General hospital spoilers 2022
Persona
2010.01.15 07:20 jdwohlever Persona
This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. A community for the Persona game series, a spinoff series from the Megami Tensei series published by Atlus. Discussions related to the main series and its spin offs can be found here. Join our Discord for further discussion: https://discord.gg/wsdshGpC3h
2009.08.31 11:33 Visual Novels
A community for discussing visual novels and the visual novel medium.
2009.07.18 17:57 ThePowerOfGeek A Song of Ice and Fire
News and discussions relating to George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels, his Westeros-based short stories, the "Game of Thrones" and "House of the Dragon" TV series, and all things ASOIAF - but with particular emphasis on the written series.
2023.03.21 21:43 welp007 🚨🟣 GameStop Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2022 Results 🟣🚨
 | submitted by welp007 to TransparentMarkets [link] [comments] |
2023.03.21 21:41 theslickplay GameStop Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2022 Results
Estimate $-0.13
Actual $0.16
Fourth Quarter Overview
submitted by theslickplay to GameStop [link] [comments]
Actual $0.16
Fourth Quarter Overview
- Net sales were $2.226 billion, compared to $2.254 billion in the prior year's fourth quarter.
- Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses were $453.4 million, or 20.4% of sales, compared to $538.9 million, or 23.9% of sales, in the prior year's fourth quarter.
- Net income was $48.2 million, compared to a net loss of $147.5 million for the prior year’s fourth quarter.
- Inventory was $682.9 million at the close of the period, compared to $915.0 million at the close of the prior year's fourth quarter, reflecting the Company’s ongoing focus on maintaining a healthy inventory position.
- Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $1.391 billion at the close of the quarter.
- Generated net sales of $5.927 billion for the fiscal year, compared to $6.011 billion for fiscal year 2021.
- Increased full-year sales in the collectibles category, which is an area in which the Company continues prioritizing long-term growth.
- Completed the majority of implementations and upgrades related to the Company’s infrastructure, systems, shipping capabilities, and online and mobile platforms.
- Initiated cost cutting initiatives and headcount reductions over the course of the year to increase operational efficiency.
- Established an equity incentive program for store leaders and tenured associates to increase their compensation and strengthen alignment of interests with fellow stockholders.
- Set a go-forward strategic direction focused on efficiency, profitability and pragmatic growth.
2023.03.21 21:37 moonshot_69 🚨🟣 GameStop Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2022 Results 🟣🚨
| | submitted by moonshot_69 to bbby_remastered [link] [comments] |
2023.03.21 21:35 ocdhater It just gets harder and i dont know why
My OCD Experince
Here is some background. When I was a child this started out on a minor scale. My earliest memory of OCD was walking out of my room if I thought about my least favorite baseball player Chase Utley, and walking back into my room while thinking of my favorite one instead, David Wright. If I tried to ignore this urge I would get extremely antsy and have to give in. However this eventually went away through me telling myself “This is all in your head”. Years passed and I was fine until December 2021. Late December the ocd became religious, despite me not necessarily being a ‘word for word by the bible Christian’. I began feeling as if I was not worthy of my current life and its perks, along with the people who love me due to past things I had did. In January of 2022 I confessed to my parents of what I did (I would rather not mention it as it is strictly a family matter) and was forgiven by them. However my OCD did not go away, making me realize the mental hardship I was going through was not just guilt, but OCD, Anxiety, and depression ( which was professionally diagnosed.) I have tried therapy twice, once before medication, which did not work, and another time after in September of 2022 which did not work. Anyway, as time progressed from January, I tried therapy, which made things worse in my opinion. I then became hospitalized in February, as my building OCD urges took over my life to the point I was afraid to move from my bed. I could not do anything for myself, and could not stop crying out of fear that I was disrespecting God and the Christian faith, as well as fearing death and going to hell rather than Heaven as a result. They could not do much for me, providing me with pills that made me tired and that’s it. I eventually received a psychiatrist in late February or March (I do not remember when as my brain has blocked out much of early 2022) I was prescribed clonazepam 1mg, fluoxetine, and aripiprazole, later switching to just the ladder two when I changed physiatrist for insurance reasons. I was perfectly back to normal staring from late March-April all the way to August when it returned again. I have gained so much weight from a combination of medications and not wanting to workout due to medications making me gain weight/making me tired. I used to be 5’8 and 175-80ish pounds of nearly pure muscle, and am now well over 230 and have no motivation to do anything about it. Since august I have tried numerous medications to no avail, which leads me to today, and with each passing day, it feels slightly worse and worse and I fear I’m reaching a breaking point again.
My OCD occurs through nearly everything, but mostly when doing things I do a lot. Such as walking in and out of rooms or cars, flipping light switches, putting on or taking off articles of clothing, using the restroom, opening and closing things, picking things up and putting them down, typing, washing my hands, touching/hugging/kissing people I care about, and sometimes even putting things in my mouth when I eat or drink.
Here is an example of the average OCD I encounter:
*walks into room* *must thing of Jesus, if I do not, or worse, think of the ‘other guy’, I will die and go to hell instead of Heaven* *if I feel the presence of my middle finger, genital region, or behind during this thought process, I must start over while feeling a neutral part of my body such as a pointer finger* *After this (usually takes numerous attempts) Must think of neutral name or person so I do not insult Jesus in case I feel the presence of my middle finger, genital region, or behind afterwards. Examples of neutral names would be that of baseball players such as Shohei Ohtani, celebrities, etc.* *If successful, proceed with day, if not, start over again from the top*
This is just an example, it can occur when thinking/seeing/hearing/touching of any religious words, objects, or things, and can occur doing any of the things I listed in the paragraph above the example. I NEED to respect all Christian things or terrible things will happen to me and my loved ones. And if I see or think of the opposite of Christian things, I need to see Christian version to correct and cleanse myself otherwise I will essentially be worshiping the opposite religion (Despite knowing this is not true and you cannot ‘accidentally’ worship something else, my brain acts as if that is true). This is my though process and I hate it. This also goes for death, as if I see/think of/hear the word death or anything related, I would prefer to see/think of/hear Life, as my brain makes me think that if I do not see it, I will die soon or someone close to me will. I count nearly everything I do, and if I attempt to do something and it lands on a number I deem bad, I have to start over. Sometimes these ritualistic things take dozens of attempts before I feel comfortable and it makes me so frustrated, sad, and scared. Sometimes I cry or punch myself in the head trying to fix things.
In my brain there are three categories, Good, bad, and neutral. All words, things, thoughts, and images fall into these categories. If I see/heafeel/think a ‘bad’ thing, I must correct it by seeing/hearing/feeling/thinking of a ‘good’ thing. Then in order to not disrespect the ‘good’ thing accidentally as I go on with my day, I must see/heafeel/think a neutral thing, as I do not care what occurs to the neutral thing, if that makes any sense.
Examples of words and things I want to or don’t want to see/think/hear
Negative: Devil, Satan, Lucifer, Pentagram, Satanist, Satanism, Allah, death, dying, color red (sometimes), hell, fire, 666, Koran/Quaran
Neutral: Shohei, Water, Mets, 000
Positive: Jesus, God, Holy Spirit, Christian, Christianity, Cross, Life, 555, Bible
I want to get back to a point where I can see negative or positive things and move on with my day without stopping to denounce/correct or worship said things. I do not want to be hyper aware of every body part I feel on myself. I do not want to count my every step and everything I do. I want to stop crying and hitting myself in the head out of frustration and hatred of my brain. I want to be comfortable in my own skin, and for my head to stop hurting from stress that my own stupid brain causes me all the time.
submitted by ocdhater to OCD [link] [comments]
Here is some background. When I was a child this started out on a minor scale. My earliest memory of OCD was walking out of my room if I thought about my least favorite baseball player Chase Utley, and walking back into my room while thinking of my favorite one instead, David Wright. If I tried to ignore this urge I would get extremely antsy and have to give in. However this eventually went away through me telling myself “This is all in your head”. Years passed and I was fine until December 2021. Late December the ocd became religious, despite me not necessarily being a ‘word for word by the bible Christian’. I began feeling as if I was not worthy of my current life and its perks, along with the people who love me due to past things I had did. In January of 2022 I confessed to my parents of what I did (I would rather not mention it as it is strictly a family matter) and was forgiven by them. However my OCD did not go away, making me realize the mental hardship I was going through was not just guilt, but OCD, Anxiety, and depression ( which was professionally diagnosed.) I have tried therapy twice, once before medication, which did not work, and another time after in September of 2022 which did not work. Anyway, as time progressed from January, I tried therapy, which made things worse in my opinion. I then became hospitalized in February, as my building OCD urges took over my life to the point I was afraid to move from my bed. I could not do anything for myself, and could not stop crying out of fear that I was disrespecting God and the Christian faith, as well as fearing death and going to hell rather than Heaven as a result. They could not do much for me, providing me with pills that made me tired and that’s it. I eventually received a psychiatrist in late February or March (I do not remember when as my brain has blocked out much of early 2022) I was prescribed clonazepam 1mg, fluoxetine, and aripiprazole, later switching to just the ladder two when I changed physiatrist for insurance reasons. I was perfectly back to normal staring from late March-April all the way to August when it returned again. I have gained so much weight from a combination of medications and not wanting to workout due to medications making me gain weight/making me tired. I used to be 5’8 and 175-80ish pounds of nearly pure muscle, and am now well over 230 and have no motivation to do anything about it. Since august I have tried numerous medications to no avail, which leads me to today, and with each passing day, it feels slightly worse and worse and I fear I’m reaching a breaking point again.
My OCD occurs through nearly everything, but mostly when doing things I do a lot. Such as walking in and out of rooms or cars, flipping light switches, putting on or taking off articles of clothing, using the restroom, opening and closing things, picking things up and putting them down, typing, washing my hands, touching/hugging/kissing people I care about, and sometimes even putting things in my mouth when I eat or drink.
