#they just answered my email saying: your appeal was accepted. we release you of [completely unrelated part of my job that i literally never

[nietp]

Lmaooooo people are so stupid. I HATE this stupid administration I hate this stoooopid government I hate my employer more than anything!!!!!! FUCK YOUUUUU!!!!

[calicorn]

My experience with WeLoveFine/ForFansByFans as an artist.

This in regards to the Act 6/7 Tarot Project, which occurred from 2017 to 2018. I also want to thank @aryll for the chance to participate in such a project, and thank you for doing what you could with the group and what occurred. I realize this is a few years late, however, but it’s been bothering me ever since it occurred, and I only chose to speak my mind about it. But to summarize, the project started out as unofficial, however we were approached by FFBF in February of 2018. They were willing to sell the deck as official merchandise on their store. I have my own opinions on the company, as it’s known they underpay artists severely for their work despite selling most items for extremely high prices. A similar payment issue occurred with the Official Homestuck Zine, and one of the artists of the Tarot Project posted this in the comments:     “Can relate OP. I did work for the new tarot deck (using my throwaway account for that reason lol) but we aren’t being paid at all. No money. The only compensation we are getting is a free deck and an exclusive enamel pin which is pennies compared to what they’ll be making off us. One might argue that the project wasn’t supposed to be printed so I should be grateful it’s even happening but I expected a big company like WLF to y’know, pay artists... The only reason I agreed to letting them use my art was to get a free deck. I also honestly dislike WLF’s artist compensation policy. My art has been selected from the Fan Forge before and the idea of being able to sell my HS art was so appealing, but the execution is so poor. They don’t pay us until we sell $100 worth of shirts, but that is so difficult in a market that is so oversaturated. I wish they like, cycled designs in and out. Instead, they just keep adding more and more designs, drowning out old ones and just flooding the entire market. Plus, they get to withhold money from artists until every hundred-dollar mark. I can’t imagine how much they’ve made off of small time artists that get their design accepted and sell maybe 3 shirts since it happens so often.” So. What exactly happened? I’ll explain under the cut given there’s a decent amount to go through. Though to summarize; WeLoveFine/ForFansByFans is an extremely egregious company that does not value their artists whatsoever and will do what they can to pay them as little as possible. Please support said artists on sites that actually do give them fair pay, or support them via commissions.

There were a few bumps during the tarot project, though overall it went extremely smoothly and we released our art to the Tumblr blog. FFBF approached us during this time, and we were all given the option to agree to continue working or the project or decline. However, this is what was an important piece to the initial email sent out by the Tarot Project team;      • Each participating artist will get a full finalized copy of the deck, COMPLETELY free. This includes packaging and free shipping of the deck.      • Each participating artist will get an enamel pin commemorating the project, EXCLUSIVE to the artists of this project only, with a custom design as chosen/designed by us. What will most likely occur is that everyone who wishes to submit a design for the pin can do so, and as a group, we will vote on which one we would like to submit as our final design choice!     • Each participating artist will receive FULL COMMISSION on any further usage of their artwork by What Pumpkin or For Fans By Fans. For example, if they release a mini-print, wallet, etc. with your design on it, you will be paid in commission for the usage of your work. (If you have ANY questions about how this would work, please don’t hesitate to ask and I will hook you up ASAP with a For fans By Fans representative who can go over the details with you further.)     • Each participating artist will have a window in which they will be able to make updates or revisions to their illustration(s) before the project is released. This means that if something is bugging you about your work, or you feel that it does not reflect your current level of skill, you will be allowed to resubmit a new version before the project officially goes up as merchandise! So, the majority of us agreed to continue forward with the project and retouch our cards. From there, things continued, and we were emailed by a FFBF representative on occasion to discuss how the process went, as well as various other things that required discussion, plus asked to assist in the promotion of the 4/13/18 celebration on their website. This is where the issues began and would continue through the entire project, with it still being seen post-release of the cards. We were sent an email in April of 2018 requiring information to be provided in the  accompanying booklet of the deck, as well as being asked to answer various interview questions that would be posted to FFBF’s Tumblr, and most importantly; the Commission Agreement form. So what did it entail? This was the form I was sent. My interview was never posted. I have looked multiple times and never seen evidence it ever was, either. And this was also included in the email;    • We are going to be hosting a pre-order bonus promotion surrounding the new tarot set, starting 413. Anyone who pre-orders the set will be entered into a drawing to win a commissioned art piece from a random artist who worked on the tarot. You will be paid by us, FFBF, for this commission work in the amount of $50.  So we had to draw more art with a very close deadline date to obtain a payment  for art we had already created, both of which should have easily been worth more than $50 total. I signed without thinking, which looking back on, was incredibly idiotic, despite my own worries over the fact that even at the time, $50 did not seem like a lot. Progress continued. An exclusive pin was designed and created for the artists, though the production and delivery dates would be delayed to September of 2018. During this time, we were also invited to join FFBF’s Discord server as well, which I am still in, though am not active in. And eventually, we were provided a Commission Schedule. I do not know if I’m missing an email between the enamel pin shipment and this schedule post, however I cannot find any trace of it. This is the Commission Schedule email, and what it consists of. Of course I found it strange, because looking at the schedule, I could never find any sign of myself having been added. Obviously I should have replied then and there due to that, but I didn’t, and that is my own fault. But that rolled into October of 2018, when I did finally email back and asked about why I hadn’t been added. I was sent back this; “Hi Calicorn! I’m sorry I misinterpreted your response as not wanting to proceed:“3)  I am completely willing to sign up for being one of the artists for the commission raffle event, though I must say $50 would be underpaying considering most artists’ base prices for commissions tend to be $50 or more.” Then I sent “If you do not want to be part of the give-away, that’s totally ok. We are offering $50 for these commissions but if that price is not within your comfort, there’s no pressure!” You never came back with anything so I didn’t want to proceed since it seemed like you were uncomfortable with the amount we were offering – I’m really sorry if I misunderstood! The giveaway is actually over I’m sorry to say but I appreciate you following up about this. I wonder why the message went into spam.. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you Thanks!” And one of the most glaring issues popped up in October as well. When we finally received our decks in the mail, our project’s Discord group began to discuss the fact that our emails had been printed in the pamphlet without our permission. Mind you, this was also a project that included minors in it, and our emails had now been given away without our knowledge. Another issue with the pamphlets is the fact that FFBF had reused the same text from the Homestuck Kickstarter Tarot Deck, as seen on the New Booklet/Old Booklet, and here/here. FFBF then decided to remove the booklet from every outgoing tarot that gets ordered, with customers receiving a corrected digital PDF that was coordinated in its creation by Aryll. And apparently previous customers would receive this PDF via emails, as well as a link to download it on the product page. Thankfully FFBF seemed to have at least posted the PDF on the product page, however this seems extremely lazy compared to simply including the newly reprinted booklet. Though this may not be the last of issues, as I stumbled across the Amazon product page for our tarot deck earlier before typing this all up. To say the least, it is extremely infuriating, especially given the quality of the cards and how many people of complained about them on both Amazon and FFBF’s websites. Of course we, the artists, were never alerted to this development, nor were we paid for such.

But overall, we were hardly paid for our time and effort during this project, which is a massive disappointment, but perhaps that much should have been expected from WeloveFine/ForFansByFans, who are notorious for underpaying artists and overpricing products. Their actions are inexcusable, and I am still both disappointed and furious with this company as a whole. But thank you for reading, and please spread the word, as I do not want FFBF’s actions to go unnoticed.

[beatricethecat2]

if/then (2.0) - 25

Sorry this has taken ages to finish, but I needed extra time to shape it into a form that made sense. Also, the world itself continues to astound in how absurd it’s being, so everything is taking it's time to make sense again (or not). Back to this chapter, there's a little review built in so I won’t bother with it here. Also, I’m excited to confidently say there is one more chapter of this (!) and then it’s done! One more big plot point to cover, and then they can finally be happy together. Thanks for still reading! And as always, typos are all mine, I’ll fix them later (edited 12/19). For previous chapters, look in my archive or on AO3 (look up beatricethecat) since Tumblr hates links these days. Also, more notes at the end.

/////////////////////

"I'm hungry," Christina says.

"Me, too," Myka agrees.

"I saw sandwiches in the lobby."

"We'll get some after we meet whoever's here."

Myka knocks on a door, one she assumes an undercover Interpol officer is waiting behind, at the hotel where Morgana dropped them off. Myka takes hold of Christina's hand as the peephole lifts and the handle clicks.

"Get in here!" a voice bellows as the door swings open.

"Aunt Claudia!" Christina yanks her hand free and runs in, nearly toppling Claudia over as she tackles her.

Claudia swings Christina around, spinning them further into the room.

Myka can hardly believe her eyes. A flutter of hope rises in her chest for the first time in ages.

Claudia lifts Christina's arms above her head and wiggles them. "You're all stretched out! What happened?"

"I grew a bunch!" Christina yelps, then giggles, the sound harkening back to their less fraught days in New York.

"Man, you got heavy, too," Claudia says, lifting Christina off the floor as she scoops her into another hug.

Myka drags their bags in and closes the door, watching from the entryway as Christina steps back and twirls for Claudia.

"What'd H.G. feed this kid?"

"Maybe it's the mountain air," Myka says.

"Huh. You were right?"

"Uh-huh. Nobody filled you in?"

"Negative. All Our Lady of Brevity said was to hightail it here."

"We’ve got so much to tell you." Myka says, stepping closer to Claudia, offering herself up for a hug that Claudia readily accepts. "I'm really, really glad you're here."

*

"Damnit, H.G.!" Claudia snarls quietly, so as not to wake a post-lunch, napping Christina. "All those years, right under my nose…" Her eyes go distant while processing Myka's revelations as if lost in transgressions of the past. "But getting deported on purpose? Dude, I just can't." She shakes her head and frowns.

"Be mad later, because we need to fix this, fast. She needs her mother back." Myka glances at Christina.

"Can't Babezilla wave a magic wand and tell the cops it's above their pay grade?"

"I already asked. She can't trust them. And if she outs herself, her whole operation might crumble."

"Who cares? We just want H.G. back."

"It could make things worse for us, because somehow that's possible," Myka says. "We want Helena cleared, so we need Morgana as an ally. Remember how well it went when we were on our own?"

Claudia's shoulders sag. "So, we're screwed either way."

"Not if we can prove Helena and I were caught in the crossfire of something larger."

"Ok!" Claudia claps hands together and rubs them back and forth. "How do we that?"

"I don't know."

"Let's lay out the facts," Claudia says, leaning back in her chair. "H.G. gets deported. Then Mrs. F. drops the bomb that you're being sacrificed to keep MacPherson in jail. H.G.'s forced to feed you info, but her hands are tied otherwise. So she calls the Ice Queen and is like, 'Bro, help me, Mrs. Frederic's being sketchy as hell.' They hatch a plan to smack Mrs. F on the knuckles and cross their fingers it will work."

"That's…weirdly accurate."

"If H.G. hadn't butted in, what would have happened?"

"According to Morgana, I'd be charged with collusion, and Theodora would be implicated as the instigator. She believes Mrs. Frederic's framing Theodora."

"Because Mrs. F. says she did it as a favor for Vanessa, who was doing a favor for Theodora, who made a back-door deal with MacPherson?"

"In theory, yes. That's what Mrs. Frederic would lead the police to believe."

"But I thought Mrs. F and Theodora were best buds? Why would she double-cross her?"

"To gain immunity and kill McPherson's appeal. She'll out him as the mastermind behind the sale. And who knows what other dirt she has on him."

"So H.G. fudged that up all kinds of ways," Claudia says, lowering her voice as Christina shifts under the covers. Her brows push together, wheels turning furiously in her head. "Where's Morgana getting all this?"

"Lots of little things. Plus, she's had a year to piece it together. And that woman in Mrs. Frederic's office, Sally, is still feeding her information."

"Info Mrs. Frederic's feeding her?"

"Maybe? Good point."

"You need to talk to her."

"Sally?"

"No. Mrs. Frederic."

"How?"

"We'll figure it out." Claudia taps her laptop awake and starts typing.

"Hang on. Let me call before you do something illegal. Maybe I can get an appointment."

"Ha! Good luck," Claudia says, eyes never leaving her screen, hacking away as Myka dials.

*

At 8:30 AM sharp, Myka knocks on the gallery's door, Claudia's "You can do this!" pep talk on repeat in her head. Her initial letdown of, "Mrs. Frederic's booked until the end of the month," was, quite unbelievably, overturned an hour later by a callback from her assistant. But by then, they were plotting to crash tomorrow's lunch, as Claudia had already stolen Mrs. Frederic's schedule.

A security guard lets her in, and she follows him to the elevator. Her hands twist together as they wait, dread seeping in over confronting such a formidable woman. But this is the only way to get answers, and her resolve is true. Coaxing information out of people, especially such worldly ones, is not her strong point.

The guard knocks on Mrs. Frederic's door twice, then opens it. He pulls it closed after Myka enters.

"Good morning," Mrs. Frederic says, remaining seated behind her desk. As always, she's impeccably dressed, her grey tweed jacket accented by a string of white pearls, hair braided in thin strands lifted into an elegant bun. It's like she wakes up fully prepped, ready to bulldoze anything and everything in her path.

"G-Good morning," Myka says back, as evenly as possible, her stomach quivering as she braces for the conversation she has to have.

"Please sit." Mrs. Frederic motions to a chair in front of her.

Myka bumps into the arm as she circles around, then settles in, flashing what she hopes is a not-too-nervous smile.

"I'll be frank," Mrs. Frederic starts. "I know why you're here. I can't help you."

"Then why ask me to come?"

"You needed to hear it in person."

"You got me into this! We had meetings and emails and phone calls. You sent me to the sale. You sent me to Helena's in Wales! There's a paper trail."

"Was my name listed anywhere?"

"I..." Myka thinks back, sifting through scores of information. "... don't know. But I'll prove it, somehow." Myka's lips pinch into a thin line, visualizing her resolve. She's gotten this far, and she's not leaving until she gets answers.

"Myka," Mrs. Frederic says, her tone softening ever so slightly. "You can't fix this. The sooner you accept that, the better. You must let it play out."

"So Helena and I both go to jail? What about her kid?"

"Helena was explicitly told not to get involved. That's out of my hands. This may have been over by now if not for her—"

"May have. May have. That's not good enough." Myka's chest heaves as her nostrils flare; this is a brush off of epic proportions. "Why ruin us both just to frame Theodora?"

"Theodora?" Mrs. Frederic's brows shoot up, above the rims of her cat-eye glasses.

"I know you're framing her, saying she's the one I was working for, not you. That the painting was hers."

"Ha!" Mrs. Frederic barks, lips curling up in amusement. "That's what you truly believe?"

"Tell me why I shouldn't," Myka growls, leaning back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest, scowling.

Mrs. Frederic holds Myka's gaze, then sighs deeply, shaking her head as if Myka said something either right on the nose or completely fantastical.

"Then this is all on you," Myka asserts.

"Helena should have trusted me."

"Why should she? From what I've heard, you didn't protect her in New York."

"She knew the risks."

"Maybe. But I didn't. How is it ok to manipulate someone like that?"

"My hands were tied."

"Your hands were tied? By whom?"

Myka leans forward, her hands gripping the chair arms ever more tightly as Mrs. Frederic's stoic mask loosens.

"Please," Myka pleads, teetering on the edge of her seat. If she pushes, maybe Mrs. Frederic will open up.

Mrs. Frederic slides her chair back, then stands and turns, walking slowly toward a bank of floor-to-ceiling windows. She clasps her hands behind her back and gazes out at London's skyline, fixating on a point beyond the horizon. As seconds pass into minutes, Myka doesn't dare move or speak as Mrs. Frederic seems to be wrestling with an answer.

"I like you, Myka," Mrs. Frederic says. "Your earnestness is sorely lacking in this field. And contrary to what you may believe, I'm fond of Helena, too."

"Then help us."

Mrs. Frederic breathes in deeply and releases the breath slowly, eyes still focused on the skyline. "You must speak with Theodora," she says quietly, then looks over her shoulder, meeting Myka's eager gaze. "As soon as possible. And in person."

"Thank you." Myka's grip on the chair eases.

"And, Myka, be careful. You've no idea the power she holds. That's all I can say."

The hint of fear in Mrs. Frederic's voice suggests what Myka's up against, but at least she has somewhere to start. It's not particularly uplifting, nor what she expected, but it's more than she had when she walked in today. So maybe that's a win?

*

"This is one hot potato," Claudia says.

"That's one way to put it," Myka agrees, tapping on her laptop, looking up flights. "I have to go to Milan."

"Hang on. What if Mrs. Frederic's throwing you under the bus?"

"I’m already under the bus. And I'm not sure why, but I believe her."

"Let me talk to H.G. first. You call Morgana."

"I did, but she didn't pick up. She's probably at the police station being interviewed. I'll book a flight anyway."

Everyone startles as a phone rings, but it's neither Myka's nor Claudia's. Christina scrambles toward her luggage.

"It says 'Sondra,'" she says, holding it up for all to see.

"Answer it," Myka says.

