Earlier today ordered takeout at an indian restaurant my family and I have ordered from for a good few years. I have always gotten chicken korma and it's always been very nice hunks of chicken and never once did I receive it with bones. I've also had it at other restaurants as well and never had bones.
Well today not only did basically every piece of chicken have a bone in it it's like they just threw drumsticks into the mix after breaking them apart. The bones in the chicken were all broken, there were bits of bone and cartilage in the korma. To me it tasted and looked like someone went and bought a publix rotisserie chicken and just threw it in the mix.
So I go and call them up and I'm explained that korma is not part of their boneless menu.
Now full disclosure this is my first time ordering here in like 6-8 months so maybe new cook or some changes I just did my usual order and called it a day but I've also never had an experience like this before anywhere anytime I've had indian food. Told my mother about it who has loved indian food her whole life and she said the same.
So before I go post a review sharing my experience and photos of it here I figured I'd ask and is this maybe some specific way of serving this because I really can't imagine a proper way of serving something involving hunks of chicken with broken bones sticking out and pieces of bone all in the sauce. But I'm not indian, never been to india, and only ate at like 5 indian restaurants my entire life so just want to be sure before posting something I consider very serious.

The Bitcoin City in sunny El Salvador will be the prequel to the real Bitcoin City moon base. This is an excellent exercise in writing and imagination. It's fun to mull about your second favorite dream, the first being settling in Moscow. Inevitably, Russia will make BTC THE legal tender and start demanding BTC only for Oil/Gas/Grain/Neon, etc. But till then, or even alongside, settling on Bitcoin Beach would be akin to heaven too.
I have not yet moved to ES but I have thought about it countless times. The 3 BTC limit earlier (which must be like 5 BTC right now) is something that many people can afford, not just the 1%. Maybe 20% of people in the world can do this if they really want. $100k is not that big of an amount. Even poor people in India have houses that cost this much. I'm solo mining and maybe I will hit 6.15 BTC if the fates are kind, or maybe I will get enough fiat to buy enough to move to ES and live a good life.
I suppose moving will not be ridden with bureaucracy like in the usual 'western' countries. And everything, the basic necessities, like water, electricity, internet, roads, cleanliness, hospitals and schools will be available. One thing that scares people about ES is MS13 and other Hispanic gangs, and El Presidente is taking tough actions against this only negative of ES. So everything seems to be in order.
You just take a toothbrush and memorize your seed phrase, buy a one-way ticket to ES and that's it. You reach, invest 3-5 BTC in a local business that employs at least 3-5 people and buy whatever is affordable in Bitcoin City or Bitcoin Beach or anywhere you like in ES.
With Bitcoin, even If another El Presidente wanted to devalue the currency and steal the people's resources (like the Roman Emperors after Ceaser started doing), it won't be possible. Hopefully, no price fixing beyond the essentials would be done. Nothing could possibly go wrong, other than the big bully next door. But with a defense pact with either Russia and/or China, that problem can be taken care of.
From the pictures I have seen, Bitcoin Beach looks just like Goa, it is even on the same latitude. There are water bodies, lakes rivers, highlands, plains, and a vast coastline, it's perfect. A huge highway can be built on the coastal plains from ES to Oaxaca and this could be the neo-riviera of the world. The possibilities are endless.
Bitcoin City can be the model for future global city-states. As it is, people the world over are congregating in cities so much so that certain cities have more power than the entire states they are in. It must have electric vehicles. It should not be over-capitalistic and combine the best of capitalism and communism in a fine balance. Essential industries, defense, space research, hospital, and schools must be state-owned. Specialized sectors can be private. It must be a utopia. A Bitopia.
It is a blank slate on which things can be built in a planned way. All other big cities in the world suffer from centuries of mismanaged haphazard development. It is a chance for a new life, away from the woke culture and political oppression, it is the new New World. El Presidente has a big task on his hand - how to correctly build the promised land. More power to him.
It must make cannabis legal, the drug problem will automatically get solved. Those who want to destroy their minds and bodies with chemical drugs should be allowed to do so in a secure facility away from the population on some mountain. Give them as much as they want and let them remove themselves from humanity.
It must be a beacon of hope for the intelligent people of the world, but most of all, it must be a beacon of hope for the impoverished people of South America. No longer should they need to go wash dishes in a fast food restaurant in racist USA. They are a proud people of ancient civilizations, where is all their Aztec gold? Who took it? No matter, Bitcoin is the new gold, and if all goes well, ES will be swimming in bitcoins.
And it can change Bitcoin mining forever too if a fund of 100 billion dollars can be created, to give to a manufacturer who will build and distribute 1 billion home miners of bitcoin, which gives a capacity 10 times the total mining power in the world right now and completely changes the bitcoin game. A box powered in almost every urban home of the world. A small electricity bill is added which is the cost of a few bulbs. ES will need to plot out a parcel of land called The Bitcoin Country which will be land sold by Govt. to a billionaire/fund/crowdfund. That country will be built with only bitcoin businesses, no chemical food grown by farmers, no GMO, no pharma, only mushrooms weed ayrurved shamans, etc. and only natural Healthcare, with fruits vegetables poultry fishing also grown there itself a self-sufficient bitcoin Country of a million people, like The Island 2.0.
Basically, 100 billion will be the cost of a factory, workers, technicians, chips raw material, and courier of 1 billion USB devices and hubs. So if a person who can do that, deliver that, other than 100 billion dollars, what else could such a person want? Imagine if Elon Mush does this instead of buying Twitter and basically changing the world economic system within 6 months. How many billionaires are there in the world? There are 56 million millionaires. There will be 1 million plots of land for sale in bitcoin, and whoever scores a bitcoin block, which is a lottery that happens every 10 minutes, gets a free plot of land too. Since this network of solo home miners outpaces the power of everyone else 10 to 1, every 9 out of 10 bitcoins every 10 minutes will be owned by one of these homes. That means even at the current discount prices they are worth over 150k dollars instantly and can afford the high cost of land in a financially sovereign country which will be costly for companies and businesses Whoever does this will actually spend nothing and in fact, the Box factory will make huge profits as people will buy 2 more on top of the 1 free box they get to multiply their monthly income which will be used for paying for internet, shopping, TV Netflix, Amazon, etc. Basically making all monthly payments free for people for like the cost-of-a-good-dinner extra electricity bill every month. If 1 single company tried to pay for this much power for a big facility in one place, it would be a very huge number and the electricity will be too costly. But when distributed across the globe in every urban home, it will actually stabilize the electricity grid and create a new power to digital money network, something like what Nikola Tesla imagined.
When the world is suffering from an energy crisis, ES has rightly chosen to harness limitless clean natural high-intensity Volcanic Energy. It beats everything else including nuclear if the right harnessing technology is applied. South America is a vast untapped resource, an ancient land that had ancient civilizations predating even the Indian and Chinese civilizations. And the neighborhood has had some good immigrants since WW2, let's not forget, unlike the USA which got the English and the French. It may soon turn out that Mexico will indeed build the wall and Americans will pay for it.
Profile pic and socials: https://about.me/kbxads
Lightning: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) / [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

A couple of years ago, the top posts used to be things like the morning scenery in Nagaland, folk dances of Andhra Pradesh, some delicious food platter from Kerala, and all sorts of interesting things like puppetry, theatre, classical music, regional cinema, achievements by Indians (not PIOs) in different fields. It was a great and positive subreddit that made one feel genuinely proud of the strides our country has made in the past decades. It viewed diversity as an asset and strength, not as an inconvenience. Honestly, the hate I’ve seen spewed towards our brothers and sisters from different faiths/regions is nothing short of shocking (99% of people of ANY faith are just simple folk trying to live their lives). It’s scary- it’s like people WANT riots to happen. Even discussions of Hinduism were used to study and analyse its positive aspects, its role in leading a meaningful life in the hedonistic, materialistic 21st century. It felt like what an authentic, secular Indian subreddit comprised of optimistic, forward looking young people who wanted to combine the progressivism of the 21st century with the rich ancient traditions of the Indian subcontinent should look like. It was just a pleasure to visit, dammit. Especially after the toxic, negative hellhole that is you-know-what.
I wish we could think consciously about what we are doing here, and why we visit this sub. Is it for confirmation of our worst biases, or to enlighten and educate ourselves about this magnificent nation we have only scratched the surface of understanding?

We just got engaged! Yay! We don’t want to wait a year or more, and we want a warm climate wedding, so October seems perfect since we live in California and have Indian summers. Also, his grandparents really want us to do it soon since they are getting older and older and really want to see him get married. We don’t want anything big. Maybe about 40-60 people, a buffet for the food, but something in a beautiful outdoor location and an awesome band and a party that goes late into the night. I’ve heard about renting airBNBs for your wedding, but that seems so hard to plan since you can’t really check the place out before hand! Any tips? We are in Santa Cruz and would go as far north as Mendocino or south as LA. We are both public school teachers and are hoping to spend around $10k. Any ideas??? Thank you!

We just got engaged! Yay! We don’t want to wait a year or more, and we want a warm climate wedding, so October seems perfect since we live in California and have Indian summers. Also, his grandparents really want us to do it soon since they are getting older and older and really want to see him get married. We don’t want anything big. Maybe about 40-60 people, a buffet for the food, but something in a beautiful outdoor location and an awesome band and a party that goes late into the night. I’ve heard about renting airBNBs for your wedding, but that seems so hard to plan since you can’t really check the place out before hand! Any tips? We are in Santa Cruz and would go as far north as Mendocino or south as LA. We are both public school teachers and are hoping to spend around $10k. Any ideas??? Thank you!

