#for someone whose like pillars of Writing Advice is 'plan' i sure do a lot of it huh

[first-only]

You got any tips on how to analyse media properly?

I don't think I'm too bad at media analyse, but it is always something that I've wanted to better at (and a good skill to have imo! Even if it's just a basic understanding)

See, this is not aimed at you per se, but i really dont like the way people use 'media' now. "Media" could easily also (and sometimes primarily) mean, like, the news. Which is indeed something you very much need to learn to analyze and think (actually) critically about. What are the sources cited? What are the sources' backgrounds, and groundwork, and motivation? Who pays? Who owns the media? Did you look at different sources reporting the same thing? And if you have access only to shitty sources, try to separate the cold facts from emotional manipulation and twisting words and stories (eg our prime minister is talking about unity while actively bribing other parties' representatives. 'unity' takes a different meaning here, yeah?). Think of consequences, not ideals. Even if the ideal is protecting children, will banning drag queens from schools achieve that? What will the actual result be? Are they even trying to protect children or is the goal elsewhere? Media, as in reporting and news work, is genuinely the best to learn to understand tbh.

As for fiction and non-fiction prose and poetry, which is what im assuming you're actually talking about, there's no real set in stone 'real' and 'true' analysis take that can hallmark doing it 'properly'. Of course, some people will tell you it's 'obvious' and then oscillate vastly between approaches themselves. Let me make this more clear - when talking about interpretation and analysis im always reminded of a work of poetry i studied in high school. It was a poem called "you will be wearing white" (in my native tongue), and everyone in class was convinced that, yes, obviously the author is talking about marriage. He's talking to a woman about the future, about /their/ future. Marrying is never mentioned, but love is hinted, she has to be in white. Simple, right? Except our teacher was extremely adamant that no, the poem is definitely not about marriage. She listened to our arguments, called the interpretation shallow and then explained that the work is about the relief of the future, freedom, and happiness. Why? When it was written, brides did not wear white. Marrying for love was.. well, not impossible but definitely not how you would mention marriage one-sidedly in a work of art. White was a color not for a bride, but for a woman free from having to work hard to feed herself and her family, a woman with enough money to afford it. The intent of the author wasnt "i will see you married to me" (or "i will own you", as the teacher would say); but "i will see you happy [and i will be happy too]".

[under the cut because this turned into a monster im sorry]

Which interpretation is more valid? A bunch of high schoolers saw a love poem with a white dress, and thought of a happy marriage, that signifies future happiness. A lit teacher, used to interpreting marriage as the other side of Death, in symbolic meaning of course, and aware of the cultural and period background of the writer, tells them the original way it was meant to be interpreted. A 'modern' outlook versus authorial intent. Now, with all of the blatant wrong info floating around, let me tell you, /this/ is what death of the author means. Interpreting the text for itself, without the background or intent woven into it, even if you know it.

Now, to do Actually Proper, or /academic/ analysis you will have to either follow the author's works, life, intentions, and gimmicks closely, or you will have to catch and learn references to known classics. Especially biblical symbolism and references are an integral part of the classic analysis of (western) Classic Works, and catching how they're interwoven and reference each other is exactly what they teach you in school. Another huge part of this is learning how symbolism works (both in the particular text and outside of it - local symbols and widely used ones). Big archetypes are commonly referred to and used as a base of analysis, and i mean the actual meaning of this word by Jung (and by extension Freud), interwoven into literature on a bigger scale by Joseph Campbell. Im saying this because Star Wars is a good example of what im talking about - Campbell and Lucas are good friends, and the original trilogy is ripe with archetypical symbolism, it's effectively based on it. A simple example - Luke breaking Vader's mask in a vision is usually interpreted as a hint that vader is his father, but thats not the symbolic meaning. The Mask is an archetype - it covers the self in what it wants to see. In breaking the mask, Luke is discovering his fear that if he keeps on this path, if he lets the dark side guide his instincts, he will turn into what vader represents himself. It's a warning, not a foreshadowing. (now, the giant tree, that is the archetype for family, is very much foreshadowing and warning that his roots are in the Dark).

Obviously this approach has many critiques, and not every story will follow or acknowledge it. That doesn't stop you from analyzing it this way anyway. There is a reason when people write analyses theyre calling them "an analysis". There is place for interpretation, a lot of strings to pull, a lot of variables to take into account and a lot of approaches to consider.

Let's look at the infamous blue curtains. Were the curtains always there, and always blue, or are they mentioned specifically for this scene? Does the writer use the color blue in the work before to establish a particular meaning within the confines of this specific work? Are the protagonist's SO's eyes blue for example? Were the curtains in his childhood home blue? Does the writer use common symbolism often? Is blue the color of sadness to them as it usually is? Is the writer so inept as to not know that every word written on a page of a book has to have a meaning? (ie the "the curtains were fucking blue" approach). Or are the curtains a symbol, the cover hiding the outside world from the eyes of the protagonist, and painting his view in blue? Are the curtains the archetype of the Veil, the walkway into the underworld? Thus is the protagonist thinking of death? Does he feel dead? Is the protagonist dying? Or being reborn? (for in symbolic language death itself often just means Change).

None of these readings are Correct. Some would be based on the entire work's properties (looking for other symbolic language for example), some might be supported by the author themself (outside of the text), some might be rooted in cross-references to Classics or religious or culturally significant texts. Others might be a projection of the reader themself, what does blue mean to you? But no matter which approach to analysis you take, finding ways to support it can dip in different wells.

Let's go back to SW to have more clear examples. The dominant social media approach seems to be that The Empire is the nazi regime and everything is intentionally made to look and feel this way. Is this supported by authorial intent? Or is it more of a modern interpretation by people who want to find their morality everywhere. There was a post flying around mocking someone for saying Anakin is a Jesus figure, but, regardless of that person's other views, that /is/ a valid interpretation. Be it that Vader is actually the antichrist who fooled people into thinking he was a saviour, or be it that the story can be read as an attempt at construing what it would be like if their lord was in fact a mortal and fallible man. And Lucas? Lucas has given enough interviews to show that he was just writing about his special blorbos and their epic story about the magic of the universe.

