I’m an Emirati and have lived through the Iran conflict and seen it with my own eyes, interceptions, shrapnels, a drone or two. I’ve got quite a few personal anecdotes and stories from close family members, so ask me anything regarding that. Or you can ask me anything regarding the UAE.

Worked for myself for 20 years. Had built up a nice little client list that generated recurring work. Two to three months work per year.

Job involved a lot of travel all over the world for short projects - 2 days here, a week there. Longest assignments were 6-8 weeks but I stopped them a long time ago.

Daily rates ranged from $4k to $12k/day, depending on work and client.

But I decided to give it away in favour of something I've wanted to do for years. Take photos - mostly landscapes, transportation and local sports.

AMA

Jessica and I have been best friends for 10 years. She has a 4-year-old daughter who I help raise, and neither of us have any romantic feelings for the other. We’re married because it makes sense for us and our situation.
we have very “traditional roles” I handle the finances, and she takes care of the house.

Currently it’s bow season for black bear, whitetail deer and wild turkey. Feel free to ask any questions you wanna know about big game hunting. Whether you agree or disagree, shoot me a question (like what I did there?)

I see a lot on Reddit about cost of living and housing cost.

There are a lot of factors that play into this that I never see discussed.

However, the 5 common misconceptions and misunderstandings I see that are never discussed and are major factors-

1. Many of the sale previous sale prices being used as examples do not take into account that most of these areas were not desirable at the time and the areas have changed over 60 years.
“My parents only paid $50,000 for their house now it’s $600,000” “yeah the houses I can afford are in the middle of nowhere or the hood I don’t want to live there”

Housing has never been affordable and a $50,000 house was not in a desirable area.

Some were far out, some were dangerous areas, some had no infrastructure around them, many were subdivisions with a commute to the city but cities have expanded making them close and desirable now.

1. Owning a home with a mortgage was cheaper than at any point in history 2015-2023

Homes actually have NOT gone up as much as they should have when tracked against inflation. This only applies for cash purchases. Anything FINANCED with a mortgage cost more.

The total sale price is higher but the monthly payments very similar and even CHEAPER up until 2022. Now they’ve gone up but still MUCH LOWER than where inflation would put them. If it kept up with inflation and the interest rate of the time it would be $3,866 a month but it’s $2,411

Average sale price and interest rates by year

——————-1981 2021. 2026.
Interest rate. 19%. 2%. 6%.
Sale price: $83,000. $346,900. $502,700
Monthly: $1,055. $1,025. $2,411

* numbers do not include taxes and insurance.

There are also several grants, programs and housing incentives today that did not exist at the time. Bringing the cost of entry below $10,000 and sometimes almost $0.

1. Land, Labor & material cost to build
   I never see any of the discussions factor in the cost of material, the cost of labor needed to get a house up today and the shortage of land that can be developed for homes.
   This is part of the reason there is a housing shortage that has been growing for the last 12ish years.

These are huge factors, because it’s more expensive to build a house today than to buy an existing one. There is a shortage of skilled labor making the cost significantly higher than previously seen and building material is at an all time high.

That all factors into existing prices because of scarcity and high demand.

1. Taxes. Property taxes have gone up average of 62% since the 70s and even 200% in major cities that have developed since.

This all goes into the cost the current owner has put into that property and will be passed on in the sale price.

1. People are not cohabiting and it’s making a greater gap.

Record numbers of men and women living separately. You need double the amount of housing for the same amount of people.

But we were already short on houses and this makes the gap bigger.

There are many single men and women who have purchased 3 bedroom homes because the mortgage from years 2015-2023 was cheaper than renting and they live along taking up a home that traditionally houses a family of about 3 or 4.

The average 3 bedroom home price in 2021 was $325,000. The monthly mortgage payment was $961

The average rent for a 1 bedroom apartment was $1,594.

Instead of renting, People were buying 3 bedroom homes and paying half what they would for rent.

I first hand sold multiple 3 bedroom homes to mostly single women.

This is another part of the deficit.

After reading those points, if there is anything else I can break down and explain. I am happy to.

