Hi all! So I work in hi tech and have a friend (who also moved to Israel a couple years ago) who’s convinced that ashkenazi Jews are the ones who built the hi tech industry and basically the entire country. While I don’t have stats on these, I am seeing a pretty healthy mix of employees around the office of Jews from all backgrounds.
I was curious if there’s any available data on this to see what’s the breakdown of the startup founders’ heritage?

The human desire for more is deeply ingrained in our evolutionary history. Our ancestors lived in a world of scarcity, where resources were limited and survival was dependent on securing those resources. As a result, humans developed a natural drive to seek out more, whether it was food, water, or shelter.
Today, we live in a vastly different world. Our industrialized societies produce an abundance of goods and services, yet our instinctual drive to acquire more remains strong. This is reflected in our economic systems, which are built on the principles of growth and consumption. Capitalism, for example, incentivizes individuals and businesses to constantly pursue economic expansion, as success and progress are often measured in terms of increased wealth, market share, and material possessions.
The media and advertising industries further fuel our desire for more by creating and perpetuating a culture of consumerism. Through carefully crafted marketing strategies, they present us with an idealized vision of happiness and fulfillment that is closely tied to the acquisition of goods and the pursuit of novelty. We are bombarded with messages that imply that owning the latest products or experiencing the latest trends will bring us joy, status, and a sense of personal satisfaction.
Social comparison plays a significant role in our desire for more. In a world where social media platforms provide a constant stream of carefully curated and often exaggerated portrayals of others' lives, we can easily find ourselves comparing our own circumstances and possessions to those of others. This can lead to a perpetual cycle of wanting more as we strive to keep up with or surpass our perceived competitors.
While our evolutionary past shaped our inclination for accumulation, the modern context amplifies and exploits this drive. However, it is important to recognize that our desire for more is not inherently negative. It has been a driving force behind innovation, progress, and the development of complex societies. It is through our desire for more that we have been able to improve our standard of living, create technological advancements, and explore new frontiers.
Nevertheless, the unchecked pursuit of more can have detrimental consequences. It can lead to overconsumption, environmental degradation, and social inequality. It is crucial that we strike a balance, acknowledging our desires while considering the long-term effects of our actions. This requires cultivating a mindset of mindful consumption, focusing on quality over quantity, and finding fulfillment in experiences and relationships rather than solely in material possessions.
Ultimately, our desire for more is a complex interplay between our evolutionary heritage, societal influences, and personal values. However, the rise of Bitcoin presents an opportunity to rethink our relationship with value and challenge the conventional notion that more is always better. Bitcoin's deflationary nature, where its value increases over time instead of decreasing like traditional fiat currencies, introduces a new paradigm where less can actually be more. This scarcity-driven model of Bitcoin demonstrates that the inherent value of a resource lies not solely in its abundance but also in its limited availability, offering an alternative perspective on our desire for accumulation. By embracing this shift and understanding the potential of alternative systems, we have the chance to navigate a world of abundance with greater mindfulness, sustainability, and well-being.
But in order to fully embrace a new economy, we need to move beyond our primitive instincts and learn to want better rather than more. We need to shift our focus from the accumulation of material possessions to the pursuit of personal growth and development. Instead of constantly seeking out more, we should aim to improve the quality of our lives and the world around us.
This is not to say that the desire for material possessions is inherently bad, but rather that we should strive to find a balance between our primitive instincts and our higher aspirations. By embracing the deflationary nature of Bitcoin and learning to want better rather than more, we can create a more sustainable and fulfilling economy that benefits everyone.
In today's world, we are faced with a multitude of challenges that threaten our planet's health and wellbeing. From food shortages and disease to climate change and tyrannical nations, the world is increasingly dominated by the thirst for power. But what if we could take that power and put it into the hands of the average person everywhere? What would the world look like? Would we even need borders at some point? These are difficult questions, but they are at the heart of what makes Bitcoin more than just a currency.
Bitcoin is unlike anything we have ever seen. It is the first e-currency, the granddaddy crypto, the grandfather to all other cryptocurrencies. Its creation by an anonymous person with the alias Satoshi Nakamoto gave Bitcoin its true power, the power to not be controlled by any single entity. Governments cannot just reach out to Bitcoin's creator and threaten to arrest or bribe them because they are unknown. Furthermore, Bitcoin is open source and requires a supermajority agreement to pass a submitted change to the programing, making it impossible to change its programming against the wishes of the community.
Bitcoin represents a new way of thinking about power and control. It is a decentralized currency that is not subject to the whims of a single entity or government. It is a currency that belongs to the people, and its value is determined not by any central authority but inadvertently by the community that supports it.
In many countries, citizens are subject to restrictions on what they can bring in and out of the country. This can include limits on the amount of currency or precious metals that can be taken out of the country, as well as restrictions on other stores of value. For citizens who want to move their wealth to another country or simply have the option to do so, these restrictions can be frustrating and limiting.
With Bitcoin, all of one's wealth can be stored on the blockchain, which is accessible anywhere in the world. This means that citizens of countries with restrictions on wealth transfer can store their wealth in Bitcoin and access it from anywhere they choose to travel.
This is a significant advantage for people who value the ability to move freely and have control over their wealth. By storing their wealth in Bitcoin, they can bypass the restrictions imposed by their hostile government and have the freedom to travel with their wealth to safer more stable countries. The process of storing wealth in Bitcoin is easy and super accessible. With the advent of user-friendly digital wallets and online exchanges, individuals can securely store and manage their Bitcoin holdings with just a few simple steps.
Unlike traditional financial institutions, which may have barriers to entry or require extensive paperwork, Bitcoin allows for a more inclusive approach to wealth storage. Anyone with an internet connection and a smartphone or computer can participate in the Bitcoin ecosystem, making it accessible to individuals around the globe, regardless of their socioeconomic background. This accessibility not only democratizes the storing of wealth but also empowers individuals to have greater control over their financial future, promoting financial independence and fostering a sense of ownership and empowerment.
This is a powerful example of how Bitcoin can provide true financial freedom to individuals, even in countries where there are restrictions on wealth transfer. By using Bitcoin to store their wealth, people can have the freedom to travel with their wealth, access it from anywhere in the world, and control it independently of their government's restrictions.
Bitcoin can be compared to essential infrastructures such as transportation, phones, and the internet, as it serves as a network for sharing wealth. Much like transportation infrastructure enables physical mobility, phones facilitate social connectivity, and the internet allows global communication through servers, Bitcoin provides a financial network accessible to anyone with internet access.
Transportation infrastructure grants individuals the ability to freely move and travel. Sidewalks, roads, and air travel options are available for anyone to utilize, enabling them to reach their desired destinations. Similarly, phones have evolved to become ubiquitous devices that allow people to connect socially from anywhere. The vast network of phone lines and towers supports this connectivity, enabling individuals to reach out to others across great distances.
The internet revolutionized global communication by connecting people worldwide. It provided a platform for individuals to create websites, share information, and connect with others regardless of geographical boundaries. The internet's expansive network of servers ensures that anyone with internet access can contribute to and benefit from the wealth of information available.
In a similar vein, Bitcoin functions as a financial network. It allows individuals to buy and send bitcoin seamlessly, utilizing the internet as its infrastructure. Just as transportation, phones, and the internet networks have become accessible to a wide range of people, Bitcoin's accessibility extends to anyone with internet access. It offers a decentralized financial system that enables peer-to-peer transactions and wealth sharing on a global scale.
By drawing parallels between Bitcoin and these advancements, we can appreciate the transformative potential of this cryptocurrency. Like transportation, phones, and the internet, Bitcoin represents a significant advancement in our interconnected world, providing a decentralized and accessible network for financial transactions and wealth transfer.

