#setup and countdown!!! incredible

[tychodorian]

It's Manuscript Monday, and today we're exploring how to pick the right platform for publishing your book. Let’s break down IngramSpark, Amazon's KDP, and Kobo.

Amazon's KDP offers incredible reach and exclusive promotions like free eBook days and Kindle Countdown Deals. The catch? You must stay exclusive to Amazon for eBooks during these promotions.

IngramSpark is perfect for getting your book into physical stores, offering great print quality and wide distribution. But, it comes with higher setup costs and a steeper learning curve.

Kobo excels in international markets, especially Canada, and doesn't require exclusivity. However, it has a smaller audience compared to Amazon.

Thinking of using an aggregator? They distribute to multiple platforms for convenience, though they take a slice of your sales.

Choose based on where your audience is, the book type, and your preferred involvement level. Each platform has its perks! Personally, my favorite platform is KDP, but what's yours and why?

Got questions or tips about self-publishing? Drop them below! Let’s help each other out. Happy writing!

[movieholicaarav]

Breaking the Ice: Creative Approaches to Winter Heater Advertising

As winter approaches, the demand for heaters surges, making it a crucial time for brands in the heating industry to capture market attention and drive sales. With every brand vying for visibility, it's increasingly important to stand out. Below are several creative heater advertising strategies specifically tailored for winter heater campaigns that not only attract potential customers but also keep them engaged.

1. Engage Through Storytelling

A great story can captivate an audience, and using storytelling in your advertising can make your brand memorable. Develop a narrative around your heaters that focuses on warmth, comfort, and family gatherings during the chilly months. Consider creating a series of short stories or an ongoing character that people can follow throughout the season, highlighting how your heater improves their winter experience.

2. Leverage Social Media Challenges

Social media challenges are a fantastic way to engage with a younger audience and generate buzz around your product. Create a fun and easy-to-participate challenge that relates to staying warm. For instance, you could start a "#CozyWinter" challenge, encouraging users to post pictures of their cozy home setups with your heater in the background. Offer incentives like discounts or a chance to win a free product to encourage participation.

3. Interactive Online Ads

Interactive ads can drastically increase engagement rates. Design an interactive ad where users can click to "add warmth" to a chilly scene, gradually revealing a cozy, warm indoor picture that features your heater working its magic. Such ads are not only engaging but also communicate the effectiveness of your heater visually and interactively.

4. Weather-Triggered Advertising

Weather-triggered advertising can be incredibly effective for heater sales. Utilize real-time weather data to trigger your ads precisely when the temperature drops in a viewer’s location. This not only increases the relevance of the ad but also highlights the immediate benefit of having a reliable heater.

5. Localized Content

Create ads that resonate with local audiences by referencing local winter events, traditions, or even weather patterns. This personalized approach can make potential customers feel a closer connection to your brand, increasing trust and likability. Tailor ad visuals and copy to different locations to deepen this local appeal.

6. Collaborations with Home Decor Influencers

Collaborate with influencers who specialize in home decor or DIY projects. Influencers can showcase how they integrate your heater into various home styles, demonstrating both the aesthetic appeal and functionality. It provides authenticity to the advertising and reaches the influencer’s dedicated audience.

7. Virtual Showrooms

With many consumers shopping online, create a virtual showroom where customers can see how different heaters look in various room settings. This can help them visualize the product in their own home, making the online shopping experience more interactive and informative.

8. Countdown Deals

Create a sense of urgency and excitement with countdown deals leading up to the coldest months. Offer special promotions that decrease in value as it gets closer to winter, encouraging customers to act quickly. This strategy not only drives immediate sales but also builds momentum as the promotion progresses.

Conclusion

Getting creative with your winter heater advertising is not just about standing out; it’s about connecting with consumers in a meaningful way that resonates with their seasonal needs and preferences. By harnessing the power of storytelling, embracing new digital technologies, and creating interactive and localized content, brands can create effective winter campaigns that warm up consumers’ hearts and homes.

[katebeckctt]

IMDb’s highest rated episodes of SEASON 3 of CASTLE.

[pop-punklouis]

hope - i know you've probably been asked this but what's the craziest thing that the bears did in your opinion? like you knew and thought 'yep, this is definitely lou and harry.'

hmmm craziest was probably this shit where they disappeared on october 20 and had a countdown only to return on october 25 with security guards around their setup in the venue and bright blue and green spotlights on them before the show began like i still can’t believe this was a real image and a real time i experienced lmao

i think the certificate with harry’s obvious handwriting was incredibly in your face

and the way niall snapped his neck so quickly to look at louis during the jingleball interview that even slowing it down to half its speed, niall’s head still moves at normal speed lmao

[comfortscripts]

Let Me Treat You ¬ Bucky B.

Plot - Love wasn't something Bucky had experience in, and as the day of love comes along, you decide to treat him.

Genre - Fluff

Pairing - James Buchanan Barnes x GN!Reader

Notes/Warnings - General fluffiness and that's all. Its a short one to kick us off on the Valentines Countdown

Word Count - 0.6k

“What do you mean you’ve never celebrated?”

A whole-hearted chuckle rang through the kitchen, radiating off the super solider as he poured the final drops of orange juice into the gradient glass. Topless figure highlighted by the soft rays flowing through the open window, making the contortion of his muscles ever prominent with the laughter.

“What do you want me to say, doll? In the 20s, it wasn’t exactly acceptable for an unmarried couple to go out alone, let alone celebration a day such as Valentine’s” One hand tasked with griping your waist as his pearly whites beam down at you, whilst the other cups the glass within, with hope to be resting upon your skin soon.

