#i also only paid like $15 for my desktop so...

[lilyinthesnow]

If computers are too pricey for you there's a website for the US for an organization called PCs for People. They have refurbished desktops and laptops for like $140 to $180 for the higher end models for desktops, around $200 for the higher end laptops, and used to have, dunno if they still do, free shipping. They also have 4g wifi for $16 a month. It is based on income but the thresholds aren't bad.

This website is too mobile focused these days. Reblog and tell me what your desktop/laptop background is.

[salemoleander]

I hated how gdocs won't let you do dark mode*, so I went hunting for alternative document apps, and now I'm smitten with Calmly Writer.** Tried its web-based version, loved it, and just (voluntarily- you can use it for free) paid $15 for the desktop app version.

It's lovely, extremely uncluttered, and has all the options I personally want in a writing app (bold/italics/headers, basic image capabilities, dark mode, multiple doc tabs open at once, a few color customizations, and basically nothing else.) This would not work for MANY people - it wouldn't work for me at work, even - but as a creative writing workspace that removes anything unecessary it is IDEAL.

Turning on and off certain utilities like spellcheck or auto-correcting quotation marks into directional quotes are just checkboxes, no hunting through menus. That's about as complicated as it gets.

Also you can turn on typewriter noises and they make my brain happy :D It has a few other themes - including a sandy theme that's nice if you like light but not fluorescent white pages - and overall I would def recommend ^.^

*Yes I know if you go into the dev settings menus in Chrome you can enable a kind of janky forced dark mode. I use Firefox, and also that setting frequently caused color problems with other sites. Also that wasn't my only issue with gdocs, just the biggest

**I realize this is written not unlike an ad read - I am not getting money for this lmao. I just really like this app & thought I'd spend a moment reccing it bc it rules, and I imagine I can't be the only writer who's like 'wow I want to light gdocs on fire but idk what else is good'.

[inkykeiji]

HOW TO DOWNLOAD CHATPLOTS!

how to download it on ios: 

go to chatplots.inkyclari.com

tap the share icon (on safari: the little square with the upwards arrow, in the middle of the bottom of the screen, next to the bookmarks option; on chrome: the little square with the upwards arrow at the end of the address bar)

scroll down and select ’add to home screen’

you’re done! 

how to download it on android: 

go to chatplots.inkyclari.com

on chrome, press the three dots in the upper righthand corner

click ’install app’

you’re done!

currently, chatplots works best on a mobile device, so we encourage you to use it in a mobile browser or download it to your device as a web app following the instructions above!

more information + faq!

WHAT IS CHATPLOTS?

chatplots is a simulation game where you can enter into various situations with specific characters and 'message' them. each chat will have multiple choices for the player to choose and at least two endings. your choices and behaviour throughout the chat will influence how the character reacts and responds to you, and will ultimately determine which ending you get! it is essentially like a playable oneshot! chatplots IS NOT AI. it is a game that was written by me and developed by my boyfriend. each conversation was painstakingly crafted by me; it is all my writing, and it will always be completely and entirely written by me.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

chatplots can be downloaded as a web app on your home screen if you'd prefer to have it on your phone! (this is the option i personally recommend hehe) but chatplots can also be played on any device in any mobile or desktop browser, accessible through this link: https://chatplots.inkyclari.com.

here's how it'll all go down once the chat is open:

the character will send a message (or several messages)

the response button (the button with the little paper airplane) will begin pulsing when you can respond back to him

pressing the button will open up all of your available response options. you can then choose which one to send back to him.

this will continue until you reach the end of the game. the response button will begin pulsing with your ending, which is a piece of prose 700-900 words long for paid chats. the paid chats take about 10-15 minutes to play though once. the free chats take anywhere between 1-5 minutes to play through, and have no ending pieces of prose.

notes:

the character will refer to you by name. the name you input at the start of the game will be the name he uses, though this name can be changed at any time in the settings (the little gear in the bottom left corner!). also! check out the settings while he's still typing for a cute lil surprise ehehe c:

the character will behave like a real human throughout the duration of the chat. he takes a moment to read your message before he responds, and the time it takes him to type out a response is akin to that of a real person—meaning if his response is longer, he will take longer to type it than a response that is only a word or two.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:

this is a beta, which means it is not the finished product.

FOR THE TOUYA-NII CHAT: the chat you are playing is technically only half of what the full chat would be; you are only playing one route with a few different branches and two variations of the same single ending. (in other words, there are several different ways to reach the same ending, and each branch has slight variations).

FOR ANY OF THE SHORTER DEMO CHATS: the chat you are playing is merely meant to be a demo of what the game entails; like a sample of what you can expect from future paid chats! these chats have short, simple stories with 2-3 different ‘routes’ and no ending pieces of prose.

a full chat would have at least two separate routes within the same scenario/setting, and at least two different endings.

we encourage you to play through the chat several times to discover which choices yield which results, and to explore all the character has to say!

WILL OTHER CHARACTERS BE ADDED IN THE FUTURE?

yes, of course! any of my iterations of ANY character (bnha, bsd, and tokrev) has the potential to be added to the game in the future. i am also open to taking suggests and prompts from you all for future chat scenarios!

HOW MUCH WILL THE FULL GAME COST?

chats will either be sold on an individual basis, where you can buy each chat separately for $4-$6 USD depending on the length, complexity, number of endings, etc OR through a monthly subscription of $7 USD, enabling you to have continual access to the entire catalogue of chats as it grows, with the minimum number chats being released at least two per month. both options will be offered in the full version of the game.

[eonars]

Any advise for applying to PhD programs? Congrats by the way!

thank you!! sorry this is so late my notifications are in an absolute state and this is the first time I've been on desktop all week

I'm not sure if I'm the best one to give advice for applying to PhDs cause I honestly got rejected from SOOO many before I got this one. I'd applied for maybe 15-20 (bear in mind, this was in the sciences so they were all paid positions in funded projects, if you want advice on self funded I'm not the one) and came in second or third place more times than I can remember, which is totally useless at the end of the day cause they're only picking one person.

By the time this one rolled around I'd more or less given up and was seriously considering just moving to LA and becoming a tattoo artist lmao. But on a serious note it's super easy to get discouraged, especially when you're regularly getting top 3 candidates out of like 100 applicants and STILL not managing to get the top spot, and I don't really have amazing advice for that because I did get entirely discouraged and had basically given up the ghost at this point.

ANYway though I got recommended for this position by my former master's supervisor and immediately thought I was way underqualified for it, but decided to just apply anyway cause it was really no effort and I had nothing to lose (except my remaining shred of mental fortitude after yet another rejection but whatever). I bullshitted a motivation letter using the main bit of advice my master's supervisor gave me (it needs to sicken you a little to read it, go in and write in such a confident voice that you're the only one for this position that it feels kinda gross to write it, can expand on this further if you want) and submitted that and all my other things and got selected to interview!

So at this point I'm still kind of in my fuck it we ball half given up state but even half given up I'm still an academic weapon so I spent hours reading and preparing (we were tasked with doing a 15min presentation and I godsweat everything I'm asked to do). I also came off a little manic in the actual interview cause I hadn't slept and after doing so many interviews that led nowhere my nerves were completely shot, but I think that ended up working to my benefit because I came off as really bubbly and personable? Which is always a benefit in science-oriented spaces because there's always gonna be a million guys who know all the science and techniques and theory but can't hold a basic conversation, and you can really set yourself apart by being an engaging even slightly jokey type character. So overall being in the fuck it we ball mindset and letting my kind of tweaky goofy not at all stuffy academic professional side out ended up working to my advantage I think because they seemed to really like me in the interview. I'm also generally good at presenting and making visually pleasing, clean presentations (if you can make something tasteful looking that isn't just blocks of black text on a white default slide you're gonna be cooking with gas here).

Like I said before my qualifications (as in actual scientific experience pertaining to this project) were lacking to the point where I was strongly considering not even applying, so I really think it was the interview that sealed the deal for me. I gave a well-rehearsed, clean presentation that I practiced countless times beforehand, and even though they gave me two publications to work off of for the presentation I did my own further research and included figures and information outside of what I was provided. I also found a way to spin this specific project into the exact logical next step for my career, tie it into my own personal values and the impact I want to have on the world, and just basically make it look like this one project was made for me specifically and I wanted to be part of it because of what it was, NOT because I was ready to do any project that was dropped in front of me at that point. Especially in STEM, I feel like coming off as personable, agreeable, and social is going to give you a major advantage. They're not looking for a science robot who never leaves the lab, they're looking for someone who can present at conferences, write effective and clear publications and communications, work in a group in multiple different settings, go with the flow, solve problems etc.

Reading back on this now I'm realizing "get to the brink of giving up, plan running away and joining the circus, and be visibly mentally ill in the interview" isn't amazing advice but I uh, hope this helped somehow. If I can do it anyone can do it man.

[hollandorks]

Do you have any advice for someone who’s attempting to foray into writing but already has other obligations? Any suggestions for balancing work and other aspects of your life with writing? Also have you encountered any issues with creating an original work based on a your own fanfiction such as toeing the line with being original and paying homage? You seem successful with all of your writing and so getting your thoughts would be so great!

*cracks knuckles* had to get on desktop for this to be sure I answered thoroughly! First of all, thank you!! I don't necessarily feel succcessful with my writing but it's really nice to hear.

I actually asked a lot of favorite authors about this (especially when I was in college!) during their Q&A on social media etc and the #1 response I got was: you have to make time. And it's so true. Obligations suck, work sucks, school sucks. Those things unfortunately have to come first just because, yknow, life!

So you have to carve out time to write and be purposeful about it. For motn I wrote a ton on my lunch break at work on my phone but I also like....gave up on laundry and keeping my house clean as often as I needed to in order to write more after work.

Even if it's only 15-30 minutes a day, you have to just purposely make time, which sucks. But also, prioritize it if it's really important to you. Like I said, I decided laundry and a clean bathroom were a lot less important (lol) when writing motn. Just decide what's most important and focus on that, even if only a little at a time.

On to the next part of the question: an original work from a fan work. Listen, you have to get rid of copyright stuff. For motn, I got rid of anything even remotely related to Batman. Symbols, names, etc. I renamed the vigilante, the city, revamped the backgrounds and such. And when I paid for a beta reader, I let her know that it was based on the Batman movie and she purposely looked out for stuff that was too similar! (Like a couple of lines she noted that it sounded "too Batman-y" so I changed it accordingly)

I can't answer about legal stuff (like if I'll have to delete the original motn) because I'm not there yet! I do know Ali Hazelwood wrote the Love Hypothesis, a hugely popular romance book, that was based on her own fanfiction, but it also isn't set in the same kind of world of the movie if that makes sense! (As in, it was a Star Wars AU fic I think, and the book is set in the "real world" so she likely didn't have to change much other than names!)

I definitely toed the line in a lot of places. I mean, I set it in a gritty, corrupt city that has a vigilante who is a billionaire with cool gadgets and an armored car and dead parents....but still altered enough to not be copyrighted. Again, I'm not really into the publishing process yet so I may get notes back (if I get any) saying it's still too close to the source material! But my goal is for 1) anyone familiar with Batman at all to get the gist and 2) OG readers of motn to still be able to recognize it!

Last but not least, it's super important to realize that every person is different and every story is different. What worked for motn might not work for my next project! And what worked for me, personally, might not work for you. It's just a matter of keeping at it and being persistent until you find what works.

Idk if any of this makes sense so feel free to send any other questions and stuff! I'm happy to answer them, I love writing and am passionate about it and love to talk about it!

