#but I just wish I can find myself more in various media or product source

[direful]

I have to ask out of curiosity if you feel up to responding! What's the appeal of transformers to you? Has it been something you've enjoyed since you were a kid or is it a more recent thing? I absolutely don't go here, the only transformers media I know about is the cartoons and big movies. I've simply genuinely never seen any other transformers fan content apart from recently because of what you reblog. Are you into mech media in general as well or does transformers simply have something about it you love in particular? What's the appeal? Etc etc :3

It’s been a while since you sent this in, my apologies! I figure I’ll answer it now since it’s the 40th anniversary of the original airdate! I've tried to answer each question roughly in order, but Transformers is one of My Things, so I got a little carried away…

It's really interesting to look at as a franchise. Of the “classic” 80s cartoons that found massive success, I think it's definitely one of the most well-known/perpetually relevant franchises. The original installation of Transformers, like most similar shows of the era, is essentially just a series of long commercials - this has never really gone away, because the main purpose of Transformers is to sell toys - and it's very interesting to me to look at decisions that have been made through that lens and how it's impacted various storylines, usually for the worse. Of course, the toys themselves are also interesting - although I have a few little guys on my shelves I’m not actually big into the collecting aspect, but many people are, and in a massive way. You could probably limit your engagement with the franchise to only learning about the many exclusives, gimmicks, flaws, misprints, knockoffs, etc. and be perfectly happy (if toy production history is your thing).

As Transformers is turning 40 (today!), there's a mountain of media to sift through, nearly all of which builds on some combination of previous elements. Like with lots of long-running franchises with multiple incarnations, it’s cool to see comparatively how early - or how recently! - certain concepts were introduced that have become ubiquitous, and what seems to “stick” vs what seems to get overwritten or forgotten. I think it’s super interesting to look at the current configuration(s) and pick out different elements, or how different versions of characters compare & how their characterization has developed through different iterations. (I find it nice that since the "main" streams of Transformers media often use variations of the same cast, it’s pretty easy to pick up a new series once you've got a passing familiarity.)

I think one of the main ingredients for fandom is a desire to improve upon or delve deeper into the source material, and that's certainly a big component of why Transformers interests me so much. One of the elements I really wish they got into more is, well, what's it like to be a giant alien robot that can turn into a car/plane/gun/cassette tape/spaceship/etc? More recent versions have had some fun with this, but I'm still craving a real deep xenofiction take on Cybertronian (er, the Transformer species) existence. So many iterations have such interesting pre-war worldbuilding (gotta explain where all that conflict comes from!) and I mourn every day that I'll never get a five-season-long Transformers prestige political drama. It’s frustrating how much possibility for interesting worldbuilding gets left on the table since it's a children's franchise and marketability comes before everything else - I find that it invokes the “but what if it was good” effect for me and I want to explore it myself.

I got into Transformers late - when I was 14. Still a child, but teens aren't exactly the main target audience, you know? At the time, I was out of school for a week with the flu and ended up on the couch binge-watching the original cartoon from 1984. I couldn't tell you what the initial appeal was besides my basic tendency to like stuff from the 80s (I’m not actually a huge mecha fan and tend to be picky about sci-fi in general), but it hooked me nonetheless! After watching the original cartoon and the corresponding movie, I bounced around a little before finding my favorite bit of Transformers media, the More Than Meets The Eye comic series published by IDW from 2012-2018. I’m sure part of it is just the fact that I was there as it was being published, so I’m pretty attached, but I do also think a massive part of the appeal to me was that this, yes, this, was one of the first pieces of media I saw myself reflected in. How was it that a Transformers comic book had more canonical gay (and transgender!) characters than anything else I was into I truly don't know, but I'll always love it for that. Also, without spoiling too much, the relationships featured over the course of the series all have very satisfying and well-written narratives (to me).

I’ve been heavily into Transformers for over a decade of my life, I just haven’t centered my blogging habits around it recently. It’s baked into my life now on a level that few other things are - it is definitely one of my interests I’ve been into the longest. A lot of my music taste has been shaped by Transformers (the author of my favorite comic would post a few songs on Twitter as the “soundtrack” for each issue, and I’m goth now in no small part thanks to him). I delved deeper into Transformers whenever I was having a hard time - they’re my emotional support robots. My Discord username has been the same Transformers reference since I made the account in 2016. I could probably hit the character limit continuing to talk about all the aspects of Transformers that appeal to me and why I think it’s genuinely really fun to get into, but we’d be here all day, and I think I’m also at risk of leaving out the real reason that I (and everyone else) likes Transformers:

The main appeal of Transformers is that big robots are cool, and big cars and stuff are cool, and big robots that turn into big cars and stuff and fight each other are the coolest.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

PS. It was a real struggle to write this without evangelizing about Why You (Yes You! Blogger Reading This!), Should Get Into MTMTE, so I’ll include my thoughts on that under the cut:

More Than Meets The Eye has a particularly good reputation: “Critics in wider comic and sci-fi fandom have praised it, with many a gushing article and award nomination. The politics, the plotting, and the gender and sexual politics have all come in for favoured nods. Most of fandom holds up 'season 1' as one of the top Transformers stories ever” (TFwiki.net) - a statement with which I wholeheartedly agree. I read the whole thing pretty much right from when it came out all the way through to when it wrapped up - something I'd never done before and still kind of can't believe I kept up with for that long, but it's really good, and I go back and reread every year or so. I find that it gets the balance of action, humor, & emotional moments just right. It’s also pretty gory, but everyone knows that robot gore doesn’t count.

The main premise is that a bunch of Autobots have set out from their ruined homeworld on An Epic Quest, mostly because now that their four-million-year-long war is over, they don't know what to do with themselves and/or are running away from their problems. The issue with that is no matter where they go, they still bring all their baggage with them…

In addition to the aforementioned gender and sexual politics that made MTMTE stick in my developing brain, there’s also a fairly prominent theme of mental illness and recovery (and what that might look like for different people) that runs throughout the comic. I think it absolutely helps the characters feel more relatable, and I’ll add a quote here from a character with his own struggles who decides that he’d like to spend his time post-war helping others so you can see a snippet of the writing: “It’s not just the labeling - it’s the distancing. It’s this idea that experiencing mental illness marks you out as bad different. Show me someone who hasn’t been affected by all the fighting. Show me someone who’s “normal” and I’ll show you someone who knows how to hide things.”

In between (and sometimes during) the wacky hijinks that come with being in a comic book, they’re dealing with the political and psychological fallout of their civil war - what does it mean to be “the good guys” now that the war is over? What did it mean to be “the good guys” in a war that lasted long enough to screw up pretty much everything their species ever touched, utterly decimated their population, and left them with a ruined shell of a homeworld? What do things look like from the opposite point of view, and what does being “the bad guys” in a post-war universe mean for the Decepticons? There’s definitely a balancing act going on between what the narrative/marketing calls for, what makes an interesting character, and what’s a sensitive/nuanced depiction, but in comparison to previous Transformers stories, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say it was groundbreaking.

[writtenbygicel]

why social media detoxing matters

Whether we post pictures, videos, or simple messages social media is the main source of platform we use in order to do so. It’s especially beneficial when we communicate with friends or loved ones who live overseas; and is even more beneficial today as we live through the covid-19 pandemic where everyone is obligated to stay at home and maintain a distance from others when needed to go out.

I actually recall the first time I’ve created a social media account. As I remember it, it was for a now closed social media network called Friendster. I was in 4th grade and it was the very first time I was exposed to the various functions of a social media website. In fact, I remember being so fascinated at how we could change the appearance of the profile backgrounds and the ability for friends to comment on your profiles.

I also recall January 2010 when I first created my Twitter account. At a young age, I liked the idea of writing (short stories, poems, journaling, fanfiction, or just simply writing out my thoughts) and when I found that the main thing you’d be doing on Twitter is to write out thoughts or status updates or anything similar to that, I was excited to use it; and to this day I still find myself using the social media site often.

All that being said, however, social media also has its downsides. It’s become second nature to use the platform as an inherent outlet to express toxicity and criticism.

Years ago, it was all just a lot of wholesome content wherein people can share their thoughts and bits of their lives to others. Now it’s become a place full of hatred and self-entitlement, where people are always cancelling out anyone who has a different perspective on a certain topic instead of educating them; and because we are constantly exposed to those kind of things, we tend to feel drained immediately even if the hate or judgment isn’t directly being thrown at us. Dissapointing as it may seem, it doesn’t have to always be that way.

There’s a term called “social media detox” wherein you spend at least one day (or some days) completely not using any social media. I’ve been doing social media detoxing for a while now and it’s been so refreshing for me as it allows me to take my time to relax and shift my focus back to the present moment and just stop overthinking. I find that when I spend too much time scrolling on my timeline, I tend to overthink as I get a glimpse of other people’s posts or thoughts. As someone who’s struggling with mental health, it’s really important for me to take the time to do a social media detox at least once a week. Nevertheless, I personally believe that social media can still become a better place for people to communicate and express themselves without being cancelled out. I just wish people would learn to understand and love others more, only criticizing when it’s proper to do so (and not on every single post or person). I also highly encourage anyone who’s reading this to do social media detoxing as well. It’s going to be a bit difficult to not look at social media and scroll through your timeline but I hope that you’ll take on this challenge and see the positive difference in how you feel emotionally and mentally. Plus, you’d be able to do other much more relaxing and productive things when you do this.

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

there's been an uptick in people asking if they can do tuesdayposts too (yes, hi hello yes, my god, please do i want to read them, the format isn't copyrighted or anything) which made me think about how i use the tuesdayposts as an excuse to go looking for weird shit and why i'm so annoyed when something is recommended to me but the rec doesn't give me a good pitch. this grew into a digression about the function of a critic and what i use reviews for. and what like axes of things i find important or what i use various sources for. so it's a separate post now bc there's not a real...point to it, mostly getting my thoughts in order. also it is very long

while i would not wish the title of "culture critic" upon my worst enemy, let's sidestep “oooh all critics/tastemakers/influencers are bullshit”. imo you’re supposed to find one whose taste aligns with yours and THEN use their reviews to find new things. if my taste aligns with yours, cool! if you're just here to see what weird shit i made or pulled out of an estate sale this week, also cool!

i think the most successful discussion of a work is "what is it/what's the pitch, what is it TRYING to do given the context of the time and people who created it, does it accomplish its goals or tell its story in a coherent fashion" and then finally what i think most people get most hung up on is "do I PERSONALLY think this work accomplished its goals or storytelling in a manner i found reasonable/understandable/liked".

i really, really, really hate the style of review that tells me nothing about the work except there's a token gay person in it. i saw zero useful reviews of OFMD before i gave up and watched the first ep myself.

here are some people who fulfill the above useful criteria, i pay attention to, and why their recs work for me: gita jackson, a culture/games critic over at vice knows the difference between a movie being Good and a movie being Fun, and is a queer person under 30 with a film degree so our needs align on several important axes. so i waited to watch the rpatz batman until they wrote an article and they said if it was fun or not.

cyberexboyfriend on instagram and i think mainly tiktok (lots of crossposts) has opinions i agree with about mcmansion architecture, and an eye for the weird late eighties through early oughts fashion and art that fell through the cracks. like the media that fuels the Extremely Online art i generally find annoying, but the source media of edited anime or fantasy movie screencaps on tshirts is generally pretty cool. this fills an important function to me bc i like going "ah! i know where that's from" when i see a hot girl in joanns wearing a shirt from vapor95.

i follow exactly four people on letterboxd and they are the aforementioned critics plus two mutuals bc i already know their general media tastes align with mine. wendy @dying-suffering-french-stalkers is very very good at finding things that have a certain quality of emotion to them. not full horror, not full tragedy, and not full melancholia either, but a catharsis or a putting an era to bed gently and turning the lights out when you're done. honey @birdcfparadise is willing to sit through a lotta goddamn nonsense in order to report back about the good ones and we both have a finely honed taste in the dilfs of the silver screen. where the fuck else am i going to get vital intelligence like this

furthermore these two are the only people i trust about Classic Movie (tm) Opinions. like, they will tell me if a movie that is very much a Product of its Era (tm) is worth sitting through the things that make it very much a Product of its Era (tm). i haunt the letterboxd activity page to see what they've added to their watchlists

i pay more attention to @morrak's book recs and shove them to the front of my list bc we have the same not-quite-engineer-but-enough-to-be-dangerous kind of brain and literally all of his recs have hit, including the ones where i'm like "ough this is very good but i need to come back to it later". i pay more attention to whatever the fuck @believerindaydreams is up to be we both like the same sort of heavily allusive, love letter to pulp kinds of stories.

my point is not "everyone needs to make more friends and if you don't have a richly layered online friend group of nearly a decade in some cases funneling art to you through the medium of tumblr then you're toast" but like. along with critics, friends' recs and things i found while trying to find friends' recs are a huge driver of the tuesdayposts. people fundamentally want to share the cool new shit they've found. that's why we're all here, blogging

[shihalyfie]

Hi :) If it's not too much trouble, could you please share your take on why they'd continue the Adventure brand after tri. was such a flop? (and a tangent: what does "dark history" even mean?). We got Kizuna, the reboot, and a 02 movie. Logically, it doesn't really make sense they'd keep investing in it.

This is a thorny topic, and I'd like to reiterate that although I've ended up making more posts related to this series and the discourse surrounding it recently (probably because it's even more on the mind now that another movie is on the horizon and a lot of people are apprehensive for various reasons), I do not want this blog to be making a brand out of being critical of this series. I’m writing this here and in public because I figured that there is a certain degree I need to clarify what I mean about audience reception/climate and how it might impact current or future works, and I’m admittedly also more than a little upset that I occasionally see Western fanbase criticisms of the series getting dismissed by people claiming that the only people mad about it are dramamongering or ignorant Westerners (which could not be further from the truth). However, this is mainly to address this and to answer your question, and is not intended to try and change anyone's existing opinion or impression of the series as much as it's me trying to explain (from my own personal reading of the situation) what practically went down with critical reception in real life; no more, no less.

The short summary of the matter is:

The series was a moderate financial success (albeit with some caveats; see the long version for details) and definitely outstripped a lot of prior attempts to revive the franchise;

However, the overall Japanese fanbase-side critical backlash from tri. was extremely and viciously negative to the point where even acknowledging the series too much could easily result in controversy;

Kizuna’s production and the PR surrounding it very obviously have this in mind with a lot of apparent “damage control” elements.

The long version is below.

Note that while I try to be diligent about citing my sources so people understand that I’m not just making things up wholesale, I’m deliberately refraining from linking certain things here this time, both because some of the things mentioned have some pretty crude things written there -- it’s not something I feel comfortable directing people to regardless of what language it’s in -- and because I don’t want to recklessly link things on social media and cause anyone to go after or harass the people involved. For the links that have been provided, please still be warned that some of them don’t really link to particularly pleasant things.

