#not necessarily at you directly bog but at anyone reading:

[crittertalez]

crushes are very much something at least most allo people feel. im aromantic but many of my allo friends can confirm that yes they feel crushes in that they feel an actual Draw to someone, and that draw makes them want to date the other person because said person makes them feel good to be around and for those that are allo both romantically and sexually often their crushes being physically attractive is also a component.

some aro people may feel "squishes" instead (a want to be someones friend and to be platonically closer), they may instead feel crushes for other forms of attraction such as queerplatonic where they feel that their wish to be with someone isnt romantic but rather someone else, they may be somewhere on the aromantic spectrum where they do experience crushes but very rarely or only under certain circumstances (such as demiromantic where you Need to have been friends with someone for a while and cant get crushes on people you dont know well). or they just dont feel any draw to others at all!

it is a pretty common experience to think that things in media like crushing on people youve just met or dont even know or "butterflies in your stomach" or suddenly acting stupid and flustered around a crush or even getting crushes at all is just metaphor and people dont actually act like that or feel those ways but ive been taught time and time again that people Do in fact experience romantic attraction like this.

ultimately though "romantic attraction" and "crushes" and "love" and what have you are just words that people put to the emotions they feel. its just that for some people like many in the aromantic community they just dont feel like they experience these things, just as many in the asexual community just dont feel like they experience sexual attraction.

its.. not exactly how most people in the world feel, though. so no its not really "normal" to not get crushes or to feel like youd be perfectly fine never dating anyone (many allo people, not all but many, actively hate the idea of being single forever because they feel like they need romance to feel fulfilled and friends or sexual partners just dont cut it) and thats why the aromantic community exists. we're just a bunch of people who in a variety of ways feel disconnected from romance and the feelings that come with that

I gotta be honest that the one identity I still struggle to wrap my head around is aromantic. If I don't understand something that's important to other people I just accept that they know themselves best, as one does if they're not a raging asshole, but I'd rather also be able to understand what they mean

[factcheckingmclennon]

hey! making a pinned that will for now hold some basic info/disclaimers & may in the future have a read more with a guide to deep dives

navigation

james/lorraine, they/he/she, 24. BA in religious studies/history, going back for a MA in history in january (that's relevant okay that's my CREDENTIALS for this silly blog)

my main is @menlove

I am indeed a shipper! no hate is meant at all by this blog existing, I'm just a historian that is going crazy trying to sort out fact & fiction in this fandom. there's a lot of both and I think a blog like this could be useful

and in that vein, I will never, ever directly come after or @ anyone who shared that misinformation. if you send me a request and start it with "I saw so and so post x, is this real?" I'll make a post without your ask in it. I don't want to send hate anyone's way. if it's an older post, i'll probably link the source of the misinformation for the sake of clarity, but if it's a blog that's still active i won't & i'll just screenshot. (maccaswife1978 is not a real person btw dgshdhshs. as far as I know! sorry if anyone's ever had that username)

I'm always open to correction. I have 0 way of knowing or finding everything, so if you have a credible, reliable source that I didn't find in my deep dive of something I rated fake/neutral, please let me know! I'd love for some of these to be real

I also take requests! feel free to ask me about anything that you want fact checked. just know sometimes I might not be able to find an answer or I might be bogged down & not be able to answer just then. I'll do my best to get to everyone, but inevitably my mental health and life Will come first so......

rating system

fake- this is a source that, from everything I can find, only loops back to other mclennon blogs/forums. again, I'll take correction on these.

neutral- this is a source that is fake in some way but real in others. maybe it's a quote taken wildly out of context, or the quote passed around is fake but the content really did happen & has a more grounded source. or maybe it was written in a biography that didn't use citations and I have no idea where that author got that information, so you should take it with a grain of salt. or maybe it's something that isn't necessarily fake, but there's not enough evidence to definitively prove it one way or another (i.e. did anything happen in india?) whatever the case, this source has ended up neutral in the grand scheme of mclennon.

real- happy day for us all, these are for ones that turn out to be real! these are ones that are backed up by one or more reliable source & have hard evidence

source reliability

what do I mean by "reliable source"?

for me to count a source as "reliable" and count it towards a fact/quote being real, it has to be one of these things: first-hand (interviews, auto biographies, etc), recorded (video/photographic evidence, basically), or a well-sourced/respected biographer.

sources that fall into the in between category and might still earn a "real" rating but should be taken with a grain of salt are things like: second-hand sources (& who they are is important in determining how big that grain of salt should be), biographers who are allergic to sourcing, and things like lyrics/poetry/short stories which rely heavily on interpretation unless explained by either john or paul themselves. none of these automatically mean a "neutral" or "fake" rating, but they're taken into account.

and sources that will earn a fake rating once they're found to be the original source: tumblr blogs, deviantART pages, fan forums, gossip columns, etc. basically, if all I can find is someone writing out "slash beatles quotes" on a page in 2011, it's getting chucked in the bullshit pile unless someone else can find a source that predates it.

[samrosemodblog]

Time for Sam Ramblings! It's been a while since I rambled about something. Also whose ready for some Fandom Whiplash?

Cause I'm rambling about Homestuck.

Homestuck is strange to me cause I was in the PRIME position to absolutely adore it when it premiered, on account of being a huge fan of the series that came before it, Problem Sleuth.

God I loved Problem Sleuth. One of the rare series where from basically page 1 it had me busting my gut with the absurdities.

So I figured I'd love Homestuck too. And while I did dig it for a while, it was always kinda just "Okay" with me going along with the motions. And I DEFINITELY didn't understand the story telling pacing on account of all the time travel shenanigans going on, or the way Hussie decided to EXECUTE those time travel narratives.

