#I want to be accurate with my terms and usage so if there’s a better term/separate word lmk!!

[xylathesilkwing]

You got any autistic head cannons for either Jesse or Emily? Just curious!

A few!! a lot of them are based off my brother, as he’s autistic but some are just general neurodiverse headcannons from my experience. A lot are for Jesse however pfft- If I’m using any wrong terms please correct me!!

-Jesse paces. just generally walks around/runs around either in her office or in assorted places with a lot of space. sometimes she puts on music and spaces out; other times she’s just daydreaming in her own head. It’s hard to get her attention when she does this (especially if she has somehow gotten to the upper level of the panopticon and is just zooming around) (this is based off my brother)

-plain cheese pizza is her safe food/same food. loves it. figured out how to make it at home and your better believe she’s doing it all the time

-Jesse and Emily both subconsciously mask at work/in public but they both definitely unmask around each other.

-Emily chews her pens/pencils. Jesse clicks her pens repeatedly

-Emily made a joke that Jesse got a hyperfixation on the Bureau of Control and Jesse has not stopped thinking about it since. she denies it every time it’s brought up

-Emily gets tics/nervous tics I feel. I used to have a tic(?) where I’d crack my neck repeatedly or clench my jaw repeatedly and I feel that’s definitely in character for her. Jesse clicks her knuckles/fingers, and whenever she’s nervous she wrings her hands/pops her joints.

-Jesse/Emily def has some sort of echolalia. I wouldn’t say scripting but they’ve definitely heard a word and kept repeating it (and although the house does not like new things, if they were on TikTok they’d probably repeat popular phrases)

-I feel like Jesse and Emily both struggle in social situations but in different ways. Emily talks/rants about things she enjoys and ends up coming off as annoying/loud, while Jesse says things out loud that might come off as rude or just doesn’t talk which weirds people out in conversations. huge case of RBF (Jesse’s social stuff might also have to do with her weird childhood but there’s probably other reasons)

-Jesse has Alexithymia. cannon trust me I’m remedy entertainment. Girl did not know what nausea was until she described it as “feeling like I swallowed chlorine” (personal experience)

-Jesse either makes a ton of eye contact it’s scary or doesn’t make any at all, which comes off as rude especially in her workplace/position

I have more, but these are what mainly come to mind!! Again if I used any wrong terms please please correct me 🙏 🙏🙏

#btw I’ve never shared hcs before so I hope you enjoy!! #I want to be accurate with my terms and usage so if there’s a better term/separate word lmk!! #Jesse is me I am her and I’m putting all my little traits into her #what’re y’all’s same foods/safe foods if you have some? mine’s hummus #control #jesse Faden #Emily pope #control 2019 #control remedy

[lilalilan]

There's just something kind of lonely about being trans in a way that doesn't line up with the mainstream narratives about transness

[edenfenixblogs]

The Jews who argue against the word “genocide” do not do so because they support what is happening; they do so because they are arguing that what is happening is better described by the term “ethnic cleansing,” which is also a horrifically bad and inexcusable thing. It just also doesn’t have the antisemitic connotation here.

Hey, need to point out using Ethnic Cleansing (which i only saw used by slightly less radical left) is just as bad and inaccurate to use as Genocide- Jews have experienced Ethnic Cleansing and to label this war as such disregards the actual ethnic cleansing Jews experienced for centuries- most recently SWANA Jews! And I would argue Ethiopian Jews too. Individuals willingly and temporarily leaving their home because it is a war zone (due to a war their leadership systems!) is not ethnic cleansing. We can look to what is happening to Armenians, and Afghans in Pakistan- that is ethnic cleansing.

I really need people to brush up not only on their dictionary terms but on the legal definitions that help determine something. Definitions and the correct usage of them matter! Languages matters- when we use definitions wrongly we water them down.

This is why we have people screaming genocide at something that isn’t one! Because their definition of genocide has been watered down- because every war is suddenly a genocide and every bad person I disagree with is a Nazi.. You get my drift. I’m very sensitive to correct usage of words and definitions.

I absolutely understand this perspective and I refrain from using either term personally with regard to this conflict.

I respect your sensitivity, which is one of many reasons I urge people to try to understand the impact of these words on the Jewish community.

That said, I am sensitive also to the fact that there are dictionary definitions of things and legal definitions of things and scholarly definitions of things. I try to keep in mind that everyone is approaching this conflict from their own cultural context so I am not as intense personally about correcting people's usage of these terms, simply because I'm not expert enough to determine which definition is "best." I think legal definitions should definitely always be used in the context of legal discussions, but I don't know if the legal definition is best in a sociological context.

I want to be clear: I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just respecting my own limitations on this subject matter.

Rest assured, we agree on the main point here: It is important to be specific and accurate in the usage of terms. We cannot allow emotions running high to justify the watering down of such serious terms.

People of all identities affected by this conflict should approach discussions of terms in the same way they approach everything else about this conflict: with good faith, an open heart, and a goal of peace.

I respect that you also disagree with the use of the term ethnic cleansing. However, I personally do not agree that it is "as bad." This is not me trying to tell you that you're wrong. I just think this particular discussion point has a lot of equally valid takes. Your take is absolutely valid. But allow me to explain my take on the situation, which I consider to be equally valid:

I think there is a lot more wiggle room in the term "ethnic cleansing" than there is in the term "genocide." When I use the term ethnic cleansing, I am referring to the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect.

The key takeaways I have from the United Nations here is that ethnic cleansing is not actually a crime under international law. The two very loose definitions offered here are:

… rendering an area ethnically homogeneous by using force or intimidation to remove persons of given groups from the area.

a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas.”

I consider Palestinians to be a an ethnic group. I know some critics do not, but I disagree with those people. So if you do not agree with me on that, I doubt we will agree on the specifics that follow. I think recognizing Palestinian identity is vital to fostering a peaceful future for all currently residing in the Levant. However, I know that there are also politics and political realities in Israel between those who call themselves Arab-Israelies vs. Palestinians. I do my best to stay informed about topics, but this is too fraught for me to parse with any authority. I believe in Palestinian ethnic identity because of several reasons I won't elaborate on here, but can elaborate on upon request.

I am not particularly swayed by the first bullet point. I do not believe that Israel is trying to render Palestine as ethnically homogeneous, even though they are using force on the area.

The second bullet point has merit to me. I do not believe all Jews or all Israelis wish to eradicate and remove Palestinians from the Levant, so I do not consider Israelis in general or Jews in general responsible for the cleansing. Furthermore, even though I am personally a pacifist, I am also pragmatic. I believe there are much less violent ways to eradicate Hamas than the heavy bombing currently taking place. I also know Hamas has been firing rockets into Israeli civilian areas for quite a long time and Israel has every right to treat Hamas like the hostile, terrorist organization it is.

But I do hold Netanyahu and the Likud party responsible for their affect on Palestinian civilians. I was disgusted when Netanyahu justified his violent actions by invoking Amalek. And I believe that by invoking Amalek he did in fact cause all of his actions as commander of the military to be in support of ethnic cleansing. I do not deny the parallels between the Amalekites relationship to the ancient people of Israel and Palestine's relationship to the modern state of Israel: namely, repeated attempts to destroy Israel, repeated attacks on Israeli civilians (including the taking of hostages and the attack of women and children and the elderly as a terror tactic). However, what I cannot and will never endorse is the implication that we should treat Palestine the way ancient Israel treated the Amalekites.

G-d ordered the people of Israel to blot out the living memory of the Amalekites from the earth--to eliminate every living Amalekite as well as their city and livestock so that they would only be remembered for the horror they inflicted.

We cannot and must not treat modern Palestinians in this manner, and by invoking a religious precedent in this manner as justification for the modern assault on Gaza, I cannot really conceive of a way in which this is not a specific, religious directive to violently target a civilian population on the grounds of their ethnic identity.