The U.S. balance of payments is a statistical record of all economic transactions between the United States and the rest of the world over a specific period. It provides a comprehensive summary of the country's economic interactions with other nations, including trade in goods, services, income flows, and financial transactions. The balance of payments is divided into three main components:

1. Current Account: The current account records transactions related to the import and export of goods and services, income from investments, and unilateral transfers. It includes:

a. Trade Balance: The trade balance represents the difference between the value of exports and imports of goods. A positive trade balance (surplus) indicates that exports exceed imports, while a negative trade balance (deficit) indicates that imports exceed exports.
b. Services Balance: The services balance accounts for transactions related to services, such as transportation, tourism, financial services, and intellectual property.
c. Income Balance: The income balance tracks income flows from investments, including earnings from foreign investments owned by U.S. residents and income earned by foreign residents from their investments in the United States.
d. Unilateral Transfers: Unilateral transfers include transfers of money or goods between countries without any corresponding economic benefit. Examples include foreign aid, remittances, and grants.

1. Capital Account: The capital account records transactions involving the purchase and sale of non-financial assets, such as real estate and intellectual property. It also includes capital transfers, such as debt forgiveness or the transfer of ownership rights.
   
2. Financial Account: The financial account records transactions related to financial assets and liabilities. It includes:
   

a. Direct Investment: Transactions involving the acquisition or disposal of long-term assets (e.g., equity shares) by foreign investors in the United States or by U.S. investors abroad.
b. Portfolio Investment: Transactions involving the purchase or sale of financial assets, such as stocks and bonds, between residents and non-residents.
c. Other Investment: Transactions related to short-term financial assets, such as loans, deposits, and trade credit.
d. Reserve Assets: Transactions involving changes in the official reserves of a country, such as gold, foreign currencies, and Special Drawing Rights (SDRs).
The balance of payments is designed to ensure that all transactions are accounted for and that there is a balance between the current account, capital account, and financial account. If there is an imbalance between these components, it results in a surplus or deficit in the overall balance of payments.
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When a country flagrantly violates human rights, other nations can show their disapproval by imposing sanctions. This practice cuts off foreign investment and financial aid for the offending country, sending a clear message that its government policies are an affront to the global community. It’s the economic cold shoulder of international politics.
Nations can go a step further by offering asylum to citizens of oppressive countries, effectively draining these countries of their populations. It’s hard for top-level officials to spread corruption where there’s no one below them to exploit. Yet both these approaches – sanction and asylum – attempt to change another government by disengaging with it. It’s not a conversation, but an ultimatum.
What would the Buddha think of this approach? Would he support the cold shoulder, or would he advocate for engaging with corrupt leaders through peaceful activism? Are there times for one approach over the other? Can all hearts be changed?
These are broad philosophical questions that I’ve been trying to fit within the context of Uganda. Their government recently ratified the death penalty for homosexuals, and it made me think about Buddhism and international protest. If, as a Buddhist, you don’t support gay people, I hope you at least oppose the death penalty. What is the best path of activism a Buddhist can take here? Or is it even worth it?
I would love some references from specific suttas. I’ve been thinking about this issue a lot and want to write about it in a longer blog post.

Please check our previous War Room thread for any questions left unanswered
 
Welcome to the War Room. Here you will find trustworthy military advisors to guide your diplomacy, battles, and internal affairs.
This thread is for any small questions that don't warrant their own post, or continued discussions for your next moves in your game. If you'd like to channel the wisdom and knowledge of the noble generals of this subreddit, and more importantly not ruin your save, then you've found the right place!
Important: If you are asking about a specific situation in your game, please post screenshots of any relevant map modes (strategic, diplomacy, factions, etc) or interface tabs (economy, military, etc). Please also explain the situation as best you can. Alliances, army strength, tech etc. are all factors your advisors will need to know to give you the best possible answer.
 

Reconnaissance Report:

Below is a preliminary reconnaissance report. It is comprised of a list of resources that are helpful to players of all skill levels, meant to assist both those asking questions as well as those answering questions. This list is updated as mechanics change, including new strategies as they arise and retiring old strategies that have been left in the dust. You can help me maintain the list by sending me new guides and notifying me when old guides are no longer relevant!
Note: this thread is very new and is therefore very barebones - please suggest some helpful links to populate the below sections

Getting Started

• Hoi4 Wiki
  
• Wiki Beginner Guide
  

New Player Tutorials

• Tutorial for Complete Beginners - Quill18
  
• Ezekiel's Hoi4 Tutorial
  

 

General Tips

• /hoi4 Current Metas Thread
  
• Simple guide to land unit stats
  
• Division Stats Explained
  
• Intelligence Explained
  
• Simple guide to creating unit templates
  
• Unit templates
  
• Ship templates
  
• Guide to Peace Conferences
  

 

Country-Specific Strategy

• Help fill me out!
  
• Italy - 1.9.2+
  
• Japan - 1.9.3+ (Multiplayer)
  

 

Advanced/In-Depth Guides

• Guides to Combat Width
  
• Guide to Combat Tactics and Doctrines OUTDATED, BUT STILL USEFUL
  
• Comprehensive Anti-Air Guide
  
• Guide to Ship Refit Costs
  

 
If you have any useful resources not currently in the Reconnaissance Report, please share them with me and I'll add them! You can message me or mention my username in a comment by typing Kloiper

Calling all generals!

As this thread is very new, we are in dire need of guides to fill out the Reconnaissance Report, both general and specific! Further, if you're answering a question in this thread, consider contributing to the Hoi4 wiki, which needs help as well. Anybody can help contribute to the wiki - a good starting point is the work needed page. Before editing the wiki, please read the style guidelines for posting.

Please check our previous Imperial Council thread for any questions left unanswered
 
Welcome to the Imperial Council of eu4, where your trusted and most knowledgeable advisors stand ready to help you in matters of state and conquest.
This thread is for any small questions that don't warrant their own post, or continued discussions for your next moves in your Ironman game. If you'd like to channel the wisdom and knowledge of the master tacticians of this subreddit, and more importantly not ruin your Ironman save, then you've found the right place!
Important: If you are asking about a specific situation in your game, please post screenshots of any relevant map modes (diplomatic, political, trade, etc) or interface tabs (economy, military, ideas, etc). Please also explain the situation as best you can. Alliances, army strength, ideas, tech etc. are all factors your advisors will need to know to give you the best possible answer.
 

Tactician's Library:

Below is a list of resources that are helpful to players of all skill levels, meant to assist both those asking questions as well as those answering questions. This list is updated as mechanics change, including new strategies as they arise and retiring old strategies that have been left in the dust. You can help me maintain the list by sending me new guides and notifying me when old guides are no longer relevant!

Getting Started

• Europa Universalis 4 Wiki
  
• Wiki Beginner Guide
  
• Which DLCs should I buy?
  