When it comes to modern storytelling, be it shows or movies, etc, the approach to analysis is often Doylist first. Who is the target audience? Who paid for its production? Was there censors and content policies? Who are the actual writers, what conditions did they write under (did they know the whole story? were they allowed freedom of creativity? were they paid enough? how did they get that position?)? Was the story influenced by fans/social media's reaction? I feel like this is where the modern meaning of 'trope' comes from - it's more of a cliche, a setting of "the good guy" "the bad guy" and so on. Easily digestible and reproducible. That doesnt mean there isnt merit to deeper analysis however. Even if its unintentional (and thats not always the case) sometimes the best stories come from disjointed and confused narratives. A game sequel forgot about an entire essential part of the lore? Maybe something happened behind the scenes that explains it, and furthers the current narrative. Practicing suspension of disbelief and being charitable to the narrative is never wasted imo, you practice creative thinking and watsonian explanations, thus an 'internal' interpretation of the narrative.

I honestly think the most immediately helpful thing when approaching a story is your own, personal, what used to be called 'emotional intelligence', now emotional differentiation. Yes, knowing your own feelings, but also ability to decipher and interpret characters' feelings, emotions, goals, driving forces. The general theme of the narrative, and yes the narrative itself - what is the story about? Why did Luke refuse to kill Vader? Did he betray the republic for his family? Does he sympathize with a murderer? Did he Choose the Light and realize that walking into the dark side will make him worse? Or did he showcase his own character and personality, defend his own principles? Or all at once?

You know, i genuinely think that doing some analysis of fics can help with the basics of interpretation. Even bad fic. It's easier to see what the author is trying to tell you, and how they're doing it. Are they telegraphing simple movements just to make you understand the physicality of the situation? Are they trying to make it poetic and how? When reading a more advanced versus a more inexperienced writer, where are the differences between their ways of showing intent, and achieving it? The strings of symbolism and metaphor are also usually better visible in fic for an inexperienced analysis, because you can both juxtaposition the original text, and get an interpretation of it. And then, beyound authorial intent - how does your headcanon and interpretation of the canon differ from the fic author's? Why? Does the original text support their reading? How? Do the intent and the result in the reader match? What words do they use so their fic can be interpreted differently than intended? (the amount of 'fluff' ive read that was actually an unintentional horror lol).

I do want to say that if you're trying to get better at analyzing in order to participate "better" in fandom, that's your choice and all that, but it's not necessary. It's a buzzword nowadays how "critical thinking" and "actual analysis" in media are rotten and forgotten, but the fact is - this is fandom. Yes overanalysis and essays exist, but they were never lit crit or academic essays. They serve the purpose of fandom. And the purpose of fandom is very often, very expectedly, and very normally, "the curtains are blue, because his lover's tie is blue". There's nothing wrong with that. This is a hobby. We're here for fun. And way overanalyzing something in a completely haywire direction is tons of fun. Like hell, my personal take on a shallow ass FPS game with a base mechanic of healing orbs and vampiric attacks? Souls exist in this universe, thus soulmates too, thus my headcanons are toootaly canon-compliant. Was this the intent of the shallow FPS? Hell no. Is it supported by the source? Sure.

Worth saying however that like actual academic lit crit and analysis is a whole ass science and a huge field with many resources, theory and /a lot/ of work. If you want to get into it seriously, classes or at least reading theory is kind of a low bar, to be honest. And reading /a lot/ of classics - cant catch those references and universal symbols and common lit knowledge if you havent experienced them. It's genuinely not just making some shit up on the basis of five lines. And honestly? A lot of the theory is biased, and subjective, and western-centric so you gotta analyze the analysis theory. Yeeah.

Now the actual advice i will give you when it comes to existing in a social media world that's viscerally discoursing over every story is don't get gaslighted. Just because everyone is shouting loudly about a particular interpretation doesn't mean it's the only valid real one (or that it's valid at all). Listen to yourself too, read the source for yourself, if you care check on the author/s (and disregard as needed). If we went on tumblr one day and the dash was covered with new hot takes over how Luke is supporting fascism by not mercilessly killing his father will that mean he is the villain of the story? We've seen the Steven Universe/Aang is the real villain takes. Were they the villains? Is the claim supported by the text? Was Kylo Ren a one-dimensional villain with zero nuance? Did the text support that, regardless if it's his fans or haters that claim it? The Only Rule to make an objectively Valid take is take the entire source into account. Cherrypicking will get you an incomplete idea of the narrative and character. Support your claim with canon examples, references to outside sources, authorial intent, doesn't matter - but if you take a single scene, or a partial context, you're achieving a headcanon and personal fun (which is great!) but not an analysis that will hold to scrutiny and outside inspection.

[birdlingstarot]

Hey! I was wondering if i can get a general tarot reading about my relationship between me and my boyfriend (Nel), just like what's going between us and what needs to change. I'll send you a picture of us because your rules say is okay to do so, and maybe it will help you more. Thank you! - Valentina 🌻

Hello  🌻 Valentina!

A little birdie told me this 🕊

What represents your relationship currently? XLIV - The Box

This relationship has a great potential. However, the shine of the relationship is being limited, be it through others’ opinions, both of your opinions, what is believed to be the norm etc. This relationship is being played out using what you know or expect to work consciously or subconsciously. This resulted in limiting the potential of the relationship. 

The relationship could potentially become boring or lack the passion you and/or your partner hope to have in a romantic relationship. Try something new together. Remember that the relationship is between both of you. Are the expectations of your relationship formed from both of you or are they rooted from a source outside of your relationship.

Communicate with each other on what makes each of you happy, ticked off and the like. Be open to each other. Make sure that what you do for your partner is what makes your partner happy not what you expect would make your partner happy. 

To put in an example for better explanation, it’s like you bringing your partner out to a high class restaurant because you believe that it is romantic and sure it does make your partner happy but they would be happier if both of you have a candlelight dinner at home prepared by the both of you together instead.

This would help igniting more passion into the relationship as one/both of you might feel that the relationship is lacking.

Through this, your partner would out in more effort into the relationship to woo the other to reciprocate the affection.

What does 🌻 Valentina wants in this relationship? Frog, Lamb and Rabbit

You want someone who can be your pillar of support especially during tough times. A relationship where you are not afraid of being vulnerable in. You want someone who is attentive to you and listens to you, be it happy moments or sad/ angry moments. Slightly docile as well. Sensitive to your emotions and takes good care of you to sum it up slightly.