Before anyone uses this as an excuse to demonize all Israelis or Jews, I want to explicitly shut that down as well. I know for a fact that not all Israelis or Jews support or agree with Netanyahu here. And while Netanyahu's horrific invocation of Amalek must be rejected, that rejection does not mean that there should be no consequences for Hamas terrorists and those who support their terror. What it does mean, is that as long as Netanyahu is directing the military response, he is, in my personal opinion, carrying out an ethnic cleansing. And we must be able to criticize him for that and respect Palestinian civilians enough to give them the grace to use the phrase "ethnic cleansing" to describe the horror they are experiencing. Criticizing this does not mean Israel has no justifiable military response. Hamas has been engaging in antisemitic terror and mass violence against Israelis and Jews for a long time, even prior to 10/7, in a way that must be stopped by force. However, the main goal for all people of good faith affected by this conflict should always remain peace, not retaliation or attacks on ANYONE (Jewish or Arab) based on their ethnic identity.

I fully respect that you may disagree with this. As there is no legally widespread accepted definition of ethnic cleansing, you may be operating under a different set of criteria to define the term "ethnic cleansing." That's OK, too. I would not call myself uninformed on the topic of the i/p conflict. I have been actively affected by it for over 25 years. That said, I'm also no scholar or international expert on the topic either. I would rate my knowledge and familiarity with the conflict and relevant terminology to be much higher than average and steeped in years of observation and personal experience. So, if I still view his as a matter up for a variety of interpretations, I cannot fault others for feeling the same way, even if that means they disagree with me. I hope this makes sense, and you are able to see my stance as legitimate, even if you disagree with it.

#ask me stuff #4everevolving #i/p #israel #palestine #jewish muslim solidarity #arab israeli solidarity #ethnic cleansing #terminology #amalek #amalekites #fuck netanyahu #hamas is a terrorist organization

[juni-ravenhall]

sso's candle, and jumping into the ai bubble for publicity and investment

so yasmin told me to write about this bc not everyone might realise it. its a bit of a long topic so prepare. for legal reasons this is all my personal opinion :3

first off - the sso candle doesnt actually have anything to do with ai. i just wanna get that out of the way. i will come back to this later.

the sso candle ai promotional event is 2 things to me. one is, "probably someone at the company knew someone at the other company bc why else would this specific random collab ever happen" (and theyre not even a candle company? its a perfume company?)

but the other thing which is the main thing, is that we've entered the ai boom, or ai economic bubble. before this there was a crypto bubble, there's sort of been a mobile bubble, and we have the old classic dotcom bubble. summary of tech bubble is, a new shiny thing in tech makes ppl go OOOH!! I WILL THROW MY INVESTMENT MONEY AT THAT!! I BETTER HURRY AND NOT MISS THE TRAIN!! IM GOING TO GET FILTHY RICH BY INVESTING IN THE FUTURE!!! and many of these ppl dont actually understand the tech, and can therefore be exploited by startups or new projects targetting these investors, by just saying "we use the shiny thing that is the future and will make people rich".

just like the dotcom and crypto bubbles, everything that has "ai" in it is currently getting lots of attention both from media and from investors. things that are about "ai" are currently like "wow! youre using modern tech and this is the future!" and for all those ppl who dont know that much about ai or tech, or tech ppl who are easily influenced, it makes companies look cool and modern and forward if they include that current shiny thing.

what does sse achieve by making promotional vids and posts about an ai candle? attention from media and potential investors. the playerbase doesnt care. their target audience arent ppl who generally care much about ai, or even support its usage in creative fields.

they also count on that the playerbase wont be mad enough about it bc most players dont rly care or understand. which is prob going to be an accurate prediction. so they dont especially lose on it unless theres a genuine uproar, but even then, theres a lot of space in "genuine uproar" that still results in "no such thing as bad publicity".

so, thats my perspective on why sse did the ai candle thing. publicity for investors and the industry and media. it helps both sse and the little weird "ai" (side eyes) scent company who both get ai bubble points here. its completely unrelated to what players want or care about (and as many have said, players actually do want to buy things from sse - like plushies and other merch).

now to the last point. the candle isn't even ai, and it's really just an ai boom trending word thing for attention.

some ppl on ssoblr dont really understand what ai is or how it works, or how its already been in use for a long time. im not really gonna explain all of that but i do ask you to like... watch a video or read a wikipedia article or something and please educate yourself on what ai is and isnt. anyway,

supposedly this company feeds pictures into whatever ai model theyre supposedly using. the ai supposedly spits out things like "sunshine :) dirt :) chupacabra :)" from the customers phone pics and then actual perfumers mix blends based on what the ai supposedly told them from the pics.

idk if ur catching on here but, there are trained perfumers here who have seen the customers' pics with their own human eyes. they humanly blend scents based on the content of pics theyve humanly seen. (unless all perfumers at the company are also blind and the ai is their only way to find out whats in the pics, and if so, power to them, ofc.) and, at best, an ai has supposedly told them some generic image analysis terms, which are unlikely to be very helpful to the art of scent design.

there is absolutely nothing the supposed ai is actually doing here. theres no reason for it to be here. it contributes nothing to the process. exceeeeeppppttttt..... clicks!!!! articles. videos. wow! crazy ai scents! wow! ai horse candle!! thats crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so future!!!!!!!!!!

the scent company is a classic tech bubble startup (allegedly from my perspective in my opinion). they dont even use ai (allegedly from my perspective in my opinion). they want a quick buck for looking like a modern futuristic business to the FOMO investors who fall for this every single time theres new shiny tech (allegedly from my perspective in my opinion). and sse collabs with them for pretty much the same reason (allegedly from my perspective in my opinion).

#ssoblr #sso #star stable online

[wxlfbites]

I’ve written previously about the dilemma I faced with choosing between which words fit my experience as a wolf better - therian, otherhearted or werewolf -, which ultimately led to me deciding to use all three in different contexts, but now I am finding myself increasingly more drawn to the word werewolf above all others. As I slowly distance myself further from the therian community, I feel like werewolf is the only word I need or want as an identifier for my animality.

Long before the otherkin and therian terms were coined, those who identified as wolves called themselves werewolves or lycanthropes - even if their species was not of the mythical variety -, so it really isn’t as if I’m creating a new usage for the term… just reviving an old one. I am a werewolf, a wolf and a human, so it’s as accurate in describing me as therianthrope… and truthfully, I prefer it now over therian.

It’s such a comforting word. I love everything about it. Literally just call me a werewolf… therianthrope is just a technicality I guess.

#writings #alterhumanity #alterhuman #otherkin #otherhearted #otherkinity #nonhuman #therian #therianthropy #werewolf #werewolves #werewolf therian #wolf #wolf therian #thewolfbites

[astrangerthatlovesyou]

In response to my post about intersexuality, I got asked a fantastic question, and I wanted to answer it here because it’s a really complicated topic. Tw: I will be using the H slur in a medical context.

The question: “Do you like the name change? Having “disorder” describe intersectionality sounds weird, since it’s how people are born, so the word “disordered” just doesn’t seem like the most respectable and humanizing fit/label for me?/gen/neu”

So I actually have thought a lot about this. Firstly, I don’t believe that “Disorders of Sex Development” is a good umbrella term for Intersex. The word “disorder” suggests that all intersex conditions are inherently harmful and this just isn’t true. (However, I do think we often forget that there are intersex people that did/do have a medically harmful intersex condition and they’re still valid.)

The alternate “Differences in Sex Development” is a bit better and more accurate to the broad range of intersex conditions.

To get to the crux of the question: how do I feel about the name change? I don’t personally like it. I believe that it’s already been harmful to the intersex community, however I actually do have a few reasons that I believe it may also be beneficial. For example:

A medical diagnosis that is associated with the LGBTQIANP+ community could absolutely endanger some individuals. Queerphobic parents are less likely to respond in the best interests of their child if they’re focused on making them not queer.

It removes some of the rampant anti-LGBT vitriol and legislation from babies’ bodies by disconnecting the medical language from the queer community/ using a word that doesn’t threaten the binary.

While little information is available on exactly why the name was changed, ostensibly it was not championed by intersex individuals. I think unfortunately it has further pushed the sociopolitical perception of intersexuality more towards exclusively true hermaphrodism. This is not an accurate definition, nor has it ever been, and it serves to minimize the public perception of the frequency of bodies not fitting in the created binary. True hermaphrodism makes up a VERY small percentage of the intersex population (which may include anywhere from 1 in 50 people, to 1 in 20 people).

