I am going on an exchange for two semesters abroad and will be leaving some of my stuff here since I can't take everything back home with me. Is there any cheap long term storage services preferably in the Songdo area?

I've just recently completed the NTNU Mandarin Training Centre 3 month intensive course. I finished Book 3 and generally had a positive experience. I've previously studied Chinese for 1.5 years through daily conversation.
I've seen a bunch of posts here bashing NTNU's course, and I wanted to provide some balance from a different perspective.
Alright, I'm going to first address some of the comments that I've seen on this post from February 2023, which ngl, gave me some doubts going to NTNU. This is based on my personal experience:

1. Quantity over quality: yes, the sheer amount of vocabulary and grammar patterns you learn each week is insane, but you get ample time to practice it in class, homework, tests and the reports you write. By the end of the course you will have mastery over... let’s say 85-90% of the vocabulary you learned, depending on the work you put in outside of class
2. Tests and examinations: these keep you accountable, and the frequency makes you rehearse and recall what you’ve just learned. Frequent recall and techniques like SRS are THE way to help new vocab stick into your long term memory.
3. Having to write characters: for me, by far the best thing to happen in my Chinese learning journey. Writing characters over and over was the fastest and best way for me to reliably identify Chinese characters, in different fonts, in the wild. I recommend this to all new Chinese learners
4. Lack of opportunity for conversation in class: sorry, you just need to get out of the house more. Class is good to set the foundation for listening, grammar, vocabulary, but even 3 hours a day of structured conversation in class won’t make you able to distinguish the chaotic nature of a normal conversation in Taiwan. You have to converse with locals, make awkward conversation where you initially struggle to explain what you want to say and generally go outside if you want to improve in this area, there’s no way around it.

Now my review of the course:

• Class size reasonable, my class had 9 students. We are encouraged to only speak in Chinese, even during breaks. We were kinda forced to do this, since some colleagues didn’t speak English at all, which was beneficial.

Book Content:

• book has very relevant and recent topics, you won’t come out of the course and use outdated vocabulary like “Yeah dude, that’s tubular”.
• topics are fun and relatable to young adults, from relationships, family, politics and history, which really really helps with motivation when you have to sink close to 7 hours of your day studying
• each lesson includes a dialogue section (more spoken Chinese style) and an article (more written style Chinese), and you’ll learn the difference in use between the two

Teaching style:

• overwhelming, 3 hours / day in class and 2-4 hours of work daily at home. I improved a lot, but at the end of my 3 month stint, I was exhausted and wouldn’t continue. Big ups to my colleagues that moved on to book 4 intensive.
• class was engaging with combination of teacher explaining grammar use, vocabulary, practice with your classmates, your own presentations
• twice a week we would have 聽寫 (literally “listen-write”) where the teacher would dictate words and sentences and we’d have to write the Chinese characters down
• once a week, small test based on the lesson we’ve just finished (incl. listening, reading, grammar)
• once a week, an oral report on a pre-determined topic you prepare in advance. I really enjoyed this part as I could flex my newly learned Chinese to write an essay that I was interested in.
• unfortunately, I did hear that getting a good teacher is down to luck, I’m very satisfied with our teacher

Conclusion:

• I liked: intensity, focus on grammar, reading and learning to use complex Chinese to express your thoughts succinctly, the weekly reports
• I disliked: the intensity of it, books are expensive but also available online (another one of god’s little tests)

For all the language hackers out there, this course is a more traditional approach to learning Chinese, but for me, it worked. There's is a night and day difference in my Chinese before the course and after the course, I am more confident in expressing complex topics, emotions, etc when conversing, and can finally read simple tabloid articles in Chinese.
Score: 8/10

I'm a young sub looking to grow in the kink lifestyle and gain more experience as a sub. I aim to find someone who wants an extended long-term kink-BDSM-based relationship with a young guy. I can offer the following; conform, good serving boy, companionship, and someone to spend time with after a long tiring work day. Basically, I want to offer my dad, a boy, to pleasure himself when the time suits him. I also want to be transformed into a sissy in that perfect feminine boy for my daddy. The relationship that best suits me at that moment is a 24/7 one, and it'll be best if I move to my dad's at any moment.
I don't have problems with punishment. My dad will get complete control and ownership rights over me as his boy toy; I just want to find someone to belong to. I'm very submissive, so my papa wouldn't have problems with obedience. I intend to find someone to care for him as his slave boy, and both of us have this emotionally based master-slave relationship - I want one of that stuff that several years may pass, and I'm still my dada's boy.
I'm based in Texas. I'm looking for potential daddies across the state and in the South as a whole. I want a Latino-macho dude, White or Black daddy in his 40-50 with a belly and the intent to own a long-term slave sissy-boy. I don't have a problem with humiliation; my daddy will use me as he wants.
PS; Dog training, cigarettes, hot iron, chains, beating, extreme BDSM, face spitting, cages, isolation, kidnapping, poppers, diapers, adult baby, pet taming, slave exhaustion, blindfolds, SM masks, latex, leather events. Drop one if you think you match my daddy.
​

Hello everyone! I am Pasi, located in the CET timezone and currently looking for someone willed to create a play within the above mentioned Fandom.
I am a very detailed writer, 3 paragraphs are no problem for me to fill; it always depends on the situation and mood within the character. With that being said, I am looking for someone willed to play a male canon character for a female oc (double possible, just ask if you're interested!). To specify further: G'raha Tia / Crystalexarch, depending on where we set our plot, is the role you would (gladly xD) play!
I have couple ideas in mind, yet prefer to completely figure our story together with your ideas being involved as much as mine.
Couple requirements:
-> please be above the age of 18++
-> be honest with me and communicate
(Yeah, it can happen that I forget to answer a message, we all do, in that case poke me again :p)
-> long-term interest, I do not want to put in effort just to see the rp dying within weeks. If you don't feel like it anymore, cool, just let me know. No hard feelings!
-> emotional driven roleplay are the best for me, it would be fantastic if you'd think likewise
-> spicy things? Of course. We just have to agree on how much of spice we are going to add ;)
-> English is my second language, mistakes may happen, you have been warned :p
-> we can chit chat OOC as much as you want, I do not count on you writing a post at any given time because ... real life.
-> Discord will be our platform
If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to shoot me a message or start a chat!
Have a wonderful day,
Pasi

Hello everyone! I am Pasi, located in the CET timezone and currently looking for someone willed to create a play within the above mentioned Fandom.
I am a very detailed writer, 3 paragraphs are no problem for me to fill; it always depends on the situation and mood within the character. With that being said, I am looking for someone willed to play a male canon character for a female oc (double possible, just ask if you're interested!). To specify further: G'raha Tia / Crystalexarch, depending on where we set our plot, is the role you would (gladly xD) play!
I have couple ideas in mind, yet prefer to completely figure our story together with your ideas being involved as much as mine.
Couple requirements:
-> please be above the age of 18++
-> be honest with me and communicate
(Yeah, it can happen that I forget to answer a message, we all do, in that case poke me again :p)
-> long-term interest, I do not want to put in effort just to see the rp dying within weeks. If you don't feel like it anymore, cool, just let me know. No hard feelings!
-> emotional driven roleplay are the best for me, it would be fantastic if you'd think likewise
-> spicy things? Of course. We just have to agree on how much of spice we are going to add ;)
-> English is my second language, mistakes may happen, you have been warned :p
-> we can chit chat OOC as much as you want, I do not count on you writing a post at any given time because ... real life.
-> Discord will be our platform
If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to shoot me a message or start a chat!
Have a wonderful day,
Pasi

Electric scooters have gained immense popularity among college students and young riders in India. With the increasing cost of living and the need for sustainable transportation options, many individuals are turning to electric scooters as a convenient and eco-friendly mode of travel. Lebu Plus Electric offers the most affordable electric scooters in India, specifically designed to cater to the needs of college students and young riders. In this article, we will explore the features and benefits of Lebu Plus Electric scooters, highlighting why they are the ideal choice for this demographic.

The Importance of Affordability for College Students and Young Riders

College students and young riders often have limited budgets and are constantly looking for cost-effective transportation options. Owning a vehicle, especially in urban areas, can be expensive due to fuel costs, maintenance expenses, and parking fees. Electric scooters provide an attractive solution as they offer lower operational costs and require minimal maintenance. Lebu Plus Electric understands the importance of affordability for college students and young riders and has tailored their scooters to meet their specific needs.

Lebu Plus Electric: Budget-Friendly and Reliable

Lebu Plus Electric scooters are known for their budget-friendly nature without compromising on quality and reliability. The brand focuses on delivering high-performance electric scooters at affordable prices, making them accessible to college students and young riders. By leveraging advanced manufacturing techniques and economies of scale, Lebu Plus Electric is able to offer cost-effective solutions without compromising on the performance and safety features that riders expect.