I am not writing the following information to suggest that anyone should agree or disagree with the sentiments being described. I know people tend to take "a lot of people like/hate this" as a signal of implication "it is correct to like/hate this" when it's not (and I especially dislike the idea of implying that Japanese fanbase opinions are the only correct ones). There's a reason I focus on "critical reception being this way" (because it influences marketing decisions and future direction) rather than how much this should impact one's personal feelings; this is coming from myself as someone who is shamelessly proud of liking many things that had bad critical reception, were financial failures, or are disliked by many. As I point out near the end, the situation also does seem to be changing for the better in more recent years as well.

Also, to be clear, I'm a single person who's observing everything best I can from my end, I have no affiliations with staff nor do I claim to, and as much as I'm capable of reading Japanese and thus reading a lot of people's impressions, I'm ultimately still another “outsider” looking in. These are my impressions from my observation of fan communal spaces, following artists and reading comments on social media and art posting websites, and results from social media searches. In the end, I know as much as anyone else about what happened, so this is just my two cents based on all of my personal observations.

A fanbase is a fanbase regardless of what part of the world you're from. There are people who love it and are shameless about saying so. There are people who have mixed feelings or at least aren't on extreme ends of the spectrum (as always, the loudest ones are always the most visible, but it's not always easy to claim they're the predominant percentage of the fanbase). That happens everywhere, and I still find that on every end I've seen. However, if I'm talking about my impressions and everything I’ve encountered, I will say that the overall Japanese reaction to tri. comes off as significantly more violently negative on average than the Western one, which is unusual because often it's the other way around. (I personally feel less so because the opinions are that fundamentally different and more so because we're honestly kind of loud and in-your-face people; otherwise, humans are mostly the same everywhere, and more often than not people feel roughly the same about everything if they’re given the same information to work with.)

This is not something I can say lightly, and thus would not say if I didn’t really get this impression, but...we're talking "casually looking up movie reviews for Kizuna have an overwhelming amount of people casually citing any acknowledgment of tri. elements as a negative element", or the fact that even communal wikis for "general" fandoms like Pixiv and Aniwota don't tend to hold back in being vicious about it (as of this writing, Pixiv's wiki refuses to consider it in the same timeline as Adventure, accusing it of being "a series that claims to be a sequel set three years after 02 but is in fact something different"). Again, there are people who openly enjoy it and actively advocate for it (and Pixiv even warns people to not lord over others about it condescendingly because of the fact that such people do exist), and this is also more of a reflection of “the hardcore fanbase on the Internet” and not necessarily the mainstream (after all, there are quite a few other Digimon works where the critical reception varies very heavily between the two). Nevertheless, the take-home is that the reputation is overall negative among the Internet fanbase to the point that this is the kind of sentiment you run into without trying all that hard.

I think, generally speaking, if we're just talking about why a lot of people resent the series, the reasons aren't that different from those on the Western side. However, that issue of "dark history" (黒歴史): there's a certain degree of demand from the more violently negative side of the fanbase that's, in a sense, asking official to treat it as a disgrace and never acknowledge it ever again, hence why Kizuna doing so much as borrowing things from it rather than rejecting it outright is still sometimes treated like it’s committing a sin. So it's somewhat close in spirit to a retcon movement, which is unusual because no other Digimon series gets this (not even 02; that was definitely a thing on the Western end, but while I'm sure there are people who hate it that much on their end too, I've never really seen it gain enough momentum for anyone to take it seriously). If anyone ever tells you that Japanese fanbases are nice to everything, either they don't know Japanese, are being willfully ignorant, or are lying to you, because there is such thing as drama in those areas, and in my experience, I've seen things get really nasty when things are sufficiently pushed over the edge, and if a fanbase wants to have drama, it will have drama. This happens to be one of those times.

(If you think this is extreme, please know that I also think so too, so I hope you really understand that me describing this sentiment does not mean I am personally endorsing it. Also, let me reiterate that the loudest section of the fanbase is not necessarily the predominant one; after all, as someone who’s been watching reactions to 02 over the years, I myself can attest that its hatedom has historically made it sound more despised than it actually is in practice.)

My impression is that the primary core sentiment behind why the series so much as existing and being validated is considered such an offense (rather than, say, just saying "wow, that writing was bad" and moving on) is heavily tied to the release circumstances the series came out in during 2015-2018, and the idea that "this series disrespected Adventure, and also disrespected the fanbase.” (I mean, really, regardless of what part of the world you’re from, sequels and adaptations tend to be held to a higher bar of expectation than standalone works, because they’re expected to do them justice.) A list of complaints I’ve come across a lot while reading through the above:

The Japanese fanbase is pretty good at recordkeeping when it comes to Adventure universe lore, partially because they got a lot of extra materials that weren’t localized, but also partially because adherence to it seems to generally be more Serious Business to them than it is elsewhere. For instance, “according to Adventure episode 45, ‘the one who wishes for stability’ (Homeostasis) only started choosing children in 1995, and therefore there can be no Chosen Children before 1995” is taken with such gravity that this, not anything to do with evolutions or timeline issues, is the main reason Hurricane Touchdown’s canonicity was disputed in that arena (because Wallace implies that he met his partners before 1995). It’s a huge reason the question of Kizuna also potentially not complying to lore came to the forefront, because tri. so flagrantly contradicts it so much that this issue became very high on the evaluation checklist. In practice, Kizuna actually goes against Adventure/02 very little, so the reason tri. in particular comes under fire for this is that it does it so blatantly there were theories as early as Part 1 that this series must take place in a parallel universe or something, and as soon as it became clear it didn’t, the resulting sentiment was “wow, you seriously thought nobody would notice?” (thus “disrespecting the audience”).

A lot of the characterization incongruity is extremely obvious when you’re following only the Japanese version, partially because it didn’t have certain localization-induced characterization changes (you are significantly less likely to notice a disparity with Mimi if you’re working off the American English dub where they actually did make her likely to step on others’ toes and be condescending, whereas in Japanese the disparity is jarring and hard to miss) and partially due to some things lost in translation (Mimi improperly using rough language on elders is much easier to spot as incongruity if you’re familiar with the language). Because it’s so difficult to miss, and honestly feels like a lot of strange writing decisions you’d make only if you really had no concept of what on earth happened in the original series, it only contributes to the idea that they were handling Adventure carelessly and disrespectfully without paying attention to what the series was even about (that, or worse, they didn’t care).

02 is generally well-liked there! It’s controversial no matter where you go, but as I said earlier, there was no way a retcon movement would have ever been taken seriously, and the predominant sentiment is that, even if you’re not a huge fan of it, its place in canon (even the epilogue) should be respected. So not only flagrantly going against 02-introduced lore but also doing that to a certain quartet is seen as malicious, and you don’t have as much of the converse discourse celebrating murdering the 02 quartet (yeah, that’s a thing that happened here) or accusing people with complaints of “just being salty because they like 02″ as nearly as much of a factor; I did see it happen, or at least dismissals akin to “well it’s Adventure targeted anyway,” but they were much less frequent. The issue with the 02 quartet is usually the first major one brought up, and there’s a lot of complaints even among those who don’t care for 02 as much that the way they went about it was inhumane and hypocritical, especially when killing Imperialdramon is fine but killing Meicoomon is a sin. Also, again, “you seriously think nobody will see a problem with how this doesn’t make sense?”

I think even those who are fans of the series generally agree with this, but part of the reason the actual real-life time this series went on is an important factor is that the PR campaign for this series was godawful. Nine months of clicking on an egg on a website pretending like audience participation meant something when in actuality it was blatantly obvious it was just a smokescreen to reveal info whenever they were ready? This resulted in a chain effect where even more innocuous/defensible things were viewed in a suspicious or negative light (for instance, "the scam of selling the fake Kaiser's goggles knowing Ken fans would buy it only to reveal that it's not him anyway"), and a bunch of progressively out-of-touch-with-the-fanbase statements and poor choices led to more sentiment “yeah, you’re just insulting the fanbase at this point,” and a general erosion of trust in official overall.

On top of that, the choice of release format to have it spread out as six movies over three years seems to have exacerbated the backlash to get much worse than it would have been otherwise, especially since one of the major grievances with the series is that how it basically strung people along, building up more and more unanswered questions before it became apparent it was never going to answer them anyway. So when you’re getting that frustrated feeling over three whole years, it feels like three years of prolonged torture, and it becomes much harder to forgive for the fallout than if you’d just marathoned the entire thing at once.

For those who are really into the Digimon (i.e. species) lore and null canon, while I’m not particularly well-versed in that side of the fanbase, it seems tri. fell afoul of them too for having inaccurately portrayed (at one point, mislabeled) special attacks and poorly done battle choreography, along with the treatment of Digimon in general (infantilized Digimon characterization, general lack of Digimon characters in general, very flippant treatment of the Digital World in Parts 3-5). If you say you’re going to “reboot” the Digital World and not address the entire can of worms that comes with basically damaging an entire civilization of Digimon, as you can imagine, a lot of people who actually really care about that are going to be pissed, and the emerging sentiment is “you’re billing this as a Digimon work, but you don’t even care about the monsters that make up this franchise.”

The director does not have a very positive reputation among those who know his work (beyond just Digimon), and in general there was a lot of suspicion around the fact they decided to get a guy whose career has primarily been built on harem and fanservice anime to direct a sequel to a children’s series. Add to that a ton of increasingly unnerving statements about how he intended to make the series “mature” in comparison to its predecessor (basically, an implication that Adventure and 02 were happy happy joy series where nothing bad ever happened) and descriptions of Adventure that implied a very, very poor grasp of anything that happened in it: inaccurate descriptions of their characters, poor awareness of 02′s place in the narrative, outright saying in Febri that he saw the Digimon as like perpetual kindergartners even after evolving, and generally such a flippant attitude that it drove home the idea that the director of an Adventure sequel had no respect for Adventure, made this series just to maliciously dunk on it for supposedly being immature, and has such a poor grasp of what it even was that it’s possible he may not have seen it in the first place (or if he did, clearly skimmed it to the extent he understood it poorly to pretty disturbing levels). As of this writing, Aniwota Wiki directly cites him as a major reason for the backlash.

In general, consensus seems to be that the most positively received aspect of the series (story-wise) was Part 3 (mostly its ending, but some are more amenable to the Takeru and Patamon drama), and the worst vitriol goes towards Parts 2 (for the blatantly contradictory portrayal of Mimi and Jou and the hypocritical killing of Imperialdramon) and 4 (basically the “point of no return” where even more optimistic people started getting really turned off). This is also what I suspect is behind the numbers on the infamous DigiPoll (although the percentage difference is admittedly low enough to fall within margin of error). However, there was suspicion about the series even from Part 1, with one prominent fanartist openly stating that it felt more like meeting a ton of new people than it did reuniting with anyone they knew.

So with all of that on the table: how did this affect official? The thing is that when I say “violently negative”, I mean that also entailed spamming official with said violently negative social media comments. While this is speculation, I am fairly certain that official must have realized how bad this was getting as early as between Parts 4 and 5, because that’s where a lot of really suspicious things started happening behind the scenes; while I imagine the anime series itself was now too far in to really do anything about it, one of the most visible producers suddenly vanished from the producer lineup and was replaced by Kinoshita Yousuke, who ended up being the only member of tri. staff shared with Kizuna (and, in general, the fact that not a single member of staff otherwise was retained kind of says a lot). Once the series ended in 2018 and the franchise slowly moved into Kizuna-related things, you might notice that tri.-branded merch production almost entirely screeched to a halt and official has been very touchy about acknowledging it too deeply; it’s not that they don’t, but it’s kind of an awfully low amount for what you’d think would be warranted for a series that’s supposed to be a full entry in the big-name Adventure brand.

The reason is, simply, that if they do acknowledge it too much, people will get pissed at them. That’s presumably why the tri. stage play (made during that interim period between Parts 4 and 5 and even branded with the title itself) and Kizuna are really hesitant to be too aggressive about tri. references; it’s not necessarily that official wants to blot it out of history like the most extreme opinions would like them to, but even being too enthusiastic about affirming it will also get them backlash, especially if the things they affirm are contradictory to Adventure or 02. And considering even the small references they did put in still got them criticism for “affirming” tri. too much, you can easily see that the backlash would have been much harder if they’d attempted more than that; staying as close as possible to Adventure and 02 and trying to deal with tri. elements only when they’re comparatively inoffensive was pretty much the “safe” thing to do in this scenario (especially since fully denying tri. would most certainly upset the people who did like the series, and if you have to ask me, I personally think this would have been a pretty crude thing to have done right after the series had just finished). Even interviews taken after the fact often involve quickly disclaiming involvement with the series, or, if they have to bring up something about it, discussing the less controversial aspects like the art (while the character designs were still controversial, it’s at least at the point where some fanartists will still be willing to make use of them even if they dislike the series, albeit often with prominent disclaimers) or the more well-received parts of Part 3; Kizuna was very conspicuously marketed as a standalone movie, even if it shared the point of “the Adventure kids, but older” that tri. had.

(Incidentally, the tri. stage play has generally been met with a good reputation and was received well even among people who were upset with the anime, so it was well-understood that they had no relation. In fact, said stage play is probably even better received than Kizuna, although that’s not too surprising given the controversial territory Kizuna goes into, making the stage play feel very play-it-safe in comparison.)

So, if we’re going to talk about Kizuna in particular: tri. was, to some degree, a moderate financial success, in the sense that it made quite a bit of money and did a lot to raise awareness of the Digimon brand still continuing...however, if you actually look at the sales figures for tri., they go down every movie; part of it was probably because of the progressively higher “hurdle” to get into a series midway, but consider that Gundam Unicorn (a movie series which tri.’s format was often compared to) had its sales go up per movie thanks to word of mouth and hype. So while tri. does seem to have gotten enough money to help sustain the franchise at first, the trade-off was an extremely livid fanbase that had shattered faith in the brand and in official, and so while continuing the Adventure brand might still be profitable, there was no way they were going to get away with continuing to do this lest everything eventually crash and burn.

Hence, if you look at the way Kizuna was produced and advertised, you can see a lot of it is blatantly geared at addressing a lot of the woes aimed at tri.: instead of the staff that had virtually no affiliation with Toei, the main members of staff announced were either from the original series (Seki and Yamatoya) or openly childhood fans, the 02 quartet was made into a huge advertising point as a dramatic DigiFes reveal (and character profies that tie into the 02 epilogue careers prominently part of the advertising from day one), and they even seemed to acknowledge the burnout on the original Adventure group by advertising it so heavily as “the last adventure of Taichi and his friends”, so you can see that there’s a huge sentiment of “damage control” with it. How successful that was...is debatable, since opinions have been all over the board; quite a few people were naturally so livid at what happened with tri. that Kizuna was just opening more of the wound, but there were also people who liked it much better and were willing to acknowledge it (with varying levels of enthusiasm, some simply saying “it was thankfully okay,” and some outright loving it), and there was a general sentiment even among those who disliked both that they at least understood what Kizuna was going for and that it didn’t feel as inherently disrespectful. (Of course, there are people who loved tri. and hated Kizuna, and there are people who loved both, too.)

