#(and no… usually I don’t have time to record clips like this… there was downtime because several clients cancelled due to flooding)

[northwestofinsanity]

What a fun day to work at a veterinary hospital, as a classic rock addict who could make several lyrical puns about it whenever the occasional minor and funny inconvenience from it came up! There’s even a six-inch deep pond and a river flowing through the parking lot!

[comeliashawnae]

You were conceived on the last night of the waning moon. The waning gibbous moon. Or to put it simply enough the last quarter moon. Six days into the year of 2021 and I was hoping for it to be better than the year 2020. So isolated and locked in. 2020 was such a blur so it was my mission to make 2021 better. I guess you were meant to make 2021 better.

According to the stars, astronomy, the universe, astrology whatever you wanna call it. The lunar phase is a very fertile time. Unbeknown to me and daddy.

January 6th was just a day. It started off as a regular day anyway. I went to work and then all day on the news and the internet was telling the crazy, scary, story about the capital riots. A bunch of very mean people went to a very important building and tried to hurt a lot of innocent people. In between downtime at work I was getting online and watching video clips of everything and seeing all the scariness of what was happening.

That really made me think “wow so this is how we’re starting 2021.”

Nobody cared about the safety of others. They went from complaining about having to wear a mask to “they stole our election so we have to take it back.”

Selfishness and greed is what I saw that day. It angered me so much. When I got home the very first thing I did was get on my computer and make a vlog about the capital riots.

While recording that video I was not thinking about my future kids. I was not thinking about anything. I was just angry. At that very moment I was angry. I was angry at the white privilege I was seeing. I was angry at the hypocrisy I was seeing. I was angry at the double standards I was witnessing. If anything I was thankful that I didn’t have children yet to witness this chaoticness.

Maybe everybody was acting crazy because of the moon. Maybe that lunar phase was messing with everybody’s brains. The last quarter moon is known to do that. The night before the full moon is known to change people.

In the case of me and daddy, it definitely did.

Time went by and I was still upset about the capital riots and decided I wanted to do a more detailed vlog. I was trying to get your Uncle Nathan to do it with me. He kept prolonging it and then eventually canceled on so me and Auntie Tasha did it instead. That happened in mid to late January. Also around that time I started to notice Titan getting very clingy. More than usual to be exact. I questioned that, but ultimately ignored it.

Then at the beginning of February I started getting a weird metal taste in my mouth. I was very confused about that. A few of those chocolate eggs were out, maybe I accidentally ate the foil. I had made myself mimosas with champagne and orange juice. Maybe some of the foil wrapper fell into my glass and I drink it by accident. That’s what I kept telling myself. Because nothing else made sense. It tasted like aluminum was just in my mouth. I don’t know what made me look it up but I looked it up. The first thing that came up was some type of sinus infection. No stuffy nose no runny nose. So I know that wasn’t it. The second thing that popped up was pregnancy. Momma was in denial and I ignored that. Because how? But once it was in my head and I couldn’t ignore that.

This was February 9. I got off work at 3 PM that day. I came straight home. Daddy and I had got into an argument the night before because he threw out my cream puff pastries. I went ballistic on your father for throwing out my cream puff pastries. I honestly knew I was going a tad bit overboard but I couldn’t stop myself from being angry. That probably should’ve been a major sign for everybody. So we were still somewhat annoyed at each other. Daddy had also broken his phone during this time so he had left and just said he’d be back. I have two phones my regular iPhone and then my TracFone that I use for my photography. He didn’t take either phone with him that day. So your Grandpa Tim called looking for daddy and I let him know he had stepped out. I did not tell your Grandpa Tim the discovery that was going in my head.

After I hung up with Grandpa Tim I went to the bathroom and took a little test. I was not expecting the results that I got. I took the test and immediately walked out of the bathroom to call your Big Mama. Not about the test. Not about the potential of you. I just needed to talk to your Big Mama about other stuff. I did not let her know what I was doing. Me and Big Mama were talking for those three minutes. You changed my entire world in three minutes. Three minutes everything changed. As I was still on the phone with your Big Mama I walked back into the bathroom and I saw two red lines. My jaw dropped and I gasped. Your Big Mama was not paying attention to the change in my voice. Your Big Mama did not hear me gasp. Your Big Mama was still rambling about something and my head was in a whirlwind. She was still talking but then eventually said something, I said "OK" and we hung up. I stared at those two lines in complete awe for about five minutes or so. I actually had a total of three test. So I took a second one and I did not leave the room on that one. I sat there and watched those two lines appear, quite quickly. Four dark hard red lines. It was official, there was a baby in me. Like I said daddy’s phone was broken so your Nana called me looking for him. I was very nervous to tell your Nana. I really can’t remember what Nana wanted daddy for. My head was still in a whirlwind at that point. Especially looking at two different tests and both of them were positive. Right as your Nana was about to hang up I stopped her and told her I needed to tell her something. At that point those words have not left my mouth. At this point 20 minutes or so have gone by and I finally said the words “I’m pregnant.”

Your Nana was very surprised. But excited. Before your Nana called I was trying to call back Big Mama. But she didn’t answer. So after I hung up with Nana I texted a picture to Auntie Amelia. Auntie Amelia called back very quickly. Auntie Amelia, just like your Nana, was also very surprised. (And then she ended up surprising me a few months later.)

Then your Big Mama finally video called me back. I hung up with Auntie Amelia and I showed Big Mama the positive test. Big Mama had the biggest smile on her face. She did not hide her excitement at all. Her exact words were “well I’m excited” and started laughing. Your Uncle Nathan and Uncle Reggie had already made her a grandma. She was very excited that it was finally my turn. Your Big Mama was very excited for you.

As we were still on the phone your daddy came home. I got nervous and ran back into the bathroom and shut the door. Big Mama told me to stop acting like that and go tell him. Baby, Momma was very nervous at that moment. But I told her OK and we hung up and I grabbed one of the tests and walked out of the bathroom.

I walked out of the bathroom holding a positive pregnancy test.

Daddy didn’t know it was positive but he did say that I seemed different. Of course, he was very suspicious when I ran back into the bathroom like a weirdo. But when I came out the bathroom holding that test, he knew everything was different. Daddy’s words, “Yes, no? What does that mean?”

As he was doing thumbs up thumbs down hand motions. I looked at him as the tears started to form and said “We’re having a baby!”

Your daddy ran to me and hugged me tightly and cried like crazy. I was officially crying as well. He followed me to the bathroom and I showed him the other test. For good measure I took a third test. They were a dollar each and I wanted to be sure. We both tried calm ourselves enough to call Grandpa Tim on facetime. Daddy was still crying a bit when Grandpa Tim answered which made him think something was wrong. Daddy sniffled and said that everything was fine.

“You’re gonna be a grandpa.”

Everyone was surprised, just let me say that. But in a good way. A very good way. Grandpa Tim smiled and was very happy. Now how I told your Pops was funny. You are his 8th grandchild, which made me think of an old tv show. So I called him and said “is eight enough?”

“What?” he said.

“Is eight enough?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Grand baby number 8”

“By who?”

“By me!”

“Stop playing”

I laughed then he said he’d call back. He didn’t. Pops was very happy. Next I texted your Uncles and Auntie Tasha a picture of the tests. Uncle Nathan responded first, very confused. I just responded “Yes.”

Still confused he said “Yes what?”

“It’s my turn to make you an Uncle.”

He sent a bunch of fainting GIFs, so did Uncle Boochee. Auntie Tasha said she was flabbergasted, but in a good way. Then Uncle Nathan kept suggesting a bunch of odd names for you. But anyway, I went to the clinic the next morning and saw you for the very first time, you were 5 weeks old. Daddy and I both had the same question. Was that little dot for sure a baby? The nurses confirmed you were there. I cried. Then I asked what your due date was, at first they thought you would be here on Daddy’s birthday. That definitely made me cry more. The nurse asked was that a bad thing, I tried to talk but couldn’t stop crying. So Daddy, with tears in his eyes, answered for us. Saying it’d be pretty cool for you two to share a birthday. They asked me to come back in 2 weeks to get a better view of you. So for 2 weeks I told no one else. For 2 weeks. Well your Big Mama told Auntie Donna cuz she was excited. She does that.

But I did tell my job, they needed to know. But other aunts, uncles, and cousins did not know. And the 6th and 7th had two different gatherings. Your big cousin Jekira’s birthday party, and Uncle Troy did a small gathering for the Superbowl. You were there the whole time and I didn’t know. Singing happy birthday eating cupcakes one day. Then watching football and eating chicken wings the next day. And you were along for the ride the whole time.

My Facebook announcement was simple picture of Titan next to a sign. Stoney had hurt his back the day of the Superbowl so I left him with Pops to recover. That was the only Facebook announcement I had made in those 2 weeks was Stoney getting hurt and a picture of him with the cone of shame. But that picture of Titan, that caught attention. It had snowed real bad and black ice covered the roads so everything got put back on lockdown pretty much. All I did was go to work, and take a picture. The picture was Titan sitting next to a sign that said

“Someone’s Gonna Be A Big Brother Oct 2021!” and the caption read

“I didn’t get into the snow too much last week just enough to take this picture.”