"Hello?" Christina says, then listens. "Ok." She holds the phone out to Myka.

"Sondra?"

"Myka! Oh, it's bloody awful."

"What is?"

"Harry's place! It's a right mess, it is. I came to fetch the rabbit nosh and…and it's—" Sondra gasps. "Bastards!"

There's a rustling sound through the phone.

"What's wrong?"

"Christina's Mari Lwyd. It's ripped to shreds! Who would do that?"

"What's a…is anything missing?"

"I can't say. Let me take a gander."

To avoid a lengthy "Sondra" explanation, Myka scribbles "What's a Mary Lloyd?" on hotel stationery and slides it towards Christina.

Christina grabs Myka's pen and spells the word correctly, then makes a quick drawing on the pad. Myka raises a brow at the sketch. It looks like a Halloween costume.

"It's a Christmas thing," Christina says. "A horse skull on a stick with a sheet over it. It was really fun! We made it out of paper and went to people's houses, singing—"

"There's papers strewn about, but I can't say they knicked anything in particular," Sondra interrupts.

"They were looking through papers," Myka says, half to herself. Mrs. Frederic certainly moved quickly if she was looking for those instructions from Cardiff. Helena had them last, but what did she do with them? And what about the letters Christina told her Helena wrote? She hopes the intruders didn't stumble upon them during their search.

"Should I check the garage?" Sondra asks.

"Maybe later? In case those creeps are there now."

"Good call," Sondra says.

What's happening? Claudia scribbles on the pad.

Someone broke in to H.G.'s, Myka scribbles back.

"Do the doors still lock?" Myka asks.

"I reckon," Sondra replies.

"Then get out of there in case they come back."

"Shouldn't I call the police?"

Myka writes, Should she call the police?

Claudia shrugs. We'll ask H.G.

"We'll ask Hel—Harry first."

"You seen her?"

"Not yet. But she's ok."

"Charlotte alright?"

"She's fine. You want to talk to her?"

"Lovely, yeah. Put her on."

"Sondra wants to talk to you," Myka says to Christina.

Christina nods and takes the phone.

"Let's make a list for you to ask Helena," Myka says to Claudia, listening in as Christina answers Sondra with mostly yeses and noes. "Let's hope there's time to get through everything during visiting hours."

"Let's hope H.G. has a plan," Claudia quips.

*

The minute Myka switches off airplane mode, a text from Claudia pops up.

-You’re gonna kick ass. Good luck!

"Thanks!" Myka texts back, wishing she could agree. They'd stayed up late last night, devising a plan with Morgana, talking on Myka's burner phone. But during her two-hour flight, instead of honing their list of questions, Helena's voice filled her mind.

Helena revealed, during visiting hours, the document from Cardiff was stowed in her suitcase. As they dug through, they found several secret compartments, one with cash, another with new aliases plus travel documents for Helena and Christina. But the document-in-question remained elusive until Claudia tugged on an out of place stitch in the lower lining. Its release revealed a stash of papers stuffed under the plastic shell. The upper lining revealed even more than Myka could have imagined.

Mixed in with the deeds to Helena's house and Harry's garage were the letters Christina had spoken about, the ones Helena had written but could never send. Myka's heart froze at the sight, then pounded wildly as she ripped them open.

She'd barely made a dent in the dense texts when Claudia whisked them away, saying it wasn't safe to keep them on hand since Helena's break-in. She skimmed as many as possible, pushing Claudia away twice as she tried to gather them together. Helena's words vacillated between the mundane in Llangynidr and her extraordinary past. There, laid out in exquisite detail, were her days in London, her time at Stanford, bringing up Christina, and her entanglement with Morgana, Mrs. Frederic, and MacPherson. She felt drunk on information, as if the stories were shots she was downing in rapid succession.

On the plane, it occurred to her the letters read like confessions; Helena laying out her life as if she'd never be allowed to speak of it again. She teared up, as Helena and Christina disappearing forever was not an option. She could never move on if she didn't know they were safe. But once the plane landed, she shook off the feeling and made a concerted effort to focus on the present.

She checks in early at her hotel and changes out of her wrinkled clothes, wanting to look and feel at the top of her game. A few steps from Theodora's door, she stops to neaten her skirt, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. She'd memorized the questions they came up with, but there is no harm in running through them again.

She tugs at her collar, nerves overheating her already, though when she checked, the weather's on the chilly side of spring. Straightening her spine and squaring her shoulders, she enters the gallery lobby. This may be her only chance to save herself and Helena, so she better not blow it.

The room looks exactly as it did the last time she was there; a few new paintings, but overall, it's as if time hasn't passed. She walks up to the front desk, which is currently unoccupied, and waits for someone to appear.

"Hello?" she says, a little louder than usual.

"Scusa!" a woman says, scuttling out from the back. Probably in her twenties, with long brown hair, wearing a white blouse and grey skirt, she's the usual kind of generic, attractive front desk person. She looks Myka over then switches to English.

"How can I help you?"

"I need to speak with Theodora," Myka says.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but we've worked together. She knows me."

"Un momento." The woman holds up a finger and dials a number on her desk phone. "Your name?" she asks as it rings.

"Myka Bering."

The woman speaks in Italian to whoever is on the phone, but Myka gets the gist of the conversation.

"She will see you at the usual place."

"I know it, thanks."

Myka makes a hasty exit and walks a few blocks to the restaurant. She hadn't planned on meeting Theodora in public, so she'll need to adjust. If she can't speak freely, that throws a wrench in her plan.

She tells the hostess who she's looking for and is directed to Theodora's table, which is, thankfully, in a secluded back corner. To the untrained eye, Theodora looks like an unassuming European tourist in her sixties, having left her vacation home to enjoy authentic Milanese dining.

"Myka Bering!" Theodora says, smiling as she rises. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" She greets Myka with a customary kiss on both cheeks.

Myka lips pinch, then lift into an awkward smile. "I, um, was in town, and I thought I'd stop by," she chirps, hoping that sounded more plausible than it felt. She does have a cover story, but it's weak, so she braces for reciting further lies.

"Excellent!" Theodora says, waving a server over as she sits. "How's your new job been treating you?"

"Very well, actually," Myka answers. Because it was before she went AWOL.

The server hands Myka a menu.

“Portaci una bottiglia di questo,” Theodora orders, lifting her wine glass towards the server.

"Oh, no, please, just a latte for me," Myka appeals, understanding Theodora's request was for an entire bottle of wine.

Theodora raises a brow but doesn't argue. "As you wish. Solo un caffè latte, allora," she says to the server.

He nods and walks away.

"Lunch is on me. Anything you choose. But I will say, they've switched to michetta for their sandwiches, and it's absolutely delectable."

"Um, thanks. I'll look this over," Myka says, reading the menu, but the words blend together on the page.

"We were sad to lose you from our team," Theodora says. "But that mess with Irene and Helena…" She shakes her head. "I can see why you'd want a fresh start."

"Can we talk about that?" Myka blurts, setting down her menu.

Theodora tilts her head as if taken off guard. "All right."

"Thank you," Myka says as the server delivers her latte.

He hovers, waiting for further instruction.

"I'll, um, order later," Myka says.

He nods again and takes his leave.

"I need your help," Myka says, once the server's out of earshot. She might as well come out with it as there's no time to be sent in circles.

"What can I do for you," Theodora answers, reclining in her seat and sipping her wine.

"I-I know what your plan was, for me, back then. And I know what's happening now."

"Oh?" Theodora cocks a brow. "Perhaps you might fill me in, then, as I'm not familiar with what you're referencing."

Myka steels herself. Time to pull out all the stops.

"You needed me to go down for the stolen painting so you'd be implicated as well. But Helena messed that up. Once you found her, you put me back in play."

This theory was a gamble, but after factoring in Mrs. Frederic's information, she, Claudia, and Morgana all agreed it was the right angle to take.

"Irene sent you to that sale, not me. I wasn't aware you were 'back in play,' whatever that means."

A tinge of annoyance colors Theodora's tone, but her calm facade stays in place. Morgana said it wouldn't be easy to rattle her. Time to lay out the facts and see if she'll bite.

"Someone sent me to Helena's house where she and her daughter were in witness protection. Now her cover's blown, and she's in police custody. Her daughter's beside herself with grief."

This isn't strictly true; Myka's pushing Theodora's sense-of-family buttons. Christina clung to Helena before leaving the precinct yesterday, but according to Claudia, she's holding up well otherwise.

"Irene told her to keep her distance. I told you to as well."

"Wait." Myka narrows her eyes. "How did you know Mrs. Frederic told Helena to stay out of it?"

"She asks me for advice from time to time," Theodora says, siping her wine then looking away.

"Then you know the police will bring me back in for questioning. And if I'm convicted, Christina will be left all on her own."

"Poor girl," Theodora says, her concern ringing hollow. "I still don't see what this has to do with me. This is Irene, clearing her name."

"No. If this is about bringing MacPherson down, it'd be better for Mrs. Frederic if Helena stayed hidden. Opening up that investigation diminishes the worth of her testimony, if she's even able to testify at all."

"Then, James is surely responsible."

"Why would he rock the boat when, as I've heard, his appeal's already swung in his favor?"

"He's a petty man."

"Petty, but not stupid. He's an opportunist. He grabbed Helena, got the real painting, then tossed her aside. Someone else found her and turned her in."

"And you think that person's me," Theodora snips.

"Tell me I'm wrong."

"Seems like an awful lot of fuss, for what?"

"You're not as happy here as you lead people to believe, with your modest gallery and quiet life. I'm told you were quite the powerhouse, once. That Mrs. Frederic and MacPherson were under your thumb."

Last night, Morgana detailed Theodora's complicated relationship with Mrs. Frederic and MacPherson. She promised this line would strike a nerve if Myka employed it at the right time.

"And yet, you hadn't heard of me until Mrs. Frederic sent you my way."

"I'm sorry. I hadn't."

"There's a reason for that." Theodora motions to the waiter for more wine then points with her chin at Myka's coffee. "Drink up, child, before it gets cold."

Myka takes a sip. It's already tepid.

The server returns and pours Theodora a generous portion. "Grazie, Paolo," she says.

He nods and walks away.

Theodora swirls the liquid and takes a sip, then looks off to the side, into the distance.

Myka's patience wears thin as the pause stretches out, but she waits for Theodora to continue. This is the tipping point; if she pushes, Theodora might shut her out entirely. She drinks her drink and shifts in her chair, willing herself to hold her tongue.

"I was well established by the time those two rose up in the ranks," Theodora starts. "They pursed me, asking to work together, as I'd lend them an air of legitimacy. I found them both promising, so I took them under my wing, nurtured them. Then, when my Henry took a turn for the worst, they grabbed all I had and ran."

Myka opens her mouth to say, "I'm sorry," but Theodora continues first.

"Oh, they'll say they were helping me, following up on leads, taking clients off my hands. But when I was strong enough to step back in, they cut me off, fenced me in here. By then, they were locked in their little game of good versus evil. There was no room for anyone else."

"So, you want back in."

“I want control. Their childish games must stop. They've become graceless. Barbaric. It's shameful." Theodora's words edge towards a sneer.

"So this is personal," Myka mumbles, mind busy cataloging this revelation, conjuring up information to negotiate now the motive's shifted to revenge.

"Finding the Amber Room was Henry's obsession. His great-great-grandfather was one of the craftsmen. Those two stole his notes and passed them off as their own. He was so close right before he..." Theodora breathes a shaky breath as if anger and grief strike her all at once. "I had no idea they found it until that damn sale."

"But that was MacPherson—"

"No!" Theodora slams her palm on the table. "They found it together. Then McPherson stole it from Irene."

Myka flinches at the gesture but sees an opportunity to draw Theodora out further. "Why didn't you go to the police instead of gambling on this elaborate plan?"

"The minute I opened my mouth, those two would cover it up. And without proof, who would believe me? I had to get my foot in the door first."

"So you used Mrs. Frederic as a front and me as your 'foot in the door.' And when I go down, so do you. But why do you want to be arrested?"

"I see this is not your strong suit," Theodora says, the pity in her eyes clear at Myka's naiveté. "I'll give you a minute to figure it out. You might learn something useful."

Myka thinks. Theodora's been left powerless. No one takes her seriously, including the police.

"What you say while in custody is confidential. You could tell the police anything, and Mrs. Frederic and MacPherson won't know until they're being investigated."

"Leverage," Theodora sneers. "Their little moles won't have time to warn them what's coming. They'll duke it out to prove who's more loyal to me, who's willing to do whatever it takes to bail me out. I'll ruin them otherwise."

Myka's stomach turns. This power grab is pathetic. "So, Helena and I suffer for your vendetta?"

"Helena did this to herself."

"Helena did this to save me."

"That's not my problem."

"You once said family mattered more than anything, but you'd do this to someone's mother?"

"This is on her. Irene told her to stay out of it—"

"Do you know how we met?"

Theodora opens her mouth to answer but Myka cuts her off.

"Of course you do. You know everything. You picked me because I had nothing to lose. Nothing more to lose. I was exactly who you were looking for."

Theodora looks on without a shred of sympathy. Myka's scowl deepens.

"Helena taking me in, us falling in love…you couldn't have predicted that. But you gain nothing by condemning her and her child to this limbo. So why go through with it?"

"If she'd only done what she was told—"

"Look." Myka sets her jaw and leans forward, glowering. "I'll do whatever you want if you get her off the hook. I know you can." She fixes Theodora with a stern eye.

Theodora's lips rise, slowly, at the ends, until the wrinkles around her eyes deepen into chasms. Her smile is cold, her gaze, calculating, as if Myka just made a deal with the devil. "Come by the gallery tomorrow afternoon. I make no promises, but I'll see what I can do."

"I'll be there," Myka says, holding onto Theodora's eyes as she casually sips her wine again. Is that it? Did she get what she came for? She can't think of anything else to say. She gulps her cold latte down and takes her leave, mind spinning in an anxious haze.

*

"Why'd you do that?" Claudia snaps, over the phone, later that evening.

"It just came out," Myka says, slumping back in an armchair at her hotel.

"H.G.'s going to be pissed!"

"I know. But she needs to be with Christina. Maybe Morgana can help?" Myka's words quiet as she sinks further down in her chair, the weight of what she's offered, going through with Theodora's original plan, hitting her full force. She already lost most of her life in the fire, and here she is, losing it again. She doesn't deserve this. Why has the universe turned against her?

“Dude, we’re gonna all help.”

"What if Theodora can't do it. What if we're both still screwed?"

"Stay positive!"

"What if that's not good enough?"

"We'll figure it out. And get you both out, if we have to. You know I'm here for the long haul. Christina won't be alone."

"Thank you. For everything. For always being there."

The sinking feeling in Myka's chest has hit the bottom of her gut. Tears should fall, but instead, a numbness swallows up her fear. This wasn't her fault, but she can't help feeling her karma's summoned up the worst. That the shock waves from the gas explosion caused a ripple effect, shoving her life, then Helena's, then Claudia's, then Morgana's off-kilter. And the only way to fix it is to start over again and follow the prescribed trajectory. If she's lucky, she accomplished this today, and the chain-link reaction will be severed.

*

The next day, Myka wanders from cafe to cafe, scenic vista to scenic vista, occupying her restless body with movement until afternoon arrives. When it does, she marches briskly into Theodora's gallery and up to the desk, where the same woman from yesterday sits.

"I'm here to see Theodora."

The woman's impassive gaze suggests they hadn't already met. "Signora Stanton is unavailable."

"But she told me to meet her here this afternoon!"

"She's on holiday. You can leave a message."

"I…I'll call her." Myka scrolls through her numbers and taps on Theodora's. She gets a message that the number's no longer in service.

"Give me her number," Myka growls.

"I can pass on a message—"

"Give me her number!" Myka slaps her palms on the desk and leans forward.

The woman scoots back in her chair, then stands. "I must ask you to leave."

"I won't leave until I speak to Theodora."

"She's not here."

"She has to be!" Myka steps around the desk towards Theodora's office. The woman blocks her, but Myka shuffles around and makes a beeline to the back of the building.

"You can't go in there!" the woman yelps, scuttling behind.

"Theodora! You said you'd have an answer!" Myka yells, stalking through the gallery storage area, directly into Theodora's office. When she steps inside, no one is present.

"I'm calling the polizia!" the woman says, turning on a heel and picking up a phone on a nearby table.

Myka circles behind Theodora's desk and plops down in her chair. As she's shuffling through papers, her phone rings.

"H.G.'s out!" Claudia chants from the other end. "Well, almost. And with restrictions, but she can go home for now. Home to Wales, Not new York, but...amazeballs, right? What'd you do?"

"I, oh...hang on, I have another call," Myka says as her line beeps. She doesn't recognize the number, but she taps accept anyway. This better be Theodora explaining what's going on.

"Myka Bering?" a woman's voice asks, a British one that's clearly not Theodora's.

"Yes."

"This is DI Stuart, London Police. I have some questions regarding the sale you were involved in a year ago. Do you have a moment? It's rather urgent."

"I'm…" Relieved Helena's out. Scared at what happens next. About to be arrested for trespassing... Myka stands and walks out of the room, raising a hand in surrender at the scowling assistant. Time to flip that switch and turn back into the naive woman she once was. "I'm happy to help, Detective. Just give me second to get off the other line."

