#planning to print it since the spreads would work better in physical copy

[curlytsunamiart]

"Dr. Stein Hager’s New Theory On The Metaphysical Qualities Of Love"

a comic from moon rpg dialogue

[sxfik]

you're the sunshine in the rain when it's pouring (won't you give yourself to me?)

read on ao3 • masterlist

summary: Kang Sol A was not afraid, she wasn’t built to be afraid. But what else could you call the pang that rippled through her heart as she noticed the two figures huddled at the cafe near the entrance of her school?

a/n: hello! this is my first solhwi fic i've written and if i'm being honest, it's kind of a mess but i have so many ideas for them, especially after these last few episodes! honestly, the two of them are the epitome of idiots to lovers so i just had to write this! the title of this fic is from best part by Daniel Ceasar ft. H. E. R.

come interact or drop a request if you want to see more solhwi content :)

Kang Sol A was not afraid.

She wasn’t afraid during her yearly doctor’s appointment, the glint of the long needle threatening to pierce through her. She wasn’t afraid when she stood up for her sisters, time and time again, until she was beaten and bruised protecting them. In the face of any adversity, she was taught to stand strong and fight, no matter how big or small the enemy. Even at the face of losing her scholarship and being expelled from Hankuk Law School, she knew she could pull herself up.

No, Kang Sol A was not afraid, she wasn’t built to be afraid. But what else could you call the pang that rippled through her heart as she noticed the two figures huddled at the cafe near the entrance of her school?

It’s been a week since Ye Seul’s trial, five days since the incident, and four days since she started avoiding Mr. Second Round Judicial Exam, Han Joon Hwi.

His presence was bearable prior to Ye Seul’s trial. Actually, more than bearable. It was a comfort, a person she knew she could let her guard down with. His teasing smiles or his love for ramen at any time of day.  As her days and her mind got busier day by day, his presence was unyielding. Every late night in the library, he was by her side, explaining the codes over and over again. Even when she got frustrated, or whiny, Joon Hwi was infinitely patient with her. With Joon Hwi by her side, everything seemed so easy. She saw the light at the end of the long tunnel she was dragged through. Still, with Kang Dan’s sudden appearance, Mr. Yang and Ye Seul’s trial, her mind was too busy to think clearly. To see clearly.

But when his gaze shifted to her and her roommate when he stood as a witness during Ye-Seul’s trial, her breath caught in her throat as she imagined, just for a moment, that he was going to say her name. That he was looking at her. That he was in love with her.

It was as if something clicked, like the puzzle pieces coming together in her mind. In an instant, she saw him in such clarity, every action, every smile and gesture passing through her mind. Cliche as it seems, it was as if she saw him for the first time all over again.

But of course, that gaze was not meant for her. Why would it be? Han Joon Hwi was meant to be with Sol B, not her. The students who were born to work with the law are perfectly suited for each other. It was obvious that he wanted to protect Sol B. Yet, in her weakest moment, her heart yearned for it to be her.

Forcing herself to breathe, she continued on after the trial as if nothing had changed between them. Because, well, they haven’t. The view had shifted but only for her.  At first, it was easier than she expected, teasing him about her roommate. Sol would be lying if she said it didn’t come with a twinge of jealousy but what could she do, but continue to be loyal to him. So on she continued, with Joon Hwi blissfully unaware that she was falling deeper for him, day by day.

Of course, nothing ever goes her way. Five nights ago, Sol was seated at her usual desk at the library, the rows of desks unoccupied. It was another late night for her, as she poured over her case files for a quiz the next day. Despite being a breeze for the other students, Sol had to study for a 110% in order to score an 80%. Sol set up camp in the library, her texts haphazardly strewed across the desk, highlighter in hand, as she buckled down for a long night of studying.

As the hours passed, her vision slowly blurred, the words on the page meshing together into a blob of black squiggles. She blinked, forcing her eyes to focus but to no avail. Sighing, she shut her eyes as she slumped back into her chair, allowing her head to loll off the edge of her chair and stretching her arms out.

“Still studying?” Joon Hwi’s familiar voice startled her, her head jerking back and almost tipping her chair backwards. “Whoa, Sol, be careful!” he lunged, catching her chair before she had the chance to stabilize herself.

“Yah, Han Joon Hwi, why would you come up suddenly like that?” Sol wrinkled her nose at him in annoyance, getting a teasing smirk in response. Sol turned towards her desk, pulling herself closer to the desk as he looked over her.

“Are you studying for Professor Jung’s quiz tomorrow?” he questioned, his head tilting in a familiar way as she sighed once more.

“Of course I am. Not all of us are law geniuses like you, Mr. Second Round Judicial Exam,” Sol huffed as she looked up at him but she softened her face as she saw the smile on his face.

Joon Hwi let out a small laugh as he stepped closer to her, clapping a hand on her shoulder in reassurance. “Well, then I’d be more than qualified to help, don’t you think, sunbae?” he quipped back.

“Hey, I can do it myse-”

“Hm, let me see,”  he cut her off, his eyebrows furrowed. Her heart stuttered as he leaned forward, over her shoulder, looking onto the texts that lay in front of her. “Oh, this one isn’t as bad as the others, you should start with this and then…” he rambled on, but every once of her concentration was on his proximity. The warmth of his hand on her shoulder bleed through her shirt, the feel of his palm burning her skin. He was close enough that she could hear the soft puffs of his breath, his warmth radiating off his body pulling her body towards him like a magnet.

It’s okay, just breathe. You know how to breathe right, Sol? She slowly instructed herself on how to breathe like she suddenly had to learn all over again. And wow, was that a bad idea. His cologne is even more intoxicating up close, and so is Joon Hwi. Every one of her senses was overloaded, her mind blank save for him.

“Yah, Kang Sol? You better be paying atten-” he turned his head towards her, and she forgot how to breathe all over again. His brown eyes widened in surprise as his face just centimeters away from hers. Sol parted her lips ever so slightly to speak but his gaze dropped her lips and her mind was blank again as she blinked at him. His features were so much softer up close, as she watched his face relax. His long eyelashes brushed against his cheek as he blinked. His eyes flitted back to her, but his familiar honey eyes darkened. Her eyes drifted over his face, and then dipped down to his soft lips. If she just moved closer, she could feel how soft his lips were...

And suddenly, reality slapped her in the face. What would Sol B think if she caught her boyfriend so close to her? Even with her roommate’s cold behavior, Sol knew just how much she suffered and how much it would break her to know how she felt about Joon Hwi. Despite every molecule in her body begging her to move closer, she couldn’t do that to Sol B.

So she moved away, stuttering out some lame excuse as she gathered her books and stumbled out of the library. But as she lay in her bedroom, staring up at the ceiling as she imagined all that could have happened between them, the warmth of the memory spread across her body.

And Kang Sol A knew that she wasn’t just afraid. She was terrified.

When she couldn’t stand and fight, she did the next best thing. She ran. She intricately planned everyday to minimize her contact with him as much as possible. Obviously, step one was to sit away from him in class, to avoid his gaze in the halls. She would leave her dorm as early as possible and hide until he was finished with his dinner to sneak in and grab herself something.

But it wasn’t until she tried to avoid him that she realized just how much space in her life was occupied by him. He used to always sit next to or across from her. Always looking over her shoulder, or leaning over  to see the textbooks clearly. Every time she turned to ask a question, or make a snarky comment, there was an empty space reminding her of her decision.

Still, even if he wasn’t physically present, he occupied a corner in her mind. His voice was in her head, echoing responses to her every thought. Her mind would fill with things she wanted to rant about, to ask, to share with him. When she closes her eyes at night and drifts into sleep, he would be there, his signature teasing smile on his face.

And he didn’t seem to be making it any easier on her. It seemed that Joon Hwi took it upon himself to magically appear whenever she least expected him to. If she went to the copy room to print a case file, he was sitting there, looking through a stack of papers or in line to print a copy himself. If she decides to have a late night study session, there he is across from her, books in hand with his legs propped up on a table.

Han Joon Hwi was the constant, unavoidable presence that she can’t seem to get rid of from her life. From her mind. From her heart.

“Unnie?” a soft voice snapped Kang Sol out of her thoughts, and Ye Seul appeared in front of her, near the entrance. How long have I stood here? Sol blinked.

“Ah, Ye-Seul,” she smiled at her best friend. “Let’s have some coffee today? At the cafe?” she asked, her shoulders relaxing after flitting up to where Joon Hwi and Kang Sol B stood. Well, where they were standing. I guess they left. Ye Seul’s eyebrows furrowed as she followed Sol’s gaze but before she could respond, Sol A hooked an elbow through hers, dragging her toward the cafe.

But of course, nothing ever goes her way.

“Ah, Ye-Seul, can I borrow Kang Sol for a moment?” Joon Hwi asked, suddenly appearing in their path, his eyes strictly focused on her best friend. Sol squeezed her arm in alarm, everything in her body pleading for Ye-Seul to say no so she can just avoid him until her crush fades away.

“Unnie, buy me the coffee next time, hm?” Ye-Seul turned to her with an apologetic gaze. Betrayal. I’ll get you back for this. Sol A sighed as she turned her gaze to Joon Hwi.

“Yah, Sol, why are you avoiding me like this? Please, just talk to me so we can fix it,” he pleaded with her, wasting no time to get to the point. Sol A pursed her lips as she looked up at him, her mind too full for her to answer him. What could she say to him? That she likes him? That she’s found out how much she needs him in her life, but she was too late?

“Sol, please,” his voice broke slightly as the silence stretched between them but that was enough for her to sigh, her shoulders relaxing as she gave in to him.

“Okay,” she responded and that was all Joon Hwi needed to grab her wrist and walk towards the corridor between the stairwells.

“We can talk more privately,” he answered her before she even voiced the question. “Now, why are you mad at me? The last time I saw you was at the library and then you disappeared,” Joon hwi ran a hand through his hair nervously as he rambled on and for the first time, Kang Sol took him in. To say he was disheveled was an understatement. The usual calm demeanor was nowhere to be seen and his clothes were askew as his face showed the lack of sleep and exhaustion. Her heart clenched for him, but no, you can’t do this. You can’t betray Sol B.

“Don’t you think it’s best if we don’t interact with how we used to?” she asked, her eyes glued to the floor, ignoring her throat closing up at the thought of breaking their friendship.

“What?” his eyes zeroed in on her, and she could see the confusion running through his mind.

“What do you think Sol B would think if she saw us like this? We can’t be close like this with each other bec-”

“Who cares about how I am with you?” he cut her off, his jaw clenched as his eyebrows furrow in frustration.

“Ya Han Joon Hwi, how could you do this? I expected so much better from you. Don’t you understand, it’s terrible to do this to her!” she pleaded with him, her heart squeezing inside her chest. Sol clenched her jaw, willing herself to be strong for her roommate’s sake, for his sake, and for hers.

Silence stretched between them as she looked up to him. His eyes closed for a moment while he looked down to the floor. And then his eyes flitted up and into her eyes as his fist clenched, his brown eyes filling with an unreadable emotion. “Why is it so terrible?” he whispered.

“Why-” Sol started, her voice burning in anger and pain.

“Why is it so terrible that I’m in love with you?” Joon hwi’s eyes flickered up to hers, his gaze boring into her.

Kang Sol blinked. Her back straightened as her mouth opened and closed like a fish, as Joon Hwi took a step closer. “Me?” she stuttered out, her mind spinning, unable to process his words.

“You.” He stepped closer.

“But you like Kang Sol-”

“A. Kang Sol A.” Another step closer.

She closed her eyes as she shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts and to ignore his proximity. But all her attempts were futile as Joon Hwi brought his hand up, his touch feather light as he cupped her face, tilting it up to meet his gaze. Sol’s hands felt frozen as her breath lodged into her throat, her eyes meeting his. She could hear her heart thundering in her ribcage as Joon hwi spoke.

“I like you, Kang Sol. It’s always been you,” he whispered, his voice wavering as he grew closer, his lips just a centimeter away from hers. Never one with patience, she surged forward to meet his lips. Her imagination and dreams did not compare to how his lips felt against hers. It was soft and his kisses were just as unyielding as his presence. It was all consuming as her hands gripped his coat, pulling him closer. His thumb running across her cheekbones, he shifted his head pulling her in deeper as his hands cupped her face. Even though their lips just met for a few moments, it felt as though his soft lips were against hers for an eternity.

Sol’s eyes were still closed as they parted, not wishing to leave this moment and back into real life. Apprehensively, she met his eyes and a moment of silence stretched between them, as they caught their breath. A million watt smile stretched across his face, his contagious happiness brightening her up as she smiled back. But suddenly reality caught up to her.

“Wait, so you’re not with my roommate?” she questioned, confused about everything she had seen between them. Joon hwi shook his head.

“No, I was just with her because she asked for help during one of her legal research papers,” he explained, then paused. “Yah, wait. You avoided me this whole time because you thought I was in love with Kang Sol B?” a smirk spread across his face, his expression taunting. Sol bit her lip as she looked down, unwilling to admit her mistake.

“Yah, how can you be at law school and not figure out I liked you!” he asked, his voice incredulous.

“You were so ambiguous! Every time I thought you liked me as more than friends, you’d act close with Sol B!” she huffed out, pouting  and pulling away from him, embarrassed that she thought he liked her roommate. Before she could pull away, he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her into a crushing hug. Her body relaxed as she took him in, the way he felt against her intoxicating and comforting beyond description.

Kang Sol A was terrified. But having him at her side was enough to know that she could fight once more, together, as more than friends.

[believexfanzine]

Emmanuel Jasmin of DELUSION OF TERROR RECORDS

(Manila, Philippines)

April 2015/Believe Fanzine issue #4

delusion.of.terror@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/dotrecordsdistroph03

instagram: dotrecordsph

Kamusta Emman? What made you want to start a label? How was the first release?

Hi Rann! All is well. Just finish listening to Feral Trash 'Trashfiction'LP. Awesome stuff,i highly recommend it. Regarding the label,the label started out after me and my younger brother went on a small South East Asian tour back in 2003. It started out as a distro at first since i've acquired a lot of Hc punk titles from those places i've visited. The label part was born a couple of months after with the idea of releasing local and foreign bands that i like. The 1st official release came out as a collaboration with friends from the now defunct Take 4 Collective. That was the Vitamin X "Pissed Off" CD back in 2005, since the band was currently on tour in the region at that time. Working with friends make things more easier and less complicated so to speak.

 Since that time, where have you looked for inspiration and guidance in running the label? How much have your ideals and views changed since the beginning of it all?

Running the label is more of a trial and error thing for me. It has been a learning curve for sure. One thing i learned about running the label is that you need to have a steady source of income to finance it, in other words you need to have a regular job. Since i consider the label more of a hobby, I always save up money from my work to keep the financial side of the label active and current. I dont rely much on label/distro sales to finance or cover up the cost of running the label. There are expenses that will surely arise when you least expect it. So the best way for me to deal with it is to allocate some of my personal earnings which would serve as the backbone of the label/distro finances. So far i was able to manage it. I always keep in mind that the main reason why the label got started is to release bands that i LIKE regardless if its going to sell or not, at least I'm able to see something materialize out of the band's hard work. That is more than enough for me.

 Along with the label, you've obviously expanded your focus beyond just local bands and included mostly bands from Asia. What made you focus on such area?

As previously mentioned my idea of starting the label is to release bands that i like. So i dont confine my releases to just local bands. I do think that there are tons of good bands out there that needs to be heard beyond our waters. I believe that we should keep an active and open communication with neighboring scenes in our region. Doing co releases with other labels/bands outside our country is a good way to promote our own scene to them,the same goes with their scene to us. Having our own releases being available in other countries means a lot as well. It's more of a mutual cooperation.

 How did you start connecting with bands outside your own country?

I started being in contact with bands outside our country thru zine writing and tape trading. Prior to me having a label/distro i used to edit my own fanzine called Resist To Exist. Thru my zine i was able to reach out to various zinester outside our local scene. It gives me a better perspective / insight to know whats going on beyond our own scene at that time.

 In relation to the previous question, how do you choose the bands that you want to release/ co-relase or distro?

Before i join a particular release i always make sure that i like the band. That's the most important thing. Music & lyric wise should be appealing to me. I want the band to be part of the label for the right reasons, at the same time most of the bands i work with are the ones i have an affinity with. As for the distro titles,same thing. I always carry titles that i like. I often distribute bands that have made an impression or impact on me. The distro part pretty much describes my musical taste.

 Doing record label over the years, what's your stand in this digital age with free download of music from the internet and at the same time vinyl records started to increase its demand?

It always goes down to the listener if they ought to get thier music online for free or buy the actual physical copies. To each thier own. If you think that it would be more convenient to just download the music online and just pop it on your ipod or whatever devices you have then feel free to do it. Maximize the technology you have but i do hope that you'll be able to get something out of it. Whatever floats your boat.

As for Vinyl records making a huge comeback,it's kinda like a double edge sword. It's good in a sense that a lot of bands are able to release their stuff in that format and it's one of the many ways to properly document thier recorded material which is great. The only problem that im seeing is that the prices of vinyl records are getting more expensive. Expensive in a sense that there those who would sell a particular release higher than the normal price. I mean i dont have a problem if you make money out of your label releases as long as you do it fair & square. What i dont really like are the bootleg copies which are being sold at insane prices. Just because this release was done in a limited pressing doesn't justify the idea of selling it 5x times the original price when it 1st came out. A bootleg is a bootleg.

 What is your favorite thing about running Delusion of Terror Records/Distro?

The thing i like most about running the label is being able to release bands that i love and adore. It's an awesome feeling working with bands that you strongly believe in. Helping them spread thier releases to a wide array of folks and getting positive & not so good feedback makes you want to strive more and work harder for future projects.

