#I guess it’s in part because you need a solid foundation to build a successful parody off of

[plaguedocboi]

Y’know. I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen a big-budget parody in theaters. Do y’all remember when parodies were a thing? Like Spaceballs and Austin Powers? I don’t think I’ve seen one since Vampires Suck in 2010. Why did that genre of movie just totally disappear? In the age of endless nostalgia bait and remakes and sequels and giving every Glup Shitto their own series, why aren’t we capitalizing on making fun of stuff? Especially given the absolute shit quality of cinema recently. In a better timeline there would be a film studio dedicated solely to making parodies of Marvel movies.

[mysticinsightstarot]

Hello! Can I get a free reading I want to ask:

How I'll grt wealthy?

Thank you 💗 and have a good day 🍀

Yeah sure dear 💖 💖

Oh, hey there! 🌟 So, let’s break down how you’re going to get wealthy in a way that feels super fun and true to you! I’ve pulled these cards for your financial journey, and lemme tell you, you’ve got some serious magic going on! 💸✨ Get cozy and let's dive in!

1. Current Financial Situation: 10 of Cups

Okay, so right off the bat, I’m seeing that things are actually pretty solid for you emotionally! 💖✨ You’ve got this 10 of Cups vibe, which means you’re in a good place emotionally, surrounded by love and support. It’s not all about the money right now, but trust me, that happiness is going to help you manifest some serious abundance. 🌈💸 You’ve already built a strong foundation with your emotional well-being, and that is such a big part of attracting wealth. 💕

2. Main Obstacles: 3 of Cups

Ooooh, here’s the tea 🍵—3 of Cups tells me you might be having a liiiittle too much fun! I get it, life’s a party, and honestly, I love that for you! 🍻✨ But! You might be spending a bit too much time socializing or celebrating and not enough time focusing on those financial goals. 🥂 Don’t worry, though—it’s all about balance. Keep the good times rolling but make sure you’re carving out time to work towards that cash flow. 💼💪

3. Hidden Opportunities: 2 of Swords

Okay, this is super interesting. 👀 2 of Swords means you’ve got a decision that’s been hanging in the air for a while. You might’ve been avoiding it, but guess what? That decision is like a gateway to some major financial success. 🌟💡 You’ll have to take off the blindfold and just go for it. Trust yourself to make the right choice, because it’s going to unlock some hidden opportunities for you, boo! 🔮✨

4. Necessary Action: 4 of Wands

YASSS, 4 of Wands energy is everything! 🎉 This tells me that you need to focus on building something solid—think long-term stability, like investing in property, starting a business, or even teaming up with someone close to you. 🏡💼 You’ve got this amazing foundation, and now it’s time to build on it. Maybe get the family or friends involved, too, because partnerships are gonna be key in your wealth-building journey. 🤝✨

5. External Influences: 4 of Swords, 7 of Pentacles & The High Priestess

Okay, so the universe is sending you MAJOR “slow and steady” vibes here. 🧘‍♀️💤 4 of Swords is like, “Rest up, boo, this is a marathon, not a sprint.” You don’t need to rush—everything is happening in its own time. ⏳ And 7 of Pentacles is all about patience—wealth is going to grow, but you’ve got to give it some time. 🌱💸 And HELLO, High Priestess energy! 🌙✨ This is all about trusting your intuition. You already know deep down what moves to make, so listen to that inner voice. You’re more in tune than you realize. 💫👁️

6. Long-Term Strategy: Page of Cups & King of Cups

The universe is saying: Master those emotions! 💧💖 Page of Cups tells me you need to stay open to new, creative ideas. Be playful with how you approach wealth—it doesn’t all have to be serious business suits and spreadsheets, right? 😂💼 And with the King of Cups, the key is staying emotionally balanced. No chasing after money out of fear or greed. 🧘‍♂️ Stay calm, cool, collected, and you’ll be making moves that bring wealth and happiness. 🌊👑

7. Wealth-Building Talents: 9 of Wands & The Magician

HELLO, The Magician! 🧙‍♂️ You are LITERALLY magical. You’ve got all the skills and tools you need to manifest wealth—like, you can literally pull it out of thin air. ✨🪄 But also, 9 of Wands says you’re a fighter. 💪 Even when things get tough, you never give up, and that’s one of your biggest strengths. You’ve got resilience for days, and that combined with your manifesting powers? Money is gonna flow, babe. 💸🔥

8. Timing of Wealth: Knight of Wands, 2 of Wands, Page of Wands & Ace of Wands

Okay, so when’s the money coming in? FAST! 🚀🔥 Like, all these wands mean things are happening soon! You’re on the brink of something huge, and once you make that key decision (remember that 2 of Swords?), it’s gonna be full steam ahead! 💨 Expect some exciting opportunities and fast-paced growth. Don’t be afraid to jump on them when they show up! 🌟🔥

9. Wealth-Mindset Advice: Page of Pentacles, King of Pentacles & Queen of Pentacles

You’re entering your Pentacles Era! 👑💰 The advice here? Embrace abundance, babe! Page, King, and Queen of Pentacles together is like hitting the jackpot. 🎰👑 They’re saying you’ve got the mindset of a true money magnet. 💸✨ Keep learning, stay grounded, and trust in your ability to create wealth in a steady, reliable way. You’ve got this earthy, practical energy that’s perfect for building an empire. 🌍💎

10. The Outcome: 2 of Cups

Awww, 2 of Cups as the outcome? 💖💰 This tells me that not only will you build wealth, but you’re also going to do it in partnership with someone who totally gets you. 🤝 Whether that’s a business partner, friend, or significant other, you’re building this empire together. It’s all about balance, mutual respect, and shared goals. 👯‍♀️✨ And let’s be real, it’s going to be beautiful and successful! 💕🔥

Bottom of the Deck: The Fool

Let’s go, The Fool energy! 🌈💫 This is all about taking a leap of faith and trusting the journey. You’re about to step into something new and exciting—maybe even a little unexpected—but it’s going to lead you straight to abundance. 🌟 So take that leap, embrace the adventure, and trust that the universe has your back. 🎒💨

Okay, that’s all I’ve got for you! 🤩 You’ve got this incredible wealth-building journey ahead, and the cards are so on your side. Let’s make it happen! 💰💖 #WealthGoals #ManifestingMoney #BuildingThatEmpire

[digitalteacherhydposts]

The Rise of Smart Classrooms: Textbooks to Digital Classrooms

Explore the future of education with advanced smart classrooms, online learning, and immersive experiences. Unlock ability to think and provide a foundation for long-term success in the digital age.

The Rise of Smart Classrooms: Future of Education

Hey there, folks! We all know that learning is a whole lot easier when the textbook is your buddy, right? First-time learners can feel overwhelmed by all those fancy terms and concepts thrown around by the masters in the field. So, we need to make those textbooks as appealing as a mouth-watering pizza to keep our brains fed! But hold on a second, let’s think about it. Textbooks have their limits, you know? They’re stuck in two dimensions while our minds crave that 3D experience.

Image Source: ( google — DigitalTeacher )

Importance of a Strong Educational Foundation:

But wait, there’s more! This amazing system isn’t just for show. It’s making its mark in the (CBSE) central board of secondary education, and it’s planning to take over other boards too. Why? Because it injects a healthy dose of variety into our learning diet, and it does it in record time.

Even the top-notch colleges are jumping on the online education bandwagon, trading traditional classroom chats for digital learning adventures. And let me tell you, folks, it’s not just about the smooth flow. We’re talking about deep content that’ll blow your mind! Many educational programs are promoting the smart digital classroom revolution in India, aiming to boost advanced education and unlock our full potential.

The best part? You can take part in this digital learning extravaganza from anywhere, even snuggled up in your PJs at home. Say goodbye to classroom pressure, my friends!

Now, picture this: the competition out there is getting fiercer by the day, right? Well, guess what? It’s super-duper crucial to have a rock-solid educational foundation to stand out from the crowd. And where does that foundation get built? You got it — good ol’ school! That’s the place where all that knowledge starts piling up. If you wanna kick butt and have stellar grades right from the get-go, it’ll totally pay off throughout your whole life. It’s like building a solid base for a skyscraper of knowledge.

But here’s the real deal: to lay that foundation, you gotta dig deep into the core concepts. I mean, seriously explore every nook and cranny of what you’re studying. Remember when you were a tiny tot in first grade? Those teachers knew what they were doing! They made you use your eyes, nose, and ears to soak up knowledge. They gave you colorful balls to count and learn numbers.

Image Source: ( google — Digital Teacher )

Concepts for Comprehensive Learning:

But fear not! To really nail things down and make ’em stick in your brain, you gotta keep that spirit of exploration alive, just like in the early grades. Question everything you learn, my friends. It’ll boost your cognitive skills, and let me tell you, those skills are the real MVPs in life, no matter what grades you end up with.

So, if you want to excel academically and sharpen your intellect, don’t limit your knowledge to what is found in those stale old textbooks. Accepting learning as a whole, especially at school, is the key to living a happy and fulfilling life, my friends.

So, there you have it, folks! It’s not just about learning at your own pace. It’s about diving deep into a whole new world of knowledge.

[dingodad]

i guess i never gave it any truly lengthy thought because i find "what could have been"-type thinking to ultimately always end in unproductive misery. but giving it some consideration now, i think it's also a uniquely intriguing question to ask of homestuck because of its crucially modular design.

like, it's probably easy for most if not all of us to imagine there being a homestuck without the alpha trolls. they're a module that deepens our understanding of the homestuck metanarrative - what was beforus like and thus what does that mean for alternia - without pushing the plot forward in any real way; a plot element that came to be called a "red herring" toward the comic's latter half. but viewed through this lens, it also becomes pretty easy to imagine a homestuck without the trolls period; not just because hussie has described his original intention to leave them mostly off-screen, but because hivebent itself as a module really only serves the purpose of demonstrating the reach of lord english as a villain via alternia as a medium. karkat, kanaya, terezi and vriska become iconic parts of the story fabric, but in a grander metanarrative scheme their own arcs still serve largely to complement those of human characters. if you were writing, say, a film rather than a webcomic, you would probably cut this stuff.

but in that same sense i think the trajectory of these modules usually tends to reinforce the trajectory of homestuck's central narrative. by taking a detour through alternia in the middle of the humans' story, we learn that lord english is a corrupting force who arrives after a world has been reset, which ultimately serves to prefigure basically the entire back half of the comic. so even though hivebent might have been "unplanned", its presence further fortifies the comic's critical "planned" components.

some of hussie's own commentary supports this point of view. of the ancestors, hussie says:

This is pretty much how worldbuilding in general works. You build a world, then the world keeps seeming to ask these implicit questions, and many of the answers are shaped and confined by the facts already spread out on the table. This process leads to results which are: interesting! Arguably more interesting than if you just pulled some ideas like this out of thin air. These ideas arose naturally and logically from a continuously emergent framework, which makes it all feel more sturdy, and perhaps explains why this facet of the story was very successful in capturing people's imaginations. (Homestuck: Book 6, p. 309)

while the ancestors never needed to be in homestuck, and almost certainly weren't part of the original grand plan, they grew quite organically from the existence of the trolls, in such a way that we don't really question their presence except in extreme retrospect. in a similar fashion, the beforans grew organically from the existence of the ancestors; and the trolls themselves grew organically from concepts as fundamental to the comic's foundations as "sburb", "the scratch" and "lord english".

so in that sense, viewing homestuck as a kind of organism that grows in predictable (read: modular) ways, i think there are certainly branches from the main body that were not considered at the story's genesis, and indeed it could be argued that these branches make up the bulk of homestuck's mass LOL. but it seems to me like a pretty solid assumption that that main body, the "trunk" of the story as it grows from beginning to end and separated from all branches, stayed pretty much recognisable from conception to execution.

tbh interesting the retcon inevitably came back up again bc it was just the other day re: something else entirely (it was doctor who) i was thinking about how retcons are something that audiences prime themselves to get mad about on instinct no matter how harmless or even benevolent they might be. but that primarily tends to be because a "retcon" is perceived as a new writer intruding upon something established by a previous creative which has come to be regarded as sacred, particularly in the field of comics. so imposing something you're calling a ""retcon"" upon homestuck obviously raises really interesting worthwhile questions about how possible it actually is for an author to "retcon" their own work (especially given homestuck's gimmick for pretending different parts of the story were written by different characters), and perhaps more importantly, whether it's even possible to apply "retroactive continuity" at all to a single ongoing story that had been planned from beginning to end. man i need to reread act 6

[feyreandhercourt]

My Spicy-Hot Take

The difference between theorizing for TOG and ACOTAR is theorizing for TOG made, like, sense. Things certainly evolved through the series but there were a lot of seeds and bits of foreshading laid into the first few books, and that comfortably sustained the next several hundred thousand words. I'm not saying every scene was planned, and it didn't need to be. It certainly helped that it followed one (main) character who had a distinct arc outside romance.

