#2022 was about 300 and 2023 was around 200

[de-adend-archived]

de-adend -> de-adend-archived o7 so long!

[nananarc]

Gonna disclose my income as a freelance artist because I feel like it might give some perspective. And mostly bc I'm feeling a bit burnout and I want pity points ok? Lol.

Context 1: For sake of simplicity, all figures are net income (minused all fees, charges, insurance, benefits, etc)

Context 2: I live in a big city in Việt Nam and the cost of living is relatively low. A salary of 1000$/month is considered really good for someone living alone with one pet, no family or children, no debt or other liabilities. Entry level jobs usually start at around 200-300$/month.

.

Let's start in 2021 because that's when it can be considered when I started doing art professionally.

In 2021 and 2022, I was juggling between art school, a part-time online side gig, building social media for my art, and of course try to get commissions. But coms were few and far between, mainly because I didn't have an online present before and I only hang in relatively small fandoms. So all I earn through side gig and art were only some change, in total avarage to about 40$/ month. Some months made up for no income months.

In 2023, things starts to be a bit better as I get more confident in my skill, but coms are still few and far between and months with no income is still common. Side gig was few and far between too and pay less. Overall I'd say it goes up to about 80$/month.

This year 2024, art school is done, I can finally do art full time. But I was severely burnout because all the accumulated stress since waaaaay before catch up with me and i couldn't cope anymore. I have to spend a lot of time resting instead. Fortunately, I received a decent amount of coms each month, and the new patreon surprisingly got a few supporters (I fully realistically expected it to sit at 0 for at least a year). Overall, I have an 8 hours 4 days work week: 4 hours a day on com and managing social media and other stuff that actually makes money; 4 hours a day on my own projects and personal indulgence that doesn't directly make money. As of now, my income is about 180$/month.

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You are probably wondering how the fuck do one live like this in this economy.

It's because my family is middle class and can afford a freeloader like me in their house, receive their pocket money and tuition fee. I'm privileged.

But of course my family isn't rich and if just one catastrophic event happens to us, we'd be in bad shit. I'm constantly in anxiety of money, work, and the future. It doesn't help that I'm late 20s and many people around keep reminding of how I'm not making money yet still leeching off parents. It doesn't help that, for years all i hear about art is it will just lead to failure and no money.

.

But still, I am thankful of my family for letting me stay here. And all my friends and supporters for giving me money oc lol, but more importantly, believing in me more than I ever do in myself. I read all of your little tags, your keysmash and compliments, and I keep them all dear to my heart, and I went back to them everytime I need motivation. I can't see where my future as an artist will be, but I cling to your support and love as the will to keep going. Thank you all so, so fucking much. I'd have been literally dead in a ditch somewhere without you guys.

Anyway, idk, I've always been adamant about wage transparency (especially in a corporate setting) but I rarely see this in freelance artists. except to flex, to promote the hustle culture, or to sell some courses they made. Most of us don't want/can't subscribe to the grind and have nothing to flex either. All we have is this shit economy. I'd wish we could have been more open about this and many of us wouldn't have to feel so lonely and despair all the time.

[luna-rainbow]

Got curious about fandom trends so pulled some data from AO3.

Like a good scientist, going to start with Limitations:

Polyships not included. Ships list is also by no means exhaustive.

Not filtered for OTP:true so same fic may feature multiple ships that may not be the endgame

Also doesn't reflect which ship is centered in the fic as opposed to mentions

Obviously deleted fics won't turn up in the count, but it would be interesting to know real historical numbers for these fandoms

Quite a few fics have been backdated, given AO3 was only launched in 2009 and several fics are marked pre-2009. It's possible other fics have also been backdated but I think the numbers are small enough to be non significant.

I did not filter out between MCU and Marvel comics for the ships

(Addit for something new I noticed) Fics that have been updated on 2023 will disappear from earlier numbers i.e. if a fic was started in 2022 but is still being published in 2023, it will not show up in 2022 numbers.

As always, keep in mind AO3 has relatively higher slash ships than other fanfic sites

AO3 doesn't necessarily reflect the size of the fandom, only how many people write for the fandom on AO3 (duh). Other activity - discussions, meta, fanart etc doesn't always correlate to fic production.

RIGHT axis scale applies to the MCU area only - this is the overall number of fics being written for the MCU over the years.

Observations:

Stucky took a while to catch attention. In 2011 when CATFA came out, there was only 61 fics, but that jumped to ~400 and ~600 for the following 2 years.

Avengers (2012) made Stony into one of the first juggernaut ships of the MCU with around 3000 fics that year.

2014 CATWS vaulted Stucky into the stratosphere, going from less than 600 fics in 2013 to just shy of 6000 in 2014. SamBucky and SteveSam both started then, but SteveSam was the bigger ship at the time (500 vs 150 fics)

2016 CACW gave a boost to both Stucky and Stony, as well as a boost to SamBucky.

Curiously, SteveSam did not receive the same boost from the movie, and its numbers dropped in following years and stayed around 300

AC, starting in 2015, gave the first real boost to Steggy. Prior to this its numbers stayed around 200, with a small uptick in 2014 with CATWS to 400.

Clearly, lots of people were happy/unhappy/had things to say about EG, because that was when Stucky, Steggy and Stony all peaked, while SamBucky also had a big boost. This peak is also mirrored in the overall number of MCU fics produced

Big spike for SamBucky as expected from TFATWS in 2021, nearly breaking 5000 and overtaking Stony for the year

2021 was also the peak for overall number of MCU fics per year, which I wonder if it's partially due to Covid lockdown. Other franchises released that year were Loki, Black Widow, Shangchi, Eternals and Spiderman.

SteveNat and BuckyNat have stayed fairly constant ships (of around 500 fics/year) with a small boost from each movie. Staron has remained a small with around 100 fics a year.

[disabled-dinosaur]

Living with a progressive autoimmune condition is BORING. Boring because if you’re not working, all you do is sit at home and if you are working, you have to be careful how much time you take off for appointments and treatment plans.

First, I was a CNA/ medication aide working in the skilled nursing and memory unit section. When I could no longer lift 200+ lbs, I moved to the memory unit/ assisted living section, which was less heavy lifting as the residents were pretty much independent.

At that point, it wasn’t that bad and I was still searching for a definitive diagnosis. In 2014/2015, I was diagnosed with just degenerative discs and sacroiliac joint problems. So, no big deal— it was just back pain right? At one point, it was Fibromyalgia, then that flopped. I didn’t really have any symptoms of that, yet one doc still diagnosed me with it. Very briefly, afterwards, I was diagnosed with MS. That flopped too. It didn’t make sense either. Then, they said that I’m drug-seeking or crazy. So I quit looking for a diagnosis because I felt like I could keep going, until 2020. I had a major surgery, went back to work. 2020 came around and I knew I was feeling worse. I *still* felt like I could keep going.

