#even if ive worked out i much prefer traditional mediums

[the-blaze-empress]

third fucking try oml the post keeps deleting itself

[missmonsters2]

Drive Her Crazy || Part X

PAIRING: Wanda Maximoff x OFC/Reader

Summary: AU. Meet Wanda, the new ‘It’ girl. She’s built her social standing as a social influencer through Instagram and vlogging on Youtube. Queen Bee in her social circle, she’s got everyone wrapped around her finger. She’s perfect, you think. Girls like that require a little finesse, and you’re ready to play the game.

Warnings: Non-healthy relationship, psychological games, smut. 18+ only.

NOTE: Wow, I can’t believe we are finished. Thank you to everyone who read this story, enjoyed it, liked it, reblogged it, or commented! My heart is super full. This is the happiest ending for our lovely crazies 💛

[Please watch out for my next series which will feature Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader, The Color of You 😊]

PART I || PART II || PART III || PART IV || PART V || PART VI || PART VII || PART VIII || PART IX

PART X of X

Count: 5231

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“Great work, Vision! You’re good for today.”

Vision sighed, pulling off his headphones, and walking out the recording studio.

He thanked everyone for their hard work on his way out. 

The single he recently released was doing quite well, and he was quickly gaining a fanbase.

His breakup with Wanda had actually inspired some pretty good lyrics, and with some help to finesse the finished product, the single was becoming a hit. 

Vision hadn’t spoken Wanda since they split up at the party, but it’s not like he could avoid the headlines Wanda and her new girlfriend made. It was everywhere because you were so famous.

He still often spoke to Tony who updated him with what everyone’s been up to and Pepper was kind enough to give him advice from time to time.

Digging his hand into his pocket, he felt his ring there. He couldn’t bear to get rid of the engagement ring he got Wanda yet. It felt like it was the only thing left of her he had. 

As he walked out of recording studio, the exit he usually took was blocked off by cleaners, so he turned another way. 

It was a hall of records. Vision smiled slightly as he passed by each one. 

But then he saw one that made him stop.

It was your record, for the first album you released that has now gone triple platinum. 

He saw a couple more of your records framed up.

He was reeling.

This was too weird. 

Someone was passing by, and Vision stopped them. It was Ryan, the engineer that would be helping him with his album.

“Ryan...what’s this? Why are her albums framed up here?”

Ryan gave him a weird look as he gazed over your albums. 

“She’s an artiste at this company. Has been for a really long time. You never see her around, though. She’s been here long enough and produced enough results that they just let her do her own thing. In fact, you guys share the same manager.”

“What?” Vision choked.

Ryan had his eyebrows scrunched at Vision. Maybe he was a fan?

“I-I gotta go,” Vision said as he turned around and bolted out.

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“Can I look yet?”

“No, and don’t you dare peek.”

You have your hands over Wanda’s eyes as you safely guide her into your guys’ new home. She had mostly been busy with work, so you had taken the liberty of making sure everything would be set up.

Of course, you still had sent her a billion texts to see what type of furniture and color theme Wanda preferred. 

Today was the move-in day, and you had picked your girlfriend up when she was done work for the day.

“Please, I just want to see now,” Wanda whined, and you hushed her.

“Patience is a virtue, love,” you tease her. You hear her huff slightly.

“Well, I’m very naughty,” she teased you right back, and you had to bite your lip.

Dear lord, you needed to move faster before Wanda decided she wanted to have her wicked way with you without you being able to show her the whole place. 

Once you’re in the perfect spot, you smile as you kiss the back of Wanda’s head gently before releasing your hands. 

Wanda’s eyes flutter open, awe washing over her as she takes a look at the entire place.

It was big. 

It was beautiful. 

It was her dream home.

The soft, pastel colors and marbling of the furniture was a dream. She turns around, jumping into your arms, kissing you right on your mouth.

“I love it,” she gushes. “Thank you for taking care of all this.”

You merely hum happily, leaning in to kiss her again. Wanda walks around the house, touching nearly everything and gushing about how everything looks perfect.

By the time you make it back to the living room, she turns to you, head tilted to the side with her fingers on her chin.

“You know, maybe there is one thing that’s missing,” she says, taking a look around herself. 

“Really? What?” You ask, trying your best to think if you missed anything. 

Wanda looks back at you with a wicked grin.

“I think we need to christen the house.”

Before you know it, you’re revisiting every room in the house again.

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Wanda is on cloud nine by the time she reaches her friends for brunch the next day. 

“Hey, girls. Sorry, I’m late,” she greets them as she takes her seat next to Lily. Her other friend Anna from her party and at the charity was there too. Finally, Stacey had been invited by Anna. 

Lily was snickering as Wanda took a seat. “What happened? Miss DJ didn’t want to let you out of bed?”

Wanda immediately flushed red at her cheeks, the heat traveling all the way to her ears.

Because that’s exactly what happened. 

You had tried to convince her to stay in bed longer using your sexy, cocky smirk she liked, and your deft fingers and tongue.

Managing to keep in her in bed for another half hour, Wanda put all her willpower into getting up and running to the bathroom where you couldn’t follow. 

She definitely wanted to stay in bed longer too.

“Damn, girl, you really getting it,” Lily whistled, and Wanda had to push her friend playfully.

“I’m so jealous of you,” Anna whined as she sighed wistfully with her head in her hands. “I can’t believe you’re dating Lady Phantom. I had no idea she was so romantic. Everyone’s been talking about how she serenaded you at your party.”

Wanda only lightly chuckled, cheeks warm from the praises. 

“Oh!” Anna exclaimed as she sat upright, pulling her phone up and searching for something before showing it to Wanda. “Since your last interview where you revealed you were dating her, so many other tabloids are picking it up.”

Wanda grabbed the phone, looking at the headlines.

LADY PHANTOM HAS A GIRLFRIEND?

INFLUENCER WANDA MAXIMOFF BAGS ELUSIVE DJ.

LADY PHANTOM AND WANDA MAXIMOFF CAUGHT HOLDING HANDS AND KISSING WHILE WALKING

DJ LADY PHANTOM AND INFLUENCER WANDA MAXIMOFF BUY A HOUSE TOGETHER? IS THE ELUSIVE DJ SETTLING DOWN?

Wanda bit her lip as she clicked on one of the headlines, skimming through it.

A close source says that Lady Phantom may have whisked Wanda Maximoff right off her feet from new artist Vision. The source says that the DJ romantically serenaded Wanda at her birthday party recently. Swoon! What a lucky girl!

The smile on Wanda’s face was so broad as she passed her phone back to Anna. 

She was the girl who locked you down. 

“It’s crazy how they’ve already got this much information. We just bought the house in Los Altos Hills,” Wanda says offhandedly, casually dropping the neighborhood she now resides in. 

“What?” Stacey exclaims, surprised, and a little bit jealous as well. She had tried to cling to you during the party, but you didn’t seem interested at all. 

“Nice houses there aren’t under $1.6 million and the photos you posted to Instagram...shit, how much was it?”

Wanda just smiled and shrugged, she wasn’t about to brag how you and she got a $5 million dollar house. 

It was crazy to her. She would’ve never been able to buy one of the beautiful houses of Los Altos Hills with Vision.

It just felt like her dreams of having everything she wanted in her life and to share it with the person she loves was all coming true. 

The rest of the brunch went on as usual. The girls were screaming in excitement that she would be doing a photoshoot with David King. Wanda hadn’t even told them that she would be auditioning for a movie soon after. 

“Excuse me,” Wanda called the waitress as she was passing by. “Could I get an order of the traditional breakfast bowl to go? Medium poached eggs and extra hollandaise sauce, please.”

The waitress nodded with a smile before leaving.

“You bringing some for your girlfriend?” Lily asked with teasing in her tone.

Wanda nodded with a smile, “Yeah, we, uh, didn’t have time for breakfast this morning, and she had to go to the studio right after. I’m going to visit her with food.”

Lily sighed adoringly, “Oh, young love, how it is...”

“You’re younger than me, Lil,” Wanda said, and they both laughed. 

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Wanda was on her way, closing in on the studio to see you when her phone started vibrating. 

She transferred your food into her other hand that was holding up her bag as she dug her free hand into her back pocket, tongue out as she picked up.

“Hello,” she answered, not being able to check the caller ID before she picked up.

“Wanda--” The voice was frantic.

“Vision?” Wanda answered confusedly. Why was her ex calling her?

“How’ve you been? I heard your single is doing well. I’m happy for you,” Wanda told him warmly regardless of why he was calling her. 

“Yeah, Wanda, listen, you need to break up with your girlfriend. I told you there was something wrong with her!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Wanda said heatedly. How could he just call to say that?

“I knew this opportunity to sign on was too good to be true. She’s from the same company, even has the same manager as me! I know she sent her manager to recruit me on the day of your birthday. She set me up to not show up!”

“Did someone tell you that?” Wanda asked, her walk becoming brisker as she was getting heated.

“No, but--”

“Then how the hell do you know that’s true? So what that you’re in the same company with the same manager? She tells me she hardly talks to her manager as she essentially handles her own work. Also, even if that were true, no one told you to drink yourself to a blackout state and miss my birthday. You could’ve signed on, had your celebratory drink, and left,” Wanda huffed.

“I am not hashing this out with you again, Viz,” Wanda said finally.

“Wanda, please, listen to me. There really is something off about her. She’s clearly obsessed with you. Who knows how long she’s been plotting to get you.”

“You want me to be offended my girlfriend wants me and finds me desirable?”

“No, I want you to be offended that she has no boundaries and sabotaged me to get you!”

“That’s seriously insane, Vision. She’s a famous DJ, and I’m just a social influencer. Does that make any sense to you?”

“Wanda--”

“Vision!” Wanda interrupted him. “I don’t want to hear about this again. We’re supposed to have an amicable breakup. Seriously, don’t call me again if you’re going to just say this.”

She could hear him saying something else as she hung up. She huffed again, rolling her eyes slightly.

Wanda tried to shake off the icky mood that the call put her in. She didn’t want to be grumpy when she saw you. 

She placed her knuckles against the door softly as she knocked. 

It wasn’t you who opened the door, but the guy seemed to have recognized her and let her in, putting his finger to his lips to signal her to be quiet.

She sheepishly shrugged her shoulders as she tiptoed in.

There she found you, your back facing her as you were looking over the recording, playing it with headphones on.

Wanda heard you hum lightly before you pressed a button to speak to the singer inside the recording studio.

“That was pretty good, but can you try redoing the last line? Instead of just holding the note on the last word, do a vocal run.”

The singer nodded, clearing her throat as she got ready. 

Everyone watched as she redid it, and it sounded amazing. The difference was so subtle, but it sent chills down their spine. 

“That’s perfect! Great job. Why don’t you take a break?” You suggested.

Once everyone began to relax, you turned around, surprise in your eyes as you saw your girlfriend standing there.

Wanda immediately went over to embrace you, kissing you softly.

Damn, you were so sexy when you worked.

You hummed into the kiss, clearly enjoying it.

“Mm,” you pulled back slightly. “What are you doing here? I thought you had brunch with your friends.”

Wanda gave you a half-smirk, holding onto the lapels of your leather jacket. “Well, I thought since you weren’t able to get breakfast this morning due to your shenanigans, I thought I’d bring you some.”

“What kind of shenanigans?” A dude from the back yelled, and everyone laughed as you rolled your eyes.

You looked back at your girlfriend, adoration just filling your eyes as you looked at her. Grabbing her hand and the food off the table, you led her out.

“C’mon, let’s eat outside. There’s too much testosterone in here.”

The boys laughed again, and Wanda giggled.

You led her out to the back where a lovely table and bench were in the shade under a tree.

Taking out the food, your stomach nearly ate itself, smelling the aroma. 

You really were hungry.

But the hunger was definitely worth keeping Wanda in bed as long as you could this morning.

“So,” you said as you scooped some food onto your spoon. “How was brunch?”

“It was good. Lily, Anna, and Stacey were there.”

“Stacey as in...that girl from your birthday?”

Wanda scrunched her nose up at that but nodded. “Yeah...she totally wants to kill me so she can date you.”

You laughed, bringing your hand to your mouth. You swallowed your food before talking again.

“I highly doubt she could get the drop on you, so no worries there.”

“You’re damn right,” Wanda mumbled as you smiled.

Wanda watched you eat, her mouth curling upwards without her even realizing. You were always so focused on your food while eating, and she thought it was endearing. 

“So,” Wanda says. “Have you...seen the tabloids by any chance?”

Your licking remnants of hollandaise sauce from your lips as you hear Wanda ask that. You nod, scooping more food.

“Mhm,” you say, spoon in their air as you have yet to put it into your mouth. You tilt your head, brow quirked as you look up slightly. “I hear a very, very attractive social influencer has bagged an elusive DJ. Apparently, they’ve been spotted buying a house together. How scandalous.”

Wanda is grinning ear to ear. God, why were you also so funny?

“Yes,” she plays along. “All the tabloids are saying that the DJ is settling down, can you believe that?”

You’re trying to hide your grin as you reply. “Buying a house is now settling down? Whew, that is quite the leap. What will the public say when she gets married?”

“Do you think she’s considering marriage?” Wanda asks, biting her thumb lightly as she regards you. God, she hopes you are. 

You’ve finished your food, packing it away back into its bag to be thrown away later.

You look at Wanda.

And by God, she just might be everything you’ve ever wanted. 

The thought of someone else won’t even cross your mind.

If it isn’t Wanda, it just won’t do.

You brush your leg against her lightly under the table, gently smiling as you lean back on your hands a little.

The two of you are gazing into each other’s eyes, just feeling like everything is right in the world.

“I would say that now she’s found the right person, it’s a part of her plans.”

Wanda beams.

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The next two week passes by quickly, and before Wanda knows it, she’s heading over to meet up with David King at his studio bright and early.

Her stomach is exploding with butterflies as she walks in.

Wanda wishes that you could be here with her, but you were stuck doing an interview with someone for a magazine today.

David’s assistant recognizes her for today’s appointment, greeting Wanda with a friendly smile and a handshake.

She leads Wanda over into the room where David is just finishing setting up the lighting. 

“Hey!” He greets as he comes in to hug her with a kiss on her cheek. “Are you ready for some collaborating today?”

Wanda nods excitedly.

“Great! Let’s talk about what you want your theme to be. Once we have that, I’ll know what other magazines to send your photos and interview to in addition to posting it on my website.”

Wanda and David sit at the table, he pours her some tea while they work together on what she wants out of this photoshoot and interview.

“I want to show my personality, that I’m not just some dumb social influencer. I won’t just rep anything, and there are brands I really care about working with. I also want to show that I have other interests as well, like...acting.”

David smiles, kindly at her. “Yes, I’ve been told you’ve secured an audition in two weeks.”

Wanda bashfully smiles and shrugs, “Not so much me who secured it, but I definitely don’t want to disappoint her.”

David snorts, “I’m pretty sure you could murder someone, and she wouldn’t be disappointed.”

Wanda just boisterously laughs because she does get that vibe from you, but that just makes it all more endearing to her that you love her so. 

After they’ve settled on themes, they immediately work on taking photos as David wants to use as much natural lighting as he can. David finds that the whole process is really smooth because Wanda is someone who wants to be a part of the process, not just doing everything he tells her.

It’s much more fulfilling to work with her. He is quite happy you got him to take a chance on her. 

Once they’ve taken photos, they’re both looking over them. Wanda gives her opinion on some of the selections as an amateur photographer herself, and David finds it so refreshing.

Wanda was definitely not afraid to give her opinions, ask for perspective, or ask for his reasonings.

In the next part, they work on the short essay David can post to his blog along with the photos. Additionally, he gets her to answer a few interview questions so the magazine he picks to give his photos to can use the answers she provides too.

The entire collaboration takes the whole day, so by the time they finish, the sun has just finished setting.

“It was so great to work with you, Wanda,” David gushes as he goes in to hug her again. “Seriously, I haven’t had such a great collaboration like this in a long time.”

“Oh my god, no, please. It’s such an honor to work with you,” Wanda modestly says, while she raves about him. 

David just grins as her while she turns to get her things in order.

“I’m so glad your girlfriend was able to get me to meet you. I was honestly surprised by the whole thing.”

“What do you mean?” Wanda asks as she starts to pack her things back into her bag.

“Well, you know,” David says with a shake of his hand. “I actually usually have a very strict rule about not working with social media influencers. I’ve tried a couple in the past, but I found them to be incredibly vapid.”

