#maybe they'll get picked up by another network

[co-captainsforlife]

the fact that they cancelled warrior nun after the 2nd season and not the 1st tells me all i need to know. the 2nd one was definitely more popular than the 1st, but it was decidedly gayer, so ofc it got cancelled. like first kill. like one day at a time. like the countless shows that have been cancelled for representing queer women, while netlfix makes another 365 days movie nobody fucking wants.

[thefirstknife]

So this week, huh. Some stuff and things.

The beginning is nice for a sort of official summary about what we're dealing with:

Paired with the lore tab from last week, now I think we know exactly what's going on in regards with the issue of understanding how the Conductor came to be. It's also interesting how they're not directly telling us which Maya turned into the Conductor, which is as we suspected before. We just don't know which one it is, maybe even a combination of multiple Mayas. And they're going with Maya maybe not knowing either.

I love Saint. He's so excited.

More under:

The exotic mission is largely the same, but there are some extras: new areas and new chests with a bit of new dialogue. I'll get to that in a moment. I want to mention something I didn't bring up last week, but the Subjugator and the Tormentor bosses are pledged to Yirix. This week, Ikora expands:

Yirix is a Psion and leads the Conclave, a section of Psions that does all sort of stuff. She's responsible for the attempt on Zavala's life back in Chosen when they used Light-suppressing tech to temporarily disable Targe. She also had her hand in the Presage shenanigans and then later Vox Obscura mission on Mars where we fought her Psions and Caiatl listened to the various futures she's seen, all of which have come true. It's interesting that she's leading some section of the Shadow Legion. I am hoping for this Psion stuff to be some sort of hint about stuff in the future. We might eventually have to deal with them.

And then! The lines from grabbing the new chest for this week:

Once again, back with the simulated Ishtar scientists! And once again, I am begging everyone to read Aspect. We've heard from .59 Chioma last week, that's the one from the final part of this page, a Chioma that has lost Maya.

You'd found a simulation with a city where you discovered a jewelry store, picked out a necklace, brought it home to her, and wished her a happy pseudo anniversary. Maya didn't like bracelets, said they always fouled her work. Her hair had been getting shaggy again and was due for a trim. She could never decide whether or not to grow it out. She laughed at you lifting weights to maintain simulated muscle, but she spotted for you all the same. There are other Mayas out there, layers of them, all the way up to the original, wherever she is. You hope they're doing well. But that doesn't stop you from missing this Maya, missing whatever arguments and discoveries you'd have shared in the rest of the lifetime you'd promised to one another. Shim and Duane-McNiadh pull you up from beside Maya's marker. A basalt lily rests on top of it, petals thin enough to let light through. You go on.

The same page also mentions the .33 group:

227.33 You lose Duane-McNiadh.

We don't know .27 group from Aspect. Also interesting that one of the Chiomas isn't sharing her number. I wonder what's up with that. I'm also not sure what the final two sentences would be about. About them having "a place" and figuring things out together. The whole point of Aspect was that these groups were coordinating with Praedyth about escaping, so maybe they're talking about this plan they had with him?

Next thing in the line is Maya's recording of once again messing with Chioma and this one is so normal (lie).

OKAY? How about we all die. This also connects to one of the queries in Enigma Protocol. We speculated that these might be some personal stuff for Maya and Chioma that she's search for through the Vex Network and they are!

And then new lines from the new chest puzzle:

More stuff about the simulated scientists! Same as last week, .97 are also in Aspect. Eagerly waiting to see where they'll end with this. Literally have been waiting since 2019 to get answers about Aspect. Please. Answers please.

As we get through the mission, we get treated to some devastating Osiris and Saint lines. I really like that they have quite a bit of sympathy for what's happening to Maya and Chioma. Because they relate!

On the floor. But we're not done.

Stoppp ittt. Stopppp.

I like, again, that despite everything, he seems to sympathise. Or at least he understand it because he knows how he could've ended the same so Maya didn't do this because Maya is just like that; she did this because of the circumstances. If the circumstances were any different, Osiris could've done it too. This terrifies him. Anyone could be one step away from doing the same.

The radio message continues with the horrors, with another one of Maya's logs where she's insisting that her Chioma would understand what she's doing and that Maya is a "savior" and that everything that happened in the system since the Collapse needs to be fixed and that Maya can fix it. Osiris goes on a rant against this and realises that Maya is acting selfishly and that her obsession is destroying even her love for Chioma. But at the end, he says this:

Please. I hope we do. I want this to have at least a semblance of a happy ending for Maya and Chioma. Maybe not for the Conductor ofc, but for some Maya somewhere to get what she wanted; to be with her Chioma. Kinda similar how they went about with Saint and Osiris as well, to complete the parallel between the two couples.

And then ofc the lore tab.

One more week to go. Going to be blowing myself up in the meantime.

[je-blauge]

Like it always sucks, you know, but it's more jarring when... okay.

You've got this audio drama. It's an indie production, or a small network, they're getting maybe professional voice actors but they're not Realm or QCode pulling people like John Boyega, Oscar Isaac or Rami Malek, right? But they're also not newbies making beginner mistakes all the time--they're pulling off something professional quality, something you would have heard on the radio when audio dramas were The Big Thing. Folie is clear and consice, music fits the scene and doesn't get in the way, voice acting and writing are top notch.

And then you get to the final episode of the season. Big Things are happening, The Stakes Have Never Been Higher, lots of Action and Drama. Plot Twists, Big Reveals, the Dramatic Climax, etc.

So the background music has to be Intense, of course. As Intense as they can possible make it. They Have To turn up the bass as high as it will go, and then double the volume of the music compared to what they usually have it at.

But not the volume of the folie or the dialogue, of course. No, it doesn't matter if the audience knows what that Big Reveal actually was without checking the transcript, just that it was Big. It's important they know they should be Having Strong Emotions, but about what? Don't worry about it! Maybe put a lot of cool demon-y effects over the big bad's voice, too, just to make sure they're incomprehensible even when the music is quiet.

Remember: if it's good enough when you're listening with headphones, it's unlistenable over your car radio. "But I want people to listen with headphones so they can pick up on all the cool effects I did!" Tough. People are going to listen on their commutes. If you try to make them listen with headphones, they'll find another show. Now, if a smaller audience who engages with your art only the way you want them to its what you want, fine, but disclose that in episode one, don't make me find out the hard way after I'm already invested.