In 2022, I moved to doing a desk job. That felt pretty good. I was happy and didn’t feel bad at all. I loved the group of maintenance men that I worked with. When something didn’t work out, those guys informed me and they were vocal about concerns or anything like that. I had their respect (I hope) and they had mine.

In May of 2022, I was officially diagnosed with Bechterew’s Disease (aka Spondylitis), a progressive fusion of joints beginning in the spine and moving to fuse what’s called peripheral joints like hips, hands, knees and shoulders. This year, my hands began bothering me, aching. My previous rheumatologist who has since retired had me on infusions for about a year and a half, from May 2022 until October/ November 2023. In December 2023, the new rheumatologist thought it was too much and we moved to injections that I give myself.

Ever since March, things have been going wacky. I woke up one day in March with fever-like aches and chills without the actual fever. The first noticeable change came from a blood test in March where my liver enzyme levels were through the roof (some liver damage). Normal liver numbers are supposed to be somewhere between 25 and 44 and mine were 109. 300 to 600 is when you apparently become jaundice, but they didn’t get that high, thank goodness. The second sign that something was wrong was decreased movement in ligaments and joints. Sitting down or bending anything was next impossible and very little sleep. I went through this pain until about early June and spent those weeks on 80 different medications and steroids trying to get that inflammation down. Fever-like chills and body aches eventually went away. I would wear thick socks, two pairs of leggings and a hoodie during that time. In May, when I spoke to my rheumatologist, she said, "Honey, had you felt like this in years prior?"

"No, I’ve never even had a cold this bad."

She said, "Honey, you’re going through your first major relapse/flare."

For two whole months, from March to May, I had no idea what was going on. I quit my job on May 13th after Cody and I had discussed it. In June, I started to feel okay again after all the medications and injections. My liver was reacting to my flare 🔥 and trying to give me a sign. That was the first clue. All that time, I blamed the injections for the elevated liver enzymes, because one side effect is liver issues. Turns out, I had a GI problem causing this flare and symptoms and couldn’t eat anything solid but noodles with only broth and crackers. We avoided tubes and surgery, thank goodness. When something major happens in your body, your liver can decide to react and freak out. This might not happen to everybody— this was just my unique case. In late July or early August, after all the inflammation died down, my legs became really weak and somewhat tingly/numb. After joint inflammation comes muscle weakness apparently, like an after-effect. I fell about two or three times. I couldn’t hide my gait anymore and I’d rather have my cane than worry about what others think. I found it difficult to walk longer distances than before, so I swallowed my pride, started to use my cane more often and ordered a custom-fitted wheelchair for those longer distances. This is fitted to my dimensions. I went to a place in Missouri and it took a whole hour to measure. Out of desperation, I bought a semi-custom wheelchair back in late May. It gave me some freedom. And recently, I finally got out of this house for an outing that was longer than an hour. I had not gotten out of the house much since March, except for appointments. On Sunday, September 15th, I went to a museum and got lunch with my wonderful husband, using that wheelchair. We were there for about two or three hours. Walking for that long would’ve been impossible ever since all this started this year. It used to be that every once in a while, as I was driving, that my foot would be so weak that it would slip off the accelerator. That only happened a very few times. Lately, after the inflammation dissipated, the muscle weakness and numbness has been more persistent, so I’m getting portable hand controls that will attach to the pedals of my truck soon and I can attach them to any vehicle that I drive. But as of lately, I’m feeling great. After months of noodles and broth soup and crackers, I’m eating normally. I don’t know how long the muscle weakness/ numbness will last, but I’m not dwelling on it. The main focus is going to PT, dealing with treatment and going to appointments. It’s the little things that are worth more than the big things. When you look back, you’ll realise that those little things were actually the big things.

DON’T IGNORE YOUR HEALTH. When something feels off, keep persisting.

[ashen-crest]

a stats report on the rk ashwick books (as of April 2023)

some folks responded positively to the idea of seeing data on how my books have done (for indie author research and benchmark purposes), so here you go!

I'll put everything under the cut:

📚 What do I write?

Cozy fantasy romance under the pen name R.K. Ashwick.

📚 Why do I write?

Because I love it. I have a full-time job that isn't related to writing, so I write in my spare time. I should also note that I do not have dependents, am not a caregiver, and I do have anxiety and ADHD. I am not certain that I want to be a full-time writer, given the financial instability and the joy it could take away from writing. However, I want my books to be and perform the best they can, so I try to be professional about my product and methods.

(To me, this is all important context to be up-front about. Finances, family size, and health all have a huge impact on an author's goals and strategies.)

📚 How many books do I have out?

The Stray Spirit: released August 2022. First in a planned trilogy.

A Rival Most Vial: released March 2023. First in a planned trilogy.

📚 Online Visibility

Here's what I have going on:

Paid:

Website (requires $ for hosting)

BookFunnel for newsletter promos, sales promos, and ARC distribution (site requires $ to join)

Unpaid:

Newsletter (currently managing on free version of Mailerlite, since I'm under 1000 followers)

Facebook page (not consistently maintained, mostly for SEO)

Instagram, posting 5x/wk

TikTok, posting 5k/wk

Tumblr- hi!

using things like LibraryThing, GoodReads forums, Reddit, and FB pages to find more ARC readers

I was doing Amazon ads, but recently nixed them, as I didn't feel they were really getting me anything. I'll likely return to them once I have more books out.

A Note on Follower Count: I have, like 10 FB followers, 400-ish Insta followers, 1500 TikTok folders, and almost 1600 Tumblr followers. I've been on Tumblr the longest and TikTok second longest. TikTok had the fastest growth, Insta the slowest. However, general advice is that engagement rate is more important than follower count. I'll be real, I'm not doing that hot on that front. I'll consistently get around 20 likes on Insta posts and TikTok often caps my video views at around 200 or 300. The videos that do the best on TT often aren't the ones related to my books. Fun times.

A Note on Newsletter Stats: I have a pretty consistent open rate of 25-30%, which I think is okay. I'd like for it to be closer to 40%. (It's also hard to actually track open rates, so that number isn't entirely reliable.)

A Note on ARC Reader Stats: I got 100 readers for TSS and almost 200 for ARMV. This resulted in a ballpark count of 20 reviews for TSS and 30 reviews for ARMV around release time.

📚 Other Marketing Strategies

What you see above under Visibility is my ongoing work. I also do more limited-run strategies, like:

occasional free book giveaways on social media

pre-order gifts for my book

I sent out around 20 pre-order gift envelopes for TSS and 45 for ARMV. I operate the pre-order gifts at a loss, but I really enjoy doing it, so I'm okay with it. I also have lots of leftover stickers and bookmarks that I can bundle with giveaways.

