#Link Building Tactics

[reliqus]

Effective Link Building Tactics To Increase Your Restaurant Visibilities

Link building is essential for restaurant businesses because it helps increase their visibility in search engine results, which can lead to more customers and increased revenue. When search engines like Google crawl the web, they use links to determine the authority and relevance of a website. The more high-quality links a website has pointing to it, the higher it will rank in search engine results. In addition, links also drive traffic to a website by providing a way for users to easily navigate to it. This is particularly important for restaurant websites, as a significant percentage of customers will likely discover a restaurant through online searches. By having high-quality links pointing to a restaurant website, it will be more likely to appear at the top of search engine results, increasing the chances of potential customers visiting the website. Additionally, by building links with food bloggers and influencers, restaurant websites can tap into their audience, reaching potential customers who may not have been aware of the restaurant otherwise. Also, by having positive reviews on online directories and review sites, it can increase the trust and credibility of the restaurant and give customers an idea of what to expect from the restaurant, which can lead to more reservations. In short, link building strategy is essential for restaurant businesses because it helps increase visibility in search engine results, drives traffic to the website, and increases trust and credibility, which can all lead to more customers and increased revenue.

[moderatetoaboveaverage]

I'm tired and I don't have good words to type against your support for the continued maintance of the world's nuclear stockpile. However, as for the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, you have been severely misinformed.

There was, at no point, any real considerations among the United States military of a ground invasion of Japan. It was well known that such an invasion would be costly and useless, as the Japanese were already beaten by the time the bombs were dropped.

These are some quotes from high up military officials directly present for the decisions to drop the atomic bombs

“It is my opinion that the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender because of the effective sea blockade and the successful bombing with conventional weapons…"

- Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy, chief of staff to FDR and Harry S Truman.

The Japanese had, in fact, already sued for peace. The atomic bomb played no decisive part, from a purely military point of view, in the defeat of Japan.

-Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Chief of Naval Operations, and Commander in Chief for Pacific Ocean Areas.

In 1945 Secretary of War Stimson, visiting my headquarters in Germany, informed me that our government was preparing to drop an atomic bomb on Japan. I was one of those who felt that there were a number of cogent reasons to question the wisdom of such an act. During his recitation of the relevant facts, I had been conscious of a feeling of depression and so I voiced to him my grave misgivings, first on the basis of my belief that Japan was already defeated and that dropping the bomb was completely unnecessary, and secondly, because I thought that our country should avoid shocking world opinion by the use of a weapon whose employment was, I thought, no longer mandatory as a measure to save American lives.

-General Dwight D Eisenhower, Supreme commander of the allied expeditionary forces in Europe during WW2, and later, president of the United States.

None of these men, high up in the military chain of commands, and directly aware of the decisions at play during the dropping of the atomic bombs, would have said these things if there truly was no other choice, or if the alternative was certain to prolong the war.

We dropped those bombs because they were the new toy, and offered a show of force that could threaten Russia, and reneg on our deal with Stalin to give him Japanese territory if they entered the Pacific theater.

And even if all that can be waved away, the post you cite, *admits* that the bombs were not what made that Imperial Japanese surrender!! The military tribunal could not have given a single shit how many civilians we vaporized with our bombs, this is the same military tribunal that had sat watching all the rest of our bombing raids, and did nothing, and had been hoping that the US would be forced into a ground invasion so they could use their civilians to buffer our troops. it was not until the Russians declared war that they surrendered, because to the military, the only thing that could have made them unconditionally surrender was knowing for 100% sure that they were in a position that was militarily and diplomatically unwinnable.

The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki did nothing except kill 200,000 innocent civilians. They did not die to force the Japanese military into a surrender, they did not die to prevent a ground invasion, they just died, and *everyone* at the reins of US power knew that when they sent the orders to do it.

For further context, and source for much of this information, I recommend this video.

[isubhamdas]

Agile SEO to Streamline Conversions

Agile SEO: This article explores how to implement agile strategies to enhance your online presence, improve visibility, and drive conversions. Continue reading for expert insights and actionable tips. Embracing Agility for Evolving SEO LandscapeAgile Principles to Streamline Your SEO WorkflowAdapting Agile SEO For Cross-Functional TeamsData-Driven Decisions in Agile SEOExpert Tip: Utilize Agile…

[businessconnectmagazine]

Unlocking Authenticity: Get the Most Natural Guest Blogging Services with Our Premier Guest Post Service

by Anurag Tiwari In today’s digital landscape, establishing a strong online presence is paramount for businesses and individuals alike. One effective way to enhance visibility and credibility is through guest blogging. However, with the ever-evolving algorithms of search engines, it’s essential to ensure that your guest blogging efforts are not only effective but also natural and authentic. At…

[seohabibi]

This guide takes you deep into the world of iGaming SEO, uncovering the strategies and tactics that drive success in this competitive industry. From keyword optimization to content strategies and backlink building, explore the essential components of a winning SEO approach tailored to the iGaming landscape.

[imarketer4udma-blog]

TOP-10 B2B MARKETING STRATEGIES WITH EXAMPLES

WHY DO YOUR BUSINESS NEED MARKETING STRATEGY?