• Client/Game Troubleshooting Help
  
• Reverting to a previous version
  

New Player Tutorials

• How to play EU4, by Ezekiel (patch 1.28)
  
• Arumba teaches EU4 to Civilization player FilthyRobot (patch 1.18)
  
• Arumba's New Player Tutorial Series (patch 1.20)
  
• Arumba teaches EU4 to Monk004 (patch 1.28)
  
• Beginner's Guide to Coalitions 1, 2
  
• General tip collection thread
  
• How to revert to an older patch
  
• Reman's War Academy Volume I - Army Composition and Basic Combat
  

Administration

• Remans guide to Absolutism
  
• Guide to Religious Ideas
  
• Converting Culture
  
• Converting Religion
  

Diplomacy

• Personal Unions and Succession Wars
  
• Video guide to Personal Unions
  
• A guide to multiplayer diplomacy
  
• Comprehensive guide on Subject Nations
  

Military

• Reman's War Academy Volume II - Troop Quality and Advanced Combat
  
• Reman's War Academy Volume III - Military Idea Groups
  
• Reman's In-Depth guide to Fort Zone of Control
  
• Guide on Combat Width
  
• Ideal army composition for every tech
  
• On War - A Comprehensive War Manual for Multiplayer
  
• Dismantling the HRE
  
• Combat Simulator
  

Trade

• Reman's In Depth Guide to Trade

 

Country-Specific Strategy

• 1.25 Byzantium Guide
  
• 1.25 Scotland Guide
  
• 1.25 Mamluk Guide
  
• 1.28 Kazan Guide
  
• 1.30 Aztec Guide
  
• 1.30 Granada Guide
  
• 1.30 Knights Guide
  

 

Misc Country Guides Collections

• 1.25 - 1.29 Misc Country Guides by RadioRes
  
• 1.25 - 1.28 Misc Country Guides by Lord Forwin
  
• 1.28 - 1.30 Misc Country Guides by AlzaboHD
  
• 1.30 Misc Country Guides by Ludi et Historia
  
• Misc Country Mission Visualizations
  

 

Advanced/In-Depth Guides

• Misc mechanics guides by RadioRes (culture shifting, policies, absolutism, etc)
  
• Guide to personal unions and direct inheritance
  
• 1.28 Three Mountains (Shogunate)
  
• Arumba's Assay series (misc patches, takes user-submitted failing or problematic games and helps fix them)
  
• A Complete Guide to EU4 Economics, Part 0 (links to multiple in-depth guides on economics)
  
• Comprehensive Multiplayer EU4 Guide (1.28)
  
• General World Conquest Guide
  

 
If you have any useful resources not currently in the tactician's library, please share them with me and I'll add them! You can message me or mention my username in a comment by typing Kloiper
Calling all imperial councillors! Many of our linked guides pre-Dharma (1.26) are missing strategy regarding mission trees. Any help in putting together updated guides is greatly appreciated! Further, if you're answering a question in this thread, chances are you've used the EU4 wiki and know how valuable a resource it can be. When you answer a question, consider checking whether the wiki has that information where you would expect to find it, and adding to the wiki if it does not. In fact, anybody can help contribute to the wiki - a good starting point is the work needed page. Before editing the wiki, please read the style guidelines for posting.

Hi ecommerce - I'm Paul and I follow the e-commerce industry pretty closely for my Shopifreaks E-commerce Newsletter. Each week I post a summary recap of this week's top stories, which I cover in depth in the newsletter. .

1. STAT OF THE WEEK: 70% of e-commerce shoppers experienced shipping delays without any reason provided by the business for the delay. Faced with that experience, 90% of respondents said they are less likely to buy from a brand again after a poor online shopping experience, while 29% say they are increasingly willing to share a negative review online. – According to Koerber .
2. If some of Temu's deals appear too good to be true — it's because they are! An analysis of the company's supply chain costs by WIRED shows that Temu is losing an average of $30 per order as it throws money at trying to break into the American market. Most of Temu's subsidies are in the form of free international shipping, with even a small package costing the company around $14 to ship to the US (although it offers the shipping for free). When adding in the additional product discounts and cash coupons that Temu gives to customers, the average loss per order jumps to $30. .
3. The FTC has proposed new rules in the US called “click to cancel” that will impact e-commerce subscriptions — but in a good way for consumers! The rules would require any business selling subscriptions to add a simple cancel mechanism on the same website as the initial transaction, and include the same number of steps. In other words, a “one click subscription” would require a “one click cancelation.” This “click to cancel” rule is part of the FTC's proposed changes to its 1973 Negative Option Rule, which establishes how subscription sellers must communicate offers, ensure consent, manage billing, and simplify cancellation. .
4. BigCommerce announced new leadership including the appointment of Daniel Lentz as the company's CFO, Chuck Cassidy as its General Counsel, and Hubert Ban as its Chief Accounting Officer. .
5. Google is launching Product Studio, a new tool that allows Shopping merchants to quickly edit and customize their product images for free using generative AI. According to Google's data, product listings with more than one image typically see a 76% increase in impressions and a 32% increase in clicks compared to listings with a single image. With the new generative AI tool, text prompts can be used within Product Studio to quickly make visual adjustments to product images, such as generating new backgrounds for seasonal campaigns. The tool also allows sellers to instantly remove the existing background of an image if they need a blank backdrop, and increase the quality of small or low resolution images. .
6. Morning Consult published their annual report of Most Trusted Brands for 2023. The survey ranks roughly 1,500 brands in the US, most of which were dominated by big, well-established names including: #1 Band-Aid, #2 UPS, #3 Amazon, #4 Lysol, #5 Kleenex, #6 Cheerios, #7 Visa, #8 Dove, #9 The Weather Channel, and #10 FedEx .
7. Axios, in collaboration with market research firm Harris Poll, also ran a recent survey to determine the Most Reputable Brands in the US. The results were very different from Morning Consult's most trusted brands. Only one company overlapped in the top ten which included: #1 Patagonia, #2 Costco, #3 John Deere, #4 Trader Joe's, #5 Chick-fil-A, #6 Toyota, #7 Samsung, #8 Amazon, #9 USAA, and #10 Apple . Bottom of the list included: #90 Family Dollar, #91 Balenciaga, #92 BP, #93 Bitcoin, #94 TikTok, #95 Spirit Airlines, #96 Meta, #97 Twitter, #98 Fox, #99 FTX, and #100 The Trump Organization .
8. The latest data from PYMNTS shows that high earners are feeling the pinch of credit card debt and that their wages aren't keeping up with inflation. This is resulting in higher-end retailers who depend on wealthier households feeling the pinch as well. The data shows a number of correlations including that for bouseholds earning more than $100k annually, 42% were living paycheck-to-paycheck in April 2022. That number has crept up to over 49% this past year. .
