#no one would seriously ask that without defining what it should be converted into

[iamwhatitorture]

I find it rather suspicious how this image was cropped and with various tests I was not able to replicate it, but I suspect that it comes from this

[studentstime]

GENDER BAISNESS IN LEADERSHIP FORMATION IN BANGLADESH

written by

Israfil Hossain

INTRODUCTION:

Bangladesh is undergoing phenomenal changes/reforms in its economy, governance, women empowerment, human resource development, poverty reduction, health, education, etc. Its economy is moving at quite a good pace, given the spurt in export earnings, mainly due to private entrepreneurs, and high remittance earnings mainly coming from the Bangladeshis working in the Middle East, Europe and America. Bangladesh has huge potentials, as the experts predict, even to reach to the middle income group of countries, given some more momentum in terms of improving governance, eradicating corruption and ensuring political stability. As is known, Bangladesh is often battered by natural calamities which cause substantial damage to its infrastructure, and its effort to eradicate poverty, not to speak of the loss to human lives. Bangladesh has certain advantages like homogeneity in terms of ethnicity, religion and a culture of tolerance which play a great impacting role in its integration process. It has a huge population, which may be called a comparative advantage that can be converted into competitive advantage like turning them into human resources. If the huge population can be turned into more literate, skilled, semi-skilled manpower, and utilized domestically and exported to developed countries then the country would greatly benefit economically and socially. Given the limited space of Bangladesh that finds it difficult to sustain such a huge population, this is one of the most feasible and pragmatic options left for Bangladesh. Otherwise Bangladesh’s human security will be in jeopardy.

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP TRAITS

Transformational Leadership is the latest and most promising phase in the leadership spectrum. “Here the focus is on leader behavior during periods of organizational transition and on processes such as creating visions of desired future state and obtaining employee commitment to change.” Transformational Leadership is a kind of leadership that can transcend the normal boundary management of an environment. It aims to walk an extra mile, or take a bit more risk, or take more responsibilities instead of passing the buck in undertaking a task. It should be able to improvise, if required, to reengineer or reinvent. Stagnancy or maintaining status quo is the job of a routine manager or a transactional leader but creating a new context in order to be more productive is the goal of a transformational leader. It should be able to take the team along who strongly upholds the visions, values and objectives of the leader to be their own and inspires them in such a way that they would carry out the tasks enthusiastically even at the peril of their life. They would not necessarily turn into rabble rouser. They should, as far as possible, reflect charisma, be able to inspire the subordinates and should be able to intellectually stimulate the subordinates or the stakeholders.

Charisma entails providing vision and mission to the stakeholders so that the team moves along the path the leader has foreseen. He should be able to instill pride and gain respect and trust from the subordinates or his constituency. Charisma reflects his personality, knowledge, wisdom, sense of justice and commitment. One may argue this is a born quality- a gift from God. This argument is largely not tenable since - many scholars term it as a myth – such qualities can be acquired through rigorous exercise, given a deep commitment. Next point is about inspiring the stakeholders in undertaking even the arduous jobs. The leadership is about understanding the environment, adapting to the environment and be able to communicate the contingencies commensurate with the environment to the stakeholders. Now the leader should be able to communicate the high expectations expected of the team members in a simple and understandable language. He may use different symbols at his disposal. Gandhi and Mao Tse Tung inspired the whole nation to fight for freedom and emancipation in such a way that hundreds and thousands of them were even ready to die for the cause at their every beck and call. However, such historical examples may not appropriately apply to every level, tier or environment of leadership. But one can always draw lessons from such examples.

A leader should be able to intellectually stimulate his team members. He should understand the context, environment, rationality of his cause or vision, and that would need deep intellectual exercise. He should be able to provide careful and creative problem solving techniques to his team members. All great leaders of the world are generally men of knowledge and wisdom. Henry Kissinger called Mao Tse Tung one of the greatest teachers of mankind. A leader must pursue knowledge-based critical thinking, especially in this globalized intelligent world. Practical knowledge has no substitute for a leader in order to inspire his subordinates with ideas, values, attitudes, perceptions, visions, missions and objectives. The subordinates are unlikely to accept one as leader if he cannot provide rational and creative problem solving techniques. Without such course, a leader might become redundant in the society.

The last point the author would like to make is personal touch a leader provides to his subordinates. This aspect of leadership practice is seriously lacking in Bangladesh environment. A leader has to give personal attention, and treat all his subordinates individually. He has to counsel and mentor his members, if possible. A leader has to care about the welfare, mental or health state, family problems of his subordinates. This works marvel in Bangladesh environment. Mere patting makes a lot of difference to an employee in the Bangladesh environment. Maslow’s Theory of Needs does indicate such directions in order to upgrade the motivation levels of the employees.

A leader should be an innovator apart from being an administrator only. He should be able to inspire trust than merely relying on control. A leader, depending on the tier he is holding in the hierarchy, should generally have a long range perspective and an eye on the horizon apart from having an eye on the bottom line. A leader should not ask how and when an event took place; he, however, would do better if he asks what and why of the incident. He challenges the system or status quo, of course not unsettling the environment. Conflict management is a good technique but that should not destabilize the system one is holding. In a nutshell, transformational leaders are seen as change agents, courageous, believing in people, having a strong set of values, life-long learners, capable of coping with complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity and visionaries.

BANGLADESH BUREAUCRACY IN PERSPECTIVE:

Max Weber, the chief architect of bureaucracy, provides certain features of bureaucracy like hierarchy, promotion based on professional merit, development of a career service, reliance on and use of rules and regulations and impersonality of relationships among career professionals in the bureaucracy and with their clientele. To a commoner, taking cue from Max Weber, bureaucracy would appear to be something to do with red tapism, inefficiency and abuse of power in the context of official-client relationship. It develops a system of authority, which is indestructible and an entrenched bureaucracy that can serve any interest. It shows allegiance only to the authority above it even if political changes have taken place. Webster’s New International Dictionary defines bureaucracy as a system that is narrow, rigid and formal, depends on precedent, and lacks initiative and resourcefulness. The essence of traditional public administration tends to be rigid, rule-bound, centralized, insular, self-protective and profoundly antidemocratic; and such traits often collide with the contemporary paradigm of bureaucracy that “allows qualified voters an efficient instrument through which the will of the people may be expressed; makes officers both responsive and responsible,” and thereby ensures common welfare.

Theorists and practitioners would like to emphasize bureaucratic paradigms like fairness, representation, participation, accountability, responsiveness, political neutrality, efficiency, rationality, and expertise. But the very nature of public administration poses problem to such value. The bureaucrats have a tendency to rely more on expertise and knowledge than over accountability, participation and democratic control. Now, therefore, a pertinent question arises: are the bureaucratic traits legitimate in terms of democratic principles. In this regard, David Rosenbloom opines that the legitimacy of bureaucracy occurs when bureaucratic policy making is subject to direct popular control. If bureaucracy is isolated from public accountability, bureaucracy can in no way be responsible to public interests and desires.

Again Merton, an American sociologist, goes deeper into the pitfalls of bureaucratic system. Bureaucracy’s adherence to rules originally conceived as a means, turns into an end-in-itself, thereby resulting in the displacement of goals. “In Bangladesh, the bureaucracy, to a large extent, conforms to the Weberian model....... Bureaucrats are not always assigned specific positions on the basis of their specialization or expertise but rather on the basis of belonging to a particular civil service cadre. Rationality is conceived in a narrow sense. It is primarily equated with administrative efficiency and economy both of which are considered ends in themselves rather than means to an end- the effective delivery of public service.”

Bureaucracy’s strict adherence to regulations induces timidity, conservatism and technicism. Bureaucracy’s avowed norm of impersonality and its dependence on abstract rules put it in conflict with the personalized consideration the members of public and clientele would expect. Bureaucracy’s entrenched corporate interests, which may be called espirit de corp, totally negates the concept of transformational leadership traits.

Given the traits as shown, bureaucracy, theoretically speaking, goes against the grain of transformational leadership. However, such theoretical branding may not always find true reflection in the practical application by an individual bureaucrat. He may have the charisma, vision or personalized consideration like that of a transformational leader and he may exert to establish his leadership, but the environment of the boundary around which he is operating may not permit him to realize his full potentials. Initiative of an individual bureaucrat is greatly circumscribed in decision making process; there may be ten tiers, in the Central Government, to be crossed, when the final decision is made. However, in most of the cases, all the ten tiers may not have to be crossed. Anyway, a kind of timidity thus sets in such a process. Initiative, dynamism, and creative and innovative thinking, the sine quo nonefor transformational leadership that should be undertaken by a bureaucrat are lost, at best diluted. Risk-taking is one of the hallmarks of real leadership. In a scenario like this, a bureaucrat will not take any risks since he has somebody above him.

It is reportedly known that a Secretary to the government puts forward a file to his Cabinet Minister seeking sanction of a paltry sum of Tk. 25,000 (equivalent to US$350) to be disbursed for the repair/maintenance of a small building in a remote village of Bangladesh. Now this brings to the fore another predicament where the authority is so much centralized that such a simple decision has to be taken by the Central Government located in Dhaka. ADB Country Governance Assessment (Draft), Bangladesh, May 2004, under heading ‘Centralization’ observes, “An additional constraint to good governance at the local level is the extremely centralized form of government now in place. Union Parishads (UPs) derive their authority and a substantial portion of their funds from national ministries whose effective reach to the level is constrained by intervening levels of government. For example, Union Parishads (UPs) must submit their budgets and work plans for review and follow-up action by several appointed officials at the Upazilla and district levels. As a result, the UNO and the Chairman of the Upazilla Development Committee have more de facto power over development projects in Unions than do the UPs themselves.”

Although Bangladesh is a unitary system, there are three administrative tiers and local government structure which could have easily taken care of such problem. Even for posting of foundation level officers like lecturer/teacher of a college/high school or a medical officer at Upazilla (Sub-district), the Central Government, where again so many tiers may have to be crossed, gets involved. Here again, timidity sets in and that delays the decision making process. This also gives rise to more probability of corruption and sufferings of the employees. Motivation, which is conditioned more by intrinsic factors than extrinsic ones, gets badly affected and the overall productivity of the government definitely suffers. However, the probability of corruption still remains valid even if decentralization in relatively important decision making is done at the administrative levels. Federalism is, however, a far-fetched idea at the moment since basic structure of the Constitution has to be amended and for that political consensus has to be reached.

Even if an individual bureaucrat would like to exert his dynamism, creativity or initiative, the system would not permit it. The system constraint has become a serious problem in transforming the officers. Delay in the system is unwarranted and is a recurrent phenomenon. This author learnt about a case where a simple clarification on a point, pending for last about six years, asked from the higher office of the Republic to a functioning ministry took about six months, that too after several reminders. Such delays are caused both vertically and horizontally. Horizontal delays (reasons for vertical delays are already pointed out) are caused mainly because of consultation or opinion seeking with the other line ministries. In the horizontal plane also files have to again move up and down the tiers as mentioned. And if there is a disagreement, the matters get further complicated. It further delays the decision making process. This author was shocked to learn a state of affair where an important appointment case remained pending in a functioning ministry for three years. The case could have been processed to the appropriate authority for his approval. As a matter of fact, the incumbent continued functioning presumably without lawful authority for three years. When, on the eve of a ceremony, it was discovered that the appointment was not validated and hence the subsequent actions that followed could be questioned, the Pandora’s Box was opened. How and why it happened was not looked into. The accountability and transparency, which are so much essential for good governance, were totally lacking in this case. The matter was, probably, somehow patched up. Even in a transactional leadership spectrum, the status quo is at least maintained. In this case, even the status quo or routine functioning was not maintained, let alone challenging and changing the status quo. So the creative or innovative ideas cannot be expected that are so critical in this globalized, intelligent 21st century world.

Transformational leaders are supposed to be intellectually sound, so that they can transmit to their followers their wisdom; and it results in two-way traffic. A leader has to command the respect through his personality, values, wisdom, and long-range view and make them think the way he thinks. Only then can the leader take the team along with him. He has to capture some of their styles or traits in order to be successful in his domain. And his own domain is to have contemporary and up-to-date knowledge and the ability to apply those in the field he is handling. If he is handling WTO matters, he should be a reasonable expert on the subject so that he can communicate, negotiate and be able to enter into agreements, keeping the country’s interests above everything, with his expert counterparts coming from both developed and developing worlds. This is a knowledge-based world, but sad enough Bangladesh has turned out be a knowledge starved society.

If our bureaucrats could be armed with more technical and appropriate knowledge, then the Government would not probably have signed the Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) with the International Oil Companies (IOCs) where 72% of the revenue earnings are given to the IOCs in foreign currencies. Gas is stored in the territories of Bangladesh but it only gets a paltry 28% percent of revenue earnings. Again, because of the lack of adequate technical and appropriate knowledge or realizing the urgency Bangladesh, as yet, could not place its case before the United Nations regarding the maritime demarcation of the Bay of Bengal, although it ratified the UNCLOS in 2001. Bangladesh has not yet carried out necessary survey to decide about the extent of its continental shelf. The control points of its base line, both in the western and eastern sectors, have been contested by both India and Myanmar. Bangladesh is likely to get ‘zone/sea locked’ and if serious negotiations are not undertaken immediately with the actors concerned, mostly applying the equity theory as against equidistance theory, much of Bangladesh’s life sustenance resources and maritime freedom might get jeopardized. It is to be especially mentioned here that the neighboring countries like India, Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia have settled their scores of maritime boundary demarcation.

There is a big question: is Bangladesh prepared for such serious negotiations with its neighbours in order to protect its interests? Or it is going to surrender its interests as it did during the last Hong Kong round of WTO negotiations because the Bangladesh team did not carry out enough home work for such negotiations? There can be a further question: is the person who is supposed to carry out his homework has the requisite ability and the right attitude to do so? There is a concern about it. The answer is simple: the person may not have the requisite expertise and the positive attitude that would take care of the national interest.

This author learnt about a case where a summary for an appointment to a very high office was placed in the higher office in such a way that the constitutional provision apparently got violated. When someone pointed out such violation, the reply given to him was that there was such a precedent earlier. To that officer, what was important was the precedent not the Constitution. It also shows lack of knowledge of the Constitution both by him and his predecessor. It could be also attitudinal tendencies to show what they did was right, not what the Constitution stipulates. It can be surmised that it was more of a lack of adequate knowledge of the Constitution. Superficial knowledge on such critical issues could be disastrous for the nation and on occasions national interests might get violated. Even a transactional leader is expected to have enough knowledge on a subject he handles in order to maintain the status quo; otherwise atrophy would take over. In a globalized interdependent world, specialist knowledge by the bureaucrats in their respective field of activities is essential even if we presume they are not transformational leaders. Intellectual stimulation is sine quo non for someone to be a transformational leader.

It is generally believed that the bureaucrats, especially officers from the Administrative Cadre, probably, acted as a pressure group (there could be other pressure groups also) to block the separation and independence of the judiciary and Anti-Corruption Commission. It also did not work favorably to institutionalize the local government system of Bangladesh. The Supreme Court, through its twelve point directive in 1999, asked the Government to completely separate the judiciary, especially the lower judiciary, from the executive. But the successive governments started dilly-dallying the process, presumably also at the behest of the bureaucrats. Bureaucrats might have apprehended that their power could get greatly curtailed by such action. This could also be true in the case of the local governments, as already pointed out. However, the local political leaders also had their vested interests in not institutionalizing and strengthening the local government structures.

Be that as it may, bureaucrats would not like to part with the control and superintendence they have on different aspects of the local government. Bureaucrats both at the local tiers and also at the central level have varying degrees of control over the local governments. It is a well nigh difficult task to meaningfully direct, control and monitor the activities of the local governments, from the capital city, spread in every nook and corner of the country. Personalized consideration would be totally lacking in such a scenario which goes against the concept of transformational leadership. Innovativeness, creativity and emotional attachment are essential in transformational leadership styles but sad enough such inputs may be absent in a scenario like this.

RESPONSE:

A thorough overhauling of the bureaucratic structure, span of control, style of work, motivation, values, attitudes, and mindset may be necessary in the context and environment of Bangladesh. There may be a necessity of strategic planning for this. Donor assistance, both in terms of money and expertise, may be necessary.

Firstly, flatter organization system, which generally goes with the modern management concepts, as against many-tiered vertical organization in the bureaucratic hierarchy of the Central Government, may be thought of. It could be brought down to four to five tiers that would facilitate better and faster decision making. However, the number of streams, dealing with limited subjects, within a Ministry/Division may be increased. This will help in faster decision making and specialization.

Secondly, similar types of Ministries/Divisions could be clustered together within which the officers/employees would generally rotate. Example could be the Ministries/Divisions of Finance, Planning, Commerce, External Resources Division, Expatriate Welfare Division could be clustered together, something like Strategic Business Units (SBUs), as practised in the business world, where the officers from their foundation level to even up to highest level would rotate during their stint of staff appointments. Another example could be the Ministries/Divisions like Foreign, Home, Defence, Disaster Management, Chittagong Hill Tracts, etc could be clustered together. The specialization that would accrue in such clustering would better take care of areas like WTO, maritime or land boundary demarcation, counter-terrorism, etc. where there are tendencies of faltering. This is given merely as a suggestion; one may not be sacrosanct about it. In a similar vein, Zafarullah’s categorization of ministries/divisions merits consideration, may be with certain adjustment. Those could be categorized, as he prescribes, like Executive (President’s Office, Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Division), Regulatory (Establishment, Finance, IRD, Local Government, Commerce, Home, Jute, Civil Aviation and Tourism, Shipping, Lands, etc), Service-orientated/Welfare (Relief, Special Affairs, Health and Family Welfare, Railways, Post and Telecommunication, Social Welfare, Women’s Affairs), Food, Labour and Manpower Developmental (Agriculture, Rural Development and Cooperative, Irrigation, Water Development and Flood Control, Roads and Road Transport, Industries, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Works, Fisheries and Livestock, Jute and Textile), Promotional (Primary and Mass Education, Education, Science and Technology, Environment and Forest, Information, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports, Religious Affairs), Advisory (Armed Forces Division, Planning, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Parliament Secretariat), Research (Statistical and Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division), and International (Foreign Affairs and Economic Relations).

Thirdly, Strategic Management Planning, along with Management by Objectives (MBO) technique, as practised in the business world, dovetailed to the culture of public service may be adopted for the Bangladesh Civil Service. Vision/Mission, long term objectives, strategies, yearly objectives, policies, feedback system for each Ministry/Division, Corporation and Department should be clearly spelt out in a realistic, achievable, time bound benchmark. This is not to say that broad objectives are not spelt out in the yearly /three yearly/five yearly planning processes. Bangladesh has a good macro level planning, but what it lacks is the micro level planning and implementation. It also lacks feed back loop which helps in further planning. Objectives are not set out in a realistic and achievable manner; as such Bangladesh generally falters in implementing the Annual Development Plans or in utilizing the foreign assistance. Strategic planning involves all segments, spectrum, activities, cohesion, top down and bottom up approaches, etc. It also involves participatory planning. All stakeholders should be consulted before deciding about an objective. Each Department/Tier/Local Government should be given their yearly achievable, tangible and intangible (to be quantified as much as possible) objectives that would, in totality, meet the yearly objectives of a particular Ministry/Division. Our foreign missions, as part of economic diplomacy, could be given the yearly objectives like export to the target country be increased by say 10% or so many skilled/non skilled manpower be exported to that country. Such objectives could be decided realistically based on past experiences and future trends. Management by objectives, although an American concept not fitting into our culture, may be followed at least in its spirit. Now any player who fails to meet a reasonable expectation of the objectives may be made answerable. Such lapses may be reflected in his yearly performance appraisal in clear terms which would ultimately impact on his career advancement. An independent team has to work out the details of modalities, in case the Government decides to implement the concept.

Fourthly, in order to attract the better graduates of the universities (private sector is now a better destination), their pay, perks and privileges should be greatly enhanced. ADB Country Governance Assessment Bangladesh (Draft), May 2004 acknowledges that the Civil Service no longer attracts the same calibre of entry- level officials that it did in the past. It prescribes salary reform, “mindful of the need to balance the prospect of competitive salary increases with the corollary need to reduce the overall costs of public administration”. If necessary, a portion of the Annual Development Plan may have to be diverted to the Revenue Budget in order to cater for the extra expenditure involved in salary increases. In the long term, it would prove to be more cost-effective. If the actors are not efficient, output would be always problematic. One cannot be expected to be efficient, if his/her physiological needs are not adequately met, when he is de-motivated.

Fifthly, since the quality of Bangladesh University education has deteriorated to a great extent, especially in relation to communication skill in English and latest developments around the world, there is a dire need for an exhaustive, realistic, up-to-date training package programme to be developed in the training institutions. This is borne out by the observations made by Shawkat Ali, a former career civil servant, “various studies have drawn attention to the deficiencies in the training of civil servants, specially post-entry and pre-entry training. Some of these deficiencies are as follows: lack of qualified and well trained staff arising out of posting unwilling civil servants in the training institutes and such postings do not take into account the qualification and experience of the civil servants which result in low quality of training and lack of motivation; the post-entry training and in-service training courses are not well integrated and scheduled to provide and continuously update the level of training and knowledge of civil servants. …Questions have already been raised about relevance of training, utilization of training and incentives for training. Training should be both class room and field based. Exhaustive training programme generally for greater duration than what is done today, especially at the foundation level would pay rich dividends in the long run. Training in the form of case studies, seminars, group projects especially at the field levels, presentations, research papers, In Basket Exercises, visits and orientation with varied types of installations, institutions, corporate world, NGOs, local government, industries, etc may be given more emphasis. Field trips and exercises, something similar to military system, could be given a consideration. For such extensive training system foreign advisory team from countries like Singapore, Japan, UK, and Australia as also from the Bangladesh Armed Forces may be sought.

