#Now imaging writing while on retail

[t1meslayer]

I’ve been trying to write my Valentine’s Day story but work sapped all of my energy recently. Just the absolute most eeby sleeby. Insane bed boi behavior.

Pls lend me your strength 😔

[lazywitchling]

[This is a fictionalized account of something that was communicated between myself and J, my familiar spirit. For storytelling / convenience / communication's sake, I will write it out as a conversation with words as if he were a person standing next to me, but the reality of it was less tangible and more... woo-woo. While dialog is fictional, the message that was communicated is accurate.]

--

I had my recently purchased copper pendulum in the pocket of my work jacket, and was fiddling with it in stolen moments in between stocking the walk-in cooler. I wasn't divining with it, just playing with it like a fidget toy. I had a theory about the conductivity of copper being good for communication with spirits, and judging by how apparent J was making himself, the theory was pretty sound.

"Some materials are easier for me to touch than others," he said. "Metal, stones, sticks, feathers, seeds..."

"Natural materials," I summarized.

"Sort of, but not always." It didn't exactly explain much, and my confusion was evident. So J continued with an explanation. "Show me what's in your pockets."

I pulled out two of my pocket trinkets, knowing which ones he meant. In one pocket, a small potato that had fallen onto the deli floor. A good thing to have on me to absorb unwanted 'bad vibes', of which there were many in retail. In the other pocket, a plastic d20. Not a nice one, just the generic blue one from the starter kit, so that I wouldn't be sad if it fell out of my pocket.

J 'pinged' the potato first. A nice spiritual reverberation, a sharp crack like a heeled shoe hitting a marble floor. Then he pinged the d20. A dull thud, more like a boot in mud.

"So... natural materials," I repeated.

Head shake. He indicated a wooden crate on the shelf I was stocking, then gave me an image of one of the plastic action figures on my bookshelf at home. "The action figure is easier to touch than the crate."

He'd lost me now. I was trying to figure out what the copper pendulum had to do with an action figure.

"It isn't necessarily the materials," he explained. "Natural material is one factor, yes. But narrative is also a material."

"So... my Caduceus Clay figure isn't magically resonant because he's made of plastic, but is beause he's also made of story?"

Somewhere in woo-woo land, I got the sensation of the little bell and woosh sound of a character level up in an RPG, and approval from J. The idea started clicking into place less like a slow conversation now and more like a file upload.

I had a plastic Yoda figurine that I found in my basement. He had long ago lost his robe and walking stick. The painted details on him had started to fade a long time ago. But I decided he was my Lucky Yoda, and I carried him in my pocket for every theatrical production I was part of all throughout college. When one of my cast mates was nervous about their role, I would pass Lucky Yoda off to them. 'Here, take Lucky Yoda. He'll help.' Soon enough, people would ask for him for comfort, or start asking about him during tech week to make sure I was going to remember to bring him. On days when I forgot him, the production was worse, even when I didn't mention to anyone that I hadn't brought him.

Was Lucky Yoda more or less powerful than a four leaf clover would have been? Common advice I had seen from other witchy sources said that the closer an item is to its natural state, the more powerful it will be. A tree has more power than a log which has more power than lumber which has more power than a picnic table. By this logic, Lucky Yoda should have been far removed from any sort of magic. But there was no denying that he had an effect on myself and my cast mates. (Whether or not this effect was magical or psychological is not something I'm here to debate. Believe me or don't. I'm not your priest.) A clover would have had more 'nature' magic to it, sure. But Yoda had story, and that story gave him power. J might not have been able to 'ping' Lucky Yoda as well as a clover just by nature of its materials, but the narrative of him was something that J could ping.

The ethereal concept of 'story' seemed to have a more concrete physical substance in the world of spirits. And I am reminded of the folklore that angels or fairies cannot be creative, and that the ability to create is uniquely human, a little spark of the divine in us. And in the world of spirits where everything is intangible, why wouldn't the intangible nature of a story be just as concrete as everything else in their world?

"Now you're getting it."

I found myself standing stock-still in the cooler at work, staring blankly at a half-unloaded cardboard box of packaged soup while the vaguely blob-like form of a spirit bounced happily at his student's understanding.

I shook my head off and got back to unloading. "So... story: good conductor. Copper: good conductor. Plastic: bad conductor."

"Plastic without care and creativity, yes." J gave me the image of a flimsy, shitty, plain dollar store pencil box. One of those ones where the plastic didn't form correctly, so there's little bits of sharp plastic that you can break off of the edges. "If there's anything you don't want me to touch, you can put it in one of these. But don't put stickers on it, otherwise it starts to get easier."

"I think I get it. Thanks! Here, would you like some soup?" I place a plain plastic container of soup up on the shelf.

"Ha ha."

[inventors-fair]

2024 Reflections: @abelzumi

I understand why a lot of wizards would go into temporal magic.

The spread of days from point A to point B has made it more difficult to do commentary, that's for certain, but that's my own fault. End-of-week retail as a transition from M-F scheduling means that the beginning is filled with promises and the end is filled with regrets. As much as I don't miss the hardcore lockdowns here in the U.S., I did relish the ability to sit inside and just write all the time without having to worry as much about work and the world. But I was much younger then.

I do wish I could spend my Saturdays waking up and just sitting down to write for everyone once more. And perhaps next year we'll see a scheduling change, or a change in commentary. One of the tenets of this Fair is that people do get feedback for their creativity, and damn if it's not hard to just sit and write some days. I'm not going to go back and count because there are a zillion documents to go through, but I reckon that I've written at least 150,000 words of commentary this year. Damn if that doesn't feel at least a little good.

Magic in general has felt like its' ups have been massive and its downs have been just as abysmal. It's so strange to see my old notebooks from a decade ago, scribbling in notes about set designs and various overpowered custom cards, the what-ifs of fantasy characters and superheroes. Now that that's a reality, the commodification of image has taken on a whole other role. Is there something to be said for the changing tides of consumer taste conflicting with the past—or are the larger trends of brand-to-brand communication genuinely dulling some esoteric "greater" experience?

I can't quantify any of that, and I've groused more than enough. But I do believe that without the custom card community, Universes Beyond wouldn't exist, and I have to resignedly believe it's a net benefit to the game. Part of Magic's power is its adaptability of action to emotion. This is what makes Sauron so powerful. Here's what it feels like to throw Captain America's shield. It's a language of gaming.

And on language and community... Muscle memory is a strange thing. When I'm writing commentary now, I can instantly type and retype the names of various submitters that have been here for what feels like, and what may be, years. I recognize styles, set symbols, patterns of design... We do see you. Even though I'm terrible at communicating on Discord most of the time, I see you. I recognize the work that's put in and the vulnerability of submitting a card for judgement.

Who am I to judge, even? Are my designs strictly better for any given contest? Absolutely not. Do I have a background in game design? I didn't even think to pursue it. Do I speak with a ridiculous amount of poetic authority that occasionally breaks into rhetoric? No comment. The point is that being inside the beating heart of this blog can feel unearned sometimes. So thank you. Thank you for the minimal authority bestowed upon me by curious, talented, thoughtful players like the one reading this right now. Thank you for your trust.

Lastly: my favorite contest from this year was for sure the Adjective/Noun combo contest from May. Definitely gonna do that again in 2025. I've been wanting to do that for a while, but the results were both strangely consistent and wildly creative.

Until time comes round to us again... @abelzumi

[foodfightnovelization]

My Foodfight! Collection: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Foodfight!

So here it is, here's my Foodfight! collection. Since I've been writing this blog for over a year now, I thought it was worth finally showing off all the merchandise I've collected during that time, as well as talking about the relationship I've developed with the movie over the course of my many posts. But first, the collection- from left to right, we have the Cinnamon Sleuth cereal box (yes it's fanmade but I still think it looks cool enough to be included), the Junior Novelization that started it all, a Daredevil Dan plush, a Dex Dogtective plush, a copy of the movie on DVD, the Deluxe Sound Storybook, a Polar Penguin Plush, and 18 inches of Cheazel T. Weasel.

The plush toys are especially interesting- I don't think I've really discussed this before, but they all have a tag on the back stating they're not to be sold at retail... I guess these were only intended for arcades and carnivals as prizes, which is where they ultimately ended up, but I've heard at least one person who worked on the movie claim these were being sold in stores as well. So... chalk that up to another unsolved mystery, even if it's not a particularly interesting one. If I had to guess, the Playmates action figures and more detailed plush toys I talked about a while ago were meant to sold in stores, but the deal fell through and somehow these cheaper Nanco plush toys ended up there instead, on top of arcades and carnivals as originally intended. Maybe Nanco just produced so much stock, anticipating the movie to be a big hit, then when it got delayed time and time again they had to sell them off however they could. I know these Nanco plush toys come in a BUNCH of different sizes- for instance, I have an 18 inch Cheazel, but there are smaller variants that show up on eBay every now and then. Speaking of Cheazel by the way...

