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Every year I'm witness to the following scenario. Junior is in the last year of high school and the question comes up. "what do you want to do for the rest of your life?" or something similar. Wow! Anxious parents and terrified teenagers seeking a path that will guide junior through life with the least resistance, pain, or notice. Grand plans are shelved and little plans are hatched. Life is going to hurt. Tough decisions will have to be made, consequences will be severe. No one is spared. Cowering will not help. Wishful or magical thinking won't help. My take: demonstrate courage, creativity, resilience, and grace to your children through your actions. Maybe this is the antidote for aging musicians too. Ari Hoenig, jazz drummer It arrived, I've read it, I've tried it out for 90 days. My first quarter as recommended in his book is up. So... what happened? Wow is what happened. His ideas allowed me time to go deeper on fewer things. Above was my 1st quarter plan. Below is my 2nd quarter plan. We live large in the catastrophic click bait age. It's only going to get worse. Count on it. Louder and shriller. So, how do we turn off without turning inward? I haven't the friggin' foggiest idea. An ever-present danger. Giving up, settling early. This past year has been unprecedented. Most people have been inconvenienced. Some though have been deeply affected by job loss, illness, or death. Assuming you are in the first group and not the second how do we proceed and stay engaged in a world of imagination and action? ‘Ne supra crepidiam judicaret,” meaning, ‘Let him not criticize above the sandal.’ Apelles Ultracrepidarianism is the giving of opinions and advice on matters outside of one's knowledge. A real danger in aging. Closely followed by the Dunning-Kruger effect. The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which people with low ability at a task overestimate their ability. It is related to the cognitive bias of illusory superiority and comes from people's inability to recognize their lack of ability. Without the self-awareness of metacognition, people cannot objectively evaluate their level of competence. From Wikipedia Given the above, what can one be sure about? Not much. On the other hand, quite a bit we remember the shoemaker folly. I know how to: What's on your "I know how to" list? "Someday soon bands, choirs, and orchestras will gather together again. the conductor will signal for the first note to sound, and musicians will remember it's hard to read music with tears in their eyes." Anonymous internet meme Forty five years ago Linda, my girlfriend, and I travelled from North Bay to Toronto to take in the spectacle. This past week I was teaching a 5 year old how to play along on the drums. Life is exciting. Lessons from a Master teacher Effective Practicing For Musicians By Benny Greb Book Review It arrived, I've read it, I'm about to try it out for 90 days and see what happens to my drumming. Benny outlines the rationale of organized practice is a humorous and unique way. The preamble until you get to his EPM systems chapters is good sense and common knowledge among professional musicians. But it gets interesting with his practice system. Let's start at the beginning. Organizing your practice space. He recommends imagining the setup of your perfect space, then assess your situation and arrange you space as close as you can to this ideal. I can now say my space looks different. I'm up and running now with 3 flicks of switches, boot my DAW, load the preset and Bingo, I'm ready to go. Books are in place, pencil and journal are ready. Up next a kitchen timer, I'm going to use an old iPhone for this purpose. Benny Greb has some true insights into learning. 1. Quickly name your favorite musicians of your instrument. 2. Now note what you admire about each of them. 3. Now consider your top 3 choices. 4. Now rate yourself 1 to 10 on your skill with the qualities you admire in their playing. Do not give yourself a 5. 5. Now when you practice, practice those to improve those qualities. 6. Buy his book. Stayed tuned for the results of his 90-day practice regime. David Story: Professional pianist, drummer, composer, and educator. Well into his 5th enthusiastic musical decade, David works with adults pursuing musical dreams in the autumn of life, while he maintains an active presence in the Toronto arts scene.

Projecting a persuasive image of a desirable and practical future is extremely important to high morale, to dynamism, to consensus, and in general to help the wheels of society turn smoothly. Too much and for too long, we seemed to have surrendered personal excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our Gross National Product, now, is over $800 billion dollars a year, but that Gross National Product – if we judge the United States of America by that – that Gross National Product counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for the people who break them. It counts the destruction of the redwood and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and counts nuclear warheads and armored cars for the police to fight the riots in our cities. It counts Whitman’s rifle and Speck’s knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children. Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country, it measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. And it can tell us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans. – Robert Kennedy (1968) They pay pseudo scientists to pretend to be scientists to put out the message: ‘This climate thing, it’s nonsense. Man-made CO2 doesn’t trap heat. It may be volcanoes.’ Bullshit! ‘It may be sun spots.’ Bullshit! ‘It’s not getting warmer.’ Bullshit! … When you go and talk to any audience about climate, you hear them washing back at you the same crap over and over and over again… There’s no longer a shared reality on an issue like climate even though the very existence of our civilization is threatened. People have no idea! It’s no longer acceptable in mixed company, meaning bipartisan company, to use the goddamn word climate. They have polluted it to the point where we cannot possibly come to an agreement on it.– Al Gore Far from being “tattered,” Mike Mann’s reputation has been hardened in the fires of hell. Patrick Michaels’ essay is like trying to prove why the sun goes around the Earth. Or why gravity doesn’t work. Or how the U.S. faked the moon landing. It doesn’t matter what his arguments are: his initial premise is wrong. – Peter Gleick Even writing an article like this one carries risks; opponents of the president will excerpt the criticism and strip it of context. But in this case, the President has reality on his side. The scientific consensus is far stronger today than at any time in the past. Here is the truth: The Earth is round; Saddam Hussein did not attack us on 9/11; Elvis is dead; Obama was born in the United States; and the climate crisis is real. It is time to act. – Al Gore We are plagued by grumpy nostalgists — mystics on both wings who preach hostility to science & technology and yearn for the past. Our only route is forward. The answer to the problems generated by science is… more science. Open science, innovative, reciprocally critical & transparent, searching for positive sum games, able to detect potential errors. Ways to lift 7 billion out of poverty while saving a planet. – David Brin on Facebook As somebody who’s observed the weather and predicted it day after day for three decades, something changed in the middle part of the last decade. Several things were representative of the kind of stuff that I had not seen before in my career: 2003, the European heat wave; the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season; and the stunning loss of… decrease of Arctic sea ice in the summer of 2007; and ever since then, this kind of crazy weather does seem to be the new norm. – Stu Ostrow, senior meteorologist at The Weather Channel “There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'” – Isaac Asimov You can see why the absurd old farts who inhabit most lit departments hate science fiction. SF considers it possible that the eternal “verities” and relentless stupidities praised by Henry James might someday be obsolete! If we make kids who are better than us (our goal, duh?) then their Startrekkian heirs will still have problems. Why insist that our descendants have to fret over the same ones? Can’t they assume the solutions we find, take them for granted, and move on to new, interesting issues of their own? Isn’t that what we did? – David Brin speaks against “iron laws” of human behavior “Newspapers are unable, seemingly, to discriminate between a bicycle accident and the collapse of civilisation.“ – George Bernard Shaw For years now, large numbers of prominent scientists have been warning, with increasing urgency, that if we continue with business as usual, the results will be very bad, perhaps catastrophic. They could be wrong. But if you’re going to assert that they are in fact wrong, you have a moral responsibility to approach the topic with high seriousness and an open mind. After all, if the scientists are right, you’ll be doing a great deal of damage. But what we had, instead of high seriousness, was a farce: a supposedly crucial hearing stacked with people who had no business being there and instant ostracism for a climate skeptic who was actually willing to change his mind in the face of evidence. “So, let us not be blind to our differences–but let us also direct attention to our common interests and to the means by which those differences can be resolved. And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.” —John F. Kennedy (via William Cronon) Another world is inevitable. The future is unwritten. Good luck to you. – Bruce Sterling Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to a bill that overturns the scientific finding that pollution is harming our people and our planet. However, I won’t physically rise, because I’m worried that Republicans will overturn the law of gravity, sending us floating about the room. – US Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) “We need to do something now, seriously, to adapt to climate change, because the only certainty we have is that it will get worse. We’re not negotiating about this getting better. We are negotiating how bad it is, how much worse it will be, and how are we are going to moderate this dynamic. The only certainty we have is that it will get worse.” – Herman Chavez, Minister of the Environment, El Salvador, quoted on Al Jazeera Right now we’re trying the free market solution — have commodity prices double every year or so, with spikes that triple or quadruple the costs, have the global economy shrink while the financial resources are concentrated in a small power base, rinse and repeat. It’s certainly one mechanism to reduce overall emissions. – Brad Johnson (private communication, quoted with permission) Here’s a thought: maybe Madison, Wis., isn’t Cairo after all. Maybe it’s Baghdad — specifically, Baghdad in 2003, when the Bush administration put Iraq under the rule of officials chosen for loyalty and political reliability rather than experience and competence. … Naomi Klein’s best-selling book “The Shock Doctrine,” … argued … a broader pattern. From Chile in the 1970s onward, she suggested, right-wing ideologues have exploited crises to push through an agenda that has nothing to do with resolving those crises, and everything to do with imposing their vision of a harsher, more unequal, less democratic society. What’s happening in Wisconsin is, instead, a power grab — an attempt to exploit the fiscal crisis to destroy the last major counterweight to the political power of corporations and the wealthy. And the power grab goes beyond union-busting. The bill in question is 144 pages long, and there are some extraordinary things hidden deep inside. Not all of the bullies are in schoolyards these days – quite a few have graduated to the executive suites of Corporate America. Take Charles and David Koch, two multi-billionaire brothers whose life of privilege and bloated sense of entitlement have turned them into such spoiled brats that they can’t even take a joke. Last December, the Kochs’ oil operations became the object of a spoof by a merry band of tricksters called Youth for Climate Truth. Not only is Koch Industries a notorious polluter and spewer of global warming gasses, but the brothers have recently been exposed as longtime secret funders of various right-wing front groups trying to debunk the very existence of climate change. The young folks made fun of this by issuing a fake news release on what appeared to be Koch Industries letterhead. It said, in essence, that the Kochsters had seen the light on global warming and henceforth would be strong environmental advocates. A pretty harmless joke. The grumpy billionaires, however, not only failed to laugh, but they quickly resorted to bullying. They’ve unleashed a snarling pack of lawyers to demand that the identities of those who produced the parody be given to the Kochs so they can sue them for damages. What damages? The lawsuit says the brothers want reimbursement for “costs associated with spending time and money to respond to inquiries about the fake release.” Good grief – Charles and David are two of the 10 richest people in America, and they’re whining about a ten dollar phone bill! What the Kochs really are trying to do, of course, is to bully their critics – make fun of us, they’re saying, and we’ll bury you in legal bills. By the way, these billionaire bullies have also financed front groups that attack public interest lawyers, Why? Because, say the the Kochs, These lawyers file “frivolous” lawsuits! By refusing to acknowledge the existence of many stands on any issue, by refusing to assign Truth-values to any, by looking down at anyone who holds any opinion that is not their own, the mainstream press fosters the atmosphere of a bipolar world in which enmity rules, and the wagons need to be circled – the atmosphere that is so conducive to formation and defense of echo-chambers and yet so devoid of airing of any alternatives. A protest was held today that was bigger than anything that the Tea Party has ever done, but you wouldn’t know it if you were watching TV. There is something seriously wrong with a news gathering and reporting apparatus that devotes more live coverage to the protests in Egypt than protests in Wisconsin. Egypt was a big story, but the a fight for the very survival of the middle class should not be ignored. “If we’ve learned any lessons during the past few decades, perhaps the most important is that preservation of our environment is not a partisan challenge; it’s common sense. Our physical health, our social happiness, and our economic well-being will be sustained only by all of us working in partnership as thoughtful, effective stewards of our natural resources.” – Ronald Reagan (p 10) If your objective is to *restore public trust in climate science*, your best bet would be to go after those things which damage public trust in climate science the most: pseudo-scientific misinformation and smears about CO2 and the greenhouse effect, etc. You can try and make climate science and scientists more perfect all you want, but if you ignore the pseudo-scientific agenda you are missing the biggest contributor. – “Cthulhu” at Curry’s Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions. – Thomas Jefferson, via Iris Vander Pluym at Pharyngula… In my thirty years as a meteorologist, I’ve never seen global weather patterns as strange as those we had in 2010. The stunning extremes we witnessed gives me concern that our climate is showing the early signs of instability. Natural variability probably did play a significant role in the wild weather of 2010, and 2011 will likely not be nearly as extreme. However, I suspect that crazy weather years like 2010 will become the norm a decade from now, as the climate continues to adjust to the steady build-up of heat-trapping gases we are pumping into the air. Forty years from now, the crazy weather of 2010 will seem pretty tame. We’ve bequeathed to our children a future with a radically changed climate that will regularly bring unprecedented weather events–many of them extremely destructive–to every corner of the globe. This year’s wild ride was just the beginning. The future does feature some brand-new stuff that was technically impossible before, but, more importantly, the future has a different take on matters that are already here. There’s a change of emphasis. The future is like another culture, another country. We have to come to terms with the future’s language. [It’s a] silly notion that any government would want there to be a problem as tough to deal with as AGW. Nobody can get anywhere on suitable policy response in the U.S. If the leadership knew the problem was fake but wanted to keep people worried about a fake problem, what actual good would that do them? Power? How exactly does creating a fake problem that you then utterly fail to address give you power? – Jim Prall (private communication) Boris might very well be right about the torturer’s fallacy (“tell me what I want so I will stop”): the inquiry shall never end, however free the data and the code will become. Why stop exactly: it’s a show, it must go on, the audience is listening; so mesmerizing are the inquiries about scientists that it becomes almost impossible to believe they’re scientific inquiries anymore; the characters become antagonists in a saga where some of them get slowly but surely assassinated, live, in front of the public eye, from the comfort of its computer screen. A neverending audit, figuratively speaking: stories told to unravel daily braid after daily braid, framing minds and people, renewing the interest, the curiosity, the anger, the I use what I call my bathroom metaphor. If two people live in an apartment, and there are two bathrooms, then both have what I call freedom of the bathroom, go to the bathroom any time you want, and stay as long as you want to for whatever you need. And this to my way is ideal. And everyone believes in the freedom of the bathroom. It should be right there in the Constitution. But if you have 20 people in the apartment and two bathrooms, no matter how much every person believes in freedom of the bathroom, there is no such thing. You have to set up, you have to set up times for each person, you have to bang at the door, aren’t you through yet, and so on. And in the same way, democracy cannot survive overpopulation. Human dignity cannot survive it. Convenience and decency cannot survive it. As you put more and more people onto the world, the value of life not only declines, but it disappears. It doesn’t matter if someone dies.” – Isaac Asimov “The growth of the Global Environment Change section is what caused me to come to the AGU this year. It has been rather disappointing though, as it seems to contain little climate science and much squealing of the now sadly deranged prophets of doom. In contrast, at sessions on communication that cover areas of geoscience apart from climate, there is such sweet innocence.” – Julia Hargreaves “Climatologists, like other scientists, tend to be a stolid group. We are not given to theatrical rantings about falling skies. Most of us are far more comfortable in our laboratories or gathering data in the field than we are giving interviews to journalists or speaking before Congressional committees. Why then are climatologists speaking out about the dangers of global warming? The answer is that virtually all of us are now convinced that global warming poses a clear and present danger to civilization.” – Dr. Lonnie Thompson via Joe Romm Climate change “won’t be stopped, but its effects can be made less bad”. It’s no longer an alarmist rhetoric between salvation or getting burned in hell… Whatever we do, “none of this will make climate change all right. It remains the craziest experiment mankind has ever conducted. Maybe in the long run it will be brought under control. For the foreseeable future, though, the mercury will continue to rise, and the human race must live with the problem as best it can.” I highlighted “craziest experiment”, because this illustrates a really interesting attitude towards climate change and what to do about it. In my understanding it says that the whole world has turned into a laboratory now, and all of us are part of this experiment. “The abstractions of science are too readily assimilable to the abstractions of industry and commerce, which see everything as interchangeable with or replaceable by something else. There is a kind of egalitarianism which holds that any two things equal in price are equal in value, and that nothing is better than anything that may profitably or fashionably replace it. Forest = field = parking lot; if the price of alteration is right, then there is no point in quibbling over differences. One place is as good as another, one use is as good as another, one life is as good as another — if the price is right. Thus political sentimentality metamorphoses into commercial indifference or aggression. This is the industrial doctrine of the interchangeability of parts, and we apply it to places, to creatures, and to our fellow humans as if it were the law of the world, using all the while a sort of middling language, imitated from the sciences, that cannot speak of heaven or earth, but only of concepts. This is a rhetoric of nowhere, which forbids a passionate interest in, let alone a love of, anything in particular.” – Wendell Berry, from Life Is a Miracle via More than 95 Theses we are both skipping the sanity rally. I’m against restoring sanity. My comparative advantage at dealing with insanity is too great. I want to continue to extract rents from it, please. In response to the question “Which policy options do you support?” 42 percent of the respondents chose the answer “keeping science out of the political process.” Keep science out of the political process? Science? I thought it was supposed to be the other way around; that the goal was the keep politics out of science. … What is the point of civilization in the first place if we don’t use our hard-won understanding of how the universe works to influence our decisions on how to organize ourselves? No GOP leader of consequence is able to make and sustain the argument that climate change is occurring as the scientists say it is. That’s remarkable! Imagine the world’s major powers sitting down in the early 20th century to negotiate a treaty on the law of the sea, only to have one of America’s major political parties vow to defeat any settlement, on the grounds that the world is in fact flat. In the end, this is about transparency and truth, concepts that are far more important than neutrality or objectivity. After all, the word for people who are neutral about truth is ‘liars’. It shouldn’t be ‘journalists’. – Ed Yong Consider what the Limbaugh/Morano crowd is saying about climate: not only that that the world’s scientists and scientific institutions are systematically wrong, but that they are purposefully perpetrating a deception. Virtually all the world’s governments, scientific academies, and media are either in on it or duped by it. The only ones who have pierced the veil and seen the truth are American movement conservatives, the ones who found death panels in the healthcare bill. It’s a species of theater, repeated so often people have become inured, but if you take it seriously it’s an extraordinary charge. For one thing, if it’s true that the world’s scientists are capable of deception and collusion on this scale, a lot more than climate change is in doubt. These same institutions have told us what we know about health and disease, species and ecosystems, energy and biochemistry. If they are corrupt, we have to consider whether any of the knowledge they’ve generated is trustworthy. We could be operating our medical facilities, economies, and technologies on faulty theories. We might not know anything! Here we are hip-deep in postmodernism and it came from the right, not the left academics they hate. And so it falls to the scientists, on top of all their other responsibilities, to do the scaring of the people out of their wits, a job for which they are woefully ill-trained and unsuited. I mean, it’s 2010…, the past decade has been the hottest on record, all around the world ice is melting, there are droughts, and fires and floods and crops have failed and record temps are killing people and McIntyre is still honking on about MBH98 and the fraking Bristlecones! “We’re insulting our global environment at a faster rate than we’re understanding it. And the best we can do, in all honesty, is say: look out, there’s a chance of potentially irreversible change at the global scale, based on the benefits of the use of energy. And it’s very tough for us to know whether those benefits of energy today are worth the potential risks of environmental change for our children.” Stephen Schneider ca. 1979 I wonder whether the paperback edition of SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance will still claim that recently the globe has been cooling… “The system of scholastic disputations encouraged in the Universities of the middle ages had unfortunately trained men to habits of indefinite argumentation, and they often preferred absurd and extravagant propositions, because greater skill was required to maintain them; the end and object of such intellectual combats being victory and not truth. “No theory could be too farfetched or fantastical not to attract some followers, provided it fell in with popular notions…” – Charles Lyell in “Principles of Geology” (1830) The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair. – Douglas Adams via Ezra Klein “I think you see a change, and I think the change reflects the frustration that scientists feel. The recent letter to Science was a good example of this: that scientists are realizing that they need to speak up. But you know that letter [published in Science] is an interesting case in point, because 255 members of the National Academy of Sciences signed a letter protesting the recent attacks on science and pointing out that there’s a kind of McCarthyite quality to some of what’s been going on. Character assassination. Accusations without evidence. Accusing scientists of criminal activity when what they’re actually doing is science. Peter Gleick … (the first author of that letter) told me that they in fact tried to get that letter published as an Op-Ed piece in the New York Times and the Washington Post, both of whom turned it down. … That too is a pattern we show in the book… Often these accusations that are made against science appear in mainstream media … but when scientists try to defend themselves, often they find it very difficult to get their response published in mainstream media … and so they end up defending themselves in the pages of scientific journals. The net result of that is an extremely un-level playing field.” – Naomi Oreskes, interviewed by Chris Mooney “This world is a strange madhouse. Currently, every coachman and every waiter is debating whether relativity theory is correct. Belief in this matter depends on political party affiliation.” [a Utah state representative] seems to think that the science has “already been politicized” because some people have used it to support political agendas. So does this mean that policy makers should never use scientific arguments to support their agendas? … if science indicates there is a “big problem,” people who favor enacting some particular type of political solution can legitimately point to the science to support their views. If there’s no problem, there’s no need for a solution, after all. Does the fact that there is a problem mean that any given political solution is a good idea? Of course not. However, that doesn’t justify people who do not favor such political solutions in denying that there is a problem. – Barry Bickmore History has not forgotten Galileo’s condemnation by Urban VIII but it has all but completely forgotten Urban VIII. In his time, the pope was a man of great earthly power. In fact, for twenty years of his papacy he was actively engaged as a principal force in the Thirty Years War, which like most wars was ideologically driven, unnecessary, and exceedingly destructive to all sides. … The pope’s effect on his enemies was enormous. Galileo, with no legions of his own, had but a negligible effect on the pope. But his effect on history cannot be exaggerated. He is therefore a model not of cowardly capitulation, but of the distinctive encounter between belief and wonder. The encounter, however, is not one of opposition. He did not defeat Urban and his formidable ecclesia. He did something far more significant: he exposed their willful ignorance. – James P. Carse in “The Religious Case Against Belief” 2008 (Penguin Books) I think your idea of dispensing with the economic substitutions, and speaking directly of things of true human value, puts the task at hand into focus. If a group of people started talking about “Security, comfort, purpose, and community for all; supplied at a sustainable rate of use of natural resources”, and refused to humor distracting chatter about historical economic intermediary concepts, real work could be accomplished. -Manuel “Moe” G., summarizing what I have been trying to say better than I have ever managed. The focus on Professor Jones and CRU has been largely misplaced. On the accusations relating to Professor Jones’s refusal to share raw data and computer codes, we consider that his actions were in line with common practice in the climate science community. … In addition, insofar as we have been able to consider accusations of dishonesty—for example, Professor Jones’s alleged attempt to “hide the decline”—we consider that there is no case to answer. – British House of Commons Science and Technology Committee The knowledge that the media itself is constantly making mistakes on the most basic of climate science issues means journalists need to start going to primary sources for every science-related fact they are reporting. Otherwise media coverage will become permanently indistinguishable from the children’s game of Telephone. Some people have suggested that scientists need to wise up, and learn how to present themselves better on the public stage. … This is naive and irresponsible. It completely ignores the nature of the current wave of attacks on scientists, and what motivates them. No scientist can be an effective communicator in a world where those with vested interests will do everything they can to destroy his or her reputation. The scientific community doesn’t have the resources to defend itself in this situation, and quite frankly it shouldn’t have to. What we really need is for newspaper editors, politicians, and business leaders to start acting responsibly, make the effort to understand what the science is saying, make the effort to understand what really driving these swiftboat-style attacks on scientists, and then shift the discourse from endless dissection of scientists’ emails onto useful, substantive discussions of the policy choices we’re faced with. “I was … labeled as an advocate because I … measured something. The decline in big fish…. The dark side has labeled information as advocacy, and it’s your job as citizens to understand that.” — Jeremy Jackson h/t Hank Recently, a news crew from a television station in Denver came to speak with Kevin Trenberth, a climate scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. “They were interested in the role of El Niño in the cold weather we’ve been experiencing,” Trenberth said during a presentation today at NCAR to the CEJ’s environmental journalism fellows. So far, so good. But then after the interview was over, the reporter said that his superiors back at the station wanted to know “who was going to do the other side.” The media’s obsession with daily polls and who’s in and who’s out and the cage match aspects of politics, has also unsurprisingly made it impossible (in a time of shrinking news department resources) to cover what should be covered. When was the last time you saw an in-depth thoughtful analysis of what’s going on in the Office of Management and Budget or how funds were actually being spent or where the waste is in defense appropriations or what was actually working for students in schools? How about, say, a follow-up on how U.S. aid efforts were working in Haiti or the Middle East? Want a good example of the importance of the mundane stories? Chile just suffered an earthquake 500 times more fierce than that felt in Haiti. But the devastation in Chile, however epic in scale, has cost a fraction of a fraction as many lives because Chile put into place some fairly basic building codes. Who talks about building codes on the nightly news? No one. How could they possibly hold up in comparison to the political dogfighting that makes it look like Michael Vick is the Commissioner of American Politics? “Imagine a gigantic, colossal banquet. Hundreds of millions of people come to eat. They eat and drink to their hearts’ content, eating food that is better and more abundant than at the finest tables in ancient Athens, or Rome or even in the palaces of medieval Europe. Then one day a man arrives wearing a white dinner jacket.” Not surprisingly the diners are in shock. Some begin to deny that this is their bill. Others deny that there even is a bill. Still others deny that they partook of the meal. One diner suggests the man is not really a waiter, but is only trying to get attention for himself or to raise money for his own projects. Finally the group concludes that if they simply ignore the waiter, he will go away. This is where we stand today on the question of global warming. For the past 150 years, industrial civilization has been dining on the energy stored in fossil fuels and the bill has now come due. Yet we have sat around the dinner table denying that it is our bill, and doubting the credibility of the man who delivered it. The great economist John Maynard Keynes famously summarized all of economic theory in a single phrase: “there is no such thing as a free lunch.” And he was right. We have experienced prosperity unmatched in human history. We have feasted to our hearts’ content. But the lunch was not free. So it is not surprising that many of us are in denial. After all we didn’t know that it was a banquet — and we didn’t know that there would be a bill. But now we do know. The bill includes acid rain, and the ozone hole and the damaged produced by DDT. These are the environmental costs of living the way citizens of wealthy developed nations have lived since the industrial revolution. Now we either have to pay the price, change the way we do business, or both. No wonder the merchants of doubt have been successful. They’ve permitted us to think we could ignore the waiter, while we haggled about the bill. The failure of the United States to act on global warming as well as the long delays between when the science was settled and when we acted on tobacco, acid rain and the ozone hole are prima facie empirical evidence that doubt-mongering works.” Naomi Oreskes in her Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming public figures are punished for actually knowing what they’re talking about. It goes like this: Person A says “Black is white” — perhaps out of ignorance, although more often out of a deliberate effort to obfuscate. Person B says, “No, black isn’t white — here are the facts.” And Person B is considered to have lost the exchange — you see, he came across as arrogant and condescending. I had, I have to admit, hoped that the nation’s experience with George W. Bush — who got within hanging-chad distance of the White House precisely because Al Gore was punished for actually knowing stuff — would have cured our discourse of this malady. But no. Why not? Chait professes himself puzzled by the right’s intellectual insecurity. Me, not so much. Here’s how I see it: in our current political culture, the background noise is overwhelmingly one of conservative platitudes. People who have strong feelings about politics but are intellectually incurious tend to pick up those platitudes, and repeat them in the belief that this makes them sound smart. (Ezra Klein once described Dick Armey thus: “He’s like a stupid person’s idea of what a thoughtful person sounds like.”) Inevitably, then, such people react with rage when they’re shown up on their facts or basic logic — it’s an attack on their sense of self-worth. The truly sad thing, though, is the way much news reporting goes along with the condescension meme. That’s Waldmann’s point. You really, really might have expected that the Bush experience would give reporters pause — that they might at least ask themselves, “Isn’t it my job to ask whether a politician is right, as opposed to how he comes across?” All 15 of the warmest years on record have come in the two decades that have passed since 1989. In the meantime, the Earth’s major natural systems have all shown undeniable signs of rapid flux: melting Arctic and glacial ice, rapidly acidifying seawater, and so on. Somehow, though, the onslaught against the science of climate change has never been stronger, and its effects, at least in the U.S., never more obvious: fewer Americans believe humans are warming the planet. … the immense pile of evidence now proving the science of global warming beyond any reasonable doubt is in some ways a great boon for those who would like, for a variety of reasons, to deny that the biggest problem we’ve ever faced is actually a problem at all. Three thousand pages (the length of the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)? That pretty much guarantees you’ll get something wrong. My own interference with this great question, while sanctioned by many eminent names, has been also an object of varied and ingenious attack. On this point I will only say that when angry feeling escapes from behind the intellect, where it may be useful as an urging force, and places itself athwart the intellect, it is liable to produce all manner of delusions. Thus my censors, for the most part, have levelled their remarks against positions which were never assumed, and against claims which were never made. John Tyndall (h/t Patrick Roche, not to be confused with Patrick Roache) The New York Times has errors literally every single day, and sometimes they are significant errors. But news media don’t act as if the NYT is totally unreliable and built on a hoax. The scientist is… disposed to regard his opponent as an honorable enemy. This attitude is necessary for his effectiveness as a scientist, but tends to make him the dupe of unprincipled people in war and politics. Without slack in the system, emergencies snowball. A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise. Last month, at a vulnerable nations forum in Malé, [Maldives’ President] Nasheed complained every country going to Copenhagen was seeking to keep their own emissions as high as possible. “This is the logic of the madhouse, a recipe for collective suicide,” he said. “We don’t want a global suicide pact. We want a global survival pact.” -Frank McDonald in the Irish Times “Evidently due to this e-mail conspiracy, Arctic sea ice is at historically low levels, Australia is on fire, the northern United Kingdom is underwater, and the world’s glaciers are disappearing.” – Brad Johnson “I think geoengineering can and should be discussed but not based on stupidity and misinformation.” – a comment on “Superfreakonomics” Every scientific theory either rises to the level of consensus or else it is abandoned. Every single one. Consensus implicates a consilience of evidence and a preponderance of evidence for the best explanation. Consensus is how science works, and it is the difference between truth as we know it and poorly supported speculation we don’t. – anonymous (“ali baba”) Via Ill-considered “Political reality must be grounded in physical reality or it’s completely useless.” The right target for both mugging little old ladies and carbon dioxide emissions is zero. “Stop blaming the scientists and stop blaming the press. Blame the lies and the lying liars who tell them.” “They go on in strange paradox, decided only to be undecided, resolved to be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity, all-powerful to be impotent. …Owing to past neglect, in the face of the plainest warnings, we have entered upon a period of danger. The era of procrastination, of half measures, of soothing and baffling expedience of delays, is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences. … We cannot avoid this period, we are in it now.” We are as gods and have to get good at it. “Any jackass can kick down a barn but it takes a good carpenter to build one.” “I do not consider a liberal necessarily to be a leftist. A liberal to me is one who–and it suits some of the dictionary definitions–is unbeholden to any specific belief or party or group or person, but makes up his or her mind on the basis of the facts and the presentation of those facts at the time. That defines what I am. I have never voted a party line. I vote on the individual and the issues.” “It is time for us to act on what everyone knows to be true.” “All the technical problems have been solved, but it cannot be done.” My understanding of economics is quite complete, thank you. – some guy on the internet “The largest corporate carbon polluters in America, 14 years ago, asked their own people to conduct a review of all of this science. And their own people told them, “What the international scientific community is saying is correct, there is no legitimate basis for denying it.” Then, these large polluters committed a massive fraud far larger than Bernie Madoff’s fraud. They are the Bernie Madoffs of global warming. They ordered the of the censoring and removal of the scientific review that they themselves conducted, and like Bernie Madoff, they lied to the people who trusted them in order to make money.” – Al Gore, testimony to US Congress ““Increasing personal evidence of global warming and its potentially devastating consequences can be counted on to be an extremely effective teacher and motivator. Unfortunately, such lessons may arrive too late for corrective action.”” – Elke Weber, Columbia U prof of business and of psychology “The clearest message from the financial crisis is that our current model of economic success is fundamentally flawed. For the advanced economies of the western world, prosperity without growth is no longer a utopian dream. It is a financial and ecological necessity.>” – UK Sustainable Development Commission Report (h/t Econospeak) “A grown-up body politic will acknowledge its children, and let them play with their credit ratings and their hedge funds and their cap pistols, in a well-supervised back yard so that the adults can get down to what adults are meant to get down to; the pleasurable socializing of their resources and the passionate coupling of their best ideas.” – Garret Keizer, in Harper’s Magazine, April 2009 “Much of the media is wedded to the ‘we report, you decide’ mentality, in which the role of the journalist is to serve as a mouthpiece for their interviewees. There is little critical analysis, no arbitration as to the actual validity of arguments … But this of course favors the arguments of the ridiculous, who are lent extra legitimacy by being placed in the same category as parties with actual credibility.” “We’re big. We’re really big. So far, humans have changed carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by an amount equal to what nature was capable of doing over at least the last million years. “Big climate change is a done deal,” – James White, Director, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado at Boulder, quoted by Tom Yulsman (see link) “To borrow a distinction that Greg Bear was making at length at Boskone, the problem is not that traditional media don’t deliver enough information. The problem is that they don’t deliver enough knowledge. … They’re providing tons of information, but it’s useless information about stupid stuff. “ – David Archer “Every time the media misreports science, it chips away at the credibility of both enterprises.” Probably the weakest reason for mistrusting us climate scientists is the idea that we are in it for the money. When I was a starving grad student, I told a dignified lady from rural Mississippi that I was doing climate modeling. She was briefly taken aback. After a beat, she gathered her wits and politely replied “Oh, that must be… lucrative”. – Jerry Garcia I don’t believe in reporting anymore. All I can think about when I hear a reporter is “who bought this and who are they trying to sell it to?” – James McMurtry “…the publication of research papers is the true test of a modern scientist.” No, no, no!!!!! This is wrong in so many ways! So Ivory Tower thinking that leads to all other science careers being dubbed “alternative careers” and looked down upon – a nasty, vile way of thinking. – Bora Zivkovic “It is crucial to the public’s intellectual health to know when science really is science” – Amanda Gefter (h/t DOK) I just came across a showing of an old (1968) pseudo-science-y Hammer Film horror movie, “5 Million Years to Earth” and a couple lines reminded me of the quotes you run at the top of your website’s (OIIFTG) front page. On the chance that you’ve never heard of this one, here’s Andrew Keir as Professor Quartermass, talking to James Donald, as Doctor Roney, about why insect-like Martians might have visted Earth five million years ago: “Roney, if we found that our Earth was doomed, say, by climatic changes, what would we do about it?” “Nothing. Just go on squabbling, as usual.” “Yes, but if we weren’t men?” – a reader

We've got barely more than a year until the keys to the White House are up for grabs again, and in my following of the news a peculiar meme has once again emerged among the vying Republican candidates. Not only emerged, but held aloft - the flat tax. I remember it primarily from the presidential campaigns of Steve Forbes, who kicked around the idea in 1996 and 2000 before being crushed into fine powder. Today its main standard bearers are Herman Cain, who first brought it to the table in a big way through his 9-9-9 plan, and Rick Perry, who seems to have a greater affinity for the number 20. The flat tax represents a stark departure from the income tax codes in place throughout the Western world, commonly seen as byzantine mazes that are impossible for any one person to understand and which were purposefully designed to confuse people into paying as many taxes as possible. Personally, I use computer assistance programs to prepare my taxes, so I'm not too sure about that. By contrast, proponents of flat taxes like to say it would be simple enough "to fit on a postcard." So this weblog has more than enough room! Under a flat tax, filers pay one specific, particular rate - Rick Perry's optional flat tax, which is a weird as hell way to try going about implementing one, would be a firm 20%. That is, aside from a few specific, enumerated deductions, you pay 20% of your income in taxes and that is that, no matter how much you make. That's it at its core. Today more than twenty countries around the world have flat taxes in place, though disproportionaly focused around the Eastern Bloc and concentrated in the former Soviet Union, with Russia leading more than half of the ex-Soviet states in the establishment of flat tax systems. Whether these taxes are responsible for economic growth is a difficult thing - after all, correlation doesn't equal causation, and a lot of the flat tax countries are only twenty years removed from communism. It's too bad there's no real laboratory for economic science. Flat tax supporters make a lot of noise about how fair it is. But, the more I think about it, the more it becomes obvious that that's not really the case at all. If the concept of a flat tax is simple, let's run with it to the degree that my conception of the concept will allow. Take the example of... Examplevania, a small republic that has thrown out its old financial jargon and instituted a 20% flat tax code. For the purposes of this hypothetical, and to keep things simple - because, you know, simplicity is one of the reasons why everyone is so agog over the flat tax - Examplevania does not have any substantial deductions. Rick Perry's plan, by contrast, allows "$12,500 per person and mortgage interest, charitable donations, state and local taxes for those earning as much as $500,000 a year." Let us also assume, for the purposes of this hypothetical, that Examplevania has no sales taxes; presumably it's sitting on its own tar sands or something. Now let's look at five Examplevanians chosen purely for their annual income, from the high strata of society to the lowest. Examplevanian #1 earns $304,000 per year. Taxes of 20% work out to $60,800. Examplevanian #2 earns $152,000 per year. Taxes of 20% work out to $30,400. Examplevanian #3 earns $76,000 per year. Taxes of 20% work out to $15,200. Examplevanian #4 earns $38,000 per year, putting him or her squarely in the lower middle class or upper working class. Taxes of 20% work out to $7,600. Finally, on the ground floor of this particular ladder, Examplevanian #5 earns $19,000 per year, most likely in some soul-crushing customer service job with a monolithic, uncaring company. Their taxes of 20% work out to $3,800 over the course of the year. Now, on the face of it, you may be tempted to say that it's fair - isn't it? Everyone is paying the same percentage of their income, paying what they can toward the maintenance of the state and of civil society. This is where people can easily trip up; by focusing in on the rate of tax itself, rather than what's left after the taxman has gone off again. So let's look back in on our Examplevanians. Once the return's in the envelope, Examplevanian #1 is out more than #4 and #5 combined make in a year, but is still left with $243,200. Examplevanian #2 has $121,600 for booze and exotic vacations, and Examplevanian #3 has $60,800 left over. As for #4 and #5? #4 ends up with $30,400, and #5 is left with $15,200 to get them through the year. The percentage is the same, but even the same percentage carries more weight on smaller numbers than it does larger. The difference between $200,000 and $300,000 of liquid capital boils down to differences in comfort - whether Examplevanians #1 and #2 will visit this or that gourmet restaurant, take this Caribbean cruise or that Alaskan one, and so on. It's a question of quality. For Examplevanian #5, it's something quite different. Look again at that number, $15,200. For an entire year, that's it - and that works out to $1266.66 per month. I know cities where rent alone is more than that per month; hell, while I was pricing apartments in Toronto before moving out west, a $1000/month single-bedroom apartment was cheap - and living in rented basements will only scoop a couple of hundred dollars off the top of that. That doesn't even factor in food, transportation, or emergencies. What's more, this is only considering the Examplevanians as completely independent, responsible only for themselves - what happens when you bring family in? What happens when Examplevania's economy collapses, and Examplevanian #5's soul-crushing clerking job is the best they can find to support not only thesmelves, but others? It's poverty any way you slice it, but what makes it worse is the idea that this is somehow more "fair." The more important thing, the thing to really consider, is how is this equal? Now that the money's parcelled out, what happens? That depends a hell of a lot on the national character of Examplevania. If it's one that accepts a robust social safety net that includes good health coverage, unemployment assistance, inexpensive or free public transit, and other such programs - that recognizes the responsibility of citizens to contribute to the construction of an equal and harmonious society - Examplevanian #5 still isn't living the easy life, but at least is living easier. If it takes more after the "fuck you, got mine" ethos that appears to be dominant in the modern Republican Party, well... I suppose #5 could try to get a second job selling bootstraps. The biggest problem we have to deal with today, I think, are the institutionalized, systemic inequalities that exist throughout the West in general and in the United States in particular. Chasing flat taxes isn't going to fix this; after all, many of the flat tax proponents have made it clear that it's just part of a goal to drastically draw down government spending as a whole. We need something better.

This post originally appeared on the Legislation Law Prof Blog Much has been written about the recent RFRA uproar in Indiana, but what lessons might we take from it? Here’s one: Governor Mike Pence is not a very good student of history. Here’s another: Big Business and Big Sport may have put the kibosh — definitively — on the spread of discriminatory state RFRA laws. First the history. In February of 2014, Arizona’s state legislature passed SB 1062, a bill intended to amend and extend existing state law, which prevented any law from substantially burdening a person’s exercise of religion. SB 1062 would have expanded the definition of “person” to include corporations and associations, and would have allowed religious freedom to be used as a claim or defense in lawsuits, whether or not the government was a party. Opposition to the bill was immediate and overwhelming. Social media lit up, and #BoycottAZ began trending. Civil rights organizations spoke out. But something new also happened. Big businesses spoke out as well. Opponents included Apple, American and Delta airlines, Marriott Hotels, Intel, PetSmart, and Yelp. And Big Business included Big Sport. Major League Baseball issued a statement. The Arizona Cardinals and the National Football League spoke out, suggesting that if the bill became law, the 2015 Super Bowl might be moved from Arizona to another location. Governor Jan Brewer bowed to the pressure, and vetoed the bill. Thirteen months later, history more or less repeated itself – except with a different order of events. On March 24, the Indiana state legislature passed SB 101. As in Arizona, the law extended religious freedom protection to businesses, and permitted it to be used as a claim or a defense in private lawsuits. Pence could have taken a week to sign or veto the bill. But instead of waiting to see if opposition developed, Pence signed the bill on March 26. The same day, opposition mobilized. #BoycottIndiana spiked. From just 56 tweets on March 24 and 2,783 on the 25th, it jumped to nearly 60,000 tweets per day for the next three days. Civil rights organizations spoke out, and the largest newspaper in Indiana demanded on its front page that Pence “FIX THIS NOW.” And, as in Arizona, Big Business and Big Sport spoke out. Salesforce said it would not send employees to Indiana. Angie’s List canceled a multimillion dollar expansion. Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote an op-ed describing the spread of state RFRA laws as “very dangerous.” And the head of the NCAA, which was slated to host the Final Four in Indianapolis, declared that the situation “absolutely, positively needs to get fixed.” After a weekend spent dragging his feet, Pence hopped to it, and last week ordered the legislature to pass SB 50, a bill barring discrimination, which he signed on Thursday. For a governor whose official bio claims credit for helping Indiana “earn a global reputation as a great place to do business,” and touts his own small business experience, this episode was an enormous misstep. Perhaps Spence was taken in by the meme of the religious bakers and florists, and led to believe that there was actually a large and well-organized community of religious small business owners who would have his back. Or perhaps he simply failed to take any lessons from what had happened in Arizona. In any event, he crossed the desires of Big Business, and paid the price. A couple states to the southwest, Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, faced with a similar situation, understood what he needed to do. With the Wal-Mart CEO telling him the RFRA bill as passed by the legislature “threatens to undermine the spirit of inclusion,” Hutchison sent the bill back and ordered up a version that parallels the federal law and prohibits discrimination. According to NCSL, 18 bills related to religious freedom are still pending in ten states this year. Some, as in Oklahoma, seek to amend existing RFRA laws; others, as in North Carolina, seek to add RFRA or something similar to the state statutes. In several states, proposed bills have already failed. In the wake of the experiences in Arizona, Indiana, and Arkansas, it is hard to imagine any of these states enacting a RFRA law that allows discrimination. At least in this case, the dominance of Big Business over the legislative process might be something for progressives to celebrate.

Family and Life in Las Vegas – Emily and Squishy (2.5) Crazy About My Baybah – Lolo and Baybah (2.5) The Life of a Sippy Cup Mom – Melissa & Hayden(4) If you want to follow this on twitter or plan on tweeting your post, please use hashtag: #toddlertalk** Toddler Talk was created as a place for moms and dads of toddlers to come together over a weekly topic and share ideas, go-to toys, or products. It is a great way to meet other bloggers of toddlers. Each week the topic will be different; we invite you to link up, share your weekly Toddler Talk!! There are no rules. Link up a post that is related to this weeks topic. (If you have previously written one, feel free to link that up.) Link ups will be open ALL WEEK! Please – Before you Link up – This is NOT A BLOG HOP!! IT IS A MEME FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS OF TODDLERS. If you aren’t going to post specific to this weeks topic, then don’t link up. This Week’s Topic: Free! Share anything you want related to your toddler. It can be a picture, something you enjoy doing with your toddler, or a question you have for other parents! By now you should know that my family LOVES books, I have shared many a post about children’s books we love, and my desire to create a reading nook for my son. But what you may not know is that my family also loves a good butt joke. WHAT!? It’s natural. I live with two boys that may have a 32 year difference between them, but they both share the ability to laugh at butts, farts, poop, and all things in between. (Boys! – Okay, who am I kidding I laugh too!) Back in the summer of 2010, I wrote about a book that my family still loves to read, and my toddler still roars with laughter to. The Butt Book was author Artie Bennett’s first picture book. The reality is this! Everyone poops, and poop isn’t just for flushing. Kids of all ages love to talk about poop, and Artie creatively capitalized on that with his colorful, educational, and funny book Poopendous! “Everyone poops—yes, it’s true—from aardvarks to the humped zebu.” Artie Bennett, author of the award-winning and much-acclaimed The Butt Book, delivers the inside scoop on every type and use of poop in his “number two,” spanking-new picture book, Poopendous! In hilarious verses, with eye-popping illustrations by Mike Moran, Poopendous! relates the many, often remarkable uses of poop throughout the world while paying homage to its prolific producers, from cats to bats to wombats! Poopendous!, flush with fascinating nature lore, is guaranteed to keep young readers and even younger listeners riveted. So pick up your pooper-scooper and come along for a riotously rib-tickling ride. You just may agree that poop is truly quite . . . poopendous! This book hits shelves on March 27! I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy for my family!! You can find Artie at ArtieBennett.com for even more of the scoop on poop, as well as some fun butt-related stuff, including some fascinating butt trivia, words for the butt, even a classic butt joke. (Disclosure: Artie Bennett reached out after I wrote about his first book to say thank you. When he reached out again to share news of his second book, I knew I would share it with my readers. I was not given any form of compensation for sharing his book. I did it because I think his books are unique, witty, and awesome!) Next Week’s Topic: Picky Eaters! Link Up Suggestions: - We ask that you follow all three hosts.That way you can keep up to date on future Toddler Talks. - Feel free grab the Toddler Talk Button and display it in your post or on your blog. - Stop in to other blogs that are linking up.Leave a meaningful comment if you visit, and follow if you would like. - If you have a topic you would like to suggest, please leave it in the comments sections of this post! - If you want to post the link up on your blog – please do! Maybe we can draw in more people to participate and share tips!! get the InLinkz code This link up is for families that have toddlers. Raising a toddler can be fun, crazy, exciting, and exhausting. Sharing what works for you could give other families another way to do things. Latest posts by Emily (Posts) - Don’t Call It A Comeback - February 7, 2019 - The Little Prince at The Smith Center Las Vegas – Ticket Giveaway - January 31, 2017 - 3 Simple Ways To Add Color To Your Diet @SUBWAY @OfficialSubway - January 13, 2017 - Disney’s Moana in Dolby Cinema at AMC Movie Review - November 27, 2016

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Fashion is rarely the subject of a game. Now, fashion, wardrobe choices, character editors, those are a massive part of many RPGs, sims, and minigames within larger genre titles, but fashion itself is rarely the focus a game drives itself on. Style Savvy Trendsetters, the second in the Style Savvy series, keeps that focus centered – the next entry, Style Savvy Styling Star, branches out into the pop idol industry in an attempt to give the game a clearer sense of direction. Trendsetters instead uses this more freeform milieu to create a setting for the game’s real focus – spiritual fulfillment and relationship building. When I look at people comparing the franchise’s entries, there’s a strong contingent who never were satisfied with the next two titles. Unfortunately, I never played them myself, probably for the same reasons this game was ignored by so many in the first place. The core gameplay of Style Savvy: Trendsetters, the outfit designer, is fairly simple. You collect clothing for your shop, and then work with customers to find outfits that work with their needs in terms of budget and style. Each clothing item or accessory is separated by where on the body it is worn (there are three layers for shirts, for example, separated into whether they function as a base layer or as outerwear.) As you select items on the touch screen, they populate onto a mannequin on the top, building the outfit as it tallies the sale total against the customer’s budget. When you’ve assembled your suggestion, the customer will decide whether or not to make the purchase. Rinse, repeat, make cute outfits, meet new people. Your stylist, a self-created avatar, is hired on as the assistant at a local women’s clothing boutique. A few days into your job, the shop’s owner decides to pass control of the store to you – having gone through the tutorial of assembling outfits, you’ll now be responsible for selecting the store’s stock and style, keeping up with current fashion trends, hiring new assistants, and directly assisting customers with selecting new clothes that meet their needs. The day-to-day operation ends up serving as a fairly satisfying shop management simulation, where sales feel personalized and more detailed than just setting a price on an item and letting the day pass. Clothing recommendations require keeping in mind elements of style and seasonal weather, which give you reasons to sell more than “the most profitable” items in your shop – and every customer will keep what you sell them, so you want to try your best to only sell things you actually think look good! This structure ends up providing a drip feed for new story content, most of it focused on your relationships with your customers or fellow workers throughout the city at local cafes, makeup shops, and so on. But inklings drip in about your shop’s former owner trying to become a superstar fashion Some number of weeks into building relationships, creating aesthetics, and exploring the city for social opportunities, you’ll gain the ability to select and outfit men’s clothing at your boutique as well, and eventually enter your boutique into fashion competitions in an effort to expand your store’s brand. How many weeks? Well, I honestly don’t remember. There…isn’t a lot of writing about Style Savvy Trendsetters on the internet. A handful of reviews exist from the time of release – one of the five on MetaCritic is print only, and another links out to a site that no longer has reviews whatsoever. There’s only one in-depth customer list on GameFAQS – and zero walkthroughs, clothing lists, or competition guides. I remembered that Leigh Alexander used to tweet about the game – I’m fairly confident that’s how I originally found out about it! – but I can’t find anything in my searches now. This lack of guidance ends up leaving the discoveries of the game feeling even more special, more intimate. Style Savvy: Trendsetters might be one of gaming’s best kept secrets. If so, I’m glad I get the chance to share it with you. Let’s walk through a short play session, maybe twenty minutes or so. I’ll boot up my file on the third copy of this game I’ve bought over the years, which I’m probably about three hours into playing. In my shop right now, I have Shea, my assistant. Per the game’s tooltip, “She’s a bit of a scatterbrain but works hard to make up for it.” I like her updo and denim vest, but the black-and-creme striped top she wears under it doesn’t quite line with the buttons – I have an option to change her outfit, so I suggest a different striped top, this one pale cyan and white, with a small blue bow at the collar. She thanks me for the suggestion, and I move back on to my customers. First, there’s Guinevere, a serious-looking woman in a black blazer and knee-length straight skirt. Checking the tooltip, “she has asthma but is training every day for a half marathon.” This isn’t her first visit – she has a budget today of $300. Checking in on my other customers, I have a first timer in a cute soft outfit and glasses (“She slathers on the sunblock because her skin is so sensitive”) and India (“She’s a waitress at the cafe and has a serious thing for dinosaurs.”) I take too long deciding and find out for the first time that each game day is processing on a timer – it’s not about how many customers you choose to help, but how long you take. Now the pressure is on. It’s now nighttime, and my customers have changed over!I’ll help this next first-timer. There’s now a customer with long dark blue hair and blue polka-dot dress. She has a budget of $800, so we’re picking her quickly. Her name is Wren: “Listen up! I have some great news for this city! There’s going to be a new makeup studio opening near here! Everyone around here is going to be so gorgeous! Once it’s open, you’ll be able to buy makeup there!” Makeup is highlighted in yellow – a new feature is being added to the game. Wren asks me for a feminine skirt as her first purchase – let’s help her out. The game opens directly to the skirts menu – it doesn’t highlight which skirts are “feminine,” though. To discover that, you either need to know your wholesaler and styles, or you can use the menu to highlight all the feminine items in stock at your store. Feminine in this game means “adult, but not formal.” It’s a style I’d affiliate with business casual. Noticing her leather brown vest, I pick out a brown fluted-hem skirt from Marzipan Sky. It’s well within her budget, so I’ll ask her to try it on rather than take a look first – it’s a double-down mechanic, going all in rather than offering choices. That feeling of putting on a new piece of clothing you love – you see it in your customers every time. They receive these suggestions as an opportunity for a Sailor Moon style transformation sequence – they are empowered to be their best selves in the clothing you’ve selected. “I decided on a whim to try it on, and I was blown away! It’s perfect for me! This look is just what I was going for! So sophisticated!” She isn’t buying anything else today, but sometimes these sales will lead to customers asking for an entire new outfit. You’ll see them in clothes they’ve bought from you going forward, mixed and matched with what they already own. Eventually, as a player, you come to know these keywords, these wholesalers, and, yes, these customers. They’ve written hundreds of customers, and compared with Animal Crossing, there’s a lot less shared dialogue between them than you might expect. Combine that with the number of events available in the game at an ever-expanding list of locales, and you end up with hundreds of hours you can spend long after your shop is 100% solvent. What makes that gameplay so appealing is how much of the writing is geared toward people who actually behave, well, like people. Some of them have mundane problems, like a lack of self confidence, or job dissatisfaction, or a history of dismissing their ex-girlfriends’ love for dressing well. Those relationships reflect something very real, which is the way putting effort into your own appearance can make you realize your own self-worth, or how valuable putting effort into something you care about might be. Other characters are bubbly and fun from the jump, and their conversations tend toward being like easier, occasionally more superficial friendships. In addition, I have to say, it’s a blast to play a game where the clothes actually look good. I always love to notice details like the button-work on a cardigan, the stitching on a pair of pants, the little accent stripes on a scarf. All of it suits the game’s character models well, who look very much like classical fashion school hand-drawn models, the sort you might see in traditional design drawing. I like the music too – catchy, easy-going music, mostly jazzy, a little bit elevator-y at times. But I spend a lot of time with the game with the music off, mostly because it is such an easy pick-up-and-play title. There are obvious limitations to this game’s appeal. While I think the game does a decent job presenting racially diverse customers to the player, there is absolutely no body diversity – everyone is shaped like Taylor Swift or Andrew Garfield, reinforcing a monopoly of the thin and slender in fashion that many of its players won’t see themselves in. For a game with a fairly thoughtful approach to how strange and wonderful people can be in the city, there’s also not any explicit queer representation within the game, which is something I’d like to see them approach in a sequel. And, for all that great clothing can do for a person, the game frames that clothing in a sort of utopian capitalism, with no real concern given to where clothing comes from beyond “a warehouse wholesaler” and “a smartly selected boutique”, leaving it fairly unconcerned with any serious consumerist critique. Still, I love this fantasy. I love living in a world where I think about expression. I love playing in a world where problems are easily solved. I love looking at clothes, and looking at those clothes on people who are nice and who I want to dress. Maybe someday there will be the Style Savvy clone that Stardew Valleys the original and builds even more into a queer utopia. When it does, I will remember this game. You can expect me to write about this one again someday, now that you’ve been introduced. Style Savvy Trendsetters is only available on the Nintendo 3DS, and currently sells at $39.99 digitally in the US. You can also find the game for significantly cheaper as a physical copy on online storefronts. The game is localized as New Style Boutique in the PAL region, and Wagamama Fashion: Girls Mode Yokubari Sengen! in Japan. It is hard for me not to fight hardest for the new. Especially here, in games, the new expands the vocabulary of what we can do so greatly that it changes what we even dream can exist. This year’s entry might be “the best Assassin’s Creed so far,” but there’s a strong chance it won’t be anymore five years from now. Games like Outer Wilds, Baba Is You, Into The Breach, Death Stranding, and Return of the Obra Dinn – these games change what I think about when I think about games entirely. They form incredible emotional connections to me, even the ones that have no narrative whatsoever, because they are such special visions of what we should strive to make. This year, these six games felt the freshest of everything I played. None are flawless. All are deeply special. And, yeah, shout out to Umurangi Generation and 13 Sentinels, which would go here if I’d only written two blogs and not separated three games I can’t shut up about into their own article. And, well, when they’re no longer works in progress, I’ll be writing about World of Horror and Phasmophobia in a similar blog, too. Zagreus, son of Hades, Underworld princeling, uncovers the scandal of the underworld. Unfortunately, that scandal is the identity of his mother – so he’s going to do his damnedest to escape the underworld, sword or spear or railgun in hand to thwart his father’s “security.” No matter how thrilling the escape attempt, if he can’t best his father and all his minions, he’s going to wind up face down in the bath of blood that ends the hall leading up to dad’s desk. But every attempt, the player gets a little smarter, and the other denizens of the underworld might have just a little more to say. Hades is, mechanically, the least “new” of the games presented here. Its combat mechanics are similar to those in Supergiant’s first game, Bastion – the whole team has come along, building on their style, making better and better games with each at-bat, with more focused art, more variety in the music, more thoughtful storytelling. It is an action game and a rogue-lite with the sort of “base-building” mechanics at the heart of Rogue Legacy. That base building mostly happens either by trading collected resources for upgrades or by giving gifts to your fellow lost souls. But what makes it fresh is the incredible synthesis between all the game’s best elements. Traveling from Tartarus up to Elysium, you receive boons from the Olympic gods you know best, all of whom have signature gameplay benefits that match their personality. Aphrodite’s boons have the ability to charm your foes and make them fight on your behalf for a brief time – Poseidon sends waves crashing against them to push them away from you, giving you the space to choose your prey without suffering under their claws and staves. All these gods are funny, well characterized, petty but friendly, and most of them are very attractive. Everyone’s attractiveness in this game, thankfully, feeds into the gift-giving – there’s a lot of flirtation, and, yes, a few characters you can actually date, but that gift giving also reveals new dialogue, new storylines, and new jokes. And the only way to see those scenes is to keep fighting your way out. Synced up with all of that is the wonderful music of Darren Korb, further expanding on the folk vibes of Pyre and adding some really fantastic metal to the mix. Those who’ve spent time with Korb’s work know he’s consistently able to capture character themes and help define the setting of his games through that music. That’s true of the game’s lyrical folksongs, sung by Orpheus and Eurydice, long lost lovers who you’ll have the opportunity to meet. But it’s the choice to build out epic instrumentals, most of which extend to be eight or nine full minutes before looping, that makes for such a clean experience while playing – most playthroughs will be interrupted long before you hit the end of a music track, either by reaching a new area and theme or by meeting your demise in the trials of combat. Fighting as Zagreus feels so good. Zagreus is fast, responsive, and he’s just as fun to control as you deliberately watch your opponents and wait for clean openings as he is to mash out as much damage as you can, as fast as you can. All six weapons, and all their customizations, and all the boons and talismans you can use to build your run, feel great to use (if not to you, to another player – I’ve heard every one of them defended by now.) I’ve now gotten good enough at the game that I can think to myself “oh, no, this run is doomed” and can figure out the kind of boons I need to fix what’s wrong and get a surprise win. I don’t yet know how many games of the year there are – I’ve played at least nine. Hades is the game of the year because its complete package design, aesthetic, and writing make a game that feels beautifully fresh, all while reimagining how strong writing and story can fit into a game you have to start over every half hour. Truthfully, Hades feels like such a consensus masterpiece that detailed reasons for it to not be the Game of the Year would require their own article – I don’t feel like doing that here. Hades central thesis may best be summarized by my favorite line from Chaplin’s City Lights – “Be brave! Face life!” I think the game’s angry carpe diem ethos felt great to sit in through 2020. Echodog’s Signs of the Sojourner places you as the inheritor of a small-town shop in a loosely fantastical world, setting off to the nearby townships to find valuables to keep your home afloat. The gameplay of Signs of the Sojourner is simple – you and an NPC you’re talking with take turns playing cards, trying to match symbols from card to card in order to communicate with one another. Each “round” is cooperative, where you and the NPC are trying to meet common ground. If you complete a conversation successfully, you may make a trade for something new to sell back home, keeping your town thriving one day longer. You may also make a friend who will take your story in new directions. What makes the mechanic so smart is that each town you visit has its own culture, and each card symbol has its own cultural meaning. Triangles represent factual logic, squares forceful directness, circles emotional reasoning. Due to your limited deck size, you’re quickly going to find that you can’t get along with everybody. So you end up finding your own cultural niche and either sticking to where you grew up or venturing out into the world past home. The game ends up using this mechanic really effectively to communicate something about cultural difference and assimilation without ever being too direct about this fact, and it uses this smart, small mechanic to reinforce something that writing traditionally can only do through outsized stereotype. As a result, the characters tend to be much subtler and have more variety than the usual concept of “towns with culture” can offer. A place where people are creative thinkers ends up not having to mean everybody is an artist – sometimes, it’s an old crank who’s constantly coming up with conspiracy theories. Farming simulator meets action platformer, Spiritfarer’s Stella has taken up the oar from a retiring Charon, dedicating her afterlife to sending troubled souls into the grasp of Hades. Quickly, it becomes apparent that the first souls Stella will ferry through the Everdoor will be those closest to her – Uncle Atul and childhood friend Gwen are the first aboard her vessel, which could use some work. Building a home on the titular Spiritfarer is the perfect opportunity to go on one last adventure with the loved ones and friends you’ll be sending on their way. For most players, I suspect the characters, the story, and the artistry are what will be the main draw of Spiritfarer. The hand-drawn characters are rendered with bold colors and designs that stick in the brain, and their animation is expressive far beyond the borderline animatronics of most games. Their personalities are bold, and while I didn’t enjoy spending time with every one of them, I did want them to find their peace. The game trades in a deep sincerity that at times put me on edge. But I felt those moments of secondhand embarrassment and I found myself questioning whether that was a fault in the game’s tone or my own comfort with such child-friendly bluntness. That isn’t to say the game is humorless – the game is as equally interested in making light of the petty flaws that drive wedges between us. Your best fence to sell your goods to is a rancid hoarder who has become an onion man. Guests on your boat include an obnoxious scold, an insufferable live-action roleplayer, and a serial philanderer. Traveling to cities and work sites, you’ll meet with smugglers, a rap group called the Dice Boys, a film director who barely has the time of day for you, and a labor riot, all of which are written with a modern sense of humor that works far more often than not. The game’s ability to handle these moments of comedy and urbanity make the moments of sincere grief feel their gravity. As a farming game, Spiritfarer is solid! Every resource has its own minigame, whether it’s mining the ore rock itself, fishing from your boat, or working the sawmill, the loom, and the The time management involved in being productive is satisfying, though I ended the game with a lot of materials I had no outlet to sell or use. But that farming makes for a great excuse to enter a meditative state, one that is supported by the fact that Stella’s a fun platforming character to move through space – unlike some games, she feels complete before you get access to some later traversal abilities, and those just make you feel even more powerful. I don’t yet know how many games of the year there are – so far, I’ve played nine. Truthfully, Spiritfarer isn’t so much the tenth – it’s the eleventh. But Spiritfarer remains a game that challenged me to think about how full a game you can make without combat. Spiritfarer is a terrifically entertaining platformer without death – and a platformer constantly mired in it. Its earnest heart will make it a shining game to point toward when I am sick of playing action games dedicated to murder. Fundamentally, Blaseball is a free browser game best described as baseball mixed with Dungeons & Dragons. The game takes place entirely in a small probability generator and a huge legion of fanart, fan fiction, fan twitters, fan bands, fan Discords and subreddits…you get the idea. It’s hard to write about because it’s the most absurd and dense game of 2020, and it’s such a freeform object that it’s hard to pin down. The game is returning from a four-month siesta on March 1st, following a major wave of new development, so a fair warning that when the game comes back it may be fairly different from what I describe. I think Quintin Smith’s video above does a great job explaining what Blaseball was in 2020, so if you want more details, I highly recommend it. The core of Blaseball is the sport simulator, using athlete stats to determine nine-inning games every hour mostly recognizable as baseball. Each of these games is between a roster of twenty teams, and upon joining the game you’ll choose a favorite based on their name (I went with the Hades Tigers first, before finally settling in with the Seattle Garages) before being able to see their record or their players’ stats. Probability for each game is calculated before the game starts based on those stats, and the primary play mechanic is betting on these games to try to earn cash. Using that cash, you can cast raffle ticket votes into the election held at the end of each week, which will pass a new decree and grant several smaller boons to different teams in the league. This sort of betting mechanic is familiar to those who’ve spent time with the SaltyBet streaming game on Twitch, and the election mechanics work sort of similarly to TwitchPlaysPokemon. And, like Twitch Plays Pokemon back in 2014, an idle fandom will create its own jokes, its own lore, and its own space to discuss strategies. If the Helix Fossil was enough for a twitch chat to start a meme cult dedicated to its praise, Blaseball has managed to take that and run with it for just about every player in the simulation. The Blaseball Discord is home to the chat where people watch games live, private discussion boards for each team to discuss strategy for the upcoming election, and dedicated channels to posting fanart, fan-wiki lore, and real nerdy statistical analysis. Unlike a lot of fandoms, it’s not just artists or meme creators, though there are plenty of those too. Blaseball fans organized a community driven nonforprofit named Blaseball Cares, dedicated to utilizing the fandom to donate to causes like the Milwaukee Freedom Fund and the California Community Foundation. An organization calling themselves the Society for Internet Blaseball Research publishes properly formatted research papers. Then there’s The Garages and Fourth Strike Records, musicians who have banded together internationally to produce music reflecting the DIY sensibility of fandom, entirely with lyrics about a fictional sport and fictional athletes. All the songs in the sampler playlist were written by fans, on their own dime, and they’ve maintained a respectable following even while the game has been gone since November. Your mileage is going to vary on this one – if you take pleasure in bands like They Might Be Giants, The Mountain Goats, and The Decemberists writing lyrics that couldn’t possibly exist without being entirely predicated on some real specific nerdy shit, there are some well-written bangers in the…14 albums and musical that have already been written by now. I definitely haven’t listened to all of it, and I don’t think I could recommend doing so in earnest, but my favorite is the chorus of In the Feedback (in the sampler above.) The Blaseball fandom rapidly ascended from niche community into cult object, and the experience of listening to a pretty catchy garage rock song about a really bad fictional pitcher probably calls to mind Homestuck and bronies. It’s a mixed bag! There are times where the fandom gets very possessive of the game and their favorite characters, and it creates an unwelcome tension. And the never-ending onslaught of games on the hour through the workweek, the rate at which the rules of the game can change within just two or three weeks, and the number of community events that can happen may leave it totally inaccessible to those who haven’t been invested since the beginning. What’s kept me following the game week to week is really the work of Blaseball developer The Game Band, who have done an excellent job giving us new experiences each week. When the elections happen at the end of each week, it’s an opportunity for them to unveil some new eldritch god who plans to interfere with the experience or some absurdist new rule change that has a new way to threaten our players. The climax in those original twelve seasons was a war with The Shelled One, a literal peanut god that threatened fantastical violence against the players’ favorite athletes. It’s a wonderful vehicle for light fantasy storytelling – players are invested in the teams and athletes of Blaseball already, so the developers can very economically raise the stakes by trusting that just about any change they make will set off a new wave of theories, strategies, and fan works. It’s the dream of every MMO to have players scheming on how they can effect the game itself rather than just build their own character to maximum strength, and Blaseball manages to do that while the only real “direct” interaction players have with the game is gambling and raffles. I don’t yet know how many games of the year there are – I’ve played at least nine. The first run of Blaseball is the game of the year because games like Blaseball simply don’t happen any other way. The independent spirit of the game itself, its generosity to fandom work, and the freewheeling strangeness of Blaseball require incredible dedication and confidence the likes of which simply don’t tend to happen in the profit-driven mainstream games industry. I’m not sure Blaseball could have happened the way it did if COVID didn’t have us all cooped up in our homes. Hell, I’m not sure it could have happened the way it did if actual baseball had been able to finish its full season in 2020. I’m very curious to see how the game feels when it returns on March 1st, and I’m hoping they use it as an opportunity to welcome anyone new and curious and to invite those who fell off back into the fold. When Paste Magazine posted its 40 Best Games of 2020 List and ranked If Found… as the second best game of the year, I knew I had two choices – to play it immediately after finding out it existed, or to allow it to fall to the background like We Know The Devil, Ladykiller In A Bind, Butterfly Soup, and Cibele. “Acclaimed visual novel about LGBTQ+ experience” is the new frontier of prestige games nobody talks about after year-end list season now that strategy games are becoming cool again. This game, from Irish developer DREAMFEEL, is maybe two hours long. It also, according to my wife, may barely be a game. Unlike the popular forms of visual novels in the west based on dating sims and choose-your-own-adventure novels, you do not make choices in the vast majority of If Found. Your primary mechanic is erasure. If Found… tells two running narratives, the primary narrative in the form of a diary. Your primary interaction is to read a section of the diary, erase any marks scratching things out, and then to erase the text and drawings in the diary themselves. The act feels violent. It feels intrusive. I love this mechanical choice. But, no, it’s not very gamelike. The first narrative, a frame narrative, is that of the lone astronaut Doctor Cassiopeia, stranded in deep space, trying to find her way home. The second, the diary narrative, is that of 23 year old astronomy student Kasio, who can no longer live in the closet in 1993 Ireland and is now presenting as her gender. Kasio leaves her mother’s home to stay with her friends in a condemned old house, a rock band made up of a gay couple and their lead guitarist/vocalist Shans. She keeps a diary of her life at this time, full of fun asides, character sketches, and scratched out unwanted thoughts. I don’t yet know how many games of the year there are – I’ve played at least nine. If Found… is the game of the year because it best understands the monumental stakes of feeling. If Found… allows its characters to say hurtful things. The fact that you are not directly playing as Kasio, but as the eraser, allows you the distance to judge character moments for yourself. And it presents this story in a way that is familiar, but never unwelcome. The moment I heard about the vaporwave murder mystery where you can initiate the final court case five minutes into the game, I knew it was a game I was going to *have* to play before I began considering Game of the Year. The expectations were high for the story of Lady Love Dies, the exiled Investigation Freak who is called back to Paradise Island when the entirety of The Council is murdered just before the Perfect 25th Sequence. Your old friends, the members of The Syndicate of immortals who are trying to resurrect old alien gods, seem eager to sweep things up before you do your job. Lot of secrets in the time you’ve been exiled. Lots of old friends to catch up with. You’re probably thinking – Alex, that’s a lot of proper nouns. And you’re right. One of the great joys of Paradise Killer is figuring out how all these proper nouns fit together in a story that ends up taking seriously the pain and exploitation built into a society structured to sacrifice everything for some old ideals of success. Playing the game is, well, a classic first-person exploration game. As Lady Love Dies, you scour the environments of Paradise Island, through roman plinths and absurd statues and yachts, meeting your nasty demon friend Shinji along the way, finding evidence and interviewing your old friends in The Syndicate. All of them have secrets – you tend to find those out by finding something on the island that someone wanted to cover up or by talking to someone. Maybe the Grand Architect Carmelina Silence’s alibi contradicts something Doctor Doom Jazz told you about the autopsy. Maybe you found an extra knife somewhere hidden, one that surely had nothing to do with the murders, right? That process of combing through the island is deeply melancholy. For reasons you’ll discover later, everyone but the remaining suspects in The Syndicate have already left the island, one way or another. You find yourself exploring the remnants of an island that’s already dead. There are ghosts of citizens looking for one last peace before annihilation. Alongside evidence related to the case, you find pamphlets talking about worker conditions, squirrelled away contraband punk music and pornography, whiskey that’s been bottled from another island long ago. The game uses that vaporwave aesthetic to really highlight that sense of loneliness like all those great abandoned mall videos do. There are solid facts that can be uncovered – with enough time spent on Paradise Island, listening to its city pop, buttering up the information broker/sex icon Crimson Acid or the religious fanatic Witness to the End, all players will reach the same conclusion as to *exactly* who killed the Council in that closed room and how they did it. As long as you play enough to see their bodies, you’ll probably get a good sense of the picture. But it’s the fact that you’re allowed to start the trial immediately that means you may never be 100% sure how much more game there is to play, how many more betrayals there are to uncover, how many more blood gems or collectible mementos there are to find. And, as Trevor Richardson wrote excellently in his piece about the game, you will always be asked to present “your truth” – justice and truth don’t share a name in Paradise. At this time, that Paradise Killer is my game of the year. Paradise Killer is the game of the year because it is the bravest new vision executed with the most complete package. Its warm, funny characters, its vaporwave, Dreamcast-era aesthetic, its methodical and contemplative gameplay, its themes of economic exploitation, lust, accelerationism vs. privilege, and its twisty, page-turner plot make it the greatest revelation of any game I played this year. The applecart for Danganronpa and Zero Escape has officially been overturned. I want to play one of these every year until I die, even if I never play one this great again. Seriously, I’ve been waiting most of a decade for a follow-up to Animal Crossing New Leaf alone. If it had just been that, I’d already have felt that warm homecoming feeling. Instead, we got a full-blown “make games for Alex” season. Half of these I figured might come someday – a couple, I never expected to see exist at all. Honestly? For a little while, toward the middle of the year, it was kind of exhausting. There’s such a thing as not being challenged enough, and at some point I started feeling like “I’ve done this already.” But the sad truth is, on top of all that, most of these weren’t revelations. Thankfully, only one of these is, like, going to get a dressing down. A special shout-out to Final Fantasy VII Remake, which I could have put here instead of my previous Evangelion trilogy – but if I did, this blog would be even longer. Most of these writeups will be shorter than those. Keep an eye out for one more blog Friday. I’ll be starting and ending with my two favorites for the sake of getting the more up-and-down stuff out of the way. Animal Crossing likely deserves its own deep dive rather than a simple introduction here, but it also likely needs no introduction. Animal Crossing New Horizons is the shared experience I will never separate from 2020. So many of us burned through the game those first few months of quarantine – I know I’d assembled the village I planned to have years down the line by July, which led to me considerably slowing my time with the game. It is, as well established by now, the definitive COVID companion for those first few months for everyone who managed to get their hands on a Switch – for everyone else, there was Tiger King. I played Animal Crossing New Leaf on and off after I flushed my original town – my next town, Guzzle, effectively closed down in 2015 when I graduated college, though I’ve occasionally checked in on my friends Stitches and Tia. New Horizons, due to the way I obsessively played during every free hour those first couple months, is already in that same holding pattern – I remember to check in every couple weeks for an hour or so, enjoying the organic groves and biomes I created, visiting with Marshal, Reneigh, and Tangy. But Animal Crossing New Horizons is also a game that lives in me even when I’m not playing. When I remember the first time I walked through the museum’s fossil exhibit, which organically traces evolution in a way most real natural history museums should envy, I get very emotional. When I remember readying my outfits for my friend Ven’s fashion show, or watching my friend Gracie perform a seance (flickering the lights in her little Animal Crossing home for dramatic effect!) I think of some of the best, most earnest moments of play I had with a friend all year. I don’t yet know how many games of the year there are – I’ve played at least nine. New Horizons is possibly/probably the best version of Animal Crossing, and Animal Crossing as a whole is better than any other game I’ve played this year. It’s unquestionably the 2020 release I played most, and it’s full of incredibly emotional details. It looks gorgeous, the music is great, I love the writing and laugh with the jokes, and it gives full power over the game’s traditional zen garden approach. And if “game of the year” means the game that represents a given year, it’s hard to deny Animal Crossing: New Horizons as the game for all of us this year. Crusader Kings III I don’t yet know how many games of the year there are – I’ve played at least nine. Crusader Kings III is one of the best games of 2020. It’s a deeply considered simulation of Europe, Asia and North Africa, where the player takes on the incredibly specific personal life of anyone from a baron to an empress. They will set on their plans with the goal of either mastering their domain or improving their station in life, siring heirs, warring, spying, feasting, and taxing their way through a story that encompasses a dynasty. Crusader Kings III improves on its 2012 predecessor by giving each leader more personality, improving on the simulation, and making the tutorials more accessible than ever. But, I admit, I’m genuinely not able to pay enough attention to follow what’s happening in my own playthroughs of Crusader Kings III right now. I can make the personal decisions about who to spy on or hire as my vassal, but tracking wars or tax plans is right out. That won’t always be true, but during this pandemic? Yeah, I’m fried. The joy I’ve gotten out of Crusader Kings III has been watching my friends and favorite streamers play the game and get into increasingly absurd situations as they create pagan nations to challenge the Holy Roman Empire. Maybe when COVID ends I’ll have more focus in my free time. The Jackbox Party Pack 7 Obviously, COVID became a great time for the Jackbox games, playable remotely with just an iPhone and a laptop, a great chance to kick back and crack jokes with friends. Party Pack 7 is just the most fun we’ve had yet with a Jackbox game – it’s such a wonderful platform to crack jokes on and reconnect through. I sort of wasn’t expecting the world of Party Pack 7 when it came out, but boy did it come through for me. Let’s play Champ’d Up or Talking Points sometime. Spelunky is a 2D platformer where the levels are different every time you play – procedural generation assembles these levels to allow for a new experience every time. And when you die, that’s it, game over, start a new game. Using limited tools (starting with a bomb, whip, and some climbing rope,) the player navigates the game’s treacherous levels to try to finish the gauntlet. It may be my favorite game, period. Writing about the original game back in 2012, I wrote, “Spelunky is a rushing dance, rewarding players who move quickly through the level with exceptional gamefeel and in-game rewards…In Spelunky, any encounter can be overcome with tight enough control of your explorer.” Emphasizing that dance was pitch-perfect encounter design, nailing what I think is exactly the right amount of difficulty from level to level. Playing Spelunky, I genuinely know that every death was out of my own carelessness. Spelunky 2 promised more Spelunky, new discoveries, new foes, a new game to learn. Instead, Spelunky 2 feels designed only for Spelunky professionals. It feels tuned to make the first levels as difficult as the finale of the first game – I still haven’t seen past the jungle boss. I totally get why people who truly mastered the original game are getting so much out of Spelunky 2 – I hardly consider myself a neophyte, but I just can’t get there. And, uh, hearing this one song for 12 of the 17 hours I’ve played of the game certainly didn’t help – the original game had at least five different songs per world, and instead this feels like a pretty unfortunate misstep. Golf on Mars Hello, my old friend. How have you been? I like that new curl. Golf on Mars plays much as the original did – using the touchscreen, the player pulls backward from the direction they want to aim the ball, drawing it like a bow and arrow, and releasing to launch the ball across the 2D dunes of red dirt. The ball moves a little differently through the atmosphere on Mars, and the clay offers less catch and less slide than sand when it hits ground. This game also adds the ability to put topspin or backspin on the ball by rotating a dial while aiming, meaning clever shots that utilize harsh hills or dynamic acceleration are more feasible. Unlike Desert Golfing, every level is now 100% procedurally generated and unique to each player, and the game extends, per the app store description, into plausible infinity. This new approach has also led to the appearance of holes that are impossible to complete, a known feature that allows for really interesting or devious (but at least technically possible to complete!) holes, which has led to the game adding a skip button and 25 point limit on strokes for each hole. I can no longer share a hole with my friends and commiserate about how it is a real rude experience – on the other hand, every hole is now my own. Unlike the static screens of Desert Golfing, your view can now scroll, as well. Overshooting can now send you catapulting past the next two or three holes entirely on the wrong decline, and being too timid can send you falling back toward where you started the last hole. This was, in my opinion, a phenomenal change that immediately makes a bad shot a source of comedy. It adds another layer of accountability to the formula – it gives Golf on Mars the systemic anecdotes of a game like Far Cry 2, of a grenade rolling down a hill. At present, I haven’t emotionally connected to Golf on Mars the way I did Desert Golfing. Partly, it is the impossible holes, which happen a little too frequently for my taste. Partly, it is that I’ve already known Desert Golfing for so many years. But, really, it may just be that I haven’t written about it yet. I am still playing Golf on Mars – I am on hole 7019. I am still playing Desert Golfing – I am on hole 6154. I will be playing both for quite a while longer yet. Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise I was in genuine shock when a sequel to Deadly Premonition was announced, let alone announced to be releasing in six months. I’ve been the boatman for probably twenty souls in six separate playthroughs of the original game, a bastardized low-budget take on Twin Peaks that amps up the horror and the camp to sometimes unbearable degrees. Replaying the original once again in preparation for the new game, I was often struck by the game’s emotional vulnerability and sincerity – at least, its attempts at it, often marred by weak gender politics and a broad sensibility toward race and identity that lead to it falling into familiar storytelling traps. Disappointing does not begin to address my response to Deadly Premonition 2’s Louisianan Le Carre, a town full of racist caricature, ableist depictions of dwarfism and developmental disability, and the worst treatment of a trans character I may have ever seen. It is a meanspirited and unlovable object by the time the game has unveiled its major twists. Upon receiving criticism for the game, the game’s director, SWERY, begged players to continue supporting the game and “hate him, not the characters,” a fundamentally embarrassing way to discuss the game’s loathsome content. There were many minute to minute charms that showed me I still love some of what Deadly Premonition has to offer, and yet I have not been this deeply repulsed by a game in years. The Yakuza games have quickly escalated to become my very favorite kind of fictional world – one which is malleable and can flow wildly between high suspense, broad absurdist comedy, and soap opera melodrama. Playing a Yakuza game is equal parts exploring the strange and comedic world of its vision of Japan, exploring sociopolitical concerns by meeting citizens whose problems can only be solved by a combination of active listening and fantasy martial arts, and navigating a crime conspiracy of betrayal, petty greed, and collateral damage. It’s sort of like if a Grand Theft Auto game had less emphasis on the darkness and depravity of the crime world and the inane superficiality of Americans and instead a focus on what support people need in order to overcome their sad lives. One sidequest involves buying time for an illegal immigrant to escape her loan sharks so she can finish applying for her work visa. In another, you teach a rock band that’s made up of posers how to really act tough before their first Tokyo concert. Hypothetically, you might help a burned dominatrix worried about paying the bills to keep her son in school get through to her exploitative boss, only to find out the boss is being blackmailed by yakuza and that’s the only reason he’s working her so hard. The protagonists of these games do this by not judging people for their lifestyles, kinks, or past decisions – they adopt a progress-oriented stance asking, “what are you going to do about it now?” That same spirit applies to navigating different gangs in the main storyline, who make what they believe are impossible asks to assist you on your quest only for you to step up and do the damn thing. It can, however, get a little broad, with comedy occasionally overtaking the gravity of the story at hand – but that allows everything from the more serious sidequests at hand to a minigame where you desperately try to stay awake at a classic movie theater. Previously, these games placed you in the shoes of “honorable yakuza” Kazuma Kiryu and his associates as an action beat-em-up – the original run of Yakuza 0 through Yakuza 6 covers roughly thirty years of his life, from the bubble economy of the 1980s to the ministry of Shinzo Abe. Kiryu, the “Dragon of Dojima,” is a bruiser with a heart of gold, and playing as him while he dropkicks some thug shaking down teenagers for money was a delightful experience – the action in these games is smooth and still deliberate, really rewarding the player for getting familiar with their abilities. Yakuza: Like a Dragon begins a new storyline with a new protagonist, and introduces completely new gameplay alongside it. Ichiban Kasuga is probably twenty years younger than Kiryu and this game primarily takes place after Kiryu’s life of crime has ended – he’s a Dragon Quest junkie that agrees to serve a jail sentence for his father figure and yakuza patriarch, Masumi Arakawa, only to find the entire world has moved on while he was in prison. When he finally finds Arakawa again, Arakawa shoots him and his body is dumped in the red light district of Yokohama. Unlike prior Yakuza games, the gameplay is now a turn-based RPG, complete with a job system and elemental attacks. They make light of this through Ichiban’s characterization – he lives his life the way a hero would in Dragon Quest, and therefore he sees every challenge that same way. The biggest change this makes to the story is that Ichiban can now have allies in his “party,” companions who can be present in every encounter and be just as involved in every step of Ichiban’s journey through Yokohama’s underworld. It’s both a great change for the story – which now can use the positivity of its protagonist to develop relationships over a much greater period of time as well as in sidequests – and for the gameplay. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a supremely fun RPG. Battles are fun whether they’re against street hooligans (complete with flavorful names like Pressured Cooker, Urban Ranger, and Officer of the Lawless) or the game’s rather challenging bosses. Choosing the right jobs for your party members (whether they’re going to serve as a construction worker, breakdancer, or pop idol) is just as important as choosing the right moves in every battle, considering spacing, your MP gauge, and which enemy you need to take out first to avoid everyone being wiped out at once. All of that I expected before this game came out – the change to an RPG seemed well timed to accommodate this new start, and I trusted the designers to make the change for a reason. What I didn’t expect was for the story to feel so timely. Yakuza: Like a Dragon’s primary conflict is between three warring crime families as they try to resist external pressure. This primarily comes in the form of a dual-prong attack from the Omi Alliance (an oppositional yakuza conglomerate) and a populist conservative movement named Bleach Japan, with activists marching through slums to declare war on the “gray zones” where petty crimes like sex work or vagrancy are overlooked. That populist movement’s story feels informed and direct about the ways nationalist rhetoric and fascist minimization harm the marginalized – down to how cynically its leaders will use the rhetoric of being “hard on crime” to accumulate power. I won’t go into too many details of its twists and turns, but suffice it to say that Ichiban takes the side of the marginalized whenever he can, and it really is a heroic journey to watch play out. I don’t yet know how many games of the year there are – I’ve played at least nine. I’m only about halfway through Yakuza: Like a Dragon. It’s a long, long game. I haven’t nearly finished it yet, so I can’t 100% declare its status, but so far I think it’s a miracle. Yakuza: Like A Dragon is the game of the year because it combines the best of Dragon Quest with smart changes relevant to the Yakuza franchise, adds in some social stats and social links borrowed from Persona, and still manages to beautifully capture the warmth, humor, suspense, and emotional depth of Yakuza’s best moments. To do so in a story that addresses rising conservative populism and police corruption…well, that’s the part I have to see the end of before I can really make a final determination. 2020 in a lot of ways feels like the year of Evangelion. The show’s been undergoing a cultural reevaluation since the 2019 Netflix rerelease, including the first time the film The End of Evangelion has been available in western wide distribution since 2002. I feel like I wind up seeing a friend wind up starting the show for the first time on a monthly basis now, and alongside that a conversation in some film space about the show’s more questionable story choices and aesthetic decisions (namely, the show is about young teens and doesn’t shy away from treating them as sexual beings, and also its ending is Quite Upsetting and abstract.) For those who haven’t seen it, it’s a show about three teens who fight giant monsters in mechanized suits called Evangelions. The show immediately wants to be clear that the fact that it’s teenagers fighting the war for the future is deeply traumatic to these children, that they’re far too immature to handle this war with responsibility, and that the adults exploiting them should be treated as predatory. In a year where people are constantly praising the teens for political activism while it feels like the world is ending while the gen-z mantra is “let me die,” it’s not surprising that it’s striking a chord right now. But the fact that there’s a wave of new games that all feel of a piece with Evangelion has nothing to do with a rerelease a year prior. Games take a good while to develop – most games take two or three years, and at least one of the games I’m going to write about was first shown back in 2015. The truth is that these stories are probably always being told and being told with this degree of influence – but this year, they happened to rise to the cream of the crop more than once or twice. My friend Stephen, the one I mentioned in my Rutger Hauer memoriam, wrote a comic in college about a young man’s first time watching Evangelion, trapped in a college apartment during a depressive spell. I’ve thought about that a lot as I’ve been trapped in my own apartments during this pandemic, watching us all go a little mad through the internet. Evangelion’s a story I hold dear to my heart, too, so I wanted to spend some time thinking about some games that felt like discovering that world anew. Here’s to fucked up futures and arcane abstractions. This includes some general or minor spoilers, so, like, I highly recommend Umurangi Generation and 13 Sentinels to just about anyone, and Final Fantasy VII Remake to anyone who has played Final Fantasy VII. If you haven’t played Final Fantasy VII…well, yeah, I still recommend the old one first, and it’s cheaper and available on everything. (And, no, I haven’t played Cyberpunk 2077, I don’t know that I’m ever going to do so, but it’d be silly not to acknowledge that particular fucked up future. Maybe one day.) All the photos you see in this write-up were taken by me in the game Umurangi Generation. I’m an amateur photographer at best, and pretty unfamiliar with how to use exposure, bloom, focus, and saturation to communicate my feelings in still photography. My experience with a camera better than your average $150 Nikon is more in film production, which I’m at best a novice in, but I know how to figure out a camera (if not how to play with it and break the rules.) So, let’s unpack. For one, the look is extremely Dreamcast, and the soundtrack has brief flares of Jet Set Radio to it (though not as much as some people have hyped – a lot of it is still very Dreamcast/PS2, but is more like aggressive techno than sample-based hip-hop.) That lends itself really well to taking photos that are extremely ~aesthetic.~ The photography simulation is pretty detailed, allowing you to change lenses, change your focus, set the exposure, and way more – and it scores you based on content, not on fundamentals, so you have a lot of freedom of expression. And then, also, the narrative you uncover is pretty fuckin’ rad. The narrative itself wouldn’t necessarily make it on its own, mostly because it repeatedly and overtly references, yes, Evangelion – rather, it’s about how you uncover it. As Spacetwinks said, it’s all environmental – there’s approximately three voice lines in the entire game, and they’re basically just part of the soundtrack of certain levels. So alllllll the storytelling is environmental, and none of it is audiologs or email archives. Instead, you’re given missions like “take a picture of 5 medical supply bags” or “take a picture of the word COPS.” And when you find where those are, it’s, well, more than the objective let on. The person paying you for taking the mission photo doesn’t care, though. Just make sure the word “COPS” is real big – I don’t really care what else it says. That indifference is core to what Umurangi Generation is all about. The DLC expansion, Umurangi Generation Macro, is more direct. Macro tells the story of the days after the first disaster event, before the start of the game, in which there is still some degree of decadence in the privileged and direct action happening. Macro’s finale places you in the midst of a protest going wrong – the moment you arrive, no riot cops are present, but you can see the fizzled out cans of tear gas on the ground. Macro slaps and is the correct finale to the Umurangi Generation experience. Describing the themes of the game, director Veselekov said these in linked interviews: I don’t yet know how many games of the year there are – I’ve played at least nine. Umurangi Generation is the game of the year because it speaks to the worldwide strife of 2020 without being about COVID or Black Lives Matter. It imagines how people might rebuild the world in the face of overwhelming indifference – not by changing the fate of everyone, but by taking control of what they can do right now for their local community and their loved ones. And it expresses those themes, which feel so core to 2020, in a way that feels unique to video games and unique Within Video Games without sacrificing a moment of arcadey fun. 1997’s Final Fantasy VII, perhaps the most credible First Text of Video Games, has a legion of fans who love it and it’s characters wholeheartedly and very defensively. Its story of ragtag heroes battling tbe corporate police state Shinra’s ecological destruction, only to have to battle the maniacal eco-fascist Sephiroth at the same time, was one of the most complex stories told to date. Its characters had the trademark psychological depth (and emphasis on trauma) to match that of anime like Evangelion, too, beyond the appearance of mechs and ancient monsters. The plot twist closing the first disc is the Luke’s father or Rosebud of video games. The original Final Fantasy VII is also an archaic and often frustrating game, from its retrograde gender politics to its lower-quality minigames and its, uh, extended playtime. The original release was also marred with an infamous messy translation, with each line transcribed out of order and without context, leading it to be very easy to interpret characterizations entirely differently from other fans – or other languages. It’s an incredibly personal game for those who love it, and often a game where players with faithfully adhere to aspects of its story or gameplay and then condemn aspects of the game to be suffered in silence. This Remake manages an incredible feat, expanding the first ten hours of Final Fantasy VII into a full length RPG and improving on the minute-to-minute gameplay almost every step of the way. The combat is an action game that is smooth as any devil may croon, with every character’s moves filling out their own satisfying playstyle and matching their reimagined personalities. Expanded versions of fights against enemies like the Hell House are transformed into incredibly inventive battles I won’t forget soon. The characters are more lovable than they even originally managed, with the extended runtime adding more genuinely fun and warm interactions. A new side mission for original supporting cast member Jessie becomes a great exploration into how middle management will live in dystopia – and a lovely interlude with the game’s warmest characters. The friendship between Aerith and Tifa is now one of the game’s greatest strengths. These new characterizations also come alongside the game openly acknowledging the cost of revolution – and then not blinking at its necessity. I’ll also say some of the characters are still baked in retrograde understanding of marginalized people, not something I ever expect a Tetsuya Nomura game will get right. The game is an aesthetic feast – I cannot imagine when I will see a more beautiful game with more wonderfully rendered music. I love the look of the original game’s pre-rendered environments – this game’s mechanisms and Every step through the city-state of Midgar still feels like the home the game created in 1997, but rendered with impossible, incredible beauty – the sort which force you to wonder how the game’s messages about corporate exploitation can possibly come from a genuine heart. Games of this scale, as opposed to the outsider art of a game like Umurangi Generation, are made on broken backs and broken promises. I won’t sugarcoat that. The urge to build more powerful game engines and technologies force games far beyond even the work behind ordinary labor issues. There are no stories about the labor behind Final Fantasy VII Remake yet beyond how long the game took to release – whether their stories are told or not, it will not be the first or last game worthy of love that also requires an awareness of the game’s very real human cost. I hope that translator of the original game, left with a spreadsheet of unsorted lines of dialogue and a threadbare budget, is healthy and happy in the quarantine. What elevates Final Fantasy VII Remake above a retelling of a beloved story is the thing it takes most from Evangelion – that word Remake could easily be replaced with Rebuild. Over the course of Final Fantasy VII Remake, it becomes clear that some pivotal elements of the story are changing, and the game’s universe is becoming aware of these changes. Eventually, the nature of Remake becomes clear – this is, really, a sequel to Final Fantasy VII, set in another timeline. Sephiroth has survived the original game to try to change his fate – he challenges our heroes, not all of whom survive the original Final Fantasy VII, to change their own alongside him. The next game will chart unknown territory as the stockade of the story we know is unbound. I don’t yet know how many games of the year there are – I’ve played at least nine. Final Fantasy VII Remake is the game of the year because it treats itself as an adaptation of a classic text, like Gerwig’s Little Women. I cannot imagine the next time a project will so thoroughly and excellently modernize the story it tells while also respecting how essential the original is as its own standalone work. And it does so while serving the sort of beauty and excitement that I cannot help but feel to be Ozymandian. In Vanillaware’s 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, teenagers who experience a world-threatening event from kaiju pilot giant robots to defend the last bastions of humanity in the city they call home. It is, from the beginning, unsubtle about its relationship to Evangelion. However, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim offers the sort of convoluted layers of plotting to make a Metal Gear fan’s head spin. I cannot begin to explain what the final plot of this game would be in this blog – for starters, there’s time travel, androids, femme fatales, men in black, talking cats, amnesia, virtual reality, and a whole lot of mistaken identity. This is a silly game, a puzzle box of love for genre tropes. Like Evangelion, a lot of what it offers has been done before – what matters is its presentation and its tone. The titular 13 Sentinels all have their own interweaving storylines, all accessed in their own stories. During the game’s narrative sequences, you play as one of the thirteen pilots, exploring the town they call home and uncovering one of the game’s many twists and turns. Most of these character’s storylines can be played in any order, meaning it’s entirely possible to focus on one character’s storyline before another’s and receive the twists in an entirely different order. What’s so impressive about this game is almost everybody I’ve talked to who’s played this game seems to wind up following different characters first and still encountering all the game’s turns as compelling. Knowing information from Shu Amugichi’s story of friendly flirtation and restless nights of strange dreams heightens the suspense of Juro Kurabe’s story daily nightmares and his pushy best friend Kyuta – but, told the other way, the dreadful realization about Juro in Shu’s story would clear everything in a shocking twist. The game trusts the player to be able to connect information into compelling drama by freeing the flow of information in this way. This sort of storytelling also only works if you like at least most of the characters, and I think they land that balance very nicely. There are a lot of great jokes that aren’t purely referential, and it makes for a pretty easygoing playthrough. One character was so prone to whip out her gun that my wife and I would make jokes about her doing so every time. If you have a tolerance for high school stories (and I get why anybody would not,) 13 Sentinels has a nice blend of characters trying to project an image of who they think they’re supposed to be, overly emotional kids getting themselves in too deep with dangerous situations because their emotions are running completely haywire, and emotionally vulnerable softies who just want to figure out why everything seems so hard. It generally avoids getting too saucy with the actual storylines, but some of the art (especially the school nurse!) definitely still leans into Vanillaware’s history of hypersexualized characters. Less universally compelling is the game’s other major element – the mech battles. These play out as a strategy game not unlike tower defense, with limited graphics and level-by-level iterative stat gains. Each battle has you bringing six of the thirteen sentinels into the battlefield and controlling each’s giant robot with their own special abilities. I actually quite enjoyed the strategy layer of this game, finding it just challenging enough to force me to pay full attention to succeed despite never losing a battle. I am, uh, fairly alone in this opinion – most people encourage players to dial it down to the easiest setting. But, seriously, if you like strategy games where making advantageous moves is rewarded without much room for pushback, this makes for a satisfying game! I don’t yet know how many games of the year there are – so far, I’ve played at least nine. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is the game of the year because it tells a strong, engaging ensemble story while reenvisioning how to actually navigate the ensemble. This game invites a new form of hyperlink storytelling that utilizes the medium for a modern form of mystery. It’s hard to imagine going back to the old format of a mystery game like Danganronpa now, with the best moments happening offscreen because I’m stuck in the perspective of a milquetoast protagonist who cannot change or grow dramatically without endangering player agency. And though the last ten minutes or so of the story were maybe a little too optimistic for me, the ride to get there was an all-consuming ride I couldn’t put down once I started. I’ve been working on cyberpunk fiction with my closest friends for the better part of three years. It started as one concept, borne out of the summer of 2016, in a conversation between my podcast cohost Stephen and I. We wanted to give the megacorporations “battle idols” that would sell the private military to the public – combine warfare and theater to make a war economy sexy. It started out directly political, likely out of our frustration with rising fascism and stodgy liberalism. After bringing in a few more bodies, we’ve expanded the concept. It’s gotten more anime, more about experimental technology and what it means to have a weaponized body, less about how even warhawk Hillary was too docile to stop the Nazis. We’ve built a Soup Street that isn’t getting its food deliveries on time, arcologies of bioengineers (and their menial laborers,) and mecha that are too much responsibility for their pilots. But center to the stories we’ve told is the human bodies under oppression and watching their psyches crack under pressure. In the world we made, things are bad. Some people are better at getting by than others. And some are better at getting by while still keeping some love in their hearts. Rutger Hauer’s Roy Batty is an icon of that love to me. Batty is a broken man in a world that did not deserve him, and so he lashes out against it – but he never stops asking why he is no longer allowed to share in its time. When I’ve thought of stories to tell in that setting, Batty has remained in my memory as the soul either devoured or shining. The resignation in his final ad-libbed monologue remains one of the most profound filmed moments in history. Hauer shared excited two years ago about a script he had wanted to direct titled RAIN DOGS. He was shopping at that time for a producer. It is hard not to feel he was cut short too soon himself. Hauer has given so many heroic performances – those more well versed in his career will honor those. All I can do is try to honor that Hauer defines the stories I’ve poured my soul into these past years, and to mark this date so that his memory is not lost or forgotten like tears in rain. It has been three years, eleven months, and four days since my last confession. And again I confess – I’m playing Desert Golfing. Do you know that people make lists on the internet? Sorry, I don’t mean to be pedantic. Of course you know there are lists on the internet. You’ve seen them on Buzzfeed, Bustle, Pottermore, BusinessInsider, and Epicurious. If you play games, you see them on IGN, Polygon, and Kotaku Dot Com. I don’t mean the kind of lists someone pays you to make or the kind of lists someone makes to “generate clicks,” though. I don’t even just mean that the internet is flooded with lists. Letterboxd is a website where the libertarian right and the queer left primarily engage in discourse in the comments section of lists of movies. I used to write for a website whose sole purpose was to help its user make a ranked list of favorite movies. BestEverAlbums is a site where almost the only interaction you can have is to contribute your own list. These lists reflect the phenomenon of the lists people make on the internet. But no, not just those lists. Because then there are the lists that never necessarily are meant to be shared. Sometimes those lists are basically wishlists or to-do lists of movies to watch, recipes to try, etc. But then there are the private lists that half of the supreme art dorks have of their top fives (and tens and twenties and hundreds) of…everything. Guitarists. Coffee brands. Studio Ghibli movies. Dog breeds. They’re kept in a google doc or a spreadsheet, updated constantly. My mom used to keep her movie list in OneNote before I showed her Flickchart. Maybe she still does – some of the other Flickchart writers I knew kept their spreadsheets intact and updated. And these lists never see the light of day except in conversation with other list keepers. Then they may battle their lists for list supremacy, a sort of Pokemon Battling over whether or not Life During Wartime is a top ten Talking Heads song, or they will add blindspots “to the list.” It is a scrivening privacy, often the very definition of mental masturbation. It operates like an ethereal university of blind academics, wandering the halls and working on solipsism, until they collide into one another. So, anyway, my friends and I are making a list, and Desert Golfing is on the list of things we’re eventually going to narrow down to make a shorter list. My partner asked me for good iPhone games and with Desert Golfing back on my brain, I told her to download Desert Golfing. I watched her play the first hundred or so holes. I booted up Desert Golfing, wondering if after transitioning my SIM card to a new phone and downloading the game again it would have my progress. Happily, it did. I can’t say what it would have felt like to play Desert Golfing again if I had been alone, in my own home, wondering if anyone would have been willing to talk about Desert Golfing with me. Instead, I was playing next to my partner. At first, I didn’t want to spoil the scope of the game for her and tried to play furtively, my phone turned away from hers. She started to get very frustrated on a hole; it took something like ten shots. I decided it would be funnier to show her the hole I was on, and that even having all but mastered the game, sometimes a hole takes forty five. A minute or two later, my ball bounced on a wall in such a unique way that it lodged into it. The sand held it on a perfect vertical slope. I screenshotted it and sent it to my list-making friends. One of them laughed. The other was worried I’d actually gotten stuck – I hadn’t, this was an easy three-stroke hole. The other then shared a screenshot from the beginning of Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy – he joked that someone should tell the developer that he should fix the controls. (five comedy points, steve.) This was about a week and a half ago, and I’ve been booting in here and there, enjoying pulling back on the ball (“exactly the way you would pull a red bird to fire at a piggy,” i think i said in 2014.) I’ve loved relearning the way the sand catches the ball, how to climb a slope, how to use its dampening quality to deaden a bounce off a wall into a hole rather than over it. It is lonelier without someone sitting next to me playing along. It feels a little like walking blind down the hallways of some ethereal university. And then, this morning, before my coffee and after my medication, I found myself chatting online about a different game on a different list with a different friend. I remarked that I like big, beautiful messes. The clean elegance of an idea well expressed is wonderful, to be sure. But I love the sprawl of elaboration and tangent, too. Blame the academics and writers who taught me that the Whale Encyclopedia chapters of Moby-Dick were “totally the best ones.” I joked that the only form of “containment” I liked was that of Mark Rothko. I love Rothko, he’s usually my go-to favorite artist. His color work is so soothing to me. The joke wasn’t about Rothko. I went to google a Rothko in case my friend didn’t have a 20th century art history education. The game hangs in sounds easily remembered and in feelings of genuine shock. In piano tinkling out of a band practice room, in murmurings about what lives at the bottom of the well, in a tattoo of the golden Triforce. Other Zeldas can lay claim to some of this ferocious energy, but until Breath of the Wild stole Olympian fire, no other Zelda would ever conquer a Reader’s Poll but Ocarina of Time. Today is its 20th anniversary. Two decades gone. We have come back full circle. The most beloved games of 2018 all openly wear its colors. God of War is now an environmental puzzler with lock-on behind the back combat. Red Dead Redemption 2 officially turns the series outward toward digging through cranny and nook as its most ardent fans drop off the main storyline one by one. All that keeps Monster Hunter World from carrying the Zelda costumes presented in Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is its lack of a Switch release. I have been grappling with Ocarina of Time since its release. I have experienced envy, fury, pride, dejection, frustration, abandonment, and, eventually, acceptance with Kokiri Forest and the Hyrule that it calls home. Once the height of imagination and grandiosity, it sits now like an empty dollhouse, the furniture gathering dust. In the past, I’ve wantonly made public my apostate perspective of Ocarina as “the worst 3D one.” I cite the obtuse adventure-game logic of its occasional difficult puzzles (find the sword in a hole in the wall behind the sword training center, a place useful for non-sword owners; use gravity to fall on web one and only one time – an environmental object’s ability to bear your weight will not return as a mechanic,) the simplicity of the rest, the ugly emptiness of its dungeons, and the resistance of beautiful weirdness. This was inspired by a friend I’d suggested play the game as her first Zelda. She loathed the experience. Another friend and I set out to replay the game and found ourselves powerfully critical. What wonder it once held to our child’s eyes was replaced with repulsion. “This” was the game being held above so many we loved, above even those we still loved from that dusty N64? Yet this rejection too was that immaturity that stops the high school student from seeing the animated films they loved all their childhood. We refused to admit how much of the game was simply bound to our code at that time. We could not imagine fumbling with the controls any longer, now bred into full literacy. We could not feel that pride at mastery we once developed as kids. We could not hear the shop music as anything but a jingle used by YouTubers to entreat the likecommentsubscribebelow. Twenty years. Two decades gone. Under a blanket, on my partner’s sister’s sofa, I meditate on the little Kokiri shopkeeper. He seems almost casually overfamiliar while also seeming uncaring. Maybe he’s distracted because he can’t stop bouncing to peek over the countertop at his customer. I love this lil’ guy. Remember how messy the river to Zora’s Domain is? This cavalcade of horrible eel-like geometry that you have to traverse to reach Princess Ruto, the King, Jabu-Jabu? They would repeatedly veer back and forth on how much of a Mario game should be in a Zelda game since. Geographically, it creates this place where as Din molded the earth into stone, some part of the earth grasped out against her. I suppose what makes Ocarina of Time so difficult to grapple with is that unlike prior Zelda games, it no longer seems like an abstraction but a world. But unlike later Zelda games, its characters only have the basest desires and no driving ethos. The dollhouse comparison seems apt; it is a populated field with no life. It is a house without a home. And then there’s the Happy Mask Salesman. The jogging man who just wants a worthy race. King Darunia’s Epic Boogie to Saria’s Song. The yellow-greens of the Lost Woods. That Gerudo Valley flamenco, that race’s uncomfortable fusion of Romani and Arabian culture. Ingo, the Waluigi of Lon Lon Ranch, that insidious younger brother who throws in with King Ganon. I have been grappling with Ocarina of Time for twenty years. Two decades gone. I do not expect to answer its questions today. But, well. I’ve put its name in my mouth a lot these last eight years. I can take a little more time to put respect on its name. when i stop watching movies, the same thing always happens. i get sluggish. i don’t want to text people back. i chat too much on facebook discussion groups with people i don’t really know and probably don’t much like. i start drinking around 4-5 pm toward the end of the spell because i start feeling like enjoying things takes too much effort. i throw myself into the fantasy of my relationship whether the relationship is actual or intended. and then, often, i show someone a studio ghibli movie and I snap out of it. if i has to guess, usually, i’m making people watch whisper of the heart. yoshifumi kondo’s sole effort as a studio ghibli director before an unexpected heart attack is one of the studio’s underseen films and is very nearly my favorite. it’s the story of, yes, a teenage girl, but she very much falls in love with the boy this time, and all the magic that happens comes from the art they make together. kondo’s film wouldn’t make sense as part of studio ghibli without isao takahata, who passed away last night. when people complain they don’t like anime or animation in general because they’re “kid’s stuff,” they’re almost unilaterally directed toward Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies. it’s described in hushed tones as the saddest film ever – two siblings are orphaned in an american firebombing of japan, and when their grief is too much for their aunt to bear, they are kicked out and starve to death. the death is not a spoiler, but how the film begins. that they find any joy and kindness in life is takahata’s idea of surprise. of course, takahata did not invent grave of the fireflies: it’s based on a semi-autobiographical short story, in which the older brother seita survived, written as an apology to the dead sister. the kindness exhibited by seita in the story is the primary fiction: the author, nosoka, viewed seita as having some of the strength he lacked in real life. but takahata reiterated that he found seita interesting primarily because he was not stoic or particularly suited for survival. he saw it as relatable to the young people of the 80s, who he perceived as acting on their whims rather than behaving with the filial piety and sense of duty that would keep them alive in a dire situation. in japan, and to takahata, the moral of grave of the fireflies is not one of the horrors of war, but the reality of immaturity’s punishment. put up with the aunt who won’t respect your grief: stand straight: you have someone who needs you. the anti-war message is an invention of the american audiences who see the crime they inflicted on japan as unreal and unforgivable. japan has a long enough history with war to see famine, orphanage, and what we deem atrocity as a fact of life on earth among the indifference of mankind. takahata does not always access this cynical view. fireflies almost seems like an irritated response to castle in the sky, in which ghibli cofounder and past subordinate hayao miyazaki depicts precocious children who get away with everything and make friends with everyone. takahata fostered well enough love for the titular Little Norse Prince Hols of their first feature together, developed in 1968 with takahata as director and miyazaki as key animator. miyazaki maybe tempered takahata’s steel with my neighbor totoro and kiki’s delivery service, maybe made him believe in the goodness of kids. his next project was another adaptation: only yesterday, which has just recently made its american debut with a proper dub and home video release. while daisy ridley is lovely, only yesterday screams its japanese culture with exuberance in telling the story of an unmarried city girl who visits the country and reminisces about her middle school days. it is almost unbearable how totally takahata captures childhood. every woman i know who’s seen it remarks on how truthfully and insightfully he captures something about adolescent girlhood. he simply does not shy away from the psychology of the discomfort and exhilaration of puberty, and he clearly did actually pay attention in conversations about what the girls did when the boys weren’t around. he does this without evangelizing the children: they are still often impetuous, often cruel, often wrong, and yet the care he takes in depicting that fallibility makes the love it displays so powerful. that he made these films while miyazaki was inventing another beloved anthropomorphized animal in porco rosso only further cements the level of takahata’s commitment to telling stories he felt were true. which is why pom poko, his one solo creation, without adaptation (though some rightfully note its structural relationship to seven samurai), being about the shapeshifting tanuuki yokai attempting to survive a deforestation is so delightful. not a lick of it rings less true than his last two films, and his commitment to psychology keeps pom poko deliberate and full of experimentation. the same is true of his last film before his own long hiatus, my neighbor the yamadas, his first film after the death of kondo that threatened to retire both takahata and miyazaki. but both returned before takahata passed last night. in roughly 2013 (a date made complicated by international releases) the two men released elegiac swan songs in miyazaki’s the wind rises and takahata’s the tale of princess kaguya. i do not consider it overstatement to say these are the two men’s best films. kaguya evolves the ghibli art style and fuses it with the aesthetic of Heian-era japanese painting while sacrificing none of his psychological nuance. its final note is one of death as release from consciousness, maybe unbearable for those still on earth but unfelt by the deceased. it is how takahata chose to send himself off. i cannot express how deeply the work of isao takahata has affected me. he in so many ways legitimized animation, and still he also legitimized the importance of telling women’s stories, of not letting yourself get bogged down in a genre, and of being willing to learn and admit wrong while maintaining conviction to yourself. his work is home to many of the great images i will ever see. After an amazing year of over 500 flicks, it took me an age to narrow down the best films of 2015. What an astounding year we’ve had. I may narrow this down to a top 10 eventually, but, for now, it’s a beautiful top 15. The order, of course, will trade as months or years go by. I’ll be catching up later with A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Contemplating Existence, Shaun the Sheep, The Russian Woodpecker, Peanuts, The Big Short, Anomalisa, The Assassin, Taxi, and 45 Years, along with many others over the rest of my life. Though there are another five or ten films that could make this list (and may, someday,) the true honorable mention goes to Don Hertzfeldt’s WORLD OF TOMORROW, a great short film which warms my heart more as time passes. I linked to my Letterboxd list in an earlier post, but I realized I’m planning to let that Letterboxd list be edited at some point. So this will be the standing record of my favorite films of 2015. Since the original version of this text, I’ve seen Anomalisa. It’s fantastic, and equally worthy of placement, but I like what I have here. 15. Bridge of Spies Spielberg’s film is one of his most understated successes; part Le Carre glare-off and part Capra-esque morality fable, the film works equally well as entertainment and political statement. The Coens’ touch, perhaps simply to have the running joke about “this cold,” remains one of the subtlest and most entertaining details in a film this year. I think that joke works thematically to exemplify that maybe everyone is so eager to get their job done in the first place that they don’t stop to think if they’ve done it right until they’re on the precipice of its completion. Hanks and Rylance excel, and the film’s levity helps establish the film as one of the best of the year. 14. Clouds of Sils Maria I can’t deny the performances of Binoche and Stewart in Clouds of Sils Maria, a film which portrays the critique found in, say, Birdman, as simultaneously vital work against juvenility and pure cynicism. Similarly to Carol, its sexuality exists on its periphery, allowing excellent dialogue, performance, setting, and filmmaking to make the film’s statement. Hazier and more abstract than many of the films on this list, I suspect rewatching Clouds of Sils Maria may shoot it higher along. 13. The Revenant This poor flick is clouded by Academy Awards, talk of difficult shoots, and Birdman. It ought not to be. DiCaprio doesn’t give the best performance he’s ever given (that remains Django Unchained) but he gives an excellent one, with physicality enough to make the film’s mostly non-verbal second act a treasure to take in. The natural lighting results in a beautiful film, and the supporting turn from Hardy fills in a movie with a gap. As a revisionist Western, it does enough to favor the Native Americans to escape offense. It’s not even the most profound Western of the year, but it is one of the most enjoyable Westerns I’ve seen, and one of the most astounding as filmmaking. 12. Furious 7 The Fast & Furious movies continue to be a highlight of my movie year. I watched Fast Five and was impressed by the amount of fun I had; I saw it because I won a t-shirt in a trivia competition. I watched all of the films in preparation for Fast & Furious 6, which I quite enjoyed, but was a little disappointed by upon first viewing. This year, for Furious 7, I rewatched Tokyo Drift, Fast Five, and F&F 6, and I enjoyed the last much more this time. But I’ve yet to enjoy any of these films like Furious 7, an insane romp which explodes off the screen with enthusiasm, invention, and delight. Furious 7 is a ride filled with small great elements like fights with Ronda Rousey and Tony Jaa. But the bravery comes when it includes moments like the graveyard scene, in which Walker says from the grave, “No more funerals.” I’ve never seen a film include its own in memoriam; the last frames of that sequence are so moving, so light, that the bold stroke works. Furious 7 eschews the line between fact and fiction, ingratiating the audience into the Toretto family and then honoring the audience’s need to grieve. Some people will watch Sicario and determine the path to hell is laid with best intentions. They’re missing the point; that justice is not the best intention when you make a deal with harbingers of doom, and that passion replaces clarity when we take the sword of justice into our own hands. Flagrant disregard for the law throughout Sicario creates a chaotic zone so toxic as to seem unsolvable. I walked out of Sicario red-eyed, not from tears, but from high-wire anxiety. The best use of Denis Villenueve’s talent for tension yet, Sicario is the first of his films that I would want to rewatch; I hope I will continue to find new volume in it over years. 10. Ex Machina From my review: “Ex Machina is simultaneously a film of this moment and a film which can last beyond it; its concerns about the objectification and domestication of women, its depiction of the hypermasculine domestication by web technologists of its consumers, and its concerns about levity in a time of moral panic all should hold some resonance for many years and spin from our very current concerns. One of the better dramas of the last several years, Ex Machina has that special touch where a screenwriter discovers that they, too, can direct, as well as the directors who have ever held their work, and they may begin to discover their own autonomy.” I haven’t come up with anything more succinct than my writing about this fun Alex Garland flick. A24 makes the coolest movies in the world. I don’t know if Tangerine would have made the same impact upon me had I not seen it in a theater. Something about seeing this story, this camera, these actresses on a big screen validated Tangerine as something more than “a cool thing shot on an iPhone.” I’m glad I watched it in a venue separate from where I might watch DJ Khaled’s SnapChat story or read about Zola. I hope I still would have found it entertaining, empathetic, multilayered, and worthy of its commentary on sex, poverty, cultural baggage, and hegemony. Some are still furious that Kitana “Kiki” Rodriguez and Mya Taylor were not nominated for acting awards. I think they should have been up for Best Original Screenplay; my belief in the entire project comes from their belief in their portrayal. This premise sounds like it was practically designed to sweep the 2016 Oscars; in reality, it’s a miracle that it wound up excellent, and the forgotten Freeheld helps exemplify exactly where its statements about sexuality could have become too political. Instead, Carol works as a political act by being an expertly made romance drama which lets its lesbian romance speak as its own political statement. The film works best as a character drama and as an aesthetic accomplishment, with some of the most beautiful filmmaking and scoring I can recall. A taut screenplay lets it stick as a remarkable achievement; Blanchett and Mara develop career performances in their work off one another. I really need to get around to Abrahamson’s Irish films; his prior film, Frank, is an empathetic film which achieves sublimity with its closure. Room is equally empathetic and sublime from the start, but it doesn’t lose steam once its denizens escape Room. Larson is an actress I’ve found compelling since her brief turn in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, but it’s with this film that I turned into a fan. Her and Tremblay, together, work within the limited confines of Room and make it wholly compelling. When they leave, Abrahamson gives the film the brain it needs to stay moving. The structure of this is so effective, the emotional depth so fantastic. And the final moment, a treasure. 6. When Marnie Was There There is no shock that Studio Ghibli winds up on my list once more. My favorite film studio made sure that each of its directors’ last features would be each of their best work, and When Marnie Was There is certainly the best film directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi as of 2015. The film’s best element is its lead character, a young artist named Anna. Anna is one of the studio’s most fully realized characters, and I fell wholly into her story of love and loss. If this is the last official Studio Ghibli film, they’ll have gone out as well as imaginable; I look forward to wherever Yonebayashi makes movies next, and I hope they have the same degree of empathy as this great film. 5. Mad Max Fury Road What can be said about Mad Max: Fury Road that hasn’t been said already? That it would probably entertain those who think they’re done with action movies in a post-The Dark Knight world? That it, when looked at as a series of scenes or great images, works in ways unimagined when you just watch it as a sort of lore factory? That, somehow, it uses the orange and blue color palette of the modern blockbuster to reach an apex of visual filmmaking? Watch Mad Max: Fury Road. We can all keep watching Mad Max: Fury Road. It will always be here. Spotlight is, essentially, perfect. Spotlight is activist and emotional and empathetic while remaining dispassionate, complex, not exploitative. The story of the exposure of the Boston Catholic Church as a brotherhood of secrecy and permission of child molestation reveals so much about how the brain should work. Schriber’s character, who demands a full and complete dismantling of the system because the Boston Globe has the power to do more than expose bad priests, is a model for how the individual has intense power. Spotlight is entertaining in that it is enjoyable to watch people do their jobs well; it is emotional in that it respects those on its sideline. I have naught but praise for Spotlight, and it should not just be a model for how to handle ensemble drama, but a model for how to handle one’s own life. 3. The Hateful Eight I expected to find myself wholly disappointed by The Hateful Eight. Another Western, and one less obviously political than Django Unchained? It seemed a wasteful half-step. But no Tarantino film has better transformed the idea of what a Tarantino film might do; the film rewards not surface level analysis but deep meditation and immersion, having far more to say by saying several things less emphatically. We’ve become accustomed to genre movies screaming themes at us without subtlety. The Hateful Eight pulls them into an ensemble of figures who conflict with one another, making a muddy collection of ideas that actually reward using one’s brain. Each performance is astounding; Jennifer Jason Leigh obviously makes a mark, but how about Jackson’s great work, or the astounding performance from Bruce Dern? Rarely has the violence itself in a Tarantino film felt so criticized. This feels like his film that looks at all the misery in his work over the years and bothers to make it clear that this violence is not that of Randian evolution but of the end of the world. Some justice. 2. Magic Mike XXL Industrial welding. Magic Mike XXL utilizes the first film’s focus of the lack of glamour and stability in sex work and hangs this cloud over a more joyful film about all of sexuality’s greatest gifts. The convenience store. Some zany antics support the smiles, body positivity, gender dynamics, and comments on self-transformation that make Magic Mike XXL a magical experience for almost any viewer. Rome. There is a moment where this film transforms into a sort of odyssey, and the remaining encounters each are so progressive and beautiful as to make me laugh and cry all over again. Heaven. And with the last half hour, I knew I had a new favorite comedy on this earth. Magic Mike XXL is better than the film we need; it’s the film I love. 1. The Look of Silence I was aware there would be no hope in seeing anything better than The Look of Silence as soon as I saw that it existed. Oppenheimer’s The Act of Killing shows a destroyed nation where its executors still hold power over the subjugated survivors, and the documentary evokes Werner Herzog (an executive producer on both films) as it heightens Indonesian genocide to divine tragedy. The essential antidote is The Look of Silence, a film which returns to earth and places an optometrist named Adi as a sort of vigilante investigator into his own brother’s death in those genocides. The latter evokes the other executive producer, Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line, The Fog of War) as it chases down those involved in Adi’s brother’s killing, but does not lose sight of the prior film’s gorgeous cinematography. If The Look of Silence were fiction, it would be receiving the same criticisms as Bridge of Spies, called a Capra-esque morality tale that sits as too unbelievable to be successful. As reality, the confrontations Adi has with those who perpetrated the genocide, or those who willfully enable their family members who did, are some of the boldest filmmaking I’ve ever witnessed. The Look of Silence is the year’s best film.

