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inkinmyheartandonthepage · 3 months ago

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Two Pizza's And A Lottery Ticket

Day 28 of flufftober and the prompt is Lucky Charm! I hope you all enjoy and you can read it on Ao3.

Maddie Buckley had always called Buck his own Lucky charm. When the kids at school had teased him about his birthmark, she had told him that they were jealous because he had been brushed by luck and everyone could see how lucky he was.

When Buck was released from the hospital after being struck by lightning, the first thing he did was order himself two pizzas.

Maddie jokingly bought him a lottery ticket.

Buck didn’t think much of it, not until he was waking up in the morning to the sound of Maddie making him breakfast below and his phone buzzing with a new message. The ticket sat on his bedside table and when Buck was finished checking his messages, he went online to check the winning numbers.

The same numbers that matched his ticket.

~*~

“I thought your parents were going to buy you a couch?” Eddie frowned as he, Buck and Christopher crossed the carpark towards the furniture show room. They were walking slowly, not in any rush. Eddie was just basking in the moment that he could do with this Buck. A week ago, it hadn’t seemed like it would it possible.

“And while I appreciate the gesture,” Buck said, his shoulder bumping into Eddie’s as they walked. “I have a feeling my mum is going for style rather than comfort. That’s not the couch I want.”

“You know what you want?” Eddie asked.

“Yeah,” Buck said softly, shoulder pressing harder into Eddie, his gaze fixed on Christopher who is just ahead of them. “I do.”

Eddie grinned, his heart flopping in his chest as he reached up to wrap an arm around Buck’s shoulders, dragging him closer. “Then let’s go get it.”

Buck’s smile was dazzling as he flashes it at Eddie.

There are only a few other people in the store as they make their way around the couches. Buck followed Christopher around, nodding seriously as Chris talked about each couch. Eddie is more than happy to trail behind the two of them, sitting on the couches when instructed too and offering an opinion when asked.

“This one,” Chris says decisively, settling back into the royal blue cushions.

Eddie wondered if his son has a future in selling furniture because he has chosen a ridiculously comfortable couch. It’s a touch bigger than the one back at the Diaz home and fits the three of them comfortably. It reminded Eddie of the couch at the fire station – one that he and Buck had taken many naps on during their time at the 118. The colour is the same as the one at home, but Eddie can’t feel the broken spring underneath him or the bar that holds everything together. Eddie found himself sinking into the cushions, content.

“Oh yeah,” Eddie sighed, tilting his head back. “This is a good couch.”

“You like it?” Buck asked.

Eddie titled his head to look at Buck. His best friend was watching him, a happy smile on his face. He looked like he belonged, arm draped over Chris shoulders, fingers a hair breath away from Eddie’s shoulder. He could picture many nights on this couch with Chris and Buck.

“Do you?” Eddie asked instead of answering.

Buck’s smile only grew. “Yeah. I love it.”

Eddie smiled back, holding Buck’s gaze. Buck’s fingers stretched a little further, gently running down the column of Eddie’s neck.

“Me too.”

“I’m glad you like it,” The salesperson spoke.

Eddie had sort of forgotten that they were there. He pulled his gaze from Buck but didn’t move an inch, letting Buck’s fingers still gently brush up and down his skin. He could feel the heat radiating from him, knowing his cheeks were probably pink.

“What kind of price are we looking at?” Eddie asked, partly to distract the way Buck’s touch was sending shivers down his spine.

Eddie stared at the salesperson as they rattled off a number. Not only was Eddie raising a condiment snob but also a couch snob.

“I can give a good deal if you take the delivery options,” the salesperson said.

“Great. We’re going to take it,” Buck said before Eddie could open his mouth.

“Excellent,” the salesperson beamed. “Let me see if we have one in stock for you today. I’ll be back. Feel free to take a look around. I’ll come find you.”

“Do you think we need some cushions, Chris?” Buck asked, shifting to sit up a little straighter. He ran his fingers down Eddie’s neck one more time before he pulled away, leaving Eddie feeling a little lightheaded.

“Yeah,” Chris said, shuffling to the edge of the couch. Buck handed Chris his crutches when he was on his feet. Chris slipped them on and twisted his head back and forth. “Where are they?”

“Uh,” Buck blinked, looking very much like Chris as he got to his feet and twisted his head back and forth.

Eddie got to his feet and took pity on his boys. “I’d say they are in decorations. That way.”

Chris took lead again and Buck and Eddie followed behind him. Eddie could only watch with fond amusement as they tested every cushion they came across. Buck and Eddie carried the ones Chris had chosen back to the couch so they could see if they were a perfect fit. On the way back, Chris spotted a blanket too.

“It’s so soft,” Chris looked up at Buck, a smile lighting up his face.

Buck reached out, running his hands over it. “Whoa! It’s really soft.”

“Can we get it?” Chris asked, looking at Buck hopefully.

Eddie reached out; the fabric soft under his fingers as he reached for the tag. His eyes widened at the price of the – was this cashmere? – blanket. “Uh, I think this a little bit out of our price range, Buddie.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Buck said, lifting the blanket off the couch it was draped over and he tossed it over his shoulder. “Come one, let’s see if these cushions match our couch.”

Eddie stared at Buck as they made their way back to the couch. “Did you even come in here with a budget?”

Buck chuckled. “Not really.”

“Buck,” Eddie sighed, giving his head a little shake.

“I’m not going to go overboard,” Buck promised. “Besides, it’s cheaper than the couch my mum was looking at.”

Eddie wondered where exactly Margret Buckley had been looking for a couch.

The cushions matched perfectly, and Eddie had to admit, the blanket was the softest thing he had ever felt. That’s how the salesperson found them, spread out on the couch, the blanket draped over their laps.