-TBC-

NOTE: I just wanted to say, I know this twist could have been set up better in earlier chapters. But in my defense, I didn’t know it was going to go down this way back then. As I was writing this, I decided I didn’t want Mrs. Frederic to be the bad guy. At least not entirely. Because characters are more rich if they’re not painted in black and white. I also decided the whole scheme shouldn’t be (entirely) about bringing MacPherson’s downfall. It seemed too obvious and why not add some complexity to it if I could pull it off? That’s more exciting for all of us in the long run. Were I to go back in time, I’d add a little more personal interaction between Mrs. F and Myka and maybe a few more clues here and there about Theodora’s (non)-loyalties. Though, when I went back and read Myka’s interaction with Theodora, I did sort of set this up a tad without knowing it. I hope this rings true for you, as I’m sort of proud of parsing it out. Feel free to let me know! I can’t believe I’ve almost finished this! So crazy it’s been in my consciousness for half a decade.

[imagineclaireandjamie]

Squeeee my Deep Within prompt was answered twice 😱😱😱 Throwing all the love your way today for this wonderful story ❤️ John and Claire’s relationship is lovely and I’m here for it!

Deep Within The Darkness Peering. Part I; Chapter Four:

True to his word, John worked tirelessly during his free time to try and build Jamie a case for review. He did it quietly at home, calling Claire to update her on any new information he’d been privy to without alerting any of his partners. When the date came for the hearing, he kept quiet. Claire had been working back to back shifts, she was exhausted and he worried that if it didn’t go in Jamie’s favour she might just crack under the weight of it.

The odds weren’t in their favour. His crime was serious, if and when he did find himself free that kind of record wasn’t going to just disappear. Even with Claire’s support, John worried it might red-flag Jamie’s case rather than quosh any misgivings the parole board might have over releasing him early. In front of him sat the list of board members who had the potential to be reading through his appeal right now and he’d already placed a large cross by the side of the people he hoped it *wouldn’t* be. Anyone else was certainly a bonus.

It was the sound of his email pinging that bought him back to earth. A decision this fast didn’t seem positive but he tried to eliminate those negative thoughts as he clicked to open the new unread message.

He almost knocked the phone off its cradle as he tried to dial Claire’s number from memory. It only rang out twice and he felt bad for waking her as her sleepy voice echoed down the line.

“They accepted it, Claire. They only just bloody accepted my appeal!” He was flabbergasted, his voice going from barely audible to shouting as he tried to contain himself. “We have to wait for them to process the paperwork and you’ll have to go to the prison to collect him and sign some release forms but it should be completed by the end of the week.”

On the other end of the line, Claire sat up in bed, her hair standing on end from where she’d fallen asleep with it damp, her heart dancing madly in her chest. “Just let me know the date he’ll be free and I’ll swap my shifts.” Suddenly her mouth was dry at the prospect. “Does he know yet?”

“I spoke with one of the wardens and she told me he’s still being kept in the hospital wing, there’s nothing to worry about but he was a bit under the weather…”

“Did you make that happen?”

“No,” John chuckled, “though once they knew I was involved I think they had a change of heart about Mr Fraser and his care.”

“Ah, so your name has some pull then?”

There was a moment of silence as a grateful calm washed over them both, neither had given themselves time to come to term with their small win but now Claire had to prepare herself for her guest.

“I’m sure he will know by the time it’s all official, so don’t concern yourself with that and he’ll be off the ward before it comes time for you to sign for his release. And hey, if things get dicey,” he joked, his tone finally lightening, “at least he’s in the care of a good doctor.”

Before she had time to correct him, he’d hung up, leaving her to ponder how she was going to make her flat suitable enough for Jamie. A few cans of paint later, she’d added a statement wall to her spare room as well as some new, clean bedsheets and a throw for the double bed. In fairness to her decorating skills it hadn’t really needed much, just a spruce up here and there, a hoover and a dust. With John living so close by, she rarely had anyone to stay but now she was glad she’d opted for a three bed instead of just two.

In the end it was a rainy Tuesday afternoon when Claire found herself standing in front of the rather demure looking building. There was a fence with chain links hovering ominously over the top, but the newbuild reception looked small and harmless.

Passing her ID through the small bank teller like hole she smiled shyly at the desk sergeant. “Claire Beauchamp,” she said quietly, trying her best not to disturb the silence, “here to collect--”

“James Fraser, yes?” Without waiting for her to confirm, he passed her a clipboard and a pen while his colleague phoned through. She couldn’t make out what he was saying, but neither seemed friendly so she signed where she needed and pushed the papers back through without another word.

“Take a seat, he has to collect his belongings but he shouldn’t be too much longer.” Hearing Rupert Mackenzie’s voice made Claire smile and she turned to watch as he slipped through the vast security system before taking hold of her hand and shaking it brusquely. “How have ye been, lass?”

“All the better for seeing you, how is he?”

“He’ll be all the better for seeing you.” He quipped back. “But first I think you and I should go through some of the conditions of his parole.”

Sitting around a small table, Rupert pulled the documents from his pockets. He’d carefully highlighted the portions that he needed to discuss and Claire had already guessed some of the details before he started talking through them.

“Since Jamie’s sentence involves violence when drinking, he canna imbibe any alcohol whilst under the jurisdiction of the courts, it doesna explicitly forbid him from entering establishments that serve but if I were you, I’d advise he stays away - as much as is humanly possible. He’ll have to submit to random drug and alcohol checks and they can be requested at any time. As well as that he’ll have a support worker assigned, he’ll have to meet with them. I dinna ken how often it’ll be, but it’s usually quite frequent in the first month and then it’ll settle into a routine like once a month or once every three months. He’ll be free to travel, but they’re still deciding if they’ll impose a radius on that so he’ll find out during his first probation meeting. He canna go out of the country, though. Is there any questions you have?”

“Other than sanctuary,” taking a peek over at the exit, she pulled her cardigan tighter around her chest, “is there anything that I have to do for him at home? Or, conversely, anything I shouldn’t do?”

“I dinna think there’s any tips I can give to ye that ye dinna already know, lass.” He reassured her, their heads turning just in time to see Jamie approaching, a clear bag of his belongings held tightly between his fingers.

Standing, Claire waved coquettishly over at him. All of a sudden she felt nervous. He looked pale, skinny even, but not too unhealthy. She was grateful for the full fridge she had at home and the cabinet full of lotions that would help reduce the scarring on his back. As he waved back the butterflies in her stomach dissipated. If she’d worried about the repercussions of her decision beforehand, they’d have been invalid now upon seeing him again. The fear and uncertainty had been replaced with a pleasant sort of trepidation. He was nervous too, but happy as well and relaxed.

“I really dinna know what to say…” he whispered when they finally came face to face. “I’ve had a few hours to think about it and I thought I’d planned it all out. But seeing you now, they’ve evaporated.”

“You don’t have to say anything, honestly.” Placing her hands out, she took the small package from his arms and nudged him softly with her elbow.

“Ye’ve risked an awful lot for me, I’m a stranger, I could be anyone.”

“But you’re not and the words you didn’t say spoke more about you than the ones you did. Something told me you were worth the risk. Maybe one day I’ll talk you through it....when I know you won’t laugh at me.” They were shy with one another, quiet and calm as Claire led the way to her car after saying goodbye to Rupert and handing back his copy of the probation paperwork.

He was tall standing up, she realised, so tall that he had to duck to climb into her small Polo, pulling his legs up a little and bowing his head so that he didn’t thwack it on the roof of the vehicle. She could already tell that he was overwhelmed by it all. Getting into the car was part of it, but he’d been hunched over, his shoulders bent inwards and his head downcast the moment they’d left the confines of the reception.

“I wanted to call ahead and ask if there was anything you really disliked -food wise- but then time just seemed to disappear.” She confessed as they drove away.

“I dinna think you could make me a dish I’d turn my nose up at after eating the food in the prison canteen.”

She laughed at his comment, watching out of the corner of her eye as he slowly began to uncurl himself. With his shoulders straightened, his cheeks slightly pinked and his gaze captivated by the road as it fell away behind them, he seemed to be more at ease the further they travelled into the city.

“I’m sure it’s on a par with the horrors the chef presses upon us in the hospital canteen - though I won’t torture you with details.”

He visibly flinched and it took her a moment to comprehend why.

“Sorry.” Apologising quickly, the vision of him, small and curled up on the A&E mattress, sprung immediately to mind. Triggers were something unavoidable and scarily common and though she had prepared herself for the care she’d need to pay to his physical health, shockingly, she had, in the fray, forgotten about the mental scars left by his ordeal.

“Please...it’s alright, honestly.” He replied once he’d managed to catch his breath.

“I guess we both have a lot to learn about one another.” Pressing the break, she pulled the car to a slow stop as the traffic light changed from green to red. The silence continued on, even after she’d started the car and pulled off the main road and onto the side streets leading to her apartment but it wasn’t uncomfortable or strange.

“Thank ye…” he said eventually, a calm quiet acceptance lacing his tone as the street lamps flickered on around them in the growing storm. “It must have taken some doing for ye to get my hearing overturned and I canna tell you how grateful I am for that.”

Pulling into her assigned space, she let the engine continue to roll beneath them as a stillness surrounded them both. Taking hold of his hand, she turned it effortlessly so that her palm rested neatly against his and smiled softly across the small expanse of space between them in the front seats of the car. “Hello,” she began, clear and confident as she tried to quell the nerves as they steadily lapped beneath her warm flesh, “I’m Claire...and it’s lovely to meet you.”

Erasing the past from the present, she made it clear with a slight tip of her head and a small shrug of her shoulders what she was doing and Jamie fought not to collapse in her arms as he took one long healing breath. “Hello, Claire,” he returned slowly, “I’m Jamie and it’s sae good to meet ye too.”

[bngtanah]

I'm (not) With The Band. | Prologue

summary: Adrienne is an indie producer who is hired to help co-produce BTS’ next album alongside their resident producer; Suga. Despite the initial opposition on both ends, the pair spend time together, share a few stories, dreams and aspirations and begin to hit it off really well. Wrapped up in the whirlwind of late nights and heated disagreements and reconciliations, Min Yoongi and Adrienne Rolle find themselves growing closer and closer. One night they decide to cross the barrier between personal and professional and do their best make a relationship work against all odds.

pairing: Min Yoongi  x Named OC

genre: drama, romance, smut

chapters: prologue| o1| o2| o3| o4| o5| o6| o7| o8| o9| 10| 11|

warning: light angst, smut, fluff, workplace relationship, slow burn, sexual themes, ambw, enemies to friends to lovers, developing relationship

a/n: still a fool. still re-uploading.

"It's good money, Adrienne."

Adrienne rolled her eyes quickly underneath her eyelids and switched her attention away from the woman sitting next to her.

"I get that but there is no way I'm moving to Korea, I can't even find Korea on a map!"

Adrienne and her older sister had been having this roundabout conversation for at least an hour and a half with no end in sight since neither side seemed interested in giving in.

"So what are you going to do? Just stick around here and make amazing songs for shitty rappers and musicians that don't wanna pay you?" Danielle's voice was monotone and completely lacking any tangible emotion but Adrienne could understand that this was her sister's way of trying to appeal to her common sense. "An opportunity like this doesn't knock twice, little one."

Adrienne bit back a witty remark because despite how much she didn't want to admit it she knew that her sister was right. She was barely making ends meet with the seedy pool of customers she had now and the select few that actually paid her on time only wanted to shell out pennies for what Adrienne considered high-quality work. There were times over the past few months when the money wasn't coming in and reactions from her clientele had her seriously doubting her talent that Adrienne genuinely regretted not going to college. There was no a guarantee that she would have been any better off than she was now but the constant 'what if' always made her second guess her choices when things weren't going her way. Her life now wasn't perfect but it was comfortable, she rented an efficiency from one of her sister's friends and worked a few odd jobs here and there to keep up with the bills. It was a simple life that she enjoyed and Adrienne wasn't so sure she had the courage to give it up.

"Alright, let's say I go for it" Adrienne stated in a softer voice.

"What happens if I can't keep up or they hate all my songs or they hate me? I wouldn't be able to come back here as a failure and honestly, Dani I don't know if I have what it takes to do this." Her voice wavered with raw insecurity as she nervously she began pulling on the ends of one of her long braids.

If Adrienne was being honest with herself, her own self-doubts were the main obstacle holding her back from just accepting this job. She was reasonably excited about the thought of moving to a different country and Danielle; who was married and expecting a child of her own, was the only family she had left. It was time for her to stop depending on her for so much and start carving out her own place in the world.

"Do you really think they would have contacted you if they didn't think you were more than good enough?"

"To be honest, I don't know why they reached out to me in the first place. All the music on my SoundCloud is in English and I've never heard of this company before they emailed me."

"Because it's good, dumb-dumb!" Danielle exclaimed while tugging on one of her sister's braids. "What's the name of these people again, you know I have to google," She asked with her phone already in hand.

"BigHit, I already looked them up. It's legit"

Danielle nodded but dismissed Adrienne's statement with a flick of her wrist, she needed to research everything for herself if she was going to send her baby sister off to some strange company for a job that may not even be real.

"Seriously, Dani I've looked it up they are an actual music company" Adrienne leaned forward to snatch the phone out of her hands, "They told me that if I decide to work with them I'd be working with a boyband called BTS."

"Boyband? Those still exist?"

"Yes! I was so confused at first but they're the real deal...which is another reason I don't want to go. I've been researching their songs from last year and the year before that and I don't know who's doing their music now but it's really good. Here, listen to this-"

Adrienne tossed her sister's phone back onto the couch and pulled her laptop off the coffee table and onto her lap, "It's all in Korean so ignore the words and just pay attention to the melody like I did" she informed as she pulled up 'Let Me Know', one of the recent tracks she'd been replaying.

Her eyes fell closed gently once she hit play and the first note rang out and Adrienne allowed herself to become lost in the music once again, she couldn't understand the lyrics but even without knowing the language Adrienne knew too well the feeling of heartache and desperation this song was meant to make you feel. That was always something she appreciated about music, no matter where you were from or how old you were a good song could bring people together in ways that words often couldn't. To Adrienne music truly was a universal language.

Once the song finished Adrienne put her laptop aside and looked up at her sister with a childlike stare, anticipating her reaction. "What? It's pretty" Danielle responded and Adrienne's shoulders immediately slumped downward.

"Pretty? Is that all you have to say?" 

"Yup. That's my review, it is a pretty song." 

"You sicken me, do you know that? If you weren't carrying my niece we would be pillow fighting right now." Adrienne grumbled and leaned down to pressed a kiss to Danielle's rounded tummy. She wasn't big yet but she was definitely beginning to show. 

"I keep telling you not to get your hopes up, Lloyd's siblings are all boys."

Adrienne pursed her lips and ignored Danielle then whispered to her stomach. "Shhh, I can tell you're a girl." 

"Stop talking to my fetus and get back up here, I'm not joking with you Andy I really think you should go for this job"

Adrienne bit the inside of cheek and slumped back against the cushions, she was silent for a few minutes as she tried to collect her thoughts and recall all the points that were made in their previous conversation.

"How am I supposed to fly half way around the world and tell these people that I can make better music than what they have now?"

Danielle sighed, her fingertips grazing over Adrienne's shoulder to gain her attention before pulling her into her arms to hug her and rest her chin against the top of Adrienne's head. 

"Do you think you're talented?"

"Yes....but-"

"Butts are for ashtrays, Adrienne. You are talented and that's the end of it, when you worry too much about comparing yourself to other people then you start in with the doubts. You didn't go to them they came to you, that wouldn't have happened if they didn't know that you were more than qualified for this." 

"I don't want to leave you."

"Oh little one," Danielle cooed and kissed Adrienne's scalp, threading her fingers through the younger girls braids, "I am going to be fine, I have Lloyd! And you're going to be making so many new friends you won't even have time to miss me."

Adrienne sniffed and wrapped her arms around her sister in a tighter hold, "You better not have this kid until I can come back and visit" She replied through the few tears that were falling from the brim of her eyes.

"Does that mean you're going?"

"I guess I'm moving to Korea."

"This isn't a joke, right? There aren't any hidden cameras, you're really going to let me do this?"

The excitement in Yoongi's voice was as foreign and authentic as the short happy dance he did in the middle of Bang Si-Hyuk's office before he caught hold of himself and regained his cool composure. 

"Yes I'm being serious" Si-Hyuk answered with a tiny grin "You've been showing a lot of improvement lately and I think you should take the lead on producing the group's next release."

Pale pink lips spread into a wide and almost child-like grin, those were words that Yoongi never thought he would hear. He always appreciated being able to contribute a song or two to their albums but to have the control and relative creative freedom over an entire body of work for his group was a professional goal that he never thought possible so early in his career. It really was too good to be true.

"Of course..." Si-Hyuk spoke up again and Yoongi came crashing back down to reality. 

"With your schedules and other responsibilities, it wouldn't be ideal to leave all the work on your shoulders alone."