Sleek Design and Compact Size

Lebu Plus Electric scooters feature a sleek and stylish design, appealing to the aesthetic preferences of college students and young riders. The scooters are available in vibrant colors and have a modern look that resonates with the younger generation. Additionally, the compact size of the scooters makes them perfect for maneuvering through crowded college campuses and navigating busy city streets. The lightweight nature of Lebu Plus Electric scooters also allows for easy parking and hassle-free storage in small spaces.

Easy Maintenance and Low Running Costs

One of the major advantages of Lebu Plus Electric scooters for college students and young riders is their low maintenance requirements. Unlike petrol-powered scooters, electric scooters have fewer moving parts and do not require frequent oil changes or engine tune-ups. This translates into lower maintenance expenses and reduced trips to the service center, allowing riders to save both time and money. Additionally, the cost of electricity used to charge an electric scooter is significantly lower than the cost of petrol, resulting in substantial savings in the long run.

Eco-Friendly Commuting and Sustainability

College students and young riders are increasingly concerned about the environment and seek sustainable transportation options. Lebu Plus Electric scooters align with these values by producing zero emissions and contributing to a cleaner and greener future. By opting for an electric scooter, college students and young riders can actively participate in reducing air pollution and carbon emissions, making a positive impact on the environment.

Enhanced Safety Features

Lebu Plus Electric scooters prioritize rider safety with the inclusion of advanced safety features. These scooters are equipped with reliable braking systems, responsive acceleration, and sturdy build quality to ensure a secure riding experience. College students and young riders can confidently navigate through traffic and crowded streets, knowing that their Lebu Plus Electric scooter is equipped to handle various road conditions.

Conclusion

Lebu Plus Electric offers the most affordable electric scooters in India, specifically designed for college students and young riders. With their budget-friendly nature, sleek design, easy maintenance, and emphasis on sustainability, Lebu Plus Electric scooters provide an ideal transportation solution for this demographic. By choosing Lebu Plus Electric, college students and young riders can enjoy the benefits of a cost-effective and eco-friendly mode of travel.

FAQs

1. Are Lebu Plus Electric scooters suitable for long-distance travel?

• While Lebu Plus Electric scooters are primarily designed for short to medium-distance commuting, they can be used for longer trips depending on the battery range. It is recommended to check the scooter's specifications and plan your journeys accordingly.

1. How long does it take to charge a Lebu Plus Electric scooter?

• The charging time for Lebu Plus Electric scooters varies depending on the model and the charger used. Generally, it takes several hours to fully charge the scooter's battery. It is advisable to refer to the manufacturer's guidelines for the recommended charging time.

1. Can college students avail of any discounts or offers when purchasing Lebu Plus Electric scooters?

• Lebu Plus Electric occasionally offers discounts or promotional offers, including special deals for college students. It is recommended to visit the official website or contact authorized dealers to inquire about any ongoing discounts or offers.

1. Is it easy to find spare parts for Lebu Plus Electric scooters?

• Lebu Plus Electric ensures the availability of genuine spare parts through their authorized service centers. This makes it relatively easy for college students and young riders to find and replace any faulty or worn-out components as needed.

1. Are Lebu Plus Electric scooters covered by a warranty?

• Yes, Lebu Plus Electric provides a warranty on their scooters to cover manufacturing defects and certain components. The warranty period may vary, so it is advisable to check the specific terms and conditions provided by the brand.

Provisioning and onboarding are irreplaceable parts of modern business. With the rise of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications, people are using more software than ever. The reason is that such solutions are easy to access, and there’s no need to install them on your devices. Considering the ever-increasing number of applications used in the workplace, the provisioning process may turn into quite a challenge.
It’s necessary to ensure that all employees have access to the right SaaS apps, the software is configured correctly and running, and nobody can reach data lying beyond their scope of work. At the same time, businesses must consider the security implications of provisioning and the need to protect sensitive data. The task may seem unbearable. However, by following best practices and being mindful of the risks, businesses can ensure their applications are correctly provisioned with minimal effort and cost.

Why Invest in Smart Provisioning

First, provisioning is crucial since it enables access to the data that keeps your business up and running. Most probably, you won’t open your SaaS apps to some random people. Provisioning focuses on the employees of your company with whom you have interviewed and currently plan to build a long-term relationship. However, there’s always a risk that information not intended for prying eyes can be used in ways harming your business. Financial fraud and data leakage are only the tip of the iceberg.
The more extensive a company you have, the bigger the problem you have to deal with. The chances of providing the wrong people with the right to use your SaaS solutions increase with every new employee we include in this equation. Here, you risk your money and business reputation, which is even harder to earn. Nobody must have access to everything, and a reasonable provisioning strategy can help determine who must be granted specific rights in advance.
The second primary reason intelligent provisioning is essential is that the process can be very time-consuming otherwise. SaaS development is pretty popular, and BetterCloud statistics show that an average modern company uses approximately 130 such applications. These apps are distributed unevenly between departments and employees. All employees may use a single task tracking app, while there’s a solution used exclusively by the QA team for tracking found bugs.
​

Read Also IaaS vs PaaS vs SaaS: Three Options — One Solution or How to Choose Between the Alternatives

​
The company may have divisions or individual remote workers in other countries, and if employees use the SaaS app from different time zones, some additional configuration may be required. Setting up SaaS app configurations can take a significant amount of time without a properly designed approach to provisioning. You can follow the techniques described below to avoid time losses and eliminate security risks.

Note: I am a 16 year old female and live in Australia.
I will basically just note down the main points, feel free to ask questions in the comments.

• My interview lasted 5 minutes. The assistant restaurant manager asked me very simple questions (describe your self in 3 words, what school do you go to, what year are you in, whats your favourite and least favourite subject and why, why do you want to work at mcdonald’s, and whats your availability). I wore all black clothing.
  
• I got the acceptance email the same day (I done the interview at 4pm and I got accepted at 9pm)
  
• My orientation lasted around 2.5 hours and we just did online modules which took around 1.5 hours for me to complete. I also filled out documents about my personal information (address, number, TFN etc) I wore all black and so did the other people. I got paid for the orientation.
  
• My first training week was on fries, I got 2 training shifts then one actual shift. I got trained for dining & fries during this week.
  
• My second training week was on front counter, I got 2 training shifts for front counter then one actual shift at the end of the week.
  
• My third training week was on drive thru. I got 2 training shifts for drive thru and one actual shift at the end of the week. All training shifts were paid for.
  
• My drive thru trainer told me that after training we will only get shifts on fries for a few months, then we will only get shifts on front counter for a few months, then we will get drive thru shifts for a few months.
  

Additional notes:

• A very common question they would ask you is “why do you want to work at mcdonald’s” so I recommend preparing an answer for that beforehand.
  
• You don’t need to worry too much about your interview, theres a lot of turnover in fast food restaurants so they usually hire 10-15 people a month. In my case, they hired 6 people in the same week.
  
• I recommend checking out Stephen Patula on youtube because he has a lot of videos of himself working at mcdonald’s so you can see what kind of tasks they do, how to make and prepare the food and kind of what it’s like to work in the fast food industry.
  
• I was worried about learning the register and the menu so I kind of familiarised myself with the different menus (breakfast, lunch, happy meals, dinner boxes, mccafe menu etc) and what foods go in each menu. This helped me when learning the register.
  
• Fries is the easiest station to learn. Front counter might seem stressful in the beginning because you’re learning a lot of tasks at once but the more you do it the easier it gets. Honestly front counter is really fun for me now. Drive thru is probably the easiest station for me now.
  
• Drive thru person does the cashier job using a headset. At my restaurant, they also prepare (not cook) the hotcakes and wipe the walls when its not busy. Drive thru person will also occasionally help out on front counter and bring might bring the orders to the cars in the waiting area.
  
• When I first started I thought I wasn’t gonna last there because it was a bit stressful multitasking but I promise it gets easier. If you’re new you’re allowed to make mistakes! my trainer said it took her 2-3 months to learn the register and she is now a trainer so if you’re struggling do not worry, you will get it eventually.
  
• My trainer said once you get used to everything and you’re good at every station you were trained in you can ask them to train you on McCafe if that’s something that interests you.
  
• The most important thing to remember for your interview is to be confident, sit up straight, use hand gestures and don’t touch your hair or face. If you’re nervous it’s okay, just try your best and don’t overthink the negative stuff.
  
• I got paid for every shift (including training & orientation)
  
• The floors are wet so you must have non slip shoes. In terms of what to wear to your interview/orientation, I just wore a black button up and black pants, for orientation I wore a black long sleeve and black pants.
  
• If you plan on working long term (6 months+) it’s probably a good idea to make good friends there. Personally the crew members make every shift worth it! to make friends you just have to make an effort of talking to the team. In my store everyone gets along so well and they mess around a bit even near the managers (joking around, singing, casually chatting etc) You just have to make an effort to make friends.
  