I have already seen the term DSD used to harm intersex individuals. For example non-intersex “intersex activists” harassing an intersex person publicly because they “claim to be intersex, but they actually have a DSD.” I don’t doubt that part of the reason the name was changed was to erase intersex voices, and I think that’s already shown itself to be an effect. There’s a reason I cited three sources to simply support that DSD means intersex in my last post. I’ve seen plenty of people get harassed over saying that something classified as a DSD is an intersex condition (though always by non-intersex people, in my experience.)

Another reason that I think this name change has done so much harm to the community is that the usage of the term intersex has changed in a lot of literature that still does include it. “Intersex” has become a replacement for “hermaphrodite” in even pro-lgbtq writing. (Though again, I have never seen this language from an intersex person.) The term “hermaphrodite” has been increasingly regarded as a slur. Since no effective medical replacement has been popularized, those with a poor understanding of intersexuality have widely replaced the term with “intersex” in their vernacular. From a medical perspective this is wildly misleading.

Because of this, coupled with the fact that now, most young intersex individuals have never heard the term intersex used for them, we have swathes of intersex people afraid to speak up about their experiences. This is especially harmful because finding a community is lifesaving.

In conclusion: the term DSD is only acceptable if it means “Differences of Sex Development.” Even then, it should only be used when necessary in the medical field. If we as a community are to accept DSD into our language, then it is imperative that we also change the language of our activism to specifically address it as an alternative term for intersex. There is no reason that intersex as a social identity and label should change.

@flip-flopping-frede (thank you for this question!)

#intersex #intersex is beautiful #intersexuality #disorder of sex development #queer community #queer pride #queer activism #dsd #lgbtqiap #lgbtq #lgbtqa #lgbtq positivity #lgbt rights

[hillbillyoracle]

wait ok so how is it cancel cuz isnt that what like conservatives say about democrats ? /gen

So yeah! I appreciate this question because that's a point of some contention. I'll share my thoughts.

My view personally is that the I'm not playing a game. If the "other side" uses a term to accurately name a problematic phenomenon that "my side" is doing - why not use it? I care more about people being okay and cared for than policing language.

I agree with Clementine Morrigan who's written about the dangers of conservatives being the only group to name and talk about a very real issue - not just on the Left but on the Right too. If they're the only ones talking about it, they control the narrative and can say things like "Canceling is something the Left does - we're better/stronger than that" or even defining what canceling is.

While it might have gained steam as a way to be dismissive of real accusations, that's not exactly how it's being used in conservative circles these days. Like any word it's evolving and thankfully it's into something less damaging and much more potentially useful - even among conservatives.

I live with my conservative family in a conservative county in a conservative state and I can say on the ground that most folks aren't using to for women who accuse powerful men of misdeeds nearly as much as they're using it to describe the very real phenomenon of online harassment campaigns and being socially cut off. I've noticed a lot of people who claim we shouldn't use that term because "it's what conservatives say" aren't spending much time with conservatives so maybe they've not noticed how it's shifting.

See here's the thing - conservatives cancel each other too. They lead in person and online harassment campaigns, get people fired, refuse to hire services - specifically against folks who were clearly identified with conservative causes who later start to back out. You see it all the time with conservative parents of trans and queer teens. They frequently lose all their friends, are pushed out of their spiritual homes, and sometimes lose jobs or homes because they heard the good points the Left was making about loving your kids keeps the alive and isn't that more important. Canceled is the term I here a lot of those conservatives using even for their own community.

And you know what they get in the aftermath of that? No support from the Left in part because we don't have a name for that phenomenon so there's no organizing around it. Even worse, supposed "Leftists" will harass those people about how they shouldn't have been conservative in the first place and it's what they deserve. Which is mindboggling fucked. You want proof a lot of these "Leftists" don't actually care about change, watch them be cruel to someone changing their mind in the ways they advocate for. It would be super helpful to name that behavior and "cancel culture" is literally right there, but the purists would rather clutch pearls.

So yeah - being purist about where the language comes from is...not praxis that's for sure. If conservatives are the only ones talking about it, then they're the only ones who can set the narrative about it. Conservative usage of the word tend to be shifting to name harassment campaigns and being socially cut off - which happens in both communities so why not use it. And if we don't name it we'll never have a way to call attention to people in our community or others who are doing backflips to conflate material harm with activism - which is extremely toxic behavior.

But people are going to disagree with me and that's fine. This is just my reasoning for using it.

ETA: Check out my other response too. Another reason I think it needs to be used and seriously discussed is because right now “cancel culture only happens to fascists” all someone has to do is claim you’re a fascist and all the other scared people will pile on you to save their own skin and prove their supposed progressiveness. Like it’s fucked. 

Let’s actually use it and talk about it. Having a term that specifically means “harm against people who deserve it” - as many people keep trying to tell me it actually means - more or less means you just tag that person with the group and you can do whatever you want to them. How about we uh don’t use it like that? Seems more important than whether conservatives use it. 

#asks #answered asks #fuck cancel culture

[florenceisfalling]

Good thing here is idk what cafab is and I'm actually very curious why your prefer it! The vague explanation I got from a search was a start, but your experience using that term would help me better understand it as someone with a cognitive disability! /gen

anon you phrased this very kindly, thank you!

there r two common uses of the term casab/cagab, aka "coercively assigned sex/gender at birth." the first is in a specific intersex context and the second is in a more general gender context. there's some controversy on which usage came first.

the first is because intersex people are mistreated by the medical field from the very start of their lives. in order to force them into the binary criteria of "male" or "female," doctors often 1.) decide to pick a sex for them and/or 2.) make surgical changes before they are old enough to know. sometimes, the parents are not even informed or asked. it is unnecessary, sometimes dangerous, and exists solely to coerce people into the idea of "normal" gender and sex. their gender assignment itself is coercive.

i use it more generally, however*. intersex people are not the only ones who experience coercion in regards to their gender. when someone's gender is assigned at birth, it is not just a medical statement, but quickly influences them in a cultural way. looking at gender reveal parties paints a pretty good picture of this. society assumes from the moment you're assigned a gender that it is an immutable part of you, you will follow the social rules of it, and you will never be able to change it. deviating from that birth assignment is unacceptable to society. its used to coerce people into a life they may not want, whether that be because they are trans or just cis and non-conforming to gender roles.

of course, most doctors aren't pulling an evil scheme when assigning a non-intersex person's gender, they're just noting a physical observation. it's important to know what genitals and hormones someone has in order to treat them for certain medical needs. for that reason, the queer community has generally fallen out of practice using "cagab" for people who are not intersex. they use "agab" instead. but some bioessentialism come up in the trans community, and certain otherwise progressive people seem to have lost sight of the ideal of abolishing the binary. some of them seem to have forgotten about intersex folks entirely. you see people make generalizing statements about "afab" this or "amab" that, ignoring the fact that not everyone's assigned sex was correct, and there is no universal gender experience. you see women's groups trying to be more inclusive by saying "afabs" rather than something else that would be more inclusive of trans women. you see people who use "amab" when they mean "person with a penis," even though phalloplasty exists so some trans men have penises. so even queer people who act progressive have fallen into the trap of seeing your assigned sex as an immutable, specific, accurate category that sticks to you forever. to combat that idea, i prefer to use "cagab/casab" regardless of if the person in question is intersex or not.

*i wouldn't call myself intersex, but i genuinely do not know. some people consider the condition i have to be an intersex one, as it changes my hormone levels and reproductive system, but others do not. my doctors are not entirely sure what other conditions may be affecting me.

tl;dr: intersex people's "assigned sex" is often not their actual sex nor accurate to their physical condition, and is tied to medical abuse. their sex assignment is coercive. as for the rest of the world, our gender assignment forces us into rigid categories, and is also flawed. i like to use "cagab" for both reasons.

i hope this makes sense and i'm sorry if it's confusing :'D! i can break it down further if i need to

#also ask me for sources and i'll get some! just not able to atm #identity talks

[emptymanuscript]

Actually, tumblr kind of does feel like the place for this.

I ran into this video.

In it, she parses the definition of, "Transgender, as I said, is a very big, wide umbrella term - and really it can mean a lot of different things - but essentially what it means is being incongruent with gender assigned at birth."

