#which means that my post limit is currently 500 posts

[sapphireswimming]

be ye warned: today I'm attempting to hit post limit (x2)

[ghostmoor]

Help my friends recover from a nasty leak in their building that wrecked their bedroom (link)

My best friends CJ and Hex are disabled trans people living in Chicago. CJ has limited capacity to work that's supplemented by SSDI and Hex is totally incapable of working due to a combination of many disabling health issues but most recently the advancement of their EDS and some kind of progressive spinal/neurological issue that has yet to be diagnosed.

Yesterday (14/08/2024) they woke up to find a leak in their apartment building which, over the course of the morning, soaked through pretty much everything in their bedroom and it's still not entirely clear what's salvageable. EDIT: at minimum, they are going to need a new bed and mattress. They and their four cats are currently confined to one room in their already-small apartment, and this is happening on the back of multiple other stressors.

Being stuck on the other side of the ocean means I'm pretty powerless to do much for them but I WOULD like to give them a little bit of respite from the financial stress after this. I'd like to raise, say, $500, but anything helps. CJ's linktree is linked above - take a screenshot of a donation to their fundraiser, paypal or venmo, or purchase from one of their wishlists, and it becomes a fun coupon you can trade in with me for a free sketch.

Alternatively, if you wanna go whole hog: commission me! 5 slots open, first come first serve, money will go to CJ and Hex. You can read more about my commissions on my website and find my email there, or contact me on Discord (ghostmoor).

Cat tax for the long post

Edit 20/08/2024: Renter's insurance has declined to pay anything out. in light of this i want to up my goal a bit.

Edit 31/08/2024: Renter's insurance flipped and paid out! The bad news is that the whole building is leaking water everywhere. The flood was much worse in other apartments than we realised and frankly the habitability of the building is in question at this point. Due to Chicago's fucked up laws around water leaks in their unit specifically they do not have a right to pay reduced rent as they had hoped they would, thus the goal stands.

4/5 commission slots open

$204/$800

[fereldanwench]

As of September 2024, most of this information is out of date. Please refer to this post for information on how to join!

So back in March or so, I applied to be a part of the closed beta phase for Tumblr's new community feature rolling out, and my Cyberpunk 2077 virtual photography community was accepted!

(pls don't judge the banner, i had to throw together something really quick for the submission and admins can't update community settings yet 😭)

This is a public community, which means when the feature goes live to everyone, anyone can view it and join without a special invitation. For right now, though, I can only invite 25 people* to be members. I've already invited a few folks who I know love VP, and I'd like to open up 10-12 invitations to the broader community!

*I can request more spaces once I hit the limit, and I'll make an update when those become available.

Shortly after I posted this, our member count was increased to 500, so we have plenty of room for anyone interested!

EXPECTATIONS FOR MEMBERS

You do NOT need to be following me to join.

You do NOT need to be a ~*virtual photography expert*~ to join. Newb or veteran, PC or console, mods or vanilla--Doesn't matter! If you enjoy the artform, you're welcome here!

You DO need to be at least somewhat active on Tumblr. I'd like to invite folks who: - Post at least one new CP77 virtual photography image a week - Have daily reblogs of other CP77 posts (VP, gifs, art, meta, etc) Note: This will not be a permanent requirement as the community feature grows, but since space is limited, I want to ensure the first invitations go to the folks who will make the most of them.

You DO need to be willing to deal with beta phase hiccups and growing pains. This is a new beta feature on Tumblr--We have encountered, and will continue to encounter, Hellsite™️ nonsense, both in terms of technical issues and figuring out how to best use the space. (For example: a part of the reason I've put off sending out a bunch of invitations at once was because, until recently, it was getting people shadow-banned, lmao.)

You DO need to join with a main account--Sideblogs can't join yet. As I understand it, this is something Tumblr wants to change in the future, but right now, invitations can't be sent to sideblogs. You'll have to be comfortable posting and interacting under your main account to join.

HOW TO APPLY

Just send me an ask* telling me you're interested! I'll reply privately when the invitation has been sent. If all the slots are full, I can put folks on a waiting list for when I can get the member count increased.

*Mutuals can DM me, but I think my current settings prevent anyone whomst I don't follow from messaging me, so asks are the best way to go.

[starlostlix]

Fukuchi is a 'tragic hero' and how his narrative on the page parallels that of the current manga narrative

[Sorry for the bulky title I didn't know how to phrase it with any less words.]

Anyone who has seen my post probably knows how interested i've been in the writing of Fukuzawa and Fukuchi in recent chapters, and I've just recently had an idea (inspired by a post by @starlightshadowsworld about Fukuchi and Fukuzawa) that Fukuchi is in some ways a 'tragic hero', mostly inspired by Macbeth (I have studied Macbeth like 3 separate times in school I think it may stick with me forever in some way).

So a tragic hero is usually a central character of a story, someone who is noble yet experiences a tragic downfall linked to a fatal flaw in their character. But some antagonists can also be tragic heroes. A tragic hero has to be virtuous to gain audience sympathy, have a tragic flaw that leads to their downfall, and suffer a reversal of fortune.

- So where does this apply to Fukuchi?

Fukuchi can be considered virtuous - he has goals of world peace, he's portrayed as a hero in his movies and to the people of the world, and he has his willingness to give up his life as part of his plan - which can all lead to the anime audience/manga reader and the people of the BSD universe feeling sympathy for him.

He also has his fatal flaws - he works with untrustworthy people like Fyodor to try and make his plan work (ultimately leading to his plan failing and him being turned into a weapon), and he displays a sense of cruelty despite his personal limit of 500 deaths for his plan. I do think that his ability itself is also a fatal flaw - his ability (being able to strengthen any weapon by 100x) is inherently made for combat and destruction, and goes directly against his ideals of world peace. In fact, the reason Fyodor needed him in the first place was his ability. In universe, his bloodlust and his own friendship with Fukuzawa would be seen as his fatal flaw, as may be written on the page.

Then the reversal of fortune. His original plan was to die and world peace to be achieved via the page from that. Instead Fyodor uses him as part of the Tripolar singularity and he is now the vessel of the Divine being that threatens to destroy everything around it - and goes directly against his ideas of peace. But that is OUR narrative - the people of the BSD universe were to have the narrative of Fukuchi being defeated in battle by his own friend, his bloodlust luring him to his own defeat.

