To the point
Helvetic village. Switzerland: a small state with a big identity. But there is a fine line between state sovereignty and provincial isolationism.
Parallels. Switzerland and the EU are not as different as they are often portrayed - neither structurally nor in terms of their internal complexity.
EU scepticism. Anti-EU attitudes have a long tradition in Switzerland, despite close economic ties and acceptance of large parts of the EU regulatory framework.
Risk. In a world in geopolitical upheaval, Switzerland is in danger of losing an opportunity with its vague positioning on the EU.
The similarities are striking: both Switzerland and the European Union did not come into being by chance, but as a result of political will - in each case in opposition to the prevailing mainstream at the time. Here Switzerland, the neutral, federalist, prosperous small state in the heart of Europe. On the other hand, there is the European Union, the continental integration experiment based on peace, prosperity and values.
On the one hand, 26 cantons, on the other 27 states, all equally independent and stubborn political entities. They are held together by a sophisticated structure of common rules and institutions. Each canton, each member state is power-conscious, economically successful, in competition with others, internationally networked.
All special cases with their own unmistakable history and tradition. And all 53 eye with suspicion what comes from the centre, once from Bern, once from Brussels. Neither are real capitals, but they are centres of impulse and control in the finely tuned balance of power and the redistribution of solidarity-based benefits. Nine million inhabitants here, about 50 times as many there. Each with a common currency, but a colourful mix of languages and religions. Four official languages in Switzerland, 24 in the EU. And twice a motto in Latin: "Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno" (one for all, all for one) and "In varietate concordia" (united in diversity). Which belongs to which?
Difficult relationship
Despite all the similarities, Switzerland and the EU find it difficult to build a lasting constructive relationship with each other. This has a lot to do with their respective self-images, but also with the interests of influential individual actors and groups. Yet there is no alternative to close economic networking for both: half of all Swiss exports go to the EU's internal market. Goods and services worth almost one billion francs are exchanged every day. Almost 1.5 million EU citizens work in Switzerland at attractive wages; conversely, almost half a million Swiss citizens are on the EU labour market.
The EU has so far shown a lot of understanding for its difficult neighbour. More than 120 individual bilateral treaties regulate relations between Switzerland and the EU, especially access to the internal market. However, passive membership of third parties in the internal market, the centrepiece of European unification, was never a future model from Brussels' point of view.
Thus, in the 1990s, the European Economic Area (EEA) was created for those Europeans who did not want to join the Community in the foreseeable future. It offered access to the internal market with a common institutional component for settling disputes. Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland joined, the Swiss refused in 1992. Then, as now, the pronounced anti-EU attitude had a name and a face: Christoph Blocher, billionaire, industrialist, media owner, short-term Federal Councillor.
New attempt at a relationship
After the failure of Switzerland's EEA accession, it gradually became clear to both partners how incompatible their ideas for the common future were. 24 years after the application, Switzerland also formally withdrew its membership application in 2016. Switzerland would probably never become an EU member. Or only when it was doing badly economically, according to Christoph Blocher.
In the EU, too, enthusiasm for Switzerland as an extra-complicated partner declined in proportion to the internal pressure from right-wing Eurosceptic parties in its own ranks. Everyone would like to have a tailor-made membership, why should only the Swiss get one?
From then on, the "internal market without nothing" was no longer part of the EU's offer. Instead of further individual treaties, a kind of "umbrella treaty" was needed. At the head of the Commission, a convinced representative of the small states, the Luxembourger Jean-Claude Juncker, took up the mantle. He knew the interests and deep-seated fears of the successful small states better than anyone else.
But this attempt was also a failure. At the end of May 2021, the Swiss government declared the negotiations over. Just like that. Without involving parliament or the people. Remarkable in the model country of direct democracy. In 1992, the EEA issue had been put to the vote of the people and the cantons. Thirty years later, apparently no one was prepared to go to the polls for an agreement that was actually tailor-made, complete with dynamic adoption of law, emergency brake and arbitration court. This would have made Switzerland the only country in the world to adopt EU legislation à la carte.
Where there is (no) will, there is (no) way
Foreign policy is a direct function of domestic policy. The Swiss government got caught up in tactics. The Federal Council made no attempt to explain to its citizens the benefits of a longer-term stabilisation agreement with the EU. No convincing personality in the government unreservedly supported the finalised agreement. Many groups found reasons not to like the agreement. The trade unions in particular successfully climbed the barricades on the issue of wage protection. Their alliance with the right-wing nationalist SVP and its fetishism for sovereignty prevented a majority for the framework agreement.
In addition, there was a lack of willingness to reform in certain business circles and a general unwillingness to let the EU show its cards. In the end, a critical mass of positive arguments was lacking. The status quo seemed preferable to the manageable risk of a pragmatic consolidation.
Blocher's narrative of the indomitable Helvetic village had taken possession of public opinion. "We find ourselves back on field 1 after thirty years of European policy muck," says Peter Ziegler, former editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Der Bund" and remorseful EEA opponent, in view of the fruitless wear and tear on diplomatic and political energies.
What is striking is that the now almost universal practice of "autonomous implementation" - i.e. the direct adoption of EU law - does not seem to bother anyone. Why does sovereignty-conscious Switzerland not want to sit at the table in Brussels? Co-decide? Co-responsible? Has the "special case of Switzerland" even become strategically incapable in the end? In a networked world, sovereignty has long since ceased to be understood as medieval autarky. Especially for small states, whose security is ultimately guaranteed from the outside, it is a matter of optimising possibilities of influence. And about the wise use of multilateral mergers as "sovereignty enhancers" - see the EU and Ireland.
Numbers & Facts
Fortress in the Alps
As a neutral country, Switzerland must be able to defend itself. The Confederation is therefore well equipped, and defence is considered a civic duty in society.
Army people
One often hears: Switzerland does not have an army, it is an army. The army is largely recruited from militia soldiers. All male citizens must enlist at the age of 18. As long as they are physically and mentally fit and are not doing civilian service, recruits regularly take part in exercises after initial training. As a result, Switzerland has around 150,000 active and trained soldiers. Those who do not perform military service must pay three per cent of their annual income as military substitute tax.
High striking power
In a comparison of military capabilities, Switzerland ranks 44th worldwide (Global Firepower Index). But all the countries listed higher - with the exception of Norway - have a larger population than the Swiss; Austria, which is the same size, only comes in 84th in the same ranking. No wonder, Switzerland invests around five billion francs a year in armament. In addition to a well-developed network of defence installations, the army has 148 aircraft, including the F-35, the most modern fighter jets in the world. Despite its many mountains, Switzerland has 380 tanks.
Weapon in the wardrobe
Many a tourist is amazed to see armed citizens in public. Soldiers take their service weapon, the assault rifle 90, home with them. About 100 weapons are lost every year. But they are often found again, as an army spokesman affirmed, for example by the next tenant.
What does Switzerland want?
The Swiss model of "one foot in, one foot out" seems comfortable. As if there really is "the nickel and the dime" (a Helvetic metaphor for a barter deal in which one gets everything and the other nothing) in the long run. It is not for nothing that a Bertelsmann study from 2019 attests that Switzerland benefits the most from the EU's internal market. But the current state of affairs is no good as a model for the future. From the EU's point of view, there will be no new market access agreements without agreement on the institutional dimension.
The erosion of the bilateral treaties will only become noticeable creepingly for the time being - for example, when less or no investment is made in research projects or university start-ups and spin-offs; when energy security in the supply of electricity becomes fragile and help is needed; when locations of the medtech industry are relocated to the EU. But the train keeps moving, and those who do not act in time will be left sitting at the station.
In 2023, elections will be held in Switzerland. Normally, this is not a good time to rely on reason and an overarching perspective. But there is no holiday from history. The brutal Russian attack on neighbour Ukraine is turning old certainties upside down. European security policy is reshaping itself. The migration wave is rolling again. The EU needs every ounce of political energy for itself. Brexit, the Ukraine invasion and increasing geopolitical tensions are causing more unity in the EU and less willingness for special arrangements.
What does Switzerland actually want? Who immediately knows the Swiss line, not only in European policy? In times of forming geopolitical blocs, this lack of legibility can quickly become a serious disadvantage. Even among well-meaning neighbours, perplexity, even resentment, is spreading. Bern bought US fighter planes, not German or French ones. Paris and Berlin are pawing at them. Solidarity with Ukraine is not enough to deliver ammunition produced in Switzerland to Germany. Is Switzerland losing reliability in its dealings with partners?
Putting our money where our mouth is
While Bern dreams of a new framework agreement (Bilaterals III) without even being able to agree internally on a negotiating mandate, the President of the EU Commission leaves the Swiss President out in the cold in Davos in January 2023. No time for a meeting - indignation in the Swiss media. A snub? Or just a thoughtful hint that the indecisive neighbour is slipping in the ranking of EU priorities?
It is time to put our money where our mouth is. The Swiss cross and the European stars do not stand for irreconcilable opposites. Nothing in Switzerland's political genetics makes it an enemy of Europe. And conversely, no neighbour wants to bully Switzerland. Perhaps after thirty years of pause for reflection, Switzerland could throw some mirages overboard and show the world what it really is: European through and through, always has been.
Conclusion:
The relationship between Switzerland and the European Union has always been complicated. Admittedly, there are many similarities; both Switzerland and the EU, for example, are characterised by complex institutions that balance a multitude of individual interests. Nevertheless, both sides find it difficult to permanently regulate their relationship. Bern broke off negotiations on a framework treaty with the EU in 2021 without consulting the people. For pragmatic reasons, Switzerland has to adopt large parts of the EU regulations, but is reluctant to have a say in Brussels. Meanwhile, the EU's motivation to deal with the small state is sinking. In a world where geopolitical blocs are forming, a vague Swiss position could be increasingly disadvantageous.
https://www.derpragmaticus.com/schweiz-eu/

Heatwave groaned as she rolled over, careful to mind the crow nestled in the cook of her neck. "Everything sucks" she mumbled to herself. A few interesting tasting plants and some very hot stones had eased the freezing pain in her side, but it was still there, a constant cold burning sensation.
It wasn't even her fault that it happened! one minute she was trotting into the prey centre, happy as can be to finally get some food, and the next she was being blasted with frost. The Icewing had apologized about a hundred times since Heatwave woke up, and turned out to be pretty cool (pun not intended) so she held no grudges.
What she did hold, though, was guilt. Heatwave had panicked before she lost consciousness in the prey centre, and stung a dragon with her barb. She knew it was fairly weak venom inside, but it induced a horrible burning sensation that could immobilize someone for a day or so. Atoll, the Seawing that was hit, took it pretty well and they became besties in seconds.
Atoll was just like her personality wise, though she was a bit of a pushover. Heatwave would make sure she was treated right, considering this was the first dragon she told about her narcolepsy and Atoll seemed not only unbothered but happy to give her a talon incase she needed it.
The crow on her neck gave a low reply to her voice, tickling her. She giggled softly. This crow belonged to a training nurse, and was an absolute sweetheart. "I'm hungry" Heatwave huffed, shuffling to get up. Currently, it was late. Between dinner and bedtime, probably, though she couldn't be bothered to guess. The other injured dragons on her left were sleeping.
She sighed, managing to hoist herself up. the Hybrid hated just sitting and doing nothing, even if it was painful to do anything else. What if i used some bandages to wrap the hot stones to my scales? that might work. With a nod, she got to work.
As Heatwave searched for bandages and picked out the hottest stones, her crow friend sitting in her current sleeping pile, she reminisced on the dodgy fixes she used to make up at home. Home. The sandy orphanage in a rusty old town. She missed chasing the rats there. They had gotten smart and were constantly making the chase fun, unlike the ones at JMA.
What she missed most was her brother. Whisked away to be some sort of servant in a manor house who knows where. She hoped he was ok there, that it was fine, even though he was taken against his will. Heatwave worried about him a lot, hoping her letters got through, that he could come visit for the first time.
"Done!" she whispered loudly, proud of her messy work. Heatwave took a step and a stone immediately dropped through the bandage and onto the floor. Cringing at the noise, she tucked it back in and tightened the wraps. It wasn't... ideal, but it helped with the pain a bit and she was tired of being lazy.
With a nod of confidence, she padded out into the hall. Heatwave felt scared as she walked, hoping to find the kitchens, or the prey centre, soon. Everything felt too dark, every tunnel too long. She felt like she was being watched, and any turn she took lead her further into nothing.
The small hybrid began to tear up after what felt like hours, surrounded by darkness with all her stones lost ages ago. She was in pain, and lost, and scared. Why did i do this? she asked herself, swallowing down the lump in her throat.
With a deep breath, she spoke, voice wavering. "Hello?"
Surprisingly, someone answered.

There's already a subreddit made by the developers for Town of Salem II. It's official, and moderated. Am I encouraging people to jump ship from here and go over there? Absolutely not. However:
Town of Salem I is still incredibly active and has a huge loyal playerbase, ranging in the 1500s or more in peak hours. I play both games, but sometimes it's a bit jarring coming here and seeing practically a huge amount of posts with the "Town of Salem 2" flair, when I want to see posts pertaining more to ToS1 game-play and how roles are in the classic game.
I love both, but I think the separation is necessary. In fact I might even say that I like ToS2 better, but that's beyond the point (I'm solely stating this in case someone might accuse me of being a naysayer and not a fan of the sequel, hence I want ToS2 posts out of here. That's not the case).
There are also people who are posting the same images on both subreddits, and not a single one. Which is fine, but you understand the problems if one subreddit is a community "for both games" while there's a subreddit that's solely for one of these two games.
ToS-I is still a community of its own that can have an identity separate from ToS2. The developers themselves also have stated how they intend the ToS1 experience to be in demand from new players who may be introduced to ToS2 first; and for it to be thriving and have a playerbase who prefer it.

