#any more asks on this subject have a 95% chance of being deleted

[mallowstep]

speech anon! i'm not responding to your main ask, not ur fault there's just some stuff in there i don't really want on this blog. /nm

anyway, i'm actually referring to something Completely different. not Presently in the mood to discuss, but you can probably track it down in one of my hollyshine posts.

anyway, i did a lot of public speaking in high school, so here's my quick tips, if you want them. can't promise they'll work, but:

if you can, memorize whatever you have to say. even if you don't have to. even if you still hold the papers/cards as something to do with your hands. i used to recite stuff walking to school.

that's just generally good advice, high schoolers. don't make cards for presentations. just learn what's on your slides. you will Sound Better. exception: if you're allowed to have a computer in front of you, then you can have cards there. but it has to like. you can't be looking down and speaking. if you start now, when teachers inevitably say no cards, you'll already be prepared

(also, i'm drifting but, if you're doing a foreign language presentation, do not make your notes/cards translations. write them in the language you are presenting in. do not let a single word of your other language enter your cards. the only exception is if you need to give the translation of a word in the presentation, and even then, i'd say you don't know your presentation well enough if you need the translation)

anyway, memorizing what you have to say helps with confidence. and confidence Will make you sound better

remember that it Will get easier with time.

and it sounds a little silly, but if you have a lot of stuffed animals, sometimes you can emulate an audience by setting them up.

if you're allowed to, i was always more comfortable speaking off the cuff. i know sometimes you have to read something as written (which is when you memorize), but for model un, i gave all of my opening statements by bullet points.

seriously, though, giving yourself permission to go off the cuff can help. i know this contradicts my first point, but if you often forget words or get stuck on words, knowing that you can just work around it is helpful.

like, okay, sometimes i get stuck on a word and i just can't say it. or, because i had to do my Least Favourite Activity today and record my own voice, i can't move on to the next part of a sentence. i had to do my Least Favourite Activity today which meant i just had to repeat the last few words until i could move on but at least i'm in therapy for the voice thing, not the fluency thing.

i took an improv class and i cannot tell you how helpful it is in my everyday life. this might not help you, but like. insanely helpful. it was...maybe eight weeks? twelve weeks? best experience of my life.

because i Hate Thinking About Speaking, the whole slow down or count breaths stuff doesn't really work for me. like please stop i don't want to think about how i speak i have a Problem with it.

so what i did was listen to slam poetry. i'm good at reciting things, i can do a Lot of poems from memory

(fun fact! i once filled in for a poetry reading because i had the right poem memorized. hope is a thing with feathers. that perches in the soul. and sings the tune without the words. this isn't impressive because i could've just looked it up but it was cool at the time.)

anyway, listening to them, and reciting them, helped me just naturally find a speaking rhythm

i did it a lot, now if i have to read something out loud i default to it

again i'm approaching this all from like. i have a speech impediment and a fluency disorder. i have a Lot of feelings about speaking that are all very complicated. so maybe none of this is helpful

i don't have a ton to say about stage fright? except okay when i had an oboe solo in my sophomore year and there was a senior who was lowkey highkey bullying me because he was intimidated by me (why i have no idea i was like. i should not have been intimidated. he got paid money to go to college. god i hate him. but this is all another story.)

okay anyway to summarize, had a panic attack when my boyfriend threw me into his ensemble without warning, had to do a solo in spring, cm was staring at me like he Knew i was going to fuck this up

and of course when you have anxiety you do worse and I Knew This so i just.

balled up my anger real tight and said no! i am going to do this with every ounce of air in my body because fuck you cm, you do Not know what i am capable of

so i really recommend being motivated by spite. it's not like. i'm not saying long term. i'm just saying it can get you through a tight spot.

anyway, high school is a rough time. it's four years, you can get through it.

[prorevenge]

Nepotism: Marked for deletion.

TLDR At the end.

My school had a tradition, and I'm not sure if it's odd or not. But, each year we had kind of a mini-valedictorian award, starting in middle school. I was in the gifted program, so several of us had 4.0's, so the award was given to whoever had the highest overall GPA on the 100 point scale. I have always been very competitive by nature, so I set my sights on winning this award in the 7th grade. However, there was a bit of competition: let's call him Todd. Todd had really good grades as well, with the top spot usually bouncing back and forth between the two of us. It was so close that every single quiz, exam, and homework assignment had the potential to dethrone one of us while lifting the other. I had an average of 98.something, as did he.

Todd had a bit of an edge, however. See, Todd's mom was known for being a bully. She would yell, scream, berate, and openly mock any teacher who dared to give Todd a lower grade than me. But that isn't all: Todd's mom was also a teacher at our school. She would openly defy and berate her own colleagues, should they not provide whatever grade she wanted for Todd. Now, usually the school would avoid giving a child a class with their mother, but sometimes this was unavoidable. Naturally, we ended up in a class with his mother as the teacher.

This was a world history class, one which required several papers, tests, etc. By the end of the year, Todd and I had been neck and neck in this class. But, I noticed something: I consistently outperformed Todd (by several points) on any objective learning assessments (fill in the blank tests, multiple choice, etc.) However, somehow Todd consistently outperformed me on written/subjective learning assessments (papers, essays, etc.) Being a young and ignorant kid, I just assumed he was better at writing. That is, until our final assignment rolled around.

All our tests had been taken, all our quizzes and homework assignments graded, all our papers submitted and graded, the semester was functionally complete. I held a fraction of a point over Todd in the class, which put me overall ahead in the valedictorian race. But, mommy dearest couldn't have that. So, with three days left of the year, she assigned a list minute 2 page paper. Short, and simple. I submitted mine, and received a 95. Fair enough. I found out that Todd got a 100, just enough to put him ahead of me in the class, and in the valedictorian race. I was frustrated, so I asked Todd to see his paper repeatedly, desperate to find ways to improve to better my chances the next year. He refused, again and again. Then I remembered: when his mom handed the papers back to us, she never gave one to Todd. He hadn't done the paper, it was purely an assignment contrived to put him ahead.

Now comes the revenge: our school had just transferred to a paperless gradebook system the year before, so this was the second year on it. The principal was determined to make this cost efficient, so after the first trial year he didn't even bother restocking the teachers with physical grade books. That way, he could add the amount saved from physical books to the total amount that the new paperless system was saving the school.

Now, during this time I also worked. I had a family member who owned a small local ISP, and I would help out at every opportunity. I loved computers, and still do. Now, working with this family member equipped me with much more networking knowledge than other kids my age, and even most adults. I decided that with this power came great responsibility: I was going to right this grievous injustice.

So, I started digging. I got on a school PC and started going through the network. Turns out, the school had wanted to save as much money as possible while going paperless. So, they didn't hire a professional technician, consultant, or anything. One of the dads just volunteered, in exchanged for a reduced tuition charge (private school.) So, this system was just a nightmare. There was no dedicated network for sharing grades, there was no password protection on any files, there were no administrative restrictions on any files, nothing. What he did was just "share" a single directory on the headmaster's computer. That directory held the entire gradebook for each and every class of each and every grade: kindergarten through 12th grade. I thought this was too good to be true, surely there was a back up somewhere. So, I went to the school's port switcher, which was just in an unlocked closet. I checked around, expecting to see a server, or a set of drives set to automatically back up whatever is shared on the network. Nada.

Now, I was in a rage. I had gone to the principal several times, pointing out that Todd's mom was abusing her position, she was bullying teachers to give her kid an edge. Her son would even brag about how he could get away with not doing homework in other classes, because mommy would make sure nothing came of it. But, the principal had failed to act. He had declared that each teacher was sovereign in their classrooms, so long as nothing illegal happened he would not intervene. He was a very unprincipled principal. So, I made a decision: to delete the nepotism. I couldn't just change my grades in her class, she monitored my average like a hawk. So, I went nuclear. I went into that subdirectory, and deleted every single file in it. But, the principal had shared his whole users/desktop directory. So, I emptied the recycling. I completely wiped every trace of grading software on that computer, because the idiot didn't even put a password on the computer. So, from the desktop subdirectory I was able to access everything. This was in the very last couple of days of school. There were no hard copies (gradebooks), there were no backups, there was nothing remaining to even prove that the school year ever occurred.

On the final day of school, we get called into an assembly. The principal is visibly disheveled, shaken, and upset. Not even angry, just broken. He announced that the entire year of grades were totally lost. The school didn't know what to do, because there were no hard copies. They couldn't recover the data, because they cheaped out and didn't purchase a backup system. All they could do was reinstall the software. But, on grading software if there is no grade to input, then what does it default to when showing the grades of the students? A 100%. Every single student in that school got valedictorian of their class that year: 100% all around. Heck, even a few kids got enough of a boost from that final year that they got to graduate on time instead of being held back.

Next year, we had a new principal. I was held slightly suspect since everyone knew of my tech background, but nobody could prove anything. Even the PC's in the computer lab didn't have usernames or passwords, so there was no way to link me to anything. That following year, security cameras and passwords were put in the computer lab.

TLDR: Teacher displayed nepotism to get her son ahead, sacrificing me. I rebel, delete the entire grade system, get everyone 100's. You're welcome seniors of 2006, I hope you all enjoyed a nice little boost to your transcripts.

(source) (story by farmathekarma)

[admissionsmadness]

College Admissions Cheaters Often Win

The biggest myth that admissions offices present is that the review process is a science. Holistic review isn’t a precise thermometer that measures temperature accurately. In reality, it’s neither an art nor a science but a series of hunches and gut feelings.

Even supposedly objective criteria such as grades and AP scores can be gamed by savvy students, further calling into question whether reviewers can decipher what is authentic or not.

By cheating, I don’t have in mind falsifying resume credentials on an application or lying on an essay.

I see posts from time to time about admissions counselors who claim they can tell fraud or not, but can they really when they read applications in less than ten minutes and hundreds if not thousands of applications each cycle? They’re reading way too quickly to assess the claims you make at anything other than face value. Reviewers usually take the applicant’s word for it.

Some portals, such as the University of California, have shifted to students self-reporting their grades and SAT scores. Because that information is easily verified with an official transcript required for enrollment, very few students cheat on that portion of the application. I imagine for every thousand students who misrepresent themselves on an application, perhaps one is actually caught and “blacklisted” with their name circulated among elite institutions. Reviewers can’t detect fraud with any reliability, although they love to claim omnipotence on the subject to scare would-be deceivers.

By cheating, I have in mind the time-tested tradition of looking over your classmate’s shoulder. Donald McCabe with the Center for Academic Integrity conducted a longitudinal survey of 70,000 high school students from 2002 to 2015. Two-thirds of students admitted to cheating on a test or plagiarizing a paper, with 95 percent of respondents admitting to some form of cheating. 

Because the penalties for academic dishonesty are so high, no student will ever publicly admit to fraud. On the contrary, people accused of cheating will deploy any means to denounce the charge and preserve their reputations, often committing themselves to further lying on top of the initial cheating. There are no incentives to come clean unless it’s to snitch on other cheaters and receive leniency.

Rutger Bregman in Humankind undermines the conventional narrative that humans are innately selfish and prone to evil. He argues that people are generally decent and aren’t intrinsically motivated to lie and cheat. We want to get along and feel included in our family and communities. Poor incentives within society nudge people toward bad behavior.

Our modern society inverts pro-social virtues such as honesty and integrity in favor of winning, even if that means fraud, deceit, or manipulation. 

“Blaming the system” doesn’t excuse or absolve the cheater who deserves some form of punishment. “Everyone else is doing it” also isn’t an acceptable defense. We’re left with a situation where the unfortunate few who are caught pay steep penalties. As long as the admissions arms race persists, cheating will be a natural response, a problem most educators and admissions staff prefer to ignore. Consequently, cheating is a silent yet systemic social problem.

Many of my clients go on extensive rants about pervasive cheating in their classes (although, predictably, none ever admit to cheating themselves). Some even write college essays criticizing their underhanded classmates.

A group of students once pulled me aside at a high school visit when I worked for UT-Austin, begging me to do something about their unscrupulous valedictorian. Honest students resent their classmates who show up to class unprepared and swipe scantrons from a teacher’s desk or circulate answers among a group of cheaters. Traditional definitions of plagiarism are inadequate for the smartphone generation.

There is no part of the college application that a determined family can’t manipulate. One recommendation by Varsity Blues ringleader Rick Singer involved referring students to online schools where students could independently study AP classes. Earning high grades at less-rigorous high schools boosted the applicant’s overall GPA and class rank.  Supplementing coursework isn’t explicitly illegal. Few if any artificially inflated GPAs will get detected by admissions counselors. Many students opt to take summer school classes at their primary campus to earn more grade points and free up space for more GPA-boosting AP classes.

In the past few years, I noticed a substantial uptick in students earning 4s and 5s on more than 15 AP exams, many of who self-studied. I asked a few how they managed to balance what seemed like an impossible course load for even the most ambitious students. Never implicating themselves, they admitted that on obscure corners of the internet, you could illicitly access AP question test banks provided by College Board intended for use explicitly by teachers to help their students prepare. Memorize the test bank and skim official preparation resources, and there is a decent chance you will pass, especially during the COVID period’s online exams reduced to less than an hour. Cheating is an efficient strategy for overworked and sleep-deprived students.