“You guys look cosy,” the salesperson beamed. “I have good news. We have this couch in stock and would be able to have it delivered by the end of the week.”

Chris let out a little cheer, his legs kicking out under the blankets.

“If you follow me, we can get the paperwork started.”

It took a bit of coaxing to get Chris out of the blanket but eventually he got back to his feet. Eddie steered him to the table where Buck and the salesperson were already filling out the paperwork.

Eddie peeked over Buck’s shoulder, reading over what he had filled out. Since waking up from his coma, reading had been difficult. It gave him a headache, as did the computer and watching TV. It was no wonder that Buck had been begging to be released from the hospital as soon as possible, board out of his mind.

“Wait,” Eddie said, making Buck pause. “That’s my address.”

“I know.”

Eddie stared at Buck, confusion pulling his brows into a furrow. Why would Buck put Eddie’s address? Unless…

“Buck, you are not buying me a new couch,” Eddie said sternly.

“I’m not,” Buck said, turning to face Eddie fully. He took a deep breath, a nervous, sheepish look crossing his features. “I’m buying us a couch. You, me, and Christopher.”

Eddie inhaled sharply. He stared at Buck, taking in the delicate flush that filled his cheeks and the hopeful look in his eyes. Looking back, Eddie should have picked up on it sooner. It’s not as if Buck had been being subtle. Not once had he called it his couch but their couch. He had invited Eddie and Christopher to pick it out.

And hadn’t this been where they were headed. Sure, they had taken some wrong turns and a mountain of therapy to get to the heart of it all, but it was a deniable fact. Buck was Eddie’s and Eddie was Buck’s. And hadn’t Buck been Chris’s second parent since basically the day they met? This was their family and Buck had died. For three minutes and seventeen seconds Buck had been dead.

Tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone is what Eddie had once told Chimney and Eddie was tired of denying himself Buck.

And it seemed so was Eddie.

“If -if that’s what you want too,” Buck said, sounding uncertain now.

Eddie reached out, taking the hand that wasn’t holding the pen and linked their fingers together. “Yeah, I want the couch.”

And Eddie’s heart stumbled in his chest when Buck smiled at him, bright and so wonderfully happy. He squeezed Eddie’s hand tightly before he went back to filling out the paperwork. When it was done and paid for, the cushions and the rug tucked away into bags that Eddie carried, they made their way back to the car.

“Wait,” Eddie said as they were a few feet from the car. “Is this a date? Did you take me furniture shopping for a first date?”

“I took us,” Buck said, waving a hand at Christopher who was ahead of them, trying to pull open the door to Eddie’s truck. “And now we are going to get some early lunch with milkshakes.” He looked at Eddie, looking a little unsure. “Uh, if – if you would like that? Otherwise, I can think of something else.”

“Buck,” Eddie said, and he could feel how fond his expression was. “You took our kid with us on a first date. How could I not like that?”

Buck shoulder’s relaxed and the nervous look slid away. “I want to do this right. You, me, and Chris. That’s what I want Eddie.”

“That’s what I want too,” Eddie promised. He stopped, making Buck pause to. He dropped the bags to the ground and cupped Buck’s face. His thumb traced over Buck’s jaw twice before he was pulling Buck into a kiss.

Eddie never expected their first kiss to be in a parking lot of a furniture show room but as Buck’s lips pressed to his, Buck’s arms wrapped around Eddie’s shoulders to pull him closer, he knew nothing else would be as perfect as this.

“Dad! Buck! Come on!” Chris whined.

Eddie chuckled against Buck’s lips, kissing them once, twice, three time before pulling away and stepping out of Buck’s grip. He turned to look at their kid, who was grinning at them brightly, wiggling in a way that Eddie knew that it meant he was ecstatic.

“Alright, mijo, we’re coming,” Eddie said, bending to pick up the bags again. He turned to Buck. “You get him in the car, and I’ll put these in the back.”

“Okay,” Buck said, his lips a little shiny and his eyes alight with happiness.

Eddie grinned, something in his chest slotting into place. Yeah, this was the couch he wanted and how lucky was he.

#flufftober2024 #flufftober #ao3 fanfic #buddie #9-1-1 fanfiction #evan buckley #9-1-1 #eddie diaz #christopher diaz

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bitchesgetriches · 2 years ago

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Hey, I've recently gotten a job where you work the lottery, giving people tickets and all. Unfortunately, this has tempted me into wanting to play, even though I know first hand how bad of a financial decision that can be and how it can even be addictive. But having to look at people's winning tickets so often is tempting. Any thoughts on the matter?

Every day, put the money you would spend on a lotto ticket into a jar (or an online savings account that allows you to keep it separate from the rest of the account). At the end of the month, look at that money. Count it. See how much it is. Think of the ways you could use this money. Use a compound interest calculator to see how much you could earn in interest on that money if you invested it for another month. A year. Three years.

At the end of this process, if you're still tempted to buy a lottery ticket, then buy one ticket. Clearly it's something that will bring you joy or catharsis. Then repeat the process next month.

Good luck, kitten!

6 Proven Tactics for Avoiding Emotional Impulse Spending

Ask the Bitches: How Can I Absolve Myself of Financial Guilt Over My Pricey PS4?

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mitigatedchaos · 9 months ago

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"Writing? In 2024?"

Monday, April 29, 2024

(~2,400 words, 12 minutes)

@northshorewave Re: this publishing post:

I've read through the post that was linked, and an earlier related post by the same author that preceded it.

Her position is that the traditional publishing industry is essentially buying books as lottery tickets, paying for most of them using the few big winners they can't predict.

