Landau. According to the study, people who are perceived as less gender-conforming are more frequently socially excluded. This could also affect heterosexual people if they deviate from traditional
6-8-2024

STILL RIDING LA’S METRO AFTER THE PANDEMIC? YOU PROBABLY THINK IT’S SAFER THAN THOSE WHO DON’T ANYMORE

As Jon Regardie wrote last year in Los Angeles Magazine, “Metro’s raison d’etre is to get hundreds of thousands of people each day across Southern California.” But the COVID-19 pandemic sent the numbers of riders plummeting to a low of 13%, and ridership still hasn’t fully rebounded. The reason may now be clear, thanks to the latest USC Dornsife LABarometer survey, conducted by the Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. The survey found that although public transportation ridership in
6-8-2024

CAN VAGUE GO VIRAL FOR GEN Y?

Generation Y, Gen Y, is commonly referred to as the millennial generation. It usually includes individuals born between the early 1980s and the mid-to-late 1990s or early 2000s. This generation follows Generation X and precedes Generation Z. The millennials, it is said, grew up during the transition to digital technology and the rise of the internet, and this has shaped their perspectives, behavior, and the way they use technology and media. They are often characterized as tech-savvy, adaptable, and socially conscious, with a strong affinity for social media and digital
6-8-2024

ITALIAN MOMS WITH 3+ KIDS WORK FAR FEWER YEARS THAN DADS, WHILE FINLAND SHOWS EQUALITY

Over the past century, the number of working women in Western countries has steadily increased. However, numerous studies show that it is still primarily women who have to manage the balancing act between parenthood and working life. Compared to fathers and childless women, mothers often have a less straightforward career path and face greater hurdles to career advancement. Little research has been done on what happens to women’s employment trajectories from midlife when childrearing efforts are
6-8-2024

TOP IT INDUSTRY MANAGERS ARE DIVIDED ON THE NEED FOR FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE

Many managers are currently seeking a balance between digital and face-to-face communication. A recent study from the University of Eastern Finland published in Information Technology & People shows that top IT industry managers have different views on when and for what purposes face-to-face communication in the workplace is needed. “Some top managers felt that all work tasks can be performed remotely with the help of digital communication. According to them, face-to-face communication is only necessary for maintaining interpersonal relationships and a sense of community,” says Doctoral Researcher Lotta Salin of
6-8-2024

STUDY FINDS SIMPLE HEADLINES ATTRACT MORE ONLINE NEWS READERS

The competition for online attention in today’s news environment is fierce. High-quality news from credible sources must compete for attention with misinformation and a rapidly increasing amount of partisan content. How can a news organization stand out as a reputable and trustworthy outlet while driving readers to its site? The answer is simple: literally. According to research from Michigan State University, news readers engage more with simple writing, suggesting journalists should write simply—clearly and without ambiguity—to attract attention online. The study was published in the journal Science Advances. “Newsrooms want
6-8-2024

STUDY SHOWS BANNING FALSE INFORMATION TRAFFICKERS ONLINE CAN IMPROVE PUBLIC DISCOURSE

When Twitter banned more than 70,000 traffickers of false information from its platform in the wake of the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the impact went beyond the silencing of those users. A study co-authored by UC Riverside public policy and political science scholars published in the journal Nature on June 5, found that the crackdown by Twitter (now called X after it was acquired by billionaire Elon Musk in late 2022) also significantly reduced the number of misinformation posts by users who stayed on the
6-8-2024

YOUNG ADULTS SAY STEADY SUPPORT FROM CARING ADULTS MADE DIFFERENCE IN TRANSITIONING FROM CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM

Young people who have exited foster care generally fare better—in work, school and relationships—if they get consistent support from adults who care about them during their teen years. My research team reached these findings by interviewing 21 people, now in their late 20s, who had aged out of foster care when they turned 18, had spent time in foster care as children or grew up in families that had active child welfare cases. These young adults relayed the degree to which they received support from
6-8-2024

HOW THE 1901 DISCOVERY EXPEDITION’S POLAR EXPLORERS STAYED HEALTHY DURING THEIR ANTARCTIC JOURNEY

Antarctica is the most inhospitable continent on earth. It’s dry, cold, and completely dark for months of the year. Edwardian explorers were some of the first to brave the Antarctic winter, developing new knowledge still drawn upon by scientists today. The Discovery expedition (1901–4) played a key role in the history of polar exploration. It was led by the Royal Navy commander Robert Falcon Scott, a pioneering polar explorer who died in 1912 after attempting to reach the south pole. The expedition’s third lieutenant was Ernest Shackleton, who led three
6-8-2024

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODELS INFUSED WITH AGRI-INNOVATION SYSTEMS CAN REDUCE POST-HARVEST FOOD LOSS AND WASTE

developing sustainable business models that are multi-actor networked for integrating them with agricultural innovation systems initiatives can enable a systemic approach for reducing food loss and value loss at the post-harvest
6-8-2024

WILL THE 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES BECOME THE PLAYING FIELD FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE PROTESTS?

Yannick Kluch, a professor of recreation, sport and tourism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, studies sport as a platform for promoting social justice. Kluch has worked with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, U.S. Diving and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. He spoke with research editor Sharita Forrest about the history of Olympic athletes’ social justice protests and governing organizations’ efforts to avert them with Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter.
6-8-2024

STUDY FINDS WE SPEND MORE WITH CASHLESS PAYMENTS

A study found support for the existence of a positive “cashless effect,” which is when consumers spend more when using cashless payment methods in comparison to cash. The study suggests the cashless effect leads people to spend more when purchasing products that are typically used to signal status, such as jewelry. However, the
6-8-2024

LAWS MEANT TO KEEP DIFFERENT RACES APART STILL INFLUENCE DATING PATTERNS, DECADES AFTER BEING INVALIDATED

If you are single and looking for a romantic partner, chances are that you have used a dating app. But the likelihood that others will like, or even see, your profile may depend on your race. Studies have found that all people on dating apps, regardless of their own race, are more likely to contact white people using the app. And all people using dating apps are least likely to contact African American women and Asian American men. Until recently, some popular apps, including OkCupid, Match, Hinge and Grindr, provided
6-8-2024

VIRTUAL LABS IN PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH BOOST DIVERSITY

University of Oregon psychologists are breaking down barriers to include underrepresented populations in research by bringing laboratories online. The researchers are trying to address a longstanding issue in psychology studies, which often rely on undergraduate students to volunteer as research subjects.
6-8-2024

ATTENDING LOCAL EVENTS STRENGTHENS NEIGHBORHOOD BONDS, SURVEY REVEALS

how often people visit and actively participate in local events and how this affects their sense of place or their connection to their community. A survey of almost 400 households in the state’s coastal council area of the City of Holdfast Bay found that people who frequently attend local events or participate as volunteers, organizers or exhibitors, have a stronger
6-8-2024

STUDY SHOWS ONLINE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION WORKS FOR COMPLEX TOPICS

“COVID-19 forced educators to adjust their educational best practices to an unfamiliar virtual classroom, and professional development was no different,” said Karen Jo Matsler, assistant professor in practice for UTeach at UTA
6-8-2024

EYE-TRACKING STUDY REVEALS THAT SIMPLY LOOKING AT THE NATURAL WORLD IN URBAN AREAS CAN REAP WELL-BEING BENEFITS

Integrating more natural features into city landscapes can play a crucial role in enhancing the mental well-being of residents. A study by Bangor University and Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, published in the scientific journal People and Nature, involved city dwellers and showed how paying visual attention to greenery, rather than human-made structures, can alleviate anxiety and enhance restorative feelings. The 117 urban residents who took part in the study, were guided on a
6-8-2024

ADVERTISERS MAY BE INADVERTENTLY FUNDING MISINFORMATION

Companies in industries such as health care, technology and insurance have been found to advertise on misinformation websites, according to an analysis published in Nature. In a related experiment, consumers who were made aware that a company advertised on a misinformation website were likely to reject an offer of a gift voucher to spend with that company. The majority of digital advertisement placement on the internet is done via an algorithm-based distribution
6-8-2024

STUDY SUGGESTS EVOLUTIONARY BASIS FOR MALE RISK-TAKING BEHAVIORS

why we associate risk-taking with males rather than females, from an evolutionary standpoint. Study author Hannah Goodman, from UWA’s School of Human Sciences, said researchers found men engaged in riskier behaviors when crossing a busy traffic intersection, supporting growing evidence that risk-taking is predominantly an androcentric behavior. “Males

Will the Yeezys that pop up in store eventually get put online? Went to my local adidas outlet today and not 1 yeezy. I really need those covellites

So I am on ps4, and my game has been updated, I got the Azkaban cosmetic set, the 2 new brooms, the taped up glasses cosmetic, but I read online the onyx hippogriff is available as well, but I do not have it. I have completed the quest that gives me highwing. But don't see the onyx mount. How can I get it?
Edit: Found out how to get it! It's on the PlayStation store for free!