Sixthly, for career advancement, successful field level appointments like Upazilla Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and Deputy Commissioner (DC), an independent assignment in a foreign mission may be given more credence. One who performs poorly in such appointments may not be given further enhancement in career. Based on the performance reflected in the Annual Confidential Reports, the officers in the promotion chain, at different tiers, may be required to go through the Assessment Centers where they would undergo various group exercises and individual tasks as well as psychometrics and interviews. Only the successful candidates would qualify for further promotion. This practice is followed in the U.K. Civil Service. This has relevance to military system of promotion as well. It is heartening to note that Bangladesh Government is already thinking of introducing similar system.

Seventhly, there is generally a degeneration of values in Bangladesh. Corruption is rampant in all segments of the society. Such situation should be arrested through greater transparency and accountability. Parliamentary standing committees may be more assertive to make the bureaucrats more accountable. Even the courts of law may, if not already doing, attempt to go into greater details of a case that involves the government projects and functionaries and make the public servants accountable. Higher bureaucracy may regularly visit the field level projects and offices to ensure better accountability and transparency.

Eighthly, E-governance or Digital Governance should be given especial priority. E-Governance has to be seen as a tool for good governance and human development. Good Governance occurs when Electronic Governance is able to enhance the “Public Value” of information supplied. The Civil Service members may be made aware of the necessity of E-Governance and be thoroughly armed with necessary competencies. Chandra Babu Naidu, a former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, India, could be a role model for our system.

Lastly, as long as necessary expertise, required of a particular Ministry/Division, is not developed, a core committee of experts drawn mainly from the civil society, universities and research institutes may be formed, as a stop gap measure, to assist the concerned Ministry/Division in handling the technical/complicated matters that involve vital national interests. Of course, this has been done many a time. This now needs to be made more structured with definite terms of reference.

CONCLUTION:

In conculation, we presented a proposition of the transformational stage in the administration, bureaucracy, and state. In fact, it is emphasized here that all other organs and structure of the state are poised for change. Partisan polity in the transitional stage is about to introduce reforms after a huge paradigm shift. The quality of leadership in all spheres – politics, business, profession, bureaucracy – is in question and calls deeply for reform.

In the current reformist and transformational scenario, the bureaucracy has a critical role in enabling an orderly transition to provide the prerequisites for democracy and development. For achieving this, the bureaucracy may help establish the rule of law. Without this, the arbitrary and capricious decision making of the past could reappear.

Leadership in Bangladesh is definitely at a critical juncture and, needless to say, standing at the threshold of the 21st century, Bangladesh has to discard the old perception of it. In this regard, the author considers this phase of history as transitional and transformational. Whether we like it or not, the coming generations will complete the full circle of change that is needed to move from one level of development to the next and thank us for “beginning the beginning”.

[yfere]

Shipping Calculus! Live Updates from C2E72

A little out of order, but irresistible, to write The Rise of Fjord. Masterpost here.

-15 to Nott/Spelling So sure, the local Felderwin spelling bees probably didn’t see the word “Eldritch Blast” crop up all that often, but still—G? That’s almost as bad as Fjord’s new pronunciation!

+4 to Caleb/Essik as Caleb stalls for times to talk to the Fancy Wizard, promising to keep in touch, and the Fancy Wizard again pulls his Extremely Helpful “Should you require anything” business, which is, Perilously Close to a Princess Bride-style “As you wish.” Point loss for hurrying off and ditching the Nein at the first opportunity, the rude bastard

+4 to Nott/Jester for Jester defending Nott from Caduceus when he advocates for knocking her out and dragging her underwater with them, the son of a bitch.

+19 to Caleb/Jester as these two prove they are absolutely that couple who wears matching outfits all the time, or in this case, matching polymorph birds. When talking proves difficult, seriously considering mating rituals as a vehicle of communication (communicating Inner Feelings, we should say) “Thanks, Caleb,” which is always a point earner, Caleb advocating for a ghost book club with Jester and Jester agreeing, not to mention these two bookworms going gaga over the one (1) book in the Dust library, for ever so slightly different reasons. Not to mention, they are also Absolutely that couple that feeds each other, as they almost tune out the rest of the party being sweet over the bead of nourishment.

+17 to Dust/Stone/Clay as we abide by that most ancient of Shipping laws, “Fucking Until Proven Innocent”

+27 to Caleb/Fjord/Jester One doctoral candidate in the lab pointed out that both Caleb and Jester are confirmed Recipients of Fjord Winks, not to mention the iconic line “You caught on, and you’ve known me the longest,” meaning these two! Set apart for Fjord! AND, Jester immediately trying to feed Fjord the bead of nourishment after nearly giving everyone cavities with Caleb sweetness, AND, Jester and Caleb both Supporting Fjord In All He Does re: breaking up the ice, making it easy for him to see underwater or keeping him warm while he does it…That’s Love. How Caleb knows without even asking that the one person besides himself most willing to give up their magical items for Fjord is Jester Lavorre. Melora be praised, they all just deserve to be happy together, don’t they???

+9 to the Mighty Nein/Patriotism for Nott, Caleb, and Jester turning themselves red white and blue for their mountain journey

+17 to Jester/Caduceus “I admit it, you were right,” Caduceus says, radiating Longsuffering Partner Vibes. Giving Jester Resistance #BuffingIsALanguageOfLove, Caduceus wishing Jester would say the Wildmother is the coolest more often and Jester begrudgingly admitting she’s all right if not as great as the Traveler when converting Fjord proves unsuccessful. Caduceus being Very Into Jester’s porn reading, as well as her theory of the Dust/Stone/Clay orgy. Caduceus instructing Jester in the Ways Of Politeness by saying people like sending better “when they can picture your beautiful face.” I mean???? That’s flirting?????

+40 to The Mighty Nein/Ghosts with far too many members of the Nein thinking about ghost dick, Avantika showing up to ogle at Fjord, and in general all of the ghosts being big smut book fans.

+39 to Caduceus/Fjord !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These two!!!! Fjord sticking by Caduceus at all times and wanting to do what Caduceus wants! Saying Caduceus is “inspiring!” Thanking him for being himself!! Caduceus saying Fjord will do great things!! The healing! Dropping the accent! Caduceus thinking the whole trip was worthwhile, just for Fjord! Melora! Insisting Fjord learned a new power, that he is valuable as he is!! !!!!!!!!!!!!! PICKING FJORD UP AND TAKING HIM AWAY TO REST, COMPLIMENTING HIS VOICE FOR BEING CHARMING SkhfhkadjkfafbjsfbjkKAADBADB

+6 to Caduceus/Nature as the trees give him The Nod.

+35 to Fjord/Jester THERE IS EMOTIONAL VULNERABILITY IN THIS HOUSE 2NITE. I mean, besides making sure Fjord is Warm and Fed and Safely Carried Around (and the writing of Friendfiction), besides “you’re affable” and laughing at Jester’s porny mind and telling Jester to just do what she does being herself, besides Tusk and Accent Complimenting, Fjord…..voluntarily starts talking about Vandran, and has Jester call him? And Jester reassures him when the response isn’t exactly what he expected? They bond over how their worlds are getting bigger than they thought possible, the wish sometimes to just break away and find some peace, the knowledge that if they did decide to break away, that they would follow each other?? Fjord telling Jester how he lost his powers! Willing! To admit to weakness with her! Jester giving Fjord both her magical weapons, fuck it. Point loss because Fjord really is just never going to convert to the Traveler no matter how Jester tries.

+4 to Caleb/Cat Shaped Creatures for having Frumpkin keep him company while he did some Spring Cleaning on his coat situation.

+28 to Caleb/Fjord These two and their….hands. Mein Gott. Just….a lot of intense hand business (Hand Job?) happening over here again, not to mention the Symbolism of Caleb giving up some of his fire, that dangerous thing he didn’t want anyone to use, giving up that item that he and Fjord had both wanted way back in the beginning. The peculiar rightness of everyone handing their items over to Caleb to give to Fjord. Not to mention going on about Fjord’s Skills, the trying to look like Caleb, the “Some are better” accompanied by a Wink, the “What else have you got?” the “Maybe later.” Hahaha. Ha. Point loss for Fjord saying Caleb should stop reading so many books--even said jokingly the concept is Heresy and Unacceptable.

+40 to Nott the Best Detective Agency/Detective Work for making the connection between the green glass of Caduceus’ visions and the residuum they picked up on a previous Case. Now that….that is some detectiving, godsdamn.

+7 to Nott/Yeza as Nott wants to draw on her husband’s alchemical skills to figure out how to make purified glass out of residuum! See, you should just take him with you everywhere, like a potion-making Bodahn Feddic!

+20 to Nott/Fire Powers as, with two words, she set Fjord on fire and reduced him to a smoldering corpse.

+12 to Beau/Jester as Jester once more sees through Beau’s “I’m totally fine I’m not suffering AT ALL” act to give her the rod of handwarming, Beau talking about how much she loves the ocean (and being quick to call the ghosts Jester’s fans), Jester scooping up Beau in eagle form and saving her from plummeting to her death! Point loss because Jester dropping her may have been the reason Beau was plummeting in the first place, and being jostled around until you throw up is Not A Fun Date.

+13 to Caleb/Caduceus as Caduceus turns in adorable confusion to Caleb to define “alchemical” and gets the most sweetly straightforward response, the two of them as usual being on the Same Page when it comes to the necessity of polite behavior, and continuing their ongoing, understated Feud on who is going to have the right to feed the group. For once Caleb comes out on top (ha,) as Caduceus is caught unprepared with his spellwork and therefore cannot yet make Holy Breakfast on the Anvil. Caleb once more indicating he secretly believes he lives in a fairy tale, promising to follow Caduceus’ lead because this is “his story”

+6 to Fjord & Caduceus/D.A.R.E as Fjord refuses drugs from Beau saying he doesn’t need them (damn right!), and with Caduceus, who is generally very pro-drug, nonetheless refusing Nott’s suggestion to snort the residuum.

-100000000000000000000000000000 to Fjord/Uk’otoa, but more importantly +5000 to Fjord/Channeling His Inner Hobbit as he manages to overcome his own need for power to throw the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom—I mean, Summer’s Dance into the lava of the Kiln. The man one-upped both Percy and Frodo, hot damn.

[2ofswords]

for your analysis meme: clara

This is going to be so much fun and so very tough, because Clara is such an amazingly complicated character! God, I love her so much but part of that is because she is very ambivalent and hard to describe. She is one of these characters where you can find an opposite trait for every other one she has (which is kind of the point of her). Also: I still haven’t played the Changeling route in Patho1 and I have a stronger understanding of the Patho2 universe… so bear with me. I will try my best to analyse our favorite saint.

their biggest strength

I needed to think a while about this one and the term that stuck with me was attentive cleverness. Because I really couldn’t decide if I wanted to call her attentive or clever and luckily these two can be combined into something, I find pretty precise for what I want to describe. Clara is very clever and has a lot of knowledge that not really anyone else in the patho-universe can gain (or at least the amount of it, people share bits and pieces). She is the healer most aware of the meta-narrative and at least in routes that aren’t hers is telling you either that she knows more than you do or straight out telling you something, you needed to know (and probably didn’t want to). As is obvious by her focus on hands and talking her main skill is also interaction with other people… but I think a lot of it comes from the fact, that Clara is a good listener. Which seems to be counter-intuitive because listening is assigned as Artemy’s domain in the artbook, but I think the other word used – rhythms – is pretty important here. Artemy’s skill is finding connections, intuit solutions as well as similarities and differences (there is a reason he realizes his similarities to Aglaya’s description of the inquisition) and gaining cultural knowledge that he then transforms into practical and usable abilities. Clara’s “listening” is more about singular people’s well-being and personal struggle. (She is like a good therapist. If your therapist wanted to convert you into a sacrificial religion. ^^) She interacts with her surroundings directly and attentively. I mean, she is very well informed very early on without really having a live before that or at least not in town (again, I did not play the changeling route yet and do not know her origins or how ambiguous they are kept at the end. Either way, she arrives in town at the beginning of the game and navigates her way pretty well.) However only calling her attentive sounds like the trait is a passive one which is not something I mean. Both her personas as a saint and a thief use her knowledge that is gained by being attentive in unconventional ways and/or for unconventional means. As noted in the beginning, Clara is very clever and that in combination with her noticing even small discrepancies and listening to people makes her able to peek behind the curtain of the game in the first place. It also helps to get yourself into places people normally wouldn’t want a teenage girl to be and Clara knows and is fully willing to use this ability. It is both the reason why she knows so much more about the greater scope of the disaster and also why she always seems to be able to get into any place she wants to. By the way, just as an afterthought: Of course that ability doesn’t come and is in fact enhanced by empathy. I do not think, Clara is listening to people only to use them and to gain information. You can genuinely be willing to listen to someone and still use the information you get out of these conversations. Listening carefully and actively engaging with other people is a great part of that strength!

their greatest weakness

Does “not being able to hold a knife when the town wants you dead” count as a weakness? Okay seriously, I have a really hard time to put what I consider her weakness into one expressive term. So I will talk about it first at length and then we will see. What caught my mind first was ironically Clara’s problems with communication. That might be the case because, yes, I still haven’t played her route, so I am working mostly on her ways of communication with the other healers. But Clara really has a lot of strong points that she has trouble getting across or acknowledged. Sometimes that is definitely not her fault and one of her problems is, that she is not taken seriously by other people. But trying to persuade someone to their cause and emphasizing the reason with an elaborate monologue how the other healers are demons. Daniil was genuinely asking, why you wrote your letter about your destiny, it’s fine! Same happens in Pathologic 2. Saying someone to stay put when they are in a pretty bad spot already is not a bad idea and Artemy is pretty open to both warnings and clairvoyance in general but saying. “Nope, do literally nothing even if you know you want to, I am a better doctor anyways” is… yeah hurting him in his professional pride isn’t exactly a smart move. Often it feels like she really has a chance to explain and the other healers would probably listen but then there is just a terrible miscommunication. (Which is a thing for all of the healers but Clara I-am-going-to-call-your-father-a-horrible-person-while-we-are-at-his-funeral Saburova… Look, it might be true but it is also hilarious.) But putting communication skills here would still be weird, since… you know… she is pretty good at communicating in different ways! And also all three healers are pretty prone to miscommunication albeit in different ways and for different reasons… So I think we have to dig a bit deeper still… So why is this happening and hindering her? There are multiple reasons to come to this conclusion. One I would call childlike stubbornness. (Which btw. Is also one of her strengths, but… it is Clara, everything is also its opposite. God I love her so much, she is just so hard to describe, it’s amazing!) Even with all of her wisdom and cleverness… Clara is still a child. As she should be, it makes her so much more interesting! But she also has this childlike quality of just… assuming people will completely understand and accept what she is trying to see and getting frustrated the moment it doesn’t happen. This is one of her contradictions. She is so very attentive, and she can touch other people with her hands as well as her words, but she also is inexperienced and doesn’t really know a lot about the world or about how to socially approach people which can be a big problem, if she desperately needs someone to listen. The other argument would be about her role in the plot and the way she regards her own role as well as the other healers. She is the most aware one and she does indeed know a solution to the dilemma of the story (if we do not conclude that this is a three way battle, but I exclude my thoughts about the factions themselves for this. She definitely though knows how to get rid of the town vs. polyhedron conflict) but this also puts her in direct opposition to both healers. Which… you know is completely fair and not a weakness. But, she is very uncompromising about this and while all of them are – at least when they are not the main protagonists – Clara is the most unmoving and also uncompromising of the three, telling everyone always very directly how she things the others are shit. Which again, is very justified but becomes a big problem when she needs help and makes it harder for her to express her own thoughts, even if they are very justified and might even help all parties. Speaking in riddles and of concepts beyond something we would see as our reality surely doesn’t help there either.

a headcanon about their childhood

Oh dear, tbh I am not even sure how metaphorical she just crawled out of the earth at the beginning of the game and if she even has a proper childhood… I think it is pretty literal but there are allusions in Patho2 that she actually has a past? At least she speaks about it and I guess it can be as made up as real. (A classic Clara move ^^) And having no defined past is kind of a big thing for her so… sorry, no childhood headcanon here.  

a headcanon about their future (if they have one)

Again, I am not really sure if she stays in town or leaves with Block and I have read fanfiction with both, so I am not sure if there is a consensus in fandom either… If she stays in town I imagine her still being with the Saburovs but I do not know, if I really like this headcanon, since abandoning your newly found orphan in the middle of a plague is really something that should revoke parent rights… But on the other thing the position among the mistresses seems to still be pretty defined at least in the endings in Patho 2. I like to see her travelling with Block at least for a while. Maybe not at the front, that would be just… bad. But she also seems like the person who would just poke their head around at random intervals and nobody really knows, when she will get back and somehow Clara still knows exactly what is going on in town… Still she also seems pretty bound to the place and she has business there… it’s a tough call. She will definitely fire up the rivalry of the mistresses by a lot though. Probably even if she is just there for a second, she would definitely sow some mischief between Capella and Maria! Another triad of petty politics for her! Yay?

a small detail/scene that leaves a great impact

Oh dear, every scene she is in is just so impactful! (Also never knowing which Clara is with you right now (if there even is a difference) doesn’t make this easier...) I really like her quest in Artemy’s run, where she is upset about not knowing what exactly she is in the first place… but that is not really a small details or scene. Same goes for the cathedral and her offer to meet the inquisitor together with Dankovsky to stand up for that whole disaster. Which is still a really heroic but also not really a small scene and there is nothing to talk about there aside from “man, is Clara brave and set on doing the right thing!” I also think the letter about her ending is really interesting because it is just so out there and giving all of her bound a demonic nickname is just so over the top, but tbh all of the ending letters are very… passionate. So this might be more the games writing even if they lampshade it and talk to each other like the other one is the only healer in town who wrote a completely insane letter… But I digress. While I love Clara’s Patho1 design, I will say that I love her shaved hair in Patho2 and the commentary the artbook has for it. Seeing it as a sign of sickness or a deliberate mark of sainthood is just so on point for her! It is a really nice visual piece for her characterization and I also think putting the beany on top of it makes it even better. It is contradicting but firstly she deliberately kind of tries to hide her own contradictions (I mean, it is not part of her! It is just the sister, she is wrong!), which is also a nice added detail. Also, she might combine contradicting elements, but god, she is doing it with style!

their philosophy/worldview (or part of it) described in one neat little sentence

I am throwing the towel! How should this even work with Clara??? She has different philosophies and worldviews! Also, I think they differ a bit between the first and second game. The first one aligns a lot with the humble faction from what we hear but in the second game her dialogue alludes more vaguely to touching and changing people and not necessarily to “The right people must die for our world to continue” which is most of what I heard from her. Hm… How about: A saint’s duty is to touch the immoral and diseased, thus one can never rid themselves of all dirt. I am not that happy with this one, but… at least it has the whole touching other people thing in it and it is about good people not being pure, which also is a theme with her. It still sounds a bit judgemental and I don’t really like this emphasis of the “dirtied” but… I mean this is what Clara talks about in her letter, so I still think it fits, even if I would dare to say that she shows a lot more compassion than this sentence shows.

[jcruceweb]

Mike: "Protect Yourself - Eat Your Weed"

With so much uncertainty and so many jumping on a bandwagon to sell a product to keep people 'safe' - the easiest way is to simply eat various types of raw cannabis:

Let's face it, as many of us question our own health we also are looking for answers to improve it and defend ourselves against a possible nightmare virus that's swept the globe off its feet. We can cancel all types of events and social distance but what we should not be canceling out is the data bank of knowledge we've gained. By now many in the cannabis and hemp movements are aware of the uncanny abilities of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavinoids - but there's even more to the plant than that. Let's just stick with those though. Whether or not there's 'science-based evidence' of something working doesn't define whether or not said element of nature does indeed work. Keep in mind that we have roadblocks to study, clinical trials, and even the use of cannabinoid medicine - so any claim that it can do this or that is already hindered by government control. Nobody should be making claims that cannabinoid medicine can 'kill' the coronavirus without ample and solid proof - this would be an epic misstatement of fact that misleads consumers. But what we do know? What is fact? Cannabis/Hemp in its raw form, when juiced or simply ingested, has abilities far beyond what many could imagine. Over the last two weeks, it's been intense to do podcasts, interviews, and more in regards to my own home isolation orders that came far before many others. Testing, Imaging, and all types of healthcare are on hold - unless a person has a high enough fever the number of tests is so limited that very few will receive them and when we do its days before any response - and when that response comes right now it doesn't even show up in your 'patient portal'. I personally do not believe that accurate testing is available - but what I know is everyone can protect themselves by utilizing nature. The huge question has been "How are you using cannabis right now"? The photo on this article gives anyone asking some of the answers - in its raw form and from multiple types. Hemp plants high in CBDa/CBGa and Cannabis Plants High in THCa/THC can be converted to CBN/CBN. Simply by taking multiple plant types and grinding them up, placing them into capsules, I was able to create my own very strong 'protection' - as I seriously don't want to go further into how it protects or why - too many claims have been made about cannabis/hemp and they continue to be made right now which troubles me. We simply don't have the type of proof to make those types of 'promises' to a world so in need of hope - as false hope is so dangerous.