[chaotic-archaeologist]

hey reid! i'm an undergraduate archaeology struggling to pick between two grad schools right now, and i thought you would be able to give me some advice since you are in grad school right now! one of the programs want an answer by monday, and frankly i want to make a decision this weekend too. my biggest issues are money and knowledge about the programs. one program is fully funding me for a year (is a phd program) and i know more about the positives and negatives of the department and have interacted with a lot of the students i would be working with. the other program is only giving me partal funding for a year (is a masters program) in a really expensive city, and i feel like i don't know what i am going into for the program. but! the masters program has excellent access to what i want to research compared to the other program, and would put me in the area of the work i do for networking and future jobs after the degree. i think in an ideal world, i would pick the masters program, but i just cannot get over the money. even with a second job i don't think i will be making enough per month to live in that city, and i'm not sure working over 20 hours a week is doable/recommended for graduate students because of coursework.

if you have any, any recommendations or thoughts based on the limited knowledge i've given you, i would really appreciate it. i think it would be helpful to hear from someone who isn't familiar with me, because no one is really giving me recommendations.

Hi there, dirtling! Your situation is very similar to the one I found myself in at this time last year. I had also gotten into both a PhD and a Master's program, where the PhD had significantly more funding attached while the MA program was maybe a better fit.

I chose the PhD route (and I'm personally very happy that I did), and I'll walk you through some of the factors that went into my decision.

First, the funding. I won't lie, that was a big part of it for me. I wasn't interested in putting myself into the kind of debt that the Master's would have required. We're in a field that doesn't pay much, and so paying back loans isn't the given that it is with some other professions.

As a PhD student, you have significantly more control over your own fate. The MA program I got into was going to tell me what I was going to do for my thesis. In the PhD program, I get to determine what I'm going to do and (more or less) how I'm going to do it.

I knew at the outset that a PhD was my end goal. With that in mind, in the MA program I'd have to reapply to grad schools a year and a half after the first round. I'm sure you're aware of exactly how exhausting the grad app process is, and I wasn't in a hurry to repeat that.

Psst, also, you can leave your PhD program after you get your Master's, and they'll still have paid for your education.

I do work about 20 hours/week, but that's my job as a TA, which is what covers my funding. I do not have to work an extra job, and most of my cohort also doesn't work outside of academia.

Your research is going to change as a part of grad school. With that in mind, you can be flexible (to a certain degree) about picking the program that is the "perfect" fit. You'll be able to network at different events and conferences. You can make other connections through whoever your mentor is. All of that will be harder to do if you're working another job to pay for your degree.

I'm also going to tag @wafflelovingbatgirl as my archaeology counterpoint who went the Master's route.

But ultimately, neither of us can tell you what to do. This is a big decision, and it will shape your life, but it's also not necessarily make or break. The decision you go with should be what best sets you up for success. So sit with it for a while. For me, I went into the week feeling totally conflicted, but by the weekend a pretty clear choice had emerged.

Congratulations and best of luck!

-Reid

[taiblogcomics]

The Big Unfair Data-Share In the Air Scare

Hey there, deerstalker caps. Well, we're finally here. It's the last issue of Avengers Undercover. This won't be at all satisfying, will it? I sincerely doubt it.

Here's the cover:

…Oh, right. I was confused by the symbolism here until I remembered that Zemo kicked off this thing by very blatantly offering the kids an apple. Okay, I guess that makes sense now. Very confusing if you don't recall that detail, though. But also, now her knife's radioactive! That can't be good! I guess this cover is at least moderately spooky enough to warrant the season. 4/10, see me after class. Except don't, because never seeing this comic again can't happen soon enough for me~

So! Let's recap everything before the final issue. Eternal loser villain Arcade got magic nanite powers and set up a Hunger Games for teen superheroes. After a month, they eventually escaped, whereafter they found society difficult to mix back into, due to the leaked footage of the event. With them being painted as potential bad seeds, they're targeted by the Masters of Evil for recruitment. Most of them aren't stupid enough to go for it, and plan to turn it around on Baron Zemo and pals the first opportunity they get. Three months later, they're still hemming and hawing at making a plan, leaving Zemo to spring his own trap instead…

So, speaking of three months ago, we jump back to six months ago, where Arcade is bragging to Zemo, wanting an invite to the Masters of Evil for his exploits. Zemo asks exactly what amazing deeds he should be exalted for. Kidnapping? Child abuse? Video editing? The only thing impressive about what he did was the tech. Which is why they're co-opting it, thanks to Miss Coriander. They make a dupe of Arcade, transferring his nanites over to the robot. And that's how the kids murdered Arcade, only for him to turn up in Constrictor's prison later~

Back in the present, the present Avengers are trying to blast their way through the giant rock blocking the entrance to Supervillain City. The kids apologise, they didn't know it was a trap. The Avengers believe them, assuring them there's no worry. They'll be sure to trip Hellstrom's magic seal in a few minutes. And how much trouble can the world get into in those few minutes without them? Meanwhile, we see Sabertooth and Mystique sacking the Tower of London, demons burning down Roxxon's oil fields, the Young Masters bullying SHIELD Academy recruits… Okay, maybe the last one is kind of on the lesser side, but still.

Of course, as mentioned, all of that is just a smokescreen for Zemo's real plan. He asks Deathlocket for a progress report, and she's almost 83% done whatever she's hacking. Constrictor and Madame Masque go do another sweep for straggler SHIELD agents. And what do you know, they happen to run into Cammi. She's trying to smash up whatever she can before whatever's going on can happen, but they zap her and carry her away, chiding her for picking the wrong side. They respect her cleverness in escaping prison, but it wasn't enough.

Suddenly tech everywhere cuts out, and Zemo appears on camera. He asks for everyone's attention, then lampshades how he's the big scary villain making threats by hacking into everyone's communications network. Except no: he's hacked into SHIELD's communications. SHIELD has access to everyone's data and is monitoring all your communications. They know what you watch on TV, who you call on the phone, and the contents of your email inbox. Oh no, all my spam! Big Brother is alive and well. So, like, who's the real bad guy here?

Guess what, it's still the Nazi in the purple ski mask. And Cammi demonstrates this by throwing Constrictor into Zemo as he talks. How is she so tough all of a sudden? Well, she's been transferred Arcade's godmode nanites, through Miss Coriander being attached to SHIELD's systems. Now Cammi has the godmode. And she just embarassed Zemo while he was on-screen to the entire world's communications. Cammi, the character who was left out of most of the story due to being locked up is ultimately the hero of the day.

And she couldn't have done it without her prison buddy, Arcade! He turns up, having just escaped with her from prison and given her the permissions to use the nanites. Except, no. Fuck that guy, he doesn't get credit for this. Cammi decks him across the face too. And since the Helicarrier is still broadcasting to everyone, she shows the world that Arcade is still alive, and the plan to defect to the Masters of Evil was always fake.

She explains everything to everybody, so there's no longer any confusion regarding her and her friends. They're all in the clear now. Having now been the superhero, though, Cammi doesn't think she's cut out for it. In fact, she's not cut out for any of this. And using her new powers, she goes rocketing into space, leaving Earth behind.