Just getting into the Rolex market and been doing some light reading but nothing seems to give me the answers I’m looking for. Hoping someone could link me a post/website that can answers these:
-Buying a Rolex from: -Brick and mortar store: Should i only use the recommended ones on Rolex website? -Online: What are some of the most reputable outlets?
-Anything to know pre owned vs New? -How often do new models get released?
Appreciate it!

The Dark Truth About Reddit: From Faking Users To A Billion Dollar Company
How did two broke college students with a failed business end up creating one of the most popular internet forum ever? The story of Reddit is filled with scandals, lies, money and even death - as Reddit has been involved in countless controversies, including turning against its own users. But let’s dive in behind Reddit's insane history to the billion dollar company that we know of today.
In 2001, Alexis Ohanian enrolled at the University of Virginia to study computer science. His destiny changed when he met his dorm neighbor Steve Huffman, another self-taught programmer majoring in computer science.
The two bonded over video games but Alexis felt behind his peers' skills. Fearing failure, he switched to pre-law despite his passion for coding. As he prepped for the grueling law entrance exam, visions of a monotonous future as a lawyer overwhelmed him. Mid-exam, he walked out and envisioned running his own impactful tech company instead.
Luckily, Steve already had a business idea - a mobile app for ordering food ahead from gas stations or any restaurant to skip the line. Excited, they named it "My Mobile Menu" and devoted their senior year to building the startup.
However, smartphones were still primitive with no app stores. Steve struggled to connect their SMS-based system to restaurants'. Meanwhile, Alexis struggled to sell the vision to restaurants. Their innovative idea was simply too ahead of its time.
As spring break arrived, Alexis and Steve embarked on a 500-mile trip to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their goal? Seeking help for their struggling business from entrepreneur Paul Graham, who was lecturing at Harvard on "How to Start a Startup."
Steve was a fan of Graham's books and hoped to get one autographed. But Alexis saw an even bigger opportunity. After the lecture, they approached Graham, bought him a drink, and pitched their mobile food ordering app "My Mobile Menu." Surprisingly, Graham liked the idea of eliminating waiting in line for food.
The pair exchanged contacts with Graham and returned to Virginia reinvigorated. Weeks later, Graham emailed about launching a new startup accelerator program called Y Combinator, inviting them to pitch for funding. Though confident, the investor panel couldn't envision their app working with current technology nor saw two college kids having restaurant connections.
Rejected but not dejected, Graham revealed he still believed in Alexis and Steve if they conceived a better idea. Literally getting off the train at the next stop, they brainstormed a new concept that would change everything.
Abandoning the mobile app, Graham advised building something web-based to solve "your problem every morning." By 2005, content flooded the internet from multiple sources needing better aggregation. Sites like Slashdot let users submit articles that moderators rated. Delicious bookmarked popular links.
But Alexis and Steve envisioned an open platform where anyone could share any content for users to upvote or downvote - a platform where content is rated by the people. After tossing names like Oobaloo and 360scope, they landed on "Reddit" - allowing people to simply say "I read it on Reddit."
Graduating in 2005 with a new company name and vision, the founders of Reddit were ready to disrupt how content spreads online.
Armed with $12,000 in funding from Y Combinator, Alexis and Steve moved to Massachusetts to work full-time on their new idea. They spent months operating on little sleep, barely leaving as they built Reddit day and night. However, Paul Graham soon emailed questioning why they hadn't launched yet, pushing them to release a bare-bones beta version immediately.
Unexpectedly, Graham then linked to Reddit on his blog, driving their first 1,000 visitors. Ready or not, Reddit was now live - but missing a crucial element: users.
Alexis tried everything to attract an audience - posting flyers around Boston, asking friends to contribute content, even pitching fellow Y Combinator founders. But without an existing userbase, there was little content.
Desperate for traction, Alexis and Steve resorted to creating hundreds of fake accounts to populate Reddit with posts, giving the illusion of an active community. "Reddit's no fun if the page is blank," Alexis rationalized their moves.
At first, there was no evident impact until they started noticing unfamiliar usernames joining the platform. By summer's end, Reddit had amassed over 12,000 daily users.
However, the homepage was simply a jumble of random links voted to the top with no categorization system. This sparked Alexis and Steve's first major clash - Alexis wanted tags for organization, but Steve opposed subjective labeling concerns.
Their compromise? Separate "subreddit" sections for every interest, becoming Reddit's backbone. The first was the not-safe-for-work subreddit, followed by science, programming, politics and many more niche communities united on one novel platform.
With this innovative structure, Reddit's prospects were looking very bright - especially after crossing paths with a pivotal new player, Aaron Swartz.
At just 18 years old, Aaron Swartz was a talented programmer also backed by Y Combinator for his startup Infogami, that built web development tools. However, Infogami struggled - Aaron hadn't launched yet and found himself broke, homeless and partnerless. Paul Graham saw Aaron's potential to help with developing Reddit and suggested merging companies.
Late 2005, around 6 months after Reddit's launch, Infogami merged into a new parent company Not A Bug Inc with Reddit. Steve, Alexis and Aaron each owned 24% of Reddit, with Paul at 7% and the rest reserved.
Alexis and Steve welcomed Aaron's coding skills. As users grew, Reddit added comment sections for discussions, plus a "karma" points system incentivizing quality contributions. The trio collaborated well initially.
However, underlying tensions brewed. Alexis and Steve felt it unfair Aaron publicly called himself a Reddit co-founder when he joined 6 months after their idea's inception. This founder friction intensified as Reddit caught the attention of media giant Condé Nast.
The multi-billion dollar publisher of Vogue, GQ and Vanity Fair sought to acquire the rapidly growing, user-generated Reddit to expand digitally after acquiring Wired. Though not looking to sell their 1-year-old startup yet, the 23, 22 and 19-year-old founders entertained Condé Nast's millions.
After tense negotiations, one hurdle remained - Aaron voicing concerns over a massive corporation controlling the free user-driven platform. His antics like secretly tweaking contracts caused frustration until Steve warned him not to jeopardize the deal.
Relenting, Condé Nast acquired Reddit for around $10-20 million, making the founders overnight millionaires. Though required to remain for 3 more years, they operated independently with resources to grow Reddit. What seemed like a dream quickly turned into a nightmare as the Reddit founders' story took a dark twist.
Everyone worked hard to impress Condé Nast, Reddit's new corporate owners - except Aaron. He had envisioned Reddit as a voice for the people against big governments and corporations. So being owned by a massive media company felt like a bad cultural fit.
Aaron rarely showed up to the office, even blogging about hating the "grey walls, grey desks, grey noise". Finally in January 2007, Alexis, Steve and Condé Nast leadership fired the problematic Aaron.
Without him, the team continued developing Reddit, rethinking core features.
Until 2008, only employees could create new topic subreddits despite increasing user requests. Their solution? Allowing any user to make their own subreddit.
This brilliant move spawned subreddits for every niche interest imaginable, from niche bands to financial advice to bizarre meme topics like "BreadStapleToTrees" with over 300,000 members. Users could now find or create communities for any interest.
Another clever tactic was to let the most active users moderate the subreddits they created for free.
Reddit's popularity soared to over 2 million users and 10,000+ subreddits by late 2008. Yet the company struggled to monetize this traffic.
So despite explosive growth, Reddit remained unprofitable, merely introducing paid memberships and awards. Meanwhile, tensions boiled over between Alexis and Steve - the former grieving his late mother, accusing Steve of mismanagement while Steve felt Alexis schemed behind his back. Sharing an apartment worsened their explosive office fights.
