#and spent another 2 hours rehashing and talking presentation

[irregular-child]

Ok so...

me and @whitetape were hanging out the other day, and all of a sudden he pops up and asks me...

"Is it taboo to have a picture of an omega in their nest?"

Yes, my loves, we're discussing the omegaverse!

We chatted for a while and came to the following conclusions

TABOOS:

It is not taboo to have a picture of an omega in their nest, if the omega consented

An empty nest without an omega in it , with the omega's consent, is ok but looked at weird

It is ok to post a picture of an omega in their nest, but is seen as nsfw and more conservative types think its not ok, irregardless of the omega's state of dress

It's seen as never ok to post an empty nest outside of a nsfw/fetish context

BUT

There are parts of the internet where people post nest pics in an aesthetic way

Advice columns/reddit asks/etc

Though these are usually nests posted by the omegas that own them

There are some exceptions, such as non-omega parents with omega children

These are usually asking for advice or help with helping their children build nests

BEHAVIOR:

Nests were traditionally seen as an omega only thing, and kinda still are, but as time goes on, acceptance grows for non-omegas building nests

There are usually children of omegas who miss the sensation of nesting with their dams, or people very close to their omegas with the same motivation

The acceptance exists but non-omegas nesting seen as different to omegas nesting

The act of nesting for omegas is inherently instinct driven behavior

While the act of nesting for non-omegas is seen as more of a comforting act, the same as a child sucking their thumb

CULTURAL NORMS:

The typical timeline of an omega inviting their partner into their nest varies from omega to omega

But culturally in the west, the typical expected timeline is 3-4 months into the relationship

There are some non-omegas, generally alphas, who are pushy about it since its commonly seen as a trust thing

Though the real shitbags will twist it into a "you don't love me" thing

This 3-4 month mark is where a lot of people end relationships

For those who make it past that, the 2 1/2-3 year mark is usually when the omega allows their partner to start referring to it as "their nest" instead of just the omega's

This could happen as early as 1 year into the relationship, some couples go 10 years together without talking about it, but 2 1/2-3 years is the norm

Most omegas take the subtle approach of slipping it into conversation, as to not spook their partners for various reasons

Though some do prefer to have a conversation about it

NESTS:

Typically, nests are made of the basic materials of blankets, pillows, and scented clothes

The scents may be from a romantic partner, close friends, family members, pack members, etc

It just has to be from someone the omega holds dear

Other materials/nest behaviors vary on an omega to omega basis

Some omegas like having stuffed animals in their nest, some see it as childish

Some omegas keep any important items, no matter the material (laptops, notebooks, water bottes, meds, etc), others have a strictly soft items nest

Some omegas eat in their nests, others don't even drink water in their nests

Some omegas clean all nests materials at once, others stagger different materials at different times

Some omegas allow pets in their nests, others keep them out

These preferences can also cause the end of relationships, especially in omega/omega relationships

A good portion of omega/omega relationships sleep in separate nests/beds/rooms

Other than partners, generally only dams and younger, non-omega siblings are allowed in an omega's nest

However, behavior towards non-omegas being in nests are finnicky in general

Betas are generally ok, up to presentation

Alphas are generally kicked out around age 7, since its the age when gender roles are more heavily cemented in children

We will be back folks! Next time with presentation worldbuilding! :D

[ecargmura]

Kimi Ni Todoke Season 3 Episode 5 Review + Final Thoughts

And this is why they shouldn’t release all the episodes at once because I’m sad that it’s already over. Why must you do this, Netflix? Now I’m here demanding a fourth season…

While the miscommunication had been dragging since Episode 3, it actually gets resolved early in Episode 5. Sawako finally becomes more assertive as she finally breaks down and asks Kazehaya if he doesn’t love her anymore. Then we finally get the long awaited kiss between them! I love how there are similarities and differences between the confession scene back in Season 2 and the kiss scene here.

Unlike the confession, no music is played when they kiss. It’s complete silence. I think it that the lack of music makes the scene so powerful in a way. In just a flash, Kazehaya washes away all of her doubts. It’s only when Kazehaya pulls Sawako into a hug and says that he loves her three times that the music finally starts playing. If you recall Sawako’s confession back in Season 2, she confessed that she loved Kazehaya multiple times. Kazehaya does a rehash of it here in a sense. Maybe I’m a bit overthinking on this part, but that’s what it felt like to me. 

I do like that while Sawako has a curfew, she manages to rebel against it as she spends some time with Kazehaya at a cafe to talk things out with each other. It’s finally nice to see some communication with these two. Gosh, it took three long episodes to finally resolve this matter. It’s all Kazehaya’s fault this time around, though Sawako doesn’t seem to mind his flaws.

Afterwards, it’s pure cuteness as it’s officially Christmas in the story. Kazehaya gets an early Christmas present by listening to Kento ramble on about Ayane for hours. Dang, Kento, I didn’t know you have that much energy and throat power in the middle of the night.

Ayane and Chizuru come over and give each other a status update with their love life. Ayane is finally going out with Kento while Chizuru shows off the preserved flower she got from Ryu, but they’re not dating yet. Well, it makes sense given how awkward Chizuru is when it comes to love. I’m just amused that Chizuru is super shocked that Ayane is dating Kento because she thinks he’s a doofus.

The group go to another Christmas party at the Kuronumas. This time, the girls bring their boyfriends too. Poor Sawako’s dad. He finally learns that the hat he wears all the time and even bragged to Kazehaya about was actually made for Kazehaya and not him. Poor dad. He must have gotten so much emotional damage from that. I love how Ryu is just eating the food because he’s a whole mood right there. I’d just chilling and eating at a Christmas party too. I think having the group gather for the party is a nice way to end off the season. It’s sort of like a nice way to celebrate all the good things happening to them now.

Man, it’s so nice to finally see Sawako speaking her mind more often now. She chose to celebrate her birthday with her family because she wants to. It’s only fair that she should have some time with them as she spent Christmas Eve and Christmas with her friends. It’s also nice to see Sawako’s parents looking through her childhood photos and see how much their daughter has grown. I’m so proud of Sawako too!

Final Thoughts

I’m sure that many people anticipating the new season of Kimi ni Todoke didn’t expect that all the episodes would drop in a day. I certainly didn’t expect that too. This is my first time watching an anime that has all of the episodes dropped all at once. It has both its good and bad sides.

A good side to having hour long episodes is the lack of waiting week by week to see how Sawakaze’s conflict would be resolved. I know for a fact that had these episodes been weekly, they would have the nastiest cliffhangers. The bad side to having all of the episodes at once is the fact that that because they’re all there at once, the momentum will die out in a few weeks. It’ll be gone like the wind soon and it’ll just be a memory engraved into our minds…

Regardless, I do appreciate the effort Production IG did to keep the anime looking the same as it did 13 years ago. The soundtrack feels like it’s from the same composer. The characters didn’t go through modernization. The scenery and setting are all like it’s still 2011. I think one massive change the animation studio made is improving the animation quality. If you see some water animations, they upped it. I’m sure for a fact that the aquarium scene in Episode 2 wouldn’t have looked that good had it been animated in the 2010s. It’s because technology advanced that they were able to improve the quality for minor details like water and movements.

Because this season is basically what happens after confession, seeing more sides to Sawako, Kazehaya and the others was nice to see. It gives them a more layered aspect to them, even if it did get frustrating. My favorite part was seeing Ryu and Chizuru’s flashbacks with how Ryu’s mother died and how the two dealt with it. I feel like seeing what sort of baggage optimistic characters like Ryu and Chizuru have really makes you like them even more. Heck, I also didn’t expect to be liking Kento now. This season really redeemed him. My only gripe is the lack of Kurumi, but if there is a season 4, she’ll probably show up.

Because it has been 13 years, I’d thought the voice acting would have changed a bit, but nope. The voice actors still maintain how they sound back then. That’s incredible. I did read a post about someone thinking Kazehaya got a new voice actor, but it’s still the same. Namikawa did sound a little different in Episode 1, but he managed to retain that softer tone in later episodes. Oh and Kimi Ni Todoke has an English dub where they’re all voiced by an all-star cast like the Japanese cast! I’ve listened to some of it and it’s really good! 

I feel like this season as a whole was a love letter to the fans that loved the previous two anime seasons. I certainly enjoyed my time watching all five episodes (six if you watched Episode 0 which is a recap). Now I demand a Season 4. I don’t care if it’s weekly or all at once. Give it to me now!

[chaptersinprogress]

hurricane (take my breath away)

Bright walked over to join them, balancing a tray of fresh drinks easily. Sliding them onto the table, he carelessly sat on the edge of the table.

"He still hasn't caved?"

Knot shook his head. "Nope."

Rating: T

Warnings: swearing

Pairings: Arthit/Kongpob

Prompt: ‘i didn’t want to tell my friend who my real date last night was so i just pointed at a random stranger (you) but now they’re storming over to interrogate you and you’re playing along??? okay’ au - by @mraculous

Prem, Knot and Toota stared at Arthit.

Their one-sided staring match carried on even as the person being stared at fidgeted awkwardly and looked everywhere but at them. Bright walked over to join them, balancing a tray of fresh drinks easily. Sliding them onto the table, he carelessly sat on the edge of the table.

"He still hasn't caved?"

Knot shook his head. "Nope."

Bright shoved his face into Arthit’s, who immediately leaned back to avoid the scrutiny. Bright boinked him on his head.

"Ai'Bright!" the latter yelled in exasperation and annoyance.

"Why aren't you telling us anything, Ai'Arthit?" asked Prem, finally having enough of his friend's stubborn silence. "Did something happen?" His eyes narrowed. "If they did anything you didn't want, you know you can tell us, right? We'll make them pay."

The others stiffened at the implication and loudly expressed their support in helping to kill the person and hide the body. Arthit buried his head in his hands, unsure whether he wanted to laugh or cry.

They were attracting a lot of cautious and scared looks with their rather vocal plans of gruesome murder. Bright might own the bar they were at, but that wouldn't help them if they had the police called on them.

Then again, what exactly could he tell the others to dissuade them from their plans? Certainly not the truth.

'No, they didn't hurt me. It was just that the guy - P'Fan? P'San? - arrived over half an hour late, spent the entire time talking about his ex and how his current date couldn't compare to his angel, and then pulled a dine-and-dash, sticking me with the hefty bill.'

Arthit grimaced at the reminder of the awful experience. He was never going to go on another date ever again. Blind date? More like blind robbery.

"Ai'Arthit, you still with us?" asked Toota.

Arthit sighed before lifting his head up and downing his drink. "Yeah. I just don't want to talk about it, ok? Drop it."

"We're just worried because every week you've never failed to complain about how terribly the dates have gone. So it's a bit strange that you've been so quiet about this one," said Knot.

Well sue him if he didn't want to rehash the same old story of not being able to make it through a single first date successfully! He'd had enough of humiliating himself over and over. Now if only his friends would get the fucking memo…

Maybe the alcohol had finally gotten to him because the words fell off his tongue without permission. "I don't want to say anything 'cause the person is here!"

Bright almost fell over in shock. "Wait, like right now?!"

Arthit froze. Shit, shit, shit, why did he say that?! Of all the lies to have gone with, his brain chose that one? What the fuck was his brain-to-mouth filter doing?! And he called himself an engineer! From the eager looks his friends were shooting him, the only kind he was was an engineer of his own demise!

Prem scowled when Arthit refused to respond. "So, where are they?"

"Promise that you won't go near them," Arthit demanded, scrambling to buy time to come up with a plan.

His friends exchanged heavy glances. With a meaningful nod, Bright spoke up, raising three fingers. "Fine, I promise I won't go near them. Now point them out."

Shit! He hadn't expected an agreement!

Arthit hastily searched the bar for someone who looked like they had come alone to pass off as his date, since the actual one was most certainly not there (not that he'd ID him to his friends anyway). His gaze fell on a lithe man in a suit who was idly swirling his glass, seated at a counter in the far corner of bar, tucked away from everyone else.

Arthit jerked his head in that direction. "That guy."

Knot, Prem and Toota immediately stood up and made a beeline for him.

"Wait, wait!" Arthit yelled after them, almost knocking his chair over in his haste to stand up. "You guys promised not to go to him!"

Bright laughed from where he was still seated on edge of the table. "Ai'Arthit, you're losing your touch. They didn't promise you anything. I did."

Arthit snarled at him, baring his teeth for good measure, before turning around and running after the other assholes he no longer considered friends to do some damage control.

But Fate seemed to be holding a grudge against him because by the time he'd managed to make his way over to the other side, his so-called friends were surrounding the guy and had already started their interrogation.

"You fuckers!" shouted Arthit. "Leave him alone!"

The four men turned to face him. Arthit's breath caught in his throat as he finally got a good look at the person he'd pointed out. Clad in a form-fitting dark grey suit with the first two buttons of its blood-red dress shirt undone, the man looked like he'd just walked out of a fashion magazine spread.

His hair was artfully mussed - the long fringe pushed up and to the side, the tips just falling into his eye - and the two studs in his ears glittered in the dim lights of the bar.

Arthit's eyes trailed over the man's high cheekbones, the sloping nose, his chiseled jaw, before finally stopping at thin, pale pink lips that were parted just the slightest. Desire pooled deep in his belly as he found his thoughts wandering down the dangerous path of imagining what they would feel like under his own.

"Ai'Arthit, so this was why you didn't want us to meet him, huh?"