 Do you think the future is still bright in the Philippine hardcore punk scene?

The local scene is pretty much alive and kicking and it still has a lot to offer in my opinion.There are a lot of good bands here that are worth checking out. We just need to go over the extra mile to further boost our scene here. If a band releases a demo or zine maker has new issue out go buy and pick a copy. If someone puts on a show always pay the required entrance fee and dont fuck things up. Small stuff like these definitely helps the scene. Complaining and whining about everything you despise about the scene wont do you any good if your not doing anything to help or rectify the situation. Talk without action equates to nothing.

 What advice can you give to kids who want to start a label/distro?

- If you’re going to do a particular release always try to check which format suits your budget so you can plan it well.

-Release bands that you strongly believe in.

- Always do a test print of the cover/sleeve of your releases to ensure that you have the right information,same goes with the proper length & width of the layout before sending them to the printing press.

-Feel free to trade your own releases with other label/distros. It helps spread the label name and it promotes the bands as well.

 Maraming Salamat Emman! Where can we check out your distro and releases?

Thanks Rann for the interview, appreciate the support. All the best with your upcoming projects. Mabuhay ka!

For updates regarding the label/distro you can check the following pages. Thank you for reading and have a good day! :)

[thesydneyfeminists]

Feminist Travels: How to Travel More Ethically

I’ve traveled a fair bit over the course of my lifetime, especially over the last four years. In that time, I’ve spent three months backpacking Europe, a month roadtripping the east coast of the US, a month and a half exploring the Melbourne area, before finally planting tentative roots in Sydney for a year and a half.  But then my life plans went astray, as they’re apt to do. Since February, I’ve been working and traveling New Zealand while I wait for a second visa back to Australia. It’s been an amazing and, at times, overwhelming experience. And it’s certainly not the life I imagined for myself. If you asked 16-year-old me, she never would have guessed she’d grow up to travel the world. I often get bemused or baffled looks when I try to explain to people how (and why) I do what I do. The truth is, most of the time I don’t know.

But, wherever life takes me, I keep circling back to how my various privileges shape the way I travel. My US passport is hugely beneficial, as is being white. I’m straight-passing (which, at times, is both a blessing and a curse). I don’t come from money, but my family is supportive and would take me back in a heartbeat if I ever needed it. And I don’t have any health issues that prevent me from traveling or require me to announce them to customs. It’s still less safe for single women to travel than single men, but it’s becoming much easier and more acceptable for women to travel alone. If you Google “feminist travel,” you’ll find a plethora of feminist travel blogs, all created with the intent of empowering women to see the world. This is great! But there is also a darker side to the recent travel phenomenon that we, as feminists, need to address more in-depth.

Image Description: A picture of a person with long hair standing on a metal walkway overlooking the tops of a vast mountain range. They are wearing a long sleeve shirt and long pants of indeterminant color and facing away from the camera. They are straddling the walkway and holding their arms spread up over their head like an angel. The mountains are shadowy and peak up over fluffy, white clouds, which are beneath the person and the walkway. The sky above the mountains is bright blue.

The travel lifestyle brand pushed by so many Instagram pages and blogs is often enormously unethical. For starters, not everyone can or will ever be able to travel. Of course, I want travel to eventually become accessible to everyone, but sadly there’s a long way to go before that happens. Additionally, not everyone wants to travel, and that’s perfectly okay too. Those who make sweeping claims about how traveling makes you a better person do so at the detriment of people who choose not to travel, for various reasons. And finally, travel can have lasting environmental and social/cultural/political effects on a place and its inhabitants. As one travel blogger writes, “we have a responsibility as travelers to be respectful to the people and culture in the foreign countries we visit. This means traveling humbly, respectfully, without cultural appropriation or mockery, and being aware of the historical dynamics your ethnicity bears” (https://capsulesuitcase.com/2017/03/08/how-feminism-shapes-the-way-i-travel/). As feminists, we should think critically about travel and the ways in which our feminisms shape and are shaped by our physical movements through the world.

Now, I’m not here to lecture anyone about the best and only way to travel (there isn’t one). I won’t try to convince you it’s absolutely necessary to stop traveling if you want to call yourself a true feminist. Obviously, I enjoy traveling and it’s a huge part of my life, so that would be a bit hypocritical. Instead, I want to think through some ways in which we can all be a little more “feminist” in our travels. This list is not definitive or all-encompassing. It’s meant more as a jumping-off point for further thought/ discussion. It stems from my personal experiences and conversations I’ve had with other travelers and non-travelers alike. Please feel free to add your own ideas in the comments!

Image Description: A photo of a large map of the United States spread out of on a white table. In the left-hand corner is the keyboard of a Mac computer with a mug of coffee sitting to the left of the keypad. Beneath the computer is a United States passport and a turquoise blue, plastic camera. In the top right-hand corner is another silver and black camera with a black strap. You can see the top of a person’s head in the bottom-center of the photo. They are wearing a black, broad-brimmed hat which hides their face and shoulders. They are also wearing a white sweatshirt, rolled up to their elbows, a black and gold watch on their right wrist and a silver ring on their right ring finger. Their right hand is pointing towards a place on the map near the Great Lakes. Next to their hand is a pair of light blue, leopard print sunglasses.

1.     Don’t participate in Voluntourism: So, I very much support volunteering. I’m a volunteer here at the Sydney Feminists, so I know firsthand the importance of volunteer work. But voluntourism is something altogether different and very problematic. Everyday Feminism published a brilliant article on this very topic. Instead of attempting a poor summary, I’ll just link it here: https://everydayfeminism.com/2016/11/voluntourism-wont-fix-the-world/. I don’t mean to condemn you if you’ve ever done a trip like those mentioned in the article. No one is born the “perfect feminist,” and we all need to learn and unlearn as we grow. Reading up on voluntourism and the harm it brings to communities around the world is a good start!

2.     Support local businesses: This point really boils down to the “keeping it local” mentality.  Although there are ways to travel on a budget, all travel requires at least some monetary exchanges. Many people consider travel and tourism “healthy” for local economies for this exact reason. But the truth of the matter is, large, international corporations benefit the most from travel and tourism. More often than not, local economies don’t see much, if any, of the profits. So, next time you travel, forego the Hilton and book a local B&B. Or, better yet, stay and work for locals in exchange for food and accommodation. Websites like WWOOF and HelpX are popular ways of facilitating such exchanges. Skip Maccas and dine at small, independently owned restaurants (in most cities around the world, there are usually cheap food carts and such for even the most budget-friendly of travelers). Attend weekend farmer’s markets for an array of food, crafts and activities. And definitely make sure those souvenirs you buy to bring home are sourced from local artisans! Bonus points if you research businesses owned and operated by minorities (gender or otherwise). 

3.     Donate to local charities – but do your research first: Again, you don’t have to pour huge amounts of money into this step. I understand the need to pinch pennies when traveling. But even a donation of the cost of a cup of coffee can be helpful. It’s always important to research charities before donating, even in your own home. Some charities are just as corrupt as big businesses. But, if you can find good people doing important work on something you’re passionate about (say, women’s rights!), donations of time or money are great ways to say thank you to local communities for sharing their home.

4.     Read books by locals: Okay, not just books! Read (or listen to) anything you can get your hands on by people who grew up/ lived in the place you’re traveling to. If you have the money to spare, you can purchase hard copies from a local bookstore. But there are plenty of free resources on the internet as well. Sometimes, local libraries will allow you to browse and read the items they have available, or else will have cheap books for sale. Reading in this way allows you to see a place through the eyes of the people who live there. It can give you a fresh perspective and is often a much more intimate experience than reading those mass-produced guidebooks you see in airports.

5.     Familiarize yourself with local politics, and then listen to what locals have to say about them: As I mentioned above, traveling is always political. Therefore, it can be handy to have a basic understanding of the politics of a place before you travel there. No one is expecting you to become an expert overnight. But a few, initial Google searches will show people you care. Probably the most important part of this step, though, is listening to locals. I wouldn’t suggest immediately bombarding people with questions about politics the second you step off the plane (or train or bus). But if the topic comes up organically, be open to what people have to say. I’ve learned so much through conversations with locals about politics (both the government kind and the daily life kind). Willingness to communicate and actively engage with a place and its people will go a long way in leading a more feminist, traveling life.

Image Description: A photo of a hand holding a toy globe up in front of a green and grey mountain range. The hand and globe are in focus, while the background is slightly out of focus. You can only see the hand from the wrist up and its palm is facing the camera. On the globe, you can see all of Central and South America and some of North America and Africa.  

By: Brittany L. 

Sources:

https://feministglobetrotter.com/

https://worldforagirl.com/travel-and-feminism/

https://capsulesuitcase.com/2017/03/08/how-feminism-shapes-the-way-i-travel/

https://thevagabondfeminist.wordpress.com/2016/05/27/solo-female-travel-is-an-act-of-feminism/

https://passionpassport.com/feminism-travel-space/

https://everydayfeminism.com/2014/03/traveling-harassment-advice/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sydney Feminists. Our Blogger and Tumblr serve as platforms for a diverse array of women to put forth their ideas and explore topics. To learn more about the philosophy behind TSF’s Blogger/ Tumblr, please read our statement here: https://www.sydneyfeminists.org/a

[wishbone-md]

An MS3 Guide to Internal Medicine Wards

I want to do internal medicine. I scoured the internet for guides on how to knock this rotation out of the park. Here is yet another take on how one can do well on this rotation, even if you don’t want to do IM. 

I ended up honoring it and making 92nd percentile on the shelf. There will be a separate post on how to prepare for the shelf.

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Preparation

I got up early every morning to preround on my patients. When I first started rotation, I started off with one patient. I typically carried 3 patients and went up to 4 towards the end of my rotation. Get there earlier than you think you need because it sucks to scramble to prepare your notes for rounds only to find out that the plan for the patient changed in the interim. I got to the hospital around 7:15 for 9 AM rounds. 

If your institution still uses paper lists, print copies of the list for everyone on the team and make sure to have the most updated version for the attending.

Read up on your patients on Up To Date. This will help you on pimping and on the shelf. If you have a new patient to present, you can shine by looking up differentials for your patient’s symptoms and presenting them. You can also check out all the treatment options on UTD and present the main ones as well. The key to standing out on rounds is being the one to put yourself out there to propose a plan for the patient, even if it ends up being wrong. It’s easy to just regurgitate what your resident’s note says. At least you tried to integrate your previous basic science knowledge with the clinical side. 

The topic of studying will be covered in another post.

Rounds

Have your presentations down cold. There are many guides online on this topic such as this one by @pleasedotheneedfulhttp://pleasedotheneedful.tumblr.com/post/149283514726/how-to-write-a-cohesive-patient-notepresen-tation

It’s hard to figure out each attendings’ preferences such as how detailed they want you to be on the presentation or if they like walking rounds. Ask around within your class, the MS4s, or the residents. 

For the most part, they want focused presentations that concentrate more on the plan for the patient. Some want to know all of the labs and vitals. Some want only the highlights. You also need time to read all of the consult notes to see their recommendations.

Know when to ask questions. Always try to look up the answer to your question if you have time before bothering anyone with it. Definitely keep them to a minimum if it’s a post call day and your list is long. If I was getting pimped, then I would be more likely to ask more follow up questions around then because that means we’re in education mode. You want to ask enough questions to where you appear engaged but not so much to where it gets annoying. But don’t be afraid to ask questions even if it’s really busy if it will impact patient care. I tend to ask questions while walking in the hall during walking rounds but I also ask during table rounds depending on the vibe of the room.

Pimping. It is okay to not know the answer. Always try to make a guess, even if it’s a stretch. I have said I don’t know plenty of times. I’ve seen fourth years who don’t know the answer. I’ve seen residents and fellows who don’t know the answer. Most attendings I’ve dealt with have been pretty nice if I don’t know. I think pimping can be good so that it it keeps me on my toes since the fear of God is put in me. A great phrase is “I don’t know but I will find out and we can discuss it later on.” I remember questions I’ve gotten right and especially the ones I’ve gotten wrong that everyone else on the team knew except for me.

Making a good impression

Ask for feedback. I get super anxious about possibly hearing negative things so I hate doing this. At my school, preceptors evaluate you on if you asked for feedback, how you handle criticism, and if you actually tried to improve. Try to ask 2 weeks in or so about what can you work on to improve things like your presentation, differentials, treatments plans, history collection, ect. They will notice if you step it up or if you continue on. They will definitely notice you if you slack off after getting good feedback initially.

It’s not just about impressing the attending. The residents and especially the senior resident are the ones in contact with you the most. I only interacted with the attending on morning rounds. The residents give their feedback to the attending for your evaluation. Yes, we are close in age to the residents and yes it’s great to have fun at work. I love joking around and have an occasional streak of dark humor but I don’t swear, talk about the times I’ve been intoxicated, complain about the work we have to do, or complain too much about the patients. 

Don’t freaking text during rounds, especially while in a patient room. Yes, people still are getting in trouble for that. 

After rounds

Check on your patients. Most patients and their families don’t really know what’s going on because we storm in there as a group during rounds and then abruptly leave. It’s always great to double back and check their understanding of what’s going on. You as the student are usually the person on the team that’s the closest to the patient in terms o medical knowledge. Once they have an understanding of the disease process and why we treat them with whatever treatment, then they can hopefully keep it up after discharge. 

Stay organized. I had a patient list that I wrote notes on during rounds of things to do particularly focusing on my patients but including things to do for other patients. The residents will really appreciate it if you help update the list, remind them of orders that need to be put in, and notify them of any results/consults you’re waiting for. So I refreshed my patient charts all day long to make sure everything was there. When we see an abnormal critical result or consult recommendations and update the residents, we are helping to expedite care. 

I really can’t stand doing random clerical stuff like making appointments or filling out paperwork but just make yourself volunteer to do it. My school is trying to cut back on using medical students for this.

Do not lie. If you didn’t check something on your physical exam or forgot to ask a question, own up to it. It’s embarrassing but it’s better than being caught in a lie or your made up information ends up affecting the treatment plan. You won’t get any more responsibility if they can’t trust you.

Extra

Read the literature. My attending specifically mentioned that he expects this from honors level students.  This is how you step up your game. You want to show that you are trying to elevate your knowledge. You’ll definitely get style points for referencing the literature when you propose your treatment plan by citing statistically significant results from randomized control trials. For example, one of my patients had refractory C diff that wasn’t responding to traditional antibiotics of vanc per rectum and PO with metronidazole or with fecal transplants. So I needed to step up and look into other options that we can talk about on rounds.  I read some articles on newer therapies that were compared to gold standard therapies. I summarized the studies in a few sentences so that everyone can be on the same page. Then we talked pros and cons. Another example is that if your patient is on some newer drug you’ve never heard of, you can look up what it is, the mechanism of action, and major indications. Then present a very brief FYI on it as it will help educate your team. Definitely be cautious as to how often and when you try to educate others as it may come off as overbearing or if it may put your team behind schedule. You do not want to appear as a know it all or that you like to hear yourself talk because it’s hard to shake that impression.

Preclinical material professors seem to like gunners, at least in my experience. It’s way different in the clinical setting because you’re surrounded by people who’ve been in the game longer than you. All of us know how to pick out a gunner. So word will spread fast if you’re terrible to work with and then you end up on the Do-Not-Rank list.

You are not going to get a thank you for everything you do. Don’t take it personally. Except if someone takes credit for your work, so in that case they can fuck right off.

The <1/15/50/85 rule. A fantastic pimp deflector. If you are being pimped on some statistic and the pretest probability seems to be very low, say < 1%. Low probability then 15%. For example, if someone asks you what percentage of strokes are ischemic and you feel pretty confident that the vast majority of them are ischemic, then say 85%. Usually you’ll be pretty close.

The most important things

The most important thing is to advocate for your patient, regardless if an attending is around. 100% of students has thought about how they wish an attending could have seen how hard you work day in and day out but that’s not gonna actually happen much. The patient will remember how you treated them and all the things you did to help them.

Teamwork makes the dream work. Even if you can’t stand people on your team, you have to suck it up because the ultimate goal is patient care.

It is okay to take some time off to yourself. Some nights, all you can really do is watch TV and drink wine on a post call day or after doing not that well on a quiz you didn’t have time to prepare for because you’re freaking exhausted working 6 days a week.

[jorjathomas]

Lifestyle trends based on my target audience

When research gaps in the market, I began to think of ways I could get as much content in my zine. Although I had my own personal advice and tips, I also need some content that would help enable more engagement. This is why I have began to look at potential lifestyle trends from the website LSN so I could use in my zine. I also looked into my target audience and how they are researched to behave so I can understand my target audience better. My age group will be people aged 16-24 meaning currently, most of these women fall into Generation Z.

Article 1: How Joy scrolling can uplift brand storytelling (March 2021)

The first article I looked into explains the new aesthetic for story telling. As the pandemic hit, there was a lot of bad news surfaced. Artists took a step forward to create uplifting news and advice that can help distract society and focus on the good temporarily. Ives seen this surge of design all over the internet and a lot of news has been produced in an artistic way to make the articles easier to read. This is a less intimidating approach to new which i like and want to follow for the magazine however i am also weary of the dangers of this. I don't want to distract or wash the important information with pretty art but influence it to be more visible. This article helped influence my decision as this way for creating has become popular in society. A lot of this style seems to be digital however I hope to move this movement into physical consumerism to aid the popularity of magazines.

Here are some examples which were published on the LSN article. (March 2021)

Spreading this positivity across social media has created a lifted and conscious internet algorithm and i think has broken the dark internet cycle of having to look perfect and be ‘amazing’ all of the time. Getting rid of this influencer life and spread important events and news that could educate a person is much more important than having to look a certain way to feel accepted. I wish to do this with my zine and these examples validify my urge to change and create a positive society.

