#Free Government APIs

[mariacallous]

A young entrepreneur who was among the earliest known recruiters for Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has a new, related gig—and he’s hiring. Anthony Jancso, cofounder of AccelerateX, a government tech startup, is looking for technologists to work on a project that aims to have artificial intelligence perform tasks that are currently the responsibility of tens of thousands of federal workers.

Jancso, a former Palantir employee, wrote in a Slack with about 2000 Palantir alumni in it that he’s hiring for a “DOGE orthogonal project to design benchmarks and deploy AI agents across live workflows in federal agencies,” according to an April 21 post reviewed by WIRED. Agents are programs that can perform work autonomously.

“We’ve identified over 300 roles with almost full-process standardization, freeing up at least 70k FTEs for higher-impact work over the next year,” he continued, essentially claiming that tens of thousands of federal employees could see many aspects of their job automated and replaced by these AI agents. Workers for the project, he wrote, would be based on site in Washington, DC, and would not require a security clearance; it isn’t clear for whom they would work. Palantir did not respond to requests for comment.

The post was not well received. Eight people reacted with clown face emojis, three reacted with a custom emoji of a man licking a boot, two reacted with custom emoji of Joaquin Phoenix giving a thumbs down in the movie Gladiator, and three reacted with a custom emoji with the word “Fascist.” Three responded with a heart emoji.

“DOGE does not seem interested in finding ‘higher impact work’ for federal employees,” one person said in a comment that received 11 heart reactions. “You’re complicit in firing 70k federal employees and replacing them with shitty autocorrect.”

“Tbf we’re all going to be replaced with shitty autocorrect (written by chatgpt),” another person commented, which received one “+1” reaction.

“How ‘DOGE orthogonal’ is it? Like, does it still require Kremlin oversight?” another person said in a comment that received five reactions with a fire emoji. “Or do they just use your credentials to log in later?”

Got a Tip?Are you a current or former government employee who wants to talk about what's happening? We'd like to hear from you. Using a nonwork phone or computer, contact the reporter securely on Signal at carolinehaskins.61 and vittoria89.82.

AccelerateX was originally called AccelerateSF, which VentureBeat reported in 2023 had received support from OpenAI and Anthropic. In its earliest incarnation, AccelerateSF hosted a hackathon for AI developers aimed at using the technology to solve San Francisco’s social problems. According to a 2023 Mission Local story, for instance, Jancso proposed that using large language models to help businesses fill out permit forms to streamline the construction paperwork process might help drive down housing prices. (OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment. Anthropic spokesperson Danielle Ghiglieri tells WIRED that the company "never invested in AccelerateX/SF,” but did sponsor a hackathon AccelerateSF hosted in 2023 by providing free access to its API usage at a time when its Claude API “was still in beta.”)

In 2024, the mission pivoted, with the venture becoming known as AccelerateX. In a post on X announcing the change, the company posted, “Outdated tech is dragging down the US Government. Legacy vendors sell broken systems at increasingly steep prices. This hurts every American citizen.” AccelerateX did not respond to a request for comment.

According to sources with direct knowledge, Jancso disclosed that AccelerateX had signed a partnership agreement with Palantir in 2024. According to the LinkedIn of someone described as one of AccelerateX’s cofounders, Rachel Yee, the company looks to have received funding from OpenAI’s Converge 2 Accelerator. Another of AccelerateSF’s cofounders, Kay Sorin, now works for OpenAI, having joined the company several months after that hackathon. Sorin and Yee did not respond to requests for comment.

Jancso’s cofounder, Jordan Wick, a former Waymo engineer, has been an active member of DOGE, appearing at several agencies over the past few months, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, National Labor Relations Board, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Education. In 2023, Jancso attended a hackathon hosted by ScaleAI; WIRED found that another DOGE member, Ethan Shaotran, also attended the same hackathon.

Since its creation in the first days of the second Trump administration, DOGE has pushed the use of AI across agencies, even as it has sought to cut tens of thousands of federal jobs. At the Department of Veterans Affairs, a DOGE associate suggested using AI to write code for the agency’s website; at the General Services Administration, DOGE has rolled out the GSAi chatbot; the group has sought to automate the process of firing government employees with a tool called AutoRIF; and a DOGE operative at the Department of Housing and Urban Development is using AI tools to examine and propose changes to regulations. But experts say that deploying AI agents to do the work of 70,000 people would be tricky if not impossible.

A federal employee with knowledge of government contracting, who spoke to WIRED on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press, says, “A lot of agencies have procedures that can differ widely based on their own rules and regulations, and so deploying AI agents across agencies at scale would likely be very difficult.”

Oren Etzioni, cofounder of the AI startup Vercept, says that while AI agents can be good at doing some things—like using an internet browser to conduct research—their outputs can still vary widely and be highly unreliable. For instance, customer service AI agents have invented nonexistent policies when trying to address user concerns. Even research, he says, requires a human to actually make sure what the AI is spitting out is correct.

“We want our government to be something that we can rely on, as opposed to something that is on the absolute bleeding edge,” says Etzioni. “We don't need it to be bureaucratic and slow, but if corporations haven't adopted this yet, is the government really where we want to be experimenting with the cutting edge AI?”

Etzioni says that AI agents are also not great 1-1 fits for job replacements. Rather, AI is able to do certain tasks or make others more efficient, but the idea that the technology could do the jobs of 70,000 employees would not be possible. “Unless you're using funny math,” he says, “no way.”

Jancso, first identified by WIRED in February, was one of the earliest recruiters for DOGE in the months before Donald Trump was inaugurated. In December, Jancso, who sources told WIRED said he had been recruited by Steve Davis, president of the Musk-founded Boring Company and a current member of DOGE, used the Palantir alumni group to recruit DOGE members. On December 2nd, 2024, he wrote, “I’m helping Elon’s team find tech talent for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the new admin. This is a historic opportunity to build an efficient government, and to cut the federal budget by 1/3. If you’re interested in playing a role in this mission, please reach out in the next few days.”

According to one source at SpaceX, who asked to remain anonymous as they are not authorized to speak to the press, Jancso appeared to be one of the DOGE members who worked out of the company’s DC office in the days before inauguration along with several other people who would constitute some of DOGE’s earliest members. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.

Palantir was cofounded by Peter Thiel, a billionaire and longtime Trump supporter with close ties to Musk. Palantir, which provides data analytics tools to several government agencies including the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security, has received billions of dollars in government contracts. During the second Trump administration, the company has been involved in helping to build a “mega API” to connect data from the Internal Revenue Service to other government agencies, and is working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to create a massive surveillance platform to identify immigrants to target for deportation.

[dawnian-janitor]

Let's Talk about Deepseek

So, obviously I'm bad at using Tumblr. Sorry about that...

But I wanted to share my experiences with Deepseek. Long post as it includes tutorials and stuff. Below the cut.

My Thoughts

Deepseek R1 is very smart but oddly gets too poetic for me. To the point it becomes unusable, personally.

Deepseek V3 is less smart than R1, but smarter than JLLM. It also does not have the reasoning stuff R1 is known for.

JLLM is ass. Point blank.

Proxies & Cost

Proxies are always on with my bots because I see no reason not to. With the JLLM being so bad these days I recommend using a proxy, anyway. That said, I know that some cost.

Deepseek R1 and Deepseek V3 are currently free to use, so I do recommend using them.

How To Use

Here is a Reddit post about how to set up R1 as your proxy. Edit: That link above is to use Deepseek PAID. This link is to use it free. Sorry!

If you get the bot's reasoning to their reply and dislike it, go to your open router ai settings and block TARGON.

If you get a lot of loading errors, I have seen people suggest blocking CHUTES.

This leaves you with only AZURE. For me personally, blocking CHUTES has caused way more issues.

If you want to use V3 instead, you follow the same steps as in the link above, only with V3 (free). In Janitor's proxy settings, change the API Key to the one generated for V3, and the model to "deepseek/deepseek-chat:free". Refresh page/fully exit Janitor and re-enter for it to work.

I still have TARGON blocked for this, but I've heard it does not cause logics problems with V3.

I do not have CHUTES blocked for this, and do not receive errors.

Summary + Recommendations

JLLM is great with sex scenes. Deepseek seems to stumble and flail (V3, specifically) as it gets caught up on consent, even if you have already given it. JLLM is great at moving the scene forward and getting creative.

However, JLLM is awful with memory and is just plain stupid. For literally every other interaction, Deepseek is better.

Because of this, I highly encourage alternating between JLLM and Deepseek to get the most out of your roleplay.

Start with whichever LLM you prefer. Once it grows stupid (begins to forget, gets caught on certain phrases, etc), change it.

Utilize the Chat Memory feature. Auto-summary has been broken for a while with JLLM, and I haven't tried it with Deepseek. I recommend manually writing a summary or bullet points only of the really important stuff. (Deepseek has a significantly higher context, but if you alternate, JLLM is still shockingly low).

Personally, use JLLM for romantic/sexual scenes, and Deepseek for literally everything else, but use your preference however you like.

Janitor has built-in proxy prompts to choose from. "Freedom" is mostly for OpenAI. "Erotica" and "Romance" work decently with Deepseek.

Important Notices

I'm sure most people who are aware of Deepseek know this already, but just in case: Deepseek is a Chinese company, and some think there are security worries due to potential connections to the Chinese government. I don't know shit about anything like this or that, so I genuinely do not know. That said I do encourage you to read up on it if you are worried at all. I, personally, do not care that much.

[mofeoluwa]

How I Earn Passively on STON.fi Without Stress

DeFi offers endless ways to earn, but most people either complicate the process or think it’s only for expert traders. The truth? You don’t need to spend hours monitoring charts or making risky trades.

For me, STON.fi has been a game-changer. It’s simple, effective, and allows me to earn without constant effort. Here’s exactly how I do it:

✅ Providing liquidity and earning fees

✅ Staking STON tokens for exclusive rewards

✅ Farming with high-yield pools

✅ Participating in STON.fi contests for extra earnings

Let’s break it down.

1️⃣ Passive Income from Liquidity Pools

One of the easiest ways to earn on STON.fi is by providing liquidity. Instead of letting my tokens sit idle, I deposit them into a liquidity pool and get rewarded for every trade that happens in that pool.

What makes it profitable

STON token rewards: STON.fi distributes STON tokens to liquidity providers.

Loss protection: STON.fi offers a 5.72% offset, reducing potential impermanent loss.

Auto-rewards: No manual claims—everything is credited directly.

Protection fund: A $10,000 monthly budget helps secure liquidity providers.

This method requires zero daily effort. I deposit my funds and let them generate earnings while I focus on other things.

2️⃣ Staking STON for Long-Term Benefits

Staking is another effortless way I earn on STON.fi, but it’s more than just locking up tokens for APY. STON staking unlocks extra benefits that go beyond simple rewards.

Here’s what I gain from staking STON:

🔹 ARKENSTON NFT – A non-transferable NFT that grants exclusive access to STON.fi’s future governance system.

🔹 GEMSTON tokens – A community-powered token tied to the platform’s ecosystem.

Instead of just staking for yield, I gain access to the STON.fi ecosystem’s premium features.

3️⃣ Earning More with High-Yield Farming

For even higher returns, I take advantage of STON.fi’s farming pools. This is where rewards get serious.

How it works:

Provide liquidity to a farming pair

Receive LP tokens

Stake LP tokens in the farm

Earn passive rewards every few seconds

Top farms with massive APRs:

🔥 POE/TON → Over 999% APR

🔥 TADA/TON → 585% APR

🔥 WOOF/TON → 337% APR

The STON/USDT farming pool is also a solid option, recently boosted with an additional 10,000 STON (~$35,000) in rewards. Unlike other platforms, STON.fi farming has no lock-up period, meaning I can withdraw anytime.

4️�� Extra Earnings from STON.fi Contests

Aside from liquidity provision, staking, and farming, STON.fi offers frequent contests where I can earn rewards without investing money.

A recent example is the Infographics Contest, which had a $1,500 prize pool. These contests are perfect for community members who create content, design graphics, or actively engage with the platform.

If you’re looking for a way to earn without risking capital, these competitions provide free STON rewards just for participating.

Why STON.fi is My Go-To for Passive Income

Earning on STON.fi is straightforward and low-risk. I don’t have to trade aggressively or watch price charts all day.

✅ Providing liquidity gives me steady rewards while supporting the platform’s ecosystem.

✅ Staking STON secures future perks and governance access.

✅ Farming generates high APR returns with flexible withdrawals.

✅ Contests offer easy opportunities to earn STON without financial risk.

By combining all these methods, I’ve built a sustainable income stream without stress.

[sweetswesf]

Hey hey, y’all.

I’m mad Tumblr STILL hasn’t responded to any of my support tickets to get my messaging back. As an engineer, I am criticizing the app in a different way than most lol. There’s a lot of cool things with the UI, but the way you can’t separate primary & secondary blogs, some of the playback, the slow or no responses on support tickets is kinda getting to me. I didn’t think it’d frustrate me this much, but it does…Maybe it was protection…

I made a lot of progress last week. I feel like I am making strides and getting stronger with concepts. I had 2 onsites and a practice technical and I felt I did pretty good in all of them. Rejected from one in less than 24 hours, but that 1 involved a lot of semi negative back & forth with the recruiters for over a month, so I felt the decision was made before I even did the interview.

I was exhausted, but felt like I was detaching from the pain of things and just telling myself get through it. Even in my workouts. My body was tired but it felt like it was moving without my mind. I know it’s only God…I spent less time on social media, I spent less time procrastinating, and I can get through most 12 hour days without needing a nap. I am completely wiped out on my break days (Sundays) and take 4 hour naps then lol but I remember a time during my early months of being laid off where I couldn’t get through the day without a 3 hour nap.

I am about done with the sections of the API YouTube course I want to go over. It is a really good course and it’s at a good level of detail I need. I was familiar with the material, but this was good to solidify understanding of certain concepts. I think I have like one more day left that I’d like to spend on it for prep for my interviews. A lot of things make a lot more sense. I wanted to get past it so that I can focus more on system design and algos, but it was necessary to go over. I’m trying to balance learning quite a bit of topics: system design, APIs, DS&A, OOP, behavioral questions.

For you that have been commenting on my posts encouraging me, especially @mythgrippa-blog & @tenaciousdeveloper, I want to send a particular word of appreciation. Whenever I get a bit discouraged, I remember your comments, so thank you so much.