A Redditor laments in a mocking post, since deleted, about a cheating classmate who gained early admission to Harvard. “[Their cheating] coupled with all those posts about people faking passion and being admitted to schools that are like wE cAn TeLl WhEn yOu ArEn’t PassiOnate, should remind you that AOs AREN’T ALL-KNOWING JUDGES OF YOUR WORTH.”

Because most students know at least one cheater who will inevitably gain admission, cheaters’ successes undermine the entire higher education system’s integrity. The college admissions madness incentivizes everyone to cut corners, with few unwilling to face social exclusion by being labeled a snitch.

Another user responded to the disgruntled post that “[the saying] ‘cheaters never prosper’ is absolute bullshit.” They’re right.

Admissions counselors aren’t Saint Peter with an all-seeing God on their side that can pierce the hearts of any soul. They’re more like a Judge Judy that squawks a lot but doesn’t have any unique insights into human character. Cheaters often win, including electing to the presidency a man who cheats on his wives and lies about everything from recorded phone calls with world leaders down to his golf handicap.

Cheating Lessons

Professor James Lang argues in Cheating Lessons that academically dishonest climates are pervasive at all levels of education.  He estimates at least two-thirds of all students will cheat at least once. A few become the habitual deceivers that appear in college essays or frustrated Reddit posts. Extrinsic rewards such as gaining admission to elite universities or earning a prestigious internship normalize dishonest behavior because the means justify the ends. Students are responding to incentives in their environment. Honesty requires more courage than surrendering to the pressures to take shortcuts.

Professor Mollie Galloway expands in a review of Lang’s book that cheating isn’t necessarily more pervasive than in previous generations. Still, dishonest behavior is less stigmatized and perceived as increasingly normal. “The [educational] culture encourages students, particularly those from upper-middle-class and affluent communities, to see cheating not as a compromising of their values but rather as a warranted and morally sound mechanism by which to attain the status they believe they are afforded.”

A few high schools cultivate a culture of cheating.

Administrations feel pressure to maximize their AP exams passed or SAT scores earned to recruit future cohorts of students. Schools receive accolades when their graduates earn prestigious scholarships or university spaces. There are subtle pressures for teachers to turn a blind eye or administrators to cover up academically dishonest behavior. Teachers who are committed to honesty fight a never-ending battle like trying to stop alcohol consumption during Prohibition. Alcoholics will find a way to drink, and students will find a way to cheat.

Institutions punishing cheaters and plagiarizers is so rare that, when it happens, the incident often makes national news.

Cheating at New York City’s most prestigious magnet school, Stuyvesant, didn’t end after they fired their principal, Stanley Teitel, for covering up a 66-student cheating ring in 2013. The New York Post reports five years later, “Cheating is most common among students in their third year, the most academically challenging because the grades count heavily on college applications, the December survey found. A whopping 97 percent of juniors said they had engaged in academic dishonesty, while 56 percent of freshman said they had already cheated after just four months in the school.” Stuyvesant is the second-largest feeder high school in the country for MIT, Princeton, and Harvard.

The Tragic Case of T.M. Landry

The most heartbreaking example of a culture of systematic cheating occurred at Louisiana’s T.M. Landry. Named for the husband-and-wife-founders and principals Tracey and Mike Landry, it is an unaccredited college preparatory school housed in an abandoned factory. When Landry seniors started gaining admission to Cornell, Stanford, Princeton, and Harvard, among many other elite universities, between 2013 and 2018, it seemed like a tremendous success story.

Landry enrolls mostly black students from rural Louisiana, a state with one of the nation’s lowest-performing education systems. Black families placed their trust in the Landrys, who promoted family and unity and an alternative education outside of white society’s norms. The Landrys announced their 100 percent four-year college acceptance rate, made famous by viral YouTube “decision reveal” videos viewed millions of times. Wealthy families and organizations donated hundreds of thousands of dollars, and white and Asian students began enrolling.

Educators and school administrators nationwide wondered how Landry students could overcome such long odds. A New York Times investigation revealed a culture of violence, abuse, and outright fraud. “Visitors and cameras paraded through what had become a Potemkin village.” 

Because the school wasn’t accredited, they do not receive any government funding and consequently fall outside regulations and oversight. Class attendance was optional. It was, as one student described it, a “house built on water.”

Mike Landry humiliated and demanded absolute obedience from his students, resulting in a 2013 conviction for battery. He required students to begin class by saying “I love you” in different languages, including an invented language, Mike-a-nese, to him directly. “Love” in Mike-a-nese is the word “kneel.”

Students and families began speaking out following abuse allegations and substandard classroom instruction. Mr. Landry threatened to withhold transcripts if anyone left the school or blew the whistle. Students who chose to leave had their grades altered to ruin their future college prospects. He threatened students that elite university admissions officers had cameras in the school, so they better behave themselves.

T.M. Landry’s Ivy League success comes down to outright fraud. Mike Landry doctored transcripts to show outstanding grades for loyal students, even for advanced courses that they never took or weren’t offered at the school. The Landrys pressured students to report their family incomes as low as possible on the applications. Teachers recycled recommendation letters to laud students for extracurricular activities that didn’t exist. In some instances, teachers recycled recommendations from previous years for future students without changing the names.

The Landrys counseled students to “go deep” on their essays, which pressured students to exaggerate or fabricate hardships that play into racial stereotypes and poverty tropes. They were the kinds of hardship stories that elite universities eat up. The only genuine instruction that students received revolved around the ACT. It was the only admissions factor that T.M. Landry staff couldn’t easily manipulate. One graduate, Bryson Sassau, commented, “If it wasn’t on the ACT, I didn’t know it.”

T.M. Landry’s graduates had mixed results at their respective elite colleges. Some earned their degrees despite entering college with writing and math skills that were many grade levels below their college classmates. Others, especially those who spent the most time at T.M. Landry, floundered and dropped out.

Because their high school degrees weren’t accredited, some alumni had to earn their GED to enroll at local colleges and begin their studies again. Landry college prep destroyed dozens of families whose elementary-age children didn’t learn phonics. High school juniors tested in reading at a fourth-grade level.

Mike Landry defended himself by appealing to a culture that values credentials over character. “So what, we’re not accredited… Three years in a row, Harvard took us. Stanford has taken us.”

Taking a page out of the corporate public relations playbook, the Landrys employed the law firm Couhig Partners to respond to the Times’s allegations. Couhig based their 23-page report on five interviews that excluded the dozens of testimonies investigated by the Times. Predictably, their internal investigation minimizes the claims and amounts to “move along now, nothing to see here,” while noting that there might be areas for minor improvement.

In other words, the means justify the ends.

The tragedy of T.M. Landry embodies the admissions madness taken to its logical conclusion. The Landrys are a symptom of the admissions madness, not a cause.

Elite universities seek diverse, academically stellar students. High schools everywhere will respond to these incentives, and families want to send their children to schools with a noted track record of success. In the worst-case scenarios, school cultures cater their entire curriculum and deploy any measures to meet those expectations at the expense of genuine learning or even a safe learning environment.

Universities are to blame

T.M. Landry and Varsity Blues are two sides of the same coin. The former exploited an admissions system that values diversity, whereas the latter defrauded universities by leveraging extreme wealth and privilege. As with the Varsity Blues scandal, university administrators responded in horror, wondering how such a thing could occur. Yet, they’re the architects of a system that creates such perverse incentives that distort basic human decency. Look in the mirror!

It’s also ironic that, on the one hand, admissions officers claim to know the context and resources of a given high school, while on the other, the Landrys hoodwinked dozens of elite colleges over a series of application cycles. If universities can’t reliably catch a fraudulent high school, why would we believe they can consistently identify individual cheaters?

In Talking with Strangers, Malcolm Gladwell suggests that we’re generally trusting and tend to default to the truth. In UT admissions, senior staff trained us to presume what a student writes or reports on their resume is true. Admissions processes aren’t set up to identify fraud or look for subtle discrepancies in transcripts relative to a school’s profile.

I don’t believe the posturing of a former Stanford admissions counselor who posted a Reddit thread under the username “empowerly,” insinuating that applicants will get caught if they cheat.  Given infinite time and resources, it’s theoretically possible to catch most cheaters most of the time. However, there simply isn’t enough time, sufficient information, or willpower to detect fraud in practice. Admissions gatekeepers are not the gods that they convey themselves to be publicly. Pretending to be all-powerful causes more harm than good and injects more anxiety into the system.

The immediate result of posts like that of the former Stanford counselor was to create a sense of paranoia among student Redditors. Dozens of comments wondered, “Will my ECs seem exaggerated? What if they contact my counselor?” The most honest response reads, “I presume you know that some students will take advantage of this information and lie better.”

Sentiments like /u/empowerly’s reinforce college admissions counselors’ omniscience that provides the architecture for T.M. Landry to deceive their students that universities watched them. We are reluctant to acknowledge cheating unless there is overwhelming evidence suggesting fraud occurred.

Educators are also averse to leveling claims of fraud against a student unless they’re highly certain. Their reputations and careers are at stake if they wrongly accuse a student. It isn’t surprising that the Landrys’ deceit succeeded for many admissions cycles. To their credit, at least some of their unwitting alumni earned life-transforming elite college degrees that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.

Cheaters, whether they are aware of their dishonesty or not, often win.

[gudetama-studies]

Lol so this is for the ask thing 1,7,8,9,10,12,15,20,23,26,27,32,35,36,37,38,42,44,47,48,49,50,5,52,53,54,55,56,57,59,61,62,66,69,70,78,79,80,88,89,87,81,82,92,93,94,95,96,97,99,100

get to know me  | ask one 

 🍳 // I just copy pasted everything and went to delete those you didn’t ask haha oh man I think my answers are going to be boring af, thanks for sending these in though! did you pick these numbers off the top of your head or 

1) What images do you have set for your desktop/cell phone wallpapers?

my desktop wallpaper is gudetama bae (ofc), my lock screen is of sakura, and my home screen is some random grid I downloaded off line deco. 

7) What was your favorite 90s show?

noooo I was born in the tail end of the nineties and barely made it into the club I’m going to have to be super lame and say friends. 

8) Who was your last kiss?

hershey kiss ( the peppermint flavour is so good gdi)

9) Have you ever been stood up?

um ya and I hate hate hate hate it when people cancel plans last minute it’s my pet peeve I think 

10) Favorite ice cream flavor?

I used to like this flavour they sold at a place near my house, called Blue sky but I think they’ve stopped it. I love caramel biscuit and cream though! 

12) Your favorite pair of shoes?

Adidas sneakers atm 

15) Have you talked to anyone on tumblr that you could see yourself dating/having sex with? If possible?

hahah hmmmm no?? Like I’ve made good friends but I guess for me a relationship requires like more commitment and also knowing more about each other, so I don’t really have those thoughts. 

20) Does the person you’re in love with know it?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

23) Your fears?

That I won’t be able to support myself in the future, but I feel like it’s a very common fear amongst people my age. That nobody will want me because I have no experience (jobwise or anything) and that I’m too complicated for anyone to love ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

26) Your idea of a perfect first date?

 I think it’d be nice to just have a meal or something where you can talk to the person f2f and get to know each other, develop a connection. 

27) What is something most people don’t know about you?

I have a birthmark of a broken heart on the back of my left leg lol32) Are you single?

y e s 35) Coffee or Tea?

coffee! but I’m weak Only weak coffee for me. 

36) Online shopping or shopping in person?

Shopping in person is just easier and it helps me resist temptation haha it’s really fun to go to online shops and put things in carts whilst oohing and aahing at everything tho 

37) Would you rather be older or younger than your current age?

hmmm younger! I feel like when you’re younger, as trying of a time as it is, there is more stability and also more possibilities.. do I sound like someone who has many regrets? Like it feels now that I’m older that my life is just spiralling downwards..  

38) Cats or Dogs?

cats. I’m scared of dogs. 42) What kind of music to you listen to?

recently I’ve been listening to some korean songs but usually I listen to mostly indie.. it really depends on my mood44) Where are you from?

the little red dot aka sg 47) What was the last thing you bought for yourself?

N o t e b o o k. I fed my stationery addiction 

48) Why do you think your followers follow you?

I have no idea actually haha hopefully bc they like gudetama but then again who doesn’t. 49) How many hours do you sleep at night?

Depends, it can be anywhere from 10 hours to like

50) What worries you most about the future?

as a humanities major there are 1 million worries about getting a job and being able to support myself and doing something I love but I do worry about my family too. Their health, and how they will do for themselves.

51) If you had a friend that spoke to you the same way you speak to yourself, how long would you be friends?

quite awhile???? I don’t think I’m that harsh of a critic on myself, which sounds terrible to admit. 

52) Are you happy with yourself?

hmmmmm not in some aspects, I wish I was more spontaneous, and more daring, and less of a picky eater. More involved with my community, that sort of thing. But I think everyone has things they want to change about themselves. 

53) What do you wish you didn’t know?

r IGHT INFRONT OF MY SALAD?

54) What big lesson could people learn from your life?take chances lol don’t be so shy 

55) If you could live in any home on a television series, what would it be?television series???? can I have gatsby’s house in the great gatsby (but that was a movie oops)

56) What’s your favorite Website?

I’m on tumblr a lot. And I know it’s not a c o o l thing anymore but oh well. 