📚 Distribution

I distribute wide through:

Amazon: both ebook and paperback

IngramSpark: paperback only

Draft2Digital: ebook only

📚 Orders & Royalties

So, what did all this work and shennanery get me?

From July 2022-April 2023 (10 months):

Books Sold: 575

Total Royalties, paid and unpaid: $1543.49 ($2.68 per book)

📚 Is that good or bad?

I have no idea!! And I think in the end, it all depends on your goals.

If my goal was to make a living: welp, it's def not enough.

If my goal was to break even: between website set up, DBA set up, cover cost, editing cost, illustrator cost: nah. I'd have to make about $4,000 more to safely say I've broken even.

If my goal was to get strangers, and not just family and friends, to read my books: oh hey, I did that!!

I hope this information helps you set a goal, so you're not mentally wandering around like I am.

📚 Other Notes

A big factor in having a financially successful indie book is fitting genre conventions in your chosen subgenre, or 'writing to market.' I will say that A Rival Most Vial is more written to market than The Stray Spirit is. The Stray Spirit sort of straddles cozy, historical, and academic fantasy without actually leaning in to any of those things, so it's a little harder to market.

I also spent a lot on cover, editing, and illustration. That makes it harder to be a financially viable business, but it's what I wanted to do to have a strong finished product. I am lucky in that my full-time job can cover these expenses.

I'm not very good at social media. I've never had anything go viral on any of the sites.

The most rewarding part of all this is seeing how people react to the book: reviews, videos where they're almost crying over the book, podcast invitations, and [something a bit bigger than I'll announce in the summer.] At the end of the day, if I have a small group of buyers who are vocal in engaging with my books, that's far more rewarding than a large group of buyers who don't engage.

📚 Parting Thoughts

I'm happy to talk about any and all aspects of my self-publishing experience. If you have more questions or want more details, feel free to reply, send an ask, or DM me!

[inkyleaf]

BIG Updates & Announcements for the Future

Hello everyone!

We haven’t caught up in a spell, have we? Happy New Year!! This is going to be a long post. I’m not sure if it was noticeable to the larger audience, but 2022 was a tough year for me. Every year is filled with new experiences that test our time, ability, and patience, and there hasn’t been any shortage of life-changing milestones for me in the past several years. But 2022 may take my personal cake so far. 

Attempting to make a long story short, approximately 10 years ago I went through the toughest breakup of my life, with a person I had known for almost a decade prior to that. That event took me many long years to truly get over, I think maybe ~3 years ago is when I finally felt like I had surpassed it inside and out. Well, approximately a year ago, I underwent another breakup. Although the magnitude of the relationship was no where near close to the prior, something about it triggered very similar feelings and dropped my mental health to an all-time low. Realizing that this indicated a problem with me and how I saw myself and the world around me, I began therapy to help rebuild my mental foundation and to help me understand myself better. Of course it’s all still a work in progress, but I would like to believe that I’ve made a ton of progress since then and am hopeful for a mentally fruitful 2023. 

This year-long dip has tanked my writing, I remember I couldn’t even open a word document all throughout summer. And while writing inspiration and motivation will always continue to ebb and flow, I feel like I’m starting to get back on the horse again. The next “TG” post will be #200 and there is something a lil special just like with TG 100. :) 

So what else is new? To celebrate mental health, the upcoming TG 200, and the new year 2023, a few changes are going to occur. Firstly, watermarks. I’ve been posting captions for over a decade at this point and liked to believe that I didn’t need watermarks, that people wouldn’t blatantly repost my captions without permission. This was naïve. Awhile back I did start including a faint “inkyleaf” on the images, but it was small and low effort. Going forward, all captions will have a distinct watermark that I’ve designed over a little while that will hopefully strike you as stylish and act as a seal of quality while also not being too distracting. :)

Second, tags! I know a few people have asked me include more comprehensive tags on my posts to find “archetypes” of stories easier. At this point, including Quickies, over 300 captions/stories have been written, and sifting through them on Tumblr is a pain in the ass. I’m going to be totally honest and this is going to make me sound like a doofus - I didn’t really realize how tags worked on sites like Tumblr/Blogger until I started perusing Blogger a bit more in the past year, and tags are so helpful. My understanding of tags came from YouTube’s early days, where people would think of as many tags as possible solely to earn searches and clicks. Although this may still be true (honestly I don’t even know at this point lmao), it’s not worth it over having a nice comprehensive library of categories to choose from. 

Now, here’s where these two will combine. Over the course of the next year (or two, it could take awhile), I’m going to be posting all of my captions and stories onto Blogger with appropriate tags and will retroactively be fixing the tags on Tumblr to match. On Blogger, I will also be updating the captions with the new watermark! Hopefully this will make my stuff more accessible to more people while also making older stories easier to find and revisit. :) 

Now, here is where I may make some people unhappy, which I apologize for in advance. I started writing captions and stories for patrons on Patreon many years ago, and I’m so thankful for everyone’s pledges! However, as years have passed, my captions and stories have become longer and better. As a result - and to do something I’ve been wanting to do for awhile - I’m going to slightly increase the prices of the $7.50 and $11.50 caption tiers to $10 and $15 respectively. The $1 and $20 tiers will remain unaffected, and all prior payments of 7.50 and 11.50 will remain in tact, no one is losing any requests or anything! This is just for going forward. :) Since I cannot edit payments of tiers while people are pledged, these tiers will be replaced with the new ones, and all patrons will be notified thru Patreon. 

Going forward, I’m also going to be a little more picky with what I chose to write. When I began Patreon, I thought it would be a good idea to expose myself to more ideas from the TGTF world and what people wanted to read. While I was successful in this, I didn’t realize quite how deep and different the rabbit hole could get, and honestly everything is just not for me. Of course I would never shame what anyone is into (how could I write these stories otherwise?), but some topics/themes have come up that took a long time for me to write solely because I just wasn’t super into it, which isn’t being fair to either myself or the patron. I’ll still try to be accommodating and try new things from time to time, just within my own boundaries. I hope everyone understands! ^^; And of course always feel free to ask!

I think that about wraps this up, don’t think I’m forgetting anything. :) Thank you all for reading this and my stories over the years, I’m not sure if I’d still be doing this without you guys. Let’s make 2023 the best year yet! :D

[mariacallous]

The Russian Ministry of Finance wants to collect a one-time tax (a so-called windfall tax) from all companies. However, Deputy Finance Minister Alexey Sazonov, says that oil and coal companies, as well as small and mid-sized businesses and companies with net profits under 1 billion rubles (around 13 million USD), will be exempt.