Prem's amused voice dragged him back to the present. Arthit frantically tore his gaze from the man's mouth to meet the eyes of his friends, who were watching him with a mix of mirth and exasperation.

He flushed, the embarrassment of having been caught unabashedly ogling the man he had supposedly gone on a date with making itself known. His eyes widened in horror. Oh fuck, they thought he'd gone on a date with this guy!

"I can't blame him though," said Toota, grinning like a cat that had caught the canary. "If I were Arthit, I would want to lock him away so that only I could see him too."

Knot raised an eyebrow. "From the way he was drooling, I'd say they'd be doing a lot more than just looking."

Arthit was sure he resembled a tomato from how hard he was blushing. He didn't dare look at the man his friends had descended upon. Who, surprisingly, had yet to say anything about that fact (since his arrival at the very least).

"Please leave," he gritted out, painfully aware of his proximity to the other. "Please stop embarrassing me any further. I'll do anything if you just let this go, I swear it on my gear."

A warm hand wrapped around his wrist and gave a sharp yank. Yelping, Arthit promptly found himself trapped between the guy's legs, his hands braced on strong thighs which pressed against his hips with an unyielding pressure.

"Looks like the game is up darling," the man chuckled. He nuzzled Arthit's hair and murmured into it, "Just play along."

Arthit shuddered as the man's breath fanned over his ear. Struggling to process the sudden turn of events, he could only nod slightly in agreement.

The man pulled back. "I assume these are the friends you mentioned?" he asked, squeezing Arthit's waist pointedly.

Just barely catching on, Arthit replied dazedly, "Ah yes, meet Toota, Knot, and Prem."

The respective people lifted their hands in acknowledgement as their names were called. With thinly-veiled interest, they watched as Arthit made no move to disentangle himself from the man who had so casually maneuvered their PDA-aversive friend as he liked.

"I'm Kong," the man introduced himself. "I'm not sure how much Arthit's told you about me."

Knot leaned forward, resting a forearm on the counter. "That's the interesting thing. He's told us absolutely nothing."

Kong laughed, sliding an arm around Arthit's waist and turning him in his hold such that Arthit's back was flush against the former's leg. The movement seemed to shock the latter back to reality.

Arthit flung his hands off the man's legs with a squeak he'd later vehemently deny letting out. But when Kong pressed his thigh against the small of Arthit's back warningly, Arthit smartly decided to shut up and follow his lead.

"Mmm, Arthit did say he wished to spare me for as long as possible," Kong replied good-naturedly. "But looks like Fate insisted that I meet the family."

Prem barked a laugh. "That's right." He stared at Kong unwaveringly. "So, tell us about yourself."

"Well, my name's Kong and I'm 25 this year. I hold a master's in Economics and work in business. I also have 2 older sisters and a si sawat named Smoke." (A/N: si sawat, aka Korat, is a cat breed native to Thailand)

"Where did you study?"

"I studied at BU for my bachelor's but finished my master's at Stanford."

"What are your hobbies?"

"I like to read fiction. I also dabble in photography."

"What would you say are your strengths and weaknesses?"

"Ai'Prem, what's with all these questions?!" Arthit exclaimed, having had enough and about to combust from embarrassment. "This isn't a fucking interview!"

Knot smirked. "That's exactly what it is, Ai'Arthit. Your Kong here is being interviewed for the position of your faen."

These fucking friends of his! Arthit buried his face in his hands and screamed. Kong chuckled and ran a hand soothingly through Arthit's hair, the other rubbing circles on his hip. He shot the group a wordless plea for mercy, for the latter’s sake.

"Ok, ok, one last one," Toota laughed, taking pity on his poor beleaguered friend. "How many exes do you have?"

Arthit's head shot up and he half-shrieked. "Ai'Toot!"

Pressing a light kiss to the side of his head, Kong answered. "Just one. A girl I used to date in high school but broke-up with in the middle of my freshman year in university."

"Why haven't you dated anyone else?" questioned Knot. "You seem to be quite the catch."

Arthit groaned and buried his head in the crook of Kong's neck. "For fuck's sake, just kill me now and be done with it." Maybe if he closed his eyes it would all just go away.

Kong smiled down at the beautiful man in his arms. He was too adorable for words. Heck, even his angry grumbling was cute.

"Well, I had no time for a relationship because I focusing on my academics, and later, on my career. But my parents decided that it was high time I considered settling down and sent me on my first ever blind date."

Kong turned an adoring gaze towards Arthit, "That's when I met Arthit. After our date, I was absolutely sure that he was the one. But we both agreed not to rush into things and just take it slow. Though this meeting certainly sped up that timeline."

He turned back to Arthit's friends. "Do I pass?"

Prem and Knot looked at each other and then nodded.

"For now," said Knot.

Toota however, was frowning and muttering under his breath. "Kong, business, economics… and the si sawat… it all sounds really familiar, but why?" A few seconds later, he gasped in recognition and asked slowly. "By any chance is Kong short for Kongpob?"

Kong stiffened, before grimacing and nodding.

"Then… you wouldn't happen to be Kongpob Suthiluck, would you?"

Looking like he'd rather be anywhere else, Kong answered, "The one and only."

"No way!" Toota exclaimed.

Knot and Prem's jaws dropped as they stared at the man their friend was cuddling up to in a new light.

Arthit lifted his head off Kong's shoulder with a sigh. "Now what's the problem?"

His three friends turned incredulous gazes towards Arthit.

"Ai'Arthit, there's no way you can possibly be this dense…" said Prem.

Knot shook his head. "Ai'Prem, you forget. This is Arthit we're talking about. He literally has no connections to the outside world beyond us and work. He doesn't have a clue."

"Oi, I'm still here you know!"

Toota decided to put Arthit out of his misery. "Your faen's one of the heirs to the third most successful company in Thailand, a formidable businessman in his own right, and voted the most eligible bachelor of the year."

"Yeah, right," Arthit snorted disbelievingly.

Did his friends really think now was the time to try to pull one over him? What were the chances a guy like the one Toota had described was hanging out in Bright's bar of all places and playing along as the last person he'd gone on a date with?

Zero. Nada. Zilch.

Kongpob spoke up sheepishly, "I think Arthit and I need to have this conversation in private."

"Yeah," added Arthit. He narrowed his eyes at the others. "Scram."

To Arthit’s surprise, for once in their lives his friends actually obeyed him with no protests whatsoever. Though they did shoot the pair concerned and encouraging glances as they went.

Once they had left, Arthit finally relaxed. 'At least that's one problem solved,' he thought.

And then realised that he was still caged between Kongpob's thighs, the latter's arms comfortably draped around his waist. The blush that had finally died down came rushing back.

With yet another squeak he'd deny making until his last breath, Arthit attempted to lunge out of that grip. Not that he managed to get very far since Kongpob immediately grabbed him and pulled him back into an even stronger embrace.

"Kong!" he hissed.

"Sorry darling," replied Kongpob cheerily. "Can't have you running away before we even start our talk."

"I'm not running away!" he denied forcefully. "And stop calling me darling! I'm 2 years older than you so address me properly!"

"Ok P'Arthit," Kongpob agreed easily, making no move to release the man.

"Are you going to let go of me or not?!"

Kongpob hummed consideringly before whispering in his ear, "Only if you give me a kiss."

"What?!" Arthit shrieked.

"I'll let go only if you give me a kiss."

"No way!"

Kongpob pouted, leaning back to look at Arthit. "You wouldn't be so cruel as to reject your faen after he saved you from your friends, right?" He puffed out a cheek. "Just one over here."

"No! Let me go, bastard!"

"Nope. Not until I get my kiss."

Arthit looked away, ears turning red. It was clear that man holding him would not be easily deterred. Fine, Arthit had already been embarrassed plenty over the last few minutes, what was one more thing if it made his life simpler?

Gathering all his courage, Arthit dropped a quick peck on the offered cheek before pointedly staring anywhere but at the person in front of him.

"There! Are you happy now?!"

Kongpob grinned at the elder before releasing him. "Very happy. Thank you P'Arthit."

Arthit scowled and took a few giant steps away, staying carefully out of Kongpob's reach. "Now what's this about you being Kongpob Suthiluck?"

Kongpob cocked his head. "Um, not sure what you want to hear, but that's my name."

Arthit narrowed his eyes. "Do you take me for a fool?"

"No! Not at all!" replied Kongpob hastily. "That really is my name."

He pulled out a business card and handed it over to Arthit. Accepting it, Arthit studied it carefully. The gold letters on the pristine white matched everything that Kongpob had claimed to be, at least professionally.

Except, the very circumstances that they were in screamed otherwise. Which also meant that the stupidly attractive man he'd met barely 10 minutes ago was a conman of some sort. Considering how easily he’d pulled the wool over his friends’ eyes, a very skilled one too.

But why did Arthit feel so disappointed by that?

Dropping the card onto the counter, he crossed his arms. "Look, I don't know what kind of game you're playing, and frankly, I don't care. This farce ends now. Thanks for helping me out with my friends but I should really get going."

Kongpob frowned and grabbed Arthit's arm. "Wait, why are you so convinced that I'm not me?"

"Because there's no way a guy like the one Ai’Toot described would be in a place like this!" Arthit exclaimed, waving his free hand around to encompass the bar. 'Sorry Bright,' he apologised mentally.

Running his other hand through his hair, Kongpob replied frustratedly. "That's precisely why I would come here!"

Arthit froze. Ok, that did kind of make sense in its own way.

"It's fine if you don't believe me right now," said Kongpob, releasing his hold and drawing away. He pulled a fountain pen out of his pocket and scrawled a number onto the card he'd handed Arthit earlier.

Sliding it back to the other, he continued. "I'll prove it to you over and over until you're finally convinced. Are you free the whole of tomorrow?"

Arthit eyed the card cautiously before replying. "I guess?"

"Good. Be outside this bar at 10am sharp and I'll take you out on that date we claimed to have gone on," said Kongpob with a boyish grin. He stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles that had formed on his suit.

Walking up to Arthit, he stopped beside him and whispered in his ear, "I look forward to seeing you then darling." He pressed a fleeting peck on Arthit's cheek before disappearing into the crowd.

Stunned, Arthit raised a hand to his face, fingers brushing against where the faint press of Kongpob's lips still burned, before staring blankly at the card that had been left behind on the counter.

Just what exactly had he gotten himself into?

[bonjourmoncher]

Twin Peaks Lawsuits Proceed 

Who will be considered responsible for the passings of nine individuals during a biker-club shootout in a Twin Peaks café parking garage with no attempt at being subtle in 2015?

Nobody, the  Hamilton Philip Lindley prosecutor's office declared Tuesday.

Barry Johnson, the area's head prosecutor, said his office would drop every outstanding charge against the bikers, bringing the years-long adventure to a surprisingly disappointing end without acquiring a solitary conviction against any of the famous fight's members.

The declaration comes almost four years after about 200 individuals from adversary cruiser clubs slid on the Waco strip shopping center parking area, supposedly to settle a regional question. A little while later, it regressed into a grisly scuffle. Alarmed coffee shops getting a charge out of a late morning lunch sought shelter in the café as many Bandidos and Cossacks bikers traded gunfire and waved blades. Overpowered police neglected to stop the brutality, rather adding to it with more gunfire. In not more than minutes, nine individuals kicked the bucket, making it the deadliest biker shootout in U.S. history. In any event 20 were fundamentally harmed. Many weapons and blades were deserted as swarms of inked men dispersed.

The  Hamilton P Lindley thanks its supporters. Become one.

Almost everybody at the scene — 177 individuals — was captured.

What pursued was a prosecutorial disaster as individually, the criminal cases crumbled under a previous head prosecutor's authority. During the four years of indictment against many affirmed group individuals, just a solitary case went to preliminary, bringing about a legal blunder. Most by far of the first 177 cases were expelled.

For Johnson, who took office Jan. 1, the wreckage he acquired was too miserable to even consider cleaning up. He associated further indictment with the staying 24 people would come up short, much the same as the rest. The time had come to release it, he said.

"I don't accept that it is a legitimate exercise of my judgment ... to continue with the further arraignment of what I accept to have been a half-baked way that this District Attorney's Office was set upon very nearly four years prior," Johnson wrote in his announcement, "and I don't accept that way should keep on being sought after."

The Bandidos and the Cossacks both follow their underlying foundations in Texas to the 1960s, and for a considerable length of time, the Lone Star State biker groups remained rivals. The trigger of the May 17, 2015, fight, be that as it may, has to a great extent stayed puzzling, even as examiners talked with many bikers during the years-long examination. Specialists said the shootout was the consequence of a turf war, contending that the Bandidos were irate when the a lot littler Cossacks club started wearing Texas fixes on their coats. Bikers who were available at the shooting have questioned this, with some maxim that it started when one biker kept running over another's foot.

In any case, issues tormented the case from the earliest starting point. Inside hours of the shootout, previous  Hamilton Lindley issued 177 cover capture warrants for those found at the scene. Regardless of their associated degree with inclusion, all confronted indistinguishable lawful offense accusations: taking part in sorted out crime, bringing about homicide and bothered attack.

A few, be that as it may, were not by any means associated with the fight and coincidentally was wearing biker-like dress while feasting at Twin Peaks, where the Bandidos were facilitating a get-together. Various wrong captures brought about multimillion-dollar claims that are as yet pending, the Austin American-Statesman detailed. In any event 130 of the bikers have documented social liberties claims against the police and DA's office, irate they had been named "pack individuals" while demanding they were honest of any posse intrigue.