Howdy, Crypto Moonshooters!
Ever sat there, staring at the fiery red candlesticks of your portfolio while clutching a bag of popcorn in one hand, and thought, "This is fine"? Well, then buckle up, because we've got the perfect community for you!
We're 'This Is Fine' - a new meme token that's all about embracing the chaos of the crypto market and the world at large, and having a good laugh while we're at it. But hold on to your popcorn! We're not just another meme coin trying to tickle your funny bone; we're building something a little more substantial here.
Our primary goal is to build a vibrant, diverse, and dedicated core community from the ground up. We believe in the organic growth of our community and value each member's contribution.
'This Is Fine' is a community-driven initiative striving to unite the crypto-verse through laughter, creativity, and shared experiences, all while pushing a meme token that's as decentralized as it gets. But that's not the punchline. We're working on a DeWe (Decentralized We) platform that's all about incorporating the spirit of memes into the fabric of crypto!
Our aim is to create a platform that's as fun and accessible as it's equitable. Imagine a place where you can farm memes to earn, participate in community voting, and even get your hands on some exclusive meme NFTs - a platform where your 'This Is Fine' tokens are more than just tokens; they're your ticket to a world of meme magic!
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Here's where you come in, fellow Moonshooters. We're inviting you to be part of this extraordinary journey from the very start. We're not just launching a token; we're building a community – a community where everyone gets rewarded, where everyone has a say, and where everyone appreciates a good chuckle.
If you're a fellow degen who knows how to appreciate a good meme and a promising project, come join us. Let's shape this crypto revolution together, one meme at a time.
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P.S: Remember, invest wisely, even in laughter!
Disclaimer: Always do your own research and invest at your own risk. 'This Is Fine' is all about transparency and community engagement, and we believe in the long-term growth and potential of our token.

