#WAS AWESOME I WILL HAVE NO DISSENT IN THE RANKS

[silversiren1101]

I love the current state of the Hellknight Orders because they are all just one bad Council of Lictors meeting from tearing each other’s throats out. Yeah they’re all technically Hellknights but some of the Orders have such adversarial goals that it’s only a matter of time before they just start eating each other like feral beasts.

The Pyre is dedicated to exterminating harmful cults and working against the aims of demon lords and religions that are a threat of ‘orderly society’ but their Lictor is a staunch atheist that believes ALL religions need to be eliminated because fervent belief in individual gods breeds chaotic tribalism, even that of lawful gods!

The Godclaw is the Crusader arm of the Hellknights but is all about the Godclaw pantheon and advancing lawfulness under the united front of those gods but UH OH the current Lictor thinks there’s a sixth god that should be added and it’s fucking ZON-KUTHON?! He hasn’t told anyone yet and just has this secret shrine to Zonny boy in his Citadel and privately worships him in his “six pronged claw” and it’s a huge secret but MAN wait when that shit drops?!

The Pyre and Godclaw are going to take everyone else out in their war, but that’s not even getting into the beef the other Orders will find with each other?! 

The Scourge is actively investigating House Thrune and is firm about its independence from Thrune and Egorian’s dottari... and then you get The Rack which are basically Thrune lapdogs that happily round up all the old history books with “wrong” history and dissenters and purge them on behalf of the Infernal Majestrix. Abrogail II literally has a hit out on the Scourge with the Red Mantis Assassins (holy shit) which Jakalyn publicly announced and so THE SCOURGE KNOWS?! Like they KNOW House Thrune has a hit on their knights in Egorian!

When is THIS shit going to go down?! It’s pretty much the Rack’s fault why Hellknights have such a bad reputation as being Thrune lackeys because they love to lick those dottari and Thrune boots! Meanwhile the Scourge is being hunted down in Egorian’s streets by former Gray Maidens (lmao!) for daring to investigate the crimes of Egorian’s elite and House Thrune!

What will the Nail do? They’re the largest of the orders and there’s so much disagreement in their own ranks on what they believe is savagery and what really needs their attention! Maybe we should stop brutally colonizing the Shoanti? There’s like, actual banditry out there and actual monsters to slay? Maybe their Lictor can have his wasting curse mysteriously fully progress and their lawful good centaur Master of Blades can become Lictor instead, yeah?

Meanwhile the Chain just got the biggest PR boost from Cheliax rolling out their “I can’t believe it’s not slavery!” in the Firebrands book but are they even going to agree that this new infernal-backed indentured servitude is lawful? They care more about real criminals than runaways (and more often than not imprisoned abusive ‘Masters’ for breaking their side of the ‘contract’ too). I guess it’ll come down to how profitable it is, huh Lictor Adom? His pockets need to be frisked. He needs a full audit.

Anyway I think they should fight. I think it’d be really fun to see what comes out of it. I think it’d be awesome if the Rack just stop existing because they are undoubtedly the worst.

#pathfinder #hellknights #siren sick ramblings lol #i do really really want them all to fight though #like putting wasps into a box and shaking it

[destinyc1020]

Oh, a LOT of blogs shade Timmy and now Austin because they are rising through the 'serious' film ranks and people are scared that if Austin gets an Oscar nom for Elvis it will somehow diminish Tom, lessen his stature. I see it in multiple mainstream tomdaya blogs, this new mocking and loathing of Austin. I couldn't care less, I didn't even know who he was before Elvis, but the immediate hostility was so transparent.

Where on earth are you seeing these so-called Tomdaya blogs saying such things?? 😅

I must not be following those blogs lol, because I have seen nothing of the sort about Timmy or Austin on Tomdaya blogs.

Why would their success diminish anything about Tom and his success?? Can't we all just get along?? 😅 I don't think any of those actors have anything against each other, so why are fans causing dissention where there need not be any? 🥴 There's no competition.

If you have to knock down every other actor in order to lift up your fave, then that means that you're not 100% SURE about the awesomeness of your fave imo. Personally? I have never felt the need to put others down in order to lift my favorites up. I think Tom is awesome whether he ever wins an Oscar or NOT. He could QUIT acting tomorrow and become a carpenter or a stay-at-home dad lol, and I would STILL think he was awesome. Someone's awesomeness isn't just about what they do, but it's also about who they are as a person. BOTTOM LINE: There is PLENTY of room in Hollywood for a variety of actors to have success folks. I don't see the need to hate on one actor in order to lift Tom up. He doesn't need "lifting" lol. Not only do I NOT think that Tom would like that type of attitude in the first place, but it's also just simply not even necessary. You can appreciate Tom as well as a variety of different other actors and it doesn't have to be a big deal. Jmho 🤷

[wolfhuntsmoon]

Sarah Rogers pt 2: or, how baby!Steve imbibed a fuck-you attitude with his mother’s milk

Okay, so after looking at Sarah’s backstory, how she met Joseph and had Steve and decided to go to America, I couldn’t stop thinking about: what next? The MCU wiki is VERY thin on the ground with detail, and she’s so interesting! Plus, this is, like, one of the most criminally underdeveloped sources for Steve Rogers’ character, as I mentioned in pt 1. So, what can we reasonably source from the time to fill in the gaps?

So: I said in my previous post Sarah likely arrives in January/February of 1918. This is because in those days, travel times were long, conditions were VERY poor and you did not want to be heavily pregnant on a cheap ship to America with the conditions on board. Plus, in those days there was no guarantee a ship company would even sell you a ticket if you were visibly pregnant. It did happen, but was risky for the company, so you could never be sure. Sarah would have left asap once she made a decision. 

The journey itself would have taken about 3-4 weeks. First she would have had to travel to London, because nothing would have been leaving to America from the French or Belgian coastline, as a) most of it was too close to the war and b) the bits that weren’t wouldn’t have been profitable. Travel to London from Passchendaele would have taken a few days to a week, given the mud and absolute priority troops and military materials were given on all journeys. This map here shows it took between 7-10 days to arrive in New York from London (by ship, no flights until the late 1920s/1930s) in 1914 before the outbreak of the war. I mentioned how at this point the German U-boats were basically sinking anything they found not flying a German flag, which made this journey pretty hazardous, even with the newly introduced (and very effective) protection of the convoy system. If Sarah was travelling on a fast convoy (less likely as they were primarily for troop ships) it would have taken about a week. Slower moving convoys carrying mostly cargo might have taken 2 weeks, even 2 and a half weeks if the weather was bad. Convoys, by the way, were where groups of ships were clustered together and escorted across the Atlantic by a combination of naval ships bristling with every explosive known to man, and navy ships disguised to look like harmless merchant cargo ships but ALSO bristling with every explosive known to man, to prevent U-boats sinking them. And also attack U-boats when they turned up. Not if. When. As you may be imagining, these journeys often contained lots of Things Going Boom and people Dying in Unpleasant Ways. Sarah would have been told by literally everyone she knew that this was a stupid, near-lethal decision, and that she should just NOT. But Sarah being Sarah, ignored this in the pursuit of what she felt was right and best for her and her baby... that doesn’t sound familiar at all, does it?

Okay, so she’s made it through the journey to the iconic Ellis Island. The next problem was that Immigration to the USA was incredibly curtailed by 1918, compared to the levels of immigration to the US prior to WWI beginning. In this, Sarah was lucky. Prior to WWI, on average between 1900-1914 about 1 million immigrants arrived into the US each year. In 1918, roughly 110,000 did - Sarah being one of them. I’ve said before that she would have had an easier time getting passage on a ship in the first place because she was comparatively better off on a nurse’s wage and was a middle class professional. More than that, most travel was reserved for the military - and Sarah likely had connections, being the wife of an American soldier, which made it easier for her to gain passage on a ship. (More on this later.)

Her status and profession is also very important for explaining how Sarah gained entry to the US, because by the end of WWI, the open door policy of the 19th and early 20th century had been solidly shut. The open-door policy had essentially allowed anyone who could pass a very basic medical and legal check free entry to reside in the USA, and the Ellis Island museum has a very good description of just how cursory these checks were - they were nicknamed the ‘six second physicals’. 98% of immigrants passed straight away, and a only a very small percentage of the remainder were put on a ship back to their country of origin. But by the outbreak of WWI, politicians and the public had become uneasy about this. Mostly due to racial concerns - Chinese immigration was the first to be restricted in 1882 with the Chinese Exclusion Act. Japanese immigrants were targeted in 1907 and all Asian immigrants in 1917. (I see a lot of posts on tumblr talking about how immigration restrictions in the US began by denying Jewish refugees entry in the 1930s, which... is wrong. So, so wrong. But anyway.) Here is a contemporary cartoon showing a pretty good summary of attitudes to immigration by the time Sarah would have been travelling:

(The 3% refers to immigration restrictions put in place by Congress AFTER the war, btw.)

But the US wasn’t just worried about one continent’s people! Or even ‘just’ non-whites! Oh no... they were also VERY worried about the ‘wrong sort’ of white immigrant too. Namely, anyone from southern and eastern Europe, and the Irish. 

The discrimination against the Irish is an interesting one, because on the face of it, the Irish were the kind of immigrants the US wanted - north and western Europeans. But here’s where eugenics and pseudoscience come along and fuck things up for a lot of people. Part of the reason why the US was suspicious of southern and eastern Europeans was political - that they harboured a tendency towards violent revolutions, communism and anarchy. The Irish, after the violence of the 1916 Easter Rising and the fact that a not-insignificant number of violent revolutionaries tried to facilitate a German invasion of Ireland (and then unionists ran guns during the war through Kriegsmarine U-boat dropoffs on the Irish coast in... defence???? Idk either.), came to be included in this politically radical group. That’s the first strike.

The second strike came from the fact Irish had the British working against them. In those days, British media and culture really set the tone for the rest of the world. Remember, the US was not a world superpower yet - this is when Britain is at the height of its power, ruling 20% of the world’s people and 25% of its land surface by 1924. Britannia really did rule the waves, and much of the world’s culture, at this point. Hollywood, and American ‘soft power’ had yet to develop into the behemoth it is now. British culture persistently depicted the Irish as subhuman, ape-like, feckless, uncivilised and dangerous, as you can clearly see here:

The top one is from 1866, and the second one from 1849. Both were cartoons published in Punch Magazine, which was the pre-eminent social and political publication that EVERYONE read in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. It also played a huge role in shaping social attitudes, and you can see more of its, and others, views on the Irish in these excellent galleries. The rest of the British media was the same - almost universally negative views of the Irish, which filtered across the Atlantic over time. And seemed to be vindicated by events like the 1916 Easter Rising, and before that a long running number of secret societies the British kept discovering, plotting revolution against their rule. The whole ‘kiss me I’m Irish’, dying the Hudson green on St Patrick’s day, ‘omg I love an Irish accent’ thing? Didn’t happen until the latter half, or really the last quarter, of the twentieth century. The Irish were pretty much persona non grata when Sarah was alive. Part of the explanation for this came from the idea that the Irish were a part of a lesser race, their Celtic origins leading to a lack of judgement, predisposition to alcoholism and hotheadedness, and passionate outbursts which meant you needed to treat them more like children. Conveniently enough for the British, this explanation meant you didn’t need to treat your subjects like equals, deserving of the vote, or indeed with anything except violence and condescension. Ha. Funny that.

But anyway, back to America.