By 2009 when their Condé Nast contracts expired, the fractured co-founders both abandoned Reddit just as a new Congressional bill threatened the site's very existence.
In 2011, Congress proposed the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which would hold platforms like Reddit responsible for all user-generated content on their sites - even content they didn't publish themselves. For a site with millions of users freely posting, copyright owners could sue Reddit, potentially leading to massive fines, legal fees or even a shutdown.
At the time, Reddit had over 46 million users but only 20 employees, making it impossible to monitor all content for compliance. Reddit publicly declared SOPA an "all-out war against the internet" they wouldn't go down without a fight.
Many tech giants like Google and Wikipedia also lobbied against the law amid intense public backlash. On January 18, 2012, Reddit took the dramatic step of shutting down for 12 hours in protest, stating in a blog post: "We wouldn't do this if we didn't believe this legislation and the forces behind it were a serious threat to Reddit and the internet as we know it."
Days later, Congress abandoned SOPA after succumbing to public pressure. One key leader emerging from this internet freedom battle was none other than Aaron Swartz. After leaving Reddit, he had become an activist fighting internet censorship and campaigning for an open internet.
But his activism landed him in serious legal trouble in 2011 when arrested for illegally downloading millions of academic journals from MIT to make them freely accessible online. He faced up to 35 years in prison and $1 million in fines.
Aaron was offered a plea deal of just 6 months if he admitted guilty, however he rejects it to avoid being a lifelong felon. As his case lingered, the depressed Aaron became isolated, not wanting to burden others. Tragically, his girlfriend found him dead by suicide weeks before the trial.
Tributes poured in across the internet, hailing Aaron as using "his prodigious skills not to enrich himself, but to make the internet and world a fairer, better place." Though inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame for co-founding Reddit and creating RSS feeds and Creative Commons licenses, Aaron's pivotal role has largely been erased from Reddit's official history.
In March 2012, Yishan Wang from PayPal became Reddit's new CEO as the site reached billions of monthly pageviews and gained cultural relevance. Even President Barack Obama did an AMA ("Ask Me Anything") Q&A on the site's popular subreddit.
However, this immense growth caused problems. Since anyone could create subreddits, many disturbing communities proliferated from watching people die to cannibalism forums. Reddit's anonymity made it ripe for abuse by extremists, hate speech, and controversies.
One tragic example followed the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings killing 3 and injuring hundreds. A "FindBostonBombers" subreddit emerged with thousands speculating and sharing unauthorized personal information against site rules. They falsely accused missing student Sunil Tripathi based on resemblance, leading to vicious harassment of his grieving family before authorities identified the true perpetrators.
When Tripathi's body was discovered on April 23, news outlets blamed Reddit's witch-hunt. As the userbase swelled into the millions, pressure mounted on executives like Yishan to crack down on offensive subreddits. Though believing "we will not ban legal content even if odious," he eventually prohibited forums like "BeatingWomen" with graphic violence.
By 2014, conflicting views on content moderation led Yishan to resign after just two years, citing stress from the internal conflicts and negative publicity scaring investors amidst sexism claims. Ellen Pao soon replaced him as CEO to address Reddit's escalating controversies.
Ellen Pao, formerly Reddit's VP known for suing a past employer over gender discrimination, succeeded Yishan as CEO in 2014. Her hiring aimed to rehabilitate Reddit's concerning reputation.
Around this time, co-founder Alexis Ohanian also returned as executive chairman, hoping to steer Reddit clear of controversies. Shortly after, Pao implemented stricter anti-harassment policies and banned some of the most offensive subreddits.
While some lauded her efforts to clean up Reddit, many core users considered it censorship - especially after Pao stated: "We are not a completely free speech platform." Matters escalated when she fired beloved employee Victoria Taylor, who coordinated high-profile AMAs. In protest, moderators shut down hundreds of subreddits, effectively blacking out the site.
With over 160,000 petitions calling for her removal, Pao resigned after just 7 months amid Reddit's tailspin and uncertain future. The company desperately needed stable leadership after cycling through 3 CEOs in under a year.
Offering a glimmer of hope, co-founder Steve Huffman returned as CEO in 2015 alongside Ohanian's renewed involvement. The original founders' comeback reignited optimism, with design upgrades, mobile apps, and clearer direction initially.
However, in 2016 Huffman himself sparked an ethics scandal. After insulting comments on the controversial "The_Donald" subreddit, he abused admin privileges to edit them, redirecting insults towards the subreddit's moderators instead. Though calling it "trolling the trolls," many felt an admin editing user posts broke trust in Reddit's freedom and openness - severely damaging Huffman's credibility.
In April 2023, Reddit announced it would start charging to access its API - the interface allowing third-party apps and websites to pull data from Reddit. One of the most popular alternative apps was Apollo, offering a different browsing experience by freely accessing Reddit's data when the API was free.
However, Reddit's new pricing of 24 cents per 1,000 API requests meant Apollo estimated yearly costs over $20 million - forcing the beloved third-party app to shut down. Many moderator tools relying on Reddit's API to provide enhanced functionality beyond Reddit's official app were also hit with massive unexpected bills.
Many in the community felt the exorbitant pricing and lack of warning suggested Reddit deliberately aimed to kill competitor apps, not giving developers time to adapt. Outraged moderators and developers grouped together, staging a blackout where over 7,000 subreddits including major communities like AskReddit went dark simultaneously to protest the API charges.
With huge portions of Reddit inaccessible, the company lost substantial ad revenue during one of the biggest online protests ever. Many thought this backlash would force Reddit to rescind the changes. However, since the blackout stated a hard 48-hour timeline, Reddit simply waited it out despite some subreddits staying private longer until threatened with moderator bans.
Post-blackout, animosity towards Reddit's leadership like CEO Steve Huffman has intensified. However, Reddit argued the monetization move was necessary, as the company remains unprofitable while third-parties freely integrated Reddit's entire infrastructure and content without generating any income for Reddit itself.
While Reddit's position is defensible from a business perspective, most agree better foresight like improving their official app with requested features could have avoided controversy. Nonetheless, Reddit achieved its API paywall aims - but at the cost of worsening tensions with its very own community.
Despite nearly 20 years online and around 430 million monthly users as of 2023, Reddit incredibly still operates at a loss and has never turned a profit. However, Reddit's collective community has managed to accomplish some incredible feats.
Users have raised massive amounts for charities and orphanages, organized the world's largest secret Santa gift exchange, and created millions of connections through niche interest communities. Reddit is undeniably useful too - its threads frequently appear as top Google results for inquiries.
But no event demonstrated Reddit's community power quite like the 2021 GameStop stock frenzy. Amateur traders on the WallStreetBets subreddit banded together against hedge funds betting on GameStop's decline. Redditors began purchasing the struggling company's shares en masse, driving its stock price from under $3 to an astonishing $483 peak.
This monumental short squeeze caused multi-billion losses for major Wall Street firms, while making numerous Redditors overnight millionaires simply by clinging together. While Reddit itself has yet to solve profitability, one thing remains clear - the website's most powerful asset and liability is its vast unified user base.
Despite the controversies and roller coaster ride detailed in Reddit's story, the site's populist underpinnings and harnessed collective continue redefining what an online community can achieve, for better or worse. Reddit's unconventional journey is far from over.