Ok so I posted here a while ago when I was pregnant and my MIL (w/dementia) moved in with us causing a huge amount of stress on my relationship and pregnancy. I got a lot of support but ended up deleting the post cus I got paranoid that it was out there lol. Anyways, I need to vent again. Our daughter is now 8 months old.
A bit of background...MIL moved in with us because her husband (who also had dementia) passed away and my husband thought it would be a good idea to move her in with us so she could "help out," but I realized very quickly it was so we could take care of her basically. I had never even met her but agreed to her moving in, given the circumstances of her husband's death, and it was only supposed to be a "trial." Also, her dementia isn't extreme yet so she still remembers who we all are and stuff like that, but has short term memory loss such as forgetting what she ate or where she put things. In any case, we have to do her laundry, change her bedding, do all the cooking, cleaning etc. plus of course be parents. My husband WFH and I am a SAH parent. I am annoyed and extremely resentful at both my husband and his mom tbh. Not to mention, we also have 2 dogs, a cat, and chickens so we had our hands full before she came to live with us.
Fast forward, I was hospitalized during the last month of my pregnancy due to the stress and anxiety relating to this situation, mainly, which I'm pretty sure my husband doesn't even realize that was the root cause. I was in a hospital an hour drive away from our home so my husband left all the pet duties to his mother so he could come visit me. I was in such an unsteady place mentally, I didn't even realize what/how to deal with those responsibilities. I was focused and very concerned about my pregnancy more than anything.
Now that I'm back home and our daughter was born healthy (so grateful!) despite how stressful the pregnancy and labor process was, I am getting extremely irritated with my MIL. I think I'm partly on edge due to the strain and sleep deprivation that comes with having a new baby, but I'm so drained from having her live with us. She cannot change diapers, feed the baby, bathe the baby, put her to sleep or anything like that - which is fine, but the fact that my husband said she was going to be able to help us pisses me off still. A couple weeks ago we left her with the baby (the baby was napping) and we were downstairs. She is able to hold her and we were only away for ten min while the baby was actually awake. When we came up, she was feeding our daughter a fucking Ferrero rocher chocolate! There was chocolate all over her outfit and mouth and when my husband confronted her, she claimed that she only ate "a little bit." I was beyond furious but I let my husband handle it because I am not comfortable reprimanding my MIL, especially given the whole dementia situation.
Also, we live in a small house and MIL never leaves, except going for walks sometimes in the morning. This isn't to be racist (I am half Indian), but she is Indian and so it is in the culture to constantly be hovering and watching over everything in the house. Like it's totally normal in her upbringing, for her to be looking over my cooking and just jump in chopping things or whatever without asking if I need help. This irritates me too! I just really don't like someone coming that physically close to me and watching every little thing I do.
Ok, this is becoming a crazy rant but I am extremely irritated and burnt out by having her here. I barely speak to her and I get annoyed when she tries to help with the baby. I feel like such an asshole but my resentment is so strong because of how much stress she has caused me. It's also put a huge wedge in my marriage because my husband is extremely stressed out by her too.
Recently, my husband had a huge blowup at me and basically said that MIL wants to move back to her original home (where his brother now lives and could take care of her) because I have made her feel so unwelcome. What I didn't mention is that ever since she has lived with us, he has constantly yelled and scolded her for all the irritating things she has done, which I think are due to her dementia but also her stubborn personality. I have never yelled at her or ever confronted her because that's just not something I would do. So now, they are both basically blaming ME. They also speak exclusively in their native language to each other (which I don't understand) so I am left out of everything they talk about. I feel like they are
I know that this is more of a husband issue than a MIL issue but my husband is so sensitive when we discuss is so now it's a huge elephant in the room. He said she is "probably moving" but I have no idea when and don't dare ask because I fear that he will think I'm just asking since he knows how much she annoys me.
A few more things to add are that MIL never says thank you for anything and it feels like our home has basically become a hotel for her. Whenever she tries to help it just is extra work. For example, she will over water the plants, put things back in the wrong place, burn food, mix up recycle/compost/recycle, clog bathroom sink due to "cleaning" it with toilet paper..... etc.
I am just really stressed by all of it and needed to vent. Sorry this is so all over the place!

We just got engaged! Yay! We don’t want to wait a year or more, and we want a warm climate wedding, so October seems perfect since we live in California and have Indian summers. Also, his grandparents really want us to do it soon since they are getting older and older and really want to see him get married. We don’t want anything big. Maybe about 40-60 people, a buffet for the food, but something in a beautiful outdoor location and an awesome band and a party that goes late into the night. I’ve heard about renting airBNBs for your wedding, but that seems so hard to plan since you can’t really check the place out before hand! Any tips? We are in Santa Cruz and would go as far north as Mendocino or south as LA. We are both public school teachers and are hoping to spend around $10k. Any ideas??? Thank you!

I'm 30F, 54 kgs, 5'6". I'm working towards abs but it seems almost impossible so realistically targeting a flat tum and gain muscles. I workout 5 days a week
Breakfast: Protein Smoothie: 280 g milk, 25g protein powder, chia seeds, almond, 🫐 or 🍓
Lunch : 100g boiled white rice and 200-300g curry (kidney beans, chick peas, cottage cheese)
Snacks: 🍉 / 🥒 / carrots
Dinner: 130-150 g tofu, broccoli, bell pepper, spring mix, pumpkin seeds, Greek yogurt
As per my calorie count I average about 80g protein per day
I do a cheat day on weekends but I don't eat a lot of food still (no pizza or sugar). A cheesy burrito or some Indian unhealthy snacks (won't cross 1800 calories per day) I've been on a similar diet plan for almost 2 months now and lost 2.5 kgs. Somehow I can't make place for eggs.
Anything you'd recommend changing?

4:04AM EST
SSTURDAY APRIL 25TH, 2020
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Horatian: Horatian satire is tolerant, funny, sophisticated witty, wise, self-effacing and aims to correct through humor...
Juvenalian: Juvenalian satire is angry, caustic, personal, relentless, bitter, and serious...
SATIRICAL DEVICE

