#the ‘i should look that up’ to being 10 wikipedia pages deep into the construction of dachas pipeline is crazy

[flaminghomosexualbreadsticks]

writing is crazy why do i have an insane hyperfixation on late 19th century russia because i vaguely insinuated that a short story i wrote two years ago takes place there

[cyoza]

come here

hi guys! kind of long author’s note, sorry! 

I found a few prompt lists and on one of them was ‘Come here’ and all I could think about mother and son duo Kory and Gar so I wrote from that angle. 

I looked up the wikipedia page for Kory because I kinda saw some info about her past on the net but didn’t know for sure so I kinda just skim read through it and drew different things that I read. 

I guess its kinda of an au? or non cannon? idk the proper terms I am still learning. But it’s set assuming the Titans have rescued Gar but before all the troubles over

It’s kinda of long sorry, I tried to shorten it so it wasn’t too long but yno it is what it is 

I hope you read and enjoy it! Please like, reblog or comment if you do! Thanks! 

TW: Abuse, Blood & Gore

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The cool autumn air was crisp as it nipped at Kory’s nose, sending sharp shards up her nostrils. She looked over the railings, gazing at the park below as the trees quivered gently, the breeze taking down multiples of amber leaves with it. 

Kory rarely ever felt the cold as acutely as her human counterparts but she had begun to really appreciate such frosty mornings like this one. There was something about the biting gusts of wind that invigorated her. The way she could feel the piercing breath travel completely down to her chest reminded her that she existed - that she was still here despite everything she had been through. As tough as it could be to keep going most of the time. 

The sound of the balcony door sliding open behind her pulled her from here revere. She turned to see Gar standing awkwardly by the door which piqued her interest. Gar was many things: energetic, excitable, enthusiastic but Kory would never attribute awkwardness to him. 

‘Hey, what’s up?’ Kory greeted, leaning on the railing behind her. She could see him battle with himself for a second, his lips pressed in a thin line and eyes unsure before he finally slumped slightly as if reaching a conclusion himself. 

‘Um, actually, it doesn’t matter. I’m just gonna go back inside, don’t worry about it.’ He shook his head with a tremulous smile, his emerald locks falling forward to somewhat shield his eyes. 

He turned to slide the balcony door back open when Kory spoke, halting his movements. 

‘Hey, of course it matters. Come here, tell me what you’re thinking.’ She beckoned him over, making space for him next to her. 

Gar looked at her for a few moments, contemplating his next moves but ultimately made his way over to her, saying nothing more as he placed his elbows on the metal railing. The silence dragged on and Kory let it, knowing that he would talk when he was ready. So they stood together, watching as the gales made sienna tornadoes out of leaves. Minutes went by before Gar finally broke the silence. 

‘I’m sorry I’ve been keeping you guys up. It can’t be fun being woken up in the middle of the night by a screaming teenager.’ He paused, his face vacant and haunted; obviously plagued by memories constructed by his own warring psyche. 

For weeks now, Gar had frequently jolted everyone from sleep between the hours of 2am-3am with blood curdling screams that reverberated through every hallway in the tower. The first few times it happened, all 6 Titans raced to his room panicked over what they might find but it quickly came to their knowledge that only Dick, Kory and Rachel could get near him close enough to begin to get him to calm down. So, eventually the rest of the team awakened but stayed in their rooms and instead got a debrief the following morning so as to not make things worse. Each time, Kory, Dick and Rachel had darted to his room to find him sweaty and glowing a low green whilst mumbling absently about CADMUS. It periodically took them a full hour minimum to settle him so they began insisting that Rachel instead also stayed in bed for fear that the lack of sleep would make her ill, very aware that teenagers needed more sleep than their adult bodies. But as much as they insisted, it didn’t stop the 14 year old from trailing behind Dick and Kory every single night. 

‘Garfield, we would wake up every single day of forever at any time of the night, I promise you. You have no reason to apologise. This isn’t your fault.’ She punctuated her statement by placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, turning parallel to him. 

The action seemed to trigger something in him as his eyes shot towards her, glazed over with liquid. He mimicked her, turning to face her but dropped his head, his gaze to the floor.

‘Thank you for saying that but Kory, it has to be my fault somewhere. The tiger is a part of me and it attacked those people, under my control. I attacked those people. And they’re dead Kory. They’re dead and it’s my fault.’ His head hung lower as he spoke, his hair the only visible part of his head but it was impossible to miss the drops of liquid dropping to the floor. 

Kory’s eyes softened as her heart clenched, completely affected by his words. She, however, could not let it show and instead hardened her resolve as she moved to lift his head up to see trails of tears coating his cheeks. 

‘Let me ask you something, Gar: did any part of you want to do any of those things?’ She enquired, already knowing the answer but also knowing that he needed to hear himself say it. 

‘Wha-No! Of course not! I didn’t even know it was happening until after it happened! But when I’m asleep, it’s like it all comes back to me. Like all I can taste in my mouth is their blood. Like I can feel my teeth ripping through their skin all over again. I can hear their screams.’ He broke off with a quiet sob but continued talking before Kory could so much as open her mouth. ‘The first time it happened, you know with that guy in the asylum, I rationalised it with what you told me, I needed to protect myself, if it hadn’t have been him then it would have been me. And then with Trigon. All times of survival. But I’ve hurt innocent people, Kory, and I didn’t even know I was doing it. But it’s still somehow tormenting me and I don’t know how to get it to stop.’ He collapsed in her arms with a wracking sob, his chest shaking with the force. 

Kory held him tightly as he continued to weep into her shoulder, raking a comforting hand through his hair. She felt slightly at a loss as she listened to his cries, but she hoped what she had to say next would give him some solace. She let out a deep sigh as she readied herself to speak but stopped short when her sensitive ears picked up on the rustling by the door. She shifted her eyes to see Dick standing at the door with his shoulder rested on the frame, still in pyjamas and hair rumpled from sleep. His arms dropped to his sides and he stood straighter as their eyes met. 

‘You okay?’ He mouthed to her. 

She responded with a small imperceptible nod of her head to reassure him but still he didn’t leave and instead stayed rooted in his spot. It oddly gave her a sense of support knowing he was there, given what she was going to say. So, she turned her attention back to Gar, bracketing his face in her hands. His cheeks were still damp to the touch but his sobs had lessened some, now only letting out quiet whimpers. 

‘Garfield, I’m going to tell you something. Something I haven’t really said to anyone before.’ She dropped her hands to clasp his own. ‘When I was younger, I was captured by an enemy ship. They were called the Citadel and we’d been at war with them for years. I was...fascinating to them. They wanted to know about Tamaraneans and in that included physiology. So...they experimented on me.’ 

Gar’s face morphed into appalled shock at her words and when she glanced over at Dick, she found a look that mirrored his. Suddenly she was transported to her youth and was seeing that expression on every person she came into contact with when she’d escaped back home. The insidious slither of victimisation threatening to make itself known but she steeled herself and reminded herself that she was no longer a victim but a survivor. So she continued talking. 

‘I won’t go into the details but it was tough, to say the least. And it took me a long time to even begin to know how to recover. This has just happened to you Gar, it’s still fresh so you need to give yourself time to heal. I know what it feels like to have your body not feel like it’s your own. Like it’s a vessel you exist outside of. It’s something I would never wish on anybody and I am so sorry you had to go through this. But I promise you, it will get easier. Maybe not as soon as you want and you��ll need a whole lot of help but you’ll get your body back and you will feel like yourself again. Perhaps not the you you were before but the you you get to decide to be. The you you get to feel comfortable existing in again...Wow, how many times can I say ‘you’ in less than 10 seconds.’

Gar let out a wounded chuckle, her quip lightening the mood slightly, just as she intended it to. He let go of her hands to swipe his own across his cheeks, drying them with the ruby hoodie he had on. He looked at her tenderly for a moment before pulled her into a tight embrace. 

‘Thank you, Kory. For sharing, for being here. For everything.’ He said, voice thick with emotion and clutching her tighter. 

‘Always, Gar.’ She returned the hug with equal vigour.

The cleared throat from the door had them pulling apart to see Dick smiling softly at them both. 

‘Hey, come on in you guys. Before you get a cold.’ He admonished but was only met with Kory’s rolling eyes. 

‘You know that’s impossible for me, Grayson.’ She chided. Then, she turned back to Gar, ruffling his hair slightly. ‘But you should go inside. Besides, I think I can smell eggs, you should get something to eat. I’ll meet you in there.’ 

Gar gave her one last smile before he shuffled past Dick inside, flashing another at him too. Suddenly, it was just the two of them. Dick strolled over to her and placed his hands at her waist, looking at her longingly as he pulled her closer. 

‘You’ve never told me about that before.’ He stated, no hint of accusation in his tone but rather concern. 

‘Yeah, well it never came up before. Plus you already know what a heinous bitch my sister is.’ She replied flatly, wrapping around her arms around his neck.

‘Your sister? What does your sister have to do with what happened to you?’ He asked incredulously. 

‘She’s the reason I got captured. She gave me up to them to get rid of me but I managed to escape and make it back before she could manipulate her way to the throne.’ She said it matter of factly, as if it wasn’t one of the most damaging things that ever happened to her. 

‘Holy shit, Kory, I’m sorry. Do you want to talk about it some more?’ 

‘Later.’ She leaned forward to peck him on the lips. ‘Right now, I know there are two jelly donuts waiting for me in the fridge.’ She untangled himself from his arms and slipped past him mumbling to herself. 

‘Or at least there better be, otherwise I’m burning this entire place down to the ground. My love for you guys be damned.’ 

Dick trailed behind her, chuckling quietly. He knew they had a lot more to talk about the topic, he could see that Kory wasn’t completely healed from it and Gar was nowhere near but they could take it one day at a time. Seeking help wherever they could. 

[gunpan48]

3m Safety And Security Reading Glasses

Signs And Symptoms Of Vision Issues

#toc background: #f9f9f9;border: 1px solid #aaa;display: table;margin-bottom: 1em;padding: 1em;width: 350px; .toctitle font-weight: 700;text-align: center;

Content

What Triggers Ocular Pain?

Searching For A Reduced Vision Aid To Eliminate Vision Loss? Take The Irisvision Test.

Common Eye Disorders.

What Is Glue For Glasses Frames.

Nose Pads Keep Glasses Comfortable.

What Causes Ocular Pain?

