Welcome to Hotel The Yellow, located in the heart of Chandigarh! Experience unparalleled comfort and hospitality in our meticulously designed hotel. From luxurious rooms to top-notch amenities, we strive to make your stay truly memorable. Indulge in exquisite dining options at our onsite restaurant, rejuvenate at our spa, or take a refreshing dip in our pool. Conveniently situated near popular attractions, our hotel offers easy access to explore the vibrant city. Whether you're traveling for business or leisure, our dedicated staff is committed to providing you with a delightful and seamless experience. Book your stay at Hotel The Yellow and discover the perfect blend of comfort, convenience, and elegance.

Capital One SaverOne: $20k limit, opened Oct 2022
Captial One quicksilver: $8k limit, opened > 10 years
Chase Freedom: $18,900 limit, opened > 1 year
Citi Custom Cash: $8k limit, opened Jan 2023
FICO Score: 750
Oldest account age: > 10 years
Chase 5/24 status: 0/24
Income: e.g. $80,000
Average monthly spend and categories:
dining $90
groceries: $400
gas: $90
miscellaneous: $200
Open to Business Cards: No
What's the purpose of your next card? Travel
Do you have any cards you've been looking at? Yes, Citi Premier
Are you OK with category spending or do you want a general spending card? Yes
*Created similar post previously, deleted and made new post based on recommendations to include additional details and template.
So my fiancee and I have been discussing adding a travel card(s) to our card portfolio as we are planning on taking more trips throughout the year.
My fiancee has a FICO score of 720, and no credit cards other than some store ones that were opened years ago and don't get used (she uses a debit card for her everyday purchases, so she was interested in getting a CC for the protection and rewards). We also keep our general spending accounts/money in our own individual accounts.
Our main travel plans mostly include a week long trip to disney world once a year, occasional shorrter trips throughout the year to universal orlando (as we are annual passholders), and occasional flights to visit my family who live out of state
Researching travel cards, I narrowed it down to two: Citi Premier (their "Thank you" points are applicable towards Disney/Universal resort hotels) and Chase Sapphire Preferred (for transfer ability to partner hotel/airlines).
I was wondering if the setup below makes sense as far as us gaining rewards and using them towards our travel plans, essentially applying the Citi Premier card towards our hotel stays, and the Chase Sapphire towards airline tickets/other travel benefits:
Setup for myself:

1. Citi Premier (new card, would become grocery, restaurant, travel card)
2. Citi Custom Cash (already have, use as gas card, transfer points to Premier)
3. Citi Double Cash (new card, use for any non-category purchases, transfer points to premier)

Setup for Fiancée:

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred (new card, used for travel category spends, dining, streaming)
2. Chase Freedom Unlimited (new card, non- category spends, transfer points to Sapphire Preferred)

Just wondering if the above setup makes sense, or if we would it make more sense getting one travel card (such as the Premier) and having both of us be authorized users of that card to rack up points. I feel like we wouldn't be maximizing point value for our uses (since again, Citi is the only one that is redeemable for Disney Resorts, and Sapphire Preferred gives more points for travel booked through Chase)

Author's Note: I do have people in mind when I write things like this. However, in this case, it mostly morphed into playing with words and phonics. So, please don't look too deeply for any true opinions or expressions of self in this. I left this as a wall of text, because that is what it felt like in my head and how I wrote it.
Caution: Foul language throughout.
Love Tap.
He's represented by a snow flake, so fake. So full of hot takes. He hides behind the rhymes he makes. The tides come from my throat, I can't help but make you all see what I am all about. Call it a gutteral growl, a shot to the gut or i'll just snipe them with a vowel. Rebrandish, re-arm, what you fuckers are missing, is sometimes I aim to do harm. Maim when i speak, until pity is something that you are forced to seek. Reframe your state of mind, because you couldn't even see it when i kicked your behind. I never need to recalibrate, you are just lost in your hate, and a simple point of reference is your going rate, so how could I expect you to gave respect, let alone reverence. Don't worry, I'll help you atone, through my resonance. Give hearing to the deaf, because this isn't a court hearing and to make you take this ball, I don't need a ref. You won't see me resort to taking you out in a cheap fashion. I don't want to hear a peep from you after this bashin', I want to see you beggin' just to get a ration. Eyes saggin', heels a draggin', looking for someone else upon which to hitch your wagon. Because it won't be my coat tails another time, brother, I am so sick of you not getting my rhyme. If I use two syllables, your thoughts go off the rails, and you can't see any deeper to catch what my opinion entails. Because I spill my guts, and you aren't able to read the entrails. I don't need a disciple, I need someone to head this tripe and warn the people. I'm in town, and that's a sin, because I want the crown. All forty leagues, and the glory of the iron throne. The siren is already going off, I can't change my tone. My hands are already gory, things are about to get worse, son. Get it? Worse son? Iron? No, you run, whore son. Before I paint the walls crimson, you would be best served heading for the setting sun. Better blinding red than dead, and I am coming for your head. You never deserved the golden tiara, you should have swerved before I came to end your era. An axe to grind, through wax, to tan your smooth behind. Not a groove, just like your brain, why go up against somebody you know is insane, egocentric and vain? Where he go, you don't know, so please enjoy the show. He so busy barrin', he don't notice the place is now barren and nothing will grow. Why is it this swill that he must throw the caustic causin' rust on our bust, and he keeps it up, like he must. Trust, he is always a jerk. Doesn't he ever have to work? Yes, but he also likes to make your ass twerk. So crass, he cussed just to set off the sensitive, for goodness sake. Not everything he says should be a hot take, he's got to consider the reader when he calls everyone fake. Threatens to deag rhem our and leave them by the lake. Heave ho, after the difficult row, and into the pond you go. He fawned over the obscenity of it all, the obesity from his head should be enough to bring his fall. Well, tough, I haven't even begun to stall. My sights are clear, like a gun aimed down the hall. I'd warn you that you are done, but than again, where would be the fun in an advisory call? I want blood on the ivory, mud on the guys I see. No disguise can save you from me. You are going to be impaled on a tusk, when I exaled, your career went bust. Don't bother to leer or jeer, I just want to make your fate clear; you are going out, without a cheer. It isn't very adult to pout, or to complain about the result after you decided to tote that you knew what I was all about. Cuz, you weren't right and you shouldn't have stepped into this ring for a fight. He, he, he be smarter than me. The fire starter, ready to dry out the sea. Why even try to beat me, guy? I'm just gonna make you cry. And then that shit will just evaporate too. Invisivle tears, learn to face your fears, like mace hitting you, more than just a trace, it's like being struck from grace. I go high, you go low, dow see dow. This isn't a tap, it's a fatal blow. You ain't just getting struck by my car though. And the blinding lights aren't my head lights, I've just got you dead to rights. On heaven's door. Knock knock knockin on heaven's door, like a cock cock cock tappin' your back door. I've gone deeper than you care to explore. Like some kid who took the dare, then wound up possessed on the floor. You can't detest what you can't detect, anymore. Triviality has always been my specialty, so maybe think of that, Has Been, before you start a rivalry. I may be petty, because I don't do pity, but I plan to run this city. And there will be a toll, if you want to take a stroll. But it's best to stay out of my park, after dark, cause my damn mind is about to burst, and it will leave you all running for the Ark. Anyone left behind is gonna feel like the are cursed, body bagged and hearsed. Carried off in the river to hell, by the giver of that swell, and who will find their way back? Only time will tell. The rest of you just got encased, by me only making my case, in case you all believed you stood at the top. This is your food for thought, i'm too much of a prude to be caught off guard and it's a mistake if you believe this is me going hard. I'm just a hack, tryin'to bring justice through my act. 'Cause I may have murdered the game, but you butchered it and I just sutured it. Seal it tight and stopped your flow. Stole your rights to the show. Locked the door, and told you it's time to go. Act right, wander off into the night. You squandered yourself like a moth drawn to the light. Wandered into my line of sight, called your bluff, ignored your huff and puff, and now there is nothing left to say but good night.
https://www.reddit.com/OCPoetry/comments/14468gy/men_written_by_women_beneath_her_pen/jndwgg7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
https://www.reddit.com/OCPoetry/comments/1444nzgod_if_you_are_neajndwofh?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Good morning traders and investors of the StockMarketChat sub! Welcome to the new trading day and a fresh start! Here are your pre-market stock movers & news on this Thursday, June the 8th, 2023-

(CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL SOURCE!)

Stock futures are little changed Thursday as rally pauses: Live updates

Stock futures were flat on Thursday, as investors awaited the next market catalyst and digested the recent rally in stocks.
Futures linked to the S&P 500 ticked higher by 0.01%, while Nasdaq 100 futures inched down by 0.01%. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained just 2 points.
GameStop shares tumbled roughly 19%. The video game retailer fired its CEO Matthew Furlong and appointed Ryan Cohen as its executive chairman.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite are coming off a down session. The broad-market index closed 0.38% lower, while the Nasdaq dropped 1.29%. The 30-stock Dow was the outlier, with a gain of 0.27% or 91.74 points.
“We’re in a bit of a news vacuum: Earnings are done, the debt ceiling is resolved, and we’re waiting for the Fed next week,” said Barbara Doran, CEO of BD8 Capital Partners on “Closing Bell: Overtime” on Wednesday. “It’s widely expected they will pause, but it’s really going to be important what their guidance is and what the [consumer price index] number on Tuesday will be and the [producer price index].”
Indeed, investors seem to be in a holding pattern while awaiting the Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy meeting on June 13 and 14. Economic signs suggest that inflation is inching down, even as it remains above the central bank’s 2% target. Wage growth, for instance, is slowing. Wages rose 5.3% on an annual basis in May, down 0.4 percentage point from April, according to data from Indeed. Markets are pricing about a 66% chance that the Fed keeps rates steady at the next meeting, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.
More economic data will arrive on Thursday morning, with weekly jobless claims and wholesale inventories due.

STOCK FUTURES CURRENTLY:

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YESTERDAY'S MARKET MAP:

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TODAY'S MARKET MAP:

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YESTERDAY'S S&P SECTORS:

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TODAY'S S&P SECTORS:

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TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR!)

THIS WEEK'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR!)

THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING IPO'S:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING IPO'S!)

THIS WEEK'S EARNINGS CALENDAR:

($NIO $GTLB $GME $CIEN $DOCU $SAIC $ASO $SJM $CXM $THO $OLLI $MOMO $CBRL $FERG $TTC $HQY $CPB $PLAY $QMCO $FCEL $LOVE $ABM $CNM $HTOO $TCOM $JOAN $UNFI $SFIX $CHS $GIII $SIG $SMAR $PL $ZFOX $HYZN $VRA $CASY $MTN $SMTC $ALYA $DBI $SCWX $JILL $OESX $BSE $REVG $VBNK $VRNT $RENT $HCP)

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

THIS MORNING'S PRE-MARKET EARNINGS CALENDAR:

($GME $FCEL $TCOM $TTC $SMAR $SIG $RENT $HCP $SMTC $DBI $OXM $ALYA $REVG $VRNT $LAKE $GHM $SCWX $GEF $HYZN $CURV $TUYA)

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS MORNING'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

EARNINGS RELEASES BEFORE THE OPEN TODAY:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS MORNING'S EARNINGS RELEASES!)

THIS AFTERNOON'S AFTER-HOURS EARNINGS CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

EARNINGS RELEASES AFTER THE CLOSE TODAY:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S EARNINGS RELEASES!)

YESTERDAY'S ANALYST UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES:

(CLICK HERE FOR FRIDAY'S ANALYST UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES!)

YESTERDAY'S INSIDER TRADING FILINGS:

(CLICK HERE FOR YESTERDAY'S INSIDER TRADING FILINGS!)

TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR LINK #1!)

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR LINK #2!)

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR LINK #3!)

THIS MORNING'S MOST ACTIVE TRENDING TICKERS ON STOCKTWITS:

• GME
• LCID
• FSR
• BAOS
• ADBE
• NIO
• META
• ALGO.X
• SNAP
• BA

THIS MORNING'S STOCK NEWS MOVERS:

(source: cnbc.com)

GameStop — Shares plummeted nearly 21% in premarket trading. The company announced Wednesday the ousting of chief executive Matthew Furlong and said Ryan Cohen would take over as executive chairman.

STOCK SYMBOL: GME

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands — The casino operators both shed about 2% following a downgrade by Jeffries to hold from buy. The Wall Street firm said Macao’s recovery is already priced into the stocks.

STOCK SYMBOL: WYNN

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

STOCK SYMBOL: LVS

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Signet Jewelers — Shares tumbled nearly 11% after the jeweler provided second-quarter revenue and operating-income guidance that fell short of expectations. Signet also lowered its full-year earnings and revenue guidance to below expectations, citing increasing macro-economic pressures on consumers and a softer-than-expected Mother’s Day.

STOCK SYMBOL: SIG

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Lucid — Shares advanced about 2% after Lucid’s head of China operations Zhu Jiang said the electric vehicle maker is preparing to enter the Chinese market. Reuters, citing a person familiar with the matter, additionally reported the company is considering setting up production in China.

STOCK SYMBOL: LCID

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

T-Mobile — Shares of the wireless provider added about 1% in premarket trading after Wolfe Research upgraded T-Mobile to outperform from peer perform. The investment firm said T-Mobile’s stock could rise more than 20% after underperforming year-to-date.

STOCK SYMBOL: TMUS

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Adobe — The stock gained about 2% following the company’s announcement it will offer its artificial intelligence tool, Firefly, to large business customers. Firefly is available through the standalone Firefly app, Adobe Express and Creative Cloud.

STOCK SYMBOL: ADBE

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

HashiCorp - The stock sank more than 22%, a day after the company reported a first-quarter earnings miss and revenue beat. HashiCorp also announced targeted spending cuts and an 8% workforce reduction, citing the current customer and economic environment.

STOCK SYMBOL: HCP

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

FULL DISCLOSURE:

bigbear0083 has no positions in any stocks mentioned. Reddit, moderators, and the author do not advise making investment decisions based on discussion in these posts. Analysis is not subject to validation and users take action at their own risk. bigbear0083 is an admin at the financial forums StonkForums.com where this content was originally posted.

DISCUSS!

What's on everyone's radar for today's trading day ahead here at StockMarketChat?

Join the Official Reddit Stock Market Chat Discord Server HERE!

I hope you all have an excellent trading day ahead today on this Thursday, June 8th, 2023! :)

Good morning traders and investors of the WallStreetStockMarket sub! Welcome to the new trading day and a fresh start! Here are your pre-market stock movers & news on this Thursday, June the 8th, 2023-

(CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL SOURCE!)

Stock futures are little changed Thursday as rally pauses: Live updates

Stock futures were flat on Thursday, as investors awaited the next market catalyst and digested the recent rally in stocks.
Futures linked to the S&P 500 ticked higher by 0.01%, while Nasdaq 100 futures inched down by 0.01%. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained just 2 points.
GameStop shares tumbled roughly 19%. The video game retailer fired its CEO Matthew Furlong and appointed Ryan Cohen as its executive chairman.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite are coming off a down session. The broad-market index closed 0.38% lower, while the Nasdaq dropped 1.29%. The 30-stock Dow was the outlier, with a gain of 0.27% or 91.74 points.
“We’re in a bit of a news vacuum: Earnings are done, the debt ceiling is resolved, and we’re waiting for the Fed next week,” said Barbara Doran, CEO of BD8 Capital Partners on “Closing Bell: Overtime” on Wednesday. “It’s widely expected they will pause, but it’s really going to be important what their guidance is and what the [consumer price index] number on Tuesday will be and the [producer price index].”
Indeed, investors seem to be in a holding pattern while awaiting the Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy meeting on June 13 and 14. Economic signs suggest that inflation is inching down, even as it remains above the central bank’s 2% target. Wage growth, for instance, is slowing. Wages rose 5.3% on an annual basis in May, down 0.4 percentage point from April, according to data from Indeed. Markets are pricing about a 66% chance that the Fed keeps rates steady at the next meeting, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.
More economic data will arrive on Thursday morning, with weekly jobless claims and wholesale inventories due.

STOCK FUTURES CURRENTLY:

(CLICK HERE FOR STOCK FUTURES CHARTS!)

YESTERDAY'S MARKET MAP:

(CLICK HERE FOR YESTERDAY'S MARKET MAP!)

TODAY'S MARKET MAP:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S MARKET MAP!)

YESTERDAY'S S&P SECTORS:

(CLICK HERE FOR YESTERDAY'S S&P SECTORS CHART!)

TODAY'S S&P SECTORS:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S S&P SECTORS CHART!)

TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR!)

THIS WEEK'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR!)

THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING IPO'S:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING IPO'S!)

THIS WEEK'S EARNINGS CALENDAR:

($NIO $GTLB $GME $CIEN $DOCU $SAIC $ASO $SJM $CXM $THO $OLLI $MOMO $CBRL $FERG $TTC $HQY $CPB $PLAY $QMCO $FCEL $LOVE $ABM $CNM $HTOO $TCOM $JOAN $UNFI $SFIX $CHS $GIII $SIG $SMAR $PL $ZFOX $HYZN $VRA $CASY $MTN $SMTC $ALYA $DBI $SCWX $JILL $OESX $BSE $REVG $VBNK $VRNT $RENT $HCP)

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

THIS MORNING'S PRE-MARKET EARNINGS CALENDAR:

($GME $FCEL $TCOM $TTC $SMAR $SIG $RENT $HCP $SMTC $DBI $OXM $ALYA $REVG $VRNT $LAKE $GHM $SCWX $GEF $HYZN $CURV $TUYA)

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS MORNING'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

EARNINGS RELEASES BEFORE THE OPEN TODAY:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS MORNING'S EARNINGS RELEASES!)

THIS AFTERNOON'S AFTER-HOURS EARNINGS CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

EARNINGS RELEASES AFTER THE CLOSE TODAY:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S EARNINGS RELEASES!)

YESTERDAY'S ANALYST UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES:

(CLICK HERE FOR FRIDAY'S ANALYST UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES!)