A field of hemp is filled with dreams - and right now those dreams are a future without viral infection that threatens life - there are no guarantees but raw cannabinoids are known to protect. No claims should be made about cannabis/cannabinoid medicine because it's a schedule one drug and it's illegal - and also immoral. When do we say 'you've gone too far in making a claim that cannabis can kill a deadly virus?While you're staying at home and smoking cannabis make sure you divide up what you grind up - and eat it. Yes, that's right - eat your weed! Venture out into that world of Hemp Flower and pick up some CBG and CBD bud so you can eat that too. Let some of your THC stashes get exposed to light heat and time so it converts to CBN - better yet go after that old bag you've had laying around for the last year as it's already done so. There are ways we can take this plant that is smoked, dabbed, processed into oils, and more - and simply eat it raw to help boost our immunity and ward off illness.There are no guarantee's but one thing is for sure - nature has been the answer to so many health issues that with this threat currently in my life I'm not taking chances. This is just one of literally dozens of things I'm doing as I wait to find out if I'm truly positive or not - either way by the time I find out I'll likely be 'recovered'.

Fresh Raw Cannabis - It's loaded with acidic compounds, terpenes, and flavinoids just waiting to increase your natural defense mechanism known as your immune system! Protect yourself - eat your weed! https://www.mikesmedicines.com/medical-marijuana/the-cannabis-love-story/-Mike Robinson, Cannabis Patient and Founder, Global Cannabinoid Research Center. But, most of all, Genevieve’s Daddy Facebook Twitter Youtube Linkedin Mail-bulk Pinterest 'There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and ask why not? '

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[christineharrington1994]

maine car insurance laws

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare quotes from different companies :insure-help.com

maine car insurance laws

maine car insurance laws, and it is not only a law in most states but we can save you from having to deal with your insurance company. In fact, there aren’t even any state car insurance laws that are as vague. So long as you do not have insurance, your vehicle and your driver s license is at no cost to you. But there were certain limitations on what a car or truck could, and that applies to drivers too. The more restrictions, the cost more you will pay, the more you will pay. When your car or truck was involved, you have to be prepared with the knowledge for a total loss. You will need to have insurance to legally drive your vehicle that covers both vehicles in an accident. This insurance must come with some liability insurance, and it’s a requirement for you to buy this to be legal insurance for the vehicle. It really does not. However, there are laws that exist that cover your vehicle from theft, damage, and accidents. This includes insurance. maine car insurance laws in the state, this information will assist in you making individualized recommendations for car insurance coverage, including how to find lowest cost coverage. No. Insurance companies will not allow a policyholder to drive in the state when offered insurance coverages are purchased for a vehicle used to take a car in the state, but the driver is not allowed to take off. The driver should look for a cover letter requesting specific information about their coverage for a vehicle covered in the policy. Insurance companies may offer coverages that meet the requirements of coverage of this type as standard or will allow for an extra price point. If an existing policy has a low deductible on the policy. This may allow the policy to be converted to a new low-deductible policy, which will typically cost less. There is also a limit on the amount of coverage available, often known as a “loan”, during a situation such as an at-fault accident in order to save a taxpayer money on the amount of. maine car insurance laws have increased in the last few years. If you get caught in a car accident without car insurance in Oregon, you could face steep penalties of up to 30 days in jail, a fine of up to $2500 and the suspension of your driver’s license until you can show proof of insurance. Drivers who make a mistake can also expect to see high car insurance rates for several years. When filing a claim, your car insurance provider is required to notify the State Drivers License Division within 15 days of the incident. Drivers who make a similar claim in New Mexico can expect to be charged higher rates, as do uninsured motorists, seriously injured parties, and individuals with DUIs. While minimum car insurance requirements were established to protect drivers in Oregon after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the state’s new regulatory requirements would follow suit. For example, drivers could apply for an SR-22 in Oregon and have their car insurance premiums increased by up to 10 percent. When trying to gain auto insurance after a DUI.

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Maine Penalties for Driving without Car Insurance in NC: If you’re caught in a car accident without insurance, here is how the penalties will work: Here are the in North Carolina based on averaged sample rates for four driver profiles that included varied gender, age, driving history, credit, marital status, prior insurance, higher education, employment, and military service. Average rates may vary depending on the profile and background of the policyholder. For North Carolina drivers with a clean driving record free of any moving .

[clarencenicholsonata]

7 Black Friday Marketing Ideas You Should Be Using Now

Black Friday has little competition when it comes to marketing today. Forbes reported that the USA saw $ 7.2BN in digital sales alone on Black Friday.

Consumers are eager to make purchases and businesses offer their details for Black Friday to please their buyers.

But just like any other holiday season, the actual event lasts only a few days of the year. So your sales for the rest of the year can dip seriously unless you as a marketer can do something to keep the customers returning for more.

And besides, Black Friday is typically characterized by tons of deals, offers and discounts. All these, while attractive, can hurt your profitability and lower your revenue. If done too often, discounting can damage your reputation too.

So the question is: what are the other marketing strategies that you can use for the rest of the year?

Here are 7 Black Friday strategies you can use for the rest of the year:

1. Build a Special Experience

A discount offer can bring the customer to your online store but after that, their shopping experience plays a big role in influencing their buying decision. Who’d want to buy from a store that’s got 60% off but the site is so awful it’s a headache to look for the product they came for?

Also, you can offer discounts only for a limited time, but whatever you do to improve their shopping experience is more lasting.

How to build a great shopping experience for your customers: Surveys have found customers value digital shopping as valuable as prices.

Here’s three very simple things online stores can do to improve the experience without incurring significant costs to them or their customers:

Communicate clearly: Use simple language. Customers shouldn’t have to make efforts to understand what you’re trying to tell them.

Offer a chat: A live-chat not only answers your customers’ questions, but it also shows you care. Encourage them to use chats.

Be transparent in pricing: It’d be awesome if you can offer free shipping, but if you can’t, always be transparent about shipping or related costs.

2. Run Referral Programs

You don’t want your customers to drive away and never return, since festive discounts or special offers can only last so long. That’s where referral programs can be a great help.

Referral programs can help you reach new customers through the network of your existing customers.

Here’s an outline of how referral programs can be run:

Define what value you will offer: What do you intend to offer in exchange of references? No, it doesn’t always have to be money. It can be priority delivery, access to limited edition products, free gift packing and so on.

Check the numbers: While a referral program is a great idea, you want to know the math. Put down in a spreadsheet the costs involved and the benefits. Set goals and begin with realistic expectation:

Begin the action: Send out great emails and other communications to get the program up and running. Also, tweak things in your marketing automation.

Ready to start automating your Black Friday marketing campaigns?

Book a free call to learn how our team of marketing experts can help you to create high converting Black Friday marketing campaigns today.

3. Keep Them Engaged for an Upsell

Your customer lifetime value depends upon a number of factors. However, they most certainly are worth a lot more than that $19 coloring-pencil set they bought last spring. Naturally, there is tremendous opportunity for you to cross-sell and upsell.

Also, craft a series of emails that your readers will enjoy reading. That means you always put your readers’ preferences before your own.

Here’s some action you can take:

Be inspiring, not selling: In the example above, Canva inspires recipients and reminds them of their potential to do more. With that, people are more open to read about the next topic that the email talks about: The Editing Suite.

Consider bundling products: If you can put together products that offer better combined value to the customer, nothing like it. Despite the upsell, customers would love it.

Segment where possible: Can you break down the list per their interests, demographics or anything that will help you talk to your customers better? Do that the first thing.

4. Improve Your Data Quality

Your mailing list is one of your most powerful marketing assets, right? Naturally you want to keep it clean and updated all the time and maintain a high-quality list.

When your data quality improves, you protect your sender reputation, your emails achieve better deliverability rates and your campaigns fetch a substantially better ROI.

Here’s what you can do:

Understand what email data quality means: Different types of email addresses have different value for your business. Disposable email addresses, for example, have little to zero value in terms of future engagement.

Clean your list: Select a bulk email validator that can run your mailing lists past comprehensive tests and reliably tell you which all email addresses on your list are SafeToSend and which ones are risky, disposable, accept-all, plain dead and so on.

Set up re-engagement campaigns: You may want to reach out to recipients you’ve placed in a suppressed list although they showed near-zero open rates. Create targeted campaigns to get them re-interested in what you have to offer.

5. Re-engage Cart Abandonments

One study pegged cart abandonment rate for 2018 at 56.82%. These figures vary, but one thing is certain - cart abandonment rates remain high, costing millions of dollars in lost sales for businesses.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could simply bring abandoned carts back into your fold with intelligently crafted emails?

Here’s what can be done:

Appeal to the emotions: Short sentences like “We miss you!” provide an invaluable human connect in emails.

Add social proof: Social proof in form of reviews will add confidence to the customers’ decisions, making them more likely to buy.

Keep it short: Don’t waste your customers time - be brief, engaging and direct.

Design a good flow: Send 3 or 4 emails, the first within a few hours from the time the cart was abandoned. In the last one, consider offering a special, limited period discount.

The following email from Coursera focuses on what all recipients can learn. Even the CTA says “See Catalog”, and not “Buy the Course”.

6. Polish up Your Marketing Processes

Sounds like a vague, generalized sentence right off the bat, right?

Well, unfortunately, this sweeping statement hides behind it an important secret: In the eagerness to do all the fine-tuning and detailing, organizations occasionally miss out on the bigger picture.

Here’s the three dimensions of the bigger picture:

Review your training: Have you updated your teams’ training, made appropriate changes in SOPs, and shared the overall big picture to reflect the changes in your marketing approach?

Review your lead touchpoints: Review the quality of leads or mailing lists. Does a particular channel (e.g. a webinar sign-up form) give you the lowest quality email addresses? Real-time email verification can stop bad emails from entering your mailing lists and allow prospects to correct typos.

Review your processes: Look at your processes from the POV of the buyer. Are there places you can make things easier, safer, faster for your customers? With all the efforts and resources you’re putting in, you don’t want prospects to land on your website or storefront, only to be met with a less-than satisfactory experience.

7. Take a Stand for a Cause

This is more of a broad positioning strategy and not a specific marketing strategy. Besides, this may not work for all brands.

First, look at the following:

Yorkshire Tea took a strong stand in the ongoing Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, going to the extent of even asking customers to distance themselves from their brand if they didn’t believe in anti-racism.

Such actions make brands go beyond being just brands and become expressions of the values and ethics that their consumers hold close to their hearts.

Here’s two different routes companies can take:

Encourage ethical consumption: You could consider highlighting the importance of ethical consumption and reducing waste. For instance, you could talk about how your products are made with little to no environmental damage.

Seize the day: This may not happen often, but when there’s an important social event you may want to be bold in showing your priorities can rise above commercial considerations.

For example, Lush (below) prominently displayed the BLM message. They let this theme overshadow their above-the-fold product display, clearing showing a few things mattered for them way above business.

Conclusion

Continuing the momentum of a shopping festival round the year is never an easy task for marketers. Engaging buyers, nurturing their loyalty and making sure you can create novel programs for your buyers require marketers to think out of the box.

From sending emails to reverse cart abandonments and building irresistible referral programs to improving your marketing asset quality and taking a stand, marketers must constantly experiment with what works and what doesn’t.

In many cases, marketers will realize that while Black Friday marketing ideas cannot be implemented all through the year, the spirit of going out of the way to make buyers feel special is certainly an achievable goal. In the end, marketers that create a great experience and great value for their buyers win big.

About the Author ​

Mayank is Partnership Manager at QuickEmailVerification. In addition to the exciting world of email and email marketing, he enjoys solving math puzzles.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230801 https://ift.tt/2F4qSNL via IFTTT

[erickogtl713-blog]

5 Cliches About Www Autoblog Com You Should Avoid

Tutorial: How To Automate Blogging (For People Who Hate ...

Or did it? If you were wondering how to start a blog without ever lifting a finger, i’m afraid you’re out of luck. You see, the days of slapping something together and receiving an endless amount of traffic are long gone. That being said, autoblogging is actually very powerful to this day, but only if you put some additional effort on your part.

Let’s talk more about the aforementioned “ongoing effort” required, and the best ways to make content aggregation work for you. Create a hybrid blog consisting of original and syndicated content combined. As autoblogs mainly consist of previously-published content, you shouldn’t expect to receive any organic traffic from Google. Why? Because it normally ranks the original content over its copied counterpart.

Finalsite Posts: News & Blogging Platform For Schools - Finalsite

This may also increase your blog’s overall usefulness as it neatly complements and strengthens the syndicated portion of your blog. Create a purely-syndicated website with no original content. While I personally prefer the first option, there are ways to be successful with a blog that features no original content of any kind.

Now let’s look at some real-life examples as a means of backing up the above two options. We all know how cats took over the internet, especially after YouTube arrived at the scene. autologin. Much like avid kitty lovers, there are plenty of other animals people enjoy watching on a daily basis; this is your chance to import a niche selection and grow an amazingly fun website.

What's The Future Of Blogging Platforms? -

For each video published on your blog, you could write a brief description by dissecting exactly what takes place in the footage. This gives you a chance to add a unique spin or humorous commentary. In addition, this small effort helps with your blog’s SEO while removing much of the legwork, as you won’t have to manually add relevant videos yourself - automatic blogging.

This is perhaps the most common and natural idea. As news pieces never stop coming, there will always be something to show your blog audience (blogs auto). Let’s say your blog is about science and technology. In this case, dedicate a page to the latest (aggregated) news and breakthroughs to complement your original content in between.

Dam It All: Automating Content Marketing - Distribion

And as your site will be updated 24 hours a day thanks to the power of aggregation, this could become the go-to place for many readers over time. It helps to have the best of both worlds. One of my websites actually displays remote writing gigs from all over the web.

Meanwhile, I post a fair share of original content to help elevate authority content marketing calendar and bring in additional traffic. These aggregated jobs have proven highly successful and many users return everyday to find new home-based gigs with ease. blogspot beginners. Can you think of other niche jobs to add to your website? There are plenty of professions out there; make it easy by gathering them in one place job seekers will love you for it.

Top 5 Auto Blogging Wordpress Plugins For 2020 ...

★★★★☆

Seriously unbelievable.

I love this software. RSSMasher has completely changed the way I think about blogging. I now automate 90% of all my content with RSSMasher. Check it out, you'll love ti too!

Mason - May 18th, 2020

View full review

var stars=5;document.querySelector("#mt_stars").innerHTML = "★".repeat(stars) + "☆".repeat(5 - stars)

While you could certainly go at it alone, your connections to fellow solopreneurs helps elevate your status as they expose you to their own audience over time - wordpress autoblogger. A good way to accomplish this is to link to their latest blog posts, and this is where autoblogging functions come in handy.

A content aggregator plugin can further refine your results through the use of filters and other related options. The above also gives your audience even more to read, as they’d happily check out an article from your favorite bloggers due to their relevancy. Autoblogging allows you to get even more creative by constructing an extensive directory – either niche or fairly broad.

Awesome-selfhosted/awesome-selfhosted: A List Of ... - Github

These guys have formed a gigantic blog directory that consists of blog RSS feeds in every conceivable category. blogs on auto. This has made AllTop stand out as one of the best places to discover new blogs and interesting topics. Contrary to the aforementioned idea (featuring posts from your favorite bloggers), a full-fledged directory would showcase a more extensive/broad list that ultimately link back to the original source.

Get the World's Best AutoBlogger Platform - RSSMasher Technology

It’s highly recommended that you follow option #1 above, as publishing both new and aggregated content (at the same time) works like a charm. Here are some additional tips to truly leverage aggregated content… I personally rely on WP RSS Aggregator along with some complimentary add-ons, including Keyword Filtering to get only the exact content I need.

Blog - Wikipedia

WP RSS Aggregator Get started with autoblogging on WordPress today. Do you wish to bypass original content – and therefore organic traffic – altogether? In that case, Leverage social media and popular niche communities. Organic search should only be a portion of your overall traffic, not the primary source. Don’t be afraid of “losing traffic to other bloggers” by aggregating their links.

You may then ask them to share your content as a favor and make this a win-win situation. Regardless of your idea, ensure you have the rights and permissions to display all aggregated content – especially when it comes to full-fledged pieces as opposed to mere links. As you can see, autoblogging is very much alive – and I speak from personal experience (blog used).

The 7 Best Blogs On Marketing Automation - Hatchbuck

Think of the material you could aggregate, the helpful directories you could build, the potential relationships you could develop, among other great ideas. Best of luck! Elvis Michael is a passionate freelancer and solopreneur. He enjoys improving freelance culture and teaching others how to reach their goals. Autoblogging is a way of setting up a website whose blog is taken care of automatically, constantly updated with fresh, curated and quality content of your choice.

Are You looking for Premium or Free Best AutoBlogging plugins for WordPress? Using AutoBlogging Plugin You can easily import the RSS , Atom feeds and display them on the website . Maintaining a Blog website is really a difficult job . So many of the people want a blog website which will automatically create post and publish them .

8 Best Social Media Automation Tools For 2020 - Blogging ...

They basically fetch the other website content and convert them into post automatically and post that from your website. automat blog. Autoblogging is not done by good websites. Even Google hate these websites because mainly these website are used by spammer’s and content scrapers . So without wasting our time anymore we will look into list of Best AutoBlogging plugins for WordPress which are as follows: WP Robot helps the users to create high quality WordPress blog posts and that too automatically.

It has also gained the title of best autoblogging plugin for WordPress. Build- Completely new autoblogs can be built for WordPress for PNBs or as satellite sites. Curate- Engaging content can be curated for the readers that helps to boost the SEO and also interests the readers. Autopost All Things- Menu content sources are supported by WP Robot.

List Of Top Blogging Platforms 2020 - Trustradius

Some of the sources are Amazon, YouTube, Eventful, RSS, etc. Compatible- The plugin is compatible with all kinds of WordPress themes. autoblogged plugin. International Support- Autoblogging can be done in many languages such as German, French, Chinese, etc. Automatic translation- This feature is integrated with spinning software which helps to create automatic unique content.

Feeds can be imported anywhere in the site. RSS feeds can be integrated with the use of shortcodes and widgtes. Shortcode friendly- The plugin becomes very easy to use using the shortcodes generated by this plugin. Some of the shortcode parameters can be edited which helps the users to define the manner the feeds are displayed on the website.

Using The Built-in Blog - Bigcommerce Support

Or an image can be selected to display along with the feed. Mobile Friendly- The plugin automatically does caching. So the page loading times becomes simpler. WordAI Integration- Feed can be integrated with post with WordAI (free autoblogging plugin). It helps to rephrase feed content and content is not duplicated over the website.

Referral/affiliate ID is automatically included in the feed link. Feed to Post- Content from various RSS sources can be inserted into the post. The feed items are automatically filtered and the contents are placed in the WordPress site as wanted. -- -- Contents can be posted from various sources to the WordPress site automatically through WordPress Automatic plugin.

Sharpspring Blogging Software - Funnelbud

Extract specific parts of original feeds post- Two specified part of original feeds post can be extracted using WordPress automatic by XPath, REGEX and CSS id/class. Duplicate title skip- Previously posted posts with the same title are not duplicated. Convert encoding before posting- Extracted content coding can be converted form any specific encoding to utf-8 so that it becomes compatible with WordPress.

[hubskitchen]

Hub’s Kitchen Entry 1: Star Wars: The Last Jedi Review: Move on from the past and learn from failure

Man oh man, this is going to be a fun movie to talk about. If this were a voiced review, the sarcasm would be huge. Anyway, hi guys, the name’s Hub Pie, but you can just call me Hub, and welcome to the first entry of Hub’s Kitchen, a blog where I talk about all kinds of stuff. If you’ve read my introduction post, you would know that my first real post will be on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the most recent movie in the Star Wars franchise, and Disney’s third Star Wars film that they put out. I should get this out of the way now, but there will be MAJOR SPOILERS for this movie, The Force Awakens, and Rogue One. I think The Last Jedi is a movie that you can’t really talk about without getting into spoiler territory. Talking about this movie without spoilers wouldn’t do this film justice.

I’ll just say right off the bat that I liked this movie, like a lot. I’d say this is my favorite Star Wars movie Disney’s put out, with The Force Awakens being the middle child and Rogue One being my least favorite. Rogue One wasn’t bad, but that’s only because the third act of the movie saved the entire movie for me. Yeah, that end sequence with Vader killing the Rebels was awesome, but that does not single-handedly save a movie. Rogue One was brought down by an incredibly slow pace, and outside of K2-SO and Donnie Yen’s character, I didn’t like any of the characters in the movie, not even Jyn Erso, who’s easily the most boring Star Wars protagonist in my opinion. The Force Awakens was pretty good. I didn’t mind that the movie took a lot of inspiration from A New Hope other than the Starkiller Base, because the characters were really likable and the movie actually felt like Star Wars, unlike the prequels. I’ll talk about those movies in a different Hub’s Kitchen entry. The Last Jedi is an odd film if you ask me. As an overall package, I’d say The Force Awakens is superior to TLJ, and at its worst, this movie reaches Rogue One levels: Not bad, but nothing that good either. At its best however, this movie is excellent. So now that I’ve said my overall general opinion of The Last Jedi and my thoughts on Disney’s previous Star Wars films, let’s dive deeper into this movie.