Third strike: the Irish were Catholic, as Sarah would have been. Only the very richest in society were Protestant, because they were descended from British settlers. Both the British and the US governments of the time viewed Catholicism with deep suspicion, partly for historical reasons (Martin Luther, 1517 and all that jazz) but ALSO because the Catholic Church remained a vastly powerful institution which could and did command the loyalties of people more than the national government, and this represented a dangerous fifth column within the nation state. Most of north and western Europe was Protestant, unlike the south and east which was predominantly Catholic (with the exception of France. But hey, they’re the French. No big.) so the Irish being 99% Catholic was yet another reason they got lumped in with the other ‘undesireables’. 

Not a small part of this was caused by the fact that the Irish had been immigrating to America in vast numbers ever since the Great Famine (aka the Potato Famine/Blight) to the tune of and average of c450,000 Irish per decade between 1850-1900. That is... a LOT. Like, New York’s population in 1890 had only just hit 2.5 million! Ireland’s population TODAY is 5 million! So by the end of WWI, there was already a sense that Too Many Irish were here, particularly since the Irish tended, like most immigrant communities, to move into certain areas in large numbers via family groups and connections. Sarah would have been no exception to this, which I’ll explore more in pt 3 later. It was a very common practice in this period for a man to go to America and work, then bring his family and extended family over. Or for young relations to go and live with family already in America if there was no work in Ireland - which there wasn’t, the Irish economy being subsistence agriculture and not a lot else. 

All of this together means that when Sarah arrives in Jan/Feb of 1918? She’d get a pretty rough welcome at Ellis Island (still used for incoming immigrants until new legislation establishing a visa system in 1924 went through and basically made it redundant.) and beyond.

Below is a pic of an Ellis Island arrival card, just because it’s cool:

These tightened restrictions resulted in not just health checks, but intelligence tests and ‘mental fitness’ tests, which if failed, could result in the immigrant being sent back to their country of origin. However, Sarah would have made it through okay, because she had good English, her profession and likely her marriage cert and references from Joseph Rogers’ commanding officer to speed her passage. She may even have had family connections already in New York or America, but for the reasons outlined in my previous post, probably wasn’t in contact with them. Or if she did contact them, was likely to be ignored and ostracised. Because patriarchy, yay.

But ironically? Getting into America was the easy part. I know, I know, unbelievable, especially when you consider she was PREGNANT during this. I mean, can you imagine enduring morning sickness and all the other joys of pregnancy on a boat in the middle of the Atlantic in WINTER, in danger of sinking from a U-Boat torpedo at any moment? Can you? Can you??? Sarah Rogers came up against an immense set of obstacles just to get into America and just fucking ploughed through them like they were tissue paper. Which explains a LOT about Steve Rogers, that’s for sure.

Join me next time for pt 3, where I explore Sarah’s living and working situation after she arrives and we all learn to be even more in awe of how fucking metal she was.

#Sarah Rogers #WAS AWESOME I WILL HAVE NO DISSENT IN THE RANKS #no really #she must have been a fucking BADASS #the early 20th century was not a good time to be a woman #or irish #or pregnant #or a widow #yikes #captain america backstory #steve rogers origin #mcu #fandom meta #character development #steve rogers #wwi #ireland #emigration #america #immigration #and all the fun racism and discrimination THAT entailed

[guqin-and-flute]

Inane child argument of the week heard between Lan Jingyi, Lan Sizhui, and Jin Ling: whose uncle has the best fashion sense. There is Much Dissention.

Return of the Uncle Rankings

Lan Wangji gets docked a ton of points from both Jin Ling AND Lan Jingyi because he wears just white. Sorry, A-Yuan, they’re nice robes but he never changes them up. I know it’s a Lan thing, but we can accessorize! Okay, fine, yes, he has interesting textures sometimes and some of his stuff has more structured shoulders. Yeah, sure, extra bonus points because his hairpiece is tall.  5/10

Lan Xichen is very fashionable, they can all agree and has the best hairpieces. Very elegant, lots of different looks, lots of blue and silver, some white. Generally has soft fabric, very nice. Awesome sleeves, great to hide in, though sometimes they are close fitting and that versatility gets him extra points.  10/10

Jin Zixuan isn’t actually as fancy as a lot of the other Jin people. His belts are small, his robes are monochrome and they’re always gold and his hairpieces are really plain. Oh my Gods, Jin Ling, I’m not saying they’re bad I’m just saying that he never--yeah, I agreed Uncle Wangji never changed it up, but you’re not really one to talk! Stop whining! At least he’s shiny! Okay, fine his sword is very fancy! 5/10

Jin Guangyao knows how to accessorize. Yes, the hat counts as an accessory!  Okay, he definitely gets points for the scabbard belt, that’s the coolest. He does cool layering things with colors, sometimes with white or gold or that cool seafoam one. Usually has nice embroidery and he does change it up between white and cream and gold. His robes always kind of make him look a little small--stop hitting me, I wasn’t insulting him, he’s my uncle! I was just saying!! 7/10

Mo Xuanyu always does cool things with color on his face. Some grownups think it’s weird but A-Yuan thinks it’s cool. Well...we’re not going to argue with that. His robes are sort of plain and uninspired, though. 3/10

Nie Mingjue always looks like his shoulders are going to eat someone and that’s always very cool. His braids are always neat and elaborate and have great ornaments. He has lots of shiny embroidery and has grey and black and green and gold and silver. Plus his sabre is g i g a n t i c. Good layering, good fit, very intimidating. Extra points for fancy epaulets. 10/10

Nie Huaisang arguably changes up the colors the most and sometimes wears light colors and sometimes dark, so extra points for that. Lots of patterns, lots of colors, sometimes shiny, sometimes not. Also has fancy Nie braids, which are always very cool. Use of fan instead of sabre is very confusing and not as cool as his brother’s Baxia, even if they are fancy fans. 7/10

Jiang Cheng does have some really cool outfits. Like, really cool. Lots of gold and blue and purple and teal, lots of textures, lots of patterns, always very different. Very dramatic, just like him--well he is, you can’t say he’s not! Just like Jin Guangyao’s sword belt, having Zidian as jewelry is inspired. Sometimes he has bracers and sometimes he has giant sleeves, we like versatility. None of his outfits look as comfy as Lan Xichen’s, but they are always very interesting to look at and sort of give you something to look at while he’s yelling at you. 10/10

~Post-WWX return~

Wei Wuxian sure wears a lot of black but, boy does he know how to wear it. Always has close sleeves, which is an interesting choice. Accents of red or purple or gold always make an impact amid black. Simple silhouette, nice use of textures, likes to change up shape of the layers, but wouldn’t it get so hot in the sun? Chenqing is cool and creepy. He doesn’t wear any fancy headpieces, really, and that’s a bummer. I’m not saying it’s, bad, Sizhui, I’m just saying a ribbon is kind of plain. No, I know it’s a statement piece! I’m just saying-- 8/10

#uncle rankings #ask #3zun raise jingyi au #ask spam #my stuff #poor Mo Xuanyu #you'll get a high rating one of these days #Anonymous

[nobodyfamousposts]

I loved the post you did about Alya's parents getting involved in the Lila affair! Could you do something else about it? Whatever is! A continuation, headcanons, a similar story with the parents of another classmate, etc.

Think of it like a toxic friendship. Sure, we’ve seen Chloe and Sabrine with their toxic friendship, but that’s not the only variation out there and others warrant being explored.

Imagine this whole thing with Lila being a hurdle in Alya’s character arc rather than simply a rival in Marinette’s.

Consider if Lila is the sort of person who focuses in more on select individuals rather than big groups, as it means less people who can potentially catch her. After all, you can fool some people all of the time or all people some of the time—she goes for the former. And she picks and chooses her specific targets, which tend to be those who can offer the most use to her.

Adrien? Yeah, he’s on the list. He’s a famous model. He’s pretty. He’s rich. And he’s no doubt got connections. He’s definitely a keeper.

Chloe? She’s the daughter of the mayor who also happens to run the best hotel in Paris. She’s also rich and has connections. Plus, there’s the benefit of her having a massive ego. As long as Lila plays to it, she can be the one using Chloe while letting Chloe think she’s the one in control.

Alya? She runs the Ladyblog and is up front and center in a multitude of akuma fights. She has connections to Ladybug, has a budding career as a journalist, and was notably the closest to discovering Ladybug’s true identity. As someone who rather hates Ladybug, THIS would definitely be something Lila would want to use.

Marinette would be one as well if she wasn’t already on to Lila from the start. A pity, since Marinette is the Class Rep, has connections to Jagged Stone and other celebrities, is noted for her winning a design competition and her hat being worn by Adrien. She has skill and talent—and unfortunately, a good eye for people just as much as her designs. Lila is put out by the loss, but she has others she can use.

Adrien and Chloe are both high profile figures in the public eye who are generally used to people trying to use them. Lila’s attempts with them aren’t quite so easy since they have more knowledge and protection. Alya, however, does not. She’s still rash and prone to jumping to conclusions. She also makes very easy mistakes that could be avoided if she double checked her facts (the “Chloe is Ladybug” claim in particular stands out). Lila could just portray herself as a hero/Ladybug fan to get in with Alya and she would believe Lila is an asset to her cause rather than a traitor riding on her back.

So we have Lila cozying up to Alya and using her in ways that Marinette is going to hate—not simply because Lila is a lying liar who lies, but because she is an active THREAT to people Marinette cares about. This relationship would start to have a negative impact on Alya, her ability to do things, and her relationships with others in turn.

The thing is, it wouldn’t be just Marinette that Lila’s toxicity would affect. Sure, the show did it that way and we as the fans responded similarly, but it would hardly be that neat. A toxic relationship like this thrives on drama and conflict. Has anyone ever seen or heard about the Karpman Drama Triangle? The three sides are Victim, Rescuer, and Persecutor. Generally, it’s supposed to be the sides of a conflict, but in this case, Lila plays all three roles in SPADES.

So she regularly instigates conflict and then passes herself off as the “real victim”. It’s something we commonly see in salt pics where she makes some false claim about Marinette bullying her. She plays herself off as helpless and takes the Victim role to make others sympathize with her. But there are the other aspects, where she accuses Marinette of talking badly behind other people’s backs and plotting things, how she tried to “stand up to her” to solidify herself as the “good guy”. And if anyone attempts to mediate or rationalize, she jumps on them and makes accusations to immediately get them on the defensive so they’ll back down to try to console her.

Lila knows how to play this game. She’s done it plenty of times before.

But here’s the scary thing: Marinette wouldn’t be the sole target. She’d just be the FIRST one.

It’s easy to single out Marinette first to everyone. She’s the only one vocal in her disapproval of Lila and her claims. The class would have to be blind not to notice the animosity between them (or rather more blind than they already are to believe Lila’s lies in the first place). So even if they aren’t sure which of the two is the real source of the problem, they know that having Lila and Marinette together is grounds for trouble.

Some of the class would believe Lila. She’s awesome and promises them things. Why would she lie?

Some would believe Marinette. She’s been nothing but kind and helpful to everyone before any of this started. Why the sudden issue only when Lila comes along?

Lila would hone in on her specific targets during this time. She’d want to rope in everyone she can, but she has those key people she focuses on. Adrien, Chloe, and especially Alya. Secondary to Alya, she needs to have Nino on her side as well since he’s her boyfriend and could end up convincing Alya against Lila.

Adrien knows she’s a liar but is at least quiet and open to her manipulations. Chloe doesn’t trust her, but will at least let her be a hanger-on. It’s Alya that Lila is putting the most effort into ensuring at this point, and everyone else is secondary.

