#but you can choose which platforms to give your time and energy to and twitter shouldn't be one of them anymore imo

[roscoehamiltons]

also while i'm on a tangent, i think ppl need to stop using twitter and the man who owns that site needs to be de-platformed 👍

[saibugslegacy]

Ambrose Ask Game

I realized this morning that I forgot how ask games work and just did Odysseus' entire thing so I am a fool but I am now a committed fool. Questions from @rypnami

1) if your mc was an animagus, what would their form be? if they are, what is their form?

I think Ambrose’s animagus form would be, ironically, an eagle. They’re fiercely loyal and will fuck you UP, along with being good caretakers of their young

2) if they could choose what animagus form they would take, would it be the same? or would they want to have a different animal form?

I think he’d choose some type of bird, maybe a raven or crow, but he wouldn’t mind an eagle too

3) does your mc have a favourite colour? why is it their favourite?

Green, because Slytherin is the first real home he ever had

4) in a modern au, would your mc use social media? what would their preferred platform be? why is if their preferred one?

Ambrose would use Tumblr unironically. He’s just fucking weird and it’s easier to avoid arguments, also it’s more anonymous than twitter or Facebook or especially Instagram. He has a twitter account but has not opened the app in two years. He’s more likely to use Facebook. I could also see him using Snapchat, the messages disappearing would make him feel less nervous

5) did you consult wand lore when choosing their wand? if so, why did you pick what you did? if not, would you ever change wand details to match your mc?

I did consult wand lore because I am an absolute nerd. Ambrose’ wand is Aspen wood and phoenix feather. I chose Aspen wood because it’s particularly suited to martial magic and duelling, which is where Ambrose excels via Ancient Magic, and it’s masters are strong minded, determined, and drawn to quests. I was really sold though with this quote from the Wizarding World website: “this is a wand for revolutionaries.�� Phoenix feather is because it has a huge range for its magic and Ambrose is at least average in most forms average. Plus it’s a rare and picky wand and Ambrose has a very “chosen one” energy the rest of my mcs dont have as much

6) what is your mc’s diet? are they vegan, vegetarian, do they eat whatever? Why?

Ambrose will eat literally anything you put in front of him, because he doesnt want to be rude or ungrateful, and because he didnt grow up with the ability to reject food because he never knew when the next time he’d eat was

7) what is your mc’s backstory as to why they didn’t join hogwarts until 5th year? or did you retcon that part of the story when creating them?

Ambrose was raised by two squibs who were SUPER bitter and hated wizards, so he grew up subconsciously suppressing his magic, especially since his brother’s magic was so destructive. He was teetering on the edge of becoming an obscurial but at the least second he let out all the magic he’d been suppressing while protecting Everett from his own fire (getting burned in the process). He got his Hogwarts letter when they went out a few months later, wrote back refusing to go, then Fig showed up and his efforts combined with Everett convinced him to go

8) what house is your mc in? why are they in that house? 

Ambrose is in Slytherin because, while he has a moral code, he is completely willing to set it aside whenever he feels like he needs to. Ex, he thinks killing is bad but is absolutely willing to murder someone if he feels he has no other option. He’ll feel shitty about it afterward but he’ll do it

9) were you inspired by characters from other media when making your mc? if so, which characters? and how did they influence your mc? 

Not really? Harry Potter a little but only in the sense of the main character/chosen one energy

10) does your mc have any special abilities? (legilimens, parsletongue, metamorphagus, etc) how do they choose to use these powers? did you give them powers for fun, or does it relate to their backstory/plot?

Post game he becomes able to channel the Ancient Magic for a wider range of abilities and can become a host of it, like the avatar state, but nothing outside of ancient magic

11) what is your mc’s blood status? how does it affect their time at hogwarts? how does it affect their home life?

His parents both have wiarding blood but since they’re both squibs he is technically a half blood. It doesn’t affect his home life much, but it does affect his life at Hogwarts for a bit because of a bunch of people being bitchy about a half-blood Slytherin. But him, Sebastian, Ominis, and Imelda shut that shit down fast

12) did your mc open the repository? why or why not? 

He did not open the Repository because he felt bad 

13) if your mc opened the repository, how did absorbing all that power affect them, if it did at all?

N/A

14) what does your mc think of the keepers? do they trust them? why or why not?

Trusts them overall but does get kind of annoyed at them sometimes over their lack of urgency and refusal to tell him anything

15) how does your mc’s story continue after 5th year? how do they cope with everything that happened with ranrok, sebastian, etc?

Not to give toooo much away but Ambrose’s story in 6th year mainly has to do with trying to get Ominis away from his family, raising Everett while also attending school, and dealing with black market smugglers trying to get their hands on powerful rare artifacts, in this case the Ancient Magic wand, the Deathly Hallows, and the Founders Relics. Thankfully, it isn’t long before a young witch transfers from Beauxbatons to help, a witch with very familiar powers…..

16) did your mc learn the unforgivables? why or why not?

They did because, while they are a last resort, he likes having some “break glass in case of emergency” spells

17) did your mc turn in sebastian? why or why not?

He did not, even though he was really pissed at him at the time, because he is a gay loser

18) what is your mc’s family like? do they have siblings? do they still have parents?

His parents SUCK, and his little brother Everett might as well be Ambrose’s son. He is a little goblin with fire powers and the most precious baby in the whole world and he will burn you alive

19) does your mc have a love interest? who is it? why did your mc fall for that character, if they do have a love interest?

I like to play with my MCs like dolls and make aus where they have different love interests, but the canon love interests for Ambrose are Sebastian and Ominis

20) does your mc have a favourite spell? if so, what is it and why do they like it the most?

Depulso, it gets people the fuck away from him and it’s really easy for crowd control, not to mention to just knock someone off a cliff and now you dont have to deal with them

21) if you could change anything that the mc does in the game, what would it be? why would you change it? how would you change it? (ie; a line they say, an event of a quest, things of that nature)

I really wish we could see MC trying to cope more and get comforted. I want MC especially to have more of a reaction to literally being kidnapped by Rookwood and suddenly they’re being attack on all sides, or maybe some PTSD at the dragon fighting ring or in the fight with dragon Ranrok because of the dragon attack at the beginning. It’s hard to get invested in them when they have no reaction to anything. They are 15!! Let them be scared and sad! Also they should have absolutely ripped Sebastian a new one after his little “ignorant” comment

22) does your mc have any pets? if so, why do they have the pets they have? and for fun, what are their pets’ names?

After 5th year he gets an owl so he can keep in touch with his friends and once they get away from his parents him and Everett get a Kneazle named Sock because Everett found him rummaging in a shoe

23) when designing your mc, why did you choose the appearance you did? has it changed at all since you first made them? would you change anything now?

I just kinda fucked around and found out honestly, even his burn scar I didn’t figure out the source for until later. Ambrose was also the first MC I played with so he started as a sort of self insert while I experienced the game for the first time, then became his own character my second playthrough 

24) where is your mc from? where is their family from?

His father is from London and his mother is Greek

25) what is your mc’s favourite season? why is it their favourite?

Autumn, he likes being cozy and thinks the leaves are pretty

26) how about your mc’s favourite holiday? what makes it special to them?

Halloween, no particular reason other than that it’s in Autumn honestly, but he does like how excited Everett gets to trick or treat around their little hamlet

27) if your mc wasn’t in their current house, where would they have been sorted? why do you think they’d be there?

Hufflepuff because of his his loyalty. Outside of his resourcefulness his loyalty is a core part of himself and what fuels most of his actions. The entire plot is spawned because of Ambrose's loyalty to and trust in Fig.

28) does your mc have a favourite childhood toy? if so, what was it? do they still have it with them?

Not really, though he did like to use sticks and pretend they were wands and swords

29) what kind of music would your mc like? is there a reason?

I think he’d like whatever genre Conan Gray counts as, purely based on vibes

30) last but not least, just tell us something you love about your mc! 

I love his silly freckles and that he has long hair despite being a trans guy, I think he looks very pretty :3

[thewisecheerio]

Ask for sources and thou shalt receive, Tarnished Warrior @floodedatmidnight ;)

To get coherence with your tags containing the ask, I've copied them below.

#why does this post emit sigma energy? #all jokes aside this is a pretty strong argument #the only problems i have with it that there is no source given for the screenshots and quotes. #i can see one of them is a google search from the page results #going directly to the source and checking its credibility could help strengthen your argument. #i know some quotes are from the game too so adding the source of where you find them in game helps too #also the part about freyja is just an interpretation. you could add some weight to it by adding some images and information about the god to #im curious to see the argument against this evidence

First, note that the original graphic is by the source I cited on Twitter (@CobaltBeetle) and cannot take credit for it. I'm just giving you their lore sources. So read the subsequent tumblr post as a cross-platform reblog with some snarky commentary added for flavor text.

Second, as you said in your tags, all of the OP's sources are all direct screenshots and/or easily googleable. So I'm going to assume you mean you want the direct name or place the quotes come from (e.g. item description) or direct dialogue citations in Freyja's case.

Additionally, note that ALL analysis is "just interpretation". That's why we do lore analyses to begin with--to interpret what we see and bring the pieces together in a way that is meaningful for us. You can absolutely do a separate and even conflicting analysis of the exact same lore and put whatever interpretation you want on it. In fact, I encouraged it in the original post and still encourage it now. More and differing interpretations is more brainrot for me, even if I think some interpretations are Bad. But every single lore analysis IS by its very nature "just interpretation" of canon.

Here are the sources you asked for: "If we honor our part of the vow…" - from Miquella's memory cut scene after the Consort fight

"Promised Consort Radahn…" - from the boss name shown during the fight with him

Valkyrie lore about death - I don't think the idea that Valkyries are associated with warrior deaths in this specific way is controversial; almost any source will tell you this almost the very definition of Valkyries. Wikipedia gives us the etymology as follows, "The word valkyrie derives from Old Norse valkyrja (plural valkyrjur), which is composed of two words: the noun valr (referring to the slain on the battlefield) and the verb kjósa (meaning "to choose"). Together, they mean 'chooser of the slain'." Beyond that, I'm going to "The derivation is left to the student" you, because I'm not doing a full thesis on Valkyries for something that is definitional. ;)

As to why Malenia evokes Valkyrie imagery, it's because of a combination of imagery used in her design and her Cleanrot Knights' designs. For example, the winged helmet is commonly used in Valkyrie imagery and even shows up in other media, too--see God of War or Tales of Phantasia for examples. This may not have actually been how Valkyries were portrayed, and may have been a later addition to Valkyrie imagery around the time that Wagner started making music about them. Nonetheless, it's in the water supply now, and it's a pretty easy way to evoke the feeling of a Valkyrie for the viewer.

One version of the cleanrot knights use winged spears, which is a weapon heavily associated with valkyries. Malenia only uses a sword because sword-based prosthetics were a real, historical thing. So that is separate allusion centering around her prosthetic limb, but interesting nonetheless! (See Gottfried von Berlichingen over on Google if you want to know more about that.)

"Those who dwell within poison…" - poison armament description, which is dropped in the Aeonian swamp (the likely site of Malenia's and Radahn's battle, given the rot imagery all around it, so we have every reason to believe this is relevant to interpreting them together)

"Now the vow will be honored…" - cutscene intro for the Promised Consort fight

Freyja as...Freyja - I personally think this is non-controversial that they're using this goddess's name as a direct allusion. You can reject that, but you'd be doing so within the VAST context of Norse allusions that Elden Ring makes from certain armor designs, the futhark on the map stones (there's a youtube video of someone partially translating it, if you're interested), Erdtree as Yggdrasil, the fact that there are literally 9 realms if you count the map carefully and include the shadow realm, etc. If you wanted to decide that Freyja ISN'T a link to the Norse goddess, it would be kind of a strange outlier.