YESTERDAY'S INSIDER TRADING FILINGS:

(CLICK HERE FOR YESTERDAY'S INSIDER TRADING FILINGS!)

TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR LINK #1!)

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR LINK #2!)

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR LINK #3!)

THIS MORNING'S MOST ACTIVE TRENDING TICKERS ON STOCKTWITS:

• GME
• LCID
• FSR
• BAOS
• ADBE
• NIO
• META
• ALGO.X
• SNAP
• BA

THIS MORNING'S STOCK NEWS MOVERS:

(source: cnbc.com)

GameStop — Shares plummeted nearly 21% in premarket trading. The company announced Wednesday the ousting of chief executive Matthew Furlong and said Ryan Cohen would take over as executive chairman.

STOCK SYMBOL: GME

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands — The casino operators both shed about 2% following a downgrade by Jeffries to hold from buy. The Wall Street firm said Macao’s recovery is already priced into the stocks.

STOCK SYMBOL: WYNN

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

STOCK SYMBOL: LVS

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Signet Jewelers — Shares tumbled nearly 11% after the jeweler provided second-quarter revenue and operating-income guidance that fell short of expectations. Signet also lowered its full-year earnings and revenue guidance to below expectations, citing increasing macro-economic pressures on consumers and a softer-than-expected Mother’s Day.

STOCK SYMBOL: SIG

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Lucid — Shares advanced about 2% after Lucid’s head of China operations Zhu Jiang said the electric vehicle maker is preparing to enter the Chinese market. Reuters, citing a person familiar with the matter, additionally reported the company is considering setting up production in China.

STOCK SYMBOL: LCID

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

T-Mobile — Shares of the wireless provider added about 1% in premarket trading after Wolfe Research upgraded T-Mobile to outperform from peer perform. The investment firm said T-Mobile’s stock could rise more than 20% after underperforming year-to-date.

STOCK SYMBOL: TMUS

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Adobe — The stock gained about 2% following the company’s announcement it will offer its artificial intelligence tool, Firefly, to large business customers. Firefly is available through the standalone Firefly app, Adobe Express and Creative Cloud.

STOCK SYMBOL: ADBE

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

HashiCorp - The stock sank more than 22%, a day after the company reported a first-quarter earnings miss and revenue beat. HashiCorp also announced targeted spending cuts and an 8% workforce reduction, citing the current customer and economic environment.

STOCK SYMBOL: HCP

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

FULL DISCLOSURE:

bigbear0083 has no positions in any stocks mentioned. Reddit, moderators, and the author do not advise making investment decisions based on discussion in these posts. Analysis is not subject to validation and users take action at their own risk. bigbear0083 is an admin at the financial forums StonkForums.com where this content was originally posted.

DISCUSS!

What's on everyone's radar for today's trading day ahead here at WallStreetStockMarket?

Join the Official Reddit Stock Market Chat Discord Server HERE!

I hope you all have an excellent trading day ahead today on this Thursday, June 8th, 2023! :)

Good morning traders and investors of the StockMarketForums sub! Welcome to the new trading day and a fresh start! Here are your pre-market stock movers & news on this Thursday, June the 8th, 2023-

(CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL SOURCE!)

Stock futures are little changed Thursday as rally pauses: Live updates

Stock futures were flat on Thursday, as investors awaited the next market catalyst and digested the recent rally in stocks.
Futures linked to the S&P 500 ticked higher by 0.01%, while Nasdaq 100 futures inched down by 0.01%. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained just 2 points.
GameStop shares tumbled roughly 19%. The video game retailer fired its CEO Matthew Furlong and appointed Ryan Cohen as its executive chairman.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite are coming off a down session. The broad-market index closed 0.38% lower, while the Nasdaq dropped 1.29%. The 30-stock Dow was the outlier, with a gain of 0.27% or 91.74 points.
“We’re in a bit of a news vacuum: Earnings are done, the debt ceiling is resolved, and we’re waiting for the Fed next week,” said Barbara Doran, CEO of BD8 Capital Partners on “Closing Bell: Overtime” on Wednesday. “It’s widely expected they will pause, but it’s really going to be important what their guidance is and what the [consumer price index] number on Tuesday will be and the [producer price index].”
Indeed, investors seem to be in a holding pattern while awaiting the Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy meeting on June 13 and 14. Economic signs suggest that inflation is inching down, even as it remains above the central bank’s 2% target. Wage growth, for instance, is slowing. Wages rose 5.3% on an annual basis in May, down 0.4 percentage point from April, according to data from Indeed. Markets are pricing about a 66% chance that the Fed keeps rates steady at the next meeting, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.
More economic data will arrive on Thursday morning, with weekly jobless claims and wholesale inventories due.

STOCK FUTURES CURRENTLY:

(CLICK HERE FOR STOCK FUTURES CHARTS!)

YESTERDAY'S MARKET MAP:

(CLICK HERE FOR YESTERDAY'S MARKET MAP!)

TODAY'S MARKET MAP:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S MARKET MAP!)

YESTERDAY'S S&P SECTORS:

(CLICK HERE FOR YESTERDAY'S S&P SECTORS CHART!)

TODAY'S S&P SECTORS:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S S&P SECTORS CHART!)

TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR!)

THIS WEEK'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR!)

THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING IPO'S:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING IPO'S!)

THIS WEEK'S EARNINGS CALENDAR:

($NIO $GTLB $GME $CIEN $DOCU $SAIC $ASO $SJM $CXM $THO $OLLI $MOMO $CBRL $FERG $TTC $HQY $CPB $PLAY $QMCO $FCEL $LOVE $ABM $CNM $HTOO $TCOM $JOAN $UNFI $SFIX $CHS $GIII $SIG $SMAR $PL $ZFOX $HYZN $VRA $CASY $MTN $SMTC $ALYA $DBI $SCWX $JILL $OESX $BSE $REVG $VBNK $VRNT $RENT $HCP)

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

THIS MORNING'S PRE-MARKET EARNINGS CALENDAR:

($GME $FCEL $TCOM $TTC $SMAR $SIG $RENT $HCP $SMTC $DBI $OXM $ALYA $REVG $VRNT $LAKE $GHM $SCWX $GEF $HYZN $CURV $TUYA)

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS MORNING'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

EARNINGS RELEASES BEFORE THE OPEN TODAY:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS MORNING'S EARNINGS RELEASES!)

THIS AFTERNOON'S AFTER-HOURS EARNINGS CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

EARNINGS RELEASES AFTER THE CLOSE TODAY:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S EARNINGS RELEASES!)

YESTERDAY'S ANALYST UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES:

(CLICK HERE FOR FRIDAY'S ANALYST UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES!)

YESTERDAY'S INSIDER TRADING FILINGS:

(CLICK HERE FOR YESTERDAY'S INSIDER TRADING FILINGS!)

TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR LINK #1!)

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR LINK #2!)

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR LINK #3!)

THIS MORNING'S MOST ACTIVE TRENDING TICKERS ON STOCKTWITS:

• GME
• LCID
• FSR
• BAOS
• ADBE
• NIO
• META
• ALGO.X
• SNAP
• BA

THIS MORNING'S STOCK NEWS MOVERS:

(source: cnbc.com)

GameStop — Shares plummeted nearly 21% in premarket trading. The company announced Wednesday the ousting of chief executive Matthew Furlong and said Ryan Cohen would take over as executive chairman.

STOCK SYMBOL: GME

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands — The casino operators both shed about 2% following a downgrade by Jeffries to hold from buy. The Wall Street firm said Macao’s recovery is already priced into the stocks.

STOCK SYMBOL: WYNN

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

STOCK SYMBOL: LVS

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Signet Jewelers — Shares tumbled nearly 11% after the jeweler provided second-quarter revenue and operating-income guidance that fell short of expectations. Signet also lowered its full-year earnings and revenue guidance to below expectations, citing increasing macro-economic pressures on consumers and a softer-than-expected Mother’s Day.

STOCK SYMBOL: SIG

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Lucid — Shares advanced about 2% after Lucid’s head of China operations Zhu Jiang said the electric vehicle maker is preparing to enter the Chinese market. Reuters, citing a person familiar with the matter, additionally reported the company is considering setting up production in China.

STOCK SYMBOL: LCID

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

T-Mobile — Shares of the wireless provider added about 1% in premarket trading after Wolfe Research upgraded T-Mobile to outperform from peer perform. The investment firm said T-Mobile’s stock could rise more than 20% after underperforming year-to-date.

STOCK SYMBOL: TMUS

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Adobe — The stock gained about 2% following the company’s announcement it will offer its artificial intelligence tool, Firefly, to large business customers. Firefly is available through the standalone Firefly app, Adobe Express and Creative Cloud.

STOCK SYMBOL: ADBE

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

HashiCorp - The stock sank more than 22%, a day after the company reported a first-quarter earnings miss and revenue beat. HashiCorp also announced targeted spending cuts and an 8% workforce reduction, citing the current customer and economic environment.

STOCK SYMBOL: HCP

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

FULL DISCLOSURE:

bigbear0083 has no positions in any stocks mentioned. Reddit, moderators, and the author do not advise making investment decisions based on discussion in these posts. Analysis is not subject to validation and users take action at their own risk. bigbear0083 is an admin at the financial forums StonkForums.com where this content was originally posted.

DISCUSS!

What's on everyone's radar for today's trading day ahead here at StockMarketForums?

Join the Official Reddit Stock Market Chat Discord Server HERE!

I hope you all have an excellent trading day ahead today on this Thursday, June 8th, 2023! :)

Good morning traders and investors of the EarningsWhispers sub! Welcome to the new trading day and a fresh start! Here are your pre-market stock movers & news on this Thursday, June the 8th, 2023-

(CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL SOURCE!)

Stock futures are little changed Thursday as rally pauses: Live updates

Stock futures were flat on Thursday, as investors awaited the next market catalyst and digested the recent rally in stocks.
Futures linked to the S&P 500 ticked higher by 0.01%, while Nasdaq 100 futures inched down by 0.01%. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained just 2 points.
GameStop shares tumbled roughly 19%. The video game retailer fired its CEO Matthew Furlong and appointed Ryan Cohen as its executive chairman.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite are coming off a down session. The broad-market index closed 0.38% lower, while the Nasdaq dropped 1.29%. The 30-stock Dow was the outlier, with a gain of 0.27% or 91.74 points.
“We’re in a bit of a news vacuum: Earnings are done, the debt ceiling is resolved, and we’re waiting for the Fed next week,” said Barbara Doran, CEO of BD8 Capital Partners on “Closing Bell: Overtime” on Wednesday. “It’s widely expected they will pause, but it’s really going to be important what their guidance is and what the [consumer price index] number on Tuesday will be and the [producer price index].”
Indeed, investors seem to be in a holding pattern while awaiting the Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy meeting on June 13 and 14. Economic signs suggest that inflation is inching down, even as it remains above the central bank’s 2% target. Wage growth, for instance, is slowing. Wages rose 5.3% on an annual basis in May, down 0.4 percentage point from April, according to data from Indeed. Markets are pricing about a 66% chance that the Fed keeps rates steady at the next meeting, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.
More economic data will arrive on Thursday morning, with weekly jobless claims and wholesale inventories due.

STOCK FUTURES CURRENTLY:

(CLICK HERE FOR STOCK FUTURES CHARTS!)

YESTERDAY'S MARKET MAP:

(CLICK HERE FOR YESTERDAY'S MARKET MAP!)

TODAY'S MARKET MAP:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S MARKET MAP!)

YESTERDAY'S S&P SECTORS:

(CLICK HERE FOR YESTERDAY'S S&P SECTORS CHART!)

TODAY'S S&P SECTORS:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S S&P SECTORS CHART!)

TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR!)

THIS WEEK'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR!)

THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING IPO'S:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING IPO'S!)

THIS WEEK'S EARNINGS CALENDAR:

($NIO $GTLB $GME $CIEN $DOCU $SAIC $ASO $SJM $CXM $THO $OLLI $MOMO $CBRL $FERG $TTC $HQY $CPB $PLAY $QMCO $FCEL $LOVE $ABM $CNM $HTOO $TCOM $JOAN $UNFI $SFIX $CHS $GIII $SIG $SMAR $PL $ZFOX $HYZN $VRA $CASY $MTN $SMTC $ALYA $DBI $SCWX $JILL $OESX $BSE $REVG $VBNK $VRNT $RENT $HCP)

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

THIS MORNING'S PRE-MARKET EARNINGS CALENDAR:

($GME $FCEL $TCOM $TTC $SMAR $SIG $RENT $HCP $SMTC $DBI $OXM $ALYA $REVG $VRNT $LAKE $GHM $SCWX $GEF $HYZN $CURV $TUYA)

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS MORNING'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

EARNINGS RELEASES BEFORE THE OPEN TODAY:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS MORNING'S EARNINGS RELEASES!)

THIS AFTERNOON'S AFTER-HOURS EARNINGS CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

EARNINGS RELEASES AFTER THE CLOSE TODAY:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S EARNINGS RELEASES!)

YESTERDAY'S ANALYST UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES:

(CLICK HERE FOR FRIDAY'S ANALYST UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES!)

YESTERDAY'S INSIDER TRADING FILINGS:

(CLICK HERE FOR YESTERDAY'S INSIDER TRADING FILINGS!)

TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR LINK #1!)

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR LINK #2!)

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR LINK #3!)

THIS MORNING'S MOST ACTIVE TRENDING TICKERS ON STOCKTWITS:

• GME
• LCID
• FSR
• BAOS
• ADBE
• NIO
• META
• ALGO.X
• SNAP
• BA

THIS MORNING'S STOCK NEWS MOVERS:

(source: cnbc.com)

GameStop — Shares plummeted nearly 21% in premarket trading. The company announced Wednesday the ousting of chief executive Matthew Furlong and said Ryan Cohen would take over as executive chairman.

STOCK SYMBOL: GME

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands — The casino operators both shed about 2% following a downgrade by Jeffries to hold from buy. The Wall Street firm said Macao’s recovery is already priced into the stocks.

STOCK SYMBOL: WYNN

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

STOCK SYMBOL: LVS

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Signet Jewelers — Shares tumbled nearly 11% after the jeweler provided second-quarter revenue and operating-income guidance that fell short of expectations. Signet also lowered its full-year earnings and revenue guidance to below expectations, citing increasing macro-economic pressures on consumers and a softer-than-expected Mother’s Day.

STOCK SYMBOL: SIG

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Lucid — Shares advanced about 2% after Lucid’s head of China operations Zhu Jiang said the electric vehicle maker is preparing to enter the Chinese market. Reuters, citing a person familiar with the matter, additionally reported the company is considering setting up production in China.

STOCK SYMBOL: LCID

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

T-Mobile — Shares of the wireless provider added about 1% in premarket trading after Wolfe Research upgraded T-Mobile to outperform from peer perform. The investment firm said T-Mobile’s stock could rise more than 20% after underperforming year-to-date.

STOCK SYMBOL: TMUS

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Adobe — The stock gained about 2% following the company’s announcement it will offer its artificial intelligence tool, Firefly, to large business customers. Firefly is available through the standalone Firefly app, Adobe Express and Creative Cloud.

STOCK SYMBOL: ADBE

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

HashiCorp - The stock sank more than 22%, a day after the company reported a first-quarter earnings miss and revenue beat. HashiCorp also announced targeted spending cuts and an 8% workforce reduction, citing the current customer and economic environment.

STOCK SYMBOL: HCP

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

FULL DISCLOSURE:

bigbear0083 has no positions in any stocks mentioned. Reddit, moderators, and the author do not advise making investment decisions based on discussion in these posts. Analysis is not subject to validation and users take action at their own risk. bigbear0083 is an admin at the financial forums StonkForums.com where this content was originally posted.

DISCUSS!

What's on everyone's radar for today's trading day ahead here at EarningsWhispers?

Join the Official Reddit Stock Market Chat Discord Server HERE!

I hope you all have an excellent trading day ahead today on this Thursday, June 8th, 2023! :)

Good morning traders and investors of the StocksMarket sub! Welcome to the new trading day and a fresh start! Here are your pre-market stock movers & news on this Thursday, June the 8th, 2023-

(CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL SOURCE!)

Stock futures are little changed Thursday as rally pauses: Live updates

Stock futures were flat on Thursday, as investors awaited the next market catalyst and digested the recent rally in stocks.
Futures linked to the S&P 500 ticked higher by 0.01%, while Nasdaq 100 futures inched down by 0.01%. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained just 2 points.
GameStop shares tumbled roughly 19%. The video game retailer fired its CEO Matthew Furlong and appointed Ryan Cohen as its executive chairman.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite are coming off a down session. The broad-market index closed 0.38% lower, while the Nasdaq dropped 1.29%. The 30-stock Dow was the outlier, with a gain of 0.27% or 91.74 points.
“We’re in a bit of a news vacuum: Earnings are done, the debt ceiling is resolved, and we’re waiting for the Fed next week,” said Barbara Doran, CEO of BD8 Capital Partners on “Closing Bell: Overtime” on Wednesday. “It’s widely expected they will pause, but it’s really going to be important what their guidance is and what the [consumer price index] number on Tuesday will be and the [producer price index].”
Indeed, investors seem to be in a holding pattern while awaiting the Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy meeting on June 13 and 14. Economic signs suggest that inflation is inching down, even as it remains above the central bank’s 2% target. Wage growth, for instance, is slowing. Wages rose 5.3% on an annual basis in May, down 0.4 percentage point from April, according to data from Indeed. Markets are pricing about a 66% chance that the Fed keeps rates steady at the next meeting, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.
More economic data will arrive on Thursday morning, with weekly jobless claims and wholesale inventories due.

STOCK FUTURES CURRENTLY:

(CLICK HERE FOR STOCK FUTURES CHARTS!)

YESTERDAY'S MARKET MAP:

(CLICK HERE FOR YESTERDAY'S MARKET MAP!)

TODAY'S MARKET MAP:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S MARKET MAP!)