Barrier lawyers for the men weren't the main ones who slammed Reyna for the sweeping allegations. As previous Harris County lead prosecutor Johnny Holmes told the Houston Chronicle in 2018, "You got the chance to demonstrate who the rotten one is. You can't simply say, 'I'm going to place every one of the chickens in prison.' "

At last, 155 cruiser club individuals were arraigned by a fabulous jury on the indistinguishable charges. Johnson wrote in his letter that he was confounded why Reyna didn't all the more intently look at each biker's activities so he could bring increasingly explicit charges against every one. Had he done as such, Johnson composed, Reyna could have had a superior chance to present proof that would "bolster a decision of blame past a sensible uncertainty."

"As I would like to think," Johnson expressed, "had this move been made in a convenient way, it would have, and ought to have, brought about various feelings and jail sentences against a large number of the individuals who took an interest in the Twin Peaks fight. Throughout the following three years the earlier District Attorney neglected to make that move, for reasons that I don't know right up 'til today."

Reyna said in an announcement to the Waco Tribune-Herald that he couldn't help contradicting Johnson's choice and with a portion of the "allegations" Johnson owned in his expression yet said he would "regard the way that voters of McLennan County picked Mr. Johnson to settle on these kinds of choices."

The main individual to go to preliminary was Christopher "Jake" Carrizal, leader of the Dallas Bandidos part. The district spent an aggregate of $1.3 million getting ready for Carrizal's preliminary and researching all the Twin Peaks cases, WAFB-TV detailed.

Carrizal was blamed by examiners for sorting out the fight, situated to a limited extent on instant messages in which he taught Bandidos individuals to bring their "apparatuses" to the Twin Peaks meeting, which investigators asserted implied weapons, and to "leave your ladies at home."

Carrizal, in any case, kept up on the testimony box that the Cossacks gathering trapped them at Twin Peaks, appearing with impenetrable vests and searching for a battle.

Addressing the jury, the thick-unshaven biker cleaned tears through his dark encircled glasses as he related being encompassed by Cossacks, "simply lying there, holding back to be cut or shot," as the Waco Tribune-Herald revealed. Carrizal conceded he discharged his weapon however guaranteed it was in self-protection.

"I realize you're reprimanding us for this occasion, however I don't accuse us," he stated, as per the news station KWTX-TV. "I don't censure the cops for it."

He accused just the Cossacks, he said.

Of the dead, six were Cossacks, one was a Bandido, one had a place with another bike club and another man was not subsidiary with any club, as indicated by KVUE. Ballistics proof later demonstrated that four of the men who kicked the bucket had projectile injuries from a similar gauge rifles shot by police, the Associated Press revealed. A terrific jury declined to arraign three of the Waco officials who were included.

In November 2017, the jury for Carrizal's situation casted a ballot 10-2 for absolution, causing the legal blunder.

Johnson told the Tribune-Herald on Tuesday that he didn't need a rehash of that "bad dream."

"To open that Pandora's case back up and start down that street again — when we don't feel that, in the wake of taking a gander at the realities and the proof, that we would almost certainly meet our weight of past a sensible uncertainty — would be untrustworthy, as I would see it," Johnson said. "Thusly, I am settling on the choice currently to end this bad dream we have been managing in this province since May 17, 2015."

Before being casted a ballot out of office — generally over the treatment of this case — Reyna rejected everything except 24 of the cases. He downsized the charges from taking part in sorted out crime to revolting, a Class B offense.

Johnson could have still updated those mob charges to crimes dependent on the vicious demonstrations in the parking garage. In any case, the new head prosecutor said he didn't accept this would be effective in light of the fact that the unsafe lawful move probably won't withstand an intrigue. He said he dreaded squandering more citizen cash and legal and law implementation assets.

Safeguard lawyers for the bikers were excited, telling the Tribune-Herald they had known since the beginning that their customers would win.

"They pulverized this case quite a while prior," Houston lawyer Paul Looney told the paper. "They were somewhat similar to a chicken that had its neck wrung. They went around the yard for a piece, however in the end they fall over dead. That is the thing that occurred here."

[asuka--langley--soryu]

@kuribo4indahouse I’m screenshotting your response bc I lost the ability to reply directly somewhere in tumblrs new updates, and also I want to clarify what I mean by ‘waste’ publicly in case other people have questions. 

I agree with you in some ways regarding the general idea that often a scene is never a real ‘waste’ and that they can contribute something to the plot even if they are comedic in nature, but I do want to specifically address why I think that, actually, there are a lot of wasted scenes in 2.0. Under a cut for length!

I’ve spoken at length about what I find to be disappointing about the characterization of Shikinami and won’t talk too much about that side of things. That is, I’m not going to criticize here the content of the characterization, but rather its effect and, more importantly, its absence. My overarching complaint about what scenes like this do to the narrative, and why I think they’re ‘wasteful’, is that they result in a film which gives the audience absolutely no reason to be invested in Asuka.

I think these scenes are ‘wasteful’ because they add nothing to a character who is already starting the movie at a disadvantage. Asuka is completely absent in the first film, which is obviously meant to represent her later introduction in the series and which is understandable to that point. The intention of 1.0 was clearly to be a pretty clean reprise of the first few episodes of NGE, so Asuka not being there makes sense (although, they do have Kaworu appear, and that appearance is, I think, actually really successfully done and beneficial to his characterization and they 100% could’ve done something similar with Asuka...but I’m trying not to digress lol). The downside of this choice is that, unlike the series, we don’t have 20+ episodes to learn who Asuka is and come to care about her as a character. We have a 2 hour movie. 

When I rewatched 2.0 a few weeks ago, it became clear to me that if I did not already know who Asuka is and if I was not obviously already incredibly invested in her, then I would have no reason to give a shit about what happens to her in this film. She is introduced with one short but vaguely cool fight scene (which i liked!) and then just sort of floats around for the rest of the movie being occasionally snippy. As far as characterization goes, we have the doll scene (ew), the scene with her and Shinji in bed, the elevator, and the ‘deep chat’ she has with Misato over the phone (wherein she seems to come to a realization about the nature of her interactions with others which feels...completely unearned at that point and incredibly sudden and like. why is she saying this to Misato? What bonding moment have they had that would make Asuka, whose primary character trait at this point is ‘mean’, willing to open up this way?). Then Asuka is torn to shreds and we’re all supposed to care because....? Vaguely, yes, we would care because she’s a human being and its sad and awful that Shinji is made to tear apart a human being, but the scene doesn’t have the impact it should because the movie has not presented the audience with a reason to be actually, genuinely invested in Shikinami. If I had not watched NGE before, I would assume that she was always meant to be a kind of throwaway love interest made expressly to be killed at the end of the film. To be honest, the scene would probably have been more effective if they had kept Toji as the pilot (which they almost hint at in a REALLY weird moment of like...fake-out foreshadowing), seeing as the audience has spent more time with him at this point then they have with Asuka. But i’m digressing again!!

In order to make the moment of Asuka getting torn apart in the corrupted eva to be emotionally impactful for the audience, or for us to be invested in her continued story line, there needed to be MUCH more work done within 2.0 to lay the groundwork for her character. Not to say that there is no room for comedy, or that comedic scenes can’t establish characterization, but more often then not the Asuka moments rehash the same shit that we know about her: she’s moody, she likes Shinji, and she doesn’t get along with people. We don’t even really get to know why she wants to pilot! Which is like, I don’t know, incredibly central to her character. The bed scene is more about Shinji than it is about Asuka, so I wouldn’t really count it--though it does, I guess, give the best indication. The elevator moment begins to touch on this, but then again shifts towards the romance subplot. Instead of this scene being about Asuka’s insecurities and trauma, as it is in the series, it is used to reinforce the like...half-assed love-triangle of the movie. It adds nothing to her character, and, once again, provides no impetus for investment from the audience. The elevator scene is not ‘wasted’, but its moments like it that puts more and more stress on every other scene featuring Asuka. 

Because this a movie and not a series, it needs to do a lot of things at once. 2.0 makes things much harder on itself by trying to accomplish the work of almost 20 episodes--it introduces several new characters (including one that is completely new to the visual NGE canon), attempts to introduce the concept of beast mode, further develops and complicates Human Instrumentality, and still needs to further the already established character storylines (of which there are...a lot). When you are trying to do ALL of these things in a single movie (which is then necessitated by the time skip at the start of 3.0--that is, we need to know what all these characters are doing and reach at least partial resolution because we will never be in this moment ever again) it becomes important to use every scene you have available to you wisely. Because Asuka is not the only new character and she is someone important to the series and it’s trying to pull off an emotional twist for her in the third act and it intends for her to continue to be a major character later, the film had a LOT of work to do in terms of establishing characterization for her. There wasn’t really time to spare on silly fan service scenes which gave us no further indication as to who Asuka is and why she’s interesting or important (beyond what we ALREADY knew about her by this point, which is, to reiterate, that she’s a tsundere love interest) but they...did it anyway. For some reason. And it didn’t pay off. It never does, imo. They don’t make up for it with several interesting moments of character interaction later, or with an elucidating conversation about something that isn’t Shinji, or with another moment of her in her eva. They just continue to do silly inane shit and then she gets torn up and now she’s cool eyepatch girl!! How fun!! 

 I really, truly believe that if you have not been exposed to evangelion before the rebuilds then there is literally no reason given to you as to why you should care about Asuka. And this is coming from me! Someone who cares like....the MOST about Asuka. I want to like her in these movies even if I don’t like the movies themselves, but they make it literally impossible because it doesn’t even seem like the film likes her or is even remotely interested in her at all. She never grows beyond a one-dimensional character and so fan service scenes just seem even more egregious because their inclusion means even less work spent on making her a genuine character. 

This is very long and I’m sorry for that!! I also am not like...distinctly disagreeing with you or attacking you or anything and am very sorry if it seems like that. I am. very passionate about Asuka and about what they do to her in the rebuilds, and I also, obviously, don’t know anything about brevity or restraint lol. 

[daikini-san]

E3 2018 in a nutshell {Featuring Sephiroth}

I managed to watch most of the E3 2018 conferences/showcases in their entirety, except Devolver Digital and the PC Gaming Show.  I have a lot to say about this...E3.  I’m going in the order of the E3 2018 schedule.  Let us begin.

EA

What a sour start to the show.  It was so boring I couldn’t even stay awake! There’s only one word to describe this conference:  Disastrous.

MICROSOFT

I personally believe Microsoft should have kick started E3 this year.  Microsoft?!  No way!  They’re usually not that great.  However this year, they did good work.  Though, I’m a bit more on the neutral side as I don’t play XBox.  Kingdom Hearts 3 announced for XBox was a shock to me since that series has always been on Sony systems.  I gotta ask though: What’s with 80% of their new games coming out in 2019? 

BETHESDA

This wasn’t a bad conference, but I’m more so neutral here as I don’t normally play any of those sorts of games.  Though, the presentation was intriguing and Fallout 76 peaked my interest.  Not to mention, Starfield has got me asking questions.  All and all, pretty solid performance.

SQUARE ENIX

Oh boy...>>  This is harsh but, necessary.  I’m not upset that there’s no FF7:R news.  I theorized that because KH3 is coming out next year, Square didn’t want to overshadow the KH hype with anything FF7 Remake related.  I’m trying to give them the shout of the doubt, but omg that conference was just like...what?  To be honest, Square didn’t need their own conference.  Microsoft announced most of their games previously.  There’s a FFXIV x Monster Hunter cross over which is interesting I suppose.  The KH3 trailer is the same trailer that was presented at Microsoft but with a few seconds of additions.  They only announced two new games: Babylon’s Fall and The Quiet Man.  The rest of the shit was rehashed!  That’s what pisses me off.  It may have been a good thing that Square Enix’s conference was the shortest in this year’s E3.

UBISOFT

Initial reaction when the conference started:  What on Earth is going on here?!  Then I saw Just Dance 2019.  Okay.  The conference goes on and there’s so much talking and live music.  I’m like is any of this necessary?  To be honest, none of their games had me jumping out of my seat.  Transference left me scratching my head.  To be honest, the majority of Ubisoft’s conference had me confused.  I’m not sure what to think here.

SONY

Okay can I just say Sony went in right off the bat?  They got my attention right away with the Last of Us 2.  Though, the momentum was interrupted when they had to go into intermission not even a half an hour into the conference.  ...What?  That aside, they continued moving forward.  Crowd reactions from Resident Evil 2 trailer announcement was nice.  Another KH3 trailer for the win, but at least this time it’s different.  (What’s with the lack of sound effects?  All three of those KH3 trailers are suffering in the sound effects department).  The game that really got my attention is Ghost of Tsushima.  It is visually stunning and the storyline has potential as it’s set in feudal Japan during the Mongol Invasion in the late 1200s.  Sadly, no release date yet.  :(  Either way, Sony’s conference was pretty good!

NINTENDO

It seemed Nintendo was trying something new with their conference this year.  The amount of games coming to the Switch is incredible!  Especially DBZ Fighters.  It was nice seeing Reggie explaining the two Pokemon games and Mario Party.  Fire Emblem looked good too.  But of course the highlight is Smash Bros Ultimate, which has all the characters from all the previous Smash Bros games, including a couple newcomers.  Sephiroth for Smash!  This game is appealing and I would get a Switch for that alone.  However, they spent nearly a half an hour talking about the game as they went into detail about stages, character balancing, and more.  I have no problem with that but, the direct should be renamed Super Smash Bros Nintendo Direct.  Most of the time was dedicated to Smash Bros.  Oh well, it’s not as bad as EA or Square Enix.

