#regardless our team did well enough that we competed at higher levels

[florenceisfalling]

just awoke from an intense dream in which mr beast was putting on a masterchef ripoff game called mrchef and i was in it on a team with karl and sapnap and some other guy and we made these weird little waffle things and they were so fucjing good

[medea10]

Medea Plays Pokemon Sword: Part IV

So since last time, I earned my eighth and final badge and so I can compete in the Challenger’s Cup.

So...no Elite Four?

Not to complain, but even Alola had an Elite Four.

Instead, we get something that’s almost similar to what the anime does during Pokemon League arcs. Whatever! Off to Wyndon...

You’re not fooling anybody. This is fucking London!

Huh.

I seem to recall obtaining an in-game trade during the Red/Blue games involving a Mr. Mime with that exact, same name.

Nice call-back, guys.

What the shit?

I would not put the fat squirrely with the apple pokemon in the same room.

Fat Squirrely can’t be trusted.

Well, before I go to the stadium, I think it’s time I do some last-minute training and exploring in the wild area again.

And flee for my life! Gallade is a fast fucker. Meanwhile...

Gardevoir doesn’t chase me. I guess some pokemon aren’t scary in this area.

And then this happened...

A trainer by the name of Tracey gave me something in his pocket and disappeared.

*sniffles*

Life just loves to give me an invisible Tracey. Life, thou art cruel.

Oh yeah, because it was Thanksgiving a few days ago, I thought I would have a few family get-togethers.

Father Zoro and daughter Rei were quite peaceful during their time together.

Then I got a bunch of Eeveelutions together (they’re all brothers and sisters btw).

Mic liked what Leafy’s done with his hair.

And Bolt kept challenging everyone to a race.

Pokedex entry time?

Nice, you made that reference! At least this reference didn’t involve a Dubwool being turned inside-out like in South Park.

So...it’s doing self-harm in order to “play” the guitar. Dang!

Okay, time for Champion Cup!

FINALLY, SOMEONE AGREES WITH ME!

I have my own speculations of who the dude might be. Right now, the top choices are Professor Oak, Samson Oak, or that one guy at an anime convention that dresses like a buff Diglett.

First match is against Marnie. I kicked her butt.

And then I put Hop in his place (for the whatever number it was) time.

After two battles, the champion decided to pay us a visit.

Not before hamming it up for the peanut gallery. Hey, at least he’s treating us to dinner. However...

Turns out Leon is with the chairman.

This is awesome. Piers, Marnie, and the fat bastards of Team Yell are going to team up with us.

As expected, I can’t trust this bitch. And I was right to believe so because she has hired goons to “take care” of us at every turn.

And what have we learned from the Red/Blue games? Never trust a goon who’s staring at a wall or poster on a wall.

We end up at the monorail station with more of Oleana’s hired goons blocking our path. This looks like a job for Piers!

I just love how he pulls out a microphone out of literally nowhere and starts singing in the middle of the station.

It worked though.

See, even Marnie is suspicious. This guy has gotta be a shifty mother fucker!

Yeah, this is totally not an innocent meetup between Rose and Leon.

Oleana’s hired goons are totally threatening. I think the bloke on the right really wants my corpse.

Why, do you plan on throwing our bodies off the edge?

Your hired goons all had steel-type pokemon. My level 70 Cinderace laid waste to these fuckers in 5 minutes or less.

Jesus Shit!

Okay, if the anime ever gets to this plot, PLEASE have Oleana be played by Miki Itou.

See, I knew this woman and the chairman are full of garbage. And to add to my point...

This bitch has a pile of garbage as a dynamaxed pokemon.

Called it.

Lysandre and Cyrus vibes, guys! Come on, I called it months ago that this guy was going to be the bad guy!

Anyone else still trust this guy? Show of hands!

OH FUCK ME, NOT THIS TURD AGAIN!

Okay kid, let’s see if you can redeem yourself.

Blaming me for shit that was your own fault. Yeah, I still hate you. But you’re down a few tiers, so there’s an improvement.

But you’re still at the same shit-level as Dilandau Albatou. You two both desperately need a punch in the face.

After that little disruption, on with the actual battles.

Okay, I’m on board with shipping Sonia x Nessa.

After taking on Nessa. I took out Bea...

And Raihan’s selfie-obsessed ass!

So now it’s time to take on the big ham, Leon.

Or not!

Oh gee, this guy is the bad guy. Who could have seen this coming?

Um, I did. The second he was shown in the PV, I knew this fucker was bad news. I don’t mean to lay it on thick, but...

This.

Afterward...

Hop and I returned to that spot near Route 1 and run into legendary doggos.

And go grave-robbing (taking the sword/shield on the ground).

When we went to Hammerlocke, we came across some actual concern.

You sent literal hired goons to try and shut me down. I’ll deal with you later, lady. Right now, I gotta take down this genocidal dickhead.

I have to admit, I expected more from Chairman Rose and the Marco Cosmos group in this game. I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but it feels a little light compared to a lot of the other bad teams in the past, and that includes Team Skull and Aether Foundation.

So after I kicked the chairman’s ass in a battle, we came across this hammy dumbass doing something stupid.

He tried to catch a mythical beast in a regular pokeball.

This. This is what happens when you try to do that.

Plus, you’re up against Satan’s tapeworm here.

Now we gotta take care of this demonic fucker and I can’t even use an attack on it.

This looks like a job for the legendary doggos!

They take the rusted sword and shield and turned into the actual promotional legendaries we know them for.

And after a long battle, I caught it...

With what you’re supposed to use! Geez, even Brandon in Pokemon Generations had enough sense to use an Ultra Ball on a Deoxys.

I guess homie’s gonna be in the slammer for some time.

Oh well, on with the final match.

Take a seat, junior. It’s time for me to take your ass out to the cleaners.

Yeah, kinda make sure your pokemon are higher than this level.

Regardless, I still won.

I made a grown man cry!

Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure I’m way older than Leon by at least 10-15 years. That would probably look bad, but whatever.

He shook it off.

Thank you. Now hopefully he’ll stop acting like a show-boating, ham every time he’s in front of a crowd.

Oh nice, my “mum” came with Munchlax.

I gotta do this.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

NO TIME FOR LOSERS

BECAUSE WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

Or is it?

To be continued.

[icedanceupstarts]

JGPF 2019 Preview

We’re officially at the midpoint of the season and junior ice dance has finally returned to us! In case the JGP feels as distant to you as it does us, here’s a quick refresher!

Avonley Nguyen/ Vadym Kolesnik USA

Age: 17/18

Started Skating Together: 2017

Coach: Igor Shpilband and Pasquale Camerlengo

Season's Best: 174.68

Rhythm Dance: Aladdin

Free Dance: Rach 2

Fifth at this event last season, Nguyen/Kolesnik are the top qualifiers at their second JGPF. These two have charisma for days, and it just might carry them to the JGPF title. In just three JGP seasons these two have gone from being the newcomers in the middle of the pack but with loads of potential, to putting up the highest scores of the season so far. Aladdin is a great fit for them in the rhythm dance and Avonley’s dress is absolutely stunning. Would we have personally chosen to construct this program in this manner, including a slowed down cover of A Whole New World jammed in the middle? No, but they make it work anyway with strong skating and so much personality. And the Friend Like Me sections are a real delight. We're interested to see how their performance and interpretation of their free dance has evolved. While beautiful during the JGP season, the program didn't feel all the way there and lacked a sense of building throughout. They have some of the best lifts in the world, at any level, using their size difference to make difficult lifts look effortless. The speed, changes in position, and flow in and out are all just impeccable. If they keep doing what they've been doing, it's going to be hard for anyone to beat them for the gold, either here or for the rest of the season.

Elizaveta Shanaeva/David Naryzhnyy RUS

Age: 16/20

Started Skating Together: 2016

Coach: Alexander Svinin and Irina Zhuk

Season's Best: 171.07

Rhythm Dance: Bonnie and Clyde

Free Dance: River

The first to actually qualify to JGPF, Shanaeva/Naryzhnyy have really stepped up this year. There was certainly room to do so nationally with last season's top Russian junior dance teams moving to seniors, splitting up, or missing time due to injury, but their big improvements in skating together and in consistency would be commendable in any case. 

Our personal favorite Bonnie and Clyde program, although we still can't believe there are enough contenders for that title that we can actually choose from. It's just really well constructed and a lot of fun, suiting both their individual personalities and chemistry as a team. Their entrance into the twizzles is mildly ridiculous and feels like a seamless part of the choreography. Their free dance is coming along and we're interested in seeing how it's evolved. It was a bit of a mess at the test skates but they've improved at every outing. Last we saw, there was a lot of music happening towards the end, but it's a pretty cool contemporary program with a really badass combination lift. There's a lot of variety in the free dances this year, but they would stand out regardless, and with two other Russian teams joining them in group one for the rhythm dance that can only work to their advantage.

Elizaveta Khudaiberdieva/ Andrei Filatov RUS

Age: 17/19

Started Skating Together: 2019

Coach: Denis Samokhin, Maria Borovikova

Season's Best: 165.59

Rhythm Dance: La La Land

Free Dance: Sign of the Times

We've got to tip our hats to Elizaveta here, the reigning junior world silver medalist with her former partner who has not missed a beat in this new partnership. Of course, equal credit goes to Andrei, who has also completed his first JGP season like he's got years of international experience. They're not the first junior team to find major success in their first season together, but it's still worth noting how quickly and seamlessly they've fit together. La La Land will never be a true fave for us and their styling is a bit sleeker than we typically see with this music choice, but they're just already such a strong team that their talent makes it work. The angst of their Sign of the Times free dance is right up Elizaveta’s alley as a performer and is a great vehicle for this new team. It allows them to go all out on emoting and connecting with each other while not being too complicated a story or theme for them to portray at this point in their partnership. They don't have quite the complexity of some of the lengthier partnerships in this event, but not to the point where it should hold them back if they skate their best. New teams with strong basic skating skills can often show more drastic improvement early on competition to competition compared to some more established teams, so it will be exciting to see how much farther they’ve been able to take their partnership. And it could definitely be to a medal.

Maria Kazakova/ Georgy Reviya GEO

Age: 18/20

Started Skating Together: 2017

Coach: Denis Samokhin, Maria Borovikova

Season's Best: 169.22

Rhythm Dance: Take Good Care of My Baby/Dream a Little Dream of Me

Free Dance: In the End

We should probably note that, for the purposes of this preview, we're using their Junior season's best, because these funky little overachievers have also been competing at smaller senior competitions and intend to compete at Euros and Worlds now that they have their TES minimums. Having to split their attention puts them at a bit of a disadvantage compared to their fellow juniors, but does give them a leg up on seniors so it works out. Since they have no domestic competition, it's a risk they can afford to take without fearing getting lost and buried at Nationals. But internationally at the junior level they are more than capable of contending for podium finishes, and the teams they’ll be facing aren’t training two patterns. You win some, you lose some, and they've clearly decided the pros are worth the cons. Their rhythm dance is the program that suffers the most from their multitasking, but it's still a nice program. Their foxtrot section is especially lovely, but historically they've always had some struggles hitting their keypoints. At their first JGP, their level issues in the RD is what kept them from winning the gold over Khudaiberdieva/Filatov, as they won the FD handily. The free dance is their big strength and already a fan favorite. On paper this program is objectively ridiculous. Absolutely nothing about it should work, and if you just describe it you sound like a crazy person, but it all comes together. From the opening where Georgy tosses Maria over his head just for style, to their performance, to the cartwheels in the choreo steps, it's just incredible. We're not sure there's a way to make skating to a rap cover of Linkin Park sound like anything but the most tragic misfire, but if you haven't seen it yet, you really need to. It's not just acrobatic and interesting and cool, it's impressively emotive as well. They're in their last year of junior eligibility and their maturity level is evident in their skating. If the can get all their levels, particularly in the rhythm dance, while skating their amazing free the way we know they can, some of the higher qualified teams might be in for a nasty surprise.

Loicia Demougeot/ Theo Le Mercier FRA

Age: 17/20

Started Skating Together: 2015

Coach: Karrine Arribert-Narce

Season's Best: 162.70

Rhythm Dance: Your Feet's Too Big/How's Ya Baby

Free Dance: Carmen

A French team back in the JGPF! And they are bringing the traditional French ice dance weirdness. Their first two JGP medals and first trip to the JGPF in their fourth JGP season have made this a very successful year for Demougeot/Le Mercier following their first top ten finish at Junior Worlds last season. They won the rhythm dance at their first event and put up one of the highest RD tech scores so far at their second event helping them snag two silvers. It's almost ballroomy but has that dose of classic French wackiness to keep things fresh. Their free dance, inspired by French theatre on ice or not, we do appreciate a good Weird Carmen and this one’s got it all from the music to the costumes to the choreography. They're in character from the first note of the music and carry it all the way through to the end. What keeps it from just being Weird Carmen is their strong sense of musicality and also vision. We can't say we truly get what they're doing but we're certain they do. Their world standing means that they will be skating in the second group for the rhythm dance which could play to their advantage. With their theatricality and commitment, they're sure to hold their own at this event. It's been some time since a French team has made JGPF, and longer since they medaled, but this could be a weekend for surprises.