In today’s dynamic and fiercely competitive B2B landscape, having a well-crafted marketing strategy is not just a luxury, but a necessity for any business aspiring to thrive and excel. A solid marketing strategy lays the groundwork for success, serving as a roadmap to navigate the complexities of the B2B marketplace and effectively connect with the right audience.This introduction talks about why businesses really need a strong marketing strategy to reach their goals. It also gives a quick look at the top 10 B2B marketing ideas, with real-life examples that have worked really well to help businesses grow and become better known.

There are different strategies that work really well in B2B marketing. For instance, there are special email campaigns that take care of potential customers, content marketing that shows how smart a company is, and marketing focused on individual clients that helps build long-term relationships. Also, there’s using social media in an interesting way to make customers feel loyal to a brand. Each of these strategies shows how having a complete marketing plan can lead to amazing success in the B2B world.So, let’s delve into the world of top-10 B2B marketing strategies and discover how these impactful tactics can propel businesses towards unparalleled achievements.

TOP B2B STRATEGIES WITH SEO

Two of the most powerful B2B marketing strategies, enriched by the prowess of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), are content marketing and link building.

Content marketing

Content marketing, a cornerstone of successful B2B content marketing strategy, involves creating and distributing valuable, informative, and relevant content to attract and engage target audiences. By integrating SEO best practices into content creation, such as optimizing keywords, meta tags, and URLs, businesses can improve their organic search rankings, driving more qualified traffic to their websites. A prime example of this strategy’s effectiveness is our client Almco Plumbing that increased its leads by 300% through SEO-optimized blog posts, establishing itself as an industry thought leader and cultivating a loyal customer base.

Link building

Link building is a core component of a comprehensive B2B SEO strategy aimed at enhancing a website’s authority and search engine visibility in the B2B domain. It involves acquiring quality backlinks from reputable websites that cater to B2B audiences. While practices like regular link buying and link exchanges with other businesses can yield quick links, they might not always align with search engines’ quality guidelines and could result in penalties. On the other hand, organic B2B link building strategies such as creating valuable content, guest blogging on B2B platforms, and participating in contests, scholarships, or announcements specific to the B2B sector can naturally attract relevant and authoritative links, bolstering your online presence and credibility while adhering to best practices in the evolving landscape of B2B SEO.

TOP B2B STRATEGIES WITH PPC

Two highly effective B2B marketing strategies that gain immense traction when combined with Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising are Geo-Targeted Ads and Remarketing.

Geo-Targeted Ads

If your B2B services have a local focus, use geo-targeted ads to reach businesses in specific regions. Customize your ad campaigns to address the needs of local businesses, showing them how your offerings cater to their unique challenges.

Remarketing

Remarketing, another game-changing B2B strategy, involves re-engaging website visitors who didn’t convert during their initial visit by displaying targeted ads across various platforms. By incorporating PPC into Remarketing efforts, businesses can amplify their brand’s visibility and stay top-of-mind with potential customers, driving them back to the website for a second chance at conversion.

TOP B2B STRATEGIES WITH SMM

In the ever-evolving world of B2B marketing, Social Media Marketing (SMM) has emerged as a dynamic force, revolutionizing the way businesses connect with their target audience. Two top B2B strategies that harness the power of SMM are Influencer Marketing and Social Media Engagement.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer Marketing has emerged as a game-changer in the B2B arena, where key industry figures and thought leaders collaborate with businesses to promote their products or services. By integrating SMM into Influencer Marketing campaigns, companies can leverage the immense reach of social media platforms to amplify their message and establish trust among their target audience.

LinkedIn Thought Leadership and Networking:

LinkedIn is the go-to platform for B2B professionals. Establish your company’s presence by sharing insightful articles, industry news, and thought leadership content. Regularly post well-researched content that addresses pain points and challenges your target audience faces. Additionally, leverage LinkedIn Groups to join discussions and establish your expertise. Networking with industry peers, potential clients, and partners can lead to valuable connections and business opportunities.

TOP B2B MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR LEAD GENERATION

When it comes to lead generation in the B2B realm, two top strategies have proven to be exceptionally effective: Webinars and Email Marketing.

Webinars

Webinars have become a force to be reckoned with in the B2B lead generation landscape, offering an interactive platform for businesses to showcase their expertise and engage with a captive audience. By promoting webinars through various channels and focusing on topics that resonate with their target audience, companies can attract high-quality leads and nurture them through the sales funnel.

Email Marketing

Email Marketing remains a cornerstone of B2B lead generation strategy, allowing businesses to directly connect with their audience in a personalized and cost-effective manner. By crafting compelling and relevant email content, companies can nurture leads throughout the sales funnel and build long-lasting relationships. A striking instance within our own experience is that we observed a remarkable 40% surge in lead conversions using our strategic B2B email marketing strategy. This achievement was realized through the adept execution of a well-planned email campaign, delivering invaluable insights and solutions directly to our valued subscribers.

TOP B2B MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR E-COMMERCE

In the fast-paced and competitive world of e-commerce, two top B2B marketing strategies have emerged as crucial drivers of success: Personalization and Social Proof.

Personalization

Personalization involves tailoring the shopping experience to meet the specific needs and preferences of individual B2B buyers. By leveraging data analytics and customer behavior insights, businesses can offer personalized product recommendations, targeted promotions, and customized content, leading to higher customer satisfaction and increased conversions.