Nel could likely be someone with earth dominant with water following after in his natal chart if you are interested in astrology. 

(I am getting a feeling that Nel might have an earth sun and water moon, taurus energy too, he likely likes the finer things in life and does not mind splurging where he deem is worth it)

(I am also getting the feeling that you have air and water dominant in your chart, leo sun with air moon/ rising) [Please tell me if this is true, I’m trying to improve, thank you! :D]

You likely want someone energetic but drama-free, someone who provides you comfort when you are out of your comfort zone, be it trying new things or when you’re in a tough spot in your life as well as someone who would remind you to take care of yourself. 

You likely prefer men who leans more towards the hairy side of the spectrum when it comes to appearance. 

In addition, you would also like for them to be spiritual or at least someone who is open about spirituality one way or another.

You want someone who is able to provide you guidance gently and patiently. 

You might also need to be patient with your partner as here as they are likely one who would prefer to approach you after thinking things through while you might prefer to immediately have a discussion.

What does 🌻 Nel wants in this relationship? Crocodile; Son (Knight) of Cups, 10 of Swords, Son (Knight) of Swords, 8 of Wands and 4 of Pentacles

Please prepare yourself 🌻 Valentina. Please read through this entirety before overthinking.

Nel is likely still thinking about his past relationship, this could be romantic, platonic, family etc. However, this person affected him a lot and could still be in contact with him currently.

He wants someone that does not lash out suddenly but is able to snap him out of himself when he got too absorb in the past. He wants someone strong and firm with him in this regards. as he is still has quite a bit to learn regarding emotional stability. 

He is likely someone who prefers to keep to themselves when he has a problem and overthinks. This makes himself the worst enermy to him, which is when you come in. He wants someone who can get him moving.

For example:

Him: *Brooding and overthinking about someone with millions of potential scenarios* 

You: Snap, snap boy! Get your shit together, it ain’t a big deal and you don’t know hoe it’ll end if you never start. 

Him: But...

You: JUST DO IT!!!! 

Him: A’ight girl, I’m moving, I’m moving.

You: FASTER!!!!

Him: OKAY, OKAY, MOVING!

Something like that.

He’d likely have a plan put together after a while of pondering on the problem but needs the push to get started in implementing it.

He’s likely someone who is creative artistically and could be surprisingly passionate about things which could come off as a surprise as he tends to protray a much more toned down when speaking about his passion. He’d be happy if you could recognise them and praise him. (He might try to be cool about your praise but he’s jumping right up cloud by cloud to cloud nine internally)

He likes to be in control and panics if he’s not, especially when it comes to the materialistic world. He would like someone who can calm him down and supprot him when that happens. He likely needs to learn to let go of control and let things flow. 

What does 🌻 Valentina needs in this relationship? Mother of Cups, Judgement, 6 of Pentacles and 2 of Cups

You need a someone who is emotionally mature and is able to provide tender comfort, hugs, when you don’t feel the best. Preferably, those that listens to you ranting, crying and be like ‘it’s okay babe’ type compared to the solving all your issues/ being a ‘professional’ problem-solver, at least initially. After a while, if the problem persist than he would sit down with you to discuss how to tackle the problem together.

You should get hugs. You’ll feel better with hugs.

You need someone who have strong morals and objective, especially during tough times when your feelings are more volatile. Someone’s whose able to stay calm and logical and provide guidance in tough times. 

10 and 2 might be numbers you’d like to take note of if they are repetitive during certain periods, especially 1010. 

You need someone committed in the relationship who’s not playing around and someone you can connect to on the emotional level. 

In addition, your relationship should not progress too fast. You are likely to be impatient and wants immediate results but you should slow down.

Your relationship should grow like a plant, carefully and tenderly and overtime, bears fruits and flowers. Recognize the smaller things and be grateful to them, don’t let expectations shift your attention from them. Enjoy the journey and you’ll find happiness closer than you think. 

What does 🌻 Nel needs in this relationship? Temperance, Ace of Sups, 4 of Swords

He needs someone to balance him out in the relationship, someone opposite to him is ideal. For instance, when he gets too inactive in the physical world, he needs someone who could toss him out of whatever hole he’s in and get moving or if he gets too panicky about a situation, he needs someone who’s chill in that situation. Generally, someone to bring him back into balance when he gets too extreme in any particular situation.

He needs someone who is like a breath of fresh air to him or rather, he needs to recognize that you are a different person compared to whoever he is very affected by back when we were speaking about in what he wants in this relationship. 

He needs someone who is mentally strong who can help him improve mentally. Again, he tends to overthink and make a small issue seem much larger than it is which could very likely leads to self-deprecating. 

Remember all these stated is vice versa, both of you can and should improve together, this is stated in the generally manner of things, especially when things get tough for one or both of you.

Remember it’s:

Both of you VS Issue

NOT 

You VS Him

Sit down, sip some good tea and discuss the issue. Write points down and address them if that helps.

Advice for 🌻 Valentina:

Helping her boyfriend 17 Minimus, 24 Paradisiacal, 6 Epiphany

Guide him through his tough times through discussions. Help him find the source of the issue that is bothering him and discuss methods to help/ solve the issue as likely he would have trouble identifying the source.

Be yourself not what you expect what he wants you to be. It is definitely understandable that both of you want to be as perfect as possible to each other but don’t compromise your unique qualities because they are amazing. They are, in fact, one of the most effective and unconscious efforts to bring him to recognize that you are not someone else and to not associate you with someone else. Be confident in your own skin!

Words of affirmations and hugs for him, especially since he’d have a tendency to degrade himself mentally. Smack your affection and how you view him into his face and shove it down his throat. He needs to know how amazing he is and you are happy to be with him but will be happier if he recognize more of his worth. Scream it at him. Text him. Leave notes. Attack him with hugs and kisses. Whatever that both of you fancy. Don’t go too crazy though. (Don’t take the screaming advice, it’s not advice but if it works go ahead)

On yourself: 5 Gilded Regret

Accept the past for what’s it to be. It’s alright to think about the past but remember the past is the past. Be it yours or his. Don’t let it linger and affect you, him and/or your relationship because of what has already left. 