As most of you probably know, Rue 21 has filed for bankruptcy and has closed all their stores by now. A lot of ex-empployees were shocked to hear this sudden news, I personally believe the signs were already there that the company was bleeding for a couple of a years prior to the announcement. Here I will share my experience working for Rue21, the things I believe were signs of the impending, and things I believe led to the company's failure.
Let's start with the first red flag, the sign of the impending:
The payroll hours: sometime in 2022 after the holiday season was over our store was allocated 125 store hours and we were not to go over under any circumstances. This continued into our busier summer, back to school, and even our holiday seasons of that year. My store manager was actually worried, saying she hoped the company wasn't in any financial trouble. The company of course was silent on that end. Now for those who do not work in retail may not know that 125 hours is less than bare bones minimum needed to run our store. We were short staffed during hour peak business hours and closing managers had to take lunches literally 1 hour after clocking into their shift. The sales plan forecasts were growing bigger and yet the payroll hours stayed the same. Before, the company would always increase hours as sales plans grew, but no. It did not happen. This was not just our store, I believe all the stores in our district were affected as my SM talked with another SM at another store who had a much bussier store and she was stressed with all the boxes she had in the back due to the 125 hours she was operating on. Not enough hours for staff to process shipment in a timely manner. Concerns about these hours were brought up to our DM, but the only thing the company gave us was an instruction sheet on how to 'flex' these 125 hours and schedule effectively to clean the store and process shipment. We did recieve a temporary increase an hours when visuals came in, but then went back to 125.
Higher and higher sales plans: right before I left in 2022 we were getting all these insane store goals that had no reflection of business the previous year. we obviously did not make those plans. I feel like this was so the company would not need to pay bonuses for managers since we would get a bonus if we made the month's sales plan and over. Not sure if this happened in other stores.
No Merit Increase: the year I left, merit increases were promised to come around April or August. I had a great review and the DM said merit increases would happen, but they never came around. Prices were going super high at the time, food was going up, the cost of fuel was up, so a merit increase made sense to help ease the burden and then it never happened. Our store never got them and the DM told my SM who broke the news to us. Again I am not sure if it was just our store or the other stores as well, but we did not get them that year. Appearently, they used the excuse of getting a low finanical score store rating to deny us these plans. My SM said why would we get more money when we weren't doing our jobs. The company had increased our work once fitting rooms opened up again and ship from store was a go. We were definietly doing our jobs and doing more.
Ship from Store adjustments: in 2022 we recieved a memo that if we cannot find a product in an order, cancel it so another store gets the order in hopes they have all the items and the customer would not recieve multiple packages. This was a change from the previous directive where we were to partially reject the order and send what we were able to fulfill to the customer. I definitely see the pros to that, mutiple packages sounds like a haggle. The company added in its memo that it costs them 10 dollars to ship every package, i found it odd they say that since customers generally pay for shipping themselves when checking out. Unless it hit the free shipping threshold. Again, this might have been an oversite on the company's part.
The loss of online shipping: a while after I left the company, I noticed on the website that shipping to home was no longer available at all for any product. The website advertised, buy online and pick up in store during this time. So any rue 21 customer without a store nearby is basically cut off from buying from them ever again. Bye bye to the online customers. This continued up until the company announced bankruptcy, although it was partially restored as the company brought back online exclusive products but a very, very small selection. If this was not a signal the company was doing bad I don't know what is. I went back to the store to visit one if my old managers and she said it was costing the company too much money to ship items.
The reports of restructuring and financial woes: this was after leaving the company. I read a handful of articles saying Rue21 was hiring consulting firms to help bolster sales and financing as the company kept earning negative ebitda and store sales were declining. I beleive they partnenred with at least 2 or 3 different firms to help reorganize themselves, but to no avail. The conpany still went under. I even heard from my old co workers that the company put our DM in another district and all districts doubeled in size, I also heard most of the RDs were let go.
Here are the tings I believe contributed to the conpany's fall:
More stores open: This may come as a surprise, but during the pandemic era, the company had actually expanded their stores. I believe 15 stores were opened during this time. An article I found online confirm's their decision to open more stores as they say this was backed by customer data and trend forecasts. I am not sure what figures they were looking at but this was definetly a bad idea as stores started underpeforming once inflation rose sky high, price gouging, and food costs all up. Everything went up.
Tunnel vision with certain KPIs: During the same pandemic area our store and I think the whole district got traffic counters installed so they can add conversion to their KPIs, basically its a percentage you get by dividing transaction counts by store walk ins, we initially started off with a 27-28% goal in our store than I belive right before i left it was lowered to 22%. Our DM was really on us saying no stores are to hit below 20% conversion and that any stores that do will have a conversation with the executive team about why their store is that low. A vague threat that never came to fruition because that never happened to us nor did i hear from other stores about this. We had missed this goal several times. The company became way too focused on this saying that numbers tells a stroy in the store and that we are leaving X amount of money on the table every time we miss our conversion goals. They got this figure assuming the difference in percentage of the goal and ADS, but that was all theoretical. I could have made my sales plan with a 49 dollar ADS and conversion rate of 15% at closing. I would rather have that than a 32% conversion rate, missing sales plan for the day, and an ADS of 10 dollars. The culture the DM spread around was toxic, to her it doesn't matter if you miss your other KPIs just dont miss your conversion. I feel we did pretty well with this conversion thing, but it was ridiculous what corporate was trying to tell us with conversion. Also the DM mentioned that when stores would go under 20% conversion she would get a call from her RD at 5am in the morning asking why the store went that low, if true this was super toxic, the DM is not gonna know that answer at 5am while they are still sleeping and the business day has yet to start. This move to conversion focus with less empahsis on other KPIs was crazy. Also we would have the same customers that would walk in and out of the stores several times going to meet families and their friends and then walk back in, artifically inflating the true amount of cusotmers we actually had, now we had to get them to buy things again but realistically that didn't happen. Also this thing counted strollers and other such things so again this conversion rate was not an accurate reading of our performance here. An amazing coversion rate was not gonna make my sales plan, but is only one factor to how business was that day!!!
Loyalty program: just like most other retailers, you sign up with your basic info and you get points for your purchases which lead to discounts or 'rewards' is what they called it. Our store did fairly well most of the time, but there were times on weekends our sign up rate would go down since our store was in a tourist hot spot and several tourists would refuse the loyalty program because there was no Rue 21 near them nor would they shop online. Our DM heavily micromanaged this aspect. I heard several conference calls were she would call out the underperfoming stores in the district and give everyone overall a lecture about it. Due to this what seemed like company wide culture, corporate sent us a memo for managers to sign saying we were not to falisfy rewards accounts because appearently this was happening in the company. Probably managers desperately trying to make the goals. There was even a store in my district that claimed customers were not allowed to make a purchase without signing up for loyalty/needing to give a phone number. Not sure how true this was, but it could have happened. My DM even went as far to say if employees were not getting their loyalty sign ups up then replace them with new hires who will. The thing is were where these new quality employees gonna come from? Compared to Rue 21 in my state, their starting pay was very low compared to the other retailers in my outlet center. You want quality employees, but you gotta up your ante to stay competitive and Rue 21 was not being competitive in this area for Associates and Managers.
Credit cards: this one was a big one. Just like how every retailer has credit cards now, so did Rue21. They wanted us to have at least 1 approved card application a day. It was tough getting people to try and sign up, especially with the high interest rates at the time. Again, corporate was toxic with the credit card thing as my DM said she would get fired if she doesn't get enough credit cards. The RD was visting our store with her at the time and she said that around her and she didn't even say anything to refute this. Her silence meant everything! What do they want? To have a Wells Fargo situation to happen to them. This was at a time when inflation was up and less people were trying to spend money so credit cards made no sense. We would get nasty emails when we missed our credit card goals from our DM. The conference calls weren't any fun because of that either. Also, Rue21's motto was always fast and friendly at the cash wrap, but with all these extra things poppinh up, the BOGO deals, fragrances, loyalty, and now credit cards! The fast part kinda went away and is now a maze of information bombardments to the customer. All these things tacked on much more time than neccessary and some customers even felt overwhelmed by it too. We were all nonstop talking to the customers at the wrap about these things I was out of breath with every single transaction! It was exhausting!
Lastly, the reason I believe Rue 21 failed, pure greed! It is outrageous to think that the customer base for in-store shopping was there during the panedmic era. I can still remember the time the company annouced more stores, the year during the pandemic with tax returns, unemployment money, and stimulus checks coming in, I think that was in 2020 or 2021. We had so much business company wide, they came out with a memo saying that the sales volume/foot traffic mirrored Christmas shopping season. Our store specifically made 200-400% over our daily sales goals during this time. The rush would not stop and during this time the company increased our converision goal 1% saying that the extra percent is equal to 1 million dollars more in revenue for the company. Rue 21 also changed all of its merchandise to normal price to make more money, then the memo that the new stores were coming. The sales seemed boundless, until it all came to a gridning halt with gas, food, rent, utilities, and just about everything else went through the roof and then the company slashed payroll hours outrageously low. This was pure greed, instead of focusing on the stores they already had and paying down debts, investing in their employees and customers, the company expanded and tried to cash in even more on this ride of money, but it all came crashing down under them in the end and this was probably their undoing. Greed.
Well that's a wrap!
Any ex-Rue 21 employees out there who want to talk about the company? I would love to know your experience and whether you observed the same findings I did. Did we all go down to 125 hours company wide in the past years leading to the bankruptcy? Were merit increases denied? Did coprorate contribute to any toxic/negative attitudes to making conversion, loyalty, and credit cards?? I would love to know! Thanks!