Here is an example of the average OCD I encounter:
*walks into room* *must thing of Jesus, if I do not, or worse, think of the ‘other guy’, I will die and go to hell instead of Heaven* *if I feel the presence of my middle finger, genital region, or behind during this thought process, I must start over while feeling a neutral part of my body such as a pointer finger* *After this (usually takes numerous attempts) Must think of neutral name or person so I do not insult Jesus in case I feel the presence of my middle finger, genital region, or behind afterwards. Examples of neutral names would be that of baseball players such as Shohei Ohtani, celebrities, etc.* *If successful, proceed with day, if not, start over again from the top*
This is just an example, it can occur when thinking/seeing/hearing/touching of any religious words, objects, or things, and can occur doing any of the things I listed in the paragraph above the example. I NEED to respect all Christian things or terrible things will happen to me and my loved ones. And if I see or think of the opposite of Christian things, I need to see Christian version to correct and cleanse myself otherwise I will essentially be worshiping the opposite religion (Despite knowing this is not true and you cannot ‘accidentally’ worship something else, my brain acts as if that is true). This is my though process and I hate it. This also goes for death, as if I see/think of/hear the word death or anything related, I would prefer to see/think of/hear Life, as my brain makes me think that if I do not see it, I will die soon or someone close to me will. I count nearly everything I do, and if I attempt to do something and it lands on a number I deem bad, I have to start over. Sometimes these ritualistic things take dozens of attempts before I feel comfortable and it makes me so frustrated, sad, and scared. Sometimes I cry or punch myself in the head trying to fix things.
In my brain there are three categories, Good, bad, and neutral. All words, things, thoughts, and images fall into these categories. If I see/heafeel/think a ‘bad’ thing, I must correct it by seeing/hearing/feeling/thinking of a ‘good’ thing. Then in order to not disrespect the ‘good’ thing accidentally as I go on with my day, I must see/heafeel/think a neutral thing, as I do not care what occurs to the neutral thing, if that makes any sense.
Examples of words and things I want to or don’t want to see/think/hear
Negative: Devil, Satan, Lucifer, Pentagram, Satanist, Satanism, Allah, death, dying, color red (sometimes), hell, fire, 666, Koran/Quaran
Neutral: Shohei, Water, Mets, 000
Positive: Jesus, God, Holy Spirit, Christian, Christianity, Cross, Life, 555, Bible
I want to get back to a point where I can see negative or positive things and move on with my day without stopping to denounce/correct or worship said things. I do not want to be hyper aware of every body part I feel on myself. I do not want to count my every step and everything I do. I want to stop crying and hitting myself in the head out of frustration and hatred of my brain. I want to be comfortable in my own skin, and for my head to stop hurting from stress that my own stupid brain causes me all the time.
2023.03.21 21:34 Dry_Bison_7901 Originally, I wrote this wall of text to r/SuicideWatch, but I've decided NOT to post it because it might encourage somebody to actually end his/her life. As for us, we are used to suffering, year after year, so I guess I can share it here
This was the topic name: Lately, I've been having thoughts about suicide
And here is the text, I'll just copy/past it. I've just finished writing, so sorry if some parts do not make sense. I've lost my concentration so I cannot read and edit it. But I still feel like sharing it with somebody.
As a side note, I tend to avoid this subreddit because reading your post makes my hopeless situation even more desperate.
Before you start reading, my situation is not urgent. If you are suicidal, you better do not read this post at all.
Sometimes I did follow those thoughts, sometimes I did not. Either way, as a Stoic practitioner, my view on death is a lot different from most people. I do not see death as something terrible, now did I ever believe in God on such things. For me, death is just death. You stop existing and that all. In fact, it it a good thing, as you get rid of this body which is always a pain in the ass. You have to feed it, clench it's thirst....do everything for and it still gives up on you. It is a source of so much suffering.
Even writing this here, I am feeling kind of guilty, that's probably because if you knew me, you would think I would be on the other side of the screen, cheering people and not writing this long ass post.
So, the story goes like this. For the record, I am 36 years old, male.
I won't go into great lengths to tell you what got me into my current situation, but I do have to write a short summary.
So...I've always been a problematic kid. Did drugs, alcohol, smoked, basically, was one of the "cool" kids. I've skipped class, was a real pain in the ass to teachers, and that eventually lead to me being expelled from school in my final year of school. Finished it later so at the end of the day, that was not a big deal. However, that is where my issues started.
At that point, I got access to home internet and as I had no obligation, and my parents were ok (they still are) with whatever I do, I've become completely socially isolated. So, from the ages of 16, up until the 26. My days were always the same. I've been spending 16+ hours a day online!!! Rest of the time I was sleeping, most of the time waking up multiple times trough the night to check on my games, because most of that time I've spent playing games, randomly browsing the internet and watching porn here and there.
Life was GOOD. At that point, I actually enjoyed my life. I did not know any better, so I am not the kind of person who regrets my past. It is what it is. Sure, from this point of view, that was stupid, but, I did not know better back then and I could not do better.
Anyway, the real problem was not the addiction to the internet novelty, the real problems started happening when I actually had to leave home and do stuff, which happened once or twice a year. Long story short, every time I went out, I felt like I was about to die- And slowly, but surely, my comfort zone shrunk, and shrunk. Things that I used to do, suddenly become impossible for me to do, because I genuinely believed "something bad was going to happen" if I even try and do stuff.
That was the beginning of my real issue, that is, agoraphobia. Since most people do not know what that is, in short, it is a fear of leaving home. Not because you are afraid of anything in particular, such as dentist, flying or many other fears and phobias that people have. You are afraid of the feeling of fear, of the way you FEEL in particular situations. That is, you become afraid of the fear itself, so you start avoiding and avoiding.
Now, I never actually went to doctor to get diagnosed, because for me, if I could do that, I would consider myself recovered. For me, going to doctor is simply one of the hardest things to do. It is just the way it is. If I ever went, my diagnosis would be, without a doubt: "panic disorder with agoraphobia."
As the day, weeks, months and year went by, I was getting worse, not better. Eventually, I got to the point where all I did trough the day, was hide myself under the blanket, because of how much anxiety I had pretty much all the time, with frequent panic attacks.
At that point, I had enough. I could not live on like that, so I did my best to try and recover. I started by downloading plenty of books about agoraphobia, panic, and generally self-help books. But, I could not actually read them, or concentrate at all, as long as I was online. So, the first step was going offline. After that, I heard that meditation was good and something that might help with anxiety, so I started it. And I've been meditating for 7+ years, logging over 2500 hours of meditation in total. Spoiler alert, it sure is good, it helped with general anxiety so I've started feeling OK, when I was at home. No more constant anxiety and panic attacks at least in my safe zone. Although, if I am being honest, I would not attribute that to meditation, that happened because I was offline.
So, from that point on, I've started caring about myself and my body, for the first time, ever. I did stopped smoking, drugs, and alcohol before, so at last I did not have to deal with that.
Anyway, I've started what I had to do. I've started practicing exposure therapy, and slowly, but surely expanding my comfort zone. And from that point on, until now, I've been spinning in the same cycle. Getting a bit better, than having a massive setback, depression, going back online and wasting few weeks or months online, and that repeat. Restarting the entire cycle.
I had some success and failures, but every time shit got hard, I hid online. That is, until I actually started CRAVING real life, and wanting more of life than what I currently have.
I know exactly what I want from life, I know how to get it, and I am extremely motivated to put in necessary work and get what I want. After all, trough the years, I've put massive effort into recovery. Heck, 3 years ago, I considered myself like 75% recovered. That is when I lost my grandpa. I withdrew at home, and that lead to full blown relapse, once again.
All fine, still. I am still motivated and I still want to get my life back. However, that's when it got from bad to worse. I did some physically activity, and from than on, I've started having issues with my legs. That is, I've been under a lot of pain.
Eventually, it got better (after plenty of internet and inactivity) and last year, at August, after pushing myself day in, day out, I've completely burnt my legs. I did a lot of walking (as part of my exposure therapy) and from than on, my legs are always hurting. Even if I am resting. That is, my hamstrings are killing me.
Because of that, I had yet another setback, was online for like 2 months, but I started hating my life even more and I've decided I am I going to give recovery another go. Give it my all, and if I am not better in 180 days, I told myself, I am going to give up completely. Surrender, spend my days online, and live my life for as long as I have somebody to support me. Once I am out of support, I would finally end my life.
And, I did good during that period. Expanded my comfort zone, once again, leg pain slowly but surely subsides (not completely, but it got a lot better). That was all until I had another setback.... That happened when I had a massive panic attack in situation that I considered "safe." I did not withdraw completely, I kept going out and trying my best. But, my comfort zone got smaller and smaller, until I eventually got back to where I am now. Unable to take public transport, which is MASSIVE for me. Because without it, I have to walk a lot and the more I walk, the more my legs hurt.
The more my legs hurt and the less I walked, the more and more I've become depressed. Until finally, thoughts about just ending it all started creeping in. As someone who did a lot of meditation and who practiced Stoicism, I was able to see those thoughts for what they are. Just fleeting, and impermament. I did not have to follow any of them.
Sometimes I did follow them, sometimes I did not. Either way, as a Stoic practitioner, my view on death is a lot different from most people. I do not see death as something terrible, nor did I ever believed in God or such stiuff. For me, death is just death. You stop existing and that all. In fact, it it a good thing, as you get rid of this body which is always a pain in the ass. You have to feed it, clench it's thirst and take a lot of care of it. It is a source for a lot of suffering and pain, pretty much from the moment you are born. On death, that all just stops.