But being a 'tragic hero' is to mean that his actions are inherently flawed, much like Macbeth being willing to shed so much blood for his own gain. Fukuchi's actions put the world in danger, even with his noble goals of world peace, and it is his flaws and actions that have led to the world being in such a dangerous situation - leaving it vulnerable to not only manipulatiors like Fyodor, but possible corruption via a potential dictatorship. His ideas were overly optimistic and doesn't account for these potential disasters enough (and no, placing Fukuzawa as leader does not solve this issue - what about who comes after? will they be as kind? and even then he's just shouldered his dear friend with a huge burden he didn't want in the slightest. i'd argue that's also another flaw of his - not having the necessary compassion to consider the effects his plan may have on fukuzawa, teruko and others involved and seeing that his goals may not be worth those.)

- So Fukuchi clearly hits all those boxes, but why do you keep mention the in-universe BSD population?

Well the main idea is that the narrative we see in the manga parallels that of the one the people of the BSD universe would see.

Fukuchi (his body now possessed by the Divine being) is creating all out destruction in Yokohama, with no reason or remorse for it. It is likely that this is how Fukuchi, if the page took effect when he was defeated, would be viewed by the public for his actions with the Vampirism and the One Order. Nothing more than a mindless monster, where his bloodlust is his fatal flaw, rather than his ability and his trust in the wrong people.

This is why i theorise that the final blow to kill the Divine being/Fukuchi will be done by Fukuzawa - preserving the effects of the page and playing out exactly like the page would have predicted. Essentially I also see the narrative of the page being applied to defeating the Divine being instead of just Fukuchi.

In addition, the people of the BSD universe would have had sympathy for him until this point. Not just Fukuzawa and Teruko, but all his fans who enjoyed his movies and the soldiers and politicians who idolised him. Whilst the current manga narrative has some attempts at evoking sympathy for him, most of the fanbase don't feel sympathetic to him (which flips the narrative presented in-universe).

[So essentially the current narrative we the reader see is possibly mirroring the one already written on the page - at least that's what I'm trying to say (i'm kind of confusing myself trying to write this, I had a point but it's kind of slipping my mind when I try to explain better). I hope this makes sense to at least one person lmao. This has been in my drafts for a bit so I hope it still makes some sense.]

[watercolourcritters]

How have you found so much engagement on social media? I’ve really struggled to get my art out there.

Your art is beautiful, but I’ve also seen other accounts with beautiful art with much more or less followers and engagement. I don’t really understand it and I was wondering if you had any insights. Thank you

Hi there!

So - very long reply incoming - I have a couple of thoughts on what has worked for me, but I also wanted to break down what engagement actually looks like and means, because I think it is very easy to look at a post with a couple hundred notes and think "wow, they must have a huge following."

I think it is also very easy to look at someone's art and go, "well, it's good, but why is it getting engagement when mine isn't." Which - well, more below - but isn't really how online engagement works.

1) What does well on tumblr? I think it's helpful to recognize what kind of my art, specifically, gets a lot of engagement. My art that gets Tumblr engagement - reblogs and likes - is almost exclusively my encouragement style art (simple art with an animal and some text), which hits 3 boxes: cute, animals, and text that is either funny or meaningful.

However - my more traditional art styles? Canvas art and watercolour? Rarely hits above 30-50 notes on Tumblr. The same goes for my fanart. It's just straight up not as popular.

And it varies between platforms. On Instagram, all of my art is typically between 25-50 notes. On twitter, it's only fanart that gets notes. It varies, and it depends on the community you've embedded yourself in.

Above all though - what gets notes on Tumblr is a bit of a crapshoot, and reflects little on the quality of the art. It depends on who reblogs it, how big their following is, etc. Sure, art quality sometimes helps - but I see fucking amazing art every day that has very minimal engagement. There is no sure-fire way to get engagement, and the shit that does the BEST for me in regards to sales has almost no notes here.

2) Engage in the community

I think something that I'm still learning is that for the most part, no matter the platform, people will encourage and engage with your art more if you're a part of the community. And that requires you to engage, too.

I am not always good at this one, because this is not my main blog - but I get a lot more followers and engagement when I also reblog other art & posts, because most Tumblr folks want to follow blogs that make their dashes richer on the regular in a variety of ways, rather than every so often with just art.

Reblog things. Like and comment on other people's posts. Make friends. Be a part of Tumblr's community, rather than expecting community to grow around you.

(Note: This is not me saying you don't engage, I don't know anything about your activity on tumblr. Just, y'know, engaging helps get engagement.)

3) Having a brand??

Honestly, I kind of hate this one, because I'm an artist who likes trying lots of new styles and fucking around with different things. BUT, in regards to social media, having a recognizable brand/style makes people more likely to follow you.

For example - my encouragement style art, with plain white background, an animal, and encouragement text, is my most recognizable style on IG, Tumblr, and in my local art community. Probably 95% of my followers on Tumblr are for/from that style of art. It is what it is.

My caveat to this is - while having a brand helps, don't let it limit what you do! Try new things, experiment, etc.

3) Recognize what "lots of engagement" does and does not do

So - it probably looks like I have a lot of engagement on Tumblr, because I have many posts with 500+ notes. But, honestly? I am pretty small fries as an artist. I really, really struggle to get engagement beyond this platform, and even what I get here is pretty minimal in comparison.

I don't have a ton of followers - I've had this blog for 2.5 years, and am currently sitting at around 525 followers. My encouragement art on Tumblr regularly gets hundreds of notes. The exact same art on IG, where I have a similar following, gets typically between 25-50 notes.

However - Tumblr, where I get a lot more "engagement," does not translate to art sales or commissions. Or at least, it very rarely does. On the other hand, Instagram, where I have much less engagement, gets me both more direct sales and commissions, because more people on there know me personally.

TBH, doing local craft style markets has been the most helpful thing in regards to actually making any money off my art. Engaging in my local community has also been the best for connecting with other artists, getting encouragement for my art, and validation.

4) Recognize that engagement means very little about the quality of your art

Y'know, I've gotten inbox mail before that is essentially "your art is shit how come it's getting notes." People see my art (especially my more minimal stuff), think about their own art, and get frustrated that they aren't getting notes.

And I mean, I get it! I think we've all had similar thoughts at certain points. Kind of the "my art is at least that good, how come they have such a big following and I don't"?

But it is really, really helpful to disengage the connection between "good" and "engagement" in your head. Because engagement means very little about the quality of something, and is more tied into "right time, right place, right audience" type of shit.

It's also really helpful to do as an artist, because otherwise it becomes really, really easy to do one of two things:

a) "well, I'm not getting any notes, therefore I'm a bad artist/I make bad art."

Or

b) "Other people getting notes is unfair to me, because my art is good, and I deserve more notes."

I've done it. You've probably done it. We've all had those thoughts/feelings. But they are unhelpful thoughts/feelings, and doing whatever you can to nix both thought patterns is helpful as fuck.

Because a) engagement means nothing about the quality of your art and b) other people getting engagement means nothing about the quality of your art.