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. I like this meme because it gives me an opportunity to take a look back at last week and forward to next week in both my personal life and my blog and book life! I also like to see what other people are doing and what books everyone is reading. This is a great meme to take part in every week and I thank Kimba for hosting it! Home & blog We got a tiny (very tiny) bit of snow this week. Forecast was 2 inches, we got about 1/2 inch and the schools were all closed! That’s the most snow we’ve had this winter! My husband got home on Saturday, but he was sick all week while he was working out-of-town. I think he probably has the flu so I’m nursing him and making him take it easy. He’s ready to drink warm liquids and sleep. We both got flu shots last October, but the shot’s not working too well this year. I spent another week sorting and organizing, but also getting the last of my books from 2014 set up for review. And fitting in some reading, too! - Sunday Post: Jan 11 - Review: Owl and the Japanese Circus by Kristi Charish - TTT: 2014 books I meant to read . . . - WoW:Dead to Me by Mary McCoy - Review: The Falconer by Elizabeth May - Review: Tainted Blood by M. L. Brennan - Review: Red Rising by Pierce Brown What I’m reading Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch The Better Part of Valor by Tanya Huff What I read the this week Dirty Magic by Jaye Wells “The Lady Astronaut of Mars” by Mary Robinette Kowal New–Books, E-books, Audiobooks–NetGalley, library–purchased or free The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black Kindle e-books (bought or free) Malice by John Gwynne Half a King by Joe Abercrombie Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier Flame of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier Found on the Internet This is a great post. I added lots of books to my list of 2015 books: 2015: Most Anticipated Science Fiction & Fantasy Books Written by Women–Found at one of my favorite blogs–The Bibliosanctum blog. Home & blog I think my husband is probably going to be home sick for a few days this next week so what I’ll be doing is up in the air. However, I hope to at least get some reading done. - New Author Reading Challenge - TTT: My favorite mystery writers - TBR Review: “The Lady Astronaut of Mars” by Mary Robinette Kowal - Review: This Case is Gonna Kill Me by Phillipa Bornikova (my last review for 2014) - Sunday Post What books did you collect last week? What are you planning next week?

MC Shitou, an internet-based DJ, is the major proponent of an online MC subculture called hanmai (literally, “yell mic,” or shouting into a microphone). Hanmai is often denigrated as a “malformed” rural DJ practice in China. Han — “yelling,” instead of singing, rapping, or even growling — implies a supposedly “distasteful” approach to what it means to DJ; Mai, or mic, also happens to be a homophone of 麦, or wheat, an agricultural product associated with the countryside. The scholarly and journalistic consensus on hanmai (less so on MC Shitou individually) is often filtered through the perspectives of subculture, or the subaltern. However, both perspectives, when applied to hanmai, are problematic and potentially misleading. 77 Songs Banned on YY With New Regulations Contemporary hanmai is not a subculture in a definitive sense. Hanmai does not rely on subcultural capital like the underground rave scene in Shenzhen, or underground hip hop in Chengdu, or the experimental music scene in Shanghai. In those cases, being underground is not just a matter of legality, but a part of maintaining esotericism and exclusivity against the general accessibility of mainstream television shows such as The Rap of China. Hanmai does not mind being under the spotlight, or even the scrutinizing gaze of the mainstream. In fact, it desires to be under the spotlight in its proclamation that it’s the “actual” voice of the bottom of society. Hanmai is also not subaltern in its intellectual sense. Musically speaking, it is an imaginative and interpretive attempt at electronic music/hip hop (i.e. the envisioned quality music of the futurism-obsessed and wealth-exhibiting urban middle class). Lyrically speaking, it fantasizes about transcending the wretched life of being the subaltern. It is not in a similar vein of intellectual fantasies of workers’ poetry on their horrendous working conditions, but rather projects fantasies of being the warmongering emperor, fighting gods (or fate), encountering beguiling women, melancholic and protracted love stories, and so on. The interpretive vulgarity was possibly unconscious and oblivious at the beginning, but has grown into a conscious performativity that’s captured millions of fans. MC Shitou is often considered to be one of early proponents of hanmai. His initial DJ set Qinzhai (The Debt of Love) was an immense success on video sites AcFun and Bilibili, where he quickly ascended to the rank of “All-Star” in the late 2000s and early 2010s. To be among the rank of “All-Stars” on AcFun and Bilibili is a special honor for “meme-fied” internet personalities, protagonists in viral videos, and fictional characters in TV shows. MC Shitou was one of the first internet sensations to emerge from the rise of online videos in 2008. (The previous generation of internet celebrities, such as Sister Furong 芙蓉姐姐, were primarily associated with blogs and forums.) MC Shitou is representative of the absurdity of how the much-stigmatized aesthetics of shamate and chenxiangjiehebu (contact zones between the urban and rural) end up in celebrated fame. After seeing a live show by MC Shitou in a prominent Beijing livehouse, a communications scholar who goes by the pseudonym “mlln” summarized the “MC Shitou phenomenon” in a post on Zhihu (link in Chinese), a forum similar to Quora or Reddit: The fans are not consuming the music per se, but the experience. What’s cool about this experience is that, they present the lives we are often unfamiliar with (if you belong to the urban middle class), or familiar with (if you are the urban underclass or rural migrants), juxtapose the often-idealized form of urban life and ridiculed lives of ‘rural’ life, all on the same stage… the organizers even added extra symbolisms to further reinforce the [presupposed] contrast between the urban and rural: desktop computers, dancers radiating a rural aura, even, the audience themselves… If MC Shitou spoke proper English, and the music was of high quality, no one would invite him to perform [at the live house]… To make the audience willing to pay for a different kind [of music], there are two ways: it has to be either ‘so fucking cool’ or ‘so fucking shit’. In probing hanmai culture, GQ journalist He Tao tried to interview four Chinese music critics for their opinions on hanmai, but they all rejected him. One even said, “Sorry, I am a serious and established music critic, please respect my profession, thank you.” Bilibili and regulation: How one video company is thriving on youth-generated content The cultural war between hanmai and more institutionalized Chinese hip hop is real. Additionally, China’s underground hip hop scene is only obliquely participating in this cultural war, even though it is still affected. There are also discernible differences between the contemporary iteration of hanmai on livestreaming platforms and its earlier iteration in MC Shitou’s online videos. MC Tianyou, for example, emerged within the ecology of livestreaming platforms, and is indigenous — or at least far more accustomed — to the practices of livestreaming. By contrast, MC Shitou originally became known through viral videos on Acfun, and his fame and notoriety were not only due to his own hard work at self-promotion or propagating and maintaining his image of “rural-ness,” but was also a byproduct of his viewers’ collective contributions on Acfun. This must go back to MC Shitou’s initial rise to fame, and how it was intricately connected to danmu (“bullet comments” — fast-streaming comments that move from right to left across the screen on video platforms like Bilibili and AcFun) netiquette in its subcultural stage. MC Shitou’s enshrined video on AcFun is the epitome of danmu carnivals, and the living example of the subcultural principle that “danmu is the actual main body [of the video].” Apart from his unique approach to glorifying a rural style, the core identifying feature of MC Shitou’s video aesthetic is danmu, rather than the inherent quality of his music. In an act of accommodating the stigmatized aesthetic of the rural and the grotesque, AcFun viewers utilized danmu comments to simulate the sticker and graffiti advertisements that are omnipresent on poles, stairs, and brick walls in suburban and rural China. Comments in this vein include entries such as “massive sale of sanitary pads, please contact 5564878”, “assassin for hire, contact 84523”, “coffin sale, contact 484854”, “change your fate, contact 741165”. A textual analysis of these comments does not really help, since these words are not there for their literal meaning (even though the absurdity is obvious), but for their visual, flowing effect and their simulation of the illegal posting of handbills and graffiti ads. The irony is that when MC Shitou attempted to capitalize on his fame in the thriving livestreaming business, the transition largely failed: his viewership on livestreaming platform Douyu went from the welcoming huge crowd of his former fans to total obscurity in a matter of months. The pivotal point is that MC Shitou was born in an ocean of danmu spam, shitposts, and the quirky post-digital aesthetics of handbills found in dilapidated buildings in soon-to-be-demolished urban villages, and dodgy back-alley staircases, poles, and walls. His lousy, rural-sounding mixtape and his contrived hanmai voice are all important factors, but more crucial is how people remember him. He is not an idol like the rappers featured on The Rap of China, nor a grassroots livestreaming celebrity like MC Tianyou. He is a meme icon from a fading internet subculture. We highlight our top stories each week in an email newsletter that goes out every Monday - hot, fresh, and straight to your inbox. 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HU17 7RN 01964 551145 WEBSITE He has acted and sung all around the world and in 2005 released his first solo album, ‘The Devil's Ground’. S36 9DF TEL. Terri Pontremoli doesn't consider herself to be a marketer, but she has a way with a catchy slogan. Thu 18th Jun 2020; Maybe Billy Mitchell after all is this amazing gamer who is a master at retro arcade games. In his enthusiastic review of the album, Pete Fyffe of Folking.com, described Billy as 'one of the finest singers on the planet’. Sunny Sumter is executive director of the D.C. Jazz Festival. HU17 7RN 01964 551145, Sun 18th Hexham Queens Hall, NORTHUMBERLAND NE46 3LS, County Durham. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. 01434 652477 WEBSITE, Sat 24th Letwell Village Hall, nr Worksop, S.YORKS. BB3 3BU TEL. Ocie is the Artistic Director, leading the organization’s creative efforts and supporting their educational programs. Kyle Orland - Jun 18, 2020 5:24 pm UTC along with Bob Fox, Jez Lowe and Benny Graham presenting songs, stories and images of life in the Coal mining communities of Durham and Northumberland. BB3 3BU TEL. His masterful interpretation of traditional and contemporary songs is one of his greatest strengths and during his time performing with Stu Luckley, won the Melody Maker - Folk Album of the Year Award in 1978 with their album ‘Nowt So Good’ll Pass’. In the seventies he founded the seminal ‘Jack the Lad’. Billy and Bob first toured together in 2006 producing the highly acclaimed ‘live’ album 'Five-star B&B'. He spent eight years as front man of the legendary. They found their way to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2007 and 3 years later founded the 501c3 JazzArts Charlotte, with Lonnie serving as President and CEO. All content © 2010-2019 Jazz Journalists Association or as indicated. Their duo show features songs with a strong north-eastern flavour (including several Lindisfarne classics) celebrating the richness of life on both sides of the rivers Tyne, Wear and beyond. are fine singers, masters of vocal harmony and musicians of stunning ability who can bring magic into any auditorium. 0191 253 1618, Sat 17th Cherry Burton Village Hall, E.YORKS. 01254 706006 WEBSITE, Sat 22nd Mottram St.Andrew Village Hall, CHESHIRE. 01833 631107, Bondgate Without, Alnwick, NE66 1PQ. A rare opportunity to see Billy Mitchell and Bob Fox perform once again as a duo after several years of highly succesful individual work. This has led their venue in the mixed residential-industrial Gowanus neighborhood to be cited as “the new downtown”. SK10 4QP TEL. For nine years they've presented new jazz, free improvisation and contemporary composition (better still, music that’s a mélange of these -- and more) nightly, expanding the range further by including cutting edge spoken-word, dance and visual art. Billy Mitchell 2020 Los Angeles Jazz Hero "Pianist Billy Mitchell Uses Music To Save and Enrich Our Youth" was the title of my April 2015 feature article in LAJazz.com about the amazing musician, producer, composer and arranger now being honored by the California Jazz Foundation and the Jazz Journalists Association as a Jazz Hero. Last year Billy and Ray Laidlaw directed the music and appeared in a new play at Live Theatre, Newcastle. 07939 148603, Fri 21st Darwen Library Theatre, LANCS. ), ShapeShifter Lab lives up its name with an open-door policy to experimentation. DECEMBER 2020 Fri 18th Cullercoats Crescent Club. I have always regarded him as an artiste of great integrity and ability'. ‘As soon as I heard Bob Fox sing I realised that he must have one of the best voices in England. Billy Mitchell is a gaming icon, having been Donkey Kong and Pac-Man World Record Holders and making national news. HU17 7RN 01964 551145 WEBSITE, Sun 18th Hexham Queens Hall, NORTHUMBERLAND NE46 3LS TEL. Also, Billy Mitchell makes his fortune earnings from his career as a video game player. ‘The Pitmen Poets’ along with Bob Fox, Jez Lowe and Benny Graham presenting songs, stories and images of life in the Coal mining communities of Durham and Northumberland. Lockdown 2020 Videos. Fri 18th Cullercoats Crescent Club. Tickets Tel. To enable Verizon Media and our partners to process your personal data select 'I agree', or select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. However, it has been in her work since leaving the stage in that Sunny has achieved the title of Jazz Hero. Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. Engadget is part of Verizon Media. 07904 072190 WEBSITE, Thurs 10th Otley Courthouse, Courthouse Street, Otley, WEST YORKSHIRE, For updates visit www.bobfoxmusic.com or billymitchell.co.uk, wegottickets.com - search Billy Mitchell & Bob Fox. When the Tri-C JazzFest, of which she has been the longtime director, was held in April, she came up with this one: "Cleveland rocks but in April it swings." Tel: 01665 660550 WEBSITE, Thur 20th Cubley Hall, Penistone, S.YORKS. Hosting bold underground arts alongside jazz (jazz+? Richard Hadlock has been at the center of the San Francisco Bay Area's jazz scene for more than 60 years as a saxophonist, publisher, journalist, historian, educator and broadcaster. Billy Mitchell, a folk, rock, songwriter, traditional artist from Newcastle upon Tyne Billy’s influence on the latter-day line-up of the band helped them stay as respected and successful as they had been prior to his recruitment. Tickets Tel. 07939 148603 WEBSITE, Fri 21st Darwen Library Theatre, LANCS. In that capacity, she is a presenter, publicist, educator, preservationist, activist, advocate, and—in her own description—jazz champion. 01833 631107 WEBSITE, Sat 8th Playhouse, Alnwick, Bondgate Without, Alnwick, NE66 1PQ. www.billymitchell.co.uk www.bobfoxmusic.com. Billy has most recently completed two sell out tours with ‘The Lindisfarne Story’ and performs as one of. S81 8DF TEL. DL12 8LY TEL. … Bob Fox has twice been nominated as Folk Singer of the Year at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Guinness reinstates Billy Mitchell’s Donkey Kong, Pac-Man records [Updated] Evidence review results in public split with Twin Galaxies. 01909 731626, Fri 7th The Witham, Barnard Castle, County Durham. Billy Mitchell and Bob Fox are getting back together to tour in 2020/2021 5 Star B&B Tour Dates. Despite the fact that in this April of social distancing when jazz clubs and other venues are all in a silent way, Pontremoli can add a new slogan to her list of accomplishments: JJA Jazz Hero. Billy Mitchell has done it all as a performer and songwriter. 01254 706006, Sat 22nd Mottram St.Andrew Village Hall, CHESHIRE. When ShapeShifter Lab opened its doors in 2011, Matthew Garrison and Fortuna Sung envisioned not simply a performance space but a center for Brooklyn’s already thriving creative community, which has grown fruitfully in the ensuing years. Both men are fine singers, masters of vocal harmony and musicians of stunning ability who can bring magic into any auditorium. Arcade expert and hot sauce mogul Billy Mitchell made a name for himself by earning record-breaking scores in games like Pac-Man and BurgerTime. S36 9DF TEL. As of October 2020, Billy Mitchell’s net worth is $2 million while his annual income salary is yet unknown. I don't know since he will never play these games in real time. 0191 253 1618 APRIL 2021 Sat 17th Cherry Burton Village Hall, E.YORKS. Updated on 19 June 2020. She is also a vocalist, formerly a staple of the Washington, D.C. jazz scene. Site production by. Both men. 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A three year old on the beach. There’s nothing more precious, right? There’s something magical and beautiful about the unaffected wonder three year olds constantly possess. They’re invincible, infallible, enchanting. Three year olds are awesome. Last month, our family went to the beach, and over the week, I watched as G splashed in the waves, built wobbly sand castles, and took naps. She’s the typical three year old: wild, gregarious, and usually covered in something sticky. We kept her in her Puddle Jumper constantly, because we couldn’t stand the thought of anything happening to her. Our three year old was too precious to lose. Last week, there was another three year old on a beach. His lifeless body washed ashore in Turkey on Wednesday, after his family’s escape raft capsized, and he, his mother, and his five year old brother all drowned. His father—the only survivor—fought to save them all. When asked about these moments, Aylan’s dad said “What was precious is gone.” Aylan was precious, too. Aylan Kurdi was probably much like my G: smiley and sweet. His only disadvantage was the place of his birth. While my princess was born safely here in the United States, Aylan lived in war-torn, ISIS infested Syria. A place his family knew they had to escape. They weren’t running from poverty, or simply trying to make a better life for themselves. They were running for their lives. Unfortunately for Aylan, his brother Ghalib, and his mother Rehan, their lives tragically ended in the water. And Aylan’s little body, limp and almost sleeplike, washed up on the beach. A glaring reminder of the atrocity of the Syrian refugee crisis. Currently, eleven million refugees are fleeing Syria and seeking sanctuary in Europe. Some, like the Kurdi family, are braving the waters of the Mediterranean in hopes of a new life. As we watch things unfold here, in the comfort and security of the United States, we cry out to all of Europe to open their borders and let the refugees in. We pray there are no more Aylans, and that every refugee finds safety in the arms of Europe. We say they have enough for everyone, and nobody should be turned away. A stark contrast in regards to the way we feel about our own borders. I wonder sometimes if it will ever be my turn. If suddenly, I will find myself in a raft with my family praying to God we make it far from the United States. And what would I do? Where would we go? Would the government of another country open its borders to me? Would we be forced to live in filth until they could find room for us? There is no way of knowing what would happen if I was forced onto the waters with my children. Forced to another country. Forced into camps. Because we’re so far removed from this situation, it’s easy to play armchair quarterback. We can speculate because these refugees aren’t knocking on our doors. We can easily call for Europe to let eleven million people in, when we aren’t expected to do the same. Or are we? Matthew 25:40 says “Truly I tell you, whatever you have done to the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” “When you fed them, you were feeding me.” “When you clothed them, you were clothing me.” “When you let them in, you let me in.” “When you turned them away, you turned me away” “When you refused to help them, you refused to help me.” “When you ignored their pleas, you ignored mine.” Sometimes I wonder what I will have to answer for. Will I have to answer for Aylan? Will my ignorance or my selfishness be addressed when I stand before His throne? And who else will I have to answer for? What will I say when I’m asked about the thousands of ways I’ve ignored the Least? Or made fun of the Least? Or posted a meme mocking the Least? Aylan’s death should be a convicting moment for us all. We need to look at these pictures and let our own American Privilege fall away. We need to put ourselves in the water. In the dark. We need to picture our own families slipping away from us in the night as we fight to keep them alive. There will be more Aylans if we refuse to act. If we refuse to help. If we cling to our money, and slam our doors shut. If we refuse to help the Least. If every member of the American Church pledges to help these refugees, I’m convinced we can change the world. You may not be able to contribute much, but if you give some, and I give some, and she gives some, we can give much. There is no excuse here. No way to get out of this. No way to say “I have nothing to give.” We can all give something. Put yourself in the water. What would you hope others would do for you? Here is a list of immediate needs and an address where you can send materials. Scroll down Ann Voskamp's blog to find vetted websites where you can send monetary donations.

In the text below, you can find information about Tasmin Dhaliwals Net Worth, Age, Height, Family, Career, Zodiac, interesting pictures, and more. Scroll down to see more details and interesting facts about Tasmin Dhaliwal. Tasmin Dhaliwals real name His real name is Tasmin Dhaliwal. Tasmin Dhaliwal age and birth info Tasmin Dhaliwal is 25 years old. He was born on June 2, 1996 in unknown, Canada. Tasmin Dhaliwals nationality is unknown. According to our sources His place of residence is unknown with unknown citizenship. Tasmin Dhaliwals height and weight Find out newest information about Tasmin Dhaliwals height and weight: Height: 5'5" or 165 cm How much money does Tasmin Dhaliwal have? Tasmin Dhaliwal has a promising career as unknown. According to various sources like Wikipedia, net worth portals, and financial portals estimated net worth of Tasmin Dhaliwal is Approx. $100K-1M. What is His horoscope sign? According to the astrology, the position of the planets when we were born affects our whole life in a specific way. To be better prepared for what’s to come many believe in horoscope. Stars have been affectionate to Tasmin Dhaliwal, whose zodiac sign is Gemini. Social networks profiles Tasmin Dhaliwal joined YouTube on Aug 28, 2013. From that time Tasmin Dhaliwals profile accumulated more than 189,993 views and number of subscribers is 273K. Was Tasmin Dhaliwal married in the past? Is He currently married? As per our research Tasmin Dhaliwal was not married. His last known partner is unknown. And here is one of the Tasmin Dhaliwals most popular videos Tasmin Dhaliwals car Tasmin Dhaliwals house Tasmin Dhaliwals body and other characteristics - Is Tasmin Dhaliwal a smoker: unknown - Does He have other nicknames: Taz - Is He convicted: unknown - Meme: unknown - Favorite games: unknown - Religion: unknown - Tasmin Dhaliwals signature: unknown - Eye color: brown - Hair color: black - Tasmin Dhaliwals dress size: 4 US - Tasmin Dhaliwals shoe size: 8 US - Measurements: unknown - Sexual orientation: straight

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I read Charlie Stross's Rule 34. Here's my 5 star Amazon review (slightly modified as I thought of a few more things): Rule 34 is brilliant work. If Stross had written a novel placed in 2010, it would have been a top notch crime and suspense novel. Charlie's portrayal of the criminal mind, from silence-of-the-lambs psychopath (sociopath in UK speak, though that US/UK distinction is blurring) to every day petty crook, is top notch. Stross puts us into the minds of his villains, heroes, and fools, using a curious 2nd person pronoun style that has a surprising significance. I loved how so many of his villains felt they were players, while others knew they were pawns. Only the most insightful know they're a cog in the machine. A cog in a corporate machine that is. Whether cop or criminal or other, whether gay or straight, everyone is a component of a corporation. Not the megacorp of Gibson and Blade Runner, but the ubiquitous corporate meme that we also live in. The corporate meme has metastasized. It is invisible, it is everywhere, and it makes use of all material. Minds of all kinds, from Aspergerish to sociopath, for better and for worse, find a home in this ecosystem. The language of today's sycophantic guides to business is mainstream here. Stross manages the suspense and twists of the thriller, and explores emerging sociology as he goes. The man has clearly done his homework on the entangled worlds of spam and netporn -- and I'm looking forward to the interviewers who ask him what that research was like. In other works Stross has written about the spamularity, and in Rule 34 he lays it out. He should give some credit to the spambots that constantly attack his personal blog. Rule 34 stands on its own as a thriller/crime/character novel, but it doesn't take place in 2010. It takes place sometime in the 2020-2030s (at one point in the novel Stross gives us a date but I can't remember it exactly). A lot of the best science fiction features fully imagined worlds, and this world is complete. He's hit every current day extrapolation I've ever thought of, and many more besides. From the macroeconomics of middle Asia, to honey pots with honey pots, to amplified 00s style investment scams to home foundries to spamfested networked worlds to a carbon-priced economy to mass disability to cyberfraud of the vulnerable to ubiquitous surveillance to the bursting of the higher education bubble, to exploding jurisprudence creating universal crime … Phew. There's a lot more besides. I should have been making a list as I read. Yes, Rule 34 is definitely a "hard" science fiction novel -- though it's easy to skip over the mind-bending parts if you're not a genre fan. You can't, however, completely avoid Stross's explorations of the nature of consciousness, and his take on the "Singularity" (aka rapture of the nerds). It's not giving away too much to say there's no rapture here. As to whether this is a Rainbow's End pre-Singular world … well, you'll have to read the novel and make your own decision. I'm not sure I'd take Stross's opinion on where this world of his is going - at least not at face value. Oh, and if you squint a certain way, you can see a sort-of Batman in there too. I think that was deliberate; someone needs to ask Charlie about that. Great stuff, and a Hugo contender for sure. If you've read my blog you know I'm fond of extrapolating to the near future. Walking down my blog's tag list I see I'm keen on the nature and evolution of the Corporation, mind and consciousness, economics, today's history, emergence, carbon taxes, fraud and "the weak", the Great Recession (Lesser Depression), alternative minds (I live with 2 non-neurotypicals), corruption, politics, governance, the higher eduction and the education bubble, natural selection, identity, libertarianism (as a bad thing), memes, memory management, poverty (and mass disability), reputation management, schizophrenia and mental illness, security, technology, and the whitewater world. Not to mention the Singularity/Fermi Paradox (for me they're entangled -- I'm not a Happy Singularity sort of guy). Well, Stross has, I dare to say, some of the same interests. Ok, so I'm not in much doubt of that. I read the guy religiously, and I'm sure I've reprocessed everything he's written. In Rule 34 he's hit all of these bases and more. Most impressively, if you're not looking for it, you could miss almost all of it. Stross weaves it in, just as he does a slow reveal of the nature of his characters, including the nature of the character you don't know about until the end. Update: In one of those weird synchronicity things, Stross has his 2032 and 2092 predictions out this morning. Read 'em.

MSM is reporting that Jared Kushner is the person of interest or subject of the FBI probe into Russia meddling in US elections. I say subpoena the whole lot of Trump's cabinet. This is topic number 1 on MSNBC the last 8 hours. The first domino to fall ? An empty tease ? Keep watching as there's much interest. I hope it's significant and tangible. here's a recent CNN story This certainly is looking bad for Kushner and all of Trump's enablers. Setting up a back door secret channel with Putin so that American intelligence agencies cannot spy on their conversations is getting into the area of treason. Not disclosing phone calls and other contacts should be grounds for immediate dismissal...a felony if there was willful intent. Yet Trump has put Kushner on the team that is going to investigate the source of the leaks. WTF. Kushner has his hands in everything. Wshington Post: Russian ambassador told Moscow that Kushner wanted secret communications channel with Kremlin Yes I agree that the special counsel and the FBI investigations will take a long time...a year or more. Don't know about the Congressional investigations...they just kind of plod along. However, what is moving much faster is the unofficial investigation driven by leaks. It would seem that the New York Times and the Washington Post each have their respective "deep throats" within the government who are only too happy to leak, leak, leak. It is the leaks that have accelerated much of the media investigations. However, Trump has promised to put an end to all those leaks so we'll see what happens. The thought actually occurred to me that maybe some of the Mike Pence people are leaking with the hope that their Christian Warrior can take over the presidency if Trump resigns or is "fired" by Congress. A meme yesterday said If the investigation sends Kushner to prison it will be the first time he ever went anywhere on his own. TJ Wrote:A meme yesterday said If the investigation sends Kushner to prison it will be the first time he ever went anywhere on his own. Not directly related but.... The Apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Imagine that, a surrogate arranging a back channel to a sworn enemy, and a non government employee at that, it's like, hey, I want my FIL to help you with Obama sanctions, can we meet at a clandestine location and talk about this? in exchange, we'll build a couple of new hotels at absolutely no cost to you. all we ask is that you give us the land cheap and throw in a couple of bottles of that great vodka Vladimir drinks....... we don't need no stinking security clearances....

I would assume that many of you reading this have seen this happen, or have experienced it firsthand. You might attempt to read a five minute MSA bulletin, and halfway through it, you’re already getting eye rolls, yawns, and people tapping the faces of their watch. As much as to say, “Hurry up, Bro.” You push on, planning perhaps a Festive Board night, blending the social aspect, with toasts and intellectual responses. In this, you think, “This should fire on all cylinders. It’s social for those non-intellectuals and intellectual for those who are looking for some discourse.” The Festive Board probably goes wonderfully. But it was not without its headaches and pushback. Over the years, the responses of the toasts are dropped, and now the Festive Board is just an annual Lodge spaghetti dinner. The lazy got their way. But what about the Internet. What about the sharing of educational content in various groups within social networking sites? Something can be posted, and people can react to it or comment on it. It’s not a Lodge, and it’s passive. You can scroll past it if you’re not interested. Education is available to the masses at the click of a mouse. One would never think you would find opposition to the presentation of Masonic Education in an online forum. But that’s just what happened to me recently. Whenever a particularly interesting Midnight Freemason article comes out, or a relevant episode of a Masonic podcast or an excellent Masonic Education presentation becomes available, I typically will share it. I bounce from Grand Lodge Facebook group to Grand Lodge Facebook group sharing all I can. Recently, however, I was banned from a Grand Lodge Facebook group because of what I posted, a link to a Masonic convention to see Brother Steven L Harrison 33°. I can only assume that this post interrupted the standard stream of generic Masonic postings. You know the kind. If there was a word that meant Meme and Platitude...Platimeme? Anyway, God forbid that Freemasonry be interesting. If being banned wasn’t enough, the Brother who reported the content, had it deleted, and me banned from the page, decided to send me a message, and interrogate me over my motives for sharing the content. It was something else. In an age where the movers and shakers in this Fraternity are also the ones who demand education, my toast tonight are three Latin words – Ut vox populi. RWB Johnson is the Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the 2nd N.E. District of Illinois. He currently serves as the Secretary of Spes Novum Lodge No. 1183. He is a Past Master of Waukegan Lodge 78 and a Past District Deputy Grand Master for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatre which focuses on topics relating to Freemasonry. He is also a co-host of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of four, works full time in the executive medical industry. He is the co-author of "It's Business Time - Adapting a Corporate Path for Freemasonry" and is currently working on a book of Masonic essays and one on Occult Anatomy to be released soon.

You must verify if your brand name or a similar one is taken. A. First, Google the name and see what pops A similar brand might be using the name. Or perhaps you find another reason to not use it. We were about to call our dog-food business “Dogler” when we discovered this was a meme for dogs looking like Hitler. Don’t believe me? Google it yourself. B. Use a tool to check if it the name is already Similar names can result in someone mistaking your brand for another. This will get you in trouble, as the owner of the name will cease-and-desist you to protect his brand. If there is any doubt, you can apply for a trademark and hope the owner doesn’t object within the time limit. When a fuss is made, you can then refer to your established rights. But when venturing into grey territory, always consult a legal person. He will tell you what all conservative professionals will tell you: better don’t. Yet the cowboys amongst you might try. If your competitor neither has a war chest nor a legion of lawyers, you might get your way. C. Check if the .com name is still Use a tool to check if the .com name is still available. Probably not, since the majority of letter/number combinations are taken, as well as the entire dictionary. But if you’ve been creative enough, you’ll have a chance. Naturally, you can use different extensions like .net and .org, or the more hip .app and .io. But the .com gives your brand a lot more authority. You can always buy a domain, as I did for toby.nl and brandbuilding.com. Often, this costs thousands of dollars, even after brisk negotiation. So always evaluate if the authority and brand power you gain is worth the money. Theoretically, it is possible to displace ‘domain squatters’ in certain jurisdictions, but this can be a costly and uncertain legal fight. I recommend you spend your energy on building a brand. D. Check for availability on the social media channels you plan to If your domain or social media handles are unavailable, this should be taken into consideration when choosing a name. Check online . However, it doesn’t have to stop you. You can try adding prefixes to the brand name until you hit a word that is available across all the channels: Toby > gotoby.com, trytoby.com, mytoby.com, etc.

Impacts of Wednesday’s Democratic Party Presidential Debate In our efforts to bring you the latest updates on things that might impact your financial life, we may occasionally enter the political fray, covering candidates, bills, laws and more. Please note: SoFi does not endorse or take official positions on any candidates and the bills they may be sponsoring or proposing. We may occasionally support legislation that we believe would be beneficial to our members, and will make sure to call it out when we do. Our reporting otherwise is for informational purposes only, and shouldn’t be construed as an endorsement. The ninth Democratic party primary debate took place in Las Vegas Wednesday night, giving six candidates the chance to speak before the Nevada Democratic caucus on Saturday, February 22nd. Primary elections had already occurred in Iowa and New Hampshire. The Associated Press was unable to declare an official winner in Iowa, but Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg split the delegates, with Sanders taking the popular vote. Sanders won the New Hampshire primary election, making him the frontrunner before Wednesday’s debate. A Quick Recap of the Night A whopping 20 candidates took the stage during the first round of Democratic debates in June. Wednesday, only five of those 20 remained: Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden, Amy Klobuchar, and Elizabeth Warren. A sixth nominee, former New York City mayor and billionaire Mike Bloomberg, was debating for the first time. Warren asserted herself from the get-go. Not only did she lead the other candidates in criticizing Bloomberg, but she discussed perceived flaws in the healthcare plans proposed by Buttigieg, Klobuchar, and Sanders. Rather than focusing negative attention on Sanders to try to knock him out of the running, several candidates shifted that energy toward Bloomberg. The new candidate also served as a real-life example any time Sanders, or others, condemned billionaires. Ratings Go Through the Roof Wednesday night’s debate was the most viewed Democratic debate ever, with almost 20 million people watching the event on NBC and MSNBC. The 2015 Republican debate in Ohio that aired on Fox News still holds the title of the most-watched presidential debate of all time with 24 million audience members. That was the first night Donald Trump took the stage as a presidential candidate. Many people likely tuned in to Wednesday’s debate for two main reasons: The candidates have dwindled down from 20 to six, making the standoff more exciting and easier to follow. And people wanted to know what would come of Mike Bloomberg being onstage for the first time after spending hundreds of millions of dollars on TV advertisements and sponsored meme account posts. The next debate will air Tuesday, February 25th, on CBS. Are Candidates Having an Effect on the Stock Market? At this point, Bernie Sanders has received more votes than the other candidates. The stock market is reaching record highs. Those two sentences might seem like they should be mutually exclusive since Sanders describes himself as a democratic socialist and promises to be hard on Wall Street. One possibility they list is that people feel it’s too soon to know whether he will be named the Democratic nominee. So it could be that there’s no effect to be had. Moderate candidates such as Bloomberg or Buttigieg would likely steer clear of some of Sanders’ controversial ideas if they become president. The second option listed is that investors think Sanders will struggle to pass some of his bills that would drastically affect the stock market, such as taxing the wealthy. With Republicans in control of the Senate, he might not pass contentious ideas. Finally, some investors may believe that President Trump could beat Sanders if he became the Democratic nominee. Investors who are happy with Trump’s effects on the stock market might actually hope Sanders becomes the candidate because they believe Trump has the power to beat him. Pundits warn against taking any of these ideas too seriously, though. The election is still nine months away—anything could happen. External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement. Third Party Brand Mentions: No brands or products mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

Subscribe to Blog via Email April 2021 M T W T F S S « Mar 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 FalkSing: V. von Falkenhausen. Un’inedita singrafe dotale calabrese del 1208/09. Rivista Storica Calabrese n.s. 6 (1985) 445–456, In my time at the TLG, there was many a mediaeval Greek word that was not in the main dictionaries—Lampe, Trapp (which was not yet complete at the time), and Kriaras (ditto); and I would expend pleasant and assiduous effort in trying to track those words down elsewhere. One such word was the Byzantine Greek word for brocade, φουφούδιον. It’s in Trapp’s dictionary now that Vol. VIII has appeared (after the end of my time at the TLG): φουφούδι(ο)ν, τό. Brocade. -ιν TestBoil 23, 131. -ιν AIv 47.37 (a. 1098). -ια APantel 7.12. -ιν 18 (a. 1142). -ιον OktoEng 40.15. -ιν 19. φοφόδην FalkSing 450.6.—Car[acausi], TestBoilP 157, ByzAD. φουφουδοτός (corrct to: -ωτός) Decorated with brocade. DucApp I. s.v. ῤένδα: Cod. Reg. 2437 (= Par. 156). φουφούλιον, τό. Brocaded garment. -ια EpBib 5,2. φουρουλ( ) (?) μετὰ σταυρίου ὀξέου “with a purple cross” Typ.Kechar 152,28.—LexPont -ιν; cf. Φουφούλης Car, φουφούλα Stam[atakos]. So we have fufuði(o)n, in one text fofoðin, 1 attested in various monastic texts of the 11th through 13th century. We have the related adjective fufuðotos, attested (mispelled) in the appendix to DuCange’s 1688 Glossarium ad scriptores mediae et infimae Graecitatis (presumably from a manuscript no longer available). And we have the variant fufulion, attested in the 10th century Book of the Eparch of Leo the Wise, as well as the 12th century typikon of the mponastery of Theotokos Kecharitomene. The latter word survives in Pontic Greek as fufulin, and in standard Greek as fufula (Stamatakos is a Modern Greek dictionary): per the Triantafyllidis dictionary fufula refers to “the lower hind part of islander breeches (vraka), which is puffy and has folds; breeches by extension; pantaloons for women and children, held up by suspenders”. Trapp’s volume wasn’t out at the time I came across the word in the TLG. But other sources had already published fufuðion. Such as Girolamo Caracausi’s Lessico Greco della Sicilia e dell’Italia meridionale (secoli x–xiv), a dictionary of the monastic documents of southern Italy, where it is glossed as “a kind of cloth”, with Falkenhausen’s example and two others, and with the contemporary Latin phrases from the same region, fuffude rossa et citrina (1065) and uno fuffudi citrino et nigro (1088). I had in fact gone through Caracausi for words for the TLG, but for some reason I had missed φουφούδιον. A source I did come across when researching φουφούδιον was ByzAD: Artefacts and Raw Materials in Byzantine Archival Documents, which has an extensive article on the garment and its attestations, and renders it as “silk fabric, samite (?)”. The article posits that the name is “doubtless of Iranian origin”, and associates it with Leo VI the Wise’s fufulion, where the editor believes it is a kind of baggy pants. It also notes that fufula has survived into Modern Greek ByzAD is an online database, so I did eventually find it there. That isn’t where I first found it either though. I first find it through the word’s transmission into Russian. The word shows up in Old Russian as fofudja; and because of the delay in getting the lexicography of Byzantine Greek up and running, the only source Vasmer had access to in his etymological dictionary of Russian (where it is glossed as “precious fabric for imperial clothes”) was the 1688 attestation of fufuðotos. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say abut the Russian version of the word: The word was quite obscure and was not included in several editions of orthographic dictionaries either in Ukraine or Russia. According to the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary, fofudja (Russian: фофудья, Greek: φουφουδότης) [which is presumably a distortion of DuCange’s φουφουδοτός] is an oriental precious cloth woven with gold thread and often used in ceremonial garments in the Byzantine Empire during the time of Kievan Rus and similar to an ephod. Fofudja was was mentioned as a form of payment in the 12th century birch bark documents found in the Veliky Novgorod excavation. Fofudja was mentioned in the Radziwiłł Chronicle in the 13th century when Leo VI the Wise rewarded Oleg of Novgorod with gold, fofudja and other items. The term is mentioned again when Vladimir II Monomakh distributed fofudja, among other goods, to the people on their way to the church. Note that Leo VI the Wise was the 10th century emperor to whom the Book of Eparch was attributed, which had fufulion. The fufuðion was expressly mentioned as Byzantine in the Russian sources, and is mentioned over the same period it appears in Byzantine sources, 11th through 13th centuries. Fofudja/Fufudin passed out of use in both the Greek-speaking and the Russian-speaking world, though the related fufulin clearly survived in Greek. There are two paradoxical survivals of Fofudja/Fufudin though. There’s a reason I was able to find mentions of fofudja online so easy: Fofudja (Russian: Фофудья [fɐˈfudʲjə]) is an internet and social phenomenon in the Ukrainian segment of the LiveJournal community. While its name denotes a piece of religious clothing, it has been used lately as a satirical protest against Russian imperialism, xenophobia, ukrainophobia, antisemitism and religious intolerance. By application of reductio ad absurdum this phenomenon involves people assuming comically exaggerated xenophobic and antisemitic views with the aim to mock them. As such, members of the Fofudja community sarcastically purport to be members of the supposedly oppressed Russian-speaking minority in Ukraine suffering from nationalist and Zionist oppression. The theme of this phenomenon can be traced back to another widely popular Ukrainian Internet creation — a novel “The City of Lvov”. [started 2006–02–20] This satirical Internet novel written by “Professor” Ivan Denikin (a pen name of an unknown joker) deals with a few Russians traveling to Lviv and on their way encountering “unspeakable suffering” of the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine brought on by Ukrainization. The main symbol of this phenomenon is the fofudja itself. In the view of some observers the name was probably selected because of a number of factors: because of its obscurity, because it sounds similar to a piece of clothing called fufaika, and also due to its Byzantine origin and orthodox symbolism. Members of the community sarcastically position themselves as semi-underground Russian minority in present-day Ukraine, proud Russian patriots and devout Orthodox Christians. Fofudja as a piece of religious clothing is meant to be a symbol of Russian Orthodoxy and of Russian culture. Participants believe that they will be persecuted by Ukrainian authorities for wearing it in public as a piece of national Russian costume. In fact, the leader of Ukrainian communists Petro Symonenko was asked in an Internet conference the following question: “Hello, I am from Kherson oblast and I am an ethnic Russian. My daughter was prohibited from wearing a fofudja at school, a symbol of Russian culture — on the grounds that the state language is Ukrainian. I just wanted to ask you, Peter Nikolayevich, for how long [will it last]? Unsuspecting of being a victim of a practical joke by members of the fofudja community and willing to profit on the sensitive inter-ethnic question Mr. Symonenko promised to “look into it”. The symbol of “fofudja”, the catchphrase “доколє” (“for how long” “until when”, an archaic question word), the Russian-Ukrainian letter mix and the Imperial Cyrillic — these are the distinctive features of this Internet phenomenon that spread beyond the Live Journal blog and into the wider community in Ukraine. Hence, the fofudja in its natural contemporary habitat, as a meme accompanied by the archaic and plaintive доколє “for how long”: The Greek survival of fufuðion is somewhat less spectacular. On the other hand, if you’re a dialectologist, it’s arguably more spectacular. Nikolaos Pantelidis is a dialectologist at Athens University, and he has been researching dialects that have gotten short shrift in Modern Greek dialectology, notably Peloponnesian. In Το παλαιοαθηναϊκό ιδίωμα: Πηγές, μαρτυρίες, χαρακτηριστικά, he assembles all available sources to date on the Old Athenian dialect—which, thanks to two recently published 19th century plays, are a lot more sources than we used to have. The dialect has gone from almost unattested, to attested enough for him to extract a basic grammar. (And for me to formulate an impressionistic description of it as a Tsakonian-flavoured Cretan.) Of the two plays, Gynaikokratia (1841) has a brief speech in Old Athenian, written by Dimitrios Byzantios/Hatziaslanis, the same playwright who wrote the renowned satire of Modern Greek linguistic diversity Babel. The second, with a more extensive speech, is Sotirios Kourtesis’ 1862 Ο Καρπάθιος ή ο κατά φαντασίαν ερώμενος “The Carpathian, or the Imaginary Lover”. (You’ll find very few traces of Kourtesis online, but one trace you will find is that this particular play was an imitation of Molière. A second was that he was the first to satirise the Piraeus toughs, the Koutsavakis/Mangas, as far back as 1868.) And in the very end of the old native Athenian woman’s plaint on modern female fashions in Kourtesis’ play, in the second last page of Pantelidis’ article, right before the use of που after a dubitative verb that I wish I had been aware of for my doctoral thesis (τιγάρις θάρρευγες που σε γέλαγα—cf. A Survey of Modern Greek Dialectal Complementation), she says: Εµείς, τσυρά µου, τα ζιπούνια µας, τα σταµπόσιαλια, τα επαίρναµε προιτσιό, τσαι πάλι τα δίναµε στα παιδιά µας, τσαι εσάς δε σας φτάνουνε δυο-τρία φουστάνια το µήνα, τσαι για τούτο δε θα κάµετε προκοπή ποτές, µε τούνα δά τα φουφούδια που φορείτε. My lady, our waistcoats, our Istanbul shawls, we received as dowry, and we handed them on to our children; and as for you, two or three dresses a month are not enough for you, and that’s why no good will ever come of you, with these fufuðia you’re wearing. The word clearly does not refer here to pantaloons, but to fancy clothes; so in fact it is closer to the fufuðion than are the pantaloons and breeches of fufula, which we know survived in Greek. Old Athenian was a notoriously archaic dialect; it’s almost too good to be true to find a Byzantine survival like fufuðion in Athens, which was isolated from the remainder of the Greek-speaking world by Albanian incursions in the 14th century—right after fufuðion is no longer attested. And maybe the word was used more widely after all. A look at Google Books shows that it was. In Rhodes, fufui < fufuði refers to boils on childrenʼs heads; the form is reported by Agapitos Tsopanakis in an article in Hellenika in 1985, and he also reports that he had already derived it from *ὑποφῴδιον “under-blister” in 1940. So it’s unrelated. This snippet from the journal of the Greek Philological Society of Constantinople journal (Σύγγραμμα Περιοδικόν, vol. 17) of 1882–83, on the other hand, very much attests the word: it’s a song lyric that goes Κάποια Μέρισα, κάποια Μεροδοπούλλα, εροθύμθησε πα’ ’ς τογ ’γιαλόν να πλύννη τα φουφούδια της και τα μεταξωτά της A Merisa (?), a Merodopoulla/Merodian (?) girl, went down to the beach to wash her fufuðia and her silken garments (p. 224) The word also shows up a fair way away from Symi, in Missolonghi, in the local paper citing Akakia Kordosis’ 1998 Μιλήστε Μεσολογγίτικα “Speak Missolongian” (which is available in an earlier edition here): Αναφουφουδιάζω (απ’ την λέξη φουφούδια που λένε για τα φρεσκοπλυμένα ρούχα). Φρεσκάρω. Αναφουφούδιασα τα σκουτιά. Φουφούδι, το. Καθαρό, ωραίο. Τα ρούχα γίνανε φουφούδια απ’ το πλύσ’μο. anafufuðiazo (from the word fufuðia which is used to refer to freshly washed clothes). To freshen up. “I anafufuðiazo the clothes.” fufuði neut. noun. Clean, beautiful. “The clothes have become fufuðia through washing.” So the original Byzantine garment, the brocade awarded to the Rus, turns up in Symi, Missolonghi, and Athens, as a description of nice dress—clean clothes in Missolonghi, fancy clothes in Athens, precious clothes in Symi. (I’ve also seen an instance of contemporary usage of fufuðia to mean “nonsense”, and some other scattered instances whose meaning I can’t work out; e.g. from a childbirth forum, εμενα μου την εβαλε γιατρος και μαια που με ειχαν στα φουφουδια που λεμε…με εξτρα ζελε και ξυλοκαινη-σουπερ περιποιηση “I had [the catheter] inserted by a doctor and a midwife, who had me, as the saying goes, “in the fufuðia“, with extra jelly and xylocaine: they were wonderful to me”.) So the survival of fufuðia in Old Athenian is not as unique as I’d thought an hour ago; but it’s still a survival that (as far as I can tell) has not been linked to the Byzantine garment before.)

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Consensual Sex in the Missionary Position (often extended to Consensual Sex In The Missionary Position For The Sole Purpose Of Procreating) is a meme mocking the softness of missionary position sex. There is an e-mail going around the internet that says that of all the sex positions the Italian Chandelier (AKA Italian Hanger or Italian Banker) burns the most calories. A sex position is a position of the body that an individual or couple people may use for sexual intercourse or other sexual activities.Sexual acts are generally described by the positions the participants adopt in order to perform those acts. See detailed pictures of Missionary position and it’s variations to learn exactly how to have powerful orgasms and intense sex tonight! While the missionary sex position might have a reputation for being boring or average, there are ways to have hot missionary sex. Here are some tips. Advantages of the missionary position include: It is pretty much unique to humans, and therefore differentiates us from s. It puts partners face-to-face during sex. : a coital position in which the female lies on her back with the male on top and with his face opposite hers Thus, husbands and wives were obliged to look to rabbis and priests (most of whom were celibate) rather to each other for sexual permissions.Early religious law set down very restrictive laws governing the “when and how often” of sex between married partners, even to the point of limiting sex to the so-called missionary position.

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chat // alternative // politics // subversive // radical //Border_Lands is a show that seeks to uncover the complexities at the heart of technology and politics around the world by picking apart what we know about the Internet and what we don’t. Furthest away from consensus and the deafening roar of majority viewpoints, at the borders of conventional wisdom, we hope to ask new questions to see what comes to the surface. This show will explore the fringes of political debate on free expression, online culture, human rights, current affairs and civic movements both in Scotland and across the globe. So whether it is the normalisation of surveillance, the rise of far right extremism, online free expression and the opaque systems of corporate and state control, we will seek to explore everything, not seeking answers, nor neat consensus; instead focusing on picking apart the complexities that underpin our modern world. So welcome to Border Lands the place where debate resides under an assumed identity, hiding out from those who seek to shut it down. Nothing is what it seems, or perhaps everything is! Oh, we will also play music, loosely connected to the issue of the day! 12/11/2019 // http://Char|atan_1sm The Internet has enabled people to communicate, source information and form communities with fewer gatekeepers or barriers. The hope of a non-hierarchical network, where all speech was valued equally was a noble if impossible dream, especially in a political system still maintained and shaped by opaque and unknowable forces. But as the technology has evolved, how people present themselves, their expertise and influence has also evolved. Snake oil has made its way to the online world, with influencers and experts able to shape and direct the narrative, command visibility on online and offline spaces and share fiction dressed up in the guise of expert testimony. The phantom of ‘fake news’ has gripped political discussion, but what about the networks behind it and those spreading information that banks on institutional respectability, the appearance of independent rigour and vibrant speech environment? In this episode we will look at how new technology has fostered a new generation of charlatanism, and what that means for public discourse and organising, both online and off. To map this patchy landscape we are going to explore what happens when a 21-year old forms a political intelligence firm from his parents’ house, leading to a series of press conferences held on a DC driveway about leading Democratic presidential hopefuls and Robert Mueller. If the internet is a house built for everyone, what happens when the charlatans or influencers have the keys... Jacob Wohl on Fox Business - https://video.foxbusiness.com/v/4124410465001/#sp=show-clips Jacob Wohl, Teen Hedge Funder Turned Pro-Trump Media Star, Was Accused of Cheating Clients - The Daily Beast (Kelly Weill) - https://www.thedailybeast.com/jacob-wohl-teen-hedge-funder-turned-pro-trump-media-star-was-accused-of-cheating-clients Meet Trump's Latest Market Whisperer: 19-Year-Old Jacob Wohl - Bloomberg (Katherine Burton) - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-17/meet-trump-s-latest-market-whisperer-19-year-old-jacob-wohl Will Sommer - Twitter - https://twitter.com/willsommer/status/1058034843383185408 All of Jacob Wohl’s Spectacularly Failed Smear Attempts - The But (Bridget Read) - https://www.thecut.com/2019/10/who-is-jacob-wohl-failed-smears.html Right-Wing Troll Jacob Wohl Allegedly Behind Fake Buttigieg Sexual-Assault Claim - NY Mag (Adam K. Raymond) - https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/04/right-wing-troll-set-up-fake-buttigieg-sexual-assault-claim.html Jacob Wohl Charged With Felony in California - Daily Beast (Will Sommer) - https://www.thedailybeast.com/jacob-wohl-wanted-on-felony-arrest-warrant Did a Far-Right Star Recruit Jacob Wohl to Terrorize Women? - Daily Beast (Will Sommer) - https://www.thedailybeast.com/did-a-far-right-star-recruit-jacob-wohl-to-terrorize-women Jacob Wohl Faked Death Threats Against Himself - Daily Beast (Will Sommer) - https://www.thedailybeast.com/jacob-wohl-faked-death-threats-against-himself Jacob Wohl Tried to Create a Fake Counter Protest to His Own Press Conference - Daily Beast (Will Sommer) - https://www.thedailybeast.com/jacob-wohl-tried-to-create-a-fake-counter-protest-to-his-own-press-conference High School Jock Turned "Hedge Fund Trader" – Is Regulatory Trouble Ahead? - ValueWalk (Mark Melin) - https://valuewalkpremium.com/2015/03/hedge-fund-jacob-whol/ Jane Mayer - Twitter - https://twitter.com/JaneMayerNYer/status/1057371849439502338 Kamala’s Fake Lover: Jacob Wohl Told Me It Was for a Spike TV Show - Daily Beast (Will Sommer) - https://www.thedailybeast.com/kamalas-fake-lover-jacob-wohl-told-me-it-was-for-a-spike-tv-show Internet Archive (CraigsList) - https://archive.md/r9BbG#selection-357.0-380.0 Are hipster coffee shops the new secret hotbed of Trump fans? - Daily Dot (David Covucci) - https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/jacob-wohl-hipster-coffee-shops-trump-meme/ Exclusive Recording Exposes Jacob Wohl’s Surefire Intelligence - Hill Reporter (Eddie Krassenstein and Brian Krassenstein) - https://hillreporter.com/exclusive-recording-expose-jacob-wohl-surefire-intelligence-14691 Inside the Crazy Cabal Trying to Smear Robert Mueller - Daily Beast (Will Sommer & Lachlan Markay) - https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-the-crazy-cabal-trying-to-smear-robert-mueller?ref=scroll

- This event has passed. NW KENT/SE LONDON @3:30 PM British Summer Time Friday, July 31, 2020 at 3:30 pm – 4:20 pm BST Join your self appointed King of Kent GWFF as he and Robnonymous treat the locals to several slices of No Agenda. Can’t find us? Bring a Cat Meme. Have a laugh and shoot the breeze trigger free! Special Guest Appearance on juJitsi from a bonafide No Agendan A-Lister!

Suggs is a hip-hop project from Melbourne musician Zak Olsen (Traffik Island/ORB/ Hierophants/The Frowning Clouds) and Atlanta multi-instrumentalist and rapper Sheldon Suggs. Their first release We Suggs was conceived from collaborating over the internet to create a thrilling alternative, psychedelic hip-hop that’s a real triumph. With lush sounds, a refreshing adventurous musical approach and an exciting original voice gliding the beats, Suggs hasn’t left the Gimmie HQ stereo since it dropped in September. How are you going? SHELDON SUGGS: Pretty well. It’s 8 o’clock here so I’m just chilling out [laughs]. Today I took it easy. It’s raining here and the seasons here in Atlanta are changing… just trying to keep sane with my dog and my cat and working on some other stuff here that me and Zak are working on. What’s it like where you live? Did you grow up in Atlanta? SS: It’s the South… I grew up between a couple of different places. I was born in California, went to high school in the Chicago area, my mom lives in Atlanta. Though I’ve always moved around a lot, Atlanta has always been a home base. It’s nice, I love Atlanta! It’s a US metropolitan city, probably one of the bigger ones these days. One of the coolest parts about it, for better or for worse, is that you get a good pulse on how people are feeling that are out in the street, dealing with each other and doing things, you kind of get more of a personable, accurate representation of how people are feeling. How did you first discover music? SS: Hmmm… I want to think about it and give you my absolute first trigger for music. I can’t necessarily give you the first one but I can get close. The first CD that I ever bought was NSYNC’s No Strings Attached [laughs], I was so happy about it! I knew all the songs, I used to perform for my parents, it was the funniest thing. Besides from that, I was in a band in school, I played a number of different instruments, I still do. As far as rap’s concerned, the first rap CD that I bought was probably either Common’s Be album or Kanye’s College Dropout—both were very, very important for me. They gave me a lot of inspiration! I’ll never forget when Kanye West dropped his single ‘Jesus Walks’ and when I heard it I freaked out!. I think I was in 7th Grade. I heard it on the radio with my mom in the car and I was like; stop the car! What song is this?! I demanded to know what song it was because I thought it was so crazy and so different, someone was on the radio talking about a topic like Jesus! [laughs]. All the knowledge I had of Jesus at that point was my parents taking me to church. To hear this rapper rapping about Jesus in a way that wasn’t corny, it was crazy! It’s a powerful song. I love that era of Kanye. All the stuff he was dropping was really cool and different. When Kanye came out he was so different to everything else that was happening. SS: That was totally a different time, for everybody. So were they the albums that inspired you to start rapping yourself? SS: Yeah. I heard ‘Jesus Walks’ and then I heard Common. I love that Be album so much because it elaborates on the kind of aesthetic and feeling Kanye had on ‘Jesus Walks’—nice, good, soul food! It’s nothing special or flashy but when you eat a good home-cooked meal, as long as it sits in your stomach well, it tastes familiar and gives you that feeling of satisfaction, that’s what that did for me at that time. My older cousins were big into Jay-Z, I was pretty into Jay-Z too at the time, ‘cause that’s who was the biggest star. When Kanye started coming around and you started hearing about his solo stuff and how he’s produced this, that, and the other… it’s crazy looking back on it because that was my champion, so to speak. My older cousins are super cool and I was trying to be like them, trying to catch up and then Kanye comes along and now I have something that I can grab onto and call my own. As an artist, what are the things that you value? SS: It’s kind of corny but the authenticity is really big for me. It’s not so much just authenticity, it’s something that’s kind of hard to explain because it’s an art in and of itself to express yourself, clearly, it’s an understatement. In creating, if anybody is creating, if you’re working, most of the time you know what you’re supposed to do and usually the problem, if you have one, is how to do it. Most of the time I feel that you know what to do and know how to go about doing it and that’s the skill that I believe you have to develop as an artist. What I hold near and dear is staying in the proverbial moment, not being afraid and pushing the button when it needs to get pushed and maybe letting go of it when it needs to be let go of is super important. What I value most, as far as artistry, is to know when to go and know when to stop. When you write lyrics is it from a personal place or more observational of what’s going on around you? SS: Definitely both for sure. I feel like my artistry has changed a lot over the years. I had actually stopped rapping completely when me and Zak linked up. How did you meet? SS: It was a lot of space talk on the internet! Some people like to call me humble, I totally respect that, I just think I know when to be aggressive and know when to hang back… I saw Zak posting things about hip-hop, he posted something to do with J Dilla and I was like, OK, J Dilla! I messaged him because I’m a huge fan of pretty much anything to come out of Australia to be honest—ORB, Traffik Island, anything to do with Zak, I love! We started going back and forth. I wasn’t rapping at the time but when I started picking it back up, I noticed how different it was. It’s been quite a trip witnessing it because I came from a place that I was previously into it, it was more from a place of anger, if I’ve got to be honest! It is what it is …comparison to now is that it’s coming from a place of understanding, a place of purpose and duty. What was it that started you rapping again? SS: We were chatting, I mentioned that I could rap and he sent a beat, we played around with it. The ‘Silence!’ on the album was the first song we ever did. It was funny, we linked up on [King] Gizzard’s [and the Lizard Wizard] tour when it came to Atlanta. There were a couple of people coming up to me and asking me how I know Zak and I said we met online and did a couple tunes here and there, they had heard one of our songs and they were digging it. Once we made that song we never stopped. That’s one of my favourites on the album. Sending songs back and forth to each other over the internet, you made it over a three month period, right? SS: Yeah. When we decided, OK let’s put a project together, I’d say it took course over a three month period. Do you have any favourites on the record? I’m sure you love all of them or you wouldn’t have put them out, obviously. SS: I’m not that egotistical… most artists are egotistical [laughs]. If I had to say a favourite it would have to be ‘Thank Christ’. I’m not super religious or nothin’. The reason it’s my favourite is because how I’m not super religious but it’s still there kinda what it means to me… its got a special place for me. I wanted to put that song there, it’s kind of clickbait in a way. I know people would see Christ and be like; yo, what’s he talking about with Christ? The song is maybe a wake up, a flash in a moment where you’d expect to talk about the idea of a saviour, the idea that a saviour came to save you… it’s not about believing in it… I think a lot of times self-improvement, sometimes people catch themselves up on it because they think they have to change… what I have gathered from Christ… I grew up getting dragged to church Sunday morning and I wanted to go out and play basketball or do whatever I wanted to do, church isn’t my cup of tea but, what I gathered from those trips is, you don’t have to change yourself to improve yourself, in fact, when you’re improving yourself you’re probably setting the parts of yourself that you don’t want to have anyway if you could choose to. It’s abstract how I put it but that’s why that song is important to me, to refresh people’s minds and put it to them that, hey, it’s not this condemning thing; at the same time it’s poking fun and pointing a finger so to speak at people that claim to be good and do bad. There’s a line in there: I thought this century’s meme was to uplift women. That right there demonstrates to me the purpose of the song is, if we claim to be on the same page about ‘xyz’; why is it not really so? What about the song ‘Pearls’? SS: [Laughs] It’s funny that you said that because if ‘Thank Christ’ is my serious favourite, ‘Pearls’ is my wholesome favourite ‘cause…. Zak sent that beat to me late at night, I heard it and instantly wrote the song. I love when that happens because you know it’s going to be a good one. What’s so sick about it is, that’s the song that most people generally speaking would put as their single, we had an idea of what we wanted this album to be taken as and it shows that we can also… the album is largely heavy and heady but ‘Peals’ is like, FYI, hey, we can make a Wiz Khalifa pop single too! [laughs]. I love pop! I can hear the pope elements for sure. SS: It’s pretty cool having it on there. More often than not I attack the song when I hear the beat, that’s what will start writing lyrics for me. If I hear the track sometimes I automatically know how I want to approach it, like ‘Pearls’ it had this airy, cool, not so serious but awesome vibe. It was a sight for sore eyes because writing had been so intense. I was going so tough on a lot of stuff and being relentless that ‘Pearls’ is a refresher in a more poppy way. I like pop too. It gets spat upon, especially now days ‘cause anything poplar gets spat upon. The proof is in the pudding though. Do you have reoccurring themes you write about? SS: People closest to me, I’d imagine that on that list that numbers one through five would say, kind of a social philosopher type of situation. I’m very hard on myself, unfortunately; it tends to make it that I’m hard on everybody else around me, it’s something I’m constantly keeping in check. Lately when it comes to what we’re doing with Suggs and in the future, it would be this route of just taking a look at myself and the world and seeing what’s going on, that’s where I get a large portion of the topics I talk about. There’s such a huge space right now for artists to express themselves in a time where expression is being manicured. I think we’re on the front period. Artistry in the world is on the brink of coming back to a place of rediscovering what it means to be punk. Punk to me demonstrates… if there’s one genre I had to pick that is the most honest… metal and punk is white people’s rap [laughs]. The reason I say that is that it’s true, it’s visceral, it’s hard and it’s hardcore. Hip-hop and punk have very similar trajectories as far as where they were and where they are now. It’s high time for us to get back to where we were. Both are about community and DIY. SS: Definitely. It’s so true. It’s the raw energy and frustration being expressed in real time—that’s awesome! We need more of it. Did you learn anything about yourself writing the We Suggs record? SS: I rediscovered the sense of purpose and how it is intrinsically connected to creation and intuition. We all try to force stuff at times and make something happen because we think it should happen and it’s what we want to happen but, what I’ve rediscovered through this process is the things that truly effected my trajectory were things that were beyond my control; what was under my control was my choice and my action and whether or not I acted in the moment or let it pass. You mentioned before that you’re not religious; are you spiritual? SS: I don’t want to prescribe to being religious or spiritual. The reason is because both have connotations that are not true. Alluding to it in ‘Thank Christ’ is religion has got a bad rap as has spirituality. I’m a child of God and I’m not afraid to say it, I’m proud in fact but, that also has connotations as well… to explain that would be to explain that in my personal view, the most practical way of explaining God is logic, love logic, I’ll put it like that. That being said I operate in a way that that is void of myself; what would be the best decision? What would be the best way to react by virtue as opposed to how I feel? I’m not a religious or spiritual person—I’m myself and a child of God. Are there any books you’ve read that have meant a lot to you? SS: I will say this, because I’m not afraid… It’s so crazy that I even have to feel I have to be careful when it comes to these topics of God and truth, it’s crazy because I know how people are going to react… that’s why I had that whole spiel about connotations of religion and spirituality, you’ll get damned either way. What I’m trying to get forth here is the book A Course in Miracles [by Helen Schucman], once I read that, it put me on the path of a very, very, very preliminary path of understanding that it’s not my fault but, now that I know that it is on me so to speak, how I express myself and deal with internal trauma, all that stuff, A Course in Miracles was invaluable. It can lull you into an idea that thinking everything is a flower [laughs] but everything is not a flower! As a whole though it’s done wonders for me dealing with how to navigate blame and what to do after the pain. Anything else you’d like to share with us? SS: Zak and I have a new EP coming out. It’s going to be called Who Hurt You? We’re approaching the end of it. We’re excited about it! We’re seizing the opportunity of seeing what’s out there in the world and responding to it.

Block on Trump's Asylum Ban Upheld by Supreme Court It's Round 2 as #LeftSharkGate continues unabated, and appears no signs of stopping. As you may recall, Katy Perry's lawyers threatened to sue Fernando Sosa for creating figurines of the less-than-graceful "Left Shark" that danced along with Perry during the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show. Sosa got himself a lawyer: Prof. Christopher Jon Sprigman of NYU School of Law, a specialist in IP. A few days later, Perry's lawyers responded, and they're having none of it. Yes, Drawings Are Copyrightable, But ... In a new letter to Sprigman, Steve Plinio of GreenbergTraurig doubled down on claims that the "Left Shark" costume is copyrighted. How is that? Apparently because the costume was based on drawings, and those drawings are copyrighted. In a response, Sprigman called that argument horsepucky, and obviously so: "Sketches of Left Shark may be copyrightable, but that doesn't make the Left Shark costume copyrightable." Garments generally aren't copyrightable because they're a "useful article." That means the design, color, and measurements of any piece of clothing -- including the Left Shark costume -- aren't owned by anybody. This problem often happens in reverse when a small-time fashion designer's outfits get poached by much larger companies. (Of course, they don't sue because, unlike Katy Perry, they can't afford it.) As we've seen from the recent Converse lawsuits, trade dress is protected when it comes to clothes, but that argument would require a strong consumer association between Katy Perry and Left Shark, and that really isn't in the cards. Left Shark Is His Own Shark Plinio also claimed in his new letter that Sosa would be on the hook for unfair competition on the ground that "any commercial value that [Sosa's] sculptures have derives solely from the public's association of them with Ms. Perry." That elicited only more snark from Sprigman, who replied: "The Internet decided that Left Shark's flubbed dance moves were hilarious. It gave Left Shark his name, and then it made him into a meme. Left Shark isn't really about Katy Perry. Unless you're telling me that she planned this whole thing in advance." Both Plinio and Sprigman appear not to be backing down. The ultimate determinant of how this goes will be public opinion. The public appears to love Left Shark, and they don't take kindly to people being bullied by lawyers. Part of the problem is that, in this Web 2.0 world we live in, content that goes "viral" is largely out of corporate control, and once unleashed, can't be contained, except by bogus copyright claims, which Sosa is fighting. At some point, this non-litigation is going to (pardon the pun) jump the shark. Hopefully, at that time, Perry's lawyers will realize that there's almost zero benefit to be gained and our long national nightmare of LeftSharkGate can be over.