For Freyja's role in reaping half the dead, Wikipedia lets us know a direct historical attestation that let's us know that Freyja functioned both as war goddess and valkyrie herself. "Scholar Britt-Mari Näsström points out the description in Gylfaginning where it is said of Freyja that "whenever she rides into battle she takes half of the slain", and interprets Fólkvangr as "the field of the Warriors". Näsström notes that, just like Odin, Freyja receives slain heroes who have died on the battlefield, and that her house is Sessrumnir (which she translates as "filled with many seats"), a dwelling that Näsström posits likely fills the same function as Valhalla. Näsström comments that "still, we must ask why there are two heroic paradises in the Old Norse view of afterlife. It might possibly be a consequence of different forms of initiation of warriors, where one part seemed to have belonged to Óðinn and the other to Freyja. These examples indicate that Freyja was a war-goddess, and she even appears as a valkyrie, literally 'the one who chooses the slain'.""

Freyja's choice - As to why Freyja's choice is what it is, she explicitly tells you that eternal war is what Radahn would want and that she's fine with it. When you deliver Ansbach's letter, she says, "Yes of course, I see, as the festival of war concluded, General Radahn's soul met an honorable end, but Kindly Miquella wishes to revive it? Which is fine by me. I know it would pain old Jerren but war has always suited General Radahn best. And certainly far more than any honorable death. Endless war to invigorate the soul, as befits General Radahn, the Great Lion."

Hope that helps. :)

I may not like Radahnquella, but Elden Ring is so real for taking the character that was often perceived as the Straight Dude Gigachad Platonic Ideal Man and then in the DLC being like, "Akshually, he's queer and likes being dommed by a femboy, ur welkum!" and then just sitting back to watch certain fans melt down.

It's gotten to the point where certain fans have a kneejerk reaction of insisting it must be nonconsensual—without any lore justification as to why—and throwing tantrums over any other interpretation. After all, we all know warriors can't be gay and/or submissive and also strong at the same time, right? Right? Anyway, here's an excellent lore post debunking that train of thought:

Source: https://x.com/CobaltBeetle/status/1815530542596833465

You're going to have to do a better job explaining why you think it's nonconsensual using the lore itself and not his perceived identity in the base game. If you're going to go down the "But Miquella can charm people!" rabbit hole, then you need to square it with the phrasing of the vow being conditional on something Radahn wanted in exchange. Best of luck! 👍

[mindmeltonabun-blog]

Alchemy of Souls: Theories and Analyses (Eps 1-4)

Hello everyone! I'm back again to analyze and theorize! This time I'm choosing to write about "Alchemy of Souls"! For readers who have stuck with me since "Tale of the Nine Tailed", I want to give you all a heads up that I will be providing theories and analyses for season 2 once it comes out! So look forward to that!

Now back to "Alchemy of Souls"! It's going to be a long drama...20 episodes long so I may or may not write a post for each episode. Just don't pressure me to do so! It does take a great deal of time and thinking to write these posts and well it's the summer....I'm trying to relax and not use my brain as much lol! The things I have mentioned here can also be found on my Twitter, but they are very basic on that platform. These Tumblr posts will further elaborations on some of the theories I had posted on Twitter.

This post will be long, but I hope it will be worth your time. I apologize in advance for any typos! Anyways subsequent posts will likely be shorter! Ok drum roll...time to put on our thinking caps and let's analyze and theorize!

The Alchemy of Souls

Firstly, let’s review some things! Alchemy of Souls is a spell that when it is casted, it allows two souls to swap with one another. For it to be casted successfully, the gender, age, build, etc of the people involved must be similar. I would like to think of soul shifting as organ transplantation. Things have to be a perfect match in order for there to be a lower risk of rejection.

In the world of "Alchemy of Souls", if there is a rejection or clash, one will “run wild” due to a crack or a gap which forms between the soul and body. This then leads to a loss of energy and one becoming petrified or turning into stone. As far as we know, the only way to prevent this is to siphon the life energy of others.

To be able to perform the alchemy of souls one must have already master the following steps:

Jipsu: Ability to gather the energy of water

Ryusu: Ability to gain energy from the flow of water; must master this step to be able to unsheathe a mage sword

Chisu: Ability to control the energy in the atmosphere

Hwansu: Ability to convert water to fire and vice versa

Naksu's Ocean Eyes

Now let's move to reviewing the indicators of soul swapping aka the blue mark. Typically the blue mark will appear near the heart. It is a sign that both a soul has exited and entered a body. One might ask, "Why does it appear near the heart?". Well it is because this is where the "Shen" (term in Chinese Alchemy to describe the soul) is located. Side note, most of the philosophy in AOS comes from Chinese Alchemy/Taosim so it might be worth your time to look it up! Anyways the blue mark forms because it is both a sign and a gateway which allows for a soul to either exit or enter a body.

I'd previously mentioned that the blue typically appears near the heart. However, there are some exceptions as seen in Naksu and Mu Deok's case. Their blue mark appears in Mu Deok’s eyes. Why? Well, it's going to be a long explanation. Prepare yourselves!

First, "eyes are the gateways to our souls". Second, there are two gateways in which the soul can enter or exit: the eyes and the heart. I am theorizing that because Mu Deok does not have a soul which could've exited through the area above her heart, she would have no blue mark there. Due to this, Naksu's soul had no where else to go except for the other gateway which was through Mu Deok's eyes.

Some might then ask, "Why do you think Mu Deok does not have a soul?". Simply put, it is because she does not have eyes/is blind. The eyes are suppose to be the gateway to one’s soul, if one does not have them then one is soulless. Get it? Essentially Mu Deok was an empty shell that lacked a soul.

Not only does she not physically have eyes, but she also does not have any motivations in life nor will to live for that matter. She does not have any joie de vie. Her life was dismal. She was a disabled, the person taking care of her had died, and she got sold off to courtesan house. Taken together, one would see that Mu Deok physically and spiritually does not have a soul.

Another possible explanation for Naksu's ocean eyes is that maybe Mu Deok was physically dead already when Naksu swapped into her body. The notion of soul swapping into a dead body was brought up during the King and Jang Gang's conversation in Ep 1.

For those who are still wondering if Mu Deok’s soul had gone into Naksu’s body or lying dormant within her own body, you should understand that since Mu Deok does not have a soul in the first place, it would not go anywhere. This is not to say that it is not possible. I am just saying that given the limited amount of information we have been given so far, the following theories I have proposed above seem to make the most sense at potentially explaining the phenomenon that is Naksu's ocean eyes.

Why Didn't Naksu's Soul Go Into the Bar Maid's Body?

When Jang Gang casted the Alchemy of Soul spell, it had gone towards the person he had intended it for. In Naksu's case, it was quite the opposite. She had meant for the spell to go towards the bar maid, but it instead went to Mu Deok. Some theories I have for this is that even though Naksu's casting did not go towards the person she had wanted, it did go to the person it was suppose to go to. Meaning that the spell was able to find the host that it deemed to be the perfect candidate for Naksu's soul.

In some ways Mu Deok’s body was the perfect host for Naksu’s soul because they had shared similar backgrounds. For example, both had lost their parents when they were young. Both were unwanted members of society (ex. Mu Deok was blind and Naksu was an assassin). Other qualities that made Naksu and Mu Deok a perfect pair for soul swapping is that one had a strong desire to live (Naksu) while the other had a strong desire to die (Mu Deok). It's like that saying "opposites attract". Anyways because certain things lined up with one another precisely, it made these two perfect for one another in terms of soul swapping.

Now in other ways, Mu Deok’s body was incompatible for Naksu’s soul. They had different builds. For example, Mu Deok had a fragile body while Naksu’s body was strong and healthy. To overcome this physical obstacle, I believe Naksu must make Mu Deok’s body suitable to host her strong soul. This could be done by gradually increasing Mu Deok’s strength by working out and/or training. If this is not done slowly, Mu Deok’s body will likely become overloaded, burnout, and petrified.

Who Da Baby Daddy?

One of the biggest debates I've seen so far is who is the father of Jang Uk. Some argue that Jang Uk’s daddy is Jang Gang while others argue that it is the king. It’s like an argument between physical or spiritual. Genetically and physically speaking, Jang Uk is Jang Gang’s son, but spiritually he may be the King’s son. 

There are some questions I do have such as do pieces of a parent's soul pass to their offspring? I mean I can see the argument that powers are passed down from generation to generation as it has been implied that powers and genetics are linked. However it would seem much more difficult to believe the notion that a parent's soul is passed to their offspring. The Hong Sisters really should provide more clarification on this idea. Otherwise it may cause many viewers to become confuse and lose interest in the show.

Anyways there is the possibility that Jang Gang really is the father of Jang Uk both physically and spiritually. We don’t know when Do Hwa was pregnant. Maybe she was pregnant before Jang Gang had swapped souls with the King and just hadn't found the right time to tell him until later.

The person who could potentially know this is Maidservant Kim. Furthermore, I don’t think Maidservant Kim was even aware that Jang Gang had swapped souls with the King. There needs to be an "ah ha" moment as I like call it where the characters actually talk to each other about everything instead of keeping it to themselves. At least then the plot could progress somewhere. If such a moment arises, I believe it'll go something like Jang Uk being a cry baby and telling Maidservant Kim about what Park Jin had told him and then Maidservant Kim being like "No, Do Hwa was already pregnant before Jang Gang met up with the King". 

In many aspects, I feel like Park Jin is Jang Uk's father. Sure, he may not have contributed his genetic material nor soul, but at least he was around for the important moments in Jang Uk's life like when Jang Uk first spoke. I think both in the world of AOS and here in real life, the definition of what it means to be a father can vary.

The Lost Daughter Of the Jin Family…Is It Naksu or Mu Deok?

From mystery daddies to mystery daughters. Smh. Anyways there has been a debate of who the lost daughter of the Jin is. Some have argued it is Mu Deok while others have said it is Naksu.

Those who say it is Mu Deok are only able to offer a single piece of evidence which is that Master Heo Yeom’s recognized Mu Deok’s ear. Like really people? Her ear makes you think she's the long lost daughter of the Jin family?! If only it were that easy. We know that Mu Deok was a pretty sickly person. It is more probable that Master Heo Yeon had recognized Mu Deok's ear because he had previously treated her for some sort of other ailment.

Now what I think is much more likely is that Naksu is actually the lost daughter of the Jin family. There is much more evidence that supports this theory than the other one. The first piece of evidence is Naksu's love for birds. She had a bird whistle and then during storytime with Jang Uk, she talked about being like a bird egg on top of a tree. This girl doesn’t just like birds…SHE LOVES BIRDS! Anyways, you know who else seems like birds? Mama Jin…I mean she has like a crap ton of them. Coincidence? I think not. 

The second piece of evidence is Naksu's ability to quickly learn mage skills/steps which was evident when she bragged to Jang Uk that she had mastered Jipsu in 5 years. It is implied in AOS that if one is from a great mage family, one tends to master mage skills faster than others. If Naksu is indeed from the Jin family, it would explain how she managed to master jipsu so quickly. Side note this is a strong piece of evidence against the argument that Mu Deok is the lost daughter from the Jin family. I mean you don't see Mu Deok having any mage powers or anything. Then again who knows... maybe Jin Mu closed Mu Deok's gate of energy somehow (don't know if you have to be a great mage to be able to do this or not).