I remember dropping out of reading the story around the time of Part 5 airing, you know, when the Trolls REALLY got involved in the story. Which is funny because apparently from what I've seen, this is everyone in the fandom's favorite part of the story.

And I'm rambling about this NOW, because I decided for the kicks to go back and listen to a Youtube Reading of Homestuck, just so I could actually say I'd seen all of Homestuck one day.

And those readings just got to the start of Act 5 now which means I'm all caught up from my past. So I wanted to put my thoughts to paper and then toss them into the void for anyone who cares.

The rest under a Read More!

To start my thoughts, a second read of Homestuck has done a lot for my understanding of Homestuck's story, even if I forgot a LOT of what happened near the end of act 4 on retrospective.

Having even some knowledge of the future meant that when those events occurred in the past, they made INFINITELY more sense than an initial linear timeline viewing of the story.

So in some senses I really was enjoying the story more this time around than I did the first time, though I think I can identify more of what the issue this time around is of why it just feels OKAY in comparison to Problem Sletuh.

Homestuck is basically a game within a game within a Webcomic, narratively speaking. All of that is LITERAL in terms of the story being told, even the 4th Wall is literally part of the story.

And part of the disconnected feeling is that the "Game" of Sburb, the game that starts the story off in Act 1, isn't really used to its full potential.

Like when Act 1 first started, I was FULLY into the idea of this double-layered story telling of kids playing a game and using the game mechanics while they were 'controlled' by a game on the outside.

Like I said, it's LITERALLY a game within a game story telling.

But the Game never really plays out to any meaningful effect. The 'Game' of Sburb is just a plot device that gives the kids, essentially, alchemy super powers.

Sure they can KIND of alter the area they spawn in, but that never really plays any kind of factor in the larger space of the story (at least as far as up to Act 5 is concerned, maybe I'm wrong here, but even if it DOES the feeling of disconnect is still there for all of Acts 1 through 4).

Like. I imagine Problem Sleuth, where the world FUNCTIONALLY is a dream world running on Dream Logic.

One of the first things that happens is the main character pulling a window off of the wall, but still being able to use it as a window to where the window exited out to, like a moving portal.

Imagine THOSE kind of shenanigans but with the game world. Being able to treat reality as if it existed in dream logic.

A story where Rose was able to take the windows on John's house and make duplicates of them around the world, giving John fast access back to his house.

If the new world they were exploring within Sburb was a hostile and dangerous world, and they made themselves safe havens that were essentially copy + pastes of their homes, with door portals that lead them between these havens, and allow them to 'fast travel' between locations.

The Game would be their world world, because the story would be dictated of them essentially living IN the game! And they ESSENTIALLY always have! They just never had direct access to that game until Sburb existed!

But of course this never really happens in the story.

Instead you get drawn into a confusing game within a game within a webcomic story, combined with so much time travel you can't even nervously shift in place without bumping into SOMETHING that was directly involved in time travel.

And that's not even getting into the whole absurdity of the 'Dream' world ALSO being the antagonist world that the kids are fighting against.

Essentially Homestuck gets bogged down REAL quick with all of these other story elements that, at least FEEL, completely separated from the game in the first place.

And sure, I get that part of the problem in the story is essentially that BECAUSE the kids prototyped the kernel sprite with Clowns, cats, pink, and birds that it caused the main villain to be infuriated over having to wear a stupid hat, but it's such a minor detail that it gets entirely lost in the shuffle!

It's not that any of this is necessarily bad, after all Homestuck's fandom was fucking HUGE when it came on the scene (especially with the trolls), but it definitely had always left me with a feeling of "It feels like a lot could be done with this concept, but instead of doing anything with it, we went with a strange time-travel and alien home-worlds warring narrative instead"

But I suppose this is all relative. It's not necessarily a BAD story, it's just one that leaves a lot up to the reader to figure things out and/or wait for them to be figured out on their own, and that can be kind of tough to deal with.

Also some of the language hasn't held up, at all. And I don't think it even held up even back then. 10 years is a long time in terms of cultural shifts, but even still oof.

But that's a minor part at the very least and doesn't come up very often, so I can at least shrug it off for now.

Anyways, that caps off my feelings of the first 4 acts as they exist right now. And I wanted to get them down because one of the most common reading advice for people new to Homestuck is "Skip to Act 3!" and it's like

That's such terrible advice and not a great way to kick off this huge adventure lol

But at least I think I figured out WHY Acts 1 through 4 gave me such a "This is okay" feeling, as said above.

But what kicked me out of reading the rest was Part 5 Act 1 (Seriously why isn't it just Act 5 and 6?? They're long enough to be separate acts, lord).

EVERYONE ELSE seemed to adore the trolls and loved exploring their world and getting to know them more.

They annoyed the Hell out of me originally.

Not only had I been thrown off/hated the whole fact that John made his own family and friends and himself RANDOMLY AND WITHOUT ANY THOUGHT (Like he literally just stumbles into a room and goes ahead and makes the paradoxes and just... Just does things??? UGH I STILL HATE IT), but then these assholes came along and just had COMPLETELY obnoxious personalities and text chats that were a pain in the ass to read and took over the ENTIRE STORY away from the characters I actually cared about.

ALSO PERSTERCHUM LOGS ARE WAY TOO LONG, EVEN FROM THE START OF THE STORY, EVERY TIME IT'S LIKE 10 MINUTES TO READ WHAT'S GOING ON, I SWEAR TO GOD-

So I just wanted to put my thoughts down on what Homestuck had been TO ME so far before I end up dragging myself through the rest of the story that I HAVEN'T seen until now.

I believe I got spoiled on how the story ends from a tumblr post but my memory of it is really vague and I don't remember HOW they get to that conclusion, but it felt very Problem-Sleuthy in how it ended so ya know.

