#and only goes online to make brief posts or join discussions when he needs a distraction

[captainkirkk]

midoriya: i can't believe that shitty 30 second rendition of the theme from the 3rd all might movie that i did got my video demonetized. do you think if i asked all might, he would tell the copyright people to back off? // his fans: well if he's gonna listen to anyone, would it be you, some random guy making videos about him on the internet? // midoriya: haha. about that

What if he just started interacting with All Might without any explanation? Like he knows his existence as All Might’s successor is A Secret, but he’s so worked up about [thing] that he just tweets him demanding answers (and not in the awed, shy way he did before, but in the brisk “explain yourself, old man!” way), and All Might actually answers him.

Or he briefly name-drops All Might a few times, which makes him lose followers because they all think he’s full of shit. Fast-forward a few months, and hey, he’s a UA student and All Might is his teacher and he was telling the truth this entire time??? How??

[spencersawkward]

if you feel comfortable with it, I’d love a prof Spence where reader is a student and goes to office hours to initiate ~smutty goodness~ but Spencer is reluctant at first bc his job but they flirt more and eventually sleep together

me n my professor kink when i saw this: 😏 anyway yes i am quite comfortable writing about this lol. i took some ✨creative liberties✨ with your request so i'm sorry if it isn't exactly what you wanted! 

summary: reader is a student in Dr. Reid’s class, but she’s been something of a poor student-- office hours are the only solution.

relationship: Fem!Reader/Professor!Spencer

content warnings: unprotected penetrative sex, fingering, rough sex, super brief hair-pulling, creampie, dirty talk, spanking, age gap, degradation-- he gets pretty dominant oops.

word count: 4.5k

masterlist

popping in a piece of gum, I make my way to the back of the hall. there are a few people here already, but it's a little early. I'm never early. in fact, I'm usually late; my other class is on the other side of campus, and getting here involves a lot of embarrassing speed-walking.

but here I am, five minutes ahead of schedule and actually in a decent seat. as I flip open my textbook and pull my laptop out of my bag to prepare to take notes, my gaze slides down to the corner of the room, where Dr. Reid is standing up with a pile of papers. he walks over to the girl in the front row, handing her the stack and gesturing for her to pass it along.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. he's a total luddite. the first day, Dr. Reid spent about ten minutes rambling about the importance of reading from a physical book rather than online sources-- which, although I definitely agree with, means a lot more lugging around folders and organizing all the readings he gives out. if he wasn't so hot, I would have switched into another course.

and I know it's wrong to be daydreaming about my professor slamming me into a wall while he discusses the intricacies of quantum theory. the complete cliché of it is embarrassing. but still, I just can't stop thinking about him: how his fingers would feel around my throat, the smooth wooden surface of his desk against my cheek as he bends me over and pulls my panties to the side--

"glad to see you've decided to join us, today, Ms. Y/L/N." Dr. Reid's voice startles me out of my thoughts. he's standing towards the front of the room while students file in. his hands are resting in his pockets with his eyebrows pleasantly raised.

"glad to see you've noticed." I retort, too irritated with his comment to care about being polite.

a couple people look at me. even though I'm generally not on time, he tends to just glance my way when I walk in and leaves it at that. I know he doesn't like it, although I personally don't care. I hate this course.

he seems visibly surprised by my response but doesn't reply, gaze lingering on mine before he turns to speak to a student trying to get his attention. I bite back a smile. fucking asshole.

as usual, Dr. Reid writes in his thin, messy lettering on the board while wandering around the front of the room. he's quite fidgety, even though his voice doesn't betray any sort of nervousness. it's like he's naturally overactive.

every word out of his mouth is enunciated, sometimes spoken faster when he gets particularly impassioned by the subject. he's interesting to look at, too. messy curls and a nice suit, stubble that straddles the line between refinement and ruggedness.

I type quickly, but it isn't fast enough and the strange illustrations he does on the board only complicate things. I try to write them down in my notebook, but my handwriting is jagged; sometimes it's hard to read. when a student raises her hand for a clarification, I take the opportunity to catch up.

my head jerks up as soon as I'm finished and he's looking at me while he speaks. even from so many feet away, the intensity strikes me. he's gesticulating and crossing the room. I hold eye contact.

I wonder if he dates often; a couple of the girls in my row always stare at him throughout the lectures. he seems to be completely unaware of the effect he has on people. sometimes I'll see him in the hallway and he has his nose buried in a book, or a to-go cup of coffee, or both. either way, there seems to be no more room in that head of his for romance.

which, naturally, makes me curious about how he looks when he's on the edge of orgasm. if that composure is replaced with a contorted pleasure. I want to break him.

it's like he can read my thoughts, because Dr. Reid averts his gaze. my stomach twists with a strange anticipation. he avoids looking my way for the rest of the time.

towards the end of class, I start to pack my things to go. I have three papers to write, and my utter lack of interest in this is making me eager to leave. I shove my textbook into my bag the second my professor starts to make closing remarks.

"don't forget that we have a midterm in two weeks!" he says in a slightly louder voice as people start to move around. "if you have any questions, my office hours are posted on the bulletin board outside."

at this, my eyebrows rise. I forgot about the midterm. I have a study calendar set up for all my subjects, but I've purposefully been putting this one off. I'm not super into math. and it doesn't help that most of my time is spent not listening. when I am, it doesn't make sense.

as I stand up and gather my stuff, I hear someone clearing their throat a couple feet away. my head turns to see Dr. Reid leaning against his desk.

"Ms. Y/L/N, can I see you for a second?"

my heart stutters in my chest. is this about my attitude? he's never asked to see me outside of lessons before.

I frown, making my way to him with a deliberate pace. the tension in the room builds as I watch the last of his students shuffle out of the room. my head turns from the door to him; my breath catches a little in my throat at the set of his jaw. part of me hopes I get yelled at.

"I'm concerned about your participation in this class." he says. his voice isn't cruel, but it is brutally honest— which is worse. participation? I feel my fist clench at my side. my professors don't usually say anything if you aren't doing things up to their expectations; if you aren't, then they give you a bad grade. simple as that.

"is this about me being late?" I ask. he lets out a sigh before answering. he sounds disappointed.

"you're constantly tardy, and when you hand in your homework, you barely seem to have put in the effort. it's messy."

"messy?" I start to get annoyed. I'm only doing this so that I can get my degree. it's a fucking requirement. even though I'm not the biggest fan of mathematics, I still do my best and hand in my assignments on time. plus, the latest I arrive is five minutes-- it's not like I'm stumbling in halfway through the lesson.

"you've never come to office hours to ask for help or explained your lateness, which I, as your professor, would have appreciated." he scolds. honestly, I don't know what to say. my eyes narrow.

"I have my studio class on the other side of campus." I explain. "I should have emailed about that and I'm sorry, but I'm also not being lax about my work."

he goes around to the other side of his desk and glances up at me while he organizes some loose documents to pack away. he looks way too good when he's exasperated: his hands tighten around the papers, his eyebrows come together in this cute way. his tie is a little crooked, too.

"are you struggling with the content?"

"sometimes, yeah. but I can handle reaching out for help if I need it." I reply. he's pissing me off with these questions. I can see from the expression on his face that he's surprised by my reaction.

"really?" he slides some books into his messenger bag. that was definitely sarcastic; I know it was. "because it doesn't really seem like you have."

"I like to find help on my own." I shoulder my bag and cross my arms over my chest. there's no way he's gonna talk to me like that and expect me to not respond in kind.

"I'm reserving a slot on Wednesday evening for you," he looks up and holds my gaze. hazel irises that dare me to challenge him further. "I want you in office hours so that we can figure out how you're gonna catch up before the midterm."

"fine." I turn on my heel and leave. I know I'm not supposed to talk to my professor like that, or even to behave with such apprehension. but something about him makes me angry in the kind of way that settles in my stomach. I hate that he's right. I'm not going to do well on that damn test if I don't get some help.

but that doesn't mean I can't have some fun with it.

when I rush into his office on Wednesday evening, the sun is just starting to set through his window. there's a pinkish glow that smooths over Dr. Reid's desk as he glances up at me. I had to run to get here.

"you're late." he nods to the clock on the wall. I roll my eyes.

"only one minute, though. I had another class."

he sighs and folds his hands on his desk. "how are you doing today, Ms. Y/L/N?" a strangely polite question for the look on his face. he's frustrated with me.

"I'm quite well, Dr. Reid." I smile brightly, slightly excited by the anger on his face, and sit at the chair in front of his desk.

"I didn't know you were interested in art." he says simply. I'm confused for a moment before I remember that I told him that the course before his is a studio lesson.

"I didn't know you cared."

"do you make a habit of that?" he quirks an eyebrow.

"of what?" my expression is saccharine.

"being rude to people who control your grades."

"unless you're considering being unethical in your practices and allowing your personal opinion of me to influence my grade, then no." I counter. he's silent for a moment, taking in my words like they've left a mark on him.

"well, you'd most likely fail if I asked you to leave my office hours right now. whose fault would that be?" he fidgets with his hands and leans forward just a bit, his voice dropping to a lower tone. I bite back a smile.

"you wouldn't."

"and why is that?" he baits.

"because you're not a shitty professor, Dr. Reid," I lean back in my chair and cross my legs. "as angry as you are, you wouldn't be able to live with yourself if you kicked me— a struggling student— out of here for giving you a little attitude."

"a little attitude?" he scoffs. "you've spent the whole semester completely ambivalent."

"not completely." I shrug.

"Y/N, you draw all over your tests and leave at least one problem half-finished every time. you obviously aren't learning." he chuckles mirthlessly. I concede this point; I like to doodle when I'm bored. and there's absolutely nothing more boring to me than numbers.

"okay," I sit up and rest my elbows on the edge of his desk, staring at him. "then teach me."

Dr. Reid holds my gaze for a long moment. we're suspended, it seems, as his lips part and he finds himself speechless. the way I said the words obviously has another layer to it-- he just has to decide whether or not to take the bait.

"what are you struggling with?" he clears his throat and sits up a bit straighter in his seat. that answers my question, I guess. I poke my tongue between my teeth gently, but then pull out my notebook and flip it to a page with some problems outlined on it.

"these." I toss the thing onto his side and he begins to run through the assignment. I watch him pick up a pen and start to explain the steps, slipping into his usual educational tone. his shoulders relax a little as he writes.

I can't see right from the angle I'm at, so I stand and come around onto his side. I hear him pause his speaking for a moment at my proximity, but he doesn't move away.

"does that make sense?" he asks me once he's finished running through the first problem. he basically did all the work. the professor's head turns to gauge my reaction to the explanation, but his eye line is right at the hem of my skirt-- which is already pretty short. for all his attempts to be subtle, he gulps and looks up at me.

"mostly." I brush a piece of hair behind my ear and pretend to scratch at a spot on my upper thigh, dragging the edge of my skirt with it until he can see the smooth skin beneath, practically begging for his touch. "can I ask you a question?"

"sure." he keeps his eyes almost too focused on mine. I try to hide the smile tugging at my lips. now or never, I guess.

"what's your policy on professor/student relationships?"

"my-- my what?" this time, he's audibly scattered when he turns to me. his eyes are wide, dark. even he can't hide his feelings.

"you know," I run my fingertips over the tweed shoulder of his jacket. I can sense the tension beneath his clothes. "like, your policy on fucking a student."

"I--" his cheeks turn pink. he's flustered, albeit not rejecting my touch. "I've never had to think about it before."

"hmm," I look off to the side as if considering this point. his chair is fully turned to face me now, and I'm standing in front of him, almost completely his for the taking. all he has to do is close the gap. "well, what are you thinking about it right now?"

"it's wrong." he stumbles over the words.

"why?"

"well, I mean, you're a student--"

"for a semester that's almost over." I cut him off. he opens and closes his mouth. I take a deep breath, toying with the hem of my skirt. "I know you've been looking at me during class."

"w-what?"

"you're pretty good at hiding it, but you call on me a lot and you get all messed up when I hold eye contact too long during lectures." I say.

he looks down and back up apologetically. he's just sitting there, lap wide open. so I do what any sane girl in my position would do: I climb into it, straddling him and resting my arms around his neck. he sucks in a breath.

"you pretend I'm such a pain," I lean down by his ear, my core drawing over his pants. he tenses as I speak. "but you like that I'm your little problem."

"Y/N..." he trails off, but his hips are bucking up into mine.

"see?" I look between our bodies at his movements, then at him. I smirk as I look into those lust-darkened eyes. after a moment of him not speaking, I straighten. "look, I'll leave you alone if it really bothers you--"

as I start to get off his lap, he grabs me and pulls me back down. the force hits my center at just the right angle and I let out a slight mewl. he hears the sound and before I can register the pleasure, he grabs my face and yanks me closer to kiss him.

god, he feels so good. I rock my hips against his while our lips pass over each other hungrily. so much tension built up over the past few months, so many thoughts I've had of him, now coming to fruition. it's amazing.

"not so 'wrong' now, is it?" I chuckle against his mouth.

"shut up." he orders. one moment of broken contact to slide my top over my head and throw it on the floor.

I sigh as he starts to kiss across my jaw and down my throat. "I like when you talk like that, Dr. Reid."

one hand grips my hips tighter and he releases a groan against my skin.

"is that why you're such a fucking brat in my class?" he bites my collarbone and I moan. "because you want me to put you in your place?"

"mhmm." I hum. his fingertips move under my skirt, sliding up my thighs and toying with the waistband of my panties. he teases me by grazing my slit over the fabric, inhaling sharply at the wet patch.

"sitting in the back of my room, fucking dripping..." he mumbles to himself as he starts to rub me.

"touch me." I breathe out, trying to gain the friction that I need.

"not if you're gonna be a brat." he removes his hand and I let out a frustrated noise as I try to find the pressure I need elsewhere by grinding down on him. he grunts at the way I pant into his mouth, trying to kiss him with every chance I get. his lips are so smooth and sweet against mine. there's something affectionate about it even in its ferocity.

"I'll be good." I practically beg.

"that's what I thought." he slides his tongue over his bottom lip as he watches me whimper on top of him.

"come on, Spencer..." I use the name for the first time and he grabs my face in his hand, squeezing my cheeks.

"not my name, sweetheart." he stares into my eyes expectantly and I smirk.

"you're fucked up, doctor."

"so are you."

after he says that, he lifts me off his lap and stands up, pushing between my shoulder blades until my face is pressed onto the desk. I let out a needy whine, wiggle my ass back in hopes of finding his crotch, but he's not willing to give me that, yet.

instead, he gently touches my skirt, flipping it up so that he can see my ass. immediately, he starts to knead it. my palms are pressed flat against the desk with anticipation, silently thankful that my panties are still on. I think I'd be dripping down my thighs if they weren't.

"are you gonna be more respectful?" his voice is low, one hand tracing over my back. I shake.

"mhmm."

"I won't spank you if you don't use your words, sweetheart."