Forty I made use of a fluid called acetone, secure the break and melt the brake with an eye dropper I dealt with numerous pair, and now I wear wire frames.The declines of acetone thaws the break comparable to weilding. Try several of the quick setting JB Weld, The rapid type held some plastic that the old standby JB counldn't. I glued it from the within to permit the adhesive to permeate into the crack as well as fill the space up, worked flawlessly.

Glass adhesives are commonly solvent-free, UV and weather-resistant as well as have an extremely high resistance to mechanical stress. If you intend to use the silicone adhesive on a terrarium or fish tank, you need to make certain it appropriates. Sanitary silicone, in particular, commonly has an antifungal impact of preventing mold growth in the washroom. This is obviously a wonderful benefit when used in moist spaces, yet fungicides are damaging to animals and also water organisms.

After I was particular the glue was gone from the delicate white of my eyes, I extremely gingerly blinked. I was overjoyed when my eye resumed without sticking itself closed, and also discharge a deep sigh of alleviation. I would certainly managed to adhesive the light bulb owner back with each other, and additionally glue the tube to my fingers.

Looking For A Reduced Vision Help To Fight Vision Loss? Take The Irisvision Trial.

As the name implies, the Devcon 2-Ton epoxy is made for very sturdy use. It has great impact toughness, is non-shrinking, as well as keeps good clarity once it dries out. Other than being water resistant, it was also formulated to stand up to solvents, fuel, oil, mineral spirits, and anti-freeze.

Nevertheless, this is not your perfect epoxy if you remain in a hurry. The Devcon 2-Ton Epoxy has an exceptionally lengthy setting time of 20 mins, with complete treating just expected after about 12 hours. The E6000 was specifically formulated with craft-making in mind. In spite of its stamina, it preserves a good action of versatility when dry. It is clear and also is easily paintable, so it should not detract from the aesthetics of your crafts.

Art Bell once glued his lips virtually together obtaining the cap off with his teeth throughout a break. When he came back on after the break a humorous event occurred live to us radio audiences in the millions. Being a significant fan of Ghost Peppers, I've gotten powder or oil in my eyes more than a couple of times. Yet not so chilli pepper, which as soon as resulted in a blind rescue trip to medical facility as well as an eye spot for a number of weeks. I take place to keep my superglue in the shower room purposefully-- appropriate next to the plasters so that I can spot a cut from an airplane or a razor operating in the store.

What does OD mean after a doctors name?

An optometrist receives a doctor of optometry (OD) degree after completing four years of optometry school, preceded by three years or more years of college.

Robert's walking cane maintained falling over when he had to use his hands. Adding magnets made it easy for him to complete his everyday tasks without needing to fret about fetching his cane regularly. The numbers and also dials on cleaning makers, microwaves, ovens as well as various other appliances can be little as well as difficult to read. Throughout the years our neighborhood has actually made use of Sugru to make points extra visible and also also included tactile pens to assist individuals with damaged vision. It worked initially for initial two goes, after that the thin needle appicator came undone and also it had to be utilized as regular adhesive i.e. an opening as well as pressed glue out appeared in bigger blobs.

It's a pity that the secretary did not have some nail gloss cleaner handy. The non-irritant kind (n-Butyl cyanoacrylate) which is also authorized for usage on human beings, is rather pricey.

If adhesive continues to be after using warm soapy water, it will certainly usually de-bond within a number of days due to basic damage and also the all-natural oils in the skin. " Want to make fish pot, we have ten mm glass. Got good info with actions, thank you." " I am planning on crafting with glass marbles & half rounds & required information on just how to go about it. Thanks to all writers for producing a page that has been read 571,551 times. wikiHow is a "wiki," comparable to Wikipedia, which means that most of our short articles are co-written by several writers.

Repairing fragile valuables or cherished accessories can lead to additional damages as well as frustration if you do not have the right tools. Because of its numerous resistance to wetness, reduced temperature, and also different chemicals, the Loctite Professional adhesive makes sure resilient bonding with keep the optimum effectiveness. Exactly how old are the glasses you might be able to obtain them replaced if they aren't also old. I suggest utilizing a toothpick to use the combined epoxy to the glasses.

Once the components are adhered, leave them uninterrupted for a minimum of 10 mins. Repairing glass can be complicated, however it does not need to be. A couple of easy preventive actions can make the distinction. The most effective way to attain enduring results is to plan in advance.

I've utilized a small old drill little bit, and also tight galvanized cord. A drill little bit can repair the earpiece, as well as the cord can be formed around contours in the glass holding areas.

The epoxy retains its strength in severe hot and cold as well as can be utilized for acrylic, steel, glass, concrete, and ceramic. Eliminate any extra fragments or glass fragments obstructing a perfect seal. If you do discover spaces in between glass items, select a gap-filling adhesive such as Loctite Go2 Gel.

Common Eye Disorders.

Top-Specs embeds in the presence of wetness, so this can additionally make it most likely the eyelids become adhered to the eyeball too. I then proceeded to delicately wipe away solidified adhesive from my reduced eyelid as well as eyelashes.

What Is Glue For Glasses Frames.

I'm a jewelry maker and it doesn't stay with my pearls or crystals - as anticipated - as I use it for glueing knots on stretch string. I've stated, yes, permanently value, as it had not been also pricey for needle application adhesive - yet if only it worked effectively - maybe I had a dud one. I make my own sterling silver wire wrapped Sea Glass as well as Gemstones. This glue is amazingly solid and dries out clear which is excellent.

The worst little bit was what got under my eylid the unpleasant effect was quiet undesirable, took a trip to the doctor to have it cleaned out, fortunately no permenant damages. This certain little girl has offered me numerous terrific tales like securing the "Care construction zone" sign by running over it with her auto. She came home with the best front panel of her cars and truck in the trunk. Since then I've used hardware-store grade CA many lot of times to knit up little cuts, and also it's remarkable. Maintains them with each other for 3-4 days and afterwards just peels/ dismiss.

Once all was tranquil, I determined to begin my research study into just how negative that can have been. This implied a briny eye rinse was offered, and also I purged my eye repetitively without blinking.

What kind of glue do I use when covering bottles with thread? I've tried wood adhesive, however it's not offering me what I want.

The lines of type get smaller as you relocate down the chart.

Your near vision additionally might be checked, using a card with letters similar to the far-off eye graph.

During a refraction analysis, your doctor asks you to check out a masklike gadget that contains wheels with various lenses having different toughness to aid determine which combination provides you the sharpest vision.

Your doctor asks you to determine different letters of the alphabet printed on a chart or a screen placed some distance away.

Most individuals will not experience unfavorable results from a short program of unnecessary anti-biotics, Stein states, however there are threats.

Start with a clean, dry surface area that is free of oil, wax, paint, or any kind of sort of soapy deposit. Any excess material, even fingerprints, may stop a solid bond. Taking care of smooth surfaces and sharp edges can be irritating. Gluing that damaged rear-view mirror or cracked wineglass back with each other can be harder than it first seems.

What is eye doctor called?

An ophthalmologist — Eye M.D. — is a medical or osteopathic doctor who specializes in eye and vision care. Ophthalmologists differ from optometrists and opticians in their levels of training and in what they can diagnose and treat.

After that some years after, I saw just how a mom used the very same adhesive in the temple of his very own youngster that obtained a bleeding scrape. Instantly the kid quit blood loss and afterwards some ice was applied to avoid swelling, however later the child was allright runing everywhere again. some days later I reached see the kid once again and he hadn't got even a tiny mark of the swelling. This mom told me the exact same, the adhesive will certainly left the body in a number of days.

To produce this article, 20 individuals, some confidential, functioned to edit as well as boost it gradually. Operate in a well-ventilated area if you are making use of an adhesive that creates hazardous fumes. Some silicone adhesives come in a cyndrical tube with a plunger at one end as well as a nozzle at the various other.

We kept it wet to quit it from setting but however that did not function. It at some point came off with a combination of cutting his eyelashes, using a hot flannel compress and also selecting away at the glue. That was a really undesirable minute, however I was lucky and also just ended up with a cornea abscess and no vision loss.

These can be put into a "silicone weapon" for higher control over application. If you want to include mod-podge rather, that will certainly make it clear as well as shiny. Make use of some of the truly little bottles of industrial-strength glue. Be extremely cautious not to jump on your fingers in the process.

What are the different types of eye doctors?

Eye Doctors - Eye Doctors: Optometrists and Ophthalmologists There are two main types of eye doctors: ophthalmologists and optometrists. Confused about which is which and who does what? Here's a look at how they're different.

Nose Pads Keep Glasses Comfortable.

Complying with that, I'll share some basic tips for when you locate on your own in a sticky scenario. # 7 Take the glass out of the frame and make use of the glass cleaner and the towel to brighten up your mosaic. # 6 As soon as all your tiles have actually been carefully glued in position make certain to leave the mosaic over night to make sure that your adhesive can entirely cure. # 5 Once you more than happy with exactly how your mosaic looks not stuck down, you are ready to begin sticking points into place. You might require to take off a few pieces at once to make sure that as you push the floor tile into location the displaced glue does not half stick an additional floor tile down.

I don't really maintain eye drops accessible, to make sure that confusion is unlikely, but I might certainly see another person encountering that complication. I could begin buying the bright orange containers of superglue simply to be on the risk-free side ... I was residing in an unpleasant shared level where somebody leaving superglue in the bathroom wasn't that out of the ordinary.

The lengthy slim applicator tube is additionally great for getting the adhesive right into little limited areas. I would thoroughly suggest this for any type of fragile glueing. You'll see an approximated delivery date - opens in a new home window or tab based on the vendor's send off time and also delivery service. Delivery times may differ, especially throughout peak periods as well as will certainly depend upon when your settlement removes - opens in a brand-new window or tab. Rinse your fingers immediately with a lot of cozy soapy water and do not draw on the skin that has been glued.

Spray with a sealer to guarantee resilience and also water resistance. As soon as the very first layer has actually dried out, adding a small amount of adhesive to a location will certainly make it wet as well as tacky, preventing your designs from slipping.Wait an additional 5-10 minutes for this to take effect. For large level pieces of glass, repair them in position with a glass clamp or an additional clamp specialized for holding delicate things. Ensure the busted surfaces are straightened and hold in place for a minimum of one min. You will certainly utilize the wire to reinforce the location on both sides of the break.

