#at least word is like. on my computer and i can work offline more easily

[avantguardisme]

somehow for all our supposed advances in ai there is still no word processer that can reliably tell what language i'm typing in at any given time

[torque-witch]

There’s not a great way to describe it, but most days I wake up feeling somewhere in the middle. I know I have more dresses than pants - but frankly I don’t like wearing pants, nor do I actually wear the dresses except occasionally. It’s a really uncomfortable place to be in looking in the mirror and not having anything be recognizable. I don’t mean outfits necessarily, but the whole picture never adds up.

There’s a whole ton of positivity about not needing to be gender-conforming and not needing to pass and that’s all perfectly well and good. It just doesn’t always compute, especially offline. I work in a male-dominated field. They will never accept me as non-binary. They would never be able to unsee my feminine qualities, and those are the people I have to spend 80% of my time with. These are the kind of people who still use the words “tr*nny” and actively make fun of people who are not binary in the traditional sense. No matter how many HR departments you go through, those people will never respect you for living your truth. And at this point in my life I don’t have the option of leaving.

This is really my only place I can speak and present as nonbinary since my family wouldn’t accept it either. I mentioned it briefly on Instagram, but it’s still something I hide from most people I know offline. My fiancé recently asked me if I wanted him to refer to me as she or they and it was the first time anyone’s actually done that outside of Tumblr. My bf of four years never did even though he knew as well. I don’t have a preference anyway - but I think lots of people overlook that there are tons of people who have to live double lives essentially to survive.

I can pass easily as straight and female. That’s a privilege, even if I don’t want it. There is so much outside of the internet that just doesn’t translate the same way. And so many people can’t be themselves until they are able to leave families, jobs, states. I don’t even know what the point of this is except that at least where I live - it’s not safe for me to be openly queer and nonbinary. It’s extremely hard to feel good about yourself when the majority of people around you think your matter of self-esteem and identity is a joke or a mental illness.

[thehoodsweetheart]

Sandcastles | Part III.

A/N: Sandcastles is officially a series! I really hope this is up to par. Please excuse the mistakes.

Warnings: Fuckboy!Erik (?), Angst!, Use of the N-word (I’m Black. I have that right).

Summary: If you have not read Sandcastles Part 1 and Part 2, please do so before reading this. Although, it may not be totally necessary to do so but it helps. The reader is a Black Woman, always has been always will be.

Word Count: 2.4K

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           Fear. Erik didn’t possess the concept of fear. He’d overcome that emotion in his early years. Somewhere between finding his father dead and his first mission as a secret operative, that feeling had been wiped from him. At least that’s what Erik believed. Who could possibly still possess that emotion after witnessing and partaking in such horrendous acts? Fear equated weakness and he prided himself of not being weak, never letting anyone in close enough to expose a weakness. That was until he did. He let you in.

            When Erik realized that he let you in, he tried to push you away but you didn’t tolerate it. This was before you and Erik were even in a “real” relationship. Erik thoughthe was able to give people the cold shoulder, but yours could get colder. Erik had grown accustomed to stringing women along, fucking them, leaving them, and popping back up whenever he felt like it. When he attempted to ghost you, you completely ghosted him. You did not go for the ‘I’ll pop up in a few months to see if I can still hit’ game. When he saw you on what he thought was a date, he lost it. He wasn’t going for that shit. He knew that he had to make y’all relationship real. Erik fearedlosing you. This was something he would have to come to terms with quite a few times. He actually feared losing and loving you.

           This kind of fear was one that perplexed him. He wasn’t like he was afraid you could get him killed or kill him. He’d done his research after meeting you the first time. This fear was childish in Erik’s mind. It was the fear parents provoke when they threaten to take away something after you misbehave. One where you know you could live without it but you still feel like you need that thing or just really want to keep it. Or possibly it was the fear of what became his new normal being stripped from him? It wracked his brain until he’d have a lapse in judgment. The fear of loving you led to him doing things that would risk you leaving. It was a cycle.

         The birth of Iman only added to his paranoia. He never put much thought into having children because he simply never thought he would live long enough to have them. When Iman was born, he questioned everything he’d ever did wrong. Was he even good enough to have a love so pure? What if his past came for him and he lost you and Iman? He feared walking into a repeat of his childhood. His father’s death haunted him. Death was something he could accept. It was second nature but not with you two. Erik would give his life to spare you both.

         These thoughts invaded his brain as he sat in a long drawn out meeting. Queen Mother Ramonda came to Los Angeles for the benefit and there was quite a bit of business to handle since she was in town. Erik was the first to present her updates with his social outreach work at the center, along with some technological advances he worked on with Shuri. But once he was done presenting, his thoughts began to invade him. Erik constantly checked his watch and peered out of the closest window spacing out. For the start of the day, Erik felt normal coming back to work, confident even.  There was a shift. He could feel it in his stomach as if something wasn’t right. It could have been paranoia.

       Erik received a notification to his phone that only heightened his paranoia. Iman’s Kimoyo beads dropped offline. It wouldn’t have been odd but this was the third time he’d gotten this notification that day. Iman’s Kimoyo beads never went off more than once, two times max. Why would Y/N take off Iman’s kimoyo beads so many times in only a few hours? His leg bounced as he slouched into his seat bringing his hand that now formed a tight fist to his mouth. It didn’t help that Y/N’s kimoyo beads had been offline since the night of the benefit. They were the final item Y/N threw at him before leaving.

       Erik’s eyes scanned the room as if he was searching for an answer that was obviously not in that conference room. Shuri shot him a quizzical look. He could only assume she had received the notifications for Iman. By the time the meeting wrapped up, Erik had not received a new notification signaling that they were back online. It had been 32 minutes since the last alert. He didn’t need his iPhone to tell him that. He had counted. He brushed past everyone being the first to exit the conference. He needed to figure out what was going on. He knew he could easily check once he was in the privacy of his own office. Before he could reach his office, he felt a small hand grab his shoulder. Erik spun around with annoyance only to see Shuri with a concerned look on her face.

“Hey cuz…Is everything cool? Have you talked to Y/N? Iman is still showing offline.” Shuri asked with her eyebrows furrowed together.

“Don’t even worry about it lil cuz. I’m about to give her a call now.” He tried to wave her off and continue his walk to his office. Shuri stopped him again.

“You know, I know right? I’m young but I’m smarter than you, American.” Shuri teased. Erik scoffed. “I’ll do an override to tap into the beads. See if Y/N left your sorry ass...again” She whispered her disapproval.

“Nah, I don’t need you doin all that. Y’all all up in my business bad enough as it is. Iman probably had an accident and needed to take an extra bath.” Erik stared down Shuri with cut eyes.

“We wouldn’t be in your business, if you didn’t mix business with pleasure in your office…and if that scenario makes you feel better, believe what you want. WHEN you need an actual answer I’ll be in my lab.” Shuri waved her hand turning to leave him.

“Yeaaa…please focus on something important kid. I know you have some new developments that you haven’t completed yet. Maybe a new toy?”

Shuri rolled her eyes raising her hand holding a middle finger high, unaware of her mother sauntering through the hallway.

“Shuriiii”, Ramonda scolded. Shuri groaned stomping away. Erik chuckled only to earn a side-eye from his aunt.  She mumbled a ‘mmhmm’ before walking away.

           Erik entered his office immediately dialing Y/N’s number. He listened to it ring for a while before going to voicemail. He tried not to think much of it. That was his first time calling her. Erik hung up dialing her number again only to get the same result. He took in an uneasy breath trying to calm his heartbeat. He took a seat at his desk, his leg bouncing as he debated if he should call her for a third time back to back.  You normally answered his calls if he called twice in a row, even if you answered just to tell him you’d call him back. He decided against calling again. Erik knew he should give you some time and not let his paranoia overtake him. Maybe he was too used to you being available? Or maybe Shuri was right?

           He couldn’t fight the urge anymore. Erik swiveled around in his chair, his fingers moving with no hesitation as he logged into his work computer. It had been 44 minutes since Iman’s kimoyo beads sent the last notification with no indication that they were back online. He doubled clicked the icon for the program that allowed him to view the activities in his home via the cameras he installed throughout the house. Each room assigned to its appropriate label.

          The first room to come into view was the living room showing no sign of disturbance. Erik could feel his adrenaline spike as he double clicked the label for Iman’s room. Her nursery appeared but he could see her crib was empty but the kimoyo beads lay in the center of it. Did she bounce and take the baby? What if she just left to run errands and the Kimoyo beads fell off by accident? Or she could be giving Iman a bath. Erik hoped it was one of the later scenerios. His chest tightened as he scrolled through the current activity of the various rooms seeing that Y/N and Iman were not at home. But where could they be? He gave Y/N a call once more. This time it went straight to voicemail.

          He picked up his office phone about to dial his assistant’s phone number when it hit him. He no longer had an assistant. The intern, Arya, was taking on the role as his assistant. In the past six months she had full access to his schedule, followed him around everywhere, and managed to keep up with him without getting in his way. That was until they crossed that professional friendly line and began an affair two months ago. For Erik the affair was a physical thing, no real emotion lived there. Nonetheless, Arya was not worth losing his family over. When T’Challa made the decision to let her go during Erik’s one-week leave of absence, he didn’t care. That was one step towards fixing world that crumbled before him.

       Erik opted to call Shuri instead. He knew Y/N formed a close bond with Shuri and Nakia over the past few years. It was strong possibility that Shuri could get an answer from Y/N faster. He wasn’t going to lie to himself and say she had forgiven him completely. Shuri answered in a knowing tone.

“Did Y/N mention her next doctor’s appointment?” Erik’s voice rushed almost sounding as if his question was one word.

“Whoaa, slow down. It’s not until next week or something but I don’t keep your wife’s schedule. You should know that.”

“Tell him to stop trying to spy on his family from his computer.” T’Challa interjected only for Erik to smack his teeth.

“Nigga nobody’s spying. I’m trying to make sure they’re okay.” Erik countered.

“Ah, is that what we’re calling it now? Okay. Well maybe you should head home? You probably won’t stop checking the cameras until you see them come back anyway.”

“Shit nigga, wouldn’t you?! I knew I shouldn’t have come into work today. I could’ve did that damn presentation from my home office.” Erik ranted as he snatched his blazer from the couch in his office. He scrambled to put it on while looking for his keys.

           Erik quickly ended the call rushing out to his Acura NSX. He sped the entire way home. Despite trying to be optimistic and think they were running errands, something just didn’t feel right. It was nagging at him since the meeting. Maybe it was his conscious reminding him that he still fucked up and needed to right his wrongs with his wife? But after last night and this morning, the way she screamed his name and clung to him, just as she always had, he thought he still had time to fix things.

           He arrived to the house in record time. He walked in calling Y/N’s name only to be met with silence. He checked the garage seeing that your car was in fact gone. Erik clenched and unclenched his fist while beginning to count backwards from ten. The pressure he was feeling in his chest was beginning to weigh him down. He couldn’t explain why he was anxious about walking upstairs in his own house to his own room. Nevertheless, his feet carried him there.

           He reached their taking in his surroundings. The gleam from your 7-karat pear shaped diamond ring caught his attention. Approached the nightstand noticing the handwritten note under your ring. He read and reread the note three times trying to internalize what you wrote. His nostrils flared as his eyes began to burn. He balled up the note with hast throwing it across the room. He screamed ‘fuck’ storming out of the master bedroom. You really left him and you took his heart with you, Iman. To top it off, you didn’t want to be apart of this new pregnancy. His chest heaved just thinking about it.

         Erik made his way to Iman’s nursery seeing the closet was open. For whatever reason, he hadn’t noticed her closet while checking the cameras earlier. His mind was centered on the Kimoyo beads then. Iman’s closet was practically empty. There were only a couple of onesies and dresses left. He counted five. Erik walked over to Iman’s crib grabbing the plush pink elephant that Iman loved. He leaned over the crib’s railing clutching the stuffed animal inhaling its scent. Y/N really took his baby. His family was gone.

        The sound of slamming doors followed by the doorbell ringing snapped him out of his thoughts. Using the back of his hand, he wiped his tears. He rushed downstairs hoping it was his wife, but why would she show up after writing that note. He opened the door without even checking to see whom it was, only to reveal two men in khaki colored uniforms. He squared his shoulders feeling his internal rage grow.

“Who the fuck are y’all?” Erik barked. The men blinked a couple times looking taken aback.

“Uhh���Umm…We’re from Enterprise Moving company. We were sent to get Mrs. Udaku-Steven’s belongings.” The shortest one stuttered. Erik’s frown deepened.

“Y’ALL NOT TAKIN’ SHIT! GET THE FUCK OFF MY PROPERTY!” Erik slammed the door in their faces and immediately went to call you.

      He got your voicemail once again. It took his entire strength not to throw his phone. There were knocks at the door followed by the doorbell once again. He clenched his jaw as he heard the moving men asking his to open the door. Erik decided to text you.

You better call that moving company and tell them to leave before I body ALL these mothafuckas!

           Erik knew you were screening your calls. It was confirmed when his text appeared as read a minute later. The gray bubbled with three dots popped up, then went away, and popped up again before going away. His phone began to ring as you picture appeared. He pressed the green button answering. Before he could even say hello, your voice blared through the speaker.

“ERIK! PLEASE DON’T!”

Tag list:

@purple-apricots @chaneajoyyy @toniilaney @wakanda-inspired @almeda-344 @desireatatyana

@wakandalivesforever @yoyolovesbucky @beaut1fulone-blog @sarcastic-sunshines

@elaindeereads @soufcakmistress @bujotellsyourstory @scott-mccall-could-lift-mjolnir

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Three Hundred Fifty-Eight: Surprises ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina, pregnancy ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ] [ AO3 Link ]

He’s always done his best to be careful. Sasuke has never been a fan of surprises. Everything in its proper order, proper place, with proper planning and thus his ability to know how to react.

...but Life doesn’t always work that way. Life, as full of patterns as it can be, is still ultimately chaos.

Working on a rather lengthy assignment for his engineering class, dark eyes flicker up as his computer makes an all too familiar sound of receiving a message.

Hey, you busy?

A corner of his lips quirk as his girlfriend pokes in to check on him. His pencil is abandoned, keyboard taken up as he replies, Just typical homework. Need something?

No, just kinda lonely. My class for today got cancelled and I’m all caught up with coursework. But I won’t bug you if you’re busy <3

A brow perks. ...you can come over it you want. At least that way you wouldn’t be alone. It’s just engineering - I can chat and work at the same time.

A minute passes with no reply. But before he can add something else, she offers, ...oh...okay.

...okay, something is up. What’s wrong?

Nothing!

Nothing my ass. I know your disappointed texting tone by now. Just be frank with me, Hinata. What’s up?

Another minute of silence. I just, um...wanted to spend some time with you.

...meaning? By now he has an idea of what she’s getting at, but he wants to make her admit it. He’s never above flustering her, after all. She was such a timid, prude little thing when they met.

She sends a pouting emote. :T Sasukeee…

Don’t ‘Sasukeee’ me. Communicate with me, babe. Tell me what you want.

...I...want to fool around a bit…

There we go. The truth comes out. Smirking at his screen, he replies, ...I think I can take a break enough for that. You just get yourself over here and we’ll figure the rest out.

Okay…! Um...should I bring anything…?

Nah, I’ve got it covered. All I need is you.

Signing off to begin crossing from her dorm to his, Hinata’s status goes offline, and Sasuke decides to call it quits a little early. Tidy as he is, there’s a bit to be picked up in his (thankfully solo) dorm room. Gotta have everything just right, after all. Once clothes are picked up, trash binned, and bed made, he lounges at his desk until a soft knock sounds.

“Come on in.”

Hinata peers around a bit sheepishly, stepping in and closing the door. “Hey…”

“Hey gorgeous.”