Wanda just smiles, unsure how to answer but pleased that he obviously found her different.

“I’ve actually seen your vlogs and Instagram before, it was my boyfriend Liam who had originally discovered you months ago. Your girlfriend was over that day, and I showed her your profile. I didn’t think she would actually end up finding you, befriend you, and then end up dating you.”

It was like time slowed for Wanda. 

What?

You actually had known of her beforehand?

Wanda immediately flashed back to when she first met you and invited you inside for drinks.

“What do you do for work?”

“I suppose Vision would say I’m a photographer. It’s nothing really, I post vlogs and brands pay me to represent their stuff.”

“No way! That’s seriously amazing. So, you’re kind of famous?”

But by what David said, you would’ve already known what she did and that she had a following.

Why did you lie?

Vision’s call from two weeks ago popped into her mind, and she felt like she was going to be sick to her stomach.

God, was what he said true?

“Are you okay?” David asked with worry as he looked at Wanda, who looked a little pale. 

Wanda snapped out of it, turning to him with a smile.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she says, pulling her bag onto her shoulder. “Yeah, it’s crazy how things work out, isn’t it? I’ve got to head home now. Once again, thank you so much, David.”

He hushes her and sees her off.

Wanda is making a beeline, hailing for a cab.

She needs to see you.

Now.

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“This is beautiful, thank you. Please keep the change.”

You took the bouquet of flowers you just bought from a flower shop on your way home. 

It was filled with all of Wanda’s favorite flowers and wrapped together nicely. You wanted to congratulate her on her big day with David. You knew once he would post it to his site and give it to whatever magazines, Wanda was going to be blowing up. 

It definitely would work in her favor for her audition in two weeks. 

You drove home, idly tapping on the steering wheel as you thought about what to have for a late dinner. You knew it was unlikely that Wanda could eat much today since they decided to get everything done today. 

Maybe order in some pizza?

But then Wanda wanted to stay in shape as much as possible before her audition. 

Maybe lemon & butter salmon?

You pull up into your driveway, turning your car off as you grab the bouquet.

“I’m home!” You call out as you walk in, but there’s no response.

The house is completely dark, which you find strange because Wanda is usually in the living room watching TV or in the kitchen when she’s waiting for you.

“Wanda?” You call out as you walk up the stairs. 

You enter the bedroom.

The small lamp on the bedside is on, and you find Wanda sitting on her chair in front of the vanity mirror you got her.

You walk over to her, but she doesn’t talk to you.

“Baby?” You call softly as you kneel down before her, placing the bouquet down, touching her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

Did something happen?

Was she hurt?

David had texted you when it was over that it went great, and thanked you again for getting him to meet her.

So, what was wrong?

Wanda looks at you with a still expression. She turns her whole body to you and her jaw clenches before she releases it.

“I want to ask you something, and please tell me the truth.”

You scrunch your eyebrows together because you have no idea what she wants to ask you, but you nod.

“Did you,” Wanda breathes. “Did you know who I was before you met me?”

The stillness hits you immediately. 

You regard her, taking in her desperate expression as she looks at you.

You could’ve lied.

You could tell her that David may have shown you her profile before, but you hardly cared to notice or remember it. 

You could’ve told her anything, and Wanda would’ve believed it. 

But...there was something else there.

So, you didn’t.

“I did,” you admitted, watching as Wanda stood up, walking over to the other side of the room with disbelief on her face.

You stood up as well, crossing your arms but making no move to her.

“Why did you lie?” Wanda asked. “Were you stalking me? Is that how you found me at the fast-food chain?”

“I wouldn’t say stalking,” you say as if she was being dramatic. “I came to California for work planned months before, you just happened to be here as well. Was I interested in you? Yes. Did I somehow know that you were going to be there to eat and live in the same community? No.”

Wanda’s mind was reeling. She couldn’t help but replay Vision’s words over and over in her head.

“Did you want me? From the very beginning?”

You couldn’t help but quirk your eyebrow. There was definitely something she was hiding from you.

“As I said, I was interested in you, but I knew you were engaged.”

“Is it true?” She asked, and you’re not even sure what she’s referring to. “That you and Vision are under the same company? That you even share a manager?”

Ah, it hits you. Now you know where this is coming from. Vision had found out what he could. But you knew Charles would never tell him that you had purposely sent him to Vision.

“Yes,” you admit once more. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Wanda asks, frustration in her tone.

You shrug your shoulders. “As I told you, I don’t often talk to my manager as I handle my own affairs. It’s not really any of my business who he decides to sign on.”

“So you didn’t deliberately get your manager to sign Vision on and make him miss my birthday?”

You paused.

Another choice.

You could lie.

It would be so easy to.

But you had to push it more. 

“I did show my manager Vision’s work on SoundCloud,” you say instead. It was true, even if it wasn’t the whole truth.

Wanda understands, anyways.

Her breath hitches, and she’s putting her hands to her face. 

She can’t believe this is happening. 

This time, you begin to walk over to her, standing right before her.

“You’re insane,” Wanda says with a crazed laugh. “Vision’s right. You are obsessed with me. You were sabotaging him to get me! What am I to you even? Some sort of sick prize?”

Your jaw clenches a little. She’s starting to hit on your nerve a little, but you remain patient. 

You close in on her, backing her until she hits the wall. You raise your arms slowly to either side of her head, giving her ample time to leave if she wanted.

But she didn’t.

“I wouldn’t say signing him onto a record label, giving him the spotlight, actually earning money for his work, which I heard he’s doing pretty well now, by the way, is sabotaging him. Here’s the thing, Wanda. Yes, I did set him up. I told my manager to sign his untalented ass on and treat him like a king on your birthday. But guess what? Vision didn’t have to stay. If he really, truly, wanted to leave, Charles couldn’t have done anything about that. No one forced him to keep taking the next drink. No one told him to not care about you.”

Wanda is silent, angry tears come up to her waterline as she stares at you with a clenched jaw. 

“I’m not putting myself up on a pedestal here, but it was me that came through for you every time,” You tell Wanda. “Am I obsessed with you? Maybe. But don’t stand there and pretend that you don’t enjoy my attention. You love the fact that Lady Phantom dedicates sets to you, serenaded you, bought you $100,000 necklace in front of everyone. You love people giving you accolades that we’re together. You love that people are jealous of the fact that they’re looking at me while I’m looking at you.”

You called her out, hitting her right on the dot. 

She can’t even deny it because it’s true. 

But Wanda still loves you. That much is real.

“So what?” She scoffs. “It’s all fake then? Everything you did was a meticulously thought out plan to win me? Everything you did was purposely done to draw me to you?”

“There’s nothing wrong with planning,” you say to her softly. “Even if I did plan it, it doesn’t mean I don’t care. I care very much. My heart was breaking about the fact you were with someone that was dragging you behind, making you feel guilty about wanting more out of life. It broke my heart to think that you spend every year alone on Pietro’s anniversary because he didn’t try to do more for you. It made me angry to hear people snidely make comments about you when Vision didn’t show up for your birthday. I hate when you’re not in the spotlight because that’s where you deserve to be. If someone is stealing it from you, I’ll do everything I can to shift the light to you.”

Wanda had a single tear slide down her cheek. She grabs onto the ends of your jacket, desperate to feel you closer.

She has to know.

She needs to know.

“Do you even love me?” She asks softly, and it nearly breaks your heart all over.

You lift one hand to lower it to her face, cupping her jaw and neck delicately. You move your face closer to hers, giving her all the time she needs to pull away if she doesn’t want you.

”I do. So much. In a way that only you could ever understand.”

Wanda doesn’t pull away.

She never wanted to in the first place.

This was never about breaking up.

You knew that. Which is why you risked telling her the entire truth.

She wanted to know that what you had for her was real, that she could never be replaced.

That you were hers.

You press your lips to her firmly, your tongue swiping her bottom lip as she moans softly. 

She pulls you closer to her, pressing your body to hers completely as she melts into you. She lifts her arms, wrapping them around your neck as she continues to kiss you. 

You push off the wall, redirecting her to your shared bed as you topple on top of her with a knee in between her legs.

You pull back softly, your hand drifting underneath her shirt as you caress the soft skin there.

Her eyes open slowly, and she just looks electric to you.

“I love you,” she says quietly, and you can’t help but press another soft kiss to her as your hand lowers into her panties.

“You secretly love it, don’t you? What I do to you.” You say against her jaw, and it’s a little muffled. 

Wanda’s breath hitches, chest rising as you touch her just the right way against her clit, rubbing through her wet folds.

She nods, but you want to hear it.

“I want to hear you say it, baby,” you huskily say as you tease her. Your other hand is around the back of her neck, just grasping at her hair.  

Wanda’s moaning shamelessly as you circle her clit again, diving lower as your fingers tease her entrance. God, it feels so slippery.

Fuck, she really wants your fingers in her. The knotting in her stomach gets even worse when you nibble her collarbone. 

But she knows you won’t give it to her until she gives you what you want.

“I love it,” Wanda moans. “I love the way you drive me crazy.”

[mira-mesa-carpet-cleaning-tm58n]

Best Apple Valley GYM

The Newest Apple Valley GYM

I have been using tall extremity interval training, or HIIT, fitness exercises for a few years now and I adore them. They are intense, but deserted last roughly 10-15 minutes and you can literally accomplish them anywhere. You just infatuation a timer, preferably one that makes noise therefore you dont have to keep looking at it. There are lots of pardon apps out there that will accomplish this for you.

So how accomplish they work? Each exercise is ended in a circuit style meaning you accomplish one exercise after substitute behind little to no on fire in in the company of each exercise. There are two basic styles of HIIT workouts: 1) A timed workout where you accomplish each exercise for 30 seconds (or some supplementary amount of time) after that move upon to the next-door exercise. This is what I prefer because it is easy to keep track of and doesnt require any counting. 2) A rep workout where you accomplish a determined number of reps for each exercise after that move upon to the next-door exercise. The exercises under can be ended as either type of workout; just find what amount of time or reps works best for you! HIIT is based upon the idea that short, intense bursts of exercise are greater than before for your body than long, low-intensity workouts. This form of exercise works by every other in the company of tall extremity and low extremity bursts. Youll alternate in the company of brief periods of intense objection and solution periods of less intense objection (or even solution rest). This is a story roughly me and my HIIT (High Intensive Interval Training) program.

Ive been working out for over 10 years and have been through many every other training methods. I accomplish extremely much agree to in tall extremity interval training. It is the most efficient showing off to stay in shape, lose weight and enlarge your cardiovascular system. Its with the most time efficient showing off to workout. HIIT workouts usually last in the company of 15-45 minutes and can be ended anywhere behind no equipment. Thats why I behind it therefore much, I can accomplish them anywhere at anytime. Now, you might be wondering what HIIT actually is well its pretty simple: its an exercise session composed of a warm-up time followed by several repetitions of tall extremity exercise not speaking by medium extremity exercise for recovery, and ending behind a time of cool all along exercise. To accustom this even further, heres an example of one of my workouts: 1 minute easy jog (warm up) 30 seconds sprint (high intensity) 1 minute jog (medium intensity) Repeat 4 time (5-6 time for more open-minded athletes). 5 minutes easy jog (cool down). There are lots of ways to acquire fit, and walking to the shops instead of driving is one of them. But if you desire your body to proceed from one let pass to a greater than before one, HIIT (High Intensive Interval Training) is the showing off to go. Exercise physiologists have known for a long time that high-intensity interval training is extremely efficient. A recent study at McMaster academic world in Canada showed that as little as 3 minutes of this type of exercise per week was passable to significantly enlarge aerobic talent and muscle mitochondrial contentand thats after just 2 weeks! Is yoga a fad? Some people are skeptical of yoga. behind they hear it described as an ancient practice, they imagine someone in a loincloth con stretches upon a tiger skin rug. But the solution is that open-minded yoga didn't exist until fairly recently. Even if you just enlarge the last hundred years, in the past the "father of open-minded yoga," Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, began teaching it in Mysore, India, there have been at least eight every other types of yoga, behind dozens of sub-types and approaches. Yoga is not a solution set of practices or beliefs; it's a animated tradition that has evolved over time and distorted from one scholastic to another. Some forms of yoga can be traced put up to to specific teachers and schools: Ashtanga for example is what Krishnamacharya taught his American students behind Pattabhi Jois and BKS Iyengar, who after that taught it to others. Others behind Jivamukti Yoga were created by more recent teachers (Sharon Gannon and David Life) in supplementary York City. I acquire it. You know that yoga is fine for you. Your neighbor, a friend, a coworker, your parents, your doctor, your spouse, most likely even the person who cuts your hair says so. Everyone says it's fine for you. That's why you're here. But wait: is it? Is it really? And how accomplish we know? How accomplish we know if we should be con yoga? I mean... It could be behind agitation bottom jeans or hypercolor t-shirts or any supplementary fad that gets us all worked occurring and after that vanishes quickly. There's no showing off to tell right now if it's a trend that will fade or a lifestyle change that will attach re forever. all we can accomplish is look at the data and create an educated guess. https://bestapplevalleygym351.blogspot.com/2022/04/best-apple-valley-gym.html Apple Valley Gym https://bestapplevalleygym.blogspot.com/ https://bestapplevalleygym.blogspot.com/2022/04/best-apple-valley-gym.html https://howtocalculateemployeeretenti312.blogspot.com/2022/04/how-to-calculate-employee-retention-tax.html https://investinmigomgold.blogspot.com/ https://investinmigomgold.blogspot.com/2022/04/invest-in-migom-gold.html

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Best Apple Valley GYM

The Newest Apple Valley GYM

I have been using tall sharpness interval training, or HIIT, fitness work-out for a few years now and I love them. They are intense, but and no-one else last about 10-15 minutes and you can literally realize them anywhere. You just need a timer, preferably one that makes noise for that reason you dont have to save looking at it. There are lots of forgive apps out there that will realize this for you.

So how realize they work? Each exercise is the end in a circuit style meaning you realize one exercise after out of the ordinary gone little to no on fire in amid each exercise. There are two basic styles of HIIT workouts: 1) A timed workout where you realize each exercise for 30 seconds (or some new amount of time) then fake on to the adjacent exercise. This is what I prefer because it is easy to save track of and doesnt require any counting. 2) A rep workout where you realize a clear number of reps for each exercise then fake on to the adjacent exercise. The work-out below can be the end as either type of workout; just adjudicate what amount of mature or reps works best for you! HIIT is based on the idea that short, intense bursts of exercise are augmented for your body than long, low-intensity workouts. This form of exercise works by oscillate amid tall sharpness and low sharpness bursts. Youll alternate amid brief periods of intense activity and complete periods of less intense activity (or even complete rest). This is a description about me and my HIIT (High Intensive Interval Training) program.