About 10 years ago, a small child in Nebraska got stuck in a claw machine trying to win a Cheazel plush, with the incident even making the local news. You can read all about it in the above link- thankfully he was fine and nobody was injured, but it's just crazy to me that something Foodfight!-related was picked up by the news media and that there was a kid out there who wanted a Cheazel plush so bad he was willing to crawl into a machine for it. It's also a testament to how, after the movie came out, these plush toys were EVERYWHERE- there are so many stories of people finding them at local carnivals, and it's why a lot of them are still showing up on eBay to this day. I wonder if the Cheazel plush I have now is the same one this child tried to win many years ago...? Probably not, but it's certainly a possibility.

One more thing about the toys while I'm still on the topic- I know I've mentioned it before, but a bunch of concept art and prototype images for the Playmates plush toys and figures were found among the recently shared files from the Foodfight! tie-in game, and I just thought I'd share them here for anyone who hasn't seen them yet. While I love the idea of Dex Dogtective's Price Gun and the Daredevil Dan Crash N' Spin Plane, I've gotta say.... the plush toys we actually ended up with are WAY cuter. I know they're just prototypes, but look at how bulbous Cheazel's eyeballs are, it's just offputting. Granted, the character is equally if not more offputting in the actual movie, but when you compare it to the Nanco plush...

I mean just look at him, he's adorable!! How could you not like him, how could anybody like him? The tongue sticking out, the dopey expression on his face...he's just a rascal, a scamp, a mischief maker. I think in general the Nanco plush toys are by far the most visually appealing versions of the characters, partly because they're soft and huggable, but also because they all look really friendly and gentle in a way the designs never really did onscreen, even in the early footage.

Anyway, as for the rest of my collection, there's not a whole lot TO say about it that I haven't already said- I've already discussed the novelization and Deluxe Sound Storybook at length, I made the Cinnamon Sleuth box myself, and the only notable thing about the DVD is that one of the Chapter Select options takes you straight to the end credits. And so I instead wanted to take this time to talk about how Foodfight! has affected me over the past year.

When I first found the novelization on eBay, I just KNEW I had to write about it. Nobody else was talking about it, it was the only copy available for purchase anywhere, there was no other mention of it on the entire internet, and it seemed like no-one else even knew it existed. I was inspired by Ryan North's B To The F blog, in which he reviews the similarly obscure Back To The Future novelization, feeling this could be my very own "B To The F" moment. That kind of moment only comes along once in a lifetime, and so even though I was in the middle of an incredibly stressful move at the time, I bit the bullet and started my blog anyway. Ever since then... it's like Foodfight! exploded, all over the internet. A large part of that was of course thanks to Ziggy Cashmere's incredible work on ROTTEN: Behind The Foodfight, but it still made me feel like writing about the novelization opened a Pandora's Box of Foodfight! material across the world, or like I was living through an ARG designed just for me. I made a fangame, interviewed a cast member, I even got a speaking line in the aforementioned ROTTEN, and the more I wrote the more Foodfight! news seemed to come out. Every time I thought we'd found everything there was left to find, something new would come up and I'd be pulled right back into it. And through all that...god help me, I actually started to like Foodfight!.

To be clear, I still think it's a bad movie. As a matter of fact, it's one of the worst movies ever made. BUT...it's the greatest movie STORY ever told. Everything that went on behind the scenes, all the scrapped tie-in products, videogames, crazy anecdotes about the director, it all coalesces into something much greater than itself. In the same way, it felt like writing about Foodfight! allowed me to be a part of something greater than myself too. I got involved with a community of like-minded fans, was lucky enough to able to share previously lost media with the entire world, connected to the internet in a way I hadn't in years, and did something nobody else had done before and will likely never do again. Maybe THAT'S the real Foodfight!...no, I really mean it. When you dedicate enough time and passion towards something forgotten and obscure, it takes you on this special kind of journey that's hard to describe, but you come out the other end with this genuine appreciation for it you couldn't have found anywhere else. Like if you didn't care so much then maybe you would never have got it, but you did and so you you really DO understand. Like at the end of Be Kind Rewind, when Jerry and Mike can't save the video store but it doesn't matter because through making their movies they brought the community together and shared a story in the way only they could. Maybe that's what this was for me, sharing a story in a way only I could. To date, not a single other copy of the novelization has surfaced anywhere... it really does feel like it was my destiny to write about it. Even if I stop updating this blog someday, I'll never forget about everything I went through writing about Foodfight! The Junior Novelization...but for now, here's to another year.

[hit-song-showdown]

Year-End Poll #65: 2014

[Image description: a collage of photos of the 10 musicians and musical groups featured in this poll. In order from left to right, top to bottom: Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, John Legend, Iggy Azalea, OneRepublic, Jason Derulo, Magic!, Meghan Trainor, Ariana Grande, Sam Smith. End description]

More information about this blog here

As mentioned in the previous poll, we're now seeing streaming services like Spotify taking over music consumption. Much like how Billboard had to adapt to individual retail sales in the 1950's, MTV rotation in the 1980's, Nielsen SoundScan in the 1990's, and YouTube views in the early 2010's, Spotify streams are now going to be incorporated more into Billboard's charts, with their album charts adapting to this shift in late 2014.

But before we welcome in another chart, 2014 is the year we'll also have to say goodbye to one. It feels like just yesterday we were talking about the rise of the ringtone. But as musical ringtones were starting to fall out of favor in the general public (with streaming people were growing accustomed to no longer having to pay 99 cents for a song -- they weren't going to pay 2 dollars for a snippet of one), Billboard's ringtone charts were retired in 2014, with Taylor Swift's Shake It Off as the final number 1 ringtone in America.

In 2014, we're seeing the continuing rise of retro-inspired production, with the neo soul of Pharrell Williams' Happy, the doo-wop pastiche of Meghan Trainor's All About That Bass, and the funk elements of Ariana Grande's Problem. And with Jason Derulo's Talk Dirty sampling its hook from Balkan Beat Box's Hermetico, it seems like this was a pretty good year for brass samples. Also fun fact about Happy, apparently that song was Pharrell Williams' tenth attempt at writing a song for the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack. Sadly, we will never hear those other 9 versions. Or else I would have put all of them on this poll.

Speaking of musical influence, we're also starting to see trap starting to rise in mainstream popularity. Trap music is a style of rap originating out of the southern hip-hop scene, notable for its 808 drums, snares, and triple-timed hi-hats. The origins of the style can be traced back to the 1990's during the rise of southern rap, with many trap acts coming out of Atlanta and Memphis. In fact one of the guest rappers on today's poll, Juicy J on Katy Perry's Dark Horse, is one of the pioneers of this style with his group, Three 6 Mafia. While Three 6 Mafia is associated with a variety of subgenres (gangster rap, horrorcore, crunk, etc), the trajectory of trap music can often be traced back to them. I don't usually give out homework on these polls, so instead I will just strongly suggest that you check out Mystic Stylez if you haven't already. We'll have to wait a few years until we see the explosive growth of the modern trap movement in the mainstream.

[thepeacockshallstrut]

Henry's Video Game Collection Wishlist

I like collecting trinkets and am always looking to collect additional trinkets. I thought it would be nice to write down what all I'm looking to obtain someday.

NOW DETAILED WITHIN: MOTHER 3, Octopath Traveler/II, Persona 3 Portable (the new releases), Pokémon Legends Arceus, Sam & Max Remastered

A WIP for now... ever growing, ever changing. Prices subject to an infinite increase until the eventual heat death of the universe. Let's dig in!

MOTHER 3 Deluxe Box

MSRP: 18,000 yen, or approx. $120

Market price: Enough to be somebody's rent payment

Image provided by STARMEN.NET.

I mean, what a beaut, right? Just look at her. I've longed for this extremely small Game Boy Advance with a minor difference in faceplate since I was a wee babe. (Or a sixth grader, I think.) Anyway, I remember the price on eBay being around $600 back then, and the price has gone up surprisingly not that much given inflation.

Speaking of, here's an interesting note about this item's retail price: the page on STARMEN.NET documenting this box around release put the cost of the item at "around $155." As suggested above, the value of yen in comparison to the value of the dollar has significantly depreciated in the past two decades. Also, accounting for inflation, 18k JPY in 2006 is about 20.2k JPY today... still closer to around $135 USD. Meanwhile $120 in 2006 money has the same buying power as $185 today, while $155 would be worth around $240 today. Depressing, right?

Looking around on Japanese listings, the price is about equivalent to US eBay listings... a small mercy if you ask me. I'm not sure how consoles like these ship overseas anyway, given the battery. Oh well.

Octopath Traveler - Wayfarer's Edition

MSRP: $90

Market price: $180ish with the game, $120ish without--though prices fluctuate pretty heavily

Come on, man. Comes in a little pop-up book. Ridiculous.

The box comes encased in one of those plasticky outer shells that scratch horribly, but it usually means that the box itself is in very good condition when sold secondhand. It's also not super clear in the promotional image, but the map of Orsterra is made of cloth.

Definitely lots of pointless trinkets here. Trinkets that I would just love to display. Hoo-ah!

Octopath Traveler II Steelbook (Switch ver.)

MSRP: That's a good question. I'm under the impression that you could get the Steelbook edition for an additional $10 when purchasing the game from select retailers.

Market price: $25 (game not included)

Prices for the game with the steelbook are ridiculous enough that I would advise just buying a secondhand copy of the game separately. I got my copy from a local game store for $35 and I've seen it for even cheaper online.