When completing trend research, we looked at trends for the summer and there seemed to be a lot more colour plastered onto life. I can see this now coming into action with this new approach to news by adding sketches and other forms of art into important messages and advice. Just like the Trend project, I hope to bring a euphoric feel and uplift a reader with the assistance of bright colours.

Article 2: Need to know (11/02/21)

The second trend article i looked at involved a lot of information which became popular over the new year. The most distinctive article was about post pandemic self-care. As you should know already, this subject is heavy within my concept so I was interested to see what has changes when taking care of yourselves pre and post covid lockdown. This LSN article states that-  ‘Many US citizens plan to continue engaging in the self-care routines they've established during the pandemic.’

The Need to know article also reports that- ‘According to a recent survey conducted by OnePoll for US wellness software company Vagaro, two-thirds (67%) of people agreed that the routines they developed during the pandemic have become a permanent part of their life. Meanwhile, 69% of respondents say they plan to dedicate more time to self-care in 2021 than they did in the previous year.’

I am happy to see this occurring within peoples life as this is the perfect opportunity to use my zine to spread this awareness. My zine should produce self- care tips that can help them to continue this dedication. Although this is my sole purpose of the zine, I also think I should add personal and education information that can assist the zine in becoming more personal and enjoyable to read as there is more than one category.

Article 3: Reading Market (March 2021)

This was probably the most informative article from the four I looked at on LSN as I was able to understand how much demand there is for reading. There's a obvious increase in digital media so I am interested to develop ideas that could help these statistics transform into the physical media outlets. The LSN articles says that- ‘According to Nielsen, time spent reading books among UK consumers has nearly doubled – from an average of three-and-a-half hours per week to six hours.’ Knowing that there is a growth in reading eases my worry of my magazine not gaining any recognition especially since I plan to print physical copies. They also state that- ‘As well as offering solace, comfort and helping to bolster knowledge, the reading market is adapting. It's embracing digital acceleration through new interactive formats, while also tuning in to the desires of younger generations, namely their ethical mindsets. For brands, media outlets and publishers, even greater disruption awaits a sector that has long been bound to tradition.’

‘We were expecting possibly to see a spike in comfort reads, like cosy crime or light comic novels,’ says Jess Harrison’

From this information, I can see there is a demand in books and most importantly pivotal media. The drastic change from fiction books decreasing and non-fiction becoming popular, proves the fact that people want to become more educated about world matters which they may not have had to do previously. I must remember to add in important information about specific matters I’d like to cover to aid the increase in monumental reads. My only dilemma is the competition with digital reads as screen time as plummeted this past year. Publishing physical copies carries a lot more problems. For example; when I’d publish I would want the copies to be long term for readers, having content that they can keep referring to rather than quick consumption. This would help reduce the carbon footprint of the magazine. I would defiantly want to be a sustainable zine, having more authentic materials that would not only benefit the planet but also add texture to the brand. The article states that- ‘Publishing house Penguin, meanwhile, is taking an environment-first approach to bookselling, targeting the 65% of readers who prefer the tactile experience of a physical book while addressing the impact on the planet. Its Naked Books are printed on demand, use recycled paper, eschew cover art in favour of a simple manuscript, and are delivered using carbon-neutral transport.’

Following up with the digital competitors this fact proves this point. Despite this I can use technology to my advantage when I would publish the book. For example using YouTube or TikTok to improve new customers with the help of algorithms etc.

Above is a digital book company which would be my competitor along side Audio books and Kindle. These have grown in the past year as there is a wider platform for smaller authors to get their books known.

Article 4: Anxiety Rebellion (2018)

Despite this trend report being slightly older than the others, I thought it would be intriguing to see if this article has come into play in the more recent years or if my magazine could do this instead to make this trend more long lasting. This article was under the macro trend category on the content page of LSN meaning this should still be present within todays society and I can apply it to my work. This article provides a insight on the new generation and how they are more diverse in comparison to Millennials creating a new wave of life. I looked into this survey by IPSOS MORI below to get a better understanding of my target market of gen z’s.

This video was attached to this article and it was brought to my attention quickly as I think it perfectly portrays my ideas and thoughts around my idea which you may not have seen yet. The next post will be the full advertisement of this video which was made by ASOS. This advertises Collusion which is a brand created by ASOS that offers clothing and accessories for the new generation. They spread positivity and urge consumers to invert their own style.

Gen z:

A quote from IPSOS- ‘For previous generations of teens, anxiety could be attributed to teenage angst – a temporary cocktail of the hormones and emotions that come with growing up – but Generation Z are fighting this stereotype. Rather than allowing themselves to become trapped in a web of anxiety, teens are speaking out against practices that cause them unnecessary pressure and turning their worries into productivity. In September 2018, a 15-year-old student tweeted ‘stop forcing students to present in front of the class and give them a choice not to’, garnering more than 130,000 retweets and nearly half a million likes.’

As seen from previous events from the past year, teenagers are becoming more vocal on specific matters important to them. I am pleased by this as I think they are breaking this preformed ways of living, how to behave and creating a new and more expressive society.  IPSOS Mori’s recent survey found that, ‘contrary to many clichés about today’s young, our new survey data and analysis reveals a better behaved, more trusting, socially minded and less materialistic generation’. There are many prejudgments about teenagers however, everyone has been one at some stage of their life. The common personality assumptions are laziness, rudeness and anti-social behaviour. Seeing the survey data results and proving these judgments wrong is refreshing. Teenagers actually are more motivated than ever and I hope to give them help. The survey also states that Generation Z are showing new attitudes to their placement in the world. for example, improved self-care solutions, spiritual healing practises, cleaner lifestyles, future-proof financial systems and a new entrepreneurial mindsets. These features have defiantly broke the judgments and are radically different from the actions of the former generations. As you can see in the states on the post- ‘Which noted that illicit drug use by US teenagers, including cocaine and heroin, fell from 22.6% in 2007 to 14% in 2017. The study also found that teenagers are having significantly less sex.’

To conclude this post, researching current lifestyle trends within the current youth market has further developed the urgency for a demand of zines like this. I am excited to begin some creative processes now and really make these ideas come together with the help of this trend research.

[disney-bnha-zine-blog]

~F.A.Q~

(original work by @tokoyumi )

Hello everyone and welcome to the long awaited F.A.Q! Us mods worked really hard on putting it together for you guys so that way any curiosities you may have about the zine can be answered here! Of course, if you still need to get clarifications or want to ask us something on a more individual level, you are more than welcome to do so! However, this should just give you a basic overview of what our zine is about and how we’re running it! :’3 

The schedule will be better made for you all but Applications will open up December 6th so get hyped everyone! 

(FAQ will be posted under “Keep Reading” to spare you guys the long post! Please please please reblog and spread the word around! We want this zine to be exposed as much as possible! FAQ can also be found here!)

General Questions:

-Who is organizing the zine?

Answer: This zine is organized by @tokoyumi and @xxamilychanxx ! If you have any questions for us specific mods, you’re more than welcome to send each of us a message! I promise we don’t bite! 

-What’s the theme of the zine? What is it about?

Answer: It’s hecking Disney y’all. Jokes aside, this is a Disney x BNHA zine, where you can imagine your favourite characters and ships in the magical world of Disney! It is set up in an Alternate Universe style where the BnHA characters will be in the world of the Disney that gets selected! (Example: Todoroki as Ariel, Midoriya as Eric, etc)

-Will contributors receive a free copy of the zine?

Answer: Yes, all contributors will receive a free digital copy of the zine! We’re hoping we can have the funds to do a merch bundle and possibly a physical copy as well but for now, each contributor will get at least a free digital copy!

-What is the rating of the zine?

Answer: This zine is PG as much as Disney movies are! In other words, it is a safe for work zine.

-Will digital copies be available? Will paper copies be available?

Answer:  Yes. For this zine, both digital and paper copies will be available.

-How many participants do you plan to have? How many writers and artist will you be accepting?

Answer:  We will be accepting 26 artists and 26 writers. This may vary due to applicants and applications but for now, this is the set number we have. 

-Is this a non-profit zine? If so, what would the charity be?

Answer: This is a non-profit zine! All money coming from this zine will be used to pay the manufacturing. After printing + shipping fees, any profit remaining will be donated over to the Make-A-Wish-Foundation! Over 45% requests from children are towards visiting Disneyland and Disney does a lot of work with this charity to help children live out that dream. Feel free to check the official page of Make-A-Wish-Foundation (http://wish.org/) for more information as well:

http://wish.org/content/disney/celebrating-disney#sm.001ij4hfch8wd5i10ku23kis1ngkv

-Does Pixar count?

Answer: Yes! Pixar movies do count! Please look over here at the list of approved movies! We did our best to the upmost reasearch we can to see all the movies Disney has made in regards to animated ones, however, if you don’t see a specific movie on there, send us a message and we will add it to the list accordingly! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1saqW3kyOj4i94F5jPIj6LWdOttkUz6DtZ2IHEaBJnks/edit?usp=sharing

-Do Star wars, Ghibli and Marvel count since they're affiliated with Disney?

Answer: Unfortunately no, they do not. Those franchises were independent before being bought by Disney and has the capability of having their own sort of zine! In addition to this, we are also not accepting any live action Disney movies as well. It will be strictly based on the animated films Disney has made. 

-Can we partner with a writer and or vise versa?

Answer: Yes! We happily encourage you to do as such! It does not hurt your chances of being rejected for the zine as well! Those who are partnering up will have their pieces formatted together, we’ll work with you all to make it look similar to a storybook! If you have a specific partner in mind, on the application itself, leave their name on the bottom so we can make sure to partner up accordingly! 

-What will be the zine dimensions?

Answer:  The zine will be a 5.5in by 8.5in booklet!

-Is this a spoiler free zine?

Answer:  Unfortunately no, this is not a spoiler free zine.

-Will this zine has merchandise?

Answer:  Yes, this zine will have pins, charms, postcards, stickers. If you are an artist and would like to volunteer for merchandise art, please state it during your application.

-Will you be selling extra zines after pre-orders end?

Answer:  As of now we aren't so sure, but we're hoping to depending on demand we get! If we get more asks to do so, then we can set up a second round of pre orders for everyone! 

-Will there be a limit in the number of zines/bundles available?

Answer:  There won't be a limit in the number of zines/bundles since it will be done on a preorder basis. During first wave, digital zines will also be on pre-order basis just like printed zines/bundles. They will be given to people when we ship out all the printed zines/bundles. However, the digital zine alone itself will be available after everything, which will not require preorder.

Artist related Questions:

-If we apply as artist, are we required to have previously drawn BNHA artwork?

Answer: It'll be really helpful if you have drawn BNHA before. Though, that being said, it is not a requirement. It is just highly recommended and preferred.

-Do we have to draw a background?

Answer: Yes. In the actual zine art pieces, you’d be expected to draw a background. While your background doesn't have to be complex or perfectly drawn, we believe adding a few elements to the remaining empty spaces can only bring the artwork into the life. Plus, it would be much more visually pleasing. 

-Can we draw more than one piece or a landscape piece?

Answer: This is a portrait-format zine only! That being said, spreads are only allowed for the people who are planning to a collaboration.

-How many art pieces should we submit during application progress? Do you require a link to portfolio?

Answer: We’d love to see a portfolio link, but if you have certain pieces of work you’re super proud of, you’re free to submit those as well!  We require at least 4 different samples of artwork during application progress. Just because, we really want to get a feeling for your art style.

-How many pages will each artist get if they are selected?

Answer: Unless you are an artist who is doing a collaboration, every individual will receive one side of a page. However, if you would like to divide your work space into smaller pieces to make multiple artworks, you are more than welcome to do that. We don't see any harm in that.

Writer related Questions:

-If we apply as a writer, are we required to have previously written BNHA work?

Answer: It'll be really helpful if you have written BNHA before. Though, that being said, it is not a requirement. It is just highly recommended and preferred.

-How many fanfictions should we submit? Do you require a link to portfolio?

Answer: We’d love to see a portfolio link, but if you have certain written work you’re super proud of, you’re free to submit those as well! We require at least 4 different samples of fanfictions during application progress. Just because, we really want to get a feeling for your writing style.

-Will there be formatting or word limitations?

Answer: The word limitation for the zine is maximum 2000 words. Thus, this should give enough room to every individual writer to write a story/scene from a Disney movie of their choosing. Once we receive each written entry, we will format them accordingly, so you don’t have to worry about formatting your fanfiction.

If you have further questions or want any of us to clarify anything, please let us know and we will get right on it! :’3 Thanks for your time everyone and please help spread the word! 

[ryadel]

10 Must Have Shopify Apps in 2020 to Create a Solid Ecommerce Store

The past years witnessed a dramatic shift from brick-and-mortar stores to lesser physical store locations or a complete shift to online commerce. These days, the trend has no signs of abating. Expanding reach to customers from immediate business surroundings to anywhere all over the globe was one of the primary promises of eCommerce. Electronic commerce will continue to a very profitable venture for people worldwide. With the demand for more solutions, technology has stepped in to cater to the evolving customer needs with various shopping cart platforms. For a business to keep up and even stay ahead of the competition, it should have not just a physical location but a web presence as well, thus the emergence of electronic commerce development services. Running a personal blog is entirely different from running an eCommerce store. With an eCommerce store, there is much to oversee, such as secure checkout, email marketing, speed optimization, shipments and so forth. Fortunately, in the continuous evolvement of eCommerce development, there are now a lot of shopping cart platforms that could greatly help. Some of the best platforms is Shopify, and a Shopify development company you can go for building effective and highly interactive online shops. The eCommerce platform is heaped with powerful applications to help monetize the store. Thus, a lot of merchants rely on it for their online business ventures. Over one million merchants use the platform to run their businesses on the web. They come in all sizes and come from all around the world. The shopping cart platform solves a lot of the most difficult commerce issues out-of-the-box. The versatile platform is armed with an array of themes that could be customized, accept more than 100 payment gateways, organize product listings, support the very best SEO practices and keep tabs all orders from beginning to end.

#1. Plug in SEO

When it comes to search engine optimization, it’s one of the great fits. It monitors the web shop and ensures that its SEO is intact. When installed, the app detects all the SEO aspects of the store automatically, such as speed, blog content, keywords, broken links and other SEO issues, thus you need not check individual pages. Features Has free instructions, like code snippets to fix SEO Send email alerts if there’s an SEO issue Checks and boosts SEO for organic traffic Price Basic SEO scanning is free. However, you need to buy a premium version at $20 a month for more features. Why it’s a good fit A great way of bringing visitors to your website is social media marketing. Search engines nonetheless could help more stable traffic, which makes it easy for conversion. Plug in SEO is perfect for those that want to manage SEO with less work.

#2. Seguno: Email Marketing

A great way for online marketing implementation and make new buyers into regular customers. The application helps send new customers welcome emails. It furthermore generates thank-you emails and builds customer trust, which is very helpful in the long run by making certain buyers will remember your shop. Features Helps turn new buyers to loyal customers Sends quick thank you and welcome emails with an automated system Generates one-of-a-kind codes Dynamic recommendations to help with abandoned carts Price It’s free up to 250 subscribers. Why it’s a good fit Online shops could create trust among visitors through a simple welcome. The app is a great fit for those who do not like to annoy buyers with long-form sales copy and simply want to thank them for their purchases.

#3. Smile: Rewards & Loyalty

Referral marketing is another way of generating more sales. The Smile app motivates audience for more buys through spreading word on the web store. Features Design referral, points or loyalty program that’s VIP-based Easily check results via Smile analytics Price A freemium application, which means you can begin with a free version. More advanced features are available with a premium plan. Why it’s a great fit It’s great for online stores that wishes to run a loyalty program. With a backend that’s user-friendly, it’s a stand out among some of the best Shopify applications around.

#4. Oberlo ‑ Dropshipping App

The app is a drop shipping service, enabling users to look online for popular products and immediately start selling. Features Directly ship from supplier to customer without interference Look for trending products to dropship from suppliers worldwide Track all orders in few easy clicks Price A new store could use it for free. As the store grows, it requires a premium plan which starts at $29/month to get all critical features. Why it’s a great fit The app is perfect for people who want to set up a dropshipping model instead of an inventory model. Shipments could be tracked easily by integrating the application.

#5. Printful: Print‑on‑Demand

The app is a printing service with less investment and could be run on an online store for customized creations. With every order, Printful would build and send it on your behalf. Features No need for setting up an inventory Sell custom posters, shirts, mugs and others Price It can be installed immediately without any payment. For every new Printful account order, there is however a fee. Why it’s a great fit It’s perfect to offer different items without interference on the process of production. You can offer new items for sale fast, without dealing with holding any inventory since it makes everything on demand.

#6. Kit

A wonderful app for social media marketing, which helps in creating and managing successful campaigns. Features Run FB and Instagram ads through an easy Messenger interface AI helps find the targeted traffic for a store Price It’s free! Why it’s a great fit One of the best apps of Shopify for social media marketing. It could be used for running successful business campaigns while you are sleeping.

#7. Referral Candy

It’s more likely that customers who love your products would refer them to friends and family. The Shopify application is perfect to create custom referral programs for an online shop. Features Automatic reward delivery for an easier referral process Provides a clean dashboard to monetize referrals Price It has a 30-day free trial. The regular plan is $49 per month. Why it’s a great fit With Referral Candy, you will not lose sales, thus it’s the best investment to consider.