Here's the second part of Act IV. Sorry for the double post but I had no choice due to the website's limitations.
​

Act IV: The Clouds Burst (2/2)

To the Panic room
Frightened by the new attack, Biosyn's board of directors leave the auditorium and, guided by their escort, they head for the panic room. Meanwhile, the employees finally manage to rush out of the burning cafetaria and while some surrender to the Italians and the Austrians, others rush to the metro station or the garages in order to flee to the Biosyn village, and a fraction try to make a run for the panic room but their way is blocked by a group of guards.
On their way to the panic room, the board of directors is partly caught in a stampeding crowd. Zoe Murdoch is pushed on the ground, trampled and left behind while Nathan Quinn abandons his fellow board members.
The wage of treachery
While she also started heading to the garages, knowing that Dodgson must be there, Bigelow is attacked by Massoud. They fight but despite her skills, Massoud is a stronger opponent and he overpower Bigelow. But just as he is strangling her, the grey guard is tased by Kayla and falls unconscious. The smuggler helps the CIA agent get up and they hurry to the garages.
The raiders
Meanwhile, the mysterious soldiers have reached the laboratories, killing everyone in their path, be they Biosyn guards and mercenaries, scientists who tried to save their work, or besiegers (including Luis Olivares).
They cross the different labs. In Dr Lesser's, Wu hides from them as he is still locked up. The raiders ends up reaching their objective: The locusts' lab. When they see the nine empty rooms, the raiders seem worried and frustrated, implying they came to do something with the locusts. They then has the remaining group gassed and we see the locusts taking flight and then starting to drop dead on the floor. While some of the raiders then raid and destroy the rest of the Locusts' lab, other squad members then free the animals contained in the cages of another lab.
In the lower levels
While crawling and climbing in the vents towards the top of the Citadel, Claire sees Owen running past her as he rushes to the kennels. But the alarms' blare prevent The Raptor Whisperer from hearing his fiancée.
In the lower levels, Mia Everett is trying to capture Victoria, intending to save her from the chaos and Biosyn's clutches, but the young Achillobator attack her, biting and clawing at her throat. Grievously injured, the scientist fall and Victoria lets her bleeds to death. When Owen finds Mia, she just has the time of uttering a few words before passing away. The Raptor Whisperer sees a number of animals running in the hallways, including Victoria. But just as he plans to catch her, Biosyn employees are being chased by some of the most dangerous escapees (like the dilophosaurs). Some of those animals prevent The Raptor Whisperer from going after Victoria and he is forced to hide in the first room he can find.
Tu quoque mi fili
On their way to the garages, Ramsay and Dodgson have an argument, during which the first say he no longer want to follow the second due to his recent fits of madness (filling Maisie's head with lies; the locusts' threats; literally declaring war with the Italians and the Austrians; behaving like a dictator...), even though he believed in his vision when he was recruited years ago (Ramsay genuinely believed that Biosyn's breakthroughs could improve the world etc...). When Ramsay admits having helped Wu with discovering the truth about Charlotte's videos and breaking Maisie out of the Citadel, Dodgson seems genuinely hurt by the betrayal of his son-like figure. One too many, after those of Wu, Drummond, and Pellegrino. Their argument worsens, up until they come to blows. At one point Dodgson pulls out a pistol and shoots Ramsay in the belly by accident. While the younger man bleeds out, the CEO is dazed and runs away while predators' growls can be heard nearby.
Near the garages' entrance, Dodgson is found by Bigelow and Kayla. The CIA agent asks about Ramsay and he answers that he didn't make it due to an attack on the way. The three take the last available vehicle and exits the Citadel, driving into the valley. Their objective is the same mountain path towards which Maisie and Drummond are heading.
Duel
On the way to the courtyard, one of the mysterious soldiers has a sword fight with a grey guard (Cesare oand Papadopoulos). During it, his opponent tear a part of his sleeve, revealing a tattoo which depicts a snake hieroglyph (actually a symbol of the god Apep). The soldier manage to climb aboard their helicopter, which take off and leave the valley with one of the attack helicopters. Confused, the grey guard wonder who those attackers were.
The dam busters
Meanwhile, the other has moved to the other end of the valley, where it's in the middle of a fight with one of the Special Forces' helicopters, just by the dam. During their battle, the dilapidated dam is destroyed and its unleashed frozen waters follow the valley's main river, flooding everything in their path, including the battlefield on the road and the area just in front of the Citadel. A number of animals, Carabinieri and Biosyn employees aboard a fleeing vehicle are carried away and many of them drown while Dodgson's vehicle is almost caught by the waters.
The flood reaches the south-eastern limits of Biosyn's lands, where it's momentarily stopped by the wall found there and which separates the Sanctuary from the nearest village. But under so much pressure, the wall breaks down and the flood continues, destroying parts of a riverside village after that, catching some of the inhabitants.
With its main power source gone, the electricity goes off within Biosyn's lands and the surrounding areas, deactivating the invisible fences and stopping the metro full of passengers in the middle of the tunnels.
Road accident
While in the part of the valley spared by the flood, Dodgson's vehicle nearly collide with a loose black billy goat (the same which ran away in the prologue) and in its attempt to bypass it, it tumble down a slope (with Bigelow being ejected in the bushes in the process) and ends up on its roof (like the vehicle carrying the original trio and Maisie in Trevorrow's version).
Aftermath
The attackers gone and most of Biosyn troops neutralized or routing, Vuillier, Dougal, Nyamu, Viscontini, and the surviving grey guards, the officers of the Carabinieri and the Special Forces, along with Pellegrino and Nathan Quinn starts organizing the evacuation of the remaining Biosyn employees and taking the wounded (as the grey guards' medic, Papadopoulos will tend to them) to a provisional secure location within the Citadel (the auditorium could be such a place). In the control room, all the technicians but a few were killed or badly injured by the helicopter's attack while the grey guard's team dispatched there is in a hardly better state as Isabella Perez was also injured. Al-Damiri orders their comrade to take her out of the tower, and give similar orders to the uninjured technicians, asking only one to stay just in case. The Egyptian grey guard and the remaining technician then assess the damage.
As power need to be put back on for various purposes (allowing the three grey guards continue their search in the archives; deactivating the valley "aerial defense" to let helicopters come in the Citadel and evacuate people; reactivating the metro; reactivating the invisible fences to prevent the animals from leaving the valley...), people are sent activating the emergency generators.
They want to send men after Dodgson's but while the valley's known exits are watched, they fear he knows a secret one.
Dodgson's demise
When Bigelow awakes amidst the bushes, she notices that the vehicle is surrounded by a group of Nasutoceratops (or some other buffalo-sized herbivores). Inside the crashed vehicle, Dodgson and Kayla regain consciousness and know they have to wait for the herbivores to leave before exiting the vehicle. Suddenly, the herbivores get agitated and leave. They caught the scent of a predator and the latter shows itself: It's the InGen-bred Acrocanthosaurus.
Ensue a scene where Dodgson, just like his novel version with Sarah Harding, tries to save his own skin by pushing Kayla from the vehicle so the Acro can eat her instead of him, deeming her expendable, but the opposite happens. When the CEO is shaken between the jaws, his precious hard-drive falls on the ground and Bigelow sees this and tries to reach it before it's crushed by the animal. Kayla tries to hold the CIA agent back, saying she'll get herself killed and that the hard-drive isn't worth it. Bigelow rushes towards her objective anyway. When it takes a still screaming Dodgson in the woods, the acro steps on the hard-drive, destroying it.
The black billy goat responsible for the road accident watches Dodgson being devoured by the dinosaur.
Meanwhile, a depressed Bigelow is looking at the destroyed hard-drive and Kayla is forced to shake her so they can move away and head for the mountains in order to leave the valley.
Drummond's confession
Walking above the surface and not in the tunnels in order to not reiterate the traumatizing experience with the pectinodons even if it's equally dangerous due to the other valley's predators, Drummond and Maisie are heading eastward, following the peripheral rim of mountains.
During their trek, Drummond tells Maisie about the Hunting activity in the Sanctuary and how its profits financed his research at Biosyn, explaining part of his self-loathing. He admits he's glad that Claire put an end to it, even if he wished less blood was spilled.
To add some light amidst those dark hours, the teenager and the palaeontologist have a peaceful encounter with some dinosaurs (probably herbivores).
While watching them, Drummond tells Maisie about his late wife's wish of having children, implying to the teenager that she has a roof under which to sleep if she doesn't want to return to Orick and leave the Lockwood name behind her in order to finally have a normal life.
At the opposite end of the valley, they see fire and smoke rising from the Citadel and wonder what happened there.
Zobie la Mouche/Whac-a-Mole
Another danger is spotted near the Citadel. Coming from the now-flooded area at the base of the building, comes Brontes, one of the Argentinosaurus.
After the battle and the flood, he just seeks a place to have some rest and thinks the Citadel's courtyard would be a decent choice. The characters in the atrium hide as he crosses the now destroyed hall. It's seen during that scene that the sauropod has many scars on his skull, implying some human abuse (probably for medical experiments). The sauropod's suite of small carnivores take off from it and land in the atrium, investigating the hall as they caught the scent of dead or wounded humans.
On his way, Brontes sees something moving on the ground. It's Murdoch, who's trying to crawl away despite the injuries she got after being trampled by a crowd. Brontes looks at her with curiosity and then crushes her under his foot. Murdoch now squashed, Brontes loses interest in her and enters the courtyard while some members of his suite eat the remains of Biosyn's vice-president. The Argentinosaurus stands in the middle of the courtyard, just in front of the tower's entrance, and starts to sleep while standing (a bit like elephants). A part of his suite is on the lookout, hearing noise all around within the Citadel.
Distracting Brontes
Our protagonists are bothered as Brontes and his suite are preventing them from going after Dodgson by the shortest way and reaching the archives' entrance. They can either make a long detour through a series of hallways or confront the dinosaur. As time is running against them, they take the second option and while some of the grey guards (Cesare, Massoud, Kapakas) are attracting Brontes and his suite towards a ruined part of the Citadel (and from the control room, Al Damiri help them by shooting on the beast), Vuillier and Nyamu run to the tower and reach it in time. At the archives' entrance, they join Chapuy and his two comrades.
Burning the Hydra's heads
In the dark hallways, Claire stumbles upon Betty Chapman (or whatever her real name is), who's pushing a cart with hydrogen cyanide canisters. At that moment, the audience also notices for the first time that Chapman has the same snake hieroglyph tattoo on her arm as the soldier who had a sword fight with the grey guard.
Claire first intends to stop the guard and bring her to the invading force so she can be put with the other Biosyn employees, but Chapman tells her that they should be allies as she's also an enemy of Biosyn. Claire demands precisions and while pushing the cart, the guard reveal that she infiltrated the company and was the one who sabotaged the Sanctuary in the last few months, by temporarily deactivating the invisible fence and allowing one of the Quetzalcoatlus to escape in order to accelerate the destroying of Biosyn's reputation, and sending intel to the raiders, whose objective were to destroy the locusts before their shipping abroad. When Claire asks who she and the raider are, Chapman only gives an enigmatic answer (something like "Chaos in the service of a greater good"). When she tells Claire that Wu made those locusts, the former director of Jurassic World thinks about finding the geneticist and follow through with her threats from three years earlier.
On the way, Claire has to scare off some escaped predator which wanted to attack them. Chapman tells her she's heading to the panic room, where the board of directors so foolishly trapped itself. The felon guard explain Claire they can't take the risk of having the board members leaving the panic room and escaping the valley and that she could help her giving a deadly blow from which Biosyn will never recover while they still can. Claire agrees to help her and looking at the canisters, she remembers what Doctor Karim Depéret, one of InGen's geneticists, told her during the Lockwood Estate incident, that Hydrogen Cyanide is a poison.
The emergency generators
As having a full suspenseful scene dedicated to restoring power like in Trevorrow's version would be too much of a retread of JP's bunker scene, the scene where power is restored is either much shorter or happening off-screen.
However, the emergency generators alone are not enough to provide power for all the needed tasks (the invisible fences and the aerial defense system are quite energy-intensive) and another black-out occurs. Power is once again put back on but our protagonists are forced to make choices. In order to keep the invisible fences on and the archives' power running, they are forced to keep the "aerial defense" system on and stop the evacuation's helicopters from going and coming between the Citadel and the camp outside the valley in order to not trigger pterosaurs' attack.
Dracul
Reaching the part of the Citadel where the panic room is located, Claire and Chapman bring the cart to a maintenance tunnel, prepare the canisters and neutralize the guards in front of the panic room, using darkness to their advantage. They block the door, preventing the board members from escaping. They return to the maintenance tunnel and Chapman lets Claire introduce hydrogen cyanide in the panic room's aeration, poisoning the board members. Finally, the Chapman gives Claire a box of matches. She takes it, lights a match, throws it in the right vent and while the gas catches fire, the two women run away. The panic room is destroyed in a violent explosion which finishes the board members off. It's heard and felt within most of the Citadel.
A wounded Biosyn guard sees Claire fleeing the panic room's area and notices the blood on her clothes. When he discovers what's left of the panic room and the board members (charred corpses at best), he utters with dread the following word: Dracul (Dragon in Romanian. The guard, a minor character, is established to be a Romanian immigrant in an earlier scene depicting the daily life of the facility's employees).
Claire tries to find Chapman after that but the other woman disappeared like a ghost and is not seen for the rest of the Dolomites Incident.
In the Archives
Vuillier, Nyamu and the three grey guards with them are still searching the archives for every incriminating document.
Reuniting
After discovering that Victoria and other animals escaped the citadel through a door and are now in the valley, Owen heads for the control room, aware that it must have some sort of tracking system. On the way, he reunites with Claire and soon, they are found by Dougal. As the Argentinosaurus is still posing a threat in the central courtyard, they pass under it in order to access the tower. They climb to the control room, meet Al-Damiri and the last technician there, get access to the tracking system and Victoria's current coordinates. They find a tracking tablet and Claire volunteers to stay in the control room and be their eyes.
While Owen and Dougal grab some capture equipment in a room near the kennels, Claire searches through the CCTV footage and finds Wu in Maisie's cell, within Dr Lesser's lab. She heads for the laboratories, telling the others she found the geneticist.
Following Victoria's signal thanks to their tracking tablet, Owen and Dougal leave the Citadel and head for the nearby forest, crossing the flooded area between the two.
Wu-ing for redemption
Claire reaches Dr Lesser's lab and opens its cell. Wu steps out but his old enemy brutally grabs him and interrogates him about the locusts. As he once again fucked up, she's about to strike him when pity hold her hand back. Wu tells her that they can still cancel Dodgson's apocalypse, by passing as the CEO himself and giving Biosyn's abroad agents the order to destroy the locusts, and just begs her to offer his help. After a moment of hesitation, Claire help the geneticist stand and give him his cane, the one Lockwood offered to him at the end of TRQ. Together, they then head immediately to the central tower and once in Dodgson's office, Wu turns the CEO's computer on but discovers it's empty. Claire's aggressiveness starts to return when Wu remembers that Dodgson kept some of his most precious information on paper and not necessarily on his computer as he feared being hacked. They start searching the office and the adjacent bedroom. Wu notices a framed picture of Dodgson as a child with his mother at some science fair (in an earlier scene, before he sent the containers, Dodgson could be seen closing the frame while Wu just stepped in his office). Wu opens the back of the frame and discover that Dodgson hid small pieces of papers between the picture and the frame itself. When he sees one paper with Hexapod Allies written on the top; a series of names, phone numbers and email addresses below; and a series of secret codes for the different orders on the back; he knows they put their hands on the jackpot. Wu and Claire hack Dodgson's email account (the password is Liddell, the maiden name of Dodgson's mother) and write the message to the agents involved in the Hexapod Allies operation, including the secret code for the Destroy order, but when they want to send it, the computer notify them that they can't due to internet connection issues. Wu realizes it's because the antenna on top of the control room might have moved following the helicopter's attack. Someone has to climb on the roof to properly realign it and since Wu can't because of his lame leg, the task goes to Claire.
Tracking Victoria
In the woods, Owen and Dougal hear Victoria's calls for help. The young Achillobator still thinks her mother might show up.