I started solo travelling when I was 19 and it’s been a bundle of experiences and amazing times and moments. If anyone has any questions feel free I’d be happy to answer and share my experiences. Nothing is off limits AMA!

For most of my life i have written graffiti. Primarily, I paint illegally will continue to do so, legal spots do not feel the same. I’m curious to see what people may want to ask about the subject as it’s not a common conversation that can be had with strangers. I’ve posted on this thread before with this same statement and get different lines of conversation each time so i’m eager to answer any questions, judgments or opinions on the matter.

it’s been fun again, if anyone has any burning questions i will still reply, thanks for your time!

Starting in September of 2025 I snagged a mall kiosk job selling collectibles, from that point I worked in a clothing store, POPMART, and jewlery store.. the way mall stores are run is absolutely nuts. So please ask me anything.

Please read FAQs before you ask questions :)

YES, I know who my bio parents are.
NO, I do not live with my non bio parents.
YES, my non bio parents have their own kids.
NO, I do not call my bio parents mom and dad.
NO, my parents were not together when I was born.

I made this post about 3 months ago but decided to make one again since I think this topic is overall a good discussion to have, especially for younger individuals who believe they have to pick between their transition and playing sports at a collegiate level.

I am a D3 NCAA diver at an academically rigorous school in the Midwest. I was recruited since I was a gymnast growing up for 8 years (got to Womens artistic level 8) before quitting and doing pole vault.

Transition wise, I’ve been on hormones for almost 8 months, stealth-passing, and I have not had top surgery

As for competitions, I land right smack in the middle when it comes to placement. I’m not the best by any means.. but I’m also not the worst. At my last meet, I got 3rd on 1 M and 3 M.

prior to recruitment, I had never done dive at all in my life But according to my coach, I’m doing really good for never doing this before.

I work with Pigs every weekend at a pasture pork operation. Love the guys, one of the boars is my best friend. I want to eventually have my own pasture pork operation, but I don’t know if I’ll ever have the money. I run a hoof trimming business for sheep and goats. I’m looking to get back into trimming pig hooves but still have some learning to do on them.

Yes, this is my actual living situation. And no, it’s not nearly as dramatic as it sounds. 💀
A few months ago, I moved out of my parents’ house and into my ex-boyfriend’s childhood bedroom. He moved away for law school, and I essentially took his place in the house.
So now I live with his mom and younger sister.
Here’s where it gets interesting:
My ex and I are still friends. His family and I are genuinely close. His mom is technically my landlord, his sister is my roommate, and I have an entirely different boyfriend.
And somehow? Nobody thinks this is weird anymore.
I pay rent, have my own space, and live a pretty normal life. Except whenever I explain my living situation to someone new, I realize how ridiculous it sounds.
I feel like there’s a million questions people could ask about this arrangement, so go ahead.
AMA. 😂

I got laid off yesterday with 550 other employees. We didn't get a meeting, an email or even a message over MS teams. We all lost access to our official accounts and got forcefully signed out of the computers. The HR stayed silent till the end of the day and then sent emails on our personal email IDs. AMA

Thank you all for asking questions. All of you are extremely nice and kind people. all the best for everyone going through the same.

At age 12, I experienced some issues which caused me to be sent to a psych ward. There are some extremely personal things that happened that I don't want to talk about, but I'll give you the basics below.

My memory of this experience is somewhat foggy for the second half of my stay, since some extremely traumatic things happened here.

I witnessed teenagers getting restrained, hit, threatened, verbally abused, neglected, and over medicated.

I was put in a ward with teenagers ages 15-18. Since I was the youngest, the other patients were very interested in me, some for bad purposes.

I was put on a medication that I didn't actually need. The medicine I was already taking had its doses upped much too quickly.

There's more, feel free to ask any questions :)

Basically the title.

Long story short, I've been a highly profitable sports bettor over the past 5 years with many thousands of +EV bets and have since grown a substantial bankroll utilizing strict bankroll management (i.e. not building this bankroll from a few big scores but thousands of little ones).

After long contemplation, I pulled the trigger this morning and sent in my resignation.

I am 26 years old living in the U.S.