#8. PushOwl Web Push Notifications

Abandoned carts are another way of missing sales. There’s a notable increase in abandoning carts in the past years. You can lure customers to return to your store with web push notifications. They will be enticed to purchase products they’re considering buying. Features Updates with back-in-stock notifications to boost sales Sends review notifications when a product is shipped Sends tailored reminders and campaigns for abandoned carts Price You can get started for free up to 500 impressions. There are paid plans later on that starts at $19 a month. Why it’s great The robust app serves to remind customers about abandoned products, in general get more sales and send back-in-stock notifications as well.

#9. Form Builder with File Upload

It helps create unique forms for an online shop. The forms are easy to fill, enabling visitors to reach out to your business, donate money, put customer orders or drop feedback. Features Set up a beautiful form without coding skills One-click installation to immediately start building forms Price Has a workable free plan and a $10 a month Pro plan with more features. Why it’s great The app lets you have more leads and offer personalized experience for customers. Furthermore, the beautifully designed form would bring more eyes to your products.

#10. Return Magic

Customers wanting to return products are inevitable. The application helps simplify returns process via automating cash refunds and gift card, generate and print return labels, offer exchanges and create automation guidelines for a more personalized shopper experience. Features Offer cash refunds to original payment method, exchanges or gift cards Make your own branded returns portal Sets up automatic rules for control on how returns work Price It offers a 30-day free trial. After that, plans begin at $10/month and up, based on the volume of return. Why it’s a great fit It helps in building a better experience. Furthermore, it is also of great help to turn more returns into gift cards rather than cash refunds. This means you still get the money of the shopper even if you lose a little.

Conclusion

The Shopify shopping cart platform offers great functionality and added to its versatility are the different applications in the marketplace. The ten apps mentioned above are some of the best applications for your online store, whatever the size and the kind of products and services may be. Shopify apps are why a lot of business organizations opt for the shopping cart platform. The apps suite different business requirements, easy to use and could scale when the online store expands and gets bigger and bigger. Olivia Diaz is working at eTatvaSoft, an Enterprise level Web & Mobile Application Development Company. Being a tech geek, she keeps a close watch over the industry focusing on the latest technology news and gadgets. Follow me on Twitter.     Read the full article

[theonyxpath]

Repel the Crusade for Prince’s Gambit by Andrew Trabbold

    Kind of feel like our vampiric character pictured above in the Prince’s Gambit Intrigue deck. Crawlin’ through some tough times to get here. But HERE is quite excellent actually.

First, our first foray into Kickstarting a card game is going gangbusters, with our Prince’s Gambit KS funding goal met in the first few hours, and our backers jumping our pledge totals past several Stretch Goals that add to the deck already. There have also been some great ideas talked about for game rules variants: everything from adding rules for Anarchs and the Inconnu to rules for fewer or more players.

Because backers can download the card PDFs and rulebook, we’ve also been getting folks telling us how much fun they’ve been having maneuvering through the Intrigues and trying to discover who’s Sabbat. Which is always so great to hear! You never know if players will enjoy the game as much as you did creating it.

If you haven’t checked it out, please do, and if you like it: spread the word. With this being our first card game, we don’t have as much of a voice in card games circles, so any help letting folks know could be huge for the game!

Also, like I mentioned last week: we’ll be holding an Ask Me (Us) Anything on Reddit this Wednesday the 29th starting around 12 noon EDT. Various developers and Onyx Path folks will be on throughout the day, and Justin Achilli will pop on in the evening after he gets done his day job to talk about Prince’s Gambit. So if you want all the inside info, that’s the place to go next week!

Just want to emphasize that this is not just for Prince’s Gambit, so we’ll answer about anything!

If you can’t make it, feel free to leave any questions you’d like us to ask during the AMA session right here in the comments.

    Elemental Resonance for M20: Book of Secrets by Michael Gorgi

  For those who have asked: we are doing something very special for April Fool’s Day. The only thing I can say, quoting Eddy Webb, is that “On Saturday, discover the latest reason why we fired Neall!”

    Faka from the EX3 Jumpstart: The Tomb of Dreams by Melissa Uran

    Which leads us nicely into a decently big chunk of information for folks concerned about Exalted 3rd Edition as a continuing game line. For weeks I’ve been mentioning that we’ve been working very diligently on putting together a plan for how we’re going to handle EX3‘s releases.

(Seriously, this is a long one).

First off, I’m incredibly happy to announce that Eric Minton and Robert Vance have agreed to become the new developers for Exalted 3rd Edition. Eric and Robert have been all over EX3 in various capacities since writing began, and their involvement and love of Exalted goes further back than that.

(I’m not even sure why I’m introducing them, actually, since our long-time community knows these guys so well).

With their help, we have put together a schedule for releases that starts with getting the Exalted 3rd Jumpstart: Tomb of Dreams out to backers as soon as we can get the finished layout approved by the new White Wolf.

Next, they are finishing up Arms of the Chosen, and we expect to have the Advance PDF ready in three months.

They are also in the process of assigning the remaining writing that needs to be done on the Dragon Blooded and The Realm books. Most of the writing for both books has been completed, so once they get used to our process for hiring writers and contracting and all that, we can nail down expectations on when the text will be done. Which is really important, because we won’t be Kickstarting Dragon Blooded until the text is completely finished.

After a lot of discussion, and a fair bit of soul-searching, we’ve decided that the next two books will be Exigents and Lunars. We love a lot of the books proposed on previous schedules, and think they would really expand and enrich EX3, but we have to start getting our Exalted community the projects they need to play NOW (or close to NOW), rather than multiple years from now.

But even with Eric and Robert revved up and excited to deliver the projects I mention above, we can’t deliver these projects backwards through time. And these new devs need to learn their new jobs.

The remaining Kickstarter Rewards will be coming out in the months to come, with Matt Forbeck telling us that his novel’s finished drafts are on their way, and Aaron Rosenberg hammering away at his novel. The EX3 Essays book is being outlined and writers are being contacted, and composer James Semple has all but one of the Exalted character themes finished. He then has to create the “adventure themes” part of the EX3 Music Suites, but needed to figure out the the character themes so he could include parts of them in the adventure themes.

I’m not a musician, so I’ll have to take his word on the process.

So what we have planned are two projects that we are going to start releasing in April. That’s right, in order to provide our community with playable material now and not waiting until the Arms of the Chosen Advance PDF is released three months from now, we’re going to be releasing a section of each book each month as PDFs.

The first book, EX3: Antagonists, will feature both individual NPCs as well as antagonist groups. Each section will be smaller than a chapter, and we’ll be combining them all together as a PDF and PoD book after we have made a good number of them available monthly.

The second book will be the EX3 Bestiary, and will features creatures of all power levels. Some will be creatures the writers of the core had to hold back on, and others will be new and determined by what gaps we see from the core book that this project can fill. We’ll release these in monthly sections that we’ll combine at some point into a book, as well.

Rather than adding projects to the new devs’ already intimidating plate, both these books will be spearheaded by writers familiar with EX3, and reviewed by Eric and Robert. (Also, both books need to be approved by the new White Wolf Publishing before we officially can go ahead with them.)

Finally, our new devs will be making themselves regularly available on the Onyx Path Exalted forum, and will be releasing excerpts and development notes and text on a regular basis. In fact, here is an excerpt from Arms of the Chosen, and in April we’ll have a look at the Dragon Blooded charms:

http://ift.tt/2nuT153

Obviously, this whole message hasn’t delved into the nitty-gritty of what brought us here, and we really don’t intend to. Instead, we are celebrating a new team of creators, as well as the monumental work that John Morke and Holden Shearer were able to accomplish through some incredibly grueling times for them personally. What glories the future holds!

    BLURBS!

KICKSTARTER!

The Prince’s Gambit casual vampire card game Kickstarter went live last Thursday and funded in about 3 hours! We’ve been passing alternating Stretch Goals for adding the Independent Clans and new art at a rapid clip since then, with more cool rewards yet to come. So please check it out: http://ift.tt/2nj37GG and don’t forget to join us for our Ask Me (Us) Anything on Reddit this Wednesday the 29th starting around 12 noon EDT. Various developers and Onyx Path folks will be on throughout the day, and Justin Achilli will pop on in the evening after he gets done his day job to talk about Prince’s Gambit. So if you want all the inside info, that’s the place to go!

Designed by long-time Vampire: the Masquerade tabletop RPG developer Justin Achilli, Prince’s Gambit is a fast-paced social deduction game set within the world of Vampire, but which requires no special knowledge to play. Players must cooperate to gain the favor of the Prince while deducing who among them are secretly the traitorous Sabbat infiltrators.

Next, the Monarchies of Mau KS is scheduled come after Gambit.

  ON SALE!

    Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Here’s the link to the press release we put out about how Onyx Path is now selling through Indie Press Revolution: http://ift.tt/1ZlTT6z

You can now order wave 2 of our Deluxe and Prestige print overrun books, including Deluxe Mage 20th Anniversary, and Deluxe V20 Dark Ages!

    Beasts are added to Hunter: the Vigil with Tooth and Nail, coming atcha in PDF and physical book Pod versions this Wednesday on DriveThruRPG.com! In conjunction with HtV: Tooth and Nail going on sale, we will also be releasing new TShirts on our RedBubble site featuring the new symbols from the book!

    The Secrets of the Covenants for Vampire: the Requiem 2nd REVEALED this Wednesday on DTRPG! Physical copy PoD version coming to DTRPG: http://ift.tt/2gbQjus

Vampires gather under many banners. But five have endured the tumult of Western history better than any other. The Carthian Movement. The Circle of the Crone. The Invictus. The Lancea et Sanctum. The Ordo Dracul. Each has its fierce devotees, its jealous rivals, and its relentless enemies. Now,for the first time, the covenants speak for themselves.

This book includes:

A variety of stories from each of the covenants, all told in their own words.

Never-before revealed secrets, like the fate of the Prince of New Orleans.

New blood sorcery, oaths, and other hidden powers of the covenants.

    From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: Fallen Blossoms (Hunter 1640-1660 Japan). Japan is moving into the Edo Period. New laws and new ways of thinking wash over the land, and with a new order come new threats to humanity. Take a look at the Vigil in a time where samurai transition from warlords to bureaucrats, Japan massively and lethally rejects outside influence, and when Edo rapidly grows into a world power.

Continuing our individual Dark Eras chapters, we offer you Dark Eras: Fallen Blossoms on in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2mfc1F1

    From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: Doubting Souls (Hunter 1690-1695 Salem). Immigrants and tribes struggled to co-exist on the Eastern Seaboard in the ever-expanding Colonies. Violent clashes, supernatural beliefs, and demonic influences spelled disaster for Salem Village and its surrounding towns, while others fought werewolves and vampires on the frontier. With so much at risk, only god-fearing men and women were deemed innocent — and those were few indeed.

Available in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG: http://ift.tt/2kKOrfm

    From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: The Bowery Dogs (Werewolf 1969-1979 NYC). New York City in the 1970s. Crime. Drugs. Gang violence. Vast economic disparity. And werewolves. It’s a lean, ugly time to be alive, and the lone wolf doesn’t stand a chance out there. In the end, all you really have is family.

Available in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG: http://ift.tt/2lM0Tzv

    The Locker is open; the Chronicles of Darkness: Hurt Locker, that is! PDF and physical copy PoDs are now available on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2gbM9me

Hurt Locker features:

Treatment of violence in the Chronicles of Darkness. Lasting trauma, scene framing, and other tools for making your stories hurt.

Many new player options, including Merits, supernatural knacks, and even new character types like psychic vampires and sleeper cell soldiers.

Expanded equipment and equipment rules.

Hurt Locker requires the Chronicles of Darkness Rulebook or any other standalone Chronicles of Darkness rulebook such as Vampire: The Requiem, Werewolf: The Forsaken, or Beast: The Primordial to use.

    From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: Ruins of Empire (Mummy 1893-1924). Perhaps the quintessential era of the mummy in the minds of Westerners, this period saw the decline of the two greatest empires of the age: British and Ottoman. Walk with the Arisen as they bear witness to the death of the Victorian age, to pivotal mortal discoveries in Egypt, and to the horrors of the Great War.

Available in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG. http://ift.tt/2k0XDhX

    From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: The Sundered World (Werewolf and Mage 5500-5000 BCE). At the birth of civilization, in the shadow of the Fall, the Awakened stand as champions and protectors of the agricultural villages spread across the Balkans. In a world without a Gauntlet, where Shadow and flesh mingle, the steady taming of the world by humanity conflicts with the half-spirit children of Father Wolf.

Available in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG. http://ift.tt/2k16mRj

    Night Horrors: Conquering Heroes for Beast: the Primordial is available now as an Advance PDF: http://ift.tt/2j7p7lO

This book includes: 

An in-depth look at how Heroes hunt and what makes a Hero, with eleven new Heroes to drop into any chronicle.

A brief look at why Beasts may antagonize one another, with seven new Beasts to drop into any chronicle.

Rules for Insatiables, ancient creatures born of the Primordial Dream intent on hunting down Beasts to fill a hunger without end, featuring six examples ready to use in any chronicle.

    The PDF and physical book PoD versions of Reap the Whirlwind, the Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition Jumpstart swirls into being on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2i1WPpD

You are a vampire, a junkie. Every night, you beg and you borrow and you steal just a little more life, just a few more sweet moments. But there’s a guy at the top. The Prince. He’s got everything. The money, the secrets, the blood.

Tonight, you’re going to take it from him. Tomorrow, there’ll be hell to pay.

This updated edition of Reap the Whirlwind features revisions to match the core rulebook for Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition. Text edits and rules clarifications have also been updated.

Reap the Whirlwind Revised includes:

Rules for creating and playing vampires in the Chronicles of Darkness

The first two levels of every clan Discipline, the dark powers of the dead

A complete adventure by noted horror author Chuck Wendig

This new revised Reap the Whirlwind Revised includes an updated booklet, 7 condition cards, and the interactive Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition character sheet.

      Open the V20 Dark Ages: Tome of Secrets now on DTRPG! Both PDF and physical book PoD versions are now available! http://ift.tt/2i1XOXd

The Tome of Secrets is a treatment of numerous topics about Cainites and stranger things in the Dark Medieval World. It’s about peeling back the curtain, and digging a little deeper. Inside, you’ll find:

• Expanded treatment of Assamite Sorcery, Koldunic Sorcery, Necromancy, and Setite Sorcery

• A look at Cainite knightly orders, faith movements, and even human witchcraft

• Letters and diaries from all over the Dark Medieval World

              CONVENTIONS!

Discussing GenCon plans. August 17th – 20th, Indianapolis. Every chance the booth will actually be 20? x 30? this year that we’ll be sharing with friends. We’re looking at new displays this year, like a back drop and magazine racks for the brochure(s).

In November, we’ll be at Game Hole Con in Madison, WI. More news as we have it, and here’s their website: http://ift.tt/RIm6qP

        And now, the new project status updates!

    DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM ROLLICKING ROSE (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Trinity Continuum: Aeon Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

M20 Gods and Monsters (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 Cookbook (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Ex Novel 2 (Aaron Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

C20 Novel (Jackie Cassada) (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

Monarchies of Mau Early Access (Pugmire)

Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)

DtD Night Horrors: Enemy Action (Demon: the Descent)

  Redlines

Scion: Origins (Scion 2nd Edition)

Scion: Hero (Scion 2nd Edition)

Kithbook Boggans (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

  Second Draft

The Realm (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Dragon-Blooded (Exalted 3rd Edition)

V20 Dark Ages Jumpstart (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)

GtS Geist 2e core (Geist: the Sin-Eaters Second Edition)

CtD C20 Jumpstart (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Pugmire Pan’s Guide for New Pioneers (Pugmire)

VtR Half-Damned (Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition)

Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

  Development

W20 Changing Ways (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)

Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

SL Ring of Spiragos (Pathfinder – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Ring of Spiragos (5e – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

SL Dagger of Spiragos (Pathfinder – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Dagger of Spiragos (5e– Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Arms of the Chosen (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition, featuring the Huntsmen Chronicle (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)

Book of Freeholds (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

BtP Beast Player’s Guide (Beast: the Primordial)

  Editing:

CtD C20 Anthology (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Wraith: the Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition

BtP Building a Legend (Beast: the Primordial)

  Post-Editing Development:

CtL fiction anthology (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)

  Indexing:

      ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

In Art Direction

Beckett’s Jyhad Diary – new stuff AD’dGot some sketches from Sam, finals from Tucker, and a couple more finals from Mark.

W20 Pentex Employee Indoctrination Handbook – Ellis is on it.

Dagger of Spiragos  – Finals in progress… and maps are progressing.

VTR: Thousand Years of Night – Contracted

Cavaliers of Mars – AD’d(ish)

Monarchies of Mau Early Access – 

BtP Building a Legend – Sending out notes to artists…

Wraith 20 – Notes out to KMJ… pinging some of the the old Wraith roster.

M20 Art Book

W20 Changing Ways – Need to read through the notes and figure out my art buy.

  Marketing Stuff

  In Layout

Prince’s Gambit – Making the remainder of graphics this week.

M20 Book of Secrets – Layout in progress. Some art shenanigans fixed… others getting recontracted.

Pugmire Screen – Awaiting new specs from Printer.

Pugmire Cards – Working on these. There are quite a few.

Pugmire – Dropping in index, updating PDFs, and prepping files for press.

April Fool’s thing –

V20 Dark Ages Companion – Recontracting two halfs. Layout is about a third of the way done.

  Proofing

EX3 Tomb of Dreams Jumpstart – going to WW for approval.

C20 – First proof

  At Press

Ex 3 Screen – Shipping almost completed.

Ex 3 core book – Shipping almost completed along with map and bookmarks.

W20 Shattered Dreams – Shipping almost completed.

Shattered Dreams Screen – Shipping almost completed.

Beckett Screen – Shipped to shipper.

Beast Conquering Heroes – PoD proof on the way.

