#if anyone wants to leave a bad google review for him and his company -without a comment or anything we dont wanna be sued for slander and

[jedielle]

Bossy President on Mangatoon

Disclaimer: A lot of the things I'll write here is based on my own opinion. And this is not sponsored by the app. Also, there are some scenes in the story that I do not agree with. And honestly, I was quite shocked to have found such a story.

This is going to be quite long and I hope you'll read the rest of it.

Just a quick summary on how I discovered this app. When the pandemic hit, a lot of us were affected by it. And because we are stuck inside our homes, we looked for ways to spend our time. Believe me when I say to you that I am a lazy reader. I don't like books that much. But I did not know that I will come to love reading so much. It helped me keep my sanity. Anyway, back to the topic about the app, I was just looking at the Google play store and accidentally saw Mangatoon. I was curious at that time so I installed it on my phone and I was so glad that I did because I discovered a lot of stories/manga. Anime has been a part of me ever since I was in grade school. And before it will be called an "anime" it will start as a manga first. This app is a paradise for those manga lovers like me.

After installing it, there are choices you have to make whether you like romance, female lead or male lead, etc. You will need to sign up and fill out some information so you can start reading. If my memory is right, Bossy President was the first story I read on this app. But at that time, it was free to read and I don't need any coupons or coins just so I can read the next chapter. But now, you need those things to read the chapters.

It is a story about a British born Eurasian, Aubery Kung, a bold, cold-blooded, sharp CEO who established his own company at the age of 20. And eventually developed it into a multi national group through constant expanding and acquisition. One day, he burst into a sauna and accused a girl named Nina Sze that she drugged him three years ago and carried his child. Nina denied even carrying a child for this guy because he is rich and she is just a nobody. So, how could she be involved with someone as rich and powerful as him? Even after Nina denied over and over again that she did not carried a child for Aubery, he still insisted that it was her who drugged him and slept with him. This is where the story will start. I don't want to spoil people who will read my post, so I'll leave the description up to this point.

Warning: This story is not for kids because there is a lot of sexual scenes involve. You should have an open mind and be ready to be shock every chapter.

I re-read everything again as to write a review of it here on my blog. I must say that it is a unique story because I've never encountered quite like it. I always feel frustrated that there is someone as powerful as Aubery that can get away with any bad things that he did to Nina or anyone else. He has a condition called "paranoid personality disorder" that became the reason why whatever Nina says, he does not believe it. He has a pattern of distrust and suspicion of others without adequate reason to be suspicious.

Every chapter you will feel frustrated and even dislike the male lead because of his behavior towards the female lead. But as you go along the story, you will come to understand every character in it, except Nina's so called "family." That is just my opinion based on what I've read.

Hate is a strong word. But I'll tell you now, that you will say it in your mind while reading through the manga.

The story is like a Teleserye in the Philippines and some will say that you will not gain anything from it. But for me, I've learned a lot while reading the story. And honestly, I am afraid to fall in love. Because this story showed me how hard it is to understand someone. How hard it is for someone to fight for her life, for her freedom. You will see in this story how hard Nina endured everything that comes her way. Maybe that is the reason why I've read it a second time as to understand how Nina still chose Aubery.

I've been reading it since 2020 and it is still fresh in my mind what this story imparted with me; not to fall in love easily and to not trust anyone but yourself. Falling in love is not for everyone because you have to embrace the good and the bad of a person. And I think I'm still not ready for that kind of commitment to someone.

I know there's a lot of stories out there. But this one will always stay in my heart and it's for you guys to find out what you think of it.

How will their story unfold?

Will they gain their freedom?

P.S. The story is still on going and if you like a story with a unique male lead, you guys check it out on the app.

Until next time...

See you on my next review of a story.

#BossyPresident

#AvidReader

#MangaLover

[unholyobsessions]

Sunset Coffee

Pairing: Julie x Luke

Description: Julie develops a crush on the cute barista, little does she know he feels the same way

Warnings: none i think

Word Count: 3.5k

Prompt for jatp week Day 2: Write an AU. Modern AU / Coffee Shop AU @jatp-week​

The bell above the door dings as Julie pushes it open. The smell of freshly brewed coffee fills her nostrils and she scrunches her face. She dislikes coffee, always has, too bitter for her taste, but she loves hot chocolate. Her mom used to make it for her at least twice a week and for a year after her mom’s passing, she made it her goal to find a coffee shop that made it as good as her mom did.

Sunset Coffee is a small shop in the corner of a small suburban neighborhood. It’s hidden behind the façade of a one story home, the only evidence of its existence being the small sign by the front lawn and on the door and the amazing yelp reviews left by their devoted customers.

Julie discovered it by accident. She was riding her bike around aimlessly through the city when she had the sudden urge to use the bathroom. Deciding to knock on the friendliest looking house, she was surprised to see the sign by the door. She went in carefully, not wanting to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere created by the music playing softly in the background, and a number of college-looking students on their laptops or with textbooks opened around them. She went up to the island at the corner of the room, being used as a makeshift counter, and asked the barista on the other side if she could use their bathroom. The girl, looking no older than nineteen, smiled and pointed her in the correct direction.

Julie smiled back and rushed to the empty hallway, opening the door and walking in to do her business. She decides to stick around, going back to the counter and asking the question she has asked at dozens of other coffee shops.

“Do you sell hot chocolate?” The smile she receives in return answers her question. She stands by the counter as she waits for her drink, allowing her eyes to drift over the room. The walls are covered with different types of hand writing. Quotes from books, movies, or tv shows. Jokes, phone numbers, emails, and instagram handles. Theres a basket by the door, she notes, filled to the brim with different color markers, encouraging people to express themselves.

She receives her drink and she takes it, handing her the exact amount of change. She decides to explore the rest of the rooms, intrigued with the nice shop. The next room has couches instead of chairs and the walls are painted with chalk paint. There’s drawings, to-do lists, and so much more written on the walls. She smiles and takes the first sip of her drink. As soon as the liquid hit her tongue, she knows that she will never get a hot chocolate from anywhere else. It’s not quite the same as her mom’s but the difference is what makes it so good.

There’s a hint of cinnamon hidden behind the rich taste of chocolate and Julie finds herself closing her eyes, savoring the moment. She continues exploring, keeping a grasp of the mug. There is a total of four rooms. The entry one, the chalk one, one with bright red booths, mimicking an 80s looking diner, complete with a jukebox in the corner, and the last one that has normal black tables with gold accented walls. There are autographed picture frames of famous people who Julie assumes have visited the coffee shop hanging on the walls.

After finishing the drink, Julie places the mug in the sink by the corner meant for all used mugs and glasses. She bids goodbye to the barista and leaves, making note of the address and promising herself to be back soon. She went back two days later and has been there almost everyday. She goes after school, to do either her homework or work on some songs.

She looks up from her phone, ready to greet Flynn, who she became fast friends with and no longer has to even ask what she’s having, already having the drink prepped since seeing her pull up. She is however met by a male voice, welcoming her into the shop. Julie’s head snaps up to meet his eyes and she freezes. She doesn’t think she’s ever seen anyone as attractive as the man standing before her. She clears her throat and continues walking forward, already pulling out her wallet from her backpack. She hands him the exact amount needed as she always does and he merely raises an eyebrow.

“Umm what are you having?”

Julie gapes at him, feeling stupid for her actions. “Oh! Right. A hot chocolate please. Sorry, Flynn already knows what I order so it’s a force of habit.” The man chuckles and presses a few buttons on the cash register, taking the money from her and handing her the receipt a few seconds later.

“No worries, I normally work mornings but Flynn called in sick so I offered to come in today.” He walks back to make her drink and Julie stands awkwardly by, gripping the straps of her backpack. He turns back and hands her the cup with a smile. “So with Flynn knowing your drink I’m guessing you’re a regular?” He asks, hoping to start a conversation with the pretty girl.

“Yeah,” Julie looks down for a second. “I’m Julie.” She would have offered her hand for a handshake but considering her grip on the mug, she decides it’s a bad idea.

“I’m Luke.” He slightly bites his lip and Julie has to try her best not to swoon over him. She nods her head and takes a step back going to sit in one of the empty tables. She normally opts for the couches in the chalk room but for some reason (certainly not the attractive barista) she decides to stay in the front room today.

Luke Patterson’s parents have owned Sunset Coffee since he can remember. The quaint little house on a suburban street owned by his grandparents was left to his family after their passing. The decision to remodel came after his dad lost his job, and the extra house in his name left room for ideas. He remembers sitting with his parents at the kitchen table as they decided what to do with it and his small, seven-year-old voice, speaking his opinion.

“We can sell coffee!”

Of course Luke didn’t drink coffee, but he hears the compliments given to his father’s coffee every time they have company over. To him it’s just a bitter drink he had once but from what he’s seen and heard, it’s seen as a necessity by adults.

His parents were a bit skeptical at first but the idea grew on them and they got to work. His mother designed the rooms, taking inspiration from the internet and his father took care of the menu, trying different concoctions that would often be served with dinner, decaf for young Luke of course.

Once it opened, it took a while for people to notice the hidden gem but once they did, everyone loved it. Although not known by many, those who come once normally decide to keep coming, loving the atmosphere it holds.

He started working there when he turned sixteen. At first he took the afternoon shift since he was still in high school, but after graduating he much preferred working mornings, since that left all of his afternoon free to practice with his band.

He’s known his bandmates all of his life. Living next door to Bobby made them friends by default and when they started first grade, they were introduced to both Alex and Reggie and the four have been inseparable ever since. They formed Sunset Curve freshmen year, naming themselves after their designated hangout spot.

They’re always hanging around when Luke has a shift, which is why it is not surprising when they burst through the door of the coffee shop as he is distracted, staring at Julie. The yell of his name breaks his trance and he rolls his eyes at the sight that greets him.

Reggie is draped over Bobby’s back, eyes drooping shut, probably from staying up all night writing his beloved country songs. Alex is smiling lovingly down at his phone and Luke makes a mental note of to tease him about that later.

They make their way to Luke and he tells them to go wait for his shift to be over in the diner room and then they could discuss their next gig. He tries his best to usher them away quickly, knowing that he will find it easier to work up the nerve to talk to Julie without them in the same room. They eye him suspiciously but ultimately ignore his strange attitude, walking away and down the hallway.

As this happens, Julie is opening her laptop and slipping on her earphones, her Spotify is opened to her ‘You Can Do It’ playlist and she hopes that this will encourage her to actually write her Common App essay. She is consistently drinking from the mug, finishing her hot chocolate sooner than expected.

After his friends finally decide to leave him alone he looks back to the pretty girl, lost in the her own little word. He is shocked to find the empty mug already placed on the table, and he is sure he has never seen anyone drink a hot chocolate that fast. He makes the quick decision to make her another one because by the way she has settled into her seat, it looks like she is going to be here for a while.

A few minutes later, Julie is startled when Luke picks up the empty cup and places new warm beverage, complete with whipped cream on the top, in front of her. She slips off one earbud and turns to him.

“Oh I didn’t order another one,” which as she thinks back, is a pretty stupid thing to say because of course he knows that she didn’t order another one, considering the fact that she has not moved from her spot.

“I know, it’s on the house,” he smiles at her and Julie swears it’s like looking at the rising sun. So bright, but beautifully enchanting that it makes it impossible to look away.

“Thank you,” she says, slightly embarrassed because she doesn’t know if he’s flirting or if he is just being considerate.

Of course Luke is flirting with her, and he hopes to God it’s working. He wants to ask for her number, but as he spots her laptop and sees the screen he suddenly deflates. There is a list of prestigious colleges open next to her google doc filled with essay prompts. He however, barely graduated and is not even in community college as he waits for his band to make it big. He has never been insecure about his decisions, and is actually extremely proud of what the band has accomplished, but as he stands before this beautiful and obviously intelligent girl, he suddenly feels as if his accomplishments are not good enough.

So instead of asking her out as he originally planned to, he walks away. He continues to stare at her though, and if he starts asking Flynn to switch shifts with him more often then it’s merely a coincidence.

. . .

It takes a month of endless pining for his friends to finally attempt to knock some sense into him.

It’s the eighteenth time that Luke has asked Flynn to change shifts with him in order to see Julie and speak to her for a few minutes. Flynn definitely knows what’s going on, and knows full well that Luke’s crush is reciprocated because of her many late night phone calls with Julie. She, of course, doesn’t say anything, simply agreeing to take the morning shift, and sending a quick text to Julie telling her that her knight in shining armor will be working that day. This text normally leads to Julie clearing her schedule and going to the coffee shop if she wasn’t planning to already.

Their interactions normally go as follows:

Julie smiles. Luke smiles back. Luke makes the drink, and gives her a compliment. “I like your jacket.” Julie will blush and avert her eyes, speaking a soft “Thank you” before taking the drink and paying. If she’s feeling confident (normally caused by a good score on a test that day) she’ll compliment him back. “I like your t-shirt” which normally translates to ‘I listen to that band as well.’ Luke will grin and then Julie will walk away.

It drives them both crazy because this is how they actually want their interactions to go:

Julie smiles. Luke smiles back. Luke makes the drink and gives her a compliment. “You look beautiful today.” Julie thanks him and compliments him back with a teasing smile. “You don’t look too bad yourself.” She takes the drink and pays but before she can walk away Luke stops her. “Do you maybe want to go out sometime?” Julie internally screams but keeps her cool on the outside, not wanting to seem desperate. “Yes, definitely.” They look away bashfully and Julie takes the seat closest to the counter, keeping conversation with Luke for the rest of his shift.

It never happens and it annoys all the regulars who have picked up on their feelings for each other.

Today, Julie finds herself receiving a text from Flynn which is why she is now pedaling in the direction of Sunset Coffee. There is a nice, light wind that rustles her hair as she bikes across the city. She stops in front of her favorite place, kicking down the stand and placing the bike behind the fence. She smiles at Luke, who, as per usual, sends her a grin and a wave from behind the counter.