They find her and try to capture her but fails. They wander deeper in the woods.
Realigning the antenna
Claire climbs on the control room's roof and communicates with Wu through the radio, she ends up finding the right antenna.
However, just as she begin fixing it, the Argentinosaurus' suite start harassing her as the sauropod is just below. From the auditorium's entrance, Viscontini notices that. Learning through Wu what Claire is doing, Viscontini orders the grey guards to attack the Argentinosaurus so his suite will turn away from Claire to instead defend him. Wu also urges the AISI head to send men after Theo, Maisie and Drummond, as they're carrying very important data about the locusts, enough to destroy Biosyn.
Defying a Titan
Round two between the grey guards and Brontes start, and most of Claire's harassers go help him. This time, the sauropod actively chases his human attackers across parts of the Citadel, destroying walls and roofs with his sheer weight, letting out deafening bellows, passing his neck and head into breaches to try get access to the characters while his suite can reach them where he can't. Massoud ends up grabbed by the herbivore mouth and then thrown against the tower or any other surface, killing him instantly. An additional idea could be the titanosaur provoking small "earthquakes" when he strikes the ground with his forefeet, destabilizing Claire on top of the tower (she even almost falls).
Depending on the pace, there could be at the same time a suspenseful scene in the archives involving some creatures from the labs or the kennels. If the archives are low enough, maybe they'll get inundated because of the flood and the threat could be a semi-aquatic creature contained in the Citadel or brought by the flood (like the temnospondyl; while Nothosaurus, which had a small appearance in my JW rewrite, could be an alternative choice, with individuals housed in the kennels).
Prometheus' fate
After giving a few kicks while repelling her last harassers, Claire manages to properly realign the antenna and Wu successfully transmit the Destroy order to the Hexapod Allies agents. We cut to them as they destroy the locusts in their containers. When he receives their confirmation, the geneticist is relieved. But just as Claire is about to return to Dodgson's office, she sees a *Variraptor (*if it's chosen as Brontes' suite. If not, it will be some relatively large feathered coelurosaurian from the labs in order to make the parallels with Prometheus work) getting to its entrance first. Wu just has the time to barricade himself in the bedroom adjacent to the office but he knows the door won't hold long. Something (Brontes passing his head through a window and trying to attack her?) prevents her from reaching the office. She tells Wu to hold while she tries to save him but he asks her to instead save herself, wishing her a long and happy life. He bids her farewell and wait for his death while Claire escapes the tower. The raptor ends up breaking through the door and it pounce on Wu. While the predator starts devouring him, his cane falls on the ground and its amber pommel shatters.
Owen's decision
Just as the Owen and Dougal are about to start a new attempt in capturing Victoria, a pack of Achillobators (the same one which allied with Claire in the previous night) shows up and our duo hide while the raptors spot Victoria. At first, Owen fears they'll hurt or even kill her. He thinks about intervening, even if he might risk his own life, but after sniffing the young and scared Achillobator, the pack leader gently guides her towards her pack. Owen and Dougal watch the raptors disappear in the darkness. Dougal ask Owen if he'll do something but the Raptor Whisperer says nothing, willing to let Victoria live with a pack and without unnecessary human interference in her life. They head back to the Citadel.
The tower and the tyrannosaur
Kayla and Bigelow arrive by one of the observation towers, the one closest from the mountain path they're heading to. Nearby, the Special Forces' helicopter shot down by that of the raiders and the surrounding vegetation still burns. Just as they are about to climb to its observation bay in order to raid the tower for anything useful before starting the mountains' ascent, they are surrounded by a pack of small carnivores (just like Claire with the dilophosaurs in Trevorrow's version). Before they attack, a horn blast is heard. It's Drummond and after the palaeontologist insists with his portable horn (similar to the one Nigel Marven use against the velociraptors in The Giant Claw), the small carnivores scatter. He asks the two women if they're friends or foes, if they count among Dodgson's friends. Kayla answers that since Dodgson tried to sacrifice her to an Acrocanthosaurus, the answer is no for her, before adding that it ate Dodgson instead. Drummond is glad to hear that and he tells Maisie she can come. The teenager, hidden until there amidst the vegetation, joins them. Having heard Dodgson complaining about Maisie's escape, Bigelow is aware she must be very important but still wary, Drummond whisper to Maisie to not say a single word about the flash drive she's carrying. The two duos talk about their objectives and discover that they're the same. For better chances of survival, they decide to head together for the mountain's path.
But a tyrannosaur, the same one which Claire released earlier, makes its appearance while they're walking away from the tower. It saw them and they know that they better seek refuge in the tower than attempt to run from the predator. At first, they try to stay still, in order to not trigger its attack, but when he notices that the predator wouldn't mind eat one or two of them, Drummond tells Maisie and the two women to run. While they rush to the tower, he distracts the rex by agitating a burning branch. Afraid of the fire, the rex seek to avoid the branch and see the three other humans climbing the tower's ladder. The predator bypass Drummond and in its dash towards the tower, it sends the palaeontologist flying away with its tail. As such thing would have easily killed someone, Maisie fears the worst for him and when his motionless body falls into a ravine, the audience think it's over for him. Maisie panics while the rex has its jaws locked around the ladder's protective cage. What follows is pretty much similar to the Giganotosaurus' attack on the tower scene from Trevorrow's version, except that the final outcome will be quite different. As the observation towers' power has been turned off from the control room in order to save power for more urgent systems, our three protagonists can't have the observation bay rise to the top of the tower, where they would be safe from the rex. To make matters worse, another threat arrive.
I haven't decided which yet but the idea I'm having now is a group of pterosaurs, probably pteranodons, which targets our trio and chase the rex away from the tower by pecking at his head. Another manages to grab Maisie and take her out of the tower. However, the pterosaur let her go before it can be above the canopy due to some incident (another harassing it probably) and Maisie falls into dense bushes at a certain distance from the tower, out of the two women's sight. In the meantime, a mist has started descending from the mountains. Bigelow and Kayla exit the tower and begin searching for Maisie in the area, fearing she got herself hurt in the fall. To cover a maximum of ground before the mist reaches them, they decide to split up.
The end of a line
We see Maisie managing to stand up and while she got bruises**,** she seems relatively fine and still in walking condition. Now lost and alone in the middle of the woods, she's very scared though and starts screaming to help. In the silent forest, Kayla hears her voice and follows it. Just as the mist is about to reach Maisie, the smuggler sees the teenager in the distance and calls for her. But when she hears heavy footsteps and a rumble coming from just behind Maisie, in the mist, her heart stops and she's aghast when she sees the tyrannosaur's silhouette closing to the girl's. Before Maisie can flee, the predator open its maws, grabs her and swallow her whole before disappearing in the forest's shadows (the scene is meant to be a mirror of one from my JW rewrite, where the death of a little girl during the pterosaurs' attack on the main hub is concealed by smoke while Claire watch helplessly). Thus ends Lockwood's line, indirectly destroyed by Claire Dearing.
Bigelow arrives in her turn and sees the smuggler kneeled on the ground, speechless, too shocked by the scene she just saw. Understanding what happened, the CIA agent has an "Oh. Shit..." face and tells Kayla they have to leave the valley while they still can, as she doesn't know what the Italians will do with it once it's taken, even fearing that it might be firebombed in order to destroy the perpetrators of the various incidents of the past months.
While the two women head for the mountain's path and the mist passes away, Drummond is seen climbing out of the ravine and starts to call for Maisie, in vain. Seeing the destroyed observation bay empty, he looks around for clues about Maisie's or the women's whereabouts. He ends up stumbling on the rex's tracks and follows them up to the spot where the teenager last stood. There he finds Wu's flash drive and seeing some blood stains around, he realizes she is no more. This deeply saddens him and this loss and failure just add another load on his self-loathing, as he would have gladly died between the jaws of the king of the dinosaurs if it could have saved Maisie's life. Instead of trying to follow Kayla and Bigelow, he goes in the opposite direction, towards the valley itself.
Leaving the Sanctuary
While looking to reach the auditorium, Claire is forced to hide in one of the labs from dilophosaurs roaming in the area.
In the archives, Vuillier and Nyamu finally put their hands on the documents they were looking for and take them. They and the grey guards' archives team then leave the room and head to the auditorium, in order to reunite with Viscontini and co. On the way, they have to pass between the legs of Brontes while he's distracted by the grey guards. When they reach the auditorium, Viscontini tells them that helicopters are waiting for them. One of the aircrafts is on its way to pick up the Owen and Dougal.
Escorted by the Carabinieri and the Special Forces, the surviving Biosyn employees are evacuated from the Citadel and when the grey guards retreat from their confrontation against Brontes, Vuillier asks them if they've seen Claire coming back but they answer that no. He contacts her and she tells him that she's being delayed.
We see her evading the dilophosaurs which were about to discover her and leaving the labs. Now, start for her an Uncharted-esque race through the Citadel where she has to cross various obstacles and avoid/outrun the loose creatures within it (including the dilophosaurs mentioned above). Still pissed, Brontes targets her and chases her up to her extraction point. Before the Argentinosaurus can close his mouth on her, she jumps into one of the helicopters where Owen and Dougal are waiting for her. The two men help her get inside and their helicopter fly away from the Citadel while the sauropod lets out a mighty bellow.
The protagonists leave the valley and the helicopters which drop them off at Biosyn employees' village, which has been taken over by the Italians and the Austrians in the meantime.
A bitter dawn
While the first sun rays reach the valley, Drummond stumble upon the monstrous Acrocanthosaurus Quasimodo in the area devastated by the flood, in sight of the now destroyed south-eastern wall. Surprised by the waters near the road battlefield, the predator was carried on a certain distance before ending up blocked by rocks and then impaled by a tree. When the palaeontologist finds him, he's dead. Disgusted by the animal, Drummond first tries to ignore him and continue towards the wall, intending to reach the village beyond it, but he turns back and carefully approach him. Tired from his night-long trek, Drummond sit on a rock just next to Quasimodo's head and still quite shaken by Maisie's death and the disaster, Drummond start to ramble about various topics (about the evolution of palaeontology since the San Diego incident, his wife, working at Biosyn, Theo's and Maisie's death...) before breaking down in tears and he can't hold himself from calling Quasimodo a Manmade abomination which deserved to be destroyed by Nature. While looking towards the destroyed wall, the palaeontologist start to regret those harsh words and pulls out a flask of whisky from his bag. After drinking a sip, he puts it back in the bag and just sit silently by the dead animal for a few minutes, up until some Quetzalcoatlus land nearby. The gigantic pterosaurs walk up to the dead Acrocanthosaurus and ignoring Drummond as a way bigger meal is just in front of them, they start feasting. While they do so, Drummond follows the flood's desolation towards the Citadel and he is soon spotted by the men tasked with finding him.
Of rivalries and world-saving
In the morning, Claire steps out of the accommodation assigned to her and Owen within Biosyn's Village. She sees Drummond giving Wu's flash drive to Vuillier before taking his leave. After joining her boss, Claire ponders about her relationship with Wu, on how both destroyed Jurassic World five years ago and how they pretty much saved the world that night. She and Vuillier have a respectful moment of silence for their deceased enemy.
In the abandoned citadel, it's revealed that one of the locusts survived. It's seen crawling on the ground, towards one of the vents. But just before it could reach it, a Mononykus (freed from one of the cages during the raid) swoops on it and devours it.
League of Dragons
As she is crossing the village, Claire passes by one of the remaining Biosyn guards. It's actually the Romanian one, the one who saw her by the panic room. Frightened as hell, he moves away from her while yelling "Dracul! Dracul!", still traumatized by the past night's events. Claire briefly wonders why he is yelling and running away before she gets surrounded by other Biosyn guards and Lucrezia Pellegrino. The Citadel's head of security explains that he called her a dragon because of what he saw and some of the guards start throwing insults at Claire, calling her a monster and a butcher, and she realize that they and their superior want to avenge those she killed. Pellegrino adds that by sending dinosaurs on people who oppose her, Claire is no better than Dodgson on that matter.
Nearby, Owen sees his fiancée surrounded and when one of the Biosyn guards throws a stone at Claire, he gets furious, tackles him on the ground and starts to beat him up. As another guard pulls out a knife (which he hid when they had to give their weapons to the authorities) and is about to stab Owen, the surviving grey guards suddenly intervene, getting the couple out of the Biosyn ambush and then confronting the attackers, standing by Claire's and Owen's side. The grey guards retort to their opponents that their comrades could have denounced the Sanctuary's illegal activities, surrendered, deserted or arrested Dodgson while they could but did nothing, before adding that without Claire, they would have all eaten nothing but locusts in a near future. The Biosyn guards feel insulted however and as an ugly fight is about to break out between both groups, the Carabinieri are forced to intervene and assign them to opposite parts of the village.
The press, who just entered the Biosyn's lands, has witnessed the confrontation and so did Vuillier and Nyamu. The latter tells the Frenchman that since Claire pretty much saved the world, Odegaard could give her a well-deserved break, literally and figuratively.
Debate
In the village's equivalent of a community centre, a meeting about the incident's consequences and what to do with the Sanctuary and its animals is held. Among the attendees, are:
- The WDMC and the people directly affiliated to it: Claire, Owen, Dougal, Vuillier, and Nyamu.
- Representatives of the Italian government: Viscontini, Giovanni Pazzi, and a few local politicians.
- The surviving Biosyn executives and top researchers: Drummond, Pellegrino, Quinn.
During the meeting, we learn that:
- Dodgson was found, or at least five or six pieces of him.
- Some of the Sanctuary's denizens managed to flee the valley and are now somewhere in the Italian countryside. Among the escapees are Victoria and her new pack of Achillobators.
- Exterminators led by the surviving grey guards are about to be sent in the amber mines to slaughter the pectinodons down to the last individual and the species will be soon classified as a pest in Italy, Austria and probably other countries.
Several solutions for the valley, its denizens and the Citadel are discussed:
- Cull the animals, cleanse the valley of Biosyn's traces, and give it back to the inhabitants expropriated by the corporation when it decided to have the entire valley and some of the surrounding lands for itself and no one else.
- Abandoning the valley, let the animals fend for themselves and hope that "life will find a way", even if it poses huge risks for the local populations and ecosystems.
- Dispatch the surviving animals to zoos and other entities which can legally house dangerous captive animals. Proceeding like this will allow de-extinct creatures to no longer be in the ownership of a single entity like Biosyn or InGen.
- Round up the loose animals, cleanse the battle's and the flood's damages, and turn the place into a real Sanctuary for de-extinct animals. Not a "Kruger with dinosaurs" like the Five Deaths but more like a non-profit place with enclosures (akin to many sanctuaries for wild animals across the globe). It will be a public-private joint-venture, with the sanctuary co-managed by the UN's WDMC and the Italian government while private partners will help finance it (Nathan Quinn propose to be one of those but Vuillier, Dougal and a few others distrust him and prefer to not have some of Dodgson's former collaborators on the project). And in order to ensure good relations with the local communities, jobs will be offered to the area's inhabitants and some lands given back to them. Shall this solution be adopted, Vuillier proposes to have Claire Dearing as its manager, Owen Grady its head warden, Rod Drummond its chief researcher, and Laurenzo Cesare as head of security, if they accept. Pellegrino storms off at this moment, disgusted that they're about to leave her without a job and rewarding Claire, an unrepentant psychopath in her eyes. In a moment of consultation amidst the meeting, Claire tells Vuillier she'll probably refuse becoming the sanctuary's manager if this solution is adopted, telling him that she has the feeling that her future lies elsewhere and that she'll continue work as a field agent if he don't mind. Vuillier, who clearly saw how Claire evolved since she started playing spies back in 2019 and decided to close his eyes on her exactions, suggest her to settle for a quieter less-violent life and declares that managing the Sanctuary could be the ultimate redemption for her. Still shaken by the amount of violence she had to commit in order to stop Biosyn and desiring to spend more time with her son, she ends up being persuaded and accept the idea.
The different solutions are being debated for weeks if not months within the Italian government and the UN.
​
End of Act IV.
See you tomorrow for the final Act and the Epilogue.