All games are list are available depending on the trade or offer some games are worth more then others but just DM me what you got or offer and we can talk.
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Landmark 1-Week Closed Beta Key Landmark 1-Week Beta Available
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Steam Available
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Lexica Steam Available
LiEat Steam Available
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MURI Steam Available
MX vs ATV Reflex Steam Available
Mars: War Logs Steam Available
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Medal of Honor Origin Key Origin Available
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MirrorMoon EP Steam Available
Monster Hunter Generations Demo Nintendo 3DS Available
Mountain Steam Available
Neverwinter Adventurer's Helper Pack + Exclusive Lord of the Labyrinth Title Neverwinter Available
NiGHTS Into Dreams Steam Available
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Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee® Steam Available
Offspring Fling Steam Available
OlliOlli Steam Available
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Overlord II Steam Available
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Pathfinder Adventures - 40 Chests Pathfinder Available
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Platformines Steam Available
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Q.U.B.E.: Director's Cut Steam Available
RONIN Steam Available
Railroad Tycoon 3 Steam Available
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Regular Human Basketball Steam Available
Road to Ballhalla Steam Available
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SMITE — Bellona and Furiona Bellona Exclusive Skin, Kukulkan and Typhoon Kukulkan skin SMITE Available
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GOLF WITH YOUR FRIENDS + CADDYPACK DLC + OST
GENERATION ZERO
FORAGER
VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE - COTERIES OF NEW YORK
FUN WITH RAGDOLLS: THE GAME
STRANGE BRIGADE
YOOKA-LAYLEE AND THE IMPOSSIBLE LAIR
CATHERINE CLASSIC
THE OCCUPATION
THE SHAPESHIFTING DETECTIVE
TROPICO 6 - EL PREZ EDITION
FAE TACTICS
IRON DANGER
AUTONAUTS
SHADOWS: AWAKENING
FANTASY BLACKSMITH
THE SUICIDE OF RACHEL FOSTER
GOAT OF DUTY
THE UNCERTAIN: LAST QUIET DAY
BASEMENT
LIGHTMATTER
DARKSIDERS III
IMPERATOR: ROME DELUXE EDITION
CRYING SUNS
DARKSBURG
LITTLE MISFORTUNE
SMILE FOR ME
DARKWOOD
TSIOQUE
ROVER MECHANIC SIMULATOR
YOUROPA
TOWNSMEN - A KINGDOM REBUILT
HI-FI RUSH
STEELRISING
LODDLENAUT
KING OF THE CASTLE
BRAVERY AND GREED
AMANDA THE ADVENTURER
MEDITERRANEA INFERNO
JURASSIC WORLD EVOLUTION + 1 DLC
XCOM® 2 + 2 DLC
RISE OF INDUSTRY
NICHE - A GENETICS SURVIVAL GAME
WARHAMMER 40,000: GLADIUS - RELICS OF WAR
HEAVE HO
NEOVERSE
CHESS ULTRA
HORACE
XCOM: CHIMERA SQUAD
ELEX
KINGDOM TWO CROWNS
WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS
HOTSHOT RACING
PEAKY BLINDERS: MASTERMIND
CYBER HOOK
PESTERQUEST
BOREAL BLADE
PLANET COASTER + 1 DLC
F1 2019 ANNIVERSARY EDITION
FELL SEAL: ARBITER'S MARK
BATTLE CHASERS: NIGHTWAR
EXAPUNKS
TUROK
DEATH'S GAMBIT
NIFFELHEIM
AI WAR 2
ETHERBORN
SUPRALAND
GRID™ - ULTIMATE EDITION
HELLBLADE: SENUA'S SACRIFICE
FELIX THE REAPER
MEN OF WAR: ASSAULT SQUAD 2 - WARCHEST EDITION
STYGIAN: REIGN OF THE OLD ONES
REMNANTS OF NAEZITH
OVERLOAD
THE STILLNESS OF THE WIND
THE KING'S BIRD
AGE OF WONDERS: PLANETFALL - DELUXE EDITION
VOID BASTARDS
RAILWAY EMPIRE
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA DEADLOCK
YUPPIE PSYCHO
BEAT HAZARD 2
DON'T ESCAPE: 4 DAYS TO SURVIVE
VERLET SWING
BASINGSTOKE
EARTHLOCK
MARVEL'S MIDNIGHT SUNS DIGITAL+ EDITION
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TWO POINT CAMPUS
OTXO
ROGUEBOOK
THE RED LANTERN
HELL PIE
TWIN MIRROR
ANCESTORS: THE HUMANKIND ODYSSEY
PATHOLOGIC 2
WARHAMMER: CHAOSBANE
TOTAL TANK SIMULATOR
SONG OF HORROR COMPLETE EDITION
MINORIA
DELEVELED
THE AMBASSADOR: FRACTURED TIMEL
MIDDLE-EARTH™: SHADOW OF WAR™
GRAVEYARD KEEPER
DIRT RALLY 2.0 + 3 DLCS
STREET FIGHTER V
BAD NORTH: JOTUNN EDITION
TRAILMAKERS
WHISPERS OF A MACHINE
GRIP + 1 DLC
SCORN
DESTROY ALL HUMANS 2! REPROBED
BEACON PINES
CHILDREN OF SILENTOWN
OAKEN
SNOWTOPIA: SKI RESORT BUILDER
OUTWARD + THE SOROBOREANS AND OUTWARD SOUNDTRACK
ENDLESS SPACE® 2 - DIGITAL DELUXE EDITION
MOVING OUT
TRINE 4: THE NIGHTMARE PRINCE
THE WILD EIGHT
TRAIN STATION RENOVATION
IRIS AND THE GIANT
BOOMERANG FU
FROSTPUNK + 1 DLC
PATHFINDER: KINGMAKER - ENHANCED PLUS EDITION
CRYOFALL
ELIZA
SHENZHEN I/O
PROJECT WARLOCK
THE HEX
NIGHT CALL
EXPEDITIONS: ROME
MIDNIGHT FIGHT EXPRESS
ELEX II
THE PALE BEYOND
LAST CALL BBS
DC UNIVERSE INFINITE 1-MONTH FREE TRIAL
GET TWO MONTHS OF IGN PLUS
OVERCOOKED! 2 + TOO MANY COOKS + SURF 'N' TURF PACK
ONE STEP FROM EDEN
THE BEAST INSIDE
INDIVISIBLE
SHINING RESONANCE REFRAIN
ZWEI: THE ARGES ADVENTURE
ZWEI: THE ILVARD INSURRECTION
THE HAUNTED ISLAND, A FROG DETECTIVE GAME
FROG DETECTIVE 2: THE CASE OF THE INVISIBLE WIZARD
STILL THERE
STRUGGLING
PATH OF GIANTS
ANCESTORS LEGACY
PHANTOM DOCTRINE
DEAD IN VINLAND
HORIZON CHASE TURBO
DARK FUTURE: BLOOD RED STATES
X-MORPH: DEFENSE
DESERT CHILD
Boundless
VAMPYR
HELLO NEIGHBOR + HELLO NEIGHBOR HIDE AND SEEK COLLECTION
CALL OF CTHULHU
LITTLE BIG WORKSHOP
GENESIS ALPHA ONE DELUXE EDITION
AUTOMACHEF
AMERICAN FUGITIVE
WE WERE HERE TOGETHER
A CASE OF DISTRUST
HITMAN 2
THIS IS THE POLICE 2
OPUS MAGNUM
MOLEK-SYNTEZ
RAIDEN V: DIRECTOR'S CUT 雷電 V DIRECTOR'S CUT 雷電V:導演剪輯版
DRIFTLAND: THE MAGIC REVIVAL
TRUBERBROOK / TRÜBERBROOK
THE BARD'S TALE IV: DIRECTOR'S CUT
CAPITALISM 2