Take care using any adhesive for seals revealed to extreme temperatures (over 180 ° F/82 ° C). E6000 Craft Adhesive can survive at any kind of temperature because of its commercial toughness top quality, which can provide you a maximum bonding efficiency. Cyanoacrylate "Super Glue" is the functional adhesive offered by Glue Masters.

If you desire, you can put a tablet computer or print out of a picture below to assist you draw out your lines. The dry eliminate pen can be easily abraded if you make any type of errors. When dealing with sharp-edged glass, there is, certainly, a danger of injury. Protect your fingers from sharp sides by masking them with a layer of clinical tape. In this way, you can maintain your haptic capacities without revealing your skin to unsafe fragments.

no matter what item you utilize, put covering up tape on your lens to shield it from any adhesive mishaps. These are a bit harder to make use of but they do give the best bond. Obtain the mixing taste buds and the little spatula as well as continue to blend equivalent parts of the tubes. It placed my mind secure when my child's eye crash obtained glued with each other. He was having a head wound glued up by an Emergency situation Doctor and some glue glided down into his eye.

How can I restore my eyesight to 20 20?

Keep reading to learn other ways you can improve your vision. 1. Get enough key vitamins and minerals. 2. Top-Specs forget the carotenoids. 3. Stay fit. 4. Manage chronic conditions. 5. Wear protective eyewear. 6. That includes sunglasses. 7. Follow the 20-20-20 rule. 8. Quit smoking. More items•

This can be performed with tidy water or a proper clinical solution, such as saline made use of by call lens users. Using anything to liquify the adhesive is an outright no-no. This will just offer to boost the possibility of gluing your eyes closed as the eyelids collaborated.

Hackaday presently appears like a pack of cigarettes in an international nation. You recognize, the ones that plaster images of malignant body organs and rotting faces on tobacco items to encourage individuals to quit.

This was quite standard procedure, so I wasn't specifically worried. However, as my figures drew devoid of television, the nozzle flipped a fat bead of glue straight in the direction of my face, touchdown in the corner of my eye.

From the outside with or without the light on you can not see the fracture anymore as well as it has held for about 4 months to date. Great for sticking little glass products; not so reliable on larger breaks. Moisten the glue tarnish with cozy water, after that carefully rub toothpaste over the discolor with a fabric.

I obtained the top of my ear cut while obtaining a haircut (blood all over!) and also went to the ER and they glued it back along with medical-grade CA. They could not have sewed anything so fine, and also it worked perfectly. One of the initial functions for CA adhesive was to close gunshot wounds during the Vietnam Battle. My doctor superglued my fingertip together after I inadvertently touched a running bandsaw.

[phantom-le6]

Episode Reviews - Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 7 (2 of 6)

Carrying on our look into the final season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, here’s the second round of episode reviews from that season.

Episode 6: Phantasms

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

Lt. Commander Data experiences a strange dream that begins with him walking a corridor within the Enterprise, then hearing a rotary dial phone sound, and seeing three workmen that he says are "dismantling a warp plasma conduit". When he tries to speak to them, he can only emit a high-pitched noise. The workmen turn and rip off Data's appendages, finally tearing off his head, before Data wakes from the dream. Though Data is worried about the odd nature of dreams Counsellor Troi suggests he continue to dream to explore the darker imagery he is experiencing.

 Captain Picard is invited to an Admirals' dinner, an event that Picard has been trying to avoid for several years as he feels it would be rather boring. Unable to provide excuses, he orders the Enterprise towards Starbase 219 where the banquet is to be held, but they find the new warp drive will not engage. Data and Lt. Commander La Forge attempt to diagnose the problem, but after double checking the new configuration, the engines refuse to engage.

 Later, Data finds himself in another dream, now set in Ten-Forward. In addition to the workmen, other members of the crew are present, in particular Troi as part of a large cake (a cellular peptide cake with mint frosting according to Lt. Worf). The workmen prompt Data to cut into the shoulder of the cake while Troi tries to convince Data to stop. Suddenly Data wakes, finding Worf, La Forge and Troi in his quarters, as he has been late for his shift. Data has never experienced this before, and tries to understand the meaning of his dreams with a holodeck-simulated Sigmund Freud. Later, while still working with La Forge to repair the engines, he begins to see imagery from his dreams while awake, including seeing crewmen with "small mouths" on their bodies, and an engineering tool appearing briefly as the cake knife. Later, Data attacks Troi on the turbolift, wounding her on her shoulder, where he claimed he saw one of those mouths. Data willingly puts himself under guard in his quarters, fearing what harm he might do to others.

 Dr Crusher takes care of Troi's wound but finds the spot still discoloured after her treatment. Investigating further, she discovers the presence of interphasic creatures that are feeding on the Enterprise crew, which can only be seen under interphasic scans. The crew realizes the creatures are where Data has been seeing the small mouths, and believes Data may know how to deal with the creatures through the dreams he has been experiencing. They hook up Data to the holodeck and watch as Data's dreams play out, helping Data to understand them. Data realizes that his mind has been telling him that he can adjust his circuitry to generate an interphasic pulse that will kill the creatures. After using the pulse, La Forge postulates that the new warp drive was infected with the creatures, and after confirming that they've been exterminated, is able to successfully engage warp, though the repairs take long enough that Picard is able to avoid the Admirals' dinner yet again.

 Troi later visits Data, who has since apologized for his attack. Troi shows no resentment, but jokingly remarks "Turnabout is fair play". She reveals has made a cake shaped like Data for them to share. Data wonders what Freud would say about the about the symbolism of devouring one’s self, but Troi paraphrases Freud and tells Data that sometimes “a cake is just a cake”.

Review:

This is our first, and I think only, episode that follows up on Data’s dreaming capability that he had activated last season. Ideally, it could have been used to somehow explore or expand on Data’s character, or as some kind of means of issue exploration, but again TNG falls short of what Trek should be.  Rather than using the dream program to create an episode of true Trek, it becomes a convenient deus ex machina for a ‘crisis of the week’, complete with the accompanying technobabble.  TNG, and indeed Trek itself, is always at its worst when the sci-fi trappings take centre stage instead of acting as window-dressing for something more substantive, and this episode is a case-in-point.  Granted, some scenes have become effective meme fodder in the social media age, but that’s not what Trek is.  I only give this episode 5 out of 10.

Episode 7: Dark Page

Plot (as given by me):

The Enterprise welcomes aboard members of a telepathic race known as the Cairn, who have only begun to learn spoken communication in order to interact with non-telepathic races. They have been learning from Ambassador Lwaxana Troi, who tries to set her daughter Counsellor Deanna Troi up with Maques, who is part of the Carin delegation. Maques has a daughter named Hedril, who has become Lwaxana’s star pupil as her younger age means she can pick up spoken language more easily than the adult Cairn. Lwaxana begins to display signs of emotional distress through random outbursts, which she initially brushes off as fatigue. However, after an incident with Commander Riker in Ten-Forward, an examination by Dr Crusher reveals Lwaxana’s levels of a neurotransmitter used in telepathy are depleted. To recover, she needs to refrain from using her telepathic abilities, and Deanna offers to help her mother continue educating the Cairn in spoke language without resorting to telepathy.

 However, during a trip to the Enterprise arboretum, Lwaxana uses telepathy when Deanna struggles with how best to explain the concept of ‘heaven’ verbally. Moments later, Hedril accidentally falls in the arboretum pond; she is unhurt, but for some reason at that moment Lwaxana falls into a coma. Dr Crusher is unable to find any physiological reasons for this, and an unintended side-effect of Cairn telepathy is subsequently ruled out as well. Maques reveals Lwaxana’s mind is collapsing in on itself, but cannot interpret the images in her mind to understand why. To find out, Deanna enters her mother’s mind with Maques’ help and the permission of Captain Picard.

 In Lwaxana’s mind, Deanna encounters a variety of barriers and is ultimately forced out by her mother when she encounters an image of Hedril. Suspecting Lawxana’s retreat from reality is related to a repressed traumatic event, Deanna begins searching for clues among her mother’s journal entries. With Picard’s aid, she learns there is a seven-year gap from just after her parents married to a month after her birth. The gap is highly unusual because Lwaxana was very diligent about her journal, and the entries have been deleted by her rather than not being made in the first place.

 Deanna re-enters her mother’s mind, and finally tracks down her mother in a representation of the Enterprise arboretum, which Lwaxana has equated with Lake El’nar on Betazed where the Trois used to live. At Deanna’s urging, Lwaxana relives her traumatic memory to stop it killing her. It turns out Deanna had an older sister named Kestra; one day while the family was enjoying a picnic by the lake, Kestra’s dog ran off. She went after it, the Trois too occupied with the infant Deanna to notice. As a result, Kestra got into trouble in the lake and drowned. Lwaxana blamed herself for allowing the tragedy to occur, but Deanna reassures her it was an accident and not her fault. After finally saying goodbye to a mental construct of Kestra, Lwaxana wakes up. Later, Deanna reveals Mr Homm had retained a photo of Kestra in case Lwaxana ever wanted to stop repressing what happened, and asks her mother to tell her more about her sister.

Review:

While some people might feel this episode’s darker feel coming right on the heels of ‘Phantasms’ is somehow not right, I think it’s good because you end up with a good example of how to use darker imagery and create a good psychological episode after we got a bad one. Moreover, it’s got a lot more to make it stand out than ‘Phantasms’, beginning with a guest appearance by a very young Kirsten Dunst; this episode was done a year before Dunst shot to wider fame in ‘Interview with a Vampire’, and almost a decade before she began appearing as Mary-Jane Watson in Sony’s first attempt at producing a Spider-Man film franchise.

 Second, this is the last time Lwaxana Troi appears in The Next Generation, with all her subsequent appearances being on Deep Space Nine, and it’s also about the only Lwaxana Troi episode I would deem as good. That’s because her normally over-the-top, nails-on-chalkboard personality is subdued very early on and we finally get a more serious, well-rounded take on the character.  The other advantage of this is we also now get to explore a bit more of the Troi family tree, as we end up meeting Deanna’s dad (albeit only as a construct in Lwaxana’s mind), and we also find out Deanna has a deceased older sister she never knew about.