1. Humor:Exaggeration or overstatement: Something that does happen, but is exaggerated to absurd lengths...

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Genre of arts and literature in the form of humor or ridicule
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In fiction and less frequently in non-fiction, satire is a genre of literature and performing arts, in which vices, follies, abuses and shor... en.wikipedia.org
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Satire is a technique in art and literature that pokes fun at established artistic or cultural norms. Satirists practice their craft for the sake of social criticism, comedy, or, often, both. The different satire genres include spoof, parody, and classic literary satire techniques.
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Definition of satire
1: a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn
2: trenchant wit, irony, or sarcasm used to expose and discredit vice or folly
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/satire
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The Culinary Roots of Satire
Satire came into English at the beginning of the 16th century, and the meaning of the word has not strayed very far from its original sense. The initial uses were primarily applied to poems, and the term now has a broader applicability. Satire has a semantic and etymological overlap with both farce and lampoon. Farce ("a light dramatic composition marked by broadly satirical comedy and improbable plot") came into English as a synonym for forcemeat, meaning "finely chopped and highly seasoned meat or fish that is either served alone or used as a stuffing." Lampoon ("a harsh satire usually directed against an individual") is thought to come from the French lampons!, meaning "let us guzzle!" And satire is believed to trace back to the Latin satur, meaning "well-fed."
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Examples of satire in a Sentence
By contrast, Martial's friend, Juvenal, learned to transmute Martial's epigrammatic wit into savage satire. Juvenal's fierce, if occasionally obscene, tirades against immorality fit easily into the propaganda of the new era.
— G. W. Bowersock, New York Review of Books, 26 Feb. 2009
Unlike late-night talk shows that traffic in Hollywood interviews and stupid pet tricks, "The Daily Show" is a fearless social satire. Not many comedy shows would dare do five minutes on the intricacies of medicare or a relentlessly cheeky piece on President George W. Bush's Thanksgiving trip to Iraq …
— Marc Peyser, Newsweek, 29 Dec. 2003 - 5 Jan. 2004
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In fiction and less frequently in non-fiction, satire is a genre of literature and performing arts, in which vices, follies, abuses and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, corporations, government, or society itself into improvement.[1] Although satire is usually meant to be humorous, its greater purpose is often constructive social criticism, using wit to draw attention to both particular and wider issues in society.
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A feature of satire is strong irony or sarcasm —"in satire, irony is militant", according to literary critic Northrup Frye—[2] but parody, burlesque, exaggeration,[3] juxtaposition, comparison, analogy, and double entendre are all frequently used in satirical speech and writing. This "militant" irony or sarcasm often professes to approve of (or at least accept as natural) the very things the satirist wishes to question.
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Satire is nowadays found in many artistic forms of expression, including internet memes, literature, plays, commentary, television shows, and media such as lyrics.
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Etymology and roots
The word satire comes from the Latin word satur and the subsequent phrase lanx satura. Satur meant "full" but the juxtaposition with lanx shifted the meaning to "miscellany or medley": the expression lanx satura literally means "a full dish of various kinds of fruits".[4]
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The word satura as used by Quintilian, however, was used to denote only Roman verse satire, a strict genre that imposed hexameter form, a narrower genre than what would be later intended as satire.[4][5] Quintilian famously said that satura, that is a satire in hexameter verses, was a literary genre of wholly Roman origin (satura tota nostra est). He was aware of and commented on Greek satire, but at the time did not label it as such, although today the origin of satire is considered to be Aristophanes' Old Comedy. The first critic to use the term "satire" in the modern broader sense was Apuleius.[4]
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To Quintilian, the satire was a strict literary form, but the term soon escaped from the original narrow definition. Robert Elliott writes:
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As soon as a noun enters the domain of metaphor, as one modern scholar has pointed out, it clamours for extension; and satura (which had had no verbal, adverbial, or adjectival forms) was immediately broadened by appropriation from the Greek word for “satyr” (satyros) and its derivatives. The odd result is that the English “satire” comes from the Latin satura; but "satirize", "satiric", etc., are of Greek origin. By about the 4th century AD the writer of satires came to be known as satyricus; St. Jerome, for example, was called by one of his enemies 'a satirist in prose' ('satyricus scriptor in prosa'). Subsequent orthographic modifications obscured the Latin origin of the word satire: satura becomes satyra, and in England, by the 16th century, it was written 'satyre.'[1]
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The word satire derives from satura, and its origin was not influenced by the Greek mythological figure of the satyr.[6] In the 17th century, philologist Isaac Casaubon was the first to dispute the etymology of satire from satyr, contrary to the belief up to that time.[7]
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Humour
“ The rules of satire are such that it must do more than make you laugh. No matter how amusing it is, it doesn't count unless you find yourself wincing a little even as you chuckle.[8] ”
Laughter is not an essential component of satire;[9] in fact there are types of satire that are not meant to be "funny" at all. Conversely, not all humour, even on such topics as politics, religion or art is necessarily "satirical", even when it uses the satirical tools of irony, parody, and burlesque.
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Even light-hearted satire has a serious "after-taste": the organizers of the Ig Nobel Prize describe this as "first make people laugh, and then make them think".[10]
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Social and psychological functions
Satire and irony in some cases have been regarded as the most effective source to understand a society, the oldest form of social study.[11] They provide the keenest insights into a group's collective psyche, reveal its deepest values and tastes, and the society's structures of power.[12][13] Some authors have regarded satire as superior to non-comic and non-artistic disciplines like history or anthropology.[11][14][15][16] In a prominent example from ancient Greece, philosopher Plato, when asked by a friend for a book to understand Athenian society, referred him to the plays of Aristophanes.[17][18]
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Historically, satire has satisfied the popular need to debunk and ridicule the leading figures in politics, economy, religion and other prominent realms of power.[19] Satire confronts public discourse and the collective imaginary, playing as a public opinion counterweight to power (be it political, economic, religious, symbolic, or otherwise), by challenging leaders and authorities. For instance, it forces administrations to clarify, amend or establish their policies. Satire's job is to expose problems and contradictions, and it's not obligated to solve them.[20] Karl Kraus set in the history of satire a prominent example of a satirist role as confronting public discourse.[21]
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For its nature and social role, satire has enjoyed in many societies a special freedom license to mock prominent individuals and institutions.[22] The satiric impulse, and its ritualized expressions, carry out the function of resolving social tension.[23] Institutions like the ritual clowns, by giving expression to the antisocial tendencies, represent a safety valve which re-establishes equilibrium and health in the collective imaginary, which are jeopardized by the repressive aspects of society.[24][25]
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The state of political satire in a given society reflects the tolerance or intolerance that characterizes it,[19] and the state of civil liberties and human rights. Under totalitarian regimes any criticism of a political system, and especially satire, is suppressed. A typical example is the Soviet Union where the dissidents, such as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Andrei Sakharov were under strong pressure from the government. While satire of everyday life in the USSR was allowed, the most prominent satirist being Arkady Raikin, political satire existed in the form of anecdotes[26] that made fun of Soviet political leaders, especially Brezhnev, famous for his narrow-mindedness and love for awards and decorations.
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Classifications
Satire is a diverse genre which is complex to classify and define, with a wide range of satiric "modes".[27][28]
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Horatian, Juvenalian, Menippean
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"Le satire e l'epistole di Q. Orazio Flacco", printed in 1814.
Satirical literature can commonly be categorized as either Horatian, Juvenalian, or Menippean.[29]
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Horatian
Horatian satire, named for the Roman satirist Horace (65–8 BCE), playfully criticizes some social vice through gentle, mild, and light-hearted humour. Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) wrote Satires to gently ridicule the dominant opinions and "philosophical beliefs of ancient Rome and Greece" (Rankin).[30] Rather than writing in harsh or accusing tones, he addressed issues with humor and clever mockery. Horatian satire follows this same pattern of "gently [ridiculing] the absurdities and follies of human beings" (Drury).[31]
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It directs wit, exaggeration, and self-deprecating humour toward what it identifies as folly, rather than evil. Horatian satire's sympathetic tone is common in modern society.[32]
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A Horatian satirist's goal is to heal the situation with smiles, rather than by anger. Horatian satire is a gentle reminder to take life less seriously and evokes a wry smile.[31] A Horatian satirist makes fun of general human folly rather than engaging in specific or personal attacks. Shamekia Thomas suggests, "In a work using Horatian satire, readers often laugh at the characters in the story who are the subject of mockery as well as themselves and society for behaving in those ways." Alexander Pope has been established as an author whose satire "heals with morals what it hurts with wit" (Green).[33] Alexander Pope—and Horatian satire—attempt to teach.
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Examples of Horatian satire:
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The Ig Nobel Prizes.
Bierce, Ambrose, The Devil's Dictionary.
Defoe, Daniel, The True-Born Englishman.
The Savoy Operas of Gilbert and Sullivan.
Trollope, Anthony, The Way We Live Now.
Gogol, Nikolai, Dead Souls.
Groening, Matthew "Matt", The Simpsons.
Lewis, Clive Staples, The Screwtape Letters.
Mercer, Richard ‘Rick’, The Rick Mercer Report.
More, Thomas, Utopia
Pope, Alexander, The Rape of the Lock.
Reiner, Rob, This Is Spinal Tap.
Twain, Mark, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Ralston Saul, John, The Doubter's Companion: A Dictionary of Aggressive Common Sense.
Juvenalian
See also: Satires of Juvenal
Juvenalian satire, named for the writings of the Roman satirist Juvenal (late first century – early second century AD), is more contemptuous and abrasive than the Horatian. Juvenal disagreed with the opinions of the public figures and institutions of the Republic and actively attacked them through his literature. "He utilized the satirical tools of exaggeration and parody to make his targets appear monstrous and incompetent" (Podzemny).[34] Juvenal's satire follows this same pattern of abrasively ridiculing societal structures. Juvenal also, unlike Horace, attacked public officials and governmental organizations through his satires, regarding their opinions as not just wrong, but evil.
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Following in this tradition, Juvenalian satire addresses perceived social evil through scorn, outrage, and savage ridicule. This form is often pessimistic, characterized by the use of irony, sarcasm, moral indignation and personal invective, with less emphasis on humor. Strongly polarized political satire can often be classified as Juvenalian.
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A Juvenal satirist's goal is generally to provoke some sort of political or societal change because he sees his opponent or object as evil or harmful.[35] A Juvenal satirist mocks "societal structure, power, and civilization" (Thomas)[36] by exaggerating the words or position of his opponent in order to jeopardize their opponent's reputation and/or power. Jonathan Swift has been established as an author who "borrowed heavily from Juvenal's techniques in [his critique] of contemporary English society" (Podzemny).[34]
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Examples of Juvenalian satire:
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Barnes, Julian, England, England.
Beatty, Paul, The Sellout.
Bradbury, Ray, Fahrenheit 451.
Brooker, Charlie, Black Mirror.
Bulgakov, Mikhail, Heart of a Dog.
Burgess, Anthony, A Clockwork Orange.
Burroughs, William, Naked Lunch.
Byron, George Gordon, Lord, Don Juan.
Barth, John, The Sot-Weed Factor; or, A Voyage to Maryland,—a satire, in which is described the laws, government, courts, and constitutions of the country, and also the buildings, feasts, frolics, entertainments, and drunken humors of the inhabitants in that part of America.
Ellis, Bret Easton, American Psycho.
Golding, William, Lord of the Flies.
Hall, Joseph, Virgidemiarum.
Heller, Joseph, Catch-22.
Huxley, Aldous, Brave New World.
Johnson, Samuel, London, an adaptation of Juvenal, Third Satire.
Junius, Letters.
Kubrick, Stanley, Dr. Strangelove.
Mencken, HL, Libido for the Ugly.
Morris, Chris, Brass Eye.
———, The Day Today.
Orwell, George, Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Orwell, George, Animal Farm.
Palahniuk, Chuck, Fight Club.
Swift, Jonathan, A Modest Proposal.
Voltaire, Candide.
Zamyatin, Yevgeny, We.
Menippean
See Menippean satire.
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Satire versus teasing