ACOTAR... does not have that. I don't say this in a hating way, at all. But ACOTAR is, IMO, Sarah's world to just do whatever the fuck she wants. Okay we have a bat winged race? Cool, now we're gonna do it with angel wings. Something emotional happens in SJM's life? We can put a few nods in it. Clothing? My girl is in leggings and sweaters. Yes, Feyre can open an art studio. Build-your-own dreamhouse. We want to explore Illyrian culture? Lit. Actually wait we don't want to get to into that? Backtrack. Moriel (tho was it ever a thing)? Elriel? Elucien? Gwynriel? Whatever blows her hair back. An entire set of magic maguffins that people somehow completely forgot about? Why not! (I cannot emphasize enough, this is something I can't see having been in TOG, at least not the way it was handled.) Suicide vows? (FEYSAND BB WTF) oh guess we should go back and have Amren say that's dumb af. Who lives? Who dies? What is Vassa up to? Who knows! The answers are literally always changing

Some things are obviously planned. Nessian was very clearly always gonna happen (though we do have the flames-dresser>>lucien flames theory, so even that isn't really true, let alone how the sisters were characterized in acotar but I am digressing upon digressing). But beyond that, ESPECIALLY with shipping (and I gotta say, I feel like we as a fandom focus on shipping because I honestly cannot tell you what the plot is going forward outside of romance--are we dealing with the human queens, Vassa's thing, the potential Rhysand-dictatorship, the Illyrian uprising??) we have NO solid foundation. Sarah is changing her mind as she is writing. What seems foreshadowed in one book can be tossed by the wayside in the next book.

And this is, I cannot emphasize enough, FINE. It's her story, and as long as she's having fun, more power to her. But there's no point twisting ourselves into pretzels over what the text says (especially from more than one book back) because this is EVOLVING in a clearly unplanned way. Again, I repeat, this is FINE. And I'm not saying don't ship your ships. Ship them. Draw them. Write fics. It keeps the fandom alive and fun. By all means, theorize. Draw text evidence. Spice it up and theorize about whatever the plot is, too.

But the holier-than-thou subtext of a lot of these posts is EXHAUSTING. No one is wrong for what they ship. And no one is "right" because SJM could literally decide ya know what Elain was just a proxy for Azriel and Lucien's repressed feelings for each other and they ride off into the sunset. (Or dawn court, I suppose.) There's no "but actually the text says this" because, guys, the text is super inconsistent. Which is just the nature of SJM writing an explosively successive series that definitely came about when YA was different vs her other series that was planned out for like... a decade.

I love theories. I love text analysis. I read stuff I don't agree with, and I'm just happy to be part of an active fandom. But play nice and accept that SJM is probably gonna invent robots at some point in Prythian.

[wisteria-lodge]

snake primary (lion model?) + snake secondary (rapid fire bird model)

I am pretty sure I am a snake/snake sorting, with my primary (burned snake) as a rock solid certainty. I am not doing so well on figuring out how models work, and if I have them. It makes me doubt my secondary sometimes. Let me give you a few examples:

Last autumn, I was making a lot of soup from scratch. I started with recipes, but pretty soon I was just throwing things together.

Definitely sounds like an improvisational secondary.

(I'm a Badger secondary, and my baker friends make fun of me, because I treat recipes like spells I follow them so exactly. I only recently learned that the reason you put put in salt in water is to make it boil faster. I'd been doing it, but I might as well have been putting it in there to banish the bad spirits.)

But I always made sure I had some kind of home-made broth to hand, and some kind of soup magic stuff (heavy cream, milk, cream cheese, etc.)

This could be rapid-fire bird (or a rapid-fire bird model.) You feel comfortable improvising, but only because you already know a lot about soup.

I only went back to recipes when I wanted something new or specific. Then I went and posted a kind of improv instruction for soup making (take some meat, any meat, sear it and and pair with some veggies, any veggies, etc.).

So far, I'm agreeing with you. Improvisational secondary, maybe some kind of bird model to give extra structure and support.

I train new colleagues. When I start with a new group, I like to have all the prep-work done so I can concentrate on the social aspects and not get bogged down finding the right worksheets, or shit like that. I plan my first few words, and if there is no better opening, I use them and go from there. I have a general structure of what I want to teach them, what methods to use and in what order. It is adapted from experience, and the more rigid guidelines we are given by our client. I am constantly tweaking it when I'm not training. If I feel my group needs something different, I will abandon the plan, let them guide me on a detour, and bring them back when it feels right. Somehow, it still works out 95% of the time, especially now that I have found my confidence and know it works^^

This sounds exactly like how I teach. And for me, what is going on is the bird model prepwork making me comfortable enough to just vanish into my Courtier Badger. I've only recently been learning that I can... relax on the prep, a little. That sometimes too much prep gets me in my head, and sabotages me a little. Like I can just trust myself in the moment, and things work out just fine.

I have found the shc system a week ago, and I have been obsessed ever since. I got curious because a friend mentioned it. They were really into it, and I like sorting people if the system makes sense. I dug in, got hooked, and finally found words to describe everything I had figured out so painfully about myself in the last few years. Especially my snake primary was such a surprise and relief, let me tell you.

It's a good system. And it's... uniquely able to talk about certain kinds of things.

I am thinking there is at least some sort of bird model here, giving my improv some structure?

Took the words out of my mouth.

I was flirting with rapid fire bird as a secondary, but now I have put it into words, not a chance. I like my (contained) chaos too much^^

So far, I don't have too much to add. It's all very well laid out, and well understood. I do like the dramatic structure that happens when someone writes in convinced their a Lion and I start going into why they're actually a Snake but hey. This is nice. This is mellow.

Let's talk about badger secondary model instead. Just to get the elephant out of the room: I hate hard work, it feels slow, dull, and like there should be a better method somewhere. But I know that sometimes, you just have to do it if you want to build a reputation, or you know you need to rely on the goodwill of your community in the future.

This is so like... Rapid-fire bird processing Badger. Just the grudging respect of SURE badger secondary can be a useful tool I GUESS.

I feel awkward keeping shallow contact with my colleagues, I forget if they have kids, and I have been experimenting with discreetly taking notes on what they value.

This is so Bird.

It's not very successful because I can never remember them when it's necessary, so I nod and figure it out by asking "knowing seeming" questions, anyway.

This is so Snake.

What does resonate with me is the part of "becoming what they need" making myself into the tool I need, making myself seem reliable by being relatable. I mostly start a one-on-one conversation by mirroring the other person's mood.

Courtier Badger and Snake secondary can look very, very similar - especially from the outside. This right here could be a description of either.

It is only recently, and only with people I know well, that I have found the seductive power of railroading them instead. I can now cut short a friends whining by summarising what they're saying in a blunt and charming manner, and make them smile instead. Not always, but now I know it works, I use it more and more often.

... but this could only be Snake. Doing this sort of thing consciously and on purpose is so huge and so key. Courtier Badgers do have to believe it, and so they have a way of vanishing that Snake secondaries don't.

And I think I am exaggerating my "go and figure shc out, and be loud and open about it on tumblr" part, because it's what feels right at the moment, but also because the friend who got me into it is a burned lion secondary. They like me charging in, taking it for myself, and they admire anyone who can be honest and vulnerable in public.

Very Double Snake. Using a specific approach, specifically for your friend. Also you say your primary is burned... but I'm not getting burned primary from you. But you're also not really writing about your primary, so.

I guess I am making myself appealing, not just relatable like before.

What a perfect way of describing the difference between Snake and Badger secondaries.

Huh. Fading badger performance as snake gets confident? With another badger performance for work that I do grudgingly.

Performance is right. Just a shallow thing you wear over the top, that barely seems there anymore. You work like Bird, not a Badger.

Now lion. Well, lion is... difficult and easy at the same time? I have to take charge, be the boss, and make split-second, straightforward right-and-wrong decisions when I am leading my group: Call out anyone who doesn't play by the rules (though I usually don't care much if it is not annoying). Decide on, and hand out, the appropriate punishment for someone being late, again. Deal with brewing conflict in a head-on manner. But that is something I am still learning, and I am not very good at it.

Some of this is primary stuff - WHAT you do "be the boss, hand out punishments" versus HOW you do it. It's sounds to me like you're building a Lion primary model over your Snake primary, which is normal. Snakes with safe people almost always model something else. (And I already know you've got a friend that's a Lion primary... Snakes do like to match their People.)

It's possible that you're also building a Lion secondary model, or that one of your Snake secondary masks looks a little like a typical lion secondary, but my take is that most of this is coming from a primary model.

I tend to let conflicts slide, trusting they will work it out among themselves.

I feel that this speaks to the water-like nature of the Snake secondary, and a desire to always go around the problem.

or at least be professional about it and not bring it into the training. Definitely a lion performance here, and one I get frustrated with fast because I am not very good at it.

I have my lion moments, like I described with my way of being open and vulnerable about shc here on tumblr. But I wouldn't do it if it didn't feel right, or more specifically like something I need to heal and get better. I know I need to be vulnerable to heal, and it's relatively safe here, in the anonymity of my internet persona.

Hmm. Interesting. I'm not getting Lion from you... if this is a healing exercise, maybe you're practicing existing in your Neutral state?

I have to write it all out, and some of it just happen to come out as advice for other people's asks. It would be nice if I get some recognition for it in the community, and I love the fact that my friends reads it and tells me they like it.

My take on that sort of thing is going to be annoyingly Badger, so I apologize in advance. For me it's all about consistency. Lay a foundation and then build, one brick at a time.

Now that I have written it all out, I think it's probably the most snake way of arguing myself out of any secondary model I could come up with^^ I guess I don't have one, or if I do, I am dismantling it because I need things to be simple for a while. I am tempted to post this on my own blog, but I know it will get a bigger audience with you.

Yeah, no Lion secondary here.

and maybe help someone in a similar situation. So I will be patient, and I thank you for inviting us all to use you as a sounding board for our own shc issues. I have to stop going through your likes, I'm ruining my obsessive fangirl/shc vibes tumblr with beautiful rl-things and creative human interactions^^

I do what I can. I hope I help. :)

Thankyou, @sevilemar for the submission.

[brawltogethernow]

So on the whole, how useful would you say Death Note is for teaching someone how to write a convoluted plot between enemy chessmasters that's at least... 50% watertight?

General disclaimer that I haven’t touched the source material directly in many years, and all my dn posts are me feeling my feelings. But yeah, I can shake my 8-ball about this.

There are two components to dn’s approach to “a convoluted plot between enemy chessmasters”, and they’re only roughly stapled together. There’s the rivalry/characterization part, which is both compelling and silly, and is mostly about aesthetic. That never really concludes in a satisfying way. It’s not TRYING to, because the characters are pretty much there to hold up the thought experiment premise, which demands a lot of grit and unpoetic death and not solid foundations of character/relationship work. Like there’s stuff there but you’re really deep-mining for it and doing a lot of the work yourself, and that’s by design. All of the character arcs, which are pretty thin on the ground, trend in a negative/dismantling direction (because it’s a tragedy), and few of the relationships play out all the potential they have (because it’s not a tragedy about relationships).

The character aspect of the chessmaster stuff is heavily reliant on the conceit that once people are smart enough they will start reaching the same conclusions in the same way. Like there’s a single most ideal train of thought for every situation that even people who should have very different thought processes will reach with the assistance of enough little gray cells. This isn’t uncommon in smartboi stories, but dn went absolutely ham on it, if you want to make a study of that trope.