Shock radiated through your body at the fact of his lack of celebration. Ideas of how to celebrate rattling through your brain as the blue-eyed man admires the wide-eyed gaze splattered across your face, causing him to pause his admiration to continue his explaination. “Not sure I’d like the whole publicity of it. You know I love you everyday, not sure if it’s love if you only express it one day a year”

Eyebrows furrowing to match his words with ideas coming to a halt and changing direction based off the introverted personality of your love. Words escaping your mouth as a respond for the sake of, “Understandable. I want to love you 24/7, not just on Valentine’s day”

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Stuttered steps rang off the walls as the shadows of the pair encroached closer to the balcony where the delicate radiance of candle-light and star shine fell across the layout. The soothing scent of newly-bloomed flowers danced in the wind, adding a crisp aroma to the subtle waft of stew floating across the air.

Simplicity was key with James, and the layout showed it. A cloth-covered table with a single daring red Camellia centred perfectly between the plates of mouth-watering food from a time gone by. Gentle light illuminating the dinner as the distance bustle of town melted with the soft tones of Artie Shaw.

“And open”

No matter how much he’d experience, or how harden he’d become, the sight of your efforts brought a tear to his crystal eyes. Warmth overflowing within as the super solider analyses every inch of the setup, grin widening with each detail before landing fully on you.

A staggered step towards you, almost cautious as if this was a dream that could flee from his grasp with a small movement, but no, this was reality.

This was his reality, this was his love, this was you.

Arms hanging loosely upon your hips, eyes captured with his adoring orbs and body leaning into his warmth; everything had gone to plan. The love that flowed from the pair of you could have lit up New York with ease, and the admiration Bucky held in his eyes was enough to bring you to your knees.

“This is incredible. How on ea-? Why would you go through all this trouble?”

Hand rising to tenderly cup his stubbled jaw, gentle strokes of your thumb running across his touch-starved skin. “You deserve to experience Valentine’s day in comfort. No crowds, no silly ideas of what day you can love, no fuss; just love and I love you, James Buchanan Barnes.”

As you tip-toe to place a fleeting kiss against the rough of his lips, a quiet whisper falls from your caring lips; “Let me treat you”

[crystalelemental]

Unit Teambuilding - Ash

I do not want to do this.  But I know some of you really like Ash, and might be looking forward to this, so I’m going to put my biases aside and try to show some professionalism here and cover him normally.

General Overview Ash is an incredibly powerful Electric-type damage dealer, who hits on the special side.  Ash is the Aaron killer.  His main source of damage is Thunder, which is perfectly accurate, costs only two gauges, and is stronger, thanks to Ash’s innate passive.  However, he has a new skill called a Buddy move.  When Ash has taken three actions, he can use his Buddy Thunderbolt, which is, by damage numbers, a Max Move that still reduces sync countdown, and also is influenced by multipliers from my understanding.  So it’s a really, really big shot.  That can only be used once, unless he’s 3/5 and you take the MP refresh effect on first sync, then you can do it twice.

Ash’s battle flow is simple.  Going All Out on turn 1 caps his offensive stats.  Then, you Thunder.  Then, you use Not Gonna Lose to set up a bunch of conditions, including Supereffective Up Next.  Then you throw out your Buddy move for eleventy bajillion damage.  Then you sync, and you get that MP back if you’re 3/5, and repeat the process until whatever’s left has stopped moving.  It’s a little delayed to sync, and you spend a decent chunk of time in setup for the buddy move, but it’s an efficient flow with tremendous damage output.  If there’s a flaw to be had, it’s that you can only repeat the cycle once without 3/5, and then you’re left with Thunder.  Which is still really good damage, so like...don’t sweat it too much.  The only thing to note is that you really want to conserve gauges with Ash here.  His buddy move is only at max power if the gauge is full, so don’t click his move if it’s anything less than ready to fire.

Team 1: Ash, BP Clemont, Surge/SS Leaf Ash is offensively self-sufficient, so his supports are best used for defense or gauge control.  Clemont is not fast, but what he does have is defensive buffs, and an electric typing.  Screech doesn’t synergize well, but it legitimately doesn’t need to.  From there, you really just want a Kantonian for Kanto Spirit.  SS Leaf can debuff defenses and apply Toxic for further damage, or you can just go with Surge for speed and debuffing special attack to improve survival even further.

Team 2: Ash, Thunderbolt Red, BP Clemont Similar to the above, but now we’re assuming you got both the rats.  Red sets Electric Terrain, which may as well be permanent with the terrain extension effect.  Ash is tremendous single-target damage with the Buddy move, while Red can supply AoE damage through his.  Combined, they are effectively unstoppable in an Electric-weak stage.

Final Thoughts I’m not going to spend much time on Ash.  Yes, it’s partially because I don’t like him being here, but it’s also partially because there are like 18 new units and I have things to get to today, and also that there���s really nothing fancy going on here.  Teambuilding recommendations are for when a unit has particular uses that aren’t readily apparent, or tools that require a bit of nuance to pull off.  Ash has none of that.  It’s just slapping the opponent with electric-type attacks until they die.  There’s no real strategy, no real plan.  Just zap them.  Then zap them harder.  Zap them so hard that the Mega Metagross beating your ass is suddenly dead.  Zap Rhydon in just the right spot that it takes damage anyway.  Zap your own Swellow to craft golden armor or something.  Cheat, boy.  Just cheat like you usually do.

[woodyssoundup]

Year end countdown, showcasing some of my favorite setups from the year! My friend @vinnydiesel95 always shines with his incredible @jtrspeakers and @mcintoshlabs setup! This year moving to the @lgusa 77” CX OLED to give the video side a boost. #soundup #jtrspeakers #mcintoshlabs #mcintosh #lgoled #oled #4k #dolbyvision #hifi #hifiaudio #gamer #gaming #hometheater #music #audiolove #hifiporn https://www.instagram.com/p/CJWRIfXMS-7/?igshid=1gmsjb7xm7dwv

[prettywordsyouleft]

Mistletoe Manor - Part 3

Summary: Christmas is the most important time of year for all those who live within Mistletoe Manor. From the staff to the Hawthorne family themselves, everyone works hard to ensure that the festive season is a success every year! We invite you to see if everyone can pull off another  magical Christmas at the manor this year.