This series had been staring at me for a few months now and after reading the Simon Snow trilogy and enjoying it, I finally gave it a chance. I came across the series in a secondhand book store and lucked out to find the full set of 6 books.
Book 1, Damaged introduces us to the Caroway family, headed by the 3 matriarchs and their children. The family are american royalty, with money, power, celebrity and plenty of business endevours to keep them afloat for generations. The story centre's on Maximof Hale, the eldest of the children, a 21 yo entrepreneur with confidence, looks and a powerful presence. Each family member is assigned a body guard due to their celebrity and after his last retires, he is paired with Farrow Keene, formerly his mums body guard and son to the families doctor.
The relationship starts as a Jerky 'why him',' he's a dick' kinda storyline which always comes from a hidden lustful place, which in this case, does exactly that. Farrow is the son of the family Dr and grew up with his dad so met the family quite young, growing up to a certain degree with them and as such was Maximofs childhood crush, Farrow 5 years older than he. The two combat each other early on, once they pair up, Maximof not wanting to give up much of his life because of security yet Farrow doing his job but teasingly pushing maximums buttons, all the while knowing the two have the hots for one another and after some time finally giving into it and starting a secret monogamous affair.
The sex scenes are described very detailed and hold up quite well given their secrecy and all the while still explores their relationship, opening up, how the secret is fine between them and continues to be for so long. Due to maximums celebrity, he's never dated anyone, as a bi male, he's only ever had one night stands and due to security reasons everyone has to sign nda's. Although they keep the secret for so long they eventually have to out themselves due to a twist which you have to read to find out but all and all a great and original story.
Possibly obscure for some people to find yet I will write the developments of the series as I always do to show how it progresses but my main take aways from this book is how well it describes Celebrity culture, how poorly people behave towards celebrities and the rise some people get from thinking they can talk so blunyly or rude to them because they're famous. In contrast to this, Maximofs Character is described so heartfelt, he's genuinely a kind hearted person who puts family above all and the interactions and character descriptions really set a tone of this feeling that he loves thise he loves so much.

(At the request of President u/Anacornda, and to prevent further delays, I am posting the President's Speech for the 27th Parliament myself in my capacity as Parliamentary Moderator.)
My government is, first and foremost, committed to service of the people and freedom for each and every individual in Australia. As they promised throughout the campaign, the ANCAP are committed to ‘let it be’ when it comes to governance. They will expend great effort in trying to keep in touch with the will of the people and the needs of their constituents, and through it all pursue liberty for everyone in all areas of policy they can. Allow me to present an overview of such policies that will seek to achieve this:
In the field of education, this government will seek to realise the campaign promise to rescind all federal funding to public schools, and in so doing help level the playing field of academics across the nation, minimising the advantage gap between private and public schooling.
Indigenous Australians will benefit significantly in the ‘let it be’ policy plan as this government will protect their rights as recognised peoples and will trust them to know what is best for their own culture and communities, and so will be in close consultations with them and their leaders so as to ensure that the government is best placed to represent them well and pursue the policies that will best allow them to thrive and flourish as free citizens of Australia.
And this government is committed to continuing to firm up our image as a republic, a free nation that is entirely self governed, and so to symbolise this we will be creating a new flag to represent the nation, one that does not feature the oppressive symbol of the Union Jack! We will allow public opinion to guide this decision, and whatever symbol the people rally around will then be legislated to be our new national flag and our greatest symbol of unity.
Likewise, families will be afforded their due freedoms to run their households however they see fit. This government is committed to protecting youth and children, realising that the ability to give informed consent and exercise sound judgment is a key aspect of maximising individual freedoms. One must know what they want to do for themselves to truly be free in their actions.
My government will steadily remove barriers to immigration, until the only thing that will limit our borders is screening for criminals. It will let our great country reap the benefits of immigration to our economy and culture. It will stop any deportation of people who wish to make a better life for themselves in our country.
We’ll end the scam on over-punishment on crimes and in doing so create an even playing field. When it comes to our laws some citizens are treated as more important just because someone in government considers them a ‘person of importance’. We’ll do away with this systematic inequality and ensure committing a non-violent crime is dependent on the actions taken, not who at parliament house the victim happens to be mates with. The rule of law must be restored!
We’ll reinvigorate public media by allowing these organisations to compete with corporate entities when it comes to advertising, reducing dependence on commonwealth funding. No longer will we see media limited by the government of the day, rather we'll see public media become more independent and more resilient to pressures from unscrupulous individuals in power. They will be given a seat at the table of the free market.
Famously, this government are not fans of taxation- why should the government get a large portion of the income on the things ordinary Australians purchase every day? The way forward is a sensible and measured path, as we’ve said, so as not to shock the economy. We’ll abolish tax on super so you have ample money for your retirement. Axe the tax on inheritance so you can ensure all of your lifelong earnings go where you want them to when that times comes. We’ll pull the pin on various excise taxes such as those on alcoholic beverages. Why should everyday Australians who have had to cut their discretionary spending have to continue to do so in part due to ridiculous government overreach? This government pledges to deliver affordable Friday evening beers.
My government will finish the job of reforming the welfare system and introducing a negative income tax to replace existing forms of welfare. An NIT removes the bureaucracy and complexity of the current centrelink based welfare system and has a much lower effective tax rate at income levels below poverty, making it much easier for recipients to work more and increase their income without being disincentivized by the possibility of losing welfare. Under the current system, for every extra dollar a person on welfare earns from work, they can lose up to $1.40 in benefits, giving them an effective tax rate higher than anyone else on earth and actively incentivising not working. We will fix this gross injustice through our comprehensive welfare reform plan.
This, alongside substantial income tax cuts, will ensure that government revenue is spent efficiently, and helps prevent as much loss and reckless spending as possible to ensure that the valuable contributions of our nation’s citizens are not taken for granted, and instead used valuably, if they must indeed be used.
This government is committed to investigating and implementing Singapore-style health system privatisations, bringing us in line with one of the best and most competitive health industrties in the world. This will bring higher standards of care and competitive pricings to keep healthcare affordable.
We recognise that the new ‘town square,’ so to speak, is on social media, and so we are committed to ensuring that free speech is protected in online spaces. This government will work towards the end of the scourge of ‘cancel culture’ and will remain critical of social media organisations that ban accounts in order to suppress the free speech of their political opponents.
My government will work to create a new foreign policy direction, one fit for the 21st century. One guided by Freedom, Free Trade and Peace
On Foreign Affairs my government will be focused on promoting a pacifistic foreign policy, rooted in the promotion of peace and stability, upheld by dialogue and diplomacy, not war and violence. In Oceania, this government will work to normalize relations with New Zealand. We will also work to eradicate barriers to free trade, be they economic in the form of dysfunctional protectionist policies, or security in the form of piracy and other maritime crime. Asia as a continent is facing many destabilizing events currently, ones which could very well lead to a deterioration of relations and possibly conflict. To prevent this Australia will convene a South China Sea Peace Summit, with all relevant nations, to ensure de-escalation and formal diplomacy takes place. Equally, this government will work to initiate a new dialogue between China and Taiwan, as any further escalation could lead to events that would cause immense suffering, both human and economic. In the rest of the world we will conduct foreign policy based on advocating for freedom and peace. Australia will stand up for dissidents and the truth, as a free world is the only way forward. We will provide a voice for peace and human rights, deploying mediation and conflict resolution talks as opposed to war as we saw many others do nowadays. Australian foreign policy will be primarily guided by an “Australians First!” approach, with betterment of the lives of our people being our primary guide and factor in decision making, as opposed to self-interests or ideals, however still respecting our obligations to the international community.
On Trade this government will be a strong advocate for free trade, and an opponent of self destructive protectionist stances. Within Asia, we will work to broaden economic partnerships, pushing in new economic and investment opportunities and free trade agreements, with a primary focus on Indonesia and Malaysia this term. Out in Europe and the Americas, we will seek out opportunities, through negotiations and proposals, to increase foreign investment and trade. This government will review our current economic situation, and decide on a case-by-case basis what is necessary to grow our economy and where trade will work. Whilst we will cut down on international development, there is no need to worry, as by enhancing trade and providing new investment partnerships to the world, those nations once dependent on foreign aid will now have the ability to grow with new international economic development and trade opportunities.
On immigration, this government will support a policy of open borders. We will work to ensure Australia is a safe haven for all those fleeing wars, persecution and suffering. Our refugee protections in place will be reviewed. For those seeking out new economic and job opportunities, they will be encouraged to come. Australia desperately needs a workforce that can grow our markets and innovate our nation, and this government will consistently work to ensure all this happens.
And finally, let me remind us all of this government’s commitment to ‘let it be’- to promote freedom wherever possible. To blaze a trail of individualism as a nation, on a scale that is globally unprecedented. We are committed to freedom and liberty and equality of opportunity, and that is what will be the guiding vision for all of our policy. Thank you Australia for putting your trust in us.