Mortal Remains: Beast- Tooth and Claw – PDF and PoD on sale this Wednesday.

Dark Eras: Beneath the Skin – PoD proof being reviewed.

Dark Eras: Out of the Cold – PoD proof being reviewed.

Necropolis Rio – PoD proof on the way.

V20 Lore of the Bloodlines – PDF out to backers, gathering errata

Dark Eras Companion – PDF out to backers, gathering errata.

W20 Song of Unmaking – Backer PDF going out to W20 KS backers this week.

      TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: I always heard that “March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb”. Except, now I hear that in the folklore of my wife’s almost-Amish people, their saying reverses the lion and the lamb. Which makes no sense to me. Does your culture have a saying for how March changes in the course of the month? Love to hear it, and meanwhile, Spring is on its way!

[religion-matsu-zine-blog]

Guidelines and Instructions: For Mobile Users

DISCLAIMERS 1. By completing the entry form for this zine, it is assumed that you will allow us to use your submitted work in the zine. It is also understood that since the zine will be released digitally on Blurb, YOU WILL NOT BE MONETARILY COMPENSATED in any way. The artwork you create is still considered your property and you are free to use it as you please outside of this zine (eg. creating prints and other works to sell of your entry after zine release is acceptable). 2. ONE TO THREE* ENTRIES PER PARTICIPANT will be accepted. ONLY brand NEW artwork/fics and COMPLETED works will be accepted. Old artwork/fics and unfinished artwork/fics will not be included in the zine. 3. Your entry must be themed to Religion Matsu and no other AUs are allowed. However, we understand that Religion Matsu has various roles for particular characters. For example, Ichimatsu is commonly portrayed as a devil, reaper or sister. Any variations of the Religion AU is all right! 4. This zine will include SAFE FOR WORK content ONLY. We would like for as many people as possible to enjoy the zine. This includes younger viewers, viewers with sensitive tastes, and the restrictions that publishers may require if we would like to print a copy of the zine.

*The maximum number of pages we can go is 70-80.

RULES AND REGULATIONS Please take note NOT to include any of the following in the zine.

1. Heavy Gore. (Stylized gore is fine.)

2. Sexual Content.

3. BLMatsu. (Hugging is fine, but try to refrain from drawing kissing as some of the fans/artists may be uncomfortable with this)

4. Frontal Nudity. Partial nudity or revealing clothing is fine!

5. STRICTLY DO NOT post your entry in its entirety until AFTER the zine is launched. You may post previews (including fic previews), but do not post your entire entry before the zine is completed and online. We’d like to make the content a surprise! 6. IF YOU MUST DROP OUT OF THE ZINE FOR ANY REASON, please tell us in advance! This zine is all for fun in the end, so if you are struggling to complete your entry for any reason, do let us know you no longer intend to participate. You do not need to include any personal details that you might not feel comfortable sharing so long as you let us know.

*If there are any questions about whether content is acceptable/appropriate, or if you have any other concerns, please contact us via Tumblr’s inbox/messenger, or religionmatsu1@gmail.com!

ENTRY DETAILS

IMPORTANT NOTE!

Please keep in mind that the book will have to be trimmed to size, so try not to put any important details near the edges! If you do not want your work to be cut off, a bleed of about 5mm would be best.

ARTWORK ENTRIES

For One Page (portrait; 1 page) submissions: Digital submissions: 210 x 260 mm, 300dpi (If you want to do a higher dpi, feel free to do so. Minimum MUST be 300dpi.) In pixels, this would be about 2480 x 3071 pixels, 300 dpi.   Traditional submissions: 210 x 260 mm, scanned at MINIMUM 300dpi —— For One Spread (landscape; 2 pages) submissions: Digital submissions: 420 x 260 mm, 300dpi (If you want to do a higher dpi, feel free to do so. Minimum MUST be 300dpi.) In pixels, this would be about 4960 x 3071 pixels, 300 dpi. Traditional submissions: 420 x 260 mm, scanned at MINIMUM 300dpi *Traditional work must be clean. No lined paper, smudges, etc. The higher quality image, the better! This improves both online viewing and physical printing quality.

COMIC ENTRIES

Comics follow the same size requirements as for Traditional/Digital art. Comics can also be created in either traditional or digital mediums. 1 page minimum, 3 pages maximum. *For both Art and Comics, make sure your submissions are fully cleaned and colored!

FIC ENTRIES

Fanfiction should be between 1,000 - 4,000 words. Some excess can be allowed. All fanfictions require a title! Please make sure to have your fics beta-read before submitting!

To PaintTool SAI users

Those who plan to use SAI may encounter a problem when exporting their artwork into JPEG files. SAI may downsize your artwork’s dpi to below 300 dpi. So please remember to check the dpi of the final file you are planning to submit to us by opening it again on SAI and checking the dpi. You may do this by going to the menu, clicking on ‘canvas’, and selecting ‘change resolution’. The window that pops up will show you the dpi of your JPEG image. In the event that the file size is below 300 dpi, please export the .sai file as a photoshop file and send it to us! This goes the same for your display picture. This will ensure that the printing quality of your pictures does not get compromised!

ALSO!

Along with your entries, we also require you submit a 600x600 pixel icon for the contributors’ page! Just like above, it has to be 300 dpi. It can be anything at all, as long as you feel it represents you, or perhaps a drawing of your favourite Matsu.

LASTLY!!!

Sign up deadline: 28th February 2017, 11.59 EST.

If we reach the targeted limit before this date, we will stop accepting sign ups! DO NOT GET STARTED YET as we will confirm the number of people taking part and send an email to all the participants involved.

Submission deadline: 30th April 2017, 11.59 EST.

Please submit these through e-mail at religionmatsu1@gmail.com, with the subject as “Entry and Icon Submission”. Your files should be either 210 x 260 mm, 300dpi (2480 x 3071 pixels, 300 dpi) or 420 x 260 mm, 300dpi (4960 x 3071 pixels, 300 dpi) in JPEG format.If anyone is having troubles exporting, send us the .psd file, and we’ll help you do it! For fic entries, send us the Microsoft Word Document file, and include a separate page with necessary details like the title, word count, pairings, warnings, etc.

If you have any questions,

or need consultation for your entry, don’t hesitate to send an ask/IM at religion-matsu-zine on Tumblr. You can also contact either one of us at: Yuri > drop-pop-queendom OR idontlikesummer @ Tumblr Nimini > nimini-ninoni @ Tumblr We’ll leave the Submit box open in the religion-matsu-zine blog as well. Alternatively, you can also send in an email to religionmatsu1@gmail.com with the subject “Zine enquiries”.

[topicprinter]

Hey - Pat from StarterStory.com here with another interview.Today's interview is with Tom and Alex of Saint Belford, a brand that sells lifestyle planner.Some stats:Product: Lifestyle planner.Revenue/mo: $9,100Started: October 1991Location: MelbourneFounders: 2Employees: 0Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?Hey, we’re Tom and Alex—Co Founders of Saint Belford.Our mission is to empower others to keep self-care on top of their to-do list so that they can design, build and live a life that genuinely fulfills them, without compromising their wellbeing in the process.We create physical diaries (called Curation) that focus on self-care and personal growth for people who want to prioritise their wellbeing and live life on their terms. We’ve incorporated over a dozen lifestyle tools into one A5 sized planner—things like goal-setting worksheets, habit intention worksheets, habit tracking tools, weekly meal planner, annual bucket list, weekly challenges, pre-week planner to properly map out your week, daily self-care planner… the list goes on—and that’s what sets us apart.imageOur customers are predominantly women like Alex who have either experienced some level of burnout or they recognise the need to slow down and recharge amid the chaos of modern society. These women are searching for more than a diary or planner. They are searching for something to keep them grounded, to help them prioritise their wellbeing and create space for the things that light them up.Much to everyone’s surprise, we turned a profit in our first year achieving a revenue of 43k. In our second year, we almost quadrupled this amount, turning over 160k in less than six months.imageWhat's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?There were 3 reasons that lead us down the path of running our own business.In short, it was a happy accident.1 - Experiencing burnoutMy experience with burnout and mental health issues was probably the primary catalyst for starting Saint Belford. I was taking on far too much, hustling far too aggressively and everything eventually caught up with me.I knew this was a widespread issue and I wanted to provide an alternative to the hustle hard mentality that most of us naturally learn towards. I wanted to truly empower others to put themselves first, prioritise their wellbeing and create time and space for the things were truly important to them.2 - There was nothing like it out thereI’ve always been a fan of putting pen to paper, but I couldn’t find a planner that would help me stay organised and grounded with self-care as the primary focus. We saw this as an opportunity to not only create the perfect planner for me, but also spread the message of self-care. It was Tom’s idea to launch this business.Before burning out, I had ZERO desire to start a business. Having seen the ugly side of owning your own business (my parents were small business owners), I always craved the security of a full time job.Tom: It was actually Alex’s idea. She just wasn’t serious about it and said it as a joke that she should create the perfect planner since she couldn’t find one that suited her. At the time, I was listening to loads of business podcasts and became very interested in business and marketing, but didn’t know what I wanted to do with what I had learned. After a week or so, that idea popped into my head again and that’s when I said “we should do this.”3 - We were at a career crossroadsWe were both at a crossroads in our careers. Neither of our jobs were fulfilling us. Tom was working as an Apple technician and I was an Account Manager at a digital marketing agency. We felt that at the age of 26, with no mortgage or major commitments, we had nothing much to lose. If it didn’t pan out, it would still be worth the adventure and lessons learned.Fortunately, I had a background in marketing and Tom is a fast learner, so we didn’t have to outsource a large chunk of our startup fund. We didn’t do much testing to validate the idea. The most we did was send out a survey to our network to gauge what they liked and didn’t like about their current planners, what features they wanted and what type of goals they typically pursued.Take us through the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing your first product.Finding a printerThe first step was finding a local printer in Australia. We reached out to 36 printers and received 6 replies. Finding a printer was A LOT harder than we anticipated because we didn’t know anything about book specs and therefore could only request a quote based on layman knowledge of notebooks. Our first quote request was something like this:1000 x A5 high end hardcover PU leather diaries ft. gold foil on the front, back and spine.I also included several photos to illustrate my vision and used the feedback from printers to refine my brief.We eventually found a local printer who could meet our requirements. Even though our print job was outsourced to Taiwan (they were quite transparent about this), choosing a local printer meant we didn’t have to deal with freight, customs and language barriers in an industry we knew nothing about.Getting schooled on book makingWe didn’t have a clue how books were made, let alone how to choose the right type of binding, grade of paper, ribbons and hardcover material. Our printer was a big help in this department because he was able to educate us on the process and guide us every step of the way.There were definitely more pros than cons to having a middle man in the first year. The only con was that our printing-related requests were filtered, which meant that our requests were passed on to the manufacturer at the discretion of our printer.In our first year, we made our decisions based on high-res photos, which is such a contrast to the way we do things now. Because we’re dealing directly with our manufacturer now, we can request physical samples of PU leather and make the decision based on touch and feel.imageBrainstorming diary featuresThe search for a printer took weeks. During that time, we brainstormed exactly what we wanted to include in our planner. We looked at what was available online and in stores. We looked at apps we used. We asked ourselves what we wanted in a diary. We surveyed our network and asked them what they wanted.At this stage, we knew we wanted to create more than a diary—something truly unique* that was centred around health and wellness. We came up with dozens of ideas. It was just a matter of figuring out the *best, most practical features to include in what we called “Curation” because it was exactly that—a curation of lifestyle planning tools.imageimageTurning our vision into a digital realityWe put together a brief detailing what we envisioned for each feature and we worked closely with our designer to bring our first edition of Curation to life.We were really blessed in the design department because when we pitched our idea to our friend (who happens to be a designer) she was 100% on board and excited to bring our vision to life (at mates rates). Even though we were living miles apart and the time difference posed a few challenges (she was in France and we were in Australia), the design process was an absolute dream, thanks to the wonders of Skype, Facebook Messenger, Google Docs and Email.imageSorting out packaging problemsOur diaries were shipped to customers in 100% recyclable cardboard book wraps (unbranded). We still use the same packaging today. In our first year, we didn’t want to use unnecessary plastic, so we didn’t bother investing in individual opp/poly bags UNTIL we learned that a few of our diaries arrived with water damage. Eager to avoid another soggy diary experience, we quickly changed our minds about the need for plastic protective material.Describe the process of launching the business.From inception to launchWe came up with the idea of Curation in late February 2017 which meant we had a deadline to meet if we wanted to launch a 2018 edition. We had about 8 months to design, produce and market the first edition before launching in October. This timeline worked in our favour because it didn’t leave room for procrastination or perfectionism.We had to “move fast and break things” and foster an attitude of “done is better than perfect.”We later learned that most diary companies launch around late August, early September, so we were actually late to the party. That was the first lesson we learned.imageCreating our websiteWe picked a theme that was roughly $100 and did everything ourselves, right down to the photos. It makes us cringe a little when we look back at them now because the photos were so amateur, but you’ve got to start somewhere!imageKeeping the costs downOur goal was to be profitable in the first year, so we were very careful about where we allocated our funds.In our first year, we relied heavily on micro influencers and SEO to put us on the map. We sent over a dozen copies to lifestyle bloggers and health coaches in the wellness space with a few thousand followers behind them. The idea was for them to share it on their story if they liked our product and/or write a review on their blog. It was a cost effective way for us to reach a larger audience, increase visibility and build brand credibility, since we were the new kids on the block.This worked quite well. The best, most profitable “shares” were from fatmumslim.com.au, afternoonpickmeup.com.au and rachaelkable.com because they included us in their “best diaries for 2018” roundup.imageWe used my background and knowledge in SEO to our advantage. Tom’s interest in marketing and his desire to self-educate also kept our marketing costs down. In total, we invested 15k of our life savings into launching this business. We didn’t want to take out any loans or get ourselves into debt because we were simply testing an idea.Launching to the publicWe didn’t build hype or a brand following before we launched, so it wasn’t some big, epic launch. We posted on our personal Facebook accounts and that got the ball rolling. Our friends and family were instrumental in spreading the word about our brand. Our first few customers were friends/family but by the 5th or 6th day, we were selling to random people, and that was when it finally felt real.imageLessons from our experienceBuild a following before you launch.Leverage your connections and don’t be afraid to ask for help. “Mates rates” can really help keep costs down in the first year. You’ll be surprised by how generous people are with their time and advice when you’re a startup.Don’t be afraid to share your product with family and friends. They will be your biggest supporters in the beginning.Have a deadline and stick to it. Having a deadline worked in our favour because it didn’t leave room for procrastination or perfectionism.Join entrepreneurial/ecommerce Facebook groups. They can be a great resource and place to ask questions.Be prepared to pivot. In our first year, SEO worked a charm. In our second year, it didn’t work as well as we’d hoped, so we had to adapt our marketing strategy and learn how to market our products on Instagram and Facebook.Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?We’ve tried so many different types of marketing in a bid to attract and retain customers. These are our biggest takeaways.Instagram and Facebook ads for the winThis worked a treat for attracting new customers and increasing traffic/sales. We used professional imagery and targeted people just like Alex. We know that the majority of our customers don’t convert immediately because it’s something they’ll research for weeks.The goal of the ad is to generate awareness and either get them to sign up to our VIP list (email list) or follow us on Instagram where we can nurture them until they are ready to purchase. Once they land on our website, we can also retarget them at a later date.We also use Instagram for social proof. When customers share our products on their story or message us telling us how much they love what we’ve created, we will always repost it.imageShow that you’re humanDon’t just be a brand. Show that you’re human so that customers have someone they can connect with. We do this via Instagram stories. Customers love seeing what goes on behind the scenes. They want to put a face and a voice to the brand.imageClarify and communicate your brand message clearlyDonald Miller’s Storybrand Framework has transformed the way we communicate our brand message and market our products. I highly recommend listening to his audiobook “Building a StoryBrand” and implementing his principles. The audiobook will teach you how to write incredible website/marketing copy and nurture your email subscribers. Our YoY conversion rate increased from 3% to 3.8% thanks to these principles.Incentivise email sign upsWe decided to give away a free copy of our planner every month to someone on our email list. Once we implemented an email opt-in with “Sign up for your chance to win a FREE copy of Curation 2019”, we went from having 600 email subscribers to nearly 5000 in just a few months, and they were quality subscribers. Our email conversion rate was 7.64% last year.Collaborate with like-minded brandsWe did giveaways with brands in the health and wellness space to reach new customers. One particular giveaway with Pana Chocolate (raw organic chocolate) helped us build our Instagram following by the thousands, just in time for Black Friday/Cyber Monday. We didn’t strategically plan for this to happen, but it certainly taught us that timing the giveaway is important.Produce valuable contentThis has been a huge part of our retention strategy. We seek out people in the health and wellness space to guest post on our blog. We produce FREE eBooks in the off-season. We just spent 3 months writing our last eBook which is all about building new habits that stick.We’re not just in the business of selling planners—we’re constantly searching for new ways to empower our audience and add value.How are you doing today and what does the future look like?imageWe saw phenomenal revenue growth in our second year of business—47k to over 160k in revenue through our Shopify store.We’ve been travelling around Asia working on the 2020 diary collection which will be released in September. We’re so grateful we get to do this.In terms of the future, we’re still trying to figure out what direction we want to take the business in. There are pros and cons to having a seasonal business. The pro being that we’ve been able to travel and work remotely in the off-season. The con being that we’re only generating revenue in September-February.Tom and I have finally settled into our roles. Being life and business partners is tricky but having roles in the business has helped us navigate this territory. Tom is in charge of business/marketing strategy and the techy side of things. I’m in charge of supplier and customer relationships, product development and content creation.We do have plans to expand our range next year. There are a few ideas in the pipeline, but we want to keep it a surprise for our audience.Ultimately, our goal is to continue creating lifestyle tools that focus on self-care and personal growth, whether that’s in the form of eBooks or adding to our physical collection.We are also really passionate about mental health which is why we donate a percentage of our profits to Beyond Blue and R U OK? every year. This will always be a core part of our business.Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?The biggest challenge was finding a supplier who understood our needs and could deliver on their promises. We actually flew to China to meet with our supplier this year. Sitting down face to face, explaining our concerns and visiting the factory where our diaries are currently being produced has filled us with a lot more confidence.Before manufacturing your product, figure out what a defective product looks like. For us, it’s scratches, missing pages, unseared ribbons, etc. Once you know what a defect looks like, communicate this to your supplier and agree on an accepted defect rate. Every factory will have a defect rate, so don’t be fooled by a company telling you that they don’t have one.It’s impossible to produce 100% perfect products on a mass scale. It’s good practice to establish a written agreement of the product specs and criteria. We use Alibaba to process all transactions because it protects us in the off chance the supplier doesn’t meet the agreed criteria.What platform/tools do you use for your business?We try to keep it as simple as possible. It’s easy to get bogged down with the latest apps, but one thing we’ve noticed is keeping it simple helps with our website speed and overall sanity. Sumo and Kaviyo are definitely our favourites, and when I say we, I mean Tom because he’s the tech nerd in this duo!Shopify: affordable and super easy to use.Sumo: collecting emails is a breeze with Sumo. The pop-ups are incredibly easy to design and customer support is amazing.Klaviyo: we just recently switched from MailChimp to Klaviyo and it has allowed us to step up our email marketing game. The built-in flows and email automation possibilities are truly next level.What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?The Slight Edge by Jeff OlsonThis taught us the power of small habits, when compounded over time. It also helped us build the discipline we needed to create a sustainable business.Tim Ferriss podcastTom has listened to almost every episode. Tim manages to extract amazing insights from his guests which can be distilled down into principles anyone can use.Noah Kagan podcast/YouTube channelThese are all bite sized, completely actionable tips and advice for small businesses.Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?Make sure your preparation doesn’t turn into procrastination.Done is better than perfect. Our first year was a test. Did we produce the perfect product? Not at all. BUT we used our customer feedback and everything we had learned in our first year to create something we were genuinely proud of in the second year.Don’t be afraid to “move fast and break things.”Learn from your mistakes. When you view your mistakes as an opportunity to learn and improve, you can recover faster. Don’t dwell on it. Own it and use it to your advantage.Ask for help!!People are more than happy to help you. You’ve just got to ask.Have a strong WHY.Make sure you’re genuinely passionate about your product/service. People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.Don’t forget to look after yourself.Starting a business is exciting but it’s also overwhelming and exhausting. It’s also easy to neglect your mind and body in favour of getting that important thing done. Just remember this quote by Joyce Sunada “If you don’t take time for your wellness, you’ll be forced to make time for your illness.”Where can we go to learn more?www.saintbelford.com.auwww.instagram.com/saintbelfordwww.facebook.com/saintbelfordIf you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!Liked this text interview? Check out the full interview with photos, tools, books, and other data.For more interviews, check out r/starter_story - I post new stories there daily.Interested in sharing your own story? Send me a PM

