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unfolded73 · 5 years

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How Do We Get Back (1/16) - schitt’s creek ff

(AO3 link)

Summary: In a literal alternate universe where the Roses escaped financial ruin, David and Patrick struggle with loneliness and a sense that something isn’t right. A chance meeting in New York and a terrible tragedy drive them to question whether the timeline they are on is the right one.

Notes: I'm really excited to start posting this fic which has been obsessing me for a few weeks. Thanks to @j-philly-b for being my New York-native nit-picker - pizza fight forever. See notes at the end for warnings about plot elements in this fic ... or don't if you prefer not to know.

Rating will be explicit in later chapters. This chapter 3.5k words.

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Soft music played from somewhere, infused into the space like just the right amount of an expensive perfume: not enough to draw attention to itself, but enough to help round out the aesthetic with taste and class. The white walls positively glowed under warm, carefully selected lighting, offering a contrast to the pieces on offer to buyers. Minimalist and spare, every item was lovingly placed by the owner in exactly the perfect spot to highlight its assets and mask its flaws. It was why buyers went out of their way to come here, or so the proprietor had been told in more prosperous days.

“Tell me about this sculpture,” said a woman in a severe suit and a severe haircut and impossibly high heels.

David Rose, the gallerist she was addressing, put his hands together in an obsequious manner and walked over to stand at her side. Her command had come without the courtesy of turning and looking at him; rather with the expectation that she would get a prompt response — she was the kind of woman who always got a prompt response.

“This is another exciting piece by Devonaé Streeter. She works out of New York now, but after a few months in Prague—”

“I don’t want to hear about the artist. Tell me about the work.”

David squinted an eye at the bronze sculpture, standing its solitary vigil on a white pedestal. He imagined the… woman? it depicted was looking back at him, or would have been if she had more than empty eye sockets to look at him with. He launched into his patter.

“Devonaé’s bronze works often challenge the viewer to look past the grotesque features of the art to see the grotesque features in themselves. This particular figure is an allegory for the way in which we fail to recognize each other’s pain, and I think—”

The woman turned on her heel and walked away, dismissing him and the statue with one quick wave of her hand. She turned her attention to the art on the walls, scanning over the canvasses quickly. David could almost see the calculations going on behind her eyes, like a scrolling ticker on a cable business news show. She wasn’t here to appreciate the art, she was here to find something to invest in. Most of them were, especially people like her.

“Tell me about that one,” she said, pointing to the largest canvas.

David winced. He would have taken the painting in question down a while ago, or perhaps never would have hung it in the first place, if he weren’t hurting a little bit for artists these days. And of course if he hadn’t signed a contract. He’d met Carmen at a party, and okay yes, she’d seemed a little crazy at the time but he’d assumed that was because of all the drugs they were taking. He’d agreed to display her art in his gallery. Now, months later, not a single one of the paintings had ever sold.

Clearing his throat, David said, “Carmen Herrera. She has a… unique vision, as you can see from this piece.” He focused on the track lighting above the painting as he talked; he’d never been able to look at this piece without developing an anxious flutter in his stomach. “It is intended to shock, of course. The worshippers…” He let his eyes glance over the blood-soaked imagery, wondering why he was bothering. This woman was never going to buy one of Carmen’s paintings. “The worshippers hurt themselves and each other at the behest of their goddess.” He gestured vaguely upward.

“Mictēcacihuātl,” the woman murmured.

“Umm… bless you?”

“The Aztec goddess of death,” she explained, still staring at the painting.

“Oh, uhh, yes exactly,” he vamped. “Personally, I’ve always thought the worshippers represent the American electorate, voting against their own self interest because of the lies politicians tell them.” He didn’t really think that. He wasn’t sure Carmen could have said, if pressed, who the President of the United States even was. But he gave potential buyers this line, figuring they might recoil a little less from the painting if they thought it was allegorical.

The sharp-suited woman couldn’t seem to take her eyes off of it. “No, I don’t think that’s what it’s about,” she said. Then she turned to him. “I’ll take it.”

David gaped at her for a second before he recovered enough to respond. “Yes, of course.”

After several minutes of dealing with the payment and shipping, tasks that always made David’s palms sweat with anxiety that he’d screw up some detail of the transaction, the woman was gone and the gallery was quiet as a tomb — its usual state. David sighed and looked up at Carmen’s terrifying painting. “See you never, you creepy fucker.”

He walked back into his office and pulled out his phone. Opening Instagram, David scrolled aimlessly through posts by celebrities and influencers, many of whom he had met and a few of whom he had fucked. When no images of his sister appeared after a few minutes of scrolling, he pulled up her profile and checked her last post — two days ago, which was very unlike Alexis. David’s heart started to hammer in his chest with familiar worry for his sister. He checked the time and counted forward. It would be close to midnight in Italy, probably as good a time as any to catch her on her phone.

Hey r u ok? he texted, and then spent a full minute watching for any sign of a return message before he clicked off the screen and tossed the phone onto his desk with a huff. Then when that dramatic gesture didn’t give him a result, he picked his phone up again, just in time for it to vibrate with an incoming call. He almost dropped it.

Seeing who was calling, David almost let it go unanswered, but at the last second he tapped the screen. “Hi, Dad.”

“David, how are you?” His father’s voice was always confident and booming, as if he could summon happiness if he just projected from his diaphragm. David held the phone away from his ear with a wince, and then put it on speaker before setting it down.

“Fine. Why are you calling me?”

“Do I need a reason to call my only son?”

David rolled his eyes. “Yes.”

There was a pause. “Well, actually, I just heard that Eli was released from prison.”

Pulling a nail file out of his desk drawer, David snorted. “What, and you’re going to rehire him as your business manager?”

“Well, of course not, David.”

“Good.”

“I’m never going to speak to him again.”

“Good.”

“I mean, can you imagine how our lives might have turned out if he’d managed to get on that plane to the Cayman Islands before the police caught him?”

“Yes, I can, because you’ve mentioned it an average of once a month for the last three years,” David said, taking a few desultory swipes across the end of the nail on his middle finger.

“I mean, it was bad enough with all the tax penalties we had to pay. If it weren’t for Eli, we’d still have the beach house!”

“Uh huh.” If David had heard all of this before once, he’d heard it a hundred times. “Where’s Mom?”

“She’s on location with Sharknado 5. And you know, the prison that jackass was in was pretty swanky.”

“Then maybe Eli will actually be more miserable now that he’s been released. When does Mom get back?”

“Two more weeks. She’s got her phone in Bulgaria; you can call her.”

David didn’t want to call her. He wanted his father to call her so that she could talk him off of this angry ledge before he had another scare with his heart.

“Just… don’t worry about Eli, okay?” David set the nail file down and pinched the bridge of his nose. “He’s not a part of your life anymore.”

“Damn straight he’s not.”

“Weren’t you telling me something about a new business venture at Christmas? Some kind of app?” David didn’t want to talk about this, or about anything really, but he figured he could at least try to pull his father out of this emotional tailspin about the former business manager who almost made off with the Rose family fortune.

“Yes, well, the spouting video market is quite crowded now, of course, but we’re making some in-roads. Slow and steady wins the race, that’s what I always say.”

“It’s streaming video. And that’s what you used to say about your rivalry with Blockbuster,” David snarked, his moment of charitability toward his father difficult to keep front of mind when he was being so irritating.

“And Blockbuster went out of business.”

“So did you!”

“It was a strategic restructuring, David. A shift into other markets. Like streaming video. Sure, the money isn’t flowing as freely as it did in the Rose Video heyday, but we’re doing fine.”

“Okay.” He went back to filing his nails.

“Are you still seeing… what was her name?” Johnny asked.

Trying to remember who his dad was even talking about, David squinted. “Who?”

“You know, the girl who used to eat garbage as performance art?”

David huffed. “Eliose didn’t eat garbage, she covered herself in… you know what, it doesn’t matter. We haven’t seen each other in months.”

“Oh. Is there anyone special in your life right now?”

An image of Brenton flashed in his mind. He was probably back in David’s apartment as they spoke, making the place reek of bong water and eating all of David’s food. He sighed. “No, no one special.”

“Well, don’t give up, son,” Johnny said. “How’s the gallery?”

“I just sold a painting.”

“That’s great!” his father boomed. “Good for you!”

“Okay, selling paintings is my job, you don’t have to praise me quite so effusively for doing my job.”

“No, of course I don’t need to. But I’m proud of you, son. Especially now that…” There was a moment of dead air.

“You still there?” David asked.

“Oh! Yes, I’m still here.”

“I thought the call had dropped. Now that what?”

An uncomfortable chuckle came out of the phone speaker. “You know, I forgot what I was saying.”

“Uhhh… okay.” David rolled his eyes again. “Anyway, the art business isn’t booming like it used to be, but today was good.”

“You know what? I just remembered I need to make another call,” his father said. “Sorry, David.”

“Whatever. You called me.”

“Talk to you soon, son.”

“Mm-hmm. Bye.” David tapped the screen and ended the call. He noticed the time and sighed, glancing out of his office door at the empty gallery. He might as well lock up and go back to his apartment. He moved quietly around the space, flipping off all of the lights and turning off the music that he played from a spare iPad that he’d gotten in a gift bag when he was Hayden Panettiere’s date to the 2012 Teen Choice Awards. Once he had his coat and messenger bag and had the security gate pulled down and locked, David pocketed his keys and stepped out onto the busy SoHo sidewalk. It had been misting rain for hours, the January day not cold enough to produce snow, but the temperature was now dropping below freezing and making the sidewalks treacherous.

The stationary store next door to his gallery was still open and doing a brisk business, and he was tempted to go in and look at the journals, but he resisted the impulse. Even though he used them sporadically, he’d already bought more empty journals than he could fill in a lifetime. The bar at the end of the block was also starting to fill up, and while he’d been known to get a drink there after closing the gallery, he wasn’t in the mood to be around people at the moment. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he summoned an Uber to ferry him the two miles to his apartment in Chelsea.

Braulio is 4 minutes away, his phone told him. While he waited, he texted Alexis again. Can you respond pls???

“Want me to talk or not talk?” his Uber driver asked as soon as David was settled into the back seat of the black Nissan.

“Don’t talk, please,” he responded. “Sorry.”

“Hey, no worries, man. That’s why I ask.” Braulio turned up his music a couple of clicks, the kind of unobjectionable, nondescript soundscape that was like something you’d hear in a modern hotel lobby. The driver had probably read on a website that it was the key to increasing tips or 5-star ratings.

David’s block on West 21st Street was packed with four and five-story apartment buildings, the short trees at regular intervals along the sidewalk offering a tiny break from the monotony of sandstone and concrete — although not this time of year, when they stuck up like twigs haphazardly shoved into the dirt by a giant, bored child. Shivering in his too-thin but fashionable jacket, he clicked on a rating for his Uber driver and shoved his phone in his pocket before making his way over to the short flight of stairs that led up to his building.

“Spare change,” a familiar voice called from a heap of blankets at the base of the building.

David opened his messenger bag and fished for the coins at the bottom. “It’s getting cold; you need to go to a shelter.”

“Not that cold,” the woman countered, holding her dingy Starbucks cup aloft. He dropped the coins in.

“The temperature’s dropping though.”

“Cold enough to ice skate.”

He took the non-sequitur in stride. “Well, not quite, but almost.”

“Your skates have to stay on the right line, ya know. You slip off and then suddenly—” She hit the cup, making the coins rattle. “Different universe.”

“Uh-huh. Will you go to a shelter, please? Don’t stay out here all night.” He re-clipped his bag and turned to walk away.

“You’re not supposed to be here, Mister Rose.”

“Well, I live here.”

“Not supposed to. Supposed to live in a motel with your family.”

David stopped and turned around. “What? Ew.”

“Rosebud,” she murmured.

“Oh, are we in Citizen Kane now?”

She hunkered down in her blankets, putting an end to what could only loosely be termed a conversation. Sighing, David left the homeless woman behind and entered the building’s vestibule. He then unlocked the inner door, shoving his way in with a grunt when the door inevitably stuck a little bit.

He mounted the one flight of stairs to his apartment. At the height of his family’s wealth, when David had been in his late twenties, he’d lived in a very posh apartment on the upper east side, but after the incident with his father’s business manager, he’d downgraded and moved to Chelsea. It was still a very nice, modern apartment, but it wasn’t what he’d once had.

The scent of sandlewood incense greeted him as he unlocked his door, and he wrinkled his nose and recoiled a little. Dropping his bag, he made his way to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, hoping to find his leftovers from last night’s take-out. Of course they were gone. He slammed the refrigerator and swung around, ready to have it out with Brenton once and for all.

The man in question chose that moment to stride into the kitchen, shirtless, a pair of athletic shorts slung low on his waist. “Hey,” Brenton said. “Glad you’re here, we need to talk.”

“Yeah, we sure do.” David tried not to let his eyes drift down to the v-shaped crease of Brenton’s hips and failed.

“I’m gonna go stay with my boyfriend in LA for a while, so…” He shrugged. “Thanks for everything.”

“I’m sorry, your what? You never mentioned a boyfriend before,” David said, grimacing. He’d met Brenton last month at a cocktail party he’d thrown at the gallery. Young and blond and in his mid-twenties, Brenton was the son of a well-known hedge fund manager, and he seemed to be a guy whose sole occupation was drifting from one party to another, looking for a good time. He and David had hooked up several times in recent weeks, but their conversations had been limited to fashion and art world trends and what kind of sex they were into.

“Because we weren’t like that, you and me,” Brenton said with a disarming smile. “This was never about, you know, unpacking our pasts. And we never said we were exclusive.”

“I know that,” David snapped. “I didn’t say I expected exclusivity. Still, you might have mentioned—”

“He and I were figuring some things out, you know? But he’s gone out there for pilot season and the auditions are stressful, so I think I really just need to be there for him.”

“Oh, he’s an actor,” David said. “How fun for you.”

There wasn’t really much more to say, so after a few more empty platitudes from Brenton, he disappeared into David’s bedroom to get dressed and to gather whatever belongings he’d brought over in the course of their month-long affair. David sat at the kitchen island and flipped through an issue of Vogue without seeing the pages. He probed a little bit at his feelings, pressing against them like you’d touch a bruise, trying to determine how painful it was. He didn’t really care that much about Brenton — he was shallow and mostly unkind. David didn’t think he’d miss him. What did hurt was once again being shoved aside as soon as something better came along, after a lifetime of being shoved aside as soon as something better came along.

Once Brenton was gone, David tried cracking open a window to air out the apartment, but quickly closed it when it let in a biting cold wind. He was starting to get a headache, and he reached up to massage the back of his neck, trying to stave it off. Pulling out his phone, he checked Alexis’ instagram again, and then opened his messaging app.

[David] 911. Call me.

Surprisingly, his phone rang only a few seconds later.

“David, what? What’s the emergency?” Alexis sounded manic and not a little annoyed.

“I’ve been texting you all evening!” he almost shouted. “I’m sorry for worrying that you were dead.”

“I’m fine, why would I be dead?”

“Your social’s been dark for days.”

“Ugh. I’ve just been busy, David, I don’t have to post something every day as proof of life, do I?”

“You have to at least respond to my texts, Alexis.”

“Look, the club we were in might’ve gotten raided by police earlier, a little bit, but it’s fine because we found a back way out and we ran. It’s no big deal.”

“It kind of sounds like a big deal,” David said, rubbing his neck again. The headache was getting worse; the muscles running down from his skull were like iron rods. “Why were the police raiding the club?”

“How should I know what the Monaco police were doing?” she asked.

“Monaco? I thought you were in Italy.”

Alexis laughed. “Monaco is in Italy, David.”

“Monaco is a separate country, Alexis.”

“No, it’s… is it? Well anyway, Tiff and Lily and I are back at the hotel. I might come home, though. Stavros called and he wants to see me.”

David moaned unhappily. “Alexis, no, don’t go see Stavros. You’ll end up getting back together with him and that would be a terrible life choice.”

“Speaking of terrible life choices, is that Brett guy still crashing at your place?”

“It’s Brenton, and we were seeing each other, he wasn’t just ‘crashing’ here.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“And it’s over anyway.”

“Oh.” Her voice softened for the first time. “I’m sorry, David.”

He waved his hand, not that she could see him. “It doesn’t matter. I didn’t like him that much. He was just really hot.” He looked around the quiet, empty apartment. “You could stay here for a while, if you want.” Alexis was a chaos engine, but he also kind of missed her. Her whirlwind life would keep him from thinking about his own sad existence as much.

“Ew, what? Why? I’ve got way more space at Mom and Dad’s, and when I want to stay in the city, Klair lets me stay at the apartment with her stepmom. Who’s actually really cool, although she takes way too many pills.”

“Fine, whatever. Far be it from me to come between you and Klair’s stepmom.” He fluttered his hand again.

“Okay, don’t be like that. See, David, I know how you are. You’re lonely right now and you think you miss me, but you’d be sick of me the second I set foot through your doorway. You’d complain that I was too messy and that my friends were too loud and that I hadn’t used a coaster for my water glass.”

“Well, if you’d use a coaster—”

“David, it’s 3 a.m. here and you’re lecturing me about a hypothetical coaster. I’m gonna get some sleep now, okay?”

“Fine.”

“Go to Mom and Dad’s if you’re lonely,” Alexis said.

“I’m not lonely.”

“Goodnight, David.”

“Goodnight, Alexis.”

(Chapter 2)

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[additional content warnings after some spoiler space]

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[last warning]

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This fic will include a temporary character death, the temporariness of which should be obvious by the time it happens. Also note that this fic does include marital problems and adultery committed by Patrick, who didn't meet David in Schitt's Creek in this timeline, and (as you will see in the next chapter) ended up marrying Rachel. Just giving you an extra warning for that if it squicks you out.

#schitt's creek #schitts creek #david x patrick #david x patrick ff #hdwgb fic #my fic

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housebeleren · 4 years

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Theros Beyond Death Odds & Ends

We got a lot of updates regarding Theros Beyond Death this week. I’ve already talked about the trailer, so now I’ll just run through some of the other items and give my quick thoughts.

Elspeth & Ashiok

These are super sweet. Elspeth is looking fierce as ever, and that spear is fucking fantastic. As a card, I think she’s going to be a major player in Standard, as a recursive threat that’ll just keep generating value for you. Ashiok is gorgeously illustrated by one of my favorites, Raymond Swanland. The purples, blues, and blacks are basically all my favorite colors, so I’m sold. As a card, I think it’s super well balanced. Could be a great alternate finisher for control that comes down a turn earlier than Liliana or Ugin, but isn’t quite as clearly game-ending as those if it sticks. That said, pumping out a 2/3 every turn is pretty sweet unto itself. So yeah, I’m feeling both of these. My only wish is that they had flipped one of the arts so they’d be facing each other, Duel Deck style. That would have been just one extra little touch of awesome.

Also, these are freakin gorgeous. I particularly like the Ashiok one, but I’d be excited to get my hands on either of them.

Also, Maro has confirmed that there are 3 Planeswalkers in the set. Wonder who the third would be? By color alone, it would be someone Green/Red, But there aren’t a ton of those that seem like good fits, and it would be too similar to Theros, round 1. Only time will tell.

Gods & Demigods

We also got previews of a few other fun cards. Athreos, Shroud-Veiled is the buy-a-box promo for the set, which makes some amount of sense. My guess is, after the strong mono-color theme of Throne of Eldraine, we’ll see the five mono-color gods return in this set with new versions, and not get any of the other 2 color gods except Athreos, since he will likely play some part in the story, either as an element in or an obstacle to Elspeth’s escape.

We also got a Demigod, which is a new creature type that’s pretty awesome. Daxos, Blessed by the Sun is an interesting title, especially given it’s opposition to Elspeth’s “Sun’s Nemesis” title. My speculation is we’ll see Elspeth exact her revenge on Heliod, then she takes over the mantle as God of the Sun, and through her newfound God-power brings back Daxos. Totally speculation, but that’s what I’m reading from this.

Mechanics

We got a Theros Beyond Death Mechanics article, so I’ll run through them real quick:

Escape - This is the only new mechanic in the set, representing Elspeth’s escape of the Underworld. Seems like a solid workhorse mechanic for Standard, and there will almost certainly be at least one card that’s completely obscene in Modern or Legacy, because what’s ever gone wrong with graveyard mechanics in the past?

Devotion - Oooh, I called it. As soon as the strong mono-color theme in Throne of Eldraine became clear, I was sure we’d see Devotion again. It’s perfect seeding between sets. This is a fun one, and will continue to swing the pendulum towards 2 and 1 color play, which is honestly a good thing. It’ll be interesting to see if they find some new design space for it.

Constellation - Oooh, I called it again! Maro has been harping about the biggest mistake of original Theros block being that they didn’t do Enchantments-matter early enough, so it seemed all but certain that they would jump right on board with it this time around. Plus, it’s another perfect through-line from Throne of Eldraine’s W/U theme. Looks like they’re going to put Constellation on some non-Enchantment cards as well, so that’s a little new for it.

Sagas - I loved Sagas when they showed up in Dominaria, and I’m stoked to see them again here. They’re fun, they have interesting gameplay, and they’re just gorgeous to look at. My guess is they’ll play around with the number of chapters this time, just to keep it interesting.

Of course, we’ve got Enchantment Creatures coming back, and I did see one card that had a Heroic mechanic on it (sans keyword, of course), so that could be a fun limited archetype in this set. Plus, it’ll give Feather decks a little boost to maybe bring them back to playability.