I won't dismiss the fact that Naksu's parents could very well be the people who were killed in the beginning of the show. There are still many unknowns. The astronomer who made the prediction about the birth of the King's son was Naksu's "dad". So maybe the great families had gathered to kill him as to keep the origins of Jang Uk's birth a secret. Then again maybe the great families had gathered to kill Naksu's parents because they were actually her kidnappers. We know Jin Mu has a habit of placing his people inside the palace and Songrim. So who knows, maybe Naksu's parents were actually working for Jin Mu. Again there are a lot of unknowns.

What Is Jin Mu’s Endgame?

Ok time to take a closer look at the #1 asshole in AOS aka Jin Mu. We first should ask ourselves, what exactly is Jin Mu's endgame? What does he really want?

Revenge on the Jin Family for kicking him out

I talked about this in the previous section. Maybe Jin Mu's plan for revenge on his family was to kidnap the daughter of the Jin family aka Naksu and then brainwash her into thinking her real parents were the bad guys. He had planned to make her hate them so much so that she would try and kill them. Yea...that's some messed up crap right there.

2. Gwanju position

I still don't get why he desires this position other than to maybe have full access to Cheonbugwan and the Soul Ejector.

3. Soul Ejector

If you remembered during Ep 2, Jin and his minions were not only trying to steal Naksu's body and sword, but also trying to get into Cheonbugwan. There is a device that Jin Mu is aware of which is resides in Cheonbugwan: the Soul Ejector. Not much is known about this device. I'm guessing that based off of its name, it is a device which ejects souls and can be used to reverse soul swapping.

The reason Jang Gang had needed this device was because he needed to switch back to his body. Some might ask well why couldn't he do that without this device? Well it is because he was in the body of the King which did not have any mage powers. Therefore, he would need such a device. Along with his device, he would also need someone who is able to perform the Alchemy of Souls spell.

All we know so far is that Jin Mu has been going around swapping the souls of his minions into royal officials (ex. Prince’s eunuch) and people at Songrim (ex. astrology pupil). Is Jin Mu planning to eject multiple souls or something to create his own army? Or maybe this device can only be used to ejector souls from non mage bodies? Who the hell knows at this point!

It'll be funny if Jin Mu is doing all of this just so he can swap into the body of the current king and therefore be the King. But yea I'm still not able to accurately predict what Jin Mu's full plan is yet. I would need more episodes for that!

Seo Yul and Naksu

Past Relationship

There is not much known about Naksu's past relationship with Seo Yul other than they seem to be young love birds perched up in a tree. Seo Yul was so in love with Naksu. He smiled at her (which is in contrast to his stoic demeanor now) and spent time carving Naksu a bird whistle. If that doesn’t say scream undying love then I don’t know what does! It would seem that these feelings were mutual since Naksu kept the bird whistle throughout the years despite morphing into a cold blooded assassin.

Other mysteries to be solved is the reason why these two love birds had parted ways. My theory is that it was Naksu’s decision to end the friendship/more than friendship relationship. At this point Naksu had been under Jin Mu's training and scheming ways. It wouldn't surprise me that Jin Mu had assigned Naksu to befriend Seo Yul as a way to collect information about the great families. Eventually Naksu had probably caught feelings for Seo Yul and didn't want to lead him on nor hurt him so she decided to disappear.

It is pretty heartwarming to know that despite growing up to be a coldhearted assassin, Naksu still had a soft spot of Seo Yul as it was evident in her possession of the bird whistle despite the many years that had passed. To her, the time she spent with Seo Yul were probably the happiest she had ever been. He was probably the only kind person she knew at the time.

Present Relationship

Now let's skip the present....all I got to say is That BOY KNOWS…HE KNOWS. Seo Yul is not a dumb cookie rather he's a very smart cookie. The biggest giveaway for him was seeing Naksu playing the flute on the bridge. The look on his face said it all. It was the look of seeing the only girl he had ever loved after years had passed. If it had been any other girl, Seo Yul would casted her ass to the ground and got the whistle back right away, but because it was Naksu he took a more gentle approach.

When she said the whistle meant nothing to her, Seo Yul called her bluff and took her hand with the whistle and placed it over his heart and subsequently told her his breathing technique. SWOOOOOOON. To me this moment basically said, "you have my heart and I'll tell you anything you want".

Anyways following that moment on the bridge, I hope you all noticed how much more he began to stare at her. He definitely saw her hesitation to give up her sword and he also saw her mischievous smile after she told Jang Uk they had to leave. Boy told knows Naksu had manipulated the situation with the meeting between Master Heo Yeom, Dang Gu, and Jin Mu.

Then in this upcoming week's episode, we see both Seo Yul and Dang Gu visiting Naksu and Jang Uk in Danhyanggot despite Naksu initially telling them she was going to Sari. Smart cookie Seo Yul went with the assumption that Mu Deok is actually Naksu and therefore he headed to Danhyyanggok instead of Sari. Naksu had probably mentioned to Seo Yul that she was from Danhyanggot back during their love bird days.

The Mysterious Teacher Lee/The Devil’s Teacher

In the latest ep, we were introduced to a new character. Though the episode did not mention his name, additional info about him can be found on TvN’s website. His name is Lee Cheol, but he is also called Master Lee because he only wears a hemp robe all four seasons. He is a highly skilled mage. I still think of him as President of Vincenzo's fan club, Oh My Consigliere haha!

It was shown that he was the one who robbed Jin Yo Won. He was so powerful that he did not need to open the doors to Jin Yo Won to get Sapsali, he simply just had to summon Sapsali. Subsequently, he shifted Sapsali's soul into the body of a dead Sapsali dog (Sapsali is also a name of a dog breed in Korea). 

In Ep 5 preview, it is shown that Master Lee had stumbled upon Naksu and is aware that she had shifted into Mu Deok’s body. The preview can be misleading, but I think Lee Cheol has been living in Naksu’s former home in Danhyanggot (that’s why when she comes back she’s wondering where all the things had came from). Anyways in another trailer, it would seem the Master Lee has befriended Jang Uk and Naksu.

One big question is whether Master Lee is a friend or foe? I am thinking that he will be a friend. Here’s why. In Ep 2 after Naksu had unsheathed her sword in the Lake, she figures out that she needs someone as powerful as the energy of the lake to push out her energy so she could be her old powerful shelf again. Jang Uk asks her if she's looking for a master to teach her to do this. Well everyone, I believe Naksu has finally found a master who will help accomplish this.  His name is #1 Corn Salad fan...haha (sorry to those who haven't watch Vincenzo...you really should).

Other theories I have about Master Lee is that he is in fact Jang Gang. The only information we have been given about Jang Gang is that he’s been gone for decades to “train”. I bet Jang Gang went into insolation to figure out how to fix the problem of soul shifters running wild as well as to do some soul searching after the whole the King slept with his wife debacle. Additionally in that last scene of Jang Gang in Ep 4, he was seen experiencing some stomach pain..could this mean that something was happening to his core energy (remember that this is where one's core energy is located) ? Other clues that Master Lee is Jang Gang is that Master Lee knows the location of Jin Yo Won. I mean I don’t think the location of where the Jin family keeps their magical objects is common knowledge. That secret is probably only known to the members of the great mage families. Just saying!

Misc.

Other important things to mention is that I think we are to assume that as long as one of your parents is a mage, you will be born as one. For example the Prince. His father, the King, is normal while his mother, the Queen, had belonged to the Seo family. Therefore the Prince has mage powers through his mom's side. Otherwise if you have two normal parents, you will not be born as a mage.

Some have theorized that the old King's soul is in the body Prince's eunuch. I don't think that is the case. I think he's just important to Jin Mu because he's one of the Prince's closest staff members and therefore would be the closest source to information about the Prince.

I know I did not mention much about Naksu and Jang Uk's relationship. This is because there's not much to theorized about it at the present moment. It's a pretty cut and dry relationship. They both helping each other so that they can get what they want. Eventually Jang Uk will become mature and that's when the romance between these two will begin.

Jang Uk's sword is a "Four Tigers sword" which was typically constructed during the year of the tiger and is used exclusively by kings.

Update 6/30/22: Besides Master Lee being the one who can potentially help Naksu to regain her powers as well as prevent her from becoming petrified, I believe there is another way this can happen. It would require the conversion of elements. To switch souls, one must be able to convert water to fire. When one becomes petrified, one is turned into stone which is an earth element. So maybe the key to Naksu not turning to stone lies within either the conversion of earth->fire ->water OR earth->metal-> water.

[jeonjk0504]

why didn’t you say anything about the racism bts have faced these past days :(

Hey anon!

I actually haven‘t been online here because of the racism debate. I was on twitter and was supporting it there on two accounts nonstop! if you want to follow me, my @ is also jeonjk0504 :)

You are completely right though, i should have spoken up on my platform here sooner, to educate my followers on this really important matter!

If i make mistakes or should word things differently, please let me know, as you can tell i‘m not native.

The short version:

Credits to @ squishykosmos (twt)!

What happened?

3 days ago, the german radio host Matthias Mattuschik from the station Bayern3 spew racist remarks about BTS because of their MTV Unplugged cover of coldplay. He is a fanboy of coldplay and only wanted to introduce their song ‚Fix you‘ but somehow it was necessary to explain to his listeners why it was an utter insult that BTS had an MTV unplugged concert (he called it paradox, because it‘s a boyband) where they were allowed to cover his favorite song. Coldplay allowed the cover by the way and even commented on it positively.

Here are two links from his original rant, translated in english:

https://twitter.com/bts_updates_ger/status/1365211269133971458?s=21 (Part 1)

https://twitter.com/atinystrawbery/status/1365052883771785219?s=21 (Part 2)

As a german i know that to other people our language sounds quite agressive in general, but this is a whole different level. This isn‘t said in a jokingly way, it‘s pure hatred.

He called BTS a virus against which hopefully there will be a vaccine soon, that their cover of coldplay is blasphemy and that they are little pisser who should get a 20-year vacation in North Korea. Considering the rising violence against Asians all over the world because of Covid, his speech is extremely harmful and normalizes hate against Asians apart from the fact that it was racism in it’s purest form. Why the wish for a South Korean Group to have vacation in the North Korean dictatorship is inhumane and racist, i hopefully don‘t have to explain further. He even said, he can‘t be xenophobic, because he drives a korean brand car (which turned out to be japanese). The new ‚i can‘t be racist, i have a black friend‘.

This also hasn‘t been the first time, in 2018 he made an antisemetic comparison between smoker and jews for which he got a little attention, but no consequences.

Furthermore ARMY dug up a picture on his instagram from 2020 with the caption ‚ Is more evidence needed?!?,‘

A short note:

What makes this even more infuriating is that the radio station is regulated by public-law and german citizens are OBLIGATED to pay for it. We literally are forced to pay money to a radio station that broadcasts openly racist slurs! And no, it‘s not allowed. They have policies that explicitly say they are not allowed to discriminate, they have to support diversity and have to be politically and economically independant.

Do they give a fuck? Apparently not really.

Did Bayern3 answer the hashtags and the pressure?