9. Netflix must have forgotten what love is since 2017 when it made its famous tweet that “Love is sharing a password.” The company has finally launched its ill-awaited crackdown on password sharing in the US and the UK. The new rules state that subscribers are permitted to share their account with members of their own household, which Netflix defines as “you and the people you live with.” Netflix will begin using a variety of tools, such as IP checking, to spot when people are using another household’s account and prevent them from doing so, or give them the option of adding a household for $7.99/month. The company expects cancellations, but optimistically (or idiotically) predicts that those same people will come back again, which will overall lead to more people paying for subscriptions. .
10. Laws are changing in Australia to treat BNPL as a credit product. Finally! When was it NOT a form of credit? BNPL should have been recognized as a credit product the day the first BNPL company put up a coming soon landing page. Australia’s Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Stephen Jones said that a litany of issues reported to the Australia Securities and Investments Commission have added up to “unacceptable levels of unaffordable lending occurring, largely concentrated amongst low-income borrowers.” He added that “BNPL looks like credit, it acts like credit, it carries the risks of credit.” Jones promised draft legislation in the coming months and the introduction of a final bill to the Australian Parliament by the end of the year, which will include the need for BNPL firms to hold Australian Credit Licenses and comply with Resonspible Lending Obligations. .
11. Bill Gates said that AI could kill Google Search and Amazon as we know them, and that the technology could radically alter user behaviors, resulting in people never needing to visit a search website again or use certain productivity or shopping tools. Gates remarked that the first company to develop it will have a leg up on competitors. .
12. A recent study conducted by Lloyds Banking Group revealed that a UK consumer falls victim to a purchasing scam that originates on Facebook or Instagram every seven minutes, resulting in a cost of over £500k per week. (That man is Michael Scott.) The banking group is now urging Meta and other tech giants to take responsibility and contribute to refunding innocent victims of scams. .
13. Analysts at Bernstein project that Reliance Industries is poised to outpace Amazon and Flipkart in the race for India's $150M e-commerce market, citing the conglomerate's robust retail network, mobile network, and home field advantage as its biggest assets. Reliance already operates the country's largest retail chain with over 18k stores and is leveraging its presence to form partnerships with Meta, Shein, and other companies as a strategic advantage against its competitors. .
14. Shopify is introducing its POS hardware to the Canadian market. Its mobile selling device, the POS Go, which is built to run Shopify’s POS software, was first rolled out to retailers in the US in 2022. .
15. Meta announced that ads in Instagram search results will now be available through the Instagram Marketing API, allowing third-party social-management platforms to offer a new Instagram ad-placement type in their apps. Meta began testing the placement in March and are now opening it up to all brands. .
16. Shein is exploring plans to build a factory in Mexico as one of its manufacturing hubs outside China, which could shorten shipping time and cut distribution costs for customers in Latin America and USA. Earlier this month I reported that Shein is creating a hub in Brazil. .
17. Amazon opened the first phase of its Metropolitan Park on Monday, its long-awaited second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia that can hold up to 8k employees. However not all Amazon employees are excited about the new office location (or any office location). At least 1,000 office workers are planning a walkout this Wednesday to take a stand against the company's return-to-office mandate. .
18. The Vietnamese government is putting pressure on TikTok to police its content and remove videos that fall short of the state’s standards, or risk a ban. Eight government departments are targeting toxic content deemed “to pose a threat to the country’s youth, culture and tradition” — including videos that simply criticize college degrees. .
19. eBay unveiled generative AI on its mobile app to help sellers list new items for sale, however the company forgot to inform sellers and didn't label the icon. When clicked, the icon replaced sellers' entire product descriptions with AI generated text, with no way to recover the original description. .
20. Boozt AB, a Sweden-based online fashion retailer, blocked 42,000 customers for returning too many items, calling their actions too costly for the company and the environment. The company said that these particular customers represented less than 2% of their 3M customers, but around 25% of the total return volume. .
21. Twitter withdrew from an agreement with the EU to cut down misinformation on its social network, which the company joined alongside other tech companies in 2018. Thierry Breton, the EU internal market commissioner, noted that fighting disinformation will be a legal obligation from August 25th, due to the EU's Digital Services Act, so the agreement would become irrelevant. .
22. Jeff Bezos is ripped now! The Amazon founder started working with personal trainer, Wes Okerson, who's also trained Tom Cruise and Gerard Butler, and now he's gotten super buff. This is about the least e-commerce specific news you'll ever see me share in this newsletter, but the Jeff Bezos before / after photo is kind of wild! .
23. Amazon will close its official Amazon app store in China on July 17, which launched in 2011 as an alternative to the Google Play Store. Amazon noted that its marketplaces and AWS services will remain operational in China. However while it may be leaving China, the Amazon App Store will soon be bringing more Android apps to the Windows ecosystem. The expanded partnership will allow Windows users to access a wider range of Android apps seamlessly. .
24. Google updated the badges some merchants display for their product listings in Google Search to say “Top Quality Store” instead of the original “Trusted Store” badge. Google said this is just a name and title change and won't have any impact on search rank or performance. .
25. Auctane, an e-commerce shipping specialist that operates brands such as Metapack, ShipStation, Packlink, ShipEngine, Stamps.com, and others, appointed Albert Ko as its new CEO, who previously served as CEO of EWS, which is best known for the Zelle payments network. Current CEO Nathan Jones will join the company's Board of Directors. .
26. eCampus.com, a website that sells textbooks and course materials, announced that it would keep offering textbook rentals, even though its retail partner Amazon was exiting the business. The company had been powering the program behind the scenes for Amazon since 2012, and plans to keep it going through its own website. .
27. Walmart is partnering with Pawp, a veterinary telehealth provider, to offer Walmart+ subscribers free access to virtual veterinarians for a year, starting this week. Currently Pawp charges $99 for an annual membership. .
28. Alibaba Group said that it aims to hire 15,000 people this year, dismissing rumors circulating that the company planned to cut 20% of its staff. They also mentioned that more than 3,000 of those hires would be newly-graduated students. .
29. Plus 7 seed rounds, IPOs, and acquisitions of interest including a $12M Series A round by Laced to grow its resale marketplace for authenticated sneakers.

