#Its almost like people only like to talk about varying perspectives when it benefits them. Wow

[sepiamestus]

find it very fascinating that the zero nuance website people suddenly become experts on nuance when it comes to a genocide that is very not nuanced at all

[itonje]

I'm not a fan of Miller's book, either. Seriously, what is it with writers pinning women against each other? It's even more confusing when it's a female writer doing it.

If it was just Perse and Pasipäe, okay. If you want to give Circe a bad home life, fine. But Miller does it constantly. Athena was done especially dirty imo. I know she can be pretty petty herself (ex: Arachne, and even then, the reason for turning her into a spider tends to vary), but the way she was portrayed was just so grating. So eager for a champion, I was almost convinced Miller had conflated her with Ares. I don't think the exiled nymphs are even given names, let alone distinguishing personalities, and can we stop dunking on Helen? The Iliad makes it pretty clear that she loved Menelaus and didn't think highly of Paris.

And tbh, the story kinda felt a little repetitive at times, too: Circe meets someone, they get mad at her or leave her, she'll occasionally sleep with someone, rinse and repeat. And granted, she's a pretty minor character in the myths already, but I feel like it would've benefited the story more if she had been given more freedom, that she wasn't restricted to just her island. At the very least, how awesome it would've been if Circe had essentially started her own coven before passing on the role as the head witch of Aiaia to Penelope.

Also, can we stop having sexual assault scenes if the story isn't about that? At least it gives Circe a reason to turn men into literal pigs, but still.

I also don't think it's ever really explained why Circe has a mortal voice, even though she has full Titan blood. She just does. Granted, Perse is a minor nymph, but then what about the rest of her children? I'd get it if it was meant to be an allegory for disabilities, but it just felt like it was added on for the sake of making Circe more of an outcast than she already was.

And this is really more of a nitpick, but for a book that focuses so heavily on witchcraft, it's strange that Hecate wasn't even mentioned. In some versions, she's even Circe's mother. It's also really weird how homosexuality seems to be something that was so uncommon in Ancient Greece as far as these books are concerned, even though we know from history and myth that it wasn't. So yeah, Circe x Penelope would've been pretty awesome!

Blegh, sorry for the rant! I just have alot of thoughts about this book right now! ^^"

ATHENA WAS DONE SO SO DIRTY...it makes no sense even in the telegony itself its her who urges circe to tell telegonus about odyessus. wouldn't it have been more interesting for athena to assist circe in raising telegonus? wouldn't it have been more tragic for telegonus to go kill odyessus at athena's urging of him to go meet him? and then yadda yadda athena and circe can have a falling out then or something yadda yadda i don't know again, i know the gods are written in very specific ways here for the ultimate theme of the book here but like this book is so hard on athena it's so weird when i think that honestly there could have been more interesting for her and circe to work together...

ALSO YEAH MADELINE MILLER HAS A HELEN PROBLEM...i think it was fairer in the song of achilles and i rationalized the helen weirdness in that one by going 'well they're achilles and patroclus of course they won't have choice opinions on helen if from their perspective she's the one that led them into this war' but come on..not in circe too..leave her alone...

and i agree the book really did feel repetitive, but if you're asking me i wish there was more exploration to the episodes circe does get-especially the stint at crete, i wish we had seen more of circe and ariadne's and even her and pasiphae's relationship so bad. they get one conversation where they talk and it was so good but it ends so soon. honestly i feel a lot of the conversations in the book are repetitive as well- someone talking to someone, they reveal something about something else, the first someone is surprised!

also yeah the assault is um. i did not think we needed that scene as explicit as it was but i get that that's routine in these sorts of books at this point...now i will say i don't think a book has to be about that sort of stuff if a book includes them but i do think it should be addressed with care and i dunno if that book does that....

ALSO YEAH...the mortal's voice thing is an epithet given to her in the odyssey without much preamble as to what implications that has or to where she got it from and i don't think the author really had to explain it to make the story work but it would...have been nice to see her come up with an interpretation of what exactly that means for circe

and no i don't think it's a nitpick, i feel the same way irt to the book and witchcraft but the witch i feel like got REALLY shifted was medea. i think there could have been sooo many good parallels with medea and circe here-while circe is hated by her divine family, medea is a darling of helios (and in a fair amount of medea myths she returns to colchis where she's presumably forgiven by aeetes, including that variant where she kills perses to reinstate her father on the throne. i wish that had been mentioned in circe; at least then perses would have a point). while circe becomes a mortal at the end of her story in circe, medea in euripides' medea becomes a goddess herself or close to it while also becoming more monstrous in the process. while circe is constantly accused of caring too much for mortals medea has a fair disregard for the lives of other people (maybe due to her powers to reverse mortality). there could have literally been so much said here not just about divinity and mortality but the boundaries that both circe and medea would cross for the sake of their love oh my god i have no idea why not only her episode in the book was so short but there was very little follow up to what happened with her story afterward ugauwerwherhe

also yeah irt to homosexuality i think it was implied? telegonus was gay which is chill but also come on...give us the iconic greek myth ladies wlw romances.....

[sylvies-chen]

Chicago PD's Characters and the Role of Reform: an Analysis (???)

Hi everyone! The finales of One Chicago aired a couple of weeks ago by now but I've been preparing this post in my head ever since PD's finale aired. I wanted to talk/write about each character's (and maybe even the writers') interpretation of police reform and how it affects the plot. This will also talk about police reform in general. Before I start, I'd just like to state that this will be a bit long and probably biased since a lot of it is influenced by my own views on reform. I'm not interested in debating people on the internet, just putting out interesting perspective on an interesting TV show. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this and feel free to add thoughts of your own— as long as they’re respectful!

Chicago PD's handling of reform in this season was far from perfect but I did enjoy a few things they did with it. We had Kevin, a POC, stand up and fight back when even the people closest to him tried to shut him down. I did have some issue with the way they reduced Kevin's entire set of beliefs/morals to something so trivial and disrespectful as a "woke card" but I think the writers chose to do that on purpose to show how blinded white people can be sometimes. It's more the characters using that term, not the writers, which I thought was a good move since in both situations— Kevin v. Voight in 8x02 and Kevin v. Adam in 8x16– they made sure it's clear that Kevin is in the right. Voight may have been frustrated and Adam may have been spiraling over losing Kim (love me some #Burzek), but Kevin was still in the right. If only we could have some more varied representation on this show! That way, Kevin wouldn’t have to be used as the emotional punching bag all the time for these white characters and their misplaced frustrations with the system (added onto their personal frustrations which fluctuate on a episode-to-episode basis).

Now, onto the view on reform because this is where it gets interesting. I'm going to go ahead and say something that might be controversial: I think the majority of conflicts in this season have come from a gross misinterpretation of the concept of reform. This is especially highlighted in the finale when we see Adam saying he should be able to change/bend/break the rules to save someone he loves. It's also shown in the case with Miller's son Darrell and how they need to break the rules to save him, the case in 8x11 that Hailey considers breaking the rules for. It could even be loosely applies to 8x06 when Jay feels the need to break the rules only slightly in order to serve proper justice for their victim's father. Proper justice, in this case for Jay, being mercy towards the father and doing what's right in Jay's mind. Notice a common theme? These characters who are against reform (I know Voight was so good most of the season but he still falls into that category because of the first and last two episodes) all have one thing in common: the way they view reform. Voight, Hailey, and Adam, somewhere along the line (in my opinion), have all come to think of reform as a social push to get police officers to adhere to the proper guidelines when in reality, that's only a small fraction of an otherwise complex concept. Reform isn't all about getting police to follow the rules-- reform in and of itself is recognizing that the rules that are set into place aren't always effective. There are rules that are discriminatory, rules that are bureaucratic nonsense, rules that disproportionately affect specific groups of people, and rules that create roadblocks to solving real problems. Hell, the original police systems in North America especially were created to persecute minorities and maintain military power over citizens. The need for reform is referencing a larger systemic issue and getting police officers to follow the most basic procedures is just the tip of the iceberg. I don't want to get too much into the principles behind reform here because I am no expert. I recognize that because I am white I benefit from these rules/systems put into place so my voice shouldn't matter in the grand scheme of things, but I do think the majority of the tensions in this season of Chicago PD stem from the extreme oversimplification of reform. It surprised me too when I thought about it because they've managed to explore the grey areas/more complex aspects of it, but I think the writers are intentionally making that decision which makes it really interesting.

Throughout the season, I couldn’t help but feel that these characters considered reform as the push from the public to adhere to guidelines-- as they should, obviously-- but while ignoring the more nuanced principles of reform such as asking themselves questions like: is what I'm doing truly helping the communities we've sworn to serve and protect? Are the solutions us cops in Intelligence are offering permanent solutions? Should we be rethinking our principles of justice to be less retributive and more procedural-- or even more restorative?

This is all in reference to the characters, of course, not the writers. We have Voight, Hailey, and Adam resisting reform because they don’t see value in following the rules. But reform, in its purest form, is recognizing that the rules need changing, which is why it’s so interesting to see the “opposing side” against it even though they also believe the rules aren’t helping them. So I think it's really good and interesting how the writers have written these characters as having very complex and layered discussions/arguments about reform and about justice while still doing that. Because their contempt for the rules comes from a place of wanting to carry out justice, just like Kevin and all the others who push for reform, but they’re motivated by ideals closer to retributive justice and using their position of power to exact a more personal form of justice. Because of Hailey, Adam, and Voight’s more personal and intimate views of justice, their solutions always feel short-term. For example, Voight murdering suspects, bashing in cars, etc. This is all stuff that creates a temporary fix but their passion towards justice makes them care more about the personal, emotional release that kind of justice brings than the actual, long-term change. This is especially shown in that one scene where Hailey tells Jay the story about how a clerical error made an offender walk, which she sort of views as a reason why breaking the rules should be allowed whereas Kevin would view that as a reason why the rules need changing. Again, short-term vs. long-term.

This is not to say that Hailey, Voight, and Adam are evil, obviously. They're complicated, but they're far from evil. (Well, the jury’s still out on Voight. Haha!) What this show is portraying, however, is how the ideas of reform can be fleeting and temporary and all-around fickle in the minds of these characters when they reach a certain breaking point. They're able to throw this aside because they're all white, so it doesn't affect them personally. But right off the bat in season 8 we've seen it affect Kevin professionally AND personally in every single way. Others are almost viewing it as a social trend or a push to be a rule-follower though which is why both Adam and Voight, when put under emotional distress, are so easily able to downplay Kevin's push for doing things the right way. (Even though, really, he's asking for the bare minimum here of following the rules and not killing people.) Kevin, ever the conscience of the group, doesn’t put up with it and keeps people in check which can be extremely aggravating when you’re in a very emotional state and want to let your emotions lead you on a rampage. Hence, this is the root cause of the majority of tensions between the unit— in season 8 especially.

Anyway, this is all to say that I think this season of Chicago PD has done quite a lot in terms of portraying reform and the need for systemic change while still staying true to their characters and delving into how their privelege has led to them misinterpreting reform. Which leads to the portraying of some fairly corrupt policing, but never condoning it. At the very least, they show how it's less important for these characters since they all have a breaking point where reform becomes moot whereas for a black man like Kevin, it's more firmly ingrained into him. That’s a concept that is all too common in the real world, and one I appreciated that they represented even though some things weren’t so great.

[telaraneas]

man i have so many words about homestuck but no one to talk to about it with. aimless ramble about classpects under the cut (disclaimer that other people have probably said the same things in much more concise ways, i literally finished homestuck like 3 days ago)

so, the way i actually understand aspects and classes in homestuck is that aspect = themes and class = arc. so, like, class and aspect as i think of them are not assigned as a role to play per se, like, they're not prophetic, they're descriptive. ive been reading a lot of old forum discussions from early act 6 because i crave whatever speculation and live analysis was going on at the time. and back then there was a lot of, for instance, "i wonder what the prince class is supposed to do, since eridan probably fucked it up" and im sitting here with the benefit of living almost a decade later and having read the entire story by that point, and im like, no, see, it's actually impossible to "fail" at your class in my opinion because they're descriptive, not predictive. so whatever a character did by the time homestuck actually ended (...with the caveat that i havent yet read the epilogues or the sequel), that was what they were supposed to do in the game/story, because like. that IS what they did.

like in the same way we have descriptive words for specific character archetypes in fiction, because i do think classpects are basically just That, like, for example, (to go. really really basic) princess peach in the original mario game may be a shitty female character but she's a perfect representation of the damsel in distress archetype. the "damsel in distress" denomination here is descriptive of the role she plays in the story of that game (to the extent it has one), whether or not it was consciously written that way, and it's assigned from the outside looking in at the finished game, not necessarily written from the outset to be that way. eg how inexperienced authors often end up writing what is commonly described as "mary sue" characters, even though most of them do not deliberately set out to write characters like that, obviously. the term "mary sue" here is descriptive, not prescriptive (and ofc the term itself has been dilluted to the point it's barely useful, this was just an example)

so like, an author may set out to write a character in a specific way, or to fill a specific role, and they may succeed or they may not; but a reader analyzing the story will interpret the story as they see fit, and will be the judge of how THEY would describe the characters. ofc interpretations may vary from reader to reader, but generally speaking when it comes to the role a character plays in the story, eg do they have agency, what function do they have towards advancing the plot, what are the dominant themes and ideas of the story and how does this character play into it etc etc will, at least to the individual reader, be informed by the work as a whole, not by the author's intent. the character's actions in the work as a whole as written by the author and interpreted by the reader speak for themselves.

i think i've gotten lost somewhere along the line here. this is all true and part of what i meant to say but i cant figure out how to connect it to my point. which is that i think the classes arent meant so much as rpg classes that dictate what you are capable of doing, so much as they're a descriptive label that sums up the role a character plays in the story. like the time loop stuff, it's not that a character MUST fulfill their role, it's that they already HAVE from the perspective of the finished story taken as a whole.