They did, first came a short nonpology where they said that the show, which Matthias Matuschik is broadcasting, is known for his direct and honest opinions and that he could have worded it better. They are sorry if anyone felt insulted, which is excusing the feeling of the fans, but not the act in itself.

After Army answered with the hashtag ‚Racism is not an opinion‘ and various media coverage surfaced, they posted a second ‚apology‘, where they -again- said that they are distancing themselves from what was said and Matthias has always been an avid supporter of refugees so he is very far away from being a racist. (Supporting refugees doesn’t excuse you from saying racist things though.) Matthias stated that he is shocked from the reactions, that he is ‚sorry if people felt what he said was racist‘ and that his family is getting death threats. (which is in no way acceptable of course.) They would review what was said so it doesn‘t happen again.

Here you can read the statements in german and translated in english:

First statement: https://twitter.com/bts_updates_ger/status/1365087239756259330?s=21

Second statement: https://twitter.com/bts_updates_ger/status/1365305564050382849?s=21

This would have probably been the beginning of a conversation, if Matthias wouldn‘t have went to facebook after his second apology to like a supporting post that basically stated that the topic is way overhyped and in the 80s you were allowed to say your opinion without people getting butthurt (this is a short form.) He completely revised his remorse literally the same day after the updated apology and supported a statement that was gaslighting the people who critized him. You can read the facebook post here:

https://twitter.com/traveltomyrm/status/1365321397342461957?s=21

Since then: Nothing. My mom told me yesterday they‘re playing dynamite a lot, i told her to switch the channel.

News Coverage

Thankfully, we got a lot of support from I-ARMY and K-ARMY, otherwise we wouldn‘t have been able to trend the hashtags day and night and kept them in the top categories in germany and worldwide. We also got a lot of support from international media who called out the racism and put them into context in really amazing articles. (Also K-Media and J-Media but i only have screenshots, no links) Here are a few of them:

https://rollingstoneindia.com/xenophobic-german-presenters-comments-about-bts-are-just-the-tip-of-the-racist-iceberg/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrolli/2021/02/26/bts-were-once-again-the-subject-of-racist-on-air-remarks-and-received-a-pathetic-non-apology/

We even got celebrities like halsey, max, lauv, steve aoki, JJ Ryan, DJ Swivel, Liam McEwan, Zara Larsson, MTV UK, Columbia Records and some more bring attention to the issue and show their support for BTS in the face of racism.

This support was probably the reason why we even got a second ‚apology‘, because guess what? German media ain‘t having it. Since the beginning of our protest, i think i saw 2 articles in total which actually called it racism, various newspapers and online magazines were downplaying it by talking about ‚insults‘ and concentrating on Matthias calling BTS pisser instead of quoting the actual racist remarks he made. We got no TV news whatsoever. So naturally, german locals looking at this protest think that Fans are going on a rampage because their favorite boygroup got insulted.

It has been maddening. The radio station and host have been trying to sit this whole thing out for days, in hope we lose energy over the weekend and it‘s draining to not be heard or taken seriously. For me it‘s still a priviledged perspective, because i don‘t have to bear consequences when this thing is over, one way or another. But for Asians in our country, also some of my friends, this horror in times of covid will continue. The lack of serious German Media coverage has been frustrating and embarrasing to say the least, but also shown again, that the topic gets overshadowed by prejudices against KPop, the fanbase and Asians as part of satirical fun (which it isn‘t).

Why is that?

This is my personal take and not a deep analysis, just my personal observations: Germany might be progressive in a lot of aspects, but they still have deeply ingrained every day racism against asians and they have a huge problem realizing and admitting to that. We don‘t have a lot of asian representation and there is a huge alieniation from asians for a lot of german 50+ (also less, but those are the ones in power mostly). Racism against Asians is not seen enough and people don‘t empathize, partly because they‘re white privileged people who don‘t have to live with certain stigma, partly because they simply don‘t care to educate themselves about minorities in their own country. This ignorance is widespread, if it doesn‘t happen in front of your doorstep, it‘s probably nonexistant. It‘s also not only reserved for Asians, january 2021 we had a talkshow where 5 white german people talked happily about what minorities such as Romani people think as insulting or racist. They did get a lot of backleash because obviously they talk about matters, without letting minorities be part of the discussion, but real consequences? Nope.

I doubt that this protest will get Matthias Matuschik fired (which it should if you are openly racist on a public platform), because the pressure is too low and the radio station has shown with their first statement that they thought it‘s rather funny than problematic. But i don’t know what‘s going to happen. Apart from being an ARMY, i am an adult who condemns racism in any way or form. Why german media chooses to overlook the essence of the debate and makes it a hystercial fanbase issue is beyond me.

If you want to have a look yourself, you can follow German Fanbase accounts, such as @ BTS_UPDATES_GER for updates in german and english.

And at last, here is a thread on how german media reproduces Anti Asian Racism : https://twitter.com/storiesbythuy/status/1366073706817196046?s=21

German Armys are trying to come up with a plan to gain more attention for the topic at the moment, so we‘ll see how things turn out! Please support us if possible!

[witchsickness]

different anon but i just wanna say i’ve been missing you’re writing so much!!! and not to discredit your feeling at all bc it must be disappointing to not get as much interaction as you were hoping for/used to get but i think maybe it’s also kinda a self-fulfilling prophecy or vicious circle where it feels like people aren’t interested so you post less which equals less interaction which just confirms what you already thought? Idk and I don’t just mean you I mean writers/artists in general! tldr i just wanted to pop by and i will read anything and everything you choose to share with us 💕

babe hi first of all thank you? so much for taking the time to send such a thoughtful message. i can’t even begin to explain how much i appreciate it. it feels really really really good to hear people have been missing my stuff and would be into more, like. can’t even tell you. it’s so freakin encouraging. makes me wanna maybe try putting my stories out there again <3

tbh i do think lack of interaction and validation is a problem lots of writers come across? like, not even just in this fandom. fanfiction, out of all forms of fan-made content, is the most time-consuming and not always easy to get into. which is totally understandable! nobody has enough free time to dive into 12-chapter saga-length stories every night after they’re done with real life stuff, like. i totally get that. it’s way easier to interact with fanart, and edits, and bite-length headcannons on a day-to-day basis and save long fics for when you have lots of time to spare. unfortunately, that automatically narrows the field for writers, whose reach is very limited to begin with

now, i’ve never tried writing for another fandom regularly, so i’m not familiar with how things work elsewhere, but harringrove is a small fandom, which means that most people active either on tumblr and/or twitter know one another, and promote each other’s work. which isn’t a bad thing by itself! the problem begins when the only works getting any attention are the products of The Fandom Famous and their mutuals. again, i can only speak for the writing section of this fandom, but i’ve been here long enough to see how things work, and it’s. not good. writers who consciously choose or don’t have the energy to be active on platforms like tumblr on a daily basis and only post their stories on ao3 will mostly never get any fandom recognition, even though their stuff might be pure gold. the reality is that, unless you’re willing to be here and constantly remind people you exist, writers tend to get ignored and forgotten

which is! super discouraging, given the time poured into composing a story, no matter the length. writers shouldn’t feel obligated to produce something on a daily or weekly basis to prove their worth, and they definitely shouldn’t have to beg for scraps of validation and encouragement. after a while, watching the same people get all the attention and praise over and over gets disheartening, and i’ve heard people deciding to give up before. which is awful, especially in a fandom this size, already running out of canon content for their characters

i’ve never been an active member of this fandom, and i’m pretty sure a lot of people will disagree with the way i view things, bc their fandom experience is totally different, and they personally feel safe to share their stuff, and, like, i hope so? i hope only a small portion of creators can relate, and most people have never felt this way. it’s been more than two years since we got any new st content, so it’s not a reach to presume that people have generally lost interest in the show, and the ships born from it, too. that’s definitely a major reason for this decrease in interest and interaction lately. but also, like, i genuinely believe that, fundamentally, the fandom’s algorithm for promoting content is skewed, and ends up being harmful for lesser known creators who are so enthusiastically willing to share their stuff, but ultimately feel it might be pointless

anyway i could probably go on but i already wrote a whole-ass essay you absolutely did Not sign up for alksnflasalsfj;sa i just? can’t thank you enough? hearing you say you’d be willing to read more of my stories means more than i could ever explain, and i’m super super grateful you shared your thoughts with me and gave me the space to talk about stuff i’ve had on my mind for A While. ‘i will read anything and everything you choose to share with us’ this made me cry, so now i, like, have to kill you, you understand. it is how it is 

[for-your-therapeutic-smile]

They Never Teach You How to Stop

Rarely do I lack the words to express myself. Perhaps this reflects my failure to maintain my journal consistently throughout 2020. Here goes an honest attempt to capture and document my mental state and the fatigue of Covid, the inertia of this shelter-in-place, the anxiety of this political crisis we face as a nation, the pressure of being a 1L in law school against the backdrop of civil unrest and Justice Ginsburg’s death, coming out - my dad told me he was disappointed -, the possible erosion of my relationship with someone I love, and this feeling of absolute dread and resentment for a system that continuously fails my and future generations (robbing us of a social contract that promised life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness), among many other things I’m too tired to consider. When did we accept a $0 baseline as the American Dream? Oh, to be debt free - free from this punishment for having pursued an education. Stifling the educated to prevent them (myself included) from organizing and mobilizing the masses so we can supplant this system with a better one is the overall objective of the oppressive class (read: Pedagogy of the Oppressed); it’s the conflict between the bourgeois and the proletariat. The proletariat has swallowed the middle class, leaving only the ruling class. I am essentially on autopilot, forcing myself to go through the motions so I can survive another day. I know others join me in this mental gymnastics of unparalleled proportions, one social scientists and medical researchers will soon study and subsequently publish their findings in an attempt to explain the unexplainable. Despite a lack of air circulation, we are breathing history; the constitution, like our societal norms, must adapt accordingly. Judge Barrett: there is no place for originalism. While I seldom admit weakness or an inability to manage life’s curveballs, this series of unfortunate events seems almost too much to bear. 

And yet somehow I continue to find the energy to submit assignments due at 11:59 p.m., write this post at 1:38 a.m., “sleep”, wake at 7 a.m. so I can read and prepare (last minute!) the assigned material leading into my torts or contracts class. I find the energy to text my boyfriend (or ex-boyfriend) so I can attempt to salvage the real and genuine connection we have, cook elaborate meals to find some solace, wrestle with whether or not to hit my yoga mat (I don’t), apply to a fellowship for the school year and summer internships, prepare my dual citizenship paperwork, manage a campaign for two progressive politicians, and listen to music in an attempt to stay sane . . . ~*Queues John Mayer’s “War of My Life” and “Stop This Train”*~ . . . I realize I have to be kinder to myself, give credit where credit is due. I hate feeling self-congratulatory though.

Mostly, I am too afraid of the repercussions if I stop moving at a mile/minute, that I can just work away the pain and be the superhuman who numbs himself from the low-grade depression and nervous breakdown. My body tells me to slow down, as evidenced by the grinding of my teeth, but I take on more responsibility because people rely on me. I must show up. I am a masochist in that way. This is what I signed up for and I’ll be damned if I don’t carry through on my promise to do the work. Pieces of my soul scattered about like Horcruxes, though they’re pure, not evil, so I hope nobody resolves to destroy them. 