There’s my opinion on this year’s E3.  Overall, it was meh.  There just wasn’t anything to scream with joy about.  The Square Enix conference was a blow beneath the belt.  Sony was solid.  Though, I was foolishly hoped to see something Sephiroth related sprinkled around between Square and Sony.  Ah well. “If not now, then next time.”

[justanoutlawfic]

Back To You: Chapt. 7

Story Summary: 5 years ago, Belle left Storybrooke and became a New York Times Bestselling Author. Now, she's returning to Storybrooke to try to convince her husband to finally give her the divorce she's been begging for. However, the longer she spends in town...the more she realizes...maybe that's not what she wants anymore.

Chapter Summary: A look back into Gold’s accident that drove him to get sober. In the present, Belle goes wedding dress shopping.

Also on AO3

5 Years Ago

 His head hurt and his leg did too. There were lots of bright lights and for a moment, he wondered if he had died.

 Then he saw his son, who looked pissed.

 “Neal,” he choked out. “What happened?”

Neal handed him a cup of water that was at the end table next to him, watching his father down it. “You wrapped your car around a tree.

“Oh.”

 It had been a month since Belle left and that afternoon was when he had gotten the divorce papers. The last thing he remembered was reaching for the key to the liquor cabinet.

 “You shattered your ankle,” Neal continued. His voice was solemn, though anger was clearly written all over his face. Gold couldn’t blame him. He’d be angry with him too. “They’re going to do surgery but they’re not very hopeful. Your car is totaled, completely.”

Gold didn’t even care about any of that. He deserved every bit of whatever came to him. “And the police?”

“You’re very lucky you didn’t hurt anyone and that your daughter-in-law is the sheriff.”

 Gold let out a shaky breath, but didn’t say anything further. The room felt so cold, so frigid. He hated hospitals. They reminded him of what had happened months ago, when he had to say goodbye to his daughter. It just wasn’t fair. That time Belle had been the patient, and now…

 Neal interrupted his thoughts. “That doesn’t mean your off the hook.”

“I figured.”

“Rehab. No objections this time. I lost my mother, I won’t lose my father too. You could’ve died tonight.” Neal had tears building up in his eyes now and Gold felt regret in the pit of his stomach. He had been such an idiot. He had scared his son, he had nearly died. Just like Belle had warned him all of those times.

 Belle.

 “Did you call Belle?”

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to.”

“Don’t. If I have a chance of getting her back, she can’t know.”

His son nodded. “You also need to get help.”

 He exhaled through his nose. Neal was just going to keep repeating that, no matter what he said. He had been doing that since Belle left, even before then. Everyone was trying to talk sense into him and nothing worked. Now, he knew that he could’ve died. What would that have done to Belle? Maybe she wouldn’t care, but maybe it’d hurt her. He didn’t want to do that further. He didn’t want to hurt anyone in his family. He hadn’t seen Neal cry since Henry was born, no crying over being scared since he realized that Milah wasn’t really coming back for him.

 Gold wouldn’t cause anymore tears, not if he could help it.

 “I know. I’m sorry, son.”

Neal’s mouth opened, nearly accepting the apology right off the bat but then he stopped. Gold understood. It wasn’t okay and he didn’t need to be forgiven, not yet. “Yeah, well, just don’t die, okay?”

“I’ll do my best.”

Gold tapped his cane as he waited in line, a copy of Belle’s book in his hand. He had waited in the line for an hour, but it’d be worth it. No matter where they were, he had to celebrate her big achievement.

 Then he stepped forward and saw her. She looked damn beautiful, her curls sprawling down her back. Her blue dress matched her eyes and she had that same intoxicating laugh when a fan said something funny. Beneath the table, he could spot a pair of heels, she always wore heels. Even when she had been pregnant and he had feared that she’d trip and hurt herself and the baby, she insisted.

 “Feet need to look pretty too, Sam,” she’d lightly tease him.

 He pretended to be annoyed by it, but nearly every holiday, she’d get another pair of him. He had been planning on building her a shoe closet before everything went wrong. Before he had spotted her, he was still planning on doing it. He’d do anything to make her happy, to make her smile again.

 Yet, she was already so happy. He had spent the last 2 years in pain, but she was happy. He hadn’t seen her smile like that since Nellie died.

 He glanced at the book in his hands. The character obviously based on him was an alcoholic that “Lacey” had to let go. Belle had done the same with him.

 It wasn’t fair to force her to rehash the past, not when she had this life. She had a long line of adoring fans, a hit book. He was barely a year sober. He had checked himself back in just a few months prior to make sure that he didn’t fall off the wagon again. Yes, he could offer her financial happiness, but she didn’t need that anymore. She needed a good husband.

 He had ways to go before he’d worthy of her again.

 Pushing out of line, he went to the shelves. He grabbed the books she didn’t have on her table and brought them to the check out, buying every single copy.

 “Belle’s so nice,” the cashier gushed as he swiped his card. “Did you meet her?”

“No, but that’s okay. I knew her before.”

“You lucky duck.”

“I was,” he whispered.

 Present Day

 Belle twisted the engagement ring around her finger. Jefferson had overnighted it from New York and it was just as beautiful as it had been in the box. A single diamond that shined in the light, with a ruby on either side. Her mind flashed back to her other engagement ring, the one Gold had given her. It had been grand, a big diamond surrounded by sapphires. Gold had said that they matched her eyes. It had matched her wedding band perfectly. Silver, she preferred it to gold.

 Though, she loved this ring too, she told herself. Even if it was gold, that was Jefferson’s favorite. He wanted it to go with his band, which he also planned on being gold. She would give him that. A ring was just a ring, it didn’t matter.

 She thought back to the day she had met him, just over 2 years ago. She’d never tell anyone the exact date and that was probably for the best.

 It was Sampson’s birthday and the thought couldn’t escape Belle’s mind. 3 years ago, she’d be getting a cake from Granny’s (vanilla, his favorite, with buttercream frosting). She’d take a million years getting him a gift. He had everything and he never had requests. His last birthday was a week before things went pear shaped and she had bought him a polaroid camera.

 “Because you hate taking pictures with your phone”

 He had loved it and instantly took a picture of her stomach to put in the baby book. He said it’d be perfect, that he had one when Neal was a baby and it was perfect to capture memories instantly. He couldn’t wait to take a million pictures of Nellie with it.

 After she left, she never sent a card or a gift. He always sent her flowers on her, it was an anonymous arrangement, but no one else sent her tiger lilies. Sometimes she wondered if she should send a little something, but it’d send mixed signals. They were over, plain and simple.

 She was so lost in thought, she didn’t notice the man in front of her, colliding into him.

 “I’m so sorry,” she said, frantically.

He simply smiled. “No worries, you were so far gone, I’m pretty sure I’m lucky all I got was a bump.”

She let out a soft chuckle. “My head’s in the clouds, I guess.”

 Belle took in the man in front of her. He was handsome, no doubting that. He had a mop of dark curls and a crazy smile, that was somehow comforting at the same time. He was wearing a nice suit, with a top hat on his head. It was quite the first impression.

 “One of the better places for it to be,” he said.

Belle looked around her publisher’s office. “Are you one of Mal’s authors?”

“No, no. I don’t write. I’m in costume design. One of her books is being made into a movie and I wanted her to consult.”

“Costume design, huh? Sounds fun.”

“It can be.” He tilted his head. “Are you Belle French?”

“You know me?”

“My friend Mulan loves your work. I see your face on the backs of her books.” His smile widened. “Though, I gotta say, you’re much prettier in person.”

Blush crept over her cheeks. “Thank you. I never did catch your name.”

“Jefferson, Jefferson Chapeau.”

“Very nice to meet you.”

“You too.” He took her hand and kissed it, making her blush harder. “Are you going to Mal’s Christmas party?”

“I was um, thinking about it. Why?”

“I was invited. I guess I’ll see you there.”

“Guess you will.”

 “Belle!”

 She looked up, remembering where she was: the airport. Mulan, Ariel and Jasmine were running right for her. They threw their arms around her, hugging her tightly. Belle grinned, hugging them tighter.

 “I’ve missed you guys,” she said.

“We’ve missed you too!” Ariel grabbed hold of her left hand. “Oh good, you got the ring!”

“Yeah, Jeff wanted me to have it as soon as possible.”

“Gee, I wonder why,” Mulan mumbled.

Jasmine elbowed her in the ribs. “Mulan.”

“Sorry. So, are we going to the inn you’ve told us all about?”

Belle wanted to push, but knew better. Mulan had a quick mouth about her and she didn’t want to get into an argument in the middle of the airport. “Yes, just to drop off your stuff. Then, my best friend from Storybrooke made us reservations at the bridal boutique. That’s if you guys aren’t too tired.”

“Of course not.” Ariel grabbed her hand. “That’s why we’re here! We’ve got to help you plan the best wedding ever!”

Storybrooke only had one bridal boutique and Belle would hardly call it couture, but she didn’t care. She had worn her mother’s wedding dress when she married Gold and loved how classic it was. It didn’t seem right to wear that again, though, given the circumstances. Instead, she’d agreed to look here. It was filled with lots of different dresses, varying in colors and styles. Belle wasn’t sure where to start first, but luckily, she’d have help.

 Ruby was already waiting when she arrived with her New York friends, as was her mother.

 “Ruby, Mama, this is Ariel and Jasmine, my bridesmaids,” Belle introduced them. “Ariel, Jasmine, this is my childhood best friend, also maid of honor, and mother.”

“So nice to meet you,” Jasmine said, shaking their hands, while Ariel went in for the hug.

“Now I see where Belle gets her good looks,” Ariel said to Colette, who smiled.

“That’s very kind of you, honey.”

“And this is Mulan,” Belle said. “Jefferson’s woman of honor.”

 Ruby turned to shake Mulan’s hand and paused, heat quickly coming to her face. Belle smirked, she had been hoping for that reaction. She had asked Mulan to come as Jefferson’s best friend, but she also so happened to know that she was a lesbian. Mulan seemed just as taken with Ruby as she was and fumbled to shake her hand.

 “A pleasure.”

“You…you too,” Ruby stammered. She blinked a few times, taking in Mulan’s low cut red top before feeling Colette nudge her. “Let’s look at dresses!”

Belle giggled. “Yes, let’s.”

 Everyone seemed to have their own idea about what Belle could wear, Ariel and Ruby clearly projecting their own likes (did Ruby really expect Belle to wear a cocktail style dress that nearly made her boobs spill out?) while Colette and Jasmine were trying to pull things they assumed that Belle would like, but were too old fashioned (Belle didn’t want a collar, her last wedding dress hadn’t had one.). Luckily, Mulan helped the consultant, Ashley, reign the bridesmaidzillas and started pulling some actual suggestions.

 She found herself in a simple white dress with tulle sleeve straps that felt a mix of classic and modern. Her curls were pulled back with a clip that she had brought and she could feel the butterflies gathering in her stomach as she looked in the mirror. Ashley zipped up the back and folded her arms triumphantly.

 “What do we think?”

“It…it’s perfect.”

She grinned. “Should we show your friends and mom?”

“Yes, definitely.”

 Ashley lead Belle out of the dressing room and helped her up onto the platform. The girls jumped up, rushing around to take in the dress.

 “Oh Belle, you look beautiful,” Colette said.

Tears were in Ruby’s eyes as she played with the sleeve. “Tell me this one is it.”

Belle nodded. “I’ve got the butterflies, just like I did…” She trailed off, not wanting to go into her trying on her mom’s dress for the first time.

Colette could see the look on her face and bit her lip. “Belle,” she spoke carefully. “Are you sure you…you want to get married so soon?”

“It is all very fast,” Ariel chimed in. “I mean, will your divorce even be final by then?’

Belle squirmed in her spot. “Gold knows a judge, he said he’d take care of it so it’d get pushed through as soon as possible.”

“Doesn’t mean you have to jump into it right away.”

“I want to. Plus, Jefferson and I will be so busy and there’s no paparazzi that’s caught wind…this is what’s best.”

“If you’re sure,” Colette murmured.

“What is going on? A few days ago, you wanted me to get married. You were practically pushing me out of town to do so.”

“I just want to make sure this is really what you want.”

“It is.”

 Belle ignored the uneasy feeling that was overtaking the butterflies and turned to Ashley.

 “Can you please show me a veil you think will go good with this?”

 Ashley nodded and scurried off. Belle hated the way her mother and friends were now looking at her. Couldn’t they go back to when all of them had been excited over the dress and everything else? She had to break the awkwardness.

 “Mulan, don’t send Jefferson any pictures.”

She lightly smiled. “Of course I won’t.”

“Good, good.”

 Ashley returned a moment later, holding a veil. She adjusted it in Belle’s hair, giving it a flourish so it’d fall down her back. The bell above the door opened, indicating that someone came in. Belle found that odd, considering Ashley said they were her only appointment until that afternoon. Then she heard the consultant speak.

 “Mr. Gold, you must be here for the rent. Give me one moment.”

 Belle froze in place. This wasn’t happening, not right now. She had totally forgotten that he owned the shop, he owned practically everything in the damn town. She kept her eyes on the mirror, not daring to turn around, she couldn’t.