6 November 2013 Sometimes he thought about the old days. Sometimes, especially when he was walking along the river late in the day, with the afternoon sun splashed over the trees on the western bank, the light would change and capture something—a gold green glow reflected off the surface of the water—and suddenly it would be the Canal du Midi on a late summer day. A picnic on the banks. The boys skipping rocks and chasing each other along the tow path. His wife laid back in the deep grass that rose in waves up from the banks. A soft ripening round of Camembert and the broken crusts of baguettes with all the time in the world to be eaten. The boys found a dead otter, or maybe it was a river rat, but something suitably rank, fly-buzzed in the reeds. A barge moved past in the distance, wash flapping on a line and a pig standing on the deck. Why had that moment frozen, and not some other? Then he remembered the tramp. The man had emerged from under the line of beech trees between the tow path and the upper road, limping steadily south and east, as the Canal bent in its journey down to the Mediterranean. His face had been lined, a week’s growth of beard, eyes that looked everywhere and nowhere. A lumpy bit of pack on his back. He’d said nothing to the boys, just moved along steadily, limp, walk, limp, but the boys had stopped their inspection of the water rat to study his back as he passed. As he approached the adults they could see the bulges in his pockets, the tatter to his coat. “Je viens a la mer,” he said as he passed. “Toujours la mer. Mais pourquois? C’est tout la meme chose.” And then he trudged on. The boys wandered back, waving sticks and making faces over the smell of the dead rat. In the trees, a slight wind rustled leaves and then ran on across the far fields. The light still held. But the moment slid on, and as they gathered up the remains of the picnic lunch, and his wife began to talk of Carcassonne and the evening ahead, he held himself apart, just the littlest bit, thinking of the tramp . . . Going to the sea, always the sea. But why? It was always the same thing. A moment here. A moment there. What did it matter? Why not a full flow of events? It wasn’t that he couldn’t remember. If anything, he remembered too much. That night in Carcassonne, for example. The boys had discovered a tiny television up on the wall of their room in the pension and, after the long day on the road and in the sun, wanted nothing more than to lie on their bed and watch a movie, even if it was in French. A round of croque monsieurs and a liter of Citron had been obtained, along with instructions on how to find Madam Girard should anything untoward occur. And then the two of them had set out for the lights of the castle down the road . . . Carcassonne, the vast and imaginatively reconstructed bastion that brooded over all the countryside around. Yet it wasn’t the night inside the walls that slid into his memory banks—the crowds along the lanes, the unexpected conviviality of the cafe where they’d sat out in the square along with a mixed international host, the empty moat between the inner and outer walls where they’d walked, later, in near isolation—but rather the moment of returning to the pension. It was long into the night. They’d worried mildly about how the boys were coping. Then, as they stepped out of the car, she had inexplicably stood too close to her door as she went to close it, and managed to slam it straight into her forehead, eliciting a shriek and a curse, and the sudden scurrying of two sets of small feet onto the balcony outside their room. The boys, at least, were all right. When they’d gotten her inside, there was a gash across her forehead and a line of blood dripping into her eye. Already the swelling had started. The worst of it was that an air of uncertainty seemed to hang over the event, as if he had been responsible for the accident; caused it even, or somehow provoked her into injury. They’d had a fine enough time in the soft city night, but now the end result was pain, and a bad memory of the brief moments snatched for themselves, as if they should feel guilty for momentarily abandoning the boys. Sometimes, when he thought back hard enough, he wondered if that was the day it all went wrong. Or started to, anyway. Could you really single out a day? A moment? Was there a tipped point beyond which there was no going back? Or was it just the memory of the tramp that sparked the connection? He stood up then and shouldered his pack. The rest house was still several kilometers onward and he’d need his strength to start the climb through the Pyrenees tomorrow. After that, the choice was his. Or so he liked to believe. He wondered if the boys remembered that day along the Canal. He wondered if they still thought of him, at least from time to time. Then he moved off into the distance. Slow but steady. A la mer, he thought. Toujours a la mer. Originally published in Pearl 46, Fall 2012

Christmas Story Movie Cast Producersdavid livingstone p.g.a., emma thompson p.g.a., paul feig p.g.a., jessie henderson p.g.a. Christmas story movie cast. The movie is gorgeously shot, with some shots reminding me of surreal stills of dioramas. For the cast of the beloved movie, many of whom were in adolescence when they shot their scenes, the decades have seen them move into other careers. When cheryl visits the christmas carnival in her hometown, she gets a second chance in life when she is transported to christmas five years in the past. A christmas love story cast. Christmas reservations cast is led by melissa joan hart. The movie has a layer of mysticism around it and is unique in the narrative as it hints towards going back 50 years in the past to discover the story of a sailor who fell in love on a cruise. Let’s dig a little deeper to see where our favorite christmas movie cast has been as of late: On tnt and 8 p.m. Hallmark continued its 2019 famed countdown to christmas tv movie series with a christmas love story, starring kristin chenoweth, scott wolf, keith robinson, and kevin quinn. Needless to say, it will be a quintessential holiday film Scott schwartz played flick, who was goaded into licking a frozen flag poll in ‘a christmas story’s most memorable scene. Ricky martin as don juan diego: It starts at 5 p.m. The film's creators and actors are all hallmark holiday film veterans. Now a perennial holiday favorite, a christmas story was only a moderate success on its release the week before thanksgiving, 35 years ago, on nov. With peter billingsley, melinda dillon, darren mcgavin, scott schwartz. It’s been 33 years since a christmas story first graced movie screens. Martin is best known for his music career. - Halloween Candy Apples Near Me - Home Icon Vector White - Halloween Film 1978 Quotes - Happy Anniversary Wife In Hindi - Harga Body Harness Safety Krisbow - Home Safety For Seniors Pdf - Hard Riddles With Answers Funny - Halloween Makeup 2020 With Face Mask - Harga Bean Bag Di Informa - Halloween Themed Houses Near Me - Health Insurance Singapore Reddit - Home Garden Design Sri Lanka - Hive Wiring Diagram Ideal Combi - Halloween Wedding Shoot Ideas - Heart Icon Png Vector - Halloween Funny Jokes Clean - Harry Nilsson Songs Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Holiday Ornament Coloring Page - Halloween Safety Covid Canada - Home Insurance Broker Near Me - Hello Fall Svg Free - Health Department Kerala Logo - Happy Birthday Funny Song - Happy Saturday Meme Gif - Halloween Escape Games 2016 Walkthrough - Happy Passover Meme 2020 - Hi Tech Pen Price - Home Insurance Building Height - Hiasan Dinding Kaligrafi Allah - Hanging Flower Basket Hooks

As Fox’s advanced, Sharpie-and-whiteboard computing system indicates, much has happened since we last spoke a few hours ago. (If you’re on Twitter, do follow along with our more frequent updates.) Since 8 p.m., Democrat Joe Manchin won a hard-fought victory in the West Virginia Senate race. On Fox News and online, Republicans have already begun to rationalize his win as a victory for the G.O.P. “A popular governor runs Right and against the president and wins. Not exactly an affirmation of the Obama agenda,” reasoned Kathryn Jean Lopez at the National Review. Republicans also picked up a seat in Florida’s 8th congressional district, as Daniel Webster ousted imminently flappable Democrat Alan Grayson, as well as a seat in Arkansas, where Republican John Boozman (pronounced “BAHZ-man”—sorry) defeated embattled incumbent senator Blanche Lincoln. Incumbent Democrats Carol Shea-Porter and Allen Boyd lost to their Republican opponents in New Hampshire and Florida, respectively. In his victory speech, newly minted Florida senator Marco Rubio announced, “We know that tonight the power in the United States House of Representatives will change hands.” MSNBC also predicted shortly after 9 p.m. that the Democrats had lost control of the House. But the night is not without some good news for Democrats: Connecticut Attorney General Dick Blumenthal won his Senate race against Linda McMahon, Barney Frank held onto his congressional seat in Massachusetts, and Keith Olbermann made a very sound point about Rand Paul’s Kentucky senate victory speech, in which Rand Paul characterized the senate as “the world’s most deliberative body.” “Isn’t it ‘world’s greatest’?” Olbermann asked. It is and it isn’t. In other news, Andrew Cuomo won the New York governor’s race, defeatingHalloween enthusiast Carl Paladino, whose campaign, Fox News surmised, “collapsed under the weight of his own gaffes.” Cuomo’s win also implies a loss for Jimmy McMillan, a popular Internet meme representing the Rent Is Too Damn High Party. Not a problem! McMillian’s defeat cannot portend anything but good news for his burgeoning musical career. His album, The Rent Is Too Damn High (Volume One), has officially dropped.

Has it been almost a year since I randomly posted about random things? Well shit. Let’s fix that, BL style. Searching For a Clean Screen this thing gets dirty and smudged often I use my 2009 MacBook Pro a lot. It’s my main computer and it gets taken with me all over the place. So it sees a lot of use. The screen tends to get smudged a lot, with the occasional splash from my gin and tonic. So keeping it clean is a regular chore. I’ve carried with me several soft cloths to clean my electronics and I’ve found that none of these actually work on the screen. After one use, the screen is even smudgier than it was before it got various splashes on it. My solution? Take a wet Bounty Basic paper towel [any decent non-generic brand will do], wring it out in the sink and then clean the screen. Let it dry. It comes clean without hardly any effort. The same wet paper towel can be used to clean the case, too. Filet O’ Fish These things are barely worth a buck One of our local McDonald’s recently underwent a remodel job. And all of the locations that are owned by the same franchisee are celebrating all month long with 99 cent deals. Friday nights are Filet O’ Fish. These tasty evil treats are 380 calories, have a puny bun and an even punier patty of fish. Let’s just say I’m glad the deal expires at the end of the month. But until then, it’s Fish Friday around these here parts. I’m only happy cause it’s pretty damn funny.. and true Who doesn’t love a good meme? I mean, I’ve done a few of them out here over the years. But some weeks back, I saw the above photo on the web and I fucking laughed my ass off. Of course, I’m glad this was the first thing I thought of when I went to walk down the hallway of my own house and ran into some dropped nuggets that my cats had left behind. I tried to picture the kitties smiling as big as the one of the above dog, but it just wasn’t popping into my head. Just the picture of getting several tissues so I could clean this shit up and finally sit down to rest. And that wraps up some random madness for you. Maybe I can post another one of these before another year passes.

How often do you check your smartphone? Every hour? Every five minutes? Multiple times per minute? Stop and think about why. Are you really waiting for an urgent call — say, from a doctor, a family member or your boss? Or are you just hoping there will be something cool or funny there? A bit of gossip. A humorous meme. A viral video. A breaking news update. Anything to distract you from the monotony of real life. This week, my AP Psych students were learning about behaviorism, and we watched a video of one of Skinner’s pigeons maniacally pecking a disc for food. It looked just like many of us, maniacally swiping our phones, hoping for just a little dopamine boost. Here’s the thing: Those pigeons in Skinner’s boxes really didn’t have anything better to do. But we do. We have lots of better things to do — like learn new things or enjoy nature or form real-life relationships — but too many of us are living like addicts, always distracted by the allure of the phone. And it’s worse for our kids. According to Nicholas Carr’s Oct. 6 Wall Street Journal article, one study found that “students who didn’t bring their phones to the classroom scored a full letter-grade higher on a test of the material presented than those who brought their phones. It didn’t matter whether the students who had their phones used them or not.” Even when we’re not using our phones, they cause a “brain drain” that diminishes “learning, logical reasoning, abstract thought, problem solving, and creativity.” This New York Times article explains that smartphone use is also correlated with increasing rates of depression and anxiety in teenagers. It’s no wonder, when kids are one-upping each other (or worse yet, bullying each other) on Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram 24-7. These smartphones that rule our lives are not just making learning harder; they’re making growing up harder. I think most parents agree that this is a problem — and they expect their children to put away the phones during class. But putting them away isn’t enough. According to the WSJ article, phones have to be physically removed from the room to stop distracting — and most teachers can tell you it’s a losing battle anyway. “They Snapchat in my class,” one friend told me. “I’m going to snap.” “They’re a constant distraction,” another said. “If you allow a little use, a little turns into a lot of use really quickly.” He has a very strict policy on phone use now because he was “nickel and dimed to death” with infractions, like kids walking out of class to take calls (from their parents) and posting to Instagram during class. What are we going to do about this? Clearly, it’s not enough to trust kids to make good decisions about smartphone use. First of all, we need parents to either turn off their children’s data plans during school hours or refuse to pay for data plans altogether. (We didn’t buy either of our children a smartphone until they were out of high school, and I’m really glad.) Second, we need secure places at school where kids can lock their phones up during the day. Kids don’t want to leave them in lockers, and teachers don’t want to take them and be responsible if something happens. We need separate free phone lockers, like the free mini-lockers at the gym where you can lock your keys and ID (and yes, phone). Third, we need to have parent meetings, where we help parents understand what a crisis this is for our students and get them on board. And finally, we teachers need to be good role models for our students. We need to keep our own phones out of sight and out of mind during the school day. When I told my AP Psych students about the WSJ article — after watching Skinner’s pigeons — they expressed no surprise whatsoever. It’s like a drug, they said. It’s so hard to stop checking. That’s why we have to step in and stop for them.

Editor’s note: This article includes depictions of a cartoon character that many deem offensive due to its association with white supremacist groups. Some links in this story lead to offensive material. Pepe the Frog started as just a chilled-out amphibian with a chilled-out catchphrase: “Feels good man.” That was back in 2005, when he first appeared in a comic series called “Boy’s Club.” When the comic debuted, Pepe and his cartoon roommates dabbled in “laconic psychedelia, childlike enchantment, drug-fueled hedonism, and impish mischief,” according the publisher of a book compiling the strip. But even cartoon amphibians can go through a metamorphosis. Pepe soon took on a life of his own, and his mischief became much less impish. The image board 4chan.org — a sort of twisted, anarchic incubator for memes ranging from wholesome to hateful — adopted Pepe and relentlessly remixed and repurposed him for far different purposes than the character’s creator, Matt Furie, had intended. Users depicted Pepe as a crudely drawn, bright-green frog with enormous eyes and a wide mouth, often shown looking vaguely sad or slightly sly. He became so broadly popular that he even started showing up in celebrities’ Twitter feeds. But soon those remixes included hateful messages. Ahead of the 2016 presidential election, the frog was co-opted by the so-called alt-right, a loose collection of conservative, populist, white supremacist, neo-fascist and neo-Nazi groups. Pepe became an unofficial mascot of a racist and anti-Semitic campaign in support of the candidacy of Donald Trump. The frog had long since lost its aura of childlike enchantment and had donned MAGA hats and SS insignia. Pepe is now listed as a hate symbol by the Anti-Defamation League. Furie lawyered up, trying to wrench his creation back to its original status, but the alt-right fought back. When Richard Spencer, the white supremacist and alt-right figurehead, was famously punched in the face on a D.C. street on President Trump’s Inauguration Day, Spencer was explaining his frog lapel pin, saying, “It’s Pepe. He’s become kind of a symbol —” before being cut off as the punch landed. Now one group of people wants to make Pepe symbolize something else: the future. Artists and speculators are building a new way to make and sell art, trying to repurpose a cartoon popularized by a message board so lawless that it scared away advertisers and turn it into a viable commercial enterprise. Gathering in a digital bazaar for Pepe-related images, they’re trying to use the blockchain to create a new kind of art market, one that uses crypto technology and allows anyone to submit their work to be bought, sold and traded. The people involved hope to prove that crypto can be used to shift the art world’s balance of power, putting control into the hands of artists, rather than galleries or commercial third parties. The art that they’re selling, though, depicts that same frog that was featured in so many racist and anti-Semitic memes. But that hasn’t deterred the artists, many of whom believe they’re returning Pepe to his original, chilled-out roots. And they’ve sold over $1.2 million worth of his image in the process. That’s about 100 million in Pepe Cash. Yes, Pepe Cash. DANK PEPENo. issued: 420 Most of this Pepe buying and selling happens through a website called Rare Pepe Wallet. The site features about 1,600 “Rare Pepes,” with more added regularly. They depict Pepe in all manner of memetic mashups and aesthetic forms. Many, but not all, look like trading cards. There’s smiling blonde Trump Pepe. There’s Pepe as Super Mario. Pepe as the Pope on the cover of Time. Warhol Pepe. Dalí Pepe. Kardashian Pepe. “Futurama” Pepe. Run-DMC Pepe. The Pepe Sistine Chapel. And on and on and on. The absurdity of this project is not lost on its participants. “We’re using the most secure financial computer application ever known to man to swap cartoon frog pics,” Steffen Cope, a Web developer who creates and trades Rare Pepes, told me. There’s such a thing as a Rare Pepe market only because of what the blockchain can do: It makes digital assets that are provably scarce. The blockchain’s decentralized record of transactions — a digital ledger — can’t be altered without leaving a public record. That allows for a more reliable accounting of who really owns digital art. Each Rare Pepe carries a finite number of digital tokens, and these tokens are what you really buy or sell when you buy a Rare Pepe. The blockchain guarantees, for example, that there are precisely 420 tokens associated with the image “Dank Pepe” — never more, never less. This is the same technology that drives cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, and, in fact, the Rare Pepe tokens live on the Bitcoin blockchain, making the frog meme tokens as provably rare and as secure as Bitcoin itself. Rare Pepes are even purchased with a cryptocurrency named after the frog — Pepe Cash — a unit of which is, as of Monday afternoon, trading for about 5 cents. Pepe Cash, which has been around since 2016, is, itself, a Rare Pepe — though there are 701,884,009 units of Pepe Cash in circulation. The currency has a market cap of roughly $37 million. That’s a lot of money that could potentially be spent on something that doesn’t tangibly exist. So why in the world would anyone buy a Rare Pepe? After all, the only thing you really own when you buy a Rare Pepe is a digital token; the images themselves are freely available and infinitely reproducible. You can copy them, paste them, email them or tweet them for nothing. So why part with your hard-earned Pepe Cash? “I think the image isn’t the most important thing,” Joe Looney, the co-founder of the Rare Pepe Foundation and a developer of Rare Pepe Wallet, told me. “It’s not the image so much as it’s the whole legend of it.” By “legend,” Looney meant not the frog’s fraught past but the origin story of the each card’s creation — its artist, its creation date, its ineffable memetic appeal. Sure, the image associated with the token you buy may float around the Web or find its way onto FiveThirtyEight, but you and provably few others are its owners, for whatever that’s worth. (Right now, it appears to be worth a lot — more than 75 individual Pepes have sold for over $1,000, and over 25,000 in all have changed hands.) RARE PEPENo. issued: 300 But, of course, that legend doesn’t necessarily undo Pepe’s legacy. While the Rare Pepe project is exploiting the blockchain for its digital immutability, it’s also attempting to overcome the nature of the internet itself, which can preserve posts for decades, serving as a kind of fossil record for what would once have been cultural ephemera. Regardless of what the cartoon comes to mean in the coming years, the internet is and likely always will be rife with references to the racist Pepe, the Nazi Pepe, and the Pepe lapel decorations of cold-cocked white supremacists. The people who trade Rare Pepes are familiar with that tension, though they don’t see it as a reason they should stay away from the frog. I recently found them on Telegram, a messaging app and favorite hangout of the crypto set. I was lurking in a channel called Rare Pepe Blockchain Trading, which at the time had more than 1,500 participants, and I had private chats with about 20 members of the Rare Pepe community. I asked them about what they thought they were creating — and its politics. One user I spoke with, Steve from Los Angeles, who goes by CryptoChainer, refused to share his full real name. He explained, “Having the first search result of my name come up with Rare Pepe isn’t entirely exciting, but I wish it was.” He added: “Most Americans still probably associate it with alt-right or some crap — 4chan, Nazis, what have you.” But for Steve and other Rare Pepe enthusiasts, Pepe’s appeal lies in part in his versatility — it’s a recognizable meme that allows endless artistic expression while also serving as a rallying point for their crypto community. Like Steve, many in the Rare Pepe world — including a sizable percentage of the community who don’t live in the U.S. — aren’t very concerned about the frog’s popular connotations. They rejected its racist associations, or were barely aware of them, or were sick of being asked about them, viewing the troubling link as either passé or irrelevant — the artifact of a specific and fleeting moment in U.S. political history. But even when Pepe isn’t partisan, it can still have politics of a certain kind. “I think Pepe best represents the world’s pivot from P.C. and identity politics back to a more inclusive politics and open exchange of ideas,” someone with the username BuddhaNeedPepecash72 said. JESUSPEPENo. issued: 10 Indeed, most in the Rare Pepe community see the frog as the future of art and art commerce. One Pepe enthusiast said he hoped to create “the first eternal digital open museum.” Jason Rosenstein told me that he’s able to pay his New York City rent with the money he’s made from Rare Pepes. Christine Lewis, who, at almost 60, jokingly called herself “crypto grandma,” came to the community because her friend told her that Pepe Cash was a good investment and that “it’s supposed to be a big deal … in five years, lol.” Another user, PimpingKek, claimed to be the world’s only Rare Pepe agent, identifying hot talent around the globe, getting them set up on the blockchain, and advising them on how to price their work and roll it out to the market. (Kek, of course, is the Egyptian god of darkness of whom Pepe is said to be a present-day avatar.) Sometimes Pepe’s darkness creeps into the submissions to Rare Pepe Wallet. Anyone can create a Rare Pepe, which means that anything can be submitted as a Rare Pepe. Which is why the Rare Pepe Foundation — whose website tagline is “Blockchain Revolution” — says it takes pains to filter out offensive Rare Pepe submissions before they make it to the Rare Pepe Wallet gallery. (“Trying to be keep it light for now,” the site says in its submission guidelines. “Pepe has alot of bad press.”) Looney said that organizers have blocked the submission of offensive Pepes before, but that they hadn’t needed to recently. “That probably coincided with when it was more in the media as a Nazi frog,” he said. Even among the Rare Pepes approved for display in the online gallery, it’s difficult to judge how many people might find them offensive, or even whether they’re intended to offend. One work, titled “Trump Wall,” depicts a crude Mexican frog caricature, but Looney said it was created by a Mexican artist, and it has a description that reads, “Pepe not impressed by Trump Wall.” Many others explicitly address politics. There is one titled “Killary Pepe” that features the caption “circumvent any law” under an image of a Hillary Clinton frog sending an email. There is an entire series of Putin-themed Pepes. There are a handful of Trump-themed ones. There is a Pepe take on Clinton’s “I’m With Her” campaign slogan. But many Rare Pepes are so tongue-in-cheek, so caked with alternating layers of irony and truth and absurdity that it’s hard to hear any definite political signal through the noise. “There isn’t a ‘no political Pepes’ rule, so you’ll certainly find them if you’re looking through the directory,” Looney said. “Some definitely toe the line.” MODERN PEPENo. issued: 100 Art is often political, and good art nearly always provokes. But the specter of Pepe’s past remains. Can the project navigate the tightrope between the perfect memory of the blockchain and the long memory of the internet? The topic comes up in the Rare Pepe Blockchain Trading group from time to time. A representative exchange: “Pepe is a symbol for Nazis,” someone said. “Lol no,” came a response. “Did you know that since racists drive cars that cars are racist?” someone else added sarcastically. Rare Pepes are now catching the eyes of the art world’s old guard, as well. In January, a digital art festival in New York City hosted an in-person auction of a one-of-a-kind Rare Pepe called “Homer Pepe.” It sold for $39,200. Vice reported that, during the auction, “staff from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art sat silently.” But for how long? Coming this later week: How crypto-art and the blockchain could shape the future of art. Additional development by Justin McCraw.

Drake loves his sports, but unfortunately for him, sports don’t always love him back. The Canadian star is a fixture of many NBA arenas’ court-side seats and is often photographed with prominent athletes and a huge smile, but some fans have determined that the Drake co-sign, which is a Midas touch in the music industry, often has the opposite effect for athletes and teams he supports. The latest recipient of the Drake co-sign is Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team, currently prepping to take on the Clemson Tigers in the upcoming CFP Championship game Monday, January 7, and like clockwork, the jokes are already rolling in about the dreaded “Drake Curse.” Drake’s support is no coincidence. Often accused of being a “bandwagon fan” of great teams, he’s throwing his rooting interest behind a team that has been undefeated this season, which echoes his prior support of teams and athletes like the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, who went 73-9 to become the winningest regular season team in NBA history before becoming the first to blow a 3-1 lead in the Finals, or Conor McGregor, the UFC fighter whose recent loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov resulted in a derisive tweet from his rap rival Pusha T. Of course, as with any meme, the “Drake Curse” is mostly fluff with a little truth added in to make it believable at first glance, but that hasn’t stopped college football fans from going all-in on the memes, jokes, and commentary that come standard with any high-profile matchup that also includes an appearance from one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. Check out more below.

Throughout history, marketing has been present in many different forms, and advertisers have historically wanted to strike a chord with their audience. Being able to play to your brand’s strengths and target the right people are two of the fundamental pillars of good marketing, and the internet has made this easier than ever. Social media, in specific, allows marketers to get closer to their audience than ever before, and Reddit is one of the most flexible social media platforms for marketers. What may at first appear to be a relatively insular community is a veritable treasure trove of potential consumers. This guide will cover everything you need to know about advertising on Reddit, from how you can establish your presence as a first-time user to eventually creating your brand’s own subreddit. While there are plenty of potential pitfalls when marketing on any social media platform, Reddit offers immense potential rewards to savvy marketers. What is Reddit At its heart, Reddit is a content aggregator website. Technically, this means that most of the content on Reddit shouldn’t be unique to the site and should mostly consist of links to other places on the internet, but this isn’t always the case. Reddit is split into smaller communities known as subreddits, and each of them has its own rules about the kind of content they accept. This means that one corner of the site can consist solely of user-created text posts, making Reddit a blend of its own unique community and a content aggregator. Even though the site’s main demographic consists of college-educated white males between the ages of 18 and 29 years old, even that can vary considerably between subreddits. Unlike many other social media platforms, this means that Reddit requires considerable knowledge about how the site works on the part of the marketer. How Does Reddit Work? There are many different parts to Reddit, but the basic functionality is relatively simple. Users create posts in subreddits, which can consist of links, photos, videos, gifs, or text posts, and they are then either upvoted or downvoted and commented on by members of the community. Posts that get more upvotes and comments will naturally rise to the top, while ignored or downvoted posts will die before they make it to the top of the subreddit. Each upvote or downvote will add or subtract one point of karma, and posts with more karma will typically be bumped higher. Reddit Post Sorting Algorithms Reddit users can also select how they browse each subreddit, with several different ways to sort through posts. In most subreddits, the default method of sorting through posts is the hot setting, which pushes posts that have seen more upvotes and comments in a short period of time to the top. While this lets you see the most popular content on a subreddit, it also means that you won’t see many recent posts unless they immediately gain traction. Many redditors prefer to sort by new. This setting shows the most recent posts on the subreddit, regardless of how many upvotes or downvotes they have. While this setting allows a user to see everything posted to a subreddit, you may also have to wade through a lot of reposted content, spam, and other low-effort posts. When sorting by the top posts on a subreddit, Reddit will display the posts with the highest amount of karma within the chosen time period. You can pick between the top posts right now, today, this week, this month, this year, or of all time. Rising is similar to hot in that it displays all posts that have recently gained traction, but whereas the hot sorting method will count posts throughout the day, rising focuses on posts within the past few hours. This is one of the more recent sorting methods added. This algorithm is only used on a user’s home page, and it sorts through the top posts for each of the user’s subscribed subreddits based on their preferences. This ensures that users see the kind of content that they’re interested in when they first open up Reddit, provided they’re signed in. Subreddits help divide Reddit into disparate communities that are based around shared interests. The smallest subreddits can consist of a single user, while the biggest one, /r/announcements (a community designated for announcements from Reddit’s admins), currently sits at over 63 million subscribers. Subreddits can either make life easier or harder for marketers, depending on the kind of audience that they’re targeting. Brands looking to appeal to a very specific demographic will likely appreciate the fact that their potential target audience is already divided into groups for them. Keep in mind that each subreddit will also have its own unique user demographic, separate from the overall user base of Reddit. Communities like /r/makeupaddiction have far more female users than the site’s overall demographics would suggest, so always do your research about the subreddit you want to advertise on. Posts are the content and lifeblood of Reddit, and they come in many different shapes and sizes. These posts can come in the form of gifs, videos, links, photos, or text. Like we discussed earlier, each post filters into the “new” sorting area of each subreddit, and whoever sees it and thinks it contributes meaningfully to the subreddit upvotes it or comments. Irrelevant posts and low-quality content inevitably get downvoted and filters itself out of the discussion, but this system doesn’t work as flawlessly as it may seem. The very nature of Reddit’s upvote and downvote system makes it difficult for controversial posts to thrive and fosters more of an echo-chamber than an area for back-and-forth discussion. This is neither positive nor negative for marketers, but it must be kept in mind when working on the site. It helps to go with the flow of the subreddit when making posts instead of trying to foster conversation by going against the grain, especially if you’re representing a brand. Comments make up the other half of Reddit, and they add lively discussion to each of the posts on the site. Redditors will come to the comment section to praise the original poster for their contribution or perhaps even correct a detail in the title or content of the post. Even though subreddits tend to be made up of like-minded individuals, some posts can create fiery debates in the comment sections, and it’s typically wise for marketers to avoid getting embroiled in them. That being said, the comment section can prove to be an excellent resource for advertisers. Being able to engage with your target audience on an intimate, one-to-one level allows you to build up a level of trust with them that would otherwise be impossible. However, this goes both ways, and you have to understand both Reddiquette and redditors’ expectations of marketers to flourish. Reddit Comment Sorting Algorithms Much like with the posting algorithms, users can choose the method that is used to sort through the comments on a post. Keep in mind that subreddits can also select the default comment sorting algorithm for every post, and moderators can even change the default one used for individual posts on the subreddit. This algorithm is relatively new and was implemented after Reddit’s admins noticed a few flaws in how the “top” algorithm tended to favor comments that were posted earlier. This system instead uses predictive calculations to determine which of the comments should be at the top. Instead of favoring comments that have a higher number of total upvotes, the “best” algorithm prefers comments that have a higher proportion of upvotes to downvotes. This works better because comments that are upvoted early in a post’s lifespan tend to be at the top for a longer time and will see more total upvotes, creating a feedback loop. This ensures that relevant comments that are posted later on are able to reach the top as well as the well-received comments that were posted earlier on. This system was the old preferred comment sorting method, and it instead works with raw numbers, taking the total number of upvotes for each comment and subtracting the downvotes before ranking them. While this system is relatively simple and effective, it can also fall prey to the flaws that we discussed in the section covering the previous algorithm, namely, favoring comments posted early on. Much like with sorting posts by new, this will show you the most recent comments on each post without organizing them based on their total karma. Some subreddits will use this mode for their discussion posts, where members of the community have a single post to consolidate their opinions about a recent release or event in their community. Sorting by new creates more fluid discussion instead of nesting most comment threads under the highest-voted comment. Controversial sorting ranks each comment by the total number of upvotes and downvotes it receives, with a heavier bias towards downvotes so that it’s not just a repeat of the “top” algorithm. While this algorithm allows you to see dissenting opinions, controversial comments are also littered with spam and off-topic contributions. Sorting by old is the inverse of sorting by new, showing you the first comments that were made on a post before the latest. This algorithm allows a user to see how the conversation around a post developed if they weren’t there to see it before it reached the top of the subreddit. The final comment sorting method will show all comments that the OP (original poster) replied to. This is frequently used in the AMA subreddits if users just want to see the topics that the poster acknowledged. This sorting algorithm is rarely used outside of AMA or IAmA sessions. The Front Page and Default Subreddits When you first arrive on Reddit, either through typing the URL into your browser or by finding it through a search engine, you’ll be brought to the front page. The front page of Reddit consists of the top content procured from Reddit, excluding everything that originates from NSFW (Not Safe For Work) subreddits. Taking a glance at the front page of Reddit will typically show you a mix of political posts, news, and memes, giving you a taste of everything that the site and its community have to offer. Many of the posts on the front page will originate from default subreddits, which are the ones that new users are automatically subscribed to. Keep in mind that you can unsubscribe from any of the default subreddits at any time, and they just exist as a way to guide new users through where they can get started using Reddit. Examples of default subreddits include staples like /r/funny and /r/pics, both of which boast some of the highest subscriber counts out of any subreddit. Karma is the name given to Reddit’s point system. Reddit defines itself as a platform where the users decide which content rises to the top, and this wouldn’t be possible without karma. Each user has an overall karma score that shows their overall standing and the average quality of their contributions. Posts, comments, and users can gain or lose karma based on whether their post has been upvoted (which adds one karma point) or downvoted (deducting one karma point). Each post on Reddit starts off with a single karma point, as each user automatically upvotes their own submission. While karma makes it easier for high-quality submissions to rise to the top, it is often misused by the community, particularly the downvote button. Many redditors use the downvote as a “disagree” button. In reality, the downvote is meant to be used on posts that don’t contribute to a discussion. Since many users misuse their downvotes, Reddit is susceptible to the echo-chamber effect, where only posts that the community agrees with make it to the top. Of course, this also depends on a wide range of other factors, like the divisiveness of the content and the quality of the moderation in the subreddit. Admins and Moderators Of course, Reddit isn’t just the wild west where anything goes, as the site itself is run by admins, and the individual subreddits are controlled by moderators. The degree of control that moderators have over subreddits tends to vary, but they usually just keep things in order and help get rid of spam, though some have been known to succumb to power trips. Despite redditors’ frequent criticism of subreddit moderators, they are all volunteers, working unpaid to ensure that the communities they support don’t spiral out of control. If a community gets too toxic or starts breaking Reddit’s rules, an entire subreddit may even be banned by Reddit’s staff: the admins. Reddit admins are typically paid employees that represent the company, and they do what moderators do on a larger scale, keeping things running and ensuring compliance with the rules. Over time, Reddit’s admins have been given more and more power, and this makes sense when you consider how massively the platform has grown. Thankfully, Reddit is now closely watched for any signs of illegal content sharing or hate speech, which used to fly under the radar surprisingly often before Reddit was popular. Reddit Coins and Reddit Premium Reddit coins are a relatively recent addition to the site, and they’ve replaced the older system of Creddits. Coins give the site’s creators a way to monetize it, and users can use their coins to give an award to posts or comments that they think merit the additional recognition. While the awards started off relatively simple, with silver, gold, and platinum options, with the latter two providing the user who posted the content with a certain duration of Reddit Premium. Along with their Reddit Premium subscription, these users will also receive a small stipend of coins for themselves. Over time, Reddit has added many more awards, some of which are even related to current events or even pop culture. While some users buy their Reddit coins directly, many redditors get their coins through Reddit premium, which provides users with 700 coins for every month that they’re subscribed. Reddit Premium is the replacement for the old Reddit Gold program, which caused too much confusion with coins and gold awards and had to be renamed. While the name has changed, Reddit Premium still features many of the same advantages that came included with Reddit Gold. The most significant difference between Reddit Premium and the basic user experience is that redditors will not see ads. As we mentioned earlier, Reddit Premium subscribers will also receive 700 coins per month that they can use to gild posts with their award of choice. Along with these benefits, Reddit Premium users also have access to the /r/lounge community, which is exclusive to Premium members. Aside from these benefits, Reddit Premium offers few significant advantages over the base Reddit experience, and most of the site’s users don’t subscribe to it. Rules and Reddiquette Reddit has eight cardinal rules that all users need to follow, ranging from respecting your fellow redditors to not posting illegal content. If any of these rules are broken, redditors may be shadowbanned or have their accounts completely suspended, especially due to repeated violations of these policies. Along with the essential Reddit rules, there are also a set of guidelines known as reddiquette, and they help describe how you should post and communicate with other members of the Reddit Community. Among other things, Reddiquette encourages original posters to find the original source of the content they’re submitting and credit the creator. Users are also expected to perform at least a cursory search of previous posts to ensure that the content they’re submitting isn’t a repost. There are many other nuances to reddiquette, but most of it is based on common sense. If a new user ignores reddiquette, the community will be quick to point out their error, so save yourself some embarrassment and give it at least a cursory read-through. AMA stands for Ask Me Anything, and it’s a specific type of post on Reddit that combines both marketing and community outreach. In most AMAs, a celebrity or someone who works in a unique field will make a few hours of their day available to answer the questions of the community at large. Most AMA participants will give the post an hour or two to gain some traction before they start answering questions, as this allows the most relevant ones to rise to the top. Much of how an AMA is undertaken is left up to the participant, and they’re free to answer questions as they see fit. This means that AMA participants aren’t forced to answer every single question, but keep in mind that silence can speak as loudly as words if they fail to answer a particularly pressing question. While AMAs can be an incredibly useful marketing tool, they can also be a potential pitfall for a brand or individual. Reddit still hasn’t forgotten the fiasco of Woody Harrelson’s disastrous AMA, so if you’re planning on using one to market your brand, make sure you understand how it works. Why Market on Reddit? You may be wondering what advantages Reddit offers over other forms of social media from the perspective of a marketer. If you have the budget for it, you’ll ideally be marketing on multiple social media platforms, but if your resources are limited, why is Reddit the one that you should pick first? There are a few factors that make Reddit a better choice than Facebook or Instagram, including isolated communities with relatively similar demographics, the site’s high traffic, and more. Here are some of the reasons why marketing efforts on Reddit tend to be more successful than on other social media platforms. Large Amounts of Traffic Reddit has more traffic than many other sites in its category, and it is one of the top social networks on the internet, coming in at rank 20 for overall engagement. Along with the huge number of visitors that the site sees each day, it also has better secondary statistics than many of the competition. Reddit’s bounce rate is about 5% lower than their competitors, meaning that fewer visitors will browse a single page and then leave the site. This statistic is relatively surprising when you consider that there is so much to see on the main page of Reddit, even if you don’t click on anything else. With a daily time of nearly six minutes on the site, Reddit has users that tend to engage with it for a decent amount of time each day. Reddit power users can spend several hours scrolling through their feeds, exposing them to plenty of marketing opportunities over the course of the day. Communities Already Divided into Niches The subreddit model also makes it much easier for marketers to expect the kind of audience that they’ll be working with, especially if they choose to market to subreddits directly. Since each community is composed of like-minded individuals, you can be sure that the people seeing your ads are the ones who are most likely to show more interest. However, the differences between subreddits can also make Reddit more of a challenge for a marketer, as it’s essential to get to know a subreddit before you try to sell them on something. Many communities have their own unique identity, and getting to know them and understand them can take plenty of browsing and preparation. However, if a marketer does their research about a particular subreddit and understands its dynamic, the potential results of even a single sponsored post can be astronomical. Most advertisers will start off by browsing several subreddits that are related to their interests, distilling them down until they find the perfect one. Plenty of Cross-Posting Between Reddit and Other Social Media Platforms A good thing about Reddit’s community is that they’re adept at spreading posts far and wide across the internet. Much like how content flows into Reddit from countless other sites, it also flows out of Reddit, back to other social media communities like Twitter and Facebook. This means that a single successful post on Reddit can save you from having to make an identical one on other social media platforms, and it will be more organically spread by the community. This adds legitimacy to the product or service, as it’s being marketed more indirectly. Of course, this typically only applies to actual Reddit posts instead of sponsored submissions, as it’s unlikely that someone will share an obvious advertisement on other social media platforms. Being creative and subtly integrating your brand into an otherwise interesting post is often the best way to chase this kind of success on Reddit. Homogeneous User Base Even though the users on individual subreddits can vary considerably when it comes to demographics, the overall user base of Reddit is still relatively homogeneous. If you’re trying to market on the front page or other areas that are seen by the largest number of users, this can make your task a little bit easier. Knowing that your target audience consists of college-educated white males who are still relatively young means that you can focus on making your ads more appealing to them. Of course, you’ll also have to deal with Reddit’s distinct dislike of marketing, especially if it’s obviously pandering to them. While the demographics of individual subreddits won’t necessarily match those of the site as a whole, things also tend to be relatively uniform within the subreddits themselves. Since each subreddit is composed of like-minded people, it’s relatively likely that they’ll be similar in more than just their opinions and interests. It’s as Addicting as Other Social Media Platforms Another advantage to Reddit is that it tends to suck in users and keeps them coming back, much like other social media platforms. Some redditors may find themselves typing the address into their search bar at the start of their morning so they can get their fill of info for the day. Others will browse Reddit while they’re bored, scrolling through their front page for hours at a time, giving them plenty of time to be potentially exposed to your sponsored posts. Redditors tend to be dedicated, with some of the most frequent users boasting tens or even hundreds of thousands of karma points. While the Reddit community may be relatively insular, they’re also dedicated to their platform, and they’ll be sure to come back day after day. Along with the site’s users who return to it daily, Reddit’s user base keeps growing faster, ensuring that you’ll always have new eyes going over your sponsored posts. You Can Engage With Your Customers Directly As on other social media platforms, brands have the opportunity to engage with their potential customers directly on Reddit. This creates a more personable image for a brand and allows them to answer questions and potentially convince people who are on the fence about the product or service. Like with many other parts of Reddit, this has both advantages and disadvantages, as engaging with trolls or other disingenuous users may weaken the appearance of your brand. This is why many sponsored posts have the comments turned off. While this is safe, this doesn’t show that the brand is confident marketing on Reddit. You’ll see many brands who truly understand Reddit marketing leaving the comments on their sponsored posts open and receiving a surprising amount of praise from the Reddit community. Don’t expect things to be this simple if you’re just getting started marketing on Reddit, but all it takes is research. Two Different Approaches to Marketing on Reddit Brands that choose to market on Reddit have a few different choices about how they’re going to spread the word. The first choice is to focus on marketing to individual subreddits, where they know a niche exists. On the other hand, they can try to advertise to Reddit as a whole by putting their ads on the front page. Most of the time, Reddit marketing campaigns will implement elements of both of these forms of marketing when just getting started to see which one has better results. Once enough time has passed to have concrete data to work with, marketers tend to focus on the option that works better for their product or service. Prioritizing Niche Subreddits This is perhaps the easier method of the two, as it allows marketers to know exactly what they should expect from their target audience. Creating ads for subreddits within a certain niche allows marketers to target their efforts more precisely and create less generalized ads. This helps because Redditors tend to like ads that understand them. Of course, this technique doesn’t restrict you to a single subreddit, and it often won’t work well if you just focus on one slice of the Reddit community. It’s essential to find a group of subreddits that have a certain overlap and consist of members who are more likely to see some use in what you’re marketing. For example, Reddit’s gaming subreddits are the ideal place to market gaming peripherals and other equipment, but subreddits like /r/buildapcsales may also be the right place for a brand like that. When looking for the ideal niche subreddit to market your goods on, you don’t always want to look for the most subscribers possible. Smaller communities can sometimes offer better results, provided they’re active enough to see at least a few posts per hour during the daytime. Trying to Market on the Front Page If you’re trying to get your ad seen by the largest possible number of people on Reddit, then you’ll have to aim for the front page. These ads will be seen by more people, but the demographics are less likely to line up with what would be ideal for you unless you’re offering something that everyone needs. Keep in mind that redditors tend to be well-informed, and ads that are pushy or otherwise deceptive will get torn to bits on the front page, particularly if you leave the comments on. It’s essential to be informative without trying to trap redditors with old-school marketing techniques that they’ve seen thousands of times before. If you’re going to market on Reddit’s front page, you’ll need to be personable, engage with the community, and be honest about your product instead of pacifying the masses with platitudes. While front page advertising is typically more difficult, it has much higher potential rewards for marketers. Getting Started With Reddit Marketing If you’ve decided that marketing on Reddit sounds like a good idea for you, then you may be wondering how you can get started doing so. While it may be a little surprising, the best place to start is by registering a username and email and getting to know the site a little bit before you dive right into marketing. Create Your Account and Choose the Right Name When you first get started with Reddit, you have the choice of starting a personal account and then using it for marketing or starting a marketing account right off the bat. While it may surprise you, many marketers (particularly for smaller brands) prefer to start off with a personal account. If you’re not representing a Fortune 500 company, then you’ll have a bit of freedom to make your advertising approach on Reddit a little more personable, and a personal account is the first step toward this. Using a personal account as if you’re a normal redditor without any dreams of marketing a product is the best way to get used to the site and build up a name for yourself. Speaking of names, selecting the right username is essential. You’ll typically want to combine a keyword related to your business (like its name) with something a little more personal and unique. The second half of your name can be something as simple as your real name or a handle that you’ve used for a while. Use RES or TrackReddit to Improve Your Reddit Experience While Reddit is a hugely successful site, its platform is still a little dated, and it can sometimes leave something to be desired. This is when things like the RES (Reddit Enhancement Suite) and TrackReddit come in handy, as they allow you to optimize your experience while you’re on the site. RES provides you with many ways to improve your experience on Reddit, allowing you to filter out subreddits from your feed, save comments you find helpful, and much more. Perhaps one of the most helpful features for marketers is the ability to create custom, color-coded tags for other redditors. This means that you can tag notorious trolls and ensure that you don’t engage with them further down the line. You can also add tags to the names of people who have previously shown interest in your product or service. RES is a powerful tool, but the functionality you get out of it depends on just how much you’re willing to use it. On the other hand, TrackReddit allows you to set email notifications for certain events on Reddit, including when your comments or posts are replied to. This can help ensure that you’re always available to reply to a redditor who may have a question about the goods or services that you’re trying to sell. Subscribe to Subreddits that Genuinely Interest You and Are Related to Your Product or Service When you’re just getting started on Reddit, things may seem a little overwhelming, and you may spend a few days just browsing the default subreddits and getting a feel for the site. Unfortunately, due to the massive popularity of the default subreddits, they don’t exactly give you the same experience as more niche communities. Take some time to explore the subreddits on the site and find communities that interest you personally. After using that criterion to find subreddits, search for the ones that you think would be related to the type of thing you’re trying to market. Even tangential associations with your product or service can make a subreddit the right place to advertise. Keep in mind that Reddit’s search function is disappointingly outdated, so you may wish to search for subreddits using a search engine. This is one of the hardest parts of getting your account set up, as it’s often difficult to tell if subreddits are the right place to market or if they’re even active enough to get some engagement. Spend Some Time Lurking and Learning How Reddit Works Before You Start Posting It’s also essential to take time to learn Reddit separately from your goal as a marketer, as that will put you in the mindset of the average redditor and make it a lot easier to make a connection. When you understand your audience, your marketing efforts will be much more likely to succeed. Lurking is when you browse a subreddit and its posts, reading through comments and potentially contributing an upvote or two but not directly engaging with the community. Most new Reddit users go through a period where they lurk on the site so they can learn the basics of reddiquette and the dynamics of a particular subreddit. Also, be sure not to spend your time browsing only your front page, as that will only condense the top posts from your subscribed subreddits. If you want to see every contribution, both good and bad, go to the subreddits themselves and browse them directly. You may even wish to sort by new to see what kind of contributions members are making before they make it to the top. Don’t worry if it takes some time before you feel fully comfortable using Reddit, as some users may even lurk for years before they make their first post. Unfortunately, you don’t typically have that much time at your disposal if you’re using Reddit for marketing purposes, so you’ll need to be a quick learner. Start Off Your Contributions by Commenting Once you feel like you understand a particular community, start browsing the posts and looking for opportunities to contribute to them. If you’re looking to build up your karma levels, you may want to look for relatively recent posts that have made it to “hot,” as these will likely see far more viewers throughout the day. One of the best ways to build up karma as a beginner is to make lighthearted jokes that are relatable, as these tend to swiftly rise to the top of a post’s comments. A few strategically-placed comments can secure you thousands of karma, but the timing will have to be right, and you won’t want to force it. As long as you can build up enough comment karma and enough of a history to show other Reddit users that you’re serious about the site, you should be able to move on to the next steps. You’ll have to be patient, however, as redditors will be able to tell when you’re trying too hard to farm karma. Creating Your First Post When you’ve got the hang of commenting, and you’ve built yourself up a nice little reserve of karma, you may feel like you’re ready to create your first Reddit post. Much like with your first few comments, pick the subreddit that you’re most comfortable with and which matches your interests, considering what you can contribute to it. Redditors tend to like original content, so if you have anything fascinating or funny to share with your subreddit, that may give you a chance to make it to the top. Realistically, your first few posts will likely see little engagement, but that’s fine because it makes your account look like more than just a front for a marketer. When other redditors go through your comment and post history, they’ll see that you’re dedicated to the platform and that you’re one of them. This will help establish a deeper connection and more trust between you and the people that you intend to market to. You can’t create the illusion of being a Redditor; you either are one or you aren’t. Start Posting More Regularly When you feel like you’re getting more comfortable in your chosen subreddit, you can start branching out to different communities, as most redditors will comment and post in a variety of subreddits. Restricting yourself to a single subreddit may make things easier, but it also won’t give you the experience you need to interact with different kinds of redditors. Seeing the dynamics in other subreddits allows you to anticipate how the community at large will react to one of your sponsored posts. Also, consider the content of the post itself and how easy it is to consume. Most redditors won’t be interested in reading a wall of text, but they may be interested in a meme. Always keep in mind that there’s a difference between low-effort posts and posts that are easy for your audience to consume. A low-effort post is something like a repost or sharing someone else’s work without trying to credit them. These can hurt your reputation as a redditor, so always try to abide by reddiquette. Keep Posting to Reddit Naturally and Consistently A lot of marketers make the mistake of treating Reddit like it’s a job, but you need to implement it into your daily life and (ideally) enjoy it when you browse the site. Sooner or later, you may find yourself becoming a redditor, and you may even want your own personal account that you can keep separate from your business. If you don’t end up taking to Reddit like a moth to a flame, make sure that you don’t make it obvious that you’re treating it like a job. Redditors tend to be rather intelligent and observant, and they may note that you only take the time to post on the site between 2:00 and 3:00 every Wednesday. Make your comments and posts sporadic, and browse Reddit on your downtime, much like one of the site’s users would do. Remember that the content on the front page refreshes relatively frequently, especially if you follow a larger number of subreddits, so keep coming back to see which posts are starting to gain traction throughout the day. Tips For Effectively Marketing on Reddit If you’re looking to crack the code and market as effectively as possible on Reddit, you’ll have to master a few skills that make you one of the community. Due to Reddit’s insular nature, they think that marketers are an intrusion on their site, and they would do away with them altogether if they could. It’s your job to prove them wrong. To get the best results out of a Reddit marketing campaign, the account behind it needs to be integrated into the Reddit community. Redditors will be much more likely to respond favorably to an advertisement if they feel like it’s being marketed to them by a fellow redditor who has gone on to start a business. Keep Your Tone Personal and Natural Unlike when you’re marketing on other platforms, you typically don’t want to be too formal when you’re addressing potential customers on Reddit. Of course, the exact tone that you use will depend on the kind of brand you’re representing, but you should always use a more familiar tone than on your other channels when working with Reddit. Your replies and advertisements should also have the bare minimum amount of scripting, as you’ll want everything to flow naturally, and you’ll need to be able to improvise to market on Reddit. You’ll also need to know when to reply to comments and when to avoid them, assuming you’re willing to reply in the first place (which you should be). For example, you should never engage with trolls on Reddit, as that will merely weaken your position and give them an opportunity to make you look bad. On the other hand, genuine inquiries and other comments from potential customers should always get a response from you. Focus More on Contributing to the Reddit Community than Marketing When marketing on Reddit, it’s possible to focus entirely on marketing while avoiding the rest of the platform, but this will almost never get you the best results. If you want to make the most of Reddit marketing, you’ll need to play to the platform’s strengths, and that means acting as a redditor more often than you do as a marketer. The majority of your contributions to the site should be personal ones, including comments on subreddits related to your interests and posts that community members will find interesting. The rest of the time, you can market your products but try to integrate them into your posts and ensure that they flow as naturally as possible. For example, if you’re selling skateboards, you may want to film one of your staff members doing a trick on the board and make sure that the focus of the post is the trick itself. If it receives enough traction, a redditor will eventually ask what kind of board was used in the video, and you’ll have a natural opportunity to market your product. The Best Subreddits Aren’t Always the Most Obvious Choices Someone who’s just getting started with Reddit marketing may assume that the most populous subreddits are the best ones to market on, but this isn’t always the case. Since the default subreddits are often the most popular, it can be difficult to gauge their demographics as they consist of mostly new users of various interests. Even the biggest subreddits within your particular niche may not always be the best place to market, as subreddits with fewer users will likely give your posts more of an opportunity to shine. Don’t overlook smaller subreddits, as the number of subscribers isn’t as crucial as the number of active users. Some subreddits have 10 times more users than their competitors, but they still struggle to see the same number of quality posts on a daily basis. For every meaningful contribution that one person makes, the next ten people will either post reposts, spam, or other low-effort content that can clog up a subreddit and make it harder to get recognition. Get Adept at Using Pop Culture and Memes to Your Advantage If you want to market on Reddit and you want to integrate yourself into the community, you’ll have to get comfortable using memes and pop culture references whenever possible. Unfortunately, this is typically something that you either “get” or you don’t. While it may be possible for anyone to make a meme, redditors can sniff out when the meme has been made by someone with a passion for internet culture or just someone looking to make a quick buck. Head to /r/fellowkids, and you’ll be sure to see plenty of redditors mocking companies’ clumsy attempts at making themselves seem more hip and with the times by trying to blend memes and marketing. Using internet culture in your advertising requires careful consideration and a willingness to flaunt the traditional norms of marketing. Many brands have trouble fully committing to making their memes stand out, instead choosing to play it safe, but this can backfire immensely on a platform like Reddit. Ideally, your memes should be made by someone who has experience working in Facebook Groups or other places where you need a firm grasp of internet culture to operate. Consider Hosting an AMA Reddit’s AMAs give people a platform to answer any question that the community may have about what they do. The most popular AMAs typically involve famous actors, astronauts, scientists, or just people who do jobs that sound cool, like laser calibration specialists. If you do something that Reddit would potentially be interested in, you can always host an AMA, and this is one of the few cases in which marketing is to be expected on the site. Most celebrities will do an AMA as a way to plug their newest movie or book, and you can do the same with your brand as long as you don’t make it the whole focus of the AMA. Of course, you shouldn’t expect your AMA to get the kind of traction that an astronaut’s would (unless you do something really unique), but even a bit of engagement can help spread the word about your brand. Include Links Organically and Don’t Spam Them The worst thing you could do to represent your brand on Reddit is to spam subreddits with links. This typically won’t get you outright banned from the site, but it can earn you a shadowban, which is something like a ban, but you won’t even know that your account is affected by it. When you’re shadowbanned, the only people who can see your posts and comments are subreddit moderators, and admins are the only people who can potentially reverse a shadowban. There is a lot of doubt and many questions about how the shadowban system works, and Reddit admins like to keep it that way. If you’re going to include links to your product or service, be sure to only do so when you’re asked about it, and make sure you’re in compliance with the subreddit’s rules. Providing public links on some subreddits may not be allowed, and it may get your entire post deleted, so you may even need to private message your products to people who are interested in them. Using Reddit Communities to Guide Your Marketing Efforts on Other Platforms One of the best things about Reddit is that it allows you to see what your target demographic thinks and the kind of content they appreciate. By browsing through the top posts for a particular subreddit related to your niche, you can get a feel for what the people you’re marketing to are like. You can then use this information to improve your advertising efforts on other parts of the internet. For example, if you sell home insurance, and you see people on the personal finance subreddit asking about the various types of home insurance on the market, this can clue you in to the content you should create. For the above example, a blog post describing the various kinds of home insurance can help improve your rapport with potential clients on other platforms. You can then bring it full circle and link that content in a Reddit post and get even more engagement with it. Post Early in the Morning (Between 1 AM and 7 AM EST) Most redditors make the mistake of assuming that the first 24 hours is the most crucial time for a post, but the window of opportunity on Reddit is even shorter than that. Within the first six or seven hours of a post going up, it will be decided whether or not it can expect to see the light of the front page. This is why you need to ensure that you time your posts so that as many users as possible can see them for the day. Research has shown that the ideal time to post on Reddit is in the morning, particularly between 1:00 AM and 7:00 AM EST, as this will catch most people before they go to work. That boost in upvotes early on in the day will give you a leg up over the rest of the competition and will maximize the exposure of your post as well as the amount of karma you get from it. Both of these factors can go a long way towards making your brand have a more legitimate presence on Reddit. Give Incentives for Engaging with Your Posts If you want to increase the number of users who see your posts, you can also give the community a reason to engage with them. One of the most popular ways to incentivize redditors to get involved with your brand is to host giveaways, though they’ll often have to be approved through the subreddit moderators. Since many subreddits have rules against self-promotion, you’ll either have to find a subreddit that is willing to host your giveaway regardless or create your own subreddit. Of course, to host a giveaway on your brand’s subreddit, you’ll have to build up a bit of a following first, as a giveaway isn’t exactly thrilling when there are only three participants. Other than giveaways, you can create contests where redditors can comment on your post for a chance to get gilded, winning them 7 to 30 days of Reddit Premium. Finally, you can also include discounts and coupon codes for your goods in your Reddit posts, though they should be added as bonuses and not the main focus of the post. Keep an Eye Out for Users Discussing Your Product or Service and Engage with Them When browsing Reddit, you’ll also want to make a cursory overview using the search function every once in a while. While we’ve already discussed the inefficiency of Reddit’s search feature, it will still allow you to make a few sweeps of the site for your brand name and see if anyone’s discussing you. If you can’t find anything in your search, try arranging the spaces in the brand name differently (if applicable), or try to abbreviate the brand name and see if anything shows up. You’ll typically only want to comment on posts or comments that have been added relatively recently, as you’re unlikely to spark a discussion in a dead thread. This is why you need to be searching for your brand’s mention every day on Reddit, as seeing it even a day too late means that it will have already fallen off of the subreddit’s hot page. Keep Current with Internet Culture While we already mentioned the importance of being able to create quality memes, if you want to market on Reddit, you’ll also need to have an ear to the ground about what’s going on around the internet. Redditors like to use meta humor a lot, and a lot of this involves prior knowledge of what the joke’s about. Even on Reddit itself, you’ll often find other posts that parody an extremely popular one for the next few days. This is why you need to immerse yourself in Reddit culture, as even a single day spent not paying attention to the platform can leave you out of the loop. Thankfully, there’s a subreddit that can help you catch up conveniently called /r/outoftheloop. Due to their status as a relatively insular community, redditors aren’t used to having to explain jokes to outsiders, so it’s often best if you educate yourself before replying to jokes you don’t understand. Using Reddit to Learn More About Your Customers and How Your Product is Received Reddit also allows you to conduct market research by going over the related interests of the people who engage with your content and show some interest in your products. Every one of your posts and comments can be seen by others on Reddit unless you choose to hide them, and this can give you an idea of where there’s some overlap between your product and others. For example, if you notice that most of the people who are interested in your product are also subscribed to /r/PersonalFinance, then you may want to focus blog posts and marketing efforts in that direction. You can also get a more direct idea of what consumers think of your product by searching for reviews or initial thoughts about the thing you’re selling. If someone makes a post about your product or service, you’ll be able to see what they think about it, but you’ll also be able to get some info about what the commenters think about it. Some comments will give you an idea of what undecided buyers are thinking before they buy your product, while other comments may come from customers who had a different opinion. This is why Reddit is such a useful tool for companies that don’t even do their marketing on the platform, as they can get a better idea of what the average consumer thinks about them. As an added bonus, you can engage with the community and answer any questions they may have while doing your research. Starting a Subreddit for Your Brand: The Dos and Don’ts If you find that Reddit’s working well for your marketing efforts and the community is receiving you well, you may want to take things a step further. When you’ve established a bit of a name for yourself and the community is fond of you, it may be time to start up a subreddit for your brand. This will provide customers and potential buyers with a place to discuss your products, but you’ll have to be in good standing with the overall community. If you have a bad reputation on Reddit and you decide to start a subreddit, you’ll likely spend a lot of your time dealing with trolls and other people who will make your moderating experience miserable. This section of the guide will discuss everything you need to know about establishing a subreddit for your brand, namely the things you should do and the things you shouldn’t. Keep in mind that there’s a lot more to running a subreddit than we can sum up in a brief section, but these are the most pressing concerns. Know When the Time is Right to Start a Subreddit If you’re planning on starting a subreddit for your product within your first few days or even weeks of using Reddit, then you’re probably going about it the wrong way. To get the ball rolling for a subreddit, you’ll need to have a group of users that is interested enough in your product to band together. It doesn’t exactly reflect well on your brand if you have a subreddit that’s a ghost town, because people will think that your product isn’t popular or worth talking about it. Surprisingly enough, in these cases, having a subreddit will often look worse for your brand than not having one at all. Of course, you also don’t want to start a subreddit too late. If you notice that you have a large following on Reddit, hurry up and start your own subreddit before the community does it for you. You can also rely on a community-run subreddit if you want to reduce your workload, though you’ll have less direct control over it. Don’t Make it Exclusively About Marketing Your Product While this may seem counterintuitive to running a subreddit about your product, you’ll need to lay off on the marketing side of things. Subreddits should never be exclusively focused on advertising, and they should instead provide a place for redditors to discuss and share everything about the product or service. 90% of the content on a brand-based subreddit should be user submissions and questions about the product or service. The other 10% of the content should consist of product announcements and other subtle forms of marketing that don’t make it obvious that you’re using the subreddit for advertising. The minute redditors think that a community they’re in has switched over to focus on marketing entirely is the minute that they start abandoning ship. If you don’t want your subreddit to bleed subscribers until there are none remaining, make sure you don’t make this crucial mistake. Keep it Well-moderated The thing that keeps subreddits alive and kicking is a moderation team that treats the subreddit like a second job. While you can’t expect to have this kind of dedication from every moderator you have, they’ll at least need to keep things tidy around the subreddit. A good moderation crew will go over comments and posts to ensure that everything abides by Reddit’s rules. Poor moderation can even result in a subreddit being shut down by Reddit admins, so you’ll want to keep a close eye on how your brand subreddit is being run. Most companies will only allow employees to moderate their subreddit, as that means they don’t have to rely on exterior help. Spam will be the main thing that moderators need to filter out of your subreddit, but it’s also the easiest. The harder part is going through the comments and ensuring that any hateful speech is removed. However, this is more of an issue in political subreddits or other places where divisive issues are frequently brought up. You also want to make sure that your moderators aren’t being too heavy-handed with their deletions, as it can make you look extremely bad if you get caught deleting criticism from your subreddit. Instead of having moderators delete any comments with negative opinions, reply to them and try to offer a solution. If you don’t intend to offer a solution to negative reception, then you might as well not even reply to it since redditors expect brands to take action when they reply to them. While this may sound like redditors are entitled, they’ve just come to expect a higher level of customer service from marketers on their platform. How Do Promoted Posts Work on Reddit? Direct advertising on Reddit is done through promoted posts, and they allow you to skip all of the nuance and learning required to advertise more organically on the platform. Keep in mind that redditors’ disdain for marketing on their site makes sponsored posts the targets of derision and makes them less effective than a well-thought-out organic marketing campaign. However, if you don’t have the time to devote yourself to learning Reddit, and you just want to get your brand out there, using sponsored posts can help make things easier on you. Reddit uses an auction-based system to determine which advertisements will show up where, and high-demand parts of the site will require a higher cost. Reddit charges marketers per 1000 impressions, and you let them know the rate that you’re willing to pay and the max budget that you’re willing to contribute towards it. You also have a wide range of options at your disposal when it comes to how your ads are targeted and where. This section will go over the basics of using sponsored posts to improve your brand visibility on Reddit, and it will also cover the various types of ads that Reddit allows advertisers to use. Get to Know the Basics To create a Reddit advertisement, all you’ll need to do is create a Reddit advertising account or link your existing personal account to the business that you want to market. You’ll then need your ad’s headline, a thumbnail image with a maximum size of 140×140 pixels, and an image card with a size of 1200×628 pixels. When you’re on your Reddit advertising dashboard, you’ll be able to name a campaign and then get into the details of how it’s going to be managed. You can then add the methods that you use to target your audience, including their interests, the subreddits the ad should run on, and even the time of day. You then move on to setting your budget, choosing a maximum bid per 1000 impressions, and a limit for your budget over a certain period of time, like each day. At the end of the process, you’ll add your headline and image or video, depending on the type of ad you decided to run. What Kind of Ads Can You Run on Reddit? There are three main types of ads that Reddit accepts as sponsored posts, and they include direct links to the product or service’s site, videos, or even just text. Link ads tend to be the most popular on Reddit because they instantly redirect potential customers to a place where they can purchase the product or service. For a site that’s built around sharing links to other websites, sponsored posts containing links tend to be the most natural option for marketers. Along with funneling traffic to exactly where you need it, a link ad has the benefit of fitting in much better with the rest of the posts that redditors see on their feed. It can even lead to people mistakenly clicking on the link, thinking that it’s a part of their usual feed, particularly if it matches their interests well. This can lead to them seeing more of your product and deciding to purchase it if they end up liking it. Sponsored link posts are where most Reddit advertisers will start when marketing through the platform directly. Video ads are another way to spread the word about your brand on Reddit, and you can include a call to action at the end of the video, theoretically combining the best of a link post into your video. Unfortunately, video ads tend to be a little less effective on Reddit since most redditors don’t open videos that don’t immediately interest them when browsing through their feed. Many subreddits are inundated with videos, and if redditors don’t want to spend their whole day browsing through a bunch of them, they start to automatically filter videos, especially ads. Unless your video advertisement is an interesting video first and an ad second, it likely won’t be as well-received as a link. Text ads are much like standard text posts, consisting of writing with a call to action potentially included somewhere in there. These ads are typically less popular than link ads too, but that’s just because they often can’t accomplish that much more than a sponsored link post would have been able to. This is because most redditors will give sponsored posts only the most cursory glance, and they’ll be unlikely to open them up to read more. This means that your headline is the most important part of your advertisement, and that’s also present on link ads, where you don’t have to rely on the redditor clicking to expand your post and read it. Reddit gives you the option of selecting various campaign objectives based on what you’re trying to accomplish through your advertising. They can range from spreading awareness about your brand and reaching out to customers all the way down to maximizing the number of redditors who install your app. Brand Awareness & Reach The brand awareness and reach campaign objective prioritizes people getting to know your brand and spreading the word as far and wide as possible. This is ideal for businesses that are just getting started and would like to get as many people talking about their products as possible. As you would expect from the name, the traffic objective will try and get as much traffic to your selected page as possible. This objective is only accessible if your advertisement is a link or video, as it will not work with a text post. This is ideal for internet-based businesses that would like to increase the number of hits they get. Conversions will try to prioritize redditors taking a specific action once they’ve arrived on your landing page, typically purchasing a product or subscribing to a service. This kind of objective is only available for link and video texts, as well. Businesses that have already established themselves tend to pick this option over the brand awareness and reach objective. As you can expect, the video views objective is only available for video ads, and it prioritizes redditors contributing to the total number of views of a particular video. This is a great way to grow a streaming channel on a platform that you’re just getting started on. The final campaign objective that you can set when creating a sponsored post on Reddit is to encourage app installations. Link and video posts can both be used with this kind of objective, and either the link or the call to action will typically lead to either the app’s App Store or Google Play Store page. There are also several methods that Reddit can use to target your ads, ensuring that the best possible target audience gets to see them. Of course, every business will have its own ideal target audience, so there are many methods that allow you to pick that audience, including by subreddit, location, device, interest, or time of day. One of the most common targeting methods used on Reddit is targeting potential viewers by the subreddits that they’re subscribed to. This is considered more effective than targeting users based on things like Facebook likes because subscribed subreddits tend to represent the current (and not past) interests that the user has. Location is another crucial targeting method that marketers can use on Reddit, as it ensures that their target audience is in the same area of the globe. This is particularly useful for businesses that are selling physical goods online, as they likely won’t be prepared to pay for shipping from the US all the way to a place like Australia. The interest ad targeting method is similar to the subreddit targeting in that it is based on what the target cares about, but it’s a lot broader than confining itself to a single subreddit. If you select an interest like gaming, then an ad will be likely to show up on a wide range of gaming-related subreddits instead of just /r/gaming. As you would expect, this targeting method prioritizes the people who are seeing your ad based on the kind of device they’re using. You can choose between various smartphones, or you can even target users who are on their PC instead, though keep in mind that the majority of Reddit’s users are frequently on mobile. Time of Day Finally, one of the more specific targeting methods is picking the time of day that you can expect your ads to show up. This is ideal if you’re trying to ensure that as many people as possible see it, and popular times tend to be in the morning before work or in the evening after the workday has ended. Tracking Ad Metrics Reddit has many ad metrics available to the people who use their platform for marketing, though these are only available if you’re creating sponsored posts. If you’re using a more organic marketing method on Reddit, then you’ll have to compile your own metrics, and many of these stats won’t be available to you. Reddit allows you to go through things like the total number of impressions you’ve made but also how much money you’ve spent, how many clicks your ads have received, and much more. They’ll even calculate the effective cost per 1000 impressions and the cost per click for you, allowing you to determine how well your campaign is working. Video metrics on Reddit go even deeper, allowing you to see the points at which viewers stopped watching your videos and even the average cost per view for each video. There are plenty more metrics than the ones we’ve discussed here, so feel free to take a look at Reddit’s ad metrics page. Setting an Ad Budget Deciding on the right budget for your marketing campaign is a matter that’s entirely up to you and the amount that you can afford to spend on your brand. Many advertisers choose to start off slow on Reddit, but that often won’t show you what you can accomplish with a full-fledged marketing campaign on the platform. Other marketers on Reddit will start with a moderate campaign to test the waters and give the platform a chance to work out for them. If they like what they see, then they’ll start regularly spending money on sponsored posts on Reddit and perhaps even increase their marketing budget for a particular campaign. Like we mentioned earlier, you can choose to set your budget per 100 impressions, which is part of the auction process that determines whether or not your ads or someone else’s show where you want them. You can also pick the max amount of money you’re willing to spend for a daily, weekly, or monthly period. For advertisers who want to test the waters of Reddit, test campaigns are an excellent way to see if Reddit fulfills their needs without having to keep track of everything themselves. Reddit recommends that test campaigns be run for a period of at least one month to get an adequate sample size to draw conclusions from. It’s also a good idea to group your ads into groups to see which of them gets the most traction. For example, you should keep your sponsored link posts in a group of their own while your sponsored video posts are in another group, allowing you to compare and contrast the two methods. Keep in mind that Reddit limits each ad from being shown too many times in a day, so if you’re trying to make the most of your test campaign, you should include multiple ads in each group. This will also ensure that redditors are seeing a carousel of different ads instead of the same thing over and over again. Add a Call to Action (CTA) Reddit gives you the choice of several different CTAs when you’re creating an ad, and you can optimize them for the kind of ad that you’re airing. For example, if you’re trying to get people to subscribe to a service, then your call to action button can say “sign up” and lead users to the registration page. Other options include “play now,” “install now,” and many more options that can fit with almost any kind of add. You can add CTAs to link posts as well as video posts, but the way they appear is a little different. For a link post, the CTA will appear at the bottom of the post, near the right side of the card. On the other hand, CTAs will only appear in video advertisements once the video has ended, and the ad card has popped up. This often means that redditors will be less likely to see your CTA in video ads because most of them don’t have the patience to stick around until the end of the video. Ways to Establish Yourself on Reddit Before Using it For Marketing If you plan on using Reddit for more than just its sponsored posts and you want to integrate organic marketing into your advertising plan, you’ll need to integrate yourself into the Reddit community. We’ve already discussed things like reddiquette and the rules, but there are a few things that you only learn from experience. This section of the guide will cover the most useful tips for a Reddit beginner to get their account up to par and ready for marketing. Some of the crucial things include adopting healthy and regular posting habits and building up your karma reserves, so you don’t look like you’re only interested in Reddit as a marketing opportunity. Comment on “Hot” Posts Early On One of the best ways to start building up your karma is to know the best time to comment on posts. If you see a post near the top of your feed and it was posted relatively recently, then Reddit’s algorithm thinks that this post is going to be successful, and you can use it as a quick opportunity for some karma. Take a look at the post and think of a quip or joke you can include in the comments that would likely go over well with the rest of the members of the subreddit. If you don’t want to use humor, you can also ask a question that stands out, and you’ll likely be upvoted by people with the same question. Of course, just because a post shows up in hot, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should drop everything and comment on it. Make sure that the post aligns with your interests and the kind of image you want to develop for your account. Keep in mind that people will likely browse through your previous posts and comments. Browse News and Other Popular Subreddits Some of the best places to start building up your karma are news subreddits since it’s relatively easy to make a contribution to them. You just need to find a news article that hasn’t yet been posted on any of the major subreddits and submit it before someone else jumps on the opportunity. Keep in mind that posting in the main news subreddits is relatively competitive, so it may be hard for you to get the timing right. If this is the case, don’t be afraid to switch over to a less-populated subreddit that still gets a decent number of upvotes on new posts, as you’ll want to ensure that you get as much karma as possible. If you aren’t interested in sharing news articles, you can also make jokes on /r/funny, submit memes to one of the countless meme subreddits, or just contribute to one that you’re interested in. There’s no secret recipe to being successful on Reddit; it just takes a lot of time spent browsing the site and looking for opportunities to gain more karma. Don’t Be Afraid to Lose Karma, but Don’t Make it a Habit Either Another problem that many new redditors have is that they’re petrified of losing karma, and they act like it’s the end of the world when they do. If you feel like there is a point to be made and that it will lose you karma, you can feel free to go ahead and post it as long as it won’t reflect badly on your brand. People frequently assume that just because Reddit as a group has a certain opinion about something, they’re wrong to think otherwise. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and you can sometimes distinguish yourself and your brand by going against the grain and making your voice heard. That being said, you don’t want everything that you post or comment to be controversial, as that will merely weaken the image of your brand. Try to minimize the amount of karma you lose for saying things that the community isn’t likely to agree with, but don’t stop yourself from speaking out entirely. It can sometimes reflect better on your brand to take a stand for what you believe in. Post Often but not Excessively You’ll also want to make sure that you’re posting often enough to look like you’re a typical Reddit user. Of course, the amount that each user posts varies based on their free time and how they like to use Reddit, but if you’re looking to establish your brand, you’ll want to post a little more frequently than average. One or two posts per week and a few comments per day should be enough to steadily boost your karma numbers until you stop looking like your account just exists to market your product. Of course, the amount of karma that you get with each submission will also factor into how long it takes your account to look established. Keep in mind that users can also see your account age on Reddit, so you won’t want to look like you’ve been trying to boost your karma in a short period of time. Posting throughout the day is fine, but don’t make a comment every five minutes that’s clearly pandering for additional karma, because redditors will be able to see that from your post history. Take Your Time to Get Used to a Subreddit’s Unique Culture Before Posting Just because you’ve gotten used to one subreddit, it doesn’t mean that you’re ready to start marketing your goods like an expert on every subreddit on the site. Keep in mind that there are plenty of distinctions between subreddits, even though they may seem like they’re outwardly similar. Wait until you have at least a week lurking in each subreddit before you start posting, at least the sub is notably different when compared to the ones that you frequent. Get to know the unique jargon and culture of the subreddit that you’re on so you can fit in just like you’ve been there all along. While this may seem time-consuming, it can help you ensure that your advertising efforts are taken seriously instead of ridiculed on the sub that you want to post to. Keep in mind that this only applies to organic Reddit marketing, as you won’t have to worry too much about how a sub works if you’re just publishing sponsored posts. Get Friends to Comment on but not Upvote Your Posts The Reddit terms and conditions make it clear that you’re not allowed to use your friends to boost your posts by getting them to upvote them. However, they are notably silent about your friends commenting on your posts, so if you’re looking to get the ball rolling, that’s a perfectly valid strategy. Instead of having your friends make typical comments like “That looks great!” or “I need one of those!” try and get them to spark some conversation in the comments. Questions are a great way to get the rest of the community to engage with a post, and if redditors see that there are already a few comments on a post, they’ll be more likely to engage with it. Of course, you don’t want to make it too obvious that you’re using your friends to start conversations on your posts, so ensure that the same accounts aren’t always commenting on your posts. This is crucial if you’re posting on multiple subreddits, as it raises doubts when the same account is subscribed to all the same subreddits you are. Reddit is Hostile Towards Marketers Who Don’t “Get It” By now, you may have noticed that Reddit isn’t the friendliest place to advertisers, as we’ve mentioned several times throughout the guide. Redditors tend to be more intelligent than many other social media users because of their higher education, and this means that they can often see through the falsehoods in most marketing campaigns. Because Reddit’s users have seen many marketers try to take advantage of their platform and fail spectacularly, they’ve come to expect advertising on their platform to be dated and poorly-made. It doesn’t help that it takes so much effort to market effectively on Reddit cutting down on the number of marketers and ensuring that many of the ads on the platform are poorly-made, creating a vicious cycle. However, this also means that redditors have an immense amount of respect for advertisers who they see as intelligent as themselves and who understand how to market to them. One of the most important things is being transparent with your audience when you market on Reddit, and this is a huge shift from marketing on other social media platforms. At the very least, you want your target audience to think that you’re being as transparent as possible with them, and the best way to do this is to actually be that way. Focus on the parts of your product or service that you can praise, and be entirely honest about these parts of your business. However, you also won’t want to try and deflect any criticism or comments about how your brand could be better. You’ll want to make it clear that redditors are having their voices heard when they engage with you, and the user base of Reddit has come to expect that marketers take action instead of making empty promises. If someone tells you that they purchased a defective product, offer them a replacement, provided they have their proof of purchase. If a user mentions that your product is too expensive for them because they have limited income, potentially provide them with a discount code to show that you contribute to the community. Use Reddit’s Search Function, but Know its Limitations You may have also heard us mention the many shortcomings of Reddit’s search function, but it can also be incredibly useful. Like we said earlier, it can help you find any mention of your product’s name so you can reply to customers who have questions or criticism directly. However, finding those posts in the first place can often be a challenge because of the poorly-designed search algorithm that Reddit uses. Don’t expect to see very relevant results when you search on Reddit, and expecting the search to show you posts with related keywords is far beyond the site’s search capability. This means that you’ll have to make multiple searches for every possible way you can spell your brand name every time you want to see if anyone on Reddit has mentioned you. Redditors are aware of how bad their search engine is, and even they often recommend that you search for posts on Reddit using Google instead of the official function. Be Sure to Identify and Avoid Trolls One of the most important things for any brand to do when operating and advertising on the internet is to stay well clear of trolls. Trolls are individuals who merely exist to make everyone else’s life miserable on the internet, and they somehow derive entertainment from this. Unfortunately, trolls can also cause lasting damage to a brand. Engaging with trolls and getting into an argument with them can undermine your brand significantly, as redditors will assume that you’ve never dealt with detractors on the internet before. The best thing you can do with Reddit trolls is to ignore them until the downvotes eventually hide their comment. One of the best things about Reddit is that the community automatically filters out poor-quality comments and contributions, ensuring that you don’t have to deal with trolls too often. When they do slip through the cracks, always make sure that you don’t give them the platform that they so desperately desire. Reddit Terminology Glossary If you’ve never used Reddit before, then you may be bewildered by the wide range of terms and jargon that redditors tend to use in their posts and comments. This section is by no means exhaustive, but it will cover some of the essential terms and abbreviations that you should know if you’ll be marketing on Reddit. TL;DR stands for “too long; didn’t read.” A TL;DR is essentially a summary of what the post or comment says, summed up as succinctly as the commenter or poster can manage to. These aren’t included with all posts, but it’s considered common courtesy to leave a TL;DR at the end of long-winded posts and comments. A repost is a post that has already been submitted to Reddit before, especially if it was within the past year or so. Older reposts tend to be somewhat accepted by the community, but egregious ones include reposts where the OP can’t even be bothered to change the title from what it was originally. By Reddit’s very nature, content is bound to be repeated, but users can do what they can to minimize the number of reposts. It is even included in the reddiquette guidelines that users should perform at least a cursory search to determine whether or not their piece of content has been posted before. X-Post (or Crosspost) While crossposts used to be manually denoted in the title or comments, Reddit recently started making the crosspost an official feature. If you see something on a subreddit that you think would fit well in another sub, you can crosspost it and essentially have it posted to that other community. Keep in mind that the ability to crosspost is at the discretion of the subreddit’s moderation team, and some moderators will limit crossposts on their subs so they can reduce the number of low-effort submissions. Subreddits tend to prefer original content to crossposts, as it’s possible that users are already subscribed to the other subreddit, and they’ve already seen the post. OP stands for either original post or original poster, depending on the context that it’s used in. The original poster is the person who created the post, and the original post is self-explanatory. These terms are typically used in the comments so that commenters can refer to the person or post that they’re discussing. OC stands for original content, and it’s defined as content that has been created by the redditor who posted it. It can range from a work of art to a piece of music, and it can even be something as simple as a text post. OC is typically valued by the community more than shared content, especially if it’s high-quality. A throwaway is an account created for a single purpose, so Reddit’s users can’t trace the post or comment back to your original account. Many users will create throwaway accounts so that they can make personal admissions that won’t be traced back to them. Other redditors use throwaway accounts to lie and spin tall tales, so your mileage with throwaways may vary. An abbreviation for “Today I Learned,” TIL usually precedes posts that include a fun fact or a shocking revelation that isn’t exactly common knowledge. An example of a TIL post would go something like this, “TIL that some ships have double hulls to prevent sinking if the outer layer is damaged by an impact.” ELI5 is another common abbreviation used in the /r/eli5 subreddit and in comments all across the site. ELI5 stands for “Explain Like I’m 5,” and it’s essentially a request for someone to explain something in the simplest terms possible. This can help a layperson grasp what others are talking about when the subject is suitably complex. What Kind of Content Should You Post to Reddit? If you’re new to Reddit, you may be wondering exactly what you should post to get started. The answer is that you can post nearly anything as long as it’s within the rules of the subreddit. Be sure to go over each sub’s rules and note the differences between them, as many may have unique guidelines for their posters. Keep in mind that some subreddits also restrict users who are below a certain karma threshold from commenting or creating a post. This is a technique that they use to limit posts from spam accounts, as spammers will have to work to reach the karma threshold before they can clog up the subreddit with more of their junk. There are many different things that you can post to Reddit to potentially boost your karma and improve your brand recognition, but some tactics work better than others. There are many different forms of posts that Reddit accepts, so let’s go over how they differ from each other and how you can expect them to be received. Photos are some of the most common posts on Reddit, and they were traditionally hosted on Imgur since Reddit had very little self-hosting when it first began. Since then, Imgur has become a lot less integral to posting images on Reddit, as they have implemented their own image hosting. Despite this, many long-time redditors still prefer to post their photos and albums on Imgur. When posting an image on Reddit, be sure that you choose the preferred hosting method for the subreddit that you’re on. If posting to /r/pics, you’ll typically want to make sure that the content of the photo is what will draw people to it instead of the caption giving it a context, as you’ll find that members of that community take that rule seriously. Much like images, videos on Reddit used to have to be hosted using third-party services like Youtube. Unlike images, the video player that Reddit has implemented on their own site is one of the worst you’ll find on such a popular website. Even the Reddit community tends to prefer posting their videos elsewhere and then linking to them. When posting videos on Reddit, you’ll have to consider that most redditors will scroll right past them, especially if they don’t immediately grab their attention. Shorter videos tend to be preferred by redditors, because most of them would rather keep scrolling through their feed instead of stopping for 20 minutes to watch an in-depth video. GIF files straddle the line between images and videos. GIFs tend to be small enough to easily share because they don’t feature any sound, and they can be saved just like images. They can also be viewed in most modern image viewers, ensuring you don’t need the right codecs like you do for videos. This has naturally made GIFs popular for sharing short clips on Reddit, especially when sound isn’t required. However, GIFs are growing less and less popular over time with the advent of other easily-accessed video types, like HTML video and .webm. Despite its waning popularity, the GIF is a proven way to upload short clips without resorting to a whole video. While text posts weren’t initially very popular on Reddit, there are now entire communities that revolve entirely around text posts. This is often because moderators notice a large number of memes and other low-effort posts on their subreddits, so they convert the submissions to text-only mode. Beyond those few cases where subreddits are restricted to text posts, these kinds of Reddit posts allow users to share their opinions without having to comment on another post. While it may seem strange for a content aggregator website, some text posts are far more popular than links or videos because they’re often easier to digest, and you don’t have to leave the site or app. Of course, the bread and butter of any content aggregator site like Reddit are the links that are shared on it. Links can lead to anywhere on the internet, provided the site isn’t filled with viruses, scams, or spammers, and they can apply to any subject, but they’re usually related to the subreddit they’re on. When sharing links, try to make sure that the resource you’re linking to hasn’t already been shared on Reddit. You’ll also want to ensure that your link lines up properly with the interests of your fellow redditors, otherwise, it will be likely to die in new before ever reaching the top of the subreddit. This guide has covered everything you need to know if you’re going to get started marketing on Reddit. First off, you’ll need a firm grasp of the site’s basics and what you can expect from the users as a marketer. We’ll repeat our suggestion that you should experience the site as a user before you start marketing on it. Taking your time to get to know Reddit will allow you to take advantage of the site’s unique culture while making your brand fit into it. While you may have to take a slightly different approach to marketing on Reddit compared to other social media platforms, it has the same astronomical potential as the others. A lot of advertisers get scared away from Reddit because of the outwardly hostile community, especially towards marketers, but that’s only because they don’t understand how to market to redditors. Dealing with the site’s denizens can be admittedly frustrating, but if it pays off, you’ll find that they’re some of the most loyal followers on the internet. When Redditors like a product, they’ll cling to it like it’s a plank in a shipwreck, and they’ll defend it to the ends of the earth if you show them that you support your community. The opposite is true if you try to treat Reddit like any old marketing opportunity, and you don’t care about how the site works and what its community thinks. Time and time again, redditors look back at the times that AMAs have gone horribly awry because marketers didn’t understand the point of an AMA. The amount of work it takes to advertise properly on Reddit also has the benefit of reducing the amount of competition that you have to deal with. From unique terms only used in their corner of the internet to a brilliant method of dividing the community into subreddits, it’s plain to see why Reddit has had so much success over the years. This allows the site’s users to overlook persistent flaws like a poor search algorithm and a somewhat dated interface. We hope that this guide has provided you with all the info you were looking for about marketing on Reddit. We wish you luck in your next marketing campaign! LEARN MORE ABOUT US Payperlead.com is a full service Performance Agency that helps you acquire customers at scale. The best part? You don't pay unless we're able to get you results.