My mind rarely rests. It’s 3:08 a.m., one of the lonelier hours where night meets morning; it’s the hour for and of intense introspection. It makes you consider pulling an all-nighter, one you reserve for an “important” school or work deadline. We always put our personal lives on the back-burner. 3 a.m. sets the tone for a potentially awful day. But that doesn’t matter right now. I’m letting some of my favorite albums play in the background: Joni Mitchell’s Blue, Mac Miller’s Circles, Rhye’s Blood, Alicia Keys’ ALICIA, Coldplay’s Ghost Stories, Frank Ocean’s Blonde, Miley Cyrus’ Dead Petz in addition to other playlists, Tiny Desk performances, and tracks (I unearthed last week, like When It’s Over by Sugar Ray). I need to feel something. I need to feel anything. I need to feel everything. We experience such a broad spectrum of emotions throughout the day that we lose track of if we don’t pause to absorb them. Music reinforces empathy; it releases dopamine.

I spent the past two hours reading through old journals and posts, as scattered as they were, on a wide range of topics: poems I had written about falling in and out love, anecdotes about my world travels, and entries on personal, political, and professional epiphanies. The other night I found one of my favorites, a previous post from my time living in Indonesia, centering on the dualities of technology. It resonated with me more than the others. To summarize, I wrote about my tendency to equate the Internet with a sense of interconnectedness (shoutout to Tumblr for being my digital journal; to Twitter for being a place of comedy and revolution; to Instagram for curating my *aesthetic*; to Facebook where I track my family’s accomplishments and connect with travel buddies displaced around the globe all searching for a home). And yet I feel incredibly lonely and disconnected whenever I spend too much time using technology, so much so that I set screen time limitations on my phone recently to curtail this obsession with constant communication and information gathering. Trump and Biden admitted that it’s unlikely we’ll know the results of the election on November 3rd during their first presidential debate. Push notifications don’t allow us to learn of trauma within the comforts of our own homes. I’m already fearing where I will be when that news breaks. 

This global pandemic and indefinite shutdown of the world (economy) undeniably exacerbates these feelings. This is some personal and collective turmoil. But I was complicit in the endless scrolling and swiping of faces and places long before Covid-19. Instead of choosing to interact with my direct environment (today’s research links this behavior to the same levels of depression one feels when they play slot machines), I am still an active on all these platforms, participating the least in the most tangible one: my physical life. I am tired of pretending. I am tired of being tired. I am tired of embodying fake energy to exist in systems that fail me. I am tired of the quagmire. Like Anaïs Nin, I must be a mermaid [because] I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living. This particular excerpt from that 2016 entry was difficult for me to read: “The fantasy of what could have been if a certain plan had unfolded will haunt you forever if you do not come to peace with the reality of the situation. I hope you come to terms with reality.” I am not at peace with my current reality. But is anyone?

It’s a bit surreal for my peers to have suddenly started caring about international relations theory. It’s transported me back to my 2012 IR lecture at Northeastern: are you a constructivist or a feminist? Realist or liberalist? Neo? Marxist? The one no one wants you to talk about. Absent upward mobility, this is class warfare. But I cannot be “a singular expression of myself . . . there are too many parts, too many spaces, too many manifestations, too many lines, too many curves, too many troubles, too many journeys, too many mountains, too many rivers” . . . It feels like America’s wake-up call. But I know people will retreat into the comforts of capitalism if Biden wins and, well, we all enter uncharted waters together if the Electoral College re-elects #45. For those who weren’t paying attention: the world is multipolar and we are not the hegemon. Norms matter. People tend to be self-interested and shortsighted. Look to the past in order to understand the future. History, as the old adage goes, repeats itself. Once a cheater, always a cheater. Taxation without representation. Indoctrination. Welcome to the language of political discourse. Students of IR and polisci have long awaited your participation. Too little too late? Plot twist: it’s a lifelong commitment. You must continue to engage irrespective of the election outcome or else we will regress just as quickly as we progress. Now dive into international human rights treaties (International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights; International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights), political refugees, FGM. No one said it wasn’t dismal. But it’s important. We need buy-in.  

While I am grateful for the continuation of my education, for this extended time with family, for this opportunity to be a campaign manager for two local progressive candidates (driving to Boston to pick up revised yard signs as proof that the work never stops), it would be remiss of me, however, not to admit that I am lonely: I am buried in my books, in the depressing news both nationally and globally, and in precedent-setting Supreme Court cases (sometimes for the worst, e.g. against the preservation of our environment). In my nonexistent free time I work on political asylum cases, essentially creating an enforceability framework of international law, for people fleeing country conditions so unthinkable (the irony of that work when my country falls greater into authoritarianism and oligarchy is not lost on me). I am fulfilling my dream of becoming a human rights lawyer which stems back to middle school. I saw Things I Imagined (thank you Solange). I have held an original copy of the Declaration of Independence that we sent to the House of Lords in 1778 and the Human Rights Act of 1998 while visiting the U.K. Parliamentary Archives as an intern for a Member of Parliament. This success terrifies and exhausts me; it also oxygenizes and saves me. Every decision, every sacrifice, has led me to this point. 

“It’s the choosing that’s important, isn’t it?,” Lois Lowry of The Giver rhetorically asks. This post is not intended to be woe is me! I am fortunate to be in this position, to have this vantage point at such an early age, and I understand the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. My life has purpose. I am committed to the work that transcends boundaries; it is larger than life itself. It provides a unique perspective. But it makes it difficult to coexist with people so preoccupied in the drama they create in their lives and the general shallowness of the world we live. It feels like there is no option to pump the brakes on any of this work, especially in light of our current climate, and that pressure oftentimes feels insurmountable. Time is of the essence. It feels, whether true or not, that hardly anyone relates to my experience, so if I don’t carve out this time to write about it, then I am neither recording nor processing it. 

Tonight, in between preparing tomorrow’s coursework, I realize that I have an unprecedented number of questions about life, which startles me because typically I have the answers or at least have a goal in mind that launches me into the next phase of life or contextualizes the current one. These goals, often rooted in this capitalistic framework, in this falsity of “needing” to advance my career as a means of helping people, distract me from asking myself the existential questions, the reasons for why we live and what we fundamentally want our systems to look like; they have distracted me from real grassroots community organizing until now. They distract me from the fact that, like John Mayer, I don’t know which walls to smash; similarly, I don’t know which train to board. Right now feels like we are living through impossible and hopeless times and I don’t want to placate myself into thinking otherwise despite my relatively optimistic outlook on life. As we face catastrophic circumstances – the consequences of this election and climate change (famine, refugees, lack of resources) – I do not want to live in perpetual sadness. I am searching for clarity and direction so I can step into a better, fuller version of myself. 

It’s now 3:33 a.m. Here is the list of questions that I have often asked myself in different stages of life, but recently, until now, I have not been willing to confront for fear that I might not be able to answers them. But I owe it to myself to pose them here so I can have the overdue conversation, the one I know leads me to better understanding myself:

Are you happy? Why or why not?

What do you want the future to hold? What groundwork are you going to do to ensure it happens?

What does your ideal day/week/month/year/decade look like? Why?

With whom do you want to spend your days? Why?

Who do you love and care about? Have you told people you care about that you love them? Does love and vulnerability scare you?

What do you expect of people – of yourself, of your partner, of your family, and of your friends? Should you have those expectations? Why or why not?

What do you feel and why?

What relaxes you? What scares you? What brings you joy?

What do you want to improve? Why?

What do you want to forgive yourself for and why?

Does the desire to reinvent yourself diminish your ability to be present?

Do you have a greater fear of failure or success? Why?

How do you escape the confines of this broken system? How do you break from the guilt of participation in it and having benefited from it?

How do we reconcile our daily lives with the fact that we’re living through an extinction event? This one comes from my friend (hi Jeanne) and a podcast she listened to recently.

How do you help people? How do you help yourself? Are you pouring from an empty cup?

How will you find joy in your everyday responsibilities, in the mission you have chosen for yourself? What, if any, will be the warning signs to walk away from this work, in part or in its entirety? Without being a martyr, do you believe in dying for the cause?

So here are some of the lessons I have learned during this quarantine/past year:

“I’ve Got Dreams to Remember,” so do not take your eyes off them. Chasing paper does not bring you happiness.

Be autonomous, particularly in your professional life.

Focus on values instead of accolades.

Do everything with intention and honest energy.

Listen to Tracy Chapman’s “Crossroads” & Talkin’ Bout a Revolution for an energy boost and reminder that other revolutionaries have shared and continue to share your fervent passion . . . “I’m trying to protect what I keep inside, all the reasons why I live my life” . . . When self-doubt nearly cripples you and you yearn a few minutes to run away when in reality you can’t escape your responsibilities, go for a drive and queue up “Fast Car” . . . “I got no plans, I ain’t going nowhere, so take your fast car and keep on driving.”

With that said, take every opportunity to travel (you can take the work with you if absolutely necessary). Go to Italy. Buy the concert ticket and lose yourself in the moment. Remember that solo excursions are equally as important as collective ones. But, from personal experience, you prefer the company. Find the balance.

Detach from the numbers people keep trying to assign to measure your personhood.

Closely examine the people in your inner circle and ask them for help when you need it.

“And life is just too short to keep playing the game . . . because if you really want somebody [or something], you’ll figure it out later, or else you will just spend the rest of the night with a BlackBerry on your chest hoping it goes *vibration, vibration*” (John Mayer’s Edge of Desire) . . . so love fiercely and unapologetically.

Be specific.

Go to therapy even when life is good.

[twetch24]

Twetch

Social Media Marketing (SMM) is one of the indispensable pieces of Digital Marketing. Furthermore, at IICEducation.in we are viewing this showcasing preparing appropriately. We are giving computerized showcasing course preparing in Indore. So initially we should break this subject to comprehend, Social media and Marketing. Social Media is the most helpful thing in these days on the web. Approx 55% of individuals invest the vast majority of the energy in Social Media for example Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Pinterest, Twitter, and so forth In basic words, Social media is a stage where everybody interfaces socially with (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Pinterest, Twitter,) every one of these mediums. Presently we should discuss Marketing, it is an action from which dealers advance their items and administrations to the purchaser. Looking for a social platform that does not store your data? use this https://twetch.app/

Utilization of Social media in Marketing

Social Media is the least expensive and simple method of advertising, in extremely less time our advancement or advertisements arrive at the client through foundation of social media. It assists with making a relationship with the client and update the client about our item. The primary benefit of Social media Marketing is we can choose our crowd from the age factor, segment region, conduct, interests, and so forth So our add can reach to that client who is keen on our items and administrations. Very surprising from the conventional market, in light of the fact that customary advertising is so costly and tedious and every one of them need to see our advertisements, who would prefer not to item.

Social Media Platforms and their detail

Facebook:- Facebook has a gigantic no. of clients contrast with other Social media stages. It is a valuable stage for the vender to focus on his crowd on the grounds that each client can put his all detail facebook from Birthdate to what he had in lunch. That is the reason a vender can without much of a stretch run missions to focus on their crowd. Least just 40 rs you need to pay for facebook advertising, it is simple for the vender to advance their administration or item.

Instagram:- Instagram is the second most helpful stage for Social media. It is another Social media stage, yet it is in pattern. Everybody needs to drift so they naturally use Instagram. It is the result of Facebook, it correspondingly fills in as facebook. Like Facebook on Instagram, we can choose the intended interest group with at least 40 rs.