Pairing: Park Seo Joon, Bang Yongguk, Brian Kang, Jung Daehyun, Jung Jaehyun, Lee Taeyong and OCs.

Genre: regency au / romance / christmas au

A/N: Becky ( @noona-clock​ ) and I wanted to create a magical Christmas for everyone and what  better way to do that than at Mistletoe Manor! Because of the nature of having several idols, we chose to work with OCs and we hope you love them as much as we do.

Mistletoe Manor will be posted daily at 10am NZST / 4pm EST daily.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Activity within the manor had increased with the countdown to the opening of the Winter Festival. It was rather chaotic at times and as Cassie made her way downstairs, she almost knocked into Anna carrying a large pile of linen up them.

“Careful, Anna!” she exclaimed and the housemaid sidestepped immediately, balancing the load within her arms precariously. Cassie held out a prepared hand in case the pile began to fall. “Do you need a hand?”

“I’ve got two to spare,” a voice called and Cassie grinned as Taeyong jogged up the stairs to take half of the pile away from the maid.

“What would we do without you, Taeyong?”

“I was doing just fine, My Lady,” Anna mentioned gruffly, shooting the footman a brief glare that made Cassie chuckle as she continued down the stairs. Tensions were heightened because of the flurry in events, though today Cassie’s mood was rather jubilant. Even if she had to step around a stack of deliveries in the foyer, Percy promptly informing her that the back entry was entirely full.

“And you have another letter from the Earl,” the old butler announced, pulling it out from within his breast pocket and handing it over.

“Thank you, Percy. I’ll see to it when I have some time. Is the car ready for our trip to the market setup?”

“It is, My Lady.”

“I’m coming also, sister!” Josephine called from the other end of the foyer, placing on a hat along with her gloves. She came to a hasty stop at Cassie’s side before she grinned. “You cannot leave without me.”

“Why, I wouldn’t dream of doing such a thing! What of Evie?”

“Something about a critical moment in a book. I swear, she will never see much of the world if she keeps searching for it within the pages written by others!”

“Perhaps she’s well-versed more than we are, cousin,” Grace mentioned, appearing from the library with a warm smile, reaching out fondly to take Cassie’s hand. “You needn’t worry. Evie has been working on the final touches to the lineup for the festival opening.”

“I never worry when it comes to Evie.”

“Just me?!” Joey concluded and the other two laughed, stepping out into the brisk morning. Winter felt as if it would come early this year, and as Cassie looked to the skies, she was certain it wouldn’t be long until snow was upon the ground.

It made her grip at the letter within her gloved hand more tightly.

“Good morning,” Seo Joon, the family’s chauffeur greeted, opening the back door to the car. Joey got in first and Cassie hesitated, her eyes returning to the front door of the house.

“Is Lydia coming as well?”

“She is just finishing up on a task asked of her, she told me to send her apologies for making our journey to the town delayed,” Seo Joon mentioned and Cassie smiled at him.

“It is no problem to wait. Grace, why don’t you get in next?”

“I have another ride of my own.”

“You do?”

Seo Joon nodded, gesturing to down the drive. “Jaehyun has the cart hooked up with supplies and is waiting not far from here. Safe travels, Miss Grace.”

As Cassie watched her cousin almost run down the driveway to where Jaehyun had indeed been waiting, she couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh. Directing her gaze back to their chauffeur, she raised an eyebrow at him.

“Why, I feel you know a great more than I do right now.”

“I am not privy to all knowledge but I do feel Miss Grace enjoys sitting up front in that cart with Jaehyun these days.”

Joey laughed, shaking her head. “It would be such a bumpy ride compared to your smooth driving, Seo Joon.”

“I’ll accept your compliment,” Seo Joon answered with a grin and then gestured for Cassie to climb into the car. She did, and before she could ponder in wonderment over the progression of Grace and Jaehyun’s budding romance, Lydia came rushing through the front door, out of breath.

“I am truly sorry I was so late.”

“Shut the door, Seo Joon,” Cassie instructed and he frowned, looking at Lydia waiting to get in.

“Cassie! Lydia has to get in and with Grace not riding with us she can sit in the back.”

“Nonsense, I need this space here for my uh – my gloves.”

Taking them off immediately, everyone stared at her irrational movement.

“Shall I travel in the front with Seo Joon, My Lady?” Lydia implored, clicking onto Cassie’s mannerisms. Her cheeks were still flushed, though Cassie was certain it was now because of her generous offer.

It wasn’t just Jaehyun and Grace who were feeling things that hadn’t quite been spoken into public knowledge as of yet.

With Lydia in the front and Cassie’s gloves safely on the seat beside her, they started off to the village, both sisters discussing plans in the back seat whilst subtle advances happened in the front. Everyone seemed to be full of spirit once they arrived at the market site, and there was much to go through. Cassie checked the layout of the stalls, the setup up of the lanterns and even spoke with the labourer who had built the stage for the Christmas carollers to stand upon.

“Are you certain it is stable enough? It will hold thirty people most nights,” Lydia, who had spent the majority of her time at Cassie’s side, inquired, her brows knitting together with doubt.

“It does look rather thin in the base, you are right.”

“My Lady, do not fear. The wood I have sourced is incredibly sturdy!” And to make his point, the man climbed onto the stage, welcoming others to join him. Several workers stopped to assist him in his plight and Grace and Jaehyun came over to where they stood.

“I fear it’s not safe wood, if I may speak up about it,” Jaehyun murmured and Cassie glanced up at him, her eyes widening.