Before I was born, people existed, our planet did spin, people got married, people got into wars, movies were mad, kids were born, people died, birds sang, books were written...Basically, the world existed. Even Hitler happened and I was not part of it. Once I am gone, people will still exist, our planet will spin, new post on reddit will pop up, people will get married, people will divorce, sun will shine.....everything will keep on happening, whether I am alive or not.
Now, Stoicism, especially Seneca (one of the 3 main Stoic which works somehow survived to this day), actually encouraged suicide to people who cannot bear life any more.
If I were alone, I might have actually done it. However, I know I can still contribute to my family, and they need me. So, doing that, is the least thing I would do. Although, lately it started sounding compelling...
Basically, during my Stoic studies and practice, (I read a lot of Buddhism before that), death has become one very positive topic for me. I used it to motivate me to live my life..
I've been going off topic a lot, because this turned into the rant. I guess I had to get it off, to share it with somebody, so it's fine. I'll try to return to my current situation.
I've been online for the past 2 weeks. Spending 16+ hours online and generally hating it. I want to change it, but I am not ready for all the leg pain I am going to experience as soon as I start working on my recovery once again.
The reason I wrote this post, and the reason I went online once again, was because I started to hate my life, from the moment I woke up, I could not wait to go to sleep. It went on for days and the more it went on, the more thoughts about ending it all I had. I cannot say I was depressed, because I know how depression feel. I am more unhappy about my life situation and my inability to do the things I want to do. I know exactly what I want from life.
I want to fully recover.
I want to rebuild my social circle since I've always been very good at socializing.
I want to IMPROVE my physically fitness, by running, doing body weight exercises, riding a big, swimming...the list goes on. I so want to be pain free and to be super active.
I wan to start working, to have my own income.
I want so much more from life than this.
BUT...I simply cannot go to doctor, and I know as soon as I decide to go offline once again, and start working towards recovery. I'll have to deal with all this shit, shit I can easily hide away from as I am online. But, being online do not help, it just makes things worse.
I also know that just being offline is not the way to go, you have to actually build the life in which relapse will not even be an option. And I know how to do that, but, because of the leg pain, I am extremely limited in that which I can do.
Anyway, this is indeed a rant. Rant is mostly because I really dislike this leg pain, if it were not for it, it would have been much better.
What would Stoic recommend in this instance is something along the lies, "to love everything happens to you, because, it could always get worse." Like, how would it been if I got cancer and I am not able to get and get adequate treatment?
As for doctor in general, I've considered doing it plenty of times during the last 10 years, but that never happened. So, I am feeling stuck, and that sucks the most. I would have a better time if I did not know what I want from life and if I could just waste my life online. But, unfortunately, that is not the case.
Going to doctor, knowing what is actually wrong with my legs, and what I can do, would indeed be a life changer for me. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen, yet..
In the next few days, I'll go offline and give recovery another go. I will have to experience plenty of leg pain because of all the walking I'll have to do. It will get better once I get back to buses. But, that will take time.
At the end of the day, this post seems more appropriate for DecidingToBeBetter than this sub. I wrote it here because this was the first time I ever told someone I did actually start contemplating suicide.
Hopefully, things will get better this time. Because, every time I go 120+ days offline, depression creeps in and I have a very hard time.
If anyone read my rant, thank you.
submitted by Dry_Bison_7901 to Agoraphobia [link] [comments]
This was the topic name: Lately, I've been having thoughts about suicide
And here is the text, I'll just copy/past it. I've just finished writing, so sorry if some parts do not make sense. I've lost my concentration so I cannot read and edit it. But I still feel like sharing it with somebody.
As a side note, I tend to avoid this subreddit because reading your post makes my hopeless situation even more desperate.
Before you start reading, my situation is not urgent. If you are suicidal, you better do not read this post at all.
Sometimes I did follow those thoughts, sometimes I did not. Either way, as a Stoic practitioner, my view on death is a lot different from most people. I do not see death as something terrible, now did I ever believe in God on such things. For me, death is just death. You stop existing and that all. In fact, it it a good thing, as you get rid of this body which is always a pain in the ass. You have to feed it, clench it's thirst....do everything for and it still gives up on you. It is a source of so much suffering.
Even writing this here, I am feeling kind of guilty, that's probably because if you knew me, you would think I would be on the other side of the screen, cheering people and not writing this long ass post.
So, the story goes like this. For the record, I am 36 years old, male.
I won't go into great lengths to tell you what got me into my current situation, but I do have to write a short summary.
So...I've always been a problematic kid. Did drugs, alcohol, smoked, basically, was one of the "cool" kids. I've skipped class, was a real pain in the ass to teachers, and that eventually lead to me being expelled from school in my final year of school. Finished it later so at the end of the day, that was not a big deal. However, that is where my issues started.
At that point, I got access to home internet and as I had no obligation, and my parents were ok (they still are) with whatever I do, I've become completely socially isolated. So, from the ages of 16, up until the 26. My days were always the same. I've been spending 16+ hours a day online!!! Rest of the time I was sleeping, most of the time waking up multiple times trough the night to check on my games, because most of that time I've spent playing games, randomly browsing the internet and watching porn here and there.
Life was GOOD. At that point, I actually enjoyed my life. I did not know any better, so I am not the kind of person who regrets my past. It is what it is. Sure, from this point of view, that was stupid, but, I did not know better back then and I could not do better.
Anyway, the real problem was not the addiction to the internet novelty, the real problems started happening when I actually had to leave home and do stuff, which happened once or twice a year. Long story short, every time I went out, I felt like I was about to die- And slowly, but surely, my comfort zone shrunk, and shrunk. Things that I used to do, suddenly become impossible for me to do, because I genuinely believed "something bad was going to happen" if I even try and do stuff.
That was the beginning of my real issue, that is, agoraphobia. Since most people do not know what that is, in short, it is a fear of leaving home. Not because you are afraid of anything in particular, such as dentist, flying or many other fears and phobias that people have. You are afraid of the feeling of fear, of the way you FEEL in particular situations. That is, you become afraid of the fear itself, so you start avoiding and avoiding.
Now, I never actually went to doctor to get diagnosed, because for me, if I could do that, I would consider myself recovered. For me, going to doctor is simply one of the hardest things to do. It is just the way it is. If I ever went, my diagnosis would be, without a doubt: "panic disorder with agoraphobia."
As the day, weeks, months and year went by, I was getting worse, not better. Eventually, I got to the point where all I did trough the day, was hide myself under the blanket, because of how much anxiety I had pretty much all the time, with frequent panic attacks.
At that point, I had enough. I could not live on like that, so I did my best to try and recover. I started by downloading plenty of books about agoraphobia, panic, and generally self-help books. But, I could not actually read them, or concentrate at all, as long as I was online. So, the first step was going offline. After that, I heard that meditation was good and something that might help with anxiety, so I started it. And I've been meditating for 7+ years, logging over 2500 hours of meditation in total. Spoiler alert, it sure is good, it helped with general anxiety so I've started feeling OK, when I was at home. No more constant anxiety and panic attacks at least in my safe zone. Although, if I am being honest, I would not attribute that to meditation, that happened because I was offline.
So, from that point on, I've started caring about myself and my body, for the first time, ever. I did stopped smoking, drugs, and alcohol before, so at last I did not have to deal with that.
Anyway, I've started what I had to do. I've started practicing exposure therapy, and slowly, but surely expanding my comfort zone. And from that point on, until now, I've been spinning in the same cycle. Getting a bit better, than having a massive setback, depression, going back online and wasting few weeks or months online, and that repeat. Restarting the entire cycle.
I had some success and failures, but every time shit got hard, I hid online. That is, until I actually started CRAVING real life, and wanting more of life than what I currently have.
I know exactly what I want from life, I know how to get it, and I am extremely motivated to put in necessary work and get what I want. After all, trough the years, I've put massive effort into recovery. Heck, 3 years ago, I considered myself like 75% recovered. That is when I lost my grandpa. I withdrew at home, and that lead to full blown relapse, once again.
All fine, still. I am still motivated and I still want to get my life back. However, that's when it got from bad to worse. I did some physically activity, and from than on, I've started having issues with my legs. That is, I've been under a lot of pain.
Eventually, it got better (after plenty of internet and inactivity) and last year, at August, after pushing myself day in, day out, I've completely burnt my legs. I did a lot of walking (as part of my exposure therapy) and from than on, my legs are always hurting. Even if I am resting. That is, my hamstrings are killing me.
Because of that, I had yet another setback, was online for like 2 months, but I started hating my life even more and I've decided I am I going to give recovery another go. Give it my all, and if I am not better in 180 days, I told myself, I am going to give up completely. Surrender, spend my days online, and live my life for as long as I have somebody to support me. Once I am out of support, I would finally end my life.
And, I did good during that period. Expanded my comfort zone, once again, leg pain slowly but surely subsides (not completely, but it got a lot better). That was all until I had another setback.... That happened when I had a massive panic attack in situation that I considered "safe." I did not withdraw completely, I kept going out and trying my best. But, my comfort zone got smaller and smaller, until I eventually got back to where I am now. Unable to take public transport, which is MASSIVE for me. Because without it, I have to walk a lot and the more I walk, the more my legs hurt.
The more my legs hurt and the less I walked, the more and more I've become depressed. Until finally, thoughts about just ending it all started creeping in. As someone who did a lot of meditation and who practiced Stoicism, I was able to see those thoughts for what they are. Just fleeting, and impermament. I did not have to follow any of them.
Sometimes I did follow them, sometimes I did not. Either way, as a Stoic practitioner, my view on death is a lot different from most people. I do not see death as something terrible, nor did I ever believed in God or such stiuff. For me, death is just death. You stop existing and that all. In fact, it it a good thing, as you get rid of this body which is always a pain in the ass. You have to feed it, clench it's thirst and take a lot of care of it. It is a source for a lot of suffering and pain, pretty much from the moment you are born. On death, that all just stops.