This is the official end of the first Volume. Next week will begin Volume 2!
After a lot of progress on my story, I'm making changes to my Patreon and instead of reading 3 chapters ahead, you'll get access to 5.
Elijah Commission
Azeline Commission
The Little Menace
Worship Her
If you want to read 5 chapters ahead, check out my Patreon!
Support me by upvoting me or leaving a comment!
I also have the series uploaded to Royal Road, come leave a comment and give me a review by clicking HERE
Here's a map of where the area
Join my Discord!
[First] [Previous] [Next]
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Bennett was dead asleep in his hammock when he was roused by hushed whispers and the sound of activity echoed throughout the room, seemingly amplified by its cramped space.
“Ben.” A voice called out.
As the engineer slowly opened a singular eye, he found himself struggling to make sense of the situation. A figure was just a few meters away from him, rifling through a bag when they turned around and faced him. However, Bennetts groggy state prevented him from fully discerning who or what was responsible for the disruption.
“Ben, wake up.” The voice called out one more time.
Scowling in irritation, Bennett chose to ignore the voice and flipped over, burying his face into the hammock's fabric. He was determined to get back to sleep, even as the voice grew more insistent and the room's activity continued.
“Ben, wake the fuck up!” The voice finally yelled.
Suddenly, Bennett found himself suspended in the air, his groggy state replaced with fear and anxiety as he was forcefully yanked out of his hammock. He tried to process what was happening, but before he could comprehend the situation, he felt the cold embrace of the hardwood floor.
THUD
“Argh! Fuck!” The Engineer groaned as he slowly lifted himself up off the ground. "You goddamn asshole!" Bennett snapped, his voice hoarse from the mixture of pain and anger.
Standing over Bennett with a cackling Fairy on his shoulder, Elijah decided he wasn’t going to wait for the stubborn man to get up on his own. "It's time to get up," Elijah said, turning around to continue sifting through his bag. "We got a lot of shit to do before we leave, and I can't afford to have you sleeping in."
Bennett’s glare shifted between his captain and his sadistic partner. "Fine, fine. I'm up," he grumbled, rubbing his sore back. He knew Elijah was right, but that didn't make the sudden wake-up call any less infuriating. Yana, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying Bennett's misery, her laughter ringing in his ears.
THUD
Pulling out his remaining Bioscanner, Elijah began running diagnostics on the device, ensuring it was in working order for when he delivered it to Salvanius. It was a trade that he was loathing, but it was a trade he would make 1000 times if given the chance to get the rest of their equipment back. Even if they only managed to find a quarter of their property, that was still a lot better than having nothing at all.
As the Bioscanner's display indicated the device was functioning optimally, Elijah let out a small depressed sigh and slid it into his pocket. "Alright, let's get this over with," he said, opening the door and stepping out into the dimly lit corridor. Bennett followed, still grumbling under his breath about the hostile work environment while shifting his stink eye at both Yana and Elijah.
THUD
“GOD DAMNIT!!” Bennett yelled, rubbing his head after hitting the top of the door frame.
He had completely forgotten how cramped everything was on this wooden death trap and how he had to crouch throughout the entire interior. Frustration and annoyance etched on his face, Bennett muttered a string of curses under his breath as he adjusted his posture to avoid the low ceilings and narrow passageways.
“Midgets…” The Engineer sneered as he heard Elijah snicker father up ahead.
It only took a few moments for Elijah and Bennett to reach the deck, and there they observed Rhea efficiently issuing orders to the ship's sailors. Her authoritative voice rang out over the hustle and bustle of the ship’s crew, who were quickly scurrying about, securing ropes and checking supplies. What really caught their attention, though, was Rhea was finally out of her armor.
Adorned in a faded white linen long-sleeved shirt, Rhea left her chest straps slightly undone, revealing a hint of her modest, but alluring cleavage. The Knight Captain’s slim, athletic figure was displayed in stark contrast to the thick padding underneath the metal armor she normally wore. To accentuate her figure, the tight brown linen pants she wore hugged her humbly, but satisfyingly shapely curves and seamlessly tucked into her leather boots. The outfit, deceptively sultry, effortlessly exuded a sense of casual confidence and undeniable charm.
Turning her head slight, the Knight Captain finally noticed the two Humans and acknowledged them with a nod. “Good morning Sir Elijah, Sir Bennett and…” She made a difficult face when her eyes locked onto Yana.
“Your Honor will do!” The Fairy said in a chipper voice, crossing her legs. “I am both a Goddess and a confirmed Eternal Judge of the Fae courts!”
Rhea’s expression turned sour for a moment, but decided it was best not to engage any further with the mischievous Vanir. "Very well, good morning Your Honor," Rhea replied, forcing a polite smile. "We're running a bit late, but we should be ready to set sail in just a few hours.”
Elijah raised an eyebrow at the small fairy at the mention of being a confirmed judge, but shifted his attention back towards Rhea and nodded in understanding. "We'll be ready whenever you are," he said with his eyes traveling up her entire figure attire before refocusing on her face. "Just give us the signal when it's time to set sail." .
“I’m assuming the northern woman is still asleep?” The Knight Captain asked, tilting her head curiously.
Seeing her long elf ears bounce up and down seemed to be the final straw for Elijah, as an unbidden and almost adolescent fascination welled up within him. He blinked a few times, trying to regain his composure before replying. "Uh, yeah, she’s still asleep," Elijah finally responded, exhaling deeply. "We’ve been up for almost 36 hours, so I think it's best to let her rest for a while longer." he replied, trying to maintain a professional demeanor despite the lingering fascination with her elf ears.
Bennett narrowed his eyes in annoyance as he regarded his captain with a disgusted look. "Can you control yourself?" he asked with a judgmental tone.
Also noticing Elijah’s basically ogling her, Rhea couldn't help but laugh at the exchange while running a hand through her hair. "I'm glad to see at least someone finds me attractive," she said, her cheeks tinted with a slight blush. Elijah cleared his throat, trying to regain some semblance of dignity as he shifted his gaze away from her.
"Ah... My apologies, Lady Rhea, but I was caught off guard," Elijah said, giving her a genuine smile. "I wasn’t prepared for the famed Knight Captain to be so beautiful out of her armor. It's a pleasant surprise, to say the least."
Rhea found herself momentarily speechless as her cheeks flushing a deep shade of red. She wasn't used to receiving compliments, let alone being called beautiful by someone as striking as Elijah. A small, bashful smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she looked down to hide her embarrassment. "Well… I, um… Thank you, Sir Elijah.” she managed to say, her voice uncharacteristically timid. “I appreciate the kind words."
Noticing the usually confident and stern Knight Captain was completely flustered, Elijah knew she was on the backfoot and went for blood. “You’re more than welcome Lady Rhea,” he responded, bowing his head. “I was just saying it how I see it—”
"Yana, zap him!" Bennett ordered, sensing that Elijah was about to push his luck too far.
The mischievous fairy didn't hesitate, and with a magical pop, she immediately shifted forms, transforming the fiery inferno atop her head into a flowing teal, wind that cascaded past her shoulders. After her transformation, a maniacal grin spread across her face as she clutched two fistfuls of Elijah's hair.
“AHH FUCK!” Elijah yelped in pain.
A light chuckle escaped Rhea's lips as she watched the scene play out before her, momentarily pushing aside her embarrassment and wariness of the group. Their playful antics, though unprofessional, stirred a sense of lighthearted camaraderie she hadn't experienced in years. The thrill of exploring the unknown alongside trusted friends had been lost to her ever since she joined Salvanius' Order. The organization's rigid structure and hierarchy had dampened her once-adventurous spirit, and witnessing Elijah's crew sparked a touch of envy within her.
Yana, still grinning mischievously, finally released her grip on Elijah's hair. The man, now fuming with anger, made a hasty attempt to snatch her out of the air, but the nimble fairy easily dodged his grasp, giggling all the while.
"I'm going to kill the both of you!" Elijah yelled, glaring at both Yana and Bennett. His frustration only caused more laughter from the fairy and an amused smirk from Bennett, who crossed his arms and leaned back against the railing.
"Come now, Sir Elijah, there's no need for violence," Rhea interjected while covering her mouth in a poor attempt to hide her own laughter. "I'm sure you can find it in your heart to forgive their little prank.” She continued, adjusting her hair that was flowing in the wind. “We’re going to spend a few long days sailing if we’re going to catch up with them, after all.”
Glancing back at her crew, Rhea's face returned to its usual stern expression when she noticed the sailors gawking and whispering amongst themselves. It was evident that her momentary display of mirth had taken them by surprise, as they rarely saw their Knight Captain in such a lighthearted state.
"What in the name of Tylas are you all gawking at!?" She roared, placing her hands firmly on her hips “GET BACK TO WORK!”
Rhea's eyes narrowed as the scrambling crew members hastily returned to their tasks, their faces pale with fear. The ship's atmosphere instantly shifted back to its usual disciplined state as the sailors focused on their duties, aware that their Knight Captain's gaze was upon them.
Elijah let out an annoyed sigh in the realization that he was probably never going to catch that little psychopath and shifted his gaze to Bennett. “I’m gonna get you.” He hissed hatefully. “Mark my words, you piece of shit.” However, Bennett merely smirked in response, clearly unfazed by his captain's threats.
Just as Elijah was about to ask the Knight Captain about the whereabouts of her liege, the man himself appeared on deck. Salvanius came sauntering up the planks that connected the ship to the docks, his imposing figure drawing the attention of everyone present.
"It's quite rare to hear you so jovial, Rhea," the Demigod remarked, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Rhea, slightly taken aback by her liege's observation, straightened her posture and cleared her throat.
"My apologies, your grace," she replied respectfully, attempting to regain her usual composure. "I shall see to it that this Cog is ready to depart, post haste."
Salvanius waved a dismissive hand, his expression softening slightly. "There's no need to apologize, Rhea. It's good to see you enjoying yourself, even if just for a moment. However, you are correct; our guest would most likely appreciate departing as soon as possible."
With that, Rhea nodded and began barking orders to her crew, ensuring that everything was in order for their imminent departure.
Turning to his guests, Salvanius addressed them with an air of authority. "I assume you two have the magical tool..." He paused, recalling the events that transpired the previous day. "I mean, the tool. Is it ready?"
The two Human’s exchanged glances before Elijah stepped forward, pulling out the bioscanner from his pocket. "You’re not going to be able to understand it, but I’ve configured it in a way where you can still get a lot of functionality without having to read." he explained, holding the device out for Salvanius to see.
Time flew as Elijah went into an in depth explanation of the bioscanner's functions and features. He walked Salvanius through everything all the way from disease diagnosis to health monitoring and treatments. With each new feature the human listed seemed to make Salvanius’ jaw drop lower and lower until he found himself looking like a fool.
"And finally, if a red tube with a bolt of lightning ever just starts flashing, all you have to do is flip it over so these panels face the star and just wait," Elijah explained, pointing at the bright orb in the morning sky as he showed the Demigod the solar panels. "It's designed to recharge itself using starlight, so you'll never have to worry about finding a power source."
Salvanius' eyes widened even further, if that were possible. "Astounding," he breathed, clearly impressed. "And you’re just willing to give this to me…?"
“Eh.” Elijah shrugged dismissively. “I have augments- I mean I can already do most of that stuff other than a few things, so it’s mainly just redundant fail safe incase I’m away or dead.”
A complicated expression spread across Salvanius' face as Elijah mentioned that the device was merely a redundancy measure in case of his absence. Suddenly the prospect of having this man as a retainer became much, MUCH more appealing. However, his thoughts were soon interrupted when the Vanir made its appearance by landing squarely on Elijah’s shoulder while glaring daggers at the Demigod.
Salvanius met Yana's gaze and sighed, dispelling the intrusive and dishonorable thoughts of taking these Artificers for himself.
“I understand.” The demigod said, turning his focus back to Elijah. “The Holy Dominion will not forget this grace you’ve bestowed upon us.” He gave a grateful nod before spinning around and heading towards the dock.
However, he soon came to a halt as his eyes fell upon a group of women arguing with his knights at the ramp leading to the ship. The women seemed intent on gaining access to the ship, their arms laden with various items, including several sizable platters of food.
“W-Wait! I-I was instructed to board!” A slim and fearful redhead said, holding a large burlap sack.
Something felt… Off about her.
It was almost as if Salvanius could recognize the woman, even though he was fairly certain he hadn't met her before. Then again, he had met a great number of people in this damned village, but his instincts kept nudging him to take a closer look. But his thoughts were interrupted when he recognized the Beastkin woman and the gaggle of Ferfolk slaves next to her.
"What do ye mean we ain't allowed entry!? I gotta deliver me gratitude before it's too late!" the dog-like woman bellowed, her voice full of frustration and urgency.
An amused huff left Salvanius’ mouth before looking over his shoulder. “I do believe you have guests.” The Demigod said before making his way down the plank.
“Let them through.” He said to his knights, waving his hand dismissively as he walked past the group.
The knights obeyed without hesitation and stepped aside allowing the gaggle of women to board the ship. "Thank ye, yer grace," The dog-like woman bowed deeply before her and the Ferfolk ran up the ramp.
As Elijah approached at the edge of the ship , confusion spread across his face as Mara suddenly appeared with her renowned tubers in hand. The woman stopped a good distance away, staring intently at the man, attempting to gauge his reaction and determine whether he would be receptive to her presence. Seeing he was just staring at her impassively, Mara gathered her courage, and stepped forward with a warm smile.
"I... I wanted to give ye this as a token of me gratitude…” She said shyly. “Ye know, for everything ye done for us."
Elijah's eyes flicked between Mara and the tubers, his confusion slowly melting away into a wry smile as he flicked his hand in a beckoning motion. The action caused Mara’s Shyness to completely dissipate as she bounded forward and handed him the tubers with enthusiasm. "You really didn't have to, but thank you," Elijah said, accepting the gift.
Mara beamed at his response, clearly relieved. "It's the least I could do!” She said, with her tail wagging vigorously. “I couldn’t bear the thought of not makin’ amends with ye.”
Turning around, Elijah handed this plate of tubers to the salivating Engineer and watched as Yana bolted off his shoulder in an attempt to attack the pile of food. Shaking his head, Elijah turned back to Mara and the group of women with a bemused expression. "Hopefully they’ll leave me some," he commented.
“Ye can always come back and get more.” Mara replied with a coy. “I’ll let ye have all the service ye want.”
A chuckle escaped Elijah’s mouth as he ran a hand through his hair. "I might just take you up on that," he said with a smirk. "Your food isn’t the only thing I’m going to miss."
Mara's cheeks flushed deeply at Elijah's reply, her tail wagging even faster as she tried to play it cool. "Well, I'll be sure to make myself available whenever ye are in need of some company," she replied, propping up her supple chest.
Elijah couldn't help but let his eyes wander for a moment before meeting Mara's gaze again, a lopsided grin playing at the corners of his mouth. "I'll… keep that in mind as long as you promise not to try to get me killed again." he replied with a goofy tone that made the dog-girl giggle.
“So all I need to do is spread my legs if I’m ever in need of your forgiveness?” Azelines voice rang out from behind him as the blond Elf woman emerged from the ship still rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes.
With a mouth full of fried tubers, Bennett decided to chime in. “I told him his dick is going to eventually get him killed.” He said, beckoning the Ferfolks to place the other platters on a nearby box.
Bringing a hand up to press against his eyes, Elijah let out an annoyed groan before turning his attention towards the two. “Why do you have to make this weird?” He asked in exasperation. "It’s all about sincerity.”
Bennett snickered, shoving another tuber into his mouth. "Ah yes. You hear that Aze?” He continued in a mocking tone while elbowing Azeline in the ribs. “You need to put more effort in your apologies!"
Azeline smirked, her teasing nature starting to leak out. "Is that so? I guess I’ll make sure any future apologies come with… an appropriate amount of sincerity and effort." She said, striking a pose that was more satirical than seductive.
“Jesus Christ…” Elijah muttered under his breath while his two crewmates broke out into laughter. “I hate both of you.”
The laughter continued after successfully eliciting an annoyed response from their beleaguered captain. However, a quiet seemed to take over the deck as everyone's attention shifted towards the approaching Knight Captain. "So that's the type of man you are, Sir Eli-jah" Rhea remarked with a raised eyebrow. "I'll bear that in mind when you try to charm me with your honeyed words."
“Oh god damnit…” Elijah facepalmed and dragged his hand down his face as another roar of laughter erupted from everyone in the group.
Rhea’s hand was covering her mouth as she tried to suppress a chuckle. “A-Anyways…” She chortled. “We should be ready to sail any moment now, so make sure you’re all prepared for departure.” The woman said, walking off in the direction of the Helm while her shoulders shook in mirth.
Elijah just stood there for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Where the hell is Auri?” He asked no one in particular, his frustration starting to show.
“A-Ahh… H-Hello.”
Recognizing the voice, Elijah looked up to see a petite woman with bright red hair looking up at him expectantly while holding onto a large burlap sack. Glad to see that he at least didn’t have to go hunting for the dainty woman, Elijah let loose a heavy breath of relief. “Alright, I’ll go tell Lady Rhea-” He tried to say, but Auri interrupted him.
Auri squirmed nervously before asking, "Umm… Should I be worried that you also have designs on me?"
“Oh for fucks sake!” Elijah threw his arms up and let them slap against his thighs in frustration as the rest of the crew barked in laughter. "Let’s just go already!”
Yana however, completely ignored the incessant bickering and Instead, she hungrily finished off one of the smaller platters of tubers and chomped down on the last tiny morsel on the wooden plate. Sighing Contentedly, the Fairy’s gaze fell upon Mara and her small group of Ferfolks as they said their goodbyes and disappeared from view. In their place was the other, more fidgety whelping that always looked at her servants with gleeful eyes. The man was far weaker than the other, but at least he seemed somewhat reverent towards Eli and Ben.
In their stead, the more fidgety whelping appeared, the one who always seemed to look at Ben and Eli with eager eyes. Although this man seemed far weaker than his sibling, he at least displayed a measure of reverence towards her servants.
Turning her head up towards the clear blue sky, Yana placed a hand on her tiny belly and sighed contentedly. She couldn't wait to see what other delightful mortal delicacies or fanciful experiences she would get to experience in the future.
​
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Essendon could join the chase for Carlton ruckman Tom De Koning, but might struggle to keep a young big man of its own. Plus why the Cats won’t land Sean Darcy.
https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/trade-hq/afl-trade-news-what-sean-darcy-contract-talks-mean-for-ruck-merrygoround/news-story/d7fe7f4d0b1f576da9b18e489095d853
Sean Darcy’s hamstring tear against Melbourne allowed Luke Jackson to take over against his old side while sparking a frenzy of speculation about the Dockers trading their No.1 ruckman.
As it happened, it also delayed a discussion that would have stopped that talk in its tracks.
Darcy had been set for talks with the Dockers and his management about a long-term extension on the contract that makes him a free agent at the end of 2024.
Those talks across Fremantle’s round 12 bye have been pushed back a couple of weeks as he gets some rest and relaxation before a big second half of the season.
As clubs across the competition try to work through how to establish an elite ruck department, the Dockers will lock away Darcy for the long-term.
For all the pre-season talk of Jackson stifling Darcy’s influence, the opposite has occurred.
As the Dockers attempted to give Lloyd Meek game time last year, Darcy averaged 64 ruck contests a game playing 87 per cent ruck and 13 per cent forward.
This season in rounds 1-10, alongside Jackson, he averaged 73 ruck contests and a 90-10 ruck forward split.
Jackson might thrive as the No.1 ruckman at times, but he was well aware when he came to Fremantle as a 21-year-old that playing alongside Darcy was the perfect way to extend his career.
And it would give Fremantle the best chance of success as he mixed rucking with a hybrid midfield role and the forward responsibility that has seen him kick six goals in the Dockers’ four-win streak (and 13.10 for the season).
So the Darcy-to-Geelong narrative won’t happen for the former Cobden man mountain as rivals look elsewhere.
Tom De Koning would have to sacrifice ruck opportunities and money to stay at Carlton, which seems increasingly unlikely.
The talks scheduled for the bye will likely drift until the end of the season as Geelong, St Kilda and Sydney chase the 23-year-old.
If he stayed it would be as the Blues’ No.2 ruckman and No.3 forward, even as his one-out ruck performance against Melbourne showed he was capable of holding down the ruck.
Last Friday’s clash against Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy was his highest-rated game for the year with 13 hitouts to advantage and two intercept marks.
If he did stay at Carlton it would be out of loyalty to the club that drafted him, and his strong mateship with his teammates.
Like Carlton, Geelong might pay him only $600,000 a season.
But the Cats can promise him the No.1 ruck position, plus a complimentary role in attack when 34-year-old Tom Hawkins eventually retires.
St Kilda can’t offer him the No.1 ruck job ahead of Rowan Marshall, but it can offer him the No.2 forward role behind Max King, with Tim Membrey 29 and currently playing VFL after a poor season with a long-running knee issue.
Essendon might throw its hat into the ring but ruckman Sam Draper is in front of him, Andrew Phillips is the in-form back-up and the Bombers might battle to hold onto third-in-line Nick Bryan.
Bryan is only contracted to the end of the season, is eager for opportunity after only one AFL game this year and is putting up massive VFL numbers to disprove theories he is only a tap ruckman without a well-rounded game.
In five VFL games this year he has averaged 134 SuperCoach points, 19 disposals, 32 hitouts, 12 hitouts to advantage, five clearances and six score involvements.
If Essendon doesn’t give him more chances – and it is trying – then a rival team will.
Meanwhile, GWS has been desperately trying to find a successor for Shane Mumford and hoped Braydon Preuss might be their man.
Yet out of the Preuss-Matt Flynn-Kieren Briggs battle, Briggs has emerged as footy’s in-form ruckman in the past three weeks.
Only just winning selection in round 10 after strong VFL form, he has been footy’s biggest surprise packet.
He was the second-highest rated player on the ground against St Kilda, the highest rated against Geelong (eight clearances, seven HTAs) and the second-highest against Richmond (two goals, six clearances).
It is early days but if he can maintain the rage at just 23 years of age, Adam Kingsley’s search for Mummy 2.0 is over.
At Port Adelaide Scott Lycett is uncontracted but back in favour, at Richmond Ivan Soldo is injured but well behind Toby Nankervis, while Nic Naitanui’s season is over with uncertainty about whether he plays on.
So Fremantle’s Darcy will be taken off the board for rival clubs, and yet it will only increase the currency of the likes of De Koning, Bryan and Lycett in a game where teams prefer to poach ruckmen rather than develop them.