“Are you certain? It seems to be holding them well.”

“If we get snow or rain before the cover is erected, it will soften. It’s been cut against the grain.”

“You can tell that from one look?” Seo Joon asked and the gardener nodded. Cassie grew concerned; they had already paid for these materials weeks ago.

“My Lady, it is holding up,” Lydia attempted to console her right when there was a deafening crack. There were several gasps and shrieks as the stage collapsed into its base, cries of pain emanating from several of those within it.

Racing forward, Cassie helped a man out and then looked at the disaster before her. “The festival starts in five days. What will we do?”

It was a nightmare no one had expected so close to the big day. And with the accident, several of the workers were injured, mostly the man who was behind it all.

“I got a good deal on these supplies,” he exclaimed woefully and Josephine patted his lower arm gently before looking to her sister.

“Cassie, I’ll go with the injured to the physician. I know you’ll find a solution whilst I am gone.”

“We have one already,” Seo Joon announced when Cassie moved back to the group from the manor house, pointing at Jaehyun working with a sheet of paper from Grace’s journal. He was sketching out a new stage, and as Cassie looked at his design, she was amazed.

“Are you a carpenter?” Jaehyun glanced up at her and then shook his head. “No, My Lady, but my father is. I learned a lot of his trade when I was still at home.”

“Is there anything you cannot do?” Grace breathed and Cassie smiled momentarily.

Only for her hopes to fall short. “This is wonderful but where will we source materials from and have everything done within five days?”

“Now stop your worrying, My Lady,” Lydia replied firmly, taking Cassie’s hand in hers. “If there’s one thing I know about the staff at Mistletoe Manor is that we rise to the challenge. It will be done.”

Seo Joon had already loosened off a few buttons to his shirt and rolled up his sleeves once his coat was off, conversing with Jaehyun over how to start the structure first. Even Grace had begun helping with the planning; pointing out where she felt the stage would need extra reinforcement. Sharing a somewhat troubled smile with Lydia, Cassie stepped forward to assist as much as she could as well.

By the time they returned home, everyone was exhausted and hungry. Dinner was sombre, Lord Hawthorne making new arrangements to assist Jaehyun and Seo Joon with the project. Their mother had retired early over concerns that the festival may not start on time and Cassie was subdued, forgoing the evening meeting with her sisters and Grace in the drawing room.

It was when she was removing her clothing that she felt the letter she had carried around all day, hesitating to sit down and open it. She craved promising news and with Daehyun’s last letter, Cassie feared it would only bring forth more troubles for her to make her way through.

Still, she needed comfort right now and Daehyun’s letters had become an incredible source of that for her. Just seeing her name scrawled at the top of the letter made her feel some ease from the familiarity of his handwriting. She read through the first two pages that documented his journey of late, and of his questions for her, laughing when he told a tale of how the King had fallen into a mud patch and he hadn’t been able to hold his tongue conservatively. She had discovered her husband was easily amused and could just imagine Daehyun’s improper conduct and his sleepless night before meeting with the King the following day to apologise.

There was no news whether his schedule had changed yet, though he did speak of another Earl, one she had heard of when researching Daehyun. It appeared Yongguk had no plans after the expedition and would accompany him back to the manor.

Still, Cassie didn’t know when that would be and her smile soon faded with his final words.

I do not know when I will see you next but know my heart is with you this season. As it always will be,

Daehyun.

The tears soon began to fall, Cassie overcome with the emotions of everything lately. She had held it together for as long as she could, knowing so many relied on her to be strong and lead the way. It was a curse; she had always been headstrong in a way that made even Josephine turn to her for the right direction whenever she was lost.

But she had no idea which direction she was meant to be going in and it was maddening. Cassie needed someone who would just come in and support her, to allow her to be weak for once. She knew Grace would be there, and yet with her relationship with Jaehyun forming, Cassie didn’t wish to burden her cousin when she was experiencing such joy. And she didn’t want to turn to her parents either. Her father had already been disappointed tonight and he had tasked Cassie with this to do herself. She was prideful, wanting to be successful even if she was exhausted from trying so hard.

Cassie didn’t hear the door open; however, she felt the arms that wrapped around her, gazing through her tears at Lydia before burying herself into the woman. If there was anyone who had seen Cassie at her absolute worst, it was her. They were close and the lines often blurred between their roles and friendship. Breaking down further, Cassie didn’t wish to imagine life when she left the manor.

Even if she was eager to start her married life with Daehyun now, she didn’t wish to lose the strongest ally she had at her side either.

“Let us get up from the floor, hm?” Lydia coaxed, helping Cassie to her feet and over to her bed. She remained in a daze and Lydia removed her stockings, patting her knees gently when she was done. “Is it not good news with your husband?”

“I…” Cassie started, knowing there had been so much she had kept within. She had spoken of her concerns with Daehyun’s delay to Grace and felt much better after doing so. There was so much more troubling her though and Lydia’s gentle encouragement opened the floodgates. It took her some time to explain all her worries, with some breaks needed as the fresh tears fell and soaked into her nightgown. Lydia hadn’t said much; in fact, the only constant was her hand in Cassie’s, prompting her words out until there were no more to give.

Hugging her, Lydia finally took in a breath before speaking. “For this moment in time, I will speak to you as a friend and not someone who serves this family, okay? Cassie, you are placing too much onto your shoulders. We are all here for you and this festival will go off without a hitch. You have worked too hard for it not to. I know the setback startled you but you are surrounded by so many people who wish to help you. And they will if you just ask that of them.”

“I feel so lost, I-I don’t even know who to talk to or who to ask what of.”

Lydia smiled, brushing the remnants of her tears away. “So tell them. Tomorrow at the meeting, tell everyone. Allow others to lead until you are ready to do so again.”