“Sasuke…”

“What? Just being honest.”

“You’re r-ridiculous.”

“And yet you love me anyway,” he retorts lowly, grinning as she crosses the room.

“Somehow, yes,” she replies, smiling warmly at him. Knowing his chair isn’t exactly built for two people, she instead grips the arms, leaning over him coyly. “So...ready to take a study break…?”

“For you, any time.” Hands lift to cup at her cheeks, pulling her down to mesh their lips. Hinata breathes a soft sigh, smelling like lilac as she always does. If she ever changes body wash, he’ll be glaringly disappointed. Kissing her slowly until she’s out of breath, he then abandons his seat and stands, grip moving to her waist. The feeling of her hands on his chest - even atop his shirt - makes the skin beneath them warm. “I think your classes need to get cancelled more often,” he murmurs against her mouth, shifting to pay attention to the curve of her jaw.

“I w-wouldn’t mind it,” she agrees, tilting her head for his access. “But I can’t take you away from your homework all the time, can I…? You can’t start failing your classes over a girl, silly.”

“I’m used to crunch time. It’d be worth it…”

Giggling, Hinata lets him push her over atop his mattress, eyes warm with affection as he crawls over. “Then I guess I won’t feel bad.”

“Oh no...you’re going to feel anything but bad…” he rumbles, smirking as her cheeks flush pink.

Once all is said and done, the pair of them tired and satisfied, Sasuke hauls himself up and tidies again, leaving Hinata to sleep as he cracks away at more of his assignment. It’s not due until midnight - he’s got plenty of time. And now he’s got a freshly-bolstered mood on top of it all.

No sweat.

...well, some sweat. But not at all homework related.

From there, life goes on as normal. Classes, homework, visits home...and across campus to invade one another’s dorm rooms. They’re both in their last years, and while the pressure is indeed ramping up, they try to take things one day at a time.

But just as graduation looms...something changes. Texts go unanswered, calls go straight to voicemail...and no matter the hour of the day, Hinata isn’t online.

While Sasuke at first puts it down to crunch time...after a few days, he starts to seriously worry. His messages get a little more desperate, asking her to please reply. But still nothing. A visit to her dorm find it empty...either that, or she’s refusing to answer.

What the hell is going on?

Finally fed up one day, he lurks outside her door for hours, waiting for her to either come in or go out. Other students give him odd looks as they pass, but he ignores them. Something is wrong, and he needs to know what.

“S...Sasuke…?”

Head snapping up, his eyes go wide as Hinata stares at him from the end of the hall. Immediately, he frowns. Her body language is all sorts of closed off. If anything...she looks ready to bolt. “...Hinata? Shit Hinata, where have you been? Have you been getting my messages?”

“...I -?”

“I’ve been worried sick! I thought something happened to you!” Abandoning his leaned perch against the wall, he jogs to meet her, slowing and gripping her upper arms firmly. “...are you okay?”

At the question, her eyes suddenly tear up, shoulders shaking against withheld sobs.

Okay, red flag, what the hell?

“...here, let’s - let’s get inside your dorm and talk, okay? Everything’s going to be okay. I’ve got you.” Putting an arm around her, he gently leads her to the proper door, which she unlocks and then locks behind them. “Hinata, babe...what’s wrong? Please, talk to me.”

Arms hugging herself tightly, she seems to struggle against her emotions. “I...I-I went home. I, um...I wasn’t feeling well. So...I went to see a doctor - a l-lady that I know.”

“...are you all right?”

“I...y-yeah? I mean...technically, yeah, I’m...I’m fine. But Sasuke, I…” Her breath hitches, and a moment passes as she pauses. “...I-I’m really scared…!”

“What do you mean? Why would you be scared?”

Lip trembling, she stares at him as though weighing her words. “...Sasuke, I’m...I’m pregnant.”

His face immediately slackens in surprise. She...but...they’ve always...? “...you’re sure?”

She gives a shaky nod. “...I took t-three at home tests, and then...a clinic test. I’m sure.”

He...isn’t sure what to say. “...w...what do you want to do?”

“I don’t know…!”

“Okay, okay! We’ve...we’ve got time to figure this out. Uh…” A hand rubs at his chin, brain too stuck in its initial panic to really think. “...well...whatever you decide, that’s your decision, Hinata. Not mine. This is your, uh...deal.”

Her gaze averts. “...I-I mean...I’ve always wanted kids, just...I wasn’t really p-planning on it...now.”

“...well, it doesn’t have to be now.”

“...I know. B-but…” She bites her lip. “...in a perfect world, I...I’d like to keep them.”

He gives a slow nod. “...all right. How do we want to make this work?”

At that, Hinata pauses, seemingly taken aback. “Y...you mean you…?”

“What, you think I’m going to run on you now?” he asks. “I thought you knew me better than that.”

“N-no! I...I just...this isn’t exactly the b-best time, and…” Hinata trails off, not sure how to voice her thoughts. “...I thought maybe...maybe it would be...too much.”

Sasuke sighs. “...I mean yeah, it’s...definitely a surprise. But Hinata...look. I…” It’s his turn to fumble. “...I love you. We’ve been together pretty much our entire college careers. And I wasn’t planning on that going away once we graduate. Maybe it’s not how we planned it, but I mean…” He gestures to her. “...I’m here for you. I’ll always be here for you. A bump in the road isn’t going to scare me that easily. I’ve already got work lined up. You’ll have a bit of a late start, but...we can make this work. If that’s what you want.”

“...is it...what you want?”

“...yeah,” he agrees after a pause. “...I love you, Hinata Hyūga. And if things kept working out, then...yeah, I wanted things to progress between us. Kids, marriage, the whole thing. Just because it’s a little soon doesn’t mean I’m against it. Things will be tougher, but...I can do tough.”

Expression crumbling, Hinata crosses to him, arms curled against his chest as she sobs in his arms. “Oh my g-god, I was so worried…”

“...is that why you went AWOL?”

“...I’m sorry...I was just so scared...I-I had to have time to think, and...f-figure out how to talk to you about it.”

“It’s okay...I mean I was worried as hell, but I understand. Just...know you never have to be scared to talk to me, okay? About anything.”

“...I know…”

Sighing, he tucks his chin atop the crown of her head. Well...so much for having a five year plan. But he will make this work.

He’s not the sort to back away from a challenge, after all.

                                                          .oOo.

     SORRY GUYS I know this isn't more of the soulmate AU, but...I couldn't quite figure out how to make this prompt work for it, I'm sorry ;w; I hope this is still enjoyable - a friendo helped me with a plot, and...here we are, lol! I know the tags kinda gave it away, but...I don't want someone stumbling across something they wouldn't want to read, eh heh~      I know some might be disappointed there wasn't more, uh.../nitty gritty/, but I want this series to be able to be read by pretty much everybody in the SH fandom, including those under 18, so...we kinda skipped over that part. I MIGHT do more mature stuff in the future, but...sometimes I'm not the best at it /)///(\ It's a bit of a long reason why, but nsfw stuff isn't always within my ability, I hope you understand!      ANYWAY! I've never really done the whole 'whoops' plot before (well...kinda, but not this ship and not this way). I'm not sure it's very...IC for either of them, since I see Hinata as rather prudish and Sasuke as a bit too careful, but I mean...it's not TOO out there, right? But I think if things DID go awry, they'd handle it...about like this, lol      Anywho...it's VERY late cuz I was working on another project this evening, so I'm gonna head to bed~ Thanks for reading!

[lou-does-things]

I’ve just finished my first year of university this summer - all of my lectures and courses being completely held in a foreign language. Here are some tips and tricks on how to get the most out of studying in a foreign language, be it as an exchange student or as someone who studies abroad or in another linguistic region of their home country (like me). 

If you can afford it, profit from the language preparation courses that your university offers. Some universities offer summer courses in different levels for students from abroad. Otherwise, it is also possible to go to language schools (if you do: Choose an offer that has few people that speak your native language/other target languages that you might know better). This is by no means necessary, but immersing you in a language and possibly also university life before your courses start can hep you adjust to everything. You might also make some friends to practice your target language with!

Prepare yourself for your studies by listening to podcasts or by watching videos or documentaries on your subject in your target language. This familiarises you with the specific vocabulary relevant for your studies. Reading scientific articles can help as well, but it’s mainly important to listen to it, especially if your courses are mostly lectures.

Make friends with local students as soon as possible. I know, it’s intimidating to speak a foreign language, especially if you don’t have a good grasp on it yet. But while your lectures will help you understand the language, you won’t learn how to speak without practice. And the best practice is speaking with friends.

Take your notes in your target language. In the beginning this is very difficult as your brain (or at least mine) will do this weird thing where it translates every word you hear automatically into a language you know better, so you understand the meaning, but then forgets the word in the language you heard it in. In the beginning, your notes will probably be bi- or even trilingual, but try to go back over everything after your lectures. Try to gradually reduce the words you use in other languages. If you notice that there are certain reoccurring words that you can’t grasp, write them down in a vocabulary book or on some sticky notes and stick them on a convenient place.

Don’t worry too much about your writing skills. This can of course depend on what and where you study, but it normally doesn’t matter too much how you write down things during class. While taking your notes, don’t bother with finding the correct grammatical form or orthography for every word, it will make you fall behind very quickly. However, try to write everything as comprehensible as possible so you don’t have trouble when revising.

Rewrite and reorganise your notes. I know, the studyblr community is very divided on this topic, but if you want your notes to be useful when you revise before your exam(s), they have to be presented in a way where you can understand everything. Go over your notes after you have written them down and take your time with correcting your grammar and your orthography. It will be a long process in the beginning, but you will make less and less mistakes as you go on. You of course do not have to rewrite everything, but make it a habit to correct everything on the same day or the day after you took your notes.

Do not revise or study in your native language! I know some people that did that so they can understand the topic better or more easily. While this might work for a multiple choice test to some extent it will definitely make you fail any kind of essay based exams. You will have to know the important vocabulary for your exams, even if you have the right to use a dictionary. I personally never used flashcards to study vocabulary, but if that is your thing, you do you. Writing and rewriting all your notes in your target language can make you remember the relevant vocabulary as well.

Have a good dictionary, both physical and electronic. A good dictionary is something you should invest in. I already had a good French - German dictionary that I got in high school, but if you don’t have one already, buy one as soon as you can. Go for about 100′000 to 150′000 words, and don’t buy a “students” dictionary, they often don’t have the vocabulary that you need. If they don’t say anything, ask your professor if you can use a physical bilingual dictionary during your exam, at least where I study it is allowed. During class, use a electronic dictionary. I can recommend linguee for your computer, and I personally use the bab.la dictionary app on my phone (ios). It is offline and has a pretty large amount of vocabulary on it. It costs around 2 bucks per language combination, but there are also some combinations that are free.

Your initial language level won’t make a big difference in the end. First off, even native speakers have to get used to the difference in colloquial and academic language.  I’ve met people at university that only took one or two years of French lessons before starting to study at a university level in French, while others (like me) already had French classes since primary school. While it will make your life easier or more difficult in the beginning, it all depends on your motivation and your willingness to learn and especially speak the language. After one year, my French isn’t perfect - I still make a lot of mistakes when writing and speaking - but I can say of myself that I improved a lot. Studying in a foreign language can’t get you fluent in no time, and you have to be willing to put the effort into practicing. However, it is still a great way to learn a foreign language and to expand your horizon (and also a great addition to your CV!).

[nanowrimo]

Camp Pep: Tune Into the Right Station

Camp NaNoWriMo is nothing without you, our incredible participants. Today, Camp NaNoWriMo participant Amanda Truscott offers you some advice for your first week of Camp:

Hi there, Writer Friends.

I have a trick for doing your best and most prolific work: pretend you’re a radio. All you have to do is tune into the right station. Now, if this sounds too “woo-woo” for you, that’s cool; I’m only asking you to humor me and give it a try. See what happens. Here’s how you do it:

Sit down with your computer or notebook and become aware of your  breathing. 

At this point, you might think something like, “I can't think of anything! It’s not working! This is stupid.” Ignore those thoughts. 

Tell yourself, “I’m just playing. This is just a game. This isn’t work. All I have to do is show up and play with my book like a kid playing with a ball or blocks. I’m just experimenting. Trying things. That’s all this is.” The above is a mental game I play with myself even when I’m writing something “serious” because it lowers the stakes enough to take Fear out of the equation—or at least to hobble it so it’s easier to outrun. 

Breathe. Do your best to sit up straight and keep your shoulders relaxed. Our minds respond to what our bodies do, and slouching makes us feel scared and inadequate, as does shallow breathing. So keep breathing in and out, inhaling and exhaling deeply through your nose. Words will begin to suggest themselves. 

When they do, you might think, “What? That’s stupid. I’m not writing that.” Ignore those thoughts too. Write the words. 

Keep writing. Repeat steps 1-5 as needed. You’ll find the more willing you are to believe you’re “just playing”, indifferent to the quality of your transmissions (radios, after all, claim no responsibility for Taylor Swift, Limp Bizkit or Chopin), the more easily and joyfully the words will flow through you.

And the more easily and joyfully you write, the better and more plentiful your words will be.

But please don’t think about that part. Thinking about quality is a trap, and it loosens the hobbles on Fear’s ankles so it can catch up and take you down, whispering in your ear with its meaty breath, “The quality of what you do is important. It’s how people will judge you. It’s the proof of your worth as a human, and we already know you’re worthless. Do you want the rest of the world to know it too?”

At which point you can elbow it in the ribs with this thought: “This isn’t work. I’m just playing. It doesn’t matter what I write. It’s just a game. I’m just a radio.”

Breathe in and breathe out. Fear will roll off you, clutching its side.

You will get up. And you will write. And you will cross the finish line, victorious.

And now my own Inner Critic pipes up and says, “You’re mixing too many metaphors, Amanda. You need to be consistent.” So I tell it, “Shut up. I’ll mix as many metaphors as I want. This is my game, and I make up the rules.”

With love and hopes for the wings of your words,

Amanda

Amanda Truscott is the author of Creative Unblocking: Bypass Self-Doubt, Tap your Genius, and Complete Your Best Work. Her current novel is an urban fantasy about a Pomeranian shapeshifter who has to save her people from a cannibal that mixes their blood into a beauty cream. You can find her online at creativeunblocking.com, or offline playing in the wilds of British Columbia.

Top image licensed under Creative Commons from Juanky Pamies Alcubilla on Flickr.