57) What’s the habit you’re proudest of breaking?

not taking care of my skin lol 

59) What’s the best bargain you’ve ever found at a garage sale or thrift store?

the planner I recently bought!!! Ok it wasn’t a thrift store but sg doesn’t really have that big of a thrift culture ok 

61) If you had to be named after one of the 50 states, which would it be?

ARKANSAS ( bc the pronunciation haha idk I never really got people naming their children after countries and places like ??? ) 

62) If you had to teach a subject to a class, what would it be?

umm lITERATURE IS FUN GUYSSSS 66) Have you ever been stung by a bee?

yes. Once. I think it was a bee. It was on a train in hk and stupid me forgot I saw a bee on the seat in front of me and stuck my elbow there w o w 69) What’s the most memorable class you’ve ever taken?

I answered something similar to this recently! tldr: intro to lit 

70) What’s your favorite breakfast?

EGGS BENEDICT I’m a cannibal 78) Would you break the law to save a family member?

if it meant saving their life, yes, and only if it was someone in my immediate family. 

79) Talk about an embarrassing moment?

where do I even begin 

80) Are there any causes you strongly believe in?

I believe in human rights mostly,

88) Has anyone ever told you that they wanted to marry you?

n O I wouldn’t even marry myself what

89) Do you get easily distracted?actually I’m quite good at multitasking and I think I can focus q well 92) How do you feel about tattoos?

I think they’re really pretty! Well most of them anyways, there are ones that I am tempted to get ( watercolour tattoos look amazing ) but I am far too afraid of pain. 

93) Do you have any pets?

fish guppies and snails and prawns my cousin owns a fish shop 

94) How tall are you?

151/150 ( every centimetre counts )

95) How old are you?

20

96) 3 physical features you get complimented on a lot?

haha um my smile, my hair 

97) Is there anything you’re really passionate about?

The survival of the arts in Singapore 99) Do you believe in love at first sight?Yes, but it hasn’t happened to me. welp 

[sky-bluepinksunset]

All of them ya Jobbie

DELETED THIS HALFWAY THROUGH SO TAKE II BITCHES 1: My name? Bryce! 2: Do I have any nicknames? B, Kennedy when I'm in trouble, BK, babe3: Zodiac sign? Aries4: Video game I play to chill, not to win? Grand Theft Auto V5: Book/series I reread? Harry Potter but Goblet of Fire especially 6: Aliens or ghosts? Leaning more towards ghosts?? 7: Writer I trust enough to read whatever they write? Not sure? Don't really follow authors well8: Favourite radio station? 104.5, not that it means a lot to you, but it's called "The Beat of Knoxville" and plays mostly rap and hip hop 9: Favourite flavour of anything? Cinnamon 10: The word that I use all the time to describe something great? Insane lmaooo11: Favourite song? Of all time?? Either 12: The question you ask new friends to get to know them better? Favorite song usually!! 13: Favourite word? Probably 14: The last person who hurt me, did I forgive them? Yeah, you're going to be miserable if you're bitter. 15: Last song I listened to? Praying by Kesha16: TV show I always recommend? B99 as of super recent 17: Pirates or ninjas? Pirates 18: Movie I watch when I'm feeling down? I normally binge tv series I've seen before 19: Song that I always start my shuffle with/wake-up song/always-on-a-loop song? Issues by Julia Michaels because it's a BOP Also Home by Edward Sharpe20: Favourite video games? GTA, Literally NEVER ashamed to admit to Mario Super Bros, Life is Strange is pretty good! Also quite like Subnautica sue me 21: What am I most afraid of? Failure I think22: A good quality of mine? I help people?? Idk lmao 23: A bad quality of mine? Losing discipline when trying to do something 24: Cats or dogs? BOTH25: Actor/actress you trust enough to watch whatever they're in? Evelyne Brochu 26: Favourite season? Fall 27: Am I in a relationship? Nope 28: Something I miss? Band a lot29: My best friend? Ur gay ass30: Eye colour? Blue! 31: Hair colour? Currently a silver blonde 32: Someone I love? Cameron33: Someone I trust? You34: Someone I always think about? Chekov and Sulu 🙄🙄35: Am I excited about anything? Yep! 36: My current obsession? Buzzfeedblue37: Favourite TV shows as a child? Wizards of Waverly Place, iCarly, either of the Zach and Cody shows 38: Do I have someone of the opposite sex that I can tell everything to? Yeah! 39: Am I superstitious? About some things like salt over your shoulder and sweeping your feet40: What do I think about most? Again Chulu or college 41: Do I have any strange phobias? Mm I have a fear of dying or disappearing and my room being a mess 42: Do I prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it? Behind 43: Favourite hobbies? Writing 44: Last book I read? People's History of the US45: Last film I watched? Not sure? 46: Do I play any instruments? Flute, piccolo and alto flute! 47: Favourite animal? Otter, shark, pit bulls48: Top 5 blog on Tumblr that I follow?49: Superpower I wish I could have? Teleporting could be cool50: How do I destress? Watch shit or exercise 51: Do I like confrontation? NOPE52: When do I feel most at peace? Not really sure53: What makes me smile? Silly conversations 54: Do I sleep with the lights on or off? Off I'm not an ANIMAL 55: Play any sports? Nope, used to play softball and basketball 56: What is my song of the week? The Louvre57: Favourite drink? Coffee 58: When did I last send a handwritten letter to somebody? I have no idea 59: Afraid of heights? Healthily 60: Pet peeve? Oppression I guess?? 61: What was the last concert I went to see? Mary Lambert 62: Am I vegetarian/vegan/pescatarian? I want to go back vegetarian or vegan!! 63: What occupation did I want to do when I was younger? A veterinarian 64: Have I ever had a friend turn enemy? Yeah one but I just hold a grudge over nothing 65: What fictional universe would I like to be a part of? Star Trek or HP66: Something I worry about? Making wrong decisions 67: Scared of the dark? Sorta 68: Who are my best friends? U and Nicole69: What do I admire most about others? Their talents!! 70: Can I sing? Nope 71: Something I wish I could do? Lose weight easier lmao 72: If I won the lottery, what would I do? Travel! 73: Have I ever skipped school? Once74: Favourite place on the planet? Haven't found it yet 75: Where do I want to live? Scotland right now76: Do I have any pets? Yeah a bunch 77: What is my current desktop picture? Currently it's Nomi and Anaminita78: Early bird or night owl? Night owl 79: Sunsets or sunrise? Sunsets I think 80: Can I drive? Yeah! Love it 81: Story behind my last kiss? Don't wanna talk about it lmao 82: Earphones or headphones? Earphones 83: Have I ever had braces? Nope 84: Story behind one of my scars? I got rock stuck in my elbow from a bike fall 85: Favourite genre of music? Indie86: Who is my hero? I have no idea 87: Favourite comic book character? Wonder Woman atm 88: What makes me really angry? Oppression again 89: Kindle or real book? Real book but I don't mind kindles at all 90: Favourite sporty activity? Band??? Dk if that counts 91: What is one thing that isn’t tight in schools that should be? "Isn't tight" But the whole phone situation 92: What was my favourite subject at school? English 93: Siblings? 2 brothers and 3 sisters 94: What was the last thing I bought? I bought gas and dinner for the fam 95: How tall am I? 5'11 I think 96: Can I cook? Not extremely complicated 97: Can I bake? Yeah really well!98: 3 things I love? Trips, the sky, great plots 99: 3 things I hate? Shopping, restlessness trying to sleep, work atm100: Do I have more girl friends or boy friends? More girl friends 101: Who do I get on with better, girls or boys? Both equally well102: Where was I born? Maryville, TN103: Sexual orientation? Bi104: Where do I currently live? Maryville lmao 105: Last person I texted? You 106: Last time I cried? I think earlier over a video 107: Guilty pleasure? conspiracy theories 108: Favourite Youtuber? Buzzfeedblue at the moment KILL ME 109: A photo of myself. 110: Do I like selfies? Sometimes!111: Favourite game app? Don't really know 112: My relationship with my parents? Yeah could be worse 113: Favourite accents? French, Indian and Kenyan I think 114: A place I have not been but wish to visit? Anywhere in Europe 115: Favourite number? 24116: Can I juggle? Nope and don't have any desire to 117: Am I religious? Sorta 118: Do I like space? Yeah 119: Do I like the deep ocean? Yes! 120: Am I much of a daredevil? No not remotely 121: Am I allergic to anything? Nope 122: Can I curl my tongue? Yes123: Can I wiggle my ears? Nope124: Do I like clowns? I don't hate them 125: The Beatles or Elvis? Actually can't stand Elvis 126: My current project? Getting myself better in different ways 127: Am I a bad loser? Yeaaaaah128: Do I admit when I wrong? Sometimes129: Forest or beach? Forest 130: Favourite piece of advice? Breathe 131: Am I a good liar I think so? Don't love to do it 132: Hogwarts house / Divergent faction / Hunger Games district? Ravenclaw/ Amity or Erudite / No clue 133: Do I talk to myself? Yeah 134: Am I very social? Nope 135: Do I like gossip? Nope 136: Do I keep a journal/diary? I wish I had! I need to start 137: Have I ever hopelessly failed a test? Yeah lmao138: Do I believe in second chances? Yes 139: If I found a wallet full of cash on the ground, what would I do? Leave it, like I wouldn't turn it in because I don't want to be put on one of those shifty videos yk140: Do I believe people are capable of change? Always 141: Have I ever been underweight? Nope 142: Am I ticklish? Yeah I HATE it 143: Have I ever been in a submarine? Nope144: Have I ever been on a plane? Twice 145: In a film about my life, who would I cast as myself, friends and family? A bunch of my faves that don't have to look anything alike 146: Have I ever been overweight? YUP147: Do I have any piercings? Currently just the one ear hole, let the others close up 148: Which fictional character do I wish was real? Suluuuuu149: Do I have any tattoos? Not yet150: What is the best decision I have made in life so far? Not sure! Possibly college choice soon 151: Do I believe in Karma? Yes152: Do I wear glasses or contacts? Glasses but they're broken atm 153: What was my first car? Pontiac G6 2005 154: Do I want children? Yup 155: Who is the most intelligent person I know? The Spirko family 156: My most embarrassing memory? 157: What makes me nostalgic? Pictures of band 158: Have I ever pulled an all-nighter? Yeah I hate it 159: Which do I value more in others, brains or beauty? Brains 160: What colour mostly dominates my wardrobe? Teal 161: Have I ever had a paranormal experience? Yep 162: What do I hate most about myself? How I look 163: What do I love most about myself? My thought process 164: Do I like adventure? Yeah who doesn't 165: Do I believe in fate? Skeptical but yeah 166: Favourite animal? Answered above but otters and sharks and pits 167: Have I ever been on radio? Nope 168: Have I ever been on TV? Yeah 169: How old am I? 17 170: One of my favourite quotes? The stars would be proud to know they made someone like you 171: Do I hold grudges? Yeahhh172: Do I trust easily? Kinda 173: Have I learnt from my mistakes? I hope 174: Best gift I’ve ever received? Not really sure but probably Kenya 175: Do I dream? Yeah 176: Have I ever had a night terror? Yep177: Do I remember my dreams, and what is one that comes to mind? When I was 8, I had a dream my family was trying to kill me and I woke up screaming 178: An experience that has made me stronger? Taking care of Cam from a young age 179: If I were immortal, what would I do? Fuckin LIVE 180: Do I like shopping? Absolutely not 181: If I could get away with a crime, what would I choose to do? Rob a bank I need some money 182: What does “family” mean to me? Anyone who makes you feel loved183: What is my spirit animal? Probably a sloth or elephant or smth lmao 184: How do I want to be remembered? Hopeful 185: If I could master one skill, what would I choose? Cooking 186: What is my greatest failure? Not sure 187: What is my greatest achievement? Again not sure 188: Love or money? Love 189: Love or career? At the sacrifice of another, it seems pointless 190: If I could time travel, where and when would I want to go? Probably back to grandpa 191: What makes me the happiest? Being out with friends I think 192: What is “home” to me? Hard to describe but definitely where you're relaxed and motivated and I think it's more an idea?? Like you're with certain people maybe 193: What motivates me? Not wanting to be embarrassed 194: If I could choose my last words, what would they be? Probably try to quote a shit book 195: Would I ever want to encounter aliens? Absolutely BEAM ME UP 196: A movie that scared me as a child? Sweeney Todd197: Something I hated as a child that I like now? Naps 198: Zombies or vampires? Vampires probably 199: Live in the city or suburbs? City right now! Currently in the country so it'll be an experience 200: Dragons or wizards? Wizards 201: A nightmare that has stayed with me? Again the family murdering me thing 202: How do I define love? Home 203: Do I judge a book by its cover? Yeah too often 204: Have I ever had my heart broken? Yes205: Do I like my handwriting? Oddly enough, yeah? 206: Sweet or savoury? Savory 207: Worst job I’ve had? Taco Bell by default 208: Do I collect anything? Shells! 209: Item of clothing or jewellery you’ll never see me without? I wear my Kati bag because I keep my cigarettes in it 210: What is on my bucket list? Stealing yours but defo northern lights 211: How do I handle anger? Snapping and apologizing, or ignoring everyone 212: Was I named after anyone? Bryce was after a Bengals football player, and my mom and dad argue between Kennedy being after a DJ in Cincinnati or the president 213: Do I use sarcasm a lot? NOPE 214: What TV character am I most like? Mix of Gina and Rosa and Amy off b99 215: What is the weirdest talent I have? Guessing tv plots 216: Favourite fictional character? Nomi or Sulu That took a full 45 minutes

[amrutservices]

Back to Basics: 5 Internet Marketing Essentials Your Business Needs to Succeed Online

Internet marketing strategies can get complex fast, so it helps to take a few steps back to ensure all of the most vital components are in order.