Marinette is Alya’s best friend and a major obstacle in this plan. So Lila slowly poisons Alya’s perception of her. Pointing out Marinette’s flaws. How flakey she is. How clumsy she is. How unreliable she’s been. Slowly but surely pointing out more and more negative traits about the girl. Until eventually, Alya is defending her less and agreeing with Lila more. That’s when Lila starts in on the “mean Marinette bullying me” angle. And Alya is at a point where she would believe it.

So their friendship is tarnished. As a result, the relationships between the other girls are more strained as well since some of them would still want to be friends with Marinette. Lila would either try to ensnare them as well or turn those she already has on her side against them. Dissent is not permissible, after all. And Lila either lies more about Marinette or acts wounded and victimized that they’re not supporting her. She attempts to force them to pick a “side”.

The results would vary.

Given her attitude in canon, Mylene would side firmly with Lila. Alix would be more trusting of Marinette and get tired of the antics and drama soon enough. Rose would try to stay friends with everyone while Juleka would stay silent and stick with Rose, which would put both girls in a difficult position as they would be frequent targets of accusations until eventually they have enough as well. 

And as soon as anyone else breaks ranks, Lila turns on them just as easily. Sometimes even if they don’t. They would end up being turned on each other as much as against Marinette or anyone Lila deems an “enemy” at the time to keep herself the center of attention. Sob stories and accusations galore. In that case, some of them would be aware of what she’s doing but too fearful to actually try to leave out of fear of what she may do.

In the meantime, while having the majority of the group backing her, Lila would continue to take advantage of their bleeding hearts and push to have them do as much for her as she can get away with much like she did in Chameleon. Whether having them do menial tasks or acting as “go-fers” for her. Among other things. Like trying to get Nathaniel and Marc to make a comic about her. Free music from Nino. Increased interactions with Adrien. And in particular, free access to the Ladyblog and any inside info from Alya.

In the midst of all this, what Alya thinks is happening is that she’s protecting a new friend from an old one that went bad and giving support to someone who needs it. To an outside observer, Lila is a negative influence who is using Alya for whatever she can get from her and poisoning Alya’s relationships with other people. This wouldn’t just be Marinette, but also her other classmates, her family, and even Ladybug. Because she’s Ladybug’s number 1 fan. She’s devoted so much time to her. Doesn’t she deserve more? Doesn’t Ladybug owe her the truth? It’s that building up of Alya’s ego while at the same time increasing her dependency on Lila.

After a while, she may try to interfere with Alya’s relationship with Nino. What if she was the one nudging them to focus on their dates more than their babysitting responsibilities and other chores in the home? And when their families start to take issue, Lila can play it off two ways—both that the family doesn’t understand and that Alya’s time with Nino is a distraction.

Thus a slow but eventual breakup occurs. Nino is left unaware as to what caused it.

And since Alya has all this free time now, she can spend a bit more time supporting Lila. Taking on more burdens and work to help her. But Alya wouldn’t realize that she’s also taking on more stress as well. Because most people don’t realize that there is a level of constant stress of being around someone like that so much. It’s like boiling lobsters—because the stress and tension is such a slow buildup, most people don’t realize just how much of it there is until it either blows up or they get away from it. And even if they do realize it’s there, that’s not to say they’d know where it came from or why.

With Lila pulling her strings, Alya would attribute it to Marinette. Or to her sisters. Or to Nino. Or to anything and anyone else other than the one person actually responsible.

This would be what her parents are seeing. Stress has a physical affect on a person just as much as it has an emotional one. They’re seeing that Alya is snapping at her sisters, becoming more withdrawn and isolative, and not attending to her chores or homework. But they’re also seeing she’s not getting as much sleep, has no energy, is “never hungry, and can’t seem to focus.

To be fair, the secret identity of Rena Rouge wouldn’t help matters, but with Alya’s issues and worsening temperament, it stands to reason that Ladybug would avoid bringing her out if at all possible, which would just add to Alya’s frustration and stress.

When a manipulator of that level is whispering in your ear, the actions of everyone can look like a betrayal. Either they’re turning their backs on you when they’re trying to stay away from what they’re seeing as a negative relationship, or they’re doubting you when they’re confronting you on how unhealthy the situation has been and telling you that you need help. Anything done out of genuine concern looks warped through that lens.

Fortunately, her parents have enough and draw the line before it gets that far. They never liked Lila. They didn’t like her lies. They didn’t like her false sweetness. And they certainly didn’t like the effect she has having on their daughter.

That’s why they have that sit down talk with Alya and confront her. Because yes, they’re being nosy and interfering with their child’s friendships, but when it’s having a negative impact on their child, of course they have to respond.

And Alya would see it from the perspective of a wronged teenager. The way that Lila has shaped the lens for her to see it through—that everyone is against her. That her parents are trying to control her. That nobody trusts her—not like LILA does.

The fact that Alya doesn’t become an akuma with this mindset is a surprise, even to herself later on. But in an attempt to prove their point, her parents make a deal with her that they will lessen the grounding if she can show them proof—clear undeniable proof of Lila’s claims. They fully agree to admit they were wrong if she can, with the bargain being that she will not have any contact with Lila whatsoever if she can’t—which to be fair, she probably wouldn’t want to anyway. She agrees. So they let her use her computer to attempt to look up any information backing Lila’s stories and give her an hour or two to search.

Alya finds nothing.

It…kind of ends up hitting her pretty hard. She refuses to believe it at first, and attempts to make excuses. But her parents are patient and part of the point of this period of being grounded is to give her the chance to process.

And while she may be grounded, that’s not to say her parents don’t help. They support her. They let her take as long as she needs to accept the realization and come to terms. They give her space to cry and rage once the truth sinks in and she finally understands just how much she was manipulated.

Once the worst of the emotional upheaval is over and Alya refigures her priorities, they let her have use of her phone back to call Marinette and Nino to apologize.

#ml salt #good parenting #lila sucks #alya cesaire #toxic relationship

[the-ghost-of-jason-todd]

...i’m still thinking about the anti-horikoshi pride flag callout post i saw earlier forgive me

like i just... he’s one man.  one man who has given us an ensemble cast of complex characters, recurring side characters with awesome designs and good side-arcs, TWO trans characters, excellent pacing and storytelling, AMAZING art, like 200 chapters (more?? i can’t find a count) of gorgeous manga art, direction for a movie, (presumably) guidance for the anime, extra drawings for fun on social media, and yet... there are still people... who want to drag him to hell for every little thing that could possibly be construed as problematic?

like the endeavor arc--whooo the endeavor arc.  because you can’t write about morally grey characters.  obviously.  that’s a no-no.  endeavor isn’t allowed to be a complex character despite the fact that he was written that way from the very beginning.  fluctuations?  in morality?  what are those??  as if everyone commenting on the arc walked straight outta the womb with the ten commandments chiseled into their skulls, as if people don’t live and learn things every day, as if these sort of stories don’t actually exist.  pfff.  you can’t use abuse survivors as something to leverage over horikoshi in order to get him to do what you, personally, want.  abuse survivors aren’t a monolith, not a unified front either, because the very nature of trauma and abuse is an individualized experience.  what triggers one person may not trigger another, and every survivor’s relationship with their abuser looks different.  SITUATIONS ARE COMPLEX.  PEOPLE ARE COMPLEX.  it’s so frustrating to watch all these conversations happen as if we can condense millions of varied experiences into one singular True And Correct narrative to follow in our fiction like--NO.  IT DOESN’T WORK LIKE THAT.

what else has horikoshi done?  besides provide awe-inspiring amounts of story for us to consume?  well he drew the 1-A girls in bikinis and posted it to twitter once and got torn apart for it like

come on?  oversexualization is a thing but i’ve SEEN the art and what’s more important than the titillating outfits is 1) the fact that they’re not really sexy-posing and 2) the fact that kaminari and mineta are hanging out in the corner ogling, which says more about the male gaze than it does about teenage girls.  as far as fanservice goes, it’s a kind of underrated approach, if you ask me.  it’s subtle but i find that it’s a commentary on how the male gaze turns the everyday lives of girls into sexual fantasies, even when the girls just want to exist.

maybe i’m reading too much into that, but for real, bnha doesn’t panty shot, it has not-awful boob physics, and compared to a lot of other manga/anime... i really don’t have a problem with how it treats women.  seriously, how much anime/manga has such diverse character design for the girls?  not very much.  a lot of it has cookie cutter girl designs with copy paste personalities.  and, more importantly, the heroes live in a world where they have to capitalize on everything and sell versions of themselves in order to keep their rankings and make money.  

midnight and her bdsm thing?  mt. lady posing seductively at her debut fight?  it’s all about how women have to sell their bodies in order to make it in a world that incentivizes saving people, which is, haha, INCREDIBLY similar to our world.  all might also has moments where his Big Buff persona uses sex appeal, though if you look closely, he’s also played for the male gaze--he’s a symbol of virility and strength, compared to mt. lady who plays passive and meek in public to get what she wants.  these are in-universe, in-character ways that horikoshi shows us how screwed up their society is without having to spell it out for us, though he does literally spell it out at key points as well (sometimes using the villains as mouthpieces, which is fun to analyze because he’s so good at making relatable villains whose causes would be noble in another universe).

now compare this to mineta.  mineta is young, he’s still learning/growing, and he gets what he deserves--by which i mean he’s rewarded for doing actual good and punished for being pervy.  it may be played up for laughs but hell, so is a lot of the violence and somehow that never comes up when we’re talking about realism and anime.  just like with bakugou, the teachers are trying to guide him in a better direction, which also is a huge theme in the story--to treat faults and flaws as room for growth and to see the good in people.  midoriya’s main arc is how he’s learning that the chasm between hero and villain isn’t so wide--that, in fact, it barely exists at all.  there are good people doing bad things and bad people doing good things and sometimes people have good intentions as they’re committing acts of great evil.  the whole point of the story is that people are complex, that they’re a product of the society they live in, and to show the sacrifice you have to make in order to make a difference.

i didn’t mean to turn this into an essay, but... it disgusts me that after reading the same story i read people are calling for horikoshi to die?  and i mean, MOVING ON from the fact that for some reason they’re making pride flags about it as if it’s something to be proud of, because i can’t fathom that part and i don’t want to think about it--i just find it so tone-deaf that all these people, people who are usually anti-capitalism all the way, are willing to consume a story commenting on the problems caused by capitalism... only to turn around and tear it apart because it’s not 100% perfect?

like, EVEN IF horikoshi handles endeavor’s arc badly.  EVEN IF it reeks of apologism... horikoshi is still a living breathing human being?  and todoroki is not.  bottom line.  horikoshi will not have suddenly brought harm upon another human person because these characters are FICTIONAL, any actual harm that comes out of it is NOT HIS DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY aka if abusers use this to justify abuse that’s STILL the responsibility of these bad fictive people*, and calling for him to atone for one mishandled arc with death is mmmmmm what i would probably call maladjusted.  we don’t kill authors in civil society.  every time an author is put to death for what they’ve written we consider it a tragedy and then display their books loud and proud on banned books day.  like... fascists are the kinds of people who kill off dissenting opinions.  

i’m just saying.  there are better ways to handle harmful media.  you can use word-of-mouth notification systems to tell your friends what to watch out for when reading endeavor’s character arc without also adding the addendum that horikoshi deserves to be shot like a rabid dog--like, you can acknowledge that a piece of media isn’t perfect without falling into the black hole of moral perfectionism.