Social Proof

Social Proof, on the other hand, utilizes customer reviews, testimonials, and social media influencers to build trust and credibility for the brand. By showcasing positive feedback and real-life experiences from satisfied clients, businesses can instill confidence in potential buyers and inspire them to make purchase decisions. Incorporating these top B2B marketing strategies into e-commerce endeavors can elevate customer engagement, foster loyalty, and ultimately lead to enhanced growth and success in the competitive e-commerce landscape.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, staying ahead in the competitive B2B marketing landscape requires businesses to employ powerful and innovative strategies. The top B2B marketing strategies explored in this article have demonstrated their effectiveness in driving growth, building lasting relationships, and achieving remarkable success for companies across various industries. By embracing these strategies and leveraging real-life examples, businesses can elevate their brand visibility, connect with their target audience, and secure a competitive edge in the ever-evolving B2B landscape. Embracing these top strategies will undoubtedly position businesses for sustained growth and prosperity in the dynamic world of B2B marketing.

PLAN EFFECTIVE B2B STRATEGIES WITH IM4U DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY

Ready to take your B2B marketing efforts to the next level? Plan effective B2B strategies with iM4U Digital Marketing Agency and unlock unparalleled growth and success. Contact us today to discover how our expertise and proven methodologies can elevate your brand, connect with your target audience, and drive sustainable results in the competitive B2B landscape. Let’s create a winning strategy together!

[roomstudent]

Mastering Guest Posting: Your Ultimate Strategy for Boosting Online Presence

In the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape, guest posting has emerged as a powerful tool for building a robust online presence, improving SEO rankings, and driving targeted traffic to your website. Suppose you're eager to harness the potential of guest posting to amplify your business's visibility, increase traffic, and enhance your brand's credibility. In that case, you can just read on to find out the strategies, benefits, and opportunities that lie within.

Understanding the Art of Guest Posting

Guest posting, also known as guest blogging, involves creating and publishing articles on other websites within your niche. This practice serves multiple purposes: it helps you establish authority, build quality backlinks, and drive relevant traffic to your website. The process is a mutually beneficial one, allowing host websites to enrich their content while you tap into their audience.

The Essentials: Crafting Compelling Guest Posts

When crafting guest posts, quality reigns supreme. Content must be unique, engaging, and informative, resonating with the host website's target audience. Effective guest posts offer real value, sharing insights, tips, or solutions that demonstrate your expertise. The aim is to create a win-win situation where readers benefit from valuable information while you gain exposure and backlinks.

Identifying the Right Platforms: Guest Posting Sites and Blogs

Finding the right guest posting sites is crucial. Look for websites in your niche that accept guest posts. Conduct keyword searches to uncover relevant platforms that provide opportunities for guest contributions. Notable platforms like HubSpot, Ahrefs, Outbrain, and Ezine Articles offer a range of topics and accept guest submissions, helping you secure a place among industry leaders.

Unlocking Outreach Opportunities

Outreach is key to guest posting success. Reach out to website owners, publishers, and bloggers to propose your guest post ideas. Building relationships within your niche opens doors to guest posting opportunities, expanding your reach and building valuable connections. Remember, a well-crafted outreach message is essential for securing approval.

SEO and Backlinks: The Backbone of Guest Posting

Guest posting is a powerful strategy for generating high-quality backlinks, boosting your website's SEO rankings, and enhancing your online visibility. A guest post on a reputable website with a high Domain Rating (DR) can significantly impact your website's authority and ranking on search engines.

Guest Posting Services: Leveraging Professional Expertise

For those looking to take guest posting to the next level, guest post services provide a viable solution. These services offer a range of options, from crafting well-optimized content to securing placements on high-DR websites. While some services charge for their offerings, others may provide opportunities for free guest posts.

Measuring Success: Monitoring Traffic and Rankings

The beauty of guest posting lies in its traceability. By monitoring website traffic and tracking changes in your SEO rankings after guest posts are published, you can gauge the impact of your efforts. Tools like Google Analytics and Ahrefs provide insights into the effectiveness of your guest posting campaigns.

Conclusion: Unleashing the Potential of Guest Posting

In the world of online business, leveraging guest posting is an invaluable strategy for expanding your reach, building backlinks, and establishing your authority. Whether you're a seasoned writer or a business owner seeking to enhance your online presence, guest posting offers a range of opportunities to explore.

As you embark on your guest posting journey, remember that authenticity, quality, and strategic outreach are paramount. By creating and submitting compelling content to reputable platforms, you contribute to the digital community and reap the rewards of increased visibility, traffic, and credibility. So, take the plunge into the world of guest posting and position your business for success in the digital age.

[listen-to-the-inner-walrus]

hello and welcome to the uk is a fucking hell country, part 284829494

[alt text:]

Anti-monarchists receive ‘intimidatory’ Home Office letter on new protest laws

Home Office claims timing of new powers, taking effect days before king’s coronation, is coincidental

Ben Quinn, Rajeev Syal and Vikram Dodd

Official warning letters have been sent to anti-monarchists planning peaceful protests at King Charles III’s coronation saying that new criminal offences to prevent disruption have been rushed into law.