Diana Davis/ Gleb Smolkin RUS

Age: 16/20

Started Skating Together: 2018

Coach: Igor Shpilband and Pasquale Camerlengo

Season's Best: 160.17

Rhythm Dance: Everybody Wants to Be a Cat

Free Dance: Always Watching You/Love is Gone

Young, new teams tend to grow rapidly, and Davis/Smolkin are no exception. Last season they were entirely respectable, but still learning each other on the ice and focusing on the technicalities of ice dance. A year and a coaching change later and they've settled into each other and developed some real flair and personality, bringing their performance to a whole new level. While we wish they showed the level of commitment of having cat toe bean gloves or just cat themed choreography in general, their rhythm dance ends up being pretty delightful anyway. They've got some really impressive lifts showing off their strength and creativity in a bluesy free dance. It's a nice change of pace from their rhythm dance while still allowing them to show off their improved performance quality and range of emotion. At their second JGP event, they made a silly mistake on the spin that dropped it to base level, and while they did enough in the rhythm dance to hold onto silver and their JGPF spot, it made things dicier than necessary and is why they're the final qualifier. They absolutely have the opportunity to improve on their qualifying position, or even take a swipe at a podium position. Given the cutthroat nature of Russian ice dance at any and all levels, every little bit counts before Nationals. They're a talented team, and we hope to see them skate to their potential and continue to blossom.

[scoutshonor56]

American History

Capitalism

 To me, capitalism is one of those concepts that, in theory, is sound and based on common sense.  After all, at its core it is a monetary system of reward for hard work and initiative, often involving significant risk.

Those willing to dedicate and apply themselves are rewarded proportionally, often leading to advancement, growth and prosperity – sounds fair to me.  Certainly everyone, regardless of effort, shouldn’t be rewarded equally.  Many folks, myself among them, are pretty much content to hold down a steady job that provides a modest, comfortable income and at the minimum, some type of health care and some basic “bennies”; everyone is different, and this works out well within the system.

 The problem starts when this system goes unregulated, and the opportunity becomes not fairly available to all.  When over time, this dream becomes a runaway money train with only a small, select group of privileged passengers.  In short, unlimited greed while the rest are exploited; the “rest” are left to build the tracks and walk.  

 So, where did it all begin?  Well, here in America anyways; what gave America the template for big corporations and their punitive relationship with their labor force? There are a lot of facets to the horror and history of human slavery in this country, but to be honest, I was surprised to find out that this was one of them.  I became aware of this thanks to a recent piece featured in the NY Times, which is running a series of stories this month entitled “The 1619 Project” to mark the 400 year legacy of slavery here in America.  It’s quite a lengthy read, so as best I can I will cover the basics, and of course, for the full story in detail you can refer to the article.  

 To lay the groundwork for this blog:  

 Did you know almost half of the American population makes under $15/hr? That middle class wages (when adjusted for inflation) have been stagnant since the late ‘70s while CEO wages and benefit packages have increased exponentially to obscene amounts?  That the number of Americans receiving food stamps has increased 40% over the last ten years, yet we have over twice as many billionaires?  That the richest 1% of America owns 40% of our nation’s wealth, while a larger share of working age people live in poverty here than in any other nation belonging to The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (O.E.C.D.)?  

 This impartial organization also rates its capitalist members in the category of worker rights and how easy it is to fire them. As far as worker’s rights, the U.S. shares second to last place with Malaysia, and out of 71 nations, the O.E.C.D. scores our country #1 in ease of being able to fire workers.  In other words, “You’re Fired!” isn’t just our reality show president’s favorite tag line.

 So let’s crack open the history book you won’t find in your average school curriculum, because here in America we much prefer our taught legacies with plenty of smoothing out, touching up, masking of flaws, and finishing with a thick, glossy coat of varnish.  

 There was a time, just before the Civil War, when the Mississippi Valley was home to more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the United States.  Cotton grown and picked by slaves was the nation’s most valuable export, a font of phenomenal wealth.  New Orleans suddenly had a denser concentration of banking capital than New York City, and the backbone of all this selective wealth was the thriving slave trade, where the combined value of slaves exceeded that of all our factories and railroads.  Can you imagine?  An enterprising person with an entrepreneur’s spirit and ambition finding himself in a new world of seemingly endless natural resources, cheap land, and free labor? Its a capitalist’s Disney World of profit, filled with promises of limitless growth.

 Well, OK, that was hundreds of years ago – what does that have to do with the workings of large, modern corporations today? Well, other than the obvious Golden Rule of Capitalism: maximum productivity out of your workers while spending the least amount of money on wages, health care and benefits…

 Have you ever fired up your PC or laptop at work in the morning only to see yet another memo from management?  A memo that came from your “team leader”, who got it from lower management, who got it from mid-level management, who got it from upper management, who got it from regional management, who got it from the “Big Boss”, who first had to get it OK’d by the BIG, BIG Boss?  Well there you have it, the inner workings and corporate-like hierarchy of a typical slave labor work force on a typical large plantation.

 The owner (or group of owners) supervised a top lawyer, who supervised another lawyer, who supervised an overseer, who supervised multiple bookkeepers, who supervised a group of enslaved head drivers and specialists, who finally supervised hundreds of slaves.  Like today, accountability was foremost and strictly adhered to.  Laborious and complex spread sheets were developed by hand for the first time in American industry, and volumes of data were kept to breakdown all aspects of bale production.  Everything was tracked, recorded, quantified, analyzed, and accounted for, including meticulous record-keeping of a slave’s age, sex, when bought, performance, expected productivity over the years, potential value, breeding history, etc.

 Sound familiar yet?    

 Who hasn’t endured the sweat inducing “performance review”, where you are essentially forced to appear before the low-end management judge to plead for your job, bringing evidence of your worthiness to the company?  You may want to feel lucky that today you might get an upbraiding, maybe a negative mark that will go on your record.  The poor black slave was faced with walking that fine line of performance, where his production must be maintained at a level of competence and profitability without being too much of a pacesetter in the fields; that not only got his fellow workers a cruel beating, but himself included if he (or she) didn’t maintain that level every day.

 More than once over the years, when reading about the millionaires through our history, the billionaires and mega-billionaires of today, I’ve pondered the question: when is enough, enough?  Is there even such a thing as “enough”?  Is there ever a point where you sit back, think about throwing in your cards and spending the rest of your life enjoying your bottomless bank account and investments?  

Kind of a moot point.  A person who had a single billion dollars at their disposal today would have to spend $40 million a year for 25 years before they ran short of cash; which would mean burning through $3 million a month, or over $100K a day.  And that’s just a single billion… I recently read an article that shed some light, or clarity onto this supposition, and according to the author, at some arbitrary point it does become no longer about money.  It becomes all about power and position among your peers.  Your image, your perceived position in this exclusive pack – who are the big dogs at the front of the sled.

 My apologies if you find this all too unsettling, or uncomfortable; in which case feel free to refer to one of those Board of Education sanctioned history books where you can read the softer, more palatable version: how white Europeans came over to the New World, claimed it theirs (in the name of Manifest Destiny), got rid of those indigenous  savage heathens who were ignorant of the one true god and didn’t know how to exploit the land properly anyways, and soon began shipping over the “darkies” from Africa to give them a much more fulfilling life on our cotton and sugar plantations, where they could contently live out their lives singing happy spiritual songs in the fields and enjoying a higher standard of living, thanks to the largess and Christian charity of “the masta’”. For those interested in the harsh truth, you can check out all of the chapters in this series so far at The 1619 Project.

[whisker-biscuit]

Harley Quinn is Not A Good Role Model: Chapter 4

Rated T-M for language and graphic descriptions of violence

Pairing: Dr. Flug/Black Hat

Summary: Dr. Flug Slys is a successful psychiatrist working at one of the world’s most respected mental institutes for the criminally insane. But this new patient is unlike anything he’s ever encountered. Flug is determined to help him, nonetheless.

Black Hat has other ideas.

Note: All Black Hat POVs are in first person

Chapter 4: Naming Conventions

Before we continue, I suppose I should make a few matters quite clear.

First, I am not, as you humans say, beyond this world. My body is very much physical, for all of its horrific capabilities. I require sustenance as any other, although the frequency and form of it differs greatly from most current life on this miserable mass we call a planet. I also have the potential, hypothetically, to experience pain in its most basic, physical manner.

I have yet to encounter something able to do so.

Secondly, I have a biological drive, so to speak, in the same way all living creatures do. But unlike the pathetic urges felt by these creatures to survive and reproduce and further the existence of their species, mine is the unconditional opposite. I live to destroy, to halt the process of life and its advancement. These inclinations are most strongly felt during the potential removal of a soul – a being, if you will – from the corporeal world, but that does not mean I am unfulfilled in the more subtle eradications of the every day. Far from it; I relish the inconsequential inconveniences, the negligible nuisances, the eventual ends of equanimity that develop only from the consistent and repetitive breakdown of the emotional and mental states. One does not have to lose their head to, well, lose their head.

Third and last of all, I am not above admitting my faults. I will not deny to being prideful, or confident, or even arrogant. The accusations of those concepts mean nothing to me. But to be unwilling to recognize a mistake, or refuse to believe one can be made, is a dangerous and frankly foolish mindset. How does one expect to prove themselves the best, if they cannot seize their moments of weakness, however few, and use them as stepping stones to an even higher level of awareness and efficiency towards their claim? The thought baffles me.

That is not to say I allow my enemies or allies to recognize them, or admit to them there are indeed mistakes that I can make. Quite the contrary – one must always display a certain poise in the presence of others that does not betray any hint of fault, as failing to do so often leads to insubordination, mutiny, and challenge on all sides. A lapse in judgement is fine, so long as it is known to only yourself.

And so, of course, we reach my current predicament. I had one rare moment of weakness, and it was such an unfortunate occurrence as to happen in a situation where many significant details were at stake – the disruption of human lives, the destruction of human lives, and myself. Needless to say, my error cost me dearly, and I soon found myself captive at the hands of the detestable Inspector Marcus Daniels and his deplorable team from that blundering group known as Interpol. It was not my first time in incarceration, but it was the first instance in which I was actually treated as a more viable threat than most convicted individuals. Imagine my surprise and disbelief when I was finally released from my, transport, to find I had been dropped rather unceremoniously at a criminal mental hospital, of all things.

To say I was insulted would be an understatement.

Even more humiliating was the presence of who was supposedly my psychiatrist. A thin, clumsy, stuttering excuse of a human who hid his face under a paper bag and was so woefully unprepared for the task appointed to him. His boldness surprised me, near the end of our first meeting, but that was quelled easily with the threat of bodily harm. Humans are so breakable, really. I should have snapped his neck and been done with it.

But in the high brought on by my inclination, I forgot myself and my situation and erred yet again. I attempted to change the shape of my jaw, for easier access to wrap around the beautiful, beating veins of the throat and tear it open in the most visceral, painful way. But I was thwarted as soon as I tried.

That damned collar.

So here I was, confined in a high security room reserved for the most mentally unstable and unable to do anything about it. You could imagine my frustration, perhaps, in those first few hours after I was wrestled away from the pitiful doctor and left alone to do nothing but dwell on my newfound situation.

Of course, one does not create a means of escape without first knowing every variable, so I spent much of that isolation observing every inch of my outfit, my cell, and the door. I counted every buckle keeping me restrained – six – as well as every bolt covering the only way in and out – forty-five. No windows, no manipulated patchwork in the floor or wall or ceiling, and no immediately obvious form of liberation. Everything was a lovely shade of light blue, intended for its calming effects I’m sure. Even the blasted toilet seat was the same color. It too would be unhelpful to my predicament – nothing more than a basic hole in the ground with a foot pedal for flushing.

My mortification turned to fury rather quickly.

Unfortunately, the bloody padding was thick and smooth enough that my teeth – currently my only way of expressing my ability – could not puncture in any place I attempted. Ironically, it was not my physical strength but my…release of emotion that garnered attention.

I had admittedly overlooked the possibility of the presence of other inmates.

A few responded immediately to my outburst of anger, loud in their screaming and thumping. Whether they were declaring their presence, asserting their own dominance, or were simply emboldened by my actions I cannot say. Regardless, it was enough to startle me out of my emotions and instead pay attention to the direction and distance these sounds occurred in relation to my quarters. At least three voices, maybe more, all coming beyond the right side of the wall when I faced my cell door. Whereas I had stopped my actions quite suddenly, it took nearly five minutes for most of the others to calm themselves.

Fascinating.

Moderately satisfied with my conclusions – or as much as I could be in the present situation – I settled down on the raised cushioning that no doubt was meant to resemble a mattress. One side was raised in the imitation of a pillow, but no blanket or detachable items were available. It struck me as odd until I remembered a personal assassination of a high-ranking nobody in which I tied him with his own comforter and proceeded to suffocate him with his pillow.