I even caught a butterfly by its wings! I’ve always wanted to do that, but I don’t think I’ll ever do that again. I won’t forget how surprisingly strong it was wriggling to get free. I quickly released it when I realized I could be hurting it’s wings! I’m sure I did though and the thought makes me sick. I never meant to hurt it. These are sentient beings. There was no need for me to do that. I didn’t realize I would hurt it before I did it. I was on break from an on-site, feeling good, listening to this song, and intrusive thoughts took over.

It flew away fine, but still…I’m sure I damaged the wings just by touching it. I felt a similar guilt when I thought my car would clear and not hit this cat that was laying in the middle of the street. It didn’t and I killed a little collar-less white kitten 😔. This was almost a decade ago. I don’t even own a car anymore but I still think about it & feel guilty.

I took a Cruise autonomous car ride. That was my 3rd time in an autonomous car ride, but 1st one by Cruise. After it, I was inspired. This is the type of things that drew me to tech in the 1st place…

School loans start accruing interest again at the end of this month, and I would like to pay those off. I haven’t looked into deferring my payments because I’m hoping I can pay them off before needing that option. It is humbling to go from having a lot of autonomy with spending to relying on government assistance. Life comes at you fast…I can’t judge anyone. I do, but I shouldn’t and I try not to. I am reminded everyday, with every new experience or challenge, that you truly don’t know what people are facing or what the heck you would do if in a similar scenario. Ideas & history are different from reality.

Pastor at church today said, “You think you have strong faith until something happens that tests it,” and I related hard. I reflect on everything. Sometimes I just sit and stare like, “I’m tired and I’m ready for a different reality.”

My mom comes at the start of September too, and I would like to fully enjoy that with her with my dream job. I will enjoy it regardless though.

I order from DoorDash less, to save money, and also, because there’s not that many options that are healthy, and regardless if the meal is healthy or not, I’ve had it so many times that I’d rather just try to make a replica of my own if I have time. Some things I just can’t replicate, but I do like that I’m empowering myself to have some control over that. I’m often negotiating between saving money and saving time when it comes to this food stuff.

Also, food at this point is one of the only break aways from work that I’m allowing myself to enjoy right now. A LOT of my community has left the city or don’t reach out despite my efforts of trying to maintain the relationship. I don’t want to forge new ones right now, because the emotional and financial investment is… a lot right now. Anytime you want free time outside these days, you end up spending like $50 at minimum! I also feel like I need to find someone to help on Sundays. Sundays are for rest though, and so far, I’ve taken up the whole day washing my hair, going to church, grocery shopping, cooking, eating, napping for 3 or 4 hours, reflecting, and YouTube video watching. I don’t study, I don’t do any chores, and I don’t even like cooking those days. I appreciate my Sundays for what they are for: rest.

A few people close to me asked me again this week if I wanted to keep doing this and I was audibly annoyed. They don’t think I’ve made success in the way I should, but they don’t know much about the industry or how things typically go on this side. They also don’t know my plan. They don’t have to, but it does because it kind of feels they don’t believe in my abilities. I don’t want to be struggling forever, but I don’t think I should give up. I want to do this. I mean, I even get the question a lot in interviews. Like, I transitioned about 3 years ago. Why are you still asking me why I transitioned? You’re wasting time when you could be asking me about my qualifications for this role. I’m sure non-career-transitioners (people with traditional backgrounds) don’t get asked why they chose that field. Does it matter WHY I’ve chosen it if I’ve been gainfully employed in it for years and am applying to keep doing it? It shouldn’t. This question is totally valid outside of interviews. I appreciate answering it then. It just feels invasive when asked in interviews. I could see if I was fresh out of my old career, but I’ve been working as a full time software engineer for more than 3. It almost feels like, “well duh!” at this point when it comes to choosing tech. Look around you. Why not?! EVERY industry damn there has been elevated and can’t survive without tech. It’s really hard to cover your basic needs and a lot people on a 6-figure salary are living paycheck to paycheck given how outrageous rent is. At least tech gives you a fighting chance. Look at me! A tech worker still with debt who’s now had to rely on government assistance…It feels similar to interviewers asking why I majored in something. It doesn’t matter at all when you should be looking at the work I’ve done for money.

It was recommended, and I agreed, that I should stop interviewing with startups and start interviewing with companies I would like to work at, so I’m doing that soon. I feel a bit impatient and when I do, I try to refocus and remind myself that I shouldn’t give up and potentially blow the progress made thus far (another word of encouragement from y’all reading, so thank you!). I just need to keep going, stop feeling rushed, be fearless, be strategic, have confidence, and know that God will give me something great in due time that’s fit for me that exceeds my expectations.

I’m grateful for vision, dexterity, my mental health, my education, having hot water, still being able to afford a gym membership and to never go hungry. To spend on organic groceries. I also still have quite a bit of savings. I didn’t realize but my high yield savings account has been kicking me back about the amount of a week’s worth of meals & groceries every month. Praise God. I also am still able to tithe and be generous to people who need help during this time.

The things that I wanted months and even weeks ago, like purses, shoes, etc. all seem so frivolous now. Thousands on these things? I’ve never spent that much on purses & shoes. I’ve never been that girl, but I HAVE bought a lot of excess before, or bought things, albeit cheap, that I thought I would use one day. I even imagined that once I get a job, I would treat myself on one of those $1k+ purses, just because I’m a 30 and never have bought anything designer. Now, I don’t even care about taking a vacation. I just want to wake up employed. I WILL take a vacation, but I don’t mind just visiting something local. I miss NYC like crazy! I’ve always wanted to visit Atlanta (my 1st visit was at night and was too short, I had to drive back to Nashville in the morning). Those purses and shoes are still NICE but, I don’t HAVE to have them like I once felt…Imma still treat myself, but the treats won’t be as extravagant/often/out of my honest price range.

Fashion blogs seem so DUMB to me now. The THOUSANDS people will pay and still be in debt or not own any assets seems CRAZY now. But it took this to open my eyes. I’ve been unemployed before when I was fresh out of bootcamp, and I went into super frugal mode, and promised myself to maintain those habits. I did a lot, but still made dumb decisions after I got employed again. Freeing myself from want this time around, I hope it sticks.

There were days this week where I woke up wanting to contact a particular dude from my past. Just thirsty and lonely and craving a hug. I kept saying, “I just want a hug.” It’s really just me. Day in & day out. Friends & family only call. Everyone close to me I have to talk to virtually through a screen/over the phone. It gets to me…someone will love me hard and give me the affection I crave one day. I need to rely on God’s love though and remember not to put too much dependence on people, but it’s okay to want a partner. God honors marriage and says a spouse is to supply the other’s needs for affection. Not one way: this is for both partners.

I’m grateful for everything this time has taught me and I don’t know if I would have learned it without this. I shun fear of not getting what I want. I refuse to believe that my efforts will go unrewarded. I chase away the devil that made me believe I was less than. In the meeting with my mentor last week, he said, “I’m going to be candid: the team did NOT like that you were let go. We all felt that you had made so much progress and we actually had a rant session about it.” That almost made me cry, because I felt like the weakest link on the team at that time, but to know that people respected my work and felt like great things were coming for me, confirmed my suspicions too that I KNEW things were looking up. I had finally felt comfortable, and then it felt like my progress was stopped. But I know, and I knew even when I got laid off, even without my next position, it wasn’t a mistake. God tends to shift things when you’re feeling comfortable. He’s trying to elevate me. I will be in a higher position my next role, potentially making more than double what I was. More than what I could have gotten if I stayed. I don’t fear getting let go as much anymore because I know how to do these algos, or, I know where I can go to refresh my understandings of them. I lived in fear before this and couldn’t truly enjoy anything because I knew there was a huge hole in my understanding of things in the interview & my career that I felt I didn’t have the time to learn. Nothing is by mistake and I’m grateful to Him. Amen!

I hope y’all are well too. Be blessed <3

[javacrypto22]

The Moxy Platform uses blockchain technology to provide a trustworthy Global eSport Token

INTRODUCTION

Moxy claims to be the first and only eSports gaming platform to solve this gap in the industry. There are primarily two components needed for this to occur:

First, developers need access to a simple web3-free tech stack that allows them to add eSport game types to their games.

Second, there has to be a way for the eSport-ready players to get their hands on the game's eSport-enabled build. Nowhere. There is currently no eSports platform accessible to the general public.

You can get both of these features and more via the Moxy Platform. The Moxy Platform uses blockchain technology to provide a trustworthy Global eSport Token, MOXY, which allows instantaneous transactions and safeguards players and publishers against fraud, hacking, and other forms of cybercrime. The Moxy Platform is well-positioned to pioneer this emerging subgenre of video games, as seen by its rapidly expanding user base, novel approaches to game integration, and almost limitless competitive game types offering real prizes in actual games.

THE ECOSYSTEM OF MOXY

Making a platform for esports requires more than just adding a competitive mode to a game. The Moxy Ecosystem is comprised of numerous interdependent parts, such as:

Player Verification for eSports - For legal and safety reasons, players need to be "eSport ready" before they can take part in "Real Competition." A verification process is obligatory for all Moxy Club users.

MOXY - The Global eSports Token, a universal medium of exchange for competitive video gaming.

Moxy's Admin Dashboard - Members, statistics, collectibles and games that members want to be funded and published are all managed here.

The Moxy Club - Moxy Club provides eSport-ready players, the game marketplace, and the game launcher, centralizes all transactions from all games, lets players purchase and administer MOXY, and simplifies governance through voting.

Forge Moxy - This is the primary set of APIs that facilitates communication between games and allows for the creation of eSports.

Founded on Moxy - As a developer, you'll have access to Foundry. To get their games into the Forge, developers must first publish them to Foundry and receive an API key.

Rewarding Moxy Governance - The development of the Moxy Platform relies on the votes cast by Moxy Club members. Members of the Moxy Club who are actively participating and meeting their responsibilities will earn MOXY.

Platform for Moxy- Economy based on the MOXY token and the Flow network. The Moxy Platform is a token economy developed from the ground up, complete with patented smart contracts and an offline signature system written in Cadence.

Token of Play - Secure token balance that no one can hold. As the player base increases, the Moxy Ecosystem converts PLAY tokens into fresh MOXY.

KEY POINTS OF THE MOXY PLATFORM

The following claims are assumed to be correct and empirically verifiable:

• Global eSports can't happen without MOXY, the Global eSport Token.

• There will soon be a fourth subgenre of video games, and it's competitive online play known as eSports. There are now three types of gaming devices on the market: consoles, computers, and smartphones.

• Only blockchain technology offers any hope of ensuring the safety of esports games played in front of an international audience.

• The continued interest in video games depends on the inclusion of eSports game types where players may compete for cash prizes.

PROOF OF PLAYTM, PLAY SCORE, PLATFORM ENGAGEMENT REWARDS SYSTEM

There are three components of the Moxy Ecosystem that must be in sync for the "Proof of Play" incentive system to be implemented. There are three main components: the PLAY token, the SCORE token, and Proof of PlayTM events.

First is the PLAY token. A system must provide daily prizes for Moxy Club members' involvement. That mechanism is PLAY token. It's a worldwide balance that all Moxy Club members can see and generates a daily variable payout to qualified members. As Moxy Club membership grows, so will distribution. No one can own or sell PLAY tokens. PLAY token holders create MOXY, which must be delivered to Moxy Club members because the PLAY token wallet cannot retain it.

Moxy Club members only earn SCORE tokens. SCORE tokens are untradeable. SCORE is acquired through playing games, voting, participating in eSport events, buying games, and more. These behaviors receive different SCORE. Daily incentives increase with SCORE. This rewards active Club members most.

TECHNOLOGY OF MOXY

The Moxy Platform was developed with the Flow Ecosystem in mind. By partnering with Dapper Labs, Moxy is able to take use of the robust and resilient Flow ecosystem. The Moxy Platform could only accept Flow since it fulfilled all of the necessary criteria. The Moxy Platform is based on Flow because of its extensive technology stack, token mechanisms, pre-existing stablecoin and collectibles ecosystem, smart contract architecture, developer tools, and customer support.

Token Flow: The Moxy Foundation keeps MOXY reserves and will sell new MOXY to Moxy Club members based on events and milestones. The inaugural public sale distributes MOXY to the first Moxy Club members who want to play eSports. MOXY will be introduced if new games increase membership demand. For new Moxy Club members to play eSport game types, the Moxy Foundation will assign tokens from the appropriate internal wallet to the "Sale" wallet.

Token Flow Synopsis: The Moxy Club's "hot" wallet is the Moxy Foundation's sale wallet. This wallet accepts credit cards and USDC for MOXY purchases. Moxy Club members may always check the Sale wallet balance and MOXY pricing. Moxy Foundation funds the Sale wallet. The Moxy Foundation may transfer one million MOXY from the Treasury to the Sale wallet. In conclusion, the Moxy Foundation will distribute MOXY and move it from internal cold wallets to public "Sale" wallets.

Token Lifecycle: A Moxy Club member often purchases MOXY through the Sale wallet. Next, the user must deposit MOXY for eSport gaming into their wallet's "Authorized Gaming Balance." The Authorized Gaming Balance's MOXY can be used in any Moxy-enabled game. When the user opens a game, a specific amount of this balance will be shown in the game and utilized, at the player's discretion, when they engage an eSport game mode.

eSport User Flow: Moxy Club membership is required. They must submit KYC paperwork after logging in. The user will automatically receive a wallet after verification. The wallet will pay membership fees. The first MOXY placed to the wallet will cover the Association membership fee. If the membership criterion is 5 MOXY, the member's wallet will redirect the initial 5 MOXY to the Moxy Foundation treasury wallet. One transaction or several transactions.

TOKENOMICS

For more information visit:

WEBSITE: https://moxy.io/ WHITEPAPER: https://moxy.io/whitepaper/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/moxyio TELEGRAM: http://t.me/moxyofficial INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/moxy.io/ LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/Moxyio/ DISCORD: http://discord.gg/moxyio

AUTHOR

Forum Username: Java22 Forum Profile Link: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=3443255 BEP-20 Wallet Address: 0x39aEF5f1cf37c0f1d015435F592Ce632720cB713

[seewetter]

It's worse.

The glasses Meta built come with language translation features -- meaning it becomes harder for bilingual families to speak privately without being overheard.

No it's even worse.

Because someone has developed an app (I-XRAY) that scans and detects who people are in real-time.

No even worse.

Because I-XRAY accesses all kinds of public data about that person.

Wait is it so bad?