anyways all of this that ive said about classpects being descriptive and not prescriptive is ignoring the very obvious reality that homestuck itself was not written from the outside looking in, but in fact was often improvised from what i can tell, especially in regards to the arcs and themes of the more minor characters such as the trolls, but ofc it has the benefit that because its author is the one coming up with the classpect system in the first place, it gets to set its own definition. so in effect, the classpects in homestuck are self-descriptive; each title is an intrinsically correct description of the character's arc and themes, in the exact same way that the character's NAME is an intrinsically correct description of what the character is called. i think this is the whole reason why afaik there hasnt actually been explicit descriptions of what most of the classes do, and why there were only like 3 or 4 explicit in-universe descriptions of the classes, because if hussie said that a character's class means exclusively X thing, and then that character goes and does Y instead and never does X, then the story has contradicted itself

but instead, by keeping most of them vague, the classes become inherently self-descriptive. it's impossible to say that character A has failed their role as class B, because character A is part of the definition of class B. self-descriptive

(like how once in the adventure zone travis mentioned being shocked that people online were saying that something his character did was "out of character", to which he answered something to the effect of "what do you MEAN it's out of character, i write the character and he did that!". whatever actions character A takes are, by definition, in-character for character A; if this doesn't sit right with the viewer, they may say that this makes them an incoherent and/or badly written character, but by definition the character IS defined by the actions as written by the author. self-descriptive)

bringing it back to the eridan example, it's impossible for eridan to "fail" at being a prince of hope; eridan IS the prince of hope, and thus, whatever he did IS "what the prince of hope was supposed to do", which in this case meant being someone whose character is defined and tortured by his own hopes, beliefs, and convictions, until he reaches a breaking point and destroys his own aspect not just for himself but for those around him.

without context as to what a prince is "supposed" to do, it's easy to assume he must have failed in his role because of how he very literally destroyed the presence of hope in the part he played of the story, but in-universe the classes are descriptive and not prescriptive: eridan is the prince of hope BECAUSE of the role he played in the story, not in spite of it.

in any case, this whole mess is my way of saying that this is why assigning class and aspect to characters from non-homestuck media is, for me at least, very fun and illuminating! because, while in homestuck they may be self-descriptive, for non-homestuck media they are inherently just descriptive. you just need to analyze the characters, as you, the reader, understand them, and pinpoint their core essence as a character via their character arc and dominant themes. and it can illuminate interesting parallels, trends and contrasts in the story as it exists. it's kind of like a birds eye view character analysis cheat sheet and that makes it very fun dkfnekmf

[pansunset]

okay time for a theatre hot take about historical musicals. im gonna split this into two posts, one about hamilton and one about six. because while the easiest way to put it is “hamilton bad six good”, there’s a bit more nuance to my opinion on them both than that.

First off, all the cast members are insanely talented, especially Leslie Odom Jr, Daveed Diggs, Christopher Jackson, Phillipa Soo, and Reneé Elise Goldberry. Even though the people they played were varying degrees of assholes, they managed to make them feel compelling. Credit where its due.

anyway, lmm is a good songwriter, the issues with hamilton come from the glorification of the historical figures portrayed. if hamilton was more critical of these individuals, it might not have been such a... yeah.

the hardest hitting songs are the songs that delve into the personal lives of the individuals rather than politics. Satisfied, Wait for It, Helpless, Burn, Dear Theodosia, It’s Quiet Uptown... these are all incredibly emotional and raw. Aaron Burr was a fascinating individual and all of his songs reflect this, honestly. IRL, Burr was actually one of the least scummy of the cast, though because he wasn’t very fond of Hamilton, he is villanized. unsexy. Leslie Odom Jr. has such a powerful voice and does an incredible job as Burr.

some of the songs about the war are also decent works. Stay Alive talks about the actual conditions the American militia put themselves through, and The World Turned Upside Down, while it’s a very patriotic (ew) pov, is still a well written victory anthem. the most interesting one is History Has It’s Eyes on You, and having Washington sing it was a great choice. it’s one of the few songs where a founding father is looked at critically for their failings, and said founding father point blank says that those who come next will judge whatever you do. Christopher Jackson is an amazing vocalist and he actually has talked about his struggle to play Washington despite Washington being a dick.

the songs about politics tend to fall flat because they oversimplify the actual views of the main character and paint everyone around him as either a villain or ally based on whether they liked Hamilton. the cabinet battles especially are pretty cringe. there are a couple exceptions that I’ll discuss in a moment, but first, a character analysis tangent.

Thomas Jefferson is... an interesting case. Irl, the man was a disaster of a person. He came down with migraines from talking to women, was generally considered a weirdo, and was the original “rich person who buys expensive versions of the ugliest clothes and acts like he’s presentable”. Yet aside from one line in It Must Be Nice, he’s portrayed as a extravagant, dramatic, yet mildly charming asshole. His costume is bright purple, he carries a fancy cane. Like, ignoring the fact that its inappropriate to ever make Thomas Jefferson seem charming, this isn’t even accurate to who he was as a person. He was less sociable than Isaac Newton for fucks sake. The only accurate thing is being a france weeb and being a worse debater than Hamilton.

Anyway, speaking of It Must Be Nice, its one of the few good political songs. It’s critical of Hamilton and it explains why the Madison and Jefferson hate his guts (though for stupid reasons). Furthermore, it also explains the political climate of the day better than other political songs in the musical. The other two good ones are, of course, The Room Where it Happens and Your Obedient Servant.

The Room Where It Happens is not only an amazing breaking point for Burr to stop waiting around, it’s the one time in the musical where the real Alexander Hamilton is best represented. (Hamilton in yellow, Burr in blue)

“Or did you know even then it doesn't matter where you put the U.S. capital?

Cause we'll have the banks, we're in the same spot

You got more than you gave

And I wanted what I got

When you got skin in the game, you stay in the game

But you don't get a win unless you play in the game

Oh, you get love for it, you get hate for it

But you get nothing if you wait for it

God help and forgive me

I wanna build something that's gonna outlive me.”

This is the real Hamilton. The facade of caring about ideals is gone, and the truth is bared; Alexander Hamilton was a smooth talker who only did things when he saw it could benefit him in some way. The man was obsessed with his legacy, and anything that got in the way of him building one was just collateral. Yes he was crass and loud, but guess what? That usually meant he was heard over everyone else. Burr only just realized that the whole “scrappy underdog” act was just that; an act

Your Obedient Servant is Burr calling out Hamilton for going back on everything he claimed to believe just to keep Burr from the nomination. Fun fact: the 1800 election was not a landslide victory. It was incredibly close. Hamilton’s endorsement was probably what kept it from being a tie.

Hamilton tries to defend himself by projecting his flaws onto Burr. “I am not the reason no one trusts you, no one knows what you believe” isn’t an accurate depiction of Burr in the slightest. Burr actually quite enjoyed politics and debates, and none of his setbacks ever kept him down for long. He cared very little for what his contemporaries thought of him though: He relied on the merits of his points. A lot of his correspondence was left to his daughter, Theodosia, and was lost on the shipwreck that killed her, so theres a lot we don’t know about him. But the musical depiction of him is not really accurate.

The problem with Hamilton isnt that it’s a musical about the founding fathers. Its that it grossly misrepresents those founding fathers. It never considers the thoughts of the slaves of any of the main characters. It never considers the Native American perspective on the Revolutionary War. It mocks John Adams, despite him being one of the few founding fathers who not only didn’t own slaves, but publicly berated his contemporaries for relying on slavery. It does a great deal of injustice to Burr. It woobifies the Schylers. For fucks sake, it forgot Benedict Arnold. Ya know, one of the most famous spies? Who almost cost America the War?

Its impact on modern political discussion and internet culture is also kind of a net negative, save for the production “The Haunting of LMM”. Its status as a fucking joke these days is earned. Though it has some good songs, and the fact that it got an official recording means good things for the future of Broadway accessibility, it’s a hot mess and is an example of how not to do a historical musical.

[96thdayofrage]

No, Biden, This Is About Freedom and Personal Choice

  No, Biden, This Is About Freedom and Personal Choice – Reason.com                

It's time to stop "states of exception" that justify government overreach into more and more of our lives.                                                                                         

There is every reason to believe that President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for COVID-19 will not survive legal scrutiny even as compulsory vaccination for the disease enjoys broad popularity among the public. As former Rep. Justin Amash (L–Mich.)—like me, a pro-vaccine, anti-mandate libertarian—has bluntly noted, "There is no authority for this. This is a legislative action that bypasses the legislative branch."

The courts will almost certainly strike down this executive branch overreach and the sweeping new rules that wave away longstanding distinctions between public and private spheres of activity. This is what happened to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's eviction moratorium. It's foundational to American life that the president is not a king who can subject citizens to his whims.

Yet the most important passage in Biden's remarks reveals a governing philosophy that should give all Americans pause, especially in light of the massive and ongoing expansion of the federal government over the past several decades. After duly noting the "progress" made in terms of vaccinations, Biden pulled up short to say that we the people are just not doing what he wants when he wants:

This is not about freedom or personal choice. It's about protecting yourself and those around you — the people you work with, the people you care about, the people you love.

My job as president is to protect all Americans. So tonight, I'm announcing that the Department of Labor is developing an emergency rule to require all employers with 100 or more employees that together employ over 80 million workers to ensure their work forces are fully vaccinated or show a negative test at least once a week.

As Jeffrey A. Singer, a surgeon and senior fellow for the Cato Institute, has noted, COVID-19 has a "0.2 percent fatality rate among people not living in institutions." Fully 80 percent of deaths have occurred among people over 65 and just 358 children under the age of 17 had died of the disease as of July 29, 2021. We are not talking about smallpox, which affected all populations and had a fatality rate of 30 percent. COVID, argues Singer, "will not be eradicated" and will become a small-scale, endemic problem that should be minimized by targeted interventions to protect the most vulnerable. From a public health perspective, it should not become the casus belli for a radical restructuring of society and a massive expansion of presidential (or governmental) powers.

Vaccines are not only effective against getting COVID-19 in the first place, they virtually guarantee you will not die or even be hospitalized if you do contract it. Let Washington state's King County—where the first cases of COVID presented back in early 2020—stand in for the nation as a whole. Unvaccinated people there are seven times more likely to catch COVID, 50 times more likely to be hospitalized, and 30 times as likely to die. Age-adjusted death rates show the benefits of vaccination in unmistakable terms (see chart above).

The rapid development and deployment of safe and effective vaccines—a medical miracle that could have gone months faster had the Food and Drug Administration not acted as ploddingly as a wizened old draft horse—makes possible the return to normalcy that was promised in the early days of the pandemic. We are now capable of setting and enforcing our own risk limits on what sorts of activities we want to do. The information is out there and individuals, employers, and establishments can set and are setting their own rules based on what they want. If we don't all agree, that's not chaos, that's freedom in all its unregimented, varied glory. It allows comedian Patton Oswalt to cancel shows in places that won't follow his protocols while letting other performances to take place under less-stringent conditions.

As important, the "vaccine-hesitant" are hesitant for all sorts of reasons. Poorer people tend to be less vaccinated than average, and so are blacks and Hispanics and younger people, and, weirdly, people with doctorates. A flat, imperious mandate that doesn't speak to these groups' differing concerns will only sharpen political and cultural divides even as Biden claims to be acting in the name of national unity. This is already happening, as individuals and groups are becoming less nuanced in their responses and simply signing up for whatever political tribe they feel bound to. Hence, a sizeable chunk of conservative Republicans are not simply anti-vaccine mandate but anti-vaccine, and the ACLU, which only a few years ago denounced most vaccine mandates, has now fully embraced them. While done in the name of protecting "all Americans," Biden's mandate clearly escalates ongoing culture wars.

So even as he ends the war in Afghanistan, Biden beefs up the war on COVID. It's understandable, wanting to be a wartime president, whether the threats to the country are truly existential or mostly invented and overstated (as they certainly were in the war on terror). Being at war ushers in what the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben calls a "state of exception," which allows the leaders of nominally limited governments to suspend restrictions on their power.

Heavily influenced by Michel Foucault, who like the public-choice economists argued that power is routinely expanded using medicalized "helper rhetoric," Agamben was a leading critic of the global war on terror when Western powers, including and especially the United States, vastly expanded surveillance, police, and military actions in the wake of the 9/11 attacks—always in the name of defending a free society (go here for a video lecture I gave at Bard College on this). When his Italian government started one of the first and most draconian lockdowns related to COVID-19, he sounded the alarm again even as many of his leftist allies called him crazy. Yet over the past several decades, governments at all levels in the United States and elsewhere have squandered whatever trust and confidence we once accorded them. When it comes to the Covid-19 response, our official agencies can no longer claim the benefit of the doubt due to an ongoing series of "arbitrary, dubious, and ever-changing recommendations."

Yet rather than use persuasion and dialogue to get his way, Biden is invoking a state of exception as the pretext for issuing a massive expansion of his power over more and more aspects of our daily lives (Donald Trump, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and other past presidents all did something similar, of course). We must push back not simply because of what his new order would actually do but because of the expansion of political power it continues and expands.

We want to live in a country and a world in which "freedom or personal choice" is growing, not constantly being swept aside as an obstacle to a leader's plan.

[wonder-cripple]

Hey world, stop telling my disabled ass to go to war with itself!

I’ve been disabled all my life, and I can say with absolute certainty that being raised in a society that frames the very idea of disability as something to “be aware of” so that we can “fight against it” has been seriously detrimental to my mental health and sense of self-worth.

Encouraging millions of people to approach the life circumstances of disabled people within such an incredibly ableist paradigm comes with some very disturbing assumptions made about us and expectations set forth of us, arguably the most common of which stipulates that, in order for us to not only actively participate in and contribute to society, but to – God forbid – be happy doing so, WE must “fight”. WE must “overcome”. In essence, society tells us that we must resist our very nature in order to live truly fulfilling lives, because there is apparently no way on God’s green earth that we are “happy AND disabled”, not “happy DESPITE being disabled”.