[janeandrye-blog]

How to Get More Exposure For Your Music

It takes months, and mostly years, of hard work and patience to finally hit the general public.The venues to get one's creations noticed are many and few simultaneously. The artist transmits the group on miscellaneous missions (never regarding money on the part of the group) and the best road teamers are rewarded in various ways. As an artist entails many things. Take a couple of days off, take it easy, and come back refreshed! It brings them exposure and makes followers a complete section of the artist's success. At some point, if you are like me, and work alone 14-15 hours a day, you will get burned out.). Another good idea would be to design your personal exclusive merchandise (Tshirts, bags, mouse pads, mugs, greeting cards, etc. And to be honest, the royalties are extremely decent. A street team is a group of individuals who are committed to help an artist spread the term about their function. And as a result, I received more exposure in two months than I had were able to achieve in more than three years! SELLING ONLINE AND OFFLINE 95% of poets go the self-publishing way. BUILDING A STREET TEAM You can only achieve this much on your own. This is very simple to do, especially if you aren't computer-savvy, in fact it is free. Finally, frustration and discouragement are part of the job. If you are a amateur photographer, why not sell your images to other performers for their book/CD covers? UPDATING YOUR STATUS Part of your promotional period should be used to revise your position across the various networks you participate in. Always acknowledge your followers and supporters, those that work in the shadows for you personally. Reverbnation lets you do that very easily! Make a number of all your skills and find what you have to give you. When you sign up for their site, you receive access to an individual studio. From there, you can upload your own videos or video clips from YouTube and stream them on a 24/7 basis. NETWORKING Public networking sites are crucial for promotion these days. All you need is a Paypal accounts. Reverbnation offers you the perfect way to do it: once your mission is launched, the site helps to keep counts for you and all you have to do is check your stats! Finished . I love about this concept is that it allows an artist to attach with their fan base on a different level. Make use of TweetDeck or Hootsuite. You will find loads of broadcasts every day and the neat thing is that you may also interact in boards. You should be capable to rely on others. Do points YOURSELF! What's more, people may also help spread the word by sharing the widgets almost everywhere on the Internet! If you are not camera-shy, you can also web host your own show, using your webcam. Also, usually do not hesitate to ask for tips and advice from those who have a verified successful background in your market. Sometimes, one little thing will make an enormous difference. Before throwing links at someone, introduce yourself correctly and get to know them just a little. I personally use Reverbnation & Audiolife. You can also promote yourself. This is something that I do once a month with Livestream (and most people love it! They will print your books, CDs, calendars, picture books, and photos for you. Print-on-demand or POD is a great service and I recommend Lulu. And royalties are truly decent. The best thing about diversification is that it makes it harder for people to label you in one category. The best part is they are totally free! Hence, you have the golden possibility to "meet up with" hosts and listeners who frequently happen to be hosts or promoters of the artwork themselves. Start by thinking about the following questions: "What's my long-term goal as an artist? If you are a musician or a spoken word artist, you likely have heard of Reverbnation. I make use of it myself and I really like the reality that I can send pre-formatted news letters to my group of fans, build a street team and start missions with the click of a key, and promote my CD and tracks through easy-to-share widgets. It signifies that you have to diversify. WEBSITE/PROFILE PAGES Nowadays, if you need to attract more supporters, you should build a niche site or at least have a regularly updated profile page.. They provide you with a free of charge store that you could promote everywhere you wish.) and sell it using providers like Zazzle or Cafepress. It is possible to talk about anything, address questions and worries from your fans, educate them on issues that matter for you, and invite them to take part in discussions. It is also important that you be ready to support other artists and causes, and serve as a positive role model. While this is simply not a poor thought at all, additionally it is important to know that product sales obey the 10-90 rule: 10% creative imagination and 90% promotion/marketing. The best blog services are Wordpress and Blogger." Be extremely honest in your answers, because they will determine your job and how lengthy you may last in the business. I have joined with some of the most incredible artists and supporters in North America and also have followed their advice very cautiously. A blog is an extremely nice tool to use. They imagine that they can count on the quality of their work for it to sell itself. , nor wait for others to do it for you. They want to learn about you and what you care for. You must become professional in your strategy, dedicated, and alert to your surroundings and global issues. Both sites have partnered to permit Reverbnation members to sell their merchandise and music for free. I have already been a guest on numerous shows, which includes allowed me to promote my books and CD, and tell the globe why I am a poet and spoken term artist. I heard that CD Baby is very good. I used this medium and got to know great people.. You may be surprised by how much help and support you will receive in return! Open a merchant account, upload your data files, fill in the necessary info, and you are on the way. I recommend Blog Chat Radio. To me self-publishing is even more rewarding than complicated because I have to promote all my items myself, and it gives me the chance to really become familiar with my readers and listeners. BLOG/COMMUNITY If you need to build your web presence, it is crucial that your fans and followers be involved. All you need is a PayPal account. What is my mission statement? Continue to keep a laptop and pen useful, and write any suggestion and idea provided you.-) For a website, use Wix or Weebly. And if you are actually fluent in two or more languages, you could also translate documents. Then, feel free to embed the display screen anywhere you want. However, street teamers obtain free stuff, which is always nice! You can also join writing communities and forums like Red Space and share some of your stuff there. They are excellent! LAST WORDS Always remember this: treat others how you would like to end up being treated. This is the first step to get respect from fellow performers, and hence exposure. DIVERSIFICATION I've a motto: the more you have to give, the more exposure you'll get! You will attract more followers. Use your Paypal accounts address to get royalties when people purchase your products during your personal (free) store. What do I would like to perform with my creation(s)? You should be able to do it in one convenient place. Setup your store (in two moments), upload your files, complete the information, and start selling your CDs, MP3 albums, person tracks, Tshirst and tote hand bags within minutes! However, it could be very time-consuming. I acquired introduced to numerous new listeners. The visitors to my site provides been large since I started listening to BTR shows!; If you're a poet/writer, you can offer poetry/speech-on-demand or proofreading services. You can also use Internet radio. If you only focus on music or spoken term, there are some nice options out there. Make sure that you have a look at Facebook, Twitter, Ning, YouTube, and MySpace. You can also sell your music digitally, using major retailers like ITunes or Amazon. Ning is especially impressive, since it offers a great deal of options! & most importantly: build interactions before thinking about sales! IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS Lots of independent artists believe that once their CD or book is available, the work is performed. You may eliminate up attracting a lot of different people!

[aalapdavjekar]

On Identity

First published in October, 2020.

At the age of fourteen, I found myself in my first online chatroom. "Asl," they asked — early Internet slang for age, sex, location. It was never self identifying information. No one was interested in names. No one cared about what you looked like. You were free to be anonymous as long as you provided a small token of details from which the rest could be inferred. Your interests were apparent from the room you were in and your avatar dropped other crumbs of personality. The concept of anonymity was still years from making sense to me yet the obliviousness to physical identity was real. The idea of a fourteen year-old from India soon became dull. So, I decided to get creative.

Some days I would be a 75 year-old living in rural Mongolia who had just purchased his first computer after selling 25 of his favourite sheep. On another, a divorced mother of three, fresh out of prison, looking for advice on everything from makeup to homeschooling. Each day was a blank slate, a new role to fill, a fresh start. Identity on the web is as literal as fiction. It could be as entertaining as you wanted it to be.

Regardless of how you chose to portray yourself, your personality was a central component to how each story was laid down. Regardless of how out there you wanted to go, to an extent, most would assume you were giving out correct information. In theory, you could be the Pope pretending to be the Queen. Not many would care but most would find it funny.

No one can judge the unknown. On forums such as Reddit, getting a new identity is as easy as coming up with a new username. There’s no one to question your motives, judge you by the colour of your skin, or ban you for being too young.

You have no age on the Internet, no gender and you have no country. Your username might change, your writing will mature over time, new subreddits will be found, some will disappear.

Yet, like real life, people can and do judge you based on certain criteria. Online, credibility is based on reputation — call it Internet points, karma, the number of followers, likes, etc. To some online services, these signify your commitment to your role. Like seniority in a real life occupation, Internet points signify how long a profile has been around. The Reddit karma system which was primarily developed as a reward mechanism also serves as an easy way to distinguish between credible profiles and inflammatory and digressive posters — trolls. If you post worthwhile content, you get upvotes — points! On the other hand, if people don’t like what they see, you get negative points. Unlike the virtual world, physical age plays a very important role in real life in determining your credibility. It gives people an easy excuse to ignore your opinions depending on how old you are while giving way to cultural cliches such as respect your elders or tradition is sacred. One of the harshest — kids are stupid might almost seem like a mathematical axiom but ignores certain aspects of the child that are seldom found in adults such as the ability to quickly master languages or adopt new skills.

ASL in the offline world is very much like the Internet. The major difference is that it’s much easier to catch someone lying. As an Indian teenager, I could never pretend to be a 75-year old Mongolian even with the best makeup advice. Yet, there were other ways to pretend. At the time, I thought of myself as shy but I could still stir up some confidence when I had to talk to strangers. I only had to pretend to be charming, smart, and interesting. Society even had my back. “You can be anything you want to be when you grow up,” they told me at school. “Always dream big,” they proudly added. Years later, I realized all these statements only translated into, “get a bigger salary.” So, yeah, they were pretending too. Eventually I came to the conclusion that everyone was pretending. Everyone I interacted with had a story to tell. They all had a big bag of words that they used to confidently describe themselves. Most interesting of all, they all took the story they told themselves and others very, very seriously and would happily clock you in the mouth if you merely hinted at anything otherwise. Like calling someone out in the chatroom for their alleged fakery, painting someone as a liar in real life was akin to assault. But my conclusions weren’t based on some impulsive thought. They were carefully considered observations. The wall of pretense we erect is not even a conscious decision. Almost always, it is based on years of cultural indoctrination.

Who are we?

Culture is a weird one. The typical North American and South Asian of the 1950s could be considered living centuries apart from each other. The Indian, most likely an illiterate farmer barely making ends meet, could not dream of life in the American Golden Age — minimum wage that could pay for two cars and a mortgage. He could not conceptualise the existence of luxuries such as refrigerators, ovens, swimming pools and shopping malls, hospitals and discotheques, or the ability to travel the world on tips earned while bartending. The average Indian farmer desired healthier bulls, better harvests, regular rainfall, obedient wives for his sons. But then, as much as now, drastically different cultures still overlap in certain ways. The Indian farmer, much like his American counterpart, looked to his neighbour to understand himself. If the Jones next door bought a fancy new car, everyone living in the neighbourhood wanted something better. If the Kumars next door threw a huge wedding for their son, inviting everyone from the closest twenty villages, the Chopras dreamt only of throwing a larger party next year. The collective psyche of each culture is only a reflection of the desires of each individual. But cultures, homogeneous or otherwise, are an echo chamber. They consciously or subconsciously produce edicts, rules and regulations that individuals integrate and pass on. Whether it’s capitalism good, communism bad in the American psyche, or India good, Pakistan bad in the Indian, from economic policy-making and government initiatives to television programming and pop art, everything must adhere to cultural norms and traditions. Unless it fits the identity of the collective and follows a cultural narrative, it will be discarded.

Take the never ending list of Indian god-men and celebrities who are routinely treated as infallible figures worthy of worship. Devotees are often so unflinching in their faith that they are willing to overlook overwhelming evidence of rape, murder, exploitation and extortion. This is not unique to India. Charismatic personalities have sway over swaths of people all across the world. Whether it’s Trump, Duterte, Bolsonaro or Modi, the ability to pander to the masses and speak to the cultural norm is more important than competence at one’s job. Trump gave voice to a collective that was scared of immigrants taking over their jobs. Years later, his ineptitude would lead to one of the worst administrative failings in American history and the death of over 400,000 people in the course of the pandemic. The actions of the Indian government during the second wave need no mentioning.

In many countries, questioning one’s cultural norms is akin to treason. Similar to questioning a person’s opinions, questioning the integrity of a political ideology often leads to terrifying consequences. The BJP’s rise to power in India has been followed by the arrests of intellectuals, academics, students, poets, and doctors for voicing opinions against the party. This is quite the routine for authoritarian governments. In the 1950’s, Mao Zedong’s government in China persecuted and killed half a million of its educated populace before launching the Great Leap Forward, a project that aimed at transforming China from an agrarian economy into an industrial power. While it looked great on paper, it led to the greatest famine in history and resulted in the deaths of at least 20 million people. This failure politically weakened Mao. In response, he launched another program to weed out and eliminate dissidents, killing another million in the process while leading to the destruction of thousands of Chinese historical and cultural artifacts. What was the outcome of this violence? It only strengthened Mao’s hold over the masses. His personality was now a cult.

To call humans sheep would be unfair because sheep are never pushed off a cliff by their masters. Human societies, on the other hand, are rife with power struggles, deep hierarchies, discrimination, and violence. Yet, each of us identifies as a good person. We can rationalize why we are good, therefore we must be good. No country in the world would ever think about labeling itself as a force of terror, cruelty, and animosity, but we can easily call “the other” any number of names. We look to our family, friends, and society to support and reinforce these views — call them nationalism, patriotism, freedom, equality — regardless of how accurate or even relevant these views might actually be.

Oscar Wilde said, “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.”

Our identity does not quite work in favour of our individual or collective happiness. We associate a feeling of national pride towards statistics, numbers, and symbols. Rising GDP is popularly correlated with the “wealth” of a country, but many forget that this number just smashes together a country’s total economic output over a period of time without distinguishing between “good” and “bad” economic activity. Even the man who came up with the concept, Simon Kuznets, was of the opinion that the number had nothing to do with individual well-being.

We look to our history to understand where we came from without realizing we have many incomplete pieces to an enormous puzzle. Many contemporary Indians would associate themselves with the iconic Indus Valley civilization and think of the core of their cultural and religious identities as unchanged for thousands of years. However, the morals and the values carried by the average Indian today — monogamy, marriage, vegetarianism, holidays and celebrations, rites and rituals — all stem from thousands of years of mingling with the outside world. What we define as violent invaders and conquerors today have played an important role in shaping our culture into its current form. Not only did the Mughals contribute to our aesthetics and our lexicon but they also brought with them mathematics, science and philosophy. Global trade helped carry the Indo-Arabic number system (the numerals 0 to 9) to Africa, Europe, and eventually to the rest of the world. The British brought their own legal and judicial systems, passed down from the Romans, the railway infrastructure, and a bizarre penal code which sought to divide the subcontinent culturally, morally, and geographically according to their own prudish Victorian attitudes.

Hinduism, a major global religion today, has its roots in the Vedas, a collection of manuscripts believed to have been written by ancient sages at least a thousand years before the birth of Christ. The Vedas described the lives and spiritual pursuits of the priestly class, the Brahmins of ancient India. Before being written down, they were orally passed on from teacher to pupil. The Vedas described the lives of gods, rites and rituals, spells and incantations, all of which have their roots in even earlier animistic traditions, or the worship of animals, plants and nature — a theme common to the birth of nearly all religions. These texts were central to the agrarian communities that inhabited the Indus Valley. However, one might be hard pressed to call this Hinduism. These ancient traditions later branched out into numerous schools of thought such as Samkhya, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Yoga, Mimamsa, and Vedanta, each with their own unique set of philosophies.

Due to the geographical scale of the Indian subcontinent, the diversity in language, culture, and race, the ideological descendants of Vedic traditions were in the hundreds, if not thousands, and were regarded as a way of life by those who practiced them. The word ‘Hindu’ was simply used to describe people living near the Sindh, a river that flows through the northwestern part of the subcontinent. The word had nothing to do with the individual beliefs of these people. The modern form of Hinduism developed in the 18th century through reformist movements started by Ram Mohan Roy who wished to rid Hindu traditions of superstition and promote rational and ethical ideas about the religion. Thinkers such as Dayananda Sarasvati, Paramahamsa Ramakrishna, and Swami Vivekanada, would develop the idea of a unified Indian continent and seed missionary movements that brought Hinduism to the shores of Europe and later, the United States. Savarkar, who used the term hindutva to describe ‘the quality of being Hindu’, brought on a politically-charged connotation to Hinduism. This was further fueled by the Indian Independence movement that promoted the idea of ‘India as a Hindu nation’ before the eventual partitioning of the subcontinent along religious lines.

It is a topic of much debate whether an organized and unified Hindu nationalist identity that brought the sheer variety of the subcontinent under one banner to overthrow colonialism would have naturally evolved without the presence of the British Raj. More importantly, the idea of a ‘Hindu nation’ starkly contrasts the cultural openness of the early inhabitants of the subcontinent, and their acceptance of hundreds of cultures and different belief systems, which is ironic considering the foundation of Hindutva is based on the myth that India has always been a country for Hindus.

What are we?

Does my cat know he’s a cat? Do animals know of themselves? What about viruses and bacteria? You might say no to all of these questions and state that the ability to know oneself is unique to homo sapiens. The correct answer is debatable but not really the point I am trying to make. What if I asked you what you made you believe you were human, or conscious, or even real? There is good reason for you to believe in all of those things because you might think it’s ridiculous to believe we are just deterministic machines running on genetic code. Surely, we must have free will. Surely, we must be the most intelligent byproduct of evolutionary pressures. Surely, we must be the only creatures capable of stewarding the Earth. Surely, we must be correct about the things we know and accept as fact.