In the history of theatre there has always been a conflict between engagement and disengagement on politics and relevant issue, between satire and grotesque on one side, and jest with teasing on the other.[37] Max Eastman defined the spectrum of satire in terms of "degrees of biting", as ranging from satire proper at the hot-end, and "kidding" at the violet-end; Eastman adopted the term kidding to denote what is just satirical in form, but is not really firing at the target.[38] Nobel laureate satirical playwright Dario Fo pointed out the difference between satire and teasing (sfottò).[39] Teasing is the reactionary side of the comic; it limits itself to a shallow parody of physical appearance. The side-effect of teasing is that it humanizes and draws sympathy for the powerful individual towards which it is directed. Satire instead uses the comic to go against power and its oppressions, has a subversive character, and a moral dimension which draws judgement against its targets.[40][41][42][43] Fo formulated an operational criterion to tell real satire from sfottò, saying that real satire arouses an outraged and violent reaction, and that the more they try to stop you, the better is the job you are doing.[44] Fo contends that, historically, people in positions of power have welcomed and encouraged good-humoured buffoonery, while modern day people in positions of power have tried to censor, ostracize and repress satire.[37][40]
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Teasing (sfottò) is an ancient form of simple buffoonery, a form of comedy without satire's subversive edge. Teasing includes light and affectionate parody, good-humoured mockery, simple one-dimensional poking fun, and benign spoofs. Teasing typically consists of an impersonation of someone monkeying around with his exterior attributes, tics, physical blemishes, voice and mannerisms, quirks, way of dressing and walking, and/or the phrases he typically repeats. By contrast, teasing never touches on the core issue, never makes a serious criticism judging the target with irony; it never harms the target's conduct, ideology and position of power; it never undermines the perception of his morality and cultural dimension.[40][42] Sfottò directed towards a powerful individual makes him appear more human and draws sympathy towards him.[45] Hermann Göring propagated jests and jokes against himself, with the aim of humanizing his image.[46][47]
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Classifications by topics
Types of satire can also be classified according to the topics it deals with. From the earliest times, at least since the plays of Aristophanes, the primary topics of literary satire have been politics, religion and sex.[48][49][50][51] This is partly because these are the most pressing problems that affect anybody living in a society, and partly because these topics are usually taboo.[48][52] Among these, politics in the broader sense is considered the pre-eminent topic of satire.[52] Satire which targets the clergy is a type of political satire, while religious satire is that which targets religious beliefs.[53] Satire on sex may overlap with blue comedy, off-color humor and dick jokes.
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Scatology has a long literary association with satire,[48][54][55] as it is a classical mode of the grotesque, the grotesque body and the satiric grotesque.[48][56] Shit plays a fundamental role in satire because it symbolizes death, the turd being "the ultimate dead object".[54][55] The satirical comparison of individuals or institutions with human excrement, exposes their "inherent inertness, corruption and dead-likeness".[54][57][58] The ritual clowns of clown societies, like among the Pueblo Indians, have ceremonies with filth-eating.[59][60] In other cultures, sin-eating is an apotropaic rite in which the sin-eater (also called filth-eater),[61][62] by ingesting the food provided, takes "upon himself the sins of the departed".[63] Satire about death overlaps with black humor and gallows humor.
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Another classification by topics is the distinction between political satire, religious satire and satire of manners.[64] Political satire is sometimes called topical satire, satire of manners is sometimes called satire of everyday life, and religious satire is sometimes called philosophical satire. Comedy of manners, sometimes also called satire of manners, criticizes mode of life of common people; political satire aims at behavior, manners of politicians, and vices of political systems. Historically, comedy of manners, which first appeared in British theater in 1620, has uncritically accepted the social code of the upper classes.[65] Comedy in general accepts the rules of the social game, while satire subverts them.[66]
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Another analysis of satire is the spectrum of his possible tones: wit, ridicule, irony, sarcasm, cynicism, the sardonic and invective.[67][68]
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The type of humour that deals with creating laughter at the expense of the person telling the joke is called reflexive humour[69].Reflexive humour can take place at dual levels of directing humour at self or at the larger community the self identifies with. The audience's understanding of the context of reflexive humour is important for its receptivity and success [69]. Satire is found not only in written literary forms. In preliterate cultures it manifests itself in ritual and folk forms, as well as in trickster tales and oral poetry.[23]
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It appears also in graphic arts, music, sculpture, dance, cartoon strips, and graffiti. Examples are Dada sculptures, Pop Art works, music of Gilbert and Sullivan and Erik Satie, punk and rock music.[23] In modern media culture, stand-up comedy is an enclave in which satire can be introduced into mass media, challenging mainstream discourse.[23] Comedy roasts, mock festivals, and stand-up comedians in nightclubs and concerts are the modern forms of ancient satiric rituals.[23]
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Development
Ancient Egypt
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The satirical papyrus at the British Museum
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Satirical ostracon showing a cat guarding geese, c.1120 BC, Egypt.
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Figured ostracon showing a cat waiting on a mouse, Egypt
One of the earliest examples of what we might call satire, The Satire of the Trades,[70] is in Egyptian writing from the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. The text's apparent readers are students, tired of studying. It argues that their lot as scribes is not only useful, but far superior to that of the ordinary man. Scholars such as Helck[71] think that the context was meant to be serious.
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The Papyrus Anastasi I[72] (late 2nd millennium BC) contains a satirical letter which first praises the virtues of its recipient, but then mocks the reader's meagre knowledge and achievements.
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Ancient Greece
The Greeks had no word for what later would be called "satire", although the terms cynicism and parody were used. Modern critics call the Greek playwright Aristophanes one of the best known early satirists: his plays are known for their critical political and societal commentary,[73] particularly for the political satire by which he criticized the powerful Cleon (as in The Knights). He is also notable for the persecution he underwent.[73][74][75][76] Aristophanes' plays turned upon images of filth and disease.[77] His bawdy style was adopted by Greek dramatist-comedian Menander. His early play Drunkenness contains an attack on the politician Callimedon.
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The oldest form of satire still in use is the Menippean satire by Menippus of Gadara. His own writings are lost. Examples from his admirers and imitators mix seriousness and mockery in dialogues and present parodies before a background of diatribe. As in the case of Aristophanes plays, menippean satire turned upon images of filth and disease.[77]
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Roman world
The first Roman to discuss satire critically was Quintilian, who invented the term to describe the writings of Gaius Lucilius. The two most prominent and influential ancient Roman satirists are Horace and Juvenal, who wrote during the early days of the Roman Empire. Other important satirists in ancient Latin are Gaius Lucilius and Persius. Satire in their work is much wider than in the modern sense of the word, including fantastic and highly coloured humorous writing with little or no real mocking intent. When Horace criticized Augustus, he used veiled ironic terms. In contrast, Pliny reports that the 6th-century-BC poet Hipponax wrote satirae that were so cruel that the offended hanged themselves.[78]
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In the 2nd century AD, Lucian wrote True History, a book satirizing the clearly unrealistic travelogues/adventures written by Ctesias, Iambulus, and Homer. He states that he was surprised they expected people to believe their lies, and stating that he, like them, has no actual knowledge or experience, but shall now tell lies as if he did. He goes on to describe a far more obviously extreme and unrealistic tale, involving interplanetary exploration, war among alien life forms, and life inside a 200 mile long whale back in the terrestrial ocean, all intended to make obvious the fallacies of books like Indica and The Odyssey.
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Medieval Islamic world
Main articles: Arabic satire and Persian satire
Medieval Arabic poetry included the satiric genre hija. Satire was introduced into Arabic prose literature by the author Al-Jahiz in the 9th century. While dealing with serious topics in what are now known as anthropology, sociology and psychology, he introduced a satirical approach, "based on the premise that, however serious the subject under review, it could be made more interesting and thus achieve greater effect, if only one leavened the lump of solemnity by the insertion of a few amusing anecdotes or by the throwing out of some witty or paradoxical observations. He was well aware that, in treating of new themes in his prose works, he would have to employ a vocabulary of a nature more familiar in hija, satirical poetry."[79] For example, in one of his zoological works, he satirized the preference for longer human penis size, writing: "If the length of the penis were a sign of honor, then the mule would belong to the (honorable tribe of) Quraysh". Another satirical story based on this preference was an Arabian Nights tale called "Ali with the Large Member".[80]
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In the 10th century, the writer Tha'alibi recorded satirical poetry written by the Arabic poets As-Salami and Abu Dulaf, with As-Salami praising Abu Dulaf's wide breadth of knowledge and then mocking his ability in all these subjects, and with Abu Dulaf responding back and satirizing As-Salami in return.[81] An example of Arabic political satire included another 10th-century poet Jarir satirizing Farazdaq as "a transgressor of the Sharia" and later Arabic poets in turn using the term "Farazdaq-like" as a form of political satire.[82]
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The terms "comedy" and "satire" became synonymous after Aristotle's Poetics was translated into Arabic in the medieval Islamic world, where it was elaborated upon by Islamic philosophers and writers, such as Abu Bischr, his pupil Al-Farabi, Avicenna, and Averroes. Due to cultural differences, they disassociated comedy from Greek dramatic representation and instead identified it with Arabic poetic themes and forms, such as hija (satirical poetry). They viewed comedy as simply the "art of reprehension", and made no reference to light and cheerful events, or troubled beginnings and happy endings, associated with classical Greek comedy. After the Latin translations of the 12th century, the term "comedy" thus gained a new semantic meaning in Medieval literature.[83]
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Ubayd Zakani introduced satire in Persian literature during the 14th century. His work is noted for its satire and obscene verses, often political or bawdy, and often cited in debates involving homosexual practices. He wrote the Resaleh-ye Delgosha, as well as Akhlaq al-Ashraf ("Ethics of the Aristocracy") and the famous humorous fable Masnavi Mush-O-Gorbeh (Mouse and Cat), which was a political satire. His non-satirical serious classical verses have also been regarded as very well written, in league with the other great works of Persian literature. Between 1905 and 1911, Bibi Khatoon Astarabadi and other Iranian writers wrote notable satires.
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Medieval Europe
In the Early Middle Ages, examples of satire were the songs by Goliards or vagants now best known as an anthology called Carmina Burana and made famous as texts of a composition by the 20th-century composer Carl Orff. Satirical poetry is believed to have been popular, although little has survived. With the advent of the High Middle Ages and the birth of modern vernacular literature in the 12th century, it began to be used again, most notably by Chaucer. The disrespectful manner was considered "unchristian" and ignored, except for the moral satire, which mocked misbehaviour in Christian terms. Examples are Livre des Manières by Étienne de Fougères [fr] (~1178), and some of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Sometimes epic poetry (epos) was mocked, and even feudal society, but there was hardly a general interest in the genre.
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Early modern western satire
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Pieter Bruegel's 1568 satirical painting The Blind Leading the Blind.
Direct social commentary via satire returned with a vengeance in the 16th century, when farcical texts such as the works of François Rabelais tackled more serious issues (and incurred the wrath of the crown as a result).
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Two major satirists of Europe in the Renaissance were Giovanni Boccaccio and François Rabelais. Other examples of Renaissance satire include Till Eulenspiegel, Reynard the Fox, Sebastian Brant's Narrenschiff (1494), Erasmus's Moriae Encomium (1509), Thomas More's Utopia (1516), and Carajicomedia (1519).
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The Elizabethan (i.e. 16th-century English) writers thought of satire as related to the notoriously rude, coarse and sharp satyr play. Elizabethan "satire" (typically in pamphlet form) therefore contains more straightforward abuse than subtle irony. The French Huguenot Isaac Casaubon pointed out in 1605 that satire in the Roman fashion was something altogether more civilised. Casaubon discovered and published Quintilian's writing and presented the original meaning of the term (satira, not satyr), and the sense of wittiness (reflecting the "dishfull of fruits") became more important again. Seventeenth-century English satire once again aimed at the "amendment of vices" (Dryden).
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In the 1590s a new wave of verse satire broke with the publication of Hall's Virgidemiarum, six books of verse satires targeting everything from literary fads to corrupt noblemen. Although Donne had already circulated satires in manuscript, Hall's was the first real attempt in English at verse satire on the Juvenalian model.[84][page needed] The success of his work combined with a national mood of disillusion in the last years of Elizabeth's reign triggered an avalanche of satire—much of it less conscious of classical models than Hall's — until the fashion was brought to an