I-XRAY is not publicly usable and was only built to show what a privacy nightmare Meta is creating. Here's a 2-minute video of the creators doing a experiment how quickly people on the street's trust can be exploited. It's chilling because the interactions are kind and heartwarming but obviously the people are being tricked in the most uncomfortable way.

Yes it is so bad:

Because as satirical IT News channel Fireship demonstrated, if you combine a few easily available technologies, you can reproduce I-XRAYs results easily.

Hook up an open source vision model (for face detection). This model gives us the coordinates to a human face. Then tools like PimEyes or FaceCheck.ID -- uh, both of those are free as well... put a name to that face. Then phone book websites like fastpeoplesearch.com or Instant Checkmate let us look up lots of details about those names (date of birth, phone #, address, traffic and criminal records, social media accounts, known aliases, photos & videos, email addresses, friends and relatives, location history, assets & financial info). Now you can use webscrapers (the little programs Google uses to index the entire internet and feed it to you) or APIs (programs that let us interface with, for example, open data sets by the government) -> these scraping methods will, for many targeted people, provide the perpetrators with a bulk of information. And if that sounds impractical, well, the perpetrators can use a open source, free-to-use large language model like LLaMa (also developed by Meta, oh the irony) to get a summary (or get ChatGPT style answers) of all that data.

Fireship points out that people can opt out of most of these data brokers by contacting them ("the right to be forgotten" has been successfully enforced by European courts and applies globally to people that make use of our data). Apparently the New York Times has compiled an extensive list of such sites and services.

But this is definitely dystopian. And individual opt-outs exploit that many people don't even know that this is a thing and that place the entire responsibility on the individual. And to be honest, I don't trust the New York Times and almost feel I'm drawing attention to myself if I opt out. It really leaves me personally uncertain what is the smarter move. I hope this tech is like Google's smartglasses and becomes extinct.

i hate the "meta glasses" with their invisible cameras i hate when people record strangers just-living-their-lives i hate the culture of "it's not illegal so it's fine". people deserve to walk around the city without some nameless freak recording their faces and putting them up on the internet. like dude you don't show your own face how's that for irony huh.

i hate those "testing strangers to see if they're friendly and kind! kindness wins! kindness pays!" clickbait recordings where overwhelmingly it is young, attractive people (largely women) who are being scouted for views and free advertising . they're making you model for them and they reap the benefits. they profit now off of testing you while you fucking exist. i do not want to be fucking tested. i hate the commodification of "kindness" like dude just give random people the money, not because they fucking smiled for it. none of the people recording has any idea about the origin of the term "emotional labor" and none of us could get them to even think about it. i did not apply for this job! and you know what! i actually super am a nice person! i still don't want to be fucking recorded!

& it's so normalized that the comments are always so fucking ignorant like wow the brunette is so evil so mean so twisted just because she didn't smile at a random guy in an intersection. god forbid any person is in hiding due to an abusive situation. no, we need to see if they'll say good morning to a stranger approaching them. i am trying to walk towards my job i am not "unkind" just because i didn't notice your fucked up "social experiment". you fucking weirdo. stop doing this.

[zipcodesdatabase]

Unlock The Full Geographic Intelligence With The ZIP Code Lookup API Tool

Are you planning to unlock location intelligence? Do you want a tool that offers accurate, real-time data for better decision-making? Are you running a retail chain or managing a logistics operation? Do you want to launch a local marketing campaign in the USA and Canada? One such powerful tool to unlock the opportunities is the ZIP Code Lookup API. It is an innovative and informative tool in itself and offers a strategic advantage. It is a viable yet impactful resource that helps organizations connect geographic intelligence with business strategy. It benefits you to identify exactly where your customers are, their needs, and how you can reach them.

What Is a ZIP Code Lookup API?

A ZIP Code Lookup API is a web-based tool that allows you to retrieve detailed information about a ZIP Code in real time. The Zip Code lookup API provides real-time validation and information about postal codes for various global locations. A ZIP Code Lookup API allows you to access real-time information in a few seconds. The programmatic geolocation data it provides helps businesses verify addresses, ensure accurate shipping, and gather location data. It helps you make smarter business decisions. It provides valuable information on.

ZIP codes and their corresponding cities, states, and counties

Latitude and longitude coordinates

Time zone

Area code and County FIPS codes

Demographics, and sometimes even weather zones

Population estimates

Demographics and income data (in advanced APIs)

Nearby ZIP Codes or service areas

Developers can integrate these APIs into business platforms, CRMs, e-commerce sites, logistics apps, etc. It helps them automate location-based processes and deliver instant, accurate results. The integration of the ZIP Code Lookup API is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity.

Get the Competitive Edge in Real Time

Speed and relevance combined to generate revenue in the present competitive market. Datasheer’s ZIP Code Lookup API delivers instant insights. Unlike static databases, their ZIP Code Lookup API tool connects your systems to real-time data. The Datasheer ZIP Code Lookup API database is reorganized & updated frequently to guarantee the utmost precision. The frequent updates ensure clients get access to recent data. Datasheer sources the data from official postal services and government databases. They will make it reliable for business use, address validation, and shipping calculations. Accessing this location-based intelligence tool enables you to reveal hidden prospects, decrease inefficiencies, and connect with customers in a better way. The latest boundary changes, population updates, or infrastructure shifts enable you to make effective business decisions!

How can one Access The ZIP Code Lookup API?

Datasheer, LLC ZIP Code Lookup API tool is a web-based application, and accessing it is simple. Just register for a free account, get your API key, and integrate it into your application using our comprehensive documentation. We provide examples in multiple programming languages to make integration seamless. The free ZIP Code Lookup API is perfect for startups, personal projects, or testing our service. For higher volumes, Datasheer offers affordable paid plans with additional features and priority support.

[marketreportsinsights]

p-Ethylphenol Market Share, Industry Growth, Trend, Drivers, Challenges, Key Companies by 2034

The Global P-Ethylphenol Market was valued at USD 126.3 million in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% from 2025 to 2034. This growth is largely driven by the increasing use of organic chemicals in drug manufacturing, with pharmaceutical companies showing a heightened interest in p-Ethylphenol as a critical raw material. Also known as 4-ethylphenol, this crystalline organic compound possesses weak basic properties and finds widespread application across various industries.

Get sample copy of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/4888

One of the primary uses of p-Ethylphenol is as a solvent in cleaning and degreasing operations, where it effectively removes contaminants from metal surfaces. It also plays a vital role in producing phenolic resins, varnishes, dyes, and pharmaceuticals, serving as an intermediate in chemical synthesis. Additionally, its utility extends to manufacturing antioxidants crucial for producing polymers and rubber products. This versatility has made it an indispensable component across numerous industrial processes.

The market is segmented into pharmaceutical intermediates, dye intermediates, chemical synthesis, and other applications. Among these, the pharmaceutical intermediates segment is anticipated to surpass USD 25.7 million by 2034, fueled by growing demand for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Emerging markets across regions such as Asia and South America are particularly driving this growth, supported by increased pharmaceutical activities and government initiatives focused on healthcare development.

In the food and beverage industry, the rising demand for natural additives further propels the use of p-Ethylphenol. It is increasingly utilized for coloring, flavoring, and enhancing food products, catering to changing consumer preferences for organic and clean-label ingredients. Additionally, the aging population and the rise in chronic health conditions, particularly in developed markets like North America and Europe, are boosting the demand in the healthcare sector.

Browse complete summary of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/p-ethylphenol-market

The market in China, valued at USD 14.3 million in 2024, is expanding rapidly, driven by industrial growth and rising demand from sectors such as electronics, automotive, and construction. The push for sustainable and eco-friendly solutions, supported by government policies, further enhances the adoption of p-Ethylphenol in these industries. To meet increasing domestic and international demand, manufacturers are focusing on technological advancements to improve production efficiency and product quality while addressing environmental and safety concerns.

About Global Market Insights

Global Market Insights Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider, offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy, and biotechnology.

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Global Market Insights Inc.

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Email: sales@gminsights.com

[prollcmatchdata]

Unlocking Efficient Data Operations with Pipeline Automation

In today’s data-driven world, every business decision, product update, or customer insight depends on one core element—data. But having data isn’t enough. How that data is collected, processed, transferred, and acted upon defines your competitive edge. That’s where Match Data Pro LLC steps in—with advanced solutions for data operations optimization, data automation, and powerful, scalable data pipelines.

The Growing Challenge of Modern Data Operations

Businesses today manage vast and complex data streams—from CRM systems, web platforms, cloud services, IoT devices, and beyond. Without proper infrastructure, this flow can become fragmented, unstructured, and inefficient.

Key challenges organizations face:

Manual data ingestion and transformation

Disconnected data sources and platforms

Slow time-to-insight

High infrastructure and operational costs

Inflexible or outdated data pipeline tools

The solution lies in automating your data operations and leveraging scalable APIs to ensure real-time, accurate, and actionable data delivery.

Data Operations Optimization: The Foundation of Scalable Growth

At Match Data Pro LLC, our core philosophy is simple: optimize your data operations, and everything else follows.

We help organizations:

Eliminate redundant data processes

Automate routine tasks and scheduling

Centralize fragmented data environments

Ensure data consistency and integrity

Align infrastructure with business goals

Whether you’re a startup or a growing enterprise, optimizing how your data flows and operates can significantly reduce cost, errors, and latency.

Data Automation: Power Without the Complexity

Manual processes lead to human errors, time delays, and lost insights. Data automation eliminates these inefficiencies by automatically pulling, cleaning, transforming, and loading data into your analytics tools or operational systems.

With Match Data Pro’s data automation:

You reduce engineering load

Increase data reliability

Improve compliance and governance

Free up teams to focus on insights, not infrastructure

No more hand-coding workflows. No more babysitting batch jobs. With our automation, your data works 24/7.

Building Smarter Pipelines with Match Data Pro

A data pipeline is more than a flow—it’s your data’s nervous system. Whether it’s batch or real-time, you need pipelines that are agile, secure, and scalable.

Our Data Pipeline Capabilities:

Ingest from multiple sources (cloud, on-premise, APIs)

Real-time transformation and delivery

Scheduling, logging, and error-handling built-in

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Our pipelines integrate seamlessly with modern data warehouses, BI tools, machine learning platforms, and custom databases—giving your team immediate access to decision-ready data.

Data Pipeline API: Connectivity Meets Control

For developers and architects, our Data Pipeline API provides the flexibility to integrate and orchestrate data flows from any system.

With Match Data Pro’s Pipeline API, you can:

Programmatically trigger or monitor pipelines

Connect custom applications or third-party tools

Automate metadata tracking

Scale processes without disrupting operations

Our API-first approach ensures that your data workflows are not only powerful but also fully programmable and future-proof.

Use Case: E-Commerce Company Simplifies Reporting with Match Data Pro

One of our clients, a mid-sized e-commerce platform, faced challenges consolidating marketing, inventory, and sales data from over 15 different tools. Reporting was slow, often delayed by days.

After implementing our solution:

Automated ingestion and transformation reduced reporting time from 12 hours to under 15 minutes.

Operational costs dropped by 40%.

Business teams gained access to real-time dashboards.

Match Data Pro’s data automation and pipeline API were game-changers.

Who Can Benefit from Match Data Pro’s Solutions?

Our platform is ideal for:

Data engineers building complex workflows

BI teams requiring faster insights

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Final Thoughts: Future-Proof Your Data Operations

Modern businesses can’t afford to treat data infrastructure as an afterthought. With the volume, variety, and velocity of data increasing every day, smart automation and optimized pipelines are no longer optional—they’re essential. At Match Data Pro LLC, we provide the tools, APIs, and automation you need to build reliable, scalable, and efficient data ecosystems. Whether you’re starting small or scaling big, we’ve got the expertise and technology to keep your data flowing—and your business growing.

[knitmeapony]

One thing I want to clarify: you have to have a last clear chance to mitigate in order for this to apply to you.

Voter suppression is a real, huge thing. Social pressure that results in voter suppression is a real, huge thing.

If you cannot vote because of how difficult people have made it for you to register (or impossible for you to register), you do not have a last clear chance. If voting puts you in danger (from strangers, from a family member, from anything) you do not have a last clear chance. It is absolutely 100% okay to put your own personal health and safety first if you need to.

Potentially solvable problems:

How to check if you're registered to vote in the US: https://www.usa.gov/confirm-voter-registration

Your voting rights as a disabled person in the US and where to report inaccessible voting locations: https://www.eac.gov/blogs/helping-voters-disabilities-participate-our-democratic-process

Rules about voting if you were convicted of a felony, state-by-state: https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/felon-voting-rights

If the poll worker can't find you on the voter rolls, what do you do? https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/voting-rights#the-poll-worker-says-my-name-is-not-on-the-list-of-registered-voters

(One note for this: please remember that most local governments are trying to anglicize names as hard as they can, and they may not do it in a way you're expecting. Write out the fullest version of your name and hand it to the poll workers if you have issues; they may know what weird tricks they can use to find you.)

Current Voter ID laws: https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id

Your voting rights if you're less than fluent in English: https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/voting-rights#i-speak-english-less-than-very-well

Hotlines for voting help in various languages:

Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA / 1-888-839-8682

Arabic: 1-844-YALLA-US / 1-844-925-5287

English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE / 1-866-687-8683.

Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, Vietnamese): 1-888-API-VOTE / 1-888-274-8683

ETA: If you are abroad and need help finding out how to vote from where you are, try https://www.votefromabroad.org

Don't have a safe way to get to your local voting place? Search for "free rides to polls" and your city or county; if you can't find local help easily send me a message and I'll do my best to find the free transport in your area.

And that goes for any issues: if you have an issue exercising your voting rights in the US and I haven't covered it here, send me a message and I will do what I can to connect you with the right resources.

In the law, there's this idea called the "last clear chance" doctrine.

If you are in an accident, and you had the last clear chance to avoid the accident, then you are, at least in some portion, responsible for the accident.

For instance, if you are driving and a car pulls out in front of you, and you could've slammed on the brake but do not, you're responsible for that, even if the turn the other car made was illegal. Moreover, you might be held partially responsible for the other person's injuries, depending on how things work in your location.

This is even true if you can merely mitigate the damage. If you have a chance to limit the damage -- again, let's say you don't brake and the result is a collision at 40MPH instead of 10MPH -- the additional damage you cause could be considered your fault.

To me, this seems very applicable to voting.