I hope you find this news recap helpful. See you next week!
-PAUL

Hi ShopifyeCommerce - I'm Paul and I follow the e-commerce industry closely for my Shopifreaks E-commerce Newsletter. Each week I post a summary recap of this week's top stories, which I cover in depth in the newsletter. .

1. STAT OF THE WEEK: 70% of e-commerce shoppers experienced shipping delays without any reason provided by the business for the delay. Faced with that experience, 90% of respondents said they are less likely to buy from a brand again after a poor online shopping experience, while 29% say they are increasingly willing to share a negative review online. – According to Koerber .
2. If some of Temu's deals appear too good to be true — it's because they are! An analysis of the company's supply chain costs by WIRED shows that Temu is losing an average of $30 per order as it throws money at trying to break into the American market. Most of Temu's subsidies are in the form of free international shipping, with even a small package costing the company around $14 to ship to the US (although it offers the shipping for free). When adding in the additional product discounts and cash coupons that Temu gives to customers, the average loss per order jumps to $30. .
3. The FTC has proposed new rules in the US called “click to cancel” that will impact e-commerce subscriptions — but in a good way for consumers! The rules would require any business selling subscriptions to add a simple cancel mechanism on the same website as the initial transaction, and include the same number of steps. In other words, a “one click subscription” would require a “one click cancelation.” This “click to cancel” rule is part of the FTC's proposed changes to its 1973 Negative Option Rule, which establishes how subscription sellers must communicate offers, ensure consent, manage billing, and simplify cancellation. .
4. BigCommerce announced new leadership including the appointment of Daniel Lentz as the company's CFO, Chuck Cassidy as its General Counsel, and Hubert Ban as its Chief Accounting Officer. .
5. Google is launching Product Studio, a new tool that allows Shopping merchants to quickly edit and customize their product images for free using generative AI. According to Google's data, product listings with more than one image typically see a 76% increase in impressions and a 32% increase in clicks compared to listings with a single image. With the new generative AI tool, text prompts can be used within Product Studio to quickly make visual adjustments to product images, such as generating new backgrounds for seasonal campaigns. The tool also allows sellers to instantly remove the existing background of an image if they need a blank backdrop, and increase the quality of small or low resolution images. .
6. Morning Consult published their annual report of Most Trusted Brands for 2023. The survey ranks roughly 1,500 brands in the US, most of which were dominated by big, well-established names including: #1 Band-Aid, #2 UPS, #3 Amazon, #4 Lysol, #5 Kleenex, #6 Cheerios, #7 Visa, #8 Dove, #9 The Weather Channel, and #10 FedEx .
7. Axios, in collaboration with market research firm Harris Poll, also ran a recent survey to determine the Most Reputable Brands in the US. The results were very different from Morning Consult's most trusted brands. Only one company overlapped in the top ten which included: #1 Patagonia, #2 Costco, #3 John Deere, #4 Trader Joe's, #5 Chick-fil-A, #6 Toyota, #7 Samsung, #8 Amazon, #9 USAA, and #10 Apple . Bottom of the list included: #90 Family Dollar, #91 Balenciaga, #92 BP, #93 Bitcoin, #94 TikTok, #95 Spirit Airlines, #96 Meta, #97 Twitter, #98 Fox, #99 FTX, and #100 The Trump Organization .
8. The latest data from PYMNTS shows that high earners are feeling the pinch of credit card debt and that their wages aren't keeping up with inflation. This is resulting in higher-end retailers who depend on wealthier households feeling the pinch as well. The data shows a number of correlations including that for bouseholds earning more than $100k annually, 42% were living paycheck-to-paycheck in April 2022. That number has crept up to over 49% this past year. .
9. Netflix must have forgotten what love is since 2017 when it made its famous tweet that “Love is sharing a password.” The company has finally launched its ill-awaited crackdown on password sharing in the US and the UK. The new rules state that subscribers are permitted to share their account with members of their own household, which Netflix defines as “you and the people you live with.” Netflix will begin using a variety of tools, such as IP checking, to spot when people are using another household’s account and prevent them from doing so, or give them the option of adding a household for $7.99/month. The company expects cancellations, but optimistically (or idiotically) predicts that those same people will come back again, which will overall lead to more people paying for subscriptions. .
10. Laws are changing in Australia to treat BNPL as a credit product. Finally! When was it NOT a form of credit? BNPL should have been recognized as a credit product the day the first BNPL company put up a coming soon landing page. Australia’s Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Stephen Jones said that a litany of issues reported to the Australia Securities and Investments Commission have added up to “unacceptable levels of unaffordable lending occurring, largely concentrated amongst low-income borrowers.” He added that “BNPL looks like credit, it acts like credit, it carries the risks of credit.” Jones promised draft legislation in the coming months and the introduction of a final bill to the Australian Parliament by the end of the year, which will include the need for BNPL firms to hold Australian Credit Licenses and comply with Resonspible Lending Obligations. .
11. Bill Gates said that AI could kill Google Search and Amazon as we know them, and that the technology could radically alter user behaviors, resulting in people never needing to visit a search website again or use certain productivity or shopping tools. Gates remarked that the first company to develop it will have a leg up on competitors. .
12. A recent study conducted by Lloyds Banking Group revealed that a UK consumer falls victim to a purchasing scam that originates on Facebook or Instagram every seven minutes, resulting in a cost of over £500k per week. (That man is Michael Scott.) The banking group is now urging Meta and other tech giants to take responsibility and contribute to refunding innocent victims of scams. .
13. Analysts at Bernstein project that Reliance Industries is poised to outpace Amazon and Flipkart in the race for India's $150M e-commerce market, citing the conglomerate's robust retail network, mobile network, and home field advantage as its biggest assets. Reliance already operates the country's largest retail chain with over 18k stores and is leveraging its presence to form partnerships with Meta, Shein, and other companies as a strategic advantage against its competitors. .
14. Shopify is introducing its POS hardware to the Canadian market. Its mobile selling device, the POS Go, which is built to run Shopify’s POS software, was first rolled out to retailers in the US in 2022. .
15. Meta announced that ads in Instagram search results will now be available through the Instagram Marketing API, allowing third-party social-management platforms to offer a new Instagram ad-placement type in their apps. Meta began testing the placement in March and are now opening it up to all brands. .
16. Shein is exploring plans to build a factory in Mexico as one of its manufacturing hubs outside China, which could shorten shipping time and cut distribution costs for customers in Latin America and USA. Earlier this month I reported that Shein is creating a hub in Brazil. .
17. Amazon opened the first phase of its Metropolitan Park on Monday, its long-awaited second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia that can hold up to 8k employees. However not all Amazon employees are excited about the new office location (or any office location). At least 1,000 office workers are planning a walkout this Wednesday to take a stand against the company's return-to-office mandate. .
18. The Vietnamese government is putting pressure on TikTok to police its content and remove videos that fall short of the state’s standards, or risk a ban. Eight government departments are targeting toxic content deemed “to pose a threat to the country’s youth, culture and tradition” — including videos that simply criticize college degrees. .
19. eBay unveiled generative AI on its mobile app to help sellers list new items for sale, however the company forgot to inform sellers and didn't label the icon. When clicked, the icon replaced sellers' entire product descriptions with AI generated text, with no way to recover the original description. .
20. Boozt AB, a Sweden-based online fashion retailer, blocked 42,000 customers for returning too many items, calling their actions too costly for the company and the environment. The company said that these particular customers represented less than 2% of their 3M customers, but around 25% of the total return volume. .
21. Twitter withdrew from an agreement with the EU to cut down misinformation on its social network, which the company joined alongside other tech companies in 2018. Thierry Breton, the EU internal market commissioner, noted that fighting disinformation will be a legal obligation from August 25th, due to the EU's Digital Services Act, so the agreement would become irrelevant. .
22. Jeff Bezos is ripped now! The Amazon founder started working with personal trainer, Wes Okerson, who's also trained Tom Cruise and Gerard Butler, and now he's gotten super buff. This is about the least e-commerce specific news you'll ever see me share in this newsletter, but the Jeff Bezos before / after photo is kind of wild! .
23. Amazon will close its official Amazon app store in China on July 17, which launched in 2011 as an alternative to the Google Play Store. Amazon noted that its marketplaces and AWS services will remain operational in China. However while it may be leaving China, the Amazon App Store will soon be bringing more Android apps to the Windows ecosystem. The expanded partnership will allow Windows users to access a wider range of Android apps seamlessly. .
24. Google updated the badges some merchants display for their product listings in Google Search to say “Top Quality Store” instead of the original “Trusted Store” badge. Google said this is just a name and title change and won't have any impact on search rank or performance. .
25. Auctane, an e-commerce shipping specialist that operates brands such as Metapack, ShipStation, Packlink, ShipEngine, Stamps.com, and others, appointed Albert Ko as its new CEO, who previously served as CEO of EWS, which is best known for the Zelle payments network. Current CEO Nathan Jones will join the company's Board of Directors. .
26. eCampus.com, a website that sells textbooks and course materials, announced that it would keep offering textbook rentals, even though its retail partner Amazon was exiting the business. The company had been powering the program behind the scenes for Amazon since 2012, and plans to keep it going through its own website. .
27. Walmart is partnering with Pawp, a veterinary telehealth provider, to offer Walmart+ subscribers free access to virtual veterinarians for a year, starting this week. Currently Pawp charges $99 for an annual membership. .
28. Alibaba Group said that it aims to hire 15,000 people this year, dismissing rumors circulating that the company planned to cut 20% of its staff. They also mentioned that more than 3,000 of those hires would be newly-graduated students. .
29. Plus 7 seed rounds, IPOs, and acquisitions of interest including a $12M Series A round by Laced to grow its resale marketplace for authenticated sneakers.

For more details on each story, see the full edition: https://www.shopifreaks.com/how-much-money-does-temu-lose-per-orde
What else is new in e-commerce? Share stories of interesting in the comments below (including in your own business) or on shopifreaks.
See you next week.
-PAUL

My USD card has a 3.5% fee for foreign transactions, in addition to the exchange rate. Should I use it for transactions in Canada or is it preferable to convert some of my USD to Canadian cash and use that? Which seems more economical?
I'm coming from a country where it's wayyy more common to pay in cash than by card (obviously not the US) so that might be why this is confusing for me. I haven't actually used my USD card much yet, it's fairly new. Any advice would be appreciated.