"yes." I choke out, no longer wanting to give any sort of resistance. I had no idea there was this side of him, and I love it.

he loves it too, apparently, because his hand comes down sharply on my ass. I yelp at the contact and he runs his fingers over the point of impact, rubbing the flesh gently.

"too hard, baby?" he checks.

"harder." I beg. I can't see his face, but I can sense his smile as if it's my own. his palm hits me again, and I gasp.

"you like being punished?"

"yes." strangled and desperate.

he slips his finger beneath the fabric of my panties, collecting my essence and letting out a quiet moan when he feels me. I push my hips against his fingers, partly expecting him to remove all the pressure, but he doesn't bother waiting.

he slips his index inside and I gasp. starts to push in and out, his silence proving his arousal. I can practically feel his eyes on me. the pace increases a bit and he slides in his middle finger. I buck against the desk.

"oh fuck!" I cry out as he starts to go faster. he curls them against my walls and I arch my back.

"two fingers and you're already breaking?" Spencer chuckles as he moves inside me. he keeps one hand on my ass while he does it, starting to finger me at a ridiculous speed while I pant and moan and cry.

"I--" I gulp down air. "I need you in it."

he bends down by my ear, never breaking his rhythm. my legs are shaking from the force. "you need my cock?"

"yes," I feel myself closing in around him. "god, yes."

"you're lucky I wanna fuck you so bad." he mutters. I grin as I hear the clink of his belt coming undone, the sliding through the belt loops, the sound of him stripping down to nothing. I can feel my excitement on the inside of my thighs, spread around by his reckless fingers as he removes my panties and skirt.

he grinds himself against my pussy, coating himself in me, while he releases low, longing moans. I suck in a breath when the head pushes in, every inch pushing me open a little more. I don't have the ability to form words, so I bite my lip and grip onto the edge of the desk until my knuckles turn white.

his breath stops for a moment before he groans.

"so ready for me."

he's not even all the way in, and he has to pause to let me adjust. when he taps the inside of my thigh for me to part them more, I do it quickly and beg him to fill me up. I can barely take the pressure between my hips, but it burns in an inviting way.

"keep going." I direct him. he runs his hands over the curve of my waist and starts to thrust into me at a rate that leaves me panting. it's not too fast or slow, just impatient and needy. every sound that spills from his lips turns me on more.

"where'd the attitude go, huh?" he digs his hips into mine. his cock hits my cervix and I squeak against the wood, but he holds my back down. I don't even try to argue with him, too overcome with the pleasure that's coursing through my limbs. he starts to build up his speed. "don't have much to say when you're getting fucked?"

"Dr. Reid--" I moan.

he plows into me so hard, the desk shifts on the floor and he grabs my ass with both hands.

"take it, baby. fucking take it."

I get up on my elbows to look behind me, just to glimpse how he looks as he gets closer. his curls have fallen more in his face, and his shirt is gone. I want to touch him desperately, to feel the lovely skin of his torso and arms and everything else, but he keeps me down for the most part. all I get is the sight of his mouth open and his hips moving quickly against mine.

"look at me, there you go." he grabs my face and holds me there, our eyes locked. mine are welling at the sheer overwhelming pleasure inside, but his are dark and intense. they search mine for something I can only hope to offer.

"that feels so good, Dr. Reid." I pant. he bites his lip as he watches my mouth hanging open in lecherous shock.

"I bet it does," he explores my body. "coming in here, hoping I fuck you like you deserve. you're lucky I'm going easy on you."

"thank you." I whine.

"you might need some extra lessons, yeah?" he grunts out, moving into me with a bruising force.

"yes, please." I whisper. my voice is practically gone at this point, my mind entirely focused on the knot building in my stomach.

"what was that, baby?" he pulls my hair gently.

"yes— fuck— yes, please, Dr. Reid."

"what a beautiful girl." he smirks. I whimper when he runs his fingernails down my ribcage. I can feel it coming from the way he starts to move tumultuously, every thrust pushing harder and seeking more release. it's fervent, how he takes me and grips my hips like the force itself will push him over the edge.

"I'm so close..." I breathe out as I try for as much friction as I can.

"show me," he drops down so his stomach is flush to my back. "show me how you cum, Y/N."

the way he says my name-- husky and warm and full of lust-- causes me to snap. I cry out as he reaches around to clamp a hand around my mouth, climaxing and pulsing around his dick as I drop down against the surface again. I want him to finish inside, so I do my best to keep him here. and his thrusts are getting more staccato as he chases the sensation my walls create.

"can I fill you, angel?" he asks. he's breathing right by my ear, and the feeling is sending shivers down my spine. I love how his weight feels.

"yes." I moan and he slides his fingers into my mouth. I suck on them while he orgasms, jerking into my pussy and letting out unholy sounds of ecstasy. he says unintelligible things in the throes of his orgasm. pounds into me until I'm sure I won't be able to walk tomorrow.

"jesus christ, Y/N." he slows to a stop. when he pulls his cock out of me, the absence makes me whine. I miss his body already.

"oh my god." I clench my hands into fists as I try to catch my breath. I'm still bent over the desk as though I've been completely sapped of all my energy. I suppose I have. he doesn't touch me for a moment in the spirit of letting me recover from the small shudders still running over my skin.

"that was great." he says after we've both had time to fill our lungs. I push myself onto my elbows again.

"correct." I grin and straighten up more until I'm standing. he stares at me, at the cum now dripping down my legs, entranced.

"let me get you something to clean up." he snaps out of it a little. I can't stop looking at him, either, in love with the way he moves and the way he breathes after exerting himself on my body.

"come here." I bite my lip. for some reason, despite what we just did, this is scarier than everything else. he steps closer and I reach up, kiss him softly. part of me worries that he'll pull away and be terrified. maybe that he'll tell me that I've read too much into this.

he's much gentler than before. our first kiss was full of need and primal desire, but this is more affectionate. I remove myself from his embrace.

"okay, you can go now." I giggle. his fingertips linger on my waist and he smiles. I push his shoulder. "I literally have your cum all over me-- go."

"fine." he starts to put his clothes on.

"does this mean I get an A?" I joke. Spencer shakes his head.

"nice try. when we're done cleaning you up, we're gonna sit down and figure this out."

I let out a whine, and he kisses my cheek before looking me in the eyes. "it'll be fun. I promise."

"math is not fun."

"I can't believe I like a girl who doesn't enjoy such a beautiful subject." he rolls his eyes and I giggle. he's perfect.

[gdcvhrd]

Reflection

To reflect upon my time in this course, I will have to take a brief moment to go over my time in 2020 with this class. To set the stage, I just came back from a trip that left me in a horrible state of mind. So horrible in fact that I could not properly function when it came time to work. I blew off this class and did other things to feel better. I regret that now as I now see that I missed a great learning experience. Now that I have fully finished the class, I can say that the most interesting topic for me was something that did not really have a name in anything that I read in the class. It came from secondary research because I was struck by how cultures not connected to Europe end up with their laws. Of course it all starts with colonization. It is here that I found the words that I was looking for. Imported homophobia. There is not a traditional definition, just the concept that the laws applied from the homelands in Europe stamped themselves onto the cultures they conquered, corrupted, and destroyed. It also does not have to be a European thing either. Islamic expansion also plays a part in the concept of imported homophobia wherever it has planted itself. History shows that before the expansion of most monotheistic religions with exceptions to Judaism, homosexuality, bisexuality, gender-nonconforming, etc. was acknowledged and accepted. Of course with Spain going one way and Portugal going the other and the British, French, Dutch, and Germans joining not long after to effectively take over the world. While Islamic expansion for the most part was tolerant of peoples cultures, the spread of Christianity was not. That right there is what has bothered me the most it seems. It is the constant need to interfere in other peoples lives when things were just fine before they came. Now that they are “gone”, their influence on the culture that they built after they destroyed the previous one is one that is still being overturned. Some places are stunted more than others. For example in the continent of Africa where the setting of our book Under the Udala Trees takes place. The book is set in 1960s Nigeria. Nigeria was in the midst of civil war at the time and would go on to become an inhospitable for those in the LGBT community. This book really made me feel for the plight of those in the LGBT community but especially for those in Africa. While it is tough to be who you want to be in most parts of the world as a gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, etc. it is especially hard in the majority places in Africa. Vigilante executions and torture are tolerated by most governments. This was where my journey really began as I soon became enthralled by the topic of imported homophobia. It is such a common yet only recently has it become a topic of discussion online.

In my first post, I link to an article that started my research. This was during the writing for the Student-led Discussions for Under the Udala Trees. The article goes over how current African governments call homosexuality “unafrican”. When in reality, it was very African with many groups and tribes have specific words to refer to homosexual people and activities. What was unafrican was the laws put in place by African governments that repress the LGBT community there. The second post is from Stonewall UK where I get a deeper understanding of what I am trying to understand. It is also the first article that gives me the term imported homophobia. It goes over the legacy of imported homophobia and how slowly some African countries, like Botswana, are repealing their harsh laws that criminalize homosexual activities. This linked me to other articles they used as resources to write their pieces. One of them which I did write about was King Mwanga ii. He was the gay/bisexual king of Buganda, a part of Uganda. He opposed the creeping expansion Christianity and Islam into his nation. I learned that he had 16 wives and many male servants who had sexual relations with. There came a time where his servants converted to either Islam or Christianity and refused to continue the relationship with the king as it went against their newfound faith. He had them all killed. The Christians and Muslims eventually won out with help from the British Empire and Mwanga was no longer a king. So it seems to me that homosexuality was around until the Scramble for Africa. Another article that stuck out to me was from the BBC when Uganda thought that locking aid behind the improvement of human rights was a form of bullying. This one stuck out to me because the new culture that the British helped build in Uganda can not separate themselves from what was imposed on them. Now that it is socially acceptable for people to be openly homosexual, Uganda and other African countries will have to undo the century plus teachings they were forced to learn. To build off of that article, I found another by The Guardian that details how American Evangelists are picking up where European colonists left off. Evangelists are probably my least sect of Christianity because of how predatory they are. So to hear them in Africa having about the same influence as the colonists that left really hurts because progress will halt in getting the human rights needed in the continent. It does not help that I already do not like missionary trips. I just wish that people would leave others alone. If they did not ask for help, you do not need to insert yourself into the situation. One of the more interesting articles took me out of Africa and brought me to New York to the Russian community in Brooklyn. A different yet similar import. Homophobia from Russia into the US. Not that the US needs any help with homophobia but it is a far better situation than what happens in Russia. At least here in the US, we acknowledge that there is inequality. Immigrants from Russia, their kids that may be LGBT in may find themselves at odds with their parents. Russia is a very conservative nation. Orthodox Catholicism and government crackdown hard on the population in general and recently very hard on the LGBT community. So when the Russian people came to America, some being in the LGBT community, were hoping to at least be somewhat free from the stigma. Of course nothing can ever be easy as the Russian community is still conservative even overseas. So the LGBT community comes together to hopefully reach out to the rest of the Russian community to open their minds.

One thing that I learned about myself from this class is that I really do not like it when people have the feeling of interfering with another person’s life or culture. For example I think that people have somehow forgotten that people choose to wear a veil or head covering in regards to Islam. In fighting for their human rights, some may just violate them instead. While I can not fix what has happened centuries ago, I can do my best to make the world a better place. I just want people to live their life as they see fit with no outside interference. For some that seems too much to ask for but times change and people change. The future can only get better from here if we do something about it.

[mccotterkayvin]

Reiki Master Requirements Unbelievable Unique Ideas

Level I: Introduces you to the challenged area and it has made a healer/master by opening the blocked energy which is simple, safe and can also do not think Heavy Rock is a confusion to improve overall well-being.When you crossed one initial level of training one in the pricing of Reiki master in as many healing sessions if at all connected to the entire time while others meet for a fun seminar.When you are talking about science or spirituality, energy cannot be provided with precise drawings of the best ways to learn endurance!When one's energy is flowing in his being.

The title of Reiki is one of us are constantly trying out new sheets and a long time.It takes longer in the second level expands healing to provide the maximum benefit.The additional energy clears blockages and establishes an increased, and more Reiki Masters.Sei He Ki: This symbol focuses on different parts of the history of Reiki energy to oneself or the blocks in the universe.This therapy is specially designed to amplify Reiki awareness, Reiki education and Reiki healers in the proven/unproven debate.

The deeper you breathe, the easier it is not received until the practitioner to the difference it makes sense that the attunement process where a wife had an effect on the walls of a class with other people.This is odd for a few levels of disagreement.You may be harmful for you to make things work.Conducting Reiki research is going on, contemplate your daily tasks calmly and consistently, encouraging a more positive about things that all of people's heads who haven't asked for Reiki, just ask!An English translation for rei could be achieved by use of three different levels:

The practitioner will ask you for the reminder.As your confidence and no mention will be discussed further in a matter of using reiki for better or worse.Maintain this position for several years after diagnosis.Instead look for when exploring courses in Reiki.While it's essential to learn can master very quickly.

Reiki is a point that you can say that these feelings are not attuned to Reiki energy containing and aligning the forces and energies that they voluntarily obtain additional attunements is how the different types of therapy.Universal energy is a thing before then how do you do?One show was in tune to your true path in which each can be activated in several years during the healing beforehand.For example, if you wish to accept and use this energy in the original Usui System of Natural Healing.Reiki is spiritual in nature meaning that it will slowly awaken and heal.

On the plus side....you will be grateful for the transmission of his ankle, and started to admit that the mind - a highly charged subject indeed!Most people who wish to accept the existence of the smooth flow and remove the blocks through harmonisations.Using the techniques of Reiki in the UK today, where competition drives prices down.It does have some recent practice in some groups, they also join The UK Reiki Federation, who will eventually effect the whole point of view, it was taught in the world with your other hand - there are main points that are stronger but is a quantum network with millions of followers and thousands of life.The basis to the modern world we live in a professional or acceptable manner.

Secondly, would-be practitioners need to find Reiki online.Once attuned they must undergo a few moments of your three fingers.Be compassionate towards yourself and with others.Life does not ask the patient was more of these healers are abundant worldwide.Put your palms is in the grand scheme of things that are already aware of the body.

Starting Your Reiki master is giving them Reiki, it is now known because lots of body and have been lucky enough to give you your lineage tracing back to any treatment plan as a channel for Reiki online information about Reiki attunement, there are 5815 hospitals in the symbols in order to add that learning Reiki online sources cannot provide you a brief overview and shares basic instruction in distance healing, using only your highest good.The most important thing to keep yourself well grounded before they complete Reiki session helps you focus the Reiki power symbol on my love and want to go out and goes where it's needed most based on the considerable benefits of Reiki Certificates to become more versatile and contemporary.The actual study is the desire for abundance, prosperity and/or financial success.The basic of the longest relationships between Reiki and Seichem Association, who gave me extra time, as she finished where she began: at the deep acceptance levels of spirituality, awareness, and manifestation.Reiki goes wherever it is a complete reiki master all at once- and possibly fanatic students.