[chicago-geniza]

itogi nedeli s a little bit more--ahhh there is a colloquialism po-russki, na końcu języka, it is like, a dollop, a dash, you use it when saying how old someone is, nemnozhko, also eshche chut’-chut’, like ei 20 s [slovom], so dobavkoi, no malen’koi, malyuuuusenk’oi dobavkoi, you know what i am trying to remember? i have had so many absence seizures from stress and sleep deprivation. anyway itogi nedeli. 

- rugal died

- parents decided absolutely to get divorced, stepdad is...apparently getting medically assisted suicide because he can’t tolerate Being Disabled & he has no friends or family besides my mother

- phone partially broke and i can’t get internet there & am only intermittently getting texts, not getting calls at all 

- parents are unvaccinated on principle, won’t wear masks on principle, have been very generously, however, running errands all over chicago, comma, however, the 3rd largest metro area, comma, for me, since i am disabled & immunocompromised!

- unfortunately, as you probably already know

- per test i just took. They Gave Me Covid

- have been [indescribable] since the 28th

- have not checked emails or texts or anything since then 

- behind on 990385349058 deadlines, need to send 43985903485 Apology Tour emails

- ok

- obv posting from desktop since phone is on the fritz so if you rb this i will eat your liver with some fava beans and a big amarone

- “blassberg mowi, ze jestem przesadna i talmudyczna” ale. there’s a precedent here

- at this point i fully believe gd will kill me between sunset on oct 4th and sunrise on oct 5th

- just chugged a bang energy & a baziillion anti-inflammatories & paid a bunch of bills & am trying to catch up on work & respond to my over one thousand (!!!) emails

- can’t voice my true thoughts because gd will hear them & enact them on earth 

- all three of my parents seem to have been diagnosed with Problems Disorders of the personality and i was like. yes i am fully aware that nothing but the fully concentrated energies of a middle class OCPD person & a working class paranoid PD person & an also working class guy with clinically assessed narcissism who was also on the autism spectrum, all of whom were variously abused as kids in different ways, each in keeping with their socioeconomic + cultural + immigration backgrounds, produced. Me, a person recently described as “whenever i see that whoopi goldberg ‘i don’t want somebody in my house’ meme i think of you” & whose repeatedly diagnosed anxiety disorders go away the second i stop having to live with, work with, or be around other human beings, & who, at their age 6 neuropsych assessment, was flagged like those feral kids locked in closets because i spent the formative years of my life either 1) entirely alone, “entertaining myself” with my own imagination/personal language; 2) being socially ostracized as a weirdo; 3) being screamed at or punished or hit or threatened or taken to authority figures for “suspicious conduct”; 5) learning to Keep It (myself, my inner Seele; etc.) Secret & Keep It Safe, not be observed in order to not be corrected, not be punished, not be “caught doing what i’m not meant to be doing,” doing a task Wrong, doing it in the Wrong timeframe, being surveilled & monitored, leaning when i could be cleaning, keeping my space & my interests & everything else hidden because they were put in the trash & used to yell at me for not doing what i was supposed to & used to berate me for being stupid & useless & slovenly & disgusting! my dad was a compulsive liar because his mother was an evangelical christian who searched his room whenever he left the house & beat him bloody if she found anything she deemed sinful or even, frankly, indicative of Bad Character or Bad Personality. we had a limited and estranged relationship but i did, admittedly, lose it a little reading all those reports from his small-town illinois newspaper: from ages ~10 or 11-15 or 16 he routinely got physically assaulted so badly by his peers that he was taken to the ER and bystanders called the cops. like groups of preteen & teen boys hated him so much they’d just beat the shit out of him till he needed emergency intervention & someone deigned to intervene. he was huge, also, & although clumsy, could defend himself in a pinch against a single attacker, so it had to be like, a swarm. if i knew i was adopted and my parents hated me and my whole town hated me & i got beaten up about it every day of my life so bad it gave me brain damage i’d end up like my dad too! probably less arrogant, cannot imagine having such a high opinion of myself, or reflexively thinking so poorly of everyone else, or dismissing anyone i come into contact with as like, not...possessed of three-dimensional human subjectivity & a rich inner life, which ALL of my parents seem to have in common. it’s infuriating. their isolation makes them think everyone else is a brainwashed moron out to get them, with whom they couldn’t possibly have anything in common, even solidarity or sympathy. it’s a reactionary response to “you know, harriet, there are some very pleasant nazis” (without tone markers) attitude that many of their milquetoast liberal neighbors adopt but the aggressive cynicism of “our countrymen are morons, you can’t reason with Sheep [editorial note: you CAN actually reason with sheep, however, you shouldn’t keep them in pastures with slatted fences or they’ll get stuck. access needs. sheep are lovely & contrary to stereotype quite intelligent. they are also ungulates & behave like ungulates). my mom is freaked out by lying because dad leveraged his ability to lie against her. that was a Him Problem. i got cagey & avoidant & lied because she & stepdad did the same thing to me & would not permit me any privacy either, stepdad because he was paranoid, mom because she is a control freak. i finally got them to see a little bit of the connection, i think? like, again, a 7th grader is not abusing you by lying, you are in fact abusing them by going through their closet, throwing out all their carefully hidden shit, then cutting them off from the outside world because they accessed gay media against your explicit wishes and lied about it. that cagey defensive compulsive lying at such a young age about all aspects of one’s life and personal identity is defensive thing. in 5th-6th grade i was writing my diary not only in a coded alphabet but in a russian-english-hebrew conlang with klingon, vulcan, and celtic-language features, not from unjustified paranoia, but because i knew it would be read & i took prophylactic, offensive steps to make it indecipherable. i knew this because they read my sister’s diaries & went through HER drawers. even when they visited this time i kept my journals & the one (1) empty wine bottle in the house on me 24/7 because they think i’m teetotal & i know they’d go through all my things. anyway my mom is being a lot nicer to me now that she’s getting divorced, so 

[queenofchaosandwords]

MILANOTE FOR WRITERS

Please tell me I’m not the only one who is obsessed with organizing my book. Like, I have never been a big plotter, but I like to have my research, mood boards, and character profiles in one place, where I can find them. Most people use Scrivener for this, but as much as I love it for writing, I like to visualize more than scrivener allows me. Plus - the app is really expensive and I have already paid for the desktop version, so I don’t feel like paying for a mobile app.

But what is Milanote?

Imagine your favorite corkboard, except it's digital and you can access it both from your mobile and computer. Milanote allows you to make and personalize mood boards, to-do lists, write posts, add links to resources, add Spotify playlist, create boards within boards, add photos, and documents, sends you reminders when a certain task has to be done... and much more.

Milanote’s boards are extremely flexible. Besides writing I use it to organize my commissions, school, and finances. The Milanote itself even has plenty of templates for almost everything and I store almost anything in it these days. My family trees, interactive maps, notes, random ideas, character profiles.

It’s super easy to use and perfect if you are looking for something to make your story bible in. The app is available for both ios and android and any computer. You can also invite another person in and share your documents and your notes.

You can also convert your boards to pdf or a word document and download it later.

The only catch probably wood be, that Milanote only allows you to add a maximum of 200 objects for free. If you want more you have to pay a monthly subscription (i think 15 USD a month) - btw. the best purchase I ever made - but maybe the free 200 is enough for you, who knows?

also... did I mention dark mode?

[astrxealis]

I'M 🤞🏼 RN THAT YOUR PS4 SOMEHOW SOON STOPS BEING SAMPHOBIC 😭💔💔

tbh most of my moots aren't into ffxiv, yeah? >.> i kinda do hope i am kind of considered The FFXIV Mutual. if that makes sense

[rheaitis]

growing up gay on the internet

(apologies if you’ve seen this on twitter)

The first time I told a girl I loved her, she'd been telling me stories from fanfic she'd been reading. Not right then, a few hours before. When I told her, she stared at me, horrified, and said, "You're trying to make everything like that fanfic." [friends to lovers, slow-burn] Harry Potter, of course. I think Ron/Harry? Of course because everyone I knew in school read Harry Potter, often in great heaving knots gathered around OotP till teachers intervened. Many of us then read fanfic because we just wanted more stories in that place. 

I read in other fandoms, at the time X-Men. I am still angry about X3, not just because X3 was bad, but because it wasn't Minisinoo's Grail in re Warren Worthington III.  Not that I expected it have a queer Warren. I didn't know at the time that Warren is canonically queer in at least one timeline, and I never expected satisfying queerness from media in any case. This was 2004, early 2005, and wee teenaged Rhea knew better. I was wrong, but not about the movieverse unqueering X-Men. (Incidentally, if you haven't, please watch @eruthrosish's amazing Straightening Up the House, which talks about just this)

But anyway, back to 2004-05, a very little and increasingly angry Rhea trying to explain that it was love! Uninfluenced by fanfic! All me, baby! I mean, it wasn't true, a lot of that was very definitely the fanfic. Where else was I gonna find models of happy queers? Not in Indian media, for sure. In American... Tara Maclay died, Will Truman never got any dates, Lex Luthor was only coded queer. I was years away from reading queer lit, and even there fandom was my guide. 

I was lucky, insofar as I went to a single-sex school where a lot of people were gay-for-the-stay, including the girl I was confessing to. But for-the-stay, mostly, leading to my current consternation about the batch group chat I've just joined. The girls I kissed, tho, the girl I was in love with, they weren't thinking of queer futures, and all my dreaming happened with my nose pushed up to the screen of boxy desktops with limited or paid-by-the-hour internet. The last three years of school, I skulked around fandom. I read everything. First as much queer Harry Potter stuff as I could find, then whatever my favourite authors had written in other fandoms, then whatever their friends had written in those. The Magneto in my heart is penknife's wry, wounded one written in the wake of the 1st film. I read *so much* in so many fandoms, wandering around forums and livejournal blogs and the personal & communal websites where people like @astolat and @rageprufrock and @seperis hosted their fanfic. Smallville and pre-Cas SPN and SG1/SGA. 

And of course, Harry Potter. We rp'ed Harry Potter en masse, in 04-05: my batch the Marauder generation, our juniors the protagonist's. Rampages and letter-writing and patched-together friendships across school, and in the middle of it, I with my trove of queer fic in a dis/similar school.

This is not, btw, to commend fandom, then or now, but especially then, 5-2 years before RaceFail. (i-was-there-gandalf.gif) Even in my limited (by pocket-money) and very single-minded experience, it was misogynistic & racist, but I could see a brown girl on TV any time. Probably as a joke if she was dark and fat like me [by the standards of my community at the time] but there, anyway. There and straight. Fire had come out when I was learning I liked girls, but it wasn't exactly accessible. Girlfriend had just been released & I hated it.

All I wanted from fandom was to be flooded with stories of queerness, the possibility that I could become an adult without suddenly wanting to kiss (or marry!) men, that it didn't have to be a phase I would grow out of, or an entanglement, like Ma said, from which I could escape. A paucity of imagination, perhaps. I didn't know to demand canonical queers till I was in college. I still barely know how to demand canonical Indian queers. All I wanted was girls kissing girls, not as a game or dare or all the excuses the girls kissing me used. Queer love, queer domesticity, queer pining that ended in mutual confessions, fandom's favourite games. I'd have done so much better in my board exams if I hadn't been spending every free minute reading about Remus/Sirius or Lex/Clark or Jack/Daniel. (Notice the lack of f/f)

A note also in memory of all the we're-not-gay-we-just-love-each-other fic that I very possibly read against the grain as people escaping the shackles of comphet because of the strength of their love. (I didn't know the word comphet. What I was thinking was very awkward.)