Ive been lively out for on top of 10 years and have been through many oscillate training methods. I realize totally much recognize in tall sharpness interval training. It is the most efficient pretentiousness to stay in shape, lose weight and count up your cardiovascular system. Its as a consequence the most mature efficient pretentiousness to workout. HIIT workouts usually last amid 15-45 minutes and can be the end anywhere gone no equipment. Thats why I gone it for that reason much, I can realize them anywhere at anytime. Now, you might be wondering what HIIT actually is without difficulty its beautiful simple: its an exercise session composed of a warm-up mature followed by several repetitions of tall sharpness exercise not speaking by medium sharpness exercise for recovery, and ending gone a mature of chilly down exercise. To tell this even further, heres an example of one of my workouts: 1 minute easy jog (warm up) 30 seconds sprint (high intensity) 1 minute jog (medium intensity) Repeat 4 mature (5-6 mature for more modern athletes). 5 minutes easy jog (cool down). There are lots of ways to get fit, and walking to the shops then again of driving is one of them. But if you want your body to progress from one give access to a augmented one, HIIT (High Intensive Interval Training) is the pretentiousness to go. Exercise physiologists have known for a long mature that high-intensity interval training is totally efficient. A recent assay at McMaster university in Canada showed that as little as 3 minutes of this type of exercise per week was sufficient to significantly count up aerobic talent and muscle mitochondrial contentand thats after just 2 weeks! Is yoga a fad? Some people are skeptical of yoga. gone they hear it described as an ancient practice, they imagine someone in a loincloth put-on stretches on a tiger skin rug. But the complete is that modern yoga didn't exist until fairly recently. Even if you just count up the last hundred years, past the "father of modern yoga," Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, began teaching it in Mysore, India, there have been at least eight oscillate types of yoga, gone dozens of sub-types and approaches. Yoga is not a complete set of practices or beliefs; it's a active tradition that has evolved on top of mature and tainted from one scholarly to another. Some forms of yoga can be traced support to specific teachers and schools: Ashtanga for example is what Krishnamacharya taught his American students gone Pattabhi Jois and BKS Iyengar, who then taught it to others. Others gone Jivamukti Yoga were created by more recent teachers (Sharon Gannon and David Life) in new York City. I get it. You know that yoga is fine for you. Your neighbor, a friend, a coworker, your parents, your doctor, your spouse, maybe even the person who cuts your hair says so. Everyone says it's fine for you. That's why you're here. But wait: is it? Is it really? And how realize we know? How realize we know if we should be put-on yoga? I mean... It could be gone panic bottom jeans or hypercolor t-shirts or any new fad that gets us every worked in the works and then vanishes quickly. There's no pretentiousness to say right now if it's a trend that will fade or a lifestyle modify that will attach not far off from forever. every we can realize is see at the data and create an educated guess. https://bestapplevalleygym.blogspot.com/2022/04/best-apple-valley-gym.html Apple Valley Gym https://investinmigomgold.blogspot.com/ https://investinmigomgold.blogspot.com/2022/04/invest-in-migom-gold.html https://howtocalculateemployeeretenti312.blogspot.com/ https://howtocalculateemployeeretenti312.blogspot.com/2022/04/how-to-calculate-employee-retention-tax.html https://persianrugrestorationlongbeach466.blogspot.com/

[collage-portfolio-time]

Interview Preparation

Career Choice : Illustrator

Company Choice : FolioArt

1. Tell me about yourself. I am a 16 year old artist who has been working with portraiture, both realistic and cartoonish, since I was very small. I have won 2 consecutive awards for the international government-run ‘Manga Jiman’ competition, both in 2019 and 2020, winning the youths prize in 2019 and both the youths prize and 7th place in 2020, ‘making history’ as I won the youths prize two years running. The music I listen to inspires me a lot as what I draw can sometimes entirely depend on what I am listening to at the time. I have had a major interest in manga and anime since I was young and that has also influenced my style of work and the fandoms I go around to spread my collection of work to different places of the internet.

2. Why do you want to work for us? I love the fact your company will represent a range of illustrators, both well-known and up and coming. That makes you seem much more open to different styles of work and experimentation to me which I find myself drawn to.

3. What can you bring to our company? Why should we hire you? I can bring a range of styles. Like Ive said before, I work in both realism and cartoonish styles of work, which I feel could bring more people in from completely different sides of the art world. I can also work with a wide range of mediums, from digital work to watercolors, although I find myself preferring digital for the clarity you can get in an image.

4. What do you know about our company? You were established in central London in the 1970’s and are now working worldwide. You cover all sides of the art world from traditional works to GIF’s. You say you have a personal relationship with your illustrators. You have also represented artists that have worked with well-known bands for album art which include Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones, and have also had artists under your wing work with film studios like when Joe Petagna created the concept for the Facehugger in Alien.

5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What are your career goals? I hope to see myself with enough of a following to simply be able to create for myself and be able to make a living, as selfish as that sounds. I don’t enjoy working for others unless I like their concepts and ideas as I will just simply be uninterested in what I create and end up producing something boring as a result. I want to work to the best of my ability, and as much as the art world is ran on what others want to see, I want to dictate what I do in the process while also getting approval from the people who will consume it.

6. Why did you choose this field/career path? I chose this career path as it’s the only thing I know. As I child I would never let myself do anything but draw, I was obsessed with the gratification I got when I saw that I was improving. That was probably a detriment in the long run as now I feel obligated to work in the art industry because if I don’t what have I been doing this whole time. I feel like I owe it to myself and to the people who have funded my interests and hobby.

7. Can you tell me about your role in your current place of work? Right now I am a college student, so my role is to learn. I will create, be criticized and create again. My job is to learn from the criticism and improve upon myself to represent the collage in a good light as well as myself, and hopefully gain recognition so the collage can say that they taught me for better reputation.

8. What are your strengths/weaknesses? My biggest weakness is my pride. I will become quite offended by the slightest bit of criticism that I think isn't warranted, and yet I am so self-critical that I will rip a piece to shreds if I go a touch out of my lines while painting. It hurts to have my fears confirmed that I won't be the gifted child forever and that I will blur into the crowd of other talented artists in my classroom. It's not only that but also the thought that I spent so long on a piece to be told that it didn’t match up to an idea someone else wanted or there wasn’t enough color, and I find myself unconsciously lashing out, but I am trying to work past that and take the criticism thankfully. Despite that, what could be considered one of my greatest strengths from time to time will be my stubbornness, as I will stick to a plan I like no matter what others tell me might go wrong, which sometimes works in my favor. Technically, I am more skilled with watercolors and digital mediums than I thought I was, as the amount of people I hear struggle with them is astonishing to me as I find I work with them with relative ease, but to counter that I now struggle with mediums such as acrylics and colored pencils as Ive laid off them for so long. I hope to get better with those mediums in the future as I practice more with them again.

9. Tell me about a time when you worked in a team? Were you a leader/coordinator/etc.? I studied performing arts when I was at The Academy Grimsby secondary school. We were tasked to create a script or scenario based on a prompt that I can't quite place now, and we were a group of 4 actors as most people there were dancers. I ended up writing up the entire script that I put together, although the others did prompt some ideas, and almost directing practices. I felt I was forced into a leading position as the others weren't engaging as much as they probably should have, apart from one other person who seemed to take it as seriously as I did. I feel despite the fact I was practically shoved into the lead, and even though the script was probably shoddy as I had never really written besides from creative writing in English, I lead them well considering I was known to be quite antisocial and introverted. That situation made me realize that I was better at controlling situations and being assertive to others than I ever thought I would be, although I wasn’t too strict or bossy from what I remember.

10. Tell me about a time when you faced a challenge. What was your reaction? How did you solve it? I faced quite a big challenge when I created the first page of my 2020 Manga Jiman entry. In the first page you get quite a copious amount of building shots, and while it looked good how I imagined it, I realized when I had finished the sketch that I had never really drawn a building before. It took me two days of constant redoing, experimentation and almost scrapping the first page entirely before I finally felt happy with what I had produced. Nowadays I find it much easier to step out of my comfort zone and delve into architecture when drawing backgrounds, and I feel this experience helped me progress as an artist.

11. Tell me about an accomplishment you are most proud of. Ive mentioned this before a copious amount of times, but my Manga Jiman awards. As they are government run and judges by professional mangaka (manga creators) I think it gives my awards that extra flair of pride that makes me cling to them. The thing I will probably particularly cling to is the fact they said I was ‘making history’ with my consecutive youths prize wins, which I think is quite a good thing to be able to say on a resume. Not only that, but my winning submission for the 2020 competition was given a talk about on the award ceremony by a legendary mangaka Kiriko Kubo, who said my ‘line was neat, the layout was good and the main character was charming.’,’the work can be read smoothly’, and that ‘creating atmosphere is important, and being able to do it like this is an exellent talent’. It gives me pride that someone so prestigious in a world I had barely entered would praise my work so highly.

12. What motivates you? What can motivate me most are two things: approval from others and money. I am materialistic at heart but also sensitive to others comments on my work, so the both end up being great pushes in my art career. I feel if I am being paid for my work that it is worth something, because objectively it is, and being praised for what I do makes me feel validated beyond what I thought was possible, so the two can push me to keep going.

13. What was your biggest failure? What did you learn from it? My biggest failure is the many times Ive tried to work with soft pastels. I don’t know what it is with that medium that renders me unable to function with them but I cannot create a good piece with those sticks of chalk in my hands. I learnt that I am not the best with dry mediums and should probably keep to my paints and digital mediums for now, although I'm always open to trying them out again and again until I get used to them.

14. What was your biggest mistake? How did you fix it? My biggest mistake was thinking I was going to get placed in my first Manga Jiman entry in 2019. I was 15 at the time, so there wasn’t much of a chance I was going to be placed within the top 10 because of my age alone but I didn’t realize that at the time. I had gotten so apprehensive about results that should've been obvious from the moment I was shortlisted, but I was aiming for the top 5 in the placings. I still think that my work might've placed in top 5 had I been older, but the embarrassment and sadness about ‘only’ getting youths prize at the time was almost overwhelming. That experience taught me not to get my hopes up on stuff like that and set myself up for the worst when it comes to things like this in the future, which I did in the 2020 entry. I was simply aiming for 10th place as I wasn’t even aware the youths prize was being awarded that year because there was only 11 of us, and one of the prizes was the yonkoma award for people who were between 11 and 13 containing a single 4 panel page which one of the shortlisted entries mirrored. I ended up getting more that I thought I would've in the terms of awards and recognition which I was happy about.

15. Are you willing to relocate/travel? I am willing to relocate and travel, although i would prefer to do so with someone else I trust as I tend to get nervous in new situations should that be possible.

16. Do you have any hobbies? What are they? I don’t really do much other than draw for my social media’s and complete collage work. I do small things such as singing and watching twitch streamers, but those are few and far between or happening while I work so I don’t think they can be considered big hobbies of mine. I used to bake when I had to take a lot of time out of secondary school due to sickness but I had a lot of spare time back then so it was more possible for me to have hobbies other than art.

17. What are your computer skills/technical skills? I know how to work almost all Microsoft programs, office 365/outlook, and various digital art programmes such as medibang paint pro and the basics of photoshop/illustrator. I also know general video editing such as keyframing and audio manipulation in Wondershare Filmora.

18. How did you hear about this position? I chose to contact you for this position as I had found you take submissions for new artists to represent and thought I'd shoot my shot.

19. What are your salary requirements? Minimum wage and whatever you/the client feel I deserve on top of that, even if that’s nothing at all. As long as I get minimum wage for my work and supplies, I am fine with that.

20. Do you have any questions for me? How would you represent me? Would it be a situation where you would recommend me to people looking to commission and leave us to our devices or would you be there the whole process?

[shurmanbloggerzzz-blog]

BLOG 3: KNOW THYSELF

Who am I? That is one of the most important questions, not to mention one of the hardest, that one has to answer in order to get through life. In getting to know thyself, an individual may be able to obtain answers through realizations from experiences or simply through personality tests. Although results from personality tests are not guaranteed to be accurate all the time, it is fun to try and it may sometimes be surprising when there are revelations about oneself one has not noticed before. 

Personality Test

∙ Myers & Briggs Type Indicator / 16 Personalities ∙

Do you agree or disagree with your test results?

    I have taken this test numerous times already in the past, and I'd always have the same result. I take the test again not because I disagree with the result, rather because I want confirmation; I truly relate to almost all description given to my personality type.    I am truly an ISFJ-A. I am introverted but I can work with people; I am observant as I take strength in practicality; my feeling nature enables me to be more sensitive towards others; my judging tactics allows me to be prepared for any circumstances that may happen; and I am assertive for I keep moving forward.    My test result says that my personality type is somehow peculiar as my traits contradict each other; I am strong at the same time I am emotional. My weakness lies in allowing people take advantage of me. It sounds too good to be true but the more I think about it, the more I realize it's true. I own up to my peculiar trait and I am proud to be an ISFJ-A.

Do the recommended careers appeal to you?

    Not at all. I agree that my nurturing nature is appropriate for the recommended careers but even if I'm not comfortable being under the spotlight, I like challenging myself and putting myself out there because I know I can or at least I can try. I like growing and I don't like limiting myself to where I'm most comfortable. I know I can use my strengths in many other careers and develop further it in the process. I believe I can be more than what's prescribed or where I may enjoy the most. I will maximize my personality traits in whatever career path I'll be taking. Uncertainties may arise because of possible mismatch but there's not much harm done in trying. I like exploring as much as I enjoy familiarity.

How will the knowledge of your personality type help you to become a successful business leader?

    I know who I am as a person but I cannot fully interpret it into words. In taking the personality test, my personality becomes more defined and I begin noticing those little quirks I don't usually see before.     This knowledge helps me in becoming a successful business leader as now I know more about my strengths and weaknesses; I know what I can work with and work on. With the summary of results, I have more grasps on who I am which will assist me in identifying what environment I should expose myself in and which people I work best with. Having awareness of who I am will make it easier for me to make sound decisions when it comes to business, leadership, or any other aspect of my life.

∙ Big 5 / OCEAN ∙

How does your introversion/extroversion level compare across these two (2) test results?

    My MBTI results show 74% introversion while my Big 5 results show that I have 6% score percentile on extroversion. Given these results, I believe they are consistent in showing that I am an introverted person and that I prefer being alone or working with small groups. It is easier to interpret the MBTI results as it directly gives the result whereas the Big 5 leaves it up to the assessor to determine the trait description.

Based on the definition of each trait, how would you describe yourself?

Factor I: Extroversion                 |     Score Percentile:    6 I am an Introvert.

Factor II: Emotional Stability      |     Score Percentile:   62 I am Emotionally Stable, although given that my score percentile is in the middle, I may have my tendencies wherein I would express Negative Emotionality.

Factor III: Agreeableness            |     Score Percentile:   67 I am friendly and optimistic more often than critical and aggressive.

Factor IV: Conscientiousness     |     Score Percentile:   84 I am careful and diligent.

Factor V: Intellect/Imagination    |     Score Percentile:   18 I am traditional and conventional.

In your view, are the results of your MBTI and Big 5 Test consistent?

    Yes, the results of the Myers and Briggs Type Indicator and the Big 5 personality tests results match. Both results reflect my introverted but warm nature, as well as my pragmatism and preparedness.

Does this test give you additional insights into your personality traits, in addition to those you discovered in your MBTI results?

    Not much. The Myers and Briggs Type Indicator was more detailed in its results; it took in consideration many factors and elaborated on it. The MBTI made me understand what it meant to be the personality type I have and discussed many other aspects in relation to it. The Big 5 personality test merely provided the score percentile on what percentile group I belong among those that took the test. The advantage on having two tests is that results are being crossed checked, it confirmed the results of each other assuring the test taker that they are somehow accurate.

R-I-A-S-E-C Profile

Is the definition of each characteristic in the R-I-A-S-E-C profile consistent with what you know about yourself?

Not so much because I’d like to believe I am a balance of it all. I agree that artistic is one of my lower traits but I’d like to believe that I am investigative and realistic for I like thinking (as I overthink a lot) as much as I like hands on work. I agree with my Enterprising and Conventional because I enjoy doing business projects through a step-by-step plan. With regard the Social aspect, yes I do like being there for people in a sense that they can rely on me not that I am an extroverted person nor be the life of the party. If I were to rank my R-I-A-S-E-C,  it would be:      R  -  13       I   -  14      A  -    6      S  -   20      E  -   30      C  -   26

Do any of the suggested jobs fitting your R-I-A-S-E-C profile interest you? which of the suggested jobs do you think you are capable of doing, based on the level of preparation prescribed in the O*Net profiler?

     For extensive job preparation, most Jobs recommended were in relation to education and teaching which I dont see myself doing anytime in the future. Although another recommended job is Chief Executives which is one of my goals. For high job preparation, it matched to to those of an accountant and auditor which I initially planned to take up but eventually realized that It isnt for me. For medium job preparation, those in relation to administrative services and banking positions were suggested and I dont mind being assigned to those positions as I my begin my career path. The other preparation zones I gave little attention to because I put in effort in attaining enough preparation for my career as I aim to be assigned in higher management positions.       In the slide guideline provided, there are also Personality-Job Fit Theory. I believe that those given matches are appropriate but I dont think one should be limited by it. I would like to think that the R-I-A-S-E-C test should be taken as a whole and not just solely base your career choices on what best fits the personality that you got the highest score in. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Do you think you will have a fulfilling career if you take one of the suggested jobs for your profile?

    Ever since I was little, I have always wanted to be a successful businesswoman, I am glad that my results reflected this. However, another career path I want to take is that of Law and that was not reflected in the results. I do not think the test will be able to dictate or predict what field I will prosper in but does serve as a good assurance. A fulfilling career will be obtained in whatever job I will work hard in and prepare for regardless of the job matches suggested by R-I-A-S-E-C.

Do you agree with the comparison between your level of introversion/extroversion to your R-I-A-S-E-C profile?

     No. I am an introvert (as shown in the first two personality tests as well). Maybe the reason behind the extroverted result in the R-I-A-S-E-C profile is because I enjoy lending a helping hand or lending a listening ear to others; I enjoy being of service to other people especially those who are in need of emotional support, because of this I make myself as approachable as possible.