Unlike the fools at Interpol or that idiot doctor, there was a semblance of competence here, at least.

My surprise the next morning was apparent even to the densest of people when I was visited by the same psychiatrist who had pressed my patience just the previous afternoon. He was not alone this time, obviously having learned his lesson; another man in a white coat arrived at his side, along with one of the guards who had so rudely assaulted my person. They stood shoulder to shoulder like a meager mimicry of force, and I could not help the expression of amusement from outweighing my irritation.

“Back again already, are we? I didn’t take you to be that imbecilic.” I took the time to incline myself against the far wall in the perception of laziness. Nonchalance is often greatly underestimated.

“Ah, I, I did say we have to w-work out a schedule while y-you’re here,” Dr. Slys resembled a skittish antelope, rather remarkably well. “Since yesterday, uh, since we d-didn’t get to finish our, your orientation, I thought it would b-be best to try again as soon as possible. I’ve, brought another psychiatrist if, if you’d be more comfortable with someone else.”

This particular individual puffed his chest up most pathetically at the declaration of his presence. “That’s right, Doctor, and I’m here to let you know that we won’t tolerate any breach of protocol or improper behavior from our patients.” He was reckless enough to glare at me. Fool.

In response to the feeble display at superiority I allowed myself a chuckle. “So it would seem. And what shall I call you?” He was considerably larger than Dr. Slys; at least six feet if I had accurately estimated the height of the security guard, to whom he rivalled in elevation. Nothing outstanding about his features, except perhaps the dainty silver watch along his wrist.

“I am Dr. Bautista, but you can address me as either sir or doctor.” The newest intrusion held up a clipboard in a parody of importance and clicked his pen most unprofessionally. “According to our records, you have no known history of substance abuse. Is that correct?”

His words had long stopped holding my attention, and I deemed the watch to be more significant. Not knowing the time and date can be so cumbersome. My gaze stayed fixed on the polished silver metal, waiting for the angle in which I could read it properly. The watch’s owner did not have the intelligence to realize this, as he cleared his throat in obvious frustration.

“I asked you a question, Patient 513.”

“So you did,” was my soft reply. Patient 513. How interesting, that they had already assigned me a number. No doubt an attempt to disassociate me from my former life. At yet another sound of aggravation, I flicked in the direction of the nuisance’s face. He had stepped closer, just past the human line of defense.

“Yes I did, and I expect you to answer it.” I studied the movements of his hands, waiting for the clock face to be visible. “And I also expect you to make eye contact in a conversation. Honestly, can you believe this?” The miscreant turned to his colleague, no doubt trying for sympathy.

He got none. Instead of catering to the ego of his fellow, Dr. Slys surprised the psychiatrist, and myself, when he looked directly at me and said very sincerely, “It’s 9:47 am, on a Wednesday.”

I had already written off Dr. Bautista as useless and of no interest to me. Yesterday, I thought I had come to the same conclusion about Dr. Slys. But now he tiptoed closer, and despite the limp I saw in his gate – my doing I was certain – he did not appear bothered by the decrease in our distance. He offered his gloved hands to me, palms up.

“That’s what y-you were wondering, wasn’t it? That’s why you were, um. You wanted t-to know the time.”

To see a human again who I had attacked less than a day before was unusual. To see him willing to visit me in my own territory, backup or no, was abnormal. For him to be observant enough to recognize what I wanted, and to give it to me without negotiation in his favor, well. It was rare to the point that I found I could not ignore it.

“If I say yes, Dr. Slys, what would that matter?” I could feel the edges of my mouth part fractionally, poised to expose my only current weapon. Regardless of subject, it was dangerous for anyone to feel they had power over me. Dangerous for me, of course, but even more so for them.

“Ah, well, I j-just thought, you might want to know, since you…” His goggles fluttered briefly in the direction of his colleague’s watch, but he did not reveal me. Smart creature. “Well, I know I like kn-knowing the date, and the t-time. It’s…easier. Everyday.”

“Is that so.” I could find no lie in his expression, despite the headwear. This was the second time he had been so earnestly truthful, and the second time it had caught my attention, for what reasons I could not say. I would have to be careful with this one.

At his eager nod, a good-natured smile stretched along my visage. “Well, Doctor, I suppose I should thank you. You may ask five questions, and I will answer them.” Both psychiatrists were visibly astonished by my change in attitude, and my smile spread further. Two could play this game of catching the other unawares.

Of course, the idiot Dr. Bautista attempted to open his mouth, but I stopped that behavior short with a hiss. “Dr. Slys may ask me five questions, and I will answer them.” He looked affronted, but had enough self-preservation to let his colleague take his place.

“Okay, um, okay.” He fretted with the serrated edges of his paper bag; a bizarre motion I had witnessed before. “I g-guess, we’ll start with what we asked earlier. Do you have any history of substance abuse, or currently using? Our records have no indications of anything.”

“No, I do not. Nasty, uncontrollable things.” I was not lying. Drugs of all forms – except alcohol, perhaps – were useful tools of destruction but entirely unpredictable in combination with my biology. One methamphetamine mixture could have no effect beyond an itch along my feet while another could leave me in the closest I’d ever experience to a seizure. There was no way of knowing which black market substances were pleasurable, painful, or nullified without personal experimentation, and I did not have enough interest in the subject to waste my time.

“Well that’s g-good,” Dr. Slys scribbled along with his fellow psychiatrist and looked me in the eye. “Next q-question. Are there any allergies we should be aware of? Food, medical, latex, etc.?”

“I have no such weaknesses, Doctor.” To even insinuate that human issue was insulting.

“Okay, um. Third question. Are there any actions you feel would be detrimental to your psyche? Some patients have a history of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse that can accidently be brought to memory in a, situation, such as restraining involving human contact or the sound of raised voices. We cannot comply with all requests, but if there is anything you think is noteworthy, we will take it in consideration. If you have a preference for the gender of your psychiatrist or physician, we can do that.”

“I do believe you offend me, Dr. Slys, to assume I am so easily triggered by petty things like those.” I had noticed that as my supposed doctor continued his query, he appeared more relaxed and confident in his posture. The stuttering had also vanished. Fascinating. “But to fully answer your question, I do not have many, requests. However, I must ask that your security keeps their hands to themselves. It was rather irritating yesterday.”

“Well, we can try our best to accommodate you, but I’m afraid that would depend on your behavior around others.” Dr. Slys moved on the weight of his heels and winced, clearly still injured. I offered him a cruel twist of lips. “Okay, so that’s about it for the preliminary. Now about your schedule, I was – we were thinking that the best option would be to start with a bi-weekly counseling session in your room, with me and possibly Dr. Bautista depending on…conduct. I would also suggest a three-hour period of recreational activity every day, and we can work out the activities at the beginning of each day. Perhaps after a full evaluation of mental and physical stability, we can include group therapy and/or outdoor privileges as well. Would you agree with this tentative schedule plan? Your first counseling session would be with me tomorrow at 11 am.”

I pretended to consider it, to assume as they did that I would be actually be imprisoned any longer than a week. “Yes, I suppose that is a plausible arrangement. How long would you estimate my sessions with you to last?” I tilted my head, amusement broadcasted freely.

“Roughly about an hour and a half, give or take.” To my surprise and admitted delight, he looked at me with narrow, calculating eyes and continued, “And I expect we’ll be having them for a long time, Mr. Black Hat. You shouldn’t underestimate our facility.”

I should have been incensed by his calling out of the real meaning of my question, but frankly I found it interesting. Here was a human who understood at least the basic rules of how I played. That he had willingly defied my orders the day before and was now matching my serve with a fair enough return was not as bothersome as I had earlier considered.

“Very well, Doctor. You may ask your final question.” I crossed my legs on the imitation mattress, nearly finished with our conversation, lovely as it was. But what he asked next caught me off guard.

“In your case file, it mentioned you had named flying as your favorite mode of transportation. Why is that?”

I could not help the bemused twitch of my eyebrows nor the brief, startled blink that passed my face. Dr. Slys waited patiently for me to recover, and the colleague at his side appeared just as rightly confused.

There was no gain or loss to be had by answering this, so I settled with a shrug and laid back, studying the unusual human. “Flying is statistically the safest method of travel.” He looked at me, and I looked at him. My mouth parted. “At least until it hits the ground.”

His gloved hands tightened on his clipboard in what I assumed was anxiety. Imagine my surprise when he let out a solitary laugh, not much more than a breach of air past his lips. It stopped just as suddenly as it started, and the doctor seemed shocked at his own action.

“Is something funny, Dr. Slys? I didn’t know humans could find a plane crash humorous.”

My psychiatrist was nervous now, and fretted yet again with that silly headwear, but still he responded despite the abrupt suspicion placed on his shoulders.

“I j-just thought it was a coincidence, a-a bit of a funny connection.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

Unfortunately, my doctor has already shown to be more observant than he looks, because he shut his mouth promptly – I could even hear the click of teeth – and returned to his notes in an attempt to protect himself. His colleague was not so perceptive, however, and gave up the doctor’s secret.

“Hey, doesn’t your name mean a plane wreck? Like in German or something?”

Dr. Slys squeaked most unbecomingly, but it was too late. As someone who prides myself on my knowledge of social etiquette and culture, I knew most languages thoroughly, and those of Indo-European roots were no exception.

“A flugzeugabsturz?” I gave my psychiatrist a lengthy once-over, considering him. “No, your last name is Slys. But you pronounced it as the English adoption. So how…?” As I calculated, Dr. Slys’ body language grew more nervous, apprehensive even. “Perhaps not German, then.” The answer came to me just as my doctor appeared ready to flee, and I smiled.

“Icelandic, I do believe.” My delight heightened at the stiffness setting in his legs. “Plane crash. Flugslys. Dr. Flug Slys.” I practically purred the word. “Do tell me, since you pronounce your last name so hideously, does your first name follow its Icelandic rule, or is it more barbaric? Floooog.” My psychiatrist shuffled backwards to the door. “Fl-ugh.”

That was it. That was how he introduced himself. I watched, twitching grin wrapping my face as Dr. Flug Slys grabbed his oblivious colleague and the forgotten guard and hauled them out. There is a lot of power in names, you see, and he seemed to know it as much as I did. The two doctors stood just outside my cell and whispered hushed nothings while I laughed longer and louder than I had since my capture.

“It truly is a pleasure, Flug Slys!” I raised my voice, standing and gliding to the center of the room. I could see the top half of brown paper through my window. “I look forward, to our first real session tomorrow. You are a fun one indeed, Dr. Flug.”

Every use of his name sent my psychiatrist into a flinch until he disappeared from my sight and I heard his retreating, feathery footsteps leave the hall. The mirth from the encounter left me in a much better mood than I had expected while confined here. Perhaps I would not be so short of entertainment.

Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough, in my honest and humble opinion.

[workfromhomeyoutuber]

Modern Tribe: Quality Assurance (QA) Analyst

Headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota URL: https://tri.be/

The Opportunity

Modern Tribe’s QA team works on a lot of cool projects: over the past year alone, we’ve tested sites built by our dev team for big-name clients including Columbia Law School, Bon Appetit Magazine, Eventbright Academy Blog, Harvard Law School and What Should We Do (WSWD). (Want to see how we did? The links above highlight some of our work). And that’s not even including our family of WordPress plugins led by The Events Calendar.

We’ve got a slew of cool projects we are working on in 2018, and need another member for our QA team. If working on high-profile sites for large clients gets you excited and a serious case of attention to detail is your jam, we should talk.

Inclusion Statement

Modern Tribe is committed to a culture that embraces diversity and inclusion. We foster an environment of collaboration, open engagement, fairness and respect regardless of differences in age, race, disability, national origin, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status. As a hybrid workspace ranging from distributed contractors to traditional employees, we value the unique perspectives and experiences of our global team.

We come from all walks of life. We are small business owners. We are tattoo aficionados and 80’s movie buffs and ex-pats. We are homeschool teachers. We are single parents. We are musicians, college drop-outs, and entrepreneurs. We are travelers, feminists, runners, volunteers, and makers. We are a Modern Tribe.

Everyday we strive to fulfill our motto: live well and do good work. We hope you will consider joining us.

Responsibilities

QA is responsible for ensuring all aspects of quality at Modern Tribe. It’s a tall order for sure: learning how a site works, creating test plans covering obscure use cases, and then putting it all into practice when testing every aspect of site functionality…it’s a lot of ground to cover. But we’ve got an established workflow down that helps make sure we’re setting the team up with the tools they need to proceed and succeed.

Though every project is different, here’s the gist of our QA flow:

KICKOFF MEETING. Just a kickoff — meet the PM; get your questions answered; set expectations; and schedule milestones.

PREPARING DOCS. Getting started with internal documentation early is hugely important to getting the project into your brain.

REVIEW APPROVED COMPS. Before you start QA or even get a walkthrough, you’ll review the comps to understand the project + prepare a list of questions to ask on the QA walkthrough.

QA WALKTHROUGH. Once development is far enough along for QA to begin, you’ll do a walkthrough with the lead developer to get an overview of the functionality.

