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smarterbiznetwork · 1 year ago

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SMART(ER) BUSINESS NETWORK OVERVIEW – EPISODE 10 – BUSINESS COURSES OVERVIEW

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WELCOME! PLEASE WATCH EPISODE 10: SMART(ER) Academy Business Courses Overview

For Your Reference:

Here are the main links referenced throughout the introduction and overview sessions in this series:

SMARTER BUSINESS ACADEMY: https://smarterbizacademy.com

SMARTER MONTHLY RECRUITING CONTEST: https://smarterbizacademy.com/smarter-academy-ai-staff-recruiting-contest/

SMARTER AFFILIATE REQUEST PAGE/LOGIN PAGE: https://smarterbizacademy.com/affiliate-area/

SMARTER BUSINESS RESOURCE SHOP (FOR MEMBERS): https://resourceshop.smarterbizacademy.com/

SMARTER BUSINESS COMMUNITY: https://smartbiz.tribeplatform.com

Now for a word from our fearless leader! : )

—

FROM COACH DAVE

“Welcome, SMART(ER) Business Network members! We understand that navigating a vast array of features and resources can be overwhelming.

That’s why we’ve created this series of videos to help you understand what you have access to and how to leverage these powerful tools for your business efforts.

In each episode, we’ll dive deep into specific areas, guiding you through the features step-by-step. And don’t worry, we’ll be continually adding more features to meet your evolving needs.

So, you can always come back and check what’s new and make sure you’re not missing out on any game-changing opportunities.

We know that as a new member, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the wealth of information and possibilities within the network. But fear not!

Our series is designed to address things that overwhelm you and provide you with a clear roadmap to success.

Here you are, visiting the tenth episode of the series, with a total of twenty episodes published so far. And guess what?

We’re always open to adding more as we discover new features and innovative ways to support your growth.

Our goal is to ensure you have a comprehensive guide to follow, empowering you to make the most of your membership.

So, get ready to unlock the full potential of the SMART(ER) Business Network. We’re here to support you every step of the way, offering guidance, feedback, and insights to help you achieve your business goals.

See you inside!”

—

Session 10: Unleash Your Business Superpowers: Exploring the Wacky World of SMART(ER) Business Models

Listen up, my fellow adventurers! In the realm of business, no two paths are the same. Our circumstances, skills, and quirks make us unique. That’s why it’s always a good idea to explore different business models. Trust me, it’s like diving into a wild and wacky adventure!

Now, hold on to your hats, because even if you’re not a beginner, there’s a good chance your current business could use a little extra pizzazz. Imagine effortlessly adding one or more additional streams of income to your existing empire. Sounds too good to be true? Well, with SMART(ER) Business Network and the academy by your side, it’s totally possible!

Here’s the scoop: we’ve got our sights set on over 20 business models that have proven to be real winners in the marketplace. But don’t worry, we’re not stopping there! We’ve got plans to add another 30 or so mind-boggling models for you to consider. It’s like a buffet of business opportunities, ready for you to feast upon!

Let’s talk about one model that immediately jumps to mind—affiliate marketing. Picture this: no matter what kind of business you’re in, what model you’re using, or even what niche you’re targeting, there will always be curious souls seeking your advice on products or services. That’s where we come in, my friend! If you have any questions about building an affiliate program, we’ve got the training and tools to make your head spin. We’ll dive into all the different approaches and show you the ropes.

And hey, maybe you’re looking to make some quick cash. We’ve got models that can make that happen too! But if you’re interested in something entirely different or just not sure where to start, fear not! Our “getting started” training is here to save the day.

Now, let’s get down to business—literally. Business models are just one piece of the puzzle in our vast array of courses. But boy, oh boy, are they important! Our members have the opportunity to learn, plan, and apply these invaluable lessons, all while receiving feedback to fast-track their journey to success. It’s like having a secret weapon in your entrepreneurial arsenal!

But hold your horses, my eager friends! Selecting a business model is just the tip of the iceberg. We know there’s a lot more to consider when planning and starting a business. That’s why we also cover other aspects, like core competency skills. These are the secret superpowers you need to complete tasks, achieve your goals, and conquer the business world!

And guess what? The adventure doesn’t stop there! In the next episode, we’ll delve even deeper into these core competency skills. Get ready for a wild ride!

But wait, there’s more! Our academy isn’t just about business models and core skills. Oh no, my friend, we’ve got a whole treasure trove of “other subjects” waiting to be explored. Leadership, management, mindset, spirituality, health, fitness, and nutrition—everything you need to create a lifestyle and work condition that aligns with your wildest dreams and aspirations. It’s all within your reach as you embark on this epic coursework!

So, my fellow adventurers, are you ready to unleash your business superpowers and dive headfirst into the wacky world of SMART(ER) Business Models? Get ready to laugh, learn, and conquer as you embark on this thrilling journey!

—

Episode Wrap Up

To join now, go to the offer pages at https://smarterbizacademy.com under the shop menu tab. There you will see the various offers and can register to get started.

While there on the home page, you will also note the banners on the top and bottom of the page. The top one will take you to the latest sales offer (often the best offer too, by the way!), while the bottom banner will take you to the recruiting contest.

The recruiting contest runs from month to month and the data collection starts new (old data is purged/destroyed except for winners and reward recipient’s information for network use to track membership).

In Case You Missed Them – For Your Reference:

Here are the main links referenced throughout the introduction and overview sessions in this series again:

SMARTER BUSINESS ACADEMY: https://smarterbizacademy.com

SMARTER MONTHLY RECRUITING CONTEST: https://smarterbizacademy.com/smarter-academy-ai-staff-recruiting-contest/

SMARTER AFFILIATE REQUEST PAGE/LOGIN PAGE: https://smarterbizacademy.com/affiliate-area/

SMARTER BUSINESS RESOURCE SHOP (FOR MEMBERS): https://resourceshop.smarterbizacademy.com/

SMARTER BUSINESS COMMUNITY: https://smartbiz.tribeplatform.com

Again, see you inside! Please view the video and ask any questions in the comment section! We will get back to you ASAP…There are no dumb questions…We are here to help…

Cheers!

Coach Dave

#SMART(ER) Business Network #Work From Home Business Assistance #Free AI Courses for Business #Online Business Training #Learn to Earn With Your Own Small Business

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starseedfxofficial · 1 month ago

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The Hidden Edge in Euro New Zealand Dollar Trading: Master Trend Following Like a Ninja If you’ve ever felt like trading the Euro against the New Zealand Dollar (EUR/NZD) is a bit like trying to surf in unpredictable waves, you’re not alone. Trend following in the EUR/NZD market isn’t just about waiting for a good swell—it's about timing, preparation, and sometimes, just being gutsy enough to jump on the wave. Today, I’m here to show you that even this lesser-known currency pair can offer some pretty sweet rides, if you know exactly what to look for. So grab your board (or, more appropriately, your charts), and let's dig into the hidden opportunities lurking in EUR/NZD trend following strategies. Why Most Traders Get It Wrong (And How You Can Avoid It) Let’s face it—most traders struggle with the EUR/NZD pair. It’s not as glamorous as EUR/USD, nor does it grab headlines like GBP/USD. It's like the middle child that gets ignored—until it breaks out in a trend and everyone suddenly pays attention. The trick with trend following in EUR/NZD is about understanding the underlying differences driving this pair. While some traders are out there treating it like any other major currency, the reality is, it’s got a personality of its own. Here’s where most traders mess up: - Ignoring Fundamental Drivers: The Euro and the Kiwi dollar are influenced by vastly different factors. Whereas the Euro is often affected by broad EU economic news, the Kiwi dollar takes its cues from agricultural exports and broader commodity trends. Failing to appreciate these distinctions is like trying to ride a unicycle while juggling—difficult and bound to fail. - Not Recognizing Range vs. Trend Shifts: This pair is notorious for switching between trending and ranging markets. Many traders mistakenly assume that EUR/NZD is always trending, only to get burned when it suddenly starts ranging like an unruly toddler running around the supermarket. Knowing when to switch gears can make all the difference. The Forgotten Strategy That Outsmarted the Pros Here’s an insight you won’t hear in trading 101: the Euro New Zealand Dollar often acts as a bellwether for risk sentiment. When markets are in a risk-off mode, EUR/NZD typically strengthens as the Euro gains a safe-haven edge over the Kiwi. Conversely, in risk-on conditions, the Kiwi gets that swagger—think of it like the quiet kid in class who’s suddenly the life of the party at prom. Trend following with EUR/NZD is not just about reading the charts but about reading the room—the entire global market mood matters. For example, during times of global uncertainty, we often see EUR/NZD trending upward, with the Euro’s safety being preferred over the commodity-linked Kiwi. If you can align your technical trend signals with these macro risk shifts, you’re already playing a game that most retail traders ignore. How to Predict Market Moves with Precision Ready to dive deeper? Let’s talk about indicators. Now, trend following indicators can get a bad rap, but when used intelligently, they can provide a serious edge. - Moving Average Crossovers: I know what you're thinking—“Moving averages? That’s beginner stuff!” But hear me out. For EUR/NZD, a 20-day and 50-day moving average crossover is an absolute goldmine during risk sentiment shifts. When you get a bullish crossover during a period of rising risk aversion, the odds are high that EUR/NZD is set for a strong upward trend. - Average True Range (ATR): This pair can be volatile—when it moves, it really moves. ATR can be your best friend here, helping you identify just how wild the ride could get. If ATR is spiking, buckle up—you’re in for a trend move that could make or break your week. - Trendlines and Channel Breakouts: Look out for ascending or descending channels. Breakouts in this pair, especially during European or Asian market overlap, can lead to powerful moves. It’s like hitting a nitro boost in Mario Kart—catching that breakout can propel you ahead of everyone else. The One Simple Trick That Can Change Your Trading Mindset Here’s the truth: EUR/NZD trend following isn’t for the faint of heart. You need discipline, patience, and a touch of bravado. But there’s one trick that can transform your approach—embracing trend continuation instead of just trend reversal. Many traders fall into the trap of trying to call the top or bottom. But when it comes to EUR/NZD, riding the trend until it throws you off is often more profitable than calling a turn that might not happen. Think of it like riding a mechanical bull—sure, it might throw you eventually, but while you’re holding on, you’re racking up points. Hidden Patterns that Drive the Market Another critical component? Hidden divergences. Hidden bullish or bearish divergences between price and an oscillator like the RSI can be an incredibly powerful cue for entering trend-following positions. When price makes a higher low but RSI shows a lower low, it’s often a sign that the trend is set to continue. It’s like catching a glimpse of a secret handshake—not everyone sees it, but those who do get access to the club. Common Pitfalls (And How You Can Avoid Them) - Over-leveraging: The EUR/NZD can be like a pot of boiling water—quick to bubble over. Leverage is the accelerant to your trading fire. Use it wisely, or you'll get burned. - Overcomplicating Your Charts: It’s tempting to add indicator after indicator in hopes of finding the secret sauce. But more often than not, simplicity wins the day. Stick with the essentials—trend lines, moving averages, and a solid understanding of fundamentals. - Failing to Adapt: Remember, this pair flips from trends to ranges faster than you can say “Wait, what happened?”. Be flexible. If your trend-following signals aren’t working, maybe it’s because the pair is ranging and it’s time to adjust your approach. Elite Tactics to Master EUR/NZD Trend Following - Combine Technicals with Fundamentals: Want an edge? Don’t rely on charts alone. Align your technical signals with economic indicators such as New Zealand's Dairy Auction results (seriously—milk matters!) or European inflation reports. - Trade During Overlaps: The EUR/NZD pair sees increased volatility during the European and Asian session overlaps. This is when the magic happens. Set alarms, prep your coffee, and be ready to jump in—the early bird catches the trade. - Risk Management Ninja Moves: To master trend following, employ trailing stops effectively. Lock in profits while giving the trade room to move. Picture it like letting out a little extra fishing line while your catch is still tugging—don’t reel in too soon or too late. - The News Whisperer Approach: Keep an eye on global events that impact risk sentiment—from central bank meetings to geopolitical tensions. EUR/NZD often reacts significantly to these news events, and trading these reactions can be akin to finding a buried treasure. Wrapping It Up: Are You Ready to Ride the Wave? EUR/NZD trend following isn’t about brute force; it’s about finesse. Understanding the broader market context, leveraging just the right amount of technical insight, and being brave enough to hang on to that wave a little longer than everyone else—that’s where the magic happens. And remember, it’s not about predicting the future perfectly. It’s about positioning yourself to make the most of whatever comes your way. Ready to take your trading to the next level? Check out our latest economic indicators and exclusive Forex news here. Or perhaps you'd like to sharpen your skills with some advanced Forex education? We've got you covered. Now go out there, and ride that trend like a pro! —————– Image Credits: Cover image at the top is AI-generated Read the full article

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vapehk1 · 8 months ago

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Breeze Pro Near Me: Your Ultimate Guide to Starting Your Vaping Journey