YESTERDAY'S S&P SECTORS:

(CLICK HERE FOR YESTERDAY'S S&P SECTORS CHART!)

TODAY'S S&P SECTORS:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S S&P SECTORS CHART!)

TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR!)

THIS WEEK'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR!)

THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING IPO'S:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING IPO'S!)

THIS WEEK'S EARNINGS CALENDAR:

($NIO $GTLB $GME $CIEN $DOCU $SAIC $ASO $SJM $CXM $THO $OLLI $MOMO $CBRL $FERG $TTC $HQY $CPB $PLAY $QMCO $FCEL $LOVE $ABM $CNM $HTOO $TCOM $JOAN $UNFI $SFIX $CHS $GIII $SIG $SMAR $PL $ZFOX $HYZN $VRA $CASY $MTN $SMTC $ALYA $DBI $SCWX $JILL $OESX $BSE $REVG $VBNK $VRNT $RENT $HCP)

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

THIS MORNING'S PRE-MARKET EARNINGS CALENDAR:

($GME $FCEL $TCOM $TTC $SMAR $SIG $RENT $HCP $SMTC $DBI $OXM $ALYA $REVG $VRNT $LAKE $GHM $SCWX $GEF $HYZN $CURV $TUYA)

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS MORNING'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

EARNINGS RELEASES BEFORE THE OPEN TODAY:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS MORNING'S EARNINGS RELEASES!)

THIS AFTERNOON'S AFTER-HOURS EARNINGS CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

EARNINGS RELEASES AFTER THE CLOSE TODAY:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S EARNINGS RELEASES!)

YESTERDAY'S ANALYST UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES:

(CLICK HERE FOR FRIDAY'S ANALYST UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES!)

YESTERDAY'S INSIDER TRADING FILINGS:

(CLICK HERE FOR YESTERDAY'S INSIDER TRADING FILINGS!)

TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR LINK #1!)

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR LINK #2!)

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR LINK #3!)

THIS MORNING'S MOST ACTIVE TRENDING TICKERS ON STOCKTWITS:

• GME
• LCID
• FSR
• BAOS
• ADBE
• NIO
• META
• ALGO.X
• SNAP
• BA

THIS MORNING'S STOCK NEWS MOVERS:

(source: cnbc.com)

GameStop — Shares plummeted nearly 21% in premarket trading. The company announced Wednesday the ousting of chief executive Matthew Furlong and said Ryan Cohen would take over as executive chairman.

STOCK SYMBOL: GME

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands — The casino operators both shed about 2% following a downgrade by Jeffries to hold from buy. The Wall Street firm said Macao’s recovery is already priced into the stocks.

STOCK SYMBOL: WYNN

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

STOCK SYMBOL: LVS

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Signet Jewelers — Shares tumbled nearly 11% after the jeweler provided second-quarter revenue and operating-income guidance that fell short of expectations. Signet also lowered its full-year earnings and revenue guidance to below expectations, citing increasing macro-economic pressures on consumers and a softer-than-expected Mother’s Day.

STOCK SYMBOL: SIG

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Lucid — Shares advanced about 2% after Lucid’s head of China operations Zhu Jiang said the electric vehicle maker is preparing to enter the Chinese market. Reuters, citing a person familiar with the matter, additionally reported the company is considering setting up production in China.

STOCK SYMBOL: LCID

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

T-Mobile — Shares of the wireless provider added about 1% in premarket trading after Wolfe Research upgraded T-Mobile to outperform from peer perform. The investment firm said T-Mobile’s stock could rise more than 20% after underperforming year-to-date.

STOCK SYMBOL: TMUS

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Adobe — The stock gained about 2% following the company’s announcement it will offer its artificial intelligence tool, Firefly, to large business customers. Firefly is available through the standalone Firefly app, Adobe Express and Creative Cloud.

STOCK SYMBOL: ADBE

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

HashiCorp - The stock sank more than 22%, a day after the company reported a first-quarter earnings miss and revenue beat. HashiCorp also announced targeted spending cuts and an 8% workforce reduction, citing the current customer and economic environment.

STOCK SYMBOL: HCP

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

FULL DISCLOSURE:

bigbear0083 has no positions in any stocks mentioned. Reddit, moderators, and the author do not advise making investment decisions based on discussion in these posts. Analysis is not subject to validation and users take action at their own risk. bigbear0083 is an admin at the financial forums StonkForums.com where this content was originally posted.

DISCUSS!

What's on everyone's radar for today's trading day ahead here at StocksMarket?

Join the Official Reddit Stock Market Chat Discord Server HERE!

I hope you all have an excellent trading day ahead today on this Thursday, June 8th, 2023! :)

Good morning traders and investors of the FinancialMarket sub! Welcome to the new trading day and a fresh start! Here are your pre-market stock movers & news on this Thursday, June the 8th, 2023-

(CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL SOURCE!)

Stock futures are little changed Thursday as rally pauses: Live updates

Stock futures were flat on Thursday, as investors awaited the next market catalyst and digested the recent rally in stocks.
Futures linked to the S&P 500 ticked higher by 0.01%, while Nasdaq 100 futures inched down by 0.01%. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained just 2 points.
GameStop shares tumbled roughly 19%. The video game retailer fired its CEO Matthew Furlong and appointed Ryan Cohen as its executive chairman.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite are coming off a down session. The broad-market index closed 0.38% lower, while the Nasdaq dropped 1.29%. The 30-stock Dow was the outlier, with a gain of 0.27% or 91.74 points.
“We’re in a bit of a news vacuum: Earnings are done, the debt ceiling is resolved, and we’re waiting for the Fed next week,” said Barbara Doran, CEO of BD8 Capital Partners on “Closing Bell: Overtime” on Wednesday. “It’s widely expected they will pause, but it’s really going to be important what their guidance is and what the [consumer price index] number on Tuesday will be and the [producer price index].”
Indeed, investors seem to be in a holding pattern while awaiting the Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy meeting on June 13 and 14. Economic signs suggest that inflation is inching down, even as it remains above the central bank’s 2% target. Wage growth, for instance, is slowing. Wages rose 5.3% on an annual basis in May, down 0.4 percentage point from April, according to data from Indeed. Markets are pricing about a 66% chance that the Fed keeps rates steady at the next meeting, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.
More economic data will arrive on Thursday morning, with weekly jobless claims and wholesale inventories due.

STOCK FUTURES CURRENTLY:

(CLICK HERE FOR STOCK FUTURES CHARTS!)

YESTERDAY'S MARKET MAP:

(CLICK HERE FOR YESTERDAY'S MARKET MAP!)

TODAY'S MARKET MAP:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S MARKET MAP!)

YESTERDAY'S S&P SECTORS:

(CLICK HERE FOR YESTERDAY'S S&P SECTORS CHART!)

TODAY'S S&P SECTORS:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S S&P SECTORS CHART!)

TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR!)

THIS WEEK'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR!)

THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING IPO'S:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING IPO'S!)

THIS WEEK'S EARNINGS CALENDAR:

($NIO $GTLB $GME $CIEN $DOCU $SAIC $ASO $SJM $CXM $THO $OLLI $MOMO $CBRL $FERG $TTC $HQY $CPB $PLAY $QMCO $FCEL $LOVE $ABM $CNM $HTOO $TCOM $JOAN $UNFI $SFIX $CHS $GIII $SIG $SMAR $PL $ZFOX $HYZN $VRA $CASY $MTN $SMTC $ALYA $DBI $SCWX $JILL $OESX $BSE $REVG $VBNK $VRNT $RENT $HCP)

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

THIS MORNING'S PRE-MARKET EARNINGS CALENDAR:

($GME $FCEL $TCOM $TTC $SMAR $SIG $RENT $HCP $SMTC $DBI $OXM $ALYA $REVG $VRNT $LAKE $GHM $SCWX $GEF $HYZN $CURV $TUYA)

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS MORNING'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

EARNINGS RELEASES BEFORE THE OPEN TODAY:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS MORNING'S EARNINGS RELEASES!)

THIS AFTERNOON'S AFTER-HOURS EARNINGS CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

EARNINGS RELEASES AFTER THE CLOSE TODAY:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S EARNINGS RELEASES!)

YESTERDAY'S ANALYST UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES:

(CLICK HERE FOR FRIDAY'S ANALYST UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES!)

YESTERDAY'S INSIDER TRADING FILINGS:

(CLICK HERE FOR YESTERDAY'S INSIDER TRADING FILINGS!)

TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR LINK #1!)

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR LINK #2!)

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR LINK #3!)

THIS MORNING'S MOST ACTIVE TRENDING TICKERS ON STOCKTWITS:

• GME
• LCID
• FSR
• BAOS
• ADBE
• NIO
• META
• ALGO.X
• SNAP
• BA

THIS MORNING'S STOCK NEWS MOVERS:

(source: cnbc.com)

GameStop — Shares plummeted nearly 21% in premarket trading. The company announced Wednesday the ousting of chief executive Matthew Furlong and said Ryan Cohen would take over as executive chairman.

STOCK SYMBOL: GME

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands — The casino operators both shed about 2% following a downgrade by Jeffries to hold from buy. The Wall Street firm said Macao’s recovery is already priced into the stocks.

STOCK SYMBOL: WYNN

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

STOCK SYMBOL: LVS

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Signet Jewelers — Shares tumbled nearly 11% after the jeweler provided second-quarter revenue and operating-income guidance that fell short of expectations. Signet also lowered its full-year earnings and revenue guidance to below expectations, citing increasing macro-economic pressures on consumers and a softer-than-expected Mother’s Day.

STOCK SYMBOL: SIG

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Lucid — Shares advanced about 2% after Lucid’s head of China operations Zhu Jiang said the electric vehicle maker is preparing to enter the Chinese market. Reuters, citing a person familiar with the matter, additionally reported the company is considering setting up production in China.

STOCK SYMBOL: LCID

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

T-Mobile — Shares of the wireless provider added about 1% in premarket trading after Wolfe Research upgraded T-Mobile to outperform from peer perform. The investment firm said T-Mobile’s stock could rise more than 20% after underperforming year-to-date.

STOCK SYMBOL: TMUS

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Adobe — The stock gained about 2% following the company’s announcement it will offer its artificial intelligence tool, Firefly, to large business customers. Firefly is available through the standalone Firefly app, Adobe Express and Creative Cloud.

STOCK SYMBOL: ADBE

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

HashiCorp - The stock sank more than 22%, a day after the company reported a first-quarter earnings miss and revenue beat. HashiCorp also announced targeted spending cuts and an 8% workforce reduction, citing the current customer and economic environment.

STOCK SYMBOL: HCP

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

FULL DISCLOSURE:

bigbear0083 has no positions in any stocks mentioned. Reddit, moderators, and the author do not advise making investment decisions based on discussion in these posts. Analysis is not subject to validation and users take action at their own risk. bigbear0083 is an admin at the financial forums StonkForums.com where this content was originally posted.

DISCUSS!

What's on everyone's radar for today's trading day ahead here at FinancialMarket?

Join the Official Reddit Stock Market Chat Discord Server HERE!

I hope you all have an excellent trading day ahead today on this Thursday, June 8th, 2023! :)

Good morning traders and investors of the StockMarketChat sub! Welcome to the new trading day and a fresh start! Here are your pre-market stock movers & news on this Thursday, June the 8th, 2023-

(CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL SOURCE!)

Stock futures are little changed Thursday as rally pauses: Live updates

Stock futures were flat on Thursday, as investors awaited the next market catalyst and digested the recent rally in stocks.
Futures linked to the S&P 500 ticked higher by 0.01%, while Nasdaq 100 futures inched down by 0.01%. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained just 2 points.
GameStop shares tumbled roughly 19%. The video game retailer fired its CEO Matthew Furlong and appointed Ryan Cohen as its executive chairman.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite are coming off a down session. The broad-market index closed 0.38% lower, while the Nasdaq dropped 1.29%. The 30-stock Dow was the outlier, with a gain of 0.27% or 91.74 points.
“We’re in a bit of a news vacuum: Earnings are done, the debt ceiling is resolved, and we’re waiting for the Fed next week,” said Barbara Doran, CEO of BD8 Capital Partners on “Closing Bell: Overtime” on Wednesday. “It’s widely expected they will pause, but it’s really going to be important what their guidance is and what the [consumer price index] number on Tuesday will be and the [producer price index].”
Indeed, investors seem to be in a holding pattern while awaiting the Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy meeting on June 13 and 14. Economic signs suggest that inflation is inching down, even as it remains above the central bank’s 2% target. Wage growth, for instance, is slowing. Wages rose 5.3% on an annual basis in May, down 0.4 percentage point from April, according to data from Indeed. Markets are pricing about a 66% chance that the Fed keeps rates steady at the next meeting, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.
More economic data will arrive on Thursday morning, with weekly jobless claims and wholesale inventories due.

STOCK FUTURES CURRENTLY:

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THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING IPO'S:

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THIS WEEK'S EARNINGS CALENDAR:

($NIO $GTLB $GME $CIEN $DOCU $SAIC $ASO $SJM $CXM $THO $OLLI $MOMO $CBRL $FERG $TTC $HQY $CPB $PLAY $QMCO $FCEL $LOVE $ABM $CNM $HTOO $TCOM $JOAN $UNFI $SFIX $CHS $GIII $SIG $SMAR $PL $ZFOX $HYZN $VRA $CASY $MTN $SMTC $ALYA $DBI $SCWX $JILL $OESX $BSE $REVG $VBNK $VRNT $RENT $HCP)

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THIS MORNING'S PRE-MARKET EARNINGS CALENDAR:

($GME $FCEL $TCOM $TTC $SMAR $SIG $RENT $HCP $SMTC $DBI $OXM $ALYA $REVG $VRNT $LAKE $GHM $SCWX $GEF $HYZN $CURV $TUYA)

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EARNINGS RELEASES BEFORE THE OPEN TODAY:

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THIS MORNING'S MOST ACTIVE TRENDING TICKERS ON STOCKTWITS:

• GME
• LCID
• FSR
• BAOS
• ADBE
• NIO
• META
• ALGO.X
• SNAP
• BA

THIS MORNING'S STOCK NEWS MOVERS:

(source: cnbc.com)

GameStop — Shares plummeted nearly 21% in premarket trading. The company announced Wednesday the ousting of chief executive Matthew Furlong and said Ryan Cohen would take over as executive chairman.

STOCK SYMBOL: GME

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Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands — The casino operators both shed about 2% following a downgrade by Jeffries to hold from buy. The Wall Street firm said Macao’s recovery is already priced into the stocks.

STOCK SYMBOL: WYNN

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STOCK SYMBOL: LVS

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Signet Jewelers — Shares tumbled nearly 11% after the jeweler provided second-quarter revenue and operating-income guidance that fell short of expectations. Signet also lowered its full-year earnings and revenue guidance to below expectations, citing increasing macro-economic pressures on consumers and a softer-than-expected Mother’s Day.

STOCK SYMBOL: SIG

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Lucid — Shares advanced about 2% after Lucid’s head of China operations Zhu Jiang said the electric vehicle maker is preparing to enter the Chinese market. Reuters, citing a person familiar with the matter, additionally reported the company is considering setting up production in China.

STOCK SYMBOL: LCID

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T-Mobile — Shares of the wireless provider added about 1% in premarket trading after Wolfe Research upgraded T-Mobile to outperform from peer perform. The investment firm said T-Mobile’s stock could rise more than 20% after underperforming year-to-date.

STOCK SYMBOL: TMUS

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Adobe — The stock gained about 2% following the company’s announcement it will offer its artificial intelligence tool, Firefly, to large business customers. Firefly is available through the standalone Firefly app, Adobe Express and Creative Cloud.

STOCK SYMBOL: ADBE

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HashiCorp - The stock sank more than 22%, a day after the company reported a first-quarter earnings miss and revenue beat. HashiCorp also announced targeted spending cuts and an 8% workforce reduction, citing the current customer and economic environment.

STOCK SYMBOL: HCP

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FULL DISCLOSURE:

bigbear0083 has no positions in any stocks mentioned. Reddit, moderators, and the author do not advise making investment decisions based on discussion in these posts. Analysis is not subject to validation and users take action at their own risk. bigbear0083 is an admin at the financial forums StonkForums.com where this content was originally posted.