Then, beneath that umbrella term, depending on a person's particular feeling of how it doesn't fit them and what they choose to do with that feeling, things split apart into different terms. Including the more specific transitional terms of trans men and trans women etc.

I find that parsing useful for a discussion I'm having.

But, as I'm about to send this video on to show my sources, it occurs to me that this take may not in fact be the standard usage of the term.

IS this the majority usage? Or is this particular to her corner of the internet? Or just her? Or whatever?

Pretty much entirely within the context of using the term in that specific way. The idea behind it is still useful for the conversation I am having, whether the precision terminology is accurate or not, but I also don't want to base other people's information solely on this. So, I thought I might try and ask for lack of a better idea of how to deal with my social anxiety and my fear of getting an F in communication, which is totally possible and a valid fear to have.

#Youtube

[lenbryant]

Trump Crosses a Crucial Line (Long Post From The Atlantic)

But Americans can still choose a better path.

By Tom Nichols

The former president, after years of espousing authoritarian beliefs, has fully embraced the language of fascism. But Americans—even those who have supported him—can still refuse to follow him deeper into darkness.

The Decisive Outrage

Readers of the Daily know that I am something of a stubborn pedant about words and their meanings. When I was a college professor teaching political science and international relations, I tried to make my students think very hard about using words such as war and terrorism, which we often apply for their emotional impact without much thought—the “war” on poverty, the “war” on drugs, and, in a trifecta after 9/11, the “war on terrorism.”

And so, I dug in my heels when Donald Trump’s critics described him and his followers as fascists. Authoritarians? Yes, some. Illiberal? Definitely. But fascism, a term coined by Benito Mussolini and now commonly used to describe Italy, Germany, and other nations in the 1930s, has a distinct meaning, and denotes a form of government that is beyond undemocratic.

Fascism is not mere oppression. It is a more holistic ideology that elevates the state over the individual (except for a sole leader, around whom there is a cult of personality), glorifies hypernationalism and racism, worships military power, hates liberal democracy, and wallows in nostalgia and historical grievances. It asserts that all public activity should serve the regime, and that all power must be gathered in the fist of the leader and exercised only by his party.

I argued that for most of Trump’s time as a public figure, he was not a fascist but rather a wannabe caudillo, the kind of Latin American strongman who cared little about what people believed so long as they feared him and left him in power. When he would make forays into the public square, his politics were insubstantial and mostly focused on exploiting reflexive resentment and racism, such as when he called for the death penalty for the Black youths wrongly accused in the infamous Central Park–jogger case. But Trump in those days was never able to square his desperate wish to be accepted in Manhattan society with his need to play the role of an outer-borough tough guy. He was an obnoxious and racist gadfly, perhaps, but he was still a long way from fascism.

As a candidate and as president, he had little in the way of a political program for the GOP beyond his exhausting narcissism. He had only two consistent issues: hatred of immigrants and love for foreign autocrats. Even now, his rants contain little political substance; when he veers off into actual issues, such as abortion and taxes, he does not seem to understand or care about them very much, and he will turn on a dime when he thinks it is to his advantage.

Trump had long wanted to be somebody in politics, but he is also rather indolent—again, not a characteristic of previous fascists—and he did not necessarily want to be saddled with any actual responsibilities. According to some reports, he never expected to win in 2016. But even then, in the run-up to the election, Trump’s opponents were already calling him a fascist. I counseled against such usage at the time, because Trump, as a person and as a public figure, is just so obviously ridiculous; fascists, by contrast, are dangerously serious people, and in many circumstances, their leaders have been unnervingly tough and courageous. Trump—whiny, childish, unmanly—hardly fits that bill. (A rare benefit of his disordered character is that his defensiveness and pettiness likely continue to limit the size of his personality cult.)

After Trump was elected, I still warned against the indiscriminate use of fascism, because I suspected that the day might come when it would be an accurate term to describe him, and I wanted to preserve its power to shock and to alarm us. I acknowledged in August 2022 that Trump’s cult “stinks of fascism,” but I counseled “against rushing toward the F-word: Things are poised to get worse, and we need to know what to watch for.”

The events of the past month, and especially Trump’s Veterans Day speech, confirm to me that the moment has arrived.

For weeks, Trump has been ramping up his rhetoric. Early last month, he echoed the vile and obsessively germophobic language of Adolf Hitler by describing immigrants as disease-ridden terrorists and psychiatric patients who are “poisoning the blood of our country.” His address in Claremont, New Hampshire, on Saturday was the usual hot mess of random thoughts, but near the end, it took a more sinister turn. (It’s almost impossible to follow, but you can try to read the full text here.) In one passage in particular, Trump melded religious and political rhetoric to aim not at foreign nations or immigrants, but at his fellow citizens. This is when he crossed one of the last remaining lines that separated his usual authoritarian bluster from recognizable fascism:

We will drive out the globalists, we will cast out the communists, Marxists, fascists. We will throw off the sick political class that hates our country … On Veterans Day, we pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country, that lie and steal and cheat on elections and will do anything possible … legally or illegally to destroy America and to destroy the American dream.

As the New York University professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat later pointed out to The Washington Post, Trump is populating this list of imaginary villains (which she sees as a form of projection) in order “to set himself up as the deliverer of freedom. Mussolini promised freedom to his people too and then declared dictatorship.”

Add the language in these speeches to all of the programmatic changes Trump and his allies have threatened to enact once he’s back in office—establishing massive detention camps for undocumented people, using the Justice Department against anyone who dares to run against him, purging government institutions, singling out Christianity as the state’s preferred religion, and many other actions—and it’s hard to describe it all as generic “authoritarianism.” Trump no longer aims to be some garden-variety supremo; he is now promising to be a threat to every American he identifies as an enemy—and that’s a lot of Americans.

Unfortunately, the overuse of fascist (among other charges) quickly wore out the part of the public’s eardrums that could process such words. Trump seized on this strategic error by his opponents and used it as a kind of political cover. Over the years, he has become more extreme and more dangerous, and now he waves away any additional criticism as indistinguishable from the over-the-top objections he faced when he entered politics, in 2015.

Today, the mistake of early overreaction and the subsequent complacency it engendered have aided Trump in his efforts to subvert American democracy. His presence in our public life has become normalized, and he continues to be treated as just another major-party candidate by a hesitant media, an inattentive public, and terrified GOP officials. This is the path to disaster: The original fascists and other right-wing dictators of Europe succeeded by allying with scared elites in the face of public disorder and then, once they had seized the levers of government, driving those elites from power (and in many cases from existence on this planet).

It is possible, I suppose, that Trump really has little idea of what he’s saying. (We’re under threat from “communists” and “Marxists” and “fascists?” Uh, okay.) But he has reportedly expressed admiration of Hitler (and envy of Hitler’s grip on the Nazi military), so when the Republican front-runner uses terms like vermin and expressions like poisoning the blood of our country, we are not required to spend a lot of time generously parsing what he may have meant.

More to the point, the people around Trump certainly know what he’s saying. Indeed, Trump’s limited vocabulary might not have allowed him to cough up a word like vermin. We do not know if it was in his prepared text, but when asked to clarify Trump’s remarks, his campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, told The Washington Post that “those who try to make that ridiculous assertion are clearly snowflakes grasping for anything because they are suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome and their entire existence will be crushed when President Trump returns to the White House.”

What?

Cheung later clarified his clarification: He meant to say their “sad, miserable existence" instead of their “entire existence,” as if that was somehow better. If that’s not a fascist faux pas, nothing is.

But here I want to caution my fellow citizens. Trump, whether from intention or stupidity or fear, has identified himself as a fascist under almost any reasonable definition of the word. But although he leads the angry and resentful GOP, he has not created a coherent, disciplined, and effective movement. (Consider his party’s entropic behavior in Congress.) He is also constrained by circumstance: The country is not in disarray, or at war, or in an economic collapse. Although some of Trump’s most ardent voters support his blood-and-soil rhetoric, millions of others have no connection to that agenda. Some are unaware; others are in denial. And many of those voters are receptive to his message only because they have been bludgeoned by right-wing propaganda into irrationality and panic. Even many officials in the current GOP, that supine and useless husk of an institution, do not share Trump’s ambitions.