Welcome to the world of vaping! If you're a beginner looking for a smooth start, the Breeze Pro might just be your new best friend. Now, you might be wondering, "Why Breeze Pro?" or perhaps, "Where can I snag one?" Don't worry, we've got you covered! In this guide, we'll dive into what makes Breeze Pro the go-to choice for new vapers and how you can get your hands on one. So, buckle up and get ready for a puff of fresh air in the vast, flavorful world of vaping. What is Breeze Pro? Breeze Pro isn't just about the looks; it's packed with features to make your first vaping experience memorable (in a good way). Each device is loaded with enough juice to deliver up to 2000 puffs—that's a lot of vaping before needing a replacement. The variety of flavors means there's something for everyone. From the classic tobacco for the purists to the wild blueberry for the adventurous souls, Breeze Pro has thought of it all. It's like having a personal flavor festival in your pocket! Moreover, Breeze Pro is designed with safety in mind, featuring an automatic shut-off that kicks in to prevent overheating—no more worrying about those horror stories you've heard with other vapes. Its compact size makes it incredibly portable; it fits as easily in your pocket as a pen. Whether you're at home, at a party, or on a trip, Breeze Pro makes it simple and stress-free to enjoy your vaping. It’s the perfect companion for anyone stepping into the world of vaping, offering a stress-free introduction and a reliable experience every time. Why Choose Breeze Pro? Navigating the vape market can be as dizzying as choosing where to eat when everyone wants something different. However, the Breeze Pro slices through the confusion with its beginner-friendly approach. Why wrestle with the intricacies of coil replacements or the mystery of wattage settings when you can have a plug-and-play experience right from the get-go? The Breeze Pro is the epitome of simplicity, enabling newcomers to focus on enjoying the experience rather than getting bogged down by technical details. The positive feedback from the community only reinforces its status as a top choice for newcomers. Many users highlight not just the ease of use, but the quality of the vaping experience itself. According to one enthusiast, "Switching to Breeze Pro was a game-changer; it’s like it reads my mind and knows exactly what I need." Such endorsements are telling, showing that Breeze Pro isn’t just about easy vaping—it’s about satisfying, reliable sessions that keep you coming back. This is why, when it comes to choosing your first vape, the Breeze Pro is like finding that perfect show on Netflix—it just clicks. Where to Find Breeze Pro Near You Once you're set to acquire your Breeze Pro, the hunt is almost as simple as ordering your favorite pizza. Local vape shops and convenience stores typically stock their shelves with Breeze Pro, owing to its popularity among both newcomers and seasoned vapers. But before you step out, why not make your search as efficient as possible? A quick visit to the Breeze Pro official website can steer you directly to their store locator tool. Input your zip code and get a detailed map of the nearest locations stocking your soon-to-be favorite vaping companion. If digital convenience is more your style, a simple search for "Breeze Pro near me" on your preferred search engine will do the trick. This not only saves you time but also offers reviews and possibly even online purchase options if you prefer your shopping experience to be as contactless as possible. With these tools at your fingertips, you're never more than a few clicks or a short drive away from starting your vaping journey with Breeze Pro. So, gear up, future vaper, your path to a smooth vaping start is clearer than you think! Getting Started with Your Breeze Pro Congratulations on your new Breeze Pro! It's time to set it up and dive into your vaping adventure. After you've joyfully unboxed your shiny new gadget, you'll notice a small rubber stopper on the mouthpiece—this is there to ensure your device stays pristine until it reaches you. Gently remove this stopper and mentally prepare yourself for the inaugural puff. Before you take that first drag, remember to take it slow. Just like savoring a fine wine, the key to enjoying your Breeze Pro is to ease into the experience, allowing your senses to adjust to the flavors and sensations. Maintenance is just as important as the setup. Keeping your Breeze Pro clean is crucial for a consistently pleasant vaping experience. Make it a habit to regularly wipe down the mouthpiece and the body of the device to prevent buildup and ensure every puff tastes as good as the first. Think of it as taking care of a beloved gadget that enhances your daily routine. With these simple steps, you’re not just using a vape; you’re embracing a lifestyle. Welcome to the world of Breeze Pro, where each inhalation is smooth, satisfying, and impeccably fresh! Conclusion Embarking on your vaping journey is made delightfully simple with the Breeze Pro, a device designed with the beginner in mind. From its sleek, user-friendly design to its pre-filled flavor pods, the Breeze Pro stands out as the perfect choice for those new to the e-cigarette scene. You don't need to fuss over settings or maintenance; just pick up a Breeze Pro from a local shop or find one through a quick "Breeze Pro near me" online search. Once you've got your gadget, starting is as easy as removing the packaging and a rubber stopper. Vaping with Breeze Pro is meant to be an enjoyable marathon, not a sprint, so take your first puffs slowly and remember to keep your device clean for the freshest experience every time. Whether you’re a curious newbie or a seasoned smoker looking for a straightforward alternative, Breeze Pro offers a hassle-free, reliable gateway into the world of vaping. FAQs 1. What makes Breeze Pro ideal for beginners? Breeze Pro is specifically designed for ease of use, making it an excellent choice for beginners. It features a simple, one-step activation with no buttons, settings to adjust, or complicated setup. The disposable nature means no refilling or battery management is needed. Simply open the package, remove the stopper, and you're ready to start vaping. 2. How long does a Breeze Pro last? A single Breeze Pro can provide up to 2000 puffs, depending on your vaping habits. This extensive puff count is due to its efficient design and the high capacity of the pre-filled pod. It's designed to last long enough to offer convenience and satisfaction without the need for frequent replacements. 3. Can I recharge my Breeze Pro? No, the Breeze Pro is not rechargeable. It is a disposable vape device intended for use until the e-liquid is depleted or the battery runs out, whichever comes first. Once it has served its purpose, it should be disposed of responsibly. 4. Where can I buy a Breeze Pro? You can purchase a Breeze Pro at various retail locations including vape shops, some convenience stores, and gas stations. Additionally, you can use the Breeze Pro online store locator on their official website to find the nearest retailer that stocks them. Simply searching "Breeze Pro near me" on your favorite search engine will also guide you to nearby stores. 5. What flavors does Breeze Pro come in? Breeze Pro offers a wide variety of flavors to suit different tastes, including classic tobacco, menthol, various fruit flavors, and more exotic combinations. Each flavor is crafted to deliver a consistent and enjoyable experience, allowing users to explore a range of tastes and find their favorites. If you want to know more, please refer to this article: https://keystonevape.com/best-vape/the-best-disposable-vapes-2024-you-cant-miss/ Read the full article

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earnonlinefromhome · 1 year ago

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How to Invest in Stocks with Little Money for Beginners

Hello, fellow explorers of the financial world! I’m excited to discuss a subject that is dear to my heart and has fundamentally altered the course of my financial life. Today, we’re going to talk about stock investing for novices on a tight budget. You heard me correctly, yes. You can begin constructing your own financial castle without a treasure chest! Together, let’s explore the world of stocks, profits, and wise investments.

The Basics of Investing

Okay, let’s get things going by revealing the mystery of stocks. Think of stocks as tiny pieces of corporate ownership. When you own stock in a company, you have a stake in it. And what’s this? You receive a portion of the profits made as that business expands and becomes profitable! Cha-ching!

But not all stocks are created equal. There are various kinds, each with a distinct history and advantages. You have your steadfast blue-chip stocks, which are comparable to the sage old stock market wizards. Then there are growth stocks, which carry some risk but can pay off with big returns. Naturally, everything in between is also present. It’s like creating your own investment fantasy team!

As you know, great power also comes with great responsibility. Like dragons guarding their treasure, stocks occasionally exhibit moodiness. You never know when your investment will lose value, so you need to be ready for anything.

How to Get Started:

Now that we’ve got the stock basics down, it’s time to gear up and start your investment adventure. Here’s your trusty treasure map:

1. Open a Brokerage Account: Your Portal to Profits

Think of a brokerage account as your gateway to the land of stocks. It’s where you buy and sell those coveted shares. Lucky for us, there are some fantastic low-cost brokerage options out there. Personally, I’ve found TD Ameritrade and Fidelity to be user-friendly and perfect for beginners.

2. Picking Your Stock Warriors: A Quest for the Right Stocks

Tips for Making Your Investment Journey Legendary

Venturing into the stock market with a sack of gold coins or a chest of jewels might sound tempting, but remember, even little droplets can create ripples. Here are some golden rules to live by:

Start Small, Dream Big: Don’t feel pressured to invest your entire kingdom right away. Start with what you can comfortably afford to lose. It’s like planting tiny seeds that grow into mighty oaks over time.

The Market: Don’t let anyone convince you they can predict the market’s every move. It’s like trying to tame a wild dragon—nearly impossible. Instead, focus on the long game and ride out the market’s ups and downs.

Play the Long Game: Investing isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. The real magic happens when you let your investments simmer and grow over time. Compounding returns are like the elves of the investment world; they work their magic quietly but effectively.

Reap, Repeat, Reward: Remember those profits we talked about earlier? Well, they aren’t just for buying unicorn saddles. Reinvest those dividends back into your investments. It’s like using a phoenix feather to fuel your financial fire!

Bringing It All Together

Alright, brave souls, let’s recap the epic journey we’ve embarked upon:

Stocks are your ticket to owning a slice of a company and sharing in their profits.

Open a brokerage account with low-cost options like Fidelity and TD Ameritrade

Choose stocks from different sectors and industries.

Begin small, keep your eyes on the long-term horizon, and reinvest those magical dividends.

Hidden Treasures:

Feeling hungry for more knowledge? Here are some scrolls and tomes to deepen your understanding of the stock market:

Investopedia: A treasure trove of articles, guides, and market insights.

Seeking Alpha: A legendary tome for beginners, unlocking the secrets of stock market success.

Read more Articles Here

#investment #invest #money #earning #money making

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whatsinmypen · 2 years ago

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Starter Fountain Pens

(that aren’t the Pilot Metro or Lamy Safari)

(So you never have to ask me for recs again)

New to fountain pens? Long-time enthusiast? No matter, you’re probably sick of hearing about the Lamy Safari and the Pilot Metropolitan (or Pilot MR in certain markets) and their respective merits as beginner fountain pens. It feels like every other day someone asks for suggestions for their first fountain pen, and inevitably the recommendations for either of those two come flooding in.

It’s not without reason. I’m guilty too—the Lamy Safari is still one of my favourite pens of all time (and I will still recommend it), and the Metropolitan is just about the safest bet you can make on a fountain pen when you’re just getting started.

That being said, there are a ton of other pens out there, and I feel like newbies sometimes miss out on pens they might like better. So, to help further our collective horizons, here are 22 OTHER fountain pens for absolute beginners. With links!

All under $30.

1. Pilot Varsity ($3.30 or $21.25 for assorted 7-pack)

Afraid of commitment? Looking to dip your toes before diving in? No problem--just try out a disposable fountain pen! For a pen designed to be disposable, the Pilot Varsity writes pretty well and comes in 7 fun colours. Just mind the paper you're using--it can bleed through pretty easily, as it is one-size nib only (and that size is medium).

2. Platinum Preppy ($6.00)

Not quite as "disposable" as the Pilot Varsity, the Preppy has a few advantages: multiple nib sizes (though they're all pretty fine), a wide assortment of colours, and can even take a (proprietary) converter if you so choose. They do crack pretty easily, especially at the cap and grip section, but they're still a solid choice for a fountain pen newbie.

3. Jinhao 993 Shark ($3.95)

Not only are these pens adorable and affordable, their (hooded!) nib is exceptionally good considering the low price, though medium is the only nib size you'll get. Don't feel too bad though, because this pen comes with a converter included! I honestly have zero complaints about this pen, it's an awesome, quirky buy.

4. Jinhao x450 ($9.90) & x750 ($9.99)

Now these look like fountain pens. Pull one of these out at a meeting and you'll definitely get a couple of questions (or perhaps encounter a pen friend out in the wild!). Metal construction, medium (& somewhat gushy nibs), and a converter included? Sign me up! They might be a little heavier than what you're used to, but otherwise make for a great starter pen.

5. Paili 013 Vacuum Filler ($9.95)

Pro: a vacuum filler pen for under $10?? Yep. Forget those cartridges and unleash the power of bottled ink with this surprisingly reliable fountain pen!

Con: If you're a newbie, you're likely unfamiliar with this filling mechanism, so it might be a little daunting. But I promise there's no mystery, and YouTube is your friend!

6. Platinum Prefounte ($11.00)

Another Platinum, this time a little dressed up but still fun! The Prefounte comes in both fine and medium nibs and takes either proprietary Platinum cartridges or converters (sold separately, unfortunately). This pen is also pretty forgiving if you end up forgetting it in your drawer: Platinum's Slip & Seal mechanism can keep the ink from drying for quite a while (allegedly, up to a year). Keep in mind, Platinum pens tend to have a little bit more feedback (read: scratchy feel on paper), so if you don't like the feel of writing with pencil, for instance, maybe opt for a medium nib.

7. Luoshi Labyrinth ($12.95)

If you want something striking and unique, this Luoshi might be right up your alley. The Labyrinth is an all-metal pen with a surprisingly smooth medium-fine nib. It might be a little too weighty for those not accustomed to hefty metal pens, and some people have complained that the cut out labyrinth design adds some discomfort to lengthy writing sessions, so keep that in mind!

8. Pilot Kakuno ($13.50)

If you've heard good things about the nib on the Pilot Metropolitan but wanted something cheaper/quirkier, boy have I got good news for you! Marketed for children in Japan, the Kakuno has the same nib unit as the Metro, making for a superb writing experience at a considerably lower price point. They come in a ton of colors and take proprietary Pilot cartridges or converters. Nibs of different sizes come engraved with different smiley faces for extra fun.

9. HongDian Black Forest Series ($16.95)

This pen is just cool. Matte, all metal finish? Check. Cool colours? Check. Converter included? Check. Matching colour nib? Check (on a couple of them, at least). Though this pen is metal, it is pretty slim and comes with a textured grip, making for a pretty comfortable writing experience (unless, of course, you don't like slim pens!)

10. Kaweco Perkeo ($17.00)

I call this pen Kaweco's Kakuno, because... well, just look at it. Then go back up to #8 and see that I am right. Regardless, this pen is a solid choice for a beginner, with different nib options (all pretty smooth) and a great assortment of colours. It also has a triangular grip, which will help you hold the pen in the correct position--though some people find it uncomfortable, so keep that in mind!

11. Platinum Plaisir ($17.60)

Pros: Aluminum body, several colours to choose from, different nib options (fine & medium), and Platinum's magical sealing cap to prevent your ink from drying.

Cons: Converter (proprietary) sold separately. Boo.