Moreover, Kizuna actually has a slightly different target audience from tri.; there’s a pretty big difference between an OVA and a theatrical movie, and, quite simply, Kizuna was made under the assumption that a lot of people watching it may not have even seen tri. in the first place. An average of 11% of the country watched Adventure and 02, but the number of people who watched tri. is much smaller, in part due to the fact that its “theater” screenings were only very limited screenings compared to Kizuna being shown in theaters in Japan and worldwide, and in part due to the fact that watching six parts over three years is a pretty huge commitment for someone who may barely remember Digimon as anything beyond a show they watched as a kid, and may be liable to just fall off partway through because they simply just forgot. (Which also probably wasn’t helped by the infamously negative reputation, something that definitely wouldn’t encourage someone already on the fence.) And that’s yet another reason Kizuna couldn’t make too many concrete tri. references; being a theatrical movie, it needs to have as wide appeal as possible, and couldn’t risk locking out an audience that had a very high likelihood of not having seen it, much less to the end -- it may have somewhat been informed by tri.’s moderate financial success and precedent, but it ultimately was made for the original Adventure and 02 audience more than anything else.

I would say that, generally, while Kizuna is “controversial” for sure, reception towards the movie seems to be more positive than negative, it won over a large chunk of people who were burned out by tri., and it clearly seems to have been received well enough that it’s still being cashed in on a year after its release. The sheer existence of the upcoming 02-based movie is also probably a sign of Kizuna’s financial and critical success; Kinoshita confirmed at DigiFes 2020 that nothing was in production at the time, and stated shortly after the movie’s announcement that work on it had just started. So the decision to make it seems to have been made after eyeing Kizuna’s reception, and, moreover, the movie was initially advertised from the get-go with Kizuna’s director and writer (Taguchi and Yamatoya), meaning those two have curried enough goodwill from the fanbase that this can be used to promote the movie. (If not, you would think that having and advertising Seki would be the bigger priority.) While this is my own sentiment, I am personally doubtful official would have even considered 02 something remotely profitable enough on its own to cash in on if it weren’t for this entire sequence of events of 02′s snubbing in tri. revealing how much of a fanbase it had (especially with the sheer degree of “suspicious overcompensation” Kizuna had with its copious use of the 02 quartet and it tagging a remix of the first 02 ED on the Hanareteitemo single, followed by the drama CD and character songs), followed by Kizuna having success in advertising with them so heavily. Given all of the events between 2015 and now, it’s a bit ironic to see that 02 has now become basically the last resort to be able to continue anything in the original Adventure universe without getting too many people upset at them about it.

The bright side coming out of all of this is that, while it’s still a bit early to tell, now that we’re three years out from tri. finishing up and with Kizuna in the game, it seems there’s a possibility for things improving around tri.’s reception as well. Since a lot of the worst heated points of backlash against it have a very “you had to have been there” element (related to the PR, release schedule, and staff comments), those coming in “late” don’t have as much reason to be as pissed at it; I’ve seen at least one case of a fanartist getting back into the franchise because of Kizuna hype, watching tri. to catch up, casually criticizing it on Twitter, and moving on with their life, presumably because marathoning the whole thing being generally aware of what’ll happen in it and knowing Kizuna is coming after anyway gives you a lot less reason to be angry to the point of holding an outright grudge. Basically, even if you don’t like it, it’s much easier to actually go “yeah, didn’t like that,” not worry too much about it, and move on. Likewise, I personally get the impression that official has been starting to get a little more confident about digging up elements related to it. Unfortunately, a fairly recent tweet promoting the series getting put on streaming services still got quite a few angry comments implying that they should be deleting the scourge from the Internet instead, so there’s still a long way to go, but hopefully the following years will see things improve further...

In regards to the reboot, I -- and I think a lot of people will agree with me -- have a bit of a hard time reading what exact audience it’s trying to appeal to; we have a few hints from official that they want parents to watch it with their children, and that it may have been a necessary ploy in order to secure their original timeslot. So basically, the Adventure branding gets parents who grew up with the original series to be interested in it and to show it to their kids, and convinces Fuji TV that it might be profitable. But as most people have figured by now, the series has a completely different philosophy and writing style -- I mean, the interview itself functionally admits it’s here to be more action-oriented and to have its own identity -- and the target audience is more the kids than anything else. As for the Internet fanbase of veterans, most people have been critical of its character writing and pacing, but other than a few stragglers who are still really pissed, it hasn’t attracted all that much vitriol, probably because in the end it’s an alternate universe, it doesn’t have any obligation to adhere to anything from the original even if it uses the branding, and it’s clearly still doing its job of being a kids’ show for kids who never saw the original series nor 02, so an attempt to call it “disrespectful” to the original doesn’t have much to stand on. A good number of people who are bored of it decided it wasn’t interesting to them and dropped it without incident, while other people are generally just enjoying it for being fun, and the huge amount of Digimon franchise fanservice with underrepresented Digimon and high fidelity to null canon lore is really pleasing the side of the fanbase that’s into that (I mean, Digimon World Golemon is really deep in), so at the very least, there’s not a lot to be super-upset about.

[my-random-domme-thoughts]

Will Session Prices Go Down?

I felt compelled to write a post today because of a link that has been forwarded to me, of a forum discussion on MaxFisch, and I was asked for my opinion. Since I am not a member on that forum, I will make a post here. The topic of this discussion was whether the BDSM session prices will go down after the quarantine. The link to the discussion forum is below:

http://www.maxfisch.com/thehang/ubbthreads.php/topics/1751558

Here are my 2p about that: 

Whenever I am asked about pricing and pricing strategies, I always make an example of a Prada bag:

Will Prada bags be 50% cheaper after this lockdown? Because, you know, Prada needs to make money... And pay store rents...And, you know, new bag makers are entering the market every day... And, you know, because there will be a recession? Will they be 40% cheaper? 30% cheaper? 

Or will they remain roughly the same price they’ve been for last 50 years, inflation adjusted, and leave the localised market if it becomes not cost-effective? 

Now, my personal prediction is that Prada bags will cost the same they have always cost. But you’d be able to score a bag, capable of carrying things just as much as a Prada bag, in Primark for £1. 

Did the ‘invention’ of Primark make Prada drop their bag prices? Did Primark make Prada go out of business? Lose business? Did Primark steal Prada’s core client base through poaching and undercutting? I think we all know the answer to those questions...

There are Ladies who charge north of £1K per session, and did, are doing, and will do splendidly well while running a waiting list, and there are those who couldn’t find a client for £50 even before SESTA/FOSTA, COVID-19 and the Incoming Recession were in existence. That has always been the case, that will always be the case. There is no judgement being passed about it, this is just the reality of things.

Many answers in the thread seem to have their expectations and estimates based on the perception that all Dommes have just one source of income, are chained to a radiator within their post code, and only ever do RL sessions. Out of the top Dommes that I know, not one has only one stream of income. Most of us have diversified if not into other businesses and investments then within the s3x industry itself, through clips, online sessions or fan sites years and years ago. 

Yes, Domme Business is different to Bag Business. But as it is a BUSINESS there are more similarities than there are differences. And those Dommes who were good at Business and Marketing before quarantine are good at it during and will continue being good at it after quarantine, during recession, after recession and up until their eventual early retirement.

There is also some hope noticeable in the posts that there will be a huge influx of “new dommes” on the market because of unemployment as apparently there is no entry barrier to the industry. I hate to burst the bubble, both for the prospective dommes, and for their prospective clients, but Domination is not the first port of call for the unskilled and the unemployed. Far from it. There was a mention of a surge after 50 Shades of Grey as an example. What the kind gentleman who mentioned it has forgotten is that it was BEFORE SESTA/FOSTA. I myself have started when the only entry requirement for a Pro Domme were 5 pictures and an ability to string three sentences on a BackPage ad. That time, and that site, have long gone the way of the dodo. Seen Bonding? I am still waiting for the “tens of thousands of new dommes” to materialise after that...

To enter the profession now, you need solid knowledge of Business Admin and Marketing, hefty skill set of creating, curating and maintaining a website and all the costs involved in that should own skills be insufficient, heavy advertising costs to place that website on the advertising sites, creating and maintaining highly marketable online content, both free and for paid platforms, maintaining half a dozen of social media profiles on various platforms while constantly dodging censure, shadow banning and downright deletion of accounts, not to mention looking good and well-presented, being confident, and having the necessary toys and/or access to dungeons. And A LOT of hard work. Which, in the time of a recession, will not bear much fruit at all. And no, you do not get a business loan from a bank for this line of work. Most of those who are forced into s3x work by circumstances do not venture into Domination, now even more than before, but stick to traditional fields, where a pink thong and some baby oil will often do the trick.

But what about the Recession, then, and the “shrinking of client base”? Now, that is clearly written by someone who is expecting the middle class to literally die out. I can explain this with a simple chart:

This is how I see the distribution of wealth and income now, and after the Great Quarantine of 2020. The world will indeed become poorer, much like during the Financial Crisis of 2008, through lower middle class and working class sliding down the income ladder.

Those who are wealthy and affluent now are not going to wake up in two weeks and find themselves on the dole, or looking for a job at McDonalds. Why? Because they are usually very highly skilled, high earning individuals and have diversified income, investments, savings, pension funds et al. Yes, their stock portfolio might (and I say might!) take a hit. But it will not suddenly make them destitute. It just means that, for 2020, they might make a bit less money. But, 80% of a million is still 800K, and 80% of a thousand is 800. See the difference?

Now, let’s talk about me, for a minute, and my own business model, pricing strategy, cost control and target market/client base: 

I chose to move to a low income, low cost of living, high quality of life country. By choice, and for those very reasons. But I neither work on the “local market” nor for it! I charge five times what the average price per session is here, and my daily rate is higher than an average national monthly income. Exactly one of my current clients lives in the same country, and he pays me my rate. The rest of my clients are foreign, and either fly in to see me, or fly me out to join them in their endeavors elsewhere, and yes, they all know they can find someone much cheaper. 

But “cheaper” is not what they are after. Those buying Bentleys don’t price in a Seat Leon, just in case. ALL of my current clients are my regular clients, and they bring me much joy even in these dark times! If they enjoy being my subjects even half as much as I enjoy being their Mistress they will remain my clients for years to come. And those who couldn’t afford my rates before the pandemic won’t be able to afford them after. 

But how will the Great Quarantine of 2020 and the Incoming Economic Depression affect me and my business? Let’s see! 

I personally do not know  whether I will be able to see my clients this year, because even if the isolation orders are lifted, no one has cancelled the disease itself. I might get ill. They might get ill. Up until a vaccine or an easy treatment is invented all travel is in a precarious state, as are all sessions. At your own risk, as they say! I’d risk it for my regulars to a degree, but there are limits to everything, and I certainly wouldn’t want them to risk their lives and health for a session.

That said, we do not know what travelling post-quarantine will even look like. If I am required to spend 2 weeks in a lock down every time I have to take an international flight -- I am unlikely to be flying anywhere at all. If it goes back to pre-quarantine simplicity then it is a different story and I will be back to posting my Michelin starred client dinners from different cities in no time. But what if not?

Well, here comes the trick: remember I was talking about the diversified streams of income? While most people were busy with Netflix, I have used my quarantine time in to push for passive income, offering a product that is significantly cheaper than my RL sessions and client fees, but aimed at a much wider target market segment. 

I am proud to say that currently my cost of living gets covered by pure passive income in 20 calendar days. That is, I can fall into a coma for a month, and on day 20 of me being in a coma, all my bills and expenses will be covered, and I will wake up to 10 days of profit to get me to a SPA and treat me to some nice meals and still have some left over. And this is passive income. Online sessions are an entirely different thing, in addition to passive income.

What does that mean? It means that I do not NEED to have another RL session at all, EVER, even at my rate, if I do not wish to. I can retire. And if I cannot travel, I will happily spend my time developing and scaling up my online and passive income sides of business further, while sipping cocktails by the sea, in the safety of my own terrace and avocado tree. 

So when people ask whether sessions will become cheaper after this Quarantine, I just smile. Thing is, you WILL be able get cheaper sessions after this. But you could get them before this, too! There are, there have been, and there will always be cheap providers. Of everything. And if you are into “cheap cheap” you will always be spoiled for choice.

But it won’t come from established and business savvy dominatrices. Top ranks can afford to step away from the RL sessions altogether, for the risks involved, or only see their regular and trusted clients, at same rate or higher. Mid-range and upcoming will be likely to raise rates while diversifying to compensate for potential loss of foot traffic. And the cheaper ones will join the newcomers in the race to the bottom.

You know that saying, if you have to ask how much something costs -- you cannot afford it? :) Still goes! 

[ruminativerabbi]

As the Holidays Approach

Elul, the month that leads directly into the High Holiday season, should be ideally devoted to the thoughtful, principled introspection that can serve as the foundation upon which the spiritual work of the whole holiday season should then come to rest. And that only makes sense: to come before Judge God and successfully to negotiate the experience requires, at the very least, knowing yourself well enough to speak honestly and authoritatively on your own behalf and in your own defense. And that level of self-awareness comes to most of us, possibly even to all of us, solely as the result of the kind of wholly honest self-scrutiny that yields the unvarnished truth about ourselves and our lives.

The problem is that most of us find any sort of serious self-analysis off-putting, unnerving, and, to say the very least, deeply anxiety-provoking. And yet, that is precisely what otherwise halcyon Elul offers: week after week of days unburdened by any other holidays or special observances that may therefore be given over to thinking carefully about ourselves and our lives and our deeds…and, painful though the process may be, also in identifying our own moral shortcomings, errors of judgment, ethical missteps, and unnecessarily missed opportunities to do good in the world. It is a pleasant experience for almost none, but it can be a productive one.

To assist in making the whole Elul experience as positive as possible, it has been my custom in recent years to recommend to my readers a single book that might prove helpful in framing otherwise amorphous thoughts and regrets in a productive way, in confronting the larger paintings of which the details of our personal lives are the brushstrokes, in setting our personal stories into the larger saga of humankind and its foibles and flaws, and, generally speaking, in coming to terms with the lives we have constructed and owning up to the various ways in which those lives have been characterized more often than not by decisions that, for all they seemed reasonable at the time, feel flawed and inconsistent with the values we claim to hold dear when viewed in the rearview mirror.

Last year, I recommended a remarkable novel that I had just read, Marcos Aguinis’s book Against the Inquisition, which I found both moving, intelligent, and stimulating. (To revisit my thoughts from last Elul, click here.) This year, however, I would like to recommend a book that I first read decades ago, and which wasn’t that new a work even then: Clark Moustakas’s book, Loneliness.

Moustakas’s renown has faded in the years following his death in 2012 at age eighty-nine, but in his day he was one of America’s foremost psychologist/authors and was widely acclaimed specifically as an expert in humanistic and clinical psychology. He published prodigiously throughout his career, but the book I wish to recommend was one of his earlier works that first appeared in 1961. (I read it when I was a student at JTS more than a decade after it first came out.) I would like to introduce it to you in this week’s letter and suggest why I feel it would make an excellent choice for Elul reading.

The book isn’t long at all, a mere 107 pages in the first print edition. Yet the author manages in those few pages to speak almost amazingly deeply and provocatively about the human condition…and in a way that is somehow both reassuring and challenging. I just finished re-reading the book and, even after all these years was struck again by its remarkable profundity. If there is one book you can find the time to read this Elul, Loneliness is the one I recommend you consider. (Nor is this a pricey investment: you can find used copies online for $2 a book.)