Either way, it will be interesting to see if any of my feelings end up changing here. I doubt I'll ever be officially part of the 'Fandom' like other people were, but hey, if I get to the end of the story and like what I have so far I can at least partake in the fanart and fanfics and finally know what's going on lol

PS. I DO find it funny that "The Midnight Gang" was essentially a commissioned side-story in the Problem Sleuth universe, and one of the on-going 'Gag' commands was "Enter the Main story!", but of course they never did.

I guess Homestuck is what happens when they actually do lol

[smuttymess]

bts astro soulmate reading | for seidj

sign: gemini sun | gemini moon | leo rising

lovers + soulmates Park Jimin | Jung Hoseok

This reading is for Seidj, a lovely fellow hard-stan moot & Hopekook bias. Please note that this is the first reading I’ve done wherein both options were too close to call (I spent hours agonizing) so I decided to incorporate a triad/throuple situation - lucky you ;) Please enjoy, love!

The powerful, fiery of your Leo rising is only fueled by the dreamy, airy nature of your Gemini sun and moon, making you all but impossible to pin down here on earth. This combination is the most enthusiastic in the zodiac, making you a natural born leader in all areas of your life. The Gemini is the brilliant ideator at the helm of initiatives who steers teams towards success at work and is the cheerleader in their various social circles. You are undoubtedly the life of the party - the fun, burst of energy cherished by close friends and admired by strangers alike. People are inherently fascinated by you as they are not always sure what they are going to get when you walk into the room. Gemini is the true sign of duality, after all, and with this in both your sun and moon placements you truly exist in complex multitudes that many people can never quite anticipate or understand but are more than happy to go along on the ride for. Generally aloof and always on the move, it is likely that people want to tame you, proving that your mysterious can be subdued and controlled to some degree. A person of your star placements, however, knows deeply the profound need for individuality and will likely avoid the trappings of normalcy at all costs - your fantasy world is undoubtedly superior than any real-world happenings on the ground.

The inability by others to pin you down applies directly to your romantic life as well, likely leading to a long path plenty of broken hearts in your wake. You do not mean to hurt anyone, its just that you love love but not necessarily commitment to just one person. Easily bored and occasionally self-obsessed, you may develop crushes on people easily, falling hard and fast in true romantic Leo fashion for a beautiful stranger that passes you by (this may be the one!) You likely realize just as quickly that this person does not satisfy you either intellectually, physically or both before quickly moving on to the next shiny new thing. Ultimately, you are looking someone who keeps you on your toes (and makes your toes curl), is mentally stimulating, and stabilizing without inhibiting your innate need to be free. In the meantime, you're all about enjoying the ride on your way to true love.

Luckily, the equally charming Park Jimin is on your wavelength when you meet in a chance encounter at a lounge on a random night out on the town. Jimin's Libra is a true match for your airy Gemini, and within moments of approaching each other you instantly click. Sharing a Gemini moon means that there is a magical alignment here: the charm, intelligence and wit essentially that pours from both of your energies is natural, giving off the appearance that perhaps you've known each other for years. Your synchronicity bleeds into an undeniable sexual chemistry - it's apparent from the moment his fingers graze yours as you dance, sliding across the room before coming together for a soft, warm kiss as the lights flicker above you. You two become inseparable, though of course there is a bit of game playing over flirtatious texts and the usual hard-to-get behavior of two attractive air signs. Ultimately, you're both happy to let your respective guards down and let each other into your internal worlds. Though generally soft and sweet, Jimin's powerful placesments of Neptune in Capricorn and Venus in Scorpio providing just enough edge for your Gemini soul, while his romantic nature speaks directly to your bold, expressive Leo rising. You need someone who can talk as well as they can listen, and Jimin is that for you - hanging on every word you say, but also equally able to engage with you no matter what the topic. This is a duo that loves to play, so you are likely to fall in love over intimate dance lessons, drinks at local watering holes, and long walks through the city. You could easily spend hours together, holding hands and sneaking in little kisses in alleyways, which you do. Friends would certainly appreciate if you could keep your hands off of each other when you're all out together.

Jimin's Venus is in Scorpio, meaning that he is prone to loving with the intensity, jealousy and passion trademarked by the scorpion when he falls for someone and opens up to them fully. While you are both incredibly flirtatious and sociable, Jimin can become unnerved when he sees you getting too close a potential new love interest. You can both openly admit that while unwarranted, his jealous does lend itself to excellent foreplay. You may not love when Jimin is controlling, but you love how his eyes darken and his hands firmly grip your waist as the elevator doors close on your way back to your apartment. My girl likes to play, hmm? Let's play. His love style is not so much dominating as it is all-consuming: his lips devouring yours before tracing your jawline, your neck, and the top of your breasts as his hands follow along to trail your hips. Fortunately, a private elevator allows for privacy with a bit of exhibitionism, which ignites a naughtiness within the both of you and leads Jimin to act a bit out of character as he kneels down in front of you, lifting your leg over his shoulder before his tongue moves in between your thighs. In this duo, Gemini is the wilder of the two but pleasure-seeking Gemini is more than happy to oblige, enjoying the way your legs tremble as he alternates between flicking his tongue over your clit while his fingers craze your core. He lives for praise, which you are happy to give while his hands grip his hair as he brings you to your edge. Yes, just like that. Do you know how fucking perfect you are?

Typically, an overly emotional Libra may not bode well for the very independent double Gemini. This is a pairing that is able to be both friends and lovers because of the other placements in your charts.  Jimin's moody and emotional Gemini moon and Scorpio Venus is tempered nicely by his Libra sun, which ultimately seeks balance above all else and to please those in his orbit. As much as you adore each other, he knows that you are someone who is curious about the world and is not easily settled, so he does not try to lock you into a romantic, monogamous commitment. Libra lives to love, and wants to satisfy you by any means necessary. As a result, is able to respect your need for freedom while giving you the emotional connection you need. In return, you can easily promise to love and respect him for life in a way that you've always wanted to.

