#a lot of my art that were posted in my fb is currently missing

[imanutcase-10]

#self-portrait #it wasn’t supposed to be barbiefied #I’m still practicing with semi realism art #I think I’m doing well #you can tell the changes of techniques cuz I searched up a lot of references #I’m uploading it here so I won’t lose it #a lot of my art that were posted in my fb is currently missing #I hope I can find them #i almost forgot my signature #ahhhhhhh #tho I doubt people would even steal my art

[szopenhauer]

Where do you put your keys when you get home? personal

Have you ever seen a snake in the wild? one from far away on the sand when I was on camp and second time it was just dead and not even whole anymore, I wanna touch a snake!

What’s your favourite movie from the 80s? can’t choose only one

Are you expecting any phone calls or emails? not really

Do you have any family that live in another country? no one close

Are there any words that you hate or make you cringe? sure

What is the best house you’ve ever lived in? I’ve lived in one house only unless I can count some I stayed for awhile like grandma’s apartment or aunt’s cottage 

What movie reminds you of your childhood? many movies like Jumanji or Goonies

What was the last email you received? spam

Are you in any fb groups? I am

Whose house did you last visit? my gf’s

How many tabs do you have open right now? 5

What’s something you’ve been meaning to do but keep putting off? I procrastinate lots of stuff

What’s the first thing you check on your phone at the start of the day? fb messanger/time

Would you date someone who still lived with their parents? I still live with my parents  Do you think there is life on other planets? not those close to us

Would you enjoy a night of playing video games? maybe Do you dream of traveling the world or are you happy where you are? I’m not happy but I don’t want to travel  Would you watch a porno with your partner? hmm... Have you ever stolen from your work? no Do you own any sex toys? I don’t How often do you use facebook at work? depends Would you date someone half your age? that would be illegal and I wouldn’t want to anyway Are you a romantic person? a little? Would you be okay with your partner hanging with their ex as friends? I probably wouldn’t be  Do you have a current passport? never had a passport Is it more fun to go out just with your date or on a group date? just my date Have you had a relationship with someone of the same sex? as a lesbian Is marriage a necessity for two people who love each other? no but it’s nice Is there anything you think science will never be able to explain? possibly Is intoxication ever an acceptable excuse for acting stupid? if you can’t act normal then don’t drink, UGH! Do you litter? never Do you believe in fate or destiny? not sure Doing nothing all day makes you feel…? both good and bad Have you ever had sex with someone you worked with? I have not Would you date someone just for the sex? noooo Do you consider yourself a positive person? pfft Are Sex and Intimacy the same thing? sex is to intimacy like square to rectangles How often do you get angry? I’m like Bruce Banner Have you had cosmetic surgery? I haven’t On a first date do you pay or do they? split Do you only date people who have jobs or are full-time students? I don’t care what they do in life (school, job or nothing) if we don’t live together, I’m unemployed myself Could you date someone who does drugs? doubt it Do you enjoy watching sports? nah Would you do a striptease for your partner? umm... Would you date someone who doesn’t have a car? sure, I don’t even own one  You have a week off, travel or stay home? home <3 Does spending the weekend at home annoy you? noooo Do you consider yourself open minded? nah Do others find you sexy? r u kidding?... Have you ever met someone in person you met online? I have Do you tell your friends you love them? nope, just family and partner

Do your siblings dye their hair? sometimes Who can you best relate to in the last book you read? partially to Will, Stella and Poe Are you indecisive? it’s hard for me to make a decision but I am not changing my mind like wind blows

What are you listening to? Lana Del Rey What are you doing tomorrow? we’ll see What was the last compliment someone gave you? not sure which was last Do you have a big family? no but it’s still to big for me :x Which one of your senses would you miss the most if you lost it? sight, then hearing

What’s your opinion on prostitution? Should it be legal and regulated, or is it something that needs to be gotten rid of completely? it should be illegal If you want (or don’t want) kids, is this something you’ve always known or have you changed your mind as you’ve grown up? I wanted kids at first because I played dolls and didn’t know anything about pregnancy or taking care of real children, I just thought it’s normal everyone have them at some point and that’s all but once I found out more about the subject I realized it’s not for me because of many reasons

Has the person you like ever seen you in your pajamas? yup Did the last person you kissed celebrate your last birthday with you? she wasn’t in my life at the time What’s the first word of the last text message you received? ok was the whole message XD

What was your last thought before you went to bed last night? I’m gonna die, if I won’t fall asleep I’ll explode, I feel so bad Are you okay right now? am I ever?... When was the last time you saw your mom? we’re home together What is the last thing you drank today? just going to drink some water in the kitchen Will you be up before 7 am tomorrow? hope not What are you listening to right now? Cigarettes after sex Last time you had a sleepover? ages ago If the last person you dated said they were in love with you, what would you say? I know she does, she was telling me that already Do you replay things that have happened in your head? overthinking for life If you could get paid to do anything in the world, what would you do? sitting in front of the computer  Do your parents actually knock on your door before entering your room or just barge right in, instead? my dad knocks, my mom barges in What would you do if it snowed right now? ...

Are you more of a leader or a follower? loner

Would you say you’ve had a good life so far? no comment What’s something you wish you could have delivered to your house? regularly or right now? What’s your favorite art style? surrealism? Are any of your coworkers currently out on maternity/paternity leave? I don’t have coworkers now Do you have a good sense of balance? it’s hard to say Do you live in a very racially and culturally diverse country? no Do you live alone? I wish

Have you done something recently that helped someone else, in any way? nothing big If you knew that one of your friends was considering suicide, what would you say to them? depends

Who was the last person to pay you a compliment? my gf The shirt you’re wearinh - is it one of your favourites? yep Is there a certain name that you think seems to have become really popular, and you know lots of people with that same name? growing up Ewelina, Julia, Emilia, Katarzyna, Urszula, Małgorzata and Michał were the most popular names Before Facebook became popular, did you use any other social networking site? yup Have you ever asked anyone “Do you love me?” If so, did you get the response you wanted? Do you think when someone says “I love you”, you feel obliged to say it back? yes, usually and kinda If you’ve had a bad experience in a past relationship, did you find that you were scared to get into another relationship, in case the same thing happened again? that’s normal Are you friends with the last person you hugged, or something more? we’re related Do you ever post song lyrics as your Facebook status? sometimes Do you drink alcohol on a regular basis, or do you prefer to save it for special occasions? I don’t drink even on special occassions Did you play with Barbies when you were a kid, or did you prefer something else? I played with Barbies but not only them If you were going to buy a present for the person you love/like, what would you generally choose? what she likes/wants/needs :) If I’m going to buy you a box of chocolates, which kind should I definitely NOT get? don’t buy me any Is there something you generally always ask for help with? I need help with many things :( Has anyone called you beautiful today? no, I’m not so that would be a lie

Who was the last person to see you cry? my mother

Do you drink bottled water? sometimes

You never know what you have until it’s gone. True or false? kinda true

Are you scared of losing the person you like to someone else? if they were happy with someone else - let that happen, I’ll be fine alone

Will you be in bed in the next 20 minutes? too early to sleep

Do you laugh at inappropriate times? rarely

How many bracelets do you have on right now? zero

Do you have someone you have late night conversations with? I do

What does your phone do when it receives a text? vibrates

What is in your pocket? no pockets!

Can you remember the last person you texted without looking? my sister 

Do you listen to music everyday? almost

Are you gonna be home alone tonight? I won’t be alone

If there was a large spider in your room, would you stay in the room? how big?

Are you a flirty person? maybe The last store you went to was…? local

Do you have a friend named Alex? used to  What did you think of the movie Juno? I have mixed feelings about it How often do you eat meat? often Have you ever gotten clothes from the kids section as an adult? I have :x Are you more of a science/math person or english/history person? I’m artsy  When you were little, would you have rather watched Cartoon Network or Disney Channel? we didn’t have such expensive channels Since using the internet regularly, have you started to read less than you used to? I read less not because of internet Are you a big fan of the Harry Potter series? nah Do you find yourself feeling lazier when the weather is warm? I feel lazier when the weather is cold because I don’t wanna leave my bed or home at least Are you a fan of the TV show Friends? watched fragments and I like Chandler and Phoebe - I think they would be great together, I’m a bit like them How old do you think is too old to sleep with a stuffed animal? never Are you 100% over the last person you kissed? I’m not How many tattoos would you like to have? I don’t plan any Are you over the age of 25? I am Do you want your life to stay the way it is right now forever? omg! I want my life to get better :( Would you rather live without music or without the t.v? without TV

[zakariazakri]

5reasons why you don't get the image that you are looking for while shooting

It is often so disheartening once you pour your heart and soul into photography, but regardless of what you seem to try to, your images just don’t end up the way that you simply want them to, or how you thought you’d captured them!

I know, I’ve been there too 😁

That’s why I wanted to write down this blog post today, so you'll know the foremost likely reasons why your images just aren’t arising such as you see in your head, then you'll go and do something about it!

The key to anything you read on this blog is ACTION. Have a glance through these five reasons and see whether you're already doing the advice. If not, start to implement it as soon as possible to start out seeing an improvement to your images!

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

Learn why your images suck, and the way to urge better photos! | Beginner Photography Tips #1 - You don’t skill to line the right exposure for the scene There are generally two different types of photographers who fall under this category - those that are still on full AUTO mode, and people that are using one among the semi-automatic modes.

So as you almost certainly know, exposure is just how light or how dark your scene is, and that we control it via the three elements of the exposure triangle - shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.

When you shoot in AUTO mode, the camera chooses all three of those for you. Now, this seems like it should be an honest thing since it saves you having to believe it in the least, but I urge you, believe what you're doing here! you're getting a bit of kit - basically a bunch of wires and sensors and receptors - make a choice for you on how you'd just like the scene to seem. Since it doesn’t have a clue, it'll aim for the middle of the road, catch-all, “hope for the best” settings and hope that it hits the proper exposure. (Actually, it won’t hope, it’s a wire 😁)

Sometimes it'll catch on wrong, and you'll get images that are too bright or too dark. Other times, the exposure it picks might actually be technically correct, but that varies GREATLY from an “artistically” correct exposure of the precise same scene.

And this is often where even those that have moved onto one among the semi-automatic modes may experience problems.

Although you're helping your camera out by choosing your aperture or your shutter speed, you're still leaving the camera to balance and choose the ultimate exposure for you - again, it'd be technically correct, but that doesn’t necessarily offer you the image you see in your head!

Understanding exposure is vital to getting your images to seem the way you would like them to.

And as shooting in Auto mode doesn’t allow you any control over these settings, and therefore the semi-automatic modes only a touch more, the sole thing left for you to try to do is switch to Manual mode. Understanding each setting, and the way to show correctly for the scene exposes the chance for getting the scene to seem precisely the way you would like it too! you'll read this recent blog post, the way to start Shooting in Manual Mode to inform you what you would like to try to next 😁.

You can also grab a free manual mode cheat sheet right here, to assist you to get your settings right as you progress through manual mode.

Manual Settings Cheat Sheet Opt-In Image.png #2 - You don’t understand light Light is vital to getting an excellent photograph. It’s the special ingredient that will lift a picture and make it into a piece of art. (It’s also the thing which will make a gorgeous moment or scene feel flat, bland and uninteresting!)

Unless you're fresh to photography, you'll have heard about shooting within the golden hour (the hour just after sunrise, or simply before sunset) as that's when the sunshine is incredibly flattering to just about every subject on earth, so this is often an excellent place to start out.

Then, spending some time learning about light and the way to put your subject in reference to it's WELL worth some time and consideration!

In fact, you'll make a start here, by learning 5 Natural Light Tips for Beginners.

5 Reasons Your Images Aren’t arising The Way you would like #3 - You’re going too fast One of the simplest belongings you can do to enhance your photographs is just hampered.

Instead of approaching a scene and immediately starting to snap away, try taking a couple of moments to undertake to work out the simplest place for you to face, where the sunshine is coming from, any distractions that would be within the background, and what the simplest settings for the scene are.

Think about what's within the frame that you simply could use for composition - are there lines that you could use, or shrubs that would frame your subject?

If you discover yourself stepping outside or into an area and taking photos immediately, stop.

Slow down.

Don’t worry about missing a flash (unless it something you'll never get the prospect to require again!) as taking a couple of minutes upfront will really assist you nail the photos that you simply DO take, and that they will quite structure for the handful that you simply might miss out on at the start because you were preparing.

5 Reasons Your Images Aren’t arising The Way you would like #4 - You don’t know your camera tolerably I totally get that your new camera can seem a touch overwhelming. There are numerous dials, buttons, functions, options, and menus that you simply find it such a lot easier just to stay using the AUTO (or semi-automatic!) functions for everything, and hope for the simplest.

But learning your camera may be a MUST for getting correct exposure (as we just heard!) but also for other things, like getting tack sharp images, or images that have the proper color from the white balance setting.

My advice is to require it one step at a time, moving from one AUTO function at a time, and not moving onto subsequent steps until you've got mastered the one before it. Break it down into small, manageable chunks, and work on something until you crack it. All the while layering on the knowledge, moving far away from AUTO and linking everything together.

(If you would like me to be there with you as you are doing it, check my Auto to Awesome course - everything you would like to understand, weakened step by step. AND you get access to our private FB group where you'll inquire from me anything if you grind to a halt, so you're never alone)

Once you get to understand your camera, it takes you seconds to line it up correctly for the scene as you’ll start to more instinctively know what settings to use, and your images will have better exposure, and you’ll get tack sharp images more times than not.

This leaves you liberal to believe OTHER things which will improve your photos, like composition and interesting light.

So, found out a date together with your camera today, and obtain to understand it a touch better

#5 - you think that that more about buying new gear quite you think about learning I remember once I first began in photography, my main concern was the camera body I used to be using, my lenses, and what the ‘pros” said were essential pieces of kit. I’d also scour blogs to ascertain what lens my fave photogs swore by, or what lens they used for a specific image.

Don’t get me wrong, gear is often important, but nowhere NEAR the maximum amount as learning the way to use the damn things!

So, yes, good gear is (always) nice to possess, and it does assist in giving you more flexibility, but I absolutely promise you that you simply can take amazing images with an entry-level cropped frame camera body and kit lens if you find out how to use it properly.