12. TWSBI GO ($18.99)

This little pen (the most affordable TWSBI iirc) has quite a few things going for it. It comes in several colours and has a bunch of different nib sizes (from extra fine all the way to a 1.1mm stub). The filing mechanism (a simple spring loaded piston) is very practical and easy to use, though it may be a little unfamiliar to most beginners and will require bottled ink (so go ahead and add to cart while you're at it!).

13. ONLINE Slope ($19.00) & Switch Plus ($20.50)

Smooth writers with ergonomic grips (i.e., triangular) to keep you in position when writing. Both the Slope and Switch Plus are made of plastic with stainless steel nibs that come in both medium and fine and write pretty smoothly. They're a great choice for a beginner, but maybe skip these two if you're not a fan of the triangular grip or if you like heavier pens.

14. Delike Mojiang Pocket Pen ($19.95)

If you'd like to give pocket pens a try, maybe start with the Mojiang. This little pen is all-metal, which gives it a nice heft despite its small size. It only comes in fine, but writes more like a medium. Though it takes standard international converters and cartridges, watch the size--some converters might be too long to fit! Furthermore, smaller pens usually mean smaller ink capacity, so if you're writing in long sessions you may have to refill more frequently.

15. Moonman M2 Eyedropper ($21.95)

If you want a large ink capacity and want to see it slosh around your pen as you write... well, look no further! Though this pen can take cartridges and converters, it was designed as an eye dropper pen, meaning you fill the body of the pen itself with the ink of your choice with... you guessed it, an eyedropper (included!).

16. Wancai Mini ($21.25)

Same as the above, just. Teeny tiny!

17. Diplomat Magnum ($23.20)

Despite its lofty name, the Diplomat Magnum is pretty slim, not to mention super light. It has a nifty little ink window so you can keep an eye on your ink level and comes Diplomat's soft touch stainless steel nib (in sizes extra-fine to medium) for a super smooth writing experience. This is another pen with a (less pronounced) triangle grip, and comes with a converter included.

18. Pilot Explorer ($23.60)

Pilot at it again with the superb nibs. Like the Kakuno and the Metropolitan, the Explorer also features a frankly incredible stainless steel nib (in both fine and medium). It comes in several colours and Pilot even deigned to include a converter with this one (though it's a squeeze converter that 1. might be a little unfamiliar to some and 2. kind of sucks in general, so maybe stick to the Pilot cartridges with this one).

19. Faber-Castell Grip ($24.00)

This pen is literally designed to be a beginner fountain pen, but it still looks pretty sleek, imo. It does feel a little plasticky/cheap, but that Faber-Castell nib writes super smoothly. It only comes in fine, though it writes more like a medium. No converter included with this one (boo-hoo).

20. Kaweco Sport ($25.00)

Another German pen, and another pocket pen! I love Kaweco nibs (from EF to medium, though you can buy other Kaweco nibs separately), and the Kaweco Sport is a great introduction to pocket pens. They come in a ton of colours and are pretty reliable, though they only take short international cartridges (and a short converter, which, you guessed it, is sold separately). There are several colour and material variations, but the classic has a plastic body and stainless steel nib. Maybe skip if slim writing utensils are not comfortable!

21. Pelikan Twist ($26.00)

OK, this pen may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I had to add it. It's super funky and the nib (medium) is pretty good. All in all, it's a pretty nifty way to try out a Pelikan, and if you're into the design (and the triangular grip) it can be a fun and reliable daily writer. Converter sold separately (askjdbaklsdjb)

22. TWSBI Swipe ($26.99)

This pen may not look like it goes over the top, but let me tell you, it does. The TWSBI Swipe boasts no less than four different ways of filling it. You can use your regular cartridge. You can use the (included!!) traditional converter. You can then swap that converter out for a piston converter (also included! what?!), and if you're not happy, you can just eyedropper the whole dang pen. It might be a little too much, too soon for complete newbies, but the learning curve is not very steep, and it's a great way to try out all of these methods on a single pen. Like the TWSBI GO, nibs (stainless steel) go from an extra-fine all the way up to a 1.1mm stub.

#fountain pens 101 #pen talk #pen rec #fountain pen #fountain pen network #nara talks pens #whatsinmypen

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timetraveltodystopia · 3 years ago

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NCT 127 current energies - shufflemancy reading

♡ Shufflemancy reading - 24/02/22

Disclaimer: I’m a beginner with tarot and my readings could be correct and could be not. I am still learning so please take everything with a grain of salt. These readings are for fun and for entertainment purposes only <3

This is all alleged. I don’t want to hurt any idol or send them hate.

Tail

Prisoner - Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa

Prisoner, prisoner, locked up Can't get you off my mind, off my mind Lord knows I tried a million times, million times, oh-woah Why can't you, why can't you just let me go? Prisoner, prisoner, locked up Can't get you off my mind, off my mind Lord knows I tried a million times, million times, oh-woah Why can't you, why can't you just let me go?

Tail fell in love with someone. Every time he goes to XYZ place, he reminds her of his love. He feels that he has been sucked into love and that is all he can think about.

Taeyong

Kiss me more - Doja Cat

Can you kiss me more? We're so young, boy, we ain't got nothin' to lose, uh-oh It's just principle Baby, hold me 'cause I like the way you groove, uh-oh

I got two vibes here. Taeyong reconciles with his ex-partner and is not afraid to show his love even though he is an idol, and the other vibe that I had is that he found a new person very recently. If this a new partner is a secret affair that not even the company knows about.

Johnny

Take my breath - The Weeknd

Take my breath away And make it last forever, babe Do it now or never, babe (Ah) Take my breath away Nobody does it better, babe Bring me close to—

Johnny has been magnetized by a very powerful person. Their looks are what his catch his eye and gasp when he sees them. It's a very strong crush and they could hurt Johnny. Please don't

Yuta

Know your worth - Khalid

You don't know your worth All the things I know that you deserve Say it's not real if it doesn't hurt Find someone you know will put you first Find someone who loves you at your worst

Yuta is finding his worth and taking steps to self-development. Probably members from NCT took advantage of his kindness (not all of them, a few, I don't want to create beef) and he realized that overstepping boundaries and not supporting you is not what a friendship is supposed to be. This could also talk about the company, making better contracts than shitty ones, marketing and the support to foreigner idols.

Doyoung

Bad girl - Daya

Bad girl, need a bad girl, need a bad girl 'Cause the bad boys just don't cut it We got what they want want, what they want want They can look but they just can't touch it Bad girl, need a bad girl, need a bad girl 'Cause the bad boys just don't cut it They're always up to no good Don't let them wish they could

Okay so Doyoung wants a bad girl, but really he wants someone who can spice up a bit his life. He prefers someone sexy, cat face style and alluring than can contrast his personality. He wants to have fun.

Jungwoo

Where the wild things - Labrinth

Hey, don't you know? Ooh-woo, ooh-woo Oh, yes it's gonna happen tonight Hey, don't you know? Ooh-woo, ooh-woo Cinderella's turnin' up with Snow White It's where the wild things are It's where the wild things are (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, woo) It's where my heart's gon' start It's where the wild things are Put your fucking glasses up (Ooh-woo) (Ooh-woo) Animals, animals Put your fucking glasses up

Jungwoo is living lately in his imagination. He feels if he gets out of his own world it will be a harsh reality to face.

Jaehyun

Iam the stripclub - Iggy Azalea

Don't need dark rooms (I am the strip club) Don't need red lights (I am the strip club) I do the lap dance (I ride the pole up) I am the, the strip club Don't want your love, don't want your problems Just need all of, all of your dollars I do the lap dance, I ride the pole up

This man *sigh* He went through a terrible breakup, more like FWB that didn't work out because he was the problem, and to fix his problem after *the breakup* his having hookups again and again like and endless cycle. No emotions just s€x.

Mark

Good ones - Charlie XCX

And baby, you couldn't have loved me any better But doin' this is all that I've known ever I want the bad ones, 'causе they're all I know I always let thе good ones go

Ohh man Mark was in a relationship or was seen somebody with potential material to be in a relationship, but he has anxiety to f* up the thing, the GOOD thing that is going on. I'm doubting if he really let go of his partner or he still is with them but with a lot of anxiety of messed it up. He needs to balance the relationship with his work. Oh god pray for you Mark

Haechan

Don't go yet - Camila Cabello

I imagined myself in satin, the room was platinum and gold I'd dance and catch your eye, you'd be mesmerized, oh We'd find a corner there, your hands in my hair Finally we're here, so why Sayin' you got a flight, need an early night? No Don't go yet

What you leavin' for when my night is yours? Just a littlе more, don't go yet

Haechan is dating someone, an idol specifically. They have good chemistry together and he doesn't want to leave them behind. He wants them by their side all night long.

This changes over time. Everyone has free will and vibrations change. Hope you like this reading <3

#kpop tarot #kpop readings #tarot readings #nct 127 #nct 127 tarot #shufflemancy #tarotblr #shuffle #tail tarot #taeyong tarot #johnny tarot #yuta tarot #doyoung tarot #jungwoo tarot #jaehyun tarot #mark tarot #haechan tarot

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writingforatwistedworld · 2 years ago

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I am still super frustrated that recently twst turned off the option for players who (okay, lowkey illegal) were playing the game on non america/canada devices or even just not in those countries, to buy gems (btw genshin has that too which is wild) and I am STILL NOT OVER IT.

I wasn't a huge spender bc the game gives you lots of gems but I used to buy the every-day pass thingy and though it makes me a hypocrite I am SO MAD. And right before halloween too! >-<

Fingers crossed I'll get jade in his upcoming rerun because I wanted vil more so I had to pass up on my boi ;;

Hi! I am f2p in TWST (since I am not deep enough in that "jailbreaking-your-phone" game) but I can imagine how annoying that must be.

Being a welkin moon pass user I get that you get lowkey (ok, very highkey) dependant on those passes but hey, maybe they will release a global version sometimes in the future and if you need tips to grind those f2p diamonds I wrote some tips in my beginners guide on how to stack those pretty stones. Its pretty simple but you wouldn't believe what kind spine concerning endurance you can grow once you stop using money in a game.

(OK it's literally just planing ahead and hoping that the Gacha gods hear your pleading but feel free to ask me.)

I really hope you can get him next time! There is always the good old rerun and who knows, maybe they will add a few more cards from events to the standart banner once they become old enough. (Still questioning Hoyoverses marketing team on their decision to put Al-Tighnari on the standart banner after his own banner. I mean, that was what discouraged me from pulling on his own.) Sooner or later they will have to offer more than just the SSR school uniforms because otherwise the game would loose some appeal and god is it easy to keep a fandom by increasing stuff in standary banners. (Believe me, I am a veteran in those games.)

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practicalmagicintuitions · 3 years ago

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A little something about tarot for beginners and everyone who is interested.

I planned this post for a long time, mainly for tarot newbies, someone who wants to start or just interested in how works. It won’t be a Tarot 101, definitely not. More likely, how I work with the cards.

DISCLAIMER: If you are underage I cannot and I won’t give you any ideas how to hide your practice from your parents or guardians. I know tiktok is very popular, but be careful because there is way more misinformation than any other SM site.

First, you obviously got familiar with the basic meaning of the cards, the build of the deck. You will learn the suits, the arcanas, the court cards, the numerology groups, and a few keywords. But this comes with practice. This doesn’t mean you can only draw your first card after you learned all of those things. No. When you buy your deck, look at each card carefully. Do not turn into a companion book or the internet immediately. Think about the card, make notes into a journal or a paper about what you feel, notice when you look at the image. Makes you happy, makes you scared? Is it dark, it is light? And after that, you can read what the book says.

Tarot is about storytelling so your intuition, your memories, your feelings are very important.

When someone is saying tarot has fixed meanings… this is not entirely true. One card can have many many meanings depending on its position or the surrounding cards. Yes, Death card won’t mean your soulmate is coming on a horse, but it’s also 99% won’t mean you are gonna die.

If you want fixed meanings, you should read Lenormand instead. In Lenormand, there are certain combinations with fixed meanings, there is no place for intuition. The pictures on the Lenormand cards have aesthetic purposes only they don’t have additional meanings. Tarot is intuitive. It means you combine the meanings of the cards and above that, you are using your intuition AND the pictures on the cards. Movements, colours, directions, animals, flowers, symbols etc.

What do I mean? I’ll show you.

Those are the Fools from the classic RWS, the Modern Witch Tarot and the This Might Hurt Tarot decks. Look how similar they are at first. They are representing the carfree, daydreaming attitude, the journey. They all have a companion, a dog etc. You can fairly read those the same way. Of course, there are differences, the big city instead of the mountains, backpack etc, but I think those are amazing starter decks.

I think I wrote in my first tarot post that even many people do not like the classical RWS deck, because the images seem ugly and there is no diversity, for me that is the basis and I think everyone should have own it. But if you absolutely don’t want to because you don’t like it at all, those 2 decks, the Modern Witch Tarot and the This Might Hurt Deck seems a good starter deck. RSW was not my first deck, I haven’t started with it, so you can buy it later on if you want and start with the deck you like more. It is very important to choose a deck that speaks to you. Tarot first and foremost is about your personal journey or helping others if you are reading for others. What I am doing here in tumblr is fun, a good practice, it is testing my abilities but tarot is not only for knowing more about our celeb crushes. It is a guied to ourselves.

Let’s see more examples with pictures. The RWS tarot and the New Vision tarot.

New Vision tarot recreates the RWS imagery but as you will see gives a different perspective to the cards, therefore gives a new layer to them. I heard the deck has only a little white book, not a real guide, which is a shame. I think it’s an interesting concept and you could deliver very different readings than with a standard RWS. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend this deck to a newbie but it’s interesting so I show you. You can see how different those images, how different intuitive messages you can get.

Same-ish concept is the Vica Versa Tarot. Based on the ratings it is more usable than the New Vision Tarot. This deck has pictures on both sides and the meaning varies depends on this. This is also a very RWS based deck so it is very interesting to me. Not in the near future, but I want to purchase this deck.

I will show you a few more examples of cards that are less based on the RWS system (or not at all) therefore you need you and your intuition more.