“Oh, I couldn’t burden-”

“When is it ever a burden when it comes to you, Cassandra Hawthorne? You have given up so much of yourself for everyone else. Let us carry you just this once.”

_________________

All rights reserved © prettywordsyouleft

[Christmas 2019 Masterlist] | [Main Masterlist] | [Request Guidelines]

[spycamp]

MoonBase Recruiting Barack Obama and Neil Tyson Love Letter Season Episode 10 of 10 The Conclusion @BarackObama @SecretService Dear Barack Obama, The MoonBase Team is scattered teetering on failure. The only shiningly ripe apple in the bushel is the ADMIRAL everyone else in my leadership core has the chi the soul the heart to win but does not have the tact of wind at our backs with full sails; the advantages that we once had. Imagine if you were President and I was already seven years into my intelligence campaign and you were able to receive me and advance this dialog as The Commander in Chief then we would have this special momentum that is impossible to capture again. We must prepare for a tough winter and have faith that spring will arrive with splendor and our support structures at NASA and The National Security Agency and the CIA will arrive ready to support us The MoonBase Team. Soon, you are going to need to go to NASA with your records of my communications and establish rapport this needs to happen in the first half of 2021. It will then take two to three years for the nutrition and exercise event cycle to completely kick in and you will be ready to talk about the MoonBase with me because you will feel strong and healthy. From there it is a twenty year countdown that we intend to dramatically accelerate to get The MoonBase built and installed. And in about five years from right now we want to begin our march for The MoonBase Team to have an agenda that protects Planet Earth that we are in front of and in the public spotlight promoting as The MoonBase Team.

The MoonBase is going to be built with the intention of its Principals living forever. NASA has done an outstanding job lobbying for a makeup of about thirty leadership personnel and about three hundred engineers and operators that NASA believes will be entirely comprised of ASTRONAUTS. The Functioneers do not live forever, they may be eligible for an alternative live forever solution that I invent but that remains to be seen. The Functioneers are going to be in charge of getting the MoonBase up and running once it is built for a capacity of 400 total principals of The MoonBase Team. And to be certain that its included; there is a possibility that the best live forever solution is an advanced chair system that we all as Principals of The MoonBase must travel to the MoonBase and be treated by this advanced chair that the Functioneers get set up to operate on us. The MoonBase is going to be constructed by The United States Army Corps of Engineers and will be flown to outer space by United States Air Force on a mission that will be clandestine. We will communicate to the people that The MoonBase is getting setup and that we are the MoonBase Team and we will live forever but that will be about it. There will be an incredible mystery surrounding the MoonBase because the whole world will know it exists but will not have any legit information about its functions and operations other than it supplies the MoonBase Team their Live-Forevers and the necessary intelligence gathering and distribution channels to protect Planet Earth and improve the longevity of Planet Earth. Very Truly Yours, Alexander William Erickson

December 27, 2020

#AlexanderWilliamErickson

[ant-man98]

30 Days of Games Countdown

Day 17/30

Horizon: Zero Dawn

Developer: Guerilla

This game presents one of the most interesting gaming worlds I’ve seen in quite a while. A world where humanity has reverted back to living without an over reliance on technology. This is such a cool setup because when you go out to fight the technologically advanced creatures, you do feel like you are the underdog. I absolutely love the core gameplay loop of shooting specific weak points off of the creatures to eliminate them. It was fun to improvise during intense situations. This is also an extremely beautiful game to look at. The vibrant colors and vast array of foliage you come across are truly stunning. The main protagonist, Aloy, is also a great character to explore and I enjoyed seeing her become more skilled and deadly as the game progressed. I’m incredibly excited to see how Guerilla improves upon this excellent foundation in Horizon: The Forbidden West.

[sparda3g]

Kimetsu no Yaiba Chapter 190 Review

It’s one after another with these chapters increasing the intensity one-by-one. The countdown to dawn continues, but for how long can the Pillars last? Obanai has been on a roll with welcomed backstory, relatable motivation, and a presentation of a badass. With the red blade unleashed, the action is about to heat up even more for a climatic end.

Imagine the hype to watch Obanai to pull through, now wielding the red blade, thanks to Tokito’s parting data. Imagine being prepared for him to go sword blazing on Muzan. Once the chapter begins, the table has turned immediately against Obanai. I almost thought I skipped a page or two. This is how it began; a nightmare.

The reason for alarming intro is simply because Obanai messed up. He was so intense to activate red blade to kill Muzan, he lost his focus on balancing. The key to unlock it is to place pressure or transfer body heat to the sword. It makes sense considering the sword being special. It also make sense on why Obanai became weak. Much like transferring blood, which is a fine symbolic of redness, a person can become woozy, loss of stamina or conscious. I like how it was explained, but I didn’t want someone to be in danger.

Obanai is set to fall next due to the paneling and narration. Much like any other character, I can buy the chances of death, or at least critical damage. Who said Sanemi doesn’t care when he’s the one to cry out for him. It’s an unnerving moment with Obanai trying to move to make up for Kanroji. I failed to mention last time that it’s a shame Kanroji wasn’t there with the cat spreading the antidote. Yushiro isn’t there yet, so she remains out of action. It would be too late with Obanai taking the fall. Fortunately, that’s not the case.

Giyu tried to save him, but he was too late. However, Obanai apparently can float now. Muzan goes for the kill again, because he’s that persistent, but instead, he gets his right arm cut down. Obanai also dodged the attack in the mid-air in a redefining gravity matter. Looks like the series is ready to become Dragon Ball and sacrifice for flashy action. But seriously, someone threw him up in the air in time as well as assist his dodge. It leads to the question, “Who cut down Muzan’s arm?” The hint lies on the cut.