Hello friends! Chelsea here. 😊
I've thought about making this post for a while but just hadn't gotten around to it. But as I said in the title, I slept most of the day because 🤷🏻‍♀️ so I'm up late drinking coffee and trying to figure life out. If you're interested in being up-to-date on my life story (and why wouldn't you want to know the intimate details of a random stranger on the internet?), here are past updates for your convenience:

• My best friend and I just came out to each other, totally unplanned
• Came out to my Christian parents as trans tonight
• Came out to my Christian parents as trans tonight (Update)

This will likely be a lengthy post, so sorry not sorry! I found that, especially early in my transition, it was really helpful to read perspectives and experiences of those going through experiences that either matched my own or were down a path similar to what I hoped for myself. So maybe I can be that for someone!
June 2022:
Further complications following coming out to my parents:
I came out to my parents and there were complications, which you can read about in the linked posts above. What happened after that is that a couple of weeks later, my parents asked me to come over to 1) see if anything had changed (uh, duh, it hadn't) and to warn me: they were going to go camping with my grandparents and aunt/uncle, and my mom wasn't sure that she could keep things to herself regarding my trans identity. Specifically, she warned that she might tell her brother (my uncle) in order to gauge what his thoughts on how their parents (my grandparents) would react to the information.
I told her that I'd rather she didn't, and her response was "well I just don't know if I'll be able to help it". So that was fun. The weekend passed, and the day after they had all gotten home, I received a cryptic text from my aunt, where she told me she loved me and prayed for me constantly. She said that she had noticed from my book-tailored Instagram account that I'd read a specific book about churches and LGBTQ issues that she was going to read too because she likes to "read lots of things and try to consider all sides of issues before [making] a decision", and that she was going to watch a specific video made by the author of this book. (I'm leaving out the name of the book and the author for my own privacy reasons.) I assumed that this text meant my mom had told my aunt/uncle after all because I had made no mention of this book's author or any videos he had made, so her mentioning the video indicated that she had been pointed in a specific direction. Anyway, nothing further was said, about me being trans or otherwise, for a long time, but I more or less operated under the assumption that my aunt and uncle now knew.
December 2022:
Christmas time with family update:
Christmas at my aunt and uncle's house with the rest of the family, sans my grandparents because my grandma came down with Covid. Towards the end of our stay, my dad pulled me aside and asked me what my plan was around "telling my aunt and uncle", to which I responded "I thought that you and Mom did tell them", and he said no, that they figured that it should come from me. I still call BS, that even if they didn't outright say "[deadname] is trans", they hinted pretty heavily that something was going on. In any case, I told him I had no plan of telling them and didn't. The months leading up to this were weird because I was taking HRT but otherwise not presenting femme because of my work and family situations, so my parents never said a word about it before that moment with my dad even though I ate dinner at their place once a week.
January 2023:
Okay, now we're getting to the good stuff!!
Coming out to my bible study class:
If you didn't read my previous posts: I have always valued my Christian faith, and it was important to me early in my transition to find peace between my transition and my relationship with God. I'd found a local church in March/April-ish that was fully affirming and accepting of LGBTQ individuals and had been attending in person since May. And let me tell you everyone, finding this church is maybe the best thing that has ever happened to me!
When I first started attending, I filled out a guest registration form and disclosed that I was trans but not presenting yet, and the person who responded directed me to a bible study class of people around my age. In that class, I made friends for the first time in literal years, and not just one or two, but many! I didn't come out to them, but I also didn't try very hard to hide things like my budding breasts or longer hair or other changes like I did in other social spaces. I joined the choir, played in the band (there's a wind ensemble at the church that I play my French horn in once a month), was enlisted into the New Member Committee, and just had the best time.
That said, in January of 2023, I decided I wanted to come out to my class, so I recorded a video myself, posted it in the class group chat, and then put my phone on Do Not Disturb before going to the gym. When I got back to my car, I opened my phone and was overwhelmed with messages of love and support and acceptance; it was everything I could have hoped for! I told them that I didn't have a timeline for presenting femme or for changing my name and pronouns, I just wanted them to know so that they could be on the journey with me.
Getting a church name tag of my chosen name in secret:
ALSO: I mentioned that I was enlisted into the New Member Committee, and we had our first meeting this month. The staff liaison to the committee, who just so happened to be the person who had responded to my guest registration form and directed me to my Bible study class, was going to order everyone in the committee name tags so that we could wear them around church to be hospitable to people. I emailed her afterwards, reminding her that I was trans if she had forgotten and asked for her to make an extra name tag: one for my deadname that everyone still new me as, and one for my chosen name. And she was more than happy to oblige!
February 2023:
1-year HRT anniversary:
Firstly, this was the 1-year anniversary of me starting hormones! Just a few stats: I'd lost around 45-50 pounds, grown my hair from bald to just past my earlobes (with a stubborn patch of male-pattern-baldness right in the front 😔), and felt good in my body for the first time in my life.
Coming out to the rest of my mom's side of the family:
Secondly, this was the month when I came out to the rest of my (mom's side of the) family. Not because I felt especially like I wanted to but because I was more or less cornered into it.
I was at church choir rehearsal when the family group chat lit up: my uncle was asking us to look at our emails so that we could make plans for a family cruise to celebrate my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary...in December. And we had to book the vacation ASAP.
My heart sunk into my stomach. I was still only out to my parents and brother, and here we were trying to make travel plans for 10 months from now? When I wouldn't look the same, when my documents hopefully wouldn't match what they are now? I knew that I would have to come out to everyone because I didn't see this vacation as something that I could plan for at this point in time.
My dad called me that night, asking me about my thoughts on the vacation, to which I told him I didn't think I could do it. He was beating around the bush, saying that if it was a money issue that he and my mom could help, to which I responded "you know why I can't go". His response was that I needed to call my uncle and come out to him. But I didn't that night. I did type out a coming out letter addressed to the rest of the family, and I debated between sending it in the group chat, sending it to individual family members, or recording a video of myself reading it, but never did.
The next day, I was basically in a fugue state all day at work. I had a sense of impending doom knowing that I would likely have to come out to my family by the end of the day. My dad texted me asking what I was going to do, and I just told him that I wasn't going to go on the cruise, which he passed on to my uncle. Around midday I got a text from my uncle since he hadn't heard from me and he was the one booking the cruise, but I didn't respond. He called later on my way home from work, and again, I ignored it.
When I got home from work, I set about trying to record the video of me reading the letter I mentioned before, but I couldn't get the tone right...it always sounded too angry. Eventually, my aunt messaged the family chat, asking for confirmation from each person about their availability and willingness to go on the trip, and one by one everyone responded except for me. The moment came...I had to do something.
So I called my aunt. Crying, I came out to her, confessing that I'd been on hormones for a year (this actually happened the day before my 1-year hormone anniversary). She responded that she and my uncle weren't blind, that they had noticed something was up (or my mom had told them👀), and that no matter what, they still love me. She did say that she wanted to talk with me about this at some point to learn about my perspective, especially regarding my faith and how it was that my church and I had come to justify being trans/LGBTQ with what the Bible says (more on that later).
But she also understood my concerns regarding the trip, and she said there was no version of this trip that they would go on without me. But I needed to come out to my grandparents because there needed to be a reason for the trip to be called off all of a sudden.
So I gathered my courage, drove to my grandparents' neighborhood, and after a bit of hesitation, called my grandma. I asked if I could come talk to them, and warned that it was likely not going to be a happy conversation...I didn't want to blindside her.
So I came out to the two of them, sitting in their living room, and it went...better than it did with my parents?! I mean, let's be real, no one was necessarily happy about it, but no one yelled or stormed off in anger. My grandma told me she'd noticed something was going on too but just assumed I was gay (I mean...not in the way she thinks), and my grandpa, bless him in his 80 years of age, said that I'm an adult and can make my own decisions. (Imagine that!) And they both reiterated that they loved me.
My aunt had also asked if it was okay if she talked to her kids/my cousins about me being trans. Maybe I shouldn't have said yes because I don't know exactly what was said to them, but my oldest cousin, who is four years younger than me, texted me separately saying she and her husband-to-be loved me just as much as they did before and that she's "always make sure that [I] still feel loved and know [I'm] a valued family member".
And that's the story of how I came out to my mom's side of the family! My dad's side? TBD...but also less important because I don't see them very often.
Oh, one more thing: we're going to go on that cruise after all. My uncle asked the travel agent he was booking the cruise with if it was possible to change/update my booking information if all the identification changes that I'm hoping for happen, and she said as long as I've got updated documents by a certain date, they can be changed on the reservation. So now I just have a casual email from my uncle discussing my gender transition, which is surreal.
March 2023:
Coming out to my church choir director:
My church choir director had announced his retirement and impending move across the country, which was coming at the end of April. I had started making plans around this time to debut as Chelsea later in May, after he'd be gone, and I had a sense that I didn't want him to learn after the fact that I came out after he had left and think that I had waited for him to leave. So I wrote him a letter thanking him and coming out, and I gave it to him after rehearsal one night.
He emailed me in response the next day, expressing all the same joy and acceptance and love that my bible study class had shown, and he also asked if he could know my chosen name, which I happily shared, because at this point I'd gotten the name tags I mentioned before and had taken a picture.
I told him in the letter that I'd be stepping away from the choir for at least a little while once I started presenting as Chelsea, and he said he understood but hoped I wouldn't stay away for too long because "this is the most remarkable group of people" and "they will accept you however you choose to present".
April 2023:
My cousin's wedding but then ears pierced:
My cousin got married Easter weekend. Even though I was out to this side of the family, they weren't ready for me to be Chelsea around them, and to be honest neither was I, but that doesn't mean that I was happy wearing a men's suit. I drove the three hours back home late after the wedding so that I could be at my church's Easter events starting early the next morning. And the day after Easter? I got my ears pierced! They're still healing, so I haven't worn any cute earrings yet, but soon!
(By the way, I told my family about getting my ears pierced ahead of them seeing me a few days later. I didn't want them to notice them on their own and think I was trying to hide it. My mom texted my aunt about it, saying she wasn't handling it well, and my grandmother straight-up cried. They never said anything to me about them though. 🤷🏻‍♀️)
Coming out to the man whose writing brought me to my affirming church:
That book that I mentioned earlier, the one that my aunt said she would read? Well, the author of the book attends my church. Up to this point, I had only met and spoken with him once, back in January: he had just published a new book and was signing copies at church, so I went up to him and bought the new one, but I also brought my copy of the other one and told him that I was at this church because of him. I didn't tell him why, though.
At a dinner party saying goodbye to the retiring choir director, I found myself next to this author in line, and he mentioned a job opening that he thought I might be a good fit for because it was in my field, but what he didn't know (yet) is that I am trans and was leaving my job shortly and would be looking for something completely different.
I messaged him later that night, coming out to him, and he thanked me for confiding in him, asking if we could meet up for coffee or dinner sometime soon so he could hear more of my story.
May 2023:
Coming out to the church congregation at large:
My church has a weekly bulletin/newsletter that each week has a member profile in it, where church members share a picture of themselves and answer some questions so that the rest of the congregation can know them better. I had been contacted to participate in this member profile really early in my time attending the church but had refrained, probably not knowing at the time that I'd save my chance as my method of coming out to the church at large.
And on May 1st, I emailed the staff member who had made me the name tag with my chosen name on it my copy of the profile, including a picture of myself as Chelsea, and I requested a specific date later in the month to be featured. And she said yes!
A few days later, I had dinner with the author mentioned before, and we had a lovely time talking about my life path bringing me to this moment. I shared with him the picture of my name tag, and I also told him that I'd be making the switch to Chelsea in just a few short weeks.
Just a reminder that even though I was out as trans to my bible study class, I was still known as [deadname] and used he/him pronouns. I had only shared my chosen name with a couple of people; I had decided that I didn't want to make the switch until I could make it permanently with them. The week before the member profile was set to go live, I told my class that it was my last time attending church as [deadname], so they needed to keep an eye out on the upcoming newslettebulletin.
The newsletter went live on that Friday, and I was once again flooded with messages from my class expressing their love and acceptance of me, and they all told me they had updated their contact for me in their phones. I was also added to the women-only group chat, which I'd been invited to before but didn't want to join until I was officially Chelsea to them.
The night the newsletter went live, I had my first Chelsea test run. There's a couple in my class who I go see plays/musicals with on a regular basis, so I chose that opportunity to go out with them. I wore a black dress and ballet flats, and we went out for Thai food before seeing the play together. It's funny, before coming out to myself as trans, I'd crossdressed and gone out a few times over the years, but since starting HRT, the most I had done was wear femme pajamas at home and maybe tighter pants on occasion. I didn't even practice makeup on my own. So going out to the play as Chelsea was my first real experience doing so, and it went great and felt so good!
That first Sunday, I arrived with my nails painted navy blue, wearing a floral dress and makeup, and I was so at ease driving to church that morning. One member of my class had arranged for everyone to meet earlier than normal so they could celebrate me, so we had donuts and coffee together before class officially started, and many of them wrote notes of encouragement to me to take home and read later. Even our senior pastor stopped by to write a note!
As for the rest of the church? They were amazing! I met so many new people who wanted to come meet me after reading my member profile, and many of the people who I had already interacted with on a regular basis came up and hugged me, including the author I'd had dinner with and the staff member who had made me the name tag (that I was now proudly wearing) and my bible study teacher. So I am exclusively Chelsea at church now. 😊
Coming out to my coworker and leaving my job:
In other news, I finally came out to my coworker (we're teachers) and told him that I was leaving. I'd been at this school for 6 years, and 5 of them had been with him as my coworker. I knew that he would be affirming and supportive when I told him, but it was still really hard to tell him. For the rest of the school year, though, he was really careful to be sensitive to gendered language, even trying to leave the "Mr." off in front of my last name when addressing me in front of our students.
There was still one more week of school after I came out at church, which meant that after a full weekend as Chelsea, I had to go to work Monday morning as [deadname] again, which really sucked. My coworker even pulled me aside that first morning to acknowledge how weird it must be for me.
Packing up my office on the last couple of days of school was really hard. I was in the career that I had more or less envisioned for myself since I was 13 years old, and here I was at 31 just packing it up without knowing for sure what was next career-wise. There were definitely parts of teaching that really sucked, especially in the time since the pandemic, but I did still enjoy it a lot of the time. Saying goodbye was difficult.
Family update:
For Mother's Day, I had considered writing my mom and my grandma letters expressing understanding that getting used to the idea of me being trans was difficult for them, and saying that I hoped that I could start sharing more of myself with them soon, and signing it with my chosen name...which my family (aside from my brother) still doesn't know, by the way. But I decided my original letters were a little too much too fast (I mean, not really, but I was trying to be courteous), so I wrote shorter versions, and instead of signing with my deadname, I simply signed "C". There were lots of tears and mouthed "I love you"s from across the room.
I mentioned before that I used to go over to my parents' house once a week for dinner and hangout time, but ever since that day in February when I came out to everyone, I hadn't heard from my parents about coming over anymore. To be honest, it was probably just a lack of communication on both sides, but I felt that since we always met at their house, they should be the ones to reinitiate the weekly hangouts. They eventually did resume, more or less the same as they were before, but even though I'm still not dressing femme around them, now I'm more willing to wear shorts to show off my bare legs, or keep my nails painted, or not be concerned if they feel a bra strap or see my breast growth under my shirt. I even went to my grandparents' house my bare legs and navy blue nails, and no one batted an eye! Progress! I think the Mother's Day notes helped.
Meeting with my aunt to talk about me being trans and my faith:
I mentioned before that my aunt wanted to talk with me about my journey into my identity and Christian perspective on LGBTQ acceptance, and we did have that talk. She was in town for work and texted me asking if I wanted to have dinner with her, so we met for tacos and talked. She had read the book I mentioned before, and she didn't necessarily agree with what was presented in it, but she also didn't fully condemn it. We had a perfectly lovely, civil conversation.
June 2023:
Pride month update:
Well, here we are. I'm currently Chelsea a few times a week, which has been so much fun, but it has also made being [deadname] so much harder. With it being Pride Month, I'm really itching to officially come out to the world so that I can stop hiding behind [deadname]'s Facebook page and trying to save my family's feelings about my transition.
There's still one more friend who I haven't come out to yet, and I kinda want to come out to him (and to my dad's parents) before I make anything super public. Along with the friend who was the first person I came out to back in March of last year, this friend is one of my high school best friends, and we lived together in the 2+ years immediately preceding the pandemic. But while that first friend and I have both grown more liberal over the years, I don't know if the same can be said of this other friend, and I still fear his reaction. I don't want to lose a friend, but I know that I can't hide it much longer. Nor do I want to!
I'm actively searching for work, which always sucks. I need something soon though because my money situation is not super great. I have a paycheck from my teaching job until the end of August, but I'd really like to earn more money on top of that and double up while I can. I thought for a while that I would learn coding and become a programmer or web developer of some kind, but at the moment I'd rather find a job using skills that I already have rather than taking all the time to learn something completely new. I realize I didn't plan ahead for this very well, but I'll be okay.
The author I've mentioned several times is also a preacher, and this past Sunday he was out of town guest preaching at another church. That afternoon, he messaged me a link to the archived livestream of his message, telling me part of his sermon was about how I inspired him. 🥺 I've only watched it 50 times so far.
I've thought about using this video as a way of coming out to my friend, or to reveal my chosen name to my family (as well as the fact that I'm actively femme much of the time I'm not around them). I've also got a video recorded for the purpose of coming out on social media, though I might rerecord it or do something different when the time actually comes.
By the way, I went to my first Pride this last weekend, and my church had Pride shirts made and also had their own booth at the festival, giving out Pride versions of their logo stickers! I'm so lucky to be where I am, even though Texas be scary.
In any case, this was a looooooooooong post. If you read any of it, thank you for your time. Really, this was just therapeutic for me to get it all out of my head a bit, but as I mentioned before, reading others' trans experiences has been really helpful to me, so I hope others can find hope in my story.
I'm happy to answer questions if you have them. Otherwise, best wishes to you all - happy Pride Month!
-Chelsea❤️
P.S. - I don't know if the spoilers make this post easier or more frustrating to parse; I was hoping for expandable/collapsible blocks of text to make the post not as lengthy at face value, but I can't find a way to do that. If you need me to take the spoilers off, I'll do that.