How comfortable would you be if none of these were true? I won’t attempt to answer these questions here because these are an entirely separate discussion but my point is that we believe we are a number of things only because we have identified with these beliefs for a good portion of our lives. Like the Ptolemaists who believed the Earth was the center of the Universe, or Creationists who believe ‘the Earth is 6000 years old and dinosaur bones exist only to test our faith in god’, there may still be numerous misconceptions of reality that we accept as common fact. Regardless of what these beliefs are, it’s critical to understand that our beliefs are our identity. Through many years of indoctrination, people on opposite sides of the Korean Demilitarized Zone still identify as human beings, but their world views are starkly different. One might defend the ideals of capitalist society while the other might think his leader is god and gladly give his life to protect this belief.

There is no distinguishing between one’s beliefs and oneself. Our beliefs form our habits, which in turn form our personalities. We live our lives from the point of view of our beliefs; a home forged from our own subjective interpretations of the world. We hold ourselves accountable to our identity; define ourselves with tokens of adjectives, layers of tradition and symbolism, while in the meantime, we fight to preserve every shred of it, and live the rest of our lives in a struggle to cultivate it. We try to keep it sacred, unique, and immutable. Otherwise, we ask ourselves, what is the point? We work tirelessly to make sure we’re not just another cardboard cutout while raking in trophies, certificates, photographs, children, exclusive club memberships, Internet points — anything to expand our fairytale legacy; anything to suppress our natural mortality and increasing vulnerability. We judge ourselves not through the motivations, beliefs or struggles of others; we judge others based on ourselves. Identity is a relational web. It is a comparison sheet we use to analyse our place in the world. It helps us weave a meaningful story to answer difficult questions such as: What am I? When did I begin? What will happen to me when I die?

No one is born religious. No one is born to identify with a particular piece of land. No one is born to identify with a particular political party. No one is born as a specific identity. We are all simply products of indoctrination. Every single day, from the moment we are born, our education begins — not towards an ideal of truth but towards survival. The agenda of the education system is only a reflection of the cultural landscape it inhabits. Perhaps only science can claim the ability to course-correct and steer its way towards better models of the universe. Humans, meanwhile, are not so flexible. Between years three and four, most children start forming opinions about the world and themselves. I am this. I like that. This young identity is shaped through an education system whose primary objective is passing exams, failing which the child is immediately labelled as stupid. The child is routinely compared with their classmates, labelled any number of things — shy, honest, hardworking, problematic, unmotivated. Their place in the world begins to solidify. The child, in most cases, assimilates these assessments as accurate characteristics about themselves, never questioning their validity.

Over the course of a lifetime, many layers of identity are crafted and worn, each accentuating every other. Our identity has an appetite. It must consume knowledge and meaning or risk starvation. Some may be consumed by this hunger, turning into narcissists and megalomaniacs. Others might see through the illusion. Yet, most people never manage to leave their opinions behind, not enough to provoke a different perspective because the need never makes itself apparent. Most people internalise their self-beliefs themselves to the point where they are defined by them. People tend to stick with people who think like they do. They fall into a loop of self-compliant views and confirmation biases. Eventually, this simplistic view of the world and the self becomes hardwired and impossible to outgrow. Anything that challenges these hardwired beliefs is first ignored as fake news, but eventually, it brings forth an increasingly agitated response. The stronger the hold of identity, the greater is its tendency to fight back against change. People might call themselves vegan, neo-marxist, jazz aficionados, liberal, Muslim, pan-romantics, Indian first, Maharashtrian second, [enter artist’s name]’s biggest fan. They might have good reason to suspect these words as truth. Regardless of their accuracy, these are just layers of identity, to be worn as per the demands of the situation, like seasonal clothing.

When people communicate, it is a specific identity that does the talking. When I am speaking to my boss, I wear the mask of a loyal employee; when I am speaking to my son, I wear the mask of a loving father; with a stranger, all the politeness I can muster; with a foe, skepticism, mistrust, anger. We carry countless and distinct identities, only to utilize a specific ASL — a condensed and limited disclosure of the ego based on the situation and circumstance. These are like webpages which hide the underlying HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code while only showing you what you wanted to see — a funny cat video. The individual’s relational web grows with every new encounter, every new discovery about the world. It begs to answer only one question — Where is my place in the world? The relational web offers a map to reality; a model that seeks to understand and tailor itself based on experience. This is an intrinsic biological mechanism without which the ego cannot survive.

Our identity is life itself. It is the very antithesis to death. These are polar opposites: creation and destruction. Identity forges meaning while death snatches it away in an instant. While the pursuit of meaning is a lifelong endeavour, ageing is a paradox. Ageing in the modern world is the contradiction between wanting a longer life as well as infinite youth. A trillion-dollar anti-aging industry that only seeks to postpone the inevitable, is testament to this fact. In the meantime, all we are left with is the pursuit of polishing our individual story. Some might cherish the annual event that signifies the day they were born while others might hate it, resenting the lives and achievements of others associated with a smaller number while casting everyone else into a basket of irrelevance. Perhaps this is why the shadow of anonymity offered by the Internet is such a comforting place to live. But whether offline or online, my ASL is whatever I want it to be as long as it gives me the joy that I seek and the comfort I need to go on.

There is no point in living in a cage of dubious and limiting self-beliefs. I am not suggesting you could fly simply by identifying as a bird. I am merely suggesting identity is an emergent phenomenon. It is a continuous carving and remodeling of the ego. It evolves in response to experience of an immediate environment because it is essentially a tool evolved for survival. With that knowledge, at the very least, it might bring you a step closer to staying open to new ideas and possibilities. Just don’t take yourself too seriously.

[allenmendezsr]

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[jolienjoyswriting]

Electrical Disturbance, Ch. V

Chapter 5 of "Electrical Disturbance," a Rockman (Dr. Chou Numbers universe) fan fiction story.

I dunno what I was thinking with the dialogue in this one.  Probably, weird things.  I'm a weirdo.  ):

Word count: 4,110 – Character count: 23,847 Originally written: July 19th, 2020

Kaitlin's suspicious nature leads her to find out that, maybe, the Rights are alright.

Thomas Right, Roll, Rightot, Rock/Rockman, “Rockman” (series), Turboman, and related characters and concepts created by various people and © Capcom Co, Ltd. "Dr. Chou Numbers" concept and related characters and concepts created by and © Jussy Kaitlin/Thundergirl created by and © KaitlinEXE

[ ↶ Prev. Story | ← Prev. Chapter | Next Chapter → | Next Story ↷ ]

    “– significant damage – radiation–”     “– lin!  Kaitlin…!!  Wake–”     “Why – Blues do–”     “I say leave – is.  Clearly, she – threat.”     “Shut up!  She–”

    There was a dizzying cacophony of voices swirling around in Kaitlin’s head.  Her optics were offline and her aural sensors were only working part-of-the-time.  She couldn’t move and couldn’t speak, and she wasn’t entirely sure where she was or how she got there.  All she knew was that the parts of her body that she could feel really hurt…

    “Thundergirl?  Kaitlin?  Answer if you can hear me.”

    The girl twitched.  What was going on…?  All those voices from before were gone… except for one.  It was a gentle-but-firm voice calling out with a sense of urgency.  Part of her didn’t want to bother responding, but…     “I… I hear you…”     She thought she may as well.

    “Kaitlin, I know you can’t see me,” the voice told her, “but this is Dr. Thomas Right.”     The girl went silent.  She had a feeling that’s who it was…     “Kaitlin, you’ve suffered some serious injuries.”     “Yeah, no kiddin’…”  She grumbled as she said, “I can’t see, I can’t move…  Whatever happened must’a been pretty bad.”     “You don’t remember because… I had to reroute power from your memory to your core.”     “Where’s my dad?”  Kaitlin frowned – at least, in her head.  “Where’s Papa Wily?”     “I know you think I’m the enemy, but whether or not that’s true, I assure you… I live by the Hippocratic Oath of Medics and–”     “I… don’t know what that is…”     “‘I carry out this oath,’” the doctor began quoting, “and break it not, may I gain for ever reputation among all men for my life and for my art; but if I break it and forswear myself, may the opposite befall me.’”     She paused before telling him, “I didn’t understand a word’a that.”     “It means that I am, first-and-foremost, a Doctor of Robotics.  My formal alliances have no place in my laboratory or in any other place where I may repair a robot in need.”     Once again, the girl too a long pause to consider his words.     “Whether you trust me or not,” the doctor added in a softer tone, “I will do my best to return you to full health.”     “Don’t… guess I have much choice, huh?”     “You could ask me to leave you as you are… though, I believe that there are several people waiting outside for you to recover.”     “Any… friends?”     “They seem to think so.”     Kaitlin sighed…  Then, she said something she wasn’t sure she’d regret, later:     “Go ahead ’n patch me up, Doc…  I don’t trust you… but I trust your words.” –––––

    “–lin, Kaitlin…?  Kaitlin?”     “What, what…?”     The girl waved a hand in no specific direction… until it smacked into something.  Immediately, her eyes shot open and she looked up to see…     “Gah!”     She’d accidentally plopped her hand on Dr. Right’s face.  Needless to say, she was quick to move it right back off.

    “S… sorry!”  She paused…  “Wait, no, I’m not!  You’re my… my…”     The girl sighed, suddenly, shaking her head.     “No…  No, I can’t swear vengeance against you…  You fixed me… right?”     “Ah, good!”  The doctor smiled.  “Your short-term memory, tactile sensors, and your audio-visual sensor array all seem to be working.  How do you feel?”     “Tired…”  She chuckled as she asked, “Can I get an E-Can Mini, pretty-please?  I… I promise not to threaten you ‘n your family, for now?”     Hearing Kaitlin joke made the doctor even happier.  She seemed to be doing just fine.

    “So, let me get this straight, Doc…”

    A short while after awakening, Kaitlin took a seat on the edge of a workbench.  She was still tied into his computer systems while casually sipping on a miniature Energy Can.  During that time, she took stock of her current situation.

    “Accordin’ to Breakman… that sonova– uh, I came here after gettin’ into a fight with Elecman, a few days ago, who was… under my dad’s control, at the time?”     The doctor softly nodded as he stared at a computer screen and typed… something.  Kaitlin had no idea what and didn’t care enough to ask.     “Elecman messed me up, so you had’a do some internal repairs…”     “Mm-hmm…”     “But, somethin’ went wrong?”     “That is correct, my dear.”     The girl shuddered.  “Hey… can you not call me that, ever again, please?”     “My apologies,” is what he offered, still focused on the computer screen.

    “Anyway…  You’re tellin’ me that you somehow… nuked my memories?”     “Accidentally, yes.  Up to the point where you were activated by Albert – Dr. Wily,” he corrected for her benefit.     “And… before that, I was fightin’ on your guys’ side?”     “Of your own volition, yes.”     Kaitlin sipped her drink and narrowed her eyes.  Something wasn’t adding up…     “If I was on your guys’ side…” she asked, “then why’d Breakman shoot me?”     The doctor’s typing came to a sudden stop.  Somehow, that made the girl smirk.     “What?  Ya didn’t know?  He dared me t’ zap him one after I found out I had electric weapons, but I couldn’t do it ‘cause… ‘cause he’d been so nice.”     Her smirk faded into a troubled frown.     “I… actually kind’a trusted him…  Hah, guess I know better, now!”

    There was a long, heavy pause.  The atmosphere of the room had changed, dramatically.  Dr. Right seemed just as troubled as his patient.     “I had my suspicions,” he started to tell her, “that your recent injures were caused by Blues – or ‘Breakman,’ as he prefers to go by, in some instances.  When Rock and Joseph brought you in, there was an unusual char pattern on your skin and clothes.  You were burning-hot with radiation…”     Kaitlin immediately looked herself over… only to find that she was wearing the same outfit she’d had on when Breakman had attacked her.  A double-check confirmed that neither her clothes nor her skin seemed any the worse for wear.     “I replaced the corroded parts of your synthetic skin,” Dr. Right commented, noticing his patient’s curiosity, “and Roll made you a new set of clothing once she’d heard what happened.”     She blushed a little as she realized the doctor probably had to have seen her bare-skinned… and very-likely had to get into her chest panel, among other places.  Despite knowing it was her own-dang-fault for permitting him… she still shuddered when she thought about it.

    “Hey, Doc…”     “Yes, Kaitlin?”     When Kaitlin was finally over being creeped-out, she asked the doctor, “If I was your guys’ friends… why did Breakman-Blues shoot me?”     “Ah, well…” he started as he returned to his computer console, “Blues is the type of individual who doesn’t trust easily.  I suppose he considered you a threat when you tore through our house, making a mess, and claimed that you were working for Dr. Wily.”     She shrank a little.  “I’m… sorry for that, just so you know.  A-and, not just because you fixed me.  Twice.  Apparently…”     “Although you certainly gave us quite the start,” he said, matter-of-factly, “it could have been far worse.”     He offered the girl a smile.     “You could have been aware of your weapon systems.”     “Heh…  Maybe, that’s why Breakman shot me…”     “Perhaps.”  He frowned as he added, “However, I do I find it rather disturbing…”     She blinked as the doctor looked back at his screen.  “What’s that?”     “From what you’ve told me, you were prone to attack Blues… yet decided against it.  He, then, attacked you with a sort of… ‘just-in-case’ mentality.”  He paused…  “Kaitlin?  Would you have attacked Blues?”     “I… I was gonna, but…”     She paused, rubbing her arm and looking away.     “S… sorry, Papa Wily…  I can’t attack someone who’s only been nice to me!  Although… he did deck me with his shield!  A-after I got mad and tried to zap him a little…  He’s… he’s just so infuriating!”     “What did he say to anger you?”     “I don’t remember, exactly…”  The girl looked up.  “I just remember… he said something that really ticked me off, so I punched him… then he walloped me in the gut… then I think he said something that made me so mad, I ended up tryin’ t’ zap him one.  He whacked me with his shield – and blocked my attack, thankfully – then I think I joked about zappin’ him for real… which led to this… stand-off… where I decided not to… but he, apparently, didn’t.”

    “Blues is… something of a mystery…”  The doctor sighed.  “Even though I was the one who created him, I have yet to figure out what truly motivates him.  He’s slowly dying… yet he refuses to let me replace the nuclear core Dr. Wily installed with a more stable solar unit.  He helps Rockman from-time-to-time… yet he is just as likely to attack him – usually as some sort of ‘test.’  He keeps close watch of us all… yet he doesn’t want to be a part of our family.  In fact, the only stable relationship he seems to have is with Roll.  But, I guess that makes sense…”     He smiled to himself.     “Roll is the only one not trying to change him…”     “Heh.  That’s what he said.”  She paused.  “Hey, uh… speakin’a Roll…”     “Don’t worry.”  The doctor looked at Kaitlin with that same smile.  “Roll is perfectly fine.  She’s experienced far worse than a fully-charged Thunder Beam.”     Kaitlin clasped her hands together before resting them under her mouth.     “I wanna tell her I’m sorry…”     She twitched as he turned and squeezed her shoulder…     “It was hardly your fault.  Roll is a brave, kind, caring girl who would gladly put herself in the line-of-fire to save a friend… or even a stranger!  She and her brother are very like-minded, in that way…”     “Awfully feelsie… aren’cha, Doc?”     The doctor flinched, immediately letting go of her shoulder and turning back to his console.  That made Kaitlin chuckle, but only a little.

    “I-in any case,” the doctor said after clearing his throat, “you’re free to leave and go wherever you want – both within the compound and outside of it.  Elecman returned to Nevada to undo his prior damage, Rockman is in New York, and Roll and Rightot are in the main lab.  Oh!  And, Joseph is waiting for you in the living room.”     “‘Joseph?’”  She tilted her head with a smirk.  “Another one’a your pet projects…?”