The tax will be collected on 2021–2022 profits that exceed 2018–2019 profits.

Interfax noted that, although exemptions for oil and coal companies and small-to-mid-sized businesses were announced up front, it is believed that the tax will not affect banks. When journalists asked for clarification on that point, Sazonov said, “at this point I haven’t heard about such exceptions.”

The Bell reported that in December, the Russian government suggested that businesses make a collective one-time payment of 200–250 billion rubles (around 2.7–3.3 billion USD). In response, the business sector proposed raising Russia’s 20 percent income tax by 0.5 percent in 2023.

After that, First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov announced that the government was discussing a one-time voluntary contribution to the budget. However, according to Belousov, the discussion was not about a tax rate increase but about a windfall tax. He noted that last year’s financial results were “very good” and many companies were “strongly in the black.” A source for Vedemosti who is close to the Russian government noted that the government is discussing raising around 250 billion rubles (around 3.3 billion USD).

In February, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov announced that the additional fee for large businesses would be collected via taxation, not a voluntary contribution. According to the minister, the total sum collected will total around 300 billion rubles (about 3.9 billion USD).

[screenshots123]

📆 25 Nov 2023 📰 Researchers probe Kawasaki disease causes as infections plunge amid COVID outbreak 🗞 Mainichi Japan

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, the number of young children affected by Kawasaki disease in Japan has sharply declined, according to a nonprofit agency that studies the mysterious illness.

The disease, discovered by Tomisaku Kawasaki in 1967, affects mostly children aged under 5, causing inflammation of the blood vessels. Additional symptoms can include redness of the eyes, a deeply red-colored tongue and a full-body rash of the same color. Viewing the sudden change in patient numbers as an opportunity for scientific insight, experts are moving forward with research into its causes.

In serious cases, the illness can cause lumps in the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that transport blood to the heart, damaging the heart muscles. Such lumps form in about 3% of patients and can leave aftereffects.

The number of children affected by Kawasaki disease was on the rise prior to the coronavirus pandemic, reaching around 17,000 in 2019. This figure represented a rate of 370.8 per 100,000 children under the age of 5, the highest rate of any country in the world.

According to a survey by the nonprofit Japan Kawasaki Disease Research Center, the number of patients declined to 11,173 in 2020 and remained under 12,000 in 2021 and 2022. The rate of occurrence also fell to 250.6 per 100,000 people in 2020, dipping below 300 for the first time in eight years, and remained in the 200 range for the following two years.

Research center director Yoshikazu Nakamura, a public health expert and professor emeritus at Jichi Medical University, said that before the pandemic, the month of January saw the highest number of patients, followed by August. In Taiwan, South Korea and other areas, meanwhile, many patients are seen in the early summer. The seasonal variation makes sense if multiple microbes are behind the symptoms, Nakamura explained.

Nakamura pointed to two potential causes for the decline in cases of Kawasaki disease. First, heightened hygienic measures during the spread of COVID-19 that greatly reduced seasonal influenza cases may have halted the spread of the microbes or viruses that trigger the illness.

The other is the more home-oriented lifestyle with fewer outings. In some cases, infants' diseases are caused by viruses or bacteria transmitted from their caregivers. There is the possibility that fewer outings by parents or other closely residing relatives has reduced the number of opportunities for this type of infection.

Despite some patients having made fewer trips to medical institutions during the pandemic, few with Kawasaki disease's distinctive symptoms such as continuous high fever and red, swollen limbs are thought to have failed to seek medical attention.

Nakamura said, "I'd like to find out and clarify which of the two possible factors was in play by comparing the changes in coronavirus patient numbers over the three years since 2020 with region-by-region breakdowns of the pandemic. In doing so, we may come closer to uncovering the causes of Kawasaki disease. I also want to see the number of patients for this year, as societal activity undergoes massive change."

[publishing-pitaara]

Young Entrepreneur in the Book Publishing Industry - Divya Trivedi

Divya Trivedi is the Founder and CEO of Kitab Writing Publication. Her hobbies are writing, singing, and cycling. She eventually started her writing journey on 9th November 2020. And she published her first book titled "The beauty of quotes" on 4th of April 2021. As a writer, Divya Trivedi was always curious about how publishing companies are printing and listing the books. Like the processes behind it, what makes a publication at best, the processes of start-up, what kind of impact it creates in the reader’s community, etc.

After learning and getting to know everything one by one, she decided to start her publication, not for anything else but just to Spread Goodness Spread Happiness around the world through books. And she also started working under publications from 10th of May 2021. Divya Trivedi's dream was to Spread Goodness and Spread Happiness. That's why she started a publication named SGSH Publication. SGSH publication was started on 30th October 2021 founded by Miss Divya Trivedi. She worked really hard to establish a well-known publication with a good mission like SGSH but later she realised publication is a business and in business sometimes we have to be strict, we have to be bold, we have to say Truth. But with SGSH name she was uncomfortable working in publication so she decided to Change the SGSH Publication to Kitab Writing Publication on 4th of March 2023. Till now, she has published 300+ solo books, 200+ anthologies and 1000+ books printed by her publication which is not possible without her constant and dedicated efforts from her side. Divya Trivedi aims no matter what always stay real and honest with customers. She wants to achieve this only with sincerity, honesty, and hard Work. She knows there are thousands of Publications, many even at top positions, but for Kitab Writing Publication she aims not just to provide publishing services but also she tries to provide writers Motivation and to Spread Truth. She is following one of her quotes "Pain also gives you pleasure when you love what you are doing."

She has recently been awarded multiple and prestigious titles mentioned below:

1. Best publication of the year 2022 from Incredible Indian Awards

2. National book of records

3. Fastest growing publication in 2023 from World wide book of records

4. Asia's Top 100 Entrepreneur 2023

5. Indian archiver forum and many more Google articles, magazine.

She publishes books and anthologies. Her publication is unique because of her Honesty, Hard Work and consistent efforts. In her opinion, earning money from the business is a little easy but when she has authors coming to her again and approaching her to publish their write-ups with full happiness and satisfaction is what makes her unique. Each of her team members are very happy to work. More than a work and for money, they too are inspired by the mission of the publication and work for that. So not just the founder herself but every last member of her team is working for the same motto and writers are happy. She just sees this publication as the Best Publication in this world and also she sees herself as a Best Motivational Speaker for writers and Best Entrepreneur in the world. With her constant dedication she is going to reach the skies beyond the limit with flying colors. Her journey was a bit up and down, but setting up this publication is one of the best choices she have ever made.