RWS, Gentle Tarot, Wild Unkown, Shadowscapes

I hope you understand now how important it is to use your own intuitions, feelings, experiences and find the style that suits you. Personally, I prefer the more earth-based, pagan or darker decks (not too dark though, I should say more serious) but you can find all pastel pink, fluffy decks too. There are literally thousands of decks on the market in every style. But those are not cheap things, if you cannot connect you won’t be able to work with them. If you like a deck, go to youtube, search for a flip through. Look at the cards carefully. If you still like it, amazing. However, if you bought a deck and it turns out not for you you can still sell it online or if you are really lucky you have spiritual stores or fairs in your area where you can sell or change it for something else.

Connecting the cards it’s not easy, but one of my most spot-on reading was when I let my intuition work completely. I remember I pulled the cards and I started to collect the information about what they could mean. And I felt it makes no sense left to right but right to left I understand it crystal clear. I was hesitant because you have this preconception you have to read the cards in order, but guess what, you don’t have to. I will link an excellent video about it, I found it after my reading and it was a light bulb, aha moment for me. This youtube channel is not for beginners, but I recommend watching this video, you will understand what I ment and it will help you.

The other thing, yes, in western culture we read left to right but this is only one way you can do it. You don’t have to stick with it in your readings. In the most popular spread in the Celtic cross you read the last 4 cards from down to up. And on the standard RWS deck (as you can see on the first picture above), The Fool starts his journey and he is heading from right to left. Isn’t this amazing? And the Major Arcana is about The Fool’s journey. Aka your journey.

*( I cannot link here, in the middle of the text, so it will be video 1 at the end)

So don’t be afraid, be free, make your own meaning, rituals. This is your tarot journey, no one else's. Yours. Don’t let some bitter, “I know better, you are wrong” people take your enthusiasm away.

You can read many books and sources but it doesn’t mean you will understand the cards. You cannot read the cards mechanically. Keywords are helpful at the beginning but after a while you have to leave them behind and use your intuition.

99% of the tarot readers have difficulty with Court Cards. Those are basically people on the cards, doing very little. Some readers read them only as a person, some of them read them as an influence. Just because there is a man on the cards this doesn't mean it represents a male in your life. So it’s hard.

One exercise which is fun and you can make it easier is that you try to pair them with people in your life. Do you have an impulsive brother who is flirty and rushing things? Knight of Wands. Do you have a mean female boss, who is gossiping and bitching? Queen of Swords rx. Of course, this is very basic, but it could help and it is fun.

If you don’t want to use your family or acquaintances, use tv series instead. I think Game of Thrones is amazing for this. It has so many different characters. Many of them are even changing. Jon Snow went from Knight to King, Arya from page to Knight, Sansa from Page to Knight, from Knight to Queen.

The second type of exercise is similar just with the minors. Choose a movie and try to tell the story with the minors. People met, fell in love, getting married, broke up, fighting over money during the divorce etc. All in the cards.

Pulling a card daily is amazing in every way. People recommend doing this in the morning, however I like to do this at the evening. Firstly, because I am a night owl, mornings are painful for me and I don’t have time in the mornings. But the most inportant reason is because I can be anxious and easily stressed out. If I pull the Death at the mornig I will stressing out the whole day. However if I pull this at the evening as a summary of my day maybe I will realise immediately, “oh, my favourite tv show was cancelled, bummer.” or “ I have a new teamleader at work or school, so this is a new cycle for us” I think this gives you a bigger and clearer understanding how those cards are fit into your daily life and what are they meaning for you personally.

When you choose to do any kind of divination it’s crucial to protect your energies. So it’s inevitable to start meditating. The other two practices which I highly highly recommend are called Grounding and Circle Casting. Don’t be scared, those are just higher forms of meditation that help you to keep the balance, but those are also a must if you decide to do another type of Energy Work, for example of Energy Manipulation. I will link an excellent video about it. This YT is also an amazing resource if you are interested in Wicca. You don’t have to! This channel is amazing anyway. Personally, I am not a Wiccan either as I am not celebrating Wiccan sabbats like Beltane or Imbolc, but I love this channel so so much.

*I cannot link the video becuse she’s blocked this option but this is her site. Go and check her Centering and Grounding ║ Witchcraft 101 video, it was uploaded on July 10th in 2019

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFz0Rtv2bh86aUy_5_YsGLw

There will be a point when someone wants to scare you that tarot, divination and spirituality are evil. It is not. Tarot is a piece of paper with pictures on it. It’s not deviant or anything. The cards have no intentions or consciousness, they are just cardstock. Not bad or good. What can make it harmful is the unethical people. Someone who wants to bribe you to pay a big amount of money because “you are cursed” or is someone trying to manipulate the readings to scare you or make you do something. If your intentions are good, have a moral and you protect your energy, you don’t have to be afraid.

In my experience usually people who are heavily involved in churches or Christianity try to push that the tarot and spirituality are evil. Of course not all of them, I know many professional tarot readers who are also Christian, love Jesus etc.

What you should know and maybe this could give you a little comfort or calm that we are all spiritual beings. All of us are made of energy. We are so much more than flesh and blood and bones. Everyone is attracting or have spirits in their life even the most hardcore churchgoers have. You are not bad or evil just because you use divination. Always your intention is important and that you seek the light side of spiritualism.

I hope you liked this post, it becomes my baby and I am really proud of it and I hope you will find it useful or interesting. In the forseeable future I am not planning anyithing similar but I am open to questions as always. Maybe I will have an answer.

Be Blessed.

youtube

#tarot #pmitarotreadings

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sevendeadlyvices · 4 years ago

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Poker Buddies AU: Max and Memories Notes

Something I compiled for @i-cant-thinkof-anything-new Poker Buddies AU they have going. Now I used the Poker Night wiki to get this and I thought this would be helpful for any Sam and Max or Poker Night at the Inventory Fans in general. That and I have my own Poker Night At The Inventory AU and headcannons that I need to work on too. The first information is generally Max’s poker strategy in Poker Night At The Inventory:

When it comes to reading the opponent's strategies, Max's will prove to be a big problem. Due to his lack of knowledge on the subject, his poker strategy seems non-existent. His choice of whether to call, raise, or fold tends to come out of nowhere. Sometimes, Max will or will not have a good hand, so he will be very hard to read. His strategies are completely random; he might bluff, be cautious, or be aggressive. Sometimes he will just keep on betting or keep on folding.

I would call Max an unpredictable poker player at times. There’s this tell he has that if his left hand quivers, he’s bluffing, but other than that, you’re on your own with him.

Next is his relationships with the characters of both Poker Nights:

Heavy: Max seems to have a good strong friendship with the Heavy, asking him about how his career is going and what kind of weapon he could recommend.

Strong Bad: Mostly casual, having the odd talk with Strong Bad when Max is compelled to tell some sort of story.

Tycho: His relationship with Tycho seems to be, again, a casual friendship. They share many of the same interests, although from time to time Max will be slightly put off by Tycho's odd behavior.

The Player: Max often thinks The Player plays too conservatively, especially when not calling a huge bet of Max's.

Sam: Max very much loves the big guy. Max is Sam's long-time partner, best friend, husband, and sidekick.

Brock Samson: Brock finds Max annoying like Claptrap, but also finds it much easier to ignore him, even when Max is physically attacking him. He also has some level of respect for the lagomorph for everything he and Sam overcame as members of the Freelance Police.

Claptrap: Much like Sam, Claptrap is a fan of Max for their games and comics. He seems closer to Max than Sam due to the fact that Max isn't as annoyed by him as Sam is. Max's love for violence makes the robot think he would fit in very well on Pandora. If Claptrap is knocked out before Sam, he will often sit next to Max for a while. Also, during a Showdown, Max will stand right next to Claptrap, wondering what the next card will be.

Ash Williams: Ash has considerable respect for Max and Sam's career and is otherwise "okay" with the lagomorph. However, Ash also displays a few moments of apprehension and even downright concern when Max' insanity acts up, usually in his theme eliminations.

GLaDOS: Max doesn't seem to mind the murderous AI as much as the other characters and occasionally joins in when she insults or annoys the other characters (primarily Sam).

This is from the wiki, so take this with a grain of salt.

And finally, with spoilers in the cut:

The Memories I would focus on for the Epic Texas Hold Em Matches! Note that it’s not all the conversations from both games, but here’s the ones I found so far that might be interesting to incorporate for the AU. I’ll bold the ones that would seem more angsty for the AU:

Max: I don't know a lot about card games, truth be told. But, I take it you're a little bit of a beginner, yes? Strong Bad: Are you talking to (pronounces it as moy) moi? Max: You betcha. You're as green as the bologna in Sam's mini-fridge. Strong Bad: (angrily) Shut up, Stitch. Max: (cheerily) It's OK. It just means you have to adopt a wanton strategy of wild deception. Strong Bad: Hmm... Not the woist idea I ever hoid. Max: (furrows brow) Get into their heads.

Max: You know what I love? Tycho: What's that? Max: Destroying wave after wave of the undead. Tycho: WORD UP! How do you roll? Max: With my trusty side arm of course. Tycho: I'm more of an auto-shotgun guy. Max: Oooh! Heavy: This is good weapon no? Max: Sam and I had to resign ourselves to pistols when our cleaning bill started going through the roof. Tycho: Yeah, its like ichor? Oxyclean ain't cuttin' it. Max: This pelt is dry clean only.

Tycho: Max, how'd you learn to play cards? Max: Funny you should ask! This one time, Sam and I were busting up a crime syndicate down in Atlantic City. A road job. Tycho: Indeed. Max: Yeah! So we're tailing this low level mafia bum for an hour and he pulls up outside a casino and before he can go in Sam says, "Well little buddy, we better nab this guy quicker than a Pittsburgh driver taking a left on a green in rush hour." I couldn't have agreed more. So I grab a tire iron out of the back seat, right, hop out of the Desoto, and pummel this guy like a piñata. Tycho: Yow! Max: Blindfold and all! Tycho: ...That doesn't really answer my question. Max: You asked me a question?

Tycho: Hey Max, how do you like being a freelance police officer? Max: It's the best. Tycho: I bet it is. Max: Oh, but that's not all I do. I'm also available for babysitting, bat mitzvahs and general shakedowns. You know anybody who needs work? Tycho: See, this why I think we get along. You're a Renaissance man. Max: You need anybody roughed up? Tycho: There's a bird at the pet store that's been giving me a little beak, yeah. Max: Oh ho, putting a wise acre in his place is my specialty!

Heavy: I will make hat from you, little bunny. Max: How 'bout I just sit on your head and shoot people? Heavy: (thinks about this) ...This is good idea.

Heavy: Tiny Heavy, who is your favorite to kill in war? Strong Bad: Hmm, in WAR? Probably those Green Helmets. You know, the guys who don't have any cool weapons or gimmicks, and come in a discount three-pack. Heavy: To kill spy is glorious thing! How about you, Max? You are killing type. Max: My favorite enemy? {gasps} That's like asking me to choose between my children! Heavy: {laughs heartily} You crack me up, little bunny!

Heavy: You look very familiar, bunny. Max: How closely do you follow the Manhattan crime blotter? Wait, you didn't go the Spiro Agnew School of the Arts, did you? Tycho: You attended? Didn't take you for the book learnin' type. Max: No, but Sam and I pinched their gym teacher in a black market jock strap ring in the 80's. I'd be surprised if any student didn't remember a dog choking out a large man with a unibrow.

Strong Bad: I don't trust you one bit, ra-bbit. Max: It's ok, I don't trust myself. Strong Bad: How do we know that you don't have a never ending stack of aces wherever you put your gun? Max: Well, you don't, but you're welcome to look!

Strong Bad: So... Max. You're like one of those (pronounces as poke mons) poke-mons, right? Max: (narrows eyes) My genus and phylum is a mystery to all mankind. Strong Bad: Because I'd love to see some prepubescent pointy-haired kid run in here and stick you inside of a baseball (laughs). (in a high pitched voice, with a smile) That would be hilarious. Max: Are you talking about the red-capped kidnapper who terrorized the fauna on the Upper West Side for months? Strong Bad: Maybe. Max: Because Sam, Flint, and I caught him trying to stuff a chimpanzee into his knapsack, and made him cry for his mommy.

Strong Bad: I wonder if this dump is haunted? Max: (cheerily) Ooh, I hope so. There's something about being able to terrorize a spectral being without it up and dying on you that (furrows eyebrows) I just love. Heavy: (sadly, lowers his head) I do not like ghost. Max: It's OK Mr. Weapons. I've got extensive experience with zombies and vampires. (points toward himself) I can handle a little ghost. Heavy: (with large eyes) You will take care of ghost for me? Max: (cheerily) You betcha. Heavy: (cheerily, nods his head) I like you, tiny rabbit.

(Brock) GLaDOS: Brock Samson is eliminated. Max: GERONIMO! (lands on Brock's head and starts to gnaw on it, to no effect) Die, die, die! Brock: (gets up) I'll be at the bar.

(Claptrap) GLaDOS: Claptrap is eliminated due to lack of funds. Max: Wet willy, wet willy! (sticks a finger in his mouth and inserts it into a hole in Claptrap's side) Claptrap: Hey! That's not my ear, it's my... (both are electrified and fall from chair)

(Ash) GLaDOS: Ashley Williams is eliminated. Ash gets up and reaches for his chainsaw, only to realize it's not there. Max is holding it, standing a foot or so behind him. Max: (grinning maliciously) Looking for something? (looks at Sam normally) Hey, check it out, Sam! I'm a tree surgeon! Sam: (whispering to Ash) He's not really a tree surgeon...! Ash looks worried. Max: (revs up chainsaw) Open wide and say "ah!" (chases Ash away)

#Sam and Max #Sam and Max AU #Poker Buddies AU #Poker Night At The Inventory #Poker Night 2 #Max #tycho brahe #strong bad #Heavy #Ash Williams #Brock Samson #Claptrap #just wanted to share some interesting things that would make your AU better #now I'm obsessed #but Jessica you have your own Poker AU to worry about #but I like this one a lot #I hope this is okay

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livingcorner · 3 years ago

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12+ Ways to Make $1000 a Month from Your Garden (Year Round!)