I fell asleep and hour later I woke up to a crazy amount of notifications. Lots were shocked. Lots were happy. Daddy's auntie simply said “About time.”

We got another ultrasound earlier that day. I had the biggest smile on my face as Daddy and I posed for a picture. That caption said “Yes its real! Due in October possibly on or around his birthday!”

Everyone was so happy about you.

Then in May Daddy got the next best day of his life. The day we found out you were a boy. We decided on the baseball theme. Uncle Nathan was the only one to know. I knew he could keep a secret. Daddy was so anxious, but the second he saw that blue powder burst out, the pride on his face, the cheer he let out. I was overjoyed. Everyone kept asking what I was hoping for, I just wanted you to be healthy and happy. That is still all I want. But that look on Daddy’s face was everything. The happiness from pouring from him was my ultimate joy. The ultimate joy for our baby boy.

We're having a baby boy!

Desmond James Roy Dowd. That is your name. Your 2 middle names derive from 3 of your great grandfathers. James was Big Mama’s daddy’s first name; it was also Pops daddy’s middle name. Roy is Grandpa Tim’s daddy’s name. Desmond is your name. We found it on a name site. It's actually of Irish decent, but considered old school in the black community. After much discussion we decided on that name. You daddy will have the same initials.

---I went in for a scheduled induction on 10-17-2021 at 8pm. 5 days after your due date. Minor contractions all night even, after a cervix pill. By morning, thanks to IV drips, the contractions got stronger. So strong it was time for the epidural. As much as that hurt I almost thought about going natural, but once it was done and I was numb we just waited for your arrival. After almost 10 hours of labor I had barely made it 6cm, then you had a bm and it was, strongly, suggested to get a C-Section. Your safety was my number one concern at that point, cuz swallowing could cause something major.

Daddy got handed some scrubs and we were wheeled away to the OR. I can’t really describe what was going thru my head. Excitement that you were finally gonna be here, nervous because Big Mama wasn’t allowed in there with me. But Daddy, to my surprise, stayed calm enough for both of us. There was music playing, Michael Jackson, not sure why, but it kept me calm. This was a major surgery for me. The only thing I had done before this was my minor foot surgery where my little toe was cut off. Always where your shoes outside, that’s how I lost my toe.

Completely numb, I felt every single punch and poke, according to Big Mama said it wasn’t that long. I honestly can’t remember if the let me know you were actually coming out or not, I just know I felt them press on the top of my stomach and officially knew you were coming. I just started crying my eyes out. Absolutely nothing to do with pain, pure tears of joy. As I was crying I heard more crying, I heard you crying. They pulled down the drape and I saw you for the first time.

At 4:12 pm on 10-18-2021, 6 days after your due date, you entered this world.

8lbs 2oz and 20 3/4 inches.

They asked Daddy to cut your cord, he was scared, but eager. I heard you cry that entire time. They put you in my arms and I could not stop crying. You curled up to my neck and started sucking your thumb. I heard Daddy talking, but I'm not sure what he said. I looked at him and said, “We just had a baby.”

He kissed my forehead thru his mask in agreement.

You were conceived on the night on the waning moon. The last quarter moon, the first last quarter moon of 2021. The moon of the libra. The moon made for your daddy, and you. You’re a libra like your daddy. Your sign is represented by the scales. You balance things. Your element sign is air. Without air fire can’t breathe. Air makes the fire stronger. You've definitely made me stronger. Your planet is Venus. The detriment planet is Mars. Mars is my planet. Also like me, you’re a cardinal sign. God sent you to me knowing we’d match on some level. But you’ll be your daddy’s BFF. That’s his plan anyway. Two Libra’s, two sets of scales, two bursts on wind. You and Daddy.

You were born on the waxing gibbous moon. This moon was for my sign. My organs were more sensitive during this time, but you, my libra child, balanced everything out. You kept me safe.

You came 6 days past your due date. Daddy and I were nervous. I’m thinking that’s why you waited. You prolonged to get us ready. We’re ready.

You were convinced on the last night of the waning moon, and then was born in the middle of the waxing moon. 2 days before the full moon. And by the light of the moon I shall protect you.

[sailor-cresselia]

Zi-O Ep 42: OKAY THEN

Just as an aside, with this episode, I’ve officially begun my sixth document for writing these liveblogs. I may have gotten in over my head.

When last we saw our nominal heroes, Sougo’d been dropped into an altered timeline, where Kakogawa Hiryuu is basically ruling as Another Zi-O II. The ‘II’ is significant, because he’s gotten an upgrade. Also, Decade’s here!

Now… on with the show!

-

:whimper:

Okay, so. Geiz is pissed – justifiably so, since he’s lost a lot of his comrades in battle. If defeating Zi-O will help him avenge them, then so be it.

Sougo doesn’t fight back. Drops his transformation, even. After all…

As we see in a flashback, with the orchestral version of Toki no Ouja playing, When they started truly working together, Geiz promised that if Sougo ever went evil, he would make sure to stop him.

Not as a threat by then, but as a reassurance. That he wouldn’t let his friend, even if he wouldn’t put it in those terms yet, become a villain.

(As an aside, that scene? Back in episode 16? Was immediately before the first time we heard Toki no Ouja, making its use here super appropriate.)

So of course Sougo is willing to let him do this. Even if he isn’t the same Zi-O that’s ruling this time… he’s still at risk of going that path. He wasn’t able to stop Oma Zi-O – couldn’t even dent him – so… if this will keep him from rising to power, even in this altered timeline where Hiryuu is in charge…

Then so be it.

And Geiz was going to do it, too. He was flat out aiming to kill Sougo – for the second time in two episodes, because of that whole situation where Sougo nearly got decapitated last episode.

And once again, someone stopping time is what saves him.

This time, it’s Tsukuyomi… with a red cloth around her arm. The same type that Tsukasa has around his, and that Geiz has around his leg.

We know that Geiz and Tsukuyomi are part of the resistence, and said resistance has access to weapons. Tsukasa showed up last week with a LITERAL ASSAULT RIFLE.

For the record? HOLY SHIT, TSUKASA. And stop lurking over around that corner, you’re making everyone (read: me) nervous!

…

Well, he did stop lurking. If only to start walking toward the trio, and say “good going”. Or “that’s it”, in a ‘that’s the way’ type of phrasing.

Just last week, he said that Sougo needed to rely on his friends. Okay, not in those exact words, because he wouldn’t be Tsukasa if he wasn’t a cagey, snarky, asshole, but still. He implied that Sougo needed to rely on his friends.

Natsumi, Yusuke, please come pick up your photographer.

…Oh, and could you also pick up your thief, while you’re here? He’s up to something. Again.

Saying something about how since this world has changed, he can get something nice.

…Having watched Decade now, I definitely like him better with darker hair.

Swartz walks out of the mansion, the one with the statue of Hiryuu in front, and smirks.

-

After the OP, we return to the former 9-to-5 shop. Clearly, a strip of red fabric is the sign of the resistance, because everyone in here – Junichiro included – is wearing one. Heck, even the radio has a band of red wrapped around the base!

Junichiro’s most worried about if Sougo’s the overlords minion – or possibly the overlord himself – because this is an aid house. There are wounded people here – are they in danger?!

He’s so nice!

(I still wonder how much he knows in the normal timeline, but… well, that’s a moot point at the moment.)

Okay, so Tsukuyomi and Geiz don’t know Tsukasa. This implies that the outfit is what he was assigned, and that he’s not technically part of the resistance. And needs to stop doing whatever that is he’s doing with the bread, back there. Seriously, dude, cut it out. Are you just. Picking it apart? Why?!

… … Ah. Junichiro trusts that they didn’t bring the overlord here, because he knows that they know he couldn’t defend the people in the base. He’s not very strong, after all. He used to be a clocksmith. (That past tense hurts so much, guys.) But his next line is. Worrying.

“Time’s always been with me.”

Come on! I like you now! Please don’t do this to me!

And when he repeats that line, it overlaps with Tsukuyomi saying that time’s been rewritten.

Sougo’s explaining how he used to fight along with them, and with Woz.

This is all okay and fine, except for the part where Geiz and Tsukuyomi don’t know who Woz is, either.

Naturally, Sougo has a bit of trouble answering exactly who they’re all fighting against, seeing as technically they’re fighting him… But Tsukasa has exactly zero trouble saying that Sougo’s technically supposed to become the overlord, because he’s an asshole. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy watching Tsukasa, but. Well, there’s no denying it.

Geiz, being Geiz, immediately tries to go on the offensive, only to be stopped by Tsukuyomi, who, being Tsukuyomi, wants to try and trust Sougo.

The more things change, huh?