Engagement is great! It's nice! I want every artist to have tons and tons of engagement! But an artist getting notes reflects nothing on your art.

And - it's really important to find ways to feel good about your own art that have nothing to do with engagement. If it's the external validation you seek, try and find one or two friends to send your art to who will tell you how much they love it. Start a spreadsheet of the tags/notes that people leave on your art. I dunno, get creative.

But find ways to validate your art that have nothing to do with other people, too. Create something that you don't share with anyone. Spend time making art that's just for you and your own enjoyement. Make something that makes you laugh or smile. Above all, set aside time to fall in love with your own art.

This got really long, but:

TLDR: Fuck, buddy, I don't know lol. What does well on tumblr varies, but people like silly, encouraging, cute shit. Build a consistent style. Engage in community. Know that engagement doesn't necessarily mean much, both in regards to art sales and in regards to the worth and value of your art.

Good luck out there!

[yukipri]

I joined Threads! Unfortunately my reach on Insta is still the most limited of all of my socials, and that’s the account Threads is directly attached to.

If you’re on either Insta or Threads, would love if you could stop by🙏

Direct linking to Threads doesn't seem to work...so here's

my Instagram

through which you can find my Threads account!

Edit: You actually can link to Threads, ironically through the icon at the top of individual Instagram account pages on desktop. Though Desktop viewing is currently limited to individual pages, and you can't necessarily scroll the feed. So here's my Threads page!

~~

Next, some initial thoughts on the platform for those who are kinda curious what this new thing is. Not at all an expert, just some info I've gathered myself, that I'd personally have liked to know before joining:

On Threads

・It launched July 5~6, 2023. Rollout varies by country.

・Twitter's already upset about it, apparently there's a lawsuit. So I guess it considers Threads a possible threat.

・It's run by Meta, same folks as Insta and Fb.

・The accounts are directly linked to Instagram, which has its pros and cons. You need an Insta account to make a Threads account, but if you already have an Insta account, it's very easy to make a connected Threads account. However, once linked, they're linked; you can't disable your Threads account without also disabling your Insta account. You can also automatically follow all the accounts you're already following on Insta, to be activated as they make Threads accounts. You can also share Threads posts to your Insta stories.

・Currently only on mobile app, hoping the'll make it desktop accessible soon

・The current audience mostly seems to be folks who have come direct from Instagram. This means yes, a lot of official/influencer accounts, but also a lot of artists/small creators too.

Functionality

・Right now, the "feed/dashboard" is a hot mess. It's just one massive algorithmic spew, no way to curate it, no way to see just the posts by the folks you're following, not even chronological. These are things that i personally require in a social media, so yeah it sucks rn. HOWEVER, they did state that they're working on a "followers only" feed, much like the one on Instagram. If they implement a Followers Only feed like Insta, it'll at least be much better than Twitter's current "Following" feed. There has been no timeline provided on when this may launch.

・It functions much the same as Twitter, with options to create new posts, and like, retweet, quote retweet, and reply to posts made by others. (There's still a lot of floundering about the exact terminology to use, since it's not twitter so you can't "retweet" etc)

・500 Character word limit per post, which is much more than Twitter, ey!

・Up to 10 images per post, doesn't seem to cause image quality reduction either. Rather than being able to arrange the images like on Tumblr though, they're all automatically in a carousel that you can see by swiping.

・Your bio can be the exact same as what's on your insta, but currently only shows followers. In order to see who you follow, you tap "followers" and then when the menu opens, swipe to "following." Then, you can tap on the individual accounts to view their pages. This is currently the only way to ensure you see the posts from certain accounts, because there's no guarantee they'll show up on your feed, and it's a huge pain. But again, they're hopefully working on a fix for this.

My understanding is that the app rushed to launch now, since Twitter is a dumpster fire and people are fleeing. (why is it a dumpster fire? Well, Musk implemented a randomly fluctuating tweet view limitation, which is dumb af, but means it's essentially become unusable to folks who use the platform a lot)

I'm hoping that there'll be improvements to Threads and it'll become a viable Twitter alternative, but until then...yeah we'll keep an eye on it.

Now that I've probably completely turned you off from downloading the app, if you do, a nudge that again I'd appreciate if you stopped by my account, YukiPri_Art on Instagram, and/or YukiPri_Art on Threads!

[jotatetsuken]

Shyna’s Summer Commissions

When I was planning this, it was supposed to be spring commissions, looks like procrastination has kept me busy af xD /hj /lh

Slots: 1/10 (OPEN, will roll out again once I am done writing, and this will go until 31st August, 2023)

Anyway, so, as much as I don’t want to admit it, here’s what’s happening: I have an educational loan to pay; two in fact, and while my father and I have been paying them diligently, he’s just turned 64... and I want him to not work anymore, and enjoy his retirement, y’know? The problem: my IT job does not pay enough per month and we’re currently on talks on reworking the appraisal (as I received minimal increment this year). So, this is something I want to do to help alleviate financially.

I know I can’t work on a lot with a ton of WIPs that I have, so I will have 10 openings for now so that I don’t overwork myself, and I will keep doing so throughout this summer, which means this will get over by 31st August, 2023. I also have a goal on Ko-Fi incase you want to donate to that as well. In case you can’t pay, but still want to spread the word by reblogging, you are more than welcome to do so <3

Now for the rules:

Only available for those who are 18 and above. (which means if you are a minor, please DNI with this post, please)

Payments will have to be made through Ko-Fi and Paypal only. For those based in India, we can discuss other alternatives (Paytm, PhonePe, etc, else the usual.)

If you’d like a Canon x OC fic, I will need every info about the OC, the background, traits, backstory, abilities, etc. If it’s a reader insert, I will need the same, so that it will help me write better. Picrew/art references are also appreciated. I can also write selfship fics too.

For reader inserts, I will only write female readers, afab readers, and gn!readers (only for sfw commissions).

I am available to talk via Tumblr DM or Discord (the latter, if you are a mutual)

Only two revisions allowed.

The teen characters (Itadori, Megumi, Nobara, Asta, Yuno, Noelle, all the Blue Lock and KNB characters, Josuke, Okuyasu, etc) will be aged up or post timeskip (like Haikyuu).

Details under the cut (Minors DNI with the post):

Pricings: Because I am just starting out, I checked a couple of my mutuals who are commissioning too, and pricing will be based on word count: $1 for 100 words, and I will start out at a minimum of 500 words and a maximum of 2500 words (will increase my limit when I feel more comfortable writing longer fics).

$5 - 500 words, $10 - 1000 words, $15 - 1500 words, $20 - 2000 words, $25 - 2500 words.