PREPARE QA CHECKLIST + TEST PLAN. After seeing each component of the site in action, you’ll put together a first draft at a comprehensive QA checklist and a higher-level overview of what you’re planning to test, in what order, and when.

HEAVY DUTY TESTING. You’ll put the site through its paces and give it a few rounds of full pass bug hunting. Beyond just hitting buttons, you’ll be thinking from a higher level: are there usability concerns? Does what we’re doing here actually make sense as the best way to solve the problem? etc.

CELEBRATING A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH. What feels better than kicking back after a successful launch? If QA has done their job, the project will launch smoothly, the team will have a finished product to show off, and — most importantly — the client will be happy. It doesn’t get much better than that.

* Our QA team also generally leads client training and prepares training documentation/videos when appropriate, so be prepared for some direct client communication.

Personal Competencies

Strong communication and/or experience working as part of a remote team

Self-motivated, detail-oriented, strong organizational skills, with a methodical approach to all tasks

Ability to prioritize workloads and meet deadlines

Ability to work independently with minimal oversight

Fluent English speaker

Required Knowledge & Experience

Has a proven track record in Quality Assurance.

Pays meticulous attention to detail + fights for the customer. Being able to catch bugs is huge, but it isn’t everything — QA is most effective when it puts itself in the customer or end user’s shoes.

Knows WordPress well, you’ll be expected to prove your familiarity with the platform.

Excellent verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills

Has 1+ year remote freelancing experience.

Additional Experience (Bonus Points)

Familiarity setting up local WordPress environments + cloning GIT repositories locally

Skills at training others how to admin complex WordPress sites/projects

Experience writing and implementing automated testing processes

Location

Work from anywhere in the US or Canada; if you are in Central or South America, let’s talk. This will be a 100% remote position. If your working hours are in a timezone outside of the US range, but you work 4+ hours of overlap each day our team might be able to consider your application.

Compensation

Our hourly rate for this gig starts at $25-$30/hr, depending on experience, with opportunities for rate bumps on annual review. This gig is about 10 -20 hours per week.

Perks

We believe in learning from each other and fostering personal growth. You can expect to learn a lot while working with us and we have a benefits package for full time employees.

(Also, if you work enough with us, we’ll bring you on the team trip.)

Who We Are

Modern Tribe, Inc. is a rapidly growing software & design company. We develop custom solutions for some of the world’s largest companies, government institutions and smaller growing organizations. We pride ourselves on our ability to bridge people and technology and to bring the passion and dedication of an entrepreneur to every project. Our team is composed of talented employees and freelancers around North & South America (and a smattering across the globe).

Who You Are

We love working with each other because we have built a culture that suits us well. We work primarily with freelancers and coordinate their talents for large projects. To be on our team, you must be:

HAPPY - Where there is a will, there is a way. Having a positive disposition allows us to achieve great things and to support each other.

HELPFUL - Always looking for ways that you can help others.

CURIOUS - It is essential that you have a passion for learning. Technology changes daily, and life has a way of constantly raising the bar.

ACCOUNTABLE - Our clients expect us to get the right thing done on budget and on time. Communicating expectations and meeting them is the cornerstone of success.

To apply: https://modern-tribe.breezy.hr/p/b481f0511faf-quality-assurance-qa--analyst?source=weworkremotely

from We Work Remotely: Remote jobs in design, programming, marketing and more https://ift.tt/2OsCyMu from Work From Home YouTuber Job Board Blog https://ift.tt/34tgt5P

[clarencenicholsonata]

10 Email Marketing Stats To Prove Your Point

As a marketer myself, now and then I need some email marketing stats to prove my point, whether it's writing content or standing my ground with a marketing strategy.

I know all too well how hard it can be to find the exact statistic you need.

So for the next time any of you digital and email marketers need to explain your email marketing practices, methods, or ROI, take a quick look at these 10 email marketing stats to prove your point.

1. Email is the best funnel to distribute content.

To date, email still remains one of the most effective marketing funnels.

If the first stat wasn't enough, you could tell them that 59% of customers say marketing emails influence their purchase decisions.

If you need convincing yourself, did you know that bloggers who earn over $50,000 per year are more than 2x as likely to focus on email marketing technology compared to less-successful bloggers?

Emails are now part of our daily lives. Marketo estimates that checking email is the #1 activity on the internet, with 94% of internet users getting online for this reason alone.

2. Email marketing's greatest value: High ROI!

If you were looking for a stat that would prove that the power of email still exists, this is it.

We know that social media (ads) are a popular option for brands to generate revenue, but the fact remains that email is far from dead. According to the survey, workers between ages 25 and 34 spend 6.4 hours a day checking their email. Unlike social media, more than a third of this age group regularly check their email before they even get out of bed.

Let's not forget that email marketing is 40 times more effective at acquiring new customers than Facebook or Twitter. This doesn't mean throwing out social altogether. What it does mean is that using a mixture of social media and email can help to increase your lead generation and sales.

But using emails won't guarantee a fast track to success. 29% of marketers look at ROI metrics to evaluate email effectiveness. You'll need to put thought into your email design, copy and subject line, not to mention A/B testing to find your own secret sauce to email success.

3. Data collection makes or breaks your emails.

How you collect and store your data for future use can help your business to meet monthly KPIs target, drive sales, and retain customers. Without the proper set up to collect relevant information from your customers, it can put you at odds with how well your subscribers will receive your email.

When you send an email, you’re not face-to-face with a customer, the truth is you don't know who is at the other end of that screen. With data collection, you'll be able to build a buyer persona that helps you to create emails that your readers will actually want to read.

For example, you might be planning to send an email on how to take your multi-billion dollar company to the next level.

But hold on!

Your data collection shows that you have a list filled with mainly start-up SME companies.

How likely do you think your email click-through rate and conversions will be what you want them to be?

A few email subscribers might open and read it out of curiosity, but any product or CTA won't get any attention because there's a deep disconnect between the audience your content.

How Do You Collect Customer Data?

You can collect data about your email subscribers on a voluntary basis with opt-in forms placed on your website and content. This can range from:

Name & Email

Business titles

How many employees the company may have

Industry & Niche

Management level

Wishpond's simple drag-and-drop editor makes it easy for any marketer to create amazing popups, without the need for design or programming knowledge.

As useful as popups are, if they aren’t well constructed, timed properly or worded correctly, then you may end up losing conversions on your site instead. Try to avoid these 7 Website Popup Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Conversion Rate.

4. Personalized emails help to increase sales

Personalized emails are emails tailored to the emails readers combining their data and needs. It can be as simple as adding {First Name} or as advanced as showing items they previously browsed online in a shopping cart abandonment email.

According to the Smarterhq Privacy report, 72% of consumers claim that they will ONLY engage with marketing messages that are tailored to their interests — making personalized emails crucial to your email marketing strategy. We live in an era where the customer wants to feel like the most important factor in your sales pitch.

If you're still not convinced about the effects of using personalization in your emails, why not try creating personalized subject lines for your next email. Lifecycle Marketing found that emails with personalized subject lines generate 50% higher open rates.

5. GIF emails are the new norm

The percentage of emails containing GIFs rose from 5.4% in 2015 to 10.3% in 2016.

Using GIFs in emails is now a go-to tactic for experts in email marketing campaigns.

via GIPHY

A GIF helps you to clearly and effectively deliver your content's message without the use of heavy text or CTAs.

GIFs, in my opinion, tend to do better with a product and an exclusive offer email. They draw the eye’s attention and create a sense of urgency and engagement.

We're so used to seeing plain text emails that when something as vibrant as a GIF pops up after clicking the subject line, it grabs the reader's attention easily.

Key things to note when you're adding a GIF to your email is that regardless if you reuse or create one of your own, the size of your GIF can slow down your email’s loading speed, especially on mobile. Try to reduce the size for your animated GIF to less than 0.5 MB or max 1 MB

Two tools that do an excellent job at creating GIFs, especially for beginners, are Photoshop and Canva.

6. Always consider mobile email marketing.

Adopting a mobile-first mentality can help to boost your open and click-through rates.

Any marketer knows that responsive design should always be considered when crafting an email for success. Litmus found that mobile opens accounted for 46 percent of all email opens.

And as of 2018 once you send an email around 49% of all emails are opened on mobile devices (PDF).

Here are five things to consider for a mobile-friendly email:

Optimize your subject lines for mobile. Most email providers cut off subject lines that are more than 35 characters. If your subject line is "Experts’ Tips to Boost Your Email Subject Lines,” your mobile subscriber will only see, "Experts’ Tips to Boost Your Email,"

Since subject lines are the gatekeepers of any email, you have to make sure that the first 35 characters persuade your readers to open your email within seconds.

Keep your email copy short and concise, even if it's a heavily designed HTML email.

Have mobile friendly email templates (yes, these will differ from your desktop designs.)

Avoid using large images. This will affect your mobile email's loading speed. People have shorter attention spans when using mobile when compared to desktop because mobiles are often associated with instant access and use.

Keep your CTA to about 44x44 Pixels. Remind your design team about this so that your CTA is easily seen and isn't cut off in the mobile version of your email.

Add a pre-header: if it's hard to avoid a long subject line, you can place the topic in the pretext to help the reader learn about the email.

7. Segmentation is worth the work.

Email segmentation is done by creating sub-list from your main list based on given criteria. Let's say that you have a beauty email subscriber list; you can create a segmentation based on subscribers who only purchase mainly skincare products and subscribers who have only shopped once at your store.

Segmentation allows you to meet your marketing goals faster. According to marketing specialist Jordie van Rijn, 77% of ROI comes from segmented, targeted, and triggered campaigns.

But as good as email segmentation is, not many marketers take the time to create a comprehensive email listing and even fewer segment their lists.

Maybe you don't want to sort through your long list of subscribers, but whether you're thinking of implementing basic or advanced segmentation, starting now is better than never!

A good place to start is to differentiate between current and new email subscribers. Expert email marketers know that a brand should treat their new email subscribers differently from current email subscribers and inactive subscribers. Each needs messages tailored to their needs:

A new subscriber needs to be contacted immediately after subscribing. They need a welcome email and introduction to your brand.

Current subscribers need updates and regular emails. People get between 5-30 emails daily; brands, business, and even from your competitors. You need to be at the top of the list and forefront of their mind.

Inactive subscribers (people who haven't opened an email or competed for action on your emails) need to be sent offers and deals to reel them back in. The last thing you want is to lose a potential customer in your email marketing funnel.

Email segmentation doesn't have to feel like one big headache. Instead, use this Complete Guide to Lead Segmentation.

8.Email automation is a brand's best friend.

Instead of sending off one email at a time, you can easily create an email marketing campaign with automation.

This means writing a series of emails that will be automatically delivered to your email list — going even deeper your email's segmentation and email automation can work hand in hand.

With automation, you can also control what triggers the email, what time it should be sent, and time management, so you're not writing emails daily.

Take a look at these 6 Best Triggered Email Marketing Campaigns and see how they successfully use email automation.

9. AI & Email Marketing is the future

As time goes along, more marketers are considering incorporating AI in some shape or form in their email marketing strategy.

You will find more infographics at Statista

If you're new to artificial intelligence in marketing, it's simply machine learning, pairing customer data with a marketing end goal.

AI relies on a substantial amount of data to be fully effective as it listens, learns, and responses. In email marketing, AI technology helps analyze consumer behavior and generate data-driven insights, allowing you to create customized emails that are tailor-made for each reader rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

It's pretty much A/B Testing on steroids. Instead of just testing to see what works, an AI email marketing software can pick up trends, email triggers and make predictions based on ROI and customer behavior, allowing you to see things you might have missed with A/B Testing.

This is just the tip of the iceberg; the more you use AI in marketing, the more your perspective on Artificial Intelligence's Growth will begin to change.

Interested in sampling or finding AI tools that could work for you? Take a look at these 50 Must-Have AI Software Tools For Marketers

10. Email subject lines are your gatekeepers.

The defining factor that affects your open rate is your subject line. Before subscribers can read your email, your subject line needs to entice them to click on it.

You can break down subject lines into a precise science, but let's not get too detailed. Here are four tips and stats that can help you to write better headlines:

*7 Words or Less. Sendgrid found that seven words is the most common subject line word length (14.0% of them), While three words (1.6% of them) gets the highest engagement rates.

*Emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened. Just adding your subscriber's first name can help to increase your open rate, proving once again how simple yet effective personalization for email marketing can be for your brand.

Listicles help increase your click-through rate. Subject lines with hard numbers have a higher open and reply rate.

*Treat your subject lines like headlines. To be fair, subject lines are a form of headlines; their main job is to attract attention to your content.

You can also try these 23 Email Copywriting Tips to Skyrocket Conversions.

The Rundown

Here are 10 email marketing stats to prove a point:

93% of B2B marketers (PDF) use email to distribute content.

The average order value of an email is at least three times higher than that of social media.

Magnetic/MyBuys survey found that 58% of consumers were fine with data collection as long as retailers gave them a more personalized experience in return.

75% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a company that makes them personalized offers based on their preferences.