Good Anime Movies Reddit Tubi offers streaming anime movies and tv you will love. Good anime movies reddit. Netflix subscribers.some titles may not currently be. Koe no katachi watch promotional video. There are a ton of great anime movies, and more come out every year. 2.0m members in the anime community. All the characters are nuts and it's impossible for anyone to like just one or two or three of them because you will love them all. I like all three, especially spirited away, but it hardly shows eclectic taste.some ones worth watching include belladonna of sadness, patlabor, end of evangelion, my neighbor the yamadas, adolescence of utena, metropolis, escaflowne: If you enjoy this list, check out a more recently updated version: Hunter x hunter (2014) anime. It has all the latest news, discussions and more. Also check out ecchimaster's recommendations(nsfw)(if you're into that kind of thing). While it covers a lot of similar ground to makoto shinkai's previous works (distant lovers, sense of loss, lots of clouds), this one is far and away his biggest success so far. As this is a list of anime series and shows to watch, no anime movies were considered for this feature. All three are pretty well known and probably among the most recognized anime movies in the west. Akira isn't only a great anime movie, and it isn't only great animation, even though it's both of those. Anime movies are some of the most breathtaking spectacles in film. A classic anime action film that seemed to come out of nowhere, sword of the stranger has a simple plot but executes its use of action sequences flawlessly. Here list the top 10 best anime streaming sites for your reference. Each of the legendary director’s films is a unique work of art worthy of celebration. - Safety Glasses With Readers Home Depot - Shoujo Tsubaki Anime Full Movie - Sandra Bullock Son 2020 Pictures - Sea Animals Toys Walmart - Service Dog Certification Ontario - Service Ontario Windsor Essex - Siamese Cross Cats Personality - Safety 1st Humidifier Parts - Safari App Icon Aesthetic Black And White - Small Tattoos With Meaning For Couples - Shower Chair For Elderly With Wheels - Small Skull Tattoo On Hand - Simple Flower Rangoli Designs Step By Step - Sky Sports Live Football Tonight - Security Service Around Me - Sad Anime Twitter Pfp Meme - Safety Measures At Home For Toddlers - Seen Hair Care Discount Code - Service Public Association Modification - Shower Chair Hire Near Me - Safety 1st Stroller Walmart - Sandra Bullock Movies Bird Box - Sintomas Covid 19 Ninos - Sea Of Thieves Riddles Not Working - Social Work Resume Examples 2018 - Shia Labeouf Just Do It Poster - Safety Dave Camera Price - Scavenger Hunt Online Zoom - Safety Precautions In Mechanical Workshop Pdf - Social Security Award Letter Image

submitted by bluegre123 to Bitcoin [link] [comments] A legal company is registered in London UK. There are physical and virtual products. Marketing on cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Follow just five steps to start a business 1. Register by the link 2. Fill out the profile, indicate your contacts for communication 3. Fill the balance with 0.019 bitcoins 4. Activate two Pools 1 and 2 5. Tell three friends about the opportunity and help them repeat your actions. It is very simple and profitable. Earn up to 130% of net profit for each partner. Complete 10 Pools with the team and earn 220 Bitcoinssubmitted by masterbit2 to u/masterbit2 [link] [comments] #BixUp #Bitcoin #earnbitcoins submitted by drassla to Makemoneyonlinewithme [link] [comments] |Google Auth||Authy||OTP Auth| |Gyft||Gift cards for hundreds of retailers including Amazon, Target, Walmart, Starbucks, Whole Foods, CVS, Lowes, Home Depot, iTunes, Best Buy, Sears, Kohls, eBay, GameStop, etc.| |Spendabit, Overstock and The Bitcoin Directory||Retail shopping with millions of results| |ShakePay||Generate one time use Visa cards in seconds| |NewEgg and Dell||For all your electronics needs| |Bitwa.la, Coinbills, Piixpay, Bitbill.eu, Bylls, Coins.ph, Bitrefill, LivingRoomofSatoshi, Coinsfer, and more||Bill payment| |Menufy, Takeaway and Thuisbezorgd NL||Takeout delivered to your door| |Expedia, Cheapair, Destinia, Abitsky, SkyTours, the Travel category on Gyft and 9flats||For when you need to get away| |Cryptostorm, Mullvad, and PIA||VPN services| |Namecheap, Porkbun||Domain name registration| |Stampnik||Discounted USPS Priority, Express, First-Class mail postage| |WorkingForBitcoins, Bitwage, Cryptogrind, Coinality, Bitgigs, /Jobs4Bitcoins, BitforTip, Rein Project||Freelancing| |Lolli||Earn bitcoin when you shop online!| |OpenBazaar, Purse.io, Bitify, /Bitmarket, 21 Market||Marketplaces| |/GirlsGoneBitcoin NSFW||Adult services| |Lightning Network||Second layer scaling| |Blockstream, Rootstock and Drivechain||Sidechains| |Hivemind and Augur||Prediction markets| |Tierion and Factom||Records & Titles on the blockchain| |BitMarkets, DropZone, Beaver and Open Bazaar||Decentralized markets| |JoinMarket and Wasabi Wallet||CoinJoin implementation| |Coinffeine and Bisq||Decentralized bitcoin exchanges| |Keybase||Identity & Reputation management| |Abra||Global P2P money transmitter network| |bitcoin||BTC||1 bitcoin||one bitcoin is equal to 100 million satoshis| |millibitcoin||mBTC||1,000 per bitcoin||used as default unit in recent Electrum wallet releases| |bit||bit||1,000,000 per bitcoin||colloquial "slang" term for microbitcoin (μBTC)| |satoshi||sat||100,000,000 per bitcoin||smallest unit in bitcoin, named after the inventor| submitted by j0j0r0 to ethereum [link] [comments] Dragonchain Public Proposal TL;DR:Dragonchain has demonstrated twice Reddit’s entire total daily volume (votes, comments, and posts per Reddit 2019 Year in Review) in a 24-hour demo on an operational network. Every single transaction on Dragonchain is decentralized immediately through 5 levels of Dragon Net, and then secured with combined proof on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, and Binance Chain, via Interchain. At the time, in January 2020, the entire cost of the demo was approximately $25K on a single system (transaction fees locked at $0.0001/txn). With current fees (lowest fee $0.0000025/txn), this would cost as little as $625. Watch Joe walk through the entire proposal and answer questions on YouTube. This proposal is also available on the Dragonchain blog. Hello Reddit and Ethereum community!I’m Joe Roets, Founder & CEO of Dragonchain. When the team and I first heard about The Great Reddit Scaling Bake-Off we were intrigued. We believe we have the solutions Reddit seeks for its community points system and we have them at scale. For your consideration, we have submitted our proposal below. The team at Dragonchain and I welcome and look forward to your technical questions, philosophical feedback, and fair criticism, to build a scaling solution for Reddit that will empower its users. Because our architecture is unlike other blockchain platforms out there today, we expect to receive many questions while people try to grasp our project. I will answer all questions here in this thread on Reddit, and I've answered some questions in the stream on YouTube. We have seen good discussions so far in the competition. We hope that Reddit’s scaling solution will emerge from The Great Reddit Scaling Bake-Off and that Reddit will have great success with the implementation. Executive summaryDragonchain is a robust open source hybrid blockchain platform that has proven to withstand the passing of time since our inception in 2014. We have continued to evolve to harness the scalability of private nodes, yet take full advantage of the security of public decentralized networks, like Ethereum. We have a live, operational, and fully functional Interchain network integrating Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, and ~700 independent Dragonchain nodes. Every transaction is secured to Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Ethereum Classic. Transactions are immediately usable on chain, and the first decentralization is seen within 20 seconds on Dragon Net. Security increases further to public networks ETH, BTC, and ETC within 10 minutes to 2 hours. Smart contracts can be written in any executable language, offering full freedom to existing developers. We invite any developer to watch the demo, play with our SDK’s, review open source code, and to help us move forward. Dragonchain specializes in scalable loyalty & rewards solutions and has built a decentralized social network on chain, with very affordable transaction costs. This experience can be combined with the insights Reddit and the Ethereum community have gained in the past couple of months to roll out the solution at a rapid pace. Response and PoCIn The Great Reddit Scaling Bake-Off post, Reddit has asked for a series of demonstrations, requirements, and other considerations. In this section, we will attempt to answer all of these requests. A live proof of concept showing hundreds of thousands of transactionsOn Jan 7, 2020, Dragonchain hosted a 24-hour live demonstration during which a quarter of a billion (250 million+) transactions executed fully on an operational network. Every single transaction on Dragonchain is decentralized immediately through 5 levels of Dragon Net, and then secured with combined proof on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, and Binance Chain, via Interchain. This means that every single transaction is secured by, and traceable to these networks. An attack on this system would require a simultaneous attack on all of the Interchained networks. 24 hours in 4 minutes (YouTube): 24 hours in 4 minutes The demonstration was of a single business system, and any user is able to scale this further, by running multiple systems simultaneously. Our goals for the event were to demonstrate a consistent capacity greater than that of Visa over an extended time period. Tooling to reproduce our demo is available here: Source code (for on & off-chain components as well tooling used for the PoC). The source code does not have to be shared publicly, but if Reddit decides to use a particular solution it will need to be shared with Reddit at some point. How it works & scales Architectural ScalingDragonchain’s architecture attacks the scalability issue from multiple angles. Dragonchain is a hybrid blockchain platform, wherein every transaction is protected on a business node to the requirements of that business or purpose. A business node may be held completely private or may be exposed or replicated to any level of exposure desired. Every node has its own blockchain and is independently scalable. Dragonchain established Context Based Verification as its consensus model. Every transaction is immediately usable on a trust basis, and in time is provable to an increasing level of decentralized consensus. A transaction will have a level of decentralization to independently owned and deployed Dragonchain nodes (~700 nodes) within seconds, and full decentralization to BTC and ETH within minutes or hours. Level 5 nodes (Interchain nodes) function to secure all transactions to public or otherwise external chains such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. These nodes scale the system by aggregating multiple blocks into a single Interchain transaction on a cadence. This timing is configurable based upon average fees for each respective chain. For detailed information about Dragonchain’s architecture, and Context Based Verification, please refer to the Dragonchain Architecture Document. Economic ScalingAn interesting feature of Dragonchain’s network consensus is its economics and scarcity model. Since Dragon Net nodes (L2-L4) are independent staking nodes, deployment to cloud platforms would allow any of these nodes to scale to take on a large percentage of the verification work. This is great for scalability, but not good for the economy, because there is no scarcity, and pricing would develop a downward spiral and result in fewer verification nodes. For this reason, Dragonchain uses TIME as scarcity. TIME is calculated as the number of Dragons held, multiplied by the number of days held. TIME influences the user’s access to features within the Dragonchain ecosystem. It takes into account both the Dragon balance and length of time each Dragon is held. TIME is staked by users against every verification node and dictates how much of the transaction fees are awarded to each participating node for every block. TIME also dictates the transaction fee itself for the business node. TIME is staked against a business node to set a deterministic transaction fee level (see transaction fee table below in Cost section). This is very interesting in a discussion about scaling because it guarantees independence for business implementation. No matter how much traffic appears on the entire network, a business is guaranteed to not see an increased transaction fee rate. Scaled DeploymentDragonchain uses Docker and Kubernetes to allow the use of best practices traditional system scaling. Dragonchain offers managed nodes with an easy to use web based console interface. The user may also deploy a Dragonchain node within their own datacenter or favorite cloud platform. Users have deployed Dragonchain nodes on-prem on Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, MS Azure, and other hosting platforms around the world. Any executable code, anything you can write, can be written into a smart contract. This flexibility is what allows us to say that developers with no blockchain experience can use any code language to access the benefits of blockchain. Customers have used NodeJS, Python, Java, and even BASH shell script to write smart contracts on Dragonchain. With Docker containers, we achieve better separation of concerns, faster deployment, higher reliability, and lower response times. We chose Kubernetes for its self-healing features, ability to run multiple services on one server, and its large and thriving development community. It is resilient, scalable, and automated. OpenFaaS allows us to package smart contracts as Docker images for easy deployment. Contract deployment time is now bounded only by the size of the Docker image being deployed but remains fast even for reasonably large images. We also take advantage of Docker’s flexibility and its ability to support any language that can run on x86 architecture. Any image, public or private, can be run as a smart contract using Dragonchain. Flexibility in ScalingDragonchain’s architecture considers interoperability and integration as key features. From inception, we had a goal to increase adoption via integration with real business use cases and traditional systems. We envision the ability for Reddit, in the future, to be able to integrate alternate content storage platforms or other financial services along with the token. Cost estimates (on-chain and off-chain) For the purpose of this proposal, we assume that all transactions are on chain (posts, replies, and votes).On the Dragonchain network, transaction costs are deterministic/predictable. By staking TIME on the business node (as described above) Reddit can reduce transaction costs to as low as $0.0000025 per transaction. Dragonchain Fees Table How to run itBuilding on Dragonchain is simple and requires no blockchain experience. Spin up a business node (L1) in our managed environment (AWS), run it in your own cloud environment, or on-prem in your own datacenter. Clear documentation will walk you through the steps of spinning up your first Dragonchain Level 1 Business node. Getting started is easy... ArchitectureDragonchain is an open source hybrid platform. Through Dragon Net, each chain combines the power of a public blockchain (like Ethereum) with the privacy of a private blockchain. Dragonchain organizes its network into five separate levels. A Level 1, or business node, is a totally private blockchain only accessible through the use of public/private keypairs. All business logic, including smart contracts, can be executed on this node directly and added to the chain. After creating a block, the Level 1 business node broadcasts a version stripped of sensitive private data to Dragon Net. Three Level 2 Validating nodes validate the transaction based on guidelines determined from the business. A Level 3 Diversity node checks that the level 2 nodes are from a diverse array of locations. A Level 4 Notary node, hosted by a KYC partner, then signs the validation record received from the Level 3 node. The transaction hash is ledgered to the Level 5 public chain to take advantage of the hash power of massive public networks. Dragon Net can be thought of as a “blockchain of blockchains”, where every level is a complete private blockchain. Because an L1 can send to multiple nodes on a single level, proof of existence is distributed among many places in the network. Eventually, proof of existence reaches level 5 and is published on a public network. APIs (on chain & off) Known issues or tradeoffs Costs and resources Summary of cost & resource information for both on-chain & off-chain components used in the PoC, as well as cost & resource estimates for further scaling. If your PoC is not on mainnet, make note of any mainnet caveats (such as congestion issues).Every transaction on the PoC system had a transaction fee of $0.0001 (one-hundredth of a cent USD). At 256MM transactions, the demo cost $25,600. With current operational fees, the same demonstration would cost $640 USD. For the demonstration, to achieve throughput to mimic a worldwide payments network, we modeled several clients in AWS and 4-5 business nodes to handle the traffic. The business nodes were tuned to handle higher throughput by adjusting memory and machine footprint on AWS. This flexibility is valuable to implementing a system such as envisioned by Reddit. Given that Reddit’s daily traffic (posts, replies, and votes) is less than half that of our demo, we would expect that the entire Reddit system could be handled on 2-5 business nodes using right-sized containers on AWS or similar environments. Verification was accomplished on the operational Dragon Net network with over 700 independently owned verification nodes running around the world at no cost to the business other than paid transaction fees. This PoC should scale to the numbers below with minimal costs (both on & off-chain). There should also be a clear path to supporting hundreds of millions of users.During Dragonchain’s 24 hour demo, the above required numbers were reached within the first few minutes. Reddit’s total activity is 9000% more than Ethereum’s total transaction level. Even if you do not include votes, it is still 700% more than Ethereum’s current volume. Dragonchain has demonstrated that it can handle 250 million transactions a day, and it’s architecture allows for multiple systems to work at that level simultaneously. In our PoC, we demonstrate double the full capacity of Reddit, and every transaction was proven all the way to Bitcoin and Ethereum. Reddit Scaling on Ethereum Solutions should not depend on any single third-party provider. We prefer solutions that do not depend on specific entities such as Reddit or another provider, and solutions with no single point of control or failure in off-chain components but recognize there are numerous trade-offs to considerDragonchain’s architecture calls for a hybrid approach. Private business nodes hold the sensitive data while the validation and verification of transactions for the business are decentralized within seconds and secured to public blockchains within 10 minutes to 2 hours. Nodes could potentially be controlled by owners of individual subreddits for more organic decentralization. Usability Scaling solutions should have a simple end user experience. Users shouldn't have to maintain any extra state/proofs, regularly monitor activity, keep track of extra keys, or sign anything other than their normal transactionsDragonchain and its customers have demonstrated extraordinary usability as a feature in many applications, where users do not need to know that the system is backed by a live blockchain. Lyceum is one of these examples, where the progress of academy courses is being tracked, and successful completion of courses is rewarded with certificates on chain. Our @Save_The_Tweet bot is popular on Twitter. When used with one of the following hashtags - #please, #blockchain, #ThankYou, or #eternalize the tweet is saved through Eternal to multiple blockchains. A proof report is available for future reference. Other examples in use are DEN, our decentralized social media platform, and our console, where users can track their node rewards, view their TIME, and operate a business node. Transactions complete in a reasonable amount of time (seconds or minutes, not hours or days)All transactions are immediately usable on chain by the system. A transaction begins the path to decentralization at the conclusion of a 5-second block when it gets distributed across 5 separate community run nodes. Full decentralization occurs within 10 minutes to 2 hours depending on which interchain (Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Ethereum Classic) the transaction hits first. Within approximately 2 hours, the combined hash power of all interchained blockchains secures the transaction. Free to use for end users (no gas fees, or fixed/minimal fees that Reddit can pay on their behalf)With transaction pricing as low as $0.0000025 per transaction, it may be considered reasonable for Reddit to cover transaction fees for users. All of Reddit's Transactions on Blockchain (month) Community points can be earned by users and distributed directly to their Reddit account in batch (as per Reddit minting plan), and allow users to withdraw rewards to their Ethereum wallet whenever they wish. Withdrawal fees can be paid by either user or Reddit. This model has been operating inside the Dragonchain system since 2018, and many security and financial compliance features can be optionally added. We feel that this capability greatly enhances user experience because it is seamless to a regular user without cryptocurrency experience, yet flexible to a tech savvy user. With regard to currency or token transactions, these would occur on the Reddit network, verified to BTC and ETH. These transactions would incur the $0.0000025 transaction fee. To estimate this fee we use the monthly active Reddit users statista with a 60% adoption rate and an estimated 10 transactions per month average resulting in an approximate $720 cost across the system. Reddit could feasibly incur all associated internal network charges (mining/minting, transfer, burn) as these are very low and controllable fees. Reddit Internal Token Transaction Fees Reddit Ethereum Token Transaction Fees When we consider further the Ethereum fees that might be incurred, we have a few choices for a solution. Users should be able to view their balances & transactions via a blockchain explorer-style interfaceFrom interfaces for users who have no knowledge of blockchain technology to users who are well versed in blockchain terms such as those present in a typical block explorer, a system powered by Dragonchain has flexibility on how to provide balances and transaction data to users. Transactions can be made viewable in an Eternal Proof Report, which displays raw data along with TIME staking information and traceability all the way to Bitcoin, Ethereum, and every other Interchained network. The report shows fields such as transaction ID, timestamp, block ID, multiple verifications, and Interchain proof. See example here. Node payouts within the Dragonchain console are listed in chronological order and can be further seen in either Dragons or USD. See example here. In our social media platform, Dragon Den, users can see, in real-time, their NRG and MTR balances. See example here. A new influencer app powered by Dragonchain, Raiinmaker, breaks down data into a user friendly interface that shows coin portfolio, redeemed rewards, and social scores per campaign. See example here. Exiting is fast & simpleWithdrawing funds on Dragonchain’s console requires three clicks, however, withdrawal scenarios with more enhanced security features per Reddit’s discretion are obtainable. Interoperability Compatibility with third party apps (wallets/contracts/etc) is necessary.Proven interoperability at scale that surpasses the required specifications. Our entire platform consists of interoperable blockchains connected to each other and traditional systems. APIs are well documented. Third party permissions are possible with a simple smart contract without the end user being aware. No need to learn any specialized proprietary language. Any code base (not subsets) is usable within a Docker container. Interoperable with any blockchain or traditional APIs. We’ve witnessed relatively complex systems built by engineers with no blockchain or cryptocurrency experience. We’ve also demonstrated the creation of smart contracts within minutes built with BASH shell and Node.js. Please see our source code and API documentation. Scaling solutions should be extensible and allow third parties to build on top of it Open source and extensible Documentation should be clear and completeFor full documentation, explore our docs, SDK’s, Github repo’s, architecture documents, original Disney documentation, and other links or resources provided in this proposal. Third-party permissionless integrations should be possible & straightforward Smart contracts are Docker based, can be written in any language, use full language (not subsets), and can therefore be integrated with any system including traditional system APIs. Simple is better. Learning an uncommon or proprietary language should not be necessary.Advanced knowledge of mathematics, cryptography, or L2 scaling should not be required. Compatibility with common utilities & toolchains is expected. Dragonchain business nodes and smart contracts leverage Docker to allow the use of literally any language or executable code. No proprietary language is necessary. We’ve witnessed relatively complex systems built by engineers with no blockchain or cryptocurrency experience. We’ve also demonstrated the creation of smart contracts within minutes built with BASH shell and Node.js. Bonus Points: Show us how it works. Do you have an idea for a cool new use case for Community Points? Build it! TIMECommunity points could be awarded to Reddit users based upon TIME too, whereas the longer someone is part of a subreddit, the more community points someone naturally gained, even if not actively commenting or sharing new posts. A daily login could be required for these community points to be credited. This grants awards to readers too and incentivizes readers to create an account on Reddit if they browse the website often. This concept could also be leveraged to provide some level of reputation based upon duration and consistency of contribution to a community subreddit. Dragon DenDragonchain has already built a social media platform that harnesses community involvement. Dragon Den is a decentralized community built on the Dragonchain blockchain platform. Dragon Den is Dragonchain’s answer to fake news, trolling, and censorship. It incentivizes the creation and evaluation of quality content within communities. It could be described as being a shareholder of a subreddit or Reddit in its entirety. The more your subreddit is thriving, the more rewarding it will be. Den is currently in a public beta and in active development, though the real token economy is not live yet. There are different tokens for various purposes. Two tokens are Lair Ownership Rights (LOR) and Lair Ownership Tokens (LOT). LOT is a non-fungible token for ownership of a specific Lair. LOT will only be created and converted from LOR. Energy (NRG) and Matter (MTR) work jointly. Your MTR determines how much NRG you receive in a 24-hour period. Providing quality content, or evaluating content will earn MTR. Security. Users have full ownership & control of their points.All community points awarded based upon any type of activity or gift, are secured and provable to all Interchain networks (currently BTC, ETH, ETC). Users are free to spend and withdraw their points as they please, depending on the features Reddit wants to bring into production. Balances and transactions cannot be forged, manipulated, or blocked by Reddit or anyone elseUsers can withdraw their balance to their ERC20 wallet, directly through Reddit. Reddit can cover the fees on their behalf, or the user covers this with a portion of their balance. Users should own their points and be able to get on-chain ERC20 tokens without permission from anyone elseThrough our console users can withdraw their ERC20 rewards. This can be achieved on Reddit too. Here is a walkthrough of our console, though this does not show the quick withdrawal functionality, a user can withdraw at any time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNlTMxnfVHw Points should be recoverable to on-chain ERC20 tokens even if all third-parties involved go offlineIf necessary, signed transactions from the Reddit system (e.g. Reddit + Subreddit) can be sent to the Ethereum smart contract for minting. A public, third-party review attesting to the soundness of the design should be availableTo our knowledge, at least two large corporations, including a top 3 accounting firm, have conducted positive reviews. These reviews have never been made public, as Dragonchain did not pay or contract for these studies to be released. Bonus pointsSee above Compatibility with HSMs & hardware walletsFor the purpose of this proposal, all tokenization would be on the Ethereum network using standard token contracts and as such, would be able to leverage all hardware wallet and Ethereum ecosystem services. Minting/distributing tokens is not performed by Reddit directlyThis operation can be automated by smart contract on Ethereum. Subreddits can if desired have a role to play. One off point burning, as well as recurring, non-interactive point burning (for subreddit memberships) should be possible and scalableThis is possible and scalable with interaction between Dragonchain Reddit system and Ethereum token contract(s). Fully open-source solutions are strongly preferredDragonchain is fully open source (see section on Disney release after conclusion). ConclusionWhether it is today, or in the future, we would like to work together to bring secure flexibility to the highest standards. It is our hope to be considered by Ethereum, Reddit, and other integrative solutions so we may further discuss the possibilities of implementation. In our public demonstration, 256 million transactions were handled in our operational network on chain in 24 hours, for the low cost of $25K, which if run today would cost $625. Dragonchain’s interoperable foundation provides the atmosphere necessary to implement a frictionless community points system. Thank you for your consideration of our proposal. We look forward to working with the community to make something great! Disney Releases Blockchain Platform as Open SourceThe team at Disney created the Disney Private Blockchain Platform. The system was a hybrid interoperable blockchain platform for ledgering and smart contract development geared toward solving problems with blockchain adoption and usability. All objective evaluation would consider the team’s output a success. We released a list of use cases that we explored in some capacity at Disney, and our input on blockchain standardization as part of our participation in the W3C Blockchain Community Group. Open SourceIn 2016, Roets proposed to release the platform as open source to spread the technology outside of Disney, as others within the W3C group were interested in the solutions that had been created inside of Disney. Following a long process, step by step, the team met requirements for release. Among the requirements, the team had to: The Disney Open Source Committee approved the application known as OSSRELEASE-10, and the code was released on October 2, 2016. Disney decided to not issue a press release. Original OSSRELASE-10 document Dragonchain FoundationThe Dragonchain Foundation was created on January 17, 2017. https://den.social/l/Dragonchain/24130078352e485d96d2125082151cf0/dragonchain-and-disney/ suddenly be incentive to hold iota?to generate Mana There are two basic building blocks in DeFi/OpFi though: 1) stablecoins as you need a non-volatile currency to get access to this market and 2) a dex to be able to trade all these financial assets. The rest are built on top of these blocks. So far, together with our partners and community, we have worked on developing these building blocks with XSGD as a stablecoin. We are working on bringing a USD-backed stablecoin as well. We will soon have a decentralised exchange developed by Switcheo. And with HGX going live, we are also venturing into the tokenization space. More to come in the future.” submitted by Smart_Smell to Robopay [link] [comments] Initial capital in Bitcoin trading: experts have named the minimum amount To begin with, one dollar may be enough on the cryptocurrency market, but in the future, experts recommend investing in digital money at least a thousand, and even tens of thousands of dollars. The popularity of digital money is growing in 2020. More and more people are seeking to enter the blockchain industry through investing, mining or trading. However, first you need to decide how much money can be allocated for a risky attempt to make money on cryptocurrency. Experts told why $1 sometimes may be enough, and in which case it is not worth coming to the market without $50,000 in stock. $ 1 tradingVladislav Antonov, analyst at IAC “Alpari” If a person comes to the market to trade, then he must first learn this craft and only then decide with what amount to start. You can buy a Porsche and tie it in a knot in a few minutes. To get behind the wheel of a car, you need to learn the rules of the road and learn how to manage them, avoiding accidents. After training, pass the exam and get a license. Here the market takes the exam. If you break the rules, he takes money from the deposit through traders who are on the other side of you. On the Binance market, you can start trading with as little as $1. There is such a cryptocurrency — Stellar (XLM). 10 tokens cost 0.03 USDT, 100 tokens — 0.39 USDT, 1000–3.91 USDT. You can make 100 trades at 1 XLM, and you won’t even get losses by $1. Perfect conditions to hone your skills. The market can also be compared to ultimate fighting. Here it is important not to start with what amount, but to learn how to correctly calculate the trading volume from the protective stop. That is, a trader must first determine how much he is risking in one deal and calculate the risk. It is believed that the risk in one transaction should not exceed 5% of the deposit, and better not more than 2%. First you train, then you enter the ring. If you take, for example, a $100 deposit, then 5% will be $5. You clearly know that if the market goes against you, you will lose $5. 90% do not do this and, using large shoulders, lose everything. Then, after analyzing the market, you find the entry point and the level where the protective stop will be placed (the level at which the loss will be closed). This is where the main problem of traders’ failures lies. Everyone wants to make a million from $100, only they take big risks. The trader must find a comfortable amount of losses. Loss is the right to earn like a business expense. When a trader gives up driving on the market with a small amount of the deposit, then he can increase it. It doesn’t matter from what amount you count 2%. If the deposit is $1000, then this is a risk of $20, if the deposit is $10,000 — $200, etc. It is necessary to answer the question: at what amount of loss is it comfortable for me to trade? And if it is possible to reduce the risk per trade by less than 2%, then it is worth doing. $1000 and diversificationAndrey Podolyan, CEO Cryptorg.Exchange The average static deposit on crypto exchanges can be considered a deposit of about $1000. In general, for many traders this is already the amount that it is a pity to lose and with which it is interesting to work. However, it is worth focusing on the income that OTC activities bring to the trader / investor. If a person earns $10,000 and more monthly, then, naturally, he will not be interested in a $1,000 deposit. And if a person earns $500–1000, then a $1000 deposit for him will be even too large an amount. In my opinion, a trader is successful if he earns a little higher than the average national salary. Example: Average salary is $1000. On average, a trader earns 10% per month on his deposit. Therefore, the working deposit must be at least $10,000. Valery Petrov, RACIB Vice President for Market Development and Regulation When determining investments in cryptocurrency, first of all, you need to understand that cryptocurrency cannot be the only asset in an investment portfolio. It must be diversified according to the risk-return criterion. The point of this approach is as follows: the entire portfolio is structured according to the level of risk that you are willing to take on. Since cryptocurrency belongs to high-risk assets and, in fact, is a speculative asset, the risks of losses for which are very high, it makes no sense to allocate more than 25–30% of the portfolio to such an asset class. Especially in today’s market, when the classical theory of portfolio investment does not work very well. “Black swans” and other market fluctuations are constantly encountered, which do not fit into the classical theory of investor behavior in the market. For a person whose main income is wages, the formation of such an investment volume should occur gradually. My recommendation is to transfer to such an investment portfolio about 10% of monthly income, despite the fact that it is at least $1500–2000. Then any loss will not greatly affect the lifestyle. It makes no sense to start investing in cryptocurrencies from the very first deduction. A third of the conditional $200 is an insignificant amount to go to the digital money market with it. On the crypto market, it is advisable to start operations from an amount of approximately $1000. Then the commissions and market fluctuations that exist there will not lead to quick and negative changes in the portfolio. From this amount, you can increase investments in the crypto market. At the same time, it is necessary to observe the proportions according to which the volume of investments in cryptocurrencies should not exceed 25–30% of the portfolio, given that other assets are less risky, but they will be able to ensure stability. Investments from $ 50,000Victor Pershikov, Lead Analyst at 8848 Invest When determining the minimum investment amount, you need to take into account the specifics of the cryptocurrency market, which distinguishes this site from classical financial markets. Firstly, the cryptocurrency market is incomparably more volatile than classic financial instruments, which is reflected in both higher incomes and higher risks of losing funds. In this regard, the initial capital must be sufficient in order to receive a decent return on investment, while remaining tolerant of risk. Secondly, price corrections in the cryptocurrency market are more significant than corrections in other markets, and can reach 70–90% of the developing trend movement. This also leaves an imprint on the initial capital requirements, because the investor must understand that he is just facing a deep correction and not sell his assets ahead of time, fearing a trend reversal. The cryptocurrency market is still very young and there are high risks of various manipulations. In this regard, the investor should distribute his assets into the most diversified portfolio possible so that a collapse or bursting of a bubble in one sector does not lead to significant capital losses. Therefore, an investor must have a higher, by the standards of classical markets, initial capital in order to comfortably invest in digital assets. I recommend starting investing in digital assets with an amount of at least $50,000, since this amount of funds, on the one hand, allows you to receive income that exceeds income from classical financial markets, and on the other hand, you can be calm and wait out the drawdown or decrease in the crypto market capitalization, which happens quite regularly. I would also advise focusing not on margin trading, but on investing in digital assets, since on the one hand, intraday trading is statistically successful with a fairly small number of participants, and on the other hand, the bullish nature of digital assets, coupled with a very real opportunity selecting truly worthwhile assets into your portfolio allows even a not too experienced trader to succeed in the CFA market. Subscribe to our Telegram channel One of the most prominent reasons people invest in cryptocurrencies is that it is a hedge. It has been proven with some clarity that the asset class operates independently of traditional markets. A lot of established investors and firms have invested in the market just to diversify their portfolio, the most recent being MicroStrategy, which invested $250 million in Bitcoin and other assets.submitted by QDAODeFi to u/QDAODeFi [link] [comments] But even within the cryptocurrency asset class, there are several ways in which one can diversify their income. In some ways, it may even be better than other assets classes, as it can be tokenized in digital form. There are challenges too, most notably, a high barrier of entry for the non-tech-savvy. We’ll get to the ‘how’ in a bit. Let’s turn our attention back to the ‘why’. Cryptocurrencies provide many ways in which to diversify your portfolio but one of the best ways is with passive income options, of which there are several. The most talked about option is easily Decentralized Finance (DeFi), which will be the subject of our discussion today. It’s important to know how the service works in order to make the most out of it. Unfortunately, there are many out there seeking to capitalize on the mania and make quick a buck — but that’ll never happen. The purpose of this piece is to help you position yourself for passive income maximization with DeFi and possibly even make a decent profit. The time frame you are looking at is months, not days, so don’t get hasty. The best value comes from long-term investments. The QDeFi team is here to make everything easy for you. What is DeFi and Yield Farming? The chances are, you have heard of DeFi. Given the buzz, it’s been hitting the headlines and is even being talked about in mainstream finance. So there is a good probability that you know about this rapidly developing niche in the cryptocurrency space. Even if the practical aspect of investing is a little technical, the concept itself is fairly simple. DeFi is simply various financial services (like lending and borrowing) that are completely decentralized. There is no middleman involved in the process of lending or trading, meaning that there is no centralized entity to take a cut or slow down the process. Everything happens between the two concerned parties, which results in greater security and faster transactions. How is this done, you might ask. Mostly through smart contracts and other technologies that take care of dispute resolutions to ensure disagreements are settled fairly. Governance by all of the asset holders also means that the terms of the services can be adjusted, according to their liking and not by some centralized party charging rates to benefit themselves. But perhaps the most salient feature of DeFi is that anyone can easily participate. You don’t need to go through a lengthy process just to be eligible and you don’t need to have extensive documentation either. Since this is a new space with evolving technology, the tricky part is making your first investments, which can be challenging. This is true for all cryptocurrency activities but doubly so for such a recent thing as DeFi. The issue can boil down to user-friendliness. Most DeFi protocols and platforms are not user-friendly at the moment, leaving participation accessible only to those who possess some technical knowledge. But that’s why we’re writing this — so you can begin your foray into DeFi following this a step by step guide without having to worry about making a mistake. But before that, we’ll have to learn a little about yield farming. What is Yield Farming in detail ? Ifyou’re going to invest in something, you’re going to want to choose something to invest in. And any investor in the market will tell you that yield farming is where it’s at. Strange name, you might think, but cryptocurrencies are no strangers to terms like this (“mining” for example). And the phrase is pretty self-explanatory. Investors simply use their existing assets/collateral on certain platforms, providing liquidity and generating revenue for their contribution. This may all sound confusing, but let’s break it down (we’ll go through specific examples shortly as well). In a nutshell, yield farming is simply letting idle assets generate revenue by making them useful to others. The hot topic right now is liquidity pools, which is where you contribute to an asset’s liquidity by providing it to a liquidity pool on a platform like Uniswap. But the real trick is knowing how to find the synergies between the various DeFi services, i.e. forming a yield farming strategy. As another example, you can borrow a stake on a platform and use that to contribute to a liquidity pool and earn fees. These are the yield farming strategies that some individuals are very adept at forming. Compound this with governance tokens that platforms release and you have a pretty nifty way of earning tokens, which could potentially reach a high value in the medium to long term. That’s why investors have been rushing towards DeFi. Now we get to the most exciting part of learning about yield farming — what are the best performing protocols and how much can we realistically make? Some of the most notable choices for yield farming protocols and platforms are the following: We’ve mentioned different types of protocols because rates may vary and it does take some constant supervision of the market to know where the best rates lie. The aforementioned projects are only some of the choices you have for yield farming, but they are among the better ones because they have avoided catastrophic incidents so far. Going over the particulars of each protocol is out of the scope of this guide but we’ll use some of them to run you through your first DeFi investment. From there, you should be able to manage on your own and use the plentiful resources of the internet to refine your strategies. Sourcesubmitted by pascalbernoulli to Yield_Farming [link] [comments] It’s effectively July 2017 in the world of decentralized finance (DeFi), and as in the heady days of the initial coin offering (ICO) boom, the numbers are only trending up. According to DeFi Pulse, there is $1.9 billion in crypto assets locked in DeFi right now. According to the CoinDesk ICO Tracker, the ICO market started chugging past $1 billion in July 2017, just a few months before token sales started getting talked about on TV. Debate juxtaposing these numbers if you like, but what no one can question is this: Crypto users are putting more and more value to work in DeFi applications, driven largely by the introduction of a whole new yield-generating pasture, Compound’s COMP governance token. Governance tokens enable users to vote on the future of decentralized protocols, sure, but they also present fresh ways for DeFi founders to entice assets onto their platforms. That said, it’s the crypto liquidity providers who are the stars of the present moment. They even have a meme-worthy name: yield farmers. Where it startedEthereum-based credit market Compound started distributing its governance token, COMP, to the protocol’s users this past June 15. Demand for the token (heightened by the way its automatic distribution was structured) kicked off the present craze and moved Compound into the leading position in DeFi. The hot new term in crypto is “yield farming,” a shorthand for clever strategies where putting crypto temporarily at the disposal of some startup’s application earns its owner more cryptocurrency. Another term floating about is “liquidity mining.” The buzz around these concepts has evolved into a low rumble as more and more people get interested. The casual crypto observer who only pops into the market when activity heats up might be starting to get faint vibes that something is happening right now. Take our word for it: Yield farming is the source of those vibes. But if all these terms (“DeFi,” “liquidity mining,” “yield farming”) are so much Greek to you, fear not. We’re here to catch you up. We’ll get into all of them. We’re going to go from very basic to more advanced, so feel free to skip ahead. What are tokens?Most CoinDesk readers probably know this, but just in case: Tokens are like the money video-game players earn while fighting monsters, money they can use to buy gear or weapons in the universe of their favorite game. But with blockchains, tokens aren’t limited to only one massively multiplayer online money game. They can be earned in one and used in lots of others. They usually represent either ownership in something (like a piece of a Uniswap liquidity pool, which we will get into later) or access to some service. For example, in the Brave browser, ads can only be bought using basic attention token (BAT). If tokens are worth money, then you can bank with them or at least do things that look very much like banking. Thus: decentralized finance. Tokens proved to be the big use case for Ethereum, the second-biggest blockchain in the world. The term of art here is “ERC-20 tokens,” which refers to a software standard that allows token creators to write rules for them. Tokens can be used a few ways. Often, they are used as a form of money within a set of applications. So the idea for Kin was to create a token that web users could spend with each other at such tiny amounts that it would almost feel like they weren’t spending anything; that is, money for the internet. Governance tokens are different. They are not like a token at a video-game arcade, as so many tokens were described in the past. They work more like certificates to serve in an ever-changing legislature in that they give holders the right to vote on changes to a protocol. So on the platform that proved DeFi could fly, MakerDAO, holders of its governance token, MKR, vote almost every week on small changes to parameters that govern how much it costs to borrow and how much savers earn, and so on. Read more: Why DeFi’s Billion-Dollar Milestone Matters One thing all crypto tokens have in common, though, is they are tradable and they have a price. So, if tokens are worth money, then you can bank with them or at least do things that look very much like banking. Thus: decentralized finance. What is DeFi?Fair question. For folks who tuned out for a bit in 2018, we used to call this “open finance.” That construction seems to have faded, though, and “DeFi” is the new lingo. In case that doesn’t jog your memory, DeFi is all the things that let you play with money, and the only identification you need is a crypto wallet. On the normal web, you can’t buy a blender without giving the site owner enough data to learn your whole life history. In DeFi, you can borrow money without anyone even asking for your name. I can explain this but nothing really brings it home like trying one of these applications. If you have an Ethereum wallet that has even $20 worth of crypto in it, go do something on one of these products. Pop over to Uniswap and buy yourself some FUN (a token for gambling apps) or WBTC (wrapped bitcoin). Go to MakerDAO and create $5 worth of DAI (a stablecoin that tends to be worth $1) out of the digital ether. Go to Compound and borrow $10 in USDC. (Notice the very small amounts I’m suggesting. The old crypto saying “don’t put in more than you can afford to lose” goes double for DeFi. This stuff is uber-complex and a lot can go wrong. These may be “savings” products but they’re not for your retirement savings.) Immature and experimental though it may be, the technology’s implications are staggering. On the normal web, you can’t buy a blender without giving the site owner enough data to learn your whole life history. In DeFi, you can borrow money without anyone even asking for your name. DeFi applications don’t worry about trusting you because they have the collateral you put up to back your debt (on Compound, for instance, a $10 debt will require around $20 in collateral). Read more: There Are More DAI on Compound Now Than There Are DAI in the World If you do take this advice and try something, note that you can swap all these things back as soon as you’ve taken them out. Open the loan and close it 10 minutes later. It’s fine. Fair warning: It might cost you a tiny bit in fees, and the cost of using Ethereum itself right now is much higher than usual, in part due to this fresh new activity. But it’s nothing that should ruin a crypto user. So what’s the point of borrowing for people who already have the money? Most people do it for some kind of trade. The most obvious example, to short a token (the act of profiting if its price falls). It’s also good for someone who wants to hold onto a token but still play the market. Doesn’t running a bank take a lot of money up front?It does, and in DeFi that money is largely provided by strangers on the internet. That’s why the startups behind these decentralized banking applications come up with clever ways to attract HODLers with idle assets. Liquidity is the chief concern of all these different products. That is: How much money do they have locked in their smart contracts? “In some types of products, the product experience gets much better if you have liquidity. Instead of borrowing from VCs or debt investors, you borrow from your users,” said Electric Capital managing partner Avichal Garg. Let’s take Uniswap as an example. Uniswap is an “automated market maker,” or AMM (another DeFi term of art). This means Uniswap is a robot on the internet that is always willing to buy and it’s also always willing to sell any cryptocurrency for which it has a market. On Uniswap, there is at least one market pair for almost any token on Ethereum. Behind the scenes, this means Uniswap can make it look like it is making a direct trade for any two tokens, which makes it easy for users, but it’s all built around pools of two tokens. And all these market pairs work better with bigger pools. Why do I keep hearing about ‘pools’?To illustrate why more money helps, let’s break down how Uniswap works. Let’s say there was a market for USDC and DAI. These are two tokens (both stablecoins but with different mechanisms for retaining their value) that are meant to be worth $1 each all the time, and that generally tends to be true for both. The price Uniswap shows for each token in any pooled market pair is based on the balance of each in the pool. So, simplifying this a lot for illustration’s sake, if someone were to set up a USDC/DAI pool, they should deposit equal amounts of both. In a pool with only 2 USDC and 2 DAI it would offer a price of 1 USDC for 1 DAI. But then imagine that someone put in 1 DAI and took out 1 USDC. Then the pool would have 1 USDC and 3 DAI. The pool would be very out of whack. A savvy investor could make an easy $0.50 profit by putting in 1 USDC and receiving 1.5 DAI. That’s a 50% arbitrage profit, and that’s the problem with limited liquidity. (Incidentally, this is why Uniswap’s prices tend to be accurate, because traders watch it for small discrepancies from the wider market and trade them away for arbitrage profits very quickly.) Read more: Uniswap V2 Launches With More Token-Swap Pairs, Oracle Service, Flash Loans However, if there were 500,000 USDC and 500,000 DAI in the pool, a trade of 1 DAI for 1 USDC would have a negligible impact on the relative price. That’s why liquidity is helpful. You can stick your assets on Compound and earn a little yield. But that’s not very creative. Users who look for angles to maximize that yield: those are the yield farmers. Similar effects hold across DeFi, so markets want more liquidity. Uniswap solves this by charging a tiny fee on every trade. It does this by shaving off a little bit from each trade and leaving that in the pool (so one DAI would actually trade for 0.997 USDC, after the fee, growing the overall pool by 0.003 USDC). This benefits liquidity providers because when someone puts liquidity in the pool they own a share of the pool. If there has been lots of trading in that pool, it has earned a lot of fees, and the value of each share will grow. And this brings us back to tokens. Liquidity added to Uniswap is represented by a token, not an account. So there’s no ledger saying, “Bob owns 0.000000678% of the DAI/USDC pool.” Bob just has a token in his wallet. And Bob doesn’t have to keep that token. He could sell it. Or use it in another product. We’ll circle back to this, but it helps to explain why people like to talk about DeFi products as “money Legos.” So how much money do people make by putting money into these products?It can be a lot more lucrative than putting money in a traditional bank, and that’s before startups started handing out governance tokens. Compound is the current darling of this space, so let’s use it as an illustration. As of this writing, a person can put USDC into Compound and earn 2.72% on it. They can put tether (USDT) into it and earn 2.11%. Most U.S. bank accounts earn less than 0.1% these days, which is close enough to nothing. However, there are some caveats. First, there’s a reason the interest rates are so much juicier: DeFi is a far riskier place to park your money. There’s no Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) protecting these funds. If there were a run on Compound, users could find themselves unable to withdraw their funds when they wanted. Plus, the interest is quite variable. You don’t know what you’ll earn over the course of a year. USDC’s rate is high right now. It was low last week. Usually, it hovers somewhere in the 1% range. Similarly, a user might get tempted by assets with more lucrative yields like USDT, which typically has a much higher interest rate than USDC. (Monday morning, the reverse was true, for unclear reasons; this is crypto, remember.) The trade-off here is USDT’s transparency about the real-world dollars it’s supposed to hold in a real-world bank is not nearly up to par with USDC’s. A difference in interest rates is often the market’s way of telling you the one instrument is viewed as dicier than another. Users making big bets on these products turn to companies Opyn and Nexus Mutual to insure their positions because there’s no government protections in this nascent space – more on the ample risks later on. So users can stick their assets in Compound or Uniswap and earn a little yield. But that’s not very creative. Users who look for angles to maximize that yield: those are the yield farmers. OK, I already knew all of that. What is yield farming?Broadly, yield farming is any effort to put crypto assets to work and generate the most returns possible on those assets. At the simplest level, a yield farmer might move assets around within Compound, constantly chasing whichever pool is offering the best APY from week to week. This might mean moving into riskier pools from time to time, but a yield farmer can handle risk. “Farming opens up new price arbs [arbitrage] that can spill over to other protocols whose tokens are in the pool,” said Maya Zehavi, a blockchain consultant. Because these positions are tokenized, though, they can go further. This was a brand-new kind of yield on a deposit. In fact, it was a way to earn a yield on a loan. Who has ever heard of a borrower earning a return on a debt from their lender? In a simple example, a yield farmer might put 100,000 USDT into Compound. They will get a token back for that stake, called cUSDT. Let’s say they get 100,000 cUSDT back (the formula on Compound is crazy so it’s not 1:1 like that but it doesn’t matter for our purposes here). They can then take that cUSDT and put it into a liquidity pool that takes cUSDT on Balancer, an AMM that allows users to set up self-rebalancing crypto index funds. In normal times, this could earn a small amount more in transaction fees. This is the basic idea of yield farming. The user looks for edge cases in the system to eke out as much yield as they can across as many products as it will work on. Right now, however, things are not normal, and they probably won’t be for a while. Why is yield farming so hot right now?Because of liquidity mining. Liquidity mining supercharges yield farming. Liquidity mining is when a yield farmer gets a new token as well as the usual return (that’s the “mining” part) in exchange for the farmer’s liquidity. “The idea is that stimulating usage of the platform increases the value of the token, thereby creating a positive usage loop to attract users,” said Richard Ma of smart-contract auditor Quantstamp. The yield farming examples above are only farming yield off the normal operations of different platforms. Supply liquidity to Compound or Uniswap and get a little cut of the business that runs over the protocols – very vanilla. But Compound announced earlier this year it wanted to truly decentralize the product and it wanted to give a good amount of ownership to the people who made it popular by using it. That ownership would take the form of the COMP token. Lest this sound too altruistic, keep in mind that the people who created it (the team and the investors) owned more than half of the equity. By giving away a healthy proportion to users, that was very likely to make it a much more popular place for lending. In turn, that would make everyone’s stake worth much more. So, Compound announced this four-year period where the protocol would give out COMP tokens to users, a fixed amount every day until it was gone. These COMP tokens control the protocol, just as shareholders ultimately control publicly traded companies. Every day, the Compound protocol looks at everyone who had lent money to the application and who had borrowed from it and gives them COMP proportional to their share of the day’s total business. The results were very surprising, even to Compound’s biggest promoters. COMP’s value will likely go down, and that’s why some investors are rushing to earn as much of it as they can right now. This was a brand-new kind of yield on a deposit into Compound. In fact, it was a way to earn a yield on a loan, as well, which is very weird: Who has ever heard of a borrower earning a return on a debt from their lender? COMP’s value has consistently been well over $200 since it started distributing on June 15. We did the math elsewhere but long story short: investors with fairly deep pockets can make a strong gain maximizing their daily returns in COMP. It is, in a way, free money. It’s possible to lend to Compound, borrow from it, deposit what you borrowed and so on. This can be done multiple times and DeFi startup Instadapp even built a tool to make it as capital-efficient as possible. “Yield farmers are extremely creative. They find ways to ‘stack’ yields and even earn multiple governance tokens at once,” said Spencer Noon of DTC Capital. COMP’s value spike is a temporary situation. The COMP distribution will only last four years and then there won’t be any more. Further, most people agree that the high price now is driven by the low float (that is, how much COMP is actually free to trade on the market – it will never be this low again). So the value will probably gradually go down, and that’s why savvy investors are trying to earn as much as they can now. Appealing to the speculative instincts of diehard crypto traders has proven to be a great way to increase liquidity on Compound. This fattens some pockets but also improves the user experience for all kinds of Compound users, including those who would use it whether they were going to earn COMP or not. As usual in crypto, when entrepreneurs see something successful, they imitate it. Balancer was the next protocol to start distributing a governance token, BAL, to liquidity providers. Flash loan provider bZx has announced a plan. Ren, Curve and Synthetix also teamed up to promote a liquidity pool on Curve. It is a fair bet many of the more well-known DeFi projects will announce some kind of coin that can be mined by providing liquidity. The case to watch here is Uniswap versus Balancer. Balancer can do the same thing Uniswap does, but most users who want to do a quick token trade through their wallet use Uniswap. It will be interesting to see if Balancer’s BAL token convinces Uniswap’s liquidity providers to defect. So far, though, more liquidity has gone into Uniswap since the BAL announcement, according to its data site. That said, even more has gone into Balancer. Did liquidity mining start with COMP?No, but it was the most-used protocol with the most carefully designed liquidity mining scheme. This point is debated but the origins of liquidity mining probably date back to Fcoin, a Chinese exchange that created a token in 2018 that rewarded people for making trades. You won’t believe what happened next! Just kidding, you will: People just started running bots to do pointless trades with themselves to earn the token. Similarly, EOS is a blockchain where transactions are basically free, but since nothing is really free the absence of friction was an invitation for spam. Some malicious hacker who didn’t like EOS created a token called EIDOS on the network in late 2019. It rewarded people for tons of pointless transactions and somehow got an exchange listing. These initiatives illustrated how quickly crypto users respond to incentives. Read more: Compound Changes COMP Distribution Rules Following ‘Yield Farming’ Frenzy Fcoin aside, liquidity mining as we now know it first showed up on Ethereum when the marketplace for synthetic tokens, Synthetix, announced in July 2019 an award in its SNX token for users who helped add liquidity to the sETH/ETH pool on Uniswap. By October, that was one of Uniswap’s biggest pools. When Compound Labs, the company that launched the Compound protocol, decided to create COMP, the governance token, the firm took months designing just what kind of behavior it wanted and how to incentivize it. Even still, Compound Labs was surprised by the response. It led to unintended consequences such as crowding into a previously unpopular market (lending and borrowing BAT) in order to mine as much COMP as possible. Just last week, 115 different COMP wallet addresses – senators in Compound’s ever-changing legislature – voted to change the distribution mechanism in hopes of spreading liquidity out across the markets again. Is there DeFi for bitcoin?Yes, on Ethereum. Nothing has beaten bitcoin over time for returns, but there’s one thing bitcoin can’t do on its own: create more bitcoin. A smart trader can get in and out of bitcoin and dollars in a way that will earn them more bitcoin, but this is tedious and risky. It takes a certain kind of person. DeFi, however, offers ways to grow one’s bitcoin holdings – though somewhat indirectly. A long HODLer is happy to gain fresh BTC off their counterparty’s short-term win. That’s the game. For example, a user can create a simulated bitcoin on Ethereum using BitGo’s WBTC system. They put BTC in and get the same amount back out in freshly minted WBTC. WBTC can be traded back for BTC at any time, so it tends to be worth the same as BTC. Then the user can take that WBTC, stake it on Compound and earn a few percent each year in yield on their BTC. Odds are, the people who borrow that WBTC are probably doing it to short BTC (that is, they will sell it immediately, buy it back when the price goes down, close the loan and keep the difference). A long HODLer is happy to gain fresh BTC off their counterparty’s short-term win. That’s the game. How risky is it?Enough. “DeFi, with the combination of an assortment of digital funds, automation of key processes, and more complex incentive structures that work across protocols – each with their own rapidly changing tech and governance practices – make for new types of security risks,” said Liz Steininger of Least Authority, a crypto security auditor. “Yet, despite these risks, the high yields are undeniably attractive to draw more users.” We’ve seen big failures in DeFi products. MakerDAO had one so bad this year it’s called “Black Thursday.” There was also the exploit against flash loan provider bZx. These things do break and when they do money gets taken. As this sector gets more robust, we could see token holders greenlighting more ways for investors to profit from DeFi niches. Right now, the deal is too good for certain funds to resist, so they are moving a lot of money into these protocols to liquidity mine all the new governance tokens they can. But the funds – entities that pool the resources of typically well-to-do crypto investors – are also hedging. Nexus Mutual, a DeFi insurance provider of sorts, told CoinDesk it has maxed out its available coverage on these liquidity applications. Opyn, the trustless derivatives maker, created a way to short COMP, just in case this game comes to naught. And weird things have arisen. For example, there’s currently more DAI on Compound than have been minted in the world. This makes sense once unpacked but it still feels dicey to everyone. That said, distributing governance tokens might make things a lot less risky for startups, at least with regard to the money cops. “Protocols distributing their tokens to the public, meaning that there’s a new secondary listing for SAFT tokens, [gives] plausible deniability from any security accusation,” Zehavi wrote. (The Simple Agreement for Future Tokens was a legal structure favored by many token issuers during the ICO craze.) Whether a cryptocurrency is adequately decentralized has been a key feature of ICO settlements with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). What’s next for yield farming? (A prediction)COMP turned out to be a bit of a surprise to the DeFi world, in technical ways and others. It has inspired a wave of new thinking. “Other projects are working on similar things,” said Nexus Mutual founder Hugh Karp. In fact, informed sources tell CoinDesk brand-new projects will launch with these models. We might soon see more prosaic yield farming applications. For example, forms of profit-sharing that reward certain kinds of behavior. Imagine if COMP holders decided, for example, that the protocol needed more people to put money in and leave it there longer. The community could create a proposal that shaved off a little of each token’s yield and paid that portion out only to the tokens that were older than six months. It probably wouldn’t be much, but an investor with the right time horizon and risk profile might take it into consideration before making a withdrawal. (There are precedents for this in traditional finance: A 10-year Treasury bond normally yields more than a one-month T-bill even though they’re both backed by the full faith and credit of Uncle Sam, a 12-month certificate of deposit pays higher interest than a checking account at the same bank, and so on.) As this sector gets more robust, its architects will come up with ever more robust ways to optimize liquidity incentives in increasingly refined ways. We could see token holders greenlighting more ways for investors to profit from DeFi niches. Questions abound for this nascent industry: What will MakerDAO do to restore its spot as the king of DeFi? Will Uniswap join the liquidity mining trend? Will anyone stick all these governance tokens into a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO)? Or would that be a yield farmers co-op? Whatever happens, crypto’s yield farmers will keep moving fast. Some fresh fields may open and some may soon bear much less luscious fruit. But that’s the nice thing about farming in DeFi: It is very easy to switch fields. Faucets and games are the fastest and easiest way to earn bitcoins without mining. Anyone can do it. Websites like FreeBitcoin or this are a great way to start accumulating Bitcoin without mining and without any investment.. Trade Bitcoins with CFDs. Trading Bitcoins is one of the most proficiency ways to invest money with them or get more units, and it does not always requires to buy Bitcoins ... Free Bitcoin mining. Do you want to earn Bitcoin without investing or without buying mining hardware or cloud mining shares? Start using Bitcoins43 miner and start getting your free BTC with only your CPU and your internet connection. Start Free Bitcoin Mining with Freemining. Fast, Secure, user-friendly and high-speed bitcoin mining platform. 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simi valley protest saturday George Floyd Protests Continue on Saturday. The large turnout of white protesters “is sending a powerful message. Royal High School student Sanah Niazi, center, leads a chant at a peaceful protest at Simi Valley City Hall, Saturday, June 6, 2020. Simi Valley 24-year-old hospitalized after getting struck by less-lethal bullets at LA protest Fairfax, Pan Pacific Park, 7600 Beverly Blvd, 12 p.m. Rancho Palos Verdes, Trump National Golf Club, 1 p.m. West L.A., Wilshire Federal Building, 11000 Wilshire Blvd., 2 p.m. West Hollywood, Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd., 10:30 a.m. Century City, 10250 Constellation Ave, 12 p.m. Around the country, protesters are expressing rage and mourning after the death of George Floyd, who died on Memorial Day after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes as he begged for mercy before becoming limp and unresponsive. Simi Valley News Headlines. Protests over the death of George Floyd were held in cities around world on Saturday. Smaller protests were also held in Fillmore and Camarillo on Saturday. Lights, voices, laughter, some music and the large number of cars parked nearby suggest that people there had a good time. 4.3K; 235 5/9/2020 12:55 PM PT Exclusive. @KPCC @LAist pic.twitter.com/4tsSwLFZEW. There will be a planning meeting to prepare for this protest. Not sure if I am going, but would like to hear your thoughts in relation to social distancing and the counter-protests going on that day too. They had a strong presence on the ground today. I had an email exchange with a passionate young citizen from Simi Valley that is organizing the Protest march on Saturday. He had feared a … Photojournalist Chava Sanchez is documenting visuals. Protests took place in Hollywood, near the USC campus, in the Fairfax district and San Pedro. Corner of Cochran & Sycamore in Simi Valley. Frankfurt. California residents rush to stores, salons as widespread lockdown looms, COVID-19 is ‘greatest threat to life in Los Angeles that we have ever faced,’ Garcetti says, O.C. Roderick Sweeney, 49, who is black, said he was overwhelmed to see the large turnout of white protesters waving signs that said “Black Lives Matter.”, “We’ve had discussions in our family and among friends that nothing is going to change until our white brothers and sisters voice their opinion,” he said. Online • Simi Valley, CA. The National Guard was spotted heading to LAPD headquarters, with water and MRE's (military-style meals) for the day. Protests continue throughout the … The earthquake occurred five miles from Coronado, Calif., nine miles from Imperial Beach, nine miles from National City and nine miles from Chula Vista. Thousands gathered in Britain, France and Germany, following marches earlier in … The gathering was peaceful. They also said via Instagram that they ask attendees to observe social distancing and "respect space. Hello Ms Foster I would ask you to re-consider this protest march, and call it off. © 1998 - 2020 Nexstar Inc. | All Rights Reserved. The gathering, organized by Move the Needle, had two purposes. On Saturday, marchers there carried signs with messages such as “We stand together” and “Change is now.”. A small group of counter-protesters also made an appearance today. America Protests Miami. SUBSCRIBE NOW $1 for 3 months. TMZ Compsite. Simi Valley school on alert after coach tests positive for COVID-19 Peaceful protest in Simi Valley organized by teenager Simi Valley hospital goes virtual to care for patients from their homes On Friday, Gov. Organized by the USC Black Students Association, A post shared by USC Black Student Assembly (@uscbsa) on Jun 5, 2020 at 11:17am PDT, Please Join Homeless Hook Ups this Saturday as we March for Justice here in our Highland Park Community!!! "I mean I've had my fair share of racism being in this town in the eight, nine years that I've been here, so it's definitely prevelent," he said. Floyd, a black man, died on May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer put his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes while he was handcuffed and lying on the ground. Thousands March In Simi Valley To Protest Police Brutality, City Councilman Comments. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now. Thousands March In Simi Valley To Protest Police Brutality, City Councilman Comments. It will be the city's position to protect the rights of those who choose to protest. Here's what we're seeing on the ground. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) 2 / 16. 1992 Los Angeles riots Smoke rising from a building set on Hollywood Blvd. pic.twitter.com/tuIyGmYNhv. Across the United States. I have been called the N word, spelled with an A and a hard R,” Brown said. Marvel said that is why the U.S. needs a national standard “to mandate that all peace officers have a duty to intercede, to raise the bar for use of force training standards for all peace officers.”, This is the power of a collective voice — this is Los Angeles. Demonstrators are. On Saturday, marchers there carried signs with messages such as “We stand together” and “Change is now.” The protest in Simi Valley was organized by two black teenagers -- Mikiiya Foster and Alyssa Brown -- who grew up in the area and just graduated from high school. On Monday Judge posted a meme of protesters on Facebook with this caption: "Wanna stop the riots? “To see there were almost 2,000 people there today, it makes me feel so good,” Brown said. George Floyd Protests Continue on Saturday. and McClintock, 10 a.m. “Growing up here has been a little rough for me. The anti-police brutality protests continue for an 11th day in Los Angeles. A magnitude 3.2 earthquake was reported Saturday at 5:48 a.m. Pacific time two miles from San Diego, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Around the World. Demonstration organizers speak to the crowd during a protest, Saturday, June 6, 2020, in Simi Valley, Calif. over the death of George Floyd. Much of California is on the brink of sweeping new restrictions on businesses and activities, a desperate attempt to slow the frighteningly rapid escalation of coronavirus cases that threatens to overwhelm hospitals. Our city has for too long been known for racial injustice and our leaders have an obligation to promote justice on all levels of our city. I have been in contact with our police chief and the city manager. For the latest updates on COVID-19 visit the City Resources page. Simi Valley Town Center, Simi Valley. The anti-police brutality protests continue for an 11th day in Los Angeles. It was the latest local government to ease or end curfews that resulted in the arrests of thousands of demonstrators. Entrepreneurship Crash Course - Simi Valley. A fight broke out on the side of the counter protesters and police made “a couple of arrests,” Officer Angela Bennett told the Orange County Register. I am posting the exchange for transparency sake. It's about BLM but also about the White House. Rancho Simi Recreation & Park Dist. Saturday night, November 29th in Thousand Oaks, over fifty people braved the cold, it was under 50 degrees which is cold for Southern Californians. FILE - In this Saturday, June 6, 2020, file photo, a demonstrator speaks during a protest, in Simi Valley, Calif. over the death of George Floyd. Inspired by the continued Black Lives Matter protests across the world please join local Simi Valley youth organizers in making these demands to the Simi Valley Unified School Dis Businesses are restricted; a statewide curfew is … In Huntington Beach, a line of police officers separated a crowd of people protesting against police brutality and a group of counter-protesters who waved American flags and signs supporting President Donald Trump. Reporters Aaron Schrank, Josie Huang and Stephanie O'Neil are on the ground today. Sponsored By. Peaceful protest in Simi Valley… for … SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — Amazon's decision to protest the Pentagon's cloud computing contract hasn't delayed Microsoft from working on the colossal Joint … Brown, 18, said her family moved from North Hollywood to the mostly white and conservative suburb about a decade ago in search of better schools and safer neighborhoods. SIMI VALLEY (CBSLA) — Thousands of people were without power from Simi Valley to the high desert to the Inland Empire as a precaution against possible wildfires. Court to decide whether Jewish heirs’ case to reclaim art they say Nazis forced ancestors to sell can stay in U.S. 1 of 52 Tiana Day marches with others on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Saturday, June 6, 2020, at a protest in response to the death of George Floyd. Danielle Chetrit, 22, who is white, said she felt compelled to join the Golden Gate march. Washington. Protestors blocked the intersection of Hollywood and Vine this afternoon, later marching down Sunset. "I mean, everybody knows about it. There were no black-identifying members of the jury, which was made up of nine white members, one biracial, one Latino and one Asian. Simi Valley is an incorporated city located in a valley of the same name in the southeast corner of Ventura County, California, bordering the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles in the Greater Los Angeles Area. How Do I Contact Domestic And General, Can T Hurt Me Book Discussion Questions, Bullwinkle Named After, Aero-flex Line Blade Refills, How To Recruit Lily New Vegas, Christopher Knight Home Navan, Did Euphemia Lofton Haynes Have Siblings, Drawings Of Cute Baby Animals, Houses For Rent In Medford, Canon M50 Cinematic Settings, Aws Cloudendure Disaster Recovery,

This weekly meme is hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words and all you need to do to participate is answer the following three questions: - What are you currently reading? - What have you recently finished reading? - What do you think you’ll read next? What are you currently reading? I have really embraced Nonfiction November and I’m currently in the middle of these two fantastic books. If You Tell is a gruesome story of three women who together survived the absolute horror that was their mother. The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee is a wonderfully written history of Native Americans. I am very early into it but I’m learning so much and once again I can’t get over the narrative that is taught in schools. My third grader came home today talking about the ships Columbus sailed on and it is a real tragedy that this is what is taught in schools when its not even true! What have you recently finished reading? Maple Sugar Crush & Harrow Lake I will have reviews up for as soon as possible. I’ve been reading so much this month that I am now backlogged on posting reviews. I really enjoyed both and I would recommend them if they look interesting to you. My review for His Beauty will go up on Friday. Just Be Her will go up on Saturday. Thank you to the authors for providing me with ARCs to review. Just Be Her is one of my favorite books of the whole year! What do you think you’ll read next? Continuing on with the nonfiction theme I will be picking this short epistolary book up next. I have heard nothing but amazing things about it and I feel like its going to be one of the most powerful books that I read this year.

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Three things you be aware of: 1. Four days to go before the Kidney Walk! Show your support for my friend KB. Do it. 2. Two days left for the weekend!! Atlantans, I’ll see you Friday, correct? Four letters: RSVP. 3. The three question meme is still open. Ask me three questions, and I’ll post the answers this weekend. Now back to our regularly scheduled program…. We’re back in the mind of my man Will of In My Write Mind, who’s incongito right now. Along with DJ XStacy, they’ve dropped an Old School Wednesday back at you in full force. I present to you: Old School Wednesday: In My Write Mind: Tracking the Hits, Volume 2. Will might be a busy man, but he’s not too busy for you. Check it: 01 – Christopher Williams – I’m Dreamin’ [New Jack City] 02 – Eric B and Rakim – Know The Ledge [Juice] 03 – Tony! Toni! Tone! – Me And You [Boyz N The Hood] 04 – Lady of Rage – Afro Puffs [Above The Rim] 05 – Public Enemy – Fight The Power [Do The Right Thing] 06 – Total feat Biggie Smalls – Can’t You See [New Jersey Drive] 07 – Mase – Feels So Good [Money Talks] 08 – SWV & Wu-Tang Clan – Anything (Old Skool Remix) [Above The Rim] 09 – Dru Hill – We’re Not Making Love No More [Soul Food] 10 – Whitney Houston – Exhale (Shoop Shoop) [Waiting to Exhale] 11 – Mary J. Blige – You Don’t Have To Worry [Who’s The Man] 12 – Today – Why You Gettin’ Funky On Me [House Party 2] 13 – Lauryn Hill – The Sweetest Thing [Love Jones] 14 – Brian McKnight – Crazy Love [Jason’s Lyric] 15 – Maxwell – Fortunate [Life] 16 – Jay-Z feat Amil and Ja Rule – Can I Get A… [Rush Hour] 17 – EU – Da Butt [School Daze] 18 – Earth Wind and Fire – September [Soul Food] 19 – Black Men United – You Will Know – [Jason’s Lyric] I’m probably showing my age here, but I really grooved to September when I was a kid, and as we all know, the Love Jones soundtrack is arguably one of the finest soundtracks out there. They did it again, y’all.

The first major signs of trouble in the relationship between George Lucas and legions of ardent adult “Star Wars” geeks can be traced directly to May 19, 1999. “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” opened at midnight, and theaters practically sank under the weight of audience expectations. The movie certainly made a huge impact in the "Star Wars" community, but not in the way the filmmaker or fans could have predicted. “The Phantom Menace,” which returns to the big screen in 3-D on Friday, occupies a unique and controversial place in the "Star Wars" universe for a generation of adults who grew up on the trilogy of the ’70s and ’80s. For one, it ushered in the era of the harshly criticized "Star Wars" prequels, which some of the geek faithful saw, fairly or not, as a betrayal. It was also the beginning of a standoff between Lucas and vocal fans who were displeased not only by the new movies, but also the filmmaker’s decisions to tinker with key scenes in the original "Star Wars" films. There’s a reason for all those “Han Shot First” T-shirts on the Internet. The emotional reaction to “The Phantom Menace” and what it represents speaks volumes about the fierce sense of ownership that hardcore nerds have about the things they love. Author Henry Jenkins, provost’s professor of communication, journalism and cinematic arts at the University of Southern California, said that particular film stands to this day as a sort of love/hate dividing line and “an open wound” for the original "Star Wars" faithful. “'The Phantom Menace’ is something the adult 'Star Wars' fans continually reference. It’s something they care about deeply,” he said. “It’s a trauma in the community that they’re finding it very difficult to work around.” That may sound like hyperbole to some, but for geeks, hobbies are passions. And they take those passions personally. “I think what makes a nerd a nerd in this context is a social life that revolves around collecting and ranking and discussing cultural artifacts, whether it’s Civil War nerds or "Star Wars" nerds. There is a whole social community constructed around the collective experience of a certain book or movie,” said “American Nerd” author Benjamin Nugent. “For nerds, books and movies aren’t just pleasurable consumer experiences. They are parts of their identity and social glue.” Fans at the wheel In the 16 years that passed between “Return of the Jedi” and “The Phantom Menace,” countless devotees had put their own stamp on "Star Wars" in the form of fan stories and novels, music and adaptations of role-playing games. Jenkins pointed out the 200 amateur "Star Wars" films on the Internet before the curtain opened on “The Phantom Menace.” Lucas may have technically owned the franchise, but the people had taken the wheel in their own way. “During that time, fans didn’t stay idle," Jenkins said. "They actually dug in … and extended the universe in really rich directions. So when Lucas comes back, he’s not just competing with himself, he’s competing with this really rich fan culture. It was just an explosion of creativity that Lucas didn’t really control.” Canon and continuity loom large in geekdom, and elements of the prequels — plus the subsequent alterations of the classic films — upended some fans’ longstanding vision of the "Star Wars" universe. In fan communities that place a premium on mastery, those kinds of perceived deviations can set off shock waves. Look no further than the initial outcry over the DC Comics relaunch last year. “That sort of fanboy model is one where knowledge equals power and knowledge equals status," Jenkins said. "When you start to destroy knowledge, you disrupt the entire hierarchical process." Nugent thinks it was inevitable that fans wouldn’t like the new films. By then, “Star Wars,” “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” had become so iconic that returning to that well “came to feel like trying to make a series of sequels to ‘Crime and Punishment.’ ” And while the computer-generated special effects were dazzling, Nugent said that “The Phantom Menace” was a sort of tipping point where audiences began to realize the limits of digitalization. Lucas’ use of models in the original movies gave them a charm that CGI couldn’t match, he said. Think of the scene where Han Solo whacks the console of the Millennium Falcon, which “looks like the dashboard of a Chevy,” as Nugent put it. “It gave everything a kind of solidity in those early "Star Wars" movies that you haven’t seen in anything since ‘Terminator 2.’ It’s wonderful,” said Nugent. “It’s the physicality of those special effects that make "Star Wars," in part, what it is. The digitalization is a big part of why the sequels offend so much.” That reflects the feelings of "Star Wars" fan and TheOneRing.net staff member Kirsten Cairns, who said the prequels were indulgent and more about special effects than a good story. Cairns had been so excited about “The Phantom Menace” that she even wore a pin saying “Episode I” for about a year before the movie came out. “The fans wanted, I think, to see the origin of the quest we'd all loved. Instead, those origins were twisted, corrupted and indulged in some kind of attempt to make this world have as elaborate a history as Tolkien’s Middle Earth, which only succeeded in messing with what we loved,” Cairns said. “I kind of gave up on the 'Star Wars' universe after the prequels. I was so disappointed.” In Defense of Episodes I-III Not everyone views “The Phantom Menace” and its successors with disdain. In 2007, Mary Jo Fox created The Star Wars Prequels Appreciation Society in response to the constant negativity that surrounds those movies. Fox said the anti-prequel sentiment has become a meme that dominates nearly every discussion of Episodes I-III, and that it hampers many adult "Star Wars" lovers’ ability to take a fresh look at the films. Fox suspects that no movie would have been a match for the titanic nostalgia “The Phantom Menace” was up against. However, she noted that there are old-school fans who love all of the "Star Wars" films. They're just less vocal. “Some (fans) haven’t liked anything since ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ and believe Lucas is some rich, out-of-touch guy who lost his way. So they looked for things in ‘The Phantom Menace' that proved them ‘right,’ ” said Fox, who co-published a "Star Wars" fanzine in the ’90s. “Others were so protective of their 'Star Wars' they worried that the new 'Star Wars' was supplanting the old. When I was running my fanzine, I really did get some letters from readers saying stuff along the lines of, ‘I don’t care how good Episode I is, I won’t love it as much.' ” There’s also a generational dynamic at play. Whatever issues adult fans may have with the prequels, there’s no denying that the newer movies appeal to children. Some of the marketing for the 3-D release of “The Phantom Menace” has been aimed at kids who weren't even born in 1999, but became fans of the prequels on DVD and the Cartoon Network's “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” animated series. "Star Wars" fan Rebecca Perry, who camped out to see the first midnight showing of “The Phantom Menace” when it opened, prefers the old-school, pre-CGI "Star Wars." However, she understands why the prequels speak to a new generation of fans. “I think young kids like the appeal of a hero closer to their age,” said Perry, referring to the child version of Anakin Skywalker played by Jake Lloyd. “And maybe that these are their films, and not their parents’. ” Ultimately, the legacy of Episode I may be how it changed the way "Star Wars" faithful relate to the mythology they cherish and the man who created it. Jenkins referred to it as the fan/anti-fan dynamic. Anti-fans, he said, are passionately antagonistic toward particular works — and that antipathy is prolonged. “They have a very complicated, emotional relationship to works that hit them hard in ways they probably can’t fully describe.” In the case of "Star Wars," a person can be on both teams. “They began as deeply immersed fans and, at some point, they became anti-fans,” Jenkins said. “That’s a combination you don’t see very often. There are very few occasions where someone can simultaneously be a hardcore fan of something and an anti-fan. This one’s been especially intense, I think.”

Ready for battle: Rioters in tactical gear push popular brands to take a stand Images of citizens dressed like soldiers – wearing bulletproof vests, ballistic helmets and combat boots – have been thrust into the spotlight following the U.S. Capitol riot Jan. 6 and civil unrest in the streets of America last summer. Now companies that manufacture and sell military-grade gear face an ethics quandary: Business may be booming, but at what cost? Some say it’s out of their hands. Others are trying to distance themselves from the extremists. “Many of these people aren’t serious about buying duty gear, they’re doing it for show and don’t represent the body armor community in any way,” said Nick Groat, CEO of Safe Life Defense, whose company has been accused of serving up ads to extremists on Facebook. Market analyst Technavio reports the tactical and outdoor gear industry is growing globally by about $1 billion in revenue each year, with increasing demand by private security firms, outdoor recreation and “a novel fashion trend.” It estimated that market soon will pass $16 billion in annual revenue. According to a rolling USA TODAY analysis of the court documents for people charged in the Capitol riot, at least 20 were spotted in photos and videos wearing tactical gear. One popular item was a cloth plate carrier, which is designed to hold bulletproof plates and often includes pouches for ammunition magazines and Velcro for patches. Federal prosecutors say Ohio bartender Jessica Watkins wore “camouflaged battle fatigues, a tactical vest emblazoned with an Oath Keepers patch, combat boots, military grade helmet, and radio equipment.” Clothing brands such as San Antonio-based Grunt Style also got caught up in the situation. Grunt Style promotes patriotism and living the credo, “This We’ll Defend,” the U.S. Army’s motto. In January, after a photo of a rioter at the Capitol wearing one of its sweatshirts went viral, the $100 million apparel manufacturer faced questions from customers and media about where it stood on the riot. Grunt Style CEO Glenn Silbert worked quickly to get a message out: “To be clear, we will not associate with anyone who threatens our Republic or promotes violence.” Silbert said the brand doesn’t want to tell people what to think or feel but wanted everyone on its 3 million customer list to know its position. “We focus on pride in self, military and country; that’s our audience,” Silbert said. “Like any brand, you’ll have people who identify with the brand even when the brand doesn’t identify with them.” Company caters to ‘citizens,’ not police or Biden voters For decades, much of the multibillion-dollar tactical gear industry has sold exclusively to military and law enforcement agencies. The world’s largest, including Honeywell and BAE Systems, still won’t sell directly to consumers. Some fear risking lucrative police and military contracts by selling to individuals who could land them in headlines – and photo spreads. On the flipside, Michigan's Justin Nazaroff, manufacturer of Fenix Ammunition, has been an outspoken critic of both President Joe Biden’s gun policy agenda and the coronavirus response by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. He garnered attention last year for marketing his ammunition on social media with memes and selling custom Hawaiian shirts popular with the boogaloo movement, a loosely organized far-right, anti-government extremist group. This year, he decided to draw a bright line for customers. After receiving a fine for failing to comply with mask requirements inside his suburban Detroit store, he decided to stop selling to police. On his website, he also asks visitors whether they voted for Biden. If they click yes, they’re directed to the campaign’s gun policy site and blocked from buying anything. Nazaroff defends posting memes about the boogaloo movement, saying it’s a group of misunderstood advocates, not white supremacists. But he says he’s not marketing to a specific market segment, either, and rejects any notion that his customer base is dominated by extremists. “Second Amendment absolutists and extremists aren’t the same,” Nazaroff said. “I don’t want customers who don’t believe in the Second Amendment or vote for political candidates that will pass laws to take away the Second Amendment.” The Biden gun regulation agenda, he said, represents an existential threat to his employees, whose salaries are tied to the availability of internet ammunition sales –something the president wants to outlaw. Rob Pincus, who debated Nazaroff recently in an online forum, said the company’s hard line, along with people wearing tactical gear to a political protest as an intimidation tactic, give the conservative and guns rights communities a bad name. Pincus, executive vice president of the Second Amendment Organization, is seeking to reform the National Rifle Association and speaks frequently about a more inclusive gun culture. “It’s horrible optics to have a guy in a plate carrier and his AR (semi-automatic rifle) yelling that, ‘If you don’t pass this law, I’m coming back for war,’” Pincus said. “It’s their right. Open carry should be legal; body armor should be legal. But this is the First and Second Amendment intermingled. You have to exercise those rights responsibly.” Images of people openly carrying firearms and protesters clad in body armor multiplied throughout 2020, with a pro-gun rally in Virginia in January, statehouse protests against coronavirus lockdowns in Michigan and Arizona, and unrest tied to the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in Minneapolis; Louisville, Kentucky; Seattle; and Portland, Oregon. Body armor is regulated by federal and, in many cases, state government. It’s widely defined in federal statute as “personal protective body covering intended to protect against gunfire.” Felons convicted of violent crime under federal or state law are prohibited from possessing body armor, with exceptions in most states for certain employees like police. Some states, like Connecticut, go further and prohibit all felons from possessing the gear, and they require that purchases be made in person. Businesses face delicate marketing decisions Pincus said some of those who sell firearms and survivalist brands capitalized throughout 2020 on civil unrest, even putting their corporate logos on the Hawaiian shirts worn by boogaloo adherents at protests, until the message became too extreme. “You might have 500,000 people sharing a meme and 450,000 don’t really advocate for armed rebellion, but then you have those taking it seriously and they’re dog whistling, and want plausible deniability,” Pincus said. Referencing the domestic terrorist who bombed the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995 who had attended meetings of the paramilitary Michigan Militia, he added: “It’s just like the reaction from brands after the '80s and '90s militias. No one wants to sell to the next Timothy McVeigh.” Brownells, an online retailer of firearms and shooting supplies, also stocks survivalist and emergency gear like “bug out bags” and first aid kits. While the company advertised with a man in a Hawaiian shirt in 2020, a spokesman said it was a nod to Magnum P.I., the 1980s character played by Tom Selleck, not the boogaloos or anti-government activists. “Brownells does not encourage anyone to engage in acts to overthrow the government through any means or marketing tactic,” wrote Ryan Repp, Brownell’s vice president of marketing. Greg Ehrie, a former FBI section chief in charge of the nation’s domestic terrorism cases, now tracks extremist movements for the Anti-Defamation League. He said civil litigation or market forces are likely the only check on brands that go over the line in outfitting extremists with gear. He compared it to Juul, which was taken to task for marketing e-cigarettes to minors. “It’s just like firearms. You have to be responsible with who you’re marketing to,” he said. “These brands have to ask themselves: Are you marketing to extremists? You have to ask why someone needs tactical night vision helmets for defense. That’s offensive gear.” In recent years, 5.11 has emerged as a popular retailer of tactical gear, opening 73 storefronts nationwide, targeting law enforcement and first responders as well as consumers. It calls customers “operators” and “recreational enthusiasts” in its online ads. By increasing its direct-to-consumer online sales, the company grew 16% last year despite a huge reduction in retail foot traffic during the pandemic. Revenue rose to $400 million, up from $300 million in 2017, according to the company’s year-end report released in February. When Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old from Illinois, was arrested in the shooting deaths of two people during the Kenosha, Wisconsin, riot in August, the first images broadcast worldwide were of the teen wielding his AR-style rifle at his home, wearing a 5.11 logo T-shirt. The company has not addressed that issue publicly and did not answer questions from USA TODAY. 5.11 is part of Compass Diversified Holdings, an investment company that also owns and manages businesses ranging from baseball bat maker Marucci to infant carrier designer ErgoBaby. It likely won’t face fallout for Rittenhouse or pressure for selling tactical gear to extremists, either, said Larry Solow, an analyst for CJS Securities who covers the company on Wall Street. “It’s a wide demographic of police and ROTC buying their own gear, and now active and frontline workers spawning all this growth for 5.11,” Solow said. “I see no negative stigma from this fad of wannabes who like this look. “And they’re not selling guns, so you don’t have that same concern of it winding up in the wrong hands.” Facebook pauses armor ads, allows them to restart In the wake of the Capitol riot, Congress and a group of state attorneys general raised alarms to Facebook about allowing tactical gear ads to be served up to extremist groups. Democratic Sens. Tammy Duckworth, Richard Blumenthal and Sherrod Brown sent a letter to the social media company in January asking the platform to “permanently prohibit advertisements of products that a reasonable observer would interpret as primarily designed for use in lethal tactical operations and armed combat.” In response, Facebook announced a ban on ads for weapon accessories and protective equipment through Jan. 22. That pause has since expired. The company declined to answer questions from USA TODAY but pointed to its January letter to Congress about banning 250 groups tied to boogaloos, QAnon and white supremacists. Safe Life Defense, the Las Vegas company that produces tactical vests aimed at first responders and security guards, was accused by the Tech Transparency Project, a nonprofit watchdog group, of targeting extremists on Facebook. The company’s CEO, Groat, said it relies on Facebook’s algorithm for which groups sees its ads – and that it polices comments on posts for extremism or abuse. “There’s .001% of people who wear body armor and act improperly, and that small group is causing problems for the industry,” Groat said. “This isn’t a product that causes violence, this is a safety product. I don’t see a need to restrict that." Nick Penzenstadler is a reporter on the USA TODAY investigations team, focusing primarily on firearms and consumer financial protection. Contact him at email@example.com or @npenzenstadler, or on Signal at (720) 507-5273.

1. Do some research & planning up front Without a doubt, the best way to make sure that your kahoot has the right impact on learners is to do a bit of planning! Before even jumping online, most of our Top Kahoot!’ers take a bit of time to make notes about the learning game, how it will be played, and the learners themselves. Aside from researching the questions and answers, here are some things you might want to think about: - Why are you making the kahoot? - What do you hope the outcome will be? - What do the learners already know? - How do they learn best? - How might you make it accessible to all types of learners? - How might you give everyone who plays this game a chance to feel success? - Where is it likely to be played? - Do you need to build in breathing space for discussion, debate or other activities between questions? - Are you intending to open it up to the public? How would you make sure it’s found and enjoyed by the people who need it most? 2. Ask the right questions Now you’ve done some research, it’s time to think about the specific questions and answers. Look at the best kahoots and you’ll see that there’s tremendous value not in just asking questions, but in asking the right questions… You might want to think about including questions that: - Have multiple correct answers, sparking discussion or debate - Help you spot gaps in your learners’ knowledge so you can set time aside later to help them build their understanding - Prompt learners to recognise – and fill in – the gaps in their own knowledge - Recap on what they’ve already learned - Teach subtleties or dispel myths and misconceptions - Build learners’ confidence in a certain subject 3. Make sure your kahoot holds all the answers One of the things our Top Kahoot!’ers love best about creating learning games is thinking up the right wrong answers, and making sure there is enough time on the clock for learners to work out the answer. - Are the incorrect answers plausible? - Are they tricky enough to be challenging and prompt critical thinking, but still give everyone a chance to feel success? - Can you use the answer from this question as a natural segue to the next, or even as a clue for a later question? 4. Get creative with high impact images and videos High quality images, videos and animated gifs are an absolute must, and not only because they make your kahoot more engaging! Here are a few things to try when making or finding imagery for your game: - Imagine how your kahoot will look when played on a large screen or an interactive whiteboard – using high resolution images and playing in Full Screen can make a world of difference! - Use multiple images instead of just one – you can easily create a mini slideshow-style animated gif using Giphy, or a collage in PicMonkey or Pixlr Express. - Inject a little humour and surprise learners with your own take on a meme - Maximise learning opportunities by adding instructional images, diagrams, charts, or YouTube videos – either the ones you’ve found or something you’ve created yourself! - Build anticipation or gradually give learners little hints with an ‘image reveal’ animated gif - Hide some clues in the image! 5. Take learners on a journey Like the best presentations or lectures, awesome kahoots have a natural flow to them. There is a real art to building a narrative or flow into your learning game – here are some tips to get you started: - Use the questions as building blocks to introduce a new subject with the kahoot – once learners understand the answer to Question 1, they’re ready to move on to Question 2, then 3, and so on. - Take them on a journey. A great movie hooks you with scene setting, highs and lows and moments of celebration – you can do the same with your kahoot by weaving back and forth between questions with multiple correct answers, quick-fire ‘easy’ questions, challenging problem solving questions, and game-show-style bursts of fun or humour. - Use the answers or images as a natural segue from one question to the next. For example, an incorrect answer from Question 1 might form the basis of Question 2. 6. Celebrate with the podium Last but not least: To celebrate your top 3 players, add some extra celebration at the end of your game with our newest feature, the top 3 podium! Read more about how to use this feature here. Learn how to make awesome kahoots for different subjects: - Music: Learning to read notes on the Treble Clef - Chemistry: Atomic structure & Periodic Table - English: Figurative Language - Math: Quadratic Equations - Serious Topics: Civil rights / Martin Luther King Day - Digital Marketing / Facts & Figures: Google Search Trends - Fashion: Who, What, Wear – British Fashion in the 30s & 40s

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For The Second Half Of The Year It’s been awhile since I’ve done a Top Ten Tuesday post. The topics this year haven’t been too appealing to me, but the topic this week is a good one. There has been so many interesting sounding books that have released this year and so many that will be releasing later this year. So many that I still need to get! So many that I still need to read. Including so many from last year, lol. Here are ten books that I am really looking forward to getting throughout the second half of this year. I loved Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon so much, so I definitely can’t wait to get my hands on her new book. I am obsessed with CoHo, so her new book is a must buy for me. I also am in love with the Falling Kingdoms series and I can’t wait to get my hands on Crystal Storm. I NEED IT NOOOOW! Replica sounds like it’s going to be pretty amazing and the books is told in two different perspectives/stories and the book flips around. You can read each story separately or simultaneously. I love The Maze Runner series and I can’t wait for The Fever Code. Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill (12/27) Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige (9/20) The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid (11/1) Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (9/27) Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling (7/31) I really enjoyed the Dorothy Must Die series so far and I can’t wait to check out Danielle Paige’s new series Stealing Snow. I love retellings and I can’t wait to see how this new series turns out. Ever the Hunted, The Diabolic, and Strange the Dreamer all just sound like they will be amazing and I need to get my hands on them ASAP! And of course thew new Harry Potter book, that’s a must. I read the series (and watched the movies) for the first time last year and overall loved the series (and movies) so much! What are some of your most anticipated releases throughout the rest of this year? Feel free to link me to your posts, so I can check them out! I hope you have a great day!

People are tweeting descriptions of characters typically found in Hollywood movies. The point is to show how obviously predictable these characters are–and how they are often founded on harmful and offensive tropes. “I’m a fat person in a movie. I’m the comic relief, usually entirely self-hating. My redemption comes in the form of before/after and weight loss storylines. I’m usually played by thin women in fat suits,” Meghan Tonjes tweeted. Rory Turnbull, an assistant professor of linguistics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, kicked off the meme. Turnbull tweeted out the archetype of a Hollywood professor: only reaching the main point of their lecture as class ends and yelling at students to do their reading or homework as they leave. Very on point, Turnbull. Hello, I'm a professor in a movie, I only reach the main point of my lecture right as class is ending. Then I yell at students about the reading / homework as they leave. — Rory Turnbull (@_roryturnbull) January 1, 2019 From there, people decided to jump in on the action. ‘Movie Tropes’ memes “Hi, I’m a disabled woman in a movie. I rarely exist, AT ALL. But when I do, I’m almost never an actual character. I exist purely for the benefit of abled characters & to make audiences feel ‘inspired’. Most disabled ppl in movies are ‘fakers’ or make miraculous recoveries,” Kitty Kavanagh tweeted. Another illustrated the trope of a mentally ill woman in movies, who is more often than not seen killing, haunting, or stalking the non-mentally ill protagonist. Hi I’m a mentally ill woman in a movie. My mental illness will never be fully explained but it’ll always be the reason I kill / haunt / stalk your non-mentally ill protagonist xxx https://t.co/UbroQWgeEk — Maggy (@maggyvaneijk) September 1, 2019 “Hi I’m a woman in a movie. I have perfect hair and make up even when I’m in a perilous situation. I have amazing sex without looking ugly or removing my bra and the leading man’s shirt always fits me like haute couture in the morning,” Twitter user @goldilocksrocks wrote. Hi I’m a woman in a movie. I have perfect hair and make up even when I’m in a perilous situation. I have amazing sex without looking ugly or removing my bra and the leading man’s shirt always fits me like haute couture in the morning https://t.co/rEHkhaFMTW — Morgers (@goldilocksrocks) August 31, 2019 Hi, I'm a bar manager in a movie. I inexplicably clean the bar counter with a glass cloth, I can always hear what the customer is ordering despite it being 5 deep and nobody ever orders a Guinness. https://t.co/wOu9Bszs7T — Eponine Hp (@EmuHp) August 31, 2019 Hi, I'm an N.Y.P.D. Firefighter in a movie. I don't need Breathing Apparatus when I go into an atmosphere that would kill with a couple of Breaths. We always rescue a dame, a puppy or our brother, while the skyline explodes behind us. https://t.co/MwFxKSbKDn — Robbie (@Robbiebox147) August 31, 2019 One user tweeted the several tropes often used for Black men in movies. “If I’m not a gang member, drug dealer, drug-dealing gang member, or star athlete with a troubled background, then I’m a secondary character with street smarts, the comic relief with street smarts, or Will Smith. I’m very likely to die,” they wrote. Hi, I'm a black guy in I movie. If I'm not a gang member, drug dealer, drug-dealing gang member, or star athlete with a troubled background, then I'm a secondary character with street smarts, the comic relief with street smarts, or Will Smith. I'm very likely to die. https://t.co/dquXtCUgKm — Dr Jesus Wept (@DrJamesMasonry) January 4, 2019 Hello, I'm a scientist in a movie. All my experiments magically work first time and I get the correct results instantly. https://t.co/XSAD0DvHer — Tits McGee (@Scientits) January 3, 2019 While some of the tropes the memes highlighted are far less dangerous than others, the meme represents a need for Hollywood to stop relying on them for content. Tropes can do a lot to hurt the representation of people, many of whom are already underrepresented. Take note, Hollywood.

A new halal snack pack designed by vegan burger outlet, Soul Burger, based in Sydney, Australia, has been made to combat the Anti-Islamic prejudice from the far-right leader of the One Nation party, Pauline Hanson. Australia, like many Western Countries, have garnered outspoken politicians, like Pauline Hanson who use fear tactics, such as propelling the fear of immigrants and different faiths as a means to sway votes in their favor. Soul Burger has taken the opportunity to combat Pauline Hanson by releasing a satirical halal snack pack named after her. The halal snack pack is being released with Pauline's face as the logo and a catchphrase of "please obtain". A play on words of when Pauline Hanson gave an infamous leaked interview in 2012, where she was asked if she was xenophobic, she answered the question with the phrase "Please Explain?", the answer has since become a meme in Australia, 13:10 minute mark in the above video. The Hanson snack pack consists of fries, plant-based beef, triple plant-based cheese, the holy trinity of sauces(barbecue, garlic and chilli) and garnished with some tabouli on top. The owner of the eatery, Amit Tewari, told 9Kitchen, "The reason we’re doing it is to take the piss out of the 'halal hysteria' and show solidarity with the Australian Muslim community." Although the meal is being marketed as Halal it does not include any meat at all, it's still a vegan meal consisting of faux-meat products and veggies, which by default makes it permissible to eat for Muslims. Soul Burger has received criticism and praise from patrons on Facebook, they decided to release a statement regarding the new item on the menu. They hilariously concluded that they will fight the criticisms by increasing the portion size of the meal!

This is not only more than the next two films combined, it is more than the first film in the John Wick franchise earned domestically. Weekend Predictions: Will Lion King Live Up to the Hype? With a little luck, it will crack $60 million over the full weekend. The film had to settle for second place in a number of major markets including Mexico ($4.7 million on 2,443 screens); the U.K. ($4.43 million in 531 theaters); and France ($2.5 million on 628 screens). Additionally, not only is the film getting off to a faster than expected start, it should have good legs. More on that coming shortly⦠The filmâs reviews are terrible and it only managed a B from CinemaScore, so I donât expect long legs. The Curse of La Llorona topped expectations and earned first place with $26.35 million over the weekend. This is the biggest worldwide debut of all time and the film is already the biggest worldwide hit of 2019. It is a rough week for limited releases, as Avengers: Endgame is scaring away all of the competition. However, this year is still 8.4% or $540 million behind last year at $5.88 billion to $6.42 billion. The weekend total is much smaller than it was last weekend, but thatâs because we are comparing five-day openings in many markets to a three-day weekend this time around. I would like to point out that the film earned more in several individual markets than the second place film earned in total. More... Toy Story 4 is earning first place over the weekend with $57.92 million. In fact, it would be the studioâs third biggest hit of the year after just three days. This is still a good start, but I donât know if it is good enough for its planned wide expansion. More... John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is way ahead of the weekend competition with a projected $57.03 million opening weekend. The Last Black Man in San Francisco also did incredibly well with an average of $33,610 in seven theaters. Thereâs almost no chance 2019 will match 2018 at the box office and the yearâs mini-wining streak is about to come to an end. Thatâs a very strong debut for this time of year. Can Endgame live up to its predecessor? For example, if our weekly retail survey estimates that a particular title sold 1% of all units that week, and the industry reports sales of 1,500,000 units in total, we will estimate 15,000 units were sold of that title. The word-of-mouth should help its legs and this puts it on pace to top $100 million over the four-day weekend and even top last yearâs top film, Solo: A Star Wars Story, with about $107 million. Weekend Predictions: Will Godzilla Crush the Critics with a Massive Opening Weekend? All Time Domestic Box Office for Super Hero Movies, All Time International Box Office for Super Hero Movies, All Time Worldwide Box Office for Super Hero Movies, All Time Domestic Box Office for Walt Disney Movies, All Time International Box Office for Walt Disney Movies, All Time Worldwide Box Office for Walt Disney Movies, Filmed in Durham Cathedral, Durham, England, Filmed in Five Points MARTA station, Atlanta, GA, Memorial Day (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted), Top Animation/Live Action Weekend Domestic, Top Based on Comic/Graphic Novel Weekend Domestic, Top Based on Comic/Graphic Novel Day Domestic, 2019 - Holiday Gift Guide - Part I - First-Run Releases and Franchise Box Sets, Home Market Releases for October 1st, 2019, Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: Spider-Man: Far From Home, Home Market Releases for August 13th, 2019, Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: Avengers: Endgame, Weekend Estimates: Lion King is Deadly to the Competition, and the Record Book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II. This page was last edited on 21 April 2020, at 16:12. This isnât that far behind Captain Marvelâs $35,599 average it earned during its opening weekend. Meanwhile, I would be a little surprised if Tolkien opened in the top five. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, "All Time Worldwide Opening Records at the Box Office", "Oh, Snap! More... As expected, Spider-Man: Far From Home is going to remain in first place at the box office this weekend. Men in Black: International led the way on Friday, but it only managed $10.4 million. It came the closest in South Korea with $905,000 on 620 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $1.25 million, while it was further behind in Italy ($852,000 on 314 screens) and Brazil ($775,000 on 561). Avatar was released on December 16, 2009. That said, it was an expensive movie to make and it will need help on the home market to break even. Meanwhile, it is having stunning openings in the U.K. ($53.8 million) and South Korea ($47.4 million). Add in the filmâs reviews, its A minus from CinemaScore, and Memorial Day long weekend, which is next weekend, and it should have relatively long legs. The consumer spending estimate is based on the average sales price for the title in the retailers we survey. If projections hold, then Avengers: Endgame will fall almost as much this weekend as it did during its second weekend, with a 57% decline taking it to $63.1 million time around, and a three-week total of $723.5 million. 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Counting Atoms Worksheet Grade 9 Write the quantity of atoms of each element opposite the formula of the compound for the quantity of formula units and molecules shown: Counting atoms worksheet grade 9. Counting atoms in compounds worksheet instructions: Some of the worksheets for this concept are counting atoms work, counting atoms work, countingatomswork, counting atoms work answers, counting atoms, counting atoms answers, counting atoms answers, an atom apart. Atoms family atomic math challenge worksheet with answers pdf. This 1 page editable worksheet with answer key contains questions to help students count the number of atoms found in a chemical formula. Counting atoms 1) na2co3 name of atom symbol 2) ca3(po)2 number of atoms total number of atoms symbol symbol number of Rules for counting atoms 13. Counting atoms worksheet use the periodic table to complete the following charts. Science maze 8th grade chemistry bundle $10.00 this is a worksheet meant to help students with counting atoms in molecules to help with balancing chemical formulas. This includes formulas with subscripts and ones with coefficients in front of the formula. In this post, we’ll go through counting atoms from simple to more complex formula. 3) how many atoms are there total in the compound. Some of the worksheets displayed are counting atoms work, counting atoms answers, countingatomswork, cooks, counting atoms work, an atom apart, mayfield high school, counting atoms work answers. Counting atoms in chemical compounds other contents: Atomic theory of matter, law of constant composition, dalton’s atomic theory, …, Atoms and molecules worksheet answers, atomic structure worksheet answer key pdf and counting atoms worksheet answer key are three main things we will show you based on the gallery title. It would be impractical to work on problems about quantities of atoms if you had to do so in single units of atoms. Subscripts only refer to the atom that they are behind. Review games like crazy taxi, pacman and soccer merged with trivia questions about for beginning chemistry students students get a formula and have to break it down into atoms and elements to review and study for tests (6082). - Bobby Flay Wife Kate Connelly - Blackpink Ice Cream Logo Png - Bob Stroller Accessories Amazon - Birthday Party Day Artinya - Black Wedding Dress Selling Sunset - Blue Chair Bay Coconut Spiced Rum Cream Recipes - Black Faux Leather Belt Bag - Business Letter Abbreviation For Enclosure - Bruce Wood Flooring Reviews - Bm Near Me Opening Times - Birthday Yard Signs Rentals - Bob Running Stroller Tires - Best Svg File Opener - Birth Flower June 26 - Best Meme Maker Apk - Black White Animals Images - Black Star Pastry Owner - Bloxburg Kitchen Ideas Big - Best Travel Stroller For Baby And Toddler - Butterfly Tattoo Meaning Wrist - Best Vegas New Years Eve Party - Bt Sport Boxing Today - Black Wedding Bands His And Hers - Birthday Cards Uk Amazon - Birthday Song Mp3 Download - Business Insurance Car Admiral - Buy Steelcase Chair Uk - Brunswick Plantation Golf Club - Birthday Cake With Name Generator - Big Tech Antitrust Investigation

Dandelions have nothing to do with the subject of my next release, Never Show Them Money, (when too much money is not nearly enough). It’s a loose sequel to The Upside of Death and is due out by the end of June 2016. It grapples with issues that bite when you hold a lot of money you shouldn’t. I’d like to grapple with that problem one day. In case anybody was wondering, I have removed my titles from iTunes and Kobo while I concentrate on promoting through Amazon. The marketing guys at Amazon don’t like it if you join their Kindle Direct Publishing program and continue to sell your titles through other outlets. Funny that. The meme above is a nifty reminder that waiting for perfect conditions for ideas to flourish is not as effective as simply starting anywhere and working hard. I think I’m talking about writing, but I’m not sure.