Before I was born, people existed, our planet did spin, people got married, people got into wars, movies were mad, kids were born, people died, birds sang, books were written...Basically, the world existed. Even Hitler happened and I was not part of it. Once I am gone, people will still exist, our planet will spin, new post on reddit will pop up, people will get married, people will divorce, sun will shine.....everything will keep on happening, whether I am alive or not.
Now, Stoicism, especially Seneca (one of the 3 main Stoic which works somehow survived to this day), actually encouraged suicide to people who cannot bear life any more.
If I were alone, I might have actually done it. However, I know I can still contribute to my family, and they need me. So, doing that, is the least thing I would do. Although, lately it started sounding compelling...
Basically, during my Stoic studies and practice, (I read a lot of Buddhism before that), death has become one very positive topic for me. I used it to motivate me to live my life..
I've been going off topic a lot, because this turned into the rant. I guess I had to get it off, to share it with somebody, so it's fine. I'll try to return to my current situation.
I've been online for the past 2 weeks. Spending 16+ hours online and generally hating it. I want to change it, but I am not ready for all the leg pain I am going to experience as soon as I start working on my recovery once again.
The reason I wrote this post, and the reason I went online once again, was because I started to hate my life, from the moment I woke up, I could not wait to go to sleep. It went on for days and the more it went on, the more thoughts about ending it all I had. I cannot say I was depressed, because I know how depression feel. I am more unhappy about my life situation and my inability to do the things I want to do. I know exactly what I want from life.
I want to fully recover.
I want to rebuild my social circle since I've always been very good at socializing.
I want to IMPROVE my physically fitness, by running, doing body weight exercises, riding a big, swimming...the list goes on. I so want to be pain free and to be super active.
I wan to start working, to have my own income.
I want so much more from life than this.
BUT...I simply cannot go to doctor, and I know as soon as I decide to go offline once again, and start working towards recovery. I'll have to deal with all this shit, shit I can easily hide away from as I am online. But, being online do not help, it just makes things worse.
I also know that just being offline is not the way to go, you have to actually build the life in which relapse will not even be an option. And I know how to do that, but, because of the leg pain, I am extremely limited in that which I can do.
Anyway, this is indeed a rant. Rant is mostly because I really dislike this leg pain, if it were not for it, it would have been much better.
What would Stoic recommend in this instance is something along the lies, "to love everything happens to you, because, it could always get worse." Like, how would it been if I got cancer and I am not able to get and get adequate treatment?
As for doctor in general, I've considered doing it plenty of times during the last 10 years, but that never happened. So, I am feeling stuck, and that sucks the most. I would have a better time if I did not know what I want from life and if I could just waste my life online. But, unfortunately, that is not the case.
Going to doctor, knowing what is actually wrong with my legs, and what I can do, would indeed be a life changer for me. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen, yet..
In the next few days, I'll go offline and give recovery another go. I will have to experience plenty of leg pain because of all the walking I'll have to do. It will get better once I get back to buses. But, that will take time.
At the end of the day, this post seems more appropriate for DecidingToBeBetter than this sub. I wrote it here because this was the first time I ever told someone I did actually start contemplating suicide.
Hopefully, things will get better this time. Because, every time I go 120+ days offline, depression creeps in and I have a very hard time.
If anyone read my rant, thank you.
2023.03.21 21:33 FreeSushi69 gamestop is now profitable. nuf said
 | submitted by FreeSushi69 to StockMarket [link] [comments] |
2023.03.21 21:32 seachel44 Corrections facility in Hawaii?
Hi there! I'm a new nurse (2.5 in- all in long term care) and I'm almost finished my first 13-week travel contract in BC, Canada.
My sister is also a nurse and is wanting to join the travel nurse train because she sees how much I've been making. She just sent me some links for travel nursing in Hawaii & asked if I'd be willing to join her. I have no hospital experience & there seems to be no LTC travel postings. I do see some posting for corrections- which is absolutely interesting to me. However, with it being in a different country & on an island - I'm not too sure if I should shoot for something like that. The posting states there is no prior experience required, however, they prefer having experience in the main nursing streams (med/surg, mental health, ltc, etc).
Has anyone worked corrections in Hawaii or just in general in America? Does this sound like a super bad idea? 🤣
Thanks!
submitted by seachel44 to TravelNursing [link] [comments]
My sister is also a nurse and is wanting to join the travel nurse train because she sees how much I've been making. She just sent me some links for travel nursing in Hawaii & asked if I'd be willing to join her. I have no hospital experience & there seems to be no LTC travel postings. I do see some posting for corrections- which is absolutely interesting to me. However, with it being in a different country & on an island - I'm not too sure if I should shoot for something like that. The posting states there is no prior experience required, however, they prefer having experience in the main nursing streams (med/surg, mental health, ltc, etc).
Has anyone worked corrections in Hawaii or just in general in America? Does this sound like a super bad idea? 🤣
Thanks!
2023.03.21 21:29 fakebitch888888 My BED cured or not? Worried I might be developing a new eating disorder
Ok so I'm going to try to keep it as short as I can... I've always had some binge eating tendencies, however they got progressively worse since September 2022.
I had body image problems since I was like 12. Body dysmorphia and constantly trying to eat healthy and failing at it. I started the gym when I was 16, it was all good then, I had phases in which I had a fully clean diet but that was unsustainable. Plus, I had an all or nothing mentality and honestly I'm still struggling with it but I've found my balance.
I completely messed up my relationship with food sometime this winter. I started intermittent fasting which led to major binging. I started going to the gym again and I was doing so well but I just couldn't stop eating!! Like literally I could not stop. I was like an animal. I had some problems with acne so I decided to cut dairy out.
It was kinda easier to eat healthier when my focus was "don't eat dairy" rather than "just eat clean". Fortunately, my skin has cleared up. I decided to focus on vegetables primarily. So every meal is basically a salad with some additions. I decided to start counting cals again just be sure I'm in a deficit. I put 2000 cals on Myfitnesspal (which is 300 calories in deficit for me) but for the past few days I had the weirdest experience. I was fully full at like 1000 calories, give or take a 100 calories.
My diet is basically a huge bowl of salad (I definitely counted my calories correct, I'm pro at it lol. There was no dressing, oils, etc.) I didn't eat a lot of animal products (basically none. Altogether in the past few days I've eaten like 100g of lactose free cottage cheese and a spoon of greek yoghurt). Also I don't consume liquid calories for sure. I drink black coffee without anything in it twice a day, generally.
I'm a 155 lb 5'8", 20 year old female, pretty bulked up from the gym and I've been full on 1100 calories? I had been eating at least 2300 (my maintenance) calories for the past month, sometimes 2000 and sometimes like 3500 when I would binge. So how am I full? Am I missing something? I am definitely counting right. There is no oils, dressings, nothing. Not even meat. Just some low calore vegan guacamole dips and hummus.
I'm honestly happy that I finally don't feel that crazy, animal hunger but I'm scared that I've somehow been restricting myself and about to spiral into a major binge again :/ even though I am feeling pretty good. I feel much better without dairy and I planned on eating meat/fish a few days in the week. I do these changes majorly for my skin (I had terrible bacne and now it's basically cured) and it feels good for my gut.
submitted by fakebitch888888 to BingeEatingDisorder [link] [comments]
I had body image problems since I was like 12. Body dysmorphia and constantly trying to eat healthy and failing at it. I started the gym when I was 16, it was all good then, I had phases in which I had a fully clean diet but that was unsustainable. Plus, I had an all or nothing mentality and honestly I'm still struggling with it but I've found my balance.
I completely messed up my relationship with food sometime this winter. I started intermittent fasting which led to major binging. I started going to the gym again and I was doing so well but I just couldn't stop eating!! Like literally I could not stop. I was like an animal. I had some problems with acne so I decided to cut dairy out.
It was kinda easier to eat healthier when my focus was "don't eat dairy" rather than "just eat clean". Fortunately, my skin has cleared up. I decided to focus on vegetables primarily. So every meal is basically a salad with some additions. I decided to start counting cals again just be sure I'm in a deficit. I put 2000 cals on Myfitnesspal (which is 300 calories in deficit for me) but for the past few days I had the weirdest experience. I was fully full at like 1000 calories, give or take a 100 calories.
My diet is basically a huge bowl of salad (I definitely counted my calories correct, I'm pro at it lol. There was no dressing, oils, etc.) I didn't eat a lot of animal products (basically none. Altogether in the past few days I've eaten like 100g of lactose free cottage cheese and a spoon of greek yoghurt). Also I don't consume liquid calories for sure. I drink black coffee without anything in it twice a day, generally.
I'm a 155 lb 5'8", 20 year old female, pretty bulked up from the gym and I've been full on 1100 calories? I had been eating at least 2300 (my maintenance) calories for the past month, sometimes 2000 and sometimes like 3500 when I would binge. So how am I full? Am I missing something? I am definitely counting right. There is no oils, dressings, nothing. Not even meat. Just some low calore vegan guacamole dips and hummus.
I'm honestly happy that I finally don't feel that crazy, animal hunger but I'm scared that I've somehow been restricting myself and about to spiral into a major binge again :/ even though I am feeling pretty good. I feel much better without dairy and I planned on eating meat/fish a few days in the week. I do these changes majorly for my skin (I had terrible bacne and now it's basically cured) and it feels good for my gut.
2023.03.21 21:29 Lean_Leonidas An I stupid or does this say net income
 | submitted by Lean_Leonidas to Superstonk [link] [comments] |
2023.03.21 21:29 NoForkInClue Great Earnings BUT Where DRS Numbers?
 | submitted by NoForkInClue to Superstonk [link] [comments] |
2023.03.21 21:27 PurgeYourRedditAcct Yet another ambulance surprise billing question
Hi everyone,
I've been dealing with this one for a while, I live in IL.