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Tourism is a small but important part of Kashmir’s economy. However, in the name of tourism, the government should not put the fragile and already-strained natural resources and public infrastructure in the region under even more pressure, lest it lead to a complete destruction of the beautiful valley, which is home to 7 million people.
Four years after India made Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) its youngest Union territory, the region is expected to receive around 2 crore (20 million) tourists this year. This was revealed by the lieutenant governor of the Union territory Manoj Sinha in April while laying the foundation stone of a medical college in the outskirts of Srinagar.
Sinha said that the number of tourists J&K is set to receive during this year would break all previous records of tourist influx into Kashmir.
Will the Union territory, especially the ecologically fragile Kashmir valley, be able to accommodate such a huge number of tourists?
What about the amount of waste 2 crore tourists will generate? Does the Union territory have the infrastructure to treat this waste scientifically, considering that the number of tourists visiting is more than twice the population of the region?
Do we have scientific waste management systems in place in Srinagar and other tourist places of J&K?
In this article I will be explaining all this with facts and figures.
Shrinking farmlands and tourism
Tourists who visit Kashmir are fascinated by the natural beauty while they move around on the Jammu–Srinagar highway (National Highway 44). They are often seen taking pictures in the saffron fields of Pampore or with the mustard flowers elsewhere in the valley (which bloom in abundance around the spring season— March to April).
Does the Union territory have the infrastructure to treat this waste scientifically, considering that the number of tourists visiting is more than twice the population of the region?
When tourists visit Pahalgam, they take selfies near the apple trees that dot the landscape on the way to this beautiful tourist resort.
Imagine what will happen if the beauty of this landscape is allowed to perish? There will be no reason for tourists to visit Kashmir. More importantly, it will become well-nigh impossible for Kashmiris to live in Kashmir.
The government’s own data reveals that agriculture landholding in J&K has come down drastically. As per a report published on 10th agriculture census (2015–16) by the financial commissioner of revenue for the erstwhile state of J&K, the total number of operational holdings in the state was 14.16 lakh, operating on 8.42 lakh hectare of land.
This was 14.49 lakh holdings operating on 8.95 lakh hectare of land in the 9th agriculture census ( 2010–11).
This means that in a mere five-year period, J&K had witnessed a decrease of 2.27 percent in the number of holdings and a decrease of 5.92 percent in the operating area under agriculture.
The average holding size in J&K during the 10th agriculture census (2015–16) stood at 0.59 hectare. This has come down further in the 2021–22 agriculture census whose final report is yet to be made public.
As per the 2015–16 agriculture census, around 84 percent of farmers in J&K were marginal farmers and 11.29 percent, 4.10 percent, 0.78 percent and 0.04 percent farmers had small, semi-medium, medium and large land holdings respectively.
Marginal farmers are those who have less than 1 hectare of land holdings, small farmers have 1–2 hectare of land holdings, semi-medium farmers have 2–4 hectare of land holdings, medium farmers have 4–10 hectare of land holdings, and large farmers have more than 10 hectare of land holdings.
In the 9th agriculture census, the average land holding in J&K was 0.62 hectare and between 2010–11 and 2015–16 agriculture censuses, there has been a decrease of 0.03 hectare of agriculture land holding.
The unofficial figures say that the agricultural land has shrunk further in the last five–six years and is now only around 0.5 hectare. If this downward spiral continues, I believe that in the next 25 to 30 years, 90 percent of the rural population in J&K, especially in the Kashmir valley, will become landless.
We will see only concrete structures on our agricultural land. It will have serious consequences for our agriculture economy and tourism will be severely impacted as well. There will be more floods as our wetlands and lakes are choked and the built up concrete area doesn’t allow water to seep into the ground.
Unscientific waste disposal and illegal mining
In future, shrinking farmlands will not only impact our agriculture and tourism but will also have a direct impact on management of our municipal solid waste.
In J&K, 90 percent of the urban local bodies, including the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and smaller councils and committees have no official landfill sites. Waste is not treated as per the Municipal Solid Waste Rules, 2016. Even in Srinagar city, the only garbage dump site located at Achan Saidpora is choked and emits an obnoxious smell, especially during summer months.
Enough land isn’t available in our towns and cities to set up scientific landfill sites. In hilly towns, this is even more of a challenge, especially in Ramban, Doda and Udhampur, where municipal solid waste is dumped unscientifically in forests or waterbodies.
During the last decade, the SMC has not been able to acquire even 50–60 acre of land for creating a landfill as an alternative to the overburdened Achan Saidpora site.
In 2017, the then deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh, who was also the Minister for Housing & Urban Development Department (HUDD), while responding to a question from a legislator of Srinagar, Mubarak Gul, said on the floor of the J&K assembly that a committee had been constituted under the district magistrate of Srinagar to look for land to create a new landfill site in Srinagar but the committee could not find even 10 acre of land to set up the new landfill site.
It is a well-known fact that Srinagar and a majority of the districts in J&K have small landholdings and most of the land is already occupied by shopping complexes or housing colonies and finding large patches of land to set up landfill sites or garbage dump sites is a herculean task.
This is the reason that a majority of our water bodies, such as lakes, wetlands, rivers and streams, have become waste dump sites and this author had to move a formal application before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to ensure a clean-up of the Doodh Ganga river in the Srinagar–Budgam area.
This waterbody is being used to dump solid waste at multiple locations by local residents. The Geology and Mining Department has auctioned this stream for riverbed mining with effect from September 2021 to 2026. The project proponent is mining as deep as 10 metre while only mining till 1 metre depth is allowed.
Huge cranes and JCB are also used for extracting sand, boulders and gravel, which is in violation of the J&K Minor Mineral Concession Rules 2016 and the guidelines of J&K State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA).
In addition, the SMC and a few other government bodies have set up around 13 wastewater pump stations on the banks of Doodh Ganga, which flush out untreated water and sewage into the stream in violation of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. Keeping these violations under consideration and after providing the material facts, the NGT imposed a penalty of ₹35 crore on the government of J&K in October this year
In March this year, a ₹3 crore penalty had already been imposed. The money was released from the coffers of SMC, the Department of Geology and Mining and the municipal committees of Chadoora and Budgam.
In the Poonch district of Jammu, the local municipality is using the Poonch river as a garbage dump site. In this case, too, a few months back this author had to move an application before the NGT. Notice was issued to the district magistrate, Poonch and the pollution control committee, asking for a detailed report from them. The case is listed for hearing in July.
Conclusion
Heaps of plastic waste can be seen in the tourist places of Kashmir, such as Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Yusmarg and Doodhpathri. The government should seriously think about banning plastic in these tourist spots.
The pilgrims visiting the Amarnath cave are littering in the high altitude mountains, which is even more dangerous because the waste does not decompose easily in the freezing weather at such high altitudes. The cave is also adjacent to the magnificent Kolahoi glacier and the waste acts like a hot knife through butter, trapping sunlight and cutting through the white snow and ice.
People visit the cave for spiritual reasons, but when they engage in anti-nature activities by throwing plastic, food and other wastes in the pristine glaciers and mountains, it leads to environmental destruction.
In Srinagar city alone, around 500 metric tonne of waste is generated daily and this quantity goes up during the tourist rush in summers. Unfortunately not even 10 percent of this waste is treated.
Same is the case with other tourist places of J&K such as Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam. When 2 crore tourists visit J&K in a year, how will authorities manage them? Do we have scientific landfill sites? What about the carbon footprints these tourists will leave?
So it is advisable that the government must first concentrate on ensuring that all tourist places have a scientific waste management system in place. Plastic must be completely banned. No food items packed in plastic wrappers should be sold at tourist resorts.
The pilgrims coming for pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave should not be allowed to carry any plastic packed food materials and the number of pilgrims visiting the shrine should also be reduced, as recommended by Nitesh SenGupta Committee report.
Tourism is a small but vital part of Kashmir’s economy. But we must not let unregulated tourism put an unbearable strain on the natural resources and infrastructure of the region. By doing so, we may earn quick bucks for a few years, but it will ultimately result in Kashmir becoming a trashbowl.
Let us not allow Kashmir valley to become a trash valley.
https://theleaflet.in/unregulated-tourist-influx-kashmir-dreads-the-final-straw-that-will-break-the-himalayas-back/

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Introduction: Planning a trip to Guam and searching for the perfect hotel? Look no further! Guam is home to a variety of hotels that offer tranquility, luxury, and an unforgettable experience. In this blog post, we will explore the world of Guam hotels, uncovering their unique features, top-notch amenities, and convenient locations. Join us as we embark on a journey to find your ideal hotel in Guam, where tranquility and luxury meet.
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Occupation – Government employee
Age – 34
Location – Zimbabwe
My salary – $500 (paid monthly)
Side Gig Income – $0
Other income – negligible amounts from dividends received from my stock portfolio that I re-invest
Housemates – 4 (husband P, 6 year old L, 4 year old E and nanny F. My nephew M is around and makes appearances too)
​
Assets and Liabilities
​

Equity	$60,000 fully paid off
Retirement Balance	??	I contribute monthly, and employer matches fully. But because of changes in currency and hyperinflation, I don’t really count this as an asset
Savings	$1700	(went down due to travelling trying to get my passport done since it expired)
Current account balance	$660	Includes my mum's money since I'm managing her financial affairs while she's abroad
Loan from employer	$130	I took a personal loan from work, because the interest rates are lower than rate of inflation and repayment is over 18 months. Loan was used to make improvements on our house, and what wasn’t used, I bought shares on our stock exchange, due to hyperinflation, the amount I owe in US$ has gone down
Investments (shares in various counters on our local stock exchanges)	$1,186
Car	$4,000	Based on current resale value. Car was bought secondhand for cash

​
Income progression- (https://www.reddit.com/MoneyDiariesACTIVE/comments/vbbb7s/i_live_in_zimbabwe_making_3600year_and_i_just/)
​
Expenses
This year, my husband and I decided that he would take on the bulk of our expenses since I do most of the domestic work/childcare. Expenses I pay will be indicated. My salary is now for my expenses, my investments and my savings, and spoiling the kids. Husband caters for the family basics. There was a point last year when I felt my husband wasn’t as invested in the family because he barely did anything financially. By having him cater for all expenses, he is now definitely involved and invested. My husband’s income is just about the same as mine, slightly higher at some times.
​
My Expenses

Expense	Amount /period	Note
Car insurance and licensing	$300/annum	This is due in March, and I pay for the entire year
Petrol	$60/month
Electricity	$10/month
Airtime/data	$20/month
Groceries	$60/month	This is for additional groceries such as bread, veg and fruit bought during the month
Kids’ clothes	$40/month	I’m trying to build up their winter wardrobe so I try to buy them something each month
Makeup/clothes/toiletries/ supplements/hair	$30/month	I do not us this much monthly though
Water	$15/month	Based on last bill received in April. We do not get water consistently so bills are infrequent
Donations	$20/month	Ad hoc donations to a soup kitchen, and maternal health fun
Stock market investment	$50/month	May invest more or less, but I do try to buy shares every payday

​
Household Expenses (paid by P)
​

Expense	Amount /period	Note
Groceries	$200/month	Bulk grocery shopping of staple food items and toiletries
LP Gas	$30/approx. every 2 months	We buy when it runs out. Usually every 2 months depending on how bad the power supply is
Medical	$15/month	For OTC meds (painkiller, cough syrup, antacid stocked for emergencies) and any prescriptions
Pet expenses	$60/ twice a year	For vaccinations and checkups for 4 dogs. Pet food is covered under groceries
School fees for the kids	$347/ term	One kid has fees paid every month, the other every 3 months
Nanny	$80/month	Less than before as both kids are now in school fulltime, and nanny is there to get them ready for school and care after school for 3 hours.
DSTV subscription	$37/month
Transport for kids to/from school	$60/month	L gets picked up and dropped off at home daily, E is dropped off after school