This is applicable to your boyfriend as well.

To improve this relationship: 

43 Owl Spirit - You see clearly now

Quiet down and observe. You already know what’s needs to be done. You can see it clearly and not through a fog now. You have the power to see things clearly and decide. 

You hold power here. You are the empress here. You know the wise decision. Don’t rush, don’t panic. 

Simply observe and you’ll know. Be objective and listen to your intuition.

57 Squirrel Spirit - Believe in yourself

Be confident. Don’t keep relying on others. It’s good to hear opinions but they shouldn’t be the foundation of your actions or how you see your relationship or anything connected to your relationship to be. They should only provide another view to look at the situation.

You know best here. Accept and see different views before acting. Trust yourself and what your intuition and mind tells you.

28 Frog Spirit - Clear out the clutter

Don’t cling on to what’s not there. 

Release what needs to be. Communicate with your boyfriend and understand each other. What is it about each other that has changed? Observe and learn to accept them. 

Don’t bring the past into your relationship. Look at the present and the future, they are more important and requires both of your attention, not the past.

Understand where the foundation of your relationship lies. Understand what keeps the relationship strong and what weakens the relationship.

You do not need to toss out what weakens the relationship but communicate and improve on the weaknesses and create something out of them to strengthen your relationship. Once done, be grateful and release what is then in the past.

Don;t play games. Don’t explode. 

Calmly present your emotions and wear your heart on your sleeve.

25 Elephant Spirit - Learn from the past

Again, learn from the past but don’t hold on to them. Appreciate what had happen and let them go.

Don’t let the past affect your emotions and the relationship.

Build on the past but never linger too long. 

The past is like a museum, something to be appreciated from time to time but never affecting you more than what it had already did.

The divine spirit guides are guiding you, don’t worry.

35 Koala Spirit - Spirit has a plan

Do not worry, the divine spirit guides are guiding you, lighting your way however small the light might be. Don’t panic when things doesn’t seem to be going as expected or if something seems off. 

Make sure to separate what came about from overthinking or rose-coloured glasses from the truth of things.

26 Flamingo Spirit - Embrace the in-between

Learn to appreciate even the smallest of things. 

Learn to appreciate the good side in every bad situation and the bad side in every good situation. 

Appreciate what is between the both of you. It is something beautiful and should be treated with respect and kindness. 

It’s the little things, you know. People tend to forget that. 

Bring them into your daily life. 

Oh, you cooked? Thank you, it’s amazing.

Oh, tired? You’d worked hard.

You washed the dishes? Thank you, that’s very thoughtful of you.

Love even the smallest of things and you’ll be surprised at how much love can be accumulated. Every little counts, right?

Anything you feel even remotely about, say it. Communicate it. Don’t let them be stored within you. You should share what the other had done that made you happy. Cheesy? Probably. Worth it? Damn straight it is. Sharing is caring.

4 Badger Spirit - Be fearless and bold

Be confident. Trust yourself and your intuition. Step up to initiate something. The box we mentioned that represents your relationship has many layers. It’s time to break them to shine greater. 

Don’t limit yourself. Don’t limit the potential. 

It can be destabilizing but what’s good doesn’t come cheap. 

We always say that the more challenges you’d overcome, the stronger you are. We can say the same with any relationship. Always remember that in this relationship, you overcome the hurdles together not separately. Work together, not against each other.

I believe that you already understood the areas you can improve on in this relationship. All the best to the both of you! May this relationship blossom beautifully. (Remember to tend to the weeds, water it and love and care for it)

If you require more assistance, please feel free to ring our doorbell again! 

We hope this had helped you, 🌻 Valentina!

For now, the little birdie shall return home 🏡 ~ Ring our doorbell whenever!

Rest well 💤 ~

[americanstandard-blog1]

feeling weird in sheetz

america i have given you all and now i’m nothing

there’s a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out

some people never go crazy, what truly horrible lives they must lead

i’m with you in Rockland where you’re madder than i am. i’m with you in Rockland where you must feel very strange. i’m with you in Rockland where we are great writers on the same dreadful typewriter. i’m with you in Rockland where your condition has become serious and is reported on the radio

do i contradict myself? very well, then. i contradict myself. i am large; i contain multitudes

i bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass i love, if you want me again look for me under your boot-soles

all lines from famous poems that at one point in time i believed i understood. i felt them. i was sure of it

i remember explaining to someone who had never smoked marijuana that you can’t feel a feeling until you’ve felt it. preconceived notions are not feelings. there’s more than a fine line of difference

now i feel these lines

i call out to my gods and i beg them for help. do they have any advice pertaining to navigational techniques while journeying through an existential crisis?

my brain contains no gps

i call out to the gods of the multiverse. morrison, you seemed to rather enjoy your existential journey. what is that like? grant or jim, i’d enjoy hearing from you both. feel free to chime in, please

the neuroscientist on the other end of the phone told me i had a maserati brain that was running on a ford fiesta engine. so i hopped in my 2003 subaru outback with the gas light on and i left like a thief in the night. friends, apartment, job, countless memories, five years, almost to the day. down the drain, all left in the dust of my 2003 subaru outback with the gas light on and a flat front right tire. eye and eye i’ll see ya when i see ya

is that a suitable so long, philadelphia note?

it’s a cold evening in january. the date is unknown. i am chain smoking cigarettes on my ride home from philadelphia

i have been chain smoking cigarettes on this exact ride for the better part of five years now

the fine line of difference now is that i am certain that when i get home i am going to check myself into the psyche ward

instead, i drive to the office of the mother of my childhood best friend

she used to make these oreos covered in vanilla frosting and sprinkles when we were younger

they don’t sound like anything special but two decades later, in the rock bottom moment of my life, in a moment where i literally cannot even begin to imagine the ability to think or see straight, my mouth is watering thinking about how much i loved those cookies

she is hooking me up to a foreign looking machine that reminds me of the one they hooked eleven up to in stranger things

i don’t think a machine can fix OCD, but i’ll give it a try. life’s about taking risks, you know

i tell her how every morning i wake up and write three positive thoughts to start off my day but the bad ones still manage to find a way in

i explain to her that i have exhausted every single fiber of my being trying to become a more stable individual

that in the past month i have filled three entire journals front to back, yet still i find myself here

how every weekend when i come home i write out a list and i burn it while i’m driving up the turnpike

i tell her how i feel like i’m just too far gone to ever come back

she looks at me and says “wes, you are so much more than too far gone… but you can come back”

i’m not sure if i believe her but anyone who has ever tasted her cookies when they were younger knows that this woman knows what she’s fucking doing

i think about kurt vonnegut

did he ever experience a moment like this? he must have

i was a victim of a series of accidents, as are we all

and i asked myself about the present: how wide it was, how deep it was, how much was mine to keep

of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are “it might have been”

you don’t pull one liners like that out of your ass. i’m certain he’s experienced plenty of moments like this

oh great uncle kurt, where are you now in your infinite wisdom?