For those of you who prefer the Playstation versions, the PS4/PS5 steelbook appears more expensive on resale, but the games themselves are generally cheaper. Your mileage may vary.

In any case, it does pain me to forsake the Collector's Edition of this game, but the price just isn't worth it to me. $200 MSRP is already pretty steep. I would assume the included artbook does not showcase any work that isn't already present in the sold-seperately Octopath II artbook (well, actually, it sounds more like a Champions of the Continent artbook that happens to also have OT2 art in it, but that's besides the point), and the bust standees, while beautifully sculpted, are not my typical style of figure collecting... and they're not even actually metal! The box is indeed very pretty but I have to draw the line somewhere, and that line appears to stand around $300 cardboard. (The US release doesn't even get that damn tote bag...)

In any case, I love steelbooks. They're just too handsome. I've yet to find a fanmade OT1 one that I like, but maybe when that time comes it too will join my oddly-shaped collection.

Persona 3 Portable - Grimoire Edition

MSRP: $70

Market price: Something stupid, probably

I had actually intended on preordering one of these special editions back when they were announced... I just sort of forgot. Oops! Now I am subject to the whims of Limited Run aftermarket prices. Anything for such a pretty steelbook I guess.

I have mixed feelings about the full collector's edition for this game, AKA the "S.E.E.S. Edition." I think the thing I like most about it is the box it all comes in, which is generally a bad sign. I was very excited about the Evoker proplica until I realized it's only half of the gun trapped in the box forever... maybe I should just go hunt down that water gun. Regardless I'm not too torn up about passing that one up. (Well... except for the stupid briefcase box. I don't think it's a top-opener like the Scott Pilgrim CE was though. Which is just a shame!)

I guess I might also go for the "Grimoire Edition" of P4G if my pockets are feeling too heavy, but I'm not as jazzed about that game or its steelbook design. Also, I already ordered the collector's edition of Persona 3 Reload... it's too much, Atlus... it's just too much.

Pokémon Legends Arceus - Steelbook (UK Preorder Bonus)

MSRP: I think some shops charged an extra 5 quid for the steelbook

Market price: $25

PLA got some lovely preorder bonuses across the pond. Alongside this steelbook, depending on your retailer of choice, you could also get a Hisuian Pokéball replica or an Arceus statue (reminiscent of the HGSS preorder bonuses of old). Of course, you could also get the Arceus sitting cutie from the UK Pokemon Center, just like the US one... without the steelbook though? Alright. I do wonder if the UK release had the same supply chain issues for the Arceus plush as the US did. Anyway...

Lamentations about regional differences aside, I adore this steelbook! A lot of love in this artwork. The other Pokémon steelbooks, while cool, are mostly just cover legendaries but metal, or maybe gold... (and, frankly, some very ugly patterns on the inside of the box! Shameful!) It's OK though. PLA has had mercy on my soul.

I also think it would be super cool to get my hands on one of the SuMo/USUM steelbooks someday, if only for the novelty of having a steelbook for a 3DS game. Those resale prices though! Whew! Maybe someday...

Sam & Max Remastered

MSRP: $35 (standard), $75-80 (collector's), $5 (slipcover)

Market price: $50 (standard), $150 (collector's), $15 (slipcover)

These collector's editions are extremely cool historical pieces. Recreations of decades-old merch, wow! It's a shame I've never been able to get these retail price because Limited Run aftermarket is ridiculous. Still, I'd like to get my mitts on these someday.

My goal is to own all three collector's editions and display the three games in the slipcover. (Devil's Playhouse remaster coming soon! Any day now...)

Having the Hit the Road collector's edition would be cool but I'm not as set on it. If I had my way, I would start collecting the different physical releases of HtR/the original Telltale titles too! Restraint, restraint...

That's everything I can think of for now. I'll add more as it crosses my brainstream ^^

[mellow-strain]

Romwe x Corpse Bride: A Critical & possibly hypocritical review.

This review will be fast fashion negative, while giving credit to artistic aesthetics. I own some of the items mentioned (some of which, I regret).

A summary of my opinion: most of it is crap.

This is kind of becoming a series, with my previous Hello Kitty and Friends x Forever 21 review

Disclaimer: I do not like Tim Burton. I like a lot of his media (The Corpse Bride, Wednesday, Frankenwinie, etc.) but I do not agree with his attitudes (most notably towards POC inclusion).

If any Shien apologists come my way I will simply block them. This post is not about "is it ok to order from Shien ever?" Or about the accessibility of fashion or anything like that. Maybe I'm a future post, but for now, go read someone else's opinion piece about it

Why did I order this stuff?

The answer is very simple: Nostalgia and scarcity mindset. I've loved the Corpse Bride ever since I was younger. I owned the DVD and watched it more times than I can count. Additionally, I doubt that there will ever be any other affordable clothing collaborations with the Corpse Bride, at least, not for another while. But please send me other Corpse Bride official and unofficial collaborations if you see any. I'll put a little 🌠 next to anything I bought. Note: I may not include everything I bought from the Collab just because I may not have the strongest opinions on that particular garment or my other arguments may better explain.

What did I like?

The general aesthetics. Motifs of the flowers, butterflies, swirls, skeletons, colour pallets. I liked it all! Was it well executed? No. A lot of the patterns weren't done justice (as seen in the review photos)

The stock images were STUNNING. Which is the point, but still credit where it's due.

It appealed to my nostalgia. I think it was lazy, but it certainly did warm my inner baby bat heart.

Onto specifics. This capette

This capette is fun! I love a good capette! There's obvious flaws like how randomly the little pictures are chosen and I feel the white and black is just a little too high contrast, maybe black and light blue would have worked better?

5. This Graphic T. 🌠

I love this design so much I bought one in the black colour way too. Do I stand by that decision? Not entirely. But as a long-term Corpse Bride fan I feel that I will appreciate them for a very very long term.

6. The Legwarmers 🌠

They did these legwarmers so dirty! As seen in the stock images, the ends are rolling up! I need to reinforce them with my own hidden ribbing and also gently steam them. You may also note that those butterflies are PRINTED ON and it's pretty bad IRL.

7. jeans (?)

But if you see a pair of boring jeans in a charity shop that fit well, why not bring them home and customise them with paint, bleach, trims, embroidery or patches? Remind me to write a post on DIY jean ideas. Anyway, could be fun to browse Shien and Pinterest and steal their ideas! Maybe invite some friends and have some snacks and make it 'a little get together'?

I'm stealing the print of these jeans. A reoccurring hot take of mine is that I hate that EVERYWHERE sells jeans. Go into any high street retailer and they have a WHOLE SELECTION of jeans. From skinny to bootcut to mom to boyfriend to ripped and in black, acid wash, proper denim, super light blue and sometimes white. it's all far too much (in my opinion).

The reason why I feature the "?" in the title is because I don't really see jeans as very Corpse Bride, seems more fairy grunge (I've discussed fairy grunge lightly in the past but I do hope to make a longer opinion post about it)

General dislikes

106 listings. Why SO many graphic t-shirts? I need to count the specifics because there's just too many. And I counted roughly 24 hoodies/sweatshirts (given, there could be duplicates of the plus size and straight sizes) but my point remains. Why is there 106 listings?

Excessive reuse of certain designs and many of the designs are really similar.

No collection of that many pieces could ever be of decent quality or with a lot of thought and the proof is in the pudding (the garments). It simply isn't. Typical Shien. Bare basics stitching, low quality materials, etc.

Polyester for undergarments. Cotton, bamboo and hemp are just far superior fabrics for underwear and socks! I can't imagine polyester is good for the health of external private areas.

Objectively these are cute, but I have recently truly understood how dangerous synthetic materials can be especially for private areas.

I will be referencing this print in my future customised clothing.

Future post idea: Cotton vs. Polyester

At some point in the future, I do intend on posting more information about cotton/natural fibers vs. polyester. Including resources that further discuss the oppression of the Uyghur Muslims, modern cotton slavery, the mistreatment of garment workers. Then also, the production and manufacturing process on various fibers and their quality. Additionally, a bit about micro plastics and our clothes.

Most of it will just be directly referencing and providing information from creators who are more knowledgeable on the topic with minimal opinions and input from me, though there will be a sequel post that includes my opinions and a reflection on how I navigate the topic.

If anyone has any links and resources on that topic let me know!

Thanks for reading!

[itsmeanyango]

The Luckiest week in Astrology 2023: What is Jupiter in Taurus bringing you?

The Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter Uranus and North Node in Retrograde are in Taurus, the patient planet of beauty.

The Sun represents spotlight.

The Moon represents feelings and emotions.

Mercury represents communication and neighborhood.

Jupiter represents luck and expansion.

Uranus represents revolution. The type of change that brings restructure.

North Node represents whats meant to be, in retrograde it means review what is meant to be.

This energy with the sun in Taurus will last until end of Taurus season on May 21st.

The Moon will impact your feelings for three days until May 19th

Mercury will impact your communication and neighborhood until June 11th. Mercury was retrograde and you felt the stagnancy, resistance and strain then. Now you slow but surely will see the beauty of it all.

Jupiter will impact you until May 24 2024. Take advantage!

North Node in Retrograde will impact you until July 12th when it leaves Taurus.

Let's talk a little bit about the New Moon in Taurus.