VDEP is a Hardcore Survival Vanilla+ server with Dark Nights and MORE INFECTED. We offer a fresh take on the Vanilla Survival Experience, with a few QoL changes as well as some additions. We are a First Person PvE/PvP server with 3 hour Days and 40 minute DARK nights, restarting every 3 hours. Only Wiping every 4-6 months we provide a home for long term base building and survival game play. VDEP also features hand crafted lore and POIs unique to our server, making up a new and different story for those who want a more immersive experience.
Chernarus is as wild as it’s ment to be
Make this server your server! Be what you want! Play how you want to play as long as you’re not toxic! Are you a Bandit, a Hero, a Survivor? Every life is a story, what’s yours?
We are a fun, friendly, and interactive community creating a server and discord for all types of players who are looking for that Vanilla DayZ Experience.
We want to populate the server with mature people who like to have a good time and have fun! Lone wolves, Squads, and Factions welcomed!
32 slots can increase to more! Admin/Coder always looking to improve and update! Active Admin
Always looking to improve and create a unique and diverse experience while staying true to the Vanilla feel of the game. The VDEP team works to make the best possible Vanilla Plus server available!
There is no kill feed, There is no safe zone, There is no admin backed trader.
Here's a few things VDEP offer:
+Vehicles spawn fully built - just find water to fill the radiator!
+Loot is vanilla condition - badly damaged to pristine loot to be found
+Landed C130 Event w/ Survival supplies - plane with food, civilian clothes, civilian weapons and building supplies!
+”Relics of The Old Ones” Survival Horror Experience - A VDEP exclusive Lovecraft & Horror inspired “Quest” Fight the Cult, find the Idols, Stop the Olds Ones, Save Humanity!
+Kamyshovo has come alive! - This little village is DANGEROUS. Rumors of a Cult, hordes of infected, and treasure! The VDEP Survival Horror Experience starts here. Live if you can, Survive if they let you! Face your fears in “Relics of the Old Ones” Episode 1; The Horror of Kamyshovo
+More Infected - The infected are abundant. Where there’s one, there’s more. No easily running through towns.
+Dark Nights - Afraid of the dark? You should be!
+Stashed items dont affect the loot economy - Find it, stash it, find another!
+Added Unreleased Items - Gun Attachments, Melee Weapons, and more!
+Amount of Building Supplies increased slightly - A bit more than official but you’ll still need to search for them!
+Unique Custom POIs - New locations around the map exclusive to VDEP. New Military, Civilian, and Horror Inspired locations can be found.
+Unique Server Lore - A unique and custom backstory to the server offering details and insight to the secrets of the map. For those who enjoy a more immersive play.
These are just a few things we offer, for a full list join our discord! It’s not required but will help you enjoy everything VDEP has to offer!
We have Punch and Pie!
Search VDEP to find Vanilla DayZ Experience Plus
https://discord.gg/SATQXKf75c

VDEP is a Hardcore Survival Vanilla+ server with Dark Nights and MORE INFECTED. We offer a fresh take on the Vanilla Survival Experience, with a few QoL changes as well as some additions. We are a First Person PvE/PvP server with 3 hour Days and 40 minute DARK nights, restarting every 3 hours. Only Wiping every 4-6 months we provide a home for long term base building and survival game play. VDEP also features hand crafted lore and POIs unique to our server, making up a new and different story for those who want a more immersive experience.
Chernarus is as wild as it’s ment to be
Make this server your server! Be what you want! Play how you want to play as long as you’re not toxic! Are you a Bandit, a Hero, a Survivor? Every life is a story, what’s yours?
We are a fun, friendly, and interactive community creating a server and discord for all types of players who are looking for that Vanilla DayZ Experience.
We want to populate the server with mature people who like to have a good time and have fun! Lone wolves, Squads, and Factions welcomed!
32 slots can increase to more! Admin/Coder always looking to improve and update! Active Admin
Always looking to improve and create a unique and diverse experience while staying true to the Vanilla feel of the game. The VDEP team works to make the best possible Vanilla Plus server available!
There is no kill feed, There is no safe zone, There is no admin backed trader.
Here's a few things VDEP offer:
+Vehicles spawn fully built - just find water to fill the radiator!
+Loot is vanilla condition - badly damaged to pristine loot to be found
+Landed C130 Event w/ Survival supplies - plane with food, civilian clothes, civilian weapons and building supplies!
+”Relics of The Old Ones” Survival Horror Experience - A VDEP exclusive Lovecraft & Horror inspired “Quest” Fight the Cult, find the Idols, Stop the Olds Ones, Save Humanity!
+Kamyshovo has come alive! - This little village is DANGEROUS. Rumors of a Cult, hordes of infected, and treasure! The VDEP Survival Horror Experience starts here. Live if you can, Survive if they let you! Face your fears in “Relics of the Old Ones” Episode 1; The Horror of Kamyshovo
+More Infected - The infected are abundant. Where there’s one, there’s more. No easily running through towns.
+Dark Nights - Afraid of the dark? You should be!
+Stashed items dont affect the loot economy - Find it, stash it, find another!
+Added Unreleased Items - Gun Attachments, Melee Weapons, and more!
+Amount of Building Supplies increased slightly - A bit more than official but you’ll still need to search for them!
+Unique Custom POIs - New locations around the map exclusive to VDEP. New Military, Civilian, and Horror Inspired locations can be found.
+Unique Server Lore - A unique and custom backstory to the server offering details and insight to the secrets of the map. For those who enjoy a more immersive play.
These are just a few things we offer, for a full list join our discord! It’s not required but will help you enjoy everything VDEP has to offer!
We have Punch and Pie!
Search VDEP to find Vanilla DayZ Experience Plus
https://discord.gg/SATQXKf75c

Identity is not your person. An identity is owning or being bestowed with an identification but it isn't your whole self. Much of the political rhetoric misuses the spirit of identity. It's also this same mix up that creates the social and political issues (and horrors) in the first place, by being assigned an identity by others and having your existence judged and directed by it.
One time an author said something in an interview a long ago about how the right is more of a 'tribe' and that's why it's been more historically successful. The left, because they use identity politics, are a more individualistically centred community, which is why they have a tendency to 'eat their own' if those people don't comply with the rhetoric associated with these identities. The right ostracizes differently. They have more of a family centred idea and are held together by a set of beliefs. As long as you hold the beliefs, even if you don't always use the appropriate language, they will still keep you as part of the community.
I came to these understandings personally by having had a best friend on the far leftt and far right during a politically contentious time in my country. I experienced what the rhetoric does on both sides, to good people, and it is heart-breaking.
In the case of the twitter post, I think people reading it from a philosophical point of view understood what was meant by it. But it was problematic from the lens of left-wing rhetoric. The higher philosophical notion is to take an identity as part of ourselves, and use it as way to seek who we are on our journey through life. In the political context, we can can be denied existence because of an identity imposed upon us, so the idea would be to claim a communal ownership over the identities so we can redefine them into something more human and diverse.
To convey a deeper notion of humanity in the rhetorical world of language, it's best not to touch rhetorical symbolism. It's also best not to use that symbolism in a grammatically negative format as it would be interpreted as attempting to negate that symbol or sense of identity even if that's not the spirit of the statement.
One of the lessons that I've learned is: sometimes it's best not speak to someone in their own personal language (or rhetoric in this case) if you want to say something outside of its parameters in an attempt to convey something beyond it. They are much more fluent in their own language and rhetoric than you are because they identify with it to the point that it is synonymous with their self. So if you want them to listen to something outside of it, than speak or write in a 'language' that they don't identify with but will consider. Which is probably the best explanation that I can personally make to about using the poetic to fight rhetoric. It's been an age-old war for a reason, and it's better to exhibit the image of something you want to say than to make a logical statement in reaction.