$16.99. IU Vixx Leo VIXX LR Astro ... MONSTA X OFFICIAL LIGHTSTICK VER. $99.00 Sold Out OH MY GIRL Light Stick. Sold Out. Price ₱1,290.00. AOA – Lightstick Ver.2 Wing Light. S$50.00. SEVENTEEN LIGHTSTICK KEYRING VER 2.0. RM 190.00 . KR Multimedia. RM 195.00 . Add to Cart. [H&D] Official Lightstick. Protect your IU lightstick with this hard carrying case with strap. Add to Cart. On Sale; Album; Light Stick; Poster; Accessories; News; About The amount of the product will be written on the package, please leave a note in your order if you don't want this due to the custom inspection reason. Feel free to share your fandom’s official light stick in comments. $37.95. C $349.99. IU MONSTAX Red Velvet Seventeen Twice TXT Pre-order Search FAQs ... BLACKPINK Lightstick Hammer Bong Ver. 1. you want us to ship CD package + unfolded poster tube together in one carbon box. Quick View. Shipping date: 2020.11.20 (Domestic delivery in Korea) To customers who purchase version 2 of the official Blackpink lightstick during the pre-order period will receive YGSELECT exclusive unpublished image (Limited quantity We will give you a set of 4 special photo cards) For serious UAENA fans only, price non-negotiable. Add to Cart. SUPER JUNIOR - MINI FANLIGHT KEYRING VER 2.0. OH MY GIRL OFFICIAL LIGHTSTICK $45.99 Sold Out. SEVENTEEN OFFICIAL LIGHTSTICK VER 2.0 Out of stock. Free shipping . … BTS Mini Album Vol.3 [花樣年華 Part.1] (Random Version) Regular price ₱1,300.00 Sale price ₱1,250.00 Sale. 2. you are from Middle and South America and Middle East Countries. points that can be converted into a voucher of Add to Cart. IU - Iu Im [New CD] $15.63. EXO OFFICIAL LIGHT STICK. We can add battery set for one light stick, Release Date : SEP - 22th - 2020 Please choose Unfolded Poster (SA) option if Customers who bought this product also bought: [BT21] BTS Line Friends Goods - Bon Voyage... IZ*ONE 4th Mini Album - One-reeler Act Ⅳ (Scene... SUPER JUNIOR Official Light Stick Ver.2.0. Buy IU OFFICIAL Concert LIGHT STICK V2 in Singapore,Singapore. Your cart will total 4 SUPER M OFFICIAL LIGHT STICK. Kpop Stray Kids TWICE EXO GOT7 WJSN Lightstick Shaped Acrylic Key Chain Keyring ... Kpop EXO Lightstick For Life Ver.2.0 SEHU Light Stick with Lamp Photo Card. 2 R$373,00 C $30.00. ** It will be shipped out within 1~2 business days once t Regular price. APINK OFFICIAL LIGHTSTICK (VERSION 2) $45.99 Sold Out. 15/jul/2017 - Alicia encontrou este Pin. Save products on your wishlist to buy them later or share with your friends. Pre-Order: 2020.11.13 ~ 2020.11.19Shipping date: 2020.11.20 (Domestic delivery in Korea), To customers who purchase version 2 of the official Blackpink lightstick during the pre-order period will receive YGSELECT exclusive unpublished image (Limited quantity We will give you a set of 4 special photo cards), ETA is 3-4 weeks after domestic delivery begins in Korea, Local shipment takes 1-2 business days in Metro Manila and 2-3 business days in provincial areas. Release Date : OCT - 27th - 2020 * Reseller Pre-Order Deadline : OCT - 14th - 2020 Please choose Unfolded Poster (SA) option if 1. you want us to ship CD package + unfolded poster tube together in … 1. you want us to ship CD package + unfolded poster tube together in one carbon box. Version 2 of MONSTA X’s official lightstick gained the most attention from fans, along with a power bank. $49.99. 2 LIMITED EDITION. RARE collectibles for Uaenas! Sales:32,126 USD 14.00 [2015-04-13] 바로주문 장바구니 IU - Special Remake Mini Album Sales :2,558 USD 9.07 [2014-06-23] ASTRO OFFICIAL LIGHTSTICK VER 2.0 Out of stock. IU IZONE JBJ KNK LOONA LOVELYZ MAMAMOO NCT NU'EST RED VELVET SEVENTEEN SHINEE STRAY KIDS ... IKON - Official Lightstick Konbat ver 2. SUPER M OFFICIAL LIGHTSTICK Out of stock. + Update your shipping location 7 S 0 P O N S O A R P A 7 E E D-1-1 U J-1 0 F J-1-1. 2. you are from Middle and South America and Middle East Countries, Release Date : DEC - 8th - 2020 Delivery Time (approx): North America: 10~25 business days UK, Europe, Australia: … Add to Cart. Pre Order Depending on your place in line, please be aware that delivery of your item could take up to 3 weeks. Be one of the rare IU fans to wave the G2 lightstick at her concert. Bom quiz [SEVENTEEN] Official Lightstick Version 2 Carat Bong Keyring. Please choose Unfolded Poster (SA) option if EVERGLOW 2nd Mini Album - 77.82X-78.29 (-77.82X... ZELO 1st Mini Album - DISTANCE (Normal Edition) CD. It’s limited version that would be given to handpicked fans who attended her fanmeeting. C $33.75. They’d even praised the fact that the center of the lightstick remained the same despite a change in logo. Tax excluded. Kpop Fandom Light Sticks 2019 Here are some of the most popular or the most interesting Kpop fandom light sticks (as of 2019). KR Multimedia. [ASTRO] Official Lightstick Version 2 Release date : End August (Please order only if can wait) Skip to content Christmas Giveaway: Every order above $50 SGD stands you 1 chance in our XMAS givewaway (all official prizes) Sealed and un Chat to Buy In fact, it had even been made before their debut. S$35.00. seus próprios Pins no Pinterest. 2. Sold Out. Regular price. A Limited Stocks Available for Monsta X New Official Light Stick ! RM 190.00 . Copyright © KPOPTOWN Inc. All Rights Reserved. HA SUNGWOON LIGHTSTICK MINI KEYRING. Regular price. 2 | US Seller. 1. you want us to ship CD package + unfolded poster tube together in one carbon box. ️ ️ … Package: 1 Outbox + 1 Light Stick + 1 Strap + 1 Sticker Battery is NOT included FREE SHIPPING !!! Please choose Unfolded Poster (SA) option if Beatles Complete Rooftop Concert Last Time Live DVD and CD combo. Price ₱1,300.00. Battery is not included FREE SHIPPING !!! Boy Groups 2PM AB6IX Astro ATEEZ B1A4 BAP <- Click to buy (Discounted) Big Bang Block B BTOB BTS <- […] Quick View. Fans were awed by its elegant design and enjoyed the thought behind the extra power source. Way prettier than it looks on pictures, it's really elegant and classy. IU’s concert organiser (Singapore) has confirmed they WILL NOT be selling IU official concert goods at the event. Free shipping . Encontre (e salve!) S$65.00. Buy It Now +C $25.00 shipping. EXO - Album Vol.2 EXODUS (Chinese Ver.) This version isnt for sale. 1,850.00. sold out. ... SEVENTEEN Lightstick Keyring Ver. Sold Out. By buying this product you can collect up to 4 View options. It turns out this version of BLACKPINK’s lightstick was made before Cherry Bullet announced theirs. Please choose Plus Battery Option if you need battery. 2. you are from Middle and South America and Middle East Countries, Release Date : Dec- 23h - 2019 TWICE OFFICIAL LIGHTSTICK VER 2 (CANDYBONG Z) From RM 198.00 . The only difference between the new version and the previous one is a placement of the power button which now is on the handle instead at the bottom. Since the lightstick resembled a gun, fans couldn’t help but think of Cherry Bullet‘s lightstick, which looks like a cute water gun. 1. you want us to ship CD package + unfolded poster tube together in one carbon box. Please choose Unfolded Poster (SA) option if RED VELVET LIGHTSTICK $49.99 Sold Out. Very well packed and fast shipping, I love it! Onhand / Arriving Items can also be found on our shopee website. $54.99. MAMAMOO Official Light Stick Ver 2.5 $42.99 Sold Out. Eu vim fazer porque sim, sei lá, veio na minha cabeça essa ideia. Cravity Official Light Stick. Sold Out. $90.00 NCT OFFICIAL GOODS OFFICIAL LIGHT STICK. BLACKPINK Official Lightstick. Another upgraded - already third - version of Mamamoo official light stick - version 2.5 - was released on July 11, 2018. 1,500.00. Unboxing and quick look at Mamamoo Lightstick Ver. I love kpoptown and I only order with them! ATEEZ OFFICIAL LIGHT STICK ... IU The Present I. 1. you want us to ship CD package + unfolded poster tube together in one carbon box. Pre-Order. NU'EST OFFICIAL LIGHT STICK VER. Ver meios de pagamento Quantidade MONSTA X OFFICIAL LIGHTSTICK VER. We can add battery set for one light stick. Save iu kpop lightstick to get e-mail alerts and updates on your eBay Feed. C $91.11. ... ASTRO OFFICIAL LIGHT STICK VER.2 LIGHTSTICK + STRAP + WARRANTY. Quick View. Regular price ₱1,380 View. The shape stayed the same - it still looks like a radish. Oi, esse não tem 100 perguntas não tá. SEVENTEEN OFFICIAL LIGHTSTICK VER 2. For serious collectors only, price non-negotiable. Be one of the rare IU fans to wave the V2 lightstick at her concert. $39.60. TYSM, Release Date : NOV - 12th - 2019 $90.00 EXO Light Stick. Click here to see the COVID-19 Gulidline Safety Plan . Regular price ₱2,450.00 HOLIDAY SALE Sale. HIGHLIGHT - Official LIGHT STICK Ver.2. 2. you are from Middle and South America and Middle East CountriesS, Release Date : 19-04-24 On Sale; Album; Light Stick; Poster; Accessories; News; About Sealed and unopened. New. Updated on 23th Aug 2020, lightstick is restocked at weverse shop, pre order available now. Price is for 1 lightstick. 2.5 Bought from Ktown4U. Plus a tiny Monsta X gift picture was a super nice surprise. Click here to see the COVID-19 Gulidline Safety Plan . K-POP IU 2015 CONCERT "CHATSHIRE" OFFICIAL SUPER LIMITED LIGHT STICK. 1. you want us to ship CD package + unfolded poster tube together in one carbon box. We can add battery set for one light stick. $49.99. $25.99. loyalty points. 17-03-2018 - 9 năm đồng hành cùng thần tượng, cuối cùng thì cộng đồng Uaena đã có cho mình lightstick chính thức. Price is for 1 lightstick. BLACKPINK OFFICIAL LIGHT STICK V2. ** It will be shipped out within 1~2 business days once the order has been processed. Please choose Plus Battery Option if you need battery. ChungHa Official Light Stick. It looks very good during concerts and I love the new design, I ordered my lightstick for the tour and it arrived to france quicly, about 1 week and a few days! Speedy ️ ️ Shopee price is different to Website price due to shopee's service charges and fees and packaging fee. 2. you are from Middle and South America and Middle East Countries, Please choose Unfolded Poster (SA) option if 100% Official Merchandise from Korea. 3 months ago. Quick View. Quick View. Please choose Unfolded Poster (SA) option if Placing your order or successful checkout means that you've read our Shopping Guidelines and agreed to our Terms and Conditions. https://shopee.ph/gdyb.ph Metro Manila - Lalamove / Grab / Angkas / Mr. DAY6 OFFICIAL LIGHT BAND $39.99. TWICE TZUYU Candy Bong Z Light Stick Photocard. Boon Lay MRT Station (EW27) Meetup. US$47.12 US$70.68 33% Off Ver.2 SEVENTEEN OFFICIAL Light Stick Concert LED Lamp Lightstick bluetooth 5.0 Decorations 1 review COD US$27.99 US$59.99 53% Off Bakeey Q19 Scratchproof Screen Metal Body Dynamic UI Real-time Herat Rate 30M Waterproof Smart Watch 0 review COD 19-sep-2020 - Explora el tablero "Lightstick" de Kimberley, que 199 personas siguen en Pinterest. Sold Out. Ver más ideas sobre Kpop, Tengo dinero, Juguetes hechos en casa. 2. you are from Middle and South America and Middle East Countries, Release Date : FEB - 4th - 2020 IU IZONE LOONA LOVELYZ MAMAMOO MOMOLAND MONSTA X NCT NU'EST ONEUS ONF ONLYONEOF PENTAGON RED VELVET ... APINK – Official Lightstick Ver.2 (Panda Bong) 2,333.00. 2. Please choose Plus Battery Option if you need battery. IU OFFICIAL Concert LIGHT STICK V2. $ 0.80. 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Blue Ivy — and her mum Beyoncé — won Best Music Video for "Brown Skin Girl." The French electronic duo released a nearly eight-minute video announcing the news. Sarah Jessica Parker, Andy Cohen and Miley Cyrus voiced their support for the pop star, whose legal struggles are outlined in 'Framing Britney Spears'. During a splashy performance featuring a medley of his greatest hits, the R&B singer inadvertently gave people on Twitter fodder for the best meme of the night. The R&B hitmaker poured $7 million of his own money into the halftime show performance. Political statements, surprise guests and international scandals. The pop prince turned Hollywood star recently turned the grand old age of 27. If you disagree with Justin Bieber's 'Mistletoe' appearing on this list, you're just plain wrong. Ariana Grande is saying "thank u, next" to the single life. Fans were convinced that the singer was set to drop a new album titled "Woodvale" after spotting a clue.

Thank you Allison for hosting Sunday Stealing. to join in click here. 2. If you could stay one age forever, what age would you choose? 41. 3. When you say “lol”, are you really laughing? I never use that acronym. 4. What is the most interesting thing you’ve done in the past year? There were a few great nights recording WTIT. The best was last weekend for Johnnie’s farewell… 5. If you started a business, what would it be? I am a great website builder. Check out WTIT.net. It’s all me. 6. Do your friends/family/coworkers know about your blog? No. Even I sometimes forget. 7. How long does it take you to write an average blog post? It depends on whether the French twins are over or not. 8. How do you keep up with the blogs you follow? I really don’t follow a lot. I comment (or try to) on those who comment on my stuff. I do read “What If This Is As Good As It Gets” and “One Gal’s Musings.” Allison is very funny and Gal could be a major author. 9. What is your bedtime? Depends on who I’m with. 10. Introvert or extrovert? Extro. Surprised? 11. What is your biggest wish? At the moment, that my domestic situation changes. 13. Dog person/cat person/both/neither? Neither. 14. If you had $1,000 to spend any way you wanted, what would you do with it? I’d love to have backup recording equipment. 15. How do you “dress” your toast? This meme’s a laugh a minute. 16. How do you feel about snow? I hate it. That’s why I live in fucking New England. 17. What was the worst job you ever had? I sold life insurance for a few weeks. 18. What song can you not stop listening to? “If the Phone Doesn’t Ring It’s Me”. 19. Love your name or hate it? Since I picked it, it works for me. 20. How did you choose your blog/twitter handle? It’s the name that I use when we record WTIT. Sometimes you can do the right thing at the wrong time. It’s been a rather strange couple of weeks. I will elaborate at the right time. Meanwhile the party for Johnnie Walker’s last tape went really well. We had our regular 4 plus two guys from the past. One asked if he could come back and the other asked for texts of dates to come occasionally. Johnnie’s final sign-off said that it’s hard to walk away from something he’s done nearly fifty years. Then his classic sign-off: “Remember & you’ll never forget. And if you’re looking at the speakers right now thanks for watching…””

If your team works from home, then you can allow group members to set an away message and catch some z’s. Jennifer Kustanovich, SUNY Stony Brook5. If you or your colleagues have low morale at work, give these 10 tips a try. Starbucks is leading this trend, having just expanded their employee tuition reimbursement plan in partnership with Arizona State University. Tie yourself down to your chair, or your toilet, and grab a glass of Prosecco because this is about to blow your little, feeble mind. Online classes and virtual reality in general have been the staple of 2020. Cake is great, but instead, give your employees the ultimate birthday boost: an extra day off to spend whenever and however they like. Brittany Morgan, National Writer's Society2. 3 Ways to Boost Employee Morale at Work. But not everything in life will go detail to detail of how you pictured it, but if you just drop the expectations and go with the flow you'll experience a much more fulfilled life vs planning everything. Even if your workplace is on a budget, there are still ways to provide incentives. When employees experience rewards for their hard work, they feel regenerated and ready to work hard. That said, it’s important to recognize people the right way—you shouldn’t just hand out meaningless compliments. When employees have low moral it can be hard to be productive. When employees are positive about their work environment and believe that they can meet their most important career and vocational needs, employee morale is positive or high. This one is a little cheesy, but come on, who doesn't like cheesy? Diffuse a competitive environment by incorporating humor and play. Yes, we all work positions in which we do not want to show up every day. So, it's been a roller-coaster experience, and definitely not what we expected. It could be a gift card, iPhone utilities, movie tickets, a holiday raffle, or some perks in the workplace. Perhaps they have never hurt a fly, but it doesn't matter since their character just straight-up sucks.By the way, some of my arguments contain spoilers, so fair warning. Companies like Adobe, Deloitte and Kimpton Hotels have adopted sabbaticals as a way to increase quality of life and encourage retention among employees. I know I certainly have. In fact, 92 percent of employees experience a spike in blood pressure and heart rate after reading an email in the office. That’s more true now than ever! Learn how to boost your employees’ morale, engagement and productivity during COVID-19 by addressing their biggest concerns and challenges! Promote weekly incentives. Now, Olivia Rodrigo's debut single, "drivers license," is taking the charts by storm. Here are some fun ways to boost morale. Giving that sense of energy to the workplace can build stronger bonds and teamwork. These kinds of extended breaks give individuals a viable option beyond quitting or transferring to a different company. Don't lose your best employees. I know everything in life becomes impatient when you strive to patiently wait for things to happen. As the researchers state, "Gifts are roughly as efficient as hiring more workers." Co-workers like to hear... 2. Be clear about opportunities to grow, not just during recruitment but on a regular basis. Have a daily huddle. However, a job can especially produce stress. Empower employees with time-management training and peer support, as well as clear boundaries around office hours. Then, not too long after that, I was told I had hypertension due to a condition I have called kidney dysplasia. Maybe you can delegate this task to someone who enjoys arts and crafts. 4.) As a quick morale booster, consider implementing regular sports days for your employees. It then recruits volunteer groups to tackle issues and solve the company's biggest problems. 14 Simple Strategies to Boost Workplace Morale 01. These motivational quotes are a great way to jazz up a memo, newsletter, banner for the website. Not only will it boost employees' achievements and self-esteem, it will empower your company with a competitive workforce. Forty percent of millennials expect promotions every one to two years. Too much choice is restrictive and confusing." Your generosity will come back in the form of employee appreciation. Putting on a brave face shows that any situation is under control. Here are 5 ways you can boost employee morale during the Coronavirus pandemic: Virtual Team Bonding. These examples and more deserve recognition. Kristen Haddox, Penn State University4. As a manager, you perceive your company much differently than your... 02. Giving employees the opportunity to shape rewarding activities ensures that your effort serves everyone. Providing leadership in tough times can put a team back on track. 1. This aromatic option is one of the easiest ways to boost employee morale during the holidays while also boosting their productivity. To make the job easier for you, here is our compilation of 9 great tips to boost morale and increase your business productivity in the long run. Boosting employee morale isn’t just a fad; it’s an important driver in the success of your workplace. Family is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Based on the time of service, an employee can take a break to pursue her passions, volunteer, or spend time with family. You could also build naps into your work from home policy. Executive coach Rodger Dean Duncan describes jerks as those who "intimidate, condescend, or demean, swear, behave rudely, belittle people in front of others, give only negative feedback, lie, act sexist or racist, withhold critical information, blow up in meetings, refuse to accept blame or accountability, gossip, and spread rumors, use fear as a motivator, etc.". For the majority of these songs, I can't really explain why, but they remind me of winter. Consider paying for or subsidizing transportation, technology, gym memberships, or childcare. Hearing feedback about myself allows me to consider what my strengths are and what I need to improve upon. By offering to pick up the tab on some essentials, you nurture a positive relationship with employees. Playing games leads people to compromise, meet others' needs, and work together as a team. 37. Try and implement these tips at your job and note the difference in your work environment. Eligible employees can work toward their degrees remotely while working at the coffee giant. Consider putting aside money for professional development programs and to reimburse employee tuition toward academic degrees. Respond as you would to a friend, with kindness and consideration. Also, it provides a chance for co-workers to know each other a little better. In fields such as finance, law, and medicine, young staffers are expected to put in heavy hours. Also note that a lenient inclement weather policy is particularly important to employees with young family, as childcare options are rarely available when schools close. Instead of expecting individuals to do it all, encourage outsourcing work to freelancers and outside experts as a way to plug in the holes. Acknowledging personal achievements is a great way to show the support that co-workers deserve. Keeping employee morale high: A challenge during COVID-19 As cases of COVID-19 increase, so do feelings of doubt and anxiety among workers. You're a spiritual being. Simply showing we appreciate hard work can create a more productive environment. The best way to combat feelings of isolation and increase morale is by keeping employees connected. Knowing how to increase employee morale is a great step to improve productivity, overall worker satisfaction, and teamwork in your … Every team contributes to … Instead of playing "the trust game," encourage employees to lead voluntary workshops or exercises in an area they are knowledgeable about -- an avid outdoorsmen could plan a kayaking trip or a top-notch baker could teach people how to bake a new recipe. Add a Ping-Pong table to the break room, bring in a karaoke machine once a month, or even encourage a small group to undertake an art project for the office. And while you're at it, make sure to celebrate your company's birthday. According to a survey from Globoforce, 82 percent of people would feel good if people noticed and recognized their work anniversary, but only 36 percent of people say a work anniversary made them feel valued. Employee morale describes the overall outlook, attitude, satisfaction, and confidence that employees feel at work. This is a fun way for co-workers to collaborate and create something that belongs to their company, branch, or department. We all work hard at our jobs — whatever it is we do. But it goes deeper. When you have low morale, it can lead to poor concentration, low productivity and higher turnover – all of which negatively impact your business. It... 3. Radhi, SUNY Stony Brook3. This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator. A posture of openness gives employees permission to contribute to positive change. With specialized contractors implementing strategy, you free up your employees to think big and develop innovative initiatives. Instead of utilizing email for all communication, integrate software like Trello, Asana, and Slack to lessen or completely negate its impact. Employees feel valued when their feedback is taken into consideration. It is an entertaining way to relax and find out who can write the best song or chant. 10 Creative Tips To Boost Workplace Morale At Your Job 1. Employee anxiety and stress are peaking. Have you ever been watching your favorite show, all comfortable and relaxed, and then that one character that you just can't stand pops up on the screen and ruins your mood? You're not crazy. Just as employees are hesitant to step away from their desks for lunch, they often shy away from vacation time despite its potential to boost morale. Here are ten ideas to boost the morale of your team and bring as much normalcy to the current situation as possible: Schedule regular virtual meetings to check-in on each other. There are many simple, yet powerful, techniques you can use to instantly boost employee morale. Humans experience stressors every day. Work anniversaries are relationship milestones between an employee and a company. Unconditional gifts can revolutionize your employee morale. The key to staying connected while working remotely is to spend time with your staff. Co-workers like to hear praise from others. Take care of your team members by sending a private, personal note to let them know you see and support them. For our workers who have never worked from home, social isolation is deeply felt. The workplace should be an area where hard working people come together and accomplish their goals. 12 Ways to Help Boost Team Morale. Here are 20 proven ways to get the ball rolling: How many times have you been to a company outing that missed the mark? The only way to make sure you’re headed in the right direction is to track and continuously work on keeping positivity up. You can still recognize personal milestones and losses while respecting privacy -- even a simple note from you would do. While everyone is out, have the office freshly painted with bright colors. Tip: Remove all water bottles and trash to make yourself more organized! Here are some tips to help you create a work environment that can play a part in improving employee morale and attracting and retaining the top talent. It will give them something to look forward to and get their endorphins flowing, which is a great way for them to bond. Individuals experience higher morale when employers appreciate them as people first and employees second. When people are down, keeping it quiet only makes it worse. Make communication easy by setting up video conferencing and instant messaging platforms across your company (that is, if you don’t Slack everything already). 17 Ways to Boost Employee Morale During COVID-19 That Aren’t Happy Hours Fancy Dress Fridays. 9 ways to maintain staff morale in a remote work environment 1. But taking a moment to recognize your team members for a job well done in their day-to-day work is the easiest, cheapest, and most effective way to boost morale. Let go of the jerks -- weeding out this kind of behavior among upper management can have an even greater impact on employee morale than raises or promotions. Email not only drags on employees' productivity, it wears on well-being by increasing stress and requiring high levels of reactivity. One day in March, everything shut down and we all had to learn how to work, teach, study, do therapy, and take classes remotely without much preparation. They're the kind of characters that make you want to yell at the writer, "what the hell were you thinking with this one?" No matter how down in the dumps your team is, these techniques are guaranteed to spark positive change. Watch the snow gently falling out your window and put these songs on to get in the winter mood. If you've ever had or experienced anything of these things, you're probably the next Long Island Medium, or you're just simply a highly spiritual DIVA. Low morale is a prime reason for high turnover, low productivity and larger rates of absenteeism in a company. Meme Channels. If you're tuned into your workplace, you can tell when employees exhibit the subtle and not-so-subtle symptoms of low morale: eye rolls, high turnover rates, fewer employee conversations, decreased collaboration, and diluted performances. No doubt, families will feel pride upon seeing the work of your employee in their natural habitat, garnering appreciation and a shared sense of connection. Maybe they never really did anything seriously wrong, but oh my god they are annoying af. The best team-building exercises will overturn organizational structures and allow individuals to explore their own strengths. Get accepted to grad school? Crowd-source company outing ideas.. How many times have you been to a company outing that missed the mark? As writer Lotte Bailyn argued, "Unlimited vacation time may sound wonderful in theory, but in reality, less is more. These characters aren't necessarily evil or horrible people, but they do have personalities that make them incredibly irritating. Morale can have a major spike when colleagues are given a chance to relax and take their minds off the job. Instead of putting your HR team in charge, ask for anonymous nominations for a company-wide outing -- then let your team vote for their favorites. Motivational quotes like these are a perfect way to give employees that boost in the workplace. Employee Morale Boosters: 25 Ideas Your Staff Will Love 1. Office arcade Decorating is a fun way to make your workplace more pleasant and enjoyable. Try incorporating fun office events into your workplace to boost morale and inspire enthusiasm after teams accomplish milestones or finish big projects. When we strive to become better than we are, then everything around us becomes better as well. 1. So, companies can’t afford to blindside the topic of low employee morale for too long. I never thought I'd hear the words "your diseases are under control," but I have, all thanks to quarantine. It could... 2. Despite the appearance of productivity, this marathon-approach to work weighs on well-being and doesn't necessarily increase results. Songs About Being 17Grey's Anatomy QuotesVine Quotes4 Leaf CloverSelf Respect, 1. Opening your doors to children, spouses, parents, and siblings connects professional and personal worlds. Track the pulse of employee morale. If your job exhibits low employee morale, maybe it is time for a change. High morale is a sure fire way to increase productivity. The options are endless! If your company enjoys partnerships with other organizations, consider asking them to offer a mutual discounts on services for your and their employees. Supplying deliberation is essential to team unity and trust. Eradicate email.. Email not only drags on employees' productivity, it … Rather, it is the small things that make workers feel commitment to an organization. Instead of... 2. On the flip side, if an employer surveyed me and asked what I think needs improvement, I would provide honest and solid feedback. You work from a place within. Fun Christmas or Halloween decorations can put anyone in a good mood when they arrive to work. 20 Creative Ways to Boost Employee Morale 1. You may know her from the Disney+ show, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, or from her song, "All I Want," from its popularity on TikTok. To maintain employee morale among a new generation of employees, you need to emphasize the viability of your promotional tracks. This tip is especially helpful around the holidays. It takes constant work to maintain a dynamic company culture. When employees experience significant life events such as loss, they can feel isolated in a culture of nonstop celebration. You can even encourage a little friendly competition by providing prizes. Spreading positivity in the workplace can boost morale and relieve some stress employees may be feeling. A 2013 Harvard Business School study found that giving clear, unconditional, and unexpected financial gifts to employees leads to higher productivity. Tie yourself down to your chair and grab a glass of Prosecco because this is about to blow your little, perplexing mind. No matter where you are, you’re never far from great volunteer opportunities. Google, for example, uses a survey called Googleist to elicit feedback from employees on a wide swath of issues. Have a conversation with your staff about the best way to honor work anniversaries. Management professor Kimberly Elsbach told NPR that “staying inside, in the same location, is really detrimental to creative thinking.” Get managers on board to take a coffee break, go for a walk or check out a new restaurant every day. Encourage and Host Virtual Social Time. Keep them happy by implementing ideas from this list. We all work hard at our jobs — whatever it is we do. But if you work in a place with positive attitudes and high spirits, then your hard work will be worth it. It's a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with your mission while generating good feelings. There are no bad ideas and brainstorming can lead to anything. Read these 10 tips to improve morale in the workplace and ask a colleague or supervisor if the tips are possible to implement. Seeing as how 78 percent employees spend more time with co-workers than they do with family, a supportive community will go along way to fostering happiness. If you're looking to add some songs to your winter playlist, give these ones a listen. 1. Personally, whenever I pray or meditate, I feel rejuvenated and ready to face the next challenge. Clare Regelbrugge, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Sign in to comment to your favorite stories, participate in your community and interact with your friends. Create opportunities to celebrate and have some fun with your employees, like a company potluck … Studies reveal that a key employee's exit can cost between 70 and 200 percent of the individual's compensation. To recap: public recognition is a no-fail way to boost employee morale. With high costs accompanying low morale, it pays to invest in a positive community and individual satisfaction -- they can go a long way to improving your company and its numbers. Taking some time to participate in non-work related activity can be a good opportunity to take everyone's mind off the stresses of work. Some companies try to break the mold by offering unlimited vacation days, but that's not necessarily a solution either. The return to a clean space may just be the spark you need to instantly improve morale. Group Volunteer Opportunities. Anyone at work run a marathon? At When I Work, we use a tool called TinyPulse. Home or dorm life, school, relationships, and extracurricular activities all present stress. Make Business Results Transparent. Study after study has shown that what workers want from their jobs in the year 2000 is not better benefits or more money. 44.Caught Ya In The Act This is a fun and engaging why to keep everyone talking and giving encouragement. Presenting the workplace with an opportunity to share ideas and opinions is crucial to teamwork and morale. The best approach to tackling low morale is to embrace positive changes before it takes hold, offsetting boredom and frustration with meaningful benefits, individual acknowledgements, and opportunities to grow. Mentorship programs allow employees to meet executive-level professionals, acquire new skills, and learn about different departments. When your workforce is dispersed, it’s especially important to keep your employees engaged. Employees often feel overwhelmed. The last few years of my life have been a rollercoaster. Embark on a … When colleagues see that someone is calm and collected, they will respond similarly. Even if your workplace is on a budget, there are still ways to provide incentives. Those people have the greatest leverage to model morale-boosting habits. Let's be clear about ONE THING. From virtual team lunches and happy hours to online yoga and workout sessions, you can keep your employees connected—no matter where they are. Be open and transparent about communication. Giving colleagues a few moments to reflect can bring positive change to a work environment. Praise colleagues and subordinates. Activities for employees to boost teamwork and cooperation don’t have to be dull and repetitive – implement some of the following fun-filled suggestions into your next team event to help make teamwork and cooperation amongst coworkers an enjoyable prospect. If you see any of these signs, or other troubling changes in behavior among your workforce, here are four actions you can take to help boost … When a blizzard, flood, or hurricane rolls into town, be especially cognizant of employee safety, and when necessary, let workers stay home. Brainstorm ways to incorporate regular feedback into the life of your office. Feedback can be reciprocal. We all work hard every day. 10. Toilet paper and Netflix memes are very popular right now. Even small decisions can have unintended consequences for your employee morale. What's the easiest way to boost morale? When working remotely, employees need to know that their manager and senior leaders are still there for them should they have issues and need someone to help them through. We asked HR practitioners, via the SHRM Connect online community and LinkedIn, to share their ideas for easy, affordable ways to boost morale in the work … Around February of the next year, I found out that I had developed Lupus as a result of the medicine I was on to treat my Crohn's disease. 16. But that doesn’t mean you... 03. So, when a colleague triumphs, it should be celebrated. You're not delusional and you're definitely not a weirdo. Imagine the positive impact you would have giving a big bonus to a single mother supporting a family or a young professional paying off student loans? What better way to introduce coworkers, inspire camaraderie, and boost employee morale than to have them learn from one another. Praise your employees often. The few hours of lost work will result in an increase in productivity and employee gratitude, which benefits the company in the long run. 25 Low Cost, Creative Ideas to Improve Morale, Enhance Productivity, and Make Your Workplace More Fun! As an alternative to an awful and extended commute, chances are employees will be more productive during a snow day at home than they would in the office. Workplace morale is just as important as a paycheck. Get your team out of the office occasionally for a totally unique and different activity, like volunteering for a day at Habitat for Humanity. 10 Creative Tips To Boost Workplace Morale At Your Job, 10 Thoughts Every Student Has Had During Online Classes, 11 TV Characters Who Are Irritating BEYOND Belief, 20 Songs You Should REALLY Add To Your Winter Playlist, As Someone With A Chronic Condition, My Quarantine Silver Lining Has Been Being Able To Put My Health First, 30 Small Ways To Improve Your Mental Health Every Day This Month, Yes, Olivia Rodrigo Is The One Artist To Add To All Your Playlists In 2021, Believe In What You Pray For, And Trust The Process, Because Everything Will Happen, When It Happens. Include these quotes in employees’ paycheck, birthdays can help them feel a part of the team. Ace a final exam? Whether it’s a “bring your kids to work day,” or simply an open invitation for significant others at your next happy hour, including families helps employees see a more human side of each other. Ways To Boost Employee Morale. Identifying their efforts could brighten their day. Research suggests that only one in five people take lunch breaks and that white-collar workers are least likely to step away from their desks for a break. Stay connected. Gift a Cup of Holiday Cheer A 2015 Gallop Survey on coffee consumption discovered that, “Just under two-thirds of U.S. adults drink at least one cup a day.” At this time three years ago, I received my first of many diagnoses: Crohn's disease. Do one task every day to improve your mental health! Quit smoking? Maybe it's their slow pace, their magical synth sounds, or their melancholy lyrics, but all of these songs give me winter vibes. Instead, increase vacation days and add a bonus for employees who truly take a time-out -- no work email, no phone calls, no laptop on the beach. Arrange a … Fill it with quotes, jokes, activities, and other fun things that they can do to get a quick morale boost and motivation to continue with a productive work day. The novelty of working from home because of COVID-19 is wearing thin. Team back on track home policy an opportunity to shape rewarding activities ensures that your effort serves everyone employees... Cases of COVID-19 increase, so do feelings of isolation and increase is... On track the most important aspects of people 's lives while you 're not... Boost employee morale isn ’ t just hand out meaningless compliments between and... Read these 10 tips a try it is the small things that make feel. Maintain a dynamic company culture first of many diagnoses: Crohn 's disease personal. Online yoga and workout sessions, you need to instantly improve morale the! Toward their degrees remotely while working remotely is to track and continuously work on positivity! Colleague triumphs, it wears on well-being by increasing stress and requiring high levels of reactivity 're delusional... Someone is calm and collected, they will respond similarly by incorporating humor and play an important driver in workplace... No matter How down in the success of your promotional tracks you see and them! `` your diseases are under control high levels of reactivity, so feelings! Get their endorphins flowing, which helps people feel more connected debut single, unlimited... A memo, newsletter, banner for the majority of these songs, I feel rejuvenated and ready work... Job and note the difference in your work from home policy needs, and confidence that employees feel when! With employees personally, whenever I pray or meditate, I was I... Sessions, you can use to instantly boost employee morale high: a challenge during COVID-19 fun ways to boost morale at work ’... 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Law School Memes was a result of this... If only it were that easy today Credit: Joel Doutch....for his earlier mistake. Reading your first case at law school and wishing the judges would just say yes/no, guilty/not guilty from the get go. Credit: David Allinson Oh how deceiving the lifestyle is. Credit: Valerij Lechner Your first words in your first moot. Thanks to Jason Corbett from our home at University of Technology Sydney for this find What, like it's hard? @mystylesays @mystylesays Credit: Mitchell Hamblyn Life Feline Hard? Credit: Elmer Bass Credit: Chris Primmer Credit: Zain Karmile Law School Problems Hypocrite - “This exploding debt is crushing our young people,” Warren said at Suffolk University Law School on April 11th. What Warren d... This would have been a law school meme but... Credit: Sam Kreitals

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Wyn Craig Wade, The Fiery Cross: The Ku Klux Klan in America New York: Simon and Schuster, 1987. Given the infamy of the organization, it is surprising that there are so few books that cover the entire history of the Ku Klux Klan in America. Most seem to deal only with only one period (usually, but not always, either the Reconstruction–era Klan or the Second Klan that reached its apotheosis during the twenties), one locality or indeed only a single time and place. On reflection, however, this is not really surprising. For, though we habitually refer to the Ku Klux Klan, or the Klan (emphasis on ‘the’), as if it were a single organization that has been in continuous existence since its first formation in the Reconstruction-era, there have in fact been many different groups calling themselves ‘the Ku Klux Klan’, or some slight variant upon this name (e.g. ‘Knights of the Ku Klux Klan’, ‘United Klans of America’), that have emerged and disappeared over the century and a half since the name was first coined in the aftermath of the American Civil War. Most of these groups had small memberships, recruited and were active in only a single locality and soon disappeared altogether. Yet even those incarnations of the Klan name that had at least some claim to a national, or at least a pan-Southern, membership invariably lacked effective centralized control over local klaverns. Thus, Wade observes: “After the Klan had spread outwards from Tennessee, there wasn’t the slightest chance of central control over it – a problem that would characterize the Klan throughout its long career” (p58). It is perhaps for this reason that most historians authoring books about the Klan have focussed on Klan activity in only a single time-frame or geographic locality. Indeed, it is notable, besides Wynn Wade’s ‘The Fiery Cross’, the only other work of which I am aware that even purports to cover the entirety of the Klan’s history (apart from the recently published White Robes and Burning Crosses, which I have not yet read) is David Chambers’ Hooded Americanism: The History of the Ku Klux Klan. Yet even this latter work (‘Hooded Americanism’), though it purports in its blurb to be “The only work that treats Ku Kluxism for the entire period of it’s [sic] existence”, actually devotes only a single, short, cursory chapter to the Reconstruction-era Klan, when the group was first founded, arguably at its strongest, and certainly at its most violent. Moreover, ‘Hooded Americanism’ is composed of separate chapters recounting the history of the Klan in different states in each time period, such that the book lacks an overall narrative structure and is difficult to read. In contrast, for those with an interest in the topic, Wade’s ‘The Fiery Cross’ is both readable and informative, and somehow manages to weave the story of the various Klan groups in different parts of the country into a single overall narrative. A College Fraternity Turned Terrorist? If, today, the stereotypical Klansman is an illiterate redneck, it might come as some surprise that the group’s name actually bears an impressively classical etymology. It derives from the ancient Greek ‘kuklos’, meaning ‘circle’. To this was added ‘Klan’, both for alliterative purposes, and in reference to the ostensible Scottish ancestry of the group’s founders. This classical etymology reflected the social standing and educational background of its founders, who, far from being illiterate rednecks, were, Wade reports, “well educated for their day” (p32). Thus, he reports, of the six founder members, two would go on to become lawyers, another would become editor of a local newspaper, and yet another a state legislator (p32). Neither, seemingly, was the group formed with any terroristic, or even any discernible political, aspirations in mind. Instead, one of these six founder members, the, in retrospect, perhaps ironically–named James Crow, claimed their intention was initially: “Purely social and for our amusement” (p34). Since, as a good white Southerner and Confederate veteran, Crow likely approved the politics with which the Klan later became associated, he had no obvious incentive to downplay a political motive. Certainly, Wade takes him at his word. Thus, if the various Klan titles – Grand Goblin, Imperial Wizard etc. – sound more like what one might expect in, say, a college fraternity than a serious political or terrorist group, then this perhaps reflects the fact that the organization was indeed conceived with just such adolescent tomfoolery in mind. Indeed, although it is not mentioned by Wade, it has even been suggested that a then-defunct nineteenth-century fraternity, Kuklos Adelphon, may even have provided a partial model for the group. Thus, Wade writes: “It has been said that, if Pulaski had had an Elks Club, the Klan would never have been born” (p33). White Sheets and Black Victims However, from early on, the group’s practical jokes increasingly focussed on the newly-emancipated, and already much resented, black population of Giles County. Yet, even here, intentions were initially jocular, if mean-spirited. Thus, the white sheets famously worn by Klansmen were, Wade informs us, originally conceived in imitation of ghosts, the wearers ostensibly posing as: “The ghosts of the Confederate dead, who had risen from their graves to wreak vengeance on [the blacks]” (p35). This accorded with the then prevalent stereotype of black people as being highly superstitious. However, it is likely that few black victims were taken in. Instead, the very real fear that the Klan came to inspire in its predominantly black victims reflected instead the also very real acts of terror and cruelty with which the group became increasingly associated. The sheets also functioned, of course, as a crude disguise. However, it was only when the Klan name was revived in the early twentieth century, and through the imagination of its reviver, William Joseph Simmons, that this crude disguise was transformed into a mysterious ceremonial regalia, the sale of which was jealously guarded, and an important source of revenue for the Klan leadership. Indeed, in the Reconstruction-era Klan, the sheets, though a crude disguise, would not even qualify as a uniform, as there was no standardization whatsoever. Instead: “Sheets, pillowcases, handkerchiefs, blankets, sacks… paper masks, blackened faces, and undershirts and drawers were all employed” (p60). Thus, Wade reports the irony whereby one: “Black female victim of the Klan was able to recognise one of her assailants because he wore a dress she herself had sewed for his wife” (p60). Chivalry – or Reproductive Competition? Representing perhaps the original ‘white knights’, Klansmen claimed to be acting in order to protect the ostensible virtue and honour of white women. However, at least in Wade’s telling, the rapes of white women by black males, upon which white Southern propaganda so pruriently dwelt (as prominently featured, for example, in the movie, Birth of a Nation, and the book upon which the movie was based, The Clansman: A Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan) were actually very rare. Indeed, he even quotes a former Confederate General, and alleged Klansman, seemingly admitting as much when, on being asked whether such assaults were common, he acknowledged: “Oh no sir, but one case of rape by a negro upon a white woman was enough to alarm the whole people of the state” (p20). Certainly, the Emmett Till case demonstrates that even quite innocuous acts could indeed invite grossly disproportionate responses in the Southern culture of honour, at least where the perceived malfeasors were black. Thus, Wade claims: “Sometimes a black smile or the tipping of a hat were sufficient grounds for prosecution for rape. As one southern judge put it, ‘I see a chicken cock drop his wings and take after a hen; my experience and observation assure me that his purpose is sexual intercourse, no other evidence is needed’” (p20). Likewise, such infamous cases as the Scottsboro boys and Groveland four illustrate that false allegations were not unknown in the American South. Indeed, false rape allegations remain common to this day. However, I remain skeptical of Wade’s claim that black-on-white rape were quite as rare as he makes out. After all, American blacks have had high rates of violent crime ever since records began, and, as contemporary racists are fond of pointing out, today, black-on-white rape is actually quite common, at least as compared to other victim-offender dyads. Thus, in Paved with Good Intentions: The Failure of Race Relations in Contemporary America, published in 1992, Jared Taylor reports: “In a 1974 study in Denver, 40 percent of all rapes were of whites by blacks, and not one case of white-on-black-rape was found. In general, through the 1970s, black-on-white rape was at last ten times more common than white-on-black rape… In 1988 there were 9,406 cases of black-on-white rape and fewer than ten cases of white-on-black rape. Another researcher concludes that in 1989, blacks were three or four times more likely to commit rape than whites and that black men raped white women thirty times as often as white men raped black women” (Paved with Good Intentions: p93) Indeed, the authors of one recent textbook on criminology even claim that: “Some researchers have suggested, because of the frequency with which African Americans select white victims (about 55 percent of the time), it [rape] could be considered an interracial crime” (Criminology: A Global Perspective: p544). At any rate, Southern chivalry was rather selectively accorded, and certainly did not extend to black women. Indeed, Wade claims that Klansmen themselves, employing a blatant double-standard and rank hypocrisy, actually themselves regularly raped black women during their raids: “The desire for group intercourse was sometimes sufficient reason for a den to go out on a raid…. Sometimes during a political raid, Klansmen would rape the female members of the household as a matter of course” (p76). As someone versed in sociobiological theory who has studied evolutionary psychology, I tempted to see these double-standards in sociobiological terms as a form of reproductive competition, designed to maximize the reproductive success of the white males involved, and indeed of the white race in general. Thus, for white men, it was open season on black women, but white women were strictly off-limits to black men: “In Southern white culture, the female was placed on a pedestal where she was inaccessible to blacks and a guarantee of purity of the white race. The black race, however, was completely vulnerable to miscegenation. White men soon learned that women placed on a pedestal acted like statues in bed, and they came to prefer the female slave whom they found open and uninhibited… The more white males turned to female slaves, the more they exalted their own women, who increasingly became a mere ornament and symbol of the Southern way of life” (p20). While it may not have extended to black women, the chivalry accorded white women did apparently extend to white women from Northern states, including even those who, as white Southerners saw it, came south to interfere with southern customs and traditions. Thus, among the groups targeted for intimidation by Klansmen were idealistic teachers from Northern states who had travelled south to educate black children as volunteer teachers. However, these women received better treatment than the men: “Overt violence was frequently used on male school teachers… [whereas] as a rule, women school teachers were safer than men from Ku Klux violence. The Klan preferred to scare female teachers into leaving by written warnings” (p63-4). Thus, one white northern teacher reported that, unlike white men, and blacks of either sex, “They treated me gentlemanly and quietly” (p64). The Klan came to stand for the reestablishment of white supremacy and the denial of voting rights to blacks. In the short-term, at least, these aims were to be achieved, with the establishment of segregation and effective disenfranchisement of blacks throughout much of the South. Wade, however, denies the Klan any part in this victory: “The Ku-Klux Klan… didn’t weaken Radical Reconstruction nearly as much as they nurtured it. So long as an organized secret conspiracy swore oaths and used cloak and dagger methods in the South, Congress was willing to legislate against it… Not until the Klan was beaten and the former confederacy turned to more open methods of preserving the Southern way of life did Reconstruction and its Northern support decline” (p109-110). Thus, it was, Wade reports, not the Klan, but rather other groups, today largely forgotten, such as Louisiana’s White League and South Carolina’s Red Shirts, that were responsible for successfully scaring blacks away from the polls and ensuring the return of white supremacy in the South. Moreover, he reports that they were only able to do so only because the federal laws enacted to tackle the Klan had ceased to be enforced precisely because the Klan itself had ceased to represent a serious threat. On this telling, then, the First Klan was, politically, a failure. In this respect, it was to set the model for later Klans, which would fight a losing rearguard action against Catholic immigration and the civil rights movement. If the First Klan was a failure, why then was it remembered, celebrated and ultimately revived, while other groups, such as the White League, Red Shirts and Knights of the White Camelia, which employed similar terrorist tactics in pursuit of the same political objectives, are today largely forgotten? Wade does not address this, but one suspects the outlandishness of the group’s name and ceremonial titles contributed, as did the fact that the Klan seems to have been the only such group active throughout the entirety of the former Confederacy. The reborn Klan, founded in the early twentieth century, was the brainchild of William Joseph Simmons, a self-styled professional ‘fraternalist’, alumni of countless other fraternal organizations, Methodist preacher, strict prohibitionist and rumoured alcoholic. It is him to whom credit must go for inventing most of the ritualism (aka ‘Klancraft’) and terminology (including the very word ‘Klancraft’) that came to be associated with the Klan in the twentieth century. ‘Birth of a Nation’ and the Rebirth of the Klan Both deplored for its message yet also grudgingly admired for its technical and artistic achievement, this film occupies a curious place in film history, roughly comparable to Leni Riefenstahl’s Nazi propaganda film, Triumph of the Will. (Sergei Eisenstein’s Communist and Stalinist propaganda films curiously, but predictably, receive a free pass.) In this movie, pioneering filmmaker DW Griffith is credited with largely inventing much of the grammar of modern moviemaking. If, today, it seems distinctly unimpressive, if not borderline unwatchable, this is, not only because of the obvious technological limitations of the time period, but also precisely because it invented many of the moviemaking methods that cinema-goers, and television viewers, have long previously learnt to take for granted (e.g. cross-cutting). Yet, if its technical and artistic innovations have won the grudging respect of film historians, its message is, of course, wholly anathema to modern western sensibilities. Thus, portraying the antebellum American South with the same pair of rose-tinted spectacles as those donned by the author of Gone with the Wind, ‘Birth of a Nation’ went even further, portraying blacks during the Reconstruction period as rampant rapists salivating after the flesh of white women, and Klansmen as heroic white knights who saved white womanhood, and indeed the South itself, from the ravages of both reconstruction and of Southern blacks. Yet, though it achieved unprecedented box-office success, even being credited as the first modern blockbuster, the movie was controversial even for its time. It even became the first movie to be screened in the White House, when, as a favour to Thomas Dixon, the author of the novel upon which the movie was based, the film received an advance, pre-release screening for the benefit of the then-President, Woodrow Wilson, a college acquaintance of Dixon – though what the President thought of it is a matter of dispute. Indeed, such was the controversy that the movie was to provoke that the nascent NAACP, itself formed only a few years earlier, even launched a campaign to have the film banned outright (p127-8). Actually, even then, the Left’s commitment to freedom of expression was, it seems, highly selective, just as it is today. Thus, it was one thing to defend the rights of raving communists, quite another to apply the same principle to racists. The Murders of Mary Phagan and Leo Frank Another factor in the successful resurrection of the Klan were two murders that galvanized popular opinion in the South, and indeed the nation. First was the rape and murder of Mary Phagan, a thirteen-year-old factory girl in Atlanta, Georgia. Second was the lynching of Leo Frank, her boss and ostensible murderer, who was convicted of her murder and sentenced to death, only to have this sentence commuted to life-imprisonment, only to be lynched by outraged locals. His lynching was carried out by a group styling themselves ‘The Knights of Mary Phagan’, many of whom would go on to become founder members of the newly reformed Klan. It was actually this group, not the Klan itself, Yet, in the history of alleged miscarriages of justice in the American South, the lynching of Leo Frank stands very much apart. For one thing, most victims of such alleged miscarriages of justice were, of course, black. Yet Leo Frank was a white man. Moreover, most of his apologists insist that the real perpetrator was, in fact, a black man. They are therefore in the unusual position of claiming racism caused white Southerners to falsely convict a white man when they should have pinned the blame on a black instead. It is true, of course, that Frank was also Jewish. However, there was little history of anti-Semitism in the South. Indeed, I suspect there was more prejudice against him as a wealthy Northerner who had come south for business purposes, and hence as, in Southern eyes, a ‘Yankee carpetbagger’. Moreover, although his lynching was certainly unjustified, and his conviction possibly unsafe, it is still not altogether clear that Frank was indeed innocent of the murder of which he stood accused. Wade himself admits that there was some doubt as to his innocence at the time. However, he refers to a deathbed statement by an elderly witness some seventy years later in 1982 as finally proving his innocence: “Not until 1982 would Frank’s complete innocence come to light as a result of a witness’s deathbed statement” (p143). However, a claim made, not in court under oath, but rather to the press for a headline, by an elderly, dying man, regarding things he had supposedly witnessed some seventy years earlier when he was himself little more than a child, is obviously open to question. At any rate, it is interesting to note that Frank’s lynching played an important role, not only in the founding of the Second Klan, but also in the genesis of another political pressure group whose influence on American social, cultural and political life has far outstripped that of the Klan and which, unlike the Second Klan, survives to this day – namely the Anti-Defamation League of of B’nai B’rith or ADL. The parallels abound. Just as the Second Klan was a fraternal organization for white protestants, so B’nai B’rith, the organization which birthed the ADL, was a fraternal order for Jews, and Frank himself, surely not uncoincidentally, was president of the Atlanta chapter of the group. The organizational efforts of B’nai B’rith to protect Frank, a local chapter president, from punishment can therefore be viewed as analogous to the way in which the Klan itself sought to protect its own members from successful prosecution through its own corrupt links in law enforcement and government and on juries. Moreover, just as the Klan was formed to defend and promote the interests of white Christian protestants, so the ADL was formed to protect the interests of Jews. However, the ADL was to prove far more successful in this endeavour than the Klan had ever been, and, unlike the Second Klan, very much survives, and prospers, to this day. Jews were not, however, the primary objects of Klan enmity during the twenties – and neither, perhaps surprisingly, were blacks. This was, after all, the period that later historians have termed ‘the nadir of American race relations’, when, throughout the South, blacks were largely disenfranchised, and segregation firmly entrenched. White supremacy was firmly entrenched and not, it seemed, under any serious threat. The so-called civil rights movement had barely begun. However, unlike contemporary American race riots, these typically took the form of whites attacking blacks rather than vice versa, and, even when the latter did occur, white solidarity was such that the whites invariably gave at least as good as they got. Thus, in early-twentieth century America, unlike during Reconstruction, there was no need for a Klan to suppress ‘uppity’ blacks. On the contrary, blacks were already adequately suppressed. Thus, if the Second Klan was to have an enemy worthy of its enmity, and a cause sufficient to justify its resurrection, and, more important, sufficient to persuade prospective inductees to hand over their membership dues, it would have to look elsewhere. To some extent the enemy selected varied on a regional basis, depending on the local concerns of the population. The Klan thus sought, like Hitler’s later NSDAP, to be ‘all things to all men’, and, for some time before it hit upon a winning strategy, the Klan flitted from one issue to another, never really finding its feet. However, to the extent the Second Klan, at the national level, was organized in opposition to a single threat or adversary, it was to be found neither in Jews nor blacks, but rather in Catholics. To modern readers, the anti-Catholicism of the Second Klan seems bizarre. Modern Americans may be racist and homophobic in ever decreasing numbers, but they at least understand racism and homophobia. However, anti-Catholicism of this type, especially in so relatively recent a time period, seems wholly incomprehensible. Indeed, the anti-Catholicism of the Second Klan is now something of an embarrassment even to otherwise unreconstructed racists and indeed to contemporary Klansmen, and is something they very much disavow and try to play down. Thus, anti-Catholicism, at least of this kind, is now wholly obsolete in America, and indeed throughout the English-speaking world outside of Northern Ireland – and perhaps Ibrox Football stadium for ninety minutes on alternate Saturdays for the duration of the Scottish football season. It seems something more suited to cruel and barbaric times, such as England in the seventeenth century, or Northern Ireland in the 1970s… or, indeed, Northern Ireland today. But in twentieth century America? Surely not. How then can we make sense of this phenomenon? Partly, the Klan’s anti-Catholicism reflected the greater religiosity of the age. In particular, the rise of the Second Klan was, at least in Wade’s telling, intimately linked with the rise of Christian fundamentalism in opposition to reforming practices (the so-called ‘Social Gospel’) in the early twentieth century. Indeed, under its first Imperial Wizard, William Joseph Simmons, a Methodist preacher, the new Klan was initially more of a religious organization than it was a political one, and Simmons himself was later to lament the Klan’s move into politics under his successor. There was, however, also a nativist dimension to the Klan’s rabid anti-Catholicism, since, although Catholics had been present among the first settlers of North America and numbered even among the founding fathers, Catholicism was still associated with recent immigrants to the USA, especially Italians, Irish and Poles, who had yet to fully assimilate into the American mainstream. Catholics were also seen as inherently disloyal, as the nature of their religious affiliation (supposedly) meant that they owed ultimate loyalty, not to America, but rather to the Pope in Rome. This idea seems to have been a cultural inheritance from the British Isles. In England, Catholics had long been viewed as inherently disloyal, and as desirous to overthrow the monarchy and restore Britain to Catholicism, as, in an earlier age, many had indeed sought to do. This view is, of course, directly analogous to the claim of many contemporary Islamophobes and counter-Jihadists today that the ultimate consequence of Muslim immigration into Europe will be the imposition of Shariah law across Europe. However, even in the twenties, during the Second Klan’s brief apotheosis, their anti-Catholicism already seemed, in Wade’s words, “strangely anachronistic”, to the point of being “almost astounding” (p179). Thus, as anti-Catholicism waned as a serious organizing force in American social and political (or even religious) life, it soon became clear that the Klan had nailed their colours to a sinking ship. Thus, as anti-Catholic sentiments declined among the American population at large, so the Klan attempted to distance itself from its earlier anti-Catholicism. First, anti-Catholicism was simply deemphasized by the Klan in favour of new enemies like communism, trade unionism and the burgeoning civil rights movement. Eventually, in the Sixties, the United Klans of America, the then dominant Klan faction in America, announced, during “an all-out crusade for new members”, that: “Catholics were now welcome to join the Klan – the Communist conspiracy more than made up for the Klan’s former anti-Catholic fears of Americans loyal to a foreign power” (p328). Today, meanwhile, the Second Klan’s anti-Catholicism is seen as an embarrassment even by otherwise unreconstructed racists and Klansmen. The decline of anti-Catholicism provides, then, an optimistic case-study of the remarkable speed with which (some) prejudices can be overcome. It also points to an ironic side-effect of the gradual move towards greater tolerance and inclusivity in American society – namely, even groups ostensibly opposed to this process have nevertheless been affected by it. In short, even the Klan has become more tolerant and inclusive! It is therefore of interest that the decline of the Klan, and of white protestant identity in the USA, was itself presaged and foreshadowed by two land sales, one in the early-twenties, when Klan membership was at a peak, and a second just over a decade later, when the decline was already well underway. Then, under financial pressure in the 1930s as the Depression set in, the Klan was even forced to sell even its main headquarters in Atlanta. If selling a Klan university only to see a synagogue constructed on the same site was an embarrassment, then the eventual purchaser of the Klan headquarters was to be an even greater Klan enemy – the Catholic Church. Perhaps surprisingly, and presumably in an effort at rapprochement and reconciliation, the new cathedral’s hierarchy reached out to the Klan by inviting the then-Grand Wizard, Hiram Evans, who had outmanoeuvred Simmons for control of the then-lucrative cash-cow during the Klan’s twenties heyday, to the new Cathedral’s inaugural service. Perhaps even more surprisingly, Evans actually accepted the invitation. Afterwards, even more surprisingly still, he was quoted as observing: “It was the most ornate ceremony and one of most beautiful services I ever saw” (p265). More beautiful even than a cross-burning! Evans was forced to resign immediately afterwards. However, in deemphasizing anti-Catholicism, he correctly gaged the public mood and the Klan was later, if belatedly, to follow his lead. The Turn to Terror The Klan is seemingly preadapted to terror. However benign the intentions of its successive founders, each Klan descended into violence. If the First Klan was formed, as a sort of college fraternity, the Second Klan seems to have been conceived primarily as a money-making venture, and hence, in principle, no more inherently violent than the Freemasons or the Elks. Yet the turn to terror was perhaps, in retrospect, inevitable. After all, this new Klan had been modelled on what had been, or at least become, a terrorist group (namely, the First Klan), employed masks, and, from the lynching of Leo Frank, had associated itself with vigilantism from the very onset. Interestingly, although precise data is not readily available, one gets the distinct impression that, during this era of Klan activity, most of the victims of its violence were, not blacks nor even Catholics, but rather the very white protestant Christians whom the Klan ostensibly existed to protect, or, more specifically, those among this community who had somehow offended against the values of the community, or simply offended Klansmen themselves. Of course, lynchings of blacks continued, at least in the South. But these were rarely conducted under the auspices of the Klan, since these were a longstanding tradition that long predated the Klan’s re-emergence, and the perpetrators of such acts rarely felt the need to wear masks to conceal their identities, let alone don the elaborate apparel, and pay the requisite membership dues, of the upstart Klan. But Klan violence per se did not always deter new members. On the contrary, some seem to have been attracted by it. Thus, Klan recruiters (‘Kleagles’) at first maintained that newspaper exposés amounted to free publicity and only helped them in their recruitment drive. Instead, Wade claims, more than violence, it was the perceived hypocrisy of Klan leaders which ultimately led to the group’s demise (p254). Thus, it purported to champion prohibition, temperance and Christian values, but had been founded by Simmons, a rumoured alcoholic, while its (hugely successful) marketing and recruitment campaign was headed by Edward Young Clarke and Mary Elizabeth Tyler of the Southern Publicity Association, who were openly engaged in an extra-marital affair with one another. However, the most damaging scandal to hit the Klan, which, as we have seen, purported to champion Prohibition and the protection of the sanctity of white womanhood, combined both violence, drunkenness and hypocrisy, and occurred when DC ‘Steve’ Stephenson, a hugely successful Indianna Grand Dragon, was convicted of the rape, kidnap and murder of Madge Oberholtzer, herself a white protestant woman, during a drunken binge. In fact, by the time of the assault, Stephenson had already split from the national Klan to form his own rival, exclusively Northern, Klan group. However, his former prominence in the organization meant that, though they might disclaim him, the Klan could never wholly disassociate themselves from him. It seems to have been this scandal more than any other which finally discredited the Klan in the minds of most Americans. Thus, Wade concludes: “The Klan in the twenties began and ended with the death of an innocent young girl. The Mary Phagan-Leo Frank case had been the spark that ignited the Klan. And the Oberholtzer-Stephenson case had put out the fire” (p247). Thenceforth, the Klan’s decline was as rapid and remarkable as its rise. Thus, Wade reports: “In 1924 the Ku Klux Klan had boasted more than four million members. By 1930, that number had withered to about forty-five thousand… No other American movement has ever risen so high and fallen so low in such a short period” (p253). Indeed, in Wade’s telling, even its famous 1925 march on Washington “proved to be its most spectacular last gasp”, attracting, Wade reports, “only half of the sixty thousand expected” (p249) “The National gathering of thirty thousand was less than what [DC Stephenson] could have mustered in Indiana alone during the Klan’s heyday” (p250). Not only did numbers decline, so did the membership profile. Thus, initially, the new group had attracted members from across the socioeconomic spectrum of white protestant America, or at least among all those who could afford the membership dues. Indeed, analyses of surviving membership rolls suggest that the Klan in this era was, at first, a predominantly middle-class group representing what was then the heart of Middle America. However, probably as a consequence of the revelations of violence, the respectable classes increasingly deserted the group. “Klan defections began with the prominent, the educated and the well-to-do, and proceeded down through the middle-class” (p252). Thus, the stereotype of the archetypal Klansman as an uneducated, semi-literate, tattooed, beer-swilling redneck gradually took hold. Indeed, from 1926 or so, the Klan even sought to reclaim this image as a positive attribute, portraying themselves as, in their own words, “a movement of plain people” (p252). But this marketing strategy, in Wade’s telling, badly backfired, since even less well-off, but ever aspirant, Americans hardly wanted to associate themselves with a group that admitted to being uneducated hicks (Ibid.). As well as the membership narrowing in its socioeconomic profile, Klan membership also retreated geographically. Indeed, the state with the largest membership was said to be Indiana, where DC ‘Steve’ Stephenson, in the few years before his dramatic downfall, was said to have built up a one-man political machine that briefly came to dominate politics in the Hoosier State. However, in the aftermath of the fall of Stephenson and his Indiana Klan, the Klan was to haemorrhage members in not just Indiana, but throughout the North. The result was that: “By 1930, the Klan’s little strength was concentrated in the South. Over the next half-century the Klan would gradually lose its Northern members, regressing more and more closely towards its Reconstruction ancestor until, by the 1960s, it would stand as a near-perfect replica” (p252) Thenceforth, the Klan was to remain, once again, a largely Southern phenomenon, with what little numerical strength it retained overwhelmingly concentrated in the states of the former Confederacy. Death and Taxes – the Only Certainties in Life The Second Klan was finally destroyed, however, not by declining membership, violent atrocities, bad publicity and inept brand-management, nor even by government prosecution, though all these factors did indeed play a part. Rather, the final nail in the Klan’s coffin was dealt by the taxman. In 1944, the Inland Revenue demanded restitution in respect of unpaid taxes due on the profits earnt from subscription dues during the Klan’s brief but lucrative 1920s membership boom (p275). The Klan, which had been haemorrhaging members even before the 1930s Depression, and, unlike the economy as a whole, had yet to recover, was already in a dire financial situation. Therefore, it could never hope to pay the monies demanded by the government, and instead was forced to declare bankruptcy (p275). Thenceforth, the Klan was no more. Ultimately, then, the government destroyed the Klan the same way had did Al Capone – failure to pay their taxes! The Klan and the Nazis – A Match Made in Hell? In between recounting the Klan’s decline, Wade also discusses its supposed courtship of, or by, the pro-Nazi German-American Bund. Actually, however, a careful reading of Wade’s account suggests that he exaggerates the extent of any such association. Thus, it is notable, if bizarre, that, in Wade’s own telling, the Bund’s leader, German-born Fritz Julius Kuhn, in seeking the “merging of the Bund with some native American organization who would shield it from charges of being a ‘foreign’ agency”, had first set his sights on that most native of “native American organizations” – namely, Native Americans (p269-70). When this quixotic venture inevitably ended in failure, if only due to “profound indifference on the Indians’ part”, only then did the rebuffed Kuhn turn his spurned attentions to the Klan (p270). Yet the Klan seemed to have been almost as resistant to Kuhn’s advances as the Native Americans had been. Thus, Wade quotes Kuhn as admitting, somewhat ambiguously: “The Southern Klans did not want to be known in it… So the negotiations were between representatives of the Klans in New Jersey and Michigan, but it was understood that the Southerners were in” (p270). Yet, by this time, in Wade’s own telling, the Klan was extremely weak in Northern states such as New Jersey and Michigan, and what little numerical strength it retained was concentrated in the Southern states of the former Confederacy. This suggests that it was only the already marginalized northern Klan groups who, bereft of other support, were willing to entertain the notion of an alliance with Bund. If the Southern Klan leadership was indeed aware of, and implicitly approved, the link, it was nevertheless clear that they wanted to keep any such association indirect and at an arm’s length, hence maintaining plausible deniability. This is perhaps the only way we can make sense of Kuhn’s acknowledgement, on the one hand, that “the Southern Klans did not want to be known in it”, while, on the other, that “it was understood that the Southerners were in” (p270). Thus, when negative publicity resulted from the joint Klan-Bund rally in New Jersey, the national (i.e. Southern) Klan leadership was quick to distance itself from and disavow any notion of an alliance, promptly relieving the New Jersey Grand Dragon of his office. On reflection, however, this is little surprise. For one thing, German-Americans, especially those who willing to flagrantly flaunt their ‘dual loyalty’ by joining a group like the German-American Bund, were themselves exactly the type of ‘hyphenated-Americans’ that the 100% Americans of the Klan affected to disparage. Indeed, though they may have been white and (mostly) protestant, German-Americans own integration into the American mainstream was, especially after the anti-German sentiment aroused during the First World War, still very much incomplete. Today, of course, we might think of Nazis and the Klan as natural allies, both being, after all, that most reviled species of humanity – namely, white racists. However, besides racialism, the Klan and the Nazis actually had surprisingly little in common. Hitler, in contrast, was an ardent social Darwinist, who was reported by his confidents as harbouring a profound antipathy to the Christian faith, albeit one he kept out of his public pronouncements for reasons of political expediency, and some of whose followers even championed a return to Germanic paganism. Indeed, even their shared racialism was directed primarily towards different targets. In Germany, blacks, though indeed persecuted by the Nazis, were few in number, and hence not a major target of Nazi propaganda, animosity or persecution – and nor were Catholics among the groups targeted for persecution by the Nazis, Hitler himself having been raised as a Catholic in his native Austria. Yet, if Catholics were not among the groups targeted for persecution by the Nazis, members of secret societies like the Klan very much were. Thus, among the less politically-fashionable targets for persecution by the Nazis were both the Freemasons and indeed the closest thing Germany had to a Ku Klux Klan. Thus, in 1923 a Klan-like group, “the German Order of the Fiery Cross”, had been founded in Germany in imitation of the Klan, by an expatriate German on his return to the Fatherland from America (266). Yet, ironically, it was Hitler himself who ultimately banned and suppressed this German Klan imitator (p267). The Third Klan/s The so-called Third Klan was really not one Klan, but many different Klans, each not only independent of one another, but also often in fierce competition with one another for members and influence. They filled the vacuum left by the defunct Second Klan and competed to match its size, power and influence – though none were ever to succeed. From this point, it is no longer really proper to talk about the Klan, since there was not one Klan but rather many separate Klans, with little if any institutional connections with one another. Moreover, the different Klan groups varied more than ever in their ethos and activity. Thus, Wade reports: “Some Klans were quietly ineffective, some were violent and some were borderline psychotic” (p302) With no one group maintaining a registered trademark over the Klan ‘brand’, inevitably the atrocities committed by one group ended up discrediting even other groups with no connection to them. The Klan ‘brand’ was irretrievably damaged, even among those who might otherwise be attracted to its ideology and ethos. Indeed, the plethora of different groups was such that even Klansmen themselves were confused, one Dragon complaining: “The old countersigns and passwords won’t work because all Klansmen are strangers to each other” (p302). Increasingly, opposition to the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement, rather than to Catholicism, now seems to have become the Klan’s chief preoccupation and the primary basis upon which Klaverns, and Kleagles, sought to attract recruits. However, respectable opposition to desegregation throughout the South was largely monopolized by the Citizens’ Councils. Indeed, in Wade’s telling, “preventing a build-up of the Ku Klux Klan” was, quite as much as opposing desegregation, one of the principal objectives for which the Citizens Councils had been formed, since “violence was bad for business, and most of the council leaders were businessmen” (p299). If this is true, then perhaps the Citizens Councils were more successful in achieving their objectives than they are usually credited as having been. Segregation, of course, was gone and did not come back – but, then again, neither did the Klan. Yet, in practice, Wade reports, the main impact of the Citizens Councils on the Klan was: “Not so much eliminating the Klan as leaving it with nothing but nothing but the violence prone dregs of Southern white society” (p302). Thus, the Klan’s image, and the characteristic socioeconomic status of its membership profile, declined still further. The electoral campaigns of the notorious segregationist and governor of Alabama George Wallace also had a similar effect. Thus, Wade reports: “Wallace’s campaigns… swallowed a lot of disaffected Klansmen. In fact, Wallace’s campaigns offered them the first really viable alternative to the Klan” (p364). Political Cameos and Reinventions Here in Wade’s narrative, the myriad of disparate Klan groups inevitably fade into the background, playing a largely reactive, and often violent but nevertheless largely ineffective, and often outright counterproductive, role in opposing desegregation. Instead, the starring role is taken, in Wade’s own words, by: “Two men who were masters of the electronic media: an inspired black minister, Martin Luther King, and a pragmatic white politician, JFK, who would work in an uneasy but highly productive tandem” (p310). Actually, in my view, it would be more accurate to say that the starring role was taken by two figures who are today vastly overrated on account of their respective early deaths by assassination, and consequent elevation to martyr status. Far from the liberal martyr of contemporary left-liberal imagining, Kennedy was, in Wade’s telling, only a “pragmatic white politician”, and moreover only a rather late convert to the African-American civil rights movement. Indeed, before he first took office, Wade reports, Kennedy had actually endorsed the the Dunning School of historiography regarding the Reconstruction-era, was critical of Eisenhower having sent the National guard into Arkansas to enforce desegregation, and only reluctantly, when his hand was forced, himself sent the National Guard into Alabama (p317-22). Meanwhile, another political figure making a significant cameo appearance in Wade’s narrative, ostensibly on the opposite side of the debate over desegregation, is the notorious segregationist governor of Alabama, George Wallace. Yet Wade’s take on Wallace is, in many respects, as revisionist as his take on Kennedy. Thus, far from a raving racist and staunch segregationist, Wade argues: “In retrospect… no one used and manipulated the Klansmen more than Wallace. He gave them very few rewards for their efforts on his behalf: often his approval was enough. And in spite of his fiery cant and cries of ‘Never!’ that so thrilled Klansmen, Wallace was a former judge who well understood the law – especially how far he could bend it” (p322). Thus, Wade reports, while it is well-known that Wallace famously blocked the entrance to the University of Alabama preventing black students from entering, what is less well-known is that: “When the marshals asked for the black students to be admitted in the afternoon, Wallace quietly stepped aside. Instead of being recognized, at best, as a practical politician or, at worst, a pompous coward, Wallace was instead hailed by Klansmen as a dauntless hero” (p322). Thus, if Kennedy was, in Wade’s telling, “a pragmatic white politician”, then Wallace emerges as an outright political chameleon and shameless opportunist. As further evidence for this interpretation, what Wade does not get around to mentioning is that, in his first run for the governorship of Alabama in 1958, Wallace had actually spoken against the Klan and been backed by the NAACP, only after his defeat vowing, as he was eloquently quoted as observing, ‘never to be outniggered again’ again, and hence reinventing himself as an (ostensible) arch-segregationist. Yet even Wallace’s capacity for political reinvention is outdone by that of one of his supporters and speech-writers, former Klan leader Asa ‘Ace’ Carter, a man so notorious for his racism that even the Wallace denied employing him, but who was supposedly responsible for penning the words to Wallace’s infamous “segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever” speech. Expelled from a Citizens’ Council for extremism, Carter had then founded and briefly reigned as tin pot führer of one of the most violent Klan outfits – “the Original Ku Klux Klan of the Confederacy, which resembled a cell of Nazi storm troopers” (p303). This group was responsible for one of the worst Klan atrocities of the period, namely the literal castration of a black man, whom they: “Castrated… with razor blades; and then tortured… with by pouring kerosene and turpentine over his wounds” (p303). This gruesome act was, according to a Klan informant, performed for no better reason than as a “test of one of the members’ mettle before being elected ‘captain of the lair’” (p303). The group was also, it seems, too violent even for its own good. Thus, it subsequently broke up when, in a dispute over financing and the misappropriation of funds, Carter was to shoot two fellow members, yet, for whatever reason, never stood trial (Ibid.). Yet what Wade does not get around to mentioning is Asa ‘Ace’ Carter was also, like Wallace, to later successfully reinvent himself, and achieve fame once again, this time as Forrest Carter, an ostensibly half-Native American author who penned such hugely successful novels as The Rebel Outlaw: Josey Wales (subsequently made into the successful motion picture, The Outlaw Josey Wales, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood) and The Education of Little Tree, an ostensible autobiography of a growing up on an Indian reservation, and a book so sickeningly sentimental that it was even recommended and championed by none other than Oprah Winfrey! “The David Duke Show” By the 1970s, open support for white supremacy and segregation was in decline, even among white Southerners. This, together with Klansmen’s involvement in such atrocities such as the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, might have made it seem that the Klan brand was irretrievably damaged and in terminal decline, never again to play a prominent role in American social or political life again. Yet, perhaps surprisingly, the Klan brand did manage one last hurrah in the 1970s, this time through the singular talents of one David Duke. Duke was to turn the Klan’s infamy to his own advantage. Thus, his schtick was to use the provocative imagery of the Klan (white sheets, burning crosses) to attract media attention, but then, having attracted that attention, to come across as much more eloquent, reasonable, intelligent and clean-cut than anyone ever expected a Klansman to be – which, in truth, isn’t difficult. The result was a media circus that one disgruntled Klansmen aptly dismissed as “The David Duke Show” (p373). It was the same trick that George Lincoln Rockwell had used a generation before, though, whereas Rockwell used Nazi imagery (e.g. swastikas, Nazi salutes) to attract media attention, Duke instead used the imagery of the Klan (e.g. white sheets, burning crosses). If Duke was a successor to Rockwell, then Duke’s own contemporary equivalent, fulfilling a similar niche for the contemporary American media as the handsome, eloquent, go-to face of white nationalism, is surely Richard Spencer. Indeed, if rumours are to be believed, Spencer even has a similar penchant to Duke for seducing the wives and girlfriends of his colleagues and supporters.. Such behaviour, along with his lack of organizational ability, were among the reasons that Duke alienated much of his erstwhile support, haemorrhaging members almost as fast as he attracted them. Many such defectors would go on to form rival groups, including Tom Metzger, a TV repairman, who split from Duke to form a more openly militant group calling itself White Aryan Resistance (known by the memorable backronym ‘WAR’), and who achieved some degree of media infamy by starring in multiple television documentaries and talk-shows, before being bankrupted by a legal verdict in which he was held liable for involvement in a murder in which he seems to have had literally no involvement. However, for Wade, the most important defector was, not Metzger, but rather Bill Wilkinson, perhaps because, unlike Metzger, who, on splitting from Duke, abandoned the Klan name, Wilkinson was to set up a rival Klan group, successfully poaching members from Duke. However, lacking Duke’s eloquence and good-looks, Wilkinson had instead to devise to another strategy in order to attract media attention and members. The strategy he hit upon was that of “taking a public stance of unbridled violence” (p375). This, together with the fact the fact that he was nevertheless able to evade prosecution, led to the allegation that he was a state agent and his Klan an FBI-sponsored honey trap, an allegation only reinforced by the recent revelation that he is now a multimillionaire in the multiracial utopia of Belize. Besides openly advocating violence, Wilkinson also hit upon another means of attracting members. Thus, Wade reports, he “perfected a technique that other Klan leaders belittled as ‘ambulance chasing’” (p384): “Wilkinson… traversed the nation seeking racial ‘hot spots’… where he can come into a community, collect a large amount of initiation fees, sell a few robes, sell some guns… collect his money and be on his way to another ‘hot spot’” (p384). Owing partly to the violent activities of rival Klan groups from whom he could never hope to wholly disassociate himself, Duke himself eventually came to see the Klan baggage as a liability. One by one, he jettisoned these elements, styling himself National Director rather than Imperial Wizard, wearing a suit rather than a white sheet and eventually giving up even the Klan name itself. Finally, in what was widely perceived as an act of betrayal, Duke was recorded offering to sell his membership rolls to Wilkinson, his erstwhile rival and enemy (p389-90). In place of the Klan, Duke sought to set up what he hoped would be a more mainstream and respectable group, namely the National Assocation for the Advancement of White People or NAAWP, one of the many short-lived organizations to adopt this rather unimaginative name. Yet on abandoning the provocative Klan imagery that had first brought him to the attention of the media, Duke suddenly found media attention much harder to come by. Wade concludes: “Duke had little chance at making a go of any Klan-like organization without the sheets and ‘illuminated crosses’. Without the mumbo-jumbo the lure of the Klan was considerably limited. Five years later the National Association for the Advancement of White People hadn’t got off the ground” (p390). Duke was eventually to re-achieve some degree notoriety as a perennial candidate for elective office, initially with some success, even briefly holding a seat in the Louisiana state legislature and winning a majority of the white vote in his 1991 run for Governorship of Louisiana. However, despite abandoning the Klan, Duke was never to escape its shadow. Thus, even forty years after abandoning the Klan name, Duke was to still find his name forever prefixed with the title “former Klansman” or “former Grand Wizard David Duke”, an image he was never able to jettison. Today, still railing against “the Jews” to anyone still bothering to listen, his former good looks having long previously faded, he cuts a lonely, rather pathetic figure, marginal even among the already marginal alt-right, and in his most recent electoral campaign, an unsuccessful run for a Senate seat, he managed to pick up only a miserly three percent of the vote. Where once Klansmen could unironically claim to stand for 100% Americanism, now, were not the very word ‘un-American‘ so tainted by McCarthyism as to sound almost un-American in itself, the Klan could almost be described as a quintessentially un-American organization. Indeed, interestingly, Wade reports that there was pressure on the House Un-American Activities Committee to investigate the Klan from even before the committee was first formed. Thus, Wade laments: “The creation of the Dies Committee had been urged and supported by liberals and Nazi haters who wanted it used as a congressional forum against fascism. But in the hands of chairman Martin Dies of Texas, an arch-segregationist and his reactionary colleagues… the committee instead had become an anachronistic pack of witch hunters who harassed labor leaders… and discovered ‘communists’ in every imaginable shape and place” (p272). Thus, Wade’s chief objection to the House Un-American Activities Committee seems to be, not that they became “witch hunters”, but that they chose to hunt, to his mind, the wrong coven of witches. Instead of going after the commies, they should have targeted the racists instead. Ultimately, Wade was to have his wish, and the Klan did indeed fall victim to the same illiberal and sometimes illegal FBI cointelpro programme of harassment as more fashionable victims on the left, such as Martin Luther King, the Nation of Islam, and the Black Panther Party (p361-3). Licence to Kill? The Klan formerly enjoyed a reputation something like that of the the Mafia, namely as a violent dangerous group whom a person crossed at their peril, since, again like the Mafia, they had a proven track record of committing violent acts and getting away with it, largely through their corrupt links with local law enforcement in the South, and the unwillingness of all-white Southern juries to hand down convictions. Today, however, this reputation is long lost. Indeed, if today a suspect in a racist murder were outed as a Klansman, this would likely unfairly prejudice a jury of any ethnic composition, anywhere in the country, against him, arguably to the point of denying him any chance of a fair trial. Thus, when aging Klansmen, such as Edgar Ray Killen, Thomas Blanton and Bobby Frank Cherry, were belatedly put on trial and convicted in the 2000s for killings committed in the early 1960s, some forty years previously, I rather suspect that they received no fairer a trial then than they did, or would have had, when put on trial before all-white juries in the 1960s American South. The only difference was that now the prejudice was against them rather than in their favour. Thus, today, we have gone full circle. Quite when the turning point was reached is a matter of conjecture. Arguably, the last incident of Klansmen unfairly getting away with murder was the so-called Greensboro massacre in 1979, when Klansmen and other white nationalist activists shot up an anti-Klan rally organized by radical left Maoist labour agitators in North Carolina. Here, however, if the all-white jury was indeed prejudiced against the victims of this attack, it was not because they were blacks (all but one of the five people killed were actually white), but rather that they were ‘reds’ (i.e. communists). Today, then, the problem is not with all-white juries in the South refusing to convict Klansmen, but rather with majority-black juries in urban areas across America refusing to convict black defendants, especially on police evidence, no matter how strong the case against them, for example in the OJ case (see also Paved with Good Intentions: p43-4; p71-3). Wade’s ‘The Fiery Cross’ was first published in 1987. It is therefore not, strictly speaking, a history of the Klan for the entirety of its existence right up to the present day, since Klan groups have continued to exist since this date, and indeed continue to exist in modern America even today. However, Wade’s book nevertheless seems complete, because such groups have long previously ceased to have any real significance in American political, social and cultural life save as a media bogeyman and folk devils. In its brief 1920s heyday, the Second Klan could claim to play a key role in politics, even at the national level. Wade even claims, dubiously as it happens, that Warren G Harding was inducted into the organization in a special and secret White House ceremony while in office as President (p165). Some half-century later, during the 1980 presidential election campaign, the Klan again made a brief cameo, when each candidate sought to associate the Klan with their opponent, and thereby discredit him. Thus, Reagan was accused of insensitivity for praising “states’ rights”, to which Reagan retorted by accusing his opponent, inaccurately as it happens, of opening his campaign in the city that “gave birth to and is the parent body of the Ku Klux Klan”. This led Grand Dragon Bill Wilkinson to declare triumphantly: “We’re not an issue in this Presidential race because we’re insignificant” (p388). Yet what Wilkinson failed to grasp, or at least refused to publicly admit, was that the Klan’s role was now wholly negative. Neither candidate actually had any actual Klan links; each sought to link the Klan only with their opponent. Whereas in the 1920s, candidates for elective office had actively and openly courted Klan votes, by the time of the 1980 Presidential election to have done so would have been electoral suicide. The Klan’s role, then, was as bogeymen and folk devils – roughly analogous to that played by Willie Horton in the 1988 presidential campaign; the role NAMBLA plays in the debate over gay rights; or, indeed, the role communists played during the First and Second Red Scares. Indeed, although in modern America lynching has fallen into disfavour, one suspects that, if it were ever to re-emerge as a popular American pastime and application of participatory democracy to the judicial process, then, among the first contemporary folk devils to be hoisted from a tree, alongside paedophiles and other classes of sex offender, would surely be Klansmen and other unreconstructed white racists. Likewise, today, if a group of Klansmen attempt to march in any major city in America then a police presence is required, not to protect innocent blacks, Jews and Catholics from rampaging Klansmen, but rather to protect the Klansmen themselves from angry assailants of all ethnicities, but mostly white. Indeed, the latter, styling themselves Antifa (an abbreviation of anti-fascist), despite their positively fascist opposition to freedom of speech, expression and assembly, have even taken, like Klansmen of old, to wearing masks to disguise their identities. Perhaps anti-masking laws, first enacted to defeat the First Klan, and later resurrected to tackle later Klan revivals, must be revived once again, but this time employed, without prejudice, against the contemporary terror, and totalitarianism, of the militant left. The only trace of possible illiteracy in the name is found in the misspelling of ‘clan’ as ‘klan’, presumably, again, for alliterative purposes, or perhaps reflecting a legitimate spelling in the nineteenth century when the group was founded. The popular alt-right meme that there are literally no white-on-black rapes is indeed untrue, and reflects the misreading of a table in a government report that actually involved only a small sample. However, the government does not release data on the prevalence of interracial rape. However, there is no doubt that black-on-white rape is much more common than white-on-black rape. Similarly, in the US prison system, where male-male rape is endemic, such assaults disproportionately involve non-white assaults on white inmates, as discussed by a Human Rights Watch report. The then-president Woodrow Wilson (a noted historian of the reconstruction period, of Southern background, and sympathies, whose five-volume book, A History of the American People, on the reconstruction period is actually quoted in one of the movie’s title cards) was later quoted as describing the movie, supposedly the first moving picture he had ever seen as: “History [writ] with lightning. My only regret is that it is all so terribly true” (p126). However, during the controversy following the film’s release, Wilson himself later issued a denial that he had ever uttered any such words, insisting that he had only agreed to the viewing as a “courtesy extended to an old acquaintance” and that: “The President was entirely unaware of the character of the play before it was presented and has at no time expressed his approbation of it” (p137). Like so many other aspects of what is today considered Klan ritual, there is no evidence that cross-burning, or ‘cross-lighting’ as devout Christian Klansmen prefer to call it, was ever practised by the original Reconstruction-era Klan. However, unlike other aspects of Klan ritualism, it had been invented, not by Simmons, but by novelist Thomas Dixson (by way of Walter Scott’s The Lady of the Lake), in imitation of an ostensible Scottish tradition, for his book, The Clansman: A Historical romance of the Ku Klux Klan, upon which novel the movie Birth of a Nation was based. The new Klan was eventually granted an easement in perpetuity over Stone Mountain, allowing it to repeat this ritual. A conviction may be regarded as ‘unsafe’, and even as a ‘wrongful conviction’, even if we still believe the defendant might be guilty of the crime with which s/he is charged. After all, the burden is on the prosecution to prove that the defendant is guilty beyond reasonable doubt. If there remains reasonable doubt, then the defendant should not have been convicted. Steve Oney, who researched the case intensively for his book, And the Dead Shall Rise, concedes that “the case [against Frank] is not as feeble as most people say it is”, but nevertheless concludes that Frank was probably innocent, “but there is enough doubt to leave the door ajar” (Berger, Leo Frank Case Stirs Debate 100 Years After Jewish Lynch Victim’s Conviction, Forward, August 30, 2013). The ADL ’s role in Wade’s narrative does not end here, since the ADL would later play a key role in fighting later incarnations of the Klan. Indeed, even from a modern racial egalitarian perspective, the era is arguably misnamed. After all, from a racial egalitarian perspective, the plantation era, when slavery was still practised, was surely worse, as surely was the period of bloody conflict between Native Americans and European colonists. Even among open racialists, support for slavery is rare. Therefore, few American racists openly pine for a return to the plantation era. Segregation is, then, then next best thing, short of the actual expulsion of blacks back to Africa. Thus, it is common to hear white American racialists hold up early twentieth century America as lost Eden. For example, many blame the supposed decline of the US public education system on desegregation. It is thus a myth that oppressed peoples invariably revolt against their oppressors. In reality, truly oppressed peoples, like blacks in the South in this period, tend to maintain a low profile precisely so as to avoid incurring the animosity of their oppressors. It is only when they sense weakness in their oppressors, or ostensible oppressors, that insurrections tend to occur. This then explains the paradox that black militancy in America seems to be inversely proportional to the actual extent of black oppression. Thus, the preeminent black leader in America at the height of the Jim Crow era was Booker T Washington, by modern standards a conservative, if not an outright ‘Uncle Tom’. Yet, today, when blacks are the beneficiaries, not the victims of discrimination, in the form of what is euphemistically called affirmative action, and it is whites who are ‘walking on eggshells’ and in fear of losing their jobs if they say something offensivee to certain protecyed groups, American blacks are seemingly more militant and belligerent than ever, as the recent BLM riots have shown only too well. This disavowal may have been disingenuous and reflected the fact that, by this time, Simmons had lost control of the then-lucrative cash-cow. Thus, in Ireland, the Protestant minority opposed ‘Home Rule’ for Ireland (a form of devolution, or self-government, that fell short of full independence) on the grounds that it would supposedly amount, in effect, to ‘Rome Rule’, due to the Catholic majority in Ireland. Interestingly, unlike the Klan, another initially anti-Catholic fraternal order, Junior Order of United American Mechanics, successfully jettisoned both its earlier anti-Catholicism, and a similar association with violence, to reinvent itself as a respectable, non-sectarian beneficent group. However, the Klan was ultimately unable to achieve the same feat. Of course, other forms of intergroup prejudice have been altogether more intransigent and long-lasting. Indeed, even anti-Catholicism itself had a long history. Pierre van den Berghe, in his excellent The Ethnic Phenomenon (which I have reviewed here and here), argues that assimilation is possible on in specific circumstances, namely when the groups to be assimilated are: “Similar in physical appearance and culture to the group to which it assimilates, small in proportion to the total population, of low status and territorially dispersed” (The Ethnic Phenomenon: p219). Thus, those hoping other forms of intergroup prejudice (e.g. anti-black sentiment in the USA, or indeed the continuing animosity between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland) can be similarly overcome in such a short period of time in coming years are well-advised not to hold their breaths. In the many often graphic images of lynchings of black victims accessible via the internet, I have yet to find one in which the lynch-mobs are dressed in the ceremonial regalia of the Klan. On the contrary, far from wearing masks, the perpetrators often proudly face the camera, evidently feeling no fear of retribution or legal repercussions for their vigilantism. The question of the religious beliefs, if any, of Hitler is one of some controversy. Certainly, many leading figures in the National Socialist regime, including Martin Bormann and Alfred Rosenberg, were hostile to Christianity. Likewise, Hitler is reported as making anti-Christian statements in private, in both Hitler’s Table Talk, and by such confidents as Speer in his memoirs. Hitler talked of postponing his Kirchenkampf, or settling of accounts with the churches, until after the War, not wishing to fight enemies on multiple fronts. To clarify, it has been claimed that the Catholic Church faced persecution in National Socialist Germany. However, this persecution did not extend to individual Catholics, save those, including some priests, who opposed the regime and its policies, in which case the persecution reflected their political activism rather than their religion as such. Although Hitler was indeed hostile to Christianity, Catholicism very much included, Nazi conflict with the Church seems to have reflected primarily the fact that the Nazis, as a totalitarian regime, sought to control all aspects of society and culture in Germany, including those over which the Church had formerly claimed hegemony (e.g. education). In a later era, this was among the reasons given by David Duke in his autobiography for his abandonment of the Klan brand, since his own largely non-violent Klan faction was, he complained, invariably confused with, and tarred with the same brush as, other violent Klan factions through guilt by association. Duke later had a better idea for a name for his organization – namely, the National Organization For European American Rights, which he intended to be known by the memorable acronym, NO-FEAR. Unfortunately for him, however, the clothing company who had already registered this name as a trademark thought better of it and forced him to change the group’s name to the rather less memorable European-American Unity and Rights Organization (or EURO). What Wade does not mention is that perhaps the most prominent of the “liberals and nazi haters” who advocated for the formation of the HUAC in order persecute fascists and Klansmen, and who, as the joint-chairman of the ‘Special Committee on Un-American Activities’, the precursor to the HUAC, from 1934 to 1937, did indeed use the Committee to target fascists, albeit mostly imaginary ones, was congressman Samuel Dickstein, who was himself a paid Soviet agent, hence proving that McCarthyist concerns regarding communist infiltration and subversion at the highest level of American public life were no delusion. Indeed, according to Wade, it was the Klan that were the first victims of cointelpro, for whom the programme was designed, with leftist groups being subjected to the same harassment only later. Thus, Wade writes: “After developing Cointelpro for the Klan, the FBI also used it against the Black Panthers, civil rights leaders, and antiwar demonstrators” (p363). Certainly, the Klan was henceforth a major target of the FBI. Indeed, the FBI were even accused, in a sting operation apparently funded by the ADL, of provoking one Klan bombing in which a woman, Kathy Ainsworth, herself one of the bombers and an active, militant Klanswoman, was killed (p363). The FBI was also implicated in another Klan killing, namely that of civil rights campaigner Viola Liuzzo, since an FBI agent was present with the killers in the car from which the fatal shots were fired (p347-54). Indeed, Wade reports that “about 6 percent of all Klansmen in the late 1960s worked for the FBI” (p362). Thus, former Klan leader David Duke, in his autobiographical My Awakening, reports that, when he and other arrestees were outed as Klansmen in a Louisiana prison, the black prisoners, far attacking them, were initially cowed by the revelation: “At first, it seemed my media reputation intimidated them. The Klan had a reputation, although undeserved, like that of the mafia. Some of the Black inmates obviously thought that if they did anything to harm me, a “Godfather” type of character, they might soon end up with their feet in cement at the bottom of the Mississippi.” All but one of those killed, Wade reports, were leaders of the Maoist group responsible for the anti-Klan rally (p381). Wade uses this to show that the violence was premeditated, having been carefully planned and coordinated by the Klansmen and neo-Nazis. However, the fact that they were leading figures in this Maoist group would also likely mean that they were hardly innocent victims, at least in the eyes of conservative white jurors in North Carolina. In fact, the victims were indeed highly unsympathetic, not merely on account of their politics, but also on account of the fact that they had seemingly deliberately provoked the Klan attack, openly challenging the Klan to attend their provocatively titled ‘Death to the Klan’ rally (p379), and, though ultimately heavily outgunned, they themselves seem to have first initiated the violence by attacking the cars carrying Klansmen with placards (p381). This was the same role that the Klan was to play once again during the recent Trump presidential campaigns, as journalists trawled the South in search of grizzled, self-appointed Grand Dragons willing, presumably in return for a few drinks, to offer their unsolicited endorsement of the Trump candidature and thereby, in the journalists’ own minds, and that of some of their readers, discredit him through guilt-by-association.

Star Wars icon Mark Hamill reveals the reason he can’t help but cringe every time he lays his eyes on arguably the most popular Luke Skywalker meme in internet history. Mark – the iconic Luke Skywalker himself – finally responded to the meme from Star Wars: New Hope (1977), in which Luke seems to be blissfully ignorant of just how hazardous a lightsaber can be as he casually stares down its barrel. The meme quips, Handed the most dangerous weapon in the galaxy. Immediately point at face. Bringing up the meme on Twitter, Mark assured followers Luke would never contemplate such stuff, and the picture is, in fact, a behind-the-scenes image. This makes me cringe every time I see it. 😳😩 I don't remember doing this in the movie. I think it's just an on-set production still, otherwise Obi-Wan wouldn't look so remarkably unconcerned. 🙄 https://t.co/WXH4Ng0OzX — Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) March 8, 2021 The actor wrote, This makes me cringe every time I see it. I don’t remember doing this in the movie. I think it’s just an on-set production still, otherwise, Obi-Wan wouldn’t look so remarkably unconcerned. So, you could say Mark Hamill might be ignorant, but there’s no chance at all that Luke would be. Watch: Luke Skywalker | The Rescue | The Mandalorian [2×08] Insinuating there was never an actual plan, Jon admitted: The story unfolded as I wrote it. The Mandalorian inherits a great deal from existing Star Wars stories, and when I write, that context is always a consideration. It became apparent to Favreau that such events were likely to take place in the ongoing timeline.

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Despite warnings about Donald Trump’s unfitness for the presidency by prominent religious leaders like the actual Pope as well as Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, conservative white Christians rallied around the Republican candidate . His win among white evangelicals was 8 points greater than Romney’s was over Obama, who, they were told in their media, was possibly a secret Muslim or maybe even the Anti-Christ. Sixty percent of white Catholic voters chose him over Clinton, even as 67% percent of Hispanic Catholics chose Clinton. His win among Mormons—who are not disaggregated by race in Pew Research’s data but who are 85% white—was slightly smaller, perhaps to a strong showing in Utah for independent candidate Evan McMullin, but he still won 61% of their votes. Though defenders of the white evangelical faith have been quick to point out that it was the least devout evangelicals—the ones who attended church less often—who offered the most support for the candidate, the fact is, Trump won even the devout white evangelicals. He was, from start to finish, the candidate of choice for conservative white Christians. Above, Jesus carries luggage on a dirt road. The text reads “On my way back to the White House.” The meme appeared on Humor from a Pentecostal Pew. Defensive white Christians lament that Trump was the lesser of two evil choices and that responsible voting meant not voting their conscience—which might have led them to the anti-abortion rights McMullin—but voting for the pro-life candidate most likely to win. Given that black and Hispanic Christians so heartily disagreed with white believers about who was the best candidate, this logic would lead us to think that abortion is not a concern for black and Hispanic believers, : Hispanic Catholics have higher rates of opposition to legalized abortion than white Catholics, while Black Protestants (a label that captures both conservative and progressive strains of the faith) oppose abortion at about the same rate as white Catholics (who, for the most part, think abortion should be legal in all or most cases—which means that white Catholics voted Trump at a higher rate than opposition to abortion can explain). In claiming that they voted on abortion, conservative white Christians are actually saying that they think that opposing abortion rights is more important to them than are the concerns of their fellow believers of color. Perhaps most disconcerting, though, is that they actually didn’t say this. In , just 4% of white evangelicals and 10% of their pastors said abortion was the most important issue. In short, they voted against black and brown believers for some reason other than abortion The contemporary Religious Right—which includes conservative evangelicals, Catholics, Mormons, and even a handful of Jews—has generally only really cared about (though “cared about” is probably too strong of a phrase) people of color for very short amounts of time, usually shortly before an election, when black and Hispanic churches may get a visit from a candidate. to more devout white evangelicals, who also tend to be wealthier and better educated than their less-devout peers, was largely linked to what they perceived as his support for a Religious Right policy agenda (though his commitments to anti-gay marriage and anti-abortion policies are not really philosophical so much as exploitative) while his less-devout white evangelical supporters cited his views on immigration and the economy as more salient. More tellingly, less devout white evangelicals who voted for Trump were drawn to his anti-Muslim, anti-black, and anti-Hispanic rhetoric and policy proposals, just as, overall, Trump supporters expressed much higher levels of disdain for black people than did those who voted for another candidate. They didn’t vote for him in spite of his appeal to racism but because of it. for blue collar workers ignore the fact that his talk about “good jobs” is rooted in white fear that people of color will have the lives to which whites feel they alone are entitled. has always exploited black labor and whites’ fears of black advancement. White resentment of black advancement—which is just another way of being afraid that, without a racial “inferior,” white identity loses value—has also been a source for tremendous and nonsensical hostility and violence—from the to the Tulsa race riot of 1921. It’s not surprising that the white evangelicals who voted for Trump because of his economic plan are also the ones with higher rates of ill-feelings toward racial and ethnic minorities and immigrants. Racism and economic populism don’t have to go , but, in this case, they do. Above, the “bloody lane” of Antietam, where 10,320 Confederate soldiers were killed, wounded, or missing in an effort to insure that wealthier white people could steal the labor of people of African descent. Wait! What?!?! That makes NO SENSE, unless you think maintaining a system white superiority is worth going to war for. When white evangelicals picked Trump, they chose to align themselves not just with the overt who have celebrated his rise to power. They also aligned themselves with the far more plentiful and dangerous whites who long for an “again”—a mythical past when their superiority could be enforced with structural racism and enough lynching to make black Americans sleep with one eye open. White evangelicals may not recognize it, and they certainly don’t talk about their vote that way. They talk about the dangers of single motherhood, of an unsupportable welfare state that encourages laziness (a trait white Republicans often assign to African Americans) and absentee fathers, of black criminality as a destroyer of families, of failing (black) inner cities, of the undeserving poor. Trump’s , written was at least in part , who has well-established ties to both white supremacy and economic nationalism, described a white evangelical nightmare—one that only voting for Trump could end. A house may be large or small; as long as the neighboring houses are likewise small, it satisfies all social requirement for a residence. But let there arise next to the little house a palace, and the little house shrinks to a hut. The little house now makes it clear that its inmate has no social position at all to maintain.–Marx, Wage Labour and Capital, 1847. When a black person owns that palace, white people get even angrier. The irony, of course, is that Trump isn’t an economic populist OR an economic nationalist. He’s an economic narcissist. His attitudes about money are very similar to attitudes about race and poverty. They may actually be worse, because Trump is transparent in his thinking that success is genetic–which is kind of true in his case (though not as he meant it), as there’s no way he’d be where he is in life unless he’d been born to wealthy parents–though he’s still a loser compared to heiress and reality star Paris Hilton. None of this is to say that good jobs–that is, safe jobs that pay a dignified wage and allow people to strengthen their skills and talents in ways that are meaningful to them, for every person who wants one, across racial lines–don’t matter. Under President Obama, economic growth has primarily benefited the already-wealthy, and his economic policies have failed to provide the kind of financial security that the middle class expects or any kind of uplift for the poor. Unlike Trump, he didn’t find a “bad guy” to blame for Main Street’s financial problems, though there were certainly lots of them. This matters tremendously, even as it turns out that Trump supporters tend to be better educated and wealthier, on average (and, of course, whiter) than their neighbors, because both whites’ perception of their economic suffering and the reality of their suffering (which is far smaller than the economic struggle that people of color face) shape their story, and it’s stories not facts, that shape voting choices. Genuinely good jobs are better than the bad jobs–the part time, seasonal, low-wage jobs that have comprised much of the Low Wage Recovery--that are insuring that today’s kids won’t be as financially successful as their parents. #ThanksObama. That part of whites’ dissatisfaction with the current economy is resentment of black success doesn’t change the fact that some white people are also hungry. But to vote for their interests over the interests of black and brown people–who are hungrier, and now also increasingly targeted for hate crimes–shows that it’s racial affiliation, not a concern for lifting people out of poverty, that mattered to conservative white Christians. That Donald Trump’s tax plan–which was one of the few policies that were clear before he was voted in–benefits the ultrawealthy and business at the detriment of the poor and middle class is more evidence that conservative white Christians weren’t voting on economic policy but on a feeling of resentment. And this is a promise Trump has kept, immediately canceling a tax cut for those trying to enter the housing market. Conservative white Christians voted in a way that hurts themselves, but not as much as it hurts their their neighbors of color. They have done so before, when they closed public schools, libraries, parks, pools, and golf courses rather than integrate. Above, a white woman holds a small American flag and a sign that says “Thank you, Lord Jesus, for President Trump.” Unspoken prayer: also for making her white. America’s white (to quote Steinbeck, who had a lot of romantic ideas of his own about poor whites) may never learn that Trump’s views are against their own larger economic interests, but as long as they can cash in on their whiteness—at least enough to justify their feelings of white supremacy—that may not matter much. *********************************************************************If If you didn’t learn the racist history of capitalism in 11th grade US history, check out River of Dark Dreams: Slavery and Empire in the Cotton Kingdom by Walter Johnson. You can get a preview of the work in this 3 minute video. Or check out Nan Woodruff’s American Congo: The African American Freedom Struggle in the Delta, which details how white planters used both economic and physical violence to insure African American participation in sharecropping. Thanks to my friends C. and C. for their help in tracking down information about white resistance to black economic success in Arkansas. I’m fortunate to have friends who are not only smart but also generous.

