#so i need to keep working on it and the saddle entries etc

[marblebees]

Rrrgagarrrrrggrrrrrrrrrr i wanna pop peoples ankles…

[fallout-4-freak]

Diary Entry 2 - The Ahat

Special thanks to my good friend Enriqua for letting me draw Champ, her own Ahat. And for drawing her, as she hates being sketched...

I apologize for my subpar drawing skills. I was not good at it to begin with, but these thick gloves I’m stuck wearing make it even more difficult.

-------------------------------------

Biology & Temperament

Ahat are mutated horses. In fact, the horses I once knew are long gone. These creatures, named Ahat (from the Mojave tribe's word for horses), are quite large. Males tend to be around 6' at the shoulder, females are roughly 5'6". They have lengthy tails, six working legs (+ two vestigial legs), and four eyes.

With short, mangy, patchy fur not unlike the dogs found across the country, Ahat are easy to groom and clean. They have dry, scraggy manes/tail hair. Their hooves are very tough, but horseshoes are an option to further reinforce this natural durability. Ahat typically have very thin skin around their mouths, to the point of bone being visible around the nose and chin. When wearing reins, Ahat cannot have bits attached to their reins because of how thin their gums are-- especially around their front teeth. It's considered cruel to make an Ahat wear a bit, because they bruise so easily around the mouth.

Ahat eyes are typically a solid color with slit-like pupils. The four eyes give the Ahat an extremely wide field of view, letting the natural Ahat avoid predators. This also gives riders an advantage, because the Ahat will likely spot danger before their rider does. Each eye is surrounded by long eyelashes, to keep the desert sand out of their sensitive eyes.

The legs on an Ahat are strong, with sinewy muscle rippling under their fur. While six of the legs are functional for running, kicking, etc, two legs up on the chest aren't large enough to be remotely close to the ground. Some Ahat do use these legs to 'punch', but most of these creatures can barely move the vestigial legs. When riding an Ahat, you must be careful! Ahat saddles have two straps instead of one, as the middle pair of legs wouldn't allow a normal saddle to fit. Stirrups are tricky, as they overlap with the middle legs. Typically, the stirrups on Ahat saddles are rather short-- this keeps them above the legs, so the Ahat is free to run at full speed. It's possible to have longer stirrups (as some people like having their legs stretched out rather than bent severely), but the person must keep their legs out away from the body.

Ahat can be quite rowdy and rambunctious. It takes a very patient, skilled individual to train one... And it's nearly impossible to train a wild adult Ahat, so breeders have become quite rich over the years! If a person is kind to their young Ahat, an unbreakable bond usually forms-- similar to a dog and their master. Ahat are clever, but not sentient. Most Ahat are vehemently protective of their riders, and won't let anyone else on their back... unless their rider brings the other person onboard. Because Ahat are so big (and wild), it's not a good idea to get one for a child or teenager.

When training a young Ahat, it's very important to establish trust with them. Ahat don't trust easily, so to show them kindness and constant love is one of the best things you can do. After a bond is established, the Ahat will appear to 'imprint' on their rider. They'll follow the rider around, they seem to understand commands easier, and so on. At this stage, it would be rather difficult to sell the Ahat to another owner. If the young Ahat is taken away from the owner they imprinted on, they'll become agressive and more violent. Occasionally, some become depressed-- they refuse to eat, will sleep a lot, and are very subdued. This is also considered cruel, and thus only newborn Ahat can legally be sold/traded.

-------------------------------------

Location & History

Ahat are originally from the Mojave desert, but groups of them have been found all over the mid-west (and near the west coast). The remaining tribe living in the Mojave decided to call these beasts Ahat. Ahat translates to 'pet' in English, but it's what the Mojave tribe called the original horses in the old days... Thus, it's fitting. The name stuck as the Ahat were transported and bred, but pre-war survivors occasionally refer to them as 'ex-horses'.

Being an Ahat breeder is considered a very prestigious job-- at least, compared to Brahmin and Bighorn breeding. For a person of the Mojave tribe, it's also considered a very special, sacred duty. Horses had become a large part of my tribe after they were introduced, and the Ahat followed suit. 

-------------------------------------

Uses

An Ahat is a very solid steed. Able to deliver fatal kicks, they're coveted among caravanners and explorers. The Mojave Express has its own private herd, so couriers can make speedy deliveries if need be... Or, in case a courier is visiting a particularly dangerous area. With great stamina and speed, Ahat are very popular. However, since they're difficult to tame, few people actually own an Ahat...

Or, rather, are able to ride them.

The NCR and other large groups out west also keep Ahat, branding their flanks with symbols to indicate ownership. Some raiders also have Ahat, and there is such a thing as an 'Ahat thief'. Those in that profession can make a lot of caps, but tend to live very short lives.

-------------------------------------

- Chance

[leta-the-strange]

My troubled relationship with the FB community.

Okay, here goes. As ridiculous as it sounds (because in reality, it is ridiculous) I have taken a rather lengthy break from my writing – both here, on A03 and Fanfiction.net for my health. I have a few significant health problems and for as long as I can remember, writing is one of the few escapes I have – one of my true joys. Now, I’m by no means one of the ‘greats’ in any of the fandoms I’ve written in. I’m always in awe of the talent of some of the writers that I have been lucky enough to read and although I’m not at their level, I’ve been so excited to have the opportunity to have these platforms to share the stories I’ve poured my heart into and so mindblown and grateful to have people not only read them but take the time to leave feedback or thanks.

My love for Leta Lestrange began way back in the very first film when we knew very little about her. But I was starry-eyed from the get-go. A woman of colour main character? She quickly turned into my new inspiration and I was lucky enough to be one of the first Leta Lestrange-centred writers and blogs and meet some other great creatives and like-minded fans in the then tiny Leta loving community. I started developing my first multi-chapter story and (as daunting as it was considering the incredible talent in the stories I had read) started uploading the first chapters to share. A few people started reading my stories and left encouragement, advice and comments that absolutely made my day and I would feel so driven and inspired to keeping going and looked forward to spending my evenings putting together new chapters. My heart would skip each time I got an email saying that someone had left a comment, a review, kudos or notes.  

I was quite naïve in not knowing much about ‘ship’ and ‘fandom wars’ and when I found out that was a…thing, I did my best to stick to safe, neutral content, staying out of the confrontational tags, not engaging in the fandom too much – only to share things I created or liked (what all this is supposed to be about). Unfortunately, no matter how well I did that foreign, poisonous part of the fandom I was naïve enough to believe I could easily avoid by minding my business found its way into my life and quickly consumed something I loved.

PLEASE understand that this post isn’t about the characters. This is about real people. As a young girl of colour, yes there have absolutely been moments where I feel sick at some of the racist undertones in a large majority of the fandom’s depiction of Leta – I am happy to put my feelings on this in a more eloquent fashion in a separate post but again, the purpose of my first post back is about real people.

There are people in this fandom, quite a lot of people actually who all belong to one particular community, who not only are lucky enough to have the free time to create and share the things they love on the internet but also apparently have enough spare time to actively go seeking out posts, stories, works, etc that are centred on fictional characters and relationships that they don’t like (to put it lightly) for the sole purpose of abusing, bullying and degrading the creators to the delight of their followers that have little more than mic-drop gifs, ‘oh snap’s, and ‘#preach’ to contribute. 

This behaviour is disgusting, appalling, unacceptable and harmful.

And of course, not ALL people from this particular, I don’t know the word…’shipping group’ do this (so many are kind, talented and supportive) but enough have that I feel like even if I eventually came to like this pairing, I would never, ever feel safe engaging in that community myself.

I have characters I like, characters I love, ones that I am impartial to and ones I don’t like much. That’s the great thing about fictional characters. However, I have never felt the urge (or had the time or energy) to obsessively track the tags of ships and characters that I don’t like to leave hateful comments designed to make the creators feel unsafe and unwanted in a community in which they are just as entitled to be involved in than anyone else.

This obsessive, abusive behaviour destroyed my love for writing. One of the few things that drew me out of depression when I was unable to physically do much else activity-wise gave me intense anxiety and as much as I still received beautiful comments, I panicked when I received notification that someone had messaged me. 

My story has been called disgusting, dumb, awful, gross etc. I have been called deluded (apparently for not following a canon ship), a crazy dumb bitch, illiterate – just off the top of my head. I found a thread last year that encouraged people to upload new Fantastic Beasts content to A03 asap to get my story off the first page when I would upload a new chapter.  I was torn to shreds on both fanfiction websites after the second film came out and told that I hadn’t seen the movies (I had started my story well before the second film so I had to fill in the gaps which were quite a few). It seemed so pathetic and laughable at the start, I would just make sure I could monitor my reviews and would delete or not answer the abuse I received. 