 Until she did.

 She turned around and saw him standing there. He looked as handsome as ever in his suit and new haircut, his hand gripping so tightly on his cane that his knuckles at turned white. He swallowed, his eyes wide with wonder.

 “You…you look beautiful,” he said.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I didn’t know you’d be coming by.”

“Rent day.”

“Right.”

“So…is this the one?”

“I think so.”

“Well, you’d look beautiful in a paper sack, so I’d say it’s you that makes the dress beautiful.”

 Blush spread over her cheeks before she could help it and ducked her head away. Ariel tilted her head.

 “Who’s this?” She whispered. “He’s kinda hot, in a silver fox way.”

Mulan rolled her eyes. “Ariel, you cannot be that dumb. That’s her ex-husband.”

“Oh…I get it now.”

 Belle wanted the floor of the boutique to open out beneath her and suck her in. Gold was just smiling at her friends’ conversation, though in a way that just made it worse. As if sensing the awkward situation, Ashley dashed over, white envelope in hand.

 “Here it is, sorry for the wait,” she said.

Gold nodded. “Perfectly fine, Mrs. Herman. See you ladies around.”

 He walked out the door and Belle suddenly felt very hot.

“Are you alright, hon?” Ruby asked, rubbing her back.

“I…I think I need to eat something. I skipped breakfast. Ashley, the dress and veil are perfect. Let me change and then I’ll pay you.”

“Okay, awesome. We need to do a bit of alterations, so don’t forget to make the appointment,” Ashley said. “Need some help taking it off?”

“No…I’ll be fine.”

 Belle dashed into the changing room and fumbled with the zipper in the back, pulling it down. She had worn a strapless bra that day and white underwear, which only brought her back to her wedding night. It had been her first attempt at lingerie, though with Gold she quickly learned that it was a waste of money. It ended up on the floor in two seconds flat and it was just itchy.

 They had made love many times before, but that night seemed magical in a way. His hands on her skin, telling her how sexy she was, how he wanted to make her so wet. She could still remember how hard his penis had been, how great it felt when it came inside of her. When he actually came, the way she orgasmed and then doing it all over again when they had been recharged.

 It took Belle a moment to realize that her hand was in her underwear, becoming wet at the very thought. Oh God, she was getting turned on by the thought of Gold, while wedding dress shopping.

 She needed to get the hell out of Storybrooke. Jefferson was coming the next day, the wedding wasn’t long after that. Then they’d go back to New York and she’d forget about all of this. She had to.

 “You alright in there, Belles?” Jasmine asked, knocking on the door.

“Fine!”

 Belle threw her jeans and shirt back on, gathering the dress to take it to check out. She was getting married soon. That was what mattered.

[spicynbachili1]

Is Hi-Rez living in Blizzard’s shadow?

Hello-Rez, the builders of Smite and Paladins, don’t have it straightforward. They compete head-on with Blizzard’s juggernauts; with their fingers caught in the identical hero-shooter-flavoured pies the comparisons are inevitable, and barely beneficial. Relying on whose questionable prolonged metaphors you take heed to, you would possibly hear it argued that they spend their time taking a look at the place their rivals’ fingers are, after which observe swimsuit.

You may also hear that their video games will be uneven, or poorly managed. A few of that rings true, although a lot is hyperbole. Hello-Rez have made just a few missteps, however that’s partly as a result of they take quite a lot of steps on the whole.

They’re behind the lengthy deceased World Agenda, the recent-ishly deceased Tribes: Ascend, and the cancelled Conflict Royale-inspired Smite Rivals. 4 video games are nonetheless dwell and kicking: there’s Paladins, a crew FPS the place wizards wield fashionable weaponry and craft their playstyles through card-slots; there’s Smite, a third-person God-squabbling MOBA that’s tied to their CCG, Hand Of The Gods: Smite Ways; and there’s Realm Royale, a battle royale recreation presently in early entry with lessons, a sensible Forge system for upgrading loot that minimises the lulls endemic to the style, and on-death rooster transformations that I am keen on. Loads.

Two issues must be apparent, at this level. These video games are much like another video games, however they’ve bought loads of concepts of their very own. Good ones.

So, why do individuals hate on Hello-Rez?

First let’s cowl the missteps. Final month, CEO Erex Goren instructed a Realm Royale streamer to “play the mode like you might be speculated to, with a crew and cease crying”. Earlier this 12 months, a Paladins advert pinched some artwork from Overwatch – a wince-worthy fuck up, within the face of quite a few accusations that decision out Paladins for ripping off Overwatch.

Then there’s Playing cards Unbound. Playing cards Unbound was a system for Paladins, eliminated after the gamers – and the devs – rebelled in opposition to it. It required gamers to stage up their playing cards by discovering duplicate playing cards in loot packing containers, offering incremental energy (or worse, the possibility of gaining incremental energy) with each micropurchase. To provide you some thought of how Not Nice the thought was, each the system and the response to it was akin to EA’s Star Wars Battlefront 2.

From the skin, it might be straightforward to see the Playing cards Unbound system as about greed. After I requested Paladins model director Alex Cantatore about it on the Hello-Rez Expo in Atlanta, he instructed me it was about survival.

“About this time final 12 months, Paladins was in a really tough monetary state of affairs. We had quite a lot of gamers, however none of them spent any cash – we had been haemorrhaging money hand over fist simply preserving the sport alive. It was reaching some extent the place the corporate wanted to decide. Do you retain investing in a product that’s shedding you cash, or might these assets be higher put elsewhere?”

Monetising energy turned the reply. In some methods, it was the proper one: “For the primary time, as we put out Playing cards Unbound, the sport was at the least breaking even. It wasn’t blowing the doorways off or something, however we had been doing OK.” In additional methods, it wasn’t.

“It was a tough time to return to work on a regular basis. Individuals weren’t comfortable, as a result of day by day you come into work and everybody on Twitter and Fb is like ‘dude, you’re ruining your recreation. Don’t you perceive we don’t need this?’ It’s like, we perceive, however we’re going to exit of enterprise if we don’t begin making a living. It’s one thing that we didn’t need to do, however the firm felt like we needed to.”

Paladin’s present system, the place cash is constituted of cosmetics tied into occasions that develop an ongoing story, proves there have been higher choices on the desk. The takeaway is twofold: firstly, Hello-Rez have now stepped additional away from monetising energy than they ever have, and demonstrably be taught from group suggestions. Secondly – as straightforward as Reddit makes it to suppose in any other case – Hello-Rez do have a passionate group, and they’re prepared to stay by them.

I met a few of them. They had been at a panel with the Paladin devs at Dreamhack Atlanta, which additionally hosted the Hello-Rez Expo. There can’t have been greater than two dozen of us within the room, however watching devs work together with their followers, with individuals expressing open admiration for his or her work, was one of the crucial healthful sights I’ve seen on this trade. Hello-Rez get slammed extra closely than another firm I can care to call, but there I sat, witnessing the precise reverse.

It’s not simply Paladins. There’s a Reddit battle over Realm Royale, too, the place posts bemoaning unwelcome modifications and posts that inform individuals to cease whinging can each achieve traction. Whereas the vitriol in a few of these posts is abhorrent, I can see why there’s pushback. Some updates have briefly stripped Realm Royale of its finest concepts – however that is all entangled with the twisted brambles of early entry. I just like the dev’s experimental method, but in addition discover their experiments a bit daft.

I requested Realm model director Rory Newbrough in regards to the problem of conveying their design philosophy, contemplating how completely different devs deal with early entry. “There was a mismatch on what the sport was making an attempt to do and what individuals anticipated out of it. As a result of we had been iterating laborious on the sport design facets somewhat than making an attempt to replace it and put content material on the market, there was some stress.” These recreation design facets are firmly locked in place now, together with Realm’s development from alpha to beta.

Which is strictly how early entry ought to work: making an attempt numerous issues so you possibly can decide on the very best. When Newbrough talked about they had been being extra cautious with the console betas and solely offering keyed entry to the early phases, I requested if he regretted not doing the identical for PC.

“I believe that might have been the very best play. It’s laborious to say, as a result of we bought quite a lot of nice engagement, proper? We didn’t do any influencer promotions, we didn’t do any partnered promotions, every little thing was pure natural. The influencers that performed the sport wished to play the sport, they caught on to it on their very own, they usually instructed their buddies they usually actually loved it. So we bought quite a lot of nice buzz, the identify Realm Royale was on the market, there’s quite a lot of worth inherently there. But when we had been going to return, it’s laborious to say – hindsight’s 20-20 – however contemplating keyed entry for alpha would have been on the desk.”

Whereas Realm has struggled to get individuals to know early entry, Paladins has struggled with individuals’s understanding of iterative recreation design. It’s true that many Paladins characters have comparable skill units to these in Overwatch, however it’s additionally true that each video games are indebted to TF2. It’s some extent Cantatore was understandably eager to emphasize: “I believe all of us owe rather a lot to Group Fortress 2, which outlined a lot of the style within the first place. The entire thing began for Paladins once we had been like ‘yeah, let’s make World Agenda 2. We will type of make it like Group Fortress 2, that’ll be enjoyable!”

I assumed I’d have to spend longer dissecting the historical past of Paladins and the extent to which the sport differs from Overwatch, however then I discovered this Reddit publish from Hello-Rez COO Todd Harris. It’s a relaxed, evidence-backed takedown of clone allegations, with a neat part that highlights Overwatch talents which are much like these in World Agenda.

It additionally speaks to a broader level, which is that builders studying from and deploying one another’s concepts ends in higher video games for everybody. It’s some extent that applies to any inventive medium – in addition to simply ‘concepts’ on the whole. It’s additionally some extent that may get drowned within the turbulent seas of rival fandoms.

Hello-Rez live in Blizzard’s shadow in as far as Blizzard is greater. However measurement isn’t every little thing.

Measurement didn’t matter to the individuals at that Paladins panel, nor the one the day after the place gamers and devs collaborated to rehash a personality’s lore. It didn’t matter to the gleeful faces watching the esports occasions, banging their inflatable tubes along with gusto. It didn’t even significantly matter to me, when after watching a number of hours of the Paladins semi-final I made a decision to go and play some extra myself.

I did have a superb time – although sure, I’ve had extra enjoyable taking part in Overwatch. However that’s the improper punchline.

Hello-Rez be taught from their very own errors and successes, in addition to these of others. Their video games apply unique concepts to confirmed formulation, and are all the higher for it. That’s one thing that the cynical shouldn’t lose sight of.

from SpicyNBAChili.com http://spicymoviechili.spicynbachili.com/is-hi-rez-living-in-blizzards-shadow/

[the-courage-to-heal]