The comic wraps up with a few epilogues. The remaining teens now have SHIELD's trust. They just want to be kept in the loop a little bit. Cullen Bloodstone having willingly joined up with the Masters of Evil is never brought up, so I guess he changed his mind after Hellstrom mind-controlled him? Either way, the kids reunite with their other friends who were smart enough to be left out of this adventure, and just have some fun being teens at some stupid lake somewhere.

And the villains… Well, whatever their plan was, they at least got second place: keeping the Helicarrier. It doesn't have access to SHIELD's systems anymore, but it's still a cool ship. And it's got a great new hood ornament: Arcade, who starts screaming as the Masters of Evil rocket off to do more villain shit. I told you he'd finally get his comeuppance~

Okay, so! In conclusion, Avengers Undercover is garbage. I think we've conclusively proven that. Now, Arena is still worse, in my opinion. Arena existed just to kill off some C-list teen heroes like Mettle and Juston, and I will forever hate it for that. Say what you will about this series--and we've said plenty here--but at least nobody died, yeah?

Let's talk about Zemo's "plan" for a moment, yeah? Coz, like... What was his plan? Okay, he's hacked into the communications of the entire planet. Except it's really SHIELD's comms, and his big plan is to... reveal this? Like, to sow mistrust? What was your next step, sir? People mistrust the quasi-militaristic espionage group policing the world's superhumans, and... then what? The regular people go over to your side? Like, not to get political, but I think everybody already would mistrust such an organisation, just like in the real world. Was this a statement about our current hellscape of data-sharing and so forth? Maybe I'm stupid, but I don't know what he hoped to accomplish with this. I do know I'm going to use this image again, though~

In summary, this series was already very rough and built on an already stupid preceding series. The rush to the end to conclude it before cancellation certainly didn't help much. If you want a much better story about what might make a teenager fall into the temptations of supervillainy, check out the YA book series Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm A Supervillain. It is way better than any of these comics, and I highly recommend it.

Wow, we're finally done with this whole arc! It was tedious and downright unpleasant at times. Thankfully, I just got a shipment in a couple weeks ago, so we can clear the air and do a bunch more My Little Pony comics as a palate cleanser. Doesn't that sound nice~?

[dylawas-reblogs]

I am ready to give up

ready to quit my job

ready to dump all of my savings into a gaming computer/vr and a trip to another country/a long distance friend

ready to hurry and outline the remainder of HLAL for my readers so they have SOME closure if not the full completed series

and then I'm ready to peace out of this existence by christmas (not before I make sure friends are in my legal will, there are things I don't want my family to have)

btw if you're gonna report this post this isn't a concrete 'plan' (no intent to put it to action yet)

but i don't know why the fuck I try anymore

i'm tired

i'm burned out

i'm depressed

people reach out to me and offer to help but idk how they can with the things i need help with

and maybe it's cruel of me but it's starting to feel like the equivalent of 'thoughts and prayers'

they'll feel powerless when there's nothing they can do; I'll feel powerless that there's nothing they can do. Everyone will just feel even more like shit if I try

emotional support's not enough anymore & I can't ask for money

I have enough

just don't have a guaranteed stable/sufficient income to confidently move out (I refuse to be a financial weight)

not to mention why the hell would I reach out when everyone else is floundering too

i can't find a job in my degree not even an unpaid internship

and i'm continuously being denied my graduation present of a high end gaming desktop because of it

(and because to my guardian it's not the 'right' kind of graduation present so he's spiteful)

i'm too anxious to network (and i don't even know what the point is when all these people i'm reaching out to aren't in positions to help suggest a position)

I open linkedin and burst into tears every time

In her defense she probably didn't know, but a recruiting person told me my skills were "better suited for an internship" when I have my BACHELORS

and most internships EXCLUSIVELY want college students which i'm not anymore

I can't find an alternative full time job that wouldn't make me want to puke or tear myself apart

I'm always told to go outside but go where? There are no Third Spaces within walking distance, and going places costs money

i'm paying half of my part time income in rent in my OWN GUARDIAN'S HOUSE while he fucks off to a new vacation/concert every third week

I was passed over for a promotion I was half counting on as an alternative to a new job

the job I'm currently working just stripped away extra hours because people were picking up too many so I can't work extra to offset rent

again I want to reiterate I HAVE MONEY but this greatly diminishes saving ability

and this whole vent was originally all gonna be in tags but this is the part where my tags didn't save because I had too many when I drafted this post

so oh boy I get to retype more than half of my grief from memory

so just know i'm probably forgetting something

My laptop wifi driver card was failing every hour for a while and no software troubleshooting resolved it

so it's probably a hardware issue (it's stopped for now but I know it will come back to bite me later)

Apparently my car's brakes need to be replaced and I was basically blamed for not knowing

but I didn't know that they needed replacing because I was never taught what to look out for and nothing seemed wrong to me

And these kinds of surprise expenses are EXACTLY why i basically have a phobia of spending money

anytime I think "I'm in a comfortable position I can treat myself!" almost immediately after something fucking breaks

it's a curse

speaking of shit fucking breaking, my whole body is in agony

went to a deceased relative's house to clean out everything yesterday and hated every second of it

(house was disgusting/family member was a smoker, which I have ZERO tolerance for)

but I went anyway, because it was the right thing to do and the immediate descendants would have been short handed otherwise

and my older brother ratted me out to The Overlord when I pointed out how shitty it was he wasn't going to be there when he was the favorite relative

And my brother did this KNOWING how this man will threaten to take away transportation/living arrangements/make you LITERALLY PAY if you don't kiss his fucking boots and grovel

the equivalent of telling on a shoplifter who was taking food because they're starving to the cops

so now I'm determined to not have a relationship with my older brother alongside the Overlord when I can finally escape

in the meantime i can't fucking write/draw/game/etc without feeling overwhelming guilt because I "should be working on a portfolio/job hunting"

so even when I try to relax, I can't, either through not enjoying the activity or not being able to start it at all

"You can't have fun" "okay let's do the hard stuff then" "no."

can't even do the portfolio part because of the burnout and general exhaustion from work anyways

And where the hell would I even "advertise" or gain a following when every social media is imploding either due to poor management or hostile AI takeover that will take your art/writing without a second thought to add to its Frankenstein algorithm

And the (in comparison) "moral" social media options are all niche to the point where you wouldn't be able to build a sufficient following anyways

this kind of self marketing shit is in and of itself a full time job, but oops! I'm already working!