They say when you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. Well, I love my garden and given a choice I’d be out there amongst my garden beds day and night. There’s a big difference between gardening and farming though, and while I love my garden I’m not cut out for the life of a farmer.

While bringing in a full-time gardening income is a bit tricky, making a side income from your garden is easier than you’d think.

You're reading: 12+ Ways to Make $1000 a Month from Your Garden (Year Round!)

Most people see gardening as a seasonal endeavor, that starts in the spring and ends in the fall, coming and going each year. Up here in Vermont, our summer growing season is only a sad 100 days or so, and if I confined my efforts to those short months it wouldn’t make for much of a side hustle. I think it’s important to find a way to earn a consistent side income, so I’m providing options for every month of the year (even in a cold climate like ours).

Beyond that, our land is mostly forested, which means the definition of “garden” is a bit loose. We grow mushrooms in the shady spots and tap maple trees in season. We also forage the wild bounty that nature’s garden has provided, meaning that we don’t have to limit our “gardening” to a small tilled section of the yard.

Even if you’re lacking space in a small suburban lot, expanding outside of the traditional garden into local parks, or taking your garden indoors with salad sprouts, closet mushrooms, and seedling trays will allow you to make use of the space you have year-round.

Here are a few options to earn a substantial side income from your garden every season of the year, with ideas for both city and country folk.

(Be sure to check local laws and restrictions before you start with anything, as those vary widely from place to place.)

Winter Garden Income

While you’d think winter would be the slow season for backyard garden income, believe it or not, it’s actually the best time for making money from your garden. You’re generally less busy with planting and weeding, but everyone is stuck inside dreaming of the garden bounty to come.

Indoor Salad Gardening

January is when everyone’s making new years resolutions to live healthier and eat more salads, but it’s a pretty rough time for gardening in most places. If right around the end of the year you plan ahead with an indoor salad gardening setup, you’ll be in the perfect position to market microgreens and sprouts when they’re in high demand.

Local farms around here sell winter micro greens CSA’s and unlike summer shares where they net less than a dollar on a head of lettuce, winter greens command high prices. A small bag of specialty microgreens runs $12 to 15 each. And I really mean a small bag, maybe 3 cups of at most.

The trick is to grow high-quality, specialty greens that get people excited when the grocery store options are minimal. The book Year Round Indoor Salad Gardening is a great resource to get started, and covers all you’d need to know to grow your own greens. At that point, the problem is scaling up and marketing.

Start a Small Backyard Seed Company

You may think you need to be some kind of multi-national to sell seeds, but in reality, customers are looking toward sustainably grown seed for specialty heirloom varieties these days. It doesn’t get much more sustainable than a backyard garden, and buying seed locally ensures that you’ll get varieties perfectly suited to a particular growing region.

Choosing the right crops is key to generating a good income selling seeds. Tomato seed, for example, is very easy to save and a single tomato often has enough seed to supply a dozen seed packets. The flowers are self-contained, and it actually takes work for plant breeders to hybridize a variety, which means they’ll come true to variety even with many different types grown in the same garden.

Most importantly, people get really excited about tomatoes. Ever wonder why 1/3 of any seed catalog seems to be tomato seed? With all that love for tomatoes, customers are liable to drop $5 for a locally grown packet of seeds for a really great variety.

While tomatoes are really easy, there are many varieties that aren’t much harder. You need to know a bit about seed saving, not only harvesting and cleaning the seed, but about how pollination and selection works by variety. Some varieties require a minimum population size to avoid inbreeding in the long term, and all that’s important to know before you get started.

Seed to Seed is generally recognized as the most encyclopedic book on seed saving, covering just about every variety you can imagine. It has great breadth to get you started, but not a whole lot of depth.

The Seed Garden is hands down my favorite seed saving book. It’s well written and covers varieties in great depth. It’s authored by The Seed Savers Exchange which does great work in the field of preserving heirloom varieties.

The Complete Guide to Seed Saving has a lot of stellar reviews, and it’s the next one I’m going to add to my gardening library.

Even in a small town environment here in Rural Vermont, there are about a dozen local seed companies. High Mowing Seed started out really small just down the road from us, and now they’re a big national brand. Milkweed Medicinals sells specialty seed that’s hard to find, and they now sell in all the local coops.

Find your niche and there’s a great income to be made with homegrown seed.

Selling Cuttings

Even easier than saving seed, selling cuttings is an easy way to make a healthy income from your established plants in the winter months. There are a number of varieties, like grapes for example, that need to be cut back or pruned in the winter. Those cuttings are perfect for starting new plants and many gardeners are willing to pay good money for tiny pieces of your established crops.

I just bought 30 elderberry cuttings from Norms Farms at $4 each to propagate at home. Elderberries grow readily from cuttings, and it’s an economical way for me to get a huge bed of them started. Elderberry plants from a nursery cost about $30 each, so I’m happy with the transaction and the seller just made $120 off a tiny box of trimmings.

There are a number of plants that grow well from hardwood cuttings, some like black currants, are as simple as snipping off a tip and sticking it into the ground. Others require a bit more attention and prep work to the cuttings, but they’re still beginner level.

Scion wood, or cuttings from apple trees to be grafted onto rootstock, is similarly lucrative. All you need is a couple of established apple trees of known varieties and you can harvest cuttings for sale.

Usually, each cutting is only a few inches long, so shipping them isn’t a big issue. There’s a marketplace on the seed savers exchange website, and a scion wood cutting sells for about $4 each.

Start by learning a thing or two about plant propagation, first so that you can establish your own cutting beds, and then so you can educate customers on how easy it is to grow plants from cuttings. Try reading Practical Woody Plant Propagation for Nursery Growers to get you started.

Read more: Why Does My Garden Hose Keep Bursting? | GardenAxis.com

A handful of elderberry cuttings that sell for $4 each.

Growing Mushrooms Indoors

Learning to grow mushrooms is a bit different than most standard garden crops, so this one will take some studying for even seasoned gardeners. Still, there’s the potential to grow large crops from a small indoor space year-round.

The book Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation describes in detail how to set up a back closet, extra nook or spare bathroom to grow mushrooms with minimal time investment (2 hours a week).

He has a great breakdown of costs, inputs, and yields…but in summary, you can make about $100 per week from a small setup that takes up a 4’x4′ footprint. The system scales easily, with minimal extra time investment, meaning you only need slightly more space to increase that to a grand per month.

The best part, they can grow in recycled 5-gallon buckets picked up from restaurants, and they consume waste products like spent coffee grounds, that you can often pick up for free.

If you have access to outdoor space and hardwood logs, growing shiitake mushrooms is also a great place to start for beginners, but outdoors, harvests would be in the warmer months rather than winter.

I don’t know about you, but when I had an office job my co-workers would have loved to buy fresh mushrooms to take home for a fancy Friday night meal.

Spring Garden Income

Spring is when everyone’s mind is dead set on their own gardens, and it’s a great time to capitalize on the surge in interest in all things green.

Selling Dandelions (and other wild weeds)

While countless suburbanites are spraying their lawns trying to eradicate the dandelions, more savvy gardeners are realizing that one person’s weed is another’s delicacy. Dandelions are edible root to shoot, and better yet, they’re also highly medicinal.

Dandelion root tincture sells for about $12 per ounce, and it only takes a root or two per ounce. The spring greens are highly sought after by local food coops, where they sell for $4-5 per bundle. Not bad for a pile of weeds.

Beyond dandelions, there’s all manner of early spring green “weeds” that can command high prices if you know how to identify, harvest and process them. Chickweed is incredibly invasive, but also delicious, and chickweed tincture has plenty of medicinal uses too.

There’s nothing like making a bit of side income from weeding your garden early in the spring. You’ve got to do it anyway, might as well make it pay.

Dandelion roots harvested for homemade tincture.

Growing Spring Ephemerals

An ephemeral is a crop that has a very short season, and it may only be around for a few weeks before the plants go dormant (or unharvestable) for a full year. Ramps, or wild leeks, are a slow-growing ephemeral that’s only around for a few weeks in the spring, but during that time they’re in high demand by both home cooks and fancy chefs. Knowing where to find a good wild patch is hard, but they’re actually remarkably easy to naturalize in your own backyard.

Growing ramps from seeds just requires the right conditions. Moist soil, under the shade of deciduous trees. The more leaf cover the better.

You’re not growing anything else in that much shade, so growing your own ramps is a great way to earn top dollar from an otherwise unproductive patch of land. This is a long-term venture though, as leeks are slow-growing, and they’ll require about 5-7 years before your first harvest, but after that, a well-tended and sustainably harvested patch can last indefinitely.

Fiddleheads are another crop that’s generally wild foraged, but it’s remarkably easy to cultivate. They can actually be pretty invasive, and I spent a long time weeding them out of my garden so I could grow anything else. I just dug them up and tossed them into a heap, and they kept on growing and spreading from there as if nothing happened.

Fiddleheads can be really productive, and they sell for about $20 a pound here in Vermont where they’re common. You might get even better prices somewhere they’re more scarce.

Since they’re productive, fern heads can be pickled to extend their season, so you can market the bumper crop a bit longer.

My daughter holding a harvest of fiddleheads and ramps.

Selling Spring Seedlings

Selling spring veggie seedlings is an obvious choice. Tomato seeds cost about a tenth of a cent each, but a healthy started plant can easily sell for $5. Sure, there’s the cost for potting soil and pots, but the profit margin is still huge on seedling sales.

The trick is, you’re investing your time and energy into starting plants off right, so others don’t have to. This is one of the most lucrative ways to make money from your garden if you invest in the right equipment and can master the process.

A greenhouse, even a small backyard model, is essential for producing seedlings early enough in the season. As for resources to get you started, The New Seed Starter’s Handbook covers everything in detail, including troubleshooting guides if your plants aren’t performing.

Beyond the income from selling seedlings, you’ll also save a boatload by starting your own seeds instead of purchasing starts. That’s one of those penny saved is a penny earned propositions, and any seedlings you don’t sell can just go right into your own garden.

Take a look at the local market this spring, and see if there are any gaps. Do all the tomato seedlings sell out quickly, or is the market flooded? If there’s plenty of other vendors, consider growing something niche like medicinal herbs.

Start a Backyard Nursery

Similar to growing out your own veggie seedlings, starting your own backyard nursery extends the income beyond the busy spring season. If you’re growing perennials, you don’t have to worry about any unsold plants at the end of the year. Just tuck them in for the winter and try to sell them next year.

Propagating plants from cuttings is remarkably easy, and all it takes is a bit of time and patience. Those elderberry cuttings that sold for $4 each (above) as trimmings will sell for $25 to $30 as full-sized potted bushes in a few years. Just the patience, time and space required to grow out the plants pays back in dividends later.

This is actually a big part of our retirement plan, and we’re putting in perennials throughout our land to serve as cutting sources later when we open our nursery. In the meantime, they’re beautiful, and most are edibles like elderberries, so we’re harvesting the fruit for our table while we patiently bide our time to retirement.

Backyard plant nurseries don’t require that much space, as potted plants can be stored fairly close together.

Summer Garden Income

Summer is peak growing season and it’s a great time to earn income from what you’re growing at home. The big farms and CSA operations have the lettuce market cornered, but backyard gardeners can break into the market by offering really novel crops. Start by focusing on high-dollar items and unique crops that get people’s attention.

High Dollar Specialty Crops

You’re never going to compete with the 100 acre organic CSA down the road on most generic crops, but those big operations cant grow everything. They can grow a lot of the staples most families use every day, but backyard gardeners can grow small amounts of truly specialty crops that demand high prices. Here are a few good options:

Husk Cherries – Also known as ground cherries, these plants produce huge crops of sweet pineapple/strawberry flavored fruit. They grow on plants similar to tomatoes, and each bright orange fruit is wrapped in a papery husk. Just one taste and you’ll want more.

Before we were growing our own, I’d buy them for $5 a pint…now I know that each plant can produce more than a gallon of fruit even with neglect. If you hand out samples, these will sell themselves. It also helps if you give people creative ways to use them.

Cucamelons – Also known as mouse melons, these tiny little grape-sized cucumbers taste like a cross between a cucumber and lime. They’re really wonderful fresh out of hand, and they make great pickles or mixed drinks. The cuteness factor means that these sell for about $5 per half-pint.

Berry Pick Your Own

To complement our backyard nursery retirement plans, we’re also planning a pick your own operation. This requires more space than most of the other ideas on this list, but after the initial setup, labor is pretty minimal.

A while back I calculated the rate of return on a raspberry pick your own, and you’d need about 250-row feet to produce $1000 worth of raspberries. For us on 30 acres, that’s a drop in the bucket, but that may be more space than you can devote to any one crop.

Strawberries are similar, in that a plant generally yields about a pound of fruit in a season, and requires 1-row foot. At $4 per pound, you’d need the same amount of row feet as raspberries. The benefit there is, strawberry rows are much more closely spaced so this may be more practical for some.

Read more: 37 Garden Border Ideas To Dress Up Your Landscape Edging

Garden Tours, Tea Times & Classes

Though it’s not my cup of tea, garden tours and country tea times are a good option for flower gardeners. A local nurseryman around here makes a good side income hosting tea time in his home garden, and runs an annual tour of his extensive plantings, along with specialty days for big blooms (like daffodils). Our gardens are more down-to-earth and “homestead” than they are attractive, but many people’s are just the opposite.

All it takes is a few tables, a decent scone recipe, and a few good teapots, and you’re ready to run a weekly afternoon tea time in the garden. Add in tours and maybe a few gardening classes and you’ve got yourself a ready source of income from your own beautiful backyard.