The biggest takeaway there is probably noting how the creative team seems to have been unaware that a lot of their audience was actually buying into that between the lead and their rival as a “meant to be enemies” kind of thing and didn’t realize that faction would be less interested once it became obvious that no, all geniuses in this world are taking turns using one brain. I’ll freely admit I deliberately misread this element to maximize my own investment.

Then there are the tricks and puzzles. The odd logical hole is inevitable, but overall they’re solid. They’re also just procedural plots delivered in a less formulaic story than that usually makes one think of. There’s nothing distinguishing them from the weekly puzzle of a House episode or a Detective Conan arc except for raw creativity and panache. There is rarely any characterization going on whatsoever. The twists require players, but you never get the sense that only whoever is being pulled to act could fill their part. They’re always stand-ins for perfectly generic individuals, putting their distinctive quirks and intense personal philosophies aside. This is that idea that there’s one way of thinking that everyone is accessing at staggered intelligence levels in play again. People are simplified until they can be pieces in contraptions no more complex than Light’s exploding desk drawer trap.

This is why the trick plots of dn don’t get pored over a lot by fans. They’re looped too loosely to the rest of the story to have an emotional impact that will make them memorable long-term. They’re deceptively simple, too. Kind of the opposite of a story twist that makes you rethink everything that came before it in a new light. You can’t dismantle dn and reassemble it like pentominoes very easily. A lot of it is grand set pieces, and if you tease out any of the puzzle plots they sort of lose structural integrity and flake away. This is why most canon divergence fic for dn is “diverging” by asking the question “what if Light were less of a shit”.

Ultimately, Death Note only gives the impression of being a complex engine made of moving parts. Its strong suit is its showmanship. It’s very good at carrying you along from twist to twist in a state of mild beffudlement that doesn’t quite escalate to belligerent and securing that “Oh wow! That was clever!” reaction. The mastermind-offs of are deceptively static, pretty much coming down to one party either failing or succeeding to thwart a plot laid out by another in advance without a lot of combating each others’ machinations in real time. Once resolved, twists vanish from the consciousness like disappearing gold. There’s no fiber to them, just flash.

This isn’t critique! Most elements of this story do what they’re deployed to do. (If the tricks needed workshopping, people would analyze them more, ironically.)

I’m myself shit at (de)constructing brain tingler twists and can’t really identify if dn’s are useful for instruction purposes. Not for people who don’t already have a natural talent for them, I guess! It might be interesting to identify why they’re not immediately identifiable as bloodless trick plots, except I suspect it might just be that the rest of dn is so insane and dissimilar from stories that usually contain those? Like I already compared it to two Holmes descendants, and it definitely has BBC Sherlock “let the asshole speak, genii are a protected species” vibes, and the criminal protagonist facing off with a detective premise is Arsene Lupin-y, yet I still feel weird identifying Death Note itself as in this broader genre because *gestures to all of it*.

It’s the least formula-reliant example of the breed I can think of right now, which is neat. (Annnnd also definitely feeds in to people being dissatisfied with it because they miscalled what it was trying to be. Dn is just generally pretty unique, and I imagine the team was making up a lot of its playbook from scratch as it went along, which leaves the audience in kind making up the experience of consuming it.)

All of the above is incidentally why dn is infamous for being very compelling in the moment but then having people revisit thinking about it and decide the he-knows-that-I-know-that-he-knows conceit is actually ridiculous and needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

So uh. This all SOUNDS like bad form, but that’s arguably me being a basic bitch who “likes when plot and character and aesthetic inform each other”, and that’s just fundamentally not what Death Note is. Also it’s kind of a lofty starting goal and writing is hard. Like! This approach worked! We are discussing a very successful property with many fans. (And a weirdly finite cultural impact for its popularity but this isn’t necessarily why.) I guess this is an acceptable playbook, and the takeaway is that you CAN successfully Frankenstein together different unconnected storytelling methods, and it will look dazzling and impressive and barely leave any of your readership feeling confused and hollow inside and likely to return and make fun of themselves for accidentally liking your work wrong.

Oh, also, dn as do’s and don’t’s of building a mastermind character. Do give headlining characters eye-catching, memetic traits. Don’t fail to trace those traits down so they actually represent something at your character’s core because you crossed over the line from “spinning characters out as foils and parallels who compare and contrast to each other in interesting ways” into “all of your smart characters are basically the same challenge-seeking misanthrope stamped with different surface features” -- except WHO ELSE IS GOING TO HAVE THAT PROBLEM? THAT’S NOT NORMAL.

So yeah you COULD study Death Note, or you could binge some crime dramas and then some X-Men issues that have battles in the center of the mind over the same weekend and get basically the same net effect.

[papermariosuggestion]

What are you hoping for from a new Paper Mario? What's your "golden ideal", I guess?

I could spend, like, years thinking of things I’d like to see in a Paper Mario game, but I’ll try to narrow it down. Here are some of the main things I’d really like to see:

☆ New partners (plural)

• Based on previously established Mario species, preferably “enemy” species, as “The circumstances of one’s birth are irrelevant; it is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.”

• Unusual, but believable, and perhaps even poignant, backstories and fully realized character arcs. I want to care about these characters because I’m invested in this world, its inhabitants, and those inhabitants’ personal successes and failures, not just because their design is so kawaii and/or their dialogue is so funny, though those things are a plus.

• Distinct personalities and opportunities to show those personalities off (through design, body language, dialogue, etc).

☆ RPG mechanics

• Built on the solid foundation established in Paper Mario (N64)

• Turn-based combat

• A leveling system where you get to choose which stat to increase

• Badges (Including superficial badges like the L Emblem and Attack FX badges)

• Something new, like being able to use two partners to perform a Bros.-Attack-like move, or maybe even stats specifically pertaining to your partners.

☆ New locations

• It’s a delicate balance. Locations should both feel like they could realistically exist in Mario’s world and feel like something we’ve never seen before. TTYD has some great examples of this (Rogueport, Boggly Woods, Twilight Town, etc). Super Paper Mario has some creative locations as well, but because it takes place in another dimension, not in the typical world that Mario inhabits, none of them really feel particularly “Mario-esque” in nature. They’re all a bit off-brand, so to speak.

• On a technical level, graphics are improving all of the time, but that doesn’t automatically lead to more intriguing and/or more visually satisfying designs. At it’s core, Mario is a fantasy franchise, an escape from reality, and the Paper Mario series is one of the few series in the franchise that really builds out- or at least used to really build out- its world, and that world was interesting because it was new and mysterious, it practically begged to be explored. Paper Mario games should show me something I can’t see in reality; I know what paper and cardboard and lemons and steaks look like, show me underground cities and palaces, show me sprawling gardens with talking flowers, show me a floating tourist trap in the sky. The biggest limit is your imagination, so let it run wild, and show me that, show me that Alice in Wonderland-like controlled chaos.

☆ An interconnected world and motivated backtracking

• No stage-selection maps. Even if the game is fairly linear, I don’t need to have that shoved in my face. I don’t want to feel like I’m working my way down a to-do list, glued to a track, I want to journey through the world and explore somewhat freely.

• No fast travel by default (maybe you unlock fast travel after beating an optional challenge like the Pit of 100 Trials)

• No pipes that take you right from the hub world to the chapter area; I wanna walk…

…and I want it to be through a believable, expansive, intricate world that changes as I progress through the game, a world I could see hundreds of times and never get sick of because its details are constantly in flux, and because those details are the kind that make it feel realistic and lived-in. I don’t want to be teleported from A to B, or confined on a path from A to B to C, I want to explore, I want to discover, I want to experience this world and to form an attachment to it. This alone would make backtracking more worthwhile, but…

• …another way to make backtracking even more enjoyable would be to add events that make walking into a game in and of itself, like having to follow a creature up in the trees, or having to get through a cursed area in Mirror Mode, or having to dodge and weave through falling rocks because there’s a huge earthquake destroying- and altering the actual geometry of- the area. Walking doesn’t have to be a chore for you to complete in order to get on with the game, and it shouldn’t be, it should be part of the game, just as engaging as anything else you’re involved in.

☆ Non-linear elements

• The game should still be fairly linear overall, because Paper Mario games are chapter-based stories with beginnings, middles, and ends, but having some say  in which chapter comes next, or which partner you meet, or even just which puzzle you solve next would give the player a stronger sense of agency. Story-driven games are at high-risk of making the player feel like they’re just along for the ride, and this would help to counteract that.

☆ Spin dashing

• Gotta go fast! Getting rid of spin dashing always felt like an odd choice to me. Characters like the Yoshi kid, Carrie, and Dashell kind of replaced it, in the sense that they allow you to move quickly, but being able to speed up without switching partners, as well as being able to spin attack and just to witness the utter chaos of Mario flinging himself across the screen again, would make backtracking and walking around in general less of a slog. It would also give you more agency in the overworld and serve as a nice callback to the original game.

☆ Free-moving NPCs & situational dialogue

• In past games, NPCs have been confined to certain paths and locations. They might move from chapter to chapter, but they would always stay in the same general area until you triggered an event that placed them somewhere new. I’d like to see characters wandering around, going in and out of buildings, visiting other locations, having private conversations with one another, getting into fights, buying and selling items at the shop, putting on different clothes, and doing just about anything else they would typically do in-universe. Obviously this would be huge challenge to program, but we’re talking about an ideal here, and anything in this general direction would be an improvement in my eyes. We already see a bit of this in the series, but I’d like to see even more.

• When NPCs say things like “Where are your manners, Mario? You shouldn’t climb on the table” and “Don’t be so careless. There are too many enjoyable things in the world to gamble with your life!” it makes it feel like they actually see what you’re doing and care about what you’re doing. Having NPCs respond to you differently because of where you’re standing, or what partner you have out, or what badges you’re wearing, and so on, makes them into more than just set decoration or a sign to read, it makes them people, or at least more person-like. Nintendo’s been pretty good about this in recent years, probably because technical improvements have made it easier than ever before, and I think it would be fitting for a series known for its world-building.

☆ Dynamic lighting design & a day/night system

• This is all about aesthetics because, as it turns out, visuals are pretty important in a video game. Paper Mario (N64) had some really interesting lighting design, notably in darker areas like the secret passage in Peach’s castle, and we haven’t really seen a lot of that since, despite having more advanced technology that would allow for advanced lighting.

• I’d like to see things like swinging chandeliers that cast beams of light, and cracks in the ceiling that light pours through, and mirrors/reflections that Mario uses to solve puzzles, and shadows that hint at secrets. Lighting is a huge part of shaping a world, and using it in a variety of different and meaningful ways just makes your world seem that much more complex and grounded.

• As for the day/night system, I am picturing a game that visually changes based on the actual time of day, kind of like Animal Crossing games do, but not a game that requires it to be a certain time of day for any gameplay purposes, not for the main quest, not for side-quests, and not even for easter eggs. All I want is for it to be bright when I play in the morning, orange when I play at sunset, and starry when I play at night. This also would add to the game’s replayability, as different chapters would look and feel different depending on what time of day it was when you played through them.

☆ Easter eggs that reference other games in the franchise

• I want it to be clear, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Mario we see in Paper Mario games is the same Mario we see in other Mario games, not another person, and talking about the time he visited Isle Delfino or when Bowser fused with a sentient tennis racket would really drive that home.

• Make me really look for some, though. It’s cool to spot easter eggs in plain sight, but what’s really rewarding is having to dig for them. I don’t just wanna see Luigi standing in the background, I want to spot little inconsistencies and cracks in the walls and cryptograms spread throughout the world. Sure, the five-year-olds playing might not find them on their first playthrough, but when they’re fifteen and they remember that awesome Paper Mario game they played a decade ago, they won’t just be revisiting a world they’ve fully explored, they’ll be playing on a whole new level, figuratively speaking.

☆ amiibo Compatibility/functionality

• I’m not a big fan of DLC in general, as it’s often overpriced, but I do think amiibos are neat; using a real object to unlock something in a virtual world makes the virtual world feel just that much more alive to me, that much more like it’s a little world I can actually affect.