Don't get me wrong I knew social media was a rat race before I graduated college, but nothing and no one could have prepared me for the way it is now. There was no AI competition until a year before I graduated, and that's going to change the entire field/process.

feels like my career coach and every job hunting site is wildly out of touch with how the market is now not just in my career but EVERYWHERE

And I want to try to start dating again, but there's no way in hell I can do that in confidence when I'm still living with a conservative fuckface

So there's another point for "can't move on in life if I don't get the fuck out of here"

Every single thing I do these days is "fucked if I do, fucked if I don't, and there's no reward for either option"

No social media is no exposure/followers, but social media is basically by default art theft now

working extra hours takes away more of your free time for recharging/portfolio, but not working means you're barely scraping by, and only if there's no emergency

Not saying anything to the people who are wronging you lets them think they can get away with it/think they're doing no wrong, but calling them out results in punishment and victim blaming

Nothing I do feels right, no matter if I kick it in reverse or drive, my wheels spin in every direction and everyone who IS in a position to help push the damn car just stands from afar and suggests, "Try turning the steering to the right for the fourteenth time!"

SOMETHING needs to change. But that kind of change can't happen unless the environment changes, and that can't happen because I have to make sure my income doesn't become a net negative, meaning nothing can change because I'm not in a position where asking for a rent decrease is an option.

And I KNOW most of this isn't my fault. I KNOW most of it is a side effect of a sick and decaying capitalistic society compounding on my own mental illnesses. It still feels like this has to be my fault anyways, because I'm being actively punished by it by the people closest to me (physically, not emotionally).

What is the fucking point.

Edit 8/14/23: Overlord, stop pressuring me to go to a "roast" for my deceased relative. I didn't hate him, but I disliked him, and me and my mother KNOW the "roast" is just a funeral service coated in clown paint-- which he didn't want.

[thevibraniumveterans]

Favreau and Filoni have these to say about tomorrow’s finale of “The Mandalorian”…

JON FAVREAU, via Collider's Editor-in-chief, Steven Weintraub, at Star Wars Celebration 2023:

“Hopefully they'll feel satisfied. They'll feel resolved, and they'll also feel a little surprised.”

DAVE FILONI, via IGN, also at Star Wars Celebration, on whether Thrawn would feature:

“No, I would say no, I don't think so, I wouldn't look at it that way. I think that as much as these shows are tangential to one another and in the same time period, I think it's important that you can watch them on their own. But they build if you know, so in the same way that if you've seen the episode 'The Jedi' in 'The Mandalorian' then 'Ahsoka''s gonna make... You're gonna get a little bonus, like 'Oh, I understand what's going on from the get-go. But you're still gonna understand what's going on. We picked up 'A New Hope' at Episode 4 right? So, Star Wars, to us, we came in the middle of it. So there is a history in Star Wars of just diving right into the story. So I really do dive right into the story with 'Ahsoka' but I know more about it because of the work of 'The Mandalorian.' And it's the same with 'Skeleton Crew,' we never wanna create a situation where you feel like you have to have seen these things because then you're missing out. I don't know how fans feel, but like, do you have to have seen 'The Clone Wars' to understand 'Ahsoka'? No, you don't have to have seen that. Does it help you know more and understand more? Sure...”

And also, Filoni had this to say, via Collider:

“They’ll [fans] have a lot to take in, and I think with any good ending there’s the moment you’re in it when you’re cheering and you feel satisfied, but then there’s a little bit after that where you think back at all the things that happened. Maybe you start to put them together in a different way and you realize it’s an ending, but there are other things happening out there in the galaxy that now you know more about. The fans have been so great to me and Jon [Favreau], and it’s great that The Mandalorian is so unique and special. I hope they feel really good about it [Season 3’s ending]. I hope they’re all cheering and excited for the outcome, whatever that may be.” When asked about S4, he said, “I don’t know, that’s a great question, very good question. I appreciate great questions, but I won’t answer that question. I’m trying to be fair here, without giving anything away. I would say: Jon said he wrote it all – not my words, his words, so that won’t get me in trouble.”

(For context, Favreau spoke with the French television network BFMTV, and was quoted by Collider to have said: “Season 4? Yeah, I’ve written it already. We have to know where we are going to tell a fully formed story. So, we had mapped it out, Dave [Filoni] and I. And then slowly you just write each episode. So I was writing it during post-production, because all of it has to feel like a continuation and one full story.”)

[eyecatchersadagency]

Become the ultimate Digital marketer – The 7 secrets!

With the advanced advertising industry detonating and rivalry as wild as ever, it's critical to be large and in charge. Regardless of whether you're simply beginning your profession or hoping to enhance your range of abilities quite a long while in, here are the main seven different ways to improve as an advanced advertising master:

Take Online Courses

You work on the web, so for what reason not realize online also?

There are incalculable assets out there, the majority of them totally free, where you can learn new abilities, find propelled procedures, and expand your computerized showcasing skylines.

Not exclusively will these courses and certifications help with the resume, they'll additionally enable you to better achieve undertakings in your everyday work life.

An awesome beginning stage is Google Academy for Ads, where you can get preparing on everything from Google AdWords and Analytics to the standards of versatile site plan and computerized deals.

Consume Digital Marketing Courses

Taking courses requires a truly genuine time duty, however there are small scale learning openings that you should hold onto too.

Read industry distributions like Search Engine Journal on your regularly scheduled drive. Take after industry pioneers and specialists in SEO, PPC, and fascinating CMOs on Twitter and monitor your meal break.

Set up Google Alerts for enter terms in your industry. Watch out for the organization blog for enormous players like Google and Facebook.

Speak at Events / Conferences

Set up Google Alerts for enter terms in your industry. Watch out for the association blog for tremendous Speaking at occasions is a standout amongst other approaches to pick up certainty and demonstrate your aptitudes and involvement in an intelligent format. Layers  like Google and Facebook.

Maybe take a stab at completing a workshop with entrepreneurs, completing a visitor address with a little class of understudies, or simply talk with individuals searching for basic ideas in advanced showcasing.

Be a Content Creator

There is no better method to enhance your advanced advertising abilities than to make.

Keep up an individual blog or compose articles for your organization, if the open door is accessible.

Host or visitor on an advanced showcasing podcast.

Do video, regardless of whether it's something as straightforward as Facebook Live when you have a comment.

Post via web-based networking media and draw in with others.

Host or take an interest in an online class.

Volunteer Your Time

Volunteering is an extraordinary method to grow your points of view while having any kind of effect. On the off chance that you function as an in-house advertiser, volunteering can open you to new ventures. On the off chance that your activity is centered around one particular offering like online life you can get involvement with another offering like paid promotions through charitable effort.

Volunteering gives organizing openings and can prompt future business. I can't tally the circumstances I have helped a man or business with a little support, just to arrive a major customer because of the association not far off.

Experiment

Experimenting is one of the best ways to expand your skills. This is significantly less demanding to do at an early stage in your profession when you possibly have more opportunity to play around. As your part or organization develops, there has a tendency to be less accessible time for trials and fun activities.

Get Experienced

Experience accompanies time, committing errors, and gaining from them. There are numerous characteristics that will enable you to pick up involvement definitively.

[massivetimemachinetyphoon]

Take Action Now, Start An Ethical Internet Business

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[kdramaxoxo]

Lots of people have opinions about the new kdramas lacking something the earlier ones used to have. Something about “catering to the global market”

What do you think?