*i mean maybe they exist, probably do somewhere, but every time i see the argument it’s some undefined accusation that SOMEONE out there SOMEWHERE is doing X EVIL DEED and you need to be CONCERNED ABOUT IT.  that’s fearmongering.  no human being on this earth can control the actions of every other human being that touches their nebulous web of influence.  life is a butterfly effect and people are unpredictable.  it’s stressful to try and uphold an impeccable standard of conduct, especially when no one really knows whether writing a redemption arc for an abusive father with superpowers in a semi-popular futuristic sci-fi manga in this day and age and in our current political climate will help or hinder more people.  like, honestly.  can you give me an answer to that?  can you really?

#14th #July #2018 #July 14th 2018 #liveblogging bnha #discourse #bnha discourse #i'm salty give me a minute #and i mean... it's whatever #people like this will always exist #and i'd be happier if i never had to think about it again #the problem is that i see so many casual posts about shit like this? #like people just fall into this mindset so easily because it comes off as right and just #when at best it's misguided and at worst it's dehumanizing #like........ horikoshi isn't a political leader #he's not in control of actual human lives every moment of every day #and trying to push that on him when he's really just out here drawing us a story is #not something i'm into! #you can dislike a story hell you can dislike an author #and still somehow remember that he's still a human being?? #smh

[gofancyninjaworld]

OPM Chapter 93 Thoughts

<20 in bold at the end.

It goes without saying that if you've not read this chapter yet, you probably shouldn't read this!

Typeset: https://imgur.com/a/cuCBt76

Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AopCejGDKMg

The ART!

If there’s only one thing I’d declare my love for, it’d have to be the art.  It brought the characters and the sense of place to life in a way I’ve not yet seen in One-Punch Man.

This chapter round, Murata did not pour his energy into elaborate backgrounds or spectacular scenes. His assistants did wonderfully at the backgrounds, particularly in showing the dereliction of City Z. So you'd think this chapter would be quick and easy to knock out? NO. WAY. Murata poured his art into detailing and delineating characters, bringing their very souls to life as we've rarely seen before. So many characters, both familiar and new. Along with the incredible character interaction, this chapter has been a real treat for the eyes as well as the mind.  

More thoughts still under the cut!

Chapter Theme: You Can't Escape the Pressure

Everyone is under pressure. It's on everyone, both that imposed by the external circumstances and that imposed on themselves by the characters. So much of the ugliness we see in the S-Class meeting comes from that pressure. I'll deal with Fubuki, Bang, King and Genos separately.

The collective pressure to prove themselves is on the support heroes. While they may be the support, their role is just as crucial and their objectives are many -- containing any escaping monsters, clearing an escape route and making sure that Waganma is escorted to safety. OneShotter definitely feels the toughness of the assignment while Needle Star focusses on the other side of the pressure: the potential reward of promotion.

Even at the top, the pressure is intense. If anything it's worse. Being based in A-City, the executives have to look at the results of their failure every single day, at the still-raw lunar landscape that used to be most of A-City. Metal Knight didn't even bother trying to fill in the larger craters, but just built road bridges over them. Sekingal may be ambitious but he has earned Sicchi's respect for not merely being the guy in the suit who sits back in relative safety while sending heroes to their doom. He's going to be there with them -- he's tied not just his reputation and career trajectory to the success of the mission, but his very life.

I don't think many people would begrudge Sekingal his ambition nor any of the support heroes for being politically shrewd in their desire for promotion. They're doing the work and taking the risks, why shouldn't they make sure to get their reward? It's people who use politicking as a substitute for doing the good work whom we object to.

Wanted: Leadership and Unity

ONE has long had a special dislike for experts without actual expertise. One of his early cameo characters was a Mr. Nanmoshirane (Mr. I don’t know) who was a pundit making useless pronouncements on the mosquitoes that had appeared over City Z. So, why is a ten year old in charge of S-Class? Because he's the best at the job and has lots ofleadership experience? HA, not a bit of it! It's because he's clever (technologically), is available, and is the only one who will speak up. 

Unfortunately, Child Emperor hasn't got the personal authority to shut down dissent and is having to rely on mollifying the egos of the other heroes to keep them all on side and focussed on the threat in front of them.   To watch the clash of titanic egos as they try to work out how best to approach the Monster Association raid is to feel for Child Emperor.  But he manages.

And then Sweet Mask appears.  As a deeply disliked and barely respected hero, his presence is unwelcome in the first instance and his insistence in not just joining the strike team but leading it started to create an ugly situation. 

Watching the S-Class meeting nearly implode into bloodshed, all I can think is with allies like this, who needs enemies? It's evident that no matter how talented the individuals are, without a sense of shared purpose around which they can rally and actual strong leadership, they're going to be easily working at cross-purposes to one another.

Fubuki: The Power of Spite

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned? I guess Shakespeare knows what he's talking about -- here comes Miss Blizzard and she's looking to raise hell, both with the Monster Association and with her sister.

So much of her anger is not for the monster, Do-S, who brainwashed her group. After all, Do-S is a monster -- that's what monsters do. It's for Tatsumaki, who seriously hurt the members of her group and who has now had her dismissed without so much as a say. That's what she cannot forgive. She's taking them both on, both on a personal level and on the behalf of the group of heroes and compatriots she loves and nurtures.

While it's hilarious that she thinks of Saitama's group as her 'new' Fubuki group and is outraged at how completely she's ignored, her astuteness cannot be faulted.

Go Blizzard!

Bang: A Shabby Way to Treat a Good Man

I salute Bang's sense of responsibility in coming all the way out to A-City in order to find out what is going on, since the loss of his communicator has meant that he has no way to keep abreast of the situation. Watching Sicchi lie to Bang's face was just painful.

It's shocking how quickly narratives grow up around events. Sicchi may have defended Bang staunchly to the other executives, but he's asking if Bang let Garou go. Even Bomb is questioning Bang over it. And Bomb was there! You see how deeply this hurts Bang.

And yet, even now, Bang hasn't given up on Garou. He's jumped at the chance to 'accompany' King as he puts it in order to fulfil his duty to apprehend Garou. Maybe even to save him if he still can.

King: The Paper Tiger Becomes a Cardboard Tiger

King running away only to get himself deeper into trouble is nothing new, although it's wonderfully done here. His accidentally defusing the S-Class meeting's tension was absolutely stellar timing. And how freaky is it that even through several walls, Zombieman can hear the King engine?

However, what's new is that King can be mighty brave... so long as it's from behind Saitama. Watching King dying inside even as he puts on a brave face and says brave-sounding things has been quite the edifying development. He so wasn't counting on being bundled off to the Monster Association like a secret weapon though. Being deferred to and consulted by the other heroes was terrifying enough. The out-of-body experience he was having at the end is one for the ages. :D

You Wait Forever For A Cyborg And Then Three Come At Once

Conventional wisdom is that a cyborg is hard to kill. Defeat one, sure. Kill one, that takes some dedication. Accordingly, we see the return of Jet Nice Guy, phew! His backstory is that he won the lottery, then used his winnings on buying body modification surgery -- I'm glad they were good enough to keep him alive and that he's still got enough money (and enough desire) to return to hero work, looking better than ever. Learning that Drive Knight is also a cyborg has been awesome. Finally the question of what Drive Knight is has been settled, although the clues have been there for a while, mostly in Murata's art spreads, one of which shows him eating noodles through his mouth grille and another that shows him lounging in the swimming pool with a snorkel. His cyborg nature is why the rest of the S-Class are hoping that he may yet be alive, even if he's incapacitated.

I hope that we get to see what Jet Nice Guy and Drive Knight do. I hope the conventional wisdom isn't tested too hard!

As to the cyborg we know best, Genos, he has has gone dragon-crazy. [That said, his enabler-in-chief, Dr. Kuseno, has no right to say that it is Genos who is reckless: there's a bit of the devil in the old man too, what with putting such a badly-balanced build together for him.] I think I see the rational side of why Genos is gunning for dragon-level monsters so hard. As far as he's concerned, they're just a stepping stone in his path to strength -- huge, treacherous, bitey stepping stones, but stepping stones nonetheless. But they're rare monsters. If one pops up, it'll be assigned to Tatsumaki or a group of well-tested S-Class heroes. As a new guy who is still building his track record, Genos has no chance of being assigned one, not even to support another hero.

The conservative way to become a dragon-slayer is to painstakingly grind away, improving his proficiency with demon-level monsters until the HA is so confident in his ability to deal with them that they'd consider briefing him on joining other S-Class heroes to deal with a dragon-level threat. That'll take weeks. Genos is a little less... patient.

The Monster Association is the only place where he's guaranteed a crack at them. There are five main possible outcomes.

A: He gets killed or crippled (the scenario that literally keeps Dr. Kuseno awake). It is a risk that exists regardless of what he does -- monsters target even the most peaceable civilians. As a hero, Genos has a great big target on his back anyway.

B: He gets beaten down without taking out any dragons. Here's the thing: at the very least he's no worse off than beforeand he gets invaluable battle data to build up on. The data will help to sort between changes and strategies that were never going to work and those that might yet work with some improvement.

C: He gets beaten down but kills or critically injures at least one dragon. He gains that invaluable battle data plus a basis on which to consolidate gains. Gets a promotion to around S-10 (more likely rank 10 - 12)

D: He doesn't get beaten down and kills or critically injures at least one dragon. He can work on using data and experience to further refine the fighting platform. Gets promotion to well within top ten and to ask Saitama for his next assignment.

E: He doesn't get beaten down but doesn't take down any dragons, either. This scenario will have Dr. Kuseno sigh in relief, but it's the only really bad outcome from his perspective. He's lost data and the chance to tackle such monsters. He'll have to grind like mad and hope for another lucky break.

I rate the likelihoods of the various scenarios as A - 0%; (ONE isn't about to kill Genos over this fight), B - 60%; (no change from webcomic), C - 39%; (it's a big step up and still respects what happens in the webcomic), D - 1%; (in that case the first half of chapter 108 is redundant) and E - 0%; (don't worry boy, here be lots of dragons).

Rounding up

This may have been a set up chapter, but it was anything but uneventful. 32 people are responding to what is for most, the greatest challenge they've yet faced. Okay, one of them is Saitama and he's just wandering around oblivious to the import of anything.

I can't wait for the fights, when we see all the tensions and motivations explode into action.

<20: The keg is full of dynamite, and the fuse is lit. Bring on the explosion!

#OPM #Genos #Fubuki #Bang #King #manga chapter #meta #S-Class heroes

[jaketheaudiophile]

Best Albums of 2020

Hello again friends! Another year has passed and therefore it’s time to reflect on the music and art we enjoyed in the past 12 months. Per my annual tradition, I’m dusting off this ol’ blog to write about my favorite albums and songs of a year that will likely live in infamy in the history books. I’m trying to reflect on the positive in both this essay and my personal mindset, so let’s not discuss social distancing or vote counts or contagious viruses or hand sanitizer and instead focus on the things that distracted us or powered us through them in the form of music.

I generally do a personal Top 15, so I decided to stick with that again for this year’s shenanigans. Best songs and potentially another new list idea soon to follow. And, as always, I welcome dissenting votes or other recommendations from those who read and agree and/or disagree.

Let’s do this!