And yet, curiously, while screaming this message in our befuddled faces, society simultaneously turns its back on us and exploits us. We’re told to “stop making excuses”, “quit faking” and “try harder” one minute, and used as the centerpiece of cringe worthy “inspirational” sob stories the next, because hey, how are you ever going to feel good about yourself if you don’t know that someone “has it worse than you” but is living life anyway, so what’s your excuse, buddy? Right?

So basically, we’re only allowed to be disabled when it somehow benefits the abled population. And even then, society refuses to take responsibility for disabling us by using person-first language and coming up with apologist-sounding terms like “differently abled”, “physically challenged” and “special needs” to excuse the fact that we wouldn’t HAVE needs that are considered “special”, or that you feel you need to make exceptions for, if this world had been designed with disabled people and their various (and varying) needs in mind.

These terms, as unassuming as they seem, are packed with a plethora of disconcerting implications. They tell me, a full-time wheelchair user who encounters a multitude of accessibility issues on an almost daily basis, that the problem is with me. They tell me that my inability to climb stairs, work with the physical manipulatives required for the psychological assessments that I administer, and toilet myself have nothing to do with the fact that the only stairclimbing wheelchair on the market right now sells at the price of a car, or that I will likely only have access to physical testing kits wherever I end up working unless I specifically request (and the place budgets for) digital ones, or that my cerebellum is nonfunctional. Instead, my difficulty completing these tasks exists because I’m lazy. Because I’m melodramatic. Because I don’t try. Because I make excuses. Because I’m supposed to be a fighter. A warrior, effectively fighting against myself, and I’m not fighting hard enough.

This is why I experience crippling anxiety. This is why I say “I’m sorry” so often, I actually annoy and frustrate people. This is why I’m borderline phobic when it comes to asking for help and often don’t, even when I desperately need it. Because awareness is not acceptance. Because people knowing about my disability has never rendered them cognizant of everything that it means, and willing to see it as anything other than a bad thing. A stain on my life.

For too long, that lack of acceptance extended to me and how I viewed my own disability. I pushed it away at every turn and distanced myself from it as much as was possible given its pervasive impact on my life. I did what society told me to and fought it with everything I had. I pretended it didn’t exist.

So what did that look like?

Well, I pissed myself in class in the fifth grade because I really had to pee and was too embarrassed to ask for help. I was so isolated and angry as a teenager that I basically bitched out everyone and lost all my friends, all because I thought my disability and subsequent lack of proficiency in adaptive skills was somehow my fault, and I hated myself for that. And when the time came to assess possible career paths as I was entering college, I convinced myself that I was going to be either a med student or a pharmacist, because what motor skill deficits? I don’t see any!

Perhaps what I am most ashamed of is that for the longest time, I was adamant that, once I figured out what I wanted to do, I wasn’t going to “box myself in” and work exclusively with disabled people, like everyone was suggesting based on my unique perspective. To be honest, that was a possibility that I was not only reluctant to consider, but actively avoiding in my mind.

It is the idea of acceptance that has changed my perception. The realization that fighting my core self is not only exhausting, but unnecessary, was the most liberating, enlightening eureka moment that someone in my position and with my mindset could have experienced. You wanna talk about a handicap? You wanna talk about disabling? Think about how disabling it is to feel like you MUST deny  your most defining characteristic, and watch your very soul slowly suffocate under the crushing delusion that, in doing so, you will one day reach an impossible ideal. THAT, to me, is even more disabling than a flight of stairs, because it is a notion that has the capacity to negatively impact every single aspect of a person: mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, you name it. It breaks my heart to know that, if I had been guided towards acceptance as a child instead of consistently being encouraged to “push through” my circumstances, I would now be so much healthier in each of these respects.

Given this, I cannot even begin to expound upon how much it bothers me to see parents of disabled children calling their kids “[insert disability here] warriors”. In doing so, these children are expected to essentially come out of the womb battling themselves and wishing that an integral part of their existence would just disappear. As a disabled person and future psychologist, who once hit the rock bottom that I hope to God these kids won’t get to, I feel that I have a responsibility to advocate for acceptance, both personally and professionally, and I will.

Awareness is good. It’s a start. But it’s only half of the equation, and it’s time to move forward.

[mysticalmusicwhispers]

APH China Musings

When I start thinking about China, and sometimes countries in general, I get this total disconnect between how the anime/manga portrays the country (especially China) and how a lot of headcanons have them as, especially reading headcanons and art about ancient days. 

Ok China-specific content below (headcanons at the very end): Very long post warning

Most of the canon shows him as a sort of weird old grandpa who doesn’t really have all his nuts and bolts in his brainpan and pretends to be cool or whatever (when he’s really not) while his kids all mock him. That APH China has a soft spot for cute things and can’t really understand the others ig, which again kinda makes him a laughingstock for his kids. But, the headcanons I’ve read show him as a really manipulative, sly Old Man who enters contracts/treaties/friendships to benefit him, not for the sake of being kind, and doesn’t really see everybody else on an even level with him which... clashes somewhat to a lot with the canon. HOWEVER, this cunning, darker (?) version of him is way more historically accurate... I like certain things from both versions (and I also like being historically accurate as much as possible) and the fact that headcanons vs canon is so contrasting makes it kinda hard to have one concrete China for my headcanons, it’s like he has split personalities or something lol.

Side note: I’ve never heard/known of anyone Chinese ever saying -aru in English, so... It might be just a voice tic of Chinese people when speaking Japanese, but I sort of get annoyed when it’s added in every other sentence he says in a fanfic. He doesn’t talk like that in the English dubbed anime either, and it seems that the English translations of the manga have also omitted the -aru (except for one strip I believe, correct me if I’m wrong). So please don’t add it in fanfics unless you want the characters to all be speaking Japanese with their own unique voice tics.

However, I do like some parts of the canon portrayal, SUCH AS: his doing tai chi every morning, the portrayal of his relationship with Japan before the “betrayal”, and apparently how he “isn't one to waste a second of time” (from the wiki). So in my head, I try to meld the canon and Sly Old Man together, because I like some aspects of China that may not be explained by either the country’s history, culture, or stereotypes, and honestly I feel like some parts of a country’s personality can just appear spontaneously; you don’t need to be able to explain every part of you from your past experience or the people and country that you make up and represent.

Without further ado, the Headcanons!

- MORNING PERSON, does the whole tai chi thing in the morning with the birds in his garden or something, finds it very relaxing, and then goes back inside for an actual breakfast (I have no idea what he’d eat because Chinese cuisine varies A LOT from region to region, ex. in the north/Beijing region there’s usually soy milk, “Chinese oil stick” which is basically like salty fried dough sticks, and “tofu brains” <-- literal translation, it’s a sort of soupy thing with very soft tofu (very good). In the south, there’s a lot of sweet meats and dim sum, almost like a mini lunch sort of thing, etc.) He’d also drink tea, and never adds sugar (I don’t think restaurants in China ever actually give you sugar packets with tea)

- I feel like he’d be a CAT PERSON nowadays dogs as pets have become more popular in China but before, cats were more common (I think) because of their usefulness as pest control and the fact that they can get their own food; dogs weren’t really kept except to be guard dogs. I feel he’d have gotten used to cats, and also he’d enjoy a quiet pet’s company more

- ANCIENT DAYS/RELATIONSHIPS: He’d probably be slightly manipulative, and ENTER relationships for a trade benefit/power/control/good stuff, but if the relationship goes well and the person is charming (Rome cough cough), he’d slowly warm up and become real friends after a while.

- I agree with the Sly Old Man treatment of COLONIES/TRIBUTE STATES, he’d probably just protect them for the benefits instead of actual Love (but isn’t that what all countries do these days). I do see him as very patronizing to his underlings, because of a) his age and him thinking that he’s seen it all with his dynasty changes and wars and stuff and b) Confucianism, which said to respect your elders and all that, so I think it’d make him slightly full of himself and patronizing (the wiki says this is also his current attitude and I can see that). But I see a situation similar to the relationship one playing out here; as he gets more and more contact with a tribute state he actually grows closer to them in the Normal Human Feeling way, so that would explain his feeling of betrayal when Japan left (literally back-stabbing him), as well as his feeling sad (not just because he lost a trade partner and revenue maker) when Korea was taken. For his tribute states, my headcanon for their relationship is pretty much summed up in this post (esp his relationship with Korea, but also Japan a bit): https://stirringwinds.tumblr.com/post/119403708770/tsk-look-at-you-all-battered-and-bruised-its (patronizing but still caring)

- VERY PRAGMATIC AND EXTREMELY BLUNT. I have no explanation, he just seems like this kind of person (and according to the wiki, he “isn't one to waste a second of time”). Doesn’t care at all if he offends you, intentionally or not (unless he’s trying to impress, of course).

- VERY TRADITIONAL. He probably knows at least a handful of traditional instruments, pipa, ma tou qin, gu zheng, erhu, xun, etc. And will roast people on the internet if they play them wrong (a while back at some really fancy gathering, there was a performer who was in front, mind you, playing a yu (wind instrument) upside down and totally wrong, and that caused a huge firestorm in Chinese social media. I’d like to think China would have been one of those people to be like “what are you doing you know you just made a fool of yourself right?” Incidentally, there’s also an idiom related to the yu that is literally about playing it wrong (literally it’s something like one bad apple can be covered up in a sea of good ones but one by one, people will see you’re bad))

- TRADITIONAL pt. 2: good at calligraphy and also very good at guessing dui lian (apparently called antithetical couplets) hung up during the Lunar New Year. Also adhering to tradition, he gathers up everybody for every single big Chinese/Asian festival to eat together. I know Japan doesn’t interact much with China and China still feels betrayed by him in the manga (the Japanese and Chinese relationship nowadays still isn’t the greatest/closest for multiple reasons) but I’m going to take liberties (and my heart needs fluff). Also, if China invites/drags everybody but Japan to his house, I feel like that’s awkward and one of his kids/siblings would get Japan to come anyway. There would be a lot of arguing at the dinner, about food, politics, memes (from HK), trends, or anything really, but it’s all in good fun, yeah?

- MODERN POLITICS: still a bit of Sly Old Man, and probably very stuck in his ways. Some countries he doesn’t really respect. For example, he doesn’t see America as a fully respectable adult, probably because a) he’s still older and b) I think China agrees with his government’s structure to a point? Like with the way he suffered during the collapse of the Qing Dynasty (Boxer Rebellion, WWI, etc.) I think he’d take any system (including communism) that worked and improved people’s lives. At heart, I think China wants to do what’s right for the people, and at the time, the Communist Party promised that people’s lives would get better under their leadership, and for some, it did. That convinced so many people to take their promise, and I think China would have supported it at the time. As well as, I believe that country’s perspectives of their government is /somewhat/ influenced or warped by their people’s perspective, and /most/ people in China are /okay/ satisfied with the central govt. (not extending this to regional govts, that’s kinda a different issue). So I see China (as a character) being mostly satisfied, and America’s criticism and complaints about him pretty much bounce off, because China doesn’t see his comments worthy of respecting, especially because his govt. is doing ok from his point of view. There are definitely things that need working on, but he won’t take US criticism.

- SLY OLD MAN pt. 2: Basically the same as the tribute state thing, he’ll help you out initially to get your benefits, but if you last long enough, he’ll gradually grow friendship feelings. I feel like this is what real China is trying to do with the “Belt and Road”, basically spreading influence to less developed countries, although it may not be working out. Sort of like manipulation, which also fits in with the Sly Old Man thing.

- I can see why Hima originally designed China as being a bit cold, because I feel if he doesn’t need you, he won’t really talk to you. Although as mentioned above, I also see him start to care for somebody once he takes the effort to get to know you, and will probably care for his close friends long after they’re actually needed.

- I agree with the canon that he can GET ANNOYED EASILY AND SNAPS A LOT, but I see this happening only with people he thinks aren’t interesting enough, are below him, or don’t get him (or are just incessantly annoying).

- Also a bit EGOTISTICAL, but doesn’t show most of the time. Unless you happen to mention a recent achievement, and then he’ll go “Haha! I did that ____ (pick a number from 1,000 to 4,000) years ago!” or something and probably roast you

- SENTIMENTAL OLD SOUL: often reminisces about the past when alone, or with someone he truly trusts (that used to be Japan, but...). Slips into “how did the world get like this?” sometimes to a lot. Feels lonely sometimes too, and can be found stargazing on his front stoop at night

- RELAXING: if he doesn’t have work, he’ll just relax at his house, probably take a long bath/shower and just do nothing, maybe play some sort of instrument for fun, go into his garden and paint/walk around and enjoy the flowers, or watch some new addictive show. If he feels like working, he’ll cook dinner for all his kids/siblings and invite them over (this will also be done if he thinks one is overworking)

Ok those are all the headcanons for now, but probably will be more to come. My love for this Old Man is infinite <3. If you want, reblog/submit/comment your own aph China headcanons! Do you think I did him justice?

[jawnjendes]

bonus: why is their luck in a deeply sad moment? | shawn mendes

some type of au idk man, shawn x goth ex gf

WARNING: there is talk of death and suicide in this chapter. read at your own risk.

AN: i cant squeeze this into the next big fic nor can i fit it into shawn meets bc everyone hated it so its a bonus in the gg story lmao also im starying the Next Big Fic in a few days :)

masterlist | annalise’s playlist

2026.

"Sometimes I think about the what ifs,"  Ann said, “but I like where I am. I like what I’ve made for myself.”

Shawn had to invite her over to his house a second time, because the first time left him with many questions unanswered. He couldn’t be mad at what she said, though. He was in the same boat; he liked the life he made. You know, without the crushing loss and run in with the supernatural.

“Well, I’m happy for you,” he told her, and he really meant it. “I’m glad we were able to successfully do our own things straight after breaking up.”

“Nothing like filling the void in your heart with work!” Ann replied with a giggle. She moved a strand of hair behind her ear, and that’s when Shawn noticed something.

He took her hand and noticed a tattoo on the side of her middle finger: The Triforce.

“You got inked?” he asked, impressed.

“Oh, that’s nothing,” she replied, grabbing her sleeve to roll it up.