• The Paper Mario series never really got official merch, and while you do see a bit of your partners’ lives in the epilogue, it’s only a glimpse into their future, so getting little figurines of past partners that make them appear in the game, tell you about a recent adventure they had, and give you a unique badge based on their abilities/personalities/experiences, would be like a dream come true.

☆ Just be creative (I know it’s not that simple, but like, figure it out)

• Surprise me; throw in something inventive and revolutionary, like Wall Merging from A Link Between Worlds or The Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device from Portal.  There’s a whole universe of possibilities out there; please dream a little bigger than items disguised as a gameplay element and a hammer that fills in glaringly obvious gaps in paint. Nintendo’s always pushing the video game industry forward with their creative consoles. Use that, take whatever whacky control method they come up with next and integrate it like Super Paper Mario did- but hopefully even better than Super Paper Mario did- with the Wii remote.

• I see fans writing stories, and drawing characters, and making sprites, and working with all kinds of mediums to make art that knocks everything from recent “Paper Mario” games out of the park. Obviously Intelligent Systems can’t just steal those ideas, but I’d love to see them get on that wavelength and match that passion.

• Make a game that you’d never want to put down because you just can’t get enough of it, and don’t even bother with that “You’ve been playing for a while. You wanna take a break, grab a snack, chill out for a sec?” message; if I die playing your game because it’s truly that good, I see that as an absolute win. That’s legendary game design, my friend; aim to make a Paper Mario game so good it’s worth dying for, and if you fall short of that, hopefully you’ll still land on something pretty awesome.

[kikifeliz]

THE WEEK AHEAD: April 19 - April 25, 2021

By Kiki Feliz

♋️♏️♓️ Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

While the underlying energy here regards a new opportunity, the overlying energy here is a bit violent, unfortunately.

Someone is trying to trap you, or you may be feeling trapped by a situation. I definitely see an offer on the table that you shouldn’t ignore, which seems to be a good opportunity — however, you’re skeptical about it because you’ve been rejected a lot in the past and this offer just seems a little too good to be true. Guess what, it is — but you shouldn’t ignore it all the same. Why not? There’s something sexy about it that will ultimately raise your stock, which I believe you can parlay into another opportunity. You don’t have to TAKE this weird temptation in order to parlay it; just keep it in your back pocket as a trump card during negotiations with other offers.

It’s as if someone is dangling something over your head. It’s something you want desperately, so while you may consider this, know that is is a devil’s bargain. Don’t let past rejections cause you to act rashly, because you’ve been building a strong foundation for a whole now; don’t topple all your hard work for a get rich quick scheme. You will be successful and stable without this offer regardless, but the question is are you prepared to venture out ON YOUR OWN into the wild in order to continue your journey? I can’t say that this person or organization’s support is worth it.

Take some time to rest and recharge this week. A tragedy is on its way, and you need to be emotionally prepared. It’s possible that a father-figure, husband, fiancee may fall ill or have some sort of negative interaction. I do see them finding peace, though. If someone does get sick, don’t take it upon yourself to care for them. I know this sounds harsh, but you’d only be doing more harm to yourself than good by stepping into the situation. Use your best judgement, and try to work as a team or even better, hire some help if you can. Follow your intuition, it will tell you what is best here.

I see you attracting a lot of stability this week. Lots of growth energy, and it looks like you really have a plan of action to move forward to become to absolute ruler of your money, your time, and your resources. You see the bountiful vision ahead of you and you are well aware or the hard work it will take to get there, but you’re also scared. Despite having a solid plan, this fear is keeping you from fully believing in yourself. “It’s outlandish,” I’m hearing. But is it? Haven’t others already been where you want to go? If they can do it, why can’t you??? Don’t let fear hold you back — the world knows how powerful you are, but you don’t see yourself the way they do. I promise you, if you are brave and take that first step, what seems like a burden now will be tackled bit by bit. Yes, the crown is heavy.... but you have the shoulders and the brains to support it. Don’t let insecurities hold you back from seeing the strength you possess! You are stronger than the disappointments you’ve felt lately, especially the disappointments regarding love.

I do see new love opportunities coming in; some good, some bad. We all experience good luck and bad luck in this arena, it’s normal. If you’ve experienced domestic violence in the past (including non-physical abuse), just know that help is available. Unfortunately, things might get worse before they get better. I’m seeing some very violent energy here and it definitely looks like someone is mad as fuck, and it doesn’t seem to be you. Defend yourself against jabs of any kind — verbal or physical. If someone tries to hurt you physically (I am seeing stabby energy here, sadly, but it doesn’t have to be a jab with a knife, it could also be with a fist or with words) use all the tools at your disposal to turn the situation around, without fear! I do see a positive resolution to whatever this situation is, and I see you coming into your power and transmuting this to make something great. This especially for my artists, it will add fuel to your creative fire.

Some of you may turn to religion this week, or may find a really positive community within a religious context. I see people from your past as well. Some of you may go on a fishing trip, some of you may get married and have a very beautiful reception! Lots of dancing & joy happening this week.

I see your efforts at time management paying off, and I also see you joining some sort of support group/band/troupe/ or just a general group of likeminded individuals who will help you to maintain focus along your path.

I am seeing good health for you this week as well!! Although I definitely want you to stay at home for the most part, it’s okay to get a small group together and go for a walk or a skate or play some music on the street — whatever it is you like to do! This brief outing will definitely cheer you up from any negative energy and it will help you keep focused on your goals as well. While at home, focus on organizing your stuff and making things as beautiful as possible, I see a lot of cute home decor in your future!

[laughawayeternity]

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Overview

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You can employ call spreads and put spreads to trade directional movements with a buffered risk, and profit. You can sell or purchase spreads to receive the credit of the premium decay by options expiration. You can trade straddles and strangles if you expect a big move but are not sure in which direction. You can also get into ratio back spreads, condors, and butterflies. And if you're really feeling crazy you can sell 'naked' options (just better use a stop loss or you'll end up like one of my old trading buddies who ran an account to $20 million then gave it all back selling naked options. ) You can go to cboe. com for more information on options trading. Directional options trading systems are the best. Keep it simple, buy calls for and upside trade or buy puts for a downside trade. But this means you need a directional stock trading system in order to trade directional options. Here are a couple of different approaches for directional systems:Develop an options trading systems that trades the swings in stock price movement. There are many good swing trading systems available today. We suggest you obtain one. Bottom line with swing trading is that you want to swing trade with the trend. Options brokers these days have advanced order technology that will allow you to enter swing trades based on the price movement of the stock so you don't have to watch this stock all day. That huge advancement to swing trading options. Swing trade the day bars. Most swing trading systems are based on daily bars on the stock price chart. Swing trade the Intra Day Bars! Their other fantastic systems based on intraday charts that pin point swing trading entries. Develop an options trading system that trades three to six month trends. This is where the big money is. Trading the large trends is where many are able to place larger sums of money to develop their net worth. Develop an options trading system that trades pivot points. Pivot point trading is arguably the best way to trade options, because price action usually is explosive, and happens quickly in our direction when a trade works. This is good because you can use shorter-term options and leverage yourself a little better. And it's also nice you can make great gains in five days to four weeks on average so time decay issues become less of a worry. There are many different directional trading methods you could use to trade options.

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By acknowledging your blind spots and making adjustments, you can keep your system in line with changing market trends and conditions. It sounds so simple, but it requires perseverance and discipline. Learn - A trading system is not static. Keep your mind active by always learning. The more you study the stock market and options trading system, the more you will know and the better off you will be. If an options trading system was like a tic-tac-toe system, then we would all be wealthy.

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Buying calls and puts is the easiest way to get started. As you learn and experience more about how prices move, you can add new strategies to your trading to enhance your system. Adding covered calls and protective puts to long equity positions is a logical next step and can supercharge your account by generating monthly or weekly cash flow. Trade - Once you have defined the basics of your strategy, it is time to trade. Start small, one or two contracts, and keep detailed records of your transactions. Be sure to include what the underlying stock price was at the time of your option purchase or sale. Your records will help you analyze how you are doing and where you can improve. When you add new trading criteria to your system, you should be able to see an improvement to your statistics. If you do not, it is time to reassess your defined criteria. Evaluate - Evaluate your successes and failures. The frequency of your analysis will depend on how much you are trading. If you are trading actively, then a weekly or monthly review is important. Compare your losses with your winnings. Zero in on the key factors that make up a winning trade and try to fine tune your criteria to enhance your executions. As painful as it may be, analyze your mistakes, too. Fine tune your criteria to eliminate making those same mistakes again. Analyzing your mistakes is just as, if not more, important as studying your successful trades. Adjust - When you have a losing streak or spot a potential weak area in your option trading system, adjust it. There is no shame in being wrong. That is part of the business of trading. The shame is in being blind to your mistakes and repeating them. By feeding your ego and justifying your weakness with excuses, you are guaranteed to fail in trading. By acknowledging your blind spots and making adjustments, you can keep your system in line with changing market trends and conditions. It sounds so simple, but it requires perseverance and discipline. Learn - A trading system is not static. Keep your mind active by always learning. The more you study the stock market and options trading system, the more you will know and the better off you will be. If an options trading system was like a tic-tac-toe system, then we would all be wealthy. Thankfully, options trading is not as boring as a child's game. Learn something new every day and absorb it into your options trading system. I do.

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There are a several ways to profit in any kind of market condition from trending to range bound. Protection - An options trading system based on the appropriate strategy for prevailing market conditions can act as a hedge against other investments. Protective puts are commonly used this way. Risk - A good options trading system limits risk in two important ways. The first way is cost. The price of options is very low compared to buying the same amount of stock. The second way is related to stops. A good system will cut losses quickly and keep them small. Any Option Trader Can Develop an Options Trading SystemAs a trader, it is important build a system that utilizes different types of option strategies-iron condors, broken wing butterflies, calendar spreads, back ratios, straddles, strangles, and collars. It might sound like a foreign language right now, but work on the vocabulary one lesson at a time. Break it down piece by piece and make it your own.

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Essentially, it is a checklist of criteria that must be met before trades are entered. When all conditions are met, a signal to buy or sell is generated. The criteria are different for each type of option trading strategy. Whether it is long calls, covered calls, bear spreads, or selling naked index options, each has its own trading system model. An option trading system that is worth its salt will help you weed out false signals and build your confidence in entries and exits. How Important is an Options Trading System?The options market is very complex. Trading options without a system is like building a house without a blueprint. Volatility, time and stock movement can all affect your profitability. You need to be cognizant of each of these variables. It is easy to be swayed by emotion when the market is moving. Having a system helps to control your reaction to those very natural and normal emotions. How often have you sat and watched a trade lose money the instant your buy order filled? Or, have you ever watched a stock skyrocket in price while you are pondering over whether or not to buy it? Having a structured plan in place is crucial to make sound and objective trading decisions. By creating and following a good system, you can hone your trading executions to be as emotionless and automatic as a computer. Advantages of an Options Trading SystemLeverage - Trading options gives your account leverage on the stock market. With options, you can control hundreds or thousands of shares of stock at a fraction of the price of the stock itself. A five to ten percent change in the price of a stock can equate to a gain of one hundred percent or more in an option. Try to focus on percentage gains versus dollar amount gains in your trading. It requires a fundamental shift in conventional thinking, but it is crucial to managing a successful trading system. Objectivity - A good options trading system is based on measurable criteria that trigger buy and sell signals. It takes the subjectivity and second guessing out of your trading so you can focus on preset factors that make for an explosive trade. Flexibility - Nearly all options traders will tell you that options allow for flexibility in your trading. Opportunities in the options market make it incredibly easy to profit from short-term positions. With earnings events and weekly options, you can build strategies for overnight gains with clearly defined risk. There are a several ways to profit in any kind of market condition from trending to range bound. Protection - An options trading system based on the appropriate strategy for prevailing market conditions can act as a hedge against other investments. Protective puts are commonly used this way. Risk - A good options trading system limits risk in two important ways. The first way is cost. The price of options is very low compared to buying the same amount of stock. The second way is related to stops. A good system will cut losses quickly and keep them small.

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[haveyouseenthis]

GO生, Stray Kids | Review PART II

Pt. II

“...’God’s Menu’ was born”

Every second of the song captivated me. Every scene in the M/V was intriguing and sucked me in. I never rewatch M/Vs - ever. I’ve never been one to stream it a million times for the view count to go up. No way. My attention span is waay too short for that

“God’s Menu”, though. 