Basic Lands

Okay, then there’s this. Truly, I do love the look of these, though I understand some people’s aversions to them. They do look a little like Pokemon Energy cards, for sure. That said, I am very excited to pull them, and some people will really love having them.

But I also want to mention these:

These are also basic lands for this set, and they are STUNNING. Every land has 2 variants, an overworld and an underworld version. You can see all of them on Wizards’ Twitter account. The catch? These lands are only available in the Bundle and Planeswalker decks. That’s it. You can’t open them in any booster product, at least to my understanding as of now.

And that’s a shame, because as cool as the full art Nyx lands are, these are beautiful works of art and should be seen! And lots of people just won’t. I would have strongly preferred they handle this like they did with Amonkhet, and have the full arts as just one of the standard rotation, along with these beauties.

This really gets at the heart of the biggest issue I have with Wizards’ product design at the moment, and it’s that it’s so hard to keep track of everything that’s out there. I love the spirit behind Project Booster Fun, but I’m sorry, it is so fucking complicated to figure out what comes in each product at this point. I’ve had to correct the shop owner of an LGS about the specific contents of Collector Boosters, and I don’t blame him for the mistake one bit. Because who can keep it all straight? Anyway, rant over. But Wizards, if you’re listening, tone it back a little. Stop dividing your cards in to a million different products.

Anyway, on one final good note:

Thirst

Whoever this hotness is. Holy shit, I thought Wizards was going after the “Gay & Thirsty” contingent with Oko but it’s clear they have no intentions of letting us ignore this set either.

That’s a gay Halloween costume right there, ready to go.

Given the landscape orientation here, I’m guessing he’s a generic card from the set, not a Planeswalker. But it’s possible we’re only getting some of the art, but I’d say that’s a long shot. Either way, I’m 100% here and living for more acceptably sexualized men in Magic. May the gods bless the Thirsty.

#MtG #theros beyond death

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moreracquetball · 6 years

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Okay so I’m going to start writing a falsettos fic (it’s going to be my first fic!) and bc you are like the best writer ever (!!!) I was wondering if you had any tips? Like not only on writing in general but writing the falsettos characters? Thank u 💞💞

That sounds so exciting! Good luck!

Write the good and the bad. This is perhaps the most important piece of advice that I can give you. Too many times, characters are divided into two categories: the devil and the saint. The devil makes every mistake in the book, doesn’t learn any sort of lesson, and is the main and only instigator for the conflict. By contrast, the saint is innocent, forever forgiving the devil with all of their virtue and grace and never once contributing to the rising conflict. The saint is good and the devil is bad, and that makes their pairing so romantic, right? Wrong. If you want realistic characters, none of them can be devils and none of them can be saints. Every character must make mistakes, must be irrational at times, must have selfish moments. And every character must make good choices, must be kind-hearted at times, must have redeeming moments. Let your characters make mistakes but don’t let those mistakes define them. We live in a world of gray and your characters must reflect that. Also, every relationship is a world of gray - there are bad moments, and you should reflect that, and there are good moments, which should be reflected as well. In conclusion, your story should be fifty shades of gray (oh wait)

S u b t e x t. Now, this sounds like a cringey joke, right? All fandoms squabble over a glance or an ambiguous phrasing, but that’s not the kind of subtext I’m talking about. I’m talking about the good ole Show don’t tell trick. For highly complex characters, they might not always be aware and honest about how they feel or what they want. Their actions and thoughts dictate these sorts of things but as a writer, you should never spell it out so clearly. Don’t write “Whizzer is hurt and angry that Marvin is still with Trina.” Instead, let these emotions color his actions: barbed innuendos thrown at the couple, being uncomfortable when Marvin and Trina interact, thinking cruel thoughts that the reader will recognize as petty and shallow. Show how hurt and angry he is. It’s always a gem for the reader to know something that the character doesn’t.

Clearly define the characters’ wants and needs; also, show how these two things might come into conflict with one another. The reader should always be aware of what a character wants and needs. For example, what does Whizzer want? Marvin. What does Whizzer need? Independence and individualism. These things don’t necessarily need to conflict with one another but it makes great fiction when they do. Here’s another example: what does Mendel want? Trina to be his wife. What does Marvin want? Trina to only care for and depend on Marvin. These two wants conflict with one another, creating tension between Mendel and Marvin. When combining these two conflicts (a character’s want v need; and a character’s want/need v another character’s want/need), you can create a twofront conflict that enriches your plot and deepens the suspense and drama.

Let your characters change. Your main character should not be the exact same person at the end of the story as they were in the beginning. It shows no growth, making the story seem pointless. Your character should be changing constantly - their needs/wants could be changing, or their relationships could be changing, or their priorities could be changing. There should always be an evolution. This is true for all your characters but at least make it pronounced in your main ones. This helps your reader become more connected with both the plot and the character as they become invested in the developments.

Stay true to characterization. This is the worst problem that esp fanfic writers must tackle: how do I make my characters/story stand out among all the others without changing core elements? Well, my tip is change the circumstances without changing the character. When making plot points, ask yourself: how would Marvin react to being a celebrity? What would change about how he carries himself? What would stay the same? Think of how this character would change if circumstances were different: would he be more confident? Would he be more scared of being his true self? How would these new experiences color his relationships with others? With himself? Above all though, despite these changes, your character must stay recognizable. Their core personality traits stay the same, their insecurities more or less are still present, their relationships shouldn’t vary so much from canon. It’s a delicate balance, so godspeed.

A relationship requires cut scenes. At first glance, these scenes seem like filler. Trust me, they’re not. They are so paramount to how much your reader will care about this relationship. You should show your characters getting closer, making inside jokes, making each other laughing, giving each other butterflies, sharing secret moments. You need to show the happy moments to make your reader care about them, to make the non-happy moments cut even deeper.

Don’t erase their identities. In the case of Falsettos, don’t erase their Jewish culture and heritage. I myself have trouble with this one - not because I’m intentionally erasing their culture no, no, no. Rather, their heritage is an afterthought to the story I want to tell. That’s a horrible, horrible excuse, and it does not justify not better representing such a key element to this musical. Have their jewish culture more pronounced, okay? It doesn’t have to be apart of the plot, per se. It could be represented in the meals they’re eating, the vernacular they use, the topics of conversation they discuss. Just make their Jewish culture visible.

These are the pillars for good fanfic writing. I hope it all goes well for you!!

#also im always open if anyone has writing questions yes yes yes #i love talking about this kind of stuff #and by all means - if anyone has more reblog this and add some #falsettos #falsettos fanfic #writing advice

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dustedmagazine · 3 years

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Listed: Joshua Stamper

Photo by Christopher McDonald

After 25 years composing and arranging, Joshua Stamper’s versatility remains as notable as ever. The artist moves fluidly from classical to indie-rock to chamber music and more. While collaborating with acts like mewithoutYou and Robyn Hitchcock or scoring films, he manages to release his own work, too. Reviewing Stamper’s most recent release, Justin Cober-Lake described PRIMEMOVER as a “soundtrack for a particular kind of year in the church life, one with puzzles and rest, beauty and complication.” His work, as with PRIMEMOVER or his new Elements project, tends to be multidisciplinary, with Stamper incorporating an array of influences from outside music. With his breadth of input and output, it's no surprise that Stamper would offer us a list that includes music, visual art, philosophy, and poetry.

Thierry De Mey — “Unknowness, for percussion and sampling: Love Function is to Fabricate Unknowness”

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My brother gave me Thierry De Mey’s Kinok for my birthday about twenty years ago. He bought it on the strength of the album cover alone. It’s a record I have returned to dozens of times. “Unknowness” is utterly arresting — a deep and loose sway juxtaposed with startling percussive gestures as unpredictable as ricocheting gunshots. It is all swing, mystery, magic, and space. I feel when listening that I am reduced to sub-atomic scale, where mountains of granite become a gossamer mesh that I move through as a stroll in the park, looking at trees that are freeze-frame explosions.

John Cage — “Water Walk”

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4'33" is a popular punching bag for Cage critics. The piece is derided as an adolescent practical joke from an impertinent child of a composer who gets his kicks deliberately wasting audiences’ time. “It's not music” is the common refrain, but the complaint behind the complaint is that it is alienating; that the only way in which the piece facilitates communal experience is that everyone feels on the outside of an inside joke.

When I was younger, I shared this impatience with Cage. Then I came across “Water Walk,” a piece premiered in January 1960 on the popular TV game show I’ve Got A Secret. My view of John Cage and his music were both upended, instantly and utterly. Instead of a preening and pretentious provocateur I encountered a playful and guileless individual filled with wonder; one who took unfettered joy in people, invention, and the sheer fact of sound.

In the space of one viewing, 4'33" shifted from an insolent and self-satisfied prank to a concentrated celebration of community and sound — a wide-eyed invitation to pause, together, all of us here sharing this space, LISTEN, all of us here sharing this space, together, pause. My self-righteousness shattered. All becomes music. I haven't heard anything the same way since.

I’ve since spent a great deal of time with his writing, lectures, poems, prints and music, and wonder how I could have ever thought ill of the man's intentions. It may seem obvious, but Cage taught me that an artist’s own life is the clearest interpretative lens through which to understand their work.

Prince and the Revolution — “I Wonder U” (from Parade)

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Sgt. Pepper-esque sound design, kaleidoscopic orchestral arrangements, the hushed voices of Prince, Wendy and Lisa riding on a composite groove of such integrity and force that it sounds like it's forged from steel...

I first encountered Prince’s Parade the summer between my high-school graduation and my first year of college. “I Wonder U” is less than two minutes long, but I was stopped in my tracks. The song feels like the liminal space between dreaming and waking, at once welcoming and dangerous, where multiple musics converge like Charles Ives’ double marching bands destined for head-on collision. Discreet melodies and rhythms and keys bleed in and out of each other, but also exist as vital layers in a larger whole. It's a hypnotizing 3-D sonic Venn diagram.

My decision to major in composition was set.

Jasper Johns — “Regrets”, 2013, oil on canvas

Jasper Johns said, “I think that one wants from a painting a sense of life. The final statement has to be not a deliberate statement but a helpless statement. It has to be what you can't avoid saying.”

“a helpless statement” – I find myself breathing deeper and slower with Johns’ words, grateful for the reminder that before anything else, art making must be grounded in vulnerability and weakness. The hope and the challenge in Johns’ words is its call to distillation, to get to the heart of the heart of the heart of a matter, where there is simply nothing else that can be said. The process of distillation even involves the shedding of all those things we sometimes mistake for the work itself: craft, expertise, training, credential. There’s a threshold that must be crossed, a moment of lift-off where will and deliberation are left behind and the work takes flight on what is inevitable, as involuntary as a cry or a laugh.

Palestrina — “Missa Brevis”

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“Painting is time, music is space.” So said one of my brother’s undergrad art professors. Of course, you’d expect the opposite, as space is the context in which painting exists while time is the fundamental warp and woof of music. But my most profound experiences with music are always characterized by new spaces being revealed or created. By “space,” I don't mean some state of cerebral or emotional revelry. I mean real, actual space — with dimensions. A space that’s shocking in its physicality. This happens to me constantly.

My first experience of Palestrina’s “Missa Brevis” was in a choir rehearsal in my junior year of high-school. It was a catalytic event. A braid of interweaving melodies and counter-melodies emerged, enveloping me and everyone else singing, and the room seemed to expand. I wanted more. The vocational pull to become a musician was like being swept out to sea.

Every time I return to this piece, I experience this expansion. The patient dip and rising of every “Kyrie,” “eleison” and “in excelsis” creates its own cosmology, its own dimensions and gravity. Our relationship to time is also a relationship to space; their woven-ness is inextricable. The space-time continuum isn't just a physics thing.

Ann Hamilton — The Event of A Thread

Years ago, I had the opportunity to experience The Event of A Thread by Ann Hamilton at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City. A massive silk that moves like water or vapor, a field of swings, a record stylus, wooden crates of live pigeons, paper scrolls spilling onto the floor, a ceiling peppered with pulleys, bags of words and sacks of sound... It's difficult to describe the piece, in either its scope or particulars, but I became a child.

In Ann Hamilton's discussion of the piece, she says, “It happened because a space was made for it to happen.” The inverse implication of this statement is that if space isn't made, things won’t happen. In my experience, solitude, reflection, exploration and craft are so easily bullied by the crush of life and of calendars, but Hamilton’s observation presses an urgent case for the care and protection of these kinds of spaces to think and puzzle and make. How much wonder, play, rest, and beauty could exist only for want of a place to exist?

So, with that, “it happened because a space was made for it to happen” – my working manifesto.

Mary Oliver — Upstream (Section One: “Of Power and Time”)

“It is a silver morning like any other. I am at my desk. Then the phone rings, or someone raps at the door. I am deep in the machinery of my wits. Reluctantly I rise, I answer the phone, or I open the door. And the thought which I had in hand, or almost in hand, is gone.”

The untroubled waters of a day whose promises have yet to unfold are not untroubled for very long. But the most persistent interruptions are those that come, as Oliver describes, “not from another, but from the self itself.” The resonance for me is deep.

In a 2015 On Being interview, Mary Oliver tells a story about when she learned she had received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (she didn't even know that her latest, American Primitive, had been submitted for the award): she was at the town dump looking to buy shingles to shingle a roof with. A painter friend of hers came by, joking, “Ha, what are you doing? Looking for your old manuscripts?”. Oliver just laughed and continued looking. When recounting the story to Krista Tippett, she chuckled and said, “...my job in the morning was to go find some shingles.”

To simply be dedicated to the work of the day, to be unmoved and uninterrupted by either rejection or by accolade represents a degree of settledness that I find very beautiful and very challenging.

She was known for writing while she was walking...

Ludwig Wittgenstein / Wendell Berry — “How to Be a Poet”

To continue on the subject of the working life, last night I came across a beautifully concise quote from Ludwig Wittgenstein that speaks to a consistent tension I experience: the urgency to cultivate the solitary and silent spaces required for thinking and working, and a loud and frenetic pull in the opposite direction to “produce” (to what end? - I constantly find myself asking). He simply says: “I can only think clearly in the dark."

This sentiment is echoed in Wendell Berry's proverb-like poem “How to Be a Poet” (wit and wisdom go together well):

“...Any readers who like your poems, doubt their judgement.” [...]

“Stay away from anything that obscures the place it is in.”[...]

“...make a poem that does not disturb the silence from which it came.”

Both Wittgenstein and Berry cut against the grain of popular priorities of content-creation, audience-building, beating the algorithms and cutting through the noise (again, to what end?). Instead, they throw open a window to the generous gifts and glories of a life lived in obscurity.

Andy Goldsworthy

Andy Goldsworthy’s work re-convinced me that art has power. That it is able, for those with ears to hear and eyes to see, to create or reveal a different way of inhabiting the world, of inhabiting one's own humanity. My introduction to Goldsworthy was a documentary by Thomas Riedelsheimer called Rivers and Tides: Andy Goldsworthy Working With Time. I watched tall stone cairns being built on the beach, slowly and carefully, only to be disassembled by the gentle but unremitting incoming tide. I was transfixed by bright yellow leaves stitched together and set loose along a creak, moving like a lazy water snake, wending around rocks and logs and gradually twisting and breaking apart. Balls of bright red dust thrown into the air to form dissipating crimson clouds; delicate stick-curtains collapsing at the breath of a breeze; one-ton snowballs on a London summer day, melting to water and then to air.

As Westerners we tend towards a conception of beauty that is extremely specific, a precise and particular point in time: the crest of a wave, a flower that's just bloomed, a new car rolling off the truck at the dealership, a man or a woman at twenty-five... But Goldsworthy's work does something different. It includes these moments but also folds them into something larger. One begins to see the whole story of a thing, from its initial conception all the way to its inevitable fading or destruction, and all of it is beautiful. This changes everything.

I recognize in myself a preference for the promise of a thing more than the reality of a thing, but as I interact with Goldsworthy’s work my understanding of beauty is slowly and gently disassembled, like one of his beach cairns. It is replaced with a widened aperture, a more charitable and hospitable read of the people and the world around, and I'm welcomed into a more generous way of being.

Ornette Coleman — “What Reason Could I Give” (from Science Fiction)

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Jane Austin’s Mr. Knightley says to Emma Woodhouse, “If I loved you less, I could talk about it more...”

All I can say about this piece: I’m fully convinced that this is what angels sound like.

#dusted magazine #listed #joshua stamper #thierry de mey #john cage #prince and the revolution #jasper johns #palestrina #ann hamilton #mary oliver #ludwig wittgenstein #wendell berry #andy goldsworthy #ornette coleman

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whopooh · 7 years

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Play it again, Jack – fourth and final post of MFMM fics you love to reread

There is no thing as reading too many times, Dot. And of course I can read this on a public transportation if I want to!

This post is the fourth and final of “Play it again, Jack” – posts that collect the fics we love to go back to and reread.

It has been so fun to hear about your thoughts and to put these posts together. Thank you to everyone contributing!

First I want to start with a comment from @bumblemama that fits perfectly to the spirit of this collection:

Aaaaand another thing... despite having read literally every story on ao3 with the mfmm tag, I realised I couldn't actually remember them all. So I've just gone back to the very start and am working my way through again. There are some lovely gems, and it's really cute to see requests for a season 3, or even a few 'wonder where s2 will go' comments. A good reminder of how perspectives change and stories evolve. There would be plenty that would fit into one or more of the year of tropes, but they somehow seem less consciously trope-ish, I guess because they hadn't been done in this fandom before. Anyway. No specific recommendations just the generalized advice to find page 82 (!!!!) of the fics and work forwards!

@chrismarieisme sent me several lovely recommendations I felt I couldn’t cut up and mix, so here they are all together:

This was difficult because I love so many of the fics, but here we go:

“Be still” by @flashofthefuse – very sweet glimpse of a moment between P&J the night before she leaves for England. It's exactly how I'd hope that moment would be.

“He Calls Her Beautiful” by @ladyroxie – simply exquisite.

“A Perpetual Feeling” by @missingmissfisher – so romantic! The intuitive connection between P&J.

“The Actor” by @ollyjayonline – Jack & Jane, Pride and Prejudice. What more does one need?

“Merciful Powers” by @scruggzi – Jack, tights, Shakespeare. Ngggh.

“The Wager” by @soupsouffle – fun, witty, deliciously, steamy URST.

@soupsouffle, “The Wager”. Reread by @kanste

A wager between Phryne and Jack about who gives into seduction first makes for great banter and flirting. I love how they both use every trick in the book to seduce the other. This fic has some of the best flirting/banter and some of the hottest smut scenes ever. Do I need to say more?

@omgimsarahtoo, “A Thief in the Night”. Reread by @rubycaspar

This story is just so much fun. I love the beginning, told from drunk!Phryne's POV, and then the lovely moment when Jack wakes up and finds her there in the morning. I love the characterisation of both of them in this fic, and the concept is so cute and so well-executed.

@ladyroxie, “The Sweetest Fruit”. Reread by @kanste

Can I just say I love Peach and this fic has a lot of it. It has no smut but it is sooooo sexy. I love to imagine Jack in the garden, especially on a hot day like today. The banter/feeding is just like them and turns up the heat some notches.

@jackphryne4eva, “Cafe Blend”. Reread by @omgimsarahtoo

I adore the meta nature of this fic – the story is of a female MFMM fanfic reader who needs to find a quiet place to read the latest chapter of a smutty fanfiction. Her anticipation is delicious, as is the small French cafe she finds! There's an element of all of us in how she is struggling against her impulse to hide her obsession with MFMM and its fic, and how she decides to read on, working to smother any shame she's been made to feel. It's got a million tiny moments that evoke the show, and so many spots that could be any one of the Phrack fangirls we know. I just love it!

@aljwritesphryne, “and stealing my heart...”. Reread by @rithebard

.... Sweet story. Jack takes Phryne home to escape her mean father and it is just such lovely touching story.

@evendale, “Finally”. Reread by @scruggzi

Set after “Unnatural Habits”, this was one of the first fics I read and I was fascinated by the exploration of phrack's developing relationship with a much more inexperienced depiction of Jack than in many other fics. Phryne in this is very much the teacher, ushering him into the modern world through their developing relationship. Their characters take on this nice point and counterpoint dynamic, with her representing the age of modernity and him a traditional approach that he's fairly eager to leave behind. It's mostly a very gentle story with some lovely banter and very sweet moments between the two of them and it's very much a comfort fic for me. Something I tend to re-read when I'm grumpy. Although I think I lean towards a more experienced version of Jack's character now, with its setting at the end of season two I think this one works as an interpretation and it fills me full of the happy feels whenever I go back to it.

@firesign23, “Grasping at Shadows”. Reread by @rithebard

Phryne and Jack go back to Paris after the war and are haunted by their past and have a hard time sharing it with each other. This is sweet and special because it touches on their vulnerabilities. And how their love bridges it. It is a lovely tale.

@aljwritesphryne, “A Collingwood girl for an Abbotsford Man”. Reread by @kanste

Phryne and Jack return to the footy field and it turns out very different then in the show. I love the flirting and how determined Phryne is to "win over" Jack.

There is desk sex too.......

@omgimsarahtoo, “The Power of the Feminine”. Reread by @kanste

Another series of fics. I love all the different aspects Sarah put into the fics. There is young Jack having sex for the first time and Sarah manages to make the life of the woman with whom it happens come alive. She also introduces us to all the different women who made Jack the man and lover he is today. Of course there is Phrack sexy time. She gives us a new family member whom I like very much and I hope makes a return sometimes.