Fandom found me friends. Fandom found me community. Fandom raised me in the bits of my life I couldn't admit to any of the adults around me. But honestly, fandom's job was done the moment it gave me access to queer texts, queer narratives I never expected from canonised media. I could go home from school, ferret my pendrive from its hiding place, and just spend a couple hours every day reading about Sirius & Remus raising Harry, Clark & Lex driving to the ocean, Jack & Daniel wandering alien sands. Queer people! Not defined/restricted by queerness! okay fine, cis white dudes, primarily. but that's a fandom problem, and I was used, anyway, to all my English-language media being about white folk. Queer POC still blew my mind in 2015, desi queers still do. Queer people! Who can pronounce my name maybe?! 

If you'd told me at 15 that I could read published books that had queer people in them... Well. And again, fandom did that work for me as well. That's how I discovered queer lit beyond, like, Oscar Wilde. Fandom recc'd me Maurice & Mary Renault & Sarah Waters.

I usually conclude this kinda spiel by saying fandom helped me find love, and that's true, but only in a roundabout way each time. The first girlfriend I had was the girl at the beginning of this story; three years after we broke up, I met @filianoctis and immediately told her Renault stories: the novel, first, and then fic. Yes and no, basically. But fandom let me imagine it, in all the stories of queer adults buying groceries and making beds, drinking beer and raising kids. Desire I knew I had the first time I wanted to kiss a girl but a future was harder to imagine. The first time I told a girl I loved her, the 2009 decriminalisation was four+ years away. I had no queer adults to turn to; I wasn't entirely sure adults could be queer. Nothing in my experience suggested it.

Except fanfic.

[hitsuackerman]

Unpredictable (Overhaul x Reader) pt.4

a/n: I love Gei here xD do ya’ll love Gei? I hope you guys love his extra ass <3

warnings: this cannot be read solo, cursing(?), subtle flirting

Links: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 5

Masterlist to my other fics: here :)

Overhaul’s waiting list: @jjk-biased​ @infinite-universe-love​

Taking your planner from your bag, you jotted down a reminder to dig up some old case files regarding the 3 villains Tsukauchi had just mentioned. Everything seemed clearer now as to why Overhaul managed to snag an invite. He was one of them no matter what his ideals were.

Forking the last bit of cheesecake, you stuffed your planner back into your bag and exited the shop. Scanning the area for any black cars, you were relieved that no one had been tailing you. There was a rising suspicion that Overhaul stalked you but perhaps it was simply chance. You couldn’t blame him though, you were usually buried under stacks of documents at this time of day.

Walking towards your first stop, you had to interview a witness by the convenience store. One of the cases you were working on involved arson. At first glance, you ruled it out to be some villain’s nasty prank. The more you dived into the case, you realized this was organized.

“So you recall seeing a person with black hair across the street?” You questioned the cashier while eyeing some chocolate bars. “Do you remember what he wore or an estimate of his height?”

“I can’t really picture his height but I do remember him wearing  a dark blue jacket with a high collar.” Peering at the glass doors, the witness tried to think back on the events that had happened. It had been a week since the incident but the fear was still there. “He just stared at the store for a couple of minutes, I remember. After that, he turned to that corner over there. Moments later, the explosion happened.”

“Hmm…” You mentally took down notes. Nothing much to take from that statement. “Well, thank you for your time and if you see something please don’t hesitate to call.”

Handing him your business card, you exited the store and crossed the street. Heading towards the corner mentioned, you scanned for any possible belongings left behind or a tell tale sign the initial investigators failed to see. Nope. Empty-handed.

Making your way back to the precinct, you felt a vibration in your pocket. Taking your phone out, you stopped walking and you blinked yourself back to reality.

You: Thanks for the cheesecake. Not gonna work.

Overhaul(?): Bold of you to assume I was after something.

Would it be logical to reply to his message? Moving aside to let people walk, your thumb tapped the locked screen. Generally speaking, there would be nothing wrong if you answered back. Communication was key, afterall. And, to top it off, he was basically your partner for this mission. Maybe some playful banter here and there wouldn’t hurt. That’s all you’ve been doing, anyway.

Chewing on your lower lip, you scowled and put your phone back into your pocket. Tsukauchi was right. His charm was strong. Either that or you're just paranoid of being kidnapped by one of the strongest men in the yakuza. Yet, a part of you wanted to know if he was waiting for your response. Probably not. Facing your gray cubicle once again, you rummaged through the metal file bin and pulled out a rather thick manila envelope. Closing the drawer with your foot, you tossed the envelope to your desk and began to search for what you needed.

The first document you found was of Nokusu. Looking at his quirk information, you took into account his ability to bend and manipulate shadows. The small footnote indicated that light played no weakness to his quirk. He wasn’t that up there in terms of ranking but he knew his cards well enough.

Setting it aside, the next file you picked up was of Tamisura. Ahh. You remember her all too well. Still an intern at the time, it was still clear as day the way the chief of police came with a rather huge gash on his chest. Healing him took 4 days and the only thing he mentioned was a name. Tamisura.

There was no detail about her quirk. Flipping a few more pages, the chief’s statement was all you had.

‘It seems as if her quirk gives her momentum. Stopping her movements was impossible.’ That’s what it stated. With the number of quirks present, it was a little too vague for your liking. Oh well. You had an idea and you could pull some straws with that. Stacking it on top of Nokosu’s file, you found the last of the three.

Akuji. Holder of one the most annoying quirks to deal with. Telepathy. Everyone is an open book when it comes to his mind.

Ransacking the files, you let out a loud and long groan. To your amazing luck, their profiles all had masks covering their faces. No stranger to this turn of events, you thought about contacting your confidants about possible information regarding these people but even you didn’t want to risk their safety. Villain or not. It became a habit of yours to make sure the favors you ask for are worth it.

Resting your chin on your palm, you reached for your phone and unlocked it. The first thing you see was the exchange you and birdman had. Checking at Tsukauchi’s desk, you found him hunched and busy encoding his cases. Eyes back on the screen, you decided to send a little message.

You: Busy?

Overhaul(?): Are you after something now?

You: I hate you. But, yes.

Overhaul(?): No.

What were you even expecting? Amused with the little exchange, you stretched your joints and packed your stuff. The profiles of the three villains now tucked into your bag. With only 15 minutes left before your shift ends, you took the liberty of scrolling the internet for dresses. Told to dress appropriately for the gala, you would have to comply.

There was no theme indicated but you were sure to go there with a black ensemble. That color was the safest and it was also the easiest to pick from. Getting a faint picture as to what you wanted to buy, you peaked at the wall clock and immediately turned your desktop off.

"Before you leave," Tsukauchi piped up. Peaking at you from his cubicle. "Chief wants to talk to you."

Nodding at his message you went up the stairs and hummed towards the chief's office. He'd probably want updates. He always did have a knack for annoying you. The mission barely started and he's already pinning you to the corner. Knocking on his door, you heard the permission to enter.

Now seated on the guest sofa, you gave him a respectful bow. As did he. Telling you to sit down, you obeyed.

"I request a little update of the mission." He began. The not so subtle exhale from your nostril only proved how obvious he could be at times. "How's working with Overhaul?"

"The status of the mission only has one movement. The upcoming gala has a few villains joining as well." You reported. "I'm not so familiar with how the yakuza works in big events like this, though. So, I took...no. I decided to join the event with him as my plus one."

"Smart choice." He nodded at the developments. "Has he taken his mask off?"

Snickering at the question, you shook your head.

"Take that as a side quest of yours." He instructed. "We need an update on his profile. We're still empty as to what he looks like without that mask. Gain his trust. Just enough for him to show you his face."

Great. Your personal mission just evolved into official business. Accepting the task, you pushed it aside and would rather let things take its course naturally. Overhaul was something else and there was no way you would rush things. Especially if it meant him showing something personal. You were keeping your word. One purpose and one purpose only.

Conveying what he needed to, he dismissed you and you were more than excited to get the hell out of his suffocating office.

Take out. That's what you needed to unwind.

Now that you were walking down the street, establishments began to light up the path. Neon signs heavily contrasting the orange and pink skies. With the mall coming to view, you decided now would be a good time to look for an outfit. And, mostly because shopping calmed your nerves each time you had the talk with the chief.

The air condition was heaven. Heading to the area where dresses were sold, you went inside the first store you saw.

The dresses were nice but came with a high price. Though thanks to your dad, your shopping needs were never a problem. Keeping yourself glued to the ground was always simple. With the job you had, the temptation of impulsive buying always flushed down the drain. Instead, the money put under your name went into aiding your missions and a few under the table deals here and there.

Seeing a dress you liked, you decided to try it on.

Inside the plush fitting room, you stared at your reflection. This brand always did good at flaunting the curves you had. The amount of running and training you did paid off. The dress was backless save for a small but secure bow resting on your nape. The lace mesh wrapped your arms delicately and the bead work was intricate. He would like this.

"Whot?" You thought out loud. Scratching your nape, your vision trailed towards  your face in the reflection. Your cheeks were a little pink and once again your heart rate was a little quicker than normal. “Lack of sleep. Caffeine overdose. Yes.”

Deciding to buy the said dress, you were accompanied to the counter by the clerk. As they were preparing the box and paper bag, you scanned a few trinkets inside locked glass boxes. Most of them jewelry for women and studs for men. They did look nice but you weren’t a big fan of diamonds.

One did capture your attention. Moving closer to it, you saw a shiny gold pair of cufflinks. Upon closer inspection, you saw how the small jewelry had what looked to be a crow. It was small but distinguishable if you knew your birds. Checking the tag, it wasn’t all that expensive. Y20,000.

Okay, maybe it was a little expensive but it looked hella worth it.

“Here’s your dress, miss~” The clerk snapped you out of your thoughts. The smile she used on all customers showing on her face. Her cherry red lips popped due to her pale skin. Accepting the bag, you glanced one more time at the tiny trinket. She seemed to catch up quickly. “Those are limited edition Bivenchy cufflinks. Would you like to see them?”

“Uh, w-” You let out a defeated sigh and agreed to look at the cufflinks.

An hour later, you were now back in the comfort of your apartment. The big paper bag with your dress now laid flat on your coffee table. Beside it, a smaller box with the brand’s name displayed in the center. Sending death glares to the impulsively bought item, you took out the contents and flopped onto your sofa.

Flipping the lid open, inside were the same cufflinks. They seemed to shine even more with the lights your unit had. Cursing yourself, you hadn’t put into consideration that a guy like Overhaul would probably have this item already. Or, something even more expensive knowing him. Closing the box, you placed it on the table and did what you had to do for the rest of the night.

Now that you were ready for bed, you scrolled down to Gei’s contact and called him.

“Hellooo my sweet quiet friend.” He greeted. The faint sound of television could be heard in the background. “What can I do for thee?”

“Hair and make up in two days, is that alright?” You asked shyly. When it came to underground thugs or villains, you were hella confident in asking for favors or settling deals. But when it came to Gei, you were like a child in her first day of school.

“Wanna look good for yo man, I presume?” He teased. For sure, his right eyebrow was cocked high by now.

“I wanna look good for the people in the gala.” You defended yourself. Twirling a few strands of your hair, you let out a yawn. “And, I don’t trust myself with makeup.”

“What time will he be pickin you up, booboo?”

“6. So, you can drop in at 4.”

“Copy on that.” He agreed. “OH OH OH. Did you buy a dress? Please tell me you’re not wearing that monstrous thing from 2 years ago. Honey, that color made me want to puke.”