Eventually though, it become too overwhelming and I found it too difficult to continue – my inspiration was gone and I was emotionally drained. A few times I actually became pale, shaky and vomited from the relentlessness of it. I tried to claw back the thrill and love writing gave me by practicing getting back on the saddle by doing prompts on Tumblr while I was in hospital battling one of my illnesses. I thought it might be nice to take requests from people – a gentle re-entry into my beloved hobby and reconnecting with other fans. I did a piece on Theseus and Leta that I had overwhelming support for. I actually cried when more than a couple people left beautiful messages in regard to my Theseus dying/Leta surviving prompt. A few people left me Newt/Leta related prompts. I got around to completing a first kiss request that earned me an anon informing me that my writing was trash, made them gag in their mouth and I should seriously reconsider inflicting my unwanted pieces on a fandom that doesn’t want them and to keep my shit out of the tag. 

I have seen blogs disappear from it and stories, posts and artwork removed. I was scrolling through Instagram and someone (quite notorious for this behaviour across all platforms) simply comment ‘ew #newtinaforever’ on a beautiful Leta fanvid that would have taken such a long time to put together. Surprisingly, the comments I got that were simply ‘ew’, ‘gross’, etc were more hurtful than the torrents of abuse sometimes. 

Just a few days ago, someone posted something absolutely non-confrontational and innocent about them personally liking Newt/Leta because they found it cute which of course opened the floodgates for abuse and I read a comment relating to people who don’t personally ship the ‘canon’ ship (this sounds so ridiculous now that I’m typing it) as deluded and needed to check into a mental ward. This is quite personal but I am someone who has an illness that is accompanied by psychotic symptoms and I have spent periods of time in a psychiatric hospital (and will likely need to during my lifetime) for my own wellbeing. I felt physically nauseous by this. I feel anxious now disclosing this as I know this will give more ammunition to the people who have not yet been blocked by me and enjoy taunting me but I want people to understand the weight of their childish, uneducated, ignorant outbursts.  

Because of my experience, PLEASE understand that when I say ‘unhinged’ I am not meaning it as a slur, it is coming from a place of serious concern. I think there are people in this fandom that are becoming quite dangerously confused between reality and fantasy. These characters ARE NOT REAL. If I can get through years of one my favourite characters being constantly hated on, written by fans as an abuser, rapist, you name it while far more ‘bad/problematic’ (white) females are adored and shipped with various characters quite harmoniously, and not resort to commenting, abusing or harassing people than you can get through your fave not being someone else’s fave. If your favourite pairing is canon, why are you so insecure about people liking other pairings? In Harry Potter, the most popular fan-favourite ships are non-canon and don’t cause any harm.

If someone writes on THEIR OWN BLOG that they personally don’t follow a certain ship, or they find a character bland or boring, or don’t agree with a casting, or don’t see chemistry between certain actors or like a pairing that differs from your own, JUST KEEP SCROLLING (and certainly don’t go on a witch-hunt by tracking down posts, blogs and stories you know you won’t like).

These are not real people. There is absolutely 0 reasons to be offended by someone saying that they find a certain character or pairing bland (which I haven’t done before). Of course you can disagree but if you are enraged, or offended, or feel inclined to personally attack or threaten A REAL PERSON over their preferences in something make-believe, than please, I implore you for your own mental wellbeing, to seriously assess if this level of emotional attachment to made-up characters is healthy.

I am planning on getting back into my story in time. I would love to get through the prompts and (nice) messages in my inbox now that I’m feeling a little more secure mentally and physically. I do thank all the beautiful people who have taken the time to request things, leave notes and such – I’m only back for them and feel confident that I can work through the toxicity and superiority complexes in this fandom with their support. I will do my best from now on to call out and check people when I see them mistreating others and to have more respect for myself and my work and not tolerate this any longer. I may respond and share some of the less pleasant messages I’ve received if I believe my responses can be helpful to others but there are some that require no response or audience.

I feel very content in the knowledge that I can see a story, visual, video, etc, involving a fandom, character or pairing that I don’t necessarily like and still appreciate the time and effort the person put in and find enjoyment in it too. If you still feel incapable of controlling yourself around people who are not a carbon copy of yourself, please just save yourself the distress by just blocking me instead of wasting valuable time and energy finding new ways to abuse me. I am not a harmful person, I am not an abusive person. I encourage you in your journey to hopefully become the same and if you need to remove yourself from temptation than I applaud that decision no matter how much I cannot personally relate. 

To anyone who has read my stories or sent me prompts, thank your for your patience and encouragement. I look forward to being able to get back into a community I have found such joy in.

[moresvuheadcanons]

Don’t Leave Me Alone Tonight

Ahhhhh! The first official entry in a series! Currently, this is the first chronological story in the “Mike and Liv’s Sister” series, but I anticipate that that will change. I know I promised this forever ago, but better late than never, right? Also, there was a request by an Anon for a jealous Mike, who will be making an appearance here. Nonny, thank you for your patience! Also, I would be remiss to not thank @carisiismyhomeboy, who basically co-authored the piece

It had been two days since you caught your boyfriend cheating on you. And the worst part of it all? You were just starting to fall in love with him. Although you told him in no uncertain terms that it was over, that didn’t stop him from bombarding your phone with apology texts and voicemails. He also had flowers and chocolates delivered to both your apartment and your office, but nothing could sway your decision.

You heard your phone buzz again. As you angrily went to turn it off, you noticed that the latest text had come not from doucheface, but from your older sister. Celebrating a big win. Want to join us for a few rounds? 

Sure you fire back, figuring that a night out with your sister’s squad instead of holing up in your apartment and wallowing some more might do you some good.

After a toast to the squad’s latest victory, Liv asked how things were going, and when were you going to bring that mysterious boyfriend of yours around? You felt your face immediately go red as you quickly debated whether you should change the subject or tell them what happened.

“We broke up,” you admitted, ripping off the band-aid.Condolences and comforts poured in from around the table. Even Mike, who you’d only spoken to a handful of times, said something that sounded an awful lot like “his loss.”

Before you knew it, you found yourself spilling all of the details to them: seeing him with the coworker he swore he wasn’t interested in, the repeated texts and voicemails, the flower deliveries, etc. And maybe you were making it up, but you thought you felt Mike start to bubble with rage from across the table.

“That might be grounds for harassment. I can look into a restraining order if you’d like” Barba offered.

“No, that’s okay. I’m sure he’ll eventually take the hint” you replied.Having noticed that the drinks had run out, you offered to go up to the bar and get the next round. While up at the bar, you noticed a familiar face saddling up to the bar stool next to yours. You spoke of the devil, and he appeared. That didn’t mean you had to talk to him, though.

“Did you like the flowers? I wouldn’t know, since your phone doesn’t seem to work anymore” he said, his voice dripping with arrogance.You sat on your stool, patiently waiting for the drinks to arrive so you could get back to your group and pretend he wasn’t there. Unfortunately for you, one of the same qualities that drew you to him was the same one that was about to annoy you: he was persistent.

“I know I have a lot to make up to you, please just give me a second chance. I promise I can do it right this time” he insisted.

“Yeah, I’m not gonna make that mistake again” you countered.Back from your table, Mike started watching the interaction. He couldn’t hear what either of you were saying, but your body language said enough. You clearly didn’t want to be near him, but he couldn’t seem to keep his distance anyway. Barely registering the conversations around him, Mike stayed at the table, waiting for this idiot to do something stupid.

“Look, I’m trying to be a better person. It just isn’t that easy” he said, trying once again to get your attention.“Please leave me alone” you pleaded before telling the bartender where your table was so you could get away from the bar. As you turned to leave, you felt a tight grasp on your wrist. 

“Let. Go. Of. Me. Now.” you hissed. While you focused on the hand around your wrist, Mike was making his way across the bar to intervene.

“All right, tell me. Is this the guy that keeps giving you trouble, the one that looks like a wannabe gangster?” he  deadpanned, staring your ex in the eyes. The minor distraction was enough that you were finally able to pull yourself free from your ex’s grip.

“Ugh, yeah. He’s a creep, but I can handle myself, you don’t need to--NO NO NO WAIT! DON’T PUNCH HIM!” you yelled. Before long, Carisi intervened and pulled Mike away from your ex.