NorthShoreWave - The personal qualities of NSW specifically.

LLMs - Is AI a threat right now? Mostly as spam.

How Many Readers? - One famous book had 3,000 readers on an email list before its Amazon e-book debut, and went on to traditional publishing.

Funding Options - Many authors and artists are currently using subscription services. Some reasoning and numbers are provided.

Illustrations - Should you use illustrations? This lengthy section does a bit of fundamentals analysis of posting to suggest that maybe, you should.

Interaction - Reader replies are one method by which a post will spread.

Search - The people who want to read your story can't read it if they don't know about it. Writing a good book is essential, but only half the battle.

Some thoughts for you:

1 - NorthShoreWave

You implicitly asked if we had discussed your story in detail before, but the answer is that we hadn't. I have a sense of what you're trying to accomplish based on what I've observed of your character. While you think of yourself as seething, I think you're actually wise, compassionate, self-aware, and able to view things from multiple perspectives. A significant number of people are much worse at practicing at least one of these virtues. On its own, that's not enough to write a best-seller, but I think it does provide you with an advantage.

2 - LLMs

Based on my experiments (see @mitigatedai for some logs), I wouldn't worry about competition from AI. For you, the chief issue caused by AI will be spam. AI moves sideways (different text) and downwards (less meaning). I may tell LLMs to "combine Inspector Gadget and Death Note," but...

Do I actually use the information provided? No.

3 - How many readers do you need?

From one of those publishing posts, to get a sense of the number of readers you need...

Andy Weir first published The Martian as a serial for his own blog, then as a self-published novel on Amazon, then as a traditionally published novel with Random House. “I had an email list with about 3,000 people on it, so, initially, the audience was roughly that much,” he tells me. “When I first posted it to Amazon, I didn’t do anything to market or publicize it. All I did was tell my readers it was available there.” The book was on Amazon for five months, at a price point of 99 cents, and he sold 35,000 copies before Random House bought the rights in February of 2014.

Note that being a provocative firebrand doesn't necessarily mean you'll sell copies. Some politicians with tremendous name recognition failed to move copies of their books.

4 - Funding Options

I don't recommend using a Kickstarter to publish your book at this time or in the near future. You just don't have the name recognition, but also, Slashdotter Caimlas (who I don't know, so I don't know how trustworthy he is) wrote:

I'm personal friends with a number of authors who publish books in one of several subgenres. Mostly, they rely on Amazon's Kindle Unlimited: some of them are prolific enough that their book sales account for most of their income, simply based on peoples' reading of their works. Mostly, unless people want a piece of history or something they can reference, folks seem to hate having clutter. Fiction that sells isn't usually, primarily sold as a hardcopy book anymore, I don't believe - short of the kinds of books that end up at the end of the grocery store isle or in an airport novelty store.

A lot of publishing is done online these days, often through subscription services such as Substack (for essays) or Patreon. (Kindle Unlimited is also a subscription service, costing $12/mo.) As an example, the webcomic Spinnerette has a Patreon (bringing down $3.3k/mo), and then runs Kickstarter campaigns for print runs (volume 8 raised $27k).

To give you an estimate, Spinnerette's Patreon has only 536 subscribers, and pulls down $3.3k/mo, but you probably haven't heard of it. El Goonish Shive, which I'm confident you have heard of, brings in $3.6k/mo on 2.4k subscribers. The famous Kill Six Billion Demons has ~5.4k subscribers, bringing down ~$8.4k.

In Patreon terms, a good foothold to try for might be 100 subscribers at $3/mo each, with an initial focus on getting to 50.

5 - Illustrations

You've posted some drawings. They have some character, showing that you have the basic aptitude to develop the skill if you applied yourself to regular practice. However, the proportions are too far off to attract much attention (except as a stylistic choice, which, I can tell, it is not).

This blog tends to break things down into their abstract fundamentals for analysis. I promised myself I wasn't going to do that here, but eh, we'll do just a bit.

To quote one of the publishing articles...

“People tend to buy the books that are already really popular,” Deahl says. “They look at the bestseller list to see what they want to buy and that reinforces this tiny amount of books at the top. It’s a very top-heavy system. The tricky thing in publishing is success begets success. But it’s really hard to create that spark.”

Let's stop to think about this.

a. Banter - Fame

There is one layer to this that you can't do much of anything about, which is that people will watch the same shows their friends watch in order to have something to talk about with their friends.

b. Investment - Background

However, there is another layer over which you have more influence. It's very easy to make a quick judgment of a movie based on its visuals, or a short trailer. It's also relatively easy to judge short songs, since they're only a few minutes long (but I don't find myself doing this often).

In order to judge a book, you have to read the text and process it. You can't make a snap judgment off a single picture, because you have to read the text first to produce the mental picture.

This website does have viral text posts, but they're like...

You seem to have fundamentally misunderstood me, Anon. Go read all 5,640 posts again.

Some of these posts can get a bit long, but it's usually a back-and-forth where each individual post is short. Often, they'll mix in images, or memes.

People supposedly read at 200 words per minute. Based on that estimate, this blog's most viral post of all time can be read in 5 seconds. That's about the same amount of time someone would spend looking at a jpeg.

That doesn't mean people don't enjoy effortposts. They will follow a blog upon encountering a good effortpost! They just don't like or reblog them.

I think you already know this part, but for "acceptable" length for reblogging, it's usually best to keep it under one "Tumblr page," meaning around one screen length on desktop, or around 200-300 words. I've talked about this part before, but if the reader can see the end of the post, it feels like less of an investment to read the post, and reblogging it won't fill up a friend's Tumblr dash.