In January 2022 I fractured my femur skiing in Colorado. Naturally I had an ambulance ride from the resort to the local hospital for surgery.
A month later I receive a bill from the ambulance service. I submitted my insurers information (United Healthcare) for it to be processed.
After processing the EOB stated these line items were paid:
But no one is really telling me what the hell is actually wrong and how I can fix it. I reckon if I submit an appeal the same result will occur with the same denials.
So really my questions is: What could have happened here? How can I fix it? Who do I contact for the next move? The provider for incorrect billing? The insurance company for incorrect processing?
Or should I just pay the bill and send it to my travel insurance company who has already covered the rest of my OOP costs from this incident.
Cheers
submitted by PurgeYourRedditAcct to HealthInsurance [link] [comments]
I've been dealing with this one for a while, I live in IL.
In January 2022 I fractured my femur skiing in Colorado. Naturally I had an ambulance ride from the resort to the local hospital for surgery.
A month later I receive a bill from the ambulance service. I submitted my insurers information (United Healthcare) for it to be processed.
After processing the EOB stated these line items were paid:
- A0427 ALS EMERGENCY BASE 80% covered 20% OON coinsurance
- A0425 MILEAGE 80% covered 20% OON coinsurance
- A0394 NORMAL SALINE
- A0398 EKG/CARDIAC MON IN
- A0398 IV/IO THERAPY
- A0382 PULSE OX
- A0394 CARDIAC MONITOR
- A0398 (drug I received)
- A0398 (another drug I received)
BENEFITS FOR THIS SERVICE ARE DENIED. THIS BILLING DOES NOT COMPLY WITH NATIONAL/INDUSTRY CODING AND PAYMENT STANDARDS. WE'VE SENT YOU A LETTER WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. PROVIDER: THIS DECISION WAS MADE BY MEDICAL AUDIT & REVIEW SOLUTIONS (MARS) ON BEHALF OF UNITEDHEALTHCARE. DO NOT BILL THE PATIENT FOR THIS SERVICE. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DENIAL GO TO PROVIDER.MARSAUDITOR.COM OR CALL 800-239-6217. IF APPROPRIATE, YOU MAY SUBMIT A CORRECTED CLAIM FOR THE PATIENT. MEMBER: IF YOU QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS CLAIM, PLEASE CALL THE MEMBER NUMBER ON YOUR HEALTH PLAN CARD.I've been receiving bills from the ambulance company for the balance (just the coinsurance and the ancillary items above) every month for the last year. Everytime I call UHC and tell them I'm receiving balance bills and they tell be I shouldn't be. They say they'll look into it. Every now and then the claim will be reprocessed with the same result. Eventually I got put through to a claims specialist who essentially said...
Billed separately for supplies. Determined that these charges should not have been charged. Apparently it was determined that it needed to be appealed. I'll investigate and call within a week.She called me today and said that the claims department has determined there is nothing they can do and told me that I can appeal.
But no one is really telling me what the hell is actually wrong and how I can fix it. I reckon if I submit an appeal the same result will occur with the same denials.
So really my questions is: What could have happened here? How can I fix it? Who do I contact for the next move? The provider for incorrect billing? The insurance company for incorrect processing?
Or should I just pay the bill and send it to my travel insurance company who has already covered the rest of my OOP costs from this incident.
Cheers
2023.03.21 21:26 OpticallyMosache Lyn Alden and The Federal Reserve
 | By studying Lyn's analyses, the mathematics behind what's driving the illiquidity and unprofitability of the federal reserve and central banks is pretty simple. The federal reserve's assets consist primarily of treasuries and mortgage backed securities. Its liabilities consists of bank deposits and banknotes. submitted by OpticallyMosache to CryptoCurrency [link] [comments] When performing quantitative easing, the federal reserve printed new bank reserves (liabilities) for itself to buy additional treasuries and mortgage backed securities (assets). In the previous low interest rate environment, the fed was profitable while rates on reserves were less than rates on investments. Below is a graph of the fed's balance sheet that shows how thinly its operated. The equity created by issuing bank reserves and purchasing investments, is minimal. https://preview.redd.it/uoyqm7a7j5pa1.png?width=790&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=bb3ed2965e18efd75b2ad329be1b07c5b05e052d In late 2022, when the feds began combating inflation by raising interest rates, the interest on its debt began to exceed the interest earned on its long duration assets. The result is the fed operating at a deficit by paying out more interest than it receives. What's unique about this, is that the consequence to the fed is almost non-existent. Its role and power remains the same but its economics are clearly upside down. Its a system designed to control money but that money is essentially meaningless. Its the faith we put in the fed to manage the fiscal spreadsheet that permits us to continue using our currency as a reliable medium of exchange. The alternative to a faith based monetary system is to diverge from a centrally managed fiscal spreadsheet and incorporate a decentralized, verified, ledger to account for the value of our assets. The introduction of an independent value store, could have its place inside the management of our currency. The Bitcoin consensus protocol would offer relief to the interested parties. The advantage would be its use as long term, indefinite, value holder which exists uninterrupted by the future decisions of our policy makers. The time may not be now, but when faith is lost, we'll have no other option but to seek refuge in an alternative asset. Bitcoin will have continued mining blocks and demonstrating its security, making it the longest running independent digital asset. Graph and general terms obtained from link below. https://www.lynalden.com/broke-federal-reserve/ |
2023.03.21 21:26 msteenmassachusetts dealing with burnout
I am in my 2nd semester of an ADN program, and I work 30 hours/week in behavioral health at a large children’s hospital. I am struggling severely at this point. I dread going to work, and I would quit but my boss is accommodating to my school schedule and I don’t know what other job to work that has flexible hours and good benefits. I feel more overwhelmed by work than school but school is also draining me. I know it is because I’m working full time and going to school full time but I have no other options, I am not able to go back to live with my parents and I need to support myself. I feel like I am drowning. If anyone has any suggestions for a more manageable job or just how to combat burnout in general, I would appreciate it. My therapist is well-intentioned but nothing we have been working on is helping and i’m just getting worse. I just want to do nothing all day, lay in bed, and not use my brain. I have no days off. I don’t know how much longer I can sustain this.
submitted by msteenmassachusetts to StudentNurse [link] [comments]
2023.03.21 21:24 xxfallen420xx 🚨🟣 GameStop Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2022 Results 🟣🚨
| | submitted by xxfallen420xx to ApeStockExchange [link] [comments] |
2023.03.21 21:23 Argly902 FAQ and Questions Megathread (Read before posting, gacha pulls after day 1 belong in the gacha megathread)
Please give the FAQ below a read, as well as the guide (also linked at the top/side) to see if your question is addressed. If your question remains unanswered, then feel free to comment here or make a separate post if your problem warrants deeper discussion.
Gacha pulls are allowed for the first day, after that pull screenshots should go in the associated megathread
Original Resources Thread
FAQ (Updated Mar 2023)
submitted by Argly902 to ShenheMains [link] [comments]
Gacha pulls are allowed for the first day, after that pull screenshots should go in the associated megathread
Original Resources Thread
FAQ (Updated Mar 2023)
- Who is Shenhe even?
- Cryo polearm, from Liyue. Disciple of Cloud Retainer, and from the family line of exorcists that Chongyun is part of. Either she had an undisclosed sibling that was Chongyun's mother, or she's Chongyun's mother's cousin. But either way she's technically his aunt. Because weird Chinese definitions. Lore Spoilers: Her father went crazy trying to bring back her deceased mother, discovered a sus ritual, sacrificed his own kid for it, only for the kid to throw hands with the summoned demon until she get rescued by the adepti. So she got cursed, causing her to be ceaselessly violent killing machine. Adepti throw binding ropes on her, so now she's just doom slayer. Lives in the mountains with the adepti. Due to traveler and story progression shenanigans, she's now trying to get used to living in society. Probably one of the strongest beings in Teyvat aside from the archons.
- Is Shenhe good? tl;dr Yes, but mostly for cryo teams
- She's good for what she does, with the caveat being that what she does is very narrow in scope. She's a dedicated cryo buffer, with marginal support benefits for physical comps. Generally, she's perfect for Ayaka, a mainstay for any less meta cryo dps comps like Chongyun infusion or Rosaria reverse melt. You may be wondering where she stands in terms of Ganyu teams, and the harsh truth is that Ganyu teams need every support slot they can get, requiring shields, anemo VV, hydro applicators, melt enablers, etc. That said, she can work in some freeze teams (eg. Particularly with kokomi) and in melt teams if you're a fighting game reflex nut who never gets hit and doesn't need a shielder.
- Should I pull for Shenhe? tl;dr Yes. Probably. Unless you shouldn't. Very helpful, I know.
- Since you're in this sub, the answer is going to be yes. But in actuality, this is a gacha game. As a veteran of several gacha games, you're going to be happiest rolling for what you like. If you have your eye on her for purely gameplay functionality, it's best to evaluate what teams you would use her on, what weapons you have available, and the opportunity cost (future banners). What I'd like to note is that she's future-proof in some capacity, as any cryo dps they give us in the future will likely be able to use her. Right now, she's great if you use Ayaka for everything.
- What is her role in a team? tl;dr Damage buffs, debuffs for cryo
- Her kit revolves around team buffs and resistance down on enemies. A true support type at first glance. If your team does a lot of cryo damage, she can add a bunch more damage. She's not the most reliable cryo support for pure element application, since her burst is high energy cost and she's not exceptionally good at generating particles and being her own battery. Some benefits for physical teams, but for the most part she's a hard sell since she's got a high burst cost and isn't that great of a battery.
- Can she be used as dps? tl;dr Yes, but it's not that great
- Any character can be used as dps, but don't expect much from Shenhe in that department. There is nothing stopping you from using a physical or cryo crit setup on her, but her kit doesn't enable her to personally deal consistent damage over time like Diluc/Ganyu or burst dps like Raiden/Ayaka. Theoretically she can use Chongyun to unload all her quills quickly, but the result would be the same with any other infusion-capable character.