I was prompted to re-read the book by an article I noticed the other day on the website of YouGov, the U.K.-based data analysis firm, that determined—not anecdotally, but by using actual data collected this last summer and subsequently analyzed by themselves—that the millennials among us can reasonably be characterized as the loneliest generation ever. (Click here to read the article for yourself.) This came as a huge surprise to me—you would think that people raised in a world in which people are practically defined by social media that offer the possibility of maintaining not dozens or scores but hundreds or even thousands of “friendships” concurrently, you would think such people would constitute the world’s least lonely people ever. And yet, the report seemed unequivocal: 30% of millennials polled reported feeling “always or often” lonely (as opposed to half that many baby boomers such as myself) and more than one in five—22%—of millennials reported that they do not have any friends at all. A different slice of the millennial pie—27% of the total—reported having some friends but no “close” ones. Together, that’s one percentage point short of half of all Americans between the ages of twenty-two and thirty-seven reporting that they either had no friends at all…or at least no close ones. When asked why they find it difficult to make friends with others, a startling 53% responded that the fault was in their own stars—that they personally were too shy to go out there and find people to be friends with. All of this came as a huge surprise to me.

There’s more thought-provoking data on the YouGov site to consider as well, but what interested me most of all was the basic assumption of the essay’s author, Jamie Ballard, that loneliness was a bad thing that healthy people would naturally avoid (and thus a situation in which most would only find themselves accidentally or tragically). Nor was I amazed that she took that approach, which I think is probably what most people actually do think. The phenomenal success of the television series Friends, which ran for ten years starting a quarter-century ago, was probably rooted in that concept as well: the show was a little about romance and a little about life, but it was mostly about friendship—its name basically said as much—and its great success lay in the portrait it offered viewers of young urban types, the sustaining feature of whose lives was precisely the degree to which their friends watched out for them, cared for them, and, yes, loved them even when they were being otherwise disagreeable or snarly.

I think most of us subscribe to the notion that loneliness is a bad thing. And yet Moustakas’s book goes off in the precisely opposite direction, describing self-growth—and specifically the kind that leads to self-awareness and self-confidence—as an edifice almost of necessity built on a foundation of the kind of aloneness that moderns inevitably denigrate as unwanted, unworthy loneliness.

He writes anecdotally, telling us the stories of several of his patients and also telling his own story in a few intensely personal, sustained episodes. But he also writes about famous people and describes the source of their inventiveness, their creativity, their artistry, and their success in life as having been rooted in the deep sense of personal autonomy that begins with the acknowledgement that we are all alone in our lives and then goes on to create the impetus to seek the kind of companionship that, rather than denying or masking that sense of aloneness, celebrates and enhances it to the degree that we find in love the experience of being fully autonomous—and thus fully alone—in the company of a similarly autonomous individual. Among the people about whom he writes, some will be familiar to all—the sections on Abraham Lincoln, Emily Dickinson, and Admiral Richard Byrd are particularly moving—and others, like the French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry or the German adventurer and explorer Hermann Buhl will be less well known. But, taken all together, the portraits he paints are all of individuals who found in loneliness the foundation upon which to build a social, meaningful, intensely productive life guided by principles forged by those individuals themselves in the crucible of their own autonomous selves.

Perhaps I should let the author speak for himself. In the introduction to these portraits I just mentioned, he sets forth his argument in these terms:

Every man is alone. Ultimately, each person exists in isolation. He faces himself in silence, wending his way in individual pathways, seeking companionship, reaching out to others. Forever, man moves forward stretching to the skies, searching the realization of his own capacities. In loneliness, man seeks the fulfillment of his inner nature. He maps new meanings, and perceives new patterns for old ways and habits.  Alone, the life of man passes before him. His philosophy, the meanings he attaches to his work and his relations, each significant aspect of his being comes into view as new values are formed, as man resolves to bring human significance, to bring life to each new day, to each piece of work, to each creation. In loneliness, every experience is alive and vivid and full of meaning. When one has been greatly isolated and restricted in movement, one deeply feels the value of openness, of freedom and expansiveness. Life takes on an exquisite meaning, an exhilarating richness. When one has lived in total darkness, one piercingly appreciates the sunlight, the fireside, the beacon, the beginning dawn. When one is cut off from human companionship, one discovers a deep reverence for friendship, for the one who stands by in the hour of need and shame. In the days of pain and defeat, loneliness takes on a human depth.  When one is sequestered from life, when one is purely alone and dying, when one is lost in a world of dreary emptiness, then color becomes exquisite, rich, desirable, fulfilling. When one has been sharply isolated and lonely, every moment is pure, every sound is delightful, every aspect of the universe takes on a value and meaning, an exquisite beauty. The isolated tree stretches out to meet its new neighbor; the lonely star twinkles and turns to face its emerging companions in the night; the lost child runs to loved ones with open arms.

 A mere excerpt or two won’t do justice to the book, which is remarkable both in terms of its brevity and its profundity. I recommend it wholeheartedly to all—both broadly as a very interesting, challenging way to consider the human condition and more narrowly as an Elul book that has in its handful of chapters the capacity to frame the whole experience of entering the Days of Awe almost upon us not as a burden or a test, but as an exercise in deep, sustaining self-awareness and self-knowledge.

[jonahkauffmann8-blog]

Convert Flac Recordsdata To Mp3

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[donbrownposts]

Creative Selling

FEAR OF NO                                                                                                                                   

 Why do so many people fear the word no?  Is this word so negative you would sometimes wish it never existed?   Imagine how your childhood would have been if mom or dad never told you no? Stay up all hours, hang out with your friends all night on week days or ever worry about what your mom or dad would say if you did not do your homework or complete a term paper? How about that school teacher who made you keep quiet in class or send you to the principal’s office after throwing an object across the classroom or pushing the fire alarm on a snowy day? How great it would be if you just did not have to deal with the word NO!  

 Doesn't salesmen deal with no all the time or military personnel are constantly told no throughout their tour of duty and of course we all at one time or another had to face rejection from the opposite sex while finally getting the nerve to ask and then THAT BIG FAT WORD NO. Yes, we are all told no all the time whatever it's being rejected by the opposite sex or told you did not qualify for a certain sports event or get that great job offer that would push your career to the next level?  It is all part of life and will always be around regardless of how you make a living or perhaps want to buy a car and the finance company rejects your loan request or declines your application for a mortgage on your dream home. No matter who you are or what you do there will be times when one must sell something including yourself. No is just a big part of the process and selling is a process.

Selling Your Self or Something

What actually does sell yourself or selling something actually mean? Perhaps a better word might be persuasion. Isn't to persuade the same as to sell someone? First let us look at the definition of persuasion. “The action or fact of persuading someone or being persuaded to do or believe something.” Other words associated with persuasion are coercion, inducement, encouragement, urging, enticement, and wheeling. If you are going into B2B  sales the most important word you can or should remember is ethics. This word goes a long way in selling oneself which is the key in selling any product or service.

 Persuasion, in my opinion, is nothing more than presenting facts to support a theory or hypothesis that answers a question or solves a problem. Ben Franklin as everyone is familiar with from the history of the United States was faced with proving that lightning and electricity was the same. Mr. Franklin, as we all know, did the famous kite flight with a metal key attached to a wire on the kite and when the lightning struck the kite, Mr. Franklin felt a strong shock that proved lightning was in fact electricity. This obviously proved that Ben Franklin's theory of lighting and electricity is the same and was of course an excellent example of persuasion. The power of persuasion is not to force or to push someone into buying something regardless of the results, but is the ability to help solve a problem in his or her business. One can follow all the text book strategies and tactics in the world, and which is important, but nothing is going to happen until both the customer and the seller meets agreement on a specific problem and the seller can demonstrate to the buyer a successful solution that solves the problem. The case of Berger Industries, Maspeth, NY is a perfect case example to illustrate this.

 A purchasing agent of several years and who just recently joined the company is briefed by the company's Chief Engineer that the new plastic pipeline product is having issues with assembly of the O'Ring seal, it was very time consuming and frustrating the assembly operator and supervisor. It was originally estimated that the process would take 20 to 30 seconds to install and has been actually taking over one minute and sometimes longer. The operator has to struggle while sliding the rubber seal over the pipe and due to excessive friction finds it to be a very hard in pushing the O'Ring into the groove.” This job was supposed to be a high profit maker but at this rate it will be a definite loser.”  The new purchasing agent Norm while holding his finger to his chin expressed, “Let me make a few calls and see what might be done about this.” “There must be a simpler way of accomplishing this. “up Armed with his list of prior relationships in the rubber seal business, places a call to a reputable supplier of rubber products that he did business with at one of his previous employers. Norm was put in contact with myself and after explaining the situation I scheduled an appointment for the following morning. We had the usual hand shake and simple conversation over coffee and after a brief meeting was introduced to the chief engineer and assembly supervisor. Looking at the application reminded me of the exact same problem with another plastic pipe manufacturer. The problem in assembly of O'Ring Seals over any pipe is a significant amount of friction.  I asked the customer for a few days to produce some prototype samples and would get back to them. I immediately placed a sample order and had O'Rings in a special compound as I promised delivered to Norm and engineer for test and evaluation. The engineer and assembly supervisor were amazed as to how much faster and  

easier the O'Rings slipped over the pipe and into the groove. Their original estimate of 20 seconds per seal was reduced in half to under 19 seconds. Smiles from ear to ear came across to all three participants and obviously I walked out afterwards with a contract for a two-year supply. Our compound was specified as sole source and a two-year contract had the business locked up and out of reach from competition. This is an example of servicing an UN-served market resident immediately flew up to meet with me and question my company loyalty and why I cost the company so much money by selling a special compound as opposed to selling parts already in stock.  Once he heard the total story the facts of the case he quickly came to my support and someone else got faced with further training on understanding customer’s needs.    

 Prospective employees waiting for their job interview, a businessman making the first step of a start-up business or baseball pitcher trying out for a major or minor league baseball team all have the common denominator of the word no. What makes this word so powerful that it puts so many strong people into a frenzy and such a deep fear and anxiety? Such a simple and common word that in many of us will do almost anything to avoid dealing with it.  Why would so many people carry so much negative emotion so afraid of the outcome of events?  What we do need to realize is that fear in atoll shapes and sizes is a part of everyone's life and it is just about impossible to change that. Famous actors also go through fear of rejection with almost every audition, entrepreneurs may start over twenty business o [opportunities before finding one successful one, polished sales people will make several presentations and be rejected as well as some of the best criminal attorneys will experience some losses at one time or another. Perry Mason even lost a few. You may ask, “Why does these people never fear no or rejection?” It might surprise you, but everyone does at various points in their life. The greatest people, in spite of their success, feels fear and rejection almost all the time. It usually turns out however that fear is never the issue but how one handles fear and rejection is what really matters. In fact, fear is all over the place such as a businessman waiting for a decision on a very important business loan or salesman presenting a product to a new prospect.  Both of these people are looking for different results but are feeling the same tension and anxiety that is associated with them

fear. Why is this so? Let us look at different levels of fear and the pluses of fear as well as the negatives.

Fear and Rejection

According to Matt James, PHD. Fear is a basic human emotion. It was wired into our systems for a

beneficial purpose—to signal us in times of danger and prepare us physically so we could accomplish what is necessary for survival.” “Fear lets you see only the downside, and that won't get you very far.”  “When warranted, fear can be one of our most vital resources, but as Helen Keller said, "Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than out-right exposure”.  “The fearful are caught as often as the bold." “These days, fear has become big business rather than a helpful, valuable resource.” “We live in a climate fueled by fear while the media manipulates fear to earn higher ratings with headlines such as will major storm hit Your Neighborhood while merchandisers tap our fear to sell products.” “ Politicians stir up fear to accumulate votes, religious leaders employ fear to keep flocks in line, and parents use fear to keep kids from misbehaving.”  “Fear is woven into the fabric of our lives, perhaps affecting modern adults even more than it did our caveman ancestors.”

“A recent article in the New York Observer recently claimed that “fear is the new normal.”[1] Fear influences the choices we make  yet making decisions motivated by fear is flawed, if not dangerous; it will never lead to the healthy, fulfilling lives we crave.” What we can learn about fear should not affect us negatively but should be considered a resource that can and will enhance our productivity and quality of work.

 Positive of Fear

 We will, in our case, concentrate on the young sales person all shaken up during a sales presentation with the fear of the customer rejecting his or her proposal. We are going to look at some factors and

strategies that will not only turn one's fear into more productivity but provide you with high

FEAR OF NO                                                                                                                               

 Confidence and total command of the situation at hand. The sales person will know that every presentation will not always be a closed sale, but he or she will know that they will achieve their fair share as well as the entrepreneur is going to handle most objectives and tasks with confidence and provide a strong presence to the staff.  Let us look at some of the business situations where a strong understanding can provide you with that feeling of confidence and credibility. As we follow Dr. Matt James, he points out several other important factors regarding fear such as “Fear sees only the downside.”

 Conquering fear and the word no is not eazy but it is simple. I will be addressing more on this on my next blog post.

[jessica-goldenstars-blog]

[ENGTRANS] Jessica interview with Grazia Korea 10.2018

G: Grazia  J: Jessica 

G: You were overseas till a few days ago. From Canada to Seoul, and now you're in LA. How do you pass your time lately? 

J: I've been very busy lately. (Laughs) I visited many places while abroad, and I'm also trying to create more opportunities to meet my fans. 

G: It seems your time spent in Seoul is getting shorter. 

J: In a month, my time spent in Seoul won't exceed 2 weeks. When I'm back, it's like I'm ready to leave again the moment I put down my luggages. Even so, Korea is still my home, because my parents and sister are there. 

G: Looking back to now, you're not only a singer, but also the creative director of an up-and-coming fashion brand to be reckoned with globally. How do you benchmark yourself? 

J: My agency profiles me as a 'multifaceted artiste'. It's becoming increasingly common to have multiple careers. From being singers and actors, to participating in musicals or any other careers. Pursuing multiple fields and careers is something interesting to me. Singer Jessica is doing well, being able to put my thoughts into action is fascinating. 

G: What inspires you to continuously create new content? 

J: It's a blessing to be able to travel to so many places for work, and this inspires me. Travelling back and forth like this allows me to meet my fans as well. I feel the urge to give back whenever I feel the energy and support from my fans. 

G: Does this mean you spend a lot of time in the air? How do you pass time? 

J: I drink a lot of hot lemon water on flights, and also apply a calming essential oil behind my ears to aid my sleep. I always do an essential oil infused 'half-bath' (hanshin yoku) once I reach the hotel to relax my muscles. This is how I stay in sync with my surroundings, like "oh, this is LA, it's a new start". 

G: How about your rest days when you have no schedules? 

J: I'm busy practising self-care on days without schedules. From hair color and treatment, to mani-pedicure. The discipline of self-restoration will fill all my free time, which also includes workout routines like pilates. Visits to the doctor's for supplements will take up almost a whole day. There are also frequent times when meetings with the Blanc & Eclare team go on till the wee hours of the night. 