Alex, Reggie, and Bobby, sit on the table closest to Luke, sending him teasing smiles that cause him to blush. He turns to make Julie’s regular hot chocolate as she takes out the exact change from her wallet. They all eye the exchange, wondering if today will finally be the day one of them makes a move. They are disappointed to see the two exchange nothing more than shy smiles and thank you before Julie walks away and into another room.

Luke turns back to his friends, ready to continue their conversation about the gig on Saturday to find them all glaring at him. He quickly raises his hands up in defense, rushing out a “What?”

“You’re an idiot,” Alex says. Which is followed by “Agreed” and “I second that” by both Reggie and Bobby respectively.

“You’ve been in love with her since the second you laid eyes on her. Even Reggie noticed and he is as oblivious as it gets,” Alex continues. Reggie points his finger in agreement, seemingly ignoring the dig at him.

Luke looks down at his feet, already embarrassed out how glaringly obvious he is. “It’s just,” he pauses and his friends wait patiently for him to gather his thoughts. “She’s too good for me. I mean she’s applying to universities right now and not just any random colleges, she’s going for the good ones, Ivys, UCs, that’s more than I ever did. I almost failed out of high school. I’m a knock-off Luke Hemmings doing nothing with his life.”

Insecure is not a trait anyone would normally use to describe Luke. Cocky, passionate, attractive? Sure, but never insecure. They’re all even more surprised at his reasons for not asking a girl out. He normally uses the band as a way to attract people to him, he’s never hidden it in shame.

“Luke you are literally one of the most talented people I have ever met,” Bobby starts. “Just because you crave success in something other than academics it doesn’t make you a failure. If she doesn’t realize how insanely amazing you are then she’s not the one and that’s that.” Luke looks up at him and he’s extremely glad that today is a slow day and the shop is basically empty because he’s almost sure he’s about to cry.

“Go ask her out man,” Reggie says.

“And if she says no then you can just go back to working mornings,” Alex offers. Luke throws a dirty dishrag at him and they all laugh. Luke then takes a deep breath and starts making another hot chocolate to take to Julie, almost sure that she is probably already done with hers.

He holds the drink carefully in his hands and makes his way down the hallway, finding her in the chalk wall room. She’s holding a pencil tight in her head and her eyes are closed. She’s tapping her foot at an even beat before suddenly stopping and writing something down. Her open laptop with a half done essay sits abandoned next to her.

Luke taps her shoulder, startling her out of her daze. She smiles up at him and it only widens once she sees the mug he’s carrying.

“I figured you might want another one,” he shrugs his shoulders as she takes it gratefully.

“You know, you don’t have to keep giving me free drinks,” she says before taking a long sip of the warm beverage.

Luke scratches the back of his neck gives himself a mental pep talk, taking a deep breath before speaking. “Well, if I’m being honest, I keep doing it trying to work up the courage to ask you out.” He fiddles with the apron tied around his waist and looks at her, trying to decipher what she’s thinking.

Julie doesn’t know what she’s thinking. The guy she has been simping over for a month just said he wants to ask her out, she focuses her energy on swallowing the sip she already had in her mouth without choking before looking up at him. She gets a sudden wave of confidence (she aced her calculus test) and she opens her mouth to speak. “And have you? Built up the courage I mean.”

She sends him a dazzling smile and Luke is sure that he is about to faint but he manages to keep his composure. “I sure hope so,” he mumbles under his breath before saying, “Julie will you like to go on a date with me?”

“I would love to.” They smile at each other before they both look away, suddenly bashful. “How about Saturday?” Julie suggests.

“Actually my band and I have a gig on Saturday,” Luke says slightly embarrassed but then he remembers what Bobby said and stands up straighter. “Actually, will you like to go? To the gig. It’s nothing big really, it’s in this club but it’s supposed to be really packed on Saturdays so we’re hoping it will be good exposure.”

Julie’s eyes widen in surprise, cursing Flynn for not telling her that Luke is in a band because it suddenly made him a hundred times more attractive. “Yes! Oh my gosh I would love to go. I love music, I’m actually applying to be a music major.” Now it’s Luke’s turn to be surprised.

“You play?” He sits down in front of her, his job suddenly forgotten, but he’s confident that one of the guys will take over if a customer comes in. They’ve seen him make orders enough times to know how to do it.

Julie nods. “The piano, my mom taught me when I was young and I fell in love with it. I don’t know what I want to do with it though so I’m hoping to double major in music and something else.”

Luke quickly realizes that his insecurities were completely misplaced. “That’s really cool. I play guitar and I’m the lead singer. Not that I’m bragging!” He is quick to defend himself, not wanting to seem overly confident and Julie giggles.

“When did you start playing?”

“My parents bought me an acoustic guitar when I was six, hoping that it would make me stop running around the house so much. They never expected their son to refuse to go to college to pursue his rock band though.” Luke shrugs at the end, his parents are supportive of him, they weren’t for a while but they came around and go to a lot of his gigs.

“I think it’s really admirable,” Julie says. Luke raises his eyebrows, a silent request for her to elaborate. “To be so passionate about something, to know what you want to do with that passion, and pursuing it no matter what.”

Luke knows he is blushing and is about to say something when Alex, Reggie, and Bobby, pop their heads into the room.

“Did you do it?”  “Did she say yes?” “Did you choke?” Are all questions his best friends ask. Luke sighs and shakes his head and Julie does her best to bite back a laugh.

“I did do it. She’s coming to the show on Saturday.” His friends cheer and Julie is unable to contain her laughter.

The guys all rush into the room and introduce themselves to Julie keeping her company as Luke goes back to work.

. . .

Julie goes to their show on Saturday, and every single one of their shows after that. And her decision to accept UCLA’s offer in April was definitely not influenced by her relationship with the cute barista.

#jatp #jatpweek #julie molina #Julie and Luke #luke patterson #luke and julie #julie x luke #luke x julie #juke #palina #julie and the phantoms #julie and the phantoms fanfic #julie and the phantoms fanfiction #jatp fanfic #jatp fanfiction #sunset curve

[rachelthompsonauthor]

What is social proof? It’s a marketing concept that we are all inadvertently, unknowingly contributing to every time we click on, retweet, like, reply or comment, and share any kind of social media, article, or blog post on the net. Technically, social proof, as defined by Sprout Social is:

The concept that people will follow the actions of the masses. The idea is that since so many other people behave in a certain way, it must be the correct behavior.

Social Proof and Me

As an author, social media is a hugely important part of my author platform, as it is for any writer or blogger. This is how we connect with readers now, even before the pandemic. Virtual, online events are now the norm. Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube Live video discussions are the new book signings. Twitter chats are weekly on any number of topics; I have two of my own, in fact, #SexAbuseChat every Tuesday at 6 pm pst/9 pm est and #BookMarketingChat every Wednesday at 6 pm pst/9 pm est.

All important for visibility, branding, and most importantly, connection.

However…there’s a limit. I reached my limit over the course of this past year. It didn’t come all at once. It came, little by little, reaching a peak this past month or so.

Why? How? Me, the so-called social media expert?

Access. Like many people, I have issues with the incredible level of access Facebook gives people once we friend them without our consent. PMs (private messages) are automatic, now with the ability for people to call, voice, and video message us, with no option to shut these options to OFF unless we unfriend the person (we can, however, mute a specific conversation). Technically, we do give them consent in the legal mumbo jumbo we all agreed to when we joined back in the 2010s.

I am not okay with this. And Facebook doesn’t care. Nobody cares. You’re probably thinking, “Geez, Karen. Shut up, already. Stop your whining, white lady.” I get it. I do. First-world problems.

I counter with: I hear you. It’s also part of my business. A huge part. Here’s why:

As someone who manages over 70+ various social media accounts as part of my BadRedhead Media business, plus my own accounts as well, Facebook requires I have a personal account in order to manage all those other Pages. I do understand why, particularly with all the ridiculousness of the past four years with the abundance of fake accounts, fake news, and such.

As a survivor of sexual abuse and stalking, this is ultra-concerning to me. So, what happened this past month or so? Suffice it to say, one person repeatedly tried calling me. I never pick up Facebook calls, especially if I don’t know you. Another left me a few voice messages saying they were offended by something.

Yet another left me another message in ALL SHOUTY CAPS that she didn’t find what I posted inspirational enough and she expected better from someone who is “supposedly on the side of authors.”

Oh, and there is the one lady who started replying on ALL my posts to the kind people who did comment that she didn’t think I replied often enough or to her satisfaction.

Well. I’ve been criticized before. You should read some of my 1-star reviews. There’s plenty!

But, for whatever reason, this struck a chord. I got up in my feels. I cried. I talked with one of them and we worked it out because we like and respect each other’s work in the mental health space. The others I blocked. It’s darn frustrating to donate hours of my time each week to helping writers solely because I want to, only to be told it’s not enough. Like, seriously? Fuck off.

My blood raged. My heart sank. Understandable, right?

But what really made me angry is that I put myself in that position by being available. I accepted that ‘it is what it is.’ This is what the social media platforms have given us, so that’s what I have to work within.

I’m too available. It’s too easy to leave me shitty messages. This is why people hire people like me – to handle this crap for them! So they don’t have to read these ridiculous criticisms from judgy people who apparently have nothing better to do or are having a bad day.

And I get bad days. It’s a damn pandemic. We’re all struggling. Where’s the damn compassion for one another?

I have a dislike/hate relationship with Facebook anyway, since about ten or so years ago when I discovered that a past love had died by suicide by going to his personal profile and seeing, “RIP dude,” messages there. We had spoken early that day. It still haunts me.

So…what to do? I’m claiming my time. I’m not posting to my personal Facebook profile right now. I’m ignoring it. I am checking my Pages and of course, my client Pages. When I feel like I can face it again, I will cull my ‘friends’ down from *checks real quick* 4385 people to maybe, I don’t know, the few hundred in my groups, many of whom I do know and treasure.

Social Proof and You

If you’re a writer, social proof matters. This is the world we live in. Publishing is not only writing.

You need to be ‘findable,’ not only on Google, but also on each individual social platform, so your readers can learn more about you and hopefully, buy your books. If you go the traditional route, publishers and agents want to know how many followers you have (easily upped by buying fake followers or likes from Fiverr or wherever). I suggest not doing that, because:

1) fake followers don’t buy books 

2) it’s usually pretty obvious when you have fake followers because they’re all foreign names, have questionable bios, and no tweets

3) do you really want to start your publishing career with a lie? 

They also want to know what you post, how often, and what your branding is. If you’re an indie author, honestly, the same applies. Social proof is about connection, building relationships, and authenticity. I’ve believed that since I started my business and writing career way back in 2011, and I stand by it now. Start slow, grow slow. It’s not a race.

I’m the furthest thing you’ll even find from a conspiracy theorist – I don’t believe in chemtrails, pizza parlor cabals, or that the earth is flat. However, I am a realist. Watch The Social Dilemma sometime. These huge tech companies share our data without our knowledge or consent (Cambridge Analytics, anyone?). Younger generations are so used to this, they don’t really care – ask them.

(My kids think having a chip implanted in their hands with all their data is a fabulous idea. “So much easier than having to talk and repeat everything over and over. Just scan me and be done with it,” says my daughter Anya (21). “Agree,” grunts my son, Lukas (15). Buy stuff, go to the doctor, whatever. Scan and go. Talk with any GenZ kid, you’ll likely get a similar answer. They’ve been tracked since birth everywhere. They don’t know life without a computer, tablet, or phone in their hands.)

Know that whatever we do, it’s all part of each platforms’ AI, and they share data, which is why that darling pair of shoes you just saw on Amazon is now showing up on Google, Facebook, Twitter, and every website you visit going forward. It’s all about the money, and they all get a piece of that affiliate link.

Every bit of every click is recorded, even when you’re watching videos on YouTube, or a subscription service like Netflix, or perusing goods on Amazon. It’s all connected. I’m not shocked or surprised by any of this, are you?

It’s Not Personal

What people say to us and about us is ultimately incredibly revealing about them. We know this, at an intellectual, psychological, and emotional level. Still, when people say mean things, it hurts. We’re human.

Does it matter in the overall scope of our lives? Who can say. It matters at that moment. It can matter when it comes to overall visibility when you’re marketing your book(s) or trying to get that book contract or interview. Only you can say if it matters to you.

Already a longtime fan of THE FOUR AGREEMENTS by Don Miguel Ruiz, I took a moment to reorient myself with this one agreement: Don’t take anything personally. I also stumbled across an excellent short and entertaining TEDTalk by Frederick Imbo. His main message to stop taking things personally is two-fold;

It’s not about me. Look at the other person’s intention and

It IS about me. Give yourself some empathy. Speak up. Ask questions. Pay attention to how you feel and be vulnerable with your needs.

I’m glad I was able to, inadvertently, employ point #2 and work out some issues with one of the people by telling him what he said made me cry. He apologized. I apologized. We talked it through and we’re still friends.

Ultimately, social media is what we contribute to it. What we make it. How much we allow of it into our lives. Social proof is going along with the tide. I’ve been in this space since 2008. Being connected to others is a big part of the work I do to help and support not only other writers, but also other childhood sexual abuse survivors. However, I’ve reached that point. I knew it was coming.

I’m not shutting my doors. I’m just adding a screen. With a strong lock.

***

Read more about Rachel’s experiences in the award-winning book, Broken Pieces.

She goes into more detail about living with PTSD and realizing the effects of how being a survivor affected her life in

Broken Places, available in print everywhere!

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The post What Is Social Proof and Does It Matter, Really? appeared first on Rachel Thompson.

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[8emmy]

(Not) So Sweet Home Velaris - Chapter 2 - Not one to be a visitor

Sweet Home Alabama AU: AO3 link to Chapter 1 and Chapter 2

Nesta watched Cassian as he clicked the top of the pen. She watched her estranged husband rub his stubbled chin as he looked through the paperwork. When did he grow a beard? It wasn't long, more like a five o'clock shadow. Scratchy whiskers that were darker and more defined closer to his jaw. He looked rugged and more adult. In her mind, when she thought of Cassian, which was not very often, she saw him never ageing always staying at nineteen, frozen in time.

Her phone buzzed. Cassian's deep brown eyes flicker to her narrowing down to her purse where the vibration was coming from. Nesta pulled it out and saw Tomas' name on the display. "I have to take this, it's work," Nesta gets up, making her way to the front yard before answering.