There was a sword on her inner arm. It was varying in shades of blue, and it also had the Triforce on it. Shawn recognized it as the Master Sword from the Legend of Zelda games.

“All this is is proof that I’m a nerd,” Ann said as she rolled her sleeve back down. “I notice you have some more ink also… and that you still wear shirts half buttoned.” She pointed to his chest.

Her finger poked the exposed skin. It shouldn’t have been as tingly as it was. Shawn smiled and placed his hand over his chest.

“More than just that,” he told her. “But I can’t show you all of them.”

Maybe it was a little risky to say that. Shawn would have taken it back if Ann’s cheeks hadn’t gone a shade of pink.

“I could say the same thing…”

Shawn quickly came to learn just how many tattoos Ann had gotten over the years. A snake and tombstones on her other arm. Feather on her collarbone, roses on her shoulder. A quote reading, “...but I’m not anymore” with stars around it on her ribcage. Something on her wrist that Shawn didn’t catch because he was busy pressing his lips to her hips and taking off her pants, where he found another tattoo. “Lucky you.” He certainly felt it.

Everything about their time together was so familiar, so easy and almost home-like. Ann’s skin touching his. Her lips perfectly molding over his. The quiet, needy gasps they both released into the bedroom. It was like going back in time, and they were in Shawn’s Toronto apartment instead of his multimillion dollar condo in LA. It was soft and slow, despite Shawn pinning Ann’s arms above her head. He didn’t outgrow that particular move, and she still seemed to like it.

Shawn had never been happier to have been on a break more than now. Most one night stands in the past began and ended very quickly, because he was on tour or in between interviews or on a break for one day. This was one person that he didn’t want to leave behind. They lied down, sweaty and dazed, facing each other. It was silent, but not awkward. Everything had a nice haze around it.

That was also when Shawn finally made out what the tattoo on Ann’s wrist was. He picked his head up in confusion.

“Is… are those torches?” he asked. “Upside down? Just like mine… and are those my initials?”

It was simple line art, less intricate than his own. Torches in an X, with “SM” right below them. Shawn has been floored many times, and this was no exception.

Ann picked her head up as well. “It’s not what it looks like.”

Shawn looked down at his chest, his torches were exactly the same, sans the initials. He wanted to give Ann the benefit of the doubt, that this wasn’t some creepy fangirl thing. Some of his one night stands ended up like that, and it wasn’t exactly easy to forget.

“It’s for a friend of mine,” Ann explained, sitting up and covering her front with the blanket. She took note of the look on Shawn’s face. “Keeping someone’s light on beyond death, remember? I assume yours is for someone too.”

They were both sitting up now, and Shawn relaxed. However, he only relaxed a little bit because now it was time to get deep.

“Mine’s for Brian. He died last year.”

Ann’s face fell. “No. Brian, your best friend? Brian, the one who constantly took the piss outta me?”

He nodded. “He was… there was an accident. Flight of stairs. Instantly killed.” It was all lies, but no human would understand.

A hand went over his, squeezing. “I’m so sorry. He just, he just fell down some stairs?”

“A lot of stairs. I don’t know I guess he was running or something. There was no way to save him. People in the house heard the crash, but by the time they found him - when I found him - it was too late.” He had told this version many times, enough times to where he could almost believe it himself.

“Fuck, man. That’s… that’s fucking terrible,” Ann said sympathetically. “But I seriously can’t believe you just told me that.”

“Why?”

“Because now I have to tell you that mine is for Stella. Those are her initials.”

Stella Martinez. Now Shawn felt a little stupid… but surprised, and he was met with a sinking feeling in his stomach. He couldn’t believe it for a second, but it fully processed in his head, and his heart began to break.

“Stella from college? Stella, who was your literal opposite and also your best friend?”

Ann solemnly nodded. Then she looked down. “She… she killed herself.”

Shawn was stunned into silence, the tightness in his chest only intensifying. The entire time he knew Stella, she was always so positive and bubbly. She was the opposite of suicidal. That’s why it was such a shock… and so sad. Oh god, who was going to tell Camila?

“When did Brian go to the other side?” Ann asked after a moment.

“A year ago last month,” Shawn replied. “And Stella?”

Ann raised an eyebrow. “Two years ago last month...”

It was a strange coincidence, but still upsetting. Both Shawn and Ann lost their best friends at the same time of the year. The urge to spill everything was thick in the air. Still, neither of them said anything for a while.

Instead, Ann reached down to the floor to pick up her clothes. Shawn’s eyes were stuck on her and that was when he spotted another word on her back. Nightmare. Small font, right shoulder blade, surrounded by a cluster of skulls. Then, he realized what she was doing.

“Are you leaving?”

She looked up, bra in hand. She was quiet as she put it back on.

“No. No, I’m not going anywhere.”

And she crawled back into bed. She made the point to keep a distance from Shawn, who was still naked. He was on his side, looking at the woman before him. Only Ann could have sex with him and bring up the subject of death. That brought a new point to mind.

“How do you enjoy death?” he asked. “I think I’ve asked you this before, but after losing someone and attending their funeral, I’m having a hard time understanding your perspective.”

Ann took a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling. “I don’t enjoy the act of dying. People die every day in horrible ways. People mourn and fall into depression because of death. That’s not something to enjoy.”

“So what’s your deal with it?”

“I’m just embracing the face that it’s inevitable. I do that for myself. I will die eventually, or tomorrow-”

Shawn made a face; he didn’t like that thought.

“It doesn’t make it any easier when someone I know goes,” Ann continued. “You’d think with all the research I’ve done it would be. The ones we love leave this mortal plane, and all they leave is their absence. And that alone is a lot to process.”

“What’s the hardest part?”

“The what if’s.”

Shawn asked because he really wanted to know more about what happened to Stella. He had to know the things that led up to the tragedy, mostly because he knew Camila would ask for details, even if they were hard to hear.

He figured he should spill his side first.

“The last thing I said to Brian was to get the hell out of my room,” he began. “We were fighting, fighting over something so fucking stupid, and I was so pissed at him. That was our last interaction. He fell down the stairs because he was trying to find me in this big huge mansion…”

Ann sat up a little bit, hand over her chest. “Here?”

“Oh no, not here. I was staying at a friend’s house in London for a work thing. Place was huge, easy to get lost in,” Shawn clarified. “Brian, Andrew, all of them were leaving back to Toronto and I didn’t want to go just yet. Part of it was because I was still pissed. Maybe if I had run into him first before he fell… If I hadn’t kicked him out of my room a few nights prior… If I was less of an asshole…”

“Maybe you would have slipped on the stairs,” Ann told him. “Maybe you guys would have had an even bigger argument later that would have ended your friendship. There’s no way to tell, and sometimes that’s what sucks the most.”

Huh. Most people tell him not to dwell on it. No wonder Ann was a shrink now.

“Losing someone is one of the hardest things we, as humans, have to face,” she said. “It’s not easy in the slightest. Besides, the grieving period takes about three to five years, so you - we - are still in the beginning stages of it. Thinking about the what ifs, what you want to change, what you wish you could say to Brian - all of that is normal.”

The two of them let those words settle for a moment. Shawn’s eyes were a little misty, and redirecting the topic was probably not going to help. But he laid his stuff out on the table.

“What about you?” he asked.

“Me?”

“Your what ifs?”

Ann paused, looking around the room. “What if I had put my Master’s to use and noticed the goddamn signs?”

Shawn watched her, hoping she would at least return the eye contact.

“I’m an expert in this shit,” she said. “I have the years of school, the degrees, and the licenses for detecting things like this. I only figured it out the moment her dad called me.”

“How do you detect when someone is suicidal?”

“In her case, she was elated. When someone makes that decision, they reach a state of euphoria because they know their pain is about to end.”

“But Stella was always-”

“Believe me, I know. I hadn’t talked to her since graduating in Toronto, so I thought she hadn’t changed at all. But I would see on her social media, she just moved back to her parents’ house in Florida, and she hinted that she wasn’t happy about it.”

As if Shawn couldn’t take another blow. Come to think of it, he never heard much about Stella’s home life. He didn’t even think that it could be a negative place for her.

“I was in Jacksonville for work,” Ann continued, “so I hit her up, and we met up for lunch. We talked for about an hour, and she said that I was always a good friend and college wife and that she’ll always love me. And my stone hearted ass just said ‘cool, you don’t suck’ and that was that. A month later, she’s as blue as the pills she took.”

“Ooo…” Shawn sighed, cringing at that mental image. Sweet, warm hearted Stella cold and lifeless. Call it morbid, awful thinking, but Shawn wished Brian looked like that in death instead of the bloody mess he turned out to be.

“Yeah. And her parents had her embalmed and put in an airtight casket, but that’s a whole other rant.” Ann waved it off and lied back down.

Shawn didn’t know what else to do except lie down as well. While sharing the stories of how their friends died, he couldn’t help but feel just a little bit closer to Ann. The first time they met, it took fighting tooth and nail to get her to open up. Now, Shawn felt okay silently reached for her hand, and tenderly holding it in his.

Both of them winded up at the same awards show. Both lost their best friends. Both got the same type of tattoo to honor them. Neither of them anticipated meeting again. This couldn’t be a coincidence.

_______

goth gf taglist: @normalcyisoverrated-beyou @ilsolee @mendesromano @kitykatnumber @strangerliaa @iloveshawnieboi @someoneunimportantxx @goldenmndes @calyumthomas @shawnsunflower @shawnvvmendes @parkeraul @havethetimeeofyourlifee @chillingbythesea @wronglanemendes @softmendesss @peruvian-bae @theprivatewritings

[artdjgblog]

Innerview: Ercan Ucer / Grafik Tasarim (Turkey) October 2008 Image: Giphy Note: Take #2 of a design magazine interview.