On May 5th there was a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio. I made a post about it here. Scorpio is directly opposite Taurus, they are in opposition. Go back to what the Eclipse brought, removed or taught you. Which house was the eclipse in? Now look at this Moon in Taurus and see what the new beginnings are, Taurus softens the harshness of that eclipse because the universe does not pelt rocks at her children. One hard transit does not mean it's over for you, the universe ALWAYS has your back and will ALWAYS bring softness and tenderness to you. All you have to do is pay attention.

There's a prayer that can help you, the serenity prayer. You can customise it to suit you but here is how it goes:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

This is what this transit may mean for you depending on the house you have Taurus in your chart using whole sign:

In the 1H: People's perception of you, spotlight on you, being talked to beautifully or longing kind words and encouragement,self image success, review who you really want to be known as.

In the 2H: Your money looks good, emotional spending or retail therapy,money mantras or being told how money you seem, growth in income, review your relationship with money.

In the 3H: Beautiful relationship with siblings/cousins or wishing for such,be careful not to butter up the wrong person, postive affirmations, reviewing your conversations and self talk.

In the 4H: Making a beautiful home, memories back then, My home essay, expansion in family whatever family means to you, review what family is to you.

In the 5H: Beautiful face because of hair, your hair is beautiful please don't believe the negativity,letter to my younger self, nurturingy inner child, review how I treated younger me and how younger me and as treated.

In the 6H: Creating beautiful routines,only seeing the good of something,writing down plans,I have grown and evolved from that, review how you do things and figure out how they have worked for you so far.

In the 7H: Spotlight on Beautiful relationships(not just romantic), feeling like the beautiful relationships are too good to be true, self sabotaging beautiful relationships because of old mindsets, relationships bringing growth but remember growth can be painful, review the growth you have gone through.

The 7H has a lot. When Jupiter was transiting your 6H(Aries), you really had a hard time because things were moving so fast and your health was not at its best then so many plans were burning down. While others were enjoying Jupiter in Aries, you were in a hot oven. It must have been very hard, you deserve comfort. You deserve a break. It's going to be slow, but you will heal and get back up. Get back up again from the animation Trolls(and sung by Anna Kendrick) would be a good song for you, have a listen or play it on repeat.

In the 8H: Noticing how beautiful others resources are, jealousy or gratitude, asking for help(might be talking to investors), receiving support that propels you,healing from trauma, review your perception of who deserves and who does not deserve to be wealthy.

Someone is healing from sexual trauma and shame. I'm happy you get to experience this peace and freedom ❤️

In the 9H: Learning about beauty,reviewing your perception of beauty, talking or writing about beauty standards, expanding your knowledge on beauty, review your beauty standards objectively

In the 10H: Spotlight on career, zero in on what is most attractive to you career wise, feeling called to a certain career direction, writing the most beautiful cover letters and applications,promotions or getting into the career you wanted,review your career choices, they keep changing, why do they?

In the 11H: Seeing and desiring beautiful networks, going to places around you to see if you can get networks or making beautiful networks around you, meeting someone and realizing you landed a stroke of luck, review your networks especially on social media, are your connections good for your wellbeing?

In the 12H: Being open to mental health practices, feeling the fog lift, journaling, realizing what seemingly beautiful thing is making your mental health tank, reviewing what works and what does not work for your mental health.

The Moon was in Taurus on Wednesday, a good day to communicate your feelings because Mercury rules Wednesday.

The Moon is still in Taurus on Thursday, a good day to get philosophical about what you love because Jupiter rules Thursday.

The Moon is still in Taurus on Friday, indulge in beauty self care because Venus rules Friday.

The New moon in Taurus is on Friday, a good time to start or restart something beautiful.

Taurus is also ruled by Venus, love yourself ×10

Taurus rules the voice, honor your voice.

You can book a reading with me here follow our Tiktok here our Twitter here our YouTube here and our Pinterest here

Astrology and Human Design Simplified. AHDSimplified.

[synthapostate]

WIP List Strikes Again

Because making lists helps my brain.

Resist Psychic Death - Possessed Newt. (Undergoing structural changes.)

The Tropes Nobody Asked For - A bodyswap AU. This would be complete if I could come up with a concluding paragraph to wrap things up.

I could be writing sweaty nerd sex like a normal person but no - Mostly a story about self-image. Angst. Fluff. There is no plot. Some kind of stream of consciousness BS. (Complete in the sense that anything can be complete given continuity of identity within linear flow of time.) It wasn't complete. Turns out I'm writing sweaty nerd sex but not like a normal person. Scrapped. Wtf I don't know. Maybe not everything needs to have a plot.

Heating Pad - A cat adopts Hermann.

Miserable, Lonely and Depressed (Pathetic) - The return of Cool Uncle Newt. (He's not cool, he's possessed.)

Vampire AU - I mean obviously I had to write a vampire AU at some point. (Comedy.)

Whump - Was supposed to be about a car accident, but it turned into emotional hurt/comfort. With pie.

Some Days You Just Can't Get Rid of a Bomb - Newt tries to solve capitalism. I don't think this is even going anywhere, but I like the title too much to let it go.

Retail Horror Stories - Newt and Hermann commiserate over the shitty jobs they worked when they were younger. (Maybe scrapped because honestly no one needs my nonfiction about MegaKaren.) Scrapped because people are gross.

The Graves Stood Tenantless - Comedy, it was SUPPOSED TO BE A COMEDY Death of a major character. 30k word novella about grief APPARENTLY. Still lacking final chapter and epilogue.

Nightmares - Ghost drift bleeds into their dreams. This would also be complete if I could come up with a concluding paragraph to wrap things up.

Cold as Ice - Hurt/Comfort? Something. Contains no hurt/comfort and has nothing to do with cold or ice, but...it's...something. A convergence of "whoever will take him" and (numbers) "will never betray me". Hurt people hurt people, but survivors can be kind.

Newt's Passion - A sex pollen fic. (No, it isn't.) (Zom com.)

Other, Funnier Ghost Story - Will it be a comedy this time? Let's find out. It is a comedy but it's about vampires now. OH GOD. Not a ghost story, not remotely funny. Vampires, full horror. I'm tempted to resurrect my old pen name for this one. (Y.A. Gorefest, Jr.)

Consent is Sexy - A team-building exercise leads to certain confessions that would not be made while sober.

Cold as Ice 2: Alaskan Boogaloo - Does have something to do with cold and ice.

The Worst Thing I Can Possibly Imagine - My genuine attempt to work through something, but then I thought of a punchline so now it's a funny little shitpost.

Splash - A...feelings thing. The first tentative steps toward getting along.

Caffeine Blues - I swore I would never write a coffee shop au, but...(One chapter to go. They were supposed to have a big fight in the final chapter, but they went ahead and did it early, so now I don't exactly know what happens. Also, it's no longer set in a coffee shop.)

Fields of Azure - Newt and Hermann are sent on an outdoorsy team-building retreat with some rangers (possibly by mistake) and both turn out to be full of surprises. Pure fluff.

Stop You Have Enough WIPs - Some silly fluff for these stressful times.

Shoes - Newt's past catches up with him. Hermann is intrigued.

Groundhog Day - Hey man, these sci fi tropes exist for a reason.

Turning Cursive Letters Into Knives - I swore I would never write a soulmate au, but...

Newt and Hermann Go On Six Dates - I write fluff now 😊💖

Hermann Gets Shot - It is so dangerous to start a fight in an elevator when one of the people you're fighting has a gun.

Return to Sender - Newt leaves Hong Kong to work for Shao. Angst. Uhhhhh I used that title for something else. What's another song about letters

Find Me in the Drift - Some very disorganized ramblings that might be a sequel to Dinner With a Friend.

The Curse of Gottlieb Manor - In which I actually try to write horror on purpose, and give myself the most intense nightmares I've had in years. I'm toning it down for the actual story.

Painting the Kitchen - About finding a future after the apocalypse is averted.

Total Eclipse of the Heart - Jake Pentecost doesn't trust Newt, decides to keep a close eye on him to guard Hermann's back, and accidentally ends up with two new dads.

Black and White Cookies - Birthday fluff.

A Kidnapping - Um...it's a kidnapping.

Wake Up, Dr. Jones! - More trauma. Possibly too much trauma actually. Scrap this why can't I type a question mark

Have a Cup of Cheer - So the truth is I hate Christmas, but this has been a year defined by my new willingness to embrace the things I was sure I would hate, starting in January with Pacific Rim. I haven't regretted it yet. So, to holly jolly hell with it, I'm writing Christmas fic.

Space Opera - When the first kaiju comes through the breach, Newt fires off a plea for help into deep space. There can't be just one alien race out there, right? Maybe some of them will be on our side.

Cherry Bomb - Apropos of nothing, Newt decides to bite the bullet and seduce Hermann.

Third Act Breakup - I also hate romcoms. Let's do this thing.

Sweet Siren Song - Newt is doing his biology thing in the Atlantic, Hermann is an inexperienced sailor who shouldn't be out alone on a day like this, they both get caught in a storm, turns out mermaids are real. (Romance.)

What's Your Angle - Turns out mermaids are real. (Horror.)

Etiquette and Protocol - Loosely based on a dream, the boys are forced to take an etiquette class because anger management isn't working. (Protip: if you encourage me to add something to my list, I probably will.)

