I'll have to take a look at it.

[Part Six] The ex has no money and lives in another country, he will need to pay for her, and of course Michael (the ghost who lives in her mouth) to move to here.

She has quit her job and is on a bus to the border. This is very exciting for my friend. However, there is an unfortunate reality about to set in. The two countries are at war and the border has been closed for the better part of year. Also, a visa for the Ex and Michael is impossible. Again, the countries are at war.

I explain this, to which I am angrily given a screenshot of an output from Chat GPT saying there are no problems with visas. I call my visa agent. He confirms, she and Michael will not recieve a visa. I explain, he sends her money to go to the airport.

Now we are at the airport in our story. By some miracle she can get a visa for 2 months. This is surprising news since there is no visa to this country for two months, but alas, she is a very lucky girl. He just needs to send her the money for the visa and a return flight.

Now at this point, I will state a few things and would love the input.

It's clear to me she is taking his money. I have seen this story play out in person at least 15 times with a friend sitting across the table from me both before, during and after. It always starts the same and ends the same.

These men know these stories as well as I do. Yet somehow, every single one of them has a reason they are the only girl who is different - right up until they aren't and the guy has some explination as to why his story is worse than anyone else's. That if you were in his shoes, you would understand.

I don't.

I couldn't possibly care less about whether or not he sells a single client for me. If he did I need to hire another dev, so it's actually better that he doesn't. I would rather focus on the software release we have coming in a month. I didnt need a sales team, but the money is unmistakeably good for my friend. If he sold 3 clients to a minimum SEO package his worries would be over for the life of those contracts.

But here we are. He now no longer has the money to pay for his visa and work permit. Something I would gladly do to be honest - if it weren't for this nonsense with the ex and Michael.

I can't sign a letter of recommendation to the government under my business when the guy is trying to import a woman who is verifiably insane and also happens to have been accused of murder.

Now, he tells me that his life is always a mess like this and that he doesn't understand why everything keeps going to hell in a hand basket over and over.

To me it seems quite clear. He makes terrible decisions.

When he arrived here he was terrified of losing everything and ending up back in his home country. If he had stayed the course even without the job the money would have lasted him a year.

Now he has blown it all in 12 hours.

I feel like an asshole for looking at this and being like "man, you did this to yourself."

So I am just being supportive and sent him more materials to study and told him he can sell from his home country. That he can still have Head of Sales on his CV and make even better money with boots on the ground in the west.

He has no interest and said he will try to enjoy his last two weeks with the live of his life.

What? [End]

[Part Five] I arrived in the south to interview a caretaker for the R & D compound until we begin the process of building it out and staffing it in August.

During the meeting with the older English fella who made claim to being an ex-army ranger for the British military among other things (everyone in Asia is a retired spy who knows the king of [insert country here])... It was clear that care had little to do with his intentions. Take however? That was the catch of the day.

I would cover the bill and send him in a cab back to his shanty on the edge of... wherever... and be on my way.

Upon returning to the compound I would find the water system had been on the recieving end of the ghost of Chuck Norris on his way out of this world. Alas, water is not my friend it would seem.

My phone rings. A message from the friend carries with it surprising news. The ex-girlfriend truly loves him, their brief sabbatical had come to an end. Joy is abound... But there is a problem. [/Part Five]

[Part Four] I own four businesses, that isn't meant to be some sad flex, but it is hyper relevant to the story.

This was one of those days where the gods just... Weren't in the mood to coddle my proverbial nut sack... More of a BDSM show was in store for me.

First, the hot water has quit without notice and didn't even bother to leave a note on its way out the door at our tech hub/poshtel. Okay, whatever. I go and check, unit need repair, call our maintenance guy and he comes out. Fire, meet extinguisher. Moving on.

Next phone call our landlord at the 20 acre R & D compound some 12 hours drive away is having a tantrum since the property has been empty for a month and threatening to evict us, which she can't, but... She doesn't understand this thing called law, who does in Asia.

So, my partner books me the 4 o'clock bus to the Capitol City. I have some business to be done there which can be moved up, then I will take the 4am bus to the compound and have it out with the landlord at breakfast in the south... Just another day, easy peasy.

During all this, my friend is now ready for his training. A point which he is now suddenly very vocal about. I tell him I am in my way to the capitol, to use Chat GPT and ask it the finer points of SEO and GEO. He is upset. Why am I training him in person?

I explain, something I find myself doing I'm mid sentence and wonder who works for who in the current dynamic. But he is a friend, so I tell him I will prepare a kit for him.

I proceed to spend an hour of my day using Gemini to prepare a kit for him with links to relevant reading, free courses etc, what I had asked him to do for himself... I move on with my evening and finish my business in the Capitol. On the bus at 4am. All is well in he multiverse. [/Part Four]

[Part Three] We finish eating. Much to do tomorrow in the way of training. Taking a person who knows zero about SEO, web dev, custom HTML/HTMX etc and teaching them to be the head of sales is... Not easy.

We go to bed.

2am, he is unhappy with the room and wants to find a place with a pool I. The morning. Okay, I tell him I know some places that won't rip him off, that I have a friend who owns a boutique hotel in the river that is 4 star and would cut him a screaming deal for a third of the price (well within his budget) all bills included.

No he says. He has found a place and trust in Jesus (not a joke) that this Facebook person is honest. Okay. I say I will meet him there and make sure they don't pull the usual tricks like charging 25 cents a unit for electrics, double the price of the actual rate.

I arrive in the morning to a sad, rundown old hotel with a pool. The room is... a room. My friend says he loves it. I ask for the electric rate. 50 cents a unit. I tell him that is 4x the price, he says I need to back off, he needs to settle in must have a home to do it Point taken, enjoy your $400 pound electric bill at the end of the month [/Part Three]

[Part Two] #arrival He lands, I have a car pick him up at the airport and bring him to one of our apartments I have made available for him at a discount to settle in. I explained it's a simple room, he said his room before was so bad it was a palace.

We get to dinner and catch up. He tells me a horrific story about his recent ex. She apparently believed she had a ghost named Michael living in her mouth that would sometimes speak for her and annoy her by tapping on her teeth.

He explained that she was traumatized because her ex-boyfriend would pimp her out and keep the money for drugs. This boyfriend was found tied up and murdered in her closet, she swore it wasn't her👍. The cops in Bangkok ruled it a suicide. No red flags there.

Next he went on to tell a few stories of her smashing glasses and cutting her wrists wide open and running around laughing while he tries to save her life. Spinning around in circles spraying her blood on the walls and "painting" for him. #fortheartofit

They broke up. Sad friend, sad girl, sad Michael the ghost. [/Part Two]

Good show.

@The slab sure. Why not. I am not sure what a physical act of grace looks like. But I am willing to make an attempt.

No idea what nPub visable means, so I may fail, but that is an acceptable outcome for a man named 7.

I will begin in the morning. Thank you for finding me in the #nostr ether.

So begins my #TheCascadeEntry mission.

@Heuristic I absolutely am still going to burn it all #live and will let you know when. It must be tomorrow as I will be on the move from where the structures exist.

I will post a link. Thank you for the patience of my #7builds alum