​0​1) How do you name yourself other than being a versatile designer? In the past year and a half I’ve come to realize that I’m not really a graphic designer. It’s definitely in there and will always be because design is a poison, like any vocation or skill can be. But, I’ve always approached the way I work as an artist first, and I don’t fancy myself an artist either. I am what I am, though I can’t always be so selfish. Am I an illustrator? I guess there is a collision of the three. Add this to a love for getting my hands dirty, plus a celebration of youth and American pop-culture mixed with Eastern European and post-WWII American Design – B.C. (Before Computer) and the product is me? “Versatile” is too defining of a word for me and way too classy. I simply like to say I make things. Each day is new and I haven’t a clue what I’m going to do. ​0​2) What is the relationship between marketing and your designing process at different areas? (poster, packaging, logo…etc) A design is a marketing tool, no doubt. I haven’t really worked on a large scale setting with this, but I have in terms of marketing on a small scale for rock concerts and prospective CD buyers. Though, a designer plays eye-grabber, a designer is not really a marketer, but I guess it helps to attract attention or sell something. I had friends in college who studied marketing as well as design and they’d probably be more equipped to answering this question. It’s an area I’m not familiar with other than thinking of ways to attract people to get excited for a musical group, a sound, feeling or expression by way of putting a stamp on a poster, CD or logo design. It is a marketing tool especially when working with a client. It certainly is not only what the artist-designer can bring to the “product” (Though, I do think this can apply at a certain larger level with selling something), you’re also working for somebody and trying to sell an image or an item. In the case of a show poster, you’re selling a concert venue or the place the poster is hanging or even the music scene and the city and environment. I think this can be a tricky walk. I’ve been fortunate to have some small success with great clients and great projects to where things work out well. I guess it helps that independent music graphics kind of start out in left field to begin with, to where they are approached more like an art project than a product? Though, I don’t think that the work should not limit itself to a certain kind of audience. I think it’s great when the work speaks to anybody. There are times though where things don’t mix well, whether under the weather by design, client-wise or consumer. It’s just part of the deal. The work isn’t always going to be a homerun. Another deal is the way people interact with communication in marketing. Today I find that technology has a lot to do with people getting information for a rock concert via social networking sites, musician, ticket and concert venue sites. I don’t think that something like the poster will ever be dead, but technology can almost make a poster feel second-rate, a collector’s keep-sake and more for show than for the actual show. Logos are very interesting when it comes to marketing for bands because they are generally slapped onto many-many products. I’ve worked with a lot of music-related designs, but I’ve also made logos varying from a lawyer to an internet-computer company to a church before. So, these different applications encourage me to find new ways to talk to other audiences who come searching for something that isn’t entertainment, but I approach these designs with the same techniques and tools I use with the music graphics. I try to give something unique, and of a new take, to get a double-take. ​0​3) Can you tell us about your working environment and your different feelings or extraordinary events that inspires you? Ever since I was a child growing up on a farm, my working environment has been outside and especially in my bedroom. Working environments also extended to anyplace I had my eyes open. I certainly believe in a home base or comfort zone of operations, but a lot of my more thorough processing happens while out and about and then I bring it back home with me to make. Currently I work out of a basement in my home. I’ve constructed a work space out of wood found in the street. I call it my “club house”. I love it down there despite my continual problem with having a work space that barely has room for me to work in! I collect and store a lot of things around me and still have a lot of my childhood things around me, along with piles and piles of supplies, research and things I’ve found or see the potential in for a future use. I have a mind-set that if I can’t use it today, I can easily use it in 50 years. I’m a major fan of extraordinary events and tend to find humorous and peculiar ones to be more my taste, and more-so in retrospect of the event. I feel to be blessed with a certain quality that attracts odd circumstances, or maybe it’s all in my head? Extraordinary has its own brand of “something”, but more often I find inspiration in places, events and things that are fairly run-of-the-mill and everyday ordinary for anyone, which can give them an added cushion of “extra” for me. On my website I’ve made a list of my history, the things that have been the everyday ordinary for me, but might seem very out of ordinary to others. It all depends on perspective and where you’ve been. ​0​4) When did you discover the impulse that led you being a designer? This impulse to leave behind a paper trail of some sort on my impression has always been kicking around in me. I didn’t fully know it at the time, but I believe it started when I was young as I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t doing or making something. It’s a large part of my make-up. Much of it has to do with my farming background and watching my Dad and his Dad and others always doing or working on something whether it was building fences, planting crops or tending animals. I also owe a lot to my Grandma, for her hands-on making skills and to my parents for allowing me to grow-up fully plugged into the American pop-culture of books, toys, music, movies, video games and sports. Now, I just feed off of my former self and continue to feed for the future. It’s not work to me when it truly works and I enjoy myself. ​0​5)  Is looking at life always from a different angel, the designer’s necessarily ego? Most any area of most any job, skill, talent, business doesn’t come without some ego hurdling. The ego is amped further within the arts. Inflated achievement comes with ease when your voice gets a little loud in a “scene” or beyond. I’d like to think I’m fairly grounded, but it’s hard not to feel the eggs weight the other side when I’m told I could be sitting on a couple of golden ones. Working a day job can help matters, but it can also be a nightmare with time management. I have to just tell myself that I am a man and a man who happens to make things. Still, that can be hard. It doesn’t mean that I’m better than somebody or am a “somebody” because I’ve found a certain something within me. I just enjoy my life and feel very fortunate to even know what I want to do with it. I think one needs healthy doses of reality and a whole heap of humor to make it too. Besides, I have no answers. If you know somebody with it all figured out, have them call me! What helps me is to find comfort and ease is venturing back into my child manner. I’m much more content and find peace when I’m either looking at the world through a certain lense that I might qualify for, or just making and enjoying the act of celebration in creativity. The moment I start to think too much about it all or answer questions, that is when it can get a little dangerous in the head. I’d like to think gaining wisdom through age and maturity helps. I know that my energy and will-power have died some, and of late I’m leaning on this as a benefit. I think I say and do some dumb stuff today, though I’m positive it’s a little less than yesterday! ​0​6) Can you inform us about graphic design’ s one of the important field, package design and your sketches? / Tell me about the sketching and process of packaging. There is a certain amount of image longevity that becomes attached to packaging. I’m not experienced in much more than musical CD packaging, but I think a long life span especially applies to this in the iconic halls of pop-culture, even on small levels. Though, that’s not the reason to put into making something and/or package something but if you can add some meaty eye candy, then so be it. I love poster design because there are endless possibilities to exhaust, many ways to work reach-and-grab-of-the-moment and intuitive, and if something doesn’t work all-around, it’s throw-away and will die soon like house flies. CDs are so different, at least for me, and they can be quite intimidating and intoxicating. Sometimes another designer’s great CD package makes me not wish to do another one, and in a good way! With my own process, I do a little bit of sketching, but more-so the process and evolution of the CD package is the sketching for me. If I’m rewarded with an ample amount of time to work on a CD I usually make it happen in three different sessions, or what I call “incubation stages”. This allows me time to sit on ideas and to come back to them with fresh perspective and clear head, to play or spin off ideas and avenues. When figuring out an image or “look” for an album, I like to at least digest the music or get a track listing. With the way in which I work, I tend to feed off of my day-to-day (sometimes minute-to-minute) emotional handy work. It can be a little strange though as I can easily obsess over wondering the what-might-have-been with something like a CD package or anything. I think that a CD package for me can be extremely different given what day I’m at. I do believe my best packages have come down on me at the last minute, intuitively and usually on the lowest of budgets. And I mean cheap, major cheap. 0​7) What are the benefits of making global designs for the designer? I love a body of work, one that breathes and not only serves as a timeline for the maker, but also for views and observations on life itself. Ideas that can extend globally even, throughout time. I think that a great body of work can extend to anybody, anywhere in the world. And even if it is for some other body like a client, it is always from its original body of the creator. Anything that goes global is still connected to that first breath of singular life. Due to technology, it’s so much easier today to go “global” with designs, even if one does operate on a small scale. I think it’s great to put the work out there, to share, even if it’s not marking up or wrapping up a popular product. In today’s fast-paced world of millions and billions of images and things flashing, it really does mean a lot that my meager things have made it in some strange little way. Even, if it’s just a grin or a double-take by someone looking at a little poster on a wall or in a magazine or a global internet billboard or world-wide magazine and book distribution. Though, a part of me still likes to keep some things to myself. And I’m odd because I personally don’t like to attract attention to myself with graphics on the shirts I wear or product logos on bags and things. ​0​8) Can you explain the relationship between marketing and designing? I’m not sure if I was successful, but I tried to answer some of this in question 2. With this one I’ll try to wrap it into the way that I work, to where my designs act as marketing tools for me, as well as the product they are pushing. Until recently I’ve never had to market myself in conventional practice. For the first six years my work itself was the marketing. Everything from a poster to a package and a logo has been on the same level with causing a “Trickle Down / Word of Mouth” marketing effect. And I’ve been fortunate to keep fairly close relationships with my clients due to a small industry I work in. These clients have brought other clients. For my first two years I was living and working with several bands in a house. I didn’t have to leave and would get new work constantly. At times I’d just make things before I was even asked. Some of the best marketing can come in poster making and that is how I started to gather some attention. Posters have a short shelf life in comparison to packaging and logos, so there is always a new one to tack up. And if a poster doesn’t succeed, then it’s easy to just make another one. It’s just a poster and practice is good. After a while people start getting curious and come looking for you. ​0​9) Does any of your designs have an unforgettable story? The “Whatever Makes You Happy” CD package design I made in my basement in June of 2002 for the band Elevator Division, is one of my most memorable moments. It was a special run of 250 handmade CD packages and my idea came at the last minute. I made an image of a hand shooting off its index finger like a missile that married the themes for the album perfectly, with reflections of war and failed relationships. It was the idea of shooting off one’s options and making decisions. It was fitting for the band-music but also for the national-world climate. Each one was hand-cut from cardboard and stencil sprayed and rubber stamped. Inserts were copied, cut, folded and glued. At the last mist of red spray paint, a crack of thunder shook the massive home’s foundation and I bolted from the basement and out the front door to a down pour of rain. I leapt off the front porch and slid head first down the front lawn embankment and into the street flowing like a river current. The drug dealing squatters of the home across the street were on their front step looking at the fire in my eyes and the red paint streaming from my ears, nose and mouth. It was a high much higher than that of chemical substance. -djg

[natsubeatsrock]

Should our heroes fall in love?

I've been on Tumblr long enough to know that even asking this is opening a can of worms. One of the earliest memories of this blog involves posting "the ships do not really matter." To which someone replied, "Yes they do". But it's not as if I haven't talked about this during this time of the year before on this blog before. Even as shipping has become a lot more hostile on and off this website, I haven't had much of a change in my answer to this question.

If there is an issue I have with Tumblr's treatment of ships, it's that the ships become the story. Not that they are an aspect of the narrative, of varying importance. The actual plot and characters are treated as secondary to seeing two characters come together as a couple. If this was just a matter of romance series being really popular with this website, this wouldn't be a big deal. This happens for series all the time, regardless of the series medium, genre, or even sexual orientation of characters in the discussion.

Naturally, there is an opposite movement that has grown more recently. Some people are against the idea of ships happening. Not against the idea of certain ships, as I have been. These folks are against the idea of romance as an element in fiction. In some cases, fans see certain ships happening as the creators giving in to the whims of fans or some larger agenda. There has to be some middle ground in this.

Before we continue, I need to stress that, in this post, I'm talking more from the perspective of ships as they happen in canon. Personally, I don't think that canon matters much when it comes to what you personally prefer as a ship. Then again, I've been lucky in that my ships usually end up becoming canon and my NOTPs don't end up as the canon ships. For this post, I only care about whether ships actually ended up sailing in canon or not.

There are two big questions worth considering. First, does the series lend itself to romance? Second, does it make sense that the characters in question can become a romantic couple?

The first isn't one that should require much of my time. One of the weird things about romance is that it's hard to say that there's a situation that two people can't develop feelings for each other. However, it's not as if every story is in a position to set up and maintain romances. I say this and know that whatever example I use involves someone's OTP, but you got this far so you've read my disclaimer.

Death Note didn't end with any romantic ships and the show isn't worse for it. In fact, Light gets into two relationships with people that like him and both only serve the purpose of furthering his own goal of becoming "the god of a new world". One of my biggest shocks after finishing the series and coming on Tumblr was finding that there were shipping fandoms for the series at all.

What is more interesting to discuss is whether certain characters ought to be together romantically. There are a lot of things that go into why characters get shipped with each other. Maybe they have an important connection with each other in canon. Maybe their personalities create an interesting dynamic. Maybe these characters are just your favorites and you want them to be happy.

Although, I seem to be more in the business of arguing why ships shouldn't be together. This involves arguing the reasons people think they work are wrong. To play off the last paragraph, maybe the relationship doesn't lend well to romance. Maybe their canon connection is overrated. Maybe you need to invest in writing fanfiction.

Remember the question boils down to "why these characters?" Chances are that you aren't going to be weighing the merits of all the ships in a series. However, it's often the case that you are considering ships involving a single character that conflict with each other. That's when this question comes into play. As an example, let's use IR and RR from Bleach. (Mostly to clear up an issue from my old post on the subject.)

Ichigo and Rukia's relationship is one of mentor and student at the outset. As the series continues, they start to work more and more independently of each other. While their relationship is important, it didn't lend itself to a romantic relationship. Part of this is because of the short amount of time they spent together. However, it's not as though ships haven't been built after less time. What we see of their relationship doesn't leave much to read between the lines. (I hate WatchMojo for this line.)

Renji and Rukia's relationship ran for a longer time chronologically, which certainly helps their case. But what really sells it for me is that Renji actually wanted to get closer to Rukia. They were separated and he was actually worried about her well being. Part of the dramatic irony between his rematch with Ichigo is exactly that they both care about Rukia and think the other is a threat to her safety. At the end of their fight, we see that the difference between them is that Ichigo wants her safe in this situation while Renji wants her to be safe past the situation.

Though, I'm not sure this does much to answer the real question at hand. The real reason to be interested in romance as a literary element, as I see it, is seeing how two characters play off each other. Ships with varying origins and fan popularity should be measured by what it means for the characters in the relationship to be in it. If they don't get together, is their reason to think they would have benefitted from being in a relationship? If they did, what is their relationship like?

That might sound as if I'm boiling down romance into purely a transactional relationship. (What can one character do for another?) Think of it this way instead. Why would you want to be in a relationship, romantic or otherwise, with anyone that hurts you? If you gain no enjoyment from their company, no benefits from catering to them, and have no obligation to them, why would you want to have anything to do with them?

One thing that has annoyed me about fictional relationships is that they often begin as the series ends. If not, to their marriage. On the one hand, it makes sense if a series that isn't primarily about romance doesn't spend much time on how its ships play out in the future. On the other hand, it doesn't hurt to see how a ship gets together and what the characters involved are like on a normal basis as a couple, especially when it involves characters we've already grown to love throughout the series.

One series I know that did this well was Golden Time. The main couple si cemented well before the halfway point. The rest of the series puts them in situations where they live their lives as a couple. We see them get in fights, have misunderstandings, and their relationship almost ends close to the end of the series. To play off a theme that's becoming common in these posts, much of the tension behind that comes from how their personalities and backstories play off each other and factor into current events.

It's worth mentioning as I wrap up that this doesn't mean that two characters have to be in a romantic relationship to benefit from each other's presence. In fact, the vast majority of relationships that a person gets into won't be romantic but should be considered important. I'm grateful for media that shine lights on important relationships like friendships, work buddies, and family relationships, whether they be blood relatives or not. If series like Demon Slayer or Fullmetal Alchemist can themselves on the idea of familial relationships or series like Fairy Tail and Guardians of the Galaxy around group dynamics, it's not as if a series needs to have a romance to have important relationships to shed light on.

I say that and there is romance in all those series as well.

[eyalnachum08-blog]

Eyal Nachum

Eyal Nachum is a fintech guru and a director at Bruc Bond. Eyal is the architect of the software that SMEs use to do cross-border payments.

Eyal Nachum

Youthful startups often have fantastic concepts that they challenge to put into training, experiencing too many obstructions along the way. Too much, these stumbling blocks lay on the path in order to a solid banking as well as payments infrastructure. Three international executives at Bruc Connection give their advice.

BOSS of Bruc Bond Singapore Krishna Subramanyan, Country Supervisor for Poland Krzysztof “Kris” Matuszewski, and Board Fellow member Eyal Nachum in a new talk to Konstantin Bodragin, Brüc and up. Bond Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief. KILOBYTES: Hi guys, thank you for which makes the time. To be able to start, what tips may you give a youthful fintech startup?

Eyal Nachum: Give attention to time-to-market. Forget in relation to everything else. You must find a product out right now there. 3 quarters of a functioning product is a lot better than fully of nothing. As soon as you accomplish have something working, speak to the people using this. Talk to your clients. They will understand which you’re only starting out and can be more forgiving at the start. They will give you actually the feedback you must have. A person can build the various other even just the teens using that understanding. From Bruc Bond, many of us are continue to always discussing to our consumers. That allows us to constantly increase in the techniques our clients will need.

Krishna Subramanyan: I would offer a fintech startup the very same assistance as for just about any start-up. It will be incorrect to be able to focus on your individual product or service or idea, despite the fact that it is usually tempting for you to do so. First, recognize a customer population to help be dished up, and perform to understand their very own soreness points. Product employs the particular pain points driven from the decision to serve in order to this specific client population.

Krzysztof Matuszewski: You need to be able to be methodical. First, locate your niche. This will probably be your own market possibility. Then, survey. Check out there the competitors to uncover regardless of whether somebody’s already carrying out what you would like to do. Locate technical companions to aid you avoid hasty decision-making and to meet your current time-to-market goals. Do buyer improvement well. Always check out your presumptions and possibly be ready to pivot, to alter the course of your own personal tool to fulfil typically the customers’ needs. Then obtain comments again. With each and every new product launch, new update, every single alter, you must acquire feedback. Keep your development/marketing equilibrium healthy. At first, you must keep your product merely good enough, but with no marketing and advertising you will skip your industry fit. Also, and find buyers. An individual will need funds for you to increase.