The paneling deceivably suggest Sanemi and/or Himejima helped Obanai. However, Muzan quickly notice that it wasn’t the case. He confirms the red blade is only designed for stronger attack, not manipulating style like it can extend. Good to know. Out of nowhere, his left arm gets sliced off. He then notice the cut is unusual; some kind of rickety effect. The moment I saw the blade in that panel, the excitement level grew tremendously.

I got to credit Muzan for being very thoughtful on his surroundings and threats. He calculated everything and eliminate the least possibilities. Once he picks up the air parting, he attacks forward and surprise, surprise, it’s the three future Pillars, Zenitsu, Kanao, and Inosuke. I should have known since the flesh cut has those patterns that Inosuke’s sword would leave. That’s a nice hint; graphic, but nice.

I laughed at Zenitsu for feeling pissed at Muzan ruining the plan. I also laughed at Himejima’s comment; as if he had no expectation for them coming out alive. How kind of him. In all seriousness, this reunion is pretty amusing in a heated moment, especially Inosuke. I like how he is so high and mighty about his survival with the help of those special papers, only for him to drop dozens of them casually. His character always gets me laughing.

Muzan wasn’t having it, so he cut off Inosuke’s influential speech. This is how you make him more hated. Obanai didn’t like that, so he returns to action with a Serpent Breathing Form Technique. His attacks are visually great. Bonus, the red blade does in fact work on Muzan, now regenerating at a slower rate. Kanao and Zenitsu go all in, which is pretty wild considering the massive risk, let alone they’re still kids. Funny that Zenitsu knew it is damn suicidal, but huge credit for him to go for it. It is astounding that they’re fast enough to keep up. It’s set up for Obanai to cut Muzan again. The teamwork is really good.

It can’t be only Obanai to do all the hard work. Enter Himejima, now trying to turn his weapons red. Instead of pressuring his weapons, he slams them together incredibly hard. You can tell with the clash sounding incredibly loud. Both have so much force, they turn red. That’s pretty damn badass, but it works in terms of heat and strength transfer. He swings the ball and strike at Muzan, confirming the effectiveness.

Sanemi is one character I didn’t expect to grow to like so much in an arc. Need I remind you that he wasn’t liked after his ruthless action? Now, he’s great. To make him even greater, he approach Giyu and clash his sword for betrayal. Realistically, he did it to gather heat; ultimately, turn both of theirs red. That’s pretty smart thinking. Not only it saved time, but saved their strength. Anime fans won’t believe the likability from this man. The last panel makes them look badass duo. Teamwork from those two? Sign me up.

Overall, this was a pretty good chapter. The explanation behind red blade was reasonable. The return of the future Pillars was handled nicely. It had me excited to see them back. The action was engaging. A lot of cool moments, including Obanai’s Serpent Breathing Forms. The art is solid. The setup for the next chapter looks promising with an unexpected team. They have an hour and three minutes left. For them, that means more time to play and for us, more time to enjoy.

[sleep8cpapcleaner]

Sleep8 CPAP Cleaner Reviews

Sleep 8 CPAP cleaner machine is a lightweight CPAP cleaner that quickly eliminates 99% of bacteria, mold, and bacteria in as low as 3 actions! Avoid the greater threats of becoming sick with a filthy CPAP by immediately cleaning your mask, tubing, machine, and more with the power of activated oxygen.Sleep 8 CPAP cleaner  screen is simple but effectively interacts the cleansing battery life, cycle countdown, and signals you in case the filtered bag isn't correctly connected. The Sleep8 CPAP cleaner and sanitizer device will shutdown if the sensor detects that the bag is not plugged in effectively. This is a significant advantage over the some the other CPAP cleaner items in the market.

There is no setup required and running Sleep8 CPAP cleaning and sanitizing device is an incredibly easy procedure. 

First, plug in your CPAP tubing to the integrated adapter placed within the included filter bag. Then, insert all of your to be cleaned CPAP equipment into the filter bag. Finally, connect the Sleep8 CPAP cleaner machine to the port found at the outside part of the filter bag. Guarantee the filter bag is closed and hit Start. Sanitizing cycle will take around one hour.

[hippomanblog]

Super Rad 3H Countdown: Conquest

Now we’re onto the two main routes of Fates.  Conquest is billed as the entry designed to appeal more to veteran series fans.  It’s much more difficult than its counterpart, Birthright, and many of the maps contain some sort of gimmick that you’ll have to somehow work to your advantage to win the day.

(Spoiler Warning!)

The plot of Conquest centers around Corrin siding with the imperious kingdom of Nohr, and working inside a corrupt system to discover the mysterious source of King Garon’s power.  This is a fantastic idea for a plot, but the game...doesn’t really do that?  Instead you spend much of the game just following Garon’s orders while trying not to actually kill anyone, which is expressed by Corrin going “wow i’m sure glad we didn’t kill anyone” in the post-battle text.

I can’t rag too hard on the Conquest plot, though, because it’s the type of bad plot that is often actively hilarious, and you’ll likely still thoroughly enjoy yourself while reading because something like Azura’s Brilliant Disguise happens. And I don’t want to sit around and bash Fates all (three) day(s), Conquest is not a bad Fire Emblem.  Some of the gimmick maps are genuinely very clever, and there are a wide variety of classes to pick and choose from.  While Fates as a whole can be a very bloated package, some content really does still hold its own. Top Three Goofy Plot Things (Spoilers!)

1. Azura can’t actually talk about the secret invisible kingdom  outside of the secret invisible kingdom, otherwise she will cease to exist.

2. The plan to defeat Garon involves conquering an entirely separate country, because they have a magic throne that, when he sits on it, will reveal his true form as a giant blob monster with an axe.

3. Azura almost succeeds in revealing Garon’s form by performing an upbeat dance that causes him physical pain, also she’s wearing a different colored robe and nobody can recognize her because of it.