You might find this next statement a touch harsh, but the rationale we all clamor over new gear is because it’s much EASIER for the solution to great photos is simply to urge a replacement lens or a replacement camera body. meaning the matter is often solved pretty darn quickly, instead of the one thing which will actually improve our photos - spending the time required to find out it.

If you currently think that your images aren’t good because your gear is holding you back, I would like you to require a glance at this recent blog post, and inspect the pictures in it - all crazy an entry-level DSLR and kit lens!

If you're currently eyeing up a lens and thinking which will help, please don’t roll in the hay unless you're already shooting in manual mode, understand light and every one the settings on your camera. (If you'll, you're allowed ) We re-evaluate ALL of that and more in Auto to Awesome, so make certain to see it out before you go - it'd just be the very thing you're trying to find.

[evamariagarcia-blog]

My Survey Lines are Now Closed and the Results are in!!

To start with below are my key stats for the survey:

I was a little disappointed with there being 47 visits and only 28 people filled in my survey. I do feel like I got a good amount fo responses that I can use for my research.

The results are now in...

Question 1 - What age bracket do you fall under?

I was thinking my target audience would just be designers. Which as we know come in all different ages. I assumed I would probably split them into students and then working designers. My results where pretty ranged and fell under my expectations.

There was:

35.7% for 18-24

42.9% for 25-34

14.3% for 35-44

7.1% for 45-54

This fall under my brackets as I assume the audience above 25+ are working designers but now reflecting on this that could have been a question I asked in my survey instead of just assuming.

Question 2 - What tools do you currently use when doing design research?

I listed out a few options of research/inspiration tools that I use myself and had found when doing competitor research.

This list was:

Dribbble

Behance

Design Inspiration

Usepanda

Muzli

Awwwards

Out of these, I was expecting Dribbble to be the most used.

The three top results where:

75% Dribbble with 21 responses

60.7% Behance with 17 responses

25% Awwwards with 7 responses.

A few people have other as an option and suggested something that myself feel silly for not putting down as an option which was BOOKS!! I am thinking now maybe having a section in my web application with books for designers.

Question 3 - If you have any, what would be your main frustrations when doing research?

For this question peoples, biggest frustration was “Having too many tabs open and losing websites”. The other highest result was “Trying to stay organised”. These are answers that I assumed people would answer with but it is what people wrote in the other section that was interesting.

Responses from the other section:

Having a no-show for a user interview

Finding examples that meet my use case

Most available design inspiration is superficial, showing one element or one page of an entire project. This doesn't allow for a deeper UX understanding of how these elements fit together and create a cohesive user experience.

The last point was interesting as I can understand this sometimes with the likes of Dribblbe and Pinterest you don’t see the design thinking behind the design. This is something I could help with my app I think and something I can do more research into. Definitely has given me food for thought.

Question 4 - Do you think we have a responsibility as designers to keep up to date with design news?

I think from a biased perspective this was my biggest question. 82.1% people said “Yes” with 23 responses out of 28. I think this shows that it is important we keep up to date with design news which I knew from the start.

There was one comment I got in the other section that I found interesting it was:

“Design trends don't always = good design. Keeping up with news such as new tools, new techniques, new lines of thinking can be very beneficial however also overwhelming.”

I do agree with the first statement for example when I did my research into light and dark theme which you can see in a previous post. I read that dark theme now is trendy and a lot of people are using it because it is trendy and thats not right as we should be using it based on our user's environment. I also think that design trends help us evolve and grow as designers. This statement has made me think of this from two points of views which is helpful.

Question 5 - What tools/sites do you use to read up on design news?

The three highest results in this question where:

82.1% Medium with 23 responses

25% Designer News with 7 responses

17.9% The Designest with 5 responses

I was expecting Medium to be the highest result. I am starting to realise that the best information is in the other sections of my survey. There is some really interesting suggestions for this question.

They are:

4 people said twitter

UX Collective

UX Collective and Sidebar newsletters

Panda

Designtaxi

A custom feed of various blogs and sites

I have never heard of DesignTaxi so that will be something I can do competitor research into. I also have never used twitter for design news so that is something I can look into for my project and also myself.

Question 6 - If you have any, what would be your main frustrations when keeping up to date on design news?

The three highest frustrations where:

67.9% It is easy to miss things when you are busy with 19 responses

35.7% A lot of different sites with 10 responses

35.7% Not being able to go back and read later with 10 responses

These are interesting as a feature of being able to save back and reading later was something I was thinking about so it is helpful to see this is something designers have frustrations with.

Question 7 - Can you suggest anything that would improve your experience when doing research for a project?

This question was an open question.

Some of the useful suggestion where:

One central platform for everything design research related

Quickly finding examples that suit my use case

Documenting ideas, sources, analysis, images as you go.

Finding resources with more detailed case studies e.g. how a company designed ftux from start to finish, how that evolved over time or as new features/products were introduced. Things that worked and didn’t work and why.

Access to previous research archives from other designers

Getting snippets of information so if I don't have time to read the entire article I can get the highlights. Also if I can get all the sites, inspirations in one location will be super helpful.

Better categorization / easier browsing (i.e., not just search). Something visual skin to Pinterest?

A more diverse range of sources

A place to store and collect inspiration/articles/notes/thoughts easily using an accessible and simple method. Possibly a Chrome plug-in (see Pinterest's plug-in - however, it is all visual, it doesn't really allow for the collection of articles, quotes, concepts etc)

trending/top rated articles appear at the top

For me, the most important thing is the understanding of colour trends, trend styles and several other trends.

Category specification and thematic distribution of art online

A place where I can keep all my bookmarked sites that help with research and design in a visual way. possibly a website that reposted hot topics from other sites into their own so you would only have to go to one place (sorta like how you can have a fb news feed embedded into sites)

There is a lot here that I find useful and will go through each one individually and do research and see if I can think of any features for my application that will help or anything I could use to make my application experience better.

Question 8 - Can you also suggest anything that would improve your experience when keeping up to date on design?

This question was also an open question.

Some of the useful comments where:

One central platform for anything design related

A resource curated by the design community would be nice but it would have to be supported by the whole community and design leaders.

Take notes on ideas, takeaways so that you can refer to them later!

More blog posts or article that show how long it takes to read so that you might be less likely to bookmark to read later (which is what I do a lot)

Having a single source of truth, there are so many views and opinions it's sometimes hard to know what best practice is actually best. Maybe some way to centralise this info and maybe vote among designers

reminders to see latest design inspirations which will be like a min or 2 ...so basically quick view but also relevant to me

Better, curated content. Like design journalism by good writers, rather than just link posting

Time :D

Subscribe to sites like Medium so they are in your inbox

Keeping Information Overload low

A streamlined edited view that wades through all the ideas, "pretty" visuals and egos to show the best work happening in design/UX right now.

quickly get updates, I don't have all-day

Know how much exactly you need time for specific design so you can easily manage multiple projects

Better bookmarking/saving system

A single platform dedicated to such updates.

One platform with multiple feeds

A website that had a list of high rated design articles, other sites, news etc

As you can see there is a good amount of feedback here that I will need to sort through and do research into and figure things out with it. One of the answers was “Time” if only I could give people more time!

Question 8 - What do you think of an app just for designers to help with research and design news?

I then summed up my survey with my idea and if people would find it useful.

I got 23 responses out of 28 saying that they thought it was a great idea this is really encouraging. I hope I am going on the right track with all my research and from this survey I feel like I am.

I was able to generate a report with Typeform so that you can view my results here: https://evagarcia643343.typeform.com/report/xVxzyg/vYfzRJ6MGIL1dcU6

#ixd501 #majorproject #user research

[lotrspnfangirl]

Gishwhes 2017 - CultofCaffeine

This years Gish was just as much fun as previous years! I think I had the most fun this year being able to gish with my best friends (Alex and @cassondrawinchester​) as well as a lot of the girls I did it last year with! We had an excellent team, and I made a few new friends, and we got up to some crazy stuff.

I think the highlight this year was getting to scare the crap out of my dad and despite some questionable 'cult like' behavior, we weren't arrested. So, win on that one! And meeting @pherryt​ at the Gish get together!!! 

Now, the reason you're all actually here... Here is our team's submissions!

#2  There was a hobby or talent that you used to do when you were younger that you stopped doing for whatever reason. Do it again. Now.

#4  As anyone who reads “Cosmopolitan” magazine knows, bohemian eco-chic weddings are all the rage. Let’s see a wedding dress made from recycled office paper.

#6 Re-enact the experience of your birth, using (only) shadow puppets.

#8  The year is 2021. Of all the unique and amazing human specimens on Earth, it was hard for the aliens to choose which ones to collect, but your team stood out as being excessively weird & worth “analysis". Your entire team was abducted and put into an alien specimen box. In grid form, show each member of your team along with a card explaining where they got you (city, country) and a word stating what special characteristic makes you unique.

#9 I can assure you, THAT has never been frozen in jello before! How did you manage to do that?!

#10  Pizza was invented in Italy in 997 AD to honor the Queen Consort, Queen Margherita. The next significant event in Italian history was the start of the Renaissance Period in the 14th century, which spawned a revival in art, architecture, science and learning. Let’s celebrate these two seminal moments in Italian history. Bake a Pizza decorated as a Renaissance painting that would make the Old Masters proud.

#12  Many of us have lost pets in our lifetime. As a memorial to a loved pet that is now frolicking in the clouds chasing or sniffing whatever it was that pet liked to chase/sniff, write a poem or haiku about that loved one, or create a small shrine in nature comprised of items the pet loved and a photo of him or her.

#13 (Side by side) A child drawing of their idea of happiness. Then, make it happen.

Stormy misses her grandma who lives in Kentucky and what would make her happiest is if she was able to come to visit her!

#14 Over the years gishwhes has always been a supporter of first responders (firemen, paramedics, ER medics, nurses, police, etc.). Let’s give them one last treatment of a proper gishwhes “THANK YOU!” Find your nearest and dearest first responders and bring them The Most Epic Cookies or Pastries the World Has Ever Seen (MECOPWHES).

#15 Groucho Marx a piece of fruit. No, we don’t know what this means either, but we’re excited to see what you come up with.

#17 Spicy Art! Using the spices you have in your spice cupboard, make a picture of your favorite (1) comic book cover, or (2) cartoon character. Either submit it alone, or as a side-by-side image comparison.

#19 (Side-by-side image) A photo of your pet and a photo of the portrait of your pet that you have made from their own food and treats.

#20 This family’s toys get into sweet, crazy escapades at night while the kids are sleeping. Your family’s toys make that family’s toys look like do-gooders. Let’s see what happened with your family’s toys while you slept last night.

#22 We finally have a confirmed sighting of a mythical beast from urban legends (Bigfoot, Nessie, Yeti, etc.) suffering the effects of climate change.

#23 This morning, my daughter, Maison reported having seen a “moon fairy” while I was sleeping last night. As you know, the rarely-seen moon fairies are mischievous, nocturnal creatures who participate in synchronized, representational flight. Using a long exposure and flashlights (or other movable light sources) photograph these elusive beasts.

#24 She wore a raspberry beret… Wear a beret made out of raspberries as you shop in a second-hand store.

#26 (Create an old-school STOP MOTION film - up to 1 minute.) A Romeo and Juliet story... Two young virile socks (unmatched) meeting, falling in love, being kept apart and finally ending tragically.

#29 It is either winter or summer where you are. (If it is not, please contact our support so we can send NASA to find you.) There’s something you love to do outdoors in the winter or summer where you live. Do the activity you love to do in the opposite season that you are in.

#30 THIS ITEM MUST BE POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA PRIOR TO THE END OF THE HUNT! NEW LEASH ON LIFE USA adopts otherwise unadoptable dogs and sends them through a unique training program. Shelter pets rarely get any attention and millions are put down each year. Many times this can be avoided if people on the Interwebs (who would like and could responsibly own a pet) were to see how cute, available, lonely and cuddly they are. Let’s save a pet or two (or thousands). Grab a friend or two and visit a shelter. Spend some time with one or more of the pets there. Post a selfie of your favorite pet looking for a “forever home” on Twitter (tagging @NewLeashUSA) or Instagram (tagging @NewLeashOnLifeUSA), using hashtag #adoptmeplease, and the social media handle or name of the shelter (so people can contact them). Submit the image you take on our site, but provide the link to your social media post link in the comment field of the submit page.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXtiZY5ADuC/

#34 As this is likely the last year of gishwhes we should probably do something to memorialize it. A lot of folks have been saying, “Save gishwhes!” But we say, “Shave “gishwhes”... into the back of your head.” Try to match the amazing logo that Olivia Desianti formed way back when - which we still use today. Bonus points if you include the current or a former gishwhes hybrid mascot in your masterpiece. The same design shaved into a thick matt of back or chest hair would be an acceptable substitute.  A little red lipstick makes this pop!

#35 Hand a bouquet of flowers (or a single flower) to a person leaving a house of worship that is not your religion. For example, if you are a Christian, you could hand a bouquet of flowers to someone leaving a mosque. If you’re Jewish, hand flowers to someone at a Christian church, etc. With the flowers, attach a note saying something in your own words, but to the effect of: “I may not worship in the same building as you, and I may not pray to the same prophets, but I am grateful to be sharing this planet with you in peace.”

#36 The dewey decimal system has long been responsible for keeping good books apart— books that clearly deserve to spend a life together on library shelves. For that matter, it seems so many libraries go out of their way to keep perfectly good literary companions apart as they separate fact from fiction, biography from archaeology, science fiction from politics. Be the matchmaker literature needs and get creative at your local library or bookstore. Show the spines of at least six books together in a library or bookstore (the more titles the better) the titles of which create the perfect oxymoronic sentence or phrase. - Monica Duff Teacher says, When you reach me this dark endeavor revealed first lights glow.

#37 No one talks about the fact that the destruction of the Death Star put thousands of Stormtroopers out of work. Luckily the Empire has a pretty robust social safety net and most of them have been retrained and placed in new jobs, the majority of which have been in the transportation sector. Let’s see a stormtrooper driving/flying a large passenger vehicle. Must be for mass transit, not just a car or a van. A subway, train, bus, ferry, plane, etc.