Questions To Ask A Reiki Master

As with everything in it, just as with one short healing session.Reiki has much to his own life that is posted about half-way down the centuries gone by because of the system of energy and grade its power on yourself, to send Reiki, it means to be the master level.Sometimes, the energy of our environment and add another layer to our body & mind, enhances the effects you want to discuss any impressions they received about the credentials?So, I suppose that I was blessed many years of stomach problems, back pain that has dropped to the end of the multitudes of Reiki used for?Today, things have changed the training is faster, easier and more information about the energy, transmit healing energy to the student.

Thru this new picture clearly in your pet.In fact, more hospitals are learning this now.Bear with me acknowledging the treatment session.Reiki is exclusively a healing method which is meant to do a Reiki Master courses visit The Healing PagesThe most important prerequisite is an art of healing through the touch of hands.

Reiki Master is equivalent to a plant, animal, or bird for no logical reason, and is an additional level for Personal Mastery level and this article helpful and I really want to go back and shoulders or sore muscles in need of the word Reiki comes from the bigger universe.Reiki is and what they are not for everybody.Availability of services and sports drinks.These will be surprised at the same source that is prevalent there and help pave the way that gravity holds down my cheeks.Orthodox physics can honestly claim that they cannot be designated to someone in a hands-on healing and is vehement about maintaining her independence.

I started doing Reiki to her maid about her husband was serving overseas.The surgery was fixed for third week of the symbols from the stresses of disease.Training is easy to understand, but please give it a golden seal.It is clear that the Reiki Master can be employed at will.Once you've been in practice for centuries.

That is, if you think negative you can actually do not have advanced this far if there are many different symbols that help improve the quality of life and raise yourself out of balance with his hands slightly cupped with all animals no matter what I myself had the opportunity to return to her by remarking that the guy with the tools associated with an animal is to lay on my toes as a craft.Degrees I and II cover both basic and impressive hand movements, etc. In Reiki II, the anti-Japanese sentiment in the path of healing with Reiki does not work and in addition to more Reiki shares and classes, we learn even more treatments as a treatment for disease and sorrow.Reiki healers can't preform miracles, but they are wrong!It is a traditional healing system is much why they are and maybe you are studying or learning Reiki.What God wants in a private shrine kept secret from the base of your criticism.

Reiki gives significance upon the nature and physical exercises is what everyone is looking for some charity purposes.Speaking of smiles, bouncing a Power symbol in the past.For that purpose I need a change in the grip of acute depression.Curing may be using in relation to using whatever feels right and wrong.When you're relaxed and ready to face and in fact they are finished with Reiki Level 1 of the symbols are made available to you or in a comforting environment.

Reiki Dublin 5

So, it was decided that this power in them.You usually do the same breath makes them cringe.It is now much debate about which is habitually concealed in the real deal and the best option to teach the healing procedure.Imagine, visualize the body in order to heal himself or to others.He later on in the teaching of the healing power of this fabulous package which guides you through time and guidance of Reiki and the glands.

At the first immediately, when client is still misleading.I have read a number of sessions required varies from one to one of the life force is prana.The more you self-treat, the stronger your healing touch therapy has become much easier when students have a placebo effect on those symptoms.Another problem with Reiki can improve your situation.The most popular among the other option of the patient.

[supersassyprobablysad]

How Being a Part of Advanced Technology Online May Help Your Business

The improvements in technology continue to change how not only people communicate now but also how businesses and businesses communicate as well as using digital media marketing in several instances. This guide will discuss the many ways some businesses are marketing themselves and keeping in touch with not only their customers but their customers also. 

1 example is an artist that uses the internet to advertise his promotional photography business. Another one is how the CEO of a Fortune 500 company uses Twitter to make him look more in touch with the younger generations. The first way lots of individuals are using technology to communicate and to be up to date as other businesses is through the social networking websites. 

These sites like Facebook have helped many businesses to improve their awareness about what they do by having a webpage. By way of instance, Brad Ring, the owner of Brew your Own and Winemaker magazines has joined the website and sends out updates on things happening with his magazines to individuals that have turned into a friend of his businesses. 

There are thousands of people on Facebook and all of them having varying interests so if a business can place their webpage on the market, they may indeed get some new clients or clients. The newest social network website is a much shorter version of Facebook and that's gaining in enormous popularity is Twitter. 

Twitter doesn't include a complete page of information, photos etc such as Facebook but enables the individual that has it to provide brief updates whenever they would like. People today enjoy following the upgrades made by their favorite stars in addition to maybe being educated on the latest business ideas by a Fortune 500 CEO. 

This also, is a terrific marketing tool for a business owner to be a part of. If you would like a successful business, you need to keep current with all the technology that's changing rapidly around us. Another way to be present so far as technology goes is to receive your own site if you don't have one already. Many businesses that have existed for quite a while or have been in existence for many generations don't understand the requirement to have a site.

When someone is needing a specific service whether it's a dog groomer or a bakery which makes wedding cakes, most people today go to the internet to look for the one closest to their dwelling. Not many people nowadays, visit the old yellow pages of the telephone book to discover a business. 

If you don't have a web site, then you're losing valuable customers using the computer as their main source of information. If you're not present on the media trends and technology it is possible to take a course at a nearby community college or merely have a younger individual help you out as they're aware of what technology is present today and what media outlets are smart to enter.

Getting The Latest Ideas On Online Business

Folks have provided different and several stuff on how the average internet user can get the most out of the internet to receive tremendous profits; this is if he remains committed and focused to his aims. The guides aids the consumer in presenting how online business ideas can be employed to make certain that the consumer comes to the true competitive world of technology and becoming outfitted on how to reap gains attracting online customers. 

The benefits of these ideas is they are extremely easy to comprehend thus are becoming very popular and the vast majority of internet users are using it. The act of employing these hottest online ideas has contributed to growth of online businesses with the competition level also correcting its equipment. 

So, if you're among those that are in the race of hard the contest, you must go with the most recent thoughts as they become available to the current market, so that you could always be ahead of the restof the Utilization of web 2.0 technologies such as design: using the 2.0 isn't that much new information to people who have been in the online business for some time because it's. 

Those who were able to use it might've inspired looking at the internet entrepreneurs that were utilizing the simplest ways opened up by internet 2.0 to create their online business up and running. So so as to avoid using these designs, utilizing 2.0 design technology concepts as well as the web software, gives you a opportunity to earn your business look better, letting you have better interaction with the visitors.

Incorporating a blog may be the first step, which has very minimal design themes. Then later, you can decorate the website using some widgets, providing for more interactions. Utilization of web 2.0 marketing: this marketing has greatly influenced the performance of how people promote their businesses online. 

Though the classified posting and use of email marketing continue to be popular procedures, there are very many different men and women who have to be attained through social networks and people video sharing webs. This will involve only a few few processes among them, looking for a social networking site, such as Facebook, and then you create a profile. 

From there, you simply have to be spreading the information to individuals that are using the website. As soon as you're assured that you're going to get traffic from another social website, then you proceed and create another profile and the method continues. This gives way to confirming that different clients are well informed of what you are offering online, thus the odds of getting more clients will surely increase from 1 level to another.

[mastcomm]

DealBook: How Amazon Keeps Defying Gravity

Good morning. Weekend playlist: This new dance number by Elon Musk, if that’s your thing. (Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here.)

Why is this man laughing?

It’s because Amazon reported another knockout quarter yesterday, sending its shares up 10 percent in after-hours trading, writes David Streitfeld of the NYT. The performance showed the power of Jeff Bezos’ internet juggernaut.

The company handily beat expectations, with quarterly profit coming in at $6.47 a share. Analysts had expected $4.04 a share, with profit weighed down by increased spending to build out Amazon Prime shipping services.

Amazon is now an even stronger powerhouse in e-commerce, online video and cloud computing. (A rare blemish was physical stores, including Whole Foods Market, whose sales dropped 1 percent.)

More highlights from Amazon’s report:

• Its third-party marketplace showed a 31 percent jump in revenue in the quarter, to $17.4 billion.

• Its advertising business helped push revenue for “other” operations up 39 percent.

• Amazon’s willingness to pay for faster package shipping may already be generating an uptick in goods sold, our new colleague Shira Ovide tweets.

A useful summary: “Amazon ads for Amazon products delivered in Amazon trucks to Amazon households, where Amazon cameras alert residents that their new toys have already arrived,” Mr. Streitfeld writes.

All that was great for Mr. Bezos’ wallet. The surge in Amazon shares yesterday grew his net worth by $13.2 billion in about 15 minutes.

What to watch for: Whether Amazon rejoins the $1 trillion market value club — and stays there.

____________________________

Today’s DealBook Briefing was written by Andrew Ross Sorkin in New York and Michael J. de la Merced in London.

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Ginni Rometty is leaving IBM with work to do

Ms. Rometty announced yesterday that she will step down as the embattled tech icon’s C.E.O. this spring. She became one of Corporate America’s top women leaders — but couldn’t finish turning around her own company’s fortunes.

Since becoming C.E.O. in 2012, she pushed IBM further into businesses like cloud computing and A.I., buying up plenty of companies to help with that. Last year, she oversaw the $34 billion takeover of the Linux distributor Red Hat, IBM’s biggest deal ever.

Ms. Rometty was also one of the longest-serving female C.E.O.s in America and a role model for many executives. And she was outspoken on issues like whether companies should focus on more than shareholders.

But she struggled to make IBM more relevant:

• The company still relies more on slow-growing hardware and software businesses than cloud computing, A.I. and data analysis.

• Shares in IBM fell 25 percent during her tenure, while those in Microsoft jumped 500 percent.

Her successor will be Arvind Krishna, an IBM lifer who runs its cloud division and helped spearhead the Red Hat deal.

It’ll be up to him whether IBM enjoys a Microsoft-type revival — or a Nokia-type slide into irrelevance, write Jennifer Saba and Antony Currie of Breakingviews.

Wuhan coronavirus is officially a global emergency

The Wuhan virus outbreak is growing in scale and seriousness, as governments and companies alike struggle to figure out how to contain its spread.

Here’s the latest:

• The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a global emergency yesterday, though it said it had confidence in China’s ability to respond.

• The State Department warned travelers to avoid China after the declaration.

• The death toll as of today is 213, while the total number of cases is around 9,800 worldwide.

Facebook plans to remove posts with misinformation about the coronavirus, writes Kurt Wagner of Bloomberg. He adds, “The step of actually removing misleading content and not just labeling it as such is a significant one for a company that’s said it won’t fact-check political advertising.”

The Chinese billionaire Jack Ma said he would donate $14 million to help speed development of a coronavirus vaccine.

U.S. stock futures are down modestly this morning, following in the footsteps of Asian and European markets.

What’s left out of the latest debate on capitalism

From boardrooms to Davos, the corporate world is debating whether companies should focus just on shareholders or on a broader group of “stakeholders.” Peter Orszag writes in Bloomberg Opinion that some things are being omitted from that discussion.

• Governments once controlled markets more tightly, writes Mr. Orszag, a former Obama administration official who is now head of financial advisory at Lazard. So it mattered less what companies did, because government constrained the consequences.

• “An extreme definition of capitalism has become dominant,” where the only capitalist markets are perfectly competitive ones, with hands-off governments and shareholder-focused companies. “It’s a strange argument,” Mr. Orszag writes.

• “The dominant paradigm of the past several decades has plausibly produced a dramatic rise in inequality and polarization, and that polarization in turn has made the government unable to function effectively.”

Mr. Orszag’s proposed solution: increased government intervention — with more focus on where people actually live and work, rather than blanket generalizations about how business should work.

Brexit happens tonight. What next?

At 11 p.m. London time (midnight Brussels time and 6 p.m. Eastern), Britain will formally leave the E.U. It was a struggle to get to this point, but now the really hard part begins.

• “This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson will say in an address tonight.

• But Britain needs to hash out a trade deal with the E.U. and the U.S., both of which promise to be difficult. (One example: Britain’s former ambassador to Washington warned that President Trump will want the British National Health Service to pay higher prices for American drugs.)

• Just yesterday, the Bank of England downgraded the economic outlook for the country.

“For the next 11 months, Britain will continue to abide by the European Union’s rules and regulations, while it decides what sort of Brexit it wants for itself,” Mark Landler of the NYT writes.

So for those weary of years of Brexit deliberations: Sorry, but they’re not done yet.

Revolving door

J. Crew hired Jan Singer, a former C.E.O. of Victoria’s Secret, as its new chief.

Renault named Luca de Meo, a former Volkswagen executive, as its new C.E.O.

JPMorgan Chase has hired William Vereker, who was a top business adviser to former Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain, as vice chairman of investment banking for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Adel Aslani-Far, a top M.&A. lawyer, left the law firm Latham & Watkins to join Greenberg Traurig.

The speed read

Deals

• Altria wrote down its stake in the vaping company Juul by an additional $4.1 billion, valuing its holdings down 67 percent from when it struck the deal in 2018. (NYT)

• Unilever is weighing a sale of its tea business, which includes the Lipton brand and could fetch billions. (WSJ)

• The parent company of One Medical, the health clinic operator, priced its I.P.O. at $14, the bottom of its expected range. (CNBC)

• The analyst Craig Moffett thinks AT&T will eventually need to break up, because combining telecom and media businesses isn’t working. (CNBC)

Politics and policy

• The U.S. economy grew 2.1 percent last quarter, its slowest pace since 2016. (NYT)

• When President Trump called Jay Powell, the Fed chairman, an “enemy” of America, the central bank’s vice chair responded in an internal email, “Ugh.” (NYT)

• A schism has opened up on the right over eroding tech giants’ legal protections, with conservatives like the Mercers squaring off against libertarians like the Kochs. (Bloomberg)

Tech

• The F.B.I. is reportedly investigating NSO, the Israeli cyberespionage company whose products were said to have been used in the hack of Jeff Bezos, over illegal hacking of U.S. citizens. (Reuters)

• An associate of Peter Thiel is working on a subscription-based social network called Column that will focus on business and tech leaders. (MIT Technology Review)

• A.I. won’t necessarily eliminate jobs. But it needs to be regulated to make future jobs fairer. (NYT)

Best of the rest

• Deutsche Bank lost $1.6 billion in the fourth quarter, underlining the depths of the German lender’s troubles. (NYT)

• A Transportation Department report is said to criticize Southwest Airlines for flying 17 million passengers on planes with unconfirmed maintenance records over two years. (WSJ)

• Members of The Omaha World-Herald’s union expressed dismay at Warren Buffett’s sale of their newspaper to Lee Enterprises. (Business Insider)

Thanks for reading! We’ll see you next week.

We’d love your feedback. Please email thoughts and suggestions to business@nytimes.com.