[ailtrahq]

Buenos Aires, Argentina – September 27, 2023 – LABITCONF, the leading crypto event in the region, is set to return to Buenos Aires on November 10th and 11th, 2023. With over 250 global speakers, this 11th edition will delve into the future of Bitcoin, Blockchain, and the implications of decentralization.The focus of LABITCONF 2023 will revolve around the opportunities and challenges presented by this (r)evolution for individuals, businesses, and governments in the region.Rodolfo Andragnes, founder of the Bitcoin Iberoamerica Foundation (the event's organizer) and the Bitcoin Argentina NGO, stated, "LABITCONF is the world's oldest event dedicated to Bitcoin and Blockchain and serves as the meeting point for industry experts. We are thrilled to bring together leaders from the ecosystem."The event is scheduled to take place at the Costa Salguero Convention Center on Friday, November 10th, and Saturday, November 11th, from 9 am to 7 pm. It will feature economists, entrepreneurs, business leaders, developers, and representatives from leading blockchain projects, all sharing their insights and ideas on various conference stages. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.labitconf.com.Andragnes added, "LABITCONF offers a combination of experiences and content. In addition to high-profile speakers, we provide opportunities for gaming tournaments, art exhibitions, an escape room, and adrenaline-pumping games like Reaction Wall, Kill the Scam (VR), the Inflation Machine, among others. The event will also offer relaxation spaces, dining options, and programming activities."The event boasts more than 150 talks spread across 8 stages, catering to both beginners and advanced enthusiasts. The "Main Stage" will focus on the disruptive potential of blockchain technology for society, businesses, and governments. The "Academy" stage will provide foundational knowledge about key aspects of the technology. The "Workshop" stage will concentrate on practical applications of available tools, while the "Hacker House" stage will offer programming solutions. The "Plaza" stage will introduce innovative entrepreneurs, and the "Gaming" and "Creators" stages will feature content and experiences related to art and games. There will also be a dedicated "Kids" section with age-appropriate content.The event's conclusion will be a highlight, with an exclusive edition of the Bresh party hosted for all LABITCONF attendees.The 2022 edition drew an attendance of 10,000 people and featured over 60 sector companies, 200 talks, and 300 speakers. All indications suggest that this year's event will achieve similar resounding success.

[boab-metals]

SILVER’S BRIGHT FUTURE: HOW SOLAR ENERGY IS POWERING DEMAND

Solar power is a standout energy source in the race to reduce carbon emissions globally. The technology has been improving for decades, and we are now on the cusp of a rapid expansion in the capacity of solar to power industry, homes and innovations everywhere.

For anyone considering investing in silver, this makes the solar industry one to watch. 

As solar installations surge, there could be a direct translation into higher demand for silver. 

Boab Metals (ASX: BML) is proud to be a leading near-term lead-silver mining company on the ASX, poised to supply high-grade ore to a growing renewable energy market.

THE USE OF SILVER IN SOLAR PV PANELS

Silver is a vital component in solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. Silver enables efficient capture and conversion of sunlight into electricity thanks to its unsurpassed electrical conductivity. 

The average solar panel contains 0.643 ounces (20 grams) of silver, around 3.2 to 8 grams per m2. According to The Silver Institute, this added up to 140 million ounces in 2022.

However, that number is expected to grow sharply in the coming years. 

CHINA’S SOLAR INDUSTRY IS POWERING AHEAD

BloombergNEF reported in May that China had lifted its outlook for solar panel installations in 2023 to 154 gigawatts (GW), up from the previous forecast of 129 GW.

That number could rise again next year to between 200 and 300 GW. Between January and the end of April, the country installed more than three times the number of solar panels compared to the same period in 2022. 

For comparison, the US had 73.5 GW of solar capacity operating in early 2023, with plans to install 54.5 GW by year’s end. Australia, a minor but eager player, is on track to add around 2.2 GW of capacity.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE GLOBAL SILVER SHORTAGE?

It’s no secret that silver is in short supply. 

In 2022, strong silver demand created a record-high 237.7-million-ounce deficit. This year, more of the same is expected, and China’s rapid solar growth could put more pressure on a tight market. 

The 2030 forecast of 185 million ounces of silver consumed by solar panel production could even be brought forward to 2023 or 2024. 

As demand for silver continues to rise, silver mining companies on the ASX will become imperative in addressing the shortfall. High-grade silver ore from responsible sources ensures a sustainable supply chain for critical industries such as renewable energy.

Silver is also completely recyclable. New technology is emerging that has the potential to recapture close to 100% of silver from PV panels. However, we are still years away from a large-scale rollout. 

LEADING THE CHARGE ON AUSTRALIAN SILVER 

The increasing adoption of solar as a clean and renewable energy source, coupled with technology advancements and favourable government policies, is driving the expansion of the solar energy market. 

For near-term silver mining companies like Boab Metals, that means a ready market with a big appetite for high-grade metal.

The solar PV opportunity is just one reason investment in silver is rising. For more information about investing in silver, check out the Boab Metals blog and investor centre. 

[newstfionline]

Saturday, June 24, 2023

The U.S. Population Is Older Than It Has Ever Been (NYT) The median age in the United States reached a record high of 38.9 in 2022, according to data released Thursday by the Census Bureau. It’s a rapid rise. In 2000, the median age was 35, and in 1980, the median was 30. The new data adds to the evidence that, like many European and Asian nations, the United States is graying, posing challenges for the work force, the economy and social programs. Low birthrates are the main driver of the nation’s rising median age, experts said. “It’s simple arithmetic,” said Andrew A. Beveridge, president of Social Explorer, a demographic data firm. “Fewer kids are being born.” The trend is international, even affecting countries with much stronger social programs than the United States, like Norway, Sweden and Finland, which heavily subsidize child care. Among states, Maine (44.8 median age) is the oldest, with New Hampshire (43.3) not far behind. Utah (31.9), the District of Columbia (34.8) and Texas (35.5) are the youngest, according to the Census Bureau.

Chased from their homes by gangs, thousands of Haitians languish in shelters with lives in limbo (AP) A gang rampaged through the Cite Soleil slum, killing and raping and setting fire to hundreds of wood-and-tin homes. Forced out of the neighborhood, one family of four lived on the streets of Port-au-Prince until they were struck by a truck as they slept. Two brothers, 2 and 9, died in the November accident. Jean-Kere Almicar opened his home to their distraught parents, then another family, then another, until there were nearly 200 people camped out in his front yard and nearby. They are among more than 165,000 Haitians who have fled their homes amid a surge in gang violence, with nowhere to turn in this capital of nearly 3 million people. Almicar, who once lived in Scranton, Pennsylvania but moved back to Haiti in 2007, uses his own money. “There was nothing I could do except tell them to come in,” Almicar said. “Their home doesn’t exist anymore. If they go back, they’re going to be killed.”