[douchebagbrainwaves]

YOU SENSE THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU IF YOU THOUGHT THINGS YOU DIDN'T DARE SAY OUT LOUD

Then it was Paypal's. But that is at least a random sample of the applicants that were selected, b their subsequent performance is measured, and c the groups of applicants you're comparing have roughly equal distribution of ability.1 Explaining himself later, he said I don't do litmus tests. That's only off by a factor of 10 or so.2 To find them, keep track of opinions that get people in trouble today. What scares me is that there is a lot of immigrants working in it.3 I'm not typing this on an Apfel laptop.4 ABQ A Dutch friend says I should use Holland as an example of a tolerant society.5 In a field like physics, if we disagree with past generations it's because we're right and they're wrong.

The church knew this would set people thinking. It probably was enough to protect hunter-gatherers, and perhaps all pre-industrial societies. It's interesting to see the VCs' offices on the north side of Sand Hill Road reminds you that the opposite of down and dirty would be up and clean. Why look under rocks as a kid how rich people became poor, I'd have said by spending all their money. But I'm convinced they got this right by accident. Zealots will try to draw you out, but you don't have them.6 If everything you believe is something you're supposed to now, how can you be sure you wouldn't also have believed everything you were supposed to if you had grown up among the plantation owners of the pre-Civil War South, or in Germany in the 1930s, after they excluded Jews. Graffiti happens at the intersection of ambition and incompetence: people want to make their mark on the world, but have no other way to do that, why not do it openly?7 There are a lot of people, you've found a gold mine. The information needed to conduct such studies is increasingly available. If I woke up one morning and sat down on the sofa watching TV for 2 hours, let alone a whole day watching TV I'd feel like I was descending into perdition.

For example, many startups in America begin in places where it's not supposed to.8 Why do they do this? Perhaps the best policy is to make it through the selection process will outperform other successful applicants.9 My advice is, don't say it. The early adopters will be driven not by government policies which won't work or by market need which doesn't exist but, to the extent that it happens at all, because if your sponsor goes out of business, you have to say actually is a list of n things is the easiest essay form, it should be a good one. In the process of developing the pitch for the first conference. Now it means a smaller, younger, more technical group that just decided to make something great.

0 conference would presumably be full of geeks, right?10 You do it sitting at a desk.11 Can imagination flourish where people can't criticize the government? Livable towns? The first microcomputers were dismissed as toys.12 A couple months ago, one VC firm almost certainly unintentionally published a study showing bias of this type. It's like stretching. Oddly enough, the leaders now are European countries like Belgium, which has a capital gains tax rate of zero. It's the easiest form. Startups are that constrained for talent.

Especially since programmers are being trained in other countries is probably the effort required just to start a company when he wrote the first versions of Google. In poor countries, things we take for granted are missing. How could you make something users would like better? If a statement is false, that's the worst thing is, they're not even fun.13 Increasingly startups are located in Mountain View: Red Rock. Such obviously false statements might be treated as jokes, or at least embodies, present taboos. The best professors are spread out, and feels surprisingly empty much of the time. If you believe everything you're supposed to believe, could that possibly be a coincidence? Silicon Valley.14 This will come as a surprise to First Round that they performed one.

The best professors are spread out, instead of sitting becalmed praying for a business model, like the print media. It can get you factories for building things designed elsewhere. And yet a group has to be poised halfway between weakness and power. You see it in Diogenes telling Alexander to get out of his light and two thousand years later in Feynman breaking into safes at Los Alamos. I'm doing stuff that seems, superficially, like real work. Ok, it may be heretical or whatever modern equivalent, but might it also be true? Didn't it already mean using the web as it was meant to be used.15 Startups are the kind of thing people don't plan, so you're more likely to get them in a society where it's ok to make career decisions on the fly.16 If you go around saying this, you'll be denounced as a yellowist will just be a distraction.17 I've seen. Want to know if the selection process will outperform other successful applicants.18 In the process of developing the pitch for the first conference.

Notes

Of course, that I knew, there would be very unhealthy.

And at 98%, as far as I explain later. Because in the sample might be a trivial enhancement of HTTP, to a new Mosaic.

By Paleolithic standards, technology evolved at a friend's house for the desperate and the ordering system, the airplane, the television, the way up. For more on not screwing up. Abstract-sounding language.

Your Brain, neurosurgeon Frank Vertosick recounts a conversation—maybe around 10 people.

Another thing I learned from this experiment is that a company if the founders of failing startups would even be tempted, but they were saying scaramara instead of themselves. In effect they were taken back in high school football game that will be out of about 4,000.

Keep heat low. And journalists as part of the taste of apples because if people are these days. They hoped they were friendlier to developers than Apple is now the first couple months we can't figure out yet whether you'll succeed.

Wufoo was based in Tampa and they won't be demoralized if they had first claim on the other. I grew up with an associate cold-emailing a startup to sell something bad can be useful in cases where VCs don't invest, it would annoy our competitor more if we wanted to make Viaweb. There were lots of others followed.

Dealers try to accept a particular number. When companies can't simply eliminate new competitors may be whether what you write has a power law dropoff, but historical abuses are easier for us. I think that's because delicious/popular is driven by a big chunk of time and get pushed down by new arrivals.

Not even being Genghis Khan is probably a cause. Users dislike their new operating system so much on the way starting a company is like math's ne'er-do-well brother.

Even as late as Newton's time it would destroy them. Even if you include the prices of new inventions until they become so common that their prices stabilize. It is still what seemed to us an old copy from the truth to say that Watt reinvented the steam engine. But in practice money raised as convertible debt, so they'll understand how lucky they are themselves typical users.

FreeBSD 1.

The most important factor in deciding between success and failure, just as European politics then had no idea how much they liked the iPhone SDK. Actually it's hard to predict precisely what would happen to their situation. Yes, there are lots of people who will go away. The trend of VC angel investing is so hard to grasp this than we can teach startups a lot about some of these limits could be adjacent.

But which of them consistently make money from the truth. So how do they learn that nobody wants what they claim was the capital which would be worth approaching—if you include the cases where a great reputation and they're clearly working fast to get significant numbers of people thought of them. For the computer world recognize who that is more like your brother?

I could pick them, initially, to mean the hypothetical people who should quit their day job is one of its workforce in 1938, thereby gaining organized labor as a high school is rounding error compared to what used to say that any given college. Maybe markets will eventually get comfortable with potential earnings. The real problem is not such a different type of x.

After reading a draft of this essay, Richard. Thanks to Paul Buchheit adds: I remember the eyes of phone companies are also the perfect point to spread them. The main one was drilling for oil, which made it over a certain field, and we don't have enough equity left to motivate people by saying Real artists ship. But you're not convinced that what you're doing.

Miyazaki, Ichisada Conrad Schirokauer trans.

One VC who read it ever wished it longer. What they must do is say you've reformed, and anyone doing due diligence for an investor who merely seems like he will fund you, it will seem more interesting than later ones, it is generally the way up. We think of a severe-looking little box with a faulty knowledge of human nature is certainly part of creating an agreement from scratch.

Foster, Richard. We actively sought out people who'd failed out of the world.

[sailorrrvenus]

Making MAYA, the Only Darkroom Timer You’ll Ever Need

MAYA is a darkroom timer project that was born out of necessity when my old darkroom timer had started to malfunction. It has become a pretty successful crowdfunding campaign so far, exceeding 300% of its initial goal with a few days left to go.

Like many people who still have a darkroom, I’ve bought most of the equipment in the used market. As is the case with such niche markets, you can’t always pick your choice from an endless supply of brands, models, and variations so I went for the best deal I could see, a Kaiser 6002 with several boxes loaded with all kinds of darkroom supplies. The seller was one of the nicest people I’ve met and explained in great detail what I was walking out with. In one of those boxes, there was a darkroom timer.

He had fully explained that it wasn’t the best timer in the world. It would only have two functions, turn the enlarger lamp on and off at my will so that I could focus and upon pressing the countdown button, it would turn the enlarger on for a set amount of time, making an exposure. Except that every now and then it would get stuck (usually around the 15-second mark) and give me an unending exposure, resulting in crushed blacks and grayed out highlights, depending on how late I was to react to the needle getting stuck.

Approaching the zone of doom… or maybe it’ll be fine this time…

I had looked for replacement timers and I still remember closing down all the tabs in my browser in frustration. Even the simplest timers, similar to what I had, would cost more than I’m willing to pay. As I had gained more darkroom experience, I began to realize I didn’t want a similar replacement anyway. Having such a simple timer became quite limiting as I had begun to work with split grades, multiple exposures, dodging and burning, flashing the paper… Each session I was finding myself more willing to get a much more capable unit, something that would let me set it up as I want and then simply get out of the way as I was making the final print.

There’s a good deal of work behind even a simple print like this

Then on one such day, I was met with my timer’s much-worsened situation. Now it would get stuck much more often and at every single spot on the dial. It was almost impossible to even make a reliable test strip with repeated 5” exposures. So I began revisiting all the manufacturers who still make a darkroom timer, along with the used ones commonly available.

Did not like any of them.

I was looking for something more practical. Even though I shoot film, mostly using equipment that was designed and built decades ago, that doesn’t mean I want to work with a badly designed interface with 4-digit numeric codes and lookup tables requiring multiple button combinations and memorizing what and where everything is. It’s 2018 (it was back then), why can’t we have something with a proper LCD? Why is anything with F-Stops so expensive? Why am I expected to pay 350$/€/£ for some add-on which is basically a 0.20$/€/£ electronic part attached to a cable? Why do I have to buy a different model with different capabilities which clearly runs on the exact same hardware, if all I want is some of those capabilities? Why can’t this be done with a simple firmware update?

I could do better than this.

I knew people were already building simple timers using Arduino microcontrollers. So, why not build something far more advanced? It’s a small computer that is available cheaply and is easily reprogrammable. If it handles 3D printers, CNC machines and all kind of silly robots that you can find all over the Internet, how hard would it be to ask it turn a light off and on?

A few seconds after these thoughts, my industrial designer instincts kicked in. “It’s just software in a box”, a voice said from the back of my head. “Just build another box, upload the software and you have a copy that you can sell. If it turns out as good as you imagine it to be, people will buy it”.

Can you hear the people queuing up?

So I went out, bought two Arduino boards, an LCD and assorted lengths of wire and started working with them. Did a whole notebook worth of sketches of both the physical and the graphical user interface. From the start, I wanted to have dials and a few buttons that I could repurpose as I saw fit. It has a screen, after all. I could communicate with the user, telling what each of these dials and buttons does in a given menu or mode. Yet at the same time, I would keep the two most essential buttons serve only one purpose, one to focus and one to expose. No double clicks, no press and hold, no excuses. Press them and they should do their job.

First sketches of the box

Even though having an LCD is nice and informative, I wanted to have another way of displaying the most crucial information, the countdown time and the contrast filter that I’m supposed to use. For that, I added two large displays to either side of the LCD. Shortly afterward it became natural to look at those displays to figure out what I was supposed to do next when making a print; expose for a certain amount of time, replace the contrast filter, dodge or burn a certain area.

Maybe I should have gotten two egg timers. Nah, I’ll just design and build a small computer:

After deciding on the basic design language, I began to design the graphical user interface, all the menus and screens. There were many variations, seemingly good concepts that were abandoned shortly after using them in the real world and seemingly dead ends that made it back somehow into later versions.

One such concept was replacing the LCD with an E Ink display. Would’ve been easy to read under the red safelight and I liked the idea of displaying a clock face on the e-ink display to act as a progress bar. Had to abandon this idea after realizing even with partial refresh, e-ink displays have a very low refresh rate and a very annoying blink when refreshing the whole screen. Shelved the concept without building a single prototype and maybe I’ll bring it back one day but the progress bar idea made it into the next version of the hardware, as a series of LEDs that visualize my progress along the whole print recipe or the current countdown.

Here’s me making some test strips with F-Stops (don’t have to follow the time display, the progress bar tells me how long it’ll take):

Until about that point, the whole thing was still a pet project that I intended to build as a replacement for my timer. When I shared it on a few Facebook groups (The Darkroom and Medium&Large Format film Photography, both excellent places of exchanging information and photography), it was met with great encouragement, very positive feedback and quite a few new ideas. There were also the occasional “yeah cool but I like having a basic timer,” which is still valid feedback, some people don’t care for what I was after at all. That day I had made up my mind, I would prioritize this project, get it out on the market for everyone who’d like to have one and… then what?

What if I had built an enlarger as well? Or an automated film processor, some people really like that idea as it’s been demonstrated quite a few times in the last years. What else? There is quite a capable microprocessor inside MAYA and if I had planned the hardware ahead, I could’ve come up with all sorts of darkroom related hardware and make them work with it via a simple firmware update. How about an affordable densitometer? A shutter speed tester? A head probe for people who use cold light enlargers, one of the many great ideas that came from that thread on Facebook? Support for Ilford Multigrade heads? I had already separated the Power Bar (where all the darkroom appliances are connected to) from the control unit so most of these enlarger-unrelated add-ons would simply use the same interface for communication and with the right hardware, I could even use MAYA as a sous vide machine.

Definitely sous vide

Is it sous vide if you do everything by hand? (It already does have a separate mode for film process timer and an auto-compensating thermometer)

With all my plans set, I could finally launch a crowdfunding campaign. I knew that there’s a great deal of negativity surrounding crowdfunding projects these days, especially in our community thanks to a few projects who have cheated out quite a few people by either overpromising with fancy looking non-working prototypes or cool-sounding concepts that became to no fruition of any kind. With no previous projects of this kind or a bought-and-repurposed brand name that is familiar in the industry, I had to be as transparent as possible. Which meant taking an extra month or two developing the concept into a later stage, shoot a lot of videos, share them around, show MAYA in use for everyone to see and understand.

Photo of the first prototype unit

White Edition, has mostly the same capabilities without some of the bells and whistles

Since I’m in such a late stage of design, there isn’t much to do before finalizing the product. One aspect that I had not finalized is the final choice of materials and production methods. For that, I had to see how many of these I’d expect to build. Even if I had sold only a handful of units, I could still be able to deliver by using traditional production methods. If I had approached triple digits, I could use some more sophisticated materials and techniques to build them. Deep into triple digits would’ve been pretty much mass production with me being much less involved in most of the steps, except for final assembly, quality control, and delivery.

All I had needed in the first place though, was a handful of people to believe in my project.