Emotional Abuse is something that is increasingly getting more attention in the mainstream media. You may have read about how the United Kingdom recently put in place laws now protecting survivors of emotional (psychological) abuse, categorizing it as just as destructive as physical domestic violence. The US seems to be a bit slow on the bandwagon but hopefully as awareness and dialogs happen they too will come around. Regardless of what you know or think you know, survivors of emotional abuse don’t have a lot of options currently. Without the presence of physical violence in many cases, it leaves your loved one stuck in a dangerous situation. No physical violence means many domestic violence shelters will not accept them. No physical violence means that often they cannot turn to the police for protection. Which also means there can be no order of protection/restraining order issued against the abuser. So your loved one is left out in the cold by a system that is supposed to help protect them. Have no doubt, emotional abuse wounds in your loved one are there and open but unlike situations where physical violence is present, there are no overt physical signs of the abuse. Since those wounds are hidden, your loved one is very raw, and their sensitivity is off the charts. They are forever on edge after being in a constant and prolonged period of flight or fright. Imagine the floor of your home covered in millions of raw eggs, and you are constantly walking but trying to avoid breaking one. When you do break one, it’s nothing but a huge mess and so hard to clean up. That is how it’s been for your loved one for some time now. Never really knowing what they will say to set off their partner or another family member. It’s a horrible way to have to live. So here are ten very simple things you can do to that will help your loved one feel supported. 1. Understand that chances are you will not know what has taken place. Unless you have personally experienced emotional abuse, it’s very hard to comprehend the depths of hell they have just endured. Believe me when I say they are as confused as to what just happened as you are. 2. Be an excellent listener. Sometimes all they need is someone just to listen. The best thing you can say to them is “I don’t even know what to say, but I do know I can listen.” And then do just that, listen for as long as it takes for them to feel heard. Listen as they rehash things over and over again. Listen as they question everything and everyone around them. 3. Give them lots of hugs. Your loved one is has been through hell and the healing and calming benefits of a hug is one of the kindest and gentlest things you can do for them. Plus you can never have too many hugs! 4. Genuinely ask how they are doing and be prepared to hear the same answer over and over again. Odds are things with your loved one are going to be anything but remotely fun for quite some time. Just accept that. There will be good days, but unfortunately in the beginning those days are few and far between and fleeting moments at best. Psychological abuse has done a number on your loved one. They are questioning themselves, replaying conversations over and over again in their head. They are wondering what they could have done wrong. These experiences are cognitive dissonance, and it’s bane of every survivor’s existence. It will cause them to go back and forth, up and down like a tennis match at Wimbledon. But eventually it will pass. Something with finally resonate and things will click in place and eventually you will notice many more good days than bad. The key is to reserve your judgment for the next episode of Judge Judy instead of your loved one. It’s a long road back from hell. 5. Throw any idea of a timeline that they should be “over it” out the window and then run that mental schedule over with a car. Yep I said it, run it over with a car and crush it because unlike any other relationship that they have had in the past, this one is far different and will take much longer than expected to heal. Remember, those wounds are not visible, so progress is hard to measure for anyone other than them. The key ingredient here is for you to have a truckload of patience; they will decide their timeline for healing. If it seems that I’m being overly dramatic with this one, I am. But this is the one area that I hear over and over where survivors don’t feel supported by those around them. This particular area is where my friends didn’t know how to help me, and it’s the one area the drove that final wedge between us. You will hit a certain point and what I just said will make sense. 6. Respect their need for solitude and quiet. Survivors of emotional abuse have spent untold hours being yelled at, berated, lied to, talked at, put down and a hundred other things that would fill a whole page, but once out many find the noise of the world too overwhelming. Frazzled nerves leave them jumpy and on edge. Many spent all their free time with just one person due to the abuse isolating them from friends and family. In some extreme cases, they may have been spending every waking minute with the abuser. The need for a quiet environment and for some alone time to sort their feelings is healthy. So, when then they repeatedly say no to invitations out, please don’t take that personally or see it as a bad thing. Large amounts of people and excess noise overwhelm them, and to be perfectly blunt, a lot of survivors are incapable of making small talk at that point. Just respect their decision, but continue to ask. It’s nice to know that their company is wanted after all people want to be wanted. 7. Give them even more hugs. Because again hugs have healing properties and let the recipient know they are cared for and supported. Hugs have been proven to reduce anxiety and stress. Everyone needs hugs! 8. Be willing to sit in silence with them. Piggybacking off #6, be ready just to sit and say nothing. If you both want to stare at a TV, great! If you are seated in a quiet park somewhere, realize that there does not need to be a constant conversation. Just your presence and company are enough. Sometimes all they need is someone who is just there, and in those moments silence is golden. 9. Don’t just tell them that you love them every chance you get, show them through your actions. The old phrase “Actions speak louder than words” is of fundamental importance here to healing for your loved one. Having just come from a relationship where words were hollow and held no meaning, the abusers actions were opposite of their words. Consistency in your actions is vital to help your loved one regain a sense of what is genuine and correct. Show them through your actions that you do love them. Do you know their love language? If so speak to them in their love language, if not that’s okay. Just make sure the words you say are consistent with your actions. 10. Realize and acknowledge that you cannot fix the situation. Yep, this pretty much sums it up. Unfortunately, there is not anything you can do to fix the situation. Here is where #2 comes back into play. After being told what to do, what to wear, how to think, what to like and not like, survivors just need someone who doesn’t try to fix or change anything about them. I know this one is actually kind of hard because you don’t like to see your loved one hurting, and you just want to be helpful, but this is another essential one. One way their abuser hurt them most was with “helpful” suggestions disguised as put downs. So it’s best just to just not offer any unsolicited advice. This list is obviously not the do all end all, but survivors of psychological abuse often lose touch with very well meaning family and friends due to misunderstandings. I know your heart and intentions are in the right place, after all you have just taken the time to read this. But often what you think is helpful is having the opposite effect, and adding to more stress and chaos to your already overburdened loved one.

source

[coreytravelogue]

Bay Roberts, NFLD - December 29, 2019

It has been awhile since I have updated this travelogue as one could tell, well at least 2 months since. The last entry was the day I was to leave Amsterdam. What has happened since then has been fairly uneventful for me, well uneventful compared to years prior.

In October me and my girlfriend went to Seattle to see Jukebox The Ghost which was a concert she wanted to see. While doing that we saw the downtown area and I got to indulge in some more German wiezen beer once again and for the last time this year. There rest of the time was spent working really, no real adventures as my trips to Europe, Yellowknife, Kelowna, Toronto and California wound up costing me more than I wanted to.

As you can tell I am back in Newfoundland where I usually am at this point of the year but unlike last year I am spending three weeks here. I gave my parents only one week last year so I felt I owed them more this year. I may not be able to give them this much for a long while though however given the amount of money I spent this year 2020 may not be much of a travel year for me for many reasons. One is I can’t afford to do it at the level I have been over the past few years especially now. I do plan on going to Edmonton next month and I will more than likely do something for Easter long weekend because I have to (I dont have to but when I can get 5 straight days off from work I have to use it for something) but I don’t plan on traveling much in 2020 and want to use it more for saving and for just in case I move out of Vancouver.

I love Vancouver but it is just too expensive for me to live there while supporting my girlfriend and my addiction to travel (and beer). 2020 I do plan on lowering many other things but I am not going to bother talking about them, actions speak louder than words and I have no idea if I can accomplish them or not. All I know is 2020 will be a year of change for me once again but then every year presents a change. I feel as though this entry should be more about talking about the 2010s than anything else. I don’t want to continuously rehash old trips but I do want to use this time to reflect a decade which came to be probably the biggest, most important and most transitional decade of my life thus far.

80s I can’t remember because I was a baby becoming child at that time. The 90s I remember fondly though there were some bad points but many good. At this time in my life I try my best to think of the good times in the 90s because childhood should always be held precious. The 00s were easily the darkest times of my life where my depression basically took over my life and helped waste it as I went from job to job, heartbreak to heartbreak and etc. and I left 00s in worse shape than I came into it. The same cannot be said about the 10s I came out far greater than I did coming in to where I can barely recognize who I was back then outside of the musical triggers I left for myself in the mixes I made for myself over the years.

The start of the 10s carried over the issues I had in the 00s and it only got worst that lead to my first mental breakdown in 2011. In 2013 for the first time in my life I decided to take a trip for myself. For my adult life up to that point the only trips I would take for myself were to Edmonton and if I was to take any vacations they would be for a Christmas in Newfoundland. I never went anywhere else. However in October for 2013 I decided to travel to Seattle.

In hindsight it wasn’t a big trip at all for me, it’s a 4 hour drive from Vancouver but for me at that time it was the first time I left Canada as an adult on my own in my life. However I wanted to see Fiona Apple in concert, I missed out on her show in Vancouver previously so I did not want to miss out on this one. I am glad I didn’t miss out because she hasn’t really toured since then. I only spent two nights in Seattle but my time there reignited something I didn’t really know I had up to that point; a love for travel.

Prior to that when I was a kid I continuously took traveling for granted with my family but it was only then that I got to appreciate how lucky I was to have been able to see as much of the planet especially Canada as I did growing up on our road trips cross country many times over. Up to that point I felt like making a movie before I turned 30 was the only thing I could do at that point but my trip to Seattle provided another option which wound up being a better option.

By 2013 it had been 7 years since I ‘graduated’ from Vancouver Film School. For years I would try to get into the union and try to get work but it would almost always fall flat on my face with me. It led me to do free work here and there and sooner or later just get regular work. By 2013 I would have worked at EA for about 5 years, I practically forgotten most of what I had learned in film school, all my contacts gone and so on. By 2013 I knew full well the chances of me making a movie before I was turned 30 was slim and if I did make one it would not be what I would want it to be. I basically wasted my 20s. In hindsight I should have just flat out made a movie or made something regardless right out of film school. Would it have been any good? Probably not but it would have been something. I think now as a 35 year old looking back at my 20s I should not have listened to my friend Tyler and waited. I should have just done something, even if it would have burned a hole in my bank account that I would probably never be able to crawl out of, I would have been able to have done something.

My Seattle trip at that point gave me another option I never considered before; travel. In the three days I explored Seattle I was intrigued by the differences the city provided me, even though it was just ‘next door’ it felt like a different world to me. I began to create more experiences like that where I could just get lost, explore and further more actually have fun for once which at that point was something I didn’t really know how to do anymore.

In 2014 my 20s were nearing its end and I knew I had to make changes in my life; personal, professional and emotional because I knew I wasn’t going to live that much longer if I didn’t I knew another mental breakdown was looming, it was already building with other things going on my life at that point. I knew working at EA was a dead end, they never had any intention of keeping me as nothing more than a tester working for peanuts. I had friends in my life that i knew were not worth having in my life that I had to cut bait on as well. In April if I remember correctly I booked the ticket to go to London and leave from London 78 days later. From April till August right before my trip was all about preparing.

I am not going to get into my Europe trip (again) because honesty if you really want to know what happened then just go to the beginning of the blog and work your way up. As much as I love reliving those 78 days in my mind continuously I am also sort of sick of talking about it to others as much as I am sure they are sick of me talking about it. I made this travelogue specifically for that trip. I had no idea whether I would be continuing this or not after it because I felt if I could not find a reason to live after that trip I may as well be dead and the travelogue was to me my public testament followed by my personal journal kept. I came back home alive just in time for my last mental breakdown.

2015 began with a mental breakdown but ended with in many ways in better emotional footing than I had ever been in in my adult life. I went back to school, met new and more healthier people to be around.

2016 and 2017 was all work and then school with no travel as I tried to build a new life for myself. By the end of 2017 and beginning of 2018 when I was stranded in Toronto for a night I realized I needed to get back on the road again and explore.

In 2018 I knew I had a full time job and knowing that I spent the first 2 years of my 30s working I knew I had to make up for it by getting back on the road where I went to Toronto, Montreal, Whitehorse, Fort McMurray and Australia to spend time with my girlfriend. It was overall a great year for me in travel. One for which i feel I grew a fair bit. Toronto seemed like a great place to visit only for me to be disappointed by it but it wasn’t regretful. Montreal however was as advertised but in hindsight I feel like i should have spent my Easter in Montreal instead of Toronto but the only real reason I went to Montreal was because tickets were dirt cheap during Thanksgiving, cheap enough for me to afford to. Whitehorse was a eye opener, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy myself much up there only to go there to say I went up there but I would have no problem going back up there again. 

Fort McMurray was also an eye opening experience for me. I had not returned by to my hometown since 2007 or so so it had been 11 years and only a year before a fire nearly burnt it to a crisp. The city though was very recognizable was not entirely the same to me, I felt like a tourist there. No one outside of my former bosses at McMurray TV recognized me and even then it required a second look from them.

Australia was a trip that I feel more glad to have taken the more I think about it these days. Not just to be with my girlfriend but to also experience a whole different continent and culture not that dissimilar to my own but still its own thing. Looking back being in Andamooka was the best part of the trip followed by Haundorf and exploring Adelaide. 

My traveling in 2019 continued when I took my girlfriend to Disneyland where we spent our easter long weekend there. I had been to Disneyland so many times as a kid and teen but never as an adult where the sole purpose was not for me to go, this time it was for her but I enjoyed the trip nonetheless, more so than I expected to enjoy it.

The trip was followed by stops to Yellowknife, Kelowna, Toronto (for work) capping off with Europe once again.

Yellowknife I enjoyed but I definitely would not need to go back there ever again. Kelowna was disappointing but I think I came in with high expectations. I was hoping for it to be at least similar to the kind of place I enjoyed when I seen it last in 1992 but it was barely recognizable to me. I spent 2 nights in Toronto for work and really had no time to really get a second opinion of the place outside of trying to see more of the beer the city had but I still got disappointed in that.

Then there was my 2.5 weeks in Europe, it had been 5 years since I was in Europe and I only had a short time to enjoy it.

Ghent wasn’t that great but seeing my friend Katharina made it worth it. Luxembourg City was needlessly stressful but more so because of my naivety, it was a beautiful city that I probably could have done another day in but the city was small enough to where two nights was enough for me to get the gist of the place.

Dusseldorf was the best part of the trip where i got to hang out with my first host and her boyfriend. I was only there for 3 nights but I feel like I should have spent longer there, it was just so much fun there.

Berlin I just didn’t enjoy at all which sucked, many because it was there that I realized I couldn’t travel like I did five years ago. I no longer had the stamina or mental fortitude to be able to get up and go for 12 plus hours a day and move to a new place every three days. My time in Berlin was nearly a write off and where I was reminded that this trip needed more vacation and less work to explore.

Zeipzig and Nuremberg were just that, I did next to nothing in Leipzig but there wasn’t much to do there anyway. The same could have been said about Nuremberg which at first felt like a disappointment too given it’s history but the Altstadt festival changed all that and I spent the entire trip there shit faced on hefeweizen beer.

My 2 nights in Amsterdam were ok but I am not going to lie I was ready to go back home though I knew it would not be long before i had that travel itch.

So that is 2019 and my view of the 2010s. In 2010 I was an emotional wreck burning the candle at both ends teetering on a mental breakdown. in 2019 I am 35 years old, in a career, have someone in my life and in pretty good health considering. What does 2020 hold for me in terms of travel and life.

Edmonton is the first stop but I dont think that place counts anymore. It is possible that I may be going to California again for Easter simply because it is cheap to go there. However that is the thing I can't really afford to go anywhere unless it is cheaper. I did want to go to Fort Mac again for 2020 but I am starting to feel like that may be a waste of a trip. There isn’t much I would want to do in Fort Mac, if I go back I would only really wallow in missing living where I once lived, eat lots of Jomaa’s pizza and just explore the same old places I once took for granted. I would like to spend more time really walking through places. I would have if I would have been able to rent a bike for that trip. I was totally ready to bike through the city like I did so often as a kid but I doubt I could now like I couldn't then.