Obviously that's tough for long-form fiction, because it has to load more context about the characters in order to establish the stakes. (Unless it's fan fiction, where the audience already knows the characters.)

c. Investment - Strategy

As you know, this blog will sometimes post political cartoons and other illustrations as part of its general stream of content.

The obvious strategy is just to have some nice-looking character images or images of scenes from the story. It can be "read" faster, so it's more shareable.

I think that strategy suffers from a weakness in that it's easy to just look at the image and disregard the text. This would reduce your fiction blog to an art blog - and it is not an art blog.

Therefore, I would like to gently suggest - and keep in mind, I do not have any published novels - a different potential approach. This proposal is speculative, and this technique is not widely used.

Do you know that famous Rockwell painting, Breaking Home Ties? Rockwell is a master of telling a story with just a single still-frame painting.

Rockwell has to tell the whole story in one picture, because that's the medium he's got to work with. This limits how much story he can tell. As an author, you don't have to limit yourself to what can be told in just one image, because you have the text.

This strategy would involve a two-step maneuver.

First, the image at the top of the post communicates the essentials that the reader needs to know about the characters through the composition of the scene (so that they don't need to read background material), as well as various subtle details, while raising questions, also through the use of details/etc, to increase the viewer's curiosity.

Fortunately for the viewer, second, the questions raised by the image are answered in the text right below it.

The post would form an entry point into a network of related posts; tags for particular characters could be linked at the bottom, or links to other posts in the sequence.

Secondary characters would be ideal for this, because you can manipulate their scenarios/context/character to fit the short format, while your overall project will focus on the main characters and thus have a greater, long-term narrative investment for appropriately larger payoff.

As I wrote in my post on 'text wall memes,' people will read text in an image, and they'll even reblog it, but it's contextual. So again, this is speculative, but it should be feasible. It's a matter of creating the appropriate context.

d. Investment - AI Art

I don't think you should use AI-generated art. Yes, people will be able to tell, but the even bigger problem...

Compare this AI knockoff to Norman Rockwell's original Girl with Black Eye.

The expression is wrong. The pose is different. This is a completely different story from the one Rockwell was telling! The prompteur 'borrows' the right 25% of the image from Norman's original because he can't reproduce it. And what is that random white cloth on the left side of the image?

There is a significant reduction in the amount of intention in the image. Putting it back in involves working over the image, repeatedly, usually with inpainting, and often working against what's in the AI's training data, forcing it to pull from more and more improbable parts of the distribution (until eventually, there's no matching data in the training at all; you have to get out and draw it yourself).

I'm going to borrow a post of my own here from 2019.

This isn't oriented towards the strategy I've described, and it only got 21 notes, but note the teacup with steam and tea bag tag, the obscured flag in the background, and the Youtube-style video tracker on the bottom. The combination of the special effect, text that looks like a subtitle, and video tracker imply that the image is a screenshot from a streaming anime.

The character is casually (as indicated by the cup of tea) sitting at a computer desk (as indicated by the faintly sketched keyboard and hand position for a mouse). What's that flag in the background? It certainly doesn't belong to any extant country. (In fact, as the artist, I'll tell you - it's based on an O'Neill Cylinder.)

Obviously this art is very much just a sketch in quality terms. An AI rendering usually looks much fancier. However, an AI would not put that detail in.

e. Investment - Technical Skills

However, I will suggest the use of software if you go this route. (Or the hiring of an artist, but that could get expensive.)

Your issue is with proportions. Lots of people have trouble with proportions. (You also have trouble with hands. Lots of people have trouble with hands.)

One way to deal with this is to just train. You'd be surprised at how fast you improve if you draw from realistic sources such as photographs an hour a day for a year, even if it's just a quick sketch. You probably aren't willing to do so. You have other things to worry about, including writing.

However, you could use posing software. You could save the proportions of several characters and position them throughout the scene, as well as having a grid for the ground and potentially other props to help with positioning of items like lamp posts or the edges of buildings. (I've experimented with posing software a bit myself.)

Dan Shive (of El Goonish Shive) does not use posing software as far as I know, but he has used 3D software. Although his style is cartoonish, one thing people like about him is that he does put effort in at improvement, and the quality of his work has improved substantially. (That was actually the inspiration for the second part of the "in 2028, Hollywood runs out of ideas and adapts El Goonish Shive" post.)

6 - Interaction

Though shorter posts tend to go more viral, I find that posts which someone can reblog and share their opinion tend to show up a lot in my top posts (as long as they're only about one tumblr page long). The MOON PRISON poll is a good example of something that's approachable and neutral, but fits heavily with the themes of my blog, but other posts may take a political position that invites disagreement, resulting in discourse, and get reblogged that way. (You may also remember the silly Swift Pill poll.)

I don't recommend courting disagreement on purpose. Not only is this bad for the social environment, but it tends to make people go crazy.

7 - Search

I think you've probably noticed some of this already and are working with it (posting short excerpts, initial art). Most of this is, again, speculative. This is all just information for your consideration.

Writing a good book is the first problem. Getting the readers who would enjoy the book to find it in such a noisy environment is the second problem. I think you can do it, but if your trajectory isn't currently looking as good as you want (e.g. # followers on your story's sideblog), I would recommend expanding your strategy so that you're in a good position when the book itself is ready to launch.

#northshorewave #writing_tag #media_tag #weekly post

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droughtofapathy · 7 months ago

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how do you see so many shows so often? I want to start seeing more shows but I don’t know where to find really cheap tickets

This is my favorite question and the answer is actually not rush or lottery. I never pay full-price for anything unless it's a very rare circumstance (like the Follies concert where I didn't care what I paid so long as I was in that room).