Europe’s empty churches (AP) The confessionals where generations of Belgians admitted their sins stood stacked in a corner of what was once Sacred Heart Church, proof the stalls—as well as the Roman Catholic house of worship—had outlived their purpose. The building is to close down for two years while a cafe and concert stage are added, with plans to turn the church into “a new cultural hot spot in the heart of Mechelen,” almost within earshot of where Belgium’s archbishop lives. Around the corner, a former Franciscan church is now a luxury hotel. Across Europe, the continent that nurtured Christianity for most of two millennia, churches, convents and chapels stand empty and increasingly derelict as faith and church attendance shriveled over the past half century. It is a phenomenon seen over much of Europe’s Christian heartland from Germany to Italy and many nations in between. It really stands out in Flanders, in northern Belgium, which has some of the greatest cathedrals on the continent and the finest art to fill them. If only it had enough faithful. A 2018 study from the PEW research group showed, in Belgium, that of the 83% that say they were raised Christian, only 55% still consider themselves so. Only 10% of Belgians still attended church regularly. On average, every one of the 300 towns in Flanders has about six churches and often not enough faithful to fill a single one. Some become eyesores in city centers, their maintenance a constant drain on finances.

Storms and heavy rain flood roads, block railway lines in Germany (AP) Storms and heavy rain across a large swath of Germany flooded roads and forced the closure of some major railway routes on Friday, but there was no immediate word of any injuries. Germany’s national weather service had warned earlier this week of severe storms with significant amounts of rainfall, which hit on Thursday. In the western city of Duisburg, the fire service said it rescued several people from cars that got stuck on flooded streets. Shops were flooded and streets inundated in the northern city of Braunschweig, and there were similar reports from Kassel.

A Superyacht Gave a Lifeline to 100 Migrants Thrown Into the Sea (NYT) The superyacht Mayan Queen IV was sailing smoothly in clear weather through the dark and calm Mediterranean in the early hours of June 14 when it received a call about a migrant ship in distress four nautical miles away. About 20 minutes later, shortly before 3 a.m., the towering $175-million yacht, owned by the family of a Mexican silver magnate, arrived at the scene. The distressed boat had already sunk. All the four-person crew could see were the lights of a Greek Coast Guard vessel scanning the water’s inky surface. But they could hear the screams of survivors. In a few hours, the 305-foot Mayan Queen was filled with 100 desperate, dehydrated and sea-soaked Pakistani, Syrian, Palestinian and Egyptian men, as it played an unexpected role in one of the deadliest migrant shipwrecks in decades. As many as 650 men, women and children drowned. The incongruous image of the devastated survivors disembarking the Mayan Queen on a port in Kalamata last week underlined what has become the strange reality of the modern Mediterranean, where the superyachts of the superrich, equipped with swimming pools, Jacuzzis, helipads and other trappings of luxury, share the seas with the most destitute on smuggler-operated boats perilously crossing from northern Africa to Europe.

Ukraine hits bridge linking Crimea to mainland in blow to Russian supply route (Reuters) Ukrainian missiles on Thursday struck one of the few bridges linking the Crimea Peninsula with the Ukrainian mainland, Russian-appointed officials said, cutting one of the main supply routes for Russian occupation forces in southern Ukraine. Ukraine is attacking Russian supply lines to disrupt Moscow’s defence of occupied territory in the south. The bridge is beyond range of the battlefield rockets Ukraine has used for a year, but within reach of newly deployed weapons such as British and French air-launched cruise missiles, allowing Kyiv to hit logistics routes Russia had deemed safe just weeks ago.

Delivering mail in war-ravaged Ukraine: ‘There are still people living here’ (Washington Post) The trio of Ukrainian postal workers—a mail carrier, a driver and a security guard—wait for a lull in the shelling before entering Hulyaipole, a small city near the front line where they often make deliveries under fire, zigzagging along bumpy lanes in their small white-and-yellow van. On one particularly hair-raising route, between two neighboring towns, they say a quick prayer, slam the accelerator and race across a mile-long stretch of open road in front of Russian positions. Clad in bulletproof vests, they make this dangerous journey three times a month, in line with a new wartime schedule organized by Ukraine’s state postal service, Ukrposhta. They deliver not just letters and parcels but also pensions, groceries and medicine for the few residents—mostly destitute and elderly—who still live near Hulyaipole. “Somebody has to do this job—and nobody wants to do it,” said the mail carrier, Natalia Hrinenko. Hrinenko, 55, was the head of the Hulyaipole’s post office until the building was bombed and rendered unusable in May of last year. “If God needs me to be in this place at this time, then it is to be,” she said. “Anyway, how could I abandon it?” The post service to Hulyaipole is emblematic of the countless improvised lifelines put in place over the 16 months since Russia’s brutal invasion to help the hundreds of people who are hanging on and subsisting, cut off from larger cities, under desperate conditions near some of the war’s fiercest fighting.

Hot times in China (Foreign Policy) Chinese residents are rushing to raise the air conditioning. Beijing on Thursday recorded its hottest June day since record-keeping began in 1961. With thermometers hitting almost 108 degrees Fahrenheit, authorities are worried China’s heat wave will only get worse. Extreme temperatures are nothing new for China; beginning in April, a record-breaking heat wave spread across the country. But climate change has only exacerbated their deadliness. Last month, a World Weather Attribution study found that climate change made heat waves 30 times more likely in Asia. And earlier on Thursday, Chinese officials issued an orange alert, the second-most severe weather warning, until Saturday in anticipation of more 100+-degree weather.

In Iran, Some Are Chasing the Last Drops of Water (NYT) Summer has come to Sistan and Baluchistan province, an impoverished fragment of chapped earth and shimmering heat in Iran’s southeast corner, and all people there can talk about is how to get water. For weeks now, taps in cities like Zahedan have yielded nothing but a salty, weakening trickle. In the villages that water pipes have never reached, the few residents who remain say people can barely find enough water to do the laundry or bathe themselves, let alone fish, farm or sustain livestock. Drought has stalked Iran for centuries, but the threat intensified in recent years as political priorities trumped sound water management, experts say. Climate change has only made things worse in an area that typically gets no rainfall for seven months out of the year, and where temperatures can soar to 124 degrees in July. Sistan and Baluchistan, where Iranian lawmakers warn the water will run out altogether within three months, might sound like an extreme case. But other regions are not far behind. Drought is forcing water cuts in the capital, Tehran, shrinking Lake Urmia, the largest saltwater lake in the Middle East, and the livelihoods that came with it, and stoking mass migration from Iran’s countryside to its cities.