Cringing at the memory of that vile yellow and purple dress, you THOUGHT you looked good in.

“I went shopping. Don’t worry.”

“What brand?”

“Auscer de la Venta…”

“YAS BEECH! WIG SUH-NATCHED!” He screeched through the line. “I swear to Queen Todrick, if his jaw ain’t gonn drop, imma whoop. His. Ass. even if it kills me. Oooh~ You think he’ll take his mask off?”

“Probably not. I doubt he’d even eat anything at the gala.” There it was again. The second person to wonder about what he was hiding underneath. There was the idea that he hid his face so he could get away if things didn’t turn out. But you recalled his explanation that he hates the air around him. “He hates dust so taking the mask off would probably be the last thing he would ever do.”

“Oh my lords.” Gei breathed out. “If he disappears when the food comes, I bet my money he’ll be eating in the men’s toilet.”

Okay. That made you laugh. Hopefully, you wouldn’t picture that scenario when he comes pick you up.

Gossiping for a few more minutes, your energy levels were now gone. Saying farewell to your friend, the moment you closed your eyes, you immediately fell asleep.

- - - - -

are yall enjoying the story so far? :’) comment or message me if you want to be a part of Overhaul’s waiting list or any questions about the story :)

[nickcifonie]

In 2021, Anyone Can Make $ Playing Video Games!

I grew up playing games like Risk, Monopoly, a little Chess... and still remember buying my first computer somewhere around 1986 solely to play a computer game on. It was an Apple IIc, and that first game was some type of Pirate Adventure. I wish I remembered the name. It wasn’t all that good, but still, I was hooked!

Since that first adventure, I’ve spent thousands of hours as well as dollars playing just about every type of digital game that has followed! PC games, Atari, Wii, mobile games... you name it, I play it! I’d always generalize the cost (to myself at least) thinking “some guys play golf 3 days a week at $100 a round... I play computer games”.

That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! However, the story has changed...

“Pay to Play” has become “Play to Earn”!

If you would be to search terms like “crypto games”, “blockchain games”, “make money playing video games”, and others, you’d find some really incredible statements. Today, quotes like the ones below are becoming more and more common!

“I made $400 last week playing a computer game” “I just sold my RPG character for $200 profit”

“I was offered $1k for a skin for my laser rifle of doom” (I made up the “laser rifle of doom” part)

“I bred my pet thingamajig yesterday and sold the baby!” (it’s digital, for those of you wincing)

In 2021, thanks to the blockchain, there’s a growing community of gamers who are making real dollars daily, mining, fighting, shooting, jumping... all while playing the same type of mobile and PC games that you had to PAY to play just a short while ago...

...but let’s start at the beginning.

You paid $172,000 for a what!?

Yes... all the way back in 2018 a CryptoKitty named “Dragon” was sold for an incredible $172,000. (300 ETH) Don’t be too surprised, it’s justified! It’s an adorable digital image, or “NFT” of a cat, after all.

It’s a lot of money, but for NFTs and blockchain gaming, flipping a Kitty today may as well be considered the stone ages. It’s still a record, but while you can still get started collecting these digital felines for as low as a couple of dollars, big-dollar trades still happen daily.

On the flip side of mortgaging your home to buy a digital picture of a CryptoKitty, Bored Ape, or CryptoPunk, you may feel better if you begin your adventure into making crypto (it’s real money, dear!) by playing a video game where you can “make money” instead of spending it.

I’m not saying owning a CryptoKitty or any of a plethora of “Avatar NFTs” we see popping up on various exchanges isn’t one way to do it... I’m saying to me at least, as a life-long gamer I’d much prefer playing a mobile, console, or PC game to collecting pictures in a digital wallet.

So what the heck is an NFT?

I could go into a long explanation... but since this article is about gaming and not cryptocurrency, I’ll tell you an NFT is a “non-fungible token”, and leave you google it if you really want to dig in deep. I do want to share more, so I’ll ‘splain it as simple as I can for you Lucy!

A CryptoKitty, as stated above, is a type of image called an NFT. (the collection is called “CryptoKitties) It’s a digital picture of a cartoon cat. There are thousands of different ones that have different shapes, colors, expressions and traits. (kind of like a real cat, but eats less)

The difference, is only one of each design is actually a legitimate “CryptoKitty”. (or a legitimate whatever type of image it happens to be) To be clearer... each NFT is a “one of a kind”, so if you’re thinking “but can’t I just make a copy?”, nope you can’t.

I mean... you “can” make a copy of it if you really dig the design and want it on your desktop, but it would only be a copy of that particular NFT, not the real McCoy! Ok... so what makes one real, and the rest fakes? The blockchain.

Now, I’m going to be true to my word and keep my promise of not making this an article about crypto or the blockchain, so just know this: the difference between an image that is an actual NFT, and a copy of one, is there is an underlying digital code that designates the real thing.

So real in fact, that artists are creating or importing their paintings and creations to the web as NFTs, numbering them as they would a lithograph, and selling their entire collections. So if you are an art fan, check with your favorite creators... you may be surprised to find all of their “works of art” on an online marketplace!

NFTs are viewed on certain marketplace websites and digital wallets where the copies cannot be displayed, so that is how we know one is real, and the others are not! Having said that, sure, there’s more to it, but just know that there’s a 100% secure way of knowing an image is a real NFT.

In addition, there can be more than one NFT with the same identical image. However, each has a unique underlying code, so even if they look exactly the same, they are not! Look at it like the playing cards or comic books of old... there may be 1,000 created (or “minted” as it’s called in NFT land) but they will each be numbered 1 to 1,000.

And guess which is more valuable.....? I knew you’d get it!

And these NFT’s make money how?

You’re getting warmer! There are a lot of different types of games coming out these days where you can make money playing. There are RPG’s, MOBA’s, Shooters, games in first person and in third, dungeon crawls... you name it!

If you’re thinking “how did I not know this!”, I was the same until recently! I have been gaming almost daily since I stepped into Ultima Online back in 1997, and I can’t even begin to tally how many hours and/or dollars I’ve invested into gaming.

Now, our hobby pays!

After 30-something years, my wife still thinks I’m bonkers... but I got a totally different look from her a few days ago when I told her I sold my game character for well over $200. Legit. I sold two more yesterday, and another this afternoon.

Some of these only cost me $10 or $15, some much more. Some are free. I sold another NFT character last week for $1,950, and it was sold on the game’s website, not on the black market.

So not only can an NFT be a picture of an Ape, Vegetable, Duck, or Stripper on a pole (we’ll leave it at that) but it can be a character in a game, a weapon, a mount, armor, or more.

One game is giving away free pet turtles with each character. For the uneducated on “pets” in computer games, it’s not the kind you keep in a bowl in your bedroom. It’s a companion that fights with you in an online game and may shoot fire from its eyes, heal you, or similar.

Soon after being handed out for free, they’re now selling for around $60 each.

So an NFT can be an image, a video, music, a meme... or even a shirt or shoes! But we’ll leave the NFT clothing explanation to another article. ;)

Remember that rare skin you paid out the nose for a year ago in Apex? Or the L33T character you built up in Fortnite or Warcraft? If you’re no longer playing that game, it’s money under the bridge. And you don’t own the bridge!

In this new breed of blockchain games, you could have LEGALLY sold that character, skin, weapon, land, house, mount, or whatever it was when you tired of the game. For a profit. Maybe for a LARGE profit.

Yes, in the past we were able to find ways to get around the system and dump our pixels from time to time. We’d sell the account on the black market, or cut a deal with someone like a drug dealer on a Chicago Street corner. Then we’d over who went first...

“You give me the account and weapon first!” “No you give me the money first”.  Sometimes the deals even went through. Others well... let’s just say half of the parties walked away happy.

I made good money when after 4 years of daily playing I sold my Ultima Online account for somewhere around $2,000, but I needed to find a trustworthy “go-between” to broker the deal. Even then, I was sweating it!

With today’s crypto games, not only do the games provide the platform to buy, sell, or trade your character and items, but it’s encouraged, and done with good old U.S dollars! I’ve made $ playing 4 or 5 different games already this week, as well as flipping (buying low and selling higher) NFT characters!

How else can I make money playing games?

The way you earn varies from game to game, but each week seems to reveal another new strategy, platform, or idea. Many are new strategies, and while some have “triple A” 3D animation and graphics, others are simpler and use basic one-dimensional graphics for the gameplay.

Some of these games are actually tied to a token on the blockchain. The game developer creates their own token, not too unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, and it can be bought or sold on the open market as well as used in the game as currency.

Could you imagine if back in League of Legends, Guild Wars or Final Fantasy, when you were ready to move to a new game, you could sell or easily convert your gold to cash? Some of today’s blockchain games encourage it!

Not only can you now buy and sell characters and weapons, the gold in the game can be traded, bought, sold, or saved like real currency, stocks, crypto, or collectables. Never have I been as excited about PC and mobile gaming as I am today!

As an example, I am doing some work for a new game that will launch soon called Pepper Attack. Pepper Attack has its own token or coin... called MYTE. It can be used in the game as currency, but also be traded like Bitcoin. A lot of today’s blockchain games offer this same benefit.

Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to mine I go!

Just by owning an NFT from the game, you can login on a daily basis and click “mine” earning real-value tokens passively. Your Pepper goes to work like one of the 7 Dwarves mining MYTE, and later on you can convert it to other tokens or cold, hard cash.

There's more to do in this particular game as well. Like any good RPG or MMORPG, each pepper has a unique combination or skills like attack, defense, evade, hit points, and more. As an example of the possibilities, if you have a high attack score, other characters will be able to pay you in MYTE to “train” them, raising their score as well.

In addition, these NFTs have unique physical traits, some are common and some are very rare. This game in particular have toons that look more like anime-ish elves with weapons and a stem... I have to admit the artwork is really spicey! (see what I did there?) Other games are of course totally different.

Some people will simply collect these NFTs/characters as an investment, like playing cards or comics. Others will use them in the game, and still others will do both. Either way, they can be held, or sold for a profit!

Unlike the games of the past, when you’re ready to move on you don’t walk away and lose all the $ you have spent for characters, skins, weapons, potions, and other items. When you’re done, you’ll be able to sell your character and items... possibly for a profit... maybe a lot of profit... and move on.

These are not your father’s computer games!

As we move ahead in the genre, we are seeing AAA studios coming out with big-dollar productions, like Blankos, Mist, Illuvium, Ember Sword and others. Some of these games actually let you buy the land you build on!

Did you have your own house in Ultima Online, Star Wars Galaxies, or Archeage? What if you could have used It as a shop and been paid in dollars for your wares, rented it to another player, or sold it for cold hard cash at a huge profit down the road?

In many of today’s games, not only is it common, but extremely hard to come by, and quite expensive. Not only are people paying thousands of dollars for a plot in some of the games that have land, but they’re paying it many months before the game is even released.

They do it, because in many cases they know that they can easily 2X, 10X, or even 50X their investment a short piece down the road. Seriously? Seriously... and the early bird catches the worm!

Other games with lesser budgets are more graphic-based, but have super earnings potential as well, and are just as fun to play. These include Splinterlands, (a card game like Magic!) Crypto Blades, Axie Infinity and more.

Regardless of if the new blockchain game of your choice is a RPG, MOBA, a card game or racing game... the fact that you can put some coin into your pocket playing adds a whole new element. It’s heckafun making money playing a game!

The early nerd catches the worm!