So, Geiz storms out, because he’s going to stop Zi-O, damnit, no matter which Zi-O it is. For the moment, he’s going to focus on Hiryuu.

Tsukasa, munching on bread: Wow, he’s stubborn, isn’t he?

Sougo, having had about enough of this: You’re actively making this worse!

…oh no, seeing everyone in the front room, including his uncle, terrified of Sougo…

My heart.

-

Now, back to the mansion and it’s throne room, with Hiryuu going to sit on his throne. Interestingly, Another Ghost and Ex-Aid are standing as guards. Huh.

…! HUH! So, Woz’s book? You know how in the opening, we have him showing it to us, and it basically plays a video?

He shows Hiryuu a video clip of Oma Zi-O with the book. Nice.

And here’s Hora, bored and sick of being Hiryuu’s watchdog/nanny/minder, with a red drink. Again, I feel I should note, because when the Time Jackers have downtime, she winds up with one of those a lot. She doesn’t really care so much that times been rewritten, or how Hiryuu watns to take Sougo’s future of becoming Oma Zi-O, but seems to think he’s being a little… hasty. You know, since several of his Another Riders were defeated.

He says he’s just getting started, and that he won’t stop, even with their deaths. This is worrying for a number of reasons.

First, Hora didn’t say they died. Hiryuu did. That’s not a translation thing, either, I don’t think; the phrasing they both used was different, and I’m pretty sure I heard Hiryuu say ‘die’ in there.

This implies that he won’t be able to summon the recently defeated Another Riders again.

So! That’s ‘a little’ worrying!

And the fact that he’s not going to let it stop him, either; that he’s just going to keep using his power to rewrite time. He says this while practically fondling the Another Zi-O watch, holding it reverently in his hand.

…What could this boy have been, if he had never been given this watch? If he hadn��t been soured so badly that he’d be so willing to use it like this?

Woz looks down a bit when Hiryuu makes his ‘I’ll use my power to rewrite time’ comment. Not sure if that’s a ‘distressed’ looking down, a ‘sure you will’ look, or what. But it’s definitely some sort of doubt.

Hi, Daiki, what’re you doing here?

Shooting out the chandeliers? Cool, cool.

Saying that the power to rewrite time sounds super nifty, and that you want to take it?

…Okay that MIGHT be a bad idea, I’M JUST SAYING.

…Last time we saw you, you were giving the Future Note to Oma Zi-O. … …

Oh my god I might not have been as far off as I thought with my “Oma Zi-O is technically Another Zi-O” theory.

I figured it was shot to hell when we almost immediately went into an Another Zi-O arc after I came up with it, but maybe not!!!

(Heh, shot. And we’ve got Diend here.)

Daiki, you’re the best right now.

Not only does he summon Specter and Brave to fight off Another Ghost and Ex-Aid, he uses Blast to just. Shoot the Another Zi-O watch out of Hiryuu’s hand before he can use it.

I love tracer shots, especially when they just nyoom right around the other combatants, and manage to angle the watch right to Daiki’s hand.

Also, Specter and Brave took out the Another Riders, allowing Diend to just take the watch and run out of the room.

UNFORTUNATELY, Swartz is RIGHT outside the door, just lounging around, and freezes Diend. Because of COURSE he does.

The purple bastard takes the watch, and gives it back to Hiryuu, saying that since defeating Sougo is his wish, he’ll leave him to it, and to let him take care of this situation. Hora’s not happy about being sent off with Hiryuu again, but she does still go along with it.

And THEN Swartz freaking telekinetically throws Diend into a WALL, knocking him out of his transformation.

Why is this guy so effective against actual veteran Riders?! I mean, escalating stakes and all, but both Tsukasa and Daiki have been in serious pain after he attacks them. Daiki can barely talk.

“Oh, you like treasure, huh? I’ll give you something good, then… but you’ll have to do something for me, as well, and I’m not giving you a choice.”

He then proceeds to grab Daiki by the hair and send waves of purple energy through him, WITH DAIKI SCREAMING IN PAIN!

Woz looks on with a somewhat… disapproving expression.

-

Geiz. Geiz, sweetie. You do know Sougo, just. You’ve been whammied by temporal distortions, that’s all.

(You know, kind of like the team was doing to the Riders in the early part of the season.)

(Just saying.)

(Even if they weren’t faking it, please let them remember and have gotten their histories back after HeiGen Forever. Come on, Toei, give us that, at least.)

Sougo, depressed: Can we talk?

Geiz, sulking: Screw you.

Tsukuyomi, tired: If we work together, we can defeat Hiryuu-

Hiryuu, asshole: lol no, I’m the only Kamen Rider Overlord we need around here.

Hiryuu: I’m going to replace you as the evil overlord.

Sougo, incredibly depressed: I’m actively trying to not be the evil overlord, okay? You’re going down.

This is not the type of joint transformation I usually like to see, but it’s a really good one! You don’t usually get two forms of the same rider transforming, but Hiryuu is Another Zi-O II, and Sougo is going into the normal Zi-O II form.

Mirror matches are really fun.

… FFS Geiz. “I’d be okay with them killing each other.” STOP THAT.

Sougo, somewhat outmatched by Hiryuu’s ENGERY PUNCHES, pulls out the Grand watch.

Daiki thinks that sure does look nifty. He’s honored that Sougo remembers him.

(Memories were a bit of a ‘theme’, back in Decade.)

He hopes that Sougo will be able to remember his new power.

(Memories wound up being a powerful thing, back in Decade.)

He extends his hand – and both Zi-O’s are paused in time.

Oh No.

Hora and the others aren’t frozen, though – you can see Tsukuyomi’s hair blowing in the wind – and Hora’s not amused that Daiki’s got Time Jacker powers.

“Wow, this is the easiest treasure I’ve ever gotten!” (taps Sougo’s helmet on the forehead) “Sweet. Later!”

Daiki’s ‘Knife Cat’ energy has leveled up since Decade, I see.

…Daiki, Tsukasa, what’s with you two and tapping the kitty on the face? Because you’ve both done it, now. It’s a little weird. I know neither of you are skilled at flirting like normal people, but he is 19 and you guys are coming up on or are in your early 30’s. Cut that out!

So, Sougo tries to go after Daiki, but to no avail, because Hiryuu really wants to end him. Tsukuyomi readies her Faiz Phone X, but-

But Geiz says he’ll handle it.

He leaps in, with Revive Typhoon, knocks Hiryuu off of Sougo, and proceeds to fly right on out of there, carrying Sougo with him.

Swartz says that Hiryuu lost, Hiryuu says that Sougo just ran away.

Swartz: Are you sure he ‘ran away’? Ah well. Maybe we can make use of her…

He looks up at Tsukuyomi.

TSUKUYOMI, RUN!

-

Geiz and Sougo land on a rooftop, dropping their transformations.

Suuuure, Geiz, say that you only saved him because it was a pitiful excuse for a fight. We’ll believe you, no problem…

Sougo clearly doesn’t buy that either, but thanks him in any case. And says that he’s acting like the Geiz he knows.

…Geiz asks what ‘he’s’ like.

…Your memory of the regular timeline is coming back right now, isn’t it? (Please?)

So, Sougo describes his history with his Geiz to this one, while the piano for Over Quartzer plays in the background.

When they met, Geiz was already trying to do him in, and they were always fighting. But eventually… they were both fighting to save the future, and every time they fought, either against or alongside each other, they grew closer together. Though, Geiz hates being called Sougo’s ‘follower.’

Geiz reacts to that bit of news by yelling about why should he “have to be your follower”, and grabs Sougo by the collar.

Sougo: Yeah, just like that! :)

There’s some incredulous looks from Geiz, a scoff, aaaand the mood is killed by the stupid ringtone for the faiz phone.

And then said mood is immediately made worse by the fact it’s Tsukuyomi calling for help.

-

She’s running along the shipping docks, and is caught by… the slow, lumbering Another Build, and the suddenly appearing out-of-nowhere Another Kabuto. Not the matchup of Another Riders I’d have expected, but okay. I guess it makes sense; use Another Build to drive her into a corner, lure her into thinking that there’s only one after her – and then have the speedster zoom in, and disarm/disable her before she can react.

So Hiryuu’s plan is to use her as bait to lure Sougo in, which would definitely work… if Another Build and Kabuto didn’t proceed to get shot.

By Tsukasa “I won’t hesitate, bitch” Kadoya.

With a literal damned pistol.

What the hell is going on in this timeline, and where the hell is Tsukasa getting these guns if he’s not actually part of the resistance?!

Hiryuu – who needs to look up some Rider History, apparently – asks who Tsukasa is.

There’s really only one answer he could ever get.

“Just a passing-through Kamen Rider. Remember that.”

KAMEN RIDE

“Henshin!”

DECADE!

OOOOO, now there’s a nice touch! Not only does the Decadriver have the more recent emblems on it now, but the ring of emblems that appears around Tsukasa as he transforms has them all added in, too!