Twitter:- Twitter is an expert stage utilized by proficient clients. A Twitter advertising methodology is an arrangement revolved around making, distributing, and circulating substance for your purchaser personas, crowd, and devotees through the social media stage. The objective of this sort of methodology is to draw in new devotees and leads, help transformations, improve brand acknowledgment. However, it is somewhat exorbitant from other Social media stages.

Linkedin:- Mainly LinkedIn has utilized by proficient clients, who are identified with occupations like HR, Manager, Officers, and so on The transformation pace of Linkedin is exceptionally high from other Social media stages. it is a valuable stage for lobbies for an intended interest group.

All Social Media Marketing stages like Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Pinterest, Twitter works correspondingly, with Target your crowd with from the age factor, segment region, conduct, interestsPsychology Articles, and so forth

[snowflakechallenge]

2020 SNOWFLAKE INTRODUCTION

What does the Snowflake Challenge mean to me? Well, a lot of things, actually. I love seeing everyone interact in such a positive manner. I'm inspired by those who step out of their comfort zone to participate. I'm heartened to see the sheer amount of joy the challenge brings. I love watching the collaboration behind the scenes with the mods, and am honored each time I'm asked to be part of it. I cannot imagine starting my year without being involved with the Snowflake Challenge, to be honest. It gets me re-involved in fandom, right from the start of the year. It gives me a venue to meet wonderful new people and be awed by their talents. It gives me the chance to dip my toes into new fandoms, and see what they're all about. – mizface

Welcome to Fandom Snowflake Challenge 2020! The first Snowflake Challenge of the new decade!

If you’re a veteran Snowflake participant, welcome back; if this is your first year, welcome aboard! All of your mods, old and new, are excited to be bringing you a new round of challenges.

My name is Seleneheart and this will be my second year as a moderator. For me, the days after the holidays are difficult because everyone leaves, back to their regular lives, and the good times we shared have ended until the next occasion. I am looking forward to the return of Fandom Snowflake Challenge more than ever. Participating helps me reconnect with old friends and meet new ones, in addition to giving me a motivating kick in the pants in regard to my fannish life.

On odd-numbered days from January 1-31, we will post a fannish challenge. The first challenge will be to tell us about yourself - just a simple (or complicated) introduction so we can get to know each other. Some challenges will be no-brainers. Some will be a little more involved. Sometimes you'll post in your own journal and drop a link in the challenge post. Sometimes all you'll have to do is say, "I did it!" in the comment section of that particular day's post. By the way, you never have to unlock your posts. Just comment to let us know that you completed the day's challenge and we're good.

This is meant to be a low stress challenge, not a soul-killing endurance test. You only do the challenges you choose, the ones you feel comfortable doing. We aren't keeping track, and we aren't going to issue a failing grade if you don't complete a challenge. Of course, the goal is to stretch your limits—that's why it's called a challenge—but not to the point of breaking! We're supposed to be having fun here.

The Fandom Snowflake Challenge is for everyone: all fandoms, all media, and all platforms; fandoms of one or ten thousand and one or something in between. You can be focused only on canon, or prefer alternative universes. You can ship real people, strictly fictional characters, or some combination of the two. You don't have to ship anyone at all. Fandom itself can be your fandom. We love meta about ourselves! (Who doesn’t??)

For the purposes of this challenge, a fanwork is defined as all creative endeavors for a fandom. This can be everything from meta to fic writing to picspamming to hosting a comment-ficathon to running a challenge. Yes to vidding and podficcing and reccing and pretty much anything you can think of. Do we want your crafts, your knitted Wonderwoman dolls, repurposed rubber duckies, and MCU finger puppets? Bring 'em on! Do you write promo posts for your favorites? Fantastic. Star Wars quote lists, Touhou Project wiki entries, Trek canon guides, Lost time-lines, X-Files episode recaps and/or action movie reviews? Excellent. Gifsets. Graphics. Fanart. Yes, yes and yes. Concert write-ups. Filking. Icons. Hello Kitty/Star Trek fusion tattoo designs. Yes, please. The bottom line is this: if you spent your valuable time and emotional energy creating it, it fits under the general heading of "fanwork."

Although Fandom Snowflake Challenge is being hosted on DW, if you don't have an account here, please feel free to comment anonymously and sign your (fan)name. You can also sign in with OpenID, which allows you to use your LJ (and other platform) credentials to comment. We want everyone to be able to participate, regardless of where you hang your fandom hat: LJ or DW, dA or Mibba, FanFiction.net or AO3, mailing lists or old-school BBS. If you are on Tumblr, you can add @snowflakechallenge. If you're on Twitter, add 2020snowflake. For Pillowfort, Snowflake Challenge. Come one, come all to Fandom Snowflake Challenge.

Tomorrow the master post for 2020 will be sticky-posted to the top of the community to help us navigate this year's challenges.

One more thing. This challenge is about celebrating fandom itself and the awesome people in it. One way we can do that is by interacting with each other. Every time you visit the journal of a fellow participant and comment on what they're sharing, you are helping to create this community. Fandom is about love: love of books and writers, movies and actors, music and musicians, comics and their creators, etc., but it's also about being with and appreciating other fans, and letting them know they matter.

Think of Fandom Snowflake Challenge as a 15-challenge, month-long love meme to Fandom. Go forth and spread the love!

[superlinguo]

Linguistics Jobs: Interview with a Software Engineer

Like today’s interviewee, Brooke Lynne Weaver, I worked through my undergrad degree. While not everybody is lucky enough to be able to do both study and work, it can be a useful way to develop skills beyond those in the classroom. I now use my coffee making skills only for self-caffeination, but cafe life taught me a lot about task prioritising and staying upbeat under pressure. Brooke used her work experience to move into Software Engineering, and uses her linguistics in her approach to her work, and her everyday life. Brooke is also on Twitter (@Milayou).

What did you study at university?

My degree is in English Language (Linguistics with an emphasis on the English language) from Brigham Young University in Utah, U.S.A. Basically, when we covered morphology, syntax, phonetics, phonology, sociolinguistics etc. it mostly focused on those applications in English, with some examples and work from other world languages. I also took a couple computer science classes and worked as a web developer while in school.

What is your job?

I'm a software engineer. Right now my job title is Platform Engineer, and at my last job it was Platform Architecture Engineer. I write code based on the needs of my company, which generally involves understanding the task you need the computer to perform autonomously, and doing a bunch of Googling to remind yourself (or learn) how to tell it to do that. You run the code, look for certain things to happen, tweak the code, run it again, look for different results, tweak it again, run it again etc. The ask from the company is generally as specific as humans tend to be, which is not nearly as specific as machines tend to be; you have to be on the lookout for instructions that should be given that were never expressly asked for by the company in order for everything to run smoothly. Our stack is mostly written in Python 2.7 but we're moving to Go, and the project I just finished up has parts written in both. It's really satisfying when you've finally communicated your message properly to the machine and it behaves accordingly.

I work for Vivint.SmartHome right now, doing home automation. I help the Vivint centralized system interact with peoples' homes and phones all over North America. When someone pulls up their Vivint app on their phone, it requests data from our platform. When they want to make changes to their smart home system, it interacts with our platform. Recently I've been helping migrate our Nest integration from using the (now deprecated) Works With Nest API to the new Google Home/Assistant API (a transition Google recently made public).

How does your linguistics training help you in your job?

I like to tell myself I went into translation, just between human and machine languages rather than from one human language to another. The things I learned studying linguistics help me in less obvious ways.

Knowing how flexible semantics is and how language changes so much across time and space, I feel like I'm a much better communicator than I was when I first started college. I'm a lot more flexible in interpretations and I care a lot more about getting to the root of what a person is trying to communicate, rather than what words they chose and what those words mean to me specifically. Communication is a pretty important part of writing software, because you're almost always trying to realize the ideas of other people. Knowing how to be confident you're on the same page as the people requesting your work is critical.

Linguistics also gave me a much better understanding for how important context is. I leave comments everywhere it makes sense to in order to help future engineers understand why I did certain things, which puts them in a better position to understand what to change down the line. It's very common to come across some code written a few years back that seems to make no sense at all (or seems like a bad way to do something), and if someone left a comment explaining why they wrote it that way at that time, you can better decide whether to leave it or in what ways to change it. The comment might say "Here's the current state of affairs and we need to do this weird thing to avoid this problem" and now, several years later, that problem is irrelevant or the current state of affairs has drastically changed; you might not need to do that thing in such a weird way anymore. You can then feel more confident about making your change. Or, maybe the state of affairs has not changed or the problem still exists and still needs to be avoided; you now have really important context and that weird thing might actually look logical now, or you know how to change it while still avoiding the problem it was originally trying to avoid. As an example, earlier this year I implemented a library I wasn't very familiar with in a pretty short amount of time. I left a comment explaining that if someone else was more comfortable with the library, they should feel free to rewrite it in a more idiomatic way; I explained what parts of it I wrote somewhat poorly due to lack of time and familiarity (something like "I know you should be able to do it like A, but I couldn't figure out how to get A to work so I did B instead which isn't as good but gives an acceptable result. It's not deliberately done this way for any other reason, so if you know how to do A, please change it."). A lot of times we try to change legacy code as little as possible, for fear of unknown downstream affects, because we weren't there when it was written and don't know why it was done the way it was; I hope by leaving context comments I can help future engineers feel more comfortable keeping the codebase clean and efficient.

Do you have any advice you wish someone had given to you about linguistics/careers/university?

I have some advice I was given that I think is valuable. I had a really hard time choosing a major field of study because I was interested in almost everything. A counselor reminded me that you can still have any hobby you like, regardless of what you study at university. I was afraid that by choosing something I was cutting myself off from other things, but that's not actually true. I still love playing the piano even though I didn't go into music, and I still love math even though I didn't go into mathematics.

Also, my university offered a lot of student jobs. These were jobs that were only allowed to be worked by students, which meant the barrier to entry was fairly low. I don't know if other universities offer student on-campus jobs, but if they do, I very much recommend them. I worked student jobs the entire time I was at school, which meant I graduated with seven years of work experience. Yes, it took me seven years to get my bachelor degree, but that work experience meant I had no trouble getting jobs after (and even before) I graduated. That said, maintaining a job while going to school is an awful lot of work and it's not the right path for everyone; everyone's situation is different, this just worked out well for me.

Any other thoughts or comments?

Besides how linguistics training helps me at work, it's made me a FAR better human. I'm a reformed pedant. I was really condescending and had a bit of a superiority complex about language when I was young. I was all about correcting and fixing people and being exasperated when people wrote or said things "wrong." Studying linguistics has given me a LOT of empathy and understanding and freed me from most of my pet peeves. My perspective on language and communication is so different now. I feel free. It's a far pleasanter experience to put your energy toward really understanding and being understood by a person than on looking down on people and discrediting their thoughts because they don't know how some dude in the 19th century wanted a part of English to work that doesn't even make sense anyway. I think a lot of unnecessary conflict comes from different groups of people having different understandings of certain words, and fighting over the definition of the word rather than over the real human issue at the heart of the debate. It would be nice if we taught language a little differently in schools, so more people could be aware of how semantic drift occurs and how different people can use the same word to mean different things, and that language change is okay and actually beautiful.

Recently:

Interview with a Product Manager 

Interview with a Communications Specialist

Interview with a Learning Scientist

Interview with a Lexicographer

Interview with a Journalist

[elivechat]

11 Free Traffic Sources For Affiliate Marketing

Take careful look out at eleven sources to generate free traffic for affiliate marketing. In affiliate marketing, one thing is necessary; that is traffic. The right source of traffic increases conversion. Not just choosing a high ticket affiliate program.