Got Mettalica blasting on my 'phones, sounds excellent!
So I've stopped the H, started community treatment and it's doing me the world of good! I'm on an oxy script and got lyrica and diazepam as well, all legit, and I'm learning to take 'em as prescribed.
I was in the city centre yesterday to grab my script and it was early, like 8.15am early, so the lady asked if I could come back in a half hour which was no problem so I went to a coffee house for a nice coffee and a pastry. It was while I was sat there people watching when I realised I'd re-joined the human race.
For me addiction has me isolated and keeping myself away from everyone who loves me and I had the realisation what I was doing was so fucking unfair on my mum, my dad, my big sis, my nieces. Everyone.
So although thankfully I don't need methadone or subs the courses that I'm doing in the community are the best thing I've done in a long time. It's a SMART course and it's just fucking brilliant, teaching me where I'm going wrong. The course isn't there to tell us all to stop using, just puts us in the picture of what our addictions are doing to others. Thing is my mum has never taken a drug in her life but she gets dragged along by my addiction, it's so fucking selfish of me but I'm learning how I can change things.
Since starting this course it's kinda the 1st time in a long time that I've interacted with other people instead of just isolating myself. Probably talking too soon but there's a really good-looking girl I'm getting friendly with too.
Point is, I'm back and it's nice.
Peace.

Hi, a few month ago my new psychologist asked me if I ever been diagnosed with autism. I wasn't, I'm from a small town in Eastern Europe, our health system wasnt that good (and we are still behind in a lot of stuff). When I grew up and got access to healthcare, I got PTSD, depression, severe anxiety. Psychologists would suggest that I have bpd, but they weren't sure enough. So I dont have diagnosis and I dont have resources to get diagnosed rn in America. I do have an interest in the topic, so I started reading Devon Price, Unmasking autism and some little studies here and there. Than I thought to come to reddit to find autism community. I really wanted to belong somewhere. I read through posts and got scared and felt even more lonely. Also I understood that the books I read are more concentrated on the low needs autistic people(?) Im not sure. I want to understand more. I want to see the bigger picture. I want to be careful with information I get. I really want some suggestions on the books/research papers/articles which would give more in depth look into this spectrum, especially with correct/uptodate terms for describing experience in different levels. Thank you

Previous attempt
Hey everyone! I've been working on my query. Manuscript-wise I'm essentially ready to go, but the query package is continually a struggle for me. Hopefully this version is clearer than other iterations.
Also for reference, this is an adult novel. Pretty much every beta I've had told advised against toning violence/themes down for YA, saying it works better as an Adult novel even with it starting in high school. So for that reason, I'd love feedback as to whether the query sounds too YA, as past queries where I didn't specify lead to that assumption.
Dear (Agent),
(Personalization). I am seeking representation for my queer supernatural thriller, HARVEY, complete at 98,000 words. With its emphasis on the Midwestern setting, it will appeal to fans of Gothic fiction and those with Y2K nostalgia.
In the fall of 1999, someone begins terrorizing the small, remote town of Harvey, Missouri. Some residents vanish without a trace, while others are found brutally murdered, their bodies lacerated and completely drained of blood.
There’s no clear pattern linking the victims, nor any viable suspects, but eighteen-year-old Oliver Whitman isn’t frightened about his own safety. After all, with his terminal genetic heart condition, death has loomed over him since birth, and he views his life as disposable—a mindset that his clandestine boyfriend, Jace, can’t seem to understand. Plus, no one but Oliver knows from wandering into the woods one evening that the culprits are beyond anything humanly imaginable. It’s an easy decision for him to sacrifice his life to protect his love from them.
Four years later, the last thing Jace—now a college senior—wants is to return to Missouri, especially Harvey, as he’s still grieving the loss of Oliver. However, when a former classmate’s body is found on the anniversary of Oliver's disappearance, Jace finds himself unwillingly pulled back in. While he has no idea who—or what—it is that has a personal vendetta against Harvey and its residents, a string of threatening messages written in blood make one thing certain: Jace is the next target.
Following dual POVs, HARVEY is a character-driven story that explores the lengths to which individuals will go to protect those they care about. My novel will appeal to fans of vampire novels such as CERTAIN DARK THINGS by Silvia Moreno-Garcia or THE SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB’S GUIDE TO SLAYING VAMPIRES by Grady Hendrix, and fans of queer, supernatural romances such as the GREEN CREEK series by T.J. Klune or THE DEAD AND THE DARK by Courtney Gould.
(Bio)
First 300
“Bob, it seems we’re hearing no new developments on the recent missing person case coming out of Harvey, Missouri this morning. Nineteen-year-old Tyler O’Sullivan is the ninth person in Adams County to turn up missing or dead this year.”
“Truly awful, Janice. And such a terrible situation for what we hear is such a small, close-knit community. I think I speak for everyone when I say we all hope they find him safe and sound.”
“Well, the O’Sullivan family and the Adams County Police Department are asking for anyone with any information to please call the number—”
“Did you know him?” Jace’s mother asked as he wandered into the kitchen that Monday morning. She was setting the crockpot for dinner, but her tired eyes seemed unable to break from the small box TV on the linoleum counter.
Jace Silva pulled the milk carton from the fridge and stared at the image on the TV. On it was a list of Tyler’s physical attributes and clothes he last wore alongside his senior yearbook photo. His gray eyes were partially obscured by his black bangs, yet seemed to pierce into Jace’s soul.
“Not really.”
Of course, he knew of Tyler. He frequently saw him in the school halls until his graduation last year. Living in a small, rural town in fuckall nowhere, Missouri it was hard not to know everyone at least by face, especially someone one grade above. With shaggy hair and edgy black clothing in the middle of the rural bible belt, he stood out like a sore thumb.
Tyler and his family went to church every Sunday, yet people always looked at him and his equally black-clad friend, Evangeline Lark, like they were demon possessed. Not that anyone dared to say anything to Tyler’s face, given his cop father. Though after Columbine a few months ago, pressure did make him trim his hair and switch to normal blue jeans. Jace himself thought little of it.

Marvel Comics Spider-Verse Movie! Here’s downloading or Streaming Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 2023 Movie Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 2023 Movie Warner Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Pictures! Are you looking to download or watch the new Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse online? Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is available for Free Streaming 123movies & Reddit, including where to watch the Action movie at home

📺🔴LINK: Spider-man: Across The Spider-Verse Free Online

📺🔴LINK: Spider-man: Across The Spider-Verse Free Online

Now Is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse available to stream? Is watching Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse on Disney Plus, HBO Max, Netflix or Amazon Prime? Yes we have found an authentic streaming option / service. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a dark drama film written by Katie Silberman. A 1950s housewife living with her husband in a utopian experimental community begins to worry that his glamorous company could be hiding disturbing secrets.
Showcase Cinema Warwick you’ll want to make sure you’re one of the first people to see it! So mark your calendars and get ready for a Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse movie experience like never before. We can’t wait to see it too! In the meantime, check out some of our other Marvel movies available to watch online. We’re sure you’ll find something to your liking. Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you soon! Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is available on our website for free streaming. Just click the link below to watch the full movie in its entirety. Details on how you can watch Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse for free throughout the year are described below.
If you’re a fan of the comics, you won’t want to miss this one! The storyline follows Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse as he tries to find his way home after being stranded on an alien planet. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is definitely a Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse movie you don’t want to miss with stunning visuals and an action-packed plot! Plus, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse online streaming is available on our website. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse online free, which includes streaming options such as 123movies, Reddit, or TV shows from HBO Max or Netflix!
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Release in U.S
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse hits theaters on September 23, 2023. Tickets to see the film at your local movie theater are available online here. The film is being released in a wide release so you can watch it in person.
How to Watch Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse for Free?
As mentioned above, the dark fantasy is only released theatrically as of now. So, people who wish to watch the movie free of cost will have to wait for its release on a platform that offers a free trial. However, we encourage our readers to always pay for the content they wish to consume online and refrain from using illegal means.
Where to Watch Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse?
There are currently no platforms that have the rights to Watch Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Movie Online. MAPPA has decided to air the movie only in theaters because it has been a huge success. The studio, on the other hand, does not wish to divert revenue. Streaming the movie would only slash the profits, not increase them.
As a result, no streaming services are authorized to offer Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Movie for free. The film would, however, very definitely be acquired by services like Funimation, Netflix, and Crunchyroll. As a last consideration, which of these outlets will likely distribute the film worldwide?
Is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse on Netflix?
The streaming giant has a massive catalog of television shows and movies, but it does not include ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’ We recommend our readers watch other dark fantasy films like ‘The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf.’
Is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse on Crunchyroll?
Crunchyroll, along with Funimation, has acquired the rights to the film and will be responsible for its distribution in North America. Therefore, we recommend our readers to look for the movie on the streamer in the coming months. In the meantime, subscribers can also watch dark fantasy shows like ‘Jujutsu Kaisen.‘
Is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse on Hulu?
No, ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ is unavailable on Hulu. People who have a subscription to the platform can enjoy ‘Afro Samurai Resurrection‘ or ‘Ninja Scroll.’
Is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse on Amazon Prime?
Amazon Prime’s current catalog does not include ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’ However, the film may eventually release on the platform as video-on-demand in the coming months. Therefore, people must regularly look for the dark fantasy movie on Amazon Prime’s official website. Viewers who are looking for something similar can watch the original show ‘Dororo.’
When Will Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Be on Disney+?
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse , the latest installment in the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse franchise, is coming to Disney+ on July 8th! This new movie promises to be just as exciting as the previous ones, with plenty of action and adventure to keep viewers entertained. If you’re looking forward to watching it, you may be wondering when it will be available for your Disney+ subscription. Here’s an answer to that question!
Is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse on Funimation?
Since Funimation has rights to the film like Crunchyroll, its official website may include the movie in its catalog in the near future. Meanwhile, people who wish to watch something similar can stream ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train.’
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Online In The U.S?
Most Viewed, Most Favorite, Top Rating, Top IMDb movies online. Here we can download and watch 123movies movies offline. 123Movies website is the best alternative to Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2021) free online. We will recommend 123Movies is the best Solarmovie alternatives.
There are a few ways to watch Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse online in the U.S. You can use a streaming service such as Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video. You can also rent or buy the movie on iTunes or Google Play. You can also watch it on-demand or on a streaming app available on your TV or streaming device if you have cable.
What is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse About?
It features an ensemble cast that includes Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Wilde, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll, and Chris Pine. In the film, a young wife living in a 1950s company town begins to believe there is a sinister secret being kept from her by the man who runs it.
What is the story of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse?
In the 1950s, Alice and Jack live in the idealized community of Victory, an experimental company town that houses the men who work on a top-secret project. While the husbands toil away, the wives get to enjoy the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their seemingly perfect paradise. However, when cracks in her idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something sinister lurking below the surface, Alice can't help but question exactly what she's doing in Victory{In sha Allah}

Mumbai has a unique lengthy history, and it was previously comprised of seven islands. Mumbai is a dynamic metro that acts as an important trade, tourism, and economic centre. Mumbai is renowned for its dynamic spirit, rich cultural history, & multicultural environment. Mumbai is another important economic & industrial powerhouse in India. Have a look at these stunning Mumbai houses. Look no further than these magnificent rising properties in Mumbai if you're looking to a nice or affordable place to build a home for yourself or somebody they care about. Many local and international industries, notably significant banks, insurance companies, as well as other huge organisations, call the city home.
Homes In Mumbai
Codename Vasai Pride Contact No:+912268493321
Located in Golani Naka, Vasai, Codename Vasai Pride is a project developed by Ornate Universal. Vasai Pride, codenamed Vasai Pride, offers a lifestyle fit for royalty with its exquisite residences in Vasai. Your home will now be the ideal place to unwind after an exhausting day working because Codename Vasai Pride is going to make you forget you're in the middle of the city. The project is a one-of-a-kind combination of features that go beyond steel and concrete to ensure a thriving community.1 & 2 Bhk flats in Mumbai are available at a selling price is 36.29 Lacs & 56.5 Lacs respectively.
Sai Aura Contact No:+912261739629
Located in HOC Colony, Panvel, Sai Aura is a project developed by Priya Construction. Sai Aura is a lovely project with well-planned living spaces, which is characteristic of well-planned flats at moderate pricing. The lovely vistas and open spaces make your residence a tranquil haven. Sai Aura offers the finest of city life surrounded by nature, at the pace set by the noteworthy citizens that live here. You are the one who was selected since you are from a place named Sai Aura.1 Bhk flats in Mumbai are available at a selling price is 58.09 Lacs respectively.
Anant Bhoomi Contact No: +912268493340
Located in Mahavir Nagar, Kandivali, Anant Bhoomi is a project developed by Anant Group. Anant Bhoomi is a Uber-cool residential complex in Mahavir Nagar, Kandivali-West, Mumbai, with quiet open landscapes and culturally rich neighbourhoods. With an ideal position, Anant Bhoomi is guaranteed to achieve ultimate acclaim and becomes one of the most famous addressees you would like to live in. The design of the building, as well as the address, create an unforgettable impact. Anant Bhoomi provides the finest parts of city life next to nature, at a pace decided by the residents.2 & 3 Bhk flats in Mumbai are available at a selling Price On Request respectively.