Using tactics described by lawyers as “intimidatory”, the Home Office’s Police Powers Unit wrote to the campaign group Republic saying new powers had been brought forward to prevent “disruption at major sporting and cultural events”.

The new law, given royal assent by Charles on Tuesday, means that from Wednesday:

Protesters who block roads, airports and railways could face 12 months behind bars.

Anyone locking on to others, objects or buildings could go to prison for six months and face an unlimited fine.

Police will be able to head off disruption by stopping and searching protesters if they suspect they are setting out to cause chaos.

Jun Pang, a policy and campaigns officer at Liberty, said: “Key measures in the bill will come into force just days before the coronation of King Charles – a significant event in our country’s history that is bound to inspire a wider national conversation and public protests. At the same time, the government are using a statutory instrument to bring draconian measures that the House of Lords threw out of the bill back from the dead, once again evading scrutiny and accountability.

“It’s worrying to see the police handed so many new powers to restrict protest, especially before a major national event. When the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act came into force, the police repeatedly misused them – in part because they simply did not understand them. Similarly, when Queen Elizabeth died, we saw police acting in inappropriate and heavy-handed ways towards protesters that violated their rights.”

Shami Chakrabarti, the former shadow attorney general, said: “During the passage of this illiberal and headline-grabbing legislation, ministers admitted that the new offence of ‘locking on’ is so broad as to catch peaceful protesters who link arms in public.

“Suspicionless stop and search is notorious for racial disparity and it is staggering that more of these provisions have brought into force so soon after Louise Casey’s devastating report [on the Met police]. The home secretary can blast ‘ecowarriors’ but this legislation may be used against anti-poverty and Ukraine solidarity protesters too.”

A statement from the home secretary, Suella Braverman, said: “This legislation is the latest step the government has taken against protesters who use highly disruptive tactics to deliberately delay members of the public, often preventing them from getting to work and hospital, as well as missing loved ones’ funerals.

“The range of new offences and penalties match the seriousness of the threat guerrilla tactics pose to our infrastructure, taxpayers’ money and police time.”

full article here

so just to sum this up, peaceful protesting can now land you in prison for a year and you might face an unlimited fine which i believe is up to £5000, and police can now stop and search you if they believe youre "setting out to cause chaos"

its specifically being put in place right before charles' coronation, but these are now considered criminal offenses so theyre not exclusive to it.

you know, a country where you can be put in prison for a year for peaceful protesting really doesnt sound like a fucking democracy to me.

[foldingfittedsheets]

Hands down one of my worst experiences in high school was when the seniors decided to extort the entire school by using tactics that were banned by the UN to get them to pay for the senior party! If that sounds like a wild sentiment stay tuned because this shit got crazy.

I was living in Arizona at the time and I was a freshman. Our campus was largely open air, with walks between class room buildings and some covered outdoor tables. Our event began with a morning announcement. The seniors were collecting donations for the senior party, and when they reached their goal, their fundraising method would stop.

Their fundraising method:

To pipe the entire schools speakers with "If You're Happy and You Know It" on loop. To this day, I cannot hear this song without experiencing a degree of rage and madness that is frankly alarming. One of the worst parts of the entire thing was that the recording they chose had the female singer do a little clap and say "Yay-ha-hey," at the end. So it wasn't just the song, it was this awful little cooldown stinger at the end.

If this sounds a lot like psychological torture you'd be extremely correct! This practice has been banned in some countries, but the good old US hasn't ruled it a human rights violation, and what a fun silly way to raise money, that definitely wasn't damaging to adolescent psyches!

Every morning for 15 minutes before school began, every passing period, every lunch, and after school for another 15 minutes they blasted that fucking song on unceasing repeat through every speaker in the school. Everyone found different ways of coping with this and mine was to observe my classmates descent into madness and categorize the stages.

The first stage was almost completely consistent, and it was a smug almost exasperated eye rolling phase. Often accompanied by derisive comments about the song or the tactic, this phase was extremely mildly annoyed. Most people figured it would blow over soon, and no one anticipated this continuing for a week and a half, creating a miasma of fraught tension.

The second phase was elevated annoyance, starting to snap and be less amused characterized this level of irritation. People would try to cover their ears or put on headphones, humming aggressively to block out the syrupy repulsive children's performer with her loathsome little clap. This phase had people picking their absolute least favorite part of the song. Her inflection on certain words, her timing between verses. I think it's pretty clear already which part I hated most.

The next phase was a bounce back out to absurdity. It became funny how annoying it was and people would sing along as if to challenge the song's authority over their psyche. This paired exceptionally poorly with people in phase two as they'd often lash out at the people giving more voice to their hell.

The fourth phase was a dead-eyed madness. People would stare straight ahead and their lips would silently mouth the familiar words. The song had pounded its way into their very soul and was inextricably linked to auditory output. They often didn't even realize if they began chanting along.

The fifth and final phase was pure uncut pubescent rage. Kids would scream, attack each other, and in a truly epic end to the event hurl a cafeteria chair with such force at the speaker in the cafeteria to irreparably damage the sound system.

The seniors got funding for a party, but some of it had to go to repair the damages, which were substantial.