By using GIFs in emails, senders can see a 6% increase in open rate and a 109% increase in revenue

The average revenue per mobile email comes to $0.40. This is up to 4x greater than that of a desktop email click.

Marketers who used segmented campaigns noted as much as a 760% increase in revenue. (Campaign Monitor, 2019)

Marketers who used segmented campaigns noted as much as a 760% increase in revenue.

eMarketer found that B2C marketers who leverage automation have seen conversion rates as high as 50% (PDF).

87% of AI adopters said that they were using, or at least considering using, AI for sales forecasts and to improve their email marketing.

35% of email recipients open email based on the subject line alone.

Each of these stats proves how crucial effective email marketing practices are for your email marketing campaign to get you the returns you need.

Think I missed a stat that should be up there? Drop it in the comments -- I’d love to know.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230801 https://ift.tt/30amJBj via IFTTT

[highschoolharrier]

15 Questions With Doug Soles

Doug Soles is the head coach of Great Oak High School in Temecula, California.  His program is ranked second in our pre-season polls for both boys and girls.  His teams have gone on to podium at NXN as well as set national records on the track. High School Harrier: Great Oak is a newer high school although you've had meteoric success.  When did you realize the program you were developing was going to be national class?

Doug Soles: When I was looking to move from the Palm Springs area in 2004 my goal was to take over a 1st year school and build it into a national championship program. I felt Great Oak had all of the key components to accomplish that (since Murrieta Valley was dominating at that time and GO was going to be very comparable). I was fortunate to get hired and set out with my varsity coaching partner Dan Noble to build a program that could compete with anyone, anywhere, anytime. Early on this was something that got me mocked by coaches with better teams and more experience, but we had a plan in place and felt that as the school moved from 2 to 3 to 4 grades of students and started to have some foundation and history we could really start moving towards competing with the best in the nation. Part of the plan has always been to travel to take on the best teams in the country, which I think is critical. How can you be a national class program if you hide in your area of the country beating up on the same people you have already beaten? We felt it important to search out meets where we would have a great chance at getting beat, and have to learn from the experience. I think that has helped us learn how to compete with the best teams in the nation. None of this was by accident, it has all been part of the original plan. This year we will attend the Roy Griak invite in Minnesota on a course that is very different in style to what we run and we look forward to taking on a loaded field on both sides.

HSH: Your team is known for being the class of the field in both cross country and track.  How do you keep your athletes competing at a high level so long?

DS: Our goal has always been to be the best at both sports that we can be which can be problematic at times. When you are successful in track you can go deep into June or beyond and really eat up a lot of your XC summer base phase. The last couple cross country seasons were difficult because of how long we focused on track and really put us behind for XC which makes it harder to have them ready to compete until much later in the season. This year we got in a much better base which should help.

Our goal with each athlete is to have them running year round with a 2 week break after XC and a 2 week break after spring track. We have a summer program, fall xc, a winter track club, and spring track. On top of that I have a year round 1st period XC class which allows us to condition year round in cooler temps. Keeping them active is critical if you want them to be ready to run well when it matters. All coaches have to find the rhythm of their seasons and learn how to peak their kids for the end to ensure their best performances. We have been able to do that pretty well in the CA season for XC and Track and our kids recognize that if they buy in we will have the ready when it matters.

Track is very different from cross country, but we focus on it heavily and do our best to set track goals that incorporate the team (DMR, 4x1600, etc.) each season. Winning big meets like the Mt. SAC relays against amazing sprints programs is pretty awesome for a distance centric team.

HSH: Your boys team and girls team are both ranked second nationally in our preseason ranking.  How are you able to dedicate enough time to develop two national championship caliber programs at the same time?

DS: We typically run 3-4 groups at a time. Group 4 is a development type group that is for late joiners and kids just learning how to run. Group 3 tends to be for frosh who can run and just need time to develop. Group 2 is JV and developing varsity athletes who are working towards varsity. Group 1 is the varsity group and you have to be fit and focused to be in that group regardless of talent. I’ve moved kids that have finished top 3 in state in XC and track to group 2 because they weren’t ready for the group 1 workouts. You better come in fit and ready or I’m not working with you regardless of how good you are.

As far as genders go, Coach Noble and I coach them together as a varsity group. They tend to run with their same gender, but all the concepts and training are pretty much the same. Our athletes set the goals and we do our best to have them ready to accomplish those goals when the time comes. The boys goal this year is to win NXN, so that will be our main focus this year with them and I think they have a very good chance to be in the hunt for it. They are much better than our team last season and that team placed 6th at NXN so I have faith we will compete for it. Our girls are younger and developing but talented. Their goal is to win State this year and make it 6 titles in a row. Ultimately, their goals dictate what we focus on and how intense we are about certain things. Both teams are focused on being top teams in the nation each year so it isn’t difficult to have both genders going the same direction towards that goal.

HSH: Going off the previous question, what do you do to temper expectations and keep the athletes focused?

DS: I’m not much of a temper expectations kind of guy…I’m always looking for the next thing we can go after or accomplish as a team so I probably have them thinking about their goals pretty consistently. In the early years many people told me I was overreaching and setting the kids up for failure by telling them they would become state champions. Now people want to know how we get them so confident. From the first day we have them we have them focused on becoming state champions. Temper expectations? I want them to shoot for the moon each season and force me to find a way to get them there. If we don’t accomplish the goal, we will put our heads down and keep going after it until we get it.

HSH: Do you believe it to be an advantage or disadvantage to have NXN the week after state?

DS: I think if you plan your season right it can be an advantage to roll right into it. If you don’t plan your season right, you can very easily be toast by NXN. A lot of it goes into when you have the ready, what you have them focused on, and what their goals are. If their goal is to make it to NXN, they won’t run well at NXN because they already accomplished their goal of making it there. Racing at NXN becomes icing on the cake…We focus on getting there ready to compete. Unfortunately, we don’t get a lot of support from CIF to help us rest athletes along the way to be more prepared for nationals so we have to be creative and do our best to have them as fresh as possible come December.

HSH: How much focus do you place on NXN vs state?

DS: I think that depends on the team we have and their goals. Our boys this season have a legit chance at winning NXN and will focus there. We have to win state to have any chance to make it to NXN so we can’t ignore state, but it becomes more of a qualifier than a final destination in this situation. For the girls our focus will be winning state and if we make NXN that is great this year. We will do our best to learn the course with a new group of girls and have them ready for future seasons in Portland.

HSH: Does your team have a motto or mantra?

DS: Our team motto is World Domination, which started as a joke in a team meeting by Coach Noble. He had a funny digital voice in a PowerPoint saying World Domination and it just kind of stuck as something we say with the kids. Nowadays it more means success at all levels for our kids whether it is GO athletes, our college kids, or even some of our kids that compete in the national or pro ranks. Wherever GO trained athletes compete we want to compete at a high level and this saying just kind of fits. We don’t go into a meet wanting to win just the varsity, we shoot to win every race we are in (frosh, soph, JV, varsity, etc.). This leads to us tweeting World Domination when we see our kids winning lots of levels or getting 5 of the 9 spots in the 1600 at CIF Finals, etc. It is meant as a fun way to recognize our kids doing well against quality opponents at all levels.

HSH: Do you have a bread and butter workout that you go to often, or if not, what is a favorite workout of yours for your team to do?

DS: We do all the standard stuff from 5x1000 to fartleks, to tempo runs like most teams...we do 10x60m hill sprints every Monday afternoon during cross country season once school starts and I think they really help build strength and put a little in the bank for the end of the season. They help us prepare for Mt. SAC which can be a critical course for our team when utilized for CIF (won’t be used for a couple years due to construction). We also do a 5,5,5 workout that focuses on getting faster every 5 minutes that I’ve shared many times. The first 5 is at 70% effort, the second is at 80% effort or around their tempo effort, and the last 5 is 85%+ effort which is more of a Vo2 pace (no break between phases). This trains them to run faster and be more mentally tough as the race goes on.

HSH: Can you explain how your team utilizes HIIT and progresses throughout the year?

DS: I look at HIIT training as another component that we need to maximize just like lactate threshold or Vo2 Max. We do a running HIIT 3 times a week and build from 1 minute up to 3+ minutes over the course of the season.  HIITs develop speed, burn fat, help with running at higher paces, develop musculature that can support harder workouts, etc. I like placing my HIITS on recovery days to make sure we get in something fast that really gets their heart rates up on days with slower running. I think it is important to do something fast each day, even on recovery days. It doesn’t have to be long, but you should be challenging your athletes to get better each day. HIITS help them become better athletes, not just runners.

HSH: What part of your training do you think is most important for the success of your athletes?

DS: I think consistently training all components is the key to successfully building runners long term. We don’t really have parts of the year where we aren’t doing all these things. I see training plans where they don’t do anything but aerobic runs for a long period of time, but I think you have to be careful to not develop each component consistently. If you aren’t developing it, it probably isn’t getting better and your athletes won’t be ready when the time comes. I think we have done a great job developing aerobic athletes that run distance races, not distance runners. Consistency is the key. If you have a varsity girl who leaves you to go play soccer or basketball for 3-4 months, you aren’t developing anything, you are just utilizing her talent when you have it. Our athletes are with us year round focusing on getting better at running.

HSH: You've said you keep 50 distance runners for boys and girls for track.  Do you have a similar set-up for cross country?

DS: We usually have 100-110 distance athletes in track combined and 130-160 in XC depending on the year. This season we should have about 150 XC athletes and are working to build our numbers back up a bit. We peaked at 230+ athletes in 2012 for XC and it was a bit too large so we implemented time standards to make the team and start to trim the athletes that weren’t working hard. Time standards work well, but we didn’t feel we needed them this year so we just decided to take all comers. We may reinstitute them in the future if we have a lot of athletes that don’t want to work hard and just come out for the social aspect. To me you should have to earn your spot on the team, and it shouldn’t be something that you can do nothing and stay in the program long term. Athletes that don’t work hard in the fall or the winter tend to get cut in the spring track season.

HSH: I'm a new freshman coming out for the team.  What can I expect my first year in terms of training and racing?

DS: We have about 60 frosh athletes this year (usually 40-80 each season). The majority will start in our group 3 frosh group which runs 3-6 miles a day depending on the workout. Right now most runs are 3-4 mile recovery runs just getting them some base before we start pushing. Usually the hardest part for 9th graders is the warm-up and our core routines we do daily. As they adapt to those items they mileage goes up incrementally. Early season our frosh run 15-25 miles a week depending on their level and build up to 30-35 by the end of the season. Our top incoming 9th graders that did club and ran all summer usually jump straight to group 1 with me where they run similar mileage to group 3 frosh but have higher intensity workouts and are a lot more focused on the varsity goals. Right now we have 4 frosh girls in group 1 and zero frosh boys there. They will move up as they physically and mentally show they are ready.

Racing wise you will race pretty much every time we have one. Experience is critical so we try to race them against 9th graders as much as possible, but will move them up to varsity periodically if they are fast enough. Last year we had 2 varsity frosh boys that could run sub 15:10 for 3 miles so they really broke the curve and have pushed through the ranks faster than normal. Most years we will get a group of 16:30 boys and try to build them from there over the next 3 seasons. It just depends on who comes in and how ready they are when they get to us. Athletes in our program learn quickly that I care more about effort than results. If you aren’t very talented but work hard you will always be someone I’m excited to work with. If you don’t care about getting better, you probably won’t make it to the varsity group. Same goes for track.

HSH: Can you explain the cross country state qualifying system in California for those of us who aren't in the state?

DS: We have quite a few CIF sections that qualify teams to the state meet. We are in the Southern Section which is the largest and most competitive section in the state (and probably the nation). We have to finish top 3 in our league to make CIF Prelims, usually top 6 in CIF prelims to make CIF Finals, and top 7 at CIF Finals to make it to the state meet for Division 1. Usually we need to finish 1st in division 1 to have any chance to make it to NXN from our state meet. Ultimately the goal is to cruise league finals and CIF Prelims, and start pushing at CIF Finals, State, and NXN.

HSH: Do you have any athletes on your team that you believe are ready to make a big jump from last year to this year?

DS: On the boys side, most of them have made pretty big jumps as they were really young last year. Sophomore Gabe Abbes is the most likely to surprise people as he has really improved and should be a top 10 boy at the state meet this year. On the girls side Tori Gaitan moved in this year and is an exceptional athlete. I knew she had great endurance but her leg speed has truly surprised me. She could very easily finish top 3 in the state meet this season for Division 1. She is learning to be a student of the sport and is soaking up a lot each day.

HSH: What advice would you give to a coach looking to turn his program in a national, or even state class program?

DS: The main thing to understand is that it has to be the goal. You have to make some sacrifices to get to that level (Friday frisbee golf probably has to go…), and a lot of coaches don’t want to make those sacrifices. YOU have to be the hardest working person you know!

It should look something like this:

1) Set the goal and put everything you have into accomplishing it.

2) Create an environment where hard work is the norm and is expected by both the coaches and the athletes.

3) Set team goals with the athletes and work towards them together.