- What weapons are best on her? tl;dr Calamity, Engulfing, Skyward, Wavebreaker, Fav
- Most 5 star weapons are good choices, along with weapons such as wavebreaker fin or even royal spear for their above average base atk for their rarity. Her burst and high cooldowns on her skill demands some energy recharge, which can be achieved through favonious lance or skyward spine. For dps setups, a selection from pike, primordial jade spear, blackcliff, homa, deathmatch, lithic is going to be solid. Essentially, you're looking at engulfing lightning and calamity queller as the premium options, with skyward, homa, jade spear, wavebreaker as the second tier. Favonious is the generally accepted budget option, solving both energy problems and featuring relatively high base atk for a 4 star weapon.
- Which artifact sets should I farm? tl;dr 2pc atk% sets, or noblesse
- Due to her wanting a lot of atk, you'll want 2pc glad/shimenawa or other 2 set attack bonus sets with as much atk% as you can get your hands on, with ER sprinkled in as needed. If your team lacks a noblesse 4pc holder, that is also a good, if not the best option, especially for Ayaka teams. If you're one of the enthusiasts going for a dps build, then your best bet is likely blizzard strayer with your usual balance of crit and atk, or a physical build with pale flame and/or bloodstained.
- What stats should I aim for on artifacts? tl;dr atk%, ER
- As a support, Shenhe needs 2 things and 2 things only: attack and energy recharge. For maximum damage, ATK% mainstat on every piece possible, with flat attack and energy recharge substats. However, using an ER sands is perfectly fine if it allows you to burst off cooldown. If using favonius spear, try and get a few critical chance substats so you can proc the passive quickly without disrupting your rotation too much.
- Should I roll for constellations? tl;dr No. But C2 if you want.
- Due to how cooldowns in a continuous rotation work, C1 is fairly low value. However, it's a nice QoL constellation to add some extra frontloaded damage and energy. C2 is a significant burst duration increase, which improves uptime and allows her to use up her own quills in single target, although it's slow. If you're not a heavy spender, it's better to invest your rolls in a new character instead of marginal improvements for the current one. Among 5 stars, Shenhe's constellations are not particularly impactful. For enthusiasts, C2 is a good place to stop. If you're whaling for C3 and beyond, I'd imagine you know what you're doing. If we ever get a dps cryo catalyst, C6 could be extremely strong, but that shouldn't be a consideration for 99% of players.
- Which talents should I level? tl;dr E>Q>Normal
- Currently for a support build, her skill takes priority, followed by burst and then normal attacks. A DPS build would depend on the team and build, but generally it would require investment into all 3 talents
2023.03.21 21:14 a_latex_mitten Round of Applause for Our Chairman, Ryan Cohen. $195m swing in net income from the prior year Q4. Just impressive man.
 | submitted by a_latex_mitten to Superstonk [link] [comments] |
2023.03.21 21:14 baberrahim GME Earnings
 | submitted by baberrahim to Superstonk [link] [comments] |
2023.03.21 21:14 covidfreeswiftie Don’t let COVID ruin your concert experience: Tips for staying healthy at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour
Disclaimer: I am an immunocompromised Swiftie dating a cancer survivor. I am not a doctor or an epidemiologist, but unfortunately have had to stay very up-to-date to keep myself and my partner safe. If you are not open to the idea of taking COVID precautions, please leave this post now. I am not going to debate anyone in the comments, and I request that mods do not remove this as this information is important for folks who are trying to stay safe.
There is a 100% chance that there will be folks who are COVID positive and contagious at the tour. There is also a 100% chance that there are folks at the tour who are immunocompromised, or who have a loved one that is immunocompromised. Hell, this is true just because Taylor is at the tour. As you’re probably aware, her mom Andrea is a cancer survivor herself.
If you’ve never had COVID, you don’t want it. If you have had COVID, you don’t want it again. There is emerging research that COVID affects every part of the body, and it is not as mild as first thought. Additionally, your risks for hospitalization, death, further illness, and Long COVID increases with each infection. The best way to avoid this is to avoid COVID entirely. The worst thing in the world would be getting COVID before or at the tour, and having your memory of this amazing event compromised because you got sick immediately before/after.
You can dramatically reduce your risk of getting or spreading COVID by following these tips:
There is no “magic bullet” for avoiding COVID, so we use the “Swiss Cheese model” - each mitigation effort is a reduction of your likelihood of getting or spreading COVID. Consider incorporating some or all of these tips to reduce your likelihood of getting/spreading COVID dramatically.
If you wear a mask to the Eras Tour, just know that you are my hero. I have tickets to the tour but I am not sure if I will be able to go because I’m not sure I can effectively mitigate my risk. But my tour date isn’t for a couple of months - if I see that the concerts are getting safer because people are masking, it will be easier for me to make the decision to go. Immunocompromised Swifties are Swifties too. So, if you mask, THANK YOU. You bet I will if I go, because you can still make the whole place shimmer in a mask 😷
Links to everything you need to stay safe:
submitted by covidfreeswiftie to TaylorSwift [link] [comments]
There is a 100% chance that there will be folks who are COVID positive and contagious at the tour. There is also a 100% chance that there are folks at the tour who are immunocompromised, or who have a loved one that is immunocompromised. Hell, this is true just because Taylor is at the tour. As you’re probably aware, her mom Andrea is a cancer survivor herself.
If you’ve never had COVID, you don’t want it. If you have had COVID, you don’t want it again. There is emerging research that COVID affects every part of the body, and it is not as mild as first thought. Additionally, your risks for hospitalization, death, further illness, and Long COVID increases with each infection. The best way to avoid this is to avoid COVID entirely. The worst thing in the world would be getting COVID before or at the tour, and having your memory of this amazing event compromised because you got sick immediately before/after.
You can dramatically reduce your risk of getting or spreading COVID by following these tips:
There is no “magic bullet” for avoiding COVID, so we use the “Swiss Cheese model” - each mitigation effort is a reduction of your likelihood of getting or spreading COVID. Consider incorporating some or all of these tips to reduce your likelihood of getting/spreading COVID dramatically.
- Make sure you are up-to-date with your vaccinations. Get the primary series of vaccines, and make sure you have also gotten the updated bivalent vaccine. However, remember that vaccines do NOT dramatically reduce your risk of Long COVID or long term health symptoms, only hospitalization/death while you are sick with COVID.
- 1-2 weeks before your tour date, reduce your activities and wear a high-quality, well-fitting mask in public places. If you don’t get COVID, you can’t spread COVID! Avoid large indoor gatherings and avoid eating and drinking in restaurants or bars in the days leading up to your tour date. It would suck to be sick for the concert! It’s 3 hours long and that just sounds miserable.
- Wear a high-quality, well-fitting mask on the plane and in the airport while you are en route to and from the concert. Again, if you don’t get COVID, you can’t spread COVID. There’s almost a 100% chance that someone on your plane to or from the concert has COVID.
- Take a rapid test the day of, before you go to the concert. If you test positive and it is at all possible for you to skip the concert (because you planned to go to multiple tour dates, or you are able to trade your tickets for a new date), then stay home. If not, make sure that you and your group wear a well-fitted, high quality mask for the duration of the concert and anytime you are around others. Consider informing those around you so that they can choose to mask up as well.
- If you feel any symptoms of sickness at all, regardless of your test result, mask up for the concert. At-home COVID tests are not always accurate, so if you are feeling sick then wear a mask to avoid spreading any sickness (flu, cold, COVID) to others.
- Wear a high quality and well fitting mask for the duration of the concert, even if you test negative and feel fine. Wearing a mask helps those of us who are immunocompromised or who have immunocompromised loved ones feel much safer. If everyone around us is wearing a mask, then we are safer if we need to remove a mask to take a drink and eat something, or if the fit of our mask isn’t ideal. Of course, it also protects you in case someone around you is positive and contagious. Two-way masking is much better than one-way masking, but one-way masking is effective. Bring multiples, as you might need to replace yours (sweat, tears, aggressive singing or screaming, etc.) or you may want to share some with those around you.
If you wear a mask to the Eras Tour, just know that you are my hero. I have tickets to the tour but I am not sure if I will be able to go because I’m not sure I can effectively mitigate my risk. But my tour date isn’t for a couple of months - if I see that the concerts are getting safer because people are masking, it will be easier for me to make the decision to go. Immunocompromised Swifties are Swifties too. So, if you mask, THANK YOU. You bet I will if I go, because you can still make the whole place shimmer in a mask 😷
Links to everything you need to stay safe:
2023.03.21 21:14 nams0 GameStop reports profitable Q4 results
Estimate $-0.13
Actual $0.16
Fourth Quarter Overview
submitted by nams0 to stocks [link] [comments]
Actual $0.16
Fourth Quarter Overview
- Net sales were $2.226 billion, compared to $2.254 billion in the prior year's fourth quarter.
- Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses were $453.4 million, or 20.4% of sales, compared to $538.9 million, or 23.9% of sales, in the prior year's fourth quarter.
- Net income was $48.2 million, compared to a net loss of $147.5 million for the prior year’s fourth quarter.
- Inventory was $682.9 million at the close of the period, compared to $915.0 million at the close of the prior year's fourth quarter, reflecting the Company’s ongoing focus on maintaining a healthy inventory position.
- Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $1.391 billion at the close of the quarter.
- Generated net sales of $5.927 billion for the fiscal year, compared to $6.011 billion for fiscal year 2021.
- Increased full-year sales in the collectibles category, which is an area in which the Company continues prioritizing long-term growth.
- Completed the majority of implementations and upgrades related to the Company’s infrastructure, systems, shipping capabilities, and online and mobile platforms.
- Initiated cost cutting initiatives and headcount reductions over the course of the year to increase operational efficiency.