"Tomas." It comes out as a sigh as she leans against a tree.

"Nesta, how's the conference going?" Tomas's voice was muffled, most likely talking through his headphones as he walked from his office to the gym. She was already missing the structure of home. Tomas lived off a schedule, he woke up at four in the morning to do meditation for an hour, at five he would call her and then at six they would go for a morning jog. It was so easy to live life in a schedule. Nothing surprising, nothing sneaking up behind to catch you off guard. It was comforting.

"As good as it can be. Networking and listening to big egos talk about their great achievements," Nesta shoots a look toward the house seeing if the two men inside were trying to listen in to her conversation. "Jared sent me a long-winded email, so I'm still on the clock, which means..."

"A bigger honeymoon for us. Did you read the fifty emails I sent you last night? The wedding planners still need approvals if we're going with a live band or a DJ."

"I thought we already talked about that. Live band, we're classy, not trashy."

"And there are also-"

"I'll read the emails when I get back to the hotel. I can't right now."

"Not having second thoughts, are you?"

"No, of course not. It's busy at work right now. There are too many companies that are going public and don't get me started on the multitude of -"

"I get it, you're very busy," Tomas had away of making everything he said sound a tad bit condescending. Like you had to take a double-take to question if he was trying to be rude or it was just Tomas, "But you need to remember our relationship is a top priority, which means?"

"Our wedding is top priority. I'll email the planners tonight when I get back to the hotel."

"Okay, I got to go. At the gym. Love you," he hangs up before her reply.

Our wedding is top priority, not her career, which is currently taking a back seat as she is dealing with the only important thing that decides if she gets married or not. She runs her hands up her face and back down as she groans. Hopefully, when she gets back into that kitchen, Cassian signed the papers and she could catch the next flight out of this Cauldron damned place.

He's still clicking the pen when she gets in. Rhys was now sitting in one of the uneven kitchen table chairs. He wobbles as he moves to watch Nesta re-enter the room. She takes her seat and the vinyl whines.

"You should have replaced these years ago." She says while trying to find her balance.

"They're my grandma's," Cassian replies, flipping to a new page. Right his grandmother, the woman who raised him when his mom died. She was a tough old lady. She didn't approve of Nesta mostly because her father was gambling drunk, and as Cassian's grandmother was extremely religious, she believed the devil was in the drink, and a dollar lost to sin was a mark of sinister things to come. She basically thought Nesta would either make Cassian a sinner or that Nesta was a witch the charmed Cassian into dating her. Either way, Nesta was a bad influence on her grandson. And yet she was the one that insisted the two got married.

"How's work?" Rhys awkwardly asked, trying to break the awkward standstill as Nesta watch Cassian read.

"Fine, you?" She watches Cassian flip to the next page. He clicks the pen again.

"Good. Feyre and Elain are good too. Elain is working up in the Steeps at a flower shop. And Feyre is actually working with - Ouch!" Rhys yelps lifting his foot from the floor up to his seat. Cassian looks up at him, and they share a long silent conversation over intense eye contact. Rhy breaks eye contact looking back to Nesta, "Feyre is working."

"Nice." She really didn't need the update on her sisters as Elain messages Nesta's work email on the daily with reports on her everyday life. Today Nesta received an email with the subject line: "We ran out of orange roses, and I need three thousand for a wedding :{!! Also, I made cookies, and the recipe was from Pinterest:) I sent you the link!!!!". Life was difficult when you lived in the era of google sleuthing, and your job gives out your email to the public for cold calls.

"Um..." Rhys drummed his thumbs on the table, thinking of anything else he could talk about with Nesta.

"You really don't need to try to talk to me. I would prefer it if you don't."

It was quiet for a while. Nesta watching Cassian, Cassian reading and Rhys watching Nesta. Cassian looks down at his watch. Cassian places the pen down. "Rhys? What time is it?" Cassian asks, turning to look at his brother.

"I don't know. Close to three." Rhys replies.

Cassian puts down Nesta's pen and looks at her. "After careful review, I am not signing anything without my lawyer present."

Nesta's mouth tightens. "What do you mean you won't sign anything? I thought I made it clear that I don't have the time to wait for Varian to come back to review papers that have not been changed."

"Nesta, I am no lawyer. All this is," he pushes the papers back to Nesta, "is gibberish. It's like reading Tolstoy; my mind can't keep up with the words I'm reading." He puts Nesta's pen in his pocket while getting up. Nesta looks at the papers in disbelief.

"I can't believe that you would do this..." Nesta whispers to herself. Her ice glare focus right at Cassian. "I can't believe that you hate the idea that I am happy that you would sabotage my future by being... an... asshole!" She yells at him; she stands up and stabs her finger at his chest. He looks at her with steeled eyes. She only saw that look once in her life, and that was when he met his birth father. It was as if he saw right through her like she wasn't there at all.

"I am not signing anything, Nesta." He moves to the door picking up his plate of biscuits as he went.

Nesta grabs her purse, making sure to put the papers into it before following Cassian out to the porch and down to the dirt driveway. "Where do you think you're going?" She calls after him. He didn't even lock his door. Small town living was full of idiots who trusted their neighbours wouldn't go wandering into their homes, taking anything from them.

Cassian turns to face Nesta, "To your sisters' for dinner." Cassian turns to Rhys, "Let's take your car."

"What about me? What am I supposed to do? Sit on your porch and wait till Varian comes?" Nesta crosses her arms.

"I really don't give a fuck where you go," Cassian replies, getting to the sheriff's passenger side door.

Rhys looks like he would want to be anywhere but here. "You can come over for dinner. I am sure Feyre can make room at the table for an extra mouth."

"And be what? A bombshell? No, I rather not be in anyone's way, except yours Cassian." She points at him through the front window of the car.

"Where will you stay? There's no hotels in Velaris?" Rhys asks. He stood by his open door.

"I'll go to one of the resorts... Or something," Nesta replies. She really didn't think that she would be here for a full week. She didn't pack an entire suitcase of clothes; instead, she had a weekender bag with a second set of clothes in case she missed her flight, which she will in four hours...

"Nesta, Feyre and Elain would be happy to have you stay with them."

"No, I can't do that." She didn't want to see her sisters, it wasn't that she didn't love them; she adored them. But they had multiple heated arguments since her move to Orilion that put a heavy strain on her relationship with the two. Nesta feared that if she stayed under the same roof as both them, that sure enough, the argument will arise and more hurt feelings would inevitably ensue, and there would be no escape by hanging up a cellphone.

"Of course, you can, I insist that -"

"Rhys, let it go. If Nesta wants to set up camp on my porch, so be it. At least the crows won't peck at my garden with a scarecrow like her." Cassian interjects.

"There are more weeds than vegetables in that garden, and you know that."

"If you would like. I mean, you could always come with us to visit your family and friends." Cassian replies.

"I don't have friends here."

Cassian laughs dryly. "Did you hear that, Rhys. Nesta forgot that you can't throw away friends when you up and leave them." He turns to look at her, "Your fortunate to know that those people that were your friends still see you as such."

"Nesta..." Rhys pauses, thinking of the best way to approach the beast, that is, Nesta. He opens his mouth and closes it again. Why repeat what Cassian said, even if it was going to be more sugar-coated. "If you feel that you can't stand being here out in the cold, come by to your sisters. I really think that they would happily open their arms to you." And with that, Rhys slipped into his car, buckles up and heads out with Cassian. ______

Nesta sat on the porch stairs looking out to the lake. In her hand was her work cellphone opened to her emails. She was at first scrolling through the twelve unread emails, all asking what her status was with preparing the first prospectus for a new tech company. Instead of replying, she watched the water lap the stone beach. It was tranquil here. The sound of the breeze through the trees and the crickets in the meadow was like a time machine. Nesta took a long breath and paused. She closed her eyes and took in the only minute of stillness she had from the past nine years, no since she was nine. The city was loud and busy and made it easy for her to push down her need to review her life choices and start the process of regret. One of the best things about being a lawyer was that you could keep working till you crash and gosh did she push herself to crash. She let her breath go.

She knew that her relationship with Tomas might not be the best with communication. Tomas was not a conversationist. He was a man of passion... for his job, golfing, gym and sometimes her. And that suited Nesta's life perfectly. She needs her independence. He never got too upset when she stayed late at the office, nor did he get upset when she had to skip out and take a phone call while out to lunch. He cared for her.

He bought her expensive gifts and vacations; he made his bachelor apartment their home with her own office, and Nesta appreciated his company, well most of the time. One of the very few dislikes that Nesta did not really love of Tomas was his frat boy attitude to things. He was a rich boy that went to a prestigious university only to party and work half-assed to get his diploma for business and went straight to work at his parent's company. Tomas went to one of the top fraternities where he spoke only rich boy. He was dull and came across as stupid when he talked to his university friends. His social media was full of photos of him flexing at the gym with captions: "Flex Friday." He was very much two dimensional in public.

But he was safe, and he was home.

She walks over to her car to grab her laptop. Might as well start on the prospectus and those emails before the phone calls start.

______

Bored. She was bored. She made her way into Cassian's kitchen to work as the idiot didn't lock his door when he left. She sent off a rough first draft of the prospectus to the lead partner for review and finished her emails with in the first three hours. Cassian was still not home.

Nesta did not want to sit around for the rest of the afternoon, waiting for Cassian to be back. She searched on her laptop for hotels in the Steep. She looked for a midrange hotel and called they had no rooms. She called the next hotel... and the next hotel... She called every Cauldron forsaken hotel in all of the Steeps, and none had a hotel room. It was mid-June, and every hotel was booked. It would make sense if it was the winter months as skiing and snowboarding were very popular, but mid-June? She had nowhere to stay except her rental car, which was not idle. Who wanted to be that loser that slept in her rental in front of her estranged husband's home? Not her.

She thought of her next choices. She already crossed out her car. She could see if Mr. Surriel wouldn't mind her staying at his home. No, she did not want to stay at his place to be used as a gossip mine. Her only other option was her sisters' home. She weighed her options again but only came out with the same conclusion.

She got into her car and drove.

______

Her childhood home was similar in style to Cassian's but with a second floor. It resided in the far edge of town nestled by trees with a large backyard where Elain's garden bloomed this time of year. It was a home full of melancholy memories.

Nesta parked in front of the neighbours and once again debated. Cassian had yet to come back, which meant he was most likely still with her sisters, which most likely also means that her sisters' friends were even there. She had to make another choice. Sit in her car and wait or get out and walk to that front door like a big girl.

With her weekender bag over her shoulder and her purse nestled in the crook of her elbow, she walked on the uneven cement pathway to the front porch. Elain's roses crept up trellises next to the living room window. The front door was painted firey red ombre to almost appear that it was a flame, Feyre's work most defiantly. The closer Nesta got to the front door, the louder the laughter and music got inside. The driveway proved that there were plenty more people than just her two sisters, Cassian and Rhys.

Nesta brought her ringless hand (she stashed it away in her purse in hopes that she wouldn't need to have an argument over invitations) and knocked. She paused, waiting for the noise to die down. It didn't. She knocked again. Nothing. She twists the door and to her, not surprise the door opened.

The small foyer welcomed her in with photos of her younger years. A bench next to the door was crammed with shoes of all types and sizes in disarray. Nesta slipped off her heels and held them, not wishing to lose them in the pile. She passed the stairs to the left into the living room, where a large L-shaped couch faced a fireplace and bookcases full of novels and knick-nacks. A small electric piano was pushed to the wall next to the archway to the kitchen with sheet music opened.

Coffee mugs and plates of snacks once forgotten littered the coffee table. In her childhood, the living room lived only a sofa bed where her father slept. It looked such a different know like people actually lived here and not just slept.

The laughter was loud and coming from the kitchen. Nesta could hear Feyre telling a story about Vin's general store and making a narrow escape from buying an overly expensive coffee machine. She then made fun of how it was the same model Rhys just recently purchased at a marked up price in the city.

"If I knew that Isaac was going to be selling them next to the frozen section of Vin's, I wouldn't have travel three hours to get a triple priced machine."

"Hindsight is twenty-twenty, babe," Feyre replies with a giggle.

Nesta's breezing is hitched. What was she doing? Sleeping in her car would be far less horrible than walking into her childhood home with no explanation, then there were no hotels, and I am trying to get a divorce.

"Well, if you want to know, my day was very eventful."

"You caught another speeding teen?" Amren asks.

"No, I actually dealt with a house call, didn't I Cassian?"

"What house call, you didn't... No. We are not discussing that."

"Discussing what?" Elain piped up.

"Nothing -" Cassian got caught off from Rhys.

"Cassian had a little house intruder."

"Stop talking, Rhys. I swear to the Cauldron that you will regret whatever you say next."

"Someone that - Ahh! Get off of me!" There was a loud commotion sounding as if Cassian jumped on top of Rhys.

Nesta heard as everyone tried to separate the two brothers. "If you're going to fight, do it outside!" Feyre yelled.

"I was only going to tell them that -"

"Shut your stupid mouth, Rhys. That is none of your fucking concern."

"That Nesta is back?"

Silence. No one made a move. "That was no concern for any of us?" Elain asks. "That my sister appeared in town after a year of no contact?"

"Elain, she came here to see me."

"She's my sister. If she showed up out of thin air, I want to know. I don't care if she was there to see you." Elain's voice was restrained. It was the angriest Nesta heard from her.

"She said she didn't want to see you and to know that she was in town," Cassian continued.

"I don't care what she said. I want to know these things." Elain replied.

"Elle, she said she didn't want us to know," Feyre calmly said.

"I don't care."

"I know. But you have to understand that Nesta wants her space."

"I don't fucking care! I am sick of her avoidance. If she's here, I want to see her. Where is she, Cassian."

"I don't know," Cassian replies.

"Yes, you do. Where is she?"

"She was at my porch last I saw her. She said that she was going to the Steeps to get a hotel."

"She might be still at your place. Feyre, can you drive me?"

"Elain, I really think that you shouldn't just ambush her. And most likely, Nesta is up in a resort somewhere."