Otherwise, you might get too focused on the details to see that your online marketing funnel as a whole is broken. Or, you might miss out on a key digital marketing practice that would be essential for earning you new leads and converting those leads to customers.

Of course, every business is different and has different needs. Some businesses may be in an industry where finding new leads through social media is nearly impossible, for instance.

Regardless of business variables like these, there are five internet marketing essentials all businesses should account for as part of their overall strategy. Even if you confidently decide that you don’t need one of them, you should at least consider the benefits it brings other businesses that you might be giving up.

A Mobile Friendly Business Website Optimized for Conversions and Easy Information

Your business website is the absolute foundation of your internet marketing strategy. You may think that your business model can do without a website because of all the services offered by platforms like Google, Facebook, and Yelp.

The fact of the matter is that your website backs all of these other elements up. Your website is also one of the only internet marketing environments where you have complete control. Google or Facebook could decide to delete your business profile tomorrow with nary a warning, and you’d have to fight with them to find out why they did it and how to get it back.

Your business website also acts as a cornerstone that reinforces all of your marketing channels. If you want someone to discover your local business through a voice search, for instance, having detailed information about your hours, services, and products increases the chances that the searcher’s voice assistant pulls up accurate information.

Most businesses also think of their website as the final point of conversion. You can create landing pages that people arrive at from your email marketing or social media campaigns. Since these pages are nearly 100% customizable, you get to control the impressions of your business the visitor gets and influence their desire to convert.

Tips for an Effective Website:

Think carefully about how to make navigation intuitive. Google mentions site layout and your navigation hierarchy above keyword use in their own SEO guide.

Express your brand but don’t make your website noisy or cluttered. Usability requires a layout that’s easy to interpret visually and that doesn’t cause eye strain or mental fatigue.

Treat your home page like a landing page. Think about the absolute most important information a customer would want to know first then fill in details and support your claims efficiently with a few pieces of social proof as evidence.

A Strategy for Ranking Your Website on Search Engines (SEO)

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the marketing practice of engineering your website content to increase your website’s chances of appearing near the top of search results.

According to a recent study, the number one search ranking position earns around twice as many clicks as the number two. Once you reach position six, you start receiving clicks from less than 3% of the people who see your search result listing.

Put even more bluntly: People will have a really hard time finding your business if you aren’t ranked near the top of search results.

To rank more highly, you need a large volume of content and a well-made site. You can see if your current website has any red flags by using the Fetch as Google tool and then by using Google’s mobile friendly and page load speed tool.

Over half (63%) of your website visitors are likely to be mobile device users, so a good mobile experience for users is important to Google and therefore important for your ranking.

Once you have your overall site in order, download Google search console, Google Analytics and Bing Webmaster Tools. These platforms will help you analyze your site and track metrics for stats like website visitors, how long they spend on certain pages, and other valuable decision-making data.

Only after these technical details have been dealt with should you start to worry about content and keywords. Your goal for using keywords is to signal to search engines and to audiences that your content is relevant to what they’re looking for. So if you’re a hardware store in Sacramento, your website should say phrases like “hardware store in Sacramento” or “Sacramento hardware store,” and related phrases, at least a few times on each major page.

Don’t overdo it! Spamming keywords is more likely to lead to a search penalty, pushing you further down the ranks. Write naturally and try to help guide people rather than trick search engines.

A Social Media Presence

People spend a lot of their online time within social media apps. Businesses able to cultivate a community on these apps – or at the very least have a searchable presence – stand a better chance of being discovered by potential customers.

Just as important, many people may look on social media platforms to research your business. They may want to read reviews, look at other people’s comments, or see something like your hours without having to leave their favorite social spaces.

Social media can also strengthen the backbone of your content marketing campaigns. Every article you write can be shared on social media, and you could also use social platforms to broadcast promotions, contests, or announcements.

When using social media as a marketing tool, we strongly suggest that you lead people who click on your links to a specialized landing page. This strategy ensures they won’t get lost or forget where they were navigating after the click.

More Social Media Marketing Tips:

Post on a regular schedule a few times a month so that people will come to depend on your content.

Sign up for messenger alerts since a third of people now say they prefer to contact businesses through social media rather than a phone call.

Interact with your followers and engage them when possible. For instance, you can ask a related question when posting new blog content to encourage responses.

Set goals for social media marketing beyond likes and follows. For instance, track how many people click on your links to promotions or content.

An Active Blog

Business blogs are a vital component of your SEO strategy. Search engines like to index fresh content, so if you’re home page was last updated in 2010, they may rank your site lower than a more recent one.

On the other hand, if you have an active blog that publishes weekly, you can send recurring signals to search engines that your content is current and relevant.

Avoid thinking about your blog as another advertising channel. Instead, it should be a helpful resource for visitors. Blog about topics that introduce them to important industry concepts. Or, give them a convenient list of tips. Always offer value, but follow your blog posts up with a strong call to action.

Email Marketing

Email marketing offers your business a reliable channel to stay in touch with customers and leads.

For instance, if you offer a really helpful and informative e-book, the typical person might download it and never think about your brand again. But if you ask them for their email to send it to them directly, you can also have the chance to follow up with a drip campaign that nurtures their interest in becoming a paying customer.

Using email campaigns can encourage a past customer to make repeat purchases. By sending them exclusive offers tailored to their interests and their purchase history, you can develop a relationship and inspire loyalty.

Email Marketing Tips:

Receiving too many promotions and messages is the #1 reason people unsubscribe. Try to limit your campaign emails to one to two times a month, not counting contacts like order confirmations.

Think carefully about your subject lines. A good subject line can dramatically raise your open rate, while a bad one could get you flagged quickly as spam.

Make your emails brief and to the point. If you have something more in-depth to say, direct them to a landing page.

Try to make emails feel personal, as if they’re sent from a specific business employee, not a faceless company brand.

Nice to Have: Video Marketing

Video marketing requires a larger budget than most small businesses care to muster, but the results truly do speak for themselves. 81% of people say that they were convinced to purchase something after watching a brand’s video. Also, 95% of people say they have watched an explainer video to learn more about a business, product, or service.

Your video marketing strategy can start small with live Q&A sessions, short recaps of your most popular blog posts, or a quick explainer video of your most important products/services. You don’t need a million dollar budget to make an impact! You just need to focus on meeting your audience’s needs in a format that few people can resist.

Combine All of These Internet Marketing Essentials Into a Complete Package

Focus on strengthening each of the above components individually and then strategize for ways to tie them all together into one strong, effective package.

These days, people flock between more media channels than ever. By having a strong website, an engaging social media presence, an SEO ranking strategy, and a method for communicating effectively through email, you can catch people on any and all of the channels they inhabit.

from Amrut Services https://amrutservices.com/back-to-basics-5-internet-marketing-essentials-your-business-needs-to-succeed-online/

[kyluhh21]

Sorry Anon I accidentally deleted your ask.So here it is :)

1: My name?Kyla 2: Do I have any nicknames?Ky,Tank, and Knucklehead 3: Zodiac sign?Sagittarius 4: Video game I play to chill, not to win?Minecraft? 5: Book/series I reread?Percy Jack and the lightning thief. 6: Aliens or ghosts?Ghosts 7: Writer I trust enough to read whatever they write? Idk a fanfic writer I guess.. 8: Favourite radio station?Anything but country 9: Favourite flavour of anything?Chocolate 10: The word that I use all the time to describe something great?Cool or nice. 11: Favourite song?Say you won't let go-James Arthur 12: The question you ask new friends to get to know them better?Whats your name? 13: Favourite word?My dad said I say Seriously a lot and also are you kidding me. 14: The last person who hurt me, did I forgive them?Yes 15: Last song I listened to?Gasoline-Halsey 16: TV show I always recommend?24 17: Pirates or ninjas?Ninjas 18: Movie I watch when I'm feeling down?Titanic 19: Song that I always start my shuffle with/wake-up song/always-on-a-loop song?Idk 20: Favourite video games?I don't have any. 21: What am I most afraid of?Not making my family proud. 22: A good quality of mine?My cheeks! (I messaged all my friends and they answered my cheeks lol) 23: A bad quality of mine?I don't have Patience. 24: Cats or dogs?Dogs 25: Actor/actress you trust enough to watch whatever they're in? Anna Kendrick 26: Favourite season?Summer 27: Am I in a relationship?No ( I could have if I didn't reject the person who ask me out about a week ago.) 28: Something I miss?Filipino food 29: My best friend?Grace and Hollie 30: Eye colour?Dark Brown 31: Hair colour?Black 32: Someone I love?My Mom 33: Someone I trust?My Best friend 34: Someone I always think about? Sage. 35: Am I excited about anything?Im going to Florida in 4 days and also going to the Philippines this summer. 36: My current obsession?Chocolate 37: Favourite TV shows as a child?Dora the Explorer 38: Do I have someone of the opposite sex that I can tell everything to?Yeah Corey. 39: Am I superstitious?No 40: What do I think about most?My future 41: Do I have any strange phobias?No? 42: Do I prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it?Behind it. 43: Favourite hobbies?Playing soccer and watching kids. 44: Last book I read?The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. 45: Last film I watched?Beauty and the Beast. 46: Do I play any instruments?Yes I play the Clarinet. 47: Favourite animal?Penguins and Pandas 48: Top 5 blog on Tumblr that I follow?Woso blogs. 49: Superpower I wish I could have?Able to read people's mind. 50: How do I destress?Listen to music or playing soccer. 51: Do I like confrontation?No 52: When do I feel most at peace?Im playing soccer all by myself. 53: What makes me smile?My family and Friends 54: Do I sleep with the lights on or off?Off 55: Play any sports?Yeah I play soccer,Basketball, and Softball. 56: What is my song of the week?Gasoline-Halsey. 57: Favourite drink?Water 58: When did I last send a handwritten letter to somebody?About 3 weeks ago. 59: Afraid of heights?Yes 60: Pet peeve?When people say they are sorry so many times...ugh it kills me I hate it. 61: What was the last concert I went to see?Adele 62: Am I vegetarian/vegan/pescatarian?No? 63: What occupation did I want to do when I was younger?A singer 64: Have I ever had a friend turn enemy?No 65: What fictional universe would I like to be a part of?None 66: Something I worry about?My grades 67: Scared of the dark?No 68: Who are my best friends?Grace,Hollie,Corey,Hunter,Bailey,and Arrie 69: What do I admire most about others?Their eyes and smile. 70: Can I sing?Yes I can. 71: Something I wish I could do?Teleport to anywhere. 72: If I won the lottery, what would I do?Shopping lol and save it up to buy a house someday. 73: Have I ever skipped school?No 74: Favourite place on the planet?The woods! 75: Where do I want to live?Oregon. 76: Do I have any pets?No 77: What is my current desktop picture?A picture of me and my friends when we went to Boston. 78: Early bird or night owl?Early Bird. 79: Sunsets or sunrise?Sunrise but I don't want to get up so early to see it. 80: Can I drive?No not yet. 81: Story behind my last kiss?Umm it was 8 days ago when my friend and I went to watch a movie.He grabbed my face and we kissed. Which I didn't want to happen at all and now we have been really distant from each other..So yeah. 82: Earphones or headphones?Headphones 83: Have I ever had braces?No 84: Story behind one of my scars?When I was a little kid someone threw a broken glass piece in the side of my face. 85: Favourite genre of music?Pop 86: Who is my hero?My stepfather 😂 87: Favourite comic book character?Clarke 88: What makes me really angry?When people lie 89: Kindle or real book?Real Book. 90: Favourite sporty activity?Soccer 91: What is one thing that isn’t tight in schools that should be?Idk. 92: What was my favourite subject at school?Social Studies and English. 93: Siblings?I have 3 brothers and I'm the oldest :) 94: What was the last thing I bought?Ice Cream 95: How tall am I?5 feet and 3 inches. 96: Can I cook?Yeah but not really well lol. 97: Can I bake?Yeah 98: 3 things I love?My family,friends and God. 99: 3 things I hate?Clowns,Scary movies, and Trevor. 100: Do I have more girl friends or boy friends?Girl friends 101: Who do I get on with better, girls or boys?Girls 102: Where was I born?Ozamiz City, Philippines. 103: Sexual orientation?I don't know I'm still figuring that out. 104: Where do I currently live?America 105: Last person I texted?Grace. 106: Last time I cried?Last week I cried 7 times :/ 107: Guilty pleasure?Chocolate 108: Favourite Youtuber?Shannon Beverage 109: A photo of myself.Nah maybe later 110: Do I like selfies?Heck No. 111: Favourite game app?I don't have any. 112: My relationship with my parents?I love them to death and they love me to death. 113: Favourite accents?Australian and British. 114: A place I have not been but wish to visit? Spain. 115: Favourite number?21. 116: Can I juggle?A soccer ball yes. 117: Am I religious?No 118: Do I like space?Yeah 119: Do I like the deep ocean?No 120: Am I much of a daredevil?No 121: Am I allergic to anything?Im allergic to Pine cones. 122: Can I curl my tongue?Yes 123: Can I wiggle my ears?No 124: Do I like clowns?No 125: The Beatles or Elvis?The Beatles. 126: My current project?Painting my room. 127: Am I a bad loser?Sometimes 128: Do I admit when I wrong?Yes 129: Forest or beach?Forest 130: Favourite piece of advice?Don't let anyone ruin your day :) 131: Am I a good liar?Haha no 132: Hogwarts house / Divergent faction / Hunger Games district?Lol Idk. 133: Do I talk to myself?Sometimes 134: Am I very social?No I'm so quite. 135: Do I like gossip?No 136: Do I keep a journal/diary?Nk 137: Have I ever hopelessly failed a test?No 138: Do I believe in second chances?Yes 139: If I found a wallet full of cash on the ground, what would I do?Find the person who dropped it. 140: Do I believe people are capable of change?Yes 141: Have I ever been underweight?No. 142: Am I ticklish?Yes. 143: Have I ever been in a submarine?No 144: Have I ever been on a plane?Yes a million times 145: In a film about my life, who would I cast as myself, friends and family?Idk 146: Have I ever been overweight?Lol no 147: Do I have any piercings?Only in my ears. 148: Which fictional character do I wish was real?Lexa 149: Do I have any tattoos?No 150: What is the best decision I have made in life so far?Moving to America. 151: Do I believe in Karma?Haha yeah. 152: Do I wear glasses or contacts?None 153: What was my first car?I don't have one I'm only 15 lol. 154: Do I want children?Yes I want two boys. 155: Who is the most intelligent person I know?My oldest brother Pierce. 156: My most embarrassing memory?I thought that Albany was a state for like 2 minutes. 157: What makes me nostalgic?idk 158: Have I ever pulled an all-nighter?Almost. 159: Which do I value more in others, brains or beauty? Probably both. 160: What colour mostly dominates my wardrobe?People at my school said I look good with the Color red. 161: Have I ever had a paranormal experience?No 162: What do I hate most about myself?I get mad easily. 163: What do I love most about myself?I love to make people smile and laugh. 164: Do I like adventure?Yes 165: Do I believe in fate?Not really. 166: Favourite animal?Panda or Penguins. 167: Have I ever been on radio?No 168: Have I ever been on TV?No 169: How old am I?15 years old 170: One of my favourite quotes? "Everything will be ok, if it's not ok then it's not the end". 171: Do I hold grudges?Mhmm. 172: Do I trust easily?No 173: Have I learnt from my mistakes?Yes 174: Best gift I’ve ever received?SmartTv. 175: Do I dream?Yes 176: Have I ever had a night terror?Yes 177: Do I remember my dreams, and what is one that comes to mind? Yes and it was about me and someone I love 👀. 178: An experience that has made me stronger?Idk. 179: If I were immortal, what would I do?Im not sure 180: Do I like shopping?Yes But I don't like shopping with my mom. 181: If I could get away with a crime, what would I choose to do?Id kill myself. 182: What does “family” mean to me?It means that they are always there in your happy days and bad days. Always go to your sport games and cheer you on the sideline. And just being supportive anytime! 183: What is my spirit animal?A monkey. 184: How do I want to be remembered?I want to be remember as a good set of example to other people in my school. 185: If I could master one skill, what would I choose?Juggle for a very long period of time. 186: What is my greatest failure? I don't know. 187: What is my greatest achievement?Making my family proud. 188: Love or money?Love 189: Love or career?Love 190: If I could time travel, where and when would I want to go?I want to be in the Philippines right now. 191: What makes me the happiest?When I'm with my family and friends. 192: What is “home” to me?Be with my family. 193: What motivates me?My family and soccer. 194: If I could choose my last words, what would they be?Deuces! 195: Would I ever want to encounter aliens?Heck no 196: A movie that scared me as a child?Chucky. 197: Something I hated as a child that I like now?Pizza 198: Zombies or vampires?Vampires. 199: Live in the city or suburbs?Suburbs which I don't like. 200: Dragons or wizards?Wizards. 201: A nightmare that has stayed with me?When somebody pointed again at me. 202: How do I define love?I don't...the dictionary does. 203: Do I judge a book by its cover?No never. 204: Have I ever had my heart broken?Yes. 205: Do I like my handwriting?No but a lot of people do they said it's really neat. 206: Sweet or savoury?Sweet. 207: Worst job I’ve had?None 208: Do I collect anything?Soccer balls? 209: Item of clothing or jewellery you’ll never see me without?A chocked. 210: What is on my bucket list?Skydiving before I die. 211: How do I handle anger?I just seriously go to my bedroom and listen to music. 212: Was I named after anyone?I was named after a singer in the Philippines. 213: Do I use sarcasm a lot?No 214: What TV character am I most like? Kimberly Bauer? My brother said. 215: What is the weirdest talent I have?i don't know. 216: Favourite fictional character?Lexa from the 100