Hello, I am a 36-year-old man, looking for a woman who is somewhat similar to me and interested in building a long-term friendship or maybe even a relationship. Here is some basic information about me:

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Salam guys,
I have 2 indian friends who have said to me a couple times that I should come visit the guruduwara as they have good food (langar) for everyone to eat. I did say it sounded nice to them but idk if it is haram for me as they said something about the food being blessed for God/by God. Also i have never entered a non muslim religious site so i dont know the Islamic ruling.
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There's a lot going on this weekend and even better the weather forecast looks great with 60s and 70s and only a little rain on Saturday morning.
Here's 35 local events you can enjoy at Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg and throughout the New River Valley:
1. Pink Moon Peach Milkshake IPA Release Moon Hollow Brewing, Blacksburg Friday, March 24, 2023, 3:00 - 10:00 PM Admission is free. Beer and food are regular price. Moon Hollow Brewing presents the Pink Moon Peach Milkshake IPA Release in support of the local Pink Boots Society. This year’s blend contains Loral, Eukanot and HBC 586. A heaping dose of lactose, peach purée and vanilla bean also help create a rich and delicious brew. $1.00 from each pint is donated the Pink Boots Society Blue Ridge Virginia Chapter. This helps the chapter continue to put on educational, community enriching events. The Pink Boots Society aims to assist, inspire and encourage women and non-binary individuals in the fermented/alcoholic beverage industry to advance their careers through education. Food will be available for purchase from Countryman Jamaican Grill. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685855
2. Root Down in Concert Rising Silo Farm Brewery, Blacksburg Friday, March 24, 2023, 6:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free Root Down is a jazz trio based in the New River Valley. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=684803
3. College Softball: Chattanooga vs. Virginia Tech Tech Softball Park, Virginia Tech Friday, March 24, 2023, 6:00 - 8:00 PM, Saturday, March 25, 2023, 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM (Doubleheader) Admission: Free Watch the Virginia Tech Softball team compete against non-conference opponent the University of Tennessee Chattanooga in a three game series. No tickets are required for Hokie Softball games. Parking is available behind the outfield at Tech Softball Park and enter along the right field side of the stadium. Stands open one hour prior to the start of the game. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685859
4. Music Theatre: "Book of Mountains and Seas" Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg Friday, March 24, 2023, 7:30 - 9:00 PM Adult Tickets (based on seat location): $25.00 - $55.00 Virginia Tech Students with ID and Youth 18 & Under: $10.00 A daring new music theatre work by composer Huang Ruo and puppeteer, designer, and director Basil Twist, "Book of Mountains and Seas" is a modern take on ancient Chinese creation myths that are relevant to our current climate change struggle, featuring the chorus of Ars Nova Copenhagen alongside massive puppets and striking lanterns. The work is sung in Mandarin with English supertitles. Book of Mountains and Seas is inspired by the ancient Chinese compilation of early myths of the same title, which was first transcribed in 4th-century B.C. Book of Mountains and Seas is a 21st-century adaptation and expansion of four of these tales. The work contains timeless codes about the universe, creation, planet, nature, life, human ambition and fate, the relationship and interaction between mankind and the planet. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=678174
5. Will Easter & The Nomads in Concert Dogtown Roadhouse, Floyd Friday, March 24, 2023, 8:00 - 11:00 PM Admission: $8.00 Will Easter has one of those voices that is like a home-cooked meal for the soul. Will has the cool throwback rock edge of Tom Petty with the modern folk-Americana appeal of the Avett Brothers, but with something hard to put your finger on that could only be born out of the shadows and peaks of the North Carolina mountains. One iteration through a chorus and you’ll find yourself humming along, by the second time around you’ll be singing out loud, ready to hit the repeat button. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=684795
6. Juxtaposition A Cappella Spring 2023 Concert: Time For A Hoedown Haymarket Theater (Squires Student Center), Virginia Tech Friday, March 24, 2023, 8:00 - 9:30 PM Virginia Tech Students: At the Door: $7.00 Non-Students: $10.00 Juxtaposition A Cappella presents their Spring 2023 Concert titled "Time For A Hoedown". Juxtaposition will be performing seven new songs including their entire ICCA set. Juxtaposition is an all-male Virginia Tech A Capella group that was established in 1994 and has since produced seven albums and been awarded numerous awards and honors. They enjoy performing their wide repertoire of 70's, 80's, 90's and current hits. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685879
7. 2023 Ramp N Roads Eastern Elementary/Middle School, Pembroke Saturday, March 25, 2023, 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM Admission: Free Renew the New presents the 2023 Ramp N Roads where volunteers will be cleaning up litter from highways and byways, boat ramps, and river & stream access points. Be prepared to pick up litter off road in ditches and over the banks. Each volunteer will be assigned a team who will be led by captain when they arrive at Eastern Elementary/Middle School. These captains will lead the on-site clean up and will provide any needed safety instructions. There will be no buses running this year. Each volunteer will take their own car or carpool and convoy to one of the planned cleanup areas. There you will be given gloves and bags to use. Each volunteer is asked to return to Eastern Elementary at noon where they will receive pizza for a to-go lunch and a t-shirt. Volunteers need to sign up in advance. This is a rain or shine event however pick up along roadways will be suspended during active rain if it happens. ReNew The New is a volunteer organization committed to stewardship of the of the New River flowing through Southwest Virginia. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685871
8. Yoga On Tap with Blacksburg Yoga Collective Rising Silo Farm Brewery, Blacksburg Saturday, March 25, 2023, 9:30 - 10:45 AM Suggested donation of $15.00-$20.00. The Blacksburg Yoga Collective presents Yoga On Tap with an energizing and uplifting flow. Flow with Blacksburg Yoga Collective in the beautiful settings of the Rising Silo Saturdays. These Kundalini-inspired, donation-based Yoga and meditation sessions focus on therapeutic movements and various breathing techniques aimed toward collective wellness. Meditate, chant, and move together to ease stress, manifest positivity, and improve our awareness and focus. Admission includes the class and a post-yoga non-alcoholic beverage from the brewery. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685840
9. 2023 Warm Hearth Village Arts & Crafts Fair Warm Hearth Village Center, Blacksburg Saturday, March 25, 2023, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Admission: Free If you love unique, beautiful, locally handcrafted gifts and art, then attend the 2nd Annual Warm Hearth Village Arts & Crafts Fair. The show will feature high-quality artisanal goods from both artists on our campus and throughout the New River Valley. Handmade items for sale will include pottery, woodworking, home goods, accessories, soaps, candles & more. The Huckleberry Cafe will be open for grab-n-go refreshments. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=683666
10. Free Wine Tasting Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg Saturday, March 25, 2023, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM Admission: Free Vintage Cellar presents Free Wine Tasting every Saturday from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Join them for a decadent wine tasting at our free wine tasting. They will teach you all about the regions and grapes from the wines as you taste. After the tasing, grab a bottle or glass and enjoy it with some food from their kitchen. Must be 21 or older to participate. IDs required. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685724
11. Open Virginia Tech Football Practice Lane Stadium, Blacksburg Saturday, March 25, 2023, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM Admission: Free Fans are invited to attend the open practice to get an early look at how the Hokie's 2023 football squad is shaping up. Gate 6 will open up at 11:45 AM for fans to enter. Note: It is prohibited for fans to take photos and videos when the Hokies are on the field. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685711
12. 2023 Beliveau Bridal Expo Beliveau Farm Winery, Blacksburg Saturday, March 25, 2023, 12:00 - 4:00 PM Admission: Free Bring your friends and family and visit with the area's leading wedding professionals on display to plan your perfect wedding in an elegant venue. Wedding vendors such as florists, musicians, photographers, bakeries and more will set up in our Great Hall to talk to you about their services. This is a great opportunity to meet many of the vendors in one afternoon. Food and wine will be available to purchase throughout the entire event. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=684117
13. Women's Lacrosse: Boston College vs. Virginia Tech Thompson Field, Virginia Tech Saturday, March 25, 2023, 12:00 - 2:00 PM Admission: Free Watch the Virginia Tech Women's Lacrosse compete against ACC conference opponent and #7 ranked Boston College. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=684297
14. Program: Vegetable Gardening Meadowbrook Public Library, Shawsville Saturday, March 25, 2023, 1:00 - 2:00 PM Admission: Free Want to grow your own vegetables, but aren’t sure where to start? Join Dr. Emma Patterson, VCE Volunteer Master Gardener, to find out more about planning a vegetable garden, caring for it, and keeping it going through year’s end. Free seeds and soil testing kits will be provided. For ages 12 and up. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685348
15. 2023 Oyster Dinner Drive-Thru Riner Volunteer Fire Department, Riner Saturday, March 25, 2023, 2:00 - 6:00 PM Admission: $15.00 The Riner Volunteer Fire Department presents their Annual Oyster Dinner Drive-Thru featuring fried oysters, baked beans, slaw and dessert. Tickets can be purchased in advanced at Eagle Express, Riner Food Center and Village Barber Shop. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685387
16. Delta Chi's Into the Wild Benefit Concert featuring Audio Fever and The Red Ferns The Milk Parlor, Blacksburg Saturday, March 25, 2023, 2:00 - 5:00 PM Ages 21 & Over: $9.00, Ages 20 & Under: $12.00 The Delta Chi Fraternity at Virginia Tech presents their Into the Wild Benefit Concert featuring music from Audio Fever and The Red Ferns. Proceeds from ticket sales will go towards the V Foundation for Cancer Research. The Red Ferns is a groovy guitar band based in Blacksburg and Audio Fever is a Blacksburg based band as well. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685882
17. March Flashlight Tour St. Albans, Radford Saturday, March 25, 2023, 5:30 - 7:30 PM Admission: $15.00 Join St. Abans for their March 2023 Flashlight Tour which includes a little history and paranormal in one. This is a guided tour. Take a walk through the dark halls of St. Albans Sanatorium and join them for a flashlight tour of the building. Hear all the chilling tales of what paranormal investigators, and the public, have encountered within these 120 year old walls. A little bit of history, a little bit of paranormal. Tickets are available online in advance and will be sold at the door provided tickets are still available. Comfortable shoes and a flashlight are recommended as there will be lots of walking and many dark areas. Dress accordingly as the building is not climate controlled. You must be 18 years of age (16 if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian). Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685883