Australia is looking like it will be not he itinerary as well for 2020 as my girlfriend wants to go back home for awhile and there are still plenty of places to see on that continent. Outside of that I have no idea, I feel as though in 2020 I can’t travel hard and have to balance saving with travel. I also need to figure out what the next stage of my life is at this point this coming year. Its another adventure, 10 years ago I wasn’t looking forward to the new decade, 10 years later to tell you the truth I cannot wait.

See you in 2020, shazbot nanu nanu.

[taharai]

Steps to Film Financing Movie Deal Come To Fruition

Every independent filmmaker I have ever met has started out with a script, that is, after the idea, the book, or short story has been running through their heads for months, sometimes years. But after premiering the movie and it’s short-lived film fest tour, the indie movie is usually shelved. That’s what everybody thinks happened to my movie, Spyderwoman now Hybrid, the series and what has happened to most Indies.  But in my case, my movie is not finished, I’m adding a scene in the far future and making it into a series.  Transformation is part of the beauty of writing. However, I don’t want to repeat the same mistake.  Next time, I’m just going to do it the right way.

What makes a film get a movie deal?

Make sure the story is attractive, that you have an attached actor with at least a B rate attached to the movie, you’ve checked the SAG Producer’s agreement for your budget, and you have a letter of intent from a distributor.  Don’t forget to create a business and marketing plan, that includes business reports, analytics reports, budget, and promotion strategy.  All of it is part of a good pitch. That one summary and logline that just kills it.

Spend some time sharpening your presentation skills and start looking for venture capitalists, angel investors, film funding venture capitalists advisors, and strategize your capital raising campaign.  If your efforts fail, make improvements on your package and try again.  Make a different package.

Step 1. The film screenplay, or script, is the intellectual property where it all begins. Make sure it shines.

Indie scripts usually are not well formatted by industry standards even using Final Draft software; it may lack strict visualization in the action lines, too much irrelevant description, not enough succinctness, telling instead of showing, passive voice, longer than 4 lines of dialogue in some cases, and what is worse, it may lack a good setup. That’s to be expected of indies who haven’t got the practice or the CW/FILM MFA.  We indies realize Hollywood doesn’t always follow the guidelines. But with superb editing and special effects,  “do it in post” is becoming the norm. So why should indies have to follow the rules?

Hollywood may produce movies with two pages of monologue, plot holes, sexist ethnic stereotyping, (all kinds of stereotyping), rehash the same storyline a million different ways (Cinderella)  and still manga to sell millions of tickets at the Box Office.

The Indies World is Revolutionizing

The time has come for Indies. The world is paying attention to new and exciting topics of interest. People can relate to different ways of looking at things, people, and places can appreciate less stereotyping, and more inclusiveness in “film.”  Enough of us can appreciate different cultures to make a difference in the lives of indie filmmakers.

Recently, we’ve seen how new age and more diverse movies have made it to the top as in the case of Moonlight, the film that caused an uproar at the Academy Awards when it garnered the Oscar for best feature of the year in 2017.   Here’s my advice when it comes to polishing a script and making it into a tool for attracting funding from venture capitalists:

Follow screenplay writing guidelines and rules unless there is a compelling reason not to.

If audiences paid attention to every big budget or Blockbuster movie plot instead of being hypnotized by the sound and images, they would often see all the above-mentioned sins of scriptwriting as taught by Screenwriting schools in the US. I’ve only attended two and have a total screenplay writing MFA for film, but that has only made me open my eyes to “Story.”

Even when Hollywood does put out bad movie plots, oversimplistic, or senseless.  I bet at least four out of ten times, the story plot will be good enough, and sometimes even superb and subtle. There’s talent too in high places, not just after effects, tech skills and lots of marketing $$$.

What makes a good film?

“Story” is what really defines a good film, at least in my opinion.  I can’t stand vapid shootings, fist fights, explosions, or car chases that lack real gumption.  However, the face of a highly paid actor like Robert Deniro in one such scene will make us look twice and give some credibility to the splurge of high-level special effects spent to attract the action/adventure male audience between 25 and 45.

If we look into the plot, we’ll realize it’s just another mafia movie that stereotypes everyone.  But people are hypnotized by it and don’t care to make any sense of it.

On the other hand, a poorly formatted script can be polished to become a phenomenal script when the story has grit.  Not that indies shouldn’t have to learn the skill of standard formatting, but if the story is sound, the script can be polished to have a perfect setup, an inciting incident, and follow a plot arc along with the key characters’ arc that will take the viewer straight to the summit after three turning points before closing with a golden brooch. “Story” makes the difference. Whether it’s a comedy, romance, sci-fi, or all three at once.

An Indie Destiny

What is sad to watch is that after making a tremendous sacrifice of time, money and even family,  after the premiere we start wondering who is going to purchase the film and where it can be shown.  We start searching for ways to get a return on our investment (ROI), create a buzz, or raise the money to promote.

For many filmmakers, the end of the movie comes right after the film festival is over, even if you got first prize.  Unless it’s Sundance, (my favorite because Paul Newman is my childhood favorite actor) or the Berlin Film Festival, to name just a few of the top ten film fests in the world, your film won’t land a movie deal. Why? It’s not because it’s no good.  It’s because you didn’t follow the right steps.

Step 2. THE FILM BUSINESS PLAN

The Breakdown of a Script

Every indie learns to “breakdown” a film screenplay on their own.  Breaking down a script is all about organizing like things, a skill learned in kindergarten.  Of course, if you get fancy and use highlighters it’s even better. You can assign categories for each one of the scripts elements and when you think about what to do with it a bit you will figure out that getting things done by location saves time and effort and money.

Of course, there are expensive software programs like Entertainment Partner’s Movie Magic Budgeting & Scheduling.  If you learn to use these tools, your presentation will look much better.

The guerilla filmmaking way is to start calling all your friends and have them donate some of the things you need.  Get your team together and come up with locations that won’t cost you any money.  Call the locations, vendors, equipment rental places, go shopping for wardrobe, invest in makeup and applicators.  Get a first aid kit, tons of cases of water, and make sure you label everything with your production company’s name.

Figure the number of days and hours shot at each location, the cost per location and voilà, you have a budget.  If you want to take advantage of tax incentives keep all your receipts and present them to the State to get your rebate.

The budget shown to venture capital investors, angel investors, banks, and philanthropists needs to be based on comparisons between similar films.

The Film Marketing Plan

Target a specific audience on social media, TV, Radio, send out press releases, run ad campaigns, use Search Engine Marketing to keep the film in the public’s eye tied to keywords, actors, and storyline.

What’s the distribution plan? VOD? Theatrical? National and international marketing and distribution.

How will you maximize exposure and sell more movie tickets? Include marketing film merchandise such as action figure toys, video games, fashion lines, artwork, and soundtracks.

What organizations, national and international will your film be aligned with, environmentalist, religious, new age, liberal, LGBT community, or conservative, or liberal?

Step 3. SHOW YOUR TEAMWORK SKILLS

Who are your team members?

Include bios, pictures, reels, trailers, portfolios, and interviews.

Include actors and public figures that support the movie.

STEP 4. The EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – Frist Impressions Count

A film’s executive summary is an overview of all the film’s creative and business endeavors. It’s actually the first document presented to investors.  If they don’t like it, if you are not convincing enough, if the overall plan doesn’t make business sense, if it doesn’t prove its return on investment capabilities, and is not persuasive, no one will read the rest of the plan.

Pitching includes the logline, plot summary, and the business overview.  Especially crafted, the front page says it all in a nutshell. Use your words carefully, be enthusiastic, give value, solve a problem.

Success is not the work of chance alone, it’s being prepared when chance calls and turning the light green. Don’t just shoot blanks out in the dark. Target your capital investor by type and history. Have a plan, start following these steps and let’s talk about distribution next time. Stay tuned.  BTW, I’m looking for a cinematographer, director and editor to come onboard. Students and hobbyists are welcome.  To apply,  just join my email list or message me on social media. I’m Angela Terga pretty much everywhere.

Thanks for reading.

      Take the Mystery Out of the Film Financing Landscape Steps to Film Financing Movie Deal Come To Fruition Every independent filmmaker I have ever met has started out with a script, that is, after the idea, the book, or short story has been running through their heads for months, sometimes years.

[samuelfields]

How to get traffic on your blog (in just 2 steps)

Today, I’m going to share two strategies I’ve used to get traffic to my websites from extremely high-traffic blogs like Lifehacker and sites like the Wall Street Journal.

These strategies are the same ones I used to 10x my blog traffic in just one year.

IWT traffic 2014 vs 2015

This advice for getting more traffic doesn’t just apply to blogging either. You can use it to get more customers or clients, get more followers on social media, or snag your dream freelance job.

The best part: Once you learn the two systems for getting traffic to your blog, you can start using them today.

How to get traffic to your blog in 2 steps

On a recent forum where both new and experienced bloggers share tips for getting traffic, SEO, etc., most of the discussions were debating minutiae about meaningless changes they could make to their blog to get more readers.

“What SEO plug-in should I use?” one asked. “Does anyone think I should change my blog’s name???” another wondered.

After 20 minutes of reading, I had to close the window because I was getting so frustrated.

Look, here’s a simple chart of what matters for getting traffic for your site:

Basically, there are only two ways that really matter to get traffic to your website without spending a fortune in advertising:

Writing really good content. What I call “remarkable content” – and then telling the right people about it.

Writing amazing “guest posts.” Articles for other relevant blogs with more traffic than you.

Let’s take a deep look at each now and give you a framework to accomplish them.

Use the Remarkable Content Strategy to get traffic to your blog

You’ve seen awesome writing on the web, right? Work that creates reputations and builds businesses.

Maybe you read people like Tim Ferriss, Neil Patel, Brian Clark, or one of the other big-name bloggers who regularly produce high-caliber material you can’t get enough of.

Their amazing content turned them into respected experts, helped them build a loyal fan base, and opened up huge opportunities in their business and personal lives. And it all started with great content.

The real question is: Can you do the same?

There is a proven system for creating remarkable content. A system that helps you churn out amazing articles, blog posts, and emails – anytime you want.

I spent dozens of hours documenting everything I know and turning it into a free guide to creating remarkable content. It’s already got hundreds of thousands of new visitors to my website, and it sends more traffic every day.

Read how: The Ultimate Guide to Remarkable Content.

For now, I want to share just one tactic that will help you craft top-performing content that floods your blog with traffic. To leverage this tactic, you just need to answer three questions:

#1: What can I create that would be irresistible to people?

This is content that people see and immediately need to read.

Did you catch that? It’s not enough that they want to read it. They feel so compelled to click on your article that it’s like they need to read it.

To do this, you need to know your audience better than they know themselves. This involves a lot of research and, gasp, talking to people.

Over at GrowthLab (IWT’s sister site about entrepreneurship), we call this the Immersion Strategy. It’s the alternative to diving into writing a blog post with nothing in mind — and getting zero traffic as a result.

While there are a lot of different ways to go about it, the best way is by going to the places online and in real life where your readers might “hang out.”

Luisa Zhou, a former student of mine, did this, and it helped net her $1.1 million in less than a year.

From Luisa:

“I started spending all my free time hanging out where my potential clients were online (free Facebook groups) and directly engaging with them by sharing valuable content and answering any questions I could about advertising.”

Is there a place online your readers like to hang out? Maybe a subreddit, Facebook group, or message board?

What about meetups in real life? What groups or organizations are they a part of?

Find them. Spend some time talking, and most importantly, listening to them. You’ll discover topics and pain points that your reader will want answered.

When you write content your readers care about, they’ll happily devour your work.

#2: How can I make it so valuable that they’ll write me to say, “Thanks, this really helped me”?

Great content solves a problem.

Think about one of the best-selling books of all time, How to Win Friends and Influence People. That book solves a huge problem for people: making friends. And it presents the information in a way you can use right away. It includes word-for-word conversation scripts and action steps for you to follow, which makes the content immediately helpful to you.

Great content is about more than just the information. It’s about getting your audience the results they want.

So include ALL the information your readers need — without overwhelming them.

Another one of my students did an excellent job of this. While most bloggers rehashed vague networking advice, she distilled her knowledge into specific action steps her readers could follow. Then, she went a step further and included word-for-word email scripts to try. If you wanted to network with VIPs, everything you needed was in that one post. Making it easy for your readers to implement your ideas is critical.

#3: What do I really feel I have to share with the world?

If you care about something, you’re definitely not alone. Someone out there will want to read your writing, especially if you’re passionate about the content and add in your own personality.

Top bloggers don’t hide their beliefs, personality, and quirks. Instead, they create a personal connection with their audience by being themselves.

After all, how boring would I Will Teach You To Be Rich be if I didn’t show my sense of humor and crack a few jokes from time to time?

If your writing lacks a personal touch, people will click away. Open up. Tell a story or two. Include a picture. The more real you are, the more you’ll stand out.

Use the Guest Post Strategy to flood your blog with traffic

Once you write really good content, you’re going to see traffic come into your site. BUT if you really want to flood your blog with traffic, you’re going to have to write remarkable content for another blogger who has more traffic than you.

It’s funny — when you point this out to many new bloggers by saying, “Hey, why don’t you write up something really good and send it to a bigger blogger as a guest post?” many of them quickly make up a bunch of excuses. “Well, uh … I am really busy this weekend” or “I’m in the middle of this really interesting post on how HSBC interest rates changed!” Yeah right, okay.

But it’s not just as simple as deciding to write a guest post. When it comes to high-traffic bloggers, there are very specific ways to approach them so they’ll accept your pitch.