[contractor-media]

Back to Basics: 5 Internet Marketing Essentials Your Contractor Business Needs

Internet marketing strategies can get complex fast, so it helps to take a few steps back to ensure all of the most vital components are in order.

Otherwise, you might get too focused on the details to see that your online marketing funnel as a whole is broken. Or, you might miss out on a key digital marketing practice that would be essential for earning you new leads and converting those leads to customers.

Of course, every business is different and has different needs. Some businesses may be in an industry where finding new leads through social media is nearly impossible, for instance.

Regardless of business variables like these, there are five internet marketing essentials all businesses should account for as part of their overall strategy. Even if you confidently decide that you don’t need one of them, you should at least consider the benefits it brings other businesses that you might be giving up.

A Mobile Friendly Business Website Optimized for Conversions and Easy Information

Your business website is the absolute foundation of your internet marketing strategy. You may think that your contractor business model can do without a website because of all the services offered by platforms like Google, Facebook, and Yelp.

The fact of the matter is that your website backs all of these other elements up. Your website is also one of the only internet marketing environments where you have complete control. Google or Facebook could decide to delete your business profile tomorrow with nary a warning, and you’d have to fight with them to find out why they did it and how to get it back.

Your business website also acts as a cornerstone that reinforces all of your marketing channels. If you want someone to discover your local contractor business through a voice search, for instance, having detailed information about your hours, services, and products increases the chances that the searcher’s voice assistant pulls up accurate information.

Most businesses also think of their website as the final point of conversion. You can create landing pages that people arrive at from your email marketing or social media campaigns. Since these pages are nearly 100% customizable, you get to control the impressions of your business the visitor gets and influence their desire to convert.

Tips for an Effective Website:

Think carefully about how to make navigation intuitive. Google mentions site layout and your navigation hierarchy above keyword use in their own SEO guide.

Express your brand but don’t make your website noisy or cluttered. Usability requires a layout that’s easy to interpret visually and that doesn’t cause eye strain or mental fatigue.

Treat your home page like a landing page. Think about the absolute most important information a customer would want to know first then fill in details and support your claims efficiently with a few pieces of social proof as evidence.

A Strategy for Ranking Your Website on Search Engines (SEO)

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the marketing practice of engineering your website content to increase your website’s chances of appearing near the top of search results.

According to a recent study, the number one search ranking position earns around twice as many clicks as the number two. Once you reach position six, you start receiving clicks from less than 3% of the people who see your search result listing.

Put even more bluntly: People will have a really hard time finding your business if you aren’t ranked near the top of search results.

To rank more highly, you need a large volume of content and a well-made site. You can see if your current website has any red flags by using the Fetch as Google tool and then by using Google’s mobile friendly and page load speed tool.

Over half (63%) of your website visitors are likely to be mobile device users, so a good mobile experience for users is important to Google and therefore important for your ranking.

Once you have your overall site in order, download Google search console, Google Analytics and Bing Webmaster Tools. These platforms will help you analyze your site and track metrics for stats like website visitors, how long they spend on certain pages, and other valuable decision-making data.

Only after these technical details have been dealt with should you start to worry about content and keywords. Your goal for using keywords is to signal to search engines and to audiences that your content is relevant to what they’re looking for. So if you’re a hardware store in Sacramento, your website should say phrases like “hardware store in Sacramento” or “Sacramento hardware store,” and related phrases, at least a few times on each major page.

Don’t overdo it! Spamming keywords is more likely to lead to a search penalty, pushing you further down the ranks. Write naturally and try to help guide people rather than trick search engines.

A Social Media Presence

People spend a lot of their online time within social media apps. Businesses able to cultivate a community on these apps – or at the very least have a searchable presence – stand a better chance of being discovered by potential customers.

Just as important, many people may look on social media platforms to research your contractor business. They may want to read reviews, look at other people’s comments, or see something like your hours without having to leave their favorite social spaces.

Social media can also strengthen the backbone of your content marketing campaigns. Every article you write can be shared on social media, and you could also use social platforms to broadcast promotions, contests, or announcements.

When using social media as a marketing tool, we strongly suggest that you lead people who click on your links to a specialized landing page. This strategy ensures they won’t get lost or forget where they were navigating after the click.

More Social Media Marketing Tips:

Post on a regular schedule a few times a month so that people will come to depend on your content.

Sign up for messenger alerts since a third of people now say they prefer to contact businesses through social media rather than a phone call.

Interact with your followers and engage them when possible. For instance, you can ask a related question when posting new blog content to encourage responses.

Set goals for social media marketing beyond likes and follows. For instance, track how many people click on your links to promotions or content.

An Active Blog

Business blogs are a vital component of your SEO strategy. Search engines like to index fresh content, so if you’re home page was last updated in 2010, they may rank your site lower than a more recent one.

On the other hand, if you have an active blog that publishes weekly, you can send recurring signals to search engines that your content is current and relevant.

Avoid thinking about your blog as another advertising channel. Instead, it should be a helpful resource for visitors. Blog about topics that introduce them to important industry concepts. Or, give them a convenient list of tips. Always offer value, but follow your blog posts up with a strong call to action.

Email Marketing

Email marketing offers your business a reliable channel to stay in touch with customers and leads.

For instance, if you offer a really helpful and informative e-book, the typical person might download it and never think about your brand again. But if you ask them for their email to send it to them directly, you can also have the chance to follow up with a drip campaign that nurtures their interest in becoming a paying customer.

Using email campaigns can encourage a past customer to make repeat purchases. By sending them exclusive offers tailored to their interests and their purchase history, you can develop a relationship and inspire loyalty.

Email Marketing Tips:

Receiving too many promotions and messages is the #1 reason people unsubscribe. Try to limit your campaign emails to one to two times a month, not counting contacts like order confirmations.

Think carefully about your subject lines. A good subject line can dramatically raise your open rate, while a bad one could get you flagged quickly as spam.

Make your emails brief and to the point. If you have something more in-depth to say, direct them to a landing page.

Try to make emails feel personal, as if they’re sent from a specific business employee, not a faceless company brand.

Nice to Have: Video Marketing

Video marketing requires a larger budget than most small contractor businesses care to muster, but the results truly do speak for themselves. 81% of people say that they were convinced to purchase something after watching a brand’s video. Also, 95% of people say they have watched an explainer video to learn more about a business, product, or service.

Your video marketing strategy can start small with live Q&A sessions, short recaps of your most popular blog posts, or a quick explainer video of your most important products/services. You don’t need a million dollar budget to make an impact! You just need to focus on meeting your audience’s needs in a format that few people can resist.

Combine All of These Internet Marketing Essentials Into a Complete Package

Focus on strengthening each of the above components individually and then strategize for ways to tie them all together into one strong, effective package.

These days, people flock between more media channels than ever. By having a strong website, an engaging social media presence, an SEO ranking strategy, and a method for communicating effectively through email, you can catch people on any and all of the channels they inhabit.

  Back to Basics: 5 Internet Marketing Essentials Your Contractor Business Needs republished from the Contractor Marketing blog by Contractor Media

[myaussie]

New Post has been published on Online Crowd

New Post has been published on https://onlinecrowd.com.au/back-to-basics-5-internet-marketing-essentials-your-business-needs-to-succeed-online/

Back to Basics: 5 Internet Marketing Essentials Your Business Needs to Succeed Online

Internet marketing strategies can get complex fast, so it helps to take a few steps back to ensure all of the most vital components are in order.

Otherwise, you might get too focused on the details to see that your online marketing funnel as a whole is broken. Or, you might miss out on a key digital marketing practice that would be essential for earning you new leads and converting those leads to customers.

Of course, every business is different and has different needs. Some businesses may be in an industry where finding new leads through social media is nearly impossible, for instance.

Regardless of business variables like these, there are five internet marketing essentials all businesses should account for as part of their overall strategy. Even if you confidently decide that you don’t need one of them, you should at least consider the benefits it brings other businesses that you might be giving up.

A Mobile Friendly Business Website Optimized for Conversions and Easy Information

Your business website is the absolute foundation of your internet marketing strategy. You may think that your business model can do without a website because of all the services offered by platforms like Google, Facebook, and Yelp.

The fact of the matter is that your website backs all of these other elements up. Your website is also one of the only internet marketing environments where you have complete control. Google or Facebook could decide to delete your business profile tomorrow with nary a warning, and you’d have to fight with them to find out why they did it and how to get it back.