I think it's complicated anon.

I do think that now that Netflix and Disney are leaning into k-dramas hard, a the shows that get picked up by them are a bit different. And those companies are HUGE so of course the things they put out are going to get the most reception.

Not all of these shows are BY Netflix of course, since some are just bought from networks, but there are so many k-dramas that feel waaaaaayyyy more violent (Squid Game, Kingdom, Extracurricular, Sweet Home, All of Us Are Dead) etc and racier (omg i sound like i'm 90). And if you think about it, Netflix mostly just works with Studio Dragon so you're going to get a certain kind of production if you have a contract like that. And we really don't know the ways in which companies who work with these giant corporations have to pander to them. (Same for regular networks like TVN etc but it's a larger scale.)

And don't get me started on this whole Season 2 nonsense! The only show that did well with a season two was Kingdom and I KNOW it's the global market that's changing that for k-dramas. #thehillidieon #thanksihateit

On the other hand, time moves forward and things change.

We don't know if some of the more sexual or violent shows would naturally be created because of audience desires or just general interest in these kinds of shows? A lot more k-dramas have queer characters (love this for us!) and I attribute that to representation being more excepted and demanded by the audience (global and not). And if Netflix makes these dramas (Itaewon Class, Run On, etc) and a lot of people watch them, I'm there for that?

Plus random people irl ask me about k-dramas now BECAUSE they are on Netflix! Like, that would never have happened 5 years ago. I mean it sucks that Squid Game is literally the only thing people will try but hey...maybe they'll watch another one after that?

So basically, yes there are some definite changes that probably have to do with the global market (or just Netflix!!) which is frustrating in a lot of ways but good in others. Y'all know I'm always mad at Netflix/Disney+ for not doing certain styles of k-dramas right but there ARE some definite benefits to having them embrace Korean/Japanese/Chinese/Thai dramas.

Sorry for the long long answer anon!

[shinpredicts]

Pick a Luxury Fashion Brand Reading - January to March 2022 Reading

This is a general pick a card reading.

How to do this reading:

1. Stay calm. Take a few deep breaths if needed. Be in a quiet, comfortable place. Don't get distracted.

2. Look at the picture below, which has the luxury fashion brands. Pick the one that calls out to you most. Do not automatically pick one just because it's your favorite brand.

3. If you feel that more than 1 brand calls out to you, then feel free to pick another one or two more. I would not recommend picking more than 3.

4. Remember that this is a general reading so take what resonates and leave what doesn't behind.

1. Saint Laurent

January to March 2022 will feel very refreshed, yet very busy for you. New projects, clients, or situations will be coming to you. You may be starting a new job or taking on new responsibilities within your life. You may even be welcoming a new pet or a baby during this time. You will feel kind fo burdened sometimes due to the amount of things that you seem to need to do. There will be also many deadlines coming and many urgent matters that you will have to deal with.

If you are a student, you will feel like you are very pressured to achieve more or you will feel the need to try to boost your grades in this semester. If you are not a student, you will still feel stress elsewhere. This could be at work or at home or within your community.

You will probably feel more burnt out in March as the excitement of new things wear off and you are faced with more deadlines or expectations. If you slack off during the two previous months, you will feel the consequences in March or early April 2022.

2. Fendi

From January to March 2022, you may be welcoming a new relationship or forming new social circles or friends. This is a time where you will find yourself networking a lot or going out with friends more often or if that's not possible then you'll be connecting with people online.

You will feel more sociable during this period. You may also want to change your image up like change your style, cut your hair or dye it, eat cleaner and healthier, work out more and etc. You will want to also do some spring cleaning so out with the old and in with the new.

For some of you, you may even go abroad for travel or for studies. You may have some sort of foreign element within your life like making friends who are foreigners, meeting new people who are foreigners, or even learning a new language.

You may need to be careful this time because your happiness can lead you to gaining weight. You might be enjoying yourself too much that you overindulge in snacks, alcohol, or food. You may also gain a few bad habits during this period too.

3. miu miu

January to March 2022 will feel sort of nostalgic for you. You will want to revisit the past. You will also want to connect with people that you've lost touch with in the past, maybe like an ex partner or an ex best friend. You might even gain more insight about your own past like unearthing a family secret or knowing more about your past life.

January to March 2022 will also be a time for you to make amends with the past. You will be more open to forgiving others and to forgiving yourself during this time. You will also do more self-reflection during this period. You may even pick up some self-help tips, read some books about self-care or counselling or therapy, and start journalling or meditating.

At around mid to end of March 2022 and even till April 2022, you will shift towards looking forward to the future and will feel more optimistic about it.

4. Hermès

January to March 2022 will be a very chaotic period for you. Many things that you want to do will be obstructed. Many things that you thought would happen around this time would not. They may be cancelled or delayed; for example, you might have accepted a new job position that would start in January 2022, but then closer to January 2022, you get news that the employer no longer has the budget to hire you so unfortunately you have lost this position. You may experience online orders or shipments that become lost or somehow don't get delivered to you on time.

This is also a period where you are prone to making mistakes, even ones where you thought you'd never make. You will have to be careful when you fill out forms or hand in anything to anyone. There are chances that you probably have messed up somewhere and will need to re-do the forms or something again or just accept it as is.

This is also not a great time for you to be writing exams or having to do some interview or applying for a visa etc. During these times you will face a lot of obstacles and have things denied.

This is a period for you to lay low and be careful. The past is also likely going to come to you during this time, so if you've wronged someone before then they'll come back for you or if you've made some mistake before then it'll come back to you. Things that you did in the past will also be examined during this time, so people might bring up something that you did in the past and wasn't discussed or crticized but then this time around somehow it's negatively seen. If you are in a public facing role, then you will have really high chances of someone in the past sharing something about you online, which will spread like wild fire.

You will also have to be careful of your words. You will easily get into arguments with others or be offended by others. People will also like to pick at your words during this time and use them against you. If you post things online or talk to others online, people may even screenshot and use those screenshots against you. Rumors can also start about you, especially if you have some sort of following online.

You may even get into a lawsuit from January to March 2021 or something related to the law will affect you. You might get fined for some noise infringement or for illegal parking. You might somehow be sued by your former employer or you might be served with court papers by your spouse.

5. Chanel

January 2022 to March 2022 will be a relaxing time for you. This will feel like a slow period for you. You can finally take a breather from all the chaos or problems you've faced from the previous year or previous few months.

This is a time where you will be able to plan for the future. You will also be able to take the time to spend with friends, family, your crush or partner. You will finally get the quality time you've been looking for.

You will also probably learn to enjoy your life more. You might pick up a new hobby or two. You might even learn something new too. You might also start a new career or school, or move to a different place around this time. Things will start out pretty slow for you as you have time to adjust to what's around you.