It is in your nature to explore and seek out new experiences, which brings you to an open-air music and art festival just outside the city on a warm late-summer evening. You are in your element, thriving in the buzzing of the music floating through the air and the energy of the people around you. Your Libra rising paired with Gemini means that you do not have a signature "style", opting instead for whatever you're feeling on a given evening and knowing how to rock it with your innate confidence. It is not unusual for you to have all eyes on you, but you are taken aback when you spot particularly handsome man who is taking you in from head to toe. The piercing nature of his stare from beneath his bucket hat is electrifying, and the sly smile that follows immediately ignites your fire. This only intensifies when he turns and continues to make his way through the grounds, instead of predictably approaching you as anyone else would. Your Venus in Aries lends you to loving the thrill of the chase, so you are happy to play, playfully shadowing him until he stops in front of an interactive exhibit and beckons you to join him. Interesting isn't it? I love this artist - he does some of my favorite street art. I'm Jung Hoseok, by the way.

The Aquarius Hoseok has an energy that is irresistible to your Gemini spirit, and is characteristically charming, strange and intriguing to you. You are kindred spirits in terms of your quirkiness and individuality, which connects you on a friendship level first. Neither Aquarius or Gemini want anything that is easy, conventional or predictable, so the relationship begins by simply getting to know each other, playfully and intentionally, over dinners and little adventures around the city. As highly intellectual beings, you and Hoseok are able to know each other mentally, sparring and enjoying the quick-witted, intelligent candor of your conversations. He is unlike anyone you've ever met, regularly surprising you with his signature uniqueness that spans from his worldview to his fashion sense - a trademark of his Aquarius moon and mars placements. HIs Moon in Taurus makes him hard-headed at times when it comes to what he desires in life, while his Uranus and Neptune in Capricorn make him extremely strong, creative and instictual - all key components of his success (and his ability to afford to live of an adventurous Aquarius). It is likely you want him to loosen up a bit at first, and you are able to lighten up with your Leo fire. Beneath the devastatingly cool, professional demeanor, Hoseok possesses an emotional depth that you may not have expected as a result of his Venus in Pisces. Intimidating on the surface, Hoseok is a romantic soul whose dreaminess translates into his work and the way he loves - passionately and with unmatched dedication. Hoseok is drawn to the quickness of your mind and how it works a mile a minute, bouncing from one idea to the next with such dexterity he can't help but admire. He also deeply appreciates your independent, free-flowing spirit, which cannot be bogged down in the status quo or societal expectations of black and white thinking. Despite your differences or perhaps because of then, this is a relationship that deepens to an extent - despite your highly individual natures - wherein you cannot fathom being without the other, creating a fundamental friendship bond that is impenetrable.

This pairing recognizes a shared attraction that sends shockwaves through their veins from the start, and when these two finally get each other alone and naked, the connection is nothing short of intense. This is a moody pair, and that translates very well to sex, which can be soft and tender or more aggressive and intense depending on the time of day. Distract this Aquarius from his work with a bratty text and you're guaranteed to be met with Jung Hoseok, his brow furrowed and sweat dripping down his neck as he thrusts into you from behind against his desk, moans filling the studio as you take every inch of him with pleasure. You just couldn't wait, could you? He gets harder watching you let go under his touch, your lips forming into a smile as your eyes meet each other's in the mirror, causing him to ramp up the energy as only he can with his lean dancer's physique and stamina. When Gemini gets horny on the way to dinner, its only a matter of moments before you're pulled off into a discreet area of the parking lot, your hips grinding onto the hardness in his jeans before pulling your skirt to the side to slide onto his cock without thinking twice. You're both exceptionally curious about each other, wanting to become experts at getting the other off, and sex can often feel like a game as your eyes lock into each other and feed off of the shared fire and desperation. This is likely one of the kinkiest couples in the zodiac, the nature of your airiness activating each other's deepest, wildest energies when the mood strikes. Hoseok's Pisces Venus makes him especially passionate, his deep voice whispering into your ear as he's he knows you're about to finish. Let me hear you beautiful, I want to hear my pretty baby say my name while she comes for me. While this duo connects on numerous levels, the physicality of this particular coupling is off the charts - so much so that you're likely to bring in a lucky special guest or two into the bedroom from time to time to share the experience.

When an Aquarius and Gemini come together, it is best to expect the unexpected. You both understand that life is to be meant to its fullest, and that as long as everything is handled financially and in your respective careers that there is no need to be tied down or stagnant for too long when there is so much to savor. A Gemini and Aquarius pairing is not meant for a traditional life, opting instead to march to the beat of their own drum, which works out well considering your boyfriend Park Jimin isn't going anywhere anytime soon - and you don't want him to. This is a special relationship which provides both financial and emotional stability with the business-minded Aquarius Hoseok at the helm, alongside the spontaneity and adventure that your energetic Gemini heart requires (think taking the jet to the Shanghai or Tokyo on a Thursday afternoon with your boyfriends for the hell of it). The Aquarius/Gemini are likely the primary couple in this dynamic, with our Libra Jimin being there for you when you need an escape, or a day-long cuddle underneath the covers, or a partner to socialize with when Hoseok is in producer/director mode. This is only possible with a profound level of respect, trust and appreciation for their other as a partner and an autonomous person which is something very achievable with this duo. Ultimately, you are able to create a life that may not be understood by all - and you wouldn't have it any other way.

[a03-anxiousandafraid]

This is all such a good read and man it came at like the perfect time.