Hi! I'm going on Mat leave soon and I was hoping to start a new hobby - making some easy wooden furniture. I've long enjoyed watching YouTube videos on this subject and now I can't wait to get my hands dirty. However, I don't have the resources to buy the tools required. Is there a community woodworking centre I could join? I live in Nepean and any would like to find something close by :)

Welcome to the /formula1 Daily Discussion / Q&A thread.

This thread is a hub for general discussion and questions about Formula 1, that don't need threads of their own.
Are you new to Formula 1? This is the place for you. Ever wondered why it's called a lollipop man? Why the cars don't refuel during pitstops? Or when Mika will be back from his sabbatical? Ask any question you might have here, and the community will answer.
Also make sure you check out our guide for new fans, and our FAQ for new fans.
Are you a veteran fan, longing for the days of lollipop men, refueling during pitstops, and Mika Häkkinen? This is the place to introduce new fans to your passion and knowledge of the sport.
Remember to keep it civil and welcoming! Gatekeeping within the Daily Discussion will subject users to disciplinary action.
Have a meta question about the subreddit? Please direct these to the moderators instead.
Useful links:

• Discord

Good causes:

• 🇺🇦 Want to support Ukraine? Here's a list of charities.
• 🏳️‍🌈 Support Stonewall to help improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people.

Today's random F1 facts:
^{Daily Facts by Fart_Leviathan}

• In both of Michael Schumacher's final races before retirement, the podium was comprised of Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa (Brazil 2006 and Brazil 2012).
  
• Juan Manuel Fangio won 5 championships between 1951 and 1957. His record stood for 46 years, until Michael Schumacher claimed his 6th championship in 2003.
  
• Both Keke Rosberg and Mike Hawthorn only won a single race in their championship winning seasons.
  

Upcoming events in other racing series

• [Sun 11 Jun, 14:00 UTC]: 90th Edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Top posts from the last 24 hours

• Lewis posted the photo he took of Carlos at the Spanish GP, after he talked about it in an interview saying Carlos was wearing “the worst bucket hat ever” [via @LewisHamilton on Instagram].
  
• [Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake] NEWS: Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake announces that James Key will join the team as its Technical Director, starting on September 1st, 2023. James’s appointment is a statement of intent for the team as Sauber Motorsport prepares to become a works team in 2026.
  
• Mercedes helmet design of Mick Schumacher
  
• [OT] Toyota blasts “Americanisation” of Le Mans with new safety car rules
  
• F1: Domenicali is working on the new Concorde Agreement and aims to have 12 teams
  

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.

Aside from being the generic depressed college student, here is a little more about me:

• I’m majoring in political science and am transferring from a community college to a uni
  
• Aspire to one day become a lawyer just like my uncle
  
• Californian born and raised, Guatemalan family 🇬🇹
  
• Am beyond obsessed with the gym as I go every 5 days of the week for an hour and half to two hours either in the morning before class and other personal responsibilities or late afternoon after I’ve picked up my sisters from school and have taken care of miscellaneous tasks
  
• One thing to note about me: I talk A LOT. I can be nothing but a verbal machine gun as I enjoy pretty much discussing about almost everything so good look keeping up 😅
  
• As well as being a gym-rat, I also enjoy cooking various anabolic meals deserts such as protein brownies, oat cookies, burgers, burritos, pasta, French toast, pancakes, nuggies, etc
  
• I enjoy various types of music genres and underground artists such as Martin Dupont, Deux, Harsh Symmetry, Adam the Shinobi, etc
  
• Other hobbies I have aside from gym and cooking is writing, reading, sleeping, and wandering around town(s) for fun/cardio if that even constitutes as a hobby lol
  
• I like most movie/show genres, movies that are up there for me is A Better Life, Mr. Inbetween, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, True Detective, The Crow, The Batman, The Rookie, Under The Same Moon, No Country For Old Men, Crazy Stupid Love, Suits, Detachment, Drive, Desperado, There Will Be Blood, The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Apocalypse Now, etc
  

There’s so much more to me and I’ve probably given more than enough about myself with this post, so if you’re curious in wanting to get to know more about me, feel free to message me 👍🏽

Introduction: Cataract surgery is a common procedure that aims to remove the cloudy lens of the eye and replace it with an artificial lens, restoring clear vision. If you are considering cataract surgery in Delhi, it's essential to have an understanding of the associated costs. In this blog, we will explore the cataract surgery cost in Delhi and provide insights into the expertise of Dr. Rajiv Bajaj, a renowned ophthalmologist specializing in eye surgeries.
Cataract Surgery Cost in Delhi: The cost of cataract surgery in Delhi can vary based on several factors, including the type of surgery and the hospital or clinic chosen. According to Practo, the starting price for cataract surgery in Delhi is ₹16,800, while the average cost is ₹28,271. The maximum price can go up to ₹52,500.
Different Types of Cataract Surgery:

1. Extra Capsular Cataract Extraction (ECCE): The average cost for ECCE ranges from ₹30,000 to ₹40,000.
2. Small Incision Cataract Surgery (SICS): The average cost for SICS falls within the range of ₹30,000 to ₹40,000.
3. Phacoemulsification Surgery: Commonly known as Laser Surgery, the cost for this procedure can vary between ₹25,000 and ₹145,000, with an average cost of ₹85,000.
4. Laser-assisted Cataract Surgery: The cost for this advanced procedure can range from ₹40,000 to ₹120,000, with an average cost of ₹80,000.

Dr Rajiv Bajaj's Expertise: Dr Rajiv Bajaj is a highly experienced ophthalmologist with 36 years of overall experience and 28 years as a specialist. He is the founder of Bajaj Eye Care Centre, a reputed facility equipped with modern amenities for comprehensive eye care. Dr Bajaj has served at prestigious hospitals such as Safdarjang Hospital, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, and Sant Parmanand Hospital, gaining extensive expertise in the field of ophthalmology.
Dr. Rajiv Bajaj MBBS, MS - Ophthalmology
Dr Rajiv Bajaj is a renowned Ophthalmologist practising in the Pitampura area of Delhi. He is the founder of Bajaj Eye Care Centre, a centre equipped with ultra-modern facilities that provide solutions to a wide range of eye ailments. The centre known for its professional excellence is present on the panel of leading insurance companies, Govt. Organizations and the majority of TPA's for Cashless Mediclaim Facilities. Dr Bajaj is an MBBS graduate from Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi. He further pursued post graduation MS in Ophthalmology from Delhi University which involved the study of the anatomy, physiology and detailed study of the surgical problems of the eyes. Prior to independent practice, Dr Bajaj served at Safdarjang Hospital, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Maharaja Agrasen Hospital and Sant Parmanand Hospital which have been his immense sources of experience in the ophthalmic field. He later established Bajaj Eye Care Centre which caters to patients from Delhi and NCR. As a part of surgical education, Dr Bajaj has demonstrated live surgery of MICS at national-level conferences. He is among the first few doctors to incorporate advanced technology such as MICS, Phaco surgery and Lasik Surgery in his practice.
Patient Testimonials: Several patients have shared positive experiences with Dr Rajiv Bajaj and Bajaj Eye Care Centre. Manpreet Kair underwent LASIK eye surgery and expressed satisfaction with the doctor's friendliness, explanation of the health issue, treatment satisfaction, and value for money. Another patient, Ashish Kumar, shared his gratitude for being able to see without spectacles after undergoing successful SBK-thin flap surgery.
Booking an Appointment: If you wish to consult Dr Rajiv Bajaj for cataract surgery or any other eye-related concerns, you can book an appointment at Bajaj Eye Care Centre in Pitampura, Delhi. The clinic is located at Plot No - 77, No-101, Vikas Surya Plaza, DDA Community Center, Road No-44, Sant Nagar Pitampura.
Conclusion: Cataract surgery is a common and effective procedure for restoring clear vision. The cost of cataract surgery in Delhi can vary based on factors such as the type of surgery and the chosen hospital or clinic. Dr Rajiv Bajaj, an experienced ophthalmologist at Bajaj Eye Care Centre, specializes in various eye surgeries, including cataract surgery. Considering his expertise and positive patient testimonials, he can be a reliable choice for individuals seeking cataract surgery in Delhi.
Name: Bajaj Eye Care Centre Address: 101, Vikas Surya Plaza, Plot No. 7, DDA Community Centre Road No. 44, Pitampura, Delhi-110034 Phone: 011-47024919 / 27012054 Website: www.bajajeyecarecentre.com

The short film Space Traders was certainly a shocker to me especially because I didn’t think it would have ended that way. When I think of Afrofuturism I think of Black people being seen in futuristic roles which makes me think of it as a positive. This is the first time I’ve seen anything Afrofuturstic and it ended badly for Black people. My mindset throughout the whole movie is that there is no possible way society can succeed without Black people, so I thought there was no way they would make the executive decision to give up all the dark skinned African Americans. I thought it was weird to see the voting process during this movie and how they allowed for the voting process to be in the comfort of their own homes, it skewed the voting process tremendously because no one would ever know who voted for what. Along with this if Black votes were casted and taken into consideration the movie would've also ended very differently. This whole movie reminded me so much of slavery because many Black people have been captured and taken to an unknown place not knowing what is going to happen to them. By not adding to that part of the story and expanding on where the aliens took them, it adds to the afrofuturistic vibe because there is a possibility that this new world they are going to can actually be a paradise as the main character stated to the community of Black people as they met in town hall to discuss their futures. The idea of tricking the White people to make them feel like they would be missing out on something was a very smart idea to turn over the vote, but because the main character worked white white people against Black people for all that time, it makes sense why they wouldn’t want to listen to his suggestion. Overall I felt that this was such a great short film and honestly wished I could see more of what is to come for the Black community now that they are out of the U.S, as well as how good or bad the U.S is doing. Even though the aliens took care of big problems that our world has been trying to overcome for decades, is it really worth the lives of Black people, and changing the culture of the U.S completely?

Hi everyone, I had a freaky accident when sparring no gi. MRI results came back today and indicates tear in both ACL and MCL. I plan to share my experience here live as I go through the injury 💔 and I also hope my experience could be of help for anyone in the community.
(It is currently the end of Day 3 as I am writing this post. I am 24, female, blue belt, living in the US, for reference)
Day 0: How it happened I was trying to take my partner’s back and they shut me down by shifting their body weight down towards me. Their butt landed on the outside of my knee - it snapped inwards followed by a pop. I collapsed in throbbing pain
Ice and compression was immediately applied when I was immobilised and on the mats. I was later sent to the urgent care. X-Ray indicates no bone damage.
My leg has no stability whatsoever. When I put minimal weight on it, it bends OUTWARDS. I cannot move without crutches (well I can skip around with one leg)
Went ahead and booked the earliest ortho availability covered by my insurance on Zocdoc
Day 1: Orthopaedic visit Doctor inspected my swelling and checked my range of motion against my healthy leg. His assessments was rupture in ACL and a tear in the MCL. They said an MRI is needed to properly diagnose the injury and to determine further actions. I.e. if surgery is needed. They ordered an MRI for me and said to wait for the insurance company’s approval.
Day 2: Insurance company approval I decided to call the insurance company to learn more about the MRI approval and it’s status. They put me on hold for over 10 minutes. But when somebody finally picked up the phone, I was told that a pre-authorisation is not needed for an MRI. Lesson learned was to be patience!! I scheduled an MRI appointment a week from then and informed the orthopaedist.
Day 3: MRI Since calling worked yesterday, I decided to call the imaging centre to see if they have any availability. They indeed have a slot today. I took it. Had some hassle removing all my jewellery but I showed up and got my MRI. The MRI itself took around 15 minutes. The imaging centre said results would be available in 24-48 hours.
Fast forward 8 hours, I already got my results via the patient’s portal. It is a ACL and MCL Tear. I am devastated. I scheduled an ortho appointment for two days later to discuss the report and next steps.