6. Louis Vuitton

January 2022 to March 2022 will be a tougher time for your body. You might feel very physically or mentally drained. Some health problems in the past will probably re-surface. If you've delayed seeing a doctor or some medical professional about some issue, now is the time to go see them because your situation probably needs to be addressed.

Some of you may feel very anxious or depressed. You will probably need to seek professional help to help with your mental health. There may not be something bad that happens from January to March 2022, yet you will somehow feel very blue.

You may also experience some pain from January to March 2022. You may experience some heartache, likely from ending a romantic or a platonic relationship. You may also lose someone who is dear to you or experience some sort of loss during this period.

Others may experience trouble sleeping or have issues with their weight or diet. You may find yourself unable to sleep until like 2 am or later and then you wake at like 6 am. You might even find yourself sleeping during irregular times. Conversely, you might even sleep even more during this time like 11 hours plus per day. You may also gain more weight or somehow lose a lot of weight during this time.

From January to March 2022, you are advised to really take care of your body. It is important to stick to a healthy routine and to seek help with you need it.

[outrunningthedark]

Doctor Wilson! Hoping that plot is utilized more this season!

I've seen some opinions since s4 that claim the show "doesn't really do anything" about the med school plot and I...think what they've done so far is decent? s4 had Toni's reaction to finding out her daughter wants to be a doctor and then in the second half we saw Hen studying with her classmates and diagnosing Toni's heart condition (plus the scene of Sydney staying with Hen at the hospital to show that Hen's journey was bringing new friends into her life). the hostage episode in s5 gave us a plot where Hen confirms she's in her second year of school and has to perform life-saving surgery even though "I'm not a doctor. Yet." At the end of the episode she tells Bathena she has class and states her goal of becoming a "badass general surgeon". Then there was the moment in 5x15 where Hen completely took over when that tv groom collapsed, diagnosing him with dextrocardia and successfully draining blood from his heart without exacerbating his condition. also, there were small details like Ravi revealing his past battle with cancer to the future doctor of the group, and Hen being the one to look into Claudette's medical history (by snooping inside the medicine cabinet). I don't really know what more can be done to put the focus on med school, tbh? Maybe something "simple" like saving another life using a technique she picked up from her studies? Or, if something bad *is* about to happen to Karen...Hen could be the first to work on her since (we assume) they'll be at home? Ngl, I feel like the med school storyline was ill-timed more than anything. When Hen isn't working, we want to see her with her wife and son. But then their conversations can't revolve around Hen's degree because that would get repetitive, and study sessions (at this point) are a "been there, done that". Unless Aisha actually DOES leave within the next year or two (not saying she is. just saying IF.) med school seems like the kind of thing that would have worked better later on down the line when cast and crew are *actually* planning for the series to end (or at least anticipating the network will cancel it at any time).

[soniabigcheese]

Announcement

yes ... yet another 'poor me' post.

In light of yesterday's bombshell news, I was hoping to be dealing with it a lot better. But I'm not.

Quiet moments and I find I'm crying at the gravity of the situation and what's in store for the future.

Some of the in laws have been informed, will be telling the rest. My family still don't know about my past health and I have no intentions of telling them. Because they'll pounce and pick over the carcass to get what they want and bugger off.

I still have to tell work, and this may sound paranoid of me, but a couple of peeps there would be only too happy to see the back of me and may try methods of nudging me out of the door.

I have a serious hang up regarding letting people down. And if I decide to retire early, then I'll have to face the disapproval of my other half, who still thinks that I'm invincible.

I am just feeling so weary that it is taking a lot of strength and effort to chat to my online friends.

I know they said, if you need to offload, I'm here. But I don't want to burden anyone so I feel as if I'm just stepping away.

I'm so sorry about that.

I'm just a bag of mixed emotions right now.

Tearful. Angry. Frustrated. Terrified.

I'd take a break from online activities but this is my social network. The thing that gives me a smile when I login.

I know I've had my clashes with people. But I just want to say ... and this is so sappy.

I love everyone of you and thank you for putting up with me.

The next couple of years will be hard, as they didn't give a definite timeline for the next operation. Between 2 - 5 years. But it is inevitable.

In the meantime, you may see a reduction in my online activity. Maybe a huge amount of artwork/fanfics, depending on my mood.

[thefreshfinds]

TOSO:

While TOSO's conscious ways are deemed as priceless, one can expect his overrall sound to be cheaper by the dozen! His range of topics (if measured) are off the scale. Nevertheless, he's fresh to death goddamnit!

In an instant the MC could be speaking on how we're robots in our modern society, "From the fact since I was young, I was raised to be a slave/Go to school, study math, beatings if my grades were bad. When all I really want to do is play some ball or write some raps../Hoping I can talk some real sh-t into all these little kids/What you're learning is from within. F-ck the system that was built. 'Cause real authority only comes after someones just been killed/True will is all it takes, turn yourself into a great." (Cant Stop Me). Then, TOSO can speak on how he's got varieties when it comes to his kush & women, "Have sex with b-tches in all 50 states/High everytime & it all feels the same/Yeah it's insane, rollin' them plain/ Quarter with me everywhere I go." (Fish Scale) or "When I do shows, f-ck h-es/Get checks (So Outstanding). However, it all comes down to the cadence he decides to use.

With this in mind, he says "The combination of meaning, cadence, flow & word choice is what makes for a good verse. A perfect verse will roll off your tongue perfectly without loosing breath. People should be able to understand your words & the flow you choose. Essentially your voice should be like another instrument on the beat." And so TOSO does his diligence to make a song for every mood.

On the other hand — the flow he chooses is stopped short. Simply, to keep a listener hung up on his choice of rhyme schemes. Yet TOSO's pride runs deep on creating #1 hits. 
"I love thinking about & creating new songs. But I love recording them even more." TOSO adds "Recording a song is like game-time to me. When I’m in the booth I know that all my practice has come down to that moment. I know whatever I do from that point on will be on record forever." All these components help TOSO to reach all audiences. At most, it's really unbiased.

Griginally from the suburbs of Lincoln, Rhode Island — TOSO is an independent hip hop artist who now resides in Los Angeles, California. Fond of his hometown's cheap rates, TOSO loves the fact that all of his friends & family are back there. But maybe (just maybe) they'll move to The Golden State? "Ever since moving to L.A I’ve realized how much more expensive things are in the West compared to the East Coast." he goes on to say "I’m sure if any of them had a chance to move to California they would in a heart beat."

Raised by parents who are migrants from Nigeria, he also has 1 older sister. In his earliest years, TOSO was involved in sports. However at 6 years old, he was involved a life threatening car accident that left him with a huge scar above his right eye. By college TOSO was playing Division 1 college basketball. Then he began taking music seriously & put his basketball career on halt to pursue it further.