My understanding of the situation was not me vs her, it was that we fell into an undesireable dynamic that we did not find a way out of. She had, by her own description, a weak sense of self. She would say that she wanted to dissolve. I have a stronger sense of self, I often want to feel seen or realize my dreams. We got along quite well, loved each other intently and tenderly, loved each other like no one else ever had. She had three medical disabilities: two mental illnesses and a chronic illness. These, combined with the challenges of adulting for the first time, meant that we were dating when she had to learn a lot.
I would get exhausted with her ADHD compounding her ability to manage her chronic illness and vice versa. Her mental state fluctuating a lot daily wore me down. I would try to help her remember about her medication, and help her come up with strategies like making lists so that she could cope instead of flailing about while her health and living situation declined—for instance, piles of trash all over her house, impulsively buying things she struggled to afford, eating junk food constantly that hurts her chronic illness. Her own independent streak led her to not want to listen to me, even though I was being encouraging and thoughtful, but then I would become frustrated, and my attempts at helping became mixed with resentment, which in turn caused her resentment toward me. I could not simply watch her let herself decline and not say something. At times, my negative feedback would become overly critical, but I would try hard to not be condescending—I try to be honest and respect another person in conflict.
I became increasingly worn out by feeling like I was not dating someone who was an independent person. I felt like I had to initiate things most of the time. She fished for complements often. She tried to get my attention in little ways, even when I already was giving her my focus. When I complemented her from my heart or tried to help her process what she was feeling, she seemed to forget it. When I gave her negative feedback, she remembered it vividly. She kinda skated along. She became increasingly exhausted with feeling like I did not like her. She said she felt like I was always annoyed with her in some way. She did not give me feedback like I gave her, and I really wanted her to tell me what she wanted, so that I could listen and respond rather than imagining what she wants.
To be fair, I tend to be an idealistic person, and I dont blame her for feeling that intensity as a lot. I was struggling in our relationship, and things she did would annoy me, but I identified that this is probably the person I will marry, she had said the same about me, and so I decided that the best thing for me to do is to endure and work through this as we grow up together. Long term relationships, especially marriage, require work and learning to resolve conflict together as people grow and change. So much of marriage is about cultivating rich love and working to cohabitate well rather than simply finding an absence of conflict.
I'm focusing on the negative, so here is some positive. We shared our worlds together. Lots of laughs and very intimate conversations and moments. We would take stuffed animals and put them in funny situations and send photos of them to each other. We made up funny stories and talked about deep things together. She felt like my woman, and I felt like her man. We had many conversations about things very near and dear to our hearts. We would care for each other and cry together.
Two months ago, she starts taking mental health medication, and in three or four days the relationship goes from loving and friendly to stone cold from her. She stops talking to me. I try calling her numerous times asking what's up? She was distant and aloof. Finally, she explains she likes the distance between us. She starts to get mad at me over phone and I start to cry. She decides over phone that she wants to be single. I tell her that I want to have this conversation in person rather than over the phone. She tells me over text shes breaking up with me and says theres no point in coming over. I call her and very angrily explain to her how f'd up it is to break up with a long term boyfriend over text when we have been each other's closest, most trusted companions for almost two years. I demanded an in-person, face-to-face conversation. It was like she was flushing all our love out a toilet, like it was all a dream she could walk away from.
When I showed up, she was at first happy to see me, smiling uncontrollably. It felt to me like she was acting girlishly. She tried to explain that she felt like she was losing her sense of self around me, and that she had been codependently bouncing between guys ever since high school. That was an understandable reason for wanting to be single. I tried my best to be supportive, because her feeling like herself is really important, but I was devastated. I loved her, we loved each other so much. She tried to uncling herself from me with as little emotional involvement as possible. She has treated me very starkly ever since. I feel there is an emotional chasm left behind by her swift departure from me. She was such a bright love in my life. I guess I feel wronged by how easily she dumped me, as if her perception of me had been flipped all of a sudden, maybe by the medications. I dont think her wanting to be single is a bad idea. It makes perfect sense. I just wish she had slowed down and thought solidly about us long-term and communicated with me about her desires instead of zooting from me like I was a bad fling. It's like she forgot I was her best friend. I can see the reasons that led up to the breakup, we got into a spiral where she felt she was giving herself away to me, and I was wanting more of her, and we didnt get out of it. She blamed it on me, and I dont think it's all my fault. Relationships are not assured to last, and sometimes they fall apart between people.
I am wondering, Reddit, about your feedback. Also if you think it would be good for me to reach out to her with a letter or about having a conversation for closure or to hold on hope that maybe we will get back together someday? My friends say I dodged a bullet. Somebody who would leave me so quickly and so quickly reinterpret the level of intimacy we shared as a wholly negative thing must have not been as open to me as I was open with her. She seems to have some growing up to do, and being single might be just what she needs to feel more herself.