“Why don’t we go outside and maybe cool off a bit?” you suggested. Giving you a nod, Mike followed you outside. There was a brief moment of awkward silence before you decided to speak.

“Look, what you did back there, it’s not that I don’t appreciate it. If I’m being honest, I think he deserves a punch to the face. But he’s not worth risking your job over, and neither am I” you said softly.

“You’re wrong” he stated plainly.

“And how would you know, exactly?” you questioned.

He opened his mouth to say something, but then stopped himself.

“I know it’s probably not my place to say this, and I know we don’t know each other very well, but I do know that you’re a good person. You’re kind, you’re funny, you’re...brilliant. Trust me, you’re worth it.” He was hiding something, you could tell that he wanted to say something more, but you chose to ignore it. 

Instead, you leaned into him, wrapping an arm around his back, saying “Thanks, Mike. I really appreciate it.”

You felt him stiffen at the sudden contact, but after a moment his body relaxed to your touch.Silence fell around you again, but this was a more comfortable silence, one born out of the understanding that neither of you needed to say anything. After a few minutes, the silence was broken, not by you, but by Mike

.“Come on, let’s go back inside before they send out a search party for the two of us.”

“Could we just...stay out here for a little while longer? I’m not ready to go back in there and face them all yet.” you responded. He nodded in agreement, and the two of you fell back into that comfortable silence, and you noticed that for the first time in days, your mind was free of any thoughts of your ex.

[lilbunzine]

Writer Guidelines

If you’re a writer contributing to the zine, look no further!

ALL FORMATTING CONDITIONS MUST BE MET FOR THE INTEGRITY OF PRINTING

 The Friend Zone Zine will be an 8” x 5.25” saddle stitch booklet printed by KENESS Press. You can visit their website at www.keness.com for more detailed information.

 Word Count

Please keep all written works between 500 to 2,500 words in length. Any genre is acceptable, as well as any style including but not limited to flash fiction, poetry, personal essay, etc.

 Genre

Works can be fiction or non-fiction, although I would suggest changing any non-fiction names for the sake of privacy unless the person in question has given you explicit written consent to use their likeness.

As per the Artist Agreement form you were given, please keep these submitted works wholly original and new to this zine. We’re bound by the honor system here, but I would appreciate it if any works were created specifically for this zine and not reproduced from somewhere else. Of course, outright plagiarism will not be tolerated. Not to mention, it’s just not a cool thing to do.

 Content

When it comes to content, I ask that you use your discretion. Please keep in mind that this charity zine is raising money to aide with suicide prevention. I do ask that in the event there is any difficult or adult content (i.e. trauma, real or implied, adult language, mentions of assault, etc.) that you give me a heads up. If it comes up frequently enough, I may add a trigger warnings page at the beginning of the zine, or at least before each written entry if it’s needed.

 Credit

If you would like to use and be credited under a pseudonym, I would be happy to accommodate you. If you are comfortable writing under your own name, that is absolutely fine, the choice is entirely yours.

 Fonts

I ask that everyone use an easily accessed, boring font to write their work. Please use Calibri (Body) 12 font, 1.5 spaced. Center and underline your titles.

Submit all Artwork in PDF format

Any design software can create PDF files. Microsoft has a plug-in called “Microsoft save as PDF” which would be very useful for this project. To make sure you’re creating a high resolution PDF, be sure to check either “Options” or “Properties” or “Settings”. If your program has a “Print” or “Press” preset, either of those should work but the “Press” setting is better because files will be much smaller and easier to send.  

 Embed Your Fonts

Embedding fonts in a PDF ensures that anyone can correctly print your work, even if they do not have access to those same fonts on their computer. Newer programs usually have fonts automatically embedded when you save, but older models might need to have their “embed font” feature turned on. Give your program a look just to double check.

300 dpi

DPI stands for “dots per inch” in terms of printing. Computer screens are lower resolution than printed images, so even though a file may appear crisp on your computer screen, it may come out blurry if it’s at a low resolution. 300 dpi is the recommended printing resolution. Anything larger is overkill and will just make the files bigger and harder to send.

Please make sure your files are the correct resolution BEFORE you start to work on them in earnest. Simply changing the resolution in once you’re halfway through won’t do anything but change the size of the file, not actually make the resolution any crisper. If you have any questions about how to set resolution with the specific program you’re using, I found several great guides with a quick google search.

  Trim / Crop Marks

(Bleeds) When books are printed, the words or images are printed on huge sheets of paper that are then cut to size and bound together. If there is no bleed, there can be an uneven white border surrounding the page. We will include bleeds in our production.

Trim and Crop marks are the same thing; lines used to tell a printer where to cut. Crop marks work cohesively with bleeds to make sure the project is cut to the correct size, with everything important included. Anything past the crop mark will be cut off. Printers expect to see crop marks on the finished PDFs, and it is very easy to add them to your work. I found a great guide on www.davantindy.com that explains adding crop marks in several different programs including Microsoft Word.

  When it comes to the formatting and layout of your work, please try and set everything ahead of time so that we can get it all to the printer quickly. If you have any questions, feel free to ask Amber, Roxy or myself and we will do our best to help you.

Remember: Boring Fonts, 300 dpi, PDFs

[allenmendezsr]

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I’ve been playing Forex for 2 years. I tried thousands  of types of indicators but nothing helped .

One day I came across the images from AIMS Blog, so neat and easy to understand. I visited AIMS Blog to understand the concept behind it.

The web site stated that its so simple to trade this strategy that you could do it within 10 seconds. And that the setup needed only 3 indicators. It was hard to believe

I bought it and tried…. and my first experience was

wow! The first day on the first trade I got +40 pips

I was so happy because normally I could get only 5 – 10 pips per trade .

Oh, I tell my wife , I found my holy grail !!! from that day on , my account keeps growing !!!!

I must say thanks to them for turning me into a successful trader using a simple system.

Edmund, Malaysia

Daune grabbed 100 pips profit on his first day, Amazing!

Hello, Immy,

Well my first day in the room, 100 pips profit. Is this for real? Am I dreaming? I honestly don’t know. As I been up for what seems like all week, I think that maybe this is some sort of Forex nirvana!! I have been trying to trade successfully for many years with the same result ….margin call. I remember reading Bill Williams book when it first came out, but not being able to put it all together. Yet yesterday I bought a PDF (AIMS-Ebook) for 100 bucks that has given me more hope than I have had in years!!! Am I dreaming? As someone who has read most material on market behavior I am aware of how the markets move in the way that R.N. Elliot described. But how to trade it properly? That was the question. So seeing the double bottom on the 5 min. today I knew what to expect, an impulse wave, but will this 99 dollar simplistic software catch it? I seriously doubt it. Yet there it was impulse wave off the bottom then the alligator closed its mouth a blue dot appeared and the traders wet dream occurred, I caught wave 3!!!

Very clear no ambiguity just follow the rules. Immy I really don’t know if you know what you have here, but there was a gentleman in the room that was gushing over what he saw trading 5 screens and all. I completely agree with his assessment, AIMS rocks. O.K. Its only been one day, and really I don’t even know all the rules and nuances, but I am EXTREAMLY encouraged. I have a long way to go but thanks for the hope!!!

Have a great weekend,

Duane

If it Works for them It Will Work For You

Secure Your Copy of AIMS Stress Free Forex Trading By Clicking the ADD TO CART BUTTON BELOW $97 Only

  Learn How to Trade the Forex Market Successfully and Profitably Using a Set of Easily Understood Rules and Indicators

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AIMS Stress Free Trading eBook – The Setup AIMS Stress Free Trading Indicators

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Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Does AIMS Stress Free Forex Trading System Work on All Time Frames, Stocks or Commodities? A: Yes! This

works on all time frames

and any currency pair, stock, commodity or literally anything that can be displayed as a chart.

Q: How much money can I expect to make? A: We believe

10%-20% per month is easily achievable

and a 100% possible too. However, profitability varies from person to person, depending on your experience and skill level. But progression with this System is

NOT

a slow process. Many traders have excelled quite quickly others require a bit longer.

Q: Is my purchase backed by a guarantee? A: Yes, we are so confident that you will love AIMS Stress Free Trading that we offer you a 60 day risk free money back guarantee.

Q: What type of customer support will I receive? A: You will receive an e-mail from us in 24 to 48 hours on regular working days. We make sure our customers are taken care of as soon as possible. You can also contact Live Support during working hours.

Q: Will the indicators work on my computer? A: Yes, it will work on any computer that has metatrader 4 installed.