18. March's Beans and Banjos (Final Event) Meadowbrook Public Library, Shawsville Saturday, March 25, 2023, 6:00 - 8:00 PM Admission: $5.00 requested donation The Shawsville Ruritans and The LINC Letter presents March's Beans and Banjos and the final event of this series. Nothing lasts forever, not even Beans and Banjos. March's Beans and Banjos will be the last. Instead of having a couple of bands the organizers are inviting everyone who's ever played or sung at Beans and Banjos to come out and jam to play Beans and Banjos out in style. Beans and Banjos has been going for at least 14 years. Enjoy a dinner of beans, cornbread and desserts. Organizers ask for a donation of at least $5.00 to help keep the LINC Letter publishing. The LINC Letter is the non-profit community newsletter for Eastern Montgomery and is distributed to residents of Alleghany, Elliston, Ironto, Lafayette and Shawsville, Virginia. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685325
19. Amelia Empson in Concert Rising Silo Farm Brewery, Blacksburg Saturday, March 25, 2023, 6:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free Amelia Empson plays a variety of Indie-Folk and Americana covers and originals from the Appalachian Mountains with talent far beyond her years. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=684804
20. Salsa Night 2023 Beliveau Farm Winery, Blacksburg Saturday, March 25, 2023, 7:00 - 11:00 PM Advance Tickets: $12.00, At the Door: $15.00 Join Beliveau Farm Winery for a dancing experience with your loved one, group of friends, or come single; you are bound to have a good time no matter what. Lessons begin at 7:00 PM and the event lasts until 11:00 PM. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685126
21. 2023 March of Ales Mardi Gras Celebration German Club Manor, Virginia Tech Saturday, March 25, 2023, 7:00 PM - 12:00 AM Admission: $50.00 The Blacksburg Junior Women's Club (BJWC) presents the 2023 March of Ales Mardi Gras Celebration featuring unique beers for tasting, along with wine and a signature cocktail. Coffee, water, lemonade, hors d’oeuvres and desserts will also be available. Guests will enjoy entertainment by a DJ, dancing, and a live and silent auction. The auctions feature an extraordinary variety of items donated by local businesses and individuals. At the end of the evening, discounted Uber service will be available to guests. Tickets will be available for purchase at the door if the event is not sold out in advance. All money raised at March of Ales is used to fund service projects and donations throughout the year. The funds have benefitted groups and causes such as Special Olympics, Salvation Army, Ronald McDonald House, Montgomery County Christmas Store and many others. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685695
22. WUVT's Jazz Night with Copy Cat Syndrome and Yung LZRD Odd Fellows Building Lodge #20 (Wilson Avenue), Blacksburg Saturday, March 25, 2023, 7:00 - 10:00 PM Admission: $6.00 Join WUVT for a night filled with the sweetest jazz melodies provided by Copy Cat Syndrome and Yung LZRD. Copy Cat Syndrome is a fusion trio performing jazz based in Blacksburg, VA. LZRD is a jazz band from Blacksburg, VA. Entrance to this event is ticket only (sold online) with a maximum of 50 being sold. Doors open at 6:00 PM and the music starts at 7:00 PM. WUVT-FM 90.7 Blacksburg is the New River Valley's only source for independent, alternative programming. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685887
23. TechNotes Spring 2023 Concert: TechNotes Lightnin’: Feeling the 50s Haymarket Theater (Squires Student Center), Virginia Tech Saturday, March 25, 2023, 7:00 - 8:30 PM Advance Tickets: $5.00, At the Door: $7.00 TechNotes presents their Spring 2023 Concert titled "TechNotes Lightnin’: Feeling the 50s". Enjoy a night full of new songs and old TechNotes favorites and chances to win epic raffle prizes. TechNotes is a co-ed A Cappella group at Virginia Tech that performs at various events throughout the year. TechNotes was founded in 2010. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685878
24. Caroline Owens & Company in Concert Floyd Country Store, Floyd Saturday, March 25, 2023, 7:00 - 10:00 PM General Admission: $15.00, Reserved Seating: $20.00 Caroline Owens is a 2X IBMA nominated Bluegrass and Gospel artist. She has performed alongside many of her heroes such as Alison Krauss, Suzanne Cox, The Isaacs, Larry Gatlin, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Lorraine Jordan and many others. And, has made quite a name for herself in the North Carolina bluegrass community. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685713
25. Hoppie Vaughan & The Ministers of Soul in Concert The Floyd Center for the Arts, Floyd Saturday, March 25, 2023, 7:30 - 9:30 PM General Public: $15.00, Students: $10.00 Don't miss your chance to see the long awaited return of Hoppie Vaughan & The Ministers of Soul. It will be a fun, funky night of soul. The diversely talented Hoppie Vaughan is all about the soul! He is a blue eyed soul singer, song writer, guitar and bass player. Besides performing solo, he is the front man for Hoppie Vaughan and the Ministers of Soul based out of Roanoke, VA performing classic soul, R&B, blues and funk. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685712
26. Three Band Concert with Kenny Vaughan, Sullivan Smith & Stray Lions and Friend of the Three Southpaw Cafe & Community Space, Blacksburg Saturday, March 25, 2023, 7:30 - 10:00 PM Admission: $5.00 Southpaw Cafe & Community Space presents a Three Band Concert with Kenny Vaughan, Sullivan Smith & Stray Lions and Friend of the Three. Friend of the Three is a band based in Virginia that performs adult alternative, pop and rock. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685881
27. Stand-Up Comedy Show Lost In Taste, Christiansburg Saturday, March 25, 2023, 10:00 PM - TBD Admission: $7.00 The Cosmic Comedy Club returns with performances by comedians Sage Delong, Derek Budd, Julia Goyer, Tony Rodriguez, Jermaine Callando and hosted by Andrew Gustafson. Recommended for ages 18 & up. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685853
28. 2023 Hot Diggity Dog Day (Fun for Your Dog) Beliveau Farm Winery, Blacksburg Sunday, March 26, 2023, 12:00 - 6:00 PM Admission: Free Bring your pup and come have a day at Beliveau Farm Winery annual canine event. There's 165 acres of dog fun for your furrr-ever friend to explore and relax. Fresh air, dog parade, lots of outdoor space. Beliveau will have food and drinks for purchase throughout the day. With every hot-dog sold, they are donating 20% of our proceeds to the Montgomery County Humane Society. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685322
29. Community Quilting Bee: Rotary Cutting Fabric Blacksburg Library, Blacksburg Sunday, March 26, 2023, 1:00 - 3:00 PM Admission: Free Blacksburg Library presents their monthly Community Quilting Bee with the the topic "Rotary Cutting Fabric". This month atteneeds will learn how to use a rotary cutter and ruler to make accurate fabric pieces. Everyone is welcome including beginners. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685349
30. Book Club: The Winemaker Blacksburg Wine Lab, Blacksburg Sunday, March 26, 2023, 1:00 - 3:00 PM Admission: $40.00 Join the Blacksburg Wine Lab for the Wine Lab Book Club tasting & discussing featuring "The Winemaker" by Noah Gordon. About The Winemaker: Josep Alvarez is a young man in the tiny grape-growing village of Santa Eulália, in northern Spain, where his father grows black grapes that are turned into cheap vinegar. Joseph loves the agricultural life, but he is the second son, and his father’s vineyard will be inherited by his brother Donat, the firstborn. He yearns for a job growing grapes and for an opportunity to marry Teresa Gallego. In Madrid, an assassination plot, conceived against the political leader of Spain by men of wealth and power, creates a storm of intrigue that sucks into its vortex a group of innocent young farm workers in Santa Eulália. How Josep’s life is changed drastically by these events, and how, ironically, they gradually turn him into an inspired vintner with an evolving vision of life, is the fascinating story of "The Winemaker". During the Book Club, enjoy four fantastic Spanish wines to taste. Chef Bryan will create a pairing board of house–made Spanish tapas, cheese and charcuterie to accompany the tasting. Reservations required. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685385
31. Willard Gayheart and Ricky Cox performing "Old Favorite Songs of the Blue Ridge" Floyd United Methodist Church, Floyd Sunday, March 26, 2023, 2:30 - 3:30 PM Admission: Free The Floyd County Historical Society presents an encore performance of Willard Gayheart and Ricky Cox performing "Old Favorite Songs of the Blue Ridge. Ricky Cox’s friendship with Willard Gayheart also goes back 35 years. This shows in the programs they present together, harmonizing and appreciating one another’s contributions as they delight their audiences. Willard is a pencil artist from Southwest Virginia. He is originally from Eastern Kentucky, working mostly from the theme "Nostalgic Glimpses of the Appalachians". His works are positive images of Appalachian Culture, presenting the region as a place alive with interesting personalities. Besides his artistic talent with the pencil, Willard is also an accomplished bluegrass musician having played as a member of the bluegrass band The Highlanders. Ricky Cox has been entertaining and educating many of us for decades. Throughout his teaching career at Radford University he shared the history and culture of our region through his music and writing, earning a number of special recognitions along the way. Ricky contributed his photographic talents to the second of two books featuring Willard Gayheart’s drawings. Note: The event was originally scheduled for Sunday, March 12th, but had to be postponed due to inclement weather. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685328
32. Blacksburg Community Band Spring Concert Blacksburg High School Auditorium, Blacksburg Sunday, March 26, 2023, 3:00 - 4:00 PM Admission: Free The Blacksburg Community Band presents their Spring Concert conducted by David McKee and Associate Conductor, Dean Chiapetto. Christiansburg High School's band director, David Miller, will be guest conducting. Jefferson Ritchie will solo on trombone. The Blacksburg Community Band, Inc. is an all-volunteer community organization formed in 1989 under the auspices of the Department of Parks and Recreation in the Town of Blacksburg. The ensemble is open to individuals of all ages and ability levels from the New River Valley and surrounding areas. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685314
33. Helping Hands Fundraiser with Spaghetti Dinner and Live Music Belview United Methodist Church, Radford Sunday, March 26, 2023, 4:30 - 7:30 PM Donations Appreciated Join Belview United Methodist Church for some fun and great fellowship all while helping support a wonderful mission. Help them fund their Helping Hands Pantry by enjoying a spaghetti dinner starting at 4:30 PM, silent auction, raffle and live music from Eddie & Sherry Richards and Spoken For beginning at 6 PM. Belview's Helping Hands Pantry supplies clothes, personal care items, cleaning items and household items to those in need in Montgomery County, Radford, Dublin, Giles County and Pulaski and other surrounding areas. The Silent Auction starts at 1:30 PM and ends at 7:30 PM with over 40 items to bid on. There are over $2,000 in prizes for the raffle. Raffle tickets are $5.00 each, $10.00 for three or $20.00 for seven. Donate a pack of diapers, pull-ups or Depends and get three free raffle tickets on the day of the event. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685880
34. Indian Run Stringband in Concert Palisades Restaurant, Eggleston Sunday, March 26, 2023, 5:00 - 7:30 PM Admission: Free The Indian Run Stringband from Blacksburg, VA plays fiddle and banjo foot stomping dance tunes and sings traditional songs with old time harmonies perfect for dancing the two step. From dance tunes to the blues, the Indian Run Stringband plays with love and abandon. They make old-time music fresh and new. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685310
35. Virginia Tech Percussion Ensemble in Concert with Guest Artist Michael Burritt Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg Sunday, March 26, 2023, 6:00 - 7:30 PM General Public: $15.00, Seniors: $12.00, Students & Youth: $10.00 The Virginia Tech Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Annie Stevens, performs a concert with guest artist Michael Burritt who is one of his generation’s leading percussionists. He is in frequent demand, performing concert tours and master classes throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia and Canada. He has been soloist with the United States Air Force Band, Dallas Wind Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Ju Percussion Group (Taiwan), Percussion Art Quartet (Germany) and the Amores Percussion Group (Spain). Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=685872
Have a great weekend and thanks for reading!