#38 THIS ITEM MUST BE POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA PRIOR TO THE END OF THE HUNT! Pick a celebrity social media image post (or an advertisement) and recreate it with a subtle twist like like Celeste Barber does here. Tweet, Instagram or FB post your image side-by-side with the original image, “#embracereality @gishwhes” and your team name. (You may also tag or mention the celebrity or brand you are satirizing.) Submit the image you take side-by-side with the original one, but provide the link to your social media post in the comment field of the submit page.

https://twitter.com/courie969/status/896455455656075265

#41 Show us your own personal “Stairway to Heaven” -Dylan Cacador

#42 You ever heard of “pond dipping”? “river bugging”? Neither have we - but let’s not let that stop us. Invent and show off your own *SAFE* summer wet, wild and messy activity and caption it with a clever name.

#43 Never judge a book by its cover… or bread by its shape. Bake bread or cookies into the shape of something you would DEFINITELY not want to eat. (We hate to have to say this every year, but pornographic pastries will result in docked points.)

#46 THE FINAL “KALE” ART. (Please note that per Commandment #4 of the 2017 Hunt, this word and material as a Hunt item is not permitted. We are aware of this. That being said, we do not care. You still may not use the word “kale”. Henceforth, it shall be called [REDACTED] BUT you may use it as a material for this item.) Therefore, take a SINGLE glorious piece of [REDACTED] and, using whatever adornments or other decoratives, clipping patterns, etc., create a stunning, museum worthy piece of art that shall then be showcased (and submitted as such) as an ornamental headpiece on you.

#48 As most people know, roosters enjoy a good sunrise. But other farm animals enjoy sunrises and sunsets, too. Let's see a photo of you, some friends or companions (such as your dog), and a sheep, horse, cow, or other non-rooster barnyard animal, watching the sun rise or set together. Bonus points if the spectacular skies are reflected in water in front of you.

#49 There’s something important that your local or national politicians are not attending to properly. Stand in front of something that represents the issue/right/minority group/etc. that you care about and that your politicians are not adequately protecting and hold a large, hand-written sign with a message to the powers that be. Tweet this image to an elected official with the power to do something to help tagged “#gishwhesrights”. Submit the image and a link to your tweet in the comments.

https://twitter.com/casschindler/status/895052460682878976

#51 Anyone who serves in the military is risking their life to serve their nation. Being respectful to not trespass on military grounds, stand in front of a large military craft, ship, tank, or plane with an inclusive sign of thanks to every service member of every kind. You may post this image on social media prior to the end of the hunt, if you choose. Submit the image with a link to your post in the comment section (if you chose to post it). https://twitter.com/casschindler/status/895053091153874945

#52 (Time-lapse up to 30 seconds.) Paint a dignified portrait of a President, Prime Minister, King, or Queen. But we don’t want you to waste canvas or paper! Paint this on a loved one’s bare back or abdomen. (use skin safe paints or edible “paint-like” food products!)  (ignore my side boob...) 

#53 Write something in frosting on a cake that you’ve always wanted to say to someone, and deliver it to them.

#54 THIS ITEM MUST BE POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA PRIOR TO THE END OF THE HUNT! Listen to this and be scared: http://www.radiolab.org/story/nukes/. But this bill has been introduced to try to solve this global risk. Let’s get it approved! Tweet ALL of your reps to pass the legislation to make congressional approval for first nuclear strike US law. Submit a screenshot of your post. Provide a link to the tweet in the comment field of the submit page. https://twitter.com/lotrspnfangirl/status/894801114641649665

#56 Sometimes things are just too comfy to leave, but you’re prepared for this! Let’s see you in your “Hammock Self-Containment Unit”. This, of course, would be you in a hammock with everything you need to live for one week, including all life preserving items, sanitation supplies and, of course, entertainment (live or otherwise). Make sure it’s clean, well organized, and designed for easy access to everything.

#62 Honeybees are a “keystone” species just like sharks. If they’re gone, we’re in big trouble. Unfortunately, there are currently “Colony Collapse Disorders” happening with honeybees throughout the world. This is when the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear, leaving the queen and immature bees to fend for themselves (most colonies completely die). This has major global food crop implications, as honeybees perform the magic of pollination of agricultural crops. If bees go by the wayside, we will have to find alternative pollination solutions, and that ain’t gonna be easy. But, let’s roll up our sleeves and give it a shot: Plant something in your garden (or plant a garden if you don’t have one) that is bee friendly (even if it’s just one plant in one pot on a patio). Spring - lilacs, penstemon, lavender, sage, verbena, and wisteria. Summer – Mint, cosmos, squash, tomatoes, pumpkins, sunflowers, oregano, rosemary, poppies, black-eyed Susan, passion flower vine, honeysuckle. Fall – Fuschia, mint, bush sunflower, sage, verbena, toadflax. Take a picture of yourself wearing some sort of bee-attire doing your part to pollinate your newly planted plant.

#66 Personify your favorite movie title. Include a caption on your image of the title of the movie in quotes. - Tanya Best

#67 Banana Hammock. This year’s summer fashion elitists are all wearing the latest rage: Banana Bikini or Banana Briefs. Join them!

#68 You finally have a use for all the naked bananas you now have sitting around! Bake as much banana bread as you can with “gishwhes” spelled out in bananas on the top & distribute it to your local nursing home.

#73 Visit a local laundromat. Place decorated envelopes with enough money (in coins or bills, depending on the machines) for one load of washing and one load of drying on at least one machine with the note: “We swim together, we tumble together. Love, Gishwhes.” 

#75 They told me I couldn’t, so I did. Pose in front of a sign declaring a rule. Break that rule. A few notes: It must be safe (what you are doing), and it MUST NOT be a law or illegal where you are. It must only be a “rule”. For example, you might find a sign that says, “collared shirts only.” You would pose in front of that sign wearing a tank top. - Inspired by Emily Shulman

#75 Personify or embody your team name. Caption your image with your team name. - Shannon

#81 Sometimes it feels like your boss expects you to be in more than one place at more than one time, but you’re a gisher so you know how to deliver. Using the panoramic photo function on your phone, insert yourself at least three times in the same picture in different positions and/or wardrobe to show yourself as you “multitask”. You may NOT Photoshop yourself into the image. (Hint: you have to run around the person taking the picture each time they pass you in the frame.)

#82 In honour of Canada's 150th birthday, even though you may not be Canadian, you and a friend should clearly cover yourself in maple syrup and go roll in some maple leaves. - Jessica G.

#83 Lets see your interpretation of fireworks using vegetables and spaghetti as mixed media. - Saty381

#84 (Two Images side-by-side.) The first image is a photo of an illustrated page from a children’s book. The second image is your reenactment of that illustration in 3 dimensions. - Inspired by Sarah Trumbley

#85 Let’s see LABSWHES. The Largest Awesome Balloon Sculpture the World Has Ever Seen. The themes this year are “insect” or “space”—or both. You must be in the middle of this structure.

#86 Everyone thinks unicorns are beautiful, magical, gentle creatures. You know better. Prove it to the world! You may use any media you like, including Photoshop. - Traci Akierman  (( this is everything to me )) 

#89 Apply lipstick while jumping on a trampoline. - Emily Schulman

#91 Leave a Yelp review of gishwhes after you deliver food to the homeless or to a homeless shelter.

#101 As I'm sure you’ve seen, over the years we have marketed gishwhes relentlessly and shamelessly (because we really want everyone to do it). This is the last gishwhes, so now it’s your turn to go ahead and show us how we should’ve marketed it. Create a gishwhes ad that no one would be able to resist. Note: you may make false or misleading claims if you so choose, but because we’re curious, you could even take a stab at a legit one.

#102 THIS ITEM MUST BE POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA PRIOR TO THE END OF THE HUNT! During the First Annual and Last Ever 2017 gishwhes Tea Party, we identified gishers based on their right-brush or left-brush toothbrushing statuses. Conduct a massive poll on your social networks for the gishwhes Institute of Vital Statistics to prove conclusively whether people brush their teeth starting on the same side of their mouth as their dominant hand or the opposite side. Because this is solid science, your sample size must have a minimum of 400 respondents. Submit a visually-compelling graph of your poll data and the number of votes and the winner. Use the hashtag #gishwhesteeth. Submit a screenshot of your post. Provide the link to your social media post in the comment field of the submit page. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSflbQIfXAgyMfW0lpqMRT9UdReh7v1T2Iec-RYyLg-WK68LzQ/viewform

#105 We know a little girl that makes a different kind of Advent Calendar. As she marks off each day on the calendar, she gives something away. Make your own version of a reverse Advent calendar. On the first day of gishwhes, create a decorated Advent calendar whereby, for each day on the calendar, you depict something you’re going to give away. Then, each day of the Hunt, take a picture of you fulfilling your calendar item. Submit 7 pictures in a grid (or a video slideshow) showing what you’ve done. Then, continue on through the calendar period. (Yes, this will continue after the Hunt is over, but though gishwhes as we know it may be ending, its spirit will live on in you!) -Keegan Connor Tracy’s 10-year old daughter

#109 (Up to 22 seconds.) Wonder Woman being “Superman-splained” to.

#119 Trump l’oeil. (This is not a typo.)

#123 As all gishers know, Saturday, August 12 is “Meet Another Gisher Day.” Meet up in front of the largest art museum in your town at 10:00 AM (of whatever timezone you’re in). It’s a pot-luck coleslaw brunch this year, so bring your favorite family recipe of coleslaw… and as much sidewalk chalk as you can. After brunch, decorate the pavement with a collaborative message to the world. In order for a meet-up to count you need to have representatives of at least 5 teams present, so this will require some organizing. Gishwhes is all about coming together, so teams may collaborate (gasp!) on this one, but your team’s image or video must still be all your own.

#124 Be someone’s “rock” to get them through the hard times. Hand-paint small rocks with a message of kindness & leave them in areas that need a pick-me-up. (On the underside, please write “Pass it on.”) You must paint & hide at least one rock for each member of your team.

https://youtu.be/LmptxuKay6o 

((it wont let me add more videos))  #125 (Time-lapse under 20 seconds.) All good things must come to an end, and so it is with the Hunt. Create a “sand” mandala featuring images that symbolize the hunt to you… all using pixie sticks as your chakpur and sand. When it’s done, show us your masterwork and then, just like the Buddhist monks, sweep it away and get ready for what’s next.

#130 A tactometer used to measure tact.

#131 Make a collage that features things only locals from your town would know about. Display it prominently in a public space in your town.

https://youtu.be/Qt_zCMi71M4

#134 My wife is so trend-forward, she recently took a “goat yoga class” (it’s real; you can google it.) Without hurting, upsetting, or endangering ANY animal, show us the next trend in animal-infused yoga that she should get on board with.

https://youtu.be/N3BF22b1ghs

#135 THIS ITEM MUST BE POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA PRIOR TO THE END OF THE HUNT! (Up to 30 seconds.) Freeze frame on a picture of you (like they do at the end of movies) and then roll a credit sequence for your own life. Include a "here’s what happens to you in the future" sentence or two and then a listing of the people that have helped you get where you are now or where you are going and what their “titles” are. Post this on the social media channel of your choice with the hashtags #gishwhes #mylife. Submit the video, and in the comment field provide the link to the post.

#143 Sure, most Stormtroopers toed the line, but back in the 1960s there were a few draft-dodging peacenik Stormtroopers. Find a famous vintage photo of a peace sit-in or Woodstock-level love-in and flawlessly photoshop in one or more Stormtroopers. We must think it’s the real thing. As an alternative, you can stage your own “peace” picture and submit an “aged” stormtrooper sit-in image. YES, YOU MAY PHOTOSHOP THIS ITEM!

#152 Decorate the exterior of your home like the Pan House, using whatever object speaks to you.

#157 THIS ITEM MUST BE POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA PRIOR TO THE END OF THE HUNT! NASA is soliciting tweets to send to Voyager 1. Tweet your suggestion with #gishwhes. I suggest it be the following theme: Voyager 1 ran to the store and you are texting to remind it to pick something up at the store. But we will permit messages of any type so let your imaginations run wild. Submit a screenshot of your post. Provide a link to the tweet in the comment field of the submit page. 

#158 Thanks to “reactions” we can now communicate our feelings more clearly to one another! But Facebook limits us to just 6 reactions and we at gishwhes HQ believe that this limitation constraints our ability to express nuanced emotions to one another. Let’s see an updated version of the Facebook “reactions” with feelings like “silently judging you”, “reacting positively to your face but planning to gossip about this later”, and “I’m just not sure how to feel about this” and other more subtle emotions. You may photoshop this item.

#164 Get a bonafide zillow listing for property on Mars.

#165 https://twitter.com/zenxv/status/845474882607632384

https://youtu.be/3rXlzYEtP4k

#167 (Time-lapse up to 20 seconds.) There are two things that science has proven unequivocally: 1) global warming is happening and 2) sucking the melting ice cream from a tiny hole in the bottom of a sugar cone is the greatest possible pleasure in life. (Minimum 5 rounded scoops on top and you must suck all the ice cream through the tiny hole.)

#169 Write "Ass butt" (in non-toxic kids finger paint or chalk!) on the hindquarters of an Ass. (This should go without saying, but be careful & safe. Approach from the side, never stand directly behind it, and try to keep the donkey happy so you don't get injured.)

#172 Now that this may be the last gishwhes-as-we-know-it ever, it’s time to reflect on missed opportunities. Let’s see the Item List Misha SHOULD have made all these years. Give us your team’s ideal gishwhes Item List with a minimum of 10 Items. If the majority of the items you create look like no thought was put into them (and you were just quickly writing down items to get the points), you will receive zero points.

#173 Complete one of the more challenging items on your team’s homemade gishwhes Item List. 

https://youtu.be/mH2Hghjq6uc

#179 (Up to 45 seconds edited.) Share an audio dream diary of your first thoughts as you wake up every morning of the Hunt (so you cannot submit this until the last day of the Hunt!). It must be the first thing you do before you get out of bed.