Medicinal Herbs

With the increasing demand for more alternative remedies, there’s never been a better time to grow medicine in your backyard. Locally grown herbs are still hard to find in most areas, but plenty of people are looking for them.

Many medicinal herbs are perennials, which means you plant them once and you can harvest them for years. And the same compounds that make the plants medicinal also make them resistant to deer and insects, which means less maintenance than garden veggies. For the most part, they’re perennial, persistent and more importantly…profitable.

There’s a high demand for medicinal tinctures since they’re ready to use, and our local coop has half an aisle dedicated to them. Tinctures sell for $8 to $12 an ounce, but they only cost about $1 to $2 an ounce, even if you’re buying in the herbs rather than growing them.

Add in another $1 for the tincture bottle, and you’re still making a pretty sizable profit per bottle. Choosing crops that are common and in high demand, like echinacea tincture can help you break into the market.

As you’re just getting started, I’d recommend Backyard Medicine as a way to dip your toe into harvesting and making your own herbal remedies, especially from wild crops. If you’re considering growing herbs for profit I’d highly recommend The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer: The Ultimate Guide to Producing High-Quality Herbs on a Market Scale. It’s written by farmers that grow just a few towns over from us, and they’ve inspired a lot of people to take up growing medicine for the market.

The Herbal Academy of New England also has a course designed specifically for herbal entrepreneurs. The course walks you through the basics of creating your own brand identity, marketing, sourcing herbal ingredients, manufacturing herbal remedies and creating a business plan around herbs and herbal remedies.

Fall Garden Income

The end of the garden season, fall is generally when the crops come in. In my mind though, it’s one of the more challenging times to make income as a small producer.

There are a lot of products on the market, and it’s hard to stand out. With the holidays right around the corner though, marketing yourself as a niche producer of really unique homegrown gifts can work to your advantage.

Honey & Bee Products

Gardeners need bees and bees need gardeners! Raising honey bees is a great way to support pollinator communities, but with all the challenges that face hives these days, it’s best to be educated before you start. There’s a really great book called Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture that covers just about everything you need to know to keep your bees healthy naturally.

In a good year, with our short Vermont growing seasons, bees can produce as much as 100lbs of honey for harvest. The current bulk price at our coop, meaning bring your own container nothing fancy…is $7 per pound. Pre-packaged just in mason jars, honey goes for $10-12 per pound, and considerably more in specialty gift packaging.

Add in things like bee pollen or propolis for medicinal use, or comb honey, and you have yet more high-dollar items to market.

Honey, especially locally sustainably raised honey is in high demand just about everywhere. People are realizing that bees are important to our environment, and many will be happy to pay for local honey just knowing that it means supporting someone who is stewarding such an important resource in their neighborhood.

Apples, Cider and Cider Press Rentals

My doctor has a small apple share side hustle that she runs with her sister, selling harvest shares to neighbors in her spare time. They have a few full-sized apple trees, and each one produces around 100 to 120 pounds of apples per year. These days, conventionally grown supermarket apples are about $3 per pound…and locally grown apples fetch a premium above that.

She sells shares ahead of time and then divides the harvest as each tree comes to bear. Distributing them to shareholders every week or two as each variety ripens over the season.

We have other neighbors who sell fresh cider that they press from their trees, at $12 per gallon. Last year we pressed nearly 80 gallons from our trees, most of which went into hard cider and homemade cider syrup (like maple syrup), but we easily could have sold it instead. Instead of selling our cider, we have a different strategy for earning our income during apple season.

We invested in an efficient double-barrel cider press, with the thought that we can rent it out to other small apple producers. People with one or two trees in their backyard love the novelty of pressing their own cider, and around these parts a press rents for about $50 for the afternoon. Over the course of the season that can really add up…

Year-Round Garden Income

Beyond different things you can do seasonally to earn a few thousand a couple of months a year, there are things you can do year-round to earn a steady income related to your garden.

Garden Blogging

I know, making income from blogging seems too good to be true, but writing about diy, gardening, and self-sufficiency is now my full-time job. Within 6 months of starting this blog, I started making an extra $1000 a month. After 9 months of writing, I was able to quit my day job, and now at 18 months in I bring in more each month than any job I’ve ever had.

The best part? All I do is write about what we’re already doing here in our daily lives, and I spend my days playing in the garden and out foraging in the woods with my kids.

I was inspired to take the leap into blogging when I read the book Make Money Blogging at Any Level by my blogger friend, Victoria at A Modern Homestead. She outlines in detail how to earn a substantial income, even from a very small blog.

She was able to retire her husband and supports her family exclusively with her blog. If you’re considering blogging as a source of income it’s worth the investment. It’s $27 for the book, and I made that back in my first week with my blog following her tips.

She also has a much more comprehensive blogging e-course that takes you through everything you need to know to launch your own profitable blog. It’s a bit more of an investment, but it’s the perfect way for a beginner to learn everything they need to know to launch their blog fast and start earning money.

Garden Micro-Influencer

Making money on Instagram is all the rage these days, and you’d be surprised how many companies are willing to send you free products just for a promise that you’ll post at least 1 picture of it to Instagram with honest feedback. Once you have even a small following, companies will pay you for your time reviewing it (and you still get to keep it for free…)

Looking for a little inspiration? You can always follow along on my Instagram for ideas…

Hopefully, this helps inspire you to turn your gardening passion into a meaningful side hustle. If you have any other ideas, let me know in the comments below.

More Income Inspiration

How to Make a Full-Time Income Off-Grid

8 Ways to Make an Extra $1000 a Month on a Small Homestead

Making Money with Small Scale Maple Sugaring

Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Garden

source https://livingcorner.com.au/12-ways-to-make-1000-a-month-from-your-garden-year-round/

#livingcornernews

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aspidities · 4 years ago

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What's your favorite species of snake? And do you have a favorite morph?

This one!

Although I named myself after the Aspidities genus because they’re funny little weirdos, I have been in love with Morelia viridis, the Green Tree Python, since I was probably seven or eight years old. They’re a ‘lifetime’ species for me. And it’s pure aesthetics—they’re just incredibly gorgeous. Even when they’re simply pure green, or lack the blue/yellow/white pigmentation, GTPs always look good. They’re a diurnal basking species, too, so they’ll sit right out in the open in the cage on a perch, looking all fabulous and green and mysterious, whereas most of my snakes spend most of their days curled up sleeping in a hiding spot, so when people come to look at the snakes, the GTPs are always the thing to see. I think they’re so pretty.

They’re also one of those ‘advanced’ species that’s a bit harder to care for and can be tricky to raise and breed, so there’s that nice feather in my cap for having not one but two of them thriving at the rates that they are. And mine are absurdly tame and handleable, despite the species having a well-deserved reputation for defensive behavior—but that could honestly come down to my own experience, as I’d say they still require more ‘reading’ and watching for strike behavior than other snakes. They strike fast so you need to learn them quick or you’ll take a few bites. But my two are absolute babies, which means I have these very sweet, very calm, very gorgeous medium-sized bright green snakes to show off and stare at, and I honestly just love them for it.

As for the second q, I’m not really a huge ‘morph’ person, tbh, because I’m one of those ‘reptile snobs’ who just likes animals the way they look in the wild. The ‘wild type’ is usually my favorite, because I’m a total snake nerd and if it looks like it did in the book I owed as a kid, I’m hooked. There’s so many different colors and varieties in the natural snake world too, so I don’t really see a point in a lot of morphs, and there is a significant controversy over breeding for certain colors or patterns in the reptile community, and it’s growing in concern. There are common ‘beginner’ species that are easy for novices and general businesspeople to breed with little to no training—animals like corn snakes, ball pythons, boas, etc—and they can easily be churned out in massive numbers, which they sadly are. The ‘morphs’ are just a new way to put a higher price tag on the same snake, and sometimes it results in truly harmful long term effects like neurological issues (‘stargazing’ and ‘wobbling’ found in both boas and ball pythons of certain morphs) and heart/liver/general organ health issues. Some lines have fatal rectal prolapse disorders. Some lines are prone to blindness and poor vitamin A retention. I have a ‘sunglow’ boa, which is a mix of a hypomelanistic trait and an albinistic trait, and is an animal worth easily $200-300 on the regular market as a cute baby, but she was given to me for free because she had a massive respiratory infection due to poor handling and husbandry, so just because it has a nice price tag when you buy it or the breeder sells it, doesn’t mean it always ends up in good hands, either. My boa is fine now, but she’ll always be slightly smaller and stunted, too, as a result of this morph, and some find that attractive and desirable. Not me, man, I want a big wild Brazilian boa, around 9’ and thick as a golf cart tire! But that’s overbreeding for you.

It’s just as complicated and nuanced an issue as dog breeding, honestly, and just because snakes aren’t cuddly like dogs doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be something folks are aware of when they look at a cool snake. Sometimes that pretty color can have a much higher cost than just the seller’s cash, and you’d never know, as a novice hobbyist. Now, all that preaching being said, do I understand the curb appeal of a morph? Absolutely! They’re cute! And some of them, like albinos and hypos and general single gene morphs, aren’t really all that harmful. It’s just a choice of how much research you want to do before you buy, for one, and, more importantly, if that research is even available when you purchase the animal. Reptile hobby breeding only really exploded in the last 40yrs of keeping, and it’s a new ‘science’. We still don’t know yet what the effects of breeding for color or pattern will be, but I can guess—lots of other animals paved the way for that. If reptiles go the way of purebred dogs, we may be seeing some really severe and common ailments start cropping up and it would be too late to fix it.

So yeah, all of that soapbox to say I just like the snakes to look like the type of snake they is!

#ask me #reptile asks #snake asks #reptiles #snakes #reptile posts

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svynakee · 4 years ago

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Mulan (2020)’s idiotic cultural appropriation of chi is really stupid

Qi is a real thing. Not in the way that oxygen, or electromagnetic waves, are real. You cannot find an atom of qi. You cannot measure qi with a device. Qi is real the way romance, or luck, are real. And in the same way that the romance most people experience isn’t the same romance that is depicted in movies of passionate, melodramatic, wild love, the qi in wuxia and other genres is not the qi experienced in real life.

Now, when it comes to romance movies, the concept of love at first sight does not need to be established. It is accepted that there can exist, in the setting of the story, an unseen powerful force that drives strangers together on the whims of fate. There doesn’t need to be a professor pointing at a blackboard explaining the mechanics of destiny, and the evolution of true love, for an audience to willingly accept that love at first sight can be real for the sake of the story. In this way, it is unnecessary for there to be a martial arts master in every story that uses qi to explain what qi is, why it exists and how humans have learned to harness it.

However, the individual story’s take on qi should be established. If there are organised, respected, powerful sects teaching students to use qi, then assumptions can be made about how society views qi, how developed the study of qi is, the place of qi users in this world. If qi users are almost mythical and tend to hide in seclusion, assumptions can be made. If the emperor’s strongest generals proudly use qi in battle, assumptions can be made. If a teacher cautions against improper usage of qi because it can result in both physical and mental harm to the practitioner, assumptions can be made. And even if nobody bats an eye at the fact that the duke’s eldest son and the third imperial prince are doing flying leaps across rooftops on market day, then assumptions can be made about qi, such as ‘using qi is so common that the price of cabbage is more interesting than watching someone doing magic parkour’.

Simply saying ‘qi exists and is for warriors’ does a poor job of worldbuilding. Worldbuilding is important because it sets the stage, gives context to the stakes, lends weight to the protagonist’s struggles. What does Mulan (2020) tell us about…’chi’? One important thing to note is that in Disney’s Mulan (2020), chi is referred to as a skill; ‘he has strong chi’, ‘he has a talent for soccer’. In Chinese works, qi is the energy, the skill is qigong, which is qi (air) + gong (effort). A martial artist therefore has strong qi, or skill in qigong. They are not skilled in qi. In the following points, I will be discussing Disney’s idea of chi, so I will use their terminology.

Only men can use chi, but chi is also available to women.

Not being true to yourself poisons your chi.

Chi is for warriors, implying that women cannot be warriors (this is actually uncommon in Chinese wuxia stories, more common in historical ones where QIGONG AND WITCHES DO NOT EXIST).

The existence of a woman with chi powers is unusual and a cause for alarm, but not unusual enough that the Emperor dismisses the idea after hearing ONE REPORT FROM A RANDOM SOLDIER.

Those in the Imperial army are trained, briefly, to use chi – this is shaky because I think the commander talks about how chi can be used, and Honghui’s compliment to Mulan implies that her usage of chi is what makes them equals, meaning Honghui can also use it.

People recognise that chi allows humans to do super gymnastics and have enhanced reflexes, enough that when the villagers see a young Mulan doing these things, they are freaked out. Or the ancient Chinese really hated backflips.

Despite women using chi being so taboo, Mulan’s father decided to teach his daughter chi just because she was born with a high midichlorian count- I mean, high chi. When she displays chi abilities in front of other villagers, her mother gets angry and tells him to stop teaching her. Yet Mulan still retains her chi proficiency into adulthood, meaning either her father continued to teach her, or chi mastery lasts for a lifetime. In that way, using chi is a bit like riding a bicycle.

Rourans can use chi to run up walls, but Mulan’s friends are only shown to do this very briefly near the end of the movie, with normal Imperial soldiers failing to use this ability.

The Emperor of China is a proficient chi user. His chi lets him use drapery as weapons (actually a common technique in wuxia, the idea being that qi is personal energy and a skilled practitioner can channel their energy into any object, giving them sharp edges or huge kinetic force).

When a woman can use chi, she is a witch. And this is where this becomes HILARIOUS. Because there IS a witch in Mulan (2020).

Xian Lang is a witch.

In her introductory scene, Xian Lang is shown POSSESSING A MAN, her physical form completely disappearing as she does this. She then nails two long range kills using throwing stars and engages in melee combat, easily defeating Imperial guards despite being outnumbered. She is later shown to turn into a bird, or a large swarm of bats. She never turns into multiple birds or a single bat.