"I assumed the producers here would be assisting me"

"Most of them are busy with other projects, we've decided to contract someone from the outside to co-produce along with you."

Yoongi nodded and leaned back in his seat, pressing his index finger against his lips in thought and to prevent himself from speaking out of turn. He didn't like this idea one bit and the previous feeling of excitement he had was dulled significantly by the thought of having to collaborate with someone he didn't even know. He wanted to speak up, voice his opposition before he was saddled with the dead weight of a co-producer who probably had no idea what they were doing. But he knew it wasn't his place to say no to a plan that was already in motion and he didn't want to jeopardize the opportunity he was being granted. 

"Okay, when do we start?"

[cindylouwho-2]

RECENT NEWS, RESOURCES & STUDIES, late February 2020

Welcome to my latest summary of recent ecommerce news, resources & studies including search, analytics, content marketing, social media & Etsy! This covers articles I came across since the early February report, although some may be older than that. I am a bit behind due to my trip last week and other events, but some things here are a bit time-sensitive so I wanted to release this now. 

I am still looking into setting up a new ecommerce business forum where we can discuss this sort of news, as well as any day-to-day issues we face. I need some good suggestions for a cheap or free forum space that has some editing tools, is fairly intuitive for inexperienced members, and is accessible. If you have any suggestions, please reply to this post, email me on my website, or send me a tweet. (I will put out a survey once we narrow this down to some good candidates, but if you have any other comments on what you want from such a forum, please include those too!)

As always, if you see any stories I might be interested in, please let me know!

TOP NEWS & ARTICLES 

Since we are seeing more shops closed due to Etsy’s customer service level standards, my blog post on ODR now has major revisions explaining what we have learned, and includes some tips for staying out of trouble and if necessary, appealing a suspension. Please circulate the info widely, as many sellers still haven’t heard about this, and some were closed without having any clue this was possible. 

Mobile continues to grow while desktop use is slowly shrinking. It should affect how we design web pages. “Mobile visitors also behave differently from their desktop web counterparts, staying on pages for shorter periods of time, for example.” Other interesting takeaways from this SimilarWeb report: “[Facebook] lost 8.6% of [web] traffic over the past year alone” but increased in app sessions. 

The price of domains ending in “.com” will almost certainly be going up soon, and will go up most years after that, unless something changes at the last minute. If you are absolutely certain that you will continue to use the same domain name for your website, blog, ecommerce forwarding etc., then you might consider paying a few years in advance to save a few bucks. 

Another article explaining how people are selling thrift store and vintage clothing on Instagram, without setting up a checkout/cart anywhere. (The article focusses on teenagers, but does reference other examples.)

ETSY NEWS 

Two weeks ago, Etsy Support posted on Twitter that they were no longer monitoring the account, and asked everyone to use the help page maze instead when they need support. Forum thread here.  

Another trend report for 2020 from Dayna Isom Johnson [podcast links & transcript] She leads off with tips on how to get featured: “ so it's incredibly important to see a bright representation that really clearly shows your product...Do be original. I'm always trying to find the latest and the greatest that isn’t already on the shelves...Do be inclusive. ... I'm talking about models of all ethnicities, all genders, all body types, all ages.” Etsy chose chartreuse as their colour of the year: “in the last three months, there's been a 12% increase in searches for green already, and a 55% increase in neon green.” The wedding trends part was mostly already covered in a blog post, but she does also answer a few seller questions. 

Website user experience (UX) is a big part of getting people to convert, and an outside group ranks Etsy’s as “acceptable”. Many will be unsurprised that search gets a score of “mediocre” and Accounts & Self-Service get a “poor” grade.  

The migration to Google Cloud services is complete, so now Etsy can run more experiments more often, including those involving AI. (Although the forum thread was laughing at the idea of bad reviews helping shops, there is actually some research supporting that, so it is a logical thing to test.)

Etsy sellers in the US, UK & Canada who use Instagram can apply to win a trip to Etsy HQ here, until March 1.

Etsy is launching an Etsy U program which just seems a bit sketchy. Forum thread here.

Reverb (owned by Etsy) named a new Chief Technology Officer on Feb. 18.

SEO: GOOGLE & OTHER SEARCH ENGINES 

Google does not confirm every large search update, so this one remains a mystery at the moment, since Google refused to give an answer. That means it’s not a core update. 

Another video (with subtitles in several languages) from the SEO for Beginners series from Google, on the basics you need for good website SEO. 

If you are interested in “searcher intent”, this 500 person survey asks about what people are really looking for, and what they think of the search results the end up with. Overwhelmingly, they say they prefer organic results to ads, and the majority see targeted ads that they can’t figure out the reason/s behind. “Sixty-eight percent responded that Google adding more ads to the search results would make them want to use the search engine less.” Also, a slight majority preferred text results to images, video, & audio. “When asked which factor had the most significant impact on their decision to click a result, 62.9% responded it was the description, followed by 24.2% who said the brand name, and 13% who said title.” That means that the first part of your Etsy listing description, or the coded meta description on a page on your website, has the most influence on people clicking on your link once they see it. 

I usually strongly suggest that people setting up their own websites make sure they do some SEO work & keyword research for their category/shop section pages, and it turns out that there is new research showing I am correct. “Specifically, e-commerce category pages – which include parent category, subcategory and product grid pages with faceted navigation – ranked for 19% more keywords on average than product detail pages ranked for. The additional keywords they ranked for drove an estimated 413% more traffic, based on the keywords’ search demand and the pages’ ranking position. With optimization, those ranking category pages also showed the potential to drive 32% more traffic.”

Semi-advanced: explaining the (seemingly endless) debate on whether subdomains or subdirectories are better for SEO. 

SEO study - do you really need to use H1 tags on a page? Maybe not, although some screen readers recognize them as the page title so they help with accessibility. (Etsy & many other marketplaces don’t let you make this coding choice, so don’t worry about it there.)

Confused about how to apply all of these SEO tips I post here to your Shopify site? Good news! Here’s a list of what is most important for Shopify SEO. Note the attention to setting up your category pages, which is something I completely agree with. (it’s by Ahrefs so of course it pushes their tools; you don’t need to pay for that.)

CONTENT MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA (includes blogging & emails) 

Some businesses say social media doesn’t work, but maybe they aren’t doing it right. See if you are making one or more of these three mistakes. “Understanding who your target audience is - what they want, what they need, where you fit in, etc. - is critical to maximizing your social media marketing performance.”

Email marketing also works better if you do it right, so here are 5 things you might be doing wrong. And if you like a quick read, here’s an infographic on the psychology of email marketing. 

8 ideas for getting more interactions on Facebook (detailed infographic).

More fourth quarter reports continue: Pinterest’s 4th quarter revenue was up 46% but they lost $1.36 billion, and they are introducing a verified merchant program. “Almost all (97%) of the top searches on Pinterest are unbranded, according to the company, giving merchants a chance to stand out.”

Want to tap into that Pinterest traffic? You should because “90% of weekly Pinterest users log in to make buying decisions.”  Here are 10 ways to get more attention, followers, and pins. 

Like almost all social media, Twitter has an algorithm that mediates what users see (although you can turn it off, or use apps such as Tweetdeck to get around it as a reader). Ranking factors include recency, engagement, media and activity. The article includes a few tips on how to make it work for you, but then slides into promoting its app as the solution - you can just skip that part. 

ONLINE ADVERTISING (SEARCH ENGINES, SOCIAL MEDIA, & OTHERS) 

Google search ads get more results than Facebook and Instagram, simply because more people who see them want to buy something. “Less expensive products tend to sell better than more expensive ones on Facebook and Instagram, per the study.”

If you are running ads where you can choose your keywords, don’t forget to examine your organic search results and impressions for new words to advertise. Google Search Console is a great source.

If you found Instagram ads too expensive, check out this post on how the ads are priced, which can help you make decisions on your spend. 

ECOMMERCE NEWS, IDEAS, TRENDS 

Amazon has nearly 40% of the US ecommerce market, according to a report by eMarketer. Etsy is not in the top 10; eBay is 3rd behind Walmart. 

Sales on Shopify sites during the Black Friday-Cyber Monday long weekend went up 61% to $3 billion in 2019. They claim that the “direct -to-consumer” approach can be successful for both big & small brands. 

Japanese authorities are going after Rakuten for the ecommerce company’s push to make its sellers offer free shipping. 

eCommerceBytes’ annual Sellers Choice survey placed eBay first out of the online marketplaces that were rate. Note that this is not a scientific survey and largely covers the site’s readership only. Bonanza was the most improved & Etsy showed the worst drop (from 1st to 5th place). 

A review of that article last month that says ecommerce sites should have info pages as well as product pages, if only for SEO reasons. The author approves. 

The CBC show Marketplace did a large test buying branded items on AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Walmart and Wish. It turns out that most were fake. 

Facebook’s cryptocurrency plans (Libra) finally have a partner: Shopify. The potential benefits include no credit card processing fees. 

BUSINESS & CONSUMER STUDIES, STATS & REPORTS; SOCIOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGY, CUSTOMER SERVICE 

Younger people (think Gen Z) expect to see gender treated expansively and beyond traditional stereotypes, and they expect this from companies and advertising. “Half of women and four in 10 men in the U.S. now believe that there is a spectrum of gender identities, according to a recent Ipsos poll titled "The Future of Gender is Increasingly Nonbinary." An additional 16% of those surveyed said they know a person who identifies as transgender”

MISCELLANEOUS (including humour) 

Google employees are pushing back against the sea change in the company’s culture and values - and some are being fired. 

Turns out that the “Peleton Wife” ad might not have hurt them as much as you might think. However, their stock dropped 12% after the fourth quarter report showed a 77% increase in revenue that still managed to be below market predictions. Interesting discussion around going viral in a negative fashion.

[strangeauthorarchive]

Don’t use Paypal

This is the last thing I wanted to do, since I know so many people use this site to help them, but after this fucked up shitty ass experience I had and this horrendously awful customer service I was subjected to, they let me no other choice.

Also long post

So, context:

In June, I was told that my job was closing down on the 14th of July (and it has), so I would be out of a job.

I asked for donations so I could have some money while I got ready for school/looked for work elsehwere.

Come July, and I got this email.

Naturally, I was confused. How did I break policy? I checked my paypal account to see if this was scam email. It wasn’t.

I called them and they said to contact aup. That was the first sign of trouble, because after I contacted aup and asked what I did wrong and how I could fix it, they just sent me this.

[Transcribe: 

Hello, 

Thank you for contacting PayPal regarding the limitation on your account.

Please be advised that due to the violation of PayPal's Acceptable Use Policy, your account will remain permanently limited.

The PayPal User Agreement states that PayPal, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to limit an account for any violation of the User Agreement, including the Acceptable Use Policy.

The complete Acceptable Use Policy can be found by clicking Legal at the bottom of any page, select your location and click PayPal Acceptable Use Policy.

Per the User Agreement, when PayPal permanently limits an account due to an Acceptable Use Policy violation, we will hold any funds on your account for 180 days.

If you have not yet done so, please remove any references to PayPal from your website/auction site.

Thanks, PayPal]

Now the date says july 10th but it doesn’t matter because no matter how much I contacted them they always sent the same, automatic message.

So, I called again, explaining that I received no response and only got an unhelpful automtic response. You know why?

Because it turns out AUP doesn’t respond to emails. They don’t respond to anyone. Not customers, not people within the team, no one. They don’t resolve anything; so basically I wasted my time. I asked why did they even tell me to contact them if they knew this. They dodged the question and said I could mail the legal department and also other people.

So I did that. I mailed the legal department, pr, exevtuive, EVERYONE I thought would look into this and help me understand. By this point, its been a week, I’m exhausted cause this taken up most of my time, and I’m on the verge of a mental breakdown because I have no fucking job (as of this post).

I called, they said they have my ticket and will look into this. So I waited. And waited. I know these things aren’t quick, but the amount of time I’ve been waiting was too much, and I was losing my paitence. I kept trying to give them the benefit of the doubt, like maybe they were concerened with the amount of money coming in. That I could’ve EASILY clairfied and veritifed that it was all legit.

That all went out the window today (or July 17th as of this post), when I got this.

[Transcribe:

PayPal appeal denied

Dear, Thank you for contacting PayPal regarding the limitation on your account. Please be advised that due to the violation of PayPal's Acceptable Use Policy, your account will remain permanently limited. The PayPal User Agreement states that PayPal, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to limit an account for any violation of the User Agreement, including the Acceptable Use Policy. The complete Acceptable Use Policy can be found by clicking on Legal at the bottom of any page of our website, and then selecting PayPal Acceptable Use Policy. Per the User Agreement, when PayPal permanently limits an account due to an Acceptable Use Policy violation, we may hold your funds for up to 180 days. For full details around the release of funds process, please refer to our original email outlining details of the limitation. If you have not yet done so, please remove any references to PayPal from your website/auction site. Sincerely, Paul PayPal, Brand Risk Management PayPal ]

They denied my appeal.

They denied me the chance to know what I did wrong and how to fix it.

Now I’m pissed off, so I contacted customer service yet again, and got the most appalling response;

Either take this to court or use another service. They no longer were willing to help me.

So that brings me to where I am today. I know they won’t really check a tumblr post or even go on Tumblr but I still want to get the word out about how I was treated. How completelt and utterly useless and horreoundus customer service is. How they will lock your account with no answer and hold your money hostage.

I’m making this post to warn people--that if anything happens to you or your money on paypal, they will not help you. They will make you go through all these hoops but, in the end, still won’t do anything to fix it.

I don’t want people to go through what I went through. I want everyone to have their money safe and sound and not be taken away from them so unnecessarily an cruelly.

Please get the word out.

[kiruuuuu]

Thank you so much for allowing me to conclude the unholy trilogy of Doc’s and Jäger’s mutual suffering, anon! For anyone interested, this is part 1 and this is part 2 - though in this case, neither of them are required to read the following snippet. I hope you enjoy ♥♥ (Rating E, smut/humour, ~2.2k words)

.

“You said it’s going to go away on its own”, Jäger states, frustration clearly visible in his face. He’s unable to sit still, shuffling on the chair and digging his nails into his thighs. It’s obvious he can deal with this, uh, affliction less composedly than Doc who peeks at him over his screen from the other side of the desk.

“I did say that”, he replies evenly and presses his lips together at the email being displayed on the monitor right now. “It seems I was wrong, however. A colleague has run into the same substance in California before and she seems to suggest to, um, take matters into one’s own hands.”

The German stares at him in disbelief. “I told you, I tried it, it doesn’t work. I can’t – I can’t finish.”

Doc is fucking tired. They completed a mission earlier that day which almost went off without a hitch, a clean infiltrate and extract, no casualties, an extremely satisfying result. Except for the fact that he and also Jäger breathed in some of the unidentified powder Smoke stirred up when he erroneously shot one of the crates standing around. The effect was… immediate. The two exchanged scandalised gazes to confirm it wasn’t just them feeling like this and awkwardly adjusted their uniforms, taking extra care not to undress in the presence of their colleagues. Doc claimed not to be affected to the rest of their team and hid in the safety of his office whereas Jäger made the mistake of mentioning the, er, effect of the drug to Bandit. Resulting in both of them being chased around by a horny German hoping to get some simply based on the fact that neither of the two have their most intimate parts under their control.

Therefore, Doc is sitting at his desk with a raging erection which is slowly starting to become painful. He kept his hands off it whereas Jäger didn’t display the same kind of self-control, attempted to alleviate the problem himself yet only seemed to make it much worse. It apparently takes all his discipline not to expose and satisfy himself right then and there.

“Well what did she do?”

Doc squints at the monitor. “She… made her girlfriend very happy that day, it seems.”

“Oh my fucking God. I’m going to implode, Doc, I need to do something about this.”

“From what she tells me, an orgasm diminishes the effects and encourages blood flow, so it’s recommended. With her, it lasted the entire day but she, well, seems to have ingested more than we did. So we might be lucky and it’ll all be over in a few hours.”

“It’s been at least two hours. My dick is going to fall off in the meantime. Does she have any suggestions on how to actually get off?”

“The use of specially designed toys seems to be -”

“Fuck, yes. Great idea, I’ve got tons of those at home, I hope you do, too. Otherwise, good luck suffering!” Jäger jumps up and eagerly turns to the door but stops when Doc calls his name the way a parent would call a misbehaving child.

“You’re not going to drive in this state. You’re a liability. Besides, you’d draw attention to yourself – even more than you already did – and I refuse, outright refuse to let anyone know about this. I have a reputation to lose. You can’t disappear right after a mission, not when the only explanation you can offer is your heightened state of sexual arousal necessitating immediate care.”

Jäger pauses and looks down at the very obvious bulge in his trousers. “I guess that’s not an acceptable excuse to go home early, is it?”, he responds sadly and sinks back onto the chair. “So what then? I don’t suppose you’ve got some dildos in your office?”

“If it’s just for a few hours more, there shouldn’t be any lasting damage. How about you just ignore it for now and -”

“I can’t. It got worse when I tried to jerk off and now it’s just… I can’t even think straight. It’s like when it’s spring or summer and everyone’s wearing short sleeves or no sleeves at all, oh God, all those pronounced muscles and sweaty bodies, and the -”

Doc pinches the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “Look. From the way it sounds, having a partner might do the trick.”