I have long argued for confronting Trump’s voters with his offenses against our government and our Constitution. The contest between an aspiring fascist and a coalition of prodemocracy forces is even clearer now. But deploy the word fascist with care; many of our fellow Americans, despite their morally abysmal choice to support Trump, are not fascists.

As for Trump, he has abandoned any democratic pretenses, and lost any benefit of the doubt about who and what he is.

#politics #trump #republicans #maga me sick #maga #fascists #stop trump

[nklhuytat62]

Block Trading Facility (BTF): What it is, How it Works, Example

What Is a Block Trading Facility (BTF)?

I apologize for any confusion in my previous response. As of my last knowledge update in September 2021, there is no widely recognized financial term or acronym "BTF" referring to a specific financial instrument or facility in the context of financial markets or trading. It's possible that new financial terms or acronyms may have emerged or become popular after my last update.

If "BTF" refers to a specific financial term or concept that has emerged after September 2021, I recommend consulting up-to-date financial sources or regulatory documentation for the most accurate and current information regarding its definition and usage.

If you have additional context or details about "BTF," please provide them, and I'll do my best to provide a more accurate explanation based on the information available up to my last update.

Understanding Block Trading Facilities

Block Trading Facilities (BTFs) are trading platforms or systems that facilitate the execution of large, typically institutional, orders for securities. They are designed to handle substantial trading volumes while minimizing the impact of these trades on market prices. Here's a more detailed explanation:

1. Purpose:

BTFs are used for executing "block trades," which are large orders for securities. These orders are typically too substantial to execute on public stock exchanges without causing significant price movements, so BTFs provide a way to execute them more discreetly.

2. Anonymity:

One of the key features of a BTF is anonymity. Parties involved in a block trade can execute their orders without revealing their identities to the broader market. This anonymity is essential to prevent market participants from exploiting the knowledge of a large order to manipulate prices.

3. Negotiation:

Before a block trade is executed on a BTF, the parties involved often engage in a negotiation phase. This negotiation allows them to agree on the terms of the trade, such as the quantity of securities to be traded and the price. Negotiation can take place electronically or through communication with brokers.

4. Efficient Execution:

BTFs aim to execute block trades efficiently and at a fair price. They may use algorithms or other trading technologies to find counterparties and execute the trade at the best possible terms for both the buyer and the seller.

5. Reporting:

After the block trade is executed, BTFs typically provide reports to both parties involved, confirming the trade's details, including the price, quantity, and execution time. This reporting ensures transparency and serves as a record of the transaction.

6. Regulatory Compliance:

BTFs are often subject to regulatory oversight to ensure fair and transparent trading practices. Regulatory authorities may impose rules and reporting requirements to maintain market integrity.

Example:

Let's say a large institutional investor wants to buy 500,000 shares of a particular stock. Placing such a substantial order on a public exchange could cause the stock's price to rise significantly, resulting in unfavorable execution prices. To avoid this, the institutional investor uses a Block Trading Facility.

Negotiation: The investor contacts a broker or uses the BTF's platform to negotiate with potential sellers. They agree on a purchase price of $50 per share.

Execution: The BTF executes the trade on behalf of the investor, finding sellers willing to sell 500,000 shares at $50 per share.

Reporting: After the trade is completed, both the buyer and the seller receive confirmation reports, detailing the trade's execution.

By using a Block Trading Facility, the institutional investor can efficiently execute a large order while minimizing market impact and maintaining anonymity, ultimately achieving better execution prices.

Process Followed in Block Trading Facilities

Block Trading Facilities (BTFs) are designed to facilitate the execution of large block trades in financial markets while minimizing market impact and providing anonymity to the parties involved. The process followed in BTFs typically involves the following steps:

Pre-Trade Negotiation:

The process begins with pre-trade negotiations between the buyer and the seller or their respective representatives. These negotiations can take place electronically on the BTF platform or through communication with brokers.

During negotiations, the parties agree on the terms of the trade, including the quantity of securities to be traded, the price, and any other relevant details.

Anonymity:

Anonymity is a key feature of BTFs. The identities of the buyer and seller are typically concealed from each other and the broader market until after the trade has been executed. This anonymity helps prevent market manipulation and ensures a level playing field for all participants.

Order Submission:

Once the terms of the trade are agreed upon, one party submits the block trade order to the BTF platform. The order specifies the quantity, price, and other relevant information.

The BTF platform may have minimum order size requirements to qualify as a block trade.

Matching and Execution:

The BTF platform seeks to match the block trade order with a suitable counterparty. This process may involve algorithmic matching and execution to find the best possible match.

Depending on market conditions and the size of the order, the block trade may be executed as a single transaction or broken into multiple smaller transactions to minimize market impact.

Execution Report:

Once the block trade is executed, the BTF generates an execution report. This report includes details of the trade, such as the execution price, quantity, and timestamp.

The execution report is provided to both the buyer and the seller, ensuring transparency and serving as a record of the transaction.

Post-Trade Reporting:

BTFs are typically subject to regulatory oversight, and they may be required to report block trade data to regulatory authorities. This reporting helps ensure transparency and market integrity.

Settlement:

After the trade is executed, the settlement process follows, where the actual transfer of securities and funds takes place. Settlement procedures can vary depending on the market and the securities involved.

Record-Keeping:

Both parties involved in the block trade maintain records of the transaction for compliance and auditing purposes.

Regulatory Compliance:

BTFs must adhere to regulatory requirements and reporting obligations specific to their jurisdiction and the types of securities traded.

Overall, the goal of a Block Trading Facility is to enable institutional investors to execute large trades efficiently, at a fair price, and with minimal market impact. The process emphasizes confidentiality, transparency, and compliance with relevant regulations to maintain the integrity of financial markets.

Example of a Block Trading Facility

As of my last knowledge update in September 2021, there isn't a specific, widely recognized example of a Block Trading Facility (BTF) that I can provide. BTFs are often operated by financial institutions, brokerage firms, or alternative trading systems (ATS) and may not be as publicly visible as traditional stock exchanges. Additionally, the landscape of financial markets and trading platforms can evolve rapidly.

However, I can provide some examples of well-known financial institutions and ATSs that may offer block trading services or facilities, though they may not be referred to specifically as "BTFs":

Instinet: Instinet is an electronic trading platform and brokerage firm that offers block trading services to institutional investors. They specialize in providing tools and technology for executing large block orders efficiently.

Liquidnet: Liquidnet is known for its institutional dark pool, which allows large institutional investors to execute block trades anonymously and with minimal market impact.

ITG (Investment Technology Group): ITG, now part of Virtu Financial, offers a suite of trading services, including block trading, to institutional investors. They provide algorithms and execution tools for large orders.

Turquoise Block Discovery: Turquoise is a European multilateral trading facility (MTF) that offers a block trading service called "Block Discovery." It helps institutional investors find liquidity for large trades in European equities.

Bloomberg Tradebook: Bloomberg Tradebook is a subsidiary of Bloomberg L.P. that offers electronic trading services, including block trading capabilities, to institutional clients.

Please note that the landscape of financial trading platforms and services can change, and new entrants may have emerged since my last update. It's important to check with financial institutions, brokers, or trading platforms for the most up-to-date information on block trading services and facilities. Additionally, regulatory requirements and definitions may vary by region and over time.