4) Stand up to parents when they tell you that you are pushing the kids too hard, are mean, are crazy, are not understanding their kid, are not being fair, etc.

5) Find your athletes that buy into the vision and build around them.

6) Recruit as many incoming 9th graders each season as you can to build numbers and a talent pool!

7) Find a way to get soccer players to choose you over soccer.

8) Look for every opportunity you can find to improve your program (get a pe class, go to clinics, email coaches that know more than you and ask questions, read books, read message boards, ask more questions, constantly update your workouts and keep what works).

9) Stand up to parents again (it happens more than once). Get them to see the team vision.

10) Compete in national level meets.

11) Reflect at the end of the season on your successes and failures with the kids and make improvements going forward. FIND YOUR WEAKNESSES!

12) Repeat until all these things start falling into place.

To get to the next level you need to wake up each day seeing it, working towards it, and outworking everyone you are competing against. That requires personal sacrifices and a lot of people won’t make those. To be great as a coach there really isn’t an off season.

Photo courtesy of John Nepolitan.

[esprit-de-corps-magazine]

Female Chief Petty Officers hope to inspire younger women

By Navy Public Affairs

“To see a woman in a senior leadership position is a celebration, a testimony that it is possible.”

These words from Chief Petty Officer 1st Class (CPO1) Lucie Simpson highlight the changes that have taken place in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) over the past few years.

As more women join the navy, those trailblazers currently in senior positions have learned how crucial it is to engage, empower and mentor their younger colleagues.

“Leadership starts by its own actions, so we need to lead and teach women by showing them the best example and impacting them early on in their careers,” says CPO1 Simpson, Canadian Forces Health Services Group Chief Warrant Officer. “Being honest right from the beginning – that joining the RCN will be hard work – but just as rewarding. In recent years, breaking the barriers, women have been highly successful in leadership team roles both ashore and on board ships.”

In fact, nine current female CPO1s, the navy’s highest rank of non-commissioned officer, have a total of 263 years of service and 10,050 sea days in the RCN. Their careers are long and varied. They have served as coxswains aboard maritime coastal defence vessels and Canadian patrol frigates, worked in both the Regular and Reserve Force in wide-ranging trades, and have held leadership positions in shore-based establishments.

CPO1 Simpson is the first woman in her trade to serve beyond the formation level. A communicator research operator, she joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1989. She was posted to Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Huron and Algonquin as a cryptologic direct support element operator, and deployed in HMCS Ottawa for a six-month deployment to Southwest Asia. Her current job is her second senior appointment position; she also served as the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Chief Warrant Officer.

While serving in Huron in 1996, the number of women on board was so small they lived in a single mess with six to eight bunks.

“At that time, the culture was already changing,” CPO1 Simpson says. “The navy leadership was making the decision to bring sailors in, regardless of their gender. That same year we moved over to a mess big enough to host 30 women.”

She is constantly amazed that the younger generation of sailors doesn’t care about women in traditionally male roles. “Whereas my generation of women judged each other, competed and tried to mimic what we thought were the expectations for women at that time. Reflecting back, perhaps this was a standard we imposed on ourselves to fit in.”

Her advice to younger women is to find the right mentors, especially other women, who can inspire and bring diversity to their roles in the navy.

“They are very receptive to advice,” she says. “I speak to them regarding work opportunities, deployments, second language training, managing deadlines and expectations, and I also share my own experiences.”

CPO1 Ginette Seguin, currently in charge of the RCN’s Honours and Recognition Program, agrees that mentoring women is vital, allowing them to observe the kind of career progression that is now available.

Having served in the RCN for 23 years, she knows just how far the navy has come in providing equal opportunities for men and women. Over 14 years she served in 11 ships, including coxswain in HMC Ships Shawinigan and Kingston, and deployed on several operational tours.

“I spent the first 10 years of my career trying to be a man because I thought it would help me fit in,” she says. “But what it did was disconnect me from who I am and who I wanted to be.”

“As a 20-something-year-old, I did not appreciate what the trailblazers had to go through for me to feel treated fairly and to be seen as part of the team,” she acknowledges. “There were instances where I did encounter gender discrimination; however, I did not feel it was systemic. I sincerely believe that diversity and inclusion is now the norm and that those who do not embrace it are getting fewer every year. Being inclusive is not always easy, but being informed and educating yourself is key.”

Now at a senior rank, she also realizes the profound importance of being a role model.

“I recognize the significance of my reaching important milestones as a woman, especially when I reached the rank of Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class. The higher the rank, the fewer women role models there are; therefore, all the more important for us to be present and open when interacting with younger female sailors.”

She says that sometimes it’s the most basic thing, like walking through the dockyard and initiating a conversation with another woman in uniform.

“By doing that, I hope to give them a sense of belonging, showing them that they are supported and opening the door for them to reach out if they need to. Of course I do the same thing for men, but I believe what the women get out of it may be different coming from another woman.”

She recalls a moment earlier in her career when she was sitting in a planning meeting for a major exercise that was coming up. “I said to a friend of mine who was sitting next to me, ‘I feel like a little girl in a big man’s world.’ He laughed. Although I was making a joke, part of me wondered if I did have the credentials to be there. It is my belief that one of the challenges women in the RCN still face is their ability to silence negative thoughts about themselves. It’s human nature to have insecurities, but we need to ensure those insecurities do not hinder our confidence in ourselves.”

She says that the RCN can overcome this challenge by continuing to do what it has been doing: encouraging, motivating and providing positive reinforcement, as well as ensuring the right female leaders are in positions that enable younger women to observe and interact with them.

Both CPO1s Simpson and Seguin want to make it clear that while they know their higher rank is an achievement they hope other women will strive to emulate, they also want both men and women to know they are valued and relevant.

“No matter the rank, no matter the gender, we are all a piece of the puzzle required to achieve the mission,” stresses CPO1 Seguin.

CPO1 Simpson adds that she is proud the RCN “is an organization where both women and men receive equal salary, are offered the same training and education opportunities, have access to an Honours and Award system that recognizes members based on their individual accomplishments, and are able to work in an environment that is harassment-free and safe.”

“Reflecting back over my last 30 years, I am amazed at all the life-long friendships, grateful for the opportunities that made me a better leader and therefore a better person, and the acquisition of skills and values that will continue to serve me for the rest of my life.”

As women continue to join the navy, they can see clearly that other women are attaining senior leadership roles, both as officers and non-commissioned members, that they are being listened to, and that they are valued as individuals and as part of the greater navy team.

[nisloresearch-blog]

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[lashandrahcanatoliamp43insu-blog]

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[sustainhealthmagazine]

.@BBCStrictly Come Dancing @KRihanoff reveals all on how she keeps so Healthy and vibrant looking

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After just finishing a gruelling stint of Panto’s recently 5 weeks of 2 performances a day to be precise star of Strictly Come Dancing’s Kristina Rihanoff kindly gave up some of her precious time to answer our questions regarding how she maintains that healthy and glowing skin of hers.

You have just finished 5 weeks doing pantomime with 2 performances a day, how was that for you?

It was an amazing experience, acting for two hours is demanding in a different way to performing dance and it did take me out of my comfort zone.  You are effectively in a bubble with your Panto family for that time.  I’m proud to have achieved something new, it was hard work but Panto is such a happy environment it carries you through. I only had Christmas Day off during that period, all in all there were 62 shows and it reached an audience of 45,000, it’s very satisfying to have done it.

How do you find the stamina for such performances?

“Eating well and having enough sleep is key.  I’m very careful to provide my body with enough fuel when I’m performing whether that be Panto or dance.  A two hour performance is an emotional rollercoaster and you must give 100%.  It’s draining, so equipping yourself mentally and physically with proper rest and diet is a must.”

We know that health and fitness has been a major part of your life alongside dancing, so apart from dancing keeping you healthy do you do any other activities to keep you fit?

“Well for me it’s yoga.  I don’t enjoy the gym or doing weights.  I’ve seen a lot of people with injuries through not using equipment or lifting weights the right way. I’m a firm believer in personal instruction; I realise I’m probably going against the grain when I say I’m not a fan of Apps; you can’t in my view replace the human instructor. I feel the same way about yoga; you need to be shown alignment in poses and have the guidance to be able to make adjustments.”

How long have you been practicing & teaching yoga?

“I started back in 2001, I moved to States when I was dancing competitively and my dance partner introduced me to Bikram yoga in Seattle.  It was excruciatingly hot and a form of torture at the time but somehow I was hooked and I never looked back.  It’s a moving meditation and I always knew I would want to teach it when I had more time to study it in depth.   I love the strength and focus it gives me. “

How did that transition come about? Have you always been into Yoga?

“Three years ago after having Mila I decided it was time to train.  I committed to the 200 hours full training to become a Hatha yoga instructor.  It has widened my horizons and knowledge in all sorts of ways; I  studied physiology and the anatomy of joints and ligaments and really understand how the body works. I feel it’s enhanced my dance teaching as well.”

What’s more relaxing for you, dance or yoga?

“Well the short answer is that it rather depends on my mood as they both work for me in different ways and they are both highly satisfying.  With dancing there is the release of endorphins which makes me feel wonderful and if I’m feeling in a high energy mood then I will dance.  Other times I just want ‘flow’ and I’ll turn to my yoga mat.  Both are addictive as they make you feel great!”

We also hear you have recently turned vegan, was this a hard decision and has Ben followed suit with you?

“It wasn’t difficult for me as I was lactose intolerant so it was easy for me to cut out dairy. When I turned 40 I felt that I really had to start looking after myself to  continue to live as actively as I do. "

“There’s so much information available, I did a lot of research before making the transition. Once I adopted a vegan diet my body responded very well so it’s been easy to continue.  I feel great have lots of energy and of course it sits well with my yoga philosophy.  Ben joined me for six months as he was recovering from glandular fever and it really helped him with his recovery, but he’s a meat-lover so it was not something he wanted to give up completely. “

You are also a F.I.T ambassador for Forever Living Products now, what does that entail?

“I was using the products including the Argi+ which was crucial for me for energy and recovery when I was dancing in Strictly.  I also love the drinking gel and the supplements.  It was quite a natural evolution for me to then become an ambassador for the brand it fits well with my overall lifestyle and ethos; I’m a genuine advocate as the drinking gel supports my digestion.  I like that fact that the company has been established 40 years and that so much scientific research goes into developing products that are high quality and that work.”

“As an ambassador I talk about my experience of using the products and also lead some yoga events – I led a class at the Shard last year and am doing one in Glasgow in a couple of weeks’ time.”

What are your favourite Forever Living products?

“Well for me it has to be the aloe vera drinking gel https://flpuk.info/aloe-drinking-gels and the Argi+; I take a shot of the gel daily first thing in the morning. I also like the Women’s Vitolize supplement which contains folic acid, iron and vitamins B12 & B6. I do change my supplements depending on the season. “

“So would you highly recommend the Aloe Vera drinking Gel?  Yes of course!  They are available in such a range of flavours that there is one to suit everyone and since they reformulated last year they contain even higher levels of aloe.  The plain aloe vera drinking gel is 99.7% aloe, you simply won’t find this quality in any other brand. “

Your skin looks absolutely glowing, how would you describe your skin type and what are your main skin concerns?

“My skin has an oily T-zone the rest I would describe as dry.  My main concerns are ageing and dehydration because I sweat when I dance.  Ultimately the appearance of your skin comes from within, so plenty of fruit and vegetables which form a large part of my diet anyway, but a proper regime looking after your skin makes a difference too.  I’m into my second year of using the Forever’s Infinite skin care and it works for me.”

How important is it to look after your skin?

“In my line of work I wear a lot of make-up which can be quite heavy so I do need to take care to prevent break-outs.  A good skin routine is vital in terms of cleansing and moisturizing and I try to give my skin time to breathe by not wearing foundation when I’m not in the public eye.”

Did you have a dance/fitness or sports icon you looked up to growing up in Russia?

“When I was a little girl I looked up to my dance teachers - a husband and wife team, the discipline and the love they gave me and others taking us all over the country.  They were like second parents they spent so much time with us and created a family atmosphere.”

“As a teenager my dance idols were Michael Jackson and Paula Abdul in Russia we had our own champions that I looked up to but they were not generally known to the outside world.”

What would you like to see change/improve within the dance world

“Ballroom dancing is of course very competitive; it’s wonderful in so many ways,  it teaches you discipline and drive but at the same time it is a very political world.  There is a negative side that I lived through and worked through and it is not what I would want my own daughter to go through. “

“My experience has influenced me considerably in the philosophy I have adopted for how I wanted to set up my dance academy;  I want a wider scope covering performing arts and I don’t want to push students to compete.   I love the world of ballroom dancing, but not everyone has to compete.“

How do you feel the industry can make further moves in shifting the change from body image to true health?