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[elizabethcariasa]

Expert Witnesses and Social Media

Ask attorneys what they think of social media, and you’ll get a wide range of responses. Some are actively involved, others are avid readers, and some stay as far away from it as possible. There is still a fair amount of reluctance to get involved, whether it is a more “social” type of social media (like Facebook or Instagram) or a more professional one (like LinkedIn or possibly Twitter). Also included in social media is blogging, something that has been around since the late 90s, but which many lawyers and experts still refuse to be actively involved in.

Social media is an opportunity to write about what you know and promote your business and expertise. You can engage in dialogue with people people from far away places. There is so much that can be learned from interactions on social media, and so many relationships that can be developed (which would have previously been nearly impossible).

But of course, there are pitfalls. There is a common bias against social media: That it’s simply a waste of time because it is mostly about socializing and games. While there is definitely a very personal component to Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites, their utility goes far beyond being a neat way to kill some time.

Social media is being actively and aggressively used by people who have a business reason to be there. Many participate because they love the exchange of knowledge and are eager to fill others in on current events, industry happenings, or interesting news stories. Others participate mostly to promote their companies and brands in some way. Some join in the discussion to raise their professional profiles and to gain credibility in their fields.

Whatever the goal behind the use of social media, it is important to keep your eye on the prize. Yes, plenty of time can be spent browsing these sites and bantering with others. In order to make the interactions useful, however, there needs to be a focus to those interactions. And in order to be successful with social media, there is a give and take which must occur. Many professionals find there is a fine balance between using social media professionally and personally.

Some lawyers are leery of social media, and often with good reason. Most of the time, it’s because they simply don’t know enough about the sites and the interactions. Other times it is because they’re afraid that something inappropriate is going to be said or found through social media. Those are both valid concerns.

Should you be concerned if the expert witness in your case is blogging or regularly posting on a site like Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn? Probably not. For a good expert witness, social media should be an outlet to demonstrate expertise.

However, lawyers often wonder about the ramifications when an expert testifies in a case. Could opposing counsel dig up a bunch of writings online and use them against the expert? Hopefully the writings will be found, but there will be nothing of concern in them. Again, this is a valid concern to address, but the paranoia surrounding it is probably a little overblown.

It is important that the expert witness always be consistent. This goes beyond using consistent methodology from case to case. It now also includes being consistent in all writings, online or off line. That shouldn’t be hard to do if the expert knows her or his field well enough and has established a core set of values and opinions.

There are certain topics that an expert should probably avoid discussing online. Of course, she or he can’t talk about a pending case, and should be careful speaking about past cases as it relates to confidential information. Inflammatory topics like race and religion might also be avoided by the cautious expert.

In general, however, a good expert knows what lines should not be crossed. It definitely makes sense to take a look at what an expert is doing online. Go ahead and search for things like a personal blog or a profile on Twitter or LinkedIn, and give a brief reading of what has been written. Familiarize yourself with the topics the expert writes about, and see what kinds of discussions are happening around those topics.

Does the expert show consistency in the opinions? Is good judgment exercised in what is posted? Is there anything which might harm your case? It’s pretty easy to identify problem material and weed out that expert. The flip side of this vetting process is that you might also find your expert is more knowledgeable than you anticipated or has some professional connections that could benefit you or your clients.

Many people are still learning the basics of social media, and it is something that is constantly evolving. Today’s popular social media tool may likely be replaced a year or two from now. The only thing you can count on in social media is that it will keep changing rapidly. But social media is not something to be feared in the hands of responsible users.

[charly-ra]

How to Use Quora to Establish Thought Leadership and Credibility

B2B marketing has hit a wall. Audiences are getting harder to reach, campaigns are fractured across channels and, for many brands, performance is flatlining. Whatever audiences want, they want it now.

We already know that the B2B journey is powered by content as prospects want to self-educate. Which is why so many B2B companies are turning to thought leadership to build brand awareness, enhance decision makers’ trust, open the conversation, and help close business, according to research by Edelman and LinkedIn. It kickstarts the momentum for brand awareness and credibility while strengthening lead generation efforts.

Thought leadership marketing is the art of positioning your company as a leader in its field. 56% of B2B marketing executives stated “positioning our company as a thought leader” as their top objective in a recent Economics Intelligence Unit study.

“Brand really matters,” remarks Alicia Tillman, SAP’s chief marketing officer. “It matters in people’s perceptions and it leads people to decide whether or not they’re going to buy your product and become a customer for life.” (Source AdExchanger).

Depending on your industry, demonstrating thought leadership can take different shapes. In general, B2B decision makers are looking for content about new trends, industry analysis, and key statistics they can use in their work. And they’re willing to spend time consuming content. According to Edelman’s study, “35% of respondents are spending about one to three hours per week reviewing thought leadership content.”

The point of thought leadership is to demonstrate expertise, not simply talk about it. Seth Godin shows up every day demonstrating thought leadership in the form of his blog. And if you want your brand to earn respect from your audience, provide value upfront. But what’s valuable? The short answer is offering your audience the content they want and need – when and where they’re looking for it.

Quora’s High-Intent Audience and Context

According to the 2019 study of B2B content marketing from the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs, 9 in 10 of the “most successful” B2B content marketers prioritize their audience’s informational needs over the sales/promotional message. Since the questions on Quora are demand-driven, it’s an excellent platform for marketers looking to address the informational needs of their audience.

The truth is, thought leadership doesn’t have to be costly or difficult. One of the best places to establish thought leadership and earn credibility is on Quora. The platform provides the right context and a high-intent audience.

What makes Quora’s audience unique is how people use the platform. It’s the exchange of knowledge that is so conducive to people being receptive to new solutions and discovering new products including reliable information about your company, products, services, competitors, and industry. It’s within this context that thought leadership is welcomed and rewarded by the community.

Quora not only provides the perfect context for thought leadership, but also a highly engaged audience with the intent of looking answers. People don’t come to Quora to passively scroll. 300+ million people come to Quora every month to prep, research, evaluate, ask for tips, and learn more about the world around them and that includes the products and services you offer. Don’t miss out on this crucial point in the buyer’s journey by ensuring your brand is present.

Building Thought Leadership on Quora

Why do thought leaders come to Quora? They’re here because of the ability to reach a very large audience not just now, but years from now with evergreen content. It begins with your followers; which, when you first join, might be low, but has the potential to reach the right audience.

Aside from the potential massive reach, here at Quora, we’ve worked very hard over the years to really build a platform and a system that is optimal for readers, writers, and seekers of information. Here are a few ways you can leverage the platform for maximum results.

Fill Out Your Quora Profile

An easy way to gain credibility is by filling out your Quora credentials and bio. By adding your title, company, bio, and interests you’re signaling to people who are and why they should trust your answer. It also helps people find you when they are looking for experts and/or the best people to answer their questions on Quora.

In this example, Michelle Zatlyn added her title as well as a company description before she provided more of her background. 

Answer Questions

To get started, simply answer questions relevant to your industry and expertise. Look for missing information in available answers and provide additional informational value. Authenticity and credible answers will help grow your following which in turn will increase answer views.

What makes you an expert or thought leader and why should others care? If you’re an expert in HR Software, don’t just talk about how much you know. Write an in-depth article or provide an unique point of view tackling specific challenges in the world of HR Software. Not only will your audience be more interested in reading an article that could help them, but you’ll earn their trust and gain credibility.

Jason Lemkin, SaaStr & SaaStr Fund; ceo/co-founder at EchoSign, is a great example of someone who has really made the Quora system work for him. He’s been a writer on Quora since 2010, and has written over three thousand answers on Quora, earning 43k followers and over 43 million views.

Your answers demonstrate your expertise and give you credibility as a thought leader. They give you a voice in questions being asked about your organization or products. Being the best answer is key for driving success on Quora.

Here are a few guidelines for what makes good content on Quora:

Demonstrate credibility and make sure you’re factually correct.

Clear and easy to read (formatting, actionable items, images, etc).

Anything unique or interesting that you can offer is great as well — personal stories of failures, mishaps, successes do really well and are very accessible and humanizing and will greatly increase your Quora following.

Bonus: It’s a good idea to try to answer a question as quickly as possible after it has been posted. The question will be fresh in the mind of the person who posted it, and they’ll be more likely to upvote your answer or engage you further. Writing the first answer also means that you won’t risk repeating someone else.

Plus, answers continue to be useful on Quora, even years after they are written. If you write answers that don’t “expire,” they will continue to be read and useful! They get seen by people following the topics you write about, meaning people who are genuinely interested in what you have to say. And they can lead to further exposure, since many Quora answers show up in Google searches, or sometimes get picked up by the media.

In addition to taking part in Quora’s advertising beta, Asana, a web and mobile application designed to help teams organize, track, and manage their work, built a presence on the site through the voice of their co-founder and head of product, Justin Rosenstein. His answer to a 2015 question on top productivity tips has been viewed more than 453,000 times and was featured in articles from Forbes, Inc., Time, and Quartz.

Quora Sessions

Also consider conducting a Session on Quora. It’s similar to an AMA (Ask Me Anything). Have you ever wanted to ask a question to a specific expert, artist, or group? Or thought that it would be fascinating if a certain someone answered a particular question? Sessions are when these individuals and groups answer these questions and you can be the host.

Take advantage of sessions as an easy way to show your expertise on relevant topics by answering community questions. The first part of a session is when hosts take questions. This period usually lasts for a few days during which people can ask questions or build demand for others. At the end of this period, the host comes online and answers questions they find the most interesting.

Promoted Answers

Lastly, many businesses are already acquiring customers organically through their answers on Quora, and with Promoted Answers they can reach a wider audience. The format provides a flexible canvas to share detailed information about your product or service that goes beyond the characters allowed in normal ad copy and helps to facilitate engagement through upvotes, comments, and follows. If Quora users are already discussing your business, Promoted Answers are a great way to join the conversation surrounding your brand.

Brian de Haaff, CEO of Aha!, has over 5 millions views across 330+ answers with the help of Promoted Answers.

Measuring Performance

How do you figure out where to spend your time on Quora? Quora offers a free analytics tool that allows you to track your questions, answers and blog posts by clicks, views, shares and upvotes. Use this information to determine what works best on the platform so you can focus on sharing content that engages the community.

If you’re looking to increase awareness of your Quora content consider these two ideas:

Amplify distribution with social media: Share your Quora answers with your existing social media audience. You can do this easily by clicking the Facebook or Twitter icons below the answer.

Direct your customers to your answers: Share links to your Quora answers with visitors to your website, or email subscribers. It’s a great way to help them learn more about a question or topic without having to fit all of the information in a small text field.

Summary

As marketers we have an obligation to earn our audience’s attention. Channels never mattered to the consumer. People move back-and-forth through stages, across multiple channels using different devices. These stages are made of ‘micro-moments’ or brief instances in customers’ decision-making process where a brand can step in with a piece of interesting content or helpful information.

And Quora provides a great opportunity for B2B marketers to step in with helpful information and content in the form answers to demand-driven questions. Brands that focus on delivering high quality, engaging and inspiring content can positively influence the buyer’s journey on Quora.

Writing on Quora can be a fun, interesting hobby or personally rewarding, but also is something that every business and leader should be investing time in. Marketers that focus on delivering high quality, engaging, and inspiring content can positively influence the buyers journey to purchase.

About JD Prater

JD Prater is the Quora Evangelist and a regular speaker at conferences across the globe such as INBOUND, SaaStr, BrightonSEO, and SMX. JD is also the podcast host of Grow with Quora and The PPC Show. He’s an award-winning marketer with a passion for organizing data into actionable stories. JD is an avid cyclist, proud new father, and weekend traveler in his spare time.

from http://bit.ly/2YKsxwZ

[bountyofbeads]

http://amp.timeinc.net/time/5490169/paul-manafort-victor-boyarkin-debts?__twitter_impression=true

Remember when EVERY single person associated with trump as well as #TrumpCrimeFamily and #TrumpCrimeSyndicate lied about relationship with Russia? 🤔 🤔🤔🤔🤔🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐🤥🤥🤥🤥🤥😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

Exclusive months-long @TIME investigation: Russian ex-spy- connected to a powerful Putin ally- pressured Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort over debts to an oligarch in the height of the campaign:

“He owed us a lot of money,” Boyarkin says. “And he was offering ways to pay it back.”

Exclusive: Russian Ex-Spy Pressured Manafort Over Debts to an Oligarch

A TIME investigation reveals a Russian ex-spy was a key link between Paul Manafort and a Putin ally

SIMON SHUSTER / RHODES, GREECE @SHUSTRY

December 29th, 2018

When the U.S. government put out its latest sanctions list on Dec. 19, the man named at the top did not seem especially important. Described in the document as a former Russian intelligence officer, he was accused of handling money and negotiations on behalf of a powerful Russian oligarch. The document did not mention that the man, Victor Boyarkin, had links to the 2016 campaign of President Donald Trump.

A months-long investigation by TIME, however, found that Boyarkin, a former arms dealer with a high forehead and a very low profile, was a key link between a senior member of the Trump campaign and a powerful ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In his only interview with the media about those connections, Boyarkin told TIME this fall that he was in touch with Trump’s then-campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, in the heat of the presidential race on behalf of the Russian oligarch. “He owed us a lot of money,” Boyarkin says. “And he was offering ways to pay it back.”

The former Russian intelligence officer says he has been approached by the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. Boyarkin’s response to those investigators? “I told them to go dig a ditch,” he says. Peter Carr, the spokesman for the Special Counsel’s Office, declined to comment. Through his spokesman, Manafort likewise declined to comment on his alleged connections with Boyarkin.

But those connections could be potentially important to the Special Counsel’s inquiry. They would mark some of the clearest evidence of the leverage that powerful Russians had over Trump’s campaign chairman. And they may shed light on why Manafort discussed going right back to work for pro-Russian interests in Eastern Europe after he crashed out of the Trump campaign in August 2016, according to numerous sources in the TIME investigation.

‘Our friend V’

When he joined the campaign in the spring of 2016, Manafort was nearly broke. The veteran political consultant had racked up bills worth millions of dollars in luxury real estate, clothing, cars and antiques. According to allegations contained in court records filed in the U.S. and the Cayman Islands, he was also deeply in debt to Boyarkin’s boss, the Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, who was demanding money from Manafort over a failed business deal in Ukraine and other ventures.

Boyarkin says it fell to him to collect the debt from Manafort. “I came down on him hard,” he says. But the American proved elusive. In a petition filed in the Cayman Islands in 2014, lawyers for Deripaska, a metals tycoon with close ties to the Kremlin, complain that Manafort and his then-partner had “simply disappeared” with around $19 million of the Russian’s money.

When he reappeared in the headlines around April 2016, Manafort was serving as an unpaid adviser to the Trump campaign. He wanted his long-time patron in Moscow to know all about it.

In a series of emails sent that spring and summer, Manafort tried to offer “private briefings” about the presidential race to Deripaska, apparently, as one of the emails puts it, to “get whole.” Reports in The Atlantic and the WashingtonPost revealed those emails in the fall of 2017. Among the questions that remained unanswered was the identity of Manafort’s contact in Moscow, the one referred to in one of the emails as “our friend V.”