[ckret2]

One of my favourite things about the book of Bill has to be how hard it has cemented that, for all the airs Bill likes to put on, he's actually awful at manipulating people. Like if you look at the just the show, on the surface his record isn't bad. 2 1/2 successful manipulations out of 3 shown on-screen is solid. ((That is until you examine it further and realize that the 2 successful ones were done to 12 year old children who 1. Weren't exactly in the best states of mind at the time due to severe sleep deprivation/a difficult emotional state and 2. he still had to trick via his power (the fake timer on the laptop/possessing blendin so Mabel didn't know it was him)) But now? Oh man! Ford wasn't just lucky, he joined a tradition dating back all the way to humanities beginnings! Bill has been trying to get people to do his bidding literally since people had gotten good enough at resource-gathering and tool-usage to be able to potentially build his portal! And he failed over and over and over again and he never learned shit! That would be bad enough but not only did he fail at manipulating several civilzations worth of people, they ALSO constantly thwarted him in ways beyond that! He got himself banished, trapped, and annoyed to hell and back and thats just the stuff he told us! Thats not even speaking of his latest and possibly greatest fumble, failing the convince us, the reader of the Book of Bill who is canonically a fan of Bill or at least Gravity Falls into striking a deal with him. In short, if I asked Bill to manipulate a child into eating ice cream with just his words I wouldn't trust him to get it done within my or the kids life time.

Except, Bill IS good at manipulating people. You JUST DESCRIBED several examples of him being good at manipulating people.

Identifying the most vulnerable targets, the "weakest link" most likely to cave and do what you want—like children (or elderly people with dementia, or immigrants who don't understand the language well)—is part of being good at manipulation.

Identifying and taking advantage of people in a compromised mental state when they're not thinking clearly and are more likely to do what you want is part of being good at manipulation. (He didn't try to persuade Mabel to destroy the laptop, BECAUSE HE KNEW DIPPER WAS MORE VULNERABLE. He didn't approach Dipper or Ford dressed as Blendin—BECAUSE HE KNEW MABEL WAS MORE VULNERABLE.)

Just straight up lying to people—about a situation (the timer), about a person (Blendin)—is a manipulation tactic.

Fabricating a totally artificial emergency and pressuring a target to ACT NOW to prevent disaster is a common con artist trick. (See: scammers who cold call strangers, say they're from the IRS and the stranger is behind on taxes, and demand they transfer a large amount of money from their bank RIGHT NOW or go to jail—WHICH ACTUALLY WORKS A LOT, especially because people CAN'T THINK AS CLEARLY when they're panicking.)

Disguising yourself as somebody trustworthy or somebody intimidating to trick a target into obeying you is also a common con artist trick.

Not to mention ALL the work we see into how he manipulates Ford: he makes note of Ford's social isolation and how Bill can use that to his advantage; he identifies the thing Ford wants most (respect & acknowledgment for his intellectual achievements) and weaves that into his manipulation; he uses both Ford's ego AND Ford's insecurity against him; he almost effortlessly turns Ford against the one friend who adores him, making Ford think his friend's kindest attempts to help are evidence of backstabbing; and even though ultimately it didn't work, you can't say that threatening to destroy Ford's life from inside his own body was a BAD manipulation tactic.

Plus the entire muse schtick. Fooling people into thinking you're doing something magical or supernatural is such a common manipulation tactic that there's a whole name for it: "mystical manipulation." Bill does this NON STOP with Ford, and with many of his other victims.

We see him successfully talk an entire tribe into helping him build a working redwood portal—and they only turned against him when the portal started petrifying people, unleashing monsters, and creating bottomless pits. He talked the Aztecs into sacrificing 9,000 people to build a portal that didn't even work. He talked not-Disney into making a cartoon about Bill that included UNLEASHING LIVE BEES IN THE THEATER. Who the hell would think that's a good idea!

And to top it all off, he formed multiple successful cults that were ride or die for him until the bitter end. That's like the crown jewel of being good at manipulating. Bill talked a whole town into joining his cult in under a month in spite of the fact that he kept calling them plasma bags and chugging formaldehyde. Based on the dates in the document about Silas Birchtree, people were marrying into Ciphertology at least five years after Bill's puppet disintegrated and he ditched them.

Bill was good at manipulating people!

Do you know what Bill WASN'T good at? Getting people to finish and open a portal.

Largely because portals are difficult to make, and because he can only get so far into the process before it becomes obvious that this thing will destroy the world and that's usually enough to override any other threats or promises he makes.

Yeah, he says some stupid things that should obviously give him away—like talking about setting off all the nukes. He's kinda pathetic and a bit of a dumbass sometimes. But, here's the thing about successful manipulators, con artists, and cult leaders: MOST of them are kinda pathetic dumbasses. Cult leaders are idiots. There's a cult leader who preached his followers should be on minimal vegetarian diets, had his chauffeur take him out to a big fancy steak dinner, then told his chauffeur he did that to test his faith—and the chauffeur was like well okay. Cult leaders are idiots, AND YET SUCCEED. When Bill says you can get anyone to hum along with your tune if you've got charisma? He's right—that's true in real life.

Manipulators get away with manipulation not because they tell such brilliant impeccable lies that the most clear-headed rational person in the world would believe them... but because they know to tell their lies to people who aren't clear-headed and rational, and because they know using cheap tricks and false identities and lies that the victim WANTS to be true works better than a flawless story, and because they know most people tend to give other people the benefit of the doubt that what they're saying is probably true.