Throughout the years he's loved writing. He would even write essays & create stories from his imagination. But TOSO took it further in middle school with song lyrics in middle school (which came naturally). He recalls his first time rapping in front of people in the 5th grade. It then followed with a couple of his friends asking him to freestyle for them. By high school TOSO was writing song lyrics to instrumentals. Then the MC found out quickly that he had a talent for making music; but was still serious about playing basketball & going to the NBA. So he decided to keep music as a hobby. Fast forward to TOSO's sophomore year of college when he had an apartment with some friends & basketball teammates. Suddenly TOSO had an ephiphany. For the long haul, TOSO wanted to start making music. "My teammates, Parris Massey, was also into making music & had a microphone set up in his room. Soon after moving in together, I would hang out with him whenever he recorded songs. During that summer Wiz Khalifa dropped “Kush & Orange Juice”, which had a huge influence on my life. I went from being a serious athlete to becoming a pot head musician. Most people saw this as a bad turn in my life, but I knew that If I worked hard I could turn my situation into a positive one." says TOSO.

Since then TOSO has been perfecting his craft & working on becoming the greatest rapper that’s ever lived. Ultimately his love for making music & hearing himself drove him to take it seriously. "I loved the reaction I got out of people when they heard my music. I loved the adrenaline that I felt after getting off stage at my first performance. I love the satisfaction of perfecting a song that I’ve heard in my head." A carefree being, TOSO keeps in mind that time is his to own! While he follows his intuition, he strays away from unneccesary drama. "In my music my message is that there’s no right or wrong way to live life." says TOSO "Enjoy your time as much as you can while you are here, effect the world the way you want to effect the world & let everything else play it’s part."

Likewise his music allows him to be honest & show people it’s ok to feel all sorts of emotions. It's very unpredictable. "Sometimes I’ll go through 500 beats in a day & only find 6 that I like. But usually out of those 6 I’ll be able to make a couple hit records." adds TOSO "After finding the beats comes the fun part. Writing song lyrics makes me feel as good as I use to feel when I played basketball. Coming up with a catchy metaphor is like hitting a nice jump-shot. Sometimes I’ll write a clever lines and get so excited about it that I scream out in joy. I love thinking about & creating new songs, and I love recording them even more." TOSO even says that writing lyrical verses & harmonizing are his biggest strengths. For him, writing lyrics & harmoninzing are like solving math equations. Harmonizing comes from his soul & he usually has no control over what harmony he uses because the different instrumentals dictate them. "Staking different melodies & harmonies are my favorite."

As artist, TOSO believes that they've got it all wrong. When it comes down to it, he says that in today's generation encouraging words, likes, shares, & attendance to shows are considered support. However artists expect their family & friends to do these things without hesitation. Honestly though, they are not required to. "Support comes from true fans who like you & your music. Make better music & present yourself a better way. The support will come." In addition TOSO wishes the current era would start a union that gathered all their fans & moved them in a positive direction. Fans need to get educated on the laws of their state & about banks. It's best to start a credit union. 

For all the upcoming artist — TOSO advises you to make clear-cut music & videos. Along with this, he encourages you to perform at any show they can & to network. Yet the most important piece is to know your worth.

Expect the interchangable MC to drop an album real soon. In his words, he's been working on his debut album titled “The Prophecy”for the past 3 years. It consist of his best work yet & has been the most difficult project he's ever worked on. "I feel like Jay-Z or J-Cole when they dropped their first album. Although I’m releasing it fully independent." TOSO goes on to say "I believe the music speaks for itself. Each song has a different vibe but the cohesive unit sounds like one sound. The best parts of the album are the instrumentals & the lyrics."

Moreover it took him 2 years to pick the beats on this album. "Each day I would go through over 100 beats & probably only wrote to 4 of them. Then after I had 20 songs written I would narrow it down to 3. I would repeat that until I had 15 songs. In the end I narrowed it down to 13 songs for the album. These are all my best songs and probably better than most the songs you hear on the radio. I plan to release this album this summer, but the date is still pending." 

Before the album TOSO will be releasing a single from the album called “The Best”. He says that this song is very uplifting & melodic. It's guaranteed to give everyone a good vibe. TOSO will also be releasing some tracks that didn’t make it on the album. "Even though they are not good enough to be on the album, I think they are still worthy enough to share with my fans." he says. The first release is titled “Can’t Stop Me” and can be heard HERE: https://song.link/i/1460102483w

By: Natalee Gilbert

LINK(s):

1. SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/therealtoso

2. Instagram: @therealtoso

3. YouTube: www.youtube.com/TheRealToso

4. Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheRealToso

[astrovksoni]

How to start right in astronomy?

"DEAR friends today we discuss about that how can we start right in astronomy." I have always been fascinated with the stars and universe. What would you suggest my first step be to get into the hobby, so that I might get the most enjoyment out of it?"

It's a good question, one that deserves better answers than most beginners find. Many newcomers to astronomy call us in exasperation after blundering down some wrong trail that leaves them lost and frustrated. Such experiences, widely shared, create a general public impression that astronomy is a tough hobby to get into. But this impression is altogether wrong and unnecessary.

Many other hobbies that have magazines, conventions, and vigorous club scenes have developed effective ways to welcome and orient beginners. Why can't we? For starters, novice astronomers would have more success if a few simple, well-chosen direction signs were posted for them at the beginning of the trail.

What advice would help beginners the most? Sky & Telescope editors brainstormed this question. Pooling thoughts from more than 200 years of collective experience answering the phone and mail, we came up with a number of pointers to help newcomers past the pitfalls and onto the straightest route to success.

1. Ransack your public library. Astronomy is a learning hobby. Its joys come from intellectual discovery and knowledge of the cryptic night sky. But unless you live near an especially large and active astronomy club, you have to make these discoveries, and gain this knowledge, by yourself. In other words, you need to become self-taught.

The public library is the beginner's most important astronomical tool. Maybe you found Sky & Telescopethere. Comb through the astronomy shelf for beginner's guides. Look for aids to learning the stars you see in the evening sky. One of the best is the big two-page sky map that appears near the center of every month's Sky & Telescope, which the library should have. When a topic interests you, follow it up in further books.

Many people's first impulse, judging from the phone calls, is to look for someone else to handle their education -- an evening course offering, a planetarium, or some other third party. These can be stimulating and helpful. But almost never do they present what you need to know right now, and you waste an enormous amount of time commuting when you should be observing. Self-education is something you do yourself, with books, using the library.

2. Learn the sky with the naked eye. Astronomy is an outdoor nature hobby. Go into the night and learn the starry names and patterns overhead. Sky & Telescope will always have its big, round all-sky map for evening star-finding. Other books and materials will fill in the lore and mythology of the constellations the map shows, and how the stars change through the night and the seasons. Even if you go no further, the ability to look up and say "There's Arcturus!" will provide pleasure, and perhaps a sense of place in the cosmos, for the rest of your life.