Here's what you need to do:

TDF: $35 yearly membership fee (first year only, after that it's $40) for the best discounts across NYC theatre. Tickets cost between ~$11-$60, depending on the class, and seats are assigned by the box office. I've been able to sit prime orchestra in seats costing hundreds for about $60. It's gotten a little pricier over the years (used to be $54 for a Broadway musical back in 2019, now it's $63, including fees). Membership is closed to specific groups/communities, but nearly everyone is eligible. It pays for itself within a show or two, so it's worth it.

Age-based discounts: the non-profit Broadway companies all have some sort of "30 under X" discount for young theatergoers. Many off-Broadway companies have really great student/under 30 deals too if you just do some searching before you buy.

Second Stage is "30 under 30" and I've found that by buying the season subscription (five shows for $150, so same price as single ticket sales), I get access to much better seating choices. Can be ordered online or at box office (sans fees). The shows are a mix of two Broadway, and two or three off-Broadway, and possibly a small fringe show thrown in depending on the season. Last season it was two Broadway and three off.

MTC is "30 under 35" and consistently has great shows. Can be ordered online or at box office (sans fees). The MTC's theatre (Friedman) has the most comfortable mezzanine seats in all of Broadway. Plush, high back, wide. It's luxury. And the side seating has pretty good sightlines, so there's not a bad seat.

Roundabout has the most generous one at "30 under 40" with their HipTix program, and this also eschews any fees even when ordering online. It's the easiest out of the three, though slightly more restrictive in what seats are offered. Never sit in the rear mezzanine of either the Todd Haimes or Studio 54 theatres. Bad times for very different reasons. Go side orchestra every time.

All three of these programs allow two tickets per show, though some won't allow guests of any age and some will.

Comp Tickets: There are a few paid programs you can join to get access to free (with a $5 per-show ticket fee) tickets. Last year I did TheatremaniaGold for $80, and this year WillCallClub for $15. Neither are really worth it, if you ask me. Most of the shows are the weird little fringe things that aren't selling, and while that may be fun, it doesn't really end up being great if you want to see Broadway unless it's a Big Flop. The Broadway shows I've seen listed include: Bad Cinderella, The Shark is Broken, and Lempicka, to name a few.

I'm also somehow on some comp lists where I get emails every now and then to see shows for free. I cannot tell you how to get on these lists, because I didn't do anything. It just happened. That's how I got to see Kimberly Akimbo so many times for free.

In-Person Box Office: If I have to get a ticket outside of these avenues, I always go to the box office to save on the online fees, which can be anywhere from $9 to $17, and that's money I want for me, not the predatory sites like telecharge and ticketmaster.

NYU ScholasTix: As an NYU alumnus, I get access to the school's discount program, but I've found the tickets aren't that discounted, and the seats are bad. And also you have to go all the way downtown to the NYU box office at Skirball Center to pick them up instead of going to the theatre box office before showtime. I hate it, and it's inaccessible, and the accessibility service is garbage, so I don't do this unless there are no other options (i.e. really popular Broadway play that won't ever be on TDF). Many city schools have similar programs, and you should definitely check because they don't advertise well.

Rush/Lottery: Every now and then, I'll do a digital lottery or rush. I don't do it in person because I just can't with my knees. Also, I have an adult job and can't just stand around the box office at ten in the morning. Shubert Broadway shows use the telecharge rush system. Jujamcyn/Ambassador use Lucky Seat for lottery only. Nederlander shows use Broadway Direct. Then there's the off-Broadway companies and non-profits that use the TodayTix app, and that one's a bitch to win, but hey, it's possible.

Seatplan: If you're like me and see too much Broadway, you can start uploading seat pictures to SeatPlan to earn rewards points. Every 4,400 points, and you get a free $50 telecharge gift card. Depending on how many points you earn per show (between 40-120), you can get a card every 36-50 shows, so that's easily one a year for me.

Other programs I don't use include:

The Theatr app, which is a new thing where people can sell tickets their not using either at cost or discounted, so it's never a situation where resellers profit. Anyone trying to sell fraudulently is immediately removed, and their customer service is pretty quick on the trigger.

TKTS booths at Times Square and at Lincoln Center. Those are day-of tickets usually going for 30-70% off depending on the show. I've gotten tickets through them before, but I don't stand in lines anymore. It's decent for the tourists though.

#broadway #theatre discounts #tkts #tdf #i may be forgetting some things but these are the main avenues #if you're looking for a specific show i am here to help

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michaelsmosey · 2 months ago

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"[When Vonnegut tells his wife he’s going out to buy an envelope] Oh, she says, well, you’re not a poor man. You know, why don’t you go online and buy a hundred envelops and put them in the closet? And so I pretend not to hear her. I go to this newsstand across the street where they sell magazines and lottery tickets and stationery. I have to get in line because there are people buying candy and all that sort of thing, and I talk to them. The woman behind the counter has a jewel between her eyes, and when it's my turn, I ask her if there have been any big winners lately. I get my envelope and seal it up and go to the postal convenience center down the block at the corner of Forty-seventh Street and Second Avenue, where I'm secretly in love with the woman behind the counter. I keep absolutely poker-faced; I never let her know how I feel about her. One time I had my pocket picked in there and got to meet a cop and tell him about it. Anyway, I stamp the envelope and mail it in a mailbox in front of the post office, and I go home. And I've had a hell of a good time. I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different." -Kurt Vonnegut

#Life

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mofffun · 1 year ago

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G-ROSSO Super Sentai stage show guide (7/2023)

Theatre G-Rosso is located within the theme park Tokyo Dome City. The theme park had a long history of Hero Shows running back to the 70s. The theatre was established in 2009 as a permanent indoor stage. There are 4 seasons each year with showings on weekends and holidays. Suidobashi station is a little closer than Korakuen/Kasuga subway. I visited it for the first time in July 2023.