“What I love most about yoga is that it is for everyone, it’s accessible regardless of your age, shape or size.  It’s not about what you look like or how much you weigh.  It’s incredibly liberating.“

“I would like to think that children can grow up without the pressure of ‘meeting industry standards’, that dance and any healthy activity is about joy and feeling wonderful.  I had a lot of pressure as a teenager it takes a long time to be ok with who you are.  I’ve embraced who I am now.   I can only imagine the pressure that teenagers of today feel with so many ‘perfect images’ on social media to live up to.”

“Yoga is non-competitive and reduces stress, the poses are just one aspect of yoga; its philosophy is about embracing life and celebrating ourselves.  I would love to see yoga on the curriculum in schools – it would make such a difference to our children’s self esteem and there are already schools in the States embracing it.“

After you fulfilled your lifelong dream to create a dance production of your own in winter 2018, you directed produced and choreographed your own show “Dance to the Music” about the evolution of dance which took the nation by storm, what’s next for Kristina?

“I’d love to tour it one more time but I want to give it a rest for a year to recharge. I will do it again, probably in 2020.  Right now Ben & I are in the process of securing  premises for our wellbeing centre in Northampton close to where we live. We are taking a holistic approach to exercise offering yoga/pilates/dance to every age group from Mother & Baby to our precious elderly – I can’t wait!”

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[autoaccidentrelief]

Top Rated Car Accident Attorneys Siler City North Carolina

How to Navigate Car Accident Cases in North Carolina and Position Yourself for Compensation

I’ll be honest, I’ve seen my fair share of automobile accidents (largely in my teens and early twenties), and from”seen my fair share”, I mean about three.

My first accident was determined to be my fault from law enforcement officer and so as I ran into another vehicle, for *drumroll please*…After too closely, and breaking too late…. The front portion of my 1999 Nissan Altima was entirely totaled (and it was a miracle that the automobile was even repaired ).

My second injury was a hit and run with a man in a gas station where the other person scraped the side of my 2007 Ford Focus. I didn’t correctly track the license plate numbers, so I was at a loss.

Lastly, my final car crash included my 2007 Ford Focus, and as I did not learn my first lesson…. I ran into a person AGAIN…. And in a really surreal experience, I watched my car which I worked so hard for, BURN.

Now, I did walk out of all of those events unscathed, however, I was not fully conscious of the laws set in place that might have compensated me in the event of an accident.

Nor was I bright enough to consult with an attorney.

I WAS CLUELESS…

Now, in 2018 I find myself working on Car Accident Relief, with the aim to answer a few critical questions you may be getting in respect to your auto accident case.

Now, before we begin here’s a BIG CAVEAT.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing doesn’t constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

Thus, please, I recommend you:

Use this website as a way to educate yourself regarding your choices

BUT ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS, consult with an attorney to find the most effective legal advice possible in your own situation.

With that said, you may have a few questions in respect to your accident.

You might be facing accidents and you are not sure why you are not being entirely compensated.

You may be confused as to why you’re getting lowball supplies from an insurance company.

As soon as you understand how in which the law is organised in North Carolina, you’ll be able to see why you are getting your present settlement offers.

The truth of the situation is, you may require an seasoned hand in your case, or you might have to bring certain facts in to light.

Here are a few questions we’ll answer on this page:

What Can I do Following a Car Accident? Imagine if I was a Passenger?

Should I still see a doctor after my auto accident? (This is Super Important)

Do I need an attorney after a car accident? (I wish I understood this one)

If I do want an attorney, what can they do to me?

What Can I do After a Vehicle Accident?

Contact law enforcement.

One error I’ve often seen posted in social media is that the authorities are never called in an crash. It then turns out that the defendant tells a different story about the particulars of the crash and as a result the insurance company will not cover for damages.

Together with the police on the scenethey can write a report that will be used as evidence.

Ultimately, these elements will assist in filing your insurance claim, decide the method by which the insurance company will proceed forward, and will allow the insurance company to determine fault.

Seek medical help as soon as possible.

You never know what injuries you might have sustained, even if you feel no pain straight away. Pain may surface the next day or over three days.

Get contact information from another driver and witnesses (if any).

Going past contact info, work on obtaining the insurance card information of another driver. You will want to be as detailed as you possibly can further protect yourself.

If it is possible, take photos of the scene. Ensure that you take notes about what occurred while everything is still fresh in your mind.

All are key details that can fade away in memory if not maintained in some way. This will help your case if you are able to take photos.

Report the accident to your insurance provider.

you will need to report your accident to your insurer since it’s part of your coverage. Do so as swiftly as possible and remember–you are not obligated to provide specifics. DO NOT acknowledge fault or give a recorded statement at this time. Wait for the evidence to be made accessible.

However, what if you’re the passenger of the vehicle in an accident???

In this instance, you may submit a claim against the driver of the automobile and/or the driver of any other automobile involved in the crash. If your claim is found to be legitimate, you could have the ability to recover from both parties.

Should I still see a physician after my auto accident? What if I feel OK?

In several instances, adrenaline starts to rush throughout the entire body in the event of an auto accident. The adrenaline will blunt any pain that may arise as a result of an injury.

This is the reason it’s super critical to visit a doctor as soon as possible.

This is also another reason why you want to hold off on telling any insurer what symptoms you might have because you might not believe any.

Whiplash, concussions, and internal bleeding are injuries you might have sustained in an accident, and a doctor should check up on you to make sure your OK. Otherwise, you’re going to want proper medical care to move forward.

Do I need an Attorney After an automobile Collision?

Seeing as this is Auto Accident Relief, you may be anticipating a solid yes answer, and while I will learn toward a yesI am also here to tell you NO. Yes, that is right you don’t always need a car incident attorney, however there are instances when you should consider hiring one…

…For example, let’s say that in your car accident you only totaled your automobile and you have no injuries. Well the insurance provider might offer you a fair settlement to replace your car or truck, and if that’s the case proceed. However, if they’re lowballing you then you may want to consider hiring an lawyer.

An instance where we highly recommend hiring a lawyer is when you have obtained bodily injuries.

Why?

The amount of your payout has to be higher. You need to get checked to see what harms you have, and you will have to incorporate a dollar figure in your settlement if you find out that you will want to continue to see the physician.

The actual question here however is,”What can an accident lawyer do for me?”

This is the key.

A skilled accident Lawyer Should be Able do the following:

They will deal with all : your paperwork, legal processes, and fulfill the statute of limitations deadline together with competence. Taking all of the paperwork and discussions out of YOUR picture will allow you to concentrate on one thing–RECOVERY. 

Work with an investigative team which could handle all of the technical aspects of your case. This isn’t always mandatory, and at times cases are simple. But in more severe instance hiring an investigative staff in NC can prove your innocence, or show why you have to get compensated. 

Objectivity. It is important to examine a case with facts rather than emotions. If you’re personally involved in a case, it is much more challenging to leave out all emotions. 

Communicate effectively with the insurance’s attorneys. A lawyer will always know what needs to be said to another lawyer. Couple that with knowledge of this law, and it is a good deal less difficult to make the most of an attorney. 

Maximum Compensation. A lawyer that confronts your case with objectivity will prevent low settlement offers from being accepted. Instead, using a fact-based approach, your settlement may rise in value as a consequence of the evidence, research, preparation, and negotiation set in place by an attorney. 

Court Preparations. If all else fails, visiting the courtroom armed with a plan that will best suit your needs is exactly what the attorney should have ready for in the beginning.

Turning Tragedy into Triumph

If you would like to get the greatest positive results in your car accident claim, you are going to want to follow a number of these measures together with the highest level of maintenance.

For this reason, you ought to talk to an lawyer to know what the most effective steps are.

Working with an experienced injury attorney can be the key which you desire if your case has become complex.

If you realize that your current offers are honest, then proceed without hiring an attorney.

However, hiring an attorney will bring aggressive and professional representation that will position your situation for the very best compensation possible to bring your life back to normal as close as possible.

You’ll no longer need to be concerned about dealing with adjusters, negotiating, and dealing with the possibility of being taken advantage of. All you’ll want to do is worry about healing yourself and moving ahead from the instant that you work with a skilled attorney.

The Facts are that we Do Not Know the Details of Your Situation

Regardless, we want to help.

It is the reason behind the production of Car Accident Relief and we would like to have the ability to assist you if we can.

It is why we’re offering free consultations to our first-time clients.

You will be able to:

Discuss your options

Find out if You’ve Got a situation

Determine how to best move forward|}

Fill out the form below to get help today.

Let us Help You.

What Happened to You?

[contact-form] P.S. Did you find this post useful to your situation? Tell us in the comments below.

The post Top Rated Car Accident Attorneys Siler City North Carolina appeared first on Car Accident Relief.

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[miketendo-64]

If you are reading this, take everything that you know about Splatoon 2, put it in a teeny, tiny box and throw it into the ocean, for the inkling world will never be the same again.

  When Splatoon 2 was first revealed, although it did have some differences, it didn’t seem like that much of a sequel, as it did feel and look more like an enhanced port. In the lead up to its release though, more information was shared and true enough, Splatoon 2 did seem as though that it really would be a game in its own right and a true sequel and now Nintendo have decided the time has come to truly show off Splatoon 2 as the sequel it was always intended to be.

  As part of a new video that was posted today, which outlines a whole range of new content planned for Splatoon 2 via updates, nearly 140 pieces of gear was revealed, (some from Splatoon 1, with the rest being entirely new,) new hair styles that are out on November 23rd and even some new and old stages to do battle on, but even then that’s not all! So here we go again with another one of our Digest articles and this time once we’re done posting the video in which all of today’s information comes from, we’re sharing the official press release for it all:

  Major Splatoon 2 Updates Add New Stages, New Modes and New Ways to Splat:

  Keep the Game Fresh with Free Updates Coming Nov. 23 and Mid-December

  REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 21, 2017 – Nintendo continues to roll out additional content for the Splatoon 2 game for the Nintendo Switch system, and is now releasing two free software updates with a ton of new content and a new way to play. The first free update hits on Nov. 23 and adds a new stage for Salmon Run, new gear and new hairstyles for Inklings, as well as many other features, with additional new battle stages rolling out beginning Nov. 24. The second free update will be available mid-December and introduces a frantic new Ranked Battle mode called Clam Blitz, which involves picking up clams around the stage and trying to throw them into your opponent’s basket.

“These free new additions to Splatoon 2 deliver surprises to fans to keep the fun going,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “This new content significantly expands the game and provides a great value for players, regardless of whether they purchased it on launch day or have it on their holiday gift lists.”

  The two free updates include the following content:

  Nov. 23:

Update Four New Battle Stages: While four new battle stages are coming to Splatoon 2, they won’t all be available immediately after downloading the update. Like with previous additions, the stages will roll out over the subsequent weeks, giving players new surprises as they play throughout the holiday season and beyond. The first new battle stage, MakoMart, will be available to play on Black Friday, Nov. 24, with Shellendorf Institute, Walleye Warehouse and Arowana Mall coming soon. The new MakoMart stage is a giant superstore-style stage, so what better time to play than on Black Friday! Shellendorf Institute is new to the series, while Walleye Warehouse and Arowana Mall are popular stages returning from the original Splatoon game.

New Salmon Run Stage: Fan-favorite multiplayer mode* Salmon Run is getting a new stage. After downloading the update, Salmonid Smokeyard will be added to the stage rotation. In Salmonid Smokeyard, a wide gap on the beach divides two upper platforms, with fan lifts being the quickest way to traverse the two platforms. Teamwork is required to use the fan lifts effectively.

New Gear: Approximately 140 pieces of gear are being added to Splatoon 2. These include shoes, headgear and clothes, like a motocross mask, and additional winter clothing (perfect for the cold weather!), as well as returning items from the original Splatoon game.

New Battle Music: Two new bands have been gaining popularity in Inkopolis! The punk-flavored Bottom Feeders and classically trained avant-garde-style Ink Theory are contributing new songs to the already music-rich game.

New Hairstyle: When customizing an Inkling, four new hairstyles will be available to choose from – two each for female and male characters.

Higher Level Caps: Currently, players are maxed out at Level 50. After downloading the update, the new maximum level will be raised to 99. If players talk to Judd when they reach Level 99, they’ll have the option to reset their level display to Level ★1 so they can continue raising their level.

New amiibo Functionality: Tapping a compatible amiibo figure after the update will let players take and share in-game photos in preset locations in Battle Stages, in addition to being able to take photos in Inkopolis Square. Players can also add fun filters to their images.

Convenient Gear Swapping: Players that want to change gear between battles in Regular Battle, Ranked Battle and Splatfest Battle (Solo) won’t have to exit to the lobby anymore! After downloading the update, gear can be swapped out without leaving the match room, making it quicker to get back to splatting. For Regular Battle, this also means players can play the next battle with the same players.

  Mid-December Update:

Clam Blitz: In Clam Blitz, competing Inklings are tasked with collecting clams scattered around the stage. After one is picked up, the clam follows the player. The objective is to throw the clam into the basket near the opponent’s base. The first team to score 100 points wins! But, of course, this being the fiercely competitive world of Splatoon 2, things are not as easy as they seem. The baskets are protected by a barrier, which much be destroyed first. After collecting 10 clams, the player will earn a Power Clam. These super-powered clams are the key to breaking the barrier, so strategy will definitely be involved in which clams are used to destroy the barrier and which are used to earn points. Not to mention the extra-satisfying opportunity to steal opponents’ clams by splatting them…

  Splatoon 2 is now available in stores, for digital purchase on the official website or in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch at a suggested retail price of $59.99. The upcoming software updates are both free and can be downloaded starting on Nov. 23 and in mid-December. For more information about the game, visit http://splatoon.nintendo.com/.