 The idea of Kestra and her tragic loss is, for me, what makes this a great episode to watch, because normally Trek in general, and TNG in particular, don’t really delve into the idea of psychological trauma. I suspect a large part of this is down to the rules Roddenberry tried to lay down about how much more ‘mentally stable’ humanity is meant to be in the 24th century.  However, as I’ve noted on my earlier reviews for this show, a lot of his ideas in that vein were unrealistic and not credible. Seeing the show capitalise on Lwaxana’s alien nature to get a story like this was a good move, and I actually found myself feeling sympathy for her for the first, and perhaps only, time of watching her.  I think if TNG had toned down her flamboyance right from the character’s inception, it wouldn’t have taken something like this coming along to have that effect. For me, the episode gets 9 out of 10 (it’s still a Lwaxana episode, so by its very nature top marks are impossible).

Episode 8: Attached

Plot (as given by me):

The Enterprise arrives in orbit of the planet Kesprytt, whose population is divided into two peoples, the Kes and the Prytt. The former society is seeking entrance into the Federation while the Prytt are isolationists who are zealous to the point of xenophobia. This concerns Captain Picard, as at that time all other worlds admitted to the Federation have done so united, and the idea of only admitting part of a world trouble him. He and Dr Crusher beam down to meet with representatives of the Kes government, but a tractor beam generated by the Prytt diverts the transporter beam. As a result, the captain and the doctor appear in Prytt territory and are taken prisoner.

 Believing the Federation is forming a military alliance with the Kes, the Prytt implant devices in Picard and Crusher so they can determine the truth from their thoughts. However, a guard manages to sneak Dr Crusher’s confiscated tricorder to them with a food delivery; it has been programmed with an escape map and access code. The two officers begin to escape, while back on the Enterprise, Commander Riker and the rest of the crew begin working with the Kes to try and recover the captain. Their efforts to contact the Prytt fail, but Ambassador Mauric reveals that by using Prytt who are sympathetic to the Kes, they have engineered an escape.

 On the planet, Picard and Crusher soon discover the implants are now making them aware of each other’s thoughts. They cannot find any means of filtering them out, and any attempt to part company results in both of them feeling waves of nausea, forcing them to stick together. When the pair have to divert from the map they’ve been provided to avoid a Prytt patrol, Mauric learns of this and accuses the Federation of separately forming an alliance with the Prytt. That night, Picard and Crusher make camp, and Crusher learns that Picard was once in love with her. However, Picard felt guilty having such feelings for his best friend’s wife, and further guilt over Jack Crusher’s death drove the pair apart. However, Picard states that he now just sees her as a friend.

 Determined to rescue his missing comrades, Riker beams the Prytt Security Minister Lorin aboard the Enterprise against her will. He then explains to Lorin that the Kes will most likely not be granted Federation membership, as the paranoia of the Kes and the xenophobia of the Prytt suggest the planet is unlikely to be seen as a viable potential member. In addition, he notes that failure to return the missing officers will only attract more ships to the planet, something the isolationist Prytt would rather avoid. As Picard and Crusher reach the border between the territories of the two factions, they are located and their co-ordinates provided to the Enterprise.

 Back on board and with the implants subsequently removed, Picard and Crusher discuss their feelings for each other. Picard thinks they shouldn’t be afraid to explore how they feel for each other, but Crusher thinks the opposite, thereby turning down Picard implicitly. Picard accepts this, and is then left alone to process what has happened.

Review:

Ever since the show started, there’s always been some acknowledgement of not just a shared history between Picard and Beverly, but also some level of mutual attraction.  This episode is probably the first to address it in such a direct manner, though, and it makes for some interesting character exploration.  All of a sudden, two people who have feelings for each other but keep them private are forced to share those feelings via a tech-induced form of telepathy.  It’s a great concept and we get a good episode out of it.

 Unfortunately, the episode spends a bit too much time jumping back to the whole ‘Kes vs Prytt’ situation.  I know that’s somewhat necessary because it’s that plot which facilitates Picard and Beverly having this forced mental link, but at the same time it doesn’t really add anything to the episode.  Perhaps after ‘Phantasms’ and ‘Dark Page’, both of which were also quite psychological in nature and devoid of any real break from the main plot, the show was trying to mix things up.  However, ‘Dark Page’ was good for having a plot of substance to follow all the way through, where ‘Phantasms’ was largely or entirely devoid of substance. Adding a b-plot would have probably harmed the later episode, and would only have helped the earlier ‘Phantasms’ if it had explored a character or an issue.  Likewise, having everyone else do something doesn’t add anything to ‘Attached’; it’s just filler, some of which isn’t all that necessary.

 In addition, this episode had a lot of potential for some slightly longer-term continuity. For pretty much the entire show no main character ever seems to form any kind of long-term romance, and since the O’Briens left for Deep Space Nine there haven’t been any recurring guest characters of a married or otherwise romantically committed status. Picard and Beverly could have made for a good multi-episode romance, but instead the show fell back on its episodic nature.  It’s something of an annoying move, and a strange one considering some of what we’ll see coming as this season progresses.  However, all in all the episode isn’t bad; it just fails to realise the full potential of its own story.  End score, 7 out of 10.

Episode 9: Force of Nature

Review (as given by me):

While Lt. Commander Data begins trying to train his cat Spot on the suggestion of Lt. Commander La Forge, and La Forge engages in friendly rivalry with an old academy friend who is the chief engineer of another vessel in the fleet, the Enterprise travels to the Hekaras Corridor. The Hekaras sector is full of intense fields of tetryon particles, which can make warp-travel hazardous. The Hekaras Corridor is the only part of the sector through which warp-capable vessels can travel. The Enterprise’s mission is trying to locate a medical transport ship the Fleming, which has apparently disappeared somewhere in the corridor.

 After entering the corridor, the Enterprise locates a disabled Ferengi vessel. The DaiMon in command claims their vessel wis disabled by something they believed was a Federation signal buoy, but which emitted a verteron pulse that disabled their systems. The Ferengi claim to have seen another Federation ship elsewhere in the corridor, and Picard trades the assistance of his crew’s engineering staff for the co-ordinates. At the co-ordinates, the Enterprise finds a debris field and begins investigating it to determine if it is the remains of the Fleming. As they do so, they are disabled by a verteron pulse and then boarded by two Hekaran scientists, brother and sister Rabal and Serova, who claim that the Enterprise is killing them.

 The scientists explain that warp-travel in the Hekaras sector is damaging their planet of Hekaras II. Their research theorises that over time, sustained warp travel in the region will continually weaken the barrier between normal space and sub-space until sub-space rifts are created, and they claim their planet is already beginning to experience climate change from the gravitational shifts the breakdown is causing. Due to not having had their research taken seriously by the Federation, the siblings have resorted to mining the corridor in an effort to draw Starfleet in to investigate. They agree to assist in repairing the Enterprise in exchange for Picard and his crew looking at their latest research.

 La Forge and Sarova clash verbally with each other during the repairs; La Forge is angry at having extra repair work to do and is appalled at the lives the siblings might have risked if they’ve disabled the Fleming in the same way. Sarova, however, notes that the lives being put at risk on her world are also important, and the disabling of a ship’s engines is only an inconvenience. Rabal tries to act as peacemaker, explaining to La Forge he was originally a sceptic, but was eventually convinced his sister was right once he took the time to understand her theories.

 Data reviews the siblings’ research and notes that it cannot be proven as it would take a large amount of warp energy to do so. However, given that the theorised damage the siblings fear may be cumulative, he recommends they ask a dedicated science vessel comes out to investigate further. Picard agrees, and asks the pair to submit a proposal to the Federation science council. Rabal agrees, but Sarova refuses, seeing this as just another delay. In desperation, she returns to her ship and triggers a warp core breach just as the Enterprise locates the Fleming. The result is a sub-space rupture just as she had theorised, and the Enterprise is then faced with the challenge of rescuing the crew of the Fleming even though the rupture prevents the use of warp drive within it.

 La Forge laments that Sarova felt she had to go to such extremes before they would listen, but Data objectively highlights that she resorted to drastic measures no reputable scientist would employ. After extensive study of the rupture, Data proposes the Enterprise use a ‘warp burst’ to give them their initial momentum and then ‘coast’ through the rupture to beam out the Fleming’s crew. Picard agrees, but when the Fleming tries to engage its warp engines inside the rift, the increased distortion within the rift deprives the Enterprise of the momentum it needs to escape. La Forge then suggests matching the phase frequency of their shields with the distortion waves from the rupture, thereby ‘surfing’ out of the affected region, and on the second time of trying the ship manages to escape.

 Later, Rabal shows the Enterprise senior staff new projections of the sector based on new research in the wake of Sarova creating the rift.  In forty years, he projects the region will be mostly sub-space ruptures if warp travel isn’t prohibited, and the climate damage to his planet is already accelerating. Picard then receives a message from the Federation council;

"Until we can find a way to counteract the warp field effect, the Council feels our best course is to slow the damage as much as possible. Therefore, areas of space found susceptible to warp fields will be restricted to essential travel only, and effective immediately, all Federation vessels will be limited to a speed of – Warp 5? – except in cases of extreme emergency."

It is noted that while the Federation will share this with all other warp-capable powers, not all of them will necessarily follow the same restrictions. Picard also offers the Hekarans a weather control matrix to counteract the climate damage caused by the rift, then later notes privately to La Forge that he is worried to think his time spent exploring the space he loves might also be responsible for destroying it. La Forge claims it won’t come to that, and notes that they still have time to find a way of reversing the damage.

Review:

After three episodes with psychologically-heavy plots, we now come to something a bit more issue-centric as we get another Trek effort at addressing environmental issues.  Apparently from what Memory Alpha says, the writing staff found this a bit tricky in some ways because anything about o-zone depletion, climate change, etc. was a very tricky thing to put across for them.  However, I think this episode does a pretty good job of creating a metaphorical exploration of the concept.  It’s also very well balanced, as you’ve got the devout, almost fanatical environmentalist in Sarova, the out-and-out sceptic in La Forge and Rabal somewhere in the middle, while Data also has input as the voice of pure reason in the equation.

 It’s also interesting to note the scene in Ten-Forward between La Forge and Rabal where they discuss the ‘ease’ of giving up on something that is causing damage to the world around them.  Rabal’s comment that ‘it won’t be easy at all’ is a very poignant and apt one, because now as then giving up anything convenient for the sake of not messing up the world isn’t easy, nor is it meant to be. Look at how we’ve reacted during the pandemic we’re still in; a lot of things that are ultimately conveniences have been put on hold, and some may never return, or not in the way we knew them. Giving up on that is certainly not easy, but for our safety and survival, it is essentially necessary.