Your business website also acts as a cornerstone that reinforces all of your marketing channels. If you want someone to discover your local business through a voice search, for instance, having detailed information about your hours, services, and products increases the chances that the searcher’s voice assistant pulls up accurate information.

Most businesses also think of their website as the final point of conversion. You can create landing pages that people arrive at from your email marketing or social media campaigns. Since these pages are nearly 100% customizable, you get to control the impressions of your business the visitor gets and influence their desire to convert.

Tips for an Effective Website:

Think carefully about how to make navigation intuitive. Google mentions site layout and your navigation hierarchy above keyword use in their own SEO guide.

Express your brand but don’t make your website noisy or cluttered. Usability requires a layout that’s easy to interpret visually and that doesn’t cause eye strain or mental fatigue.

Treat your home page like a landing page. Think about the absolute most important information a customer would want to know first then fill in details and support your claims efficiently with a few pieces of social proof as evidence.

A Strategy for Ranking Your Website on Search Engines (SEO)

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the marketing practice of engineering your website content to increase your website’s chances of appearing near the top of search results.

According to a recent study, the number one search ranking position earns around twice as many clicks as the number two. Once you reach position six, you start receiving clicks from less than 3% of the people who see your search result listing.

Put even more bluntly: People will have a really hard time finding your business if you aren’t ranked near the top of search results.

To rank more highly, you need a large volume of content and a well-made site. You can see if your current website has any red flags by using the Fetch as Google tool and then by using Google’s mobile friendly and page load speed tool.

Over half (63%) of your website visitors are likely to be mobile device users, so a good mobile experience for users is important to Google and therefore important for your ranking.

Once you have your overall site in order, download Google search console, Google Analytics and Bing Webmaster Tools. These platforms will help you analyze your site and track metrics for stats like website visitors, how long they spend on certain pages, and other valuable decision-making data.

Only after these technical details have been dealt with should you start to worry about content and keywords. Your goal for using keywords is to signal to search engines and to audiences that your content is relevant to what they’re looking for. So if you’re a hardware store in Sacramento, your website should say phrases like “hardware store in Sacramento” or “Sacramento hardware store,” and related phrases, at least a few times on each major page.

Don’t overdo it! Spamming keywords is more likely to lead to a search penalty, pushing you further down the ranks. Write naturally and try to help guide people rather than trick search engines.

A Social Media Presence

People spend a lot of their online time within social media apps. Businesses able to cultivate a community on these apps – or at the very least have a searchable presence – stand a better chance of being discovered by potential customers.

Just as important, many people may look on social media platforms to research your business. They may want to read reviews, look at other people’s comments, or see something like your hours without having to leave their favorite social spaces.

Social media can also strengthen the backbone of your content marketing campaigns. Every article you write can be shared on social media, and you could also use social platforms to broadcast promotions, contests, or announcements.

When using social media as a marketing tool, we strongly suggest that you lead people who click on your links to a specialized landing page. This strategy ensures they won’t get lost or forget where they were navigating after the click.

More Social Media Marketing Tips:

Post on a regular schedule a few times a month so that people will come to depend on your content.

Sign up for messenger alerts since a third of people now say they prefer to contact businesses through social media rather than a phone call.

Interact with your followers and engage them when possible. For instance, you can ask a related question when posting new blog content to encourage responses.

Set goals for social media marketing beyond likes and follows. For instance, track how many people click on your links to promotions or content.

An Active Blog

Business blogs are a vital component of your SEO strategy. Search engines like to index fresh content, so if you’re home page was last updated in 2010, they may rank your site lower than a more recent one.

On the other hand, if you have an active blog that publishes weekly, you can send recurring signals to search engines that your content is current and relevant.

Avoid thinking about your blog as another advertising channel. Instead, it should be a helpful resource for visitors. Blog about topics that introduce them to important industry concepts. Or, give them a convenient list of tips. Always offer value, but follow your blog posts up with a strong call to action.

Email Marketing

Email marketing offers your business a reliable channel to stay in touch with customers and leads.

For instance, if you offer a really helpful and informative e-book, the typical person might download it and never think about your brand again. But if you ask them for their email to send it to them directly, you can also have the chance to follow up with a drip campaign that nurtures their interest in becoming a paying customer.

Using email campaigns can encourage a past customer to make repeat purchases. By sending them exclusive offers tailored to their interests and their purchase history, you can develop a relationship and inspire loyalty.

Email Marketing Tips:

Receiving too many promotions and messages is the #1 reason people unsubscribe. Try to limit your campaign emails to one to two times a month, not counting contacts like order confirmations.

Think carefully about your subject lines. A good subject line can dramatically raise your open rate, while a bad one could get you flagged quickly as spam.

Make your emails brief and to the point. If you have something more in-depth to say, direct them to a landing page.

Try to make emails feel personal, as if they’re sent from a specific business employee, not a faceless company brand.

Nice to Have: Video Marketing

Video marketing requires a larger budget than most small businesses care to muster, but the results truly do speak for themselves. 81% of people say that they were convinced to purchase something after watching a brand’s video. Also, 95% of people say they have watched an explainer video to learn more about a business, product, or service.

Your video marketing strategy can start small with live Q&A sessions, short recaps of your most popular blog posts, or a quick explainer video of your most important products/services. You don’t need a million dollar budget to make an impact! You just need to focus on meeting your audience’s needs in a format that few people can resist.

Combine All of These Internet Marketing Essentials Into a Complete Package

Focus on strengthening each of the above components individually and then strategize for ways to tie them all together into one strong, effective package.

These days, people flock between more media channels than ever. By having a strong website, an engaging social media presence, an SEO ranking strategy, and a method for communicating effectively through email, you can catch people on any and all of the channels they inhabit.

If you need help generating leads, please call us. We have an excellent lead generation program where we pay for all your advertising expenses and take all the risk for you. You only pay when you get results. This is a massive undertaking and understandably we’re limited in how many companies we can help at any one time. If you’re interested and find the program paused or not available, just leave your details and we’ll let you know when it re-opens.

Thanks!  Click here to download the free pdf file.

[male-emporium]

Thomas’ Photography Guide For Beginners

Howdy! It’s your favorite contributor, Thomas or Tom for short or T for even shorter. I’ve put together a great post that I hope you find helpful. It’s a long one, so you might have to let your 10am meeting know you’ll be cancelling. I’ve wanted to talk about this topic of entry level photography for a while now but seeing as I have a writing problem, like a modern Alexander Hamilton, I write like I’m running out of time, putting every thought on paper. So a short post turned to a long one and kept getting longer, my editor (Julia) finally put a date on the calendar for me to commit to, so here it is.

  My most recommended camera surprises or even disappoints almost everyone that I tell it to. Phone cameras in the newest Apple, Samsung and Google devices are now better than most entry level cameras. Not only that but you can’t beat the portability or the ease of use. That being said, I understand why this answer might disappoint someone wanting to buy a “real” camera. They have a mental picture of themselves as this sexy photographer, traveling the world with a professional or hipster looking camera capturing images that are magazine print worthy. Or they might be a new parent or grandparent trying to capture timeless memories of their newest family member. Whatever your imaginary photographer self looks like, this dream of becoming a “real” photographer is not uncommon. After all, the biggest advantages of having a real camera can all lead to creating better photos. These are exposure control (how light or dark the image is), increased image quality with bigger sensors and better lenses and images are easier to be manipulated when editing. With these advantages come frustrations of learning something that’s not easy, so if you are willing to put up with years of challenges learning this craft, I have created this guide to start you from scratch.

  Without further adieu, here is my guide to getting started with “Real” photography. In order to do so, you will need two things: the necessary gear and the most effective tips to accelerate your improvement as a photographer. And since the holidays are a great time to ask for a new camera or gear, this could be a great getting started guide for someone just starting out or as a way to fill in your essential gear.

  What you will need

A Budget

A $1000 total budget is generally the “break even” point where the quality of camera surpasses the ones found in the top models of phones. At $1,500 for a camera and lens, you should be able to get something very good that will last you for a couple of years on your photography journey.

Camera

This is it, your big chance to become the photographer you’ve always wanted to be. A good piece of advice when buying a camera is to make sure you are looking at the most recent version of the camera. With new cameras launching all the time, even a model that’s 1 year younger than another could have much better technology. Here are the other important factors to consider:

Type: Mirrorless, Point and Shoot, DSLR- these are all terms you might have heard but know nothing about. Mirrorless cameras are my preferred camera type. They are smaller than DSLRs but still big enough to feel solid in your hands.

Size: Your usage is going to help dictate the size of the camera you will want to use. If you are going to travel with this camera, a small to medium sized camera is probably best.

Sensor Resolution: At this price point you should be looking at 20-24 megapixel cameras. RAW files are typically around 24 mb. Compared to top phones which have 12 megapixel cameras.

Sensor Type: Most cameras in this price range will be APS-C sensors. Due to the size of the sensor, it actually changes the effective focal length of the lens, something called crop factor. Make sure to know your sensor type and crop factor when picking a lens.

Focus Points: A couple years ago, cameras had 10 focus points, now top cameras can have 200-400. That means faster, more accurate focusing, so check this before buying.

  Lens

If I had $1500 to spend total, I’d spend at least half on my lens if possible (if you have even more to spend, $800-$1,000 lenses are significantly better than those at $200-$300). In my experience the biggest improvements we’ve made in our photography as a result of buying new equipment has come from upgrading lenses. Additionally, lenses aren’t updated nearly as often as cameras are, so if you think you will fall in love with photography, invest in a better lens now. When buying a lens look at:

Size: Some lenses can be big and bulky which means you’ll want to carry it around less.

Aperture: As a general rule of thumb, the lower the f/ is on a lens the better, such as f/2 vs. f/3.5. So try to get the lowest f/ your budget will allow.

Focal length: Most new photographers gravitate toward zoom lenses because they’re typically sold in kits. I’d highly recommend a prime lens (single focal length) because quality is normally better and the lenses are smaller in size with faster apertures (low f/, more light, more background blur). I love the 35mm effective focal length, as it’s a great all around lens. On a cropped sensor, you’ll have to buy around a 23mm lens for an effective 35mm.

  Recommended Camera + Lens Combos

Fuji and Sony are two of the best camera companies right now. With a $1,500 budget in mind these cameras are great options:

Sony- Camera + prime lens OR zoom lens

Fuji- Camera  + prime lens OR zoom lens

  Editing Software

Since you’ll be shooting in RAW format, you will need an editing software to process your photos. The industry standard editing software is Adobe Lightroom, you can get the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Subscription which includes Lightroom and Photoshop for $9.99 per month. If you are new to editing, make sure to pickup a book to help you out or watch the tutorials on Adobe’s site. A little secret of mine, I hate editing, so I use VSCO presets for Lightroom, which get me about 95% of the way there. After a few more tweaks, the images are ready to use (Julia does the same, as she edits almost all of the photos on GMG).

  SD Cards

In my opinion, you can never have too many SD Cards. Nowadays the price per gigabyte of storage is super low, so you’re better off buying multiple SD cards so that you don’t risk deleting any images you haven’t used yet. Make sure you are buying SD cards with fast enough write speeds for your camera. I use 95 mbps write speed cards. I recommend these cards and you should have a nice case too.

  Backup Drives

Too many photographers (and people that take pictures on their phones) do not think enough about their backup strategy. If you aren’t shooting much, you can save everything in the Cloud (iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive), but if you are buying a camera you need a solid strategy in place. My tip, think about this, “What is the minimum worst case scenario that can happen to you that would cause you to lose photos?” If your answer is zombie apocalypse or the world ending, then you are properly backed up. If you’re answer is your car or house broken into or a drive crashing, you are not backed up properly. This is a huge topic in itself that often gets overlooked, so make sure to research as you build your plan. Western Digital, Seagate, Samsung and LaCie are all trusted brands for hard drives.

  Learning Resources

I get asked all of the time, “What’s a great way to learn photography?”. Since I was self taught, I’m not the best person to ask. It’s like asking a French person how to learn French. There’s no substitute for real world practice, but not everyone can shoot everyday, so learning resources are important for growing your understanding, even on days off. I couldn’t leave you hanging, so I asked a couple of family members that have recently picked up photography for their recommendations on what has helped the most. They thought How Do I Do That In Lightroom, B&H Explora,  Kelby One  and The Define School were all helpful sources. I would also recommend making friends with other photographers, having conversations about photography has proved to be a very effective way for me to learn. Even trying to teach someone else that has less knowledge than you can help you realize where you might be lacking knowledge.

  Getting Started Tips

Now that you have your gear, it’s time to get out and shoot. Every time you go out to shoot make an effort to work on improving your skills. When we first started we always spent the end of every shoot with an extra 15 minutes of trying new things. New angles, lenses, poses, lighting, even if we thought the idea was terrible, we tried it. After all, it only costs you a short amount of time and who knows what you can pick up or learn when trying something different. We’ve never regretted taking too many images (except maybe when it comes time to editing), but we have regretted not taking enough. My goal is for the below tips to help accelerate your learning and have you taking great pictures sooner.

    Be one with your camera: When you are just learning to shoot a camera, it can feel like a foreign object with too many buttons that make no sense. If you can learn to adjust 5 things, let them be master aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance and exposure compensation.

  Study the exposure triangle: Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO- each of these settings will have an effect on your lighting. Additionally, each of these have an artistic effect too. Balancing artistic desires with lighting will help you figure out how to make the necessary adjustment. Here is an extra resource on the topic.