Fandoms: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (current fixation haha), Haikyuu, Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, Black Clover, Blue Lock (only the anime, haven’t read the manga yet), Kuroko no Basket

What can I write?: canon x oc, selfship, canon x f!reader/afab!reader/gn!reader (gn! only for sfw commissions), AUs (please specify the AU because I may not be familiar with everything), nsfw, dubcon, polyamory

What can I not write?: Stroheim (JJBA), Pucci in NSFW scenarios, certain kinks, characters other than the ones that I mentioned I will write

Tagging to spread awareness: @sugardaddyreo @chronic-claire-universe @cyberparadis @romiyaro @strawberrystepmom @bizarrebankai @jctaro @ilyluffy @litepowee @jellyluchi @mapesandoval @magthemage @papersirens @amberswords @uminozerol @thoughtfullyrainynightmare @arcanestage @spookysinner45 @scary-monsters @peachsayshi @theschneckenhouse @aeons-domain @mrsgiovanna @fuwushiguro @aizenhours @i4sgwr @sookisaurus @millionsknive @gojoest @amidalashandmaidens @tsutsumies @jojolovenotes @shaylistic @flowers-n-felines

[redbirdandbluebird23]

Commissions: Open!

Hey guys! I'm officially opening my fanfic commissions! I've been considering this for a little while because I'm struggling to find a job now I've finished my degree which means I've got plenty of time to write! My prices are based off what I can currently find other people are charging and I feel are pretty fair with the amount of work that goes into writing. I'll be using Ko-Fi for payments as it makes currency conversion much easier :)

Prices:

Prices will be £4 per 500 words (which converts to roughly $1 per 100 words). So:

500 words or less = £4

up to 1000 words = £8

up to 1500 words = £12

up to 2000 words = £16

and so on

How to commission:

Send me a message! This is so we can discuss word count/plot/characters/etc. before agreeing on a price

Once we've agreed on a price payment can be made through my Ko-Fi (link in bio)

I will then start working on the fic, obviously the word count will determine how long it will take

Once it is finished, I will send you a message and the fic will be posted on Ao3 (if you have an Ao3 account I will gift it to you :))

Please do not mention the fact it is a commission on Ao3 as this goes against their guidelines!

Things I will not write:

Underage

Non-con

Actual incest

Real Life People

Things I will write:

I am open to most ideas, provided they are for a fandom I am part of, but I have a history of writing reader insert fics (can give examples if you message me), and the ships I am most comfortable writing are JayDick, SladeJay and JayKyle. I am open to polyships depending on the characters. It also does not have to be limited to ships, I am happy to write platonic fics (with characters or reader insert). Basically, if you have an idea message me and I'll be able to tell you if it's something I feel like I'm able to write :)

[atomheartz]

hi, i haven't posted this here yet but over on my tiktok, i'm helping to fundraise for a family in gaza that is trying to reunite.

i'm fundraising for lina wael, off of the operation olive branch spreadsheet. lina is currently in egypt with her young daughter while her husband and many of his family members are trapped in gaza.

when i started making videos for her, we were at €67,145, and we just reached €70,010, and her goal was raised from €70,000 to €77,000, so we're just €7,000 away.

in about a week, we've raised almost €3,000 for her, which is huge.

if you can, please help by donating to her gofundme so we can try and get them closer and closer. unfortunately, my tiktok is small, less than 500 followers, so i'm not in the creator fund or anything. i have donated roughly €10 euros myself.

i know money is tight for so many people, economies all over the world are fucking garbage and people can barely afford groceries, but if you can spare just 5 dollars, which is gofundme's minimum donation limit, please do.

if not, please reblog this post, or go to my tiktok and like, comment, and share my video to help boost it and get it to other people who may have the financial means.

[vocaloidfactoftheday]

hello! so hypothetically if someone made a vocaloid art challenge prompt list (like a list of vocaloid songs to use as daily prompts) would it be alright to tag you for it to gain traction? for both the list and a submission form?

(when I say hypothetical I mean there is no list but me and a friend are discussing making one and the logistics lol)

short answer: no, sorry! please don't take any offense, i wish you good luck with your challenge! if you like, you can tag my main blog and i could reblog it there, though i honestly don't think it'd be very helpful either way.

long answer:

i want to avoid using this blog to promote things. which i know sounds hypocritical because i do use it to promote my own things sometimes, but this is just limited to 1. my vocaloid music (which i try to promote very sparingly to avoid spam) and 2. livestreams about vocaloid that i think this blog's followers would be interested in (which i've only done 2 of so far and i don't even remember if i promoted the second one lol...they were respectively "discussing every vocaloid voicebank" and "drawing vocaloids from memory"). once enough time has passed sometimes i'll delete my promos just to clean up the blog

there's a couple reasons for this:

i want to avoid too much irrelevant (i.e. not related to vocaloid facts) content on this blog. this is partially to avoid spam/clutter, which would be intrusive if someone just wants to scroll through to look at facts, but also because this will lessen the chances of the random button (which isn't visible on mobile, but it's on the blog's desktop theme) selecting an irrelevant post when its purpose is to show random facts.

i don't think there's that much of a point to it. promoting my own stuff (particularly the music) does get me a little attention on my youtube channel sometimes, but it realistically makes very little difference. i'm not sure anyone has actually found my music through this blog. this blog has over 1k followers and my youtube channel has under 500, and my subscriber count tends to stay stagnant for long periods of time. i can't imagine it would make much of a difference if i promoted your art challenge - the posts themselves might get more reblogs, but the actual amount of participants probably wouldn't increase very substantially.

i personally find it a bit awkward to promote stuff from people i don't know on this blog. or even from people i DO know, honestly. it just doesn't really fit on this blog. i'd be more okay with doing it from my main, but even then i don't typically promote things i don't pay attention to (like music i don't listen to, commissions from artists i don't follow) or participate in (though a vocaloid art challenge might be different - i don't think i'd participate because i'm a slow artist, but it'd at least be interesting to see the art that results from it)

this kinda loops back around to the "minimizing clutter/irrelevant posts" point - but this is a vocaloid trivia/fun facts blog. this is not a general vocaloid blog, i don't use this to share/post just anything vocaloid related (i do plenty of that on main). if i use up all the vocaloid facts, maybe this will change, but i currently have no desire to stray from this blog's purpose.

sorry for the long response! i hope this doesn't come off as a rant or anything, the main reason i'm posting this publicly is in case other people have similar questions/requests in the future. i appreciate you asking!

[armoricaroyalty]

dev diaries #4 - on the language of 'deserving'

This isn't what I said I'd write next but whatever.

The next few story posts are all about romantic and sexual relationships, and I've been thinking a lot about the tropes and language that are used to describe those things, within fiction and without.