- Established an equity incentive program for store leaders and tenured associates to increase their compensation and strengthen alignment of interests with fellow stockholders.
- Set a go-forward strategic direction focused on efficiency, profitability and pragmatic growth.
2023.03.21 21:12 Colorado_Constructor Just finished Archive 81 S2... Can someone explain the show to me?
Let me start by saying, I understand this community seems to love Archive 81 but I could not get into the second season at all. I do plan on listening through S3 later but after that I need a break. Obviously spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn't listened.
So yesterday I listened through the entirety of Archive 81's 2nd season on a road trip back home. I was excited to see where the story went after S1 but was thoroughly disappointed. Then again I had some doubts during S1's finale when Samuel shows up out of the blue and creates a portal into the God world for some totally random reason. Then S2 starts and suddenly they're thrown into the God world with no explanation or reason for being there except "finding profitable stuff for LMG". Sure whatever. So the first few episodes go by and the story seems to have some order which I appreciate (welcome to the new world, go find the radio station, listen to tapes to figure out the new world). Then in S2 E4 when Cynthia shows up I totally lost it with the show.
While I got the general theme of Lou and Clara exploring the world with Dan, Rat, and Caroline the story felt too "choppy". I would've loved more of a classic adventure where Lou and Clara encounter a different situation each episode and they devoted the entire episode to resolving it, but instead we'd get like 3'ish issues and only 1 or 2 would get resolved with the 3rd pretty much brushed off. Like in S2 E5, the first half talks about the haze which is interesting. Dan listens to the tapes and we dive into Benjamin and Thomas's story but all that is completely ignored 10 min later when Dan's changed pace and is now looking into the Vining Building. From there on out its more of the same. They make it to the city and there's all this cool stuff to dig into but instead we're thrown into the contest.
Again, I know people love this show but I could not enjoy the story's pacing. I LOVED TMA and Deca Tapes which have more of a linear story with an overarching theme. Several folks from both fanbases recommended Archive 81 and I can't figure out why. S2 just felt like a goofy, silly, and fun fantasy adventure with no sense of horror or mystery at all. I get the feeling the writers wanted to tell 5 main stories but instead of reworking it, they threw everything together and hoped it turned out well. Even the exploration aspect felt off since the story jumped all over the place. I'm hoping S3 will do a better job tying things together and provide some answers.
TLDR: S2's story felt too choppy with lots of story arcs but too few conclusions. I wanted a linear story but felt pulled all over the place. The theme was way different than S1.
submitted by Colorado_Constructor to audiodrama [link] [comments]
So yesterday I listened through the entirety of Archive 81's 2nd season on a road trip back home. I was excited to see where the story went after S1 but was thoroughly disappointed. Then again I had some doubts during S1's finale when Samuel shows up out of the blue and creates a portal into the God world for some totally random reason. Then S2 starts and suddenly they're thrown into the God world with no explanation or reason for being there except "finding profitable stuff for LMG". Sure whatever. So the first few episodes go by and the story seems to have some order which I appreciate (welcome to the new world, go find the radio station, listen to tapes to figure out the new world). Then in S2 E4 when Cynthia shows up I totally lost it with the show.
While I got the general theme of Lou and Clara exploring the world with Dan, Rat, and Caroline the story felt too "choppy". I would've loved more of a classic adventure where Lou and Clara encounter a different situation each episode and they devoted the entire episode to resolving it, but instead we'd get like 3'ish issues and only 1 or 2 would get resolved with the 3rd pretty much brushed off. Like in S2 E5, the first half talks about the haze which is interesting. Dan listens to the tapes and we dive into Benjamin and Thomas's story but all that is completely ignored 10 min later when Dan's changed pace and is now looking into the Vining Building. From there on out its more of the same. They make it to the city and there's all this cool stuff to dig into but instead we're thrown into the contest.
Again, I know people love this show but I could not enjoy the story's pacing. I LOVED TMA and Deca Tapes which have more of a linear story with an overarching theme. Several folks from both fanbases recommended Archive 81 and I can't figure out why. S2 just felt like a goofy, silly, and fun fantasy adventure with no sense of horror or mystery at all. I get the feeling the writers wanted to tell 5 main stories but instead of reworking it, they threw everything together and hoped it turned out well. Even the exploration aspect felt off since the story jumped all over the place. I'm hoping S3 will do a better job tying things together and provide some answers.
TLDR: S2's story felt too choppy with lots of story arcs but too few conclusions. I wanted a linear story but felt pulled all over the place. The theme was way different than S1.
2023.03.21 21:11 Hannahbeaninpie I ruined my marriage at 20
I (F20) and my ex husband (M20) separated back in October of 2022. We originally got married in December of 2020, but before that dated once in October 2019 before inevitably splitting that following December because I was over emotional with everything I have been though(I was previously in a abusive relationship with a lot of SA and cheating that took place). Because of that breakup I disappeared from peoples lives for a whole year and barely attended my senior year of high school. Then one day I decided it was time to try to fix at least the friendship my ex husband(we’ll call him Adam) and I had. I found Adams Instagram and followed him just for him to request to follow me a few minutes later and recieve a text from him saying “hi welcome back.” Adam and I talked for a few weeks and agreed to get married. I know that’s very soon but he was military now and it felt right my love for him never left and still hasn’t. The first 6 months was like a day dream. We were in our honey moon phase and it was the best time of my life especially since I’ve was and am struggling with severe ptsd and bipolar depression with abandonment issues. However after awhile i started slipping. I’d get anxious anytime he went somewhere or didn’t say he love me if I said it first, because of my bipolar I’d get really irritable and cry all the time which he couldn’t handle or be there for me. Emotions he just didn’t understand and it overwhelmed him and I put too much on him tbh. Then after one incident when he said he wanted a divorce I told him I’d get help so I did. I went to a mental hospital for almost two week and when he came to pick me up and I got my phone back I saw a message from him stating he’d do whatever it took to stay with me and to make things work, however later in that year (this is now 2022 should’ve stated that) I had another episode because he told me he’d come visit me at work then never showed or texted me that he was coming so I freaked out on Adam which is my fault. That was the last straw for him he wanted a divorce and I left home with our dog about two weeks later when I got my credit card. I am still in contact with Adam and we do okay as friends, but I feel like he still spites me for those moments. I tried everything I could to fix myself. Medication intense therapy and it just wasn’t enough. I still love Adam and I dream about him every night. All I want in this world is to have him back. He still does things to show he cares like recently giving me the money for a stuff animal I said I wanted (wasn’t hinting at him to buy it for me or anything) or the time I visited him last month and he said he loved me and missed me ect. I just want to be over him but I am struggling so hard cause all I think about is him. My depression was already bad but since separating from adam I only get 2 hours of sleep a night and I cry constantly which I know is normal, but I am so suicidal. I am living with my grandparents currently and I just want to end it all but I’m not doing it cause I still have hope him and o can fix everything before we have to sign papers in October of this year. I just want the pain to be over with. I want my loving husband back, I don’t want to dream about him anymore. I can’t even look or even think about dating anyone else because all I see is him. I left put most details of our marriage, but I feel like I fucked up so much I can’t even eat or look at myself in the mirror anymore. I eat once a day if that sometimes I go days without eating. I am severely underweight and look sickly according to some. I can’t reach out to anyone because my family is too overwhelming when I try to vent and my friends get overwhelmed when I try to vent. I have no friends where I currently live here in Missouri. I just want it all to be over with.