Q: Will the indicators work on other trading platforms such as Ninja Trader, Tradestation etc? A: No, currently our indicators are only for Metatrader 4 platforms. We are not yet sure about availability of our indicators for other platforms.

Q: Does it work on all time frames? A: Yes, if a system does not work on any one of the time frames technically that system is false or it will eventually fail. So, Yes it works not only on all time frames, it works on all types of charts be it currencies, stocks or commodities.

Q: What is the average win loss ratio and is it profitable? A: Yes, the system is very profitable. The win-loss ratio is 60:40 with average winner of 25 pips and losers only 7 pips. That is 1:3.5 average winner.

Q: Does the system perform well during Choppy Days? A: Yes, we teach exactly how to avoid the choppy periods and how to take maximum advantage of the trending markets.

Q: Does the system have drawdown periods? A: No I have not seen a single losing week this year. Over the period of last 24 months we have seen a few rare losing days but the week is always a winner. I don’t remember when was the last time I had a losing week.

Q: Can anyone learn to trade this system? A: Yes, anyone can learn to trade it like professionals. From complete novice to experts traders can benefit from this strategy.

Q: How do I access support? A: Send an Email to support@stressfreeforextrading.com and get a response within 24hrs Guaranteed.

$97 Only

[rinapiccolo]

Musings On Keeping A Sketchbook Journal

  A sketchbook journal is a type of time machine. In place of dials, there are pages. This time machine has boundaries, though: you can only go backward, and not forward in time.  The future—your future—is yet to be composed. On any given day, you might open a sketchbook from, say, six years ago, and see something of what your life was at the moment in which you were living it. (Or should I say, in the moment in which you were documenting it.) Setting fresh eyes on an old entry is something like seeing a shadow of your self, as it was six years ago. It's you without the details. You ask yourself what sorts of benefits can be gained by working in a little booklet that can transport you from one day in your life to another.

You may be embarrassed by what you write, and draw, in your sketchbook. You might say that you’d rather die than have someone read it. Most likely, you're someone who looks at old work that you've created, and see it in the same way that you would see an old photo of yourself with bad 80s hair, or bad 70s hair… or bad hair from whatever decade you choose, because no matter the decade, bad hair seems to occur in every era throughout history. What’s up with that?

One day you buy a sketchbook. It costs about the same price as a good medium sized pizza. It’s a nice-looking little book. Its got pristine virgin pages that smell like freshly folded linen. Your new sketchbook may have one of those colourful little ribbons that hang down the inner spine of the book to mark your place in it. It might come with a cover that is durable, or soft and pliant. Precious, right? Yeah, it's precious. So precious that you are afraid of blemishing its pages! So, you sit at your table, or on your couch, and stare at the bare, blank first page, and you decide that it is a job and a half just to stare at the page, let alone make that first mark on it. More staring. If you were a robot, there would be an attempt to try to reboot you.  And to carry the robot-thing further, the idea of making a mark on the page makes you feel like a robot unable to fix a target for its much-anticipated first step. What do I write? What should I draw? You say to yourself. Jesus, why can’t I make a mark? I’ve made so many marks in my life, and now it seems I’ve forgotten how. What the f***? Then you take your brush-pen, or pen-pen, or whatever, and you begin to make a mark. It turns into a line, but it's really nothing yet, of course. Everything you do starts as nothing. At best, what you've made so far is an unsure, wandering line. And you take that unsure line and plough ahead. Moments pass. You're not feeling it. You're just not feeling it. You've made a lot of lines, but somehow they misbehave. The thing that you made is not exactly what you had in mind to create. It's a mess.  At this stage you begin to think that maybe you would’ve preferred to spend your money on a good medium sized pizza.

If you think about it, manufactures of blank books are in the business of selling an intangible product. What they’re selling runs up a spectrum of possibilities (you might say they’re actually selling mere possibilities). You are an artist, or a writer, or someone who wants to fill up blank pages. You’re someone who is chasing something, exploring something, or searching for -- what? Self-expression? Self-esteem, maybe. A goal? An improved self? Maybe it's an Identity you're after, or an elusive project that will lend you an identity. Who knows, there may be an idea in your head that the sketchbook is a time capsule of your own self. Then you wonder about all these things, and ask: is the desire to keep a journal self-indulgent—or even egotistical? You ask yourself, do I have the arrogance to think that my musings are so important that they need documenting? No, you say; it’s not like that. It’s not like that at all; it’s just for pleasure, you say—something I do to entertain myself. And, you might add, what’s wrong with that?

One afternoon, you decide you are going to become a sketchbook person. You are going to be that person that writes and draws every day.  So, you go to the art supply store and buy a commitment. This commitment rides with you on the subway home, it sits in your bag like a light switch waiting to be rummaged for in the dark, and turned on. You even feel an itch between the creases of your palms. At home you take out the little book, and off you go with it, scribbling, drawing, whatever. Where have you been all my life, you say to it. Where? Where? Where? But then something else happens. In one week the sketchbook sits closed up, forlorn, and without you; and you are doing something else with your time, and you suddenly remember what a teacher once told you about how you should never buy someone a puppy for Christmas. The little terrier is so cute, he’s soft and warm, and you love the feeling of him falling asleep in your lap. But then, ah, there’s the feeding, the housebreaking, the taking out, the vet visits, etc. At this point the analogy tapers off, and you stare at your seldom-used sketchbook, and wonder if there's a good place for it on your shelf. You find a spot, closest to the ceiling, and you park it there. Thank goodness it’s not a puppy, you think.

It's dusk. You look at all the un-filled sketchbooks on your shelf and wonder if maybe you just haven't found the right sketchbook. That must be the reason why you can't make a drawing you're proud of. Surprisingly, you discover that the only way to get over the stacks of empty pages on your shelf is to go to the store and buy more stacks of empty pages. So, the following day, you go and buy a new sketchbook. You know it's a bit crazy, because you have so many un-filled ones, but that's what you do. You look at the price. It costs about the same amount of money as a Teflon coated wok in Chinatown. Not bad. You leave the store with a light step, and a lighter wallet. It’s not like I’m buying puppies, you tell yourself, as you hop on the saddle and peddle home with the new sketchbook tucked smartly inside the basket of your bike, which you are now riding like a super heroine through the streets of a mega metropolis. And besides, you think, this will be a different sketchbook. Something worthwhile will happen inside it. This is the sketchbook that I will complete cover-to-cover. Back in your apartment, or house, or room, you unwrap the sketchbook; mm…smell that linen scent. And you begin scribbling, drawing, writing, whatever-- and zero thoughts come into your mind. Except maybe one thought: I love this! I love what I'm making right here, right now. And I know that although I'm loving this thing I'm making today, when tomorrow arrives I'll look at it and think it's a piece of shit. But that's ok, because right now, I am a Goddess of lines and shapes and letters, and all things sketchy and new. And so, yes, let tomorrow's feelings come when they may, because right now, I don't give a damn.

On a spring day, you take your sketchbook to a parkette in the middle of a busy intersection. You have it in mind to sketch people; take notes, maybe. The exhaust from cars is a reminder of where you are, but soon you are lost in your scribbling. A woman with bad 80s hair is carrying way too many babies, and you jot something down about her. And now she’s walked half way to Bay Street, but you are still sketching her, even though she is gone, out of sight. That’s something you are capable of doing: you know how to pin down a person’s individuality seconds before they disappear into the wash of masses. It's a skill of urban sketching. You look at your drawing. This is pretty good, you say to yourself—not the best, but I’m just getting warmed up. At two o’clock, at the time when the postman is unlocking his postal box, you are laying down crosshatches on a drawing of a sparrow. More minutes pass. There are now three representations of sparrows in your book, and several of people. Five minutes later, your friend shows up. Hey, you say. Hey, she says. She takes out her sketchbook and begins to scribble. You look over at her. She’s way better than I am, you think. I’m a total hack-job compared to her. After several minutes of drawing, she asks to see your sketchbook. This is a multiple choice. Do you a) nonchalantly show her your sketchbook, b) show her your work while wildly exclaiming how terrible it is, or c) flash her what you consider an okay drawing in the same way that you would flash your boobs: really fast. It also occurs to you that you can just say no. Like, No, you cannot look at my sketchbook. What would she say to that? Hm. She’s waiting and so you hand over your sketchbook. I’m just warming up, you tell her. And then, as she turns and gives you her sketchbook, she implores you not to look at it. Don’t even, she says, Don’t Freaking Even. So of course you look. You turn the page of this other person’s sketchbook, and you suddenly feel like you’re in a foreign country, where dots and lines are invoke the symbols of a different culture. Another side of the world is what you see, and over here, even the pages of sketchbooks smell different. Like wheat, or wheat crackers, maybe. But you don't mind that your friend's sketchbook is unusual, and that the texture of its pages are like the surface of a fuzzy unfamiliar fruit, because, you consider, maybe she feels the same way about yours. And that's when it comes to you: maybe you are—at least in the eyes of others—an exotic sketchbook artist. Yes. Maybe. Cars honk, people move past, and the traffic lights make that chirping noise that help the blind find their way across the intersection.