Xian Lang was an outcast as a young girl because of her chi. This is why she joined the Rourans, despite being Chinese (as evidenced by her name). She believes that Bori Khan will make a world where girls like her, born with strong chi, will not be outcasts.

Bori Khan treats Xian Lang horribly, being prejudiced against her gender and dismissing her strength. The Rourans in general also hate her for being a witch.

Xian Lang saw through Mulan’s disguise easily and also identifies that she has strong chi.

Oh and Chinese stories rarely have witches, Xian Lang should’ve been an nugui, kind of like an evil spirit or demoness but from Chinese folklore.

Here’s the thing that I find the funniest about the world Mulan (2020) has created.

Women should not be allowed to use chi. It has given all the proof for this rule to exist, and none to dissuade me from agreeing with it. Because the movie gives us two women with strong chi. Mulan, who actively suppresses her chi, and presumably only learns to use it during her training with the army. So, she is a chi beginner. The other woman is Xian Lang, who is immensely strong despite not looking much older than Mulan. She is probably the strongest character in the story, and definitely a chi master. The only other contenders for the title of strongest chi – not gender restricted – are the Emperor and the Commander. I believe the Emperor is stronger because Bori Khan lures him into a trap and still loses men trying to capture him. He restrains the Emperor with a ton of thick ropes. This guy is terrified of the Emperor and from the few times we see the Emperor fight? I don’t blame Bori Khan at all.

And yet the Emperor never possesses people. He doesn’t turn into a bird, or a swarm of bats, even when these would have FREED HIM AND SAVED HIS COUNTRY. Notably, none of this is ever stated as being against chi law. None of these abilities are stated to be the result of evil experimentation, forbidden techniques or any other taboo method. In the worldbuilding of Mulan (2020), Xian Lang’s chi is only evil because she is evil. And she is only evil because she is a woman with strong chi.

Mulan is a woman with strong chi.

The implication, the weird mess that Mulan (2020) has made, is that All Women With Strong Chi Become Witches. And men CANNOT become witches. Men cannot possess others. Men cannot shapeshift. Men can possibly learn to use throwing stars, but this is debatable. Women can not only do all these things, women are FATED to do so. If a woman is born with strong chi she becomes a witch.

And I don’t blame the ancient Chinese for wanting to suppress witchcraft! It looks hecking dangerous! They can possess anyone. They can break into secure spaces by shapeshifting. Sure, it’s not ethical to deny women access to chi because they could potentially become supervillains, but I can see why they went to that conclusion. The movie does nothing to address this. Mulan doesn’t vow to teach girls to use chi for good. But that’s FINE, because Xian Lang only became evil because of sexism, which is solved now, so cue the happy ending.

Even disregarding how the message of the movie is “girls get bullied for being born weird unless they prove themselves worthy of basic respect”, what is this WORLDBUILDING. Is Mulan in danger of poisoning her chi again and becoming a witch? If chi is for warriors, does that mean civilians can’t use chi? What if a farmer is born with strong chi, do we exile him until he becomes a warlock for the Rourans? How often are girls born with chi and how many of them suppress it correctly? Are they killed if they fail? Do they just join a circus and masquerade as acrobats?

Disney, chi is not a magic you can just throw around! It’s not bibbidi-bobbidi-boo! If you have a magical world, you need to teach the audience about the magical world. INSTEAD OF JUST POINTING. AT ANOTHER CULTURE. AND SAYING “THIS IS REPRESENTATION AND IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS TAKE IT UP WITH THEM”. Yes, qi is part of my culture! CHI. IS. NOT. Its your abomination, stop using OUR STORIES and OUR TRADITIONS as a shield for YOUR SHODDY, LAZY, IDIOTIC WRITING.

Anyway all they had to do was not add ‘chi’ and have Mulan doing normal martial arts for fun or something. Just make her a normal tomboy. Sometimes girls like sport it doesn’t have to be because they were born with baseball magic.

#disney #mulan #mulan 2020 #mulan live action #disney mulan

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faelune-home · 4 years ago

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FFXIV Write 2020 #23: Shuffle

(A/N: Kind of a follow on from what I implied in my last ffxivwrite prompt from yesterday, but now fleshed into an actual fic, since that throwaway line gave me the spark to write this in the first place. Focuses more in on a broad allusions to miqo!Fu’s other jobs, with a bigger segment actually featuring some Astro focus.

Player wise, I’m trying to level them all for the fun to try them all, and for the Amaro mount. Character wise, miqo!Fu definitely only specialises in Bard and Dancer and a little bit Red Mage, but she’s tried everything. Some parts click and other parts less so. She can heal in a pinch if you need it at least.

Prompt def focuses more on the astro side of things with card shuffling, but I’d like to think of it like ‘shuffling through her jobs’ as well. Mostly focused on Alphi’s perspective of my WoL tbh.

I guess as a final comment, just one part of the fic to mention; Alphi being more uncertain about the Dark Knight job is kind of a mix of the wildness of the job itself and how miqo!Fu takes to it, and still some early characterisation of his own mixed in. It’s something that would balance out as miqo!Fufu gets more skilled with the job and less feral as she evens out with Fray, as well as a closer growing friendship.

Set mid Heavensward before the Aery, no spoilers mentioned. Being pre-Dancer unlock level and story wise is also why it stars with saying the favours the bow only.

Word count: 1363

@ffxiv-writers)

Though she favoured the bow, Fufu often liked to dabble in other trades. When questioned about it, she simply said the experience was good for her, expanding her repertoire of available skills should she ever need them.

Even after the hurried exodus to Ishgard, she yet made trips outside the city, returning with reassurances that she was fine, that she’d been careful around the cities, even if she hadn’t even entered them herself. Though it hardly placated him, Alphinaud couldn’t help but still be curious at her studies, even if she treated them like a simple pastime.

The weapons and tools she accrued in her gifted room at the manor for a start -- enchanted crooks and bejeweled staves, sharpened katanas and rusty knives, a serrated axes and magnificent broad swords as tall as himself that seemed to pulse with a heavy energy that made him dare not touch them.

He had once almost tripped over a pile of tomes left in the corner of the room, initially mistaken for library books until he opened one and found the familiar arcane symbols within.

“You’re studying arcanima?” he had asked her after the discovery.

To Alphinaud’s disappointment, she’d grimaced and replied, “A little, but don’t ask for any demonstrations. I’ve been at this for weeks and I’ve only the other day figured out how to summon a basic beginner’s Emerald ‘Buncle.”

He bit back the offer to teach, not wishing to push the miqo’te if she already struggled with the simple elements of the craft.

Nevertheless, she put in the effort to learn and practise her trades all the same. Some few times, the boy was actually able to see her work; one such case was their return to the manor after the trial by combat and her visit to the Archbishop. She’d offered to heal his wounds, and for all she derided herself as a novice, he was well within minutes, scratches stitched together, and the ache in his sides from the grip of the chains faded to nothing.

Another, more terrifying case that still plagued his mind was her rescue of him from a wild bear while traversing the frozen highlands toward the old mill. Where the bear seemed to materialise out of nowhere, Fufu had appeared even quicker, one of those broadswords in hand to gut the bear and cleave it almost in two. The dark spark in her eyes, the way she bared her teeth at the animal, hovering protectively over her friend.

Though he would never say he wasn’t grateful for the safeguard that day, to see her so unlike herself - the woman normally so cheerful and friendly suddenly so hostile and twisted, even aimed at another - he almost would prefer her more harmless surprises such as her sneaking in the shadows to frighten him over seeing that again.

Still, Alphinaud wouldn’t ever tell the girl that. Nor would he wish her to cease in her training. She had the right of it that the skills would be a boon to her someday, plus there was a certain feeling of delight at seeing her so enamoured with a new craft.

He got acquainted with another of her fresh hobbies during a period of downtime in Ishgard. A surprisingly tepid day for the frosted city, he’d been left idly waiting in the Pillars for word from either Cid or Tataru -- for either the Manacutters to be ready for Fufu and Estinien’s perilous journey into the Aery (One that he wished to join them on, but had ruefully accepted their advice that he remain behind), or word from Ul’dah and the next step in finding the Sultana and restoring order to the government.

He almost had nothing else to do but wander and wait, too roused at the events still to come to consider sitting still. His roaming feet took him aimlessly through the city, past the markets, the hoplon, and hurriedly away from the Tribunal, until he came to a stop by the airship landing. A fresh wind blew over the polished stone, bringing a chill back into the upper reaches. At least with Ironworks engineers buzzing around the landing, anyone could alert him to an update from Cid with a quick linkpearl call. Better to remain there for convenience.

Yet just as the thought crossed his mind, a hand shot in front of his face, a fan of cards spread in the grip, the backs facing him. He stepped back suddenly, spooked at the gesture, only to bump into someone behind him, who giggled, “Pick a card, any card!”

Reassured at the familiar voice, he turned, Fufu herself adjusted the card fan to press it flat against her chest, hiding the fronts. She gave him a broad smile then held it out to him again.

“What’s this for then?” Alphinaud asked, looking carefully at the cards then at the woman’s attire -- a white robe and tan long boots, and some decorative gold frames perched on her nose.

Her ears flicked playfully. “A little something I’ve been practising in my spare time.” He spied the card holder hanging from her belt, and the edges of a globe attached to her back. The design of the cards had already seemed passingly familiar, and now he was a bit more certain.

“Is this astrology? I’m aware the Ishgardians use it to monitor the Dravanians, but this bears a resemblance to the Sharlayan variety.” While not a field he was interested in, the study of the stars and use of magicks in healing was a speciality of his home, he could still recognise it in passing. Perhaps the rumours he’d heard of a Sharlayan dignitary being in the city and telling tales of ‘odd star magic’ had some weight to them. Fufu’s grin widened.

“Maybe it is, maybe it’s not. Pick one!” she insisted, bouncing impatiently on the spot. Finally deciding to amuse his friend’s whimsy, he plucked one from the centre of the deck. A tree.

“Well then, what does this mean?” he inquired, showing her the card while she shuffled the remains. Slotting them back into her holder and taking it back, Fufu stared intently at the image, humming loudly as she thought.

“I can foresee,” she droned, voice dipping deeply in exaggeration, making the boy chuckle, “fire and lightning, and wild winds! But! I also see us all safe back here in Ishgard.” She nodded sagely, a serious look on her face, until she grinned, breaking the effect.

“Is that truly what the stars say?” Alphinaud asked with a mirthful tone, clearly entertained at her theatrics. The miqo’te blinked, pocketing the card into her holster and shielding her eyes to look at the clouded skies, answering, “I’m not actually sure, I can’t see the stars.”

Then with a sheepish chuckle, she added, “And I’ll confess the whole star reading thing hasn’t sunk in much. I don’t get it. But I’m good with the magics! I don’t need to worry about the fortune telling stuff. Not now at least.” She planted her hands on her hips, confidence radiating. Despite her positivity, Alphinaud couldn’t help but sink, thoughts returning to what was yet to come.

“Would I be a poor player if I asked if that was to reassure me? Given the upcoming mission?” He was proud, he’d admit, but she was his friend, and their extended travels through the Dravanian wilds had seen them grow closer. He liked to think at least. He was less afraid of openly admitting to worrying for her.

Her tail flicked. “Maybe a little. But I know you only want us both to be safe.” She turned back to him and ruffled his hair, his protests weak at the act. It was already a habit of hers, dare he think he was adjusting to it. Yet before he could voice his objections to the act, he stopped, seeing her stare intently at him. Then she smiled.

Her smile was warm and comforting, all traces of teasing or exaggerations gone. “We’ll be fine, I promise. No need to look to the stars to say that.”

He hesitated at first. Then a nod. “Of course. I trust you completely.”

#ffxivwrite2020 #ffxivwrite #alphinaud leveilleur #heavensward #keeper of the moon miqo'te #my wol #fufu faelune #astrologian #final fantasy xiv #ffxiv #my writing

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galadrieljones · 5 years ago

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That he may hold me by the hand: chapter 7

Pairing: Arthur Morgan x Albert Mason

Rating: Mature (Adult Themes and Situations, Violence, and Sexual Content)

Summary: After saving Albert from stumbling off a cliff in the Heartlands, Arthur invites him to Valentine for a drink. What ensues after that is a quiet love story, in which both men find themselves completely undone.

Masterpost | AO3 | Epigraph

Chapter 7: Nature. Romance. They ain’t the same.

Some days later, Arthur waited in the saloon with his journal and a beer, sketching the sunny windows of the place and a couple of the women sitting in them, like birds with their feathers and casting shadows. It was close to lunch time. With so much protected rest, he was feeling somewhat on the mend now, better all the time, and in truth, some parts of his consciousness had already begun to vacate his former life. Albert had sent one of the girls out to the doctor in town to pick up a supply of epsom salts, which Arthur soaked in a couple times a day. It was weird and the stuff made his skin feel tight and dry, but it helped. It really did. And he had been drawing so much, he could weirdly feel himself improving his art, which was a fucked-up sensation of massive proportion that he rarely felt privy to at all in his day-to-day.

Safety is an addictive drug. Arthur felt clean and fed and even in his moods. He rarely left the hotel. Albert went out quite often on his business with the gallery. They still had plans to visit the orchids in the Roanoke Valley as soon as Arthur’s riding chops returned, and his ribs improved. He estimated another week or so should do it. John and Mary Beth both knew exactly where he was and though he had not told them as much, he got the sense they knew the truth. It did not register with him in any nervous sense. He hoped they knew, even as he wondered what they thought of him.

Arthur yielded so little in his life to those who thought they knew him. He wasn't sure why anymore. He just wanted for solace. He still heard the ringing in his ears sometimes, that which Colm O'Driscoll had put there, clapping his ears, breaking his bones. He'd been shot before, but only once had he been forced to cauterize his own wound in a darkened cellar with a taper candle. Sometimes he thought about how this one and single instant seemed to sum up his whole life. He tried not to dwell in that place for long though, as it was nonsense and self-pity. There were those who had it worse than him. There were those who loved him and who long had. And there was Albert Mason.