Am I Blue - In which Newt learns how far Hermann is willing to go to save him.

Mr. Cellophane - Post-war, they go their separate ways, but when Newt is involved in an unlikely lab accident, obviously his first thought is to go to Hermann for help. Oh no, I just realized it would be funnier if they switched roles, DO I HAVE TO START THIS OVER FROM SCRATCH

Hanahaki - I never thought I would write a hanahaki fic, not because I hate the premise but simply because I had never heard of it until this year and it seemed too specific to intrude on. But when do I ever pass up the opportunity to gorge myself at the angst buffet

In Time - I could almost reuse the tag "Hermann Gottlieb bends all of time and space to his will for the man he loves," but this time it isn't on purpose and it's up to Newt to take charge of the situation.

Chuck Punches Hermann in the Face - He was aiming for Newt.

I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm - In which Newt owns a space heater, and Hermann does not.

Marriage of Convenience - Lars Gottlieb has a scheme, Hermann will do anything to get out of it, Newt is an agent of chaos, fake dating ensues.

Dream of Flying - I'm doing Secret Santa :]

[crazed-reviews]

Review: "Happy Holidays Barbie" Fashion doll from Mattel (1990)

So, I graduated from high school last month on May 3rd! I got some money as a graduation gift, and obviously, I spent it all on dolls.

The doll I'm reviewing today is the Happy Holidays Barbie doll from 1990. I'm unsure of what she originally retailed for, but I purchased her for $22 USD.

The top of the front of the box reads "Happy Holidays Special Edition 1990", as well as mentioning a keepsake ornament included with the doll. It has a large window to view the doll, which has become quite yellowed with age and sun exposure. The bottom has what looks like a gift tag, reading "Barbie", with mistletoe, green ribbon, and silver bells surrounding her name. There's a very small section to write the recipient and gift givers names.

The back has a large image of Barbie, and claims that there was the same photo inside for framing, but I assume it fell out, since the box had a plastic top and bottom glued to it, but the glue had worn off and the bottom in particular wouldn't stay on. The box completely fell apart once I began opening it.

Removing the outer shell of the box was a surprise, since you can see just how bright pink she is. With the yellowed plastic window, her dress looked red!

Here's everything Barbie came with: a doll stand, a doll brush, a pair of pink pumps, and an ornament.

Here are the accessories on their own. They are all a shade of pink that I think compliments Barbie's gown.

The stand has a shiny reflective sticker on the base that reads "Happy Holidays Barbie 1990" in pink. It's so reflective that it doesn't photograph well. It's designed for a doll to sort of sit on it while standing.

The brush's mold always reminded me of a shell. It's actually pretty decent as far as plastic doll hairbrushes go! It has a decent amount of bristles.

The pumps are basic pink 90s Barbie high heels. They aren't particularly unique, but they're cute and go well with Barbie's dress.

The ornament seems a touch fragile, but is cute. Maybe I'll put it on my family's Christmas tree this year. It's a three layered 3-D star, with a silver string at the top to hang on a tree.

Barbie uses the Superstar face sculpt, which a majority of Barbie dolls produced between 1977 and 1998 used. She has a broad smile with dimples on her cheeks. She's got a slightly orange tanned skintone.

She has bright blue eyes with blue eyelashes and teal eyeshadow. She has pink blush on her cheeks, and a slightly darker pink lipstick. She wears a pair of green stud earrings, a matching ring, and a green necklace with a silver string. There is no way to remove the necklace unless you remove her head, or cut or untie the string.

I think the green jewelry and eyeshadow is an interesting choice to be paired with her pink dress. Personally, I would have gone with silver to match the silver details on her dress and other accessories.

Barbie has voluminous, fluffy light blonde hair, with loose waves in it. She also has very 90s bangs, slicked up, and to her left. She has a hair accessory, a silver and pink star with pink tulle and a "B" in the center, tied into a small side ponytail on her right side with silver string.

The way Barbie was packaged for 30 years left her hair a bit flat and parted in the back, but this was easily fixed with some water and brushing. And, her hair also went back into that fabulous early 90s fluffy look.

Now, the real star of the show, Barbie's gown! The top of the bodice and sleeves are several layers of hot pink tulle, with silver specks and stars all over. They are GIANT, I tell you. The right side always wants to be in her face due to being crushed in the box, but I imagine it'll settle with time.

The bodice is a stretchy, spandex feeling material, in the same shade of pink, with silver stars and lines decorating it.

The skirt, like the top, has several layers of tulle, with the bottom layer being the same material as the bodice. It also has built-in underwear to prevent the skirt from riding up on her hips.

Barbie has 8 points of articulation, with movement at her:

Head

Shoulders

Waist, which twists

Hips, which can only go forward and back

Knees, which are rubber with an internal clicking mechanism

Barbie's arms are permanently bent at a 90 degree angle, and sit nicely on her hips.

Here's Barbie on her stand. She tends to float on it a bit, but it isn't a big deal to me since she still feels solid on it and her gown covers it. You can also see how her pumps look on her.

Overall, Barbie is a lovely doll, and a great addition to my collection. I definitely think she's worth the $22 I paid for her, and would recommend her.

[belle--ofthebrawl]

Tagged again by @anotherghoul666 , thank you so much! These are fun.

✨ Get to know me ✨

Current wallpaper: Planets. (Wallpaper and the lock screen are the same image.)

Last song you listened to: Death by Glamour (Metal cover - RichaadEB with familyjules7x)

Currently reading: On a re-read of Hunger Pangs: True Love Bites by Joy Demorra(@/thebibliosphere, don't want to actually tag her since this has nothing to do with her). The book her fanbase bullied her into writing a few years ago. Screenshots from her website I took earlier since I can't be bothered to type it all out.

Last Movie: LOTR - Extended edition marathon while petsitting last weekend.

Craving: Deep tissue massage and twelve hours of sleep on the perfect mattress in a room scented with lavender and cosmic white noise on surround sound speakers.

Currently wearing: Grey jeans, Return of the Living Papa Tshirt, the few pieces of jewelry I can actually tolerate wearing on a daily basis (devotional necklace, bracelet). A musky, suede cologne a cute girl once complimented me on so now it's the only cologne I want to wear. Extremely chipped dark purple nail polish. Pink slippers. Some kind of slutty little robe that doesn't even have pockets so I don't know why I have it. (It's a slutty little robe. That's why I have it.)

How tall are you: Not as tall as I want to be.

Piercings: Both earlobes done at Claire's (retail store that uses a piercing gun for any who are not familiar), nips done by a professional. Claire's healed beautifully, hardly needed to do anything. The nips lasted about a year and a half with intense babying, doing everything right before I threw in the towel and had to get them removed. I miss them so much, and I am Extremely Bitter about it.

Tattoos: None, but I have a whole list. Currently number one is Phedre's Marque on a bicep. Maybe with a little personal flair from the artist, I've seen a ton of variation online and wouldn't mind something unique!

Glasses/contacts: Glasses. I need new ones.

Last drink: Tropical Punch ZOA energy drink.

Last show: Metal Family (It's really cute.)

Last thing you ate: Buttered toast.

Favorite color: Still blue.

Current obsession: Ghost.

Unrelated Obsession: Skyrim (Ugh, Miraak, my love. We could have had so much if the devs weren't complete cowards. The First and the Last, fated to fight as the pawns of something bigger and inescapable. Doom-driven. We should have been able to hold hands and kiss about it.)

Pets: A nine year old bichon-frise/Shih-tzu mix named Honey Belle. She can't live in my apartment so she stays with my dad, who needs everyone to know he can't believe I'm naming myself after the dog. (I DIDN'T, IT WAS JUST A FUNNY COINCIDENCE INVOLVING SONG LYRICS AND AN INSTRUCTOR/FRIEND TRYING TO RAISE MY SELF-ESTEEM.)

Do you have a crush on someone: Everyone whomst is niceys to me and supports my silly little fics. (I promise I'll get back to Femslash February, I am not immune to writer's block.)

Favorite fictional character: I'm going to be incredibly egotistical here and say my DND character from an abandoned campaign, Tenacity (tiefling. Naturally). She was thrown off a cliff when she was a baby and somehow she STILL had the most normal backstory/childhood of the party. (Going through my notes app and found some WIPs of her and her adopted dad, a transmasc aasimar.)

Last place I traveled to: California, to visit family last September. More locally, the cemetery and my walking route. The land is waking up.

[nickgerlich]

Nice Model

While our initial reactions to AI-generated text have been mixed at best, ranging from concerns about accurate writing to fears among academics that they might be duped by machine-written papers, it is now proving possible that AI can be used for good.

Of course, we can still use our ChatGPT and Bard to write thank you notes and cover letters. But now, we can also leverage AI’s strengths with images that have been customized by users themselves. Levi’s is among the first to use AI to supplement the use of human clothing models, and instead rely on machine-generated images tweaked by users themselves.



And if I were a model, I would be scared right about now, too. This could displace a lot of primping, posing, and strutting people.

Levi’s latest effort allows users to effectively build their own model online so that it best resembles them, from skin tone to body type, and myriad other variables. You thus get to see clothing visually displayed on a “model” that more closely resembles you.