[nchyinotes]

How to launch an independent magazine, by Delayed Gratification

February 22 2018

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-launch-an-independent-magazine-22nd-february-2018-tickets-40937174190?aff=es2

In this class you will:

-Learn how to turn your magazine idea into reality

-Find out how to identify a successful editorial niche

-Understand the nuts and bolts of commissioning writers and designers

-See how to pull together a winning subscription, distribution and marketing plan

-Discover how to survive and thrive beyond the first year

You will leave with a good insight into the independent publishing industry and a strong idea of how to set about launching an independent magazine.

 Thoughts: I actually found this event on eventbrite a few months before it happened, sent it to my friend who I knew would be interested (hi Ayesha!) and then forgot about it. Then the day before, she asks if I want to go because her friend cancelled so she had an extra ticket, so I ended up going with her haha. I’ve always been vaguely interested in starting a magazine, and was actually the co-editor of an online art magazine aaaages ago with my online friend (hi Angela!), but was never really serious about it. While some of this information was not new for me (a lot of it overlapped with your typical entrepreneurship/startup advice, ie. finding a niche), the advice that was specific to launching indie magazines (logistics and business aspects) was very useful and interesting, and I really appreciated the numbers they threw in from their own business. Overall, was a very fun and honest look at the business, and the organisers were super friendly. Also left with a free copy of Delayed Gratification (their mag), which was cool to read.

  EDITED NOTES

 Introduction

Met early 20s in dubai, journalism students, working as time out editors, learnt how to make print mags together / fell in love with it

Went in different directions, and then all ended up back in london at 30

Just over 7 years now

Named independent magazine editors of the year 2017

Most independent magazines are losing if not hemorrhaging money - lots of vanity projects, made as a shop front for creative agencies.

Attrition rate is extraordinary. Intense desire to make them, but the number that make it past issue 2 / 3 is very low.

Lower barriers to entry than ever before - people are used to them, a lot more need for them (solace in print from digital world) + tools are there + there are all these places to sell them now (mag culture!)

Bad news: will probably break your heart, high failure rate, odds are against you, difficult economic model to make work, are not immune to pressures in mainstream press (but don’t face: massive debt built up in 80s/90s for rapid expansion, pensions liabilities, offices)

Were dreamers + journalists: novices at nuts and bolts of making money/funding

90% of success is turning up - determination to keep going even in early years

Maybe expand into documentaries / books in the future

Key lessons

1) you probably shouldn’t launch an independent magazine - sink which you pour your money, dreams, hopes

Brainstorm: Why do indie mags fail?

Not thinking about how you pay for issue 2 → run out of cash v quickly (where frequency comes into it, ie. weekly)

Just getting visibility: Hard to find your audience - with so much competition, etc

Often have expertise in one area, but lack expertise in another function that’s vital to bringing product to market

Content burn out, esp. If you make big commitments (launch with huge interview etc) - second album syndrome? Not to create too many structures that need to be filled in early days.

2) ^ can be overcome with a niche - you need a niche

Fat brad magazine

Terrible people magazine

Slightly foxed, nutmeg (scottish football periodical), mc1r (only about redheads)

Their niche: slow journalism, something to champion

What it did for them:

issue 1 cover was by obama’s hope poster artist (+ issue 5, limited edition posters, interview = all for free)

Content by Interviews (henry kissinger, etc) + writers - because it resonated with them, wanted to support it = can use those people’s credibility to add to theirs

Coverage + press: something to talk about (today program on radio 4: one 6 minute interview got them ~400 subscriptions = able to be condensed and easily explained/summed up)

Could have been slightly more bullish about fast news in the start, should you be worried about alienation??

Brainstorm: A name and niche

Colors magazine - activism & protest issue

Trend (mindfulness) vs Niche

Helps to sort of person we appeal to, what need am i filling that hasn’t been filled, what is my spin

Need to be passionate (committed, reason without a doubt), not egotistical, believe in your idea, ask for help a lot, honest

3) you need to think about the business

Beyond issue 1, what it is to run a magazine business (VAT returns, subscription systems, fb ads)

Frequency & cost

Weekly or monthly is really really fast. Always easier to go from quarterly down, because it shows you’re getting better, etc (awks if you have to go the other way).

Issue 1: 12 pounds, issue 2: 10 pounds.

When setting price for individual issue, what would you charge for a year’s subscriptions? You want to offer subscribers an appealing discount (that you’re not losing on each subscription)

Christmas is key for the indie mag industry - big burst of subscriptions as gifts. So don’t launch in jan or feb lol, christmas run is key, be well established for this! 50+% this year was from last 5 weeks of sales

Don’t launch in summer - nobody gets subscriptions then, more newstands then

Print, digital, or both?

People don’t want to pay for digital issues, not that captivated by complicated stuff you can do on there.

You have to charge VAT + pay percentage to platform for digital copies

People expect to pay less for digital copies

But there are some digital projects that are fascinating - de correspondent (similar premise, crowdfunded, purely digital in dutch, really collaborative / self contained digital ecosystem. / community driven)

Physicality - You can get people to pay for a physical / tangible object that they just don’t for digital, they have relationships with them.

Latterly (weekly newsletter, after building huge online audience for free, now printed publication)

^ merits of this?? Passion project more bc of time sink??

Subscriptions vs newsstand

Subscription systems

Gocardless (pay direct debits)

Chargebee - portal

V difficult to make money out of newsstand sales - 50% of the cover price, 3-6 months after mags are sold, and they generally only sell 60% of the ones you’ve sent them. Treated as marketing for subscriptions.

Not difficult to set them up

In London / UK: Ra&Olly, MMS, Smiths (difficult + unresponsive + dont fulfill, but have a stranglehold on mags in country)

Paid: gold star media (get you in to salons, hotels, airport lounges, etc)

Is your magazine one that a company would like to support? Team up because they really like it

Customer

Site sales: shopify

Fulfilment: newsstand

Adjust your expectations

4) take subscriptions!!

Newsstands are hard

It’s money upfront, will help with print bills, cash flow, etc

Community building

More chances for someone to like someone

Alternatives: Kickstarter, indiegogo (to test out if appetite is there)

Subscription renewals / Direct debits ?

Do not build your business model around advertising, it’s so diffused + competitive, can’t do trackability on print issues

No ads > bad ads

Corporate work - if you prove you can make mags, you can make them for other people too

Magazine as a broader way of selling your skill set

plan for issue 2/3/4 already + worst case scenarios

5) you need to make something special

Making your magazine:

Commissioning editorial content

There are a lot of really good writers out there desperate to work for you

Draw up a commissioning form - rights and responsibilities, deadlines, etc

Approach writers that you like - tell about mag & ask them to pitch OR give them a story and ask them to write it

Longer form + freedom

Always pay! You have a contract, leverage, etc

Editorial pagination * av word count * word rate = commission

First: 10p/word

Now: 25p/word

Industry average: 30p/word

Interviews / verbatim interviews: with an expert in the subject. Get it without having to pay a word rate, take what you need from it, may tighten it up for free anyway when you send it back for approval  

Ask people who just brought out a book

Finding a designer - they expect a very carefully designed product

Don’t be afraid to let things evolve - keep moving/changing things around

First issue is not going to be perfect, important thing is that it exists

Look at magazines / things you like + get in touch with them

Have your favorite designer create a template (or a regular design) for you - easier for recent grads etc to follow, at a cheaper price

Design software: considerable expense

Indesign, photoshop - creative suite, expensive monthly. Worth looking at older versions (old DVDs on ebay - work with designer to save it down a version)

Pagination (80-100), size (delayed gratification is too big/wide to fit through most letterboxes, something smaller / standard sizes are better), GSM (cyclical trends), binding (perfect bound, saddle stitch / staples are much cheaper)

Costs of the last issue, excl. Wages (which has come up a huge amount, 7-8k in the beginning bc lots in house and paying less) : 23.8k pounds

West ale ?? printers company

Approach the printers

The only thing that’s going to push your price up is if its special paper they have to order 4 u

You’ll get inundated with calls once you start up

You want a printer that will work around you (missed deadlines or changes post-proof stage)

6) you need to tell people about your mag

Brainstorm: how are you going to get noticed?