Sitting there that day, he was waiting for Albert to return from a meeting with the gallery-owner who had picked up a number of his photos to exhibit. The opening would be in a couple weeks time. The bartender came over for a little while to talk to him while shining up a glass, and one of the saloon girls brought him some food. He ate and read and sketched. At some point, he was getting ready to head upstairs, but suddenly then, he was no longer alone. Josiah Trelawny had appeared, sitting down across from him in all of his canny glory, mustache sculpted to its intimidating degree, one leg crossed over the other, looking quietly ecstatic.

“Mr. Morgan,” he said.

“Mr. Trelawny,” said Arthur, closing his journal. He held out his hand for a shake. “What the hell are you doing here.”

"I should wager the same to you. A sight for sore eyes you are, dear boy. Any sighting of Arthur Morgan in the wild is rare indeed.”

“I think you’re trying to flatter me,” said Arthur, “but you know I can’t always tell.”

“Only flattery with you, my friend,” said Josiah. He smiled and leaned. “Bandying about the high saloon of St. Denis, I see? Are you here for the gambling?”

Arthur chuckled. “No sir,” he said. “Or, not today at least.”

“You know we haven’t seen you around Clemens Point in a while,” he said. “Most are ignorant to your absence as usual, but considering the state of you last we saw, there’s some concern in the camp as to whether or not you’re okay.”

“I’m just fine.”

“I see that now.”

“How are you?” said Arthur. “You here visiting your wife?”

“Yes, I am,” said Josiah, softening. “Her bed is very warm, and her arms are very long. They go all the way around me, and I am no small man. She's a tall woman, my wife."

"I did not know that."

"Well, now you do. And after my run-in with those ingrate bounty hunters a couple months back, I am in the market for comfortable sleeping with tall women who love me.”

“Yeah, I know that sort of feeling,” said Arthur, looking down at his hands. "Quite well."

This seemed to interest Josiah. He straightened off the back of the chair and leaned forward with his hands folded neatly on the table. “Mr. Morgan.”

“What?”

“Excuse me for prying,” he said, “but may I be so bold as to inquire…are you seeing someone?”

Somewhere across the bar, a woman threw her drink in the face of a man, spat on his shoes, and stormed out the double-doors. The music stopped momentarily while the man stood in disbelief, dripping from his beard, but then it started up again moments later, and the room resumed its mid-day debauchery as if nothing had happened at all.

“Am I what?” said Arthur.

“Have you taken a lover?" said Josiah. "In St. Denis. You've got a kept look about you at the moment.”

"Oh,” said Arthur, smiling. “Kept, huh?”

"Indeed,” said Josiah. He lowered his voice then, smiling in secret. “It’s not Mary, is it? I know she was here, in the city.”

Arthur found this amusing. “No. No, it ain't Mary.”

“Then who is she?”

Arthur smiled, kind of nonplussed. “Well,” he said, clearing his throat. He looked around. The saloon was about half-full. There was a poker game going on over by the window. He leaned against the table and felt a little silly. It seemed silly to recall it out loud. “He’s a…nature photographer. He’s in town on business, and I met him some months back over in West Elizabeth, randomly. It was…maybe a week or so before that time we busted Sean free from them bounty hunters over in Blackwater. He hails from Philadelphia originally, and he’s quite decent.”

Josiah had not blinked. He was staring. Then he blinked many times in a row as if accomplishing his bearings and processing what he had just heard. “Why, Mr. Morgan,” he said. “I had no idea you kept the company of gentlemen. I’m so very sorry for my assumption.”

Arthur waved him off. “No reason to apologize,” he said. “Truth be told, you were right in your assumptions, until now. This entire thing has taken me by complete surprise. Both me and him, I reckon.”

“Does anyone else know?” said Josiah. “About why it is you’ve been so absent from our camp?”

“Not really,” said Arthur. “Or, well, Mary Beth, maybe. John. They might've guessed by now. I can’t be sure. I’ve never told anyone outright, not till now. It ain’t that I’m ashamed. It’s just that—it’s a relationship that is away from all that. It don’t belong to nobody but me. I ain’t had that so much in my life, Josiah, and I ain’t eager to share.”

“I understand. This information is safe with me, Arthur.”

“Yeah, I know. Thank you.”

One of the saloon girls came over then, took their orders. Josiah ordered a glass of bourbon. Arthur just ordered a bottle of beer. “You know, I’ve dallianced with men in the past,” said Josiah, examining his nails. “Before I met my wife of course. I chose her, but there was a time when I was more or less in the wind.”

“Seriously?” said Arthur.

“Oh, yes. Love is love, dear boy. Sometimes, it just takes the shape we least expect.”

Arthur grinned at this, holding his beer with both hands. “I suppose you’re right. I just never thought of it like that.”

“Until now,” said Josiah.

“Yes,” said Arthur. “Until now.”

The saloon girl came over with their drinks. Josiah paid for them both and tipped her generously. “To you,” said Josiah, to Arthur. They toasted and drank. Josiah took out a deck of cards, which he proceeded to shuffle. He showed Arthur a new magic trick he had invented, and told him that he was planning a visit to the orphanage in town that very day, to do a magic show.

"That is mighty generous of you, Mr. Trelawny.”

“Well, I try to do my part.” He wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, as if nervous.

That is when Albert arrived and approached the table, smiling in his gracious manner. He said hello to Arthur, and Arthur stood upon his arrival until Albert urged him to sit back down. Josiah did not move.

“Mr. Mason,” he said, fully surprised. They shook hands. “Fancy seeing you here again. Are you back for the cards? You know beginner’s luck only applies once, my dear boy. You’ll need skill if you’re to rake once more, and skill takes practice.”

Albert laughed at this, visibly blushed. “No, sir,” he said. “I’m afraid my days as a card shark have passed. I’d prefer to go out on a high note.”

“Very smart,” said Josiah. He then glanced to Arthur. “Mr. Mason, meet my dear friend, Arthur Morgan.”

Arthur looked down at the cards on the table, smiling at them, and then back to Albert, and then to Josiah.

Albert removed his hat from his head. “Yes, we’ve met,” he said. “Though I didn’t know the two of you knew one another.”

“I beg your pardon,” said Josiah.

“Mr. Trelawny and I go way back,” said Arthur to Albert. “A decade or more if I ain’t mistaken.”

“Good heavens,” said Albert. “It is quite the coincidence then.”

Josiah was staring, at the two of them, seeming to come into a slow but certain realization. He looked at Albert. “Mr. Mason, you wouldn’t happen to be a nature photographer, would you?”

“Why, yes,” said Albert. “I am. Why do you ask?”

Josiah gazed at Arthur. “No reason.” He smiled. “Well, I should be on my way,” he said. He got up, placed his hat atop his head. “Mr. Mason, it was wonderful seeing you again. Stay sharp. And Mr. Morgan, it is always a pleasure with you. I’m glad to see that you’re healing.”

“Yeah, don’t get too excited.”

“I certainly will,” he said. “I’ll let slip to Dutch, too, that you’re on a job of high esteem.”

“That won’t be necessary, but thank you anyway.”

“Adieu, good sirs,” he said, and then he bowed and went away.

When they were alone but for the sounds of the room and the horses outside on the cobblestone, Albert stood for a moment, full of social grace. He then set his hat on the table and his valise on the floor, and he sat down across from Arthur. They kept their hands tucked into their laps for a while, and then Arthur folded his on the table. They looked down at the table cloth and then up at one another. Arthur took a deep breath. "Good afternoon, Mr. Mason,” he said.

Albert fumbled for words. He felt himself blushing to an ungentlemanly degree. He then looked up at Arthur and said, “You look good today. Your color. I'm sorry I missed you this morning.”

“Don't worry about it,” said Arthur. He took a breath. “So, Josiah—that’s the magician who taught you cards is it.”

“Yes, sir. It certainly is a strange bit of happenstance.”

Arthur found this amusing. “Yeah, I should've figured.” He took a drink of his beer, straightened his pencil, set his journal aside. “How was your meeting?”

“It was good,” said Albert, loosening up a little. He exhaled. “They’re very happy with my work, which is both exciting but also entirely confounding. I hope you’ll accompany me to the opening.”

This seemed to catch Arthur undone. He was flattered. “Sure,” he said, nodding. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

“Splendid,” said Albert, watching him. The eyes, their blue. He got lost. Arthur paid his tab from earlier, tucked his journal into his pocket. Then he picked up Albert’s valise. They went upstairs.

It was this day that marked the end of a time in which Albert could say that Arthur had not been inside him. His strength returned with enough rest and stability, Arthur bent Albert to the bed, removed his clothes and his composure completely. The lid gone to the petroleum jelly, he went so slow as to induce some kind of physical, emotional ecstasy. Agonizing. They made a beautiful mess of one another, ordered lunch, and took a very long bath and did not again emerge from the second floor of the saloon until after nine-pm.

When they went back downstairs, they bought a bottle of wine. It was so strange, as it seemed their world had become small, a diorama of what it had been before. They had become city men, indoor men, just for a little while. For Albert, this sort of thing was old hat, but for Arthur, it was new. They shared the wine with the bartender who talked them into a few impromptu hands of blackjack, and of course, Arthur won every time, almost to an embarrassing degree. It did not even seem to register, how easy it was for him. His intelligence escaped him, past the decades of pain he hid away beneath his quiet armor. And he was just so good at these sorts of things, thought Albert. His gunslinger.

That night, they lay in Albert’s bed, a little wine drunk and high. One of the bar girls had shared with them her bounty of hash cigarettes, and they took to it dreamily, paid her triple. Arthur was drawing something—some sort of tree. Perhaps a tupelo. Hanging from its branches were all of these dreamcatchers. Albert watched, and then he read sometimes, this tremendous novel of awful cynicism called McTeague. It was brand new and terribly unromantic. Almost Darwinian. He had only just picked it up that very day. He read parts of it out loud to Arthur who laughed it off.

“Of course the huge, idiotic brute named McTeague is gonna get the girl in a book like that,” he said, shading his picture with the flat edge of the pencil. “Of course. That ain’t nice, that sort of Realism. You go reading long enough, she’ll probably end up dead, the girl. I’ll bet he kills her. For money, convenience, something stupid like that. Fortune favors the angry, Albert. You want for that which is simple enough, and you go to it, angry enough, you’ll get it, no matter how many folks’ lives you end in the process, including your own. That’s just evil in a world that don’t care. I know all about that.”

“Have you read this already?” said Albert.

“No,” said Arthur. “But I know what kind of book that is. I can just tell.” He finished his drawing, and he closed his journal. He looked at Albert, got quiet and he took his hand. “I don’t want that life no more,” he said. "I mean it."

Albert kissed him, soft. He still knew very little of what Arthur did, only who Arthur was. To him. He said, “Let me be good to you. You’ve always been good to me.”

“Good to you, sure,” said Arthur. “But good for you?”

“You let me be the judge of that.”

Arthur smiled. “Okay, Mr. Mason.”

There was a knock on the door then. A pounding, eager and loud, startling them both. Albert looked at his watch. It was after midnight. “Who could that be?”

They got up, dressed in their night clothes. Arthur removed himself to the sitting room, on his guard. Albert answered the door. It was John Marston.

“John?” he said. “What’s the matter? Is everything all right?”

“No,” he said. He looked disheveled and had a long, bloody cut on his hand which he had wrapped in a stained linen handkerchief. “I'm sorry to disturb. I truly am, but is Arthur here?”

“Yes. Please come in.” Albert stepped aside.

Arthur knotted his hair off his face. John came in, looking terrified, like absolute shit. “John,” said Arthur. "What's going on?"

“It’s Jack,” said John.

“What about Jack?”

“He’s missing,” said John. He looked away, as if in shame. He dropped his head into his hands. "Got kidnapped."

“Kidnapped?”

“Kieran said he didn’t think nothing of it—they was outside camp,” said John.

"Who was?"

“Braithwaites. He came back to report on them, and he said something, but it was too late. Abbie is—she ain’t doing good, Arthur.” He was near on crying. Arthur went to him. He placed his hand on John’s shoulder, leaned in to study his busted up face, his eyes, steadied him hard. “It’s all coming home,” said John, shaking his head. “It’s all coming home, brother. Sean is dead.”

“What?”

“There was an ambush in Rhodes,” John continued. “He got blown away. Now, Jack. I’m sorry. I—I wouldn’t’ve come. I know you got—” He looked at Albert, who was watching the carpet on the floor between. He appeared to be fraught, concerned, but he did not meet John’s eyes. He maintained his distance and waited in silence. John looked back to Arthur. “I need you,” he said, laid bare. "Will you help me?"

Arthur said, “You wait downstairs. I will be right there.”

Tornadoes always hit in the dullest part of the afternoon, in the humidity of summer when suddenly a cool wind blows through, and you look up, and there’s green in the sky.

“Who is Jack?” said Albert as Arthur dressed. “Is that John’s son?”

“Yes,” said Arthur. "He's just a kid. He's little."

“My god.”

“I will be back as soon as I can.”

“I have money, Arthur. If there’s a ransom, or—”

But Arthur cut him off, buckling his holster. It was the first time he’d even lifted it from the ground in a week. “It ain’t about money, Mr. Mason,” he said, very cavalier. He kissed him. “I assure you. It’s like I said before, evil in a world that don’t care. But know that I am grateful for the offer. I am.”

Albert held back. He wasn’t sure why. Truth be told, he was terrified, but he was afraid to communicate this to Arthur now. He saw him to the door and held it inside. “Be safe, dear friend,” he said, holding himself upright against the frame. “Please be safe.”

#red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 #arthur morgan #albert mason #arthur x albert #arthur morgan x albert mason #albthur #that he may hold #thank you for your patience <3

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