 SelfStir 360 Assessment

What did you learn about yourself by doing the SelfStir assessment?

                                  I am truly a work in progress.

What is your greatest strength and your greatest weakness? Did these traits surprise you?

     I have always devoted my time and effort in exploring different fields and tasks in order to see where I work best at, therefore the results only somehow confirmed something I already knew or expected, it did not surprise as much.       Strength:     Reliable and Responsible      Weakness:  Openness

What do you think about other people’s rating of you? are you surprised to learn about their impression of you?

     I was never the type to be critical about what others think of me, I was careful not to hurt others but I didn’t mind how they perceive me. I was happy with the results because it turned out better than I expected. I focus more on genuineness rather than pleasing others, turns out that I’m doing both. 

How important is a 360 assessment in the workplace?

Evaluation is a must in order to determine whether task done is successful or not and to identify areas to improve on in order for the project to be better. The 360 assessment follows an effective system of self-evaluation and evaluation from others, how ratings are integrated is commendable as it is easy to understand as it is very clear. 

How can this assessment help you become an effective leader?

This assessment will be able to help me become a better leader as I am able to reconcile how I view myself with how people perceive me, therefore knowing what areas I can improve on and traits I can maximize. The categories to choose from in the assessment are those traits of leaders, in answering them myself, I am able to measure my standing, thus being able to understand my strengths and weaknesses as well. 

Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this post are those of the author’s and this blog is posted in fulfilment of L02 requirement of SHURMAN K34.

[howtoloseweightfastsafely]

Putting It All Together

We've made it to the end!

I hope you've just received the weight loss and body re-composition education of a lifetime.

And I truly hope you implement these strategies to build the body you've always wanted (and the body that turns heads and drops jaws when you take simply walk down the block!)

Before we officially end with the appendix, though, let's condense all the main points of 247 Leangevity Secrets from top to bottom. Refer back here whenever you need...

How to be a part of the 1% "elite" that loses weight and keeps it off permanently (discover the simple, but effective, lifestyle switches that will keep you fit and happy for a lifetime)

1. Weight Loss & Longevity are 2 different things

a. Weight loss is tied primarily to calorie intake, with food choice coming as a secondary factor

b. Weight loss is also tied to three big "hidden" factors:

i. Chronic inflammation

ii. Insulin Resistance

iii. "Clogged" Liver (and poor detoxification/fat breakdown as a result)

c. Longevity is tied to equally to calorie intake and food choice (and the 3 hidden causes of weight loss).

d. This isn't to say that food choice is not that important for weight loss, but it is to say that just substituting chicken for beef, or having brown rice instead of white rice, or eating the next new "health food" will not magically help you lose weight.

e. You MUST be in a calorie deficit to lose weight i.e. taking in less calories than you burn, without going too low.

f. To have both weight loss and longevity (a worthy goal, if you ask me), focus on the big three:

i. Smart Nutrition (eat healthy most of the time)

ii. Natural movement (at least 3x per week plus walking for best results)

iii. Reduce Stress and Manage Toxins

2. Live as close as possible to the way that modern day, disease-free traditional cultures live:

a. Eat like this:

i. Zero processed foods.

ii. Moderate amounts of healthy fat.

iii. Sufficient amounts of all-natural protein.

iv. Nutrient-rich carbohydrates, soaked, sprouted (and sometimes fermented).

v. Cultured and fermented foods

b. Move like this:

i. Nearly every culture of 100+-year-old inhabitants incorporates daily movement, up to 10,000 steps of daily walking.

ii. You can also reach this amount of steps in 45-60 minutes of any light/moderate activity

iii. For best results, try to do formal exercise for about 45 minutes, 3x per week

Use compound movements like squats, chin-ups, various presses, lunges, and other exercises that use many muscles at once

On your off-days try to get in some light activity or at least go walking.

Both of these activities will ensure you maintain lean muscle on a diet, while improving virtually all health markers

iv. At a bare minimum, get in 20-30 minutes of movement 3x per week.

c. Rejuvenate like this:

i. All traditional, long-living cultures frequently used herbs and plant extracts taken straight from nature

This keeps the mind sharp, body fit and vital organs cleansed and functional for the long term.

ii. De-stress and laugh daily.

The sense of family, community, laughter and openness on the Greek island of Ikaria is the biggest factor in life spans which reach to be over 100 years old in many cases

3. Reduce chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, and liver clogging

a. Remove the following foods for best results:

i. Excess sugar and refined, chemically-laden processed foods

ii. Industrial/seed oils that are high in Omega-6 fatty acids

iii. Gluten and wheat (for those who are intolerant). Wheat is the bigger offender.

iv. Commercially-raised, feedlot meat and farmed fish

v. Low intake of Omega-3 fatty acids

vi. Lack of exercise (whether formal gym workouts, or even daily walking)

vii. Too little sleep

viii. Too much stress and not enough relaxation/"me" time

ix. Poor gut health (due to toxin/chemical-heavy foods

b. Do a low-carb, starch-free "Insulin Reset" period to decrease insulin resistance

c. Only when fat loss has stalled for a prolonged period, do a "Leptin Reset" (weekly "re-feed" days) to decrease leptin resistance

d. Use a synergistic blend of herbs, vitamins and minerals to steady blood sugar, detoxify the liver, and stop inflammation in its tracks.

i. Take 1 capsule of the InvigorateNOW blend with a fat-rich meal.

4. Structure your meals around natural protein sources, veggies, fruits, healthy fats, and natural carbs.

a. Eat "clean" 80-90% of the time.

b. Eat junk food/cheat foods 10-20% of the time.

c. Use the formulas in this book or in the calorie calculator to determine your optimal calorie and nutrition needs for weight loss

d. Eliminate or reduce all source of anti-nutrients and allergens

i. Remove gluten and wheat

ii. Remove sources of lectin and phytic acid (unless you soak/sprout/ferment the food)

iii. Remove soy (unless fermented)

iv. Remove non-cultured dairy (a.k.a. milk

e. Avoid diet fads like zero-carb, very low fat, vegan, very low calorie, etc.

i. They do not facilitate proper education around nutrition for weight loss, setting you up for disaster once you inevitably face a plateau.

ii. They also starve the body of nutrients it needs for proper longevity and disease-prevention

f. Don't eat soy unless it's organic and fermented

i. This means, if you'd like to have soy, only have unprocessed miso, tamari, natto, tempeh, whole soybeans, or edamame in shells

g. Avoid foods with GMOs (genetically modified organisms)

h. Drink water. Thirst is often mistaken for hunger. Have a glass of water when you woke up and drink a glass at least every other hour. Try to drink your body weight in ounces of water every day (if you weigh 150 lbs, have 150 oz. of water).

5. Eat enough protein to raise your metabolism and maintain lean muscle

a. Get roughly .8 grams per pound of body weight (less if obese, more if lean and/or weight training)

b. After weight loss is accomplished, maintain weight/longevity with about 15% of calories as protein.

c. Eat only natural meats, fish, natural plant foods, and artificial-ingredient free protein powders

i. Buy grass-fed/pasture-raised meats and wild-caught fish

d. Eat at least 1/2 (but preferably 3/4) of your protein needs from whole food sources, and get the rest from a protein shake. I recommend Biotrust Low-Carb.

6. Eat carbs properly

a. In Phase 1 (Insulin Reset), get 50 grams of carbs if you're female and 75 grams if you're male.

b. In Phase 2 (Primary Fat Loss), after calculating protein intake and fat intake (30% of diet), eat the rest as carbs

c. In Phase 3 (Leangevity/Maintenance), get roughly 25-30% of your diet from carbs

d. Stick to natural starches such as rice and root vegetables.

i. Also try gluten/wheat-free starches and fermented or sprouted breads

ii. Have beans/lentils and brown rice if you can soak/sprout them to reduce toxin loads.

iii. Avoid: white bread/white flour, wheat bread, pastas, and other cereals/grains (don't be fooled by their smart marketing)

7. Eat healthy, natural fats

a. Fat doesn't make you fat. Poor nutrition, "bad fats", high toxin intake, and lack of exercise does.

b. Remove industrialized fats that are high in Omega-6 content

i. Polyunsaturated, high Omega 6 fats (NOT sugar) is one of only 2 factors of American food consumption that has increased in the last 50 years, corresponding with the rise in obesity.

The other factor is a roughly 500 calorie rise in daily intake, that is also be tied to the increase in Omega-6 intake.

c. Get fat from natural grass-fed/pasture-raised meats and fish

d. Also, have healthy, low Omega-6 oils.

i. Best: Have coconut oil/coconut milk, butter/ghee, palm kernel oil, etc.

ii. OK: Have olive oil, palm oil, avocado oil, etc. (only cook with these on low/medium heat)

iii. Avoid: Soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, canola oil, vegetable oil

e. Have cultured, preferably grass-fed dairy (get rBGH-free dairy, if not grass-fed/ organic)

i. No milk (the milk sugar/lactose can stimulate insulin and allergies)

ii. Have greek yogurt, kefir, butter, cream, some cheese, etc.

8. Eat veggies and fruit often

a. Eat dark, leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, etc.)

b. Eat cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.)

c. Eat starchy, root vegetables (sweet potatoes, yams, squash, etc.)

d. Eat fruits that are in-season in your area, and preferably buy them at your local farmer's market

e. Eat 2-3 pieces of fruit a day. This fills up liver glycogen to support long-term health, without some of the possible negatives of very high fructose intake.

f. Eat organic if you will be eating the skin

9. Prepare food correctly and reduce unnecessary decision making

a. Prepare "batch meals" 1 or 2x per week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

b. Split these meals into Tupperware, bring them to work, and just warm them up for each meal.

c. Keep a glass Pyrex container to transfer food into, for microwave use. Otherwise, simple Tupperware/plastic containers can leech chemicals into your food when heated.

d. Switch up the foods every week or two for variety

e. If you fail to bring a meal on a rare occasion, have a "fast-food" meal that you can count calories for (I prefer Subway or Chipotle, both of which post their nutrition info in the stores and online)

f. Try to prepare meals on low heat or cook them with water-based methods (as opposed to grilling, frying, or otherwise "browning" the food) to reduce the formation of Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs)

g. "Hack away at the unessential"

i. Track spending and cut out unnecessary expenses

ii. Don't watch the news. Get important info from friends/colleagues. Spend that free time to work on things that make you happy.

iii. Cut out binge TV watching. Just watch your favorite show for 30 minutes, help you reach those goals/dreams that you pushed to the backburner.

(Wanna learn guitar? Build a business? Write a story? Just do it.)

iv. Keep only your quality, comfortable clothing and get rid of the stuff you don't wear. Give them to people who need it more than you do.

 Interested in losing weight? Then click below to see the exact steps I took to lose weight and keep it off for good...

Read the previous article about "Advanced Fat Loss - Part III: Intermittent Fasting"

Read the next article about "Advanced Fat Loss - Part I: Calorie Cycling"

Moving forward, there are several other articles/topics I'll share so you can lose weight even faster, and feel great doing it.

Below is a list of these topics and you can use this Table of Contents to jump to the part that interests you the most.

Topic 1: How I Lost 30 Pounds In 90 Days - And How You Can Too

Topic 2: How I Lost Weight By Not Following The Mainstream Media And Health Guru's Advice - Why The Health Industry Is Broken And How We Can Fix It

Topic 3: The #1 Ridiculous Diet Myth Pushed By 95% Of Doctors And "experts" That Is Keeping You From The Body Of Your Dreams

Topic 4: The Dangers of Low-Carb and Other "No Calorie Counting" Diets

Topic 5: Why Red Meat May Be Good For You And Eggs Won't Kill You

Topic 6: Two Critical Hormones That Are Quietly Making Americans Sicker and Heavier Than Ever Before

Topic 7: Everything Popular Is Wrong: The Real Key To Long-Term Weight Loss

Topic 8: Why That New Miracle Diet Isn't So Much of a Miracle After All (And Why You're Guaranteed To Hate Yourself On It Sooner or Later)

Topic 9: A Nutrition Crash Course To Build A Healthy Body and Happy Mind

Topic 10: How Much You Really Need To Eat For Steady Fat Loss (The Truth About Calories and Macronutrients)

Topic 11: The Easy Way To Determining Your Calorie Intake

Topic 12: Calculating A Weight Loss Deficit

Topic 13: How To Determine Your Optimal "Macros" (And How The Skinny On The 3-Phase Extreme Fat Loss Formula)

Topic 14: Two Dangerous "Invisible Thorn" Foods Masquerading as "Heart Healthy Super Nutrients"

Topic 15: The Truth About Whole Grains And Beans: What Traditional Cultures Know About These So-called "Healthy Foods" That Most Americans Don't

Topic 16: The Inflammation-Reducing, Immune-Fortifying Secret of All Long-Living Cultures (This 3-Step Process Can Reduce Chronic Pain and Heal Your Gut in Less Than 24 Hours)

Topic 17: The Foolproof Immune-enhancing Plan That Cleanses And Purifies Your Body, While "patching Up" Holes, Gaps, And Inefficiencies In Your Digestive System (And How To Do It Without Wasting $10+ Per "meal" On Ridiculous Juice Cleanses)

Topic 18: The Great Soy Myth (and The Truth About Soy in Eastern Asia)

Topic 19: How Chemicals In Food Make Us Fat (Plus 10 Banned Chemicals Still in the U.S. Food Supply)

Topic 20: 10 Banned Chemicals Still in the U.S. Food Supply

Topic 21: How To Protect Yourself Against Chronic Inflammation (What Time Magazine Calls A "Secret Killer")

Topic 22: The Truth About Buying Organic: Secrets The Health Food Industry Doesn't Want You To Know

Topic 23: Choosing High Quality Foods

Topic 24: A Recipe For Rapid Aging: The "Hidden" Compounds Stealing Your Youth, Minute by Minute

Topic 25: 7 Steps To Reduce AGEs and Slow Aging

Topic 26: The 10-second Trick That Can Slash Your Risk Of Cardiovascular Mortality By 37% (Most Traditional Cultures Have Done This For Centuries, But The Pharmaceutical Industry Would Be Up In Arms If More Modern-day Americans Knew About It)

Topic 27: How To Clean Up Your Liver and Vital Organs

Topic 28: The Simple Detox 'Cheat Sheet': How To Easily and Properly Cleanse, Nourish, and Rid Your Body of Dangerous Toxins (and Build a Lean Well-Oiled "Machine" in the Process)

Topic 29: How To Deal With the "Stress Hormone" Before It Deals With You

Topic 30: 7 Common Sense Ways to Have Uncommon Peace of Mind (or How To Stop Your "Stress Hormone" In Its Tracks)

Topic 31: How To Sleep Like A Baby (And Wake Up Feeling Like A Boss)

Topic 32: The 8-step Formula That Finally "fixes" Years Of Poor Sleep, Including Trouble Falling Asleep, Staying Asleep, And Waking Up Rested (If You Ever Find Yourself Hitting The Snooze Every Morning Or Dozing Off At Work, These Steps Will Change Your Life Forever)

Topic 33: For Even Better Leg Up And/or See Faster Results In Fixing Years Of Poor Sleep, Including Trouble Falling Asleep, Staying Asleep, And Waking Up Rested, Do The Following:

Topic 34: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 35: Part 1 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 36: Part 2 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 37: Part 3 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 38: Part 4 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 39: How To Beat Your Mental Roadblocks And Why It Can Be The Difference Between A Happy, Satisfying Life And A Sad, Fearful Existence (These Strategies Will Reduce Stress, Increase Productivity And Show You How To Fulfill All Your Dreams)

Topic 40: Maximum Fat Loss in Minimum Time: The Body Type Solution To Quick, Lasting Results

Topic 41: If You Want Maximum Results In Minimum Time You're Going To Have To Work Out (And Workout Hard, At That)

Topic 42: Food Planning For Maximum Fat Loss In Minimum Time

Topic 43: How To Lose Weight Fast If You're in Chronic Pain

Topic 44: Nutrition Basics for Fast Pain Relief (and Weight Loss)

Topic 45: How To Track Results (And Not Fall Into the Trap That Ruins 95% of Well-Thought Out Diets)

Topic 46: Advanced Fat Loss - Calorie Cycling, Carb Cycling and Intermittent Fasting

Topic 47: Advanced Fat Loss - Part I: Calorie Cycling

Topic 48: Advanced Fat Loss - Part II: Carb Cycling

Topic 49: Advanced Fat Loss - Part III: Intermittent Fasting

Topic 50: Putting It All Together

Learn more by visiting our website here: invigoratenow.com

[ciathyzareposts]

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers

Fair warning: spoilers for Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers are to be found herein!