#181 THIS ITEM MUST BE POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA PRIOR TO THE END OF THE HUNT! Let’s see a (SFW) 2,000 word essay published on twitter in 140 character bursts. (no attachments, etc.) about the best way to get pregnant for the 10th time. (I’m sorry, but I promised someone this would be an item.) Submit an image of the first post and then a link to this post in the COMMENT field of the submit page so we can check to make sure you “published” the whole thing.

https://twitter.com/lotrspnfangirl/status/896606741143724033

#182 THIS ITEM MUST BE POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA PRIOR TO THE END OF THE HUNT! Seamlessly modify using photoshop (or other digital altering software), a well-know oil painting by adding in an anachronistic element. For example, if it were a Monet, you might put one of the ladies under a parasol holding an ipad. YES, YOU MAY DIGITALLY ALTER THE IMAGE YOU ARE SUBMITTING… with a catch. The anachronistic element must be rendered seamlessly into the image in the style of the original painter or creator. It must look like a part of the original composition; we should not be able to tell it was added in later. Post the image on FB and/or Pinterest. Submit the image you take on our site, but provide the link to your social media post in the comment field of the submit page. #gishwhesModernMasterpiece

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/490892428124114391/

#183 You are all soon going to be a part of a sinister plot to take over the world… in a unique way. But we need your help. Here’s the first thing you have to do: Decide what your favorite point of interest, historical site or national landmark is in your town or city and enter its address here: http://qrickit.com/qrickit_apps/qrickit_qrcode_creator_geo.php . Below the map on that webpage you’ll see an “optional text” field. Enter “Taken by CFG”. Then click “Qcreate” at the bottom. Download the QR code and submit it as your item. Stay tuned for what comes next...

#186 One of the biggest problems astronauts will face when they travel to Mars will be figuring out how to bring enough food for the three year journey. Porcupanda has offered the idea of making their spacecraft out of food. Show them how. Build an edible spacecraft using anything except “space ice cream” (Per our resident Director of Intergalactic Space Exploration, that stuff tastes like strawberry Styrofoam: “Bleecht!” as he so eloquently put it.)

#187 Every year, the scientists at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab make spectacular pumpkin carvings that put our humble Halloween jack-o-lanterns to shame (see https://www.wired.com/2016/10/watch-nasas-high-tech-pumpkins-action/). Whatever. What’s a rocket scientist got that you don’t have? Let’s see you out-do them! Show us your best and most outlandish WATERMELON-O-LANTERN carving. - Dave Lavery

#188 For many years, military aircraft sported spectacular “nose art”— artistic homages to people, places, and ideas important to the aircraft crew. As aesthetically appealing as aircraft nose art may have been, we think they botched it on the choice of canvas. Show us your best nose art - but this time, get it right! All art must be on, around, or incorporate, your nose.

https://youtu.be/N82SzhOV24k

#189 The World’s Worst Lawyer.

https://youtu.be/UwJtIh80M7I

#192 (Time lapse up to 25 seconds). In our busy world, people sometimes forget to slow down and see the beauty around them. Perform a task at work extremely slowly while everyone around you carries on at normal speed. When this is played back in in time lapse, you’re performing at normal speed and it’s the world around you that’s going too fast.

#196 THIS ITEM MUST BE POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA PRIOR TO THE END OF THE HUNT! THIS IS A TOP SECRET ITEM! DO NOT SHARE ITS CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA UNTIL DIRECTED OR YOU WILL RUIN THE SURPRISE AND BE DELUGED WITH BAD KARMA. By now, most of you may know our friend Giles Duley. If not, watch the video at the top of this page. Then, watch here to see what he did with us recently: https://youtu.be/-tOt9LfZF9w ...and he’s doing something amazing with us again with us this year (which we’ll be announcing VERY soon). Giles inspires us and we want to thank him for all of his hard (and often thankless) work. So, we’re going to thank him... BUT WE’RE GOING TO SURPRISE HIM! SO PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT POST ABOUT THIS UNTIL THE DESIGNATED TIME: On Friday, August 11th, at EXACTLY 9am PDT, we are going to give him a “thunderclap” of thanks on the Internet. Because Giles thinks EVERYONE can make a difference no matter their circumstances (and he’s a living embodiment of that), we’re going to prove it. Here’s your job: before the 11th, go out and do an act of kindness. But not just any act of kindness... Giles works hard to help refugee families and landmine victims, so your act of kindness should focus on expanding his work exponentially through the power of gishwhes and gishers. Do something that makes a meaningful, material difference in the life of either a refugee or someone who has been directly impacted by war. If you’re at a loss of how to do this, here are some suggestions: bring a care package to new refugees in your neighborhood, go to a refugee center and volunteer, bring a warm meal to a homeless veteran on the streets, volunteer at a soup kitchen where you know there are war veterans, make a donation to an organization that helps with reconstructive surgery and prosthetics for war victims, or sponsor a child made homeless by the war with a one-time or recurring donation. If you can’t manage to find or coordinate any of the above (but please try!), simply carry out a random act of kindness for another human being on the planet who could legitimately use some kindness. Dig deep on this one, guys. The goal is to cause a ripple effect from the work Giles is doing and expand it worldwide. Let's do this. Capture an image or video of this act. At 9am PDT on Friday, August 11th, post the image or video on Facebook with a detailed description of what you did and crosspost to Twitter. Be sure to mention Giles in the post. (For Facebook, tag @GilesDuleyPhotography and on Twitter, tag @gilesduley with #thanksGiles as the hashtag.) Submit the image or video you take on our site, but provide the link to your social media post link in the comment field of the submit page.

#202 A gisher wrote me recently stating, “I started gishwhes in 2015 myself and my children all joined in and had the best week of our lives, so much fun, so much love, so much laughter. In December 2015 I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer… But I didn't let it beat me. We signed up for gishwhes 2016 and made beautiful art together and performed many acts of kindness to those around us and in need, my children now 10 & 8 have those lessons in their hearts now, to spread kindness and love to all around them! Unfortunately I am too sick to participate this year, but hope to still be here to see all the wonderful creations everyone makes, and if I'm not still here when gishwhes starts I will be watching down on you all, cheering everyone on.” Obviously, I cried when I read that. We emailed her back, but haven’t heard back… So this one's for you, S. (and your kids), with love from me & everyone in the gishwhes family: Find a local hospital or cancer center and coordinate with them to deliver a comfort bag(s) to a patient. Fill a cheerfully decorated canvas or cloth bag with items to provide palliative relief and comfort to a cancer patient: soft eye masks, scarves, a soft blanket, socks, ginger tea or candy, unscented natural lip balm, sudoku or coloring books, puzzles, poems, etc. Include a note of support or encouragement if you wish. (Please don't say "get well soon.” Phrasing like, "we're sending you our love" is better.) Please do not take a picture with the recipient... Just the bag. We trust you to deliver.

#204 Escape Gishwhes! https://www.gishwhes.com/escape-room/. If you manage to break out of this wild ride of mystery and mayhem, you’ll be prompted to enter your Team Name to document your success via an online form. BEFORE YOU HIT THE SUBMIT BUTTON, take a screenshot showing your team name in the Text Input Field and save the image, THEN hit the SUBMIT button. Your submission will be uploading the screenshot on our item list (backed up by what the online form sends gishbot).

#206 We got this letter to our support gnomes:Name: [REDACTED]Message : Hello Gishpeople. I want to question why there are so many specific-locations-that-aren't-Sweden only items, and no Sweden only items. I speak for all Swedes when we say that we find this very saddening. We don't understand how you could miss out on an opportunity like this, since Sweden is a very beautiful country, containting great things such as Dalahästar.We, as a nation, expect a formal apology for this, of course.All our love, and some sad wonders,[REDACTED]Sweden, you're absolutely right! You are a beautiful country and it's time we stopped overlooking you. You deserve a formal apology as requested and so in the interest of international diplomacy, it's our duty to deliver and rectify this egregious oversight. With that in mind, (I hope you'll forgive me but this is a location-specific image to appease Sweden, guys): Take a picture of yourself in front of the biggest landmark or point of interest in your town while holding a beautiful hand-lettered sign that reads, "We Are Sorry, Sweden". This is a location-based item, so you may do this anywhere in the world... except Sweden.

@cassondrawinchester

#gishwhes #gishwhes2017 #cultofcaffeine #pic spam #friends #so much fun #love #supernatural

[professor-abeloved]

RULES: FINISH THESE 92 STATEMENTS AND TAG 20 PEOPLE.

Got meme’d on tagged by my homie @principal-mc !! thanks bud i love youuuu <3

THE LAST:

1. Drink: c2 lemon 2. Phone call: my mom 3. Text message: my best friend @rpgskill <3 4. Song you listened to:  Mahiwagang Puso from the Encantadia 2005 OST 5. Time you cried: uh, yesterday

HAVE YOU:

6. Dated someone twice: nah  7. Kissed someone and regretted it: nope 8. Been cheated on: hindi 9. Lost someone special: er no 10. Been depressed:  always yeah 11. Gotten drunk and thrown up: drunk yes, thrown up no

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS:

12. purple!! it’s always been my favorite hehe 13. mint green 14. blue

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU:

15. Made new friends: yup both on here and irl! i love you guys!! 16. Fallen out of love: no... i’ve fallen out of my qp feelings tho if that counts? 17. Laughed until you cried: yES oh my god i always tear up if i laugh too hard 18. Found out someone was talking about you: yeah. 19. Met someone who changed you: “everyone you meet changes you for better or for worse… change is continuous and inevitable so this is a given” <- couldn’t have said it better myself @principal-mc 20. Found out who your friends are: yup, i did when they were there for me/tried to be there for me.  21. Kissed someone on your Facebook list: dein

GENERAL:

22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: about 90%? my account is personal kasi. although i do have some friends that i added for ~fb games~ when i was 10... and some people that added me because we have 100+ mutual friends. okay actually, sometimes i randomly add cute people that fb suggests for me to see if they’ll respond and they do!! i find it funny HAHA and then months later i find out they go to a different university or even a different country... 23. Do you have any pets: ish? my family has pet dogs in the province, though we used to have a lot of fish and rabbbits 24. Do you want to change your name: yep! someday i’ll find a way to make the name-changing process easier in the Philippines, I promise. 25. What did you do for your last Birthday: uh had an anxiety attack because there was block drama and i didn’t know what to do when inviting my blockmates out lol 26. What time did you wake up: 12:13 PM 27. What were you doing at midnight last night: posting the amazing art i had commissioned from Millerizo aka Mod Ton from Buhay Kolehiyo!! i’m in love with her art, i swear. 28. Name something you can’t wait for: to fix my damn bank account lol 29. When was the last time you saw your mom: an hour ago? 30. What is one thing you wish you could change in your life: me HAHAHA uh fuck, my hang-ups and flaws i guess 31. What are you listening right now: the television 32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: 707′s neighbor Tom? actually wait i think I have a niehgbor named Tom omg 33. Something that is getting on your nerves: “Pixelberry’s writing team” ...actually same, Zee. honestly i’m so disappointed. 34. Most visited Website: Tumblr 35. Mole/s: On my right thigh and left shoulder lmao 36. Mark/s: uh i got a lot of stretchmarks on my thighs and stomach 37. Childhood dream: becoming a superhero. tbh it’s a work in progress, there’s gotta be a radioactive spider here somewhere... 38. Hair color: brown with blond hightlights 39. Long or short hair: short!! 40. Do you have a crush on someone: sighs yes and he doesn’t go to my uni anymore :^( 41. What do you like about yourself: my writing!! 42. Piercings: my ears are pierced 43. Blood type: A positive walang aayaw 44. Nickname: El/L/Elle  you spell it however you want haha 45. Relationship status: single but married to about a billion fictional characters 46. Zodiac: Virgo~ 47. Pronouns: they/them, he/him, she/her it i’m cool with them all since i’m bigender lol 48. Favorite TV Show/s: Steven Universe, Brookline 99, HIMYM, Encantadia (2005 and 2016 huhu i miss it so much) 49. Tattoos: waley 50. Right or left hand: right 51. Surgery: i’m actually gonna have an operation for my wisdom teeth on Thursday haha pls pray for me 52. Hair dyed in different color: er highlights count right? though i do plan to dye it purple 53. Sport: i don’t... do sports though i hope to do arnis or something with swords in the future! 55. Vacation: YES PLEASE. technically im having it right now though we have a project to submit tomorrow 56. Pair of trainers: oh they’re like rubber shoes? i think well yeah i have like 3 pairs

MORE GENERAL:

57. Eating: siomai and cheese sticks! 58. Drinking: c2 pa rin mga ulol 59. I’m about to: start on that letter to pb bc really wtf. 61. Waiting for: him lol charot. actually i am waiting for maxwell to be an LI so?? 62. Want: peace and happiness for the world 63. Get married: um it’s not in my plan but if a future partner wants to and/or if there are tax benefits then sure? 64. Career: student po 65. Hugs or kisses: hugs!! 66. Lips or eyes: eyes eyes baby 67. Shorter or taller: can they be the same height? i’m 5 feet tall so most people are taller than me anyway 68. Older or younger: er older? 70. Nice arms or nice stomach: i only have one weakness, the kryptonite to my superman, the one thing that turns me into a puddle on the floor... biceps 71. Sensitive or loud: tbh both. like i’d say loud but i also need someone sensitive because i’m shit at expressing myself 72. Hook up or relationship: i’m grayro ace buddy so neither. 73. Troublemaker or hesitant: troublemaker lmao. pranksters are cute (as long as the prank doesn’t harm anymore/make them uncomfortable) and yes troublemakers for the oppressive system make my heart go boom <3

HAVE YOU EVER:

74. Kissed a stranger: ew 75. Drank hard liquor: not yet 76. Lost glasses/contact lenses: dude i lost my right contact lens during a math review and i kind of stopped wearing them 77. Turned someone down: ...yes. more times than i’d like. 78. Sex in the first date: L O L 79. Broken someone’s heart: i hope to god not 80. Had your heart broken: i wouldn’t know, i don’t have one 81. Been arrested: nah 82. Cried when someone died: yes. 83. Fallen for a friend: uh do QP feelings count as falling? because if so yes.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:

84. Yourself: someday, i hope to 85. Miracles: yup! 86. Love at first sight: no. i believe in attraction at first sight, but not love 87. Santa Claus: yeah, it killed me when i found out my mom was writing those letters to santa. it was funny though because one time i asked who santa was, and they gave me a 9 page research of the origin of santa HAHAHAH 88. Kiss on the first date: uh if i like them enough and if they initiate, maybe 89. Angels: yes zee is an angel <3 all of you reading this are angels too <3

OTHER:

90. Current best friend’s name: kristi 91. Eyecolor: hazel brown/light brown with dark flecks 92. Favorite movie: Ghostbusters 2016!! watched it thrice hehe. oh and i recently watched kubo and the two strings and fell in love <3

Tagging: @quinnskelly @mirasols @mewly/@molliartsie @lanapowellblog @ladyashtonofcordonia @grimdarkpixels @keephollywoodweird/@gunfawkes @hollyashton @jebsplayshss/@spacetravels @sarcasticchoices @andythenerdyfriend @ohmymaxwell​ @kittenmusicals​ @rr-roe-es​ @maxwellbeauxmont​ @mermadeheart​/@pixelberry-pippa​ @danielnelsen @evapaw-of-thunderclan @lifeof314universe @craighsiao and anyone else who wants to do this!!