Making waves - Print someone controversial, getting into mainstream press

Power of positivity vs negativity (attract passionately negative people? In emails? Lol. prepare yourself for backlash)

Collaborating with influencers / people with followings / associations that make sense / endorsement (within the niche) - genuine

Loving print means embracing digital - lots of new people come from digital content

Weekly newsletter : manageable amount of content, keep engaging (mailchimp), moving people through the marketing funnel

Events - sense of community, benefit for subscribers.

Free is not recommended. Commitment.

Indie mag community - swap inserts in different titles/issues/newsletters, nicer fit, more interest

Podcasts

Questions

Usually print about 1000 copies of issue 1

Issue 0 - proof of concept (rarely done in indie mags)

Limited run projects - must be pitched to advertisers / subscribers before hand as such (will probz break ur heart at issue 6)

[thehungrymommy-blog1]

8 Things To NOT Do When Returning to School After “X” Amount of Years!

Let me start by saying that deciding to continue your education in the modern world, period, is praise-worthy! However, it is known that the longer the amount of time that has elapsed since you had last attended a class, the more difficult getting back into an educational groove may be. Continuing your education, in general, can be viewed as a great idea! When it’s NOT so great, heading back to school can be a flat-out epic disaster, and I’ll tell you why. This list of DON’Ts may help to make your transition back into a school setting a little bit easier.

1. DON’T DO IT ON A WHIM! For the love of God, please don’t make your decision to head back to college on a whim! Continuing your education is an investment on your future, and it should be handled with care.

2. DON’T REGISTER IF YOU’RE NOT FINANCIALLY ABLE! This statement is true for all students continuing their education, not just the older adult population. So many students make the decision to continue their education without considering the security of their financial situation. Yes, financial aid is there, and it has helped so many students pay their way through school, but student loans can come back to haunt you, if you’re not financially prepared to start repaying them, once the grace period  is over. If you can stay away from students loans, do it.  I, personally, call them “the devil”.

3. DON’T NOT DO YOUR HOMEWORK! LITERALLY! I could’ve easily said “do your homework”, but it just doesn’t fit in with this list of “Don’ts”! All that this point suggests it that older adults deciding to take that step toward continuing their education should know exactly what they want to study, before making that commitment. Let’s be honest, here. Paying for college is crazy expensive, but having a plan before walking through those doors can help you to keep the cost of paying for your education as low as possible. Nowadays, most colleges and universities require that their new enrollments meet with academic advisors in order to discuss their degree plan, the plan of required courses in which they follow in order to achieve their degree. This is extremely helpful in preventing students from taking unnecessary courses, unless they choose to do otherwise.

4. DON’T PROCRASTINATE! I cannot stress this point enough! Coming from an individual who struggled with procrastination at one point in my life, procrastination can single-handedly be a recipe for disaster. If you’re planning on registering for courses for the next semester and the absolute last day to register is four days away, please do not rush to register! Several of our nation’s community colleges, as well as numerous universities that offer online courses, have multiple start dates occurring throughout the semester, which is perfect for late-comers. Procrastination also goes for classwork. College is not like high school, in the slightest, for several reasons: The workload tends to be solely on your shoulders. The instructor will not coddle you, nor will they hold a conference with you to discuss why you are struggling in class, unless requested. It could benefit you greatly to designate certain times throughout the week to set aside for homework or studying. College exams typically span over multiple chapters, and each chapter can span over 40 pages of content! Do yourself a solid, and please make time for your brain. Cramming can temporarily be detrimental to your short term memory, making remembering the content even more difficult.

5. DON’T DO IT FOR ANYONE ELSE! Deciding to continue your education is not something that you should do solely to satisfy the wants and desires of someone else. It should not be a decision made just to please your mother or father (eh hem), but should be something that you decide to do, for self-betterment, a better profession, etc. I totally get the “I’m going to school for so and so”, because I’ve been there.  I’m a mommy to four, beautiful babies. You better believe that both my husband and I wanted to do everything in our power for us to be able to give them the best possible future. However, if you personally are not ready to make that commitment, going to school can add additional stress that isn’t good for anyone.

6. DON’T LOSE FOCUS! This is a huge, huge point that I need to emphasize for older adults returning to school. Losing focus is one of the top 3 reasons that older adult college students may not succeed the way that they had hoped. As I had mentioned before, making that decision to go to school is a huge commitment! It’s not necessarily as complicated as marriage, but it’s definitely up there! It is so important to remain steadfast and on task, because GPA (grade point average) does matter. Especially so in highly competitive programs, like dental, medical, and even nursing. Something that may seem as small as receiving a “C” in one of the required courses, resulting in a lower point quality, is what could potentially disqualify you from gaining entry into that program. As a result, the course may have to be retaken, further postponing you from attaining that degree that you had been working toward.

7. DON’T GET DISCOURAGED! I totally get that it can be highly frustrating watching these kids, fresh out of high school, exceed at some things that may take you a little longer to grab ahold of. That is to be expected for one very apparent reason: They’re fresh out of high school! Everything that they are learning from that point on is building upon that foundation that was developed during secondary education. Great news for you, virtually every college and university (minus most trade schools) offers refresher courses for those students that have been out of the game, for a while. With these courses, they are not actually credited toward your degree plan. However, as long as you do really well, they can kick your GPA off to a great start!

8. DON’T FRET! Making the decision to pursue a higher education can be daunting for anyone, let alone for an older adult that has been out of the educational game for several years. However, please don’t fret! You are not alone! An estimated 17% of today’s college students are aged 35 years and over. That is just under 1 out of every 5 college students, in America. This number is expected to continue to rise as the requirements for numerous professions in the white collar and blue collar world continue to change. If you are reading this and are wholeheartedly considering going back to school, I give you kudos! Whether you are going back to earn a new degree or to build upon an existing one, the idea of getting back on the saddle could stress you out a bit, but have no fear! Wanting to better yourself in any way is such an amazing thing, and I congratulate you for taking that next step towards a brighter future!

[junker-town]

The comprehensive guide to winning rock-paper-scissors

Always throw the same thing. Or don’t!

When it comes to America’s greatest sport, everyone’s an expert.

We’re talking about rock-paper-scissors. It’s one of this country’s longest-standing pastimes, and it might be the game with the lowest barriers to entry. It requires a simple series of hand movements and, uh, not much else. If you crave competition, there’s no easier way to get it than saddling up for an RPS duel against a friend.

These are our most critical pieces of advice.

Some of these thoughts are contradictory to one another, so you’ll have to decide whose side you take. Sound good? Let’s RPS.

Know your opponent’s personality type.

I’ve won some big rock-paper-scissors matches in my life. I’ve had drinks purchased for me, errands run for me, and gruesome dares carried out on my behalf — all because I know the tricks my friends are going to throw at me when we duel. My best win:

I found a video of what's def gonna go down as my peak athletic accomplishment in this life: a rock-paper-scissors/huggy bear tournament win http://pic.twitter.com/Dqve72z1fX

— Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) May 3, 2017

People ask me all the time — actually they don’t, but let’s pretend they do — how I win RPS matches. The most important thing is to know the kind of person you’re dealing with on the other side. The guy I beat for an RPS championship a few years ago is a good man and a patriot. He’s also a military man and has a rugged persona.

But because he’s a military guy, I knew he wasn’t going to back down. We both threw rock on our first go-around, and I knew that there was nothing he’d enjoy more than winning with the exact same thing. It’d make him feel tougher and somehow more pure to win without changing his ways. So I just changed my play to paper, grabbed my RPS championship trophy, and went on home. I don’t feel bad about it.

Here is a bold-faced lie from my brother:

@alex_kirshner I beat you every single time when we were kids. You threw scissors first without fail... bad strategy for sure.

— Joel Kirshner (@JKirshner36) May 5, 2017

- Alex Kirshner

Force your opponent’s hand (we’re talking mind games)

I consider myself an excellent rock-paper-scissors player, and my success starts with my mentality: You have to be unafraid to die in the arena. Those who play RPS scared — afraid of throwing the wrong thing — aren’t thinking enough about their opponent. You need to take in every tell on their person: things like their facial expression, perspiration levels, general state of anxiety and/or drunkeness, etc. You won’t do that if you’re also keenly aware that you’re giving off the same tells yourself.