KB: Getting often the infrastructure proper can help to make or break task management. Just what should young fintechs consider about when it will come to their banking/payments commercial infrastructure?

EN: Approach that inside three stages. 1st, the actual infrastructure doesn’t make a difference to help customers, just get the product or service out. Second, do simple infrastructure, so you can easily have a proof principle. The third stage will be the hardest from an facilities point of view. You have in order to achieve scale. Just how? Anyone need a clear purchaser direct. Even if the idea feels like it would certainly slow you down, to get scale you must do it. You actually also have to have got a very good grasp connected with the rules and also adhere to them. If a person do crypto and desire an account with regard to salaries, your bank can enjoy nice at period one particular, but not stage about three. Don’t step on almost any paws. Set up structure in a way that will does not necessarily break anybody’s principles.

KILOMETER: Use credible functioning working devices and comply using regulations totally. If an individual don’t, you could drop your infrastructure. Be firm with security, and benefit from integrations when you could. Open financial and the particular PSD2 in The european countries exposed up a whole planet of options with API connections : explore the item.

KS: Structure must become flexible to conform to adjustments in understanding and natural environment. Real-time abilities for long term innovation are key. It truly is becoming harder to preserve buyers. What is beneficial is the capacity to illustrate to customers that most of us are usually listening all typically the time. Therefore, there needs to be anything new, exciting on present in which sets the rate inside first few days, months, groups on often the back of client responses. New architectures must influence APIs and micro-services to back up this pace.

KB: Krishna, are there specific concerns in terms of Singapore and Parts of asia most importantly?

KS: Fintechs in this article wish to accomplish a lot having very little quickly. Typically the teams are very ready but limited in assets. Firms that can prosper inside a mutually supportive setting are those who win. So, work with others to experience the pace along with the perspective. For illustration, while open bank is definitely not set in regulation, the particular biggest banking participants are trying to reach out to be able to the smallest fintechs to have interaction and collaborate.

KB: Kris, how about the EUROPEAN UNION?

KILOMETRE: There is extremely strong competition within the EUROPEAN, both among obligations fintechs themselves and with financial institutions. The market is properly controlled, but there are generally a lot of restrictions to adhere to. In the WESTERN EUROPEAN, you must consider info rights into account. You should meet the requirements associated with the GDPR, the legal guidelines designed to guard men and women and legal agencies coming from new risks which is part of the actual data economy. These can be quite difficult to follow. On the particular other hand, Brexit provides chance to attract shoppers departing the UK, and so there are options just about everywhere.

KB: B2B [business-to-business] and B2C [business-to-consumer] usually are a couple of very different modes regarding business. What sort involving unique payments/banking challenges complete startups during these spheres deal with that the other folks would not? How can they get over them?

KM: Fintech corporations fall into either the business-to-consumer income model or perhaps business-to-business type. Each unit has its own problems, although the B2C gross sales routine tends to end up being much shorter compared to the BUSINESS-ON-BUSINESS sales cycle, since organizations are slower to embrace new-technology. For B2B at this time there are a handful of significant challenges. One is this banks offer a established of related payment goods and already have a substantial customer base. The next is that businesses usually have very complicated in addition to extensive product needs, consequently payment fintech must give good service and in business excellence to compete around the corporate market. Therefore, organizations from the SME industry come to be frequent clients connected with repayment fintechs. With B2C, different challenges rise for you to the top. First associated with all, there are money washing. The importance of corporate regulatory solutions in this is previously mentioned all else. There exists levels of competition from small business charge cards, cryptocurrencies and digital funds, and from money exchange and remittances as any establishing niche.

EN: Often the BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS world wastes regarding several weeks a 12 months on audits and construction. That’s the reason you see a lot of ideas concerning lowering the headache. Together with B2C you can’t wait too long. There’s always movement as well as change. There isn’t a real challenge to stability inside the B2C sphere due to help the quantity of players, and also prices are fairly repaired due to competition. The largest challenges right now tend to be ethnical. There are vocabulary barriers in between banker along with customer. Everything we need are usually solutions regarding specific markets: the unbankable or bauge, immigrants, consumer banking in international languages, student-specific services, and so forth.

KS: Collection of global business banking partnerships stays the important. Depending on the corporate state, banking challenges can certainly vary substantially. Banks behave to this crissis in addition to cost of retaining enterprise in different ways. Fintechs need to spend considerable moment to understand almost every partner’s direction. Ability to fit target growth segments regarding banking partners to all their unique must be a great ongoing, daily exercise.

KILOBYTES: Thank you for getting the time and then for your personal advice.

[raymondwhanley-blog]

Benefits of Advertising On Social Media 2020

Take a peek at what we imagine are the primary social media marketing tendencies for 20 20 that marketers will need to become aware of to be able to make certain their marketing strategy is up-to-date and as powerful as you can.

Social media has become synonymous with digital marketing, moving hand-in-hand with many -- or even all -- digital campaigns. But, social media is far from static and what functioned a month or two ago may well not receive exactly the same excellent results today.

It really is a lot more important than previously for marketers to understand and stay ahead of this curve the moment it regards social media.

Avoid the pitfalls that restrict engagement by means of your target audience by simply figuring out about social media mistakes that you really do not want to make.

Bearing this in mindthat we have taken a peek at a number of of the tendencies that people consider are definitely going to be most important when it regards social media marketing in 20 20. Below are the tendencies that we, and some other specialists, believe you Have to Be aware of ahead of this new year:

The digital De-Tox

This equates to 45 percent of their entire world's population currently being on social media. When this implies that brands have the chance to reach larger audiences than previously, a new tendency is affecting that audience base.

This really is greater than only the usual changes we view regarding folks opting to make use of one platform in favour of another -- including as Facebook viewing end users fall however Instagram attracting a lot more -- that tendency is still visiting persons take a temporary or permanent break out of all social media.

One in 3 adults within the united kingdom are now actually diminishing their social media usage. A few 6 percent of end users have taken off an app out of their phone, 6 percent have permanently deleted their accounts and 8 percent have deleted their accounts and taken out social media cellular apps.

Other people elect to De-Tox because they tend not to expect social media platforms, possibly thanks to problems such as Fake News or even because of privacy and data worries.

"I believe that year, we are going to be viewing of a change at the way social media end users act on line; '' I presume that digital De-Tox will grow a lot more prevalent this year, together with many folks seeking to restrict the amount of time that they spend social media.

"I also feel that there surely will be a huge drive towards making social media private and stable due to its own users - that has turned into a huge dilemma not too long ago and many men and women are only realizing how dangerous a lack of internet privacy can be. And those matters, clearly, may have a significant impact on marketing overly - brands and marketers will need to maintain the top of those tendencies and act accordingly"

This is simply not to say that social media is becoming emptiness regarding digital marketing, but marketers don't want to understand that the impacts it might have. When added into this problems that pay-to-play social media attracts, additional persons taking to a digital De-Tox (if temporary or permanent) will impact reach and engagement in one's articles.

Ultimately, it really is vital that you never start placing all of your marketing eggs at the social media bucket. You want to be certain that ample funding and useful resource remains nonetheless being awarded to additional channels, like email marketing and search engine marketing. But, it is also vital that you assure that any social media existence that you really do have is equally as meaningful as feasible. Your brand should offer significantly more than memes - you want to supply articles that has a constructive and memorable impact in your own audience and that delivers as much value as feasible.

A significant part of meaningful and valuable encounters on social media would be that the way that brands engage together with their audience. Even though sharing articles that you just imagine your target audience will probably like is still part of maintaining your social media presence, then you also ought to encourage and cultivate interactions that are higher than a straightforward such as share.

Additionally, there are a whole lot of brands out there who apparently have large social media followings and when you search much more carefully at individual articles, their engagement amounts are almost nonexistent. These brands that are viewing additional engagement in their followers are performing this by assembling communities around their articles.

That is not to say that communities are a new idea, however, they are increasingly being assembled with brands in distinct ways, and that's paying down and will more than likely continue to do therefore as we head in to 20 20.

"whilst social websites aren't a new idea, the way brands assemble them will be changing the way we interact using them. The main point can be the internet presence needs to expand your reachand to ultimately induce further conversions.

"For starters, it really is crucial to measure your time and efforts and stay intouch by means of your audience. Social media suites are a great way to observe every thing from one place, in article creation and supply on tracking and analytics. Discover what's effective and what's maybe not -- you shouldn't be afraid to muster and decide to try some thing new!

It supplies your brand the ideal possibility to engage with recent and potential clients.

"significantly more than at any time earlier, potential purchasers want to hear from existing clients -- thus offer them a place to do only that."

Bridget Poetker -- Mature Information Marketing Specialist at G-2

Assembling social media communities away out of the own profiles is only the start, after all, creating a set and having men and women combine isn't a guarantee that they could engage. Doing this can keep men and women engaged together with your brand but also bring about new leads and clients whilst also adding a human, personalized part into a brandnew.

"I think that the days of only posting articles and persons turning up to engage are slowly and gradually arriving at an end as pay-to-play social media becomes increasingly more and more prevalent with every single social networking as time passes. As a company, you are already at a disadvantage, and that's the reason why it'll grow far more important than to actually engage with your area.

"I am not talking about engagement therefore that the articles turns better from the algorithm, however actually thanking individuals on your area not when they engage along with your articles however actually proactively reaching them out enjoy a social media consumer could reach out into a close friend. If your company wants to live in organic social media in 2020, I really think that sort of humanization of one's brand is likely to undoubtedly be necessary."

One good thing about social media communities may be the fact that they assist with word marketing, and it can be another huge social media marketing fad for 20 20. Communities allow one to engage with nano or micro-influencers that are already advocates your brand as a way to make them share honest perspectives and adventures of one's products or services.

We all understand that influencers have now been around for a little while and so they have become an expected part of their social media practical experience. They can provide great gains such as brands, for example a relatively substantial earned media value, especially today that Instagram usage has been continuing to rise at an elevated rate.

But many kinds of influencers are not any more dependable by users . Enormous influencers are perhaps not just high priced because of brandsthey nolonger have the impact that they usedto because they are regarded as disingenuous. In fact, 61% of users can anticipate that the recommendations of good friends and family within star endorsements because they are somewhat more inclined to become honest.

In comparison, smaller influencers, such as people that are inclined to become part of those own communities, are inclined to have much better relationships with their followers, so this means that they reap the benefits of a high degree of trust. This can lead to a lot more engagement at a lowly expense, as well as increased confidence at a brand that is much more inclined to culminate at transformation.

"A fantastic reason to follow along with my advice on social media communities would be that will also make it a lot easier to the brand to engage with influencers from 20 20. This can be the different way to incite word-of-mouth marketing on social media when organic social media for organizations is still virtually dead.

"Today I am not talking about shelling out thousands of dollars and reaching outside to actors that are encouraging one brand today and another brand to morrow. I am talking about authentically engaging with people on your area that are already pursuing you and are already nano if maybe not micro-influencers and locating a way to collaborate together with them.

"that I am quite passionate about it subject matter that it goes to function as focal position of my second book, Age of affect, that arouses in March of all 20 20, however need less to say I really trust that marketers in 20 20 will soon realize that social media isn't only a place to market for folks, but really will be your ultimate discussion board for one to get and collaborate using a variety of social media end users of varying sway that can aid drive your marketing aims forward."

It's those conversations that are much more inclined to impact buying choices and support build confidence within your company.

This kind of marketing creates favorable brand opinion, has people talking about your brand and more insights to people' purchasing behaviour and pain details. All this enables one to create a real adventure for the audience.

The Growth of alternative platforms

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are inclined to function as the center platforms utilised by B2-C brands, together with linked-in also remaining vital for B2B companies. But many end users are becoming fatigued using such heart platforms whereas brands have to struggle harder than previously to achieve fantastic heights of organic reach and engagement.

Even though Twitter has viewed increase thus far this year, its own active consumer amounts have diminished from it has all-time 2017 substantial. Similarly, Facebook has observed a enormous fall in end users -- especially youthful users over the last couple of years, together with more youthful audiences choosing to devote less on additional platforms.

[Average Regular Twitter consumers year]

As the app was launched in 2016, its popularity has increased fairly lately, together with 2019 visiting a large multitude of end users flock into the platform.

Even though TikTok is still not likely to function as the optimal/optimally alternative for B2B brands, B2-C companies using a more youthful target audience (41% of TikTok end users are aged between 16 and 2-4 ) might detect it for a great platform to encourage engagement with end users that are stepping away from a lot more traditional social media platforms.

As effectively as TikTok, a fantastic platform to take a position set to people attempting to encourage e commerce sales by way of social media can possibly be P interest. Although P-interest is far from new to the spectacle, it has undergone a recent resurgence, meaning that it really is currently useful for greater than simply saving getting or recipes decorating inspiration.

P interest has unearthed that it suits well in to the e commerce space and has an audience that is engaged together with the idea of purchasing products that they view to this platform. In fact, 75 percent of P interest consumer s say that they are"quite curious" in new products compared to only 55 percent of folks on different social media platforms.

That is why retail brands are acquiring success over the platform, together with them coverage 2x increased yields on ad expend in your platform than some other types of social media and a 1.3x greater yield than traditional search.

"As Instagram as an e commerce platform is now becoming harder to gain clients out of, marketers will likely go on to P-interest. P interest now looks Instagram once the latter arose. Significantly more than 250 million folks utilize P-interest monthly, and this variety may increase.

Marketers and company people whose target audience are teenagers and younger men and women needs to truly consider TikTok as a profitable marketing platform.

Applying these alternative platforms allows one to engage with an audience who may possibly not be about Instagram, Facebook or even Twitter, as well as offering you with with various ways to share your own content. This might help supply far better outcome and shape your prospective social media marketing strategy.

Our social media strategy guidebook can assist you to create an integrated social media marketing strategy that demonstrates the way you can increase engagement to promote leads and sales.

Consumer service is always planning to become a vital aspect of supplying a fantastic client encounter, however in the digital age, the buyer service that you offer will be a many more observable to everyone on line. As nicely as internet purchaser critiques, buyer complaints and dilemmas are easier to see than before as a result of fact that a great deal are shared on social media.