The Last Jedi is about failure. Every character’s arc in this movie connects to this theme. A good example of this is Finn and Rose Tico’s subplot, which has been heavily criticized amongst the detractors on this movie. I have mixed feelings on this subplot. On one hand it does connect to the theme of the movie, as Finn and Rose fail to destroy the First Order’s tracking device, the crucial element that prevents the Resistance from escaping the First Order. On the other hand, this subplot feels like a drag compared to the rest of the movie and the subplot is always cut back to when I was getting more invested in the other better parts of the movie. I guess I should talk about Rose now. She’s okay. I won’t be getting into the whole race thing about Kelly Marie Tran because I don’t care about that kind of stuff. When we first see her, we know that she’s a maintenance worker for the Resistance and because of that necklace she has, we learn that her sister was killed when Poe decided to destroy the First Order’s Dreadnought ship (more on Poe in a bit). My issue with Rose is that she doesn’t really have any sort of development throughout the story. I was reminded of Mace Windu with Rose, and that is not a good thing in my opinion. Rose is still pretty likable though, so it didn’t ruin the character for me. The other problem I have with Rose is the forced romance with Finn after he was going to sacrifice himself to stop the First Order’s battering ram cannon. It just showed up out of nowhere and wasn’t really hinted or implied throughout the movie. Speaking of Finn, he easily had the worst treatment out of the new characters from Force Awakens in my opinion. Not only is he treated to the worst subplot of the movie, but Finn felt stoic this time around to me, whereas he felt more like a fleshed out character from the last movie. Maybe that’s just me, though. Finn’s still cool, but he didn’t really get a whole lot to do in this movie. I honestly would have preferred if he weren’t in the movie, at least not much, but eh, whatever. So yeah, not the best part of the movie, I can tell you that. Though, seeing a casino in Star Wars was pretty cool, I guess. I mean, it’s still kinda weird to see a casino in Star Wars, though it’s not as weird as the Ewoks defeating the Empire in Return of the Jedi if you ask me.

Next up is Poe Dameron, General Leia and the Resistance. Like Finn, I don’t like Poe as much as I did in Force Awakens, and that has to do with his arc of the movie. So at the beginning of the movie, Poe leads the Resistance to take down a First Order Dreadnought, but despite General Leia telling Poe to fall back, he says “fuck that,” and ends up destroying the Dreadnought, but at the cost of the entire bombing unit of the Resistance being destroyed. This is Poe’s failure: His recklessness got the entire bombing unit destroyed. I know he was trying to take down a big First Order ship, but at what cost? It’s a net negative than a net positive and Poe gets demoted because of that. Recklessness doesn’t always win the battle. Then the First Order catch up to the Resistance after they went into hyperspace thanks to their tracking device. In the midst of this, we see Kylo Ren again (and I’ll talk about him when I talk about Rey and Luke), but he hesitates to shoot his mother down (again, more on that later). A couple of TIE Fighters don’t get the memo and blast Leia’s portion of the ship and we think she’s dead, but Leia ends up using the Force to bring herself back to the ship, but she needs to recover. This scene has been one of the most controversial moments on the film, and like the Finn and Rose subplot, I have mixed feelings on it. It is really silly and is a little hard to take seriously, but in the original trilogy, particularly with The Empire Strikes Back, we know that Leia is Force-sensitive. How else would they have found Luke hanging from that pole after his fight with Vader? So it makes some amount of sense that Leia would be able to do this. Who knows? During the period of time between the original trilogy and now, she could have been more attuned with the Force, only not in a Jedi kind of way. Given Carrie Fisher’s death from last year, I feel like the movie was in a tight spot with her. Giving Leia a death so quick in the movie might have been disrespectful to Carrie Fisher, but on the other hand, that “Leia Poppins” scene as people are calling it is a bit odd. Carrie Fisher was great in this movie, in fact, all the cast was great in this movie, especially Mark Hamill, but we’ll get to him later. Rest in peace, Carrie Fisher.

Back onto the Resistance subplot, once Leia is in recovery, we get Vice Admiral Holdo in command (the woman with the purple hair). Not much of this subplot is really explored until later when Poe sees Holdo’s plan to evacuate the Resistance into small pods as cowardly so he starts a mutiny which ends with Leia coming in and stunning him. Then Vice Admiral Holdo decides to buy the Resistance time by ramming the ship into the First Order battlefleet which gives us the most gorgeous moment of the movie. That shot was amazing. Though, if we want to talk about Leia having a good send-off, I think that would have been. Imagine Leia ramming the ship into the First Order battlefleet. Would have circumvented the “Leia Poppins” thing.

Finally, let’s talk about the BIG subplot of this movie: Rey, Kylo Ren, and Luke. This is easily the “make it or break it” section of the movie, and for me, it made the Last Jedi. Let’s start with Luke. The theme of failure symbolizes Luke as a character. 30 years after that happy ending of Return of the Jedi, and here he is, a broken man after seeing darkness in Kylo Ren, to which Luke thought of killing him, but hesitates and ends up losing all his students in the process. Luke brings up that the Jedi are failures, which is an interesting point. In the prequels, the Jedi deemed Anakin Skywalker as the “chosen one,” but that resulted to him turning to the Dark Side and Order 66, which killed the majority of the Jedi, leaving Obi-Wan and Yoda left. By the time of the original trilogy, the Jedi were romanticized and thought of as legends. Then we get to the sequel trilogy and Luke is deemed a legend, and he decided to pass the Jedi teachings down to future generations. Luke wasn’t really a Jedi Master in the way the prequels contextualized them. The prequels defined a Jedi Master as having really excellent Lightsaber skills and being stoic, not falling into extreme feelings. Keep in mind that I haven’t seen the Clone Wars TV series so I don’t know if this is expanded upon in that show. I’m only going off the movies, and the prequels and the original trilogy’s definition of a Jedi differed greatly. Putting all the movies into context and given what we know, Luke was never a Jedi Master. He had a good understanding of the Force, but never did all the amazing stuff the Jedi in the prequels did. And given that one mistake he made cost him the death of his students, I’d be a broken man too. Though I did love the callback that R2 made with Leia’s original message to Obi-Wan. That was great.

The way the movie portrays Rey and Kylo Ren as characters is interesting. Throughout the movie, Rey and Kylo talk by using the Force, though we later find out that this was a plan from Snoke (more on him in a bit). We see that these two are conflicted about their sides and both try to convert the other. There’s a bit of darkness in Rey, so Kylo tries to convert her to the dark, and vice versa. Hell, we see early in the movie that Kylo does not shoot Leia, his mother, down. He hesitates, symbolizing the conflict within him. Rey meanwhile wants someone to show her her place in the world, given how part of her huge character flaw is not letting go of her past with her parents. That’s why she was attached to Han in TFA and why she’s attached to Luke in this movie. Now, we have to talk about those things about the movie now: The big stuff.

So, The Force Awakens left a lot of questions for the audience when the movie ended, starting with: How will Luke react to seeing his father’s old lightsaber again when Rey gives it to him? The Last Jedi says: Luke chucks it over his shoulder. A lot of people saw this as a cheap gag, and with the way it was shot, yeah, it kinda was, but it makes sense given what Luke has been through. To him, that lightsaber means nothing because of what he went through. While to us, the audience, it’s a huge deal because it was Anakin’s lightsaber in the prequels, Luke’s lightsaber in The Empire Strikes Back, and that was somehow in The Force Awakens, to Luke, it’s nothing more than a tool, a reminder of a past he wants to forget about.

What about Snoke? He was built up to be the new big bad guy for this new trilogy, the new Palpatine, if you will. What happens in The Last Jedi: Kylo proceeds to “Darth Maul” him. What I mean by that is that just when Snoke was going to be really interesting, he gets killed off. I hear Darth Maul is in the Clone Wars TV show, but I’m talking about movies exclusively here. Personally, I felt that the movie knew that Snoke was a lame character, and decided to kill him off. I’m a little disappointed that Snoke didn’t have the same level of presence Palpatine did in the original trilogy and even the prequel trilogy. I didn’t really care about his backstory being fleshed out that much, because that’s not really important. It’s why the Palpatine’s backstory was never mentioned in the original trilogy. All we needed to know was that he seduced Anakin to the Dark Side of the Force and became Darth Vader from that. The prequels built upon this backstory, but that’s not the point I’m trying to make.

Rey’s lineage? She was the daughter of junk dealers on Jakku, who traded her away for drinking money. This is something that I love. A lot of people were hoping for Rey to be Luke’s daughter or Obi-Wan’s daughter or something, but nope. I love this because not only does it not pointlessly make Rey a part of the bigger Skywalker conflict by making her a family member, but it also states that greatness can come from anywhere (which is also signified in the last scene of the movie). It just felt fresh to me. If Rey were were part of a great Jedi lineage, I would have been pissed, personally.

I know I said The Last Jedi was about failure, but it’s also about letting go of the past. This is symbolized with Luke, Rey, and Kylo Ren. Luke’s past events haunt him, and at one point, he decided to burn the tree that had the ancient Jedi, but not before ghost puppet Yoda did it for him. Yoda basically tells Luke to let the past go, which I think is a good message, especially to a man who’s as broken as Luke is in this movie. Rey has to eventually accept her lineage and move on from that. Both Luke and Rey come to accept their fates in this movie. Kylo Ren, however, doesn’t, and what’s funny is that he’s telling Rey to “bury the past,” yet he’s obsessed with wanting to get revenge on Luke and kill him. We see this on the entire scene on Crait. Kylo furiously tells the First Order to fire on Luke. Doesn’t work (along with Luke’s badass shoulder rub). He rushes to Luke with his lightsaber, but sees that Luke is using the Force to project himself on Crait. “See you around, kid,” was a badass line from Luke. So was his death. Oh yeah, it’s time to talk about Luke’s death.

Luke’s death was really well handled in my opinion. A lot of people criticized that he didn’t make his way to Crait, but early on in the movie, we see his old X-Wing in the water. It’s likely that it’s out of power and won’t work. So we see Luke project himself using the Force. I don’t know if the Force can allow people to do this, then again, Force lightning exists, so I guess it makes sense. Because Luke puts so much energy into this technique, he ends up dying as a result. He looks to the distance where he sees two suns, very much like he did in A New Hope, and accepts his fate. As Rey says “He didn’t die with anger or sadness, but acceptance.” Besides, he gave the Resistance time to escape and had a heartfelt goodbye with Leia, which was a great scene. He even gave her the dice from the Millenium Falcon, sort of. So yeah, really good moment in my opinion.

Now we have an awkward spot where there’s other things to talk about the movie that don’t have a major role sooooooo…

Captain Phasma: Man, what a disappointment. She’s essentially Boba Fett all over again. If she is confirmed for Episode 9, I hope she gets a good fucking send off.

Porgs: Eh, they were cute but that’s about it. Yeah, it’s obvious the Porgs were made to sell toys but so were the Ewoks. To give credit to the Porgs, they weren’t huge players like the Ewoks were.

The Codebreaker: He was an oddball character. Benicio Del Toro was good in the role, but he wasn’t too memorable.

Vulptexs: These things (the crystal wolves) were awesome. I definitely want a plush of that. What? I like plushies. Sue me.

This is where I’d give my final thoughts, but I want to talk about how the audience reactions to this movie have gone down. The Last Jedi, while a hit with critics and general audiences going off of the A score from Cinemascore, with Star Wars fans, it’s more divisive. I’ve taken the time to watch some YouTube videos about The Last Jedi, both positive and negative reviews (which the majority are negative) and went to the Star Wars subreddit, and I have to say: I’m not surprised by the behavior that some of these fans have displayed. I mean, disagreeing with people is one thing, but making accusations and hating others for their viewpoints is pretty fucking dumb, even if I find some of them to be ridiculous. It’s just a movie guys, and no, I’m not saying that as a way to undermine your anger. I’m saying that because a movie is only a movie. It’s not something super serious like education or your financial state. I’m not saying you can’t be mad at this movie, but think about how much energy you can give it. You can be angry for so long before you come off as obnoxious. Whether you liked The Last Jedi or not, just let other people be. They’re not right or wrong for what they think. Trust me, you’ll be a lot happier.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a complicated film. It has a lot of deep themes and is a pretty challenging movie on a thematic perspective. It’s also incredibly bold by taking the Star Wars franchise in a new direction, a direction that it should be taking if you ask me. It’s not flawless, however. Finn and Rose’s subplot drags down the pacing, there are some comedy bits I didn’t mention that didn’t land, and as an overall package, The Last Jedi is inconsistent, ranging from being amazing to being just okay. Like I said, I liked the movie, and consider it to be my favorite Star Wars movie that Disney has released so far. I know I’m going to get some shit from people, especially diehard Star Wars fans, and hey, that’s cool, whatever gets me more attention. I’m just being honest, something that I take very seriously. I don’t give ratings to things because I think that’s pointless. Just know that I think The Last Jedi is a good movie despite its faults. Anyway, my name is Hub Pie, and thank you for reading.

[darkdarkmydesire]

I really hope it wasn't (just an experiment)

Chapter 2:

"Alec, stop being an idiot. Open up, I know you're home.", came Isabel's voice, over the pounding knock. 

" How do you know that?", Alec replied with less vehemence.

"Alec, seriously?", she sighed exasperated."

 "It could be a very advanced answer machine.", Alec reasoned with  utmost seriousness.

"Alec!", Isabel screeched in fraustration, " I swear to God, I'll - ".

" Fine, fine, I'm coming.", he grumbled. 

Unfolding himself from the floor, he left his scattered textbooks on the coffee table. Still, Alec couldn't comprehend how Izzy found the prospect of such an answer machine unfathomable. Technology had advanced abundantly, it wasn't so far fetched that Alec should own such a device. 

Sighing he swung open the door, "Satisfied?", he questioned.

" Extremely.", chirped Isabel striding for his room, or knowing her, his closet. One that did not contain him any more. Snickering at his own joke, Alec followed Isabel only to be smacked with a pile of clothes in the face. 

"Wear these, we're leaving in half an hour.", she demanded.

" Izzy I can't, I have a test the day after tomorrow. I need to prepare.", Alec placated. Knowing that listening to Izzy only ever led to uncomfortable consequences, she was forever dragging him to torture chambers disguised as social events. They were unbearable, why anyone would decide to abandon privacy and indulge the curiosity of a stranger was beyond his understanding. Alec had an adequate amount of friends, he needed no more. 

"Exactly, day after tomorrow." , she stressed, "Don't even act like you haven't finished going over the material.", she cajoled, hands on hips. She did have point, but Alec was not going to give up so easily. Making his way to the bed, Alec flopped down on his back. 

" So what, Izzy? I still have other assignments and I could be spending the free time picking up extra hours at work. Hell I should take Max out, the kid needs a break from the continuous pressurizing mom and dad put him through. ", he said blowing out a harsh breath. All that he said was true, especially Max, although Alec did feel somewhat guilty using Max as an excuse. It felt like an extremely Marys Lightwood tactic.

Sighing, Izzy say on the edge of his bed, she could hear the steel determination in Alec's voice. " Alec, you need a break too. When was the last time you had any fun - for yourself?", she added cutting Alec off, as he began to open his mouth in objection. "Just because you're the oldest, doesn't mean you're our parent.", she spoke, voice tinged with sorrow, worry and a tinge of annoyance, as if wondering how many times she had to repeat the same sentiment.

Alec knew she was right theoretically, he was by no means their parent, but he also knew if either Izzy, or Max decided to pursue anything other than the family business, their parents would cut off all financial aid. Alec himself had learnt that the hard way, wanting to open a child psychologist firm. He had been working, since the age of sixteen to pay his way there - education included. That wasn't something he was willing to put his siblings through, he wanted to make sure they had a choice and the means to go through with it. So at the age of seventeen, Alec had opened accounts from them both, which he made sure increased each month, eradicating any financial boundaries for the future, even if the numbers inched up at an agonisingly sluggish pace. 

However, Alec also knew Isabel would keep worrying and complaining, if the prominent note if exasperation in her tone was any indication. Seeing as he was in no mood to stand at the receiving end of that hurricane, Alec relented. He would just slip away, when her attention was elsewhere, Isabel had just clarified Alec had to attend, staying at the location had not been mentioned once yhere. Sitting up, he kissed her forehead, " Just this once then. Where are we going?", he asked, but upon seeing Isabel's answering smirk, Alec wondered if what he had agreed to would allow his dignity and temperament to survive the miniscule minutes he intended to stay. "Clubbing.", she grinned, ignoring Alec's groan. " Come on, we're going to be late.".

<p>-------------------------------+</p>

Striding into Pandemonium, Alec was hit with pulsating music, strobed lights and sweaty bodies. The place assaulted his senses, everything was over the top, though surprisingly, Alec wasn't deterred. It held a dangerous enticement to it, with silhouettes in the dark highlighting a sharp cheekbone, a flash of midriff, a suggestive grin. 

Tonight Alec fit right in, with his fitted moss green, long sleeved shirt that hugged his muscles and brought out the flecks of green in his otherwise hazel eyes. The round neckline sitting just below his pale collar bones. His black, ripped jeans sat low on his hips, tight enough to stick in all the right places. True to his word Alex had made an effort by lining his eyes with kohl and underlining them with green liner, making them pop. And as the group made their way to Simon, Raphael and Magnus, he turned more than a few heads. He was a dark, aloof Adonis and all thoughts of escape plans fled his mind.

Alec's eyes latched on to Magnus, his gaze flitting over him. Magnus wore a thin, violet tank top, that shimmered and slid over his body like liquid night each time he moved, leaving his defined shoulders on display. If Alec had known Magnus would come, he would have declined, no matter what Isabel said. It was one thing to stare at Magnus in class where there were teachers and peers and distinctive boundaries. And quiet another to stare in a club made purely for sexualized interactions. Besides Alec had not forgotten the words Magnus had wielded against him, whilst unknowingly, Alec's wound still throbbed. His black, leather pants looked suffocatingly tight as they stuck to his form and Alec couldn't help but wonder how it would feel to peel them off, slowly. Each factor of Magnus's appearance scraped against Alec's laceration, scraping it raw, severing his nerves until all he felt was a disquieted silence the shape of Magnus's spiked purple hair. The colour of Magnus's superficial glint of his glitter. Alec was nothing more than the tilt of Magnus's eyes, the swipe of daintily applied kohl, the swirl twisting down lower from the corner of his right eye. Dipping and flaring into an intricate pattern that framed his cheekbone. Alec was speckled in the dusted with gold glitter on Magnus's lashes, mirrored in the glimmering tips of the markings, which set his amber eyes aflame. As if a smouldering fire flickered in those irises, as if it was Alec scorching in the depths of their flame. Lips glossed a delicious, sparkling bubblegum. Magnus was the picture of sin, addiction and inexorable self destruction.

Alec finished admiring him and knew his self awareness, self preservation had dissolved into grains of what it had been before. Looking up, he saw Magnus returning the favour, converting into the kinetic energy, which blew away the ashes of who Alec had been outside the confines of this moment. Outside this club, outside of Magnus's unabashed gaze, which flowed from rim of his glass: once, twice. His eyes snagged below Alec's waistband, electrocuting. Any remains of Alec's nerves sizzled and went out with a hiss. Magnus devoured Alec with a lustful gaze.

Sure he was at the brink of combustion, Alec spoke, "Hey. You guys look great.", however for all Alec knew, Simon and Raphael could be wearing spandex suits - his eyes still hadn't left Magnus.

" Oh thanks, I was actually worried I was too plainly dressed, but made it. Huh?", replied Simon pushing up his glasses, blind to the thread that tethered Alec and Magnus to each other. 

Alec hummed distractedly in response, hooking his thumbs through his belt loops, unaware of Izzy's knowing smirk and Jace's deep frown. Magnus's eyes tracked the movement, as he took a deep gulp of his drink, leaning further into the bar.

"You're fine Samuel", Magnus drawled purposefully misnaming Simon, much to the other boy's chagrin. He tore his eyes away from Alec giving Isabel his attention, " You, however darling, outshine them all.", he compliment running a platonic gaze over Isabel's form.

She had on a grey, plunging neckline dress, that accentuated her curves and hollows, ending mid - thigh. " Even Alec?", she retorted with a teasing grin. She knew with the utmost conviction that the question would label the two men's admiring gazes and bring Magnus on uneven footing.

"Well...", Magnus hesitated, the corner of his mouth curling up.

" Don't worry,I know you don't want to hurt Alec's feelings. I won't make you choose. ", she commented wryly, when Magnus showed no intention of finishing the sentence any time soon. Winking, Isabel spun away, "I'm going to go find some fun.", she called over her shoulder, already disappearing into the crowd.

" Us too.", Jace said turning Clary with an arm around the waist, " Try not to have too much fun, Alec. ", crowed Jace, but the tightened skin around his eyes gave away his reluctance to leave Alec. The two communicated without uttering a word, in the way only those who have grown, bled and found themselves together can. Finally relenting, Jace slipped away. The concern of his sat heavily on Alec's shoulders.

Raphael and Simon had too vanished sometime ago, leaving Magnus and Alec alone. The lack of ability to recall at exactly when they had left,  depicted the profundity of Alec's infatuation. 