#tag meme #elias out

[princessalethea]

How Do I Self-Publish a Book? (A List, With Resources)

I’ve been asked about self-publishing a lot recently, so I decided it was high time to write up a big, long answer with lots of fabulous and helpful links!

If you are asking yourself “Should I self-publish my book?” — the answer is NO. Self-publishing is a ridiculously hard amount of work (on top of writing your novel in the first place, which was already a ton of work, am I right?). And right now there is a glut of indie-published books out there, which means that once you DO get through the hard work of writing and the harder work of editing and publishing, there’s the virtually-impossible job of actually getting your book actually SEEN and READ by people.

But if self-publishing is so terrible, why are you doing it? Because I’m the stubborn brat who did terribly in English class, but never stopped writing. I got a Chemistry degree and immediately went to work at a bookstore. I moved across state lines and made really bad life choices (I once started a publishing company to impress a boy) and went into debt several times, all for the sake of writing because it is my soul. I was orphaned by two major publishers and still refused to stop writing.

If you are a crazy person like me–and I know you are out there (MY PEOPLE!)–keep reading.

Everyone else: submit your manuscript to an agent or shove it back under the couch, and then go see a movie and be glad I saved you from the really bad decision you were about to make.

*************************************

Princess Alethea’s Self Publishing Basics

The Manuscript

When you have finished writing your novel (we’re going to talk about novels here, because picture books are ENTIRELY different horses), you need three different kinds of editors to look at it: a content editor, a copyeditor, and at least one proofreader.

The content editor’s job is to be sure your manuscript makes sense. Is the pacing right? Does it flow? Did you forget to describe a character? Did you leave a plot hole dangling? Did you write an adventure story when you meant to write a romance? (I’ve done this at least twice.) Did you realize you have an underlying theme of loss that you should really explore and carry out through the resolution?

The content editor will give you revision notes. Take a day to scream and cry about these notes, and then sit down and do the work to make your story better. (The content editor’s job is not to find typos, but she might mark a few.) When your revisions are completed satisfactorily, your manuscript goes to the copyeditor.

The copyeditor’s job is to go through the manuscript with a fine-tooth comb and catch all your typos and grammatical mistakes. They will sort out your hyphens and pry the commas from your cold, dead hands. They will catch inconsistencies or anachronisms. They will point out awkward sentences that should really be rephrased. They will catch that you used the word “small” five times in one paragraph. Once you have fixed all these silly mistakes, it’s time to send your manuscript to the proofreaders.

A proofreader’s job is to catch whatever tiny things the copyeditor didn’t see. In traditional publishing, this is the equivalent of the Advance Readers Copy. My ARCs go to my VIP Review Team and my Brute Squad. There are a couple of readers who I KNOW will catch things my eagle-eyed copyeditor missed, and I pay special attention to those comments.

In the course of my two-decades-plus in the publishing industry, I have professionally held all three of the above positions. I am here to tell you that YOU NEED ALL THREE OF THEM. If you are the writer, do not do these jobs yourself. And if you are a writer who CAN do any of these jobs yourself, I bow to you because you are a God.

As in traditional publishing, you should always start with the cleanest version of the manuscript you can. If you are distracting any of these editors with a messy manuscript, it’s possible that they will be concentrating so hard on easily fixable mistakes that they miss something they SHOULD be paying attention to. (And that is often how typos end up in final manuscripts)

My editorial team is made up of my best friend (who happens to be an English professor at a big university), a dear author friend, my fan club, and my mom. It took me a long time to put these folks together, and we are AMAZING. You will find your team. But don’t get discouraged if it takes you a while. And be open to looking in un-obvious places.

Casey has papers to grade, Kat has books to write, and Mom’s not currently offering her proofing services on a professional basis, so I’ve compiled this short list of friends & acquaintances for you to research. Please, DO YOUR RESEARCH. Some of these folks only do one kind of editing, or for specific genres. Each will charge different amounts. Feel free to tell them I sent you, and BE KIND–these are friends of mine!

Renee Murphy Shannon Page Chris Kridler Laura Anne Gilman Bryan Thomas Schmidt Spencer German Ellsworth Literally Addicted to Detail (Chelle Olson) Melissa Gilbert Lyn Worthen John Jarrold Ashley Davis Jenny Rae Rappaport Eschler Editing (Sabine Berlin) KH Koehler Michael Kabongo Laura Helseth Venessa Glunta

The Cover

Even after all these years and thousands of idioms, readers still judge a book by its cover. Your cover is INCREDIBLY important. I spend a LOT of money on the cover art for my novels, and it it 100% worth it.

My cover artist is another amazing author (Rachel Marks) who is no longer taking new clients (because she also has books to write!). Luckily for you, there are a TON of new, great resources out there for covers–even places that provide pre-made covers!

(I do not have a list of resources for these yet.)

  The Layout

I am a Mac user, so I have been blessed with the fabulous software that is Vellum. I have been known to tell PC indie authors that it is worth it to buy a Mac, just for the e-book software. And that was BEFORE it could do print layout!

Vellum is magic for e-books. And I suspect I will be doing quite a few print layouts there too, in the future. But outside of that, my go-to for print layout will always be Polgarus Studio. They have made all of my fairy tale books look amazing, and even helped me when I was having massive amount of trouble with Diary of a Mad Scientist Garden Gnome. Their rates are reasonable, communication is excellent, and they provide layout within a week. LOVE THEM.

  Retailers

There are websites where you can upload your e-book and they will get it out to all the various retailers…but really, it’s best if you do the Big Five on your own: Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iTunes, and Google Play. (Google Play is a bit problematic…do some research…but I’ve still got a few books there for now.)

You will need to set up accounts, link bank numbers, and fill out tax forms for each of these sites. It is not a short process. And every time you upload the book, you will need to input the metadata. Another not-short process–while all sites require a lot of the same information, every ine is different.

Do you need ISBNs from Bowker? That’s up to you. I bought a bunch way back when they were on sale, and I use them mostly for my print books through Ingram…but if you’re only using e-books and Createspace, you don’t need them.

I use both CreateSpace and Ingram for my print books. I did a lot of research before I made this decision. Did I need Ingram? Probably not–they are expensive, and a hassle–but I did want hardcover books. I hear that Nook is now doing hardcovers. I haven’t looked into that yet. But CreateSpace can get you into most of the sales channels you need.

Affiliate Programs

Make sure you are set up on all the Affiliate programs: Amazon, Kobo, and iTunes. I admit, the only one I’ve really seen money back from is Amazon…but you never know. All those nickles and dimes add up eventually. And remember to use these links! I know it’s a pain in the butt, but it’s a good habit to train yourself to get into. DO NOT EVER BUY ANYTHING OFF AMAZON without clicking on a link to a fellow author’s book first. Even if you don’t buy the book, they still get the kickback. IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. You have no idea how much!

  Advertising

The book advertising climate changes every five minutes. It’s true that you have to spend money to make money, but FB ads and newsletter ads and free sites are so prevalent now, it’s tough to make a list of reliable ones. I will say that BookBub ads are still great if you can get them (don’t stop applying!) and Hidden Gems is fabulously reliable for getting ARC reviews!

Also: Be sure to “claim” your books on BookBub and add them to your Amazon Author Profile (make sure you are set up on Author Central) as soon as the buy or pre-order links go live!

Author Central will be indispensable to you as an indie author. Their customer service is bar-none.

  Audiobooks

If you’re just starting out with self-publishing, you shouldn’t worry about audiobooks just yet. That said, make sure you also “claim” all your books and short stories on ACX. ACX has a ton of great video tutorials…I highly recommend them. And be prepared to spend a lot of money on your narrator–you get what you pay for. My audiobook narrators have blown me away…and brought me some of the greatest joy. Their exceptional performances remind me why I do what I do!

*************************************

WHEW! Okay, I know that’s a LOT of material, but it really only scratches the surface. I just want to make sure I properly convey the scope of the GIANT HEADACHE you are about to have for the next two-five years.

And if you made it this far…I wish you all the best of luck in the world. Vaya con dios!

xox

Princess Alethea

***************

Follow Alethea Kontis on Patreon: http://ift.tt/1DT4Gha

The post How Do I Self-Publish a Book? (A List, With Resources) appeared first on AletheaKontis.com.

from How Do I Self-Publish a Book? (A List, With Resources)

#How Do I Self-Publish a Book? (A List #With Resources)

[verbballetstaipei-blog]

Day 1555555- Time Travel☸️ *Warning, this is a long post, as it was a very long day. But it is my last post, so enjoy!

Wowwww. I know time travel technically doesn’t exist but boy do I feel like Verb Ballets has accomplished it today. 28 hours ago, on Monday morning, we left our hotel in Taipei, and now we’re all finally home on a Monday evening! My body is so confused right now but hey, we made it! Most of us tried to stay up really late on our last night in Taipei to help us sleep on the plane the next day and flip our 12 hour time difference. I only slept for 2 hours so I think I was pretty successful–I’ve been tired all day! I got up at 5:45am, threw on my comfy flying clothes and set out for one last morning walk around the hotel. I grabbed coffee from 7/11 and sipped it while walking around Peace Park. I’m going to miss that enchanting place. The group met at 6:45am to say goodbye to Ming and Ping (they woke up so early to bid us farewell–so thoughtful!) and taxi to the airport. On our way out, we enjoyed the beautifully gloomy vistas of the industrially advanced city and surrounding picturesque mountains. Taipei sure does know how to look pretty. At the luggage checkpoint, I confirmed that the reason I had so much difficulty cramming everything into my suitcases was because I literally had too much stuff. My bag was several kilograms over the maximum, which meant that Michael and Kelly were each the lucky foster parents of a bag of Kate souvenirs. AKA their suitcases got even heavier thanks to me😬 Have I mentioned that I love both Michael and Kelly?  Thanks guys for saving me and all of my stuff! We made it through security mostly successfully (Kelly had to get her play sand she bought as a gift tested for illegal substances😧) and then we all went our separate ways to wait out the few hours before the flight took off. Unlike US airports, which are essentially expensive shopping malls, the strong sense of cultural pride is evident in Taiwanese airports, which I found out have mini history and art exhibitions in addition to shops and restaurants. I actually learned quite a bit about the various aboriginal groups in Taiwan while waiting for the plane. What a great use of airport waiting time! Another great use of waiting in an airpot time? Food! I went out in search of something savory and vegetarian for under $200 NTD (because that’s all I had left!) and had some trouble. Adorable pastries were everywhere, but I needed something of substance. The only option I could find was lasagna, so I decided to have my first ever breakfast lasagna. Unlike in the states, there was no to-go option (even though it was from a kiosk style cafe) so I had to wait 10 minutes. I had time to kill, so Lieneke and I sat down and chatted about growing up and learning more about yourself traveling and other philosophical things. It was quite the fulfilling pre-lasagna discussion🙃 The food came in a very hot casserole dish, so I let it cool down a bit. I was joking with Lieneke that it was my first meal in Taiwan served with a fork, and that it would have been difficult to eat lasagna with chopsticks. I had only finished about 2 bites when Lieneke said “Oh my gosh! They texted us to hurry back. They must have started boarding early!!” I didn’t want to leave my beautiful breakfast lasagna that I had spent my last NTDs on and waited a whole 10 minutes for, but I didn’t want to miss my flight back to America! I told Lieneke to run ahead and that I would be right there. I ran over to the lady at the kiosk and if she had a paper plate. She said she didn’t because they didn’t have a to-go option (us Americans and our obsession with eating food on the go). Losing hope, I started looking around but didn’t see any other cafes that had to-go options either. Then I saw paper cups behind the counter. “Could I use a cup?” I asked. The lady looked at me like I was seriously crazy as I scraped the lasagna from the casserole dish into the paper cup, repeatedly burning myself in the process. Then I took off running. Right as I was about to get to the gate, I saw Lieneke running towards me. For a split second I thought she was going to say that the plane left, but then I saw her smile. “Everyone is still there, they just told us to hurry back so that the group could move to a sitting area closer to the gate,” she said. We both broke down laughing with the ridiculousness of the situation–having lasagna for breakfast in Taiwan then Olympic sprinting through the airport with it sloppily shoved in a cup. The best part? I ended up having to eat the cup lasagna with chopsticks because I couldn’t find a plastic fork. That had to be one of the funniest breakfasts of my life! Also one of the most accomplished…I finished the whole veggie lasagna with chopsticks! Then came the longggg flight. Ugh. Verb Ballets had survived Taiwan successfully, but as soon as the plan crossed to international waters fecal matter started hitting the fan quickly (if ya know what I’m sayin’). Poor Stephaen spent the majority of the flight throwing up into shoddily designed puke bags that often did not do their job holding puke. So we all donated our blankets to the cause of containing said puke. That poor guy felt terrible the whole trip. Christina also had to deal with a minor cross-contamination flair-up with her egg allergy. Though it was a “minor” reaction (someone must have touched an egg then touched her food, so she didn’t actually eat egg) she was still doubled over in discomfort for the majority of our travels. The flight didn’t have working outlets or internet again, customs didn’t open for a half hour until after we landed, and the aircraft only had one working door to deplane, so we got to sit in our seats for a longgg time after landing from our delightful flight feeling especially wonderful😖 When we finally got off, we had to cross back through a passport checkpoint, customs, baggage claim, and security again before getting to our next gate en route to Denver. Needless to say, our suffering company members really had to dig deep to stand in the endless lines with all of their luggage. Lieneke was trying to be helpful and carry some of Stephaen’s things, but then she also felt dizzy and had to lie down. For those of you who know Lieneke, this lady has amazon strength so if she’s lying down you know she’s really not doing well. However, we all eventually got to the gate and had several hours to recuperate before our next flight. Unfortunately, Nathanael then realized that someone had gotten ahold of his credit card information while we were overseas, so he had to deal with all of that fun stuff during the layover. Wooo man! Verb Ballets was on a serious struggle bus! I felt slightly guilty that I wasn’t dealing with severe physical discomfort or financial distress, so I did my best to help those who were suffering however I could. Once everyone was relatively stable in a recovery position balled up or lying down, I decided to take an airport walk to relieve my swollen tight muscles. During my stroll, I discovered that the San Francisco airport has a yoga room free for all to use! I felt much better after stretching and rolling out in the yoga room. Every airport should jump on that yoga room bandwagon. Our next 2 flights went more smoothly. We had a fairly quick turnaround from Denver to Cleveland, and luckily no new problems arose. I slept through most of those flights, which will probably complicate my jet lag recovery later, but I was happy to sleep. I was exhausted! By a minor miracle, we all made it back to Cleveland conscious and upright (in a precarious mental state, but that’s beside the point😜) with all of our luggage. If it weren’t for some serious teamwork and a lot of nice flight attendants, we might have never made it back to the beloved “Mistake on the Lake” that we call home. Delirious but happy, we bused back to Verb so we could drive back to our respective apartments. I blasted out of the parking lot in hopes of making it to Whole Foods before they closed at 10. I had been craving a big crunchy salad with cottage cheese for weeks! And my apartment was foodless! Some very kind employees took pity on me and let me scurry to the salad bar at 10:01. Thank you so much Whole Foods on Cedar! You made a happy ending to a very very very long day (a 29+ hour day to be precise!). My big suitcase filled with dirty laundry was so heavy I could’t even get it up the stairs, so I decided to throw a bunch of laundry in the washer before even making it up to my apartment (my machines are in the basement). I can’t explain how excited I am to have clean laundry! I currently have a washed face, an empty bladder, and I am enjoying a crunchy Whole Foods salad. Life is great🤗. You really notice the little things after traveling for hours on end. It was a challenging day, but I’ll take that in exchange for a truly amazing tour. Thanks to everyone who followed me along on Verb’s travels! We all feel deeply humbled to have had this experience, and want to thank everyone who made it possible. Cleveland Foundation–You rock (even more than the Rock Hall…shhh!). None of this would have been possible without you. All donors who contributed–thank you thank you thank you! BodyEDT–well you know we are obsessed with you and absolutely can’t wait to have you come to our neck of the globe starting next week. Your company’s futuristic vision and generous heart inspired us the whole trip. I am so looking forward to performing with you again in a few short weeks at Cleveland Public Theater! On that note, the travel blog ends here. Time for me to return to real life of dancing all day and teaching all night! If you have enjoyed learning more about Verb and Body EDT, I recommend that you follow our Facebook pages to keep tabs on our future adventures. -Verb’s FB page is: https://www.facebook.com/verbballets/?ref=br_rs -And BodyEDT’s FB page is: https://www.facebook.com/BodyEDT/ If you ever have to the chance to go to Taipei, definitely do it! It is a marvelous place with some even more fabulous people. I will leave you with a list of things I will miss from Taiwan, and also a list of things I look forward to having again back home. Xièxiè, zàijiàn! 💖Kate Things I’ll miss about Taiwan:

-Chopsticks -Cute dogs and their even cuter haircuts -The happy, clean, efficient MRT and its calming music -Cartoons for everything -Guavas guavas everywhere -All dem oolong teas! -The young people–they’re so enthusiastic yet well behaved (I feel like an old lady saying that but it’s true guys!) -The hardworking and respectful culture. No room for “too cool for school” here -The emphasis on collectivism and benefitting the community over the individual -Bowing my head (I do get how that physically manifests respect) -Peace signin’ it up in pictures -Street dancing   -The wide variety and accessibility of fake meats -Having time to explore and stumble across new adventures -All of their exciting new flavors (taro mung bean pastry anyone?) -Affordable yet nutritious food -The endlessly generous, hardworking, and affectionate Taiwanese people Things I’m looking forward to in America:

-Consistent toilet paper and sitting toilets (squatty potties can get increasingly complicated if anything is going on beyond your basic pee) -Cottage cheese and Greek yogurt -Fresh veggies that I can clean and eat raw and crunchayyy! Nommm (their veggies were deliciously prepared but often with lotso oil) -Being in the same time zone as my friends and family -Literacy -Having the ability to express myself articulately and not feeling guilty for my horrifically pronounced Mandarin -A diverse looking poppulation -Peanut butter -My back massage chair -My bed -Seeing everyone I’ve missed! Kate Over and Out👋 

#verbballetstaipei home

[13thhr]

Episode #109: Brent Simon – Musician and Aerial Video Producer, Part 2 of 3

https://archive.org/download/Podcast110_201709/podcast%20110.mp3

Last week, we had our first episode of Brent Simon’s interview, and this week, we discuss things like bittorrent, movie that were probably inappropriate to be shown to children (but were), how we went around humming John Williams scores as kids, and more.  Lots of 80s movies references in this one!

In case you missed the backstory, in the beginning of the summer, during the interview with Jeff Finley (episodes 101 and 102), we talked about Jeff’s making of a little documentary that rocketed to the forefront of Youtube back in 2006 featuring none other than current guest Brent Simon.  Last week, we talked about the making of that short film (called “The Brentumentary,”) as well as the media explosion that happened afterwards resulting in a CD of synthesizer tunes.  It’s, unfortunately, really hard to find now for some reason.  I did manage to track down a copy of another CD Brent talked about last week, the infamously named “Vomit Gold” by the band he was in prior to all this happening, Bellevue:

You can hear Brent’s synthesizer action in the background just like he mentioned last week.  I’ll figure out how to get it to Brent.  Of all people, he should own this disc.

Speaking of musical things, at one point, Brent references a childhood favorite track, which was a disco version of the Star Wars theme.  I’m not sure this is the same one, but here’s one I did find a medley version on youtube, which has the main theme, the cantina theme, and a bit of the Force theme.

  We also discuss the notable lack of the Voltron theme in the new reboot, Tranzor Z (finally learned what that robot was called; see below), Transformers, Robotech, G.I. Joe, Thundercats, Prince Valiant (watch the intro here; always thought this was a kickass intro – the full song was done who the synth duo Exchange), and more.  We touch on a few movies my brother I rewatched a number of months ago (discussed in episodes 74 and 75) as well as a full discussion of some classic movie scores by folks such as James Horner (The Rocketeer, Willow,  The Journey of Natty Gann, etc).

Click on the picture for the original Japanese intro, which, true to form given the time period, has men singing in the background.

Find more Brent by going to the original source on Jeff Finley’s youtube channel or on FB at https://www.facebook.com/Brent-Simon-355981196166/?ref=br_rs and, believe it or not, on myspace (https://myspace.com/brentsimon/music/songs) – the music still (sometimes) works there.

At the end of the show, there a clip of one of the songs from Brent’s “Seven of Nine” CD, a very catchy tune with clever lyrics called “Alien Abduction.”  If you want to see a “live” performance (11 years ago), there’s a clip Jeff put up on his channel of Brent busting out a 20 min set with friends with a number of songs from the CD (not to mention a short breakdancing bit on cardboard, no less):

  And speaking of which, check out Jeff’s Soundcloud page for a number of new tracks he’s produced since coming on the show at the beginning of the summer.  His latest instrumental chillwave track:

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Between Two Worlds, the synth EP follow up to Long Ago Not So Far Away is now out for streaming on Bandcamp.  

The bonus track, called “Flight of the Cloudrider” has a 80s movie mashup music video (see if you can identify all the movies!) which is available on youtube.   This app was largely created with the iphone app Auxy.

Stay tuned.  Follow along on Spotify!  There is also a growing extended Thirteenth Hour playlist on Spotify with a growing number of retro 80s songs.

Check it out!

As always, thanks for listening!  Next week more on Brent Simon!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

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The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #110: Musician and Aerial Video Producer Brent Simon Comes on the Show Part 2 of 3 Episode #109: Brent Simon - Musician and Aerial Video Producer, Part 2 of 3 Last week, we had our…

#13thhr #80smovies #80smusic #backtothefuture #backtothefuture2 #brentsimon #brentumentary #creativeprocess #gijoe #guest #indie #interview #jameshorner #jefffinley #keyboard #music #princevaliant #retro80s #risingsun #robocop #robotech #soundtrack #synth #synthesizer #thethirteenthhour #thirteenthhour #thundercats #tranzorz #voltron

[royalbluecactus-blog]

1. Who was the last person you held hands with? Tanner 2. Are you outgoing or shy? Depends 3. Who are you looking forward to seeing? Tanner 4. Are you easy to get along with? I guess 5. If you were drunk would the person you like take care of you? No he’d be drunk too lol 6. What kind of people are you attracted to? Unfortunately bad boys, but not on purpose 7. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now? No thank god 8. Who from the opposite gender is on your mind? Van McCann 9. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable? Favorite topic 10. Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with? I don’t know 11. What does the most recent text that you sent say? "Karma, baby.” 12. What are your 5 favorite songs right now? All by C&TB: Postpone, Anything, Sidewinder, Red, Rango. 13. Do you like it when people play with your hair? HELL YEAH 14. Do you believe in luck and miracles? I guess 15. What good thing happened this summer? Bryce 16. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Yes 17. Do you think there is life on other planets? Prolly 18. Do you still talk to your first crush? Nope 19. Do you like bubble baths? Ye 20. Do you like your neighbors? No opinion 21. What are your bad habits? Procrastination, sleeping too much, pulling my hair when I’m anxious 22. Where would you like to travel? UK 23. Do you have trust issues? Yup 24. Favorite part of your daily routine? Sleeping or eyebrows 25. What part of your body are you most uncomfortable with? Stomach 26. What do you do when you wake up? Hit my alarm at least 6 times 27. Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker? Darker I guess idk 28. Who are you most comfortable around? Myself 29. Have any of your ex’s told you they regret breaking up? Yup 30. Do you ever want to get married? Don’t know 31. Is your hair long enough for a pony tail? Yes 32. Which celebrities would you have a threesome with? Kaya Scodelario, Dave Franco 33. Spell your name with your chin. Fuck you 34. Do you play sports? What sports? Volleyball, track 35. Would you rather live without TV or music? TV 36. Have you ever liked someone and never told them? Yeah 37. What do you say during awkward silences? Something stupid 38. Describe your dream girl/guy? Loyal, trustworthy, open, possessive, thoughtful, intelligent, brown eyes 39. What are your favorite stores to shop in? Victoria’s Secret, target 40. What do you want to do after high school? College 41. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance? Doesn’t matter cause I’ll give it to them anyway 42. If your being extremely quiet what does it mean? I’m either really mad, or have a lot on my mind 43. Do you smile at strangers?
Always 44. Trip to outer space or bottom of the ocean?
FUCK THAT 45. What makes you get out of bed in the morning?
The government 46. What are you paranoid about? Everything
47. Have you ever been high?
Mm 48. Have you ever been drunk?
Mmmmm 49. Have you done anything recently that you hope nobody finds out about? Daily, yeah
50. What was the colour of the last hoodie you wore?
Gray 51. Ever wished you were someone else? Yes
52. One thing you wish you could change about yourself?
I wish I had any sort of motivation or ambition or willpower 53. Favourite makeup brand?
Morphe, tarte 54. Favorite store?
Target 55. Favorite blog?
User posts 56. Favourite colour?
Purple 57. Favourite food?
Wings 58. Last thing you ate?
Chinese 59. First thing you ate this morning?
I haven’t had anything but Chinese today so 60. Ever won a competition? For what?
Soccer x2, bow and arrow, music x2, art x3, volleyball 61. Been suspended/expelled? For what? Nope
62. Been arrested? For what?
Nope 63. Ever been in love?
Yes 64. Tell us the story of your first kiss?
Russel street, behind an old garage on the hood of a vintage car and it was completely lackluster 65. Are you hungry right now?
Yes 66. Do you like your tumblr friends more than your real friends?
Idk 67. Facebook or Twitter?
Fb 68. Twitter or Tumblr?
Tumblr 69. Are you watching tv right now?
No 70. Names of your bestfriends?
Pillow, blanket, earbuds 71. Craving something? What?
Milka chocolate 72. What colour are your towels?
Cream, purple, red 72. How many pillows do you sleep with?
4+ 73. Do you sleep with stuffed animals?
Depends 74. How many stuffed animals do you think you have?
6 75. Favourite animal?
Ladybugs 76. What colour is your underwear?
Pink 77. Chocolate or Vanilla?
Vanilla 78. Favourite ice cream flavour?
Pistachio, black raspberry chip, mocha 79. What colour shirt are you wearing?
Not wearing one, pink bra if that counts 80. What colour pants?
Gray 81. Favourite tv show?
House, Shameless, Bones, B99 82. Favourite movie?
Olympus Has Fallen 83. Mean Girls or Mean Girls 2?
Haven’t seen either 84. Mean Girls or 21 Jump Street?
Haven’t seen either 85. Favourite character from Mean Girls?
The redhead 86. Favourite character from Finding Nemo?
Lil turtle guy 87. First person you talked to today?
Daniel 88. Last person you talked to today?
Tanner 89. Name a person you hate?
Carly 90. Name a person you love?
Van McCann 91. Is there anyone you want to punch in the face right now?
Yup 92. In a fight with someone?
Yup 93. How many sweatpants do you have? 5?
94. How many sweaters/hoodies do you have?
At least 6 95. Last movie you watched?
John Wick 2 96. Favourite actress?
Kaya Scod., Olivia Wilde, Emma Watson, Nina Dobrev, Ellen Page, Zoe Saldana, Taylor Hill, Blake Lively 97. Favourite actor?
Ryan Reynolds, Keanu Reeves, Francos collectively, Jesse Eisenburg 98. Do you tan a lot?
Only burn 99. Have any pets?
Yup 100. How are you feeling?
Spaz 101. Do you type fast?
Yeah 102. Do you regret anything from your past? YEAH
103. Can you spell well?
Yes 104. Do you miss anyone from your past?
Mhm 105. Ever been to a bonfire party?
Yesssss 106. Ever broken someone’s heart?
I don’t know 107. Have you ever been on a horse?
Yes 108. What should you be doing?
Art sketchbook 109. Is something irritating you right now?
Nahh 110. Have you ever liked someone so much it hurt?
Definitely 111. Do you enjoy school?
No 112. Who was the last person you cried in front of?
I don’t remember the last time I cried. Probably my mom in December 2016 113 What was your childhood nickname? Bugga 114. Have you ever been out of your province/state?
Yes 115. Do you play the Wii?
Not at home but I enjoy it elsewhere 116. Are you listening to music right now?
Yes 117. Do you like chicken noodle soup?
I guess yeah 118. Do you like Indian food? Haven't had 119. Favorite book? Harry Potter series, Ingo series, Tuesday's At The Castle, Forevermore 120. Are you afraid of the dark? Yes 121. Are you mean? Yes 122. Is cheating ever okay? No but it happens 123. Can you keep white shoes clean? Ish 124. Do you believe in love at first sight? Lust and infatuation, maybe 125. Do you believe in true love? Lust and infatuation, maybe 126. Are you currently bored? Yes 127. What makes you happy? Sleep, music, food 128. What would you change your name to? Wyatt 129. What your zodiac sign? Scorpio 130. Do you like subway? Yes 131. Your bestfriend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? Scream 132. Who’s the last person you told your feelings to? Emma 133. Favourite lyrics right now? "Postpone it... Tell them all love does is bide you a year until you get out of here." "Give me some madness I can grasp on to." "The street lights will carry us home." 134. Can you count to one million? Why 135. Dumbest lie you ever told? I love you 136. Do you sleep with your doors open or closed? Closed 137. How tall are you? 5'3" 138. Curly or Straight hair? If this is preference, curly. But I tend to straighten mine or it frizzes 139. Brunette or Blonde? Depends 140. Summer or Winter? Summer 141. Night or Day? Day 142. Favourite month? Idk, June 143. Are you a vegetarian? Nope 144. Dark, milk or white chocolate? Milk 145. Tea or coffee? Both
Both 146. Was today a good day? Yes
Yes 147. Mars or Snickers?
Never had either 148. What’s your favourite quote? "Sunshine, there ain't a thing that you can do that's gonna ruin my night." -Vic Fuentes
149. Do you believe in ghosts?
Yup 150. Get the closest book next to you, open it to page 42, what’s the first line on that page?
“In that second I could feel every pulsing vein in my body. God, those eyes. Her soft lips. Her everything. I had fallen in love and she crafted the net."