Decade tells Tsukuyomi to run for it – and, of course, Hiryuu sends his Another Riders after her. Another Build, being the worst of the Another Riders, tries to jump over some boxes, but fails miserably. Looks like his early installment weirdness and overall lack of skill stuck around.

:cackling:

When. When Geiz and Sougo make it to the scene, and they see Decade fighting Another Zi-O II.

Geiz asks who the pink one is.

Sougo: “Kadoya Tsukasa. And it’s actually magenta.”

Sougo: He gets very particular about his color terminology, so you should probably remember that.

… wait gfdi I didn’t realize until right after I typed that line that I used ’remember that’ what is wrong with me? I could have planned that, but noooo…

Geiz tells Sougo to go after Tsukuyomi, that he’ll handle Another Zi-O.

He and Decade argue a bit over who’s helping who, which is adorable.

…oh dear, I don’t believe we saw that Another Zi-O II has a sword until now, did we? Because he has a sword now. Or, well, a long staff that’s probably bladed, and is making energy clock projections every time he spins around.

-

Tsukuyomi runs into a back lot, and freezes Another Build and Kabuto… only for Uhr to unfreeze them. That’s a Time Jacker power, and he’d like to know where exactly she learned it.

And he’s good enough with it that he could freeze the blast from her Faiz Phone X along with her! Dang!

Woz, showing up right after Sougo, says that he’ll take over that particular fight, to which Uhr…

Summons…

A swirl of energy…

That becomes a cable, tying Tsukuyomi up.

… THAT’S NEW.

ALSO, I’m not fond of you pointing that gun at her while you drag her off, young man!

… HUH. Interesting.

Woz says he serves ‘the new overlord’, presumably meaning Hiryuu, since that’s how he referred to him when Daiki busted into the mansion. He tells Sougo to stand down, or he will kill him.

I can’t tell if that’s my imagination or not, if I’m actually seeing his hand tremble in the ‘over the shoulder’ shot of Woz holding the Ginga watch.

Sougo doesn’t want to fight… and neither does Woz. His duties still stand, even in this situation. He lowers the watch, and walks away.

…which duties, Woz? To Oma Zi-O? To Kamen Rider Zi-O? To the Quartzers, whomstever the hell they actually are?

Please explain in the show, because we don’t want to have to wait the six months for the movie to be subbed!

-

Daiki, the Grand watch is not a t-

Okay, well, it is a toy, but in-universe, it is not a toy, so you should really stop tossing it up and down like it is one.

Hora wants to know where he got those new powers.

Turns out… whatever Swartz did, was apparently him giving them to Daiki.

-

Uhr was instructed to bring Tsukuyomi to the mansion, apparently, most likely by Swartz.

By Swartz, who is willing to answer any questions Tsukuyomi has.

Any questions that his little sister has.

Heure clearly did not see that coming, given that he was holding the blaster-mode Faiz Phone almost directly to Tsukuyomi’s head, only to immediately lower it, with a matching stunned expression to hers, as soon as he hears Swartz call her that.

I mean, we’ve seen her being related to him coming for some time now, since she first used her time stop powers, but apparently nobody else did. They were too focused on how she got said powers.

-

In the preview…

Sougo gets Grand back at some point, we’re going to have a massive fight with a whole bunch of Another Riders, presumably against the four in the lineup we see – Woz, Sougo, Geiz, and Tsukasa, in that order – and Decade and Diend are going to have it out again.

But also.

Swartz says the throne will be his soon, over a shot of a very much in pain Woz on the floor – with a decent amount of debris around him, implying he just got thrown into/through a wall.

Uhr’s finally realizing that him and Hora have been being used.

Frankly, he should have caught on after his stint as Another Kikai, when I started telling him to GET OUT OF THERE, but the shot of him trying to back away, dragging a limp Hora, really seals the deal there.

AND THAT’S THE EPISODE.

THIS IS FINE.

I’m lying I’m super worried but also super hyped.

Zi-O is WILD.

[estie-ellie]

so this is a thing i have been working on

it’s a story with my oc and katey’s oc AND SURPRISE it’s not damie and maggie. i did some tweaking and minor edits, but i can’t quite get the rest on the page atm... any feedback is really helpful. keep in mind too that there’s a huge skip forward in story, because i usually write out of order okby

Day 1: .My dad’s friend Damien came over for dinner last night. My dad knows him through work, but he feels like a distant uncle. He’s pretty cool. My dad mentioned once that he was gay and that I shouldn’t ask any personal questions because it wasn’t polite (and that he was special like me, but he doesn’t look like one)

 Since he’s the only adult I know who is both Not My Parents and Not Straight, I asked him what I should do if I was confused.. about everything. He told me to write it down, be honest. If I can write truth, eventually I’ll see it for myself. Here’s hoping..

 Day 5: Two weeks after the dance, I found out. He told me after we practiced swimming. That was a month ago. Everything seems so blurry and messy and strained. How do you be honest, if you don’t know what you’re doing? What is this? Why can’t it be simple? I want you to be my friend. I want to make you laugh and smile. I want to hold your hand. I want to be close. I want to press my lips against your skin. But I shouldn’t want all of that, I should just want to be friends. Right?

 Day 7: In study hall, he sat next to me and smiled. My heart skipped and I couldn’t breathe right. Even though we spent the period together, it felt like he was floating away. Come back and stay. Come stay. I don’t need to breathe.

 Day 9: We walked to the bus in silence. Hey are you mad? I was so scared he’d say yes. No. He didn’t look at me. Oh. Good. Do you want to hang out tomorrow? No. I’m kinda tired. I think I’ll stay in. Oh.. Okay.. I’ll talk to you later. Yeah.

He walked off and I waited for my bus alone.

 Day 15:  He hasn’t talked to me in five days. We got paired up in lit. We sat in silence and did our worksheets by ourselves. I tried to apologize. The bell rang, he didn’t hear me. 

I don’t know what I’m sorry for.

Day 17: I caught him in the hallway at his locker. I wanted to kiss at edges of his frown. He didn’t see me. In lit he said “pass me the handout”. His hand brushed mine and my stomach ached. It was like being homesick. 

 Day 20: He said ‘hi’ in homeroom when he sat down. It was the last seat. I tried to keep quiet. “Do you think we’ll have group work in lit?” he shrugged and turned the other way. I watched his back scrunch and tighten.

 Day 24: He found me behind the quad with Taylor and Christian wailing on me. 

What the fuck, Kai? He looked disgusted. 

Called you a bitch. My words were bloody. 

We’re not friends anymore.

 He got me to my bus stop and left without a word. His fingertips burned more sinister than the bruises. 

 Day 25: He looked at me with pity. Like I was a dog about to be put down. He sat down next to Hazel in homeroom. Hazel looked up at me like I was stabbing them both in the back. ‘I’m sorry’ I wanted to say. I’m sorry. All my fault, I’m so sorry. I laid my head in my arms where the bruises wouldn’t touch. 

 Day 28: Picked another fight, this time nobody to stop it. Brand new bruises to replace the old ones. More punishment; need to repent somehow. I’m the reason they talk about him. I’m the reason we’re not friends. Just wish in the fights they would aim lower though. It’s hard to look my parents in the eye with a bloody face. They’re worried. My grades are still the same. Except history. He used to help me with it. They don’t know what to do.

I don’t either. 

 Day 40: Everyone avoids me. Either because I look like a loser, they heard I was a loser, or because they already know I’m a lost cause. It’s okay. It’s the right idea. 

 Day 51: It’s hard to pick fights. Even the most sadistic, special-hating barbarians are bored. Got their fill. Won’t look at me. The game’s not fun. Old news. Not even worth the effort. I’m invisible.

 Day 57: Bruises are healing. Feathers are growing back. My parents look relieved when I come home free of new blemishes, no bloody clothes to clean. When I’m home, mom checks in on me every now and again, I try to act like I’m reading or playing games. Dad opens my door at night when he thinks I’m asleep. Homework is still done, dinner is still eaten. I’m mild and cooperative. They are confused. I don’t want to make it any harder on them. I don’t want them to worry. I wish I knew how to fix everything. I am breaking everything. I am broken, too.

 Day 64: We have started to change seats each period. In lit, I am off to the left in the back. He sits in front with Allison and Liam: new friends. When he smiles and laughs, I let myself pretend we are back in his room playing video games, in my backyard on the grass. That his smiles and laughter is because of me.  I look away before I feel nauseous. Before I can cry.

 Day 68: All the bruises are gone. At least, the worst of them. Some of them are slight and small on my chest and shins. No more fights to pick, no taunts to tip. Everyone avoids me or has forgotten. That was inevitable. It’s better that way though, I think. It’s better for him.  But what do I do now?