What made me especially happy is the Happy End Concetta is getting after Jack. It is such a wonderful heart-warming story for a lovely minor character.

@phrynesboudoir/Sassasam, “Mirrors into Windows”. Reread by @scruggzi

This fic combines all my favourite elements of undercover phrackvestigation and resolved sexual tension. Phryne and Jack have been estranged since her return from London although Phryne doesn't know why Jack's not sought her out since she's been back. After being thrown together on a case involving slaughtered academics they renew their friendship and try to navigate a big change in Jack's life and what it means for their partnership. There are lots of lovely things I could say about this fic but basically Phryne as a professor was a kink I never knew I had and it made me spectacularly happy.

@promisesarepiecrust, “City that works” and "A Whole World in Here". Reread by @balticprincess

These are two of my special favourites. Unusual, but great!

There are three things that I love best in fics I like: Angst, Modern AU and a happy ending. And while the first two are not mandatory, I enjoy other fics as well, the last one is. As I watch only movies with happy endings, of course this goes for reading fic, too. "A Whole World in here" by @promisesarepiecrust is written as a play. Nevertheless you can suffer and rejoice with Phryne and Jack in this one. It is full of suspense and romantic. And angsty. So angsty. The epilogue is lovely AND it is M-rated, as I like it. So, an unusual one, but so good and well written.

"City that works" is a modern AU. Total AU: Jack is the free-spirited rich guy and Phryne the divorced policewoman with PTSD. It works so well, that one. Romance, suspense, will-they-won't-they, sex, love, misunderstandings, fun: all there. So, also unusual, but so worth reading!

lefaym, “Locked Rooms”. Reread by @whopooh

I have probably read this fic more than ten times. It’s fun and lighthearted, and it captures awkwardness in such a wonderful way. Phryne is sure she is about to die in a cellar together with Jack, and she decides to kiss him, because she “had no intention of going to her grave without ravishing Jack Robinson at least once”. When they are saved by Dot and Hugh, they are found in the most compromising situation, and from this moment on the fic is all about delicious awkwardness, and Phryne not wanting to admit she feels awkward. She tries to push it away as not important but fails spectacularly. Here comes one of the funniest lines I’ve read: “Phryne was not going to be defeated by a small masturbatory lapse in judgment“. Finally, the people around her decides she needs a push in the right direction, and we meet the lovely concept of Aunt P ex machina.

@omgimsarahtoo, “The Female Gaze”. Reread by @kanste

Why do I like that fic? Well, it has Jack in a shower (a lot). But that is not all. Every single reaction to Jack is spot on and lovely. Especially Elsie has a soft spot in my heart

YouknowmeasJ, “Before the World”. Reread by @scruggzi

I'm am absolute sucker for a fluffy reunion fic and this is one I especially like. Jack catches up with Phryne before she leaves Australia and they scheme together to get the Baron home without Phryne having to fly him because he's driving her up the wall. Some lovely funny banter, a little bit of smut and that nice 'you and me against all obstacles' aspect of their partnership really comes to the forefront.

@phrynesboudoir/Sassasam, “The Nearness of You”. Reread by @rithebard

I love pretty much everything Sassasam writes but I chose this one because it really touched my soul. Jack dies in 1929 on the way to meet Phryne and his ghost finds it attached to her home but no one can see him for years till her a new Phryne Stanley comes along. I love this story because you love Phryne's decedent and you feel so deeply for both Jack and Phryne Fisher's sadness and loneliness. Incredibly touching.

@gaslightgallows, “Creatures of Stillness”. Reread by @rithebard

Again I really love gaslightgallows's stories. But this one just really touches me. Jack becoming a merchant seaman to get to Phryne in a beard and dirty peacoat all he wanted to do was get to Phryne and she was delighted. She loves taking care of Jack and it is a very sexy story but it was what they discover about their feelings that really touches me.

@jeneenp/ CollingwoodGirl, "A Man in Need”. Reread by @kanste

This fic has so much going on. I love the PhrackAngst, how everyone works together to get our two idiots together, and the little glimpse in Jack's live. It has some of my favourite Phrack scenes in it. Phryne convincing Jack to let himself touch (in the train), Phryne being her goddess self and bathing in the forest lake and Phryne teaching Jack how to use his tongue. As a plus you have Dot in detective mode.

@olderbynow , ”Smoke and Fire”. Reread by @zannadubs23

According to my reading history it’s around five hits. I love this for a couple of reasons. It’s light and sweet, but still smoking hot. Phryne who is normally so wonderful at everything, just can’t handle the baking of the biscuits. I like that she wants to try, not because she’s goo-goo eyes for Jack (well, not only that—thought that’s clearly part of it) but because he challenges her. That’s it right there. It hits the essence of what makes them tick and lights our imaginations on fire with these idiots. He challenges her and she loves it. She challenges him and he loves it.

@ollyjayonline, “For Fox’s Sake”. Reread by @whopooh

This fic is such a happy place, it’s a fic that kind of sparkles with fun and companionship and teasing and love. Phryne and Jack are bailing out from a fox hunt to instead first save the fox and then ravish each other in a folly. The way they interact has such energy and at the same time lightness in it, Phryne’s teasing about Jack’s slightly higher levels of embarrassment is lovely, and it’s a delightful fic.

@omgimsarahtoo, “Romantic Overtures”. Reread by @kanste

This is not a single fic but a whole series worth reading. I'm really, really fond of letters and Sarah writes some of the best letters out there. I love how Jack and Phryne get bolder with the letters and how in the later fics they keep up with the letters. I would love to have something like that in my relationship

Comeaftermejackrobinson, “Method in their madness” & Miss Templeton, Twelfth Night series (starting with “A Willow Cabin”). Reread by @rithebard

Reunion in England, "Method in their madness" is another favorite, so lyrical and poetic. It is really a story for romantics which I am and exploring the inner lives of our heroes. I also love Miss Templeton's Twelfth Night series on ff.net. She creates a fascinating arc in their romantic relationship while they professionally solve case after case. Also it is fun. And they both have their vulnerabilities with real understanding and though they don't say it out loud love.

DivineMissP, "Impact" and "Pure Bliss". Reread by AnonM

Dark, well written hurt/comfort. Jack gets to be a reluctant hero without taking anything away from Phryne's strength.

@omgimsarahtoo, “The Breathings of Your Heart". Reread by @kanste

This is Sarathoo's take on the soulmate trope and one fic I've turned to many times. The concept of one soulmate is troubling but Sarah did it beautiful. I love that Phryne and Jack aren't really convinced of the concept (Jack marrying Rosie, Phryne is doing Europe) but when they need comfort turning to each other. The picture of Phryne writing over her bruises without the ink gives me so many feelings. To balance it out, the conclusion and especially her last message made me laugh out loud.

@firesign23, “When I Sorrow Most”. Reread by @omgimsarahtoo

This is one of those stories that I go back to when I just need a moment to cry. It's short, but saturated with emotion, and just perfectly painful to read. It's like those movies you watch, knowing that they're going to tear your heart out and you're going to love every minute. It breaks my heart every single time.

@heavyheadedgal, “Queen’s Gambit”. Reread by @whopooh

This is only a ficlet, but I have found myself coming back to it agfain and again. Although Phryne and Jack are only playing chess in this fic, there is still so much happening and so much understanding flowing between them. I love the way they talk about themselves and their possibly developing relationship while they seem to be talking only about the game in front of them.

This was all. Here are the earlier posts in the series: I ; II ; III.

I hope I managed to include everything that has been sent to me -- if I missed something, please let me know and I’ll remedy it!

#reading miss fisher #mfmm fanfic tidbits #mfmm fanfic #mfmm fanfic recs

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topfygad · 4 years

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Where To Stay In Valencia: Hotels For Every Budget

From historic boutique hotels and beach resorts to apartments and budget hostels, this accommodation guide will help you decide where to stay in Valencia.

Valencia seafront

Move over Barcelona and Madrid – you’ve got competition. Say hello to Valencia. Officially Spain’s third biggest city (after Barcelona and Madrid), yet it feels underrated. I returned from my trip filled with enthusiasm for the city, desperate to share my passion for it.

It’s a city which showcases Spain’s rich history and cultural heritage. With impressive and innovative architecture, vast sandy beaches, and some of the finest paella you’ll ever taste, Valencia is a great option for a city break in Europe – especially when you’re in search of winter sun.

City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia

When deciding where to stay in Valencia, there’s a big question you’ll have to ask yourself: city or beach? Valencia’s historic centre offers a whole host of attractions, including its famous cathedral, market, great restaurants, shops and nightlife.

However, if your inner beach bum is calling, you may prefer to pick one of the Valencia beach hotels that line the seafront at El Cabanyal or Playa de la Malvarrosa. Whichever you go for, you can still enjoy the best of both worlds, as the city and beach are only 20 minutes apart by public transport.

Another great reason to visit Valencia? It’s one of Spain’s most affordable cities in terms of accommodation, with plenty of budget-friendly hotels to book. So whether you’re visiting with your partner and looking for a romantic hotel in the old town, or fancy a family beach resort, this accommodation guide will help you decide where to stay in Valencia.

Colourful buildings in Valencia

Where To Stay in Valencia

Luxury Hotels in Valencia

The Westin Valencia

Of all the 5-star hotels in Valencia, the Westin Valencia is arguably the most impressive. It’s an Art Deco dream, filled with glittering chandeliers, exquisite marble, and elegant artistic touches. It occupies a great location next to the Turia Gardens, just a short walk from the city centre and all of the charms of the historic old town.

The Westin offers the best in comfort and luxury with exceptional service, a world-class spa, and the fabulous Komori Restaurant, which serves up Japanese-European fusion cuisine. This chic hotel is one of the best places to stay in Valencia for couples, offering romantic surroundings to unwind in, after a busy day of sightseeing.

Check availability and latest prices at the Westin Valencia here

The Westin, Valencia

Bedroom at The Westin, Valencia

READ MORE: 29+ Things To Do In Valencia

Caro Hotel

Just around the corner from Valencia Cathedral you’ll find the beautiful Caro Hotel, once a 19th Century mansion and now one of the best luxury hotels in Valencia. This majestic palace is ideal for history buffs, as the Roman and Moorish remains that were found on the site have been integrated into the design of the hotel.

What’s more, each room has been lovingly decorated to represent different eras and events in Valencia’s past. In addition to its top notch spa, pool and stylish bar, the Caro is also one of the best hotels in Valencia for food. Michelin-starred restaurant Sucede offers a tasting menu that will take you on a culinary tour of Valencia’s – a truly unique and special experience. It’s no wonder that Caro Hotel is one of the most highly recommended hotels in the city!

Check availability and latest prices at Caro Hotel here

Caro Hotel, Valencia

Pool at Caro Hotel, Valencia

Las Arenas Balneario Resort

If you fancy kicking back on one of Valencia’s beaches, head for Las Arenas Balneario Resort. Overlooking the inviting golden sands of Malvarrosa beach, Balneario Resort is equipped with all the facilities you’d expect from one of the best hotels in Valencia.

Don’t let the fact it’s a huge resort put you offer. It is highly-rated for service and amenities, and is a top choice if you’re visiting the city with a family. It has family rooms and suites, plus offers a schedule of child-friendly activities. It’s the best hotel on the beach, so perfect if you want to spend your days enjoying some sunbathing, pool time, spa relaxation, and feast on the freshest seafood direct from the Mediterranean Sea.

Check availability and latest prices at Las Arenas Balneario Resort here

Las Arenas Balneario Resort, Valencia

Bedroom at Las Arenas Balneario Resort, Valencia

Hospes Palau de la Mar

For understated elegance and stylish décor, head to the Hospes Palau de la Mar – one of the classiest hotels in Valencia city centre. Situated in the pretty streets of the Eixample district, this hotel is in a great location for the train station, sightseeing in the old city and lazy afternoons in Turia Gardens.

It’s one of the best Valencia hotels for rest and relaxation – I mean the fabulous spa has everything you’ll need to recover from long days of sightseeing! Plus if you don’t fancy going out for dinner ever evening, you can enjoy a range of Valencian specialities in the hotel’s restaurant.

Check availability and latest prices at Hospes Palau de la Mar here

Hospes Palau de La Mar, Valencia

Spa at Hospes Palau de La Mar, Valencia

READ MORE: Where To Go For The Best View In Valencia

Mid-Range Hotels in Valencia

Hotel Neptuno

One of the best things about staying in a Valencia beach hotel is waking up to stunning golden sunrises over the Mediterranean, along with views of surfers and sailing yachts. Hotel Neptuno is perched on the golden sands of Malvarrosa Beach, moments from Marina Beach Club.

Here you’ll find comfort and a little luxury, at a reasonable price, in a stylish building decked out with the work of local artists and craftsmen. If you want to stay by the beach, it’s a good option, and for lunches and dinners there are lots of restaurants right on the doorstep, serving fresh seafood and Valencia’s most famous dish – paella.

Check availability and latest prices at Hotel Neptuno here

Hotel Neptuno, Valencia

Rooftop and beach views at Hotel Neptuno, Valencia

Boutique Hotel Balandret

Hotel Balandret is a luxury boutique hotel on the beach in Valencia, and amazingly – it’s pretty affordable too! Located close to Las Arenas beach, it’s been lovingly decorated with traditional works of art that celebrate the city’s rich heritage, including unusual sculptures and lavish murals.

The friendly staff are happy to help with plenty of local tips, and the hotel restaurant serves up classic Valencian dishes each evening. Plus, from here’s it’s easy to hop on a bus and make your way to the city centre for a spot of sightseeing.

Check availability and latest prices at Boutique Hotel Balandret here

Hotel Boutique Balandret, Valencia

Lobby of Hotel Boutique Balandret, Valencia

Petit Palace Ruzafa

The Petit Palace Ruzafa is a stylish boutique hotel in the heart of one of the city’s trendiest neighbourhoods. It fuses historic and contemporary design elements. Yes, the 19th Century building oozes period charm and class, but the rooms are sophisticated, minimalist and packed with 21st century mod-cons.

The Ruzafa district is one of Valencia’s coolest neighbourhoods, with a bustling central market, plenty of chic coffee shops (Ubik Cafe and Dulce De Leche in particular) plus some great shops too. It’s the perfect area if you want a local experience, while enjoying some sightseeing too.

Check availability and latest prices at Petit Palace Ruzafa here

Rooftop at Petit Palace Ruzafa

Budget Hotels And Hostels In Valencia

Casual Valencia de las Artes

If you’re looking for where to stay in Valencia on a budget, you’re in luck – the city boasts some excellent budget hotels and hostels where low cost certainly doesn’t mean low quality. Casual Valencia de las Artes is a great example, where you’ll find fabulous, unique décor, friendly service, in a great location between the old city and the striking architectural complex at the City of Arts and Sciences.

Each room features reproductions of famous artworks, giving it a unique and quirky feel. There’s a pool, sauna and gym too – surprising for the price! There’s no restaurant, but there are plenty of bars and restaurants close by, and the staff will be happy to offer recommendations.

Check availability and latest prices at Casual Valencia de las Artes here

Casual de las Artes Valencia

Pool at Casual de las Artes Valencia

Quart Youth Hostel

Moments from one of the impressive medieval gates to the city is this smart youth hostel. With modern decor, clean rooms and a shared kitchen, it’s a great option if you’re on a budget but still want to stay in a central location. There are a few options of rooms at this hostel, including dorms with bunk beds, private rooms and a loft space with two bedrooms.

Check availability and latest prices at Quart Youth Hostel here

Quart Youth Hostel – dorm

Quart Youth Hostel – private room

Home Youth Hostel by Feetup Hostels

This modern, quirky hostel is located moments from the key sights of the city including Valencia Cathedral and the Central Market. Rooms feature cool decor, with huge murals covering the walls, and colourful furnishings dotted throughout.

I’ve heard this hostel has a great social scene, so if you’re travelling solo in Valencia, it’s a great option.

Check availability and latest prices at Home Youth Hostel here

Home Youth Hostel Valencia – dorm

Home Youth Hostel Valencia lobby

I hope this guide has given you plenty of ideas about where to stay in Valencia. If you want to continue the search, feel free to use the map below…

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Looking for other things to do during your trip? Find out my 29+ AMAZING things to do in Valencia, where to go for the best view of Valencia, whether it’s worth buying the Valencia Tourist Card and read about my tapas tour of Valencia.

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xtremedespair3d · 4 years

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Anime Fall 2019 Final Impressions + Plans for Winter 2020 [FINAL]

Before I start reviewing every anime I watched this season, I want to address this first: As the title suggest, this is gonna be my last post, but not my last post overall (as I’m still working on my 2019 review with a little bit of my history from the last 10 years to celebrate the end of 2010 and the start of 2020), this is the last post of the seasonal anime review series.

This may be a one-time thing since it’s the last post, but I’m gonna keep my opinions as short as possible because, here’s a story: right after I published my previous Summer 2019 anime review post, I started by sharing my post on a Discord server, someone pinged me about reading my post I just shared as well as my retirement post (finally, someone who reads my stuff), I later started talking about my issues with making these posts, such as inconsistent formatting, don’t really have much opinion on what I saw or looking forward to, and my least favorite: post-publish editing, about the part of not having much thought on the shows I watch or gonna watch next, this guy from the Karoshi Discord server who atually read my previous Summer anime review post responded with this:

Well, I’ll gladly try not to write lengthy paragraphs when in reality I don’t really have much to comment, but at the same time, it’s going to be rather weird how there’s one entry with little to no comments and another with lengthy paragraphs whenever I actually feel like commenting. I’ve always been forcing myself to make lengthy paragraphs because I needed to make these posts look even as much as possible. (And I still ended up having a little bit of forced opinions, but at the same time, there are some small things that I needed to get it out of my heart, and there are other lengthy things for the same reason)

However, there are some things that I do really feel like making lengthy reviews, so I’ll point them out with a * representing “Lengthy review written by heart.”

The only things I ended up having no commentary at all were three anticipated anime in contrast to literally everything else which I still ended up making lengthy posts, though I guarantee some of these were from heart.

(Let me know if I should change my ShareX image quality settings to .png or .jpg because I’ve been using .jpg for a while and now I started to notice that the quality is absolute crap. I should have pasted it when I cropped it for sure, but I just wanted to formally upload this, so I can make this post look “formal”, even though there’s a little bit of informal writing, sometimes.)

(Also, check the end of the post for my birthday thanks)

Ranking every anime I watched this season from best to worst

I should also address why I do these posts from top to bottom even though it should be the other way around, it’s because I like keeping track of what’s my highest and what’s my lowest, although now that I think about it, I should have made outlines of these lists and the moment I start making these posts, I could go from the lowest to the highest like many sites do, but whatever. Also, if that wasn’t enough, the thumbnails already spoil what’s my #1 AOTS.

Let’s get right to the rankings!

1.- Azur Lane: The Animation*: I’m super addicted to Azur Lane, I even play it a lot more than FGO, and when the anime was announced, I defintely was absolutely hyped for it! And now, it’s finally here and boy, it absolutely didn’t disappoint! So let’s get right to it! (Also, expect me to draw comparisons with Kancolle a lot. inb4 y’all gonna tell me “Try to bring Warship Girls for better comparison” and all that jazz and honestly, I don’t even care about lesser known shipfus properties as much as I do with Kancolle and Azur Lane)

For starters, the anime uses the “Azur Lane vs Red Axis” storyline which is a reference to the guild menu.

(Screenshot from the Azur Lane Wiki with the old UI)

(My screenshot of the guild menu with the new UI, for comparison)

As someone who always plays Azur Lane a lot, this is one thing I overlooked for the most part and I feel kinda stupid for it.

There’s just like a ton of easter eggs I understood, I could make posts after posts from each episode or just make like a compilation post about every single easter egg from the game in every episode, I was literally geeking out on all of them.

The animation wasn’t the greatest, sadly, and even Kancolle looked better than Azur Lane does, but I’m not really mad about it nor I care! Even so, there were still some interesting sakuga moments! However, for the last time about the visuals, Kancolle has a uniformal character designs (calling them same faces would be a stretch), but Azur Lane does a pretty good job on capturing the different art styles the characters have, at least from their facial structures. It’s still no Chain Chronicle-tier (nor there will be anything with the same animation and character designs as the Chain Chronicle OVAs EVER!), but I’m impressed!

Speaking of the animation, episodes 11 and 12 will be delayed UNTIL MARCH while the entire series will be rebroadcast in January so we could lead up to the finale episodes in March. Well that’s certainly going to be quite a while to wait but they’re doing this to deliver the best animated finale episodes as possible, so I’m totally down for it!

Perhaps my big problem with the story is that the subplot focused more on trying to befriend Ayanami and there wasn’t much of Z23, but I think it’s more like they’re pulling from the JP server’s starter ship roster with Javelin, Laffey and Ayanami while Z23 is an unlockable. But it doesn’t matter, we do not point out issues or think of what I didn’t like which I had no problems, it always leave me a sour taste in what I’ve always been hyped for, so forget what I said.

Not to mention there are a little bit of elements that are completely new in the series and I wish they added them in the game, like Kaga’s giant fox ship and Unicorn’s flying U-chan (I didn’t know U-chan lives, I thought it was a simple lifeless stuffed animal), Hornet and Laffey in swimsuits (Come on, Manjuu, give them these swimsuits), etc.