HONORABLE MENTION:

Snooze

“Still” EP

Self-released on November 27

I normally don’t include EPs in my end-of-the-year lists unless I create a separate list devoted just to them, or 2 years ago when my favorite release of the year was an EP (shout out to Invalids). Snooze’s 2019 release “Familiaris” was my favorite album of last year, and this new EP brings a lot of the same energy and sound, but with a much different mood and circumstance. Bassist Cameron Grom tragically passed in 2020 after a lifetime of battling illness, leaving Logan Voss as the primary songwriter and lone consistent band member. Voss partnered with YouTube drum sensation and producer Anup Sastry for “Still”, and the results are certainly massive and memorable. The songs seem to be significantly sadder and more drawn out on “Still” but the circumstances certainly explain these changes. I’m grateful Voss managed to still put something out that is unique and makes me smile even during his heartbreak and struggles, so this EP is definitely still worth mentioning.

#15

Alpha Male Tea Party

“Infinity Stare”

Released December 4 via Big Scary Monsters

Both this album and the Honorable Mention are ranked pretty low on my personal list despite my personal adoration and affinity with each band. This is entirely based on how little of time has elapsed between their release dates and my compilation of this list. With some additional time to listen and process, I might have put them both higher, but without that I’m inclined to still mention them here but can’t in good conscious put them further up the rankings. Similar to Snooze, Britain’s AMTP took a slightly darker, more morose mood into their newest full length, but there’s still enough ass-kicking riffs and grooves to still inspire movement and energy. Bassist Ben Griffiths has come out of the shadows a bit more on this release as well, sharing the spotlight easily with guitarist Tom Peters and proving that he’s better than just holding down the lower notes. This album’s release was also a complete surprise, so kudos to the band for keeping things under wraps and giving fans an nice year-end present.

#14

Elder Brother

“I Won’t Fade On You”

Released October 2nd via Pure Noise Records

Elder Brother has been an object of my adoration for the past few years, but I’ve never been able to fully embrace an album of theirs as a whole. 2020’s release is no exception, unfortunately. They’ve penned some of their best songs to date (such as the gorgeous slow jam, “Projector”) and have expanded their sound with a full backing band. Unfortunately, meandering songs like “Hair” just drag away energy, and the second half of the album really just sort of panders around without resolution. The first half is top notch, but they really end with a whimper instead of a bang. Still, the great songs do shine brightly and warrant this album being included at this spot.

#13.

Jeff Rosenstock

“NO DREAM”

Released May 20 via Polyvinyl Record Co.

Speaking of surprise releases, perennial punk powerhouse Jeff Rosenstock put out “NO DREAM” with no promotion whatsoever. This left fans obviously surprised and that shock was quickly overwhelmed by a super high energy record full of infectious melodies and garage-rock aesthetics. There are a few clunkers but otherwise this is a charming and pleasant listen with some surprisingly deep and brutally honest lyrics and subject matters by Rosenstock. It was also cool to see Jeff get some solid publicity from this record such as an appearance on Late Night with Seth Myers. More attention for musicians like Rosenstock who have clearly put in the hard work is a worthy cause, so props to him and his merry band of misfits.

#12

Knuckle Puck

“20/20″

Released September 18 via Rise Records

Chicagoland’s Knuckle Puck have been one of the more impressively consistent pop/punk bands of recent years. I’ve always admired their skilled dual vocal arrangements, clean-boosted guitar tones and monstrous hooks. I definitely enjoyed this release but I also have a hard time distinguishing a majority of the moments after the record has stopped spinning. When it’s on, it’s pleasant and fun, but I’m hard pressed afterward remembering what songs are on this release and what are on previous years’ albums or singles. More KP music is never a bad thing, but hopefully future releases give them more sticking points.

#11

Unwed Sailor

“Look Alive”

Released July 12 via Current Taste

After over a decade of near-radio silence, Unwed Sailor have come out with guns blazing in the past two years. Johnathan Ford has put together a new band (most recently including longtime Minus The Bear drummer Erin Tate) and has churned out two full-length records in back-to-back years. I personally prefer 2020’s “Look Alive” slightly to 2019’s “Heavy Age” as it feels more of a throwback to the simpler, jammier Unwed Sailor releases of old. The record doesn’t really have any down points but also tends to drift along without a ton of memorable moments, oddly. Still, though, Ford and company seem to be on a torrid pace and I’m all in favor of enjoying the ride.

#10.

August Burns Red

“Guardians”

Released April 3 via Fearless Records

The model of consistency. August Burns Red are a well-oiled machine at this point. Every few years they hunker down in the studio and churn out another genre-setting collection of catchy metalcore songs. Drummer Matt Greiner is the most outstanding on this release (as per usual) with some truly jaw-dropping fills and beats, and the production for this record is top notch as always. It’s sort of hard to explain what’s good about this because it’s anything and everything. You can set your watch to this band and I’m grateful every time I put them on.

#9.

Melted Bodies

“Enjoy Yourself”

Released September 18 via Plastic Smiles

Another year, another band that Anthony Fantano turns me on to makes my AOTY list. The Internet’s Busiest Music Nerd didn’t formally review this album but did say they kicked ass in a “Y U NO REVIEW” segment. After a few moments of listening, I sprung for the album and it completely took over my music library for the past few months. I equate them as a sort of bizzaro hybrid between “Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job” and System of a Down, with Mike Patton-esque vocals, brutal but fun breakdowns, unique electronic elements and overall weirdness. Seemingly containing every genre of music all at once, this album is all over the place in all the best ways. What an amazing debut. It’ll be fun to see where these oddballs go from here.

#8

Beach Comber

“Parting Cuts”

Self-released on April 24

What a fun surprise this record was; in retrospect it feels like that was a recurring theme for bands and artists in 2020. Beach Comber is Rory Friers, riffmaster general from And So I Watch You From Afar. This album doesn’t sound like anything his main group has put out, but instead was meant to be a wedding present for two of Frier’s friends that would never see a mass release. If there’s one good thing that COVID did, it was to encourage Friers to put this out as a pay-what-you-want release to gather some funds in lieu of touring and playing shows. Because of this, we were blessed with a very different but exceptional collection of minimalist, varied low-fi rock. It feels like a lost Anathallo album or Sufjan Stevens b-side collection, and was a welcome breath of happy fresh air.

#7

Hot Mulligan

“You’ll Be Fine”

Released March 6 via No Sleep Records

It feels like every year I’m thanking my buddy Steve Lee on this list for getting me hooked on a quality emo record. He first sent me the incredibly fun video for “*Equip Sunglasses*”, but I wasn’t immediately hooked. I couldn’t quite get into Nathan Sanville’s scream/sing vocal style at first, and thought the band was slightly generic. Still, I found the song getting stuck in my head for roughly the next rest of my life, and eventually checked out the full album, and was pleasantly surprised by the subtly complex intertwining guitar leads and arrangements. Also, kudos to the band for writing pointed and brutally honest lyrics on topics that some bands wouldn’t touch (go read the lyrics for “Digging In”). And yes, Sanville’s vocals eventually ended up really, really growing on me. These young men from Lansing, MI should be proud of themselves for their strong stances and songwriting, and it’ll be fun to see what they put out next.

#6

Man Man

“Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In-Between”

Released May 1st via Sub Pop

After a few years of relative silence, Philly-based weirdos Honus Honus and Man Man gathered up another pile of instruments and multi-instrumentalists, and the result is yet another collection of supremely catchy songs.  Longtime fans like me knew what they were getting, but I think this is one of Man Man’s most complete and accessible albums yet, with not a moment wasted or thrown in without thought. There are so many fun little vocal quips (The random “Went straight to voicemail!” in “Goat”; the solo chorus of “Sucking diiiiiiick” in “The Prettiest Song in the World”) that make the listener smile every time. Everything feels planned out and executed flawlessly, which is impressive when each song features several guest musicians (including Rebecca Black!) and a rotating cast of instruments and players. Keep being weird, Man Man. We don’t deserve you.

#5

Protest The Hero

“Palimpsest”

Self-released on June 18

It had been 7 years since Canada’s Protest The Hero put out a full length after leaving the world of record labels and crowdfunding campaigns. It wasn’t without its difficulties, largely due to singer Rody Walker running into vocal issues during recording sessions. Thankfully, he was able to overcome his difficulties and frankly, he killed it. There wasn’t much more life-affirming than hearing him hit ungodly high notes at the end of “From The Sky” and his joy-filled delivery was infectious on every other song. And of course, the rest of the band also fully delivers with their usual technical brand of metal. No complaints at all, hope the next one doesn’t take 7 years to show up.

#4

Caspian

“On Circles”

Released January 24th via Triple Crown Records

I was very excited about this release from basically the end of 2019 on, as these Massachusetts instrumental rock mainstays released the single “Flowers of Light” at year’s end. Thankfully, the album delivered in spades, and it is easily my favorite instrumental release of 2020. Well, that’s not technically true; 2 of the 8 songs have vocals. One welcome addition is an awesome contribution by Pianos Become The Teeth’s Kyle Durfey for “Nostalgist”, who fits the band like a glove. The second vocal track is the lovely eponymous closing track, which gives a pleasant change-up conclusion. Caspian’s three guitar approach means the listener always has a wide swath of atmospheric noise and full bodied sound, and the formula is definitely still working. There’s a reason this sextet are revered, and “On Circles” is the band firing on all cylinders.

#3

Touche Amore

“Lament”

Released October 9 via Epitaph Records

Touche Amore has been one of my favorite bands for several years running, so expectations were very high for their fifth release. 2016’s “Stage Four” was a massive success but is still very hard for me to re-listen to or encounter due to the heaviness of the album’s subject matter, and “Lament” is at least a change in that pace. Jeremy Bolm is never one to pull punches or address the uncomfortable, and his vocal delivery is as engagingly abrasive as ever. Bassist Tyler Kirby is the most obviously improved, but that may also be the production choice of Ross Robinson, who seems to have received as much publicity by working on this record than the band did. All in all, more the same is never bad with these screamo mainstays.

#2

Into It. Over It.

“Figure”

Released September 18 via Triple Crown Records

Evan Weiss is the one reliable dude. We get a new Into It. Over It. record every 3 or 4 years, and they’re always great. His songwriting and arrangement skills are top notch, and there’s enough cool little moments or unique additions to keep the listener engaged throughout the entire album. Weiss’s skills as a guitarist are in the spotlight as always (”We Prefer Indoors”), but drummer Adam Beck proves his talents throughout (”Brushstrokes”). What truly makes the album great for me are the little moments of variety or subtle changes in instrumentation or delivery that pop up in every song. The best example is the middle of the second verse of “Living Up To Let You Down”, when the band changes up the straightforward beat and chord progression to deliver a double-time feel with differently punctuated guitar chord hits (this is very hard to describe in writing; just listen to the song at 1:28). If the songs on their own weren’t catchy or well-rounded on their own, this album would be great, but it’s the moments like this that truly push it out on top. This record lived up to every high expectation I had and I’m thrilled that Mr. Weiss is a part of my life.

#1

END

“Splinters From an Ever-Changing Face”

Released June 5 via Closed Casket Activities

But enough about positive thoughts and happy feelings...Every piece of writing or commentary on 2020 will likely point out how bad of a year that we all just experienced and how grateful we are to be moving forward. I definitely agree with this sentiment for the most part but do feel like we had a lot of interesting positive moments in the year in general. However, with that logic, no album better summarizes my general aesthetic towards this weird quarantined year than this ungodly amalgamation of brutal hardcore this supergroup has wrought. Counterparts vocalist Brendan Murphy sounds like a completely different beast with a lower delivery and growl than his fans traditionally encounter, and guitarist and wunderkind producer Will Putney makes this record sound horrifying, hellacious and, well, HEAVY. Add in some unnerving audio samples and the fact that most songs are between 1 and 2 minutes, and I can’t think of anything else to best summarize my feelings toward 2020. This was the perfect album to put on and let loose any angry or negative thought with the ferocity of the tsunami of sound this group created, and should be commended as such. 