“There’s no way in hell I’m letting Dom touch me. He’d probably just tease me and then my dick will really fall off.”

A sigh. “While I do agree that he’s not the answer, there’s an alternative. We could just…” He makes a vague gesture and earns an uncomprehending stare in return. He wonders briefly whether Jäger’s brain always commits suicide every time he’s aroused, which admittedly would explain quite a few things, and simply gets up to lock the door before reclaiming his seat. “We can keep this among ourselves.”

Now he finally gets it. “But you said we were never gonna do this again, did -”

“I did say that. Once again, I appear to have been mistaken as I could not factor in the frankly ridiculous coincidence of the two of us finding ourselves in this predicament. Now get over here and shut up.” He observes Jäger basically jumping to his feet once more, a mixture of relief and excitement written in his features as he straddles Doc, already unbuttoning his own jeans. Now that his erection is freed, there’s nothing stopping him from touching it and suddenly Doc has an involuntarily randy German masturbating on his lap. He sighs and rolls the chair around a little, gathers a pair of latex gloves, a bottle of lubricant and, just to be safe, a few condoms. Jäger is so blissfully stroking himself that he barely notices anything happening around him, leaning back and propping himself up on the heavy desk behind him as he starts bucking his hips into his fist.

Doc tries not to let the sight get to him, puts the white gloves on and covers his fingers in lube before swatting Jäger’s hand away so he can wrap his own around the rock hard member. His own erection twitches at the contact, at the feel of it in his hand, at the warmth and the moan that has Jäger arch his back and for a second, Doc considers joining in. But no, he’s the responsible one here; in a way, Jäger is his patient and his well-being is in his hands – literally. He can’t allow his own lust to take precedence. Slowly, he begins sliding his fist up and down, wrenching a few pleading whispers from Jäger, who seems wholly lost in his pleasure, before he speeds up and tightens his grip.

It seems that he’s not doing anything wrong if the broken sounds stemming from Jäger’s throat and the way he trembles are any indication: the German’s eyes have rolled back into his skull and his hips meet Doc’s every stroke yet he doesn’t seem to be getting any closer for some reason. He’s almost there, just shy of the real thing, claws at the wooden surface under his hands, squirms under the decisive touches and moans continuously – but he doesn’t come. Maybe he needs more stimulation or just a different kind. Doc has his patient undress his lower half and lie down on the desk, adds copious amounts of lube and pushes one finger inside Jäger without asking, prompting a disbelieving gasp which almost immediately morphs into a throaty moan at the sensation.

Doc manages to work three fingers into him before giving up. He has to admit, Jäger takes them like a champ, grinds against them in a manner sensual enough to appeal to Doc’s most primal urges – and if he’s even more frank, he’s starting to understand Jäger’s desperation earlier. The incessant pull of his arousal is nigh impossible to ignore by now, being fed by the view in front of him, Jäger’s unbridled enthusiasm and the fact that it’d be so easy to just…

“Do it”, Jäger tells him breathlessly as if he’s read his thoughts. “Fuck me. You know you want to.”

He does want to. How did Jäger know? The lower half of his body throbs in anticipation and it’s a matter of seconds to discard the slippery gloves, open his trousers, rip open a wrapper and roll on a condom before he can finally, finally sink into this tight, delicious heat. Both of them are moaning now, Jäger wraps his legs around the Frenchman’s waist and pulls him in until he’s fully buried inside and it’s divine. Never before in Doc’s life has anything felt this good, his dick is pulsing gratefully and when Jäger murmurs: “Oh shit, yeah, that’s so fucking hot.” – Doc can only agree.

Right away, they chase their own release, Doc snapping his hips forward relentlessly and Jäger meeting his hard thrusts with his own hips while wanking with abandon. It’s carnal and unrestrained, both of them letting loose in favour of simply enjoying the bright hot pleasure their movements cause. Doc’s brain cares not for any of his previous concerns and is utterly preoccupied with the feel of Jäger’s insides, the sensation of him clenching around him, the fast thrusts that promise relief without delivering.

By the time Jäger comes, they’re both soaked in sweat, have foregone more dramatic motions for the most efficient ones, Doc slamming into him with short, deep thrusts as Jäger writhes and mewls and then – then he reaches his climax with a strangled cry. His body comes alive once more, pulls Doc in and speeds up his hands before ejaculating, spurting all over his t-shirt without a care in the world. He’s loud and it seems violent, makes him shudder and gasp for air but all Doc cares about are the contractions around his own cock. He continues his thrusts throughout Jäger’s orgasm, reaches deep with every thrust, his own climax in sight, treading ever closer to the edge.

When he’s finally pushed over, Jäger is fully hard again and moving against him insistently, grinding on him as an overwhelming sense of relief washes over Doc, his release sweet and brutal simultaneously. It’s elating and forceful at the same time, has his thighs tremble and unknown noises escape his throat. Wave after wave hits him as he comes deep, feels himself throb as Jäger almost rides him by now.

There’s a brief moment of clarity, right when the heavenly feeling subsides, a few sober seconds during which Doc’s mind regains control of him and thinks: This isn’t good. We should stop doing this.

But he’s still hard and even worse, he’s still aroused and Jäger is looking at him with a glint in his eye. “Let me suck you off and then eat you out.”

And both of those options sound equally appealing right now.

.

When he can think clearly again, he’s sitting on the floor in front of his desk, legs outstretched and naked, the upper half of his clothes rumpled and messy and his penis finally, finally not stiff anymore. He’s physically exhausted to a worrying extent, probably dehydrated and faintly dizzy. He’s pretty sure Jäger is draped over his chair behind him in an uncomfortable position as the low whining seems to come from that direction.

“I’m never sleeping with anyone again”, Doc mumbles and earns an affirmative grunt from the puddle behind him.

“I can’t feel my legs. I didn’t even know you could do that. The last position was -”

“Yes. Let’s not talk about it. Ever.”

The room reeks of sweat and sex, there are clothes, a troubling amount of wrappers as well as actual condoms and a long day’s worth of gloves strewn about and both of them are in desperate need of a shower. He’s not sure how much time has passed or whether they were so loud anyone heard it and dearly hopes no medical emergencies arose in the meantime. When there’s a knock on the door, he can’t even bring himself to panic due to the deep-seated fatigue weighing him down.

“Doc? Is everything alright in there?” It’s Blitz, sounding concerned – he has all reason to, is probably looking for his teammate and finds it odd that the office would be locked.

“Splendid”, Doc calls back drily which is accentuated by a snort from Jäger. Neither of them are moving.

“Can you – can you unlock the door?”

“I’d rather not, if I’m honest.” Another snort. There is no way he’s letting anyone see them in this state, wrong conclusions would be drawn and God knows he’s suffered under too many of those already. He’s only recently managed to convince his close family that Jäger and he are neither secretly married nor about to marry nor together in the first place – the last thing he needs would be workplace gossip on top of that.

“It’s just… Bandit was, uh, doing inappropriate things in front of the door and Tachanka found him. And he said that there was something going on inside which -” A pause. “Look, I don’t mean to pry or judge, but… during work? Really?”

Doc is so. Fucking. Tired.

[t-baba]

20 Best iOS App Templates of 2020

Building an app used to be the domain of hardcore developers only, but with over 1,800 iOS app templates for sale at CodeCanyon, even complete beginners to coding can build an app. That's because an app template gives you complete source code to a working iPhone app, with key functions already implemented. Just add features to create the product you want!

Many beginners use app templates as a learning tool to improve their coding skills, while others choose to upload their new app creations to iTunes for approval and inclusion in the app store.

CiyaShop is one of the many high-quality iOS app templates available on CodeCanyon.

Integrating an app template into the development process will allow you to start with a professionally designed template, so you can quickly launch your app. Having a template reduces your costs for development and cuts down on bugs. Save time and money by using a premium iOS app template from CodeCanyon.

The Best iPhone and iOS App Templates on CodeCanyon

CodeCanyon has a library of some of the best iOS app templates ever created. With a low-cost one time payment, you can purchase these high-quality iOS app templates and bootstrap your iPhone or iOS app project. 

Here are some of the weekly best-selling iOS app templates available on CodeCanyon for 2020.

These feature-rich iOS app templates will help you focus on running your business rather than designing an app. With the premium apps offered on CodeCanyon, you will be able to create all types of apps in many different industries such as:

cryptocurrency

fashion

ride-sharing

restaurant

eCommerce

Head on over to CodeCanyon and find the right iOS app template now!

Top 20 iOS App Templates (From CodeCanyon for 2020)

1. Best-Seller: Universal for iOS

The magic of the Universal for iOS app template is that it lets users create just about any app they want by pulling in unlimited content from blogs, timelines, feeds, channels, playlists, or webpages, and easily combining them in one customisable app.

One of the best-selling iOS app templates at CodeCanyon, Universal for iOS supports most popular web resources, like WordPress, YouTube, Facebook, RSS, etc. It also supports AdMob and gives your users the option of removing banners and interstitial ads with an easy in-app purchase.

The app is completely based on Objective-C and designed for the latest version of iOS. It comes with step-by-step instructions and video tutorials on how to configure your template from scratch and is suitable for both professionals and beginners as no code knowledge is required.

User thesanguy says:

"Universal for iOS offers an extremely flexible code base for a wide variety of app designs. I found the documentation and support to be top notch, and I am a complete novice with Xcode. My app was quickly approved by Apple and I was very pleased with the end result."

2. Best-Seller: WebViewGold 

The WebViewGold app template is another great template that allows users to convert website content into an app. It does so by using a Swift Xcode package to wrap the URL or local HTML into an iOS app. The real genius of this app template, though, is that it does its work in just a few clicks. So no coding knowledge is required! WebViewGold is optimised for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.

Apps made with this template are 100% guaranteed by the author to get acceptance into the Apple App Store.

User talimagnum says:

“I have been using this code for a while now and I have to tell it has been awesome. I have never had any trouble and the only time I needed help they answered really fast.”

3. Best-Rated: SuperView

SuperView is another great app template designed to enable users to easily create a native iOS container for their website. It is ideal for a single-page web app with on-screen or no navigation. Users who want to ease the difficult learning curve associated with the Swift programming language and iOS SDK will really appreciate SuperView.

This template also has some great features you can take advantage of in your app, including:

Firebase or OneSignal push notifications

GPS support

social network login

Google AdMob

support for right-to-left (RTL) languages such as Arabic

User muhsin2905 says:

"Really good app and really good support. No problem to release to app store. App is online and we are happy. I would buy this App again if I needed it."

4. WoWonder IOS Messenger

WoWonder IOS Messenger is an iOS chat application template that allows end users to chat together on their mobile phones via the app or send and receive messages. The template features:

registration page

ability to upload and share images as well as voice recordings

offline access to all messages and recent conversions

ability to control privacy and profile settings 

User darkpixel66 says:

"Great support and communication."

5. Store Finder Full iOS Application

When you need to find a specific item or store, and don’t want to spend all day driving from one end of town to the other or doing laps around the mall, a store finder app is a lifesaver. 

Enter the Store Finder app template, a developer’s dream, with a long list of must-have features like:

call, email and SMS integration

Google directions

social media logins

pinch and zoom navigation

and so much more!

6. Fashion App UI Template

This professional fashion app is a great starter template for an iOS or iPhone eCommerce app. The app was designed without a storyboard so you can easily use any piece of the template code that you see fit for your project. 

This iOS app template offers:

MVC pattern design

5 featured styles

settings and extensions file

item sort and filter features

View the live preview of this template to see if it is right for your project. 

7. Web2App for IOS

Web2App for IOS offers you another way to convert your website into a real iOS app. It offers great features like:

tabs

build-in advertisements

notifications

easy customisation

styling options

This template is highly customisable and ships with comprehensive documentation, video tutorials, and step-by-step instructions that make it easy to get started. You can choose from countless display modes and colors to suit your requirements, and of course customise the AdMob integration.

User misterzenith says:

“Design quality is awesome with well-commented code.”

8. Item Finder MarketPlace

The item finder marketplace allows you to easily set up an eCommerce marketplace with all the necessary features such as reviews, social media sharing, promotions, and detailed product descriptions. Other notable features for this app template include SMS integration, user profiles, image sliders, and social logins. 

See what this app is capable of by viewing the video preview.

9. appyMap

The ideal app for travellers, the appyMap app template helps developers create their own points of interest app by identifying the name of a point of interest and adding coordinates, a description, and an accompanying photo. These points of interest can be grouped by categories, and app owners can lock certain sections of the app and make them available only via in-app purchase. Other great features include:

auto layout

AdMob integration

directions and with estimated time of arrival

and more!

User esito says:

“I’ve never found such clean and clear code in any other template I’ve bought.”

10. Classify

Classify is an all-in-one iOS app template for ads. The template allows you to create mobile classified services to professionals. The template is easy to customize to create just the look you need. 

Here are a few notable features for this app template:

AdMob interstitials

login and sign up controllers

no external CMS needed

PSD graphics included

Here is users are saying about this template:

"The developer has created an amazing product that is easy to customize and has fast and accurate customer support." — arudkosky

Download this powerful template now!

11. Universal for IOS

The magic of the Universal for iOS app template is that it lets users create just about any app they want by pulling in unlimited content from blogs, timelines, feeds, channels, playlists, or webpages, and easily combining them in one customisable app.

One of the best-selling iOS app templates at CodeCanyon, Universal for iOS supports most popular web resources, like WordPress, YouTube, Facebook, RSS, etc. It also supports AdMob and gives your users the option of removing banners and interstitial ads with an easy in-app purchase.

The app is completely based on Objective-C and designed for the latest version of iOS. It comes with step-by-step instructions and video tutorials on how to configure your template from scratch and is suitable for both professionals and beginners as no code knowledge is required.

User thesanguy says:

"Universal for iOS offers an extremely flexible code base for a wide variety of app designs. I found the documentation and support to be top notch, and I am a complete novice with Xcode. My app was quickly approved by Apple and I was very pleased with the end result."

12. City Guide

Need to create a city guide app? This template will help you build a city guide app in no time. The template will allow users to browse top attractions, restaurants, shops, and other categories that you set up. Integrated into the app is Google AdMob which gives you the option to display banners and interstitials through which you can earn revenue from. 

See for yourself just how visually appealing you can make this app by checking out the video preview.

13. PikLab

The PikLab photo editor app template was inspired by the popular AppStore app, PicLab. This template has all the important features of modern photo editors. This makes editing images quick and easy for all users of the app. 

Here are a few of the app templates most essential features:

text collages

sticker creation

filter, contrast, and texture photo editing

background insertion

PSD icon files included 

If you are looking to create a professional photo editing app, then this is the template for you.

14. Events—iOS Universal Events App Template

Events is an app template created with Swift that allows developers to create their own mobile iOS events app to store and share events happening all over the world. End users are able to submit new events to that you can approve and add to your Parse Dashboard. 

The app also has a button that enables end users to automatically add an event on their native iOS Calendar and to open the address in Maps to get directions. They can also share the event via their social media platform of choice.

User dnederlof says:

"Great code and some of best support I've seen!"

15. PIXL

PIXL is an app template that comes with a built-in custom image editor for editing images and icons. It also comes with a customizable camera built with AVFoundation framework. The template allows you to either editor photos from your existing photo library or take pictures with your phone's camera. 

Here is what users of this app template are saying:

"Outstanding template and customer support! I highly recommend this app template!"—VL

16. Restaurant Food Delivery & Ordering System

This template is ideal for any on-demand delivery business or food delivery app like UberEats or Postmates. The process within the app allows your customers to create an account, choose a restaurant of their choice, select the food from this restaurant, and checkout with cash or credit. 

Here are a few notable features of this app template:

social login

phone verification

restaurants menu screens

seamless checkout

order tracking

17. Woopy

The woopy app template allows developers to create listing apps that facilitate buying and selling items online. Users can browse by keyword or category. They can also chat with sellers or potential buyers and give feedback on each transaction.

One of the app’s outstanding features for sellers is the ability to add a ten-second video to their listings. Another is the app’s optional email verification system that gives buyers and sellers extra assurance by posting a verification symbol next to the user’s name.

Customer Kaya09 said: 

“Great support, well-designed app, and code is perfect. No issue with iTunes, approved in a few hours.”

18. Firetask

Firetask is a template application for Ionic that is meant to give developers and startups a solid starting point using Angular, Ionic, and Firebase. By purchasing this template, you can issue npm install, do a small setup, change around SASS color variables, and then you would be all set. 

Features of this template include:

social login

Google AdMob

account profiles

Here is what users of the template are saying:

"Great template to start an application, well modulated, and the code is well documented and the support is 10 Stars."

- rdrpart

19. CiyaShop Native iOS Application

Need to create an app quickly and easily that is compatible with WooCommerce themes? Look no further! CiyaShop is ideal solution for your eCommerce business. If you are a retail store, marketplace, or fashion shop, then this is the right app template for you. 

Here is what you can expect from this app template

WooCommerce theme synchronization

rewards points

multi-vendor support

push notifications

delivery tracking

View the live preview of this app template to see if it is the right fit for your business!