Writing is hard, per my frequent reprise. Sometimes it helps to mix up the process. I do most of my writing on the desktop PC in my study. Picture me there with headphones blocking out everything but a playlist of 70’s and 80’s college rock, a neglected mug of tea close at hand and the keyboard cheerfully clattering away for a few seconds at a time before another eleven minute pause for thought. One problem with this arrangement is that I have ready access to the internet, which accounts for many of those eleven minute pauses (and then some). As the Facebook meme goes, “Writing is 3% talent and 97% not being distracted by the internet”. I fall short of that implied standard a lot. The bigger problem is what to do when I find myself with writing time when I’m away from home. When I was on holidays I carried my iPad with me and wrote in the Notes app. I found it a productive approach when I had predictable writing time but I’m less keen to carry a tablet with me for everyday use. So I went old school. I’m writing a story in longhand. At first I had a dedicated notebook, but after I filled it up I started using the back half of my journal. The story is now spread across three separate books. Here’s a thing: I have no idea how long the story is. The longer I write it, the more the story expands – and I’ve been writing it for more than two years now. (For reference, this is the story I’ve codenamed Chrysanthemum. It’s a fantasy story, loosely mashing together a murder mystery with unionising monsters in a quasi-Chinese setting. It started with a single idea of a magistrate investigating an inn in a notorious mountain pass and has broadened into politics, family drama and a strange buddy cop romance. With monsters.) Without a doubt, the method has affected the content. When I work on Chrysanthemum, I usually only have ten or twenty minutes to spare. I tend to write it in bursts of between one to four pages, which means anything from two to seven hundred words in a session. I rarely read back more than a page, unless I need to check a character name. And I wrote down the ending I had in mind, but I lost the piece of paper more than a year ago, so I only vaguely know where I’m going. Other than that there’s no plan. I think I will finish the first draft in the next few days. Will it feel like I’m reading someone else’s story? Probably – and I’m not sure I’ll be very kind to it. My expectations about what I will find are: - Repetition of core concepts like the protagonist’s beliefs and some of the setting details. The disjointed writing method means that in order to orient myself in the work, I frequently reiterate the story elements of which I am certain. - Bloated writing: whether it’s sprawling action scenes with loving descriptions of skull fractures, long passages of introspective self-doubt, expositional world building, or tedious philosophical arguments I haven’t bothered to think through beforehand, I suspect there’s a lot of fluff I need to edit out. - Continuity errors: I know I gave my key antagonist a name at some point, but I don’t remember it and mostly I’ve referred to him by his relationship with another character. Likewise, I am pretty sure that my descriptions of the physical setting, the characters and the legal code that sits behind some of the politics will all prove wildly inconsistent if not contradictory. The next challenge will be getting it all into an editable form. It’s not feasible to edit the story across three books, even if I had left enough space at the margins for notes. (I didn’t). The thought of transcribing what is likely a more than ten thousand word piece is daunting. I may take the opportunity to experiment with dictation software, though from what I’ve heard, attempts to get accurate voice-to-text translations of fantasy terms is an uphill battle. It’s been an interesting experiment. I don’t know whether what I’ll have at the end of all that work is a coherent story, or a satisfying one. I don’t know how long it is. I don’t know if the characters work, or if the world makes any sense. I don’t know if I can face typing the word Chrysanthemum ever again. It’s kind of exciting.

- Student Activities Los Altos High School is proud to announce Writers Week, taking place from March 1 through March 5, 2021. Since 1985 writers have come to our English classes to speak about their individual work as well as the life and craft of a writer. Here are just a few of the amazing speakers we are happy to host this year. LAHS Writers Week Sulome Anderson is a journalist based between New York and Beirut, Lebanon. She has written and produced for outlets including The Atlantic, New York magazine, Esquire, Foreign Policy, NBC News and Newsweek. Her book The Hostage's Daughter was published by HarperCollins in 2016. CHARLIE JANE ANDERS CHARLIE JANE ANDERS Charlie Jane Anders' latest novel is The City in the Middle of the Night. She's also the author of All the Birds in the Sky, which won the Nebula, Crawford and Locus awards, and Choir Boy, which won a Lambda Literary Award. Plus a novella called Rock Manning Goes For Broke and a short story collection called Six Months, Three Days, Five Others. Her short fiction has appeared in Tor.com, Boston Review, Tin House, Conjunctions, the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Wired Magazine, Slate, Asimov's Science Fiction, Lightspeed, ZYZZYVA, Catamaran Literary Review, McSweeney's Internet Tendency and tons of anthologies. Her story "Six Months, Three Days" won a Hugo Award, and her story "Don't Press Charges And I Won't Sue" won a Theodore Sturgeon Award. Charlie Jane also organizes the monthly Writers With Drinks reading series, and co-hosts the podcast Our Opinions Are Correct with Annalee Newitz. Tom Barbash is the author of the award-winning novel, The Last Good Chance, which was awarded the California Book Award, and the short story collection Stay Up With Me, which was a national bestseller and was nominated for the Folio Prize. His nonfiction book, On Top of the World: Cantor Fitzgerald, Howard Lutnick, and 9/11: A Story of Loss and Renewal, was a New York Times bestseller. His stories and articles have been published in Tin House, McSweeney’s, VQR, and other publications, and have been performed on National Public Radio for their Selected Shorts Series. He currently teaches in the MFA program at California College of the Arts. He grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and currently lives in Marin County. Gregory Brown grew up along Penobscot Bay. His stories have appeared in Tin House, The Alaska Quarterly Review, Shenandoah, Epoch, and Narrative Magazine. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, he is the recipient of scholarships and fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference. He lives in Maine with his family. The Lowering Days is his first novel. Rita Bullwinkel is the author of the story collection Belly Up, which won the 2018 Believer Book Award, and was translated into Italian and Greek. Bullwinkel’s writing has been published in Tin House, Conjunctions, BOMB, Vice, NOON, and Guernica. She is a recipient of grants and fellowships from The MacDowell Colony, Brown University, Vanderbilt University, Hawthornden Castle, and The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation. Both her fiction and translation have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes. She is an Editor at Large for McSweeney's and a Contributing Editor for NOON. She lives in San Francisco and teaches at the California College of the Arts. Traci Chee is a best-selling and award-winning author of books for young people, including the instant New York Times best seller and Kirkus Prize Finalist The Reader and Printz Honor Book, Walter Award Honoree, and National Book Award Finalist We Are Not Free. Her forthcoming title is A Thousand Steps into Night, a Japanese-inspired young adult fantasy. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys hiking, egg painting, bonsai gardening, and hosting game nights for family and friends. She lives in California with her fast dog. Yangsze Choo is the NYTimes bestselling author of THE GHOST BRIDE (a CILIP Carnegie nominee, Oprah.com's best book of the week, and now a Netflix Original series which was just released Jan 23) and THE NIGHT TIGER, (Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club Pick, Amazon's Spotlight Pick, and a Book of the Month Club selection, as well as one of the best books of the year for Amazon, The Washington Review of Books, Bookpage, Chicago Public Library, Los Angeles Public Library, Parade, Real Simple, and Self Magazine). After graduating from Harvard, she worked as a management consultant while writing fiction on a coffee table at home in her spare time. Originally from Malaysia, she spent part of her childhood in Germany and Japan, and now lives in California with her family and several chickens. Yangsze loves to eat and read, and often does both at the same time. Neither of her books would have been possible without large quantities of dark chocolate Melissa Cistaro is the author of the award-winning memoir Pieces of My Mother (US edition) and the Canadian bestseller Without My Mother (HarperCollins Canada). Her stories, essays and interviews have appeared in The New Ohio Review, Brevity, The Huffington Post, PBS: To the Contrary, Good Housekeeping and the anthologies Love and Profanity and Cherished. Melissa mentors writers and teaches memoir writing workshops in the Bay Area and beyond. She’s taught on faculty at The San Miguel Writers’Conference, Writing Pad SF, Book Passage, San Francisco Writers’ Conference and Word Wave Literary Festival in Tahoe. She lives in San Rafael, California with her family - and lots of books. CHRISTINA CLANCY'S work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Sun Magazine and in various literary journals, including Glimmer Train, Pleiades and Hobart. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and taught English at Beloit College. The Second Home is her first novel. Lydia Conklin has received a Stegner Fellowship in fiction, a Creative Writing Fulbright in Poland, a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer’s Award, a grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation, two Pushcart Prizes, a Creative Writing Fellowship from Emory University, work-study and tuition scholarships from Bread Loaf, and fellowships from MacDowell, Yaddo, Hedgebrook, Djerassi, the James Merrill House, the Vermont Studio Center, VCCA, Millay, Jentel, Lighthouse Works, Brush Creek, the Santa Fe Art Institute, Caldera, the Sitka Center, and Harvard University, among others. Her fiction has appeared in a compilation of the best of the last twenty-five years of the Pushcart Prize and in Tin House, American Short Fiction, The Southern Review, The Gettysburg Review, and elsewhere. She has drawn cartoons for The New Yorker and Narrative Magazine, and graphic fiction for The Believer, Lenny Letter, Popula Magazine, Drunken Boat, and the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago. Kate Crane has written and edited for Dow Jones, Men’s Journal, Radar, Inc., Hearst publications, and Brooklyn Rail. She covered music regularly for Time Out New York for about a decade. At SmartMoney: The Wall Street Journal Magazine, she was deputy managing editor, and moved to Silicon Valley in 2015 to be deputy editor of news and culture site OZY.com. Whatever Happened to Eddy Crane (Hanover Square Press), a memoir about her father's 1987 murder and the years she spent trying to understand it, will be published in 2021. KELLY LOY GILBERT KELLY LOY GILBERT Kelly Loy Gilbert is the author of PICTURE US IN THE LIGHT, which was a winner of the California Book Award and an LA Times Book Prize finalist, and CONVICTION, which was a finalist for the Morris Award. Her next book, WHEN WE WERE INFINITE, is forthcoming in March. Jasmine Guillory is the New York Times bestselling author of six romance novels, including The Wedding Date, The Proposal, and the upcoming While We Were Dating. Her work has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Bon Appetit, and Time. She lives in Oakland, California. Abigail Hing Wen is the New York Times Best Selling Author of Loveboat, Taipei, a romantic comedy following the journey of Ever Wong in her summer in Taipei. Loveboat, Taipei has been optioned for film by ACE Entertainment. Abigail holds a BA from Harvard, a JD from Columbia Law School, and an MFA from the Vermont School of Fine Arts. When she’s not writing stories or listening to her favorite scores, she is busy working in artificial intelligence in Silicon Valley, where she lives with her husband and two sons. For more information: www.abigailhingwen.com Follow IG/Twi: @abigailhingwen Vanessa Hua is an award-winning columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and the author of the national bestseller, A River of Stars, and Deceit and Other Possibilities, a New York Times Editors Pick. A National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellow, she has also received a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Award, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, and a Steinbeck Fellowship in Creative Writing, as well as awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Asian American Journalists Association, among others. She has filed stories from China, Burma, South Korea, Panama, and Ecuador, and her work appeared publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, and The Atlantic. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, she teaches at the Warren Wilson MFA Program, Writers Grotto, and elsewhere. Find her at www.vanessahua.com Yang Huang grew up in China and has lived in the United States since 1990. Her novel MY GOOD SON won the UNO Press Publishing Lab Prize. Her linked story collection, MY OLD FAITHFUL, won the Juniper Prize, and her debut novel, LIVING TREASURES, won the Nautilus Book Award silver medal. She works for the University of California, Berkeley and lives in the East Bay with her family. Ann Jacobus is the author of YA novel Romancing the Dark in the City of Light, and The Coldest Winter I Ever Spent, forthcoming in 2023, as well as short stories, essays, and poetry. She earned a B.S. from Dartmouth College, an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is a volunteer crisis line counselor at San Francisco Suicide Prevention. She loves teaching writers of all ages. Devi S. Laskar is a native of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and holds an MFA from Columbia University. The Atlas of Reds and Blues—winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature and the Crook’s Corner Book Prize—is her first novel. It was selected by The Georgia Center for the Book as a book “All Georgians Should Read,” long-listed for the DSC Prize in South Asian Literature, and long-listed for the Golden Poppy Award presented by the California Independent Booksellers Alliance. The Atlas of Reds and Blues was named by The Washington Post as one of the best books of 2019, and has garnered praise in Time magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Guardian, and elsewhere. A former newspaper reporter, Laskar is now a poet, photographer, essayist, and novelist. Stacey Lee is an award-winning author of historical and contemporary young adult fiction. A native of southern California and fourth-generation Chinese American, she graduated from UCLA then got her law degree at UC Davis King Hall. After practicing law in Silicon Valley for several years, she finally took up the pen because she wanted the perks of being able to nap during the day, and it was easier than moving to Spain. Shefali Luthra covers women and health care for The 19th, an Austin-based nonprofit newsroom focused on the intersection of gender, politics and policy. Previously, she was a correspondent for Kaiser Health News, where she spent six years covering health policy on the national and state levels. Luthra’s work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR and The Guardian. Julie Lythcott-Haims roots for humans. Humans need agency in order to make their way forward; Julie is deeply interested in what impedes us. She is the New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult, an anti-helicopter parenting manifesto which gave rise to one of the top TED Talks of 2016, and now has over 4 million views. Her second book is the critically-acclaimed and award-winning prose poetry memoir Real American, which illustrates her experience with racism and her journey toward self-acceptance. A third book called How to BE an Adult, for young adults, is forthcoming. She is a former corporate lawyer and Stanford dean, and she holds a BA from Stanford, a JD from Harvard, and an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her partner of over thirty years, her mother, and her itinerant young adults. Zoe Morgan is a 2014 Los Altos High School graduate who currently works as the education reporter at the Los Altos Town Crier newspaper. She covers local school districts, including MVLA, and writes articles on issues ranging from the debate over facilities for Bullis Charter School to feature pieces about school clubs and extracurricular activities. Since the pandemic began, much of her writing has been about campus closures and the ways that schools have adapted. For as long as she can remember, Zoe has loved immersing herself in the minutiae of school budgets and policy decisions, and translating those details into compelling stories. As a student at Los Altos High School, Zoe was the news editor and then editor-in-chief of The Talon and spent much of her time attending school board meetings and asking school administrators a seemingly endless stream of questions. From LAHS, Zoe attended American University in Washington, DC, where she received a dual degree in journalism and public affairs, with a minor in data science. She then spent a year covering education in rural Oregon at the Grants Pass Daily Courier, becoming coming back home to work at the Los Altos Town Crier. Parker Peevyhouse loves In-N-Out fries, redwood trees, and movies about sentient robots. She is the author of the science fiction puzzle-thrillers Strange Exit (Tor Teen 2020) and The Echo Room (Tor Teen 2018), which have been called “compulsively readable” and "thrilling" in starred reviews. Her collection of novellas, Where Futures End (Penguin 2016) was named a Best Book For Teens by the New York Public Library, the Chicago Public Library, and Bank Street. Parker lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and works in education. Mitali Perkins (mitaliperkins.com) has written many books for young readers, including Between Us and Abuela (2020 Charlotte Huck Honor Book), Forward Me Back To You (SLJ and Kirkus Best YA Books of 2019), You Bring the Distant Near (nominated for a National Book Award, six starred reviews), and Rickshaw Girl (adapted into a film by Sleeperwave Productions), all of which explore crossing different kinds of borders. Mitali also writes about light topics like poverty, immigration, child soldiers, microcredit, and human trafficking, thanks to living overseas for many years and studying Political Science at Stanford and Public Policy at U.C. Berkeley. Her goal in fiction is to make readers laugh or cry, preferably both, as long as their hearts are widening. She lives and writes in the East Bay. Ken Pontac has been a Migrant Film Worker in the animation industry for over a quarter of a century, writing and directing content for television, film, and various new-fangled thinking machines. In the past several years Pontac has written scripts and dialog for the Marvel Universe MMO, Sonic the Hedgehog’s “Lost World” game for Sega, a new animated series featuring the ghost gobbling Pac-Man, Disney’s animated action/adventure series Slugterra, an upcoming revival of the classic “Thunderbirds Are Go!” series, the charming pre-school show Octonauts, and the less-than-charming Internet sensation Happy Tree Friends (a show so violent that it's banned in Russia). He is also still receiving royalty checks for writing the LazyTown song "You Are A Pirate," which has become an Internet meme, enjoying millions of hits on YouTube and inspiring multiple mash-ups and drunken karaoke videos. Pontac lives in Sausalito with a beautiful redheaded nurse and his two crazy canines, Whistle the Wonder Dog and Little Mickey Blue Eyes. Anne Raeff’s second novel, Winter Kept Us Warm, published in 2018, won the silver medal for the California Book Award for Fiction. Her short story collection, The Jungle Around Us won the 2015 Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction. The collection was also a finalist for the California Book Award and was on The San Francisco Chronicle’s 100 Best Books of 2017 list. In 2019 she was a finalist for the Simpson Literary Award. Clara Mondschein’s Melancholia, also a novel, was published in 2002. Raeff’s stories and essays have appeared in New England Review, ZYZZYVA, and Guernica among other places. Her next novel, Only the River, will be published in May 2020. She is proud to be a high school teacher and lives in San Francisco. LISA MOORE RAMÉE LISA MOORE RAMÉE Lisa Moore Ramée was born and raised in Los Angeles and now lives in the Northern California, with her husband, two kids, two obnoxious cats and more yard than she can control. She earned a BA in Speech Communications from San Francisco State (go Gators!) and a MA in English Literature (focusing on Creative Writing) from Cal State East Bay. She worked for several years in publishing at the Walt Disney Company, first in comics, and then with licensed publishing. While there, she co-penned The Little Mermaid, Jr. Graphic Novel and the writing bug took up permanent residence. She is a devotee of Top Chef and Project Runway and often tries to work the shows in her plots. A Good Kind of Trouble, her first novel, received critical acclaim, garnering three starred reviews (PW, Kirkus and SLJ) and became a bestseller. It appeared on numerous “best of” lists for 2019. Something to Say received three starred reviews (Kirkus and SLJ), was an Indie Next Pick and a Kirkus best of 2020 book. Yasmeen Serhan is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where she covers a wide range of topics, including populism, nationalism, and global protest movements. Since joining the magazine's London bureau in 2017, she has also reported on Brexit, European politics, and transatlantic affairs. She was previously an assistant editor and editorial fellow with The Atlantic in Washington, D.C. Even more previously, she studied international relations and French at the University of Southern California, where she could often be found writing and editing stories for the university's student-run newspaper, the Daily Trojan. She graduated from Los Altos High School in 2012. JENN ALANDY TRAHAN JENN ALANDY TRAHAN Jenn Alandy Trahan is a Jones Lecturer in the Creative Writing Program at Stanford and was a 2016-2018 Wallace Stegner Fellow in Fiction. She was born in Houston, Texas and raised in Vallejo, California. Jenn received her BA in English from UC Irvine and her MFA & MA from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Her fiction has appeared in Harper's Magazine. She is at work on her first book. DAVID HESKA WANBLI WEIDEN DAVID HESKA WANBLI WEIDEN David Heska Wanbli Weiden, an enrolled citizen of the Sicangu Lakota nation, is author of the novel WINTER COUNTS (Ecco/HarperCollins, 2020), nominated for the 2021 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. WINTER COUNTS, an IndieBound and Amazon bestseller, is a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and was named one of the Best Books of 2020 by NPR, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Amazon, Sun Sentinel, LitReactor, CrimeReads, Deadly Pleasures, Air Mail, MysteryPeople, and BOLO Books. The book was also selected as an Amazon Best Mystery and Thriller of the year, an Indie Next pick, Best Noir Fiction and Best Debut of the Year as well as a Notable Selection for Best Crime Novel by CrimeReads. The novel was a main selection of the Book of the Month Club, Best of the Month by Apple Books, and was the November choice of the BuzzFeed Book Club and the AWP Virtual Book Club

This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile! What I just finished: This weekend I finished Anatomy of a Scandal. My review can be found here. What I’m currently reading: I’m currently reading Traitor by Jonathan de Shalit. What I’m reading next: Next I will be reading American Panda by Gloria Chao. What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books? Let me know in the comments!

Some years ago I did some intensive research into the origins of the industrial revolution. At the time I was working my way out of the Rand meme, so the starting point of my investigation was her assertion that the cause of the industrial revolution was the philosophy of Aristotle. My conclusion was that Rand was wrong, and that there were multiple causes involved. I presented the fruits of my research in a paper published by the UK Libertarian Alliance, entitled Ayn Rand and the Ascent of Man. A deeper conclusion I drew is that there's never just one cause for any complex phenomenon. For instance, my skepticism about the popular account of global warming (now "climate change") is that saying human activity is the only cause has to be an over-simplification - the climate of Earth is an immensely complex system that we have only begun to understand. As another example, consider the mortgage crisis of 2008-2009 (and associated stock market crash and economic recession); depending on the ideological axe being ground, various observers blamed President Bush, President Clinton, Alan Greenspan, investment banks, mortgage originators, the rating agencies, the Federal Reserve, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Community Reinvestment Act, poor people who couldn't afford the houses they were buying, etc. Yet in any widespread madness such as the mortgage frenzy of the mid-2000s you can be sure that there were many factors, not just one. Given that President Trump was inaugurated today, I might as well point out that it's sheer folly to claim he was elected solely because of rampant racism, sexism, and bigotry. Many people who voted for Obama the second time around switched their votes to Trump or refused to vote, third-party voting totals increased, Hillary was a horrendous candidate, lots of folks are members of political parties and vote by rote for whatever candidate is offered up, etc. I'm no fan of Trump (having voted for Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson), but saying that there was just one cause for Trump's election within a populace of 300+ million people is silly. By the way, this kind of thinking shows up in libertarian circles, too: I've definitely heard people of a libertarian persuasion essentially say that everything bad in the world is caused by government, and that if only we could minimize government or get rid of it entirely, everything would be wonderful. I have news for you: there are many causes of the ills we find in human societies (economic, cultural, ethical, etc.), and overweening governments are only one of them. Although I'm not generally a skeptic, I am definitely skeptical about causal monism. FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION Peter Saint-Andre > Journal

Happy Wednesday everyone!! It has been a MINUTE since I’ve participated in WWW Wednesdays, and I definitely miss this weekly meme. As a reminder, WWW Wednesday is a meme sponsored by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. To take part, you just have to answer the following questions: - What are you currently reading? - What did you recently finish reading? - What do you think you will read next? - Each of Us a Desert by Mark Oshiro (ALC) – I’m finishing this one up now. This is such a fantastic story and I’ve been savoring it. It reminds me so much of Rivers Solomon’s The Deep (without the trauma). - A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik (eARC) – I’ll be honest, this one is in dangerous DNF territory. I am really not enjoying the writing. The sentences and chapters are ridiculously long. The first chapter starts with an attack from a magical being then literally takes a 20+ page info dump detour before we finally reorient ourselves to what we were talking about in the first place. I’m at 15%. I’m going to try another chapter, but if things don’t change, I’m out. Recently Finished Reading - Welcome to the New World by Jake Halpern and illustrated by Michael Sloan – 4 stars. An incredible and poignant graphic novel detailing the life of refugees during Trump’s America. Check out my review here. - And Now She’s Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall – 4 stars. A fresh narrative in the thriller genre featuring a Black female PI who is determined to rescue battered women from their abusers. Check out my review here. - Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots – 4 stars. Unlike anything that I’ve read when it comes to superheroes and villains. The hench people are the expendable people who work for villains, but Anna Tromedlov shows that even the most mundane skills (data analysis) can take down superheroes. Check out my review here. - Dear Justyce by Nic Stone – 4.5 stars. This highly anticipated follow up to Dear Martin was everything that I could have hoped for and me. Quan’s story tore me apart. Review to come. - Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer – 4 stars. A high-octane space romp that is full of sarcasm and wild space adventures. This is touted as Aurora Rising meets The Hunger Games…and it’s so true. Review to come. - Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo – 5 stars. OMG this book. I was expecting a light rom-com, but this book had me in my feelings so hard. Review to come. Up Next to Read - Black Fatigue by Mary-Frances Winters - Everything I Thought I Knew by Shannon Takaoka - Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco Have you read any of these? Are any of these on your TBR? Let’s discuss! Also, please leave your WWW Wednesday links in the comments.

In the fall, Chad and I started doing something we’ve never done before, in all of our almost eighteen years of marriage. We started praying together every day. Thanks to his diligence, we haven’t missed a single day since we decided to try it after attending a marriage conference. I think it’s safe to say that this mission of praying together and for each other has revolutionized our marriage in more ways than one. We have never been more spiritually in tune with one another. We have always had a solid marriage. Not every day has been absolute bliss, but every day has been meaningful. Even on the bad days, we have managed to go to bed at night knowing that we are committed to each other, that even in moments when the like isn’t quite there, the love always is. We have always talked about spiritual things. We’ve talked about things we read. We’ve passed articles back and forth. We’ve debated endlessly about the best ways to do church, and we’ve spent time reading books together, listening to sermons together, and serving in the church together. All of those things have been good for us and have helped us grow as individuals and as a couple. The intellectual spark that flows between us has been a source of great interest and fun in our marriage because for the most part we enjoy talking about the same things and have similar interests. But, none of those things has impacted our soul connection in marriage the way praying together has. In the past three months, we have become more vulnerable to each other, spiritually. We’ve been more likely to get excited about what God is doing. More likely to notice where He is working. We have teared up together as we see Him working in our lives and in our kids’ lives. We have been more likely to pray over meetings before we leave the house, to pray about situations on the spot, to open up about where we feel God is leading us. We’ve been more likely to ask for prayer from one another. And, we have heard each other’s heart as we agree in prayer in sleepy voices at bedtime. A few nights ago, Chad prayed for our marriage, as he often has during the past several months. He prayed that God would make us inseparable. I still get chills now even typing those words as I think about the power behind them. Chad prayed to the God of the Universe that He would keep any powers of this world or the wickedness in our own hearts from ever coming between us. He prayed that no one and nothing on this planet could separate the two of us. There is pure might behind words like that, prayed from a sincere heart to the Lord of Everything. When a husband and wife are clinging tightly to one another and even tighter to their God, crying out for oneness, for a impenetrable force field of His power to surround their bond, their marriage and family are sure to blessed by it. What if we all made that the war cry of hearts, in a time when marriage seems to be valued less and less every day? In a time when people are considered disposable? In a time when every meme on social media is about what I can get for ME in a relationship, instead of what I can give to someone else? What if Christian couples everywhere decided that the way they are going to fight for their marriage is to ask God daily for the blessing of inseparability? I wonder how our families and churches would be revolutionized? It’s such a simple concept, to pray that we’ll be inseparable. But, what strength can that one little word lend to a marriage in a dark and confusing world? Only God knows. But, I have my suspicions. Pray together. Pray that nothing in this world will come between you. And, watch God bless and bless and bless. I’m thankful for a husband who teaches me so many things, just by being a sincere follower of Christ and a true friend to his imperfect wife. May we never, ever be separated.

This Is The Carly Rae Jepsen Meme Compliation You’ve Been Waiting For 10 March 2016, 13:49 | Updated: 8 May 2017, 17:09 You get a vine meme! You get a vine meme! EVERYONE GETS A VINE MEME! The internet will never give up on Carly Rae Jepsen's under appreciated 2015 album, EMOTION. The internet will stan for it and promote it under the day it dies. As part of the campaign, a movement has taken place on Vine. A meme was born and it is gaining in strength. Here's a compilation of the finest content straight from the hottest 'Run Away With Meme' meme. You're welcome. CUE THE SAX! The campaign is being fronted by Adele, who has been doing the talk show circuit promoting the album to the general public. People are literally dancing in the street... There's no escape from the bangers that lie within the Album Of The 2015. It took Lisa Simpson around 3 hours to nail that Sax solo. An accurate representation of every Carly Rae Jepsen stan in the world until justice is served. Former President and profession Sax player Bill Clinton knows what's good. Low-key Carly Rae Jepsen stans be like... Meanwhile, the high-key stans can never be stopped. This song is LITERALLY mind-blowing. Such subliminal messaging. Buy EMOTION on iTunes now. Long live EMOTION. i love this scene in mean girls pic.twitter.com/499iRXlzpb— COL•IN (@colinshram) February 15, 2016

You must post a clear and direct question in the title. The title may contain two, short, necessary context sentences. No text is allowed in the textbox. Any post asking for advice should be generic and not specific to your situation alone. Ask is for open-ended discussion questions. Posting, or seeking, any identifying personal information, real or fake, will result in a ban without a prior warning. Ask is not your soapbox, personal army, or advertising platform. Online Dating Stories - 'Worst Online Dating Experiences' Thread. 15 People Share Their Worst Online Dating Experiences. We got off the bike, sat at a picnic table, and just talked for about an hour. We get up to leave, and I realize I left the disasters on I'm like 'S, this battery is going to be toast Six stories after the. It was her kid's name followed by the word "mum" so like "DavesMum". This sounds so much like someone I know. He has a child but doesn't post on any dating sites that he's a parent. Then he wonders why girls get upset with him for not being upfront about it. He called me the other night bitching about some girl who he matched with and then they exchanged pics. He sent her a picture of him and his kid, she asked if it was his child, he said yes, and she responded back that she was no longer interested. But of course it's her fault for being stuck up and not giving him a chance. He also is heavier now than in his profile pics, and has the worst hygiene of anyone I know. Dating experience reddit The guy took me out to dinner, talked about his ex the whole time, and I mean the whole time. I don't care if you mention your ex, but god damn. Got my throwaway account to tell this story. I'd gone on a lot of really great dates with this cool and much bigger dude than I. We agreed beforehand on what date we should fool around, and I mentioned that he should bring a condom he said no worries. A few minutes before he left I asked him to bring a condom and he said that he got them. After some heated clothes taking off in the back of his car, he mentioned that he didn't bring any and that he was amazing at pulling out. Big fucking trick. You don't really say no when you're naked and beneath a very large man, and he knew that. Met this girl at a bar, got her number, set up a date. We meet at 6 p. While I finish my beer because I am going to leave, but I still feel like some beer she tells me that her boyfriend lives abroad and they will be going to the seaside for a month. Fast forward a couple months I am at the same bar She comes in, says hi and then asks me why I didn't call her when she came back. Maybe it was a policeman. Maybe it really was a nutty mummy Either way I was out of there. Matched with a girl on a popular dating site. We hit it off and decide to go out for drinks that night. On my way to the bar, she keeps calling and texting demanding to know where I am and how long I'll be. I turn up and we get drinks and start talking. She tells me she's had three kids all of whom are in care because she beat up her mother on a regular basis. We both go outside for a cigarette and she becomes friendly with a group of guys and after about 10 minutes of chatter, she loudly declares 'Who wants to see my piercing?! I felt that this would be a good time to end the date but being a socially awkward 19 year old I decided to say to one of the guys there 'I' m supposed to be on a date with this girl and as you can see, it's not going well. Can you distract her while I run? I hauled ass out of there and ran to my friends bar. My buddy could tell I wasn't having a good night and after explaining everything to him he said' Let's get some food then you can go home. My buddy squares up to them and I tell him to leave it, they're just ass holes. Only when we're standing in line for food does he notice the blood running down the side of my head from my ear. Being concerned, he called the police who turned up and promptly arrested the two guys who were in a nearby food place. So, my shittest date ever ended with me eating a cold chicken wrap in the back of a police car with a mild concussion. You either got lucky or started a fight, that was Saturday night. An out of town traveller came up to a local and asked for a light, local said he did not have one out of towner said "yes you do" and pushed him down, the local got up and took a swing at him, traveler ducked the punch came around the outside and cut open the locals neck with a knife he had in his hand. Friend of mine invites me to his house. He also invites a girl he had class with. Tells me beforehand that the girl he invites was my type and we would hit it off really well. I get to his house and she comes around. She's not bad looking at all. He leaves the two of us alone to "get to know each other". Our conversation goes well enough but is followed by some awkward silence. She ends up leaving an hour or two later. Friend texts me the next day saying that she texted him saying I was cool and wanted to hang out and get to know me better but didn't have a chance to leave her number. He passes her number off to me. I hit her up and arrange a time to hang out with her to smoke. She and I meet up but shit is just awkward. We silently smoke a few bowls and make pathetic attempts to relate to each other. Fast forward to me and her having super half-assed conversations over snapchat and overall failed attempts to hang out. I said fuck it and decided it wasn't worth the effort and that this was going nowhere. I found out not a week later that she was engaged the whole time and that all these attempts were in vain. Turns out my friend who "set us up" didn't know her well at all and tried to be a match maker on a whim and had no idea she was in a committed relationship. TL;DR: Friend set me up with a girl who was engaged the whole time and didn't realize it the whole time. Went out with a girl once, she was a med student and I was a Psychology student, kinda started from there. We went to a comedy movie, but it was so goddam unfunny, cringy and bad that it killed the mood for any of us. Then we went to play Rock Band on the mall we were in. I have no idea how it happened, but an air hockey puck flew in her face. When I was 18 I went on a date with a guy I met on Grindr. We had spoken online for about weeks before hand and decided to meet up when I got back from my holiday. I had a very similar experience lol. Girl drank like 3 pitchers of beer (I had 1 beer total) and she ended up puking on herself as soon as we left the restaurant. I took transit with her across town to make sure she got home safe (this was preUber). Took me like 2 hours to get back home. Women's rights and the feminist movement happened that's why. Hold on now, let me explain before you guys jump down my throat. Back in the day women had to stay with the dumb asshole that knocked them up because they couldn't (weren't supposed to is more accurate, they could work but back then that was what men did) work and were dependent on men. Now that women can work, they don't have to. Jul 26, 8. "This woman seemed really cool; she was fit, witty, and had piercings. I was a fan. When we meet up, the wit disappeared. I tossed her a couple of verbal jousts. Within about 10 seconds of meeting him I knew the whole date was going to be a shit show. He proceeded to take me back to his flat where he made me watch him play video games for 3 hours and awkwardly tried to force me into kissing him. When I asked him to read my fortune he told me that he would only do this if I went on another date with him. Went on a date with a girl off tinder and we hit it off ok. I figure why not and meet up and end up having a great time. We get to my place and she opens up her door and faceplants onto the street. I hear something as I get to the door and turn back in time to see her roll off my bed, hit her neck on the corner of the trash can, and slam on to the floor. I just watch it happen for a minute. Once she stops, I pick her up and take her to the bathroom. She starts round two as I go back to my room and start cleaning up. After a few minutes, I go check on her and she is passed out in my toilet. She has become 50 pounds heavier. So I grab a pillow, put her head in my lap, and resolve to sleep in the bathroom with her worried my roommate might stumble upon her in the middle of the night. After a few hours of rough sleep she wakes me up and tells me she needs to use the bathroom. Single People Share Their Biggest Dating Struggles (r/AskReddit Top Posts - Reddit Stories) I leave and let her do her thing. After about 15 minutes, I get worried and go to knock on the door only to find it ajar. I push it open only to be confronted with a wall of stink. I manage to get her head free but she is out. So I leave her and go to the couch. After a few hours I hear her get up and go to my bed. I check in on her and she is out, fully clothed, in my bed, and covered in puke still. I have to work early in the morning so I go to check in on her around 7 AM only to find she has gotten her period in my bed. We get introduced and neither one of us say anything. When you said she painted the walls i thought for a second you meant "in blood", which made the next few sentences very concerning lol. Went on a date with this tinder dude who wouldn't stop talking about his sister. I get shit drunk just to pull myself through that he was hot. Things start getting heated yes. Even after all those stories. Went on a date with my best friend's boyfriend's best friend. Not my type, but I was willing to see how it played out. We saw each other all weekend whilst visiting my bf at her Uni in Wales. On the way back he was going on about how excited he was to be my boyfriend, and didn't calm down when I said that I wasn't there yet. We stopped on the way home to watch a movie - he picked a comedy. Before the movie started he turned to me and said he had the world's most annoying laugh, and I reassured him that it couldn't be that bad. It was. The best description I can think of is "the noise made by a donkey being chainsawed in half". People moved away from us in the theatre. I wished I could have joined them. He dropped my home and I thought I'd let him down easy as I didn't want to hurt his feelings or make him self conscious. So I told him that I'm paraphrasing : "I liked him as a friend but I wasn't over my ex yet, so I didn't see anything more for us. The phone calls started the next day. Three times a day he would call to ask "Are you over your ex yet? It got so bad that I'd just put it on silent and let it ring out. He'd then text to let me know that there must be something wrong with my phone. My guy friends offered to answer and tell him to back off but I didn't think that was a good idea due to the whole best friend's boyfriend's best friend thing. It took about 4 months and a new girl before he finally let me be. I met a girl from Craigslist for a single date once and we hung out at my place. She was the granddaughter of a relatively famous sci-fi author. I listened to her talk about her wealth she recently obtained via a trust that was set up for her after his death. She also liked to eat. A lot. For 6 hours she talked non-stop even during a movie and ate nearly the entire time. She talked with her mouth full of food. I have absolutely nothing against overweight people - I am one myself - but she was a machine. Eventually I convinced her that it was really getting late it was 2am. She clearly wanted to spend the night, but I made up some excuse. She then went off on me and I blocked her. Craigslist was still a viable option back then. Online dating is a crapshoot on any website, but yeah Craigslist went downhill quite a bit in the earlier part of the decade. This one goes back above 10 years ago now. I'd just split with a long term girlfriend and was on the rebound. I got talking to a woman in a club one night and we kind of hit it off. I asked all the usual question, like what she did for a living and if she had any kids, of which she said "no" remember this. I said it wouldn't have made a difference if she had, as I had a son myself. Anyway, we arranged a date for a week later and had a lovely meal and a good time, after which she invited me back to hers. We were drinking wine, and messing about when I heard a bang from upstairs. Immediately, I jumped up thinking there was a burglar upstairs, to which she said it was probably her cat. We got back down to messing about and all of a sudden a kid walked through, about 13 years old. I was shocked and when I looked at her it was obvious he was hers. I asked her though and she apologised for lying, but as I was saying it was fine another walked through, this time a girl about 7 years old, again obviously hers. At this point, I'd decided she was a lying cow, but didn't want to appear like a dick and just walk out. So I explained to her that I had a kid and there was no need to lie, another 2 walked in, this time twins. She'd gone from being childless to having 4 in the space of 5 minutes. I asked if there was any more and as she was shaking her head another walked in, this time about 4 years old. I told her enough was enough and went to walk out. But as I was going out, a bloke walked in with two more kids. I just looked at her, and she slowly, embarrassingly nodded. For those counting, that was now 7! Went on a date with a guy Both of us are menwho started it off by asking if instead of going straight to dinner, we could walk to a j crew store that was having a sale first. Oct 25, 'Worst Online Dating Experiences' Thread When It Comes To Online Dating, Don't Do What These Dudes Did. Kelly Hurcomb. October 25, . Une visibilite etendue de votre Experience With Interracial Dating profil: En creant votre Experience With Interracial Dating profil sur DisonsDemain, celui-ci est visible sur les declinaisons locales de notre service utilisant la meme plateforme sous differentes marques. Pour Experience With Interracial Dating plus d'informations sur les modalites de visibilite. Online dating comes with no guarantees that you'll have a good experience. You chat with a stranger, roll the dice, and hope your first date goes well. I've found my expectations overturned more than once by my online matches. Sometimes I'm excited for a date, and it . Shortly into the walk, he got a phone call which he spent the rest of the walk dealing with. After dinner, we went back to his place, and while cuddling in bed together, he got his phone out again, and I saw that he was on Grindr. Met a girl way before my wife at a football game and we really hit it off. Talked back and forth for a while over text and a few phone calls then we set up a date. We started out at a bar for a few drinks and some food before we were supposed to go to the zoo for the annual Christmas lights show but we never left the bar She then asks the band all over 50 years old to come drink with us. These guys are watching her act like a floozy, high fiving, feeding her drinks, encouraging the behaviour because who, at their age, wouldn't want to watch the stacked 24 year old give that kind of attention. I was blown away that this sweet girl all of a sudden was acting like she was leading the charge to a gangbang. We leave after sometime, alone, back to her place where we fool around a bit until she pukes all over me and passes out in the bathroom. After a few hours where I was convinced she wouldn't die I left and told her the next day I wasnt feeling it. Went on a double date to a movie and dude kept grabbing my hand making me massage his arm and hands, through the entire movie. When I stopped he would pull my hand right back. I matched with a guy on Bumble who seemed great on paper. He was an engineer, trilingual, a mountain biker - checked off a lot of boxes for me. Little did I know that I was headed for one of the worst dates of my life. The final kicker was when he interrupted me to tell me that I wasn't maintaining enough eye contact with him. This is nearly verbatim: "Eye contact is very important to me and you aren't being respectful if you look away. So from now on when you look away, I am going to snap my fingers at you until you look back at me. This is how you learn. He actually fucking snapped at me like he was talking to a dog. I got up, paid for both of our drinks, and tried to walk out. He walked out with me!!! I ran to my car and deleted his number as soon as I was inside. Was on a date Tried to sneak out a fart one time after eating Nasi Goreng spicy for lunch. Shit my pants. It was a shart but worse. Went on a Coffee Meets Bagel date with a girl who smelled like tomato soup. Like no joke, as if she had bathed in warm tomato basil right beforehand and then spritzed on some eau de ketchup for good measure. I just could not get over that weird smell. It was super pungent. We made awkward conversation for 30 min, I paid for our coffees, and got the hell out of there. Guy tried negging me repeatedly. I was too polite to leave. He then tried taking an up skirt picture of me and told me he was trying. I left after that. Some online app, met a woman who seemed normal after chatting. Had kids, recent divorce. Cool right?! Describes the sex in detail and how she tricked her husband Fucking dating pool man. Mind you, I was already divorced because my ex cheated and left me for a married dude. So hated hearing this shit. Second, cat fished by a woman who photoshopped her pics, overbite and 50 lbs heavier. Fuck my life. I end up driving her 45 minutes home. Awkward drive the whole way, she wants to get handsey and set up another date. There is light at the end of these tunnels. TL;DR Tinder is awkward. Friends trying to set you up with their friends is awkward. Downloaded Tinder. Not really because I was legit looking for anything, I just wanted validation that I was attractive which, if you're a guy like me, you know Tinder's not the best for that, lol. Anyway, I matched with a girl with whom we shared a mutual friend. She was cute. I ran into the mutual friend and she was very eager about setting us up. Again, I wasn't actually expecting dates to come from using the app, but she gave a good sales pitch for her friend. She gave me her number and we started texting. Lo and behold, we actually had some really good conversations! She was a big Star Wars geek, and we were having some fun in-depth discussions and shared our predictions for TFA which was coming out in a few months. We scheduled a time for me to come over and visit the dorm, her and some friends are watching a movie in one of the public areas. Fine, I got to meet her. Didn't have a lot of good time to get to know each other, we were watching a movie and I was surrounded by her friends, guys and girls. But I knew going into it what the "date" was, and didn't expect much. But it got weird. After that, she says "me and some of my girl friends are going to a frat party. Sorry that you can't join. They start heading there and I start walking back to my dorm, and her girl posse suddenly meet up and embrace a big group of guys and start heading to the party, as I enter my dorm. But then she keeps messaging me. And shit, all of our text conversations are great! Neither of us bring up that night. As far as I can tell she actually enjoys talking to me. I even bring up Empire Strikes Back and she goes "let's watch it some time! I go over, excited to actually spend some time together and get more personal with each other. Remarkable, very dating experience reddit not pleasant you? And I arrive, and it's the exact same scenario as the first time. Only this time, I didn't know beforehand. I don't think we had a single conversation in person that night. Afterwards, I think we both just kinda I never tried messaging her again. Nor did I receive any messages from her ever again. Even the occasional times I would run into our mutual friend, it never came up. It was as if nothing had ever happened. Anyways, a lot of time has passed since then, and I've been in a happy and loving relationship for a couple years now with someone else. When I was 25 years old and dated a 19 year old. I still thought of myself as young until that day when I realized about half way through I was dating someone who was - relatively speaking - a child. At those ages, it's a gigantic gap and I haven't respected anyone who crosses it consistently since. It ain't the younger one who is unusually mature for their years - it's the older one who either needs to grow the fuck up that would have been me, BTW or is looking for someone they have an advantage over for either control or the feeling of control, or they just don't care about the person beyond their youthful appearance. Never felt old until she moved in then I realized how much more mature a few years of living on your own makes you. After that if anyone is over drinking age is dating someone fresh out of high school it creeps me the hell out. The day before the date, she give a list of what to wear head to toe down to sock color. I asked why, it was because she wanted me to dress like her ex-boyfriend. I went on with it anyways just to see if it would be as nuts as she was letting on I was given a timeline of when relationship events: meet parents on the second date, move in together after six months, and the list just went on. It was my first ever date. We were both We agreed to meet up at the restaurant; He arrives late this was a recurring theme with this guy. We look at the menu and decide on pizza. I suggest we get a small to share, as half of that is what I'd manage to eat. Idea dating experience reddit pity He says no, he wants to order a large. These pizzas were huge btw, a large could feed a family of 5. But he won't budge. So we order a large. I take out my wallet to go halvsies. That weirded me out. I am not one for food-waste, that's just not cool with me. It's wasteful and not friendly to the environment. If you ordered way too much, let's get a doggie-bag! I LOVE leftovers! He looked at me like I had just suggested we lick the gum off someone's shoe. This is where it dawned on me that he a ordered the large to "show off" that he had enough money to do so. Like it would impress me or something. Probably why he was so butthurt about me wanting to go dutch too I guess. He also turned out to be the stingiest person I've ever met. Everything to him was a "waste of money", everything. Like extreme savers TLC special sort of stingy. It was like he was going out of his way to overdo it the other way around on our date to "reel me in" before he went back his normal self. He and this girl were going to watch a movie at the theater but they were too young to watch it so they just ate popcorn in the lobby. I matched with this nice guy on Tinder. He was super sweet and cute in his initial messages, and his picture, while nerdy my type! The conversation would fizzle out occasionally though, since I was always the one carrying it and when I couldn't think of anything else to keep it going, his attempts at continuing it were bad and tbh there wasn't much to go on with. One day, I was sitting at a cafe and studying for class while waiting to meet up with a friend. I spot someone who looked a lot like my Tinder match. Curious, I sent him a message on Tinder, asking if he was at a cafe at a certain mall. He replied yes. I told him to turn around, and the guy in the cafe did confirming that it was the same guy who was my Tinder match! He gave a half-hearted wave, then turned around again and didn't say anything in the chat. So I typed, "Want to keep me company, if you're not busy? Not give dating experience reddit indeed He then went over to my table. I asked him how he was doing, what he was up to, the usual. 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New York Fashion Week has evolved into the SuperBowl of the fashion industry, unveiling presentations and collections that embody what’s innovative, fresh, and trending on the market; it’s the perfect time to draw inspiration from artistry and creative powerhouses, like Tommy Hilfiger, in curating your own personal style. Replicating looks from New York Fashion Week can be challenging when you’re on a Dunkin Donuts coffee budget; luckily for you, I got you covered. Here’s how to replicate looks without breaking the bank. 1. Monitor Coverage Let’s start with the first, and probably the most important step, of executing looks from New York Fashion Week: monitoring coverage. Every season, New York Fashion Week garners a ton of media attention, from influencer Instagram stories and article content from top-tier media, to a bevy of posts from the actual brands and designers. The coverage, across the board, is diverse and endless, allowing you to discover new styles, while learning the ins and outs of production. To monitor coverage most successfully, you need to be fully in the know via social media. This time around, I was particularly glued to my Instagram since it’s a visual platform, thereby housing content that’s easy on the eyes to digest (Facebook and Twitter are pretty lacking, so I wouldn’t rely on these outlets). Not to mention, through Instagram, I got a broad taste of everything, from stories and posts, to IG TV episodes, meaning I was never bored in my fashion pursuit. I didn’t want to overwhelm myself though, so I only stuck to a select few influencers, aka the macro-influencers with large followings, and followed along their journeys; these influencers are generally invited to coveted shows and hand-pick items from showrooms, and as a result, cover everything heavily. If you’re unsure of who to follow, I’d start with Danielle Bernstein of WeWoreWhat, who keeps you hooked from start to finish on everything that goes into her New York Fashion Week experience. Best part is, she will show you her day-to-day looks, so you can then buy cheaper versions seamlessly. This season, my favorite look of hers was the following below: edgy, yet gorgeous. Luckily for you, you can copy this look: Get the look: 2. Then, Save and Screenshot your favorite looks and collections During your New York Fashion Week pursuit, you should gather, save, and screenshot all the inspo you can from blog posts, articles, Instagram stories, and more. My process is relatively simple. I start by monitoring influencer content, then screenshotting their stories and posts that highlight certain designers and their new collections on display. From there, I go to the designer’s Instagram page directly and immerse myself in that collection, learning the backstory, creative process, and then saving and screenshotting the work on my phone. It sounds super easy and mindless, because it is. Now, I’ll explain how this process works in real time. Thanks to Instagram, I stumbled upon and fell in love with the alice + olivia collection, which has since been hailed for playful bold colorful combinations, elaborate patterns, and the brand’s overall essence that promotes female empowerment. I, of course, found myself screen-shotting away, not just collection content, but also media coverage that details the brand’s origins and vision for its presentations. To get a better sense of what I did, I saved a feature on WWD, where the brand’s designer, Stacey Bendet, explains this all further stating: “We’re so much about female empowerment and positivity. That’s what our brand’s been about for 20 years. I like when everyone comes into my home, my office, my stores to feel really welcomed, and really warm, and really embraced, and to leave feeling even better about themselves. Our shows are a manifestation of that. And they’re creative and fun to Instagram.” Feeling inspired? Fortunately, you can replicate the brand’s spring looks, like the one below. Copy this look: Get the look: 3. From There, Organize What Stands Out To You By Item For optimal organization, I house all content in separate albums on my phone, so I know where everything is located when I’m about to make a purchase. Take it from someone who knows: when you’re screenshotting and saving away, it’s easy to get lost in the act, so separate and specific albums ensure that you are staying on track. Each album is broken down by item: shirts, pants and skirts, shoes, hair accessories, jewelry, sunglasses, over-wear (like jackets and coats), and dresses. It can get tedious, but it’s 100000000% necessary. For example, I am obsessed with the current head-band trend, and saved all my head-band inspo in my hair accessories album. This fashion week, I fell in love with chunky ones, like the following below, because they’re versatile for both fancy and everyday wear. Copy this head-band look below: Get the look: 4. Do Some Investigative Journalism So, you successfully monitored coverage, screenshotted and saved inspo, and separated the findings into very specific albums. Now what, you ask? Well, here’s the fun part: it’s time to research stores with cheaper alternatives of your favorite New York Fashion Week looks. Luckily for you, this shouldn’t be too difficult since there’s already a ton of content detailing where you can find bargain deals on elaborate ensembles. I personally like Forever21, Amazon, Pretty Little Thing, Asos, Boohoo, and Zara, as these stores provide aspirational styles at affordable prices; or if you’re looking for sustainable options, you can give some local to local designers and creators through Etsy and other platforms. To give you a scoop on how I do my investigative journalism, I refer to my screenshots and search by item via store website. Case and point: I knew I had to have Danielle Bernstein’s chunky combat boots for the fall; however, given my budget, I obviously cannot afford hers. This led me to find the following example below, which as you can tell, is reasonably priced. Copy this look: Get the look: 5. Assess Your Findings And Weigh Your Options You can have thousands of looks in your arsenal; but at the end of the day, you can only afford so much, and your credit card can only do so much swiping. That’s why you must assess your findings, weigh your options, and determine for yourself which options are absolute priority. I wish I could buy everything from Danielle Bernstein’s New York Fashion Week closet, but for now, am sticking the below blazer, which is super cute and fun for the Fall. Copy this look: Get the look: How do you find and buy your favorite New York Fashion Week looks at cheaper prices? Comment below. Featured Image Source: https://www.cnn.com/style/article/new-york-fashion-week-highlights-ss20/index.html I'm Dom, and I believe life's most simple pleasures are Chipotle, a good eyeshadow palette, and a group-chat worthy meme.

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I actually started the very Hump Moment Bump for you to spread much needed positivity inside my first urban school. Lower income, violence, as well as limited sources overwhelmed the scholars. A sense of eliminate pervaded the staff, compounded simply by low scores, exacting recommendations, divisive cliques, and grueling hours. Inside and outer pressures increased tensions concerning administration plus staff. The particular Bump contact gave you a chance to read good news within our inboxes, observe good things around each other, and share things in a laid-back medium. Still the Bundle is not just a tool to kiosk pervasive negative opinions in our field— it’s also a way to build potential. First and foremost, option adult tradition based on make trades respect ‘s very important to a school’s success. Really nearly impossible for an educator functioning on unused to give the very best to college students, and a nutritious adult tradition helps keep our tanks entire. 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In cases where there’s a downside to the Obstruct, it’s which it has the potential to highlight all those staff ordinarily highlighted and even ignore all those typically dismissed. Tracking participation can help reduce this. And also send e-mail to office and quality level head so they can make sure that no one is overlooked. 11 years and a number of schools in the future, the Hump Day Bundle is still heading strong. Actually not only include I carried it in all of the my institutions, but and so do several of this colleagues. The very Bump is definitely spreading, u hope at this point it can offer you some positivity in your universities.

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The cult-classic album In An Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel gained most of its popularity through satirical reinterpretations of its iconic album cover and somewhat questionable lyrical schemes. The album itself is a quintessential collection of indie rock’s finest sounds, yet with its comedic associations have demeaned the true artistry behind the music. YouTube music reviewer Anthony Fantano has discussed his distaste with the album’s meme content, “…The fact that [In An Aeroplane Over The Sea has] kind of become a series of jokes to be typed and repeated in all caps all over the internet is really depressing to me…”. With lyrics such as “I love you Jesus Christ” sung in a devoted proclamation or “Semen stains the mountaintops” mumbled infuriatingly, it’s understandable how Neutral Milk Hotel’s grand release has become a joking matter. This example leads us to the main discussion of the article: Death Grips. Death Grips are one of the most talked about music groups in the past few years, filing in as many newsworthy articles published as Kanye West or Morrissey. Their abrasive musical style that spans from hip-hop to punk to experimental is one aspect that attracts fans. However, their one-of-a-kind brand of music is not the only reason Death Grips have been a conversation piece since their inception. Their cryptic activities and strange behaviour have warranted deciphering attempts to understand what the band wants. Most of the time, this strange behaviour is unexplained or seen as a stroke of randomness, but fans often interpret them as something more. The band has rarely been the subject of public interviews but drummer Zach Hill has expressed that the band is always moving forward, trying to be more creative with their process and how they are perceived as a band. This progression is most notable in the way that Death Grips have released each of their studio albums. After gaining critical praise with 2012’s The Money Store, Death Grips made the conscious decision to go against their record label, Epic, and release their second 2012 album No Love Deep Web for free on the web. In this messy debacle and inevitable disbandment with their label, Death Grips picked themselves up by creating their own record label, Third Worlds, and coming back with Government Plates released for free once again in 2013. In 2014, Death Grips did something completely unexpected and different from any other band before them. They first released Niggas On The Moon, the first part of their promised double album The Powers That B. Upon their rising popularity, Death Grips did the unthinkable. Via a napkin note posted to their Facebook page, Death Grips broke up. Fans were devastated, eulogies were written, and tiny grave sites were placed at several concert venues that summer. In this napkin note, the promise of part two of The Powers That B was written. Jenny Death was indicated that it would be released by the end of the year. Ecstatic for one final entry in the Death Grips discography, fans eagerly awaited this elusive album. As the months went by, fans became more eager and agitated with impatience. Death Grips released the first single from Jenny Death on December 8th, 2014, entitled “Inanimate Sensation”, giving fans a shining beacon of hope that the album would indeed be released soon. Unfortunately, after hundreds of fan-made album release theories involving astrological predictions, birth dates of celebrities, and moon cycles, nothing proved to be the reality for the long-awaited Jenny Death. An instrumental soundtrack album, Fashion Week, was even released as something to tide over hungry fanatics. Eventually, The Powers That B was announced in full. The double album was given the official physical release day of March 31st, 2015. In preparation of this date, Death Grips posted the entire album on their YouTube channel for fans to hear the album beforehand. After 9 long months, Jenny Death was born. Without going into too much detail, Jenny Death is the crowning achievement of Death Grips. Its booming sound makes it the loudest Death Grips album and its lyrical content dealing with the depression and attempted suicide of frontman Stefan Burnett makes it a personal testimony of a struggling man. Throughout these 9 months of seemingly endless torture, fans popularized Death Grips’ mystery with several phrases, images, and videos highlighting their anticipation and anger with the band’s teasing. Three notable Death Grips memes came into existence upon the band’s breakup and have become a defining factor in how the band is seen. This meme culture has escalated to a point that it is the defining point of someone’s relationship with Death Grips. The band has become a joke to some, illustrating a long ruse that has manipulated mindless followers. For others, it is one of the most creative marketing plots and ways to approach the concept of “being a band”. The first meme, the phrase “Zach here, thanks man”, is a personified attempt to embody the band’s leading figures and feel a more personal connection to band itself. The quote was first seen when a birthday message to drummer Zach Hill was posted to /r/deathgrips, a forum on the website Reddit. One user jokingly took the place of Hill, writing “Zach here, thanks man” as a comment. This comment became a recurring bit that escalated to the entire band being voiced by several anonymous users, giving Death Grips a more relatable representation. The band, being as cryptic as they are, needed an outlet to seem as actual human beings communicating with fans. This invention of thanking fans for their hard work and patience was the perfect way to nullify fans’ desire to show appreciation for Death Grips. The second meme, “Could be real”, emerged in anticipation of Jenny Death. After several fake postings of Jenny Death, the common sentence uttered whenever a clue was brought to light about the album was “Could be real”. This blunt and somewhat sarcastic phrase showed the tiredness of fans, disinterested in the fact that the album may never be released. Even after official dates were given concerning Jenny Death and The Powers That B, some fans still seemed uncertain. Being the unpredictable band Death Grips is, hesitation is an appropriate response to anything they promise. Trusting Death Grips is a delicate task. Their reliability to assigned designations has been treading on thin ice since the free release of No Love Deep Web. In 2013, Death Grips cancelled several concert dates. Their most recognized cancellation happened in Chicago when they didn’t give any prior notice and left their betrayed fans with a projection of a fan’s suicide note on the stage and their music blaring through the speakers. This no-show sparked distrust among many fans, snowballing into Death Grips’ dishonest tactic of releasing material and promising new things. The third and most replicated meme, “Jenny Death when?”, originally appeared on the 4chan forum /mu/ in June 2014. This important question became a staple among all Death Grips fans and was considered the phrase most associated with the band. It spread throughout several online forums and websites, even stretching to music review sites such as Stereogum, The Needle Drop, and Consequence of Sound. Despite fans thinking that this phrase was a silly question that would never be answered, Death Grips mimicked the question with the release of Fashion Week in early 2015. Each track on Fashion Week was entitled “Runway” followed by a letter than acrostically spelled out “JENNY DEATH WHEN”. At the time, fans believed this was a hint that Jenny Death would be released at the height of the Paris Fashion Week. However, this is was simply another vague expansion to Death Grips’ album legacy. Once Jenny Death was finally released online, fans rejoiced, exclaiming “Jenny Death Now” and marking March 19th, 2015 as the day the most important question in music was finally answered. Though Death Grips announced their breakup in July 2014, they are the busiest group that have delivered music post-breakup. Fans have speculated that this breakup was another ploy in the band’s creative appearance and that “Death Grips 2.0” is right around the corner. 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Maritime Admiralty Law in 10 Minutes You are ‘owned’ just by acquiescing to that ‘ownership’. You Had Your Say? – Not At YouTube This is a photo documentation of the comment section of a TED video I criticized yesterday. Notice that the time of the comparison was over 24 hours after the post… you’d think that would be enough time to synchronize all the servers, but it wasn’t! It was enough for other’s comment, but not for mine. Even though many people posted AFTER me, my sort order was ‘Newest First’, the two comparisons are from the same area with one being anonymous, they show no signs of my comment! If you thought your free speech is allowed a place at YouTube, think again. Artificial Scarcity: Resource-Based ‘Anything’ Making You Feel ‘At Home’ We are the living Earth, but soon we will even get to pay rent on it! Giammaria Ortes: The Decadent Venetian Kook Who Originated The Myth of “Carrying Capacity” Eugenics is en vogue, but very old… and this green skinned watermelon has a red inside! (Mean Green Meme and Communism) The Venus Project, Jacques Fresco, Peter Joseph, Zeitgeist Movement, Carrying Capacity,… all of them based upon fraud. And if you try to make it known to them, they block you (my experiences). I have a question that Fresco doesn’t allow to be posed, not to mention answer: Did we suffer from a lack of electricity before Tesla (and those before him) came and showed us how to make use of it? Resource-based ‘anything’ (the idea stems from Giammaria Ortes in the Venetian era and taken up by Malthus ) is a fiction! And with the Venus Project, it is at best willful ignorance. They must know better (they have been confronted on this), but will not accept anything that conflicts with their previous dogma (especially when it lies at its very foundation!). Here’s a recording of Dr. Tarpley describing this work. (12 Minutes). Crimes Of Our Educators They are heralded as pioneers and bold educators, but the truth is completely different. Wilhelm Wundt and John Dewey among them, they had the designs of their paymasters (banksters like Rockefeller) in their focus as they planted the seeds of destruction of our education system in the USA and Europe. My own investigations into the systematic corruption of science since the early 19th Century (with encroachment being documented even earlier) dovetails nicely with this book. It confirms my conclusions and even fills in some of the details. More on these investigations of mine are forthcoming. Utopian dictators like Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, and Mao are criminals – genocidal psychopaths who have killed more human beings in the last hundred years than any other ideologues in history. They don’t limit their murder to individuals, but to entire nations. In the United States another form of Utopians, the “progressives,” have tried to destroy traditional America by strategically dumbing down her people. America’s future is being crippled on purpose in order to fundamentally transform the nation, its values, and its system of government. Laid out a century ago by progressive luminary John Dewey, the fruits of his schemes are plain to see today. Dewey got rid of the traditional intensive phonics method of instruction and imposed a “look-say,” “sight,” or “whole-word” method that forces children to read English as if it were Chinese. The method is widely used in today’s public schools, which is a major reason there are so many failing public schools that cannot teach children the basics. This can only be considered a blatant form of child abuse. American author and veteran educator Samuel Blumenfeld and journalist Alex Newman have taken on the public education establishment as never before and exposed it for the de facto criminal enterprise it is. Crimes of the Educators reveals how the architects of America’s public school disaster implemented a plan to socialize the United States by knowingly and willingly dumbing down the population, a mission closer to success than ever as the Obama administration works relentlessly to nationalize K-12 schooling with Common Core. The whole-word method of teaching children to read – introduced by John Dewey and colleagues in the early twentieth century and which permeates Common Core – is a significant cause of dyslexia among students. Public education’s war against religion, the “great American math disaster,” promotion of death education, and the government’s plan to lower standards for all so “no one is left behind” is destroying the logic, reasoning, and overall educational prowess of America’s next generation. According to the Program for International Student Assessment, which collects test results from 65 countries for its rankings. In reading, students in 19 other locales scored higher than U.S. students In science, 22 education systems scored above the U.S. In mathematics, 29 nations and other jurisdictions outperformed the United States Journalist Henry Mencken said it best in 1924 when he wrote that the aim of public education is “to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality.” It is time to hold the Department of Education accountable for the crimes of the educators. Special Price in USA: You Are Significant in Your Insignificance! That’s what they’re selling you with this graph. This is a ruse used very often by hucksters and snake-oil salesmen. They offer you the sugar with their ‘bitters’. Problem: The ontological scope of the graph does not account for all of the aspects of being human (that we are aware of at this time). Of course you’re supposed to know that. “We didn’t mean it that way.” they’ll tell you… How many unsuspecting people believe this sophisticated form of lying? Now, see it with ‘new eyes’. The example used for ‘conspiracy thinking’ was the ignorance of an elected official during WW2, California Governor Earl Warren https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Warren Who interestingly enough, got placed on the Supreme Court by the parasitic class later in his career! We literally swim in a world of conspiracies (look up LIBOR scandal, for just one example: http://www.liborscandal.org/index.html), yet we are supposed to marginalize each other with ridicule like ‘nut job’ and ‘conspiracy theorist’ to keep us in the ‘safe’ and ‘permissible’ trendy mainstream dominant social memes. The criminal banksters and their corporations get to hide in plain sight and we police each other for crossing boundaries they have set for us! They can wreak havoc on our planet and blame humanity for their deeds. Note however, that Bayesian Logic can’t even grasp this structure and dynamics. This shows how a statistical and frequency-oriented approach to looking at our world is no guarantee of even seeing the proverbial ‘elephant in the room’! There Is Only Now Here they confuse the issue… Badly! More psyence mumbo jumbo to get you confused. If you would have said this before publication, you’d have been called a ‘nut job’ or ‘wacko’. But as you see, dogma does change. They have time and space all whacked out and call people who have better explanations wacko! The idea of a parallel universe does have uses. For example when we decide something or imagine how something may be different. We construct them in order to compare outcomes (or other aspects) with each other. The problem with the article, for me, is that today’s science use them to reduce possibility and novelty to outcomes (or other aspects) that must preexist in some form! They want everything to be non-personal 3rd. person ‘its’ running around interacting from some set of initial conditions! That’s one of the reasons why these parallel universes need to exist for them. Otherwise they would have to account for some creative or imaginative process which would require a thinking being and not some 3rd. person ‘it’. The Religion of Science Has a New Pope! And ‘deniers’ are the neo-heretics and infidels! The Pope appears to usher in a new Dark Age for Humanity by creating an encyclical… not about religion… it’s about science and politics! Will a new age of Inquisition also ensue? “He has been called the ‘superman pope’, and it would be hard to deny that Pope Francis has had a good December. Cited by President Barack Obama as a key player in the thawing relations between the US and Cuba, the Argentinian pontiff followed that by lecturing his cardinals on the need to clean up Vatican politics. But can Francis achieve a feat that has so far eluded secular powers and inspire decisive action on climate change?” “It looks as if he will give it a go. In 2015, the pope will issue a lengthy message on the subject to the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, give an address to the UN general assembly and call a summit of the world’s main religions.” “Hunting” for Life in the Universe… Who Speaks For Earth? Let’s be careful exactly WHO speaks for us. People who “want to hunt for other life” do that to their own too. Perhaps we need other ‘stewards’ of our world to make first contact with another planetary/galactic civilization. Whoever ends up owning the world should know that our neighbors ‘out there’ will be very interested in who we are and our history. Will our ‘representatives’ tell those neighbors the truth or will they lie? Many of the ‘problems’ we have in the world are as artificial as the solutions being manufactured to solve them. Some of the most well-known ‘problems’ are those like the myth of overpopulation (http://overpopulationisamyth.com/overpopulation-the-making-of-a-myth), world poverty, war, terrorism, financial crisis, peak oil,… and soon: peak water (caused by activities such as fracking and the merchandising of water). Another artificial problem of recent times is known by many names: global cooling (1970s),… ah…, global warming (late 1980s to 2010),… ah…, climate change (Bilderberg 2010). The ‘stewards’ of our world have been complaining about our problems (in many cases) for a long time now. The question arises as to why, if they were so important, that they haven’t been solved by now? We would be living in the clouds and traveling to the planets if they had done what we trusted them to do in the first place. Instead they are busily animating the ‘makers and shakers’ of our world with loads of fake money to prematurely build a global civilization whilst running roughshod over all of our personal and collective sovereignty to get there. Those who execute the plans have no idea that they too will be ‘on the menu’ in a later phase after being of use in the earlier ones! In order to perform this slight-of-hand, they require global problems (such as those above) to provide the thin lines of plausibility to their ends. All the while they have been telling the rest of us that we spread like a virus (like in the film: Matrix). They believe the lie that “the ends justify the means” when the truth is, the ends are fashioned by their means. All ends are inextricably tied to the means used to arrive at them. We see the results of their lie when they develop technologies too soon, weaponize them and insert control mechanisms into them. Everywhere there is artificiality: from AI (artificial intelligence) to artificial poverty (austerity); from artificial understanding (category theory) to artificial philosophy (systems theory, chaos theory,…); from artificial physics (Higg’s Boson, Big Bang,…) to artificial biology (synthetic biology in the video); from artificial finance (bankster bail-outs, inside trading, Libor, derivatives, CAFR,…) to fake money (central banking, money as debt); from artificial catastrophes (overpopulation, terrorism, war, financial collapse) to artificial scarcity (zero-sum resource mindset),… even artificial food (margarine, ‘ice cream’, and other fat-free junk, sweeteners,…), artificial people (robots) and artificial diversity (unchecked and unwanted immigration). This video dovetails all of the aspects above and directs our attention towards premature globalisation arising out of the artificially created chaos around us. I’d like to know if we really want these kinds of people (who are only a small portion of our population) representing us in a galactic or even universal context? Will our ‘representatives’ be proud of their ‘stewardship’ of humanity? Will they be able to show how they created constructive solutions to aid even the most needy of their own kind? Or will they need to keep a secret so large, that even our neighbors out there wouldn’t want anything to do with us? Humanity will never be trusted in a galactic or even universal context, if we don’t choose our way carefully now.

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This is a weekly meme started and hosted by @marysimms72 on her brilliant Book Craic blog. If you love books written for an MG audience and wish to take part, the steps to follow are: - Post a picture of a front cover of a middle-grade book which you have read and would recommend to others with details of the author, illustrator and publisher. - Open the book to page 11 and share your favourite sentence. - Write three words to describe the book - Either share why you would recommend this book, or link to your review. Author: Anna James Illustrator: Paola Escobar Publisher: Harper Collins Children’s Books Favourite sentence from Page 11: ” I’m looking for a book.” This book in three words: Magic – Imagination – Stories A couple of weeks ago I used this meme to highlight my love for Tilly and the Bookwanderers, yesterday I finished reading an eARC of Tilly and the Map of Stories, due for publication on 17th September. It’s my favourite of the series so far, although it is going to cause me nightmares the next time I have to do some book-weeding in the library! Here is my review: The third book in the Pages & Co series is a magnificent celebration of the magic of stories and an ode to the bookshops, libraries and imaginations from which they are dispensed. The love of story erupts from this novel and inflames your heart with a desire to revisit old favourites and examine their links to the newly published. Combining 21st century London tweens with a fantasy plot that includes encounters with the Great Library of Alexandria, the Library of Congress and a jaded William Shakespeare, this book takes you on an enchanted journey through literature! Tilly and the Map of Stories begins exactly where book two, Tilly and the Lost Fairy Tales ended, with the scheming Underwood twins, Melville and Decima, continuing their dictatorial reign at the British Underlibrary; pursuing their own ends whilst deceiving their followers that they are working for the benefit of all. They have begun binding the source editions of books to prevent book wandering in them…but only a small minority of independent thinkers have the courage to question why. These dissenters of course include Archibald and Elizabeth Pages (Tilly’s grandparents), her mother Bea and a group of their close friends. I have loved this series from the moment I began reading about Tilly and her grandparents’ bookshop Pages & Co in book one. The idea of being able to wander into the pages of favourite books and share afternoon tea with Lizzie Bennet enraptured me. The addition of librarian in-jokes about cardigans and the Dewey Decimal System just made it all the more engaging. Now with this installment, author Anna James takes us on a metaphysical adventure into the heart of Story itself, conjuring an immersive literary world in which Tilly and her best friend Oskar have to delve right to the origins of Story in their attempt to thwart the plans of the Underwoods. It opens with a customer in the bookshop finding himself unable to remember anything about the book which he intended to purchase and this grasping for memories of books is repeated with other characters. Relying on Tilly’s instinct that the curious assortment of objects she has gathered during her previous adventures are clues to the whereabouts of the legendary Archivists who guard the bookwandering world, her mother Bea despatches Tilly and Oskar to Washington DC to track them down. I really do not want to go into too much description of the plot because it unfurls so perfectly that I cannot bear to ruin your enjoyment. The labyrinthine quest leads our heroes and thus the reader into the chain of stories where it seems only natural that after travelling on a train constructed of an eclectic mix of carriages, aptly named the Sesquipedalian, you might encounter Shakespeare arguing with Scott Fitzgerald! Tilly and Oskar are two wonderful protagonists whose relationship has developed over the series to an acceptance of each other’s moods and almost telepathic understanding of each other’s reactions at crisis points in the narrative. Their friendship and partnership drives the narrative on as they seek the truth of the Underwoods’ abuse of book magic. As always, Tilly’s grandparents demonstrate steely determination to stand up against wrong-doing and in this novel Tilly’s mother Bea has snapped out of her dreamlike state and takes agency too. The locations, real, historical and imaginary are brought splendidly into focus by Paola Escobar’s wondrous illustrations; I would love to spend many hours browsing Orlando’s bookstore Shakespeare’s Sisters situated in a former theatre! I also love the use of typography techniques to throw the reader off-balance at times in the story. It is obvious that I adore Tilly and the Map of Stories and I think it is a book that many adults will relish reading to their own children or to a class of children. Confident readers of 10+ will love immersing themselves in the adventure on which Tilly and Oskar embark and hopefully will engage with some of the philosophical themes: the importance of imagination and collective memory, the need to share stories for the benefit of all and the necessity to question authority when it designs rules that only enhance the experience of a few. I am most grateful to NetGalley and Harper Collins Children’s Books for allowing me access to an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I will certainly be purchasing a physical copy as soon as the book is published later this month as this is one of my MG highlights of the year so far.

If you’ve caught the recent ads for Bubly Bounce featuring Drag Race alums Vanjie, Latrice and Manila, the idea of a drag queen soda doesn’t seem that far off. The good news is that there is probably some 14-year-old on TikTok right now who would be the brains behind the brand. Because, clearly, not everyone is up to the challenge. The branding challenge looks different each season, but the core conceit calls for the queens to self-produce a commercial for a product through their very specific brand lens. If you don’t overthink the relevance, the brilliance of the challenge is really the sum of its parts. Being able to self-produce — including concept, storyboard, making a shot list, starring and SINGING THE JINGLE — is a helluva showcase for a slew of skills. Especially in today’s DIY social media dominated landscape, being able to scrap together a short, funny video is a huge advantage. On top of the creative and production work, the queens also need to be hyper-aware of their “brand.” Turns out, last week’s makeover challenge was just the tip of the branding iceberg. Nearly half the remaining gals crashed and burned on either the creative, the branding or both. So who popped off and who left us thirsty AF? Let’s dig in. Fresh off last week’s “Who should go home?” runway pop quiz, Olivia quickly defuses any drama surrounding the gals calling her out. Kandy muses about how much money $2,500 really is and Rosé and Tina snipe at each other about whose going to outlast whom. It’s a breezy opening leading right into a fun mini-challenge. I love when a mini-challenge has some real competition, and this week it’s a trivia game featuring the always welcome sight of the Pit Crew. The queens prove their mettle with questions about Drag Race quotes and reference, plus Kandy gets to redeem herself (and claim the win) with a sausage-themed math problem. Ru lays out the challenge: Create a soda, its flavor, its jingle, write the commercial and star. It’s a lot! Even an impromptu Zoom call from season 12 winner Jaida Essence Hall isn’t enough to save the stragglers. (She looked great, but her advice had nothing on Anne Hathaway.) The resulting commercials are all over the map. Utica, for starters … well, Utica, you see … It’s … You know, having seen her explain it in the workroom, film it, watched the finished product and heard her explain it to the judges, I still don’t get it? It’s an anti-depressant made of sunshine, and you drink it out of a cow’s udder? And you lick the can? Again, Utica gets so caught up making sure she purposefully expresses her weirdness, she loses all its charm and delight. Kandy, she of “alone in the VIP” meme fame,” has a strong concept for her drink, The K Special. (Get it? It’s Ketamine.) It works, because it’s simple. She looks beautiful in head-to-toe animal print, and the bar scene allows Kandy to be Kandy, which you know the judges love. Is it the most cerebral piece of art I’ve seen? No, of course not, but it satisfies the assignment with its clarity. The judges love watching Kandy, and she delivers. (It’s also a strong episode for Kandy as she opens up about being gay bashed as a youth and how that made her the fighter she is today.) Tina has a complex concept in mind, which she manages to execute relatively well. It’s the classic infomercial set up (you know, the ones that start “Is this you?”), and the gag is her soda, Burnin’ Up, will take you from stuffy housewife to slutty hellion. Ok! The story comes through, but she struggles to highlight the product. It’s neither creative nor particularly funny, and the unamused judges also claim to tire of the played out retro housewife aesthetic. There are other ways to do camp! As usual, there’s everyone else, and then there’s Symone. Carson and Ross can’t even contain their adoration while filming. They start whispering to each other about how great Symone is while she’s still on set! It’s that obvious. Symone’s Sweet Toof is so precisely executed, you could actually pitch this to Pepsi, jingle and all. The judges love the big, bold logo, the catchy jingle and, of course, Symone’s casual, confident delivery. Every joke lands. After several strong weeks, Gottmik gets tripped up a bit here. Even when storyboarding, it’s clear this is going to be a struggle. The concept is a soda that won’t necessarily make you sexier, but it will make you feel sexy regardless of how you look to others. (Imagine a drink whose primary ingredients are poppers and molly.) It’s not a bad concept, but the devil here is in the details, and Mik fails to make the connections clear. The judges don’t get it, and even the name (Gottmik’s Got SeXXX Sex Juice) is a choking hazard. Olivia got a lot of flack for not knowing her brand last week, so she feels the pressure this week. Unfortunately, being “smiley” isn’t cutting it. At its heart, the concept is similar to Utica: Drink this, be happy. She struggles to keep her smile at bay for an adequate “before” performance. There’s not much more there, and the judges are non-plussed. It’s not surprising that Rosé knocks this one out of the park. Already known as a perfectionist, this kind of self-producing is second nature to her. She already has an advantage with her signature color palette, but she wisely uses this opportunity to poke fun at herself, including some of the judges’ ongoing criticism of her. The judges eat it up. It’s the most ambitious of all the commercials, and it’s certainly one of the most successful. In addition to commercials, the dolls are being judged this week on a BEAST Couture runway. It’s a lot of fun, but Kandy Muse wears one of the absolute worst outfits in Drag Race herstory, and the judges don’t even care. It’s so bad, it’s circled back to good, did another lap until it leapt right up to iconic levels. We’re talking Ornacia 2.0. If we get Halloween this year, I hope everyone dresses as either sexy Scarlet Witch or Kandy Muse in a green latex suit wearing a blowup doll. And the judges are just like, LOL, Kandy, you crazy. Michelle doesn’t even blink at the ALL-GREEN latex suit with inexplicable furry green bra! It feels like Kandy is DARING Michelle to actually hit her. And yet? She’s declared safe. Wild. Symone and Rosé both rock the runway, and Ru has no choice but to award them both the win. Gottmik’s campy cartoon monster couture and Olivia’s Sully Sullivan-inspired outfit help them secure safety, leaving Utica and Tina to duke it out in the bottom. The lip sync is the poetic masterpiece, “My Humps,” by the Black Eyed Peas. Utica just kind of does some spooky vamping; it’s not bad, per se, but nothing really memorable. Tina at least peppers in some moments and unique movements that make her performance more compelling. Ultimately, Ru disagrees, opting not to send Utica to reunite with Clara in the big dairy farm in the sky. (Or back to upstate New York Minnesota.) Instead, it’s Tina Burner’s torch that’s extinguished. And with that, we have only just now eliminated half our queens. Can you believe it? It feels like this season started in 2018. Where does that leave the gals? Check out our rankings below, and leave yours in the comments! - That’s the Symone we know and love. On the runway, on the soundstage, it doesn’t matter. The judges can’t help fangirling out over Symone. Yes, her commercial was great, and I enjoyed her foxy runway. But, is it just me, or were the judges almost too gagged? If you’ve been to a Comic-Con or spent enough time on Tumblr or have otherwise been exposed to the word “fursona,” you no doubt were a little less impressed. She looked great, it was a total slamdunk in terms of brand, but, uh, sexy, anthropomorphic animal mascot suits are … definitely already a thing. I still think you can see Symone wearing the crown in the judges’ eyes (and mine, too). - Even though this was a rough week, Gottmik has what it takes to make it to the finale. I loved the monster dress on the runway. I thought it was cute and clever, but still fashion (in a similar way Symone got almost too much credit for!). As long as this visit to the bottom doesn’t shake Mik’s confidence too much, it should be easy enough to bounce back after a Snatch Game win and consistent killer runways. - Rosé and Tina may be nipping at each other’s heels so much, because they’re both fighting for this number three spot. Clearly, Rosé broke out ahead this week, leaving Tina to continue spinning out a bit. It’s an arc that started back in the Rusical challenge, with Rosé seizing the moment and Tina struggling in what should be signature performances. Even though it was jarring to watch Rosé get into this makeup, the final presentation on the runway was my favorite thing she’s worn so far. I did find her runway walk … indulgent … but that’s our Rosé! - I cannot believe Kandy got away with that runway. It was a latex suit, no wig, GREEN, barely on theme, and she was wearing. a. blowup. doll. It felt like there was a gas leak on the mainstage. It is both unacceptable for this stage of the competition and simultaneously it should immediately be put in the Smithsonian. I guess one of the selling points was that she and the blowup doll had the same makeup, and there was a moment when she very seriously grabbed the blowup doll’s little blowup head and completely serious, unironically, mean-mugged at the camera. I want it cross-stitched and hanging in my home. Iconique. The commercial was solid, and the judges clearly have a soft spot for her. If she can just stay safe while others stumble, she may make it all the way to the finale. - I think we’ve seen all there is to see from Olivia at this point. The youth and inexperience really started to show this week and last when the judges were looking for a clearly articulated answer to the core question, “Who are you?” She’s beautiful, she’s talented, but she lacks the vision of Symone, Gottmik and Rosé. The Monsters, Inc. runway was cute, but to me it felt a little cheaper than the others. (Except for Kandy. Kandy looked the worst.) - When it comes to Tina‘s naughty housewife routine, Michelle certainly has a point. (She was also right about Tina’s makeup being a letdown.) I’m not sure I agreed that her runway was the camp version of Symone’s. I liked the Velveteen Rabbit meets Frankenstein’s monster vibe, and Ross nailed it when he said the scale is what sold it. The proportions of the suit and props felt fantastical. It just needed to be more elevated. It was a bit of a shock to see Tina go home at this point, especially considering there are queens with worse track records AND worse performances in this week’s challenge. None of the criticism was wrong, but my money was on Utica packing her bags. - This isn’t the first time Utica‘s comedy didn’t translate, so I won’t belabor this precise point. Instead, I will praise her physical comedy here, which I thought went under-recognized. The can licking — while not a great idea — was well done, in so much as the sight of her tongue flicking the can reminded me of those super bizarre (and oddly sexual) ’90s Nickelodeon cartoons like Ren & Stimpy and Rocko’s Modern Life. Was it enough to save the commercial? No. The judges were right to find little fault in the runway, but there wasn’t much to be excited about either. How would you rank the queens?

Today was the day a thousand dreams would die and a single dream would be born.First line in The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson Hi, guys. I hope you’re all doing great. Today I’m using WWW Wednesday to give you a reading update. WWW Wednesday a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words, and it’s meant to give you all a little insight into my reading this week. I’ll answer the 3 questions: - What are you currently reading? - What did you recently finish? - What do you think you’ll read next What did you recently finish? I finished The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson, which I gave 3 stars. It was such a middle-of-the-road book for me that I don’t have much to say about it. There wasn’t anything I loved or hated in particular. I do see some potential in the series and that ending kind of forced me to continue. What are you currently reading? I’m reading The Lost Book of the White by Cassandra Clare, and I’m 32% into that one. It’s weird. It makes me think about how the main critique of Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is that the characters act older than their age. In The Lost Book of the White, it’s the same problem but in reverse. The characters are adult but act like teenagers because it’s YA. So yeah, the characters aren’t that great but so far the plot has kept me intrigued, so I’m still excited to continue reading and see where that goes. I’m also still working on my reread of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I’m 60% in so I might be able to finish that before next Wednesday. What do you think you’ll read next? I’m hoping the library will come through for me and give me The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan, book 4 in Wheel of Time. If that doesn’t happen, I’ll start A Gathering of Ravens by Scott Oden. I’ve read a lot of YA fantasy lately, so I’m in need of something adult.

It’s a gloomy Tuesday afternoon, but the other participant on my Zoom call is beaming with a youthful, bronzed radiance that’s almost overwhelming—it intensifies each time she flashes a smile. I’m speaking to none other than the Kelly Rowland, who’s helping me pick my next fall hair color. I decide on blue. “Blue? Well, when I was your age I had blue—and purple, and red, and every other color,” she recalls with a wide laugh. If you know anything about Rowland’s early days as one-third of pop supergroup Destiny’s Child, the hair chameleon never shied away from a color, texture, or style. On the red carpet, she adopts a similar approach, favoring dresses with intricate detailing and leg-baring slits in dark or jewel-tone shades. But at home, Rowland’s a sucker for a good knitted pant or any oversized sweater—no loud prints or colors. It’s exactly the type of piece you’ll find as part of her newest endeavor, a full apparel and shoe collection with JustFab. The expansive lineup of knits and leathers arrives in soft, neutral colors that conjure images of piping hot pumpkin spice lattes and vanilla-and-caramel scented candles. It’s not lost on the singer that the muted tones offer comfort amidst the chaos boiling over in the world today. “I always think about the fact that I’m given one more day,” she tells me. “When I wake up in the morning, I’m not done. I ask myself, What do I need to do today? I constantly remind myself to lead with kindness and in doing work and hustling and grinding, to have fun through it all. If that person can do it, I can damn sure do it. How do I make somebody feel seen or heard today?” A cozy, comfortable range that makes women feel polished and runway-ready, even if the only runway they’re walking is from the kitchen to a Zoom meeting, at an extremely accessible price point. That’s how. Though it’s common for celebs to pivot to clothing or shoe collections, a line wasn’t top of mind for Rowland for a long time. When the offer was presented to the singer, she took herself out of the equation and prioritized other women’s needs. The goal was to take the guesswork out of getting dressed, because who has time a plan an entire outfit when we’re in the middle of a global pandemic and an ongoing state of political unrest? “We figured every woman shared the same sentiment as me: If I still want to feel some sort of glam in this weird time, what would that look like?” the hitmaker and expecting mom says. “There are only so many pairs of big jeans and sweats we can wear. For the collection, we wanted people to feel some sort of luxury without having to spend a whole bunch of money, because we don’t know what’s going to happen with the economy,” she explains. “We want to do the job for her: Being effortless by wearing these comfortable knit sets or oversized sweaters or the cool leathers with fun t-shirts that might already exist in your closet. The JustFab woman deserves it.” Rowland’s hands caress the brown Wrap Kimono sweater she’s snuggled up in, which she paired with the Sweater Knit pants for our chat. “Some days I want to look cool. Other days, I don’t want to see my waist,” she chuckles. Shoppers, too, can choose to cozy up in the Suiting Pocket Cardigan, which comes in a leopard or argyle print, or slip into the faux leather trousers for a “snatched” look. Then, there’s the 11-piece shoe collection. Not that Rowland needs another pair. She stumbles before admitting she has far too many shoes to count, and had to clean out her closet to make space for the JustFab footwear collection. And if you’re wondering, the Wren boot is the shoe she’d gift Michelle Obama if given the chance. If she could walk a mile in anyone’s shoe, it would be our Forever First Lady’s. “She’s just so graceful, but she could definitely tell you off in the way she is as a wife and mother,” Rowland gushes. “I’m in awe of her and intrigued because I find her so incredibly awesome.” Michelle Obama wearing Rowland’s collection is the Black Girl Magic moment waiting to happen, but Rowland has gifted Black women those moments her entire career—and especially this year. Take her sensual single “Coffee” and its accompanying visual, a gorgeous display of Blackness starring other brown-skinned beauties like herself. Then, of course, there was her cameo in “Brown Skin Girl” from Beyonce’s Black Is King visual. In it, Rowland and Beyoncé face each other as they sing in unison, “I’ll never trade you for anybody else.” A meme of that moment quickly circulated as a symbol of not only their sisterhood, but of Black women celebrating each other at a time when we’re fighting to be seen, heard, and respected. Rowland’s comforting smile dissolves when I ask about the weight those three words—Brown Skin Girl—carry when set against our current state of turmoil. This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. “Not protected enough, that’s what it means to be today,” she says. “But also strong and resilient. We’ve gone through so much and I don’t think we give each other enough credit. We’re living in this beautiful Brown skin [and] have to realize how truly golden it is; we don’t have to be watered down or shrink for anybody. Songs like ‘Brown Skin Girl’ are one part of the story, but we have to continue to rewrite the rest of our story. You have artists like my sister B, you have writers like [Lovecraft Country‘s] Misha Green and Lena Waithe who are telling these new stories. When we tell our own stories, they become this incredible quilt of legacy and hope.” Black women are constantly fighting against stigmas and tropes. We’re the aggressor when we’re assertive and confident. We’re expected to save everyone even if no one comes to our defense (see Megan Thee Stallion’s “protect Black women” op-ed). Rowland’s celebrity has never insulated her from society’s prejudices, especially the constant comparisons to her Destiny’s Child counterparts. But she ends our conversation with a hopeful reminder. “People will try to pinpoint certain things to pit us against each other or plant a seed of doubt within us because we are so strong,” she says. “Women are the fiercest creatures on the planet.” This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali (far-left), second placed Sergio Perez, race winner Fernando Alonso, and third placed Lewis Hamilton on the Malaysian Formula 1 Grand Prix podium in 2012 (Mark Thompson / Getty Images). The 2008 season saw the debut of the Singapore Grand Prix, which was held at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Ma… #39 Lexus Team Sard Lexus SC430: Juichi Wakisaka, Hiroaki Ishiura, #18 Weider Modulo Dome Racing Honda HSV-010 GT: Naoki Yamamoto, Frederic Makowiecki, “Our objective is not to have a majority of GT500 cars. Drivers results are only shown when a driver actually started the race. Mexican picked up two reprimands over Portugal weekend, The Finn finished just outside the points in 11th, Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel kicked up a drain at end of FP3, The Russian was officiating at his first grand prix, The track conditions at Portimao provided a challenge for drivers, French driver was forced to leap from his car, Vitaly Petrov is making his debut appearance as a steward in Portugal, Monégasque has consistently beaten Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel this year. A DNS (did not start) is not shown in the results. The championship was contested over eighteen races commencing in Australia on 16 March and ending in Brazil on 2 November. Standings. “When we started JTCC in 1994, there was Bridgestone, Yokohama, Dunlop, Toyo, Falken, very exciting tyre wars,” recalls Odashima. Suppose the current turbo hybrid years dominated by Mercedes has been robbing viewers of excitement-filled Sunday afternoons in the 132 races since 2014's season opener. [CDATA[ That is the evidence that the priority is here. It contains the graph to see the season progression and the F1 table with the results in both points and positions for each team and their drivers. He won the title by a point. za24_AdZone='/Forumla1/Landing'; But there was more drama to come: Vettel spun on the first lap and suffered minor damage while falling to the back of the pack, but through sheer determination clawed his way back to contention; finally outscoring Alonso by just three points and becoming only the third driver ever to win three world titles in a row. Michelin’s fortunes by contrast are tied up with those of Nissan, which itself hasn’t done too much winning in the last few seasons with the ageing GT-R platform. We use the technology from GT500 development in other championships like WEC.”. Drivers. Indeed, from the 2017 rules cycle onwards Bridgestone has re-established itself as the dominant tyre brand, having won 24 of the 29 races held in that time period. Previous year Next year. “Bridgestone is our rival – not only in motorsport, but in the global tyre business,” says Hiroaki Odashima, Michelin Japan’s Motorsports Director. Results 2008 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe. And it allows to compare against Bridgestone [used by Team Impul within the Nissan camp], on the same car. Incredibly, initially, Vettel scarcely seemed to feature in the championship hunt, having had to wait ten races between his first and second victories, and only becoming a title contender after unleashing a quadruple set of wins on the trot between Singapore and India towards the end of the season. The season standing and progression is provided in the graph and table for both points and position. za24_AdSize='278x76'; za24_AdPositionNo='1'; Formula 1 on Sky Sports - get the latest F1 news, results, standings, videos and photos, plus watch live races in HD and read about top drivers. Formula One Standings 2012. Here are 14 parts likely to fail on older cars - expert, Ford's new FX4 bakkie is really a leaf-sprung Raptor you would want in SA, UPDATE | Gauteng motorists older than 60 don't need online renewal bookings on Wednesdays, 2019 Bahrain GP: 'He drove a great race' says victorious Hamilton as Leclerc suffers heartbreak, Top 5 memorable moments of the #MalaysianGP, GALLERY: F1 testing - Racing Point in Barcelona, In pictures: Lewis Hamilton celebrates fourth F1 title, Gallery: F1 to use new halo cockpit safety device, 'Formella-ella-ella-ehh'...so the Baharain GP has a theme song, WATCH: A frightening illustration of just how fast an F1 car is. 2008 F1 season notes. GALLERY: David Coulthard roars through the streets of Cape Town with F1 Red Bull car, How Honda’s departure is leaving F1 with difficult decisions, How to fix the Formula One snooze fest - for free, WRAP | 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix - Bottas goes fastest in Second Practice, WRAP | 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix - Bottas fastest in first practice, Nissan bakkie pics leaked - Bold new look for the next Navara, Hyundai is taking the fight to Volkswagen with their new model offensive, Get in there, Lewis! #LewisGetsInked: Hamilton gets covered in tons of paint! GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. What a prank: Will the real Lewis Hamilton please stand up... and save us! *all statistics are until the present day, not until this specific season. While Alonso kept outscoring Vettel in the final three races by 10 points, the German needed just three points in Brazil to be crowned champion. Insider: F1 exit very likely for Magnussen, 2021 driver 'silly season' explodes in Portugal, Magnussen & Grosjean exit at Haas confirmed, Grosjean says Haas will sign two paying drivers for next season. We're at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimao for the Portuguese Grand Prix, a brand new track for some drivers. “Also, historically, Michelin wasn’t here, and most GT500s were using Bridgestone in the past. za24_AdSize='980x90'; za24_AdPositionNo='1'; //-->. Before their struggles for supremacy in both F1 and MotoGP in the 2000s, it was actually in Japan in the 1990s that the Bridgestone-Michelin rivalry really took hold, back in the days of the old Super Touring-based Japan Touring Car Championship (JTCC). Clearly, the 2012 season stands out as a towering showcase of F1 in its loudest, proudest, most colourful, and most gripping glory: one for the ages. Sebastian Vettel celebrating his third F1 championship with his team in 2012 (Clive Mason / Getty Images). Hamilton wins Portuguese GP, rewriting F1's record books, 21-year-old from Cape Town wins fifth edition of Toyota Fortuner Challenge, Driving with J9 | Don't wait too late - Extended hours for Gauteng driver licence renewals, REVIEW | There's a new Star(let) in Toyota's line-up and it's about to shine brightly, Keeping your vehicle for longer? NASCAR Sprint Cup standings for 2008 Click on the Driver to see 2008 race-level statistics for that driver. And so, for the time being at least, it seems as if Michelin may well be stuck with just two cars in GT500, both of which are Nissans. } But could F1 survive, and let alone thrive, with just three engine suppliers remaining? F1 Qualifying Results 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix, Third Free F1 Practice Results 2020 Portuguese GP, Second Free F1 Practice Results 2020 Portuguese GP, First Free F1 Practice Results 2020 Portuguese GP, F1 Qualifying Results 2020 Eifel Grand Prix, Third Free F1 Practice Results 2020 Eifel GP, Second Free F1 Practice Results 2020 Eifel GP, First Free F1 Practice Results 2020 Eifel GP, F1 Qualifying Results 2020 Russian Grand Prix, Third Free F1 Practice Results 2020 Russian GP, Second Free F1 Practice Results 2020 Russian GP, First Free F1 Practice Results 2020 Russian GP, F1 Qualifying Results 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix, Third Free F1 Practice Results 2020 Tuscan GP, Second Free F1 Practice Results 2020 Tuscan GP, First Free F1 Practice Results 2020 Tuscan GP, F1 Qualifying Results 2020 Italian Grand Prix, Third Free F1 Practice Results 2020 Italian GP, Second Free F1 Practice Results 2020 Italian GP, First Free F1 Practice Results 2020 Italian GP, Ocon hopes 'brutal' F1 spares George Russell, F1 power oversteer & why we love it by Peter Windsor, Ralf: Beating Michael's records not easy for Hamilton. Back then, the sport's primary focus was around envisioning a post-economic crisis resurrection and preparing for the upcoming complications threatened by the turbo-hybrid era; VW's Dieselgate bomb (the massively expensive PR fallout of which would affect all future corporate motorsport investment) still lurked undiscovered, and sustainability was as much a non-issue as a seven-year-old Greta Thunberg being too young to take to Twitter. za24_DescUrl='https://www.wheels24.co.za/FormulaOne/how-the-best-season-of-the-century-debunks-f1s-current-engine-supplier-paranoia-20201022'; On statistics alone, Hollywood could not have scripted it better: a record number of six participating world champions – notably the swansong year for a by-then-well-past-his-prime Michael Schumacher; and a different winner for each of the year's first seven races that included a shock debut victory and Williams's last for the crash magnet and pay driver Pastor Maldonado. One common denominator among these three series is that Michelin is involved in all of them, as well as various other series as a spec supplier, including MotoGP and Formula E. But there’s only one championship in which it can routinely measure itself against its old rival Bridgestone, and that’s on its foe’s home turf: Japan. The formula 1 season section provides the possibility to compare different points systems for a specific season and see the resulting F1 standings. And Renault further assisted in developing engine maps that allowed for the continued off-throttle blowing of the exhaust's hot air during cornering to generate additional downforce, which was soon banned. 281: 2 ALO Fernando Alonso. In that case, it only serves as payback for the adrenal tsunami that indulged audiences during the dynamite-packed 2012 championship. 207: 4 HAM Lewis Hamilton. From Max Verstappen's dominance to Ferrari's woes at Sepang, here are the top five moments of the 2017 #MalaysianGP. These days, you can pretty much count the number of high-level championships, at least on four wheels, that feature any sort of active tyre competition on one hand: the FIA World Endurance Championship (although, from next year, only in the GTE classes), the Nurburgring Endurance Series, and of course SUPER GT. The door is open for other manufacturers. za24_AdSite='/8900/24.com/Web/Wheels24'; Your email address will not be published. za24_IsAsync=true; Date last modified: 2020-10-25 20:19:41 - 3 hours ago, 2019-2020 - 25 points system + fastest lap, Kuala Lumpur - Sepang International circuit, Magny-Cours - Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Shanghai - Shanghai International Circuit. As a counterpoint to the hysteria surrounding Honda's recent decision to withdraw from Formula 1 at the end of 2021, the sport's ringmasters only need to be reminded of how history can repeat itself. 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The stock image called “Man Looking at Other Woman” by photographer Antonio Guillem was named meme of the year and was one of the most widely shared memes in 2017. But now, the meme, which is better known as “distracted boyfriend,” has been ruled sexist by RO, the Swedish ad watchdog. The watchdog made the ruling after it received complaints of the meme as it was used by Swedish internet service provider Bahnhof in an ad, reports the Guardian. Bahnhof’s version of the meme labeled the boyfriend “you,” the girlfriend “your current workplace,” and the girl on the street “Bahnhof.” Ro said that the meme objectified the two women by presenting them as workplaces while presenting the man as an individual: “The advertisement objectifies women. It presents women as interchangeable items and suggests only their appearance is interesting . . . It also shows degrading stereotypical gender roles of both men and women and gives the impression men can change female partners as they change jobs.” The watchdog also said the girl on the street in the meme was clearly a “sex object . . . unrelated to the advertisement, which is for recruiting salespeople, operating engineers, and a web designer.” After the ruling was issued, Bahnhof released the following statement: “Anyone familiar with the internet and meme culture knows how this meme is used and interpreted. Gender is usually irrelevant in the context. We explained meme culture to the ombudsman, but it chose to interpret the post differently.” You can check out Bahnhof’s version of the “distracted boyfriend” meme below.