A domain name is more than just an address; it's a brand, an identity, and often the first impression a user gets of a website. The domain system, established in the 1980s, has evolved significantly, now offering a plethora of options tailored to different needs and objectives. This essay will delve into the primary types of domains, including Top-Level Domains (TLDs), Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs), Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs), and New Top-Level Domains (nTLDs). By examining the characteristics and use cases of each type, we aim to provide a clear and balanced perspective on the vast domain landscape.
Top-Level Domains (TLDs)
Top-Level Domains (TLDs) are the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System (DNS) structure. TLDs appear at the end of domain names, following the last dot. They are categorized into several groups based on their intended use and scope.
Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs)
Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs) are among the most commonly recognized domain extensions. Examples include .com, .org, .net, and .info. These domains are not restricted by geographical or organizational constraints, making them versatile choices for a wide range of entities.

1. .com: Originally intended for commercial entities, .com has become the default choice for businesses and individuals alike due to its global recognition and credibility. For instance, giants like Google (google.com) and Amazon (amazon.com) use .com domains.
2. .org: Typically associated with non-profit organizations, .org is widely used by charities, educational institutions, and open-source projects. Examples include Wikipedia (wikipedia.org) and the World Wildlife Fund (worldwildlife.org).
3. .net: Initially designated for network-related entities, .net has broadened its scope and is now used by various organizations, including technology companies and online service providers. An example is Behance (behance.net), a platform for creative professionals.
4. .info: Intended for informational sites, .info is less common but still used by entities that focus on providing information rather than commercial or organizational activities. An example is AARP (aarp.info), providing resources for retired individuals.

Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs)
Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs) are two-letter domains assigned to specific countries or territories. These domains often signify a website's association with a particular region, making them popular for businesses and organizations that operate within or target specific geographic areas.

1. .us: The ccTLD for the United States, used by American entities like government agencies and local businesses. An example is the Library of Congress (loc.gov), which uses .gov, a restricted ccTLD variant for government sites in the U.S.
2. .uk: The ccTLD for the United Kingdom, used by British companies and organizations. Examples include the BBC (bbc.co.uk) and the UK government portal (gov.uk).
3. .de: The ccTLD for Germany, one of the most popular ccTLDs globally, reflecting Germany's strong online presence. An example is the German news site Spiegel (spiegel.de).
4. .cn: The ccTLD for China, heavily used within the country due to internet regulations and the significant online market. Examples include Baidu (baidu.cn), a leading Chinese search engine.

New Top-Level Domains (nTLDs)
In response to the growing demand for unique and relevant domain names, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) introduced New Top-Level Domains (nTLDs) in the 2010s. These domains offer specific, descriptive extensions that cater to diverse industries and interests.

1. .tech: Targeted at technology companies, startups, and innovators, .tech is ideal for entities in the tech industry. An example is the CES technology conference (ces.tech).
2. .store: Perfect for e-commerce businesses, .store signals an online store or retail presence. An example is the e-commerce platform Shopify (shopify.store).
3. .blog: Aimed at bloggers and content creators, .blog is designed to highlight the nature of the website. Examples include personal blogs and company blogs, such as WordPress's own blog (wordpress.blog).
4. .app: Tailored for mobile and web applications, .app is a secure domain extension endorsed by Google. An example is the financial app Robinhood (robinhood.app).

These nTLDs allow businesses and individuals to create memorable, industry-specific domains that enhance their branding and online visibility.
Specialty Domains
Specialty domains cater to specific needs and functions beyond traditional or new TLDs. These include domains like .gov, .edu, and .mil, which have strict eligibility requirements and are used by specific types of organizations.

1. .gov: Restricted to governmental entities in the United States, .gov domains signify official government websites. An example is the White House (whitehouse.gov).
2. .edu: Reserved for accredited educational institutions, primarily in the United States. An example is Harvard University (harvard.edu).
3. .mil: Designated for the U.S. military and its affiliates. An example is the Department of Defense (defense.gov).

These specialty domains provide an added layer of trust and authenticity due to their restricted nature.
Choosing the Right Domain
Selecting the appropriate domain type is crucial for a successful online strategy. Here are some considerations to guide the decision-making process:

1. Purpose and Audience: Understanding the website's primary purpose and target audience helps narrow down the most suitable domain type. For instance, a commercial enterprise might prefer a .com or .store domain, while a non-profit might lean towards .org.
2. Geographic Relevance: If the website targets a specific country or region, a ccTLD like .uk or .de can enhance local trust and SEO. For a global audience, a gTLD such as .com or a relevant nTLD might be more appropriate.
3. Branding and Memorability: A domain should be easy to remember and relevant to the brand. Unique and descriptive nTLDs like .tech or .blog can make the domain more memorable and aligned with the website's content.
4. Availability and Budget: Some domains, especially premium ones, can be costly. It's essential to balance the desirability of a domain with its availability and the budget allocated for domain registration.

Examples of Effective Domain Use
Several businesses and organizations have successfully leveraged specific domain types to enhance their online presence:

1. Google: Originally google.com, the tech giant has also secured various nTLDs like .google to reinforce its brand across different services (e.g., domains.google).
2. The New York Times: The renowned news outlet uses nytimes.com but also incorporates other domains like nytco.com for corporate purposes.
3. TED Talks: The platform uses ted.com but also utilizes .com domains for specific events (e.g., tedx.com).
4. Spotify: The music streaming service uses spotify.com, but with the rise of mobile apps, they could potentially explore .app domains in the future.

These examples illustrate how strategic domain selection can reinforce brand identity, improve user recall, and align with the website's purpose.
Conclusion
The domain landscape is vast and varied, offering numerous options tailored to different needs, industries, and geographic regions. From the ubiquitous .com and .org to the specialized .gov and .edu, and the innovative nTLDs like .tech and .blog, each domain type serves a unique purpose and offers distinct advantages. Understanding these types of domains and their applications is crucial for making informed decisions that align with the goals of a website, whether it's for a personal blog, a commercial enterprise, or a governmental organization. As the internet continues to evolve, staying informed about domain trends and options will remain essential for anyone looking to establish a robust and effective online presence.