 Day 69: He wasn’t in school today. I think he got sick. After math, Hazel caught me by his locker. I only stopped a second. She noticed me staring. You have to stop, Kai. She grabbed my arm to pull me aside. I know. I don’t think you do. Everything that’s happened… You can’t keep doing this. I know. She wavered, as if my words set her on a balance beam. She looked at me as if she couldn’t tell whether I understood. Don’t worry, I know I ruined everything. I know I need to stay away.

  She backed away, tugging her books to her chest.  Take care of yourself. She took one last look and walked away.

Day 72: Swim season starts in a couple days. Eli, the varsity captain, begged me to stay on the team. I told him I’d think about it. I hadn’t actually thought about swim season at all this year until he asked why my name wasn’t on the sign up sheet.  I’ll probably stay on. Swimming is the only thing I might do right. Maybe. Day 79: Swim season starts today. My body welcomes the water, but my muscles reject the work. Haven’t practiced, mechanics are off, flip turns too early. I push anyway. I push until my lungs ache and my limbs cramp. At home, I collapse in bed, body too weak, lungs too tired. When I sleep, I don’t dream and I’m grateful.  Day 86: It’s hard to focus in the downtime between school and practice. At home it’s worse. Hours to myself, nothing to do. At least before I had bruises to tend.  Day 92: I saw him at the park on my way home from the deli. He was on the swings, talking to two of his friends and smiling. I don’t think any of them saw me. I rushed toward home with my head down. He’s happy without you.

Without you, he’s happy. 

Day 97: I skinned my knee on the floor of the pool. For the rest of the day, it ached and itched and bled, and before I knew it I was home in bed and I hadn’t been thinking of him. 

Day 101: I always wondered why people would cut. I thought it was too extreme, stupid, a futile attempt at comfort. I get it now though. If you can zero in on the pain, the world is blotted out. It’s easy to numb out all the other thoughts if pain is controlling you. I won’t go overboard. I just need something to pick at. If it aches, I can get through the day.  

Day 112: The cuts are easy to hide with our trunks and briefs, but I went too high this time. I had to lie and say I got it while working outside with my dad. It wasn’t a hard sell, and we went back to flip turn drills. Day 115: Between practice and homework I’ve been pushing myself farther and harder. It’s the only way I don’t break down. In our meet against Northtown High, I beat three of my records. Wish it was good enough to fix everything else. Day 118: After practice, some of the team went out for pizza. I tried to get out of it, but Eli wouldn’t let me. My mom was elated that I was invited anywhere and handed me thirty bucks with an enthusiastic wave goodbye from the minivan. When we got there, Eli gathered our party to sing praises of our previous glory and especially gossip about the hottest girls that came to cheer us on. I smiled and laughed at the right times, but it felt like lying to say that I was interested in anyone who had shown up. ---

I don’t know why I’m going to this party. I have nothing better, I guess. Maybe there’ll be booze.  --- Kai walked inside the mini mansion that was Eli’s home. The party was still in full swing, music pumping throughout the house and conspicuous red cups floating from hand to hand. He decided he had to pick a safe spot, someplace he could be without attracting attention to himself. Kai went alone after all, he needed the cover. The kitchen was too obvious. Too many transactions of alcohol, not enough to stay and graze off of the assortment of snacks and finger food. In the back, a grill was being manhandled by a member of the football team while a few boys and girls on the swim team hugged the edges of a massive pool.  The yard was adorned with buckets of ice topped with various cans and bottles of beer. Kai made his way out and grabbed a bottle, clipped the top with his keys, and retreated inside to investigate further.

From time to time he passed a teammate or an acquaintance that would draw his attention for a moment, but conversations didn’t linger. Kai was glad to have a distraction, though. The booze was finally hitting him and he floated around until settling in the family room in the basement. It was lit in soft yellow candle light, which was probably for function as much as it was aesthetic; it covered the scent of alcohol with a light vanilla puff.  He figured the party would settle down and he could leave, Eli & Co. happy that their fellow teammate showed up for once.

And the party did in fact wind down. Couples eventually left, clumps of friends relocated to various parts of the house, and the backyard became a haven for dimly lit poolside make out sessions. This meant that the couch Kai had been inhabiting soon became possession of a clump of kids in his grade slowly approaching, talking among themselves. 

“You mind if we..” A boy from the group--Nate, Kai recalled-- extended his hand which grasped a bottle of liquor, towards the coffee table in front of Kai’s feet. Kai nodded and scooted to the end of the couch as the group closed in on the living space. He hadn’t quite realized who exactly was in the group, until he Hazel emerged from the back of the group with Gabe in tow.

 "Hey, maybe we shoul-,“ she began.   “It’s ok, I’ll leave,” Kai gathered himself up quickly. He avoided their gaze as he was about to move away.  “Stay,” Gabe’s voice piped up, as they sat across Kai in a loveseat next to Nate. Kai’s eye’s shot up to Gabe and halted. Hazel looked wearily to Gabe, sharing an silent exchange of permission. “It’s okay,” Gabe replied finally.

 Kai looked to from Gabe to Hazel, the ultimate approval resting with her. She looked to Gabe. She nodded once in affirmation. The exchange took mere seconds but Kai had felt like an hour past. He silently sat back down and took a swig of his drink. The rest of the group seemed unfazed by the microcosm and readied themselves for their drinking game. Evidently it was "Truth or Drink”. There was no dare involved; the dare was inherently “get wrecked on Costco brand liquor”. Kai mostly tuned out the noise, the soft snickers and cackling from his party-mates, the clinks of shot glasses. He only made noise enough to apologize when his foot hit Mark Elsen’s who had taken up a spot on the couch next to him.

It seemed like they were having a good time, already a couple rounds in. A few beers in himself, Kai was pleasantly buzzed. The peaceful calm of the booze melted his tension, and for the first time that night, Kai allowed himself to enjoy the party. It was nice to see Gabe smiling, laughing. Nate had his arm wrapped around Gabe’s shoulders and they swayed back and forth with a giggle from Hazel’s joke. The yellow light danced in the chesnut browns in their hair. He had forgotten how pretty it was.

“What about you?” Mark tapped his shot glass to Kai’s shoulder.  “Hmwha?” Kai’s trance was broken and the group looked to him expectantly. “Have you ever cheated on a test?” Mark repeated. Kai looked to Hazel and Gabe again, searching for permission to speak. His eyes fell back to Mark, “A couple times, I guess. On spelling tests, I think.” “That’s pretty lame, man,” Nate replied, pouring shots into the empty glasses, now an additional shot sitting for Kai. “Okay, Hazel. Your turn.” She dutifully began to think of a question and when she came 

[carriedon-awolfsback]

20 Questions

@the-world-is-on-fire tagged me! Thanks! :D

Name: Amber

Nicknames: I actually don’t have any. Sometimes my boss calls me by my surname if we’re being dumb and pretending to be in a chalk-and-cheese buddy-cop movie, but that’s it.

Gender: Female, albeit with occasional wobbles of questioning usually bought on by hormonal surges and/or someone noisily suggesting I should shave my legs and wear a skirt for once in my life.

Orientation: For simplicity’s sake I’ll say bi. I’ve been sexually attracted to people of various genders over the years, but I don’t act on it any more, because I’ve found I don’t actually enjoy the reality of physical and romantic intimacy.

Nationality: Britisher unfortunately

Faith/religion: I’ve been exploring Norse tradition Heathenry for the best part of a year now. That means I have an altar displaying items related to the pre-Christian Scandinavian pantheon (mostly Odin but others too) which I leave shots of whiskey on about once a week and sorta pray/meditate at sometimes. Yes, really! I’d absolutely class myself as a layperson and my practise focus is all about interpreting lessons in the Eddas, self-reliance, self-acceptance and keeping healthy routines. I don’t do any divination or witchy stuff beyond carrying an Ansuz rune around with me tied to my handbag for luck. I do have a sense of humour about it and I’m always open to questions about it as long as they’re decently respectful.

Hobbies: I work pretty long hours these days so all my free time is reserved for writing and drawing. Does being able to find and customise the perfect Instagram filter for any photo count as a hobby? I also love a night at the theatre and try to sample both on- and off-West End shows when I have the time and money.

Pets: None :( I don’t have the disposable income, time, or space in my current lifestyle. I get my pet fix by befriending other people’s cats I meet in the street so they visit my house sometimes.

Favourite... Colours: I went to art school, this is like asking me to pick a favourite child. Blue and green are my best colours to wear (and black but that’s a shade /pedantry)

Holiday: Easter! Yes, the big Christian party cribbed wildly from the pagans. I dunno, my (totally atheist) family just goes really hard at that time of year for some reason with the good food and spring vibes, and it’s nice to be around. It’s like Christmas, but more temperate and with less ‘MUST HAVE SO MUCH FUN AND SPEND MONEY’ pressure.

Books: Dracula, Frankenstein, Let The Right One In, Ben Aaronovich’s London books... I cut my big kid reading teeth on Pratchett, Gaiman and Tolkien. I really struggle to settle down and read like I used to these days.