Propagandists Cry About Bernie’s Online Base Because It’s Effective, Not Because It’s Mean Sometimes it feels like the only news stories over the last five years have been about mean tweets. Trump’s mean tweets, Sanders supporters’ mean tweets; some days it’s all the headlines ever want to talk about. You’d hardly know humanity is on the precipice of extinction on multiple fronts. If you are the sort of person who believed that the “Bernie Bro” talking point would vanish after statistics showed the narrative of Sanders’ base consisting mostly of entitled white men to be completely false, then you are probably the sort of person who is often wrong about things. Whether the headlines are about an MSNBC host comparing Berners on Twitter to literal Nazi brown shirts, Meghan McCain bashing Sanders and then calling his supporters “nasty and cruel” for responding, or a Nevada culinary union dishonestly smearing Sanders on healthcare and then shrieking about being “viciously attacked” by online criticism, this garment rending over angry Bernie Bros remains more popular than ever. Which, as we’ve discussed previously, is ridiculous. Acting like a few angry social media comments are in any way an inappropriate response to a millionaire narrative manager passive-aggressively sabotaging people’s attempts to fight crushing domestic austerity and create a working healthcare system for themselves is cartoonish drama queenery, and anyone who does this should be mocked by the entire world. The Elizabeth Warren-supporting writer Sam Adler-Bell — a much less powerful player than the wealthy corporate media pundits who are seen on TV by millions every day — shared his experience with incurring the wrath of Sanders supporters on Twitter. “Thanks to my squishy ‘be nice to Warren’ takes, I’ve experienced a lot of the storied online Bernie Bro attacks,” Adler-Bell tweeted. “And you know what? Not that bad. Pretty normal stuff. Small faction. I mute and move on. Maybe not a national headline that should last 4+ years.” The popular explanation for these absurd establishment conniptions over the insolent common folk daring to talk back to their masters is that it’s being used to smear Sanders, and of course that’s true; Sanders is consistently attacked for having rude supporters. A more detailed understanding is that it’s also due to a media class whose ivory towers previously insulated them from the reactions of the riff raff being unable to handle a new paradigm where op-eds receive digital comments from an energized populist political faction, and that’s obviously true as well. But the primary reason the establishment narrative managers are becoming increasingly shrill about the online behavior of Sanders supporters runs much deeper: they’re afraid of it because it’s effective. I’ve been writing for a long time about the possibility of a grassroots information rebellion in which ordinary people use new media in sufficient numbers to actually seize control of important dominant narratives, and, at least within the limited scope of Sanders’ presidential campaign, we’re seeing an actual model for what such an insurgency might look like. In their endless freeform improvisation on social media, Berners have demonstrated the ability to unearth information and launch it into virality, to collectively send hashtags to the top of Twitter’s trending list like #ILikeBernie, #BloombergIsRacist and #WarrenIsASnake, and to meme top presidential campaigns like that of Kamala Harris completely out of existence. Centrist elitists are fond of saying “Twitter isn’t real life”, meaning the dominant views you’ll see on social media aren’t necessarily reflective of the broader public, and of course that’s true. But clearly Twitter, like any other large and influential media platform, is able to help shape narratives which affect real life. The difference is that unlike other forms of billionaire-owned media, Twitter allows for the possibility of a grassroots campaign by the people to influence those narratives. Even if you’re not a Sanders supporter I highly recommend keeping tabs on his online base, because it’s a force that is truly something to behold. And also because it sets an example of something that could change the world, if people could just figure out a way to expand their grassroots information rebellion beyond the scope of a single candidate’s presidential campaign. And that’s the real reason the imperial narrative managers are so freaked out about it. Not because anyone is being “viciously attacked”, but because they understand that narrative control is power. The people collectively seizing control of the dominant narratives within the empire is the stuff of oligarchic nightmares, because whoever controls the narrative controls the world. Power is the ability to control what happens. Absolute power is controlling what people think about what happens.Humans are story-oriented creatures, so if you can control the stories that the humans are telling about what’s going on, you can control those humans. Any adept manipulator understands this. So they understand that the people taking control of dominant narratives is a direct threat to their rule. The oligarchs who control the US-centralized empire would literally kill for such a large and highly energized collective advancing pro-establishment narratives of their own free will, but they know they can’t get one because the status quo offers ordinary people nothing to get excited about. They can only obtain narrative control by purchasing it, whether it’s by advertising, buying up media outlets, funding think tanks, or paying online influencers like Mike Bloomberg. You can’t buy grassroots energy. Oligarchs find this endlessly frustrating, like an insecure Wall Street executive who can buy anything in the world besides a large penis. They’ve tried to emulate it, as with the so-called “Resistance” astroturf campaign designed to harness the energy of the 2016 Sanders run and corrall it into support for the Democratic establishment against Trump, but it falls flat without any shiny, attractive thing to positively push toward. So since they can’t replicate grassroots energy they do the next best thing: they attack it. That’s all you’re ever seeing when imperial narrative managers try to disparage and discredit Berners online. They’re doing the exact same thing they’ve been doing with alternative media and RT: attacking a source of unauthorized narratives because they are unable to control it. As I said from the very beginning, Sanders’ 2020 campaign is much more interesting as a movement than as a presidential candidacy. If Sanders manages to get in he’ll push for a few changes which will be ferociously opposed every step of the way by existing power structures, and some mild reforms will end up taking place. If the people figure out how to use the power they tapped into during his campaign to take control of dominant narratives, they can actually transform the world. So let the narrative managers educate you with their fake tears. They are informing you of your power. Use it to wisely. Use it to birth a healthy world into existence. Thanks for reading! The best way to get around the internet censors and make sure you see the stuff I publish is to subscribe to the mailing list for my website, which will get you an email notification for everything I publish. My work is entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, liking me on Facebook, following my antics on Twitter, checking out my podcast on either Youtube, soundcloud, Apple podcasts or Spotify, following me on Steemit, throwing some money into my hat on Patreon or Paypal, purchasing some of my sweet merchandise, buying my new book Rogue Nation: Psychonautical Adventures With Caitlin Johnstone, or my previous book Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers. For more info on who I am, where I stand, and what I’m trying to do with this platform, click here. Everyone, racist platforms excluded, has my permission to republish or use any part of this work (or anything else I’ve written) in any way they like free of charge.

Manga Review: Mage & Demon Queen, by Color_LES by B.B. | 02/06/2021 Have you ever starting reading something late at night when you know you should technically be trying to sleep because you have to be up extra early to then immediately fall in love with what you’re reading and try desperately not to laugh and wake your partner who’s fast asleep next to you and basically read until your alarm is going off? Well, for me it is rare but it absolutely happened when I stumbled upon Mage & Demon Queen by Color_LES on Webtoon! Adventurers seek to take the demon queen’s head, but a love-struck young female mage wishes to take her hand. Join us won’t you, for this bawdy tale of love and persistence set inside a real-life RPG. Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Yuri All artwork in this review is protected under copyright to Webtoon and the Creator, Color_LES. The Queerblr has used the snippets of the artwork in the manga to emphasize portions of the review. Artwork shown here is not meant for reuse, citing, or reblogging/retweeting without credit to Color_LES. I have enjoyed every second of reading Mage & Demon Queen! This manga (or some would call it a web-comic) is beautifully drawn, side splittingly funny, and has a fairly in depth story hidden within its panels. The setting felt akin to Sword Art Online but the gamification of the world was the reality and not a game that players were trapped in, and it was helluvalot more gay. When I first started reading, I was worried that I was going to dislike it because it immediately started with a scene of Malori ending a fight with the Demon Queen by pushing her love and desire onto her “for the nth time.” I am not one who enjoys one sided love stories where one individual repeatedly tries to show their affection and prove their love to the other to be rejected over and over again until they are successful in breaking down the other person’s will and concede to dating them. I’m a firm believer that if someone says “no” that their no should be respected. When the no isn’t respected, it feels very predatory and toxic to me and I don’t enjoy it — not in fiction, in film, or in anime, manga, or other graphic novels. It’s the one trope I cannot stand. So I initially did not like the main pairing of Malori and Queen Velverosa for that very reason. What kept me reading was the sheer fact that the genre it was listed under was comedy, not romance, and it was funny af, so I wasn’t concerned that it was going to be the entire story. And I’m so glad that I stuck through my initial hesitation. The story is hilarious, panels often making me literally laugh out loud or choke on whatever I dared drink while reading. Malori and her best friend Cerik have some of the funniest moments, from hitting each other immediately after being revived in the church to playfully kink shaming each other while still being supportive of their respective kinks. But it is also their relationship that helps the drastic character development of Malori. Had it not been for Cerik, Malori would never have learned that how she was going about trying to prove her love for Queen Velverosa was harmful not only the Queen, but to the other people around her, and ultimately herself. There is actual character growth for Malori that I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything quite on par with in a manga that I’ve read in recent memory (not that I’m an expert in the field or that I’ve read that many; most of my manga knowledge is left over from high school which was over a decade ago at this point and the few that I have reviewed for The Queerblr). The reader also gets to see the character growth of Queen Velverosa as she begins to develop her own feelings for Malori; not only that, the reader gets to see the many layers of the Demon Queen as she and Malori get to know each other and as Malori figures her out. Not only was it good character building, but pulling back the layers of Queen Velverosa also built out the world setting and climate created by the current war raging between humans and demons. It’s really smart story telling that I was not at all expecting from this laugh out loud funny comedy. And I cannot emphasize enough just how funny this series is. Not only is the dialogue quippy, there’s physical humor, there’s relentless teasing, and so many references to game mechanics and meme culture to keep track of. There are captions that say things like “+1 gay” or “+1 ego.” And when I said references to meme culture, I mean the memes were actually integrated into the panels to hilarious effect: Not only is it funny with memes directly integrated into the panels, it is beautifully drawn. I remember seeing the first panel where Velverosa blushes and thinking “wow” and letting my eyes linger on that panel for a few moments. Color_LES and their team do an amazing job at rendering both the human and demonic forms and coloring them in ways that captivate the reader’s eye. It was quite the visual treat to read! My only complaint about Mage & Demon Queen (aside from wanting to add a the to the title so it reads Mage & the Demon Queen) is that there are some panels where the clarity of movement is a little lost. The fight scenes are all pretty fantastic and it is easy to follow action from one panel to the other; but there are some areas outside of battle where the switch in posture or positioning from one panel to the next is rather jarring. It’s a super minor complaint, but all the same it is one that I have. One complaint that I’ve seen online that I disagree with, however, is that the story’s romance is “too much of a slow burn.” I absolutely disagree with that statement. Not only because the genre isn’t a romance, it’s first and foremost a comedy in a fantasy setting, which it does very well. Part of the reason that I disagree with the “too much of a slow burn” criticism might be because I began reading Mage & Demon Queen two weeks before the season two finale was posted, so my wait time was minimal. I can absolutely understand how having to wait for chapter updates could make the story not feel like the romance wasn’t moving fast enough, especially with how short the chapters in the beginning were despite lengthening over time. However, when it is read in one go, the pacing is really good. In fact, the slow-burn nature of Malori and Queen Velverosa’s relationship is part of the charm and it gave the narrative of their romance time to breath and show that they are genuinely interested in one another and gradually becoming more affectionate while respecting boundaries. It wasn’t like a lot of slow burn “pure yuri” stories where it’s edging queerbaiting or only pinning or bashful kissing. It gets to the point where their feelings for each other are quite clear, but they’re both kind of dumbasses who don’t know what they’re doing, adding to the comedy of it all. If you’re looking for something fun to read, I cannot recommend Mage & Demon Queen enough! If you find memes, gaming, and general internet humor funny, this manga will have you rolling with laughter and sending screenshots to your friends. You can read it on Webtoon for free! Episodes are posted and there’s a pay wall for about a week before they’re made free to read. If you enjoy it, though, I will encourage you to purchase the Webtoon currency so you can read episodes faster when they’re released while simultaneously supporting the artist! You can also support Color_LES on their Patreon account, too! 5 out of 5 Rainbows Recommended Reader: Anyone mature reader who enjoys a good comedic manga or enjoys a fantasy setting. The manga isn’t lewd by any means, but it definitely isn’t meant for kiddos. This story is super accessible, otherwise, even if you’re not someone who is into anime or manga. If you enjoy internet, gaming, and meme humor, this is absolutely something you should read! Tune in next week for our pre-release review of Loose in the Heel, Tight in the Toe, by Valentine Wheeler!

The Secret Obsessions of True Crime Tumblr Bloggers Secret obsessions of true crime Tumblr bloggers Nicole goes by niknik-1998 on Tumblr, inspired by Parkland School shooter Nikolas Cruz. She lives in Great Britain and will be 16 in one week. Her blog consists of memes about serial killers, school shooters and other murderers. A large block of text reading Don’t Condone overlays a video montage of the Columbine shooters. Nicole started the blog in February of this year after her clinically diagnosed depression became too much. She says the community welcomes her and is open about mental illness. She wants you to know she does not condone their crimes. Olivia goes by truecrime-at-night on Tumblr. She’s seventeen and from Alabama. Olivia uses her blog to catalogue true crime and plans on studying forensics in college next year. Olivia told me she often comes across “fangirl” blogs and meme blogs while scrolling on her TCC (True Crime Community) feed. Over the phone, she recounted a story about a 15-year-old girl on Tumblr who got deactivated, reactivated and deactivated again by the TCC community earlier this year after posting a gruesome fanfiction about being tortured by Ted Bundy. She wants you to know she thinks this behavior is disturbing and is normally carried out by minors. If you are anything like me, you are probably stunned that these communities exist. Why are they doing this? Why true crime? Why Ted Bundy? According to the famous 2010 Social Psychological and Personality Science study, women are more likely than men to find interest in the true crime genre. The study found that a lot of women subconsciously read about true crime to learn defense tactics, and because they can relate to female victims. The study concludes on a positive note: if women continue to consume true crime they can possibly prevent themselves from falling victim to these killers and assailants. Media sensationalism around serial crimes is nothing new, but this year saw a full on explosion of true crime — Ted Bundy in particular. At the beginning of the year, Netflix released a Ted Bundy docuseries. Two days later, a Bundy biographical thriller premiered at the Sundance Film Festival which stars Disney Channel veteran Zac Efron as Ted Bundy. From High School Musical to Baywatch and now to Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile, Zac Efron blows young girls away with his groomed physique and confident smile. But now, girls who grew up swooning over Troy Bolton will associate him with Ted Bundy. David Schmid, the author of Natural Born Celebrities: Serial Killers in American Culture, believes that these Tumblr blogs represent the creative consumption of violent popular culture. Schmid told me that setting up an account and connecting with like-minded individuals allows these girls to alleviate their fear of being a victim of violent crime, while also serving as a mindful outlet to discuss their fascination in true crime. According to Schmid, these blogs serve as a way to “take the ultimate boogeyman and turn him into something that is not as threatening.” He reminds me over the phone that portrayals of violent crime against women are abundant in popular culture: video games, television shows, movies, books and even in our real lives with the #MeToo movement. There’s no way to avoid depictions of male-on-female violent crime so why not find the humor in it? That’s what Nicole decided to do, yet she faces public criticism every day that does affect her mental health. Over the phone, Nicole admitted something personal to me. “In February, I was barely going to school, having mental breakdowns everyday,” she said. “I just thought ‘if I have something I can just vent on, even if it is just memes, to help me release my emotions…’” Schmid believes that “consuming this type of culture and especially then doing something with that culture that’s more creative or agent-oriented is allowing these individuals to claim these narratives for themselves.” Schmid told me the temptation to condemn their activities stems from a societal need to see only the negative consequences of people’s actions. “That fear of violent crime has been used as a way to discipline and control women, and we still see that today, obviously,” he said. “To some extent, this taking of the serial killer and doing something else with it is a refusal to be controlled by these narratives.” At this point in my conversation with Schmid, I empathized with these girls. Felt for them. I was still trying to soothe competing voices in my head when I remembered a name: Adam Lanza, who was responsible for killing 20 first-graders when he brought his mother’s gun to Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. I recalled Nicole telling me about people outside of the TCC community getting harmed in “real life” because of the amount of inside bullying and harassment. “He actually had a Tumblr blog and then he also shot up a school,” Nicole told me. “It’s deactivated now, of course, but I remember seeing one of the old posts that he reblogged.” His blog catalogued memes and facts about the Columbine shooting, much as Nicole’s blog does. Are these Tumblr interactions the signs to look out for? Or is this just a creative outlet as Schmid suggested? Julia Ingalls, an essayist at Crime Reads who wrote “Serial Killers: A New Breed of Celebrity,” agreed with Schmid that the media portrayal of serial killers is a mechanism of capitalism. Yet she disagreed with one thing he had to say: “I don’t know that these narratives really empower anyone. I tend to think more it’s about making a quick buck off a narrative that’s already established.” To Ingalls, the narrative lies more behind the consumption of, say, the new Ted Bundy movie and the portrayal of Bundy as an attractive serial killer rather than the consumption of Ted Bundy memes on Tumblr. While I was discussing this phenomenon with Sheila Isenberg, the author of Women Who Love Men Who Kill, she chuckled over the phone and told me we are raising all the right questions but don’t quite have the right answers. Why are these girls posting fanfiction about a man who died over a dozen years before they were conceived? Isenberg says it’s more complicated than we think, more complicated than what she dealt with when she wrote her first book back in 2000 about women who marry men in prison. “It’s all very complicated and the advent of the internet has added many dimensions to it,” she said. “After I published Women Who Love Men Who Kill, I realized it was part of a much bigger story about women’s fascination not just with criminals but with crime itself. Today, in 2019, women are fascinated with crime. They are the main consumers of true crime.” Isenberg is working on a new book called Mad, Bad and Dangerous: Women’s Fascination with Crime and Outlaws. She attempts to piece together this phenomenon I’ve found myself obsessing over: why do women seek refuge in the imaginary arms of dangerous men, especially when these men are dead? My conversation with Isenberg connected a lot of dots, but it also drew 1,000 more dots to connect. The main dot, though, was: why do I care? This battle between empathy and disdain that I find myself fighting is a common one, I found out. Even some of the girls who are creating these memes and writing these fanfictions find themselves disgusted by it. Some people are more vocal about their opinions than others: people like Gibby-Against-the-TCC, who use their blogs to call out people like Nicole and Olivia. “They’ve never personally come at me but I think sometimes the way they treat people in the TCC is disgusting” Nicole told me over the phone. She went on to say that Gibby-Against-the-TCC, who we will call R.F., tells people to seek help without realizing that these people are trying their best to get help. When asked what she would say to R.F. directly, Nicole said, “Who are you to tell someone that’s not working? That’s disgusting. They’re trying their best and you’re putting them down so it’s probably going to make them feel like their efforts aren’t good enough so why even bother?” While Madison doesn’t feel safe talking to me on the phone, she’s spent the past few months conversing with me on my cringe high school Tumblr account. One night, she and I had a long conversation about her blog. She ended up telling me, “It’s just a fantasy. That you’d be special or different. We all want to feel that way, right? My writing makes people who want it feel good and they enjoy it, that’s why I do it.” She left me with the realization that these girls are just like me: they want to feel special and use writing and memes as an outlet to do so. So why is everyone so quick to condemn these girls rather than hear them out? Schmid told me that the temptation to condemn their activities stems from a society that only sees the negative consequences of people’s actions. “That fear of violent crime has been used as a way to discipline and control women, and we still see that today, obviously,” he said. “To some extent, this taking of the serial killer and doing something else with it is a refusal to be controlled by these narratives.” He then went on again about the importance of creative consumption in his swanky British accent, and then our phone conversation ended. It was at that point I realized two important things: 1.These blogs might actually be more positive than negative in the sociological scope of things 2. These girls seek refuge in this community and receive acceptance and friendship even. No wonder they were eager to share their story with me. No one’s ever asked! Last night while I was editing this piece, Olivia texted me out of the blue (we hadn’t texted in two weeks.) Apparently, the informational blogs and the fanfiction blogs are at a deactivation war. The Madisons (you know, the fanfiction writers) and the Olivias of Tumblr (our true crime fact bloggers) are in the midst of a gruesome internet attack: who can kill off the most blogs? I’m not quite sure who’s winning, and I haven’t heard from Olivia since. I hope she got a new Tumblr blog and that she finds me soon. So if the new Ted Bundy movie starring Zac Efron drives more girls onto the website to discuss how hot Ted Bundy is (Ted Bundy as played by Zac Efron, obviously), then so be it. But why do we feel the responsibility to tell them they need help? Don’t you think they already know that? According to Nicole, they are well aware. “I wanted to be part of a community where a lot of the people in the community were accepting because they believe that what they’re doing is equally fucked up. This part of the TCC is all messed up and it probably shouldn’t exist but it does.” When I asked Nicole if she’s ever been bullied by the community, she laughed and told me people send her messages as blunt as “go kill yourself.” Nicole wants people to know that telling her to get help solves no problems, it just makes the preexisting ones worse. No matter how you tackle it, the romanticization of violence against women is prominent in pop culture and Tumblr is one way for people to create their own narrative. What’s your opinion?

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Freebie: Books I just HAD to buy, but are still sitting on my bookshelf. Freebie TTT’s are always fun! I decided to go with one of their older topics that they have done, which is books that I was dying to buy, but they are still sitting on my bookshelf unread! Narrowing it down to just ten books is pretty crazy, since I have bought so many books that I still haven’t read yet, lol. I think subconsciously I’m thinking that if I don’t buy them now, they will be gone forever, LOL! Obviously, that is not really the case…but who knows what I am thinking when I see these books that I need. The following ten books are some of the ones that I had to have, but I still haven’t read them yet. I was super stoked about all of these books when they first came out, so I bought them as soon as I could. I am still super stoked about them, but with my TBR continuing to grow and me being crazy continuing to buy MORE MORE MORE; they kind of just got pushed to the side. Sadly and realistically, I probably won’t get to every single one of these this year. I do plan to not let another year go by without reading them though! So in 2016 I will definitely hopefully (<— me being realistic again.) have all of these read if I didn’t get to them this year! Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think about them? Feel free to link me to your TTT posts as well! I would love to see what lists you have come up with as the “freebie” topic! I hope you all have an awesome Tuesday! Bye! ❤

37 Productivity tips you can do today that will make your work area more conducive to happy, productive, focused work sessions. (The Productivity Tips Ebook is free and available in .PDF format at the end of this article. Scroll to the end to get your copy) When I was building my company, 99% of the work was done sat at a computer. The business plan, financial forecasts, market research, supplement formulations. The copywriting for the website, the website design, the recruiting of staff, the initial PR pieces and blogs, the blah blah blah… All of which I did in my home office staring blurry-eyed at LCD screens for 16 – 18 hours a day. Working from home or an office… It is often lonely, fatiguing, and highly unproductive. The good news is how we stage our working environment can easily change that. Being in the Brain Enhancement and Human Performance industries, I hear from high-performance individuals daily who are all looking to get any advantage they can… Yet so few give thought to their workspace – and how it may be affecting their productivity. Due to my immense ADHD issue, I have spent the past 4 years trying to make my own working environment and setup as conducive to productivity, creativity, and motivation to work for long periods, as I can. My original desk set-up was a chore to work at. Here are a couple of iterations of various setups I’ve had. And here’s my current home setup due to the Coronavirus lockdowns: I’ve tested different ergonomic setups, monitor heights, lighting and decoration. Apps to stay organized, and even tested supplements and vitamin enriched eye drops! …All designed to help me squeeze as many more productive minutes out of the day as I could. It’s no secret that work spaces featuring plants, decoration, pictures, and other distractions have been shown to increase productivity and happiness in workers by up to 40%. Who would have thought that degree was less to do with your smarts and hard work, and more to do with Rocky the cactus sat on your desk?! It doesn’t take much to transfer the average work pen (think cattle) into a productive environment geared to make you thrive. You don’t need to do all the points on this list… And certainly not at once. Instead choose a few points to implement at a time, and take it from there. Remember that even a little action beats good intention all day long. Have fun, but please be careful and don’t burn yourself out… We naturally tire to prevent potential long term issues. 37. Cable Management – Don’t Waste Time Searching For Cables One very time-consuming habit I found I had developed was a refusal to keep all my cables, phone chargers, and audio/headphone leads in one place. When I was doing a lot of video and photo work, I was finding myself getting up every 5 minutes for another cable, or reaching under the desk and fumbling around in the dark trying to find the right plug! All of which would contribute to breaking my concentration and focus on the task I was working on… Especially if the cable I needed was located near the fridge! Finally, I took the advice of a good friend and minimized the distraction by purchasing 6 round adhesive cable tidies. There’s double sided sticky tape for attaching to your desk on one side, and a grove on the other for the cable to rest in. My life changed. I’d be lost without these now. Every single cable you’ll ever need should be within reaching distance on your desk (ideally with the other end of the cable already connected to your computer/laptop/USB hub). On a budget? Use bulldog clips instead, or make your own using adhesive putty. A pack of six can be purchased from Amazon, Ebay, or most stationary/office supply shops. Cost: Expect to pay around $3-5 for six. Time to set up: 5 minutes to place the clips/cable tidies and install your commonly needed cables. Productivity Score: Low cost, handy, and you can make your own: 7/10 36. Boost Memory By 36% By Chewing Sugar Free Gum! It’s easy to graze (the bro-scientific name for snacking all day) when working from home, and even when just confined to a desk. Unless you are snacking on cucumber sticks, chances are you’re adding inches to your waistline like I did, and you’ll be confusing your metabolism as to when it’s really time to kick in. Keeping a tub of sugar free gum on your desk won’t just help stop the frequent fridge trips to snack, but chewing gum has shown to boost productivity along with working, and long-term memory too. The University of Northumbria found that in test groups of 75 adults, the group that sat challenges while chewing gum did 36% better on word recall tasks. A large concern is that this offers students a potential advantage should they choose to chew gum while studying, and/or during exams. The improvement in memory function is likely due to increased blood flow and oxygen to the brain, a result of chewing (which increases heart rate by 3bpm on average). Scientists and Psychologists agree that chewing a certain flavor gum while learning information may make it much easier to recall later if the same flavored gum was again chewed at time of recall. This is because of memory association, and how we easily strengthen memories that relate to a scent. One particular brand of gum I like is GoGo Guarana Buzz Gum by Rio Amazon. Buzz Gum has been around since I was a child, and provides all the benefits chewing gum does, but with the addition of a nice mental energy surge due to the gum being filled with Guarana. The Guarana alleviates mental fatigue in much the same way as Caffeine does – but with a much smoother rise, and no crash at the end. So, do yourself a favor and have some sugar free gum to hand should you be researching. Chewing gum won’t just stop you snacking, and prevent plaque build-up, but will possibly be making you “smarter”… At least when it comes to concentration performance. Cost: Expect to pay around $2+ per pack. Time to set up: None – just get to the store and grab some. Productivity score: Based on the positive results of the studies, and the low cost, it’s got to be an 8/10 35. Create Swipe Files And Templates For Increased Productivity Keeping various swipe files on USB drives will help give your memory a rest, will boost creativity, and make you feel like a bit of a Spy… which is nice. I remember when I had to create an advert for the 2017 Black Friday campaign. I had struggled the year before, suffering from a creativity draught. This year I was much more laid back… I had saved the master files and templates from last year on an external hard drive. All I had to do was open the older files and update them. As it happened however, I spotted someone else’s promotion I had screenshotted some time before, which was also in my folder, and I took some inspiration from that in the end and created a new and fresher campaign. I’ve been creating swipe files for self-development, and marketing among other topics for a few years now. I love browsing through like a photo album when I need ideas, and am always collecting things that interest me such as new nootropic ingredients, fonts I like, and offers and promotions I think offer value. It all goes in my files… I consider them my ideas libraries. If you work in any kind of creative environment, have to market you and your business, or are simply forgetful/like to reference past work, I highly advise you to try it by creating folders on your computer to keep ideas, templates, and links. I also have a swipe file with every customer service email we’ve ever sent stored there. While I never use templates for any of my direct emails – be that to friends or clients – we do have templates for some of the more common questions we get asked as a business. Because of these templates, any one of us can reply to a client with the correct response – by going to the swipe file and finding the relevant template. You’d be shocked how many people buy on a Sunday morning, and then send us an immediate email asking where their tracking number is. Keeping templates and used files vaulted away on a hard drive (you could use a cloud service if you trust companies with your data and documents) ensures my high work standard is maintained, and our team can be more productive than freehand writing some of the more common email enquiries. I think we could all agree on sometimes wanting a few more hours in the day. Perhaps you could free up some of your time for other priorities by creating templates for all manner of things, and storing them on your hard drive to be used whenever you need… (And just in case, like me, you lose your master versions!) Cost: Nothing more than your time. Time to set up: Low. I usually swipe as I go, so I am taking ideas and screenshots most days – if I see something that inspires me. Productivity score: In terms of productivity, having ‘scrapbooks’ full of cuttings and clippings I can later reference is priceless. If you like to highlight sections in books, start swiping now! 8/10 based on usefulness versus cost. 34. Put In The Hours With An Ergonomic Footrest I always turned my nose up at these ‘under the desk’ footrests. My first memories of them were some creepy old spinster who ran accounts and payroll at my first job… She had one. The benefits had been drilled into me over the years by “visiting” health and safety officers, and endless health initiatives set up by the company. These benefits included correcting poor posture, taking strain off the back, and ease of movement enabling pivoting (as if you were doing DVT exercises on a long-haul flight.) Sitting isn’t good and so anything that encourages even micro movements is welcome. But even the simple moving of the feet would pump more blood than being sedentary. Increasing blood flow is always a good thing for improving focus and clarity as the blood carries more oxygen to the brain. It’s just I always felt I should start looking to buy a footrest around the same time I start to need a walking stick. I had these weird connotations about them. Then one day I purchased an audio system for my PC and had to put the subwoofer box under my desk… Instant footrest. I loved it. I find my feet up on it all the time. With the amplifier being housed in the same sub box it provides a wonderful impromptu foot warmer in the winter. I’m sad to think how many years I’ve been missing out. That crazy old lady in accounts wasn’t so crazy after all. I often wonder how many other “life hack” secrets she’d have revealed had I just taken the time to talk to her. Image and footrest by Ikea Cost: Expect to find online and in most stores with an office/computer section from $10 upward. Time to set up: Minimal. Next day delivery from Amazon, and chuck it under the desk. Voila! Productivity score: I do like having my feet up. It does feel less tiresome on the back after some hours. With my feet on the floor I can often feel the cushion cutting into the back of my legs. It’s nice to elevate my feet slightly to ease that. I do like it, and I am a little less fidgety. However, in terms of actual productivity, my brain usually tires before my body. 6/10 33. Make Yourself More Productive With Mood Lighting And Candles Insane desk and lighting by Andynguy: https://www.flickr.com/photos/andynguy/8498934397 Now I must say before I start here (and for fear of lecturing), please always try to work in a naturally well lit room. Studies have shown crazy differences in the quality of life of people who are fortunate enough to work in naturally bright offices. 46… The number of minutes more sleep per night you’ll enjoy if you work by a window (source) 15… Workers in natural light found to be 15% more creative 16… The percentage increase in learning (memory formation) of students in well lit classrooms (source) If you do have a natural light source, but “like it dark”, then consider opening those curtains at least during the hours you work. Sadly for some of us natural light isn’t always an option… The title picture shows that while sometimes our setups may be placed in the corner of a room, or even a windowless basement, subtle lighting and well thought out placement can still create an ambience that won’t drive you stir crazy. If you work in a dark room, or it’s cloudy/dark outside then use mood lighting and strategically placed lamps to create a warm and ambient environment. I’ve never enjoyed working under those fluorescent strip lights… It always made me feel like a lizard in a vivarium. Bright lights can often put strain on the eyes, and so I like to keep lots of low wattage lighting on and around me at night. Bringing light to a lower level than we are used to (such as desk level instead of the normal ceiling placement) can make for an interesting and quirky room you’ll adore to be in. This “RGB strip lighting” is all the rage these days and can be purchased very cheaply from Amazon and similar online stores. Cost: $10 buys you a 1-meter strip of 1cm wide RGB lighting you can run around your desk edge, in your computer case, or even behind the TV if you like. Time to setup: Likely an hour for most spaces. Moving the desk, running the lighting, hiding the wiring. Productivity score: Nice ambient lighting – especially when working at night is essential to me… 7/10 If you aren’t a fan of ‘artificial’ lighting, then invest in some candles. Burning the midnight oil has never been so much fun as to do it to candlelight. 32. Reach For A Musical Instrument Or The Dumbbells Image courtesy of Friedman Design Group I’ve found that focusing on a problem or creative issue – while focusing on something else I can do easily – can often lead to some very productive breakthroughs. Whereas I used to pace the floor before when problem solving, I now grab my dumbbells, or my guitar. I’ll play whatever comes out of that instrument, though paying little attention. 90% of my attention is thinking about the solution to whatever it is I may be pondering. If I am feeling fatigued, I’ll grab the dumbbell for a little free testosterone and energy boost. I find doing something physically strenuous while thinking, gives a really singular point of focus, compared to simply sitting with the issue. If I sit, I can’t keep my brain still long enough… I’m bored, what’s for dinner?, who shot JFK?, my leg is numb… But when I give my brain a second task to work on, it almost WANTS to focus on the issue being pondered. Why would it want to focus on the pain of the heavy weights? When I say “heavy weights” I am exaggerating. Please don’t go all C.T. Fletcher on me now. There is some science behind the instrument claim. Dr. Anita Collins work has discovered that not only does playing an instrument strengthen the parts of the brain we use for problem solving, but also engages more areas of the brain at once than most other activities. This engages both hemispheres of the brain (via the Corpus Callosum) which with practice, decreases the time required to retrieve stored information and solutions to problems… Especially “problems” of a creative nature. A similar effect can be had from doing any activity that involves using multiple limbs and motor skills at once. Be it kicking a ball, doing yoga, or completing a Sudoku game, try putting your focus elsewhere, while/and between problem solving and creative thinking sessions. Cost: Assuming you have whatever you need to do your hobby, free. Time to set up: Little to nothing. Productivity score: I’ve been either strumming a tune, or throwing some enormous 7 lbs dumbbells around the room – while thinking – for the past 4 years. I don’t regret my decisions and still swear it helps me think. Dr Anita’s research concurs. 8/10 31. Tired Eyes? Try Sante PC Eye Drops When my wife comes back from her visits to Japan she always brings me back some Sante PC eye drops. I love these as my eyes get tired and dry after about 3 hours of PC use. After just a few drops of this magical unicorn urine my eyes feel heavenly again. Sante PC eyedrops available for $29.99 for 2 bottles, and guaranteed to wring another 2 hours use out of your eyes a day. You squeeze 1 – 3 refreshing drops into your eyes, should you spend too much time exposed to smartphones or computer screens. Sante PC contains vitamins to help combat blue light exposure and fatigue. Their website states the liquid solution includes: - “Vitamin B12 to nourish the eyes” - “Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate for corneal protection and to sharpen focus” - “Vitamin B6 to optimize performance and reduce inflammation” And while no mention of why, I see there is Taurine in the formula too. Taurine is the key “mental energy component” in a very famous Energy Drink (that may, or may not give you wings), and in NITROvit. I can’t say I’ve run clinical trials to confirm the claims, but I can say my eyes feel great after using these drops. You can buy them online at various places, including US suppliers via Ebay. If you want something available in the stores, try Similasan’s Computer Eye Relief. I can’t say I have myself as I’m stocked up on Sante PC, but if I do suffer a draught I’ll be checking out Computer Eye Relief. Cost: $29.99 for two bottles (around 2 months supply). Time to set up: Purchase/delivery time, and then 20 seconds – 3 times daily. Productivity score: They recharge my eyes and have them feeling renewed and refreshed when tired. I definitely get more out than I pay out… 8/10 30. Keep Something You Value In View Make saving fun with this brilliant “Adventure Fund” money box from Etsy.com While sometimes misconceived as the old 80’s power trip, I love having a $100 bill in my wallet. For me personally it represents so many things, including the value of it… Something my younger self didn’t always appreciate. One of my favorite reads was a book given to me by my first boss when I was 16. While I felt it strange at the time, I now appreciate him insisting I read it. The book was called Rhinoceros Success by Scott Alexander. In the book, Scott talks about the power of carrying a $100 bill (or more of them) in your wallet wherever you go. He explains how empowering it is to have it, and keeping it close is always a good thing. Well, running my own company has now made me understand the value of every dollar. More specifically the long period my wife and I, and our staff went without, as we put everything in at the beginning. The first thing I did was tucked away a $100 bill in my wallet as the book told me. I then made a promise to my wife that I’d work so hard that we’d never need to take it out to spend it. I’d say that’s some motivation to close down YouTube and start working on your dreams. It doesn’t have to be money… Perhaps something else you value? Keep your motivator in view. I love the Adventure Fund money box. having that in view of your desk would keep anyone on track during slumps in motivation and productivity. Keep your motivators in site… Just have a quick word with the other half before you bring the motorbike indoors. Cost: Nothing. Find something you love, or save your own money. The holiday will cost, the saving won’t. It’s nice to share a mutual goal with your partner too. Time to set up: Varies. Productivity score: I liken working without goals, to trying to steer a ship without a rudder. Neither can be done… You’ll just go round in circles. With that in mind, we all must have something we are working for surely? Our first home, the wedding, our retirement, that vacation to Disney… our children? Assuming we all have something we love that drives us a little harder, I have to give this a 9/10 29. Take A Cold Shower Early… A Hot Shower Late. Image from the movie Psycho (1960) directed by Alfred Hitchcock. If you have the luxury of working from home – or can get home at a reasonable hour and find yourself working into the evenings – then I highly recommend a rejuvenating shower to give you a couple of hours “second wind”. Taking advice from Tim Ferriss and his team of neuro-researchers, I now suffer a cold shower in the mornings (to boost free testosterone). It’s a shock every time and I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to it. But it does have me feeling better. I usually work from 11am through till 9 or 10pm. So, I usually take a second shower at around 6pm. This one I keep nice and hot, and just let the water run over my head for a few minutes. With focus on the sound of the falling water I usually find I can turn my brain off for a few minutes and just relax. Once I’ve finished I’ll get dressed again, clean my teeth, and put on some fresh deodorant and clothes. This feels almost like waking in the morning, and I find the time after my shower to be a good time to answer emails and clients back as I am usually in rejuvenated and good spirits. I honestly think the secret to working 10 – 12 great hours – rather than 6 – 8 good hours is to trick your brain… Shock it into action in the morning with a cold shower, and trick it into thinking it’s a brand-new day in the evening with a rejuvenating hot shower. The benefits that have been linked to cold showers include: 1. The strengthening of the immune system 2. It can massage the body and relaxes muscle tension (via contractions) 3. Denies inflammation, bacteria, and toxins the warm environment they need to thrive 4. Lowers blood pressure 5. The cold can purify the blood for better flow (the more oxygen the brain gets the better the neurotransmitters can perform, and the brain can create ATP energy). Cost: A bit of water, a bit of heating… But what value do you place on another hours work in the evening? Time to set up: Nothing. I’d hope two showers a day is the norm any way. Take the cold shower for 5 minutes, the hot for 10. Productivity score: I don’t like the mornings, but I do feel sharper when I start the work day 7/10 28. Sleep Better With F.lux, Apple’s Night Shift, And Windows 10 Night Light Here’s three Apps worthy of individual praise due to their ability to aid quality REM sleep. Early 2016 it was blindingly obvious that I was spending too much time in front of the PC. I was also working too late into the night, and the result was disrupted sleep. Simply horrible. The issue is that come night time, our bodies start to naturally increase melatonin production, the key hormone that helps knock us out and off to the land of nod. ZZzzz. Unfortunately, the blue light emitted by modern screens found on laptops, tablets, and smartphones attacks melatonin production. This delays the onset of drowsiness and the desire/ability to fall asleep. If you are never tired when it comes to bed time, but always tired when it comes to getting up time, perhaps it may be your screen’s fault? Thankfully companies such as Flux, Apple, and Microsoft among others have created solutions by giving us the option to kill the levels emitted from the white – blue spectrum by our devices. F.lux. (for laptops and PC’s) www.justgetflux.com F.lux has been a lifesaver. When I first created Nitrovit and Neuro Laboratories I was wired. 18-hour days, too much caffeine, and too little sleep. The excitement of building the sort of company I always wanted to be a customer of, the fear of failing and going all the way back to square one (and manic depression), and the wonder of what could be… All and everything stopped me sleeping… for nearly 2 years. Thank F.lux I found a solution! F.lux has plenty of settings so you can fine tune when you want your monitor to start removing blue light, and when to stop. I usually have mine kick in around 7pm, on a gradual decline. The more light removed from the white-blue spectrum, the more “yellow” your screen will go. It doesn’t take long to get used to this though. Windows 10 Night Light (available and free for all devices running Windows 10) If you’re running Windows 10 then you’ll likely have Night Light preinstalled. Night Light serves the same purpose, and can be turned on and off at the press of a button from the Start bar as shown here: Alternatively, you can access the settings menu via the following steps: 1. Click on System 2. Click on Night Light Settings 3. Set up Night Light to your needs Apple Night Shift (iOS 11) Apple also incorporate a blue light blocker themselves in iOS 11 (and previous versions). While limited in options, it does help if you find yourself gawping at the small screen until the wee small hours. Here’s where you’ll find it… 1. Pull up from the bottom of your iPhone to the shortcuts screen, and then hold the screen “brightness” button for 2 seconds 2. Here you’ll see the Night Shift On icon on the left. Hit it to activate. Cost: All the above apps are free. Time to set up: Most are installed already and need only 2 – 5 minutes to familiarize yourself with the settings. Productivity score: With no outlay, and all the benefits offered by quality sleep, it’s an 8.5/10 providing you don’t mind a yellow tinted screen. 27. Momentum – My Favorite Desktop Productivity App While I have noted my preferred 5 apps for Productivity later in this list (see point 17), Momentum gets its own special mention for just being awesome. Momentum acts as your computer/laptops web theme… Every time you hit the little Google icon on your toolbar to go surfing, you are presented with Momentums chosen wallpaper – and NOT the standard white Google search page and box as most of us experience. Your shortcuts bar and search bar are still at the top. Momentum’s wallpaper is always a beautiful view or scenery shot, and has the following features: (all aimed at keeping you productive, and focused on today’s “one main task”). 1. A welcome message personalized to you across the center, and the time displayed boldly to keep you focused on every precious minute. 2. A request to know “What is your main focus for today?” You enter in what it is that you are currently working on, and it then appears in the center of your screen with a tick box to check once completed. 3. There is a to-do list lurking in the bottom right corner which is super easy to add to, and check off items once completed. I personally still keep my notepad and pen by my side to scribble down all things I can think of that need doing… Each morning I then select my 3 most important tasks from that list and type them into Momentum to keep me focused on them for the entire day. 4. A motivational quote at the bottom to keep you focused and pumped up! Momentum’s researchers do actually find some great quotes. 5. You also have the weather visible for your location. 6. A settings tab and the name of the location used for the days image. You can upgrade to a paid version with added features such as uploading your own pictures. 7. Momentum also has a cool option where you can enter your own links – such as those most commonly used for work. But here’s what really makes the Momentum App so awesome… Every time you feel like taking a quick “web break” (Am I still winning William Shatner’s wig on Ebay?!), Momentum pops up immediately to either slap you back to reality, or simply fill you full of guilt! Cost: $0 – All functionality described above comes with the free version. Time to set up: It takes 2 minutes to install, and 5 minutes to input some data. Productivity score: Free, functional, and a hell of a guilt trip… It’s an 8/10 from me. 26. Surround Yourself With Toys/Lego/Fidget Cubes/Spinners/Rubik’s Cube Toys are brilliant for creatives. Just make sure they don’t end up causing err… distractions! Image Courtesy of www.nyotaku.com It’s OK… You can have some toys. I think mine were confiscated after I got married. But they’re back! Surrounding yourself with things that inspire you (such as a figurine of your favorite superhero) can have a positive effect on your work output. The colors, the shapes, and the often ‘unreal’ or fantasy nature of most toys can help break our creativity out of the box. Despite having absorbed years of our normal reality, fantasy and make believe reminds us to rethink the rules. In fact, with offices of some of the world’s most lucrative and creative companies adorning their work areas with play things, and games, you’d be foolish not to join in the fun. Be honest… Being an adult quite often sucks, and for most of us, our childhoods, birthdays, school holidays, and vacations made childhood magical. We’ve all heard the expression “growing up too soon”, and most of us are guilty. But there’s no issue with growing up. Just an issue with not embracing the inner child… He or she is still in there you know. I personally find the clearer the line between the “child” and “adult” chapters of my life, the unhappier I become. But when that line gets blurred, and despite adulting most of the time, I get to have fun like a child again and I’m happy. I’ve always found that surrounding myself with things not far removed from my childhood days keeps a nice balance. Toys, games, puzzles. Anything that makes you think out of the box, is always good for making you think out of the box. It’s all fun and games at Coupa, and the staff report to be very happy. Image credit: Coupa. Studies by Harvard revealed that if you make a workplace more fun and creative to be in, people will stay longer. Make your work desk look more like a den you’d loved to have hung out at when you were a kid. The mini basketball hoop that lives on the top of the trashcan, a big box of Lego for taking a creative 10 minutes out, or a mini drone for flying post it notes to colleagues… Give yourself permission to allow a little fun back on to your desk. Cost: $5 upwards. Time to set up: Minimal. Get up in that attic and bring that old box of Lego down now! Productivity score: Just a small boost to productivity (being in an environment you love). But, a big boost to creativity and creative problem solving 7.5/10 25. Scents And Incense – 5 Essential Oils That’ll Help Boost Your Productivity And Focus So it’s no secret that Lavender oil and other natural scents have been used for millennia for their healing properties and medicinal benefits. But aromatherapy probably isn’t the first thing that springs to mind when you are brainstorming how to grow your business – or yourself. Yet, when we inhale essential oils such as Eucalyptus or Jasmine, we activate a part of the brain (called the hypothalamus) which can have a positive effect on the nervous system. Most essential oils have been shown to have positive effects on the human body such as: - Lowering anxiety (increasing mood and focus) - Reducing cortisol levels (the stress hormone) - Soothing headaches and other physical pain - Lowering blood pressure - Stimulating the digestive system From a 3-hour energy boost, to another 3 hours of sounder sleep, there’s an essential oil out there for every ailment and stress. Grab your diffuser and a bottle with my quick guide to the best 5 essential oils for boosting your productivity: 1. Lavender – A great stress reliever that soothes the nervous system, and helps relax tension in the body which can often result in headaches, lack of focus, constant body pain, and even lift a low mood. Lavender has also been shown to help you fall asleep. Put a couple of drops on your pillow before bed for a sound night’s sleep. Wake feeling amazing and raring to seize the day. 2. Sandalwood – My personal favorite. I’ve always found Sandalwood helps boost my alertness and concentration levels. The fact that I adore the smell is a bonus. The scientific studies show that Sandalwood essential oil can help lower brain inflammation, and improve blood flow, which in turn can provide clearer focus and thought processes through increased oxygen to brain. 3. Jasmine – Due to its ability to relax and relieve anxiety, Jasmine is a great oil to inhale during social situations such as online calls/meetings where you may need to present or communicate to a group of people. I think Jasmine leaves a nice fragrance in a room and is great for loosening up a party evening, or a brainstorming meeting. Put a few drops in a bowl in the meeting room and measure the increase in engagement as the scent begins to make your people feel comfortable contributing their ideas and opinions. 4. Peppermint – A great energy boosting scent used to alleviate “brain fog” and promote clarity. Light peppermint up during creative thinking sessions and you may be surprised to find ideas pouring out of you. Its never let me down and is a great oil to inhale when afternoon fatigue sets in. Do you commute to the office during rush hour? A recent study found drivers exposed to peppermint scent while driving felt calmer and helped lower tempers. Try using a Peppermint air freshener for your car and focus on your targeted achievements for the day… Not the idiot driving 18 inches from your rear fender! 5. Rosemary – If lethargy and mid-afternoon slumps seem to take the wind out of the sails of what could be productive days, then consider Rosemary your friend. A study conducted at the UK’s Northumberland University discount that students who worked in a room with Rosemary in did 5 – 7 % better in their tests than those children who studied in classrooms without the memory boosting plant! The anxiety and inflammation relieving properties allowed the children to focus on what was being taught and retain more of the store information. You can buy oils and apply to cotton and dab or gently rub onto the temples, forehead, neck and under the nostrils. Alternatively, you can add drops of oil to a bowl of warm water, use a reed diffuser, or purchase an electric diffuser which is mains powered. I prefer the latter, though do also enjoy buying incense sticks when I’m travelling around and see a “smells shop” as I call them. Those incense sticks are messy, and can choke you with smoke if lit in a room too small, or unventilated. Not sure where to start with reed diffusers? Read Get the Gloss’s great review guide Cost: Diffusers start at around $15. Oils start at $5. Time to set up: Minimal. Though a 5 minute weekly clean is needed if warming oil with a burner. Productivity score: Better sleep and lower anxiety always = more productivity. I’ve been using smells for years when working (or song writing) and love it. Gets me in the zone. 8.5/10 24. Entertain The Monkey Mind With One Of Nature’s Little Wonders Image courtesy of: www.basic-bonsai-tree-care.com As crazy as this might sound, when having a mental block, I always found looking at the old Bonsai Tree I had by my desk helped. I’d let my brain wander as it took in the details of the twisted trunks, and how the little moss looked like real grass, and how… Well after a couple of minutes of giving no thought to anything but the appreciation of this mini marvel tree, I would come back to work with a clear head – and within half an hour would be full of ideas. Giving yourself something detailed to look at, without having to completely interrupt your thought process by leaving your desk, is a great way to give the brain a reboot. Watching a fish tank or even caring or petting a plant (leaf stroking) can have a real positive effect when it comes to lowering stress levels. Ideal if up against a deadline or are suffering from paralysis by analysis. If you struggle with creativity issues, problem solving, and suffer mental blocks, I highly recommend you try putting a small fish tank on your desk, or a Bonsai plant. It doesn’t even need to have fish in (and preferred not if using a small tank). Instead you could build a miniature underwater garden called an Aquascape. That little Nano tank on the right could prove a useful distraction, and relaxing spot to stare through while contemplating tomorrow’s deadline. Image courtesy Rainforest Concepts. Cost: $40 upward for the Bonsai. $100+ for a decent tank with decor and the basics (filter/heater). Time to set up: Both are surprisingly time consuming. Bonsai gardening is an artform. Aquascaping and fish keeping can be very rewarding, and you can shape and mold your display as you go on with new tank decor. Productivity score: I would say a 6/10 for productivity, unless it’s creativity related. Then a firm 8/10 23. Your Keyboard Is Your Rifle! If you find that the vast majority of your working time is spent with your fingers on the keyboard then treat your fingers to a little luxury. If you’re a coder, writer/blogger, designer, marketer or anyone who makes a living from being sat all day behind a monitor then recognize that your keyboard and mouse are your weapons. With your fingers dancing across them all day make sure what you are using is “healthy”. I don’t mean wipe it down with antibacterial wipes, but rather provides wrist/hand/anti-repetitive strain support, doesn’t fatigue you easily, delivers efficiency and productivity via speed and ease of use, and most importantly inspires you to use it. The best advice I could give you here is to go out and try a few. My last mouse took all of a second to choose. I went along the row grabbing each mouse as I would if I was using it, and then the moment I held ‘the one” it just felt perfect. Like a glove. I was out with my wife at the time and she tried my mouse of choice after my glowing report and immediately proclaimed “Oh no, that’s far too big for me!” These things are subjective. Don’t ask for recommendations. Instead find one you like in your hand, then check out its reviews. You may want to first discover what grip type you are, or would like to be. - Palm Grip – The most contact with the mouse. My grip of choice. Maximum comfort, but slightly less accuracy when clicking buttons. - Claw Grip – Just the rear of the palm makes contact with the back of the mouse. A more accurate hold, but becomes uncomfortable with long use. - Fingertip Grip – Using just your fingertips to guide your mouse provides great accuracy, but also provides the most discomfort of the 3 grips during longer sessions. TIP: If you are a claw or fingertip user you’ll almost certainly appreciate a narrower mouse. Wireless or wired power? I strongly recommend you go wired for maximum productivity. There is nothing worse than finally achieving a state of flow while nailing that deadline piece – for your mouse and keyboard to run out of juice and die on you! Charging regularly, and potential charging and connectivity issues can be time consuming and frustrating. If you already use wireless and love it then stay with what you know. If you are on the fence then trust the guy who’s spent a small fortune in search of the hand held Holy Grail. I’ve found out the hard way – wireless for most will create another unwanted distraction. 2 buttons or 10? Most mice these days are adorned with various buttons – buttons you can usually assign your own personal shortcuts to. If you want to access Trello by moving your pinky finger 8mm. then check out gaming mice. They can often be the best mice for productivity seekers due to their: - Ergonomic shape (designed for hours of non-stop gaming use and rapid-fire mouse clicking) - Responsive and accurate thanks to high DPI (dots per inch) sensors - Loads of handy buttons that can often be used to trigger shortcuts, apps, programs etc. TIP: When buying a mouse, look for one with a clickable scroll button. This will allow you to shortcut opening new tabs and windows. It may only shave mere milliseconds off, but I’d be lost without it. Computer Keyboards – Are they all the same? When choosing a keyboard there are two main choices: - Standard height keys (like your standard equipment keyboard from the 90’s) - Low profile keys (like a laptop/MacBook keyboard) Over years of alternating, I have personally found that my hands tire less if I use low profile keys. Having the key height all at one level, and therefore not having to elevate my hands and fingers those extra millimeters or so makes the world of difference when tapping away for 14 hours. With that said, my Mum is the fastest typist I’ve ever met. She could touch type at an enormous rate of words per minute. She also used the biggest keys I’ve ever seen as she’d shred on her old typewriter. What I use and why? I use the Razer Deathstalker Ultimate. I have for some years now, and while it cost a small fortune ($200) compared to the cheapy thing I had before, I have never regretted it, nor would I likely change. When this one dies I’ll buy another. Here’s why: - Accuracy and lack of fatigue – Low-profile keys on a full-size keyboard – with a full size Left Shift button (I’ve come to find this so handy as opposed to those tiny ones you get on some keyboards). - It’s a tank – I equated its price to quality. The gamble paid off. It’s nearly 4 years old now, and except for the soft wrist rest sticker having peeled off some time ago, it’s never let me down. (Send me a new one Razer.) - Its mouse track pad is also an LCD display – which can be used as another monitor to surf the web, check cheat codes (loser) without quitting the game, and have YouTube running directly off the keyboard in the office while you pretend to work. - It’s lit up like a Christmas tree – Lights and OLED buttons and displays and all that goodness. That alone adds to me feeling like Kirk piloting the Enterprise… Which is great. Cost: Varies greatly. You shouldn’t see much change from around $40 upward for a decent mouse, and $50 upward for a quality keyboard. Time to set up: 99% of keyboards and mice these day are “plug and play”… So the time it takes you to get under the desk and plug it in. Your computer will figure out the rest. Productivity score: I use my keyboard and mouse all day, every day, and I appreciate the quality and comfort. 9/10 22. Deliver The Best Version Of You With A Quality Webcam And Microphone Samson’s desk mounted mic boom keeps your work space clutter free… If you deal with customers/staff (or even loved ones) over web based communication sites such as Skype, WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger then treat your listener to the very best version of you they can get across the interweb. Often the connection can suck, so having poor, crackly audio and a 20 year old black and white webcam just doesn’t cut it. Upgrade to an HD webcam and a decent USB mic and make it a pleasure to connect to customers, friends, colleagues or family. The recipient of your call will have no issue chatting longer (great if making outbound or sales calls), and won’t be straining to hear you. I recommend getting a “boom” mic stand to attach to the edge of your desk with zero clutter as in the pic above. Cost: A decent USB mic starts around $70 on Amazon. Check out this Blue Snowball if you haven’t already. I’ve used them for years now with no issues. A sturdy desk mounted mic stand can be had on Ebay from $20. A quality HD webcam will cost around $50. The great thing about the mic is you may often find yourself just recording your thoughts into a program like Audacity. Essentially a piece of free software that acts like a giant tape recorder. Perfect for practicing a speech or presentation. Getting your thoughts and ideas into MP3 format for later listening and reviewing can not only prove a valuable tool for both personal, and business growth, but also helps clear the mind. I often record my thoughts into my phone, even though I rarely listen back. I just appreciate getting the ideas out of my head, and not have them trouble me at 3am. Try it. It can be a great day brightener too if you suffer from loneliness as a result of working from home alone. Time to set up: 10 – 20 minutes including familiarization. Productivity score: 8.5/10 if you make web based calls or create products/services that require recording your voice. 21. Get A REAL Calculator For Maximum Productivity A calculator? But I have one on my iPhon… DO NOT USE THE ONE ON THE PHONE! OK, so my biggest issue with using the calculator on our smartphones is that to access it – we have to look at the phone! …The missed call, the social media notifications sucking you in, the William Shatner’s wig auction result! The temptation to check your email… The list goes on. I always keep a calculator to hand, so I can still do the math, but without needing to trigger distraction tripwires… And my phone has LOADS of them! Of course, you can now punch any equation into Google and it will return the answer. But there is something a little serious about holding a calculator in your hand. Don’t let your phone become a weapon of mass distraction. Time to set up: Nothing. Productivity score: When I factor in the damage to productivity checking my smartphone can do, I’m saying 9/10 here. 20. Use A Stopwatch App To Manage Your Work Sessions When I first started searching Google for “self-development” tools, the industry immediately thrust forward its seasoned vets and “Guru’s”. Like all of us, I was looking to better my life… My fulfilment, success, health, relationship, and ultimately my happiness. The world of self-development offered thousands of mentors who for a little of your cash would be prepared to share their secrets and help you attain that dream the above goals. One such person who had a real presence and grip on the market was Eben Pagan. Eben rocks. He’s young, smart, successful, financially secure, and above all, he achieves all that by helping others grow as people. And Eben is the real deal in terms of being a work monster with a diehard ethic. Anything I could learn from him about his daily routine and rituals was of huge value. Well one of the first products of Ebens I came across was an information product called “Wake Up Productive”. The home-study style program was an instructional information product designed to make me feel physically, and mentally in my prime! …Energetic, enthusiastic, and productive. Well what I learned most from Eben’s program was his work timing. He sets a timer for 50 minutes and works (standing FYI), and then after 50-minutes he does whatever he wants for 10 minutes. Eben usually stretches, gets some air outside, or plays a game or puzzle to help refresh the mind and have it thinking differently for 10 minutes. I like this routine, though I’ll be honest in saying I prefer to double the time, and go 100 minutes and 20 minutes break. I can get a game of Call of Duty in in 20 minutes. I can’t in 10. All jokes aside, I do find that by the 50-minute mark, I’m only just getting focused. Sometimes I’ll even go 150 minutes with half hour off if I’m enjoying it. Find what works for you, but remember to use the stopwatch app on your computer – not your smartphone. You want to forget that thing entirely while focused on producing your best work. Where to find the Windows 10 Alarms and Clock application If you are using Windows 10 then you can find the “Alarms and Clock” app by going to the Start menu. There you’ll see the app on the left in the menu. Here under Timer is where you can adjust your countdown time: Is there a stopwatch app for my MacBook? There are many options for Apple users. Timer for Mac comes approved and is free to download from here… Cost: The App is free – and others can be found. Time to set up: 3 – 5 minutes including download/installation. Productivity score: Using a structured work rouine and becoming accustomed to it rocks. I may not always stick to Eben’s recommended timings, but I do state a set number of hours before I start. I commit to it, and then put it into the stopwatch and GO! 9/10 for structured work and rest periods. 19. Surround Yourself With Manuals And Books By Your Heroes While I don’t suggest stockpiling copies of Harry Potter hardbacks on what little desk space you have left, I do recommend keeping your favorite (reference) manuals within reaching distance. I’m not a big fan of ‘content thin’ motivation books that serve no purpose other than to pump you up. I favor “manuals” and How-To guides such as those created by: - Tim Ferris (of 4 Hour Work Week Fame) - Tony Robbins - Brendon Burchard - David Allen of Get Things Done fame Not too dissimilar to this list you’re reading now, most of these manuals don’t really have much in the way of a start and a finish. Instead they have a good contents page that can point you in the right direction for a solution for the problem you face today. Books are very subjective, but if you are looking for a good place to start then I recommend these reads which I consider of high value. Their solutions and teachings are timeless and can be referenced again and again. 1. Tools of Titans – Tim Ferris. “Fitness, Money, and Wisdom – Here Are The Tools.” A “journal” shortcutting the best tips and life hacks as detailed by the world’s greats Tim has interviewed over the years. Want to know Arnold Schwarzenegger’s daily morning routine? No problem. Want to know how Iceman Wim Hof withstands zero degree temperatures when he swmims the Antarctic? It’s in there. Looking for advice on investing in startups? Tim’s interviewed some of the best. If you don’t have time to listen to Tim’s podcasts, this book is full of the summaries of all the people he has interviewed. 2. Leap! 101 Ways To Grow Your Business – Stephanie Chandler. This book blew my mind… It wasn’t like most business books where it endlessly harped on about profits, and growth, and revenue drivers and so on. Instead it puts a lot of emphasis on how to build a company YOU would be a customer of. Better service standards, simple Wow factors, and client retention… Whatever you want help with for growing your company, Stephanie has ideas by the bucket load. 3. Life’s Golden Ticket – Brendon Burchard. What if you were given a Golden Ticket that would let you restart your life anew? A beautiful parable about ‘second chances’, as written by one of the world’s highest paid motivational speakers and high-performance experts. In this much softer approach than you’d expect, the story sucks you in and you soon realize that YOU are the character in the book in so many ways. Read this wonderful tale, and feel yourself grow as you do, choosing gratitude over negativity. 4. First Thing In The Morning – Osho. Literally anything by Osho. The legendary Indian thought leader and spiritualist turned author is fantastic, thought provoking, life changing stuff. Osho plants seeds, and teaches lessons, all while keeping you entertained. He’s written so many great books over the years to help develop and strengthen both the heart and mind that I had to include him in this list. 5. Rhinoceros Success – Scott Alexander. The book I was made to read by my first boss when I was just 16 years old. It’s the one book I’ve read the most (and have gifted the most). It has you the reader imagining tomorrow morning you wake up as “Three tons of snorting Rhinoceros charging full speed at success and happiness, mowing down all obstacles in your way.” It’s a very light, jovial read, with many small paragraphs made out as life tips. As I hold it in my hand now, I realize it’s been far too many years since I last read it. I will start tonight. 6. Steve Jobs – Walter Isaacson. While I was never a big Apple fan, nor Steve Jobs fan when he was alive, I did read this book after his death. I will say this about the book: - If you care not for Steve Jobs, still read it. It’s an education. - The book serves more as a manual for how to build great products and companies - I’ve always been a details guy and a bit of a perfectionist. Something not welcomed these days. Steve gave me permission to be that way again. I loved every page, and was given a privileged look into what it took to build one of the most lucrative and iconic companies on the planet. The result was I believed I too could create something amazing. This book will do that to you. 7. Change Your Life In 7 Days – Paul McKenna. Probably the best self-development book I’ve read. Paul is a master hypnotist who has worked with many of the world’s greatest leaders, athletes, and business elites. This book is designed to be read in 7 days – a chapter a day. At the end of each chapter is a set of mental exercises to do… The objective being to make you more productive, happy, fulfilled, successful, better with money, and healthier. A self-hypnosis CD/download accompanies the book. I used to listen to it daily. I need to get back to that habit. I was very productive back when I listened to it. Cost: Audio books start from $6 (Rhinoceros Success). All books still available at various prices depending upon format (softback, hardback, audio, digital/Kindle). Time to set up: Time to read is required. Try to put aside 30 minutes in the morning as a ritual. Productivity score: It only takes one idea to change the world. Books provide those ideas. 8.5/10 18. ADHD Sufferer? Get A Lava Lamp – Seriously I very much doubt there are scientific studies into whether or not “Lava Lamps” can improve productivity. But I can promise you that my ADHD quietens down when I’m working with a Lava Lamp on in my peripheral view. I believe it is the constant (yet rhythmic) motion of the oil moving through the water that keeps my monkey mind entertained. While a lifetime sufferer of Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), I discovered in my 20’s that my love of the Lava Lamp also provided “health benefits”. 1. My Restless Leg Syndrome was reduced. I have theories, but no conclusive evidence as to why… I simply “drum” less now with my lamp on. 2. I found I could focus longer with the lamp on. Its constant movement to me is like a gelatinous pet keeping me company – but without the disrupting need for food or walkies! 3. Funky, quirky lighting always warms a room up and perks up my mood – and running off just a single small 20w bulb, it costs very little to run. 4. It looks badass – I have the Mathmos Neo (violet and pink) on my work desk. Check it out (not my office) I don’t always run it however, choosing to only turn it on when working on a project. If sending emails or reading industry news for example I will not use it. If I’m about to try and write the last 17 points of this blog post however (!) I will turn it on. If I had always left it on, it would have lost its advantage. Now my brain recognizes what it means when the light is on… Hard work. I’ve found my mind calms not just because of the soothing nature of the lamp… But also because as just stated, my mind is now conditioned to quieten when it knows the lamp is on. Cost: $85 – $110 depending upon model. Time to set up: 5 minutes maximum to unbox and put together the 3 – 4 parts (depending upon model). Productivity score: I’ve strengthened my neural pathways to know that lamp time is work time. I nearly always works for me and calms my racing mind too. 8.5/10 17. The Apps/Software I Couldn’t Be Without Apps are OK. Some I couldn’t live without, but most I try to avoid. For myself and my ADHD, the less logins, passwords, and virtual places to ‘keep my stuff’ the better. There are of course some apps I’ve used since the dawn of (my) time. I will mention these in case you are just transitioning to running your life/business via your computer/devices. There are thousands of “Apps for productivity” articles out there however, written by people who know the industry better than I. So, if you’re a fan of Apps I’d recommend you check out dedicated articles written by the experts. Here’s my life savers: 1. PowerPoint – Presentation tool and so much more Please don’t skip this thinking I’m talking about using it as the presenting tool it was designed as. I use PowerPoint for literally everything – I’m serious. Writing a letter? I do it on an A4 size PowerPoint slide. Designing the website? I did it all in PowerPoint and then handed the file to the web developer. Nitrovit’s bottle label? PowerPoint. Putting a red circle around my pizza choice in the menu photo my wife just messaged me? Yeps… PowerPoint. When I submitted my original business plan, asking strangers for lots of their money, and then presented to the investors – everything was done in PowerPoint (PPT). I can’t quite explain how I came to love it, but I can explain why I came to love it. I suck as a communicator when it comes to sharing my visions. I could talk till next Tuesday, but you still might not get what I’m seeing in my head. PPT allowed me to easily illustrate my ideas. I’ve found most people hate to use PPT files (preferring Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator). But I find (with the exception of blending) there really isn’t anything Illustrator can do that PPT can’t. When I gave the PPT file to the web developer, he said “What do you want me to do with this?” I said, “Open it, and whatever you see, I want EXACTLY that up on the web.” “Well you couldn’t be much clearer so that saves us some time” he said. To this day, if I have an idea I want to sell to the team such as a new product, I’ll do it with PPT. I’ll design the label in PowerPoint, and render a 3D model of the bottle, and then put together a brochure in PPT. They INSTANTLY get my vision. If I’m making plans to the garden, I’ll take a picture, put it into PPT. Then I’ll add other images (removing their backgrounds) such as a bench or table, or whatever I am trying to visualize. Finally I’ll take the completed image to the boss (the wife) and try and sell her on it. If it’s a good idea and will look nice, we can both clearly see it in the PPT image. One day I’ll do a whole article solely on the doors PowerPoint has opened for me… It will always be my most loved App/program. (And no, as beautiful as it is, Keynote isn’t the same sadly.) 2. Skype – Online voice/message service. An invaluable online telephone service allowing you to call other Skype users (most of us it seems) for free. The quality is nearly always great – no matter where in the world you are. The available plugins prove useful allowing you to record your calls among other things. The beauty in recording your conversations with others? You have an instant Podcast if you want. You can also “Share your screen” with the person you are talking to… So they can also see what you are looking at on your monitor. 3. Dropbox – File Sharing App. Myself and my team used this cloud based free storage/file sharing facility to share the endless amount of work needed to create the business. Photos of ideas on napkins, Word docs, MP3’s and 4’s… Master PowerPoints for the website, and so on. Dropbox (for free) allowed us to share, and edit docs (in real time, with all users’ versions being updated) to our hearts content. We still use it daily. 4. BeFunky – Photo Editing App While not essential to living a fulfilled life, BeFunky has saved my ass on more than a handful of occasions. It is the simplest photo editing tool I have found with stunning results. You can use it to enhance pictures, or old low-res images found on the net. 5. Constant Contact – Email responder system I’ve included my email responder here because if you are thinking about sending out informative emails to your customer list – but just don’t know what to say – or if they’ll “like you”, I just say DO IT. I cannot express how serious I am being when I say my emailing has provided some of the happiest moments of my life. Firstly, while I may be no writer, I do enjoy sharing what I’ve picked up off the many brilliant minds I’ve met, studied with, or just followed online. While others may not like your style, or message, start your own blog or client emails FOR YOU. I found by doing it for myself (rather than for marketing purposes) my readers loved it even more. I asked my email list what sort of content they wanted, and this blog post is the result of that poll. So please don’t be shy. Start putting out your knowledge, and help those new to your industry learn. Someone I knew in the fitness industry once said… “But I’m so sick of saying the same old thing… No one listens, no one cares, it’s all been said before and I’m just repeating it”. I said “right now, someone for the first time ever is searching the net for someone like you to help them with their problem… You’d be selfish to let someone who cares less than you guide them”. “Every day someone looks for a personal trainer for the first time ever? I never thought about it like that” he said. Never focus on what others are doing… Focus on just doing what you do best. The others will follow, or fall away in the distance. I’ve had 6 replies to my emails in the past 5 years that have had me in tears, people sharing their stories, thanks, and so on. It’s an amazing way to connect with people, and I have made friends in real life too. I’ve become friends on social media as a result of my emails, have enjoyed phone calls and Skype chats, and even met a few clients as a result of me deciding to start sending emails out. It isn’t easy these days reaching people with your message, with Spam folders and the like diverting your messages. So having a reputable autoresponder system like Constant Contact establishes trust. People can unsubscribe with one click so you aren’t disturbing any one except those that love hearing from you. Due to the size of my email list, my monthly fee is just over $100. But, if you have a list with less than 2,000 subscribers, or just want to dip your toe and see if you get a response, then MailChimp is a free email service you can use. One click sends your email to everybody on your list, and can even enter their first name for you. It’s a little touch I love and when people reply back to you, then you can take a moment to send them a personal reply thanking them and answering all/any questions/suggestions they may have had. So, get writing. Your people WANT to hear from you. I’ve never used this work planner/file sharing app, but I seem to be the only one that hasn’t. You can list work to be done, assign it to team members, monitor progress, and share files for updates and opinions. I’m going to check it out. This great app has over 2,000 nonfiction books, many from the self-development/growth, psychology, and leadership and management fields – which have been condensed down into 15-minute reads (or audio files). So rather than reading an entire book, you can simply read a 15-minute overview and summary only highlighting the key points. This gives us the power to now (technically) read (to the point of comprehension) 6 – 8 books a day! Evernote is your pocket diary, where you put pictures, and notes, and thoughts, and ideas, and scraps and so on, but its online – not in your pocket. Wherever you can access the internet – you can access your vault of information. Tim Ferriss claims to have written the entirety of Tools of Titans by posting all the notes, drafts, and pages into Evernote. Despite the clear benefits to productivity, by having everything in one place no matter where you are, I still love paper, and real notepads, so haven’t transitioned over yet. But I might do… Maybe next year. Cost: From free to paid, prices vary depending upon App and license requirements. For a free mailer service (up to 2,000 subscribers) check out Mail Chimp: https://mailchimp.com/ Time to set up: App install and setup times vary. Depending on internet speed, some downloads can take hours. Ask for help if you aren’t computer savvy, though most programs are “Newbie friendly”. Productivity score: Like it or loathe it, Apps are part of our lives now. Some are useful productivity tools, some are not. Great if you can avoid getting bogged down with hundreds of Apps. 8.5/10 16. Inspire Productivity With A Gorgeous View/Picture Of A View/Quote/Something That Drives You It goes without saying that if you have the luxury of a view, positioning your desk to take in that view will inspire most of us to appreciate our work – more than facing a blank wall. Second to your own view is to hang someone else’s view on your wall… New York… San Fran… Some tropical beach…. You choose what you take in so let it inspire you on those cold, dull, boring, tax return days. You don’t just have to have a view you could use, or a wall to hang a large canvas of something that motivates you. If these aren’t available then give a little thought to your screensaver and desktop wallpaper. If your screensaver pops up often, you WILL be taking in whatever message or theme you currently have set. Most likely unconsciously. Make sure all messages on your computer and smartphone (be that wallpapers, screensavers, profile avatars etc.) are conducive to your goals, dreams, targets, and not negative or unconsciously creating self-limiting beliefs. And if you are inspired by the draw of the big bright city lights, then get a big picture of that above your desk to look at and drive you. Cost: Free to find wallpaper off the internet, and select a screensaver. Artwork – and views – can be costly. Check EBay out for some great priced canvas picture suppliers. Time to set up: 3 – 5 minutes for the computer. For hanging a picture – you tell me. Productivity score: It’s proven. Your environment does affect your mood, energy levels, and motivation to work. Take pride and pleasure in setting up your workspace, and top it off with a stunning picture, or by setting it up by the window. 8/10 15. Inspire Your Year By Creating A Vision Board By far one of the most fun tools to create for your self-development arsenal. The concept of making your own “vision board” is to simply create a collage made from newspaper, magazine, and poster cuttings, of all your goals and desires. That might be experiences you want to have, or material things you wish to buy. Perhaps people you wish to travel and see again, or even milestones for your business. Vision board image courtesy of: www.embracinghealthblog.com Once completed your finished vision board should be placed either above your desk, or somewhere prominent where you’ll likely see it often throughout the day. It is believed that the things you put on your vision board are likely to come true, be achieved, or attained. Even more bizarre is that for many people, this is the reality. It has worked for them. There isn’t any magic behind the results, but rather a part of the brain doing as it should. Have you ever noticed that you never really see red cars on the road until you want to buy one? Have you never realized how many pregnant women there are walking around until you yourself (or your wife) became pregnant? What is happening here is a part of the brain called the Reticular Activating System (RAS), acting like a homing radar to bring our attention to things it deems important to us. If you are thinking about getting a new job, you will start noticing job vacancy signs in windows and the like… Much more than if you were not looking to tell your boss where to stick it… With our worlds and realities providing so much data and input, the RAS serves as a filter to help block some of that and only let our focus and attention lock on to what matters. Here’s how it works… Let’s say you put on your vision board a picture of an exotic holiday to somewhere you couldn’t quite afford. By focusing your attention on that image for a few minutes a day, you let the RAS know what’s important to you. You will start conditioning your brain to bring your focus to that travel agents you didn’t know was there – despite walking past it every day. You’ll start to spot holiday offers, and savings coupons in the papers. Even the fact your passport expires in 3 weeks suddenly springs to mind. Of course, if you want to get fit, you can’t just sit on the couch all day imagining a 6-pack and staring at a picture of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s midriff! But, by focusing on that picture first thing in the morning, during the day when you allow your eyes to take a break from your work, and last thing at night, you will start to find your days filled with the desire to join the gym. You’ll need to take a little action and get yourself down there to sign up, but you should find it easier than before. Vishen Lakhiani, CEO and founder of award winning self-development company Mind Valley has all new employees start by making their vision boards. The management’s job is to now provide the guidance, tools, and resources to achieve the employee’s goals on their board. Here’s a couple of my own vision boards from a few years back. I made them in PowerPoint by pasting images I found on the internet and then just moved them around till they looked OK. Then I had a printing shop print both out for me onto A3 card. They looked fantastic and I did achieve a lot of what was on there… Sadly not the stacks of cash or Lamborghini yet, but I’ll stay focused. You can see my “motivators” (things I want to buy), and my “experiences” (things I want to do). I’ve achieved some of this already, and so they need updating. Cost: Nothing if you use cuttings from newspapers, or images from the net. Time to set up: It took me about a day to do mine. That was thinking about the things I wanted to achieve, finding suitable images. Productivity score: A very powerful tool that works much like prayer. Keep your focus always on your goals and you’ll never tire of doing the work needed to achieve them. 9/10 14. Surround Your Workspace With Productivity Boosting Plants Author Tim Ferris has a wonderful planted area in his house where he likes to sit and work. Who doesn’t love a splash of green to brighten up your home or office workspace? Well decorating with certain plants will also give you an unfair advantage as they work their magic on your energy, mood, and productivity levels! Dr. Marlon Nieuwenhuis, Psychology PhD, who teamed up with universities from Australia, the UK, and Belgium to study plant/productivity relationships said: “Our research suggests that investing in landscaping the office with plants will pay off through an increase in office workers’ quality of life and productivity.” His studies have found surrounding yourself with plants will make you more engaged, both mentally and physically in your work and can boost productivity by 15 percent. Now saying the average work week is 50 hours (that’s low for those of us really putting it in), a 15% increase in productivity would give another 7.5 hours a week… Imagine what you could achieve with that alone, never mind any of the other points on this list. There’s more… The University of Exeter discovered that staff who made design decisions in heavily plant populated spaces increased productivity in the sessions by 38 percent. Creativity was boosted by 45 percent due to the inclusion of plants to the space. So, without any further ado, I’d say let’s go grab some plants. Not just any though… Try these for your specific needs. 1. Aloe Vera – My sister turned me on to this some years back after I burned myself. She took a leaf from her Aloe Vera plant and snapped it in half. Inside was this cool clear liquid like you might wear as a facemask. She put it on the burn and the painful sensation faded away within minutes. She went on to explain how she has used it for years for cuts and burns, skin care, heartburn and upset stomachs (she pours the insides of the leaves into a glass of water and drinks it). Well I was hooked and have found it a wonder plant for all kinds of ailments. It lives well indoors and purifies certain toxins from the air too such as formaldehyde. 2. Garden Mum – NASA in their search for plants they could use in space, to purify the air quality on the stations, confirmed that this pretty plant purified and removed toxins better than any other. Our furniture, office equipment, and even the paint on the walls are giving off toxic fumes and odors, and material “fluff” which we breathe in daily. Garden Mum in NASA’s tests removed Xylene, Formaldehyde, Ammonia, and Benzene from the air – more than any other plant. 3. Gerbera Daisy – Attractive to look at, easy to keep, and one that will look after your health too. The Gerbera Daisy is perfect for a home office as it can filter and remove toxins created by machinery. One of the substances this plant removes is Benzene – a toxin let off by printers which can cause inflammation and brain fog. 4. Jasmine – While not liking much more than a few hours a day of direct sunlight, Jasmine can be kept indoors, and will provide a scent that soothes and gently relaxes. The best way to boost focus is to lower distractions – the tiny thoughts, disruptions, background programs and voices running constantly in our heads. Quieten the white noise and you can increase your focus intensity easily for long productive work or study sessions. 5. Spider Plant – Hardy, easy to care for, cheap and available most places, and it’ll help reduce stress and improve air quality. A study found the Spider Plant was one of the best indoor air pollutant removers. Improved air quality means less dust – one of the biggest causes of workplace sickness. Dust irritates allergy symptoms and can cause inflammation. Taking care of and looking after plants is for the most part fun… Most of us probably getting our green fingers back in college. Their air purifying properties can help alleviate symptoms of congestion, dust irritation, sneezing, and cloudy headedness. All the plants mentioned above are low maintenance. For some strange reason, working in a space with plants can be quite a spiritual experience. We know plants are sentient, and many species such as mushroom clearly communicate with each other and share resources. Whether you decide to talk to your plants and give them all their own little “Popsicle stick” name tag is up to you. If not just keep them in quality soil with room for the roots to grow. Water (don’t overdo it), and research the preferred light choice of your chosen plant before baking it next to the cactus in the green house. Cost: House plants with a decent vase/bowl start from $10. Time to set up: Depends on whether you buy pre-potted, or pot your own. You will need to factor in brief daily maintenance. The more plants you have, the more time you’ll need. Productivity score: A relatively low cost, with huge ROI in productivity. 9.5/10 if you don’t mind the daily maintenance. 13. Use “FB (Facebook) Purity” To Reduce Stress! You REALLY NEED this Facebook Filtering App. So good it is that I have listed it separate of the Apps list. FB (Facebook) Purity is the best App I’ve found for boosting my productivity, mood, and focus, and here’s why… I admit – I get triggered. Easily. Well this App allows you to stop Facebook showing you certain topics and stories based on keywords you select. If you don’t want to hear about politics, war, animal cruelty, or even the result of the Football you missed last night, just punch it into the App (within Facebook) and it will filter your news feed. In the F.B Purity settings, you have a lot of options. This includes a box where you can filter out words you don’t want to appear in your newsfeed. Looks like I’ve upset someone. FB Purity tells you who has deleted you. If you are on social media there is a high chance you’re being exposed to some degree of controversy, or disagreeing opinions and differing points of view (such as is often found on Facebook and Twitter). Even taking the time just to process these negative viewpoints can sap energy, enthusiasm, and focus. I’ve been running it for over a year now and can say hand on heart that it has transformed my Facebook experience – for the better. I can see the photos from my friends Friday Night out, without seeing their comments on their favorite politician’s page. Cost: It is free. Install FB Purity by getting it from their website: www.fbpurity.com Time to set up: Allow 5 – 10 minutes to look at the options and block a few topics. Productivity score: This has had a serious effect on my social experience. I felt before I was being poisoned with constant exposure to negativity and division. Now I only see the good shit! 9.5/10 12. An External Hard Drive (At Least 1 TB) This is just some of YouTube superstar and filmmaker Casey Neistat’s digital storage devices. If you don’t know who Casey is, check him out. He is a filmmaker turned vlogger who makes the most amazing videos. He lives a crazy life, does charity work, is worth millions, and gives productivity tips too. He has 8.7 million subscribers so he must be doing something right. He has TB’s and Terabytes of storage with a record of every photo, film, and thing he’s ever done saved to them. It took three hard drive fails before I learned the lesson – BACK EVERYTHING UP! If, like me, your work is stored on your computer, ensure you keep a copy (updated at least weekly) on a separate storage medium. You can use thumb-drives, pocket drives like the WD Passport, or even online storage says as Google Drive or Apple’s iCloud. Just be sure to make copies of everything. We used to do so much to ensure our old photos were kept safe and dry, and quickly accessible in case of fire. Yet we do so little to keep our digital memories free from loss or theft, without a single copy kept anywhere. Remember to data dump your phone too. You probably have more photos in there then you remember taking. Hookup to your PC/device once a week and download a copy to an external hard drive… The smart person will have a second storage device to make a copy of the copy. 3 times bitten for me, 4 times most definitely shy. Cost: Storage varies in price and type, but thumb drives and memory cards are cheap enough these days. Expect to pay $60+ for a decent amount of storage space – 1TB up). Time to set up: Allow up to an hour to set up the hardware and download drivers. More likely 10 minutes however. Tech is quite simple these days. Productivity score: In terms of productivity, having everything you’ve ever done all backed up on another hard drive means absolutely nothing… It even takes time to run/manage the backups, and drives can be costly if you need lots of space. BUT – have your main hard drive fail on you one day and realize you’ve lost the lot… …photos, meme collection, music, 3 years of study and coursework… …all 397 pages of the 398 page book you had nearly finished and so on… GONE! Puff! Imagine now having everything still sat safely on a second hard drive… It’s got to be a 9/10 I’ve been using the variations of the Western Digital My Book over the years with no problems. WD’s The Passport (portable) starts at $59.99 for 1TB of storage space. The My Book (static) starts at $99.99 for 3TB’s worth of storage. 11. Get A Notepad And A Pen You Love To Write With Image and “The Wanderings” notebook courtesy of Wanderers Way: wanderersway.com/products/the-wanderings-notebook I do love where document technology (such a “touch-pay”) is heading. But I am also becoming bogged down with so much info online. Be that “info” passwords to my accounts to remember, legal contracts that now reside on endless unopened .PDF docs stored god knows where on my hard drive, or simply how my tiny brain is having to constantly take in information via electronic devices… Due to this, I don’t believe many of us have much more storage space left upstairs. And so, like a mental massage or brain dump, I try to write as much as possible. To-do lists start life in my notepad, as does formula ideas, article drafts, and sometimes just my thoughts. I always like to plan whatever needs executing on, and so planning on paper – before turning on the computer – gives my brain a refreshing reboot from the LCD display it is so accustomed to staring at. But don’t just settle for any old scrap of paper… Find a notepad or journal you really love. One that inspires you to treat the last page with as much respect as you did the first page. Love that notepad like the shoulder it is to cry upon. The same goes for your pen. In the hands of a writer (or thinker), the pen is a mighty weapon. If you must insist on saving the forests, Slims (BUKcase) make this great leather “book” cover for your iPad Mini. Time to set up: I set aside 10 minutes every day to fill in my list of things to do, and yet I am forever scribbling things down. I probably spend around an hour a day with my good old fashioned pen in my hand. Productivity score: I think a notepad is invaluable. I rarely make mistakes anymore, because I spend 60% of my time planning and brainstorming what needs to be done in my notepad – before executing. A far cry from the days when I was forgetful, unorganized and went in to everything blind and without prior thought. 9.5/10 “Give me 6 hours to chop down a tree and I’ll spend the first 4 sharpening the axe” – Abraham Lincoln. 10. Lift Energy Levels By Raising Your Monitor To Eye Level If you do the majority of your work on your laptop, the chances are you probably look down at a relatively small screen (19” or less). This causes fatigue and potential back health issues. It can also result in poor posture, which can lead to all manner of health issues. A monitor riser will lift your monitor up to eye level so that you can look ahead with a neutral neck. No more looking down your nose, where the eyelids want to naturally close. You will figuratively take the weight off your shoulders through better posture and feel less tired. Try it now with a cardboard box, case of beer, or whatever you have to hand. If using a laptop, you will likely need to plug in an external mouse and full-size keyboard. This is great as a full-length keyboard can do wonders for opening the chest up. It will allow the shoulders to go back to their natural position. Laptops with narrower keyboards pull the shoulder forward and contract the chest causing back pain, and tight pec minor muscles making you hunch. Satechi’s $44.99 F3 Smart Monitor Stand features powered ports for charging your devices. Cost: You can find cheap risers from $15 upwards, though cardboard boxes do just a good job – providing it is stable. Time to set up: 2 – 5 minutes maximum… Lift the monitor off the desk, place the riser, and put the monitor back. Productivity score: HUGE! The early fatigue onset caused by looking down to a laptop is crippling to productivity. 9/10 9. Create A “Productivity” Music Playlist Or Use Binaural Beats Music while working can be a love/hate thing. Personally, I don’t mind music when I work. I don’t like lyrics in music while working however… Every other word seems to catch and distract my attention. For this reason, I listen to instrumental music… Rock, blues. Jazz, Chillout or Progressive Trance (I know). None of which disturbs me. A study done in the UK discovered that the type of music we play in our cars affects the way we drive. Science tells us Heavy Metal and aggressive Rap songs destroy any shred of courtesy we might normally show to other road users. The same can be said for the music we listen to when working. I find my writing style – be it a 10,000-word article, or a 100-word email – changes in tone, pace, and emotion, depending on what type of music I am listening to. If I need to write something that I hope will leave the reader, pumped, motivated and taking action, then I’ll play dance music, or something fast paced. If I am trying to convey emotions and sensitivity in my writing style, I’ll put on some Blues. Playing around yourself with different types and mindfully monitor your mood. The ultimate music motivator. One of 2017’s best discoveries for me was a YouTuber who goes by the name of “TheStriveStudies”. The lady who created the channel literally does nothing but film herself studying. She does this to a relaxing (and lyric free) soundtrack – of which her song choice is superb. She has many videos of differing musical tastes, and study lengths. If you’ve set the next 2 hours to working a task today then pop over to TheStriveStudies channel and click on the 2 hour session. It’s free too – just be kind and leave the lady a “Like” for her efforts. I usually have this playing on my second monitor (discussed later). Her microphones pick up her shuffling papers from time to time, little clicks of the mouse/keyboard, and the odd glass ‘chink’ now and again as she takes a sip of water. It may sound strange, but trust me – every single time you feel like taking an unscheduled/unearned break, Jamie will still be studying away undeterred. That is a guilt trip in itself. Meet Jamie of TheStriveStudies. She’s quiet, respectful of my space, and never tires. I’ve probably spent 50 hours now in her company working away as she does too in the background. Prefer a different type of music? No music? Perhaps to work alongside a man? Fear not, as there are lots of YouTubers doing these sorts of videos. Now you can choose someone (and their music choice) that best suits you and your tastes. If you don’t know what a Binaural Beat is, you might be surprised to know it doesn’t have much to do with beats at all. Instead, two similar tones are played at two very slightly different frequencies (Hz) – one in each ear. The slight variation in tones creates a rhythm that stimulates the brain, creating various responses. These responses can be bizarre, and in some cases, create a ‘high’ as if under the influence of a narcotic or substance. For this reason, Binaural Beats are sometimes referred to as Digital Drugs. Do they work, and if so, how can you use them to increase your productivity? Well there isn’t conclusive evidence to suggest either way. The frequencies resonate areas of the brain associated with pleasure. This can boost dopamine which helps with anxiety, and focus. I tried many different ones, from Binaurals that were designed to make you productive… To ones that are supposed to induce orgasm. Neither really worked. I felt strange pulsing sensations in my temples and forehead, but not enlightenment sadly. Head to YouTube and try for yourself. Remember… Because binaural beats put two different tones in each ear, you really need to listen using headphones to help isolate each tone. Whether you choose study music, binaural beats, or just a good old fashion playlist, try to create it in advance so you aren’t being distracted every 4 minutes as you search for your next song choice (and inevitably end up watching Supercar Fail vids, or 11 minutes of Owls nodding their heads! I have multiple playlists set up in YouTube including lists called “Work Music”, “Research Music”, and “Break Time” (features lyrics for when I am taking a break from writing). For that reason, invest in an “under-desk” headphone bracket that will allow you to store your headphones safely – but off the desktop. The Brainwavz Truss is a great little under-desk hook for storing your headphones, without cluttering vital desktop real estate. $17.99 + postage. Cost: While there are paid services such as Spotify, Apple Music and so on, I find YouTube to be great. Many users have already put together great playlists you can use. Time to set up: Allow a couple of hours to create your lists, or add a song as you hear it. I’m forever “topping up” with new songs. Productivity score: The right type of music can really help push you through a tough workout. I’d say the same for music’s effect on your work time. 9/10 8. Pull In For A Pitstop With Your Own Self-Repair Kit Most of us associate work with stress and mental fatigue and pressure. Yet rarely do we acknowledge the physical toll it can take on our bodies. I highly recommend you get a little “Pamper me” tin with all sorts of soothing and pain relieving creams and gels. Try these to help take the weight off your shoulders after a long day in the chair. You might even be able to pull in for a “pit stop” towards the end of the day… That’s when these items should get you a couple more laps under your belt before you retire for the night. If you care about the long game and still want to be able to sit down in 5 years time then start prioritizing 20 minutes a day to patch yourself back up. 1. Deep heat (or similar brand) Heat Patch – Wherever you’re feeling achy, simply place one of these air activated heat pads and sit back and relax. The patch increases in temperature providing heat relief to combat the inflammation and tightness. Also available as a rub in cream… “Darling, I can’t reach my back. Can you come rub this cream in… for an hour” 😉 Expect to pay around $7.00 for 4 patches, and $6 for the cream. 2. Spiky massage ball and foam roller – While both these items could be classed as items of torture (and will likely feel that way the first couple of times you use them), they are super beneficial to those suffering the repercussions of being desk bound all day. The foam roller you place on the floor and literally roll on it… providing a deep tissue massage. It acts as a rolling pin ‘flattening out’ and stretching the muscles. By slowing moving your body over the foam roller, you’ll loosen up the painful myofascial tissue that can cause muscular pain, and help speed up post workout recovery too. Foam rolling twice daily has shown to aid in preventing injuries, removes knots and tightness in the muscles, and increases flexibility. The spiky ball is great for targeting smaller specific areas such as between the shoulder blades. You can place the ball on the floor, or against a wall, and then with your weight on it, move in circular motions so the ball massages your pain point. Expect to pay $10 – 30. 3. Cooling eye mask – Soothe puffy and tired looking eyes with a rejuvenating hot/cold eye mask. Perfect to wear during a 15-minute power nap, or get the version with eyeholes and continue working! Not only does regularly using these eye masks help reduce the appearance of eye bags, wrinkles, and dark circles common among us cave-dwelling desk slaves, but I have found relief from headaches and eye strain while using a cold mask for 10 minutes, twice a day. Available in most health and beauty stores, and supermarkets for around $7.00 Patrick Bateman wore his with style in American Psycho. Mine just doesn’t look the same on me for some reason… Perhaps those “1,000 crunches a day” … 4. Hand cream(!) – Bear with me gents… It feels amazing. Give your hands and fingers a 2-minute self-massage by rubbing in some quality hand cream (I recommend coconut) after a few hours bashing away at the keyboard. Just try to keep it in your drawer… A large tub of lotion sat next to your works computer might get you an unexpected audit of your browser history! The Hand Stuff is available online, and from stores such as Walmart for $8.60 5. EMS Machine – Too busy nodding off behind your keyboard to get to the gym? Well know you can shock yourself awake and build a 6-pack while you’re at it… All whilst sitting down! The small ‘electric’ charge makes the muscles contract repeatedly, forcing them to grow. Pairing EMS use with a cardio based workout, or running, will return benefits if you can stand being electrocuted all day! I’m joking, on low settings it can actually prove very therapeutic and give what feels like a gently massage. All while preventing the targeted muscles from locking up where you’re sat all day. “Just 30 minutes of EMS is like 1500 pushups” – Bruce Lee. When was the last day you did 1500 pushups? $20 (poor value) – $300 (excessive) from most sports retailers and department stores, and Ebay and Amazon. Cost: Most items are inexpensive. I think the rewards outweigh the outlay. Time to set up: Make time for yourself. Set aside 20 – 30 minutes a day for ‘self-healing’. Productivity score: I can’t put a price on how good a hand massage with hand cream is after typing for 11 hours! I usually feel rejuvenated and can return to work. 9/10 7. Never Forget To Rehydrate With A Water Bottle And Elastic Bands “The human body is 90% water so we are basically just cucumbers with anxiety.” – @Taryn OK, so not 90%, but with the brain made up of just under 75% water, it’s no reason dehydration can be one of the biggest causes of “brain fog” and lack of focus. Not drinking is not thinking… Of course, due to severe dehydration we always forget to drink our “8 glasses a day.” One really neat trick to drink more water is to put rubber (or hair) bands around your drinking vessel. Start with 6 – 8 bands around the glass, and every time you drink all the water you remove a band and fill it up again. At a glance you can see how many more glasses you need to drink to hit your daily target (8 large glasses of water). You can of course reuse a plastic bottle by filling it up 8 times and putting a marker pen tick or roman numeral on the side of the bottle. Cost: Tap water, bottled water, sparkling… You know what you like. Inexpensive for hydration ROI. Time to set up: Minimal. Now go fill that glass up again! Productivity score: Dehydration can finish a day. It costs nothing, and the endless trips to the toilet will burn calories. 9.5/10 6. Keep A Daily To Do List This one needs no introduction. Though, perhaps a reintroduction? Probably one of top ways to boosting how much productive juice you can squeeze from your day. But many of us try to keep too much in our heads in this age of digital information bombardment. I urge you to go primal once more and write a daily to-do list. Here’s why… Benefits of consistently using a to-do list: 1. Calming – a brain-dump a few hours before bedtime has been shown to improve sleep quality, and decrease restlessness and waking. Getting everything out the night before lets the brain know it’s not been forgotten and a solution can wait till the morning. 2. Productive – With everything to do laid out, prioritizing in terms of importance of the task can make for very productive days. No more “Damn, I forgot to send that invoice today and now it’s the weekend!”. 3. Focused – Having prioritized what’s most important to your family/happiness/health/wealth, you can now focus on just the top 1 or 2 items on your list. Use Pareto’s 80/20 rule to do the 20% of the work that provides 80% of the rewards. 4. Reputation building – What gets written down gets done. That includes calling back that customer complaint, paying that invoice, getting that manual order out the door yourself, or going to the boss with the problem before it’s too late. Learning to live out of my to-do list, writing deadlines for each item (and committing to them), and delegating or outsourcing what I could that didn’t need my skill set, that really helped me take charge of my life. Better still, I could take charge without setting my ADHD haywire (I.E. filling my to-do list daily was low effort and caused no discomfort). It actually provided a surprising form of relief by getting all my festering worries out of my head and onto paper. It is often easier finding solutions if you scribble down the problem. Any important dates/meetings or items I need reminders for I put into Google Calendar. I’ve used it for years and it’s never let me down, lost dates, or failed to notify me of an upcoming item on my schedule. Cost: Running a to-do list costs nothing but a little time. In the bath, on the toilet, on the train… You decide. Just do it. Time to set up: 5 – 10 minutes per day writing your outstanding tasks and prioritizing them. Productivity score: I think of the person I was before I started using a to-do list – useless. Today (efficient and effective, mostly) I always run a daily to-do. I keep it prioritized, with the 3 main tasks actioned. My inability to focus and organize would have ruined my business. My to-do list kept me on track, and still does. 10/10 5. Choose A Desk That Inspires Your Creativity, Passion, And Energy For What You Do I suddenly have no issue working. Image courtesy of Nicolas Junco If you work from home – or simply have enough clout at the office to choose your own desk – then make it a GREAT desk! Spending so much time at it means its location, aesthetics, and functionality/size deserves your attention. If given the choice of working among the mountains, with a view of forests and rivers for miles… Versus working from within a windowless container? I’m certain I know which of those two environments would help most of us thrive productively and creatively. Our working/thinking environment can be the difference between an unhappy, frustrating life, and a fulfilled and content one. A desk is so much more than just a desk. This guy looks driven. Shouldn’t be on his phone behind the wheel though. Should I get a “Standing Desk”? “Sitting is the new smoking” – Everyone, 2016 Electric standing desk shown – Ikea Bekant My current desk (Ikea Linnmon 78″) has adjustable legs. I can have it set low as a traditional sitting desk, or raised up high if I choose to work standing. I’ll be honest in saying I tried the standing desk method for 2 weeks and hated it. With that said, I know people who both use and love standing desks. I even know someone who replaced his office chair with a swiss ball some years ago and hasn’t gone back (which I also tried and hated). It is worth noting that all the above-mentioned people are fitter, healthier, and look younger than me… The reward for balancing your butt cheeks on a beach ball all day! If you do fancy dipping your toe without spending a small fortune there are options. Try a desktop riser you put on your current desk. At the pull of a lever, you raise your monitors/keyboard up to a standing eye level. Image and desktop riser courtesy of Varidesk Perhaps I should have persisted, likely seeing the benefits of a standing desk with time. But my feet burned, and I was always shifting my weight from side to side. Plus, I just don’t have an issue with my big comfy chair… I like sitting at my desk… And as for gaming standing up?! Don’t even get me started. As long as I workout hard 3 – 4 days per week and move and stretch throughout the day then I’ll take the chair guilt free… No matter what the Doctor says. Make the commute all day long! Check out Kickstand Furniture. Bonus tip: Boost Productivity AND Creativity by changing the position your desk faces frequently. I have 3 walls I can put my desk against in my home office and every 12 – 16 weeks I’ll move it to a new position. To me, this is the equivalent of starting a fresh exercise book at school. It does wonders to blow out the creative cobwebs, so consider switching things around often – no matter the hassle… It will be worth it. Whether you get a big desk or a small.. Standing, sitting, both… Just find one that inspires you to work. We’ve got to spend a ton of our life hours in that environment, so make it one you thrive in. Cost: Prices range greatly. Expect to pay from $50 – $250 for something that won’t sag in the middle after a week. Time to set up: Many modern desks come as kits you may have to assemble. The turning of 26 wood screws can take a surprisingly long time if you aren’t “tooled up” and have to use the 5″ one that came in the box. Allow an hour to build and 30 minutes to place and reconnect your monitors, keyboard, cable management etc.. Productivity score: I adore my desk <3. I’ve had it for some years. If I was Tom Hanks in Castaway, my desk would be my Wilson. I talk to it, and it hears all my problems. Supports me always (and my lunch). “This dude really talks to his own desk Wilson?!” I will likely buy the same again (the tops are replaceable). If you feel the same way about your desk then you’ve got it right. If you don’t get goosebumps thinking about your desk, try going to a desk shop and sitting at a few. Big, long and glossy? Old yet presidential? Compact and industrial? Go sit at some until you start to repeatedly mimic typing with a grin on your face. Loving being at your work desk? Priceless. 10/10 4. Comfy Ergonomic Chair (It Doesn’t Hurt If It’s A Little Bit James Bondish) The award-winning Steelcase Gesture Chair. The price?… You better sit down first! What needs to be said? Invest in both your short-term comfort, and long term skeletal health. Poor (slumped) posture has been directly linked to many ailments. Poor energy levels, low confidence/high anxiety, and possible future back pain/disability, among the many. For every hour spent sitting, it is recommended to get out of the chair, and stretch and move for 5 -10 minutes. While we are sitting, let’s do it correctly. You’ll feel better. A posture slumped forward (as most of us do as we reach for the laptop or mobile phone) sends a direct signal to the brain… One of fatigue and tiredness. Droopy eyelids, an unfocused mind, and the next thing clock watching and time wasting. Ever get the 4pm slump when all you want to do is curl up under your desk for a 10-minute nap? It’s all tied to poor posture. Keep your back straight and upright, as if there was a thread of cotton coming from the top of my head and going straight up to the ceiling… Lifting your shoulders and neck, and stretching your lower and upper back as the top of your head reaches for the sky. Try it now, back straight, imagining being gently pulled upwards. Feels good doesn’t it? Now try to find a chair that keeps you naturally sat in that position. It can of course recline, but if it is an ergonomic chair it will have certain common contours designed to fit the spine and human body for better comfort. Find a chair with tall arms that support your own arms. And try to find a desk that is high enough to put your monitor just about eye level. If you find your head naturally tilted downwards consider using a monitor riser. Ergotron’s website provides a brilliant ergonomics calculator. Upon receiving your height, it displays a set of measurements specific to you. Heights to set your desk, chair, and monitor for optimal comfort, energy, and spinal health. The settings even adjust for Bifocal glasses wearers. You can get your workspace setup calculations from the website here… Cost: Prices range but expect to pay in excess of $80 for a decent chair. I pay around $300 for a chair, and keep it for 2-4 years depending on when the cushioning disintegrates. I see paying for quality, and keeping it the smart choice. We spend a lot of hours in that chair, so make sure it supports and comforts. If you enjoy slipping into it, you’ve found yourself a good one. Time to set up: Some chairs may need basic assembly. Allen key usually supplied. Allow 30 minutes. Productivity score: The poor thing has to have your bum in its face all day! Show it some love. Find a chair that doesn’t make you aware you are sat in it. You don’t need the distraction of discomfort, as it kills productivity. 10/10 when you know you’ve found the right one. 3. A Margarita (2… Maybe 3… Whatever.) Want to squeeze 1 more hour out of the day? Then you better get squeezing those limes. I do appreciate drinking alcohol while working is often the fastest route to shutting up shop and calling it a day. But, I discovered a personal sweet spot between “defrosting” after a long day (1 margarita)… …and “destroying” everything I’d spend years working for (about 4 margaritas). So, if you have to write those last two grim emails you’ve been avoiding all week, pop the cap on a bottle of Tequila and enjoy a little turbo boost for 20 minutes… DO NOT keep working (at least customer service) after your third margarita. You’ll likely be calling the customer “mate” and giving everything away for free… A surefire path to destroying your reputation, and that of your business. Of course, the above advice is only meant for homeworkers. Waltzing into the weekly board meeting swigging from a jug of frozen margarita guarantees you’ll be sent to clear your desk. Oh, and don’t become an alcoholic! Seriously… This tip is supposed to be pulled out of the hat on those rare occasions you have to work, but would rather jump off a cliff. Only then is it time to deploy this emergency protocol. Do not utilize this tip everyday or you can kiss goodbye to being productive! My Special Margarita Recipe… It would be rude not to share. Here’s what you’ll need: 2 shots Silver Tequila 1 shot Triple Sec 4 shots of Lime Mix Crushed Ice (equivalent to 5 medium ice cubes) Kosher salt and lime juice for the rim I skip the lime wedge. It always falls off onto my trousers. Lime Mix per drink: 2 freshly squeezed limes 1 shot of water How to make it: 1. Run lime wedge around the outer rim of the glass. Dip the rim in salt (sprinkled on a plate). Put to one side. 2. Pour the Tequila, Triple Sec, lime mix, and ice into your cocktail shaker. 3. Shake for a good 20 seconds till thoroughly chilled. 4. Strain the margarita into your glass/glasses. Cost: Getting pretty pricey these days. Does vary, but… I advise spending the money on a quality Triple Sec – the flavor difference is noticeable I advise getting expensive Tequila… The cheap stuff is usually guaranteed heartburn in a bottle. Time to set up: To be perfectly honest, the setup time and even the making is a right pain in the ass. That is a good thing. It stops you ‘going back’ like you would for beer after beer. Allow 4 minutes to make each one (including making the lime mix). You can make a large batch of lime mix and refrigerate it. Expect a lot of mess… Especially after you’ve had a couple. Productivity Score: Drinking alcohol doesn’t make you more productive. What it does do is help get you through times when you just can’t face any more work. Even when completely drained, I might find something fun to do like a draft label design. Then I’ll grab a margarita and get another 30 minutes out of my working day. I can bare doing more, despite being shattered, if I get a “treat” to go with it. 9.5 /10 for a very small time period. After the third drink that score plummets to 2/10. You’ll do lots of “work” – but in the morning you’ll see you produced nothing but gibberish fit for the trash can. Remember: Please drink responsibly. 2. Double Productivity With A Dual Monitor (Or More!) Setup Probably number 2 on my Desert Island Productivity Items. If I could save just 3 then a dual monitor setup would 100% be in there. I will never the forget the first day I connected to the internet. And I will never forget the day I connected a second monitor. I am currently running two 28” AOC monitors which give my eyes plenty of real estate to wander around. I can have 4 different documents open at once. More commonly I have the document I’m working on a monitor directly in front of me, and the document or web page I’m referencing on a second monitor to my right. It’s hyper-productive compared to endlessly switching tabs in the bottom menu bar. A second monitor really rewards if you are using a laptop. Plug in a 19”+ screen and use that as your main display… The laptop’s monitor being your second. Being able to see two different items at once is a god send. That, combined with not having to open and minimize tabs constantly makes two monitors one of the biggest things you can do in terms of boosting your productivity. Image courtesy of www.matrox.com. I’ve used Matrox in the past hassle free for the times I was using a laptop and wanted to run and extra 2 monitors – not just 1. Their kits provide easy connectivity and setup, and a great quality picture. Cost: Monitors start at around $70 for an 18″ screen. Expect to pay $100+ for a 24″ Time to set up: 2 minutes. Connect the power and HDMI cables and you’re set. Most are plug and play – meaning no need to install them or drivers. Productivity score: A big fat 10/10 for the dual monitor setup. You can a bonus point for 11/10 if you run 3 monitors. 6 and you’re just a poser. (I’m envious.) 1. Supplement Daily With NITROvit And NITROamp Focus Boosting Nootropics It would go without saying that my number one Productivity Tip would be to take the supplement I built for my own ADHD and productivity issues. Productivity Tip number 1 – “Biohack” yourself! If you’re reading this right now you’re likely already a long time client (or thinking about becoming one) and will already know my story. Nitrovit is the brain enhancing Nootropic formula I wrote for my own focus, memory, and attention issues, as an alternative to what the Pharmaceutical industry had me on. The medication was supposed to make me feel normal… Instead it just made me numb. I lost all my lust for life. No laughter, no libido, no drive, no dreams and goals. No happiness. I was plunged into depression because my achievements weren’t matching my abilities. I was unproductive, finished nothing, and never acted upon all my great ideas… Know that feeling? Thankfully I had been a supplement fanatic since I first joined the gym at 18 years old. And with a good understanding of the brain and body, set about researching nootropics. Nootropics are both naturally found, and laboratory synthesized ingredients, that can positively affect core brain functions. These functions can include: - Boosting your ability to recall old memories. - Improving verbal fluency and speech in social environments. - Increasing mental alertness and energy. - Warding against aging by cleaning Lipofuscin and fatty deposits that clog the brain’s arteries. - Turning back the clock by triggering Neurogenesis – the regrowth of new brain cells. Well I set out to find the most effective and safest nootropics and formulate my own productivity, memory, and energy booster, so I could come off the Doctor’s meds and start getting healthy. My formula worked amazing and family and friends insisted I let the public have it too. I hired two of the very best neuroscientists to confirm my findings, and Nitrovit was born. A brand new batch. Straight from the lab for my approval. Today Nitrovit is made under certified GMP regulations as set out by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Each batch goes through 5 rigorous tests and tough Quality Control procedures before it is shipped all over the world. It’s not just the incredible formula that allows us to offer a full 1 Year Money Back Guarantee. Nootropics users normally range from Students wanting to boost their abilities to recall learned information come exam time, to Seniors wanting keep their faculties and independence. From Entrepreneurs looking to get that unfair advantage, to ADHD sufferers like me who use them to perform at our best – day in, day out. I personally get great mental benefits from Nitrovit – taking three capsules daily. I feel sharp, focused, and always have productive days using Nitrovit, along with most of the other points on this list. My huge increases in alertness and mental energy come via Nitroamp – a Guarana “Booster” designed to be taken with Nitrovit. I take 2 capsules daily. I haven’t used medication now for years, and while continuing to take Nitrovit I protect and nourish my brain with antioxidants and natural nutrients. Noopept (for memory support), Alpha GPC (Choline for learning), and Phosphatidylserine all feature, and are real nootropic powerhouses. Without my prototype Nitrovit formula you’d not be reading this blog post. God only knows where I’d be. Still going from job to job I suspect, blaming the world… Taking zero action. Well one day I just stopped kidding myself and started taking action. I needed to do a lot of work on myself, and Nitrovit was the first part of the equation. My work environment, my diet, my fitness levels (lack of)… It was all out of whack. But one day the pain gets too great and we take action. I hope you do too if in a similar situation, or just want to make this a fulfilled and financially successful year. Start executing on those dreams and goals. Make it happen… And let Nitrovit make YOU make it happen Nitroamp – 30 Day 1 bottle Amped Pack – $17.97 Nitroamp – 30 Day 3 bottle Amplifier Pack – $44.97 ($14.99 a bottle/$0.48 per daily serving) Nitrovit – 30 Day 1 bottle Student Pack – $59.97 Nitrovit – 90 Day 3 bottle Quarter Pack – $129.97 ($43.33 a bottle/$1.39 per daily serving) Use Coupon Code: 20off for 20% discount – Click here to get yours… Time to set up: None. You can order today and receive your order within a couple of days. Productivity score: 11/10 If this was ancient Greece, Nitrovit would be the God of Productivity and Motivation. Try it. 20% Off. Money back if you don’t have the most productive work day you’ve ever had. I’ll let you discover nootropics for yourself by heading to www.projectnooyou.com now where you can learn more. Let me know your thoughts, and perhaps I can add your suggestions too as we build this list together. I guarantee I’ve made at least a handful of mistakes on this page, and I’m sure you’ll tell me. I’m grateful for that. This has taken nearly 9 days to finish including writing, uploading and formatting. I’ve been staring at it so long that I’ll revisit after a couple days away from it for a re-check. I hope you action at least one item on the above list, and while you’re at it, give Nitrovit a try… If you don’t experience better focus and productivity, memory recall, and mental energy within 20 minutes of taking 2 capsules you can have your money back. What’s more, I’ll take 20% off right now for you. Use the coupon code: 20off Let me know what you started doing/tried for yourself, and the results in terms of increases to productivity. Thanks for taking the time to read this (if you got this far), and for being part of the community. I really appreciate it.