    “Kaitlin…!!”

    Kaitlin’s eyes widened and her body stiffened.  The instant she arrived in the Right Labs living room, she was assaulted by… bizarrely… what looked to be a human-sized fox-man!  He wasn’t trying to lick her, though… thankfully.  Just… hug her.  Really… really tightly…!

    “Get– get off…!”     He leaped back with a yelp and blankly stared.  She’d given him a dose of electricity.  A moment later, he smiled and rapidly wagged his tail.     “God… I’m so glad you’re okay!”  The fox sniffled…  “When… when Rock and I found you laying there, all burned-up and warped, I…”     “Hey, save the waterworks for someone else, okay?”     He nodded and tried… but he just couldn’t help but cry.     “I’m just so relieved…” he hiccuped.  “I dunno what I’d ever do if I lost you…”     “Now, that’s funny ‘cause… I do know what I’d do if I lost you!”     “Wh… what?”     “This.”  She brightly smiled.  “‘bye!”     With that, she casually strolled by the fox and headed into the main lab.

    “Watch out, Rock!  There’s a flock of Mini-Pipis heading your way!”     “I’m on it, Roll!  Rock Buster…!”     “Yeah!  Go get ‘em, das!  Who’s a ve-ry might-y Ro-kku-maaan, das?!”     “Ha hah, thanks for the cheer, Rightot!  I’ll make you proud!”     “Rightot is already proud of Rokkuman, das!  Roll-chan, too!”     “Just come back to us in one piece, Rock…  That’s all I ask!”     “Will do, sis!  Rock, out!”     “I love it when Rokkuman says that, das.  It’s so ‘punny!’”

    Kaitlin stood at the doorway of the laboratory, arms crossed and a smirk on her face.  She’d always wondered what the “central control hub” of the place looked like during one of Wily’s campaigns…  Strangely, it didn’t look much different from her dad’s “control room.”     “A three-by-three grid with icons of the Robot Masters…”     “Kaitlin?”  Roll turned around and smiled.  “Welcome back!”     “Live satellite feed of Rockman’s current location…” the brunette commented as she strolled in.  “A rough, 2D map of the current ‘stage…’  And, of course, a navigator –”     Roll’s smile brightened as she was pointed to.     “Just like with the Robot Masters…”     “We’re here to keep Rock motivated and give him lots of help navigating the terrain!” the blond-haired girl explained as she removed her headset.  “I’m usually here, warning him of incoming enemies, but Rightot sometimes helps out!”     “Yeah, yeah, go, go!!” the big, green robot shouted, pumping his fist and screwdriver-hand into the air as he watched Rockman blast through a series of small, flying robots.  “Super figh-ting robot!  Rokkumaaan, das!”     “Of course…”  The girl closed her eyes and her smile became labored.  “Rightot gets a little carried away with praise, most-of-the-time…”     Her face returned to a happy expression, then.

    “So, what brings you to the lab?”     “Well,” Kaitlin started, her own expression falling.  “Firstly… aren’t you… ya know… mad at me?”     Roll tilted her head.  “For what?”     “For gettin’ you zapped by ‘Electman?’  Don’cha remember…?”     “It’s ‘Elecman,’ and of course I do!  But, why would I be mad at you?”  Her smile brightened.  “No one forced me to jump in front of his attack!  I did it all on my own!”     “But, why…?”     “Because…”     The girl flexed one arm, putting her opposite hand on that bicep.  She winked at Kaitlin, then, continuing to smile.     “That’s what heroes do!”     “Uuuhh…”     “Look,” the girl started, putting her hands on Kaitlin’s shoulders.  “Whatever you’re going through, we can work it out.  I know that somewhere, deep inside, the Kaitlin I know and love is still there!  And, if she isn’t?  Well, then…”     She winked, again.     “I’ll just have to do my best to earn this one’s trust!”

    Kaitlin’s expression became confused… then suspicious.  She opened her mouth, then closed it, then after a few seconds, she asked Roll a simple question…     “Are… are you coming onto me?”     Roll’s face turned slightly red and she became visibly flustered.  But, then…     “Oh, wait…  You were kidding, right?”     She pulled the brunette into a big hug, laughing and smiling.     “Oh, Kaitlin…  You’re such a funny girl!  No wonder Joseph adores you!”     “Ah–  Fff…”     Kaitlin was at a loss… so she just hugged the girl right back.  Granted, she wasn’t… quite as enthusiastic about it.  Actually, that hug kind of made her wonder if Roll wasn’t attracted to her, in some way…     Maybe, she’s just this friendly with everyone… she thought to herself.  Whatever, I guess.

    “Hey, speaking of…” Roll continued after pulling back, “did you see him, yet?”     “Did I see who?” Kaitlin asked with genuine confusion.     “Your boyfriend!  Joseph!”     “Is he that crybaby fox I met on the way in here?”     The blond girl nodded tilted her head.  She looked like she might scold Kaitlin, but…     “I remember when I caught you two kissing under the apple tree!”  She softly sighed…  “It was sooo sweet and romantic!  I felt bad about intruding, but I–”     “That’s disgusting.  I would never–”     “Aww, Kaitlin…!  You don’t have to put on that tough-girl act around me!  We both know you’re head-over-heels for him!”     Kaitlin scowled as Roll giggled.     “You’re… serious… aren’t you?”     The other girl blinked a couple of times.  Then… a look of realization came over her.     “Oh, right!”  She slapped one closed hand into the other.  “You lost your memory!”     “That’s what everyone keeps tellin’ me…”     “Okay, well then…”  Roll smiled.  “Joseph was Kaitlin’s friend.  He’s a silly, emotional guy with a cute face and a fluffy tail!  He kind’a likes me… but I think he likes Kaitlin more!”     “Why… are you talking about me in third-person, Roll?”  Kaitlin tilted her head and scowled.  “I’m right here.”     “When I say ‘Kaitlin,’” she explained, “I mean– oh, wait!  Better idea!”     The girl cleared her throat and started over.     “I’m sure he loves Thundergirl!  You’re… not Thundergirl right now, right?”     “I’m not Thundergirl, ever!” Kaitlin exclaimed.  “I barely even know who that is!”     “Perfect!”  Roll beamed before telling her, “Joseph and Thundergirl were super-close friends and I’m pretty sure he loved Thundergirl!”     “He loved my supposed ‘superhero identity’ before I supposedly lost my memories?”     “That’s right!”     Kaitlin rubbed her cheek while Roll nodded.     “This conversation is confusing and annoying…” she grumbled.  “I think I’d remember being a superhero with a furry freak for a boyfriend.”     “Not if your memory was reset!”     “Yeah, but–”  Kaitlin huffed, shaking her head.  “Whatever.”

    “Roll-chan, Roll-chan!”     “Rightot,” Roll called to the big, green robot, “I asked you not to call me that!”     “But, Roll is small and Roll is cute, das!  So, the Japanese honorifics–”     She half-heartedly laughed before interrupting with, “What did you want, Rightot?”     “Oh!  Right, das.”  He pointed to the screen.  “Rockman is about to fight Turboman, das!”     Kaitlin perked.  “Car Bro…?”     “Oh!!”  Roll turned back.  “E-excuse me, Kaitlin!”     “Uh… sure.”

    Kaitlin rubbed the back of her head, watching Roll hop over a table and grab her headset.  Curiosity overtook her, then, and she decided to pull up and chair and watch Rockman fight one of her brothers… who she was silently rooting for, despite all the hospitality.

    “Okay, Rock!” Roll called through her microphone while her brother came up to a tall shutter-style door.  She read from a screen, telling him: “Turboman is a fast, transforming Robot Master.  His weapon is the Burning Wheel which, as the name says, summons four flaming orbs that rotate like a wheel, burning everything they touch with sticky, napalm-like gasoline – including you!  He’s perfectly-tuned for speed, but he isn’t very agile.  Don’t let him draw you in with his high-performance exhaust system or ram you with his Crash Drive attack!”     “Got it, Roll!” the boy called back.     “Good luck, Rock!  We’re all counting on you!”     With that, the video feed became staticky and communication ceased.

    “H… hey, I was watching that.  What happened…?”     “Huh?”     Roll turned around.  Kaitlin was standing up with an angry look on her face.     “Oh, that happens whenever Rock gets close enough to one of Wily’s Robot Masters!” the girl explained with a smile.  “See, Doctor Wily installs these… jammer… thingies in his robots that keep us from contacting or recalling Rock from the area until it’s disabled…  It… always really worries me…”     The blond girl frowned, wringing her hands.  Meanwhile, Kaitlin tilted her head.     “Huh.  I guess that makes sense…  Papa Wily wouldn’t wanna let Rockman get the upper hand and cheat his way through a fight!  He sure could with–”     “‘Papa Wily,’ das…?”     Rightot stood up from his seat and spun around…  His thick, triangular eyebrows pointed down and his shiny, red eyes focused on Kaitlin.     “Kaitlin-chan is a Wily robot, das?”     “Kaitlin-chan,” the brunette mocked, putting one hand on her hip and smirking, “is a Wily robot, das.  What’s it to ya, Big Green?”     There was a long, heavy silence as the two stared each other down.  Then…     “Well, any friend of Roll-chan is a friend of Rightot, das!”     The green giant simply smiled… she thought… and turned back around, much to the girl’s confusion…

    “You Right-‘bots’re too trustin’,” she laughed… before she frowned and added, “but I’m the same way, so…”     “You say that like it’s a bad thing!”     “Well, considerin’ your… brother, I guess?”  She looked over at Roll.  “Considering your brother, Blues the Breakman, broke me for my trust…”     “Listen…”     Kaitlin blinked as Roll quietly walked over.  When the girl took her hand, she blushed a little.  Roll was looking right into her eyes, for some reason…

    “I won’t make excuses for Blues, but I want you to know that his actions don’t reflect how any of us feel about you.  Okay?  I know you made a mess that Rock had to clean up and you scared Elecman bad enough to zap you, but even so… I like you.  I trust you!  You’re a good person, Kaitlin, and no amount of Wily code or Wily branding is going to change that!”         The brunette continued to blush.  Roll wouldn’t stop giving her that bright, friendly smile or turn her shiny, green eyes away.  She kept both hands tightly wrapped around hers, too.  It was… uncomfortable.     “H-hey… i-if you’re gonna flirt with me, um…”     “I’m not flirting with you!!”     Roll threw the other girl’s hand down before glaring and puffing her cheeks.     “I’m trying to say you’re my friend!” she furiously shouted.  “What’s wrong with you?!”     “I dunno…”  Kaitlin turned away, rubbing her arm.  “May– maybe I was hoping you… were… flirting with me?”     “Wh… what?”     When Roll actually started to blush, herself…     “You know I’m kidding, right?”     She awkwardly smiled and canceled her decidedly-dumb joke.     “I barely know you, and–”     Her eyes went wide, then.  Roll… had slapped her!     “It’s not nice to play with a girl’s feelings – even if you are a girl!”     When she turned away and crossed her arms, Kaitlin felt… a little guilty.     “Roll, hey, I was–”  She paused.  “You’re right.  I’m sorry.”     “Well… at long as you’re sorry, I guess it’s okay.”     Roll turned back and pulled Kaitlin into a brief hug.     “To be honest… I’m probably sending you the wrong message by being so friendly, to begin with!  It’s just that Thundergirl was a really good friend – just… a friend,” she quickly clarified.  “We’d sometimes e-mail each other about stuff.  Sometimes… we’d even talk about–”     “At the risk of making you mad, again… are you sure you two were just friends…?”

    “I just said…!” Roll half-shouted, anger flaring in her eyes and on her face.  Once she calmed, she sighed… “Yes, Kaitlin… we were just friends.”     The girl smiled.  Then, she thought about something…     “As far as I know, I mean?  Thundergirl never seemed like she was interested in me, like that, and I know I wasn’t with her – no offense!  Besides…”     The girl winked.     “I think she was pretty happy with that rascally fox of hers!”

    “Okay.  I believe you,” Kaitlin said, finally smiling.  “Thanks for clearing that up.  But, can I tell you something as a friend, Roll?”     “What’s that?”     She sighed a little, rubbing her other arm and tapping her sneaker toe against the floor…  She didn’t feel quite right about what she was going to say, but…     “As a friend… I… I do think y-you’re… really cute!” is what she ended up saying.     “You, too, Kaitlin!”     The blond girl beamed… but the brunette just tilted her head.     “Come again?” she asked.  Roll said that so fast, it was like she was prepared…     “I said, ‘I think you’re cute, too!’”  Her smile brightened as she added, “You have such nice hair, pretty eyes, a great smile, and I love your outfits!  Plus, you look really cool in purple!”     “O-oh, um…”     Kaitlin knew Roll was just being nice, but somehow… hearing all that made her feel a little flattered.  She’d said it all so candidly, too… Kaitlin didn’t know how to respond.     “Hey, Roll?”     “Yes?”     The brunette held her hand out, causing the other girl to blink.     “I’m… glad you’re my friend.  Even if we are s’posed t’ be enemies.  Heh…”     “Aww…!”     Kaitlin knew saying that was a mistake, but somehow…     “Oof.”     She didn’t mind, so much, when Roll pulled her into another overly-affectionate hug.

    “Roll-chan, Roll-chan, das!”     “What is it, Rightot?”     Both Roll and Kaitlin turned back to the big screen.  There, they saw the static clearing.  The camera focused, a moment later, and showed Rockman standing over the collapsed heap of–     “Turboman…!!”

    Roll blinked as Kaitlin ran over to the computer terminal and grabbed her headset off the keyboard.  Almost immediately, the brunette began yelling into the microphone.     “Rockman, you jerk!!”     “R-Roll?” was the reply she got back.  “Your voice sounds different…”     “I’m Kaitlin!” she corrected.  “Rockman, you… you killed my brother!!  Why…?!”     “I…  Wait, what?”     Tears filled Kaitlin’s eyes as she shouted, “Turboman is dead!  He’s dead because of you…!  He… he was one of my favorite brothers…”     She sniffled, rubbing her cheeks with one sleeve.     “We used t’ go on night drives down the highway, laughin’ and makin’ lots’a noise!  He… he actually treated me like a kid sister instead of a pest or a machine…  He was so cool…”     “Kaitlin…  I–”     “I don’t wanna hear it!”     “But, Kaitlin!  Hey?  Kaitlin…?  Kaitlin!”     Unfortunately for Rockman… the girl had tossed the headset off and stormed out.  As her body crackled with energy and the last of her angry tears rolled down her cheeks, she vowed…     “I’m gonna get that little, blue boy…  For you, Big Brother!”

[calzonekestis]

I want to preface by saying I’m ok, no one needs to worry about me. I’m not going to do anything to harm myself.

Full disclosure before I get to this though, I’ve attempted self harmed before. I’ve attempted suicide twice before. Once with pills, once by trying to suffocate myself. With the former my sister walked in on me and I was able to throw them up before there was any effect. With the other, my dad actually broke down my bedroom door to stop me.

I’ve got depression. I suffer from anxiety. I take medication for both. I’m not ashamed to say I have a psychologist that I see like once every three months. A therapist I see monthly.

I don’t want anyone to worry about me, again, I’m not going to do anything. Sometimes I still contemplate it, but I know it’s not the answer. I also know that I DO have help. At this point in my life, I also think I’m too big of a wimp to go through with anything? I’d feel too selfish and guilty, to boot.

I’ve been having thoughts though, lately... and have planned out to the detail how I would do it if I was going to? I won’t get into the details, because I don’t want to trigger anyone more than i already may have.

 Over the summer though, there was a two week period where my parents were away on a trip. My sister went to work each day. I don’t have a job right now, I need to get one... but at that time I couldn’t help but think about how easy it would be? 