What many don’t realize is that you can force your opponent’s hands. Talk. Be obnoxious. Get in his or her head. If you’re playing best-two-outta-three, comment on their first throw: “Scissors, huh?” Tell them what they’re going throw next. Tell them what you’re going to throw next (and keep your promise ... or not). Feign like you’re mulling over your next move. Drag out the moment. Peer deep into their eyes.

Do whatever you can to induce a flinch. Your opponent will react, and when they do you will have gained another clue into their soul. RPS isn’t about you — it’s about your opponent and the frailty of human will. - Louis Bien

For me, it’s all about coming from a position of strength, first and foremost. Since we’re civilized people, we’re going best two out of three, so I can afford to lose one. You throw rock first every time to initially assert dominance. Then you’ll often throw it back the next round becuase they’re shook. They know I’m the alpha and are threatened. Then I mind-game them, because I certainly wouldn’t throw rock again the third round. Would I? — Richard Johnson

Keep using the same move

I can’t give away all of my secrets when it comes to this classic battle, but one I will share is that particular strategy. If a best 2 out of 3 is being played, this works nearly every time, unless it is also being deployed against you. It’s even better when used in a best 3 out of 5, or greater. Once your opponent has caught onto your move — let’s say it’s paper — that’s when you deploy the rock. It’s very simple, and works like a charm. Your opponent will be defeated, and annoyed with the malarkey. - Harry Lyles Jr.

Go rock, go rock, go rock again, keep going rock, and then, just when your opponent is getting annoyed, look them in the eye, give them a playful smirk, and ... go rock again.

Btw you will not win if you do this, but you can whine when you lose that in real life a rock would destroy a flimsy piece of paper. - Seth Rosenthal

Just roll with the punches.

Don't listen to my dude coworkers who think they can control the uncontrollable. They can't. Rock-paper-scissors isn't rocket science; all you have to do is go with your gut and throw down what you feel. Will you lose? Yeah, sometimes. But that's how probability and life works. Roll with it. - Charlotte Wilder

Transfer the responsibility

Find a surrogate to RPS for you. If they lose, you can blame them. If they win, you can take the credit. Delegation is the key to good leadership. - Ryan Van Bibber

Know your opponent’s weaknesses.

The art of winning RPS is understanding the personality of your opponent. Are they lazy? They’re going to throw rock. High ego? They’re going to think they’re better than you and go scissors. Paper people are difficult to predict, but typically they’re going to be the more quiet and demure members of your friend circle. Also understand the stakes: If the result of the RPS match is low-impact then they’re going to lean on their old tricks, but if there’s a lot on the line then people will over-think their moves and go to the polar opposite of their personality. — James Dator

When playing RPS, you have to remember the one cardinal rule: it’s way more effort to throw scissors than it is to throw rock or paper. Ultimately you just have to decide whether or not your opponent is a rock person or a paper person. If you’re up against Dwight Schrute, just play scissors every time. - Cory Williams

Consistency is key.

Always throw what your opponent just threw. - Justin Bopp

Cheat

We all know that it’s “rock, paper, scissors, shoot,” and you throw what you know on “shoot.” We all know this! Yet there’s always that one asshole that let’s the ritual get started before they break away mid-“scissors” to be all “wait wait lol lol are we doing scissors or SHOOT?” — meanwhile getting a sneak peek at what you had in store for Round 1. And the worst thing about this strategy is that it works. Listen, I’m not here to tell you to cheat at rock-paper-scissors. But I am here to tell you that if you’re desperate — this might just be your play. — Dayana Sarkisova

Lots of people we asked believe in never changing their play.

@SBNation http://pic.twitter.com/Ujano9u8bz

— Joseph Flynn (@ChinaJoeFlynn) May 5, 2017

@SBNation Always use rock. Works EVERY time

— Nikolas Holmes (@NikolasHolmes) May 5, 2017

@SBNation Throw the same thing every time

— Zach Daw (@SoDawsome) May 5, 2017

And a slight variation to that method:

@SBNation People will always try to use the thing tht beats wht u used on ur last move, if u won. If u won with rock, theyll use paper next round.

— Sam Gosin (@samgosin) May 5, 2017

Some people advocate a hard-line approach.

@SBNation cheat

— Russell Steinberg (@Russ_Steinberg) May 5, 2017

Here is the most serious advice:

@SBNation 1. Always stare deeply into your opponent's eyes as if they're the true love you've always been looking for. That should make them nervous.

— Michelle Goldchain (@goldchainam) May 5, 2017

@SBNation 2. Pretend you are your opponent. Everything that makes them them is now you. That should help you know what their next move is.

— Michelle Goldchain (@goldchainam) May 5, 2017

@SBNation 3. After you win, do a little dance. This is less to rub it in your opponent's face and more to attract the ladies. They'll be so pleased.

— Michelle Goldchain (@goldchainam) May 5, 2017

[chocolateorbs]

Project 03 Research

What is a logo

Logos are the ‘mark’ of a company’s territory.

What a logo does

Logos identify a company, the advertisement, and the products and services the company sells. Logos also support a company’s brand. A logo can be a consumer’s first impression of a company. It is something that will persuade them to choose one business over another. When shopping, most people will pay more money for a brand that they think is a better quality or more well-known. This has been proven many times and people are essentially paying for the logo/brand. (i.e. designer handbags, people are buying the bags for the LV or MK)

If people don’t love a brand, then they obviously wouldn’t support it. People value brands and the logos that identify them. Nike is a very popular brand, and most people wouldn’t find it too difficult to identify their corresponding ‘swoosh’ logo. If people see a product with a logo they don’t recognize, chances are, the more they see it, the more likely they’ll look into it themselves. Logos are symbolic symbols, and unlike iconic or indexical signs, they must be learned.

“Semiotics is a key link to consumer behavior because consumers use products to express their social identities. Products carry learned meanings, and we rely on marketers to help us figure out what those meanings are. As one set of researchers put it, “Advertising serves as a kind of culture/consumption dictionary; its entries are products, and their definitions are cultural meanings.

From a semiotic perspective, every marketing message has three basic components: an object, a sign (or symbol), and an interpretant. The object is the product that is the focus of the message (e.g., Marlboro cigarettes). The sign is the sensory image that represents the intended meanings of the object (e.g., the Marlboro cowboy). The interpretant is the meaning we derive from the sign (e.g., rugged, individualistic, American). (Solomon, 98).

Click here for article on how Nike achieved popular global success.

Moving forward with Nike, the symbol represents motion and speed and the arc alone represents movement. The name Nike comes from a winged (associates to flight, speed, and victory) Greek goddess of victory whose name was Nike. Those who wear the product of the company are meant to feel confident in victory and powerful. Therefore, the easily recognizable logo of the “swoosh” is the best mark to represent Nike. Click here for link to Nike meaning.

Types of Logos

There are three types of logos: logotypes, which is text only (e.g., Coca Cola)

Logo marks, which consists of graphics only (e.g., Snapchat, Apple, Starbucks)

Logos such as Starbucks have been redesigned without words because the logo itself has become so distinguishable across the globe. This helps with the translation of international logos.

And a combination of both type and graphic (e.g., BMW, LG).

What a logo needs to do

At some point, I’m sure most of us (if not all) have downloaded the Logo Quiz games, that are trivia-based and challenge us to see if we can identify certain logos. These games are addictive, yet informative. Informative in the sense that, logos are impactful. Besides being legible and adaptable to fit a company’s materials, a successful logo has the ability to literally imprint to memory: to be unforgettable.

4 Principles of the ARMM Model

A = Attention ; R = Response ; M = Meaning ; M = Memorable

Click here for an intro to the ARMM Model.

In my Consumer Behavior class, I learned that the characteristics of the stimulus play a fundamental role in determining what we notice and what we ignore. Designers need to understand these factors so they can create logos that will have a better chance to cut through the clutter. A logo creates contrast in several ways: size, color, and position.

Size

A logo has to work well in all sizes. A logo design has to be easily manipulated. It needs to be on the letterhead, business cards, on a website, on a billboard, products, and even on company cars. A logo has to be simple, because when scaled up or down they have to work on any medium and size.

“When printed in small sizes, a complex design will lose detail and in some cases will look like a smudge or, worse, a mistake. The more detail a logo has, the more information the viewer has to process. A logo should be memorable, and one of the best ways to make it memorable is to keep things simple. Look at the corporate identities of Nike, McDonald’s and Apple. Each company has a very simple icon that can easily be reproduced at any size.”

Click here for 10 common mistakes in logo design.