" Drink?", Magnus asked slipping closer to the bar, therefore Alec.

"Two tequila shots, please.", ordered Alec in lieu of an answer, causing Magnus's brows to shoot up

"I'm cutting lose.", he shrugged indifferent, before downing the drinks.<br /> The alcohol burned going down, settling into a pleasurable weight in his stomach and sending a searing buzz through his body. Any sensation of caution, or wariness had truly been purged from Alec. 

" You never used to drink.", commented Magnus casually, nursing his own concoction. He looked curious, at ease with allusion to the inexplicable before. I never used be disowned, weary and alone either thought Alec.

"People change.", he declared instead, looking over at Magnus with a sly grin. Alec was done with caution. This would surely end in explosions, but as long as Alec was the only casualty, he couldn't bring himself to care. Sobering, he added, " Just once in a while. I seem to have grown out of my righteous aversion to alcohol.". It was an honest answer, perhaps the only truly honest thing he had said.

Chuckling, Magnus finished his own drink. He held out a hand with a crooked smile, "Let's go dance.", he said. No preamble, no: let's talk of those years of solitude. Magnus just offered an outstretched palm across the chasm that was them.

It was the way Alec wanted it, he wanted the bridge without the weights they undoubtedly were to carry in the wake of excuses and apologies. With a small smile, Alec placed his hand in Magnus's and let him gently tug Alec into the fray of bodies. 

At first Alec was self conscious, aware of each movement he made, but as the minutes flowed together he gave himself to the music. Truly letting go. He moved as if the rhythm made love to him, his limbs became an extension of the beat: body swaying, hips twisting, his arms flowed languidly, slipping from one tune to the next - seamlessly. He couldn't remember how long he had been dancing, packed in here he was just another body, another consciousness. He was not Alec, son of Robert and Marys Lightwood, brother of Isabel and Max Lightwood, best friend of Jace Wayland, employee of Luke Garrison, student of Wyoming college. He was simply a man, one of many. Semantics and calculations and contingency plans floated away lost to the beat...

Alec moved with the sole purpose of simply being.

He had gathered the attention of many, dancing like this moment was what he had been working towards his whole life. Magnus inched infinitesimally closer, as he had been all night, but Alec didn't care for them, because in this moment he was wholly Magnus's and Magnus was wholly his. Touching Alec's arm Magnus closed the gap further, as Alec's eyes snapped open and he looked down with a mischievous grin.

He took in the shorter man's flushed face and damp hair, lips parted, as he breathed with exertion. Knowing he looked no better, he reached up brushing his fingers through his hair, ruffling it in the process giving himself a rakish look. Unable to resist, Magnus curled his fingers around Alec's wrist, lowering his arm back down.

Alec continued swaying, as Magnus brushed the sensitive skin on his inner wrist, skimming up his forearm, over his biceps and spreading his palms across his shoulders, before reaching to link his hands on the nape of Alec's neck. It was happening, Alec had loosened his control and it was happening. What this ominous it was, he didn't know. He didn't care. Alec's hands fell to Magnus's waist, tightening, as Magnus traced shapes on his skin, causing a shiver to ripple down Alec's spine. Whatever destruction was to preceded these chain of events, Alec would endure it all gladly, repeatedly, if only to feel the touch Magnus bestowed upon him now.

Continuing his teasing, Magnus traced the shell of Alec's ear, thumb grazing below his jaw. Alec smiled coquettishly, hooking his fingers in the loop if Magnus's jeans and tugged, crashing their hips together. Eliciting a throaty moan from Magnus. Yes, this was what he wanted. Magnus peered up through his lashes, giving a sultry smile in return as he began grinding against Alec. The taller man's eyes shuttered, his breath hitching, as lust crowded his senses. Still his severed nerves gave no sign of healing, Alec couldn't care for tomorrows and afters and latter consequences.

Not wasting another moment, he jerked back, dragging Magnus to a shadowy corner, he didn't wait to reach there as he slammed his lips against Magnus's. Magnus hit the wall with a muffled sound, his fingers burying themselves in Alec's hair and he kissed back just as fervently. Whatever resemblance of control they possessed had vanished, as Alec pushed closer trapping Magnus against the wall. His leg slipped between Magnus's and he pushed up against his crotch. Meanwhile, Magnus's right hand squeezed Alec's jean clad behind, his left scratched at Alec's scalp, while Magnus's tongue coaxed deep throated noises from him.

Their hands were a flurry of action - greedy - as they pinched and pulled, working faster, wanting more, more, more. Magnus bit Alec's lip, hard, earning a whimper from the taller boy, as he tasted blood. Sucking Alec's lip into his own mouth, Magnus looked into his eyes, framing his face with jewelled fingers.

Alec's pupils were wide and diluted, his breathing strained, "Fuck, Magnus I - ", he swallowed, as Magnus nipped the corner of his lip, the skin under his lobe, before continuing down his neck.

" You what?", Magnus asked huskily, biting especially hard at the hollow if his collar bone, earning a sharp gasp from Alec. He licked and sucked the same spot, causing Alec's grip to increase in pressure under the hem of Magnus's, hard enough to leave bruises.

"I...I want - ", he panted.

" Yes?", Magnus crooned, biting, licking and sucking the sensitive spot between Alec's shoulder and neck. "Say it, love.", he purred against Alec's skin.

Straightening, Alec pulled Magnus close until there was no question of what he wanted, putting his lips level with Magnus's ear, he growled, " You, I want to fuck you. Want you to fuck me so hard, until I'm sweating and swearing underneath you.". 

His finger slipped under Magnus's jeans meeting bare skin. Clentching his eyes shut, the realisation that Magnus was wearing nothing made Alec want to damn the consequences and let Magnus take him right here, not caring who saw. Magnus, becoming aware of the effect he was having on Alec, traced over Alec's front, before palming his jeans roughly.

"My place.", he demanded, hardening at Alec's conspicuous desperation.

Grabbing his hand, he yanked Alec out of the club, making him stumble after Magnus. The action in direct juxtaposition to how the night started. There was nothing gentle about him now.

<p>-------------------------------+</p>

In the cab, they sat on opposing ends, the air thick with sexual tension, but the crisp night air had dampened their frenzy, allowing doubts to creep into Alec's mind. The haze of the club retreated as Alec sat in the cab, aware of very real consequences. Though each line if thought ending with the same conclusion, even if I break from this, I can't stay broken forever. That was impossible, he had moved on before, he had picked up the pieces that were Alec and moved on. When Magnus left, when his parents had forsakenhim. He had taken the pieces of himself, piling them in an anvil and forged a sturdier Alec. He pressed his forehead to the cool glass, until goosebumps prickled his arm from the cool sensation. He knew they should talk about this, clarify, or name whatever this was, but for once, Alec raised banners of war against what he should do. For the first time in his life, he didn't care that he had spent more time with his tongue down someone's throat than speaking with them. For once he wanted to blow caution to the wind. All he could think about was Magnus's hand on his skin, breath on his face, moans in his ear, perhaps Magnus didn't feel the same. Perhaps he was waiting for Alec to bring up the subject. Sighing at ghis inability to even unknowingly cause Magnus affliction, he twisted around, opening his mouth and closing it. Reaching back to rub his neck, he cleared his throat, "So... should we talk?", he asked, wincing at his vexatious query.

<p>-------------------------------+</p>

Watching the street blur by, Magnus kept relaying the feel of Alec pressed up against him, his mind supplyinhpg a sludeshow of how he wanted Alec to co e undone under the tips of this fingers, the touch of hus tongue. Shutting out the world, Magnus begged his eyes to remain on his side of the cab, knowing he'd be unable too constrict himself otherwise. Be that as it may, Magnus's eyes had other ideas. They flicked across Alec's frame, illuminated by the passing street lamps. Magnus took in his broad back, tense and heaving slightly, Magnus couldny help but feel smug. He had been the cause of that. Alec was sitting facing the window, breath fogging the glass.

Magnus had wanted Alec the day he had laid eyes on him in class, head tilted backwards, leaving his pale neck on display. He had wanted to take Alec on the very desk he sat at, prying out scream after scream of pleasure. He didn't care about how he was supposed to do this. He was attracted to this hazel eyed, black haired, pale skinned man. This man who was built like a Greek sculpture with his angled jaw and high cheekbones and muscled body. He had wanted him. He still wanted him.

He didn't care about what they had before, it had meant something once, despite his early deterrence to the subject. Magnus had no idea why he had so callously replied at the lunch table, but right now, those emotion had no play in his actions. Alec was a stunning man and Magnus was going to enjoy him.

So, when Alec asked him if they should talk, he answered truthfully: "You're attracted to me, I'm attracted to and we're going to act on that attraction. What's there to talk about?"

<p>-------------------------------+</p>

Upon arriving at Magnus's apartment, Alec looked around, taking in a cream coloured carpet that gave way to a wood panelled kitchen. The living room was spacious and lined with a bookshelf along the whole left wall, the spines of various covers gleaming in the light. On upon a time that is what Alec would have wanted too, a collection of lexis that descibed and seduced him. Now he had to consider factor such as money and budget. There was two sleek sofas sitting in the centre, maroon with black seams. The whole back wall was glass, looking out over houses, an armchair was facing the view with a book perched on the arm rest. The apartment was classy, but comfortable. It was all very Magnus. At least what he had remembered of Magnus, the glimpse into the room felt like an admonishon, an almost confession that Magnus had not changed to the core, merely grown into a fuller version of himself. 

Alec didn't get a chance to further examine the place, as Magnus's hand snaked under his shirt and he tilted his head to whisper into Alec's neck, "Now where were we?".

Alec brushed his knuckles in answer, before firmly pulling him towards the door he assumed was the bedroom. Whoever Magnus was had no leverage in his current actions. Guessing right, he closed the door clumsily, as Magnus whirled him around, backing him against the door and attaching his lips to Alec's. The kiss was heated and wild, no preamble, as they clashed against each other again and again. 

Magnus's tongue stroked Alec's lips, before prying them apart, the first brush of their tongues sent a jolt of pleasure through Alec. Magnus doubled his efforts, sweeping his tongue over the roof of Alec's mouth. It was as if Magnus had doused Alec's body in kerosene and struck a match igniting a dormamt animalistic hunger. Alec reached out, intending to touch Magnus, pull him closer, however he found his wrists pinned above his head, while Magnus's other hand jerked open th buttons on Alec's shirt. He began mouthing Alec's neck, licking down his chest, as he brushed a palm over his nipples.

" F - fuck.", Alec breathed gulping down air faster, as Magnus carried on licking lower reaching the dip in Alec's abdomen. 

Not missing a beat, he flicked open the button of Alec's pants, before pulling them down. Hands skimming over Alec's butt, he pinched the tender flesh, earning a yelp from Alec.

"Sorry love, couldn't resist.", chuckled Magnus, as he skimmed over his thighs, calf's and up again, before cupping the base of Alec.

Capturing his gaze, Magnus licked the tip of him, flicking it, as he took him in. Alec's hands curled in the other man's hair. He watched Magnus's head bob, never wrenching his eyes away.

" Fuck Magnus. Shit. Th - that feels - .", he groaned panting.<br /> "Did I tell you Alexander, his much I love hearing filthy utterances tumble from your lips?", Magnus spoke around Alec, " Delicious.", he moaned huskily, knowing Alec could feel his words vibrating through him. Alec was unsure if he meant how Alec cursed again, or how Alec tasted. Alec was too immersed in pleasure to apply the appropriate amount of fastidious scrutiny it would take to decode the words.

Shuddering Alec gripped Magnus's scalp harder, " Fuck.", he gritted out, "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.".

Magnus only laughed at the younger man's response, " Yes.", he urged, "Just like that.".

Smirking he watched as Alec struggled with the jolts of pleasure his words evoked, before pulling off and sauntering to lay suggestively on the bed. Alec pressed the heel of his hands into his eyes, if he was any less lust riddled, he would have been embarrassed, but desire made him immune. After gathering himself, Alec pushed off the wall, stalking towards Magnus and began to return the favour. He kissed his way up Magnus's thighs, over his hip bone, across his stomach, teasing his way around, procuring his revenge.

He bit and nipped at the others skin, causing Magnus to twist the sheets tighter with each passing second.

" Alexander.", he gasped.

"Yes?", inquired Alec innocently, echoing Magnus's earlier taunts.

" Please", he ground out, through glazed eyes.

The word snapped any resolve Alec had to continue his torture, as he took in Magnus's disheveled form. Bare chest heaving, heavy lidded eyes, legs splayed, as he gripped the sheet, white knuckled. Surging forward Alec roughly swallowed him in, jerking fast causing Magnus to cry out, as he hollowed out his cheeks and sucked.

The desire was a palpable force in the air.  

"Stop ", Magnus gulped out, "I want to finish inside of you.".

He pushed Alec off and on his back, kneeling in front of him. Magnus spread Alec legs, brushing against his entrance, eliciting a whimper from Alec. Both their members were straining and pained, but Magnus could wait a while. 

" Beg.", he deadpanned, "I did, so it's only fair if you do too.", he reasoned, as if they were in the middle of a conversation.

" Magnus ", Alec whimpered bewildered, "Come on".

" Beg.", repeated Magnus, still expressionless, holding himself at Alec's entrance.

The lack of emotion in his voice aroused Alec further, but Alec had never begged for anything, ever and wasn't going to know.

"Do it.", he ground out in frustration.

" Beg.", intoned Magnus, pressing his entrance hard enough to torment without offering any release.

Seeing Magnus's undeterrable expression, he chocked, "Please. Fucking hell Magnus. Please. Please. Please.", he cried out, voice hoarse with wanting.

Satisfied, Magnus grunted, as he thrust in. "Good", he mumbled, " Just like that love, keep going.".

"Please, Magnus, please.", Alec all but sobbed out, as Magnus slammed in hard and fast . 

The room filled with their moans, as Alec came still begging. Magnus rode him out rougher, stringing out his pleasure, as he too shattered with Alec's name on his lips.

[donveinot]

Who do you say that I am?

In Matthew 16:15 Jesus the Christ asks his disciples an all-important question with eternal consequences, “But who do you say that I am?” It was the follow-up question in an exchange we read in Matthew 16:13-18: Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” In this short interaction, we see a striking difference between those who know something about Christ but don’t know Him personally, and those Who know Him intimately and knew well His asserted identity. History is replete with many false teachers who hold up Jesus Christ as an idea but reject His deity and the clear biblical teaching about Who He is. For example, in the Fourth century, a church presbyter from North Africa by the name of Arius began to teach that the Son of God Who incarnated as the Messiah, Jesus, was not the eternal God, but came into existence at a point in time. This was the heretical view that led to the Council of Nicea where this theological error was addressed. The Early Church fathers took very seriously their mandate to guard the flock from false teaching. A modern version which espouses this particular heresy is the group known as “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” who receive their instruction from the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Like Arius, they believe the Jesus Christ was brought into being at a point in time. Their belief is that Jesus was initially Michael the Archangel whom the Father created and then used to create everything else. At the time the Christ (Messiah) would be born into the world, Michael’s life force (they describe a “life force” as something like spiritual electricity which carries no characteristics of personality) was unplugged, at which time Michael ceased to exist. Their unitarian god Jehovah then created a new being to replace Michael - a human named Jesus - and plugged Michael’s “life force” into him. When the human Jesus was crucified, his life force was “unplugged,” and as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society teaches, Jesus is now “dead forever dead.” (It’s interesting that they talk about and write of Him as if He was still around, but their teaching is that there is no Jesus today and never will be again!) Jehovah than created another Michael to replace the previous Michael and the human Jesus, and stuck that very same life-force into this new creature.  It is all pretty complicated but provides a way to have a sort of Jesus without having to embrace the Jesus Christ of Scripture. Mormons also don’t like the Jesus Christ of history and Scripture and promote a new and improved version. For them, Jesus (and indeed all of us) were born on another planet to a Mormon God and one of his multitude of wives. Jesus came to earth when a human body was prepared for Him, which afforded him the opportunity to earn godhood as his father, and all other gods before him had done. So again, we have a Jesus who didn’t exist in eternity past. Once he came into being, he progressed and changed. By definition then, the Jesus of Mormonism is not immutable, i.e, unable to change, and therefore is not the God of Scripture. He isn’t Jesus the Christ. Neither of these examples are surprising. Most people, especially in Christian or formerly Christian cultures, have heard and believe that Jesus is an important religious figure. Therefore, nearly all false teachers feel the need to create a Jesus of one kind or another to enhance their credibility and persuade potential converts that they have a sort of Jesus Keeping Seal of Approval. Theirs is not the REAL Jesus, of course, but another Jesus who seems enough like Jesus to fool the uninformed masses. A newer player on the block is Franciscan Priest, Richard Rohr. He is a leader in the Contemplative Prayer Movement and is the primary mentor to those who have brought the Enneagram into the evangelical church. He is also the defacto chief resident theologian for Progressive and some evangelical churches. He too has a Jesus, but his “Jesus” is not THE Christ, but melded with “the Christ” about 2,000 years ago. The Christ, far more of a “material manifestation,” (the Cosmos is the Christ), than a “person” in Rohr’s view, came into being about 14.5 billion years ago. This concept is foundational to all of his teaching, but for just a glimpse into it, you could watch “Fr. Richard Rohr - Cosmic Christ.” Beginning about the 4 minute mark he says: To put it very concretely, the Christ is born the minute God decides to show Himself. The moment God decides to materialize. Now modern science would call that the Big Bang. The Big Bang is the birth of the Christ. 14.5 billion years ago. And this material manifestation has been revealing the glory of God, the nature of God, for at least 14.5 billion years. That’s the Cosmic Christ. So, in a moment of time, this Cosmic Christ is revealed to us in a human person that we could see and touch and hear and listen to and fall in love with. But in the first 2,000 years most of the work, except for the mystics, who largely got this, mainline Christianity Catholic and Protestant, has largely been concerned about Jesus the historical person. Which is good. But what we missed out on was the Cosmic Christ. Here we experienced a definitional variation which we should resolve before we move on. Different esoteric groups define “the Christ” a little differently. For Gnostics and New Agers, “the Christ” is a “consciousness,” something which settled on the human Jesus and can also settle on us. Rohr’s take is a bit different from typical New Age teaching on “the Christ.” A bit earlier in the video, Rohr does claim “the Christ” is eternal, but then, with a little sleight of hand he claims “the Christ” came into existence 14.5 billion years ago and is the creation itself. Rohr teaches that Creation was the first Incarnation of Christ. In his blog article, “Christ Since the Beginning,” Rohr writes: God spoke the Eternal Blueprint/Idea called Christ,“and so it was!” (Genesis 1:9). Two thousand years ago marks the Incarnation of God in Jesus, but before that there was the Incarnation through light, water, land, sun, moon, stars, plants, trees, fruit, birds, serpents, cattle, fish, and “every kind of wild beast” according to the Genesis creation story (1:3-25). This is the “Cosmic Christ” through which God has “let us know the mystery of God’s purpose, the hidden plan made from the beginning in Christ” (Ephesians 1:9-10). We repeat – The first Incarnation of “Christ” was Creation itself, according to Rohr. So, all Creation - including human beings - is in Christ and everyone and everything has “divine DNA,” as he informs his readers in his book, The Universal Christ. Since everyone is in Christ already, there is no need for salvation. What people need is to recognize their identity, to see themselves as the sinless beings they already are, which is Rohr claims is their “true self.” In Jewish and Christian understanding, the word Christ is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word, “Messiah” and both mean “anointed.” It isn’t a proclamation of who they are (like a name) but indicates they have been set aside for something. The REAL Jesus is the Son of God, Who incarnated or took on human nature. His “anointing” was to be the Savior of the world. Rohr and his followers have a decidedly different Jesus and different gospel. His teachings are wholly unbiblical. The Apostle Paul addressed this issue with the church in Corinth where at least some had also embraced a different Jesus and different gospel: But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. (2 Corinthians 11:3-4) Our friend, former Jehovah’s Witness, Lorri MacGregor, who founded MacGregor Ministries (now retired) would often say, “If you have the right Jesus, you are right for all eternity. If you have the wrong Jesus, you are wrong for all eternity.” How would you answer Jesus’ question, “But who do you say that I am?” Your eternity hinges on your answer.Ω

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[awesomebrazilianprincess]

It's Neymar's Time to Complete His Rise to Royalty

If Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi has anything in common with Crash Davis—if there’s any sort of cultural crossover between the archetypes of global sports glitz and minor league baseball grime—it’ll show itself when the tape recorder starts rolling. That’s when the icons in their posh private jets heed the wisdom Davis imparted on a bumpy bus, whether they’ve seen Bull Durham or not. “You’re gonna have to learn your clichés,” Crash says in the 1988 classic. “They’re your friends.”

The galácticos have little choice but to follow this advice. Combine the fanaticism surrounding global soccer with the minimal access afforded the media covering it, and you have an environment where every crumb becomes content, where innuendo is louder than insight, where the tiniest spark can become a bombshell. In short: The less said the better; be safe, not sorry. So it’s significant, then, that in the middle of what should be the most relaxing summer of his adult life, Neymar da Silva Santos Jr. is willing to let you in, share his concerns and maybe even make a headline. He can’t hide from who he is, nor from the momentous, legacy-defining season to come.