[placetobenation]

RIP Pat Patterson.

The WWE and the entire wrestling world lost a legend this week with the passing of Pat Patterson at the age of 79. The original Intercontinental Champion was also the creator of one of the WWE’s signature events, the Royal Rumble.

I’ll remember him for his infamous feud with Sgt. Slaughter that led to a classic Boot Camp Match and Alley Match in Madison Square Garden. After an accomplished in-ring career that started out in the Pacific Northwest and San Francisco, continued through the AWA and ultimately the WWE, Patterson moved into the announcer’s chair alongside Gorilla Monsoon and Vince McMahon.

The WWE Hall of Famer actually won the 24/7 Championship, becoming the oldest champion in WWE history at 78. He’s been a trusted ally and producer behind the scenes for McMahon. What’s funny about him being the first I-C Champion is the fact that he “won” it in a tournament that never took place back in 1979 in Mexico City. It was a title created to be the second biggest championship in the company behind the then WWF Heavyweight Championship. The tribute to Patterson on SmackDown was very well done, including him singing “My Way,” a Patterson favorite along with Frank Sinatra. If you missed it, watch it here.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and the entire wrestling community.

RAW

RESULTS

Symphony of Destruction Match: Jeff Hardy defeated Elias

Slapjack defeated Ricochet

Non-Title WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Asuka & Lana defeated Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax

Cedric Alexander defeated Xavier Woods

Sudden Death #1 Contenders Match for WWE Championship: AJ Styles defeated Keith Lee & Riddle

Drew McIntyre & Sheamus defeated The Miz & John Morrison by DQ

Interesting to see both the WWE and RAW Women’s Champions both in tag team action this week.

As I’ve said in previous weeks, I really like Drew McIntyre and Sheamus together. The friendship and backstory is real. Both want to kick the *&$( out of The Miz and John Morrison and it just works. You have the built-in story of the WWE Champion vs. the Money In the Bank holder too. Sheamus as a tweener good guy will work for a bit until he ultimately turns on Drew next year.

The opening A Moment of Bliss with Alexa Bliss and Randy Orton was really good to start the night. Orton was spot on with his mic work defining Bray Wyatt and The Fiend. Plus, Orton didn’t back down when The Fiend appears, instead handing Bliss, who was in Orton’s arms as the lights came on, back to The Fiend while asking “who’s laughing now.” Good stuff as expected.

OH SNAP!#WWERaw #SymphonyOfDestruction @JEFFHARDYBRAND @IAmEliasWWE pic.twitter.com/D54e8k56ol

— WWE (@WWE) December 1, 2020

SWANTON BOMB!#WWERaw #SymphonyOfDestruction @JEFFHARDYBRAND @IAmEliasWWE pic.twitter.com/a6HpQqdUBz

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) December 1, 2020

How the heck did Jeff Hardy not break his neck on the steel steps with that swanton off the top ring post? Damn that was scary! BTW: Didn’t we get a Symphony of Destruction match before with Elias and Braun Strowman back in March of 2018? The RAW announce crew made it seem like it was a first-time thing. Tough night for Elias. Shocked and swantoned!

Dana Brooke joins Ricochet against RETRIBUTION. First Brooke slaps Ali, then accidently knocks off RECKONING’s (Mia Yim) mask before pinning Yim. How the hell the RAW announce team wasn’t screaming “that’s Mia Yim” is beyond me! Should’ve capitalized on it and make it part of the angle. 

I smell a tag team title match coming for Asuka and Lana in the near future! For the second week in the row, Asuka and Lana get the win over Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler. It’s nice not to see Lana roughed up for a second straight week. Jax & Baszler’s act is getting old and I can see the belts changing hands at TLC. Maybe Asuka can ask Sasha Banks & Bayley for two-belt advice!

#WWERaw @CedricAlexander @The305MVP @Sheltyb803 pic.twitter.com/NhLO0ZkDaP

— WWE (@WWE) December 1, 2020

Cedric Alexander got the pin over Xavier Woods, but it looks like there could be a little dissention in the ranks of The Hurt Business. MVP and Shelton Benjamin didn’t seem to enjoy Alexander walking up the ramp celebrating his victory without them. Something to watch.

The triple threat number one contender’s match went as expected. Styles pins Riddle after a decent match. So, now we get McIntyre vs. Styles for the first time ever at TLC. Looks like this was the backup plan after Braun Strowman got injured and now suspended for the storyline.

A 𝑷𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒍 outcome!@AJStylesOrg is going to face @DMcIntyreWWE for the #WWETitle at #WWETLC! #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/dIIgtOhOIR

— WWE (@WWE) December 1, 2020

Let’s just say there was a lot to the main event. Would Sheamus turn on Drew? Would AJ Styles help The Miz to cash in his MITB contract? Would the WWE Champ maintain his dominance over The Miz and John Morrison? Well, let’s just suffice it to see that Sheamus stayed true. AJ tried. The Miz tried and didn’t quite cash in. Now, it’s on between The Phenomenal One and McIntyre at TLC! Awesome line by Drew to close the night – “Jackass and the Beanstalk” – when talking about AJ and his bodyguard. FAS!

You can believe @DMcIntyreWWE wants to cross paths with @WWERomanReigns again down the line… But in the meantime, he looks forward to meeting @AJStylesOrg at #WWETLC! #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/8EUG2hnpIM

— WWE (@WWE) December 1, 2020

BTW: The thought of a Reigns vs. McIntyre sequel? Yes, please!

NXT

RESULTS

Damien Priest & Leon Ruff defeated Legado Del Fantasma

Cameron Grimes defeated Austin Grey

Jake Atlas defeated Tony Nese

Ever-Rise vs. Grizzled Young Veterans went to a no-contest

Imperium defeated Grizzled Young Veterans by DQ

WarGames Advantage Ladder Match: Shotzi Blackheart defeated Raquel Gonzalez

Now THAT's a #WarGames team!

#WWENXT #NXTTakeOver @RheaRipley_WWE @WWEEmberMoon @ShotziWWE @shirai_io pic.twitter.com/byeDfASCF6

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) December 3, 2020

I’ll be honest, heading into WarGames this Sunday, I expected a little bit more from NXT. The main event was amazing, especially with the surprise of NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai joining Team Shotzi! Anytime you can add a talent like Shirai to a match like WarGames, it’s a win-win. I will say though that the use of the ladder match is getting a bit overused in NXT these days. There are other ways to do an advantage match.

Sheer GENIUS. #WWENXT #WeAreNXT #WarGames @shirai_io pic.twitter.com/9SDisQ89yE

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) December 3, 2020

The rest of the show, however, wasn’t really something to remember. Pat McAfee’s promo in the ring, which is usually on spot, went a bit too long and kind of just rambled along. The Undisputed ERA vignette didn’t do much for me to help build the WarGames match. Don’t get me wrong, the match will be amazing, but the lack of build-up Wednesday night was a bit of a letdown.

Tonight, they win as teammates. This Sunday at #NXTTakeOver: WarGames, @LEONRUFF_ & @ArcherOfInfamy fight as competitors over the #NXTNATitle! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/zFNm6TsgD0

— WWE (@WWE) December 3, 2020

.@JohnnyGargano, do you have other friends you're not telling us about?

#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/fcSUspY9su

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) December 3, 2020

Outside of the main event, the opening tag team match was fun and a good spot to showcase Leon Ruff and Damien Priest’s NXT North American Championship match with Johnny Gargano doing commentary. It was also different to see them in there in a tag team match with NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar leading Legado Del Fantasma. You have to wonder if we see more of the Scream guys too. They’re a hoot!

Dexter Lumis and Cameron Grimes trading strap barbs was predictable as was Tommaso Ciampa showing up in Timothy Thatcher’s Thatch-As-Thatch-Can distraction session. In both cases, the matches Sunday will be fine, but the road to get there was a bit disappointing.

Giving Ever-Rise a bit of a rub with the Grizzled Young Veterans and Imperium was interesting. I can get into a GYV vs. Imperium feud. That was a pretty good match with an unsatisfying ending with Ever-Rise coming back for the DQ to get back at Imperium for chucking them out of their match with the GYV.

What have @XiaWWE & @Bigboawwe gotten themselves into…?#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/qJN4mvkGhh

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) December 4, 2020

I have no idea what’s going on with Xia Li and Big Boa! I’m interested but I haven’t a clue as to where it’s going.

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Natalya defeated Bayley

Pat Patterson Tribute 6-Man Tag Team Match: Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio, Big E defeated Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, Shinsuke Nakamura

King Corbin defeated Murphy

Kevin Owens & Otis defeated Roman Reigns & Jey Uso by DQ

.@KaylaBraxtonWWE: Do you fear @FightOwensFight? #SmackDown@WWERomanReigns: pic.twitter.com/5Xiz3puJIP

— WWE (@WWE) December 5, 2020

If it’s Friday night, it must be time for Roman Reigns to deliver! Simply put, Reigns is the most dynamic performer right now in the business.

First, trying to belittle Kayla Braxton to open the night for some “shoddy” questions, even when they weren’t. Talk about trying to exude your dominance! Then, accepting Kevin Owens TLC match challenge for two weeks. It’s amazing how good Reigns is in his current role as the Tribal Chief and Head of the Table. Now, with Owens, he’s got a worthy challenger as well. I’m hoping it’s not just a one-off PPV feud. As for the main event tag team match, Reigns of course let Uso start the match by himself before coming in mid-match and destroying Otis. leaving Owens by himself. Nothing starts without the Head of the Table right? Reigns’ utter contempt for Uso’s lack of success in trying to beat Owens was beautiful, but ultimately put a DQ loss on his own team. Just seconds later though, it’s a double-chair beatdown on KO for the knockout to the TLC challenger. What puts it over the top is the attack on his own cousin too! Roman has all of our attention now! Look out Owens family.

"You wanted my attention? Now you have my attention. Now THEY ALL have my attention." – @WWERomanReigns w/ @HeymanHustle to @FightOwensFight #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/cDHMq20xhS

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) December 5, 2020

Natalya beating Bayley? Well, that was surprising.

The #WWEThunderDome is going absolutely BANANA for this! The Pat Patterson Tribute Match on #SmackDown featuring six WWE Superstars who have held the prestigious Intercontinental Championship has been a sight to behold!#ThankYouPat pic.twitter.com/xYlySieWRw

— WWE (@WWE) December 5, 2020

Kudos to Sami Zayn, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Big E, Shinsuke Nakamura and Rey Mysterio for putting on an entertaining 6-man match to honor Pat Patterson. The current and former Intercontinental Champions surely did the first I-C Champion proud with their efforts. Fitting to Mysterious see Bryan pin Zayn with the small package, a Patterson favorite and then Ziggler selling the atomic knee drop after the match too. Well done and it looks like we may get Zayn vs. Bryan again, this time with the title on the line.