The two parties in the US are going to put a couple of candidates up in the next few months. Both of them might be dangerous. But in the end, everyone who can vote is going to have one last, clear chance to avoid, or at least mitigate, damage.

It sucks that both parties are out there driving like maniacs.

But the fact of the matter is, they've put us in this position. And if you don't put on the brakes -- that is, at least mitigate damage -- you are responsible for the additional damage caused.

In the national elections, a choice not to vote for Biden is a choice not to brake when some jerk pulls into your lane. And if there's an accident and a lot of damage -- to voting rights in general, to reproductive rights, to the health and safety and life of trans and other queer people, to education, to the environment -- then you are responsible for not attempting mitigation.

You have the last clear chance to minimize danger and damage. And while you can yell until you're blue in the face that the Democratic party put you in that position in the first place by not running another candidate, you are still responsible even if you try to abdicate that responsibility.

[letestmarketnews]

Open Banking on the Global Stage: Insights, Impact, and Industry Trends

The Global Open Banking Market Size is expected to reach USD 164.8 Billion by 2032, at a CAGR of 23.11% during the forecast period of 2022–2032.

In recent years, open banking has transitioned from a buzzword to a global financial revolution. With the power to reshape how individuals and businesses manage money, it’s no surprise the open banking market is set for explosive growth.

📊 Market Growth at a Glance

The open banking market was valued at USD 20.6 billion in 2022. But this is just the beginning. Over the next decade, the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 23.11%, reaching an estimated USD 164.8 billion by 2032. This remarkable growth reflects not only technological advancement but also shifting consumer expectations toward seamless, digital-first financial experiences.

Get Access to a Free Copy of Our Latest Sample Report - https://www.sphericalinsights.com/request-sample/2902

🚀 What’s Driving the Surge?

Several key factors are pushing open banking into the mainstream:

API-Driven Integration: Financial institutions now enable third-party providers to securely access data through APIs. This opens up possibilities for personalized budgeting apps, consolidated account views, direct payments, and even smart investment tools.

Fintech Boom: Startups and tech-savvy firms are creating innovative solutions that rely on open banking frameworks, from credit scoring platforms to real-time payment systems.

Digital Transformation: The global shift to digital banking, accelerated by the pandemic, has made consumers more comfortable sharing data in exchange for convenience and transparency.

Buy this report now:- https://www.sphericalinsights.com/checkout/2902

⚠️ Challenges on the Horizon

Despite the momentum, open banking still faces several hurdles:

Security & Privacy Concerns: As data becomes more accessible, so do the risks. Customers and institutions alike are cautious about potential breaches, fraud, and misuse of personal financial information.

Operational Readiness: Many traditional banks struggle with the infrastructure and mindset shift required to adopt open banking at scale. Legacy systems and siloed data remain barriers.

🧩 Market Segmentation Insights

The open banking landscape is diverse and multi-faceted:

By Financial Service

Payments lead the pack, accounting for the majority of current market revenue. Real-time transactions, seamless checkout experiences, and digital wallets are key contributors.

By Distribution Channel

Distributors—including aggregators and third-party platforms—are witnessing the fastest growth. Their role in bridging banks with innovative apps is becoming critical.

By Deployment Model

Cloud-based solutions dominate the market due to their flexibility, scalability, and ability to support real-time data processing securely.

Insightful inquiry before buying:- https://www.sphericalinsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2902

🌍 Regional Dynamics

Europe currently holds the largest market share, propelled by strong regulatory support and early adoption of API standards.

North America is quickly catching up, with increasing collaboration between banks and fintechs, along with evolving regulations that support open access to financial data.

Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing region, driven by high digital payment adoption, smartphone penetration, and government-led open finance initiatives.

🏢 Industry Movers

The market includes a wide range of players—from global banks and fintech startups to API infrastructure providers. Recent launches include advanced analytics platforms and partnerships that enable instant cross-border payments and data-driven customer insights.

Unlock the full report now! @ https://www.sphericalinsights.com/reports/open-banking-market

✅ Final Thoughts

Open banking is not just a trend—it’s the future of finance. With strong market momentum, increased cloud adoption, and expanding digital ecosystems, the next few years will be transformative. While challenges remain, the opportunities far outweigh the risks.

About the Spherical Insights

Spherical Insights is a market research and consulting firm which provides actionable market research study, quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight especially designed for decision makers and aids ROI.

which is catering to different industry such as financial sectors, industrial sectors, government organizations, universities, non-profits and corporations. The company's mission is to work with businesses to achieve business objectives and maintain strategic improvements.

Contact Us:

Company Name: Spherical Insights

Email: sales@sphericalinsights.com

Phone: +1 303 800 4326 (US)

Follow Us: LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

[mariacallous]

Palantir, facing mounting public scrutiny for its work with the Trump administration, took an increasingly defensive stance toward journalists and perceived critics this week, both at a defense conference in Washington, DC, and on social media.

On Tuesday, a Palantir employee threatened to call the police on a WIRED journalist who was watching software demonstrations at its booth at AI+ Expo. The conference, which is hosted by the Special Competitive Studies Project, a think tank founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, is free and open to the public, including journalists.

Later that day, Palantir had conference security remove at least three other journalists—Jack Poulson, writer of the All-Source Intelligence Substack; Max Blumenthal, who writes and publishes The Grayzone; and Jessica Le Masurier, a reporter at France 24—from the conference hall, Poulson says. The reporters were later able to reenter the hall, Poulson adds.

The move came after Palantir spokespeople began publicly condemning a recent New York Times report titled “Trump Taps Palantir to Compile Data on Americans” published on May 30. WIRED previously reported that Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was building a master database to surveil and track immigrants. WIRED has also reported that the company was helping DOGE with an IRS data project, collaborating to build a “mega-API.”

The public criticism from Palantir is unusual, as the company does not typically issue statements pushing back on individual news stories.

Prior to being kicked out of Palantir’s booth, the WIRED journalist, who is also the author of this article, was taking photos, videos, and written notes during software demos of Palantir FedStart partners, which use the company’s cloud systems to get certified for government work. The booth’s walls had phrases like “REAWAKEN THE GIANT” and “DON’T GIVE UP THE SHIP!” printed on the outside. When the reporter briefly stepped away from the booth and attempted to re-enter, she was stopped by Eliano Younes, Palantir’s head of strategic engagement, who said that WIRED was not allowed to be there. The reporter asked why, and Younes repeated himself, adding that if WIRED tried to return, he would call the police.

After the conference ended, Younes responded to a photo from the conference that the reporter posted on X. “hey caroline, great seeing you at the expo yesterday,” he wrote. “can't wait to read your coverage of the event.” Palantir did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment.Got a Tip?Are you a current or former government employee who wants to talk about what's happening? We'd like to hear from you. Using a nonwork phone or computer, contact the reporter securely on Signal at 785-813-1084.

Poulson tells WIRED that he, Blumenthal, and Le Masurier were also watching demos at Palantir’s booth prior to being kicked out. After a Tuesday panel with Younes and Palantir engineer Ryan Fox, Poulson says Le Masurier approached Younes near Palantir’s booth and asked about the company’s work for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. A Palantir employee stepped between them and claimed that Palantir had asked her to leave “multiple times,” according to a video of the interaction viewed by WIRED, and she was escorted out of the conference hall shortly after.

“Apparently, Palantir was so annoyed that they not only kicked her out, but demanded that Max and I be kicked out as well,” Poulson says. “So the security guards came and got us.”

The group was allowed back inside the conference hall after explaining their situation to friendly security guards, Poulson says. The guards asked them to respect any requests from attendees to stop filming.

Some conference organizers appeared to be on high alert after a pro-Palestine demonstrator interrupted a panel with Palantir’s head of defense, Mike Gallagher, on Monday. The demonstrator was subsequently ejected from the conference, Poulson reported. A handful of pro-Palestine activists were also thrown out on Tuesday after disrupting a panel with Eric Schmidt and Thom Shanker, a former Pentagon reporter at the The New York Times. (Palantir formed a partnership with the Israeli military in January 2024, and Google is part of a $1.2 billion cloud contract with the Israeli government.) Poulson tells WIRED that on Wednesday, the conference began mandatory bag-checks at at least one talk.

During Younes’ Tuesday panel with fellow Palantir employee Fox, which was focused on what the two men do at Palantir and why they like working there, Younes made passing references to perceived critics of the company. When talking about the reasons he joined Palantir, he said, “I was sick and tired of people with bad intentions,” Younes said, “many of them who are actually here.” He later added that he’s a “big believer” in the views of Palantir’s cofounders, particularly those of CEO Alex Karp. (Karp is known for his nonapologetic stance toward Palantir’s work with military and defense agencies and immigration authorities.) “Playing a role in helping them, to prove the doubters and the haters wrong, that just feels really good,” Younes said.

On Tuesday, Palantir posted on X claiming the Times article was “blatantly untrue” and said that the company “never collects data to unlawfully surveil Americans.” The Times article did not claim that Palantir buys or collects its own data, though it’s a common misconception that the company does so.

The New York Times did not immediately respond to a request for comment by WIRED.

On Wednesday, Palantir’s official X account continued posting about the Times article on X. “Want to meet Dr. Karp?” the post read. “In 90 seconds, identify the technical errors in this article. DM us a video in the next 24 hours - whoever finds the most inaccuracies gets an interview with him.”

[web3max]

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[lakshmisssit]

Why Java Full Stack Developers Are Dominating the IT Job Market in 2025

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, tech professionals are constantly seeking roles that offer both stability and innovation. Among these, Java Full Stack Developers have emerged as frontrunners. For aspiring developers looking to tap into this lucrative domain, enrolling with the best java training in hyderabad can provide the right foundation to launch a successful career. But what exactly makes Java Full Stack developers so sought after in 2025? Let’s explore the key factors behind their dominance.

A Complete Package: Frontend to Backend Expertise

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Java has been a staple in enterprise software for over two decades. In 2025, it continues to power mission-critical applications across sectors like finance, healthcare, retail, and government. Companies favor Java for its stability, scalability, and security—qualities essential for long-term software maintenance and growth.

Because of Java’s widespread enterprise use, developers who master its full-stack ecosystem are always in high demand. They are not just building modern web apps, but also integrating new features into massive legacy systems, ensuring relevance in both old and new infrastructures.

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Modern software development is increasingly moving towards microservices-based architectures. Java, with frameworks like Spring Boot and Spring Cloud, plays a pivotal role in this transformation. Full Stack Java developers are ideally positioned to build scalable, modular services that communicate seamlessly through REST APIs.

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With businesses moving operations to cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, Java Full Stack developers are expected to understand not just coding, but also deployment, scalability, and maintenance in cloud environments.

In 2025, the integration of DevOps tools and practices has become a key hiring requirement. Java Full Stack developers familiar with Jenkins, Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD pipelines are considered highly valuable as they can deploy robust applications in cloud-native environments with minimal downtime and faster go-to-market timelines.

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[cleverhottubmiracle]

Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar. Today: a grant officer who makes $139,967 per year and who spends some of her money this week on egg freezing medication. If you’d like to submit your own Money Diary, you can do so via our online form. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we’re not able to reply to every email. Content warning: This diary details fertility struggles. Occupation: Grant officer Industry: Federal government Age: 35 Location: Seattle, WA Salary: $139,967 (government job) and up to $7,200 (side hustle #1) and then also up to $67,200 (side hustle #2). Both of these side hustles are new, I got them to help me weather impending unemployment. (Just a quick note about my salary and why I’ve only listed my main income: The side hustle amounts are the maximum amounts afforded through my contracts, but payout depends on how many hours I work, which is rarely the full amount each week. Basically, for the purposes of this diary, I don’t want to inflate my salary too much. I’m also going to be dropping side hustle #2 soon.) Assets: Checking account: enough to cover monthly credit card bills; HYSA (3.75% APY): $14,796; retirement: $212,905 ($196,329 in my Thrift Savings Plan, the retirement plan for federal employees, which is a combination of Roth and traditional 401(k), and $16,576 in a Roth IRA); car value: $26,000; home value: $940,300. Debt: Beyond the mortgage that my parents and I share ($486,682 left), I am debt free. Paycheck Amount (biweekly): $3,123.38 from work; up to $300 from side hustle #1 (depending on hours); up to $4,800 from side hustle #2 (depending on hours). Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: My parents and I co-own a house. I pay $2,750 of our $3,760 a month mortgage. Our arrangement is this: My parents paid a hefty down payment to get the monthly mortgage low enough to be within reach for me to pay. I pay as much as the mortgage as I can, and they cover the rest. We meticulously track what we each put into the house, and will break out any proceeds from a future sale proportionately. For them, it’s a way to grow their own money (and have a place to crash when they visit) while helping me build wealth. I hope to be able to cover the full monthly mortgage payment someday soon, whether through Airbnb income once we finish the basement, joint income through marriage, or making more money in my next gig… Whichever comes first 😉 Loan Payments: $0 Retirement: $472 (in anticipation of being laid off, I lowered my contribution to meet my agency’s 5% match criteria and no more; this used to be $1500). Health Insurance: $174 Dental Insurance: $28 Cell Phone: $40 Water/Sewage/Trash: $110 Electricity: $100 Wifi: $55 Spotify: $13.23 Google Storage: $2.11 iCloud: $3.17 NYT Subscription: $4.09 Egg-Freezing Storage: $70 Ridwell: $18 Union Dues: $34 Strength-Training App: $20 Charitable Contributions: $500 (combination of church, local food bank, and my parents’ non-profit) Savings: $800 Car Insurance: $953 (every six months). Annual Expenses Home Insurance: $786 (my parents pay this). Prime Subscription: $139 Alaska Airlines Credit Card: $95 State Park Pass: $30 National Park Pass: $80 Vehicle Tax/Registration: $458 Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? There was definitely an unspoken expectation. Doing well in school was always given a high value in my family, and I embraced that value. I was a very studious kid and put a lot of pressure on myself to excel in school. For college, I got a full-ride community service scholarship at what would have otherwise been a very expensive private university. I also received a full-ride scholarship through my local Rotary Club to attend grad school abroad. For both, my parents covered housing, books, food, and any other needs I had while in school. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances? I cannot remember explicit money conversations growing up, but I can see now as an adult that my own philosophy around money certainly flows from my parents’. We were upper middle class, had everything we needed, but my parents were never flashy with the money they had in the way that some people in our area were. They were frugal in funny ways. For instance, my dad is famous for his “uniform”: white polo and khakis. He has a few pairs of both but otherwise doesn’t wear anything else. And my mom will sit patiently on the phone for hours to navigate things like erroneous health care bills just to save a few bucks. On the flip side, they were also very generous. My dad always kept cash on hand to give to anyone who asked; they often treated our friends to meals or experiences; they hosted big, abundant meals for family; and, on top of their full-time day jobs, they started a non-profit that does solar energy projects for hospitals and schools around the world. If they spent big money — like to purchase one of the early hybrid-technology cars in the early 2000s — it was for something that flowed from their values, like environmentalism or education, or on experiences that enhanced our quality time as a family. What was your first job and why did you get it? I started babysitting for neighbors around 12, but I got my first hourly job at 14 scooping custard at a Midwest burger chain. The job was less about financial relief for my parents and more about my getting workforce experience and staying occupied in the summer. Did you worry about money growing up? I wouldn’t say I worried about money growing up; my parents provided us everything we needed and more. But I was aware that we didn’t have as much as other people in our social circles. My brothers and I attended Catholic school K-12, which is not cheap, and so many of our friends were kids whose parents could also afford to send them to private school. My two best friends in grade school lived in legit mansions and had multiple vacation homes. I have a diary from 6th grade with multiple entries that toggle between jealousy for what my friends have and gratitude for what I have. So while I was never worried about my family’s financial security, the question of “What is enough?” bounced around in my head at a young age. Knowing more now about my parents’ finances, I can see that my parents could have afforded more luxury and convenience, but chose to be relatively thrifty, generous, and values-driven with their resources. I admire this approach and try to practice it in my own life. Do you worry about money now? I do, especially with the level of job insecurity in the federal government right now (more on that in my diary below). After the November election, I started to dial back expenses, lower my retirement contributions, track my monthly budget more closely, and seek a side hustle, anticipating the layoffs to come. Even outside of these unpredictable times, I’m always worried that I’m not saving as much as I should (for retirement, for emergencies, etc.). At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? At 23, when I moved to DC after grad school for my first job. If I ever got in a bind, my parents would definitely be able and willing to help out, but I don’t ever want to get to the point that I need to ask. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. When I moved to DC, my parents gifted me a car that they had been wanting to get rid of. They also bought me the car I have now a couple years ago (which cost $30,000). This past year, my mom gifted me close to $30,000 to cover three egg freezing treatments. Apart from really wanting me to give her a grandchild some day, she went through IVF back in the 1980s to get pregnant with me, so is very invested in this journey for me. And as I mentioned above, my parents and I co-own a house that I would’ve never been able to afford on my own. I’m incredibly grateful for my parents’ generosity and know I’m super lucky. Day One: Monday 7 a.m. — I wake up to my alarm and when I un-silence my phone, I see that I have over 100 text messages from East Coast colleagues. About a month ago, DOGE cut a lot of positions at my agency (including mine) and terminated many of our grants overnight. These developments happened so quickly and chaotically that it has been hard to get reliable information on what’s happening, and our text thread provides some clarity and solidarity. 7:30 a.m. — After morning skincare routine (plain water rinse, Honest Beauty Vitamin C serum, Purito Seoul face lotion, and Trader Joe’s face sunscreen), I make some breakfast (Bob’s Red Mill protein oats, a dollop of plain Greek yogurt, cashews, chia seeds, diced Granny Smith apples, cinnamon, a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt), take my morning supplements, and give myself my morning shots. I’m on my second week of stimulation meds, preparing for egg retrieval and freezing next week. This is my third cycle, so I can mix the meds and poke myself on autopilot at this point. 8 a.m. — While I’m eating breakfast, I check email and see that the consulting job I’m about to start (side hustle #2) has agreed to the hourly rate I requested, which is much higher than they originally offered. This was my first experiment in “asking for what I’m worth” and I am blown away it worked! I’m on paid leave from my government job for two months before my position is eliminated. I will receive some severance and annual leave payout, but it won’t last me long. Having what could functionally be a 40 hour a week temp gig if I need it is a huge relief. 8:45 a.m. — Drive to my monitoring appointment with my fertility doctor. The clinic is in a suburb of Seattle and the drive takes 45 minutes with traffic, so I’m grateful for the flexibility in my schedule at the moment. My doc is pleased with the interval growth (i.e., the rate at which my follicles are growing) she sees on the ultrasound. I only have about 11 follicles that look like they will be big enough for retrieval, which is on par with my last two cycles. I have relatively low AMH for my age, so my body doesn’t have as many follicles to recruit. In my last two cycles, only eight of the dozen-ish follicles had eggs that were retrievable, and seven of the eight eggs retrieved were mature enough to freeze, so I have 14 eggs on ice at this point. The stats say that you want about 20 to have a strong chance of having one baby in the future, so here I am, on cycle #3, trying for that magic number. 10 a.m. — I get home and listen to Ezra Klein talk about our country’s constitutional crisis while I walk around the neighborhood. I am not allowed to vigorously exercise while on stim meds, which is hard for a gal whose mental health depends on running. Long podcast walks in an unusual spate of Seattle sunshine have been a saving grace. 10:30 a.m. — My boss (who still has a job) calls to check in on my job hunt and shares how bleak it feels to be one of the only ones left in the crater of the bomb DOGE set off. 11 a.m. — I take stock of my inventory of jobs to apply for this week and send LinkedIn messages to a few old acquaintances. Government people don’t really use LinkedIn much, so my networking skills are rusty, but I’m trying. 12:30 p.m. — I eat a delicious mix of leftover potato salad from the Easter feast I attended yesterday, chicken salad, arugula salad, a clementine, and a handful of my kryptonite, Trader Joe’s chocolate pretzels. While I’m eating, I see that based on today’s lab results, my doctor wants me to order more meds. I submit a payment to the pharmacy (my mom is paying for half of my medication costs this round, which she has already covered, so this one’s on me). I take my lunchtime supplements and struggle through the daily NYT games. $894 1:30 p.m. — I pack up some snacks and head to the office of my church a few blocks away. After the election in November, I saw the writing on the wall and took a job as an operations coordinator at my church (side hustle #1). This comes with the perk of getting to use their beautiful light-filled office space whenever I want. I’m much more disciplined at the job hunt in this environment than at home. I complete three job applications and get a call from a job connection I made a couple weeks ago at a construction company where my friend works. This connection and I really hit it off, and he tells me that he will soon have a position opening that might be a good fit for me. I’m excited at the sound of it, but also… Construction?! Not at all aligned with my public sector/non-profit do-gooder career thus far. I have a minor identity crisis after the call. 5 p.m. — Go to my acupuncture appointment. I’ve been doing fertility acupuncture to increase blood flow to my ovaries to hopefully improve the quality of the eggs retrieved. During the session, I have a delightful nap on the table. I pay my copay; insurance covers the rest. $25 6 p.m. — Stop by Trader Joe’s ($6.57) and Safeway ($10.28) across the street to pick up some odds and ends I forgot on my weekend shopping run (chocolate pudding, whipped cream cheese, microgreens, pita crackers). $16.85 7 p.m. — Cook one of my staple soups: coconut-ginger lentil soup with spinach. While that’s simmering, I food prep some turkey burgers and roast some broccoli for the week. 8:30 p.m. — Finally sit down to eat a bowl of soup with toasted bread, adding a dollop of sour cream and microgreens on top to feel fancy. I nearly choke on my food because I am bawling my eyes out during the finale of From Scratch. 9 p.m. — Administer evening shots, put compost bin and Ridwell items out for pickup tomorrow, and water my house plants. 9:30 p.m. — I do my nighttime skincare routine (La Roche-Posay face wash and Cocokind retinol and moisturizer), read Leif Enger’s So Brave, Young and Handsome, and fall asleep by 10:15 p.m. Daily Total: $935.85 Day Two: Tuesday 7 a.m. — Wake up and listen to a morning meditation designed for people going through IVF, but it works just as well for egg freezing. This morning I visualize welcoming the hormones in as strange but friendly gardeners who tend to and prune my eggies for optimal growth. 7:30 a.m. — Turn on NPR on my kitchen radio while I do some morning chores: washing sheets, unloading the dishwasher, administering morning shots, taking supplements. I eat breakfast (carbon copy of yesterday) and read the latest issue of Bon Appetit magazine, earmarking a pork stir-fry I want to try. I then go on a short “sensory walk”; something that a pop psychologist I like recommended to help decrease anxiety and regulate my nervous system. I am not allowed to “think” on my walk, only notice as many things about the natural world as possible. This morning I notice that the lady across the street is selling succulents from her garden again and I break the “no-thinking” rule to make a mental note to find her later and purchase something. 9 a.m. — Work on some tasks for my church job for a couple hours, mostly scheduling volunteers and purchasing things we’re low on (all paid for with my work credit card). 11 a.m. — Break for lunch (more leftover potato salad, turkey burger, arugula salad, grapes, and chocolate pretzels), take mid-day supplements, play NYT games. My medication shipment arrives and I inspect and refrigerate the meds. 12 p.m. — Walk to the office space at church and hunker down for more job apps. 2:30 p.m. — Take a break to follow up with a plumbing company about lining my sewer. I live in a house built in the 1940s with an aging concrete sewer pipe that needs to be lined with plastic piping (a more expensive job than it seems like it should be) before it collapses on itself (an even more expensive job to repair). I snack on a protein bar and a clementine while I contemplate whether it’s worth it to be a homeowner. 4:30 p.m. — As I leave the office, I get a notice that the audiobook Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art is ready to borrow from the library. I start listening on my walk home. 5 p.m. — I list a bunch of stuff on Marketplace, including a dresser I found on the side of the road and zhuzhed up a bit with round oversized drawer pulls. Someone messages immediately and agrees to buy it for $300, which makes me wonder whether furniture flipping could be side hustle #3?? I also see that someone responded to a post I made on my neighborhood’s community blog asking for (free) help repairing a bluetooth speaker. I’ve had this dinky speaker for 10 years and it died out of nowhere last week. I figured there’d be a neighbor out there who might want to tinker with it! 6 p.m. — Eat a quick dinner (leftover soup, Trader Joe’s crackers with guac, and a pudding with some peanut butter mixed in), take evening supplements, and head to the local beachfront park to meet up with a friend, A., and her baby, J.  7:15 p.m. — Another friend, L., joins. Hilariously, L. is wearing her wetsuit because she misinterpreted my text. I asked her to watch the sunset with me, she thought I asked her to swim at sunset with her. We both got into open-water swimming in the Puget Sound this winter, so this miscommunication is not totally out of the blue. We hang out until the sun sets behind the Olympic Mountains (the Pacific Northwest is freaking majestic, if you’ve never been). She does a plunge and I head home. 8:30 p.m. — Administer evening shots, do bedtime skincare routine, read, lights out by 10 p.m. Daily Total: $0 Day Three: Wednesday 6:15 a.m. — Wake up, make my usual breakfast, administer morning shots, take my supplements, and pack up my skis. I learned how to ski this winter and rented gear instead of buying to make sure I liked it. The rental shop is 30 minutes further than my doctor’s appointment, so I decide to make the trip after my appointment this morning. 7:30 a.m. — Arrive at appt. Ultrasound is normal. Get my blood drawn by my favorite angel nurse. 