  Work on your eye for composition: With every image, ask yourself what your subject is. Then look what’s behind, around and in front of your subject. How does your subject fit into the scene and how can you utilize the scene to tell a better story? As you start to shoot, move around your subject to find the composition that feels the most right. The first spot that you and your subject setup in is rarely ever the best one. When we shoot, we keep asking ourselves, “What if…” questions. “What if you were sitting here?”, “What if we angled this way?” or “What if I changed my focal length?”.

  Take more pictures than you need: Time should be your only excuse for not taking more pictures, not battery or storage….maybe weather. Ok, Time and Weather are your only possible excuses for not taking more pictures in a given photoshoot. As a photographer, it’s so upsetting to start reviewing the images you’ve shot and realize that you actually didn’t capture as many pictures as you remembered. Even worse if there are issues with the ones you did get such as people blinking. This is especially true when you are traveling, because most likely you won’t have that opportunity again.

  Take time to review what you could have done better: Current editing software and RAW files sizes can make someone adept at editing slower to progress as a photographer because they can “fix it in post”. One of my pet peeves is hearing photographers say, “I can always photoshop that.”, instead of figuring out a solution. I look at everything in life, especially my photography, as something that can improve. So when I review photos, it’s always with ideas for next time. You might have noticed I just started shooting film. One of the things I like most about film is it’s a lot easier to figure out what you did wrong because each image costs money and taking bad pictures with film is costly.

  I know, it’s been a lot. You are probably thinking, “Where did my day go? One minute I was checking on Gal Meets Glam and an hour later I’ve just read everything Thomas knows on the topic of photography!”. I thank you for that! My departing note for you is to remember that photography should be fun. It can be frustrating sometimes, but stick with it. I’ve been shooting for 7 years now and it took me 2 full years before the joys surpassed the frustrations. Even now I still meet situations where I’m not getting the results I had hoped for, so don’t expect to become a pro overnight.

The post Thomas’ Photography Guide For Beginners appeared first on Gal Meets Glam.

First found here: Thomas’ Photography Guide For Beginners

[transssexualheart]

Do all, entertain me so I don't have to do hw

ah man i was actually doing hw for once

1- my name?rain

2- do i have any nicknames?my mom calls me rainbow, my brother calls me ron, my friends don’t really call me by any nicknames anymore

3- zodiac sign?leo, borderline virgo 

4- video game i play to chill, not to win?animal crossing

5- book/series i reread?harry potter

6- aliens or ghosts?uhhhh ghosts

7- writer i trust enough to read anything they write?idk if there’s any

8- favorite radio station?i don’t listen to the radio much

9- favorite flavor of anything?watermelon or blue raspberry

10- the word i use all the time to describe something great?idk, i say hell yeah a lot

11- favorite song?robbers by the 1975 probably (im listening to it now lol)

12- the question you ask new friends to get to know them better?i usually ask what they’re doing when we text and they tell and through this over time you hear about their family and intrests

13- favorite word?either “soft” or “gentle”

14- last person who hurt me, did i forgive them?not sure, i think i was the last person to hurt me, and i don’t really forgive myself for anything

15- last song i listened to?robbers by the 1975

16- tv show i always recommend?rick and morty

17- pirates or ninjas?see on one hand i have gay pirates and on the other i have nsp so idk

18- movie i watch when i’m feeling down?probably some pokemon movie lmao

19- song that i always start my shuffle with/wake up song/always on loop song?my alarm is nine in the afternoon by p!atd, i usually shuffle the fiddler on the roof soundtrack starting with the wedding dance song or now i have everything, on loop i usually have do i wanna know by arctic monkeys or sarah smiles by p!atd

20- favorite video games?any pokemon game

21- what am i most afraid of?the people i love secretly hating me or abandoning me or dying

22- a good quality of mine?uhhhhh,,, i guess um. my hair is dark? so it makes it easier to see facial hair and shit on me which is helpful for my trans ass

23- a bad quality of mine?i can’t shut up about anything i’m interested in bc i obsess myself with things that make me happy and always want to talk about them because they’re the the things that keep me alive but it gets annoying and i get a lot of “would you shut up about this subject”

24- cats or dogs?how could i CHOOSE

25- actor/actress you trust enough to watch whatever they’re in?i don’t pay a lot of attention to the actors for ppl in movies, i think the only actor i was willing to go see whatever they were in was u lmao

26- favorite season?spring/autumn

27- am i in a relationship?no

28- something i miss?the way things used to be sometimes

29- my best friend? i’ve considered u my best friend for a long time, if i didn’t delete messages u could probably find me talking to newer ppl (mainly chloe, who was that girl i asked out and rejected me) being like “yeah so she’s my best friend and she’s great”

30- eye color?brown

31- hair color?dark brown

32- someone i love?diakjgbjfgvldgjh

33- someone i trust?i trust u and zee the most

34- someone i always think about?Get Out Of This Home

35- am i excited about anything?dying

36- my current obsession?playing amazing grace on the piano

37- favorite tv shows as a child?i loved sesame street

38- do i have someone of the opposite sex i can tell everything to?not really

39- am i superstitious?idk

40- what do i think about most?what the fuck do you think 

41- do i have any strange phobias?i don’t think so

42- do i prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it?not sure

43- favorite hobbies?drawing, writing, playing piano

44- last book i read?the great american whatever, great book btw, read it if ur looking for more gay books. warning though for death (that’s not really a spoiler i promise)

45- last film i watched?blue is the warmest color, didn’t finish it tho

46- do i play any instruments?piano

47- favorite animals?cats and dogs

48- top 5 blogs on tumblr that i follow?@ dreamts@ maroonracoon@ hugables@ roswater@ fauning

49- superpower i wish i could have?to pause time

50- how do i destress?what

51- do i like confrontation?no

52- when do i feel most at peace?when i sleep

53- what makes me smile?hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

54- do i sleep with the lights on or off?off

55- play any sports?no

56- what is my song of the week?idk the week just started my guy

57- favorite drink?grape juice

58- when did i last send a handwritten letter to somebody?idk

59- afraid of heights?not really

60- pet peeve?when u tell someone to stop fuckin touching u and they keep doing it immediately after

61- what was the last concert i went to see?the 1975!! just last night

62- am i vegetarian/vegan/pescatarian?no 

63- what occupation did i want to do when i was younger?i really wanted to be a singer

64- have i ever had a friend turn into an enemy?i’ve had fights with friends but we either made up or stopped being friends but aren’t enemies

65- what fictional universe would i like to be a part of?idk

66- something i worry about?friends when they’re sad, i know some of them probably won’t but i still worry about them hurting themselves

67- scared of the dark?yeah

68- who are my best friends?you, zee, shannon, spencer, i could go on but there’s a lot

69- what do i admire most about others?musical abilities, especially with singing

70- can i sing?idk, logically i have no reason to think that i can’t because literally everyone that’s ever heard me sing says it’s not bad or that i have a nice voice but i’m still unconvinced

71- something i wish i could do?sing in front of people without having an anxiety attack, speaking of singing

72- if i won the lottery, what would i do?buy myself and my friends a ton of shit probably

73- have i ever skipped school?i’ve faked being sick to get out of school

74- favorite place on the planet?idk man i haven’t been many places

75- where do i want to live?kinda wanna live in nyc

76- do i have any pets?cat named danny, two fish one named goldy and the other shaneeta dee

77- what is my current desktop picture?an nsp concert but i’ve been meaning to change it for a while now

78- early bird or night owl?night owl

79- sunsets or sunrise?sunsets

80- can i drive?no

81- story behind my last kiss?it was so long ago man i can’t really remember

82- earphones or headphones?earphones

83- have i ever had braces?no

84- story behind one of my scars?idk if i have any but i have a scab that i picked at until it bled in piano class because i was Not Ok and many times after for the same reason and that’s probably gonna scar now

85- favorite genre of music?idk

86- who is my hero?idk

87- favorite comic book characters?i don’t really read comic books much

88- what makes me really angry?when people hurt my friends 

89- kindle or real book?real book

90- favorite sporty activity?idk man

91- what is the one thing that isn’t tight in schools that should be???????

92- what was my favorite subject at school?idk man i guess art is ok but i’m not the biggest fan of my teacher

93- siblings?two, one brother and a sister

94- what was the last thing i bought?probably food

95- how tall am i?i think 5′5

96- can i cook?i can make grilled cheese and also pancakes

97- can i bake?if u give me a recipe then probably

98- 3 things i love?my friendspianosleeping

99- 3 things i hate?donald trumpdepressionanxiety

100- do i have more girl friends or boy friends?idk a lot of my friends are non binary or i don’t know their gender

101- who do i get on with better, girls or boys?im tempted to say girls but that’s just bc i have a preference for girls romantically in reality it doesn’t really matter as long as u aren’t a dick

102- where was i born?albany

103- sexual orientation?pan, probably somewhere on the ace spectrum bc sexual attraction is so so rare for me so if i think ur hot u better believe u are

104- where do i currently live?new york

105- last person i texted?you

106- last time i cried?not sure, i think last week when i had that big meltdown that y’all saw where @ hero-art was sending me asks through it

107- guilty pleasure?hhgghg,,hggg, watching vids of u singing

108- favorite youtuber?probably still the game grumps

109- a photo of myselfdamn bitch just search the tag # rain shows you his face

110- do i like selfies?i take a lot, usually just because my makeup looks cool that day, but they’re mostly shit

111- favorite game app?i don’t play game apps

112- my relationship with my parents?:/

113- favorite accents?idk man

114- a place i have not been but would like to visit?metropolitan museum of art

115- favorite number?five

116- can i juggle?no

117- am i religious?no

118- do i like space?it’s cool

119- do i like the deep ocean?it’s pretty

120- am i much of a daredevil?lol no

121- am i allergic to anything?i think grass

122- can i curl my tongue?yeah

123- can i wiggle my ears?no

124- do i like clowns?don’t really have an opinion on them

125- the beatles or elvis?i don’t listen to either of them

126- my current project?my dumbass lab writeup

127- am i a bad loser?i don’t think so

128- do i admit when i’m wrong?yes

129- forest or beach?beach

130- favorite piece of advice?“love everyone, forgive everyone, especially yourself.”

131- am i a good liar?i think so

132- hogwarts house/divergent faction/hunger games district?i’m a gryffindor and i didn’t read divergent or the hunger games

133- do i talk to myself?all the time

134- am i very social?no

135- do i like gossip?maybe? idk as long as no one is hurt

136- do i keep a journal/diary?i guess my writing blog is kind of an over exaggerated diary

137- have i ever hopelessly failed a test?i got a zero on a quiz once if that counts

138- do i believe in second chances?depends

139- if i found a wallet full of cash on the ground, what would i  do?get my mom to turn it in to ppl who know what to do with it

140- do i believe people are capable of change?yeah i suppose, but depends

141- have i ever been underweight?no

142- am i ticklish?very

143- have i ever been in a submarine?no

144- have i ever been on a plane?when i was seven

145- in a film about my life, who would i cast as myself, friends, and family?ah man idk i don’t have an extensive knowledge of actors

146- have i ever been overweight?no

147- do i have any piercings?one in each ear

148- what fictional character do i wish was real?idk

149- do i have any tattoos?two, one on my ankle and another on my ass

150- what is the best decision i have made in my life so far?to realize that i fucked up and to apologize

151- do i believe in karma?i guess

152- do i wear glasses or contacts?i need glasses but don’t wear them much

153- what was my first car?none

154- do i want children?depends on who i’d have them with

155- who is the most intelligent person i know?idk man it’s kinda subjective isn’t it?

156- my most embarrassing moment?my whole entire life

157- what makes me nostalgic?old songs

158- have i ever pulled an all nighter?oh yeah

159- which do i value most in others, brains or beauty?brains

160- what color dominates my wardrobe?idk actually

161- have i ever had a paranormal experience?not really

162- what do i hate most about myself?i’m stupid, i hurt and bother others way too much 

163- what do i love most about myself?ok i’m honestly not being a self loathing dick on purpose here i genuinely can’t think of something i love about myself

164- do i like adventure?yeah

165- do i believe in fate? maybe

166- favorite animal?question already asked bro

167- have i ever been on radio?no

168- have i ever been on tv?no, but yesterday i got asked to be (i declined because of anxiety)

169- how old am i?fourteen

170- one of my favorite quotes?“and you know that it’s not good, that there is no good, that nothing good can ever come out of it. but you do it anyway. and then... well. and then you burn.”

171- do i hold grudges?depends

172- do i trust easily?i don’t think so

173- have i learnt from my mistakes?yeah

174- best gift i’ve ever received?well my computer was p good though i payed for part of it

175- do i dream?yeah

176- have i ever had a night terror?yeah

177- do i remember my dreams, and what is the one that comes to mind?i do, and i just remembered the dream i had where there was this weird ass magical storm by my school that happened once thousands of years before on the same day and ppl thought it was a myth but it wasn’t, it was controlled by some ghost of a little girl and it lasted for weeks and eventually within our small shelter by the school people just died arbitrarily and some died from the storm who went out to try and get food and some starved, and soon all that was left was me and three others and it was horrible because every time we closed our eyes we were afraid we were going to open them and someone would be dead

178- an experience that has made me stronger?idk. probably my dad dying?