Wow.

I’ve had to have watched it 40 times since it came out, at least. And the thing is, it’s not my STAY self trying to accumulate views for the boys (although they do deserve it). It’s myself watching it just to watch it. It’s so good. I know exactly what scene is coming, the exact part. I know how the music is about to change and who is going to be center in the next shot, but despite this, it still gives me chills every time.

I think there are a couple reasons for that. One obviously being the song itself, but the other being the phenomenal camerawork. The cameramen and editors have always been the unsung heroes of k-pop and M/Vs in general, but they really outdid themselves this go-around. All the transitions were heavenly. You can tell they didn’t just throw them in there for shock value, but truly thought about where they would have the most impact.

The sets are also amazing. Somehow a transition from kitchen to construction site not only works, but is seamless. All the racetrack scenes also fit in perfectly. 

I started to ask myself why these sets worked so well together. What did a master chef’s kitchen, a construction site, and a racetrack have in common? Anything?

Well, maybe more than you think.

All around the world master chefs retreat into their kitchen to experiment with new recipes and cook up ones never seen before. At construction sites blueprints drawn up by architects are used to build amazing towers are intricate buildings. At the racetracks, old stars and rookies are holding onto their fame or making a name for themselves, fighting for the lead on every lap.

Stray Kids are cooking up their hits in the kitchen, laying the foundation for their success with their hardhats on, and then accelerating past all the competition.

As previously stated, “God’s Menu” is their best song, hands down. But every song on the album brings something to the table. Because of this, GO生 might just be their best release yet… 

My Top Five:

神메뉴 (God’s Menu)

Easy

비행기 (Airplane)

청사진 (Blueprint)

일상 (Another Day/Daily Life)

“God’s Menu” was hard-hitting hip hop in a way I haven’t heard or seen before from SKZ. As I’ve already said, it’s easily the best song they’ve released, including B-sides. Every verse is well crafted, the pre-chorus is catchy and serves as the nice mellow tone the song needed for the vocalists to really shine, and the chorus is a masterpiece of simple onamonapia and tangy flavor (see what I did there~) with strong choreography. The song is shockingly short, especially considering it’s a title track. However, it still feels solid. It’s a full course meal in less than three minutes. That’s so impressive, to me at least. I can’t be the only one who feels like the song is much longer than it is because it’s so immersive.

My favorite parts include Changbin’s “Yes, sir and ma’am / welcome” intro,  the first verse, and the second verse. Changbin’s intro sets the tone immediately. The “sir and ma’am” is almost sassy in context. It’s like he’s truly welcoming us into a restaurant, but there is that eerie undertone of “you don’t know what you’re in for”. I love that Han gets to rap the entire first verse. Not only does it make sense because he is a main rapper, but it sounds better than if it has been split between several people as verse 2 had. There is a clear split about halfway through the first verse where they could have switched to another member, but they stayed with Han, and I think that makes the song so much more powerful, especially since it comes at the beginning. Unlike verse one, verse two splits its lines between five different members. And it works perfectly. I wouldn’t have changed anything at all. Felix’s low voice oozes charisma and is the perfect way to pull listeners deeper into the song after the chorus, and Seungmin and I.N.’s cocky, drawing sound pairs perfectly with that. Chan’s voice and attitude fits wonderfully for his “자물쇠 따 싹 다 unlock / Idea bank 머릿속을 털어 털어” (“All the locks unlock / Idea bank, empty your head, empty it”) part. It’s also a fitting part for him as the main producer of the group. Hyunjin is the perfect person to wrap up the verse. His demanding attitude paired with his visuals as he says “비밀재료가 궁금하다면 / 사실 우린 그딴 거 안 써” (“Wonder what’s our secret ingredient / We don’t use such a thing”) deliver the line in a way no one else in the group could.

And, can we talk about that line for a minute, T? What a statement. It’s on the same flex level as “Daechwita”. “Oh, how are we so good? What’s our secret? How are we cutting corners to get here? We aren’t.”

I also really like that “Go Live,” “God’s Menu,” and “Easy,” feel like a trilogy. It’s a nice way to start the album because it gets the listener immersed immediately.

To have“Easy” follow “God’s Menu” is maybe the best decision made on this tracklist. Still just as proud and cocky as its predecessor, “Easy” talks about how Stray Kid’s don’t just turn the tables or meet expectations, they flip the table over and exceed the expectations - all with ease. 

My favorite part in “Easy” is the bridge, and I’ve found a few different translations of it:

Zaty Farhani’s “Easy” lyric video translates the bridge as “Showing off is all for show, what are you doing getting all scared? / The brave ugly-duckling turns the table / Let’s raise the stakes as you’ve wished / or do it my way”

Color Coded Lyrics’s (CCL) blog translates it as: “What’s the point of being braggy / When you’re just eating up your fear / A loser with courage will turn the tables around / Let’s make it to the next round, as you want / Or I’ll mess around with my own way”

Genius Lyrics translates the part as: “Your words are just bragging / What are you doing while being all coward? / A brave loser has overtook everything / Let's make this game even more big as you wanted / Or just screw it and do it my way”

All of them amount to about the same thing: “You have to show off and brag to prove your worth and rise to the top but we don’t. We know where we came from, and we know what we are, but we will go farther because of this. We’ll take over the world our way,”.

“비행기 (Airplane)” ends the “Go-God’s-Easy” trilogy with it’s lighter hip-hop sound. It’s a love song. The narrator speaks of taking an airplane to a vacation spot with his girlfriend as a metaphor for the two of them traveling to their own world where they can be happy together. What really draws me to this song is its style and sound. The track reminds me a little of “Mixtape : Gone Days”,  with it’s lighter feel. It’s a nice example of a lighthearted love song. I don’t have as much to say about this one, I just really like it. There isn’t any deep meaning in the lyrics for me to dive into (unless you’re into speculating the composer's relationship status. Bang Chan and Changbin wrote “Airplane” in collaboration with others so it’s possible the lyrics came from them or one of the other three composers. Maybe all of them are just good enough at imagining situations to write things like this. We’ll never know.)

“청사진 (Blueprint)” comes in 4th for me, but really 3rd-5th place may as well be equal. The three songs have the same energy to me, especially “Blueprint” and “Airplane”. I like “Blueprint” for its folk-inspired pop sound. It reminds me of AKMU, which I’m sure T digs. It’s not SKZ’s usual sound, but they sing it well and have made it their own. I smile every time it comes on. The lyrics have a wonderful message about overcoming and accomplishing your dreams despite the odds and the people out to get you. Very sweet, and the message reminds me of that of many of their old songs.

“일상 (Another Day/Daily Life)” is the closest thing to a ballad we’ve gotten from the boys.

The beginning count reminds me of NCT 127’s “Boom” and the overall sound reminds me of NCT Dream’s “Puzzle Piece”.

While the first time I listened to it I could easily tell it was a sad and mournful song about something, I wasn’t expecting to tear up while reading the lyrics on my 3rd listen.

It hurts so much. It’s so beautiful. The song tells the story of the narrator (Han wrote it, it’s absolutely about him and his anxiety) as he reflects on himself and his situation, wondering if he’s the only one feeling the way he is, wondering if he is the only one putting on an act every day, and wondering if it’s evening convincing.

But I guess that painfully beautiful tune fits with the message. The notes are so sweet they make you want to cry. And that’s how it feels to go through what the narrator is dealing with. Everything you’re doing looks beautiful. You seem perfect, but if anyone really takes time to listen, they will hear your hurt.

He was a young teenager and was forced to deal with so many pressures (“I’m still so young, but I have so many worries”/”So much worries for such a young child”) during training, and then debut.

After that line, we get to the hard truth of the industry. Of course companies care about their idols, but only to a point. After that, it’s “Just do what you're supposed to be doing well” and “Just do your job properly”. In other words, “Okay, great, you’re going through something. Get over it.”.

CCL translation: “When I pushed my way into this dark room / Did anybody bother to look back at me? / I barely managed to make it through this hard day / How many times did I smile, and were they genuine smiles? // I find the way I’m trapped in my thoughts funny / I’m still so young, but I have so many worries / Just do what you’re supposed to be doing well / Nobody knows anything about how empty my heart feels / And I hate how / All they know how to do is laugh it off”

Genius translation: “The day I forced my way into the dark room / Would at least one person have turned to look at me / Me, who barely lived through another day / How many times have I laughed, but were those sincere? // Myself deep in thought looks funny / So much worries for such a young child / Just do your job properly / Without knowing about my empty heart / Just laughing over it, I don't like that”

I think it’s fitting that the only parts Han gets opens and close the song. It just draws more attention to the fact that it’s his story. He’s opening the door for him and others to talk about their feelings, and once they’ve covered it all, he closes it back up. 

I don’t have too many complaints about this album. A couple, maybe.

One would be that  “TOP”, “SLUMP”, “Mixtape : Gone Days”, and “Mixtape : On Track/바보라도 알아” were released separate from this album, so they stick out from the other 10 tracks. I’m glad they were all grouped together at the end and not sporadically placed between songs like “Easy” and “Pacemaker”. 

“Gone Days” sticks out the most because of its playful hip-hoppy sound that is reminiscent of previous tracks such as “Awkward Silence” and “Get Cool”. I’m not particularly fond of the fact that it is the only one that sounds as it does, but I suppose it is just the same thing they did with “Get Cool” and “Awkward Silence”’s respective mini albums. Both songs were the only ones of their kind on their albums and feel a little out of place. I think I was able to get accustomed to it quicker as being on mini albums there was a smaller tracklist, therefore drastic tone changes between songs weren’t as novel. 

Go Live’s sound alternates (mainly) between two different styles. There are louder, harder hip-hop songs like “God’s Menu” “TA” and “Pacemaker”, and then we have what I’ve dubbed “The Quiet Trilogy” with “Airplane”, “Another Day”, and “Blueprint”. Songs like “Phobia” and “Haven” seen to sit solidly in between the two styles.

But “Gone Days” and “On Track” don’t sound like anything else on this tracklist. “Gone Days” has an over-saturated upbeat take on hip-hop, and “On Track” has a ballad inspired sound (honestly it vaguely reminds me of OSTs for dramas…) to it. This makes the transition from beginning of album to end shocking, and I’m not overly fond of that.

My other issue is that the rest of the track-list simply pales in comparison to its title track. “God’s Menu” was so powerful, so overwhelming for me that it made the rest of the album underwhelming.

Maybe that’s a compliment, actually? At least as far as “God’s” is concerned. I don’t know…

I think I’ll get used to it after a few more listens. (Future Kasin: I did and I love it <3)

One thing is for sure: if they master making every song deliver the same punch as “God’s Menu”, I’ll be done for.

I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Go Live on Spotify

Links PT II:

神메뉴 (God’s Menu) Lyrics (Han/Rom/Eng)

“Easy” lyric video

Color Coded Lyrics Stray Kids Discography

Color Coded Lyrics Stray Kids “Easy”

Genius Lyrics Stray Kids “Easy” English translation

Color Coded Lyrics Stray Kids “비행기 (Airplane)”

Genius Lyrics Stray Kids “비행기 (Airplane)”

Color Coded Lyrics “청사진 (Blueprint)” 

Genius Lyrics “청사진 (Blueprint)”

NCT 127 Boom

NCT Dream Puzzle Piece

Color Coded Lyrics “일상 (Another Day/Daily Life)”

Part I

[ingek73]

We Need to Talk About the Sussexes’ “Global Brand”

Sunday, 23 June 2019

Amidst a flurry of Saturday morning tasks, I caught up with my sister on the phone yesterday. We mulled over several topics before she inquired about the blogs and reports concerning the Royal Foundation: "Why do they blame Meghan for everything? What exactly is she supposed to have done that's not in line with the way the royals operate professionally?"