The anime is also making me like some characters more, I kinda like Sheffield more because she’s badass (and doesn’t wear panties), but I’m liking Belfast a lot more than I have before, her chemistry with Enterprise is just amazing, I really love seeing these two together.

To top it all off, the first volume of the Blu-Ray has a really awesome unlockable of a new Enterprise costume! Which I’ll probably never get of course because I don’t think I could ever buy the BD.

I also didn’t know I needed and find it strange to hear English dub in the anime when the game has 100% Japanese voices, and I really wonder how much of the VAs know about this game and if they play it themselves (I’m sure they might not). This is a common thing with mobage adaptations (and even Kancolle), and Azur Lane is no exception.

Azur Lane The Animation is truly a love letter to the people who play the game, especially me because boy, I couldn’t stop pointing out references galore! It’s sad that the series only has 12 episodes, but I really hope it gets second seasons and even a movie like Kancolle did... Alright, what I’m saying is that I want Azur Lane The Animation to straight-up copy Kancolle The Animation. (Speaking of which, season 2 of Kancolle The Animation is coming and it’s an absolute joke that it’s happening) I want more storylines, I want more ships, I want more Azur Lane anime to exist!

But if this is really gonna be a one-off series, I’ll be forever sad because I won’t get more animated Azur Lane related stuff, I want to see everything being brought to life. Since it’s a big franchise right now, I hope it could get the Fate/Grand Order treatment where there should be different anime by different studios, that’s what I’d love to see!

UPDATE - December 24th: It seems like my dream of more Azur Lane anime is finally becoming true, as they announced an adaptation of the 4koma series!

10/10 - 100% - Rank: S++, I don’t give a shit about what anyone might say about the series’ story or even the animation, I just loved it!

(I’m glad I don’t visit 4chan and I have seen nothing but praise towards Aur Lane The Animation (mostly from Japanese people to see negative comments everywhere so my mind becomes broken and giving me the idea that the general consensus being the series is absolutely terrible, inb4 I share this and tell me otherwise.)

2.- Girls’ Frontline Healing Chapter (JP)*: Yes, I know I already talked about it on my last post, but it’s the Japanese dub we’re talking about and it’s relatively solid. However, there are quite some big changes, starting with the first episode where there’s more sound effects to the battlefield scene where it made the CN version feel poor in comparison, future episodes were having slight changes to the camera as well. Although there are things in the Japanese dub’s acting and scripting that I’m not really satisfied with, but it was still good regardless. Also, forget about “English sub vs dub”, now it’s “Chinese dub vs Japanese dub” now. Though the last few episodes didn’t have much of big changes, other than Chinese text written to Japanese.

The most important thing I have to talk about are these weird post-credits scenes, I have no idea what do these scenes even mean, maybe they just made these scenes as fillers to fill the maximum 4-5 minute run on Japanese TV.

Also, I have to go back to the CN version because, at the time when the first episode of the JP dub aired, the CN dub premiered its final episode and my god, I’m really sad this is over. And now we’re moving on to the other series, Madness Chapter (which you’ll find out as you scroll down this). Man, I really want more of this, I love the art style, but I wish some characters had more screentime and let RO shine!

Goodbye Healing Chapter, it was nice knowing you! ;_;7

Supposedly ShouKin (one of the uploaders for the two Girls’ Frontline anime series, the other being Berizou) found that season 2 for Healing Chapter was confirmed. Sounds awesome but I think I’ll have to wait for more and reliable information about it. Not that ShouKin is not a reliable source, but I really hope we get to hear more of it.

10/10 - 100% - Rank: S++ (Even with the JP dub, you continue to be great)

3.- High Score Girl II*: Supposedly I’ve always been following Moetron’s news about its release and I thought the first 3 episodes were gonna come out on my birthday, it indeed happened in Japan but there has never been any torrent of them and I was seriously disappointed about it! It came out like late October and I was like “What took you so long for this to come out or something?”, there might have been stuff I may have missed that explain these weird releases.

Anyways, moving on talking about the series and all I can think of is that the series continues to give me a big smile, seriously, every time I watch High Score Girl, I always smile for 24 minutes, that’s how powerful this show must be. (Even though everything shown is from the 90s and I was born in 1999, so I’m a 2000s kid, so I probably won’t have any idea of its historical accuracies and references).

Seriously, out of everything JC Staff they made this year, including the absolute garbage that was One Punch Man season 2, High Score Girl is obviously the winner for their best looking anime of the year!

100/100 - 100% - Rank: S++

4.- Fate/Grand Order Babylonia: For the last time, Fate anime adaptations have become quite a hot sensitive topic for me since 2017′s Fate/Apocrypha and 2018′s Fate/Extra Last Encore (And I enjoyed them both), but with Fate/Grand Order Babylonia, I’m qutie impressed, especially with the animation. This is probably the only two-cour series consisting of 21 episodes, it’s a weird number but it’s decent enough, and it’s a very long chapter of the game.

The Type-Moon community seems pretty hateful on other Fate series adaptations, but they’re very chill with Ufotable’s Stay Night adaptations, and nobody really seems to complaint with the New Year’s content and I’m glad for it. (Which by the way, the New Year’s stuff continue to be great! I definitely want it to be a tradition forever.)

5.- Tokunana: This was a relatively fun cop drama with stellar performances, and perhaps it was definitely the most underrated show of the season. The art style reminds me of Shirow Miwa in a way as well.

8/10 - 84% - Rank: A

6.- Beastars: I don’t know much about the story, but my big focus is the animation. Orage continues to deliver great CG animation post-Houseki no Kuni but it suffers the same problems as Sanzigen with the hand-drawn background characters and that shit is seriously annoying.

8/10 - 82% - Rank: A-

Between Beastars and High Score Girl II, I wanted HSGII to be the better looking CG series without blatant hand drawn parts, but I guess it even includes hand drawn parts at times, so having to find which CG anime look better is a hard stretch, perhaps I’m asking too much on what kind of CG anime do I want. Also, I hate to admit, I have to give props to Studio Polygon because they definitely make everything 100% CG. (Or do they? Gah! I don’t know anymore!)

7.- My Hero Academia season 4: Well, I read the manga, it’s no surprising about what even happened with these arcs. (even though when I’m at the current chapters, I forget what happened the previous volumes).

7.5/10 - 75% - Rank: B+

8.- Psycho-Pass 3*: If Tokunana wasn’t enough of a cop drama, then here comes Psycho-Pass 3 which it’s the true definition of a cop drama with the 40 minute runtime.

As someone who wasn’t really offended on Psycho-Pass 2, I’ll have to assume that Psycho-Pass 3 is definitely a breath of fresh air for the series after the movies, perhaps even more.

I’m glad that most of the familiar faces have returned, although it was probably always expected, but there’s just something about Akane, Ginoza and Kogami’s returns from the first few episodes that made me fanboy a little bit, not gonna lie. It’s just that I was really stuck to the marketing and promotional images of the series.

If Psycho-Pass 3 is still somewhat received negatively like Psycho-Pass 2, I don’t know what do you really want from this franchise at this point. At this point you’re definitely thinking that Psycho-Pass should have been a one-off series, but no, most of the fans begged for a second season and so on, they delivered. Don’t try to mess with the creators’ efforts and stuff.

Though my only problem with this season is that I wish the original characters had some more screentime, and then episode 8 didn’t really feel conclusive but I guess that helped to lead up to the upcoming film--which turned out to be a compilation film which gives me a sour taste in my mouth. However, it does confirm that it will indeed conclude the story, for a “compilation film” I don’t know how that might work, but if it’s indeed gonna conclude the story, that’s the main thing I wanted to hear.

7.5/10 - 75% - Rank: B+

First there are anime with 40 minute premieres, movies are a different thing, but a full-fledged TV anime series with a 40 minute runtime? That sure kinda sounds revolutionary but at the same time it’s a total overkill for animators. Besides, I never have the energy to watch anything in 40 minutes, so let’s keep things the way they are with usually having to watch anime series in 20 minutes.

9.- Phantasy Star Online 2 Episode Oracle*: You think that a PSO2 anime that’s actually set in the game’s universe and it’s more serialized could be better than PSO2: The Animation? Well, part of it yeah. But for me, honestly, this was WAY WORSE than PSO2: The Animation for one major reason: This was absolutely rather dark and I wasn’t too comfortable with it.

The animation is kind of alright, it’s not very great but at least Gonzo has definitely improved since the maximum garbage that was 18if.

Is the actual game this dark? Even if I haven’t really seen any story mode (?) cutscenes, from what I’ve seen, I just don’t see it in that light. I haven’t played the JP version (I’d like to but I have difficulties with the download) but I am gonna try to play the English version next year (Can’t believe it’s finally happening).

I just read on MAL that it does adapt these episodes from the actual game but they have anime original content in the process, since I’m not a PSO2 player, I really can’t say for sure if it is indeed faithful but with the anime original stuff, but if it is, well shit.

Surprisingly I haven’t seen some friends I know who play PSO2 talk about Episode Oracle. They have talked about PSO2: The Animation when it came out and they certainly hate it but I can defintely tell they don’t watch Episode Oracle at all (I think it’s for the best).

Anyways, I want to forget this garbage and I want to go back to PSO2: The Animation, it wasn’t that offensively bad after all.

(As of the writing in November 11th, Firefox crashed and I wrote parts of this review a little differently, so I had to rewrite it and it might be different from what I remember, but it’s still decent)

5.5/10 - 53% - Rank: C-

10.- Girls’ Frontline Madness Chapter: Now that Healing Chapter is over, it was time to move on to Madness Chapter, and with the first episode alone... I wasn’t feeling it at all, I’m not super impressed.

Quick info drop, this series is an adaptation of Girls’ Frontline’s in-game 4koma which can be found in the Cafe, though I only play the English version and I assume that the Chinese and Korean servers must have the 4komas like on volume 10 or so.

With that being said about that Madness Chapter adapts the 4koma, there’s just something really off about the animation, it’s just that it’s way too quirky and over the top. It looks more like it’s the true definition of a Chinese anime or something, not for the dub, but for the talent.

Though I have to say, the last few episodes have been really growing on me, but my first impressions will probably remain.

Once Healing Chapter in Japanese ends, I’m definitely expecting Madness Chapter to have Japanese dub as well.

4.5/10 - 45% - Rank: C--

11.- Granblue Fantasy season 2*: A second season with an absolute stepback on animation and decent storyline, everything else is rather forgettable. The Vira episodes were interesting but I couldn’t get myself to care for everything else.

I seriously don't like the new animation at all. A-1 did a very good job on how it looks, but even so, people seem to hate the first season, so the animation in S2 is an absolute downgrade and won't do any favors for me. As for the story so far, I can't really tell if this is from the actual game's campaign (like I said, I stopped at Chapter 17), but I guess it's alright. The most absurd thing about this is that armored characters like the Empire solders and even Apollo are all CG and they look terrible. (Were they CG in the first season too? I can't remember already).

I'm not really one who should be like those "These people shouldn't make cashgrab adaptations doing the story from the very start and instead spend all their money on making OVAs or whatever on their most popular events, like What Makes the Sky Blue?" nazis and I don't give much of a crap about it, but I do really feel like GBF shouldn't really need to be adapted from zero and instead just do any of their popular events or something. I mean, just look at FGO where they only did about one adaptation of the prologue and later they're adapting Babylonia and Camelot, the most popular chapters.

On October 26th, I made a small TwitLonger post detailing my complicated history with GBF and why I’m feeling like I want to walk away from it. (It’s kind of dumb really. And yes, the first paragraphs of this where I gave my first impressions with GBF S2 were straight-up copied from the post).

The most heartbreaking thing that happened in this series is that they showed a Halloween special on November 8th WITH THE FIRST SEASON’S ANIMATION, my god, look how better it was before they went to this crap! This is One-Punch Man season 2 all over again! (But certainly doesn’t top it)

3/10 - 31% - Rank: D

Overall:

Honorable mentions

BLACKFOX*: I barely had time to watch it exactly on my birthday, but when I saw it the next day, it was a relatively solid and entertaining comic book-like narrated film. Although it may not be the greatest film like I wanted, but it may be for the best because at the time, my brain was absolutely burned from seeing Joker last night to even care for everything else, it’s a masterpiece.

One problem I do have is Melissa, at the end of the film, we see Rikka, Mia and... surprisingly Melissa with a costume and everything. What’s the origin behind it? What about her character development?

I really hope there’s more Blackfox because the teaser at the end seems too good to pass to make a full-fledged series of it.

(Mia best girl.)

8/10 - 85% - Rank: B+

Fire Force: My opinion on the animation, at least in non-action moments, probably remain, but I really like these arcs more, not that I didn’t like the beginning arcs but I’m really liking this direction.

(I don’t know how to define “better” anymore without using “I like X better just because. It tops, it exceeds, etc.”)

7/10 - 72% - Rank: B

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection*: This one’s a little funny because it’s a movie that came out about months ago, but it came out in Mexican theaters on October 11th, since it’s October and it falls into the Fall category (”Falls to Fall” lmao), I’ll have to include it.

Anyways, having watched the compilation films as a road to get into the Code Geass series, Lelouch of the Re;surrection was good, but it did get me confused at times, I have a lot of questions about what was going on, but the post-credits scene got me the most confused, I don’t know if it was meant to be a teaser, but the way this scene happened is kind of ambiguous.

Even though watching the compilation films may or may not be the best method to get into Code Geass, I had to do it so I could have saved time, if I were to watch the series, it would have taken me forever. Besides, Lelouch of the Re;surrection is from the compilation films’ canon, so it’s something, I guess.

Moving on, the most baffling thing I have to talk about are the technical issues in my cinema. Like around the beginning of the film, the part where Lelouch blows up Shesthaal, the audio cuts off, they had to pause the run of the film a couple of minutes and rewinded some. People in my cinema, while thankfully not very loud with whistles and all, were definitely complaining about the issue, while my older sister and I were just laughing silently and smh’ing.

8.5/10 - 85% - Rank: A-

Lupin the 3rd Prison of the Past: I genuinely didn’t expect there would be another Lupin the 3rd OVA. It’s been months since I saw Goodbye Partner.

It’s probably unintentional but something tells me that releasing this OVA now is like a lead-up to the Lupin the 3rd CG movie in December in Japan.

There’s one thing I’m not happy about is that there wasn’t a memorial for Monkey Punch or anything (but does that “Monkey” branded chewing gum count? Sounds a little insulting), or this might have been made a while before Monkey Punch passed away, but they should have included something like that.

8/10 - 80% - Rank: A

Anticipated

This is the last anime season of the decade and now we’re gonna reach the first lineup of new anime in the new decade. I of course wouldn’t watch literally every single anime in existence, like I always do with every season, but here are some of the very first anime of the 2020 decade I want to watch!

(I’m surprised no one is hyping up how we’re getting our first anime of the 2020 decade)

I should also try to keep track on everything I want to watch because I think I may forget when they’re gonna come out.

Quintessential Quintuplets season 2 - January ???: A few months ago I binged the series and I seriously can’t believe I slept on this, it was hilarious and pure at times, so I can’t wait to watch more. Though I haven’t read the manga (but I’d like to some day) but it’s enough for me to go blind and enjoy the series.

Speaking of the manga, the series will end on its 14th volume next year and we’re so close on that happening because volume 13 will be released in January 17th 2020. I’ll be sad to see this series go but I’m interested to see what the creator will make next and if the anime keeps getting new seasons, we might actually see the series finale get adapted.

[UPDATE - January 4th 2020: As of now, there hasn’t been any news about Quintessential Quintuplets S2 lately, no promos or anything. I think at this point it’s probably delayed until Spring.]

Heya Camp - January 6th: It may not be season 2 of Yuru Camp (yet) but I’m glad there’s going to be more coziness with the short series lifted from the previews from the base series.

Isekai Quartet season 2 - January 14th: I’m definitely hype for more Isekai Quartet and that teaser with the new classmates at the end of the first season finale is not to be wasted, and those new classmates happened to be Naofumi, Raphtalia and Filo from Rising of Shield Hero. As of the writing this in December 1st, I’m planning to binge Shield Hero, I have pretty much watched every isekai series featured in Isekai Quartet, so I don’t want to be left out with Shield Hero. Regardless of what I heard about the series, I’m still gonna watch it anyways. (Finished watching on December 5th and... DAMN, I REALLY LIKED IT. FUCK THEM SJWs!)

Bang Dream season 3 - January 23rd: It would have been amazing if Sangizen were to do the Bubuki Buranki thing with the first season in Winter and the second season in Fall, but they deserve to take their time.

Madoka Magica Magia Record - January 4th: Fall 2019 was quite stuffed with anime based on gacha, Fate/Grand Order Babylonia, Azur Lane The Animation and Granblue Fantasy The Animation, but Madoka Magica Magia Record is the one show based on the mobile game that decided to not to join the party and it’s kinda funny.

Nekopara - January 9th: That’s right, there’s going to be a full fledged Nekopara TV series now. This is the most unnecessary anime to exist since there already was a plethora of OVAs, there’s no need to make a TV series of the VN now. I don’t have time to rush through the VN if I want to buy it (Most likely from Steam and buy the adult patch too) but I don’t have the money to do it, well, it may depend from my interest and time to try to play it because I’m a bit behind with Saya no Uta.

Speaking of adult content, I’m expecting a bit of fan service somewhere because they wouldn’t do the full blown hentai scenes. Pretty standard VN adapation rules.

Dorohedoro - January 12th.

Danmachi OVA - January 29th.

ID:Invaded - January 5th.

Ishizoku Reviewers - January 11th: I seriously haven’t watched any ecchi series in a long time, and reading the synopsis alone, I’m really intrigued in checking this one out.

There’s quite of anime to look forward to in 2020 but I haven’t been keeping track on what do I want to watch, though I know some that may come in that year, but I’m not gonna get into that since this is just for Winter 2020, I’ll address that in my “10 year journey” post.

The future of the seasonal anime review series

Since this is my last seasonal anime review post in Tumblr, I’ll probably continue making lists either by tweeting them out or will have to make a Discord channel in my private server, but it’s probably more about anticipated shows, for seasonal reviews, I’ll have to do Tier Maker images, probably for the best because I’ve been making a bit of a weird inconsistencies with ranking shows with scores and ranks, so I’ll probably have to stick to only ranks with Tier Maker from now on.

Although to be honest, I’m not sure if anyone would really care about what am I gonna watch, did I like a show or not, but at the same time, I forget people do really care as they’re quite the show-offs and ofcourse discussions galore. So I think I’ll keep doing what I’m doing but in a more simple way.

And that’s it, we’re done here. This is the end of the seasonal anime review Tumblr post series, though nobody had really read these posts before, but I finally got my first audition with the Karoshi Discord server from the beginning of this post. I’ve had fun making these posts, even if lately I’ve been getting burnt out but I still enjoyed writing these.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, thank you for the birthday wishes, a day early and even on the very same day.

With a day early, particularly from my Japanese friends, especially you @hinosuna0720/@hinosuna3D21 (NSFW content, viewer discretion is advised) for giving me sweet images with my Custom Maid 3D2 OCs, and you even gifted me VA-11 HALL-A and I’m seriously grateful. I also want to congratulate @ryuuunnji for giving me a picture too.

And on the actual day, I want to thank for @SALthePAL95 making me drawings of my new OCs! And speaking of drawings, my older sister made me one too (but I won’t show it, sorry), it’s been a long time since she made me one... ;-;

And I, of course, want to thank everyone else who has given me birthday wishes!

This 20th birthday was definitely the best I’ve ever had in my life, I’ve had some really sweet surprises that I’ve always been looking for, and I wish my future birthdays continue to be this good, especially in the next decade.

(Not you @kirishima_ss. Thankfully it was a day after my birthday but, come on... (he blocked me)) 🖕🔪 (Although that did teach me a valuable lession: I’m not gonna promote my birthday literally every day ever again, because I was seriously getting pretentious)

Anyways, it’s time for making these Tumblr posts to stop, but alas, there’s one more Tumblr post to make, it’s a whole different topic but it’s extremely important, it’s super long but I hope you’ll understand. See you there. Also, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in advance.

Check out my Carrd.

My retirement announcement for one last reminder. (And just fixed it to make it more readable)

#anime #anime of the season #aots #fall 2019 #winter 2020

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suzanneshannon · 5 years

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Improving Video Accessibility with WebVTT

"The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect." - Tim Berners-Lee

Accessibility is an important element of web development, and with the ever-growing prevalence of video content, the necessity for captioned content is growing as well. WebVTT is a technology that solves helps with captioned content as a subtitle format that integrates easily with already-existing web APIs.

That’s what we’re going to look at here in this article. Sure, WebVTT is captioning at its most basic, but there are ways to implement it to make videos (and the captioned content itself) more accessible for users.

See the Pen VJJMZz by Geoff Graham (@geoffgraham) on CodePen.

Hi, meet the WebVTT format

First and foremost: WebVTT is a type of file that contains the text "WebVTT" and lines of captions with timestamps. Here’s an example:

WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 - [Birds chirping] - It's a beautiful day! 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:07.000 - [Creek trickling] - It is indeed! 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:10.000 - Hello there!

A little weird, but makes pretty good sense, right? As you can see, the first line is "WEBVTT" and it is followed by a time range (in this case, 0 to 3 seconds) on Line 3. The time range is required. Otherwise, the WEBVTT file will not work at all and it won’t even display or log errors to let you know. Finally, each line below a time range represents captions contained in the range.