In February 2022, Russia launched unprecedented military action in Ukraine. The United Kingdom has spent £2.3 billion on military aid to Ukraine, as of September 2022,[1] and the government has committed to maintaining the current level of aid throughout 2023. However, it has not stated the benefits this aid provides to the British public during the worst cost-of-living crisis since the Second World War.
After the start of the invasion, the West initiated a sanctions offensive against Russia. It is now safe to say that these tactics have failed, as the elites in Russia can easily smuggle Western goods due to their wealth and often dual citizenship. Gas can still be exported to Western countries, through third countries, such as India. This is evidenced by the fact that the Russian economy only shrunk by only 2% despite the war and the sanctions.[2] Do the sanctions against Russia hurt ordinary Russians rather than the ruling elite, as well as the British public by significantly raising gas and electricity prices?
Furthermore, recent Pentagon leaks reveal that there are 50 members of the British Armed Forces in Ukraine,[3] and the UK has trained 10,000 Ukrainian troops on British soil since the beginning of the war.[4] Does this risk making the UK a victim of Russian aggression? If Belarus were training Russian troops, would Ukraine have the right to retaliate against Belarus?
Serious questions have been raised about corruption in Ukraine, as the Democracy Index considers Ukraine to be a hybrid regime rather than a flawed or full democracy.[5] Ukraine has also been involved in several high-profile scandals, such as the Hunter Biden Laptop case,[6] and several political parties have been made illegal.[7] Moreover, approximately two-thirds of the aid donated by the U.S.A. to Ukraine has gone missing.[8] This raises concerns about the potential formation of a repressive state in Ukraine backed by Western arms and finance.
Additional articles on the subject:
[1] - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-will-match-record-ukraine-support-in-2023
[2] - https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-the-economic-war-against-russia-has-failed/
[3] - https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/ap11/up-to-50-uk-special-forces-present-in-ukraine-this-year-us-leak-suggests
[4] - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-extends-ukraine-military-training-to-pilots-and-marines-as-president-zelenskyy-makes-first-visit-to-the-uk-since-russian-invasion
[5] - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index
[6] - https://time.com/6254861/hunter-biden-laptop-investigations-charges/
[7] -https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/3/21/why-did-ukraine-suspend-11-pro-russia-parties
[8] - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-military-aid-weapons-front-lines/

Hi all, I'm a dumb, close-minded, sheltered American college student looking to dramatically expand his horizons. I want to learn a new perspective on life, reality, society, culture, economics, language, philosphy, technology... you name it.
Originally, I was considering spending my semester abroad in Scotland. But now, I'm reconsidering. I've been to Europe many times, but I've never visited a predominately non-white country, and I've never been out of the US for more than 3 weeks. So a semester abroad is a big step up for me.
Now, I'm thinking about something truly radical - going somewhere I know nothing about, adapting to a place where I, as a white man, am for once not the target demographic of social hegemony.
What do you guys think of an American studying abroad in Korea? Would I be welcomed? Would I be hated since the Trump administration? What is Korean culture like, not from a textbook perspective, but from a real, day-to-day, lived experience?
More importantly, is weed legal there?
​
Much love,
-Wes

Demographics: Male, South Asian, NC, large competitive semi-feeder public, 200k+ income
Intended Major(s): stat or cs or compeng, see schools for specifics
ACT/SAT/SAT II: 1550 SAT, 1470 PSAT, 31 ACT (not submitting)
UW/W GPA and Rank: Top 20 out of 550 class rank, 3.97 UW, 4.64 W
Coursework: 9 APs (4.5 exam score average) 4 dual enrollment at community college, 2 dual enrollment at NCSSM Online (both cs related, not factored into GPA)
Awards:

1. USACO Silver
2. FBLA State Winner x 3 / Nats qual, hoping for nats placement
3. Anaconda Data Science Expo Competition 1st Place Winner ($7000)
4. Blue Ocean Entrepreneurship Competition Top 10 (out of approx 4000)
5. PVSA Silver

Not including but known by scores: National Merit Scholarship Finalist, AP Scholar with distinction
Extracurriculars:

1. statistics intern for local company
2. researcher at ncssm
3. cs intern at t100 state school
4. major education nonprofit cto
5. fbla club co-president
6. school economics club board position
7. school computer science club board position
8. paid tutor at tutoring company equivalent to kumon
9. local volunteer organization (50 hours)
10. web developing intern for local religous organization
11. accounting/data sci internship

Essays/LORs/Other: strong
Schools:
ED: cornell (stat)
EA: unc chapel hill (cs), nc state (compeng), purdue (compeng), uiuc, umich, ut austin (all cs), GEORGIA TECH (STAT)
RD: cmu, upenn, duke, columbia, dartmouth (all stat)
rly want georiga tech

After years of research and development, commercial humanoid robots are closer than ever to being available and working in environments with humans. We are seeing a new wave of robotics companies working on bringing humanoid robots to workplaces. Some of them even claim the first machines will be available for order this year.
The most notable of this new wave of robotics companies is Tesla. At the AI Day in 2021, Elon Musk announced that Tesla is working on a humanoid robot named Optimus. Elon Musk said Optimus would be an “extremely capable robot”, manufactured in very high volume (ultimately millions of units). Tesla Bot is expected to cost much less than a car, at under $20,000, and to be available by the end of 2023.
Tesla is not the only company working on commercial humanoid robots.
1X Technologies is promising to make its Neo robot available to purchase by the end of 2023. 1X was put in the spotlight when it was revealed that OpenAI invested in the Norwegian startup (one of OpenAI’s technical goals is to build a household robot).
Other new players include Figure, which raised $70 million to build an autonomous humanoid robot, and Sanctuary AI which is also working on a general-purpose humanoid robot. Chinese tech company Xiaomi also joined the game in 2022 with the announcement of CyberOne.
None of the companies mentioned discloses the price tag for their robots.
With the ageing workforce in developed countries plus the ongoing labour shortages, we might have the perfect mix of technology becoming available and economically viable at the same time.
Are you looking forward to seeing humanoid robots in workplaces?
Source: Humanoid robots: Machines built in our image

The entire public debate about climate change is based on a massive lie. That lie is that if we reduce our greenhouse emissions, we can limit climate change -- that each reduction in the rate of emissions lessens the problem.
The confusion results from mixing up the rate of climate change with the final total emissions. By reducing greenhouse emissions in any one context, we reduce the speed of climate change. But if all this does is reduce the speed we get through our fossil fuels, so we end up taking longer to burn exactly the same amount as we would have done anyway, then it makes no difference to the long term outcome.
Imagine if one billion people -- the richest one billion -- all tried really hard to reduce their emissions. So all the super-rich stop using their super-yachts and everybody in the western world buys electric cars, etc... This would reduce demand for fossil fuels, which would lower the price, which would make them more affordable for the other 7 billion humans. The free market would just redirect those fossil fuels to different consumers. This might slow down the rate of climate change a bit, but it would make zero difference to the final outcome of by the time humans actually stop changing the climate.
The only thing that can actually make a difference to the final outcome is for the producers to stop producing, and leave some economically-extractable fossil fuels in the ground. And nobody is even seriously suggesting such idea. No country that exports fossil fuels is ever going to stop exporting them while there is still both a surplus and a free market, and nobody is suggesting the free market be shut down.
Conclusion: the free market in fossil fuels absolutely guarantees that we will keep burning them until they cease to be economically viable, regardless of the climatic consequences. So we're looking at a final climate change in the order of 5-10 degrees. The exact figure doesn't matter, because the point I am making is this: nothing anybody does to reduce their emissions is making the slightest bit difference to the final outcome.
Now...sometimes in response to this I hear people say "But you mustn't say that, because you'll just encourage the climate change deniers, and nobody will make any effort to reduce their emissions." My response? This doesn't make any difference either. It does not matter what people do. Who cares if they are making it happen a bit faster? What help is it to slow it down a bit?
What would make a difference? The truth might. If what I have written in this post became widely understood by the global public, then it would transform global politics. Not in a way that would lead to limiting climate change, but in a way that force societies to start adapting to the worst case scenario.