I've been really bogged down by the studio structure of having all of my professional work dictated by other people. What I made/do is all scripted and deviations are requested by those above me to fit their vision and their deadlines. This isn't necessarily a bad thing because we need to keep a cohesive product and structure is important, but I've slowly been letting it consume my personal work as well.

I made this account to just go buck wild with whatever I wanted to create and while it was refreshing and exciting, I noticed my imposter syndrome creeping back in to tell me to stop. A lot of different stigmas from my old workplace really flooded my mind and it was making me timid and unsure- a far cry from how I want to present myself. Not to mention the irrational fear a coworker would find my account and put 2-and-2 together and start harassing me for it.

I'm really grateful for the people on here reminding me (directly or not) to stay strong and continue making things for myself because what they're saying is true. At the end of the day, you're making content that you want to see. If it's something you like, chances are others will too. And if not? Honestly it doesn't matter because you don't owe anyone anything. If you like it and it made you happy then you've done your job.

I'm gunna do my best to keep this on my mind going forward ❤

No.  Seriously.  Write for yourself.

There’s a long post going around that has me in a state, so let me share a few stories with you.

I had a writing friend (we’re still friends, but *spoiler* he doesn’t write anymore) who was upfront about how he wrote to be read. 

Keep reading

[doomedandstoned]

The Strange, Fantastic World Of Devil's Witches

~Interview by Mari Knox~

We will shock our readers when they read that behind the name Devil's Witches there is just one guy. So James, introduce us to your project, tell us who are you and where your music come from.

Thank you for having me. I'm not really big on talking about myself, not because I want to create some false of sense of mystique but because I want to create a very specific experience. When someone like Hendrix says, "Are you experienced?" he's talking about seeing things with an open mind. He talks about transcending the ego and getting lost in your trip, whatever form that may take. I feel like by focusing on the artist, you can destroy the immersion of the art, unless, of course, they become the art themselves, like David Bowie did during his Ziggy era. So my reluctance to talk about myself is more about this world I've created through the story of the album and the points in time I've referenced. I feel I'll get in the way of the immersion I want to create in the listener. I'd rather just slip into the background and let the music speak.

Your debut, 'Velvet Magic' (2017), is a concept album and your songs seem to find inspiration in the works of Jess Franco, Jean Rollin, and Russ Meyer, not to mention gorgeous and charming actresses like Tura Satana and Soledad Miranda. What more can you share about the fascinating story you're telling here?

The story of the album centres on a mysterious female who is fully in touch with her feminine magic. If anyone has read ‘The Satanic Witch’ by Anton LaVey, they will know what I'm talking about. I don't regard myself as a Satanist, but this aspect of the left hand path is of great interest, as is Crowley. This godlike female is affronted by the horrors of humanity, specifically the tragedy of Vietnam. Her goal is to use her magic to quite literally save the earth through sex. Sex, to me, represents life, not perversion or shame. She finds this male soldier who was part of some of the worst atrocities in Nam, including the My Lai massacre, and decides to redeem him to save everyone. The album follows his story as he comes back to the US and right up until the two of them connect in astral coitus. It's really quite a beautiful statement when you drop all baggage connected to attitudes towards sex. I enjoy playing with juxtaposition and you will find it all over the album and visuals. Polarity is a very powerful thing.

I am a very visual person. The music that resonates with me the most are ones that create pictures in my head or have videos or art that inspire me. I've lost count of the times the visual side of certain music has compromised my enjoyment of the songs. It works the other way too. I've had songs that may have been seen as mediocre, not necessarily bad, but I respond to them because of the pictures they create in my head. Obviously, the music is the main priority, but I see the visuals as quite high, maybe even bordering on equal. Interestingly, movie director Jess Franco, who is a big influence, was mostly concerned with pictures. He didn't even write full scripts sometimes and just shot with his instinct having other people overdub later on. Often times, he had no involvement in that process, as he was off capturing new images.

"Psyche, Fuzz, Doom, and 1960s Worship" -- these are the keywords you use to describe Devil's Witches. What are your biggest musical influences?

Hendrix is everything. He's the only musician I've ever heard who can hit a wrong note and it's still the greatest note you've ever heard. Second to that is Frank Zappa. His early output with the Mothers Of Invention in the '60s is my favourite. Zappa could take pop sounds and turn them into prog rock. He was a musical genius in the truest sense. Other influences are The Doors, Jefferson Aeroplane, and Grateful Dead. The heavy side of my music is inspired by Black Sabbath and Electric Wizard. What resonates with me most about heaviness is the physicality of actually feeling the music through the speakers, even at low volumes. The heaviest song on the album is none of the singles, and it's very dark.

It not easy to create such an impressive and variegated wall of sound like this all by yourself. Sometimes it feels like there are four people playing together. How do you fashion this sound? And, since this is a solo project, how did you record all of the parts?

Russ Meyer was one of the greatest auteurs the movie business every saw. He financed, scripted, shot, directed, and edited most of his pictures. Looking up to someone like that is very motivating when faced with great ideas and a lack of resources. This kind of inspiration is what helped me -- having great role models with cast iron work ethics. I recorded the album just like most bands would, but obviously I had to do certain tracks at a time. The key is to always try to stay in the place where music feels magical and not to get bogged down by the mechanics of it.

At the moment, I know that 'Velvet Magic' will have a tape release via the Chilean label Golden Dawn Recordings. How did you get in contact with them? Would you like to release the album in other formats, as well?