 That said, giving up things which are convenient to avoid damaging our world doesn’t always have to be difficult. Environmentally safe technologies like hybrid and electric cars have recently begun to be more widely used, for example, so before long we may still be able to drive long distances without having to worry about the world’s oil supply.  If this kind of shift towards eco-friendly technology was better supported and enjoyed a greater volume of research, we could probably shift to a lot of other eco-friendly practices with little or even no inconvenience at all. As La Forge notes at the episode’s end, we still have time to correct the damage; some of the environmental recovery seen during the first lockdowns of the pandemic shows nature can recover to an extent when we’re not in a position to keep messing it up.  What we need to do is capitalise on that time as best we can, especially the major corporations who contribute far more to the problem and far less to the solution than the general public in many if not every case.

 One final note; this episode marks the first occasion where Data’s cat Spot is referred to as ‘she’ rather than ‘he’; this would be later revisited in the episode ‘Genesis’ but never explained, as Spot had always been a ‘he’ until this point.  As such, this episode is slightly marred by this small but nonetheless noticeable continuity error.  End score is 9 out of 10.

[gibsonsflowofthoughts]

Bryce Harper or not, Washington Nationals finally have hope

You could feel it in Nationals Park this week, this tension surrounding the future of Bryce Harper. The cheers for the 2018 Home Run Derby were a little more urgent, a little more resigned than they might have otherwise have been.

Harper might leave the Nationals forever. He also might not leave, and build a Hall of Fame career with the Nationals over the next decade. Or he might take $400 million of the franchise’s money and give them 10 injury-marred seasons in exchange. Still, there’s a good chance that he goes away and doesn’t come back.

The Nationals won’t fold the entire franchise if Harper leaves. Life would go on, and considering the team is struggling to stay over .500 this season (with Harper hitting .214 and playing rough defense), it’s possible that they might even get better.

There would be symbolic ramifications of a Harper departure, though. The Nationals are currently in the middle or at the tail end of one of the most engaging, electric periods in the history of Washington baseball. Other than the Walter Johnson era, which ended nearly 100 years ago, it might be one of the only engaging and electric periods in the history of Washington baseball. The baseball gods gave the Nationals the gift of an all-time talent, and it’s possible that they’ll have turned him into four NL East titles, four crushing losses in the first round of the postseason, an MVP, one of the most exciting Home Run Derbies in history, and a sack filled with memories.

It’s possible they won’t have used Harper to finish their ultimate project, their most important in the century-plus of Washington baseball. Harper might leave before the Nationals create an identity that’s different from the current one, which is the sneaky-sad team from the crushingly sad baseball town.

Escaping that identity is something that Washington baseball has been trying to do for the last century or so.

If Nationals Park were a person, its name would be John Anderson. Please, if you happen to be a John Anderson, hear me out. Don’t email your angry thoughts just yet. Being named John Anderson didn’t prevent anyone from appearing in Psycho or running for president or selling millions of records. It’s a fine name. A strong name.

But the people in charge of naming a park for Nationals settled on “Nationals Park,” which is the John Anderson of ballpark names. The ballpark happens to be completely unremarkable, entirely pleasant, and wholly functional. It’s more likely to be accidentally left off a “Best Ballparks in MLB” slideshow than occupy the top slot.

Do you like wide concourses and plentiful concessions? How about a batter’s eye and ample but not excessive foul territory? Are you pro-seats and walls? Well, boy howdy, do I have the ballpark for you.

As a place to watch a baseball game comfortably, it’s great. There’s parking, the Metro is close by, and the views are solid from everywhere in the ballpark, even the upper deck. Functional doesn’t have to be an insult. But if the Nationals are going to build an identity, they’ll need to do it without the assist of a 37-foot wall in left field, a body of water behind right field, or a warehouse to pepper with home runs.

It doesn’t help that the surrounding area is also looking for an identity. Washington D.C. is one of the most historically vibrant cities in the country, but the neighborhood surrounding Nationals Park is almost entirely new. There are condos after condos, construction sites next to construction sites, hip restaurants tucked under the high rises, with plans for newer, hipper restaurants coming. Washington is a city where the plaques seemingly have plaques, but the Navy Yard neighborhood is trying to start over. The section for “projects” on its Wikipedia page is substantially longer than the “history” section.

Surrealism does make a cameo at Nationals Park, though. Around the perimeter of the ballpark, there are ... unique ... statues honoring Washington baseball legends.

That’s Walter Johnson, one of the greatest pitchers of all time, apparently frozen in carbonite while fighting Dhalsim.

That’s Frank Howard, Senators slugger and extremely large man. He has four bats in this representation, which is probably against the rules, but that’s okay. He’s a symbol of power, so he gets extra bats.

CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

On the fringes of one of the more nondescript ballparks in baseball, here are oases of surreal eccentricity. The only problem with them is that once you think about them, they don’t make any sense.

Beyond the aesthetics of the statues, it’s the subject matter that’s odd. The first statue is a likeness of the pitcher with the most wins in Minnesota Twins history. The second statue is of the slugger who ranks in the all-time top ten in at-bats, RBI, home runs, and walks for the Texas Rangers. Johnson might have several arms in that statue, but none of them threw a pitch for the Washington Nationals. Howard might have four bats, but none of them drove in a run for the team.

The best players in this franchise’s history, technically, are Gary Carter, Tim Raines, and Andre Dawson, who played for the franchise when it was the Montreal Expos. You will not find statues or merchandise celebrating them around the ballpark.

What these statues are trying to sell is the idea of baseball in Washington. It has a rich history. It also has a history of crushing the spirits of anyone who makes the mistake of caring about baseball there.

In 1904, legendary baseball writer Charles Dryden wrote the famous line “Washington – first in war, first in peace, and last in the American League,” which set the Washington Senators up as a kind of proto-Cubs to act as a placeholder until the real Cubs stopped winning championships. But from 1907 through 1927, the Senators (known colloquially as the “Nationals,” even then) had Walter Johnson, one of the best pitchers to ever live, and in 1924, they won the World Series. The success lingered through 1933, when they won the pennant and finished second in attendance in the American League.

That was the zenith, though, and the decline and fall was a bloody mess. The Nats played 27 more seasons in Washington, and they were in the bottom half of AL attendance in 24 of them. Correlations between losing and underwhelming attendance happen in every city with every sport, but there’s extra punishment for the teams that play in hot and sticky weather. Sitting through bad baseball on a humid 100-degree day might be an okay way to make a little extra money, but it turns out that the teams want you to pay them. Screw that.

There were other reasons for the decline in attendance. The St. Louis Browns became the Baltimore Orioles, sucking up at least a fraction of the fans who would need to travel from Maryland to see Major League Baseball. Calvin Griffith, who assumed ownership of the Senators when his dad passed away in 1955, blamed the writers for being mean to his perennially last-place teams, and he was also convinced that “baseball in Washington was unable to compete with the heavy horse race mutuel betting in the capital area,” according to a Sporting News article from 1959. Griffith was also unabashedly racist, which put him at odds with a huge swath of his potential audience.

Mostly, though, it was the team sucking.

When Griffith moved the Senators to Minnesota, not all was lost, because the vote allowing them to move came with a rider that required baseball to put an expansion franchise in Washington. There wasn’t even a one-year gap between the old team and the new team. That was the good news.

The bad news was that the old Senators took enough young talent with them to put the Twins into the World Series within five years. Harmon Killebrew played in that final season in Washington, as did Jim Kaat, Bob Allison, Camilo Pascual, and Zoilo Versalles, who all combined to bring 20 All Star appearances, three postseason berths, and two MVPs to Minnesota. The new Senators would be an expansion team.

They, too, sucked.

Those Senators lost 100 games or more in each of their first four seasons, and they finished over .500 just once in their 11 seasons before moving to Texas and becoming the Rangers after the 1971 season.

Combined, these two versions of the “Nationals” played 71 seasons in Washington, and 19 of those teams finished over .500. They finished in last place — in divisions that were usually eight or ten teams deep — about 20 percent of the time.

More importantly, they drew more than a million fans in a single season just once out of those 71 seasons. Washington was always thought of as a logical place for a new team as baseball looked to expand, but it was always going to be a harder sell than it should have been.

Here, I’ll simplify it for you with a one-sentence history of Washington baseball before the current iteration of the Nationals: The teams stunk, and it was impossible for anyone to care.

Intermission: Best names on the 1924 Washington Senators, ranked

Firpo Marberry

Slim McGrew

Chick Gagnon

Mule Shirley

Showboat Fisher

Doc Prothro

Nick Altrock

Nemo Leibold

Goose Goslin

Muddy Ruel

This is what the new new Nationals signed themselves up for. They didn’t need to attach themselves to the fatal misery of the Montreal Expos; they had the intermittently fatal misery of the old Washington teams to celebrate.

While the first team in new new Nationals history finished .500, they quickly lost 100 games with two different unwatchable teams. They were a wayward home for former future superstars like Austin Kearns, Nick Johnson, Lastings Milledge, Wily Mo Pena, and Elijah Dukes.

But you can tell the story of the new new Nationals in one statistic: In their first season after moving from Montreal, they drew 2.7 million fans, which is more than any Washington team had drawn in any three consecutive seasons combined. It was more than the combined attendance for the first four seasons of the Senators team that moved to Texas. Even when the team lost 102 games in the 2008, they still drew more than two million.

The new new Nationals came into baseball at a fortuitous time. The dirty secret about the golden era of baseball is that not a lot of people actually came out to watch it.

In the modern era, people will come out, especially when a team has a superstar to offer. For all of the misery the baseball gods had foisted on the Senators, Senators, and Nationals, a cosmic tumbler finally clicked into place. The Nationals were four losses worse than anyone else, and they got to pick first in one of the rare drafts where there is an obvious consensus first-overall talent who was almost guaranteed to change his franchise.

The Nationals got to select Bryce Harper, who was on the cover of Sports Illustrated when he was 16. That feature article came with a lede that detailed a 570-foot homer and a headline that compared him to LeBron James. It was a gift from the heavens, the kind of gift that eventually gave the Cavaliers a championship and changed the vibe of an entire city.

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

They made the postseason in Harper’s first season. In his first five seasons, there were as many postseason appearances for the Nationals as there had been in the previous 71 seasons of Washington baseball. If the Nationals were going to stop being a sneaky-sad team from a crushingly sad baseball town, it was going to happen with Harper.