Assets and Debt

Retirement Balance: $36,428 in a Roth IRA, $4,571 in an individual brokerage account, and $19,960 in a 401k. Right now I contribute 6% because my company’s match policy maxes out at 3%. I’ve always contributed this much regardless of my salary progression to max out my company’s policy. I’ve been at the same company for the entirety of my salaried career so this is all of it too!
I go to my Dad for pretty much everything money-related. I’m very lucky to have a father who opened up a Roth IRA for me at 22 and practically forced me to open up my own brokerage account a little before I turned 26. Right now I contribute $250 a month to my Roth and $250 to the S&P 500 at the end of every month. This is an automatic payment out of my bank account so I always leave enough in my checking account for this to avoid a late fee. My dad is huge on maxing out a Roth IRA so my parents match the other $3,000 each year. I would have significantly less in my Roth IRA without this and I’m extremely grateful. Apart from this and my phone bill I’m financially independent and would love to make a little more money soon so I can max out my Roth IRA on my own. (It’d really be ideal if I stayed on my parents' family plan for my phone though haha.)
As mentioned before, I really didn’t want to open up a brokerage account at first because I was (and still am) extremely intimidated by the whole process. Eventually I gave in and we settled on an automatic payment to the S&P 500 so I really don’t have to think about things. As usual, my dad was right and I’m really proud of that $4,571 since opening it up. I contribute the same amount regardless of how well the market is doing too to make it easier. I also do not touch this money ever because my spending habits can be all over the place (I’m working on it!)
Savings Account Balance: $1,580 in emergency savings
At the height of the pandemic this was up to $10k. I paid NYC rent while living with my parents until my lease ended and then kept living between my house or my BF’s to save as much as possible. Living at home really messed with my relationship with my parents (and my independence honestly) so I scrambled back to NYC in June of 2021 and furnished this apartment with the majority of my emergency savings. My boyfriend lives with me now but he didn’t then, so this felt AWESOME knowing I did it by myself. I’d ideally love for this number to be much higher so I’m working on it. It’s admittedly been hard because of my spending habits.
Checking Account Balance: $551.63
As mentioned above, I contribute $500 at the end of every month so I like to keep that amount in my checking account. I put all expenses on my credit cards and only pay rent and utilities directly from this account at the end of the month when I get paid.
Credit Card Debt: $0

Income

Income Progression: I started as a “mommy’s helper” when I was 12 years old for some families on my street and quickly became the resident babysitter on the block as I got older. This was great money in high school in addition to my jobs! Through high school and college I worked as a cashier at a bakery, a receptionist at a hair salon, a day-camp counselor, an associate at Skechers (this was easily my favorite because 3 of my best friends worked there at the same time), a wedding videographer, and the front desk of a camera equipment facility at my college.
I’ve been working in social media (with a focus on video production/editing) for 6 years, two years of which were internships. I’ve been at my current job for just shy of 4 years now at an advertising agency in NYC. I graduated college in 2018 with a 6-month fellowship at a pretty big news website as a video producer making $22/hour. I was one of about 50 interns (15 of which were also part of my graduating class). The job description was identical to that of an Associate Video Producer and the only difference was the pay. I remember being devastated when I wasn’t offered a salary of $50,000 like some of the people in my intern class.
For the next 6 months I was living the unemployed life. This was a super dark time in my life and I remember feeling so worthless. The amount of unanswered applications really got to me and I really wanted someone to just give me a chance. During this time I made due by walking and watching more dogs than I can count (S.O. Rover and Wag!) and wrote a ton of freelance articles. Fun fact, I only heard back from companies during my employment that I had connections at. (I was ghosted or immediately rejected from every other company I applied to. Connections. Are. Everything.)
Finally, I was hired as a Video Editor working on a TV network account. My starting salary was $60,000 which I was super happy about at the time so I didn’t even bother negotiating (huge mistake!) I only made this salary for about 9 months before the pandemic hit and I was partially furloughed. My salary was cut by 20% for the next 6 months. Making $48,000 obviously wasn’t fun but I was living at home at the time and my only real expense was the rent I was still paying in NYC so I was still able to save a good amount at this time. I also got Fridays off because of this and it was a DREAM!!! I’ve never been more productive honestly so I’m a hugeeee fan of the four-day work week trend going around right now. Right around my 2-year anniversary I got Wa 15% raise to $69,000. 11 months after that I was promoted to Social Media Producer and my current salary of $80,040.
Monthly Take Home: $4,413.40

Expenses

Rent: $1100 (my boyfriend and I currently share a lofted studio for $2200/month)
I’ve been in my current apartment for just shy of 2 years now which is a big deal considering I left every apartment prior to this after my 1 year lease ended! Our current lease is up in September and we’re DYING for more space.. I’m really nervous considering the housing market in New York so TBD on how that’s gonna go.
Electric: $35ish in the winter (my share). My share of the bill can go up to $115 or so over the summer which is brutal.
Subscriptions:
Gym: $92
Apple Music: $10.99
Pet insurance (my share): $24.40
Wifi: $54.99 (I cover Wifi in full and my boyfriend covers Youtube TV for us)
Debt Payments: I’m very lucky that I have $0 debt after school.
Parental Help: Phone plan, Streaming services (Amazon Prime, Netflix, HBOMax, etc. and their Roth IRA match for me every year).