Color

Logos must also reproduce well in color and B/W. Color plays a fundamental role in logo design. Colors follow a guide that can evoke a certain reaction from a person. Take yellow and red, for example. Yellow translates to optimism, clarity, and warmth, while red translates excitement. McDonalds, Sonic, Burger King, etc., all use yellow because it not only triggers these emotions, but because the color can also be seen from a far distance. Red triggers stimulation, appetite, and hunger, but also attracts attention. When combined together, both colors translate speed, quickness—hence ‘fast food’.  

Click here for psychological properties of color.

Looking at it this way, color establishes identity. In the field of marketing and advertising, brand identity is the visual essence of a business or organization. Visual identity is mostly correlated with color through symbols. When we think of twitter, we see the color blue. Color identity can be used both ways. We either think of a brand, and visualize that corresponding color in our minds, or we see a color, and closely associate it with a specific brand.

Moving forward with Twitter, I found an informative site on why so many social media platform sites use the color blue. Click here for the link. The website states that when people think of the color blue, the feelings most associated with it are credibility, focused, professional, and trustworthy. Of course these feelings would spark interest in social media marketing.

It’s also being currently researched that blue light promotes alertness. (click here for article) This would then cause people to have trouble sleeping.

“Have you ever found yourself mindlessly browsing through Twitter or Facebook, not noticing the time go by? And then when you do notice and shut your phone, it still takes you a little while to fall asleep? This might be due to the fact that you exposed your eyes to blue light, thus causing your brain to stay more alert and awake.”

The more time spent on Facebook or Twitter, the more likely it is for someone to view a video or click on a link that adds another dollar to these platforms’ revenue.

Position

Advertisers can increase brand recall and choice if they change the location of a brand logo across ad exposures. Logos that are located in the center of a person’s field of vision are more likely to make it to the second stage of perception, which is the attention stage. If a logo receives enough attention, it has the power to attach itself to a consumer’s memory.

Reference to text: Solomon, Michael R. (2017), Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having, and Being, 12th edition, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

 Changes in Logo

However, it’s important to also note that when a brand tries to alter, or modernize its logo, it has to walk a fine line because consumers tend to get tired of old-fashioned designs, but they still want to be able to identify the familiar product.

Especially with well-known companies and logos, a logo must fit the current personality of the company without having consumers feel like they lost their connection to the brand. When you think of a company, you usually picture its logo first. Change is noticeable with apps, as icons on our phones change with application updates. Take the Instagram logo, for example. It used to look like a vintage camera, and then it drastically changed into a simplified, gradient-based outline of a camera.

“The simpler design puts more focus on your photos and videos without changing how you navigate the app,” the company said. “Our updated look reflects how vibrant and diverse your storytelling has become.”

Click here for NY Times article on ‘The Great Instagram Logo Freakout of 2016′.

Or Gap, for instance.

Current and attempted new GAP logo:

A great example of logo modernizing is the evolution of the Pepsi label and FedEx’s logo over time.

Can logos bias our decisions?

“A study of the influence of company logos found that, when respondents were exposed to a brief flash of either an Apple or an IBM logo on a screen, their behavior changed even though they weren’t even aware they had seen the logo., whereas they link tradition, intelligence, and responsibility with IBM.55 Sure enough, those who saw the Apple logo subsequently provided more creative and innovative responses on a task than those who saw the IBM logo. Researchers continue to identify factors that bias our decisions, and many of these are factors that operate beneath the level of conscious awareness.” (Solomon, 331).

Click here for article on importance of logo.

Additional Logo Information via Video:

Top Ten Business Logos (according to Mojo.com)

Top 10 Logos Then & Now

[shortcutandy-blog]

Reflections After leaving New Zealand we had a few days in San Francisco to visit some friends. During which we took the opportunity to visit Marin County in order to tick off a couple of those boxes. So we rode trails such as Eldridge Grade, Rock Springs and Hookooekoo, we also to the opportunity to stop in Fairfax and visit the MTB Hall of Fame and Mountain Bike Museum. All interesting stuff. Trails were a bit bland and double tracky though. Never ride your heroes. Now home, unpacked, and kind of rested and even back at work my reflections on New Zealand and the Pioneer are clear. Lets start with The Pioneer. The Great Stuff: Scenery - this was amazing and is backed up by some of the photos taken and since purchased from Sportograf. It is Epic and is the reason for going. Organisation - this was very professional, and details were well covered. Often in scary detail. The Could be Improved Stuff: The Course - it just felt a lot like numbers were being chased. 550km and 15000m of climbing. This often meant long flat sections, impossible climbs and descents where the focus was on getting down to start the next climb rather than fun. I did spend rather too much time walking up very steep hills for my liking. Portaloos - I just prefer porcelain, blue plastic non flushing holes are just not nice. Singletrack - personally I like a lot of it and there really wasn’t much. Web Pages and Communications - this was challenging, much was done by Facebook, which is fine but some of the detail just wasn’t accessible via the website, this is inexcusable. Sign on - this worked well aside for riders being check for more than they were told. We had a clear - this stuff will be checked, as it happened all mandatory kit was also checked, this took us and others by surprise. Endurance events - my feelings: OK - I will put it in writing - maybe endurance events are not for me. I prefer to have fun on my mountain bike. So, shorter stages, less walking and more single track are the order of the day for me. My sense of humour seems to decline when I am walking up silly steep mountains pushing my bicycle only be to be greeted by a silly steep fire road descent. Its not that I can’t its just that the reward is not there for me personally. What we could have done better: Ride more endurance stuff in the run up to the event. Unfortunately being an event in the middle of British Winter getting the riding in ahead of the event is a challenge. Recognise that endurance is not fun. Believed the people that said walking was going to happen. And by heck did we walk a lot. Kit wise we were pretty much spot on. Full suspension was very popular in the field and at no stage did I wish for a hard tail. Gearing - I was running an 11-40 cassette with a 45 tooth expander. My chainring was 32 teeth. My gearing was not even close to low enough, I did envy people with SRAM Eagle but I don’t believe this would have resolved the walking issue. Whilst it did not affect the race shortly after my RaceFace Next SL Cranks died (this is the second pair) and I now have some alloy turbines to keep me going while I seek a suitable alternative. Sleeping bag - I will be honest - my sleeping bag was great until we had the night at Snow Farm which saw me not sleeping but wearing tights, trousers, socks, t shirt, hoodie and down jacket in my sleeping bag and still being cold. I will also admit I am all over camping for the rest of the year. What I would love to see: I am confident in New Zealand as a great riding destination. I would love to see an event that moves around more, visits proper riding venues and focuses on fun trails and riding challenge rather than 15,000m of ascent and 550km of riding. This would be ace and I would be there really quickly. Would I do it again: No - don’t get me wrong, I am glad I did it, pleased I survived and just loved the scenery but the riding was not fun enough for me. Advice for Brits heading out for next years event: It is tough. You will be walking (probably quite a lot). The organisation is great. You will need cash for food vendors etc. Do it if you like endurance events in really epic countryside and are fit. It is a lot of saddle time. Make sure your sleeping bag is warm because there is likely one cold night. Take your own energy products. It is a good event. You need lower gears than you think. 2x11 does make good sense. Full suss is a good option but you will survive just fine on a hardtail. Take some time before and after to enjoy New Zealand. We flew out and back via the USA and took some time in both LA and San Francisco to enjoy some riding and sightseeing. If going direct avoid the USA customs is a challenge. Entry into NZ is strict and they like it if you can produce a clean (very clean with tyres scrubbed) bike and shoes etc. Be honest with the customs people and they will be good to you. Tyres - black round ones are best but generally it is going to be dry. Expect a lot of water crossings - you will have wet feet most days. Don’t expect to drive a long way in a short time. The roads in New Zealand are twisty and are not quick. Go riding in Rotorua. And as for the rest of the trip: As has previously been explained we flew to Auckland, then to Christchurch before the event which took us to Queenstown. From Queenstown we then took 8 days to get to Auckland for the flight home; we spent a lot of time driving up the west coast of the South Island much of which is rainforest and therefore very green and spectacular. Clearly being rain forest it is very wet. Our riding in the last 8 days was confined mainly to two areas Nelson and Rotorua. with a quick spin in Wellington. Riding as with any place is best researched beforehand, Nelson riding was helped by Gravity Nelson who pointed us in the right direction for some great trails up above the town and which involved very little driving, accessible from town. Rotorua was just magical and I would happily move there and ride there without ever being bored. It was great and there is no need for reflection really. My only regret is not having longer to explore more epic riding spots. There is always next time though.