Read more: https://computertricks.net/block-trading-facility-btf-what-it-is-how-it-works-example/

#Computer Tricks

[thedisneychef]

Best 2 Burner Gas Grill to buy (Reviewed & Rated)

There’s nothing better than a summer barbecue. Whether it’s a get-together with friends or family, or just a romantic date night for two, grilling out is almost always the most fun way to enjoy your food. Grills are also perfect for cooking for large groups of people and can be used year-round. So If you're looking for the best two-burner gas grill to buy in 2023, we've got you covered. In this article, we will review and rate 3 of the best 2-burner gas grills on the market today and show you how to get a suitable pick, how you should narrow down your choice, and other aspects. Best 2 Burner Gas Grills Reviewed 1. Best Overall: Char-Broil 463673519 Performance Series 2 You're in the market for a grill, and you know what you want: Quality of construction. The Char-Broil Performance 300 is your best choice This grill will last you for years to come. The stainless-steel mesh is corrosion and rust-proof, making it excellent as an outdoor fixture in your backyard or patio. The infrared technology allows the grill to consume 30% less gas than traditional grills, and it has a built-in thermometer so you can keep an eye on your food while it's cooking. Worried about fighting to get your grill to light? No problem with this grill, all you have to do is push it and wait for the magic to happen. Additionally, the fold-away shelves ensure that users have a place to set their tools or prep recipes. What a top gas grill !!! Highlight: ✔️Corrosion and rust proof. ✔️ Durable. ✔️Infrared cooking technology. ✔️Fold-away metal shelves. 2. Best High End: Weber Spirit E-210 Gas Grill This grill is made of high-quality stainless steel that will stand up to the weather and heavy usage. Its cooking surface has cast-iron grates that are a pleasure to use and will endure for many seasons. The only moving parts are the ignition button, the knobs, and the handles. It's also an attractive-looking machine that fit in well with my Kitchen Aid appliances in my outdoor kitchen. Cooking on it was a delight. It heated so evenly that I didn't have to worry about hot spots burning my food. A rack of ribs or pork butt turned out perfect every time. The temperature gauge read accurately and maintained a steady temperature once ignited (it even showed up on an infrared thermometer). Cleanup is a snap as the unit has removable catch trays for grease and cooking juices plus it's very easy to clean itself. The Weber E-210 Grill has all the features of high-end grills at a fraction of their cost. If you're in the market for a new grill but don't want to spend $1000+, check out this Weber model before making any decisions. Highlight: ✔️Smooth rolling wheels. ✔️ Storage shelf. ✔️Flavorizer bars. 3. Best for Camping: Char-Broil Classic 280 The Char-Broil Classic 280 is a portable two-burner gas grill that can handle anything from grilling steaks to baking cookies. That's why it is ideal for camping vacations. The second kitchen room is the smallest of the three, yet it can still accommodate a whole supper for four people. If you wish to grill more than just a couple of burgers at once, you'll love the extra room afforded by the third cooking surface. Even while this grill isn't as powerful as some of its competitors, it's perfect for excursions where you won't have access to a full propane tank. In addition, the Piezo ignition mechanism ensures that your burners will fire instantly, so you can start preparing supper right away. Highlight: ✔️Lightweight ✔️ Has a side burner. ✔️Instant ignition. Beginner’s Guide to 2 Burner Gas Grills What is a 2 Burner Gas Grill? A 2-burner gas grill is a gas-powered grill with two distinct zones of ignition, allowing the operator to cook two foods at different temperatures side by side. This space is still covered by a single grate, as in a standard BBQ, but the user has far more flexibility in terms of what they may cook on the grate at the same time. Most 2-burner gas grills have wheels, but not all of them are equally mobile. Some may weigh up to 90 pounds, making them about as immovable as your range stove top. A two-burner gas grill, as the name implies, has two burners and runs on either natural gas or propane. The twin burners enable you to split the cooking surface into two distinct heating zones with temperature control. These devices are solely intended for outside cooking. How a 2-Burner Gas Grill Works When you ignite the gas burner on your grill, the flame heats up the bottom grate and then travels via conduction through the metal bars to heat up your food. The convection in this process makes sure that all of your food gets cooked evenly. A properly-operating grill will have an even temperature across its entire surface so that nothing burns or undercooks. 2 Burner Gas Grills work by using two burners to cook at two different temperatures in order to achieve better control over what you're cooking. This setup can be employed as either a high-low setup or a side-side setup; depending on which method you choose, one side will be hotter than the other while both sides will still offer enough heat for grilling steaks at medium or low temperatures (since steaks need different kinds of heat). Why Should You Buy a 2-Burner Gas Grill? Gas grills are a great alternative to charcoal grills. They're easy to use, they have consistent heat, and they're fast. If you're thinking about buying a gas grill but aren't sure why you should get one over other types of grills, this article will answer all your questions! Fast cooking performance Cooking performance is one of the main reasons to choose a 2-burner gas grill over a 3-burner gas grill. You’ll get the same cooking space from both types, but 2-burner grills tend to heat up and cool down faster than their larger counterparts. This means you can cook several dishes at once without them overcooking or getting cold before you’re able to serve them. 3-burner grills will also cook faster than 4-burners due to the fact that they have more surface area (and therefore more heat) per burner. So while they may be better suited for large gatherings than 2-burners are, they won't be able not only because they're so large but also because it takes longer for all those burners to reach cooking temperature Easy start One of the biggest reasons you should choose a 2-burner gas grill is that it starts faster than a 4-burner one. This is because the surface area is smaller and the flames are more concentrated, so there's less chance of them going out before they get started. Temperature control You may not know it, but your gas grill actually has two burners. You can use the knobs to control both of them independently and on their own temps. This gives you more control over how hot or cool and where the heat is coming from. Let's say that you are grilling burgers tonight but want some peppers and onions to go with them. You can turn one burner way down so that it doesn't burn the veggies, while still getting an even cook on your meat! This is also helpful if there's no wind blowing during your cookout; turning off one of the burners will help keep temperatures consistent throughout all parts of your meal, instead of having some areas burnt while others are still raw. For example: If you have a brisket cooking low and slow (about 250 degrees), turning off one side might be good enough for maintaining a consistent temperature in relation to how long you've been cooking (and since brisket takes a while). Keeping both burners at high temperatures throughout would result in uneven cooking and weirdly charred edges alongside undercooked middles so this method works well if you're trying something new or just want better quality food every time! How to Choose a 2 Burner Gas Grill Before you buy a new gas grill, there are a few important things to consider. You want to make sure that your grill has the right size, fuel type, and features for your needs. So here’s how to choose the best 2-burner gas grill for your backyard! 1. What Type of Fuel Does It Use? - Natural gas: If you have a natural gas hookup on your grill, then you're good to go. A lot of people prefer natural gas because it doesn't produce any smoke and it's easy to light up with just the flick of a switch. - Propane: This is probably the most common type of fuel used in grills today since it's so easy to find. You can buy propane tanks at most hardware stores and big-box retailers, or even fill them up at RV parks or campgrounds if you intend on using your grill away from home. - Charcoal: You'll need charcoal briquettes for this kind of grill--the kind that is made from compressed sawdust mixed with binders like starch or plant fibers (like bamboo). Some grills come with special charcoal baskets that hold the briquettes so they don't fall out easily; others have grates made specifically for holding coals steady so they don't shift around while cooking. 2. How Big Is It? The size of your grill is a major factor in determining how much you should spend on it. For example, if you live alone and don't cook for other people very often, then a small one-burner grill might suffice. But if you have a family or plan to throw parties often, then something a little more substantial may be in order. If you're uncertain about the size of your next grill, talk with friends and family members who own grills and ask them what they think would work best for your space needs. 3. What Is the Build Material? Beyond the burners and stainless steel grates, you’ll want to pay attention to the material that makes up the rest of your grill. Depending on what you plan on cooking, you may have specific requirements. For example, if you like to cook with charcoal or wood chips, then cast iron will be a must-have for its porous nature that helps absorb flavors from whatever it is cooked over. Alternatively, if you plan on cooking primarily burgers and chicken wings (and don't mind cleaning up after yourself), then stainless steel would be an excellent choice as it's durable and easy to clean. 4. What Additional Features Does It Have? You should also look for additional features that are important to you, such as: - If you're looking for an electric grill, check that your gas grill has an electric ignition. This will allow you to turn on the gas and light it with a simple push of a button. - If portability is important to you, look for a portable grill with wheels so it can easily be moved from place to place. Some grills come with their own stands, which means they won't need wheels or stands when not in use but they'll still take up room on your deck or patio instead of being stored away inside your house like other types of cookers would be. Chances are good that if someone tells me they want something portable, this is what they mean (and why I mentioned it). But there's no rule saying we can't get both! In fact... Why should you trust TheDisneyChef We have figured out via our research that more than 15 burner gas grills are currently available on the market. After taking into account information, we can cautiously gather in-depth information and turn it into the best list of 3 of the best perfect options for you in order not only from best to worst but also from both price and performance standpoints! We carefully obtained more than 1000 user reviews using extensive data systems to rank these items based on customer feedback. Most potential customers choose their choice based on average prices below $294.93- with many even cheaper than $112. This proves that smart shopping is always the priority of potential clients in recent years. Therefore, figuring out our research could help you make sure what kind of investment is worth it and which one should be avoided at all costs. Overall, a 2-burner gas grill is a great option if you don’t have room for a large grill or don’t want to spend a lot of money. It is perfect for small patios and balconies, apartments, and garages. No matter which grill you select off this list, you are sure to take home a 2-burner gas grill that will make all your grilling dreams come true! Read the full article

[damacbycavalli]

7 Best Tips on How to Create Engaging Content

How often do you find yourself browsing the internet and wishing there was more content to read? Most people have either been in this position or will be soon. Content creation isn’t as simple as it sounds; however, once you know what elements go into creating engaging content, the task becomes much less daunting. We are going to give seven tips on how to create engaging content that people will want to read. As you’ve probably figured out, content marketing is very important in the age of digital marketing, and creating great content (also known as creating engaging content) can be hard! It takes time, effort, and lots of creativity to create excellent content, but there are some things you can do to help make the process easier. Here are seven tips on how to create engaging content that drives customers to your website and improves your brand identity with them.