​
Previous MDs - (https://www.reddit.com/MoneyDiariesACTIVE/comments/vbbb7s/i_live_in_zimbabwe_making_3600year_and_i_just/) and (https://www.reddit.com/MoneyDiariesACTIVE/comments/yc801g/i_am_33_years_old_and_i_just_graduated_with_my/)
​
MD Q&A
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Yes, I have a BSc in Accounting, a Masters in Accounting, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Taxation. My parents both have Masters degrees, and in my family, the bare minimum acceptable for education was getting a Bachelors. My mother paid for my undergraduate degree, and I paid cash for my postgraduate studies.
​
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
My parents divorced when I was very young. My dad is the wealthier of the two, my mum has always been middle-class. My mum brought me up with very little financial help from my dad, he only covered tuition and healthcare until I turned 18. My mum catered for everything else. My mum taught me how to look for bargains, how to save and invest, and also how to sometimes enjoy your money.
​
If you have, when did you move out of your parents'/guardians' house?
I would say I moved out at 26 when I got my current job. I had moved out when I got my first fulltime job, but moved back home when that contract ended
​
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
At 26 again. That's when I earned enough to cover all my bills without needing help. My husband P covers some aspects of my financial life, and my mum occasionally helps out with stuff for her grandchildren.
​
What was your first job and why did you get it?
I worked as a receptionist at my mum's law firm after finishing my A Levels (age 18) while waiting to start university. My mum gave me the job to keep me occupied and out of mischief, lol.
​
Do you worry about money now?
I worry about building generational wealth for my children. I want to make sure they will be set for life as adults. I do worry about money because hyperinflation is eroding my earnings and retirement dramatically. This is my second time losing my retirement. My mum and in laws are losing their retirement for the third time, so honestly our old age looks bleak if we do not invest outside of work pensions.
​
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
I receive negligible dividends from the shares I own, lol.
​
Day 1
0430 – I’m woken up by loadshedding. I sigh, rollover, and sleep some more
0600 – Alarm goes off. I turn it off, enjoy cuddles from P and finally get out of bed. Our water tanks ran out 4 days ago, and council has not yet deigned to give us water, so we rely on P’s parents and friends to give us water. I get my water that was warming up on the stove, and take a quick bucket bath. I moisturize, do my brows, throw my lace wig on (I cut my hair in January, and I’m at a really awkward stage where my hair looks bad when I wear it out all day) and get dressed. It’s cold in the mornings so I put on winter stockings and a black and white chevron patterned dress, nude ballet pumps plus my warm jacket. I get E from the couch where he was watching Cocomelon and my lunch bag out of the kitchen and we head off to his school. After dropping off E, I go to the office. No electricity means no elevator, so I go up the stairs. I see my boss’s boss and greet him as we do the ZESA (local electricity company) sponsored workout. I log in to the work register, fill up my kettle, and settle down to check out my work email. Nothing urgent came through overnight, so I go into my personal email. The wig company I patronize has given me a code for my birthday, and I’m wondering if I should pull the trigger on my cart. I decide to do a report while thinking this through.
My mum is currently working out of the country, so I am managing her local finances/obligations while she’s away. I remember I have to buy the prepaid electricity token for my childhood home as well as for the house she lives in when she’s working in the country. I spend $23 on electricity for both houses (mum’s money so doesn’t count)
1030 – After doing some firefighting and office gossip I have my breakfast. Today its rice, peas and 2 fried eggs. I sprinkle some peri-peri Aromat on top since I don’t have a sauce/gravy ad I have been craving spicy food lately. I also pop my multivitamin and supplements. I check my team’s work and send back anything that needs correcting. I also generate the multiple reports my boss expects from me. I suddenly remember I need to claim my allowance for performing a role that is higher than my actual position at work. I quickly complete the form, and send it to my boss for his signature. The extra money from this is what I use to fund my stock market investments. I also remind my team to send a report to me for consolidation by noon.
12.00 – I do a major push of all my work due today so I can relax after lunch. I compile my reports and set them ready to send. I also finish my first 2 litres of water of the day, and cue up the next 2 litres
1300 – Its lunchtime, and my work bestie and I head out around town**. I find shorts that L would fit and buy 2 pairs for $10**. We head back to the office and I have caramel popcorn for lunch. Then I remember I forgot to have my afternoon meds, oops. Anyway, more work before heading to an audit meeting
1630 – The audit meeting is finally over, and I rush to shut down my computer, pack up my things and go home. I have an agreement with my manager that as long as I make up for the hour, by either coming early or skipping lunch, I can leave work at 4pm. I had a total hysterectomy end of last year so I still can’t manage driving in heavy traffic. I arrive home, make the bed (P had not made it when he went to work), and harvest chilies from our garden that have ripened. I also harvest a local herb used as a flu remedy and lemongrass, so I can brew up a tea/tisane for the flu affected people in my house. I also pack L’s lunch for tomorrow, a pie, a naartjie and juice. It’s also F’s payday, so I give her US$80 (P gave me this money).
E says he is hungry so I feed him sadza and sour milk by his request. I multitask covering L’s school textbook while supervising his homework and watching Married to Real Estate and the Great British Bake Off. I then have my dinner of sadza, greens and beef. I have a chat with the kids about their day at school. P gets home.
1900 – P and my nephew M go to fetch water from P’s friend’s house. The city council still hasn’t opened up our water supply. I do some French on Duolingo while the boys wreak havoc in their playroom. I read L and E their bedtime stories and put them to bed. I decide to do my hair in cornrows while watching Masterchef Australia. They get home and I help them carry water indoors. I remember that when power comes back I need to boil tripe on the stove, so I cut it up, put it in the pot with water, salt and garlic, and place it on the electric stove. We have serious loadshedding these days, so we have a gas stove and solar power to tide us over. I take a quick bath and change into my pyjamas. While P watches TV, I read Wild Sweet Love by Beverly Jenkins and continue to do my hair in cornrows.
2200 – My arms are tired and I’m only halfway through with the cornrows. I give up and go to bed with P.
Total spent - $10
​
Day 2
0600 – I hear crying. E is in a bad mood today. I turn off my alarm, and go to see what’s wrong. E does not want to get dressed for school. I sigh, and help F dress him while he throws a massive tantrum. E is dressed, so I go do my morning routine of shower, moisturize, contact lenses, and eyebrow makeup. Today, I wear a green dress I took from my mum, black tights, nude ballet flats and a black and white coat. E gets put into the car by F, and starts crying for porridge. We are already late, so he learns that the consequence of refusing to eat his porridge on time is to go to school without having his porridge. It’s not a big issue though, as he gets fed at school. So I lock the doors and windows and drive him to school as he throws a tantrum for the entire 10 minute drive. I shove him into the school gate and head to work.
It’s another ZESA sponsored stair workout today. I log into the register, and fill up my kettle with water. I switch on my computer, check my work email and send off client emails to my team for their response. My personal email has an annual report from one of the companies I have shares in so I check out if there’s a dividend this year. I own a negligible number of shares in the company though, but 28c per share is quite impressive. I check to see if my stock exchange wallet has been credited with the money I transferred there so I can buy more shares. It still hasn’t so I send a follow up email o the enquiries desk at the stock exchange. I do have a stockbroker, but I prefer doing my trades myself. I also do some French on Duolingo before 8am.
0830 – Our HR is in a tizzy because people are late for work. I don’t make a big deal out of it usually, because salaries are shit and people are demotivated. As long as my team shows up and does some work, I’m ok. I approve some work, and warn my team about coming in a bit too late. I also tell a teammate that she will have to cover for me on Monday as I am taking the day off. Our internet connectivity is shit so I can’t log into our system to check some stuff. My work bestie gives me avocados from her house. I almost cry because I have been craving avocados, but been too cheap to buy them.
1000 – I have a really bad sore throat. I am also hungry since I haven’t had breakfast yet. I jot down my shopping list for the weekend and head to Pick ‘n’ Pay to buy carrots, green peppers, tomatoes, lemons, cheese, polony and bread. I also buy my breakfast/lunch, which is rice, beans, ox liver and egg salad**. It all cost $10**. I leave my shopping in my car, and go to the office to wolf down my food, and take my multivitamin and painkiller. I also receive my wigs that I bought in May. Perfect timing, as I want to wear a new wig tomorrow for our girls’ day out.
I do some more work, and remind my team to send me the information I need for my daily reports.
1300 – I go out to buy a few items I didn’t find in Pick ‘n’ Pay earlier**. I go to Spar and buy peas, eggs, soft drinks for the outing tomorrow and a sausage roll. Total cost is $10**. The outing has been deemed kid friendly, so I needed drinks for the boys to have tomorrow. I get back into the office, and spend the rest of the lunch hour working.
1600 – It’s finally time to go home. I send my email to handover work issues for the person who will take over my role on Monday while I am on leave. I also send my out of office email, and head home. The kids are at their grandmother’s, so I take a leisurely bath, put on my pyjamas and eat dinner. Then I watch Masterchef Australia until P and E get home. I also get in some French Duolingo practice
2000 – P goes out with his friends, so I snuggle up on the couch with E and watch TV. I put E to bed, read him his bedtime story and kiss him good night. I finally finish season 13 of Masterchef Australia, and move on to My Kitchen Rules Australia. I love Australian reality shows, ngl.
2200 – I go to bed P gets home and tells me some bad news about a friend of ours. I feel very sad for him. He cuddles me and we sleep.
Total spent - $20
​
Day 3
0700 – I wake up feeling like a truck ran me over. I get out of bed, and get ready to hand-wash our laundry. We still have no running water so we can’t use the washing machine. I play music while doing my laundry to keep me motivated
0900 – Laundry has been hung out to dry. F has cooked potato curry, so I boil eggs and water. I have my breakfast of potato curry, egg, multivitamin and coffee. Once I’m done, I give E a bath and dress him. I also bath, moisturize, do my brows and get dressed. I’m wearing jeans and a t-shirt today as my friends and I ae supposed to take our kids out for a playdate. Then I receive a message that the outing is cancelled since one of our group is really sick. I try to think of something I can do with E, since L is out having fun with his grandmother. I do my Swahili Duolingo practice.
1100 – The welder comes to do some work on our garage door. I monitor the work for a bit, and then my nephew takes over. E starts really bugging me to go out. So I put on my headband wig and sneakers, and pack a cooler bag with snacks and drinks. We head into town and I buy myself some ciders for $9. These are for me to drink when the mood strikes me. E wants to go to a resort by the lake so I oblige him. We pay $8 for our entrance. He goes to play on the swings, and I take pictures of him having fun. Another family turns up, and one of his classmates is among them. He’s so happy, and goes to play with his friend. I watch him running around.
1500 – I get a call from my friend that she’s in town with my cake. This cake was meant for the cancelled outing. I pack up our stuff, hustle E into the car and drive back into town. I let out some colourful swear words when I realise I forgot to get our change of $2. Anyway**, I meet up with my friend and get the cake, and pay her $30**. It’s so pretty. I call my MIL while still in town to find out what time she will be there so I can pick up L. She says it will be an hour, so E and I head home to drop off the cake so it doesn’t melt in my AC-less car.
1600 – We are back in town waiting for L and MIL. E wants an ice cream so I buy him one for $0.50 using money I had in my Innbucks wallet. MIL calls and asks me to head over to where she is to pick L up since she can’t leave yet. E and I get there. MIL gets me sadza and goat tripe stew, which I eat a bit of to be polite even though I am not hungry. When I’m done, I pack up the kids and drive home. I bath and change into my pyjamas.
1800 – I feed the kids, and we play until their weekend bedtime of 8pm. I read them their bedtime stories and tuck them in. I watch TV and iron my morning laundry while having a gin and juice until 9pm, and head to read in bed. P and my nephew arrive home from their amateur soccer league match and subsequent outing with the boys. I fall asleep soon after.
Total spent - $49.50
​
Day 4
0700 – I’m woken up by L demanding that I come and play with them. I am still sleepy so I fob him off.
0900 - F knocks on the door and tells us she is off to church. I finally get out of bed and get dressed. I see the boys playing relatively peacefully so I let them continue with their antics. In the kitchen, I find F had cooked breakfast, and since I’m starving, I heat up water for coffee. L surprisingly isn’t hungry so I serve up breakfast for P and me. I have my daily multivitamin. P heads out to go fetch water, while I bath, change and hang out with the kids. I also do my French Duolingo practice for the day
1200 – I have played with the dogs and kids, and I am exhausted. I collapse onto the couch and watch MKR Australia. P gets home, and naps on the couch. I give the kids haircuts and baths.
1700 – L is hungry and really wants cake, so I feed the kids a dinner of sadza and sour milk. Then some cake for dessert. I also pack L’s school lunch, which will be a polony sandwich, a cupcake and juice. The kids play until its bedtime at 7pm. The usual routine, bedtime stories and tuck in is done
2000 – P and I watch a movie while having some alcoholic drinks.
2200 – Bedtime for us
Total spent - $0
​
Day 5
0600 – It’s my birthday today. I am going all out celebrating myself since TW I tried unaliving myself twice in the past year. L wishes me a happy birthday before he goes to school. I get birthday messages from my mum, dad, SILs, and friends. I also get a call from my brother, his wife and their son, and they sing to me. I feel very loved today. P goes to drop off E at school today so I can sleep in
0800 – I am finally up and hungry. I cook a quick breakfast of boiled eggs, and a bean curry. P takes my car to get serviced, while I bath, moisturize, contact lenses, do a full face of makeup and get dressed for the day. Today I wear a tie-dyed cutout mini-dress and sneakers, and my wavy headband wig
1300 – P is home and he drives me to a hotel outside town near a renowned tourist site in our country. We have a platter of fried fish, chicken strips, pork strips, fries, and a salad to share and multiple Savannah Drys while there. It’s really nice getting to reconnect after a very tumultuous year in our marriage. P pays.
1700 – We drive around the area, before heading home. Once we get home, P and my nephew go on a hunt for water, while I feed the kids. P and I head off to take our showers. I remember why I don’t do a full face of makeup when it take a long time to get the makeup off my face.
1900 – The family sings happy birthday, and we eat cake. Birthday gifts were gin and chocolate. I hustle the boys off to bed. No story today, as they went to bed later than usual. P watches TV while I read my novel.
2100 – Bedtime for the grownups
Total spent - $0
​
Day 6
0530 – I wake up and lie in bed for a bit. Then I read my novel some more.
0620 – I am up, and take my bath, moisturize, do my brows and get dressed. It’s cold this morning, so I wear a yellow dress with black polka dots, black tights and ankle boots. I pack up the cake I’m giving to my colleagues, as well as my water bottle. E and I head out. I drop E off at school, and go to the office. I log into the work register, turn on my computer, and check my emails. There are a few pressing issues I need to get up to speed with. One of my colleagues gives me $50 as a birthday gift. I also hand out the cake to my team.
0900 – Work is pretty quiet today, so I update my MD. I also receive news that one of my nephews is getting married. He is not that much younger than me, and could be my younger brother, but it makes me feel so old.
Note on my family: In our culture, even distant relatives are given close relationships so the large number of nephews/nieces is from those relationships. It’s a big thing done to maintain close family bonds. I have 4 actual (in a Western sense) nephews and nieces who are all under the age of 6.
1000 – I head to the supermarket and buy bread, onions, carrots, pork chops, pork trotters and my breakfast and lunch. This costs $25. The meat is the main cost driver here. I have a sausage roll, my multivitamin, supplement and milk for breakfast. I remember that I need to check if my stock exchange wallet was credited, ugh. The website is refusing to load and I’m very frustrated. I finally log in and see the amount is still not credited. I email and send a tweet to the stock exchange. Hopefully the tweet will get them to start moving.
1200 – My boss is mad. One member of my team left his desk without informing me and there’s an urgent matter. I was about to go downstairs to give P the groceries, so I stick around for a bit before committing the same offence as my subordinate, lol. I quickly get back into my office and check on work, sign some papers and letters, and clear out my emails.
1300 – My work bestie has to run other errands at lunch so I decide to stay in the office. I check my personal email and see I have received a dividend of $0.27, lol. The share price will probably drop soon, so I will buy more shares in this counter if I can get them to increase my shareholding. My goal for this year is to breach the 10,000 share mark for one counter. I suddenly remember I have work to do, so I use my lunch hour to do the work, and then take a quick break to eat my lunch of fries and a sausage and do some Swahili Duolingo practice.
1500 – I am thinking of going home when one of my team members calls me to deal with an angry client. I go to the office, and find out it’s a surprise birthday party from my team. I am so happy, lol. We have more cake, and there’s also fruit and juice. I head home feeling so appreciated with even more cake.
1700 – P and my nephew go out to get water. I warm up my bath water, and give the kids their dinner. Today its rice and croc meat. I make L’s lunch for tomorrow, a toasted polony sandwich and juice. I also pack my lunch, rice, a fried egg and peas. And some cake for my work bestie’s kids. I take my bath; change into my pyjamas and hound E to eat his food. If we let that kid be, he would probably live on the bits of our souls he sucks out daily by being stubborn. I am feeling nauseous so I have plain rice with a bit of avocado. The kids watch cartoons, while I do some more Swahili on Duolingo.
1900 – Bedtime for the kids. Today, there’s no demand for a bedtime story, so I just tuck them in and tell them I love them. I read my novel as increasingly feel more nauseated. I end up going to hurl my guts out. P comes home and finds me lying limply on the bed. He gives me a cuddle, and goes to eat his dinner. I get up but smell fish, and run back to throw up. If I hadn’t had a hysterectomy, I would be doing a pregnancy test ASAP.
2100 – I go to bed, and lie in bed for a bit, before finally drifting off.
Total spent - $25
​
Day 7
0500 – I wake up feeling nauseated again. Ugh, this reminds me of having hyperemesis while pregnant. I put my water on to heat and get back in bed to read some more.
0600 – E comes to lie on our bed. I get out of bed, and go throw up. I get my bath water, take my bath, moisturize and put my contacts in. I look like a reanimated corpse this morning. I do my brows to try bring a bit of life to my face and get dressed. It’s very misty and cold today so I put on warm brown tights, a long black dress, my warm jacket and ballet flats. I grab my lunch and the cake, pop E into the car and head out. Visibility is extremely low, so I drive slowly. I don’t know why people like surprising other drivers by having their cars pop out of the mist without switching on their headlights. I successfully avoid the drivers who hate life and drop E off at school before heading to work.
0700 – I am in the office, and I log into the register, before turning on my computer and checking my work email. Not too much in there, so I check my personal email. My stock exchange wallet has finally been credited with the $100. I also ponder whether I should pull the trigger on a V-part wig.
I do my weekly report, and start doing some boring work in the system. I realise I didn’t save the work I did yesterday, so I have to re-do it, so I can have the list of error messages to send to ICT.
0830 – Everyone is in the office, so I do some reshuffling of duties, so that essential areas are covered while one of my colleagues is on leave. I give the cake to work bestie, who tells me how much her daughter was excited over the cake yesterday. It’s now time for me to put my head down and really focus on knocking out the system work today. I also log into an online training, and I listen while doing my work. My mum also deposits money for my birthday gift and to spoil her grandkids.
1000 – I log into my stock exchange account and buy shares for $99.14 (doesn’t count as spending, as the money was moved before the MD started). The deadline for other departments to submit their weekly reports to me for consolidation has passed so I start following up. One department is a big problem as they always send their report late. Le sigh. I draft a very passive aggressive email to them. I also decide not to buy the wig and instead ask the person making me my custom earrings that I got myself for my birthday to bill me the rest of the money so I can pay and move the remainder of the money in my account into savings. Our currency has taken an enormous hit in the last week, and is free falling dramatically. I’d rather keep USD cash than money in my account at this point. The training finally ends.
1100 – I’m getting hungry so I go warm up my lunch, sprinkle on peri peri Aromat and dig in. Yum. I also have my multivitamin and supplement. A lady who sells local snacks comes in. She persuades me to buy maputi (corn nuts mixed with roasted peanuts) for $0.50. I buy them for my afternoon snack. I end up sending the report with missing statistics, and tell the department to send directly to the compiler, as they were late. That was a very aggressive email tbh. I’m still hungry, so I munch on my maputi, leaving the peanuts because I don’t feel like eating them lately.
1200 – I see a missed call from a number I don’t know. I call and it turns out they had sent money to my mobile wallet mistakenly. I check the mobile wallet and it shows it had an extra $11. I send the money back to the person. Times are too tough to keep people’s money
1400 – I snack on a few skittles instead of having more food. I just want something to entertain my mouth, I’m not hungry at all. I review more work and drink more water. The jeweler has sent the payment request for the earrings. I pay $100 (total spent on the earrings comes to $200, which is worth it for sterling silver custom made Jewellery. I use $50 of the birthday money from my mum to cover for part of this expense)
1600 – Finally time to go home. I shut down my computer, and drive home. Once I’m home, I put on my bath water, and help L do his homework. Then I do some Swahili Duolingo practice and pack L’s lunch for tomorrow. He requested maize (corn on the cob), a boiled egg and a naartjie. His wish is my command for once. I also pack my lunch, a boiled egg, peanut butter sandwich and a bit of birthday cake. The jeweler sends pictures of the final product. They are absolutely gorgeous. Happy 34th birthday to me!!!
1800 – I serve the kids their dinner, and go to take my bath. P sends a text that he will be home late as they are working late today. I have my own dinner while persuading E to eat his food
1900 – Bedtime for the kids. I read them their bedtime stories, tuck them in and tell them I love them. Then I go to watch TV. I’m catching up on Married to Real Estate, Food Factory and Man Vs Food. You can tell that reality TV is my jam.
2100 – I decide to have some decaf black coffee and cake as my bedtime snack. P and my nephew arrive home. They are later than they thought they would be because nephew dropped his phone in the middle of the highway and they were searching for it. Because nephew’s ancestors were on the job, they found it intact. It’s a big deal because this is a major highway and huge trucks use that road constantly. I chat with P as he has his dinner and takes his bath.
2200 – Cuddles and bedtime for us
​
Total spent today – $100
​
Total spent this week – $204.50
​
Spending by categories
Food & Drink – $84.50
Home & Health – $0
Clothing & Beauty – $110
Transportation – $0
Fun & Entertainment – $10
​
Reflections on this week’s spending
The spending is pretty much about normal for me tbh (excluding the cake and earrings). I had quite a bit of petrol in the tank so I didn’t need to top up my tank this week. The converted US$ prices are a bit inaccurate since our currency had a big drop this week, and most of my spending is in local currency. I could reign in my spending a bit, and focus more on investing. However, I do enjoy using my money to bring joy to my kids and myself. Particularly myself after the absolutely shitty year I had.

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Race Information

• Name: Boston Marathon
• Distance: 26.2 miles
• Time: 2:40:XX

Goals

Goal	Description	Completed?
C	Finish strong	Yes
B	Under 2:45	Yes
A	Under 2:42 (PR)	Yes

This is a bit late for a Boston recap and very long for a casual read (consider yourself warned). It’s kind-of about the race, but it’s also just a bunch of semi-connected thoughts and feelings about training, injury, results, and what comes next that have been floating around for me over the last couple months.

Prologue

I started running during the pandemic, transitioning away from my long-time sport of Ultimate Frisbee to try to run a sub-5 mile (report here). I did it, and it was good. And I had caught the running bug. Ready to extend my distances, I declared to my coach that my next goal (after a short hiatus to play one more season of frisbee) was to qualify for Boston. Boston was, in fact, the only marathon I had ever spectated: I remember sitting at Coolidge Corner in 2009, watching runners speed by. I was young and springy then, and had no desire to run farther than 3 miles continuously. But now it was 2021, and time had run out on my fast-twitch abilities: it was time to go long. I wanted to run Boston, which meant I had to run something else - and hopefully just one “something else” - first.