There are only 9 days passed from this post, which its idea was slaughtered at birth without either recognizing the problem statement or providing a practical and concrete alternative solution, and since then Algorand has slid down from position #41 to #48 with about ~25% reduction in its market cap.
Of course we are in a bear market and of course every day all sorts of bad news arrive, including serial SEC actions and the associated uncertainty, however none of them explains significantly worse performance of Algorand during the past few months. Algorand has a different problem, a self-inflected one: it fails to attract the new capital. Why? The past has not been that glorious in terms of preserving (not growing) the capital. 100% of buyers are at a loss. Every bit of big positive news turned out to not be what was expected (the FIFA one still badly hurts) and new investors money were constantly used as exit liquidity. More importantly, there is not that much more promising future ahead. 2.75B Algos is a lot of supply which is gonna hit the already exhausted market. There is no scarcity and there is no store of value property, which is fundamental to why cryptocurrencies are attractive for most people. How someone could sleep well with Algorand as his/her collateral in a Defi lending platform, presumably one of the most important use cases, that allows people to slowly build wealth using crypto.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not worried about the value of my bag at this moment, tomorrow or next year, but I'm genuinely worried that the lack of attractiveness of Algorand to investors, in this competitive and noisy market, leads to drying up the liquidity and slowing down the project's growth because the community doesn't grow fast enough. Look at this foundation address. These Algos were supposed to be sold in the market for the last 14 days but there hasn't been any chance. There are not enough buyers even at 40% lower price. And you know what, there might not be enough buyers even at 40% lower. It is not about the price but the fact that it is obviously stupid to buy something that most likely won't even preserve its value as new Algos constantly sold in the market.
Algorand is an extraordinary project, with great teams and communities, with a real potential of becoming a global L1 solution. It would be a shame that ignoring this problem for too long leads to the project failure and eventual death!
Forum
Original post on Algorand Foundation subreddit

Hi All, I have some nice garments up for grabs. I've added some new things and dropped prices on items listed previously. All items are men's size medium and are in either new, like-new or excellent lightly used condition. Prices don't include shipping as I'm thinking that someone might want to purchase multiple items which will help trim the overall shipping cost. I prefer PayPal F&F, but you can add 3% to cover PayPal fees if you want to do a G&S transaction. I have sold dozens of items on GearTrade, ULgeartrade & BikeShop over the last few years with no unhappy customers. Buy with confidence! Please take a look...
Mountain Hardwear Tim Lahan Artist Series T-shirt
https://imgur.com/gallery/ZVEBP6H
This is a beautiful heavyweight tee featuring a cool climbing/mountain graphic by Tim Lahan. This very durable shirt is made from 100% organic cotton and it's in excellent lightly used condition with no flaws. Color is a dark navy blue and it weighs in at 8.9 oz. Retailed for $45.00. Asking $25.00
Mountain Hardwear Short-sleeve Button-up
https://imgur.com/gallery/OZb52Nn
It's "sun's out, guns out" time and you'd look fantastic in this beautiful shirt! Made from 60% cotton & 40% polyester, this shirt is new and has no flaws. Weighs in at 6.7 oz. and retailed for $60.00. Asking $30.00
Mountain Hardwear Short-sleeve Canyon Shirt
https://imgur.com/gallery/0IRfjnS
This is the previous and, in my opinion, superior version of the venerable Canyon Shirt. It features ventilating mesh side panels on the inside of the arms and down most of the torso sides. Two large ventilation ports span the back of the shirt and there's an expandable collar to cover more of the neck if so desired. This awesome shirt features one horizontal zipper access chest pocket and one large vertical access chest pocket with Velcro closure tabs. There is a very minor amount of wear on the inside of the collar. 70% nylon/30% polyester. Overall this shirt is in great condition and is ready to keep you cool for years to come. Weighs 7.1 oz. Current retail on the Canyon Shirt is $60.00. Asking $25.00
prAna Short-sleeve Polyester T-shirt
https://imgur.com/gallery/xqopMGL
This soft synthetic tee is in like-new condition with no flaws. Great for working out and for casual wear. Made from 100% polyester, this sweet tee weighs in at 5.1 oz. Retailed for $39.00 Asking $20.00
prAna Cotton/Poly T-shirt
https://imgur.com/gallery/z0fNu0B
This cool tee is made from 60% organic cotton & 40% recycled polyester. It's in like-new condition with no flaws and weighs in at 6.0 oz. Retailed for $35.00. Asking $17.00
The North Face Short-sleeve Button-up
https://imgur.com/gallery/XBHqdFL
Here's a really nice button-up that's perfect for the office, the pub or date night. It's made from 56% cotton & 44% polyester and is in excellent lightly used condition with no flaws. It weighs 6.6 oz. Retailed for something north of $50.00. Asking $28.00
Patagonia Short-sleeve Polo Shirt
https://imgur.com/gallery/dujv7Xx
This nice polo is in excellent lightly used condition with no flaws. It's made from 100% organic cotton in a comfortable and durable knit. Weighs 8.7 oz. Asking $25.00
prAna Short-sleeve Polo Shirt
https://imgur.com/gallery/kea5Ljj
This beautiful lightweight three button polo is made from 89% recycled polyeste11% organic cotton. It's in excellent lightly used condition with no flaws. It weighs 6.0 oz. and retailed for $49.00. Asking $25.00
The North Face Long-sleeve Shirt
https://imgur.com/gallery/aL1HyDk
This beautiful shirt is made from a comfortable and durable 80% cotton/20% polyester fabric. It has a cool hidden interior chest pocket that's perfect for stashing cash, passport, credit cards, etc. This shirt is in like-new condition and weighs 10.3 oz. Asking $28.00
The North Face A5 Series Track Jacket
https://imgur.com/gallery/awuIHBK
Here's a really sweet full-zip sweat/track jacket in a nice green/brown/white color scheme. 85% polyeste15% cotton and weighing in at 22.8 oz. It features two zippered hand pockets and two large interior "drop" pockets. This jacket is in great condition with two very small imperfections (shown in pics) that are hard to spot. This jacket retailed for north of $100.00. Asking $33.00
The North Face Shorts
https://imgur.com/gallery/zVQSDj2
These shorts are made from a very durable 100% nylon fabric. They feature an integrated adjustable nylon belt, two hand pockets in the front, two "wallet" pockets in the back, two large cargo pockets with Velcro flap closures and one 4"x4" pocket on the right thigh. These shorts have a gusseted crotch with 8" inseam and weigh 11.0 oz. Asking $19.00
Columbia Sportswear PFG Bobbers Best Print Short-sleeve Shirt
https://imgur.com/gallery/x3Hu1yo
This awesome shirt is new with the tag still attached. It's made from 100% cotton. This shirt has a nice roomy fit and large mesh-lined ventilation ports on the back to keep you cool when the temps go up. Weighs in at 7.3 oz and retails for $45.00. Asking $20.00
Thanks for looking and please let me know if you have any questions. Be well.