Note that you can have multiple captions in a single time range. Hyphens may be used to indicate the start of a line, though it’s not required and more stylistic than anything else.

The time range can be one of two formats: hh:mm:ss.tt or mm:ss.tt. Each part follows certain rules:

Hours (hh): Minimum of two digits

Minutes (mm): Between 00 and 59, inclusive

Seconds (ss): Between 00 and 59, inclusive

Milliseconds (tt): Between 000 and 999, inclusive

This may seem rather daunting at first. You’re probably wondering how anyone can be expected to type and tweak this all by hand. Luckily, there are tools to make this easier. For example, YouTube can automatically caption videos for you with speech recognition in addition to allowing you to download the caption as a VTT file as well! But that’s not it. WebVTT can also be used with YouTube as well by uploading your VTT file to your YouTube video.

Once we have this file created, we can then embed it into an HTML5 video element.

<!DOCTYPE HTML> <html> <body> <video controls autoplay> <source src="your_video.mp4" type="video/mp4"/> <track default kind="captions" srclang="en" label="English" src="your_caption_file.vtt"/> </video> </body> </html>

The <track> tag is sort of like a script that "plays" along with the video. We can use multiple tracks in the same video element. The default attribute indicates that a the track will be enabled automatically.

Let’s run down all the <track> attributes while we’re at it:

srclang indicates what language the track is in.

kind represents the type of track it is and there are five kinds:

subtitles are usually translations and descriptions of different parts of a video.

descriptions help unsighted users understand what is happening in a video.

captions provide un-hearing users an alternative to audio.

metadata is a track that is used by scripts and cannot be seen by users.

chapters assist in navigating video content.

label is a title for the text track that appears in the caption track

src is the source file for the track. It cannot come from a cross-origin source unless crossorigin is specified.

While WebVTT is designed specifically for video, you can still use it with audio by placing an audio file within a <video> element.

Digging into the structure of a WebVTT file

MDN has great documentation and outlines the body structure of a WebVTT file, which consists of up to six components. Here’s how MDN breaks it down:

An optional byte order mark (BOM)

The string "WEBVTT"

An optional text header to the right of WEBVTT.

There must be at least one space after WEBVTT.

You could use this to add a description to the file.

You may use anything in the text header except newlines or the string "-->".

A blank line, which is equivalent to two consecutive newlines.

Zero or more cues or comments.

Zero or more blank lines.

Note: a BOM is a unicode character that indicates the unicode encoding of the text file.

Bold, italic, and underline — oh my!

We can absolutely use some inline HTML formatting in WebVTT files! These are the ones that everyone is familiar with: , , and . You use them exactly as you would in HTML.

WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 align:start This is bold text 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:06.000 align:middle This is italic text 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:09.000 vertical:rl align:middle This is underlined text

Cue settings

Cue settings are optional strings of text used to control the position of a caption. It’s sort of like positioning elements in CSS, like being able to place captions on the video.

For example, we could place captions to the right of a cue timing, control whether a caption is displayed horizontally or vertically, and define both the alignment and vertical position of the caption.

Here are the settings that are available to us.

Setting 1: Line

line controls the positioning of the caption on the y-axis. If vertical is specified (which we’ll look at next), then line will instead indicate where the caption will be displayed on the x-axis.

When specifying the line value, integers and percentages are perfectly acceptable units. In the case of using an integer, the distance per line will be equal to the height (from a horizontal perspective) of the first line. So, for example, let’s say the height of the first line of the caption is equal to 50px, the line value specified is 2, and the caption’s direction is horizontal. That means the caption will be positioned 100px (50px times 2) down from the top, up to a maximum equal to coordinates of the boundaries of the video. If we use a negative integer, it will move upward from the bottom as the value decreases (or, in the case of vertical:lr being specified, we will move from right-to-left and vice-versa). Be careful here, as it’s possible to position the captions off-screen in addition to the positioning being inconsistent across browsers. With great power comes great responsibility!

In the case of a percentage, the value must be between 0-100%, inclusive (sorry, no 200% mega values here). Higher values will move the caption from top-to-bottom, unless vertical:lr or vertical:rl is specified, in which case the caption will move along the x-axis accordingly.

As the value increases, the caption will appear further down the video boundaries. As the value decreases (including into the negatives), the caption will appear further up.

Tough picture this without examples, right? Here’s how this translates into code:

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 line:50% This caption should be positioned horizontally in the approximate center of the screen.

00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:06.000 vertical:lr line:50% This caption should be positioned vertically in the approximate center of the screen.

00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:09.000 vertical:rl line:-1 This caption should be positioned vertically along the left side of the video.

00:00:09.000 --> 00:00:12.000 line:0 The caption should be positioned horizontally at the top of the screen.

Setting 2: Vertical

vertical indicates the caption will be displayed vertically and move in the direction specified by the line setting. Some languages are not displayed left-to-right and instead need a top-to-bottom display.

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 vertical:rl This caption should be vertical.

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 vertical:lr This caption should be vertical.

Setting 3: Position

position specifies where the caption will be displayed along the x-axis. If vertical is specified, the position will instead specify where the caption will be displayed on the y-axis. It must be an integer value between 0% and 100%, inclusive.

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 vertical:rl position:100% This caption will be vertical and toward the bottom. 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:06.000 vertical:rl position:0% This caption will be vertical and toward the top.

At this point, you may notice that line and position are similar to the CSS flexbox properties for align-items and justify-content, and that vertical behaves a lot like flex-direction. A trick for remembering WebVTT directions is that line specifies a position perpendicular to the flow of the text, whereas position specifies the position parallel to the flow of the text. That’s why line suddenly moves along the horizontal axis, and position moves along the vertical axis if we specify vertical.

Setting 4: Size

size specifies the width of the caption. If vertical is specified, then it will set the height of the caption instead. Like other settings, it must be an integer between 0% and 100%, inclusive.

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 vertical:rl size:50% This caption will fill half the screen vertically.

00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:06.000 position:0% This caption will fill the entire screen horizontally.

Setting 5: Align

align specifies where the text will appear horizontally. If vertical is specified, then it will control the vertical alignment instead.

The values we’ve got are: start, middle, end, left and right. Without vertical specified, the alignments are exactly what they sound like. If vertical is specified, they effectively become top, middle (vertically), and bottom. Using start and end as opposed to left and right, respectively, is a more flexible way of allowing the alignment to be based on the unicode-bidi CSS property’s plaintext value.

Note that align is not unaffected by vertical:lr or vertical:rl.

WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 align:start This caption will be on the left side of the screen. 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:06.000 align:middle This caption will be horizontally in the middle of the screen. 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:09.000 vertical:rl align:middle This caption will be vertically in the middle of the screen. 00:00:09.000 --> 00:00:12.000 vertical:rl align:end This caption will be vertically at the bottom right of the screen regardless of vertical:lr or vertical:rl orientation. 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:15.000 vertical:lr align:end This caption will be vertically at the bottom of the screen, regardless of the vertical:lr or vertical:rl orientation. 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:15.000 align:left This caption will appear on the left side of the screen. 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:15.000 align:right This caption will appear on the right side of the screen.

WebVTT Comments

WebVTT comments are strings of text that are only visible when reading the source text of the file, the same way we think of comments in HTML, CSS, JavaScript and any other language. Comments may contain a new line, but not a blank line (which is essentially two new lines).

WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 - [Birds chirping] - It's a beautiful day! NOTE This is a comment. It will not be visible to anyone viewing the caption. 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:07.000 - [Creek trickling] - It is indeed! 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:10.000 - Hello there!

When the caption file is parsed and rendered, the highlighted line above will be completely hidden from users. Comments can be multi-line as well.

There are three very important characters/strings to take note of that may not be used in comments: <, &, and -->. As an alternative, you can use escaped characters instead.

Not Allowed Alternative NOTE PB&J NOTE PB&J NOTE 5 < 7 NOTE 5 < 7 NOTE puppy --> dog NOTE puppy --> do

A few other interesting WebVTT features

We’re going to take a quick look at some really neat ways we can customize and control captions, but that are lacking consistent browser support, at least at the time of this writing.

Yes, we can style captions!

WebVTT captions can, in fact, be styled. For example, to style the background of a caption to be red, set the background property on the ::cue pseudo-element:

video::cue { background: red; }

Remember how we can use some inline HTML formatting in the WebVTT file? Well, we can select those as well. For example, to select and italic () element:

video::cue(i) { color: yellow; }

Turns out WebVTT files support a style block, a lot like the way HTML files do:

WEBVTT STYLE ::cue { color: blue; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; }

Elements can also be accessed via their cue identifiers. Note that cue identifiers use the same escaping mechanism as HTML.

WEBVTT STYLE ::cue(#middle\ cue\ identifier) { text-decoration: underline; } ::cue(#cue\ identifier\ \33) { font-weight: bold; color: red; } first cue identifier 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.000 Hello, world! middle cue identifier 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:04.000 This cue identifier will have an underline! cue identifier 3 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:06.000 This one won't be affected, just like the first one!

Different types of tags

Many tags can be used to format captions. There is a caveat. These tags cannot be used in a <track> element where kind attribute is chapters. Here are some formatting tags you can use.

The class tag

We can define classes in the WebVTT markup using a class tag that can be selected with CSS. Let’s say we have a class, .yellowish that makes text yellow. We can use the tag <c.yellowish> in a caption. We can control lots of styling this way, like the font, the font color, and background color.

/* Our CSS file */ .yellowish { color: yellow; } .redcolor { color: red; }

WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 <c.yellowish>This text should be yellow.</c> This text will be the default color. 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:06.000 <c.redcolor>This text should be red.</c> This text will be the default color.

The timestamp tag

If you want to make captions appear at specific times, then you will want to use timestamp tags. They’re like fine-tuning captions to exact moments in time. The tag’s time must be within the given time range of the caption, and each timestamp tag must be later than the previous.

WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.000 This <00:00:01.000>text <00:00:02.000>will <00:00:03.000>appear <00:00:04.000>over <00:00:05.000>6 <00:00:06.000>seconds.

The voice tag

Voice tags are neat in that they help identify who is speaking.

WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 <v Alice>How was your day, Bob? 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:06.000 <v Bob>Great, yours?

The ruby tag

The ruby tag is a way to display small, annotative characters above the caption.

WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.000 <ruby>This caption will have text above it<rt>This text will appear above the caption.

Conclusion

And that about wraps it up for WebVTT! It’s an extremely useful technology and presents an opportunity to improve your site’s accessibility a great deal, particularly if you are working with video. Try some of your own captions out yourself to get a better feel for it!

Improving Video Accessibility with WebVTT published first on https://deskbysnafu.tumblr.com/

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kennothythebard · 7 years

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Word Count in DEH Fanfic, pt. 2

A lot has changed since I made my first post about the subject, so I figured I should go more in depth in my analysis rather than just “ooh fancy math! Divide word count by chapter numbers!” So I’ve put together a bunch of information about the five longest fics in the DEH tag on ao3. here you go. I’m so sorry.

Title: A Worthy Explanation Author: nameless_wanderer (aka me, @official-didney-worl-elmo ) Kudos: 241 Paring(s): Kleinsen, slight Galaxy Gals Type of fic: Divergence, Evan doesn't lie Summary: A divergence in the canon where Evan chooses not to lie to the Murphy family, turns into a Kleinsen slow burn. Total word count: 90,813 Words per chapter (avg.): 4,128 Reason for length: Basically a retelling of DEH, goes into almost too much detail at some points, adds lots of events based on the original story Rating/Personal opinion: I cannot objectively rate this as I am the one who wrote this. Series?: Kind of. Technically yes, the other stories are just one shots in the same au. Other comments: I mean if u wanted to read it that would be hella.

Title: The Desperate Type Author: chchchchchcherrybomb ( @ch-ch-ch-ch-cherrybomb ) Kudos: 1757 Paring(s): Treebros Type of fic: Plot transplant (i.e. taking plot elements from one story and using it with characters/setting of a different), using plot elements from "My Heart and Other Black Holes" Summary: Evan seeks out a "suicide partner," a depressed person like him who will help him make the decision to end things. The person he finds is Connor Murphy. Angst ensues. Total word count: 88,393 Words per chapter (avg.): 4,018 Reason for length: Due to the nature of the fic, it's pretty much a whole novel rewritten using different events, characters, etc. Rating/Personal opinion: Whoa, everything about this is so wonderful! Seriously, one of the best fics in the deh tag on ao3, I cannot praise this fic enough. The characters are realistically developed, the events are emotionally charged but not so much that it breaks suspension of disbelief, if you like reading long fics this is the fic for you. Series?: Yep. Other fics include retellings of events from different POVs, one shots in the same au, and a multi-chaptered prequel (also very good) Other comments: the author of this fic is also like super nice and I'd like apologize for literally every interaction we've had bc I am an idiot and everything about TDT and the related fics are fantastic

Title: Here, But Full of Light Author: InTheLoft ( @arequiems ) Kudos: 383 Paring(s): Treebros, Galaxy Gals Type of fic: Divergence, Connor lives Summary: In the words of the author, Connor Murphy didn't die and, for some reason, Evan Hansen is determined to be his friend. Total word count: 83,683 Words per chapter (avg.): 13,947 (holy hell) Reason for length: The individual chapters for this fic represent seasons of the year, meaning a lot of events happen in them. The "chapters" in this case are more like "parts" in certain longer novels, and there are almost kind of "mini chapters" within each of the written chapters Rating/Personal opinion: Honestly I haven't caught up with this one. I've started it half a dozen times but I get busy. From what I've read it's outstanding, and seems to be going in a good direction, but I can't give a really strong opinion on this. Series?: No(t yet?) Other comments: Honestly, I'm blown away that the author is this dedicated to writing a fic this long and it's still not done yet! I'll be surprised if after the next chapter is updated, AWE is still the longest fic in the tag. So well done, your dedication to this fic is incredible.

Title: Pain Author: faraandmera ( @faraandmera ) Kudos: 1206 Paring(s): Treebros Type of fic: Divergence, Connor doesn't attempt suicide and becomes friends with Evan Summary: Connor and Evan are both sick. Maybe they could be sick together. Maybe they could almost be friends Total word count: 78,482 Words per chapter (avg.): 1,601 Reason for length: 49 average/short chapters. Several interludes in between plot. Rating/Personal opinion: Honestly the title is a misnomer. I loved this fic when I first read it, there's a little bit of angst in earlier chapters but it becomes really nice and a little fluffy in the middle chapters. I'm honestly not caught up bc I kept forgetting to read the updates, but it's so well written and includes probably my favorite line ever written: "Hello yes, I can’t go because I don’t want to, and also don’t even celebrate that holiday what the fuck." Series?: Yep, the Pain-verse, which right now is just "Pain" and a one shot taking place in the same universe. Other comments: Not finished yet, don't know if the author is planning on ending it anytime soon. Despite the title, this is a pretty good feel-good fic/slow burn if you want something a little bit lighter to read

Title: "You Know They're Gonna Think You're Lovers, Right?" Author: neglectedrainbow ( @neglectedrainbow ) Kudos: 857 Paring(s): Kleinsen, Galaxy Gals Type of fic: Divergence, Connor was gay and Evan pretends to have been his boyfriend Summary: Connor's parents knew about Connor's boyfriends. They think Evan might have been one of them. Jared told Evan just to nod and confirm. I wonder how this will turn out. Total word count: 66,029 Words per chapter (avg.): 2,201 Reason for length: Basically retelling the musical after "For Forever" with some divergence. Rating/Personal opinion: This is another one I haven't quite read. I got like ten chapters into it like one night but then I woke up and forgot what I read and forgot to keep up with it. I remember it's like super well written, and I really should read it considering it's the longest Kleinsen fic that I didn't write Series?: YKTGTYLR, but the titular fic is the only one in the series currently. Other comments: Honestly I really need to read the fic, like actually read it, I only remember that the writing was crazy good, on par with TDT if I remember correctly.

Conclusion:

Divergence fics yield huge word count.

Well written fics that are long yield lots of kudos.

People love writing long treebros fics

Almost everyone ships Galaxy Gals

The DEH ao3 tag has so many talented authors except me lol what the hell how are you all so good??? Also thank you for the amazing content?????

#dear evan hansen #deh #deh fanfic #treebros #kleinsen #not able to tag all of this fics but like honestly i love them all

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marshmallowgoop · 7 years

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I'm surprised you feel that way, although it made me sad (especially that senketsu was gone), I really loved the way they dealt with the themes of moving on, and of the impact the past should have on us.

I’m surprised that this is surprising! Apparently I haven’t salted enough about the ending recently, huh?

That said, I don’t know if you read this post that I linked in my last response, but I would recommend reading it if you haven’t (and if you want to understand more of my POV). The argument there is just one of the most eloquent I’ve written about why the ending plain doesn’t work, but I can also point to a whole slew of other essays/thoughts on the subject that I’ve done (the ☂ are warnings for Extreme Salt and the numbers in parentheses note that the essay was included on that page in my compiled meta book):

Senketsu’s Death: For the Best? (186) ☂

Senketsu’s Final Fate? (143) ☂

Senketsu “Outgrew” Being a Uniform? (139) ☂

OVA Thoughts ☂

Senketsu’s Death: Is Senketsu Really Dead? (145) ☂ , Part II ☂ , Part III ☂

The OVA is Awful if You Like Senketsu ☂

OVA Salt ☂

“Outgrowing Sailor Uniforms” ☂

And then the one I linked above: Gurren Lagann, Re: Cutie Honey: Kill la Kill Ending Salt ☂

Buuuut that’s a whole heck of a lot of TLDR, so let me pick out the relevant bits:

From Senketsu’s Final Fate? (143) ☂:

I appreciate how the OVA expanded on Senketsu’s dying linesome more with the idea of “graduating” from the past and learning to move on,but, opinions, it wasn’t really the closure I was hoping for. A peek in myanalysis tag shows that I don’t ever seem to stop yapping about how Senketsuis more than a uniform, and I’ll always argue that point,since that’s so much of what the show means to me. And while I’m compelled bythe OVA’s take on “outgrowing” being less about growing up but more aboutletting go of the past and moving on, it still rather adds to this idea of“outgrowing Senketsu”… which leaves a really sour taste in my mouth. Yeah, itseems to be more about what sailor uniforms represent (and particularly, what aKamui represents) than anything about Senketsu personally, but the point stillstands. He’s Ryuko’s friend and partner. You don’t outgrow that.

Worst of all, though, is that the closure at the end heregives off the impression that Ryuko doesn’t need Senketsuanymore, which doesn’t sit right with me. Cause, like, when you lose a friendand you learn to live without them, saying you don’t need them anymore feelsall sorts of wrong. People certainly need people, but with friends, itshouldn’t be about being so reliant on them that you literally need them tolive—it’s about wanting them in your life because they enhanceit by being who they are. So in this sense, yes, Ryuko doesn’t need him, butthat’s not something I want to hear in this show’s final moments. I want tohear that they were friends, that they had good times together, that she’llmiss him but she won’t kill herself in missing him, and she’ll never forgethim. This “I’ve outgrown you and I don’t need you anymore” vibe I get justfeels like a slap in the face after everything those two went through together.

From OVA Thoughts ☂:

I can’t enjoy the OVA as much as I would like because it mucks up one of the show’s most crucial elements. To spend a whole series touting two characters as equals and one and the same and then try to pass one off as just some grand mentor figure that needs to be “outgrown” and moved away from plain doesn’t work. And it works even less to treat him as though he’s been some object all along. All of that seems to be going on with the OVA, and all of it leaves me shaking my head.

From Senketsu’s Death: For the Best? (186) ☂:

You might outgrow sailor uniforms (though I’ll point outthat this sentiment is pretty broken, considering Ryuko still has a year ofhigh school left and no, she’s not done wearing sailor uniforms just yet), butyou don’t outgrow friends.

From Senketsu “Outgrew” Being a Uniform? (139) ☂:

Now, moving on from the battle and letting the past rest? Ican totally see that as a good way to conclude the show. With the idea ofchoosing your own destiny and breaking the strings of fate that bound you, theOVA does indeed work on a lot of levels and asks a lot of touching questions,too. What do you do with yourself once you are freed from fate? How do you moveon? All great. I dig it.

And I’d dig it a lot more if Senketsu was handled as nicely.Ryuko needs to move on from his death and not drown herself in sorrow for hisloss? Awesome! Perfect way to end the series. But it gets so… muddled.

First off, there are a million different ways to interpretwhat even happened with Senketsu. Is he dead and watching over Ryuko in theafterlife? Is he an imaginary space ghost? Is he a god? Is he in Ryuko’s heartand together they get to live out Ryuko’s greatest happiness for reals? Is heboth literally in her heart and Life Fiber Clothing Jesus atthe same time? Is he sharing Ryuko’s body a la Birdy and Tsutomu and they justhave to build him a new one? Is it like Wan and Raava where they’re fused but(I presume) they can still speak to each other and maintain their own personalities?All of these could work in canon, and for something that’s supposed to giveclosure, it’s rather frustrating and confusing. What is even meant to beconveyed with such an ambiguous conclusion to Senketsu’s story? If he’s deadand the theme is moving on from fate, make it clear that he is indeeddead—don’t complicate it.