The US press would have us all believe that this conflict popped into existence in February of last year. People who have been following the Ukraine and Russia news for decades know that there's a long long history to be understood. Anyone who wishes to form an opinion about the current conflict should at least become familiar with the main points of the last 30 years, since the fall of the Soviet Union.
Probably the best overall short treatment of this subject is Benjamin Abelow's How the West Brought War to Ukraine: Understanding How U.S. and NATO Policies Led to Crisis, War, and the Risk of Nuclear Catastrophe. Here's an article by Ben Abelow that summarizes the book. Here's an interview with Ben Abelow.
The overthrow and domination of Ukraine was a goal of the US long before the Soviet Union fell. Billions of dollars were invested over decades in this project. It is, for example, easy to follow the US hand in the Orange Revolution of 2004. The Maidan coup of February 2014 was from top to bottom a US project. The US neocons ( esp Victoria Nuland ), followed their usual approach of exploiting cultural, religious, ethnic fissures in order to split the country open like a walnut, employing the most violent local elements, and then appointing their own people to dominate and rule over the flaming wreck that results. It's the same approach they use around the globe to overthrow and dominate countries.
Here's a pretty good short history of the US project to overthrow and dominate Ukraine by Scott Horton. History Behind the Russia Ukraine War
Oliver Stone's Ukraine on Fire is a pretty good intro to the US role in the 2014 coup.
Prof Jeffrey D Sachs of Colombia University has provided this intro into the neocons, best represented by Victoria Nuland, John Bolton, Richard Perle, Eliot Abrams, Max Boot, Anthony Blinken, etc, who are behind ALL of the US wars in the last 40 years. Highly recommend. The war in Ukraine is the culmination of a 30-year project of the American neoconservative movement. The Biden Administration is packed with the same neocons who championed the US wars of choice in Serbia (1999), Afghanistan (2001), Iraq (2003), Syria (2011), Libya (2011), and who did so much to provoke Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The neocon track record is one of unmitigated disaster, yet Biden has staffed his team with neocons. As a result, Biden is steering Ukraine, the US, and the European Union towards yet another geopolitical debacle. If Europe has any insight, it will separate itself from thes
The key book to be aware of is former NSA Zbigniew Brzezinski's 1997 "The Grand Chessboard" which describes the motivation for the US conquest and dismemberment of Russia.
CatGPT summarize "The Grand Chessboard"
"The Grand Chessboard" is a book by Zbigniew Brzezinski, a renowned foreign policy expert and former national security advisor. Published in 1997, the book provides a comprehensive analysis of global politics and U.S. foreign policy in the post-Cold War era. Brzezinski argues that the United States must maintain its global dominance by controlling the Eurasian continent, which he calls the "Grand Chessboard." He contends that the U.S. must prevent the rise of any potential rival power in the region, including Russia, China, or a unified Europe, by promoting the integration of the countries in the region into a cooperative system that is compatible with American interests. Brzezinski also suggests that the U.S. should use its military and economic power to shape the political landscape in the region, by supporting pro-American regimes, preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and securing access to vital resources, such as oil and gas. Overall, the book presents a geopolitical vision for U.S. foreign policy that emphasizes the importance of controlling the Eurasian continent in order to maintain American global dominance. While controversial and contested, "The Grand Chessboard" remains an influential work in the field of international relations and foreign policy.
I've shared hundreds and thousands of articles on this topic here on reddit and elsewhere for fifteen years. These few links will get you pointed in the right direction. Here are a few websites whose content is excellent for serious students of this topic. Antiwar dot com, Consortiumnews and German website Moon of Alabama
Search for videos by Jeffrey D Sachs, John Mearsheimer, Alexander Mercouris, The Duran, The Grayzone, Danny Haiphong, and Ben Norton. It's worth the time. These are almost all American sources, with a handful of Europeans included.
A good list of dependable journalists you'll find among the Serena Shim Award Laureates
The Iraq War was sold to the US public by pushing an enormous false narrative. The perps behind that catastrophe are largely the same bunch behind the US overthrow of Ukraine in 2014 and the subsequent armed conflict.

Basically, I’m in my early 20’s and desperately want to do a niche trade program, but will be unable to do so as I have a custody situation with my kid that effectively makes it impossible for me to relocate for the next +15 years. Keeping it vague about the industry because it’s rare enough to potentially give away location… Not to diss my home town too badly, but I had been excited to move since childhood, and way before ever learning about this career. There are a lot of other reasons people want to and do leave - by most metrics it sucks. Not a lot of opportunities economically, recreationally, you name it. Also for context, there is no corresponding or remotely similar job to the one I want, it can’t be done without completing an in-person program, and it’s not realistically doable as a hobby (espc. without formal training and an incredible amount of spare time/space/money). A few years ago there was a fantastic opportunity for me to try it out and it’s the only thing I’ve ever been that talented at or enjoyed that much by a mile. The leader actually encouraged me to apply to an even higher level program in a different country. The more realistic option is in state but still way too far to commute. It genuinely feels like losing a calling.
There isn’t a way around, so I’m trying to make the most of this situation but feel incredibly bummed and aimless most of the time. And almost claustrophobic? There was an incident where I threw up after realizing it just wouldn’t work out AND there’s no way to relocate. Therapy and meds have been a bit helpful for the anxiety, but I don’t have any family members left to talk this over with. My therapist has done a lot of work on ‘in the moment’ type coping strategies but dealing with the big picture life situation is such a beast and I’m struggling to move on even though this has been reality for a couple years now. Mom, Dad, do you have any advice for or anecdotes about this kind of thing?

Hello there!
So I've been single for over 4 years now and honestly I'm missing having someone to cuddle up with when it's cold out, and to share all the snacks with during cosy nights in (I'm eating two people's worth of snacks right now and it's seriously not good for me!). Normal dating apps suck, and I've met some cool people here before, so let's try this again!
I know appearance is important to a lot of people so I'll start by saying I'm not the greatest looking person in the world. I'm happy to share some terrible selfies once we've been chatting for a bit, but here's a quick summary to start with. I'm white, I've got short brown hair, and blue/greyish eyes. I am fat (not just a bit chubby), but I am also 6'4 so that's gotta be a good thing right? I'm also pretty strong, so combine that with all the extra padding and I can guarantee the best hugs and cuddles you've ever had! Plus, wanna see what life's like up here? Come and sit on my shoulders and enjoy the view! Even if you're on the heavier side yourself, I'm willing to bet I could get you up there 💪
I work as a Senior AV technician at a university down here. It's pretty fun, I get to play with all sorts of technology and I really enjoy my job, even if it does get a bit stressful at times with all the big projects we're doing.
Unfortunately with covid and the current economic situation and the general state of the world I can't afford to move out and I'm still living at home, but I'm making the most of not having to pay a mortgage and rent and everything at the moment by saving up for a new car and planning on doing some travelling later in the year. My first plan is a trip to Svalbard and I'd totally love someone to come and join me!
Outside of work I'm pretty much the typical gamesci-fi/fantasy nerd! I built a gaming PC a couple of years ago and I'll give pretty much any game a go. I'm not really into competitive type games since I'm not very good at them (I can't carry you ingame but I totally will in real life 😛), but survival and adventure stuff is always fun. I'm also into strategy games and all the usual fun multiplayer stuff. I also got back into Warhammer 40K a couple of years ago but that has kind of slowed down now since I kind of overwhelmed myself with models and burnt out on the painting a little bit...
Film and TV wise I mostly like Sci-Fi and Fantasy stuff, Star Wars, Marvel, LOTR, and Dr Who are some of my favourites. I do also like a good horror film, or a good documentary, usually on some obscure paranormal weird thing. If anyone fancies doing any ghost hunting or exploring I'll happily come and see what happens!
So what kind of person am I looking for? Well;
Preferably someone in the UK (especially down in the South East), I can drive so basically anywhere in the country is fairly easy to get to.
I don't mind if you're from abroad, but please be from an English speaking country (US/Canada/Australia/etc), or willing to relocate to the UK someday as I've tried learning other languages in the past and it's definitely not happening.
Physically I don't really have a "type". Anything from normal up to thicc with 5 c's is fine by me, the only real preference is that you're not super skinny since I don't wanna be worried about breaking you 😂 I'm totally not bothered by height, even if somehow you're taller than me!
Overall I'm just looking for someone kind, caring, and non-judgemental who actually wants to talk to and spend time with me as much as I want to talk to and spend time with them.
If you've made it this far and like the sound of me, congratulations! Come and message me for a cookie!