G: I'm sure there are times you do absolutely nothing? 

J: Whenever I have a few free days in Korea, that is when I feel rested. To me, it's not truly rest unless it's home. I have a concert in Taiwan this October, but my schedule is packed before that. I may be able to take a breather after the concert but nothing is certain because my schedule is still being arranged till now (laughs). 

G: If you continue to work like this, you will definitely feel exhausted, and experience 'burnout'. Do you sometimes feel life is tough? 

J: The good thing about me is that I'm very focused and also very flexible. Of course, I'm surrounded by people whom I'm thankful for. They stayed beside me, gave me support so I wouldn't feel exhausted and am able to complete a day's work with ease. I'm surrounded by many capable staff, and I'm very thankful. 

G: Do you find it fitting to be both a singer and creative director now? 

J: It's fascinating. Regardless of what my career choice was, it has always been my dream to work in the fashion industry. Working with people who share the same interests, putting out products just as I imagined without modifications, and then people buying and using my products, makes me very happy. Since this is 100% my product, the feeling I have is indescribable, nothing else compares. 

G: Having debuted at a young age, have you ever thought about how 30 year old Jessica would be like? 

J: Because life was simply too hectic during my younger days, so I look forward to a carefree life now. As for what kind of person I wanna become, I just wanna be spontaneous and cool. My definition of cool would be someone who enjoys whatever he/she does, and is able to derive happiness from it. 

G: That sounds like the current you. Have your dreams come true already? 

J: That's right (laughs). What I'm thankful for is how I've been steadily moving towards my goal since young, and successfully reached where I am today. 

G: Were there no major setbacks? 

J: I guess things were fairly smooth-sailing for me. 

G: As the saying goes 'life is never smooth-sailing', have you ever felt frustrated? 

J: I'm not the type to get frustrated over things. In other words, I will accept whatever life throws at me. Under such circumstances, we should just sort things out and change our course of action. Moreover, I'm not the type to regret or feel sorry for myself over things that is out of my control. Everybody has low periods in life, and that happened to me too. Whenever that happens to me, I will face reality and forge a new path. I don't wish to bear unnecessary stress. 

G: How will you picture yourself 10 years from now? 

J: I should have a happy family by then? (Laughs) Since I would have been at that age. It's great that my life is moving along the way I imagined. I once thought to myself that I was gonna open a store in NYC if I ever work in the fashion industry. I didn't manage to list NYC as one of the locations when I first launched my brand, but my dream still came true in the end. Accomplishing my dreams make it extra meaningful. 

G: You once said you will try your best to portray your true self in interviews, is there any special reason? 

J: I'm actually very shy. But as my overseas activities increase, I gradually start to think I should open up more to show the various sides of Jessica. Being on my own now, I've managed to find a comfortable balance with everyone. 

G: Circumstances make a man. Seems like you are at a good place now? 

J: Regardless of what place I'm at, I don't ever wanna hear my manager say things like "I don't wanna hear what you have to say and I don't care what you think". Cultural differences exist, and we can interact with people via so many social media platforms nowadays. Since I've opened up more, I can interact with everyone more closely now. 

G: Following your current emotional state, what has changed? 

J: I feel more at ease now. I used to feel awkward when people initiate conversations because I didn't know what to say, and what should be said, so I feel burdened. But I'm at a good place now, so I feel great. 

G: What kind of person is Jessica to you? 

J: I'm extremely straightforward and frank, even to people whom I have connections with. It's more convenient to work like this. 

G: What kind of person do you want to become? 

J: I'm somewhat of a perfectionist. Even though I haven't learnt to let everything go, I'm slowly getting there. I try my best at whatever I do. Everyone tells me I am where I am today because of my hard work. Nowadays I'm beginning to delegate tasks to my staff, so it's getting easier for everybody now (laughs). 

G: You look prettier these days, what's your secret? 

J: Focus on my health. I fell sick for a few days after returning to Korea a while back, it was so bad that I couldn't leave my house for those few days. I felt the time was wasted with nothing accomplished, and I could only spend less than a week in Korea! So I did a full body checkup to find out what my body lacks, and have started managing my health. I also take vitamins and reduce my intake of flour-based foods. I'm trying hard to improve my eating habits. 

G: It's a popular topic these days, happiness or health? 

J: I have always wanted to lead a happy life since young, but I'm already very happy now. So I need to stay healthy to enjoy this happiness longer (laughs). 

G: It's only 2 months to the end of the year, how do you intend to spend the rest of the year? 

J: I'm earnestly preparing for my concert. Thereafter I intend to take a break till the end of the year. I'm also considering if I should release an album next year. 

G: So will we be able to see Jessica the singer next year? 

J: Once I feel that I am ready, I will release that album. An album clearly distinguishes an artiste. My album will have to showcase a sound unique to me, so it requires more effort. 

G: Last question. Any other things you wanna challenge yourself to? 

J: I'm more into clothes worn for vacations these days, like swimsuits. I also intend to expand a variety of different garments. I will mostly focus in the fashion in the near future.

Source: https://www.smlounge.co.kr/grazia/article/40029

C-trans: JungSooYeonBar

Engtrans: RI

[ninequestions9]

Me, 26, Executive Assistant

*My uncle made the suggestion that I answer my own questions then a year from now, when my project is done, answer them again and see how my views have changed. Here we go.*

1)      What is the biggest frustration you’re facing now?

    I’m at a point in my life where I’m done with formal schooling and building my education, I have a good job so career-wise I’m in a good place, but I’m not yet building a relationship or marriage or family. So for the first time in my life I am in this weird gap of not knowing what to do with myself. There’s no plan to follow or goals to achieve. I’m just doing things as they come along and throwing down floorboards as I walk. Most people would kill to be in this situation. Absolute freedom. Plus I’m young and healthy and financially secure enough. I have innumerable blessings, I know.

    Yet, I am incredibly frustrated with my life. A very privileged frustration, I know. I LOVE having a plan. I love having steps to take and goals to work towards and having a vision of where I’m going. I love structure. I need find something to channel my energy into. I’m eager to jump into the next phase of life and build towards marriage and such, but unfortunately I can’t control when I meet “the one.” I feel a lot of pressure to be on 1,000 dating apps and go out more and join more activities and organizations and talk to everyone, but it’s exhausting and just makes me anxious. I want meeting someone to be fun and genuine. But I guess you can’t have your cake and eat it too. 

    I’m trying to see the positive in all this. God has a plan. I look for three things to be grateful for a day. That helps me stay focused on the present and not freaking out about the unknown future. God has a plan and I know he’s putting me through the exact thing that makes me the most uncomfortable in order to make me stronger. I’m waiting for it to end though and the waiting is frustrating.

2)      What trait do you wish you most had?

    I wish I had more faith. I chose that as my confirmation name when I was 13 because even then I knew I needed more faith. Of course my belief in Jesus and the truth of the Bible is firm, but I wish I had more faith in God’s plan for my life. If God is the ultimate source of goodness, joy, love, and peace then no matter how he orchestrates my life, it will be for the best; whether in my lifetime or within the greater narrative.

    I spend way too much time worrying that things won’t work out the way I want them to. But really if I think about it, all the wonderful things of my life occurred, not because of my own doing, but really because of the people who happen to be in my life, the foundation my parents laid out for us, where I happen to live, what media society happen to produce at that time. I wound up at the college I attended because of a terrible fight I had with my mom. She wanted me to meet with the various college recruiters who circulated through my high school so I could learn more about what schools were out there and get a better understanding of what I was looking for. Very wise, but I didn’t want to bother missing class so I stubbornly refused. Long story short, while driving me to school, we got into another argument about it which ended with my mom calling me a little bitch and me slamming the door in her face. I begrudgingly signed up to attend the info session for the college that was visiting that day, University of Delaware, and in the end, that’s the college I wound up going to. I had never heard of that college before then and probably would have completely ignored it otherwise.

    In high school, I failed my Spanish AP test which meant I HAD to take one Spanish class in college. I had wanted to leave Spanish behind because I made up my mind I just wasn’t good at it. But of course, that one Spanish class I took freshman year turned out to be taught by an amazing professor who really made me feel like I could learn Spanish. So I wound up declaring a Spanish minor, studying abroad in Spain and now I speak Spanish! Haha!

    So having faith in God’s timing and accepting that I really don’t have as much control as I think I do.

3)      What are 3 characteristics you look for in a friend?

    Sense of humor, being real / genuine, and responsible. Laughter is essential. Life has more joy when you’re with someone who can find the humor in the most uncomfortable or awkward situations. Genuine because I can’t be myself and be real if I know the other person is putting on some kind of front or persona. If they’re glossing over the truth or trying to sell me some polished version of themselves then I just don’t have time for that kind of lack of self awareness. Responsible because I need to feel I can trust you’re not going to get us into a reckless situation or that you’re going to be there when you say you are. You’re not rude or oblivious to how your actions affect others. Mature. I sound so harsh, but I guess I’m thinking in terms of a deeper friendship.

4)      What makes you feel brave?

    When I’m taking care of others. When I feel my skills, knowledge, strengths are being put to good use and helping another person, then I feel brave. As my parents are getting older, I feel brave when they need me to drive them somewhere, get medicine, or make food. I also feel brave when I’m being kind to strangers. It’s so much easier to ignore other people or think “Oh that’s not my problem. They probably don’t want to be bothered,” but I’ve learned that’s not true. Most people are looking for some kind of connection or enjoy being noticed. So when I get past my own pride and try to connect with other people, I feel brave because there’s always the chance they’ll respond with some kind of haughty attitude or just look at me like I’m strange, but it’s worth it for the times I can make someone feel cared about.

5)      What makes you feel vulnerable?

    Knowing that I care way more about another person than they care about me. Or thinking someone is just The Coolest and admiring them and then knowing they will never think that way about me. When I was in middle school, my best friend suddenly stopped making plans with me to hang out. She also stopped inviting me to group outings with other friends. Eventually we just stopped talking. Looking back, I’m sure she had her reasons. I used a lot of mean/mocking humor with my friends and I think she just got sick of it. Completely fair. But it hurt so much because she was still my best friend in my mind even though her own priorities changed and she couldn’t care less about our friendship. So yeah that still haunts me. Those situations make me feel worthless.

6)      What was your proudest moment?

     When I got a lead in my high school production of Grease. I was Rizzo. It still holds such weight with me because that was like the ultimate validation as a teenager. It told me I was talented, I was liked, I was trusted, and I got a lot of attention for getting a lead role haha! I looked up to my older brother for getting leads in high school plays and then I was able to live up to that “legacy,” if you will.

    I’m always pretty proud when I tell people I worked at Disney World or when I speak Spanish too.    

7)      Who is your role model / hero and why?

            My grandma. My dad’s mom. She’s how I try to model myself as a Christian woman. She gives so much and she’s always thinking of others. Her present circumstances are a testament to the way she lived her life. At 95, she has a ton of people who actively WANT to take care of her. All the people she’s taken care of all these years are now joyfully taking care of her; driving her places, getting her food, taking her out. She has a lot of people in her life who really love her and it’s because she gives so much love. She’s also incredibly wise. She’s lived through the Great Depression, World War II, losing her sister at a young age, a miscarriage, raising four kids in a low income area, she’s traveled Europe, etc. She’s seen a lot, but she found joy in the simple things. She worked in a bank as a teller most of her life, but she said it was the best job she ever had because of all the friends she made and getting to know the customers. She was happy with what she had and she made what she had stretch to the point where she was able to feed all her kids and also invite the neighbors over too. She’s who I admire.

8)      What is one life lesson you’d like to pass down to future generations?

    On a spiritual level: Don’t base your self worth on something you can lose. Don’t base it on your academic performance, job achievements, significant other, family, kids, socioeconomic status, etc. Your self worth needs to come from something greater than you and this world. Look into who God is. Do research on who he says he is, what other religions say he is, what science and philosophy have to say about a higher power and just seek out the truth in that regard. Find God and look to understand his purpose for your life and this world as a whole. That advice probably won’t resonate with a large audience, but there it is.

    Also, don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself and have fun. Nobody looks stupid when they’re having fun.

9)      What is your opinion of Jesus?

    Jesus is the son of God, the messiah, and he died for my sins. God himself paid the price for my mistakes and my selfishness so that I wouldn’t have to. He did that for everyone. That’s love.

    But also, Jesus was not the weak, mild, whitewashed, nice-guy that you see in stain glass windows. What he had to say angered A LOT of people. It angered the “holiest” of people, the Pharisees, the temple leaders, the ones who supposedly knew the most about the scriptures and God. So much so that they wanted him dead. They arranged for his arrest and execution.

    Jesus is hope, but what he had to say didn’t always make people feel hopeful. When the rich young man asked Jesus what he had to do to inherit the kingdom of God, Jesus told him to give up all his belongings (essentially his identity, his pride, his comfort) and follow him. The rich young man walked away discouraged and hopeless. Not because there wasn’t hope, but because he wasn’t willing to lose what he had. Really he wasn’t willing to put himself aside. So it shouldn’t surprise us that Jesus’s words still make people uncomfortable today.

    But also, because Jesus tells us to put our own lives, worries, desires aside and trust and follow him, it’s actually easing the burden. It doesn’t sound fun and it’s a daily struggle, but when you get there, there is a sense of peace and groundedness. You don’t need to focus on yourself as much. You are free to take care of others and focus on God’s plan. I’m on a soap box now because this is way easier said than done, but you take it day by day.

    Jesus is my God and my savior and he is fearless.

[rpgmgames]

January’s Featured Game: Hello Charlotte

DEVELOPER(S): etherane ENGINE: RPGMaker VX Ace GENRE: Surreal, Horror, Dark Comedy  WARNINGs: Gore, Body Horror, Graphic Content SUMMARY: Hello, new Puppeteer! Meet Charlotte - a puppet you will control. Meet her alien friends, maggot cat and a certain Observer. Dive deep into horrors of junk food, TV world, religion and romance novels for middle-age women. Keep your puppet safe at all times. Or don't. Have fun dying!

Check it out here:  EP 1 | EP 2 | EP 3 | Delirium (spinoff)

Our Interview With The Dev Team Below The Cut!

Introduce yourself! *Hello! I'm etherane, the developer of Hello Charlotte series. I don't have much to say about myself.

What is your project about? What inspired you to create your game initially? *etherane: Hello Charlotte is a story-rich surreal puzzle RPG with various elements including: sci-fi, dark comedy, tradegy, body horror, violence and even romance! Wow! There are currently 3 main episodes + 1 extra in the series. 

I think the main source of inspiration was everyday life, followed by 90s cartoons and popular science books.

How long have you been working on your project? *etherane: I have started working on the first episode in February, 2015. By now, there are 4 games in the series. Which makes it 3 years total.

Did any other games or media influence aspects of your project? *etherane: It's hard to say. I consume a lot of media daily, so I'm sure some of it influenced me on subconscious level.