"With half the work, I'm BETTER than you." – @CarmellaWWE

#SmackDown @SashaBanksWWE pic.twitter.com/N5cEzdEwsm

— WWE (@WWE) December 5, 2020

Carmella vs. Sasha, the War of Words got my attention. Carmella makes every point on how she should be on Sasha’s level. She’s more than just the hot chick who walked into the Performance Center on a whim while Sasha worked her whole life to get there. Fightin’ words my friends! I’d love to see Corey Graves get involved in this one too to take this one to the next level!

We didn’t enjoy part one of King Corbin vs. Murphy. What made the WWE think we wanted a part 2?  Looks like The Forgotten Sons got a makeover to be part of the KC Court and quickly help the King out to a victory in the rematch. There’s no End of Days to this feud apparently.

Parting Shots:

A very interesting week outside the WWE! Former WWE Champion Jon Moxley lost his AEW Championship to Kenny Omega while kicking off a new partnership with Impact Wrestling as Don Callis helped Omega win the title and take the title presumably to Tuesday nights. Plus, Sting debuted in AEW with a shiny new multi-year contract to help out Cody Rhodes and Darby Allin. Are we getting a scenario reminiscent of the old territory days where companies will actually work together to compete with the WWE? If they can get along, it’s a good strategy with lots of possibilities.

It’s a busy Sunday for the WWE with the Tribute to the Troops airing on FOX Sunday afternoon either before or after the NFL game in your market (3pm or 4:30pm) and then NXT TakeOver: WarGames Sunday night at 7pm on the WWE Network.

Tribute to the Troops

WWE Championship Match: Drew McIntyre vs. The Miz

Sasha Banks & Bianca Belair vs. Bayley & Natalya

Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio, Jeff Hardy & SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Street Profits vs. King Corbin, Elias, Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode

NXT: TakeOver WarGames – Updated Card

WarGames: The Undisputed Era vs. The Kings of NXT

WarGames: Candice LeRae, Toni Storm, Raquel Gonzalez, Dakota Kai vs. Ember Moon, Shotzi Blackheart, Rhea Ripley & Io Shirai

NXT North American Championship Triple Threat Match: Leon Ruff vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Damian Priest

Strap Match: Dexter Lumis vs. Cameron Grimes

(Timothy Thatcher vs. Tommaso Ciampa

TLC PPV – Updated Card

WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre vs. AJ Styles

Universal Championship TLC Match: Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Sasha Banks vs. Carmella

The Fiend vs. Randy Orton

Coming up this week:

#WWERaw @SuperKingofBros @fightbobby pic.twitter.com/SPclLkrlq8

— WWE (@WWE) December 1, 2020

RAW Randy Orton visits The Firefly Fun House 3-on-2 Handicap Match: AJ Styles, The Miz & John Morrison vs. Drew McIntyre & Sheamus Riddle vs. Bobby Lashley (?)

NXT: WarGames fallout

SMACKDOWN: TBD

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

[goakash3097-blog]

Tips for increasing backlinks to your site

1. What is Backlink?

Backlink, we can also say “Inbound links” that one website gets from another website. And the link to an external website is called a backlink. Within the past, backlinks were the key metric for the ranking of a webpage. A page with plenty of backlinks tended to rank higher on all major search engines, together with Google. This is often still faithful an oversized extent. 

2. Why Backlinking?

Backlinks area unit significantly valuable for SEO as a result of they represent a “vote of confidence” from one website to a unique. In essence, backlinks to your website area unit a sign to travel wanting engines that others vouch for your content. If many sites link to constant webpage or website, search engines can infer that content is value linking to, so jointly value emergence on a SERP. So, earning these backlinks can have a positive result on a site's ranking position or search visibility.

3. Common terms related to backlinks that you should know

Link Juice:

      Once a web page links to any of your articles or your website’s homepage, it passes “link juice.” This link juice helps with the ranking of the article, and in addition improves the domain authority. As a blogger, you may stop passing link juice by using a no-follow tag.

No-Follow Link:

      When a website links to a different website, however, the link encompasses a no-follow tag that link doesn't pass link juice. No-follow links aren't helpful regarding the ranking of a page as they are doing not contribute something. In general, a webmaster uses the no-follow tag once he/she is linking dead set associate unreliable website.

Do-Follow Link:

      By default, all the links that you just increase a web log post is do-follow links, and this pass link juice.

Linking Root Domains:

       This refers to the amount of backlinks returning into your website from a single domain. Though a website has connected to your website ten times, it'll solely be thought-about united connected root domain.

Low-Quality Links:

        Low-quality links are links that return from harvested sites, machine-driven sites, spam sites, or maybe pornography sites. Such links do way more hurt than sensible. this is often one reason you must watch out once buying backlinks.

Internal Links:

       Links that are going from one page to a different inside a similar domain are referred to as internal links. the method itself is mentioned as internal linking or interlinking.

Anchor Text:

Text that's used for hyperlinks is termed anchor text. Anchor text backlinks work nice once you try to rank for specific keywords.

4. Earning and giving backlinks

Earning backlinks is a very important a part of off-site SEO. the strategy of obtaining these links is thought as link earning or link building.

Some backlinks are inherently tons of valuable than others. Followed backlinks from trust worthy, popular, high-authority sites are thought of the for most fascinating backlinks to earn, whereas backlinks from low-authority, probably spammy sites are typically at the opposite finish of the spectrum. whether or not or not a link is followed (i.e. whether or not or not an online website owner specifically instructs search engines to pass, or not pass, link equity) is really relevant, but don't entirely discount the price of no follow links. Even merely being mentioned on high-quality websites can provide your whole a boost.

Just as some backlinks you earn are plenty of valuable than others, links you manufacture to alternative sites additionally dissent in value. once linking bent an external web site, the alternatives you produce relating to the page from that you simply link (its page authority, content, program accessibility, thus on) the anchor text you utilize, whether or not you decide on to follow or no follow the link, and therefore the different meta tags associated with the linking page can have a major impact on the value you confer.

5. Advantages of backlinks in SEO

There was a time once even low-quality links helped in ranking a website. however ever since Google unrolled its penguin rule, the entire landscape of backlinking has modified.

It is necessary to own backlinks from quality sites, and those backlinks should be discourse. If, for instance, you've got a website regarding fish, and you're making links from different niche sites regarding monkeys, these links are going to be of no use. Your goal should be to urge links from authoritative and relevant sites.

Some advantages of backlink:

i. Authority:

Backlinks build authority of your brand. however it works is incredibly easy. contemplate if you're associated with someone of royalty that creates you royalty by relation, right?

So if you're the son of a king, you're royal by virtue of being the son. Similarly, association with alternative pages of high authority causes you to a page of high authority.

It creates comfort for viewers if your web site is related to alternative high ranking pages through links. This will increase the amount of shoppers on your page as individuals area unit additional probably to travel there if they feel comfortable and trusting towards it.

ii. Building You’re brand

backlinks do build your brand. If you wish your brand to become a social unit name then this can be the place to be.

How does one come through this? Will, having your brand name connected to sites with nice content, such users see it when they get access to the content tends to possess them associate you with what they saw.

Having such alliance in your relevant field builds your brand. Anytime they see something in this field, your brand can appear in their mind.

Having your brand name on the anchor text goes 2 ways that for the viewer. they will click on the link that takes them to their web site, and if they fail to try and do thus, seeing the brand keeps it in their memory and that they might acknowledge it later.

iii.Receiving Traffic:

Studies show that higher than 40% of traffic is directed by search engines This makes search engines a high director of traffic.

Backlinks thus give an excellent chance for you to direct traffic to your websites or pages. to realize this, you need strategically placed backlinks on different sites.

What you would like to try and do is acquire high-quality links from well-known websites. The additional traffic the website receives the higher, as you're making an attempt to faucet into the potential purchasers that this web site has access to.

Backlinks make sure you have a gradual referral traffic that's targeted. The targeted traffic comes regarding since only relevant business interested in a product or service during a specific field can click on the links.

Having filtered traffic wherever the persons not interested in the merchandise or services are weed less out ensures that those visiting your web site are a lot of possible to convert to sales. This achieves the most aim of selling.

6. How to begin obtaining backlinks

i. Write awesome articles.

If you would like individuals to link to you, you would like to grant them a reason. and also the best reason is an impressive article.

If your content is useful and gratifying, individuals are going to be happy to link to that.

How does one produce an impressive article?

Here are some tips to urge you started:

Solve the matter. the majority read content as a result of they’re searching for an answer. make certain you articulate the precise drawback and teach them a way to fix it.

Make your content straightforward to read. Write it briefly, straightforward sentences. build the article look less chunky by adding format, headings, pictures and alternative transmission.

Have a unique angle. There’s most content on the web these days. however can your article stand out?

Build authority into the article. individuals need to find out from individuals with authority on that topic. If you’re not one, you'll forever interview and quote specialists.

ii. Start guest Blogging :

Guest blogging could be a strategy wherever you write a post for different people’s blogs, rather than your own.

How will this add terms of link building?

In exchange for a free article, the web log owner can sometimes permit 1-2 links back to your web site among the post.

One huge challenge with guest web logging is finding sites to guest blog for. to extend your possibilities of being accepted, you'll look for sites that are already acceptive guest posts. These sites usually have a page career for contributors, like a “Write For Us” or “Contribute” page. to find these sites, you'll use Google’s advanced search operators.

iii. Broken Link Building

The Web is consistently evolving. Pages modification, move or get deleted all the time. Broken links are links to pages that now not exist.

Nobody likes that. Webmasters and searchers hate broken links as a result of they contribute to poor user expertise.

But, they still exist because webmasters are busy. It takes plenty of effort to continuously rid of your website of broken links.

This strategy takes advantage of that. The idea is simple:

You find a broken link

You recreate the dead content

You reach intent on folks linking to that dead content and raise them to link to your recreated version.

The most necessary part of this strategy is finding the correct “broken” content to recreate and pitch. To do this, you’ll want a tool that permits you to investigate backlinks.

Iv. Replicate your competitors’ backlinks

Your website could also be new, however your competitors aren’t. this suggests two things:

They’ve probably gotten many backlinks

They’re done some link building of their own (so they will rank better)

You can use this to your advantage. determine however they’ve been effort their links, and replicate them.

To do this, you’ll need to use a tool in Ahref’s known as Link intersect. This handy tool tells you who’s linking to multiple competitors, however not to you.

In the below screenshot, you'll be able to see there are about 48,000 domains that are linking to my nearest competitors. What I’ll do is to investigate the results and discover why they linked to my competitors, however to not Maine.

Add your competitors to the tool, and click on “Show link opportunities”.

#digitalmarketing backlink seo backlinking #digitalmarketing #seo #backlinks

[bountyofbeads]

Nancy Pelosi Elected Speaker as Democrats Take Control of House https://nyti.ms/2RsaB9L

Today was a historic, wonderful day for our Democratic Republic and its institutions. Pictures and videos are awesome.

👏👏👏👏💙💙💙💙

Nancy Pelosi Elected Speaker as Democrats Take Control of House

By Julie Hirschfeld Davis |Jan. 3, 2019 | New York Times | Posted January 3, 2019 |

WASHINGTON — On a day of pomp and pageantry, ebullient Democrats assumed control of the House on Thursday and elected Representative Nancy Pelosi of California to be speaker, returning her to a historic distinction as the first woman to hold the post at the pinnacle of power in Congress, second in line to the presidency.

The investiture of Ms. Pelosi, whose talent for legislative maneuvering is surpassed only by her skill at keeping her fractious party in line, placed her at the fulcrum of divided government opposite an increasingly combative President Trump. With Mr. Trump, his presidential campaign and his businesses all under federal and state investigations, her handling of him will likely define the 116th Congress.