New weapons, tactics further entangle U.S. in Israeli-Palestinian conflict (Washington Post) In a week that saw U.S.-made attack helicopters strafing a Palestinian city and Israeli settlers rampaging through a village filled with American citizens, the Biden administration finds itself caught up in a rapidly escalating conflict. Both sides are also introducing new and more powerful weapons and tactics that hark back to the all-out war of the second intifada more than 20 years ago, when Israel reoccupied much of the West Bank. On Monday, a pre-dawn Israeli raid in Jenin quickly devolved into an extremely unusual eight-hour gunfight, during which Israel had to deploy Apache helicopters to extricate its soldiers under fire after roadside bombs trapped them in the city. The cycle then spiraled further when the next day, two Hamas gunmen killed four Israelis in the West Bank in retaliation. On Wednesday, 400 armed settlers rampaged through Turmus Ayya, a West Bank town that is 85 percent Palestinian American dual citizens, according to its mayor. The settlers torched dozens of homes, cars and orchards while shooting at civilians. One Palestinian was killed by Israeli police when clashes broke out. Later that night, Israel, in another rare move, announced it had used drones for the first time since 2006 to kill three members of a Palestinian “terrorist cell.” Settlers from the hard-line settlement of Yitzhar also cut electricity lines leading to the Palestinian village of Ourif, the hometown of the two Hamas gunmen. “In the near future, all hell will break loose,” said Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli consul in New York, adding that an Israeli-Palestinian escalation was “the last thing that the Biden administration wants to deal with.”

Fighting resumes after Sudan cease-fire as number of people displaced passes 2.5 million (AP) Clashes resumed between Sudan’s military and a powerful paramilitary force after a three-day cease-fire expired. The fighting has killed thousands of people and forced more than 2.5 million people to flee their homes to safer areas in Sudan and neighboring countries, according to the U.N. migration agency. The U.N. said Wednesday that within the last month, it has helped truck 17 tons (15.4 metric tons) of aid to various parts of Sudan, including 50 truckloads in the first two days of the latest cease-fire.

[p1xiara]

Jerk Employer Part 1

I am posting this on behalf of a relative, with their full permission. I have posted this as part 1 & 2 as it was too long.

I have been a home worker since 2014 due to different medical conditions. It was via a passport put in place by myself and my line manager that was updated every 6 months or so, depending if something new cropped up June 2022 we were told our building was closing and the roles were moving north, they were closing around 300 sites and keeping just 30. We now needed to be relocated within a call centre site that was up only further up the country, we were told we had until the 31st March 2023 to find a new role or leave BT. We were told we would have support from senior managers we had none. Until several months later when the 2nd line manager needed our team's help and it was mentioned and passed by within seconds of the call. We made counter claims, but they were all rejected. We had the help of a brilliant Employee Rep who put these claims together. Due to me working from home since 2014 we asked the HR Rep of our area how to go about getting a Work from Home status due to disability for myself. Well the HR rep went away and came back and we followed those instructions, however they were totally incorrect. You would think HR would know the right process but I understand a lot was going on. After many months, and an assessment with an outsource company, I was able to get that status. I was assured my role was secure and I would carry on as per normal. The relief was overwhelming, but then guilt was not far behind. It looked like I was going to be ok but my work family, they were not. There was such a sense of guilt it was also overwhelming, to the point I was stressed, and my depression overwhelmed me at times. There was also a hold on any new roles within the company, so my work family were struggling to find any new roles. We worked hard, often giving up our time to get things done that needed to be done, our team alone added up to over 200 years in BT. February 2023 we were on a call to be told there was a head count challenge. On the call we were shown documentation stating that Team members Grade C (my grade), will no longer exist, but we could apply for the E grade roles that were to take over our roles. So, I applied like the other 3 grade C's, to be considered for one of the E grades. I assume these documents were sent to HR, who was also on the call, and the union's the managers and employees were signed up with.

[theworkprint]

INDIE Live Expo 2023 is a 200 Game Extravaganza

May 20th and 21st is when the INDIE Live Expo is set to return, showcasing over 200 titles of independent games that you won't want to miss out. Read more about it.

INDIE Live Expo, the renowned biannual live digital showcase connecting indie game enthusiasts globally, is set to return on May 20 and May 21, 2023, featuring over 300 indie games from around the world. The upcoming event aims to surpass the massive success of the INDIE Live Expo Winter 2022, which recorded over 16 million views with the help of more than 70 simulcasters. “Day 1” of the event…

[sciencespies]

NASA picture is best yet of a permanently shadowed region on the moon

https://sciencespies.com/space/nasa-picture-is-best-yet-of-a-permanently-shadowed-region-on-the-moon/

NASA picture is best yet of a permanently shadowed region on the moon

The new ShadowCam instrument has sent its first image back from lunar orbit, showing the inside of an area of the moon that never gets any direct sunlight

Space 11 January 2023

By Leah Crane

Shackleton crater in never-before-seen detail

NASA/KARI/Arizona State University

We’ve got our best look yet into the areas on the moon that sunlight never reaches. These permanently shadowed regions lie inside craters and depressions near the moon’s poles, and because the spin axis of the moon is only tilted about 1.5 degrees, they stay dark and cold year-round.

There are more than 300 known permanently shadowed regions, or PSRs, on the moon, but the fact that they are always dark makes it extraordinarily difficult to observe what is going on inside them. That is the goal of NASA’s ShadowCam instrument, which orbits the moon aboard the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, also called Danuri.

Danuri entered orbit around the moon on 16 December 2022, and now ShadowCam has sent back its first image. The picture shows a region about 2000 metres wide inside Shackleton crater, near the lunar south pole.

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This first image didn’t reveal any surprises, but it demonstrated that the camera works just as well as the researchers were hoping, says Mark Robinson at Arizona State University, ShadowCam’s principal investigator. Near the top of the image is the trail worn by a boulder about five metres across as it rolled down the sloped wall of the crater.

ShadowCam is 200 times more sensitive than the camera that was previously used to observe PSRs, which circles the moon aboard NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. That high sensitivity allows it to peer into these dark areas using only the small amount of sunlight that bounces off the surrounding landscape.

The portion of Shackleton crater in this image is warm compared with other PSRs, regularly rising above the -163°C temperature that is required to keep water ice stable on the lunar surface. But other, colder PSRs – and maybe even colder regions of the same crater – are thought to host ice or frost, which may be useful for future missions to the moon.

Over the course of the next year or so, ShadowCam is expected to observe all of the known PSRs, Robinson says. The hunt is on for moon ice, and if it lurks in the shadows, this camera should be able to spot it.

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[ecodweeb]

Long Range EV recommendations (2022)

A long time friend of mine contacted me recently saying that his mother has decided that she wants an EV to replace the VW GTI she’s been using as a commuter car. I gave him my top three suggestions, which he asked me to text him. Instead, I’m making a post about it -- because why not have a link I can hand out to the next person who asks “What’s the best EV I can buy for under $40,000?”