submitted by Hannahbeaninpie to TrueOffMyChest [link] [comments]
2023.03.21 21:11 chinadigital_agency Remote Business in China: Overview on Chinese Cross-Border Platforms
 | Since the beginning of the 20th century international trade has been a major driver of China's GDP growth. The liberalization of trade associated with free trade zones is now supported by the development of cross border ecommerce and online retailers business. There are some famous examples of Western online retail sites such as Amazon. China, however, is now a leading country in the field of online shopping development. submitted by chinadigital_agency to u/chinadigital_agency [link] [comments] Today we have prepared a detailed article for you with an overview of the TOP 9 popular and working cross-border ecommerce online marketplaces in China for remote business. In this article, you will learn why cross-border ecommerce is one of the most convenient ways for global brands from other countries to do business in the world's second largest economy using the potential of today's largest ecommerce market. Author: Alexander Sabantsev, China Digital Marketing Agency https://preview.redd.it/wcvrcwo2f5pa1.png?width=861&format=png&auto=webp&s=696bf2aa1ffad51d19558471ea2c748b5d775d8b The benefits of working with Chinese customers through cross border e-commerce are a driver for any Chinese company to increase revenue, as leading e-commerce platforms and online shopping help to improve the connection between Chinese sellers and Chinese shoppers. Chinese shoppers are mostly online shoppers, as the average Chinese spends more than 5 hours a day on mobile services. Modern Chinese consumers consider online retail as the most convenient way to easily select goods from both Chinese businesses and international sellers, who in turn are interested in online sales as a way to reduce costs and benefit from the flash sales effect. Nowadays, the cross-border Chinese ecommerce system allows foreign companies to conduct business activities through a global supply chain and enter China's complex market without having to establish a Chinese legal entity, open an account in a Chinese bank, and create a very expensive operational infrastructure such as opening an office, a warehouse, hiring employees, etc. In order to attract as many foreign brands as possible, most of China's major marketplaces, interested in increasing the number of third party sellers, have launched cross-border trading sections on their platforms in recent years. Tmall GlobalFounded in 2014, Tmall Global is a leading cross border China online marketplace and one of the fastest growing ecommerce platforms with a large market share among other online marketplaces in China which are engaged in international trade. This China marketplace is a special online platform for trading imported goods of the flagship Chinese online marketplace – Tmall owned by Alibaba Group. 800 million people are active Tmall users, and one in eight of them shop on Tmall Global. About 30% of the more than 100 million audience belong to Generation Z, the most active group of Chinese consumers on China market.On the other hand, Tmall Global sells 35 000 international brands from over 90 countries through its online marketplace market. For 80% of them, Jack Ma's online marketplace has become the first sales channel in the Chinese market with one of the highest transaction volumes. Such popularity of this China marketplace is explained by the fact that Tmall has never had a clear specialization in the sale of goods related to a very narrow product niche. As a result, Tmall Global generally attracts a wide variety of shoppers with a wide variety of needs. However, unlike Taobao mall which operates on the consumer-to-consumer model, Tmall is not an online marketplace for small businesses. Entry requirements are high for both domestic companies and international merchants. Chinese online marketplaces Tmall and Tmall Global are more attractive for global brands specializing in manufacturing high quality products, the probability of buying counterfeit products on one of the largest chain store in China is minimal. We should note that manufacturers of beauty and health products and light-weight snacks with medium and high margins should pay special attention to this platform. Home page (left), product card (center) and Tmall Global online store page (right) KaolaKaola is another leading Chinese marketplace and is one of the largest online marketplaces engaged in cross-border ecommerce. The Kaola platform attracts over 30 million users with a 25% market share of all cross-border Chinese marketplaces trade transactions in China. The name of the Chinese marketplace (consonant with the word "koala") suggests that it was originally focused exclusively on Australian brands. But a little later, the scope of the Chinese online marketplace expanded to include the sale of imported goods from all over the world.However, unlike Tmall and some other Chinese marketplaces, Kaola is positioned as a slightly more "prestigious" China online marketplace for the Chinese middle class whose representatives often go to the platform for shopping. The loyalty of this demanding group of consumers is ensured by a strict system of product selection and quality control. The online marketplace has even developed its own system that helps shoppers track the customs history of goods using QR codes. Thanks to this, users have no doubts about the authenticity of the goods sold. As a result, the brand's presence on Kaola increases its appeal in China. The main product categories on the Chinese marketplace are infant formula and other children's products, snacks, health foods, cosmetics, apparel, accessories and home appliances. Home page (left), product card (center) and online store page (right) J.D. WorldwideJD Worldwide, the import section of another popular third party marketplace JD.com, is seen as an alternative to the top online marketplaces such as Tmall Global for exporters looking to generate revenue from cross-border trade.JD has become a famous China marketplace for having the most developed system of its own warehouses and delivery of goods. The company is also trying to maintain its brand by working with foreign merchants. JD Worldwide has partnered with global (DHL) and regional (Australia Post and Yamato) logistics leaders. In addition, the Chinese online marketplace has 32 warehouses for cross-border trade. In January 2022, JD announced a partnership with western e-commerce giant Shopify. This allowed Shopify sellers to enter the Chinese market through JD with little to no effort. As with Tmall, almost every conceivable category of B2C products is sold on the JD platform. However, manufacturers of goods for automobiles, home appliances and electronics should pay special attention to JD Worldwide. The majority of Chinese consumers look for such goods on JD, expecting the high quality approach and effective after sales services. Today, it is difficult to consider JD as one of the pure play marketplaces because its scope is quite broad. JD Worldwide home page (left), promotional offers section (center) and product card (right) Duoduo InternationalThe Pinduoduo marketplace (PDD) became a major Chinese ecommerce sensation in the second half of the 2010s due to two reasons. First, unlike other popular Chinese online marketplaces, Pinduoduo is a group shopping system that allows users to buy together at very deep discounts. The second is its focus on consumers from China's affluent hinterland. But it has also become a source of vulnerability in the e-commerce platform's business model. Although Pinduoduo's active users are on par with the market leader Tmall, the total sales of goods on the site are significantly lower than those on Alibaba's marketplace and some other Chinese online marketplaces.In order to somehow solve this problem, Pinduoduo launched its own cross-border section - Duoduo International in 2019. As a newcomer in this business, PDD started to attract foreign brands with favorable conditions for entering the Chinese marketplace. Unlike other marketplaces, the owners of online stores on Duoduo International do not have to pay an annual service fee, and the registration deposit and order commission are noticeably lower than those of competitors. However, cross-border from PDD has a significant drawback – the marketplace does not have its own warehouses and logistics solutions, so sellers have to deal with these issues themselves. Pinduoduo is actively developing the trade of foreign cosmetics and perfumes. Taking into account the main audience of the site, we can recommend Duoduo International to manufacturers of conspicuous consumption products. Pinduoduo home page (left), product card (center) and online store page (right) Douyin Cross BorderDouyin, the Chinese twin brother of TikTok, has become a symbol of the convergence of social media and online retail in China. Douyin has many of the elements needed to succeed in e-commerce. On the one hand, it has the most engaging content formats – short videos watched by 900 million Chinese on various platforms, and live broadcasts, which became one of the main profit-making tools in Chinese online commerce in the 2010s. On the other hand, there are more than 600 million active users and an army of influencers who have earned the trust of their subscribers.Therefore, in 2018, Douyin entered the e-commerce market, initially by actively collaborating with Alibaba marketplaces. Two years later, Douyin broke off its partnership with Tmall and built its own infrastructure to provide full-cycle in-app trading. And in 2021, it began to attract foreign brands for cross-border trade. On the whole, cross-border trading on Douyin is still in the early stages of development, which allows even small-brand product sellers to carve out a significant niche on the platform. However, when choosing which products to display and how to promote them, it is very important to remember that Douyin is the territory of wealthy Gen Z consumers. Video (left), product search (center) and online store page (right) on Douyin Kuaishou Cross BorderKuaishou, with its 400 million viewers, is often metaphorically called "TikTok for the Chinese village". The majority of its users are young residents of provincial cities who prefer to watch short videos about people similar to themselves, rather than about the daily lives of rich KOLs.Although Kuaishou is still playing catch-up with Douyin, the social network began to engage in e-commerce much earlier than its main competitor. As a result, about 20% of the company's revenue now comes from e-commerce (while Douyin still relies mainly on advertising revenue). But at the same time, like Douyin, Kuaishou only announced the start of its cross-border business last year. Therefore, this part of Kuaishou's business is still in its infancy, which may be even more beneficial for exporters - the platform will offer more favorable cooperation terms and additional services at this stage. However, it is not so easy to get on Kuaishou now - the site only accepts manufacturers of cosmetics, food, watches and luxury goods, and then only by invitation from Kuaishou itself. Video (left), online store page (center) and product card (right) on Kuaishou VIP InternationalVIP.com is one of the oldest Chinese marketplaces, as well as the world's largest flash-sale marketplace (the main method of sales on it is discount offers that are valid for no more than 24 hours). The products that are sold on this Chinese marketplace are mainly related to the fashion industry – clothes, shoes, cosmetics, etc.While VIP.com is no match for the largest marketplaces in China's overall e-commerce market, its cross-border division, VIP International, is among the market leaders, accounting for approximately 10% of China's cross-border B2C commerce. Buying popular brands at low prices is what its users come to the platform for. Therefore, unless you are a world famous brand, VIP.com is unlikely to be your first sales channel in China. VIP.com main page (left), product card (center) and online store page (right) Little Red Book Cross-BorderIf Douyin and Kuaishou are Chinese versions of TikTok, then Little Red Book (or simply RED) can be loosely described as the local Instagram. On this platform, ordinary users and influencers talk about their lifestyles and write reviews on the products they use (mostly these are clothes, cosmetics, skin care products). Other users can purchase the products shown in the photos with just a few clicks. This can be done both in stores within the application and by clicking on links to third-party marketplaces (for example, Tmall). In this way, a business account on Little Red Book can serve two functions at once – an independent sales channel and a tool for promoting products on other platforms.It is worth noting that RED has a very unusual demographic profile – about 90% of the platform's 100 million audience are women. Little Red Book home page (left), shopping section (center), and product card (right) Suning GlobalSuning was originally known in China as a large offline retailer of various electronics. Later, it began to expand both in terms of the breadth of the range of goods in various categories, and in terms of its presence on the Chinese Internet. One step in Suning's e-commerce push was to attract cross-border brands from overseas.However, Suning is not only waiting for brands of foreign electronic equipment to enter its marketplace. The company writes on its website that it primarily would like to see foreign manufacturers of baby food, cosmetics, shoes, bags and food products on its platform. In addition, while other major e-commerce platforms prefer to deal with brands that have not yet entered the Chinese market, Suning explicitly states that brands that are already listed on Tmall or JD are more likely to open an online store. To date, Suning is the least significant of the major players, with its marketplace accounting for approximately 1.5% of the total cross-border market in China. Home page (left), product card (center) and online store page (right) ConclusionsToday, more than 1400 categories of various products can be exported to China through cross-border channels (a complete list of these categories can be found at the link – a document in Chinese). Today cross-border ecommerce gives numerous opportunities to purchase inventory directly, buy consumer products from foreign brands, etc.You can open your own cross-border online store on a dozen Chinese platforms and become a successful online retailer. Some of them are traditional marketplaces, while others are social networks with e-commerce features. But despite the differences, their requirements for exporters are similar: ● Entity registered outside of China ● Foreign registered trademark ● Statement from a foreign bank account ● Copy of passport of company's representative ● Payment of a refundable deposit (from $1.5 thousand on Pinduoduo to $10-47 thousand dollars on Tmall, depending on the category) ● Payment of an annual service fee (from $1 thousand for JD to $4.7-9.4 thousand for Tmall) ● Platform commission on orders (from 0.6% on Pinduoduo to 2-10% on Kaola) Trading through cross-border makes it much easier to do business in China. The absence of the need to open a legal entity and a bank account in China helps reduce the risks of entering an unfamiliar market. Thus, small brands have the opportunity to test the demand for their products in China or prove to investors that they are promising without large initial investments. China is closer than you think. |