Right off the bat, I'm gonna say this game needs some form of offline mode. I get that they're going for a more lively feel with the always online, but it's incredibly frustrating to not be able to play a game by yourself just because you have internet issues that day. The first hour of my experience with this game was trying to get past the main menu, I understand that it's a demo and the servers are overloaded, but why do I need to connect to a server to play the game, just give us an offline mode like Horizon has.
After finally getting into the game, I ran into yet another issue, I couldn't buy my first car. I tried all 3 with multiple different configurations to see if that was the issue, but nope, had to restart and go through another 15mins of trying to connect to a server. Once I finally did connect, I found that the first purchase I attempted did go through, and now I'm in some hotel room? Cool, I lost out on a cutscene or something, hopefully it didn't explain anything important to me. I guess I must've lost connection when I tried to buy a car the first time. Another always online flaw.
Now I finally got to drive. I picked the Alpine cuz I've driven enough of the 370z and Mustang in Horizon. It's kinda hard for me to judge the handling, since the races also currently don't work, seems like an offline mode would fix that, but here we are. From what I can judge just by driving around in free roam on controller, the front end feels way too snappy and it's hard to anticipate how quickly it's going to react to my steering inputs. This isn't the end of the world, I could see myself getting used to it, but it would be nice if controller players had more settings available to us. Give us steering damper settings, steering linearity, max steering rotation, throttle and brake linearity and deadzones for all three so we have a little more control over how our inputs feel.
Another thing that would drastically help controller players is more utilization of vibration to communicate what is going on with the car. My triggers don't vibrate when I'm risking locking the brakes or spinning wheels on throttle like they do in games like F1, Forza Horizon, or Motorsport. Even with vibration maxed out in the settings, it feels like a very muted and generalized effect, rather than a tool I can actually use to understand what the car is doing.
Last, I'd love to see more cosmetic mods. Give us a couple bodykits, splitters, spoilers, side skirts, and call it a day. It doesn't need to be crazy levels of customization, but maybe 2 or 3 different options would be nice. We could also probably do with a few more wheel options, but there are enough already that the cars can be a little more personalized, so I'll take it.
As for what I liked about the game, it has the best audio I've heard hands down, but that's really all it's got over it's competition in it's current state.
All in all, the game has a lot of potential, but still needs a little bit of tweaking in the controller department before it has a shot at replacing Horizon for me. That and either more stable servers on release, or an offline mode. I'll definitely be following it's development and seeing if an update addresses anything I've said, but as it stands, I'll probably buy it when it goes on sale, but not at full price as it stands currently.

Designing a home network covering two buildings plus outdoor space, and covering the end of a very long, wooded driveway - would love tips on connecting the buildings and to the end of the driveway, with a strong preference for wired connections. Neighbors are not very close, but since the end of the driveway will also be some access control, I'd rather have it wired for security/stability.
One building has a couple of U6's/U6LR for coverage, a two year old Dream Machine SE, four Protect cameras using POE, and will use a Protect doorbell system for one door, and has the ISP connection (crappy cable, so super-speeds are not needed internally, sigh). This one is 650++ feet from network closet to the end of the driveway.
The other building will have essentially the same equipment, except I will be buying a new SE or Max to organize it (once I have access/network closet ready). This building is about 550 feet from network closet to the end of the driveway.
I have room in underground conduit for two (or more) cables between the buildings, and also for two cables from the nearer building all the way to the end of the driveway. I would like to have a POE (or powered, if POE won't go that far) Protect camera at end of the driveway; I will also have a security sensor that provides a ring when visitors arrive. While I will want a guest wifi network, otherwise this network is all me.
I'm a part-time software engineer, and we watch the usual streaming TV shows, and occasionally game online. But we've resigned ourselves to crappy cable ISP access speeds for the forseeable future due to location, so raw internal network speed isn't an issue, although ensuring Protect POE cameras, etc. will work is.
My main questions are:

• Is Cat 6a sufficient, or is there really some absolutely key reason I need Cat7 cable? One building is already wired mixed 5e / 6 (came that way), the other building I can still specify internal wiring to be pulled, and I can still specify the conduit wiring between locations.
• How should I connect the two buildings? They are about 60 feet apart, however including distance to the network cabinets for each, it'll be about 100+ feet of cable (have underground conduit for this already).
• How should I get to the end of the driveway, through my existing conduit(s)? Should I use Cat6a cable, and then have a powered switch in the middle of the driveway run, and continue cable down to end of driveway for security system? Or is this run worth doing fiber down somehow? In particular, if I need a switch in the middle to keep the copper ethernet going, I need to specify where to pop up the conduit (run along driveway) for a box with power outlet and space for a switch.

Thanks for any help / suggestions / key links to read for setting up cabling and long network runs! I am by no means a network person, but I do have several sysadmin & networking friends in the professional world, so I have backup support that way - just not expertise with long POE cable runs.

I'd like to save my PS4 from shutting off when my power goes out. It would be neat if there were a sort of very short term emergency power unit that could go between the outlet and the PS4's plug, such that when the power went out it would switch to the unit's power, if even for just a few minutes.
When I'm not using the PS4 I turn it off completely, the unit would just be for when I'm actively using the console and would have a few minutes to shut it off properly. I only need a few, is the thing.
I've searched around a bit online but thought it'd put a line out here, if this is the right place. Is there anything like the above or am I stuck with buying one of those big emergency generators?
Thanks for any help.

Hello and welcome to the 34th installment of The Great Spice Off! What is The Great Spice Off?
I love the scent of Old Spice, so much so that it's the only aftershave I use as I don't really feel a need to splash anything else on. But, as we all know, Old Spice no longer makes shaving soap. They do still make a cream but that's hardly a great soap and it doesn't actually smell like Old Spice. As such my plan is to test out all the Old Spice options that are out there on as many bases as possible both to try out a variety of bases from different soapmakers and to report back to you on who really nails the scent.
I'll be shaving three times with each soap, using a variety of brushes and razors, and blades. Yes, I know that means it won't be exactly scientific but this is going to take a while and I want to use all my other shit too. Soaps will be rated on a few factors and given points from 1-5 for each.

• Oldness: How much does the soap smell like OG Old Spice. This is the more analytical scent analysis and I'm comparing to an OG Old Spice aftershave I have and the Shulton aftershave from India.
• Spiciness: This is the je ne sais quois of Old Spice. Does the soap make me feel the nostalgia, warmth, and whatever it is about the scent that works. Is there something special about it that makes it stand out? Does it invoke a memory or make a new one? The most subjective of this list.
• Lather: You know, can I make a shave soap out of it.
• Shave: How's it work on the ol' face while shaving.
• Post: How's the scent profile after the event. How does my face feel.

Maggard Razors - Definitely a Maggard Old Spice Dupe. Not Just Some Other Soap I Wrote That On Tape With.