20. Instagram Mobile Template

Love Instagram? Want to create your own Instagram-type app? We have just the thing for you. The Instagram Mobile Template allows developers to create a photo and video sharing app in the vein of Instagram where users can follow, like, comment, and share photos. 

The app allows users to log in with their email, Google or Facebook accounts and supports monetisation with AdMob. It also supports push notifications and comes with built-in analytics to monitor performance.

User Mbosoft says:

“Customer support, code quality, customizability. I recommend it to everyone. Always new, updated and easy to use. No need for coding knowledge. Just follow the steps.

5 Free iOS App Design Templates Download in 2020

The premium iOS app templates available on CodeCanyon will undoubtedly give you the most advanced features and the best possible user experience. They are complete apps with full source code—in many cases you can customize them to create your own working app without any coding. However, if you are on a tight budget, you might not want to use a paid template. The good is that there is a free alternative to these premium iOS app templates.

Many iOS app design templates or UI kits have been created by designers and are free to download and use in your own project. To create an app from one of these free app design templates, you will need to do all the coding yourself though. The UI kit or design template will only include the layout and graphics for your app—you'll have to figure out how to turn this design into a real app. 

Below are my picks for the five best free iOS app design templates available on the web.

1. Move

The Move app template will give you a clean and simple design that can be easily navigated by its users. It comes with 12 different templates that will work businesses and startups of all different types. 

2. Payment App UI Kit

If you are needing to accept payments on your app, then this UI kit features 11 different screens that will help your users send and receive money to contacts or people nearby. A few of the screens included in this kit are expense log, security login, contact chat, and manage money screens.

3. Amazon Refresh Design Sketch Resource

This UI kit builds off of the Amazon marketplace UI and gives it a more modern feel. The kit comes with 3 screens that will help your business look professional. This iOS app design will make a great accompaniment to your online store app. 

4. Restaurant Wireframe

If you are running any type of restaurant, fast food place, or food delivery service, this wireframe can be adapted to your needs. The wireframe features 2 screens for searching specific types of foods and locations of the different eateries. 

5. Book App Concept

This app features a sleek and modern design that can not only work for books but for magazines as well. You can scroll and search through different books and magazines quickly and efficiently with this free iOS app template. 

Explore More Great iOS App Templates for 2020

While the iOS app templates mentioned above are some of the best available for 2020, they may not fit your business's needs. 

If none of the templates mentioned work for your current business or you need even more templates, then check out our other articles that contain plenty more ideas for high-quality premium and free iOS app templates:

Mobile App

10 Best iOS News App Templates

Franc Lucas

iOS

10 Best iOS App Templates for Business

Nona Blackman

Mobile App

10 Best iOS Map App Templates

Nona Blackman

So what are you waiting for?! Get started on your new app today!

by Daniel Strongin via Envato Tuts+ Code https://ift.tt/2VlWBPz

[tego-nie-ma]

The Persecution of Daniel Lee

 An Internet smear campaign nearly destroyed the South Korean star, but he fought back with the only weapon he had: the truth.

July/August 2011

Photo: Timothy Archibald; Hair and makeup: Veronica Sjoen/Artist Untied            

By Joshua Davis

On August 19, 2010, Dan Lee stood on the steps of Meyer Library and pointed to a nearby patch of grass.

"The Rodin statue," he said nervously. "It was here."

The Korean television crew following him noted that there was nothing there, just a well-mowed lawn. Students on bikes zipped past, paying no attention to the cameras or the skinny, dark-haired 30-year-old they were filming. In Seoul, it was hard for Lee to walk down the street without being mobbed. To Koreans, he was known as Tablo, a chart-topping rapper who was also married to one of the country's most prominent movie stars. Until recently, he had been one of Korea's biggest celebrities. Now his career was in tatters, he'd parted ways with his record label, and his family was receiving death threats.

The reason? Hundreds of thousands of Koreans refused to believe that Lee, '02, MA '02, graduated from Stanford.

The cameraman for the television crew closed in on Lee as he looked at the empty lawn. They were here to document for Korean national TV whether or not Lee was a liar.

"It's not here anymore," Lee said, staring at the spot where he knew The Thinker had been. He rubbed his face and wondered if maybe he was going crazy.

When the program aired two months later in Korea, this was the opening moment.

In 2001, when Lee told his parents that he was going to be a hip-hop musician, they were horrified. They were thinking doctor or lawyer, not rapper. In Korea at the time, hip-hop was not a popular genre. The music scene was dominated by attractive young people assembled into groups by record labels. They belted out sugary sweet songs—dubbed K-Pop—and strived to sound upbeat and happy. Critics saw no room for a guy who produced his own lyrically complex music, particularly when it dealt with issues like discrimination and class warfare.

Lee formed a band with two other musicians. They called themselves Epik High and released their first album—Map of the Human Soul—in 2003. It begins with a swirl of harps and what sounds like a 1950s-era ballroom dance class: "We're now going to progress to some steps which are a bit more difficult," an instructor says in English. Then there's an explosion of lyrics, beats and a dense overlay of sounds.                              

It was infectious and Epik High went on to release seven albums during the next seven years—an astounding burst of productivity. Five of those albums reached No. 1 on the Korean charts and they scored six No. 1 singles. As if that weren't enough, Lee published a collection of short stories in both English and Korean in 2008. It sold 50,000 copies in its first week and became a bestseller in Korea.

Lee's music had such broad appeal that he began to attract fans outside of Korea. He launched a series of U.S. tours starting in 2006, playing Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. In March 2010, Epik High became the first Korean group to reach No. 1 on the iTunes U.S. hip-hop sales charts, topping Jay-Z, Kayne West and the Black Eyed Peas. Korean hip-hop had broken through.

It seemed like a modern fairy tale, complete with a match made in celebrity heaven. In 2009, Lee married Kang Hye Jung, a beautiful actress with a string of hit movies. Celebrity blogs in Korea breathlessly reported news of the wedding in October 2009 and hundreds posted comments of support.

"OMG!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!" one fan wrote deliriously. "OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG."

"Way to break a girl's heart," wrote another more ominously.

In the summer of 2010, Korea was reeling from a streak of fake diploma scandals. It began in 2007, when the chief curator of a modern art museum in Seoul was found to have fabricated her Yale PhD. (It didn't help that Yale initially confirmed the degree.) She was jailed for 18 months on forgery charges, and a nationwide hunt for other offenders ensued. Prosecutors investigated at least 120 cases of diploma fraud, ensnaring celebrities, politicians and even a monk.

"There are definitely more people out there," one of the prosecutors told the Bloomberg news service in 2007. "We just can't spot them."

While this was happening, Lee regularly appeared on Korean television shows and was asked about his credentials. He said that he had not only graduated from Stanford in 3 ½ years, but that he also had received a master's degree in that time. He said he had written his book, Pieces of You, while he was an undergrad and that he had received a creative writing award for one of the stories from author and Stanford professor Tobias Wolff, MA '78.

In May 2010, a group of Internet users created an online forum titled "We Request the Truth from Tablo," better known by its Korean acronym TaJinYo. The group didn't buy Lee's story. They started referring to him as "God-blo" because only God could have accomplished as much as Lee. The members of the group participated anonymously and attacked Lee from behind user names such as Whatbecomes and Spongebobo.

To many in Korea, TaJinYo's questions were legitimate. For instance, it usually takes four years to complete a bachelor's degree. A master's normally takes another two. Students typically also write a thesis to attain a master's and yet Lee said that he never wrote one.

Lee hesitated to respond. The whole thing was absurd to him. He was a musician. What did his degree matter?

To his detractors, it mattered a lot. "What is it good for in rapping? Nothing," says Hyungjin Ahn, a vocal critic. "But Koreans still said, 'Wow, he is great. If we listen to his rap, we could get in touch with something genius and holy.' Mothers in Korea worshipped him. He was a role model for every child in Korea at that time."

Entertainment gossip sites reported the existence of the anti-Tablo site and membership swelled to nearly 200,000, many of whom launched their own investigations into Lee's past. Tobias Wolff and Stanford registrar Thomas Black were barraged by emails from Koreans who questioned Lee's educational background. Black alone received 133 emails on the subject. Everybody wanted to know one thing: Was Lee lying?

When online hecklers started to criticize his wife for marrying him, Lee realized something had to be done to protect his family's reputation. On June 11, he released his transcript to the JoonAng Daily, a newspaper in Seoul. That same week, Black issued an official letter.

"Daniel Seon Woong Lee entered Stanford University in the Autumn Quarter of 1998-99 and graduated with a BA in English and an MA in English in 2002. Any suggestions, speculations or innuendos to the contrary are patently false. Daniel Seon Woong Lee is an alumnus in good standing of Stanford University."

That should have been the end of it. Instead, it was just the beginning.

As the members of TaJinYo began to dissect Lee's public statements and dig further into his past, an elaborate conspiracy theory took hold. Forum members were willing to accept that a man named Dan Lee graduated from Stanford, but they weren't willing to accept that the rapper they knew as Tablo was the same person. They argued that Tablo had taken over Dan Lee's identity in order to parlay a Stanford credential into fame and fortune.

"He just paid a lot of money to do this, lied about it and still became famous," one forum member told a Korean TV crew, who blurred her face. "It represents a total loss of hope for people who work hard."

The conspiracy theorists did not just accuse Lee, they implicated his entire family. An anonymous researcher uncovered a newspaper clipping from 1995 that stated that Lee's mother had won a gold medal at an international hairstyling competition in 1968. The researcher posted it online and pointed out that Lee's mother did not actually win the medal, implying that Lee's family had been lying about their achievements for decades.

"Can anybody give me the phone number of Tablo's mom's hair salon?" wrote one Internet user. "I would like to ask her how it feels to be a criminal."

Lee's mother began to receive threatening phone calls. At a family dinner, she answered her cell phone and heard a man's voice. "You're a whore," he said. "You and your family should leave Korea."

The attacks spread. Posts appeared that questioned Lee's brother David, who had begun a master's at Columbia but never finished. A researcher found a web page that indicated that David had completed the master's and calls flooded into the public broadcasting channel in Seoul where he worked. He was fired.

David's home address and phone numbers were published and he also started to receive worrisome calls. One caller threatened to stab him to death for his alleged transgressions. The tenor of the anonymous mob was turning decidedly more violent.

"If #blobyblo doesn't leave Korea, something bad might happen to him," one heckler warned on Twitter, referring to Lee by his Twitter handle.

Lee felt that his recording label, Woolim Entertainment, was doing little to counter the accusations against him and his family. "We have nothing to say about allegations against Tablo that he had fake education qualifications," the agency stated on June 7. Two days later, it publicly pledged to help, but Lee felt that his representatives never followed through. He left the label later that month.

"It broke my heart," he says. "They abandoned me."

In the midst of the controversy, Lee's wife gave birth to their first child. It was a moment of joy, but as Lee walked the corridors of the hospital, he saw people looking at him coldly and he panicked.

"Since my attackers were all anonymous, there was no way for me to know who was after me," Lee says. "I didn't know if the doctor, who's putting needles in my baby, is one of those people. It was terrifying."

On the streets, strangers would shout at him, calling him a liar and a cheat. "It was like I had stepped into the middle of a modern-day witch hunt," he says.

Lee stopped going out—the environment had become too hostile. Still, he did his best to respond to the attacks. Fifteen years prior, Lee's mother had contacted the author of the newspaper article that incorrectly stated that she had won the medal. She had told him that it was an error and he apologized. Now the reporter issued a statement confirming the mistake and Lee forwarded it to the press.

He also tried to explain that his brother did not maintain the web page that indicated he had completed a master's. Whoever had typed the information made the error. Lee pointed to other online résumés that correctly stated David's credentials.

The conspiracy theorists online dismissed all this as simply part of the conspiracy. They argued that the reporter had been paid to defend Lee and didn't believe that the error in David's résumé was accidental. Lee's efforts to answer their questions were turned into evidence of how far he was willing to go to defend his false identity.

Part of their suspicion stemmed from the fact that Lee is not actually a Korean citizen. When he was 8, his family had moved to Canada; he became a Canadian citizen when he was 12. That meant he was exempt from compulsory military service, even while his two Epik High bandmates were drafted. Many forum commenters interpreted this as yet another example of how Lee had gamed the system.

The doubters scored what they believed was a major victory when they discovered a man on Facebook named Daniel Lee who got a degree from Stanford in 2002. This Daniel Lee lived in Wisconsin and worked as a mechanical engineer. Tablo, they claimed, had stolen his identity.

In the registrar's office, Black fielded a series of emails about this allegation. The truth: Two Daniel Lees received Stanford degrees in 2002. One got a BA and master's in English and became a rapper in Korea; the other got a master's in mechanical engineering and works at a product design firm in Wisconsin.

"One day I started getting random emails from people in Korea who were violently angry at me for allowing some rapper to steal my identity," says the other Daniel Lee, laughing at the recollection. "I had no idea what they were talking about."

Black repeatedly confirmed that Daniel Lee the English major was a graduate in good standing but that only seemed to create more agitation. Some emailed to question Black's integrity, suggesting that he was colluding with Lee. Black got angry. "These people don't want the truth," he says. "They dismiss everything that doesn't align with what they already believe."

Lee continued to fight back. On August 5, 2010, he released his Canadian citizenship certificate to the press. To his astonishment, he was promptly sued by four anonymous Koreans who charged him with forgery.

"I was doing everything they asked and it was never good enough," Lee says. "That's when I realized that they weren't looking for answers, they just wanted to destroy me."

Korean media widely reported the suit, which only served to further sow doubt about Lee's identity among the general population. Gossip-oriented celebrity sites pored over every detail of the charges; the mainstream press even covered the case. The fact that Stanford had officially confirmed Lee's diploma did not seem to check the flow of articles. By midsummer, Lee's travails had become one of the biggest news stories in the country.

Sean Lim, '01, MA '02, had a front-row seat to the drama. He was a morning news anchor for Arirang, an English-language network in Korea, and watched with horror as the story dominated the summer news. It was a surreal experience because he knew Lee wasn't lying: The two were friends from Stanford.

In fact, Lim could count himself as one of Lee's oldest fans. He lived with Lee in Okada, and was an enthusiastic member of the audience at the small dorm events Lee's first hip-hop group, 4n Objectz, played. So when people started to question Lee's background, Lim told everyone he could that Lee was a Stanford graduate.

"The problem was that it was just me and the people I ran into against the millions online," Lim says.

One man's word wasn't going to turn the tide so Lim contacted Kevin Woo, MS '92, the secretary of the Stanford Club of Korea. Lim asked the group to issue a statement in Korean vouching for Lee. He felt that part of the problem was that all of the evidence in support of Lee was in English and was coming from Stanford, an overseas source. Maybe if a trusted Korean organization such as the local alumni association took action, it would come in a form that ordinary Koreans could appreciate.

The president of the association, Joon Chung, MS '88, PhD '93, decided not to issue a statement. "It was an unusual situation," he says. "Some people believe it's not good to respond to irrationality."

According to Woo, Chung wanted to do something publicly to support Lee but alums in Korea warned him not to. These alums had never met Lee—he'd never attended an association meeting—so many felt that they couldn't be sure that he was who he said he was. They were afraid that their reputation as Stanford alumni in Korea would be tarnished if they erroneously vouched for the rapper.

Instead Chung sent an email to members urging them to take individual action on Lee's behalf. It would be up to each member to decide whether or not to do anything.

Lim was furious. "They left Dan hanging out to dry," he says. "They could have ended this but nobody wanted to get close to the fire."

It was an understandable fear. The online mob wanted blood, and anybody who stood up against them could incur their wrath. Lim himself admits he struggled with the decision to help. He had a job in broadcasting and relied on public goodwill. He could endanger his career if he spoke out. "I'm ashamed to say that I thought twice about helping Dan," he says. "I saw what they were doing to him and I was scared."

Lim met with his old friend at an out-of-the-way coffee shop in July. Lee looked exhausted and said he hadn't been sleeping. He was depressed and his emotions were getting the better of him. Only months earlier, he had played sold-out concerts and was besieged by requests for autographs on the street. Now, he had to sneak around just to meet a friend. "I was contemplating whether my life was actually worth living," Lee says.

Lim realized there was no choice: He had to do something. He started emailing friends from Lee's days at Stanford and, collectively, 22 of them formed a Facebook page in support of Lee.

"I don't want the memories Dan, I, and others shared to be erased by people seeking to prove that he never went to Stanford," wrote Eddy (Chi) Qi, '01. "Memories including him taking my drunk and occasionally vomiting self (once on his shoe) back to my dorm after a party."

"I remember suffering through some rough early performances at the AASA [Asian American Students' Association] talent shows and am glad to know his talent eventually caught up to his enthusiasm," wrote Tipatat Chennavasin, '00.

Although the Korean press reported that Lee's Stanford friends were rallying around him, TaJinYo members refused to believe it was real. Kang Han, '02, a friend from Lee's freshman year and the first to post on the Facebook site, received threats even though he lived in Los Angeles. "Watch your back," one person messaged him. Another peppered him with emailed insults and called him a liar.