"If you won't take me, then I am just going to go myself."

"You're going to walk all the way to Cassian's?"

"Yes."

Nesta could hear footsteps nearing her, not so hidden spot. Nesta looked around, trying to spot a place that didn't make it look like she was overhearing their entire conversation. She walked quickly back to the foyer.

"Elain, I'll take you tomorrow. If anything, she will be back at Cassian's." Rhys said, following Elain into the living room.

Elain walked her feet made no noise as she got closer and closer to her sister. "I don't want to go tomorrow I want to see her -- Nesta?"

#nessian #acotar #acotar fanfiction #Sweet Home Alabama

[wolfpawn]

Once Bitten, Twice Shy Chapter 7

Previous Chapter 

Chapter Summary -  With the world talking about Tom Hiddleston and his writer girlfriend, it becomes clear the talk is turning profits for the pair and their professional endeavours, enough to give publicists and managers ideas.

Tag, @wolfsmom1 @sweetkingdomstarlight-blog @nonsensicalobsessions @damalseer   @standing-onthe-edge

anyone else who wishes to be added to the tags, just ask :)

“So when are you meeting him again?”

“I’m not.” Paige looked at the coffee cup in front of her.

“Paige, of all people, I think you need to hear this from me. You need to start seeing people again. You looked like you genuinely liked him.” Nicola fought with her daughter to eat her food. “I know Derek did a number on the two of us, and I haven’t rushed out the door to find someone else, but I, at least, have gone out with a few people a couple of times, and I have a daughter.”

Paige said nothing more on the matter. She did not want to discuss it. “How is she now?”

“Her temperature is normal, she’ll have to stay on antibiotics for the rest of the week and the doctors want me to consider putting her on the lists for grommets.”

“Will they help?”

“Yes, now, stop changing the subject and explain how you ended up staying the night with one of the most eligible bachelors in London.”

“Even if I wanted to discuss it, your daughter is in the room.”

“My daughter is not old enough to understand what we are talking about.” Nicola pointed out. “How does helping with a character turn into you two in bed?”

“He's really well read, well spoken, respectful, everything.”

“So, the opposite of Derek then, that's a good start.” Paige gave you an unimpressed look. “Hey, I went out with him too, I know it's insulting to both of us. It doesn't make it any less true though, does it?”

Paige could not argue that. “I don't want to open myself to that again. You remember the way it was when you realised what was happening, why subject myself to that again?”

“You're not. Sure there is a risk of that. There always will be, but there's no guarantee. Why risk never being happy with a man again just because one asshole made us feel bad?”

Paige just looked at Alannah and said nothing.

*

“Mark?”

“A text wouldn't have killed you.” Her brother growled. “So, when is Mum having you drag him to dinner?”

“She wants that to happen at the earliest convenience. It will not be happening at all.”

“Why not?”

“Because there is nothing happening for it to happen. Tom and I are not in a relationship so there's no need for it to.”

“Then why were you having lunch with his family?”

For a moment, Paige did not know what to answer. “Because the other night, he asked me to help him with a character, I went to his home because I didn't want people to get the wrong idea.” Mark scoffed. “Shut up, I ended up staying the night, yes, I know. And the next morning, his mum and sister showed up and he asked me to pretend it was more than it was because his mum is like ours only she insisted we go out to eat and it all snowballed from there.” In truth, telling him everything actually felt good.

There was silence on the other end of the phone or a few seconds, which worried Paige before the sound of her brother erupting in laughter filled her ear. “You're lying, you have to be lying. Please tell me it's true, Paige. I'm begging you, please tell me this actually happened.”

Paige scoffed. Of course, Mark would think it was hilarious. It was part of the reason she loved him so much, he was so relaxed about most everything and tried to see the light side of any situation. “It's a hundred per cent the truth.” He started laughing again. “It's not actually that funny.”

“It's not funny, it's hilarious.” Mark countered. “Honestly, that's the funniest shit I've ever heard. Brilliant.”

“Thanks a lot.”

“Honestly, Paige. I love you, I really do. No other sister could be this funny.”

“Thank you. You know your amusement is paramount in the going ons of my life.” He chuckled again. “And what's worse is his Mum was lovely and so nice to me, which is made worse because apparently, she doesn’t like any woman he has introduced to her.” He laughed. “Mark!”

“Honestly, Paige. This is better than telly.”

“You're no help.”

“In what way do you think I could help you with this? So, what, you're not going to see him again?”

“Not like that, no.”

“Can I ask why?”

“You can ask, yes, that doesn't mean I'll answer.”

“Paige...you really need to stop holding onto that prick and what he did.” She did not respond. “He's off now, with someone else and he left you, and Nicola, of course, messed up. Nicola now has to think of the daughter he left her to care for and you...you won't even leave someone in.”

“I don't need someone.”

“No one needs someone, but you are risking not being happy for a guy who never cared if you were, you are letting him rule your life. I mean, I know this guy is an actor and you really could be one too, but you seemed to genuinely enjoy Hiddleston's company in those pictures and vice versa.”

“He is great company, I wouldn't deny that. I don't need to be seeing him to enjoy and want to be in his company.”

“Yet in two years, he's the first guy you seem to have not instantly regretted being around.”

“I regret it, believe me.”

“It, or the joke of the day that it caused? Because those are two entirely things.”

Paige said nothing more and contemplated her brother's words.

*

For the next week, including the following Sunday’s obligatory dinner with her family, that, even with constant mentions of Tom joining them, Paige really did enjoy, mostly because Mark spent the majority of the day making her laugh by laughing at the situation she found herself in, made all the funnier by their mother then mentioning Tom again, which caused Paige to warn her brother with a glare to say nothing, causing him to laugh, and her again in turn.

It was Wednesday, she had just cleaned the living room, cleaning and not paying too great heed to anything when her phone went off. Hearing the ringtone she kept for Oscar, she walked over and picked it up. “Good afternoon to you, Mr Richards, how are you today?”

“I am wonderful, Ms Winters, absolutely wonderful and do you know why?”

His even more dramatic tone than usual startled Paige somewhat. Oscar was a naturally jovial man, but this was very excited, even for him. “I have no idea.”

“Guess who has two of her books in the top ten of the week again?”

“What?”

“I told you, your little relationship coming out has caused his fans to be interested in your work, you have increased sales, fourteen thousand copies is the least you have sold of your books and the sales are global, not just here in Britain and the only reason that one is not selling as well is it is the sequel, so predicted sales for that are expected to increase also.” silence was the only response. “Paige?”

“I...I don’t know what to say.”

“I told you that your relationship with Mr Hiddleston would reap benefits.”

“But we are not in a relationship Oscar, I told you already. I was merely assisting him with his work and people got the wrong end of the stick.”

Finally, Oscar seemed to be listening to her. “You’re being honest with me?”

“What reason have I to lie?”

“I see.” Oscar’s tone was low and pensive. “Paige, I will ring you back in a while, alright?”

“Sure fine. I will talk to you then.” The line went dead immediately after.

Thinking over what Oscar had said, she got up Google on her phone and typed in the ten best sellers of the week. Sure enough, her name glared through the phone screen back at her, not once, but twice. Two of her books were on it. It was not a coincidence, there was no way for it to be. She went onto Amazon and typed in the name of her best seller. Sure enough, the reviews had skyrocketed and the 4.0-star rating now was at 4.5. She did not know what to think or say.

A short time later, her phone rang again, Oscar’s tone. She answered it, anxious to see what he had to say. “Are you busy?”

“At present, not particularly, why?”

“Come to my office.”

“Now?”

“Please, Paige.”

“I can be there in about an hour.”

“Faster, Paige. Please.”

Paige tidied herself up, then went and retrieved her jacket before going out the door, wondering what it was Oscar wanted.

*

Paige’s confusion was only intensified when she turned up at Oscar’s office to see none other than Tom looking at her, awkwardly. “Hello.”

“Hi.” She gave a forced small smile back. “Why are you here?”

“I am not sure, if I’m honest.” He confessed. “Luke told me to come here and when Luke uses that particular tone, it is best to comply. Why are you here?”

“Oscar is my manager and PR agent. He told me to come in ASAP.”

Tom nodded as he thought over her words. “How are you?”

“Good, you?”

“Fine. My mother is very much asking for you.”

Paige could only laugh slightly at that. “My mother is livid I met yours and is all but insisting I bring you to dinner. Your name came up at her dinner table more on Sunday than all other names combined.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Honestly, I caused you nothing but pain and misery.”

“That’s a tad overdramatic. My brother thinks this is completely hilarious.”

“You told him?”

“Yes.”

“And he is okay with it?”

“Why wouldn’t he be?”

“What we did…”

“My brother is a fully grown man, he knows what we did, why we played up in front of your mother, and he is laughing at me any time he sees me or gets a call from me and I am about this close to kicking him in the balls.” She showed her index and thumb to Tom, both about a millimetre from one another.

“Oh dear.” Tom winced slightly at the idea. “So, your manager/publicist, my agent and my publicist are in that room without us, that is a tad concerning.”

“Only a tad.” Paige looked at the door. “Has your week been affected?”

“Excuse me?” Tom did not know how to comprehend that particular question.

“Your week, has it been affected by our being seen together last week?”

“I...don’t know. I mean, Ben gave me the questioning of a lifetime, but other than that, no.”

“Okay.” She went back to thinking.

“Can I ask why you would ask that?”

“I don’t know. I am trying to make sense of this.”

Tom was about to respond when Anja, Oscar’s secretary since before Paige had hired him, came out of the room. “They are asking for you to join them now.” She held the door open for them, Tom standing back and allowing Paige to enter first. The manner in which the three men were looking at them concerned both Tom and Paige.

“Luke, Christian, what is going on?” Tom was the first to speak.

“We just want to speak to you both for a moment,” Luke explained. “Ms Winters, I am Luke Windsor, I am Tom’s publicist, this is Christian Hodell, he is one of the partners of Hamilton Hodell and Tom’s agent. Tom this is Oscar Richard’s, Paige’s publicist and manager.”

“Hello.” Paige gave an apologetic smile. “I fear I can only apologise for the work last week caused for you all.”

“Yes, honestly, we did not mean for it to happen,” Tom added.

“No, that was nothing.” Oscar dismissed. “But the ripple effect of it has caused us to think.” Paige and Tom looked at one another, bewildered. “As you know from our call earlier, Paige, this has had an impact on you.” Tom looked at Paige worriedly. “You’ve sold more books in the past week than you have since the movie deal and the reviews are continuing to increase. The BBC wants you to go on the radio about it. They have badgered me twice today about it.”

“Wow.”

“Tom, Betrayal has almost sold out, there are only a few tickets left for most every date,” Christian told him, Luke nodded. “Honestly, this is the fastest sales they have had. Many are already sold out.”

“It’s on for nearly four months,” Tom commented. “I know we expected big sales, but that many?”

“Ms Winters holds a following of educated and well-read fans, her approval of your work, your name and sheer talent on stage, it’s a deadly duo. Going by social media, the overlap is causing significant sales.” Christian explained.

Luke looked between the pair. “It would seem that you’re an unexpected power couple.”

“But…” Paige began.

“Yes. I told them, you stated there is no actual relationship here.” Oscar stated.

Immediately, Paige realised what was happening, she noted the terms and reasons being used and realised what was being implied. “You want to stage one?”

Luke smiled, realising how intelligent she was to have figured it out before Tom, who now seemed to be on the same page as them. “I know it is not the most ideal situation, but all things considered, we think that for a short time, it may be in both parties best interests, to consider such a situation.”

“By best interests, let’s just be clear here, you are implying our work interests,” Tom interjected. “Luke…”

“Tom, after the last disaster, you really cannot afford to simply be seen with a woman once again and for her to dash off again soon after.” Tom felt as though that was a low blow and it showed. “I know this seems harsh Tom, but it is a good idea, I feel. Of all the women, Paige is so well suited, and Ms Winter’s, your sales are set to rise this week.” She looked at him curiously. “I know this is a tad tacky, I thought the same thing when Oscar suggested it, but it is an idea that is very much profitable to both parties.”

“There’s more to life than simply money, Mr Windsor.”

Luke chuckled. “Yes, there is, and that is part of the reasoning for this. You are not going to do a ‘sell all’, neither is Tom. You both ride this little wave, you say the publicity of the press was too much after it, part ways and nothing more. No nasty songs, media comments, nothing.”

Tom shook his head slightly. “We’re above this.” He looked at Paige. “What happened last week caused me to force Paige into something that she did not want, I feel incredibly guilty about this, I am not doing that again.”

“The issue with last week, from what you have told me, is your mother forcing you in public, this time, should you agree, everything will be laid out on the table, no nasty surprises, for you both to agree to.” Luke countered.

“What would be expected of us?” Paige asked, not because she was seriously thinking of considering it, but to see what was the lie of the land.

“Going to dinner, getting coffee, walking Tom’s dog, going to the play, just being seen to be two regular human beings, very ‘normal’ things really.”

“Tom doesn’t need a ‘girlfriend’, he is portrayed fine by himself.” Paige pointed out.

“Not really.” She looked at Tom, startled to hear it was him that was answering, not his team. “I took a hit for the whole Taylor Swift thing, I am seeing as a bit of a joke now.” She looked sadly at him. “I accepted that it was my own doing. But I am not subjecting you to it, it’s not fair.”

“I just don’t understand why we would fake a relationship.”

“This is the era of such things, sadly. One’s own merit is not everything anymore.” Christian stated. “I know this is odd, and you are both highly professional and inoffensive people, but that is part of it. Katie Price sells more books than most serious female writers, which is wrong, as of course, they are ghostwritten, but she is more famous and for that, she profits.”

Paige paused and thought over what he said. She had no quarrel with Katie Price, she had not even met the other woman, but yes, her chick-lit did outsell Booker Prize Winners and that never sat fully with Paige, she felt more serious work deserved more praise. “So, if we cannot beat them, join them, is it?”

“Fuck no,” Oscar growled. “No drugged out of your head, no dirty laundry in public, just you two, acting like two normal people just enjoying a healthy relationship, nothing more.”

“That won’t sell for long, though.” Tom pointed out.