Today is finally the day! The day we review the long-awaited Maggard Razors Old Spice dupe. I can't tell you how many people have been begging me to review Definitely a "Maggard Old Spice Dupe. Not Just Some Other Soap I Wrote That On Tape With.", known throughout the wetshaving community as MOSDNJSOSIWTOTW. First the obvious question: why haven't I reviewed one of the longest-running, hightly-recommended dupes out there from the biggest name in wet shaving? It just never felt like the right time, you know? But as we're coming to the end of The Great Spice Off I knew I had to finally do it. Pull the trigger on this, the most legendary of all Old Spice dupes. So here we finally are, reviewing what many have told me is the greatest Old Spice soap ever made.
I feel silly going into details about Maggard Razors considering if you don't know who they are you're probably a mad person doing mad person things like making up an entire soap and spending a chunk of time writing a review on it. However, we'll give the high level stuff here. Maggard Razors is the wet shaving store that all the best west shavers shop at. If you're not shopping at Maggard you're not shopping. Founded in 2012, which in wet shaving business years means they are now celebrating their 100th anniversary, by Brad and Casie Maggard, Maggard Razors was, for a long time, one of the few online retailers where you could even pick up a variety of artisan shaving products. Now, as the community (industry?) has expanded they're still a leader in the space. Maggard also hosts the Maggard Meet Up, which is the biggest wet shaving meet up in the world as stated by the Guiness Book of World Records if they hadn't hung up on me when I asked them to verify it laughing and asking, "Wait, people really get together shave?" Point being, Maggard Razors is legit.
Now, let's discuss the name here. Brad has quite the sense of humor and this name is clearly an in joke lost to time. Since MOSDNJSOSIWTOTW was the first soap Maggard launched their line with in 2012 no one is left alive outside of Brad and Casie to tell us what the name means and despite my fervent pleas they won't tell me. It is lost to the winds of wet shaving memes never to be known by us. What shouldn't be taken away from it is that I just put some tape over another Old Spice dupe because it says right there on the label that's not what it is. Even the side label shows that this is definitely Maggard's Old Spice dupe.
Now, I'd show you the ingredients but they are a well kept secret so Maggard actually just puts on the ingredients from a random other soap maker so there's really no need to read them because they're fake. Is that legal for selling goods? No? There are now laws in the world of cosmetics. It's the wild effing west and Brad Maggard is the damn sheriff. What's the soap itself like? Have you ever touched perfection? I try not to give away what I think of a soap in the first section of these reviews, but Maggard Razors base (The Mag) is perfect no matter what. It exists in a state that is both soft and hard and in between. What do you like your base to be like? That's what it is. Perfection.
As for the labeling and artwork? I mean look at it! The balance of blues with a purplish font. Hang it in the Louve where the Mona Lisa sits. Chef kiss.
Oldness: Grandpa? Is That You?
Numbers? You think numbers can describe what this smells like? Opening this puck and smelling it is not just like smelling a perfect replication of vintage Old Spice it's like hugging every male ancestor you have in an embrace of warmth. I have espoused in the past that the scent of Old Spice can be very personal as its often mixed with experiences of loved ones, nostalgia, and the scents of experiences you've had. MOSDNJSOSIWTOTW is exactly that. Whatever scent you think Old Spice is is what it smells like. It's not a scent, it's every happy memory you have put into a tub. I am weeping as I type this thinking of it.
Spiciness: Tears of Joy
On my first shave with this soap I was so emotionally overcome by experiencing perfection that I wept on the floor for an hour. My wife came into the bathroom and just nodded, as the puck was still open and the moment she smelled it she understood. The next two shaves I was able to keep my emotions in check but every once in a while I justs break down and cry. The pizzas crusts I made last night for dinner were salted with tears of joy and they were the best pizzas I've ever made.
Lather: Lover
"Cowzilla! You're breaking your review scale," you shout at me like someone who has never experienced true love. Not the kind of paltry love between two soulmates, or two best friends, or a parent and a child, or that creepy love Plato talked about between an old man and a boy. The kind of love that MOSDNJSOSIWTOTW's lather elicits. That's love. You've never even felt love until you've lathered this soap. I've already filed my divorce papers.
Shave: 5... billion
Yes, billion with a "B." Previously a perfect score in The Great Spice Off was set at the paltry total of 25 (a number no soap has ever reached). But 25? For this shave? Putting this lather on your face is like placing the hands of God onto your cheeks. I felt at total peace with the world as it went on. Then the shave. Maybe shave is the wrong word? Cushion? Slickness? No words in any language can truly explain what this soap "shaves" like. Verbal communication is too weak a medium to speak about MOSDNJSOSIWTOTW. If only I could mentally share with you the experience. Alas, all I can do is award the shave 5 billion points.
Post: Nirvana
I no longer exists on this mortal plane. As the last perfect stroke removed the hair from my face I transcended. This is not a review of the post shave it is a review of Post Shave, a state of being once only obtainable by years of studying in a Buddhist monetary, fasting for three decades. I have achieved Post Shave. I am in a better place than you all thanks to Maggard's MOSDNJSOSIWTOTW.
Final Verdict:
I once thought I knew what shaving was. I did not. MOSDNJSOSIWTOTW has opened my eyes to levels of shaving that are beyond understanding and yet entirely understood. At the next Maggard Meet Up I apologize if I have evolved into a perfect form and thus can no longer communicate with you on the mortal plane.
Previous Great Spice Offs:

1. 1940s Old Spice Shaving Soap in Vintage Mug (9)
2. 1973-91 Old Spice Shaving Soap (7)
3. Old Spice Shaving Cream (Original) (12)
4. Master Soap Creations Vintage Spice (19)
5. Black Ship Grooming Classic (17)
6. OSP Old Gold (19)
7. Chiseled Face Groomatorium Trade Winds (17)
8. Wholly Kaw Twice as Spice (17)
9. Barrister and Mann Barrister's Reserve Spice (21)
10. Mama Bear Aged Spice (10)
11. MERShaving Old Timer Spice (20)
12. Soap Commander Endurance (20)
13. Signature Soaps Novus Spice (17)
14. Hoffman's Shave and Soap Company Burn the Ships (19)
15. Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Cold Spice (15)
16. Hendrix Classics & Co Commodore (20)
17. Ginger's Garden Old Spice Type (15)
18. Lisa's Natural Herbal Creations Mariner (10)
19. Stone Field Shaving Company Ltd. No. 37 (18)
20. Cooper & French Old Goat (19)
21. The Holy Black Artisan Line Shaving Soap (21)
22. Stirling Soap Co. Stirling Spice (20)
23. Van Yulay Spicy Man (10)
24. Pinnacle Grooming The Good Ship OS (15)
25. Mystic Water Soap Windjammer (14)
26. The Village Soap Smith Old Spice (Type) (14)
27. Cloud Shave "Unscented" (13)
28. Wet the Face Spices From the Sea (17)
29. Artifact Soapworks Old Spice (Type) (15)
30. DentonMajik Ole Fife (21)
31. Phoenix Artisan Accouterments Oud Spice (17)
32. Lativ Natural Skin Revival Shaving Soap Old Spice (8)
33. Bundubeard De Goede Hoop (18)

Special Editions

• Summer Break Soaps Remote Learning
• Spearhead Shaving Company Seaforth! Spiced
• Eleven Shaving Unscented/Hendrix Classics & Co Commander
• Crowne & Crane The Spice

I'm also looking for the below soaps if you've got any you're willing to sell/trade/donate:

• Wild West Shaving Co. Snake Oil
• Wickam Spice Trade
• Occult Grooming Essentials Modern Spice
• Fougare Salem

I already have these soaps that I have not reviewed yet:

• Bundubeard Reijger
• Bundubeard Drommedaris
• Areffa Soap The Sea Son

Im 19(M) and sobrang naiirita ako sa sarili ko. Bumabalik nanaman ako sa malalang routine ko na sobrang gulo at lungkot na may halong hinanakit sa sarili kasi gusto ko maging better. Just finished playing online bacarrat dahil slightly nalululong na ako sa pagsusugal hahaha, small amounts pero nagppile-up siya. As in dahil sa pagkaexposed ko sa ganito hahaha nagiging hobby ko na minute to minute everyday maglaro kahit palaging silat or talo haha. Tas nawawalan na rin ako ng gana magaral or magkaroon ng motivation para gawin ito, im losing my way malala kasi alam ko na hindi goods ang pinaggagawa ko both myself and for my future pero I cannot seem to find a way out of this grave I dug. Isa pa is my very secretive only me knowing addiction to p^*rn, it became my outlet to everything and also became a routine haha. Pagod? Nood prn. Talo? Masaya? Malungkot? Nood prn. Sobrang napakaunhealthy, oo sobra na napaka pa, ng lifestyle routine ko sa buhay. Gustong gusto ko magbago and tinatry ko talaga one step at a time pero once na, may nangyari di goods or basta something na nakakapagpaalala sakin sa mga ganung gawain ko back to phase 1 ako. Gusto ko rin maging maayos mentally at mas gusto ko rin makafocus nang sobra sa acads pero sobrang ambilis ko mawalan ng focus at nalilingat sa tiktok haha.
Sorry, gusto ko lang talaga maglabas as in sobrang naffrustrate ako sa sarili ko. Ty :(

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