Use Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a free tool for understanding website traffic and user behavior. This can be valuable for getting insight into what your audience is interested in, how they’re finding you, and what they’re looking at. It’s important to know this because it will help you create better content that resonates with your target audience. For example, if your goal is to drive more traffic from Pinterest then you’ll want more visually appealing posts. Or if your goal is to drive more conversions from social media then you’ll want posts with clear calls-to-action (CTA).

For example, if I’m targeting moms who love reading about parenting and raising kids but I’m not getting engagement or shares, maybe the problem isn’t the topic- it’s the way I’m communicating it. Maybe my posts are too long or I’m using too many gifs. Maybe my tone of voice needs to change. Maybe I need to stop talking so much about myself and instead focus on why readers should care. But by tracking which types of articles perform well and which ones don’t, I can see what content resonates best with my readership, make adjustments accordingly, and increase engagement!

Ask your followers what they want

What are your thoughts? What types of content do you like to read? Share your feedback in the comments. Is there anything else you want me to cover? If so, please let me know below! Do this once a month and I will make sure I include it next time I post an update.

Now that we have talked about how to create content, here is my final tip: Be consistent. The best way to keep your followers engaged is by posting regularly and being consistent with what type of content you share. It’s important to provide quality content while also letting them know when you’ve had enough of your success and need some help finding inspiration. Share both good news as well as bad news so they can see all sides of your business or personal life.

Use SEO to your advantage

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine’s unpaid results such as organic, sponsored, or knowledge graph results. To implement SEO, it’s important to understand how search engines work, what people are searching for, and what words trigger specific responses from different search engines. Google is highly in search engines for certain keywords, optimize your content by including those keywords naturally throughout your content.

Make sure you have meta tags that accurately describe your content so that when a user searches for something relevant to your blog post they can find you. Lastly, remember that you’re not writing just one blog post – you’re creating an entire archive that will be indexed over time so keep each post related while maintaining consistency with your brand voice!

There are several tools out there that help writers learn about things like keyword density, competitors’ keyword usage, and more. One great tool is Google Adwords Keyword Planner which helps writers determine popular search terms related to their business or industry. This type of information allows writers to craft content around these terms to attract more visitors and promote their business online.

Publish Frequently

Publishing content regularly is the only way you’ll be able to build a following and generate revenue. There are two ways to publish your content:

1) write new posts each time

2) repurpose old posts by updating them with fresh, relevant information.

When possible, try to combine both of these methods to be more productive.

Publish new content regularly: Try scheduling your blog posts ahead of time so they’re published at the same time every week or month. Another great tip is to have different topics ready for when you need to come up with something new and don’t have enough time.

Repurpose old content: If you don’t want to come up with something brand new every day, but want to produce consistent quality work, then taking an older post that was successful and giving it a facelift may be just what you need. Check out this complete guide. In this guide, we took an old post called How to Write a New Post and added some new tips that would help bloggers who are looking for advice on how to start writing.

Create Videos

It is a good idea to have some form of video content. For example, you could create an informational video about your product or service, a how-to video (ex: showing people how to use your product), or a tutorial for people who need more information.

You could also use video to show the testimonials from happy customers and talk about the benefits of your company. If you don’t want to make videos yourself, you can always pay a company like Vizalize Inc. to do it for you!

They specialize in developing high-quality videos that are engaging and will catch viewers’ attention. They offer packages starting at just $99/month for businesses with 10 employees or less.

B2B Marketers should take advantage of the many opportunities available to them to provide valuable information through their marketing channels.

More than ever before, consumers are looking online before they make decisions, so they expect you to be there too!

Respond Quickly To Comments

Commenting back and forth with your readers will make them feel like they’re part of a conversation, rather than just reading. You’ll also be able to respond quickly if you want to answer any questions or address any concerns they might have. It’s important to respond quickly to comments so that people don’t leave in frustration.

Try To Stay Relevant: If the post was about sewing then don’t write an entirely new post about cars! If you do want to make a completely unrelated post, try linking it back somehow by including some detail that ties it into the original topic in some way (for example, mentioning how we all love watching Netflix in our pajamas).

Don’t Share Every Piece Of News: Too much content can overwhelm readers and make them feel overwhelmed.

Don’t Forget That People Read Your Content For Different Reasons: There are many different reasons for reading content online. Some people read for enjoyment while others might need information from a blog post. Make sure to include different points of interest to keep everybody interested.

Get Influencers Involved

Ask influencers in your industry for feedback and advice.

Invite a guest blogger to write a guest post for you.

Work with social influencers by giving them free products or discounts in exchange for posting pictures of them using your product or service.

Promote their posts on Facebook and Instagram.

Include hashtags that they use so they can find your post more easily.

Send content to bloggers for exposure through email, Twitter, and other social media platforms.

Partner with popular blogs in the same niche as yours to create content together.

Reach out to influential bloggers on Twitter, LinkedIn, and other networks to collaborate.

Conclusion:

Creating content is not hard, but it does require some effort and planning on your part. The more time you put into creating quality content, the better results you will get when it comes to your business’s success online. This list of seven tips can help you create better content that your audience will engage with regularly and share with others. So, Read this guide carefully.

Source: 7 Best Tips on How to Create Engaging Content.

#Create #Engaging #Content #ingenwebmatics #CreateEngagingContent

[peachyteabuck]

This is a very long reflection post so read if you want to. It’s very word vomity though so watch out

I’m doing an no-buy year, which has quickly morphed into a low-buy year. I’m 21, my partner is 22, and we’re still coming into our own. How can we do a no-buy year when our essentials include measuring spoons and stuff for work? I’m still building my wardrobe. They’re still building theirs. It’s not possible to stave off all buying, in all honesty. However, the low-buy year is going well. Rocket Money is the tool we’re using to keep track of spending. The app isn’t perfect (I’m a freelancer, so keeping track of my income is a nightmare) and i make a lot of purchases that I just charge them 1/2 for, so I’m not sure how much of the spending is accurate. But i think it’s going well. The issue is it takes a lot of time. So much fucking time. To plan out grocery lists and crock pot meals and lunches and strategically buying wardrobe choices. It also sucks when I buy pants for example and they just don’t fucking fit. I want to be body neutral, and appreciate my body for all that it can do, but it’s hard when I try to express that via my dollars and it blows back in my face. Even big bud press pants have their issues, and theyre the only pants i wear regularly

I’m started to realizing i can’t have everything i want in terms of what i want to do. There literally is not enough time. Every day i finish 99% of what i want to leaves me physically wrecked. My brain cannot fit that much stuff in it. I can’t read the books I want because i want to give them time/attention and i just fucking can’t. I hate delegating tasks and asking for help, and when my PCP tried to send me to collections i literally begged my mom to help me. I’m glad she/my stepmom were able to, but that was such a massive blow. Hyper independence is a fucking joke, which sucks.