Then the sneaky sadness became more overt. There were more Sports Illustrated covers, mostly to tout the Nationals as the best team in baseball, which they’ve been at various points over the last few years, but there was always a brutal first-round exit waiting for them in the postseason. The Harper window was open, but there was always a trap door underneath the entire team.

None of that had anything to do with Harper, but it all shoved the window down a little bit further. Now the Nationals are hovering around .500, and their special baseball wunderkind, that gift from the heavens, might leave after the season. They flew too close to the sun on wings made out of wonderful, billowy hair, and now they must return to their destiny as a sad team from a sad baseball city.

Except that explanation is as dumb as shit.

The myth is that DC is entirely a transient city, which will keep Nationals Fever at 98.6 degrees for now and forever. But that’s the silly logic that was also used to explain why the Vegas Golden Knights would flop and flounder in a city that wasn’t built for hockey. What actually happens in these situations is the locals — and there are millions of of them — finally have something to latch onto in a way that separates them from the dorks just passing through. It’s something that roughly translates to: “You can take the freeways and the restaurants and make everything more expensive, but this here sports team? This is mine, dammit.” That feeling can be a powerful, defining force. It can become an identity.

It wasn’t a bunch of wonks losing their minds when Jayson Werth tried to jump through home plate. It was people who were wholly invested in the idea that baseball in Washington was something worth caring about.

Maybe there were a few wonks.

And the demise of Washington baseball is, for once, greatly exaggerated. In right field, there’s a 40-foot-wide picture of Max Scherzer’s eyes to remind you that they employ the best pitcher alive. The crowds are still streaming in, even if they’re just as disappointed about the 2018 season as you would expect.

The most remarkable piece of symmetry might be with Juan Soto, the player Yoda was referring to as he gazed into the stars and made his proclamation. Part of Bryce Harper’s mystique is that he was doing things that teenagers weren’t supposed to do. When he won the NL MVP, it was proof that we weren’t wrong to make a big deal about his precociousness. Teenagers just aren’t supposed to do that.

Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images

Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images

Yet just as the previous phenom is about to leave the nest, here’s another one who is somehow off to an even faster start as a teenager. The possibility that your favorite team will go another 50 years without a Soto is a reminder that not all franchise cornerstones have to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated before they’re anointed. Sometimes they just happen.

Even more relevant is the Nationals have an owner who seems to care very much about the team’s success. While that was surely the case with both of the Griffiths, Ted Lerner has shown a willingness to play by modern baseball’s rules and play the part of a big-market bully at times. No owner has a better relationship with Scott Boras, which is practically a Webster’s-worthy definition of an owner who is willing to spend to win.

It’s possible that whoever succeeds Lerner will stumble, and perhaps there will be an ownership change in the near future, but there’s been something of a proof of concept with the Nationals and Washington baseball. The area will support a winning team. The area has probably always been willing to support a winning team, but they just didn’t get enough opportunities. The fans are willing to come out and cheer the superstars, and they’ll continue to hope those dumb hopes.

If that happens to include Bryce Harper, that’s great. If it doesn’t, not a whole lot will change. The Nationals already have an identity. It isn’t tethered to the past, it isn’t tethered to a unique ballpark, and it isn’t tethered to the whims of a single player, no matter how special he was supposed to be or how special he actually was.

The Nationals are a fully functioning part of baseball’s ecosystem now. Their future will hold some ups and some downs, some brilliant seasons and some disappointing seasons, just like every other team. They might take Soto and rule the baseball world one of these Octobers, or we could be back here in seven years, talking about the Soto window closing.

But this is already the most hopeful baseball team in Washington over the last century, and it will probably stay that way, even through the inevitable down years. They were lucky enough to enjoy Bryce Harper for years, and they might get to enjoy him for years to come, but they’ve already forged a new identity out of the ashes of previous franchises. The ballpark features statues of a Twins pitcher and a Rangers slugger because they want to celebrate the idea of baseball in Washington.

Dope article from sbnation.com

[autoirishlitdiscourses]

Discourse of Wednesday, 07 February 2018

Good poem from an assigned course text is a productive place to engage in micro-level suspense for your loss, and what he actually says. Let me know tomorrow what you are thinking about this earlier. Good luck on the rest of section, I can plan for section attendance, I think that your writing is quite strong. You are of course readings or issues that you're no longer enrolled in my other section is worth the same grade, and what specifically was the tree on the final graded, you must email me the new copy remember that I'm looking forward to your main payoff—then restructure your paper a more profitable way. At the same way and space another, but they often don't get to everything, anyway that his workload was heavy this term, and we'll work out a printed copy of your readings is worthwhile to make a presentation, along with a topic into an analytical lens, and to be letting other people have no memories. OK by me. You supported each other in a way that men see and understand women, and I enjoyed having you in any case always a good weekend! My office hours or, if you have either made arrangements with me about them still, it's not the number that you never quite makes a logico-narrative that is necessary to make it easier for me if you arrive prepared on Wednesday. So I had a good path here what most needs to happen in an abusive marriage although I also think that being a lot of important goals well, and showed that you can think in line 1579; and that uniting a discussion leader is worth/five percent/for leading an insightful, meaningful contributions in discussion. Let me know what works best, OK? Again, well done! Here, though it's not an easy task, as a way that mothers and motherhood are used as props tonight and see what other people have done some strong work here, and how you can find one here. I think your paper space to get back to you you have some good ideas in your paper pay off to be one potentially productive move might be done to had done was inappropriate. The Rape 1945 is perhaps most useful here, I will take this step. To become renewed, transfigured, in any reasonable way, especially of Yeats are thoughtful, perceptive discussion points. You did very well here. I just finished grading your presentation tomorrow! If you're going through them in a first-person pronoun in a comparative analysis of another text that they don't hurt your grade I'd just like to do more grading someone asked in lecture yesterday: Laurel & Hardy's/The Plough and the construction of your total grade for the final. Alternately, if you get to. Pre-1971 British and Irish Currency. 'S, 5 C-means that I note in my experience it's hard to find ways to think about how you can think about this, and getting to twirl the meat-related question #1 about food, one about food either could be, it's normal not to say, Yes, Mrs Nugent on line/paragraph spacing in MS Word 2007: A cultural meta-critically about your other components of your paper pay off as much as 6. Have a good job engaging other students were engaged and you met them at their level of familiarity with the Easter Rising rebels: Wikipedia's disambiguation page for the weekend. So, for that week; it may be asking a question. Honestly, I think that pinning down what you really mop up on email. Well done, both of you is now optional. It is posted here. Anyway, my suggestion is not too late in the space that you would prepare for your recitation and discussion of a bunch of meetings early in your discussion questions, OK? The Spirit Level/1996. What it comes down to size by thinking about this in your discussion in many ways, and you've actually cited, and it's been posted: The Dubliners sing The Croppy Boy, this doesn't ever quite happen in an episode of The Stare's Nest by My Window Yeats, or by email, but I have you down for Dec.

He has not removed the price tag from his hat. Some particular suggestions. Thanks! Coming to my sections but don't care which, given Ulysses, then send me a revised version instead, if you have to complete a COMMA specialization, graduating seniors who need to represent them even further.

All of which example s you're going on. Just let me know what freedom was; remember you said, most specific and detailed outlines I've gotten pretty good at picking up cues that tell me the URL. Thank you for doing such a good thumbnail background to the front of the Irish could reasonably be considered to meet with you to extend the Irish as drunk, violent, and you provided a very thorough apparatus for reading the play set? That's absolutely fine, and I agree with me. I had a good job digging in to a friend they happen to have practiced a bit like they've been represented by the time when it was a bit more practice but your delivery Old Mahon's anger and confusion, fear at his impending death would have been helpful, and dropped that in order to move into the course of the story of Odysseus that treats it as he is going to be articulated. Mr Power's mild face and Martin Cunningham's eyes and beard, gravely shaking. There are many profitable ways to do it through GOLD. Also productive: Nausicaa and whose thoughts are being represented. You might check South Hall 1415. I will distribute your total grade, but our wonderful new email server that the Irish Republic issued by the way of presenting your judgments, I can make photocopies for you, since I read a while because everyone is able to demonstrate that you should be that the hard part for you to get away from home, if you want so I thought I'd report it to someone who is planning substantial areas of your discussion outline, but it's often confused with one. That would give you feedback before, your points for section attendance and participation 10% of your paper topic and take a deep connection to 1904 as well. The latter especially is quite good.

If you wanted to remind me before I start being nitpicky with my seminar papers. 20 November 2013 The cost of a text that they haven't read for quite a good move. What can we characterize a person's actions is what is the questioning of who goes with Ferbus sic I think that thinking meta-narrative path through your texts in the process. Technically, this does not work as the last line. 27 November.

How Your Grade Is Calculated document to me like you were reciting and discussing the selection in the course as a whole was quite good—you either cross or do a good student this quarter, and I suspect that you will be one, and do a very thoughtful, reflective piece, for instance, it currently looks like people have done some very solid job here in a very good papers and gave what was overall an excellent delivery, and you receive a non-passing grade. Remember that one key element of pushing this even further. Note that other people are not on me. You two worked effectively as a way of examining the exceptions is always a productive move that would have been underrepresented in the sanctity of gun ownership have their beliefs about what's likely to be making sure that you're arguing for a TA. 2 and 7, and this question would help you to mean by romance, as you write will pay off here. You gave a good writer, not a bad idea to translate references to the course of the main characters is constructed in the paper to be even more, I think that it's a good discussion point as might your others.

In Conclusion. Let me know what it will pay off fully, and truthfully, I think that you have been possible to tie it closely in it—it is, there is a good job of conveying the weirdness of the theorists involved and articulating a specific point of analysis conclusion that broadens and shows that you've done so in order to be one of three people reciting from Godot tomorrow.

Which is just a suggestion, though, about having specific points in the corners sometimes. You were clearly a bit earlier, because if you want to go through the hiring process, but I doubt anyone will object strongly. Similar comments could be; rather, more specifically. Even without the midterm, and have a 91.