My gf (20F) and I (21M) met through a friend of mine (20F) who I had been living with for just under a year, rather not use names so I’ll just call my friend Rachel. I saw a post Rachel made of the two of them having a few drinks, and I thought she looked cute and so we started talking and pretty much hit it off straight away. We met up and shortly after I asked her out and we started dating, even though we didn’t know each other long it just felt right and I felt connected to her. My gf had told me she had trust issues because she had been cheated on in the past. At the time I didn’t have an issue with it as I believed myself to be trustworthy and that I would gain her trust throughout our relationship. I moved out and started living with some other friends of mine, with my gf not living too far away, so we would see each other often. Our relationship was one built on good communication as I thought it’d be best to be able to be comfortable to talk about any issues so we could work together through any problems. Other than a few arguments here and there we had a very close and connected relationship. A few months down the line and It was at this point where I didn’t feel like my gf trusted me still. It hurt to have her so distrusting of me when I had never done anything untrustworthy, it felt like all the distrust from her previous relationship was being held against me for no reason. In my head relationships are built on trust and it didn’t feel like we had that. I brought it up that I had issues with her, saying I felt like she didn’t trust me and that it really hurt and I couldn’t keep going if things would continue like this. We were both very upset and we spoke it through and decided to use time apart to think about things until we saw each other next. When we next saw each other my gf was like a whole different person, saying she had taken into account things I had said and was ready to make things work. At the time I was very unsure,because it had only been 2 weeks and I didn’t think it was enough time for her to have made enough of a change. The only way I can describe it now is it felt like she had checked out of the relationship and was on auto pilot. We met up a few times and kept speaking things through. Now this is where my friends come into the story. A friend of mine (21M), we’ll call Craig, was going in and out of a relationship with Rachel over the past few months and since there last breakup, he had spoken about realising his mistakes and wanting to try again with Rachel. Being friends with both of them, I had heard from Rachel about how upset she was and how she needed time to move past it before she could think about speaking to him again. Using an experience I had previously, I gave some advice to Craig, using this experience as the framework. My gf was also friends with Craig and Rachel and so I told her about it and we went through it, but she started picking apart the experience I mentioned expressing that I should never get into a relationship if I feel this way and that she never would have dated me if she knew this. This comment was one of the things that made me think my gf had basically given up on the relationship, but still really caring about her I thought maybe we could still make things work. It wasn’t until later that week before going out for my birthday when playing most likely to with friends, she said I was most likely to cheat out of everyone there. This really hurt me as it basically said that she thought I would cheat on her. With everything we were going through at the time, this was the final straw for me as I couldn’t do a relationship without trust. The next day I went over to my gfs to break up with her, but a little after I started to speak she asked “so are u breaking up with me?” And she told me to leave and bring all her stuff back, that being the end of it. I didn’t speak with either Rachel or Craig about this, and it didn’t come up until a party a few weeks later. At my housemates party, my now ex was invited as she was friends with my housemate, however she wasn’t initially going to come until I reached out to her to let her know I had no problems with her being there. I didn’t want her to be left out because of me, so we spoke about it and she said she would come but just wasn’t sure if I would be uncomfortable with it. Rachel and my ex were some of the first to arrive and immediately her demeanour was very different from her messages. She was giving me dirty looks and was obviously not very comfortable. Rachel said to me whilst we was sitting together that “she didn’t agree with what I did but didn’t want to bring that up now and hoped we’d have a good night.” This immediately rang alarm bells as it made no sense. She was obviously referring to my ex but all I did was break up with her and wasn’t even able to explain why to my ex. Rachel had never spoken to me about it but I had known that she had been there over the past few weeks to comfort my ex, so I was wondering what had been said about it. Later that night my ex, Rachel and myself got into an argument and I left the house to cool off. Rachel repeatedly showed a care for my ex’s emotional state but never for mine, which really hurt and showed that she had clearly picked sides. The next day I went to Rachel’s to speak about the previous night and we managed to squash our disagreement. However after this night Rachel would continue to distance herself more and more from me over the coming months. After 3 months had past I reached out to ask if Rachel had been distant from me for a reason and we got into another argument. At this time Rachel and Craig were once again dating but they didn’t tell me about it until I found out and asked them. Rachel and I pretty much stopped talking after our last argument as I felt like she had been distant and she tried to shift the blame to me. After this Craig also stopped interacting with me and seemed to be avoiding me. Rachel and Craig have now both removed me from most of their private socials and we never speak anymore and I lost two of my close friends all because I broke up with my gf. My ex is now still friends with Rachel and Craig and is always with them and I haven’t spoken to them in months. A small part of me wishes I could know what happened and why everything happened the way it did, but at the same time my friends and family keep telling me that there isn’t any point wasting your energy on them. I am trying to come to terms with it but in half a year I’ve lost 3 very close people in my life, and the more I think about the situation the more it upsets me. Either way I’m no longer in the same classes as Craig and none of my friends speak with my ex or Rachel anymore so I’m having to slowly move on and just forget about them.