8:30 a.m. — I fill up with just enough gas to get me out and back from North Bend. There’s a gas station near my house that has the cheapest gas I’ve been able to find in town, so I don’t want to overpay for a full tank. I listen to Breath while driving. So far, I’m learning that mouth breathing is really bad for you. I concentrate on breathing through my nose the rest of the drive. $8.73 9 a.m. — I arrive at the coffee shop that is attached to the ski rental place. The shop doesn’t open until 10 a.m., so I order a decaf cortado and start responding to an intense family text thread to coordinate a trip with my parents and brothers and their kids to my SIL’s family’s lakehouse in Arkansas. I send my résumé to an old college friend so he can do an internal referral for a job I’ve been eyeballing. $5.09 11 a.m. — I return my skis and drive an hour home. I chat on the phone with a colleague who still has her job the whole drive. 12 p.m. — Eat lunch (dregs of potato salad, turkey burger, broccoli, microgreens, crackers and guac, and a glass of Trader Joe’s orange-peach-mango juice), take lunchtime supplements, and play NYT games. 12:30 p.m. — Go on a sensory walk. 1 p.m. — Do an intense session of personal grocery planning for next week and for a church event on Sunday. I’m in charge of building a massive charcuterie table to feed 150 adults and kids. I already have most of the materials, but will need to do one last Costco run tomorrow. 2 p.m. — Chat with someone who I found on LinkedIn who has the same role at a company at which I applied for a job. She gives me super helpful insight into the role (and as she does, I feel the energy drain from me… Something my career coach told me to pay attention to!) and offers to recommend me to the hiring manager. 3 p.m. — Spend an hour preparing a cover letter and résumé for a job app, only to find out that it isn’t posted anymore. I send a message to a random recruiter at the company who I found on LinkedIn to see if there’s any chance I could still submit. Shoot your shot. 4 p.m. — Give my car a much needed vacuum, spray down my mats in the backyard, and chat with two neighbors who are also dinking around outside. 5:45 p.m. — Meet up with my partner, M., to head to our biweekly couple’s counseling session. M. and I have been dating for two years and are starting to have more serious conversations about the future. We started going to counseling a couple of months ago for some help with specific dynamics and communication patterns that we both want to be smoother before we decide to take the next step. I order salads for both of us through my Sweetgreen app on the way so they’re ready for pickup when we get there. M. venmos me for what he thinks is half, $15, even though these salads cost an obscene $17 each. I swallow the $2 extra. I love you, Sweetgreen, but damn.  $20.19 6:30 p.m. — We eat our salads and head to our appt. 7 p.m. — We meet with our therapist and work on rehearsing a recent interaction in a more productive way. My therapist charges me for our session, since my insurance allows me to submit for reimbursement. We’ve been receiving roughly $150 back for every $250 we spend per session. But until I get my reimbursement check in the mail, I pay the full amount and M. venmos me for his half. $125 8 p.m. — We drive back from our session, chatting about what was helpful from the session and what wasn’t. We’re both still undecided about whether we jive with our therapist, but want to give her a fair shake. 9 p.m. — I fill up with gas at my cheap(er) gas station, administer evening shots, shower, nighttime skincare, and am asleep by 10:15 p.m. $62.81 Daily Total: $221.82 Day Four: Thursday 6:15 a.m. — Wake up an hour before my alarm. Listen to another IVF meditation. This time I visualize my follicles vibrating and glowing with energy. 7 a.m. — Turn on NPR to catch me up on the day’s news, make my usual breakfast, take morning supplements, administer shots, and pack up a cooler to haul groceries throughout the day. 8 a.m. — Head toward my fertility acupuncture appt. I’m going to a different acupuncturist today because my regular acupuncturist is visiting family in China. The new acupuncturist’s office is right next to one of the better budget grocery stores in Seattle. My neighborhood doesn’t have one, so I always take advantage when I’m close. Next week, I’m planning to take a meal to a friend who is solo-parenting while her husband is abroad and to host my next-door neighbor so we can talk cost/logistics of dealing with the shared portion of our sewer line, so I’m going to make one big throwback pot of (wait for it…) homemade beef stroganoff for both. I get egg noodles, ranch seasoning, and sour cream for the stroganoff, and other staples (tuna packets, brown rice, arugula, tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumbers, apples, clementines). $26.92 9 a.m. — Have my acupuncture appt. It’s so interesting to see how different acupuncturists practice. This one leads me in a guided meditation while I’m on the table. It’s pleasant. I pay my copay. $25 10:30 a.m. — Drop off some jeans at Madewell so they can fix a broken zipper (I am always popping zippers, not sure why!). Thankfully this service is free. While I’m there, I try on some things. I am perpetually on the hunt for an everyday jean short, and I find it in their new summer line. They’re perfect for my lanky legs and big booty, but $90 is pricey for jean shorts. I ask the store associate if there are any sales coming up — she says no, so I ask if federal employees get discounts. She feels bad for my/our situation and offers 15% off. I also use a store credit from a return long ago, bringing the price down to a more reasonable amount. $41.25 11:30 a.m. — I need to post up somewhere to have a call with my career coach. When I found out I was getting laid off, I searched Google for “free career coaching for Feds” and found so many people on LinkedIn offering pro bono services. I’m blown away by the kindness and solidarity. I land at a bagel sandwich spot with a great patio to soak up the sun. I get an everything bagel with salmon lox, veggie cream cheese, salmon roe, and pea shoots. The price tag makes me SO sad. You’d think that seafood would be cheaper in Seattle since we’re so close to the source. $17.66 12 p.m. — My career coach cancels last minute, which I’d normally be annoyed by, but it’s free, so I can’t complain! I repurpose my time by ordering a decaf iced latte from the bakery that shares this patio and doing some research for an upcoming weekend away with M. A friend is lending us her family’s cabin near Leavenworth, a quirky German town in the southern Cascade Mountains. I make a restaurant reservation, research trail runs, and find an outdoor spa that has hot tubs, saunas, and cold plunge pools. M. and I went to Japan last year and got very into public bath culture, and take advantage of anything resembling it in the States.  $6.62 2 p.m. — I make a Costco run for the remaining charcuterie items for my church event (purchased on work credit card), and pick up some chicken meatballs for myself while I’m there. $14.99 3:30 p.m. — Unpack groceries at home and call my parents to discuss the sewer lining project. We decide that they will foot the $15,000 bill up front and I will reimburse them for half once I have a next job. For home maintenance things like this, we aspire to split costs in this way. 6 p.m. — Get ready and head to a fundraiser for a local non-profit that friends of M. and me are involved with. We chow down on a fajita bar and then bingo starts. The prize is a $500 gift card to one of the most untouchable restaurants in Seattle. I’ve always wanted to go, so I purchase more bingo cards than I was intending. We don’t win, but our friends who just had a baby do, so we’re happy they get to treat themselves to date night. $50 9 p.m. — Head home, administer evening shots, take nighttime supplements, read a page of my book before crashing at 10 p.m. Daily Total: $182.44 Day Five: Friday 6:15 a.m. — Wake up to my alarm and do a fertility meditation. 7 a.m. — Meet with Career Coach #2 (I’m open to all the free help I can get!). 8 a.m. — Administer shots, take vitamins, prepare my usual breakfast (but make it to-go) and hop in the car for an ultrasound/bloodwork appt. One of my toxic traits is eating meals while driving. Every New Year’s, I commit to building more margin in between daily transitions, especially for meals, but I haven’t cracked the code yet. It’s not that I lose track of time, it’s that I think I can get more done in the time allotted than is actually feasible. One friend calls me a “time optimist”. 8:30 a.m. — See my doctor. Everything is still progressing as expected, with 11 or so follicles still looking viable. 9:45 a.m. — Get home, clean the house a bit, and do some lunch prep. My friend L. and her two-year-old A. are coming over for lunch. I make Mediterranean bowls for us, with white rice, chicken meatballs from Costco, a cucumber-red pepper-red onion medley, and TJ’s tzatziki sauce. 11 a.m. — It’s super nice outside, so we eat on my sunny patio. This is a new friend; we met through mutual friends who connected us because we’re both from the same hometown. She feels homey and we have a lot to talk about, and get some pretty decent adult conversation in before her kid needs some attention. We float in and out of chatting about meaningful things and helping him count the number of rocks his dump truck unloads. 1:45 p.m. — My friend leaves, I clean up, and my energy zaps. The hormone meds are really taking it out of me. The theme of this week is give the body what it needs, so I lay down for a snooze. 3:30 p.m. — I walk to church to print songbooks for this week, and do several church admin tasks while I’m there. 6:30 p.m. — Printing done. I walk home, eat another soup dinner, administer shots and take supplements, and do some life admin. I book a haircut and regular maintenance for my car next week. Maintenance will be free because I bought a three-year maintenance package when I got my car in 2022. I thank my past self for her foresight. I also book a sauna and cold plunge session for after my procedure next week, which my naturopath recommended to help my body shed the extra hormones. There’s a wood-fired barrel sauna on wheels that parks itself on a beach near my house so patrons can cycle in and out of the sauna and cold-plunging in the Puget Sound. I utilized this service HEAVILY during the winter, and it worked wonders to fend off the winter blues. I text a friend to see if she wants to join. I also sign up for a free trial at a local gym. I won’t be able to run right after my procedure, but I’ll be able to start doing gentle cardio, so just need access to an elliptical for about a week. 8:30 p.m. — I start watching Normal People. I have been very drawn to English and Irish dramas lately (Bad Sisters, Adolescence), so I’m hoping this will continue to scratch the itch. It does not disappoint. 10:30 p.m. — After a couple episodes, I do my nighttime routine and put myself to bed. Daily Total: $0 Day Six: Saturday 7:30 a.m. — I wake up to my alarm, do a fertility meditation, have my usual breakfast, congratulate myself for eating breakfast at my kitchen table, and hop in the car to go to my appointment. 9 a.m. — My follicles look good, but doc is a tad worried about my bloodwork. My LH (ovulation hormone) is spiking so she wants me to administer a medication that will keep me from ovulating prematurely. She decides we should retrieve on Monday. 9:45 a.m. — I pick up the ovulation blocker meds at a pharmacy around the corner. $48 10:15 a.m. — I drive back to Seattle. Mount Rainier comes into view as I drive over Lake Washington and it is pure magic. I have some time to kill before a shop I need to go to opens at 11 p.m. I call a friend, S., who lives nearby and see if she’s home. She is, and tells me to come over. She makes tea and I get to hear about her and her family’s recent trip to Bend, OR. I make a mental note to add Bend to my list of places to explore out here in the PNW. 11 a.m. — I go to a store in my neighborhood that sells bulk home goods by weight. You can bring your own containers or buy them in the store. Shopping here is part of my journey to reduce the amount of single-use plastics in my life. I need body lotion, and have the option of normal lotion or a lotion bar. I’ve never tried the bar, so I decide to give it a shot. $17.66 12 p.m. — I get home and make a lunch of arugula, farro and parm salad with a turkey burger on top. I administer my new meds and start an application for passport renewal. Mine expired last month, and M. and I have been talking about taking advantage of my funemployment to go somewhere, so I want to be ready. 2:30 p.m. — M. comes over and helps me stage my passport photo. We then head to my local waterfront park and go on a one-mile walk (about all my body can handle at this point) and talk and nap and snuggle in the sunshine at the beach. 6 p.m. — M. leaves and I head to my friend A.’s house for our weekly Sabbath meal. Sabbath is a new practice to me as of last fall, and it has been really lovely. I’m learning to see it as an invitation to slow down, refrain from work and engagement with technology and commerce, reflect on God’s presence throughout my week, and delight in things that bring me joy. I try to practice it Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon, but even setting aside just Saturday evening has been a nice habit shift. The friend I do it with is single-momming by choice, so I’m in charge of making dinner at her place while she gets baby J. ready for bed. Tonight will be easy, because I’m feeding us leftover charity event fajitas. They both cheer me on as I administer my “trigger” shot — the shot that will prepare my eggs for retrieval. My friend went through many rounds of IVF before J. came along, so she has been a wonderful companion throughout this process. 8 p.m. — We pray and eat and talk about our weeks and lives. 10 p.m. — I head home, do my bedtime routine, and crash. Daily Total: $65.66 Day Seven: Sunday 7:30 a.m. — I wake up, do meditation, make some licorice tea, and read in bed for an hour. 8 a.m. — I take my last shot, woohoo! I decide to celebrate by making Kodiak cake blueberry pancakes with chicken sausage and mango-peach-orange juice. It hits the spot. 10 a.m. — I drive to a coffee shop around the corner to conduct some business. I sell an alarm clock to someone on Facebook marketplace and drop off my broken speaker to the neighbor who has agreed to fix it. I love the informal and sharing economies. 11 a.m. — Back at home, I start to prep materials for the charcuterie board at church. I cut veggies, wash fruit, and slice cheese. 1:30 p.m. — I head to church to start to set up. I’ve never done this before, and perhaps ambitiously think that I can after watching a few YouTube videos. What I pull together turns out way better than I expected; humbly, it is a work of art. 4 p.m. — Church service. M. joins. 5:30 p.m. — After the service, folks graze and I get lots of compliments (and even a request to do this for pay at a baby shower!). Before M. leaves, we game-plan the transportation plan for my appointment, as he is my post-anesthesia designated driver. 7 p.m. — Come home, clean the kitchen, write some thank yous to my doctors and nurses for retrieval day tomorrow, and watch an episode of Normal People. 9 p.m. — I get hungry; the cheese board didn’t quite cut it for dinner. I’m feeling protein-deprived, so I fry up a weird nightcap of chicken meatballs. 10 p.m. — I do my nighttime routine and settle in for bed. I set multiple alarms on multiple devices because I do not want to miss my wake-up for my procedure. I also remove my water bottle from my bedside table so I’m not tempted to drink it in the middle of the night and violate the empty-stomach surgery requirements. I fall asleep saying a little prayer that tomorrow goes well… Wish me luck! Daily Total: $0 The Breakdown Conclusion “This was an abnormally spendy week due to the egg-freezing medication. My wallet and my schedule will appreciate the coming relief from egg freezing costs (medication, acupuncture, supplements, gas for appts). I’m noticing that I’m drinking coffee and eating out a bit more than I normally would, given the flexibility of my days while I’m on paid leave. As a budget foodie, I normally prefer to save restaurant money for a restaurant I really want to go to, not for casual food to eat on the go. Depending on how long my unemployment lasts, I may need to rein that in a bit. Otherwise, my spending this week was pretty normal.” And an update… “Since I wrote this diary, a lot of life has happened! I had my egg retrieval, and the outcome was not good. My doc was only able to retrieve four eggs, which was incredibly disappointing for both of us. Her theory is that it might take my body more time than ‘average’ for the egg to release from the follicle wall in order to be retrieved, hence why I had so many ‘blank’ follicles. She felt so bad that she offered me a fourth cycle completely free, which, as you’ve seen from the price tag, is so generous! I’ve already completed that fourth cycle, and we were able to get eight eggs this time, so I now have 26 eggies in the freezer and I’m content with that 🙂 I also got a full-time job offer from that construction company (starting salary of $160,000 and a $5,000 signing bonus), and I decided to take it. I’m scared about what such a hard, weird pivot in my career will mean, and whether I’ll ever be able to find my way back to public sector work, but I’m trusting that it’ll be ok. Because I’ll have a full-time job, I’m planning to drop side hustle #2 soon. I was able to negotiate a start date in the fall, which means I’ll get to have a mini sabbatical this summer to rest and travel, and I couldn’t be more pumped. Thanks for following along!” Money Diaries are meant to reflect an individual’s experience and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29’s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior. The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend — to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day. For more Money Diaries, click here. Do you have a Money Diary you’d like to share? Submit it with us here. Have questions about how to submit or our publishing process? Read our Money Diaries FAQ doc here or email us here. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?A Week In Seattle On A $377,000 Household IncomeA Week In The Denver Area On $223,000A Week In New York On A $128,000 Salary Source link