I have talked about this to both my psychologist and therapist. I reiterate, don’t worry. I wouldn’t say I’m suicidal again, because I don’t want to kill myself. I promise. 

I’ve just had it on the brain, and it’s kind of disturbing me? And when I try to bring it up to my family, they just keep saying it upsets them and that I should bring it up at my next appointmentment/session.

I do. 

And lately, I’ve just been worried about myself? Which I guess I should good? I’ve tried to make some progress in my life, get my act together. Actively search for a job, put serious thought into going back to school. 

That week I tried (and failed) to take a break from tumblr... it sort of fell apart  because my actual life is pathetic and I come online to distract myself from that.

In the post I made about it, I said I broke up with my girlfriend. That’s true. We’re still friends, there’s nothing negative or angst you there at all. We just realized we were more friends than we were an actual couple.

I’ve got friends, I know that. People who like me, or tolerate me. Best friends I talk to every day, tumblr and twitter mutuals. You’re all great people, I know you wouldn’t follow me if you didn’t want to.

In my real life, though? Away from the phone and computer? I don’t hang out with anyone, I haven’t had any ‘'real life’ friends in like 10 years. And I know that’s bullshit, because internet friendships are real. I’ve met some of the best people I know online.

Offline, though? I just feel as though  as if I don’t matter. That I’m worthlessness, that it wouldn’t matter if I died. Seriously, beyond immediate family, I don’t know who would come to my funeral. Who would actually miss me.

And as for all you folk online? You wouldn’t know, and it wouldn’t really make any sort of grand difference in your lives. Maybe you’d miss my presence, maybe you’d wonder why I stopped posting... but your lives would go on.

Sometimes I don’t want to be around anymore. I don’t intend to kill myself, I know that I don’t really want to, but I think about it. How it wouldn’t be a big loss.

Like I said, I’m not working. I’m not in school. I also don’t think I’m all that great a person? I know I’m much better than person I used to be, but I’m still jaded. Angry. Bitter. Easily annoyed, upset, and paranoid.

When I try to confront those flaws, if you want to call them that... I wind up hating myself even more.

Sure, I care about people, but I mean...big fucking whoop? I don’t deserve a gold star for that. I care about social issue so nene people that are hurting, but I hold a special disdain for humanity overall.

Lately, rather recently, I’ve tried to better myself. In my personal life, and online. I’ve tried to reach out and mend fences or catch up  with old friends. Try to befriend longtime mutuals and let them know I respect them...

...and I come on too strong. I know it. It’s overwhelming, and they’re just too polite to tell me. If I were in their shoes? I’d annoy myself. As it is, I often annoy myself. My mood fluctuates between intentionally dopey or unironically emo. 

When it comes to my personal life? Like I said, just recently broke up with someone.

There’s someone I kinda like, but I’m fairly certain they don’t like me like that. Which is cool, it’s fine. 

I mean, I JUST got out of a relationship. It’s much too soon to read into any feelings or crushes. It’d be insulting to do so, seeing as I still have some lingering feelings for my ex. 

It would be disrespectful both to her and any new partner.

Plus, what with all I’ve been saying? Clearly I’m not in a place where I’m stable enough for anything right now. 

There’s this restless part of my brain though, that overthinks and over analyzes everything. Say I’m in a position again where I like someone who likes me back, or is willing to take a chance on me?

Even if I think I’m ready, will I be? Or is the reason my last relationship never felt like much more than a close and intimate friendship because I simply don’t know how to BE in a relationship? What if I’m just a shit boyfriend, and the person I care about deserves better?

I know what you’re saying. Tim, all relationships should be rooted in friendship anyway. Tim, stop that manpainy ‘deserve’ bullshit, if by some miracle someone  likes you it’s their choice.

So yeah, I lecture myself in that front. On the friend front. Existing/new/old friendships. I like being alone, but hate being lonely. I hate talking, and talk too much when I do. 

Am I hard on myself? Who knows. I just feel like I overthink and overcomplicate everything. Either that, or I say ‘fuck it’ and act impulsively.

I know that for quite a few people... suicide is impulsive. I guess I’m lucky in the sense I overthink things, then. In that sense.  

Most don’t plan it out, they just do it before they can back out. They don’t think about what will happen when they’re gone, how people will react. Maybe they feel worthlessness too, like no one will miss them. Maybe they just don’t care, rationalize that they won’t be around to feel regret or guilt. That they just won’t feel their pain, numbness, etc.

When people do think about it, how often do they talk about their thoughts? 

When you say you’ve contemplated suicide/have suicidal thoughts, people tend to think you’re on the edge. That you intend to go through with it.

I know personally, that’s not the case. Sometimes you just feel low, like you’d rather not exist. You wonder how certain people would react, if they’d miss you. 

Maybe you feel like me, that you’ve got very little going for you and that your life  isn't worth much.

I get it. I’m against suicide, it’s never the answer, but I understand. I’m not going to judge you. How can I, when I’ve been there? When I still have those thoughts sometimes?

A lot of this was just for my own benefit. Rambly stream of word vomit or not, it helps to write it down. I initially was against sharing it, because I don’t want anyone thinking this is some sort of cry for attention. It’s not. One last time, and I’ll put it in caps.

I’M OKAY. I’M NOT A DANGER TO MYSELF. I DO NOT ACT ON THESE THOUGHTS, AND I SEE PROFESSIONALS TO HELP ME DEAL WITH THEM.

I know not everyone does, though. Not everyone’s me, and I’m sure they’re relieved in knowing that.

If anyone who reads this ever needs to talk, vent, or rant? Shoot me a message. You don’t have to be ashamed. If it helps, you can send me anons or something. I won’t even respond or publish them if you don’t want me to.

Just know that there’s someone out there who is willing to talk, or listen, or both. 

One of my favorite actors is Wentworth Miller. You may know him as Captain Cold on the CW DC shows, or as Michael Scofield from Prison Break. He gave a speech at Human Rights Campaign 2013 that sticks with me to this day.

Someone asked him if his suicide attempts were cries for help. He said that no, they weren’t. You only cry out for help if you think there’s help to be given.

Look, I’m one guy on the Internet. Even if I were to talk or listen, I know that I’m neither capable nor qualified to give the help you’d need. That you’d deserve.

To know that you’re not alone though, that there is someone who hears you? It does make a difference. It has for me, at least. I keep a lot internalized, I rarely talk about my personal struggles on here.

It can be shameful, and embarrassing, even if you know it shouldn’t be. It is personal, so there’s nothing wrong with keeping it private if you prefer to. 

Just know that you don’t HAVE to.

[flyingvgroupca]

The Best Strategy to Increase Traffic and Leads to Your Real Estate Website without Any Referrals, Facebook or Paid Ads

Is your real estate business relying on referrals to close more deals? Are you paying for Facebook or Instagram ads and not even breaking even? Are you looking for other ways to generate more traffic and leads, while increasing your ROI? Fact: the online space is no different from the offline world. Real estate transactions are based on trust, and trust takes time to build because it requires genuine conversations and multiple interactions before deals are successfully closed. Therefore, the issues causing stress and anxiety in the life of your prospect hold the key to building relationships with your target market. How, you may ask? Well, TV shows have mastered the formula. At the beginning of an episode, a problem is introduced, which is normally resolved by the end of the episode.  However, right before the episode ends, another problem is introduced, compelling viewers to watch the next episode. You can also use this formula effectively in your industry. Here’s how: Treat your content (article, blog post, podcast, etc.) like one continuous story. However,  instead of creating a problem or inventing anxiety, you’ll tap into your prospect’s existing anxiety about the real challenges they face already. I’m NOT referring to manipulation or exploitation tactics here. We’re talking about providing meaningful content ideas and relevant solutions to your prospects to solve a specific issue in their lives. This is the main reason you entered the real estate business in the first place, right? So… do you want to move prospects through your sales funnel with ease? Here's how your real estate experience and industry insights can transform this strategy into increased traffic and leads for your company. (1) Uncover the most significant problems and associated pain points that face your prospects Explain why it's a problem, and discuss the consequences of ignoring it. Highlight a few of the mistakes beginners make, and help them understand that there are more pitfalls out there. Example:

Aggravate the problem until the prospect realize the gravity of the situation, and desperately needs a way out, or a quick fix.

(2) Present the solution Your solution should solve their problem completely, not just relieve the symptoms or eliminate the negative consequences already present. (3) Lead prospects into your ultimate funnel

A marketing funnel is ideal for building trust with multiple prospects at the same time. Once they review your content they’ll learn more about you, as well as your real estate experience, offers, and other relevant information. Sooner rather than later, they’ll recognize that you: Understand their problem Know how to solve it, and Are a reliable and knowledgeable source. Pretty straightforward, isn't it? Unfortunately, this simple process is something real estate businesses continually ignore. Don’t fall into the same trap! Your real estate website requires an effective lead generator strategy! So, stop ignoring the best lead capture channel!  I’m referring to the second most visited website after Google, YouTube. If you’re watching videos online, then your prospects are probably doing the same thing. So, why not exploit this convenient platform for the benefit of your business? Here’s how to take full advantage of this channel, and out-smart your competition with awesome video marketing content.

The #1 Reason WHY Youtube Is Not Optional For Your Real Estate Company or WebSite

An increasing number of people are using YouTube on a daily basis.

Statista reported that YouTube accounts for 37% of ALL mobile internet traffic.

YouTube, on mobile alone, is reaching more 18-34 year olds in the US than any TV network.

Video content, especially on YouTube, simplifies the process of familiarizing people with real estate companies and agents. Plus, multiple marketing tests show that YouTube videos can rank on Google much faster and much easier than articles or blog posts. That’s not all! VIDEO beats all the other content media types since it communicates on a more personal level. However, creating video content is more challenging since it requires more time and a higher level of skill. Therefore, many people find it frustrating to create exceptional content on a regular basis, and ultimately choose to give up instead of forging ahead. But hopefully, this is not you! I trust that you’re a doer, and a go-getter, and can accomplish what your competitors can’t! Here’s what you’ll need to get started. Design your ultimate YouTube SEO strategy. Buy or custom create two agendas. You’ll need them to jot down ALL your ideas and titles for creating extraordinary content on an ongoing basis. I’m referring to: A yearly content marketing plan This helps you to prepare in advance, and set monthly and weekly achievable goals. You’ll be able to track and monitor your progress, and determine what works and what doesn’t. This information will allow you to make adjustments and improve your video marketing efforts over time. A content posting calendar + One or two additional social media content scheduling tools to help with that, because social media is also about automation and you can be certain that many of your competitors are already using SMM automation programs. However, most of them are doing it wrong, meaning that they just broadcast content, and forget to actively engage with their target prospects. For me, it makes sense and is so much easier to work with an offline agenda & make notes in a printed calendar, instead of depending on an online SaaS or mobile app. You want to spend less time on the computer (to better protect your eyes), and invest more effort into hand-crafting content (or at least titles, and their main points) In my case, this approach helps me to get a general view of what needs to be prioritized and provides me with a sense that I’m making significant progress on a regular basis, while avoiding procrastination. TIP: because these online content calendar tools are easily editable, you get the sense you can use them for great ROI. However, this very feature makes postponing as easy as entering the content. If you base this entire process 100% online, then you’ll more likely postpone creating & publishing content more often than you should. Plus, you may miss capturing some key content ideas. Believe it or not, the best content ideas still emerge from the offline environment, because it’s where you interact with other people, and use all your senses and instincts. Proper Content Marketing Research Starts Off Like This... Search for the best, most relevant keywords & topics related to your prospects: (1) Wants (2) Needs (3) Challenges (4) Concerns, and (5) Most Burning Questions. That’s the first step in securing long term YouTube rankings, and dominating real estate YouTube search queries. Top SEO and keyword research tools to use here, are SemRush, Ubersuggest, Ahrefs and Google AdWord’s Keyword Planner. Once you know exactly what your target prospects require from you, then move forward with the next step. Optimize your YouTube account.  If you’re new to YouTube marketing or haven’t set up your entire account yet, then listen closely. It is essential to attend to channel optimization first before addressing content optimization. Therefore, buying the perfect house first, before filling it with furniture.

Are You Guilty of These 3 YouTube Channel Optimization Blunders?

#1 - Sync the Look of Your YouTube Channel Page with Your Website or Alienate Leads and Customers You should have an identical or very similar color combination whenever you create an eye-catching top header, where you highlight… Your company name Your USP (unique selling proposition - what differentiates you from your competitors), Your brand/logo, as well as your social media & contact information. Here are some examples of real estate YouTube channels with simple yet outstanding design: 

Depending on your goal (to motivate visitors to join your funnel, subscribe to your channel, or contact you), you should design your YouTube header accordingly. For this you can use my prefered graphic design tool - Snappa - to create your own YouTube channel profile headers, as well as all your social media graphics. #2 - Write a Compelling ‘Why Me/Us’ description in the ‘About’ Section. The ‘About’ section of your channel gives you your ‘time to shine!’ and establish a strong connection to your prospective customers and investors. This is the space to share the reason why you’ve created your YouTube channel, and briefly explain why prospects should follow your video content. You can also tell potential customers to take other actions such as subscribe, join your mailing list, or call you. Examples:

Consistency is the key to establishing an effective real estate YouTube channel. It is essential to share the long-term vision of your company  through your channel’s content and engagement efforts. Here’s how to stand out in a crowded marketplace: Invent coined terms and acronyms. Connect old to new, make boring interesting. Create a vlog where you interview like-minded entrepreneurs, and different local business owners, regardless of whether they are working within the real estate industry or not. Spread the word about them, and they’ll reciprocate, in 9 out of 10 cases.  #3 - Optimize Your Playlists Creating a playlist will help you organize your content like a pro, and serve as a collection of real estate (and other relevant) videos. What an amazing way to bundle your buyer-oriented and seller-related videos, along with other high-value, significant topics. The playlist will allow users to view a stream of related videos under the same topic, or category. Here’s how real estate moguls, and one of my favorite business minds - Grant Cardone - manages his YouTube playlist:

Bonus Tip - listen to the comments of your viewers, and consider the feedback of your subscribers Reading your audience’s feedback is extraordinarily rewarding. However, this process can become time consuming, especially when your video content starts to take off. You could always get a team member or VA to handle this process later on. This approach gives you the chance to interact with prospects and leads and, more importantly, get their real-time, candid feedback on things such as: what they liked, what they did not like and what they wish to see in the future.  You can use this data to further enhance the channel and come up with new topic ideas and video content.

Do You Make These 5 Video Content Optimization Mistakes?

YouTube content optimization comes next. Here’s the first thing to fix. #1 - Create compelling headline titles that drive clicks and are not easy to ignore It is essential to create video titles that include relevant keywords, and can attract users to watch your videos instead of all the other available alternatives. This is the first rule to ranking higher on Google and YouTube for your desired keywords and key topics. The most effective way to create amazing headlines is to use this 3-step combo approach: What comes to mind (based on your experience) What the research tools uncover, and what your target prospects are telling you What your competitors are talking about (identify their best headlines) #2 - Write search-optimized descriptions, detailing each video. Some users even provide a full transcription of their video content, which tend to work wonders for SEO purposes and YouTube rankings. #3 - Use closed captions for the hearing impaired and foreign language speakers

Being sensitive to what your audience needs can go a long way. This includes providing caption text for individuals who cannot hear, or whose main language is not English.  Transcripts  and Google Translator Toolkit  can help in this regard. Making the effort to reach this type of audience could potentially impact you lead generation in a positive way. #4  - Use highly-relevant, custom thumbnails to increase your video CTR

In marketing, you have to adhere to the following principle: promise less, and deliver more. Thumbnails need to be highly relevant to your overall video content or viewers may feel disappointed if your content lacks substance. Sadly, most video creators have learned the science behind creating click-bait thumbnails. Yet, more often than not their content under delivers. #5  - Include relevant call-to-actions and annotations You can easily create call-to-actions (CTAs) using cards in your YouTube videos. You can have up to 5 cards in one video where you can choose whether to add an image, title or call-to-action text, depending on the type of card. In marketing, you have to adhere to the following principle: promise less, and deliver more. Thumbnails need to be highly relevant to your overall video content or viewers may feel disappointed if your content lacks substance. Sadly, most video creators have learned the science behind creating click-bait thumbnails. Yet, more often than not their content under delivers. #5  - Include relevant call-to-actions and annotations You can easily create call-to-actions (CTAs) using cards in your YouTube videos. You can have up to 5 cards in one video where you can choose whether to add an image, title or call-to-action text, depending on the type of card.