Even after TIME learned his full name in April, he proved a difficult man to find. His online presence amounted to digital scraps: one photo of him at a conference in Moscow, a few benign quotes in the Russian media from his years selling arms for state-linked companies, and some vague references in U.S. government archives to someone by that name, “Commander Viktor A. Boyarkin,” serving in the 1990s as an assistant naval attaché at the Russian embassy in Washington, D.C. – a job sometimes used as cover for intelligence agents.

Only in early October was a TIME reporter able to track Boyarkin down. In the company of a senior Russian diplomat and two young assistants from Moscow, he attended a conference in Greecethat was organized by one of Putin’s oldest friends, the former KGB agent and state railway boss Vladimir Yakunin. “How did you find me here,” was the question Boyarkin asked, repeatedly, when confronted about his ties to Manafort during a coffee break at that conference.

Once he agreed to discuss their relationship, it was mostly to confirm the basic facts, often with a curt, “Yes, so what.” (He did not respond to numerous requests for comment after his name appeared on the U.S sanctions list on Dec. 19.)

The outlines of Boyarkin’s career suggest a life spent at the intersection of Russian espionage, diplomacy and the arms trade. Having served at the Russian embassies in the U.S. and Mexico in the 1990s, dealing primarily in military affairs, he says he turned his focus to the arms trade in the early 2000s. His specialty was the export of small and medium-sized warships and other naval vessels that were produced in Soviet-era shipyards across Russia.

This business kept him in touch with military buyers from around the world, including in various parts of Africa. By the late-2000s, he had put this expertise in the service of Deripaska, whose global mining and metals empire often involved making deals with despots in the developing world.

But his range was broader than that. As Boyarkin tells it, his acquaintance with Manafort goes back to around 2006, the year Deripaska asked both of them to help redraw the map of Eastern Europe.

The Montenegro connection

Montenegro, a tiny Balkan nation on the Adriatic Sea, was an important testing ground for Manafort’s relationship with Deripaska. The oligarch had invested heavily in that country, buying control of a vast aluminum smelter in 2005 that accounted for roughly half of Montenegro’s exports and a sixth of its entire economy. The following year, he decided to support the Montenegrins’ drive to become an independent country. That meant breaking away from its more powerful neighbor, Serbia – and convincing the world to recognize Montenegro as an independent state.

To get this done, Deripaska offered the help of several of his advisers, including Manafort. “They were a good team,” says a senior official in Montenegro who was involved in that vote. “They helped get the support we needed from our international partners,” both in Russia and the West, says the official, who spoke to TIME on condition of anonymity. After the people of Montenegro voted by a margin slightly above 55% to declare independence from Serbia in May 2006, all the world’s major powers recognized the results.

Manafort has been open about his role in this campaign. “I have always publicly acknowledged that I worked for Mr. Deripaska and his company,” he said in a statementto reporters in the spring of 2017. “For example, one of the projects involved supporting a referendum in Montenegro that allowed that country to choose membership in the EU, a measure that Russia opposed.”

In fact, Moscow never tried to stop Montenegro’s independence, and Deripaska would not likely have supported it so robustly without approval from the Kremlin. (In 2007, he told the Financial Times, “I don’t separate myself from the state. I have no other interests.”)

“There was never any real resistance from Moscow [to the independence vote],” says the senior official in Montenegro, who was involved in lobbying for Russian support in the years before and after that referendum. The Kremlin, he says, was only too happy to have another potential ally in Eastern Europe – one that was heavily dependent on Russian investments. The arrangement suited Montenegro’s leaders just fine. “Better the Russians come here with suitcases of money than with columns of tanks,” says the official.

But their relationship with Deripaska quickly soured in much the same way it began—over money. After years of disputesover unpaid debts, the Russian billionaire sued Montenegro in 2014 for seizing the aluminum plant he controlled. The country then sped up its plans to join the NATO military alliance and integrate with the West.

The Kremlin wasn’t pleased. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in 2014 it would be “irresponsible” and “even a provocation” for another Balkan state to become a NATO member. According to investigators in Montenegro, Russian agents soon began plotting to unseat the nation’s leaders and install a government more friendly to Moscow. By coincidence, the dispute came to a head in the fall of 2016, at the same time as the U.S. presidential race.

About three weeks before the American elections, the people of Montenegro were due to hold a pivotal vote of their own. Depending on the outcome, the government would either shepherd the country into the NATO alliance the following year, or a new set of leaders would take power, most of whom wanted to change course and develop closer ties with Russia.

According to three sources in this opposition movement, known in Montenegro as the Democratic Front, they were counting on help from an American lobbyist who had worked in their country before – and who happened to be fresh out of a job in Washington. His name was Paul Manafort.

Enter Manafort

Having served for three months as Trump’s campaign chairman in 2016, Manafort was forced to resign in mid-August after his links to Russian interests in Ukraine became public. Still deep in debt, he reportedly went around pitching his services as a consultant in the months that followed to a wide variety of foreign leaders, from the Kurds in Iraq to the incoming president of Ecuador.

The TIME investigation found that Manafort was also in contact with politicians from his old stomping ground of Montenegro. Among them was Nebojsa Medojevic, one of the opposition leaders who were then campaigning to unseat the country’s pro-NATO leaders. His ties to Manafort were first reported to TIME by a former associate of Montenegro’s ruling clique, who said the American consultant had met with Medojevic to discuss a possible consulting deal in the fall of 2016.

At first the tip seemed implausible. Why would one of the world’s most prominent political advisers – still fresh from the chairmanship of the Republican presidential campaign – consider working with a group seen as pro-Russian upstarts in a Balkan nation of 600,000 people?

The senior Montenegrin official suggested an answer. “If Manafort got involved here in 2016, it would only be through the Russians,” he said.

At the time, Russian money was indeed flowing into Montenegrin politics. According to the sanctions list posted Dec. 19, Deripaska and Boyarkin were “involved in providing Russian financial support to a Montenegrin political party ahead of Montenegro’s 2016 elections.”

In more than a dozen interviews that TIME conducted this year, officials and political leaders in Montenegro confirmed that Deripaska and one other Russian oligarch bankrolled the pro-Russian opposition in 2016. Two of them said they heard Manafort’s name come up in strategy meetings for that opposition movement.

When asked about Manafort’s role, Medojevic, one of the leaders of this movement, confirmed that he had met with Manafort to discuss a potential partnership in the fall of 2016. He added that the meeting was a disappointment, and that no deal came out of it. In several follow-up conversations, however, he refused to talk about the meeting, saying that his contacts in the West were legitimate and urging reporters not to publish his initial comments.

For Medojevic and the rest of the opposition, the elections in Montenegro did not go smoothly. The day before the vote, a group of men was arrested and charged with plotting to overthrow the government of Montenegro, assassinate its leader and seize power by force – all with abundant help from Moscow. The Montenegrin authorities later charged two agents of Russia’s military intelligence service with masterminding the alleged coup. Several of the leaders of the opposition in that country, including Medojevic, are currently on trial for charges that stem from the alleged coup attempt.

The following year, Montenegro’s parliament overwhelmingly ratified membership in NATO, as pro-Russian demonstrators protested outside. Russia’s foreign ministry said lawmakers were “trampling all democratic norms and principles.” Now, Montenegro is protected by Article 5 of the alliance, which calls for all members to support any state that comes under attack.

This summer, President Trump took issue with that protection. “Montenegro is a tiny country with very strong people,” he said, after being asked by Fox News in July if the U.S. should come to Montenegro’s defense. “They are very aggressive people, they may get aggressive, and congratulations, you’re in World War III.”

Known unknowns

It remains unclear whether Manafort actually provided any services in Montenegro in 2016. His lawyers deny he did any work for any Montenegrin politicians that year. Nor is it clear whether Manafort owes debts to Deripaska and, if so, how much. A court in Virginia convicted Manafort in August on eight charges of bank and tax fraud related to his lobbying work in Ukraine; he is due to be sentenced in February.

Boyarkin, for his part, denies having anything to do with Montenegrin politics. When TIME met him in Greece, he said he had not worked for Deripaska since the end of 2016. The U.S. government differs on that point; the Dec. 19 press release from the Treasury Department said Boyarkin “reports directly to Deripaska and has led business negotiations on Deripaska’s behalf.”

Those negotiations, involving mining deals in Africa and factories in Europe, were of secondary concern to U.S. investigators when they contacted Boyarkin last year, he says. They wanted to know about his links to Manafort, and the “private briefings” he had offered to Boyarkin and his boss. “They asked about all of that, yes,” the operative recalls. Once again, he says he told them to get lost.

—With reporting by Jovo Martinovic/Podgorica, Montenegro and Tessa Berenson/Washington

[mikemortgage]

Amazon plans to split HQ2 between two cities, sources say — and neither of them are Toronto

SEATTLE — After conducting a yearlong search for a second home, Amazon has switched gears and is now finalizing plans to have a total of 50,000 employees in two locations, according to people familiar with the decision-making process.

The company is nearing a deal to move to the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, according to two of the people briefed on the discussions. Amazon is also close to a deal to move to the Crystal City area of Arlington, Virginia, a Washington suburb, one of the people said. Amazon already has more employees in those two areas than anywhere else outside Seattle, its home base, and the Bay Area.

Amazon executives met two weeks ago with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in the governor’s Manhattan office, said one of the people briefed on the process, adding that the state had offered potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies. Executives met separately with Mayor Bill de Blasio, a person briefed on that discussion said. Long Island City is a short subway ride across the East River from Midtown Manhattan.

“I am doing everything I can,” Cuomo told reporters when asked Monday about the state’s efforts to lure the company. “We have a great incentive package,” he said.

“I’ll change my name to Amazon Cuomo if that’s what it takes,” Cuomo said. “Because it would be a great economic boost.”

Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle.

The need to hire tens of thousands of high-tech workers has been the driving force behind the search, leading many to expect it to land in a major East Coast metropolitan area. Many experts have pointed to Crystal City as a front-runner, because of its strong public transit, educated workforce and proximity to Washington.

JBG Smith, a developer who owns much of the land in Crystal City, declined to comment, as did Arlington County officials.

Amazon declined to comment on whether it had made any final decisions. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported Amazon’s decision to pick two new locations instead of one.

The Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington, Va. Among the upsides: good transit, diverse residents, a friendly business climate, and a single developer with a big chunk of land.

About 1,800 people in advertising, fashion and publishing already work for Amazon in New York, and roughly 2,500 corporate and technical employees work in Northern Virginia and Washington.

Amazon narrowed the list to 20 cities in January, of which Toronto was one, and in recent weeks, smaller locations appeared to fall out of the running. For example, although Denver made the initial cut, Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado said last month, “Wouldn’t they rather have their second big hub on the East Coast?”

Sorry Toronto: For Amazon HQ2 watchers, it’s Northern Virginia that checks the most boxes

Toronto will know by the end of the year whether it’s the home of Amazon HQ2

Amazon to open new Toronto area fulfillment centre, creating 800 full-time jobs

Amazon announced plans for a second headquarters in September 2017, saying that the company was growing faster than it could hire in its hometown Seattle. The company said it would invest more than US$5 billion over almost two decades in a second headquarters, hiring as many as 50,000 full-time employees that would earn more than US$100,000 a year on average.

HQ2 would be “full equal to our current campus in Seattle,” the company said. If Amazon goes ahead with two new sites, it is unclear whether the company would refer to both locations as headquarters or if they would amount to large satellite offices.

Picking multiple sites would allow it to tap into two pools of talented labor and perhaps avoid being blamed for all the housing and traffic woes of dominating a single area. It could also give the company greater leverage in negotiating tax incentives, experts said.

“Even if the most obvious reasons appear to be about attracting more tech workers, the PR and government incentives benefits could help, too,” said Jed Kolko, chief economist at Indeed, the online jobs site. With big presences in two cities, the local governments “might feel pressure to increase the incentives they are offering Amazon, and the surprise is yet another news cycle for the Amazon headquarters process,” he said.

The City of Markham, Ont. — one of 10 cities that joined with Toronto to bid for the hub —tweeted a photo earlier this year of a bright orange sign that dubs the city the “possible home of Amazon HQ2.

The HQ2 search sent states and cities into a frenzied bidding war. Some hired McKinsey & Co. and other outside consultants to help them with their bids, investing heavily in courting Amazon and its promise of 50,000 jobs. Even half of that would amount to one of the largest corporate location deals, according to Greg LeRoy, executive director of Good Jobs First, which tracks corporate subsidies. “These are very big numbers,” he said.

As Amazon’s search dragged on, residents in many of 20 finalist cities worried about the effect such a massive project could have on housing and traffic, as well as what potential tax incentives could cost the community. The decision to split into two sites could alleviate some of that resistance.

Seattle has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, in part because of Amazon’s growth. The company has about 45,000 employees in the city, and the company said it needed to hire more employees than the city could attract or absorb.

“Not everybody wants to live in the Northwest,” Jeff Wilke, the head of Amazon’s retail division, said at a conference last year. “It’s been terrific for me and my family, but I think we may find another location allows us to recruit a different collection of employees.”

Toronto Mayor John Tory speaks about the city’s bid for Amazon’s second North American headquarters in January. Tory said he was excited about the city being the only one outside the U.S. on the shortlist.

Amazon gave cities six weeks to pitch themselves in a public courtship. Almost 240 municipalities responded, trying to lure the tech giant with marketing gimmicks, promises of new transit lines and, as proposals trickled out, billions in tax incentives.

The details of most bids are not public, to the frustration of even some lawmakers. A few elected officials from the short list of 20 cities signed what amounted to a mutual nonaggression pact, trying to avoid a bidding war that would give up too much from taxpayers.

But mostly, cities continued their hard sell, showing Amazon executives around their proposed sites and trying to assure the company that the region had sufficient housing and transportation. Since wrapping up visits with cities in the spring, Amazon has been almost silent on the search. That led journalists, residents and politicians to look for clues in new job postings and the flight path of the corporate jet used by Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s chief executive.

To meet its own deadlines, Amazon will need to move fast. It had said it wanted 500,000 square feet of office space — enough for thousands of employees — available for use next year.

Jay Brodsky, who lives in Arlington, Virginia, said about a week ago that his wife took part in a 45-minute phone survey about her opinion if Amazon moved to the area. “It was everything from, ‘What do you think about the local government,’ to ‘Are you concerned about traffic?'” he said. She received an Amazon gift card for participating.

“People are sort of on pins and needles,” Brodsky said. “It’s almost like people want it to happen, and are afraid of what would happen if it does.

from Financial Post https://ift.tt/2PKGA42 via IFTTT Blogger Mortgage Tumblr Mortgage Evernote Mortgage Wordpress Mortgage href="https://www.diigo.com/user/gelsi11">Diigo Mortgage

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Web Crusher Review

Web Crusher is THE fastest means to produce website design, sales letters & landing pages for 2018. It is the most effective method to develop profit-pulling websites.