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Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar. Today: a grant officer who makes $139,967 per year and who spends some of her money this week on egg freezing medication. If you’d like to submit your own Money Diary, you can do so via our online form. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we’re not able to reply to every email. Content warning: This diary details fertility struggles. Occupation: Grant officer Industry: Federal government Age: 35 Location: Seattle, WA Salary: $139,967 (government job) and up to $7,200 (side hustle #1) and then also up to $67,200 (side hustle #2). Both of these side hustles are new, I got them to help me weather impending unemployment. (Just a quick note about my salary and why I’ve only listed my main income: The side hustle amounts are the maximum amounts afforded through my contracts, but payout depends on how many hours I work, which is rarely the full amount each week. Basically, for the purposes of this diary, I don’t want to inflate my salary too much. I’m also going to be dropping side hustle #2 soon.) Assets: Checking account: enough to cover monthly credit card bills; HYSA (3.75% APY): $14,796; retirement: $212,905 ($196,329 in my Thrift Savings Plan, the retirement plan for federal employees, which is a combination of Roth and traditional 401(k), and $16,576 in a Roth IRA); car value: $26,000; home value: $940,300. Debt: Beyond the mortgage that my parents and I share ($486,682 left), I am debt free. Paycheck Amount (biweekly): $3,123.38 from work; up to $300 from side hustle #1 (depending on hours); up to $4,800 from side hustle #2 (depending on hours). Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: My parents and I co-own a house. I pay $2,750 of our $3,760 a month mortgage. Our arrangement is this: My parents paid a hefty down payment to get the monthly mortgage low enough to be within reach for me to pay. I pay as much as the mortgage as I can, and they cover the rest. We meticulously track what we each put into the house, and will break out any proceeds from a future sale proportionately. For them, it’s a way to grow their own money (and have a place to crash when they visit) while helping me build wealth. I hope to be able to cover the full monthly mortgage payment someday soon, whether through Airbnb income once we finish the basement, joint income through marriage, or making more money in my next gig… Whichever comes first 😉 Loan Payments: $0 Retirement: $472 (in anticipation of being laid off, I lowered my contribution to meet my agency’s 5% match criteria and no more; this used to be $1500). Health Insurance: $174 Dental Insurance: $28 Cell Phone: $40 Water/Sewage/Trash: $110 Electricity: $100 Wifi: $55 Spotify: $13.23 Google Storage: $2.11 iCloud: $3.17 NYT Subscription: $4.09 Egg-Freezing Storage: $70 Ridwell: $18 Union Dues: $34 Strength-Training App: $20 Charitable Contributions: $500 (combination of church, local food bank, and my parents’ non-profit) Savings: $800 Car Insurance: $953 (every six months). Annual Expenses Home Insurance: $786 (my parents pay this). Prime Subscription: $139 Alaska Airlines Credit Card: $95 State Park Pass: $30 National Park Pass: $80 Vehicle Tax/Registration: $458 Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? There was definitely an unspoken expectation. Doing well in school was always given a high value in my family, and I embraced that value. I was a very studious kid and put a lot of pressure on myself to excel in school. For college, I got a full-ride community service scholarship at what would have otherwise been a very expensive private university. I also received a full-ride scholarship through my local Rotary Club to attend grad school abroad. For both, my parents covered housing, books, food, and any other needs I had while in school. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances? I cannot remember explicit money conversations growing up, but I can see now as an adult that my own philosophy around money certainly flows from my parents’. We were upper middle class, had everything we needed, but my parents were never flashy with the money they had in the way that some people in our area were. They were frugal in funny ways. For instance, my dad is famous for his “uniform”: white polo and khakis. He has a few pairs of both but otherwise doesn’t wear anything else. And my mom will sit patiently on the phone for hours to navigate things like erroneous health care bills just to save a few bucks. On the flip side, they were also very generous. My dad always kept cash on hand to give to anyone who asked; they often treated our friends to meals or experiences; they hosted big, abundant meals for family; and, on top of their full-time day jobs, they started a non-profit that does solar energy projects for hospitals and schools around the world. If they spent big money — like to purchase one of the early hybrid-technology cars in the early 2000s — it was for something that flowed from their values, like environmentalism or education, or on experiences that enhanced our quality time as a family. What was your first job and why did you get it? I started babysitting for neighbors around 12, but I got my first hourly job at 14 scooping custard at a Midwest burger chain. The job was less about financial relief for my parents and more about my getting workforce experience and staying occupied in the summer. Did you worry about money growing up? I wouldn’t say I worried about money growing up; my parents provided us everything we needed and more. But I was aware that we didn’t have as much as other people in our social circles. My brothers and I attended Catholic school K-12, which is not cheap, and so many of our friends were kids whose parents could also afford to send them to private school. My two best friends in grade school lived in legit mansions and had multiple vacation homes. I have a diary from 6th grade with multiple entries that toggle between jealousy for what my friends have and gratitude for what I have. So while I was never worried about my family’s financial security, the question of “What is enough?” bounced around in my head at a young age. Knowing more now about my parents’ finances, I can see that my parents could have afforded more luxury and convenience, but chose to be relatively thrifty, generous, and values-driven with their resources. I admire this approach and try to practice it in my own life. Do you worry about money now? I do, especially with the level of job insecurity in the federal government right now (more on that in my diary below). After the November election, I started to dial back expenses, lower my retirement contributions, track my monthly budget more closely, and seek a side hustle, anticipating the layoffs to come. Even outside of these unpredictable times, I’m always worried that I’m not saving as much as I should (for retirement, for emergencies, etc.). At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? At 23, when I moved to DC after grad school for my first job. If I ever got in a bind, my parents would definitely be able and willing to help out, but I don’t ever want to get to the point that I need to ask. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. When I moved to DC, my parents gifted me a car that they had been wanting to get rid of. They also bought me the car I have now a couple years ago (which cost $30,000). This past year, my mom gifted me close to $30,000 to cover three egg freezing treatments. Apart from really wanting me to give her a grandchild some day, she went through IVF back in the 1980s to get pregnant with me, so is very invested in this journey for me. And as I mentioned above, my parents and I co-own a house that I would’ve never been able to afford on my own. I’m incredibly grateful for my parents’ generosity and know I’m super lucky. Day One: Monday 7 a.m. — I wake up to my alarm and when I un-silence my phone, I see that I have over 100 text messages from East Coast colleagues. About a month ago, DOGE cut a lot of positions at my agency (including mine) and terminated many of our grants overnight. These developments happened so quickly and chaotically that it has been hard to get reliable information on what’s happening, and our text thread provides some clarity and solidarity. 7:30 a.m. — After morning skincare routine (plain water rinse, Honest Beauty Vitamin C serum, Purito Seoul face lotion, and Trader Joe’s face sunscreen), I make some breakfast (Bob’s Red Mill protein oats, a dollop of plain Greek yogurt, cashews, chia seeds, diced Granny Smith apples, cinnamon, a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt), take my morning supplements, and give myself my morning shots. I’m on my second week of stimulation meds, preparing for egg retrieval and freezing next week. This is my third cycle, so I can mix the meds and poke myself on autopilot at this point. 8 a.m. — While I’m eating breakfast, I check email and see that the consulting job I’m about to start (side hustle #2) has agreed to the hourly rate I requested, which is much higher than they originally offered. This was my first experiment in “asking for what I’m worth” and I am blown away it worked! I’m on paid leave from my government job for two months before my position is eliminated. I will receive some severance and annual leave payout, but it won’t last me long. Having what could functionally be a 40 hour a week temp gig if I need it is a huge relief. 8:45 a.m. — Drive to my monitoring appointment with my fertility doctor. The clinic is in a suburb of Seattle and the drive takes 45 minutes with traffic, so I’m grateful for the flexibility in my schedule at the moment. My doc is pleased with the interval growth (i.e., the rate at which my follicles are growing) she sees on the ultrasound. I only have about 11 follicles that look like they will be big enough for retrieval, which is on par with my last two cycles. I have relatively low AMH for my age, so my body doesn’t have as many follicles to recruit. In my last two cycles, only eight of the dozen-ish follicles had eggs that were retrievable, and seven of the eight eggs retrieved were mature enough to freeze, so I have 14 eggs on ice at this point. The stats say that you want about 20 to have a strong chance of having one baby in the future, so here I am, on cycle #3, trying for that magic number. 10 a.m. — I get home and listen to Ezra Klein talk about our country’s constitutional crisis while I walk around the neighborhood. I am not allowed to vigorously exercise while on stim meds, which is hard for a gal whose mental health depends on running. Long podcast walks in an unusual spate of Seattle sunshine have been a saving grace. 10:30 a.m. — My boss (who still has a job) calls to check in on my job hunt and shares how bleak it feels to be one of the only ones left in the crater of the bomb DOGE set off. 11 a.m. — I take stock of my inventory of jobs to apply for this week and send LinkedIn messages to a few old acquaintances. Government people don’t really use LinkedIn much, so my networking skills are rusty, but I’m trying. 12:30 p.m. — I eat a delicious mix of leftover potato salad from the Easter feast I attended yesterday, chicken salad, arugula salad, a clementine, and a handful of my kryptonite, Trader Joe’s chocolate pretzels. While I’m eating, I see that based on today’s lab results, my doctor wants me to order more meds. I submit a payment to the pharmacy (my mom is paying for half of my medication costs this round, which she has already covered, so this one’s on me). I take my lunchtime supplements and struggle through the daily NYT games. $894 1:30 p.m. — I pack up some snacks and head to the office of my church a few blocks away. After the election in November, I saw the writing on the wall and took a job as an operations coordinator at my church (side hustle #1). This comes with the perk of getting to use their beautiful light-filled office space whenever I want. I’m much more disciplined at the job hunt in this environment than at home. I complete three job applications and get a call from a job connection I made a couple weeks ago at a construction company where my friend works. This connection and I really hit it off, and he tells me that he will soon have a position opening that might be a good fit for me. I’m excited at the sound of it, but also… Construction?! Not at all aligned with my public sector/non-profit do-gooder career thus far. I have a minor identity crisis after the call. 5 p.m. — Go to my acupuncture appointment. I’ve been doing fertility acupuncture to increase blood flow to my ovaries to hopefully improve the quality of the eggs retrieved. During the session, I have a delightful nap on the table. I pay my copay; insurance covers the rest. $25 6 p.m. — Stop by Trader Joe’s ($6.57) and Safeway ($10.28) across the street to pick up some odds and ends I forgot on my weekend shopping run (chocolate pudding, whipped cream cheese, microgreens, pita crackers). $16.85 7 p.m. — Cook one of my staple soups: coconut-ginger lentil soup with spinach. While that’s simmering, I food prep some turkey burgers and roast some broccoli for the week. 8:30 p.m. — Finally sit down to eat a bowl of soup with toasted bread, adding a dollop of sour cream and microgreens on top to feel fancy. I nearly choke on my food because I am bawling my eyes out during the finale of From Scratch. 9 p.m. — Administer evening shots, put compost bin and Ridwell items out for pickup tomorrow, and water my house plants. 9:30 p.m. — I do my nighttime skincare routine (La Roche-Posay face wash and Cocokind retinol and moisturizer), read Leif Enger’s So Brave, Young and Handsome, and fall asleep by 10:15 p.m. Daily Total: $935.85 Day Two: Tuesday 7 a.m. — Wake up and listen to a morning meditation designed for people going through IVF, but it works just as well for egg freezing. This morning I visualize welcoming the hormones in as strange but friendly gardeners who tend to and prune my eggies for optimal growth. 7:30 a.m. — Turn on NPR on my kitchen radio while I do some morning chores: washing sheets, unloading the dishwasher, administering morning shots, taking supplements. I eat breakfast (carbon copy of yesterday) and read the latest issue of Bon Appetit magazine, earmarking a pork stir-fry I want to try. I then go on a short “sensory walk”; something that a pop psychologist I like recommended to help decrease anxiety and regulate my nervous system. I am not allowed to “think” on my walk, only notice as many things about the natural world as possible. This morning I notice that the lady across the street is selling succulents from her garden again and I break the “no-thinking” rule to make a mental note to find her later and purchase something. 9 a.m. — Work on some tasks for my church job for a couple hours, mostly scheduling volunteers and purchasing things we’re low on (all paid for with my work credit card). 11 a.m. — Break for lunch (more leftover potato salad, turkey burger, arugula salad, grapes, and chocolate pretzels), take mid-day supplements, play NYT games. My medication shipment arrives and I inspect and refrigerate the meds. 12 p.m. — Walk to the office space at church and hunker down for more job apps. 2:30 p.m. — Take a break to follow up with a plumbing company about lining my sewer. I live in a house built in the 1940s with an aging concrete sewer pipe that needs to be lined with plastic piping (a more expensive job than it seems like it should be) before it collapses on itself (an even more expensive job to repair). I snack on a protein bar and a clementine while I contemplate whether it’s worth it to be a homeowner. 4:30 p.m. — As I leave the office, I get a notice that the audiobook Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art is ready to borrow from the library. I start listening on my walk home. 5 p.m. — I list a bunch of stuff on Marketplace, including a dresser I found on the side of the road and zhuzhed up a bit with round oversized drawer pulls. Someone messages immediately and agrees to buy it for $300, which makes me wonder whether furniture flipping could be side hustle #3?? I also see that someone responded to a post I made on my neighborhood’s community blog asking for (free) help repairing a bluetooth speaker. I’ve had this dinky speaker for 10 years and it died out of nowhere last week. I figured there’d be a neighbor out there who might want to tinker with it! 6 p.m. — Eat a quick dinner (leftover soup, Trader Joe’s crackers with guac, and a pudding with some peanut butter mixed in), take evening supplements, and head to the local beachfront park to meet up with a friend, A., and her baby, J.  7:15 p.m. — Another friend, L., joins. Hilariously, L. is wearing her wetsuit because she misinterpreted my text. I asked her to watch the sunset with me, she thought I asked her to swim at sunset with her. We both got into open-water swimming in the Puget Sound this winter, so this miscommunication is not totally out of the blue. We hang out until the sun sets behind the Olympic Mountains (the Pacific Northwest is freaking majestic, if you’ve never been). She does a plunge and I head home. 8:30 p.m. — Administer evening shots, do bedtime skincare routine, read, lights out by 10 p.m. Daily Total: $0 Day Three: Wednesday 6:15 a.m. — Wake up, make my usual breakfast, administer morning shots, take my supplements, and pack up my skis. I learned how to ski this winter and rented gear instead of buying to make sure I liked it. The rental shop is 30 minutes further than my doctor’s appointment, so I decide to make the trip after my appointment this morning. 7:30 a.m. — Arrive at appt. Ultrasound is normal. Get my blood drawn by my favorite angel nurse. 