i don’t want to be turned into a pillar of salt

i think about you

you who’s hearing imaginary voices through the bare concrete walls of the dorm room. let me be your voice of reason. my voice says i’ll love you forever. can you hear it?

you who’s lying somewhere six feet deep 3,000 miles away. i remember when we were children. a bond is for life and i’m still here

you the young children of the father who was more concerned with artificially speeding up his heart beat than the heart beats of his loved ones

you the guardian angel knocking on the door in the middle of the night, who despite previous intentions, unknowingly saves a life

you the therapist who’s office looks something more like a shrine to the almighty, who tells patients they must confess their sins, who tells confused individuals they must seek penance for their unholy thoughts and actions

you who’s lying unconscious in a parking lot. your eyes will open soon you just don’t know it yet

you the ex-girlfriend calling the ex-boyfriend at 4 a.m. years later to tell him that you finally got your revenge. you walked right up and popped him straight in the jaw. it’s true, life is a full circle

you with golden hair and rounded glasses who’s very sorry but she has other plans. you said there’s no such thing as a healthy mind and that really helped me. i’m sorry it’s just so hard to be friends with someone who has a smile like that

you the friend turned enemy who can’t seem to look those they’ve wronged in the eyes when passing one another in a crowded movie theater. i remember you crying over her on the edge of the bed when we were kids. i feel your pain my brother. do you want to know the secret answer to your endeavors? love is a dog from hell page 92 lines 52 through 61. but, i know you know that

you getting fucked on the basement floor while she pretends to sleep on the couch. you deserve so much more than that and anyone who has ever met you knows that. i owe you more than you can ever imagine

you who pretends to get off on mental instability within herself and others. i know there’s a fire burning in there. you try to dim it with alcohol but it will catch if you just let it

you whose face is bloody and mangled after falling off that god forsaken machine. can we please just be 15 again? you can wait until your mother falls asleep and steal her car and we will feel strange and watch movies

you who’s working in a factory dreaming just dreaming of better days in california. none of them can even remember their dreams. your father wasn’t going to mcdonald’s at 3 a.m. but you can go wherever you want

i am with all of you in Rockland where we must feel strange. we are here because we have bluebirds in our hearts but we let them out

we contradict ourselves but that’s ok

i am underneath your boot-soles and you under mine

after all

i and i is you and me

[royal-red-asks]