Have you come across any challenges during development? How have you overcome or worked around them? *etherane: The main challenge was to figure out how the engine works! Having very limited experience with any kind of coding, it took me some time to get a hang of it. Then, in EP2, I decided that I wanted to have 80% to be my own music, so that became a challenge on its own...I still suck at it, but at least HC now has its own music box theme...and by EP3, Bennett has a variety of chiptune themes to accompany him. So I consider that a personal achievement!

Have any aspects of your project changed over time? How does your current project differ from your initial concept? *etherane: Hello Charlotte was supposed to be an episodic comedy game! The one where characters might die during the course of the episode, then get magically revived by the next. I think the spin-off game, HC:Delirium, captures that feeling perfectly. I find it to be the happiest game in the series! 

However, over the course of development, the story got a little more personal, and became...what it is. Oops.

What was your team like at the beginning? How did people join the team? *etherane: I work alone. However, over the course of the development, many translators kindly offered their help with bringing HC to wider audiences! Not only that, during the past year, my friend and editor L.K. has greatly aided me with proofreading and testing the game.

What is the best part of developing the game? *etherane: Watching the empty shells of characters become alive through the combination of dialogue, drawings and music. Although...I love everything about gamedev, no matter how inexperienced I still am. 

 Do you find yourself playing other RPG Maker games to see what you can do with the engine, or do you prefer to do your own thing? *etherane: I tend to play RPG Maker games to see what kind of stories creators come up with! Gameplay-wise, there's not much that interests me, since I tend to come up with game events that fit the story on my own, then look for solutions and scripts that may allow me to implement them into the game.

Which character in your game do you relate to the most and why? (Alternatively: Who is your favorite character and why?) *etherane:  I love Charlotte! Who doesn't? (But my dream girl is miss Warhol.)

Looking back now, is there anything that regret/wish you had done differently? *etherane: Not really! I love HC for what it is. It's always been an experimental project, my first game and a finished one at that. I believe that all the failures and mistakes are a part of the learning experience. However, I'll continue to work hard in order to improve my skills.

Once you finish your project, do you plan to explore the game's universe and characters further in subsequent projects, or leave it as-is? *etherane: Charlotte's story is over. But, there is a possibility for a spin-off.

What do you look most forward to upon/after release? *etherane: Everyone's reaction! And... finally making public my drawings that contain spoilers!

Is there something you're afraid of concerning the development or the release of your game? *etherane: I hope there are no more bugs left. I'm losing sleep thinking of those. May the game run smoothly for everyone!

Do you have any advice for upcoming devs? *etherane: Make a game you yourself want to play! As long as you can barely contain your own excitement for the result, you'll be able to overcome any hardships during the development. That's what I believe.

Question from last month's featured dev @CHUMBOSOFT: Did you have a specific demographic in mind when making your game?  *etherane: No... not really. All I was thinking was, "Oh god, I'm making a game! With my own two hands!", so the excitement over the process of game development itself overshadowed all the other thoughts. (That being said, I still can't define a proper genre for HC, so I end up naming all the elements that it has.)

We mods would like to thank etherane for agreeing to our interview! We believe that featuring the developer and their creative process is just as important as featuring the final product. Hopefully this Q&A segment has been an entertaining and insightful experience for everyone involved! 

Remember to check out Hello Charlotte if you haven’t already! See you next month! 

- Mods Gold & Platinum

[dailyhealthynews]

We need healthy habits to live meaningfully and purposefully

Sea Princess, Leica Carpo, Ben Romualdez, Sandy and Philip Romualdez and Nico Romualdez

Happy Father’s Day to all the incredible fathers of this world!

Fathers play a vital role in shaping our children’s views of men and the role men play in our lives. Children’s relationship with their father is usually the very first connection they make with a man, and that foundation changes their outlook on future relationships.

Being a good parent takes more than just having a child. It takes real dedication to show up, love unconditionally, and put your child’s needs above your own.

In order to be committed to the mental and emotional well-being of the child, parents must also look after their own health. We cannot offer our children what we do not cultivate in ourselves.

For the past few weeks I’ve been focusing on my own mental and emotional growth. Constantly indulging in the superficial and materialistic facade of social media can be an obstacle to processing the real depths of our feelings. It can be easy to ignore how we really feel inside when we lose ourselves scrolling endlessly through the highlights of other people’s lives. After slowly reconnecting and engaging with my inner well-being, I realized that we cannot be fully healed unless we are whole physically and emotionally.

Self-care is a conscious balance between listening to what your body, mind, and spirit need. We must strive to maintain healthy habits in order to live meaningfully and purposefully. After researching various ways to care for myself through self-help books, therapy sessions, and online podcasts, I now devote my time to anti-aging programs, online exercise classes, and shopping for exercise equipment.

Paolo and Ria Prieto and the boys Baltazar, Benito and Dimitri

Healthy aging

There are many ways to healthy aging. Proper diet and other lifestyle factors play important roles in adding years to your life and life to your years.

When I was younger I thought 50-year-olds were near the end of their lives. Now that I’ve got this midlife brand behind me, I have a completely different mindset and perspective on getting old. I’ve realigned my priorities to extend the number of years I can live free from the ailments associated with aging – from unwanted wrinkles, memory loss, and creaky joints to a weakened immune system and more!

In order to defy the effects of aging without going under the knife, I have found some helpful tips to “feed” the brain, “eat” for beautiful skin and “sleep” for regeneration. Staying fit in old age is an important aspect of longevity.

Diet and exercise are important preventive measures to slow the onset of age-related cognitive decline. The brain needs healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids in order for our brain cells to function. Oily fish, like mackerel, can help stave off the deterioration in our minds. Nutrient-rich salmon is also a popular source of omega-3 fatty acids and also contains high levels of vitamins D and B. For vegetarians, omega-3 fatty acids are also found in chia seeds, walnuts and extra virgin olive oil.

Plant-based foods are linked with higher levels of nutrients that benefit the brain. Red, blue, and purple berries can also help protect brain cells from aging. After learning that you can “feed” your brain to stay sharp, I realized that my daughter Jordan Prieto-Valdes’ vegan lifestyle may have made her an even more brilliant writer and artist. She edited my weekly columns and made good use of her magna cum laude screenwriting degree from Chapman University!

The longer you practice maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the more long-term benefits you will have. It’s about finding the right habits that make you feel good. I was happy to read that wine is actually on the “good for the brain” list. Sometimes we drink enough wine to say smart things, but we end up doing stupid deeds. So remember: moderation is key.

Joaquin Puyat, Julian and Clara Parado with baby Alina, Cri-Cri and Toto Puyat

Well-fed cells

Living health starts with well-nourished cells. Since eating right all the time can be challenging, it is important to take supplements to provide us with the right nutrients.

Usana CellSentials are so much more than your average multivitamins. Each daily dose provides essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and additional key nutrients. Made with Usana’s patented Usana InCelligence technology, the exclusive InCelligence Complex goes beyond just nourishing the body. It also helps activate your body’s natural ability to respond to stress and keep your cells healthy.

In addition, Usana BiOmega contains omega-3 fatty acids, the fatty acids that keep you healthy in old age.

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that must be obtained through food because your body cannot make it naturally. As a source of vitamin C, Usana Poly C offers a number of important benefits such as antioxidant activity that neutralizes free radical damage to help maintain cell health.

Regular exercise could both reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in healthy adults and increase cognitive performance in people with little memory loss.

For timelessly beautiful skin, there are many beauty products that help reduce all unwanted lines and age spots. Eating a nutritious diet that includes antioxidant foods will also help keep skin clear. The antioxidant vitamin E helps against wrinkles; some good sources are almonds, spinach, and sunflower seeds.

If you want to have beautiful skin, what you eat is important. To reduce age lines and inflammation, as well as increase collagen and moisture for healthy skin, add foods that contain vitamin C, lipoic acid, collagen, ellagic acid (helps prevent wrinkles), and omega-3 fatty acids. You can find these nutrients naturally in watermelon, bone broth, coffee, salmon, and dark chocolate. Probiotics can also prevent skin damage.

For the fathers out there who are grandfathers or even great grandfathers now, I wish you a very special Father’s Day as you enjoy a day of blessings you deserve. May the Lord shower you with healthy, strong years of fulfilling joys and relaxing times. Take the time to take care of yourself so that you can take care of your loved ones even more! INQ

Follow @ seaprincess888 on Instagram

Shane and Ed Miguel, Joan and Nath Sunio, Cherry Ampig, Billy dela Fuente, Duday Gasto, Ranell and Jonalyn Blanco, Daisy and Rommel Balaguer

Standing: Pelos Remollo, Ina Ongsiako with Miya Crisostomo, Marto Ongsiako, Berna Dy, Brazille Pango with Julio Pango, Paolo Ongsiako with Theo Labuguen, Patricia Crisostomo, Bindoy Crisostomo. Seats: Ramon Miguel Ongsiako, Jojo Ongsiako, Mica Ongsiako

Kristian, Kerry, Kody, Kaye, Freddie and Kylie Tiñga

Fern, Natalia and Junie Peña

Miguel, Mio, Yvette and Marty Ilagan

Fritz Gaston and Usana Regional Vice President of Asia Duday Gaston

source https://dailyhealthynews.ca/we-need-healthy-habits-to-live-meaningfully-and-purposefully/

[hightechdad]

I have often written about the poor-ish sound quality of many HDTVs on the market. You pay for great visual performance, but it often is a bit sub-standard when it comes to the audio. In cases like these, you may want to invest in a soundbar to bring your audio experience up to the level of the visual one. But, sound bars can be expensive. A great way to start is with more of an entry-level soundbar like the iLive HD Sound Bar which also comes with a wireless subwoofer (model: ITBSW399B). Not only is the sound quite decent, but it also offers a variety of audio connection options. (*Disclosure below) There is probably some unwritten formula about how much you should spend on a soundbar based on the cost of your HDTV. I’m guessing, however, that you don’t want to spend more on your audio than you do on your TV. But there are various things to consider when adding a soundbar to your audio/visual setup. Obviously, the sound quality is #1, but you should consider the flexibility of the soundbar as well. How does it connect? What types of devices can it connect to? Does it fit into your viewing environment? Is the setup easy? The iLive HD Sound Bar is one of those devices that won’t break your budget but will still provide you with an “upgrade” to whatever you have “out of the box.” In my testing, I don’t think it will beat out some of the higher-end soundbars out there, but if you are looking to add a better audio experience to your viewing environment, or perhaps you have a child heading off to college, and they need a multi-function speaker that can do more than just connect a TV, definitely check out the iLive solution. Multiple Audio Connections One of the great things about the iLive HD Sound Bar is the fact that you are not limited to one type of audio connection. In fact, you can pair Bluetooth devices like a smartphone, tablet, or laptop quite easily. This makes it ideal for that college student, as I mentioned. Instead of also having to get a Bluetooth speaker for their audio around the dorm room, the iLive HD Sound Bar gives you that option to play their music loud – provided it’s not after-hours or during study time. But, if you use the (included) optical digital audio cable and your HDTV supports an optical audio output, that is the option to take when you connect your HDTV. While the iLive speaker only has 2.1 channel stereo sound (with the .1 being the subwoofer), I do feel that is more than enough for using this sound bar for watching movies or binge-watching the latest Marvel series. What if you have an older device that doesn’t have Bluetooth or optical? There are connectivity options for that as well; two of them, in fact. There is a 3.5mm Aux-in port to allow you to connect something like an iPod (remember those?) or just use the audio-out from an older smartphone. And, if you want to connect something perhaps a bit bigger (or older), there are even RCA stereo audio inputs. RCA connections are good for those TVs which don’t have optical connections. Remember though, the best two ways for audio connections, I feel, are the optical-in and the Bluetooth connections. If you have other devices connected to your HDTV like a game console, media streaming device, or something similar, connect those directly to your HDTV and then use the optical connection for the best sound. Thumping with the Wireless Subwoofer Many of the entry-level soundbars don’t include a subwoofer. As a result, the bass can sometimes be a bit lacking. Personally, I like the bass. It adds to the viewing experience, especially if you like watching action movies as I do. So, when shopping for a soundbar, definitely look towards getting one that has an external subwoofer. The extra thumping and bumping is truly nice. Many sound bars that include a subwoofer often have them physically attached to the soundbar itself via a cord. This isn’t the end of the world unless you struggle to find a place to put the subwoofer near your HDTV and soundbar. The great thing about the iLive HD Sound Bar is that the included subwoofer connects wirelessly. This means that as long as you place it within 30 feet or so of the iLive soundbar itself, you can connect it wirelessly. But this also means that you do have to find an electrical plug to power it. So weigh your options here and make sure you have a plug where you want to put the subwoofer. I found that connecting the iLive wireless subwoofer was very easy. You just turn on the soundbar, plug in the subwoofer, and flip the power switch on the back of the subwoofer. The subwoofer will automatically search for the sound bar and connect with it. Once connected, there will be a blue LED that shows it is connected on the soundbar. If you lose your connection, just turn both devices off and then on again, starting with the soundbar. The quality of bass of the wireless subwoofer is fairly good. It won’t make the plaster fall off of the wall, but it is definitely better than not having a subwoofer at all. And, the nice thing is, you can adjust the amount of bass you want thumping out via the iLive remote control (more on the remote shortly). Easy-to-use Remote Control The iLive soundbar comes with a multi-featured remote, which is extremely handy. And, you will need to be sure that you keep that remote handy to use the functionality. While there are buttons on the side of the soundbar itself, you need the remote if you want to fine-tune the audio experience. The remote control has the standard features you would expect – power, volume, and mute buttons – but it also has other controls based on how you are connected. If, for example, you have a Bluetooth connection, you can play/pause the audio and skip tracks using the remote. You also have dedicated source input buttons for Bluetooth, Optical, Aux, and Line In, so you can conceivably have four devices simultaneously connected and simply toggle between them with just one button push. Using the remote, you can fine-tune both the treble and the bass output of the iLive soundbar and subwoofer. Having this ability is nice since everyone’s listening preferences are different. Lastly, there are dedicated buttons with some pre-set audio settings for the type of audio you are playing: Music, Movie, or Dialog. While these are handy, I actually felt it was better to do the settings myself manually, as I honestly didn’t like the presets. iLive HD Sound Bar Dimensions, Final Thoughts, and Price For those curious about the physical specifications, here’s a little bit of content for you. The soundbar measures 37″ long by 2.8″ wide by 2.7″ high. The wireless subwoofer is almost a cube, measuring 8.27″ x 8.27″ x 9″. Bluetooth has a range of about 60 feet before the audio starts cutting out. Also, the iLive sound bar is wall-mountable. While I prefer simply having the soundbar below the TV, if you don’t have the space for it or aesthetically you like how it appears above the TV, or if you have the TV mounted to the wall already, you do that have the option (and included hardware). The iLive HD sound bar and wireless subwoofer retails for $149.99. But, you can pick it up currently on Amazon for only $85.72! At this price, it’s a great gift for a grad or perhaps adding to a secondary TV environment like a bedroom. Shop on HighTechDad The product shown below (and related products that have been reviewed on HighTechDad) is available within the HighTechDad Shop. This review has all of the details about this particular product and you can order it directly by clicking on the Buy button or clicking on the image/title to view more. Be sure to review other products available in the HighTechDad Shop. 37″ iLive HD Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer $85.72 Buy on Amazon The iLive HD Bluetooth soundbar is a nice, entry-level, multi-function speaker that is great for kids, grads, or simply adding to another room apart from your main HDTV environment. While I do like all of the functionality and features, I do wish the sound was a bit more robust. Nevertheless, having any type of soundbar is definitely a step up from using the stock speakers built-in to a TV. Disclosure: I have a material connection because I received a sample of a product for consideration in preparing to review the product and write this content. I was/am not expected to return this item after my review period. All opinions within this article are my own and are typically not subject to the editorial review from any 3rd party. Also, some of the links in the post above may be “affiliate” or “advertising” links. These may be automatically created or placed by me manually. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item (sometimes but not necessarily the product or service being reviewed), I will receive a small affiliate or advertising commission. More information can be found on my About page. HTD says: The iLive HD Sound Bar and Wireless Subwoofer is a great starter soundbar. It connects multiple types of devices through different connections, has quite good sound quality, and makes any type of audio or visual playback better.

https://www.hightechdad.com/2021/05/30/ilive-hd-sound-bar-wireless-sub-review/

[thedigitalsauda]

5 Key Digital Marketing Trends for 2021

1. To engage and maintain online media

Associations should be established in 2021 to create more assets for online media showcasing. Web-Based Media Financial Plans Account. During the Q2 of 2020, to 24% of completed US advertising of best digital marketing course in laxmi nagar spending plans, from 13% last winter. During the COVID-19 epidemic, advertisers are

Progressively focusing on customer maintenance. It will proceed in 2021. The epidemic has expanded significantly. The amount of time a person spends online involves how they research items, brands, and associations. This buyer move creates newly opened doors for advertisers to expand and re-engage with new crowds after the best digital marketing course in delhi. 