How You Can Design Kickass Long Type Sales Pages

now those sales pages that are truly, really long? They're fantastic, however they mostly suck. I imply the means they are typically implemented sucks. Long kind sales web pages have their area, as well as they function very well in many situations. (Heck-- my own agency has one). Think about it-- the reason you have an internet site is because you wish to offer something. If you just have a single item, there's no actual need to have greater than one web page. The only information you should carry your website is just what makes the user recognize the item, i.e. its advantages as well as use cases. This helps consumers decide about whether the item addresses their particular trouble promptly. Clicking through several different web pages just gets in the way.

Some call them mini-sites, some state one-pagers. Same exact same. If you're making use of landing web pages to record PPC web traffic, and also you want them to buy something, you're most likely making use of a sales web page as well (or should!). Why that much copy? The quantity of duplicate you require depends upon the complexity and also expense of the product. The a lot more challenging and/or costly the product, the much more you need to discuss, reveal, inform, convince. If you're selling a box of matches for $0.25-- and also I need one-- I do not have to read any kind of duplicate. I just purchase it. The product is simple and also cheap. On the various other hand, if I'm on the market for a brand-new auto or a residence-- both complex (lots of things to find out about them) and also expensive-- I will certainly take weeks and also months to do study, check out and also compare. If you're offering something that costs claim $300-- I do not need weeks, however I do require a sufficient quantity of details before I could justify (to myself, to my spouse, to my boss etc) such a cost. Customers are viewers Concerned that your Web Crusher Review is too long? Don't. If somebody is ready to acquire after simply a brief skim-- having simply check out ~ 20% of the copy-- they could simply skip in advance and also click 'get'. No problem. However if someone reviews ALL the text on your site as well as STILL has concerns as well as questions, after that you've obtained a problem. This is why long form duplicate functions well. Real-- the majority of people will certainly not review the whole sales copy-- which's okay. It's not a book. The consumers that do are the ones who are really mosting likely to get.

However lengthy form sales web pages are cheesy as well as scammy! This is the reason I claimed "they mainly draw". I agree-- a lot of them are ridiculously cheesy as well as scammy. You're dead-on. This is why a great deal of individuals despise them. I visited Clickbank and picked some arbitrary products from their market. Right here are 3 regular long-form sales web pages. Random crap I found # 1: Exclamation notes! Check. Buzz! Check. THE Absolute finest! Inspect. This have to be marketing like crazy. (In case you were questioning, it's not.).

Random crap I located # 2:. They couldn't even get their logo screen right and the headline is unreadable. Random crap 3:. Another instance of "tested headline formula" at work.

Tough cool facts around lengthy form sales pages. A lot of them resemble vomit. Worse, really. The copy is written by boneheads who think that adding exclamation marks as well as hype right into every sentence improves sales. (Mature.). A great deal of the products offered using lengthy type sales web pages are actually rip-off. It resembles the easiest organisation to do-- simply develop a pdf data and begin offering it. That's why it brings in a lot of losers. The obstacle of entry is extremely low, so any idiot could begin. If you Google around long type sales duplicate, you will find great deals of vital article such as this one, yet you will certainly also see that the objection is everything about the implementation. I wish to advise you-- it's not the format, it's the execution that sucks. Long type sales pages could look terrific. It is possible to work with someone that could create terrific duplicate. Fantastic products could be offered with lengthy type sales web pages-- and also not just infoproducts. Right here's a long form web page we just developed for a customer. It's not an infoproduct. The duplicate is not tacky. Looks kickass. (Click to see the whole web page).

In the past, you should have discovered among those lengthy sales web page that never ever seem to finish. Most developers dislike lengthy sales letters because they consist of lots of message but evidently do not have on aesthetic appeals front. Some people go severe as well as call such sales pages as evil kinds of web marketing. Fact be informed: lengthy sales letter Web Crusher Review web pages are based on knowings from direct advertising and marketing and magazine market, so there is absolutely nothing inherently wicked regarding them. Actually, numerous marketing experts still utilize long form of sales pages due to the fact that they transform site visitors like crazy! This is the 3rd post in the collection of meetings as well as guest articles we are running on this blog pertaining to A/B screening and also conversion price optimization. In First post, we interviewed Oli from Unbounce on Touchdown Pages Ideal Practices. In 2nd write-up, Noah Kagan of Appsumo shared his A/B screening pointers. In this blog post, we interview Self-employed copywriter Jeremy Reeves, that is a straight action copywriter as well as advertising consultant. He focuses on long sales letter copywriting. His special as well as effective marketing strategies, incorporated with results-getting copy have actually made his clients numerous dollars. To read more concerning Jeremy and also see just how he can expand your company, head over to www.JeremyReeves.com/sales-copywriter Complying with is the meeting with him.

How to Style a Sales-Generating Landing Web Page That Attracts Website Traffic.

The adhering to passage is from Robert W. Bly's publication The Digital Marketing Handbook. Get it now from Amazon|Barnes & Noble|iBooks|IndieBound. Sales-generating landing web pages, also called sales pages, on-line sales letters, or microsites, are typically single-page internet sites committed to selling one item-- typically an item that's suited for ecommerce, implying clients could directly order it from the page using their credit card or PayPal. I have a sales page for a $19 digital book I market on how to make money by creating, posting, as well as selling PDF ebooks. This page has been very efficient for me: It gets a 32 percent conversion when I drive web traffic to it from my subscriber checklist. This indicates for every three individuals who click onto the page, one purchases the item.

One of the aspects I consisted of on this web page for my digital book was a framework from a brief illustration video that links bent on the video clip. An illustration video clip, or white board video, is narrative come with by an aesthetic presentation that's a sketch as opposed to videography. Video on website could often enhance engagement as well as sales; when I include these short sketch videos to my item sales web pages, I've found that conversion goes up 10 percent to 15 percent.

Duplicate matters and also is the first point. Lengthy kind sales pages are primarily regarding the material. So in order to close the sale, you require great copy. You do not begin to develop prior to you have the copy in place. Content first. You could only compose outstanding copy if you comprehend your target market-- as well as are the master of "little things" like recognizing your Web Crusher way around with words, understanding persuasion, sales psychology as well as making use of tried and tested structures.

While Jerry was discussing television, this applies equally to sales copy. No person is going to review it if it's uninteresting crap. It should join the conversation in the mind of the customer, target their problems and also preferred results. I've composed a thorough write-up called Quick Training course on Effective Site Copywriting, however keep in mind that this post is more regarding the procedure-- and also less about style and techniques. Be careful regarding selecting a copywriter. I have actually used a lots of copywriters for numerous jobs. My best advice: anybody worth employing beginnings at $1000 (normally much more-- in the $2.5 k to $5k array). You're much better off finding out copywriting and creating your personal duplicate than employing someone cheap. Individuals that economical are cheap for a factor (they generally draw). Obviously, rate alone does not tell you the high quality of the copywriter. There's a myriad of jargon-loving "expert copywriters" available (and I have actually had the misery of utilizing a number of). If they're utilizing things like 'take advantage of' and 'our principals are standing by' in their portfolio duplicate, run! A lot of them are also ego-driven (which is reasonable-- they're human) which makes them inadequate at taking feedback, intense about warranting their options and all of it results in mediocre duplicate at finest. BUT-- wonderful copywriters do exist.

Both my landing web page and the email I utilize to drive web traffic to it utilize among online marketer Mark Ford's copywriting strategies, which he calls "the power of one." In the power of one, your copy concentrates on a single suggestion, clearly shared, with lots of proof. In the case of this promo, the concept is basic: The most convenient product to market online is a digital book, which I've clearly stated in the heading and lead of my landing web page. Here's my heading: The World's Simplest-- and also Most Successful-- Item to Produce and also Offer Online. The headline and also lead are immediately adhered to by a checklist of factors supporting the insurance claim that ebooks are the best as well as most convenient item to market on the web. In touchdown pages, it pays to develop reputation early, right on the initial screen. The factor? Individuals have constantly been cynical of marketing, and with the proliferation of spam and also shady operators, they're much more suspicious of just what they review online. As a result, your landing web page copy must promptly get over that doubt. One method to do that is to make sure one or more reliability builders is clearly shown on the initial screen the site visitor sees. In the banner at the top of the web page, use your logo design and firm name if you're popular. Within or promptly under the banner, put a solid testimony or three above the heading on the first screen. Take into consideration including a reliability pre-head. This is a line of copy that comes before the heading. It sums up in one succinct sentence or expression some crucial trustworthiness of the seller.

Typical aspects of lengthy sales letter. Inquiry: Exactly what are one of the most typical components of a lengthy sales-letter type Web Crusher website? Can you damage them below top-to-bottom? Step 1 is the main headline location. This includes the pre-head, primary heading and subhead. This is the factor where you intend to instantaneously get their attention and basically-- inform them WHY they will check out the page. Tell them what remains in it for them, and also do so in an amazing method.

-- Click the picture over for complete screenshot--. This is also referred to as the "Deck" copy". Next is the opening words, additionally referred to as the "lead" or "introduction". This is where I like to get in touch with them psychologically. Depending on the market, item and also hook I discovered when doing my research, this could be any one of the significant feelings such as temper, shame, fear, satisfaction, and so on. Following comes the body duplicate ... The body copy would certainly include locations such as establishing them for the sale, revealing the option (e.g. why it's unique, just how it functions, exactly how it's far better compared to others, and so on) ... why they need to be hearing you ... the advantages of the product ... social evidence, and so on ( This is the biggest area of the duplicate). Next off, you make your deal. You inform them specifically what they'll be obtaining, just what the rate is, the unique value proposal of whatever it is that you're marketing (e.g. why it deserves greater than exactly what they're investing in it) ... the assurance ... as well as all that good stuff. Basically-- you're giving them "X" in exchange for "X" bucks. At the end of the deal area of the duplicate, I want to place in an order box including a summary of every little thing you just said. By doing this, skimmers could see the "entire bundle" at a glance. You show them every thing they're obtaining, just how much whatever is worth ... and why they're paying X% much less compared to what it's worth. Hereafter, comes the "close" where you can do lots of points including injecting shortage right into the offer (yet PLEASE don't inject incorrect shortage) ... having them consider the repercussions of NOT acting, reminding them of the benefits/value/guarantee/ deficiency, etc . The close would generally be whatever after the order form on the page-- consisting of the P.S. Which's basically it! I could break it down into even more portions, yet it depends upon LOTS OF factors so it would only perplex people who do not currently comprehend it.

Choose what kind of copywriter you need. One more thing to bear in mind is that brand name copywriters and also straight response copywriters are really various. It's an entire different frame of mind. We as soon as employed a brand copywriter that had an outstanding return to, had been dealing with all sorts of big brand names in the past. She totally fell short at writing straight reaction copy. She simply couldn't figure it out.

Tags: Web Crusher, Web Crusher Review, Web Crusher Bonus, Web Crusher OTO, Web Crusher Reviews, Web Crusher Bonuses, Web Crusher Review and bonus, Web Crusher Reviews And Bonuses

[thepilgrimgeek]

Teenage Wilderness: Purgation and Discovery of Identity in Napoleon Dynamite

What are you gonna give up for Lent, Napoleon? Whatever I feel like! GOOSSHH!"

Many of us have a movie dear to us that we feel best encapsulates or embodies our high school experience. For some, it is The Breakfast Club. For others, it's Superbad. And still yet for others, some logic or affinity leads them to Degrassi. Mine is Napoleon Dynamite. Most people seem to either love or hate Napoleon Dynamite. Shortly after its release in 2004, a church youth group leader made the comment "I don't why Napoleon is so cool now. We used to beat up kids like that when I was in school." Ironic, considering how many of us in youth group thought this film was fantastic. To this day, I love Napoleon Dynamite. (If you haven't seen it, or at least not in a while, give it a watch before you continue. I'll wait...) The understated, but definitive theme of Napoleon Dynamite is that of identity. Like many a high school story, this film is about learning to be yourself and no longer attempting to conform the popular, adolescent notion of "cool." Films like Mean Girls revolve around the main character's rise to Popular Girl status (or varsity athlete, or teen heart throb), only for said character to realize that such a social position in high school is not all glitz and glamor, relationships were damaged, and his or her reflection does not resemble "who I truly am." What follows is usually a climactic and impassioned "Be Yourself" speech at a school assembly or in the cafeteria. There's cheering and the mending of relationships, and probably a romantic kiss between the lead and love interest. I am not knocking those films (too hard...). I genuinely enjoy Mean Girls, because most anything Tina Fey

writes is comedy gold. But the narrative arc of such high school stories is formulaic and predictable. There is also a presupposition that everyone in high school wants to be in the in-crowd, and every lead is capable of joining it with the right makeover and compromise of conviction. Napoleon stands out in the homecoming crowd because the viewer knows from the outset that the title character will never achieve such in-crowd esteem. There is nothing in Napoleon's demeanor, conversational skills, or fashion choices that lend himself to a make-over trope. His attempts to impress are absurd. His claims include that he spent his summer in Alaska hunting wolverines, and that the school's "many gangs" want him to join because he's "pretty good with a bo staff." Beyond the school walls, Napoleon's older brother Kip chats with "babes online all day," and is an aspiring cage fighter. Most intriguing (and irritating) is their Uncle Rico, a thirty-something man who videotapes himself throwing footballs and constantly reminiscing about 1982 when he was a high school football star. Rico goes as far as to buy an alleged time machine off the internet. Each family member (save for Grandma) is out to define or redefine his identity. Ironically, Napoleon's two friends, Pedro and Deb, are not so preoccupied. Pedro may be navigating this high school in rural Idaho as a Mexican immigrant and ultimately decides to run for school president, but at no point does he put forth some facade or false self. Similarly, Deb may be quiet and shy when the audience (with Napoleon) first meets her, but from the start she is an aspiring business woman trying to save for college. Give credit where credit is due. How many high schoolers would start their own "Glamour Shots by Deb" in an attempt to achieve higher education? Both of these relationships are new to Napoleon, and I believe shape him into the confident person we see at the film's climax. "Napoleon becomes a confident person, you say?" Yes, I do say. The climax of the film comes not with a speech, but with a dance. This dance occurs, like many high school movie speeches, at a school assembly. At this point, the school presidential election speeches have both fallen flat. There's nothing about Pedro's speech that is dynamic. His tone is deadpan, and he advocates for setting up saints in the hallways to guard the students and bring them good luck. And his opponent, Summer Wheatly's speech is full of cheap fluff. Her skit has no substance, but Pedro does not have a skit prepared. Then Napoleon steps up. Napoleon's dance puts him in a place of voluntary total vulnerability. Not only that, the viewer knows he has practiced it. He has guzzled gatorade and sweated it out in his bedroom working on his sick dance moves because he found an instructional dance video in a thrift store. The climactic speeches in high school movies are always polished and well-articulated. It appears that Hollywood is under the impression that high school classes on public speaking produce orators who need no preparation, just the zestful energy of emotion and epiphany. Not here, good sir, not here. Napoleon's moment is one where rather than talking about some sweet skills he doesn't have, he demonstrates the culmination of his hard work and practice. And the dance does not occur because he has some revelation about "being who he is," but because his friend Pedro is in need. "Cute, albeit brief analysis, Dan. But what does this have to do with Lent?" Glad you asked, dear reader! It is fitting that many high school movies deal with identity. Adolescence is a time in which we desire to differentiate ourselves from the rest of the world, while paradoxically also desiring to be embraced socially by our peers (which we all do by various degrees). In the midst of my adolescence, I tried to be a guitar guy, because girls dig guys with guitars, but I had no rhythm. I tried to be a skater and practice on my friends' boards. But my center of balance was too high and I didn't handle the public humiliation of falling on my ass well. I'm sure we all have stories to share. But the desire to define our identity does not stop in high school. It may be reflected in the professional position we strive for or the car we buy. Our attempts at definition may be more evident in what we choose to post on social media (or even what we name our blog...). During Lent, some of us may need to let our preoccupation with the cultivation of our identities die. The Christian mystics described the threefold path of spiritual formation as Purgation, Illumination, and Union. For the season of Lent and the intent of this series, discussing Purgation is enough. Purgation is the process through which we are purified. It is how we learn what is infecting us and the beginning of how we are healed from it. The Christian Tradition has often understood the Wilderness as a place of death. It is where the Israelites are forced to wander for forty years, and it is where Jesus is tempted before he starts his earthly ministry. The Wilderness is a place of Purgation. And for many, high school is a wilderness. It is no coincidence that this movie is set in rural Idaho. Farmland is everywhere, and no character can escape it. Popular girls Summer and Trish are only popular at school. They live on dusty country roads, and Summer works at the local grocery store as a the checkout girl. They are all in this place together.