3 Secrets You Didn't Know About SEO

There should not become any haste in selecting the SEO service providing company. Keyword research is still the critically-important element of SEO. Finally SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION Smart links allows you in order to set nofollow attribute and open up links in new window. Page titles and descriptions influence what individuals see in research results, so it's necessary in order to check these out in any kind of SEO audit. Mobile user experience may perform a key role in the particular way sites are ranked, therefore not having a mobile-friendly edition could greatly hinder your SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION efforts. SEO is actually a cross-functional marketing activity that will gives visibility to content within the organic search channel. 15 Upon Page SEO Techniques To Position High In Search engine outcomes. There are several technical adjustments that web developers and SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION companies can do to repair this, so do not overlook it. If your competitors have a fast mobile-friendly site plus you never, you will reduce traffic and business to all of them. Improve the customer experience by offering the thorough assistance and provide your SEO ranking a improve. SEO, today, means what constantly has: creating a website that will can be properly understood simply by a search engine. Many rising SEO trends could infuse large difference to future SEO technique of businesses. Plus that's why search engine optimization (SEO) - the earning associated with traffic through search engines -- has been this kind associated with important topic for site proprietors for more than 20 many years. 1 of the biggest mistakes brand names make when it comes in order to their SEO is focusing upon metrics that misrepresent the whole success, such as keyword position and keyword search volume. Some SEO software equipment give you the option in order to spy on your competition, in order to see where they are obtaining their links from, what key phrases they are competing for, plus so much more. I'm curious : sometimes with your chapter-based manuals, you might have them almost all on a single page such as this one, but sometimes they may separate pages with the overview web page as a sort of introduction + table of contents, like as the Keyword Research intended for SEO Definitive Guide. In case you have a brick-and-mortar company, you can't neglect local SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION and listings if you need to stay profitable. A current study from Toby Shotland & Dan Leibson associated with Local SEO Guide showed that will the strength and volume associated with local citations don't seem in order to matter much for local ranks. 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On-Page SEO refers to all the particular things that you can perform ON your website to assist you rank higher, such since page titles, internal linking, meta tags & descriptions, and therefore forth Hey John, I'm in the current treatment for optimizing my YouTube Route and update everything I may to improve its SEO search positions. To stay on the best it is mandatory to believe out from the box which delivers the particular best quality at ease along with holistic SEO approach in 2018 ADDLEAD is leading Digital advertising agency specialized in SEO, Sociable media management, website designing plus online branding. I believe that will 2018 is going to be the particular year where voice search changes how users search and SEOs need to optimize. The purpose of off-page SEO might be to get links in order to your information. There are usually many tools on the internet to assist with basic key phrase research (including the Google Key word Planner tool and there are even more useful third party SEO tools in order to help you do this). Another important factor to add up to the particular checklist for local SEO within 2018 is UX. The consumer experience for Local SEO will certainly become even more important within 2018. In the older times of SEO, Google could not understand modifiers, meaning if I actually put in more keywords within like best” or new, ” I could outrank someone that failed to use those key phrases in the meta title. While the real difference, for people snippets, is not the method the information continues to end up being fetched by Google (as this particular works much like the great old SEO) but how the particular result is presented towards the particular user: these snippets answer the lot of questions, triggered simply by our voice. Off-Page SEO refers in order to the techniques that are utilized to improve the ranking associated with website or blog. In this situation, in, the article ranks soon after the official Google guidelines (and it seems sensible that Search engines should be number 1 upon their own branded query) yet Smashing magazine is shown since a position 0” snippet associated with text for the query Google place up guidelines” in. Search Motor Land, a high-quality SEO blog page that is a pillar associated with the community is ranking right after Smashing (which happens to end up being more of a design blog site than an SEO one). SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION is the discipline that enables people and websites to gain access to the potential of the internet. Search motor optimization (SEO) is the procedure by which a website is definitely optimized for making sure this has the highest position position for the search engines results web page. 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Listed below are nineteen advanced SEO techniques that a person could implement right away in order to increase your search traffic. Sign upward for the Single Grain blog page now for the latest articles on SEO, PPC, paid interpersonal, and the future of on the internet marketing. Stop thinking in terms associated with SEO vs. content marketing” plus start exploring how well these people perform together. Starting from what exactly is definitely voice search and why will be it so important for your own online business, in this manual we will share with a person 10ย actionable tips on how in order to optimize your content for tone of voice search and various SEO strategies that can specifically provide you with this particular. Within 2018, SEO is content plus content is SEO, content is definitely digital and digital is content material. As with any kind of industry, it is our obligation to stay aware of any kind of emerging SEO trends so that will we can incorporate them in to our strategies and be certain we are providing our customers with creative, industry-leading strategies plus business advice. That is why, in general, the rule associated with thumb here is that, within order to win SEO”, a person want to rank #1 intended for all of your keywords. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION stands for Seo. ” This particular is a significant process associated with generating traffic from the free of charge, organic, editorial and natural research results on search engines. Google Research Console is, slowly but certainly, getting better Google's getting the much more aggressive about producing rank tracking more difficult (some rank tracking folks I'm helpful with told me that Q4 2017 was particularly gut-punching), plus the SEO software field is definitely way, way more densely loaded with competitors than ever prior to. In this post, we all would be talking about On-Page SEO and some of the very most effective ways of boosting your ranks on Search Engines. Some Webmasters will pay 1000s of dollars to a so-called professional SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION expert to have their Internet sites on top within the search positions. Meta keywords would become the least priority in standing factors in SEO. The SEO Trends associated with 2018 are turning to be able to impact approach on various other professions related to Digital Marketing. These types of advanced SEO techniques might not really be the easiest to carry out - they actually require even more effort than basic keyword analysis and link building - yet they are incredibly effective. 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There's a great program for analyzing websites called Screaming Frog SEO Spider It gives users the opportunity to check their blogs for broken links, external and internal links, pages that don't exist anymore and redirects, defining Title, H1 and a number of other features. Your contribution to Advanced SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION tricks is appreciated, It will be rightly said by you SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION tricks to enhance traffic continues to be the same All we require to do is to highlight on making sure that every web page has appropriate name tags and that the articles is not really thin” or low-quality and other Off page tactics. One off page SEO method to be very specific along with search pages as well since to increase response and hyperlink acquisition rates in your outreach would be to actually make use of in moment options online lookup. Mobile users are increasing therefore it you must aware with all the current mobile SEO tactics and also updated that Google making. 1- I understand that do backlinks with crawlers or programs, that not great for SEO and Big Sibling Google do not love this i mention to Fiverr Gig”. Knowledge associated with SEO techniques may help a company to promote its online existence effectively. Therefore, as a good online marketer, you should possess a clear regarding the current SEO trends. Along with SEO becoming more and even more important, search engines had in order to produce a way to utilize this with greater accuracy. Given the rankings plus search volume, SEO can generate considerable traffic and leads regarding Grainger. Google's Featured Thoughts and quick answers can become another important SEO trend that will you should watch in 2018. Many business people find checking out up on the "moving target" of SEO distracts them through daily priorities more than they will ever imagined, therefore it is usually good to look closely in why is sense for every business. The next SEO Techniques in 2018 is to stick to Voice Search. I believed I'd offer some advice in order to stay ahead of SEO developments that are bound to create a big impact in 2018. Understanding consumer behavior - and how in order to create a great website encounter for those users - may solve most, if not almost all, of your SEO problems shifting forward. While the research engines try and deliver the particular right answer to their consumer, it really is our work as SEOs to comprehend exactly what that user is looking intended for and deliver that answer regarding them with the search motor. 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Bill is a content advertising and SEO expert with more than 4 years experience working being a full-time consultant. With Search engines continuously trying to mimic individual mind, SEO experts may have got increased focus on end customers. In purchase to master this, constant screening of content, keywords and hyperlinks that are centered on the niche market should form a part of your SEO strategy. When you begin task management with SEO PowerSuite's Rank Tracker, the Google SERP Features column will display most elements generated by your key phrases, with the ones you position is highlighted in green.

[shemakesmusic-uk]

INTERVIEW: Katie Von Schleicher.

Fresh off the back of a UK tour alongside Aldous Harding, Katie Von Schleicher recently premiered her latest single, 'Sell It Back' which is taken from her self-produced and co-engineered debut full-length album, Shitty Hits, out July 28 via Full Time Hobby, where Von Schleicher confronts feelings of isolation and powerlessness. She is not tackling grandiosity, but mediocrity; the struggle of being deeply flawed and unmistakably human.

Katie Von Schleicher’s previous release Bleaksploitation was an accident, years in the making. While interning at Ba Da Bing Records, owner Ben Goldberg suggested that she record a cassette for the label to release. It could be anything, demos or a live performance, but she took it a bit more seriously than Goldberg intended. The result was her first self-produced and engineered effort, a strange, hazy, pop-laden tape. Doing her own press under a pseudonym and referring to it as an “album,” Von Schleicher garnered enough attention for Bleaksploitation to see it released on vinyl in the Spring of 2016.

Now on her full-length official debut release, Von Schleicher strikes again on the magic that comes from her warped and uncompromising sound. Shitty Hits channels the bright, sunny radio burners of the 1970’s - songs you drive to, carefree, and songs you can cry to.

We were lucky enough to have a chat with Katie about Shitty Hits, touring, who she would love to collaborate with and more. Check the interview out below.