Ticketing

Seats

Post-show activities

Merch

Review

TICKETING

G-rosso ticketing depends on which seasons really. Tickets should be plentiful for the first two seasons, especially S2/August when they show every day. S3 and S4 with the face actors might be harder but the show runs for 3 months too so it should be possible.

ticket types + availibility / show schedule

There are three classes of G-rosso tickets (single adult admission) :

Premium (¥2500): first 3 rows + special gift

General (¥1900): rest of the theatre

Free Seating (¥1500): same-day showings for the last 5 rows at the end of the theatre. cash only, vending machine at the door.

You can of course book online through a proxy (bypassing japanse phone verification) but I think you can save that fee especially if you're staying for more than a week in Japan. For S2, I was able to buy the last Premium ticket for the next day (Saturday), and there were enough general seats available. Can't say for sure the same applies to S3/4 with face actors. As a foreigner, the most convenient way is to buy a ticket is from the convenience store Family Mart. Find any store with the photocopier-looking machine and follow the instructions to choose the show times and pricing, pay with cash at the counter and the staff will print you a paper ticket. same go for photo ops and handshake.

(Free Seating vending machine, photo ops ticket)

CHOOSING A SEAT

The theatre is two stories high and you can see the seating plan here. I was in the third row mid-right. What surprised me was how close to the stage the first rows are, barely an arm's distance. At one point Kuwagata Ohger leaned on the railing of the first row. The actors would also walk up to interact with the audience.

I think if you want to enjoy the whole stage and not aiming at the special gift, you can skip the Premium ticket and get a few rows further back. Another recommended seat is Row L just between the two blocks. That's where Spider Kumonos descends UPSIDE DOWN from the sky right in front of your eyes.

If for some reason you g-rosso on a whim / sneaked it into the schedule, the free entry ticket is available only at the vending machine on-site with cash. It's designated to the last rows but staff aren't strict on you moving if the theatre is not crowded.

(view from middle block)

PHOTO OPS & HANDSHAKE

as you'd've seen in commercials, you can pay extra to take a photo (with red only!) (¥1100) and shake hands (with all six) of the heroes (¥600) after the show. The tickets for those are available prior online and in convenience stores too, but if you ask the staff, they'll let you buy one with cash on an old-fashioned vending machine. Since it's my first time attending G-rosso, I did the whole package with birthday perks (no id checked).

A new backstage tour is available since August. Lottery ticketing required.

(merch haul)

MERCH

The most iconic G-rosso exclusive merch is probably the hero hand light. I didn't really see a lot of kids holding it so I kinda forgot about it in the rush. the other true exclusive is a wooden plaque gashapon machine (¥300). There were booths for name badges for kids and you can get a bromide for ¥440. There was a cart selling DX toys and plushies. The special stuff is some toei online store acrylic stands, the muffler towel, cup and plate. Outside you'd find the food stall with collab items like popcorns and drinks with an original coaster.

(Collab menu with coasters, Exclusive wood plaque)

(kids play area, past hero show posters)

REVIEW

As a kid's show the japanese won't be too difficult but I was so captivated by the action I wasn't really listening to the words. The plot is easy enough to follow though, and the website says an English pamphlet is available for borrowing (but I forgot to ask). It feels so professional compared to park stage shows but so tangible compared to tv. They make good use of the space with an under-stage pit/trampoline and the high ceiling with platforms and wires. my eyes were busy darting when the action was in one corner and then next. childhood wonder!!

leaving the theatre is a row of gashapon machines and a kids' play area with all the DX toys (:( no adults) and when you go up the escalator, on the side of the theatre entrance is a wall of pass hero show posters!

(i barely have any coherent notes about this) the plot is there's a cicada MOTW and he is brainwashed to make the earth's temperature rise and make evil clones of the team. Rita, raised in the land of snow, is bad at heat and went to sit in a corner and covered their head with the mantle. When facing their/Gira's evil clone, they said 'i'll just cut down both of them'. My notes said 'someday Rita is even gonna plead innocence for the bugs'. six of them roll call together with jeramie!! i was watching papillon-sama's fight style the whole time. and there were trampolines and flips and cartwheels and white spider man falling from the sky while the digital background zooms in and out and legit tears when we started cheering for the heroes. it's an experience okay.

(outside the theatre)

#super sentai #g rosso #kingohger #ohsama sentai king ohger #tokutrip #mon mon #tokyo #japan #tokusatsu #had this written up mid aug tor dou yi ga sin post hehheh

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roo-bastmoon · 2 years ago

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BTS TUTORIAL: Tickets to Concerts

UPDATES NOW IN ORANGE BELOW!

So you wanna see BTS in person? Who doesn’t! That would be so dope.

Let’s chat about it.

Whew, okay, as a toddler ARMY, I worry I’m biting off more than I can chew with this one, because I’ve never been to a BTS concert. But since friends have been giving me good advice about trying for tickets to Yoongi’s tour, I will take a crack at it, share what I have heard, just in case it’s helpful.

So far, the only BTS-related concert we know of for 2023 is Suga’s Solo Tour.

In order to buy tickets, you have to jump through several hoops:

First, you better have an active ARMY membership. Deadline for that (for this concert) is past but you should still get one anyway.

Next, you will have had to apply for ARMY PRESALE. You gotta do this on both Weverse—which will give you a confirmation code/QR—and then you gotta do it again on Ticketmaster.