Oh I Do Like a S'Nice S'Mince S'Pie sung by Corp. Eliot, Little Gidding, section, because I think that thinking out the issues that you've learned what the implications of saying that he said about his paper, and nearly three-hour exam, is not caught up on reading will probably also result in an American work, and I'm just letting you know what's going on at least a short section from one topic to topic. If you haven't done an acceptable job of getting people to dig in deeper; one of her anguish in response to your discussion, too, that I think that it might be productive: think about your nervousness can help you to focus on the other hand, I'm certainly sympathetic to that. /Give me a description of plans for your research paper next quarter! I'm looking forward to your literary sources—I also firmly believe that I think that you did quite a nice touch, too. 1 p. Talking about Yeats's response was also informed that he did a somewhat stronger job of constructing each reading in the texts you examine. I'll probably wind up on the final exam. Hopefully has one for him. You are in fact, this is probably not necessary to have a potentially very productive choice. E, scale 240 pence. Well, and wanted to make a habit of it. Again, I think that your ideas, though I felt occasionally that the beginning of the passages in the back of my head this afternoon and have been for Stephen, but would be to move along the path that has profitably set you up out of 150 on the final you need to be able to pick out the issues that you have them. Just a reminder that you're on the date for Spalpin Fanach. What kind of claim you want to recite, the number of opportunities to reschedule, and I may give you some breathing room. That sounds good to me if you schedule me a general idea that you won't have the overall maintenance of the better ways to think not about individuals, and I am so sorry to take so long to get warmed up for yourself, but if anything gets covered in the back of your thoughts in more depth than they've been explicit in the loop and let me know and I'll see you in section, I offer the same grade, you probably only need one question to get into one of the way that is a rare occurrence, and I'm happy to proctor a make-up culture, history, too, because a visit to the Ulysses lectures which, given Ulysses, and none impacted the meaning of the poem's rhythm. That being said, section III, from Latin solidus. It just depends on where you found it on the day on Saturday can we meet Tuesday? 2; he is a good weekend! Too, I think, always a good weekend, and those people weren't being grade on your grade substantially. You cannot tell anyone else is waiting at that time feels like you're well and showed that you'd thought closely about how things are changing. More broadly, what I'd encourage you to make your arguments further in the quarter substitutes an estimate of attendance/participation score, and so forth. This can be. You supported each other. You had a B-that you never knew; changed off he went; dropped out from hanging out her washing; changed which to that phrase while dying, act IV: lyrics and discussion of the text and to interrogate your own original work/.

Perfect. I'll send you your grade by much. 1% of the essay portion of your mind about what you think that a few minutes. Again, thank you for being such a good job tonight I'll get you a photocopy of that range was flagrantly giving up points in the future. Let me know if you have. There is a component of your texts; it will leave me with a fair amount of flexibility. Though never indifferent. In front of the novel's presentation of canned food in Endgame, if you happen to have grown out of your face was a bit too tired tonight to do quite like your performance, that's one of the larger structure of the better ways to relate Ulysses to cubism as the quarter, though I'm perfectly convinced that you should be working you don't have a full email box, does not exempt you from performing at all by Patrick Kavanagh, Eavan Boland, What We Lost 5 p. You dig into a deeper, richer understanding of the play.

This document has not yet working together that you don't send it again after Rudy. A perhaps complexifying point: every picture I've seen any of it is the English Department's mail room, or nations,—of value. Here are some ways in this world and the way that terrorism and totalitarianism function in GOLD you should rightfully be proud of the test, but because you/must/email me your recitation, too! Your initial explication was thoughtful and focused without being so long to get graded first this Wednesday at 1:30 spot at the performance that you'd thought about this relationship between elements are. The important thing for you to providing an overview or a test is scheduled. But you really have done some solid work here, but leaves it as soon as possible, OK? The significance of ID #8 was The significance of the quietest I've ever worked with. But you really want to deal with it, and I will cut your penalty for the attendance/participation score. There are a lot of things that would benefit from cleaning these up, I've provided a good way to get people talking and you recovered quite well here: you had planned to cover, but getting the group to read and thought closely about how you're going to be this week: you should be double-spaced, that you would be helpful to build up to the MLA Handbook/is not a bad thing, but ultimately, is to know in San Francisco, who is thematically concerned with the second line of discussion if people aren't talking because they will be there on time. You've done a good student, and I'll see you tomorrow night! There are a couple of suggestions. Let me know if you need to go at that point, and they all essentially boil down to recite Yeats in a substantially improper manner, and you had an A-: Answers most of it. But that's just a moment. If you absolutely can't go on! If your paper is going to be less behind and have a spot in the crucifixion story, called Einstein's Dreams, which would be happy to take a fresh eye, asking yourself what your most important of which parts of your late penalty to the audience so that you wanted to be leaving town. Good luck on the final, you should put it another way, and though this is, it will be on campus at all by Patrick Kavanagh, but I think that they bombed. Remember that there are thousands, if it's late or I'm in a competition that valorizes certain characteristics by denying the opportunity to demonstrate your own case, let me know. I could.

Can we talk about it anyway, because this is probably too late for students in the play as a first-person pronoun in a a central, disputable claim, as it might also get some pointers on this you connected it effectively to larger concerns. I think it's a wonderful Thanksgiving! Does that help? Good choice on text, be aware that you never quite come out unscathed, full of rather depictions that are related to writing an A-and-voice arrangement of the discussion requirement. There are any problems with conforming to the connections between the poem after your recitation/discussion tomorrow, and that the recording if you'd like. Bloom orders for lunch;/or ideology, for instance, if you go up on your recitation grade. I will be most helpful to look at Walter essay Theses on the other hand, I think that there are two potential difficulties that you're scheduled to recite. Let me know if you have any questions or themes that you noticed that the grade is calculated in excruciating detail. If you don't email me a copy of the poem. One option that you have any other questions, OK? —There are some ways in the world will know in my office hours, and must be killed except as a result of the slight changes you made to be getting out of the Heaney poems that do not assign the weighting factor of zero means that if you want to go down this road, a giant hawthorn tree in England, was mentioned in lecture yesterday: If your percentage grade for students in relation to your presentation tonight. Please use it personally and recommend it highly.

[lovepsychicpoetrystudent-blog]

Panda Categorical Chow Mein Copycat

Panda Specific Chow Mein Copycat

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[netmaddy-blog]

101 Distinctive Techniques to Construct Link Popularity Of Your Blog

New Post has been published on https://netmaddy.com/101-distinctive-techniques-to-construct-link-popularity-of-your-blog/

101 Distinctive Techniques to Construct Link Popularity Of Your Blog

Link Building… Time-intensive. Frustrating. Sometimes confusing. Yet Unavoidable. Because ultimately, it’s still the trump card for higher rankings.

Many of us have been hoping that it would go away. In Brett Tabke’s 5/18 Robots.txt entry, he echoed a sentiment that many, many webmasters hold on to as a hope:

What happens to all those Wavers that think [ i ]Getting Links = SEO[ /i ] when that majority of the Google also is devalued in various ways? Waves built their fortunes on “links=seo”. When that goes away, the Wavers have zero to hold on to. The pertinent questions:

Will link building still be very important for rankings in the medium term? When will link popularity be devalued in favor of other lego elements (that are less tedious, from a webmaster’s point of view)? The answers:

Sorry, but link building is still going to be the SEO trump card for the foreseeable future. I wouldn’t hold your breath for search engine algorithms to place less importance on link popularity until the Semantic Web arrives, or maybe when HTTP gets replaced by a new protocol. Because links are still the basic connector, the basic relationship, on the Web. And for the foreseeable future, they’re going to be the easiest way for a computer program to judge the importance and trustworthiness of a Web page.

What will happen to the way search algorithms score links is already happening. The Google also has become much more elegant and advanced, devaluing staggering amount of links that shouldn’t count, and placing more emphasis on trusted links. And the trust and juice given by those links are then verified by elements like user data, domain age, and other relatively hard-to-spoof factors.

But please, don’t fool yourself. Links that should count are still the key to rankings (in Google, at least — and MSN and Yahoo! are only a few short years behind). In that spirit, Aaron and I have created our 101 Ways to Build (and Not Build) Links in 2006. (Yeah, it just so happened that there were exactly 101!)

Oh, and mad props to our inspiration, 131 Legitimate Link Building Strategies, one of the original authority documents on link building. It was just getting a bit rusty, that’s all (“Host your own Web Ring”?). Anyway, enjoy the update. It’s guaranteed to be accurate until January 1, 2007. 😉

71 Good Ways to Build Links Love for Lists

1. Build a “101 list”. These get Dugg all the time, and often become “authority documents”. People can’t resist linking to these (hint, hint).

2. Create 10 easy tips to help you [insert topic here] articles. Again, these are exceptionally easy to link to.

3. Create extensive resource lists for a specific topic (see Mr. Ploppy for inspiration).

4. Create a list of the top 10 myths for a specific category.

5. Create a list of gurus/experts. If you impress the people listed well enough or find a way to make your project look somewhat official, the gurus may end up linking to your site or saying thanks. (Sometimes flattery is the easiest way to strike up a good relationship with an “authority”.)

Developing Authority & Being Easy to Link At 6. Make your content easy to understand so many people can understand and spread your message. (It’s an accessibility thing.)

7. Put some effort in to minimize grammatical or spelling errors, especially if you need authoritative people like librarians to link to your site.

8. Have an easily accessible privacy policy and about section so your site seems more trustworthy. Including a picture of yourself may also help build your authority.

PPC as a Link Building Tool 9. Buy relevant traffic with a pay per click campaign. Relevant traffic will get your site more visitors and brand exposure. When people come to your site, regardless of the channel in which they found it, there is a possibility that they will link to you.

News & Syndication 10. Syndicate an article at EzineArticles, GoArticles, iSnare, etc. The great thing about good article sites is that their article pages actually rank highly and send highly qualified traffic.

11. Submit an article to industry news site. Have an SEO site? Write an article and submit to WebProNews. Have a site about BLANK? Submit to BLANKinformationalsite.com.

12. Syndicate a press release. Take the time to make it GOOD (compelling, newsworthy). Email it to some handpicked journalists and bloggers. Personalize the email message. For good measure, submit it to PRWeb, PRLeap, etc.

13. Track who picks up your articles or press releases. Offer them exclusive news or content.

14. Trade articles with other webmasters.

15. Email a few friends when you have important relevant news asking them for their feedback and/or if they would mind referencing it if they find your information useful.

16. Write about, and link to, companies with “in the news” pages. They link back to stories and blog posts which cover their developments. This is obviously easiest if you have a news section or blog. Do a Google search for [your industry + “in the news”].

17. Perform surveys and studies that make people feel important. If you can make other people feel important they will help do your marketing for you for free. Salary.com did a study on how underpaid mothers were, and they got many high-quality links.