Above a quarter (28 percent ) of users have utilised social media to communicate using a company within the last year, a tendency that is very likely to increase as a result of this fact that significantly more than 30 percent said this really is a handy contact system and around 2-3% believe it's a fantastic way to receive 24 hour service.

Because social media is regarded as getting convenient, it's likely that brands will discover that it's easy to utilize as a way of consumer service. As a consequence, the majority of men and women count on brands to answer a issue or complaint on social media around precisely the same day, together with 37 percent wanting a reply from less than thirty moments . Just 6 percent do not anticipate a reply at all, even though 31% want one in less than two hrs and a further 26 percent want to hear back over 3 weeks, revealing that the expectations permanently consumer service to social media are very high quality.

This can be the reason why social media as a kind of consumer service goes to become a huge fad for 20 20, especially considering there are so many brands appearing to create communities.

"At precisely the same way that social media became a real alternative to get an actual social lifestyle, it's rapidly evolving as a consumer service device. Companies have taken note with the and gives far more and much more consumer service by way of social media. Brands have grown significantly far more active social accounts, all for your sake of interacting with all an massive consumer base spread across social media channels"

As well as supplying an easy way to speak to clients and immediately deal with problems -- especially as everyone is therefore attached to social media -- this specific kind of buyer service supplies benefits such as brands. Answering a purchaser complaint can increase purchaser advocacy by as much as 25 percent , meaning that reacting to complaints can aid create loyal clients. Yet, you also ought to bear in mind that failing to react to a complaint can decrease purchaser advocacy from 50 percent, thus a social media buyer service strategy is called for so as to guarantee all members your consumer care team are after precisely the same measures, especially as far more clients are inclined to become contacting you throughout social media during the following year.

Notification Testimonies on social

Considering that the launch of Snapchat, additional social media platforms have hurried into add the testimonies format with your own offering. The effect has been tremendous increase in the usage with the format such as Instagram in particular, which as of January 2019, boasts 500-million daily active testimonies end users across the world.

Stories provide a distinctive encounter to feed-based sharing on account of the fact that they are visual and meant to be equally created and swallowed in-the-moment, rather than shared with a feed that may remain observable. There exists a whole lot of place for experimentation, tongueincheek articles and enjoyment, that makes testimonies remarkably engaging, and it's one among those reasons as to the reasons testimonies had a growth rate that was 15x the rate of Feeds at 2017.

Nevertheless, the increase of testimonies is not merely among users, organizations are also employing this social media instrument for marketing goals.

On average, brands are putting up Stories around around 7 days a thirty day period , averaging outside into one tale each days. Brands using a subsequent to 100,000 or longer share testimonies a lot more regularly (every 2 days), probable as a result of fact that they can gain from a greater range of testimonies features -- including as adding a URL with their own articles about Instagram.

Brands are also advertising greater via testimonies, together with 45 percent of Instagram ad invest be-ing Stories, implying that brands are watching better effects with all the direct format getting made available from testimonies.

"Should you regularly utilize social media, it doesn't arrive as a shock that Instagram testimonies' popularity will increase in 20 20. Battenhall executed research that discovered that 98 percent of Instagram accounts utilize testimonies, whereas 400-million end users watch Instagram testimonies to a daily basis.

Nevertheless, this inquiry would be just why are they popular?

    Instagram testimonies are somewhat more authentic than traditional Instagram articles that allow for heavy modifying and altering.

    This material is currently just available for 24hrs, so thus, it's latest and won't turn out to be outdated.

    Shoppers want are living updates and real-time articles. Instagram testimonies are normally probably the very up-to-date content material a enterprise can provide a user.

    During Instagram testimonies, you can share different folks's Instagram articles. This work allows individuals to associate easily with different accounts and companies. 

"I presume that brands are likely to begin with touse Instagram testimonies to induce users to IGTV, to create greater long-form articles to these organizations. Alternatively, perhaps towards social e commerce, exactly where brands will start attempting to sell their products via Instagram testimonies."

Tales aren't planning to function as a suitable alternative for each brand out there there, but together with them becoming engaging and visiting an increased usage that may probably lead shoppers to anticipate brands that they follow along to create testimonies, it might be well worth assessing if and how you can make use of them. As Instagram sees far more organizations use tales, the platform may also probable release far more features created for brands, that might make the format much more accessible to get a broader range of companies.

[wealwaystech2]

How to Come Across the best web design company in Pakistan

If you own a business which is not as popular and over time that you really feel like it's decreasing its prominence inside its customer group, then, what do you think could possibly be going wrong?

Originally, your organisation was scoring much better than most of your competitors into your nearby area, web development price in Pakistan.

So, what's going wrong?

It really is not that you are maybe not discovering your small business well, but every time you try to bring just a tiny colour to your organisation, nothing takes place, and you neglect in your effort to appease your customers.

What is that your business lacks but others possess?

The common thing that a lot of businesses lack is an on-line presence, a website that joins them to the outer environment.

Sometimes, organizations usually do not elect to designing a website only because they concern the expense. However a small investment can simply take you a long way.

Your web site marks your presence while in the virtual Earth, and because you know, the contest isn't too fierce over there, and your success has got more complicated unless you have a great website designed for your business.

Here is the idea of the discussion about hiring website designing organizations for the business demands .

Your own company is crucial and by now you realize exactly why it really is more important to own online presence, but the inquiry would be the sort of the site if you designing?

It's your voice which reaches your target audience and remember yours is only one voice they hear. You will find others as well, Thus in the event that you have a pleasing and attractive voice, then they may hear you.

How can you make yourself observed?

Designing a stunning site that's simple and skilled nonetheless, unique.

But, it will take some skills and expertise to build a professionally qualifying internet site, and also just an expert will help you together with that.

Nowadays you understand the importance of having a site, but there is more for this.

Nowadays a high school student will be able to help you designing a site. But, we do not need something that is useless. We are in need of something which could attract your potential customers for your small business, and this is where web design companies come into the specific situation.

There really are a sizable numbers of organizations offering website design services but how can you choose the most effective one? Which are the standard?

What am I here for however to help youpersonally.

1. EXPERIENCED Palms:

What I often notice is the fact that people are enticed to cover less should they can get yourself a benefit of the few bucks with a provider. You were attempting to spend less, however you're going to have to spend double the total amount on repairing the damage which arose because of this inexperience.

You need to search to get a person that has experience. You need to examine the Subsequent three things that will help you to Decide whether the Company That You are planning to hire is experienced or not:

Quality of these works defined in the portfolio Overall years old experience Quantity of customers Since the number of many years increases, you will expect the internet design business's dedication. It indicates that people feel them are entrusting them to carry their own fantasies in fact.

They maintain a thread of focus and also are about the pursuit of weaving in luxury skilled and innovative technology net designs to suit their clients.

In addition, the customers really like their layouts that are distinctive and stick out of the regular ones which we're able to easily see almost anywhere.

When a company includes a broad variety of customers, it indicates that they have experience across varied industry domain names and also are powerful in fulfilling their clients.

Ordinarily, when somebody suits their clients, it exhibits their own quality. But, another important point to note is that they perpetrate a project only if it is likely to satisfy.

Find outside:

The number of employees working at the firm the Amount of customers The number of decades of experience that they have You don't need to wind up with some body that can create things difficult for you personally because they do know what your requirements will be.

Nevertheless, you need a person who understands exactly what you desire in order for your company reaches exactly the appropriate market and it generates sales.

2. PORTFOLIO:

A portfolio talks a lot.

Probably one among the absolute most essential matters that give you assurance when deciding upon a particular website improvement company will be the portfolio of live projects.

A glimpse in their current web site designs can help you gain a deeper insight in their skills and expertise and also shows how well they can help you out in your company venture.

Examine whether they have now been working projects similar to yours. If this is so, then short-list them.

3. WHAT'S THEIR Value?

After you choose picking a particular website improvement corporation for the endeavor, the purchase price really is something.

You don't need to pick someone who will bill an unreasonably tremendous quantity.

Check out the criteria on which they arrange their own price:

Like such as:

The amount of all people inside their crew working in the project enough time all these will probably undoubtedly be spending on your undertaking. The amount of days for which they will be working on your own undertaking. Check whether they will provide post-project support and maintenance. Are you really prepared to pay attention to? It is not you don't know everything about your business, but you may have been educated by people not to submit your thoughts whilst outlining your business towards the provider provider.

However, it's a fantastic way of analyzing how effectively your company reacts.

Place on your ideas. Have a look at what is the response whether or not they truly are ready to listen.

A successful web site is realized just once all the people like the enterprise proprietor has any ideas to contribute and you function as master possess the complete rights expressing your perspectives once your website is designed.

4. WHAT ARE THEIR IDEAS?

A website designing provider should listen to you in addition to speak their viewpoints as well.

Unless they tell you exactly what their thoughts are, then it is never feasible to come up with a wonderful website.

Only in the event that you reevaluate their thoughts, can they implement those and move ahead.

If they work with no needing your ideas on their design it is a waste because in future if you do not agree of the layout, then it will be rather vain.

There is going to probably be a lot of rework.

So, be certain that your service provider is prepared to discuss their ideas with youpersonally.

5. THEY ARE THE Know-all:

Your web design company ought to have a comprehensive knowledge of the several industry domains and should have worked across these.

They need to have served clients all over the world.

Assess whether or not they understand CMS and are utilizing the same to their projects.

Ask them whether they're planning to to supply you having a site that's receptive.

Also, do remember cell friendliness.

This is one of the significant factors you want to take into consideration when committing on your own project into someone.

Request them whether they are going to design a site which works across many different apparatus and is compatible with all types of browsers.

The next thing is always check to their experience as you do not want someone who would flee overnight leaving you into dismay with an imperfect site.

6. Search Engine Optimisation AND CONTENT:

Naturally, it is not a fresh thing.

You realize the need for SEO and content to get a website, or furthermore, we are able to share inbound marketing.

Your internet site design company should be an overall whole supplier who should support you with electronic marketing solutions including SEO and article writing.

So, you understand what really is your requirements to decide on the very best web designing business in Pakistan.

Do you have any more queries or questions on what sort of the website designing company needs to be hired to get the website design requirements?

If so, let's us understand!

We'll help you out.

Dynamic Pros Solutions is a internet designing organization in Pakistan offering a broad variety of web design and development services for our own clients all over the world.

We also a professional Search Engine Marketing agency in Pakistan that offer a Myriad of inbound Marketing and Advertising services

For more information : Click Here

[thewreckkelly]

THE BEST OF TIMES – THE WORST OF TIMES

(I recently read that a single COVID 19 is 10,000 times smaller than a grain of sand – which may or may not be precise but certainly helps put this ‘invisible enemy’ into perspective.)

Colin and Alison Cameron are the parents of a very dear friend. They live in the Royal Burgh of Irvine – a smallish town on the west coast of Scotland, around 25 miles south of Glasgow with an indigenous population of about 35,000 souls. As a couple they have been married 63 years and find themselves in good health, all things considered, while approaching four score and eight years on this verdant planet – their birthdays are eleven days apart with Colin in the role of ‘Toy Boy’.

The loss of freedom’s privilege experienced by all involved in the Second World War – during which these two stalwart growing Scots entered adolescence surrounded by propaganda, fear, heroism, rationing and loss – developed a sense of survival and optimism (most prominent) among the young that would reach mature relevance in the 1950’s, resulting in an innate desire with the many to re-build a better and more egalitarian world.

Alison and Colin proved to be true pioneers of this ‘Golden Generation’

Educated and married within the environs of an aspiring middle-class suburb of Caledonia’s biggest city, (a part of Greater Glasgow, this town is on the north side of the River Clyde with the somewhat uninspiring name; ‘Uddingston’), they were pierced by Cupid’s arrow at school and have been together ever since.

In 1957, almost immediately following their legal betrothal, the couple hardly had time to enjoy a honeymoon before finding themselves on a six week boat journey to the landlocked East African country of Malawi – 118, 000 square kilometres of land and fresh water previously known as Nyasaland which was colonised by the British in 1891.

Colin – who was by then a graduate lawyer in Glasgow - had been offered and accepted a position at a law firm in Malawi’s district of Blantyre – home to the country’s second largest city, (also the commercial / industrial / financial centre), that unambiguously bore its Scots roots in a very un-Bantu name.

At the time Alison had recently qualified as a midwife and, as part of her consideration to a seismic change in geography and social circumstances, (as proposed by her now husband), replied to Colin’s enigmatic question of;

‘How do ye feel about delivering black babies?’ with a statement question; ‘Children are children, what’s colour got to do with it?’

This answer formed the basis of an ideal they both carried through their time in South East Africa and into the rest of life’s adventures – which turned out to be many and varied.

A seven year rollercoaster ride followed with Alison establishing herself first in a mission hospital and then in a Government medical facility while at the same time raising her profile to a level that caused the redoubtable leader of the country – Doctor Hastings Banda – to recognise her influence and importance as a care-giver to his country through inviting her to be his platonic consort at the high table for the Independence Commission celebration, (Colin was also in attendance as a Member of the Malawian Parliament and an effectual combatant to the unfair vagaries of British colonial and local law).

The reality of any country achieving its freedom from an imperial power tends to be coated in turmoil and disagreement. Colin and Alison proved to be among the victims of the chaos that surrounded Malawi’s departure from the body British.

The detail they describe regarding being given 24 hours to be out of the country or be fed to the crocodiles is fascinating in its, now, stoic retelling but one can only imagine the sense of terror this mother and father of, then, three young children must have experienced in a deplorable version of; ‘Hobson’s Choice’.

Their expulsion emanated from Colin’s unrelenting legal and moral pursuit of honesty and justice which Doctor Banda somehow found to be unacceptable in the creation and establishment of his new regime and personal pursuit of power. The fact the two men had had a cordial and friendly relationship for many years appeared to make no difference to the leader of this ‘new’ country.