Films: Alien, Inglourious Basterds, Hot Fuzz, Withnail & I, The History Boys, the original LOTR trilogy, Jurassic Park, old David Lean movies (the ones where everyone has either a posh or cockney accent and all the women have viciously barbed conversations while hiding the fact they’re all shouldering immense emotional burdens)

TV: I really don’t watch a lot of TV, I’m incredibly bad at keeping up with serials. The only must-watch on my list is American Gods; I LOVED the first season and hope they keep the same style and vibe going.

Music: Rammstein, Ghost, Motörhead, AC/DC, Florence, The Prodigy, Laura Marling, Depeche Mode, Bowie, Kraftwerk, Green Day, Fleetwood Mac, NIN, Placebo, I don’t know much about classical but I love the Planets Suite and The Lark Ascending, any amount of showtunes... I’m genre-omnivorous; I just like my music to be passionate and kind of dark regardless of which instruments and what kinds of voices are doing it.

Coffee, tea or hot chocolate: I like a peppermint or builder’s tea but I’ll take hot chocolate over it any time.

Favourite meme: Giving every object, image and concept you come across an ‘energy’ (cursed energy, ambiguous but powerful energy, gay energy, big dick energy)

I want to live long enough to: See the world get, like, even just a little bit less shitty.

Weird obsessions: Scaring myself to absolute death on YouTube at 1am with unexplained 999 call audios, numbers stations, backwards sound recordings, emergency broadcast systems and sirens, and nuclear war scenarios. I work in a museum and I literally could not go into one of our exhibits last winter because it contained a Protect And Survive video on loop, and as soon as I heard the tone at the start of the clip my eyes would automatically start pouring with anxiety tears. So obviously I gotta listen to that shit in my downtime for entertainment purposes!

Random fact: My grandma dropped me on my head in a hot tub as a baby. Sometimes I remind her of this and she just chortles and sips her wine

Goals for 2018: Hit our fundraising target for the year with my team at work. Drop a little bit of weight so the doctor gets off my case. Get my bedroom fixed up less like a big store cupboard and more like a cosy sleeping and living space.

I won’t tag anyone as I think everyone seems to have done it already, but if we’re mutuals and you’ve not already had one, consider this your tag!

[andrewdburton]

How to make money fast: Quick ways to earn money in 2019

Let’s face it. Most of us, at one point or another, have been faced with a financial emergency, or a plain, old-fashioned cash crunch. It’s definitely not a fun spot to be in. While there are steps we can take to avoid such situations (more on that later), that’s often the last thing on our minds when we need to come up with money — quick.

To assist, I’ve compiled the following list of money-making ideas. While some of the items included are more lucrative than others (you’ll never get rich taking surveys, for example), they all share a common theme: making money fast. Ready? Let’s dive in.

And before anyone mentions it, yes we're aware of the irony of publishing an article about making money fast at a website called Get Rich Slowly.

Sell Your Old Stuff

I’ll kick off the list with an obvious one: selling your old stuff. After all, is there a faster way to make money? If you walked a few steps to your basement right now, or stepped outside to the garage, I’m willing to bet that you’d find some junk lying around that someone else could use:

Old computers and video games.

Sports equipment your kids have grown out of.

That extra bike that’s never ridden.

Your old collectibles. (J.D. sold his comic books. You could sell your baseball cards.)

Once you’ve come to grips with parting with your junk, selling it is as easy as taking a few pictures, and posting an ad on Craigslist, or your local Facebook Buy and Sell. If you need some inspiration, here’s a list of 12 surprisingly valuable things that are lying around your house.

Survey Junkie

Taking online surveys isn’t going to make you rich, but that’s not your goal here. You need to make money fast, and survey sites like Survey Junkie will help you do just that. In fact, you can start earning within a few minutes of signing up, and get paid as soon as you accumulate $10 in rewards.

Survey Junkie will pay you for each survey you complete, in the form of Paypal credits or gift cards to your favorite retail stores. The more surveys you take, the more you’ll make. The best part is that you can take surveys while doing other things, like watching TV, or listening to music, making it an easy way to earn some quick cash.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is similar to Survey Junkie, but they take things a step further, by giving you more ways to earn cash and rewards. In addition to completing surveys, Swagbucks will pay you to browse the internet, play games, and shop online. They’ll even send you a daily survey, and a daily poll, as a way to earn rewards faster.

With Swagbucks, you won’t have to wait before redeeming your rewards. While you’ll need $25 worth of Swagbucks to move cash to your Paypal account, you can redeem points for gift cards worth as little as $1. In fact, when I checked out the Swagbucks rewards page, I noticed $3 Amazon gift cards advertised.

Acorns

Remember your goal – to make money fast. When you sign up for Acorns using my exclusive link, you’ll receive a $5 credit to kick off your account. Now, I wouldn’t suggest that you go to all that trouble for $5, but with Acorns, you’re getting so much more. Acorns is an investment app that makes saving money easy. You can open an account on your mobile phone in a couple of minutes, collect your $5, and be on your way to building that emergency fund, or saving for your next special purchase.

Open Your Acorns Account and Earn $5

To help you get there, Acorns uses an innovative feature, called round up savings. Acorns syncs to your debit or credit card and then rounds up the “spare change” whenever you spend. For example, let’s say you buy a pack of gum for $1.25. Acorns will round to the nearest dollar, and set aside .75 into your Acorns investment account. Because the amounts are so small, you’ll hardly notice the money leaving your account, but you’ll be surprised how quickly the savings adds up.

Acorns works so well, in fact, that it’s my top choice for investment app for 2019.

Drive with Uber

If you have a clean driving record, a reliable vehicle, and enjoy being around people, driving for a rideshare service like Uber is a great way to make some extra money, and fast. One perk to this job is the flexibility it offers. You decide when, and how much you want to work.

Once you’ve signed up with Uber, most drivers report that it only takes about 3-5 days to be approved.

Here's more about the pros and cons of becoming a rideshare driver.

Deliver Food with UberEats

If driving for Uber sounds enticing, but you’d rather not spend your time making small talk with strangers, you could decide to deliver food with UberEats. You use the app to select deliveries that are in your area. The best part is that you decide when you want to work, and how much. Keep in mind, you will make more money during peak periods.

Rent Out Your Ride on Turo

Take advantage of your car’s downtime by renting it out to someone who needs a ride. Turo is a peer-to-peer car-sharing app that makes it easy to rent out your car. Once you’re set up through Turo, list your car on the app, wait for a request, and be ready to accept or decline. Keep in mind, your car will need to meet Turo’s vehicle requirements, and the nicer it is, the more money you can charge.

Rent Out a Room With Airbnb

If you have a spare bedroom in your home, you can rent it out to a short term guest, on Airbnb. Some people will even rent out their entire home, if they have another place where they can stay.

Not only is this a great way to make money quick, but if it’s something you enjoy, you could turn it into a regular income stream. A great perk with Airbnb is having the flexibility to decide when your space will be available, and how much you’ll charge.

Employee Referral Programs

Any recruiter will tell you, it’s tough for companies to find good people these days. As a result, many organizations will pay their own employees a bonus for successfully referring new talent.

Depending on the role, and the demand for the position, you could be eligible to receive hundreds, even thousands of dollars by bringing in a new employee. Not only is this a quick way to make money, but it requires almost no effort on your part. You’re simply connecting to parties.

Babysitting or At-Home Daycare

In today’s society, most families are dual income, with both parents working outside the home. Because of this, there is a constant demand for reliable childcare. If you’re a natural caregiver, and enjoy being around kids, you can make good money by offering to provide childcare within your local community. Whether it’s babysitting or an at-home daycare, it won’t take long to find your first client. Use your friends and family to get the word out, or notify your Facebook community, and you’ll be making money in no time.

Teach English with VIP Kid

If you enjoy teaching, consider putting your English skills to good use by becoming an online tutor. Websites like VIP Kid source clients for you, and the pay is pretty good too. It’s not uncommon to make $20-30/hour teaching online.

Tutoring is something that can be done in person as well. In fact, during the school year, there’s no shortage of students in your community in need of help with their studies. Check with your local high school, or get the word out on your community Facebook page.

J.D.'s note: For eighteen months, I met with a Spanish tutor three times each week. Aly had moved to the U.S. from Peru, and she found that tutoring was a fantastic way for her to make money.

Rent Out Your RV With Outdoorsy

If you own an RV, Outdoorsy will match you with people who are looking to rent a trailer or motorhome, for their next summer adventure. At rates as high as $150/day, or more, this is a great way to make money fast. Head to Outdoorsy, and find out how you can get your RV making money for you.

Collect Rewards With Drop App

Money doesn’t always have to arrive in the form of cash. Drop allows you to earn points when you shop at your favorite retailers, then redeem your rewards for gift cards at places like Starbucks, or Amazon. Drop works by syncing to your debit and/or credit card, and keeping track of your purchases. You don’t need to worry about clipping coupons, or scan receipts to receive discounts, Drop does all the work for you.