There is a lot of negative stigma caused from fake influencers flaunting what is DEFINITELY NOT the true life of a "professional sports bettor", and I'd be happy to clear up any misconceptions or misunderstandings resulting from it.

My life is actually quite boring. No lambos, no fancy watches. I drive a Prius. Pretty much just staring at data all day. If you watched me work, it'll just look like I'm working a regular finance job lmao.

Ask me anything!

PSA: If someone is selling picks, they are almost certainly a scammer. Please don't send money to these clowns.

As I mentioned in the title, I’m 32 years old, and I haven’t seen a doctor in 16 years. I haven’t even had a routine checkup or a blood test during that time to see how my blood sugar, cholesterol, liver, and kidneys are doing.

Obviously, this isn’t something to be proud of, and some of you are probably thinking, “What an idiot!” But the thing is, I don’t have any symptoms.

Of course, a lot of diseases don’t cause any noticeable symptoms, so at this point, I honestly have no idea whether I’m actually healthy or not so if I went for a checkup now, the doctor might look at my results and say, “I’m sorry, I wish you’d come in a little sooner”😅

Just anything, I'm glad to meet friends here:) I'm just interested in cultures and views of other countrie. Please be fine to talk with me if u don't wanna hear some bad words.why I have to type more than 200 characters....

As the title says, I used to be addicted to VRChat. If you don't know what that is, it's basically and app on virtual reality goggles where you can do all sorts of different activities and interact with people by using body tracking.

I am a 33 year old woman from the US. I‘ll be an open book. if I can give one person in my situation the courage to leave, this will be worth it. trolls will be ignored, otherwise I will be a totally open book!

I am originally from Morocco, but I was born and lived my life in Switzerland. I am a product of both Western and Arab-Muslim culture. I am 25 years old and work in a factory. I know that people tend to be interested in anything concerning the Middle East, North Africa, immigration, identity, culture or religion so feel free to ask anything. My views are my own and don’t necessarily represent every person who’s in my situation

I turned 46 today. Normally I underplay the heck out of my birthday, but my wife very firmly reminded me that I deserve kindness and celebration. Therefore, I am leaning into this, because I am nothing if not literal (it's the 'tism). So, ask me anything!

So I'm from a small town called thetford in Norfolk uk. I have lived here almost my whole life and have seen a lot go on and heard of a lot going on. Like every town it has its good and bad, fun and creepy. Ask me anything

🌯 ASK ME ANYTHING! 🔥
I grew up in the kebab business. My father spent almost his entire life working in this industry, and together, we’ve owned 5 shops.

The kebab business has always been part of my life. After growing up around it, I eventually opened my own shop, and now I’ve been running it for 5 years and counting! 💪
From the secrets behind a great kebab to the reality of running a food business, I’ve experienced a lot along the way.

So, if you’ve ever wondered what it’s really like to work in the kebab business, run your own shop, or turn years of experience into your own business…

👇 ASK ME ANYTHING!

No question is off-limits!

This isn't me boasting or anything, its an accurate label to discribe my circumstance. I am the textbook deffinition of a "gifted child" yah know, like a kid in a crappy childrens story. I got good grades, teachers told my parents "this kids got potential", got into all the honors classes etc. Well to put it bluntly that REALLY messed up my development. I developed anxiety disorders at like, two so you could imagine what all the constant, "you're a really smart kid" did to my mental image. I never felt smart and it caused me to have severe imposter syndrome. I am now 18 years old with my grades in the toilet and any hope of getting into any college CRUSHED (not that I want to anyway).

EDIT: I don't want to go to college. I am perfectly fine with going into a trade and much prefer it that way anyways. I put that anecdote in as a joke. the reason I don't want to persue higher education is because I just don't like school. its unrelated to my grades or anything.

I grew up attending what is known as a a IFB church (independent fundamental Baptist)

Growing up we had mandatory church on Wednesdays and Sunday and plenty of additional church events.

In 6th grade my peers and I attended a purity ball where we pledged to our father’s to stay pure till marriage.

We were not allowed any secular music or tv shows but still snuck it occasionally (I loved Degrassi)

Eventually I went to college and had a bit of a wild phase and left the church.

AMA.