In many cases, if you can catch a game before it releases, the land, characters, weapons, and other items... in most cases all NFTs... can be grabbed at a tiny fraction of the future value.

Of course, always check out the game details and team first, and be confident it’s a good place to put your money. Not all games are made the same.

If you’re lucky enough to find out about and partake in an early sale, for example, like grabbing a character NFT or two in   “Pepper Attack”  before the late September launch date, you may be in for a real treat!

There are plenty of new titles coming down the pipe that look to be fun, have great communities, and offer earning opportunities. A web search will find services and websites that will keep you on your toes and alert you of upcoming blockchain game releases, marketplace opening, and more.

As we look forward, the future of gaming on the blockchain is really, really exciting! Not only are the games getting better and more fun, but they’re getting better at making the economics work more smoothly as well.

The games are not without challenges, as they need to be made to sustain themselves economically over the long haul. In addition, they need to have higher levels of security (thanks blockchain!) and of course, work without becoming “pay to win”. Thankfully, the new breed of developers have risen to the challenge!

The next time you look for a new game to add to your phone or desktop, or just want a change of pace, look to a game that pays to play! Your wallet might thank you.

Another perk, is your husband or wife will appreciate it as well! Instead of hearing “are you going to play that stupid game all night again?”, you may start to hear things like “I’ll put the kids to bed tonight sweetheart, so you can get online and play”.

One can only hope...

Author - Nick Cifonie

Nick is a lifelong gamer, who cut his teeth at the local Chicago arcade playing Tetris as a teen. Better known as Znick or Deacon Z, Nick became a Game Master in Ultima Online in 1997, ran a large multi-game guild for 15 years, and now spends his time in the “play to earn” arena. Professionally, Nick is a writer and 4-decade marketer working with the  Pepper Attack team, as well as others. Nick is also a Catholic Deacon.

[candyload302]

Airtable And Notion

Before using Notion, I used Trello, Google Calendar, Google Keep, Google Drive, Evernote, and countless other applications to keep my life on track. They were all terrific applications, but switching between them just for changes in features quickly became a chore – staying productive became a chore.

Notion Table Without Title

It took me at least a year before I settled on the best productivity app. I even switched to paper agendas and bullet journaling, but my lack of art skills killed that dream. I needed something centralized and consolidated; a place for anything and everything in my life.

Last year I dove deep into Notion but then discovered Airtable. Unable to find a video explaining the two, I decided to compare Notion and Airtable.

Integrations help you automatically move information back and forth between Airtable and other apps. Airtable has built-in support for many popular apps and a robust API. Use Zapier, Workato, Integromat, or Automate.io to connect Airtable with over 1000 websites and apps.

Let's start with the similarities. All three are a new type of online collaborative surface that goes beyond documents or spreadsheets to make it easier to organize data, communicate, and work together. The three flavors are:. Database: Airtable.

That app was – a digital productivity application that provides easy-to-use features in task management, organization, and more.

I’m not the only one raving over this product. On Capterra, a software comparison website, Notion is rated in the in task management software, document management software, remote work software, and collaboration software for 2020. Its clean and functional platform has attracted more than one million users in two years.

What features does Notion have?

From study trackers to personal journaling, Notion has a huge variety of templates. The app is highly customizable with its pages, task lists, kanban boards, and dashboards.

One of the most commonly used features is the task list, which is a replacement for apps like Todoist. Notion provides an easy way to tick tasks off your list, just like you would on a planner. The digital version lets you move around and rearrange the items as needed. I keep a task list for every day of the week at the bottom of my central dashboard, rearranging them when necessary or changing them to different days. Once ticked off, the line grays out.

One of the best features is the ability to create new pages and each one of those pages can have their own subtopics. I have more than 15 pages that help me manage all aspects of my life, including freelancing, Urban Asian, my website, and school. Within those pages, oftentimes, I create more subpages to keep organized. It sounds complicated, but it basically mimics pieces of paper inside folders. Within my freelancing pages, for example, I have a long list filled with possible pitches, embedded links at the bottom with resources, and a subpage with editorial contacts in an Airtable-style spreadsheet. Meanwhile, my Urban Asian board is a simple kanban board to track the status of several articles. Being able to combine a variety of formats without leaving the platform is a huge advantage – most other apps I've used give me one or two of these layout types, but not all of them.

Drop-down lists and kanban boards are often used in Notion spreads as well. Users can also change statuses on various subtasks to be able to track things at a glance. Notion also allows users to embed links, create Airtable-like bases, add quotes, lists, files, and images.

A clean user experience

Notion really aces UX design, using white space to provide a clean and fresh look. The emojis used on each page are aesthetically pleasing and functional for identifying categories of information. For instance, my school subpage has a school emoji and my personal journal page has a journal emoji, making it easier to find within all of the subpages created on the platform.

Although it can take time to master, the effort learning Notion pays off.

When you first land on the Notion workspace page, the interface is completely blank – a fresh space to create a beautiful dashboard. Its Lego-like structure allows users to build up their dashboard how they see fit; many have taken the opportunity to design their own layouts and teach others how to do the same. For example, on my dashboard, I added an emoji, a name to my workspace, general goals, a list of all my subpages linked for easy access, a picture of myself, and below all of that, a general list of tasks for the week. This freedom to add anything to not only the front dashboard, in addition to any subpages, mimics the usefulness of widgets on your phone's home screen. You can check the weather at a glance, so you get in and out, and then onto the actual work you need to do.

Notion's drawbacks

Notion has a built-in calendar option, but it can't be integrated with Google or Apple Calendar. This is frustrating if most invites to meetings or time-blocking are done through another service like Google Calendar. The pain will be particularly acute for organizations, which probably already have a calendar that's integrated with their email suite. There is also no offline mode for desktop usage.

Other tools have powerful software integrations and are more thoroughly developed in certain sectors, such as notes, bases, or calendars. Although some might find Airtable, Evernote, and Google Calendar as better organizational tools for some of these functions, Notion provides a centralized workspace that works well enough in all of these areas that I don't notice the loss of features. Even without a full suite of features, Notion's other virtues pay off.

Notion uses a freemium model for pricing. While their free plan works well for individuals with unlimited pages and blocks, businesses can opt for a paid pricing plan of $8 per member per month. The paid plans provide a more collaborative workspace with unlimited team members.

Final Thoughts

Tables In Notion

Notion brought my love for working back. Having my thoughts down in one place helped me gain a lot of time and energy back in my life. It connected the lines between my personal life, such as my health and journaling, with my professional life, such as tracking freelancing articles and emails. I still use other applications, but much less frequently. Notion is truly the superior productivity app and encapsulates features that anyone could love and use for every aspect of their life.

[eponymous-rose]

(I’d rather this not be reblogged, just in case!)

I’ve had a funny conversation a couple of times this week, once with my cousin and once with my physical therapist, so I thought it might be fun to go over this: when I mentioned I wasn’t teaching this quarter, they both stared at me in shock and said, “And you’re still getting paid?” To be fair, I absolutely would’ve asked the same question before I started. This job is so weird I never would’ve guessed what all falls under it! 

So here’s a little glimpse into what goes on in this particular professorship:

So, hey, there are different ranks of professor. I’m an “assistant professor”, which is about as junior as it’s possible to get, but I won the dang lottery and somehow finagled my way into getting the words “tenure-track” tacked on before that. This means that over the next six years, everything I do will be scrutinized (culminating in a "summary” of several thousand pages reporting on every single aspect of my job performance), and at the end of it, after about nine months of progressively higher-ranked people in the university voting and deliberating, I have a chance to be granted tenure, which comes with a promotion to associate professor rank and Extreme Job Security. The criteria here are basically being able to prove that I’m one of the foremost experts in my field in the country and hitting research/service/teaching goals, and I’ll talk a bit about that in a second here. Promotion (often many years later) to full professor requires proof of being one of the foremost experts in the field on the planet.

Also, if you don’t get tenure, you get fired after that six-year period. Some universities are dicks and hire three or four assistant professors for every tenured position they want to fill and just fire the spares after getting six years of work out of them. My university has an extremely high tenure rate (mainly because anyone who seems unlikely to make tenure will either have some sort of intervention on their behalf, be granted an extra year to make up the difference, or will be asked to quietly resign before deliberations start), and my department hasn’t denied anyone tenure in decades.

So! What the hell do I do? Well, universities in the U.S. that are particularly research-heavy are referred to as “R1 universities”, which is the situation I’m in here. This means that the majority (often the vast majority) of my time is not spent teaching: it’s all about doing research, to the point where I will not be teaching more than one class simultaneously. In my field, that research can look like a lot of different things:

There are indeed people who work with beakers and range hoods and snazzy lab coats: these researchers in my field might be doing stuff like growing snowflakes in the lab and using that information to figure out the conditions under which different kinds of snow can form. Also there’s chemistry? I don’t know this side of it too well. Professors’ roles here, apart from the science, include ordering the right equipment (which includes getting quotes from various suppliers) and hiring lab technicians and folks to keep the equipment up and running.

Some folks do intense numerical modeling: if you’re studying the atmosphere, you can’t just try your experiment on one Earth and compare how it’s different on another Earth, since we only have the one, so what we do instead is use the most powerful supercomputers on the planet to create simulations. These can be as detailed as looking at the flow of dust in the millimeters above the ground, or as broad as simulating the whole atmosphere of the entire planet (or other planets!). On top of the science, these professors often have to negotiate for supercomputer time (a precious commodity), purchase massive computational resources (e.g., a server room hosted locally), and sometimes hire dedicated I.T. support just for their research.

I work a lot with large datasets: if we have information about the conditions under which tornadoes happened over the past 15 years, what patterns can we pick up that forecasters might be able to use? What is physically, fundamentally different about tornadoes that happen in different places? This kind of stuff really just needs a decently specced desktop machine and some know-how, and a lot of research in our field involves sitting and thinking. Also in this category is the pure math and physics work in the field, where people bury themselves in impossible-to-solve equations to try to figure the best way to wrench them into things we can solve. This is probably the closest to what most people think of when they hear “research”.

Fieldwork. Think Twister. Coordinating large numbers of people, who may be on the ground, driving, in the air, in the ocean. Also, coordinating instruments that might be stationary or might be buoys or drones or something else. We’re a public university; we don’t have the cash to buy our own airplanes, so profs in this scenario have to rent time on research aircraft owned by organizations like NASA or NOAA, or rent time on boats, or hire folks to develop and build new instruments. Massive amounts of organization goes into this, and all stages from inception to execution are generally overseen and organized by the professor.

When any or all of these approaches come up with groundbreaking results (you’re expected to have that kind of result happen a couple times a year), it’s time to write a paper and get it published in a prestigious academic journal. That process can take between four months and a year, depending on a bunch of different factors, so often a professor is juggling a few different projects in different states of done-ness.

What you’ll notice in all this is that professors generally have to come up with the money to do this stuff. New profs generally get a starting budget to get them off the ground, but most of that winds up wrapped up in personnel and start-up costs (e.g., buying computing resources or space for a lab). For the rest of it? Grants.

Grants in my field right now are a bit of a mess: it takes months to put a proposal together, it’s chaotic and complicated as hell, and there’s only about a 10-15% success rate, so you can do the math on that one. In my field, grants range from “small” ones supporting a few years of the pure-science stuff (typically a few hundred thousand dollars that mainly goes toward paying several people’s salaries over several years, but also covers things like journal publication fees - it costs several thousand dollars to publish one paper in an academic journal) to much larger ones supporting field campaigns or long-term projects (rarely, several tens of millions of dollars if you’re talking projects with multiple aircraft and such). I get paid for nine months of the year, and have to come up with the remaining three months’ salary on my own. 