For two hundred dollars each month, long-term customers, a good online media advertiser can create a substance plan, Standard posts, screens and drives client responses, and pull in new business. If your independent company is shutting down. Adding online media administration to its promotional mix currently is the time.

2.Google My Business

Okay, here's how we start: Interest is important to the surroundings, with over a billion people using Google Maps. Monthly and more than 5,000,000 applications and sites using Google Maps platform items consistently. Because of this interest, Google

ceaselessly saves new highlights, for example, posts, new help and item options, COVID-19 and options for dark

Organizations, and even a web designer. Google needs to simplify this for many people looking locally:

Administrations

Hours

Addresses

Telephone number

The menu

Customer's photos and videos

Organization sites

Survey and evaluation

This clearly creates another opportunity to rank and access neighborhood markets. This additionally enables the level of the game. More humble undertaking. Instead of attempting to break up posts for exceptionally soaked, seriously serious, high-traffic by  best digital marketing course in laxmi nagar .

Watchwords, organizations can make their assumptions in more limited business areas. The things they're doing are a ton of business heads

What's more, customers go to their neighborhood first.

"I like to keep things around. I'm going to start the pass constantly. I have a promotion office myself, so I have a lot. Whenever we are looking for another, whether in production or sound, video, or any event, associations are needed in this regard

Office several years ago. I generally like to start locally. "- Christian Rich, best digital marketing course in delhi-Marketing Speaker, and Director. The expert inventor in an ongoing meeting with Cardinal Digital Marketing. If your Google My Business posting actually hits you as a low-ROI movement or something down depending on your needs, you Should reconsider. Here are some Google My Business information that can adjust your perspective:

3. Putting nothing back on Google listings and local SEO

On the off chance that you own a private company, the main thing that you can do is check the postings in your neighborhood and keep them running.

On various chase stages. It is on this basis that for B2C organizations that primarily attract customers at a nearby level (think dental experts. Office or vehicle sales center), Google My Business posting gives important data about your hours (of which there are a large number)

COVID-19), in constant change due to administration and topographical area. It is one of the key elements in the pursuit and business. Proprietors are regularly overwhelmed to find the number of catalogs. A tip to execute today: Guarantee that you have a topographically characterized administration area inside your neighborhood posting as you wish

Help your business look "closer to me" look. This is based on the premise that many web crawlers (especially Google by best digital marketing course in laxmi nagar) host Pertinence. Calculation in their inquiry. It may seem unreasonable to restrict your business administration sweep, yet you will do more in this way.

Enter that market deeply into indexed lists. Keeping your posting fresh allows your customers to know just about anything. Changes in your hours, advancements, online advance digital marketing course journals, or some other data you want to pass faster.

4. Better communication of availability

As indicated by McKinsey, the accessibility of goods and administration is the main explanation customers are exchanging their image. Integrity at this moment. Advertisers can address this difficulty in a few ways. The most self-evident (if generally disturbing) mechanism is

Increase in the time of stock near the items or increase the accessibility of time allocation for administration. Be imaginative. for example, Most doctors and dental workplaces we work with, telecommunications with more people, and adapting many children remotely

Redistribution of employees toward more daytime spaces and fewer night and weekday hours. If changing stock levels or adjusting hours is a test (or more formidable), the ideal becomes at the forefront of correspondence. be clear

About what you should and should not do and set sensible desires. For high-volume items, consider installing a patent on yourself. Items to be displayed when entering the site. If you are not collecting customer contact data, is currently. Ideal opportunity to build a support list so you can be proactive with telling customers of access changes

5.Zero- Click on the search result

Progressively, list items move individuals to Google properties, for example, YouTube recordings, pieces, and information chart-stuff. Google can serve in indexed lists without the need to "tick" from the customer. Why? Since what is it about of

End customer needs. Besides, individuals need the appropriate response, data, or "thing" that is expected as fast as they can find in the circumstances. The "zero-click" query item gives the appropriate response or data to an individual requirements without the need to invest any more energy  Digital sauda

Navigating a site. Starting in 2019, zero-click scans represent more than 50% of all Google. No, The shocking thing is that Google is becoming great for giving its customers all those things on a secluded SERP page, through things like

Bits, information diagrams, and videos included my Go Round. Copy the posting where the little holder will get a top. The spots in the customary extension of the query item are remnants of days gone by at present.

To demonstrate the experience, scan Google for "Kovid" and take a gender on SERP. There is a glossary with data. About hints, insights, and testing. Information collected from nearby and public sources, as a limited guide

Since the volume of the case for your zone is the SERP Google property when they have slack and free space for innovation guidance by best digital marketing course in laxmi nagar.

When it comes to giving it to the individuals they need immediately.

An information chart for a specific medical problem. At that point, when you search, the state, "Headache Migraine," Google will show an Intelligent information diagram with reviews, indications, medicines, and trained professionals.

A direct mini-computer for a specific count. For example, when you search for a "contract interest adding machine", you will be An inserted mini-computer is provided where you simply must not include the numbers too far in the SERP on the best course of digital marketing.

A film or collection Mira Round. At that point when you search, for example, "Picture by Sofia Coppola," Google will give you a clean level zero-click indexed list is an entertaining thing. The information shows that they are converting to standard with Google

Improving approaches to increase SERPs and "keep individuals on Google" without constantly navigating to external sites. Still, there is an untrue: the more compelling Google is at communicating zero-click list items, the greater the clarity Individuals are there to navigate your site, which could mean lost traffic and, understandably, changes  best digital marketing course in laxmi nagar .

[ethanblogsforpt]

PEACE OF MIND AMIDST THE CHAOS IN THE WORLD

Source: The Breck Life

The coronavirus pandemic drastically changed the way we live life. We don’t get to interact with friends physically that much anymore, and we hear negativity everywhere. From the moment we open our phone and log in on social media, we get bombarded with the chaos happening all around the world, from the growing number of COVID-19 cases, issues of social, racial and gender inequality to brewing disagreements between two countries. It affects our mental health negatively, and our spirit may be deflated much as a result, leaving us to think that there is little hope that there will be a time where peace rules over the world, and that there might be no room for change in our society. With that being said, it is now more important than ever that we need to boost our morale, and keep ourselves mentally and spiritually healthy as the front-liners search for a vaccine and a cure to this seemingly never-ending misery. Although we need to have faith, just as the others say, because it is essential to keeping a spiritually healthy mind, we also have to show it through our actions, particularly in various routines, because it usually represents how you value your wellness as a human being. In this blog, I’ll talk about some of the things that I do daily, that helps me balance my time and health this quarantine, and maybe you can take note of one of the things in my routine, and apply them in yours too.

MONDAY – 7:30 AM

NEW WEEK, NEW SET OF BIBLE VERSES

Source: history.com

Since the new normal classes started, I woke up at 7:30 every morning, to prepare myself for every class, synchronous or self-paced. As soon as I’m awake, I usually pray, to thank God for giving me another day to live, since this year made us realize that life is too precious, and that nothing is promised, not even tomorrow. I thank Him for giving me all the things that I am able to enjoy today, and I also ask for His guidance in every aspect of my life. It may be making decisions that may affect my future, or my character. Afterwards, I read some bible verses that help keep me on track and stay unfazed from the negativity that I see whenever I open my social media accounts.

After everything else, I then get to reflect on all the blessings that I received, and it made me appreciate all the little things even more. I admit, one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made in my life, is that I took some things for granted. Waking up early in the morning and going to school is something that I really took for granted, something that I wouldn’t thought I’d miss it soon enough. Another, is going out everyday after school for a short bike ride around the neighborhood, or perhaps playing basketball with my friends. For now, I have to wait a bit longer before I get to do these again, like the normal days. I’d also reflect on the dreams that I get last night, if I can recall them. They do symbolize things sometimes, and it may be referring to you, your situation in life right now, or what you need to do in order to get yourself past a difficult situation, if you’re facing one currently. Also, they have hidden messages, which are usually about what you feel towards a certain situation. I’d go for a few reps of some exercises after, to make sure that I’m fit, since this is the right time to invest more of your time in exercising to stay fit.  Alright, it’s time for me to start my classes. I’ll write again tomorrow, but until then, I must finish everything I need to do for this day.

TUESDAY – 10:03 PM

ONE RAINY NIGHT

Source: depositphotos.com

Another day, yet today is rainy unlike yesterday. It’s my favorite weather, because for some reason I find it relaxing, and it allows me to focus more on what I’m doing, much like how praying to God everyday realigns my focus towards everything I do for the day. Pairing it with hot chocolate and doughnuts probably would be what I call a great start to a rainy morning, that would eventually last until evening. I still have a lot to do today, since there are still assessments and tasks that I didn’t get to finish yesterday. I’ll carry on with my usual routine after that, taking a bath, then maybe taking a break from all the school stuff that I’m working on. I often play games and watch anime after I finish several tasks. Maybe I’d watch about 5 episodes, then do another set of tasks again. I’d also listen to music, depending on what genre I’d like to listen to in a day. It helps me focus, although I admit I’d be singing it at some part. But hey, if it’s effective, why not?

         Anyways, I’m tired right now. I sleep late like almost every day. I never forget to pray before I sleep though, because when I was still a 9 year old kid, I frequently had nightmares whenever I forgot to pray before I sleep, which would then be my routine every night. Alright, I’ll write again tomorrow. I’m hopeful that tomorrow will be an another opportunity for me to be better emotionally, spiritually, physically and mentally than I am yesterday.

WEDNESDAY – 8:00PM

DE-STRESSING IN THE MIDDLE OF SCHOOLWORKS

Source: verywell.com

It’s already Wednesday, and things are kind of getting stressful enough. It’s hard, especially for me, considering that I still have tasks to do, and that I have a schedule of learning how to code after classes. I usually finish some difficult tasks around 4PM, and I get to unwind from all the stuff that I’ve been doing. Usually, I watch anime or play games with my friends. I even read some bible verses to keep my faith in God strong. However, this day was different. I just wanted to take a nap, considering that I slept late because of my daily late-night talks with my dad, who’s working abroad. I somehow did, I prayed before sleeping and now I’m energized enough to continue doing the tasks that were unfinished now.

         I think now is the time to take care of ourselves mentally more than ever. That’s why I’m doing everything one step at a time. I unwind when I feel like I need to. I constantly get reminded of that too, because sometimes I could spend the whole day just working on schoolwork, without taking a break. I’d give myself an hour to refresh my mind, make sure that it stays healthy when I continue to study and do tasks. A lot of us are already stressed today, with the immense pressure that the pandemic gives us, as we hear a plethora of news with one common subject: the coronavirus. I don’t want anything to add up to it, that’s why I try to finish everything that I can possibly do in a day. I was taught once in Grade 4, that what you can do today, do it now. Tomorrow is never promised, so do everything that you need to do today, when you have the time and the resources. It avoids us from rushing to finish something on time, with only little time left. Despite all of that, it is also important to relax once in a while, since the challenge that the pandemic has brought to us today is not only being healthy physically, but testing our mental toughness, which I believe is the key to keeping ourselves productive this quarantine.

THURSDAY – 10:38 PM

LESS STRESS, MORE ENJOYMENT

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It’s Thursday already, and I’m feeling a bit too excited because it’s almost weekends. I still have a lot to do, but I’m making good progress. I’ve already finished almost two-thirds of what I need to do, and it’s only a matter of time before self-care week is around. Today is just another usual day for me, the typical unwinding through playing games and talking with friends. It’s like I can’t miss a day without communicating with them, and it has been a part of our routine ever since. I just finished praying, and as I was about to take a spoonful of my food, I suddenly remembered one moment in my life where I was showing a bit of ungratefulness towards everything I have, and it was me being ungrateful about the food that was served on our table.

         That gave me time to reflect again, on how I developed and matured as a person, and participating in Bible Studies that our neighbors held really helped in molding me into the person that I am today. I really appreciate the fact that I’m surrounded with the right people, who lead me in the right path. I also appreciate my relatives letting me join them with every religious practice and seminar that they attend to. It really helped me strengthen my faith in God, which I keep on recalling whenever I notice myself being stressed or losing faith in God. If it weren’t for them, who knows what may happen to me? My parents might get a call saying that I got into trouble for any mischievous stuff that I did in school or someplace else. The book that my mom bought for me that allows me to point out my bad habits, and how to replace them with the good ones certainly helped. But the main reason why I am what I am right now, is because of my upbringing. My parents never spoiled me with expensive stuff, and although there was a point where I wished I have them, I just focused on the ones that I have right now, because it’s still a blessing, and I am still fortunate enough, unlike other children who had a rough childhood. I don’t get to appreciate them unless if those things were taken away from me. It’s a privilege, and I’m grateful enough for that. Alright, that’s it for now. We’re about to pray together as a family, and we’ll continue to pray that this pandemic finally ends, and we could all go back to our normal lives.