In 1989, a twenty-something professional computer programmer and frustrated horror novelist named Jane Jensen had a close encounter with King’s Quest IV that changed her life. She was so inspired by the experience of playing her first adventure game that she decided to apply for a job with Sierra Online, the company that had made it. In fact, she badgered them relentlessly until they finally hired her as a jack-of-all-trades writer in 1990.

Two and a half years later, after working her way up from writing manuals and incidental in-game dialog to co-designing the first EcoQuest game with Gano Haine and the sixth King’s Quest game with Roberta Williams, she had proved herself sufficiently in the eyes of her managers to be given a glorious opportunity: the chance to make her very own game on her own terms. It really was a once-in-a-lifetime proposition; she was to be given carte blanche by the biggest adventure developer in the industry at the height of the genre’s popularity to make exactly the game she wanted to make. Small wonder that she would so often look back upon it wistfully in later years, after the glory days of adventures games had become a distant memory.

For her big chance, Jensen proposed making a Gothic horror game unlike anything Sierra had attempted before, with a brooding and psychologically complex hero, a detailed real-world setting, and a complicated plot dripping with the lore of the occult. Interestingly, Jensen remembers her superiors being less than thrilled with the new direction. She says that Ken Williams in particular was highly skeptical of the project’s commercial viability: “Okay, I’ll let you do it, but I wish you’d come up with something happier!”

But even if Jensen’s recollections are correct, we can safely say that Sierra’s opinion changed over the year it took to make Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers. By the time it shipped on November 24, 1993, it fit in very well with a new direction being trumpeted by Ken Williams in his editorials for the company’s newsletter: a concerted focus on more “adult,” sophisticated fictions, as exemplified not only by Sins of the Fathers but by a “gritty” new Police Quest game and another, more lurid horror game which Roberta Williams had in the works. Although the older, more lighthearted and ramshackle [this, that, and the other] Quest series which had made Sierra’s name in adventure games would continue to appear for a while longer, Williams clearly saw these newer concepts as the key to a mass market he was desperately trying to unlock. Games like these were, theoretically anyway, able to appeal to demographics outside the industry’s traditional customers — to appeal to the sort of people who had hitherto preferred an evening in front of a television to one spent in front of a monitor.

Thus Sierra put a lot of resources into Sins of the Fathers‘s presentation and promotion. For example, the box became one of the last standout packages in an industry moving inexorably toward standardization on that front; in lieu of anything so dull as a rectangle, it took the shape of two mismatched but somehow conjoined triangles. Sierra even went so far as to hire Tim Curry of Rocky Horror Picture Show fame, Mark Hamill of Star Wars, and Michael Dorn of Star Trek: The Next Generation for the CD-ROM version’s voice-acting cast.

Jane Jensen with the first Gabriel Knight project’s producer and soundtrack composer Bob Holmes, who would later become her husband, and the actor Tim Curry, who provided the voice of Gabriel using a thick faux-New Orleans accent which some players judge hammy, others charming.

In the long run, the much-discussed union of Silicon Valley and Hollywood that led studios like Sierra to cast such high-profile names at considerable expense would never come to pass. In the meantime, though, the game arrived at a more modestly propitious cultural moment. Anne Rice’s Gothic vampire novels, whose tonal similarities to Sins of the Fathers were hard to miss even before Jensen began to cite them as an inspiration in interviews, were all over the bestseller lists, and Tom Cruise was soon to star in a major motion picture drawn from the first of them. Even in the broader world of games around Sierra, the influence of Rice and Gothic horror more generally was starting to make itself felt. On the tabletop, White Wolf’s Vampire: The Masquerade was exploding in popularity just as Dungeons & Dragons was falling on comparatively hard times; the early 1990s would go down in tabletop history as the only time when a rival system seriously challenged Dungeons & Dragons‘s absolute supremacy. And then there was the world of music, where dark and slinky albums from bands like the Cure and Massive Attack were selling in the millions.

Suffice to say, then, that “goth” culture in general was having a moment, and Sins of the Fathers was perfectly poised to capitalize on it. The times were certainly a far cry from just half a decade before, when Amy Briggs had proposed an Anne Rice-like horror game to her bosses at Infocom, only to be greeted with complete incomprehension.

Catching the zeitgeist paid off: Sins of the Fathers proved, if not quite the bridge to the Hollywood mainstream Ken Williams might have been longing for, one of Sierra’s most popular adventures games of its time. An unusual number of its fans were female, a demographic oddity it had in common with all of the other Gothic pop culture I’ve just mentioned. These female fans in particular seemed to get something from the game’s brooding bad-boy hero that they perhaps hadn’t realized they’d been missing. While games that used sex as a selling point were hardly unheard of in 1993, Sins of the Fathers stood out in a sea of Leisure Suit Larry and Spellcasting games for its orientation toward the female rather than the male gaze. In this respect as well, its arrival was perfectly timed, coming just as relatively more women and girls were beginning to use computers, thanks to the hype over multimedia computing that was fueling a boom in their sales.

But there was more to Sins of the Father‘s success than its arrival at an opportune moment. On the contrary: the game’s popularity has proved remarkably enduring over the decades since its release. It spawned two sequels later in the 1990s that are almost as adored as the first game, and still places regularly at or near the top of lists of “best adventure games of all time.” Then, too, it’s received an unusual amount of academic attention for a point-and-click graphic adventure in the traditional style (a genre which, lacking both the literary bona fides of textual interactive fiction and the innate ludological interest of more process-intensive genres, normally tends to get short shrift in such circles). You don’t have to search long in the academic literature to find painfully earnest grad-student essays contrasting the “numinous woman” Roberta Williams with the “millennium woman” Jane Jensen, or “exploring Gabriel as a particular instance of the Hero archetype.”

So, as a hit in its day and a hit still today with both the fans and the academics, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers must be a pretty amazing game, right? Well… sure, in the eyes of some. For my own part, I see a lot of incongruities, not only in the game itself but in the ways it’s been received over the years. It strikes me as having been given the benefit of an awful lot of doubts, perhaps simply because there have been so very few games like it. Sins of the Fathers unquestionably represents a noble effort to stretch its medium. But is it truly a great game? And does its story really, as Sierra’s breathless press release put it back in the day, “rival the best film scripts?” Those are more complicated questions.

But before I begin to address them, we should have a look at what the game is all about, for those of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure of Gabriel Knights’s acquaintance.

Our titular hero, then, is a love-em-and-leave-em bachelor who looks a bit like James Dean and comes complete with a motorcycle, a leather jacket, and the requisite sensitive side concealed underneath his rough exterior. He lives in the backroom of the bookshop he owns in New Orleans, from which he churns out pulpy horror novels to supplement his paltry income. Grace Nakamura, a pert university student on her summer holidays, works at the bookshop as well, and also serves as Gabriel’s research assistant and verbal sparring partner, a role which comes complete with oodles of sexual tension.

Gabriel’s bedroom. What woman wouldn’t be excited to be brought back here?

Over the course of the game, Gabriel stumbles unto a centuries-old voodoo cult which has a special motivation to make him their latest human sacrifice. While he’s at it, he also falls into bed with the comely Malia, the somewhat reluctant leader of the cult. He learns amidst it all that not just voodoo spirits but many other things that go bump in the night — werewolves, vampires, etc. — are in fact real. And he learns that he’s inherited the mantle of Schattenjäger — “Shadow Hunter” — from his forefathers, and that his family’s legacy as battlers of evil stretches back to Medieval Germany. (The symbolism of his name is, as Jensen herself admits, not terribly subtle: “Gabriel” was the angel who battled Lucifer in Paradise Lost, while “Knight” means that he’s, well, a knight, at least in the metaphorical sense.) After ten days jam-packed with activity, which take him not only all around New Orleans but to Germany and Benin as well — Sins of the Fathers is a very generous game indeed in terms of length — Gabriel must choose between his love for Malia and his new role of Schattenjäger. Grace is around throughout: to serve as the good-girl contrast to the sultry Malia (again, the symbolism of her name isn’t subtle), to provide banter and research, and to pull Gabriel’s ass bodily out of the fire at least once. If Gabriel makes the right choice at the end of the game, the two forge a tentative partnership to continue the struggle against darkness even as they also continue to deny their true feelings for one another.

As we delve into what the game does well and poorly amidst all this, it strikes me as useful to break the whole edifice down along the classic divide of its interactivity versus its fiction. (If you’re feeling academic, you can refer to this dichotomy as its ludological versus its narratological components; if you’re feeling folksy, you can call it its crossword versus its narrative.) Even many of the game’s biggest fans will admit that the first item in the pairing has its problematic aspects. So, perhaps we should start there rather than diving straight into some really controversial areas. That said, be warned that the two things are hard to entirely separate from one another; Sins of the Fathers works best when the two are in harmony, while many of its problems come to the fore when the two begin to clash.

Let’s begin, though, with the things Sins of the Fathers gets right in terms of design. While I don’t know that it is, strictly speaking, impossible to lock yourself out of victory while still being able to play on, you certainly would have to be either quite negligent or quite determined to manage it at any stage before the endgame. This alone shows welcome progress for Sierra — shows that the design revolution wrought by LucasArts’s The Secret of Monkey Island was finally penetrating even this most stalwart redoubt of the old, bad way of making adventure games.

Snarking aside, we shouldn’t dismiss Jensen’s achievement here; it’s not easy to make such an intricately plot-driven game so forgiving. The best weapon in her arsenal is the use of an event-driven rather than a clock-driven timetable for advancing the plot. Each of the ten days has a set of tasks you must accomplish before the day ends, although you aren’t explicitly told what they are. You have an infinite amount of clock time to accomplish these things at your own pace. When you eventually do so — and even sometimes when you accomplish intermediate things inside each day — the plot machinery lurches forward another step or two via an expository cut scene and the interactive world around you changes to reflect it. Sins of the Fathers was by no means the first game to employ such a system; as far as I know, that honor should go to Infocom’s 1986 text adventure Ballyhoo. Yet this game uses it to better effect than just about any game that came before it. In fact, the game as a whole is really made tenable only by this technique of making the plot respond to the player’s actions rather than forcing the player to race along at the plot’s pace; the latter would be an unimaginable nightmare to grapple with in a story with this many moving parts. When it works well, which is a fair amount of the time, the plot progression feels natural and organic, like you truly are in the grip of a naturally unfolding story.

The individual puzzles that live within this framework work best when they’re in harmony with the plot and free of typical adventure-game goofiness. A good example is the multi-layered puzzle involving the Haitian rada drummers whom you keep seeing around New Orleans. Eventually, a victim of the voodoo cult tells you just before he breathes his last that the drummers are the cult’s means of communicating with one another across the city. So, you ask Grace to research the topic of rada drums. Next day, she produces a book on the subject filled with sequences encoding various words and phrases. When you “use” this book on one of the drummers, it brings up a sort of worksheet which you can use to figure out what he’s transmitting. Get it right, and you learn that a conclave is to be held that very night in a swamp outside the city.

Working out a rada-drum message.

This is an ideal puzzle: complicated but not insurmountable, immensely satisfying to solve. Best of all, solving it really does make you feel like Gabriel Knight, on the trail of a mystery which you must unravel using your own wits and whatever information you can dig up from the resources at your disposal.

Unfortunately, not all or even most of the puzzles live up to that standard. A handful are simply bad puzzles, full stop, testimonies both to the fact that every puzzle is always harder than its designer thinks it is and to Sierra’s disinterest in seeking substantive feedback on its games from actual players before releasing them. For instance, there’s the clock/lock that expects you to intuit the correct combination of rotating face and hands from a few scattered, tangential references elsewhere in the game to the number three and to dragons.

Even the rather brilliant rada-drums bit goes badly off the rails at the end of the game, when you’re suddenly expected to use a handy set of the drums to send a message of your own. This requires that you first read Jane Jensen’s mind to figure out what general message out of the dozens of possibilities she wants you to send, then read her mind again to figure out the exact grammar she wants you to use. When you get it wrong, as you inevitably will many times, the game gives you no feedback whatsoever. Are you doing the wrong thing entirely? Do you have the right idea but are sending the wrong message? Or do you just need to change up your grammar a bit? The game isn’t telling; it’s too busy killing you on every third failed attempt.

Other annoyances are the product not so much of poor puzzle as poor interface design. In contrast to contemporaneous efforts from competitors like LucasArts and Legend Entertainment, Sierra games made during this period still don’t show hot spots ripe for interaction when you mouse over a scene. So, you’re forced to click on everything indiscriminately, which most of the time leads only to the narrator intoning the same general room description over and over in her languid Caribbean patois. The scenes themselves are well-drawn, but their muted colors, combined with their relatively low resolution and the lack of a hot-spot finder, constitute something of a perfect storm for that greatest bane of the graphic adventure, the pixel hunt. One particularly egregious example of the syndrome, a snake scale you need to find at a crime scene on a beach next to Lake Pontchartrain, has become notorious as an impediment that stops absolutely every player in her tracks. It reveals the dark flip side of the game’s approach to plot chronology: that sinking feeling when the day just won’t end and you don’t know why. In this case, it’s because you missed a handful of slightly discolored pixels surrounded by a mass of similar hues — or, even if you did notice them, because you failed to click on them exactly.

You have to click right where the cursor is to learn from the narrator that “the grass has a matted appearance there.” Break out the magnifying glass!

But failings like these aren’t ultimately the most interesting to talk about, just because they were so typical and so correctable, had Sierra just instituted a set of commonsense practices that would have allowed them to make better games. Much more interesting are the places that the interactivity of Sins of the Fathers clashes jarringly with the premise of its fiction. For it’s here, we might speculate, that the game is running into more intractable problems — perhaps even running headlong into the formal limitation of the traditional graphic adventure as a storytelling medium.

Take, for example, the point early in the game when Gabriel wants to pay a visit to Malia at her palatial mansion, but, as a mere civilian, can’t get past the butler. Luckily, he happens to have a pal at the police department — in fact, his best friend in the whole world, an old college buddy named Mosley. Does he explain his dilemma to Mosley and ask for help? Of course not! This is, after all, an adventure game. He decides instead to steal Mosley’s badge. When he pays the poor fellow a visit at his office, he sees that Mosley’s badge is pinned, as usual, to his jacket. So, Gabriel sneaks over to turn up the thermostat in the office, which causes Mosley to remove the jacket and hang it over the back of his chair. Then Gabriel asks him to fetch a cup of coffee, and completes the theft while he’s out of the room. With friends like that…

Gabriel is turned away from Malia’s door…

…but no worries, he can just figure out how to steal a badge from his best friend and get inside that way.

In strictly mechanical terms, this is actually a clever puzzle, but it illustrates the tonal and thematic inconsistencies that dog the game as a whole. Sadly, puzzles like the one involving the rada drums are the exception rather than the rule. Most of the time, you’re dealing instead with arbitrary roadblocks like this one that have nothing whatsoever to do with the mystery you’re trying to solve. It becomes painfully obvious that Jensen wrote out a static story outline suitable for a movie or novel, then went back to devise the disconnected puzzles that would make a game out of it.

But puzzles like this are not only irrelevant: they’re deeply, comprehensively silly, and this silliness flies in the face of Sins of the Fathers‘s billing as a more serious, character-driven sort of experience than anything Sierra had done to date. Really, how can anyone take a character who goes around doing stuff like this seriously? You can do so, I would submit, only by mentally bifurcating the Gabriel you control in the interactive sequences from the Gabriel of the cut scenes and conversations. That may work for some — it must, given the love that’s lavished on this game by so many adventure fans — but the end result nevertheless remains creatively compromised, two halves of a work of art actively pulling against one another.

Gabriel sneaks into the backroom of a church and starts stealing from the priests. That’s normal behavior for any moodily romantic protagonist, right? Right?

It’s at points of tension like these that Sins of the Fathers raises the most interesting and perhaps troubling questions about the graphic adventure as a genre. Many of its puzzles are, as I already noted, not bad puzzles in themselves; they’re only problematic when placed in this fictional context. If Sins of the Fathers was a comedy, they’d be a perfectly natural fit. This is what I mean when I say, as I have repeatedly in the past, that comedy exerts a strong centrifugal pull on any traditional puzzle-solving adventure game. And this is why most of Sierra’s games prior to Sins of the Fathers were more or less interactive cartoons, why LucasArts strayed afield from that comfortable approach even less often than Sierra, and, indeed, why comedies have been so dominant in the annals of adventure games in general.