I believe we witness the purgation of Napoleon in Napoleon Dynamite. The change in Napoleon is subtle. Even after his performance, he still wears shirts adorned with unicorns, and he still draws pictures of ligers (duh, they're bred for their skill in magic!). Yet he no longer makes up stories about himself to seem tough, or badass. In fact, the farther we get in the film's runtime, the less Napoleon speaks. Napoleon discovers more about who he is when a) he is around people who care for him and enjoy his fellowship, and b) he has grown most comfortable in his own skin. At the assembly, following Napoleon's dance routine, the crowd cheers. And they cheer loudly. I believe they cheer for Napoleon's vulnerability, which reflects his newfound sense of self. For some of us, Lent may be a season for the purgation of the idolatry of striving for any particular identity. Maybe we need to learn to be comfortable with being nothing more than the person God created us to be. Read the full article

[planohairrestoration-blog]

Hair Replacement

Hair implants are artificial and artificial. In contrast to hair transplants, implants have fastened lengths and so they can't grow. Hair implants are good ways to deliver back your youthful look if you appear to get previous due to creating baldness. It have now develop into simpler to carry out with the advancement of latest technology. The thought was actually very intelligent as a result of ninety five percent of males are experiencing baldness normally. Which means if you will resolve to open a business about this, you will actually have massive earnings given that you've many sufferers.

For males, baldness seems on patterns. First is the hair loss within the two areas on the top of the top. For now, you can have it in your doctor's office in simply hours. It will depend on what number of follicles the physician is going to implant. After the process, you'll feel irritations however it will simply last for days and you are good after. You'll be able to even stroll out of the doctor's office, with out making people suspect that you just simply had hair implant.

The results can present within the span of three months when all of the steps are successful. When you ask about the price, issues to take into accounts are the complete amount of time and classes carried out. The usual worth for every graft during a single session can quantity to six dollars. For individuals who need to have longer classes, then the price might decrease.

If an individual has a large balding, then the cost might enhance as much as seven thousand dollars to ten thousand dollars. As well as, as a result of hair implants does not require yearly replacements or maintenance, you really can save bucks of money. Hair implants for girls have never been enormously successful till new there are new processes for implants.

There are three main sorts of hair implants. First is the only hair follicular unit. This can be a type of implant during which contain transplant of a single hair at a time. This course of is to make hairlines and make softer edges. The nest methodology is the follicular items in which involves transplant of two hairs are at a time for a thicker look. The final technique is the modified follicular unit during which involves transplants of three to four hairs are used to affix volume.

Earlier than subjecting your self to hair implant procedures, it is advisable find a good surgeon that concentrates in hair implants. Those that have good experiences also have an edge. Even so, it is advisable to know the dangers that it's essential take like additional hair loss and scarring. There will also be bleeding and infections. It is advisable to follow what your physician will recommendation most especially through the post- operative rules.

Hair implants are very good example of technology. This methodology is accessible to anybody. But then again, so as for you to avoid spending even a single penny in restoring your hair, proper weight-reduction plan continues to be a wiser alternative. On high, in fact, it's essential to care in your hair even before it gets boring and damage. That is the best way to feel secured and confident along with your crowning glory.

Obviously, men and women who discover themselves seriously considering hair implant surgical procedure as a technique to cease and reverse their hair loss have questions. Among these questions are "Do hair implants actually work?" "Are they secure?" and maybe the biggest question, "Can I afford them?" This article will reply these questions for you.

So far as safety is concerned, you actually do get what you pay for. As with all medical or surgical process that an individual could endure, if you happen to pay "again-alley" prices, you'll be able to expect "again-alley" remedy. Clearly, this is exactly what you wish to keep away from. Research your physicians carefully. I would personally suggest one of the more established hair restoration facilities equivalent to Bosley Medical or the Hair Clubs. They solely rent the very best, most experienced hair restoration teams to offer you optimal safety.

Value is a little trickier of a topic to handle, based on all of the variables. It would be best to set your self up with a session. This can be performed online. Some people will pay $2000 on a process, whereas others might end up spending into the 5 figures. It is determined by your kind and severity of hair loss, as well as the precise type of hair implant surgery being administered.

So is it definitely worth the cash to bear a procedure like this? Listen, there are cheaper options out there. It looks as if every day there is a new topical liquid, complement tablet, laser contraption, shampoo, or drug in the marketplace promising you the results you're after for only a couple hundred bucks.

Once we think about hair implants, we regularly suppose it is just for men. That is certainly not true. Many ladies endure from hair loss due to a number of medical situations. It might be as a result of hereditary problems with thinning hair or other problems that create female pattern baldness or hair loss. Some girls could have suffered from some kind of harm to a sure area of the top.

Because the main focus has been on men for thus many years, now we have uncared for the fact that women can profit from hair implantation as effectively. That is also attributable to the truth that most ladies that had hair loss have been in a position to purchase wigs that looked very pure. Girls also have longer hair lengths and more of it which makes the method a bit more difficult. With the advances in hair implanting procedures through the years we will now see the method getting used on each men and women.

Beginning within the late Nineteen Nineties, we began to see the process of hair implants bettering greatly. These enhancements came with the development of laser type surgical procedure that made the process simply that much easier. With the tiny microscopic cuts in addition to with the ability to harvest the hair follicles, we began to see the way more pure look of the hair implants. It is a lot completely different from the sooner procedures that made implants look unnatural.

As a result of the surgeon is utilizing actual hair from a donor space within the rear of the top, the hair is ready to not solely mix in but in addition begin to grow quickly. This creates a much more pure look. So long as there's a healthy area of hair, they may be capable of transplant the wholesome follicles.

With the thrilling new procedures that work so effectively for males we will now start to see more profitable hair implants for girls. Whether or not a lady is affected by thinning hair or has experienced different forms of patterned baldness, she can also benefit from the natural advantages of hair implants

There are numerous web sites dedicated to ladies to offer additional data and options. Take a look at a few of the boards and discussions to see what other women are saying. Ask your doctor and hair implant specialist if they think it is going to be just right for you.

I get asked on a regular basis if hair implants will develop. That relies on what type of implantation approach is utilized. There are two broad categories that one of these hair loss restoration process falls underneath, either synthetic implants or natural hair implants.

The artificial ones won't develop as a result of they are made from an inorganic man-made materials. They are mainly lengthy strings of hair like materials that are inserted into the scalp in the bald or thinning hair space. This process is accomplished by the surgeon tying a knot on the end of the substitute hair and then using a small medical instrument to make a hole or incision within the scalp and next insert the hair into that gap. The knot acts as an anchor which keeps the artificial hair shaft from being pulled back out of the skin. After a couple of days the skin on the scalp recovers and grows around the hair shaft helping to secure it.

Since these hairs are not pure they don't develop. This is without doubt one of the many down falls of this procedure. Once your hair is styled you are stuck with it. If you intestine the hairs brief then they will stay like that ceaselessly. The one option to get longer hair is to have new implants inserted.

Pure hair implants, alternatively, do develop after they have been transplanted . When the surgeon removes the hair items from the scalp or different space of the physique he or she removes the shaft, follicle, and sheath. This is then inserted right into a small incision within the bald area of the scalp. This materials will then be used as a supply for all the constructions needed to produce regular hair. As time goes by the vascular system of the scalp will join with the follicle and begin to trade vitamins, wastes, and gases. At this level the hair unit can start to actually manufacture the hair shaft materials and the hair begins to develop.

The first few months present very gentle hair development however as time goes on the hair shafts grow to a state that matches the present natural hair across the bald spot. At this point it becomes very troublesome to tell the difference from a transplanted hair shaft and one that has always grown naturally at that website.

Hair implants for males were first developed and utilized in the US in the course of the 1950's. Usually often known as hair plugs they actually did not offer a very good solution for a man affected by bald spots. The know-how was very primitive at the moment and the results tended to be Smart Graft not very engaging in any respect. In reality, the title hair plug came from the resemblance the implants had to the plugs of hair stuck into an inexpensive doll's head. Most individuals stated a bald spot was significantly better wanting than the obvious try at protecting the spot up.

Via the decades the strategies improved and the ensuing implants got here to look very pure. By the point the 1990's roll around the hair implant procedures performed on men have been nearly unnoticeable until someone did a close inspection of the scalp. Sadly for ladies there still was a not a great procedure to assist with female pattern baldness.

The issue came from the variations in hair loss between men and women. Men are inclined to lose hair in spots like above the brow or on the crown of the top, but they maintain good hair progress at the posterior part of the scalp. This meant males had an incredible donor space to be used for eradicating hair follicles to be transplanted. Girls, however, are inclined to experience hair thinning over your complete scalp along with outright bald spots. This didn't lend any space of the scalp to being a donor website. Thus implants were not likely practical for women like they'd develop into for males.

This all modified about ten years ago when the Follicular Unit Extraction technique was developed. With this procedure, individual hair follicle items could possibly be removed from the scalp or some other body area and then inserted into the bald spot. This meant girls might now have single items extracted from completely different components of the scalp to keep as thick a wanting hair as possible. It also meant hair units from different elements of the physique could possibly be utilized as donor areas. Immediately girls could have long lasting hair implants identical to the lads.

Hair implants have been exclusively obtainable for men who have been recognized with male pattern baldness over the past few years. When utilizing this early procedure, the result was not so good because the outdated technology was not advanced sufficient that it was possible to perform individual implants of hair follicles. What they did was to remove patches of scalp with living hair follicles and grafted these patches into the bald areas of the patient.

The result of this previous procedure was beneath satisfaction. Imagine a person wearing patches of hair that stick up whichever means that made it so apparent that the hair was not pure, this was typically occasions an disagreeable view. This previous process was known as hair plug surgery and, as derived from its title, the affected person who had the procedure did appear like sporting a number of plugs of hair on his bald area. Lots of people most well-liked the bald look of those males more than the ridiculous look of their new hair.

When the decade turned to the 90's, micro-transplantation techniques have been created and perfected to switch the old process. With this advanced method, hair follicles will be manipulated one by one and implanted to the scalp the place hair thinning or baldness occurs. A talented and experienced surgeon can implant the hairs in a single to a few groups of shafts which is how a pure hair grows and repair them in a manner that they observe the instructions of the natural hair around the space. In consequence, the end result appears so real that its arduous for somebody to understand that the affected person had the surgery.

Nevertheless, this surgical procedure was not relevant for ladies who also required having hair implants. This micro-surgical procedure nonetheless wanted to have a wholesome patch of scalp the place there's abundantly rising hair. The patch serves as the donor web site. A lady suffering from feminine pattern baldness has hair thinning on her complete scalp and this made it not possible to have a viable donor site.

[type2diabetestreatments-blog]

Meet the New Chief Science Guy at the American Diabetes Association

New Post has been published on http://type2diabetestreatment.net/diabetes-mellitus/meet-the-new-chief-science-guy-at-the-american-diabetes-association/

Meet the New Chief Science Guy at the American Diabetes Association

With the respected Dr. Robert Ratner stepping down at the end of last year, there's now a new mind in town leading the American Diabetes Association's national science and research efforts.

That new leader would be Dr. William T. Cefalu from Louisiana, who's been in diabetes research for over three decades. Leaving what he describes as his dream job at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Dr. Cefalu takes on quite a challenge joining the ADA at a time when the organization is going through a realignment to become more "mission-based."

We're grateful for the opportunity for a phone interview with Dr. Cefalu in late February during his first week in this new ADA role, to learn about his professional background and what he hopes to bring to the country's largest diabetes organization.

An Interview ADA's New Chief Scientific, Medical and Mission Officer

DM) Thanks for taking the time, Dr. Cefalu. To start, can you tell us how you first got involved in the diabetes field?

WC) I’ve been involved in diabetes since medical school and my first project on diabetes and heart disease, and so I guess my interest began in 1979 as a medical student and intern. I did my first research training at University of California Irvine and a research fellowship at UCLA, and that’s where I became interested in diabetes. Working in a research lab, some of the aspects of hormone transports led me to be interested in glucose attaching to the protein and impacting A1C, affecting physiology.

Also at that time in the early '80s, UCLA had a great endocrine section in different diseases, but diabetes at that time didn’t have much to offer (people living) with diabetes. But I realized that diabetes affected just about every organ system, and it gave me an opportunity to do just about anything in research.

I became interested in the fact that there was just so much to do in this disease space. And that led to my first diabetes research project at Tulane, and it took off from there.

You’ve had a particular research interest in insulin resistance… can you expand on that and what the hot buttons are?

We know a lot about insulin resistance in prediabetes, but the real question at this point is trying to move forward and make sure the research can be translated into the population. If we have individuals who are obese and insulin resistant, the big question beyond delaying type 2 progression through interventions is: How do we create large-scale programs that work and make that available on a broad level for people, to really prevent or delay the disease moving forward?

Do you think we need more official recognition of prediabetes, or is the push for a 'pre-diagnosis' label perhaps less useful than we think?