Download the free app to start earning with Drop!

Earn $50 per Year With the Nielsen Ratings App

For decades, Nielsen has been tracking TV ratings. But did you know that they will pay you to download their app to your computer or smartphone? Doing so allows them to compile data by tracking your internet usage. No need to worry however, your anonymity is guaranteed, and according to Neilson, the app won’t slow your device’s performance in the least.

Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? There is a BIG caveat, however. You must be selected by Nielsen. That’s because Nielsen families are chosen using a scientific process. That said, it’s good to know about this easy money-making opportunity, in case you are ever approached by Nielsen.

Take Advantage of Bank Signup Bonuses

This is a great way to make some quick money. Banks everywhere are in a constant battle for new customers. The financial services industry is highly competitive, and companies know that if they can secure your day to day banking business, they’ll have a shot at your mortgage and your investments as well.

While these promotions come and go, it’s not uncommon to be offered a few hundred dollars when you open a new checking account with a bank, providing that you meet the qualifying criteria. This usually includes hooking up your automatic payroll deposit and completing a couple of online bill payments, that kind of thing.

Earn Credit Card Rewards

I’m a big fan of credit card rewards, but I’ll be the first to admit that using credit cards as a way of making money can be dangerous, and definitely isn’t for everyone. If you’re not paying off your credit card balance in full each month, or if using a credit card creates a temptation to overspend, then having a rewards credit card will cost you more money than you will ever make.

That said, a cashback, or travel rewards credit card can be a great way to make extra money. Many premium cards come with a welcome bonus, such as a couple hundred dollars cashback upfront, or enough travel points to get you a free flight somewhere. Have an upcoming trip planned? This could be a great way to subsidize the cost. Head here for more information on the best credit card rewards.

Make Money as a Freelance Writer

If you have interest, or experience in a specific area and love to write, there’s a good chance you can make money online as a freelance writer. What I love about this side hustle, is that it’s something you can do on your own schedule from the comfort of your living room. Not only that, but you can make good money. The website Problogger has an active job board, where you can browse, and apply for, freelance writing gigs across a wide range of niches.

Note: Many former Get Rich Slowly staff writers have gone on to become professional freelance writers with lucrative careers.

Advertise Your Freelance Services on Fiverr

In addition to writing, there are no shortage of services you can offer as a freelancer. Graphic design, bookkeeping, social media management – these are all services that small businesses will pay you to provide. One of the best ways to find clients and start making money is by joining a freelance marketplace like Upwork, or Fiverr.

Teach Music Lessons

Who said that a musician needs to live like a starving artist? If you are skilled on any number of musical instruments, you can make good money teaching private lessons. Ask your local music store if you can post an ad on their bulletin board, or advertise through Craigslist or Facebook. Early September is a great time of year to get started, as students are back to school and looking to start up music lessons after the summer break.

Earn Cash Back With Rakuten (Formerly Ebates)

Rakuten, formerly known as Ebates, makes it easy to earn cashback when you shop online at top retailers, such as Amazon, Kohl’s, and Microsoft. Sign up with Rakuten, and gain access to hundreds of partner retail stores via links directly on their site. Rakuten will keep track of your cash rebates, which can be as high as 40%, when you factor in limited time offers. The best part? Receive an automatic $10 bonus when you sign up for Rakuten, and earn an additional $25 when you refer friends or family.

Deliver Food With DoorDash

DoorDash is one of a number of app-powered food delivery services that have popped up in recent years. If you need to make money quick, becoming a delivery driver for Doordash may be the perfect solution. In fact, the signup box on their website reads, “Get Your First Check This Week”.

Ask for a Raise

Perhaps the fastest way to make extra money is by leveraging the job you already have. Unfortunately, many people don’t think about this, and instead feel like they need to take on something extra. I’ll finish with a few ways to increase your 9-5 income.

You’ve probably heard it said, “If you don’t ask, the answer will always be, no”. To most companies, a valuable employee is worth their weight in gold. Part of this is due to how much time and money it takes to hire and train someone new. Chances are, your employer is willing to pay you more, but you need to ask. If you’re able to effectively communicate your value to your boss, you may be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.

Since the early says of Get Rich Slowly, we've advocated learning how to negotiate your salary. It's one of the best ways to boost your income — now and in the future.

Apply for a Promotion

When was the last time you considered applying for a promotion? Not only is a new job a great way to make more money, challenging yourself to step out of your comfort zone will further develop your skills, and help you grow as a person. If you’re having trouble getting promoted at your current company, you may decide to go to take your skills somewhere else. Here’s an article that gives 10 reasons successful people change jobs more often.

Take Advantage of Any Unused Benefits.

If you’re not taking advantage of all of the benefits your employer is offering, you may be leaving cold hard cash on the table. Far too many employees don’t take the time to understand what’s available, and as they say, if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. Read through your employee benefits package, or speak to an HR representative if you have questions. There’s money to be made, from health spending balances and 401K matches, to affordable insurance coverage and employee discounts.

Ask to Work Overtime

Not every job offers this opportunity, but if yours does, consider volunteering to work overtime, if you’re needing to make more money fast. Overtime work saves you from having to start something extra in your spare time, such as a second job, or a time-consuming side hustle. Remember, the goal is to make money fast. Either way, always strive for a healthy balance between time at work, and time away. The last thing you want is to feel burned out.

Final Thoughts on Making Money Fast

At the outset of this article, I mentioned that there are ways to avoid finding yourself with a shortfall of cash. While we can never be prepared for absolutely every emergency (nor should we try to be), we can make life a little easier with some advanced planning.

My best advice is to build an emergency fund. This can be as little as $500, or enough to cover several months worth of expenses, it’s up to you. Having an emergency fund will not only reduce your stress level, but it will also decrease your odds of having to use a credit card to cover a financial emergency, and that is a good thing.

In the meantime, my hope is that you feel more confident about making money fast, should the need arise.

The post How to make money fast: Quick ways to earn money in 2019 appeared first on Get Rich Slowly.

from Finance https://www.getrichslowly.org/make-money-fast/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[amandakaiserwrites]