Example of a call-to-action popping up in a video of California-based Mainstreet Realtors: 

Bonus tip: Geotag your video. Geotagging enables you to associate your video with the GeoCoordinates of your real estate business’ location. This facilitates pick-up of your data by the search engines, therefore, including your page in the results on area searches that are most relevant to your viewers.

Providing your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) on the video will help viewers to connect with you when they reach your video. Video marketing is the exchange of knowledge and experience. Prospects need to feel your energy and understand your insights, things you've developed through practice and time. With the right content marketing plan and the organized approach of your team, you can provide the ideal solution to the biggest real estate challenges and concerns facing your prospects. Because you already know: people buy from other people that they know, like, and trust. That’s the best kept secret in boosting your real estate website traffic and lead numbers, while rendering competitors and their marketing campaigns irrelevant. With the right YouTube strategy, generating leads gets increasingly fascinating and exciting for the real estate industry. Since this channel is growing continuously, it proves to be ideal for ALL real estate companies, regardless of their size, experience or location. You’d be foolish not to leverage this incredible platform to secure your financial stability and grow your business. You should grab this opportunity before the marketplace gets more crowded or YouTube makes it harder for real estate agents and firms to tap into their large traffic polls. Thank you so much for reading The Best Strategy to Increase Traffic and Leads to Your Real Estate Website without Any Referrals, Facebook or Paid Ads. We really appreciate it! If you have any questions about our article, or can suggest any other topics you think we should explore, feel free to let us know. Be sure to sign-up for our newsletter to receive monthly emails on all of the latest trends and happenings in the digital marketing space. You will also receive our FREE E-Book with the Amazing Marketing Tools for Powerful Business Growth. Sign-up below! Also, if you received some value out of this article, please share with your friends or colleagues, or leave a comment/question below. We really appreciate you reading our blog and every share/comment means the world to us and allows us to continue producing valuable tools to help you grow your business! Share this PostAbout the Author

Robb Fahrion Facebook Twitter Google+Robb Fahrion is the Co-Founder and a Partner of Flying V Group. He is passionate about helping businesses grow using the power of the internet. Robb graduated from Chapman University in Orange, CA and currently resides in Costa Mesa, CA. Robb enjoys writing about digital marketing, helping his clients turn their dreams into reality, and is a HUGE Mike Trout fan. The Best Strategy to Increase Traffic and Leads to Your Real Estate Website without Any Referrals, Facebook or Paid AdsNovember 25, 2019What NEVER to Publish on a Real Estate Company Site or BlogNovember 19, 2019Real Estate SEO Tools Exposed: SEMrush vs Ahrefs vs MozPro Review (2019)November 11, 2019

Discover the Best Digital Business Growth Strategies! Join 10,000+ Other Digital Marketers, Consultants, and SEO Experts Now: Notice: JavaScript is required for this content. var formDisplay=1;var nfForms=nfForms||;var form=;form.id='35_1';form.settings={"objectType":"Form Setting","editActive":true,"title":"IN USE - 16 Tools - non-sidebar - copy GLOBAL BLOCK EMAIL GLOBAL","created_at":"2018-10-02 23:58:52","form_title":"Top Ten List Blog - non-sidebar - copy - copy","default_label_pos":"above","show_title":"0","clear_complete":"1","hide_complete":"1","logged_in":"0","wrapper_class":"","element_class":"","add_submit":"0","changeEmailErrorMsg":"Please enter a valid email address!","changeDateErrorMsg":"Please enter a valid date!","confirmFieldErrorMsg":"These fields must match!","fieldNumberNumMinError":"Number Min Error","fieldNumberNumMaxError":"Number Max Error","fieldNumberIncrementBy":"Please increment by ","formErrorsCorrectErrors":"Please correct errors before submitting this form.","validateRequiredField":"This is a required field.","honeypotHoneypotError":"Honeypot Error","fieldsMarkedRequired":"Fields marked with an * are required","currency":"","unique_field_error":"A form with this value has already been submitted.","not_logged_in_msg":"","sub_limit_msg":"The form has reached its submission limit.","calculations":,"formContentData":,"order":0,"type":"part","clean":true,"title":"Part Title","key":"sysrdshp"}],"drawerDisabled":false,"key":"","mp_breadcrumb":1,"mp_progress_bar":1,"mp_display_titles":0,"allow_public_link":0,"embed_form":"","ninjaForms":"Ninja Forms","fieldTextareaRTEInsertLink":"Insert Link","fieldTextareaRTEInsertMedia":"Insert Media","fieldTextareaRTESelectAFile":"Select a file","formHoneypot":"If you are a human seeing this field, please leave it empty.","fileUploadOldCodeFileUploadInProgress":"File Upload in Progress.","fileUploadOldCodeFileUpload":"FILE UPLOAD","currencySymbol":"$","thousands_sep":",","decimal_point":".","siteLocale":"en_US","dateFormat":"m\/d\/Y","startOfWeek":"1","of":"of","previousMonth":"Previous Month","nextMonth":"Next Month","months":,"monthsShort":,"weekdays":,"weekdaysShort":,"weekdaysMin":,"currency_symbol":"","beforeForm":"","beforeFields":"","afterFields":"","afterForm":""};form.fields=,"old_classname":"","wrap_template":"wrap"},{"objectType":"Field","objectDomain":"fields","editActive":false,"order":3,"type":"submit","label":"Sign Up","processing_label":"Processing","container_class":"","element_class":"","key":"sign_up_1556741674462","drawerDisabled":false,"id":"188_1","beforeField":"","afterField":"","value":"","label_pos":"above","parentType":"textbox","element_templates":,"old_classname":"","wrap_template":"wrap-no-label"}];nfForms.push(form); {{{ data.renderProgressBar() }}} {{{ data.renderBreadcrumbs() }}} {{{ data.renderPartTitle() }}} {{{ data.title }}} {{{ data.renderNextPrevious() }}} Read the full article

[hensleymaloney14-blog]

Bitcoin Core Wallet

Introduction Bitcoin key is an open origin desktop pocket. It is usually one of those wallets that must be connected to often the internet for it to control and dude, it will take enough time for it to launch together with once it can, don�t expect a enhance GUI. The interface is actually the brand, still at its key, secure but basic and even it�s limited to Bitcoin purchases only. Bitcoin main review If you come to a decision to download the key, then you quickly be eligible as a full client and as such anyone can participate in transaction and block validation. Something you should know: this kind of core will be not with regard to every Smith and even Harry. You must have the particular technical capacity to collection up. Even nevertheless installing Bitcoin core is usually absolutely free because it is start source functioning under a MIT permit, you will have to sacrifice your time, your own personal pc space-copy of blockchain is even more than 160GB and yes it retains growing each day-and your internet. Don�t also forge you will have to pay for all transactions inside of the system just like everyone else. Most of us cannot therefore talk of Bitcoin core without what on earth is named Bitcoin Unlimited. Bitcoin is definitely a digital resource and lots of money has been put on this. There are often three vetoing power in Bitcoin and all of these individuals must come to deal for a good proposal for being implemented. That includes Miners, builders and the enterprise community-exchanges as well as others. If Bitcoin Wallet Windows will don�t, the proposition can be dead as well. Nowadays Bitcoin Core got typically the backing of miners-the 1st Centre of power although Bitcoin Unlimited has this business community support. The particular amusing thing is that these two variations are seeking the same answer involving security, complete decentralization together with mass adoption. Regarding the second option to come about, then it must be scalable and may Bitcoin end users felt that these developers were not fast tracking that and they switched sides. Many of these people blame a cartel from the Key team called BlockStream who they say are stopping progress for their individual increases. Whether that�s true delete word, that I actually seldom know and that will certainly depend on your own common sense. On the other hands, Bitcoin Endless will make it possible for miners to reconfigure this size of the prohibit they want to validate. This pitch is definitely facing strong opposition as well as the core team already designed SegWit which lies the floor for Lightning Community. What exactly is Bitcoin Core? Bitcoin Main wallet is suitable together with several operating methods such as windows 7+, Macintosh personal computer 10+ and Linux. An individual will also need to have several several specialized computer chipsets like Raspberry Pi. Moreover, make sure Bitcoin Wallet Download meets the minimum prerequisites for set up. Which means, your computer ought to have in least 2GB RAM, web should be fast with a minimum of 50kbps with even more than 200GB of HDD. Then don�t forget that you need to run your full client at least 6 several hours daily. While it can be in, you can implement other things with the computer system. Bitcoin Core is normally an free wallet, of which has full client acceptance. Since that packages the particular full blockchain it will certainly take a while as very well as a lot of space on your computer system. Download and even Set Up Of Bitcoin Core Wallet As soon as a person meet the above conditions, go to www. bitcoin. org/en/bitcoin-core/ in addition to get the core. Do not be lied to, until Bitcoin Wallet Windows is industrial speed internet, downloading it this will have you a the least twelve days and you can have to await 10-30 minutes for harmonisation to be complete every single moment you open the buyer. Down load Page Complete your get, open the record in addition to wait for your own personal client to be able to sunc. As soon as it�s performed, set your current password. Highlights of Bitcoin Central: Like all the other wallets, anyone lose your password, ignore about all your coins and efforts required to be able to setup. While setting, you notice that the core make use of a very basic GUI and there is still an option of using demand lines. That is exactly why My spouse and i said it involves technical understand how to set up. The home page is simply not fancy when in comparison to web wallets and handbags like Exodus. It has the same feel like Glass windows Vintage back in the working day and has each of the fundamental buttons you need to work. You can find their way to the �file� control key needed when backing way up, on the �settings� button when you want to change passwords for example and the �send�, �receive�, �overview� plus �transactions� button are just about all in a straight forward tavern. All in all, it may be easy when you get the gist of the usb ports and even they are useful specially if you are certainly not that the fan of using CMD prompts. User Interface The instant you are done along with setting your own personal username and password, this client will easily turn down and you may have to by hand re-start your system and get started transacting. After that, returning up your budget simply by navigating to �file� and even hit the �backup� switch. We recommend moving the particular back up into a different offline laptop or computer simply in case your personal computer crushes and make several duplicates of the same. Bitcoin Core Usability: Transacting right here is simple. Simply insert funds to your central wallet and you will be good to go. Determined by whom you are giving BTC to, all anyone have to do is definitely get around to the �send� press button, click it and select the �pay to� field. Sending BTC In this case, you will the particular recipient�s address and proceed to collection a reasonable miner expenses before sending. The efforts could onlu go through when setting up will be paid out here because is considered about you to preset the volume of BTC you will have got to pay while business deal fees. There is some sort of slider for that. While always, the lower often the fee, the longer it will take for transactions to go away through if it is usually very low, the financial transaction will be cancelled completely. May be used with Mac OS, Home windows and Linux working systems. Bitcoin Core Stability The stability level will be good. Invisiblity levels is usually high and you get the control and autonomy. Here are the security benefits you receive from this core wallet: It is quite compatible with Tor and of which means you may have dealt with your comfort. Pforte will be a level of privacy centric visitor that hides IP contact information and as such virtually no one unapproved broker can easily link or perhaps still keep track of your transactions in your pseudonymous account. You saved often the whole Bitcoin network and therefore you are portion of this specific massive decentralized network. You automatically advantage from security provided by fresh members and the amount into the network. The way normal �sending� works is definitely that your deals has to be recorded in a open public digital ledger. Here, almost all sent deals are relayed and transmitted within typically the spread network which makes it almost not possible to track.

You also include the whole blockchain in addition to you can search fically our own dealings in claim you have any skepticism. This gives you that perfect comfort and security which you would not acquire it from any other pocket. Support: Bitcoin Core aids transactions done having bitcoins. Benefits: You are part and goods associated with the decentralized community much like Satoshi�s mission. Stellar safety and private features like pointed out above. Users control the volume of fees they shell out. No third parties are involved which makes it a lot more eye-catching. The handle in addition to autonomy goes again to the end user. Negatives: Forget this if you are a beginner Viruses will be identified to hide within typically the blockchain which you are really required to download. Thus if you have a strong anti-virus, core functioning can be impeded by full functionality. Online and bandwidth will be overstretched. If you are irritated, don�t join up. Obtain needs more than some sort of 7 days while setting up demands computer with selected minimum requirements. Final outcome with regard to Bitcoin Core: This pocket offers ideal safety measures for your Bitcoins. Apart from becoming a fellow member of this decentralized area as being a total client, you also benefit from the autonomy on offer. The only bad thing is the time taken specifically to help down load the copy of the blockchain and the interface. A thing needs to be accomplished about it as possible beyond reach for novices wanting to become a member of and distribute the particular network further. Safe the fact that, anyone selected what you desire to cover and third get-togethers are eliminated.

[ritacavaliere]

How to Get More Exposure For Your Music

It takes a few months, and mostly years, of effort and patience to finally strike the general public.The venues to get one’s creations noticed are many and few at the same time. The artist transmits the group on miscellaneous missions (never concerning money on the part of the group) and the very best street teamers are rewarded in different ways. As an artist entails a lot of things. Take a couple of days off, enjoy life, and keep coming back refreshed! It brings them exposure and makes followers a complete part of the artist’s achievement. At some point, in case you are like me, and function by itself 14-15 hours a day, you will get burned out.).

Another good idea is to design your personal exclusive merchandise (Tshirts, bags, mouse pads, mugs, handmade cards, etc. And to end up being honest, the royalties are really decent.

A street team is an organization of folks who are committed to help an artist spread the term about their work. And for that reason, I received more exposure in a couple of months than I had managed to achieve in a lot more than three years!

SELLING ONLINE AND OFFLINE

95% of poets go the self-publishing way.

BUILDING A STREET TEAM

You can only achieve this much by yourself. This is very easy to do, specifically if you are not computer-savvy, and it is free.

Finally, frustration and discouragement are area of the job. If you are an amateur photographer, you will want to sell your pictures to other performers for their book/CD covers?

UPDATING YOUR STATUS

Part of your promotional period should be used to revise your position across different networks you participate in. Always acknowledge your supporters and supporters, those that function in the shadows for you personally. Reverbnation enables you do this very easily!

Make a set of all your skills and find what you have to give you. When you sign up for their site, you receive access to an individual studio. From there, you can upload your own video clips or video clips from YouTube and stream them on a 24/7 basis.

NETWORKING

Public networking sites are crucial for promotion these days. All you have to is a Paypal accounts.

Reverbnation offers you an ideal way to accomplish it: once your objective is launched, the site keeps counts for you and all you need to do is check your stats! Finished . I love about this concept is definitely that it allows an artist to hook up with their group of fans on a different level. Make use of TweetDeck or Hootsuite. You will find loads of broadcasts every day and the neat factor is that you can also interact in boards. You should be capable to count on others. Do items YOURSELF! Also, people may also help spread the term by posting the widgets just about everywhere on the Internet!

If you are not camera-shy, you may also host your own show, making use of your webcam.