So yeah, he's too cocky, he's a bit pathetic, he lost a lot, he loses at the end of the book... but that doesn't mean he's a bad manipulator. It means that being good at manipulating can only carry you so far, and Bill didn't have what it takes to carry him the rest of the way.

[phoenixcatch7]

Okay but it's super interesting how

Din = Power = Ganondorf

Naryu = Wisdom = Zelda

Farore = Courage = Link.

Because Din, in the hylian creation myth, created the physical world. Naryu then created the laws - gravity, time, etc. And Farore finally created life - plants and people.

Din created the body, naryu the mind, Farore the soul.

And the triforce and its wielders so perfectly reflect that.

Ganon is physical power, he is big and intimidating and he breaks things. He is cunning and determined, but that's not what he focuses on. He is might makes right.

Zelda is wisdom and cleverness. She is stall tactics and information and team work. She is a powerful mage with a spine of steel, but that's not how she'll win. She is the pen being mightier than the sword.

Link is courage and persistence. He is the wild card sneaking behind enemy ranks, always moving, plunging into terrifying situations head first. He's a phenomenal fighter with a keen wit, but that's not what will get him through his challenges. He is bravery not being the absence of fear but the triumph over it.

They sit in perfect parallels to each other.

And ganon is reborn through his body - his resurrection is immortality. No matter how low he is cast, as long as he has a body he can claw his way back. He can cling to his power, build it ever higher.

Zelda is reborn through the magic of her bloodline. It's the accumulated knowledge handed down for generations, the unique power she must master, the skills she must develop to survive and get her kingdom out the other side intact. Even her name, the knowledge of herself, is handed down from all the way from the very first. Her ancestors knowledge of her future presence, her stability, is what gives her the edge.

Link is reborn in spirit. He is not bound by flesh or blood. Just like his wanderlust soul he can reappear in any time or place. His variation, his unpredictability, is exactly how he fights. It's what makes him so hard to pin down.

Ganons need to build strength means he can't chase after link. Links impulsiveness means zelda can outwit him. Zeldas stationary predictability means she's an easy target for ganon.

But the other direction?

Fire melts ice, ice redirects lightning, lightning burns fire.

And that's the very essence of the triforce.

[anim-ttrpgs]

Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy by A.N.I.M.

Allow us to introduce ourselves, we are The Agency of Narrative Intrigue and Mystery, or “A.N.I.M.”, a very small TTRPG studio based out of the southern U.S. but ultimately made up of people from many different walks of life.

Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy, our debut TTRPG, is a neo-noir investigation-focused RPG with (as you can probably guess from the title) a supernatural twist, that is currently in production after an extremely successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.

How far would you go to learn the truth?

Play amateur detectives caught up in things they barely understand, and explore how the lives of your characters unravel as they push themselves to dig deeper into the unknown!

Eureka innovates on and revolutionizes investigative gameplay, TTRPG combat, and what it means to play as a monster as a character in a TTRPG, filling several voids we have noticed in the TTRPG space. Eureka supports investigation to a degree never before seen, ensuring that searching for clues is a granular and player-driven process, but also ensuring that the whole story doesn’t grind to a halt after one single failed investigation check.

Character-driven gameplay!

Stats and abilities are based on who your character is as a person. Freeform character creation allows you to build a totally unique little guy, and have a totally unique gameplay experience with him! This is supported by the backbone of the Composure mechanic. Stress, fear, fatigue, and hunger will wear your investigators down as they trudge deeper into the unknown. Food, sleep, and connections with their fellow investigators are the only way to keep them going!

Secrets inside and out! 

Any investigator could be a monster, helping their friends while trying not to reveal their true natures. The party will learn to trust and rely on each other, or explode into a tangled net of drama!

Though most PCs will be mundane humans—or perhaps because most PCs will be mundane humans—Eureka also supports playing monstrous PCs, such as a vampire, in a way never seen before. This isn’t just a watered-down stat bonus, it’s like playing an almost entirely different game, with all the monster’s strengths and weaknesses to account for while solving the mystery, plus the added incentive to keep it a secret from the other PCs as well as their players.

(You can also play as something like The Thing from John Carpenter's The Thing!)

If you like or are interested in Call of Cthulhu, Monster of the Week, Dresden Files, X-Files, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Apocalypse Keys, World of Darkness, or Gumshoe, you’ll probably find something in Eureka to really enjoy.

Intense, tactical combat! 

Hits are devastating, and misses are unpredictable–firing a gun will always change the situation somehow, for better or for worse!

Now in Technicolor!

Evocative artwork from talented femme-fatales @chaospyromancy and @qsycomplainsalot and the mysterious @theblackwarden paint a gorgeously-realized portrait of a world with shadows lurking in every corner.

Elegantly designed and thoroughly playtested, Eureka represents the culmination of three years of near-daily work from our team, as well as a lot of our own money. If you’re just now reading this and learning about Eureka for the first time, you missed the crowdfunding window unfortunately, but you can still check out the public beta on itch.io to learn more about what Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy actually is, as that is where we have all the fancy art assets, the animated trailer, links to video reviews by podcasts and youtubers, etc.!

You can also follow updates on our Kickstarter page where we post regular updates on the status of our progress finishing the game and getting it ready for final release.