Very often, I see discussions about whether or not a male character "deserves" a particular woman as a love interest, and it's always bothered me on a level I couldn't quite articulate. To me, "deserve" implies that there is some kind of point-based metric by which the worth of individuals can be measured out so we can figure out who is owed what, romantically. I've seen dissections and take downs of this notion that a hero deserves a love interest from the perspective of male entitlement, especially as it comes to the culture of the 1980's and 1990's, wherein the hero completes a journey and is awarded a passive, biddable love interest as a prize for his trials. People correctly describe that kind of messaging as sexist and objectifying, reducing the role of women in a story to mere trophies and prizes for the male protagonists.

I am in 100% agreement with those arguments, but I don't think I've seen much discussion about this language of "deserving" from the perspective of romances and other media where women are more often protagonists. I think it's really easy to pinpoint the ways in which "deserving" a love interest can be toxic in action films and comedies, but I think it's a lot harder to describe the ways in which that perspective is limiting in romances and dramas.

To my thinking, focusing on whether or not a man "deserves" the cool female protagonist of a romance still strips her of depth and agency, even if she's at the center of the narrative. It reinforces this idea that men are incompetent, fumbling, clumsy, and women are innately above it all. It establishes unequal footing and paints the woman into a corner -- if the dynamic of the relationship is about the man having to do something in order to deserve the woman, it limits the narrative's capacity for her to be flawed and dynamic, to have agency of her own. I find it infantilizing because it turns the woman into a perpetual mommy, someone who is constantly going to be monitoring the man's behavior to make sure that he maintains his state of grace and continues to deserve her affection.

I don't think it's bad, in fiction or in real life, to have a relationship where one person strives to be the best version of themselves for their partner. I don't think it's bad, in fiction or in real life, for people to think about how they deserve to be treated. But I think that it's bad to frame relationships or love interests as something that can be earned, owed, deserved--those kind of acquisitive models and ways of thinking are, to my mind, flattening and reductive.

I've been thinking about this a lot in terms of Freddy and his romantic relationships. He's a character who's flawed and those flaws have gotten in the way of his romantic relationships. He has hurt people by being selfish, immature, uncommunicative--these are things he needs to develop before he can be a good partner to anyone. But I still find myself so resistant to the framing that he is currently undeserving.

I think a large part of my :/ reaction is just a general distaste for the concept of what is deserved and by whom. A city near me is instituting a policy wherein some low-income families earning less than half the living wage are being $500 monthly subsidies, no strings attached. And the comments sections are full of people who think that these families don't deserve the money, full of people obsessed with the idea that some people are worthy of it and others aren't, full of people who think that we need to find ways to ensure that no one undeserving benefits by accident.

For me at least, I have a hard time uncoupling these different meanings of what it means to 'deserve' something from one another. You cannot bring objectivity to this because the idea of worth and merit are inherently subjective. Perhaps we are all deserving of grace, comfort, love, an extra $500 a month -- I think we'd all be a lot better off if we let go of the acquisitive little goblins in our brains who want to make sure that nobody else has anything we think we're owed.

This is a joke, but also not: I've been thinking about this tweet since I saw it, and that's a large part of what inspired this post.

[ericleo108]

CosmicLuve.com April 2023 - Sun

Necessary prerequisite posts:

Sentientism 2022

Cosmic Love Feb 2020 - Emma Watson

Cosmic Love April 2022: Cary Charlotte or Mary

Cosmic Luve Aug 2022 - Coast

Cosmic Luve Sept 2022 - Hope

Intro

This post is a vindication or confirming post. It basically follows up on the semantics explained in the “Aug 2022 Coast” and especially “Sept 2022 Hope” posts. You won’t understand this post or it’s significance unless you understand the theory and journaled experience in this cosmic luve series.

The basic theory of cosmic luve is that the planet earth (and stars are or) is conscious due to her magnetism, is telepathic and molds eugenics and influences evolution by affecting mate behavior through cognition. The premise of this argument, that the earth is conscious due to magnetism, and the story of how I reached that conclusion, is outlined in my book “108 The Story of Discovering Earth’s Consciousness.”

Coincidences

These are the coincidences that are related to the previous posts (especially Sept 2022 Hope) in a summarized tweet. Hailee came out with “sunkissing” which I feel is a response to my Hope blog post. In the Hope blog post, I make a big deal of the semantics of the sun and even have a poem inspired by the sun.

Then I saw Emma’s new picture blocking out the sun with her hand and I immediately thought of “Sunkissing.” I knew all that and didn’t decide to make this post until I saw that Hailee has new IG story pictures that are by an Emma. As a cherry on top Hailee is in yellow in one of the photos.    

As a little update on my work. “Back to Life,” my song inspired by Hailee comes out November 3rd 2023 and is a response to Hailee’s work. My song “Earth” is kind of a response to sun kissing that I’ve had written before even coast, it still has to be produced. It will come out later this year. Cosmic Luve Brownies which is inspired by Taylor Swift and whose cosmic luve story can be read in the Oct 2022 Folklore post, comes out on December 13th 2023. I’m gonna remake the songs from “The Chalice Mixtape.” I already remade “Talk To Me” and “John Wick” is uploaded and comes out May 26th 2023. I’m definitely remaking “Charlottes Web.”

Marcus

Leaving off where I left in Sept 2022 Hope on trying to get help and find Marcus Lemonis. I sent Marcus a dm a couple weeks before, then on April 13th 2023 I took a trip to Chicago to try to find Marcus. I went to Camping World headquarters and shop Marcus. No one could help me.  It was basically pointless and reminded me why I don’t chase the prospects of love or opportunity. 

Marcus is having a public speaking event on May 11th 2023 in Denver Colorado. Basically, the only thing holding me back is money. It costs $500 for a Q&A. But with air fare and hotel, that’s too much bread. I would also have to go alone and plan the trip on short notice. I thank Marcus for making himself available and although it’s very tempting, I don’t wanna force it. It’s not the right time. The financial decision just wouldn’t be prudent. 

Goals 

I want 1000 tracks published, which is 50 a year for 20 years. But I don’t have the money to sustain the output and promote. I basically have the opportunity to buy a package of services that would take me to the next level through Ryini but I can’t afford them. The next step is to find a label to do a project and or tour with. I want to do business in Michigan. 

The truth is, I gotta start doing shows. I started to release once a week to grow my online following so I’d have an audience to show up to my shows. But I’m not growing online despite releasing once a week with a new word of the day Rhyme everyday. Even if I made a hit, I don’t have a large enough audience to launch it.

Limitations

Currently, I see my economic situation as limiting. I don’t care about succeeding that much. I could care less about validation from most people. What I really want is companionship and I see myself as unable to complete that feat without the economic means to sustain mobility. I ultimately see that as a failure of the American economic system, which doesn’t provide adequate opportunity and actively has a system that exploits my labor power. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for the disability system and the life it provides me but it’s adequate at best and is rather lacking compared to peer nations. My life would be vastly improved by universal healthcare. Basically, I need the money to chase her and can’t have a family because I’m poverty-stricken.