In Korea, Lim received a call from the prosecutor investigating the charges against Lee. He was asked to come to the division headquarters in Seoul and bring his Stanford diploma. When he arrived, an investigator took the diploma and held it up to the light to determine if it was a forgery.

"You've got to be kidding me," Lim said. "You want to test the paper too?"

The investigator looked at him without smiling and told him he was going to send the document over to the forensics department to test the paper.

"I started to understand how Dan felt," Lim says.

When the attacks on Tablo began in the spring of 2010, Ki Yeon Sung received more than 200 emails requesting that she investigate Lee. She was a seasoned producer with a show called PD Note, something akin to 60 Minutes in Korea, and explored topics such as politics, organized crime and corruption. Celebrity gossip wasn't her beat so she ignored the requests.

"We have more important things to worry about in Korea," she thought at the time.

The situation changed when the attacks grew to include anybody who offered evidence that supported Lee. Reporters and their managers who published stories disputing TaiJinYo claims about Lee were flooded with outraged emails, calls and demands for the reporter's resignation. Nobody wanted to be threatened so, according to Sung, reporters stopped adequately questioning the validity of the claims. As the story became one of the top news items in the country that summer, she saw that the mob was have a chilling effect on the coverage. That's when it became something worth worrying about.

Not that Sung necessarily believed Lee. It did seem unusual to her that Lee had accomplished so much, so fast, and she could understand how people might have doubts. Many students studied extraordinarily hard to get into a top school and then worked even harder to do well once they were there. Lee appeared to have breezed through Stanford in a short amount of time and come away with a master's on top of it. His story had the power to make people feel stupid.

The dominant conspiracy theory suggested that Lee had appropriated someone's identity, so Sung decided to challenge him directly on this point. If Lee was who he said he was, then he should be able to travel to California and request a transcript in person. If he got it, the mystery would be solved.

Lee accepted the challenge.

It was the first time Lee had been back to campus since graduation and a lot had changed. For one, the damn Rodin sculpture had been moved, and that had the potential to make him look like a liar on Korean national TV. (When not on loan to other institutions, The Thinker now resides in the Cantor Arts Center.)

Luckily, when he walked into the English department, student services manager Judy Candell recognized him and gave him a hug. She'd heard about his troubles. "I hope all this goes away," she said. "Because we believe in you."

The camera crew followed him to the registrar's office where Thomas Black was waiting. Lee pulled his diploma and transcript out of his backpack and laid them down on a table for Black to inspect. He also handed Black his passport. Black printed Lee's transcript off his own server, compared the two and checked Lee's name against the name listed in the passport.

"It's exactly the same," Black concluded, holding up the two transcripts. "Line for line, word for word."

The footage would air as part of a two-part special on MBC, one of Korea's four national networks. Lee was vindicated, but all he could feel was numbness.

"The people who are doing this to me will never stop," he said. "They just won't believe me no matter what I do."

Lee filed suit against 20 of his most virulent attackers. By October, the prosecutor investigating both his claims and the allegations against him determined that Lee was who he said he was. The prosecutor demanded that a Korean Internet site divulge the true identities of the 20 attackers. Whatbecomes, the leading agitator, was revealed as Eung Kim, a 57-year-old Korean-American businessman living in Chicago. Korean police asked him to report for questioning.

"I posted in a fair manner, so I will not answer the summons," he told them.

The police then issued an international warrant for his arrest, which he has defied now for months. On the TaJinYo forum, Kim questioned whether defamation was an international crime and vented his frustration at being unjustly targeted. "I am so angry they are treating me like a suspect when they have not confirmed I am a criminal," he wrote.

To outside observers, the case was closed. At a cabinet meeting, Korean President Lee Myung-bak stated that what happened to Lee was a "witch hunt that should never happen again." Ashton Kutcher, who follows Lee on Twitter, chimed in. "Time to kill the evil eye on this guy," he tweeted.

Lee, however, hasn't recovered. He's still afraid to go out in public and doesn't know if he'll ever be able to perform for an audience again. This May, he returned to Stanford to give a speech to the Asian American Students' Association. It was his first public appearance since the controversy erupted and even though it was a friendly crowd, Lee was paralyzed by stage fright, something he'd never experienced before. He felt nauseated throughout the talk and periodically had to pause to catch his breath. It reinforced his fear that he'd never be able to dominate a stage as he once did.

"Honestly, I'm damaged," he says. "And I don't know if I'll ever be better."

The crowd didn't seem to mind. After the speech, Lee was surprised to see a long line of people waiting for his autograph. He posed for pictures and seemed to relax. He smiled and, for a moment, there was a glimmer of hope.

source: Stanford Magazine

[offtheisland]

So You Want to Be a CBYX-er?

Hallo!

Since the last post, much has happened: there were a lot of end-of-the-school-year things to get done, I had my senior prom (which was so much fun), and I graduated! I’m officially done with high school! Well, American high school. 

↑ That’s me in the extremely flattering cap and gown.

It is strange to think that these “all-important” four years of my life are finished. I’m very happy to be done, don’t get me wrong–it was a lot of hard work getting into college and CBYX–but there are some bittersweet feelings as well. I’ve made so many amazing friends and tried so many new things that I’ve learned to love, and now it is all over, and all of us are heading our separate ways. It is inevitable that we will lose some of the close contact we’ve had with each other the past four years: we simply will not be able to see each other all the time anymore, and that is a huge factor in terms of how close one’s relationship is with another. This I know, but what I do not yet know is what “separate ways” means. My hope is that we stay in contact as best as possible (social media is pretty amazing that way) and each make a conscious effort to get together when we’re all back “on the Island”, or you know, wherever.

Anyway.

Since summer vacations are in full swing, my very flawed expert judgement decided that it was an ideal time to make a post about the CBYX application process (which involves lots of writing, forms, and other stressful things we try to escape from during summer) for future wannabe CBYX-ers.

Disclaimer: If you are not interested in applying for the CBYX scholarship, you can stop reading now. This is going to be a long post about things that are in no way relevant to you. Additionally, if you are interested in applying to CBYX, know that I applied through AFS in the Northeast region, so if you are going through another organization, this could all be different for you.

Now, where to begin? It all started for me with the CBYX website, which is linked multiple places on the desktop version of this webpage and will also now be linked here.

After reading the website and deciding that I wanted to apply, the next step was actually filling out the application. This was all done online through a portal that I set up after providing my email address. The application process was very long: my best advice is to get started as soon as the application comes out, which is early fall. My initial application (before I was selected as a semifinalist) was due December 12th, so I had a little over two months to send it in. I sent it in around a week before the due date so if there were any problems, there was time to fix them. Could I have done it in less time? Probably, if that was all I had concentrated on, but I had college applications, all of my schoolwork, and cross country practice every day after school simultaneously. So it took me a while.

Below is a list of all the information I needed to complete my application, including when I was selected as a semifinalist. (I can’t remember which parts were required for the initial application, sorry!) I filled out a good part of this information on forms that were provided on the portal.

your basic information, along with that of your immediate family

a photo of you (I used my senior portrait)

a report of all of the high school classes you have taken and your final grades in each, along with an official signed/stamped copy of your transcript (ask your guidance counselor)

a signed statement from your guidance counselor saying you meet the minimum GPA requirement

a list of all the activities you have participated in during your high school career as well as any awards you have received (just like on college applications, there is limited space in this section!)

medical information form signed by your physician that clears you to go abroad and a form stating all of the immunizations you’ve had

a media release form that asks if AFS/CBYX is allowed to contact a local newspaper if you are selected

a survey asking you about dietary restrictions and your preferences for your home environment (do you want siblings, pets, non-smoking, etc.)

a signed agreement from you and your parents saying that you will abide by all of the rules while abroad

a scan of your passport

a form stating that you agree to accept whatever credit your American school will give you for German schoolwork upon your return (this really did not apply to me, since I was a senior)

recommendation letters from two of your teachers: these are SUPER important! Make sure that you give them the information about how to submit their recommendations as early as possible, and I would also advise emailing AFS after your teachers tell you they submitted their recommendations, because there is no way to check if they went through or not otherwise. Pick teachers you know well and who will be honest when writing about you, even if they might not have been your favorite (or you, theirs). If it seems like I’m really overdoing it on how important these recommendations are, I’m not. They are SO important! Treat them with care.

a letter to your host family: This is basically your first impression to your host family, and we all know how important those are! My advice is to use relatively simple language and to try and show different aspects of your life in the US. I talked about my family, my friends and what we like to do, what I do in school and during my down time, and what I am looking forward to in Germany. Also, be sure to thank them for welcoming you into their home!

six short essays: these could be no more than 250 words. My questions were as follows, but there can be variation from year to year.

Choose one of the activities you listed in the "Activities, Awards, and Interests" section of the application and describe your participation in depth. What difference has it made in your life and in the lives of others?

In the 21st Century, the United States is home to many different types of family structures. Please describe your immediate family, noting its unique or traditional elements. How do you contribute to your family's dynamics?

What would you like to share with your German host school peers about the United States? Imagine that you only have time to share three things about the United States. What would they be, and why? Be specific.

Describe a non-academic conflict that you've encountered with friends or family in the past two years. Please explain specifically how you dealt with this challenge.

It is natural for exchange students to feel homesick during a year away from friends, family, and school activities. Reflect for a moment on what it will be like to live as a member of a family in Germany. What problems or challenges other than language might you expect to encounter and how might you deal with them?

What appeals to you and your personality about the CBYX program? Tell us why you would like to be a part of the scholarship and how you will contribute to its mission.

After submitting my initial application, I was notified via email that I was a semifinalist, which I was so happy about! As a semifinalist, I had to go into New York City for the day for an information session, interview, and group activity. 

There were about eight applicants and their parents (some brought both, some brought one) in the room with a CBYX alumna who answered questions and spoke about her experience while one by one the applicants were called in for their interviews. The interview was truthfully not that bad, but it definitely helped that I had done an interview in school for National Honor Society as well as multiple college interviews by that point. I was in a room with three women, who asked questions that mostly revolved around sticky situations that could arise and how you would handle them. There was also a chance for me to ask questions during the interview. 

After everyone had gone in for their interview, we had a group task/activity. All of the applicants were asked to collaborate to build a tower out of materials like plastic cups, paper, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, tape, etc. Points were awarded to the group for height, stability, and decoration. We had fifteen minutes to build the tower, and the catch was that we weren’t allowed to speak English while building it! We mainly got by on gestures and motions, and it worked out pretty well. After we finished, they asked us about how this experience could be a metaphor for experiences we might have in Germany, and that was the conclusion of the day. 

Whew! That’s pretty much everything I can think of to write about the application process! If you have any questions, shoot me a message here, I’d be happy to help you with your application!

Thanks for reading! Tschüss!

[simplemlmsponsoring]

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13 MLM Recruiting Secrets To Know If You Are Brand New

Did you just sign-up in your first network marketing business? I was in those exact same shoes not too long ago.

Here are 13 MLM recruiting secrets I wished someone would have told me when I was brand new.

If you want to build a big team, MLM recruiting needs to be at the top of your priority list. Let me tell you up front, you’re probably going to suck at first, everyone does. But with a little training and consistency, you’ll get better. Here are five of the secrets I wish someone would have told me when I first got started. How to generate leads online, I should have gotten started with blogging sooner, not be so addicted to the outcome, say less to more to more people, and hired a coach to help get my business moving faster. You can check out the video in this post to get all thirteen secrets.

How To Grow Your Business Fast

If you want to make money fast, active prospecting is the way to do it. What that means is you actually reaching out to someone and finding out if they are open to take a look at your business or maybe buy your product.

I’m not saying you should just walk up to a complete stranger and start pitching them, what I’m saying is you should start a conversation, ask a few questions and collect some answers. This process can go really fast once you get things nailed down.

Here is the guideline that I use when I first start prospecting someone. I always lead off with a genuine compliment. Something like, “Hey those are some sharp shoes you have on.” 

With social media its even easier because all you need to do is look at the person profile to find something to start up a conversation with. In person, it’s a lot harder.

How To Do Prospecting In Network Marketing

Listen more and talk less. What you’re listening for are problems your prospects might be having. Whatever problem they are having you have the solution. And that solution is your network marketing business, product or service.

If they are trying to send their kids off to college….you have the solution.

If they are tired of working a 9 to 5….you have the solution.

If they would like to vacation more….you have the solution.

If they just want to make some extra money for whatever reason…..you have the solution.

You find out peoples problems by asking questions, good questions.

Let me give you a quick example,

You: “Would you be open to a side project if it didn’t interfere with what you’re currently doing?”

Them: “Well, yea, as a matter of fact, I would be open to taking a look. What is it?”

You: “Great! Let me ask you something real quick, what’s got you open to making some extra income? Has something recently changed in your life?”

Them: “Well yea, as a matter of fact, they are talking about cutting our hours at my job.”

That is just one example of how things could go. The key takeaway from this is just to ask questions, figure out your prospects problems and provide the solution to those problems.

Another tip always speak with confidence and keep control of the conversations. You want to tell your prospects what to do next, don’t ask.

Don’t Ask, But Tell Your Prospect What The Next Steps Are. @RomiNeustadt Click To Tweet

If you’re going to set up a three-way call with your upline instead of saying, “Would it be ok if we did a three-way call with my upline?”

You should say, “Here is the next step we’re going to do, I’m going to set up a three-way call with my upline to get your questions answered.”

Avoid This BIG Mistake When Recruiting

The MLM business is built around recruiting. Recruiting involves talking to people. But most network marketers talk entirely too much. If someone shows a slight bit of interest they go into pitch mode talking about how great their company binary plan is or the awesome car bonus.

All of that is fine and dandy but here is a reality check, NOBODY cares about any of that. The only thing people care about is the problems they are having.

They could care less about helping you reach a new rank advancement or getting that bonus check. How does that help your prospect?

This is especially bad when using social media. The worst thing you could possibly do is have your company name all over your social media profile. That hurts you in so many ways, for starters it will turn a lot of people off. People who may have otherwise joined you or purchased a product.

Also when you give away your company name, you’ve given your potential prospects all the information they need to go out and do their own research about your company, think about that for a second.

If someone were to Google your company name right now, I can almost guarantee they would find something negative.

Also, don’t ever send someone on social media an unsolicited link or send someone a friend request they accept then you immediately up in there inbox talking about your business. That’s just lazy and it doesn’t work.

Build that relationship first. Be genuinely interested in people and if you can help it don’t burn bridges.

How To Recruit Other Leaders Into Your Business

Here’s what I’ll tell you about recruiting leaders. You won’t know who will step up and become one. One of the things I’ve learned is never to judge anyone.

Just find out who wants to step up and become a leader and build their own team and you help them do it.

If someone doesn’t want to build a team or run really hard, don’t stress it. When the timing is right for someone to step and become a leader you’ll know it because they will tell you.

Become someone worth joining and by that I mean invest into yourself. Buy books, courses and attend events.

You might not realize this, but when you when you get better you become more valuable to your team. You can now start to train them on the things you’re learning.

Should You Use Social Media?

I always tell people yes you should be using social media to build your business. What you should NOT do is only use social media. Why? Because you don’t own your profile for starters and your content is not searchable.

I think you should use social media as a way to get people back over to your blog where they can get to know you even better. Don’t get me wrong, doing Facebook Lives is some powerful stuff and can get some serious momentum going, but there is no way I would build my business only using a platform like Facebook.

Social media changes all the time. Facebook changes all the time, one minute your post is reaching thousands of people and the next it reaches like 10.

Here are some effective Facebook tips I learned from Ray Higdon that will help you stand out from the other network marketers doing it wrong on social media:

Be yourself on social media. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. The goal is to appear honest and accessible. Make sure your social media profile is appealing. It’s the first impression (online) people will have of you. Make sure your profile has YOU in it. Post more “value-oriented” post. This means no links, nothing about your company or product and no sales hype (“ground floor opportunity”, “no competition,etc.)

Use social media just to don’t put all of your eggs in one basket with it.

I think anyone who is serious about building a business online should have a blog, a self-hosted WordPress blog. You own it, it’s yours and nobody can tell you what you can and can’t do with it.

[Video] The MLM Recruiting Secrets I Wished I Would Have Known

Conclusion

My best advice when it comes to recruiting is just a human being. Don’t try to close on the spot, instead find out if they are at least open. If not move on to the next person.

If the conversation feels weird to you, it more than likely feels weird to them as well.

Don’t try and be someone you’re not just because you’re behind a keyboard. Interact with people online just like you would if you were in person.

If you keep these few things in mind you’ll do just fine with your mlm recruiting and you’ll explode your business.

Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. And if you know someone who could get some benefit from this training, feel free to share it with them.

If this post was helpful, please do me a quick favor, like and share on Facebook or your favorite social media platform.

To Your Massive Success

Text or Call Me: (336) 782-8318 Skype: Reco.Cherry Email:Dereco@DerecoCherry.com

Need Some One On One Help? Check Out My Work With Me Page.

PS: My Buddy Just Released Some FREE Training With His Exact Strategy To Getting 225K Subscribers To His YouTube Channel All While Working Full-Time. Get Instant Access

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[dimakalach]

It’s hard for you to believe my words, but just imagine how hard it is for me to believe that someone in a distant country even reads and responds to a letter from some completely unfamiliar person from the Internet, and even from Russia.