Favorite Character:

Arthur

Would you just look at this special boy?  Arthur is a Nohrian knight whose basic deal is that he wants to be a hero of justice, but is cartoonishly unlucky and constantly gets stymied by the most ridiculous things.  In one support a bunch of wyverns randomly shit on him and he falls into a hole.  It’s a simple joke, but what really ties it together is the fact that Arthur never lets any of his misfortune get him down, and he never drops his jolly grin.  He’s also voiced by Cam Clarke, who has the absolute perfect tone for this goofball.  Justice STRIKES! Favorite Map: Chapter 10: Unhappy Reunion

Ahoy, landlubbers, welcome to Takumi’s Boat Hell.

This map is incredible.  Any time I’m feeling particularly grumpy about Fates, this is what snaps me back to reality.  The setup for this one is that you have to defend a zone from Takumi’s invading army for 11 turns.  More and more forces will advance on you, and there are a ton of decisions to be made.  How do you divide up the chokepoints?  Do you risk pushing further for extra rewards from the houses on the map, or focus on defense?  Can you send a unit around enemy lines to thin their ranks, or will that get them killed?  How do you use the siege weapons you’re given control of?

And then, once you’ve figured that all out, about halfway through Takumi will drain all of the water from the map, drastically altering the landscape and causing you to have to adapt your strategy.  I love this chapter.  It’s challenging but not drastically unfair, and it really tests you on several layers of tactics and feels rewarding to complete.

[bibli0phile-blog]

Sleep 8 CPAP cleaning device review

Sleep8 CPAP sanitizer device is a light-weight CPAP cleaner that quickly gets rid of 99% of germs, mold, and bacteria in as low as 3 steps! Avoid the higher threats of becoming ill with a filthy CPAP by immediately cleaning your mask, tubing, machine, and more with the power of activated oxygen.

Sleep 8 CPAP cleaner and sanitizer  screen is basic but efficiently communicates the cleansing battery life, cycle countdown,  and informs  you in case the filter bag isn't correctly connected. In reality, Sleep8 CPAP cleaner and sanitizer device will shut down when the sensing unit identifies that the bag is not connected properly. This is a major benefit over the some the other CPAP cleaner products in the market.

There is no setup needed and operating Sleep 8 CPAP cleaner and sanitizer machine is an extremely easy procedure. Connect your CPAP tubing to the integrated adapter located within the included filter bag. Next, insert all of your to be cleaned up CPAP devices into the filter bag. Lastly, connect the Sleep 8 CPAP sanitizer device  to the port located on the outside part of the filter bag. Be sure the filter bag is closed and hit Start . A cleaning cycle will take roughly one hour.

Simply put your CPAP machine inside the Sleep8 filter bag and click start, after an hour the Sleep8 CPAP cleaning and sanitizing device will automatically shut down , leaving you with fresh, sanitized CPAP machine for immediate use. By utilizing ozone or activated oxygen to sterilize your CPAP without using harsh chemicals and your CPAP tubes , water chambers and masks all at once.

Sleep8 CPAP sanitizing machine is designed for convenience with an incredibly quiet motor that won't disrupt your partner and is battery run. Its compact design makes it easy to travel with, so you don't have to settle for a foul-smelling mask on getaway. Take the step towards simple, cleaner sleep with your brand-new Sleep8 CPAP cleaning device tonight!

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[thefilmstage]

On July 16, 1969, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin embarked on a historic lunar odyssey, successfully landing on the moon and then returning to Earth. Free of talking heads, reenactments, and newly-recorded narration, the new documentary Apollo 11 takes viewers on this nine-day journey, constructed from astounding, never-before-seen 65mm Panavision, 35mm, and 16mm footage, as well as audio culled from over 18,000 hours of tapes. A perhaps initially unintended result when NASA handed over this remarkably pristine footage to director Todd Douglas Miller, his documentary is also a fascinating time capsule of this specific era.

The opening shots tease the incredible scale of massive infrastructure in place to pull off this launch. With the camera on the ground, we witness NASA workers next to the wheels of the towering transport vehicle designed to move the aircraft, and George Lucas’ inspiration for the Sandcrawler is clear as day. As the countdown for the launch begins, we’re provided a look at each aspect of this monumental undertaking, including placing us directly in the Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas, which no fiction film has truly shown the precise scope of its setup. In one seemingly makeshift dolly shot, we wheel past each row of workers, many knowingly giving a glance to the camera. With each new shot, the human element of this journey into space becomes more and more apparent as we fathom just how many person-hours were clocked.

Continue reading our Sundance 2019 review of Apollo 11.

[animebw]

Binge-Watching: Akame ga Kill, Episodes 16-18

In which we slow down in preparation for the final battle, which give me a chance to explore the concept of character death and this show’s odd relation with it.

The Final Countdown

Well, it seems like my hypothesis last time that we were gearing up for a massive battle to bring this tale all the way home was right on the money. Night Raid’s campaign to bring the capital down is well underway; the first blood has been spilled on both sides, the important religious center has been reached, and the survivors are all gearing up to face each other once again. There’s an increased air of menace now that there have been a couple deaths, a sense that the Jaegers and Night Raid are keeping a very close eye on each others backs as they watch for their opponent’s next move. This is the benefit of the strong setup leading into the campaign: we pretty much know the broad strokes of how this plan is going to play out, so the show can focus on racheting up the tension as the vicegrip grows increasingly tighter the further things progress. For now, we’ve reached a breather, a moment of rest before chaos inevitably breaks out once more. Which means that I actually don’t have a lot to talk about this time around. Hey, sometimes, a waiting game can just be a waiting game.

So while our surviving players take a well-deserved break and lick their wounds in preparation for the upcoming clash, let’s take a step back and consider one of the more interesting aspects of this show’s construction: how it handles character death.