You can hear all about how I didn’t get into the University of Michigan and don’t have funding at Western so I can’t go to graduate school in the Funk You Sunday Update. Between going broke to try and build a brand and ROI good enough to attract a cosmic luve, to being accepted into college but being unable to afford to go, dreams don’t come true in America, unless you have the money to afford them.

To put it simply, I basically try so hard to try and earn the intimate love of a cosmic love. If I had one, I would be much happier, appreciative, and loving. But I don’t, so it’s back to the drawing board and how to obtain a normal life in America’s POS government disability and economic systems. I basically see America as preventing me from thriving or even having a normal life because of corporate rule.

Communicating with Gaia

Before moving on, it’s worth mentioning the following. I hear about how many rappers predict their futures in their music. My song “Love the Mission” is my prophesied future. And Dave was in a yellow dress, as another instance, for this week's S3 Episode 4 “Wisconsin.”

Gaia has somewhat been predicting the future. She said a couple of years ago that “I would be shocked” and she stopped saying it once I found I had some money to be claimed. Then she basically did it again before I noticed I had some back royalties. She’s now saying I have two years before I’m financially free. I don’t see it but we’ll see. She also has been saying “Your mind goes to dark places and you wonder why we keep the worst from you” along with “we don’t tell you the future because you catalog it.”

I’m still not quite sure what it means but Gaia recently told me that she was going to “vomit.” I was watching John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight about immigrant farmers which just came out this week, and she said “I told you I’d vomit.”

Gang stalking

It’s worth mentioning, to set the record straight, I’ve seen a video pop up I made about gang stalking. To be clear those videos aren’t reality, they’re more about how I felt and perceived what I was feeling when I was mentally ill. I was never catfished by Lady Gaga.

The evidence I gave was not evidence. Alex Jones it’s not a credible source. As far as gangs go, that does happen but America is relatively safe. I felt like I was being mind controlled by electronic weapons because I was mentally ill. Gangs exist, so does stalking, but “gang stalking” is more likely a group delusion perpetuated by schizophrenics that are mentally ill. If it does exist it’s rare and they’re not using electronic weapons.

Why would the government stalk me just to give me health care and money to live if they were malicious? I was never tortured by electronic weapons, it just felt like it because I have schizo affective disorder.

If I was being stalked by anything it was Gaia. I talk about this experience in my life and how I think the planet is conscious and trying to communicate in my book “108 The Story of Discovering Earth’s Consciousness.” The machine doesn’t exist and if it does, it’s the planet Earth (tweet). You can read about how the machine is Gaia in my post Gaia: Environmental Tapestry Manifestation that is on this blog. 

I will say, I’ve come a long way. I basically wasted 10 years being mentally ill. It’s been a long journey and I hope someday it’ll bring me one of my cosmic luves. Please stream my music and buy your favorite track if you want to support me. Thank you for reading. 

[aquotidianoddity]

I keep seeing posts like this about Finland and homelessness and I wanted to add a comment to correct some misinformation. To be clear, this isn't a criticism of Finland, just the way the information is being presented.

This post doesn't say it, but I've seen others that say that Finland has "ended" homelessness. This is not true. Finland has about 3500 homeless people, about 2/3 of which are living with friends or relatives. Finland has made huge strides in reducing homelessness and poverty-based homelessness is almost non-existent (meaning that homeless people usually have a social problem that prevents housing: debt, drug or mental health issues, or violent living situations).

Finland also doesn't "give you an apartment." The philosophy of "housing first" means that the social services in place are available to you regardless of your situation and their goal is to help you find your own apartment as a first priority. There are no sobriety or health requirements to receive them. The only prerequisite is that you're homeless or about to become homeless.

There are many services available to help you find and keep an apartment: social workers, housing counseling for those who don't know how to look for an apartment, and advice for approaching landlords when you have a mark against your credit, you have debt, or you're unemployed. There is also public housing; however, this can be limited, wait times can be long, and applications are prioritized by need (for example families with children and people who can't get private apartments because they've lost their credit details are prioritized)

There are also other services that are available to everyone, which help prevent both homelessness and poverty. The government pays a housing allowance to everyone whose income is under a certain amount (about 1600€/month). For example, as a student with no income my housing allowance is 313€/month and my rent is 480.

Unemployment benefits have no maximum time limit. There are some higher, wage-based unemployment benefits that have a time limit (300-500 days), but if you don't qualify or you run out of days, you can get the minimum benefit, about 800€/month.

If you can't work because you're sick, the government pays you 70% of your wages or a minimum of 800€/month for those with low wages or no job.

If your income isn't high enough to cover your necessary expenses, or if you have no income (perhaps you've temporarily lost your right to unemployment because you didn't apply for 4 jobs per month) and no savings or assets, the government pays you a basic income aid. This includes about 550€/month for food and necessities, the rest of your rent after the housing allowance (up to a certain maximum), plus the exact amount of your water, electricity, renters insurance, and medications. Other urgent and necessary bills can also be covered if they're approved. For example if you're evicted from your apartment and can't afford your new apartment's security deposit.

This is kind of the tip of the iceberg when it comes to welfare in finland, but these are some of the main pillars that most people will use at one point or another. All of these add up to a system that prevents homelessness before it can happen and supports people with issues to get back into a home and maintain it.

This system is unfortunately under attack by our current right-wing government. Health and social services are being underfunded and the conditions for receiving certain benefits have been made less generous and less flexible. The current government has a goal of eliminating long-term homelessness by 2027, but with their policies, I would be surprised if they achieve this.

Also let me know in the replies or my asks if you want to know more about welfare in Finland! It's one of my special interests and I have a lot of experience both working in the field and receiving it myself

Source

Source

[aidoesntexist]

So I’ve been back on my bullshit, and honestly it’s been so easy this time???

Like my history is in HS I first developed ED tendencies, which got thrown for a loop when COVID hit (yes I’m old 😭, okay not like really ‘03 babyyyyy) (I would never say a full ED just because I don’t fit the diagnosis criteria)

But ever since I like would have the thought patterns but not really the behaviour to match? Like all the self loathing but no actions taken, besides like blips here and there, and constantly coming back to this little hellsite 🫶🏻

But in September I like moved countries (honestly like recommend if you can) and had stopped my birth control (whole other thing but essentially I switched to this brand summer 2023 and then proceeded to gain a bunch of weight over the course of the year) and so because of that suddenly I dropped weight, like 10 pounds (maybe more I wasn’t weighing regularly when I gained the weight but like at minimum, I went from at least 150 to 138)

Which should be great right? Wrong, now I look at pictures for the last year and see where I lost the weight and feel disgusted by those photos. So my brain thinks, obviously, you should keep going, imagine what you aren’t seeing right now. (Which so true and like I see parts of my body and think that’s so cubby, but imagine once I lose it and see just HOW cubby I really was, y’know?)