“No, but that is why we just go with it for now while it is selling,” Christian argued. “Think it over, it will very much be worth your while, I think you’ll find.”

Tom and Paige simply looked at one another again.

#tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston fic #chapter 7 #Once Bitten Twice Shy

[my-rae]

Love Scenario-CRS

We met and loved each other and it became an unforgettable memory.

Requested by @matesb: Hey, can I request a raesung fluff? Where we both are trainees 😊

I’m sorry this took me so long ugh. I hope you like it!

Words:2k+

Genre: fluff+ lowkey angst?? idk

Warning: English is not my first language, so pls be patient with me hehe. Besides, this story is completely made up, but at some point I tried to include a dash of reality??? Don’t be scared pls.

Since it’s my first au in this account, feedback is very apreciated pls

The first time you saw Raesung was in a monthly evaluation, in fact, in your first one. He was well known among trainees because of his amazing skills in each field (Dancing, rapping, singing), you had heard about him, and even saw him on television once, when he was little. Rumour had it that he was very cold and he barely talked to other people that weren’t his A team friends, and because of that, he made you feel intimidated when he came into the practice room.

Your eyes didn’t leave his silhouette for a second, filled with curiosity. He was standing with the “team A”, looking at the CEO and waiting for his name to be announced. He was one of the first ones.

He performed a song he had written, produced and arranged himself and was so into it that you then understood why he was so popular. But there was something that called even more your attention. All those little things he made, such as sometimes bopping his head to the song that other trainee was singing, or making a supportive gesture towards them during the performance that was, apparently, unnoticeable to the rest. How can you call a person like that be “cold”? It was obvious that he wasn’t payed enough attention, yet everyone talked about their first impression about him.

“You did good.” Some trainees complimented eachother, some others remained quiet. You decided to do the first option and congratulated your peers and talked to them afterwards, hoping you would get to know anyone soon.

You ended up high-fiving Raesung and, somehow, with his Snapchat account.

Back for then you didn’t consider it flirting, even though some people you met there thought it was.

But, going straight to the point, let’s just say that Snapchat made you become friends.

Raesung 👊👊

“Do I look intimidating enough?” He captioned in biggest part of the photos.

“Lmaoo you??? Intimidating??? Where??”

“Shut up I’m cool, I already have a cold facade”

“A fake cold facade*”

Your conversations were basically like that, just joking and making fun of each other, but outside Snapchat, you barely saw him. He was all the time nowhere to be seen, you wouldn’t find him even if you looked for him, overall because you trained in different floors.

Until it finally happened.

“Come to the second floor, I’m bored.” You were about to go to the dorms after a long day of training when that Raesung sent that Snapchat message. Still, you went anyways.

“Why are you still here?” You asked him.

He was inside a little studio, sitting in a chair, looking through his phone. When he heard your voice, he turned to look at you with smile on his face.

“I want to work a little longer.”

“Are you crazy, Rae? It’s getting late.” You looked at your watch. 23:00 pm. “What do you even want to do so late?”

“I’ve been working on my monthly evaluation, I want to perform something different.” He explained. “Do you want to listen to it?”

You are still not sure why Raesung wanted you to listen to it, out of all people that could give him a better review. Still, you agreed.

He was beyond excited, you could tell by how his eyes sparkled. The track he played was slow compared to the song he performed the first time you saw him, still it had a catchy vibe that made you love the song instantly.

“Do you like it?” He asked when it finished.

“Are you kidding? I love it!” You exclaimed excitedly. The corners of his lips raised to form one of the cutest smiles you had ever seen.

And your heart skipped a beat immediately.

“Let me show you this other one! I don’t know which I should develop to the monthly evaluation, I want to show our CEO something different.”

You kept it going, day after day. Once you had finished training you always stayed together for a little longer, even if you were tired. At first it was only to help him for the monthly evaluations, but at some point it became just two friends, talking about anything, complaining about the company and the trainee life, sharing some good and bad experiences there.

Your friends began to think you were dating him and they wouldn’t stop teasing you about it. Deep down inside, you didn’t mind.

“Remember the first track I played?” You pretender to think even though you remembered it perfectly, he named it “desired situation” and it was your favourite one.

He wasn’t good at naming his songs.

“I do, why?" 

"I’ve decided that I won’t use that one.”

“Why?” He was so excited about that one, it didn’t make sense.

“I have a few ideas in mind, and I don’t know why I think that track is more personal.” He looked straight into your eyes and you froze.

You knew you had fallen for him, but taking into consideration your situation it was better to hide it as much as possible.

But those little moments with him made you think that it couldn’t be just one sided. Eventually, you discovered you were right.

“I’m so sick of this company Rae, how am I going to be able to stand this until I debut?”

He held your hand and caressed your hair without realising, just spontaneously.

“Hang in there, okay? We will debut, I know it.” Was his answer.

“I know you’re going to debut, I have no doubt, our CEO loves you, but I don’t really know if I’ll end up doing it or not. He doesn’t care about me, he won’t mind if I leave.“ He froze and gave your hand a squeeze, looking at you with his eyes filled with concern.

“Are you going to leave?”

“I don’t know Rae, I don’t want to keep wasting my life.“

“If you ever do, please warn me beforehand, I don’t think I could stand it if you leave without warning.”

Raesung was like that, spontaneous, you were sure that his words didn’t mean the same for him that what they did to you, but they made your heart beat like crazy every time. 

From there, it only got worse, all your efforts were useless, it wasn’t enough, you weren’t enough for YG Entertainment, so you took your decision after talking to your trainee friends for a long time. 

 “Rae, I’m leaving, I can’t take it.“ You said that day inside those four walls that had seen you grow up with your friend.

He kept quiet. He had a good ability to come up with lyrics and melodies easily, but not to talk about this with someone that meant the world to him, so he gave you an awkward hug and let you cry on his shoulder.

It was unusual in Raesung to let you do that, yet you didn’t question it.

“Before I leave, there’s something else I want to say.” You stated when you stopped crying. “This had been a hard decision to take because I don’t know if I’ll ever see you when I leave. I like you, Rae, I hope you can forgive me.”

He shook his head and pouted.

“There’s nothing to forgive.” He was about to hold your hand, but suddenly he pulled it back. Through his hair you could see his ears getting red.

“In the hypothetical case that you loved me back.” You began cautiously to confirm your recent suspicions. “Would you say it back?”

“You know how I am y/n, this is hard.“

“So, do you love me back?”

“Could be.”

“Hypothetically.”

“And in real life.” He finally admited.

You smiled. If it was going to be your last month there, you had to make it worthy.

It went by fast, you and Resungwere exactly the same, but you didn’t look at each other like you did before. It was like an open secret just between you two, which made everything way much better.

Until it came to an end.

Your contract expired, as well as your journey in YG Entertainment, with all the friend you had made and, of course, Raesung.

You talked to them a lot, but as you auditioned to another company and your timetable couldn’t fit any of your friend’s, you began to lose contact. Overall with Choi Raesung.

You met, and loved each other even if it was to yourselves, and it became an incredible memory. 

The last thing you knew about him was that he was friends with Ikon members and that he became a producer and left the trainee life, as well as snapchat. You only got updates through his fans, that were only a few, so you would have said that he was missing in action if it weren’t because of his appearance in Stray Kid’s reality, but he was in your life. Almost as if you had erased each other.

Until one day you heard it. It was a bit modified and had been added good lyrics, but you were sure that it was that track.

“Desired situation” was being played by some other trainees that had taken a few minutes to rest and watch Ikon’s comeback.

“Sorry, Minhye, are you listening to desired situation by ikon?” You asked your friend.

“Desired situation?” He laughed. “Nice try Y/n, it’s called love scenario. And yes! It’s awesome right? Ikon always have good songs.”

Love scenario… That’s how it was called now. You decided to google the credits and yes, effectively, his name was right next to Kim Hanbin’s and some others.

To find Raesung after that was hard. You had lost his number, then you tried through twitter, but he never answered his DMs, then Instagram, but he didn’t have an account, his fancafe was abandoned too. Hanbin was right that time he said that he was living his best life watching anime. In the end, and by chance, you found him, even sooner than Noa’s reply to the message you had sent the boy that morning asking for Raesung’s number.

It happened at some random café, his hair was a little longer, but it still looked great. His styling was the same, but apparently he had enough money to buy some expensive clothes. That thought made you smile.

“Hello, Choers.” You greeted friendly. 

He looked shocked and a little confused to see you there.

“D-did you just tried to call me by my twitter username?”

“I’m surprised you remember your username taking into consideration that you haven’t used it since 2012.”

“You forgot to add the number one to choers, nice try Y/n.” He joked.

The conversation went by a bit awkwardly, but none of you wanted to stop talking.

“So… Love scenario.” His ears turned red, just like they did every time he was embarrassed. “You did a great job, you know it, right?”

“It was Hanbin hyung who did the biggest part of the job. He and Bobby hyung came up with great lyrics and showed them to me. Then I suggested to use that track.”

“It sounds awesome Rae, it was my favourite out of all those you came up with.” 

“I know, that’s why I suggested it. I trusted your opinion.” He seemed proud, and that made you smile even wider. “What about you? How’s your life going?”

“I’m a trainee that is going to become a rookie idol soon!” You announced happily. “I’m going to debut in five months.”

“That’s great! I’m glad that you finally made your dreams come true after what happened at YG.”

“I’m glad too. And what about you? What made you become a producer?”

“It was my only choice.” You didn’t know what he meant, but you let it be.

“Anyways, Rae, I should get going now. I’m very tired.” You said. “We should meet soon.”

“Yeah, we should.” He knew he had to tell you, but how would you react? He was afraid, it had happened ages ago after all. Then, he remembered all the times Hanbin made him try to contact you, and how excited he was to know about Raesung’s story with you. So he said it. “By the way Y/n, you know the song, love scenario…”

You nodded, encouraging him to continue.

“When Hanbin hyung showed me the lyrics, the reason why I chose desired situation was because it reminded me of you. Love scenario, in the end, is dedicated to you. At least half of it.”

You felt your cheeks burning. You definitely weren’t expecting that.

“I’ve missed you, Rae.” You finally said.

“God I’ve missed you too, a lot.” He answered, becoming relieved.

You didn’t know if it was appropriate to hug him, but you did anyways.

“We have a lot of things to talk to. Hanbinhyung won’t stop telling me I should have asked you out.” He sighed.

“I don’t want to say I agree with him but… I mean.”

“I know, I know. By the moment, let’s meet up here tomorrow, okay? You know, to catch up.” He suggested, looking confident for the first time ever.

“That sounds good Rae. It really does.”

#choi raesung #raesung #millennium #raesung au #choi raesung au #millennium au #silver boys #yg silver boys #silver boys au #requested! #matesb #pls don't let me flop #raesung imagine

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Uchitama 1 - 2 | Hatena 1 - 2 | Ankoku Hakaishin 1 - 2 | Infinite Dendrogram 1 | Hanako-kun 2 | In/Spectre 1 | ARP Backstage Pass 1 | A3 1

Rolled out one tag. I got pretty far behind, so I’ll catch up in the next few posts.

Uchitama 1

Ume and Shirai here.

I would assume this kid with the tiger on his shirt is called Tora, because I vaguely remember a “Tora” in the promotional material.

The sakura aesthetic is nice.

This switch between boy and cat forms is a bit…”weird” is the first word that came to mind, but “random” was the next.

Tora = Shirai and Ume is a character called Kuro, who we haven’t seen yet. (Had to google which roles they had.)

LOL, I like Beh already. A sleepyhead like him is perfect!

I just noticed, but Beh sometimes has a cleft palate (that little dent in the mouth).

Ume’s character isn’t too bad-looking, y’know. He’s a clumsy one though, so he doesn’t quite seem like the sort of character I’d gravitate to.

Seeing boys and girls act like cats and dogs makes me LOL.

Huh? Is cat-dog romance like your standard opposites attract romance…?

Hmm…thank goodness the mother cat wasn’t “made human”…

I’m used to Nora being a woman (see Noragami plus the Western general usage of the name “Nora”)…so this one being a guy (with nice eyes, to boot) is a bit disorienting.

Turns out the Tosa is a huge dog with a face like a pitbull.

I find this Momo-Bull romance just a bit weird still.

I got spoilt on this from the reviews, but Waiha = Hawaii.

That flash of Nora’s owner (?) was interesting!

Other notes: The narration seems to be done by the voice of Tama. Ume sounds like Ume, but it doesn’t feel like Ume because he’s playing against his normal type of character. Shirai doesn’t sound like Shirai though…it’s a completely different character to the types I’ve heard him do before (Ramuda and Io don’t sound like Tora, but Vino sounds similar to En because a lot of Ume characters are done in his usual, suave voice…Ramuda is Shirai doing a falsetto though so he’s hard to compare).

Hatena 1

This one got alright reviews, but I get the feeling I’m not going to like it, so lt’s get this over and done with.

Why is Kana the only one with the black hair…?

This OP is rather low budget compared to the others…

I fully expect Kana to go “It’s bitter…” and make a face when drinking the coff-yep. Thought so. Why do people think black coffee is the mark of a distinguished adult anyway? I don’t even like coffee, so I don’t get it at all.

The sentence in Japanese went something like “Makoto’s always been good”, so I don’t get why the word “egg” had to be introduced into the subs.

There’s an onigiri sale in the back, LOL.

The gates were fairly CGId…

The butler’s name is literally Jeeves Wodehouse, LOL.

Oh, Yumemi is blonde because of Maeve and Kana is brunette/black (?) haired because of Mamoru. Yumemi = dream seeing and Mamoru = protect.

Kana’s voice is annoying! That’s why I thought I wouldn’t like this.

Kana’s such a tsundere now that she knows Makoto is a boy, it’s annoying. I already knew such a detail from the reviews, so I’m not miffed at all.

I find it vaguely amusing that there were 3 different types of animation of a person popping their head into the attic.

Ema’s just a bit evil…Update: Nup, she just ships Kana x Makoto, that’s all.

The hardsubs weren’t encoded correctly on this episode, so they’re all blurry now. Still readable but blurry.