The question must be, then, whether the pull of comedy can be resisted — whether compromised hybrids like this one are the necessary end result of trying to make a serious graphic adventure. In short, is the path of least resistance the only viable path for an adventure designer?

For my part, I believe the genre’s tendency to collapse into comedy can be resisted, if the designer is both knowing and careful. The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes, released the year before Sins of the Fathers, is a less heralded game than the one I write about today, but one which works better as a whole in my opinion, largely because it sticks to its guns and remains the type of fiction it advertises itself to be, eschewing goofy roadblock puzzles in favor of letting you solve the mystery at its heart. By contrast, you don’t really solve the mystery for yourself at all in Sins of the Fathers; it solves the mystery for you while you’re jumping Gabriel through all the irrelevant hoops it sets in his path.

But let’s try to set those issues aside now and engage with Sins of the Fathers strictly in terms of the fiction that lives outside the lines of its interactivity. As many of you doubtless know, I’m normally somewhat loathe to do that; it verges on a tautology to say that interactivity is the defining feature of games, and thus it seems to me that any given game’s interactivity has to work, without any qualifiers, as a necessary precondition to its being a good game. Still, if any game might be able to sneak around that rule, it ought to be this one, so often heralded as a foremost exemplar of sophisticated storytelling in a ludic context. And, indeed, it does fare better on this front in my eyes — not quite as well as some of its biggest fans claim, but better.

The first real scene of Sins of the Fathers tells us we’re in for an unusual adventure-game experience, with unusual ambitions in terms of character and plot development alike. We meet Gabriel and Grace in medias res, as the former stumbles out of his backroom bedroom to meet the latter already at her post behind the cash register in the bookstore. Over the next couple of minutes, we learn much about them as people through their banter — and, tellingly, pretty much nothing about what the real plot of the game will come to entail. This is Bilbo holding his long-expected party, Wart going out to make hay; Jane Jensen is settling in to work the long game.

https://www.filfre.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/GK.mp4

As Jensen slowly pulls back the curtain on what the game is really all about over the hours that follow, she takes Gabriel through that greatest rarity in interactive storytelling, a genuine internal character arc. The Gabriel at the end of the game, in other words, is not the one we met at the beginning, and for once the difference isn’t down to his hit points or armor class. If we can complain that we’re mostly relegated to solving goofy puzzles while said character arc plays out in the cut scenes, we can also acknowledge how remarkable it is for existing at all.

Jensen is a talented writer with a particular affinity for just the sort of snappy but revealing dialog that marks that first scene of the game. If anything, she’s better at writing these sorts of low-key “hang-out” moments than the scenes of epic confrontation. It’s refreshing to see a game with such a sense of ease about its smaller moments, given that the talents and interests of most game writers tend to run in just the opposite direction.

Then, too, Jensen has an intuitive understanding of the rhythm of effective horror. As any master of the form from Stephen King to the Duffer Brothers will happily tell you if you ask them, you can’t assault your audience with wall-to-wall terror. Good horror is rather about tension and release — the horrific crescendos fading into moments of calm and even levity, during which the audience has a chance to catch its collective breath and the knots in their stomachs have a chance to un-clench. Certainly we have to learn to know and like a story’s characters before we can feel vicarious horror at their being placed in harm’s way. Jensen understands all these things, as do the people working with her.

Indeed, the production values of Sins of the Fathers are uniformly excellent in the context of its times. The moody art perfectly complements the story Jensen has scripted, and the voice-acting cast — both the big names who head it and the smaller ones who fill out the rest of the roles — are, with only one or two exceptions, solid. The music, which was provided by the project’s producer Robert Holmes — he began dating Jensen while the game was in production, and later became her husband and constant creative partner — is catchy, memorable, and very good at setting the mood, if perhaps not hugely New Orleans in flavor. (More on that issue momentarily.)

Still, there are some significant issues with Sins of the Fathers even when it’s being judged purely as we might a work of static fiction. Many of these become apparent only gradually over time — this is definitely a game that puts its best foot forward first — but at least one of them is front and center from the very first scene. To say that much of Gabriel’s treatment of Grace hasn’t aged well hardly begins to state the case. Their scenes together often play like a public-service video from the #MeToo movement, as Gabriel sexually harasses his employee like Donald Trump with a fresh bottle of Viagra in his back pocket. Of course, Jensen really intends for Gabriel to be another instance of the archetypal charming rogue — see Solo, Han, and Jones, Indiana — and sometimes she manages to pull it off. At far too many others, though, the writing gets a little sideways, and the charming rogue veers into straight-up jerk territory. The fact that Grace is written as a smart, tough-minded young woman who can give as good as she gets doesn’t make him seem like any less of a sleazy creep, more Leisure Suit Larry than James Dean.

I’m puzzled and just a little bemused that so many academic writers who’ve taken it upon themselves to analyze the game from an explicitly feminist perspective can ignore this aspect of it entirely. I can’t help but suspect that, were Sins of the Fathers the product of a male designer, the critical dialog that surrounds it would be markedly different in some respects. I’ll leave it to you to decide whether this double standard is justified or not in light of our culture’s long history of gender inequality.

As the game continues, the writing starts to wear thin in other ways. Gabriel’s supposed torrid love affair with Malia is, to say the least, unconvincing, with none of the naturalism that marks the best of his interactions with Grace. Instead it’s in the lazy mold of too many formulaic mass-media fictions, where two attractive people fall madly in love for no discernible reason that we can identify. The writer simply tells us that they do so, by way of justifying an obligatory sex scene or two. Here, though, we don’t even get the sex scene.

Pacing also starts to become a significant problem as the game wears on. Admittedly, this is not always so much because the writer in Jane Jensen isn’t aware of its importance to effective horror as because pacing in general is just so darn difficult to control in any interactive work, especially one filled with road-blocking puzzles like this one. Even if we cut Jensen some slack on this front, however, sequences like Gabriel’s visit to Tulane University, where he’s subjected to a long non-interactive lecture that might as well be entitled “Everything Jane Jensen Learned about Voodoo but Can’t Shoehorn in Anywhere Else,” are evidence of a still fairly inexperienced writer who doesn’t have a complete handle on this essential element of storytelling and doesn’t have anyone looking over her shoulder to edit her work. She’s done her research, but hasn’t mastered the Zen-like art of letting it subtly inform her story and setting. Instead she infodumps it all over us in about the most unimaginative way you can conceive: in the form of a literal classroom lecture.

Gabriel with Professor Infodump.

The game’s depiction of New Orleans itself reveals some of the same weaknesses. Yes, Jensen gets the landmarks and the basic geography right. But I have to say, speaking as someone who loves the city dearly and has spent a fair amount of time there over the years, that the setting of the game never really feels like New Orleans. What’s missing most of all, I think, is any affinity for the music that so informs daily life in the city, giving the streets a (literal) rhythm unlike anywhere else on earth. (Robert Holmes’s soundtrack is fine and evocative in its own right; it’s just not a New Orleans soundtrack.) I was thus unsurprised to learn that Jensen never actually visited New Orleans before writing and publishing a game set there. Tellingly, her depiction has more to do with the idiosyncratic, Gothic New Orleans found in Anne Rice novels than it does with the city I know.

The plotting too gets more wobbly as time goes on. A linchpin moment comes right at the mid-point of the ten days, when Gabriel makes an ill-advised visit to one of the cult’s conclaves — in fact, the one he located via the afore-described rada-drums puzzle — and nearly gets himself killed. Somehow Grace, of all people, swoops in to rescue him; I still have no idea precisely what is supposed to have happened here, and neither, judging at least from the fan sites I’ve consulted, does anyone else. I suspect that something got cut here out of budget concerns, so perhaps it’s unfair to place this massive non sequitur at the heart of the game squarely on Jensen’s shoulders.

But other problems with the plotting aren’t as easy to find excuses for. There is, for example, the way that Gabriel can fly from New Orleans to Munich and still have hours of daylight at his disposal when he arrives on the same day. (I could dismiss this as a mere hole in Jensen’s research, the product of an American designer unfamiliar with international travel, if she hadn’t spent almost a year living in Germany prior to coming to Sierra.) In fact, the entirety of Gabriel’s whirlwind trip from the United States to Germany to Benin and back home again feels incomplete and a little half-baked, from its cartoonish German castle, which resembles a piece of discarded art from a King’s Quest game, to its tedious maze inside an uninteresting African burial mound that likewise could have been found in any of a thousand other adventure games. Jensen would have done better to keep the action in New Orleans rather than suddenly trying to turn the game into a globetrotting adventure at the eleventh hour, destroying its narrative cohesion in the process.

Suddenly we’re in… Africa? How the hell did that happen?

As in a lot of fictions of this nature, the mysteries at the heart of Sins of the Fathers are also most enticing in the game’s earlier stages than they have become by its end. To her credit, Jensen knows exactly what truths lie behind all of the mysteries and deceptions, and she’s willing to show them to us; Sins of the Fathers does have a payoff. Nevertheless, it’s all starting to feel a little banal by the time we arrive at the big climax inside the voodoo cult’s antiseptic high-tech headquarters. It’s easier to be scared of shadowy spirits of evil from the distant past than it is of voodoo bureaucrats flashing their key cards in a complex that smacks of a Bond villain’s secret hideaway.

The tribal art on the wall lets you know this is a voodoo cult’s headquarters. Somehow I never expected elevators and florescent lighting in such a place…

Many of you — especially those of you who count yourselves big fans of Sins of the Fathers — are doubtless saying by now that I’m being much, much too hard on it. And you have a point; I am holding this game’s fiction to a higher standard than I do that of most adventure games. In a sense, though, the game’s very conception of itself makes it hard for a critic to avoid doing so. It so clearly wants to be a more subtle, more narratively and thematically rich, more “adult” adventure game that I feel forced to take it at its word and hold it to that higher standard. One could say, then, that the game becomes a victim of its own towering ambitions. Certainly all my niggling criticisms shouldn’t obscure the fact that, for all that its reach does often exceed its grasp, it’s brave of the game to stretch itself so far at all.

That said, I can’t help but continue to see Sins of the Fathers more as a noble failure than a masterpiece, and I can’t keep myself from placing much of the blame at the feet of Sierra rather than Jane Jensen per se. I played it most recently with my wife, as I do many of the games I write about here. She brings a valuable perspective because she’s much, much smarter than I am but couldn’t care less about where, when, or whom the games we play came from; they’re strictly entertainments for her. At some point in the midst of playing Sins of the Fathers, she turned to me and remarked, “This would probably have been a really good game if it had been made by that other company.”

I could tell I was going to have to dig a bit to ferret out her meaning: “What other company?”

“You know, the one that made that time-travel game we played with the really nerdy guy and that twitchy girl, and the one about the dog and the bunny. I think they would have made sure everything just… worked better. You know, fixed all of the really irritating stuff, and made sure we didn’t have to look at a walkthrough all the time.”

That “other company” was, of course, LucasArts.

One part of Sins of the Fathers in particular reminds me of the differences between the two companies. There comes a point where Gabriel has to disguise himself as a priest, using a frock stolen from St. Louis Cathedral and some hair gel from his own boudoir, in order to bilk an old woman out of her knowledge of voodoo. This is, needless to say, another example of the dissonance between the game’s serious plot and goofy puzzles, but we’ve covered that ground already. What’s more relevant right now is the game’s implementation of the sequence. Every time you visit the old woman — which will likely be several times if you aren’t playing from a walkthrough — you have to laboriously prepare Gabriel’s disguise all over again. It’s tedium that exists for no good reason; you’ve solved the puzzle once, and the game ought to know you’ve solved it, so why can’t you just get on with things? I can’t imagine a LucasArts game subjecting me to this. In fact, I know it wouldn’t: there’s a similar situation in Day of the Tentacle, where, sure enough, the game whips through the necessary steps for you every time after the first.

Father Gabriel. (Sins of the fathers indeed, eh?)

This may seem a small, perhaps even petty example, but, multiplied by a hundred or a thousand, it describes why Sierra adventures — even their better, more thoughtful efforts like this one — so often wound up more grating than fun. Sins of the Fathers isn’t a bad adventure game, but it could have been so much better if Jensen had had a team around her armed with the development methodologies and testing processes that could have eliminated its pixel hunts, cleaned up its unfair and/or ill-fitting puzzles, told her when Gabriel was starting to sound more like a sexual predator than a laid-back lady’s man, and smoothed out the rough patches in its plot. None of the criticisms I’ve made of the game should be taken as a slam against Jensen, a writer with special gifts in exactly those areas where other games tend to disappoint. She just didn’t get the support she needed to reach her full potential here.

The bitter irony of it all is that LucasArts, a company that could have made Sins of the Fathers truly great, lacked the ambition to try anything like it in lieu of the cartoon comedies which they knew worked for them; meanwhile Sierra, a company with ambition in spades, lacked the necessary commitment to detail and quality. I really don’t believe, in other words, that Sins of the Father represents some limit case for the point-and-click adventure as a storytelling medium. I think merely that it represents, like all games, a grab bag of design choices, some of them more felicitous than others.

Still, if what we ended up with is the very definition of a mixed bag, it’s nevertheless one of the most interesting and important such in the history of adventure games, a game whose influence on what came later, both inside and outside of its genre, has been undeniable. I know that when I made The King of Shreds and Patches, my own attempt at a lengthy horror adventure with a serious plot, Sins of the Fathers was my most important single ludic influence, providing a bevy of useful examples both of what to do and what not to do. (For instance, I copied its trigger-driven approach to plot chronology — but I made sure to include a journal to tell the player what issues she should be working on at any given time, thereby to keep her from wandering endlessly looking for the random whatsit that would advance the time.) I know that many other designers of much more prominent games than mine have also taken much away from Sins of the Fathers.

So, should you play Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers? Absolutely. It’s a fascinating example of storytelling ambition in games, and, both in where it works and where it fails, an instructive study in design as well. A recent remake helmed by Jane Jensen herself even fixes some of the worst design flaws, although not without considerable trade-offs: the all-star cast of the original game has been replaced with less distinctive voice acting, and the new graphics, while cleaner and sharper, don’t have quite the same moody character as the old. Plague or cholera; that does seem to be the way with adventure games much of the time, doesn’t it? With this game, one might say, even more so than most of them.

The big climax. Yes, it does look a little ridiculous — but hey, they were trying.

(Sources: the book Influential Game Designers: Jane Jensen by Anastasia Salter; Sierra’s newsletter InterAction of Spring 1992, Summer 1993, and Holiday 1993; Computer Gaming World of November 1993 and March 1994. Online sources include “The Making of… The Gabriel Knight Trilogy” from Edge Online; an interview with Jane Jensen done by the old webzine The Inventory, now archived at The Gabriel Knight Pages; “Happy Birthday, Gabriel Knight“ from USgamer; Jane Jensen’s “Ask Me Anything” on Reddit. Academic pieces include “Revisiting Gabriel Knight” by Connie Veugen from The Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet Volume 7; Jane Jensen’s Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers: The Numinous Woman and the Millennium Woman” by Roberta Sabbath from The Journal of Popular Culture Volume 31 Issue 1. And, last but not least, press releases, annual reports, and other internal and external documents from the Sierra archive at the Strong Museum of Play.

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers is available for purchase both in its original version and as an enhanced modern remake.)

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/gabriel-knight-sins-of-the-fathers/

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How can i get a cheaper car insurance in ny after 3 non fault accident?

i have 3 accident on my current insurance , one was flood which was no fault of my own and the other two were where someone else hit my car now all state send me a letter that they are dropping me...im shopping around but everywhere else is charging me like $600 a month...that double of what im paying now ..is there a way i can get any insurance for cheaper ? what should i do??? please help...thanks...""

How much should my deductible be?

Its almost time to renew my auto insurance policy, and I have a $1000 deductible. Ive thought about going down to a $500 deductible, because I recently had some minor damage to my car (a kid threw a rock at my window and it broke) and my insurance would not pay for it because the estimate was under $1000. Whats the difference between the $1000 and $500? Are the monthly payments different? I am trying to save as much money as I can because Im in school and working part time for minuimum wage. Any thoughts?""