3. Don't rush to buy a telescope. Many hobbies require a big cash outlay up front. But astronomy, being a learning hobby, has no such entrance fee. Conversely, paying a fee will not buy your way in.

Thinking otherwise is the most common beginner's mistake. Half the people who call for help ask, "How do I see anything with this %@&*# telescope?!" They assumed that making a big purchase was the essential first step.

It doesn't work that way. To put a telescope to rewarding use, you first need to know the constellations as seen with the naked eye, be able to find things among them with sky charts, know something of what a telescope will and will not do, and know enough about the objects you're seeking to recognize and appreciate them.

The most successful, lifelong amateur astronomers are often the ones who began with the least equipment. What they lacked in gear they had to make up for in study, sky knowledge, map use, and fine-tuning their observing eyes. These skills stood them in good stead when the gear came later.

Is there a shortcut? In recent years computerized, robotic scopes have come on the market that point at astronomical objects automatically. They represent an enormous change. No longer do you need to know the sky.

Once fully set up, a computerized scope is a lot faster than the old way of learning the sky and using a map -- assuming you know what's worth telling the computer to point at. But they're expensive, and opinions about them are divided. For beginners, at least, there's some consensus that a computerized scope can be a crutch that prevents you from learning to get around by yourself and will leave you helpless if anything goes wrong. Moreover, you miss out on the pleasures of making your own journeys through the heavens.

At star parties beneath gorgeous black, star-sprinkled skies, we have seen beginners struggling for hours with electronics when they should have been sweeping the heavens overhead. Is this just the carping of old fogeys? The jury is still out.

4. Start with binoculars. A pair of binoculars is the ideal "first telescope," for several reasons. Binoculars show you a wide field, making it easy to find your way around; a higher-power telescope magnifies only a tiny, hard-to-locate spot of sky. Binoculars give you a view that's right-side up and straight in front of you, making it easy to see where you're pointing. An astronomical telescope's view is upside down, sometimes mirror-imaged, and usually presented at right angles to the line of sight. Binoculars are also fairly inexpensive, widely available, and a breeze to carry and store.

And their performance is surprisingly respectable. Ordinary 7- to 10-power binoculars improve on the naked-eye view about as much as a good amateur telescope improves on the binoculars. In other words they get you halfway there for something like a tenth to a quarter of the price -- an excellent cost-benefit ratio.

For astronomy, the larger the front lenses are the better. High optical quality is important too. But anybinocular that's already knocking around the back of your closet is enough to launch an amateur-astronomy career.

5. Get serious about maps and guidebooks. Once you have the binoculars, what do you do with them? You can have fun looking at the Moon and sweeping the star fields of the Milky Way, but that will wear thin after a while. However, if you've learned the constellations and obtained detailed sky maps, binoculars can keep you busy for a lifetime.

They'll reveal most of the 109 "M objects," the star clusters, galaxies, and nebulae cataloged by Charles Messier in the late 18th century. Binoculars will show the ever-changing positions of Jupiter's satellites and the crescent phase of Venus. On the Moon you can learn dozens of craters, plains, and mountain ranges by name. You can split scores of colorful double stars and spend years following the fadings and brightenings of variable stars. If you know what to look for.

A sailor of the seas needs top-notch charts, and so does a sailor of the stars. Fine maps bring the fascination of hunting out faint secrets in hidden sky realms. Many reference books describe what's to be hunted and the nature of the objects you find. Moreover, the skills you'll develop using maps and reference books with binoculars are exactly the skills you'll need to put a telescope to good use.

6. Find other amateurs. Self-education is fine as far as it goes, but there's nothing like sharing an interest with others. There are more than 400 astronomy clubs in North America alone; see the directory on Sky & Telescope's Web site. Call the clubs near you. Maybe you'll get invited to monthly meetings or nighttime star parties and make a lot of new friends. Clubs range from tiny to huge, from moribund to vital. But none would have published a phone number unless they hoped you would call.

Computer networks offer another way to contact other amateurs. CompuServe, America Online, and the Internet all have active astronomy areas. These present a constant flow of interesting news and chatter by amateurs who are quick to offer help, opinions, and advice.

7. When it's time for a telescope, plunge in deep.Eventually you'll know you're ready. You'll have spent hours poring over books and ad brochures. You'll know the different kinds of telescopes, what you can expect of them, and what you'll do with the one you pick.

This is no time to scrimp on quality; shun the flimsy, semi-toy "department store" scopes that may have caught your eye. The telescope you want has two essentials. One is a solid, steady, smoothly working mount. The other is high-quality optics -- "diffraction-limited" or better. You may also want large aperture (size), but don't forget portability and convenience. The telescope shouldn't be so heavy that you can't tote it outdoors, set it up, and take it down reasonably easily. The old saying is true: "The best telescope for you is the one you'll use the most.

Can't afford it? Save up until you can. Another year of using binoculars while building a savings account will be time you'll never regret. It's foolish to blow half-accumulated telescope money on something second rate that will disappoint. Or consider building the scope yourself, an activity that many clubs support.

8. Lose your ego. Astronomy teaches patience and humility -- and you'd better be prepared to learn them. There's nothing you can do about the clouds blocking your view, the extreme distance and faintness of the objects you desire most, or the timing of the long-anticipated event for which you got all set up one minute late. The universe will not bend to your wishes; you must take it on its own terms.

Most of the objects within reach of any telescope, no matter how large or small it is, are barely within its reach. Most of the time you'll be hunting for things that appear very dim, small, or both. If flashy visuals are what you're after, go watch TV.

"Worthiness" is the term entering the amateur language for the humble perseverance that brings the rewards in this hobby. The term was coined by Ken Fulton, author of The Light-Hearted Astronomer(1984) -- a book describing the hobby as a jungle full of snares, quicksand, and wild beasts that only those with the spiritual skills of a martial artist can traverse unmauled. It's really not that bad -- but there are definitely times when a Zen calmness will help you through.

9. Relax and have fun. Part of losing your ego is not getting upset at your telescope because it's less than perfect. Perfection doesn't exist, no matter what you paid. Don't be compulsive about things like cleaning lenses and mirrors or the organization of your observing notebook.

And don't feel compelled to do "useful work" right away. Ultimately, the most rewarding branches of amateur astronomy involve scientific data collecting -- venturing into the nightly wilderness to bring home a few bits of data that will advance humanity's knowledge of the universe in some tiny but real way. Such a project often marks the transformation from "beginner" to "advanced amateur," from casual sightseer to cosmic fanatic. But it only works for some people, and only when they're good and ready.

Amateur astronomy should be calming and fun. If you find yourself getting wound up over your eyepiece's aberrations or Pluto's invisibility, take a deep breath and remember that you're doing this because you enjoy it. Take it only as fast or as slow, as intense or as easy, as is right for you.