They actually contacted me, in all honesty. Due to my love of the cinematic, I had previously played with the idea of having my name before ‘Devil’s Witches’ like old movie posters for example ‘Russ Meyer’s 'Supervixens.’ I decided against this for the reasons expressed earlier, but I forgot I'd uploaded some art with my name on it in this fashion. It became easy for anyone who enjoyed the output to find me. So Golden Dawn contacted me and expressed interest in releasing the album on cassette and that was even before they heard all the songs. Vincente Zamorano of Golden Dawn is a great guy who has believed in this music from the moment he heard it. I just recently sent him the whole album and he was very happy with it. Regarding other formats, I've also signed with another label who wants to put the album on vinyl. This label is enjoying the album greatly, as well, which is very promising. Stay tuned for the reveal of that. I'd love CD, but no one has contacted me. Maybe that format is dead. Also, it will be available digitally.

You really care for the band's graphics, from the art posted on social media to the music videos. Do you personally take care of that aspect or is someone else helping you with this?

Everything is done by me apart, from the logo. That was designed and drawn by a very talented Spanish artist by the name of Raúl Fuentes. He draws exclusively in black and white and has the most macabre underground style. His usual output is death and thrash logos and zine covers, but I asked him to capture the '60s in his style. The logo is very typical of the era, even labels like RidingEasy records have adopted this look and it was this familiarity I wanted Raúl to bring into the design. Combining that element with his underground horror qualities, Raúl takes the logo from '60s pop culture symbol into a darker place. This comparing of worlds is central to what Devil's Witches is about. Check Raúl out at Mörtuus Art .

The overabundance of female in the imagery obviously ties directly in with the music exploring feminine magic. I grew up exclusively around woman. My grandmother practically raised me and the only kids in my area to play with were girls. Even now, I live with five women, although two of them are cats. My admiration and respect for every facet of femininity is the cornerstone of Devil's Witches. I have deep religious feelings towards the divinity of the feminine, but maybe those conversations are for future articles.

Trevor William Church, the frontman of Beastmaker, supported you a lot during the creation of 'Velvet Magic.' How was this collaboration born?

Just like everyone else, Beastmaker caught me by surprise. I saw them at a Blood Ceremony show and was sucked into their Mario Bava soaked world. Trevor seemed like the kind of guy I could get along with, but I'm a shy person so I never worked up the courage to chat with him. When I got home, I added him on Facebook and just through commenting on each other posts, we become familiar enough to regard each other as sort of long distance friends. When he heard "Voodoo Woman," he messaged and complimented me on the song, the riffs, melodies, but he said the mix was not where it needed to be. He gave me invaluable pointers and has been my go to guy these past months while for navigating the album mix and certain other music business details.

Any chance that we will get to see your project on stage or is this something you're not interested in making happen, at the moment?

I have thought a lot about what a Devil's Witches show would look like and it's not exactly a record label or promoter's dream. It doesn't involve a band simply playing the songs to tour an album. It would be a kind of performance art. It wouldn't even be like theatrical rock. Going back to my cinematic influences, you might begin to imagine what I'm getting at. I wouldn't even necessarily be present on the stage. The problem is that it needs to be very specific. One wrong move and it's a bit of a laughing stock. So I'm not sure you're going to see it touring the world anytime soon.

It's quite clear that you prefer bands from the '60s and '70s, so if you were to suggest a recently released album or a contemporary band, which one would you choose?

There's definitely one artist I would love to praise right here, but I’m going to keep that one for me. Let me just say she has managed to create her own universe in her music through imagery and performance. Her own life has become a work of art, too, and she's a million miles away from fuzzy doom. But those images I talked about earlier are very strong here and inspire me in very tangible ways. Maybe one day we'll get to collaborate.

Before we say goodbye to the Doomed & Stoned readers, I've got on last question to ask. What should we expect from you in the future?

I have already begun writing album two and the story follows directly on from Velvet Magic. I'm just as excited creating this as the first, so it may not be too long, but the future right now for everybody is Velvet Magic. Thank you for offering me a platform to connect with listeners and bring this experience to a wider audience.

Follow The Band.

Get The Music.

[coronagospelchoir-blog]

Recruitment Job Postings

Posting a job for Recruitment in today’s world may seem like a no-brainer. Put it online and blast it out for anyone and everyone to see. The more job applications, the better, right? Eh, not necessarily. While technology has made it easy to reach the masses, it has also made it easy to receive masses of garbage applications. Here are a few job posting tips to consider that can help keep your job posting process effective.   Ready, Aim, Target! Posting a job opening online is a surefire way to maximize visibility, but how do you keep from getting swamped with applications that aren’t qualified or irrelevant? There’s a fine line between getting to see a large cross-section of the talent market, and being inundated with irrelevant resumes that waste everyone’s time. Target those ads. Many job boards offer options for you to target your post so that it is viewed by the qualified professionals you’re looking for, whether it be by location, industry, or particular skill. A little work on the front end can save you a headache later on.   Don’t Stay in One Place Today’s job seeker is browsing job postings online, through mobile apps, and through various job sites. Glassdoor has an average of 32 million unique monthly users on its website and mobile applications. And these users report using an average of 7.6 different job sites during their searches. If you aren’t at least pushing an opening on a job board besides your own company’s website, you’re missing out big time. Once your post is online, bring it to social media as well to up the amount of eyes on your opening through shares and tags.   Consider employee referrals One of the easiest ways to find new talent for your company is to ask for employee referrals. This option can save hiring managers a lot of time, being that they aren’t bogged down looking through piles of applications. Employees already know and can inform potential hires of the workplace culture, so there are no big surprises. They also know their friend’s personality and will likely only recommend someone they think would be a good fit. Referral hires often integrate into the work culture easier, on board faster, and stay with a company longer, making it a desirable option.   Back to the Basics You may have the best game plan for promoting and targeting your job posting, but if it’s poorly written, unclear, or full of errors, it’s going to be tough to bait a good catch. Make sure the job title is clear and concise. In the age of search engines, you don’t want a job title so unique that people won’t know to search for it, nor do you want it to be so vague that it misses your target audience. You also want to put time into writing a good job description. Job seekers are busy, so keep it concise while also providing enough detail that allows them to decide whether or not they qualify. Talk about what can be expected in the day-to-day, how the role functions within the organization, and include special skills that are required or merely preferred (and let them know which are which). Be sure to proof your work for errors, and consider breaking up longer paragraphs with return spaces to make it easier to read.   As times change, it’s important to think about how the modern job seeker changes as well. Knowing where they’re going, what they’re searching for, and using targeting technology to your benefit will ensure your hiring efforts are worthwhile. Contact us for more information or assistance. You may also be interested in our free training sessions, view our training schedule here. View similar posts about: Business Processes, Business Operations, OHS, Management, Business Improvements, HR, Business Guidance, Assistance, Business Developments, Communication, Business Standards, Behaviours. Store items that may interest you: Free Brochures Documents Form and Letter Templates Our most popular items Read more about Alice's Consulting, Our Team, Our Values & Vision and our products and services. You can also view the items in our Store that will greatly assist you. Make sure to Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to get great content directly to you one per month only.     Read the full article