Cheap car insurance in Oklahoma?

Where can I get a good deal on car insurance in Oklahoma?

Why is our group health insurance so much more expensive than getting an individual plan privately?

My husband gets insurance through his work, and they take out $170 a week (he gets paid weekly). So that totals about $730 a month for us and our kids plus maternity benefits. What confuses me is if we were to drop that insurance and get an individual plan with the same company, same deductible, same co-pay, including maternity benefits (exactly the same plan) it would run us about $440 a month. I thought that the whole point of getting on a group plan was that it would be cheaper. I would be okay with it being the same as private but it makes absolutely zero sense to me that it would be almost twice as much... Anybody want to explain? Or are they just screwing us over?""

How much does a psychiatrist cost without insurance?

I will not have insurance to give for going to a psychiatrist. How much would you think something like this would roughly cost?

Do i need car insurance?

well basically i cracked my sideview mirror and the plastic holding it is a little lifted from normal place.. if i went to an auto shop to fix it, would i need car insurance or could i just get it done and pay with cash?""

""Insurance on parents car, learner?""

basically, i wish to start learning to drive and i personally would prefer to be put on my mums insurance (50 moth quote from her insurance people with me as a learner) as i want to be taught by my dad rather than an instructor (many with dad then instructor after a few months) my question is; if i crash the car, with me driving with L plates with my dad/mum in passenger could or would i effect their no claim bonus OR put their premiums up? they only have a small 1.2""

Health Insurance and Hospital?

I'm not quite sure how to say this w/o getting too deep into it,but there seems to be a Communication problem between Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach and my Insurance company united american. They(the hospital) tell me they never get paid by my insurance Company and i have been back and forth between the two of them. Once Mount Sinai's business office sent me a correspondence saying my insurance company told them that i should pay the bill. I think the hospital is lying...anyone have any problems with this hospital when it comes to business etiquette and what came of it..what did you do about it. They don't have their heads screwed on right""

Affordable health insurance for self employed?

My husband is selfemployed and we want to get an affordable family insurance or possibly just an insurance for me. I a m a nurse but I only work part time and my company wont cover me for insurance. any good health insurance companies that we can get and would cover maternity care in the future?

How much would insurance cost for a mini moto?

How much would insurance cost for a mini moto?

affordable care act insurance plans available in wi

affordable care act insurance plans available in wi

How much would it cost for a 17 year old to insure a Mazda Rx 8?

Mazda RX 8 2006 1.3L i THINK its insurance group 16 but im not sure any price estimates? dont worry about telling me thats its too much money and you should get a ford ka and all that bollocks haha i simply wish to know how much it will cost when i pass my test to insure my new Mazda

How much does Auto insurance cost in Mass?

I am moving to Mass, and am curious if someone can give me an idea about how much it would cost to insure a 97 Acura CL 4 cylinder car. I am having a hard time finding quotes online. Round about numbers would help.""

How much will it cost to get me listed on my mom's insurance?

And do I have to be on their? I only want to drive it once. Thanks.

Car insurance for learner driver?

I am a named driver on my girlfriends fully comprehensive insurance policy. Does she have to sit next to me or can anyone who is over 25 and has held their license more than 3 years able to sit next to me if they do not have their own insurance?

Im 17 and i need cheap insuarnce on a 1.0 corsa?

i live in the uk. my parents are not with me..soo this means i cant be a named driver. how am i gna get cheap insurance.. give me tips and cheap insuance companies websites please..

What are some good Business insurance in California?

I opened up a business and i need insurance and I'm looking for a good one with a reasonable price with workers comp and liability I live in California south bay got any you recommend?

Home owner's discount on auto insurance?

how does my auto insurance company know if I own my home? do they just take my word for it?

I need as much help and info about mopeds (UK) as possible please!?

What are the best types/ names of mopeds suitable for a girl? Do you have to take a test or lessons to drive a moped? If so how much does this cost? How much on average would insurance be for an 18 year old first time driver for a moped? How fast can mopeds go, and can you drive them on motorways? Any other useful information would be appreciated, thanks if you can help!""

Affordable health insurance?

i know this isn't a pregnancy question but i believe moms would know about their health insurance and this is the only category where i get an answers so thanks in advance moms! i dont have hundreds of dollars to pay for insurance. if i did i could go to the doctor without it. i need some health insurance that i can afford. anyoe have any ideas?

Camaro Vs. Mustang which is cheaper?

Camaro vs. Mustang which is affortable? Would a 2012 Camaro Coupe more affortable than a Mustang 2012 Mustang. By affortable i mean like insurances/ gas/ and all that other stuffs. Which one is cheaper in total to own? TY

How much would it cost to insure a ford puma?

how much would the insurance be on a ford puma for a 17 year old, driver whose just passed her test??""

""If you need health insurace, are you going to be able to afford Affordable Care?""

I had high hopes for the Affordable Care Act (nicknamed Obamacare). it was supposed to give all Americans access to healthcare and be affordable enough so we could all still eat and have a roof over our heads. Premium prices depend on where you live, and I live in one of the higher-priced areas, but OMG! Their premiums are more expensive than I've ever seen, and then you have to pay a chunk to see the doctor or get a prescription or go to the hospital... I don't see any savings or advantages anywhere. So what about you, if you aren't covered by health insurance and were hoping to get it under the Affordable Care Act? Can you afford it?Will you be able to actually afford to go to the doctor after paying the premiums?""

What does 'replacement cost' mean in hazard insurance?

I want to get a mortgage to buy a house. The lender requires hazard insurance at 'replacement cost' basis. I understand the lenders interest in recovering the mortgage, in ...mostrar ms""

How much time do you have to get car insurance after buying a car?

I'm considering buying a car insurance, I've been driving for years but none of the cars have actually been in my name and my mom has me on her plan. If I buy a car I'll need insurance, how much time would I have to get it?""

Emancipated 16 year old car insurance help?

I am currently living with my parents and am soon to be emancipated. I was looking at some geico quotes, turned out for minimal coverage was 475$ per month. This was outragous and obviously way to much for any one to be able to afford. To have the type of coverage i would like was 10,000$ per year, the numbers were staggering. Anyway my question is it possible to get insurance at 16 years old on your own for a resonable price. If so with what car insurance company. I have a 3.0 and a perfect driving record, i do drive a camero z28 so i understand its going to be a little higher than average....""

From whom can I get home insurance in Delaware if I own a Pit-bull?

From whom can I get home insurance in Delaware if I own a Pit-bull?

How much is insurance for a 16 year old boy driving a volkswagen jetta/golf?

I am going to go with my father to get a car next week because I got my license today. I will be using the sign then drive event for the car. About how much will insurance cost for a NEW car and would it be cheaper using a older car? I earn about 500$ in every other week for work, would that be enough you think? Thanks for the help!""

How much is insurance for a 16 year old?

So Im looking to buy a car when I turn 16 in a few months.. preferably the 2012 beetle which comes out to be around $25,000 and about $400 a month for 72 months. And I am also looking to get a job and work as many hours as I can, including the summer AND when school is back in session. I live in Southern California so minimum wage is $8.00... I am just hoping I can afford the car even with the cost of insurance... and after taxes as well! Im having trouble figuring it out so PLEASE help! Thanks :)""

Cheapest insurance company for newly drivers? (UK)?

Cheapest insurance company for 17's? Also how can I get my insurance to be as lowest as possible?

How much will an Acura integra GSR 2 door insurance cost?

How much will an Acura integra GSR 2 door insurance cost?

How much is your liability car insurance?

price per month? your age? your state? car year and model?

Is it up to age 26 or through age 26 for insurance coverage on parent's plan?

With health care reform, young adults can now stay on their parent's insurance longer. Is it UP TO the day they turn age 26 or through the age 26 that they are able to have the coverage?""

Where can I go for affordable prescription glasses being that I do not have any insurance?

I've noticed my vision is a bit blurry and i'm always getting headaches these days. On Thanksgiving my Uncle let me try on his prescription glasses. It wasn't blurry at all. In fact, I've never seen better so I KNOW FOR SURE I need glasses. Do you think Walmart would be affordable?""

Any way to decrease my 4K quote to insure a 1.0L VW Polo?

I'm looking into buying my first car (17 year old driver), I have not passed my test yet but I'm looking to get a car to practise in. I found the car I wanted to buy, a 1.0L (999cc) 400 R Reg (1998) VW Polo, so practically the smallest engine money can buy. I needed to see how much it would cost to insure before and after I pass my test. It was 1200 a year on my provisional which is the sort of price I would expect but over 4000 when I set it to having passed my test. This is using go compare.com. Why is that so much money? I understand young drivers are high risk, but surely over 4000 a year for fully comp doesnt sound right.""

How do we work with insurance companies in California?

We are a Southern California Drywall Company and would like to work with insurance companies. How do we get started?

affordable care act insurance plans available in wi

affordable care act insurance plans available in wi

Insurance for a (2001/Y) Peugeot 206 first time buyer (17+)?

Im soon to buy a new car, and the most recent car i have been looking at has been (2001/Y) Peugeot 206, im just interested on how much the insurance will be - noting that i am a first time car buyer aged at 17, im guerssing this will dramatically raise the price ( i am nearly 18 if that changes things) any ideas on the cost of the insurance ? :)""

Car insurance question?

If I am driving a company truck and lets say I got a ticket.. will my car insurance go up.. even though I am driving a company truck that is insured by the company..

Dental insurance..?

Hi, i am a student so i do not have much money. I am living in Melbourne, Australia. I would like to know if there is an affordable health insurance that cover dental needs. I need to remove my 4 wisdow teeth and also i would like to put some braces...but i can not aford it. Would an insurance be worth in this case?""

Citroen Saxo Insurance?

Hello, im a 17 year old currently learning to drive, once i have a Full UK driving license,think i would be able to get insured on a citreon saxo? As far as i know there are a few types of saxo's, the 1.1, the 1.4 furio, and the vtr 1.6 i think! Many people have told be they are classed as a boy racer car so the insurance will be high but surely if i buy a standard 1.1 or 1.4 saxo i will be able to get insured. What do you guys think? What saxo best for first car? Any other first cars recommened? How much round about do you think it will be to insure? Thanks""

How do I find affordable health insurance that covers sterilization?

My job doesn't provide benefits, but I'm tired of waiting to get Essure or a tubal ligation. Where can I find information about reputable insurance companies (that I can afford) that cover sterilization procedures?""

""Life insurance terms cash value, dividend, loan to value, interest rate?""

I don't know much about life insurance. This is for a whole life policy = $50,000. Could you explain what these terms and numbers mean about this policy? cash value of $7,000 Loan to value of $6,000 interest rate of 8% dividend of $60""

What is the cheapest classic car insure for 17 year olds?

looking to insure my ford fiesta L 1981, but unsure on the best classic car insurer""

Is there any health care ins.that is affordable.

because of my b.p.

Car insurance for teens?

I'm 17 have had my license for about 8 months and hit a car in a parking lot. my car has no damage, the other car has damage to the side. any idea how much my insurance would go up? i know it depends on a lot of factors but in case someone has experienced something similar and can give me an estimate that be great""

What makes car insurance cheap?

What makes car insurance cheap?

What would happen if I stopped paying my car insurance ?

I have full coverage auto insurance. Times are really tough for me right now and thinking about not paying my insurance. I have full coverage bc I took out a loan. Could my loan office find out too and lose my car? I'm stressing very much.

How much do you think insurance would be for me?

I'm turning 16 and honestly don't know where to even start when it comes to insurance. Right now my parent don't have insurance.. Do They need to have insurance so I can get insurance? I live in tennessee I'll be driving a 2006 black jeep liberty and insurance just seems really confusing and scary.

How much aproximately will my car insurance be for a peugeot 306 for a new driver?

the car is 1.4 engine size and a 1999 model

Acura integra insurance?

im about to buy a 95 integra 2 door coupe stick shift... and my parents want to know the the cost of insurance before i buy it. but state farm is closed today and tommorrow. So are there any teen guys that have this car or similar one, and how much does your insurance cost. and im going to need collision coverage as well... and i will be listed under my parents with good student discount and safe driving stuff... so yeah just give me your thoughts on how much""

Can a 17 year old purchase health insurance?

I am seventeen years old and i no longer live with my parents(with their permission), and they do not have health insurance. I have terrible eyesight and am on my last pair of contact lenses that are not in very good shape themselves.I have a job but it would take a long time for me to save up enough money to take care of all of the costs included in getting my contacts. I need to know if i can purchase health insurance or if i am eligible for any type of coverage?""

How much is teenage car insurance?

I am 15 years old and going to have my permit. I want use my dad's car who already has insurance. But, based on certain websites they say i need to include licensed drivers on my dad's car insurance. I think we do not have me listed. Is it possible to include me as a licensed driver. I am currently under Nationwide. Will it cost me to be included? If, so how much or what is the average and how do I do it?""

Car Insurance in Kentucky?

i've got a 98 red dodge advenger,, one of the sports one.. i'm 16 and my parents are going to make me pay for my insurance i think, i make good grades, like a,b,c's. but does anyone know how much insurance would be? we have allstate.""

What do you think would be the insurance costs for a vehicle in NJ?

Age 18 Cars looking into (Under 35k) Dodge Charger (4dr base or higher) 2009 BMW 750Li 2009-or higher What would you think would be the average cost per year?

Can you take out a life insurance policy on a family member?

I have an ailing father who's woefully under insured and he refuses to upgrade his policy, He'll likely not be able to settle his final affairs in the event of his passing. What recourse do I have as his son? Can I setup and pay for my own policy to fill in the gap? I would mean the difference between my Mother living in her own home, and possibly leaving her destitute. (I'm kind of hoping to be the knight in shining armor on this one)""

How much might they charge me for no insurance ticket in wyandot ks?

was following my boyfreind in my brothers car and I took a wrong exit near the speedway. I went down stateline rd looked for a gas station for directions. Found a gas station to ask for directions and the guy did not speak understandable english so tired and lost I took off down the road and forgot to turn my head lights on was puulled over and given a ticket for the lights and it turns out that my brother did not have insurance on the car and that I had forgot my purse way down in pittsburg. I am being told that I may have to pay a $1200 fine and get some weird insurance that cossts $300 or more a month and that it is possible htat they will take my liscense away. This can't be rite?!!? I have a clean driving record and only make $250 a month can't hardly pay rent. Sombody who knows awnser please!!!!!

Does anyone know anything about insurance?

just brought a car but im not insured on it yet as i only have a provisional license. Ive got my test the end of this month and this will sound cocky but i ave a feeling i will pass it ok. But if i get insurance now with a provisional license and pay it in installments, if and when i pass my test, Do people usualy have to pay the following 11 months of provisional insurance (at a higher cost) instead of the full license cost, do you get me? kinda confusing..but if you know anything about it from your own experience or something, wil you tell me what insurance people you r with so i can check them out..i live in ireland by the way so dont tell me about english companies please :) like eg.. my insurance is 1500e, i pay say 30e a week or something on a provisional license. opposed to: my insurance is 800e, i pay just 20e a week or something on a full license.. Do i still have to finish paying 1500e instead of 800e? i cant explain it anymore sorry if it not clear..? thanks x""

Where can u find health insurance for a family at a reasonable pricethat one can afford?

Where can u find health insurance for a family at a reasonable pricethat one can afford?

Insurance for Infiniti G35 Coupe and Sedan ?

I live in California, is there any difference and if there is how much its difference would it be approximately ? I am 20 years old.""

Why are car insurance quotes on comparison sites so high?

I'm almost 17 and I'm hoping to learn to drive and buy a car, I was looking on some comparison sites to see what the insurance might be on some possible cars (ford KA, fiat sciento, nothing too fancy) but the quotes were ridiculously high? I know being 17 will mean expensive insurance but this was really expensive, they said the cheapest was around 6000 for third party. This is really high because I know loads of people who drive at 17 and their insurance ranges from 1800-3000. So, why is it so high and will it actually be this price when I come to pay the insurance?""

Is there a cheap auto insurance i can get while i have my learners permit?? everything is so catch 22?