Beta Copies through the Patreon

If you want more, you can download regularly updated playable beta versions of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy earlier, plus extra content such as adventure modules by subscribing to our Patreon at the $5 tier or higher. Subscribing to our patreon also grants you access to our patreon discord server where you can talk to us directly and offer valuable feedback on our progress and projects.

The A.N.I.M. TTRPG Book Club

If you would like to meet the A.N.I.M. team and even have a chance to play Eureka with us, you can join the A.N.I.M. TTRPG Book Club discord server. It’s also just a great place to talk and discuss TTRPGs, so there is no schedule obligation, but the main purpose of it is to nominate, vote on, then read, discuss, and play different indie TTRPGs. We put playgroups together based on scheduling compatibility, so it’s all extremely flexible. This is a free discord server, separate from our patreon exclusive one. https://discord.gg/7jdP8FBPes

Other Stuff

We also have a ko-fi and merchandise if you just wanna give us more money for any reason.

We hope to see you there, and that you will help our dreams come true and launch our careers as indie TTRPG developers with a bang by getting us to our base goal and blowing those stretch goals out of the water, and fight back against WotC's monopoly on the entire hobby. Wish us luck.

[miniwheat77]

Alibi. (141 x Reader HC’s.)

You guys see those edits floating around tik tok with that Alibi song? (you know what I’m talking about.) so here’s a fic inspired by it. !nsfw, violence, mental health issues, death, blood, mentions of suicide, NO MINORS!

Can you remember when the last time was you felt safe in the dark?

All of the ways reader is valuable to 141, more than just as a soldier.

When I’m out of breath, she’s my vitals.

His heart is thudding in his chest. He can’t seem to calm down. Blood rushes from the knife wound in his side and he’s stressed. He knows he shouldn't have taken it out. He knew better and still did it. He doesn't know what he was thinking. He’s taking deep breaths, trying to calm down. He’s alone, his radio is broken and he can’t call for help. He can’t walk because he can’t stop his racing heart.

Just when he thinks he’s going to die alone, you come running. “I got you.” You breathe. Skidding to a stop, lowering yourself onto your knees in front of him. He’s sitting up against a building. You shove his shirt up, grasping his hand and forcing him to hold it over his wound. “Look at me, you’re bleeding too much because you’re too stressed.” You cup his face, forcing him to look at you. “You’re gonna be alright Gaz, look at me. Breathe with me okay?” You take in a deep breath, your imitation tactics will work on him. He stares back.

He takes in a deep breath, the feeling of your hands on him. Knowing that if he dies right now, he won’t die alone. It already calms him.

After a few deep breaths, he’s calming down. His heart has settled a bit more in his chest. You move his hand, seeing that he’s still bleeding but not nearly as bad. “Keep breathing like that Gaz, I’m gonna patch you up the best I can.” He nods his head, keeping the steady intake of oxygen. Medivac was on their way.

You look up at him. Smiling. "It's not happening today. Not like this." He laughs. Wincing slightly. "How are y-you always there ah?" He laughs. You look at him confused. "Anytime anyone is hurt you always know and you always come running." He laughs.

"I just do. You're my brothers. I'll always come running. I got you.” You breathe. “Keep breathing for me. Medivac is coming. I’ll be by your side no matter what alright?”

When I need to rev, she’s my ride or die.

Your teeth are gritted as you watch the scene unfold in front of you. The new recruit doesn't know you're there and she's been a total bitch to him since she started, but would only do it when no one else was around. When he brought it up, she called him a liar. She didn't know you were here and neither did he. "You know you're the weakest link of this entire task force? I mean really? I don't even know why they keep you around." She snorts. You let her dig her own grave but you can see him and he's fuming. Getting more and more angry as she keeps going. You're worried he might actually explode. You need the perfect moment to show yourself.

"You know I could say you hit me and they would kick you off of this base so fast because no one would believe you."

That was your last straw. You start walking into the room, your footsteps can be heard. The moment she sees you, she's got that same look on her face. The crocodile tears start. "Y/N thank god. He was just threatening me." She cries. Making her way toward you. "Is that true?" You look at him. He says nothing. Expecting you to take her side. You've always been ride or die for everyone and he doesn't know what so suddenly changed when she came around. He is clearly pissed.

"Look. Maybe we can talk this out. In private. Let's go outside and talk." You mumble. He rolls his eyes but knows he has no choice. The both of them follow you outside and the moment the door is closed, you grasp her shoulder and spin her around. Before she has time to react you’re punching her in the gut as hard as you can. His eyes widen. "Jesus!" He mumbles. You clamp a hand over her mouth before she can yell out. Backing her into the wall. "Not a word or I'll put a bullet in your fucking head and than there will only be one side to this story." You growl. He's standing off to the side. Surprised at how quickly this had escalated. "Everyone on this task force. Even him. They are my brothers and if you fuck with them, you fuck with me." You have her pinned. Right in the blind spot where cameras don't see it, which now he realizes was your plan all along.

You take another swing at her, busting her nose. Blood rushes from it. "Go to your room and clean up and if you say a fucking word I'll have your head. Understand?" You seethe. She nods her head.

She rushes away from you.

"You knew?" He asks. You snort. "Of course I knew Johnny." You laugh. Shaking the pain from your fist. "I always know."