The quiet but charismatic 25-year-old Brazilian forward has never won a World Cup. He has never been named FIFA’s player of the year. And if he remains at FC Barcelona (which was up in the air as of Monday; if he’s not in Paris a week from now, it will be a surprise), he will have to wait a bit longer until he’s even considered his own team’s centerpiece. But he’s universally deemed soccer’s best player after Ronaldo and Messi, and he’s beloved in a way that neither of them ever will be. And a big reason for that is his indifference to the Book of Crash.

Neymar can’t fake it. He’s not packaged, and he’s not a ­product—and as a result, he sells lots of them: Nike, Gillette, Panasonic, Beats by Dre. In 2013 he was named the most marketable athlete in the world by SportsPro and Eurosport. In January he was ranked the most valuable player on the Euro­pean transfer market by Switzerland’s CIES Football Observatory. And in April he was the only footballer on TIME’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people. (“I’ve always been struck by his humility,” David Beckham wrote for TIME. “He’s respectful and wants to learn...He lives to play the game, and I imagine he approaches it now the same way he did as a boy.”)

Neymar says he can’t explain his inclusion on that list—and then he tries to do just that: “Maybe because I’m an athlete or maybe because I do a lot of things on social media. But I don’t know. I don’t like to talk about myself. I try to be a good role model for my son, my family, my friends, and then I try to be a good role model for the rest of the people, too. ... I try to be myself without being anything different. I’m only one Neymar—for my family, for the public. I’m always the same person.”

When Neymar acknowledges that, yes, the next 12 months, climaxing with the World Cup in Russia, will probably be “the toughest season of my life,” he believes it. The world will read those words and discuss and dissect them, and then they’ll become even more true. The spotlight is about to get even brighter, and Neymar, who’s been soccer’s next big thing for nearly a decade, will have to confront his destiny.

This was Neymar’s first summer without a national-team commitment since 2010, when his exclusion from Brazil’s ill-fated World Cup squad caused an uproar at home. Brazil has already qualified for Russia, so he’s had the chance to indulge. He hit Oracle Arena for Game 2 of the NBA Finals, sitting courtside with Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton and posing afterward with Odell Beckham Jr. and Kevin Durant. Neymar wasn’t at all concerned about whether the Warriors’ megastar was a fan; this was no ego trip. “I don’t know if he’s seen me play,” Neymar told SI, “but I had the pleasure to meet him.”

In another photo the 5' 9" Brazilian stood on a chair and playfully lorded over 6' 7" Draymond Green. Neymar enjoys being around famous and accomplished people—he reunited with Green in Ibiza last month—not because of how it reflects on him but because he’s a fan, genuinely in awe of what they can do.

In the last year he performed a short, silly scene in which he juggles a napkin holder in Vin Diesel’s most recent Xander Cage movie—a role only for the athlete who doesn’t take himself too seriously—and kicked a ball across Hollywood Boulevard on Jimmy Kimmel Live! He’s joined musicians onstage, singing and dancing at concerts back home.

Neymar has a piano at his house in Spain—it was there when he moved in, he says, and he has been teaching himself to play with YouTube ­videos—but at an L.A. photo shoot for this story it takes some convincing to get the man watched by tens of millions every weekend to tap out even a simple a tune on a rented grand. He sits, gets up and wanders a bit before settling back in. Songs are suggested. How about Barcelona’s club anthem, “El Cant del Barça”? A Nike marketing rep asks that the studio’s ambient music be turned up, not down, so Neymar might feel a bit less scrutinized. He’s not an action figure to be played with. He’s human; he gets nervous. He says he felt it when he met Michael Jordan in Las Vegas and when he lined up to take what would be the winning penalty kick in the Olympic gold medal game last summer in Rio. Before the confidence bubbled up at the penalty spot, he admits, he endured the “worst sensation—all of the responsibility is on you.”

The Olympics play a distant second fiddle to the World Cup, but that U-23 tournament stubbornly remained the one international competition Brazil hadn’t won. And with the 2016 Games being contested on home soil two years after World Cup humiliation (also at home), Brazil named Neymar one of its three over-age players. He delivered, scoring four goals in six matches and converting that gilded penalty against Germany. Neymar was in tears almost immediately. For him, delivering the final piece of Brazil’s trophy puzzle was an immense achievement. For the public that adores him, however, it’s still not enough.

“It was like the Yankees finishing with the best record in the regular season: O.K., that’s kind of cool, but they measure everything around here by World Cup championships,” says Brian Winter, a Texan who co-wrote Pelé’s 2014 autobiography and who now runs Americas Quarterly, a political, business and cultural journal covering Latin America. As Reuters’ chief correspondent in Brazil for five years, he knows well how the nation’s sports, economics and politics intersect; he was living in São Paulo when Germany dismantled the hosts 7–1 in the ’14 Cup semifinals. That game in Belo Horizonte, he says, marked “the start of a long descent into hell for Brazil,” which has been reeling from financial and political crises since.

Neymar’s penalty and Olympic gold offered only temporary respite. “It was cool for, like, a day,” says Winter. “It created the sensation that hosting the Games hadn’t been a total waste. But once the lights went off, it was so clear that all of the promises linked to the ­Olympics—improved policing, infrastructure—had fallen short.” Brazilians, he says, are “desperately hoping for a reason to be happy in 2018. And so often—maybe too often—Brazilian soccer and politics mix.”

So the nation turns to Neymar. Four years after the misery of the so-called Mineirazodrubbing by ­Germany, which Neymar missed with a fractured vertebra suffered in a quarterfinal Thunderdome match against Colombia, Brazil has a viable shot at redemption in Russia. The 7–1 stain will never go away, but this World Cup will feature Neymar in his prime, shouldering the hopes of a country desperate for a reversal in fortune. This is the season in which it all could turn around. The season in which Neymar might finally fulfill his promise.

"Everybody wants that Neymar be the protagonist in the World Cup,” says Ricardo Kaká, the Orlando City midfielder who was part of Brazil’s 2002 title-winning team (and who, incredibly, is the last man other than Ronaldo or Messi to be crowned world player of the year—10 years ago). “This is unfair sometimes, but it’s also because of who he is as a player, for his potential, how he can decide a game, how he’s a protagonist in Barcelona. There is going to be pressure on him.”

Kaká is certainly familiar with scrutiny, but as good as he was, he never became the long-term, tactical focal point of the Seleção. Nevertheless, Neymar looks up to the former Brazil number 10, who’s 10 years his elder. Neymar admires Kaká’s piety, and Kaká appreciates Neymar’s willingness to listen and learn. They’re both part of a text-message group reserved for Brazilian national team veterans, making it one of the most exclusive clubs in the world: Kaká, Roberto Carlos, Denílson, Elano...–Neymar joined recently, and he employed the group’s advice during the Olympics.

Kaká explains: “The first games, Brazil didn’t play so good, everyone was criticizing Brazil—and he was the most important player. He tried speaking with the press, and then I said to him, ‘Now as a player we have a very good opportunity to answer without saying; we have the field to [show that] we care and that the situation is important to us.’ In the end he won the Olympics, and that was the best answer he could give.”

The members of the group, Kaká says, believe Neymar is “very smart to understand that these guys can give him something different, something that could help.”

Brazil needs Neymar because, increasingly, Brazil is Neymar. Though rocked by recessions and political scandals, the nation has seen massive gains made by the nascent middle class over the past couple of decades. For years, socioeconomic classes “often resembled castes,” Winter says. There were five—A through E—and it’s the C that’s been on the rise.

C is roughly where you would have found a young Neymar. The son of a journeyman pro player, he wasn’t impoverished growing up on the southern fringe of the São Paulo megalopolis, but his family didn’t have much either, and making ends meet was a chore. Now Neymar takes in some $37 million per year (more of it from endorsement deals than from Barcelona), according to Forbes. He’s living the modern Brazilian dream.

“Neymar has the deepest connection with the people of Brazil of any soccer player of this generation, particularly with the rising middle class,” Winter says. “The way he talks, his street-wise charm—he appeals to that segment. He’s the best pitchman in a generation.”

That appeal also dovetails with the millennial generation. Neymar is a master of social media. His image isn’t meticulously crafted or self-celebratory like Ronaldo’s; it’s not homey or reticent like Messi’s. That video of Neymar playing soccer in a backyard with Justin Bieber is more effective than anything a consultant might stage. It’s organic and honest, a window into Neymar’s effortless cool.

He’s fashionable. And he’s got a wonderfully wry sense of humor. “Social media tends to ferret out the phonies,” Winter says. “People love watching for their idols to show a glimpse of insincere behavior—but you really don’t see it from him.”

There’s a 2011 video of a 19-year-old Neymar in the locker room at his old Brazilian club, Santos, in which he dances and sings and thrusts along to Michel Teló’s cover of “Ai Se Eu Te Pego.” The more sighs and eye rolls Neymar gets from teammates in the video, the more committed he becomes.

He’s comfortable, unvarnished and fearless in the moment—the sort of person anyone with spunk or spirit would like to be around. The clip has more than 25 million views, and Neymar has 78 million followers on Instagram, making his account the 14th-most popular in the world, a hair above Messi’s.

Ronaldo has more, but Google “CR7 dancing” and among the first few hits are clips of the Portuguese star gyrating in a pink bathing suit in front of a crowd in Ibiza and another of him cavorting on a private plane. Search “Messi dancing” and you’ll find videos of the Argentine and his wife. There’s no better illustration of the differences among the three men.

Kaká certainly sees it. “Neymar just tries to be himself,” he says. “What’s in your character [takes] you where you want to go. Messi is a little bit shy, so he wants to be more out of the light. Cristiano wants to be not just a soccer player, but also a celebrity. There’s not a rightway, it’s just a choice. Neymar is the nice guy who wants to be everywhere, but he’s humble and simple. When he takes a picture with Kevin Durant, it’s: ‘This is the man, not me.’”

The soccer-loving world may worship now at the feet of Messi and Ronaldo, but that’s humanity’s appreciation for the divine and incomprehensible. Messi plays as if there are fireworks attached to his boots—the ball moves so quickly from one side of his foot to the other that it seems to occupy two places simultaneously. He’s all controlled chaos, staccato soccer. He is a savant, essentially, who doesn’t seem to be truly comfortable anywhere but on a field, and he’s been the driving force behind a three-time European champion that’s arguably the greatest side the sport has ever seen.

If Messi is from Mars, then Ronaldo hails from Mount Olympus. He’s like one of us but better, perfected. He plays like the physical specimen he is: with strength, power and panache. He’s more attractive than the statues of him. If Neymar markets to the C class, Ronaldo aims his CR7 brand, with its underwear and fragrances, at those in the A+. The guy has not only an airport but a galaxy named after him.

Yet for all their supernatural prowess, neither Messi nor Ronaldo is as adored in his homeland as Neymar is in Brazil. Argentines and Portuguese may look up to their respective icons, but Neymar prefers to look you in the eye.

Asked if he’s a little bit Ronaldo and a little bit Messi, Neymar says, “I think I’m like that. Sometimes I’m a little flamboyant, an extrovert. Sometimes I’m quiet.”

Whether he’s their peer is less important to the soccer world than whether he’s their successor. The Messi-Ronaldo duopoly has combined to win six FIFA Club World Cups, eight Champions League titles and a boatload of other honors. But Messi is 30, Ronaldo 32. Next summer’s World Cup will be the last for each man in his prime. At some point, it must be Neymar’s turn.

The Brazilian says that FIFA’s player of the year award is “very important” (Crash Davis wouldn’t like that answer), but he shrugs when asked if and when he’ll break through. “Everything happens in the right time,” he says. “The main focus is to keep playing well, keep winning games, and when the time is right, I’ll get mine.” (I’ll get mine—that wouldn’t pass the Crash test either.)

Back in June, when Ronaldo celebrated Real Madrid’s second consecutive Champions League crown with fans at the Plaza de Cibeles, he made his case for a second straight world player of the year award with a micro­phone and a chant. The thought of it—of using a team event to tout his case for an individual honor—makes Neymar squirm. “No, I wouldn’t do that,” he says.

He attracts attention in other ways. His play, like his demeanor, borrows a bit from both Messi and Ronaldo. But whereas Messi slices and Ronaldo surges, Neymar glides. He’s smoother and more efficient than either, outstanding with both feet and blessed with the creativity and vision of his great Brazilian predecessors. But his game, like his personality, is more accessible. Train long enough and hard enough, and maybe you, too, could play like Neymar. He’s human, mortal, and he speaks with a voice the next generation understands.

This is where Paris Saint-Germain enters the picture. The powerhouse French club was always going to feature in Neymar’s story, thanks to an astonishing Champions League round-of-16 series that will live forever in the lore of both PSG and FCB. Last season was a tough one by Barcelona’s standards, and its puzzling lack of ruthlessness was exposed in a 4–0 first-leg Valentine’s Day massacre at the Parc des Princes. Neymar says he was embarrassed by the performance, and he corroborates the story that he promised friends he’d net two goals in the March 8 decider at the Camp Nou—which he ultimately did, in the 88th and 91st minutes, before setting up Sergi Roberto’s clincher in a 6–1 thriller.

On a team as loaded as Barça, there aren’t many moments when a player can and must take command. But with his European season on the line Neymar was unstoppable, and for many it seemed like a turning point on his climb to soccer’s summit. In TIME, Beckham wrote that it would “be remembered as the moment he stepped up to take on the mantle of best player in the world. Neymar is ready to make his move.

But as July came to a close, it appeared more and more likely that move might take him away from Messi and back to Paris, where PSG was looking for a way to finance the payment of his record $261 million release clause. Yes, Neymar would have to wait for Barcelona to become his team—but if and when it did, then his team would be Barcelona. If he leaves for PSG, he will join a lesser league and a club that has the cash but not the chemistry to make a deep Champions League run. In NBA terms he’d be moving from the Warriors to the Clippers. And instead of Durant, whose desire to win trumped his need to be the man—as Neymar’s did when he left Santos for Barcelona in 2013—the Brazilian would be channeling Kyrie Irving, itching to get out from under LeBron James’s shadow.

Asked which of his two favorite NBA players he identifies with more—James, who was raised in the spotlight, or Steph Curry, who came up quietly at Davidson, mirroring Neymar’s lower-profile beginnings—­Neymar chooses LeBron. Let us not forget, then, James’s ultimate decision to break from the Big Three after winning superteam trophies in Miami. In order to be soccer’s biggest name, perhaps Neymar has to shine further away from Messi, Luis Suárez and Barcelona’s band of superstars.

If he ultimately stays in Spain, Neymar must launch his assault on Messi and Ronaldo while improving on his own 13-goal La Liga campaign and helping steer Barça back to the top under new coach Ernesto Valverde. Last season’s results and the upcoming World Cup apply pressure from both sides. But Messi and Suárez relieve it, at least on the club side. Neymar doesn’t have to be the best player every time he steps onto the Camp Nou field. He’ll have to be more impactful, but he can do so while remaining true to himself. He’ll have some leeway.

If he goes to PSG, he’ll be paid like a king and expected to inspire a desperate club that hasn’t advanced beyond the Champions League quarterfinals since 1995. He’ll have the headlines and the billboards to himself. When those are shared, knocking a ball around with Bieber endears you to fans. When they’re yours alone, a Bieber moment may raise questions of focus, maturity or leadership. There will be no outlets at PSG, no excuses. Either way, he’ll also have to prepare mentally and physically for the rigors of a must-win World Cup.

But it’s all manageable. It always has been—so believes the man with LIFE IS A JOKE tattooed across his left biceps. He was Brazil’s Olympic talisman, and he was thriving at the 2014 World Cup before getting hurt. “We only have one life, so we have to figure out a way to be happy,” Neymar says. “Don’t take it so seriously. That’s pretty much it. Enjoy your life.”

Neymar’s relationship with his homeland remains strong. Not even the court cases concerning his controversial 2013 transfer to Barcelona have dented his reputation. In July, he was cleared of tax evasion in Brazil; a Spanish investigation is ongoing. (“Tax evasion,” Winter points out, “is next to soccer as the national sport in Brazil.”) Neymar’s countrymen, meanwhile, remain grateful for the gold medal and for his staying with Santos as long as he did. His Q rating is unscathed.

The only thing that could hurt him at home is, of course, failure to win in Russia. After he was forced to watch the semifinal rout by Germany while recuperating, Neymar told his fellow Brazilians, “We are going to do all we can so that I can fulfill my dream. My dream is to be the champion of the world.”

Three years later he’s asking for help. “I want to win a World Cup,” he says, “but it’s not only me, you know? There are other factors. There are teammates. There are a lot of things going on.” He’s certainly right, if the Mineirazo was any indication. But then he concludes, “I think you can be a legend without winning a World Cup.”

Maybe, but not in Brazil. Sócrates and Zico, for example, were great players and remain well respected. Many pundits think their 1982 squad, which lost to eventual champion Italy in the second round, was better than the ’94 side, which won it all. But on a team with five stars on its jersey, the bar is so much higher. “If Neymar doesn’t win at least one World Cup, as much as people love him today, he will be forgotten,” says Winter. “Brazil isn’t short of epic personalities who’ve won World Cups.”

Neymar tries to make light of the pressure. “It’s very normal,” he says. “The thing is, if you win a World Cup, they’ll tell you that if you want to be the best, you have to win anotherWorld Cup! When you’re one of the top players, this is going to happen all the time.”

Perhaps it has all felt routine until now. But the next 12 months, whether he’s in Barcelona or Paris, will be anything but ordinary. A new chapter is beginning, and while the end is uncertain, it’s sure to be blessedly free of clichés.

[cabiba]

The anniversary of 9/11 is here, and another year has passed without America naming, much less eliminating, the cause of the attack.

The cause of the attack on 9/11 and, more broadly, of the jihad against the West is the fact that Islamic regimes—most notably those in Iran and Saudi Arabia—take Islam seriously and thus seek to convert or kill everyone who doesn’t. Toward that end, these regimes materially and spiritually support jihadist groups such as al-Qaeda and Islamic State, who, in turn, attack and murder Americans and others who refuse to submit.

That, in a nutshell, is why al-Qaeda attacked America on September 11, 2001. And it is why jihadists and their supporters are constantly planning or sponsoring more attacks. Everyone paying attention knows this. But the U.S. government refuses to acknowledge the cause and thus refuses to eliminate the source of the problem: the Islamic regimes that sponsor jihad.

Why? Why does our government refuse to identify the cause of the jihad and end the regimes that sponsor it? I and other contributors to TOS have answered this question in many articles and from myriad perspectives (see below). The short of it, however, is this:

A large percentage of Americans embrace moral relativism and multiculturalism and are eager to blame America for any and all wrongs in the world. These people refuse to judge any culture negatively, except Western culture—especially that of America—which they judge as evil. Consequently, this sizable portion of the U.S. citizenry refuses to call jihadist groups or their sponsors evil, much less demand that our government eliminate them, because, hey, who are we to judge?

Another large percentage of Americans embrace religion—the notion that faith is a means of knowledge and the corresponding fantasy that “God” exists and being moral consists in obeying his commandments. Religious Americans refuse to acknowledge the glaring fact that if faith is a means of knowledge, then jihadists and their supporters are justified in doing what they do—because they have faith that they should. Because religious Americans are wedded to their own particular religion and thus to the universal religious fundamental that faith is a means of knowledge, they are unwilling to condemn the fundamental that gives rise to jihad: the notion that faith is a means of knowledge. Instead, religious Americans either condemn Islam as a “bad” religion or deny that it is a religion at all. This enables them to feel that they are opposing Islam when, in fact, they are supporting its very essence.

Finally, both relativists and religionists—along with practically everyone else in America—embrace the idea that selflessness is moral and selfishness is immoral. Consequently, almost everyone in America is unwilling to advocate a foreign policy of self-interest because, well, that would be selfish.

Widespread acceptance of these three myths—moral relativism, religion, and the virtue of selflessness—renders Americans unable to name, much less eliminate, the cause of the jihad against America. Thus, Americans who want to end the jihad must reject these false ideas and embrace correspondingly relevant truths.

We must reject moral relativism and embrace rational egoism. We must reject revelation and faith in favor of observation and logic. We must reject the morality of self-sacrifice and embrace the morality of self-interest. And we must acknowledge and say forthrightly that when jihadists attack Americans, the U.S. government has a moral responsibility to eliminate the jihadists and their sponsors as soon as possible.

If we want to end the jihad against America, we must spread the truth about what causes jihad—and, correspondingly, about what America must do to end it. There is no other way.

The following articles flesh out the foregoing and related points in great detail and from many perspectives. Please share this post and these articles with people you think are open to reason.

About Craig Biddle

Craig Biddle is the editor of The Objective Standard and author of Loving Life: The Morality of Self-Interest and the Facts that Support It. His book in progress is on the art and science of thinking in principles.View all posts by Craig Biddle →

The Jihad Against America and How to End It

Ten Steps to End Jihad Against the West

The Causes of War and Those of Peace

U.S. Foreign Policy: What’s the Purpose?