There are other considerations as well, most notably Levi’s commitment to DEI, which stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. While it has long been possible to accuse companies of biases in their use of models, now you can make your own. Talk about inclusivity! While there are state governors spending sleepless nights trying to figure out how to dismantle DEI initiatives, along comes a company announcing its intent to swim upstream.



Furthermore, Levi’s sees AI models as contributing to their sustainability commitment as well. Simply put, AI demands fewer resources, and once the online shopping experience is over, the avatar can vanish. What is uncertain at this time is whether your personal avatar can be stored for later use, so you don’t have to re-create it.



Levi’s has partnered with Lalaland.ai of Amsterdam to create the new AI models. Lalaland.ai is a digital fashion studio, and their work is so good that it is difficult to pick the AI model from the real one. Take a look at the photo comparing the two, and try to pick the AI. Good luck. I’ll let you know the answer at the end.

Selling clothing online has always been a challenge, because fit is a critical issue. While AI models do not solve all of the problems, it goes a long way toward helping answer the age-old question, “What will this look like on me?”



Companies have tried their hand at virtual models for much of this century, but with little success. Just last September, Walmart announced it was launching Virtual Try-On whereby customers could upload a photo of themselves, and then garments would be superimposed upon them.



Join me in saying, “Eeeew. This sounds creepy!” I would not want to do that. Walmart does not need a visual of me. There are plenty of photos of me on the interwebs, and if Walmart really wanted to see what I look like, they could just Google it. Never mind that I don’t buy much beyond groceries at Walmart, I would not be willing to do this. And that goes for any other retailer. You may as well put cameras inside fitting rooms.

As long as customers are comfortable manipulating the AI engine to create their own avatars, this is likely to fly. The push to achieve DEI goals is laudable. And when it comes to sustainability, this will do more than just go light on resources. It will save money in the long-run. Models aren’t cheap, nor are the photographers who shoot the photos and videos.



I suspect we are just on the cusp of where this AI thing will take us. We only thought—a few months ago, mind you—that this would be the end of us all. This is a model I can live with.

Dr “It’s The One On The Left“ Gerlich

Audio Blog

[thefutureofseo]

The Future of SEO: Key Trends Shaping Digital Success in 2025

The Future of SEO: Key Trends Shaping Digital Success in 2025 Imagine a local bakery struggling to attract new customers. Despite having a great website, it barely ranks on Google. Then, they optimize their site for local SEO, include voice-friendly descriptions, and use schema markup for better visibility. Within months, foot traffic and online orders skyrocket.

This isn’t just a success story—it’s a glimpse into The Future of SEO. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) continues to evolve as a critical tool for businesses aiming to thrive in the digital world. In 2025, staying ahead means embracing new trends, technologies, and user behaviors. This blog dives into the key trends shaping The Future of SEO and offers actionable tips to help you stay competitive.

Why SEO Matters More Than Ever Did you know that 68% of all online experiences begin with a search engine? That’s why SEO isn’t optional—it’s essential. As search engines prioritize user intent, content quality, and seamless website experiences, businesses must adapt. In 2025, The Future of SEO will focus on balancing creativity and technology to meet ever-changing customer expectations.

Those who align with these trends will enjoy higher visibility, stronger engagement, and long-term trust from their audiences.

Key Trends Defining the Future of SEO

AI and Machine Learning Take Over Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are changing the SEO game. Tools like Google’s RankBrain analyze user behavior to deliver more accurate results, while AI-driven software simplifies tasks like keyword research and content creation.

To succeed in The Future of SEO, leverage AI to:

Identify high-performing keywords. Predict user intent for personalized content. Automate repetitive SEO tasks, such as meta-tag updates. Example: A fitness brand uses AI to understand customer queries like “best home workouts�� and tailors its content to match. The result? A significant increase in organic traffic.

Changing Search Behavior: Voice and Visual Search How often do you ask Siri or Alexa to find something? Or snap a photo to search for similar products? Voice and visual searches are transforming how users interact with search engines. In The Future of SEO, businesses that optimize for these methods will lead the pack.

To adapt:

Use conversational keywords like “Where can I find gluten-free bread?” Optimize images with detailed alt text and high resolution. Write content that answers specific user questions directly. Example: A clothing retailer uses high-quality images with descriptive alt text and ranks higher for “red leather jacket” searches, both visually and via text.

User Experience and Core Web Vitals Think about the last time you clicked away from a slow-loading website. In 2025, user experience (UX) will remain a cornerstone of The Future of SEO. Google’s Core Web Vitals, which measure page speed, responsiveness, and visual stability, are now non-negotiable ranking factors.

To enhance UX:

Compress large images to improve loading times. Use responsive design to ensure mobile-friendliness. Create clear navigation menus for a seamless user journey. Example: A travel blog reduces image sizes and streamlines navigation, boosting both rankings and user satisfaction.

Building Credibility with E-E-A-T What makes you trust a website? Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) guidelines prioritize credible and high-quality content. In The Future of SEO, businesses that focus on E-E-A-T will earn their audience’s trust and loyalty.

Tips to build E-E-A-T:

Publish accurate, well-researched articles. Include author bios that highlight expertise. Secure backlinks from reputable sources. Example: A health website hires certified nutritionists to write blogs, boosting both authority and rankings.

Video Content Dominates With platforms like YouTube and TikTok driving search behavior, video content is a major player in The Future of SEO. Videos increase user engagement, improve time-on-site metrics, and can even appear in search results.

To optimize video content:

Use keywords in video titles, descriptions, and transcripts. Create short, engaging clips tailored for social media. Add captions to improve accessibility and rankings. Example: A tech company creates TikTok tutorials for its gadgets, increasing traffic to its website and product pages.

Zero-Click Searches and Schema Markup Zero-click searches, where users find answers directly on the search results page, are on the rise. Businesses must adapt by structuring content to appear in featured snippets or Knowledge Panels. Schema markup is critical in The Future of SEO for organizing your data for search engines.

Steps to optimize for zero-click searches:

Write concise answers to common questions. Use schema markup to display key information like pricing and FAQs. Structure content with clear headings and bullet points. Example: A real estate agency uses schema markup to showcase property listings in search results, driving more qualified leads.

Local SEO: Connecting with Communities For small businesses, local SEO is essential. Features like Google Business Profiles and customer reviews play a significant role in attracting nearby customers. In The Future of SEO, local strategies will emphasize hyper-personalization and relevance.

To improve local SEO:

Update your Google Business Profile with accurate information. Encourage customers to leave reviews. Use localized keywords in blogs and descriptions. Example: A bakery updates its Google Business Profile with photos and hours, boosting foot traffic by 30%.

Content Evolution: AR, VR, and Beyond Imagine trying on clothes virtually or touring a property from your couch. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are shaping The Future of SEO by creating immersive, interactive experiences.

To incorporate AR/VR:

Offer virtual try-ons for retail products. Create 3D walkthroughs for real estate listings. Use interactive tutorials to engage users. Example: A furniture store uses AR to let customers visualize sofas in their living rooms, leading to higher sales.

Preparing for the Future Success in The Future of SEO requires adaptability and a forward-thinking mindset. Here’s how to prepare:

Conduct SEO audits regularly to identify gaps. Stay updated on search engine algorithm changes. Invest in high-quality content and technical optimizations.

FAQs

What is the importance of SEO in 2025? SEO is essential in 2025 because it helps businesses improve their online visibility, attract targeted traffic, and stay competitive in an increasingly digital world. With evolving search engine algorithms and user behaviors, investing in SEO ensures your business ranks well and remains relevant to your audience.

How does AI impact The Future of SEO? AI significantly influences SEO by enhancing how search engines interpret and rank content. Tools like Google’s RankBrain use machine learning to better understand user intent, prioritize high-quality content, and deliver personalized search results. Businesses can leverage AI for smarter keyword research, content creation, and user engagement.

What is the role of Core Web Vitals in SEO? Core Web Vitals measure key aspects of user experience, such as page speed, interactivity, and visual stability. These metrics are critical ranking factors in SEO, as search engines prioritize websites that provide fast and seamless user experiences. Optimizing Core Web Vitals helps improve both rankings and user satisfaction.

Why is video content important for SEO? Video content is crucial for SEO because it drives higher engagement, increases time spent on a website, and enhances user experience. Platforms like YouTube are major search engines themselves, and optimizing video content with relevant keywords, captions, and descriptions can significantly boost visibility.

What are zero-click searches, and how can I optimize for them? Zero-click searches occur when users find the information they need directly on the search results page without clicking on a website link. You can optimize for zero-click searches by:

Using schema markup for structured data. Creating FAQ sections. Writing concise answers to common queries.

How can businesses prepare for voice and visual search? To optimize for voice and visual search:

Use natural, conversational language in your content to match voice queries. Focus on long-tail keywords and question-based phrases. Ensure images are high-quality, descriptive, and tagged with relevant alt text.

What is E-E-A-T, and why does it matter for SEO? E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. These are Google’s guidelines for assessing the quality of content. Businesses can improve E-E-A-T by publishing accurate, well-researched content, showcasing author credentials, and earning links from reputable sources.