"Thank god." He sighs. "Not just my word against hers anymore." He sighs. "Nah, we'll talk to Price and get her out of here. Let's go get a drink, calm you down." You rest your hand on his lower back, seeing the weight has clearly been lifted off his shoulders.

When I’m out of faith, she’s my idol.

It's times like this he wishes he hadn't taken on the responsibility of being a Captain in the military. He has to be someone these people look up to. But he doesn't feel worthy. He feels like he means nothing, sometimes he feels he leads them in the wrong directions. Sometimes going as far as getting them injured or killed. He doesn't know how to combat these feelings.

Some days he wants to give up. Wants to call it quits and leave this all behind. But he knows he has people relying on him. Even if he thinks they'd be better off without him. He sighs. Taking a drink of the flask he had in his hand. He's got the gun in his waistband. He shouldn't be having these thoughts. For some reason, his mind keeps travelling to you. Your smiling face despite being in the worst situations known to man. How you always seem to be so happy and keeping a good attitude. He wishes he could be that positive all of the time. He wishes he could be like you in a lot of ways but doesn't understand it.

He hears footsteps and quickly tries to hide the flask until he sees it's Gaz. "Garrick." He nods. "Cap. Something going on?"

"Ah. Same old. Wish I could change things I can't." He snorts. "Feel you there. Y/N asked if I could come find you, says she needs to ask you something." He nods his head. He wonders what you could possibly want this late. He stands up. "That girl. Swear. No matter what she's always so happy." He laughs. "Yeah you got me. I don't know how she does it all of the time." Captain Price laughs. "Wish I could be like her in a lot of ways."

"That's funny. She says the same things about you." He laughs. "Really?" He asks. He nods. "Yeah. When you're not around she tells stories. Talks about how you're basically her hero. Tells everyone all kinds of cool stuff you've done. Swears up and down that you're the best superior she's ever worked for in the military. Says she doesn't know what she'd do if something happened to you." Captain Price laughs. Shocked at hearing that you've said such kind things about him. "Such a sweet girl." He shakes his head. "Thanks Gaz. I'll see you tomorrow morning." He nods. He's going to go find you.

Right after he returns this gun to his nightstand.

I just killed a man, she’s my alibi.

Ghost sits in his house. His hands shake violently. He fucked up. He fucked up bad this time. He doesn't know how he'll talk his way out of this one. The man had gotten slick with him at the bar after what he’d done. He shouldn't have went in the first place. He should've stayed home. He doesn't know who to call, but you're the closest person to him. He's got no other choice.

You come running at the tone in his voice. He's clearly scared about something. When you arrive, you walk right into his house. "Simon?" You ask. He looks up. "What's going on?" He asks.

You had an idea of what it was. You'd seen the news this morning.

"A man was found dead in the back alley of a bar this morning, footage showed a man wearing a skull mask."

"I.. I don't know what got into me. He..." he trails off. "He corned this girl back there and I didn't know what to do. I just hit him. I couldn't stop."

You press your hand to your lips. Silencing him. "Listen to me-" A knock at the door is what startles you. "Go answer it and don't say a word about where you were until I'm down there okay?" You force him to look at you. You grasp the mask on his face and pull it off of him. He nods. Listening. He makes his way to the front door.

You look around the room, you know what you're looking for. You look across his boots and other shoes that he might've been wearing but they're all clean. Everything is all clean until you spot the gloves in his bathroom. You quickly shove them in your pockets and make your way to him. He's let the officer in. "I really was just wondering where you were last night?" He's got a little note pad in his hand and a pencil in the other. "Is something wrong?" You ask. Stepping into the room. "Oh uh.. just routine questions. Nothing serious ma'am." He smiles. "Oh.. we just got back from a black ops mission a few hours ago, did something happen?" You ask. "Uh.. well we're just investigating a death at a bar last night. Folks say they saw a man wearing a skull mask and we heard from around that you sometimes wear them." He looks at Ghost.

"Oh.. uh. I usually only wear those when I'm on missions to hide my identity. Don't want people knowing who I am and retaliating against my family." Simon explains. The officer explains. "Do you guys have a superior I can follow this up with? Just to double check?" He asks. You nod your head. "Yeah of course. I have his phone number right here." You nod. Drawing your phone out of your pocket. You relay the number and Ghost only hopes Captain Price will cover for the both of you. "You mind if I take a peek around?" He asks. "No. Course not." You answer, seeing the fear rise in Simon's eyes.

The officer disappears for a few minutes before coming back. "It doesn't look like I'll have to follow up after all. Someone made report that he had attacked a female and the person acted in defense for her. However we would like them to come forward anyways. So if you happen to hear about any of this, please give me a call." He passes a card to you and you take it. "Thanks officer." You smile. When he leaves, you lock the door behind him. Tugging the gloves out of your pocket. How fast you had acted.

How fast you were willing to cover for a murderer? What other lengths would you go to. To defend the task force?

"You owe me, Riley."

[seohabibi]

It does not accurately reflect the content of the article, which is about black hat SEO techniques. Black hat SEO is a set of unethical and manipulative practices that are used to improve a website's ranking in search engines. These techniques often violate search engine guidelines and can have negative consequences for websites that use them, such as being penalized by search engines or losing the trust of users.