“No Substitute for Victory”: The Defeat of Islamic Totalitarianism

“Just War Theory” vs. American Self-Defense

On the Anniversary of 9/11, Relativism and Religion Still Paralyze American Self-Defense

The Atrocity Following 9/11

“Gifts from Heaven”: A Vital Historic Lesson for America

Yes, Conservatives, Islam Is a Religion

Islamic Jihad and Western Faith

William Tecumseh Sherman and the Moral Impetus for Victory

Obstacles to a Foreign Policy of Self-Defense for America

The Evil of Whitewashing Islam

Islam vs. Free Speech

Don’t Tolerate Islam, Condemn It

Morally Judging Muslims and Other Religionists

Religion Versus Morality

Deon • a year ago

Great article as usual, Craig. My only gripe is that you say that religious critics of Islam are somehow "supporting the very essence of Islam". I don't understand how this follows. I understand that as an atheist, you believe that religion is harmful. I and most of the other religious critics of Islam would agree with you. Much harm has been done in the name of religion. Where we disagree is that we don't see all religion as bad by default, rather it depends on what that religion is. I have also never come across anyone on the Christian right who is "unwilling to accept that jihad is a product of faith. After all, Robert Spencer, a catholic, has been writing about the theological aspects that lead to jihad for years. Any rational person, religious or not, can see the stark differences between Christianity and Islam, and the fact that Christianity has contributed tremendously to the growth of Western Civilization whereas Islam has always sought to destroy it. As long as christians and atheists agree that we need to defend our classically liberal, religiously pluralistic, secular society, why does it matter if we disagree about the existence of God?

MalcolmS

Deon • a year ago

Christianity did not contribute to the growth of Western Civilization. It wiped out the secular, pagan, Roman civilization of Western Europe for over a thousand years. Justinian banned all pagan universities. The citizens of the Christian dark and middle ages had an average life expectancy of roughly twenty years. The West did not start to recover until the writings of the ancient Greeks, especially Aristotle, arrived back in Europe from the Arab world making the Renaissance possible. Science and the inventions of the modern world are the product of pagan reason and "faith" only retarded the process.

MIke

MalcolmS • a year ago

Hello Deon. I read your perspectives, and I hope that you will add a little more clarity so that I can better grasp what you're thinking. Would you mind providing a little more definition & context for your idea of "Western Civilization" that you mention in your second-to-last sentence? Do you think that there is such a thing as "Western Civilization". If yes, can you provide me with your concept of how it is defined and described. Also, are you thinking that your conception of "Western Civilization" is located within particular geographic boundaries, rather than within any particular individual who embraces the idea you are describing? One of the reasons that I ask this is that I have lived in the USA my whole life, while also traveling to just over 30 countries for work and tourism . . . the majority of my fellow-USA residents that I have met during my life neither believe nor practice what I have learned to understood to be tenets of "Western Civilization". Also, in many of the places that I have visited which are loosely described as being non-Western, it seems that many of the people think and act in ways that seem plainly "Western". Thanks, Mike.

Deon

MIke • a year ago

Hi Mike. What I mean by "Western Civilization" is not necessarily the particular geographical boundaries it is located in, rather it is the long standing set of traditions and values embedded in the history of Europe and the Americas. This would include the ideas of limited government, individual liberty, free market capitalism, freedom of conscience/thought, and open debate. The Islamic regimes we fight against do not believe in these ideals and thus wish to destroy any societies that allow them to prosper. Those are things I believe are worth defending. Now obviously there are countries not located in the Western Hemisphere, as you mentioned, that adhere to some of those same values (i.e. Hong Kong), so in this context,"Western Civilization" or "Western Culture" is not exclusive to countries geographically located in the West. Hope this clears that up!

MIke

Deon • a year ago

Thanks for your clarification Deon. Based on your statements, I sense that you and I are like-minded and of similar spirit in what we hope to build someday in the Western countries.

I hope that you are open to discussing just a little bit further to address my curiosity about your ideas. Am I accurate in understanding that you believe that in America and in Europe's countries the current or past reality is that there is a predominant practice of "limited government"? Am I also accurate in understanding that you believe that in America and in Europe's countries the current and past reality is that there is a predominant practice of "free-market capitalism"?

I ask these two questions because the realities that have been experienced by me and my circles of friends & family along with the realities as reported over the past century seem to demonstrate that America and Europe's countries possess & practice forceful political frameworks operating outside of the rule-of-law, and that they comprehensively impose on their own citizens a set of requirements and rules that are contrary to a limited government, and openly contrary to free-market capitalism.

Regarding freedom of conscience/thought, my understanding is that in the Western countries of Canada, Germany, Spain, France, Poland, and England, a person loses their rights and is threatened with incarceration at gunpoint if that person expresses ideas or asks questions about particular important historical events, such as world-war 2, a topic that the political leaders have unilaterally decided must remain off-limits to being researched on a factual level. This prohibition is an enforced law in these Western countries and people have served jail time and suffered loss of property, rights, and time because they wished to research crime scenes and related occurrences to understand them better.

One of the most obvious and ironic violations of the ideals you mention seems to be the American arrangement of compulsory schooling which is imposed under threat and without informed consent. I say it is ironic because our American children are indoctrinated to believe through persistent instruction and testing that they live in a free society . . . while these same children are at that same moment being forced under threat to submit to assist their own indoctrination and compelled to agree with what the government is indoctrinating them to believe.

If my observation is said to be NOT correct, it would mean that American parents and their children are free to withhold their money intended to be spent to operate government monopoly schooling, and free to decline instructional content dictated by government monopoly schooling. But our American parents and their children are forcibly punished if they attempt to make such free choices. In this compulsory arrangement, the government openly violates the Sherman Act, openly violates the 9th Article of the Bill of Rights, and openly violates the idea of a free society and free-markets.

I bring up these examples because you seem to indicate that there are Islamic regimes who wish to destroy societies that support the prospering of limited government, prospering of free markets, free speech, and freedom from indoctrination. But in our America and the Euro countries we do not have these realities nor does it seem that any action is happening or planned to indicate that we are moving toward having these realities. The factual realities seem to conflict with your premise that our practiced ideals are the source of someone wanting to attack us.

Perhaps I am under-informed about our Western realities, or perhaps I am misinterpreting what you've said. Or perhaps both. I hope that you will think through what I've said and educate me about where my descriptions or understandings might be accurate or inaccurate from your perspective.

Thanks, Mike.

Deon

MalcolmS • a year ago

Not quite. Though there was an era known as the "Dark Ages" following the fall of the Roman Empire, the high middle ages were a time of growth and progress. Mainly due to the contributions of the Catholic Church, the middle ages saw the spread of universities all across Europe. Thomas Aquinas, strongly influenced by the works of Aristotle, would study philosophy at one of these universities in Cologne. Speaking of Aristotle, it was the Irish Monks who worked to preserve the ancient Greek and Roman texts. Church scholars studied the great thinkers of antiquity along with the scriptures to help them understand the nature of the universe. We can look to Albert the Great, a philosopher-biologist of the Middle Ages, or Nicholas Cusa, a Church Cardinal who was also the first man to posit that the Earth orbited around the sun. Father Roger Boscovich, who has been described as "the greatest genius that Yugoslavia ever produced," has often been called the father of modern atomic theory. You can also find the greats works of art and literature such as Dante's Divine Comedy, Chaucer's Canterbury, and the Arthurian legends of Chretien de Troyes.

MalcolmS

Deon • a year ago

"Irish Monks"?? Aristotelians? I don't think so. The works of Aristotle were reintroduced to Europe in Spain by the Arab/Aristotelian Averroes. One of his primary students was the Jewish Aristotelian/theologian Moses Maimonides who was forced to flee the Catholic Inquisitors and died shortly after in Egypt. Maimonides was a big influence on Aquinas at a time when the teaching of Aristotle was regularly banned in European universities by the Church. Aquinas' philosophy was not accepted by the Church until the 19th century and only because, by then, they were being laughed out of existence by contemporary intellectuals.

Thomas Williams • a year ago

"Islam is deeply morally wrong and so are virtually all Muslims." That's it. That's what America's intellectual and political leaders need to say in order to win The Long War. The enemy is NOT "Islamic fundamentalism" or "Muslim extremists." It's normal, historical, and current Islam and Muslims. They both champion jihadism and sharia -- which means aggressive war against, and the subsequent enslavement of, all non-Muslim nations and peoples. This loathsome philosophy and social group needs to be loudly, clearly, emphatically, passionately, morally condemned. This will destroy them intellectually and at their roots.

Greg Hadaller • 9 months ago

A glimmer of hope? While I disagree with most things president-elect Trump has said publicly, the following statement of his left me heartened. That last sentence almost makes me optimistic about our future foreign policy.

"Our hearts and prayers are with the loved ones of the victims of today’s horrifying terror attack in Berlin. Innocent civilians were murdered in the streets as they prepared to celebrate the Christmas holiday. ISIS and other Islamist terrorists continually slaughter Christians in their communities and places of worship as part of their global jihad. These terrorists and their regional and worldwide networks must be eradicated from the face of the earth, a mission we will carry out with all freedom-loving partners."

[quotespicture]

https://quoteswithpicture.com/game-of-thrones-finale-review/

Game of Thrones Finale Review

By MA Iliasu (Kano State, Nigeria)

  Season Finale; Game of Thrones. Episode Finale; The Iron Throne.

A wise man once said: “There’s nothing in the world more powerful than a good story. Nothing can stop it. No enemy can defeat it. It unites people better than Armies, Gold and Flags ever can.” That wise man is no one but Tyrion of house Lannister, the imp, the daemon monkey, the pisser over the edge of the wall and the almighty hand of the king – the wise man with the sharpest tongue in Westeros. The perfect proof of Lord Tyrion’s submission is how George RR Martin, an American storywriter unites over one billion world population with the greatest story ever written, ever told and turned into motion picture in man’s living memory – the Game of Thrones.

White or Black, Asian, European, Caribbean or African, Arabic, English, Latino, French, Spanish, Hindi, Chinese, Swahili, Hausa or Yoruba, underage, ageing or aged; one seventh of the world population, and everyone is a Game of Thrones fan. And by fan, I mean the kind of fanatic level of fanboyhood. What makes Lord Tyrion’s submission even more unbelievable is the fact that its author is authored by the man we’re just trying to prove writes the greatest story ever told – with the stuff someone said in his own stuff. Wow! This is levels ahead of human beings comprehensible ability.

David Benioff and D. B Weiss also mustn’t be left behind, their infamous application of logic has wrapped up the story which its fluidity has the potential to flow until the last day, at an intensive, competent and adventurous pace. The episode finale has rationalized and solved many of the puzzles that have been in place since the inception of the show, from episode one – “Winter is Coming”, to episode last – “The Iron Throne”, in the most efficient, rational, logical and idealistic way possible. Justice is served to all; the sword is swinged by him who serves the sentence, and to him whose sentence was served, the nothingness in the truth of him who said I’m the king has been proved, the slaps of honour have been worn in both silence and noise, the status quo is disrupted against all the odds, and the real power is proved just as the script is written; the greatest of all powers is knowledge just as bit much as the inevitability of change is the biggest truth.

The talking points:

1. Don’t bury your head under the sand of delusion, not everything comes through inheritance, the biggest determinant of materiality is fate, and one must accept what it throws at him, no matter why, when and how. It’s just up to one to be ready before or when it arrives. The rightful-ness of everything lies in its righteousness, and for things to function in desired way, that which is rightful must be that which is righteous.

After all the political brouhaha amongst the prominent houses, the determination and the claims of bloodline lineages, and all the explanations and predictions; the person that gets to rule is a crippled son of Ned Stark who couldn’t lift his arm right to fire an arrow. Who would’ve thought? The boy, who was named after his uncle Bran, who was also named after Bran the Builder travelled north of the wall to find the missing tape in the cassette of his fate. Robb Stark once said to Lord Manderly: “If Bran can’t be lord of Winterfell before me, Renly can’t be king before Stannis” and I wish he was alive to see Bran as the king of Andals right in the sight of rightful heirs, and there’s nothing anyone of them can do about it. Isn’t that a great lesson? Ladies and gentlemen, please to Brandon the Broken, the first of his name, the king of the Andals and the first men, the lord of the seven kingdoms and protector of the realm. Long may he reign!

2. No one should eat his cake and still have it. No one should pass the sentence and refuse to swing the sword. No one should take a debt and refuse to pay. What all this is trying to prove is that people must take their words seriously if world is to be any liveable environment for the living.

Daenerys Targaryen made promise of mercy, but fulfilled it with a wrath. She’s taken a debt of betterment, but paid it with aggravation. No one should get away with that. Jon Snow on the other hand has been a consistent soldier of mercy, truth, honour and honesty. He’s the personification of that proverb: “Truth is worth more than a pound.” The two lovers are complete opposite of each other, but still have so much affection for each other in a “love is blind” kind of way. Their characters define the ideals of human coexistence; take your word serious and be remembered as the greatest, but take it as a joke and be remembered as the worst.

3. Jon Snow as bigger name than Aegon the Conqueror, and Brandon the Builder in history of Westeros would be a very fair argument. Within his short life he had been a bastard, a steward, Lord Commander, a prisoner, wildlings saviour, King in the North, rightful heir to the iron throne and saviour of the realm. In all of the mentioned, he has been the greatest that has ever bear the title. No man has served the realm closer to how much Jon did. He died and came back. He’s stupid, clueless and indecisive, but which honourable, honest and brave man is not? He has the blessings of prince Rhaegar, Ned Stark, Lord Commander Mormont, Aemon Targaryen, Mance Rayder, Stannis Baratheon and Cersei Lannister. And for everyone who is against him being sent back to the wall, remember, there has to be a Stark and a Targaryen every time in Black, and a man who is good at commanding, and very dear to the Wildlings, Jon meets that criteria, in fact, he’s the only one that meets that criteria. Jeor Mormont did give him the long claw for a reason. And Maester Aemon defined love to him for a reason. Ghost agreed to follow Tormund to the wall for a reason. Edd Tollett refused the Lord Commander post for a reason. It’s for Jon to guard the realm till eternity, and it’s fair to say the realm is safe till eternity. The greatest man that ever lived in Westeros. He indeed knows nothing, but who else knows something?

4. The new small council is just a testimony of the past great councilors. Lord Tywin’s blood must always be there to be hand of the king, because no one had ever been better at it. Tyrion was sent by his father to serve in his place for a reason. Bronn of Blackwater has the cunning of Petyr Baelish, and even bigger love for gold. He also knows what it takes to convert an empty bag into bag full of gold. Samwell Tarly has learnt a great deal from Maester Aemon, and from Maesters in the citadel. He’ll make a better Maester than Pycelle. Davos Seaworth is an experienced smuggler who survived every single battle without a shred of combat ability. No one is better at brokering a deal, he’ll be of great service as the master of the ships. Brienne of Tarth as Lord Commander of Kingsguard would allow Jaime to sleep peacefully in his grave. With the only vacant post remaining is Master of Whisperers. But who in this life or another do you think could resemble Varys, let alone replicate his job? RIP Lord Varys, may the soul of Dany rot in hell for taking you away from us.

5. Yuval Noah Harari is apt; “Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.” When – Lord Commander Mormont forbade Samwell Tarly to die, Mance Rayder died while being burned alive for refusing to kneel, Craster marrying his daughters to himself, The hound threatening soldiers to rape their corpses if they run, Stannis Baratheon admitting to murder while being helpless, Robin Arryn sucking his mother’s breast while been at the age Brandon Stark was ruling Winterfell in place of Robb, and Edd Tollett saying his mother farted while dying that the whole bed shook, I thought I heard it all. I thought I’ve seen it all. Then boom!!! Lord Edmure Tully stood right there in front of lords with hope for them to endorse him as the king of six kingdoms. Wow! I think this is the greatest insult an entity has ever suffered, and I was there asking God to offer me a chance to give Edmure the greatest flogging he has ever received. What a dunce! And he truly meant it.

6. The north is finally a recognised independent dominion. North has always been an arena for extraordinary stubbornness. They worship old Gods in trees instead of fire and new, stay in snowflakes through the winter and bowed only to the dragons. The fury of northern lord matches the fire of a dragon. Greatjon Umber couldn’t agree for Lord Glover to lead northern banners until he got his fingers eaten by a dire wolf. Lord Karstark murdered two Lannister boys because Lady Catelyn set Jaime free, which costed him his head and he didn’t regret. Lyanna Mormont killed a giant in such a young age, and once wrote a reply to Ramsay saying her house recognises no king but the king in the north whose name is Stark, and we all know Ramsey. These people shall never bend before anyone who is not a northerner, and they got one in Queen Sansa, a brilliant lady with experience, with a fine lineage and beautiful face. I am that northern soldier who bends when she was done getting crowned. Our Queen! Arya Stark on the other hand refused to be the Lady of Storm’s End, instead wants to see the boundary of Storm’s End. Cold little bitch, as the hound puts it. That girl can’t live in a world where there’s no people like Ned Stark, Sandor Clegane, Blackfish and Jaqen H’ghar. The hero of the realm!

In the end, there are some missing stuff in the season finale that needs to be accounted for such as: 1. How did they rebuild King’s Landing within days? 2. How did they rebuild the wall in such little period? 3. Samwell Tarly still has the bows of Night’s Watch, how did he become a Grand Maester with bows, when did they pardon him? 4. It has been seen when the Unsullied sailed to Naath, but what happened to the Dothraki, who knows where they go? 5. What happened to or where is Ellaria Sand and her daughter? Are they still rotting in the dungeons of King’s Landing? Did the girl die from Cersei’s poison, did Ellaria watch her rot? Is she alive or dead?

Rating: 4/5

  Return to Movie Reviews

[major-final-project]

Viral videos

https://arxiv.org/pdf/1503.04723.pdf

https://biteable.com/blog/tips/how-to-make-a-video-go-viral/

https://www.jeffbullas.com/10-social-media-personas-understanding-personality-and-communication/

Social Media Personas: 

and their communicative habits, you can act accordingly. Here are some tips how to identify and connect to the basic characters in social media.

#1. The Shy

These people usually do not start a conversation, but wait until someone talks to them. In Social Media shyness is a problem, as you are fairly invisible if you do not take part in any conversation. The shy do not usually get in contact on their own account. To gain anything, they have to provide some reason for other people to notice them and to get in touch.

In offline networking, you can at least see the shy ones lurking in a corner (or so their stereotype would suggest). In online life, these people are harder to find. If they do not publish or communicate, the only chance you have got is stumbling across their profile. Hopefully, some of the keywords in these people’s resumes will match your search.

Takeaway: Be open to communication with The Shy, but do not waste energy to hunt them down. They will learn to come to you (and others) if they want to survive in social media.

#2. The Politician

The Politician jumps on every opportunity to communicate and interact. He or she comments on everything, to everyone, and gets in the mix in various heated and/or popular discussions – all while keeping his or her goals in mind. The Politician publishes great content, with the mission to engage and convert.

In social media, the politician has a large stage and seeks to reap the benefits from his or her widespread audience.

Takeaway: You will have an easy time finding the politician and connecting to him or her, as communication is the means to his or her survival. Followers of the politician should be aware – the author has a purpose and has produced content accordingly. You might have a harder time getting the attention of the ever-active Politician or nailing them to a deal, so make sure he or she sees the advantage in your offer to interact.

#3. The Self-Promoter

The Self-Promoter takes part in social media communication and discussions solely with his or her own purpose in mind. Unlike The Politician, the Self-Promoter is not looking to have a dialogue; he or she is looking for a microphone. The Self-Promoter usually begins “conversations” with information about his products or services. After seconds usually gets his pitch out and asks you to buy something. No matter what the original discussion was about, the second sentence in his answer will always be about his own products or services.

Takeaway: The Self-Promoter will (most often) find you. The problem may be to avoid their incessant reminders or to get any useful information from them. If you want to interact with The Self-Promoter, be ready to listen and buy (as you will have a hard time being heard). Be careful not to write them off too quickly – The Self-Promoter might just promote something that is useful to you.

#4. The Helpful

The Helpful is always there to provide strong answers and positive feedback. They provide insightful information in their content, for which reason they are nice follow on Twitter. You will probably gain much knowledge and many useful links from their tweets. Nice to connect to, The Helpful is always willing to step in with answers and recommendations.

Takeaway: The Helpful is the ideal social media connection. You gain a lot from their knowledge and willingness to share. If you ever need their services, you will probably go to them with a good feeling and trust in their willingness to serve you without the fear of being used. If you have something to offer, the helpful will probably even be willing to help you get relevant connections interested in your service.

#5. The Nagger

No matter what you post, The Nagger will find a way to point out your flaw (“It’s: too long, too basic, the wrong forum, the wrong time of day, too much information, too little information, I read about that yesterday, you posted somewhere else, too.”) From The Nagger, you can expect any kind of creative, negative comment without any real substance.

Takeaway: You will probably not seriously connect or engage in business with The Nagger. The Nagger is not an ideal business partner, as they will detect small problems with: your products, your services, your behavior, your money, your country – or whatever else they can find.

#6. The Direct

The Direct has a clear goal in mind: to obtain your contact information. There is little or no small talk with The Direct, as they will ask what you are up to and proceed to tell what they have to offer.

Takeaway: The Direct will target you if they believe they can gain something from your contact information. If you have a product or service that needs explaining, The Direct will (most likely) not listen long enough to engage. Keep your message to The Direct straight, to the point, and practice your pitch.

#7. The Entertainer

The Entertainer uses social media as a stage. Unlike the Self-Promoter or Politician, The Entertainer manages to add enough sympathy and entertainment to attract a following within the community.

Takeaway: Do not regard comments from The Entertainer too seriously; be open to their humor. Understand that while they may be eager to connect, it is not always simple to engage in conversation. Enjoy their feeds, but understand their motivations before business engagement.