Hi All, I have some nice garments up for grabs. I've added some new things and dropped prices on items listed previously. All items are men's size medium and are in either new, like-new or excellent lightly used condition. Prices don't include shipping as I'm thinking that someone might want to purchase multiple items which will help trim the overall shipping cost. I prefer PayPal F&F, but you can add 3% to cover PayPal fees if you want to do a G&S transaction. I have sold dozens of items on GearTrade, ULgeartrade & BikeShop over the last few years with no unhappy customers. Buy with confidence! Please take a look...
Mountain Hardwear Tim Lahan Artist Series T-shirt
https://imgur.com/gallery/ZVEBP6H
This is a beautiful heavyweight tee featuring a cool climbing/mountain graphic by artist Tim Lahan. This very durable shirt is made from 100% organic cotton and it's in excellent lightly used condition with no flaws. Color is a dark navy blue and it weighs in at 8.9 oz. Retailed for $45.00. Asking $25.00
Mountain Hardwear Short-sleeve Button-up
https://imgur.com/gallery/OZb52Nn
It's "sun's out, guns out" time and you'd look fantastic in this beautiful shirt! Made from 60% cotton & 40% polyester, this shirt is new and has no flaws. Weighs in at 6.7 oz. and retailed for $60.00. Asking $30.00
Mountain Hardwear Short-sleeve Canyon Shirt
https://imgur.com/gallery/0IRfjnS
This is the previous and, in my opinion, superior version of the venerable Canyon Shirt. It features ventilating mesh side panels on the inside of the arms and down most of the torso sides. Two large ventilation ports span the back of the shirt and there's an expandable collar to cover more of the neck if so desired. This awesome shirt features one horizontal zipper access chest pocket and one large vertical access chest pocket with Velcro closure tabs. There is a very minor amount of wear on the inside of the collar. 70% nylon/30% polyester. Overall, this shirt is in great condition and is ready to keep you cool for years to come. Weighs 7.1 oz. Current retail on the Canyon Shirt is $60.00. Asking $25.00
prAna Short-sleeve Polyester T-shirt
https://imgur.com/gallery/xqopMGL
This soft synthetic tee is in like-new condition with no flaws. Great for working out and for casual wear. Made from 100% polyester, this sweet tee weighs in at 5.1 oz. Retailed for $39.00 Asking $20.00
prAna Cotton/Poly T-shirt
https://imgur.com/gallery/z0fNu0B
This cool tee is made from 60% organic cotton & 40% recycled polyester. It's in like-new condition with no flaws and weighs in at 6.0 oz. Retailed for $35.00. Asking $17.00
The North Face Short-sleeve Button-up
https://imgur.com/gallery/XBHqdFL
Here's a really nice button-up that's perfect for the office, the pub or date night. It's made from 56% cotton & 44% polyester and is in excellent lightly used condition with no flaws. It weighs 6.6 oz. Retailed for something north of $50.00. Asking $28.00
Patagonia Short-sleeve Polo Shirt
https://imgur.com/gallery/dujv7Xx
This nice polo is in excellent lightly used condition with no flaws. It's made from 100% organic cotton in a comfortable and durable knit. Weighs 8.7 oz. Asking $25.00
prAna Short-sleeve Polo Shirt
https://imgur.com/gallery/kea5Ljj
This beautiful lightweight three button polo is made from 89% recycled polyeste11% organic cotton. It's in excellent lightly used condition with no flaws. It weighs 6.0 oz. and retailed for $49.00. Asking $23.00
The North Face Long-sleeve Shirt
https://imgur.com/gallery/aL1HyDk
This beautiful shirt is made from a comfortable and durable 80% cotton/20% polyester fabric. It has a cool hidden interior chest pocket that's perfect for stashing cash, passport, credit cards, etc. This shirt is in like-new condition and weighs 10.3 oz. Asking $28.00
The North Face A5 Series Track Jacket
https://imgur.com/gallery/awuIHBK
Here's a really sweet full-zip sweat/track jacket in a nice green/brown/white color scheme. 85% polyeste15% cotton and weighing in at 22.8 oz. It features two zippered hand pockets and two large interior "drop" pockets. This jacket is in great condition with two very small imperfections (shown in pics) that are hard to spot. This jacket retailed for north of $100.00. Asking $33.00
The North Face Shorts
https://imgur.com/gallery/zVQSDj2
These shorts are made from a very durable 100% nylon fabric. They feature an integrated adjustable nylon belt, two hand pockets in the front, two "wallet" pockets in the back, two large cargo pockets with Velcro flap closures and one 4"x4" pocket on the right thigh. These shorts have a gusseted crotch with 8" inseam and weigh 11.0 oz. Asking $19.00
Columbia Sportswear PFG Bobbers Best Print Short-sleeve Shirt
https://imgur.com/gallery/x3Hu1yo
This awesome shirt is new with the tag still attached. It's made from 100% cotton. This shirt has a nice roomy fit and large mesh-lined ventilation ports on the back to keep you cool when the temps go up. Weighs in at 7.3 oz and retails for $45.00. Asking $20.00
Thanks for looking and please let me know if you have any questions. Be well.

so i think i had a panic attack the other day and i think it traumatised me
all these sirens were going off and i didn't really think much of it at first because i live in a place were i hear sirens constantly and they sounded far away. but then the sirens started going on and off again (multiple minute pauses in between) and they in front of my next door neighbours house. i started hyperventilating and crying at the thought of someone dangerous living next door to me or if there was some weirdo wandering around. one of my dogs was laying next to me on the bed and i think he could tell something was wrong when i started crying because he scooted closer to me. i hugged him the rest of the night until i fell asleep.
as for the trauma part of my story. ever since it happened i think about it constantly throughout the day and whenever i think about sirens or hear sirens now i want to curl up and cry. i haven't talked to anyone about this situation but i might be going to see my best friend this weekend so i'll definitely be telling her all about all my problems (more specifically gay people problems)
another time (idk if this might be related) (this was before a couple nights ago) there were a lot of sirens going off and suddenly i hear a medium-large bang like someone dropping something super heavy outside. my mom rushed upstairs and gather me and my two sister (my brother was sound asleep) and took us into our tiny storage closet were there were no windows. the next day i'd found out the loud bang noise was a gun and i was in close proximity to a gun. (also the seven elevens sign was all beat up)
just the thought of being in close proximity of a gun is terrifying for me and i come from a family who have multiple guns and hunts all the time. this easter my uncle, grandpa, cousin's friend's dad, and dad were outside (with multiple kids under 10) and we heard them firing guns twice and i almost started bawling.
i know the next time sirens go off i'll be having another one of these so my heart goes out to everyone who deal with panics attacks regularly. i could never even imagine the shit y'all go through everyday. stay strong!

It has never been more important to embrace sustainable practices across numerous industries in a world where environmental sustainability has become an urgent concern. Our combined efforts, which range from cutting carbon emissions to protecting natural resources, are intended to improve the future for future generations.
The field of aquaculture serves as a bright example of how we can meet the rising worldwide demand for seafood while protecting our delicate ecosystems when addressing sustainability concerns. Modern society now recognises the importance of sustainable aquaculture practices to reduce the negative environmental effects of traditional fishing methods and foster ethical seafood production. It's time to switch to the following sustainable aquaculture methods and harness their potential to revolutionise the sector and the environment:
​

1. Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture: This approach, known as Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), includes raising many species close to one another to foster a symbiotic interaction. Waste products from one species can act as nutrients for another by merging species with different nutritional requirements. Preventing trash from building up and encouraging effective resource utilisation has a lessening effect on the environment.
2. Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS): RAS technology makes efficient use of water by using a closed system to filter and reuse water continuously. This considerably lowers the amount of water needed, lessens the chance of pollution, and limits the discharge of dangerous compounds into the environment.
3. Sustainable Feed Sourcing: Ensuring that the feed used for farmed fish is properly sourced is one of the essential components of sustainable aquaculture. Alternative protein sources like algae, insects, or plant-based ingredients are examples of sustainable feed solutions. As a result, fewer wild fish must be taken to produce feed, protecting marine resources and reducing aquaculture's ecological footprint.
4. Site Selection and Ecosystem-Based Management: Ecosystem-based management and site selection are important for reducing the negative effects of aquaculture on the environment. Locating areas that are less susceptible to harmful effects can be done by evaluating variables, including water quality, local biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience. Big aquaculture players, like Varun Thapar, the CEO of KCT Group, ensure the long-term sustainability of aquaculture operations by considering the larger ecosystem dynamics and ecosystem-based management techniques.
5. Disease Control: Disease outbreaks can impact aquaculture farms and their ecosystems. Proactive measures like strict biosecurity regulations, ongoing health monitoring, and vaccine campaigns can aid in disease prevention and control. By using fewer antibiotics and other chemical treatments, the possibility of microbial resistance is reduced, and the general health of farmed fish is safeguarded.
6. Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing: Developing sustainable aquaculture techniques depends on cooperation among stakeholders, including farmers, researchers, policymakers, and environmental organisations. Sharing best practices, innovations, and knowledge can promote ongoing development and speed the creation of more environmentally friendly methods and tools.

Towards a Thriving and Eco-Conscious Aquaculture Industry
Sustainable aquaculture practices offer an efficient solution to the global issue of meeting the growing demand for seafood while preserving our fragile ecosystems. We can promote a brighter future by following in the footsteps of KCT Group, one of India's top commercial conglomerates with a strong emphasis on aquaculture.
They present a wonderful example in this pursuit of sustainability with their dedication to ethical farming, cutting-edge technologies, and environmental care. By adopting these practices and supporting sector leaders such as KCT Group, we can create an aquaculture industry that is vibrant, environmentally conscious, and secure regarding food.

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the disruptions it brought with it, have made the D2C market highly competitive. Customer experience (CX) is one of the best ways for brands to stand out by shoring up long-term relationships with customers. Data-driven personalization is what will help organizations to increase customer engagement and retention. In the digital world, most D2C companies are drowning in customer data from various sources — behavioral data, financial data, demographic data, and several other sources of data. The key is having it all together in one place in an actionable way. Metadata is a critical aspect of modern business operations. It provides businesses with the ability to efficiently manage and organize their data, making it easier to locate and access information quickly. Metadata also allows companies to track their progress, identify trends, and make strategic decisions based on real-time insights.
Download the Whitepaper - https://us.sganalytics.com/case-study/unveiling-customer-sentiments-analyzing-the-voice-of-customers-for-client-and-competitors-ott-content/

Hello,
I'd like some resources on promoting books and marketing campaigns specifically around books. I'm an author looking into self-publishing because it pays better royalties than traditional publishing. Increasingly even with traditional publishing, authors must do their own marketing. However, the guides I've seen on this are lackluster. A lot of this would seemingly come down to social media marketing, but it's difficult to tell how to reach audiences when selling books. Originally, I wanted to see if I could just hire a marketing professional, but I couldn't find any working freelance that focused on this specific area. So, I will need to create a plan and implement it myself. Learning this skill is also probably best for me long-term since I will have to continue to market my own books.
Any resources are welcome, as well as strategies. Thank you so much for your time and reading this post.