Quick Author's Note:
For better clarity of intent, the 'worthwhile opponent' stipulation in Lifedrinker is being changed to 'non-negligible opponent' moving forward.
​
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"The Gellin Empress was the catalyst for our breakthrough," a mage explained. "Tracing Lord Rob's lingering mana signature through the space between dimensions proved effective at first, yet it came with an insurmountable problem: he only attained mana after initially leaving Earth. At a certain point, there was no more of a signature for us to trace. We had found his home dimension, but finding his home world within the infinite expanses of that dimension could have taken years of aimless searching, like blind men stumbling in the dark."
He leaned forward, clearly enjoying having a captive audience. "The key, then, lay within Lord Rob's memories. Even without mana, memories have a power all their own. The Empress looked within his mind and found locations of personal importance to him. Ones that he remembers with pristine clarity. By scrying for areas within Lord Rob's dimension that matched those specific locations, we were able to narrow down the scope of our search considerably."
The mage spread his palms wide, and his voice dropped a full octave, as if he was imparting a great revelation. "The result will soon be made self-evident. You shall bear witness to the foremost magical achievement of our era: a one-way viewing window into Lord Rob's world. The first of many to come."
In respect for the man's showmanship, Rob started up a clap. Granted, he would've clapped even if the explanation was done via a mindnumbing PowerPoint presentation, because nothing in the universe could stunt his enthusiasm right now. Riardin's Ranger, the Elders, Diplomacy, and the Soul Surgeon clapped as well, although Rob was pretty sure they were just following his cues. This moment couldn't possibly hold the same gravitas for them as it did for him. They mostly were here to provide moral support and satisfy their curiosity.
While for him, this meant everything.
"Do we need the Gellin Empress here to create the window?" Rob asked. "I'd also like to thank her for the help she's given."
The mage shook his head. "I'll spare you the details, but to be succinct; she taught us how to save a mana-based copy of the necessary memories, which will allow us to attune to a subset of Earth locations. Her presence is not required. In fact, she insisted that we proceed without her, as the Gellin have gone to rest for the night."
Must be nice. I'd trade ten Levels for a consistent sleep schedule. Rob internally frowned at himself, punting the envious thoughts away. No sour grapes. If the Empress helped me see Earth again, then I hope she sleeps like a baby for the rest of her life.
"One question," Keira interjected. "In your explanation, you stated that, without the Empress' assistance, it may have taken years to discover Earth. That is hardly the weeks or months you claimed in the past."
The group of dimension mages froze, embarrassment blooming on their features. They looked to the head mage for guidance, whose veneer of showmanship was deflating like a leaky balloon. "We were perhaps...optimistic."
"By years?"
"The previous estimate I put forth was one that assumed we would develop breakthroughs as we went along." His mouth widened into a sheepish grin. "As you can see, we, um, succeeded."
Keira raised an eyebrow. "Only with the timely assistance of a Leader." Her tone was calm, yet unyielding. "Rob is too grateful to point out this contradiction, so I suppose the task falls to me. You have also told us that you should be able to 'open' the window and let Rob send a letter home within the next week – is that more unfounded optimism?"
"No." The mage straightened his posture. "Now that we have located Earth, the rest is simply a matter of refining our spells and collecting reserves of mana. We are no longer blind, nor are we fumbling in the dark, and thus our progress moving forward shall be predictable and steady. This, I swear."
After a few seconds, Keira nodded. "Then I thank you for the wonderful boon you've granted to the man I love."
From behind, Malika giggled under her breath. Rob squeezed Keira's hand, gave her a warm smile, and faced the mages. "I'm ready whenever you are."
The tent thrummed with mana as the dimension mages formed a Mage Circle with Malika. It was no different from any other time they'd done so, yet the knowledge of what they were about to accomplish heightened the tension in the air to a fever pitch. Rob's pulse quickened, his throat tightening. He'd been disemboweled by monsters, decapitated by eldritch abominations, and none of those events made him a fraction as nervous as watching the dimension mages at work.
Minutes passed. Rob forced himself to be patient. Reaching across the boundaries of space and dimensions wasn't like heading to the store to pick up a carton of milk. It involved a level of spellcasting prowess that would take Rob decades of committed study to have even the slightest chance at grasping. Frankly, the fact that it was possible at all still beggared belief.
Maybe...maybe the mages were wrong. Not lying; just wrong. They could be overeager, sharing before they were actually ready, and they'd end the circle looking contrite and ashamed.
That was okay. No biggie. Rome wasn't built in a day, or...something. He could wait–
Creak.
It was the sound of a rusted hinge, of crumpling paper, of breaking bones, and more. A combination of all the noises things made when subjected to an external force. Like reality itself was groaning under the pressure.
Creeeak.
A thin, imperceptible line appeared at eye-level, dark as the endless void. Slowly, inch-by-inch, it widened.
CREEEAK.
It had become a rectangle. Two feet wide, three feet high. With a final CREAK, reality threw in the towel. The void dissipated, as if smoke blown away by a gust of wind, revealing...
Home.
Everything was as he remembered it. The same furniture with scuffed marks of wear-and-tear. The same living room where they'd watched movies each Friday. The same kitchen with a sink perpetually filled with dirty dishes. The same tacky wallpaper that his mom refused to change, and that he secretly enjoyed.
Identical. Like a portrait had been painted straight from his memories.
A tsunami of aching nostalgia surged through him. Rob didn't realize he was extending his hand until his fingertips were already brushing against the viewing window. Its surface felt solid, and for an instant he was terrified that this really was just a painting. Something invented to give him false hope.
Then he noticed that a window had been cracked open. Not the mages' window; the window inside his house. A small breeze blew inside, jostling a curtain ever so lightly. Just enough to make it move.
"It's real." Rob's voice was hoarse. "It's my home."
No one said anything. They allowed him his silence, a gesture which he greatly appreciated. Eventually, Rob took a deep breath, clenched his hands so that they wouldn't tremble, and looked at the dimension mages. "Thank you. I owe you...so much. Even if observing from afar ended up being the limit of what you could do, just seeing my house again like this is..."
He trailed off, unable to find words that were sufficient. Thankfully, the dimension mages seemed to understand. "You are most welcome, Lord Rob." The head mage smiled. "This is far from the limit of what we can do, however. Give us time, and this window shall open."
Rob nodded, choosing not to believe them. They were probably right, but on the off chance they weren't, he didn't want to look back on this moment with bitterness. Best to assume the worst and be grateful for what he already had.
As if drawn by a gravitational pull, his eyes drifted back towards the window. It was displaying a fixed point in the center of his home. "Can you switch perspectives? I want to check other rooms." His parents were likely asleep in their bedroom at this hour. Assuming they didn't sell the house out of grief and move, that is.
"I am afraid that isn't possible. We can transpose the viewing window to other specific locations that the Empress provided, but having it 'walk around', so to speak, requires finer control than we are yet capable of."
Yet, he says. Which means that with practice, they'll be able to. Rob placated himself with that notion. This was a minor setback, and he wouldn't let it get him down.
He especially wouldn't listen to that tiny voice in the back of his head, whispering that the reason he couldn't see his parents right now was because they were–
"Got it," Rob stated, in a wooden voice. "What other locations did the Empress pick out?"
The window's perspective blurred and shifted. Rob swallowed a gasp as an extremely familiar place was displayed before him. He'd seen it many, many times, even after coming to Elatra. It used to be at the top of his nightmare rotation, only ousted from its throne when Blights started coming into play.
In front of them was a small grassy lawn, surrounded by lecture halls in the near-distance. The place that had forever altered the course of his life.
"This is where it all started." Rob pointed to an empty spot in the middle of the field. "Portal opened up. Right there. Saturated with darkness. Chains shot out, tried to grab at Jason. I pushed him out of the way, and...the rest is history."
Silence reigned once more. After a few seconds, Orn'tol stirred. The young Ranger opened his mouth, preparing to say what would undoubtedly be some platitude reassuring Rob over his noble sacrifice.
"The grass truly is green."
Rob burst out laughing. He kept going until he was short of breath, wheezing as the others looked at him with eyes full of concern. "I'm okay," he managed to cough, once the laughter had died down to snickers. "Thanks, Orn'tol. I needed that."
"You're very welcome?" Orn'tol exchanged confused glances with the rest of Riardin's Rangers. "I am unsure of what I did to assist you, yet it's good to see you in high spirits nonetheless."
"Sometimes a little silliness is just what the doctor ordered." Rob offered him a high-five, which the boy accepted with zeal. They returned their gazes to the viewing window, Rob tilting his head as he peered closer. "Hmm. That's weird."
"What do you mean?"
"There's no people. It's early evening, but college students have the worst sleeping patterns on the face of the planet. Trust me; I'm speaking from experience. Usually you'd see a dozen partygoers strung out on energy drinks racing around now."
"Perhaps this location is known as a place of danger," Keira posited. "I would certainly be hesitant to tread where a portal of darkness sprang from the aether and kidnapped a civilian."
Rob watched the viewing window for signs of life, finding none. "Could be. Parents probably pulled their kids out after what happened to me. Then either the government condemns the area, or enough money is lost that the college goes bankrupt." He snorted. "Would be the least of what it deserves, considering the tuition fees. Bloodsucking vampires."
"People on Earth drink blood?"
Normally, Rob would have played along with their confusion, but there were more important things to focus on. "Can you change this to the next location from my memories?" he asked the dimension mages. "How many are there, anyway?"
"Five in total. One moment, please."
The window's perspective blurred, shifted, and reformed. Now it was displaying a city sidewalk, its view positioned right outside the best god damn burger joint in existence. Rob didn't care what anyone else said; two greasy slabs of beef squeezed between two sesame-seed buns was the absolute pinnacle of culinary delight. So what if his palette was 'like a five-year old's?' Wasn't his fault that delicious things were delicious.
Belatedly, he realized that his memory of this restaurant had been strong enough for the Gellin Empress to choose it as a point of reference for interdimensional portal magic. That...yeah, that tracked. Aside from the burgers, he had fond memories of sitting at the outside patio with Jason and his folks, drinking Minty Fresh Phantasma and inhaling cheesy fries as they mocked his dietary preferences. Good times.
He was about to explain what this place meant to him when a human casually walked past the viewing window.
She was a normal working woman like any other. Tired eyes, a purse slung over her shoulder, and dressed for lukewarm weather. A cell phone was held in her right hand, her eyes glued to some form of social media. She strode past the window without a care in the world, visible for merely a second before disappearing from view.
To the Elatrans, it was like a horror movie jumpscare. All of them froze. Several gasped. Elder Alessia grimaced. Faelynn muttered "a world of Humans" in a hushed tone. The only exceptions were Elder Duran and the Soul Surgeon, who crept closer to get a better look, their eyes shimmering with curiosity.
In contrast, Rob let out a sigh of overwhelming relief. That bored, everyday woman was exactly what he'd needed to set him at ease. Earth hasn't completely gone to shit behind my back. People are still living their lives.
As he watched, a few more humans walked in front of the window. A middle-aged man, a young boy with his mother, and an old woman with a walking cane. The old woman pivoted straight into the burger joint, Rob internally praising her good taste.
"W-well," the head mage stuttered. He paused, cleared his throat, then started anew. "As you can see, the viewing window is imperceptible to those with low Levels of Sense Mana. Naturally, this will not be the case for a portal that can be interacted with from both sides."
"Dangerous," Meyneth commented. "I would advise that you conceal this type of spell for as long as you are able. The viewing window especially."
"Why is that?"
"If this window cannot be sensed by those with low Levels of Sense Mana, then that makes it an ideal tool for spying on non-Mages. In your haste to glimpse into the world of another dimension, you have inadvertently developed a field of magic that puts every nation in Elatra at risk of subterfuge. People have been assassinated for much less."
The mages blanched. "We are nothing more than simple researchers," the head mage protested, in a faltering voice. "Who besides a madwoman like the Dragon Queen would stoop so low as to threaten noncombatants?"
Keira averted her eyes, pointedly examining the floor.
"We can discuss matters of life and death at a later time," Duran interjected. He gestured to the viewing window with the demeanor of a child in a toy story. "There's a world of discoveries to explore! Take a look at those structures the Earth Humans have built – they resemble the buildings within Human territory, yet small differences set them apart."
Duran ooooh'd as another person walked past the viewing window. "So many humans are ambling about despite the late hour. Is this area a well-traveled location in your home city, Rob?"
"This is around the level of street traffic you should expect for early evening. If it were daytime, you'd see a hundred people per minute."
Duran aaaah'd. Before he could launch into a series of questions, Zamira beat him to it. "Pardon me if this comes across as an insult," she began, hesitantly. "But Earth Humans appear marginally...uncoordinated. It is hard for me to describe the notion, yet when I watch them move, they appear as if they're liable to fall over at any moment."
They look normal to me, Rob almost said, before remembering that Earth's normal wasn't Elatra's normal. "That's called being permanently Level 1." He shrugged. "They've all got crap stats. Except athletes, I guess."
Zamira stared at the human passerby with obvious sympathy. "My condolences."
Does Earth seem like a world of cripples to her? Rob wondered. Even Utility Class users have the option to put a couple points into Dexterity and Perception. That's not counting the natural stat boosts they gain as they grow up, either. And when combined with Vitality and healing magic, it means that people in Elatra tend to age gracefully.
Rob tried to think of the last time he'd seen an Elatran with the same frailty as that old human woman with her walking cane. The oldest person he'd met so far was the Fiend High Soulseer, and in spite of being positively ancient – and blind – the dude could get around fine. Elder Duran was having health problems, but that was only after suffering from severe Corruption poisoning for weeks on end. An incident like that would've landed an Earth human in long-term hospice care.
Actually, no, that was wrong. It would've just killed them.
"We should switch to the next location," Rob said, preempting any further questions. "There's still two more left." Maybe I can see...no. Keep your expectations in check.
He was right to do so. Rob's heart sank as the viewing window solidified once again, revealing battered, empty streets. Half the buildings had collapsed to rubble, as if visited by a wrecking crew with an axe to grind. He recognized this spot as the street leading up to his favorite movie theater on the other side of the city. There'd been good times here, as well.
Although not anymore. The theater's roof had caved in, and half the letters in its ostentatious PRIME CINEMA logo were missing. It would take years to rebuild – assuming someone was willing to invest millions of dollars into what was essentially a ghost town.
"This..." He ran his hand down his face, aware of everyone gazing at him with pity. "As you can probably infer, this isn't normal. In the past–"
Bang.
Rob practically jumped out of his skin at the abrupt sound of gunfire. At first he thought the shot had come from outside, but no, it was both too distant and too close for that. The noise also sounded different from the rifles that the Dwarven Thunder Rod wielders employed.
A series of repeated bangs swept his thoughts away. Everyone watched in astonishment as a crew of Earth military soldiers ran into view from a side street, desperately fleeing the eight-legged Blightspawn that was hot on their tails. The abomination was more of an amalgamation of flesh and limbs than anything resembling a living creature, and the way it skittered made Rob reconsider if spiders were really that bad in comparison.
"Keep firing!" one of the men commanded, his voice sounding like it was coming from the bottom of a lake. The soldiers blasted their assault rifles in a retreating offensive, peppering the abomination with a hailstorm of bullets. Their response was swift, their aim was true, and it did not matter. The Blightspawn bulldozed through the rain of bullets as if it was a light drizzle, the creature's five cavernous mouths wailing for blood and sustenance.
It was nearly upon them when an explosive rocketed in from the opposite side street, knocking the Blightspawn off its many feet. The reprieve was temporary, but it was just long enough for the soldiers to escape unharmed. Unfortunately, the creature was also mostly unharmed, sporting minor injuries despite a direct missile strike to the torso. With a chorus of screams that prickled Rob's ears, the abomination continued its chase, batting away a second missile as it resumed the chase with renewed fervor.
Then it was gone, having left the window's range of sight. Distant sounds of battle grew quieter, the gunshots and explosions becoming more faint as predator and prey ran deeper into the ruined city.
Rob closed his eyes. He said nothing for half a minute, allowing himself time to process what he'd seen.
"Okay." He opened his eyes, nodding. "This is fine."
Keira laid a hand on his shoulder, struggling with what to say. "Rob...you don't need to–"
"Hold it in? Bottle up my emotions?" A wry chuckle escaped his throat. "Honestly, I'm not as affected as I thought I'd be. The Blight dropped one too many cryptic hints for me to be surprised, anyway. At this point I'm just glad that Earth hasn't been completely overrun. Some parts of the city might be fucked up, but not all of it is."
He narrowed his eyes. "The biggest thing I'm worried about is the Blightspawn itself. You saw those weapons the humans were using, right? Think of them as substantially upgraded versions of the Thunder Rods. They should've put a real dent in a fully-grown Blight, let alone one of its spawn."
"Perhaps the creatures have gained a defensive Skill?" Duran theorized. "What we witnessed appears consistent with other damage reduction Skills such as Tough Skin or Heat Resistance. I would surmise that the Blight has learned something akin to – for example – Thunder Rod Resistance."
Rob paused. Elatra didn't have a specified 'Bullet Resistance' Skill, but that was because conventional firearms had been removed from the system for balancing purposes. The Blight wouldn't give two shits about balance. They'd cheerfully grant themselves Bullet Resistance, Missile Resistance, and whatever else tickled their fancy.
And the more Earth fought back, the more resistant they'd become.
"...This doesn't change anything," Rob eventually concluded. "Earth is a big boy planet. It'll figure something out. In the meantime, we'll clean up our problems here and be ready to help if the Blight's still around by then."
"You're sure?" Keira asked. Two words that held so much intent. 'Are you sure you'll be alright? Are you sure Elatra should remain your primary concern? Are you sure you don't want to head home the instant the dimension mages create a working portal?'
Rob gave her a thumbs-up. "I'm sure. And I know you'll worry about me regardless, but I promise I'm feeling fine."
Or maybe he was just numb, and an avalanche of emotions would bury him when he least expected it. The good news was that was a problem for future-Rob to deal with. Present-Rob had one last area to investigate.
I'd be satisfied with seeing my old bedroom intact, he thought, as the dimension mages altered the viewing window for the last time. I have strong memories there, right? It should be a candidate. Those late night Netflix binges were uh...riveting. Yeah.
The window finalized.
Rob felt the strength leave his body.
Some parts of what he was seeing were incongruous. Strange details that he'd need to figure out soon. All of it took a hard backseat to the one sight in the room that truly mattered.
Jason was alive.
He was at his house that Rob had visited so often. Alive. Surrounded by people. Alive. Chatting away. Alive. Gesturing in that exaggerated manner he often used. Alive.
Smiling.
Alive.
A dam broke. Silent tears began streaming down Rob's face. Thoughts cut out, leaving only the realization that his best friend since childhood, the sole person he'd have trusted with his life before meeting Riardin's Rangers, the man whose place he'd taken when the gods picked a new chew toy...
Was alive.
"Hey, man." Rob's smile was the most genuine it had been in a long time. "Been a while."
At that moment, almost as if he could hear him, Jason grinned.
​
--
​
Author's Note:
When I was writing Chapter 199, I was mildly annoyed that Rob didn't reach 200 Vitality on Chapter 200. That would've been hilariously coincidental. But if I had to choose between that chapter or this one for a big milestone...I think I like this better.
Happy Chapter 200, everyone. Thanks for reading and staying on this journey with me.