The pun is that the ka in Kana can be read hate in other cases.

More CG doors.

Why is Kana wearing the scarf, even after her bath in a towel???

This reminds me of Hayate the Combat Butler…

Maeve is foreign...that’s why she’s blonde. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh. (<- partially sarcastic)

Hmm…the fact you can’t tell what is and isn’t real is an interesting factor. However, the production values and the bog-standard romance being set up undercut that.

Magical girl transformation, eh? Reminds me of DN Angel or Magic Kaito, but also Phantom Thief Jeanne or something of the sort.

Hatena 2

I’m still trying to see if this is something to kick out…

This “scarf punches guy” business is getting old…I never got used to it in the old-school harems. I don’t know why it’s become a “classic” thing in anime.

This is meant to be for a boy’s perspective, so…I don’t get it. Okay, I’m dropping this.

Infinite Dendrogram 1

An isekai…oh, goody. (sarcastic) Then again, if I liked this I could try a new publisher out, so it’s win-win for me and the companies I go through to get there.

*the exposition rolls in about virtual reality* Oh great (sarcastic)…this is SAO all over again, isn’t it???

I saw HOTZIPANG in the credits list…now I’m really wary. HOTZIPANG were in the credits for Africa Salaryman and their animation production isn’t the best.

1st person cam…you suck, you know that?!

No. 13 (unlucky number)…Cheshire (Alice in Wonderland)…

Ray for Reiji makes sense, but…(consults Google-sensei) mukudori does mean “starling”, after all.

Yo…does Ray have to be blonde…? Is this some commentary on how having blonde hair is better than black hair, or am I thinking about this too much? (It’s my belief that Asians want to look European and vice versa – just look at their beauty standards! - so that’s where that comes from.)

Box? Looks like a bag to me.

Welp, just grabbing the kanji for mukudori via Wikipedia revealed the Embryo is a sword to me…*shrugs* No surprise there – as TV Tropes would say, heroes love swords (and redheads!).

So you can commit murder in Infinite Dendrogram??? (I’m joking partially, but Cheshire did say “you can do anything”…right?)

…and of course Ray drops into Altea from the sky. It’s been a cliché since No Game No Life.

“This is a game?” – Actually, I thought the same thing when I entered the website and game of TERA. Then again, this is basically trying to be SAO through and through, so I guess spouting that line is a prerequisite here.

How does anyone break both arms from running into someone…?

Well, at least this show looks nice. It’s doing its job on that front.

I was going to ask what a tian was, but the show answered it for me. Good job, show!

*Googles “dendrogram”* - “a tree diagram, especially one showing taxonomic relationships.” – Oh, so that’s why it’s called Infinite Dendrogram! (Y’know, it reminds me of studying about dendrites, which have the same appearance as a dendrogram...hence the shared origins of the words.)

Normally characters don’t jump into virtual worlds with thir brother…they’d do it with their cousin or crush or something…Hmm.

I was about to think you die in real life if you die in the game, but thank goodness this one is nowhere near as bad.

CGI bugs…of course…

That one still shot revealed a crack in this show’s visuals. I almost thought I could select it on the basis of the excellent visuals alone, but nope.

“…that…leaves a bad taste in my mouth!” – Not again, Ray…stop saying that line…

Again? I just told you in the last note not to!

Of course Ray gets the girl. I should’ve known…well she’s a sword but also a girl…?

The sentence ending -grizz is –kuma in Japanese.

I felt something special in my gut when the sword appeared, even though I’m complaining about this being like SAO, so I think it’s worth continuing.

A3 1

A3 is based on a mobile game so it looks a lot like those idol games, but it’s actually about acting according to the full name of Act! Addict! Actors!.

This kid’s eyes freak me out!

Considering this involves – according to the synopsis – a Mankai (full bloom) Company and this is called “spring and summer”, plus the metaphors from earlier, it makes sense the kiddo’s jumper says “spring” on it.

I thought the kid was singing, but turns out he’s reciting Shakespeare. I don’t know how popular the ol’ Shakie is in Japan, but I’ll take it.

Veludo Way = Broadway, apparently.

It should be Biro-do or Verodo, but not “Vedulo” like the subs say.

*sees a woman* - Oh great, so now this turns into an otome game…or, like i7’s Tsumugi, she’s an audience insert.

Someone encoded the video funny again…*sigh*

I bet the demolition guy is going to join the theatre, based on his looks. Update: According to the wiki, yes he does (as part of the Autumn troupe)! One of his hobbies is bubble wrap, which I can relate to immensely…and apparently he’s a yakuza…?

Masumi’s voice…is that Kaito Ishikawa? Update: No! It’s Shirai! I’m so surprised…it’s a very Io-sounding voice, though, so I guess I shouldn’t.

Masumi is one of those needy types who could easily fall into yandere territory…I don’t like him. I don’t like Sakuya either, though…

I know this from my recent experience, but hard work hardly works, Sakuya. Staying somewhere one year or ten years does diddly squat if you don’t have what other people are looking for. *tries not to cry*

I’m sorry guys, but even with the attack to the heart, I don’t give a s*** about you all. The troupe was just arguing to delay their deadlines and Furuichi (the demolition guy) has a point – the guys didn’t really prove themselves outside a brief but unimpressive stint from Sakuya.

ARP Backstage Pass 1

Hopefully this show is actually good, y’know? A3 just bombed…

Okayyyyyyyyyyy…from the one minute or so that I’ve seen, it looks like a Coldplay concert but with bishonen (good) and bad music (which is…uh, bad). That does not bode well for this show…also, the stage names are pretty obviously that. I mean, who cals their kid “Rage”? It’s probably Reiji (again, considring Infinite Dendrogram).

The cars from above almost look like Frogger…LOL.

Oh f*** me and my on-the-ball instincts! I guessed correctly again (Rage = Reiji)…and that’s bad news.

Wait, why is Shinji staring into space…?

There’s a kettle noisily going on in the background, so I can’t really tell what’s so awesome about this show without the music…I guess I’ll have to abort this mission until later…

Okay, so I listened to the piano bit thrice and couldn’t tell if there was a piano noise…That’s bad news. Update: Yep, listened to it again and there is no piano sound during the piano scene.

The rock music was…unexpected.

Wait, you mean the dude’s name is actually Daiya??? What???

Oh my gosh, these guys are hilarious! I know that’s dark considering they’re starving, but…LOL.

Idolmaster Side M taught me that career changes are actually pretty interesting when combined with idol anime and…this may be a band or something, but it sure works the same way.

That transition to Leon was terrible.

This appears to be Yokohama (Chinatown) and Hakone (the pirate ship).

Well, the show’s case would be helped if they had music in the right places, rather than music videos interspersed throughout.

Geesh this one is tough…some of the music is actually pretty good and the episode does get better when Rebel Cross appear (but Shinji is kinda boring, even though I thought I’d like him the most, and Leon’s singing was downright terrible), but the animation is terrible and I found myself going “But why should I care?!” multiple times in my head during the first half. The group do seem to have quite good synergy at the end and are generally entertaining, too.

Ankoku Hakaishin 1

I’ve ben calling this “Destructive God” or “Ankoku Haishin”, so this is A Destructive God Sits Next to Me. Update: It should be Hakaishin…actually.

Ooh, Natsuko Takahashi. This show’s in good hands.

Very Seki-kun.

Black Mouse Land, LOL.

“This is war!” – The word here is shoubu, which literally means “victory or defeat”, so it makes sense to change it to a more commonly used phrase.

“RIP Koyuki” – The grave said “Koyuki’s grave”…which isn’t that funny to be honest, so again, I get the decision to change it.

Hanadori still had the dog…?

“Things I Want to Forget” – Literally, the words on the page mean “black history”, which I think is funnier.

Oh, I bet Koyuki will plan the class trip…

“[T]he jerk in the next class over” – Does he have a name…?

I bet Koyuki has the worst grades in math of the trio.

Koyuki is deliberately designed like a cat, it seems.

You can see the broken window from earlier…LOL.

It’s Animal Crossing! On DS! (But what’s up with that rabbit with the fishnet stockings…?) Update: Do Japanese kids even use DSs these days? DSs must be cheap in comparison to their newfangled gaming laptops and Switches…

Is Tsukimiya Mamoru Miyano or something…? Update: Nup, Kimura. I seem to get those two confused quite a bit.

The “Muney” (sic) thing is because he (Hanadori) wrote the hyou in mokuhyou (aim, goal) wrong. By the way, Hanadori put an eyepatch on one of his banknotes.

That ending was actually kind of cute. I always prefer heartwarming comedies like these over mean-spirited ones (Osomatsu-san, Konosuba), so…yep, it’s in my wheelhouse!

I predicted the ending but the galactic reaction I got was…awesome!

In/Spectre 1

Why does this have so many names? In/Spectre, Kyokou Suiri , Inverted Reasoning (or was it Inverted Interface)…? Update: Inverted Inference. That’s the name on the manga covers.

Ooh, Saki is pretty classy-looking.

This is being framed like a romance, huh? I know this series is supernatural, but I’m not really here for the romance.

What’s the age gap? 17 (Kotoko) – 23 (Kuro)?

Lel, Harlequin novels. Those seem to be exclusive to the Western world (specifically the USA and its English-speaking country buddies), so it’s probably just romance novels in the original words. Update: I found Harlequin novels for Japan, but still, they’d be nowhere near as ubiquitous as they are elsewhere. Update 2: I kept thinking about it, so now I have an entire post with my findings. Turns out Japan does have and know about Harlequin novels (which do look like the one the samurai was holding), but they probably couldn’t state the name because of potential lawsuits or something. 

Oh gosh, Potato-kun (Kuro) – yes, I think of him much like a normal harem lead – getting your hand chomped off to the arm is a bit stupid, y’know?

Whoa! Wht a crazy cliffhanger!

Whoo! This OP (? Or is this an ED?) is crazy cool. Kinda like low-budget Kekkai Sensen.

Well, this show is kinda losing me with the romance elements, but the supernatural part is great.

Hanako-kun 2

What’s Hakujoudai? Those will o wisps? Update: Seems so.

The explanation of Yousei-san has a voice like it’s coming across a radio…interesting.

The towel…I bet it’s the one from Senpai one of the students mntioned earlier.

The subbers spelt “brooch” wrong.

This new boy – which I thought was Minamoto at first (LOL?)…he has a traffic omamori as an earring and a staff/umbrella, so he’s probably an exorcist. Either that or a massive chuunibyou.

LOL, Castle in the Sky much? (Or is that Nausicaa?)

Nene is reading from a magazine called G Cinema.

The comedy is this is slowly getting better. That’s a good sign for this, but bad for Ankoku Hakaishin…

Seagull High????? (Kamome = seagull.)

Wait, Minamoto??? You mean Nene’s former love is an exorcist??? Update: Oops, that’s (Nene’s crush is) Kou’s older bro…but that’s spoilers.

“Kou” is written with the character for hikari, or in this case “Yorimitsu”.

The action scenes are pretty good in this…I guess I kind of took them for granted in ep. 1.

Oh, I guess I should’ve known that seal on Hanako’s face…there were more of them in his possession. Also, there’s an extra V in the subs for some reason.

The stairs remind me of Muzan’s “universe” near the end of Demon Slayer’s first season.

Oh, the events of this episode tell you why Nene does the next episode stuff.

The ED visuals remind me of Ranpo Kitan’s, and I love Ranpo Kitan’s.

Ankoku Hakaishin 2

Why is Koyuki eating with his teacher anyway? I thought he was the guy from the class next door until he started talking about kids.

“Miguel Whatever” makes me laugh every time.

The cat ears on Koyuki’s phone are cute.

Sumiso reminds me of Aikatsu girls…

Uchitama 2

Bull is an “ore-sama”, huh?

I didn’t think they would continue with the “Solitary King of Destruction” thing.

Bull as a chuunibyou ham is so entertaining, but when they try to play the Momo romance hand again…I start to lose my patience...

LOL, Petstagram…

…and now it’s a (reverse) HAREM!

“[M]ad dog”, LOL, what a turn of phrase.

Okayyyyyyyyy subbers, own up! Who put a dog pun in Bull’s talk?! (I’m referring to the “doggone it!”.)

*points at dog puns*- You didn’t, subbers! You’re still adding dog puns!

Wait, Bull’s singing?! This I didn’t expect!

Well…this decision is hard. Bull’s become greater than ever…but only in relation to his romance with Momo!

Aww…seeing Bull dejected makes me sad inside too.

Oh yeah! There we go! That intro landed its gag purrfectly…to use an intentional cat pun.

Why did I take to Bull so much? Well, if he weren’t a dog, I’d find him completely romanceable, even if he were a massive chuuni.

Oh, the pun is ippai (full). Then you unintentionally switch it to oppai (boobs).

What? Wow, I never thought I’d get Ume talking about cat and dog nipples. (That’s not a sentence I’m going to be able to match any time soon.)

Okayyyyyyyyy…that one segment was a massive weird non-sequitur. I have no idea how they’d represent that with cat and dog forms.

Oh, Petstagram! We actually get to see it!

This series is more prone to “mood swings” than Ankoku Hakaishin or even Hanako-kun…yikes.

No, no, no! Who is this guy??? Haven’t you heard of “stranger danger”?!

…Oh, so the guy was Tome, huh?

The ED! This aesthetic is too good!

ARGH! Okay, okay, Uchitama! You win! I was going to pick Ankoku Hakaishin because that’s more consistent in landing its laughs and Hanako-kun would’ve been a better choice because its aesthetic is more consistently there plus it has interesting ideas with its apparitions, but Ankoku Hakaishin is fairly interchangeable with Iruma-kun…basically, if Eizouken or Magia Record don’t work out, I can loo forward to switching in one or the other, but I’m going to stick with Uchitama because *gestures wildly at screen* just look at this manservice! Even if it’s actually for a dog, I cannot deny the manservice!