Met that initial goal in about than 39 hours. Had doubled it in less than a week and with only a few days to go, I’ve passed 300% of my initial goal. This could only happen with the help of some lovely people in the community. The people who spread the word around. What we see the most often is all the negativity in the comment section and forum threads but we don’t hear enough praise for people who share their enthusiasm with others.

So once again, thank you everyone who had ever left a comment on any of my posts anywhere. Thank you to everyone who shared the word around, in the forums, Facebook groups, mail groups and Discord servers they hang in. Couldn’t have done this without some people spending night after night of their own time, giving me new ideas, feedback and encouragement. We, as a photography community in general, are getting fewer in numbers (even though film photography is actually growing) and the best part of this project has been meeting all the lovely strangers over the Internet. Thank you, everyone.

And here we are. With the crowdfunding about to be completed, hard work awaits me. I have to debug my code, do a few experiments with the future projects to ensure compatibility, finalize the design, order and manufacture the parts and put everything together. With the extra funding raised, I’ve already begun working on a few of those steps and assuming everything goes smoothly, will deliver the first batch in July and the second batch in August.

Then I’ll return with another project. Something that I’ve already been working on…

About the author: Can Çevik is an industrial designer and film photographer based in Istanbul, Turkey. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. Çevik is the inventor of MAYA, an advanced darkroom timer. You can find more of his work and photos on Instagram.

source https://petapixel.com/2019/03/13/making-maya-the-only-darkroom-timer-youll-ever-need/

[pauldeckerus]

Making MAYA, the Only Darkroom Timer You’ll Ever Need

MAYA is a darkroom timer project that was born out of necessity when my old darkroom timer had started to malfunction. It has become a pretty successful crowdfunding campaign so far, exceeding 300% of its initial goal with a few days left to go.

Like many people who still have a darkroom, I’ve bought most of the equipment in the used market. As is the case with such niche markets, you can’t always pick your choice from an endless supply of brands, models, and variations so I went for the best deal I could see, a Kaiser 6002 with several boxes loaded with all kinds of darkroom supplies. The seller was one of the nicest people I’ve met and explained in great detail what I was walking out with. In one of those boxes, there was a darkroom timer.

He had fully explained that it wasn’t the best timer in the world. It would only have two functions, turn the enlarger lamp on and off at my will so that I could focus and upon pressing the countdown button, it would turn the enlarger on for a set amount of time, making an exposure. Except that every now and then it would get stuck (usually around the 15-second mark) and give me an unending exposure, resulting in crushed blacks and grayed out highlights, depending on how late I was to react to the needle getting stuck.

Approaching the zone of doom… or maybe it’ll be fine this time…

I had looked for replacement timers and I still remember closing down all the tabs in my browser in frustration. Even the simplest timers, similar to what I had, would cost more than I’m willing to pay. As I had gained more darkroom experience, I began to realize I didn’t want a similar replacement anyway. Having such a simple timer became quite limiting as I had begun to work with split grades, multiple exposures, dodging and burning, flashing the paper… Each session I was finding myself more willing to get a much more capable unit, something that would let me set it up as I want and then simply get out of the way as I was making the final print.

There’s a good deal of work behind even a simple print like this

Then on one such day, I was met with my timer’s much-worsened situation. Now it would get stuck much more often and at every single spot on the dial. It was almost impossible to even make a reliable test strip with repeated 5” exposures. So I began revisiting all the manufacturers who still make a darkroom timer, along with the used ones commonly available.

Did not like any of them.

I was looking for something more practical. Even though I shoot film, mostly using equipment that was designed and built decades ago, that doesn’t mean I want to work with a badly designed interface with 4-digit numeric codes and lookup tables requiring multiple button combinations and memorizing what and where everything is. It’s 2018 (it was back then), why can’t we have something with a proper LCD? Why is anything with F-Stops so expensive? Why am I expected to pay 350$/€/£ for some add-on which is basically a 0.20$/€/£ electronic part attached to a cable? Why do I have to buy a different model with different capabilities which clearly runs on the exact same hardware, if all I want is some of those capabilities? Why can’t this be done with a simple firmware update?

I could do better than this.

I knew people were already building simple timers using Arduino microcontrollers. So, why not build something far more advanced? It’s a small computer that is available cheaply and is easily reprogrammable. If it handles 3D printers, CNC machines and all kind of silly robots that you can find all over the Internet, how hard would it be to ask it turn a light off and on?

A few seconds after these thoughts, my industrial designer instincts kicked in. “It’s just software in a box”, a voice said from the back of my head. “Just build another box, upload the software and you have a copy that you can sell. If it turns out as good as you imagine it to be, people will buy it”.

Can you hear the people queuing up?

So I went out, bought two Arduino boards, an LCD and assorted lengths of wire and started working with them. Did a whole notebook worth of sketches of both the physical and the graphical user interface. From the start, I wanted to have dials and a few buttons that I could repurpose as I saw fit. It has a screen, after all. I could communicate with the user, telling what each of these dials and buttons does in a given menu or mode. Yet at the same time, I would keep the two most essential buttons serve only one purpose, one to focus and one to expose. No double clicks, no press and hold, no excuses. Press them and they should do their job.

First sketches of the box

Even though having an LCD is nice and informative, I wanted to have another way of displaying the most crucial information, the countdown time and the contrast filter that I’m supposed to use. For that, I added two large displays to either side of the LCD. Shortly afterward it became natural to look at those displays to figure out what I was supposed to do next when making a print; expose for a certain amount of time, replace the contrast filter, dodge or burn a certain area.

Maybe I should have gotten two egg timers. Nah, I’ll just design and build a small computer:

After deciding on the basic design language, I began to design the graphical user interface, all the menus and screens. There were many variations, seemingly good concepts that were abandoned shortly after using them in the real world and seemingly dead ends that made it back somehow into later versions.

One such concept was replacing the LCD with an E Ink display. Would’ve been easy to read under the red safelight and I liked the idea of displaying a clock face on the e-ink display to act as a progress bar. Had to abandon this idea after realizing even with partial refresh, e-ink displays have a very low refresh rate and a very annoying blink when refreshing the whole screen. Shelved the concept without building a single prototype and maybe I’ll bring it back one day but the progress bar idea made it into the next version of the hardware, as a series of LEDs that visualize my progress along the whole print recipe or the current countdown.

Here’s me making some test strips with F-Stops (don’t have to follow the time display, the progress bar tells me how long it’ll take):

Until about that point, the whole thing was still a pet project that I intended to build as a replacement for my timer. When I shared it on a few Facebook groups (The Darkroom and Medium&Large Format film Photography, both excellent places of exchanging information and photography), it was met with great encouragement, very positive feedback and quite a few new ideas. There were also the occasional “yeah cool but I like having a basic timer,” which is still valid feedback, some people don’t care for what I was after at all. That day I had made up my mind, I would prioritize this project, get it out on the market for everyone who’d like to have one and… then what?

What if I had built an enlarger as well? Or an automated film processor, some people really like that idea as it’s been demonstrated quite a few times in the last years. What else? There is quite a capable microprocessor inside MAYA and if I had planned the hardware ahead, I could’ve come up with all sorts of darkroom related hardware and make them work with it via a simple firmware update. How about an affordable densitometer? A shutter speed tester? A head probe for people who use cold light enlargers, one of the many great ideas that came from that thread on Facebook? Support for Ilford Multigrade heads? I had already separated the Power Bar (where all the darkroom appliances are connected to) from the control unit so most of these enlarger-unrelated add-ons would simply use the same interface for communication and with the right hardware, I could even use MAYA as a sous vide machine.

Definitely sous vide

Is it sous vide if you do everything by hand? (It already does have a separate mode for film process timer and an auto-compensating thermometer)

With all my plans set, I could finally launch a crowdfunding campaign. I knew that there’s a great deal of negativity surrounding crowdfunding projects these days, especially in our community thanks to a few projects who have cheated out quite a few people by either overpromising with fancy looking non-working prototypes or cool-sounding concepts that became to no fruition of any kind. With no previous projects of this kind or a bought-and-repurposed brand name that is familiar in the industry, I had to be as transparent as possible. Which meant taking an extra month or two developing the concept into a later stage, shoot a lot of videos, share them around, show MAYA in use for everyone to see and understand.

Photo of the first prototype unit

White Edition, has mostly the same capabilities without some of the bells and whistles

Since I’m in such a late stage of design, there isn’t much to do before finalizing the product. One aspect that I had not finalized is the final choice of materials and production methods. For that, I had to see how many of these I’d expect to build. Even if I had sold only a handful of units, I could still be able to deliver by using traditional production methods. If I had approached triple digits, I could use some more sophisticated materials and techniques to build them. Deep into triple digits would’ve been pretty much mass production with me being much less involved in most of the steps, except for final assembly, quality control, and delivery.

All I had needed in the first place though, was a handful of people to believe in my project.

Met that initial goal in about than 39 hours. Had doubled it in less than a week and with only a few days to go, I’ve passed 300% of my initial goal. This could only happen with the help of some lovely people in the community. The people who spread the word around. What we see the most often is all the negativity in the comment section and forum threads but we don’t hear enough praise for people who share their enthusiasm with others.

So once again, thank you everyone who had ever left a comment on any of my posts anywhere. Thank you to everyone who shared the word around, in the forums, Facebook groups, mail groups and Discord servers they hang in. Couldn’t have done this without some people spending night after night of their own time, giving me new ideas, feedback and encouragement. We, as a photography community in general, are getting fewer in numbers (even though film photography is actually growing) and the best part of this project has been meeting all the lovely strangers over the Internet. Thank you, everyone.

And here we are. With the crowdfunding about to be completed, hard work awaits me. I have to debug my code, do a few experiments with the future projects to ensure compatibility, finalize the design, order and manufacture the parts and put everything together. With the extra funding raised, I’ve already begun working on a few of those steps and assuming everything goes smoothly, will deliver the first batch in July and the second batch in August.

Then I’ll return with another project. Something that I’ve already been working on…

About the author: Can Çevik is an industrial designer and film photographer based in Istanbul, Turkey. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. Çevik is the inventor of MAYA, an advanced darkroom timer. You can find more of his work and photos on Instagram.

from Photography News https://petapixel.com/2019/03/13/making-maya-the-only-darkroom-timer-youll-ever-need/

[gearsfics]

Songsword - Missing Girls

Summary: Hank and Renee look over the files for the missing girls, trying to find connections that don't include his girlfriend.

Notes: This was a hard chapter to write... Basicially because gah, so much going on in the real world right now. Though hopefully that will start getting better. And hopefully my home life will be improving as well.

Oh and the crayon thing... I totally stole that from an RE game I used to play in as STARS era Chris. He threatened to fill out his paperwork with crayons because everyone was being grumpy in the chat and I may have been a little tipsy on some yummy wine. I just love the idea of the threat okay XD

Also posted: Here

“I was wondering about that.  Took them three hours to scrape it off.”  Hank chuckled reaching over to the soda bottle that was sitting on his desk.  “You tell her about this and I swear I’m going to stop covering for you when you need to slip away.”  The unnatural orange drink was his vice, and he knew his daughter was trying to get him to cut back on his caffeine intake.  Hypocritical if you asked him, since she worked in a coffee shop.

“Right, you say that every time.  Pretty sure you just have a soft spot for women Hank.”  

“Only ones that I care about like family.  And Anna might not be on that list soon.” He set the files of the girls on the files of the person that had employed them.  All of the jobs that had been offered had been legal, ranging from house cleaning to secretarial work, nothing had been sketchy.  “And honestly that list isn’t that long.”

Across town Hank pinched the bridge of his nose leaning back in his chair.  The paperwork he had just caught up with was thankfully keeping him away from the apartment for the night.  Anna would be complaining about not going to his sister-in-law’s party. As much as he wanted to go, he also wanted to make sure his daughter could enjoy the night in peace.  

Cover me When I walk alone Cover me When my stance it stumbles homes Cover me We'll trip on through the sands of time Cover Me - Candlebox

“Thought that you had left already.”  Montoya sipped her coffee as she tossed her jacket over the back of her chair.  Sinking into it she looked at the stack of paperwork she had gotten stuck with. “Guess I’m not the only one without plans on a saturday night.”

“Huh?  Oh, June’s party?  Nope, that’s her thing, besides would have had to bring my girlfriend, and it’s being thrown for Mira.  I would rather keep those two apart as long as I can.” He caught her chuckle as she set down her cup. “And here I thought you would have slipped away with that hot red-head of yours?”  

“Not until later.” She gave a small smirk.  “You know you’re one of the only ones cool about that?”

"Not my place to question it, an’ reckon you get enough hell from others.  I’m just the new guy.” Hank grinned a little at her. “Besides, she makes you smile everyone needs that.”

“Keep it up you’re going to make me blush Hank.”  She snickered as she reached for the stack on her desk.  “And next time he’s so doing all the paperwork.”

“Hank, these are the files you wanted, though not sure why you want them.”  He was relieved to get rid of the stack though. “Because really they find out you’re poking into things, you know Gordon’s going to get an earful.”

“That’s why you’re not saying a word right Davis?  Besides, he’ll come at me about it don’t worry I’ll make sure you’re not implicated.”  He grinned at Montoya. “You say that every time. Remember two weeks ago when he brought in the crayons to threaten to do the paperwork in if he got stuck with it?”

And cover me Cause I've been branded I've lost my mind Lost my mind But you'll cover me yeah Give me shelter from the storm

Davis walked off letting the two detectives talk.  Hank watched him a moment before he looked through the files, starting to organize them in a way that made sense to him.  He reached into his desk for the reports on the missing girls as well. While many of the others liked keeping things on the computers, Hank was old school.  He needed a physical paper copy that he could flip through, thus the folders that had taken over his drawer. The one case that he was working on his time. He wasn’t going to let these girls stories be buried.  

“I melted the crayons he brought in for that reason.  Didn’t you see the wax puddle on his desk last week?” Renee looked at the files as he spread them out on his desk.  “Wait aren’t those Anna’s clients?” She knew that he and Anna were having issues, one of them being Hank’s adopted daughter.  She also knew it had been the hardest thing for Hank to have his daughter move in with his sister-in-law, though, now looking at the files, she understood why.  He had to be keeping Anna close to figure out what her game plan was, and keeping his daughter out of her warpath.

Wasn’t the way she would have done it, but with Mira dating Bruce Wayne’s youngest son, it was giving them a place out of sight of the paparazzi, something she wished Wayne had thought of when Grayson had been dating Gordon’s daughter.

“I was wondering about that.  Took them three hours to scrape it off.”  Hank chuckled reaching over to the soda bottle that was sitting on his desk.  “You tell her about this and I swear I’m going to stop covering for you when you need to slip away.”  The unnatural orange drink was his vice, and he knew his daughter was trying to get him to cut back on his caffeine intake.  Hypocritical if you asked him, since she worked in a coffee shop.

“Right, you say that every time.  Pretty sure you just have a soft spot for women Hank.”  

“Only ones that I care about like family.  And Anna might not be on that list soon.” He set the files of the girls on the files of the person that had employed them.  All of the jobs that had been offered had been legal, ranging from house cleaning to secretarial work, nothing had been sketchy.  “And honestly that list isn’t that long.”

She smiled.  He treated her like a sister, and not in the babying way.  She was an equal, though he did step in if he saw she needed help or if someone was being a complete ass, always asking before hand to see if she wanted the help.  It was one of the reasons why she didn’t mind him as back up. She had watched him, and noticed that he did the same thing to other cops, always making it clear he was assisting, not taking over the scene.  Made him a lot more friends in the force than enemies. Got to the point if he showed up, if there were victims that were terrified, they’d send him to calm them down and ask questions. He had a way of just putting people at ease.

“So looking for a connection?”  She reached for a file. “I’m just waiting for lab results anyway if you want help.”  She lied, but the reports wouldn’t take that long to do, she had most of it typed out anyway she just needed to add some details, and hit print and send.  

“This is an off the books case you know.”  Hank watched her, though didn’t stop her at all, if she wanted to take a look he’d let her.  He just wouldn’t let her go with him when he went to question suspects. She had a partner, and a lover that he was pretty sure could kick his ass.  Hank didn’t really want to find out how hard Kate could hit.

She nodded.  “And really doubt that Gordon would bitch if we turned it on the books honestly.  Though I know the reason, let’s not alert the DA’s office yet that your investigating one of their own.”

"And this is why I always thought you were the smarter one out of you and your partner.”  He put the cap of his soda back on and set it to the side where it wouldn’t get knocked over.

“Watch it Greason, I might actually start liking you.”  The grin she flashed was warm. Hank was easy to get along with and despite being newer to Gotham, he cared about the people of the city.  She had watched him work, he had a way with people that just put them at ease, almost like he was an old friend from the get go.

She knew she would hate to see the day that whatever he had, didn’t work.  And she secretly hoped that that day would never come. Gotham needed good people.

“Heaven forbid that.  Someone takin’ a shinin’ to this big dumb ol’ Texan.”  Hank thickened his accent for the laugh before taking another sip of his soda as if he was taking a swig from a booze bottle, he even gave a grimace as if it burned, though in reality it was just flat.

The laughs filled the empty bullpen as they set to work.  “Only a few people think you’re dumb. And only because you do tend to forget here, we’re a bit more outnumbered and outgunned.”

“And I refuse to take a partner, after the initial year of working with this department.  I know, it’ll bite me in the ass one of these days.” Hank had his reasons for it. One, a stark reminder sitting on his desk of his old partner in Texas.  Two years ago, he had been found murdered in his apartment, the word HAAS was written in his hand and blood nearby.

That detail, Hank was still trying to figure out the meaning of.  He knew it was something that he was supposed to know, but couldn’t make heads or tails of.  And he had kept it from Mira, he knew how much that she loved her ‘uncle’. She knew he had died, but not the circumstances of it.  