Three New Terrifying True Scary Tales
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Number One: The Pool
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Now, this happened a very long time ago. I am not going to mention when or where though and I am submitting it anonymously. I don’t want people going back and finding out more about it and then lashing out of me.
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I was 13 years old and my brother was 11. As I mentioned, this happened a long time ago and I think today, not a lot of parents would put a 13 year old in charge of an 11 year old. But this was not unusual at all back then. In fact, I was looking after my little brother all the time before either of us even hit 10 years old.
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After a while, of course, always keeping my eye on him began to get very annoying. It interfered with my hanging out with friends. It was quite a drag when I would try to talk to girls. It was just a pain in the ass, really.
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Anyway, one day during a really hot summer, our parents decided to drop us both off at the local swimming pool for the day. My dad had to work and my mom had errands and stuff to run plus work do to do for the church. It was so hot and there was no way we could afford air conditioning. We had one old fan in the house and a sprinkler in the yard that we could go play in. But the swimming pool was the much better option.
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Of course the pool was very crowded. Lots of families would drop their kids off there during the summertime. And of course, even though I knew it already, my mom stressed to me, “Keep an eye on your little brother at all times.”
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Some of my friends were at the pool too. I got to talking to them and they told me about this new girl who moved into town. She would be starting school that fall and supposedly she was really hot. So of course, I wanted to check her out. I knew the lifeguards would be watching my brother in the water, so he would be fine.
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I went with the guys and the girl was really cute. My buddies all dared me to approach her, which was admittedly a brave thing for a 13 year old boy to do. Of course, I couldn’t chicken out in front of them, so I did just that.
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She was a very sweet girl. We actually ended up talking for a little while. Her parents were at the pool though, and they called her back after too long. So I went back to the water to see how my little brother was doing.
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The only problem was that I couldn’t see him anywhere in the water. This was a small town in a rural area, so although I said the pool was crowded, it wasn’t like a water park is crowded though. I should have easily been able to pick him out of the water. He just wasn’t there.
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I went and searched around the area surrounding the pool and didn’t see him there either. My heart started beating faster and I began panicking. I went to the building where the showers and concession stand were. He wasn’t there either. You couldn’t leave that pool without going through that building, though. I asked the attendant if a 11 year old boy had left the pool on his own in the previous hour and he told me no.
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I then went to the lifeguards and my buddies. I thought maybe there was a chance that I had missed him. It’s easy to occasionally miss someone in a crowd. The lifeguards ordered everyone out of the pool. Fortunately, there were no drowned children in the pool. Unfortunately, my brother was nowhere to be found outside of the pool.
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The lifeguards had to call my mother at the church. I had never before lost track of my little brother like this before. I had no idea what to expect when she showed up. I was only thankful that the police were already at the pool or she probably would have whipped my ass right there in front of the entire pool.
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The trouble I got into at home isn’t something that I want to go into very much. My butt very much has PTSD from the experience. But that was minor compared to the fear I felt for my little brother. Hell, I didn’t even have time to feel guilty although that I knew that I was. I was only concerned for him and wondered what would happen.
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All day and night, I expected the police to bring him home. But that didn’t happen. I expected it the next day too. But it didn’t happen.
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The town organized a search to look for him. I kept expecting to hear from them that they had found him. But that didn’t happen either.
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After about a week of my brother not being found, I began fearing for the worst. I began thinking that he was dead. And I was terrified every waking moment of my life, expecting to absolutely hear the news that his dead body was found.
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Nearly two weeks after the disappearance, we got a phone call from the police. They had found my brother and thankfully, he was alive. But unfortunately, that’s not the whole story.
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Remember the attendant telling me that no boy had left on his own? Well that’s because the boy left with one of the lifeguards who was getting off duty. He had lured my brother out of the pool and into his car with promises of ice cream, something he and I rarely ever got. And my brother went to his house with him.
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For all of that time, he kept my little brother locked up in his basement. He didn’t do anything sexually to him, thank God. But there was a lot of mental and some physical torment when my brother wouldn’t do what he was told to you. But the scariest part for him was thinking he would never get out and be with his family again.
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Here is another weird part. The lifeguard wasn’t an adult. He did this while his parents were out of town for a few weeks. They came back early and caught him. And if you think I felt bad for my parents’ punishing me, what they did to him had to be legendary. The police thought he was either planning on killing or releasing my brother before his parents got home. But no one ever knew for sure.
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He had to live with it without much help for a long time. Mental health assistance had a very bad stigma back then. But we’re both still alive today and he forgave me a long time ago.
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Number Two: Taking the Garbage Out
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A few weeks ago I went outside at around 3am to move the garbage to the curb since pickup would be in the morning. I often do this in the middle of the night. I just tend to keep weird hours and as the weather warms up for the summer I find the warm nights preferable to the sweltering days.
​
I’m not worried about bothering my neighbors since I don’t use noisy bins and all of the houses right next to me are currently empty. I actually find the quiet of the neighborhood at night quite relaxing.
​
Unfortunately since I don’t use bins animals are able to get into the bags a bit easier and while this doesn’t happen often it had happened on this night. So I was outside picking up the strewn around garbage and putting it into another bag when the silence of the night was suddenly broken by multiple police sirens.
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At first they seemed distant and while they startled me it was not at all unheard of to hear sirens at night here. But usually it would be one in the distance. As I listened, still bagging the garbage, I could tell it was multiple sirens and they were getting closer. Then just as suddenly as it started it stopped again. There was just silence. By the time they stopped they sounded maybe four blocks away.
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For a moment the night was silent again and I began hauling the bags to the curb when the neighborhood dogs began barking all at once. It was like every dog in the neighborhood had gotten the cue to start barking. Many were even howling. It continued for maybe a minute and once again it just stopped as suddenly as it had started.
​

I realized I hadn’t heard any barking or howling while the sirens were going and that’s normally how it would work. These dogs had started up separately from the sirens and just stopped all at once. It just wasn’t normal. I went back to the side of the house to grab more bags when the silence was broken a third time. 

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Just a single chime in the night. Like someone getting a phone notification. This sound wasn’t blocks away. This sound was here. RIGHT HERE. No more than feet away. As I said, the houses around me are empty.
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I was done. The rest of the garbage would wait until morning. I didn’t see anyone close by but that just made it worse. There was someone close by that I couldn’t see. I immediately went into the house to leave the garbage for the morning.
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I don’t know if these things were related. If the cops had been chasing someone who’s fleeing had caused the dogs to bark. Someone who received a message on their phone as they approached my house. Or if it was all just a coincidence. But I won’t be taking the garbage out at 3am anymore.
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A Commuter’s Nightmare
William M.
06/30/2021
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Back in the 80s, I worked at the Irwin Memorial Blood Bank in San Francisco while living and commuting from Oakland, CA
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My job as Registrar, took me all over Northern California, during Blood Drives at hospitals, clinics, major corporations, etc., where we would sometimes witness firsthand, the dead, being placed on gurneys, running out of the Coroner's or Medical Examiner’s rear doors, and down the sidewalks, because they simply didn’t have enough room or staff inside the morgues to process them. Mortuaries were having problems too due to the massive overload where deceased loved ones were admitted but not processed or interred for months or even years at a time.
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I remember watching the News and reading newspaper accounts of E.R.s in hospitals, clinics, etc. so clogged with patients, that 1 in 10 would die waiting to just get in to see a Dr. It was a Public Health and Safety nightmare. It was a National disgrace. It was politically orchestrated mass murder. It was the B purge of the ‘80s and ‘90s.
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I remember, starting work early on one of many Blood Drives (the A.I.D.S. epidemic was just getting started) and having to catch the first B.A.R.T. (Bay Area Rapid Transit) train out of the station at about 4:00 am, where morning after morning I would witness hundreds of people sleeping on the benches, or the sidewalks, or on the streets outside, waiting for it to open.
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Hundreds of others would be seen walking around like zombies in the early morning freeze amid the concomitant yelling, screaming, moaning, begging, and pleading, all of it looking like a newsreel of the death camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
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Many times, I was woken at home in the middle of the night, to the sounds of people howling and cursing outside my window at some real or imagined threat, until either the police came, which usually took hours because they were spread so thin, or some tenant, or other, ran them off.
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I remember the time I woke up to the sound of a woman’s voice begging in the early morning cold for someone to help her. She kept repeating it over and over growing weaker and weaker until it was little more than a whisper.
By the time I’d gotten up, armed myself with the steel-reinforced baton I’d purchased at a Police Supply store, and ran the 5 floors down to the ground floor, I found her sitting in a taxi shivering from the 42-degree drizzle coming in off the Pacific. The cabbie told me it was alright; she was just cold and needed someplace to rest and warm up; He’d drop her off at one of the nearby shelters.
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At the time, I was living in a local Residence Hall on Lake Merrit in Oakland, California which was little more than a converted Hotel from the San Francisco/Oakland Gilded Age of the late 1920s. It had 5 floors and a penthouse with a capacity of about 200. I never saw it get much beyond about 30 residents. It sported a full kitchen, dining area, big screen tv viewing room, swimming pool, and a recreation room with pool, foosball, and darts.
​
I lived with a friend, at the time, on the 5th floor just under the penthouse. There was an elevator, but like most refurbs, it didn’t work. That meant we'd have to climb 10 flights of stairs every day to reach our room. The best part was that we had the entire floor to ourselves. I guess nobody wanted to climb that many stairs. Because we were both runners, it was a little like running the 900 feet to the top of Angel Island, running across The Golden Gate Bridge and back, or running the 3.4 miles around Lake Merrit twice a day.
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Because there was no air-conditioning, all the windows were left open during the summer months, but along with whatever cool air the San Francisco/Oakland Bay would bring through the gaping nearly wall-length vault ceilinged windows, it was always accompanied by the teeming, screaming City of Oakland street din: cabbies, buses, cars, trucks, vans, motorcycles, scooters, police sirens, ambulance, fire department, pedestrians, hustlers, druggies, break-dancers, prostitutes the homeless, et al. Day or night, winter or summer, it was like living in a jet engine test lab, somewhere on the 9th level of hell.
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Of course, we could always close the windows against the noise 5 stories below. But if it was summer, with all the humidity coming off the bay, we’d roast like 2 suckling pigs in our own sweat even if we used a fan.
​
One night after a particularly grueling day at work, I came home, climbed Mount Everest (or at least K-2) to my steaming little abattoir, tore off my sports jacket, shirt, and tie, and fell into a coma-like sleep only to awake some 4 hours later to the sound of someone slamming a door, over and over, seemingly as hard as they could. It was about 2:00 am and raining so hard the water was pouring through the open window and flooding the floor and carpet. The sound was coming somewhere down the hall from one of the other units.
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After about the 15th or 16th slam to my inner ear, I was up, as in a trance, running like a lunatic from unit to unit and window to window, covering the entire southside of the 5th floor; battening down the hatches, and getting drenched in the process. It was, how should I say: exhilaratingly infuriating. I was supposed to get up in 2 hours and commute to work in the upper peninsula.
Having unconsciously completed this Sisyphean task and realizing that there was zero chance of getting any sleep, I donned my foul weather gear, equipped my trusty baton (I used to tuck its 2 ½-foot length up my sleeve when running), and headed out the front door to Lake Merrit which was just outside the main entrance. From there, I trotted to the sidewalk circling the lake, and began to run.
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As I ran counterclockwise against a torrential rain with a gale-force wind broken only by the occasional intermittent rainbow-hued lightning flashes which blinded me to almost everything around me, I almost ran into someone up ahead who was walking in the same direction.
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He was hunched over against the wind and rain and wearing a long heavy winter coat. Unusual for that time of year, I thought. Whenever I would run in public, I always made it a courtesy to let people know when I was approaching especially from behind. I’d blurt out a perfunctory:
​
“Excuse me.” Followed by a conciliatory:
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“Sorry.”
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But apparently, the person ahead either didn’t hear me or didn’t care because, when I was about 6 feet from him, he suddenly turned around, exposing a darkened contorted face, jagged teeth, and a guttural growl that would have stopped a charging 600-pound Grizzly.
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The sheer force of the malevolence emitted from this inhuman thing almost made me stop, but because I was moving so fast, the inertia along with the gale force wind and lightning strikes propelled me past him (or it), and fingering my steel-reinforced baton, I, in turn, steeled my nerve and kept running. I looked back only once to reassure myself that he (or it) wasn’t following.
​
Running on the leeward side now, with the rain at my back, I ran past a group of men in a circle smoking or drinking or doing whatever noxious or illicit thing I imagined, when, feeling charged with my own adrenalin, or the anger and resentment at that woman’s searing pleas for help, or the spook I’d almost run into, or just the gross injustices thrust upon the world in that dank, dark and dangerous time, I almost stopped, baton in hand, intending to take on the whole group: I may go down, I told myself, but at least I would take one or two with me.
​
Just then, the lightning struck particularly close to where I and they stood and the sheer blinding flash and concussive boom shook all of us enough to break up their conspiratorial collaboration and my righteous crusade; just enough, that is, to shove me headlong around the next bend, to the long straight full out dash to the front doors, the 5 floors, 10 landings, and 50 risers to rain-sodden home.
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To get to work every day, I'd have to commute to the upper peninsula by using 3 buses, 1 train, and 1 cab and after a 10 or 12 or sometimes 14-hour day, I would have to take the same to get back. This meant that if I didn’t go out, make dinner, eat, or watch tv, I just might get about 4 hours sleep. Commuting took between 2 to 3 hours, one way.
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Once on the way home, almost every stop was crowded with commuters. I was told that it was because there were so many buses down for repair. The ones still running were so filled beyond capacity, that the shocks and springs were sitting on the chassis, and stop after stop proved nearly impossible to take on any more passengers. Still, and despite the few getting out at every stop, the driver would take on even more and just pack them in.
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I remember him yelling for people to get back behind the yellow line over and over. By then, he was long past any semblance of reason; his patience frayed to a single maniacal thought, his voice raspier and raspier, his manner, more and more brusk.
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I can still see when he finally lost it; jumping up, out of his seat, with a nickel-plated 38 Caliber Revolver pointing at one of the passengers; an elderly woman, screaming from the top of his lungs:
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“Get back behind the yellow line!”
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I can still hear the woman begging the driver:
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“Please...” while the passengers behind were practically trampling each other to get out of the line of fire.
I remember the sad, exhausted urgency in her voice; she really was trying to move back, but how could she, an old woman, do that with all those people blocking her way? Everyone knew this was an impossible task; everyone except the maddened driver. He just kept glaring, and bellowing with his gun out pointed right at her and the other passengers.
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"Back up and make room" he yelled.
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‘Or else what?’ I thought. ‘You're gonna kill an old woman?'
​
Getting up out of my seat, pushing my way through the throng who were pushing against me to get away, I managed to get within about 6 feet from the front when, roaring through the din and my fear and anger, I ordered the bus driver to:
​
“Put the gun down!” And again, with even more rage and authority:
“Put the gun down, now!”
​
The bus driver shocked that it might be a cop, or worse, shakily, put his gun back in his concealed carry holster and hypnotically sat back down. He resumed driving without saying another word. I got out at the next stop, along with the elderly woman. She was so shaken, that she busted out crying. I held her still fuming despite the close call because I would now have to wait for another bus and after that, 2 more; the train and a cab to get home. I wasn’t going to make it until well after 8:00 pm. As soon as I got home, I reported the bus number and the driver to Muni.
​
Many of the commuters I'd see day to day, or share a seat with were victims of the purge just trying to get out of the rain or the cold, or the wind, or the sun, even for just a little while. For them, it was easing the agony of living on the street, even just a little. For many of us regular commuters, during those dark times, it proved to be the same.
​
On one of the final buses that would take me to the train and across the bay, I remember standing, with about 50 others, on Market Street waiting. Like ours, stop after stop was so packed with people, some were standing in the street because there was simply not enough room on the sidewalk. The ones in the street would stay where they were for fear of losing their place and missing their connection and having to wait another hour, or more, to catch another.
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Because the rapidly descending elevation of the southbound streets ending at Market Street from the upper peninsula were so steep and the transverse angle of the turn so sharp, some of the buses would skirt the edge of the curb, sometimes rolling up over it onto the sidewalk putting them dangerously close to the commuters waiting on the other side.
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If there were any people in the street, especially the old or the infirm, they would either have to get out of the way and lose their place in line or hope the bus driver stopped before completing the turn. Most of the drivers would. Once there was one who didn’t.
​
I remember the television and newspaper account about an elderly woman waiting at one of the stops during the pm rush hour. When the bus made the oblique turn way too fast at 25 miles per hour she was either too close to the edge or standing in the street when she was hit by the side view mirror across the face and the left side of her head.
​
She went down under the wheels and her body got hung up under the chassis. The bus driver too full of passengers to stop, or late for his break, or just too coked up to notice, kept on heading for the Embarcadero before he realized something was wrong. By then, the woman had been dragged over a quarter of a mile. No one knew for sure whether the concussion from the mirror or the relentless dragging was the cause of death. I guess it didn’t matter to her anymore, one way or the other. It mattered to a lot of those who witnessed the whole thing though; screaming and yelling, block after block, trying to get the bus driver to stop.
​
To get across the Bay to San Francisco from Oakland or back, one alternative to the nightmare bus commute was the B.A.R.T (Bay Area Rapid Transit). It was quiet, clean, air-conditioned, and fast. Traveling under the Bay, it could span the 13 miles in minutes. Once I’d reach the train station, by bus, from the Oakland side, I’d descend one of the many street-level entries to the below-ground turnstiles which led to the train platform. Of course, there were always hundreds of derelicts, homeless, hustlers, etc., hanging out by the turnstiles waiting for their chance to slip through and get on any one of the many trains that serviced the Bay Area, but sometimes, especially after a scuffle with B.A.R.T. Security or the San Francisco/Oakland Police, they’d scatter to the winds (or the shadows as it were) until everything calmed down and then they'd be back at it again, day and night.
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Almost every week I'd hear about someone falling, or being pushed, or jumping down onto the third rail, which would either short-circuit the line and knock out the power or if it was particularly grisly, halt service entirely. Because service resumption could take hours, waiting passengers would have to go back up and out onto the street and catch another train, take a cab or a bus or just walk or, as was often the case for me, run.
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Once, I remember running to the next stop when I was ascending to the upper peninsula because the previous connection didn’t show up which meant it would have added another 45 minutes to my commute. The choice was obvious and inevitable: I could either
“wait to be late” or go for it. I chose the latter.
​
You just can't imagine what it’s like to run at a 20-degree angle uphill for about 2 miles while wearing dress slacks, dress shoes, a white shirt and tie, and a sports jacket, in San Francisco, during the summer, with the humidity until you’ve tried it. It’s, how should I say: exhilaratingly infuriating.
​
Running, I came upon a stand-alone, transmission shop, right in the middle of a residential area. The owners must have paid a pretty penny to get away with that one. There were police cars, the fire department, a metro ambulance, the San Francisco Chronicle, and a marked County Coroner’s Office vehicle scattered around the shop.
Some people along with some of the employees: their first names embroidered on their shirts, were standing on the sidewalk just outside the property watching. They’d been there for about an hour when I stopped to ask one of them (Bob) what happened.
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Wearily he said:
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“The girl who worked in the office answering the phone and typing up orders was shot to death by her boyfriend. The boyfriend got away but she was still down there being processed. God, she was only 24 years old. They’ll catch him, though. He hasn’t got a chance.”
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'Nope,' I thought.
'In this town, I don’t expect he would.'
​
I was late again when I got home. Vaulting the 5 floors to reach our loft, I held my friend close, the entire night. She was ok with that. So was I.=