Diary

Day 1:
9:15am: I roll out of bed (I’ve been working on going to bed and waking up earlier and am failing). Since it’s Friday I order pick up from the Starbucks down the street and pick up H and my usual orders. I’ve been known to get into funks where I order Starbucks every day for H and I. Right now I only allow myself Friday Starbucks to combat this. I pre-load my card in $25 increments so technically this order was free.
9:30am: I’m back and ready to start my work day. I anticipate a pretty quiet work day today and since it’s my birthday this weekend I really want a haircut. I found an amazing place in Chinatown months ago that I want to go back to because I’m not trying to spend a ton of money. I call and make an appointment for 5pm
4:30pm: I leave my apartment and get ready to catch the Subway to Chinatown. $2.75
5:40pm: I chopped a few inches off and my hair hasn’t been this short since I graduated college. I’m especially obsessed with my hair because of the price. $51.60 with tip!
5:45pm: I make it to the subway and get ready to go home. $2.75
6:15pm: I make it home and greet my dog and get him dinner. As I’m going through my closet and trying to figure out what to wear for my birthday celebration tomorrow, I get a FaceTime from one of my friends from home. She made it to the city (she’s staying at a mutual friend's place) and is wondering if I want to grab dinner and drinks with them. I accept and start to get ready.
H has been out all day watching March Madness games with his friends so I make sure to give our puppy some extra treats and love while I’m home. After a long shower I throw on my coat and get ready to meet my friends for dinner.
7:15pm: I make it down to the Q with 1 minute to spare before the next downtown train. Always a win! $2.75
7:45pm: I greet my two friends L and P and we immediately start discussing what we’re craving for dinner. We eventually settled on a Mexican place just a short walk away. We get large specialty margaritas, an order of guac and chips, and three orders of enchiladas. It honestly was not the best dinner considering we didn’t get our drink orders until we were halfway through our entrees. Upon getting the bill, we noticed that the restaurant charged a 20% tip with our orders so we split the bill evenly three ways! $76
After dinner we make our way back to P’s apartment. After a couple more hours of catching up I decided to call an Uber home. $22.91
Daily total: $135.85
Day 2:
9:30am: I wake up and am already so excited for the night ahead. (That’s my excuse because I decided to break my Starbucks rule right after I wake up). This time I do have to reload my card. $25.00
9:45am: I make a quick trip to the grocery store for some breakfast supplies for H and I. I’m cooking today! $15.78
Our dinner reservation isn’t until 8pm and I have no plans before then so I lounged for most of the day. At one point H and I decided to take our dog to the dog park for an hour before starting to get ready for the night ahead.
H picks up the car to the restaurant. We went to a pizza place that makes pizzas up to 10 feet long and it was such a fun night. One of my best girlfriends and I share a birthday three days apart so we decided to celebrate together this year. The final bill is $1402.20 and I am happy to put my Amex down for the 4x credit card points. (Fun fact: I have not paid for a flight out of pocket in two years since having this card. I love it!) People will be paying me back though, so my share is only $78.
We spent the rest of the night bar hopping and ringing in my birthday at midnight. It was honestly such a great night. When we were finally done dancing and ready to turn in, H and I caught a cab with one of my best friends and her boyfriend since we live close. H picked up the tab as well as my drinks throughout the course of the night so it was technically free!
2:20am: We arrive home and start getting ready for bed. I start chugging water hoping I’m not hungover on my birthday. (I swear my hangovers get worse every year).
Daily total: $118.78
Day 3:
10:30am: My steady water intake from the night before definitely helped because I woke up not hungover! I spent the morning cuddling up to H and my puppy on the couch while I answered several “Happy Birthday” phone calls from my family members. I seriously have the best family in the world and I’m so grateful for my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins that still take the time to this day to make the day feel special!
12:00pm: Five of my friends from home show up at my apartment because we’re planning to all go to a birthday brunch together before they catch their trains home. We settle on a fun diner and H joins us! Since it’s my birthday, my friends and H all split my meal for me so it was free.
2:00pm: My friends grab their bags from my apartment and we start to say our goodbyes. I’m so happy they were all able to come in for the weekend to celebrate!
4:00pm: Since I’m not as full from lunch anymore I decide it’s time for my birthday Starbucks. I always try to order something expensive since it’s free!
7:00pm: After a nap and some lounging on the couch, H asks me what I want for dinner. I settle on sushi and H ordered UberEats for us.
The rest of my birthday consisted of watching Netflix, taking a 30 minute shower and doing a face mask before crawling into bed. It was truly such a nice and relaxing birthday after the night before. 10/10.
Daily Total: $0
Day 4:
8:30am: It’s Monday and it feels very much like it because it’s pouring outside. I spent much of the day working from my couch instead of my desk because it felt right.
12:30pm: H stays home on Mondays too and neither of us feel like making lunch. I venture out and buy us some Sweetgreen for lunch. $28.69
2:00pm: Today is an extremely slow day at work so I decided to subway to my friend's apartment to pick up some of the leftover pizza from Saturday night earlier than planned to avoid rush hour. I want this pizza to be our dinner tonight so I can avoid cooking again. $2.75
3:00pm: After some catching up with my friend I returned to the subway with pizza in tow! $2.75
3:30pm: On my way home I stop by the local smoke shop and see my friend Mary Jane. Since she’s legal now in New York I’m seeing her more often. $135.20
4:30pm: I’m going to a friend’s Bachelorette next month and one of her bridesmaids just sent the itinerary for the weekend ahead. She asked us to Venmo her for a couple of the activities ahead of time. This is going to be my first Bachelorette I’m attending so I don’t have much to compare to, but this entire process has been so organized in my opinion and the bridesmaids have done a great job at keeping it as affordable as possible. $70.62
7:30pm: I finish out the rest of my workday and heat up some of the leftover pizza from Saturday in the airfryer for H and I. I love enjoying my Monday nights watching the Bachelor with a glass of wine in hand, so I pick up a bottle of wine from a shop right off the subway. $16.32
After a couple glasses of wine and “the most dramatic episode ever of the Bachelor” H and I start getting ready for bed.
Daily total: $256.33
Day 5:
8:30am: I roll out of bed and start getting ready for my workday. I had to shoot a couple pieces of content this day so I didn’t spend much of the day sitting down which was really nice. I currently work on a couple food brands’ social media content doing anything from food styling, food photography, video content, etc. It’s a lot of fun and definitely allows me to tap into my creative side.
12:30pm: Since I worked through my lunch while eating more leftover pizza, I decided to get a gel manicure during my lunch break. This is a habit I picked up after my last promotion and I don’t regret it. I’m really trying to prioritize self care the more I get older. $46.59 with tip
5:30pm: I finish out the rest of my work day and start to get ready for some dinner plans with a friend who couldn’t make it Saturday night.
7:00pm: I say goodbye to H and my puppy and catch the train downtown to dinner. $2.75
10:30pm: My friend and I spent hours at this restaurant gossiping and ended up being the last two people there! Oops! It was a cute little Indian restaurant and reasonably priced considering the amount of food we ordered. We split the bill down the middle. $69.44
11:00pm: I arrive home after getting myself a cab home instead of taking the subway. I had a bad experience not too long ago and I like to avoid going late at night if possible. I know it’s not the best financial habit but tonight I feel anxious. $22.20
Daily total: $140.98
Day 6:
9:30am: I totally stayed up way too late scrolling on TikTok last night after dinner so I sleep in super late this morning. Thankfully today is just a meeting day for me so I settle in at my desk and try to imagine my Keurig coffee is Starbucks instead.
12:30pm: H had to stay home today from work because of an arrest warrant that went wrong on the street of his office building (scary!) I have a buy-one get one free deal at Chipotle that’s going to expire soon so I offer to buy us lunch. $17.42
Tonight H and I have dinner plans with one of his best friends and his girlfriend P. P and I also have birthdays just a couple days apart so the four of us decided to celebrate together.
5:30pm: I stop working and start getting ready for our 8pm reservation. We’re going to Il Mulino which is one of our favorites but definitely more of a special occasion restaurant due to the prices.
7:30pm: H wants to take a taxi to dinner so he offers to pay. We get to Il Mulino just in time for our reservation and had such a great night. After a few hours we notice that we’re the last table at the restaurant and H makes a joke that I did this the night before too. (I promise this is not a typical thing for me haha). H splits the tab with P’s boyfriend.
10:45pm: I order H and I an Uber home and we call it a night pretty much immediately. $17.16
Daily total: $34.58
Day 7:
8:30am: Another day of meetings for me. I have a couple of client meetings where I have to present some of the content I’ve made in the last couple of weeks that all went well.
12:30pm: H stayed home again today because we’re planning to visit his family this weekend and we need to pack. I’m really jealous because H has leftovers from our dinner but I don’t so I have to go out and buy lunch. I buy myself some chili and a piece of bread from a place near our apartment. $10.89
6:00pm: I polish off the rest of the day by brainstorming a couple more concepts for the month ahead with my Social Media Manager. Around 6:30pm H’s dad picks us up (he drives to Manhattan every day) and we start driving home to H’s family’s house. Although we always run into traffic, H and I like doing this because it’s easy with our puppy and we avoid paying for a train.
8:00pm: H’s dad picked up a pizza on the way home for all of us to enjoy and we’re starving by the time we get back to the house. After dinner we caught up with H’s brother and watched some Netflix before going to bed.
Daily Total: $10.89
Weekly Total: $697.41
Reflections: This was definitely an expensive week for me but I do identify as a messy spender for a reason. I don’t typically go out to eat as much as I did this week but it was my birthday and I definitely celebrated! (If this were my weekly total every week I wouldn’t be able to keep my credit card debt at $0 so do keep that in mind). I’ve been working on saying no more to things if I don’t think they’re worth the money and my friends and I tend to cook in our apartments together more than going out anyways but it certainly is interesting seeing how much money I can waste by cutting corners like subways and cooking lunch/dinner. As I mentioned in the Assets and Debt section I don’t touch any of my investments for a reason because the amount of money I spend month to month can be drastically different. Here’s to a much more frugal next week of spending!

What would we do if one day Mexican were like “nah we don’t do tacos and burritos anymore” would we still call if Mexican food or would there be a war to claim it for someone else’s culture. Same for Chinese food, maybe not so much for Indian food, but some others got good food out there.

Hello, I'm looking for a close friend. Ideally to chat regularly over tea catch ups, restaurants, shopping, long walks, exhibitions/galleries, video gaming, binging TV shows, movies at the cinemas etc. You get the jist, like an activity buddy but good friends too.
A little about me, I'm an INFJ and work full time within an STEM career. I'm quite family oriented, respectful, understanding and patient. Can also be very silly and sassy but love to make others laugh/smile. I'm in a long term long distance relationship.
Massive foodie, love Turkish, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Indian and willing to try different foods. My music taste is mostly in hip hop, rap, grime, r'n'b etc. I do like heavy metal, pop, acoustic, punk rock songs too! Taste in films is very eclectic Comic book based Studio Ghibli, horror, martial arts, action, drama, comedy, crime, thrillers - my most favourite being psychological thrillers (think Oldboy 2003).
If you think we could be friends or you just want to chat about something you read in my post, then please get in touch.
Toodles!

Hello, I'm looking for a close friend. Ideally to chat regularly over tea catch ups, restaurants, shopping, long walks, exhibitions/galleries, video gaming, binging TV shows, movies at the cinemas etc. You get the jist, like an activity buddy but good friends too.
A little about me, I'm an INFJ and work full time within an STEM career. I'm quite family oriented, respectful, understanding and patient. Can also be very silly and sassy but love to make others laugh/smile. I'm in a long term long distance relationship.
Massive foodie, love Turkish, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Indian and willing to try different foods. My music taste is mostly in hip hop, rap, grime, r'n'b etc. I do like heavy metal, pop, acoustic, punk rock songs too! Taste in films is very eclectic Comic book based Studio Ghibli, horror, martial arts, action, drama, comedy, crime, thrillers - my most favourite being psychological thrillers (think Oldboy 2003).
If you think we could be friends or you just want to chat about something you read in my post, then please get in touch.
Toodles!

Hello, I'm looking for a close friend. Ideally to chat regularly over tea catch ups, try out different restaurants, shopping, long walks, exhibitions/galleries, video gaming, binging TV shows or movies at the cinemas etc. You get the jist, like an activity buddy but good friends too.
A little about me, I'm an INFJ and work full time within an STEM career. I'm quite family oriented, respectful, understanding and patient. Can also be very silly and sassy but love to make others laugh/smile. I'm in a long term long distance relationship.
Massive foodie, love Turkish, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Indian and willing to try different foods. My music taste is mostly in hip hop, rap, grime, r'n'b etc. I do like heavy metal, pop, acoustic, punk rock songs too! Taste in films is very eclectic Comic book based Studio Ghibli, horror, martial arts, action, drama, comedy, crime, thrillers - my most favourite being psychological thrillers (think Oldboy 2003).
If you think we could be friends or you just want to chat about something you read in my post, then please get in touch.
Toodles!