Also, do not hesitate to ask for tips and advice from anyone who has a confirmed successful background in your market. Sometimes, one little issue will make an enormous difference. Before throwing links at somebody, introduce yourself correctly and move on to know them just a little. I personally use Reverbnation & Audiolife. You can also promote yourself. That is something that I really do monthly with Livestream (and many people love it! They will print your books, CDs, calendars, image books, and pictures for you personally. Print-on-demand or POD is a great service and I recommend Lulu. And royalties are quite decent.

The great thing about diversification is that it creates it harder for individuals to label you in a single category. The best part is they are totally free! Therefore, you have the golden chance to “match” hosts and listeners who frequently happen to be hosts or promoters of the art themselves.

Start by asking yourself the next questions: “What is my long-term goal as an artist?

If you are a musician or a spoken phrase artist, you likely have heard of Reverbnation. I utilize it myself and I love the reality that I could send pre-formatted news letters to my fan base, build a street group and start missions with the click of a switch, and promote my CD and tracks through easy-to-share widgets. It means that you have to diversify.

WEBSITE/PROFILE PAGES

Nowadays, if you need to attract more supporters, you should build an online site or in least have a regularly updated profile page.. They provide you with a free of charge store that you could promote everywhere you need.) and offer it using providers like Zazzle or Cafepress. You can discuss anything, address questions and issues from your fans, educate them on matters that matter to you, and invite them to take part in discussions. It is also important that you be willing to support other performers and causes, and serve as a positive function model. While this is simply not a bad thought at all, additionally it is important to understand that sales obey the 10-90 rule: 10% imagination and 90% promotion/marketing. The best blog solutions are Wordpress and Blogger.” Be very honest in your answers, because they will determine your job and how long you may last in the business. I have hooked up with some of the most incredible performers and supporters in North America and have followed their tips and advice very carefully. A blog is an extremely nice tool to make use of. They think that they can depend upon the standard of their work for this to sell itself. , nor wait around for others to do it for you. They want to learn about you and everything you care for. You must become professional in your strategy, dedicated, and aware of your surroundings and global problems. Both sites have partnered to permit Reverbnation members to market their merchandise and music for free. I have already been a guest on many shows, which has allowed me to market my books and CD, and tell the globe why I am a poet and spoken term artist. I noticed that CD Baby is very good. I used this medium and got to know great people.. You will be surprised by how much help and support you will receive in exchange! Open a merchant account, upload your data files, fill in the necessary info, and you also are on your way. I recommend Blog Chat Radio. To me self-publishing is even more rewarding than complicated because I have to promote all my items myself, and it offers me the chance to really get to know my readers and listeners.

BLOG/COMMUNITY

If you need to build your online presence, it is crucial that your fans and followers be engaged. All you need is a PayPal account. What is my mission statement? Always keep a laptop and pen handy, and write any suggestion and idea given you.-)

For a website, use Wix or Weebly. And if you are actually fluent in several languages, you could also translate documents. Then, feel absolve to embed the display screen anywhere you want. On the other hand, street teamers get free stuff, which is always nice!

You can also join writing communities and forums like Red Room and share some of your stuff there. They’re excellent!

LAST WORDS

Remember this: treat others how you would like to be treated. This is the first step to obtain respect from fellow artists, and hence exposure. You also can do reverbnation promotion with some promotion service provider website.

DIVERSIFICATION

I have a motto: the more you have to present, the more exposure you will get! You will attract even more fans. Use your Paypal account address to get royalties when people purchase your products during your personal (free) store. What do I wish to perform with my creation(s)? You should be able to do it in one convenient place. Setup your shop (in two moments), upload your files, complete the information, and begin offering your CDs, MP3 albums, individual tracks, Tshirst and tote bags within minutes! However, it can be very time-consuming. I got introduced to many new listeners. The visitors to my site has been large since I started listening to BTR shows!; If you’re a poet/writer, you could offer poetry/speech-on-demand or proofreading services.

You can even use Internet radio.

If you only target music or spoken word, there are a few nice choices out there. Ensure that you have a look at Facebook, Twitter, Ning, YouTube, and MySpace.

You can also sell your music digitally, using major retailers like ITunes or Amazon. Ning is especially impressive, since it offers tons of options! And most importantly: build human relationships before thinking about sales!

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS

Lots of independent artists assume that once their CD or book is available for purchase, the work is performed. You may expire up attracting a whole lot of different people!

[grin-and-fox-it]

[cracks knuckles]

Someone I follow on Twitter was talking about planning to wean herself off social media. She’s vegan leaning and can be a tad too ‘nature is always wonderful’-y for me but that’s gettin’ off track of what I want to talk about.

She wrote a lot about social media worsening her anxiety which is something I can relate to but not enough that I’d want to stop using social media. I don’t believe I can be a person like her, with the socialization capability to be as sunny and positive as she is. She’s always talking about good vibes, her support system, her friends, having people to share love with and to build good things around. (She really likes the word “good” in general.) It occurred to me she doesn’t have some of the “”ugly”” streaks in her that I do or that people I’m close with have.

Not everything I feel is a Good Feeling. Not everything I live with are Good memories or Good intentions. I operate on the understanding that karma doesn’t exist, bad people get away with horrendous behavior, good people get fed table scraps, not everyone gets “what they deserve”, and that human beings take actions primarily for selfish reasons. I can’t live a life surrounding myself with good people because I don’t assume that the people I care about me won’t eventually hurt me at some point. But I want to hope they won’t. And I want to meet people with feelings, beliefs, or life-styles that align with my own so we can take on the world together and maybe, just maybe, reduce the risk of failure or hurting for all of us involved. I don’t know if that’s something achievable or not, might be my daydreaming streak again.

It occurred to me she wouldn’t be able to word herself the way she does without lacking those personality streaks and it’s.... See, it makes me think of a variety of subjects but I’m not sure I’m eloquent enough to write it down for all of y’all here? I don’t even really want to talk about the privilege she lives with. She has it but that’s not even really the issue here. I think younger me though, they would’ve looked at her privileged situation, probably feeling insulted by her ability to just disconnect after college- which I’m still searching for ways to get back into. I’ve debated joining the military to do so.... Unlikely but there are times my fears make me tempted toward desperate actions.

This person on Twitter I’m talking about, she’s speakin’ from a place where she views internet usage as something she doesn’t really need and something that is “addictive”. I won’t lie either, social media usage is addictive. I could argue it being addictive doesn’t make it bad to use, I don’t think it is. She sees the outside world as something intrinsically better than the digital. After everything I’ve seen, after what I’ve been through in my lifetime, I’m not sure if I agree with that or not but I’m leaning toward disagreement. However, I do crave getting out into the world, fishing, hunting deer and boar, spending time with people I care about. But the people I care about are scattered all across the world with the only way to reach them through either my phone or my computer.

The idea of someone I care about choosing to disconnect that easily, possibly never being able to hear from them again, that scares the wits out of me. Not enough to make me freak out from only the thought, especially with how prominent schizoid has become for me but uh... Guess it’s another reminder of just how easily that disconnect can happen- someone dropping offline without me ever knowing what happened to them, if they’re okay, or if I’ll hear from ‘um ever again. Some especially borderline inclined days I want to say, “Hey. Don’t do that or tell me if you’re that type of person because I’d rather not invest my time and energy into you only to lose that with no warning.” It’s kinda akin to death, in my mind during a panic. Still, that doesn’t mean the investment was worthless or that I shouldn’t have done it just because the frame of time was shorter than I would want it to be.

When I’m not panicked about it, it can almost feel insulting, I guess. Like, the person chose their life instead of wanting to stay in contact with me. But that’s also complete bogus because I want those people to be happy and if using social media makes ‘um that uncomfortable then I’d never force them to stay against their will. All of it makes me aware that if I had college to attend, if I had that brighter future ahead of me right now, that maybe I wouldn’t feel so disturbed by the idea of people online up ‘n vanishing. A college degree would mean chances at a career, at possibly something I want to do rather than something I’m forced to take up while in need of money to survive. I don’t want that to be my future. Some days I’m tempted to reach out to my abusive mother to beg for a way back into college through her but I’m too prideful to ever subject myself to her again... I hope I’m too prideful to ever do that, at least. 

I’ve been cracking down on myself to get a move on, to draw what I can and create what I can just so I don’t have to work minimum wage jobs with next to no medical assistance for the rest of my life. That’s a bone chilling idea. I have so many down days still, so many days I get absolutely nothing accomplished and it only makes me more angry at myself for wasting that time I could’ve been using to create. Maybe change my own future by crunching my time better if only I’d yelled at myself more. That might bite me in the ass later but I sure as hell feel better forcing myself to accomplish than when I’m miserable sitting around. I can’t always do it, I sit around plenty when I’m begging myself to take action because I’m still disabled and I’m out of spoons all the time. It’s just.. hard finding that line for myself where I know what I can do, what I need to push myself harder to do even when I don’t want to, and what I literally can not accomplish. Please let college and an eventual degree being on that can do list. I want it to be. I need it to be.

[mybreadlover]

Why your online privacy matters

What Is Privacy?

Privacy is closing your bedroom curtains when getting ready for bed. Privacy is visiting with your doctor behind closed doors. While in real life this type of privacy comes naturally, with little thought, in the digital space the idea of privacy is skewed. Mostly because people don’t really understand what digital privacy entails.

What Exactly Are We Trying to Protect?

People may assume it is all about what they are doing, which is a small piece of the picture. However, online privacy has less to do with what you are doing, and more to do with who you are AND what you are doing. On the Internet, data has a high value. It’s stolen, sold, collected, and analyzed.

There are many facets of privacy. There’s what you do, and who you are. Who you are is your personally identifiable information (PII), which is as it sounds--your name, date of birth, address, Social Security number, phone numbers, and more. What you do are the searches you perform, the websites you visit, the articles you read, even what you buy online.

Whenever you download an app, visit a website, or use a social media platform, chances are that the company is collecting data on you. People are doing so much more online through their computers and mobile devices today. We make purchases, look up medical conditions, arrange vacations, interact with friends and relatives, just about anything imaginable. With these actions, people are inadvertently creating a huge digital paper trail of data about themselves. While it may not be PII, these companies still track what you do on the Web and collect that data in order to get a clearer picture of you.

What Can Be Done With My Data?

A complete data set on an individual can fetch a pretty penny, completely legally, too. There are now companies known as “data brokers” that collect and maintain data on millions of people, which they analyze, package, and sell without the user’s knowledge or permission. Data brokers collect and sell information to other companies for many reasons, including targeted advertising, credit risk assessment, and direct marketing. Luckily, this data is usually anonymized and does not contain PII.

Why Is Privacy Important?

We all have things to hide. It could be how much money you make, your medical records or your bank account number. Hiding things is not bad. I don’t think these are the types of things you’d like broadcasted on your social network for the entire world to see. This is why we must strive to protect our right to privacy.

Earlier this year, a young woman purchased a few nondescript items such as cotton balls, unscented lotion, and some vitamins. Based on what the company already knew about her, they were able to correctly predict that she was pregnant, and began targeting her for baby items by sending her coupons in the mail. The issue? She was a teenage girl, and these coupons alerted her father (much to his dismay) that she was indeed pregnant.

The most important thing to remember about your privacy is that it is YOURS. It is your information, your habits and patterns, and your actions. Therefore you should want to protect it in any way possible.

12 Tips to Help You Protect Your Privacy:

1. Secure your passwords.

Passwords are the keys to our digital lives. Cybercriminals employ many tactics to try and crack them. To make this task difficult for them, use strong, complicated passwords.

A good password should be at least eight characters long, and use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Don’t use full words, names, addresses, phone numbers, or any other easily identifiable personal information. Be sure to avoid using the same password across multiple websites as well.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), if available, is another way of verifying your identity other than just a username and password. 2FA is comprised of something you know (such as a password), something you have (a mobile phone that code can be sent to), or something you are (such as a fingerprint).

Never save passwords on your device. Yes, it’s convenient. Yes, it saves time. But if you need to safely store passwords, look into a secure password manager. Criminals are getting smarter and need just one chink in the armor to get into the system to rob you blind.

2. Be conscious of all privacy settings.

Most apps offer privacy settings for users. This gives you the freedom to know how much and what kind of information is shared. Always choose the least amount of data sharing. Always be cautious when sharing your name and location. Turn off location services and deny access to your camera.

When it comes to social media, be sure to review your privacy settings. Most social media sites will give you options to select who you are sharing your information with. Be sure those settings are set for trusted individuals and friends, rather than set to public for the whole world to see. You can check your privacy settings (link is external) on popular websites via the Data Privacy Day website.

3. Be aware of your digital footprint.

Whatever you post online is there forever, even if you delete it from where it was originally posted. A digital footprint is somewhat of a digital paper trail. Forum registrations, videos, photos, just about anything you post will all leave traces of information about yourself online.

4. Get reliable security for all of your devices.

In addition to protecting your computer from malware, a good security software program such as Norton Security will protect you from other threats on the Internet landscape. There are still many vulnerabilities out there such as phishing, spyware, rogue websites, adware, keyloggers, and more.

Don’t forget: Phones need as much protection as any other device, if not more. There are many security providers that offer free services. These can be risky as they mine data from your phone. Always go for a well-known service provider. Norton.com/Setup Mobile Security has a gamut of features that can protect your phone from most threats.

5. Back up your data.

Backing up data is often overlooked. But it is a very important aspect of data protection. Ransomware is a type of attack where hackers hold your data hostage for a ransom. There are cloud-based services that offer backup. Or you can opt for Norton Security Premium, which includes backup.

6. Anti-theft your device.

If your gadget is lost or stolen, tracking apps will help you find it. But how do you protect your confidential data before it gets into the wrong hands? Norton.com/Setup Mobile Security allows This includes your, and a

7. Be careful about what you do with your phone.

While being cautious with what you do with your phone is always recommended, it can get tiresome. With the vast amount of malware, Trojans, and worms finding sneaky ways to get into your device, it is better to stay protected with a security system that does the work for you. App Advisor (link is external) is a special feature provided by Norton Mobile Security. It prompts privacy risks, intrusive behavior of apps, excessive battery drainage, and data plan usage. It also has call/SMS blocking, anti-theft, contacts backup, and protects your mobile phone from malware.

8. Watch out for Bluetooth vulnerabilities.

Bluetooth technology offers incredible convenience. It also opens doors for security weaknesses. Make sure you turn off your Bluetooth when you are not using it. While there are options to place your Bluetooth activity in an invisible or undetectable mode, there are some malicious apps that can change that mode and expose your device to threats. That’s one more reason to have a security system in place.

9. Keep your operating system up to date.

Software updates perform a myriad of tasks. They are available for both our operating systems and individual software programs. Performing these updates will deliver a multitude of revisions to your computer, such as adding new features, removing outdated features, updating drivers, delivering bug fixes, and most importantly, fixing security holes that have been discovered.

10. Wise up to Wi-Fi

Secure your home network. Change the default username and password on anything that connects to your network, especially your Internet router. Use Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), which will encrypt the data traveling through your network. Turn on all firewalls on both hardware and software programs.

While most home Wi-Fi connections are encrypted, some public Wi-Fi connections are not. This Norton Secure VPN

11. Delete data that you no longer use.

If you haven’t used a program in months- uninstall it. If you have a lot of old documents that you don’t access anymore, you can delete those as well, or store them offline on an external hard drive. These can be repositories of personal information that you may have forgotten about. If you haven’t used a program in a while, chances are it is outdated.

12. Familiarize yourself with phishing.

Phishers generally attempt to impersonate a well-known organization, such as a banking or financial institution, in order to try to obtain your user credentials or deliver malware to your computer via suspicious links or attachments in email messages. Never click on attachments or links from unknown senders or from suspicious-looking emails. Instead, if you think your account is in jeopardy, go directly to the website in question by typing the address into the URL bar in your browser rather than clicking the link in the message.

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