It all boils down to creating a system for creating and promoting your content to these bloggers.

Here’s what that system looks like:

Strategy and planning (1 hour / week). This is when you research different bloggers and websites you can reach out to with bigger audiences than you.

Creating new content (2 hours / week). This is crafting content targeted towards specific bloggers.

Promoting new content (2 hours / week). This is time spent reaching out to those bloggers and websites with your content to see who wants it.

Here’s an example from one of my students (a fitness blogger) on how he breaks that system down for him.

The best part about this system: You don’t even need to have a blog yet — you can just write your article on a Google document and share the link with whomever it is you’re reaching out to.

The point is to get creative and get some traction on other websites, regardless of what stage you’re at.

We’ve already covered writing great content — and if you’re reading this, I’m going to assume you know who the heavy hitters in your field of expertise are. Now I want to show you how you can reach out to them using a proven email strategy called the 1-2 Punch. These are the emails you’re going to be sending to other bloggers and websites that’ll get your foot in the door for guest posting.

Here’s what they look like:

My “1-2 Punch” email scripts:

Email #1: Introduction

Hi NAME,

My name is NAME and I’m a big fan of your work. I especially loved what you wrote about TOPIC because AUTHENTIC REASON.

I’m thinking of starting a website myself, and was hoping I could get some quick advice. The idea is to help AUDIENCE get RESULT. I just wrote my first article HERE, but I’m trying to improve it so that it’s really excellent.

You have a lot more experience than me. If it were you, what do you think would make this better?

– Add more A

– Talk more about B

– Etc.

What do you think? Is this something you feel would resonate with your readers if done right?

-Ramit

Email #2: Follow-up

NAME,

Thanks so much for your feedback. I’m going to make those changes right now. If it’s OK with you, I’ll send you an update when it’s finished.

One more thing: This is a bit further down the line, but would you be at all interested in having me contribute a guest post to your site once I have everything up and running?

It would really help me get the ball rolling and I think your readers would love it. You can even use this post if you like it.

Let me know — thanks!

-Ramit

Here’s why these emails work:

Ben Franklin Effect. People love helping each other — and when they help you once, they’re much more likely to help you again. This is called the Ben Franklin Effect and it’s at the core of what makes these emails so effective.

Not spammy. You’re adding value to them and their website. By doing so, they’re going to be much more inclined to add value to you.

Thoughtful. These emails show that you’re not just some wannabe internet marketer shooting off boilerplate emails. Rather, you’re showing them that you’ve put effort into knowing who they are and what they want.

Who could apply this strategy? 3 examples

Like I said, this works for bloggers and many other areas of business:

You’re a new blogger who wants more traffic: If you’re a blogger and you’re looking to grow traffic, put yourself in the mind of bloggers with large readerships: They’re busy, they have huge egos, and they need to constantly post new, interesting stuff to satisfy their readers’ voracious appetites for content.

Could you write one piece of excellent content for them? As an example, here were the results of Nora Dunn’s guest post for my site, which drove nearly 100,000 pageviews in 72 hours. I invited her to have a regular guest spot on I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

You want to break into an industry: Let’s say you read fashion magazines and really want to break into the industry. The magazine needs fresh perspectives, especially things that haven’t been done (think Money Diaries for a magazine, for example). How could you help them?

You just started a new company and need customers: How about if you’re starting a business on Christmas ornaments, and you aren’t sure how to get traffic to your website. The first thing I would do is record some interesting videos for other Christmas sites and give them away for free.

How to get hundreds of thousands of new visitors using the Remarkable Content and Guest Post strategies

I’ve written up a detailed post with the tactics for writing successful guest posts for high-traffic bloggers. It takes effort to create these articles, but when you do it, you can get hundreds of thousands of new readers and many thousands of new customers for your business.

Read how: Tactics for writing winning guest posts for high-traffic bloggers (includes examples & screenshots)

Want to grow your blog, and launch an online business people will flock to? Check out my Ultimate Guide to Remarkable Content.

How to get traffic on your blog (in just 2 steps) is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Finance https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/getting-traffic-for-your-blog/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[paulckrueger]

How to get traffic on your blog (in just 2 steps)

Today, I’m going to share two strategies I’ve used to get traffic to my websites from extremely high-traffic blogs like Lifehacker and sites like the Wall Street Journal.

These strategies are the same ones I used to 10x my blog traffic in just one year.

IWT traffic 2014 vs 2015

This advice for getting more traffic doesn’t just apply to blogging either. You can use it to get more customers or clients, get more followers on social media, or snag your dream freelance job.

The best part: Once you learn the two systems for getting traffic to your blog, you can start using them today.

How to get traffic to your blog in 2 steps

On a recent forum where both new and experienced bloggers share tips for getting traffic, SEO, etc., most of the discussions were debating minutiae about meaningless changes they could make to their blog to get more readers.

“What SEO plug-in should I use?” one asked. “Does anyone think I should change my blog’s name???” another wondered.

After 20 minutes of reading, I had to close the window because I was getting so frustrated.

Look, here’s a simple chart of what matters for getting traffic for your site:

Basically, there are only two ways that really matter to get traffic to your website without spending a fortune in advertising:

Writing really good content. What I call “remarkable content” – and then telling the right people about it.

Writing amazing “guest posts.” Articles for other relevant blogs with more traffic than you.

Let’s take a deep look at each now and give you a framework to accomplish them.

Use the Remarkable Content Strategy to get traffic to your blog

You’ve seen awesome writing on the web, right? Work that creates reputations and builds businesses.

Maybe you read people like Tim Ferriss, Neil Patel, Brian Clark, or one of the other big-name bloggers who regularly produce high-caliber material you can’t get enough of.

Their amazing content turned them into respected experts, helped them build a loyal fan base, and opened up huge opportunities in their business and personal lives. And it all started with great content.

The real question is: Can you do the same?

There is a proven system for creating remarkable content. A system that helps you churn out amazing articles, blog posts, and emails – anytime you want.

I spent dozens of hours documenting everything I know and turning it into a free guide to creating remarkable content. It’s already got hundreds of thousands of new visitors to my website, and it sends more traffic every day.

Read how: The Ultimate Guide to Remarkable Content.

For now, I want to share just one tactic that will help you craft top-performing content that floods your blog with traffic. To leverage this tactic, you just need to answer three questions:

#1: What can I create that would be irresistible to people?

This is content that people see and immediately need to read.

Did you catch that? It’s not enough that they want to read it. They feel so compelled to click on your article that it’s like they need to read it.

To do this, you need to know your audience better than they know themselves. This involves a lot of research and, gasp, talking to people.

Over at GrowthLab (IWT’s sister site about entrepreneurship), we call this the Immersion Strategy. It’s the alternative to diving into writing a blog post with nothing in mind — and getting zero traffic as a result.

While there are a lot of different ways to go about it, the best way is by going to the places online and in real life where your readers might “hang out.”

Luisa Zhou, a former student of mine, did this, and it helped net her $1.1 million in less than a year.

From Luisa:

“I started spending all my free time hanging out where my potential clients were online (free Facebook groups) and directly engaging with them by sharing valuable content and answering any questions I could about advertising.”

Is there a place online your readers like to hang out? Maybe a subreddit, Facebook group, or message board?

What about meetups in real life? What groups or organizations are they a part of?

Find them. Spend some time talking, and most importantly, listening to them. You’ll discover topics and pain points that your reader will want answered.

When you write content your readers care about, they’ll happily devour your work.

#2: How can I make it so valuable that they’ll write me to say, “Thanks, this really helped me”?

Great content solves a problem.

Think about one of the best-selling books of all time, How to Win Friends and Influence People. That book solves a huge problem for people: making friends. And it presents the information in a way you can use right away. It includes word-for-word conversation scripts and action steps for you to follow, which makes the content immediately helpful to you.

Great content is about more than just the information. It’s about getting your audience the results they want.

So include ALL the information your readers need — without overwhelming them.

Another one of my students did an excellent job of this. While most bloggers rehashed vague networking advice, she distilled her knowledge into specific action steps her readers could follow. Then, she went a step further and included word-for-word email scripts to try. If you wanted to network with VIPs, everything you needed was in that one post. Making it easy for your readers to implement your ideas is critical.

#3: What do I really feel I have to share with the world?

If you care about something, you’re definitely not alone. Someone out there will want to read your writing, especially if you’re passionate about the content and add in your own personality.

Top bloggers don’t hide their beliefs, personality, and quirks. Instead, they create a personal connection with their audience by being themselves.

After all, how boring would I Will Teach You To Be Rich be if I didn’t show my sense of humor and crack a few jokes from time to time?

If your writing lacks a personal touch, people will click away. Open up. Tell a story or two. Include a picture. The more real you are, the more you’ll stand out.

Use the Guest Post Strategy to flood your blog with traffic

Once you write really good content, you’re going to see traffic come into your site. BUT if you really want to flood your blog with traffic, you’re going to have to write remarkable content for another blogger who has more traffic than you.

It’s funny — when you point this out to many new bloggers by saying, “Hey, why don’t you write up something really good and send it to a bigger blogger as a guest post?” many of them quickly make up a bunch of excuses. “Well, uh … I am really busy this weekend” or “I’m in the middle of this really interesting post on how HSBC interest rates changed!” Yeah right, okay.

But it’s not just as simple as deciding to write a guest post. When it comes to high-traffic bloggers, there are very specific ways to approach them so they’ll accept your pitch.

It all boils down to creating a system for creating and promoting your content to these bloggers.

Here’s what that system looks like:

Strategy and planning (1 hour / week). This is when you research different bloggers and websites you can reach out to with bigger audiences than you.

Creating new content (2 hours / week). This is crafting content targeted towards specific bloggers.

Promoting new content (2 hours / week). This is time spent reaching out to those bloggers and websites with your content to see who wants it.

Here’s an example from one of my students (a fitness blogger) on how he breaks that system down for him.

The best part about this system: You don’t even need to have a blog yet — you can just write your article on a Google document and share the link with whomever it is you’re reaching out to.

The point is to get creative and get some traction on other websites, regardless of what stage you’re at.

We’ve already covered writing great content — and if you’re reading this, I’m going to assume you know who the heavy hitters in your field of expertise are. Now I want to show you how you can reach out to them using a proven email strategy called the 1-2 Punch. These are the emails you’re going to be sending to other bloggers and websites that’ll get your foot in the door for guest posting.

Here’s what they look like:

My “1-2 Punch” email scripts:

Email #1: Introduction

Hi NAME,

My name is NAME and I’m a big fan of your work. I especially loved what you wrote about TOPIC because AUTHENTIC REASON.

I’m thinking of starting a website myself, and was hoping I could get some quick advice. The idea is to help AUDIENCE get RESULT. I just wrote my first article HERE, but I’m trying to improve it so that it’s really excellent.

You have a lot more experience than me. If it were you, what do you think would make this better?

– Add more A

– Talk more about B

– Etc.

What do you think? Is this something you feel would resonate with your readers if done right?

-Ramit

Email #2: Follow-up

NAME,

Thanks so much for your feedback. I’m going to make those changes right now. If it’s OK with you, I’ll send you an update when it’s finished.

One more thing: This is a bit further down the line, but would you be at all interested in having me contribute a guest post to your site once I have everything up and running?

It would really help me get the ball rolling and I think your readers would love it. You can even use this post if you like it.

Let me know — thanks!

-Ramit

Here’s why these emails work:

Ben Franklin Effect. People love helping each other — and when they help you once, they’re much more likely to help you again. This is called the Ben Franklin Effect and it’s at the core of what makes these emails so effective.

Not spammy. You’re adding value to them and their website. By doing so, they’re going to be much more inclined to add value to you.

Thoughtful. These emails show that you’re not just some wannabe internet marketer shooting off boilerplate emails. Rather, you’re showing them that you’ve put effort into knowing who they are and what they want.

Who could apply this strategy? 3 examples

Like I said, this works for bloggers and many other areas of business:

You’re a new blogger who wants more traffic: If you’re a blogger and you’re looking to grow traffic, put yourself in the mind of bloggers with large readerships: They’re busy, they have huge egos, and they need to constantly post new, interesting stuff to satisfy their readers’ voracious appetites for content.

Could you write one piece of excellent content for them? As an example, here were the results of Nora Dunn’s guest post for my site, which drove nearly 100,000 pageviews in 72 hours. I invited her to have a regular guest spot on I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

You want to break into an industry: Let’s say you read fashion magazines and really want to break into the industry. The magazine needs fresh perspectives, especially things that haven’t been done (think Money Diaries for a magazine, for example). How could you help them?

You just started a new company and need customers: How about if you’re starting a business on Christmas ornaments, and you aren’t sure how to get traffic to your website. The first thing I would do is record some interesting videos for other Christmas sites and give them away for free.

How to get hundreds of thousands of new visitors using the Remarkable Content and Guest Post strategies

I’ve written up a detailed post with the tactics for writing successful guest posts for high-traffic bloggers. It takes effort to create these articles, but when you do it, you can get hundreds of thousands of new readers and many thousands of new customers for your business.

Read how: Tactics for writing winning guest posts for high-traffic bloggers (includes examples & screenshots)

Want to grow your blog, and launch an online business people will flock to? Check out my Ultimate Guide to Remarkable Content.

How to get traffic on your blog (in just 2 steps) is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Surety Bond Brokers? Business https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/getting-traffic-for-your-blog/