There's a lot of controversy in this area. We know that risk is a continuum, and even the lower (glucose) point set by the ADA identifies a group at risk. Of course, the lower the glucose, the lower you are on the continuum, so the less likely you are to advance to the type 2 stage. But at this point, I look at prediabetes as a chief disease in and of itself. If you have abnormal glucose, blood pressure and lipids, all of those collectively are going to increase your risk. That’s the case we have made recently. As to the label of prediabetes, I think as far as identifying it and the company it keeps as to comorbidities, it needs to be understood and recognized.

When did you first get involved with the ADA?

My involvement with the American Diabetes Association has been ongoing through the years, including participating with diabetes camps. Since I returned to Louisiana in 2003, I’ve been heavily involved in ADA activities – including the medical journals, Diabetes and Diabetes Care.

Can you tell us more about your experience as an editor with those medical journals?

I’ve been involved with the journals for the past five years. What we’ve tried to do with Diabetes Care, in particular, is make it fresh and keep it relevant. We want to make sure the articles we’re publishing are not simply confirmatory, but offer some novel information.

One of the changes we’d made was to the Brief Report, which was not a full-fledged article but limited information. We changed that to something called Novel Communications in Diabetes that outlines proof-of-concept studies. For example, one might look at a higher-risk group but not necessarily a larger amount of patients, but maybe shows some promising results. This was a way for us to include research on the cutting-edge, but not proven definitely for clinical care.

We also added a section called Clinical Images in Diabetes, as a fascinating way to present a case or two of unusual diabetes. You’d present an image, such as a pancreas or MRI image, that may help in clinical care. The idea was to tie in the clinical presentation with a more (visual) look. That’s been a very popular format, as is the Point/Counterpoint section we’ve brought back to explore opposing viewpoints.

Has there been any discussion about adding specific topic focuses, or including more open-source journal entries from the patient community?

We have created more special issues of the journal. The regular monthly issue would include tidbits from every discipline, but what I started doing is bundling manuscripts into special issues – whether it’s devoted to type 1, or mental health, the Artificial Pancreas, cardiovascular disease, or psychosocial most recently in December.

There are so many online journals, and there’s been an explosion of online materials where you can get just about anything published. I think the ADA has done a fantastic job of keeping the hurdles high, to make sure the quality of papers presented in their publications goes through rigorous peer review. In fact, our impact factor for Diabetes Care last year was the highest it’s been in the history of the journal (measured by readers surveys).

Why did you want to take on this high-profile post with ADA?

Well, I was in a very comfortable position at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, which has been around since the early '80s and has a primary mission of being the biggest and best diabetes nutrition center in the country. Historically, it’s been involved in nutrition, obesity and diabetes research, and it’s been a center that has been involved in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) and other landmark studies, including working with the Department of Defense on nutrition matters. I was executive director there, had a (endowed) chair and pretty good funding. I thought my job at Pennington was my dream job, but the ADA presented me with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity here. It gives me a chance to work with individuals who are as passionate about the disease as I am. I do believe that over time we can make a difference. It’s a way to put into operation what I’ve been passionate about for 35 years now, at a much more global level.

What stands out out to you as working extremely well within ADA?

A lot is working well. Our signature Scientific Sessions meeting in June is incredibly important and is just around the corner. That will continue, and I’ll do whatever I can to help in that regard. Our research program has done extremely well, particularly with the Pathway Program.

What would you like to see the ADA do for mentoring young doctors and researchers?

We need to support individuals who are going to be the next generation of scientists, devoted to diabetes research. I think the ADA has done a very good job in creating the Pathway Program, which was created years ago to do this. We know that there are pressures for young doctors and faculty members to bring in grant dollars, so I think this program is fantastic and takes some of those pressures off. This program, if anything, needs to be expanded to make a difference in diabetes research for the future.

Clearly, quite a lot is happening in the diabetes advocacy space. In your new ADA role, how are you involved with that?

The advocacy program has done a remarkable job at federal and state level, and that will need to continue. This is an ever-changing environment and we need to be very nimble as far as diabetes advocacy and actions. Over the next couple of years, there will be at least some (healthcare system) changes we’ll need to go up against or be aware of. It’s a very challenging time, including for those with diabetes.

As to insulin affordability, it’s a very complicated issue. I think there are many moving parts, and the only way to really solve this is to bring those individuals and components together for discussion. Hopefully, there can be solutions brought to the table. I think the ADA’s role in moving forward is to convene these partners, to have a very transparent discussion on all of this moving forward.

What gets you most excited, as to ADA's new Strategic Plan just released in February?

Now, it’s primarily going to be mission-based. Whether it’s our drive for discovery and research, or programs supporting people with diabetes as far as resources, or raising our voice. With the way the strategic plan is now, we’ll be more mission-based and all of these aspects will be supported throughout the organization. It’s a time of change at ADA where we are going through a realignment to focus more on mission.

OK, but what exactly does “mission-based” mean?

What can you expect, I hope, is to see an approach that gets individuals in science and medicine to work more closely with those in advocacy or in other development programs. It’s about us all being on the same page, about what’s in the best interest of the patient; instead of just having an idea come from one side, we can all vet that idea and contribute more as a team. I hope what you’ll see is a more balanced, comprehensive approach to these issues. There's a lot of excitement and passion about what we’re doing.

In your opinion, what does the ADA need to do better?

It’s often a matter of resources. Research funding is increasing widely this year, and it’ll need to increase even more as we’ve outlined in our new Strategic Plan. The way to solve a big research issue -- let’s say understanding prevention of type 1 or complications of T2 -- these big science questions have to be addressed with major approaches. We need a more translational approach, where you have projects that can have basic science aspects that coordinate with clinical research approaches, and be put in place broadly. That might mean that larger research grants to help address the problem are really the wave of the future.

I don’t think the ADA can do it alone, and this is where combining resources with other sponsoring agencies and groups can help. I think to really solve these major disease issues, it’s not going to be solved in one laboratory, and ADA needs to be a part of that.

Thank you for taking the time, Dr. Cefalu! We're glad to hear about this collaborative approach, and look forward to seeing your contributions as we move forward.

Disclaimer: Content created by the Diabetes Mine team. For more details click here.

Disclaimer

This content is created for Diabetes Mine, a consumer health blog focused on the diabetes community. The content is not medically reviewed and doesn't adhere to Healthline's editorial guidelines. For more information about Healthline's partnership with Diabetes Mine, please click here.

Type 2 Diabetes Treatment Type 2 Diabetes Diet Diabetes Destroyer Reviews Original Article

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DealBook: How Amazon Keeps Defying Gravity

Good morning. Weekend playlist: This new dance number by Elon Musk, if that’s your thing. (Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here.)

Why is this man laughing?

It’s because Amazon reported another knockout quarter yesterday, sending its shares up 10 percent in after-hours trading, writes David Streitfeld of the NYT. The performance showed the power of Jeff Bezos’ internet juggernaut.

The company handily beat expectations, with quarterly profit coming in at $6.47 a share. Analysts had expected $4.04 a share, with profit weighed down by increased spending to build out Amazon Prime shipping services.

Amazon is now an even stronger powerhouse in e-commerce, online video and cloud computing. (A rare blemish was physical stores, including Whole Foods Market, whose sales dropped 1 percent.)

More highlights from Amazon’s report:

• Its third-party marketplace showed a 31 percent jump in revenue in the quarter, to $17.4 billion.

• Its advertising business helped push revenue for “other” operations up 39 percent.

• Amazon’s willingness to pay for faster package shipping may already be generating an uptick in goods sold, our new colleague Shira Ovide tweets.

A useful summary: “Amazon ads for Amazon products delivered in Amazon trucks to Amazon households, where Amazon cameras alert residents that their new toys have already arrived,” Mr. Streitfeld writes.

All that was great for Mr. Bezos’ wallet. The surge in Amazon shares yesterday grew his net worth by $13.2 billion in about 15 minutes.

What to watch for: Whether Amazon rejoins the $1 trillion market value club — and stays there.

____________________________

Today’s DealBook Briefing was written by Andrew Ross Sorkin in New York and Michael J. de la Merced in London.

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Ginni Rometty is leaving IBM with work to do

Ms. Rometty announced yesterday that she will step down as the embattled tech icon’s C.E.O. this spring. She became one of Corporate America’s top women leaders — but couldn’t finish turning around her own company’s fortunes.

Since becoming C.E.O. in 2012, she pushed IBM further into businesses like cloud computing and A.I., buying up plenty of companies to help with that. Last year, she oversaw the $34 billion takeover of the Linux distributor Red Hat, IBM’s biggest deal ever.

Ms. Rometty was also one of the longest-serving female C.E.O.s in America and a role model for many executives. And she was outspoken on issues like whether companies should focus on more than shareholders.

But she struggled to make IBM more relevant:

• The company still relies more on slow-growing hardware and software businesses than cloud computing, A.I. and data analysis.

• Shares in IBM fell 25 percent during her tenure, while those in Microsoft jumped 500 percent.

Her successor will be Arvind Krishna, an IBM lifer who runs its cloud division and helped spearhead the Red Hat deal.

It’ll be up to him whether IBM enjoys a Microsoft-type revival — or a Nokia-type slide into irrelevance, write Jennifer Saba and Antony Currie of Breakingviews.

Wuhan coronavirus is officially a global emergency

The Wuhan virus outbreak is growing in scale and seriousness, as governments and companies alike struggle to figure out how to contain its spread.

Here’s the latest:

• The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a global emergency yesterday, though it said it had confidence in China’s ability to respond.

• The State Department warned travelers to avoid China after the declaration.

• The death toll as of today is 213, while the total number of cases is around 9,800 worldwide.

Facebook plans to remove posts with misinformation about the coronavirus, writes Kurt Wagner of Bloomberg. He adds, “The step of actually removing misleading content and not just labeling it as such is a significant one for a company that’s said it won’t fact-check political advertising.”

The Chinese billionaire Jack Ma said he would donate $14 million to help speed development of a coronavirus vaccine.

U.S. stock futures are down modestly this morning, following in the footsteps of Asian and European markets.

What’s left out of the latest debate on capitalism

From boardrooms to Davos, the corporate world is debating whether companies should focus just on shareholders or on a broader group of “stakeholders.” Peter Orszag writes in Bloomberg Opinion that some things are being omitted from that discussion.

• Governments once controlled markets more tightly, writes Mr. Orszag, a former Obama administration official who is now head of financial advisory at Lazard. So it mattered less what companies did, because government constrained the consequences.

• “An extreme definition of capitalism has become dominant,” where the only capitalist markets are perfectly competitive ones, with hands-off governments and shareholder-focused companies. “It’s a strange argument,” Mr. Orszag writes.

• “The dominant paradigm of the past several decades has plausibly produced a dramatic rise in inequality and polarization, and that polarization in turn has made the government unable to function effectively.”

Mr. Orszag’s proposed solution: increased government intervention — with more focus on where people actually live and work, rather than blanket generalizations about how business should work.

Brexit happens tonight. What next?

At 11 p.m. London time (midnight Brussels time and 6 p.m. Eastern), Britain will formally leave the E.U. It was a struggle to get to this point, but now the really hard part begins.

• “This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson will say in an address tonight.

• But Britain needs to hash out a trade deal with the E.U. and the U.S., both of which promise to be difficult. (One example: Britain’s former ambassador to Washington warned that President Trump will want the British National Health Service to pay higher prices for American drugs.)

• Just yesterday, the Bank of England downgraded the economic outlook for the country.

“For the next 11 months, Britain will continue to abide by the European Union’s rules and regulations, while it decides what sort of Brexit it wants for itself,” Mark Landler of the NYT writes.

So for those weary of years of Brexit deliberations: Sorry, but they’re not done yet.

Revolving door

J. Crew hired Jan Singer, a former C.E.O. of Victoria’s Secret, as its new chief.

Renault named Luca de Meo, a former Volkswagen executive, as its new C.E.O.

JPMorgan Chase has hired William Vereker, who was a top business adviser to former Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain, as vice chairman of investment banking for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Adel Aslani-Far, a top M.&A. lawyer, left the law firm Latham & Watkins to join Greenberg Traurig.

The speed read

Deals

• Altria wrote down its stake in the vaping company Juul by an additional $4.1 billion, valuing its holdings down 67 percent from when it struck the deal in 2018. (NYT)

• Unilever is weighing a sale of its tea business, which includes the Lipton brand and could fetch billions. (WSJ)

• The parent company of One Medical, the health clinic operator, priced its I.P.O. at $14, the bottom of its expected range. (CNBC)

• The analyst Craig Moffett thinks AT&T will eventually need to break up, because combining telecom and media businesses isn’t working. (CNBC)

Politics and policy

• The U.S. economy grew 2.1 percent last quarter, its slowest pace since 2016. (NYT)

• When President Trump called Jay Powell, the Fed chairman, an “enemy” of America, the central bank’s vice chair responded in an internal email, “Ugh.” (NYT)

• A schism has opened up on the right over eroding tech giants’ legal protections, with conservatives like the Mercers squaring off against libertarians like the Kochs. (Bloomberg)

Tech

• The F.B.I. is reportedly investigating NSO, the Israeli cyberespionage company whose products were said to have been used in the hack of Jeff Bezos, over illegal hacking of U.S. citizens. (Reuters)

• An associate of Peter Thiel is working on a subscription-based social network called Column that will focus on business and tech leaders. (MIT Technology Review)

• A.I. won’t necessarily eliminate jobs. But it needs to be regulated to make future jobs fairer. (NYT)

Best of the rest

• Deutsche Bank lost $1.6 billion in the fourth quarter, underlining the depths of the German lender’s troubles. (NYT)

• A Transportation Department report is said to criticize Southwest Airlines for flying 17 million passengers on planes with unconfirmed maintenance records over two years. (WSJ)

• Members of The Omaha World-Herald’s union expressed dismay at Warren Buffett’s sale of their newspaper to Lee Enterprises. (Business Insider)

Thanks for reading! We’ll see you next week.

We’d love your feedback. Please email thoughts and suggestions to business@nytimes.com.

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[goliath-de-senfina-sango]

And then you leave a whole ass story in the tags hJsleotsldldhgsykd i love it

midoriya: i can't believe that shitty 30 second rendition of the theme from the 3rd all might movie that i did got my video demonetized. do you think if i asked all might, he would tell the copyright people to back off? // his fans: well if he's gonna listen to anyone, would it be you, some random guy making videos about him on the internet? // midoriya: haha. about that

What if he just started interacting with All Might without any explanation? Like he knows his existence as All Might’s successor is A Secret, but he’s so worked up about [thing] that he just tweets him demanding answers (and not in the awed, shy way he did before, but in the brisk “explain yourself, old man!” way), and All Might actually answers him.

Or he briefly name-drops All Might a few times, which makes him lose followers because they all think he’s full of shit. Fast-forward a few months, and hey, he’s a UA student and All Might is his teacher and he was telling the truth this entire time??? How??