#simulcast commentary #uchitama #boku no tonari ni ankoku hakaishin ga imasu #a destructive god sits next to me #Hatena Illusion #In/Spectre #Inverted Inference #Kyokou Suiri #toilet-bound hanako-kun #jibaku shounen hanako kun #a3! season spring & summer #arp backstage pass #infinite dendrogram #Uchitama?! Uchi no Tama Shirimasenka? #uchitama?! have you seen my tama? #Chesarka watches Uchitama

[im-pretty-darn-gay-blog]

Shopping Around For A Locksmith? Read These Tips First!

If you want your taxes done right, you hire an accountant. If you want your hair cut, you hire a hairdresser. You don't do these things on your own, you hire a professional! When it comes to your safety, do the same and use the checklist of advice found below to hire a locksmith.

To protect your safety when hiring a locksmith, be sure to check the locksmith's identification before allowing him or her to enter your home. Several states, including Texas, Illinois, California, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and New Jersey, require locksmiths to be professionally licensed. Ask to see your locksmith's license. https://www.locksmithservice.us.com/locksmith-tampa

It may be tempting to call multiple locksmiths when you are locked out of your car or home, but this is a very bad idea. This means inconveniencing anyone that is unfortunate enough to show up a bit later. In some cases, all of them will leave you stranded as a courtesy to one another.

Many locksmiths will quote you a price over the phone. If they get to your location and change their mind, do not continue working with them. They are simply trying to take advantage of the situation, and you should be wary. There are a number of locksmiths in any given area, so do not feel trapped into using someone that you aren't comfortable with.

Pay attention to the car the locksmith is driving. It should be adorned with his or her business slogan. If the locksmith arrives in an unmarked vehicle, it is probably best to look for someone else. The locksmith that you called may not be legitimate and may try to scam you.

Always ask your locksmith for professional identification before you let him into your home. It's all too easy to advertize as a locksmith when you really are not one. Also, be careful where you find yours. While there are many reputable businesses on places like Craigslist, you really never know!

If you have a chance, do a quick search online for any locksmith you are thinking about using. There are many websites that can help you find a locksmith. When looking at a review site, make sure it is not affiliated with a certain locksmith. Also, check with the BBB prior to hiring your ultimate locksmith tampa.

Find out if the company you are considering working with has ever had another name. In some instances, companies switch their names because customers were unhappy with their work. This helps them escape negative reviews. While a company may not be honest with you about this, it does not hurt to ask.

Before letting a locksmith into your home, verify his credentials. Double check the address listed is real and connects with the phone number you were given. With the World Wide Web at your fingertips, checking someone out is quite easy, so don't skip this step!

When looking for a locksmith, try to avoid any company that does not answer the phone with a specific name. These companies will frequently subcontract the work out to other vendors. You need to have a company that hires their own employees and does not farm out their work to anyone and everyone.

Ask the locksmith how long he or she has worked. If it has been a significant amount of time, chances are they are reliable and trustworthy. You shouldn't automatically distrust a new cheap tampa locksmith, but do know that not having many years of experience is a caution flag.

When searching for the best locksmith for your needs, try conducting interviews. Most businesses will be happy to introduce you to their professional service people and what they have to offer. Ask questions and check all references. This way you will be certain that you've hired only the best when you need them the most.

It is a bit scary to be locked out of your vehicle in an empty parking lot, but don't allow a situation like this to cloud your judgement. If you call a locksmith and someone shady shows up, you should let them know that you will not be needing their services after all. Bad signs include lack of licensing, unmarked vehicles and a refusal to hand over an ID.

Never hire a locksmith without getting a solid estimate first. When you are given a quote, ask them whether this includes parts, labor, paperwork and fuel charges. Too often low quotes end up costing a bundle once all of these extra charges are added. Asking questions can let you know what to expect.

If you Google the company you wish to hire and find nothing, be wary. Some locksmiths who provide subpar work will change the name of their company to get away from bad reviews. Obviously, if the company name is also the locksmith's name, it will be harder to change.

Check the license of any locksmith who comes to your home. Be sure to verify that they are the person listed on the license. Some unsavory types will share one license between everyone in the company, hoping no one will check it. You know better, so check it against their photo ID.

A  ultimate locksmith near me can truly benefit your life when things are looking down. Whether you are locked out of your car or need a new lock on your home, he can save the day. Check who is available in your neighborhood now so you have them in your contact list when you need them quickly.

#ultimate 24 hour locksmith tampa #cheap tampa locksmith #website #tampa florida #locksmith #ultimate locksmith

[caramell0w]

The Publicist

Hey everyone! I want to post the 1st chapter of my new book, The Publicist. You can preorder it on Amazon here: https://goo.gl/SL5JhG for only .99 pennies! This book i being released 2/2/2019 and is part of The Hollywood Lust Series! All three books will be out his year! Let me know what you think!

Chapter 1- Quinn

Caleb Evanstan is every girl’s wet dream. Girls want to be with him, and guys want to be him. He is one of Hollywood’s top celebrities and he is living life to the fullest. Parties, alcohol, women—everything is handed to him on a silver platter. When he is sober, he actually is a decent actor. He has the body of a god and the voice of an angel. Everyone in my line of business wants to get their hands on him; but I’m unlucky enough to get the opportunity.

I’m finishing a press release for a well known rock band. The drummer got caught up in a small drug investigation when he bought some ecstasy off an undercover cop—stupid! Thad, my boss, knocks on my door. I look up at him, a bored expression on my face.

“Hey Quinn, you got a minute?” It is never a good thing when he asks if I have a minute to spare. Usually that means I’m being suckered into something I won’t be happy with; or he is trying to ask me out—again.

“Thad, remember our conversation about when no means no?” I look back at my screen to finish my work as he strolls into my office and sits down across from me.

“I’m not asking you out, Quinn; I won’t make that mistake again.” I give him my full attention, and cross my arms over my ample chest, leaning back in my chair. “You’ve been hired for a job.” He smiles at me, as if it’s supposed to make me want to jump at the opportunity.

“Yay for me. Who and when?” I ask in a bored tone, a smirk crossing my features. I work my ass off to be known as the publicity girl. I kick ass and take names. I have a way of spinning any story to make it work in favor of the client. Let’s just say, I have a way with words.

“Caleb Evanstan. You start tomorrow.”

The smirk drops from my face, I uncross my arms and turn back towards the computer and start clacking at the keys. “No. Give it to Amanda. She can handle the lost puppy.”

He stands up, leans over my desk, planting both hands down in an attempt to show his dominance and his power as my boss. It’s his favorite power move and he knows it doesn’t work on me, but he tries it anyway. “I’m not asking you, I’m telling you. You’re taking this job.”

I stand and mirror his stance, hardening my stare. “You better be paying me weekend hours, at double time then.”

“You’re salaried.” A shimmer of humor in his eyes.

“Mr. Evanstan doesn’t know that. You will work a big fat bonus into this deal if I have to help him pull his head out of his ass. Once you ensure I have my bonus, I’ll take the job. Otherwise, pass it to Amanda.” My last four words are clipped. He knows I’m not going to back down,  and he relents.

He stands  up straight and rubs his hands down his face. His actions let me know how annoyed he is. “If I can ensure you a nice payday, will you take it?”

I cock my head to the side and study him. “Why is it so important I take it?”

“Because you, Quinn Harrison, are the biggest bitch in this industry and you don’t take shit from anyone. He needs someone like you so he doesn’t blow his career.” He takes a deep breath, and pushes it out. “Plus, I’m doing this as a favor to my cousin who works for Reel Studios.”

“Ah, so the real reason emerges.” Victory! I knew there was more to this than he was letting on.

“Quinn, you’re the best at your job. You know this, and I know this.” His voice changes tone. “Also, you do know you’re the only person that talks to me like this, right? Everyone else is scared shitless of me; but you could give a rat’s ass. Caleb is going to fight you tooth and nail. I need someone that has a backbone and will push back on him.” He points his index finger in my direction. “That’s you. Amanda wouldn’t last a day around that guy.”

“Sure she would, have you seen her? She looks like a model.”

“Yes. He’ll listen to her long enough to fuck her and send her on her way.”

“Wow, Thad, tell me how you really feel about her.” Amanda is actually an extremely intelligent woman and very good at her job. I don’t like when Thad thinks she’s just a pretty face. I also understand the true meaning of his words. I have a little more meat on me and he is less likely to find me as pretty or as fuckable. Ouch. It hurts, but it’s nothing that I haven’t heard before.

“Quinn, please. You know I wouldn’t send you if I thought you couldn’t handle him.” His voice softens as he speaks the words, his shoulders slouching ever so slightly.

“Can I start on Monday? I have plans this weekend and I would rather not break them.” I have a date and I’m hoping to get lucky.

“No. Steve, his agent was very clear that you had to start this weekend. Caleb  is attending a gala to raise money to fight world hunger and he’s the special guest for the evening. You need to make sure he does his due diligence this weekend. He needs to smile for the cameras, give his speech, and talk with the prominent donors; not cause a scene.”

“Sounds like free alcohol and a pretty gown for me. Hope there is a budget for a new dress, Thad. I don’t have anything in my closet that will be acceptable for a gala.”

“I’ll make arrangements to have a few dresses brought to your room at the hotel, so you can try them on. Just give Julie your size before you leave.”

“Just make sure to get that bonus or I won’t be going. You have one hour until I leave, and if I don’t hear back from you before then, I’m out.”

He leaves my office and I sit back down, pulling up a Google on Caleb. I know Thad will get me that bonus, even if he has to pay for it himself.  I have to learn everything I can about the superstar; I don’t want to be thrown any surprises during our meeting tomorrow.

With his Wikipedia page pulled up, I begin jotting down notes. He is 32 years old, dark brown hair, dark chocolate brown eyes, and muscles to spare. As I sit drooling over the picture in front of me, an email comes in from Thad.

Quinn,

You will meet him tomorrow at Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Room 7250 at 9 in the morning. You’ll accompany him to and from the event. Make sure he stays sober enough to get through the evening without ruining his reputation. Steve booked you a room next to his.

Thad

P.S.- You would look ravishing in anything red.

I hit reply on the email and think about the perfect snarky remark. It’s going through company email, and while Thad, doesn’t seem to care what he says, I don’t want my ass wrapped up in human resources.

Thad,

I’ll make sure it’s green then.

Quinn

I hear him laugh from down the hall in his office, and I smile to myself. I go back to looking at pictures of Caleb and reviewing anything that could cause issues—past girlfriends, crazy fans, illegitimate children. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of information about his relationships. The only thing I can find is a small article about a girlfriend when he went to his first movie premiere. I double click the image and it expands to the size of my screen. I smile as I look at the picture; they looked happy together and he looked excited, a huge smile plastering his face. So different from the brooding pictures of him that currently grace the covers of magazines.

I study his look, how he held her. He was in love in this picture, there’s no doubt about it. His left arm was protectively wrapped around her waist and he was leaning in towards her. She was looking up at him like he was her everything. She was a little big for normal Hollywood actresses and I don’t recognize the name. She must have been his girlfriend from wherever he grew up.

I close the picture and scroll down to his demographics. He grew up in Winslow, Arizona with one brother named Gabriel, his mom Margaret, and his dad Anthony. The page talks about his early career—the small movies and TV appearances he appeared in, up until his latest movie that launched his career, Keep Her Hidden. The movie is based upon the the hit book series Underground Royalty. I saw it when it premiered last summer, and I would never admit it to anyone but I went back and saw it three more times.

It’s part one of a series of books that I drooled over. I couldn’t put them down. The typical dominant male and submissive girl, except this girl had a backbone. I feel that’s why I enjoyed it. She could handle herself and she gave him a run for his money. Just like any woman who saw the movie, I instantly fell head over heels for Caleb—until I learned what type of person he is. The partying, alcohol drinking, bad boy. The guy that has a string of one night stands; but can never commit. He is the type of man you date when you’re in your early twenties and you want the adventure. He’s not the type of man you settle down with and bring home to your parents.

After looking at a little more information, I unhook my laptop, and shove it in my bag. I stop at Julie’s desk, she smiles up at me.

“Hey Julie, I need anything in a size twelve.”

#new release #new book #the publicist #check it out #available for preorder now

[bloggertutor]

Complete Blogging Guide for Beginner's to Create a Successful Blog - Download Free PDF

Context of Blogging Guide -> (Must Read)

This is going to be your last blogging guide to become a successful blogger because after implementing all these easy steps you do not need to read or watch any tutorial or guide. All the steps described here are not from theory it's from my personal experiment and experience.

Note -> 1

In this blogging tutorial, You will get all aspects of blogging from basic like choosing a niche and creating a blog website to advance and challenging On-Page and Off-Page SEO to boost your Traffic.

Note -> 2

If you are looking this post for time pass, you are welcome to leave this page because this post has 9000+ Words which will take approx 35 minutes of proper Reading and minimum 1 Month to implement all steps.

Note -> 3*

If you are beginner, just follow Step by Step guide and implementing this day by day instead of reading this whole post in a day and just forgetting.

Note -> 4

If you are already a blogger, this post contains some real TIPS and TRICKS so please give at least 2 hr of time and 2 times reading to make sure you didn't miss any of those valuable blogging tips to improve blogging skills and become a successful blogger.

0. -> Detailed Introduction of Blogging

After reading this post, I promise that you will definitely start blogging and your articles will be on top of google soon because I have covered all the things you need to know before starting a blog as a beginner and writing a blog post. So without wasting time, Let me introduce you to blogging.

What is Blogging?

Blogging simply means to write a post and publish on the website. Post can be a review or story or information or introduction or anything you want to write. Now blogging is not a side or part-time job it's a career and bloggers are professionals with high revenue and salary.

Why Blogging? It's Advantages and Disadvantages.

Now many of you have a question, Why to create a blog? or Why to start blogging?

There is not only a single answer for this question, One can start blogging for earning money which is the most common reason today. Anyone can start blogging to share his experience or you can use blogging to gain an audience for your products which many top companies and brands are doing these days.

I will explain all possible ways of earning from blog in last paragraphs of this post so read it carefully.

So, Let's Start This Step by Step Blogging Guide with the very first step of blogging.

1. -> Select Niche of Blog with Research

This is the most challenging part of starting a blog. If you get a perfect Niche, You got a GEM and If you get a bad one then it may be poison for your blogging career. Niche is the root of blogging or you can say the base. It decides the amount of traffic and competition you will face on your posts.