This text is written in continuation of my appeal, which is also published on the website https://dimakdv.ru.gg

Translated from Russian using an online translator, the original text on the site https://dimakdv.ru.gg

Hello! Not a little time has passed since I posted my appeal for help, of course, first of all, material help! The results are sad, one person wrote shortly “There is no God,” and the other answered in more detail. He said that I praise and extol the USSR and communism, which, apparently, is already unacceptable for someone, and moreover, in the Soviet Union there was no place for religion, more precisely for Christianity, although even in Russia today there are Muslims, Buddhists and other faiths. And in general, the article is blurry, long and does not give a clear indication of a difficult life situation! And what will I write, describe all the diseases, go to the hospital and collect all the certificates ... My wife can do this, for her the hospital is already like a home, and I just don’t have time and energy for hospitals and treatment - pills give a little strength - Mildronate (meldonium), mexidol, and various painkillers, such as analgin, an ulcer from it has already developed, because very strong pains begin in the stomach and it becomes impossible to move, only baking soda helps! In general, this person said that I am a fraud and he will not help me, probably all people think so.

Honestly, there comes despair and disappointment, although I agree with him, I agree with you, as with people who look at it from the side, I would not believe a word, probably, because in fact there are a lot of scammers in life, and today, perhaps, every second person wants to make a profit out of everything, and on the Internet, anyone can impersonate someone else! I don’t know how I would have reacted to such a letter if I had the opportunity to help this person - probably in such cases something inside should tell about the decision - heart, soul! Although earlier, God knows I’m not lying to you, I didn’t refuse people help, even completely strangers!

Communism - I did not say anything about this in the letter, but the idea itself, not bad, was a mistake in that people tried on the role of God for themselves.

I talked about the USSR - I was born in 1974, in the Voronezh region - this is the area where people live in agriculture, when my parents broke up, they separated and I managed to live with my mother in Siberia in Tyumen, then with my father in Central Asia and I there were very good memories of people who lived at that time, these people were different from modern society, and changes in society took place before my eyes, and changes for the worse, in my opinion! At that time, everyone lived approximately the same way and were happy with every little thing, were good-natured and responsive, money didn’t solve anything - well, maybe in big cities money mattered, such as Moscow! At that time, housing was provided free of charge, free education, only honesty and honesty were required from a person! And then the USSR collapsed and my life with the country — it’s hard for me to convey the mood of that time — then people didn’t turn to the police (police) for justice, but to the criminals, to the bandits who were released from prison! And they taught me honesty in kindergarten, at school, at home - do not deceive, do not steal, protect the weak, do not offend girls, respect the elderly...

Mostly my grandparents raised me, and I remember, as a child, how my grandmother hid religious books written in Old Slavonic, hid in a wardrobe and asked me not to tell anyone about it, because they could come, pick up books and also condemn, although in 1970-1980 it became much easier in relation to religion. I began to read the scriptures at school, in the elementary grades. In my appeal, I wrote that my grandmother possessed a gift (skill) from God - she treated sick people with prayers, in our family it lasts for many generations! Of course, my grandmother told me a lot about how the spiritual world works, about the inhabitants of that world - who helps people and who harms. Later, I myself was always interested in the Bible, because it is very important to understand who God is, because when Jesus was asked "what is eternal life," he answered "Eternal life in the knowledge of God!" Therefore, for me, the spiritual world is as real as a computer is in front of you, or as a pet - a dog or a cat! In general, I’m not talking about God in vain, my life is closely connected with Him, because in my life I often meet religious people, in Ukraine, for example, God brought me to Jehovah's Witnesses, and I attended their meetings and made many discoveries for myself...

My family, my wife and I are now in a very difficult situation, and I talked about this, but I wrote an appeal where I ask for financial assistance only because I had a dream at night, and a night dream that I have to do this - it's true, and I, as a believer, did this, I turned to you for help, although in my doubts I am still right! It’s hard for you to believe my words, but just imagine how hard it is for me to believe that someone in a distant country even reads a letter and responds to a completely unknown person from the Internet, and even from Russia (yes, they told me appeal to people from other nations, from other countries). Therefore, I tell you, this is possible only for God, He sees hearts, and whom He loves, He encourages action! How this happens, I will tell you, even on the example of my letter to you:

- You are a kind person, learned about another person’s misfortune, and that he needs help, at this time God gives you the Holy Spirit, and you accept or reject him (you probably heard the expression “a person filled with the Holy Spirit”), but if you accept such a gift, a person can become truly happy, which is why Jesus Christ said that his burden is light, although at first glance the opposite seems! The life of any person can change in one second, we cannot know what will happen tomorrow, and most often we can not influence what is happening - in such cases we call God for help, but will He respond when help is needed?!

Many today have turned their backs on God - people have many reasons, but few know why! Everyone heard about the End of the World, the Apocalypse, someone today says that nothing will happen, someone builds shelters, digs shelters, even buys land on other planets, but all these actions are completely useless! The fact that this will happen is a fact, we all see obvious changes, signs from heaven, disasters and shocks, wars and rumors of wars, and most importantly changes in society ... Jesus said that as the trees bloom and you know that summer is coming, so there are signs of the last days, and as summer comes, so that day will surely come. Also, Jesus said that it is impossible for a person to be saved, but everything is possible for God! Therefore, through religious organizations, people are misled, through the governments of countries people are created living conditions that are estranged from God ... Even my example, a person really disappears, and someone has the opportunity to help two living souls at once, but how to believe?!

Sitting at the writing of these texts, I suddenly got the idea that I know a lot about what should happen and what needs to be done to be able to save - this information has been collected in me throughout my life, from childhood, and how it turns out that it is consistent with the Bible - this is important because a person should not speak on his own; remember, even Jesus always said: "It is said ... It is written ...". And I thought that I could expound this knowledge and put it into free access to the Internet, even if one person finds something useful there for himself - that's good! Unless of course I have enough time and energy...

Everything, there is nothing more to write! And yet, I ASK YOU, WE VERY NEED YOUR HELP! PLEASE HEAR US, WHILE I ALREADY HAVE A CHANCE TO CHANGE LIFE! I AM READY FOR YOUR TERMS! OUR MAIN PROBLEM IS DEBT, AMOUNT ABOUT 600,000 RUBLES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, IT IS LESS THAN $ 10,000 $, you do not need the whole amount, and not necessarily a large amount, send as much as you can, we will be grateful to you for the smallest! No, I’m not a squander, and not a windy person - it happened, it happens! I try very hard, but my debt does not decrease, and perhaps it will begin to increase due to delays! Maybe I can do something for you...

If necessary, I will give you my phone number, but I do not know foreign languages. Here is the email address: ks36sv@gmail.com

God bless you! Amen

[wildlyhardphilosopher-blog]

Dog Training 01453 | Click Now

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Dog Training 01453 | Click Now

call us on 1800 067 710 Jump up ^ Saunders 1969, p. 11. Logan : What we do Subscribe to Newsletter Bird You are in control each step of the way and get to decide how YOU want your dog to fit into your lifestyle. Jump up ^ Spector, Morgan (3 January 2009). “Who Started Clicker Training for Dogs?”. Retrieved 30 November 2012. Jump up ^ Woodhouse 1982, p. 9. the dogs are so cute A career in veterinary nursing We welcome visitors to the club on training days to watch, ask questions and to get a feel for the way we train – which is the positive method ie: reward based using praise, treats and play. Where and when: Various times and locations in Hahndorf and Stirling Search in content Find A Trainer What is the Delta Institute? Find a store Training can take as many forms as there are trainers, however a detailed study of animal trainers found common characteristics of successful methods: thoughtful interpretation of what the animal does prior to training, accurate timing and consistent communication.[76] Navigation menu KID 4: It’s good to know that we’ve done something really good with them and they’re going to help a lot of people when they’re older. T&Cs In home and private puppy training tailored to your specific needs and the whole family can be involved. Assistance Dogs Please email or post a copy of the reciept through to us. Volunteer at RSPCA NSW ✎Add Your Comment Qualifications Lead By Example Ways to Give Search Approved obedience training organisations Wear suitable attire and closed footwear Up-to-date dog vaccination certificates must be provided when joining and after your dog has had its yearly vaccination Miley improved, amazing results in recognising BAH and developing her ability to walk on a lead with distractions. I am so impressed at how it worked and am happy with Miley’s progress so far. I’m very happy and can’t wait to see further improvements! Behavioural problem? Contact us Classroom 17 : Jump up ^ “The Use of Positive Reinforcement Training Techniques to Enhance the Care, Management, and Welfare of Primates in the laboratory” (PDF). Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2011. Senior dog care Book Online Dusty is responding to all his cues (except fetching he prefers to run away and be chased, still working on this ha-ha) and now remembers what his real name is. Education & Awareness Canine Training and Behaviour Educational Courses Subscribe to our newsletter and keep up-to-date with the latest information on pets and the AWL. Socialising your puppy with other dogs and people Urns and Keepsakes 6 Individualized and/or class training

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fbq('track', 'ViewContent', content_ids: 'dogtraining.dknol', ); Jump up ^ Bernstein, Irwin S. (1981). “Dominance: The Baby and the Bathwater”. Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 4 (3): 419–429. doi:10.1017/S0140525X00009614 Mouthing or Biting Know the difference between story and truth Pin Twitter Facebook Cuddly Toys Purely positive or motivational training employs the use of rewards to reinforce good behavior, and ignores all bad behavior.[58] It is based in Thorndike’s Law of Effect, which says that actions that produce rewards tend to increase in frequency and actions that do not produce rewards decrease in frequency.[59] Urban Dog training accepts the following forms of payment: Your pet’s favourite products, at your door when you need them. It’s super easy to set up and you can adjust your order at any time. Available on all the essentials – dog food, cat food, pet flea & tick treatments, vet prescription diet. What’s not to love? Set your Buddy’s favourite products on autoship today. Level 3 Open Colleges View our answer to this and previous questions SAcommunity News These classes are suitable for improving the relationship with both new or existing dog(s) in your family. A big thank you to George, SitDropStay Adelaide, for helping our Merlin over come some big struggles. understanding your dog’s body language Schools Training Information Price List 1300 4 777 22 Trials Find a Delta Dog Trainer Individualised training is used with dogs that have an urgent or unique training problem such as fear, hyperactivity, aggression (and other related problems), separation anxiety, biting, excessive barking, insecurity, destructive behaviors, walking difficulties, and inappropriate elimination.[80][81] This type of training would normally be undertaken where the problem naturally occurs rather than a class situation. Class training can be effective in encouraging socialization and play with a peer group. 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TV Dana Bell Maximum course size: 6 dogs  Choosing a pet Cost: $110.00 Identification Queensland Apprenticeships 1 hour per week Alexandria Petbarn · 10 April 2018 Growling ACN: 110 179 407 Shaping Current time in Sydney Contact Council United Kingdom Millan, Cesar; and Melissa Jo Peltier (2010). Cesar’s Rules, New York: Three Rivers Press ISBN 978-0-307-71687-3 Our Locations In addition to excelling at pet dog training, we also pride ourselves on being friendly, welcoming and approachable. Our Melbourne dog school trainers are available to discuss any dog training or dog behaviour issues you wish and will listen patiently to everything you have to say. You are also guaranteed to speak directly to a dog trainer every time you call us. Rally’O Training Individualized and/or class training[edit] Bahasa Melayu Training and behavioural problems Socialising your puppy with other dogs and people Get in Touch Password Reply Alert moderator Related: 6 steps to teaching your dog to fetch Website Terms & Conditions The only way your puppy will learn is through consistency. If they do something right, reward and praise them with enthusiasm. If the behaviour is inappropriate, make it clear that you are unhappy with a strong, “No” or by ignoring them. If you fail to be consistent, you can expect the same from your puppy! Search in title Class Three Dog Training Insight 3. I found the questions in the course relevant to what I was learning: Jump up ^ Lindsay 2000, p. 253. All trainers who complete the Delta course have a rewarding mission ahead, in helping to produce well-socialised, well-behaved dogs with informed, responsible and satisfied owners. This course follows on from Basic Dog Manners Level 1. In Level 2 we introduce agility equipment which helps build confidence in your dog. Dog Potty Training Tips | Top Online Resource Here Dog Potty Training Tips | Top Online Resource Available Here Dog Potty Training Tips | Top Tips Available Here Legal | Sitemap

[christfocused]

How to Handle Temptation - Episode 38

Even after many years of being a Christian I still struggle with temptation. I know what the Bible says. I try to do my best. But still, I am tempted to do wrong.

Maybe that is you as well. You know what is right but you are tempted do wrong.

Takeaway

Today we will study the subject of temptation. And I want to give you a simple takeaway. If you put Jesus first you will overcome temptation.

James 1:13-15

Open your Bible to James 1:13. From James, I want you to understand some basics about temptation.

James 1:13-15

"Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death."

The first two things I want you to know about temptation can be found in verse 13.

God is untemptable. That’s probably not a real word, Untemptable. But you get the idea. Why is God untemptable? Because God cannot sin. That is known as the impeccability of God. God cannot sin. So God cannot be tempted

 God does not tempt you. He may test you. But God will never tempt you to sin.

Look back at verse 14. It reads, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.”  Our response to temptation comes from within us. We are drawn away by our own desires. Temptation acts like a lure. Like a fishing lure.

We are like a fish in a pond, and Satan, the old crafty fisherman, casts his line in our direction. On the end of his line is a big fat worm with a hook hidden inside. Our own inner desires cause us to strike and to take that lure into our mouths only to find out that we are now caught.

Finally, verse 15 completes the picture. Think of it this way - temptation leads to desire, desire births sin, and sin leads to death. What kind of death – physical or spiritual? The answer is one, or the other, or all of the above.

Genesis 3:1-6

Last week examined Lucifer. We studied his creation, his beauty, his wisdom, and his fall. Now we see him again. And what is he doing? He is tempting Eve and Adam to sin.

Look at Genesis 3:1-6.

"Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate."

Lucifer, his name now is Satan, Satan is that crafty serpent. He brings his wisdom and his appeal to Eve and tempts her. Notice how he does it.

In verse 4 he suggests that God is a liar. Satan says, “You will not surely die.” God had said in Genesis 2:17 that they would surely die. So Satan calls God a liar. Remember last week when we looked at John 8 we learned that Satan is the father of lies.

Another thing Satan does, is he attacks God’s character. In Genesis 3:5 he says, “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Satan is saying that God is holding something back from Adam and Eve. That God is protecting His place by not giving all knowledge to Adam and Eve.

And the final aspect of Satan’s temptation comes from his own desires. Remember from our last study, Lucifer desired to be God. And now he is tempting Eve with the same thing. He says “your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God...”

And Adam and Eve fall. The temptation is a strong lure. Their inner desires well up and they take the bait. Temptation stirred up desire. Desire gave birth to sin. And sin led to death, both physical and spiritual.

Think about it. All temptation comes to you in this way. You are lured by Satan, or the world, or your own desires. And before you know it, sin has taken hold. And then death arrives. Spiritual death, possibly physical death. Or both.

Matthew 4:1-11

Here Satan tempts Jesus three times. He tempts in verses 1-4. He tempts Jesus again in verses 5-7. And the last time Satan tempts Jesus in verses 8-11.

In the first temptation, Satan wanted to see if Jesus, the Son of God, would obey His father or follow His own desires. Jesus uses Scripture to tell Satan that  "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

In the second temptation, Satan wants to see if Jesus is prideful. But Jesus responds with Scripture again and tells Satan,  ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

Finally, Satan offers Jesus a shortcut to glory. God that Father had a plan for Jesus, but Satan was saying that Jesus can shortcut that plan if He would just worship Satan.

Jesus responds to this temptation with, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"

What is our takeaway? Put Jesus first and you will defeat temptation. I think this summarizes how Jesus responded. Jesus put God and His Word first and defeated this temptation. And if you follow this pattern, you too will defeat temptation.

Temptation is a reality for everyone – believers and unbelievers.

If you are a unbeliever, then it is almost impossible for you not to sin. These sins add up. If you are a good person and only sinned  3 times a day, then in your lifetime you will sin approximately 70,000 times.

Go before the traffic judge with 70,000 speeding tickets and let me know how that goes.

Go before God the judge with 70,000 sins and see what will happen. But 70,000 is not really what is important. One sin is enough to separate you from a holy God.

So we are in a bad way. But God sent His Son Jesus to die for these sins. To take them to the cross and to pay the price for your wicked behavior. Now all you need to do is believe on Jesus. Trust in Him. He died for your sins. Believe that. He rose again for your eternal life – believe that. Accept the salvation He offers.

This Mark Jones and you have been listening to Faith in the Valley. If you are looking for a church that approaches faith simply then please visit. If you are tired of the noise. If you desire to know and relate to the people you worship with, then please visit.

I would define Wakefield as a simple church. Our worship is simple. The faith we practice is simply focused on Jesus. We simply study the Bible and love the Savior.

So if you live near New Windsor Maryland, please drop by. Our morning service begins at 10:45 AM. We would love to have you visit and worship with us.

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