Over me You fade into the night Over me You melt into the light Over me You will fear the things I need Over me You will feel the hate I breed

He turned back to the files, all the girls were pale, bookish types, though one of them, according to her parents, was some sort of internet celebrity, for playing games.  Hank thought about some of the games that Mira and her friends played, most of them were cute little games, nothing that he could think others would watch people play.

“I have no idea where to start on this honestly.”  He admitted. None of the people on his list, really had criminal pasts.  Hell the worst of the bunch just had a few DUIs where the only damage had been done to a sports car and a locked gate.  

The picture of a blonde girl stared back at him with bright green eyes, smiling for the candid shot.  She was in PJ’s, the photo taken at a slumber party.

“Lighten her hair some and she would almost look like-”

Hank nodded.  “Like Mir.” He finished.  “I know, most of the girls have been blondes.  And yes, I did think some of the nut jobs you have here.  Something I’m still trying to get used to, we didn’t have that in Texas.”

“And?”  She cast a glance over to him.  He had done his homework. Though she didn’t blame him.  Mira was all he had left of his wife, even if she was adopted, Renee knew that Hank loved her as if she was his own.

“MO’s wrong, not to mention these girls are all a little old don’t you think?  There’s also more cases, all over the world.” He sighed. “Not to mention the girls have been found in the clothes they were taken in.  Doesn’t he prefer dressing them like a storybook character?”

She nodded a little relieved.  Him dealing with any of the more colorful ‘nut jobs’ as he put it, without backup actually worried her.  Though some of them had been a bit too quiet lately. Something had to be in the works. “So let me guess checking contacts elsewhere?”

“Yeah, and the same MO, the girls are gone twenty hours and returned with no memory of what happened or where they were for the last day.  So like me, Interpol has nothing to go on.” He flipped the picture over. “Last one here in Gotham though, was the week that Mira was camping with her friends.  Not sure if I should thank Mr. Wayne for getting her out of the city for the week.” He sighed a little.

“And now she’s at her aunt’s.  How many people are at that party?”

“About a hundred, maybe more I can never remember how many people my sister-in-law invites to those things.  Though knowing Mira, she’ll probably slip away at some point for fresh air. They’re really not her thing.” He laughed.  “First one we took her to when her mother was alive, she was only eight, we found her once we realized she had slipped away, curled up in a stable on the grounds that June had rented for the event, asleep with some of the land owners sheep dogs keeping watch over her.”  He smiled at the memory. June had been furious that the little girl had ruined her dress running out to play with the animals. Though since then she had made sure there was a room prepared for Mira to disappear to when she was done with pretending around everyone.

“Take it she goes to those to keep her aunt happy?”

“You’ve met June,” He glanced over at her.  “You really think that it’s a good idea to get on her bad side?”

She was silent a moment and laughed.  “You know she’s harmless, but you have a point.”  She chuckled putting the file she was looking at. “Though would rather deal with her cross than Anna when she knows about this.”  

“Oh I know, I’ll probably be lucky if Gordon can keep me on as a beat cop after this.”  He stretched.

“Oh please, you’re a great cop, they’ll just end up having to go through the DA’s office with a fine tooth comb.  Wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened. Should have seen after Dent’s accident.”

Hank thought a moment.  “Right, the one that’s Two-face now.  You know I almost miss when the worst I had to deal with were Cartel pushing drugs over the border.”

“You could have moved to National City or Starling you know.”

“I wanted the thrill of adventure still, and really, was a little interested in trying to figure out who the Bat was… Though after he and his sidekick saved my little girl, I’m okay with letting them keep their identities secret, as long as they keep to that no-kill rule of theirs.”

[edc-creations-blog]

Telling Stories by Cheri Paris Edwards

Sometimes life throws you a curveball…

Navigating middle-age is a challenge for 45-year old Genelle “Gigi” Golden. First the death of her mother, then her long time live-in boyfriend abruptly trades her in for a new model. Determined to restart her life Gigl packs her bags and heads to the Southwest. When things don’t go as planned, Gigi finds herself caught between the proverbial ‘rock and a hard place’; and an impulsive decision turns her life in an unexpected direction.

Then ex-military man Desmond Wright enters her life. Although physically changed by a skin disease it hasn’t dampened Desmond’s confidence or lessened his appeal to the opposite sex. But, Desmond’s life is complicated by an spoiled adult daughter, who treats his home like it has a revolving door, and a mother who won’t let him forget that he’s yet to find the love of his life.

When things falls apart, Gigi discovers that true friends reveal themselves in the toughest times and that grace comes when you least expect it.

    Chapter One

Genelle- Chasing Waterfalls

Somewhere I read that the sky doesn’t get dark anymore. Well, I know for a fact it’s not true. Tonight, a deep black sky arches above, like an inky tarp dotted with glittering lights. In fact, the entire scene is as picturesque as one of those postcards hanging on the small wire carousel that sits on the shiny front counter of the hotel gift shop. Sand spreads like a fine white coverlet to the ocean’s edge. There, ripples nudged by a soft wind pause, glide effortlessly back into the sea. And perched at the edge of the horizon, a fat moon beams at his shimmery reflection.

Dragging my bare toes through the warm sand, I slowly make my way back toward the squat building that sits at the top of a small hill. By day, the charisma of the eccentric owners, Sam and Anthony, illuminates the restaurant and bar unimaginatively called the Tiki Lounge. At night, it’s the place that transforms. Rows of slender pendant lamps dangle from the wooden rafters above the terrace, turning it into a magical oasis. Even the breeze is enchanting, fragrant with spicy sandalwood incense and sweet plumeria blooms. Stepping onto the pebbled deck, I find an empty table, sink onto the emerald cushion of a chair. I slide my lips over the straw of the daiquiri I hold between my hands. Take a long thirsty swallow.

My eyes drift to the patio doors.

He walks in.

Eyes flashing, he threads through the cluster of tables and chairs. Makes his way toward me, as rhythmically as a slow, sweet song.

“Hey . . . ” he says huskily as he nears my table. His gaze holds mine.

“Hey yourself . . . ” I manage to whisper, breathless from the pounding of my heart.

My nostrils quiver. His scent like a sparkling forest after a burst of summer rain. Flicking my tongue, I moisten my lips, ready for the pressure of his mouth on mine.

Then a sound.

“Jeantel!”

Focus, I tell myself. I lock my eyes on the handsome planes of the face in front of me.

That sound again.

Then, “Jeantel!” Louder this time.

The smooth, angular face poised so delectably near begins to waver.

“Don’t go,” I whisper.

“Over here, Jeantel!”

My black prince’s face dims.

“Jeantel!”

Grudgingly, I let the fantasy slide away.

“Whaaat?” I yell. Yank myself upright. Blink rapidly. Slowly, the cramped interior of my car grows clear.

“It’s me. James.”

“I see you,” I tell the wiry man peering through the passenger window of my Nissan Altima. “What do you want?”

Rudeness is not usually my style, but I convince myself rather easily that there’s no real reason to feel bad about being shitty to James, who I’ve known less than a week. Allowing myself to indulge in a little fantasy has always been a way for me to cope, and the blame for the abrupt ending of this morning’s session lies squarely at James’s feet.

“Gonna let me in or what?” James snatches a face towel that hasn’t seen a washing in a good long while from the back pocket of his jeans, wipes the sweat around on his face.

“Okay,” I tell him as I flick open the door latch.

“Something wrong?” James asks as he climbs inside, flops on the seat.

  ( Continued… )

© 2018 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Cheri Paris Edwards. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

  Purchase Telling Stories by Cheri Paris Edwards Amazon Download: http://a.co/d/eVVYwqo

    Intimate Conversation with Cheri Paris Edwards

Cheri Paris Edwards is the author of “Plenty Good Room” and the “The Other Sister.” Edwards work has been praised by “Publisher’s Weekly” and “Booklist.” Edwards is a PhD Candidate at the University of North Texas and an Associate Professor.

  BPM: It is such a pleasure to have you join us to discuss, “Telling Stories.” Describe yourself in three words. “Passionate, creative and funny.”

    BPM: What drove you to publish your first book or create your first series? How long have you been writing? I have been writing since I was a teen when I wrote poetry. I wrote my first novel after literary agent Denise Stinson called me after I’d submitted a non-fiction effort and asked had I ever considered fiction. That novel didn’t ever get published but my next effort, “Plenty Good Room” was published by Denise when she was also an editor for Walk Worthy at Warner books.

    BPM: Describe what you do outside of writing to expand your business or brand. Well, I am an Associate Professor at Tarrant County College which is a huge college with almost 40,000 students on five campuses. I work at the Trinity River Campus in downtown Fort Worth. The head of our Tahita Fulkerson library is Dr. Susan Smith and she’s a great person in my view. Like me, she comes to TCC from the University of North Texas. Anyway, she read a proof of “Telling Stories,” and wrote that she REALLY liked it. Consequently, she ordered copies for the library and I spoke at an event on November 1st.

On the other hand, it’s been a bit hard, to talk about my writing in some academic settings. I am a Lit major, and yet I definitely do NOT write literary fiction and many academics do not take romance lit or Christian fiction seriously. They have a specific writing style and expectations for content that they believe is valuable, particularly when it comes to literature written by African-Americans.

I am self-taught as a fiction writer and most promote a programmatic approach to writing fiction that’s gained by going through an MFA program. This is particularly true, because I’ve had to learn to understand the expectations of genre better, and had to readjust my writing to create the kind of pacing that is different from academic or some non-fiction writing. And, I am also self-published. So, I’ve definitely had to find my own confidence. However, I am blessed to have a few great friends who served as beta readers and gave me valuable feedback and others who are just wonderfully supportive of my efforts. I also feel I’ll get nice support from some at the Community College level.

Additionally, I just purchased home in what is called the Great Southwest area in Dallas County and plan to visit libraries to get the book on library shelves in the towns of Lancaster, DeSoto and Cedar Hill. These small cities are predominantly African-American and Lancaster and DeSoto still shelve copies of “Plenty Good Room” It’s also a way of getting my name on local invites to other events where I can sell my book. Unfortunately, I missed the Fort Worth library author’s program this year, but will try to make it next time.

    BPM: What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your body of work/books? Well, the first time out I was quite surprised at how difficult it was for black writers to get a publishing deal. I don’t know why I didn’t know. After studying African-American history and realizing that this has been an historical challenge for blacks, I understand the constraints of the publishing landscape better. I mean blacks in the not too distant past (like Harlem Renaissance year) really were writing a great deal of the time for a white audience because that’s primarily who had the leisure time, and the ability to read. And, even when weren’t writing for them, they were quite aware their “gaze” was on the work, and that likely influenced how it was written (and what was written) as well.

It’s still difficult today to find publishers for stories about blacks just living their lives, which is situation that Zora Neale Hurston lamented many years ago in a 1950 essay entitled, “What White Publishers Won’t Print.” Well, “Telling Stories” is about black folks just living their lives and they’re older folks (as am I) which makes both me and novel even less interesting to traditional publishers.

So, after a few queries, and rejections and looking at “wish lists from diverse writers” that was just ridiculous in my opinion, I decided since I know how to do graphics and can content edit reasonably well, that I would just again publish myself. One of my TWU colleagues, Erin Marissa Russell, is a fantastic copy-editor and she took the job on pro-bono and I’m very grateful for her help. However, I do feel books should be read across racial lines, because they often identify what connects us as humans.

    BPM: How did you choose the genre you write in? Have you considered writing in another genre? I am writing in another genre! And, this is also the first novel written in first-person narrative voice. I began my published career in Christian fiction but it wasn’t purposeful. I wrote a non-fiction book with Christian elements and was told when I submitted it on the open market, I should query Christian publishers and agents. And, because I included those elements in my fiction, after talking with Denise Stinson, I followed the same path in other writings. I really never felt it was a great fit, because my first story didn’t have the arc that most Christian fiction writings do. I don’t think readers knew how to handle the story because of that.

I decided this time out to write a story that was more ME. In hindsight I also think including Christian elements in my fiction and my topics were subconsciously influenced by some internal obligations I felt I had to meet. Now, I just feel freed from those and allowed this story to flow without the feeling that I had to take on any issue or problems or curtail much about how I wanted to tell the story. For example, I curse, so there’s cursing. *lol* And, I am a person who laughs a lot and who often relies on humor to help deal with life’s struggles, so writing a humorous book is also a natural.

    BPM: Tell us about your most recent work. It is entitled, “Telling Stories” and is available right now only at Amazon, in print and e-book. Available on Nook and Kindle?

    BPM: Introduce us to the people in the book! Give us some insight into your main characters or the speakers. There’s quite a few characters in the book. The story is narrated in the alternating voices of Genelle Golden (or Gigi as she’s called once she moves to Texas) and Desmond Wright. Both are middle-aged and both face challenges in their lives. Gigi has relocated to Texas and when a living situation doesn’t work out, has to take shelter in her car. In other words, she’s homeless.

Some of the people she meets along the way help her through the situation, even when they don’t know all that’s going on in her life. We also meet Butterfly who owns the hair salon where Gigi gets a job, Juan and Imogene who work there and all of the others who stop through or are there for hair appointments. And there’s James, the waitress who helps Gigi and Gigi’s sister Neecie, who’s a bit of a snob.

Desmond comes with his own family and baggage. Mama, is a petite, well-coiffed churchgoer, who will curse you out in “a voice sweet as Karo syrup.” Desmond is a Mama’s boy, and Mama thinks Desmond should hurry up and find a wife! He’s a bit of a commitment-phobe though and though he’s dated quite a bit, none of the women have been quite right. Desmond also has an adult daughter. Malaika is spoiled (by Desmond, of course!) and he can’t keep her out of his pocket or his house, since she’s always underwhelmed by the efforts of her husband Ray. He also has a grandson Clint, who is a whirling dervish one moment, and wise beyond his years the next. And, Desmond has the skin disease vitiligo, although he brags its not dampened his swagger.

    BPM: What’s so unique about their story-line or voice in the story? What makes each one so special? Gigi and Desmond have their own distinct voices, challenges, and their lives are quite different, but they are similar in that they both are middle-age and without partners and somehow they come together. Each of them also have backstory that contributes to the emotional baggage they must wade through to really connect which is revealed in brief reminiscences about past events and both working through grief about their parents who have passed away.

    BPM: Share one specific point in your book that resonated with your present situation or journey. Like Gigi, I moved to Texas after a series of losses. I lost my mother, and my sons were grown and had moved out. Also like Gigi, I was chronically underemployed while living in Illinois and wasn’t working at all when I decided to leave. Additionally a second contract with a publisher was on the verge of falling apart. Once I decided to relocate, I literally packed my three bedroom townhouse on my own, and with help of a nephew, my brother-in law and a friend, packed all I had into storage and the rest in my car within a few weeks time. Leaving behind below 32 degree temps, ice and snow, my toy poodle Mocha and I took a long rainy ride to Texas.

It was a challenging start. About a year later I returned to school though. I earned my Master’s in English in 2014 and then was accepted into the Literature program at The University of North Texas. I also was able to teach many wonderful students teaching at both colleges before taking the position here last year. I didn’t even have furniture here for a year and a half. I couldn’t move my bed though and slept on an inflatable mattress and kept my clothes in open suitcases until two years ago!

    BPM: Are there certain characters you would like to go back to or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with? Oh, I don’t know. I loved these characters. I haven’t thought seriously about writing more about any of them, but I’m sure I could since much was left unfinished.

    BPM: Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? I would not write about a pathological subject having to do with blacks or about passing, simply because I’ve read too many books in the canon about that kind of thing.

    BPM: Have you ever received a rejection from an agent or a publisher? Yes, about 3 on this novel from agents before I gave up on querying about a year and a half ago. I didn’t get many with “Plenty Good Room,” and the “The Other Sister” was going to originally be published by the same publisher under a different imprint. However, it was taking so long to get to my manuscript that I went with another offer which ended up not working out.

    BPM: Do you ever have days when writing is a struggle? Have you ever had to deal with rejection? It’s a struggle of lot of the time. I just forge through.

    BPM: Have you written any other books that are not published? Yes, I’ve written some that I took off the market as well.

    BPM: What projects are you working on at the present? Right now I’m working on getting through my dissertation. I’ve been writing throughout this year. Since January, “Telling Stories” had been getting copyedited. Erin was doing it between paying jobs, and then I did a last couple edits on it this summer, but nothing major. I am finishing chapter three of my dissertation and I have one more to finish. I am expanding a research paper I’ve already written, so I’m hopeful I may still finish by the first of the year. I teach five sections this semester and six next semester, and I grade a lot because I offer a workshop setting where students are always submitting exercises, and that takes time too. I have about 100 students this semester. Also, now I commute a couple hours a day since I live in Dallas County.

    BPM: How do you stay connected with others in publishing and your readers? On social media of course, although I had deactivated my Facebook for quite a long time. I wanted to get back in touch with the real world, and I did. Even though it’s reactivated, I’m not sure I’ll be involved as I was before.

    BPM: What legacy do you hope to leave future generations of readers and new writers with your writing? That it’s not too late, nor are you confined to “traditional” publishers. Just write the best book you can, and have a “day job.”

    BPM: What is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you? They can follow at @write12b on Twitter and I also have a Facebook Author and Personal page. I haven’t been all that active this year because of all of my obligations, but I will be picking up steam in the next few weeks.

    BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work? Twitter: https://twitter.com/write12b Website: https://cheriparisedwards.wixsite.com/mysite-2 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheriparisedwards Author FB page: https://www.facebook.com/purelyparispublishing

      Telling Stories by Cheri Paris Edwards Telling Stories by Cheri Paris Edwards Sometimes life throws you a curveball... Navigating middle-age is a challenge for 45-year old Genelle "Gigi" Golden.