I've thought about these questions quite a bit since. It led me to carefully consider the reaction to news the Sussexes will leave the Royal Foundation and start their own charitable arm later this year. Surely, this is positive news? Well, apparently not. For this announcement has been met with....you guessed it....more criticism levelled at Meghan. Never mind it's been widely acknowledged the Sussexes did not push for the split, although all four are said to be pleased with the outcome. Headlines and furious social media posts appeared recently with such titles as "This is all Meghan's fault", "The Sussexes don't know their place", "They are not happy with their place within the family", "All they care about is creating a 'global brand'". You get the gist of it...

The term "Global Brand" has been bandied about along with outlandish speculation. Harry and Meghan have been accused of attempting to profit personally, running amok from Buckingham Palace with their own agenda and using this platform to break the royal mould. In the eyes of some the Sussexes are the downfall of the monarchy. What with their solid work ethic, proven successful projects, worldwide popularity and desire to use their roles for good, the Queen and her top aides must be positively shaking in their boots (or in Her Majesty's case her black patent Anello & Davide shoes). This is all sounding rather ridiculous isn't it?

Why has this been allowed to continue, escalate and take over the narrative you might ask? It's stemmed from an era of click-bait media where the lay of the land allows online journalists to write first, ask questions later, or better still don't ask them at all. A seething online fan war where misinformation becomes factual and, particularly, a complete lack of understanding, education and knowledge about the monarchy is worn as a badge of honour. I'm going to underline that because this is the crux of the issue and one which badly needs to be addressed before we are to endure months and years of vicious attacks against the Sussexes' foundation and future work. As long as this level of false information circulates on the internet and readers accept this as reality, it's not going anywhere, and I for one find it outrageous.

So, back to my sister's questions... "Why do they blame Meghan for everything? What exactly is she supposed to have done that's not in line with the way the royals operate professionally?" Step by step, I intend to answer that question using facts and senior members of the Royal family.

A 'Global' Royal Family?

As noted above, talk of a global 'Sussex Brand' has been used in the most derogatory sense. Members of the Royal family never focus on global issues, right? Incorrect. The royals' work in the UK is of course their primary job, but it isn't representative of their roles' sum total. Not at all. Representing Her Majesty in the Commonwealth and globally, in addition to supporting their own causes around the world plays a part in the working lives of most of the Royal family. I'm pleased to have learned of, and I'm delighted to share, the extent of those efforts by members of the British Royal family.

Certainly, when one is searching for an exemplary example of charitable work on any scale, we need look no further than the Prince of Wales. I could easily dedicate ten posts to his life's work and only barely scratch the surface. What I will focus on are his efforts and successes outside the UK to demonstrate the reach the Royal family has had for decades. Since Charles founded the Prince's Trust in 1976 (using his navy severance pay) to help vulnerable people get their lives back on track, his interests have grown to the point where he has over 400 patronages. His boundless desire to help others and to maximise the impact of his role has seen him launch, lead and support a number of charities further afield.

Have you heard of the Prince of Wales's Foundation Romania? Established in 2015, to take forward Charles' work in the country, the foundation develops a number of projects to support architectural heritage preservation, farming and sustainable development in Romania. As with much of Charles' work, it's about taking a practical, results-driven, sustainable approach. Relevant skills and practical courses are delivered to small farmers, producers of artisan food as well as Romania's wounded soldiers. Charles fell in love with the country, culture and people following a visit to Transylvania in 2007. During a speech at the Babes-Bolyai University he said: "I have often been asked about what brings me so often to Romania, what makes this place so special. The answer is, to me, very simple: you, my Romanian friends; your cultural and nature patrimony, your traditions, but also your capacity for innovation and change. All that you represent after centuries of history – your identity and your entire potential. All the energy you can expand to change something. These are the things that make you truly special in the entire world."

As with all members of the Royal family, the Commonwealth is an important part of Charles' life. Throughout his visits to member nations, he knew he wanted to make a lasting impact wherever he could. The Prince's Trust Australia delivers social impact by "transforming lives and building sustainable communities in Australia". Promoting enterprise skills, sustainable communities and supporting young people and defence members and their families are the core areas of the trust.

The Prince's Trust Canada is a registered Canadian charity established by Charles in 2011. It provides entrepreneurship training for veterans and transitioning Canadian Armed Forces members, helps young people reach their potential through employability programs, and supports Indigenous communities as they revitalise and protect their languages.

Next, we look at the Prince's Trust International, the definition of an organisation with global reach. Since its launch, the focus has been on delivering pilot programmes in countries around the world. They now have pilot programmes underway and established partners delivering programmes in Australia, Barbados, Canada, Greece, Jordan, Malta, Pakistan and New Zealand. If that's not enough, the plan is to move to a number of others countries in the coming years. Much like the Prince's Trust UK, the goal is to support and enable young people to avail of opportunities and improve their futures.

The Duchess of Cornwall is President of the Brooke, a worldwide organisation providing veterinary treatment for horses and donkeys. They reach over two million working horses, donkeys and mules across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Organisation staff include vets, animal welfare experts, and advocacy and development specialists. Camilla, a lifelong animal lover, is also a joint president of Elephant Family, a charity founded by her late brother Mark Shand in 2002 to save the Asian elephants. Again, supporting causes close to her heart is in addition to her duties on behalf of Her Majesty - it's not a case of running roughshod over the monarchy.

Shortly before the Earl and Countess of Wessex married, the Wessex Youth Trust was established to help, support and advance registered charities which provide opportunities specifically for children and young people. The Trust is proud to support worthy organisations both at home and internationally. "Internationally, funds have been directed to a wide variety of organisations - a Down Syndrome speech therapy centre in Moscow, and an orphanage in Chernobyl; a paediatric ophthalmology unit, training scheme and Flying Eye Hospital in Nepal and the Philippines as well as an HIV/Aids support programme in Uganda. In addition, donations have also been made to disaster relief operations - such as 9/11 and a children's home in Sri Lanka which helped victims of the 2004 tsunami."

Sophie has been a global ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness since 2013. More from the Palace: "In 2013, this role took Her Royal Highness to the Orbis flying hospital programme in India and Qatar where she saw first-hand the many global issues around preventable blindness. Following the Countess' visit to India and Qatar, Her Royal Highness wrote an article for the Telegraph to coincide with World Sight Day. In India, Bangladesh and Nepal the sight-saving organisations are focusing on childhood blindness. In Sudan, Pakistan and Egypt the organisations are focusing on the Trachoma Elimination Programme. Her Royal Highness has drawn much attention to these on-going projects through her visits to the regions and has helped drive the plans forward through working closely with the organisations, and many youth and community events."

More from Buckingham Palace:

'On International Women’s Day 2019, the Countess publicly announced her commitment to champion the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and the UK’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI), at a reception for Women Peacebuilders at Buckingham Palace. WPS both recognises the disproportionate impact of conflict on women and girls and the positive role women play in building peace and stability.

The PSVI aims to prevent conflict-related sexual violence as well as responding to the needs of survivors, tackling stigma and strengthening justice and accountability. As a central pillar of the Countess’s work, HRH has spoken at the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN in New York, and attended a Foreign Office conference on PSVI with survivors, government and NGO representatives. The Countess also continues to highlight international efforts towards women’s role in peacebuilding - in India, for example, HRH learnt about the country’s contribution to UN Peacekeeping and heard from women peacekeepers on active deployment.'

A life of service has seen Princess Anne travel all over the world. After serving as President of Save the Children since 1970, Anne officially became Patron in 2016. Most recently, she has travelled to Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. (with many thanks to Helen G for her research on this). In her role Anne has also visited China, Cambodia, Botswana, Madagascar and the Philippines. Save the Children strives tirelessly to protect children and give them the best possible opportunities in life.

The Princess has been involved in the creation of several charities including TransAid, transforming lives through safe and sustainable transport in 23 countries. More from the charity: "In Sub-Saharan Africa, road deaths are the third biggest killer following HIV/AIDS and Malaria (Source: the World Bank) and the problem will only rise with the growing population. Drivers are at risk every time they sit behind the wheel due to a lack of legal enforcement and training, and badly maintained and overloaded vehicles. People living in rural areas of Africa often struggle to access vital services. Around 75% of maternal deaths can be avoided through timely access to vital childbirth-related care. Our work includes an Emergency Transport Scheme to transport pregnant mothers with complications. We also help community health workers reach the families who need them." Anne also works closely with Riders For Health, an international non profit that provides health care to rural African villages.

The Duke of York launched Key to Freedom following his 2012 Diamond Jubilee Visit to Women’s Interlink Foundation (WIF) in India. The aim of the initiative is to empower women who have been victims of abuse by helping them acquire skills to become economically independent. Today, scarves made by women participating in Key to Freedom are sold at the Royal Collection Trust Shop.

The Foundation in the US

The next segment involves the US element. I think it's only natural to assume the Sussex Foundation will have supporters from the US. After all, Meghan is American. She has very well-connected friends in the US and she's going to bring an element of support to the table from across the pond. This has been largely feted as hugely controversial and another example of Meghan not following a traditional royal path. Using facts, this can be disproved as nonsense once again. When the Royal Foundation become operational in 2011, an American wing was established. American Friends of the Royal Foundation donated over $3.6 million since its inception. Prince Harry joined the US arm of the Foundation in 2013 for a major event supporting projects including the Royal Foundation's partnership with Harlem RBI to support Project Coach.

During a visit to New York in 2014, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a private dinner for American friends of the Royal Foundation hosted by long-term supporter, Sir Martin Sorrell, the chief executive of the WPP advertising group.

In fact, Prince Charles set up a charitable foundation in the US: "The Prince of Wales Foundation USA is the affiliate organisation of the Prince’s Trust, enabling tax-efficient giving for US supporters of His Royal Highness’s philanthropic interests. We are fortunate to have a growing base of American supporters who see real value in investing in the lives of disadvantaged and marginalised young people in the UK. The Prince of Wales Foundation was founded by HRH, the Prince of Wales in 1997."

Prince Harry's collaboration with Oprah on a mental health series has been cited as the ultimate example of the Sussexes going rogue. Not so. Prince Charles has collaborated with US entities on several documentaries including the 2012 documentary Harmony: a New Way of Looking at Our World. The piece focused on three decades of Charles' work to combat climate change. The film was based on the book of the same name, which Charles co-authored, about how man has become "dangerously disconnected from nature".

NBC released the following statement at the time of the collaboration:

'NBC is teaming up with Prince Charles for a new TV special about the environment. Harmony, which is slated to air in November, stems from Prince Charles' three decades of work fighting climate change and searching for new solutions to the worldwide environmental crisis.

"The Prince of Wales has such a passion and vision in providing leadership on this crucial climate issue that confronts the world," Paul Telegdy, NBC's executive vice president of alternative programming, said in a statement. "We are honored to partner with him to showcase these issues that are important to American audiences."

The film, which will air during NBC's annual "Green Is Universal" week, features rare footage of Prince Charles' interview with Nobel Peace Prize winner, former Vice President and longtime environmental activist Al Gore, as well as interviews with other government leaders, farmers, environmentalists and entrepreneurs.'

Charles' environmental work has not been without its setbacks. He was actually ridiculed for being one of the first to talk about climate change: "I found myself in conflict with the conventional outlook which, as I discovered, is not exactly the most pleasant situation to find yourself." Determined to following in his father's footsteps, Harry declared last year he hopes to continue his work in Australia: "Ladies and gentleman, those words were shared in speeches dating back to 1970 and up until 2002, by my father, the Prince of Wales. And yet now, nearly 50 years later, those sentiments resonate just as much today, if not more, than ever before. My father and others have been speaking about the environment for decades - not basing it on fallacy or new-age hypothesis, but rooted in science and facts, and the sobering awareness of our environmental vulnerability. And while those speeches would sometimes fall on deaf ears, he and others were unrelenting in their commitment to preserve the most valuable resource we have – our planet."

What About Commercial Partnerships?

Although the Sussexes' foundation does not yet have a name, it has been suggested (with not so thinly-veiled attacks) commercial partnerships may be in its future. Whilst we have absolutely no idea what the plan is at this time, yes it's possible and no it's not unusual. Commercial partnerships have been essential to ensuring the success of Charles' projects. Take Duchy Originals for example. Established almost 30 years ago, the leading organic brand is now stocked on the shelves of Waitrose supermarkets. It's aim is to support local producers and all profits go to charity.