From The OVA is Awful if You Like Senketsu ☂:

Meanwhile Senketsu’s character is totally shat on [in the OVA], he’streated as little more than an object when his entire arc was about realizinghe’s human and so much more than that, this forced, last-minutemetaphor of “outgrowing your sailor uniform!!!” that never made sense inthe first place and was totally contradictory to the entire rest of the show isfurthered in the most demeaning way possible (“lol senketsu ur just a sailoruniform and guess i’ve moved on from them even though i actually still have ayear of high school left and also weren’t u supposed to be, like, my friend andequal? not anymore!”), and there’s such ambiguity about his final fate thatnobody can seem to agree if he’s even freaking dead or not… which just mucks upthese forced metaphors even more.

I was fucked up for days after I first saw the OVA because Iwas so disappointed by it. I could not believe the treatment of Senketsu, andeven now I still cringe a bit whenever I edit with it or write about it.

From OVA Salt ☂:

The OVA’s supposed to have this big message about moving on(and, in Ryuko’s case, moving on from Senketsu’s loss… I mean, at least, I think that’swhat they’re going for, but it gets so muddled), but it’s hard for it to meanmuch when you don’t really see her suffering. How much didthis loss mean to her? Who knows, because the show doesn’t get into it verymuch.

Which is awful, because it’s a loss that should mean somuch to Ryuko. It was literally one of her greatest fears that she’dlose Senketsu. She had a recurring nightmare about it, and she was so fiercelyprotective over him that she would have died for him without even a moment’shesitation. The two of them are described as “soulmates,” a perfect team,“two-in-one.” She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. This isthe kind of death that deserves some time. And you just don’tget much in the OVA, and what you do pretty much reducesSenketsu to an object.

It’s just… disappointing, especially because I don’t thinkany other (heroic) character would have been treated like this if they had diedinstead–and the OVA certainly wouldn’t be so widely accepted if they were.

From Gurren Lagann, Re: Cutie Honey: Kill la Kill Ending Salt ☂:

Again, I think there’s merit in tragedies and the sad factthat things aren’t always going to work out. I think Senketsu’s death couldhave been really poignant and powerful even if it broke my heart. But themessage they went with [Senketsu living “wouldn’t do anything” for Ryuko’s growth] leaves me empty and not feeling anything but disappointment,and, even worse, it’s not even a tasteful portrayal of such a message as “TheSense of Wonder” is. Senketsu’s entire person is discarded, and a loss that should bemonumental is brushed aside as something righteous and “for the best.”

Okay, that’s a heck of a lot of TLDR, too. So, basically, I guess it comes down to this:

The idea of moving on from the past is fine. It’s fine to do that in relation to a character’s death—even great! However, Senketsu—literally the second or third-most important character—has a death scene that lasts, in its entirety, hardly over one minute. One. Minute. For the protagonist’s canonically-described soulmate. It’s just not good.

And not only that, Senketsu also dies less than five minutes before the end of the series. The show only focuses on Ryuko’s grief for a brief moment and then Senketsu is promptly ignored until, right at the last minute, the show decides, oh, right, yeah, Senketsu, moving on from sailor uniforms, yeah, sure. It seems to me that Senketsu was originally far less of a character than he ended up being, and that’s fine… but then you can’t just shove in your originally-intended ending and act like it’s cool. It’s not.

In fact, I’m sure Senketsu didn’t used to be such a character, because Ryuko thinking about Senketsu in the last moment of episode 24 wasn’t even in the almost-final script. The “outgrowing sailor uniforms” thing ended up being so tacked on in the final version of the story that even the nearly-final draft just kinda threw it out there and completely abandoned it.

So that big, overarching idea of “moving on from the past” that the OVA tries to build on? It was literally thrown together last minute. And it shows. It shows so hard.

Because think of it this way: say Mako died, in the last five minutes of the last episode, in hardly a minute. Say that, as she perished, she told Ryuko that she’d only be holding her back in life (even though the entire rest of the series says otherwise), and that it’s good for her to go. Say Ryuko cried for all of thirty seconds and then there’s a flash forward and she’s shopping with her sister with cheerful music. Say that the whole show ends when Ryuko sees a girl who looks like Mako, feels sad for a second, and then is hunky-dory because she knows Mako helped her get her to where she is.

Would that seem well done or like a sad, but beautiful display of moving on? No! There would be an uproar if this happened! Mako’s death would have felt ridiculously tacked on and pointlessly cruel!

But that’s exactly what happened with Senketsu. His death isn’t given proper time, the “moving on” message is so forced that you don’t even really see it in an almost-final version of the script, and the only reason it gets accepted is because Senketsu doesn’t look like a cute human girl or guy.

And that is why I can’t stand the ending of Kill la Kill.

#Anonymous #oh lord the salt is strong with this one!#tldr tldr tldr #fine -ideas-#but they are not executed well #and i am forever butthurt #i will never get over the ova #i hope this properly explains myself #replies #long post #really long post...#kill la kill #salt.txt #salt la salt #klk ending salt #ramblings #meta #maybe #mostly just a looot of salt

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pamphletstoinspire · 6 years

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Catholic Physics - Reflections of a Catholic Scientist - Part 80

God's Gift to Molecular Biology: the Hydrogen Bond

Story with images:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/catholic-physics-reflections-scientist-part-80-harold-baines/?published=t

alpha-helix showing hydrogen bonds (Caption for linked image)

It has been recognized that hydrogen bonds restrain protein molecules to their native configurations, and I believe that as the methods of structural chemistry are further applied to physiological problems it will be found that the significance of the hydrogen bond for physiology is greater than that of any other single structural feature. -- Linus Pauling, The Nature of the Chemical Bond

The image above is a stick model of an alpha-helix structure, like that of DNA; the spiral configuration is held together by hydrogen bonds (see below), shown as yellow sticks (from Wikimedia Commons).

INTRODUCTION

Much has been said of the Anthropic Coincidences, the special values of physical constants and force laws that enable a universe to support carbon-based life. Even more remarkable, I believe, are the wonderful physical - chemical processes that sustain the life of living things, from the simplest one-celled organisms to us, all of which are made possible by hydrogen bonding.

In an early post, The Theology of Water, I discussed the marvelous and unusual properties of water, properties that stemmed from the nature of the hydrogen bond, properties that enables an environment friendly to life as we know it on earth. In this post I want to explore in more detail the nature of the hydrogen bond and its significance for molecular biology and physiology. Hydrogen bonding plays a role in biochemical reactions, in anti - body mechanisms, and in all of molecular biology and, most importantly, in how DNA acts as a blueprint for the synthesis of proteins. A book would be needed to explore all this in detail, so I'll focus on the essentials -- the basics of what a hydrogen bond is and its role in the structure of DNA.

WHAT ARE HYDROGEN BONDS?

Let's imagine God thinking in his design of nature, now I want chemistry to have not only strong interactions between atoms, but also gentle ones: so that complicated structures can unfold and rewind easily, and so that big and small molecules can come together and join for reactions and go apart readily -- Velcro or a zipper, not glue or nails. What should I use? I have it -- a hydrogen bond.

(Note: please don't criticize me for heresy here -- I'm using a semi - literary device to make a point. I know God holds an infinite number of thoughts and plans simultaneously in His infinite mind.)

Here's the basic idea: H (hydrogen) bonded to O (oxygen) as in H-O-H (water) shows a slight positive electrical charge; :O, oxygen with a pair of unbonded (lone) electrons, shows a slight negative charge. Similarly, :N (nitrogen), with a pair of lone electrons shows a slight negative charge, and N-H, hydrogen bonded to nitrogen, show a slight positive charge. There is an electrical attraction between these small positive and negative charges; there is also, as nmr experiments have recently shown, a contribution from chemical bonding (sharing of electrons) to hydrogen bonding, so that it is more than simple electrostatic interaction.

In the figure below are shown the types of hydrogen bonds important in molecules of biological interest. (Caption for linked image)

The single dashes represent single bonds;

The = signs, double bonds;

The - - -, hydrogen bonds;

The " : ", lone pair electrons;

Superscripts, delta plus and delta minus, small net positive and negative charges.

Hydrogen bonds energies are about 1/20 to 1/30 the value of ordinary covalent bonds, so the hydrogen bonds can be broken much more easily than covalent bonds; for example the O-H bond energy is about 430 kJoules/mole, whereas the O-H - - - :O hydrogen bond energy is 21 kJoules / mole

HYDROGEN BONDING AND BASE PAIRING IN DNA

Watson (or was it Crick?) in a moment of insight noticed that the bases (nitrogen containing molecules bound to sugar pieces in nucleotides such as DNA, RNA) matched each other by hydrogen bonding like pieces in a jig-saw puzzle. They could thus stabilize a helical structure, by links across the spiral, as shown below. (Caption for linked image)

Adenine(A)-Thymine(T) Base Pair - from Wikimedia Commons (Caption for linked image)

Diagram: double helix of Chromosome CRUK 065 - from Wikimedia Commons (Caption for linked image)

These bases are attached to sugar-type pieces, which in turn have phosphate groups on them that form the links between base units. The hydrogen bonds linking base pairs are strong enough to hold together the two DNA strands in the spiral helix, but weak enough that they can be "unzipped" by mild chemical action, an enzyme RNA polymerase, which yields messenger RNA.

Adenine(A)-Uracil(U) Base Pair - from Wikimedia Commons

ALPHABET BLOCKS FOR BUILDING PROTEINS (Caption for linked image)

Before discussing the mechanism by which DNA enables protein synthesis, a few remarks are in order about the bases as letters in a word, words which encode which amino acids are used as building blocks in the protein. In this process a linear combination of three bases is used to encode which amino acid is put into a protein. So we can regard the bases as letters and the combination of three bases as a three letter word; the three letter word is called a "codon". There are four bases* so there are 4^3 = 64 possible codons. There are 20 amino acids found in proteins, plus codons for beginning and ending protein synthesis, so that several codons may encode for incorporating the same amino acid, i.e. there is a redundancy. See here and here for tables showing specific codon / amino acid relations.

GENE EXPRESSION--TRANSCRIPTION AND TRANSLATION

I'll give just a brief summary here of gene expression -- transcription and translation. More detailed accounts are given in the linked web sites and videos.

STEP 1: transcription-RNA polymerase unzips the double strand and attaches complementary bases to single strand RNA. See here and here** Note that the RNA polymerase is a large protein, much bigger than the DNA strand. Also note that one strand of the DNA serves as a "template"--bases complementary to bases in the template strand are linked, e.g. G to C, C to G, A to T, U to A, and as they're linked they detach to yield mRNA (messenger RNA). See the flash animation for a more detailed description of this process. PLEASE SEE THE LINKED ANIMATIONS - They will be well worth your while.

STEP 2: translation -- mRNA leaves the cell nucleus, goes into the cytoplasm

where it attaches to a ribosome, where protein synthesis occurs. In the process transfer RNA molecules are sent by the ribosome to attach specific amino acids, coded by the m-RNA, to form a protein.

COMMENTARY

The description is extremely concise - a lot is left out and I urge the reader to look at the recommended links, animations and explanations and to explore this fascinating subject. Summarizing gene expression in one paragraph is much like trying to do that for the Bible, Old and New Testaments.

What amazes me is that molecular biologists and those who deal with gene expression, and all the other wonders of molecular biology don't paraphrase Psalm 19A: "DNA declares the glory of God, and gene expression shows forth the work of His hands..". Certainly the hydrogen bond, which is a crucial element in these processes, neither too weak nor too strong, is a marvel in itself.

God's providence in molecular biology is as marvelous as it is in physics.

ADDED 25 September, 2016

One of the hymns at Mass today was "O Beauty Ever Ancient" by Roc O'Connor, S.J. The hymn is taken from St. Augustine's Confessions. The third verse struck me as a particularly apt close for this post:

"The created world is glorious, yet I could not see within, see your loveliness behind all, find the Giver in the gift."

NOTES

ADDED 1 October, 2016: There are a series of posts from Biologos that explain in clear detail the gene expression process. The link above goes to the first in the series.

*Note: uracil replaces thymine in the RNA and is encoded by the complement of thymine, adenine--see the section on gene expression. The presumed explanation for this replacement is greater chemical stability of uracil compared to thymine.

**Note: scroll down to get to the animation and click on the arrow to start it.

From a series of articles written by: Bob Kurland - a Catholic Scientist

#catholic physics

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ddebtconsolidation · 6 years

Text

The Coming Financial Obligation Reckoning

Cool more financial obligation pornography. I left all my debt after a difficult landing. The national financial obligation should be defaulted on and reset. It does not matter anymore.Many people who are

in debt have a helluva lot more enjoyable than savers. Most debtors I understand party hard, dine well, take excellent vacations, have the most recent vehicles, dress well, own giant televisions and barely fret. The savers I know never ever eat in restaurants, work very hard, drive twenty year old vehicles, and worry continuously. The debtors are never ever targets of lawsuits. The savers are the targets of the government, flim flammers, Wall Street, and attorneys. Debtor’s kids get scholarships and lots of take advantage of the government.I’ll add … debtors who borrowed

as much as their eyeballs to overextend themselves on a mortgage they could not truly afford have actually been rewarded with One Hundred Percent increases in the” value “of their home.stupid is as stupid does.mac d’s, sugar, cigs, meth, u name it,

the stupids will consume.law or no law; therefore gov.org will tax and aim to manage stupids.oh yeah, some will comply by

cost alone.but in the end, fuk off gov.org and let darwin snuff the stupids … we here at zh for the many part are humbly remarkable,

not by talk, however by actions.and why not put that to your advantage.such as being financial obligation free and prepared for

the worse.just attempting to be posative … That’s an excellent reason to keep wealth in rare-earth elements in ones own possession. The powers that be have to discover it to

abscond with it and that’s generally more difficulty than it’s worth to them. This was a well-written post that cuts

to the middle of what ails our economy. Eventually, the durations of growth that we’ve had didn’t come from increased pay associated with increased economic activity. The development durations just originated from individuals running up

the credit cards.The debt-fueled costs(demand), in accordance with the laws of supply and need, encourages producers to increase production– production that, in genuine terms, is above and beyond what the market really has a demand for. The artificially-inflated spending likewise keeps prices greater than they should be.The synthetic inflation triggers an unsustainable boost in rates that outmatches income growth, and because credit abusers all ultimately run out of credit, the abrupt halt in buying will force extreme cuts in production, and jobs will disappear with those cuts.This reminds me of the middle-income trap that production and export-based economies end up facing. The unexpected development in wealth that comes from all the factory tasks results in increased need for items and services, which triggers those costs to increase precipitously. Those cost increases ultimately surpass wage growth, and a stagnancy occurs, causing

companies to need to cut production and jobs in action to the reduced need for their items. This was exactly what occurred at the end of the 1920s, causing the Great Depression.In today’s environment, rather than see wage boosts lead to increased intake, credit boosts triggered the increased intake. As was the case in the 1920s, when increasing salaries increased demand and costs, credit availability, today, has actually increased need and costs. And just as the rise in costs outran individuals’s capability to take in the production, today’s coming fatigue of credit will do the same.The Fed simply requires to leave rate of interest and money supply alone so that such an excess in production and an excess of red on individuals’s balance sheets do not reach the extremes that they have, today.By manipulating money supply, they make production and need relocation MUCH further out of balance prior to corrections happen– and corrections will constantly occur. The key is to let them take place earlier instead of aiming to push them back until the outcomes end up being even worse than they would have otherwise been. “Gentlemen, I have actually had males enjoying you for a very long time and I am encouraged that you have utilized the funds of the bank to speculate in the breadstuffs of the country. When you won, you divided the revenues amongst you, when you lost, you charged it to the bank. You inform me that if I take the deposits from the bank and annul its charter, I shall destroy ten thousand families. That may be true, gentlemen, however that is your sin! Must I let you go on, you will ruin fifty thousand families, and that would be

my sin! You are a den of vipers and burglars.” -Andrew Jackson Worse than the bankers rigging gold and silver rates and not having the gold that they sold you (or selling gold that they do not have via deceitful COMEX Futures contracts)is that we do not even have CASH today. All financial transactions and economic numbers predicated on the existence of cash are FRAUD and FORGERIES presently. ?? Electronic digits and paper fiat currencies in use today are NOT cash, according to the law of the nation that releases the reserve currency of the world, the United States Dollar (Post 1, Section 10

of the United States Constitution); or by the tenets of the science of Economics( i.e., fiat currencies are not loan since they are not a shop of value nor a system of account due to that NOT ONE fiat currency’s worth is really figured out or specified in concrete legal terms). Dollars and Euros and Yens are not even legally SPECIFIED regarding what they all are exactly; exactly what their economic worth and transactional value is. Fiat currencies merely can not make up the legal structure of any legal contract!(Likewise, there can not be either inflation nor deflation in the LACK of cash. Both inflation and deflation are monetary events which can not take location where there literally is no money.What we have today is massive GLOBAL SCAMS mascarading as a monetary system based upon the(deceitful)United States dollar due to the fact that all fiat currencies are basically just a derivative of the US dollar, including the Euro, the Yen, the Yuan, the Rouble, the Shekel and the Riyal.Why do a couple of people get the right to print phony fiat loan out of absolutely nothing and purchase your items and services with it whereas you have to WORK to acquire the same worthless money developed from nothing?THAT is the question at the heart of the matter. That the bankers manipulate interest rates or the cost of gold through deceitful Futures trading (by offering gold that they don’t have )with fiat loan is a moot point. To put it in a different way: why do the bankers get to have anything that they desire without working for it and you, you don’t? All this talk about market rigging, financial theory and fraudulent( paper)gold trading is a cover-up for INJUSTICE.The US Constitution PROHIBITS making use of debt as loan; the United States Constitution proscribes(financial obligation )notes which is what the United States dollar is currently. Think, all other currencies are simply another name for the US Dollar.What passes for loan today is a CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, say goodbye to no less.You are all assisting and abetting this criminal offense every time you purchase, sell, pay or get paid. And after that you ask, Why our leaders, the political leaders, the bankers, and our military guys and ladies are EVIL?The answer is , since they are similar to YOU. They are your children and daughters.I share your beliefs. Everybody’s going around cashing cheques that are being written on accounts that just are adding to the debt issue. Every dollar is in fact a debt responsibility. I make sure it feels great living under the

illusion that you’ve got a few dollars in the bank, but what does that money actually purchase? What can you buy with money? The choices are limited. You can buy a brand-new cars and truck, a new house, but if you already have one of each what is on offer for you to purchase? It’s a major concern. For a while, it was cellular phone and

computers however that’s over for the moment. I actually rack my head wondering exactly what it is that people need so much cash for. I really rack my head questioning exactly what it is that people require a lot cash for. I can think about a few things. Unless you prepare to work full-time till you drop dead, you have to store away value somewhere.Also, I have pastimes that take loan to enjoy. Unless you simply want

to have sufficient to survive, you require extra money.Fiat currency is crap, but if that’s all there is for cash, then get all of it that you can.”fiat currencies just can not make up the legal structure of any lawful contract.” Contrary to a lot of my zh buddies … I do not have an issue with” fiat “in it’s purest kind. I buy your lunch today, you give me a post-it note that states” IOU Lunch, from, Chupa “. What’s that? Is the IOU a Property? It’s worth$14 to me. Or is it simply the notation of something?Legally, these” post-it “notes definitely can be the structure of a legal contract. This is”fiat “in it’s purest type. So, exactly what’s the problem?What if you provide me 1,000 IOU post-it notes for lunch … in exchange for a

utilized automobile? We can conceivably see how those 1,000 post-it notes might in fact utilized as “fiat

” to buy a car. Is that a crime? No. May be silly, however it’s not a crime.What is developed when I purchase you a best-buy present card for your birthday?Fiat. The$1,000 I gave finest buy was not damaged. They created $1,000 of fiat out of thin air. Sure, like the post-it note that fiat represents a financial obligation. This too is fiat in it’s purest form.The big deal is the other ‘thing ‘you pointed out. Who can create a

post-it note fiat IOU!!? Fiat should be created at a grassroots level. If.gov passesa law and states only” the FED”can develop post-it note IOUs and NOT “the individuals “then we have a problem. Then, if they just way you can purchase my pre-owned cars and truck, is if you in some way must get 1,000 FED IOUs to offer to me, then … they just way for you to obtain my cars and truck is for you to somehow shackle yourself to the FED or the chain of

transactions required for you to attain your 1,000 post-it notes. THAT is the crime.What the FED does is exactly comparable to counterfeiting. The first spenders of their counterfeited”notes”are the beneficiaries. Wall-Street Bankers, Beltway Parasites, and so on. Manhattan was built with counterfeit. Modern Shanghai and Beijing have been built on counterfeit fiat. Who spends for that through a devalued currency is more perilous.

If it were apparent how we all pay for Manhattan and Shanghai their would be riots, burnings and hangings. The electronic age has actually allowed them even more.You and I most likely would never accept 1,000 lunch IOUs for an utilized automobile. THAT ought to be the check and balance … and in fact, IS. The federal government has no balance.

The FED (personal I know)prints these IOUs at will and gets to spend them … all of us pay later with decreased the value of currency. That is the crime.Unless we live in cloistered communities where we can build local economies based on barter and rare-earth elements, we have little choice but to work within the system as it is established. It’s the only way to obtain items without robbing individuals at gunpoint or taking them in the middle of the night.I share your ire with the banking system and the manner in which our cash supply isn’t really sound. Congress is the only entity that can coin money, but we have a big main bank– which, by the way, is a private entity– that does simply that. And the credit that specific banks issue is also a form of currency development since they essentially offer cash to customers that they do not even need to offer. How is it that they can cut a look for$400K for someone to buy a house, however they cannot squander somebody’s smaller$ 70K account? This goes back to exactly what I said, earlier about credit being a problem. It winds up being another backdoor technique of counterfeiting currency.Banks have to be mandated to keep, on hand, the actual amount of money that depositors place with them.