So now I’m on the restricting shit again. Which this time is so easy??? Like it’s never been this easy, combined with mental health meds that suppress my appetite to begin with, combined with being poorer than ever, and being too scared to cook because of my roommate, and like normal fatigue from school, it’s just so like easy??? (I’m also doing weekly limits instead of daily!)

But this also means the things I do eat are either super good for me (fruits, healthy yogurt etc.) or just things I love (ice cream, sweets, pasta etc.). Like it’s so nice??? And I barely have to exercise, like I want to start just because I know I won’t lose certain things if I don’t, and I also want a certain look (like ballet body) which requires toning. So once I do it’ll be even better ?

Anyway like I said I’m going for weekly limits, so I think every Friday, I’ll post about the week and shit, I’m obvi using MyFitnessPal like what else lol. So currently how I’m doing it is I’m taking my ideal daily limit multiplying that by 7 days, and using that as the weekly goal. So basically the aim is to stay under the daily goal, but allows the flexibility if I do like super well one day, I won’t feel bad going over another day! So that way it also creates way more variation and will hopefully reduce the risk of plateau I found I’d hit in the past when I did like a strict daily limit (tbf I’m also being way more reasonable with the goals for myself this time anyway)

Like in HS I was trying for under 500 a day, which isn’t sustainable long term, so this time I’m doing “1000 a day”, which is actually more like 7000 a week! Which means first I’m easing in way better (like this isn’t a huge jump from what I was doing before, it’s just being more conscious of what I consume and how often essentially, like “do I really want that sugary drink or what I be fine with water and eating some fruit?” Like that). Second it may mean I lose slower but like I said less likely to plateau and makes it easier to change things up if I do, so I could lower the limit or up my exercise if I did, and third once I get to an ideal weight it’s a diet I could maintain if I wanted to or I can probably adjust easier to the maintaince amount for that weight even if it’s still a low amount, like I could slowly work to the maintenance amount without regaining huge amounts (because when you do, you will gain when adjusting for maintenance so easier to surpass the weight you want and regain to it y’know, but you still might get slightly more and slowly drop back over time). Like say the maintenance for your ideal weight is like 1500 with regular fitness, if your only doing 500 a day you’d shock your system suddenly jumping to 1500 and would probably end up gaining lots of fat because your body is worried. But if you’re doing 1000 a day to 1500 that’s less of a shock and therefore less consequences to fix.

Like obvi not a professional, like literally never studied nutrition in my fucking life, this is purely based on stuff I’ve heard online, my own experiences in the past and from other people’s I read while lurking on ed tumblr so long. So I could do this and later realize it doesn’t work lmao, which too bad, I could’ve saved time or it’ll drive me further in later, which idc, I’m not allowed to be suicidal with this unfortunately but who knows that could change depending on how I do in school ☠️.

Like if you read this whole rant, like good for you?? Idk lmao, I think this is something people with just scroll past, like I post here like it’s the fucking void and no one will see or care.

- A.I xoxo

[lawinsiderfl]

Cromey Law: Florida's Hidden Danger: How Reckless Driving in Pensacola and Escambia County Is Putting Lives at Risk

Reckless driving isn't just a minor traffic violation; it's a serious offense that can have life-altering consequences. Whether you're a local or just passing through, understanding the penalties associated with reckless driving in Pensacola is crucial for safeguarding your future. Let's look at how this article aims to shed light on the complexities of reckless driving penalties in Pensacola and Escambia County.

Important Tips for Reckless Driving Penalties in Pensacola

Always consult with a qualified legal representative to understand your rights.

Consider attending traffic school to potentially reduce penalties.

Be aware of the impact on your insurance rates and driving record.

How Can I Help You with Reckless Driving Penalties?

With years of experience under my belt, I understand the ins and outs of the legal system in Pensacola and Escambia County. Reckless driving charges can be daunting, but you don't have to face them alone. I am committed to providing you with the best legal representation possible, ensuring that your rights are protected every step of the way. Whether it's negotiating a plea bargain or representing you in traffic court, my goal is to minimize the impact on your life. For more insights, I invite you to read my blog post on reckless driving penalties in Pensacola.

What Are the Legal Consequences of Reckless Driving?

Reckless driving in Pensacola is not just a slap on the wrist. It can lead to severe penalties, including fines, license suspension, and even jail time. According to the Florida Statutes, reckless driving is defined as operating a vehicle with willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. This means that even if no accident occurs, the mere act of driving recklessly can land you in hot water. The Pensacola Police Department and the Escambia County Court take these offenses seriously, often imposing strict penalties to deter future violations.

Fines can range from $25 to $500, depending on the severity of the offense.

License suspension is a common penalty, often lasting up to a year.

Community service and mandatory traffic school may be required.

How Does Reckless Driving Affect Your Insurance Rates?

One of the most immediate impacts of a reckless driving charge is on your insurance rates. Insurance companies view reckless driving as a high-risk behavior, which can lead to significant increases in your premiums. In some cases, your policy may even be canceled. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles keeps a record of all traffic violations, which insurers use to assess risk. This means that a single reckless driving charge can haunt you for years, affecting your financial stability and peace of mind.

Expect insurance rates to increase by 50% or more.

Some insurers may refuse to renew your policy.

Consider shopping around for better rates if your current insurer raises premiums excessively.

Can Reckless Driving Lead to a Criminal Record?

Yes, reckless driving is considered a criminal offense in Florida, which means it can result in a criminal record. This can have long-term consequences, affecting your ability to find employment, secure housing, or even obtain certain professional licenses. The Escambia County Court treats reckless driving seriously, often imposing penalties that go beyond simple fines. A criminal record can follow you for life, making it essential to seek legal representation to potentially mitigate these consequences.

A criminal record can limit job opportunities.

It may affect your ability to travel internationally.

Legal representation can help in negotiating lesser charges.

What Are the Options for Legal Representation?

When facing a reckless driving charge, having a skilled attorney by your side can make all the difference. Legal representation can help you understand the charges against you, explore options for plea bargains, and represent you in traffic court. An experienced lawyer can also help you navigate the complexities of the legal system, ensuring that your rights are protected at every stage. Whether you're dealing with potential jail time, fines, or a suspended license, having a knowledgeable advocate can significantly impact the outcome of your case.

Consult with a lawyer to understand your legal options.

Consider plea bargains to reduce penalties.