Why is local SEO critical in 2025? Local SEO is vital because it helps businesses connect with nearby customers searching for services or products. Features like Google Business Profiles, localized keywords, and customer reviews enhance visibility for regional audiences, making it easier for businesses to attract and convert local traffic.

How often should businesses update their SEO strategy? SEO strategies should be reviewed and updated regularly—at least every quarter. This ensures that your website remains aligned with the latest algorithm updates, trends like voice search, and evolving user behaviors.

How can Dream Buildr help businesses with their SEO? Dream Buildr offers tailored SEO solutions, including:

Advanced keyword research. Content creation for blogs, videos, and more. Technical SEO to improve website performance. Data-driven insights for tracking and refining strategies. Visit Dream Buildr to learn more about our SEO services and how we can help your business thrive.

Call to Action: Build Your SEO Future with Dream Buildr Navigating The Future of SEO can feel overwhelming, but Dream Buildr makes it simple. From advanced keyword research to optimizing Core Web Vitals, we help you dominate search results. Our services include:

Keyword Optimization: Find the terms that matter most to your audience. Technical SEO: Ensure your website is fast, secure, and user-friendly. Content Creation: Engage users with blogs, videos, and more. Analytics and Reporting: Track performance and refine strategies. Take charge of The Future of SEO today! Visit Dream Buildr to learn more.

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[hit-song-showdown]

Year-End Poll #38: 1987

[Image description: a collage of photos of the 10 musicians and musical groups featured in this poll. In order from left to right, top to bottom: The Bangles, Heart, Gregory Abbott, Whitney Houston, Starship, Robbie Nevil, Whitesnake, Bruce Hornsby and the Range, Bob Seger, Bon Jovi. End description]

More information about this blog here

Lots of things happening this year. What I want to draw attention to first is the influx of glam metal (or hair metal). Heavy metal as a genre had existed for a few decades by this point, mostly branching off of the blues and psychedelic rock of the late 1960's. To avoid going on an overly-long tangent about metal, I'll leave it at that for now. Glam metal has its roots in the heavy metal sound while also (as the name would suggest) taking additional influences from the glam rock of the 1970's. MTV was very kind to this style of music, and glam metal reached a level of fame where you didn't have to be deep in the metal scene to be exposed to. Other subgenres like thrash and death metal would also grow in popularity around this time, but only to those who were aware of what was going on. Metallica would have to wait to breach the underground and MTV would probably have a hard time getting middle America on board with Necrophagia. So while there was a lot going on in metal throughout the 80s, there's a reason why when most people think of "80s metal", there's a very specific image that comes with that.

But that isn't to suggest that rock music in the mainstream was able to escape controversy by featuring more hairspray and less corpse paint, because there's another moment in music history that will culminate this year. In 1985, the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) put together a list called the "Filthy Fifteen", which listed fifteen songs thought to be inappropriate and damaging towards traditional family values. Songs on the list include Prince's Darling Nikki (which seemed to have raised the most ire out of the PMRC's co-founder, Tipper Gore), Mötley Crüe's Bastard, Twisted Sister's We're Not Gonna Take It, and Cyndi Lauper's She Bop. A senate hearing over the matter of explicit lyrics was held in 1985, with musicians Frank Zappa, John Denver, and Twisted Sister's Dee Snider speaking out in opposition to censorship. There is a lot behind this conflict, both inside the courtroom and outside, so I'm aware that I'm giving a very fly-over view of the events for the sake of this poll. I'll just mention that these hearings were sometimes dubbed "The Porn-Rock Hearings", the outcry from these concerned parents groups fit really well in Reagan's America, and Zappa gave this absolute bomb of a quote that has been sitting with me a lot as of late:

"Bad facts make bad law, and people who write bad laws are, in my opinion, more dangerous than songwriters who celebrate sexuality. Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religious Thought, and the Right to Due Process for composers, performers and retailers are imperiled if the PMRC and the major labels consummate this nasty bargain."

There are so many good quotes, so I linked to the Full Video and Transcript

To make a long story unfortunately short, something of a compromise was reached by requiring musicians and labels to put "parental advisory" stickers on their albums, alerting potential consumers of the "objectionable" material within. Some musicians found the label as a loss for free speech and another example of the U.S. government deciding whose voices get to be considered moral or not. Other musicians predicted that the parental advisory sticker would only make their music more appealing to young people. You probably didn't need me to tell you this, but Tipper Gore and the PMRC did not stop the "moral downfall of America", if such a thing could even be quantified.

So now we all have little black and white stickers on our albums, yay. But this is far from the last time we'll see a major court case over music and obscenity. But we'll go over that next decade.

[refaceitsolutions]

How a Web Development Company in Delhi NCR Can Enhance Your SEO Strategy

In today’s digital landscape, having a well-optimized website is essential for business growth. While many think SEO is solely about content and keywords, strategic web development practices play a crucial role in enhancing SEO performance. Partnering with a leading web development company in Delhi NCR can transform your site into an SEO powerhouse, driving traffic, boosting rankings, and improving user experience. This article explores the key ways web development can enhance your SEO strategy and why choosing the right development partner matters.

1. Mobile Optimization: A Crucial SEO Factor

Why Mobile Optimization Matters: With over 60% of web traffic coming from mobile devices, search engines like Google prioritize mobile-friendly websites. Mobile optimization ensures your site performs seamlessly on smartphones and tablets, improving both user experience and search rankings.

Key Practices:

Responsive Design: Ensures your website adapts to various screen sizes.

Mobile-First Indexing: Google now ranks sites based on their mobile version first.

Fast Loading Speeds: Slow mobile sites result in higher bounce rates and lower rankings.

Case Study from Delhi NCR: A local retail business partnered with a web development company to redesign their site for mobile optimization. The result? A 40% increase in organic traffic and a significant boost in their search engine rankings.

2. Clean and Efficient Coding

Impact on SEO: Search engines favor websites with clean, efficient code because they’re easier to crawl and index. Messy or bloated code can slow down your site and negatively impact rankings.

Best Practices:

Minimize JavaScript and CSS: Reduce unnecessary code to improve loading times.

Semantic HTML: Use proper tags to help search engines understand your content.

Avoid Duplicate Code: Ensure your site structure is streamlined.

Insights from Delhi NCR Developers: Leading web development firms focus on writing clean code to enhance site performance. This practice not only boosts SEO but also makes future updates and maintenance easier.

3. Website Speed Optimization

Why Speed Matters: Page speed is a critical ranking factor. Users expect fast-loading sites, and search engines reward them with higher rankings.

Key Techniques:

Image Compression: Reduces file sizes without sacrificing quality.

Caching Mechanisms: Improve load times by storing static files.

Content Delivery Networks (CDNs): Distribute content across multiple servers for faster delivery.

Delhi NCR Success Story: A financial services firm reduced their site’s load time from 6 seconds to under 2 seconds with the help of a local web development company. This improvement led to a 25% decrease in bounce rates and higher search rankings.

4. User Experience (UX) and Navigation

The Role of UX in SEO: A well-designed website with intuitive navigation improves user experience, leading to lower bounce rates and higher engagement. Search engines interpret these positive user signals as indicators of a high-quality site.

Key UX Factors:

Clear Navigation: Helps users find information quickly.

Engaging Layouts: Keep users on the page longer.

Accessible Design: Ensures usability for all, including those with disabilities.

Expert Insight: A web development company in Delhi NCR redesigned a tech startup’s website, focusing on UX enhancements. The result was a 50% increase in time spent on the site and a noticeable boost in SEO performance.

5. Technical SEO Implementation

Importance of Technical SEO: Technical SEO ensures your website is structured in a way that search engines can easily crawl and index. It involves backend optimizations that directly impact your site's visibility.

Key Elements:

XML Sitemaps: Help search engines find and index all your pages.

Schema Markup: Provides additional context about your content to search engines.

Canonical Tags: Prevent duplicate content issues.

Delhi NCR Example: A healthcare provider worked with a web development company to implement technical SEO. By creating an XML sitemap and fixing crawl errors, they improved their indexing rate, leading to a 35% increase in organic traffic.

6. Security and HTTPS

Why Security Matters for SEO: Google prioritizes secure websites in its rankings. Implementing HTTPS not only protects your users but also boosts your SEO performance.

Key Security Practices:

SSL Certificates: Encrypt data and improve trustworthiness.

Regular Security Audits: Identify and fix vulnerabilities.

Secure Hosting: Choose reliable hosting providers.

Local Insight: A Delhi-based e-commerce site saw improved rankings and customer trust after switching to HTTPS, facilitated by a web development company in Delhi NCR.

7. Optimized Content Management Systems (CMS)

Role of CMS in SEO: An efficient CMS allows you to manage and update content easily, ensuring it remains optimized for search engines.

Key Features:

SEO-Friendly URLs: Use descriptive and keyword-rich URLs.

Content Optimization Tools: Integrate plugins for meta tags, headers, and keyword analysis.

Easy Navigation: Ensure content is organized logically.

Case Study: A publishing house in Noida partnered with a web development company to migrate to an SEO-friendly CMS. This move streamlined content updates and improved search visibility.

8. Local SEO Integration

Importance for Businesses in Delhi NCR: Local SEO helps businesses target specific geographic areas. Web development companies can optimize your site for local searches, ensuring you appear in location-based results.