179- if i were immortal what would i do?try and undo that immortality or send myself into a coma forever because god i already want to die having to live forever would be the biggest curse ever

180- do i like shopping?sure

181- if i could get away with a crime, what would i do?idk man i don’t think about a life of crime much

182- what does family mean to me?people who care about me and love me and that i care about and love back

183- what is my spirit animal?im p sure that as a white person i’m not supposed to have one

184- how do i want to be remembered?for kindness

185- if i could master one skill, what would i choose?being better at piano

186- what is my greatest failure?everything

187- what is my greatest achievement?don’t know, i’m not proud of many things that i do

188- love or money?love

189- love or career?love

190- if i could time travel, where and when would i want to go?nowhere, i don’t want to spoil the future for myself and i don’t want to fuck with the past

191- what makes me the happiest?FUCK off

192- what is “home” to me?being with someone i love

193- what motivates me?i don’t know. not much anymore

194- if i could choose my last words, what would they be?idk, it depends on who i’d say them to

195- would i ever want to encounter aliens?if they’re nice then yes

196- a movie that scared me as a child?coraline

197- something i hated as a child that i like now?idk

198- zombies or vampires?vampires bc baz

199- live in the city or the suburbs?city

200- dragons or wizards?wizards

201- a nightmare that stayed with me?so this is from when i was little, my dad was driving my brother and i to the park and i was in the backseat bc i was tiny. so i said something to him and got no reply, i looked over and he wasn’t in the front seat, he was gone and nobody was driving. i look out the front and we’re headed for a part where we were meant to turn and there’s a giant steep hill and the car just keeps going forwards. it drives up the hill then flips over and crashes and rolls back down the hill and then i woke up

202- how do i define love?oh gosh. it’s in trusting other people to tell everything, even if they don’t “get” you, even if they won’t understand what you mean or how you feel because you trust them. it’s in the way you feel accepted around them. and all the inside jokes and knowing glances and doing everything you can to help when they’re down and feeling at home around them.

203- do i judge a book by it’s cover?a little

204- have i ever had my heart broken?yeah

205- do i like my handwriting?not really

206- sweet or savory?sweet

207- worst job i’ve had?never had a job

208- do i collect anything?ramune bottles and pokemon cards 

209- item of clothing or jewelry you’ll never see me without?don’t think there is one

210- what is on my bucket list?kiss a girl

211- how do i handle anger?vent to a friend

212- was i named after anyone?not with my first name, but my mom gave me my middle name after her friend from college

213- do i use sarcasm a lot?no.............of course not

214- what tv character am i most like?not sure

215- what is the weirdest talent i have?talent. What Is That

216- favorite fictional character?how could i choose one

thanks for asking  

[krysrawfiggs]

1-154

1.Full name:Krysten Alexandra Figueroa but you will reffer to me as Krysfiggs

2.Zodiac sign:Im a cusp baby born as the day changed. I am a leo/virgo

3. 3 Fears:Spiders, being alone forever, my fam disowning me for being gay

4. 3 things I love:Being surrounded by awesome people, video games, outdoor activities

5. 4 turns ons:Firey passion, neck biting, n eyes.. its always the eyes, n intelligence

6.4 turns offs: Lack of intelligence, if youre rude in general, if youre clingy, lack of understanding n compassion

7. My best friend:I have a coupleNadia, amanda, n bree (when shes not being an idiot)

8. Sexual orientation:Lezzzzzzzzbbbbiiiiannnnnnnnn

9. My best first date:So far going out into town in the middle of a rainstorm running dancing n dickin round and then showing up soaked n eating at friendlys

10. How tall am I:Im 5'5"11. What do I missNot paying bills

12. What time were I born:12am on the dot

13. Favourite colour:I like deep colors. I used to say deep blue but i do love red n grey too

14.Do I have a crushXD maybe! Ok yea. I do. But i aint tell you.

15. Favourite quoteGod theres too many…

16.Favourite placePuerto rico

17. Favourite foodGawd this is hard ok. I have the soul of a very very fat man. If i had to pick one thing…itd have to be my moms pernil (pork shoulder)

18. Do I use sarcasmNever im a sweetheart😆

19. What am I listening to right nowEvie- last dinosaurs

20.First thing I notice in new personEyesss…eyess…eyess…….!

21.Shoe size822. Eye colourBrown anytime of dayGold in the sun

23.Hair colourBlack as the normBrownish in the sunlightBlue when its overcast

24.Favourite style of clothingandrogynous 25. Ever done a prank call?Yup i bothered the fuck outta kymmie for months before i gave myself up xD

26.What colour of underwear I’m wearing now? Burgandy See thru lace

27. Meaning behind my URLWelp minus the word raw its just my name. If my father didnt delete my 1st blog and of someone in asia didnt take my old username right after it wouldnt be as stupid.

28. Favourite movieToo many brahhh

29. Favourite song

30.Favourite bandBloc party, last dinosaurs, split milk society

31.How I feel right nowHorngry n lonely. Lusting for warm weather and beach weather

32.Someone I love.In what context?

33.My current relationship statusSingle af

34.My relationship with my parentsCurrently ok..

35. Favourite holiday Hmm i dont have one

36.Tattoos and piercings?I have average ear piercings But i want a lip ring n a tatoo of leo n virgo fighting inside of the sun ony shoulder

37.Tattoos and piercing i wantWhoops jumped the gun. Please refer to 36

38.The reason I joined TumblrMy friends at the time

39.Do I and my last ex hate each other? Nope we’re cool

40. Do I ever get “good morning” or “good night ” texts?I used too from my so. But now its just my good friend manny

41.Have I ever kissed the last person you texted? Hmmm no

42. When did I last hold hands?Non romantically:I held hands with my lil sister cuz she doesnt know how to cross a freggin road without getting hit by a car! But romantically: its been over a year and a half.

43. How long does it take me to get ready in the morning? 10mins

44.Have I shaved your legs in the past three days?Its been a good 6/7 months. Im at man status rn

45.Where am I right now? Trapped on a bus with zombies from nyc somewhere on the way to newburgh

46.If I were drunk & can’t stand, who’s taking care of me? In oswego it would be chance. Here.. idk it hasnt happend.. but my best bet would be nadia

47.Do I like my music loud or at a reasonable level?Both. Depends where i am

48.Do I live with my Mom and Dad?Yes. Please dont ask how its going. Its not well.

49.Am I excited for anything?Yes. The 3 day weekend

50.Do I have someone of the opposite sex I can tell everything to?No i only have 2 chill male friends

51.How often do I wear a fake smile?Often enough

52.When was the last time I hugged someone?That would be last sunday i hugged holly. We went for a movie and a bite n caught up since inhavent seen her in 5ever

53.What if the last person I kissed was kissing someone else right in front of me?Its w/e as long as you happy n your not like eating face

54.Is there anyone I trust even though I should not?Yea

55.What is something I disliked about today?Evelyn being passive agressive towards me. Makes me uncomf. But i could care less.

56.If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?Rebecca sugar

57. What do I think about most? Its gonna be one of 3 things, women, video games, food

58. What’s my strangest talent?I can get really creepy really fast. Iv been told to try out to be villians or serial killers in movies

59.Do I have any strange phobias?Spiders

60.Do I prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? Both

61. What was the last lie I told?

62.Do I prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?Im old skool ill show up at your house ;) jk phone so no one can see this akward mess

63.Do I believe in ghosts? How about aliens?Yes

64.Do I believe in magic?Yes

65. Do I believe in luck? Yes

66.What’s the weather like right now? Bloody cold

67. What was the last book I’ve read? Allegiant

68. Do I like the smell of gasoline?Addicted

69. Do I have any nicknames?Krys, elmo, jesus

70. What was the worst injury I’ve ever had? I have 12 stiches on my thumb both for cuts by blades oh n the one time i was going down a mt. On my longboard n i fell and got the worst road rash on my ass.

71. Do I spend money or save it?Both

72. Can I touch my nose with a tongue?No

73. Is there anything pink in 10 feets from me? Idts?

74.Favourite animal?Otter

75. What was I doing last night at 12 AM?Hehhhh better not say

76. What do I think is Satan’s last name is? Idfk

77.What’s a song that always makes me happy when I hear it?Anything fr the last dinosaurs

78. How can you win my heart? Compassion understanding and a drive no one else has.

79.What would I want to be written on my tombstone?Im not gonna be burried.

80. What is my favourite wordOogle

81. My top 5 blogs on tumblr Ill answer later

82.If the whole world were listening to me right now, what would I say?

83.Do I have any relatives in jail?Yes

84.I accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow me with the super-power of my choice! What is that power? Speed

85.What would be a question I’d be afraid to tell the truth on? Feelings are a tough subject

86. What is my current desktop picture? An image from second son

87. Had sex?Why yes i have

88.Bought condoms?Nopes

89.Gotten pregnant? Nopes too gay for that shit90. Failed a class?Several

91. Kissed a boy? Yep im not a gold star lezzy no more

92. Kissed a girl? Many

93.Have I ever kissed somebody in the rain?Yes. Im super cheesey i do things like that all the time

94.Had job?I have a job95.Left the house without my wallet?Keys and liecensexD

96. Bullied someone on the internet? Nope

97.Had sex in public? Yes

98. Played on a sports team? Several

99. Smoked weed? Yasss

100. Did drugs? Ive tried some shit

101. Smoked cigarettes? Never now thats nasty

102. Drank alcohol? Yes

103. Am I a vegetarian/vegan? Never

104. Been overweight?yes

105. Been underweight?yes

106. Been to a wedding?yes

107. Been on the computer for 5 hours straight? Days

108. Watched TV for 5 hours straight? When i was younger

109. Been outside my home country?yes

110. Gotten my heart broken? Many times

111.Been to a professional sports game? Yes

112. Broken a bone? Do Teeth count?

113. Cut myself? Not on purpose

114. Been to prom? Unfortunaly. Thats an akward story. If i didnt go i coulda stayed in puerto rico longer. But nooo joe had to ask my parents…

115. Been in airplane? Yes

116. Fly by helicopter? No. But ive been in some heavy duty military air craft

117. What concerts have I been to?Walk the moon, in hs i saw i see stars mega concert there were like 20 bands there idr them all, versaemerge, dragonforce

118.Had a crush on someone of the same sex?Yeaaa im megagay

119.Learned another language?I can fully understand spanish. But i cant speak it.

120. Wore make up? Im alergic to eyeliner xD

121.Lost my virginity before I was 18?Yes

123. Had oral sex? Yes.😍

124.Dyed my hair?Ive never dyed my hair

125.Voted in a presidential election? Yes both times for obama♡ . n fuck you, you lil orange dicked cheeto (donald trump)

126.Rode in an ambulance?Yes i did when i sliced my thumb deep with an exacto and was bleeding everywhere

127. Had a surgery?No

128. Met someone famous? Yes i have i met that guy from “what would you do” when i was staying in maryland. Also i stick around after theater shows and concerts to meet the actors, performers, and musicians

129.Stalked someone on a social network?Guilty

130. Peed outside?Um who hasnt?

131. Been fishing?Yes. Anyone wanna join me this spring?

132. Helped with charity? Yea every 3 weeks i participate in a soup kitched in poukipsee with my siblings and my cousins.

133. Been rejected by a crush?I have unfortunate luck.

134. Broken a mirror? Haha yea i did once

135. What do I want for birthday? Id love to go somewhere amazing and warm with awesome people. If im dating someone id love to actually have a birthday kiss. #neverhadoneonmybirthday

136.How many kids do I want and what will be their names?By kids you mean dogs? N id have all of them. Theyd have really crude/harsh spanish names.

137.Was I named after anyone?No but krysten means follower of chridtXD

138.Do I like my handwriting? Sometimes

139. What was my favourite toy as a child? Why it was my stuffy scooby doo

140.Favourite Tv Show? Gawd theres so many. But steven universe👌🖒

141.Where do I want to live when older?Puerto rico when i hit the lotto

143. Play any musical instrument? I can play the trumpet, the recorder, basic drum beat, and im learning the uke

144.One of my scars, how did I get it?Sliced my thumb with a woodcutter one year. Then the next year same thumb with a brand new exacto. Landed me in the hosp 2ice total 12 stiches

145.Favourite pizza toping? Extra cheese

146.Am I afraid of the dark? Sometimes. Im more worried bout the it under the bed that comes out when you dont have sheets on.

147.Am I afraid of heights?No. In my stage craft class i was the only one who wasnt scared of heights they sent me high up to work on stuff they also sent me 60ft up to the grid too 😎

148.Have I ever got caught sneaking out or doing anything bad?Yes and i had my ass handed to me on a silver platter several times.

149.Have I ever tried my hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end?Yes. All the time.

150.What I’m really bad atBeing social. Talking to girls. Drawing.

151.What my greatest achievements are. Being the first to graduate college.

152.The meanest thing somebody has ever said to meYou should see the list of stuff my parents have told me since i was little. Its a little too awful to put on here.

153.What I’d do if I won in a lottery. Top secret Plans back the fuck up

154. What do I like about myself Um my bed head. Idk

155.My closest Tumblr friend Haha nadia

156.Something I fantasise about my exTisk tisk ladies n gents we shouldnt be reopening wounds like this. *points finger n shakes it like a noodle*