Representation in court can help protect your rights.

Hypothetical Case Study: Reckless Driving in Pensacola

Imagine you're driving down the scenic roads of Pensacola, enjoying the warm Florida sun. Suddenly, you find yourself caught in a moment of poor judgment, speeding through a red light. Before you know it, the flashing lights of a police car are in your rearview mirror. You're pulled over and charged with reckless driving. The officer explains that your actions endangered public safety, and you're now facing hefty fines, potential jail time, and a suspended license.

As you sit in the courtroom, the reality of the situation sinks in. The prosecutor is pushing for the maximum penalties, and you're overwhelmed by the legal jargon being thrown around. This is where having a seasoned attorney can be invaluable. With the right legal representation, you can explore options for reducing your charges, potentially avoiding a criminal record, and minimizing the impact on your life. It's a stark reminder of how quickly a momentary lapse in judgment can lead to serious consequences.

Key Takeaways on Reckless Driving in Pensacola

Reckless driving is a serious offense with severe penalties.

Legal representation is crucial for navigating the legal system.

Understanding your rights can help mitigate long-term consequences.

Here are some resources used while researching this page!

 Florida Traffic Laws Overview - A comprehensive guide to Florida's traffic laws, focusing on regulations and penalties for various traffic violations.

 Understanding Reckless Driving Laws - An informative Wikipedia article that explains the legal implications and consequences of reckless driving across different jurisdictions.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What constitutes reckless driving in Pensacola?

Reckless driving is defined as operating a vehicle with willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. This can include excessive speeding, aggressive driving, or ignoring traffic signals.

2. What are the penalties for reckless driving in Florida?

Penalties can include fines ranging from $25 to $500, license suspension, community service, and even jail time. The severity of the penalties often depends on the circumstances of the offense.

3. How does a reckless driving charge affect my insurance?

A reckless driving charge can significantly increase your insurance premiums, sometimes by 50% or more. It may also lead to policy cancellation or non-renewal by your insurer.

4. Can I fight a reckless driving charge in court?

Yes, you can contest a reckless driving charge in court. Having legal representation can help you explore options for plea bargains or even dismissal of charges, depending on the evidence.

5. Will a reckless driving charge appear on my criminal record?

Yes, reckless driving is a criminal offense in Florida and can result in a criminal record. This can have long-term implications for employment, housing, and other areas of life.

6. Is it possible to reduce the penalties for reckless driving?

With the help of a skilled attorney, it may be possible to negotiate reduced penalties, such as lower fines or avoiding jail time. Traffic school or community service may also be options.

7. How can I prevent a reckless driving charge in the future?

To avoid reckless driving charges, always adhere to traffic laws, drive at safe speeds, and remain attentive to road conditions. Consider defensive driving courses to improve your skills. Disclaimer: Cromey Law tries to ensure the accuracy of this article. However, Florida Statutes change, case law changes, and as such, errors may occur. Cromey Law assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions in this article. Cromey Law encourages you to utilize our links to relevant Florida Statutes. Contact my office at [850.483.1689] if you have any questions or require legal assistance.

[burtonwilde]

Burton Wilde - My Insights on Value Investing

Burton Wilde - My Insights on Value Investing

When a bull market arrives, everyone talks about how to make money easily, but a bear market brings panic and uncertainty.

The shift between bull and bear markets creates an extremely emotional cycle, often causing investors to overlook the importance of a stable investment philosophy amid fluctuations. The current Hong Kong stock market is undergoing a severe adjustment, and this bearish atmosphere necessitates the establishment of a robust investment system and emotional management strategy.

Today, I will share with you the legendary acquisition case of Warren Buffett and The Washington Post. I hope everyone can stabilize their emotions in the bear market, adhere to their investment principles, and maintain confidence in future prosperity.

Warren Buffett’s Investment Journey

In 1972, The Washington Post gained prominence for its in-depth coverage of the Watergate scandal, receiving important awards that highlighted its journalistic professionalism, quickly becoming one of the most famous newspapers in the United States. However, by 1973, the company faced significant challenges. The Washington Post was under pressure from the White House, and there were rumors in the market that the White House might revoke the newspaper’s operating licenses for two television stations in Florida. This segment of the business contributed nearly one-third of the company’s profit income. These unfavorable factors led to a consecutive decline in the stock price.

But precisely when the company was experiencing panic selling, Buffett went against the trend and began continuously buying shares of the company in 1973. By the summer of 1973, Buffett held a 9.7% stake in The Washington Post. Buffett firmly believed that the market value of the company should be between $400 million and $500 million. However, at that time, the market value was only $100 million, and in the following years, the company continued to be affected by the “Watergate scandal” and the bear market, causing Buffett to incur losses of up to 20% in the short term.

It was not until 1976 that the stock price returned to the level at which Buffett had purchased it.

Why Buffett Was So Resolute

At that time, The Washington Post owned four television stations and two radio stations, and these licenses were very difficult to obtain. Moreover, the company’s owner, Katharine, maintained close relationships with numerous U.S. dignitaries, ensuring The Washington Post’s influence across the United States.

Simultaneously, the company had a 63% market share, with over two-thirds of adults reading it. The company’s subsidiary, “Newsweek,” reached its peak advertising revenue of $72.5 million in 1972, and the magazine was sold in over 150 countries and regions worldwide.

The extensive circulation meant that advertisers preferred The Washington Post, indicating enormous growth potential for the company’s advertising revenue in the future.

Therefore, Buffett was determined to bypass conventional investment doctrines (such as his mentor Graham’s value investing philosophy: net current assets should be at least 30% higher than the stock price) and focus more on the company’s future profit potential, adopting a more forward-looking and growth-oriented investment strategy.

The cost of his investment in The Washington Post eventually reached $10.6 million, and by 2005, the value of this investment had grown to $1.3 billion, excluding dividend income. Buffett eventually sold this portion of assets after 2000, as the rise of the internet limited the growth of traditional newspapers.

What can I learn

The Washington Post’s market value at that time was $100 million. However, the company had franchise rights and a large user base, which, understood from today’s internet perspective, means “having a substantial traffic that can be monetized.” Therefore, even with just $100 million, Buffett believed that this value had a strong margin of safety.

If we look at a three-year time-frame, Buffett’s investment return rate is 0, and The Washington Post has clear market advantages but still lacks market recognition. However, if we extend the timeline to 27 years, The Washington Post’s average annual return rate is 19.5%.

From a 27-year perspective, The Washington Post is a good company, but for a good company to become a good stock, it may take the market a long time to adjust.

In the era of the internet, the pace of change in the world has accelerated. No matter how good a company is and how good its business is, it cannot outpace the changes brought about by the times. Even a good company’s business needs to move with the times.