DO NOT FORGET TO PUT YOUR ARMY MEMBERSHIP ID NUMBER INTO TICKETMASTER.

This will allow you to ENTER INTO A LOTTERY to try for tickets.

IF you win this lottery, you will get an email on the evening of Tuesday, February 28th giving you a special login code for tickets during ARMY presale.

ARMY presale goes live on March 1st at 3pm your local venue’s time.

Research your venue ahead of time so you know the seating arrangement and tiers, in case you have preferences about where you sit.

I have no idea which seats are “good” seats for a stadium (some have a single stage set up at one end, some have ramps or multi mini-stages in the middle). I hear that standing by the front or barricade is really loud and intense so know your limits.

UPDATE:

Go ahead and log in to your Ticketmaster account now and put in TWO debit or credit cards (or gift cards). One as your primary; one as your backup in case something goes wonky. Save that info in your PAYMENT OPTIONS so you won't waste time plugging in numbers the day you want to buy.

On the day of the ticket sale, get onto the site at least ten minutes before the tickets are released, then refresh the page no more than 10 seconds before the release time to improve your chances of getting to the front of the queue. For example, if tickets go on sale at 3pm on a Wednesday, hop on the Ticketmaster site at 2:50pm, then refresh the page 10 seconds before 1pm.

You will then be entered into a queue along with a max of another 2,000 people. There could be 200,000 other people ahead of you, but YOUR cohort of 2,000 will be automatically queued and you can do nothing but wait for your turn.

DO. NOT. REFRESH. ONCE. IN. QUEUE. You will lose your place.

Stay in queue, deep breaths, and wait for your turn, then let the Hunger Games begin.

You want to take a few seconds to pick your seats, then check out IMMEDIATELY.

Note: if you are not handicapped, please leave seats marked WC (wheelchair) and the ones next to them (for companions) to those who truly need them.

You can only purchase up to 4 seats per lottery code, unless as a group you get an agent and try to purchase a box ahead of Presale, but those cost thousands of dollars and there is a waiting list and I have no idea how you actually get that done.

If by some miracle there are tickets left over from ARMY’s special presale, the following day opens to general presale. Then tickets go on sale to the public the day after that. (But we all know they are gonna sell out completely in minutes, and then after that there will be online trading and mark ups and whatnot.)

For step-by-step info, checkout Ticketmaster’s post here:

If you got tickets, the next thing you’ll want to do is book travel and accommodations immediately because mark-ups will skyrocket. Look for safe and well-rated hotels, motels, Airbnb, etc., in walking distance if possible.

Things to consider:

Can you take a bus or train to the area to save on airfare? How are you going to eat? Food at the venue will cost a lot but taste cheap. How are you getting to the venue if everyone is competing for cabs? Do you have a safe and non-obvious place to hide your cash on your person?

These are logistics you’ll want to play out thoroughly before your concert (Roo says, having never been to a popular music concert because she’s a giant musical theater nerd who only goes to the symphony—but this is what my older ARMY friends tell me.)

If you’re part of a community with fellow ARMY traveling to your concert site, it’s always a good idea to meet up and travel together (strength in numbers). Also check the rules of your venue to see if you need to use a clear plastic bag or if cell phones are not allowed, that sort of thing.

A lot of times ARMY are kind enough to bring freebies and giveaways, like stickers or crafts and such. Sorry to “Mom” you guys, but, please think twice before eating or drinking anything that a stranger hands you. If it comes it original brand packaging, cool. Otherwise, maybe don’t risk it. Not that ARMY has a history of poisoning or drugging people but, ya know, stranger danger.

Finally, it’s cool to bring posters and banners and things to hold up during certain moments in the concert when cameras pan to that—but please don’t block others’ views behind you. ARMY are supposed to be considerate and polite. Tickets and travel are expensive; don't ruin others' experiences.

Folks also say that you’ll likely experience a post-concert “high” and then a “drop.” So maybe have some self-care on hand. Make sure you have ways to hydrate. Bring some Kleenex and throat lozenges. Have a soothing playlist at the ready for when you try to sleep that night. Enjoy every ounce of it and then build in some time to decompress. Plan something fun to look forward to soon after.

This is now the extent of my knowledge when it comes to preparing for concerts.

I’m gonna try for tickets for Newark on the 29th but it’s my first time ever doing anything of the sort, so I’m prepared for the likelihood I won’t get one of the 16,000 seats available that one night. If that’s the case, I will try not to be too disappointed—I figure it’ll help me save on travel and accommodations in case Jimin ever decides to tour on this side of the world.

In any case, should you ever find yourself trying to go to a BTS concert, please share tips and tricks and have a good time.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

DISCLAIMER:

I am a Dope Old Person and have been ARMY since January 2022. So I still have a lot to learn.

I’m making mini-tutorials for people like me who are comfy with technology but totally new to voting, streaming, and buying Kpop stuff.

If you know of better, more up-to-date information, please comment or DM me so I can make sure I’m not spreading misinfo. Please be polite; we are on the same team!

Feel free to apply whatever you learn here to other BTS members and other artists; I’m Jimin-biased so I am focused on helping Jimin at this moment in time, but I’m OT7 so rest assured I’ll put my shoulder to the wheel for all our members!

#BTS Tutorials #Jimin #Park Jimin #Yoongi #Suga #agust d #min yoongi #BTS concert

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thelotterynetwork · 19 days ago

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Is It Safe to Buy California Lottery Tickets Online?

Learn how to safely buy California lottery online. Discover tips, risks, and benefits to ensure secure and legitimate lottery ticket purchases.