Death, Considered

Death is fiction is complicated, to say the least. It’s one of the most game-changing plot turns a story can have, which can make it an invaluable writer’s tool. But it’s also incredibly easy to screw it up, resulting in a moment that should be shocking, wrenching and horrifying as a character you’ve come to know and love is suddenly out of the picture, but is instead confusing, unsatisfying, and hollow. I feel like you can tell a lot about a story by the way it handles death: every half-competent writer knows how easy it is to get wrong, so observing how a particular story utilizes such a critical plot element can be very revealing about what the story’s intentions are, and how well it’s gone about achieving them. Attack on Titan, for example, will have minor characters bite the dust fairly frequently to drive home how dangerous and savage its world is, and how herculean the task of fixing it will truly be. Meanwhile, FMA Brotherhood chooses to kill off only a select few characters at carefully chosen points in the story to drive the motivations of the people they leave in their wake. There are endless ways to handle it, which means there are endless ways to screw it up as well.

And then there’s Akame ga Kill, which has one of the oddest, seemingly contradictory approaches to death I’ve seen in fiction. I mentioned a couple of posts back that this show doesn’t like to dwell on the emotional torment of losing someone close to you, lest it interfere with the wacky assassin camaraderie that’s clearly the driving force of the appeal. But therein lies an intriguing question; if death doesn’t really matter in this world, is there a point to it existing at all? So far, every character’s death has been marked with pomp and circumstance, a big, showy send-off with an appropriately melodramatic chance for final thoughts and regrets. The cinematic language of these scenes clearly communicates discomfort, pain and sorrow, a.k.a. the kind of emotions losing a treasured character would normally bring out. But once the scene itself is over and the plot picks back up, it might as well have never happened. Sheele’s death all the way back in episode 6, in retrospect, didn’t really change the narrative or storytelling ethos as much as I thought it would, and Chelsea’s death 11 episodes later has a similarly minimal effect. They’re just a couple more players off the field, a couple less pieces advancing to the next stage of the operation. And this certainly helps keep the story from getting bogged down in undue misery a la Elfen Lied, but it also can’t help but feel... a little disingenuous? Like, if you’re going to all this trouble to give them such showy good-byes, why does their passing leave so little impact in its wake?

Compounding this issue for me is the fact that the death scenes themselves aren’t handled especially well from a storytelling perspective. Bols’ death at Chelsea’s hands should have been really affecting; we know he’s trying to repent for the sins of his past, and it’s his kindness in helping a random person he sees injured that leads to that chance at a better life getting snuffed out. It’s a really fantastic moment of tragic pathos that also doubles as a “what a bastard” moment for one of the good guys, increasing the unexpectedly welcome moral complexity of the narrative. But the problem was, I was completely distracted by wondering how the hell Bols managed to survive the freaking atom bomb he set off by destroying his imperial arms in the first place that his actual death felt like a half-measure. I mean, we see Leone go down under the force of the blast, and this show’s aforementioned cavalier attitude towards death made it entirely possible to believe that she had just bit the dust, even if that turned out not to be true. So seeing Leone seemingly die even after shielding herself, but Bols be completely unscathed after taking that explosion’s full, unguarded force right to his goddamn face, completely shattered my immersion in a way that didn’t recover until Bols was already dead, and by then it was too late to retroactively feel the intended emotion of that scene. It’s such a baffling storytelling choice to me; we're not given any clue how he would’ve managed to survive an explosion that big, and then he’s suddenly dead anyway by a freaking needle in the neck? A wire got crossed somewhere in that mess, and a potentially really potent scene is handicapped as a result.

Chelsea’s death, meanwhile, is underwhelming for an entirely different reason. Unlike Bols, we just don’t really know all that much about her, and we only find out her driving motivation a scant minute before she’s gunned down in a field of symbolic flowers that don’t have time to process as a symbol because we only just found out they were a symbol moments earlier. And if Bols’ death was meant to be tragic and heartbreaking, her death is supposed to be shocking and bleak. It’s not accompanied by any music, there’s pale light shining down from heaven as the soft patter of rain forms the scene’s sole soundscape... look, these are all very tried and true techniques for instilling a real sense of hollow, gut-twisting agony in a viewer. But they fail to resonate because Chelsea’s done nothing to make her passing feel like we’re left with a gaping hole where something we cared about used to be. “Feel empty!”, the cinematic language cries. “Why?”, I respond. And the show cannot answer me, because it’s forgotten about Chelsea just as quickly as it shoved her off the table.

Perhaps I am overthinking this aspect a little. But for a show that I think has a genuinely strong handle on how to use its schlocky atmosphere to great effect it’s cripplingly noticeable how confused this one aspect feels. It’s not as confidently overblown as the rest of the show’s ethos, it’s not as genuinely moving as it’s intending to be, it’s just... there. And something as important to a story as character death should never feel like it’s just “there”.

Odds and Ends

-This is literally Dracolich Godzilla. Holy fuck, that’s cool.

-”I’ll show you what happens when you piss off a lion!” You go super-saiyan, apparently. Good to know.

-I’m just a body, standing headless in front of a girl, asking her to love me.

-”After all that build-up, that’s just lame!” That feel when your OCD interferes with your ability to avoid losing arms

-Berserker Susanoo. That is all.

-”Aw, it’s leaking. That totally defeats the point.” And that’s why you never swallow badasses with their weapons intact, Kurome.

-Bite the flamethrower in two? Bite the flamethrower in two.

-So, what’s this about Kurome being on drugs? What did they do to her?

-Is it just me, or are things starting to get a little too truncated? These demon guys were all introduced and executed in the same episode with hardly and build-up... I’m feeling a lack of connective tissue.

-Okay but why did those few hits just tear away a bit of Akane’s clothes around the thighs and boobs no I won’t shut up about this stuff it’s so freaking dumb

-I see this religious leader is a dirty, dirty shipper. I approve.

Two more sessions to go. See you next time!