You need the quality traffic. For affiliate marketing to strive it requires the right traffic before conversion. If advertisers create the product, sales copy and beautiful banner or whatever swipe copy provided,will not have the ability to convert sales. Making the affiliate product visible to the right audience that’s the right game changer.   

According to Erica Grabijas from Awin Inc, “sixty-three percent of businesses say their number one challenge is generating traffic and leads.”

So many affiliates struggle with sales because of traffic. When a product is thrown in the midst of the wrong audience, you’ll never expect sales. You why? They don’t need it. Is like giving dog vegetables instead of bone or flesh. You may have huge followers on social media but presenting affiliates in that large crowd does mean making sales. The truth is you need to place the link whenever the right customers are found.

Who Is An Affiliate?

An affiliate is someone who markets a product or service to a company. Sometimes goes with the name publisher. Having the right knowledge about where the audience could be found. Traffic sources for niches differ. If the affiliate doesn’t know where to get an audience he’ll struggle to make sales. 

What Is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a type of digital marketing that allows a publisher to get commission while selling a product. It can form many forms to share the referral link.  Through sharing of links, infographics, banners, videos, blog articles, email letters and sale copies.  Depending on the type of affiliate campaign.     According to eMarketing institute, “affiliate marketing is a performance base marketing.”

What is Website Traffic?

“Website traffic is the amount of data sent and received by visitors to a website.” –Wikipedia

Website is the number of web page visitors going in and out of a website. It is also called a session. Website traffic could be high or low, all depend on the functionality and effectiveness of the site. 

Events or activities created by the site have a big contributive role to website traffic. If a website has less important or benefit, it could experience low traffic.

 This day is not only the number of traffic that is very essential or the main metrics of website success alone. Gone are the days when traffic remains the best performing website success. Where volumes of huge traffic come into a website is actual success metrics. 

Though it is one important factor accrue to website performance because of how it can bring sales. Website recognition, fame and visibility to an extent.

What Is Traffic Source In Affiliate Marketing?

There are so many affiliate programs online, from niche to niche. Every niche has its own affiliate source. Like health and fitness, grocery, ecommerce, sports, entertainment, catering, travel and vacation, finance and more. All these niches have traffic sources. 

Whichever product you promote or wants to promote you must consider which the buyers are located.   

Available traffic sources for affiliate marketing are limited. However, you should know which source that will generate the most conversion without wasting your time, money and energy.

Traffic Sources Includes:

1.         Search Engine; like Google, Yahoo, Bing and DuckDuckGo

2.         Facebook

3.         Twitter

4.         Instagram

5.         YouTube

6.         Website

7.         Blog

8.         Email and more

9.         Quora

 Read also: BEST PAYING AFFILIATE  PROGRAM- BRAVE BROWSER REWARD

 Things to consider before choosing affiliate source?

·          Niche of the product

 In affiliate marketing, what a beginner needs to know is the information about the niche and product to promote.

Learn what it takes to market in that niche. The product that sells most and the number of people that promote it.

 If it is very competitive you know you can promote it. However, some affiliate products whose software doesn’t need competition.

This product that demands advertiser’s codes and id numbers after getting approved.

 To place those numbers on your sites, or banner placement on your blog.   Know exactly what traffic that can convert.

 ·          Quality of the traffic source

 There are times when traffic sources are just worthless. When the total number of traffic generated brings hundred of clicks without sales.

The point is the product was found in the midst of the wrong people.

 Traffic quality matters most in affiliate marketing. Look for a platform where some many affiliates are found.

 Like facebook groups of that niche, Warriorplus, DigitalPoint, Affilorama, AffiliateFix and more places.  Join and get your product link down without breaking their rules.

 ·          The rules and laws guide the sites you want generate traffic

Try to find out what’s the guideline that allows users to generate traffic. Rules and restrictions to avoid being banned.

 Also, the kind of traffic to generate (Paid or Free)

 For example: Reddit doesn’t like affiliate links while posting articles. If not you risk the chance of being banned or your account blocked. The post also may be dropped.

 ·          Volume of traffic you need(number of visitors)

Most times, affiliate marketing sites require thousands of links before converting. That can count the cost and go for Adword or consider using Facebook Ads.

If it requires you to spend thousands of dollars on Facebook ads, you still make good ROI.  

 ·          How to target the traffic(best format)

 Get started with targeted traffic sources that give value for money. Either Google or Facebook paid traffic is good but for startups I’ll see you can post on group.

The niche of your product means much to make massive revenue in return. Though presently, affiliate marketing is very much saturated in such that creativity and paid advert method seems to almost be the best source of traffic generation.

Read also: 2020 AFFILIATE MARKETING NEW TRENDS

Having said that, the knowledge of what people look for goes a long way to create the right traffic source for your campaign. Like Facebook is the biggest social media platform that accommodates every category of niches you ever imagine.  

What Is the Best Source Of Affiliate Marketing?

read more:https://elivechat.com.ng/11-free-traffic-sources-for-affiliate-marketing/  

[justjeyel]

So-Shall Distance: 3 Things to Stay Away from Amidst the Pandemic

By John Lou Peña

The continuous spread of COVID-19 around the globe caused so much distress to a lot of people. It literally affected everyone’s lifestyle and even livelihood; from their ruined sleep schedule, deteriorating mental health state, cancelled plans, loss of jobs, and to worst, the feeling of being alone.

This pandemic forced us to distance ourselves from a lot of things to keep us safe from the virus and any diseases. And several health protocols were imposed by the authority, continuously reminding people to stay safe and healthy amidst this pandemic.

We are asked to always wear our mask, practice social distancing, you know, stay away from people — literally — and avoid mass gatherings to stop the spread of the virus.

Now, hold up.

This is not another quarantine protocol.

No, I will not tell you that you need to always wear your mask when you are outside nor tell you to always keep at least 1-meter distance away from people, because that is given, and you should know that already

This time I will tell you the things you should stay away from in the midst of the pandemic. The three (3) things you need to social distance from, not just to avoid catching COVID but to save yourself and your sanity during these trying times.

We all know how much toll this pandemic has taken to our mental health. Everything is just so stressful, things have taken so much of our energy, and there were days where we just want to lay on our bed all day while everything around us are literally falling apart. Like there is nothing we can do aside from just watching it all crash down in front of us.

But that’s a lie. There are things we can do to at least alleviate this burden we are carrying for the whole quarantine period.

Below are some of the things we shall distance from in the midst of these dark times.

1. Social Media

When I say social media — you know the basics: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the likes. And yes, social media can be a “home” for some people who wants to be entertained.

Although this platform is beneficial in reconnecting to people we miss and love, and as a place of entertainment, social media, on the other hand, can also be a home of toxicity and insensitivity.

During these times when you are trying to have some peace of mind in the middle of everything that’s happening, I will say that social media is NOT a good place for that.

Everyday you can see memes, some are funny, some are not. You will see contents that will either make you feel good or more anxious. You can also see a number of trolls and a lot of insensitive people camping in every website you will be in.

Understand that it is okay to take some time off and use this platform when you just want to communicate and reconnect to the people you love. And use it responsibly whenever you want to share something.

2. Toxic people.

Right now, social distancing is not just applicable in avoiding COVID-19, it can also be done to avoid stress.

I know a lot of us are mentally and emotionally unstable due to being stuck inside our homes, missing our “normal” lives, and remembering all the cancelled plans we had for the past months. But this can also be a time of realization for many of us.

Now, I want you take this moment to cut off people who are holding you back from being happy. Distance yourself from anyone that triggers your trauma and anxieties and allow yourself to grow.

Do not let toxic people and their mindset pull you even lower during these dark times of our lives. Remember that gaslighting and emotional manipulation have no place in the process of self-care.

Let them go.

Learn to social distance not just to be physically healthy but also mentally and emotionally healthy.

3. Apathy

Make the most out of this moment of realization to recognize the things happening around you. Our realizations should not just always be about ourselves, but also for the improvement of the society.

After focusing on ourselves, cutting off toxic and problematic people, it is now time to prioritize the welfare of the people.

With all the issues and news, we can read every day during this pandemic — from the mismanagement of this public health crisis, attacks on press freedom, corruption, to poor decisions of purchasing vaccines — it is about time for us to make a move and acknowledge our power as individuals. The more we ignore these things, the more it gets worse.

Take this opportunity to look around you.

You have to understand that choosing to be empathetic is always better than being apathetic. Do not ignore your fellow or at least do a change for yourself.

Remember that apathy is one of the biggest enemy of a developing nation. Stay away from apathy.

So, I shall distance…

This pandemic exposed our vulnerabilities, the people we need to let go of, and the faulty system of the society. It made us contemplate about a lot of things: the amount of love we give to ourselves and to others.

As the battle against the pandemic continues, and more indefinite number of days of being quarantined, use these moments to better yourselves and become stronger. Allow yourself to be vulnerable at times because that is normal.

Now, I want you to take a vow and say these words to yourself:

“So, I shall distance myself from the things that can deteriorate my mental health.

I shall distance myself from toxic people who keeps on pulling me down.

And I shall distance myself from apathy which is not good for my development and for the others.”

This time say to yourself that you shall love yourself even more. That you shall choose kindness, not just for you but for other people too. And that you shall be empathetic to other people’s struggles.

Amidst the pandemic, a season of isolation, one of the best things to do is prioritize our welfare. Just always remember to take care of yourself, wear your mask, drink your water, and remain socially distant — literally and figuratively.

[ayan9003]

5 Best way to make money online free....

1. Freelancing:-

Freelancing is a contract-based profession where instead of being recruited in an organisation, the person uses his skills and experience to provide services to a number of clients.

In simple terms, freelancing is when you use your skills, education, and experience to work with multiple clients and take on various assignments without committing to a single employer. The number of assignments or tasks that you can take just boils down to your ability to deliver on them as asked from them.

Freelancing usually involves jobs (called gigs) that allow you to work-from-home situations. But don’t associate freelancing as the same as having a work-from-home job.

Freelancing doesn’t always mean that you’ll work from home. You might have to work at your client’s office too depending upon the type of work and the client’s requirements.

A work from home job involves a contract between you and a single employer who gives you a salary while freelancing doesn’t.

It is just that many of the jobs that freelancers perform can be delivered over the Internet without their presence at the company or clients place.

To know how to work:-

2. Affiliate marketing:-

Once your website is up and running, you could opt for affiliate marketing by allowing companies to insert web links on to your site. This is like a symbiotic partnership. When visitors to your site buy products or services by clicking on such links, you earn out from it.

3.Starting your own website:-

There is enough material available online to help you put together a website. This includes choosing the domain, templates, layout and the overall design for your website. Once ready to service the visitors with the relevant content, sign up for Google Adsense, which when appear on your website and clicked on by visitors, help you make money. The more traffic you get on your website, the more will be the potential for higher earnings.

4.Surveys, searches and reviews:-

There are several websites offering money to undergo online surveys, carry out online searches, and write reviews on products. To get the credit, one needs to disclose certain information to them including one's banking details. This is why you should use this route with utmost care. Some of them may even ask you to register with them before working on projects. The most important watch out in such projects is to stay away from websites offering money that appears too good to be true. Be careful while evaluating the reputation of the website as many of them could be a scam. Most sites promote businesses showing copies of cheque payments which may have been given to the middlemen only.