That would force them to reign in excess credit issuance and enable need, prices, and supply to come back into an equilibrium. I think the “numeration” is already here. It will simply get’worse-er’in the future. The debt party is over. Time to pay da fiddler.When the banks closed throughout the terrific anxiety, my grandpa

lost$1,500 dollars. A small fortune at that time that took years to earn and save.Pretty quickly seniors will be passing away at a rate of 10k/day. Wonder exactly what happens to all their debt? The banks won’t have the ability to keep up.This essay is recycled. After being recycled. Nobody I know personally is losing any sleep about any debt-bomb. Not federal government’s, and not theirs.Colleagues and

buddies carry five figures of debt on their charge card without obstacle or consequence. They’re purchasing new houses, buying brand-new vehicles, and taking luxury getaways to New York, Paris, and Maui.More than a years of my dull life has actually passed without the “debt-bomb” going off. Someone please wake me when it finally explodes.Comeon, what they will do is renovate the money system, make gold prohibited to own and when you cash it in, will pay a huge capital

gains tax. We will end up being the North American Union, the 666 ID will become the unwritten law. And the world will march closer to the One World Order!Maybe”uneventful”for us brazilians and other latrin americans already and constantly used to hellish lives in shitholes down here.Not so sure about how north americans’ll handle a possibly substantial drop on their requirement of living though … for the majority of people now a days their financial preparation consists of getting a credit card, maxing it out, then getting another credit card to off load the

debt onto, it’s kind of like hopscotch other than it isn’t because hopscotch requires more planning than this With the very first wife, i was presented to my first Credit Card (by her)… we maxed that a person within 6 months the hole was currently dugged without any method out from there after 16 yrs, and my unexpected start of alcohol addiction … it ended …

i left, and offered her EVERYTHING, the house plus my share of incurred debt (she accepted this offer )even in my state i was able to survive on the

old style way of debit card, checks, and cash.

. however … NO CHARGE CARD UPDATED TO PRESENT TIME … Remarried. clean and sober … NO FINANCIAL OBLIGATION … And got my hedge secured in PM’s my point is … even as drunk and silly as i was, i was able to know i could still make it without the credit card system I threw away my charge card for 20 years, then wished to buy a home and could

n’t because I had no credit. Was simple to quickly re-establish credit. Now I have 3 cash-back credit cards- utilize them for convenience just.

Pay them off every month. I think the majority of us here on No hedge understand what the issues are, now what do wo do about it? I know I understand, keep stacking, however at this rate, I’ll be dead long before the stacks pay off, and the issues still won’t be fixed.American workers, as a whole, are dealing with a disagreeable condition. Their debt concerns are increasing. Their earnings are stagnating.There are lots of reasons. In

reality, it would take numerous large volumes to chronicle all them. But when you get down to the’lick log’ of all of it, the disorder comes from decades of technocratic intervention that have actually stripped away any semblance of a free functioning, self-correcting economy.The financial system circa 2017, and the

economy that supports it, has actually been extended to the breaking point. Shortsighted fiscal and financial policies have propagated it. The result is a failing financial order that has actually ended up being near unbearable for all but the gravy supping political class and their cronies.Take consumer costs

. This is the primary driver of the United States economy. It needs large amounts of credit. American consumers currently hold $1 trillion in revolving credit. At the same time, they have no place near the income needed to finance these financial obligations, not to mention pay them off.Remember, the flipside of credit is financial obligation. Certainly, the divergence of increasing financial obligation and stagnating incomes is a condition that can not go on permanently. It can go on much longer than any practical person would consider possible.Debt Slaves If you have not observed,

the financial services market is exceptionally achieved at engaging individuals to

go entire hog into financial obligation. The entire fiat based financial system, which depends on ever increasing issuances of debt, hinges on

it. Simply a slight contraction of credit, like late 2008, and the entire debt payment structure breaks down.On a specific basis, there are just so lots of credit cards that can be maxed out prior to the shell video game ends. Wolf Richter, of Wolf Street, just recently clarified the relationship between the economy

and deep customer financial obligation:”The United States economy is fueled by credit. Americans turning themselves into debt servants makes it tick. Take it away, and exactly what little growth there

is– almost no in the very first quarter– will dissipate into ambient air completely. It’s time to take the pulse of our American debt servants.”In a new research study, life insurer and monetary services provider Northwestern Mutual discovered that 45 percent of Americans that have financial obligation spend ‘up to half of their regular monthly earnings on financial obligation payment.’ Those are the true debt servants.”Omitting home loan debt, Americans carry an average debt of$37,000. Of them, 47 percent bring $25,000 or more, and more than 10 percent carry$100,000

or more in financial obligation, omitting home loan debt. “The majority of them anticipate to obtain from debt prior to they pass away, but 14 percent anticipate to be in financial obligation’for the rest of their lives.”‘The Coming Debt Reckoning Customers with raised financial obligation levels are playing a high threat game. They are one job loss or disease far from losing it all. Even without such tough life occasions, the intensifying interest of enormous amounts of debt non-stop accumulate like straw upon a camel’s back. Ultimately the breaking point is crossed.The procedure might be subtle at. Later on it’s abrupt. Here we rely on a brief discussion from Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel, The Sun Also Increases, for a succinct explanation of the procedure of going broke:”How did you declare bankruptcy?” Expense asked. “Two methods, “Mike said.”Gradually and then unexpectedly.”By our estimate, the steady drip towards insolvency for lots of Americans is paving the way to the unexpected deluge. On a private basis, greater quantities of financial obligationmight be a short-lived solution to a financial obligationproblem. But higher amounts of financial obligation slowly substance to an abrupt bankruptcy.First-quarter GDP, reported last Friday, can be found in at an annualized rate of simply 0.7 percent. Of this, individual intake increased just 0.3 percent.Up and down, in and out, of the economy, consumers are having a hard time. Some are trying to tighten their belts. Others are at completion of their rope. Is it any surprise that merchants are shuttering shops at a record clip?Obviously, the results of customer retrenchments will spread out beyond simply retail. Commercial genuine estate, manufacturing, shipping and transportation, vehicle, oil and gas

— you call it. A coordinated supply glut, sustained by excess debt, is upon us.Make of it what you will. By our estimation a financial obligation reckoning is coming, which does not even represent government debt. What better time than now to obtain your monetary home in order?

Source

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-05-05/coming-debt-reckoning

The post The Coming Financial Obligation Reckoning appeared first on Debt Consolidation.

Source: http://www.ddebtconsolidation.com/the-coming-financial-obligation-reckoning/

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tinymixtapes · 6 years

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Feature: 2017: Favorite 50 Songs

NOTE: Each day this week, we will share a new 10-track mix, which together represent 50 of our favorite songs from 2017. Today’s theme is “GYM,” mixed by Corrigan B. I have a reputation for being ruthlessly optimistic, which is why I typically hate this kind of shit: yearly ritual lamentations on things like racist soap commercials and weird presidential takedowns of professional football players; in retrospectives like this, it seems like we always group our collective grievances in odd numbers, truncating our listing of injustices for brevity and politeness. This approach — of remembering and marking a year like we’re scratching off days on a culturally misappropriated doom calendar — has always struck me as insincere and offensive, but then it ends, and it’s weird looking back at what we went through and what got us through. Another arbitrary amount of time has passed, and yet it really does feel heavy. Death is real. Words fail. Mask on. Fuck it, mask off! So we pick a song and close our eyes and turn it up. And what were we blaring this year that warped time’s mundane and oppressive rhythms? What mutterings slowed us down when we were spinning out of control? What sounds launched us through uncertainty and landed us somewhere a little more familiar, if even for just a few minutes? There was no high canon guiding our self-care other than what we needed, and aren’t we all a little less particular about what kind of noise lifts us up when we’re fumbling through our first yoga class at the GYM, screaming obscenities into the glowing rectangular VOID, remembering love and loss on the brisk face of the CLIFF, shuffling home through the ALLEY at night, driving away from it all in the COUPE? We don’t have EVERYTHING listed here, but for us, a lot of these tracks were EVERYTHING this year. So, in that spirit of dissolving hierarchies of taste, this list is not ranked; instead, here are five themed mixes of our Favorite Songs of 2017. How you interact with them is your choice: you can nod along, you can face the noise stoically, you can dance, you can laugh at some of our choices, and most importantly, no matter what anybody tells you, it’s okay to cry. It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay. However you remember 2017, just know that you’re not alone, and don’t let a crotchety optimist like me tell you to smile through it all. Just pick a song and close your eyes and turn it up. You’ll know what to do when you hear it. –Jazz Scott --- PART 1: “GYM” mixed by Corrigan B --- Joe “Tail Lift” [Hessle Audio] Given its title, it was unsurprising that Joe’s “Tail Lift” was concerned with momentum. Like the piece of machinery it’s named after, “Tail Lift” was always pushing things upwards. Over the course of its nearly six-minute runtime, the track shook and shimmied, balancing chirps, whistles, chimes, and bells over an insistent, doubled beat that was constantly falling over and into itself. These propulsive movements were adorned, interrupted, and joined along the way by fellow sonic travelers drawn to the upbeat procession — children’s voices, glassy keys, miniature melodies — suffusing the track with a caffeinated, off-kilter mien. Dalliances with the weird were frequent here; cartoonish pops, drums, and squeaks bursting into view as the track underwent one of several mini-implosions, its parts falling to the ground before being picked up again, their order jumbled, soldered-together edges overflowing with molten metal. “Tail Lift” was the sonic embodiment of this aleatory backyard readymade: equal parts humorous, conceptual, and functional; archly constructed and strangely satisfying. –Rafael Lubner --- Lil B “Wasup Jojo” [BasedWorld] Feels like a track might be the wrong kind of unit for looking at something by Lil B. Like, look at scales of magnitudes, not at atoms. But on the other hand, everything in the universe is literally in everything else. And I mean that — all of the BasedWorld is in everything Lil B does, and when Black Ken, in its nostalgic Bay Area references, seemed like it was doing something out of reverence for “ancient history,” it turns out that those things were sucked into Lil B’s ambit too. He’s not referring to them; they refer to him from now on: “Wasup JoJo” — it’s a NODE, the busiest in the switchover. –Michael J --- Fever Ray “To the Moon and Back” [Mute] Fever Ray’s Karin Dreijer is so notorious for her enigmatic identity and arresting visuals that we often forget just how gifted a songwriter she is. “Hey, remember me/ I’ve been busy working like crazy,” she reminded us on “To the Moon and Back,” her first song of new music since 2009. A bouncy synth-pop jam more reminiscent of the playful Deep Cuts-era Knife material than Dreijer’s previous output under the Fever Ray alias, the song was crafted from a series of expertly layered synth lines that built to a orgasmic release, a tantalizing taste of what we had been missing. –Jeff Miller --- Nídia “Puro Tarraxo” [Príncipe Discos] I don’t get into aerobics, but half of Nídia’s kuduro beats could function as Zumba fodder. If you threw on “Puro Tarraxo” though, you were plain fucked. There was the semblance of slowed-down reggaeton in there, but it was too slow to follow properly; besides, every rhythmic element was either tripping on its time signatures or moshing with the others. It was the sound of getting down on the yoga mat for about 20 seconds before realizing you were waaay too out of shape for this, but holy shit everyone else is doing it so you’ve gotta keep going gotta keep going gotta keep going gotta keep *faints* –Baldr Eldursson --- FOOZOOL “AZAT” [Club Chai] Club Chai, a collective whose mission is to “[centre] diasporic narratives, women and trans artists, DJs, and producers,” is important. Club Chai Vol. 1, their first major release, put the Oakland-based label on the map, and co-founder FOOZOOL’s track “AZAT” was a diamond among its many gems. Effortlessly mixing an opera-backing sample with a gritty guitar lead, the track exemplified what Club Chai Vol. 1 is all about: dance tracks full of “how the hell did they think of that” moments. We’re already chomping on our nails in anticipation for volume 2. –Sam Tornow --- Kelly Lee Owens “Anxi.” (ft. Jenny Hval) [Smalltown Supersound] Have you ever wondered where those joggers go? You know, the ones you see every day on a routine? Oh, sure, they go in a loop: From start to end, a simple route with clearly defined points of direction. No deviation. No direction. But are they going somewhere? Do they even see anything on their path, observe the world around them? Are they even there? I think not. Joggers mechanize. They aren’t going anywhere. They’re fulfilling maintenance that has no bearing, no effect in the long term. They’ll break down eventually. What meaning will they have then? –Ze Pequeno --- DJ Hell “I Want U” [International Deejay Gigolo] Taken from Zukunftsmusik (the title of which is German for “music of the future”), DJ Hell’s “I Want U” is a song about fucking. Specifically, as is obvious from the track’s associated artwork lifted from legendary homoerotic fetish artist Touko Laaksonen (a.k.a. Tom of Finland), it’s about huge, strong men fucking, but the instrumental worked for anyone with genitals. This face-blast of industrial techno pumped harder than Louis C.K. in front of an aspiring female comic, but unlike Louis, this track won’t make you feel disgusting inside after the experience. “I Want U” was an affirmation, an ode to the bears among us. It fed all kinds of muscles. –Alan Ranta --- Lorde “Supercut” [Republic/Lava] Drunk as shit. Tumble, starfish, curl. In bed, not in love. Not in love, not in love. Say it without opening Instagram. Too late. Illuminated by neon at the dive. Rose light. Obsessed with it. And you, fuck. Remember yelling along to our favorite songs all summer while driving the hell out of town? Remember glittering my eyelids before the party? Remember wearing backless velvet? I tried getting over it. Promised I would. Hated it. Shit, we were radiant. Magic. I forget why it ended. The crush, the rush. The energy. I would do anything. Text me? Please? –Caroline Rayner --- Ariel Pink “Time to Live” [Mexican Summer] He’s one part Bowie, one part nonsense-babbling toddler; he has arguably released more #1 smash hits than anyone in history, but in a dearly departed genre. Here, Ariel Pink returned to the cassette-left-on-the-dashboard production style of his early work, fording two and a half minutes of wind tunnels and monsters before his Trump-era call to arms gained full force. There was a layer of absurdist comedy to his divinations and absolutist pronouncements, but he committed 110% — as we all must. He turned into Princess Ariel for the watery coda and headed home with another W. –water --- POBBLES “POBBLES” [PC Music] I’m still not sure what a POBBLE is, but I think I want to eat one. The hyperactive Tomagatchi/marshmallow hybrid was offensively PC Music and also possibly the end to human despair. Accompanied by a video that must have been a nightmare to animate, the collaboration between A. G. Cook and Always & Forever Computer Entertainment had enough juice to fry a battery. Where can I buy a POBBLE? Are they like pets? Should I water it? Whatever it is, I’m sure my dentist advises against it. –Sam Tornow Come back tomorrow for the “VOID” mix. http://j.mp/2nMtfLK

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endorsereviews · 6 years

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Dan Kennedy – 40th Compilation – Dan Kennedy Archives V.1

In Celebration Of His 40th Anniversary In Information Marketing, Dan Kennedy Goes Deep, Deep, Deeeeeep Into The Archives…

“Discover Dan Kennedy’s Lifetime Of Work–Including 356 Examples And 1556 TOTAL Pages Of Ads, Notes, Samples, Photos And Artifacts–Accumulated Over 40+ Years In Marketing, Copywriting, Speaking And Authorship…”

Thursday 3:12 pm From: The desk of Dan Kennedy

Dear Renegade Marketer,

Let’s get to it without any “warm up”. What I’ve done is perform a thorough excavation of literally rooms of files, notes, samples, photos, artifacts and more, accumulated throughout 40+ years in marketing.

I then compiled everything into a 1556-page tome you’ll be able to examine and swipe ideas from for your own promotions and business.

Best part: I put my own notes within each item, written by me in 2013, to either teach an important concept or give context to that particular piece.

This commentary will create multiple “a-ha” moments for you as you leaf through this massive collection. This is like having 40 years of my marketing “know how” all in one package for you to peruse, get ideas from, and take action on for your own promotions.

Listen: these “teaching examples” have stood and WILL stand the test of time. I also included odd and curious items, personal items, and items of historical significance. As with a museum, different things will interest different visitors at different times.

I guess you can say this is the mother lode of “Dan Kennedy stuff” you will EVER encounter. And I will warn you that:

You Can Only Get This RARE Collection Of My Lifetime Of Work For A Very Limited Time…

You see, I picked these to be good representatives of changes in style and technique across the decades, from 1970 to Present. Included are pieces that were extremely successful, pieces of historical curiosity, and personal favorites.

This collection includes my first B2B full-page trade journal ad I wrote back in 1973…all the way to recent promotions I wrote this year.

It also includes my first ads I wrote for Magnetic Marketing…my most successful product to date. I even included the script for the actual speech I used to sell Magnetic Marketing from the stage.

I also included selected pieces from the seminar marketing campaigns I did for one client – Rory Fatt and Restaurant Marketing Systems – from 2005 to 2006 through 2010.

You’ll get a bigger snapshot later on of all 1554 pages of this archive that’ll generate TONS of:

Ideas for copy angles and how to position your product or service in your copywriting and marketing. You never want to start with a blank slate when writing copy or devising a marketing campaign for a product. This Archive will save you a TON of time and money trying to “figure things out” for yourself. Ideas for offers you’ll be able to “swipe and deploy” for your own promotions. The offer is THE most important element of a promotion…without a good offer the copy falls flat. You’ll see 40+ years of offers that have converted well for my clients and me. And you’ll be able to spark tons of ideas for your own offers for products, services and seminars. Design ideas for your promotions you’ll be able to implement for your own ads. Most of these are print ads and magalogs that will spark ideas for your own promotions so you don’t have to wonder what works and what doesn’t. Headlines, closes, bullets, stories, etc. you can swipe for your own promotions. This could be a literal marketing godsend for you since you’ll be able to flip through all 1556 pages of examples and “swipe” ideas for your own. So when you take action today and that big box containing this Archive lands on your doorstep:

Do NOT Ignore Campaigns That Are Not In Your Market…

For example, if you’re not a seminar marketer, don’t ignore Rory’s campaigns or any other campaign you’ll come across in this Archive. There is much here to be adaptable and transferable for you own business.

No one engaged in marketing can fail to unearth gems in this massive collection. Yes, some of these items were not in pristine condition, in my files and drawers, cardboard cartons, and storage. So their reproductions are not perfect and some you might need a magnifying glass to examine. But trust me, your diligence will be rewarded.

Here’s what else you’ll discover in this 1556-page archive that could be a huge bastion for your business:

A collection of content from presentations, products, speeches and seminars. Most of these have historical interest and or may have value if modified and used today. This includes entire sales presentations you can learn from, swipe ideas and implement for your own presentations. Product covers and even entire products, including a complete copy of my “63 Killer Marketing Strategies” manual. The ideas you can glean from this collection could make this Archive more than worth investing! Books and book promotions I used to breathe life into my books, since publishers are not promoters. A large assortment of the activity I used to promote my books is here so you can “swipe and deploy” for your own promotions. Newsletters and other publications that have been the foundation of virtually my entire career. I don’t think there is any single thing as vital to a person or business’ success than its own print media. And you’ll get an unfair “head start” over your competitors thanks to this collection. Photos with me with various celebrities including Joe Theismann, Ronald Reagan, Paul Harvey and on location at many events. I used these photos to build up a “celebrity aura” around my business and myself. You’ll also discover cartoons I’ve used for my marketing as well. Personal items related to my personal life and interests, and correspondence I’ve had throughout my 40 years in information marketing that will be a huge interest to you Of course I could go through all 356 examples in this archive one by one, but instead:

Here’s The Actual Table Of Contents Of This Massive Archive That’ll Summon TONS Of Ideas For Your Own Ads And Business:

MARKETING PIECES

1: 1968: Best Lead Generation Letter, Not By Me

2: 1973: My First B2B Full-Page Trade Journal Ad (for Environmental Structures)

3: 1973: The Other B2B Ad For Same Product

4-5-6: 1974: Correspondence with Kemmons Wilson, Founder of Holiday Inn re.

Environmental Structures

7: 1974: Franchise Lead Generation Memo for Environmental Structures

8: 1974: Photos of Environmental Structures

9: 1972: First media about ESI – ‘Keeping House In A Plastic Bubble”

10: 1976 & 1977: My First Full-Page Magazine Ads For An Info-Marketing Client,

First Ad For My Own First Info-Product and Other Ads of the Era, From Same Media

11: 1975: LIFT NOTE EXAMPLE – from Success Education Corp.

12: 1975: ORDER FORM EXAMPLE – from Success Education Corp.

13: 1977: Another Version – First Info-Product Ad For Client (Success Education Corp.)