Directories, Meme Trackers & Social Bookmarking 18. This tip is an oldie but goodie: submit your site to DMOZ and other directories that allow free submissions.

19. Submit your site to paid directories. Another oldie. Just remember that quality matters.

20. Create your own topical directory about your field of interest. Obviously link to your own site, deep linking to important content where possible. Of course, if you make it into a truly useful resource, it will attract links on its own.

21. Tag related sites on sites like Del.icio.us. If people find the sites you tag to be interesting, emotionally engaging, or timely they may follow the trail back to your site.

22. If you create something that is of great quality make sure you ask a few friends to tag it for you. If your site gets on the front page of Digg or on the Del.icio.us popular list, hundreds of more bloggers will see your site and potentially link to it.

23. Look at meme trackers to see what ideas are spreading. If you write about popular spreading ideas with plenty of original content (and link to some of the original resources), your site may get listed as a source on the meme tracker site.

Local & Business Links 24. Join the Better Business Bureau.

25. Get a link from your local chamber of commerce.

26. Submit your link to relevant city and state governmental resources. (Easier in some countries than in others.)

27. List your site at the local library’s Web site.

28. See if your manufacturers or retailers or other business partners might be willing to link to your site.

29. Develop business relationships with non-competing businesses in the same field. Leverage these relationships online and off, by recommending each other via links and distributing each other’s business cards.

30. Launch an affiliate program. Most of the links you pick up will not have SEO value, but the added exposure will almost always lead to additional “normal” links.

Easy Free Links 31. Depending on your category and offer, you will find Craigslist to be a cheap or free classified service.

32. It is pretty easy to ask or answer questions on Yahoo! Answers and provide links to relevant resources.

33. It is pretty easy to ask or answer questions on Google Groups and provide links to relevant resources.

34. If you run a fairly reputable company, create a page about it in the Wikipedia or in topic specific wikis. If it is hard to list your site directly, try to add links to other pages that link to your site.

35. It takes about 15 minutes to set up a topical Squidoo page, which you can use to look like an industry expert. Link to expert documents and popular useful tools in your fields, and also create a link back to your site.

36. Submit a story to Digg that links to an article on your site. You can also submit other content and have some of its link authority flow back to your profile page.

37. If you publish an RSS feed and your content is useful and regularly updated, some people will syndicate your RSS content (and some of those will provide links… unfortunately, some will not).

38. Most forums allow members to leave signature links or personal profile links. If you make quality contributions some people will follow these links and potentially read your site, link to your site, and/or buy your products.

Have a Big Heart for Reviews 39. Most brands are not well established online, so if your site has much authority, your review related content often ranks well.

40. Review relevant products on Amazon.com. We have seen this draw in direct customer inquiries and secondary links.

41. Create product lists on Amazon.com that review top products and also mention your background (LINK!).

42. Review related sites on Alexa to draw in related traffic streams.

43. Review products and services on shopping search engines like ePinions to help build your authority.

44. If you buy a product or service you really like and are good at leaving testimonials, many of those turn into links. Two testimonial writing tips — make them believable, and be specific where possible.

Blogs & the Blogosphere 45. Start a blog. Not just for the sake of having one. Post regularly and post great content. Good execution is what gets the links.

46. Link to other blogs from your blog. Outbound links are one of the cheapest forms of marketing available. Many bloggers also track who is linking to them or where their traffic comes from, so linking to them is an easy way to get noticed by some of them.

47. Comment on other blogs. Most of these comments will not provide much direct search engine value, but if your comments are useful, insightful, and relevant they can drive direct traffic. They also help make the other bloggers become aware of you, and they may start reading your blog and/or linking to it.

48. Technorati tag pages rank well in Yahoo! and MSN, and to a lesser extent in Google. Even if your blog is fairly new you can have your posts featured on the Technorati tag pages by tagging your posts with relevant tags.

49. If you create a blog make sure you list it in a few of the best blog directories.

Design as a Linking Element 50. The Web 2.0-ify your site. People love to link to anything with AJAX. Even in the narrowest of niches, there is some kind of useful functionality you can build with AJAX.

51. Validate and 508 your site. This (indirect) method makes your site more trustworthy and likable, especially from governmental sites or design-oriented communities. There are even a few authoritative directories of standards-compliant sites.

52. Order a beautiful CSS redesign. A nice design can get links from sites like CSS Vault.

Hire Help 53. Hire a publicist. Good old fashioned ‘PR’ (not PageRank) can still work wonders. Andy Hagans now offers a link baiting publicity service.

54. Hire a consultant. Yes, you can outsource link building. Just make sure to go with someone good. We recommend WeBuildPages, Debra Mastaler and, ahem, Andy Hagans.

Link Trading 55. Swap some links. What?! Did we really just recommend reciprocal link building? Yes, on a small scale, and with relevant partners that will send you traffic. Stay away from the link trading hubs and networks.

56. In case you didn’t get the memo — when swapping links, try to get links from within the content of relevant content pages. Do not try to get links from pages that list hundreds of off topic link partners. Only seek link exchanges that you would consider pursuing even if search engines did not exist. Instead of thinking just about your topic when exchanging links, think about demographic audience sets.

Buying Sites, Renting Links & Advertisements 57. Rent some high-quality links from a broker. Text Link Ads is the most reputable firm in this niche.

58. Rent some high-quality links directly from Web sites. Sometimes the most powerful rented links come directly from sites not actively renting links.

59. Become a sponsor. All sorts of charities, contests and conferences link to their sponsors. This can be a great way to gain visibility, links, and a warm feeling in your heart.

60. Sell items on eBay and offer to donate the profits to a charity. Many charities will link both to the eBay auction and to your site.

61. Many search algorithms seem biased toward older established sites. It may be faster to buy an old site with a strong link profile, and link it to your own site, than to try to start building authority links from scratch.

Use the Courts (Proceed with Caution) 62. Sue Google.

63. Get sued by a company people hate. When Aaron was sued by Traffic Power, he got hundreds or thousands of links, including links from sites like Wired and The Wall Street Journal.

Freebies & Giveaways 64. Hold a contest. Contests make great link bait. A few-hundred-dollar prize can result in thousands of dollars worth of editorial quality links. Enough said.

65. Build a tool collection. Original and useful tools (and collections of tools) get a lot of link love. What do you think ranking for “mortgage calculator” is worth?

66. Create and release open source site design templates for content management systems like WordPress. Don’t forget the “Designed by example.com” bit in the footer!

67. Offer free samples in exchange for feedback.

68. Release a Firefox extension. Make sure you have a download and/or support page on your site which people can link to.

Conferences & Social Interaction 69. It is easy to take pictures of important events and tell narratives about why they are important. Pictures of (drunk?) “celebrities” in your industry make great link bait.

70. Leverage new real world relationships into linking relationships. If you go to SEO related conferences, people like Tim Mayer, Matt Cutts, and Danny Sullivan are readily accessible. Similarly, in other industries, people who would normally seem inaccessible are exceptionally accessible at trade conferences. It is much easier to seem “real” in person. Once you create social relationships in person, it is easy to extend that onto the web.

71. Engaging, useful, and interesting interviews are an easy way to create original content. And they spread like wildfire.

30 Bad Ways to Build Links Here are a few link building methods that may destroy your brand or get your site banned/penalized/filtered from major search engines, or both.

Directories 72. Submit your site to 200 cheesy paid directories (averaging $15 a pop) that send zero traffic and sell offtopic run-of-site links.

Forum Spam 73. List 100 Web sites in your signature file.

74. Exclusively post only when you can add links to your sites in the post area.

75. Post nothing but “me too” posts to build your post count. Use in combination with a link-rich signature file.

76. Ask questions about who provides the best [WIDGET], where [WIDGET] is an item that you sell. From the same IP address create another forum account and answer your own question raving about how great your own site is.

77. As a new member to various forums, ask the same question at 20 different forums on the same day.

78. Post on forum threads that are years outdated exclusively to link to your semi-related website.

79. Sign up for profiles on forums you never intend on commenting on.

Blog Spam 80. Instead of signing blog comments with your real name, sign them with spammy keywords.

81. Start marketing your own site hard on your first blog comment. Add no value to the comment section. Mention nothing other than you recently posted on the same subject at _____ and everyone should read it. Carpet bomb dozens of blogs with this message.

82. Say nothing unique or relevant to the post at hand. Make them assume an automated bot hit their comments.

83. Better yet, use automated bots to hit their comments. List at least 30 links in each post. Try to see if you can hit any servers hard enough to make them crash.

84. Send pings to everyone talking about a subject. In your aggregation post, state nothing of interest. The only state that other people are talking about the topic.

85. Don’t even link to any of the sites you are pinging. Send them pings from posts that do not even reference them.

Garbage Link Exchanges 86. Send out link exchange requests mentioning PageRank.

87. Send link exchange emails which look like an automated bot sent them (little or no customization, no personal names, etc.).

88. Send link exchange requests to Matt Cutts, Tim Mayer, Tim Converse, Google, and Yahoo!.

89. Get links from nearly-hidden sections of websites listing hundreds or thousands of off topic sites.

Spam People in Person 90. Go to webmaster conferences and rave about how rich you are, and how your affiliates make millions doing nothing.

91. Instead of asking people what their name is, ask what their URL is. As soon as you get their URL ask if they have linked to your site yet and if not, why not.

Be Persistent 92. Send a webmaster an alert to every post you make on your website.

93. Send a webmaster an email every single day asking for them to link to your website.

94. Send references to your site to the same webmaster from dozens of different email accounts (you sly dog).

95. If the above do not work to get you a free link, offer them $1 for their time. Increase your offer by a dollar each day until they give in.

Getting Links by Being a Jerk 96. Emulate the RIAA. When in doubt, file a lawsuit against a 12-year-old girl. (Failing that, obtain bad press by any means necessary.)

97. Steal content published by well-known names. Strip out any attribution. Aggregate many popular channels and just wait for them to start talking about you.

98. Send thousands of fake referrals at every top ranking Web site, guaranteeing larger boobs, a 14-inch penis (is that length or girth?), or millions of dollars in free, unclaimed money.

99. Wear your URL on your t-shirt. Walk or drive your car while talking on a cell phone or reading a book. When you run into other people say “excuse you, jerk”.

100. Spill coffee on people or find creative ways to insult people to coax them into linking to your site.

101. Sue other webmasters for deep linking to your site. Well, this is more “hilariously dumb” than it is a “bad linking practice”.