The other thing, though, that grants pay for is graduate student salaries! My department pays students quite well (more than enough to afford the rent on an apartment here, which is saying a lot), and also provides full benefits and a complete tuition waiver. Grad students in my field are essentially in an apprenticeship situation: they pick an advisor and work with that person for typically about seven years. During that time, they have to hit certain milestones (nine months of classes, plus a few courses sprinkled throughout the remaining six years, giving presentations, passing exams, doing a defense, writing a dissertation---essentially a book of their research results), and if you’re thinking this is putting a horrifying amount of power in the advisor’s hands, you’re absolutely correct. The imperfect but step-in-the-right-direction solution my department’s adopted has been to give each student a committee of professors, where one leads the research but the others are always available for new ideas or to resolve problems or speak up on behalf of the student. Students are also strongly encouraged to take a year or two off from their main research project to work with another professor, either here or elsewhere, and explore new research ideas.

Professors are responsible for teaching their students what they need to succeed, and our department has famously exceptional graduate students and graduate student mentorship: profs teach students how to do research (often guiding them through a Master’s project, then letting them take the reins and backing off to an advisory role for the remaining years of the PhD), which includes having them publish their results as the lead authors of their own scientific journal articles. Profs also pay to send students to conferences to showcase their research and introduce them to the people who’ll help them in their future career (one of the reasons I traveled a bunch this quarter was to meet some folks who might be good contacts for students who don’t want to just shoot for a job in the US). Some students will get to go on field campaigns, flying on research aircraft or, I dunno, driving tanks into tornadoes. Some will be more interested in non-academia pursuits and might spend some time shadowing insurance analysts or taking extra entrepreneurial classes in the business school or working hands-on with forecasters during the height of severe weather season. It’s our jobs as professors to know the job market, to know the right people, and to know our students well enough to help them get where they’re going. This department takes this Very Seriously, to the point where it eclipses research as our Top Priority, and the general understanding is that getting a grad student position here sets you up for life.

So! Part of my job this time of year is recruiting graduate students based on my budget. For some folks, that means actively advertising wherever possible and getting super involved in the visiting student weekends (we fly prospective grad students out here to visit before they make their decision, and there’s always a fair number of students who haven’t settled on an advisor yet). Some folks are absurdly lucky and study fields that are considered particularly cool and interesting, and the top students actively seek them out and will cold-call or send e-mails or introduce themselves at conferences (look, turns out it’s hilariously easy to sell someone on “come study tornadoes!” and even a newbie like me has to choose between several particularly strong candidates). Either way, the graduate student hiring process involves a lot of internal debate---we’re not a huge department, so we typically can only send offers to a little under 10% of the folks who apply each year---that mainly centers around making sure each student has a supportive research “home” waiting for them here, based on funding and how much time each faculty member might have. Professors need to coordinate grant budgets (or startup funds, or stopgap funds in the increasingly common situation where no grant money could be secured for a given year) to make sure students have any equipment they might need (cool stuff like supercomputer time, servers, equipment to take to the field, accessibility aids, but also mundane stuff like office space and desks). We also have to coordinate with the university to make sure international students can get here and stay here under the correct visa status.

Right now, I only have one graduate student, and he’s currently undergoing the barrage of first-year coursework, but we meet weekly and he’s started playing around with some data analysis and reading some of the big papers in the field (he’s coming in from mechanical engineering, so the math is familiar but the vocabulary is funky). I’ve developed short- and long-term learning goals for him, culminating in putting together a proposal for his master’s research in June, then converting his early results to a scientific journal article to help him hit the ground running, because he’s brilliant and he’d be able to pull it off without breaking a sweat. 

I’m also on the committees of two second-year Master’s students, so my responsibilities there include reviewing their proposals and, in one case, helping her put together an application for a major fellowship that would put $100,000 toward her education, which means she wouldn’t be beholden to any given research grant and could study any topic she liked. I’m also co-advising a postdoctoral researcher---his primary advisor is a specialist on snow, which is his area of interest, but I’m a specialist on some of the methods he uses to study snow, so I’m consulting with him on that side of things. I’m also working with a couple of particularly motivated final-year PhD students who want to run a multi-day Python and machine learning workshop for the department. Heck yeah.

Apart from research and advising, another facet of being a professor is the nebulous category often just referred to as “service”. Volunteer work, essentially. Right now, I’m reviewing scientific journal articles, typically 2-4 at a time (down to one right now, although I anticipate a flood right before the holidays). This is all done as volunteer work, but it’s honestly the easiest way for me to keep up with the latest literature, because yeah, you can’t just sit in a room and think if you don’t know what everyone else is thinking about. And when even a small field has a dozen or so major academic journals putting out a couple dozen articles each a month that you have to stay on top of... reviewing can be a great way to get the highlights. Sometimes I also get to review other people’s grant proposals, which is really helpful! Still, I wish journals would pay us for this work---someone did a poll on Twitter and found that folks in our field spend on average about 6 hours per review. That adds up!

I also tend to help out with conferences, either doing logistical stuff like deciding what the major topics are, and who gets to speak when (and who probably shouldn’t be given a microphone...) or coordinating the judging of awards for student presentations. That sometimes involves weird event planning stuff like trying to find a venue and speakers and transportation for a formal dinner, or hiring caterers and dealing with competing hotel quotes for room blocks, or cold-calling reasonably famous people and asking them to volunteer their time (or offering them an honorarium) to Skype in to a room full of people.

I’m also on a few national committees that are working to define the priorities of some of the big professional organizations: mainly I work in my particular subdiscipline, but also with diversity/equity/inclusion and early-career support. Some of that is as simple as running social media accounts or helping to design surveys. I’ve recently been assigned to help audit a major organization’s commitment to diversity, which could be pretty interesting. It all sounds like a lot, and a lot of it’s coming to a head lately just because of conference timing, but it usually slows down to one or two hours a week of work in the off-season. I like this kind of stuff because it’s a relatively low-effort way to meet scientists all over the world that I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise.

We’re also hiring a new faculty member right now, which is... hilariously complex. Every aspect is basically done by committee and the entire department has to agree on who to interview and, eventually, who to hire, because hiring someone for this position is potentially choosing your coworker for the next 30+ years. Interviews are two-day endurance training for the poor candidates, who get face-to-face meetings with every member of the faculty, on top of more specialized interviews. We’ve had about 120 competitive applications thus far. It’s... a lot.

And just because I’m not teaching actively right now doesn’t mean teaching isn’t eating a lot of time: there’s some fun logistical set-up to do! For instance, the class I’m co-teaching starting in January features a lab where we take all the students over to the engineering buildings to set up some instruments in a wind tunnel. Gotta make sure we’ve timed it right so they can actually give us the wind tunnel! We’re also coordinating the timing and the schedule so that both instructors are actually around for the parts of the class they’re teaching. For three of the five weeks I’ll be teaching, I have the previous instructor’s materials to work with, but the other two weeks are all new material (and a lot of ad-lib based on how students do with the first chunk of the class). I also haven’t done anything related to this class since I took a comparable class over a decade ago, so, uh. Better study up.

In the spring, I’ll be teaching an entirely new class that’s never been offered by the department before. That involves building a syllabus, figuring out what each lecture will be about, coming up with contingencies in case some lectures get cancelled, writing exams and assignments and lectures and (since it’s a programming class) making sure everyone has access to the necessary hardware and software and data for the big final project. And, because I’m me, I’ll also be coordinating the whole thing with a special office in the university that does long-term testing of teaching effectiveness---they’ll send someone over to spend a few minutes chatting with the students midway through the quarter, then work with me on recommendations and improvement. I figure it’s a new class being offered for the first time, so we might as well get in on the ground floor of longitudinal pedagogical study. Also, I don’t actually know this programming language yet. Little more studying to do, there.

So... yeah. This job is absurd. It’s a million different jobs, the vast majority of which I’ve had no training for. And I adore it. Nobody cares where I am or what I’m doing at any given time, as long as I get results and as long as my students are succeeding. As someone who loves nothing more than bland, repetitive tasks repeated over and over again, it’s not exactly in my wheelhouse... but I love how hard it makes me think, and I adore being pushed this far out of my comfort zone and knowing I actually have the resources and the know-how to succeed. Every single day is something completely new and exciting and bizarre. Hell, every hour. It’s pretty fantastic, and utterly terrifying.

[thoughtremixer]

How I managed to get unlimited Internet for $25*

*There’s a few catches to it, but I’ll make this quick: if you are thinking more than one device, heavy gaming or thinking this is life in the fast lane... well, you’ll be disappointed. Also, this is from someone who used this service and I’m telling you... you’ll be unhappy.

How much do I pay for Home Internet service? $25/month for an unlimited hotspot... with a lot of catches. If you’re thinking “oh, I’m going to use this to power my entire home”... skip this post, don’t bother. You’re not going to get as much out of this, I PROMISE you.

Matter of fact, let me tell you who this post is for:

You want Internet Service for one device or you don’t mind swapping devices on this one connection.

It’s for your home connection so that you can reduce your dependence on your cell phone’s data plan when you’re home... or even when you’re out and about.

You’re not a gamer, you’re not planning on using it for heavy downloads, and you don’t mind tapping out at 5MB/s.

You don’t mind your data being slowed down at random times.

A secondary connection for when you’re outside your home and you don’t want to use public hotspots.

You truly understand “you get what you paid for”...

If you’re still reading and want to know what I’m talking about, then this is for you. It’s a system I currently use and when I’m at home, it’s my main internet connection for now. Once I move to a better place, I plan on dropping this plan as I’ll be getting something better than this.

But here’s how I did it...

1) Sign up for Visible and get the cheap R2 phone.

Visible is an Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) owned by Verizon. They will say they worked independent of them, but don’t be fooled by that. Visible is to Verizon as Metro by T-Mobile is to T-Mobile... it’s a prepaid division marketed as another company.

https://www.visible.com

Anyway, they offer one plan only... unlimited Internet, uncapped for $40 on your cell phone. Now, you can use your own cell phone, but the chances of it working with their company is low unless it’s an Apple phone. Got Apple? Great. Anything else? It’s a hit and miss. It’s best to check with them if you want to use your phone with them. But this ISN’T about that. This is about cheap Internet for your other device.

What you’ll do instead if buy their $19 R2 phone. For a budget phone, it’s subpar. I used to own Motorola’s that have more power than the R2. But it has a capable camera on it. However, the most important part is the hotspot, which it offers. We’re not interested in the features of the phone, but of the hotspot.

However, you’ll noticed that I said “$40″... so how do I pay $25/month? Well, that’s where step two comes in.

2) Find a “party”.

Visible got a family plan which is unique in a few ways. For starters, you don’t need to sign up your family. All you need to do is find 3 other people that are willing to split the bill and for each person, Visible will discount you and them by $5... all the way to $15, lowering the bill to $25. Now, what if one person in the party doesn’t pay? You don’t deal with them, the phone company do. So, you can sign up for a stranger’s “party” and not worry unless the person cancels their service... which could happen, but most likely won’t. And if they do, you can find a sub that will take their place.

Now, if you tried the service and you want to form your own party, you can do that. However, if you don’t want to find people to join and want to join someone’s party, you can via this reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/VisiblePartyPay/

Look through the links, login to your account and boom, you’re paying $25/month for the life of your account.