#8. The Storyteller

The Storyteller is never shy of a good story: they produce great content, great narratives, and posses a sense of humility and openness Storytellers come in the form of content marketers and everyday users who have the knack for attracting audiences through their storytelling abilities. The Storyteller boasts a lot of ‘likes’ and comments.

Takeaway: Be sure to understand with which type of Storyteller you are engaging. Are they in it for the story itself, or do their stories relate to your business? While The Storyteller may teach you valuable lessons and entertain you, it may be difficult to divert The Storyteller from their own stories and get them to listen to your own.

#9. The Friend

The Friend does not take part in social media with business in his mind. The Friend likes to communicate, talk, share and connect solely for the purpose of social interaction.

Takeaway: If The Friend is actually your friend – let the relationship be. However, if The Friend shows signs that their professional life relates to your business and is the friend of a friend or an acquaintance you discover – see if there is a way to engage on a business level. Once you figure out their professional motivations – and there is a match – working with them could be great fun.

#10. The Comedian

The Comedian is always after the laugh, even though his posts might not always be that funny. The mission of The Comedian is to be witty or inspire humorous interaction, even if they miss the point.

Takeaway: Be prepared to laugh and be entertained (or at least poked), but do not expect much more from them – especially on a professional level.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/science-making-things-go-viral/

What makes things go viral may be a science: 

You’ve probably come across Buzzfeed’s Tasty videos while scrolling through your Facebook feed. Specifically designed for social media sharing, these videos are short, sweet, informative, feature mouth watering dishes, and tend to go viral consistently. Their success is really paying off and Buzzfeed’s social video offerings now make up about half of their annual revenue.

Viral videos gather traction quickly and are shared multiple times through social media, reaching people who wouldn’t normally see your content. Sometimes, they’re picked up by larger publications and syndicates and keep spreading like wildfire.

Focus on a single message

Simple, clear and succinct content works wonders. This is true when it comes to creating a high conversion landing page or a super shareable blog post and it is definitely true when it comes to creating a would-be viral video. Before you start, define what your video is about and focus on getting that point across as clearly as you can.

Made with Biteable, this video got over 31 million views on Facebook alone! It was quick and easy to make, yet it gave viewers real value despite running for just over a minute. It tackled a single point: the struggle of getting through the hard times, and offers uplifting, actionable advice.

[howtobusines]

Entrepreneur - How to Start, manage and grow your business

How entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses

There are a large number of important projects, which are usually initially small ideas, and it is strange that these small ideas became one of the most important and largest projects that achieved very great success later. If you have thought about one of the ideas that we will mention to you today, you are at the beginning of the road to success. Learn through this article on how to start, manage and grow your business step by step.

            Table Of Contents

START AND RUN YOUR BUSINESS

What do you do to find a successful project idea

1. Find your skills

2. You have to follow all events

3. Search in a new market

4. Improving the service or product

5. Innovate a service or product

6. Adding value to the product

7. Purchase the franchise

How you can write down your idea?

1. Project information

2. Project summary

3. The importance of the project

4. Project objectives

5. Project methodology

6. Project risk management

7. Project costs

GROW YOUR BUSINESS

Growth hacking and marketing

How are growth hacking plans built?

1. The main goals

2. The followed means

3. Staff

4. Marketing channels

5. Follow-up performance

5 of the most prominent strategies to accelerate the growth of companies

1. Grow using email

2. Accelerating growth through Word of Mouth Marketing

3. Psychological factors in marketing to promote growth

4. Free services

5. Targeting interested groups

Companies have adopted growth hacking strategies to achieve their goals

DROPBOX

AIRBNB

HOTMAIL

START AND RUN YOUR BUSINESS

A lot of people have time, effort, and money to build their own business, but they don't know where to start or where to find a profitable business idea, maybe they get a little excited, read an article from here and an article from there, but the idea of the project has not yet come, he doesn't know which ideas will succeed Without the other.

What do you do to find a successful project idea?

Let me tell you the answer to this question ... with a few simple points that I hope you pay attention to. If I was going to find a good idea for a profitable project then the first thing I would do is:

1- Find your skills

First of all, you have to be very familiar with all the skills you possess. Skill is usually your cornerstone for building your successful project. If you have a certain skill, you should seriously consider using that skill in the idea of a successful and profitable project.

2- You have to follow all events

You must be a good follower of all events and developments that happen around you, in order to be ready to take advantage of the earliest opportunity available to you. By following the news and continuous reading, you can think of an idea that you can turn into a successful project idea, so you must follow all the events and changes that occur, especially in the labor market and the requirements of the market and the consumer.

3- Search in a new market

It is possible for you to come up with some ideas that are not appropriate for the current markets, but those ideas can be very successful in other markets, it is possible that you develop your products and work to export them to other markets so that you benefit greatly from that idea, as it is from You can do some exploratory tours in the markets to get to know the things that are not available in the market and work to meet that need without a competitor.

4- Improving the service or product

Ideas and services cannot be developed very effectively, but it is possible that in the process of searching for some similar ideas, there are a large number of ways that you can follow in order to achieve the success you want, and it is also possible that you make some adjustments Your own on that product and sell it at slightly lower prices than competitors, but in that way, you have to find a way to produce at a lower cost.

5- Innovate a service or product

The only secret in the product is the idea of innovation or providing modern services to it, because it is what makes you look at the markets in the future and what are the needs that you want, so you have to look around and ask about what are the things that the markets need at the moment.

6- Adding value to the product

You have to be innovative and effective in the process of converting those materials that are in front of you into an innovative product that can be used with ease. It is the same idea if you look at the wood before it becomes a piece of wonderful furniture that can be used. To provide after-sales service when the product is damaged or even home delivery.

7- Purchase the franchise

Franchising is the effective way in which you can start your new business to be a successful project idea, which is known as the process of buying ideas instead of creating them, so it is possible that you do a very simple search in the business market for small ideas, and when choosing an idea that suits you, You can buy the franchise, and then you can apply it easily in the business market, but you have to choose the right market and develop that idea so that you can find a successful project idea and continue with it.

As you can see, ideas everywhere, free and neglected, are waiting for someone to test them, bringing them to the ground, so the brief answer to the question "What do you do to find a successful project idea?" Is to pick up and implement any promising idea, didn't it work? Try another, or edit it. The success of any start-up depends on the use of time to implement the idea, not to remain stuck in the selection of ideas and which is more successful than the other.

After we discussed 7 ways to help you find a successful and profitable business idea, now how you can write down your idea?

Writing a project idea is a comprehensive file about its goals, team, timing, and outcomes, and detailed planning to get an idea correctly. The outputs of the project planning process are a project management plan, which is defined as a document containing the scope and purpose of the project.

Steps to writing a project idea

In the following steps, each section includes some advice and examples to help you provide a clear, accurate, and focused idea that can be applied to several types of projects, bearing in mind that some details will change depending on the type of project, but the general structure is the same for any type of projects.

1. Project information

This section aims to provide a comprehensive picture of the project that can be seen at a glance, in addition to conveying important details of the project.

Name of the organization:

Project Title:

The summary of the project:

Project time frame:

prepared by:

Attached documents:

Project contacts:

List the individuals involved in the project who can be contacted, and make sure to include the name, address in the project, as well as phone numbers and email addresses.

2. Project summary

It is very important when writing a project idea that it is written briefly and clearly, as it is intended to show the reasons for carrying out this project and mention all its objectives, and there are some professionals in writing projects that you can ask for their advice before you start writing, you need to be able to answer the next questions:

Why did you start this project?

What will you do?

How will that be?

Who will accomplish this?

Where will it be?

How long will it take?

How much will it cost?

3. The importance of the project

Here you must explain the needs and problems you are trying to solve, and why these needs deserve to be solved, this section should not exceed a page, include references to supporting documents, such as research papers and articles, this information can be placed in the index.

4. Project objectives

When writing a project idea, state what goals the project aims to achieve.

Goal 1

Goal 2

Goal 3

5. Project methodology

This section details the plan for how to achieve the project goals, usually, it starts with describing the comprehensive approach, the individuals that will be dealt with, and how the expected problems will be managed, then provides details about the methodology: First: Project Approach Summary, write a few short paragraphs on the overall project approach, include how to organize the project team, what development and collaboration tools will be used? How will the plan be implemented throughout the implementation period? Second: the distribution of work and task time estimates, in this section you should create a detailed schedule for the project, and then make a list of the tasks that will be implemented, and make sure that the list is detailed in terms of the distribution of tasks and be able to make estimates of the required work hours. Third: Project Deliverables, you must provide a list of the necessary “deliveries” for the project which are (products, information, reports, etc.) that will be delivered to the customer at the end and throughout the project’s duration. Be sure to include a description of the delivery and the scheduled delivery date.

6. Project risk management

This section of project writing explains the main project risks and identifies plans to mitigate or control them. Ensure that the potential for each risk is addressed, as well as its impact on the project and the organization.

Risk Management Plan: It is a detailed work plan to reduce and contain any risk factors that may arise with the progress of the project.

Risk Log: Be sure to include this risk list and counter-effort.

7. Project costs

In this section, you will need to estimate the total cost of the project in terms of:

Project budget: The allocated budget should be divided into categories such as salaries, additional benefits, travel, supplies, and equipment. Be sure to include any general costs called “indirect costs” that will be linked to the project.

Budgeting: Budgeting is basically a list of comments and justifications needed to clarify and justify the numbers in your budget.

Additional financial statements: Some project proposals may require additional financial data, such as a profit and loss statement, last tax return, annual report, or list of funding sources.

8. Conclusions

In this section, you should try to link all of the above information in a short summary explaining the potential value of the project and confirming its feasibility.

9. The Supplement

In this section, you should include diagrams, graphs, reports, etc. that were mentioned in the plan, and which were not suitable for placement in the main text of the document.

GROW YOUR BUSINESS

Growth does not happen overnight, as developing your entrepreneurial project is difficult and requires a lot of time and efforts, and it is one of the most difficult challenges facing many entrepreneurs looking to achieve success, the growth of your business means understanding your product and customer, building relationships with it, developing your product/service, And using the data you obtain to engineer a strategic growth plan that not only ensures that you remain in the field with your competitors but also outperform them. The idea of opening a new branch and expanding in other sites is one of the first ideas that comes to the mind of those who wish to develop their business, but this matter needs to be taken into account and studied well, including:

Ensure that an appropriate profit rate is maintained, by monitoring profit levels over the years and making sure if the profit is constant.

Examining the strength of the project by studying consumption and economic trends.

Ensure the effectiveness of the administrative systems and staff, and their readiness to start working in an additional location.

Prepare a business plan for the new site to be comprehensive and integrated.

Take care to choose a suitable site for the project, and not depending on the financial capabilities.

Determine how to obtain financing.

One of the most important steps that will help you in developing your entrepreneurial project is that you determine the reason why customers reach you to buy a product or service, you should bear in mind that the purpose of your value proposition is to identify and meet the unmet need that the target market has, to propose an effective value focused on What your target audience needs, you can check this by doing market research. Ask yourself: “What does the target audience want my business to offer? What is important to them? ” It is important when developing your value proposition to be clear and succinct, the value proposition has three components:

Target buyer

The problem that you solve

The reason why you are the best candidate to offer this benefit

For example, Walmart proposes to efficiently manage the supply chain and transfer products from suppliers to buyers in a timely manner, and Uber proposes a unique value consisting of the following three elements:

With one click, a car comes directly to you

Your driver knows exactly where to go

You can pay the way you see fit

Communication activities

Communication activities are useful in helping the project owner to build networks and create new relationships, whether as a result of attending these events or hosting them, during these activities the opportunity will be given to the project owner to communicate with his networks, and then create new relationships by providing them orally by previous relationships, as well as Hosting events can benefit in the same way as a result of inviting clients and encouraging them to bring their friends.

Growth hacking and marketing

Accelerating the growth of companies is not different from marketing in terms of each of them seeking the success of the project and its growth and expanding the customer base. Rather, the difference lies in the methods and techniques that each of them follows to reach these goals.

Accelerating the growth of companies or the Growth Hacking focuses on investing in the available resources in the best possible manner and at the lowest cost to achieve rapid jumps in the growth indicators of the project or commercial activity.

While marketing focuses on building brand awareness in the long term, by creating permanent and open channels of communication with the public and customers using regular marketing strategies.

Marketing focuses on sales techniques and customer persuasion, while growth hacking is focused on designing and searching for the products consumers need, and those that show data an increasing need in the marketplace, thus using less expensive marketing techniques instead of paid advertising.

How are growth hacking plans built?

The growth acceleration strategy does not differ from the marketing strategy in terms of objectives, but in the growth acceleration plans, there is a greater focus on the techniques used to reach the goals. The main factors in the growth acceleration plan include:

1. The main goals

Any marketing strategy that needs goals for which the marketing plan is built. When it comes to accelerating growth, the goals must have a number of necessary factors, the most important of which, according to "Seine Alice", is that these goals are clear, understandable, and measurable, so that you can measure the performance of the plan you are working on and if things are going in the right direction towards the goals Selected.

2. The followed means

After defining the goals that you want to achieve from the project to accelerate the growth of your project, now you have to define the means that you will follow to reach those goals if your main goal of this strategy is to increase the number of registrants in the trial period of the service you provide to the number of X for example, then what are the means that you are supposed to use to reach To this number?

At this point, working with the marketing funnel theory is the preferred option for accelerators, the strategy most used by startups and those that follow their own acceleration strategies.

What makes the theory of repression the preferred option with this type of plans and strategies is that it works according to the principle of a gradual transition of the user step by step until reaching the final stage, which is the goal that you want, for example, according to the theory of repression, the stages that the user goes through include:

 Acquisition: Here is the first moment that a user gets to know your project or service, and this may be through a post on Facebook or an announcement on Google or even a recommendation from a friend.

Activation: When the user starts interacting with you for the first time, for example, to register in your mailing list.

Retention: The stage where a user is kept and restored by being attracted to, for example, a second-time visit to the site.

Referral: When the user is transferred from any marketing channels to the landing page or the product or service page.

Revenue: The last stage in which an action is taken in the form of a purchase or service request.

At each stage of this phase, you must have a clear view of this stage, from where will you bring users and how will you motivate them to move to the next stage? What are the marketing tools and platforms that will help you do that?

For example, in the first stage, until the audience recognizes you, you may use social media ads, or at this stage, it may be limited to referrals that come to you from existing users, or you may use public relations, for example.

3. Staff

Who will implement this plan? What are the tasks required of each of them? What are the partial goals that each of them must achieve in order to finally reach the main goal?

The answer to these questions helps to implement the strategy that you will develop more efficiently because it enables everyone to know the tasks and responsibilities required of them in order to reach the main goal of the strategy to accelerate growth.

4. Marketing channels

What platforms will you use for your strategy, will it depend on social media? website? Your mailing list? Or paid advertising on search engines, for example? Or just your existing customers, just like the Dropbox Cloud Storage Platform did early.

The marketing channels you are supposed to use depend on your knowledge of the target audience and where they are after studying and analyzing the characteristics of your audience and potential customers and which platforms are most used by them.

5. Follow-up performance

Following up on performance, measurement and analysis is one of the main issues in any growth acceleration plan, which is the strategic nerve of the project, here you must follow things like conversion rates and referrals for users, sources of visits and if users complete the stages of marketing repression or face problems in one of the stages, for example, with this Condition: You must identify the problem and work to solve it as soon as it is discovered before it turns into an obstacle that prevents reaching the specified goals.

Also, tasks such as monitoring the performance of any advertising campaigns you have run and knowing the revenue from them, finding out which matters most influence the users ’decision to interact with your project, to work on developing them later, and then ignoring or stopping things that are less important or that do not achieve the return makes the plan that you work on More efficient and effective.

These are the most important things that you must take into account when developing a plan to accelerate the growth of the project you are working on, and as with marketing plans these factors are not fixed, but it depends on the nature of your project and the services you provide in it, and therefore the strategy is determined accordingly.

Usually, accelerating growth experts focus on specific strategies in which they put most of their attention in order to reach specific results and goals, rather than being distracted by more than one option and strategy. What are the most prominent and common strategies in the business world today?

5 of the most prominent strategies to accelerate the growth of companies

1.Grow using email

Email marketing is one of the effective marketing options that yield excellent returns compared to other options, according to the Smart Insight study, which showed that every dollar spent in mail marketing yields up to $ 40.

In addition to the inherently low costs of mail marketing, a platform like Mailchimp that specializes in managing mailing lists can be used for free as long as your list contains fewer than 2000 subscribers.

But building a subscriber list requires your time and effort to achieve results. Accelerating growth techniques can be used to boost subscriber list growth. Think about the things that could motivate your audience to give you their email addresses, perhaps offering a trial period for the service you provide, or an exclusive discount rate for subscribers to your list, or valuable information not publicly available but only for those who provide their email address, and then you will find your mailing list grow Acceleratedly.

2. Accelerating growth through Word of Mouth Marketing

Word of Mouth Marketing is one of the marketing strategies in which projects focus on providing high-quality services to existing customers in order to encourage them to praise the service for their friends and acquaintances, thus attracting new customers through existing clients.

Many technologies can help you use this strategy to grow, encourage customers to write product reviews in your store, urge them to share product or service information on their social media pages in exchange for offers, as well as the need to pay attention to the quality of the product or service you provide to ensure Positive opinion.

3. Psychological factors in marketing to promote growth

Marketing experts know well how to employ the appropriate psychological factors to increase the efficiency of the marketing strategy they are working on, techniques such as scarcity (the product is available in limited quantity) and the urgency (insistence to complete the transaction) can make a significant difference in the results.

Where these technologies play on the psychological factors and mental stimuli of the consumer and create an urgent desire to purchase or service experience, therefore, accelerating growth experts employ such techniques in their strategies to reach results.

4. Free services

Providing some free services or offers from time to time, including trial use periods, would be one of the strategies to accelerate the growth of the best and most efficient companies in the long run. In exchange for providing these services, you will get more details about your audience and customers, you will know the opinions of these customers about your services and whether there are any problems that need to be addressed, as well as the possibility of these users becoming customers by moving them from trial periods to the actual subscription, and do not forget that you will get Their email address as soon as they use any of your free services, thus an opportunity to expand your mailing list.

5. Targeting interested groups

Targeting groups of people related to your business field, and those interested in the product or service you provide can be a great way to make a big leap in the growth of your business, just as Airbnb did in its beginning when they used Craigslist to reach new categories of potential customers and it was able to achieve excellent results as a result.

So look for categories that your product can offer a solution to a problem they face, or those who are interested in your project field, have people get to know your brand and what it offers, and the quality of your services will cover the rest.

Companies have adopted growth hacking strategies to achieve their goals

To get to know more about the concept of accelerating the growth of companies from a practical point of view, to get acquainted here with some of the most prominent companies that have applied this concept to enhance their growth and expand their customer base through the use of innovative technologies that enabled them to achieve their goal of expansion and growth.

DROPBOX

Dropbox was established in 2008 as a cloud storage platform, and one of the most striking examples of the role of Growth Hacking strategies in the success of startups, today it has more than 500 million active users.

She did not create massive advertising campaigns and did not spend any money on marketing agencies, it is true that she sent strong marketing messages at the beginning of her reign to carefully defined groups of the public, and she promoted her platform using some of the videos that achieved good results.

But the most important event in the project’s success, which made a big difference, was relying on their current users at the time to attract more users, by promising to give them additional storage space for free if they invited their friends to register on the platform and the friends responded to this invitation, and overnight the results of this strategy emerged that Platform users jumped from 5,000 to 75,000 users.

AIRBNB

It was established in 2008 to allow users to rent all or part of their homes at specific times and dates, in return, people can use the application to find places to stay overnight that the homeowners announced through the application.

The company used several growth hacking technologies to expand its business in the United States first, and later in the world, initially it promoted its service in places that witnessing events such as conferences and festivals, and where hotels face difficulty in receiving all guests due to a large number of expatriates to the region.

As for the most important event that led to significantly different results, the company was allowing users of the application to share their residential units offered for rent on the famous advertising site Craigslist, which mainly owns a large user base, so the company was able to spread its service widely and among different audiences, which This resulted in a significant growth leap before Craigslist prevented it from using its platform for this purpose.

HOTMAIL

One of the first e-mail services founded in 1996, and then acquired by Microsoft the following year after its inception, today is known as Outlook.

After service providers noticed the high costs of advertising and available marketing options, one investor suggested focusing on existing marketing users and attracting new categories of users.

The method that they used to do so was to add a note at the end of every email message sent via Hotmail with "PS I love you." Get your free E-mail at Hotmail ”

After adding this note to the messages sent through the service, the number of their users started to increase by about 3000 users on a daily basis, until they managed to reach one million users within six months, and after five weeks later they crossed the threshold of 2 million users, and Microsoft acquired the service later after It has more than 12 million active users.

This would be one of the oldest examples of strategies to accelerate the growth of companies, as it was even before the emergence of the term Growth Hacking.

Finally, accelerating the growth of companies is in one way or another not only a marketing process, the goal of which is growth and achieving great results in short periods, by focusing on innovative technologies that are effective, efficient and fast to reach the target groups and raise their interest towards the project's products and services, and this What we deduce from the stories of companies that used accelerating technologies in their marketing activities, where they focused on innovative methods at low cost instead of traditional marketing methods.

Thanks for reading.

source https://www.howtobusines.com/2020/03/entrepreneur-how-to-start.html