I need to write more. It makes me feel better. I have commissions to finish. But writing fills me with dread because i hate everything I write. I just want to write and finish things but I literally fucking cannot. I remember watching some lawyer’s expertise talk on a video platform my mom paid for and he was like “writers write despite everything.” I literally can’t fucking do that. I think everyone thinks i have more time than I do. The principal for the school im student teaching at wants to put me in the substitute system so I can work “on my off days.” The 2.5 days I’m not in the classroom i am either at work or in class. Im in student government. I volunteer. What fucking off days. The weekend?? When you’re not open?? BFFR. Idk how I’m going to make up the two snow days we had. Lying, probably. Idk if this is sustainable but i don’t know what my other option is. Everything is too expensive.

I need to buy a pill holder for my Ritalin/caffeine pills/pain killers. I just need to find one with labels bc im an idiot.

The little stuff keeps falling through the cracks and becoming big stuff. I think i need to make a notion page where I track how often things actually take and rate their energy usage bc this is becoming a problem. I just cannot girlboss and work nonstop for 12 hours. My brain literally cannot handle that.

I need to sleep more. But to do that i need to do enough “non-necessary things” to give my brain a break.

I really need my Ritalin back. I was not super regulated to begin with, but the Ritalin helped so fucking much. I could get everything done and sleep at a reasonable time bc my brain was sufficiently worn out in all areas. Im self medicating with caffeine rn but Jesus Christ i want my meds back.

Anyway. My goals for February are to track expenses weekly (sun-sat) and do daily habits in my notebook and not notion bc i constantly forget to do that shit. We’ll see. I wish i was better at this stuff & i wish i was more forgiving with myself & i wish i didn’t feel the need to be The Best all of the time.

#Lukis says things

[zhuyzhu]

A Good Helper for Writing: Power Thesaurus

Today I want to recommend a tool that can assist writing: Power Thesaurus. We subconsciously use words that we are very familiar with when we write an article or post some news or ideas, but there are other words that can express what we want better and more accurately, but we can’t think of them. Time to use Power Thesaurus.

This is a tool that can quickly look up synonyms. Select a word, simply click the small Power Thesaurus icon that appears below, and you can quickly see the synonyms of that word. Click a synonym to copy it to your clipboard, and then you can paste it in the input box to replace it.

Search in the Chrome Web Store on Lemur Browser for the name of the extension: Power Thesaurus, and then you can download this extension. After downloading, you select any word in any input box, its small icon will show below this word, and synonyms will appear when you click it. Of course, you can turn off this small icon, just click on the Power Thesaurus icon in the extension and turn off the Pop-up icon.

In addition to the shortcuts mentioned above, you can also click the Power Thesaurus icon in the Extension and search for words in the panel. What' more, not only does it supports finding synonyms, it also supports finding antonyms, definitions and sentences, related terms, narrow and broad terms, similar words, similar-sounding words, rhyming words, and more. All the words you click will be copied directly to the clipboard.

This extension is applicable in many places, such as our commonly used Medium, Facebook, Twitter and so on. At the same time you can also use it as a dictionary.

In addition, it can switch between dark mode and light mode, and you can change the font size to make the extension more in line with your usage habits. Power Thesaurus runs very smoothly in Lemur Browser, and it is more convenient than a computer. It can be used anytime and anywhere, which greatly facilitates my work.

#extensions #browser extension #browser #chrome #tools #writing #android

[phoenixyfriend]

I personally would *really* like to know more about Mace's intro to General Obi-Wan, and how Anakin and Obi-Wan interact in the mind space now. That's got to be so weird, right? Though I bet it's VERY useful when the kids are having some emotion or issue that they can't quantify or explain, or that they don't want to explain: ask the grownup versions and they'll be able to say what's going down. But I mean, in mind-space does OW & A's relationship average out into 'very affectionate (cont)

(cont) brothers who are *very* invested in each other's well being? (They can have the Dad conversation of 'please eat your veggies' from EITHER direction!) I'm imagining, just, a lot of lounging on each other. Mace is introduced to the older versions via meditation and the first thing OW does, even before saying hello, is stroll over to A, sit down, throw his legs across his lap and lean into his side. Also, imagine A coming to OW for advice in meditation, and Ben going to A for advice IRL.

My favorite part of the Jedi Babies AU is what adult!Obi-Wan's relationship with Anakin is like in the meditation-area, is what I'm saying. Followed by how the mini-versions of Soka and Ben act out in real space. The whole thing with them very seriously researching local law so they can hold accurate trials with their stuffed animals was adorable, and I loved how foreboding and mystic Ahsoka came off in the Dooku conversation.

I went back and re-read a bunch of the Jedi babies posts and I have to admit, this: "He gets headaches if he tries to think like an adult for too long, so he shifts between “Master Kenobi, helping Anakin figure out how to fix the world” and “literal child who just wants a nap and cuddles.”" actually probably answers all of my questions and means that adult!OW's relationship with Anakin is probably much the same, just. Still with more cuddles. And prob. with better communication/ less criticism.

OKAY SO (human) babies are like. Wired to require human contact. It's a chemical thing. If you hold a baby, the baby's body will make oxytocin and stuff like that, and the baby will be happy!

(And also not die. Babies can absolutely die without enough physical contact.)

So IRL/waking Soka and Ben are in a position where they constantly crave physical contact, because they are So Damn Young. Obviously, the main provider of that contact is Anakin, and each other, and Shmi, so they're pretty quickly accustomed to being really, really tactile with 'Dad.'

This transfers to the adult shared mindspace, in that they're so used to hugs and cuddles with Anakin that they all just kind of... drift together. The shaping of that physical contact isn't the same, for a variety of reasons, but there's a lot of leaning against each other, Soka lying down with her head in someone's lap, Anakin and Ben making sure their shoulders touch when they sit down, etc. When meeting Mace, they sit so that Anakin's got his arm over Ben's shoulders, which isn't that weird of a position for two adult men who consider each other brothers. They're less tactile, if only because adult General Kenobi can't crawl into Anakin's lap the way the kid version can, but there's still skinship and shared body heat and hugs. It's only weird if you remember that the older of them is currently the slightly creepy eight-year-old you met half an hour ago.

They are undeniably family in every manner, though. That part is never in question.

It's a little weird, moreso for Ben than for Soka. She's gone from little sister to daughter, but she's still 'younger female family member, who views Anakin as a loving authority on account of being an older family member.'

Ben's gone from parent to child, and when a solid 98% of his time is spent as the child, but the history is that of being the parent and being the one with advice, it's weird. They still mostly manage to make it work, though, because meeting up in the mindspace is usually done only for strategizing and whatnot, and gets less and less necessary as they get older. Soka's headaches-when-I-try-to-think-with-my-full-history taper off by the time she's about eighteen, physically; she’s actually two years older than she was at the point of time travel, by that point, but she’s got thirty years of memories so her brain needs a wee bit extra time to grow to hold all of it. Ben... I want to say early twenties for him, because he's got so much more to process.

By that point, they're... not quite who they were, but they're not exactly fresh new people, either. It was never a case of whether or not they'd 'meld,' because they were never really separate, just unable to access everything and limited by the wiring they had. As they can process more and more, they think with some of their old methods (e.g. critical thinking on how to assess propaganda, strategy patterns to approach a battlefield, rebuilding habits for lightsaber usage that they remember in theory but don't actually feel natural yet) in tandem with learning new ones from their new environment (e.g. learning Mandalorian battle logic, Tatooine survival priorities).

There's like. A whole thing in my brain about how Mandalorian, Tatooine, Jedi, Coruscanti, and Shili cultural and logic patterns interact.

WORD OF NOTE: I was an international business major who focused on intercultural communications and marketing. I'm thinking about these in terms of like... Hofstede's cultural dimensions and that whole thing where (I can't remember the actual term) a proper sentence in Russian looks like a run-on in English because the way we structure things looks completely different, and the way information is supposed to be presented when written in order for a person to optimally process what they're reading is completely different due to how we're all trained to learn, and when you pair that with the child psychology aspect of also learning new languages with adjusted neuroplasticity while slowly regaining access to full adult memories as time passes in which you have familiar but completely different cultural values that you now have to reconcile with the things you've learned to consider important with the people who are raising you--

I have a lot of thoughts on this sort of thing.

To put it lightly.

#anakin skywalker #ahsoka tano #obi wan kenobi #ben kenobi #disaster lineage #star wars #the clone wars #time travel #de aging #Anakin and the Jedi Babies