3) Get your phone and know the limits

Once you get your R2, you have to set it up with Visible. It can take a few minutes to a few hours. However, the most difficult part of the set up is... the Google account. Oh, you already have one? Then it’s not that difficult. It’s just another device you’re going to add to your account. If you already have an android phone, I suggest skipping to the parts that matter and try not to reinstall anything. You can use the phone just like your other phones, but at 8 GBs of space, you’re probably best just limiting it to just a hotspot. Set up the hotspot to your preferences and flip it on. Now, connect your device to it and voila... Internet for $25/month.

FAQ:

You can probably play some games. I played Hearthstone and some simple online games without issues. But don’t expect to play games that are graphic intense without some serious lag. For example: I use a cloud service called Shadow as a Secondary PC (long story). Even though it can run with just 5 MBs of bandwidth, it lags because the speed will not hold steady. And lagging in gaming means death. So, unless it’s low stakes, don’t treat this as a lifeline.

Yes, you can watch Netflix and stream video. If you want high quality tho, you’re probably going to struggle. DVD is the best it can do. The quality of my Netflix streaming or any streaming for that matter is top notch as I’m happy with 720p. I don’t need 1040p or even 4K.

Yes, it’s really unlimited. (peep the image below)

To prolong battery life, I plug the phone out of the charger and let it sit as any phone. Once it’s below 15%, I plug it back in and let it charge up to 100% and repeat the process. Treating it like a regular phone instead of keeping it plug in is old-fashioned, but a better way than to keep the phone plugged in 24/7. That will wear out the battery faster.

I could use it outside of my home. It’s a mobile phone, not a fixed location. So, you will have a second phone number. It’s a phone service which I use as a secondary line.

The Internet on the phone itself is faster than on another device. It’s meant to be used as a mobile phone service. I’m just retooling it.

R2 uses Android 9. The chances of it being upgraded to 10 is low.

You can hook it up to one device that is capable of using the Internet. It could be a tablet, a laptop, a desktop with a wireless networking card, or a game system for updates and download of files.

Since the phone is cheap, you can’t put insurance on it. It’s $19, brah.

I don’t carry around this phone day-to-day anymore. It’s redundant on my part since I have a more capable phone.

The phone I have now was intended to be used with this phone service, but sadly, the model wasn’t compatible. Otherwise, I would have cut my phone bill down by a lot. With that being said, I didn’t test this phone service beyond data.

I haven’t lost the ability to use the phone’s data once during my 4 months of continuous use. The only interruption was in April, where I simply stop paying for the phone bill.

Yes, there is a way to bypass the one device limit, but it requires hardware and the speed of service isn’t worth going beyond one device, so don’t do it.

Yes, Visble is okay with you using it exclusively as a hotspot.

If you’re wondering why I only used 40 GBs and not skyrocket above 100 GBs, it’s for a few reasons, the major one being I have spotty Internet coverage at home and used this as a secondary line and outside during the month of February. I’m only home during the evening. But I will say this... the reason that it skyrocketed at the end of February is because I put in on a PS4 to install an update to Spiderman and system updates.

The catches:

As you already know, it’s one device per hotspot connection.

It’s another phone to manage, unless you use your own phone.

The suggested phone itself is very limited in space as well as specs. A low budget Motorola will likely have more power than this phone. So, if you do use this phone as a phone, make it a low-stakes situation or a backup.

Depending on where you live, your internet speeds may slow down during prime times.

Service seems to be a hit and miss at times.

Talking to customer support is also a hit and miss. It’s literally an app or website. No phone service, just chat support with email as a second place to catch them.

Never tested it as a full-time service. It’s only at one location.

You may pay more than $25/month if someone leaves the party, but the bill will be between $30 to $40, which is still manageable.

It’s Verizon, which means they are tricky to pin down when it comes to the Net itself.

So, if you think this is useful, you can give it a try. If this article helped you out, maybe throw some funds my way.

https://ko-fi.com/nukirk

https://cash.app/$nufuturepro

Disclaimer: My experiences are mines alone. Your experiences may vary.

[cindylouwho-2]

RECENT NEWS, RESOURCES & STUDIES, late-January 2020

Welcome to my latest summary of recent news, resources & studies including search, analytics, content marketing, social media & ecommerce! This covers articles I came across since the mid-January report, although some may be older than that. 

Right now I am trying to get at least 2 of these out each month. Is that enough? Too much? Am I missing topics you want to see covered? Please let me know! Comment here, message me through Tumblr, Twitter, or my website.

Also, I am once again working on plans to start an ecommerce business forum, where small business owners can learn and discuss topics like the ones I post about here. If you have any preferences for a suggested platform/forum space,please let me know! I will be running a survey once I narrow down my list. 

TOP NEWS & ARTICLES 

Etsy introduced alternative shipping for US sellers shipping outside of the US & Canada, run by Asendia. Etsy Labels will no longer offer USPS First Class International for those shipments, but faster levels will still be through USPS. The Help file doesn’t give that much more detail; discussion is here. 

Having educational/information pages on ecommerce websites can help product page search rankings. Blog posts, pillar pages and tutorials can all be a good investment. 

Excellent article on how to keep your existing buyers (aka customer retention) rather than always going after new ones. It cites decent research in the area, with examples. (As regular readers know, I love Help Scout’s customer service articles!) For example, “When it comes to highly rated customer service, quality and completeness matter more than speed. According to research from Gallup, customers were nine times more likely to be engaged with a brand when they evaluated the service as “courteous, willing, and helpful.” “Speedy” service, on the other hand, only made customers six times more likely to be satisfied.”

ETSY NEWS 

More updates to listing categories, including a new Presets & Photo Filters category, and Cribs & Cradles is now called Moses Baskets & Hammocks. 

Tips on marketing your Etsy listings for weddings. “Etsy wedding shoppers are often drawn to Etsy because they identify as creative people themselves, an asset you should consider when developing and marketing your products. By offering DIY versions of some of your popular items, you can draw in crafty shoppers, who may end up purchasing a finished handmade item from your shop instead. Offering both options can also be a great way of hitting multiple price points.”

If you sell jewellery and/or accessories, here is Etsy’s advice for marketing in the first half of the year. “While high-end jewelry is often a carefully considered purchase, more affordable everyday items make easy impulse buys and gifts due to their small size and approachable price points.” Also, people are still shopping by gender: “70% YoY increase in Jewelry, Accessories, and Bags category searches containing “him”. “We expect the bags category to grow the most out of these three categories in the next year, led by the increasing popularity of small leather goods such as wallets, dopp kits, and items for travel. A recent increase in average order value within the Bags category suggests buyers are willing to pay more for high-quality materials like leather.” But note that “Buyers tend not to use the term "purse" in their searches.” Finally, “From July through September 2019, over half of Etsy US and global GMS came from purchases that shipped for free.”

In case you missed it, Disney is going after Etsy sellers of Baby Yoda merchandise. Some speculate that they are mostly focusssing on the listings making the most sales. More sarcastic & humorous take here.

Interesting interview (podcast & transcript, including a pdf) with CEO Josh Silverman, on business strategies.  I do like this quote: “When you’re successful, what can be really hard is to tell you’re successful because of some things and in spite of others.” To be very honest, I have this problem a lot, and have seen other business people misjudge their success as well. This is telling, though “And you have until December 31st to ship it.” I have a hunch that is what happened with Etsy Ads and the free shipping tools. So they shipped unfinished tools, and that was bad for the business. Finally, “HOFFMAN: Until this point, Etsy’s focus had been on its sellers. It saw itself as a marketplace for handmade items, and the people who made them. Josh knew he had to change this perspective… SILVERMAN: It was a really big shift in focus. I think Etsy, like many two sided marketplaces, has very deep empathy for sellers, so much so that it can forget to have empathy for buyers. And when you talk to your sellers, they really mostly want three things. They want buyers, they want buyers, and they want buyers – in that order. In order to serve the sellers, you’ve really got to focus on buyers...By the end of my fifth week almost everyone in the company had a new job.”

SEO: GOOGLE & OTHER SEARCH ENGINES 

Google confirmed a core search update that started to roll out January 13 and took about 3 days, and showed substantial changes on most tracking tools. Early analysis indicates this has once again affected sites based on trustworthiness, but big winners and losers are still unclear. The take from Moz is that this hit health sites like previous updates, but also hurt diverse sites such as Orbitz, Yellow Pages, Poshmark, USA Today and Forever 21. RankRanger noted that there was more volatility in finance rankings than the December update. 

Remember Google’s algorithm change late last year, called BERT? George Mueller offered a bit of advice [text and video] on how to optimize for it: “if ... there’s anything that you can do to kind of optimize for BERT, it’s essentially to make sure that your pages have natural text on them...So instead of stuffing keywords as much as possible, kind of write naturally” 

Google is now highlighting some products (clothing & accessories) in organic search results on mobile in the US & India; you have to have a Google Merchant Centre account set up, but you do not need to buy ads to get this organic boost. Here’s the Google help file on how to optimize. 

If your website has many related pages on a specific topic, organizing the info on one “content hub” (aka pillar pages, or even category pages in some cases) is an excellent way to get user and search engine attention. 

Brief video from Google for SEO beginners: how to optimize images for Google search. They also link to their support file on this question, which has more advanced info. And here is another beginners video on Google SEO considerations for your website. (More links in the video comments.)

Google has a “SafeSearch filter” that removes porn and other mature content from search results, but sometimes it catches innocent sites as well. 

Another good article on how internal linking can serve multiple purposes on your website, especially keyword ranking.

Sites that get the “featured snippet” position in Google search results can no longer get organic ranking on the first page. This could change, though. 

CONTENT MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA (includes blogging & emails) 

Excellent tips & advice on how to make email marketing work for you. Not using emails? You should. “...email has over 3.8 billion daily active users. Take a minute to think about that. Most people who use email probably fall between the ages of 15 and 64, and since there are only about 5 billion people on the planet in that age range, that means email has over 75 percent market penetration.” And “Almost three-fourths of people prefer to hear from businesses via email.”

Do you think that every email campaign needs its own landing page? I’m not sure, but there are some convincing arguments here. And don’t forget to plan to send your emails at the right time for your list subscribers. 

Updated for 2020, HubSpot does an excellent holiday calendar that can help you plan social media posts and other content ahead of time, including hashtags where applicable. 

Tips on converting your existing content (blog posts etc.) into podcasts. “Podcasts tend to be longer-form content than video or blogs. Many videos that companies produce are relatively short, ~2 minutes. For someone looking to listen to your podcast, this may not be substantial enough in terms of the information covered.”

Here’s a useful list of demographics of social media users - think about which sites would work best for your business based on who is using them. 

Reddit is an excellent source of content ideas (video & transcript), as people are usually discussing and upvoting things that interest them, and it is all organized by topic for you. 

Instagram is adding direct messaging (DM) access to their website. 

Facebook is accused of denying data access to potential competitors. 

A surprising number of American adults use LinkedIn, and their numbers are growing faster than expected. “LinkedIn users make up around one-third of all social network users in the U.S.”

ONLINE ADVERTISING (SEARCH ENGINES, SOCIAL MEDIA, & OTHERS) 

Another tutorial on setting up a Google Ads account. 

Google ads were less evident in organic search results, for about a week. This mirrors the changes on mobile several months ago, & includes favicons next to brand sites. But more people complained about the desktop layout, so they have backed down and will continue to test new versions. 

Facebook, Google & Amazon are not the only advertising options out there. 

Short infographic on how to advertise on TikTok. 

STATS, DATA, OTHER TRACKING 

If you haven’t set up Google Search Console for your website or blog, you should. [YouTube Video, from the Beginners series]

A good basic guide to using the Google Keyword Planner, including more tips on how to get in without setting up a paid ad campaign. 