interview: pepper rabbit

Following the release of their sophomore LP, Red Velvet Snow Ball, L.A.-based duo Pepper Rabbit hopped on a bus for a sweeping tour of North America without stopping for air. The tour, fronted by Montreal-based group Braids and followed up by experimental indie pop duo Painted Palms, began in June spanning coast-to-coast and will finish up mid-October. Comprised of frontman Xander Singh and drummer Luc Laurent, Pepper Rabbit’s attitude towards the music industry seems to be “go, go, go,” but the psyche pop pair’s sonic vibe is anything but. Soft, lushly painted soundscapes and twinkling synths are the defining sound of Pepper Rabbit — peppered, if you will, with the eclectic sounds of the xylophone, trumpet, ukulele and more (their recent album used a total of eleven different instruments). Painted Palms set the dreamy tone for the night at Chicago’s Empty Bottle. The duo blew the crowd away with their surfer-pop dusted with looping synths and echoing envelopes of noise. Pepper Rabbit, joined by their touring bassist Jonathan, took the stage next and warmed up the chilly Tuesday night with a good sample of Red Velvet Snow Ball (they played about ¾ of the album, including the single “Rose Mary Stretch”). Pepper Rabbit’s set was kicked off by the haunting song “Allison,” dedicated to a mystery girl, with gorgeous layers and an eerie carnival feel, and ended with “Murder Room,” a sweeping ballad off their most recent release. The duo even catered to the audience’s request and played the popular track “Older Brother” off Beauregard, their debut album of 2010. Luckily we got a few moments with Xander Singh of Pepper Rabbit to discuss the band’s North American tour, experimenting with instruments, and dirty socks. Amanda Kaiser: Have you ever been to Chicago before? Do you have a favorite spot? Xander Singh: Yep, I’ve been in Chicago I think four times. I really love Schubas. It’s a great venue to play at. I’ve been here mostly for business, unfortunately, so I don’t really leave the music venue, it’s just back onto the bus once it’s over. AK: Everyone at UR Chicago loved the story of how you guys bought instruments and learned to play them watching YouTube clips for your newest album. You’ve definitely left behind the stripped-down sound of your first album Beauregard in place of eleven instruments including the synths and even a ukulele. What inspired you to add these new instruments to the mix? XS: Well, I’ve always been interested in how an instrument sounds more than I’ve been interested in how to play them really well. I never really sit in my bedroom and practice guitar for an hour or so. I’m more, you know, scrounge around Craigslist or different stores wherever I am and try to find a new sound I haven’t heard before and then try to do something with it. So that’s why I tend to gather a variety of different instruments. I’m far more interested in the sound of something than, you know, how well I can actually play it. AK: How does this incorporation of more instruments affect your live set? XS: Well, it’s kind of the same as the first record where there were a lot of different instruments and we couldn’t take everything out on the road, so we rearranged a few songs and played them a little bit differently. Sometimes we played a trumpet melody on a keyboard or something like that. And we’ve kind of done the same thing arranging the new sound for the live show. We’re also using a few more samples and sometimes leaving a few parts out here and there and adding a different part [trails off as his voice is drowned out by a fire siren…] AK: So, you were saying you’ve been using different instruments in the live songs? XS: Yeah, mostly because, like I said, I’m not very technically proficient at most of the stuff I play [Author’s note: he plays about ten instruments though. Cut him a break!]. For instance, when I’m in the studio recording I can allow myself four hours to just nail a simple trumpet part, but I can’t do that live. Onstage I’d have to hit it every time. We actually brought the trumpet out when we first started playing and never played any of the parts right, and I did the same with the clarinet and messed up a lot so we eventually said, “You know this trumpet line, maybe we can all just sing it,” or, you know, play the clarinet melody on a keyboard or something to make it a little bit more risk-free. AK: You two seem to jibe together pretty well onstage. How does your relationship play out during the writing and recording process? XS: Well, normally I’ll kind of just wake up one day and be like, “Okay, today’s the day I’m going to write a new piece of music.” I have a home studio, so I’ll just go downstairs and mess around on different things until I get a structure of a song, and Luc will come downstairs and write the drum parts. Then we’ll listen to it a bunch and edit a few things together, then go back and finish it up. But the live show is definitely very different. I play most of the bass parts on the newest record but our touring member, Jonathan, is an incredible bassist, so he pretty much rewrites all of the bass parts off the record for the live show and makes them a lot better. The live show is a very, very collaborative effort, so to speak. AK: You’ve been on tour most of the year preceding the release of your newest album Red Velvet Snow Ball. How’s that been? XS: Very tiring. Very, very tiring. AK: Understandably so. So, what are five tour essentials you make sure to pack in your suitcase? XS: Definitely a fresh batch of stand-up comedy on the iPod. AK: Cool. What are you watching now? XS: I’m anxiously awaiting Patton Oswalt’s new stand-up CD. He’s my favorite comic. When you’re on the road you’re in the van so much constantly listening to music, and you end up listening to the same albums over and over again. It can just get kind of tiring being around music all the time, so listening to a podcast, radio show or stand-up album is definitely a nice change of pace. But the stand-up albums become a little bit less funny each time you listen to them, so it’s always important to have fresh ones. [Laughs] So, that’s one of the essentials.Of course you have a few good books for when your iPod, iPhone or laptop dies; you have to go primitive and read a book. AK: That’s always rough. XS: [continues] Water is an essential thing. I find we spend a lot of money on water because we go to a gas station and it’s kind of routine to buy a bottle of water, but when you go into, like, five gas stations a day those bottles of water get expensive. So, lately we’ve been trying to bring our own water bottles and fill them up where we can. Your own pillow is a very nice thing to keep some kind of consistency with your sleeping arrangement. That’s a good one. Also a bunch of socks and underwear, because most guys can wear the same shirt a few days in a row and be fine, but there’s nothing worse than wearing the same pair of socks twice in a row. It’s just an awful feeling! I probably have more pairs of socks than shirts with me on this tour. You can see how wrinkly this thing is [gestures to his not-that-wrinkled button-down shirt]. Well, it was far more wrinkly a little bit ago. I just pulled it out of my suitcase. [Author’s note: And that’s five items! Nailed it!] AK: So, last night I started following you guys on Twitter. What’s your favorite Twitter account? Anyone that entertains you? XS: Well, I’m very entertained by one of my friend’s Twitters, but I don’t think it’d be really interesting if you didn’t know them. It’s a good way to keep up with what your friends back home are doing. Even with as much downtime as we have on the road, whenever you have downtime you’re usually asleep, so it’s really hard to keep in touch with people back home. A lot of times, too, you’ve just been around a huge crowd and you don’t want to talk to anybody and then, you know, two weeks go by and your mom sends you a text like, “Hey, just want to check and see if you’re still alive.” So, it’s great that you can hit up your Twitter feed and see what your friends are up to. I’m also a big Apple and Mac nerd, so I keep in touch with the Apple rumors. AK: What’s that? I’m a Dell person so I wouldn’t know. XS: It’s a Twitter account that keeps track of all the rumors of new products and stuff, so that’s always interesting. But that’s a completely nerdy thing that you probably don’t even need to print. [Author’s note: Sorry, Xander.] AK: Speaking of Twitter, last night I read that – [Xander starts laughing] You know what I’m gonna say? XS: After a few too many beers. [Laughs] Yeah. AK: The girl you wrote the song “Allison” about on Red Velvet Snow Ball is engaged, right? XS: Oh, I’ve gotta keep that story close to my chest for fear of embarrassment. And if I actually ever meet her one day. AK: So, you don’t know her. Celebrity crush maybe? XS: Kinda. It’s all in the lyrics if you listen closely. But for the sake of my own dignity I’d rather keep that under wraps a little bit. But I will say I did have a few too many beers last night and got really bummed out when I found out she had gotten engaged. AK: Sorry about that. So, what’s up next for you guys after you finish up your tour at the end of October? XS: Lots of rest. Luc is working on a few things with another band, and I’m going to be working on a few things as well. You never know what the future holds, so it’s always a bit unpredictable. We’ll see what happens, I guess. [Laughs] You’ll know when I know. AK: Sounds good, I’ll peep your Twitter then. Thanks so much for talking with UR Chicago and best of luck on the rest of your tour!

by Amanda Kaiser

[alexander22rab-blog]

My Encounter With Hosting Services

Web hosting choices are 1 of these early choices we web marketers and salesmen have to make with little to no comprehending of the platforms and pros and disadvantages accessible. Prices differ considerably for various packages, and few of us at any time arrive to the table totally understanding what it is that we require to get, and why we need this hosting package deal over that internet hosting package. Nicely, as a 7 year veteran of the game, I've determined to write this post to assist clear up some of the doubt and let individuals in on some of the many nuances of the web internet hosting business for your e business options.

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Rackspace is a hosting supplier that is massively popular and is nicely-recognized to offer the very best cloud hosting services, even though as well expensive for a hosting provider. Rackspace ideas are provided in three kinds, Public Cloud, Private Cloud, and Hybrid Cloud. Public cloud is the least expensive exactly where it provides flexible ideas and pay-what-you use program for only $15 per thirty day period. Private cloud is like VPS for cloud internet hosting. It utilizes OpenStack, the operating method for cloud-primarily based internet hosting method. Hybrid Cloud, on the other hand is where you can operate OpenStack cloud in your data middle or link a community cloud rack area. Also it is extremely simple to update your Windows Virtual Server. It has the capability to get updated immediately as and when updates are available. So a it is a great deal easier to manage as updating your server can be tiresome sometimes.

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Alright, you click on your browser and strike yahoo. You enter internet hosting for your lookup criteria and hit search. Not to poor, the leading ten lookup outcome seems. Now you click on on all ten hyperlinks and be aware every of them down by pricing, bandwidth, disk space, available assistance and the features that every host provides you.

In a VPS server one can host a number of websites with out sharing its resources with every other. Digital servers virutal linux are easy to set and can be done rapidly. They are also simple to improve and change. It provides you more control more than your server. You can configure your server the way you want it. The centralized hardwares of a VPS server is assisting to conserve energy in some way.

If there was one rule I would implore you to follow, it would be insist on an whenever moneyback assure - companies that provide this are always on the brink of dropping you, and so they are usually attempting to make certain they don't.

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Do they have a cash back assure? This feature assists you to try the services of the VPS Hosting provider. If you are not satisfied then with this choice you can consider back again your money and move onto the subsequent provider. Both primarily based in the Uk, Dan and Paula have been operating on-line as individuals and company companions for a quantity of many years. In early 2007 Dan and Paula agreed that they had been frustrated and exhausted of dealing with unreliable hosting businesses that offered offensive downtime and slow, amateurish support and determined to do some thing about it. After in depth investigation and market testing, they introduced D9 Hosting in the spring of 2007.

Pay attention to colour mixtures in your style. Your textual content should remain the primary focus of interest and should be simple to read. A dark colour for foreground text towards a mild track record is often much more readable for most audiences. Allow some of your buddies see your website and give you some guidance before going reside.

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Now you are linked with your VPS and a home windows desktop appears on your screen. Now you are ready to download your Metatrader4 on your VPS from your broker. Open the web explorer , go to your broker's website and click on on the download link. Speed is king on the Web, so you need to make sure your web webpages load quickly. No customer is going to wait more than a couple of seconds for your web page to load, so ensure they get what they want quickly so they don't go to your competitors's website instead.

The subsequent thing I would suggest you to do is to make certain that your web host runs cPanel. It's very simple to find out if it does. Go to whatever your site is known as /cPanel and if there's a way to log in to your web site / c p a n e l. Then this means that its using the most common web site back end software program and that something you operate, particularly if you operate a backup, probably will function with out any problems.

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