8:30 a.m. — I fill up with just enough gas to get me out and back from North Bend. There’s a gas station near my house that has the cheapest gas I’ve been able to find in town, so I don’t want to overpay for a full tank. I listen to Breath while driving. So far, I’m learning that mouth breathing is really bad for you. I concentrate on breathing through my nose the rest of the drive. $8.73 9 a.m. — I arrive at the coffee shop that is attached to the ski rental place. The shop doesn’t open until 10 a.m., so I order a decaf cortado and start responding to an intense family text thread to coordinate a trip with my parents and brothers and their kids to my SIL’s family’s lakehouse in Arkansas. I send my résumé to an old college friend so he can do an internal referral for a job I’ve been eyeballing. $5.09 11 a.m. — I return my skis and drive an hour home. I chat on the phone with a colleague who still has her job the whole drive. 12 p.m. — Eat lunch (dregs of potato salad, turkey burger, broccoli, microgreens, crackers and guac, and a glass of Trader Joe’s orange-peach-mango juice), take lunchtime supplements, and play NYT games. 12:30 p.m. — Go on a sensory walk. 1 p.m. — Do an intense session of personal grocery planning for next week and for a church event on Sunday. I’m in charge of building a massive charcuterie table to feed 150 adults and kids. I already have most of the materials, but will need to do one last Costco run tomorrow. 2 p.m. — Chat with someone who I found on LinkedIn who has the same role at a company at which I applied for a job. She gives me super helpful insight into the role (and as she does, I feel the energy drain from me… Something my career coach told me to pay attention to!) and offers to recommend me to the hiring manager. 3 p.m. — Spend an hour preparing a cover letter and résumé for a job app, only to find out that it isn’t posted anymore. I send a message to a random recruiter at the company who I found on LinkedIn to see if there’s any chance I could still submit. Shoot your shot. 4 p.m. — Give my car a much needed vacuum, spray down my mats in the backyard, and chat with two neighbors who are also dinking around outside. 5:45 p.m. — Meet up with my partner, M., to head to our biweekly couple’s counseling session. M. and I have been dating for two years and are starting to have more serious conversations about the future. We started going to counseling a couple of months ago for some help with specific dynamics and communication patterns that we both want to be smoother before we decide to take the next step. I order salads for both of us through my Sweetgreen app on the way so they’re ready for pickup when we get there. M. venmos me for what he thinks is half, $15, even though these salads cost an obscene $17 each. I swallow the $2 extra. I love you, Sweetgreen, but damn.  $20.19 6:30 p.m. — We eat our salads and head to our appt. 7 p.m. — We meet with our therapist and work on rehearsing a recent interaction in a more productive way. My therapist charges me for our session, since my insurance allows me to submit for reimbursement. We’ve been receiving roughly $150 back for every $250 we spend per session. But until I get my reimbursement check in the mail, I pay the full amount and M. venmos me for his half. $125 8 p.m. — We drive back from our session, chatting about what was helpful from the session and what wasn’t. We’re both still undecided about whether we jive with our therapist, but want to give her a fair shake. 9 p.m. — I fill up with gas at my cheap(er) gas station, administer evening shots, shower, nighttime skincare, and am asleep by 10:15 p.m. $62.81 Daily Total: $221.82 Day Four: Thursday 6:15 a.m. — Wake up an hour before my alarm. Listen to another IVF meditation. This time I visualize my follicles vibrating and glowing with energy. 7 a.m. — Turn on NPR to catch me up on the day’s news, make my usual breakfast, take morning supplements, administer shots, and pack up a cooler to haul groceries throughout the day. 8 a.m. — Head toward my fertility acupuncture appt. I’m going to a different acupuncturist today because my regular acupuncturist is visiting family in China. The new acupuncturist’s office is right next to one of the better budget grocery stores in Seattle. My neighborhood doesn’t have one, so I always take advantage when I’m close. Next week, I’m planning to take a meal to a friend who is solo-parenting while her husband is abroad and to host my next-door neighbor so we can talk cost/logistics of dealing with the shared portion of our sewer line, so I’m going to make one big throwback pot of (wait for it…) homemade beef stroganoff for both. I get egg noodles, ranch seasoning, and sour cream for the stroganoff, and other staples (tuna packets, brown rice, arugula, tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumbers, apples, clementines). $26.92 9 a.m. — Have my acupuncture appt. It’s so interesting to see how different acupuncturists practice. This one leads me in a guided meditation while I’m on the table. It’s pleasant. I pay my copay. $25 10:30 a.m. — Drop off some jeans at Madewell so they can fix a broken zipper (I am always popping zippers, not sure why!). Thankfully this service is free. While I’m there, I try on some things. I am perpetually on the hunt for an everyday jean short, and I find it in their new summer line. They’re perfect for my lanky legs and big booty, but $90 is pricey for jean shorts. I ask the store associate if there are any sales coming up — she says no, so I ask if federal employees get discounts. She feels bad for my/our situation and offers 15% off. I also use a store credit from a return long ago, bringing the price down to a more reasonable amount. $41.25 11:30 a.m. — I need to post up somewhere to have a call with my career coach. When I found out I was getting laid off, I searched Google for “free career coaching for Feds” and found so many people on LinkedIn offering pro bono services. I’m blown away by the kindness and solidarity. I land at a bagel sandwich spot with a great patio to soak up the sun. I get an everything bagel with salmon lox, veggie cream cheese, salmon roe, and pea shoots. The price tag makes me SO sad. You’d think that seafood would be cheaper in Seattle since we’re so close to the source. $17.66 12 p.m. — My career coach cancels last minute, which I’d normally be annoyed by, but it’s free, so I can’t complain! I repurpose my time by ordering a decaf iced latte from the bakery that shares this patio and doing some research for an upcoming weekend away with M. A friend is lending us her family’s cabin near Leavenworth, a quirky German town in the southern Cascade Mountains. I make a restaurant reservation, research trail runs, and find an outdoor spa that has hot tubs, saunas, and cold plunge pools. M. and I went to Japan last year and got very into public bath culture, and take advantage of anything resembling it in the States.  $6.62 2 p.m. — I make a Costco run for the remaining charcuterie items for my church event (purchased on work credit card), and pick up some chicken meatballs for myself while I’m there. $14.99 3:30 p.m. — Unpack groceries at home and call my parents to discuss the sewer lining project. We decide that they will foot the $15,000 bill up front and I will reimburse them for half once I have a next job. For home maintenance things like this, we aspire to split costs in this way. 6 p.m. — Get ready and head to a fundraiser for a local non-profit that friends of M. and me are involved with. We chow down on a fajita bar and then bingo starts. The prize is a $500 gift card to one of the most untouchable restaurants in Seattle. I’ve always wanted to go, so I purchase more bingo cards than I was intending. We don’t win, but our friends who just had a baby do, so we’re happy they get to treat themselves to date night. $50 9 p.m. — Head home, administer evening shots, take nighttime supplements, read a page of my book before crashing at 10 p.m. Daily Total: $182.44 Day Five: Friday 6:15 a.m. — Wake up to my alarm and do a fertility meditation. 7 a.m. — Meet with Career Coach #2 (I’m open to all the free help I can get!). 8 a.m. — Administer shots, take vitamins, prepare my usual breakfast (but make it to-go) and hop in the car for an ultrasound/bloodwork appt. One of my toxic traits is eating meals while driving. Every New Year’s, I commit to building more margin in between daily transitions, especially for meals, but I haven’t cracked the code yet. It’s not that I lose track of time, it’s that I think I can get more done in the time allotted than is actually feasible. One friend calls me a “time optimist”. 8:30 a.m. — See my doctor. Everything is still progressing as expected, with 11 or so follicles still looking viable. 9:45 a.m. — Get home, clean the house a bit, and do some lunch prep. My friend L. and her two-year-old A. are coming over for lunch. I make Mediterranean bowls for us, with white rice, chicken meatballs from Costco, a cucumber-red pepper-red onion medley, and TJ’s tzatziki sauce. 11 a.m. — It’s super nice outside, so we eat on my sunny patio. This is a new friend; we met through mutual friends who connected us because we’re both from the same hometown. She feels homey and we have a lot to talk about, and get some pretty decent adult conversation in before her kid needs some attention. We float in and out of chatting about meaningful things and helping him count the number of rocks his dump truck unloads. 1:45 p.m. — My friend leaves, I clean up, and my energy zaps. The hormone meds are really taking it out of me. The theme of this week is give the body what it needs, so I lay down for a snooze. 3:30 p.m. — I walk to church to print songbooks for this week, and do several church admin tasks while I’m there. 6:30 p.m. — Printing done. I walk home, eat another soup dinner, administer shots and take supplements, and do some life admin. I book a haircut and regular maintenance for my car next week. Maintenance will be free because I bought a three-year maintenance package when I got my car in 2022. I thank my past self for her foresight. I also book a sauna and cold plunge session for after my procedure next week, which my naturopath recommended to help my body shed the extra hormones. There’s a wood-fired barrel sauna on wheels that parks itself on a beach near my house so patrons can cycle in and out of the sauna and cold-plunging in the Puget Sound. I utilized this service HEAVILY during the winter, and it worked wonders to fend off the winter blues. I text a friend to see if she wants to join. I also sign up for a free trial at a local gym. I won’t be able to run right after my procedure, but I’ll be able to start doing gentle cardio, so just need access to an elliptical for about a week. 8:30 p.m. — I start watching Normal People. I have been very drawn to English and Irish dramas lately (Bad Sisters, Adolescence), so I’m hoping this will continue to scratch the itch. It does not disappoint. 10:30 p.m. — After a couple episodes, I do my nighttime routine and put myself to bed. Daily Total: $0 Day Six: Saturday 7:30 a.m. — I wake up to my alarm, do a fertility meditation, have my usual breakfast, congratulate myself for eating breakfast at my kitchen table, and hop in the car to go to my appointment. 9 a.m. — My follicles look good, but doc is a tad worried about my bloodwork. My LH (ovulation hormone) is spiking so she wants me to administer a medication that will keep me from ovulating prematurely. She decides we should retrieve on Monday. 9:45 a.m. — I pick up the ovulation blocker meds at a pharmacy around the corner. $48 10:15 a.m. — I drive back to Seattle. Mount Rainier comes into view as I drive over Lake Washington and it is pure magic. I have some time to kill before a shop I need to go to opens at 11 p.m. I call a friend, S., who lives nearby and see if she’s home. She is, and tells me to come over. She makes tea and I get to hear about her and her family’s recent trip to Bend, OR. I make a mental note to add Bend to my list of places to explore out here in the PNW. 11 a.m. — I go to a store in my neighborhood that sells bulk home goods by weight. You can bring your own containers or buy them in the store. Shopping here is part of my journey to reduce the amount of single-use plastics in my life. I need body lotion, and have the option of normal lotion or a lotion bar. I’ve never tried the bar, so I decide to give it a shot. $17.66 12 p.m. — I get home and make a lunch of arugula, farro and parm salad with a turkey burger on top. I administer my new meds and start an application for passport renewal. Mine expired last month, and M. and I have been talking about taking advantage of my funemployment to go somewhere, so I want to be ready. 2:30 p.m. — M. comes over and helps me stage my passport photo. We then head to my local waterfront park and go on a one-mile walk (about all my body can handle at this point) and talk and nap and snuggle in the sunshine at the beach. 6 p.m. — M. leaves and I head to my friend A.’s house for our weekly Sabbath meal. Sabbath is a new practice to me as of last fall, and it has been really lovely. I’m learning to see it as an invitation to slow down, refrain from work and engagement with technology and commerce, reflect on God’s presence throughout my week, and delight in things that bring me joy. I try to practice it Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon, but even setting aside just Saturday evening has been a nice habit shift. The friend I do it with is single-momming by choice, so I’m in charge of making dinner at her place while she gets baby J. ready for bed. Tonight will be easy, because I’m feeding us leftover charity event fajitas. They both cheer me on as I administer my “trigger” shot — the shot that will prepare my eggs for retrieval. My friend went through many rounds of IVF before J. came along, so she has been a wonderful companion throughout this process. 8 p.m. — We pray and eat and talk about our weeks and lives. 10 p.m. — I head home, do my bedtime routine, and crash. Daily Total: $65.66 Day Seven: Sunday 7:30 a.m. — I wake up, do meditation, make some licorice tea, and read in bed for an hour. 8 a.m. — I take my last shot, woohoo! I decide to celebrate by making Kodiak cake blueberry pancakes with chicken sausage and mango-peach-orange juice. It hits the spot. 10 a.m. — I drive to a coffee shop around the corner to conduct some business. I sell an alarm clock to someone on Facebook marketplace and drop off my broken speaker to the neighbor who has agreed to fix it. I love the informal and sharing economies. 11 a.m. — Back at home, I start to prep materials for the charcuterie board at church. I cut veggies, wash fruit, and slice cheese. 1:30 p.m. — I head to church to start to set up. I’ve never done this before, and perhaps ambitiously think that I can after watching a few YouTube videos. What I pull together turns out way better than I expected; humbly, it is a work of art. 4 p.m. — Church service. M. joins. 5:30 p.m. — After the service, folks graze and I get lots of compliments (and even a request to do this for pay at a baby shower!). Before M. leaves, we game-plan the transportation plan for my appointment, as he is my post-anesthesia designated driver. 7 p.m. — Come home, clean the kitchen, write some thank yous to my doctors and nurses for retrieval day tomorrow, and watch an episode of Normal People. 9 p.m. — I get hungry; the cheese board didn’t quite cut it for dinner. I’m feeling protein-deprived, so I fry up a weird nightcap of chicken meatballs. 10 p.m. — I do my nighttime routine and settle in for bed. I set multiple alarms on multiple devices because I do not want to miss my wake-up for my procedure. I also remove my water bottle from my bedside table so I’m not tempted to drink it in the middle of the night and violate the empty-stomach surgery requirements. I fall asleep saying a little prayer that tomorrow goes well… Wish me luck! Daily Total: $0 The Breakdown Conclusion “This was an abnormally spendy week due to the egg-freezing medication. My wallet and my schedule will appreciate the coming relief from egg freezing costs (medication, acupuncture, supplements, gas for appts). I’m noticing that I’m drinking coffee and eating out a bit more than I normally would, given the flexibility of my days while I’m on paid leave. As a budget foodie, I normally prefer to save restaurant money for a restaurant I really want to go to, not for casual food to eat on the go. Depending on how long my unemployment lasts, I may need to rein that in a bit. Otherwise, my spending this week was pretty normal.” And an update… “Since I wrote this diary, a lot of life has happened! I had my egg retrieval, and the outcome was not good. My doc was only able to retrieve four eggs, which was incredibly disappointing for both of us. Her theory is that it might take my body more time than ‘average’ for the egg to release from the follicle wall in order to be retrieved, hence why I had so many ‘blank’ follicles. She felt so bad that she offered me a fourth cycle completely free, which, as you’ve seen from the price tag, is so generous! I’ve already completed that fourth cycle, and we were able to get eight eggs this time, so I now have 26 eggies in the freezer and I’m content with that 🙂 I also got a full-time job offer from that construction company (starting salary of $160,000 and a $5,000 signing bonus), and I decided to take it. I’m scared about what such a hard, weird pivot in my career will mean, and whether I’ll ever be able to find my way back to public sector work, but I’m trusting that it’ll be ok. Because I’ll have a full-time job, I’m planning to drop side hustle #2 soon. I was able to negotiate a start date in the fall, which means I’ll get to have a mini sabbatical this summer to rest and travel, and I couldn’t be more pumped. Thanks for following along!” Money Diaries are meant to reflect an individual’s experience and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29’s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior. The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend — to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day. For more Money Diaries, click here. Do you have a Money Diary you’d like to share? Submit it with us here. Have questions about how to submit or our publishing process? Read our Money Diaries FAQ doc here or email us here. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?A Week In Seattle On A $377,000 Household IncomeA Week In The Denver Area On $223,000A Week In New York On A $128,000 Salary Source link