(If you’re lucky enough to share a coffee, whiskey or brandy with Colin and Alison then I would recommend you sit back and take in the background to this banishment and the desperation of the resultant flight while being prepared to experience an appropriate sense of awe and shock from the narrative.)

-o-

With little or nothing by way of material or financial assets, due to the sudden and forced removal from the country of their African adventure, a return to Glasgow was the singular option. The displaced couple and their young family benefited from parental assistance in re-establishing their lives to some form of normality - lives that found a home in Irvine and a level of prosperity based on a protestant work ethic and a sense of belonging.

Over time Colin established a successful local legal practice – within which Alison worked alongside him – and, in company with the many ups and downs this world has to offer, they watched their four children grow while preparing them for the slings and arrows of life as is incumbent on all loving parents. In the midst of this nuclear family ideal and the relative success of their commercial endeavours, a holiday casa was purchased on Spain’s Southern Coast in the idyllic Padron of Mijas.

-o-

Roll the tape forward to 1989 and set the scene with a backdrop of a glistening Mediterranean viewed through sundrenched tropical foliage from the picture windows dominating a veranda of a southern facing villa set on a small hill to the western side of Mijas on the Costa del Sol.

Colin and Alison are talking and the subject is their future and the disabling nature of boredom. They have reached that disparate age of nearly six years past a half century where slowing down in life is a serious consideration for many. The conversation ends with a pact to travel and work. Industry is applied to applying for overseas positions with any number of governments, charitable and/or philanthropic agencies seeking the assistance of experience and dedication.

In 1598 the Spanish explorer Alvero de Mendana was the first European to properly navigate the seas of Oceania and in doing he came upon a group of islands to the east of the coast of Papua New Guinea – whereupon he exercised the discoverers right and named the archipelago after a wealthy biblical King - as it was, in his view, a world of abundance.

1n 1989 Alison and Colin became the latest working guests of The Solomon Islands. For two years they ploughed away at what they were good at and any lingering feeling of declining relevance and apathy dissipated like thin smoke upon the wind.

With their return to Scotland Colin found a new vigour for the cause of Scottish independence and began an activism that remains to this day. Both their hearts still held accommodation for Malawi and both have been formally recognised by the progressive generations of leaders for the roles they played and what they achieved during those seven tumultuous years leading up to that country’s venture into independence.

But home had its own political fight and was in need of ground forces with a sense of history, fairness and a way to achieve it. Colin stood twice for election as SNP candidate, when it was neither popular nor profitable, while stamping his ideology on a town that would eventually mould Nicola Sturgeon into a leader of the SNP and the country.

-o-

Today the couple live in a small house in Irvine. Time has eroded the capacity for physical vigour to a certain degree - as it has a habit of doing to us all - but time is a slower master in controlling and diminishing thought and the facility to express.

I spoke via a Whatsapp video call to Alison and Colin on Saturday night of last week. While I cannot boast of knowing either of them well we have had a number of socially polite telephone conversations over the past ten months and on one occasion – in December 2019 - I listened to the most erudite of speeches given by Colin at the occasion of the sixtieth birthday his daughter, (and my confidant), Shona, (a surprise party organised by their granddaughter Michelle in a pub on the Costa and attended pre-COVID by a ridiculous number of happy people).

The subject of our conversation was primarily to be around the effect of the pandemic on their lives given they fell into the age bracket of being the most under threat from this ‘Invisible Enemy’. I had attempted to have the conversation the previous evening but Colin exercised his attorney privilege to prepare – seeking an adjournment on behalf of himself and his fellow witness Alison.

After a number of false starts – it was a WiFi thing – we managed to have a conversation over about an hour or so. Most of what you have read above was provided initially by Alison in considered timeline and factual background. Much of the detail came from Colin with intermittent interruptions from his wife to steer and correct.

Alison was philosophical and accepting in respect of the impact of enforced isolation, social distancing and the wearing of masks. Her medical and scientific background gave emphasis to listening to the experts and the exercising of patience. She has a controlled temperament when asked a direct or leading question and only really showed a level of distaste when the subject of Boris Johnson arose – a civil and polite distaste but distaste all the same.

Colin was prepared with a series of bullet point observations that he checked as he enunciated with care and lucidity.

The recklessness of people, (with particular reference to youth), in respect of the early days of being told to socially distance and wear a mask alongside the very real dangers to people over the age of 75.

The ensuing acceptance of restrictions by a majority following the first wave and at the commencement of the second wave - from which he took a degree of encouragement if not satisfaction.

The potential and existent desperate financial implications for so many and an almost guilty admission on his own part for how their domestic costs had reduced significantly while their income remained constant and was even about to rise due to a mandated increase in the government pension.

The loss of immediate human contact – particularly with their grandchildren – and the consequences related to any society deprived of distraction and interest from daily social intercourse.

The potential optimism for the effects of a vaccine with a caveat on the absolute necessity of political and commercial leadership to ensure a development of trust for medical science alongside an efficient distribution of the vaccine in a fair and orderly manner for there to be any hope of a return to relative normalcy

The effect of a creeping apathy towards preoccupation during lockdown – his home office still awaited much self promised attention in the way of, tidying, filing and editing the dictation of a book him and Alison were putting together about their time in Malawi.

I listened while he pronounced and understood this was a man used to addressing problems with a systematic consideration for cause and cure. His calculated expression of the situation held a passion but, I thought, was cloaked in almost professional brevity. I broached the subject of fears caused by the world being turned upside down through the spreading of a miniscule thing that made a grain of sand look like a giant.

Colin paused, as if deciding how much he could reveal of his inner self to this friend of his daughter and stranger of an Irishman. Decision made, he moved into a field of humanity made whole by an honesty found rarely and with a profundity in content.

He spoke of real concerns for himself and Alison, of how the thing we call Corona Virus was effectively a death sentence to them should they be infected and how his greatest terror lay in those who display any level of nonchalance to its dangers in the environment of people of his age and station.

His words weren’t delivered as a particularly emotional expression of his views and fears until he ended with telling me he was gone to bed every night for the last ten months with such a worry never far from his mind.

All of which served to remind me these two people had been through thick and thin together for more than 63 years, contributed what they could to society, stooped and built it up with worn out tools on multiple occasions, maintained a spirit and love that endured through the best of times and the worst of times and came through it all with a sense of national identity, familial devotion and the ideology of hope.

If that’s not a stupendous endorsement of the institution of marriage and the gift of love then I have no idea what is!

I ended the video call by eliciting a promise that when they had been inoculated and the potential to travel to Spain returned, they would grant me some hours of their company to, debate, argue, rectify and laugh at the problems of this planet while sipping something old and distilled.

-o-

(Tonight – Monday 25 January – is Burns Night – and I will raise a glass to two people in Irvine while digesting haggis, (the literal belly of the beast), and voice a salute that’s entirely Scottish: Slàinte Mhath Alison & Colin)

[tripnumbersofficial]

An interview with Breaking Travel News: Gavin Tollman, Chief Executive Officer, Trafalgar

The business was planning to begin an expansion into Africa in the spring of last year when Breaking Travel News talked to Trafalgar's chief executive, Gavin Tollman.

He hoped that new destinations, fresh source markets and new experiences would allow the brand owned by Travel Corporation to continue its global growth.

So as we sat in his palatial office next to Buckingham Palace in central London a year later did the launch satisfy expectations?

Our Africa product was nothing short of amazing in terms of revenue from the United Kingdom; in the first few months we surpassed our complete first year budget.

"Once again this year, sales far outstripped the expected interest-it was enormously encouraging."

For Tollman and the Travel Company, bringing Trafalgar to Africa is something of a personal achievement, with the organization tracing its origins back to the middle of the last century in South Africa.

"Tollman continues: "The most exciting moment for me, personally, came in December last year the family gathered in South Africa for the holiday season.

This meant that I was there when Cape Town left for the first trip and I had the chance to meet the 20 or so guests who were travelling.

What really stood out when I look back, was the excitement and hope of the journey ahead-none of them expected Africa to be so exciting.

On the backdrop of Table Mountain, we gave a welcome reception against an all-glass wall, and as we were there, we had one of those beautiful sunsets, and the mountain spread out the 'tablecloth' and cloud poured over the top.

"One of those special moments, it was."

Tollman is also able to point to changes within the Travel Company in Africa from abroad, with Red Carnation's sister brand currently involved in constructing what he calls the 'ultimate' safari lodge in the Okavango Delta, Botswana.

Opening next year, Xigera Safari Lodge will encourage guests to see large cats, magnificent birds (including native kingfishers), wild scavengers and majestic giants in their natural habitat, while also enjoying the hotel brand's hospitality.

But it has not been smooth sailing, Tollman confides.

I was in the United States only working with hotel team members ahead of the opening in June next year and the project's ambition is great," he continues."

Yet of course, there were delays, as with any project - but ours was unexpected.

There was first a leopard-the property is obviously on the delta, so you have to have a bridge to get to it and a female leopard decided for a day that the bridge was the ultimate place to enjoy the sun.

"There was also a python that took up residence in our architect Anton's room-needless to say he was frightened-and it was hard to persuade him to spend a lot of time in the camp."

His excitement is contagious, however, and in the coming months we can expect to hear a lot more about this project.

Closer to home, and from an outbound viewpoint from the UK, it is eastern Europe that piqued Trafalgar's interest.

If I look at Europe and our expansion here it is in eastern Europe first and foremost.

"We see the former Yugoslavia and some of the Baltic countries as growth markets, as well as Poland, where we see a real, completely unprecedented, resurgence in demand," Tollman explains.

I am often asked how we find our experiences and with great difficulty, I always answer!

Everyone would do it if it was convenient.

That's why people are actually traveling with Trafalgar to take advantage of that study and expertise.

"Simply from going to trade shows, you can not find these experiences-you have to knock on doors, ask friends of friends and keep your mind open."

Trafalgar has noticed a shift in the booking window when it comes to actually making travel plans, Tollman continues.

Our European and British revenues vary from where they have been heading for years.

The interest we see is currently higher than net bookings even though they remain strong, and what this means is that we have entered a time of uncertainty.

Politics in the United States, an election in Australia and economics here in the United Kingdom have all changed the booking window, and people are now booking even closer to leaving.

Trafalgar therefore went out of our way to support our travel agent partners, to give them the assurance and that has been well received with the 100 percent assured departures here in Europe.

Travelers have a common sense of 'why book now?' There is a rise in production, but a decline in transformation.

Instead of the six or seven months we've seen in the past, we now see bookings 90 days out. People are wondering whether they need to book so early and prefer to wait and see.

With Brexit, people don't think that Britain would shut down, they just don't know what it would look like, so before booking, they prefer to wait and see.

One of the biggest opportunities I see when I look forward to is outbound from here in the United Kingdom, there is a tremendous potential for growth.

"Major legacy brands have been having problems, others have been pulling out, but I am a strong believer that some of the best opportunities occur when there is a little uncertainty in a market.

"Here in the UK, we have put in new structures to take advantage of that."

Tollman, when we spoke last year, pointed to the position of travel agents as a key to the Travel Corporation's success, a message reiterated by Jonathan Raggett, chief executive of Red Carnation.

However the Trafalgar chief warns that their position is shifting, with fewer young travellers using conventional high-street agents.

Research conducted last year by the company suggested that half of potential travelers believe the time and research needed to schedule a vacation makes a trip unduly stressful, with agents now required to add value to reduce the demands of choosing where to go.

What emerged from the study was an unexpected customer perspective; today travelers are frustrated by the excess of options, choosing what to purchase is becoming increasingly difficult.

They were searching for 'real and authentic' travel while looking at travel, but this is increasingly difficult to get. You do not just go and knock on local doors and ask to come in.

People read guides and research on the internet about their journey, but they end up doing almost the same things.

"These are all things that are beginning to bubble up in the minds of consumers, and I say to our agents when I look at that that's your greatest opportunity."

He adds: "My trade challenge is one of the reasons why people will not visit a travel agent if you are no more than an order taker, and you add no real value to the purchase cycle."

Following your own research, if all an agent does is book a holiday for you then what value do they add?

What I'm telling agents is that the best chance is to become a travel professional, to add value, and your future will never be brighter.

Finally, the increasing importance of overtourism, a subject where Tollman has been especially outspoken, is discussed in our discussion.

"Overtourism is a reality, and when I hear people in our industry say I am only 'x' percentage of tourism, the thing that antagonizes and frustrates me the most is that I am not part of the problem," he explains.

But the fact is we have to look at things from the eyes of the locals if we are in the travel industry.

If they see travel as a problem, then that is the truth-after all it is their home.

As an industry, we should look at a few main principals, the first being the value of dissemination.

This means moving away from only the iconic: the advantage of tourism must be felt by local people and if all you do is visit the iconic places, there is no real gain for people.

"This implies that there is no real benefit to tourism, there is only pollution from crowds-it needs to be done in a way that benefits locals."

Secondly, 365 tourism must ensure that you bring visitors throughout the year.

If everybody goes at the same time, you end up with these immense blocks and nothing else.

We continually question ourselves as to how we can become a provider of year-round travel.

"As with our autumn, winter, spring series, where we changed the entire costing model to ensure that we could inspire people to travel year-round, this again requires an open mind."

However, perhaps somewhat predictably, Tollman believes that government taxation is not the way to minimize overtourism.

I am irritated by governments that over-tax the travel industry," he concludes."

We are not local constituents, but they see travel as a necessary evil, but they do not see it in the larger context of its financial advantages.

Governments need to recognize that not all tourism is the same, they need to investigate the effect visitors have on a destination they are visiting.

For example, we're supporting the destination in Venice, where we have Be My Guests and Uniworld river cruises.

We take guests around the lagoon, helping, for instance, to benefit local fishermen, which is very different from anyone who comes on a cruise ship and has very little contribution to the economy.

"If an organization does not contribute, then of course, there might be an opportunity to tax more but governments need to be very careful."

More Info

Trafalgar is a guided holiday company that offers a range of exciting destinations with itineraries.

Trafalgar offers an insider's viewpoint of almost 70 years of experience and local knowledge to create travel experiences around the world.

On the official website you will find out more.