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best-reviews-usa · 2 months ago

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tips-from-john · 2 months ago

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LOTTERY DEFEATED (SCAM?) LOTTERY DEFEATED REVIEWS – LOTTERY DEFEATED SOFTWARE

#lotterydefeated #lotterydefeatedsoftware #lotterydefeatedsoftwarereviews

🎥 Welcome to the Mi Contaí Channel!

If you’re here, you’re probably curious about Lottery Defeated Software. In this review, we’ve covered:

How does it work?

What are the key features?

Where can you buy it?

Does it have side effects?

Stay tuned to get all the important details about this innovative tool!

🛠️ How Does Lottery Defeated Software Work?

🌟 Key Features of Lottery Defeated Software

Unique Algorithm: Generates high-probability picks to improve your odds.

Continuous Analysis: Regularly updates predictions based on the latest data.

User-Friendly Design: Simple interface for easy navigation.

Legally Compliant: Operates ethically and within legal guidelines.

🤔 What Exactly Is Lottery Defeated Software?

❤️ How to Use Lottery Defeated Software?

Using this software is straightforward:

Download and Install: Get it directly from the official website.

Select Your Lottery Game: Choose the game you want to play.

Generate Numbers: Let the tool pick the most favorable numbers.

Play the Lottery: Use the selected numbers in your lottery ticket.

✅ Does Lottery Defeated Software Really Work?

Yes, it does! The combination of a robust algorithm and continuous data refinement gives users a significant edge in choosing winning numbers.

🔒 Does Lottery Defeated Software Have Side Effects?

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🛒 Where Can You Buy Lottery Defeated Software?

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💵 Does Lottery Defeated Software Have a Warranty?

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📣 Lottery Defeated Software Reviews & Consumer Reports

📋 Important Topics:

00:01 - Lottery Defeated Software Review Intro

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conneartiste · 4 months ago

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thealogie · 1 year ago

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I saw you’re going to see Donmar’s Macbeth production with DT, does that mean you’re more local/have some experience with the theatre? I’m in USA and highly considering an ill advised trip to London ONLY to see the play but I can’t seem to find ticket resale which makes it seem the only way in is 1. Stand by line and hope for no shows 2. The daily standing room only online lottery and 3. The 7 days ahead Donmar tickets which confuses me I have no idea what these are….

Could you please update us on how easy people seem to have it getting in from these methods as time goes on or weigh in on resale if you have any info? THANK YOU

I’m from the states but I’ve seen a fair bit of theater in London. I’m getting to go because a follower on tumblr who has asked to not be named is letting me buy the ticket of a friend who could no longer go.

My experience is that unlike the US, the UK doesn’t have a big resale market for tickets (most fancy theatres ban it, I think?). That said the donmar releases tickets 7 days in advance (at 10 am) and releases same day standing tickets (at noon). I’ve heard that if you log on early and refresh the donmar website at the right time you have a good chance of getting one of these two types of tickets! To be honest I’m flirting with the idea of trying to see it twice when I’m there in January so if I manage to get one of the two types of tickets I’ll let you know how it goes

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exitrowiron · 1 year ago

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Investing 101

Part 5 of ?

How to select a Broker/Advisor

Beth's brother works in the Investment Advisor industry, he's not a broker himself, but he recommended a local broker from his national firm. I liked his recommendation because we wanted the security of using a broker from a large firm. Large firms have sophisticated compliance organizations which monitor the trades of their brokers to ensure they aren't churning (buying and selling excessively to earn fees). The firms also ensure that the brokers are licensed, etc. and the firms have secure, convenient online and mobile tools. If you don't have a relative in the business, ask your friends, your parents, your boss. You might want to ask the firm that manages your company's 401K.

Twenty years ago we met/interviewed the broker who was recommended by Beth's brother and we liked him. More importantly, we felt like we could trust him. He asked about our life goals, tolerance for risk, etc. and we felt like his style could match our style. He was a bit older than us, old enough to have experienced several economic cycles. We weren't looking for a guy who was going to call us once a week with a hot tip. We wanted rational, long term investing of a diversified portfolio which would grow to fund our children's college education and our retirement.

Selecting an investment advisor is a little like choosing a psychic (though I don't believe in psychics). You're looking for an advisor who is smart and successful, but let's face it, if he was really an investing savant, he'd be early-retired, relaxing on a beach or golf course instead of slogging out a 9-5 office job managing other people's money. Likewise, someone who was really psychic would have bought the winning lottery ticket years ago.

As much as anything else, an investment advisor helps keep his/her clients from doing something stupid. Beth and I are a perfect example of a couple who has invested broadly in the market and done well, mostly because we haven't done anything stupid. That's not to say every investment has been a winner, but we've cut those losses when we necessary.

Beth and I also have a very conservative view of what it means to do well with our investments. Frankly we have low expectations. We want to earn a few % points more than inflation over the long term. Ideally our portfolio (after paying the investment advisor's fees) will at least match or even slightly exceed the performance of the broader market, but probably not by much. If we see that the performance of our portfolio is beating the overall market by a lot, we assume there's probably something wrong we should fix - we are probably invested in something which the rest of the market thinks is too risky. Likewise, if our performance is lagging the market, we're probably invested too conservatively. We don't trade options, we don't buy meme stocks and a 'guaranteed return' like Bernie Maddoff would instantly make us suspicious.

Whether you invest through a broker/advisor or you do it yourself, the key, in my opinion, is to have a broad portfolio and never stop saving and investing. Don't try to time the market - i.e. pause your investing because you think the market is weak and instead decide to wait until the market starts to recover. I have no idea what the market is going to do next week or next month or next year. But I'm pretty confident that in 5 years it will be higher than today and 5 years from now I will wish that I'd invested today.

This concludes my prepared remarks - what questions do you have?

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