    And since Seafoam Shanty, the Bottom Feeders did come up, here’s what has been said about them via the Squid Research Lab and a whole bunch of screenshots we’ve put into a slideshow gallery for you:

A new band called the Bottom Feeders has been tearing up the Inkopolis charts lately. The band is fronted by a tropical-betta-fish violinist, features vocals by a dude made of seaweed, and also includes a shark, a scallop, and a globefish. Their unforgiving yet catchy music style is the product of fusing ancient Celtic sea shanties with punk rock.

In addition to the song featured in the trailer, Seafoam Shanty, the Bottom Feeders will be providing two additional tracks as battle music. Take a listen to Fins & Fiddles and Shipwreckin’!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We hope you found our Splatoon 2 Digest that covers all of today’s Splatoon 2 news helpful!

    Source: Nintendo PR, Splatoonus (tumblr) & Nintendo (YouTube)

A Complete #Splatoon2 Major Upcoming Updates Outline Digest #NintendoSwitch. If you are reading this, take everything that you know about Splatoon 2, put it in a teeny, tiny box and throw it into the ocean, for the inkling world will never be the same again.

[writingcommons-blog1]

“The Great Emmetsburg Triumph” by Brady H.

It can be puzzling to think about multifaceted topics like what kind of major and unique events bring a community together. Regardless of the city’s population, specific events and tragedies can bring thousands into one vast, caring family. Many such events have brought my community together ranging from the death of a respected, well-known and adored pastor, to an envied, stupendous and well-deserved state tournament basketball appearance by our girl’s team my junior year for the first in school history.

Some onlookers might bash basketball as an over-glorified sport, similar to other sports, and think that more attention should be spent on fine arts.

To them I say: that is probably true, but it’s society who puts too much emphasis on sports -- no one person is to blame, it’s the whole entity.

Arguments such as “sports or arts?” can tear a community apart, but I say that we should not focus on what the specific activity is, but rather on what each individual person finds satisfying and entertaining. Here in the United States, people are allowed to pursue what they believe in. I try not to hold sports over the fine arts, but sometimes I do (not because I think sports outweigh fine arts, but because simply I was raised this way). My experiences in sports, just as some others’ experiences in fine arts, have proven that one monumental competition or event can bring a community together in a special, electrifying way.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Our practices have been in preparation for this exact game. All season, our team would think about how each component, drill and repetition would put us at an advantage to our opponent. I can remember talking with my teammates about how each day we were getting close to “the game.” Every practice, I would lace up my mud-covered, worn-out cleats and steadily head to the practice field, sometimes as if it was a chore. In this particular practice week, I walked into the musty smelling locker room with an improved and positive attitude. This game meant more than just a winning or losing notation on our record; this game meant that our community could produce a football team that could compete with the “almighty” Emmetsburg E-hawks. Year after year, losing this game became a tradition, even before the Okoboji area consolidated with Milford. The small town of Milford was unable to match up with Emmetsburg’s legacy. The feeling of losing became all that was known when matched with the E-hawks. It was all I knew as a player and student of the Okoboji Community School District. It was a sombering thought that went unnoticed by most, except our devoted, enthusiastic coach, Jon Allen. His faded yellow sweats and stained visor outfit gave him a persona that claimed he doesn’t care about looks, he cares about performance and functionality.

In the past, our school always had problems with our football team; in fact, my seventh grade year we didn’t even have a football team. However, when I was a sophomore, our team broke the longest losing streak in state history when we won a hard fought game against North Union. I made an incredible tackle that allowed me to hold a higher position on the team after that game, which was the start of my varsity career.

The previous season, we were not scheduled to compete with Emmetsburg as we were in a different division. As time moved along and I became a senior, my classmates and I were reassigned to the same division as our most daunting opponent. At the beginning of the season, I felt like a part of me moved on with the graduating class. How could I focus on football? More importantly, how could I focus on “the game”? It started by me making an effort to mend old connections to teammates in my class: I had to grow close to them to help create a sense of unity. This sense of unity can be seen on many different levels, ranging from our direct friendships to the community’s togetherness.

Though the matchup was scheduled mid-season, every game leading up to it was like a stepping stone: we critiqued our work like it was a legitimate job, analyzing deeply our strengths and weaknesses. As the season progressed and we identified our team’s best quality, passing the ball, we then decided to sharpen this skillset like forged steel to outweigh their well-known ability to run the ball.

The week of practice leading up to this game was unlike any other week I had previously went through during the three and one-half years I’d participated in the sport. Though our drills weren’t new or abstract, our level of focus and determination increased tremendously. I felt like I was performing better in practice, which can be difficult to notice on a minute scale. The overall morale of the team seemed serious, yet excited, as if we had a business meeting coming up that decided our company’s fate. That week of classes even seemed to go smoother than usual.

As the week of practice wrapped up we only had two more items on the agenda to take care of before the game: the night before’s speech and team-meal. The speech can be summed as the following reads: everyone had to perform at their best in one specific area, setting a personal record for himself. This could be totalling up tackles higher than ever before, rushing more than ever, or catching more passes than he previously had caught. This “be extra” message seemed to hit home with our team.

Though coach’s speech was not earth-shattering or revolutionary, the words preached in that specific demeanor had meaning -- they sunk in deeply like the teeth of a venomous snake in its prey.

The day finally arrived, everyone was anxious but felt that the preparation handled during the week would be more than sufficient in our game’s outcome that night. The drive there, though 45 minutes, felt like it took 10 minutes. We slapped our pads on and warmed up on the field with not the hope, but expectation we would prevail. Running through the drills, I could feel the blood surge through my veins mixed with a calculated amount of adrenaline. Our senior class, “the ones who would surmount to nothing,” would be the ones to finally end the reign that Emmetsburg held over our community.

And then it happened. The ball was snapped and the game began. Our team assembled as not eleven individual players, but rather as one player on the field, making extraordinary plays and performing the fundamental aspects of the game with intensity and rigor. Down after down and play after play, our team could see that our preparation was starting to pay off. Our best receiver was unstoppable, our linebackers were tackling for a loss every other play, our offensive line was able to hold off the notoriously thick Emmetsburg players.

My community’s team had done what others couldn’t do for as long as our district has had a football team -- we beat the odds. In that game, I had the most tackles I’ve ever had in one game. Along with everyone else, I met the status quo. In the end, our community erupted with excitement and pride, in addition to myself and team. After the excitement of the game began to fade, I asked myself: why was this phenomenon such a big deal to our community? Shouldn’t we be focusing on more holistic topics like helping those in our community that don’t have enough to eat? Or putting more emphasis on togetherness and quality of life? I still to this day cannot fully explain why a game was able to bring our community together and not a community wide food drive.

The blame could be associated with our society's’ economic system of capitalism, in that demand and entertainment drive our country. To be honest, I don’t think I will ever be able to precisely explain why the success of a football game had the weight that it did. My inability to explain the weight of the football game is irrelevant; however, the game, although short-lived, brought our community together.

[workfromhomeyoutuber]

Modern Tribe: Quality Assurance (QA) Analyst

Headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota URL: https://tri.be/

The Opportunity

Modern Tribe’s QA team works on a lot of cool projects: over the past year alone, we’ve tested sites built by our dev team for big-name clients including Columbia Law School, Bon Appetit Magazine, Eventbright Academy Blog, Harvard Law School and What Should We Do (WSWD). (Want to see how we did? The links above highlight some of our work). And that’s not even including our family of WordPress plugins led by The Events Calendar.

We’ve got a slew of cool projects we are working on in 2020, and need another member for our QA team. If working on high-profile sites for large clients gets you excited and a serious case of attention to detail is your jam, we should talk.

Inclusion Statement

Modern Tribe is committed to a culture that embraces diversity and inclusion. We foster an environment of collaboration, open engagement, fairness and respect regardless of differences in age, race, disability, national origin, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status. As a hybrid workspace ranging from distributed contractors to traditional employees, we value the unique perspectives and experiences of our global team.

We come from all walks of life. We are small business owners. We are tattoo aficionados and 80’s movie buffs and ex-pats. We are homeschool teachers. We are single parents. We are musicians, college drop-outs, and entrepreneurs. We are travelers, feminists, runners, volunteers, and makers. We are a Modern Tribe.

Everyday we strive to fulfill our motto: live well and do good work. We hope you will consider joining us.

Responsibilities

QA is responsible for ensuring all aspects of quality at Modern Tribe. It’s a tall order for sure: learning how a site works, creating test plans covering obscure use cases, and then putting it all into practice when testing every aspect of site functionality…it’s a lot of ground to cover. But we’ve got an established workflow down that helps make sure we’re setting the team up with the tools they need to proceed and succeed.

Though every project is different, here’s the gist of our QA flow:

KICKOFF MEETING. Just a kickoff — meet the PM; get your questions answered; set expectations; and schedule milestones.

PREPARING DOCS. Getting started with internal documentation early is hugely important to getting the project into your brain.

REVIEW APPROVED COMPS. Before you start QA or even get a walkthrough, you’ll review the comps to understand the project + prepare a list of questions to ask on the QA walkthrough.

QA WALKTHROUGH. Once development is far enough along for QA to begin, you’ll do a walkthrough with the lead developer to get an overview of the functionality.

PREPARE QA CHECKLIST + TEST PLAN. After seeing each component of the site in action, you’ll put together a first draft at a comprehensive QA checklist and a higher-level overview of what you’re planning to test, in what order, and when.

HEAVY DUTY TESTING. You’ll put the site through its paces and give it a few rounds of full pass bug hunting. Beyond just hitting buttons, you’ll be thinking from a higher level: are there usability concerns? Does what we’re doing here actually make sense as the best way to solve the problem? etc.

CELEBRATING A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH. What feels better than kicking back after a successful launch? If QA has done their job, the project will launch smoothly, the team will have a finished product to show off, and — most importantly — the client will be happy. It doesn’t get much better than that.

* Our QA team also generally leads client training and prepares training documentation/videos when appropriate, so be prepared for some direct client communication.

Personal Competencies

Strong communication and/or experience working as part of a remote team

Self-motivated, detail-oriented, strong organizational skills, with a methodical approach to all tasks

Ability to prioritize workloads and meet deadlines

Ability to work independently with minimal oversight

Fluent English speaker

Required Knowledge & Experience

Has a proven track record in Quality Assurance.

Pays meticulous attention to detail + fights for the customer. Being able to catch bugs is huge, but it isn’t everything — QA is most effective when it puts itself in the customer or end user’s shoes.

Knows WordPress well, you’ll be expected to prove your familiarity with the platform.

Excellent verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills

Has 1+ year remote freelancing experience.

Additional Experience (Bonus Points)

Familiarity setting up local WordPress environments + cloning GIT repositories locally

Skills at training others how to admin complex WordPress sites/projects

Experience writing and implementing automated testing processes

Location

Work from anywhere in the US or Canada; if you are in Central or South America, let’s talk. This will be a 100% remote position. If your working hours are in a timezone outside of the US range, but you work 4+ hours of overlap each day our team might be able to consider your application.

Compensation

Our hourly rate for this gig starts at $25-$30/hr, depending on experience, with opportunities for rate bumps on annual review. This gig is about 10 -20 hours per week.

Perks

We believe in learning from each other and fostering personal growth. You can expect to learn a lot while working with us and we have a benefits package for full time employees.

(Also, if you work enough with us, we’ll bring you on the team trip.)

Who We Are

Modern Tribe, Inc. is a rapidly growing software & design company. We develop custom solutions for some of the world’s largest companies, government institutions and smaller growing organizations. We pride ourselves on our ability to bridge people and technology and to bring the passion and dedication of an entrepreneur to every project. Our team is composed of talented employees and freelancers around North & South America (and a smattering across the globe).

Who You Are

We love working with each other because we have built a culture that suits us well. We work primarily with freelancers and coordinate their talents for large projects. To be on our team, you must be:

HAPPY - Where there is a will, there is a way. Having a positive disposition allows us to achieve great things and to support each other.

HELPFUL - Always looking for ways that you can help others.

CURIOUS - It is essential that you have a passion for learning. Technology changes daily, and life has a way of constantly raising the bar.

ACCOUNTABLE - Our clients expect us to get the right thing done on budget and on time. Communicating expectations and meeting them is the cornerstone of success.

To apply: https://modern-tribe.breezy.hr/p/b481f0511faf-quality-assurance-qa-analyst?source=weworkremotely

from We Work Remotely: Remote jobs in design, programming, marketing and more https://ift.tt/3abJHJi from Work From Home YouTuber Job Board Blog https://ift.tt/2xiKFFf