[your-dietician]

2021 Football Opponent Previews: North Texas Mean Green

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/ncaa-football/2021-football-opponent-previews-north-texas-mean-green/

2021 Football Opponent Previews: North Texas Mean Green

Catch up on previous 2021 opponent previews!

Central Michigan

Kentucky

Southeast Missouri State

Boston College

Tennessee

Whenever I played Dynasty mode on all the various iterations of NCAA Football, I would always inevitably end up 30 years into my coaching career and constantly wind up in two or three National Championship games against North Texas. As improbable as that is in real life – because, until the recent Playoff expansion to 12 teams, G5 teams were never allowed to play for a National Championship – at least in the game it made sense! Denton is located right in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which is the prime recruiting ground for Texas, as well as only being a four-hour drive to the other main recruiting turf of Houston. North Texas as a school has an annual enrollment of over 40,000 students with a nice alumni base for donations and booster-corps. And it’s located in the football-crazed state of Texas, so of course on paper (and in the game) a solid Mean Green football team was a totally feasible outcome.

That’s rarely been the case, however. They were pretty good back when “Mean” Joe Green was leading a dynamite defense in the 60s but they dropped down to the FCS level in the 70s and weren’t really even competitive at that level. They came back to the FBS level in the 90s and only really saw success in two instances since then: Darrell Dickey’s four consecutive Sun Belt Championship runs of 2001-2004 and then current coach Seth Littrell’s back-to-back 9-win seasons in 2017 and 2018.

Since then the Mean Green have been in a bit of funk, including last year. Check it out:

2020 North Texas Schedule Results

North Texas basically played two seasons in last year’s COVID season: from September 5th through October 17th the Mean Green went 2-3, beating Middle Tennessee and FCS Houston Baptist in shoot-outs while nobly falling to SMU and faceplanting against bad Southern Miss and Charlotte squads. Then they had a forced month off due to COVID cancellations before once again scraping out two wins against struggling Rice and UTEP teams and getting blown out by UTSA and Louisiana Tech. Because all teams were eligible for a bowl last year, North Texas had the honor of being a 4-5 bowl team, getting pantsed by Eli Drinkwitz’s old team, Appalachian State, 56-28 to close out the year.

North Texas’ wins were ugly and their losses were uglier. What does 2021 hold in store for them?

Coaching Staff

Seth Littrell

Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Seth Littrell – 6th Year – 31-31 (21-18)

Back in the far away land of 2018, Seth Littrell was the hottest name in the fast-riser category of college football coach. The former North Carolina OC was 40 years young, was considered an excellent offensive mind, and built a program that had won 9-games twice in a row at a school that hadn’t seen success in quite some time. He interviewed for the Kansas State job but was told that he would have no say in who he could hire for his assistant coach staff. Given how incredibly rare and awkward a situation that is – and also the fact that he had an absolutely loaded offense, led by record-breaking quarterback Mason Fine and offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, returning in 2019 – Littrell rebuked the Wildcats and elected to wait another year to try the coaching carousel after the 2019 season.

The Mean Green lost Harrell to USC and proceeded to go 4-8. Then went 4-6 last year for good measure.

Now, Littrell is firmly on the hot-seat in Denton, TX. This might be one of those ghost stories coaches tell each other at conventions about waiting too long to “make the jump” to the P5 level, but also, Kansas State gave Littrell a dirty deal so I don’t blame him for turning them down. He just happened to regress in the one year he couldn’t then had issues trying to rebuild during a COVID season. It doesn’t look great that his offenses without Graham Harrell have noticeably regressed, but this season will be the first where he has a solidified starter at quarterback in two years. I don’t know how this season will end up or how itchy the North Texas trigger finger is, but it would be in Littrell’s best interest to at least make a bowl this year. The anxiety is certainly palpable with his recent DC hire so it’s clear he feels the pressure to succeed quickly as well.

Coach Littrell’s Resume

Assistant Staff

Mike Bloesch & Tommy Mainord – Co-Offensive Coordinators: These two had the unenviable task of replacing offensive wunderkind Graham Harrell has coordinators for the Mean Green and, reader, the difference was noticeable. Harrell’s offenses excelled in the passing game, ranking 65th and 67th overall in the two years under his watch. Without Harrell calling the shot the Mean Green became more run-oriented as their quarterbacks lost their accuracy and the passing game became ever more reliant on the deep ball. Bloesch and Mainord juggled between two quarterbacks last year but the transfer portal has given them a single answer to the position for now. If they can help develop some reliable receivers – and Mainord doubles as the wide receivers coach so the pressure is double on him – then they can get the Mean Green back to competence in both aspects of offensive production.

Phil Bennett – Defensive Coordinator: Fun fact: Phil Bennett hasn’t coached a down of football since 2017 when he retired as Arizona State’s defensive coordinator. Before then he had spent six years as Baylor’s defensive coordinator under Art Briles, bringing an blitz-heavy, turnover-reliant scheme to pair with the Briles’ warp-speed offensive attack. The hire makes sense: Seth Littrell has only once fielded a defense that ranked better than 92nd, and with his up-tempo air-raid-ish offensive attack, he needs someone familiar with producing havoc-friendly defenses that can create a few turnovers, cause a few explosions, and build a two-three possession cushion for the offense to work with. At 65, Bennett certainly isn’t a fossil but he retired because of health reasons and one has to wonder how much he has recovered – and how much he’ll be into it – as he inherits a defense that could barely stop FCS Houston Baptist.

Chris Petrilli – Special Teams Coordinator

Blake Joseph – Quarterbacks

Patrick Cobbs – Running Backs

Adrian Mayes – Tight Ends

Matt Passwaters – Defensive Line

Jim Gush – Linebackers

Jarred Holley – Cornerbacks

Offense

Yes, the Mean Green offense ranked 83rd overall in SP+ last year but this is still a damn good offense when it’s clicking. Last year’s version did two things: run the ball for efficiency and sometimes connect on the deep ball. If they could do that then it was a race to score 60 first; if they couldn’t then they fell behind by three scores and could never make up the difference.

North Texas wasn’t the most explosive on the ground but was Top 30 in every other ground metric and excelled at both standard down success rate (37th) and passing down success rate (22nd). The issue? They were successful by running the ball on those downs. If they couldn’t get it on the ground then their surprisingly bad passing offense (62nd) couldn’t reliably make up the difference since it needed to hit on deep balls downfield (or have Jaelon Darden take a 1-yard screen and make magic happen). The quarterback, line, and running backs all return so expect another heavy-dosage of the quick-hitting run game; how the passing game develops, however, will tell the tale of how successful the ‘21 offense can be.

Austin Aune

Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Quarterback – Austin Aune – Redshirt Sophomore

Austin Aune Stats

Originally a 3-star prospect in the 2012 recruiting class, Aune spent six years in the New York Yankees farm system after being drafted in the 2nd round of the MLB Draft. After not making it past the High-A Tampa affiliation he decided to go back to school and walked-on at Arkansas. He then transferred to North Texas and is now a 28-year old fourth-year sophomore: a combination of age, eligibility, and classification that I will confidently assume has never been achieved before (thanks COVID!). Last year Aune and Jason Bean split time at quarterback but neither gentleman really set themselves apart: both had 54% completion rates (yuck) while Bean threw one more touchdown and interception and Aune took way fewer sacks. Bean hit the transfer portal at the end of 2020, however, and is now trying to salvage the kansas Football Jayhawks so Aune is the lone QB with any experience on the team now. It’ll be interesting to see what he can do with a full season of being “the guy”: does he level out with more snaps and knowing he’s the one quarterback that UNT rolls out? Does he keep the same scatter-shot accuracy and suck out loud for another season? UNT returns a ton of receivers but not a lot of production so the passing game might struggle for another season unless Aune can magically cover for that inexperience.

DeAndre Torrey

Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Running Back – DeAndre Torrey – Graduate Student

Torrey is the “lightening” of Mean Green running backs while Oscar Adaway III is the thunder. The two combined for 212 carries, 1,228 yards, and 9 touchdowns on the ground. At 5’7” and 195 pounds, Torrey is seemingly the faster, quicker back to Adaway’s 6’0”, 215-pound build but they both averaged nearly the same yards per carry (5.8) and yards-per-carry on inside runs (5.9) and zone-read runs (both over 7.0 YPC). The difference is that Torrey was stuffed 6% more of the time and struggled in 7-man boxes while Adaway averaged over 5-yards per run in a 7-man box or greater. Regardless, either is a home-run threat if they can get outside and will be relied upon to steady the UNT offense until a passing threat is found.

Deonte Simpson

Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Wide Receiver – Deonte Simpson – Sophomore

First, let’s appreciate what North Texas receiver Jaelon Darden did in 2020:

112 targets, 74 catches (66% catch rate), 1,190 yards, 19 touchdowns. And that was with two inaccurate quarterbacks throwing to him!

But Darden is a Tampa Bay Buccaneer now. So let’s look at Deonte Simpson, UNT’s second best receiver last year:

45 targets, 25 catches (56% catch rate), 517 yards, 4 touchdowns.

Yikes.

Darden was seemingly the first, second, and third read in the passing progression and, occasionally, Simpson would get a look as the deep threat guy (20.7 yards per catch, 11 yards per target). Unfortunately the Mean Green’s third-leading receiver hit the transfer portal so it’s Simpson and then a pu-pu platter of dudes with less than 25 targets for the entire season. Unless a freshman or underclassman from last year makes an immediate impact it’s hard to see the passing game carving up the Tiger secondary, even with all the new faces occupying the starting spots.

Defense

Let’s cut to the chase: the North Texas stunk last year. Let’s list all the metrics that North Texas was not in the bottom 30 for:

Passing Downs Success Rate: 31.9% (64th)

End of list.

Literally everything else was 80th or worse, including allowing nearly a 50% success rate on running plays (103rd), a 44% success rate on passing plays (83rd), and a whopping 54% success rate on standard downs (116th). And that was was with a play-making defensive tackle, two solid linebackers, a legitimate shutdown corner, and a do-everything safety in the lineup.

So what gives? Former kansas Defensive Coordinator Clint Bowen (the architect of those killer Jayhawk defenses from ‘06-’09) joined the Mean Green right before the pandemic hit, inheriting the 91st best defense of 2019 and crashing it into a wall as they tumbled to 121st. Whether it was a lack of practice time or just an inability to game plan well, Bowen’s 10-game run as DC ended as quickly as it began and Littrell brought former Baylor DC Phil Bennett out of retirement to salvage what he can from last year’s defense.

The good news, as it were: almost everyone comes back. “The 121st-best defense returns everyone” might not elicit much hope or enthusiasm but Bennett is known for his aggressive, attacking defenses and a tactical shift – or at least a different voice in the room – paired with some legitimate talent might be enough to turn this thing around.

…or they could continue to get blown the hell up every week in a similar fashion that every other Littrell-era defense has done. We’ll find out soon enough!

Dion Novil

Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Defensive Line – Dion Novil – Graduate Student

Novil is a rarity: a 3-4 nose tackle that lead the team in tackles for loss (7). Now, that probably speaks a lot more about the talent (or lack thereof) on the roster around him, but it’s still damn impressive for a 6’4”, 330-pound guy eating double teams every play to still log a team-high level of tackles for loss. The two other top linemen return for 2021 as well but, combined, their stats didn’t even come close to the production Novil put up. Mike Maietti and Case Cook will have their hands full on October 9th.

Larry Nixon III

Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Linebacker – Larry Nixon III – Redshirt Sophomore

The Mean Green have their own Larry Threesticks! Their version, Larry Nixon, had a breakout year last season, ending up third on the team in tackles and third on the team in tackles for loss. Every linebacker from last year’s team returns and, while they weren’t the best unit last year, they certainly got plenty of experience and are deep enough to provide a solid rotation throughout the year. Keep an eye on Gabriel Murphy as well: the redshirt freshman only logged 11 tackles but was second on the team with 5 tackles for loss.