Fundraising

The success or failure of any royal trust or foundation lies with its principles and the team behind it. Harry and Meghan are taking this on with a record of success. Simply look at the Invictus Games, look at Sentebale, the Endeavour Fund, Coach Core and many other projects and initiatives Harry has worked with. Meghan's first project with the Hubb exceed all goals, and smashed it's target of £250,000, raising over half a million. The ripple effect is heartwarming and inspiring. Today, the women of the Hubb were working with British Red Cross to welcome and feed refugees in Hackney London.

The pair have tangible results behind them and there's every reason to believe this will be a success. Fundraising will be an important element; again they've proven more than adept at this, raising millions for Sentebale with 'Sentebale Nights' and the Sentebale Polo Cup.

Again, fundraising has been key to Charles' success. In 2017 he raised £170 million for charity. He raised more money than anyone else in the UK. In 2013-2014 he raised £143 million for 15 of his charities. It's the year-after-year dedication that has led to these results. It's a case of beating the drum constantly, and loudly.

Overshadowing Senior Royals

The next accusation hurled at Harry, and particularly Meghan, is the suggestion they are somehow trying to overshadow more senior royals, namely the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Was Prince Charles trying to overshadow his parents with the Prince's Trust? Was Anne playing a game of one-upmanship against Charles with her tireless efforts and global work? Of course not. Harry and Meghan are not in competition with William and Kate. They are not setting out to outdo them and derail the course of the monarchy.

The Queen is the monarch. Then it will be Charles, and then William. The monarch is the head of the family, there's no issue there. The monarchy is comprised of working members and their collective efforts up and down the country, across the UK, across the Commonwealth, and across the globe. It's a team effort. That's not going to change. Harry and Meghan want to use their roles to the full, they want to work hard on behalf of Her Majesty and, like the other royals referenced, use their platforms to support causes close to their heart. This is all being done with the full approval of the Queen and Charles. The new Foundation has the full support of the family. The Queen appointed Harry and Meghan to Commonwealth roles; she passed her patronage of the Association of Commonwealth Universities to Meghan almost immediately after the marriage. That sounds to me like a monarch who has faith in her granddaughter-in-law. Not a Queen who fears the newest member is rebelling against the system. The rapturous reception the Sussexes have received in Dublin, Morocco, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga is further evidence these roles are ideal for the pair. Their popularity and soft power needs to be harnessed to the full. This is all good for Team Windsor as a whole.

Prince Harry has been a global star all his life; his wife was always going to be under the spotlight. It is not the Sussexes' fault the media are obsessed with their every move. They are an asset to the monarchy and have carried out their roles with aplomb. From the day of their engagement, Meghan has thrown herself into her role, and she hasn't put a foot wrong. To chastise and tear her down because she's an intelligent woman who wants to succeed in this role is appalling and frankly sexist. Ambition is not a dirty word, especially when it's being channeled into a life of philanthropic dedication. The royals have a fantastic platform; they are uniquely placed to be in the position to help others and effect change. The fact they are being belittled for doing their jobs is truly baffling to me. We should unreservedly expect the very best from working members of the family.

The reality is the monarchy must modernise to survive and the Sussexes will play an important role in that modernisation. More from Vernon Bogdanor who famously wrote: "Monarchy has to adapt and evolve to survive. It can't be ahead of public opinion, but it can't be too far behind."

'In November 2005, Chris Mullin, the former editor of Tribune and then Labour MP, was invited to Clarence House where he heard the prince [Charles] speak "without notes, with passion and self-deprecating humour, holding our attention for a full 20 minutes. Always he comes back to the same point. How to widen the horizons of the young, especially the disaffected, the unlucky and even the malign … What influence he has he uses, sometimes to great effect, even at the risk of treading on official toes. It isn't just talk. His mentality is can-do – and he has a track record of achievement clearly visible for anyone who cares to look. Let he who has done more cast the first stone.'

So, when my sister asked me: "Why do they blame Meghan for everything? What exactly is she supposed to have done that's not in line with the way the royals operate professionally?" My answer is quite simple. Meghan has done nothing wrong; she's simply following in the footsteps of those who came before her.

*A sincere word of thanks to those who helped with the research, facts, figures and links on this.

[spirituality-and-alien-contact]

Is there More To Life than What I Have Experienced and am Experiencing Now?

For most of my life, this question has always been with me. As I grew older it was with me even more to the point that I had to look at it and why it was following me wherever I went.

In my High school days everything was going fine for the most part. I had some good friends, I was involved in sports and was a pretty good student and athlete. I felt like I fit in with others. The problem for me though, was I didn’t feel like I fit in with myself. I felt different than the others here in this world. I had no real direction or plan and this began to haunt me through High School and into my college days and after. My parents were always telling me what I should do to become “successful”, my friends the same, yet, I felt different. I wanted to help people and that is what I did for a good amount of my life as a teacher and counselor. Growing up however, there was a major concern for me and for my brother and sister and that was our parents. They just didn’t get along too well with each other and this affected us growing up. The environment I grew up in was a big influence on me and molded my perception of how I saw the world in some ways. I guess you could say we grew up in a dysfunctional family. and because of that I guess it’s fair to say that I looked upon the world and others in a dysfunctional way. I mention this part of my life because it was a pivotal time where I had to choose early on whether to stay in my family and where we lived or to go. Deep inside I knew I had to leave and begin to experience the world on my own without this gnawing feeling of influence haunting me wherever I went.

I knew within me that I needed to leave this environment if I had any chance of maturing into the person I “felt” I could become or needed to be. Yet, what would this person “look” like, be “like” what kind of man would I become? What kind of man did I want to be? These were questions which were with me at a young age through my teenage years and into young adulthood. I wanted to become a man of integrity and of service and contribution and this felt right with me because my ambition to be wealthy was not as strong as most others in the world and certainly in my circle at the time. My ambition was different. Yet, what I wanted and desired for myself and what I “DID” were two different things. I lived a care free lifestyle for many years. With no clear direction, meaning or purpose in my life. Into my early 20’s throughout my early and late 30’s alcohol and drugs took over my life and the only ambition in life I had was to have a good time.

In college, I studied and did what I had to, just to get by, but to be honest, I really was there to have a good time, not to find myself or to build a career or some solid foundation for success… I was there to have fun and play sports. Of course this type of thinking and behavior have consequences. And the consequences have followed me for most of my life even up until now. Here there came deep disappointment and suffering because I had not lived up to others expectations or even my own and I felt lost in the world because I had no clue who I was and what I wanted to do. I was in a prison full of conflict. A prison I had built for many years during the course of my life. Little did I know how important this prison and disappointment would become to me to build a meaningful life based upon purpose, meaning and relationship.

…relationship is the true essence of life.

…wisdom forgotten is wisdom lost

After college, I joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corp and moved out to Visalia California to work in a Day Treatment center for PINS kids and kids with emotional disorders, hyperactivity and attention deficit disorders. This seemed to be a fit for me and I loved it. I was there for a year and then moved to Santa Monica, California to work with the homeless and organize a bike trip across the country with a few other fellow Jesuit Volunteers to raise awareness of the plight of the homeless and also to raise money for the center I was volunteering at called the St. Josephs Center. During this time a friend of mine who I played basketball with at Canisius College was playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and became a sponsor for the trip along with some of his teammates, and a player for the Dallas Cowboys. It was the late 80’s and the Lakers were stacked with some great players…Magic Johnson, Byron Scott, Michael Cooper, Kareem etc. This was a great opportunity to help raise awareness and compassion for people who were without a roof over their heads and it was and still is a passion of mine to help these folks as much as I can because I was once homeless for a while due to my addiction and alcoholism and also due to my search for meaning and truth in my life and in the world. When I finally moved back to my home state of upstate NY I continued to work with children as a special ed teacher into my thirties until my alcoholism and addiction bared their consequences and I was fired from the job I loved the most but wasn’t responsible enough at the time to keep.

Fast forward to August 2007 the year I became clean and sober. During my sobriety I had to change people, places and things if I was to stay sober. Through some suffering of my own making and disappointment, I did change these environments which was good practice for what I was about to find or perhaps it found me. One of the greatest things I learned during my 1st 5 to 6 years being clean and sober is if I changed the way I looked at things the things I looked at changed. The 1st thing I needed to look at was myself and how I treated life. In doing this I was led to search for truth. Not just the truth about my life but the truth about all life here on this planet and other planets throughout the universe/Greater Community. For I have always known there is intelligent life out there when I looked up into the stars. Deep within me I just knew and didn’t know why I knew. I just knew. So, one day on October 13 of 2013 I typed in the google bar: “alien presence in our world” and the “Allies of Humanity” came up. Right there in front of me was the answer I had been searching for most of my life. This search from within and from without led me to find the “Allies of Humanity” which led me to find the New Message from God and to Knowledge which I am a student of to this day. I have shared some of my life experiences with you who are reading this because I feel that we are all searching for truth in one capacity or another. For this search, I feel, is really a need… the need to fulfill our soul. Much of my life and many others lives I see in the world, are seeking happiness and success. Thinking that if we have one we have the other. But what is true happiness? What is true success? By societies standards it is the acquisition of money and power, influence and control and a “perfect” relationship. But I have found through what I have learned from the New Message from God, is that my life…our lives are part of a greater plan of Gods a Greater Coordination. That we are here for a purpose that we carry within us. This truly has given me a new perspective not just in my life but on all life here in the world seen and unseen. Yes, there are unseen forces at work in the world and at work in each individuals lives in the here and now. We are part of a greater reality something we know little of but is there nonetheless. We are a part of relationships that go beyond this world and have always been with us here in this life now and will be with us when we leave this place. I pray you come to find them for yourself and experience them without your own assumptions or judgments to get in the way.

…there is a great force within each of us.

I have shared some of my life experiences and what I have found so that you may someday feel the calling within you. For we are all being called but the choice is ours to respond. I have chosen to respond and this will be with me until I die. Why do you ask? Because it is essential that I do. Many of us in the world are feeling a stirring within us. I know I did for years but I just didn’t know what it was or why it was occurring but now I do. I felt this ache, if you will, in the pit of my stomach for many years. At the time, my life was much more manageable than it ever was, but I kept having this same feeling of anxiety, for lack of a better term, all the time. It was my heart calling to me for me to begin to follow what it is I know and must follow. It was a calling to me to begin to fulfill the need of my soul which is the greatest need we have and is the greatest need to fulfill. It was a calling for me in the world to become a vehicle for the deeper intelligence to express itself through me out into the world. Many of us have this calling, this stirring and nothing you will ever do in this world will fulfill that stirring until you begin to respond to the the need of your soul. I did in October of 2013 and my life has become anew ever since because of the work I have done and will continue to do in my practice and preparation of the “Steps to Knowledge.” Thank you for taking the time to read what I have shared with you. Perhaps someday you may find your purpose and begin to live it and share that with others who desperately need to see and hear it for themselves. Nasi Novare Coram–“The Presence of the Teachers of God are with us.”

…these steps are an experience of the true nature living within you.

” People think of Revelation in terms of the whole world or a nation of people, but there really must be a personal revelation, and this revelation is the result of many steps and many stages. It is not something that you can control. You cannot force yourself to have this revelation because it involves contact with the Spiritual Powers around you and with the Will of the Creator. ” The Threshold of Personal Revelation

…to fulfill the need of the soul is to truly breath life in and exhale purpose in being here.

The post Is there More To Life than What I Have Experienced and am Experiencing Now? appeared first on The New God Experience.

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[healthfoodbeauty]

How to Improve Communication with Your Partner?

Good communication is an important factor in any love relationship, without communication between partners, the relationship is doomed. Do the following expressions sound familiar to you: "Yeah, good", "I don't care", "As you say"? They are usually an integral part of long-term relationships or long-term marriages. These "answers" are sometimes the result of carelessness, but most often signal impaired communication in the relationship. Such disturbed communication leads to unhealthy, "poisonous" patterns of behavior, through which partners communicate with each other in a bad way.