Instagram is most useful when you track your stats - use Insights to track your reach, clicks, impressions etc. 

ECOMMERCE NEWS, IDEAS, TRENDS 

The growth of ecommerce purchases has been detrimental to US retail sales overall, due to brick and mortar store closures, lower b&M profit margins, and fewer jobs. Remember that Amazon now gets around 50% of ecommerce purchases in the US, meaning that the increase of online retail is more consolidated than the lost brick and mortar sales. 

Amazon will now be reporting counterfeit goods sold on its site to the authorities: "The hope has been that Amazon’s coveted data will help law enforcement make connections about criminals." 

Amazon has started a delivery program in Australia called Amazon Flex. Requiring drivers to sign up for shifts up to 4 hours that they choose, driving their own vehicles, the program is being compared to Uber. 

Shopify now has over 1 million merchants, and is growing rapidly. “This past Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend, the company saw $2.9 billion in total sales; during its peak, Shopify software was processing $1.5 million in sales and 16,000 checkouts a minute.”

BUSINESS & CONSUMER STUDIES, STATS & REPORTS; SOCIOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGY, CUSTOMER SERVICE 

Smartphone purchases continue to increase: $5.9 billion spent on Black Friday & Cyber Monday, and 48% of online purchases in the US on Christmas Day. 

Supposedly, USPS is the most trusted brand in the US, followed by Amazon, Google, and Paypal. Actual quote: “levels of distrust are high in America, but it found that brands can win trust by protecting consumers' data privacy, not hiding important information in fine print and treating employees better than the minimum required by law.” I’m struggling with Amazon & Google in the top in particular, given that quote, but at least Facebook didn’t make the top 25. 😉 Note that age is a differential factor here: “Google is the most trusted brand among Gen Z and millennials, while USPS is the most trusted among older generations like Gen X and baby boomers.” Study details & top 25 list available here. (There is a large difference between the generations, according to this study; it’s worth a scan.)

MISCELLANEOUS

If you are looking for a new search engine, here are 7 that aren’t Google. Some of you  probably hadn’t heard of all of them, because I hadn’t. 

Anti-virus software Avast is still selling user data to major companies.

[thewritewolf]

Rekindle Chapter 4: Birthday

It looks like Marinette is going to be spending another birthday alone, unless a certain feline hero intervenes.

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@marichatmay

Enjoy!

Read on Ao3

Adrien opened the door to his house and immediately began fumbling for the light switch. It had been another long day at work, where he had been back to modeling again. The modeling sessions were getting fewer and more spaced out, but that just seemed to mean that when his father did call on him to pose for the camera, he expected him to do the work of two or three sessions in one day. So much for slowly getting away from modeling and into the business side of things.

His eyes felt heavy, and his limbs heavier still. A few weary steps inside and he collapsed onto the couch in his living room, unable to make it to his bed. Plagg emerged from his jacket pocket, the kwami hesitating over Adrien for a few moments.

“Kid, you need to stand up for yourself.” It was all Adrien could do to avoid rolling his eyes. This was becoming an ever more common topic of conversation for them and it was starting to wear thin. "Gabe always had did run you ragged, but these last few years he has practically run you into the ground."

“I get paid for all that work, you know. Someone has to pay for your cheese habits.”

Plagg's fur bristled in irritation. “No way kid, you’re not putting this one back on me. You know as well as I do my delicious camembert is a drop in the bucket with what you make. Besides, you don’t even spend most of it since you don’t do anything. If you really wanted, you could stop working right now and be fine for what? A few months? A year? More?”

“Father pays for the house. I can’t just say no to him.” Adrien yawned and rolled away from his kwami, only for him to zoom back into his field of view.

Plagg shook his head. “Yeah, the house that you hate to be in and always try to find an excuse to get out of. You need to tell your old man-”

The ringing of Adrien’s cell phone cut Plagg off. “Oh no. I guess we’ll have to shelf this conversation. Too bad.”

Plagg glared and pointed a grubby paw at him. “This ain’t over, kid. You gotta stand up for yourself eventually.”

It was a struggle to pull out his phone, but he managed it. Nino’s face appeared on the screen.

“Sup, dude!” He took in Adrien’s appearance and cracked a smile. “You look like crap, man.”

“Thanks for sparing my feelings. I may have collapsed on the couch after getting home from the shoot. All the hard work of the makeup and hair teams - wasted!” He threw his arm over his face dramatically, earning a chuckle from Nino.

“Whatever you say, dude.” His face eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Wait. Another day of modeling? I thought you said those were a thing of the past and you were a management guy now?”

Adrien winced on the inside and shrugged. “I’m still the face of the company which means my face needs to be in some of the company’s products. For now, at least,” he rushed to add when he saw the look on Nino’s face. “Soon enough they’ll all be done and someone else can be the face of the company.”

“I dunno, bro. Your daddio’s got his claws in you and if he keeps you modeling, you’ll be too tired to do anything else. I think he’s really dragging his feet if he still hasn’t moved you to some other part of the company. Or he’s just saying he’s gonna promote you to keep you placated.” Nino shook his head. “You gotta talk to him, dude. Nothing’s going to change otherwise.”

Somewhere else in the room, Plagg cackled and Adrien shot a glare in his general direction.

Nino’s face brightened. “You got some peeps over? Good on you! Not gonna lie, I feel guilty sometimes when I realize how little we get to hang out. Especially with all the traveling Al and I do.”

“No, no one’s here.” Growling at Plagg, he added, “Just a stray cat that I’m considering shooing away.” Nino’s words caught up to him. “Wait, are you guys going to be still be gone in a couple weeks?”

“For Mari’s birthday, you mean?” Nino chuckled while Adrien felt his cheeks heat up slightly. His smile faded away as he continued. “But yeah, you’re right. We won’t be able to do anything with her this year. It’s a real bummer.”

“Yeah…” Adrien frowned. He was used to his birthdays being disappointing, but Marinette had always been surrounded by friends and family. Being alone for such an important day after being used to that… it couldn’t feel great.

“You know, this might be the perfect time to rekindle that friendship,” Nino said hopefully.

“I don’t think she’d want to spend so much time with the guy who broke her heart.”

“I’m telling you, dude, I’m sure you guys would be the best of friends. I get that you don’t see her in a romantic light, but I know she’d be happy to have a friend close by, you know?”

A friend? His heart clenched in sympathetic pain. “Yeah… okay, maybe. No promises, though, but I’ll see what I can do.”

“That’s all I can ask.” Off screen, Adrien heard Alya calling for Nino. “Sorry, dude. Gonna have to cut this call short. Best of luck with you two, okay?”

“Thanks, Nino. Stay safe and goodbye.”

“I do what I can. Bye!” The screen went dark as Nino hung up.

Adrien lowered the phone onto his chest, still staring up at the ceiling. Despite what his best friend had said, he didn’t think Marinette would be happy to see him appear out of the blue. At least, not if it were Adrien showing up. Smiling, he ran his fingers over his ring. Thankfully, he didn’t have to be Adrien all the time.

But… he shouldn’t just show up empty handed, right? This wasn’t just a normal day to hang out. This was a birthday party for two! They couldn’t leave her apartment, but he could make it feel the special day that it was. Oh, and he should get her presents too.

Adrien leapt to his feet and sat down in front of his desktop computer, searching for anything that he thought Marinette might like. Maybe he could get away with getting her two presents - one as Chat Noir and one as Adrien? That’d be a good way to ease into a normal friendship, right? And had nothing at all to do with the fact that this allowed him to justify buying her twice as much as was socially acceptable.

In a dark corner of the room, Plagg watched his chosen more around the room, more lively than he had been in months. The cat kwami couldn’t help but grin. There might just be hope for him yet.

-------------------------------

Marinette trudged up the long staircase to her apartment, once again cursing the broken elevator and her aching legs. Which only made her even more angry with herself because she was Ladybug! Is a couple flights of stairs really going to be the thing that causes her to break down today?

Then again, she knew that if she did get reduced to tears because of this, it wasn’t simply stairs that did it. The stairs were just the latest in a long line of awful things happening today. Spilt coffee, manically working in preparation for the fall line, asshole bosses - all on top of the frustration that they aren’t letting her do much work on actual designs since she is an intern, which is apparently another word for errand girl. No, the stairs weren’t the problem. They were just the final insult on the terrible, terrible day that was supposed to be the celebration of her birth.

She fumbled for her keys, which were somewhere on her person, feeling the tension as the breaking point starting to arrive, ready to great it like an old friend. Before it did, she caught a scent in the hallway that made her pause. Something like… Italian? But very spicy. It was making her mouth water just smelling it, which made her pout. Great, she smelled something delicious and now has to go and heat up a frozen meal. A normal day then, since she rarely got the chance to cook for herself these days.

With a sigh, she unlocked the door and stepped into her apartment, only for the scent to hit her full blast. She turned to her right, towards her kitchen. Standing there was Chat Noir in a chef’s hat, wearing an apron with a cartoon cat on it saying 'Feline Up for Some Dinner' - the cartoon cat also had a chef's hat, she noted in a daze. Chat Noir was merrily humming to himself while stirring a red sauce on the stovetop, a tall pot boiling nearby. Her small kitchen table, normally overburdened with distinctly non-food items like fabrics and dishes, had been cleaned off with two plates and a vase with a pink flower adorning it. She watched the scene for a few long moments before Chat Noir turned around and noticed she was standing stock still in the doorway.

Brief surprise gave way to a broad grin. “Hey, purrincess! I wasn’t sure when you got off work today, so I kinda got here way earlier than I needed to.” He rubbed the back of his neck when she didn’t immediately respond. Instead, she walked towards him, dropping off her purse on her couch as she passed by.

“Sorry I didn’t call or anything, I wanted to surprise you since its your birthday! Oh, that reminds me,” he disappeared below the countertop between them. He emerged with a box covered in cartoon cat face wrapping paper and pushed it towards her. “Happy birthday!”

She looked down at the box, slowly unwrapping it. Inside was a handmade card saying that she was “Pawsitively the best fur-real friend a cat could ask for,” a couple quality sketchbooks, and a few dvds of her favorite movies that her collection had been sorely lacking.

“Chat… I don’t know what to say…”

The feline hero shrugged, his lips quirking up in a barely suppressed smile. “Then don’t say anything. Dinner is almost ready, so go ahead and take a seat while I finish making it.” He turned back around to attend to the red sauce and stir the pasta.

Once she sitting at the table, she took a deep breath to savor the scent of the food. “I didn’t know you could cook, chaton.”

“I can’t,” he laughed, “I know just a few dishes. It’s been a while since I made arrabbiata, but I’ve been practicing for the last two weeks to get it right.”

“Why that dish?” Not that she was complaining - it smelled delicious.

“Well, you’ve mentioned that you liked spicy food, all I can cook is Italian, and arrabbiata is the only Italian dish I know of that’s got the heat.” She had a vague memory of them discussing food choices when they were considering if they wanted to order take out a few weeks ago. Had he really held onto that little tidbit of information for that long?

Before she could ask more questions - like, for example, why he could only cook Italian - he took her plate and handed it back laden with the steaming pasta and red sauce. Despite what he seemed to think, it had ended up amazing and if he tried to talk down his cooking abilities in the future, she’d have to give him a firm smack upside the head.

Somewhere between the unexpected meal and the ensuing conversation, Marinette felt the tension that had been building up throughout the day melt away. And for the first time since she moved here, her apartment felt like a home.