FRIDAY – 9:59 PM

THE POWER OF ONE PRAYER

Source: foxnews.com

Praying every day doesn’t really consume that much of your time. I know I’ve reiterated this over and over in my past entries, but one of my prayers got answered, and it’s related to the wellness of my family. I kept on praying that my dad is going to be alright, considering that he becomes anxious sometimes, and the only thing that could make it go away is when he talks to us. I’m also grateful that he’s my dad, because he still spends time communicating with us. Along with that, I’m glad that my mom didn’t contract the disease, because she constantly goes out to buy food and other stuff. I also recited one bible verse from the Book of John 3:16 which is “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” It reminds us that everything in the world happens for a reason, and that God has a plan for each and every one of us. Despite all of the chaos happening in the world, I’m sure He’s letting us try to realize something through those happenings, and that is being grateful for getting a chance to live, since many are already suffering from the disease the COVID-19 virus brings. Before I move on into the weekends, I usually reflect on what I did this week, to determine whether I have been productive or not. I try to stay productive in anyway possible, and for the upcoming self-care week, I plan to practice more in playing the piano, because I plan to pursue music too, and it’s what I love. I just find joy in playing instruments, and I could go as far as making my own covers and my own compositions too. I also want to read books related to the economy, the stock market and finance, since I also desire to become an investor someday, just like my dad, although his job is really an Electronics Engineer, he also invests in the stock market whenever he has time, along with the family time he spends with us.

         These are my routines every day, and although it may not that much, I’m sure it’ll give you something to do to remain productive during these days. Our mental and spiritual health is now more important than ever, and it’s only fitting to do these. In praying, it could be before and after meals, waking up and before going to sleep. As for the bible verses, you could incorporate them into your schedule once a day. It’s not enough though, if you don’t really apply the lessons that the verses convey in your life. Such example is when we encounter a situation that’s left us with uncertainty to decide on something. God and the Holy Spirit will surely help us provide the strength and wisdom, to do what’s good and proper. Reciting one also helps us calm down and think through it wisely. We have to be ready for these situations in life, and this quarantine provides us plenty of time to do so, for our character development and our decision-making skills, because one wrong decision later on in life will really change everything, which will then cause us to regret doing it.

[michaelandy101-blog]

79 Marketing Tools and Software for Every Business & Budget

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79 Marketing Tools and Software for Every Business & Budget

In the world of marketing, it seems like there are always new tools, tips, tricks, and trends to discover and incorporate into your marketing strategy. How is it possible to keep up with them all?

As a marketer myself, I often wish I had a better sense of all of the tools available to me — and what sets each of them apart — so I can make more informed decisions on how to create and optimize content.

Luckily, I have the privilege of working on a team of 150+ other marketers who specialize in different functions than I do. And because of that, I was able to curate this list of the top tools every marketer should know about and use.

The list of recommended tools below is sorted into different sections so you can get a better sense of what tools are available for different functions of the job. 

Above lists the different types of tools for every part of your job. Below is our roundup of the best marketing tools in each category. 

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Tools

You and your sales team want to sell your product or service — not fight with messy spreadsheets, cluttered inboxes, or clunky tools that slow you down. That’s why using a Customer Relationship Management System — also known as a CRM — is essential. Not only will it help your sales team manage relationships, but a CRM will also give you a place to deliver those leads you generated to your sales team.

CRMs are such an essential part of any good marketing and sales team that we think everyone should have one. That’s why the HubSpot CRM is completely free.

Featured CRM Tool:

1. HubSpot CRM

HubSpot CRM automates the tasks salespeople hate and takes minutes to learn — not months. That means doing more deals and less data entry.

Other CRM Tools:

2. Zoho CRM

3. Zendesk

4. Pipedrive

Online Advertising Tools

If your team is making investments into PPC ad campaigns on platforms like Google, Bing, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, it’s probably a bit of a hassle to manage all the different ad campaigns you’re running across each different network. Besides just managing them, you then have to try and report on the results of all of them. What a struggle. Luckily, there’s tools for that.

Featured Online Advertising Tool: 

5. AdStage

AdStage takes the hassle out reporting on all of the PPC campaigns you’re running and puts it all in one place. AdStage helps you automate, create, and manage your campaigns across all of the major PPC platforms, then allows you to report on your results. With visual features and powerful automation tools, AdStage is a must for PPC experts and newbies alike.

Other Online Advertising Tools:

6. HubSpot Ads Tracking Software

7. Perfect Audience

8. Google Keyword Planner

9. AdRoll

10. WordStream

Social Media Tools

Social media managers know the pain of posting that perfect social media post only to have a follower find a typo a minute later and call you out. For marketers, using a social media tool to schedule all of your posts (so you catch those typos beforehand) is a must. But it also helps to get the right analytics from your social posts, especially on channels where it can be hard to get that information.

Featured Social Media Tool: 

11. Iconosquare

Iconosquare is the perfect tool for marketers to grow their brand on Instagram with easy-to-use analytics. It’s not always easy to know what’s working and what’s not on Instagram. But, as the second most popular social channel and one that’s quickly approaching first most popular among some age groups, it’s a channel that marketers can’t afford to miss out on. Try Iconosquare now to maximize your Instagram analytics and optimize your brand Instagram channel for success.

Other Social Media Tools:

12. Buffer

13. Hootsuite

14. BuzzSumo

15. HubSpot Social Inbox

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tools

Whether its keyword research, content optimization, or checking your current page rankings, every marketer needs a go-to tool for planning what content to create and how to optimize it for SEO. 

Featured SEO Tool:

16. Ryte

Marketers need tools to plan which keywords to rank for and making sure the content they create actually meets their goal once created. Ryte is the ideal tool marketers can use to make sure their SEO efforts are having a real impact on their marketing strategy.

Other SEO Tools:

17. Ahrefs

18. SEMrush

19. Moz

20. Keywords Everywhere Chrome Extension

21. HubSpot Content Strategy Tool

Content Creation and Design Tools

In the world of content creation, there are admittedly tons of different tools you could use to create various types of content. Whether it’s social images, logos, blog posts, or ebooks — the options and tools are endless.

That said, a newcomer among the Adobe Suite of tools is winning the hearts of many marketers, including this one, for its ease of use to create stunning webpages, awesome videos, and eye-catching graphics. The best part? It’s completely free and impossibly easy.

Featured Content Creation Resource:

22. Adobe Spark

Adobe Spark is a suite of three web or mobile apps — Spark Page, Spark Post, and Spark Video — that allows marketers to easily create graphics, webpages, and videos in a variety of themes in minutes.

You can completely avoid the hassle of page layout, video editing knowledge, or a CMS and start creating content that looks remarkable immediately. For example, we use Spark Page at HubSpot to create some of our online guides and promote them with Spark Videos and Posts. You can too!

Other Content Creation and Design Tools:

23. Venngage

24. Piktochart

25. Canva

26. Recordit

27. Kap

28. Adobe Color CC

Video Marketing Tools

Haven’t you heard? Video is the thing everyone is talking about. But how do you actually implement it into your marketing?

Maybe your strategy is just to put a YouTube video embed on one of your blog posts or landing pages. But then what happens? Someone else’s ad plays on your landing page before your video even begins. That’s bad for your conversion rates, brand, and your user. Luckily, there’s a solution.

Featured Video Marketing Resource:

29. Wistia

Wistia is a powerful video hosting platform that allows you to host your videos on your website — ad free — with a guaranteed smooth playback and responsive player. Wistia also helps you prove the ROI of your video efforts by offering you video analytics and key metrics to fine-tune your video marketing efforts over time. Ready to take your video marketing to the next level?

Other Video Marketing Tools:

30. Vidyard

31. Vimeo

32. Loom

Event Marketing Tools

Whether your team holds monthly customer and prospect events, yearly conferences, or just occasional community outreach parties and events, it’s important to have the best event marketing tool up your sleeve when the time comes to use it. After all, in-person events are some of the best ways to interact with potential customers and create a brand experience that prospects, customers, and your community will remember.

Featured Event Marketing Resource:

33. Eventbrite

Eventbrite is an efficient, easy-to-use tool tons of marketers rely on not only to manage the logistics (like ticketing) of events but also to promote their events. Eventbrite lets you create an event landing page and allows you to set up your ticketing and payment for the event all within the same platform. The best part? Eventbrite is always free if you’re hosting a free event!

Other Event Marketing Tools:

34. Facebook Events

35. AddEvent

Lead Capture and Conversion Tools

When it comes to your bottom-line goals, you probably want a few tools for not only attracting prospects to dedicated marketing campaigns, but just as importantly, converting those visitors into leads and customers.

Featured Lead Capture and Conversion Resource:

36. HubSpot’s Free Marketing Tools

HubSpot’s free marketing tools can help do just that. The moment a lead shares their email, you’ll know who they are, where they work, and what pages they visited — all in real time. When they view an offer or check your pricing, you’ll be ready to follow up right away.

And with simple but powerful analytics, you’ll learn more about what’s working and what’s not — like which traffic sources or pieces of content are driving the most conversions. It’s a risk-free way to find out what inbound marketing can do for you. No budget necessary.

Other Lead Capture and Conversion Tools:

37. HubSpot’s Free Pop-up Forms Tool

38. Typeform

39. OptinMonster

40. Sumo

41. Convertflow

Lead Generation Tools

If you’re in the mood for demand generation, you probably have your eyes on the prize: converting anonymous website visitors into contacts with email addresses that you can successfully nurture. Landing pages are a must for capturing lead information on important offers and opt-ins.

Featured Lead Generation Resource: 

42. Unbounce

Thanks to a drag and drop interface, Unbounce lets you quickly build mobile responsive landing pages without developer assistance. The tool also integrates with a number of different CMS platforms and software.

With Unbounce Convertables, you can also launch targeted overlays on top of any web page, each with a dedicated call to action. Customizable triggers and targeting rules give you control over who sees your offers and when so you can serve the most relevant offers to the right audience.

Other Lead Generation Tools:

43. Leadpages

44. Instapage

45. HubSpot’s Landing Page Builder

Website Optimization and CRO Tools

As marketers, sometimes it feels like we’re constantly making educated guesses about how our site visitors are going to interact with our content. While we might design a page to draw our user’s eye to a spot on a page, how do we ever really know where their focus is so that we can improve that experience?

Featured CRO Resource:

46. Hotjar

Hotjar is a new and easy way to truly understand what your web and mobile site visitors are looking at when they interact with your site. With its visual heatmap tools, you can understand what users want, care about, and interact with on your site. Hotjar visually represents visitors’ clicks, taps and scrolling behavior, giving you the ability to find hot areas for growth and conversion rate optimization.

Other CRO Tools:

47. Optimizely

48. Lucky Orange

49. Google Optimize

50. Clicky

Lead Nurturing and Email Marketing Tools

It’s not enough to drive traffic to your website and then convert them. Many of your website visitors may not be ready to buy, and that’s where lead nurturing comes in. Email marketing is a great way to nurture contacts toward a purchasing decision. 

Featured Lead Nurturing Resource: 

51. HubSpot’s Email Marketing Software

HubSpot offers robust email marketing software from free to enterprise. You’ll be able to create emails in a simple drag-and-drop interface, personalize emails for better experience and performance, and see email activity in your free CRM. HubSpot also offers automation solutions in their paid plans. 

Other Lead Nurturing and Email Marketing Tools:

52. Constant Contact

53. Campaign Monitor

54. MailChimp

55. AWeber

56. ActiveCampaign

Marketing Automation Tools

Automation is nothing new to marketers. Whether you want to save time doing marketing tasks or simply cut time wasted doing those daily tasks like saving emails and files to spreadsheets, having a tool that makes your life easier and saves you time is ideal.

Featured Marketing Automation Resource: 

57. HubSpot Marketing Automation

As previously mentioned, HubSpot has a powerful automation tool included in its paid marketing tiers. It doesn’t just send drip sequences. You can also use it to trigger specific actions such as updating a contact record or adding a contact to a list when certain criteria is met. 

Other Marketing Automation Tools: 

58. Drip

59. Marketo

60. Omnisend

Data Reporting and Analytics Tools

Most tools that automate some of your marketing strategy will also provide reports that allow you to see and present your campaigns’ performance to other employees in your company. What if you want a more holistic look at the health of your marketing?

Featured Data Reporting and Analytics Resource: 

61. Digital Marketing Tuner

From the efficiency of your content calendar to the effectiveness of your lead-generation methods, Digital Marketing Tuner offers a helpful overview of all of your latest marketing activities.

Developed by OverGo Studio, an inbound marketing agency and HubSpot Agency Partner, Digital Marketing Tuner guides you through a brief survey where you can submit basic information about your company’s content volume, email open rates, website traffic, and more. The tool then sends you a detailed report in which you can better visualize your team’s strengths and weaknesses so you can make even better decisions for your company moving forward.

Other Data Reporting and Analytics Tools: 

62. Google Analytics

63. Google Search Console

64. Databox

65. RavenTools

Digital Asset Management Tools

In any marketing team, the inevitable happens: there’s a million files and pieces of content between everyone on your team without one place to keep it all. Organization on any team — let alone a marketing team — is essential. That’s why it’s important to have a collaborative organization tool to keep you sane.

Featured Digital Asset Management Tool:

66. Dropbox

Dropbox is the perfect tool to keep your team organized and your files under control. With cloud-based software to keep your files accessible anywhere at anytime, Dropbox helps your team store all of its files in a central location. Dropbox makes it easy to collaborate, too. With tools like Dropbox Paper, which allows you to write and collaborate in real time on the same doc — and sharing tools for shared folders and files, you’ll be organized and ready for any project that comes your way.

Other Digital Asset Management Tools:

67. Google Drive

68. Box

69. Shift

70. Brandfolder

Team Communication and Collaboration Tools

Where would your work day be without accessibility and communication between you and your colleagues? Probably pretty frustrating. Marketers can’t shy away from communication when it comes to aligning with team members and across the company, so having the right team communication tools is necessary every single day.

Featured Communication and Collaboration Resource:

71. Slack

I wouldn’t be given any slack if I didn’t make the world aware of this tool.

Slack is a powerful messaging app that allows you and your teammates to quickly message back and forth without the hassle of email. But it’s not just AOL instant messenger 2.0. Slack has powerful features and integrations that make it possible for you to integrate all of your other daily tools — like Trello, Gmail, Giphy, and so many more — right where you’re already communicating. You can start channels between different teams or just chat with specific colleagues. Slack makes remote and in-person work possible and easier than ever.

Other Communication and Collaboration Tools:

72. Join.Me

73. Zoom

74. Skype

Project Management Tools

File management and organization is one thing, but how do you manage all of the moving pieces of a marketing campaign or project? There are many different tools you can use for project management, but only one sticks out when it comes to the number of integrations and features at the price of — oh yeah — free!

Featured Project Management Resource: 

75. Trello

Trello is a great project management tool for small teams and individuals. With it’s Kanban-style setup and fun user interface, Trello lets you set up to-do lists and tag individual cards with due dates, members, labels, and more. You can attach files, links, images, and more to your cards and easily get a full-view of any project that you’re working on. At HubSpot, we use Trello daily to manage our team campaigns and individual to-do lists. Want an example of how we do this? Check out our guide to managing marketing campaigns in Trello.

Other Project Management Tools:

76. HubSpot Projects

77. Asana

78. Airtable

79. Wrike

You’ve got all the tools you need, but are you looking for a place to start putting them all together? Check out our free marketing plan. It’ll walk you through creating your own marketing plan and teach you how to use all of these tools together.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in February 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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