New Vehicle Suggestions -- $40,000-ish

I’m going to be referencing a Car and Driver list, because I can’t keep up with all the models available today.

1. VW ID.4 - 275 miles for $42,525

It’s ironic that I’m starting with a VW given that the driver in question already has a VW and my friend is an independent mechanic for VW vehicles... however, this vehicle is the first suggested new vehicle on the C&D list. I’ve driven this car, and I was somewhat underwhelmed. It is by no means a bad vehicle, but it isn’t exactly exciting either. The base rear-wheel drive ID.4 lacks about 20HP compared to the 2017 GTI that she’s currently driving, but I don’t know that she’d really notice the difference. Also, this is a compact SUV -- so it’s really not a fair to compare it to a sport hatchback, but that’s kind of how real-world car shopping goes... right? My biggest gripe on this car is the fact that it has a lot of capactive-touch buttons (on the steering wheel, the door, etc) that can be flakly. I also really dislike the power window switch -- it only has 2 buttons to control 4 windows. You press a capactive touch “Rear” button to make the switches control the rear windows.... A bonus for this vehicle is that some models are manufactured at the Chattanooga, Tennesse plant -- making them elligible for the US Tax credit (but how much of that credit, I can’t really tell you). I found one new 2022 ID.4 for $42,900 on AutoTrader, and I found a Certified Pre-Owned 2021 Pro S model for $37,300 -- which I’d say is a pretty good deal. Here’s all the ID.4′s within 200-miles of my friend’s zipcode.

2. Hyundai Ioniq 5 - 220 miles for $41,245

The Ioniq 5 is actually the third-listed vehicle on Car & Driver’s list, but it’s actually the car I am most interested in: the hard edged 80′s styling, the very innovative interior, the 800-Volt drivetrain, ultra-fast 200kW DC-fast charging, and the Vehicle-to-Load functionality (which sharing power from the vehicle’s high-voltage battery to regular AC appliances via an in-cabin port or the external adapter that plugs into the charging port). I’ve owned a Hyundai Ioniq previously and was very impressed with the dealer experience (buying and servicing) and the company itself (they give Subaru a good run for the money on giving back to communities in which they sell their cars). Poking around AutoTrader, I found a single SE model for $42,995 in Roanoke, VA. This is one of the most popular cars for sale in the US right now, and dealers have waiting lists (I have a friend who is expecting the Ioniw 5 he ordered a few months ago to arrive in April). I couldn’t find a single used model within 300 miles, also worth noting that the Hyundai does not qualify for the Federal tax credit anymore.

3. Kia Niro EV - 239-miles for $41,285

Next up on my list is the Kia Niro EV. This is another vehicle that I have considered buying for myself. It’s only a 400-volt drivetrain, but it does feature 70kW DC-fast charging and a front-mounted charging port (which is, in my not-so-humble opinion, the best spot for the charging port). Looking at AutoTrader, I found a new 2023 model for $41,295; a Certified 2022 EX model for $41,477; and a used 2022 for $38,391. Again none of these cars will qualify for a tax credit. I also did not dig deep into the feature difference between the new, certified, and used vehicles -- that’s research for the buyer to dig into.

New Vehicle Suggestions -- $30,000-ish

1. Hyundai Kona - 258-miles for $35,295

The Kona and the Niro are sister vehicles, but I find the Kia has more interior room. Like the Niro, it has a 400-volt drivetrain and 70kW DC fast charging capability. Checking AutoTrader I found a used 2021 SEL model for $32,998. None of the new models had prices listed.

2. Chevrolet Bolt EUV - 247-miles for $34,495

The Chevrolet Bolt’s big brother - the Bolt EUV - is a new model that seems to have addressed many of the gripes that the Bolt had, namely, the seats don’t suck (as much). I like the taller stance of this vehicle, especially after seeing a few of them on the local roads. The downside to this car, which really doesn’t apply in this scenario, is that it only has a 50kW DC Fast charging capability, meaning it’ll be at least 45 minutes to 80% state of charge. That said, as a commuter, this is a pretty good option. AutoTrader tells me that there’s a new 2023 model in Raleigh for less than $30,000 - which is a pretty decent deal. There’s no shortage of these cars for sale within 200 miles of my friend’s zipcode, many of them at or below the MSRP of $35k.

3. Chevrolet Bolt EV - 259-miles for $32,495

The Bolt has been around since 2017 and, frankly, it’s a solid vehicle. I know a lot of folks with this car, and if you can get past the atrocious seats (which apparently can be improved by adding more foam to the seats - the covers come off shockly easily), it’s just a trooper. Being a small hatchback it’s the closest bodystyle to my friend’s mom’s GTI, and with 200hp on tap, it’s no slouch. Some of these cars can be had used for decent prices (to me that’s under $17k with a replaced battery pack). Checking AutoTrader I found several in Raleigh for under $30,000, this particular LT model is only $26,330. On the used front, I found a 2017 for $21,290 -- a hard price for me to swallow. For $16k? Sure. But not $21k when I can get a brand new one for less just a hundred miles away...

4. Nissan LEAF Plus - 226 miles for $36,040

Ah, the Leaf... one of the earliest Battery-electric vehicles to be sold in the US. I am a fan of the second generation styling, but the non-cooled battery pack and obsoleted rapid charging port are hard no’s from me. However as a commuter that’s only plugged in at home? It’s actually one of the first car I’d recommend because outside early pack degradation, these things are Energizer Bunnies. I’ve put a number of folks in Leafs, and my first EV experience was with a 2012 Leaf and I still have fond memories of that bug-eyed car. AutoTrader tells me that there is a new 2022 for $37,290, a Certified 2020 for $32,788, and a used 2019 for $25,900. Because these cars are assembled in Tennessee, I do think that new models qualify for the tax credit.

Other Suggestions

1. BMW i3 (2019+ with Range Extender)

I loved this car to much. The 2019-2012 models of this Carbon Fiber city car models have 126-miles of battery range and an additional 80-ish miles of range from the 2-gallon on-board gasoline generator. Make no mistake this is a Battery-electric vehicle with an engine that could be physically removed and the car wouldn’t care (unlike other Plug-in Hybrids). The cheapest one I could find was $33,499 in Charlottesville VA. It’s really hard to truly suggest this vehicle compared to many others in this list, but, it is a cool car and if you keep your eye out you might be able to score one for under $30k (which I think the car is 100% worth). 

2. Some Tesla....

It’s no secret that I am not a Tesla fan, and I’m rather certain my friend isn’t either. That said, there’s two models for sale under $30,000 - but I caution that any repair will require a trip to Raleigh, and that they’re rather anti-independant repair - which generally goes against this family’s core values.