[smallbusinessing]

What is the Value of Value?

In everyday business discourse the term value is ubiquitous - yet if I asked you ‘what is value?’ and ‘where does it come from?’ do you think you would have a good answer?

The concept of value is difficult to define, yet the creation of value drives everything a small business does. A business’s existence relies on its propensity to deliver value to its customers, it’s that simple. Nevertheless, it’s not always easy to identify where or how that value is created – Cue this blog! By the end of this article you should be able to locate your value creating activities so that you can focus your energy into the things that matter!

Moreover, by keeping value at the forefront of your mind, you can marry your internal value creating activities and competencies with the needs and wants of the marketplace. This is the heart of a strong strategy.

Defining Value

It is important to note that there are different perspectives which affect how we define Value:

I know that academics like to argue over these things, but I do not intend to pick sides here – instead both approaches are helpful as they both provide interesting insights into how a small business can create value for it’s customers.

The Value Proposition is your Guide

Firstly, if you’re going to try to create value you need to have an idea of what it should ‘look like’. Put another way – what value do you want to provide for your customers? The best way to determine this is to have a clear and well considered value proposition to your customers.  

The value proposition explains how your product or service meets the customers need by solving a problem or improving an experience. It is a customer orientated promise that doesn’t describe the product, but offers a solution. This holds true for both B2C and B2B companies.

Once you understand your value proposition and let it guide your priorities you have achieved a value focused mindset. When you make decisions this mindset should pose questions like ‘which option reinforces and gratifies my value proposition, and which option takes me in a different direction?’.

Without a value proposition your value creation has no direction – making it all too easy to rush into ideas without thinking about the customer, and heading down expensive but ultimately pointless rabbit holes.  

I talk more about value propositions in a previous article on the Business Model Canvas. If you want even more, here’s a useful article for anyone who wants some guidance on writing a value proposition: https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelskok/2013/06/14/4-steps-to-building-a-compelling-value-proposition/#7c58993f4695 . Also for a site with lots of examples, try here: https://sumo.com/stories/value-proposition-examples

So Where is Value Made?

Any company - large or small – can be divided into two interrelated systems; a Business System, which is essentially how the company conducts its business to create a product/service; and an Organisational System, which is the configuration a company adopts to manage its people (for a future blog).

In an SME, the business and organisational systems tend to merge and distinctions between them blur as relatively few people do many different things. For example, the owner can be the strategist, the product developer and the accountant.

In contexts of such complexity it is useful to map out the different activities being done by different people, and categorise them into each of these systems. This way, you can understand who directly makes value and who supports the making of value.

In this blog I’m going to break down the business system in order to get to the nitty-gritty of how value is made. Of course, a company’s organisational system is important in value creation (you need good people that are well managed), but today our focus is on the business system…

The Business System.

A business system can be split into three components

1.       The resource base (aka, stock of assets)

2.      The Value chain (aka, activity system)

3.       The Value proposition (aka, product offering)

The resource base provides boundaries on what you can and can’t do, but when considering new ways to create value you can choose whether you want to leverage your resources to improve your product offering, or to look to the market for inspiration (or to do a bit of both!).

The value chain includes activities through which value can be added. For example, such activities might include Research and Development, Production, Quality Management, and Marketing and Sales.

We’ve already looked at the value proposition, so lets focus on value creating activities..

The Value Chain

A value chain is an integrated set of value creation processes leading to the supply of a product or service. In other words, it’s the stuff that you do to ensure that your product fulfils your value proposition.

For SME’s the elements of your ‘chain’ might not be so discrete, but it is likely that you will still be doing a number of the following functions..

For ease, it is possible to split the value chain into primary and supportive activities… I’ve also used a pie maker as an example, and given illustrations of how the pie maker uses the activities to add value.

The pie makers value proposition is “providing our busy customers with gourmet comfort food on the go. Just because you’re in a rush, doesn’t mean you can’t eat delicious hearty food”

Primary activities that drive the creation of value include…

Secondary activities which facilitate the creation of value and include…

Technology development: enhancing the flavour of the pies through R&D

Human Resource Management: making sure the best pie baker doesn’t rage quit when the oven breaks

Maintaining the general firm infrastructure.

 The strength of any firm’s competitive advantage will depend on the configuration of this value chain – and the more unique and distinctive it is, the more chance a company has of being advantageously distinct from the competition.

 Another way of Creating Value: The Co-Creation of Value

The co-creation of value is pretty damn popular at the moment, yet it is a used and abused concept which is rarely operationalised fully. Instead, I have witnessed a lot of attempts at co-creation which are, in reality, just your bog-standard relationship marketing techniques repackaged.

If a small business can integrate the co-creation of value properly it can be a very cost effective way to maximise customer value.