So far we've heard the brilliant songs 'Life's A Lie', 'Paranoia' and 'Sell It Back' from your upcoming official debut LP Shitty Hits. Like your previous "accidental" release Bleaksploitation, Shitty Hits was home recorded but in what ways does it differ from Bleaksploitation? How do you think you have grown as an artist thus far?

"Shitty Hits comes from the same impetus as Bleaksploitation and is meant to lodge deeply somewhere in the region of one’s chest. Maybe you could call it ‘finding my voice,’ but it’s the idea of taking what I love, music that already exists, and trying to locate a gap, what’s missing for me, and fill it. I’m obsessed with deeply melodic and transportational music: Randy Newman, Elliott Smith, Carole King, The Beatles, Kate Bush, Arthur Russell, and a ton of lesser known pillars. So I always begin with that in mind. But production wise, I’m aiming for those songs to be presented with a deeply resonating and heavy, unapologetic dose of atmosphere and feeling. Basic, essential rhythms, but unplaceable, distorted. It’s hard to put into words! Thematically, Shitty Hits ventures inward whereas Bleaksploitation was less personal and intimate. And I felt far more ambitious in its sonic scope and fidelity. Bleak was done to a four-track tape recorder, and its possibilities were finite. It was a way to get my foot in the door. Shitty Hits has 40 tracks on a song, it was an open-ended challenge to myself."

Is there a particular reason why you've decided to tape-record your music and do you think this will always be your method of choice?

"I think it will continue as an element, at least. With this record we began with 8 tracks on each song to cassette tape, then transferred to digital. It’s not necessary, but I love putting drums and bass to tape. I’m prone to ritualizing this process, which can be so difficult to approach at its inception. The psychological importance of tape is that it adds an immediacy to each performance. Tape or not, I believe in doing a whole performance of a song vocally and instrumentally, rather than patching myself in on the second verse or something. Maybe that’s just for me, but I like it."

Shitty HIts is about you confronting feelings of isolation and powerlessness. Where did these feelings stem from and how important was it for you to be able to express these emotions through music?

"They come from observations I’ve made about myself and how I experience the world. When I get down, it feels like a loss of perspective. I’m fighting to have a sense of self again, which is also mirrored in the process of making a record, the self-doubt it incurs. It feels perverse to discuss depression sometimes, and of course it has its place, but it felt fairly important to bring it up in the music, if anywhere. These are the feelings I had while making the record, the feelings I had about making it. I was also thinking about the legacy of popular song, how there are so many brilliant tunes about heartbreak and pain, but rarely about its less poetic minutiae. So I tried to write songs in major keys, exuberant ones, but infuse them with the small details of feeling, a happy perversion."

The LP was produced and co-engineered by yourself. How important is it to you to have complete control over your music? What was your favourite part recording the album?

"It’s important to have control in what still feels like this gestation period I’m in. I’m new to this. Hopefully someday I’ll have more confidence to assert myself in company because I would love to collaborate more. My favorite parts are always the happy accidents. If I’m alone those happen more easily because I forget my body as well as the rules of being social in a group environment.  The recording process heavily shaped the outcome of a song like 'Midsummer,' because I took a strange guitar solo and then impulsively, during a take, sang over that guitar solo, sang a new part to the song. And it meant that leaving the first chorus the song takes off into a new intensity I hadn’t planned. The song 'Soon' was the most bang-our-heads-against-the-wall experience, we were lost on how to present it. I’m not even sure how this happened, but during basics we made the song a bit long, with extra sections. When I was finishing the record alone, I decided to have this melodic saxophone part that makes up the whole second half of the song. It was just a part I sang over it during a take. The moments I can’t even remember that yielded positive results are why I do it."

What has been your biggest challenge as an independent artist and how did you overcome that challenge? What advice might you have for other artist's out there that aim to have complete creative control over their musical output?

"The biggest obstacle has been my bias toward myself. I didn’t know what most pedals did, I didn’t feel like I could master these things that men around me had mastered at age 14, I felt stupid asking questions like “what is compression?” I didn’t listen to cool music in high school, I only got into what now moves me most deeply in college, so I felt like I was too late to the party, or that if I hadn’t found the White Album at age ten, I wasn’t authentically allowed to take part in its legacy. I say my bias toward myself, because I don’t want to make this about gender roles that have been placed on me, since on most occasions they are not. But sometimes I witness guys playing together and I see a belonging that I never quite felt, like this is a destiny. I didn’t envision myself producing albums when I was a kid, I didn’t think “I want to be Brian Eno.” Anyway, my advice would be to forget imposed regulations and do whatever the fuck you want, the scarier the better, especially if you’re of a gender, orientation or race that wasn’t represented by The Band. It’s never too late to take the reins, and anyone can do it."

We think that is excellent advice! You've recently returned from a UK tour with brilliant Aldous Harding. What was that experience like?

"It was incredible. First of all I didn’t have to drive, there was a tour manager. I’ve never experienced that before, and let me tell you, it’s the lap of luxury. Aldous Harding is the most formidable musician I’ve ever opened for, and it presented quite a challenge in that respect. I fell in love with London."

London is a wonderful place! What is currently your favourite song to perform from the new album?

"My favorite songs to play now are 'Midsummer' and 'Nothing.'"

Are there any new artist's that you're listening to right now that you think we should check out? If you had the chance to collaborate with another artist/band who would it be and why?

"I’m sure you’ve checked them out already! Aldous Harding, Andy Shauf, Big Thief. My labelmates Cross Record, Tiny Hazard and David Nance blow me away, and don’t have as much visibility as the aforementioned folks. Right now I’d like to collaborate with Zannie Owens, whose band Really Big Pinecone is based here, and Nate Mendelsohn, who has a band called Market. I’d like to try and do some random side project. I’d also love to produce someone else’s album. As far as big famous folks, uh, Randy Newman. Let’s make a fuzzed out Randy Newman album."

Is there anything you like to do outside of music that contributes to your musicality? For example a hobby you turn to in order to rejuvenate your creativity?

"I do graphic design and terrible painting. Used to write a lot of poetry but haven’t lately. I read a bit. Mostly I just get angry about politics and produce nothing with effect on that front."

Finally, what has been the best part of your journey as an artist so far and what are you looking forward to in the future?