What are the most common communication problems in a relationship

Contempt Contempt is meant to offend and humiliate your partner. The one who uses it conveys the message "I am better than you". Contempt is an indication that there is no mutual respect and can be poisonous to the relationship. It often suppresses positive feelings between partners and communication comes down to just a war of words. Taking a defensive stance It occurs when both partners feel victimized, take an "I'm not guilty" attitude, and neither tries to resolve the conflict. Taking a defensive stance is destructive, because it usually becomes reflexive, ie. when a problem arises, the partners automatically start defending themselves with various arguments. And with that they only let the problems grow day by day. Indifference With the emergence of disinterest, the relationship reaches its bottom. Each partner simply stops reacting to what the other is doing or saying. In this situation, there is neither accusation nor defense. They both withdraw and do not react to problems, avoid eye contact, and have stiff body language that indicates they are not listening. These are clear signs that the partners have completely cut off all lines of communication. Reviews Well-meaning criticism is not only unavoidable, it is also desirable in any relationship. But on the other hand, unconstructive criticism that only offends the partner should stay away from the relationship. It is one thing to point out to your partner some of his negative traits and to suggest how to change it, and it is quite another to criticize him without having a solid foundation or advice. Silence Silencing problems can be fatal to a relationship. Small problems will accumulate and before you know it, you may find yourself facing a bunch of intertwined problems. This will only make such a tight web of problems that it will be very difficult for you to unravel it. Of course, these problems can occur in any relationship. Even the happiest couples sometimes have impaired communication in a tense period. But the danger of a relationship arises when communication problems become a daily occurrence that partners can not escape. How to improve communication between partners? Communication plays a key role in building a healthy and successful relationship. Through it we share our interests, decisions, and worries, express support and love for our partner, overcome differences, solve problems, etc. The ability to communicate effectively is a skill, and any skill can be learned. Here are some tips to help you do just that. Take time to talk With today's pace of life, you can easily become a slave to daily routine activities and forget that there is a person next to you who needs your attention. Your partner will certainly not admit it, but he needs someone to listen to him. Therefore, spend at least some time every day just for him. It does not matter if it will be during dinner or while you do your homework together, it is important to talk constantly. Learn to listen to your partner Listening is an essential part of any communication. Although it seems like a very easy task, getting into the role of a good listener is not that simple. If while your partner is talking, you are thinking about what to say next, it is not effective listening. Listen to what he has to say, concentrating on his every word. To prove to him that you are listening carefully, repeat part of what he said and ask him if you understood well, for example, "So, you think that ... (his thinking) ..., right?", And then say your opinion. Be open and honest and you will have better communication Having a healthy relationship means being open and honest with your partner. Many women hide their emotions, feelings, and needs because they are afraid of their partner's reaction or because they think their partner should guess what is bothering them. But as you know, your partner is not a superhero who can read minds. So start talking to him openly, even if it means telling him things about you that no one else knows. It will improve your communication and encourage him to share more and more. Use sentences that contain the personal pronoun "I" An effective way to talk is to use "I" messages. These are attitudes that describe your feelings and tell how your partner's behavior affects you, without offending or blaming him for it. For example, it is better to say, "I think we should go out more" than "You never take me anywhere." This will create a positive atmosphere for communication between you, in which he will get the desire to listen to you and express his opinion, without having to justify why he acted in a certain way. Do not pretend to know everything It is frustrating to talk to someone who "knows everything". Good communication consists of listening and asking questions, without stubbornly imposing opinions. It is good to give advice and support your position with arguments, but empty talk spiced with intransigence and stubbornness can be counterproductive. Focus on the present with your partner You have probably started arguing over one issue and moving on to another and even a third. Going back to past problems only makes communication more complicated. To avoid this, try to stay focused on the current problem, your feelings and attitudes towards it, and finding a solution to it. Regular troubleshooting will help you avoid arguing over 100 issues at once. Learn to compromise Instead of trying to be the winner of every argument, try to find a compromise. Healthy communication involves finding a solution that satisfies both parties. Read the full article

[sayantandodo]

Why a mentor builds themselves for?

If you want a mentor you must have sure that the person had overcome hard struggle and rough situations in his or her life. This kind of mentors are found only in SkillPal and nowhere else. A person who mentors you must qualify many tough conditions which gave solid experiences. Not everyone like that. A mentor is one within thousands. A SkillPal mentor has robust knowledge and experience to share with the mentee. That is why mentors are not plentiful.

A SkillPal mentor is someone you can look up to. It is a person who guides you and helps you in making well-informed decisions. Mentorship means that someone takes you under their wing to teach you how to fly, so to speak. “One of the greatest values of mentors is the ability to see ahead what others cannot see and to help them navigate a course to their destination.” — John C. Maxwell

A mentor is someone with knowledge and experience in your desired field. They’re willing to share this knowledge with you to help you achieve your goals. A mentor should be someone who has achieved a level of success that you envision for yourself. It’s someone who can challenge you and push you in ways other people can’t. Mentorship is probably the most underrated aspect of searching for a job or building the foundations of your career. The guidance you can potentially receive from a mentor is invaluable, and their ability to help you navigate the unknown paths of your position and reach your goals more quickly is what makes them so important. For getting the best mentor you should come to SkillPal.

A goal for the mentee is to teach them how to trust themselves when making decisions. Good people know what to do but often allow their instincts to be suppressed by overthinking. A good mentor helps a mentee to make decisions that help them reach their goals. A great mentor builds mentees confidence in a way that less instruction or assurance is needed from others. A goal for me is when the mentor/mentee relationship transitions into a partnership. I end up learning a lot from them equally which keeps me relevant. For a personalized mentorship, SkillPal is the best option.

Important skills and knowledge are passed on from a SkillPal mentor to mentee. Actually, SkillPal mentors help you cross that bridge between knowing and doing by passing on their skills and knowledge that they have acquired throughout the years. Although there might be generation gaps, background differences or diversity, this is exactly what mentors are supposed to bring to the table to give mentees insights into various situations and scenarios. Mentors pass on what they have learned and in turn mentees can learn from their mistakes and experiences.

Supportive relationships are formed. A SkillPal mentor gives mentee access to a supportive relationship. A mentor becomes the mentee’s ‘go-to person’ which is someone where he/she can get advice from and assistance into how to deal with situations and how to respond or react. Mentors give objective advice and constructive criticism. Mentors are authentic and objective people. They will tell you straight up if you need to change your attitude or how to deal with situations. With mentors, there are no guessing games or feelings spared, but the criticism and advice are still constructive, tactful and supportive. Mentors help with setting reasonable and reachable goals, creating necessary boundaries and practising the right disciplines to align your professional and personal growth.

SkillPal Mentors are usually well connected within the arena they operate in. This opens up a lot of networking opportunities for mentees. Mentors usually introduce their mentees and try to assist them in climbing the ladder to success. After all, SkillPal mentors want to see their mentees succeed. The mentorship becomes mutually beneficial and personally rewarding for both parties. Mentors are proud to be part of the mentees journey and in turn, mentees feel honoured and invested in. When you are a mentor it doesn’t mean that there is nothing to be learned from the experience. Mentors also learn from their mentees.

Basically, SkillPal mentors are very necessary for a business, it is not a one-way street. The mentee needs to be well informed about what it takes and why mentorship programmes are important to them. They need to be made aware of the value it provides. Mentors and mentees need to be compatible as well. Mentors can only transfer skills and invest in an individual if they are willing to learn and cooperate.

A mentor is a person who trains and guides another person, usually someone younger or less experienced. Mentors pass on knowledge, skills, attitudes and habits to their mentees to help them reach their goals and succeed. Mentorship is a significant, life-changing task that provides perspective, guidance and encouragement to another person who grows and prospers because of it. If you get personalized feedback and Bite-sized video regularly for your startup purpose from an industry expert, I can say that definitely, you can achieve your goals. Come to SkillPal without any hesitation and request for a mentorship video.

[takadasaiko]

The Blacklist Appreciation Week, Day Four: Favourite Ship

I’ve written extensively on Keen2 for the last two and a half years or so, so I decided to put a limit on myself to try to keep this post under some semblance of control. Eight reasons why I love the Keens together.

 There were truths in the lies. The Keens’ first marriage was a wreck, but amidst all the lies there was a nugget of truth that Liz finally saw: Tom had always loved her. He may not have always understood (or chosen) to express that as he should, but as he started to learn how, it allowed these two to take the shattered pieces of a life that had exploded all around them and find the best parts of it, the true parts, and build from there on a much more solid foundation of honesty, trust, and teamwork between them.

They’ve learned to trust each other again. Between Tom’s upbringing as a covert operative and Liz’s wiped memories, my guess is that these two went into their first marriage with more than a few trust issues, and then it comes out that Tom lied to her for years and Liz locked up up in a boat and tortured him for four months.... trust issues would certainly be a major problem for them. The fact that these two have rebuilt the trust between them like they have is incredible to me. You can see the purposeful changes in the way they open up to each other, even when it’s difficult and it’s not their first inclination to do so. They both lay it all out on the table and work through it together as a team. No secrets, no lies, and when one of them screws up, they take a breath and reset.

Tom sees Liz as his greatest success. This is a man that loved his job. There was nothing outside the job, and I doubt he ever thought that there would be. Certainly not a desire for a family and a home and all that can include, but in learning to love Liz, Tom had a bit of an awakening. The job that he would have died for once was meaningless without her. She taught him how to feel and how to love by being the first person in his memory that he’d truly felt like cared about him.

It was the first time either of them felt like family. They’re both orphans with a lot of unanswered questions about their own pasts, but when they come together, they find family. When they first announced the pregnancy arc, I was very nervous because I thought they’d use it as a quick fix for the Keens, but they worked through their issues bit by bit and let them grow in a very organic way. I love the subtle changes and growth that have accompanied these two becoming parents. They seem to have finally come to the understanding that while they may not have a traditional normal, they can have their own version. It may be a little crazy and there may be new twists and turns every few steps, but they face them together.

They protect each other. There was a distorted protection instinct between them in S1, in which Liz seemed to feel like she needed to protect Tom’s innocence and Tom worked around her and made matters worse more than once in his attempts to protect her because he couldn’t/wouldn’t trust her with the truth. Now, I love that protection between them. They are both well aware (and proud) of the fact that their spouse is a badass, and they work well together. They don’t overcompensate, even when they get nervous when the other is on a case/op, but both Tom and Liz would burn the world to protect the other.

They make such a good team. We caught our first glimpse in S2 when Tom goes to his old Berlin contacts and then again when they broke into Andropov’s apartment together. They moved like they’d been working together for ages, reading each other’s signals and working smoothly together (even if Liz is a side-seat driver, which only made that scene more fantastic than before). We don’t see a lot in S3 with the exception of the wedding, but in S4 we get that lovely Team Keen scene with Tom palming the ID badge and slipping it to Liz to go break into the agent’s office. They were just so smooth in it all, and it goes back to something I’ve said for a long while now: Liz needs a man that can keep up with her. Wide-eyed, innocent little school teacher Tom never would have survived this, but her covert operative husband that’s learned to trust her and be honest with her? That’s a badass team I can get behind.

They love each other and make each other happy. There are so many smiles when these two are together and on the same page. They’re cute and they’re playful, gentle and sweet. One of my favourite things between them is their hand holds, where they show all the love and support that they have between them without words. They have seen the best and the worst that the other has to offer, and they love each other completely for it.

They support each other. It wasn’t consistent on both sides until 3B, but hey, these two have had it rough. A learning curve is expected and certainly needed. It’s amazing to see them show such support to each other, even if they don’t always understand. Liz showed up at Tom’s doorstep in the pouring rain and didn’t want to talk about it? His first instinct was to pull her close and make her feel safe. Tom dives into his past and finds that it’s deeper and darker than he ever expected? Liz is there to steady him through it and talk him down. Their daughter is missing and Liz is terrified of losing Tom as well? He strokes her hair and reassures her. On their wedding day, Tom was terrified of losing her, but risked telling her about Bud and the dangers that could come with his past, but she took his hand and reminded him that they both had baggage and that it was about helping each other with it. And they have. They really have. That support, that strength... I believe it gives them a place of shelter from the chaos they live in. They can always count on the other to stand strong for them.

I could go on and on, but like I said... limiting it. These two are truly an OTP for me. I get emotionally invested in characters and ships, but few quite like them. They’ve had such a beautiful journey, and I can’t wait to see where S5 takes them.