14: 1978: Typical Article of many I wrote and had published in mid and late 70’s

15: 1978: The first Dan Kennedy postcard promoting seminars

16: 1978: Membership Order Form used at my retail Self-Improvement Center

17: 1978: First Full-Page Ad For My Own “Success Company”

18: 1979: My First Public Seminar Brochure

19: 1979: My First Copywriting Job for a Professional Speaker (Buster Crabbe)

20: 1979: My First Paid Copywriting Job for General Cassette Corp – to Success Readers

21: 1980: My Mini-Catalog for our “Brass Eagle” awards business

22: 1981: My version of the famous Thank-U-Gram® – The Thanks-A-Million Note

23: 1982: PROMOTIONAL NEWSLETTER, “Generally Speaking”, for General Cassette – a

marketing piece to a niche market (professional speakers)

24: 1983: ‘Road Show” direct-mail piece, for seminars for speakers, featuring Nido Qubein

25: 1983: “Success Spoken Here” Package Insert

26: 1982: First Niche Market Catalog – for chiropractors

27: 1982: My (very successful) EXPENSIVE EXPERIENCE $1 CASSETTE magazine ad*

(*The advertised cassette and transcript are in Deluxe Edition of Archives)

28: 1982: The Course sold by the EXPENSIVE EXPERIENCE CASSETTE, shown in a

staged product photo

29: 1982: 2-Page Ad in SUCCESS for General Cassette (3 Ads In 1)

30: 1982: Smaller Ad, SUCCESS

31: 1982: Catalog of “Special Reports” – to niche (professional speakers)

32: 1983: POSITIONING PRODUCT – Clever product comprised of interviews

33-35: 1987: Info-Product Brochures/Mini-Catalogs

36: 1984: 2-Sided Order Form I Created for Success Education Training Company

37: 1984: “VALUE BUILD” Side of Order Form for my co., SuccessTrak

38: 1984: Full Page Print Ad For My Client, “Gold By The Inch”

39: 1986: Winning Version of Full Sales Letter I Wrote for Gold By The Inch

40: 1986: Unique Testimonial Story Booklet I Created for Gold By The Inch

41: 1991: DROP-DOWN OFFER, Direct-Mail Piece for Gold By The Inch

42: 1986: 2-Sided “Renewal” Order Form I Created for SuccessTrak

43: 1987: Cover Letter w. “Check Gambit”, Gift With Purchase Offer – Empire Cassette

44: 1987: Canada target market letter – General Cassette

45: 1988: STICK LETTER – Magnetic Marketing System®

46: 1990: Article of mine, in DM NEWS, re. infomercials

47: 1990: POSITIONING ARTICLE of mine, in a niche (chiropractic) + much more

recent Positioning Article, generic, in SUCCESS

48: 1991: Sales Letter for Psycho-Cybernetics Home Study Course

49: 1991: Ad for My Cassette Programs in ENTREPRENEUR

50: 1992: Workshop Brochure for Small Business Emergency Survival System

51: 1992: Original SUCCESS EVENT Brochure – with Zig Ziglar, Peter Lowe and Me

52: 1993: BUCK SLIP with Big Bonus Offer

53: 1993: BOOK AD TO ENTER NICHE (MLM industry)

54: 1993: ADERTORIAL/AD HYBRID EXAMPLE

55: 1993: Original Version, My Famous “$4,000.00 A Day In Your Underwear Ad” for

JPDK (Jeff Paul)

56: 1993: Cover of the original “Little Yellow Book” for JPDK

57: 1993: OPPORTUNITY AD – for another client

58: 1993: TESTIMONIAL LIFT NOTE EXAMPLE

59: 1993: One of my most clever pieces – VIP DISCOUNT LIST EXAMPLE

60: 1993: “Atlanta Sinkhole Kills 2” Lift Note

61: 1994: MAGALOG: Original Magalog for No B.S. Marketing Letter

62: 1994: Original Masthead Photo, No B.S. Marketing Letter

63: 1994: Evolved SUCCESS EVENT Brochure – with addition of celebrity speakers

64: 1994: ORDER FORM – Mine, from the Success Events

65: 1994: “ONE SHEET” – My Speaker ‘Brochure’

66-68: 1994: LITTLE YELLOW BOOKS – I believe the first two to “copycat” the Jeff Paul/

JPDK Little Yellow Book.

69: 1990: IRRESISTIBLE OFFER AD – Free Las Vegas Vacation by Bob Stupak

70: 1990: LIST BUILDING “TRICK” – Bob Stupak

71: 1994: IRRESISTIBLE OFFER DIRECT-MAIL PIECE – Bob Stupak

72: 1995: My Fax-On-Demand Reports/Sales Letters Catalog (UNIQUE Piece)

73: 1996: My Seminar Ad – “Double Your Income – Fast”

74: 1996: TESTIMONIAL LIFT NOTE – from Greg Renker + complete sales letter to

speakers it was first used with

75-76: 1996: “ANNUAL REPORT”-FORMAT PERSONAL BROCHURES

77: 1996: EARLY NICHE MARKET BOOT CAMP Promotion (photography studio owners)

78: 1996: ENVELOPE TEASER COPY EXAMPLE – from Gary Halbert

79: 1996: REFUSAL OF MY AD – Letter from Nat’l Infomercial Association & “The Ad

They Refused To Run”

80: 1997: ANTI-COPYCAT COMPETITION AD – I wrote for Joe Polish

81: 1996: “READ THIS ONLY” Cover – I wrote for Joe Polish

82: 1997: “EXPOSED!” Ad – I wrote for Joe Polish (since used by many)

83: 1997: TESTIMONIAL AD – I wrote for Joe Polish

84: 1997: “LITTLE KNOWN” Opportunity Ad – Brian Kay

85: 1998: “TOXIC WASTE DISPOSAL BAG” Direct-Mail Piece

86: 1998: Nightingale-Conant Sales Letter for my Psycho-Cybernetics info-product

87: 1998: Nightingale-Conant “TRUE STORIES”-Format Testimonials for P-C

88: 1998: “STEAL – WITHOUT A GUN” Sales Letter

89: 1998: “LITTLE MONEY” GRABBER Sales Letter (for Power-Points)

90: 1998: Sales Letter Sequence Step (for Power Points)

91-93: 1998: My Catalog Business DISCOUNT OFFERS

94: 1998: Further Evolved SUCCESS EVENT Brochure (New Buy 6, Get 1 Free Offer)

95: 1998: “Scariest Direct-Mail Piece I’ve Ever Received”

96: 1998: My Version of ‘Desperate Housewife’ Ad

97: 1998: “#1 PRACTICE GROWTH GURU” Front Page Promotional Piece

98: 1999: NEWSPAPER PAGE FORMAT SEMINAR BROCHURE (My SuperConference)

99: 1999: “NAME YOUR PRICE” Offer (SuperConference)

100: 1999: POST-SUPERCONFERENCE REPORT – Sales Letter

101-102: 1999: CATALOG PAGE, Nightingale-Conant, for my Magnetic Marketing System®

103: 1999: POSITIONING ARTICLE to niche (MLM)

104: 1999: CATALOG ADS for two of my products (Nightingale-Conant)

105: 1999: The Nightingale-Conant version of the main sales letter for my

Magnetic Marketing System®

106: 1999: THEMED SALES LETTER for a seminar-in-a-box info-product

107: 1999: NO B.S. MAKE-MORE-MONEY CATALOG

108: 2000: “I VOTED MYSELF OFF THE ISLAND!” Gold-Plus Coaching Sales Letter

109: 2000: SEMINAR LEAD GENERATION INSERT EXAMPLE

110: 2000: Cover of Package for Testimonial Audio Cassettes

111: 2000: “WHAT IF?…” HEADLINE/SALES LETTER EXAMPLE, I Wrote For

Greg Stanley.

112: 2000: “MISSING OUT ON” BOOT CAMP IN BOX SALES LETTER – I Wrote For

Joe Polish

113: 2000: My Favorite Sales Letter That Was Never Mailed – I Wrote For Joe Polish

114: 2000: BIG BRIBE LETTER – for No B.S. Marketing Letter

115: 2000: “THE FREE MONEY LETTER” for joint ventures – I Wrote for Michael Kimble

116: 2000: CATALOG of Psycho-Cybernetics Products

117: 2000: Testimonial Collection Form, Version ‘A’

118: 2000: Testimonial Collection Form, Version ‘B’

119: 2000: POLITICAL AD – My Anti-Gore Ad

120: 2000: POLITICAL AD – My Anti-Hillary Ad

121-122: 2000: “HOW TO GET RICH” Lift Notes – Written For Joe Polish and Rory Fatt

123: 2001: FIRST CONTINUITY SALES LETTER for No B.S. Marketing Letter

124: 2001: BOOT CAMP IN BOX Sales Letter – “confrontational approach”

125: 2001: TELE-SEMINAR RECORDINGS Sales Letter

126: 2001: “S. MOUSE LETTER”

127-129: 2001: RENEWAL LETTERS for No B.S. Marketing Letter

130: 2001: “LIFETIME OF SECRETS” Sales Letter

131: 2001: Australia Version of Lifetime Of Secrets

132: 2002: LIFT NOTE – Outstanding example from Dr. Tom Orent

133: 2002: The VERY UGLY Letter

134: 2002: “JAMES BOND ENVY” Letter – I Wrote for Michael Kimble

135: 2002: “OPEN LETTER TO” Full-Page Lead Generation Ad

136: 2004: Re-Work of same ad (#135) with Celebrity

137: 2003: SPECIALTY BOOT CAMP Sales Letter for Consulting/Coaching Business

138: 2003: CUSTOMIZED ORDER FORM for a ‘Host”

139: 2005: CELEBRITY ENDORSER AD for a local business

140: 2005: “WHY – COACHES” Article I Wrote, used by many to sell coaching

141: 2006: By Bill Glazer – Full-Page Dan Kennedy Ad

142 -148: 2006: Assorted Advertising/Marketing I created for Miracle-Ear®

149: 2007: APPOINTMENT, NO SALE FOLLOW-UP LETTER EXAMPLE

150: 2007: MEMBERSHIP UPGRADE LETTER – “Letter Of Regret”

151: 2007: SUPERCONFERENCE BROCHURE Featuring Gene Simmons (KISS)

152: 2009: “Unsettling” Outer Envelope

153: 2009: By Bill Glazer – “RUSTY OLD TYPEWRITER” POSTCARD

154: 2010: “Penguin & Polar Bears” Letter’

155: 2010: CEO LIFT NOTE

156: 2010: LAST CHANCE To Get Off The Hamster Wheel

157: 2010: “IN CASE YOU ARE STILL UNDECIDED”

158: 2010: PURLS, Drive To Web Site Picture Postcard

159: 2010: PROMOTIONAL BOOKLET EXAMPLE – Cover. (Complete Booklet In Deluxe

Edition of Archives) + Sales Letter

160: 2011: One of the best INFO-Summit Sales Brochures

161: 2012: MAKING GUEST SPEAKER RELEVANT Copy Example

162: 2012: POSITIONING ARTICLE – from Success Magazine

163: 2013: “Evergreen” Opportunity Ad – I Wrote For SafetyTechnology.com

164: 2013: COMIC BOOK FORMAT Marketing, done for me by Amazing Ad-Men

165: Year Unknown: “For Adults Only”

166: Year Unknown: Yellow Legal Pad Letter

167: Year Unknown: “THIS LETTER IS GUARANTEED”

168: “Last-Ever” Registration Form

169-195: Client Work – Examples from my work for Restaurant Marketing Systems

169: 2003: Giant Fold-Out Self-Mailer

170: 2005: “Binoculars Enclosed” Follow-Up Letter

171: 2005: “Free Magic Book Inside”

172: 2005: Rory Is Sawing Kathleen In Half! – Postcard

173: 2005: Wally ‘Famous’ Amos – Magical Life Booklet

174: 2005: Mike Ditka

175: 2006: How I’d Run The Circus (An Homage To Dr. Seuss)

176: 2006: George Foreman CD Label

177: 2006: “Not All Members Are Receiving This Letter….”

178: 2006: “Red Clown Nose”

179: 2006: “Read This If You’re Going To Say No”

180: 2006: From Oscar The Obnoxious Elephant (my favorite created character)

181: 2007: The Angry Monkey Letter

182: 2007: The Zoom-Zoom Letter

183: 2008: Paris Hilton – “It’s Hot!” Envelope

184: 2008: Grabber Mailing

185-188: 2008: Five Alarm Fire

189: 2008: (For A Good Time) Call Me! Kristi

190: 2008: I Dare You To Read

191: 2008: Endorsed Mailing Example

192: 2008: Viva The Clumsy Cleaning Lady

193-195: 2009: Deal Or No Deal?

PRODUCT

196: 1960: Psycho-Cybernetics Record Album Cover

197: 1975: Answering Objections (MLM) Cassette Album Cover

198: 1979: Audio Cassette Care Instruction Card (!)

199: 1979: Foster Hibbard

200: 1979: Jack Canfield Cassette Album Cover

201: 1979: Success Trak: How To Talk….

202: 1979: Why People Fail Album Cover

203-209: 1985: SuccessTrak: my teaching notes

210: 1986: Training Album Given To Speakers, To Teach Them How To Sell Their Products

211: 1980: Typical back cover format for cassette albums

212: 1981: Top-selling staff training product

213: 1983: Two products I developed for a major B2B catalog company

214: 1983: Cover, Course for speakers

215: 1983: SuccessTrak “Product Bundle” Notebook Cover

216: 1988: My product, Ready To Go Sales Meetings

217: 1990: $100,000.00 Target System cover – actually Magnetic Marketing for Real Estate

218: 1997: Magnetic Marketing for Chiropractors

219: 1989: Complete Copy: “63 Killer Marketing Strategies” Manual

220: 1997: SUCCESS Events Souvenir Book

221: 2003: How The Renegade Millionaire System began…

222: Date Unknown: “No B.S. Spray”

CONTENT

223: 1972: First Content Writing Project – Paycheck Stuffer Booklet

224: 1972: Sales Letter used by Publisher (for #223)

225: 1972: “Success Vitamins”

226: 1975: Vitaminds Illustrated Page (Dr. Edward Kramer)

227: 1972: Financial Success Statistics (on which Income and Wealth Pyramids are based)

228: 1972: “IF” copy

229: 1981: “How Can I Tap More Of My Potential?” – Complete Sales Presentation

230: 1980: Content Example from Training Course for chiropractors

231: 1982: My “Seven Fundamentals Of Practice Promotion”

232: 1982: Welcome Kit/Shock ‘n Awe Package Contents List for chiropractors

233: 1983: Overview of System taught to chiropractors in 2-day training

234: 1985: Notes summarizing Chiropractic Marketing Boot Camp

235: 1987: Slides – from presentation (#231) – leading to offer

236: 1985: The famous Giorgio Letters (Demonstration)

237: 1996: Success-Wheel illustration

238: 1996: Development of Hyper-Responsive Customers illustration

239: 1996: Complete Info-Marketing Business illustration

240: 1996: Ascension illustration

241: Year Unknown: Marketing/Business Development illustration

242: 1999: Money Machine illustration

243: 2007: 50th Anniversary Tribute to Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged

(From: Renegade Millionaire Magazine)

244: 2012: What Will Go Wrong Next? (Seminar Slide)

245: Year Unknown: “Message To Garcia” (Note: Public Domain. Anyone Can Use.)

BOOKS & BOOK PROMOTION

246: 1991: Getting Into Business Guides

247: 1991: First Use of Dan-On-Bull

248: 1993: First Edition of No B.S. Business Success Book – Publisher’s News Release

249: 1993: First Edition of No B.S. Time Management – Cover

250: 1993: First Nat’l Magazine Ad for a Dan Kennedy Book

251: 1996: “The Brain Behind” Book Ad for Make Millions With Your Ideas

252: 1994: INC. Magazine List of 100 Best Business Books

253: 1997: Book Review in SUCCESS Magazine

254: 1998: Article – Book Marketing Up-Date (The Business Behind The Books)

255: 1998: Zero Resistance Selling (Psycho-Cybernetics) Book Flyer

256: 2001: Salvador Dali Painting depicting Psycho-Cybernetics (originally, 1972)

257: 2001: First Use of Dali Painting on Book Cover of my design

258: 1996: Barnes & Noble Mail-Order Catalog Page

259: 2001: Publishers Weekly Ad for Psycho-Cybernetics

260: 2001: Royalty Statement – from China

261: 2003: Amazon Pages – Prices paid for out-of-print Dan Kennedy books

262: 2004: #1 on Amazon

263: 2004: Appearance on BusinessWeek Bestseller List

264: 2004: “Inside Baseball” – actual book industry sales statistics

265-266: 2004: Book Ads tweaked for Farm Bureau Journals

267: 2004: Book Ad tweaked for Nat’l Speaker Association trade journal

268: 2005: Amazon promotions

269: 2006: Trade journal article placement demonstration (article from book)

270: 2006: Promotional book cover

271: 2006: No B.S. book series ad

272: 2006: “Who Else Wants To?…” – borrowed Donald Trump book ad

273: 2006: Complete Print-Out of PROMOTIONAL TOOLKIT CD provided to

people promoting my books (other authors, info-marketers, GKIC Members, etc.)

274: 2006: “Eagles Club” – Seminar as Gift for Bulk Book Purchases

275: 2007: Nat’l Sales Letter Car Contest/Book Ad

276: 2007: Contest Web Site

277: 2009: Book Ad for Uncensored Sales Strategies by Sydney Barrows & Dan Kennedy

278: 2013: Book Cover, Win, Place Or Die (Mystery Novel)

279: 2013: Trade journal ad (Hoof Beats) for Win, Place Or Die

280-284: Theme Photos used for book covers and/or book promotion pieces

NEWSLETTERS

285: 1987: Cover, First Issue of my Philosophy Of Success Magazine

(Complete Replica Copy is in the Deluxe Edition of this Archive Collection)

286: 1987: Ad in P.O.S. Magazine that also ran elsewhere, for our brass eagle award business

287: 1987: SuccessTrak Newsletter – Complete Copy

288: 1988: Practice-Building Secrets Letter

289: 1999: “$100-MILLION DOLLARS ENCLOSED” Newsletter Lift Note + 3/99 Issue

290: 2002: Calendar/Wall Poster

291: 2006: Renegade Millionaire Magazine

292: 2008: Renegade Millionaire Magazines1

PHOTOGRAPHS

293-294: “Two Clowns & A Coatiumndi”

295: A Very Famous Wedding

296-297: At a Gary Halbert Seminar in Key West, Fla.

298: 1979: Dan and James E. Tolleson in the back room of The Self-Improvement Center

299: 1981: First Car Gift from a client

300: Photos from infomercial productions

301: 1988: with Joe Theisman, NFL Champion & Broadcaster

302: 1980’s: Large Audience Proof Photo

303: With President Ronald Reagan

304: 1997: with Gerry Spence, the real-life Perry Mason

305: With Coach Tom Landry

306: With legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey

307: With Mike Vance, Disney pioneer

308: 2003: A “Distinguished” Panel

309: 2003: Maybe They Have Green Cards

310: 2003: Birthday

311: With super-model/entrepreneur Kathy Ireland

312: 2009: with George Foreman

313: 2011: Build A Better Advisor Business Seminar, Exterior – how to do it

314: With C/W superstar & Celebrity Apprentice Winner, John Rich

315: Dan half on bull

316: “JUMBO Results”

317: Proof Is In The Pudding

CARTOONS

318-319: Custom Cartoons from Books by Vince Palko & Dan Kennedy

(NOTE: Deluxe Edition Owners have a collection of these cartoons on a CD, in PDF Files with limited LICENSE TO USE)

320: The Legend of Dan Kennedy (by Stu Heineke)

321: He Wants To Spend More Time With….

322-323: Dan At Work

324: Home I Grew Up In, Brooklyn Heights, Ohio

325: The Tattooed Police Horse – Movie Publicity Stills

326: 1971: First Sales Award

327-329: Notes from my secretary

330: 1982: IF – CAN’T – IMPOSSIBLE

331: 1987: Revenge!

332: 1990: How dare he market?

333: 1993: Her Winning Job Application’

334: 1994: with the Founder of the National Speakers Association

335: 1994: Dan as in-flight entertainment

336: 1995: SUCCESS Event Tickets

337-340: 1997: Backstage SUCCESS Event Agendas

341: 1998: My First & Second Winning Drives

342: 1999: Article about the non-marketing of harness racing

343: 2007: Article from WORTH Magazine about the SUCCESS tour

344: 2007: My Cow

345: A Look At My 1972 AMC Javelin AMX

346: A Look At My 1963 Lincoln-Continental Convertible

347: A place you must visit & a Lesson From Disney

348: Real Estate

349: Charity

CORRESPONDENCE

350: They visited Kennedy’s Pub, Pet Farm & Castle

351: A letter from ‘The NSA Guy Who Gets It’ – a $606,320.00 Up-Date

352: My favorite testimonial from an Elephant Tamer

353: A lot of people can’t be helped

354: Quick ‘n blunt

355: Starting right early

356: GKIC Marketer of Year Submission (Dustin Matthews) – How to do it

AUDIO CD’S

1985: EXPENSIVE EXPERIENCE Audio Cassette – sold MONEY/BUSINESS/SUCCESS Course

1988: PRACTICE PROMOTION Audio Cassette – sold Dan Kennedy/SuccessTrak

DVD’S

1991: GOLD BY THE INCH TV INFOMERCIAL

1993: DAN KENNEDY MAGNETIC MARKETING SYSTEM® SPEECH

2003: DAN KENNEDY SPEECH @ RMS BOOT CAMP

1981: REPLICA – PROMOTIONAL BOOK, “Success In The Speaking Business’

1987: REPLICA – FIRST EDITION, Philosophy Of Success Magazine

1998: REPLICA – Newspaper-Page Format Dan Kennedy Brochure

2009: REPLICA – PROMOTIONAL BOOK FOR GKIC, “Snap Out Of It”

SPECIAL CD

Dan Kennedy Cartoons & USE LICENSE