TW Alcohol/Drugs/Suicide/SH
I'm sorry if my writing is all over the place but i need to let it out somehow.
I started feeling Suicidal when I was around 12 years old because of the way my family functioned. My dad would be gone for months at a time and be home for a week or two. When he was at home everyone was on eggshells. My parents would fight about me, my brother, or just because of things you're not even supposed to fight about but my dad always had to be right. Whenever they would fight I would just sit next to the door and listen to them for hours and cry in silence and when I discovered SH I did it to cope with the pain it caused me.
In school I wasn't a smart kid, I could never concentrate and didnt have the will to study and was on Benzos almost every day(I stole them). When we had oral tests (if you dont know what that is its like a written test but each person goes next to the teacher and its very easy to embarass yourself) most of my teachers would shame me because i didnt study and that's when my anxiety started.
Later when I came out as Bisexual to some of my "friends" everyone bullied me, I barely passed primary and when I had to pick a career for my middle school I didn't have any points to go into any higher schools so I had to go to a catering school. Things weren't any different but I had some friends at least. At one point my brother got kicked out and most of my coping mechanisms didn't work anymore so I started smoking and drinking. I had multiple failed suicide attempts from 14-17
I was on and off in therapy and finally got some medication at 15(Xanax and zoloft), one day my classmates teased me and one of my female friend about us being in a relationship, and because I got tired of listening to that almost every day I made the stupid decision of telling them that I had a boyfriend. Rumors spread through the entire school and I got death threats and dirty looks almost every day. My love life was (and still is) almost nonexistent and I had like 3 relationships.
I had to have practice in restaurants and hotels for my school which I often left after a year because of the toxic work environment, I started to hate the job from the bottom of my heart because of the stress so after I finished high school I took a year off, that turned into two years and now I'm almost 20, I tried several other medications which only made me feel worse or almost didn't help at all(Mirtazapine,Duloxetine,Oxazepam), I tried meditation, being more spiritual, and still, I just feel so exhausted of my routine, of the way I live, of the way I think, I'm sick of everything, the sadness, and the emptiness that is my life. I wish I could just exist in my room with my cat and be at peace but the ghosts of the past keep bringing themselves up in my head and even when I am momentarily happy it's short lived because almost any thought I have triggers anxiety. I hate existing because everything that happened to me shaped me to be the bitter, angry, and insecure person that I am today but I don't know to change that. I don't get enough sleep because I keep waking up every couple of hours and get frequent nightmares of people chasing or murdering me. I'm exhausted, and it takes me an hour just to properly wake up. My room is always messy and when i do manage to get the strenght to clean, it doesnt last long. I almost don't drink any water and most times when I'm hungry I either don't eat at all or I binge. I do not want to leave my house because I got attacked a few years ago in a public bathroom and that trauma causes me to get a PTSD episode of that happening or I become delusional and think someone is going to kill me and that lasts until I snap out of it and remove myself from all the people near me, most of the interactions with strangers make me anxious and I don't feel safe in my own house. (i sometimes think people i hear through my opened window are here to kill me).
I have really bad body dysmorphia and most days I dissociate and don't feel real. I started self medicating with alcohol and weed and stopped going to therapy. Now I just bottle up my emotions until I break down and just cry in bed for hours and soothe myself until I calm down or instead smoke a joint. I dont have many options because the therapists/psychiatrists here are shit and do more harm than help so I don't know how to function in today's society even though everyone expects me to, I never even had a real job and just the thought of having to work makes my insides curl. I still feel like a kid stuck inside of an aging skin suit. If there is any alternative medicine that has "scientfic backing" and worked for you please do tell.
thank you so much for taking the time of your day to read this if you did, i appreciate it and if there is anyone else struggling with something similar don't hesitate to message me, maybe we can help each other in some way.

* Current credit cards you are the primary account holder of: BofA Customized Cash Rewards (May 2016, 3% online shopping); Amex Platinum (Nov 2022); Amex Gold (Dec 2022); BofA Alaska (Apr 2023, Cable/Transit/Streaming); Amex Bonvoy Biz (Apr 2023, Gas/Phone/Else) * Oldest credit card account age with you as primary name on the account: 7 years * Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 6 months: 3 * Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 12 months: 4 * Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 24 months: 4 * Annual income $: 60000 net CATEGORIES * OK with category-specific cards?: Yes. Already do. I'm missing convenience stores, cafes that are not categorized as restaurants, insurance, rental cars, and general shopping. If i close my biz card I'll need hotel and phone. * OK with rotating category cards?: No. * Estimate average monthly spend in the categories below. Only include what you can pay by credit card. * Dining $: 1000 * Groceries $: 200 Walmart/Vons/Trader joes * Gas $: 180 * Travel $: 167-500 (domestic is socal/DC flight/rideshare, international is East/SE Asia and Central America flight/hotel/rideshare) * Do you plan on using this card abroad for a significant length of time?: No. * Phone $: 235 * Streaming $: 102 * Cat $: 145 * Any other significant, regular credit card spend you didn't include above?: $200 medical preexisting payment plan * Can you pay rent by credit card? Yes, but prefer not to. 2.5% fee MEMBERSHIPS & SUBSCRIPTIONS * Currently paying $19.99/month for Disney Bundle (Disney+ / Hulu / EPSN+) * Current member of Chase, US Bank or any other big bank?: BofA * Are you open to Business Cards?: Yes. I'm opening to closing my Amex Marriott biz to use a different biz card. PURPOSE * What's the purpose of your next card?: travel rewards, getting points on missing categories. * If you answered "travel rewards", do you have a preferred airline and/or hotel chain? Alaska/Korean/ANA but i haven't traveled many airlines; Hyatt/Marriott * Do you have any cards you've been looking at? Yes. CSP (Reason: 4/24 status and extra Visa alternative), WoH (Reason: I'm on the fence if i want to be loyal to Marriott or Hyatt), BBP (Reason: Amex Trifecta general spending), Aeroplan (Reason: expecting to travel to Canada a lot in 2024) If churning had levels, I'd be somewhere near the bottom. I like the idea, but am happy to have dedicated cards for spending over 10+ cards with many closures. I also think i started off wrong by not chasing Chase cards first, kk.

This was our first time in Hawaii, and given that we weren’t sure if we’d have the chance to come back in the future, we crammed as much in as possible. We’re a couple in our late 20s. Overall, we loved Oahu, liked the Big Island, and thought Maui was just okay. The main focuses of our trip were trying a lot of different foods, which we did and enjoyed most of, and taking in the beautiful nature Hawaii has to offer, which we did and enjoyed nearly all of. We enjoyed Oahu the most because it offered the most of everything and it was easy to get around. Maui got docked a few points mostly because of how much drive time was required to do most things and it definitely wouldn’t have been worth it if we hadn’t been able to use credit card points for our hotel. HVNP was the big highlight of the Big Island, and we enjoyed a majority of what we did. If we had the chance, we’d probably go back to see more of the BI. In general, we were expecting food to be way more expensive than it was (yay for not meeting expectations) but it was surprisingly difficult for us to find fruits to try besides pineapple, mango, and papaya (boo for not meeting expectations).
This is a reaaaaaally long trip report so I tried to organize it in a way that will allow people to just find their island of interest if they don’t want to read the whole thing. Each island has a bolded header and I put a heart (💜) by things that we absolutely loved and would likely do again and a star (🌟) by things that we really enjoyed doing as first time visitors but probably wouldn’t do again. Please feel free to ask any questions about stuff I didn’t go into detail about!
Oahu Overall Rating: 9/10 Hotel: Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach (mostly stayed here because of CC points and free breakfast. Breakfast would've been way better if there was fruit besides canned pineapple, toilet paper was awful for my bootyhole, and they have the slowest elevators known to man)
Day 0: Travel/arrival

• Landed in Honolulu around 7pm after a very long day of traveling. I wanted to get Marugame Udon for dinner but balked at the line. I had heard that the line moves fast, but we were way too tired to wait, so we got Kono’s instead. My bomber was a bit too salty and greasy, but my boyfriend loved his.

Day 1: Honolulu

• We started the day with Diamond Head. We had the 7-8am reservation, which was perfect, since it was super busy on our way down. 🌟
• I wanted to have lunch at Helena’s but they were unfortunately closed for the duration of the Oahu leg of our trip. Did not learn this until we got there (sign taped to the door), so definitely check their website if this is on your itinerary.
• Walked to Bishop Museum from Helena’s and walked around and had a very sad lunch at the Highway Inn there. The Bishop Museum was beautiful and there was lots to see and read. Chose to do this over Polynesian Cultural Center due to the PCC controversy with the Church of LDS.
• Saw the Iolani Palace and the King Kamehameha statue. Cool to see both, but we didn’t do the formal tour at Iolani Palace.
• Had dinner at Tonkatsu Tamafuji. This was hands down one of the best meals we had the entire trip. We weren’t able to get a reservation so we arrived at 3:30pm to join the waitlist (we were second or third) and were seated almost immediately when they opened for dinner. 💜

Day 2: North Shore

• Started the morning early with the Makapu’u Point Lighthouse trail. Super easy and got to see the sunrise at the top. We really liked this trail. 🌟
• Spent some time at Lanikai Beach and it was a nice beach to relax on
• Headed up to drive through Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden and the mountain ranges were stunning. 🌟
• Lunch at Da Bald Guy. It was good but nothing mindblowing. I wanted to try Ry’s Poke too, but they were closed for a few days. Again, learned from a sign on their window lol.
• We did the Ehukai Pillbox Hike and went past the first pillbox to see the second pillbox. The views from there were phenomenal. My poor feet were suffering a little and the downhill stretches were a bit scary at times, but it was worth it. 🌟
• We got an acai bowl from Haleiwa Bowls and it was so delicious and refreshing. 🌟
• Checked out the North Shore Macadamia Nut Company, North Shore Soap Factory🌟, and the Waialua Sugar Mill🌟. We got some souvenirs for family and even got a little tour at the sugar mill. Pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed these stops.
• Second lunch at Jenny’s Shrimp Truck. Good, but again, nothing mindblowing.
• Laniakea Beach was super crowded so we went to Papa’iloa Beach instead. Pretty and not crowded at all, and saw our first sea turtle here!
• We were pretty tired from the early morning so we decided to skip the last couple of things on our itinerary (Sunset Beach and Ted’s Bakery)

Day 3: Waikiki

• Started the day at KCC Farmers Market. We had mochi from Daizu Tei, banh mi from Pig and the Lady, and passion fruit cane juice (can’t remember the name of the stand). We also got a cup of a variety of cut fruit, which was pretty subpar and disappointing -- a majority of the fruit tasted unripe. 💜
• Lunch at Ono Seafood. It was good, but if I learned anything on this trip, I don’t like poke as much as I thought.
• Evening was spent at Kualoa Ranch for a friend’s wedding. What a beautiful venue!

Day 4: Waikiki

• Hung out on Waikiki Beach for a while before getting lunch at Marugame Udon. Udon was really tasty but I definitely didn’t need to get the tempura too. Extra points for the great value! 💜
• Wandered around International Marketplace but didn’t do any shopping
• Quick snack at Musubi Cafe. Good, but also thought that I’d like spam musubis more.
• Took a nap before getting dinner at Omakase by Aung. This was an amazing and delicious experience. The vibes were *chef’s kiss* 💜

Day 5: Waikiki

• Got coffee and some pastries from Kona Coffee b patisserie. Coffee was fine but the pastries were to die for. Waited in line for a while, so it’s probably good to go at a random time in the middle of the day rather than first thing in the morning 🌟/💜
• Headed over to the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites and went to the Battleship Missouri Memorial, Aviation Museum, and USS Arizona. Didn’t have time for the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum but if we could go back, we’d do that instead of the Aviation Museum. The Battleship Missouri Memorial was really cool and my WW2 buff boyfriend loved it. 🌟
• Wanted to get dinner at Maguro Brother, but was yet again met with a “we’re closed and will reopen on x date” sign. Went to Maguro Spot instead.
• We had shave ice at Island Vintage for dessert. We LOVED it and got one that had frozen yogurt in the center. I am dying to have it again. 💜

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Maui Overall Rating: 7/10 Hotel: Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa (we walked down pretty much the entire 2 mile strip of resorts in Kaanapali and from the outside, I'd say that the Hyatt Regency was among the nicer resorts. However, we would never in a million years stay here if it weren't for CC points)
Day 6: Travel to Maui

• Flew to Maui in the AM and grabbed lunch at Thai Mee Up. Tasty! Unfortunately, we were there pretty early so most of the other trucks were closed. Checked out Costco too, because why not, and had to resist the urge to buy a million snacks.
• Went to the Iao Valley State Monument and did a few short trails there but the star of the day was the Waihe’e Ridge trail. It was probably the most challenging hike we did our entire trip, but it had the best views. It was unfortunately a bit cloudy at the top, but on the bright side, we didn’t have the sun beating down on our backs and were able to get pretty amazing views halfway up. 🌟
• Checked into our hotel before heading out for dinner at Star Noodle. This was another favorite dinner. It’s small plates/family style and while our waiter suggested starting with a noodle plate plus 2-3 other plates, we ended up ordering a second round of plates because everything we had was so good. 💜

Day 7: Haleakala

• The sunrise was breathtaking but I never want to do that drive in the dark ever again, even as a passenger. We left at 2:30am and arrived 30 minutes before sunrise and would suggest leaving even earlier to beat the tour buses. It was CROWDED. Did a few trails (Pa Ka’oao, Leleiwi Overlook, and the first half of Halemau’u) and headed back to the hotel for a much needed nap lol. 🌟
• On the way back, we grabbed a few snacks and poke from Foodland
• Explored Lahaina a little before going to the Old Lahaina Luau. The luau was enjoyable and the amount of food was insane. We didn’t love the food (our favorites were probably the apps and dessert), so because of that and the fact that we’re not big drinkers, it was a bit overpriced.

Day 8: Road to Hana

• Not to be all poo-poo about it but both of us thought this was way too overrated. I’ve given my thoughts on some other threads, but there are scenic drives in northern Michigan that are way prettier than the Road to Hana. The only things worth stopping for were Waianapanapa State Park 🌟 and the Pipiwai trail 🌟 and maybe the Keanae Arboretum just to look at the rainbow eucalyptus trees up close and the roadside lava tube. Other than that, we were not impressed by the beaches or the waterfalls and it was exhausting. Oh, and unpopular opinion, but Aunty Sandy’s banana bread is so overrated.
• We had lunch in the middle at Braddah Hutts. It was very tasty but we definitely could’ve shared a plate. Dinner at Tin Roof was on the itinerary but we decided to skip because of how full we were from lunch.

Day 9: Resort Bumming

• Given how exhausting the previous day was, we just bummed by the pool all day and napped.
• We got dinner at Huihui, which exceeded our expectations and we watched the lovely sunset as we ate.

Day 10: Snorkeling

• We did a half-day snorkel tour with Sea Maui and it was a really great experience! We went to two spots and had breakfast, lunch, and drinks included. 💜
• Took a much needed nap before going to Down the Hatch for dinner. We weren’t super hungry so we just shared an appetizer and entree and got shave ice at Ululani’s afterwards. Both were good but we liked the Island Vintage shave ice better than Ululani’s.

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Big Island Overall Rating: 8/10 Hotel: Orchid Tree B&B (I wanted to gatekeep this but it was too cute of a B&B to not share. The suite we got was clean and comfortable and the simple breakfast in the morning was great. The host cut fresh fruit from their yard for us) 💜
Day 11: Travel/HVNP

• Traveled to the Big Island early in the morning. We stopped by Greenwell Farms for coffee beans to take home, but didn’t have time for a free tour. The beans were a bit pricey but oh well, it’s a souvenir for family and it was 100% Kona coffee.
• We did a farm tour at Kuaiwi Farm and it was fun! We had a bit of a weird group but the owners were great and gave samples of a variety of things to try. 🌟
• Lunch at Shaka Tacoz was delicious. I was in dire need of some vegetables, so I ordered a salad and it was HUGE. I’ve never had such a filling salad.
• We were going to check out the green sand beach but decided against it and headed to HVNP instead. We were able to fit in the Devastation Trail, steam vents, sulphur banks, Kilauea Overlook, and the Thurston Lava Tube. This really freed up our second day at the park and everything was very cool. 🌟
• We got ramen at Tetsumen in Hilo for dinner and it was a pleasant surprise! It was a great way to end the cold and rainy day. 🌟

Day 12: HVNP/Travel

• Since we had time for HVNP the previous day, we only did the Kilauea Iki trail which was also really cool. We were impressed and amazed by HVNP. 🌟
• We went back to Hilo to check out the farmers market and this was possibly the most disappointing part of our short visit to the BI. Despite being warned during the farm tour the day prior, I wanted to try white pineapple before leaving and was convinced by the vendor that I purchased from that the pineapples were ripe. We had been warned during the farm tour that many vendors at farmers markets will lie and sell unripe fruit. So I ended up spending over $20 on an unripe white pineapple that made my tongue burn. I made myself eat probably 1/3 of it before I gave up and threw it out. I also purchased a mountain apple that was also definitely not ripe and I couldn’t eat more than the one bite I took. Lesson learned, I suppose.
• We stopped by Rainbow Falls (had time to kill) and it was alright.
• We had a late lunch at Cafe 100 and Ken’s House of Pancakes (also alright) before our long trip home.