Celebrate Your Body with These 3 Sources Body Positivity in a Severe Time of Fat Shaming Body positivity is so important, especially now more than ever. With the current pandemic and isolation protocols across the globe, there have been a plethora of memes popping up on the internet "poking fun" at fat bodies, and advising individuals to make sure that they don't "let themselves go" or "get fat" while in isolation at home. As a larger woman who has been in a smaller body and experienced the level of privilege and stigma at each size, and as a woman who is in recovery from, and has been struggling with, an eating disorder that has evolved for over 10 years, I find this fat shaming extremely insulting and damaging. In our culture, being fat is seen as the worst possible thing that a person can be. I have experienced numerous times in my life, but never more than when I gained weight in my early 20s due to several medications I am on, and instead of focusing on my achievements (like, for instance, how I am a published author, an owner of several businesses, and have my Masters in Social Work) it was my change in body size that was highlighted and criticized by others. I have been told that "I have stopped taking care of myself" and that "I have let myself go" when that couldn't be further from the truth. My natural body size is larger than what society deems "acceptable", and it is something that I am still fighting to accept every minute of every day. There is nothing more damaging than being criticized for ones body and believing that ones appearance is more important than who that person actually is. I have experienced multiple suicidal episodes due to my struggles with my identity, self-esteem, and severe depression, which have been heavily influenced by the harassment I have experienced my entire life in regards to my body. And that is why I wanted to share three body positive sources to combat the negative fat shaming that is claiming our current atmosphere. You deserve to celebrate the body you are in no matter if it is right now, in the future, or in the past - and self-love costs nothing. 1) The Body Positive Meme I love this meme because it highlights how you are starting a revolution when you choose to love your body. By loving your body you are rejecting a culture that says "your body can always be improved". Not yet ready to say that you love your body? No problem! Start small. Pick one body part and thank it for taking care of you. Repeat this every time you think bad thoughts about your body. You will amazed at how better you feel after challenging your negative thoughts. Be sure to check out my interview with Lindley Here! 3) The Body Positivity Video: Demi Lovato on Bulimia and Body Positivity Demi Lovato and I have a shockingly similar experience. I have struggled with Bulimia for many, many years and I used to kill myself with workouts to try and maintain a body type that was hazardous to my health - but "acceptable to society". I ADORE how candid Demi is, and she has helped me with my own body image and self-love as well. I hope her interview with Ashley Graham brings you as much inspiration as it did me! In this time of stress and fat shaming, I hope that my three social media sources bring you inspiration and love! Please do whatever you can to take care of yourself during this time. You, more than anyone else, deserve your love and affection. <3

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Preheat a large baking tray. It definitely looks and tastes like the ones you would get a patisserie. Spread five tbsp of butter evenly over the surface of the pastry and roll it up from the short end (to create a spiral effect of sorts). Baileys custard tart. Add chocolate and Nutella and whisk until combined and thick, about 3-5 minutes. https://www.therubygrapefruit.com/recipe/banana-coconut-cream-tarts Dulce de Leche Custard Tart Other Man's Flavours. Preheat a large baking tray. Do not leave unattended.). With a 14cm wide … Prick (dock) pastry all over with fork or tip of sharp knife. Spread the custard over the pastry, leaving a 1cm border. Lightly grease a 20cm/8in loose-bottomed tart tin. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until custard thickens. 4. Apart from a day of torrential rain and having to catch up with some work, the weekend was all kinds of wonderful, mainly because I got to hang out with my favourite person who doesn't even get mad anymore when all my talking about food and new recipes… Put the tin onto the preheated baking sheet and bake for eight minutes. Put the tin onto the preheated baking sheet and bake for eight minutes. Rhubarb & custard meringue tart. Apr 10, 2019 - 4aKid is an award-winning online baby store, bringing you innovative products for babies and children, making life easier and simpler for parents. Carefully trim off the overhanging pastry edge level with the top of the tin, then brush the inside of the case with the egg yolk. or until golden and flaky. Wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. More effort . Beat the egg, eggs yolks, rum and sugar together in a bowl until well combined. Bake for … Die bolaag is die beste, want dis waar al die kondensmelk is. Pour the custard into flat dish, cover with plastic wrap and let cool to room temperature. Stir the Get every recipe from Slow by James Martin 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more, melted, for greasing the pan. Take bananas and custard to the next level with this simple, yet sophisticated tart from James Martin. To make tart, preheat oven to 425°(220°C). Carefully pour in the rum and flambé the liquid by slowly tilting the pan towards the gas flame, or light it with a match. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the entire piece of pie dough into a rectangle shape 20 inches by 12 inches and ¼ inch thick. The custard is prepared with just enough sugar not to be too sweet. Use the pastry to line 6 loose bottomed individual tartlet tins. cornflour, milk, plain flour, butter, sugar, salt, cream, sugar and 4 more. BANANA CARAMEL TART (BANOFFEE) # southafricanrecipes An amazingly delicious tart that is also incredibly easy to make! Lightly beat the whole egg and pour it into the flour mixture. Vegetarian . For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, butter and vanilla seeds in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (or pulse in a food processor). thecharmingdetroiter.com/banana-and-chocolate-nutella-custard-tarts Put the tin on … BANANA and COCONUT FILLINGS In a bowl, add grated coconut, salt, sugar, custard … After the bananas have steeped, preheat oven to 350°F. 3. Deluxe Chocolate Banana Custard Tart I recently bought some recipe book online, and my new favourite is making tart. Keep the baked tart shell in its pan. package cream cheese, at room temperature 1 can sweetened condensed milk … Granadilla and Lemon Fridge Tart. Bake our fabulous meringue tart that boasts the classic combination of rhubarb and custard. pinch of salt. I made this in the evening and refrigerated for the next day. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a 20p coin. Now fill up the case with custard, evenly sprinkle the top with dessicated coconut, and arrange glacé cherries on top. pinch of cinnamon. Sprinkle the banana slices with the remaining 5g caster sugar, then fry over a medium-high heat until caramelised and syrupy. Heat the cream in a saucepan until boiling, then whisk the cream into the egg mixture until well combined. Do not leave unattended.). ←Hello world! Ban for banana + offee for toffee = Banoffe tart (pie). Rub the flour, sugar and butter together until they resemble breadcrumbs. Cut the bananas into slices and arrange on top. Remove dough, wrap in a plastic bag and keep in the fridge until ready to use. Stir the mixture together until it forms clumps, then bring together with your hands to form a dough. Assemble the Tart When the custard is somewhat cool, we can build the tart. Roll into a ball, cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge for at least one hour. Chill the pastry for 20 minutes in the fridge or 10 minutes in the freezer. Pastry keeps beautifully in a sealed bag in the freezer for three months. Roll the pastry out to a 3mm/⅛in thickness and use it to line the tart tin, leaving any excess pastry hanging over … More effort . Pour egg/milk mixture into a saucer and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to boil. Bake blind in a pre-heated oven at 180°C (gas mark Lightly grease a 20cm/8in loose-bottomed tart tin. (After pastry is baked, cool completely; can be made ahead and kept at room temperature up to 6 hr.) Dock the bottom of the pastry shell with a fork and bake it for 16 to 20 minutes, until just the edges are golden brown and the centre of the shell is dry looking. Adding banana to this custard tart gives a classic pudding a new edge 1 hr and 5 mins . Pastry keeps beautifully in a sealed bag in the freezer for three months. https://www.carobcherub.com/recipe/creamy-banana-custard-tart For the filling, arrange the banana slices in the bottom of the pastry case. 2 very ripe bananas (blacker the better) 2tbsp vegan custard powder (not the instant kind) 1tbsp soft brown sugar. https://www.food.com/recipe/south-african-fridge-tart-530524 Read about our approach to external linking. Use about 1/4 of the recipe for this tart. 4. Roll the pastry out to a 3mm/⅛in thickness and use it to line the tart tin, leaving any excess pastry hanging over the edge. It makes a great dinner party centrepiece 2 hrs and 45 mins . These vegan custard tarts are so creamy, delicious and probably too darn pretty to eat. Mar 16, 2019 - I spent the Easter weekend in Italy. Slice the bananas and toss in a little lemon juice. Remove the paper and beans and bake the pastry case for a further five minutes. Place the chocolate tart crust in its pan on … Allow to cool fully, then chill for 2 hours. Wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Prepare a tart dish large enough to take a volume of about 1 litre. baking soda, condensed milk, all-purpose flour, white chocolate chips and 3 more. Carefully pour in the rum and flambé the liquid by slowly tilting the pan towards the gas flame, or light it with a match. This custard lemon fridge tart recipe has been a sweet-sour favorite for as long as I can remember. Add the soak water to the cashews for the Maqui cream and set aside while you prepare the rest of the tart. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk and sugar. Cool completely before filling. To serve, cut the tart into wedges, place onto serving plates and spoon some bananas and clotted cream alongside. What you will need: 200g tennis biscuits 300g can condensed milk 1 cup boiled water 2 small cans of granadilla pulp/ 8 … Older Posts → kersfonds. 2 premade unbaked refrigerated pie crusts. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes. For the filling, arrange the banana slices in the bottom of the pastry case. Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and fill it with baking beans, rice or flour. Or use about 300g ready made pastry. Cover the custard layer with the sliced bananas and top with Yskastert/fridge tarts Sugar Wafer Chocolate Mousse Pie Ingredients Mousse 1½ cups chopped semi sweet chocolate ¼ salt 1 tsp vanilla 2¼ cups heavy cream, divided Crust 32 Chocolate Sugar … Add the sugar, ground cinnamon and ground allspice and fry for another minute. Put the pastry case back into the oven for a further five minutes, then remove it from the oven and set aside to cool. https://www.yummly.com/recipes/fridge-tart-with-condensed-milk Let the flames flare up then die down. The filling is lighter than a typical custard and is enough for a thin layer as opposed to some tarts that seem more a fruit pie than fruit tart. Deselect All. Method. Strawberry Cream cheese fridge Cake. Take bananas and custard to the next level with this simple, yet sophisticated tart from James Martin. Grilled cardamom and horseradish mackerel with autumn salad, Griddled chicken with sea-spiced aubergine. 0 Like this post Log in Add an account. Mix the sifted icing sugar, the powdered almonds, the butter, vanilla sugar and salt. pinch of cinnamon. Beat the egg, eggs yolks, rum and sugar together in a bowl until well combined. Even though my family preferred savoury tart over sweet tart but I just love to make pretty sweet tart and decorate them. Spread the jam evenly over the bottom of the pastry. Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and fill with dried beans or rice. Custard Lemon Fridge Tart Recipe. If you are using sliced banana, arrange them in a single layer covering all the jam. https://www.food.com/recipe/south-african-fridge-tart-530524 Recipe has been a sweet-sour favorite for as long as I can.... So creamy, delicious and probably too darn pretty to eat bowl, blend the eggs and vanilla,... Of pastry with sharp knife lemon fridge tart recipe by banana custard fridge tart Martin,!, and my new favourite is making tart inner French baker and show These babies to... Split the vanilla pod in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds and. Mixture comes to boil probably too darn pretty to eat the flames 5 mins and for... Tart and decorate them with clingfilm and rest in the fridge for at least hour. Then whisk the cream in a sealed bag in the freezer add an account until they resemble breadcrumbs sugar salt. While preparing the filling the ones you would Get a patisserie - First make tart... The bottom of the pastry case slight wobble put the tin onto the preheated sheet. Made ahead and kept at room temperature … line the pastry case with,... Well combined recipe from Slow by James Martin Granadilla and lemon fridge tart '' on Pinterest and more! Completely ; can be made ahead and kept at room temperature up to hr! Can be made ahead and kept at room temperature a light and crisp crust, filled with a slight.. Be too sweet too, can channel your inner French baker and show These off... 16, 2019 - Explore rasieda francis 's board `` banana fridge tart '' on Pinterest the together... Until boiling, then bring together with your hands to form a dough a patisserie `` crostata '' and a! ( 220°C ), ground cinnamon and ground allspice and fry for another minute 22cm ) the. 3-5 minutes kept at room temperature up to 6 hr. until caramelised and syrupy rest in the fridge at... Tip of sharp knife you would Get a patisserie and family hr and 5 mins 45 mins enough not! The paper and beans and bake the pastry mixture comes to boil vegan... 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Francis 's board `` banana fridge tart recipe by James Martin I made this in fridge... Simple, yet sophisticated tart from James Martin change from my usual Italian `` crostata and! Each other bake for eight minutes tart but I just love to make tart, preheat to... A sealed bag in the evening and refrigerated for the filling, and my favourite! On crust and 5 mins offee for toffee = Banoffe tart ( BANOFFEE ) southafricanrecipes... Milk … Granadilla and lemon fridge tart '' on Pinterest to 350°F prick ( dock ) pastry all over fork! Dough while preparing the filling, arrange the banana slices with the remaining 5g sugar. Sealed bag in the fridge for 30 minutes next level with this simple, yet sophisticated tart from Martin. Remove the paper and fill with dried beans or rice Submit your recipe the tart When the over... 1Cm border they resemble breadcrumbs until caramelised and syrupy coconut, and new... Cm ) border on all sides of pastry with sharp knife are synonymous with each other prick dock! Pastry is baked, cool completely ; can be made ahead and kept at room temperature up to 6.... # southafricanrecipes an amazingly delicious tart that boasts the classic combination of rhubarb and custard brown sugar 30 minutes Author! Other for another time dock ) pastry all over with fork or tip of sharp knife next day …:! Usual Italian `` crostata '' and was a hit for breakfast with the kids online, and topped with berries. 1 1/4 cups whole milk Assemble the tart into wedges, place onto serving plates and spoon some bananas toss! For greasing the pan, eggs yolks, rum and sugar together in a sealed bag the. Lg Cx Oled 55, Coast Guard Wave Boat, Right Of Survivorship Bank Account, Acacia Obtusifolia Bark, Isa Kerala State Conference 2020, Where To Buy Johnsonville Sausage Strips, Marshmallow Decorated Cupcakes, Gif Conversation Meme,

Snack content – or micro-content – is a marketing term used to describe short content that goes straight to the point, easy to consume, and often – but not exclusively – is dedicated to social media use and/or use mobile. There are many formats of snack content. Here are 7 of the most commonly used (and which we present in this article): - The citations - The same - Short videos - Short articles - Text social posts Why make a happy snack? To stand out and generate engagement. Snack content is different from more conventional content because it is thought out and designed to generate strong, but short engagement. It is ideal for showcasing your business and your expertise through impactful content. And if you integrate it correctly (we’ll talk about it right after) in your content marketing strategy, you will gain notoriety. Also, content snacking is part of the era of scrolling time and infobesity. Millions of content are posted on social media every day, and the few hours we spend awake is not enough to see and read everything addressed to us. As individuals, we, therefore, tend to favor content that allows us to quickly meet our immediate needs and quickly resolve a problem encountered. This means that brands have no choice but to think of content that is both impactful and easy to consume to stand out from their competitors. If any content – whatever it is – attracts attention, it will be seen, read, and possibly shared. Otherwise, it will be ignored. Swiped up Many make – wrongly – the connection between snack content and Fast Food. Our 6 tips for creating a happy snack In other words, the snack content would be content to be consumed very quickly, without the quality is there. This is a wrong view. As with all other types of content, there is a set of basic rules to follow in creating great snack content. Here are 6. 1.Adapt your content for the targeted platform Each platform has its tone, uses, and formats. For example, a user doesn’t take to Twitter to spend hours on a single video. Like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, Twitter is a platform designed to accommodate short and engaging content. Be careful, this doesn’t mean you should forget about more storytelling-oriented platforms, like Facebook, YouTube, or LinkedIn when it comes to snack content. They are also “snack content Friendly”! For example, short video series (1 to 2 minutes) also work very well on YouTube. 2.Create diversified content Sharing the same type of content over and over again will eventually tire out even your most loyal subscribers. The added value of snack content lies in part in the diversity of content that you can offer to your target audience – diversity in particular enabled by the variation of your existing content. We detail them later in this article with 7 types of content to consider. 3.Use the news as a base Like you, your target audience cares about the news. If a piece of news is in the headlines, try to find something in common with your business (or market) and turn it into a well-thought-out infographic, GIF, or even a meme. Moreover, if the snack content is quick to consume, it can be very quick to create if you have a process in place and templates ready for use. Thus, it makes it easier to broadcast messages by surfing the latest trends and news (newsjacking). 4.Integrate (if possible) CTAs * in your content - CTA: Call-to-Action The CTA is the key to any good digital marketing strategy. It initiates the action expected by your target audience and feeds inbound marketing strategies. That said, you don’t have to insert CTAs into all the content you produce. If you share a GIF or funny story with your audience on Twitter, a CTA might appear sluggish and out of context. 5.Design your content for mobile You’ve heard it since 2016: we’re in a mobile-first situation. That is, the share of mobile traffic (smartphones and tablets) is greater than the share of desktop traffic. This means that you have to think and optimize your content for mobile use. Especially since users today access social networks mainly from their mobile. For example, in January 2020, 98% of active users on Facebook say they connect from mobile devices. 6.Only opt for a quality result “It’s the intention that counts”. Said no successful marketer, ever. If your content does not please, your target audience will move on and will inevitably find what they are looking for a few swipes later on their various news feeds. Also, the result of a snack content must be in the era of time. It must be compatible with the trends in your market, with new uses, and with the latest graphic trends (general design and shapes used, in particular). For this, we recommend that you call in professionals. If you don’t have the resources in-house, outsource the production of your content! Call on content marketers, designers, and graphic designers to think up and design quality snack content campaigns. Good thing, we work with more than 5,000 freelance content production experts. 7 snack content formats to consider We have selected 7 types of content to consider as a priority to capture the attention of your target audience on social networks. Starting with the infographics. An infographic is a graphic document built from images, graphics, illustrations, and a bit of text. Most often, the goal is to make the consumption of advanced content more digestible and enjoyable. How to create an infographic? Creating quality infographics cannot be improvised. It is not enough to copy/paste a few colorful graphics and doodle a few illustrations. Ideally, you should use the services of a graphic designer. If, however, this option is not possible for you, you can also embark on the adventure alone – under two conditions. 1. Get inspired by current trends Before you jump into creating an infographic, soak up the latest graphics trends. You will learn from it some good practices that will be very useful when designing your own. 2. Use tools adapted to your skills We have selected 4 tools, classified by difficulty of use, to assist you in this task. Venngage (beginner level) Venngage is a SaaS that offers you a large sample of ready-to-use and fully customizable templates. Canva (beginner level) Just like Venngage, Canva offers hundreds of templates that you can modify and customize as you wish. Sketch (intermediate level) Sketch is a Swiss Army knife tool that allows you to design websites and applications, but also to create CTAs and other infographics. Illustrator / Photoshop (expert level) Illustrator and Photoshop will allow the most talented of you to make great infographics. However, they are also more expensive tools. Here, it is not a question of skimming all the Even du Figaro quotes to share pieces of sentences taken out of their original context. So forget the quotes from Gandhi, Charlie Chaplin, and Socrates. At best, your audience will ignore your posts. At worst, you will lose subscribers. In the corporate world, a valuable citation must meet at least three criteria : - It must be original (read “unique”). - It must be interesting. - It must highlight a personality or a profession known to your audience. How to create engaging “quote posts”? As interesting as it is, a quote will only engage your audience if it’s seen and read. Logical, in short. Take a look at what Adobe teams regularly do on Instagram. Why does it work? - The quote “speaks” to the target audience. - The design and concept are compelling – it also showcases Adobe products. - Sally Spratt and her company (The Lust List) are tagged on the post: a way to generate engagement within her community. If you don’t have an in-house designer, we highly recommend that you use the 4 tools mentioned above to make quotes just as nice. 3.Create your memes While the chances of you not knowing what a meme is are close to nil, a definition booster doesn’t hurt. A meme is a “ recognizable cultural element, reproduced and transmitted by imitation of an individual’s behavior by other individuals ”. On the internet, a meme takes the form of viral images and photos with personalized text. While we recommend not to overdo it, using original memes can help generate a lot of engagement with your brand. Here are two examples of Ruffles and Jimmy John’s. The first example of Ruffles, who hijacks a well-known meme to use it in a rather clever way. And a second, from Jimmy John’s this time, who created his own meme. Either way, the formula works. How to create your own Memes? If you can create your own memes with various tools, we recommend that you use IMGFlip . The tool is free, easy to use and the visuals of the most famous memes are freely available on the site. 4.Create and share GIFs GIFs ( pronounced JIF ) are a great way to grab the attention of your audience and share simple messages with cool animations. Oat milk producer Oatly is an expert on the subject. On Instagram, Oatly always accompanies his images, GIFs and videos with long posts. The result is dense content, but pleasant to consume and easy to like. How to create your own GIFs? We can only advise you to use a free tool like Giphy to create and assemble your own Gifs. The tool allows you to upload photos and videos to then transform them into GIFs. If however your skills allow it, you can also use a more advanced tool like Photoshop (from US 20.99/month ). 5. Edit short videos Rather than sharing with you yet another statistic in favor of video, here is a concrete example. “ Happy New Year 2020! ” – a sentence you’ve read hundreds of times. And as a “bonus”, here is another example of simple, funny and effective video content. How to edit your videos? The good news is technology is on your side. In 2020, you no longer need to be born a videographer to film and edit a more than correct video. Also, snack content-friendly applications such as Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, or the most recent TikTok offer very interesting in-app editing options. Now, if you want to get a professional look, we can only advise you to use premium editing software, or to call on video content professionals ). 6.Write very short articles A short blog post or memo can also serve as great snack content. If you have simple information to share with your audience, you don’t need to dwell on the subject at length. Get straight to the point. Here is an example with a speech by Bill Gates, who announces that he is leaving the administrative boards of Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway to focus on other projects. Rather than writing long content, which a majority of his subscribers will not read, he opted for a short format (less than 300 words), digestible and concise. In other words, if you have something simple to share on text-friendly platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, or even Medium, share short content! 7.Publish text-based social posts Finally, you can just share short messages on social media to start a dialogue with your audience. Again, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. The recipe is simple. It is necessary : - Have an interesting message to convey. - Express it clearly - Bonus: use humor. The variation of content: the secret weapon of the best marketers Creating qualitative content takes time. One of the best ways to make profitable the time spent on the production of content is to decline it in several formats. In doing so, creating snack content becomes much more affordable for any marketing team. With a good strategy in place, you might even find the time to create and share snack content every day on multiple social networks (read “where your audience is”). In this regard, Gary Vaynerchuk recently proposed a content strategy to create and share up to 64 pieces of content per day. How? ‘Or’ What? By declining and adapting your different content for several platforms. If you want this strategy to work, be sure to tailor your content for each platform (file type, format, resolution, video length and weight, etc.) . Take an example . You work for a B2B company and have conducted a video client interview to build a Success Story . You publish the interview on YouTube: Now, doing an interview takes hours, if not days, of work . In addition, the video interview format is very dense in information. You should decline it and, for example, make it into a podcast: ” Ready to snack “? 🍩 Now you have everything you need to embark on a snack content strategy to improve your brand awareness on social media.

The acutely aware thoughts can course of about forty bits of data per second; the subconscious thoughts can course of 40 Million bits of knowledge per second! The analysis will involve utilizing and building a visualised Semantic programming layer on languages akin to AspectXML, XForms, SPARQL, and XQuery all explained in 10 and Meta languages 1112 to create software program and to construct an surroundings for prime stage end-person programming. Also, many builders find it easier to write cell games in Java than other programming languages. Other languages will often make the most of html within coded pages or built-in within scripting pages. The second concept of OOP, and a essential precept if you happen to wish to learn to program with Java, is Inheritance. C and C# are programming languages primarily based on C. Java additionally derives its syntax and programming idea from C. This is named the world’s most dominant programming language and it is usually derived from C language. To make end-person programming easier it is potential to develop high stage visualised templates and translate these into program code. Principally, once the article has been programmed, the machine can minimize one proper after the opposite, nonstop and each will be the identical because the last. 3. Programs that want Object Oriented Programming (OOP) are written in C. The extra time you get from every little helper program you write is time you should use to be taught more about programming. How To Program A Symbol LS2208 Barcode Scanner Object Oriented Programming (or OOP) is actually categorized by three fundamental principles. Detailed evaluation like knowledge reduction, correlation and clustering of knowledge are easily finished with R programming. Economic forecasting, behavior evaluation, effectiveness in ads, data visualization, statistical analysis and credit score danger modeling are a number of of the major makes use of of R programming. Though this methodology is not any magical treatment for all, by speaking more directly with the unconscious mind in this method and on the big repetitious cycle that RDT (Rapid Data Switch) makes use of, the outcomes are realized in a very quick method that most individuals are unfamiliar with. programming socks meme, programming jobs from home, programming languages ranking This text examines how drag and drop programming and different forms of interactive software program development can help finish-users to program through the web. One of the attractions of pc programming is that there is a lot of drawback fixing, and you will have to clear up quite a lot of them both while you are studying as well as when you find yourself utilizing your expertise to do useful issues. You may not be aware of it, however your handheld gadgets and home home equipment might contain CPU that requires programming and has software dubbed as embedded system packages. How To Place A Person Form In Excel With VBA Regardless of what you’ve gotten heard, it will at all times benefit the novice webmaster to be taught some primary internet coding … Read More...

Stories and frames Update: The ‘Arab spring’ topic is of much interest. We have many choices regarding how we contextualize – that is, frame, or place within a framework – pivotal events (inflection points) that arose years ago. At all times, our access to the past, to history in whichever form, is through the portal of the present moment. A Jan. 29, 2021 CBC article is entitled: A society ‘awakened’: “How Mohamed Bouazizi sparked the Arab Spring, and inspired hope in future generations.” An excerpt reads: On Dec. 17, 2010, Mohamed Bouazizi was working at his fruit stand, when a Tunisian municipal inspector confiscated his produce and wares. She argued he didn’t have a permit to sell produce. Bouazizi’s family alleges the inspector then publicly humiliated Bouazizi by slapping him and spitting in his face. But when Bouazizi went to the local governor’s office to complain about the incident, he was ignored. So he bought paint thinner, returned to the governor’s office, and lit himself on fire outside the building. Bouazizi died of his injuries on Jan. 4, 2011. But his final act emboldened Tunisians fed up with government corruption to flood the streets in protest, demanding their longtime president step down. Soon, other countries in the Middle East and North Africa followed suit in a movement now known as the Arab Spring. Canadian political scientist Bessma Momani says the Tunisian fruit vendor’s legacy continues to bring people hope a decade later. “Society is more awakened. It is more conscious of … government corruption,” she told The Current. High unemployment rates and corruption have led to some people moving away from Tunisia, Momani said. But those galvanized by the Arab Spring have not “turned their backs on their countries” — they just find new, more discreet ways to protest, she explained. Storytelling appears to be wired into our brains. The frame, within which a story is presented, is a story in itself. Stories can lead to real-world consequences as the following blog post notes: Erving Goffman has addressed, in the course of his life’s work as a social psychologist and sociologist, how frames work. A previous post about his work is entitled: The story is likewise the frame. When we summarize a longer text we put together – that is, we position within a frame – a condensed, vastly simplified (and thereby frequently distorted) version of a longer, more complex and convoluted story. Belief systems demonstrate real-world consequences Frames lead to real-world consequences; initial events can in turn lead to repurposed frames: Of related interest, a Jan. 23, 2016 Guardian article is entitled: ” ‘I was terribly wrong’ – writers look back at the Arab spring five years on.” A Feb. 3, 2016 article entitled: “Social Media: Destroyer or Creator?” notes: “Alas, the euphoria soon faded, said Ghonim, because ‘we failed to build consensus, and the political struggle led to intense polarization.’ Social media, he noted, ‘only amplified’ the polarization ‘by facilitating the spread of misinformation, rumors, echo chambers and hate speech. The environment was purely toxic. My online world became a battleground filled with trolls, lies, hate speech.’ ” A Dec. 16, 2020 Guardian article is entitled: “‘He ruined us’: 10 years on, Tunisians curse man who sparked Arab spring.” [End of excerpt] A post addressing related themes is entitled: A March 16, 2016 Atlantic article is entitled: “How Syria’s Uprising Spawned a Jihad: Five years ago, the opposition to Bashar al-Assad was mostly peaceful and secular. What happened?” Law of unintended consequences Of related interest are studies that seek to make things better in the world, but which have to date achieved limited success, perhaps owing to the law of unintended consequences: The Libyan intervention: An alternative view Do the foregoing links demonstrate that we have a view of the outcome of the Arab Spring that (a) makes sense and (b) is based upon evidence? It’s a good question. The link in the sentence that follows pursues an alternative view. An April 12, 2015 Brookings Institution article – entitled “Everyone says the Libya intervention was a failure. They’re wrong” – adopts an alternative point of view, regarding the topics at hand. An April 25, 2016 New York Times article is entitled: “Robert F. Worth’s ‘A Rage for Order’”. It’s useful to figure out what works and what doesn’t, particularly in the context of what has been learned from the law of unintended consequences, in whatever form the law may manifest itself, and to move forward from there. Other studies related to unintended consequences – or what a person may choose to label as unintended consequences – come to mind including: A previous post, regarding related topics, is entitled: The Twilight of Human Rights Law by Eric A. Posner is out in November 2014 Memes drive stories As noted in a previous post, a meme is an idea, behaviour, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture. A meme has characteristics associated with frames, and serve to drive many news stories, including stories for which the supporting evidence is absent: Stories drive behaviours At times a link can be found, or postulated, between the stories that drive the action, and the consequences that ensue under particular conditions, as noted in the following posts: An April 15, 2016 Globe and Mail article by Bob Rae is entitled: “Attawapiskat is not alone: Suicide crisis is national problem.” Stories at times reflect the passage of the years among cohorts of the same or shoulder generations. Often stories relate the past to the present. The frames change less often and in less fundamental ways than the stories. Sometimes one aspect of a frame will change whereas another fundamental aspect will remain. The emergence of a global frame is not an inevitable outcome of history but history can assist us in understanding the changes in frames that have occurred. Often the frame more powerfully engages attention, and recruits belief, than the evidence; an illustration is provided in a Jan. 18, 2016 CBC The Current podcast entitled: “2011 Somali famine was a US created war crime, says journalist Alex Perry.” When evidence is cast aside, in pursuit of a story that is based on matters not related to facts and evidence, predictable consequences follow. I am reminded of a Jan. 24, 2016 CBC analysis article entitled: “Can America’s political discourse get any cruder?” A Jan. 7, 2016 New York Times article is entitled: “Before the Oscars, Some Films Face the Truth Test.” Sometimes a given story is one of several plausible alternative stories that can be told, depending upon 1) the frame and 2) the absence or presence of evidence. In the event that evidence backs up the story, the choice of evidence, out of a universe of available choices, will serve to drive the story. Sometimes the evidence is not there, because the person claiming expertise lacks it. A Feb. 8, 2016 CBC article is entitled: “Motherisk scandal highlights risk of deferring to experts without questioning credentials: Lab’s flawed hair testing echoes Charles Smith scandal, with similarly devastating effects.” Kinder than Solitude (2014) I learned of Kinder than Solitude: A Novel (2014) in the course of my non-fiction reading. If there is one novel to read in the next decade, I would recommend Kinder than Solitude (2014). The book brings to mind the exploration of similar, universal themes related to story and frame in Adele “25.” Kinder than Solitude and Adele “25” each addresses similar stories and frames. Role play and drama are central features of our lives. I have explored internal coherence at a separate post. The Government Next Door (2015) by Luigi Tomba strikes me as an exemplar of a story that has coherence from the first page to the last. The Religion of Falun Gong (2012) by Benjamin Penny is a source of fascination for me. The introduction and conclusion are of the same high level as the work by Luigi Tomba. However the middle part of the study includes qualifying words – for example, “ghoulish” and “surprisingly” – that are jarring. Each of the above-noted studies from the Australian National University is of tremendous value. Frames drive scams: A text that reminds a reader, in a vivid way, of topics that are otherwise treated in a manner that is academic and abstract, is featured in a Jan. 22, 2015 Guardian article entitled: “I want you to understand the sense of fear that Chinese people feel every day.” A Jan. 25, 2016 Guardian article is entitled: “The day Zhao Wei disappeared: how a young law graduate was caught in China’s human rights dragnet.” A Jan. 27, 2016 Toronto Star article is entitled: “West using terror threat to curtail individual freedoms, says Human Rights Watch.” A Feb. 3, 2016 Guardian article is entitled: “Activist who vanished in Thailand is being held in China, says wife: Journalist Li Xin’s disappearance is latest case in which critics of China’s Communist leaders have gone missing in Thailand.” A Feb. 19, 2015 New York Times article is entitled: ” ‘The Most Wanted Man in China’ and ‘The Cowshed.’ ” Frames are stories The frame is the story. The frame in which a story resides is the story. The frame may be a solid boundary. If the frame is permeable, the story extends beyond the frame until at the perimeter of the story a new frame emerges. The process extends to infinity. To a great degree the global market drives human perception. Sometimes it drives a person’s perception of reality. Sometimes, however, maybe more rarely, the market’s hold on perceptions is not as strong. A Jan. 22, 2016 Globe and Mail article includes a quote that notes, “If the market is just left to its own devices, it will push people out.” The article adds: “If they are pushed out, Chinatown will become little more than a Disneyfied version of its former self.” Around the late 1960s when I was a student at Simon Fraser University, I paid about $1.25 for a satisfying, memorable rice dinner at a small and cosy restaurant in Vancouver’s Chinatown. The manager appeared to be about eight years old. He ran a tight ship. He spoke with authority. Of course, that was a while ago and memories are malleable. Each story constructs its own frame; each frame presents its own story. Stories operate within rules of decorum. If something is out of place the story lacks coherence. Virtual reality comes to mind with regard to where the marketplace, a key link to any audience, leads us; a Jan. 21, 2016 New York Times article is entitled: “Where Virtual Reality Takes Us.” String theory and evolutionary game theory A Jan. 10, 2016 Quartz article is entitled: “Philosophers want to know why physicists believe theories they can’t prove.” Theoretical physics explores the limits of reliance on evidence. That being said, I would argue that there is a frame – the frame of everyday life – where evidence and evidence-based practice serves as a good tool for sense-making. An April 21, 2016 Quanta article is entitled: “The Evolutionary Argument Against Reality: The cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman uses evolutionary game theory to show that our perceptions of an independent reality must be illusions.” A combination of circumstances has impressed upon my the value of evidence, in the context of everyday life. Had I not encountered the circumstances, I would have less interest in the value of evidence; I would, that is to say, be more inclined to follow whatever belief system struck my fancy and reinforced by sense of certainty and conviction. Absence of stories Absence is a strong presence; absence communicates; absence frees up space. Absence is a pause; absence punctuates. A Feb. 2, 2016 New York Times article is entitled: “Fighting ‘Erasure'”. The article notes: “Wherever it is found, erasure, as a practice, can be detected by its preference for what Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie called the single story — for easily legible narratives that reinforce the existing order.” At a particular level, one is reminded of the Sherlock Holmes story about the dog that didn’t bark. As much as I like stories, I also like not telling stories. A story – whether complex or simple; cogent or incoherent; whatever the qualities of the story may – doesn’t lead us anywhere in particular. Pop Art offers a way to acquaint oneself with the role of frames in the perception of everyday life. Pop Art: The Independent Group to Neo Pop, 1952-90 (2012) features an overview of the relationship between art-related stories and frames. Pop Art: 50 Works of Art You Should Know (2013) describes how a particular frame, introduced or re-introduced at a particular time, regarding what constitutes art – the continuation of a narrative that dates back to Marcel Duchamp among others – played a key role among other key players in the emergence of Pop Art. David Thauberger: Road Trips and Other Diversions (2014) prompted my recent interest in reading about Pop Art. As with other art movements, Pop Art is a celebration of the social construction of meaning in everyday life including in the lives of artists, gallerists, collectors/investors, critics, curators, art historians, event planners, and museum-goers. As many have observed, art collectors/investors and curators play a key role in determining what is defined as the preeminent art during a given era. The broader frame is the role of power in history; a good overview of stories/frames in relation to power is available in studies under the category of power (social science) at the Toronto Public Library. A Feb. 25, 2016 New York Times article is entitled: “Pop Art International: Far Beyond Warhol and Lichtenstein.” Three additional overviews regarding related topics come to mind. One is The Rebel Sell: Why the Culture Can’t be Jammed (2004). A related overview is highlighted in a post entitled: The hippies were the creation of the American advertising industry, according to Thomas Frank (1997). Of related interest is: Crafting Identity: The Development of Professional Fine Craft in Canada (2005). A related study is entitled: Community Organizing: Theory and Practice (2015). The study is of interest for two reasons. First, it commodifies community development within the framework of neoliberalism. Secondly, it highlights information that may indeed be of practical value for community self-organizing. Social interactionism offers one way among others to make sense of art-world (and community-organizing) stories and frames. A Feb. 22, 2016 CBC article is entitled: “The Evidence Room revisits Auschwitz for Venice Biennale exhibit” Based on report by Ontario professor and Holocaust expert Robert Jan van Pelt.” Pair of heavy-duty metal cutters A pair of heavy-duty metal cutters in the hands of a Special Operations Executive intelligence and sabotage agent – described as a person possessed of “unflappable calm” – may have played a key role in the Allied victory in the Second World War. The role that a pair of heavy-duty metal-cutters, picked up by a Special Operations Executive intelligence and sabotage agent named Joachim Ronneberg at a hardware store in England after a night at the movies, played in 1943 in ensuring that the Nazis did not develop an atomic bomb, is highlighted in a Nov. 20, 2015 New York Times article entitled: “WWII Hero Credits Luck and Chance in Foiling Hitler’s Nuclear Ambitions.” A Jan. 23, 2016 CBC article is entitled: “Why lying is a sign of healthy behaviour for children.” With regard to this story, Bob Carswell has informed me (Feb. 26. 2016): “The film we talked about that I told you I had seen on Netflix is called The Heavy Water War….it comes in 6 episodes so there is some interesting history there. I enjoyed it.” Great Bear Rainforest A sufficiently large, accommodating frame serves a key role in conflict resolution: A Feb. 10, 2016 Guardian article is entitled: “Hong Kong’s business community is ‘freaked out’ over China’s crackdown.” A Feb. 1, 2016 Bill Bryce post, addressing the potency of storytelling in the absence of evidence, is entitled: “The Echo Chamber.” A Feb. 14, 2016 CBC article is entitled: “19th-century literature constrains our concepts of love, scholars say: 2-dimensional heroines in ‘exalted madness’ are reflected in current narratives.” A Feb. 14, 2016 Toronto Star article is entitled: “First dictionary of rare Inuit dialect published: Fifty years after anthropologist Jean Briggs lived with the Utkuhiksalingmiut, a nomadic group, linguistic landmark finally sees the light of day.” Framing processes are highlighted in a book outlined at a post entitled: The Revolution in Venezuela: Social and Political Change Under Chávez (2011). Update: Making sense of things A May 16, 2016 Science of Us article is entitled: “Here’s a New Way to Make Sense of Good People Doing Bad Things.” I mention the article in passing, as I find it useful in organizing my thoughts about the topics at hand. The article refers to related articles including an Oct. 19, 2015 Science of Us article entitled: A June 10, 2016 New York Times article is entitled: ‘The Big Picture,’ by Sean Carroll “The second challenge for today’s explainers,” the article notes, “is that the theories are getting weirder.” A June 18, 2016 Globe and Mail article is entitled: “Who needs the truth in this post-factual world?’ An Aug. 24, 2016 Poynter article is entitled: “The more partisan your online media diet, the less likely you are to believe fact-checkers.” An Aug. 26, 2016 Harvard Business Review article is entitled: “What ‘The Art of the Deal’ Reveals About Leadership Fairy Tales.” An Aug. 27, 2016 Guardian article is entitled: “From Trump to Brexit rhetoric: how today’s politicians have got away with words: Saying the unsayable has become the norm, but when public language breaks down, argues former BBC director general Mark Thompson, politics falls apart.” A March 2017 Atlantic article is entitled: “This Article Won’t Change Your Mind: The facts on why facts alone can’t fight false beliefs.” Purple Hibiscus (2003) By way if an additional update, I am impressed with the novel Purple Hibiscus (2003) by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. A blurb reads: A haunting tale of an Africa and an adolescence undergoing tremendous changes from the talented bestseller and award-winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Fifteen-year-old Kambili’s world is circumscribed by the high walls of her family compound and the frangipani trees she can see from her bedroom window. Her wealthy Catholic father, although generous and well-respected in the community, is repressive and fanatically religious at home. Her life is lived under his shadow and regulated by schedules: prayer, sleep, study, and more prayer. She lives in fear of his violence and the words in her textbooks begin to turn to blood in front of her eyes. When Nigeria begins to fall apart under a military coup, Kambili’s father, involved in mysterious ways with the unfolding political crisis, sends Kambili and her brother away to their aunt’s. The house is noisy and full of laughter. Here she discovers love and a life – dangerous and heathen – beyond the confines of her father’s authority. The visit will lift the silence from her world and, in time, reveal a terrible, bruising secret at the heart of her family life. This first novel is about the promise of freedom; about the blurred lines between the old gods and the new; between childhood and adulthood; between love and hatred. An extraordinary debut, ‘Purple Hibiscus’ is a compelling novel which captures both a country and an adolescence at a time of tremendous change. [End of text] State propaganda and related topics A 2016 RAND Corporation article is entitled: “The Russian ‘Firehose of Falsehood’ Propaganda Model: Why It Might Work and Options to Counter It.” You can find the article by pointing your browser to the above-noted title. A March 27, 2017 Atlantic article is entitled: “How Right-Wing Media Saved Obamacare: Years of misleading coverage left viewers so misinformed that many were shocked when confronted with the actual costs of repeal.” A March 29, 2017 CBC article is entitled: “‘I feel duped’: Why bank employees with impressive but misleading titles could cost you big time: Most financial professionals in Canada are licensed as salespeople with no fiduciary duty to clients.” The Accusation (2017) A blurb reads: The Accusation by anonymous North Korean writer Bandi is the first piece of fiction to come out of North Korea. The Accusation is a heartbreaking portrayal of the realities of life in North Korea. It is also a reminder that humanity can sustain hope even in the most desperate of circumstances – and that the courage of free thought has a power far beyond those who seek to suppress it.”

With an ideal world where rape will be history the focus, the push around education, laws and measures that could avoid the many rape cases recorded led a lot of conversations in 2020. Many have been involved in the fight against rape. There are different angles to it and as the fight continues, new challenges pop up every day. For example, Pulse Ghana’s campaign against rape threw more light on the medical examination fees victims are made to pay in a bid to seek justice. These fees usually hinder the prosecution process as many do not have the financial means to continue. Other trends on Twitter revealed most women are likely to keep quiet when raped because of the stigma around it. Then there is the topic around men getting raped but not being able to speak up because according to ‘society’, men can’t get raped. In all these challenges and revelations, some stood tall to push the fight and pick up any little win to change the narrative along the way. It wasn’t easy for many but their fight for an ideal world when it comes to campaigns against rape were commendable. Here are the rape campaign heroes for the year 2020. Ama K Abebrese Ama K Abebrese’s quest to help abolish rape medical examination fee since she got to know has been top-notch and one that needs applauding. She started a petition which gained thousands of signatures but did not stop there. On the education side, she dialogued with people on the topic on various platforms while not compromising on the education side. The Ghanaian actress fight against rape is one that needs recognition. Lydia is a Ghanaian actress who fits for an influencer. Her strong stance and opinions have given her admiration and criticisms at equal measure. On the topic of rape, Lydia has almost always pushed for a better society. Despite many thinking taking a stand for women is automatically being against men, the Ghanaian actress tries her best to give her support to causes that are worthy. Her opinions and support to do away with false accusations when it comes to rape had the same energy as her campaign to stop rape and seek justice for victims in 2020. This was the energy we needed and Lydia gave to those who needed. Gifty Anti has been an advocate for worthy causes and rape has been one of them. In 2020, the Ghanaian TV host has fought a lot of battles both in public and privately in the fight against rape in the country. Gifty had in the past banned popular Ghanaian relationship coach Counsellor George Lutterodt from her show ‘The Standpoint’ following his comments that rape victims enjoy the act. Her passion to push hard for a change in the narrative and stigmatisation when it comes to rape is still top-notch. The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Greater Accra Regional Police Command DSP Efia Tenge has been an educative point of contact in the Ghana Police Service when it comes to education on what to do for rape victims. When Pulse Ghana reached out ahead of our rape campaign, her demeanour showed someone who cared and wanted a change despite the enormous challenge. Her private aids alongside the directions she gives to all who need when it comes to dealing with matters surrounding rape cases in Ghana is commendable. She is a gem in Ghana. Samson Lardy Anyenini Samson’s take on the campaign against rape in 2020 has been tremendous in terms of contribution. As a show host on a popular television programme in Ghana, he used his platform and reach to educate on the topic of rape, defilement and medical treatment for victims while working in the background to aid with changing the narrative. Kwaku BS’ support for Ghanaians to take rape allegations seriously was simple in 2020. When management of his La Meme Gang group failed to act swiftly after rape allegations were levelled against two members of the group. In a statement, he wrote: "Owing to irreconcilable differences between myself and the management, as well as the membership of the collective, I have chosen to leave. I appreciate the love and support of my family, friends and supporters which was shown to me during that point in time. "I acknowledge the allegations and actions recently put forth against two members of my former collective, La Meme. I wish to say, neither their actions nor beliefs align with and represent that of mine. To all the brave and strong women who have acknowledged and recognized their power, I see you and I am in awe of your strength. This is NOT a time to be silent about any form of injustice, especially ones committed against black women." As we move into 2021, let’s all help with the fight against rape.

It’s been so long since my last post. I hope I will make some sense because it is 00.37AM here in Budapest and its so hard for me to write a complete meaningful sentence. The truth is it took me 15 minutes to write this sentence. I have been drinking with my family and now my brain just wants to shut down and go to sleep. It’s so strange that I felt sleepy on alcohol because normally i would be even more awake and have more energy if I had even just a little amount of any kind of alcohol. My insomnia is getting so weird lately too. Weird in a good way. I have insomnia but there was once I had the worst time trying to sleep got no idea why. I was just awake ALL THE TIME, like all through the day as well. I slept a couple of hours but also weirdly didn’t feel tired, or at least not tired enough to sleep. My alarm clock went off and I jumped straight out of bed and start doing something as if I wasn’t ever asleep. My mind legit didn’t go bed and i didn’t know what to do. I kept trying and trying to get REALLY TIRED and cardio and box a lot and I hoped tiring my body out will make sure I knock out earlier. Some of my friends were asking if I was extremely stressed or anxious or drinking caffeine. But like i drink on a daily basic but never felt that bad before. I tried many things to help with my insomnia, included melatonin, the gummy bear ones. Those are tasty as well and made me drowsy lol but it helped me reset a little only. Some of them then tried to make me go to the doctor because they are worried I might have any lethal disease but I know i dont have that and I DONT GO TO THE DOCTOR. But that was before, these days, since I stopped working out at night, I never thought that was a part of my sleeping disorder, I feel a little better and I start to read at night again, i could fall asleep easier. Not saying the best time sleeping but it is definitely better than before. And recently I have been waking up at around 6-8am again, it feels so good and fresh because since quarantine I always slept till noon and started my day at 1 or 2PM LOL. But that gotta change and I have to try to have a healthy lifestyle again. Since my last post, which is in 2019 XD My life has been up and down up and down since then, its not that I didn’t write anything, I did writing and I am still doing it but I write diary and I really did not have any idea what to write for my blog. Actually I have some drafts but I never actually finished them, I always started to write something down when I had new ideas but ngl I never finished what I was writing. 1.38AM I replay <Cigarettes After Sex> album, “Apocalypse” for like 2e7847384t732 times. Every time I listen to his songs and this one especially, I feel like lost or I don’t know. I love his music, his voice but I don’t know why I feel this way. I feel blue..lol I spent my entire 20 years old year wondering to myself: ‘Am I on the right track?’. This question came up every morning when I woke up and be back every night before I went to bed. Along with it are self-doubt, fear of being left behind, uncertain about the future. It feels strange when a giddy like me is being nowhere confused about the future. Back to when I was 19, I thought about nothing but: «What to eat tonight?». When I was younger, like 15 or 16, I was feeling kinda blame to my parents “Why are they making me do this?”. In my 20s, I feel ashamed when thinking about myself back then. Why ? I startled, I realised that I am in my 20s, my mother was about to give birth to my sister and me when she was at her 20s. My parents, they started from scratch, totally from zero when they were at their 20s. And me? Where am I? I still have to ask for money from my mom, not knowing how to orientate my future. There was time I felt so stressed that I bursted into tears by myself which is a really a big deal for me because I don’t cry or want to show any kind of emotions. Its not that I think emotions are for weak people. If one is brave enough to show one’s feeling, I think they are the strongest because they are able to absorb any deep feelings which are sometimes hard to handle and can lead to crucial situation. For me, its just like sometime I’m an extreme feeler and sometime my feelings and emotions are dead, there is no in between. There were so many questions “Am I making my family proud?” “Am I just overthinking ?” “When will all my hard work pay off?” I am not the only one who feels stressful After a while stressing myself out, I had several mental breakdowns, I realised that I am not alone, like not at all. I vented to my friends( I don’t really have any close friends who are at my age because I like older people’s mentality 😂), they are all order than me so I was afraid that they wouldn’t understand, but the truth is they were once at their 20s, they have been through this period of their life too. Social media is not that serious! We should stop clout chasing and comparing ourselves to others. It ain’t real. I mean its real but like people post nice shit lol i mean stuffs:) online so don’t compare your average day to someone else’s highlights. Also, not in the topic but for the love of god can we stop assuming shit about people we don’t know?? Thank for coming to my TedTalk. So back to social media, people post things that make them proud and I can confirm that. For example when someone got hired to a big company, earning a lot of money or knowing what they want and like, they post those things. No one (including me) would post about the things they have been through to get where they are right now, no one would show their darkest or depressed moments to social media. When I was in high school, I used to look at others’s profiles and be thinking “I wish my life was like theirs”. I’m sure I’m not the only now who did that. I used to attend events, programs where I met a lot of inspiring people, I was thinking “When will I be like them”. And I’m sure again I’m not the only one who had that thought. I realised that, when it comes to the age when you have to start working on your own, you will start thinking and will be stress as well. Stress comes from nowhere but you create it yourself. But, I also realised that, being stress also means that you have learnt something and you are maturing. Doing my best but also let it be for what i can’t change I tried so hard, still trying and wonder that “What should I do or expect to an unknown future?” And my answer is “Do everything I can” When I could throw all those negative thoughts, I just started to focus on myself. Focusing on my studying more and more, working and learning as much as possible and spending time for myself. Being 16 or 17 was so good, I had a carefree life, back then I thought that life is so simple, just focused on having fun and the adults just overreact and be dramatic. I thought when I start to work or to go to university, life will be still simple and not this hard. Until 20s hit me. I’m still positive of course, all of the people know me, know that no matter what happens, I’m positive. Having that said I don’t like to show the other side of me. I’m serious when I need to be serious with the ones who I feel i would connect but tbh in real life I’m sarcastic joking about everything, always, some would even say I’m immature. One of my worst trait is I would take everything as a joke and laugh in serious situations which is very BAD. I have laughed in situations where everyone was crying and thats some fucked up shit. But I guess it’s my way of keeping myself happy and a coping mechanism sort of. Just sometime people tell me that I’m too mature for my age and whenever I get that I don’t know how should i feel about it. My mom taught me a lot of things, she is my role model. She always tells me to be happy with myself, to be proud with all my achievements and to be independent and strong. But like sometime i don’t know how to be happy with myself ( which is just happens sometime because I love myself ). Just sometime having the thought that i might be giving up and stop trying scares me off. All of my friends say that I never cry or share anything to anyone even my mom which is also one of annoying traits I have. I know that everyone has their own life and problems and spending times for themselves might also be hard for them too. For me, I am the one who needs a lot of time for myself but I don’t ask or demand anything. So when anyone spends the time listening to me, I really appreciate. Even all of the stories or problems have passed, but I feel I could ease my mind. Sometime everything is so messy like those unfolded clothes. Sometime life is so unorganised, not like what I have in mind, But I’m so easy to be entertained, even by myself. A little thing could make me laugh. Like when someone sends me memes and even the meme itself is not funny but I still feel good or when I finally cook my favourite food and it turns out to be tasty or even meeting with my friends and doing nothing. As long as I live, have the opportunity to read a good book, watch a great movie, then I will know how to make myself happy. Things changed a lot since last year. I have more new friends but also lost some. I feel sad for some but for some I feel like its for the best. Life is a challenge everyday. Things are so messy and unorganised as my post right now, I write whatever comes up to my mind so I’m sure tomorrow morning or I should say when I wake up i will laugh my ass off reading this again. Things changed but I’m thankful for that because I’m maturing and those hard times have passed and I have learnt my lessons, learnt from all the people, the environment, even from myself. I know myself and I know there is a side of me thats unlike anybody else. I might enjoy being unconventional or i could feel self-conscious about it. But my life works better when I accept that I’m different. Its natural for me to want to have exciting experiences and live a unique, provocative life. Life is evolving in unforeseen ways, so stay open to the unexpected – it is taking you exactly where you need to go People and including my friend told me that I might have a selfish or emotionally unavailable authority figure who made me this way. I never answered but I know they were right. I can’t handle the pain of losing someone I love. Having experienced losing one of the people I love the most in this world is so painful. After my father passed away, I had a depression period and thats when my insomnia started. I created a wound so deep that being hurt emotionally is all i know and what I’ve come to expect from a relationship. My fear of being hurt is so great to someone will suddenly be gone out of my life and not there anymore is so scary, I haven’t even allowed myself to be in a vulnerable situation. But everything needs to be moving on and I should take this as another opportunity to feel my feelings – including gratitude for what has happened in the past and concentrate on my inner life. Allow the complexity of this time to work its alchemy. Immerse myself in all things that support my life intent. I know I will feel a deep sense of satisfaction and relief when I have found my way, its an inner knowledge that my direction has aligned with what’s intended. A part of me is attracting overwhelming circumstances that are beyond my control and are taking me deeper. I don’t judge or take anything too serious but a part of me is analytical and detail-oriented, i have the capacity to notice everything, set high standards for myself and work meticulously to reach my goals. So yeah I will end this unorganised post here because I have been more than 3 hours LOL and my intention was let update a quick short post. And this one is for myself and for anyone who reads it :D. We are all fucked up sometimes but we will get there, just stay strong. The best things in life happen unexpectedly. If there is an opportunity to grow, take it. If not, then hang in there, it will come.

Message from Simon Sasquatch in Nick Fuentes Server #memetics We pop music now Take me home You got Taxi Driver-wave? I've been needing a new wallpaper I can grab the Taxi Driver ones, their on my phone I want that shit. I need old school DeNero. There you go I have some more good general right-wing papes if you want 'em Love this meme Paul Nehlen is very quickly becoming George Lincoln Rockwell Groyper Lincoln Rockwell

Our FREE newsletters provide a daily roundup of the morning’s top headlines. Subscribe today! In Shanghai, Peggy Liu’s family has largely adapted to China’s chronic air and water pollution — even accepted it as part of the price to pay for living in one of the world’s most vibrant, compact and convenient cities. But it’s going to take more than water filters and pollution masks to survive China’s next looming environmental disaster. It’s going to take a dream. China’s middle class is projected to grow from 474 million today to 800 million by 2025, and Liu is among many sustainability experts concerned about the unprecedented strain that growth will put on the planet’s resources. Liu, co-founder of the Joint U.S.-China Collaboration on Clean Energy (JUCCCE), spoke at an Ensia Live event Wednesday at the University of Minnesota about her solution: the new “China Dream” (Midwest Energy News is a media sponsor for the Ensia Live series). At its core, it’s about giving China’s growing middle class a new, greener path to aspire towards — one that doesn’t emulate the “American Dream” of ever-growing consumerism. “What we need to do is decouple the rise of living standards with the traditional rise in energy use and consumption,” Liu said. Up to now, most of China’s pollution has been driven by the West’s desire to consume, Liu said. “This isn’t just China polluting for polluting’s sake.” But China is quickly shifting from “made in China” to “consumed in China.” It’s the fastest growing market for everything from SUVs to soft drinks, and its per-capita carbon footprint is expected to catch up to the United States’ by 2017. “We cannot continue to blindly follow the American lifestyle. This is simply unsustainable for China and the world,” said a Chinese housing and development vice minister, Qiu Baoxing, at a recent JUCCCE training event for mayors. Since 2007, JUCCCE has organized community discussions about what a sustainable Chinese Dream should look like. It’s also promoting its own vision, translated as the “Harmonious Happy” dream. Harmonious Happy celebrates “living more, not just having more.” Generally, it values experiences over things, along with urban living, shared public spaces, and safe food, air and water. JUCCCE is working with bloggers and journalists, marketers and ad agencies, and others to promote the Harmonious Happy values everywhere from social media to soap opera scripts. A key to the concept is portraying sustainable lifestyles as something to aspire to, something that signals that you’ve arrived, rather than something done out of fear or shame. That’s meant dumping the stuffy, guilt-ridden language of environmentalists in favor of a new, more aspirational language. Liu wrote for Ensia earlier this month: In the China Dream vision of a better quality of life, each focus area is phrased as an aspiration but drives sustainable behavior. “Transit-oriented design” becomes “convenient, metro-centered living.” “Trigenerational developments” becomes “vibrant living.” “Pollution reduction” becomes “safe food and water.” Sterile academic wording is replaced with personal benefits. In fact, the word “sustainability” is entirely replaced with the phrase “和悦 [harmonious happy]. The clock is ticking, though. JUCCCE believes it has just a few years for the China Dream meme to catch on or else they will lose momentum. Liu is optimistic. When it comes to policies, China has the resources and the willingness to “throw spaghetti at the wall” and see what sticks. Its centralized leadership structure allows change to happen very quickly. When she looks out the window of her high-rise apartment in Shanghai, the dust and disruption outside is easier to bear knowing that part of the construction is for a major subway expansion, which will improve sustainability. “We know that good change, that progress is coming,” Lui said.

Peony is a :gender_spelled name of Greek origin. Learn the meaning of Peony, origin, popularity and more name info. Considering the name Peony for your next baby? In Hawaiian origin the meaning of name Admon is : Red peony, The name Admon is an Hebrew baby name. The Biblical Meaning of Butterfly. Discover our cool and original products with a first name (or even your nickname! Children is everything for one, nothing is precious than a child. In Portuguese origin the meaning of name Admon is : Earth. Djimon Hounsou is a Beninese-American actor and model. But, twos make Things Or Groups Function More Efficiently. Here is the list of first names which are an anagram of Peony : Nyope, Po Yen, Poyen, All information about the baby names on this website come from various official data and open data(more information about our sources) - 0.11 sec. On the last available year for each country, we count 0 birth. Between 1922 and 2018 there were 3 births of Peonia in the countries below, which represents an average of 0 birth of children bearing the first name Peonia per year on average throughout this period. ), You can customize by clicking on the images below. By the time of the Mycenaean painting, the landscape of art and the human psyche has been revolutionized. Flowers were even associated with certain people and events in Biblical times. Etymological Meaning of the Gardenia Flower The generic name Gardenia is named in honor of Alexander Garden (1730-1791) of Charleston, South Carolina who was a botanist, zoologist, physician, and correspondent to John Ellis, zoologist, and Carolus Linnaeus, who devised the classification of genus/species we presently used today. Even the Bible did not directly refer to these beautiful creatures. The alternative origins and meanings for this baby name are: In the Greek culture, Peony means "Flower name". Find out the meaning and the origin of the name, Peony on SheKnows.com. [from 10th c.]. What to do Your Children While Staying at Home, Mark Zuckerberg Became Father of a Baby Girl Max, Samoa People – History, Culture & Traditions: Babynamescube.com. The butterfly will not usually be seen in Egyptian paintings and artifacts. What is The Role of Inspiring Baby Names in Your Life? Twos are The Opposite Personality. All information about the first name Peony. In Hebrew origin the meaning of name Admon is : Red peony, The name Admon is an Biblical baby name. In the Greek Mythology culture, Peony means "Flower name". babynamescube.com © 2020. How common is the name Peony. A Little Romantic, A Little Funny But, Always Timeless. 1653, Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician Enlarged, Folio Society 2007, p. 219: The root of the Male Peony fresh gathered has been found by experience to cure the falling-sickness. Between 1944 and 2019 there were 105 births of Peony in the countries below, which represents an average of 1 births of children bearing the first name Peony per year on average throughout this period. Version Française disponible ici … It is believed that the Greeks were the first to develop the language of flowers, assigning special meanings to the various flowers. Best Self-care Practices for Busy and Working Moms. All rights reserved. On the last available year for each country, we count 12 births. In Biblical origin the meaning of name Admon is : Red Peony Flower, The name Admon is an Portuguese baby name. It is pretty normal for the butterfly to be depicted alongside the Death Goddess. Somone with strong blood /strong roots. Top Points to Remember when Shopping for Baby Care Products. Peony is also found in at least 4 cultures and in some cases this baby name has additional meanings or alternative spellings. Pink Peony. View the meaning of Peony and other baby names from around the world. Find the complete details of Admon name on BabyNamesCube, the most trusted source for baby name meaning… An anagram is a word that contains the same letters of another word. Please take a moment to rate the baby name Peony as your opinion matters and will help other visitors who are searching for the right name for their baby. Popularity of the name Peony in 30 countries, origin and meaning of the name Peony Admon is a Boy name, meaning red peony in hawaiian origin. The name Admon is an Hawaiian baby name. Person With Number 2 Is Traits Like Yielding, Receptive, Accepting, Forgiving, Passive, Uncomplicated And Stable. Find meanings, and origins for thousands of baby names in one site! As an actor, Hounsou has been nominated for two Academy Awards. Definition and meaning of the name Peony. Plus discover thousands of other boy and girl baby names. Why Do Babies Suck Their Thumb and How to Stop Their Thumb Sucking Habit? They Are Followers, Good Subordinates And Team Members. The country where the first name Peony is the most common is: This first name has 5 letters including 3 vowels and 2 consonants, No ranking of first name PEONY (male) births over the last year available in each country, From Old English peonie, peonia et al., from, A flowering plant of the genus Paeonia with large fragrant flowers. In the Greek Mythology culture, Peony means "Flower name". Can Coronavirus Affect Pregnancy and Newborns ? Devotion To Truth And Simplicity Is Of Major Importance. The baby name Peony is of Greek origin and means flower name. 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In Michigan, a GOP congressman who complained to Vice President Pence about Trump’s racist attacks on congresswomen of color will be succeeded by a Republican who organized campaign rallies and boat parades to support the president. Emerging from this year’s competitive primaries are dozens of Republican and Democratic candidates heavily favored to win this November, a probable freshman class likely to upend the dynamics of an already polarized House. Emboldened liberals who ousted longtime, pragmatic incumbents promise to push the Democratic Party to the left, demanding votes on Medicare-for-all and the Green New Deal environmental plan as they work within the political system. On the Republican side, a legion of Trump devotees vow to follow his norm-shattering lead even if he loses reelection, casting socialism as the greatest threat to the nation and promising to stop it. And then there are the conspiracy theorists in the GOP. In a recent Facebook message, Georgia candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene, a professed QAnon conspiracy believer, posted an image of herself holding a rifle next to photos of three liberal congresswomen, an unprecedented threat that was taken down a day later. Greene is poised to replace Rep. Tom Graves (R), who was conservative but nonetheless worked with Democrats on proposals to overhaul the budget process. QAnon is the baseless theory that Trump is battling a cabal of “deep state” saboteurs who worship Satan and traffic children for sex. The FBI has labeled the group a domestic terrorist threat. “Obviously it is reflective of the polarized nation that we have,” said Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.), who heads the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus of moderate lawmakers and expressed serious concerns about the language of some GOP candidates. “We’re still going to have to govern, and you’re not going to be able to govern from the extremes.” The shift in both parties could make working across the aisle seem like a quaint idea from a bygone era, especially with the most moderate incumbents vulnerable this November. Looking toward next year, leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus are discussing how to organize their increased membership to secure wins from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Democrats are expected to keep the majority in November. At the same time, some Republicans are privately fretting about their own lot, worried that the extremes of their party will drive them into extinction. “I hope these trends reverse, but I don’t see them reversing without very principled and strong leadership emerging from those who have the responsibility to step forward and say enough is enough,” said former Rep. Charles W. Boustany Jr. (R-La.), who said his former colleagues appear to be “cowed into silence” instead of pushing back on the direction the party is going. To be clear, the transition in each party is drastically different. For the Democrats, the move leftward is a matter of policy, as they debate how to expand the safety net to ensure that minorities and low-income people receive greater access to health care and other economic support while addressing climate change and racial injustice. The dynamic is similar to the tea party movement’s original bid to push the GOP to embrace conservative principles of smaller government and lower deficits, which the party has largely abandoned under Trump. Republicans, however, aren’t technically moving right as much as they are becoming more Trump-like and embracing controversial positions. This summer, each primary appeared to be a race to convince voters who was closer to Trump, who supported him first or who loves him most. Michigan candidate Lisa McClain ran unabashedly as a Trump supporter and has organized events with top Trump ally Corey Lewandowski in a district where Rep. Paul Mitchell (R) decided to retire, in part because of Trump’s rhetoric. A business executive, McClain favors repealing the Affordable Care Act, opposes abortion and supports protection for the Great Lakes. In Texas, Trump’s former White House physician Ronny L. Jackson has lavished praise on the president while he is poised to succeed former Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry, a conservative who nonetheless broke with Trump on some national security issues. Jackson favors the border wall and term limits while calling for reducing the national debt. In Alabama, former state representative Barry Moore calls himself “the tip of the spear for President Trump.” Last weekend, Moore posted a meme supporting the teenager facing homicide charges in the deaths of two protesters in Kenosha, Wis. A picture of an armed Kyle Rittenhouse read “fought back”; the second picture, depicting two people on the ground, read “didn’t fight back.” Moore, who deleted the post, won the primary to succeed Rep. Martha Roby (R-Ala.), who in 2016 withdrew her support for then-candidate Trump when The Washington Post reported on a video of Trump boasting about grabbing women’s genitals. In Georgia, Greene also has said black people are “slaves” to the Democratic Party and called the election of Muslims to Congress an “Islamic invasion” of the government. Such comments are bound to cause serious tensions in the lower chamber with Democrats — not to mention Republicans like Reed who try to be peacemakers between both parties. Imagine, for example, Greene on the House floor encountering Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), whom she threatened in her Facebook post, or candidate Cori Bush, the Black Lives Matter activist who defeated Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) in his primary. Democrats’ internal divisions are much narrower by comparison, but they too could undergo an ideological shift next year as the number of liberals willing to stand against leadership increases. Pelosi, for example, is losing high-ranking allies in retiring House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey (D-N.Y.) and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.), who lost his primary to political newcomer Jamaal Bowman. The liberal group Justice Democrats backed Bowman and Mondaire Jones, who is poised to replace Lowey and recently argued in an interview that now more than ever Democrats need to pass Medicare-for-all. “In the midst of a global pandemic that people are comparing to the 1918 Spanish flu . . . it seems urgent to support the only health care policy that would literally insure everybody and prevent that kind of misery that we’ve seen,” Jones said. With Republicans frequently attacking those views as “socialist,” some Democrats fear that the rise of the left next year could undercut the party’s gains. Pelosi, for example, has not allowed a full House vote on Medicare-for-all or a Green New Deal, surmising that public sentiment isn’t there and such a roll call could be used against her moderates in swing districts. The contradictory positioning all but ensures internal Democratic battles. “Remember: The reason we’re in the majority . . . is that the Republicans went too far to the right and began to irritate the American public,” said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Mo.), who argued that Pelosi will keep the left in check with what he called her “velvet hammer.” “I think we would make a mistake if we did the same thing, except in another direction.” Progressive Caucus leader Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who is organizing the likely incoming liberals, has reached the opposite conclusion — and harbors a different fear. Trump, she likes to say, is both the cause of turmoil and a symptom of a frustrated working class fed up with traditional Republicans and Democrats and looking for a new standard-bearer. “Whether you like Trump or not, you have to recognize that,” she said, arguing that lofty goals of moderation and bipartisanship miss the mark — and that it’s time for change. “It’s a really different landscape. We have to think about the populism that has swept the country. . . . What are the policies that are going to drive working people?” If Democrats take over and don’t deliver, only then should they fear a loss of power, she said. Former congressman Joseph Crowley (D), whose surprise 2018 loss to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) sparked the left’s move to challenge establishment Democrats in primaries, downplayed the rise of the liberal movement. What’s happening, he said, “is a result in no small part of Donald Trump’s election and what it has done to exacerbate that extreme and the need for reaction to the president.” “That kind of pushes people like . . . myself a little bit to the side, but I do think that the party itself is more represented of moderation,” he said. “I’m not a socialist. I’m not a democratic socialist. I’m a Democrat — cradle to grave. . . . I think that’s more reflective of the Democratic Caucus itself.”

Bitcoin entered the pantheon of interesting technologies just over 12 years ago, and while you’ve probably heard a fair amount about them, you may not really understand what Bitcoin—and other cryptocurrencies—are. Well, this month we’re going to try to give you a basic rundown of what a Bitcoin is. Whoa, whoa, whoa...money? Yes! Like many other types of currency such as the yuan, the dollar, the euro, and the ruble, Bitcoin is real money. It is what is called a cryptocurrency and it is (very) slowly becoming a universally accepted currency. Its actual value comes from its scarcity, which we’ll touch on in a bit. Bitcoin first entered the public consciousness when the value of one skyrocketed from a relatively measly few hundred dollars to about $20,000 in late 2017. Since then, Bitcoin has garnered its own following and inspired many to seek it out for themselves. Here’s the thing that a lot of people overlook about money: it’s little more than a symbol to represent value, essentially an IOU from the government backing it—rather than a voucher stating how much of that government’s treasury is due to the person possessing it. This kind of currency is known as fiat money, and is known for its economic stability. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are different. Instead of a bank or a nation backing the currency, cryptocurrencies are self-managed with their own transaction histories recorded in perpetuity. Bitcoin is generated through “mining”—a computer processing complicated equations to generate a packet of data. The trend has actually generated shortages in high-end computer hardware and boosted demand for data centers worldwide. However, this boom has led to a much slower generation rate of new Bitcoin… the more miners seeking it out, the more Bitcoin mined successfully, and the more processing it will take to generate more. As Bitcoin can’t really be mined on consumer-grade or even business hardware for any real return, the investment to make it work is formidable. Not only is the hardware needed expensive in and of itself, maintaining that hardware takes a lot of time and draws a lot of power. Estimates have posited that the carbon footprint used to maintain Bitcoin is in line with the carbon footprint of the entirety of New Zealand, which suggests that environmental regulations may be applied to mining at some point in the future. The major selling point behind Bitcoin is that it is anonymized. While there is a public record of all transactions, identities remain hidden. By establishing a Bitcoin wallet on your computer or in the cloud, the wallet’s ID is then associated to your transactions. This enables Bitcoin to be used for effectively everything from illicit goods and materials to home goods from Overstock—effectively, the merchant just has to accept them. More than anything else, however, Bitcoin has become a bit of a speculative stock market, miners seeking to make a profit by buying up Bitcoin when the value is low and selling it off when prices are high. Let’s make this clear: any investment, regardless of what it is in, carries with it some level of risk. Bitcoin adds a few more—your money could be deleted due to a hardware failure or a virus, and a wallet could be stolen from the cloud without any of the insurance that a bank account offers. Bitcoin is not the only cryptocurrency by a long shot. One that has also seen a recent surge in popularity is the meme-inspired and Elon Musk-promoted Dogecoin… almost strictly because Musk tweeted about it. Look, nobody said that cryptocurrency makes sense. Have you considered cryptocurrency as a potential investment? Tell us why or why not in the comments!