Hello there!
So I've been single for over 4 years now and honestly I'm missing having someone to cuddle up with when it's cold out, and to share all the snacks with during cosy nights in (I'm eating two people's worth of snacks right now and it's seriously not good for me!). Normal dating apps suck, and I've met some cool people here before, so let's try this again!
I know appearance is important to a lot of people so I'll start by saying I'm not the greatest looking person in the world. I'm happy to share some terrible selfies once we've been chatting for a bit, but here's a quick summary to start with. I'm white, I've got short brown hair, and blue/greyish eyes. I am fat (not just a bit chubby), but I am also 6'4 so that's gotta be a good thing right? I'm also pretty strong, so combine that with all the extra padding and I can guarantee the best hugs and cuddles you've ever had! Plus, wanna see what life's like up here? Come and sit on my shoulders and enjoy the view! Even if you're on the heavier side yourself, I'm willing to bet I could get you up there 💪
I work as a Senior AV technician at a university down here. It's pretty fun, I get to play with all sorts of technology and I really enjoy my job, even if it does get a bit stressful at times with all the big projects we're doing.
Unfortunately with covid and the current economic situation and the general state of the world I can't afford to move out and I'm still living at home, but I'm making the most of not having to pay a mortgage and rent and everything at the moment by saving up for a new car and planning on doing some travelling later in the year. My first plan is a trip to Svalbard and I'd totally love someone to come and join me!
Outside of work I'm pretty much the typical gamesci-fi/fantasy nerd! I built a gaming PC a couple of years ago and I'll give pretty much any game a go. I'm not really into competitive type games since I'm not very good at them (I can't carry you ingame but I totally will in real life 😛), but survival and adventure stuff is always fun. I'm also into strategy games and all the usual fun multiplayer stuff. I also got back into Warhammer 40K a couple of years ago but that has kind of slowed down now since I kind of overwhelmed myself with models and burnt out on the painting a little bit...
Film and TV wise I mostly like Sci-Fi and Fantasy stuff, Star Wars, Marvel, LOTR, and Dr Who are some of my favourites. I do also like a good horror film, or a good documentary, usually on some obscure paranormal weird thing. If anyone fancies doing any ghost hunting or exploring I'll happily come and see what happens!
So what kind of person am I looking for? Well;
Preferably someone in the UK (especially down in the South East), I can drive so basically anywhere in the country is fairly easy to get to.
I don't mind if you're from abroad, but please be from an English speaking country (US/Canada/Australia/etc), or willing to relocate to the UK someday as I've tried learning other languages in the past and it's definitely not happening.
Physically I don't really have a "type". Anything from normal up to thicc with 5 c's is fine by me, the only real preference is that you're not super skinny since I don't wanna be worried about breaking you 😂 I'm totally not bothered by height, even if somehow you're taller than me!
Overall I'm just looking for someone kind, caring, and non-judgemental who actually wants to talk to and spend time with me as much as I want to talk to and spend time with them.
If you've made it this far and like the sound of me, congratulations! Come and message me for a cookie!

Hello there!
So I've been single for over 4 years now and honestly I'm missing having someone to cuddle up with when it's cold out, and to share all the snacks with during cosy nights in (I'm eating two people's worth of snacks right now and it's seriously not good for me!). Normal dating apps suck, and I've met some cool people here before, so let's try this again!
I know appearance is important to a lot of people so I'll start by saying I'm not the greatest looking person in the world. I'm happy to share some terrible selfies once we've been chatting for a bit, but here's a quick summary to start with. I'm white, I've got short brown hair, and blue/greyish eyes. I am fat (not just a bit chubby), but I am also 6'4 so that's gotta be a good thing right? I'm also pretty strong, so combine that with all the extra padding and I can guarantee the best hugs and cuddles you've ever had! Plus, wanna see what life's like up here? Come and sit on my shoulders and enjoy the view! Even if you're on the heavier side yourself, I'm willing to bet I could get you up there 💪
I work as a Senior AV technician at a university down here. It's pretty fun, I get to play with all sorts of technology and I really enjoy my job, even if it does get a bit stressful at times with all the big projects we're doing.
Unfortunately with covid and the current economic situation and the general state of the world I can't afford to move out and I'm still living at home, but I'm making the most of not having to pay a mortgage and rent and everything at the moment by saving up for a new car and planning on doing some travelling later in the year. My first plan is a trip to Svalbard and I'd totally love someone to come and join me!
Outside of work I'm pretty much the typical gamesci-fi/fantasy nerd! I built a gaming PC a couple of years ago and I'll give pretty much any game a go. I'm not really into competitive type games since I'm not very good at them (I can't carry you ingame but I totally will in real life 😛), but survival and adventure stuff is always fun. I'm also into strategy games and all the usual fun multiplayer stuff. I also got back into Warhammer 40K a couple of years ago but that has kind of slowed down now since I kind of overwhelmed myself with models and burnt out on the painting a little bit...
Film and TV wise I mostly like Sci-Fi and Fantasy stuff, Star Wars, Marvel, LOTR, and Dr Who are some of my favourites. I do also like a good horror film, or a good documentary, usually on some obscure paranormal weird thing. If anyone fancies doing any ghost hunting or exploring I'll happily come and see what happens!
So what kind of person am I looking for? Well;
Preferably someone in the UK (especially down in the South East), I can drive so basically anywhere in the country is fairly easy to get to.
I don't mind if you're from abroad, but please be from an English speaking country (US/Canada/Australia/etc), or willing to relocate to the UK someday as I've tried learning other languages in the past and it's definitely not happening.
Physically I don't really have a "type". Anything from normal up to thicc with 5 c's is fine by me, the only real preference is that you're not super skinny since I don't wanna be worried about breaking you 😂 I'm totally not bothered by height, even if somehow you're taller than me!
Overall I'm just looking for someone kind, caring, and non-judgemental who actually wants to talk to and spend time with me as much as I want to talk to and spend time with them.
If you've made it this far and like the sound of me, congratulations! Come and message me for a cookie!

Article: Here
Polling of more than 1,000 people in England’s 100 most rural constituencies reveals a fall of 18% in Tory support and a Labour surge of 16%.
This is putting the Conservatives (41%) and Labour (36%) almost neck-and-neck for the next election, the report, by the Country Land & Business Association (CLA) and Survation, says.
The survey reveals mounting frustration with economic policy and cost-of-living ‘premium’ affecting rural communities.
Around 12 million voters live in rural areas, representing a significant proportion of the UK economy.
The Conservatives currently hold 96 of the 100 most rural seats in England, but applying this trend to the 2019 results would see them lose 20 seats in 2024.
This includes the likes of Northeast Somerset and Sherwood - large rural constituencies - which would fall to Labour.
And areas like South-West Surrey, which has been Conservative since 1983, would fall to the Liberal Democrats.
Despite the historic bond between the Tories and rural England, only 36% of those polled agreed the Conservatives "understand and respect rural communities and the rural way of life", with Labour close behind at 31%.
The majority of respondents (69%) agreed the government isn’t doing enough to tackle the cost-of-living crisis in rural areas.
And a third (33%) said the cost-of-living pressures are affecting the countryside more than urban areas.
Of the political parties most trusted to stimulate economic growth in rural areas, between the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats, the largest group of respondents (34%) said ‘don’t know’.
The finding suggests that gains could be won by any party that offers an ambitious growth plan for the countryside.