5.Social media management, strategy:-

In addition to interacting with friends and strangers, social networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat can be used to make money. Companies and brands pay social media strategists to further boost the popularity of their products. With lots of competition around and the constantly shortening of attention time of online viewers, creativity is essential to create posts, videos etc that can go viral quickly and enhance the brand value. Remember, social media needs dedicated time and energy to stay relevant. Hence, you need to share posts regularly and interact with your followers on a regular basis.

[lovehaswonangelnumbers]

New Post has been published on https://lovehaswonangelnumbers.org/archangel-gabriel-daily-message-friday-august-21-2020/

Archangel Gabriel DAILY MESSAGE ~ FRIDAY AUGUST 21, 2020

Archangel Gabriel DAILY MESSAGE ~ FRIDAY AUGUST 21, 2020

Channeled By: Shelley Young 

~~~~~~~~~~~

If you are an empath you simply have a natural energetic curiosity. You came in with that curiosity in order to learn more about how to read and create with energy. That was at the top of your to-do list for this incarnation.

You get to choose how you satisfy that curiosity. You can experience water temperature in a body of water by immersing yourself completely or by sticking your big toe in the water. You can gather much information with either method but you will likely find one style more to your liking.

We want you to know you are not at the mercy of how much you feel. If you understand you are simply wanting to explore energy, how it affects you, and how it works, you can adjust how much you dip into it at any given time.

Play with this concept. Understand you are always in charge of your energetics and there are many options between full immersion and not feeling at all. You can learn to work with subtleties rather than giant waves that overwhelm you and still gather the information you are seeking.

You would not have chosen to have the ability to feel energy if it also didn’t come with your full ability to be able to adjust into doing so comfortably. It is simply a skill like all others. If you approach it as energetic curiosity you will find your own unique style that works for you.

~Archangel Gabriel through Shelley Young

******

All of Creation Is watching Earth  and witnessing its Ascension Process. They are ready, ready for this Planet to be Declared a Light Only Zone. All of Humanity are called upon now to Step Up in fulfillment of their Divine Soul Contract.

  The dark has been cleared, fully defeated and New Earth, Nova Terra, is ready to begin. This requires each Being to fully clear the remaining density within their bodies, to awaken to full remembrance of their Galactic Truth, their Soul Essence, their Divine Blueprint.

  This is not a Drill, in Real Time, Present Moment of Now Mother of All Creation is on the Planet and she is Our Divine Director, Our Eternal Mother. She hired you for this role  and She is here to guide you.

  Mother has the entire Galactic Federation of Light and all the Angels with Her in all moments. She also has Her guide/ambassador Robin Williams and  Master St. Germain by Her side. There is no session like this available on the planet, or in all of Creation.

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Feel Blocked, Drained, Fatigued, Restless, Nausea, Achy, Ready to Give Up? We Can Help! We are preparing everyone for a Full Planetary Ascension, and provide you with the tools and techniques to assist you Home Into The Light. The First Contact Ground Crew Team, Will Help to Get You Ready For Ascension which is Underway. New Spiritual Sessions have now been created for an Entire Family, including the Crystal Children; Group Family Healing & Therapy. We have just began these and they are incredible. Highly recommend for any families struggling together in these times of intense changes. Email: motherofallcreation@lovehaswon.org for more information or to schedule an emergency spiritual session. We can Assist You into Awakening into 5d Reality, where your experience is one of Constant Joy, Wholeness of Being, Whole Health, Balanced, Happy and Abundant. Lets DO THIS! Schedule Your Etheric Surgery With Mother God Below, Including TWO sessions with a recommended donation of $88.88

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  Love Always,

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[gingerwerk]

I was tagged by @ackackh 💛

Select 4 things you’re doing to get through these uncertain times.

Tag your friends (if you choose!)

Pass on a virtual hug and please accept one from me!

1. uh, main thing is attempting to finish my master’s degree (which is a bit frustrating/depressing now and usually causes me to spiral about other things but it does keep me focused on something for a couple hours a day, which means im not stuck on twitter constantly reading minute by minute updates for a few hours a day so)

2. working on fic when i have the mental energy; rn specifically i’m working on a sidefic for my flowers and tattoos au that’s set a couple years after the main fic ends and it gives everyone a look at what life around the shops looks like in the future when everyones lives are a little more settled. hopefully i can get it finished soon and maybe cheer some people up 

3. keeping up my physical appearance: getting dressed, painting my nails, doing my hair and makeup. i know its been said a million times before by so many people but when youre stuck in your house all day for days on end it’s really help to just put on a pair of jeans or something for a couple hours a day. i also make a point of stretching and doing some very brief little workouts every day 

4. watching tv shows/movies i’ve been meaning to watch/rewatch for weeks/months/years but haven’t because i haven’t had the time. currently rewatching scrubs for the first time in years but i’ve also watched s1 of Ramy (on hulu, really good show. 10 half-hour eps. if you have hulu and a day to waste i recommend it) and yesterday i watched ‘troop zero’ (on amazon prime. if you like wholesome movies about weird little girls you should check it out). my queues on my various streaming platforms are full of various shows/movies/docs so maybe i’ll make a list of everything ive watched through this lmao 

tagging @skinnysisk, @scottsunmers, @honeyreynolds, and @reedroad

[vipul1421-blog]

7 Ultimate Tips on How to Start a best Social Media Marketing Agency?

Social media marketing rules the world of the internet. As a result, many entrepreneurs and freelance marketers want to dive into this colorful sector. However, starting a social media marketing agency has its benefits and challenges just like every other small business.

Starting a social media marketing agency is not hard if you work hard enough. There are some fundamental steps to know if you require to enter the list of the best social media agencies for startups and big businesses. Here we provide you a guide that will enhance your entrepreneurship skills.

Keep Yourself Up-to-date

This is the most vital step towards success. Educating yourself to understand just about digital marketing is something you require during all single processes of your business. Keeping yourself up-to-date needs dedicating time, energy, and money.

To be a successful marketer, you necessitate following the sector very closely. You should have a holistic strategy for digital marketing to perceive the dynamics of the basics such as PPC (pay-per-click marketing), SEO, e-mail marketing, content marketing, and graphic design. Once you know the basics well, it is easier to follow the novel trends.

                        Determine Your Niche

To prevent yourself from being overwhelmed under harsh competition when you start your social media agency, it is quite wise to take small steps at the beginning. Before starting marketing on social media, you need to pick an audience that will be interested in what your agency is doing.

 A niche means the focus of your agency. It can be the method you follow or the audience that you intend to target. Determining your niche will help you figure out the best platforms and industries for you while you are gaining some experience.

 Before determining your niche, it is significant to pick a sector that specifically attracts you or a sector about which you have some familiarity. This will help you move quickly. Otherwise, it will be hard to get used to a completely unknown sector.

 How to determine your niche? There are various ways to do that. For example, you can initially concentrate on a particular social media platform alternately of many. Remember that all platforms have different requirements and different users. You can start from Instagram instead of Twitter until you get used to the sector you chose. Then you can always branch out into other platforms.

 After choosing a sector and a social media platform, you can continue creating your niche by determining the scope of your services. For example, at first, you can concentrate on some different tasks like SEO marketing before taking content marketing projects as well.

 Make a Business Plan

Deciding on your business structure will help you form a solid foundation for your enterprise. The first concern is choosing which type of business you will legislatively initiate. You can consider a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or a limited responsibility company according to the number of founders and the scale of your business.

 Choosing a suitable name is another vital aspect that will determine your first impression. Your name should be unique and easy to pronounce. Before developing your business name, you should also consider a domain name for your web site. If the domain name is taken, you can consider other name options since your website should be easily accessible.

 The next task is to check your county’s laws and arrange the legal complications including registrations and taxes. You should also open a separate bank account for your business to order your finances and increase your purchasing power and legitimacy.

 Another important task to do is to get the right tools that suit the specific needs of your business. The types of these tools are scheduling tools and image-makers. Scheduling tools allow you to set your social media posts in advance. Image makers help you create catchy graphics and banners.

 In the beginning, it is enough to utilize the essential tools according to the scale of your business. However, you will probably need more advanced tools as your agency grows. The examples above are just the essentials for starting summa.

Create Your Portfolio

As you know, the actual point of starting a digital marketing agency is to provide your customers with your useful products and services. Firstly you should think about the questions of what and why are you selling, and at how much cost these all will come to you.

 While you are planning your products, you can consider the following aspects: high-quality and original content, audience acquisition through gaining followers and increasing influence, and lead generation. You do not have to focus on them all at once. Especially in terms of cost, you should keep your products at scale and take incremental steps.

 Once you are done designing your products or services and putting them in use, it is time to prepare your portfolio including in-depth case studies, client testimonials, and upcoming goals for your specific clients. After all, you will need to get excellent reviews from your customers to attract potential ones. As a beginner, make sure that your portfolio is simple and honest, as you grow, you can expand your portfolio to include other pieces of work.

Present Yourself on the Internet

It is quite normal that you do not have much experience in the initial phase of your business. Yet, you can create a difference from the very beginning by establishing your online presence with care and attention. After arranging a domain name and hosting service, you can launch your website. You should be very attentive to its design since the website is quite important in your customers’ decisions.

 As a social media agency, you want to be strongly transparent on social media as well. The most important social media platforms are completely free to use, you should give it a try. By creating a social media presence, you can benefit from organic lead generation, engaging with customers and potential customers, and carry your business to a professional level.

To be convincing enough, you need to show that you know social media marketing well. You can use your platform and industry niche to ensure that you can reach your target audience. For example, if you are happy with using Instagram and your trade niche is tourism, you can concentrate on performing your business as a tourism figure on Instagram. Furthermore, once you have established your internet presence, you can be a part of the digital agency network to attract new customers.

 Collect a Good Team for Starting a Social Media Agency

You need the help of a team of educated individuals to expand your business. Yet, initially, it might not be wise to hire a fully-fledged team. The question of who you will hire depends on your financial resources. You can start with a virtual assistant for administrative tasks, an accountant for financial processes, and a marketer for lead generation.

 Once you start to settle down, it is ideal to hire graphic artist freelancers, content writers, and advertising technicians. A social media consultant can be quite helpful to present your brand too. Make sure that your team members have good communicative skills in addition to technical ones.

 Having a harmonious, skillful team is one of the greatest achievements your business can have. Once your team is dedicated to creating valuable products and services, you can focus on the management of your business considering your clients’ specific expectations.

 Track Your Progress and Generate Leads

Now you have your niche, business plan, portfolio, website, and social media accounts. Your excellent team is working for you. Your name is slowly being heard in the sector. Increasing your reputation and keeping it up is your final and vital task.

Starting social media agency requires constantly increasing the quality of your content with the help of new targets. You should have relevant targets for your business and carefully keep track of your progress. You should monitor your progress using the necessary tools. We are back to the first step: keeping yourself up-to-date. If you closely follow the developments in your sector, you can easily create a plan for your future considering what your competitors are doing.

Lead generation is the backbone that will keep your business standing successfully. For lead generation, you need to satisfy your existing customers to get impressive feedback from them. You need to demonstrate that hiring you was a good choice for your customers. Remember that new customers will reach out to you according to your previous work.

To increase your number of customers, you should follow LinkedIn closely to add new connections. You can also prepare a list of local businesses that you want to target and send e-mails to their decision-makers. Successful social media campaigns will help you grow your customer base.