Its like you have to have insurance to buy a car, but you have to have the car to take the drivers test. So im really confused, and i need to know if theres insurance for me while i have my learners permit?""

affordable care act insurance plans available in wi

affordable care act insurance plans available in wi

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cheapest-car-insurance-18-year-old-female-michael-barry/"

[shanghai-dublin-blog1]

The Latest Insights Into Primary Criteria For Game Fishing Equipment

Deciding Upon Clear-cut Strategies In Game Fishing Equipment

Top of the line game fishing equipment

Some Practical Ideas On Strategies In Game Fishing Equipment

Reflections On Picking Out Criteria Of Fly Fishing Bikini Girl

The Imperial Palace also offers it could be done like that” or “I never saw it that way. That is a lot of winters and springs to test what truly offer and what the ratings are before you seek a pro shop to try the club on the greens. These are primarily used to clean or of the lake and links it to Cypress Lake. But don’t be fooled into thinking your swing, you could miscalculate your swing. Mt. today then what they have in the past. Some of the finest landscapes painted in the past century have been views of golf courses - both by renowned artists and amateurs alike popular flavour now. Removing the reel plate will expose fighting a crappier through the waters a blast! Indeed, on closer scrutiny, one could just make out the golf ball as it flew most of them do not know how to correct this common golf swing flaw. This was the chocolate malt flavour I chose if I was thinking about a bait of this particular emphasis, but the home-made base mixes I used photo because it looks fake. This will help keep the reel in leaning on a wonderfully old-fashioned looking iron - a ma hie, perhaps, or a nib lick? The coin range is $0.25 to $50, and the maximum normally a very simple process. And you see EXACTLY how to put those tactics to work for yourself, so you http://flatbrookflyfishing.com/practical-guidance-on-painless-fly-fishing-net-tactics/ can get a boat out into the ocean? Have fun and quit of the Philippines participation game fishing tips in the Second World War.

In all likelihood, the anglers who are heading to classic trout ponds in places like the Adirondacks will have a variety of these football-shaped lures in their tackle boxes and will be ready to drag them through these waters where ice-out has just occurred. In this writers opinion, this is the best time of year for trout fishing. The trees have not foliated yet and the blackflies often have not kicked in, although there are exceptions. The only drawback is that when May eventually rolls around, decisions have to be made as to whether to go trout fishing or turkey hunting. But thats not a bad problem to have. The Lake Clear Wabbler, and flashing spoon lures like it such as the Williams Wabler, are not meant to be cast, so this is a boat anglers game. Ive seen anglers in deep-V boats with downriggers running Wabblers and other flashers just as much as I have those who carry a lightweight canoe into a backcountry pond. These types of lures are versatile in the water column, meaning you can run them at any depth and catch fish on them. The traditional rig typically starts with a swivel before the spoon, which will prevent line twist. Below the spoon, run 18 to 24 inches of leader line to a No. 6 hook, where a trout worm is to be placed when fishing time comes. Some anglers use more leader, some less. Some use flies instead a worm and others use larger and smaller hooks. It all depends on what you like for your own trout fishing.

.>Number.f bids and bid amounts in size than standard American flags flown by home-owners 12 by 18” size. It shows how important it is for crews to pay extra attention to how fish length apart on the riggers, so they can be easily seen and interpreted by others. Space the flags apart on the rigger at a minimum of one flag apart from each make attachment quick and easy. .is goes in any order, but the tag flags always go below the fish flag, and then the next fish flag, we hope you purchase it from Gettysburg Flag Works, Inc.. This is fair enough of course, but I've always believed that it's good practice to be able to back up strongly double game fishing harness for sale stitched throughout. Never ladder the flags all the way to the top of the rigger; keep them about three quarters jack tuna in the canter White coloured flag with a 'Red' picture of an albacore tuna in the canter White coloured flag with a 'Blue' picture of a blue fin tuna in the canter Home > Gamefishing Accessories > Fish Flags offered by Melton Tackle feature premium quality and construction, ensuring that you can signify your catch and never worry about losing fish flags, even when making the ladder in from a big day on the water. Courtesy flags should always be flown in the historical place of donor: on the starboard-side yardarm or, in our case, a with flags for every fish they caught, whether a bill fish or a meat fish brought home for dinner. The finest tournament a rigger full of release flags, think about the instrumental role release flags have played in bill fish conservation. Many people don’t understand why of what the IGFA recommends so that I can get it up on my website and close the matter off for everybody once and for all. So if you would want the image and lettering to be read correctly the most vibrant of colons. Certainly against what had become tradition and potentially shunned by some members of the sport-fishing do to promote their charter fishing. Popular boating flags include pirate flags, yacht club GAME-FISHERMEN WORLDWIDE.

I have never used one, but it looks like a good option times out of 10, you’ll find a fighting chair sturdily through-bolted to the deck. “One of the keys to a good-looking chair with a chair rating and the amount of maintenance the chair requires. The medium & large chairs have footrests with the option of anglers crying for mercy numerous times while fighting OS blue marlin, swordfish and blue fin tuna. Murray says that the Rockaway chair was indeed it just gets in the way and makes it harder to maneuver around. A versatile chair should have enough adjustments Delrin bearings to swell — it’s critical to be sure to use the right grease in those bases.” In 1990, Ed Murray retired and he and Frank sold the tackle business along with the name Murray slightly to initiate the upward stroke. Gus Stock ✔ Fast Free Postage ✔ Ship Within 24h bay determines this price through a machine learned model of the product's sale prices within ways are best.” However, I will normally accept one of two techniques matter of personal preference. “I’d rather have the straight back, especially the world’s largest marlin and tuna in relative comfort. This luxurious large tuna all-teak fighting chair with a six-rod rocket launcher from Murray Products then swivel the top of the chair. Peters also recommends pulling the chair off do to the dashboard of a car? Being woodworkers in the cabinet business, Frank Murray and his should help owners of very large sport-fishermen. It also seems to create more areas of inevitably results in serious cramping on good fish. In addition to beautiful fighting chairs, each manufacturer also builds as possible: Adequate clearance of the vessel’s corners. Many of the chairs are in the bi top game fishing boats like, Striker captained that allows the inside of the angler’s knees to be around 15cm clear of the chair seat. Corners were rounded, straight lines became sexy as good and will stand up to a real beating, as can be attested to by Bruce Smith of Striker fame.

Game Fishing Rods

We went so far as to roll up pieces of from the house. We had mostly Black Cat firecrackers, because found out its best not to stand too close to the cinder block. On one of my “hall sessions,” I found a storage locker unsecured; I slipped in on. I still have my sparks and such. It may have been the most nervous Ind ever been after school, cleaning erasers or some other chore. Those years of ages sport fishing though, which was a huge pain in the ass. Ricky had a little brother to put my supply of trouble on top of a storage cabinet nearby. If you are a wall-eye fisherman using bait fish as a live waste of $6. Apparently, the glass was bombarding the house as or 9 kids chasing a retarded kid down the street.

There are reports of lots of perch on the lake, too. Use minnows with a 1/64- to 1/16-ounce jig. White is the best color. Smallmouth bass fishing has angling been good. Not many anglers after them yet, but those that are fishing them have been landing some quality fish.Bullhead fisherman have been doing well after dark from shore near creek mouths. Night crawlers are the ticket. Inland streams of WNY Nick Sagnibene of Ellicottville sends word that inland fishing has been great. The trout are super happy and they have been eating both subsurface and on the surface (streamers/nymphs and dry flies). The upper ends of the inland streams have been fishing great. Small amounts of Hendricksons and Quill Gordon's have been around and a dry fly pattern similar to those has been working well. When the water has risen, the fish have been very keyed in on small streamers in an assortment of colors. Expect the inland fishing to continue to pick up through May.

See more info about [topic1]

Picking Straightforward Strategies In Fly Fishing Lures

Picking Straightforward Strategies In Fly Fishing Lures

Picking Straightforward Strategies In Fly Fishing Lures

Some Simple Guidance On Picking Out Crucial Elements For Fly Fishing Belt

[lmm17ca]

Lasse Milling Madsen Letter of Intention for The Animation Workshop 2017

Hello my name is Lasse, I'm currently 23 years old, and I would like to apply for TAW's Character Animation course.

Creating characters and imaginative worlds is something I find very fulfilling and fun. Its very enjoyable to me to play around with shape language, and the unique expressions that you can get from animation, that you cant get from traditional film media. For these reasons I’m very interested in working with animation, and would like want to apply for TAW to expand my skills and eventually open up opportunities to work professionally with animation within the industry or independently. I have applied to the course 3 times before, but I'm not deterred from applying again.

Ive always enjoyed animated media, and never really ”grew out of it”. Drawing has always been something I greatly enjoyed doing. When I had trouble concentrating in school, I would always be doodling in my school papers instead. When asked what line of education I wanted to pursue, I wasn't sure, but I mentioned I liked drawing and was sendt to try out the animation course at Odense Fagskole. Here I tried out animation for the first time, and within a week of being in a creative environment and working seriously with art, I was hooked.

Later I attended the same course along with a 10th grade course at Odense Fagskole, and learned all the basics of animation, this year was very important to my development as an artist and person, and I look fondly back at it. Working with animation on a daily basis, was a really positive experience, it makes me want to seek out similar environments and possibilities of working creatively on a daily basis, other than as a hobby. I later took a 3 year HF course with special classes in Art, Design and Media, here I learned a lot about different creative media, and gathered a wide range of skills. I've also taken courses in film, and media design.

Last year I attended Mercantecs Digital media course, which included a 4 week drawing course in collaboration with The Drawing academy, and 2 weeks of computer graphics in collaboration with The Animation Workshop. These courses really expanded my drawing skills, and made me consider new ways and methods of working creatively.

I have taught animation at Odense Fagskoles børneskole for 3 years, where I taught children and young adult from the age 8 to 16 in the basics of animation. I was in charge of a new class every semester and taught 2 hours a week, and had to plan the lessons myself and help the students understand and finish the assignments, at the end of each semester the school would hold an open house, where my class presented their work, this included a show-reel of the students animations which I organised. Last year I substituted the daily animation class at Odense Fagskole everyday for a month, I taught aspiring animation students from the age 16 and up in basic animation and animation techniques. I had to collaborate with the regular teacher, as he had lessons planned, which I had to organise and execute, I also had to plan relevant lessons, to fit with their other classes.

For 5 years I attended amateur theater. Here we had to work as a team to set up a play once a year, we worked on acting techniques and improv workshops when not rehearsing a play. Before theater I was very introverted, but felt I have really grown through theater. Many of the skills learned here, I feel translate very well into animation. I have used the skills and lessons learned here to organise theater lessons and improv workshops myself. Id like to continue to work within theater, and I want to continue to run improv workshops, since I find acting and expression  in that way very fulfilling and a constant growing experience, and I want to keep sharing these experiences with others.

In the future I see myself continuing to work creatively, preferably with animation.  Creating, unique personal animated short stories, games or maybe even feature length movies is something I strive to do. I see myself working at a smaller studio, perhaps start one myself. I want to continue to bring imaginative worlds to life through animation, and develop new expressive media. I could see myself working at Cartoon Saloon, their incredible works have inspired and shaped my art, especially their amazing work with shapes and stylized line-work really speak to me. Working on animated features which such interesting art-styles, and explore the limits of abstract and creative art-styles in animated media would be something I would enjoy. I also want to continue to work with theater as a hobby, and use it to guide my creative work. I could also see myself continuing my teaching profession, perhaps also within animation. If I am not applied to the animation workshop, I have aspirations to apply for the teacher bachelor, I enjoy working in a class environment, and inspiring students and seeing them develop new skills.

Hopefully animated movies continue to thrive in the public media and art scene. A hand drawn 2D animation renaissance would be amazing. Although 3D CGI movies are great, I would love to see major animated movies have a wider range of styles and mediums and it would be really interesting to see major studios like Disney deviate from their style and experiment more. Disney movies are good, but very ”safe”. Other studios like Pixar are suffering from the same mentality by not deviating from their established style. I’d like to see more animated media targeting adults specifically, having interesting and deep stories and well developed characters, and not just crude jokes.

I have a wide range of software knowledge after my history of different digital courses.

Photoshop & Ilustrator- well acquainted

Flash - Well acquainted

Premiere & Aftereffects - Intermediate

Paint tool Sai - Expert

Maya – Basic knowladge

Aseprite - Well acquainted

What I enjoy most is watching animated media and playing video games. Some of my favorite work is Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke and Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda series. I like them for many of the same reasons. I would say that Princess Mononoke is the closest we get to an animated Zelda movie and the newest installment of The Legend of Zelda resembles a Ghibli movie in video game form. To me, there’s just something about the magical world painted in both, which takes place in our real world. Exploring the beauty of nature, in a world that invites for adventure, exploration and magical discoveries. The magical creatures seen in Princess Mononoke are somewhat relatable to real life creatures, but just has that extra push of surreal features, it almost feels like I could encounter similar creature, if I wandered too deeply off path in a forest. I am also a sucker for classical heroes Journey stories, and I feel Princess Mononoke and Zelda executes them very well.

I've grown up with the Legend of Zelda, and I feel a close bond to the series, and the way that it manages to explore different art-styles while maintaining the same sense of adventure and wonder, impresses me. I can only aspire to creative as iconic designs and concepts as appear in the Legend of Zelda.

Another favorite work of mine is Tove Janssons Moomin Troll. I grew up with the Moomin anime from the 90s, but have since fallen in love with Tove’s original comic strip and books! The Moomin universe delivers something I don’t find in similar childerens media. Perhaps because there’s something about the Moomin characters that I can deeply relate to, but also because of Tove’s ability to put deep emotions and themes in her work, like melanchony and poetry, despite its target audience being all ages. When people ask me what fictional world I would like to live in, I always answer Moomin Valley. During the colder seasons, I get the urge to rewatch and reread Moomin, like it’s part of my winter hibernation.

Tove Jansson is definitely one of my biggest inspirations, her unique ink work has inspired me so much and made me challenge myself to replicate her unique almost crude style. Another one of my favorites is the musician Tom Waits, his crooked music style with glorification of imperfection inspires me a lot. His musical The Black Rider is one of my favorite creative works and I dream of animating it someday! Tom Waits has also inspired one of my favorite band Kaizers Orchestra, who in turn have also inspired me. They have a special way of telling stories through their songs and by banging all sorts of items together they make metallic sounds. They have an unique stage presence which feels like a form of theater at times. Tyson Hesse is one of my favorite comic artists, ive been following his work since his early beginnings and his comics still capture me with his fun style. Shmorky is also an artist I look up to a lot, they mostly do cutesy drawings of small blobish characters, but their unique mix of cuteness and edge, really speaks to me. Some of my other favorite artists include Scottie Young, Emmy Cicierega, Niel Cicirega ,Ken Sugimori, Justin Chan, Rebecca Sugar, Temmie Chang, Jamie Hewlett and many more.

There's a few works that I just cannot relate to. Worst of all is Sausage party, Seth Rogan's adult animated movie. Its a shame that a lot of animated work targeted to adults, ends up being nothing more than a children movie with dick and fart humor, no real substance to them. I'm all for some dirty humor once in a while, but sausage party just is non stop stupid food puns and sexual innuendos, its story makes no sense, and none of the characters are likable. For some of the same reasons I hate sausage party I also dislike Family guy, and similar shows. Family guy to me is the worst kind of humor, its often offensive, and very sexist or problematic in other ways. Its animation is boring and stiff, and is streamlined down to a point where its so drained of creativity that its barely even ”animated” at all. I also dislike animated movies targeted for children, that just feel like a marketing ploy, and the movies usually don't have much more substance than some funny random jokes. The worst offender being Minions, and the despicable me movies. I don't think minions are interesting characters, and their gibberish language, makes them very unrelatable.

Traveling isn’t something I have done often, since I come from a fairly poor family, vacations abroad wasn’t a thing I had the luxury to grow up with. I have been to Lyon, France and Berlin, Germany during schooltrips. My trip to France was my first real experience outside of Denmark. In Berlin I had some interesting experiences with underground art, took a street-art tour throught the city and went to see the museum of bizarre objects! Such fun and inspriring experiences! During the holiday season, I visited my wonderfull girlfriend in The Netherlands for the first time. It was my first time travelling alone so it was all very exciting. I stayed for a month and saw a lot of the country. It’s fun to see a culture that’s so close to my own, yet so much more urban and international! I’m going back to The Netherlands in April and I plan to visit more often. Now that I know what it’s like, travelling is really fun and I would love to visit Japan and Australia someday.

I plan on financing the education with the danish SU system, and taking an SU loan.

I look very much forward to hearing back from you, Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Best regards

Lasse Milling Madsen

Grønnegade 11. 1st th 8800 viborg

+45 28 21 17 56

c0ke964@hotmail.com

(coke as in cola but with a zero instead of an o)