What does the co-creation of value involve?

Firstly it requires you to see value not as an attribute of a product, but as something which is created in the interactions between customers and companies. Together, these parties can create mutually beneficial value.

Secondly, it requires a company to ‘let go’ of some control and provide the space for consumers to be increasingly active in the creation of their own value.  

In other words, the value created by Facebook for both itself and its users is co-created by both Facebook and its users. 

For more information on the co-creation of value see the following links.

This is a detailed overview of Co-creation: https://timreview.ca/article/302

Follow this link for some great examples of co-creation: https://www.visioncritical.com/5-examples-how-brands-are-using-co-creation/

Here’s an easy to read managerial Forbes piece on co-creation: https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2016/06/10/customer_cocreation_secret_sauce/#786418ac5b6d

How can you facilitate the Co-Creation of Value?

This is not beyond the capabilities of small firms – in many ways, creating co-creation spaces can be extremely cost effective ways of maximising value for your customers. This is because it doesn’t necessarily involve the creation of masses of content. Rather, you set the stage (and monitor it), and let the customers manage their own value creating activities!

There is one important rule though – you need to facilitate the creation of meaningful value. Providing consumers with a community to chat in does not inherently provide meaningful value. If, however, that community provides the means for customers to share things in a way that enhances a specific type of value outlined in your value proposition - then you have meaningful value.

For example - Our pie maker could create a hashtag for customers to tweet about their pies. However, being able to tweet about a pie does not really help the pie maker deliver on their value proposition and so the value is not what I would call ‘meaningful’. However, if the pie maker had a forum where people could share gourmet pie recipes with the company and each other, then the pie maker is on their way to really adopting co-creation. 

To do co-creation properly you initially need to think about the type of value you are promising in your value proposition… then ask yourself ‘how can our customers be involved in creating this value for themselves?’.

The most common ways to enable co-creation are therefore those that allow consumers to interact meaningfully with each other in a way that is valuable to them, or allow customers to have a real effect on how a product is made/designed or delivered.

In Conclusion…

Based on the discussion above, I have concluded with a list of six questions below that any business owner should ask themselves when considering value in their business…

What is my Value Proposition? What am I promising to deliver?

Based on my Value Proposition, what kinds of value do I want to create?

Which functions of my business create value and which functions facilitate it?

Are all my value adding activities working together to fulfil my value proposition?

Am I creating meaningful value?

Can I use co-creation tools to boost the value I create for my customers?

The answers to these questions should be able to guide you towards developing activities which truly build on your value proposition and, ultimately, satisfy your customers.

[coronagospelchoir-blog]

Recruitment Job Postings

New Post has been published on http://www.alicesconsulting.com/?p=2528

Recruitment Job Postings

Posting a job for Recruitment in today’s world may seem like a no-brainer. Put it online and blast it out for anyone and everyone to see. The more job applications, the better, right? Eh, not necessarily. While technology has made it easy to reach the masses, it has also made it easy to receive masses of garbage applications. Here are a few job posting tips to consider that can help keep your job posting process effective.

  Ready, Aim, Target!

Posting a job opening online is a surefire way to maximize visibility, but how do you keep from getting swamped with applications that aren’t qualified or irrelevant? There’s a fine line between getting to see a large cross-section of the talent market, and being inundated with irrelevant resumes that waste everyone’s time. Target those ads. Many job boards offer options for you to target your post so that it is viewed by the qualified professionals you’re looking for, whether it be by location, industry, or particular skill. A little work on the front end can save you a headache later on.

  Don’t Stay in One Place

Today’s job seeker is browsing job postings online, through mobile apps, and through various job sites. Glassdoor has an average of 32 million unique monthly users on its website and mobile applications. And these users report using an average of 7.6 different job sites during their searches. If you aren’t at least pushing an opening on a job board besides your own company’s website, you’re missing out big time. Once your post is online, bring it to social media as well to up the amount of eyes on your opening through shares and tags.

  Consider employee referrals

One of the easiest ways to find new talent for your company is to ask for employee referrals. This option can save hiring managers a lot of time, being that they aren’t bogged down looking through piles of applications. Employees already know and can inform potential hires of the workplace culture, so there are no big surprises. They also know their friend’s personality and will likely only recommend someone they think would be a good fit. Referral hires often integrate into the work culture easier, on board faster, and stay with a company longer, making it a desirable option.

  Back to the Basics

You may have the best game plan for promoting and targeting your job posting, but if it’s poorly written, unclear, or full of errors, it’s going to be tough to bait a good catch. Make sure the job title is clear and concise. In the age of search engines, you don’t want a job title so unique that people won’t know to search for it, nor do you want it to be so vague that it misses your target audience. You also want to put time into writing a good job description. Job seekers are busy, so keep it concise while also providing enough detail that allows them to decide whether or not they qualify. Talk about what can be expected in the day-to-day, how the role functions within the organization, and include special skills that are required or merely preferred (and let them know which are which). Be sure to proof your work for errors, and consider breaking up longer paragraphs with return spaces to make it easier to read.

  As times change, it’s important to think about how the modern job seeker changes as well. Knowing where they’re going, what they’re searching for, and using targeting technology to your benefit will ensure your hiring efforts are worthwhile.

Contact us for more information or assistance. You may also be interested in our free training sessions, view our training schedule here.

View similar posts about:

Business Processes, Business Operations, OHS, Management, Business Improvements, HR, Business Guidance, Assistance, Business Developments, Communication, Business Standards, Behaviours.

Store items that may interest you:

Free Brochures

Documents

Form and Letter Templates

Our most popular items

Read more about Alice’s Consulting, Our Team, Our Values & Vision and our products and services.

You can also view the items in our Store that will greatly assist you.

Make sure to Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to get great content directly to you one per month only.