"I’m surprised by the journey. That might be the best part. I’m so happy I’ve matched my desire to write songs with a desire to turn them, recorded, into something else entirely. I look forward to collaboration, to the next record, and hopefully touring the hell out of this one."

Shitty Hits is out July 28 via Full Time Hobby. Pre-order the album HERE.

[minditruitt]

Emotional Budgeting

The word budget is not a favorite among a lot of people.

It suggests....GASP....that there will be a cap on your spending, whether it be personal, bills or repayment of debt. Whether the word evokes fear, relief or neither is a matter of two things....

Number 1: Are you the one who’s implementing this financial leash?

Or....

Number 2: Are you the one whose collar is being attached to it?

Did it ever occur to anyone that a financial budget can be beneficial to your emotional budget? Yeah, no, me neither....

Until recently.

In the past I’ve called myself an emotional hemophiliac. A word that someone found interesting and I received a notification regarding that. When you are running from something, having a limit on your ability to increase your speed to escape it is not a welcome thing. Think of it this way. If you’re being chased by a giant something or other you feel the need to use everything at your disposal to make a hasty exit and if someone is telling you ‘no, you don’t have the funds to upgrade to supersonic escape mode’ you can be horrified because then you have to recalculate and face whatever it is.

Filling a void or re-creating a life can be expensive and if you aren’t in charge of yourself there will be problems. Self control, self discipline or disclosure isn’t always easy. By disclosure, I’m talking about pulling your head out of your ass and facing what you don’t want to.

If someone else is in charge that can sometimes be a good thing if you’re having trouble seeing things clearly. It can also be a bad thing if they’re crazier than you are. lol

I’ve coughed up enough “please save me” hairballs over the course of my life that even thinking about them now makes me sad and frankly pissed off at myself.

People would say over and over....’save  yourself’....

Go to hell, I don’t want to. I don’t know how to and I don’t care to....

Tough.

To me, at that time, ‘do it yourself’ either meant that they didn’t love me enough or I was doing something wrong. Both scenarios can play out with disaster. I would turn myself inside out to make amends for something that didn’t exist or I would end up creating something that became chaotic. Life repeated itself until I finally figured out what I was doing. Which was only fairly recently and I’m not altogether sure I look forward to embracing a calmer me. lol

People ask why things happen to them.

The refrigerator magnet responds ‘why not you?’

So those of us who perhaps have, as the saying goes, more issues than a magazine subscription should use that to let other people in similar situations or with similar emotions know that they’re not alone in their confusion, sadness or  anger. The thing is, though, that person has to be ready to listen. Or read things others have written or said.

There are a lot of people out there who have been through various things and have written articles, songs, books or have spoken openly about them and I have benefitted personally. Like a lot of people I have felt very alone at times, very confused and frankly have become extremely angry at myself for being so dense.

That helped nothing.

It only fueled my lack of an emotional budget and a financial one. I threw more money out the window than I care to talk about but I was running so fast that the trail behind me blazed with glow of stupidity. I looked to other people for advice but rarely took it. I looked to other people for acceptance and when they gave it I feared it and ran from them or created a situation through that fear that caused them to run from me.

Why in the world would I be so open and honest with people who may read this blog because they have nothing better to do and with whom I don’t even know?

Because I care.

Because I care more about you than I do about me.

Because I care about the people I’ve hurt. Because I care about those who have hurt me. Because I care about people who are hurting now. Because, in my limited voice, I feel an internal pressure to turn some of my ridiculousness into a positive.

Yes, I fell in love with a gay man. Yes, I developed an eating disorder. Yes, I self-medicated. Yes, I’ve said things that made me look pathetic and needy. Yes, I’ve spent money I shouldn’t have. Yes, I’ve trusted folks I am remiss about. Yes, I’ve thought that because I’d lost two infant sons, a 20+ year marriage, my identity, watched, horrified by, the suffering caused by a severe family illness, cried through the death of my father, kept quiet about a couple of things I actually just deleted and, like everyone else in the world, other ‘life challenges’ that somehow I was entitled to a free pass to happiness.

Bullshit.

I’m entitled to nothing.

In the aftermath I tried to give myself a life of frivolity and fun that I thought would enable me to outrun the pressure and sadness.

What I gave myself was a fucking headache.

No matter what is happening to any of us on any particular day we have no right to highjack ourselves so that things become more difficult and that is why we all need a budget.

In an emotional budget there should be an account for a rainy day just like in a financial budget. What do you put in a rainy day account emotionally?

Time.

You have to give yourself time to process what has happened to you before you run out and get involved in something else. You’re exhausted. You have to refill your internal tank with rest and reflection and that is sometimes the very thing that you feel like you don’t deserve. That’s also what happens when you have spent too much as well. You are then overextended and you have to replace that money. 

There should be enough energy budgeted in for friends, family and work. If you race from event to event you never really recover enough to be able to give 100% to anything then you start running a deficit in the energy department. You then borrow from the relaxation category that you have set aside for yourself and add to the “event” category. When your emotional budget doesn’t balance you’ll pay for it in more ways than one. Your health suffers, your sanity suffers and you run around on ‘empty’ depleting your reserves. The same goes for a financial budget. If you give in to yourself or someone else too much financially then you run the risk of running short for other expenditures or worse.

If you don’t plan for yourself you can’t give to anyone else. That’s where I ran short. I ran from pillar to post depleting myself looking for the emotional cork that I was missing and searching for everyone else to provide it for me and when they tried to I rebelled. It was and is the stupidest thing you can do. When someone truly cares for you they want you to be strong and sometimes they will sit in on the edge crying over your mistakes and watching you dig a hole that will be difficult for you to get out of but cheering the loudest when you emerge healthier and better equipped to handle even simple things. The problem can arise when you see that as them not caring enough to take over and fix you.

You can only fix yourself and it’s not an ‘event’ it’s a process. Very few people are so put together that they have nothing that ever affects them despite their Instagram account, Facebook posts or puffed up LinkedIn profile that would incline you to believe otherwise. lol

This was a very “emotional” post for me to write and fortunately or unfortunately there is still so much that I haven’t written about. Does that make me a unfortunate soul or does that make me someone who can help, relate and empathize with other people?

You decide.