Key Strategies:

Google My Business Integration: Enhance visibility in local searches.

Local Keywords: Incorporate region-specific keywords.

Mobile Optimization: Ensure your site is mobile-friendly for on-the-go searches.

Delhi NCR Example: A restaurant chain optimized their website for local SEO with the help of a development firm. This strategy led to higher visibility in “near me” searches, driving more foot traffic.

Conclusion

Enhancing your SEO strategy involves more than just content and keywords—it requires a strong foundation built through strategic web development. From mobile optimization and clean coding to UX improvements and technical SEO, partnering with a top web development company in Delhi NCR can elevate your website’s performance and visibility. By leveraging their expertise, businesses can create a website that not only attracts traffic but also converts visitors into loyal customers.

[teamrushipandit]

Which Social Media Platforms Should You Use for Your Business?

Social media Marketing is no longer an option for businesses; it should be a part of every succcessful marketing campaign. However, with thousands of platforms to choose from it can also be a seemingly daunting task as well. Although it might seem like a very straightforward decision, given the fact that each has its own advantages, and tailored to different audiences.

However, by selecting those platforms selectively and using AI-powered tools strategically could help businesses to decide which is the right platform for them while also optimize their social media Platform strategies to have a competitive advantage. Why is social media important?

Social media are ideal for connecting people that have common interests, hobbies and backgrounds. However, there is absolutely no way to do it all when you have a small-medium business on your hands and limited time / resources. There is little point going for something that really does you no favours in reaching your goals.

Statista found that 86% of marketers have experienced increased lead generation on social media, almost three-quarters (73%) see more traffic to their websites from this source and just over two-thirds (64%) said it helped them increase sales. This illustrates how anything less than best use of social media can hold you back from massive opportunities.

People are using social media more and more. More than 5 billion people now spend an average of 2 hours and 20 minutes per day either scanning or interacting with content online. Additionally people are on more platforms, with the DIGITAL 2024: Global Overview Report stating that the average person uses 6.7 platforms per month.

YouTube is most popular social media, followed by WhatsApp Facebook Instagram. Here are the top channels which you can focus on to reach your target audience

Which Social Media Platforms Should You Use for Your Business?

After some time, handling social media Marketing for your business might turn into a real pain, considering the number of available platforms and their specific benefits. Read the following recommendation so that you will be able to make a secure path into using social networks for your service growth.1. The Social Media Giant, Facebook

1.Facebook

Industries:  Retail, Consumer Goods, Local Businesses, E-commerce, Entertainment,

 Why :   On account of Facebook’s user base being vast and the company be functioning in a chorus line, businesses from diverse sectors can harness this platform. The advertising functionalities along with elaborative targeting settings, and community-building options, for example, the feature Groups which can set up the community, are some of the main tools businesses garner that can potentially lead to both sales growth, Recognizing of the brand as well as building the community itself.

2. Instagram

Industries: Fashion, Beauty, Food, Travel, Fitness, Art & Design, Real Estate.

Why: Instagram is perfect for brands that want to convey their story through images. The formerly stated ones are some of the sectors that have shown great success rates on Instagram. Companies that produce material that is visually appealing, like fashion or food, often experience their products being the most popular. Features like Stories, Shopping, and Reels also help businesses connect with young consumers and convert them into buyers.

3. LinkedIn

Industries:  B2B Companies, Professional Services, Education, Finance, Technology, Recruitment, Healthcare.

Why:  LinkedIn is indispensable to companies engaged in B2B Marketing and other professional networking. It is a medium for you to share details such as the industry, recruiting the best talents, and writing on thought leadership. All of this put together makes LinkedIn a robust networking and professional branding platform for B2B Businesses or professionals.

4. Twitter

Industries :  News & Media, Technology, Startups, Public Relations, Politics,  Sports, Entertainment.

Why: Twitter is a tool for executing quick communication, participation in real-time conversations and social linkages with the customer base in industries. It isŽ a rundown on the most recent developments and is useful for sending updates promptly, joining in trending discussions, and attracting an audience through publishing immediate pieces of content. Also, startups can use it to connect with influencers and boost their visibility.

5.Pinterest

Industries: Home Decor, Fashion, DIY & Crafts, Wedding Planning, Food & Beverage, Photography, Health & Wellness.

Why: The visual search engine feature of Pinterest draws a big portion of its users from the population of creative industries posit Pinterest as the best platform for users receiving inspiration and ideas. For the businesses operating in the creative sectors like home decor and fashion, Pinterest is a social media platform that can drive the traffic to their websites and sales can be increased through visually attractive pins.

6. YouTube

Industries :  Education, Entertainment, Technology, Fitness, Beauty, Gaming, Product Reviews, Hospitality & Travel.

Why: The huge market that YouTube has and the effectiveness of video content is what makes the “The indispensability of Video in Tutorials, Product Demos and Brand Storytelling” achievеd. Also, it’s a Video that would be best for setting up a long-term association between businesses and the audience through the intriguing and educative content

7. TikTok

Industries: Fashion, Beauty, Entertainment, Music, Food, Fitness, Education (especially for younger audiences), E-commerce.

Why: TikToks unique algorithm and the rise of short video content give the users the opportunity to become an overnight sensation. For companies operating in education, the platform is already the best medium to promote products that would be highly wanted by the younger and teen generations. TikTok has been a game changer for brands that advertise to this age group or focus on a more light-hearted and entertainment based marketing. Besides the e-commerce step the platform is making which allows consumers to shop on the spot.

8. Pinterest

Industries: Home Decor, Fashion, DIY & Crafts, Wedding Planning, Food &Beverage, Photography.

Why: Pinterest is a type of visual search engine where the users go to for inspiration and ideas. The site is vastly useful in the industry it suits which helps it to succeed in the business. It is particularly good for those industries that can use high-quality images and creativity to lure visitors to their websites. They should have impressive websites which they can market using images and their imaginations to bring the enormous traffic they wish.

9. Snapchat

Industries: Fashion, Beauty, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Travel, Automotive, Real Estate.

Why: Snapchat is a social media platform popular among young people. It is known for creating short, spontaneous and real-time content. Some of the industries that have the potential to create fun, engaging, and time-sensitive content on snapchat (like flash sales) include Snapchat. The AR (Augmented Reality) tools are also great for product demos and virtual try-ons that the platform has a place for.

10. Reddit

Industries: Technology, Gaming, Education, Entertainment, Consumer Electronics, Niche Markets.

Why: Reddit is a community-driven platform where users discuss niche topics. Brands that want to engage deeply with specific interest groups or conduct market research can benefit from Reddit. Industries that thrive on discussions, such as tech and gaming, can use Reddit to connect with highly engaged audiences.

11. WhatsApp Business

Industries: E-commerce, Retail, Hospitality, Customer Service, Travel.

Why: WhatsApp Business is one of the most important tools of the industries that utilize the direct mode of communication with customers. It becomes particularly handy when it comes to customer service, sending order updates, or even providing personalized assistance. E-commerce companies, on the other hand, can send WhatsApp messages or calls to inform customers about the latest deals. They can also touch base to answer questions, even assisting them in the buying process when they require the help to complete payment or filling out a form., undefined

12. Telegram

Industries: Technology, Cryptocurrency, Education, News & Media, E-commerce.

Why: Is known for its privacy features and is popular among tech-savvy users. It is ideal for companies that highly focus on security and privacy, like cryptocurrency and tech. Telegram channels and groups can be utilized for community building, updates, and customer engagement.

13. Quora

Industries: Technology, Education, Professional Services, Health & Wellness, Marketing, Consulting.

Why: Quora is a platform for inquiry and response, and a place where a brand can gain expertise by answering questions that pertain to their specific sector. It is perfect for sectors that thrive on zen of thought and content marketing, which entails the companies’ vision on how trust is created while the customers of the products/ services get persuaded to buy through the internet web page.

14. Medium

Industries: Technology, Education, Publishing, Professional Services, Health & Wellness, Startups.

Why: Medium is a blogging platform that’s the best for industries whose focus is on thought leadership and content marketing. Businesses can employ Medium for display deep articles, case studies, and the insights that and leaders who build credibility and widen the usage base will come. For building, credibility is Medium’s readership and the wider reach that comes along with it in the form of contributing to this integrated platform by commenting on articles

15. Clubhouse

Industries : Technology, Entertainment, Education, Professional Services, Startups.

Why: Clubhouse, an audio-based social network, is a social network that uses the audio platform to allow users to host live discussions. It’s suitable for industries that may plateau tertiary institutions rise in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic through real-time conversations and networking, such as tech startups, education, and professional services. Clubhouse can be used for hosting panels, AMAs (Ask  Me Anything), and networking events.

Conclusion

Choosing the right social media platforms for your business depends on your target audience, content type, and business goals. Instead of spreading your efforts too thin, focus on the platforms that best align with your brand and where your audience spends their time. By strategically selecting and optimizing your presence on these platforms, you can effectively reach your audience and drive business growth. Choosing the right social media Marketing for your business is all about your target audience, content type, and business goals. Instead of spreading your efforts over too many channels, focus on choosing key platforms that best match your brand and where your audience already spends a significant amount of time. By strategically selecting and optimizing your presence on these platforms, you will surely reach the audience and grow your business. For more, Visit now