Her election came on Day 13 of a government shutdown that has dramatized the shifting dynamics in Washington. Mr. Trump’s insistence on a wall on the Mexican border has come to embody harsh immigration policies that will run headlong into newly energized Democratic opposition.

[Read here for all the day’s events.]

But on Thursday, if only for a few hours, the dark clouds of divisive politics parted long enough for a peaceful transition of power from Republicans to Democrats, as a majority lawmakers rose in turn from their seats on the House floor to utter Ms. Pelosi’s name and formally award her the gavel she relinquished in 2011 after a Tea Party wave swept Republicans to power.

Following her election, Ms. Pelosi, wearing a hot pink dress, ascended to the marble dais in the center of the House chamber with Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the incoming Republican leader, who handed her the wooden gavel.

“To the speaker of the House, Ms. Pelosi, I extend to you the gavel,” he said. The room erupted into applause as Ms. Pelosi held the tool aloft, showing it off to her colleagues.

“Our nation is at a historic moment,” she declared. “This Congress will be bipartisan, transparent and unified.”

Moments later, with a “Come on, kids!” Ms. Pelosi invited the children and grandchildren on the floor of the House to surround her as she took the oath of office. “I now call the House to order on behalf of all of America’s children,” Ms. Pelosi said after she was sworn in.

Scores of newly elected Democrats in the most racially, ethnically and gender-diverse class in history were on hand for the occasion, some of them clad in the traditional or religious garb of their communities — a Palestinian thobe, a Muslim hijab or head scarf, a Pueblo dress. The new members provided the visual tableau of change in a chamber that has for centuries been overwhelmingly white and male.

“When our new members take the oath, our Congress will be refreshed, and our democracy will be strengthened by the optimism, idealism and patriotism of this transformative freshman class,” Ms. Pelosi said. “Working together, we will redeem the promise of the American dream for every family, advancing progress for every community.

Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, nominated Ms. Pelosi to be speaker, prompting a standing ovation from most of the Democratic side of the House and many of the spectators in the gallery.

In nominating Ms. Pelosi in a rousing speech, Mr. Jeffries extolled her as “a woman of faith, a loving wife a mother of five, a grandmother of nine, a sophisticated strategist, a legendary legislator, a voice for the voiceless, a defender of the disenfranchised, a powerful, profound, prophetic, principled public servant.”

“House Democrats are down with N.D.P.,” Mr. Jeffries said, using Ms. Pelosi’s initials.

But Ms. Pelosi’s election was not without dissent. Having spent more than 15 years at the helm of her party and been demonized by Republicans during the midterm congressional election as the ultraliberal face of far-left radicalism, Ms. Pelosi, 78, spent the weeks after Democrats won putting down a rebellion over her leadership in Democratic ranks and consolidating support through a combination of deal-cutting and cajoling.

She suffered more than a dozen defections: freshman Representatives Anthony Brindisi of New York, Jason Crow of Colorado, Joe Cunningham of South Carolina, Ben McAdams of Utah, Max Rose of New York, Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey and Jared Golden of Maine, as well as Representatives Jim Cooper of Tennessee, Ron Kind of Wisconsin, Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania, Kurt Schrader of Oregon, and Kathleen Rice of New York.

Many of the newly elected members had campaigned calling for change in Washington and a new generation of leadership for their party, and promising not to vote for Ms. Pelosi as a result. As part of a final deal to shore up support, Ms. Pelosi agreed to limit her speakership to four years.

But two of the ringleaders of the squelched effort to depose Ms. Pelosi, Representatives Seth Moulton of Massachusetts and Tim Ryan of Ohio, ultimately voted for her.

With her re-election, the biggest Republican super PAC — and the one that arguably tried hardest in 2018 to tie Democratic candidates to Ms. Pelosi — practically celebrated. “Democratic candidates spent the last two years promising voters that they’d be different — they wouldn’t stand for the same old leadership and the same old way of doing business in Washington,” the Congressional Leadership Fund said in a statement. “Yet with the very first chance they got, they broke their word and their bond with the voters who elected them.”

The National Republican Congressional Committee, the party’s House campaign arm, wasted no time in targeting Democrats in competitive districts who voted for Ms. Pelosi, sending voters in their districts text messages immediately following the roll-call saying that their representatives “are once again ignoring your voice.”

Emily Cochrane contributed reporting

#donald trump #u.s. news #politics #trump administration #nancy pelosi #u.s. congressional elections #house #democratic party #democrats

[junker-town]

Pies, ranked

Our staff ranked pies because we don’t have enough to argue about in the year 2017.

Turkey is the food most closely associated with Thanksgiving. But a close No. 2 on that list is PIE.

One of the most common Thanksgiving Day activities around the country is arguing. (That will certainly be the case this year.) So at SBNation.com, we decided to combine those two very Thanksgiving concepts and argued about pie. (To be clear, SBNation.com staff argues about food most days. We just specifically decided to argue about pie this week.)

We compiled pie rankings from 20 unnamed SBNation.com staffers this week and present the results below. More than three dozen pies received votes, but only 20 received votes on multiple ballots. Only a few were disqualified: flan (which is definitely not a pie but is confusingly included on Wikipedia’s list of pies and tarts); pizza (not a pie; Chicago-style is a metaphysical construct of a troubled people); and cake (which is clearly not a pie).

To maintain objectivity, yours truly did not vote. However, I did provide the commentary you see below. (Do not @ me. Unless you’re providing sweet potato recipes.) Enjoy both this list and the pie debates to come!

Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for NYCWFF

20. Banana Cream

In my experience, a strong banana cream pie is all about quality whipped cream and ripe bananas. Banana cream pie suffers from too short a shelf life; no one wants leftover banana cream pie.

19. Whoopie Pie

Whoopie Pie is not really a pie: it’s two little cakes with a cream filling. But since it’s called a pie and multiple people took its name literally, we’ll allow it. It is delicious!

18. Mississippi Mud Pie

Here we have a highly underrated, quality sweet-tooth delight. You’ve got cake, you’ve got pudding, you’ve got an interesting crust. That Mississippi Mud Pie is only No. 18 shows that despite your allegiance in the Cake-Pie War, pie has a pretty deep bench.

16. Empanadas and Crawfish Pie (tie)

Empanadas are definitely pies. And how versatile they are! I am a cake partisan, but empanadas are definitely more effective miniature treats than cupcakes — especially so compared to the atrocity that is the mini-cupcake. Who authorized the mini-cupcake to exist? It’s just bad, and it’s a disgrace to cakekind. Anyways: empanadas, what a delight!

Crawfish pie is new to me, but looks positively interesting. As the old adage goes: if you like something, stick it in a pie crust, and, hey, that pie will probably be pretty good.

Photo by Pete Souza/White House Photo via Getty Images

14. Apple Crisp and Strawberry Pie (tie)

Apple crisp -- we’ll also lump in apple cobbler or apple crunch, since the differing nomenclature is regional more than substantive, in my reading -- is just wonderful. For my money, no pie on this list benefits more from good vanilla ice cream than a warm apple crisp. And yes, an apple crisp is a pie even though the crust is on the top instead of the bottom. If you have a crust, a sweet or savory filling, and come in a pie plate, you’re a pie.

Strawberry pie is an interesting entrant for me. Strawberry rhubarb is a different story -- we’ll get to it soon -- but basic strawberry pie doesn’t seem like a winner. But perhaps it’s a draw in regions where that particular fruit is less ubiquitous. (In California, the strawberries flow like water.) Strawberry is also, in my opinion, one of the few fruits that works much better as a cake accoutrement than a pie filling. (Pineapple is the all-star of that team.)

12. Strawberry Rhubarb and Peach (tie)

Two serious blue chip fruit pies. If you’re looking for your pie to deliver some delicious damn fruits with a little added spice and flavor in a pastry crust, you can’t go wrong here.

11. Cheesecake

Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Cheesecake is definitely a pie even though it self-identifies as a cake. It has the crust, the pie plate, the filling. Be wary of anyone who claims they make an amazing cheesecake because cheesecake preferences — sweetness and density, mostly — vary so widely. Cheesecake is like pizza in this way: it’s versatile, but people have hardcore preferences.

Note that pumpkin cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake, and pumpkin chocolate cheesecake all received votes, albeit from a single person who knows what he likes.

AND NOW, A MESSAGE FROM PIE DISSENTER ZITO MADU.

10. Meat Pie

That meat pie is only No. 10 shows our staff’s homerism. Meat pie is great! While we’re here, I am personally offended that pot pie did not rank among our staff. Turkey pot pie is a top-three Thanksgiving leftovers option behind potato waffles and turkey sandwiches.

9. Lemon Meringue

Lemon meringue pie is so wonderful. It mixes the tartness and sourness of Key Lime pie with the fluff and sweetness of a banana cream. How wonderful!

8. Cherry

Classic. Just classic.

7. Chocolate Pie

We lumped chocolate pudding style pies and the ever-excellent chocolate cream pie in here. The chocolate cream pie is more likely to feature a custard than a pudding, but they are close enough. “Hey everyone, let’s throw so creamy chocolate stuff in a crumbly pie crust, and put some whipped cream on top!” Now doesn’t that sound nce?

6. Key Lime Pie

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

This is apparently a Key lime pie eating contest from a 2001 Ernest Hemingway festival in Key West. I have never wanted to attend an Ernest Hemingway festival in Key West more than right now.

My personal No. 1. Damn, I want a Key Lime pie right now.

AND NOW, A BRIEF MOMENT IN WHICH THE PIE AND CAKE FANDOMS CAN UNITE IN UNIVERSAL DELIGHT/HORROR.

5. Blueberry

This is perhaps my California bias showing, but I had no idea blueberry pies were so popular. Is this a Southern thing? Is it because (like strawberry pie) is easy to prepare? Is ... is blueberry pie really this good?

4. Sweet Potato

Sweet potato pie is definitely a top-five way to enjoy a sweet potato. This is no slight: there are dozens of ways to enjoy a sweet potato (one of the greatest foods on the planet), and sweet potato is way up there. The one methods that beat it are sweet potato fries, sweet potato hash browns (cooked in bacon grease, of course), honey-roasted sweet potatoes, and baked sweet potatoes. (Please share additional sweet potato recipes with me.)

3. Pecan

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

This pie is neck-and-neck with Key Lime for me ... this time of year. I’m not really trying to eat pecan pie in the summer. That crunch, that flavor, that smell. Incredible. Shout out to pecan pie.

2. Pumpkin

A good pumpkin pie is really good. A bad pumpkin pie is a travesty. I’m not sure any pie has a range like pumpkin pie. What’s especially disturbing is that supermarkets and wholesale retailers have turned pumpkin pie into an autumnal loss-leader, selling gargantuan pumpkin pies at cost. Like it’s a dang rotisserie chicken or something. That’s not OK. Treat your pumpkin pies with some respect and maybe they’ll be worth a damn!

But seriously, a good pumpkin pie is so good.

1. Apple

Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images

Apple pie won our staff poll in a blow-out, by the way. Apple pie is the Golden State Warriors of piedom. It’s easy to see why. It has a super high-potential crust. It’s fruit. It tastes like fall, pulling that seasonal nostalgia. It goes great with vanilla ice cream. It’s pretty versatile depending on what type of apple you use and whether you go with a standard pastry dough or something more crumb-like. Just a fantastic pie all-around. No weaknesses. All awesome. Apple pie!