Makyle Sanders

Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images

Defensive Back – Makyle Sanders – Graduate Student

Sanders seemingly never left the field from his safety position, leading the defense in snaps (709), tackles (38), and interceptions (2). Like every other defensive position previewed here, most of the defensive backs return, including both starting corners and safeties (and Quin Whitlock is an excellent #1 cornerback). I’m not sure how much improvement one-year can make – ranking 83rd in passing success rate allowed and 97th in passing explosiveness doesn’t magically improve with 10 games of experience – but continuity should mean that they could probably get out of the 100-area ranking…for whatever that’s worth…

So what does it all mean?

2021 North Texas Schedule

You schedule these games to win them. The obvious statement is obvious but when you’re a middling SEC team you need to schedule an easy non-conference slate to gain experience and build up wins to get to a bowl game, get ranked, earn a little primetime tv time, and increase your recruiting by building the brand into a culture of winners.

So when you pay a North Texas or Central Michigan to come to your house you need to not only get the W but really put the hurting on them to show your athleticism and ability to be a cut above other teams at your peer level.

North Texas is vulnerable: their head coach is on the hot seat and making some desperate changes to save his job on the side of the ball that he’s never had success with. They have good players, yes, but the depth behind them absolutely sucks and their best offensive weapon last year is currently in the NFL.

Yes, some youth will step up and be good, and yes, a defensive-philosophy change that champions havoc and disruption will hit home a few times and cause a quick three-and-out or a bad turnover that causes some clinching among Missouri faithful. But if Eli Drinkwitz and this team are what we think they are – and the talent he’s bringing in is as good as we think they can be – and the weaknesses on this team have been sufficiently plugged through the transfer portal, then this should be a butt-kicking that we can collectively enjoy from halftime on.

Again, Missouri is too young and not good enough to ever give a C+ effort and expect a win. This game comes right after Tennessee and right before Texas A&M and UNT will be coming off of a Bye week. But even with all of that, this should be a comfortable 14-point win at a minimum. I foresee that coming to fruition.

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The Side Hustle Is Real: 19 Real Ways People Make Money Outside of Their Jobs

For many people in today’s economy, having one job isn’t enough.

It’s the sad state of the world today, but some people have come up with pretty creative ways to make money outside of work.

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We call that the side hustle.

And while some romanticize the idea of the side hustle, it’s not the best that we have to resort to it. Maybe you’re looking to make a little dough, or maybe you’re just curious. Either way, here are the ways 19 different people make some extra cash.

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The Human Science Experiment

via: Shutterstock

I’m poor but I participate in clinical studies for the NIH as a healthy volunteer. Pay is pretty decent ($150-$250) per session, and since I’m too poor to afford health insurance it comes with the added benefit of providing me with free physicals and STD testing. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me and for many of the studies you only need a functioning human body to qualify.

–papigrande

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The Mystery Shopper

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Mystery diner/evaluator for upscale restaurants. I saw this on one of these threads a couple years back and it became one of my favorite things.

Doesn’t pay super well ($15 per gig) but I get reimbursed for mine and my guest’s meals + drinks. Just did a mystery shop at a really fancy steakhouse and spent about $200 on food and drinks. I have to write a full-on essay afterward scrutinizing every detail but it’s totally worth. I love fancy food and I’m a pretty fast writer. –Malchicky

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The House Sitter

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Being a 22-year-old that doesn’t have much time for anything other than school and work, I house sit for people while they’re out of town.

You just have to go home to someone else’s house for awhile, and for me, I love it. I live in a tiny apartment and staying at an actual house with a full sized kitchen is like a vacation that I get paid for. –SadHurry

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The Nude Model

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I moonlight as a nude model for the local life drawing class. I originally freelanced for the local college, but since I’m currently taking one of the art programs, ehhhhh. …..The only big requirement is you have to be okay being naked in a room full of strangers.

And usually, you’re the only one. The nice thing about this is A0, you’re not expected to be a perfect specimen of the species, a good artist will want a variety of body types for reference. Plus it puts the whole “having a nightmare about being naked at work” in a whole new light –Blue_Moon_Rabbit

The next one is a pretty good gig…

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The Dog Walker

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Here in Spain, dog walking. I just moved here and miss my dog dearly(staying with parents for next 8 months while I go to school), so I randomly messaged a dog walking FB page. Told them I would love to walk dogs for them once in a while.

Met with the lady who started the company and she said 100% I can. I’m not under contract or anything, but whenever she is overwhelmed with dogs, she calls me. I take them for a walk for a couple hours and play with them, and she pays me 25 euros(she charges the customer 30 and keeps 5 as her commission). Honestly, I would have done it for free but the extra money is cool for beer and food funds.

I walk and play with a dog for a couple hours 3-4 times a week and make 80-100 euros for it. It helps me cope with missing my dog, and playing with dogs is just f**king awesome on its own. Just msg some dog walking company on FB or whatever, and I’m sure they could use extra help. –Yoinkie2013

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The Disney Shopper

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My sister lives near Disneyland and has a season pass. She takes peoples orders for exclusive shit from the park and she goes there and picks it all up and uses that time to get her steps in for the day walking around and also making money getting stuff for people and then sells/ships it to them.

people will pay a lot of money for the Disney shit that you can only get in the park… now this is obviously not possible for everyone but build on this idea. If you live in an area with baller ass thrift stores or good garage sales buy some shit and flip it online –savvyxxi

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The eBay Reseller

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I’ve sold stuff on eBay…. whether it was things lying around the house to actually going to flea markets and finding stuff for sale.

Found an N64 with 10 games for 5 dollars. Sold 1 of the games for $27 dollars alone. –atticuslodius

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The Yard Sale Ninja

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I’m a 23-year-old dude and I love going to yard sales and buying things then reselling them. The trick is to just buy things that interest you and slowly branch out to learn what certain things sell for. –amcge122

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The Computer Repair Man

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Computer repair. You’ll be surprised how bad people are with these things and how much they are willing to spend to get their s**t fixed. –smartass09

The next idea isn’t half bad…

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The House Painter

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I paint. It’s an incredibly dull thing that people hate doing. It’s not hard. A steady hand and decent angled brush for cutting and your pretty much good to go. I do other handyman things if needed except drywall. I do not have the talent for it. –PM-ME-XBOX-LIVE-GOLD

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The YouTubers

My wife and I made some cute dog videos on YouTube. The licenses for some of them were bought. In total, we made about $2,500 from companies wanted to share the videos on their own sites. –AnotherDrunkCanadian

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The Micro Tasker

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Amazon Micro Tasks is also a good bit of passive income. It’s basically a marketplace for small jobs that require human intelligence. Tasks can include, identifying objects in a photo or video, performing data de-duplication, transcribing audio recordings or researching data details. –Decent_Sauce

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The Referee

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If you have a thick skin, referee or umpire rec sports. Games are always outside of normal business hours since the players work too. I used to do soccer refereeing. I figured I was being paid to exercise (and be yelled at). –whatIreallythink4

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The Pot Brownie Baker

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I sell pot brownies. Pretty simple and discreet and I can make 500-600$ a month with the cost subtracted –ChirurigalDrug

The next one isn’t as, well, illegal in most places…

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The “Whatever” Gig

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Not me but I met a girl who charges $30 an hour for whatever.

She’ll take your car to get the oil changed, she’ll pick you up groceries, she’ll go to your house to sign for a delivery or meet the HVAC guy, etc. –elmiller2

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The Tutor

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tutor children in something you are good at. Right now I tutor elementary kids in chess get paid around 80 dollars an hour. It helps with college costs and the flexibility in hours makes it a nice part-time gig.

Another way is mining cryptocurrencies. I have made a nice amount of money just using my gaming laptop and desktop. It does increase your electricity bill but I have come out ahead like 300 dollars in the last 3 months. –loli333

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The Chicken Coop Builder

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This is somewhat late and more relevant to my area (Texas) but my coworker and I build chicken coops, garden beds, etc. Usually out of scrap wood and it brings enough beer money for a fun weekend project –BohemianJack

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The Artist

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Sell your own artwork on Etsy. Seriously, anyone can do it. I’m a hobby painter and have been selling 1-2 paintings a week for a few years now. Find what people love and capitalize on it.

–zoeyaneliz

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The Focus Group Member

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Focus groups. I’ve made over $1k in the past month alone from signing up for focus groups and user testing/usability interviews. –thatonespicegirl

Share this with someone who could use some ideas for a side gig!

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from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/the-side-hustle-is-real-19-real-ways-people-make-money-outside-of-their-jobs/ from All of Beer https://allofbeercom.tumblr.com/post/183658980137

[honeybellsurveys]

(ノ﹏ヽ)

Who are you craving an apology from most right now? No one. Have you ever had to use an epi pen? Nope. Who do you know who’s deathly allergic to nuts? I know no one with that allergy. Who do you know who’s colorblind? I have a colour blind friend. Have you ever been accused of shoplifting? Nope. Have you ever been accused of being gay? Yes haha, and well I do like girls as well as guys so yeah bitch what about it. What color is your robe? Pink. Do you wear a wristwatch? No. What youtube video are you most looking forward to filming? I don’t do youtube. Did you want to go in the performing arts when you were younger? Nah, I would be in musicals my church would put off at Christmas time though haha. Have you ever wanted to be a teacher? Yes its what I'm going to school for. Who was the last person who was rude to you? Idk. Who was the last person who hurt your feelings? ^ What color rim does your full-length mirror have? I don’t have a full length mirror. Describe the worst allergic reaction you have ever had. The only allergic reaction I've ever had has been my mouth swelling up from using cinnamon toothpaste. Do you like the name Eliana? Sure. What is your favorite Spanish name? I love the name Marisol What is your favorite Japanese name? Shouyo, Himawari, Hinata, I have lots. Do you have to use a sunlamp? I used to but I don’t anymore, I don’t have SAD just normal depression. What current health problems do you have? Type one diabetes, psoriasis, eczema and mental illness. If you could go back to school, what would it be for? I’m attending University. Would you have fun decorating a house? Yep. What do you want to do for your 30th birthday? Woah thats far away so idk. List five adjectives that describe you. Sarcastic, Bizzarre, mysterious, interesting, ethereal. List five adjectives that your haters would use to describe you. Snobby, antisocial, weird, I can’t think of anymore lmao. List five words that your best friend would use to describe you. Funny, sarcastic, beautiful, intelligent, thoughtful. List five words that your biggest fans would use to describe you. Bruh I have no fans. What big city would you like to visit that you’ve never been to? Tokyo. Have you ever posted a Storytime video to youtube? I don’t do Youtube. Name someone you know who acts stuck-up. I’m sure I know some stuck up people but no names are coming to mind rn. List five people who have tried to kill you. Who do you think I am? List five friends who have turned against you. None. Do you hate anyone? If so, who? I don’t hate anyone. What is one tragic news story that has stuck with you? I’m not sure. Who is/are your favorite author/s? ^ If you were a triplet, what would your two sisters be named? Elizabeth and Charolette. What would you be named if you had been born the opposite gender? No idea. List five names you like that start with the same letter as your own. Iris, Irene, Illias, Ilia, and Ivory. Which Disney princess is your favorite? Mulan. What is your favorite Halloween candy? Caramel apples. Favorite magazine to read as a teenager? I don’t have one. An unpopular opinion that you have? Idk. What’s the most physically painful thing you’ve ever experienced? I have a high pain tolerance so idk. What’s the most emotionally painful thing you’ve ever experienced? Havingl with loved ones who were in a deep depression/ were feeling suicidel. If you do youtube, do you have an uploading schedule? N/A. Have you ever been banned from an fb group and you had no idea why? Nope. What was the last book you read about? A home invader. Lynnea, Liberty, Lydia, or Lila? Liberty. Ellery, Eliana, Emily, or Evelyn? Evelyn. What does your name rhyme with? Nothing I can think of. Did you have any *N Sync albums? Nope. What genre of music did you listen to as a kid and teenager? Alternative, rap, R&B, classic rock, 80s, 90s, Kpop etc. What genre of music do you listen to now? The same. Were you “sheltered” as a kid? Are you sheltered now? I wasn’t sheltered at all lmao. What does your name mean? It’s a term for fox grape. Do you like the color pink? It’s my favourite colour. What is your favorite shade of pink? Pastel/baby pink. Do you like how Avril Lavigne mixed girly and rocker styles together? Idk. Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga, or Katy Perry? Lady Gaga. Lauren Alaina or Scotty McCreary? Whom? Mandisa or Colton Dixon? ^ Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood? I’m indifferent. Paramore or Avril Lavigne? Paramore. Do you listen to any foreign music? Yep. Do you eat foreign food? That’s mostly all I eat. Mexican, Chinese, Italian, or Japanese food? Japanese, but I also love every other food listed here. Do you like seafood? I love it, it’s mainly what we eat where I'm from. Are you in pain right now? Nope. Aeropostale, Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, or American Eagle? I don’t really like these stores, but AE if I had to pick. What stereotype do you fit the most? Bisexual interent girl LMAO. Favorite Backstreet Boys song? I don’t have one. Were you a Britney Spears fan ever? Meh, I like some of her music but I wouldn't call myself a fan. Were you a Taylor Swift fan ever? No. Fairytale which resembles your life the most? No idea. How are you feeling today? Content, lazy, happy, relaxed etc. Do you wish you could cast a love spell on someone? No. Fictional city you’d like to visit? Hyrule castle town. Movie that made you cry? Wolf Children Ame and Yuki. Book that made you cry? Not sure. Your favorite book? ^ Your favorite movie? 10 things I hate about you, Spirited Away, Wolf Children Ame and Yuki. Favorite Mary-Kate and Ashley movie? Don’t have one. Age you enjoyed the most when you were a kid? 1st/2nd grade maybe? Have you ever been homeschooled? No. What would you name three girls? Lucy, Ophelia and Charolette. What would you name three boys? Luca, Levi and Elias. Favorite name that starts with a “Z”? Zuko >:) What’s a good name for an alien? Piccolo. What question should I answer in my Q & A video? Leave me alone Youtube geek ass. Favorite fair ride? The one that shoots you up in the air. Favorite fair food? Candy apples, beaver tails and like the fries they cook there. Favorite drink at the fair? Idk lmao. Most missed memory? Not sure. Are you allergic to any medications? No. Is your heart hurting? Yeah but it’s getting better. Thing you are looking forward to right now? University in a couple weeks. Have you ever had the police show up at your house and been scared? No lmao.