What is a Blog Niche?

What is a blog Niche?

Niche means a topic that your website is going to cover. We choose a Niche or particular topic so that we do not face high competition and can get a good amount of traffic. To be more precise, you need to cover only selected topics on your blog posts. It will help to rank your article fast and easily. For example, I have a blog for mobile review or I have a blog for English Teaching etc.

So before starting blog give time to choose a perfect niche, it may take 12 hours to 12 days so don't be in a hurry if need a successful blog. Choose your niche very carefully.

If there is less competition in a particular topic or so-called Niche and you have a quality website with Quality and Thoroughly Content then definitely it's going to rank. But these day choosing a perfect niche for the blog is very difficult work.

How to Choose a Perfect Niche for your blog?

You have to do some research to check about the competition (SEO based and CPC Based), you have to check CPC of your Niche and primary keyword. Before choosing a niche make sure how deeply you know about that particular topic because at the end you have to write a blog post on that topic and if you do not know much about that topic you can not write a quality blog by just researching.

Here is a video that may help you with choosing perfect niche for your blog.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oU8lclN114

Get ahref, SEMrush and other SEO tools at Cheap Price here bit.ly/cheap-seo-tools

I am using them currently to check competition and traffic.

When you have a niche you are ready to go for second step of starting a blog.

2. -> Choose Domain and Hosting

The easiest part of blogging that seems too much complicated is choosing a perfect domain and hosting. If you are just going to start a blog go with budget hosting plan with a free domain like Hostarmada, Bluehost and Dreamhost.

What is Domain? Why do you Need?

Domain is a address for your blog, like bloggertutor.com. Before starting your website you need to choose an remembering and meaningful domain. From below you can check availability of your domain.

What is Hosting? Why do you Need?

Hosting is a place where your website data and files are going to be stored. In easy words, Hosting is a server for your blog. You need it to store your website files on internet so that everyone can access the data and information provided by you on your website or blog.

How to Choose Best Hosting for Starting Blog?

The most important thing about choosing hosting is, "Hosting depends on requirement of website", I mean If you have a eCommerce website you are definitely going to need a huge server but If you are just a starter in blogging and you have a normal blog website, you do not need a huge server.

Which Hosting is best for Starter Blog?

For normal blog website I think 10 GB SSD Space (Cloud SSD if Possible) with min 512 MB of RAM and Single core CPU with 100 GB monthly Bandwidth is enough. The above configuration is enough for a blog with Less than 75 Post and daily traffic of 1000.

These days too many resellers provide cheap hosting saying that it has huge resources with high configuration but in actuality, they are lacking everything so be aware of these type of frauds.

Here is a list of all Budget hosting provider that you can choose as a beginner blogger.

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Let me know If you need any help, you can fill this form or directly contact here

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Choosing your Favorite CMS

After choosing hosting provider you need to install a CMS in your hosting to manage your blog. CMS is something like a photo frame and your blog is photo inside it. So it depends on you to choose your favorite CMS.

Well, I trust in simple, flexible and feature enriched technology that's why I am going recommend you the most used CMS in world i.e. WordPress. I know WordPress may be very new for many beginners that's why I introduced WordPress below Completely.

Installing WordPress

Here is a Step-by-Step video explaining the process regarding installation of WordPress. You can also follow blog guide mentioned below with Step by Step Image to guide you perfectly. If need more support , fill the form below

https://youtu.be/o4PliwsxkXM

Go to WordPress.org and Download WordPress Zip

To install WordPress Manually, first of all you need to Download WordPress Core file form WordPress.org

Upload in File manager under Public_html

Every hosting have a file manager, please open it and you will see a Folder ????named public_html. Open it and Upload WordPress.zip file there.

Extract WordPress.zip in public_html (Root Directory)

Right Click on zip file and you will see an option like unzip or extract, click on it and extract files under Public_html.

Move all Files in Root Directory from extract folder (WordPress)

Now, If you have extracted Zip file in a folder inside public-html, it will look like "WordPress". Open it and move all files outside of it under public_html.

Create a Database using MySQL

For beginners creating a database is never a easy option as it seems very technical but believe me it is easy as creating tables in MS Word. Goto MySQL option and click on Create Database.

Create a Database User in MySQL

To access that database in MySQL we have to create an user and give it access to that database. make sure you remember all this database name and user name with password.

Attach User to Database and give all privileges

Give power to that user so that it can access the database, you can do it by assigning and user to database and giving him all privileges

Open your Domain and Setup

Now final step comes, which is to setup WordPress. Open your domain and you will see a WordPress setup window, It will ask some info to make your site live.

Map you database during setup and Finish

Now final step comes, which is to setup WordPress. Open your domain and you will see a WordPress setup window, It will ask some info to make your site live. Map you database during setup and Finish

Your WordPress has been installed Successfully.

Woo-Hoo, your wordpress setup completed.

[fluentform id="9"]

Understanding WordPress Dashboard

The reason, I recommended you to choose WordPress earlier in this blog is because of user friendly and simple dashboard of this huge CMS. Yes, it's a huge CMS with almost every customization you need in your website.

WordPress Terminology

To understand WordPress in easy way here are some terminology and a Dedicated video explaining WordPress Dashboard.

WordPress Dashboard

WordPress Dashboard is a place from where you can control and manage almost every part of your website like posts, pages, users, look, design etc. It can be accessed through yourdomain.com/wp-admin but you need to log in before entering in the dashboard.

WordPress Themes

WordPress themes are Pre-designed template which decides the overall look of your website. There are millions of free themes available in the market. Don't confuse, I will tell you which theme you should choose later.

WordPress Plugin

Plugins are used to extend the functionality of your WordPress website. These make WordPress limitless in term of functionality and design. Adding a plugin means adding a new function or control in your website.

Creating a Normal Blog Website

Creating a basic WordPress blog from scratch can be done by 6 year old baby since you do not have to do any manual work, just install WordPress and you are ready to go. But if you need a awesome looking, multinational blog website, you should customize it manually. To do So you need to follow the Steps give below.

Installing Theme

So here it comes, the first part of our blog or website customization is using your favorite theme or template to give your blog a elegant look. As I mentioned I will suggest you some Themes so here they are..

Kadence Theme (Free & Paid) [Recommended]

Ocean WP (Free and Paid)

Astra (Free & Paid)

GeneratePress (Free and Paid) [Fastest and Clean]

Divi Theme (Paid) [Multipurpose, Fast, Clean and Best]

Install any of theme mentioned above but I am going to use Kadence Theme for this Blogging Guide. So to follow ever step of this tutorial you should Choose Kadence them, You can switch it later once you learn everything.

Installing Essential Plugins

WordPress is famous for it's huge repository of free and useful themes and plugins, we are not gonna install all of them :). For now we have to install all essential plugin needed to create a blog. Here they are.

Gutenberg

Ultimate Addon for Gutenberg

Gutenberg Addon by KadenceWP

Akismet Anti-Spam

Pretty Links

AMP for WP

Duplicator

Rank Math

Here are all 8 plugins that we gonna need to create an awesome blog with great User Experience and SEO. Many of them do not need any setup just install and use them. But few of them have setup that I am going to show how to do step by step using video tutorial.

Let's start by securing our blog using Akismet Anti-Spam plugin and setting it up for Free.

Akismet Anti-Spam

Akismet Anti-spam is most used, anti-spam plugin in WordPress repository. This is required because there are several people using black hat tools to get backlinks by spamming on your website comment section. So as a beginner you should use an anti-spam plugin to avoid spamming from these type of tools. In this Blogging tutorial, I am going to use free version of akismet as my anti-spam plugin.

Here is step by step guide to setup it

Customize Theme

Adding Blog to Search Console

Submit Sitemap for Indexing

Keyword Research for Blog Post

Creating SEO Optimized Post

Do some basic On-Page SEO

Do Some Basic Off-Page SEO

Add Site on Analytics

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[schrisnicholas]

Black Fox - An Undercooked Burrito

The other day I went to chipotle,

I was excited because I hadn’t been in a while and I was really in the mood for a burrito. I waited in line and when I got to the front and saw all the ingredients it all looked so good, it made me a little more excited for what I was about to sit down and enjoy, but once I got my food and actually sat down to enjoy it I learned that looks could be deceiving, all of my excitement and joy dwindled down about fifty percent once I realized that the rice was undercooked. However, even though the rice was ruined the beans, chicken, salsa, and sour cream all still tasted wonderful and made up for an otherwise disappointing trip out for lunch. But... What if the Beans were undercooked too? What if everything else would have been as upsetting as the rice? Well, I would have hated my experience asked for a manager and complain about it.

Black Fox was a very similar experience for me, I Haven’t kept up with current anime in what feels like years and heck I’ve barely gone back to watch anything old in quite some time as well. But much like that burrito, the other night I began to crave the anime I used to consume daily. I created a new CrunchyRoll account and signed up for premium, the poster for Black Fox caught my eye and I actually thought the color, character designs, and art style looked really cool together. I knew nothing about it and at first thought, it was a series only learning it was a movie after seeing the length of the video and a quick google search. but if it wasn’t for that search I would’ve been incredibly confused. from the pacing of the story to the lackluster visuals I could have sworn I was watching a series, but the more I watched the more it felt like a series that was poorly edited down to a movie. I Won’t take the time to explain the plot, mainly because everything happened so fast without almost any explanation and the little bit of the story I could understand, and that’s not saying there was much to understand was so incredibly underdeveloped it would be hard to quickly describe so I’ll just leave a link here to the Wikipedia page you can read.

But the other reason is that this isn’t a review and it’s not meant to convince you if you should watch it or not, no I'm only writing this all out because after I was done watching I felt so strongly mixed that I had to do something I so rarely dare to do, read the comments.

I was amazed that for the most part, it received generally favorable comments. I was so shocked by this that I went to google only to find that at the time of typing this out it holds a 7.02/10 Star rating on MAL with a total of 11,305 ratings and a 6.3/10 out of 114 reviews on IMDB with 95% of google users saying they liked the movie. 

Now I should take the time to make it clear before going forward that I didn’t hate Black Fox the same way I Didn’t hate that chipotle burrito. It wasn’t bad it just felt undercooked and like it was missing something. For example, I’ll start by saying the first problem is that this Anime feels like it’s having an identity crisis as to whether it’s a movie or a series, SAG Defines a feature-length film at minimum to be 80 minutes long, with Black Fox clocking in at a 90 minute run time it definitely meets that requirement but somehow manages to feel too short while dragging on because we as the audience are never properly introduced to any of the main characters apart from Rikka.

We are never shown the relationship between Allen and his former friends that led to Lauren’s jealously, Never shown exactly what Allen did before or why he created the drones beyond wanting to make friends for people? that’s what I got at least from the film's explanation. it’s never properly explained what Gradsheim does, and what makes that even more confusing is Allen at the beginning of the film telling Brad “you want to use them for war?” which he laughs at, then at the end of the film a reporter saying to brad that the company helped develop the city? their facility is heavily guarded and protected but we don’t know why or what they plan to use the drone research for? Lauren is never shown to be mentally stable at all so him becoming or already being crazy felt so empty since the only time we see Allen, Brad and Lauren together is in a picture where they both ALREADY look extremely evil??? In the same way, the relationship between Lauren and Mia is touched on so little, just like how beyond playing chess in one scene Mia and Rikka are never seen bonding or getting to know each other. Almost as soon as Rikka takes her in after they both refuse to kill each other they argue, Mia calls her father and stupidly believes he’ll turn himself in for killing Allen and Rikka’s Grandfather then in the next scene are attacked. and somehow within these three scenes, they share some kind of close bond? or at least that’s what it feels like they want us to believe from the final battle. now throw in that so little about their world or any of its characters are ever explained it makes it hard to care about anything happening in the film. And I refuse to even talk about Melissa because so little is ever explained or shown about her beyond finding out that she’s also a drone? which felt like a legitimate surprise but was never brought up ever again until the very end of the film.

I Even like some of the elements introduced in the story but since every element is just mentioned and never built upon it all feels useless, And that’s why it feels like a series more than a movie. Everything happens so fast and we move on before ever learning what just happened then we're introduced to something new in the next scene! If this was a series that had more time to slow down and have the audience understand what's happening I would have really enjoyed Black Fox. And That’s the major undercooked rice, everything else I was hoping to enjoy would have come from the visuals but sadly nothing about Black Fox truly stands out apart from a few frames I noticed mix into mostly boring and generic backgrounds and the end of the film, the aesthetic in the poster is only ever really present in the last two minutes of the film as well. However credit where credit is due I did really like the use of CG and I enjoyed Rikka, Mia and Melissa's character designs. It’s a shame though that we only really see their best designs as the movie closes. The animation also never really stood out apart from the action scenes but even then they’re nothing to write home about.

The movie ends on a cliffhanger but with no promise of a sequel or series in the future, I really can’t recommend Black Fox because while it left a lot to be desired with cool concepts, without any explanation those cool concepts become generic. Lauren could have been a fun villain if we would have learned anything about him, The final battle could have meant so much if any of these characters or we as the audience got to learn about them. Mia’s power is never explained and neither is Laurens, Allen dies before we ever get to care about him, The detective agency is only shown in one scene so Rikka’s boss giving her the building just feels like a way to give them a home at the last minute after we remember their home was destroyed. I Would love a fleshed out Black Fox, but the Black Fox we have isn’t laughably bad because there are shreds of good that aren’t explored but it isn’t good enough to where I can tell anyone to watch it as it is.

I Believe Jesus Christ said it best when talking about the church of Laodicea

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” - Revelation 3:15-16

#Black Fox #Anime #thoughts #blogging #crunchyroll #movie #review

[fuckyeahbadcodocs]

Name: Mira 'Paws' Cole

As callsigns go, I don’t think Paws is half bad. It’s not as grandiose as some that stumble through this door, not edgy and hardcore... It sounds like the kind of nonsense a military faction would hand down to the new kid.

Appearance: Height- 5"9. 

There is a desperate need for more lady OCs who are not like 5′2″ every time. I can at least salute the creator for this...

Weight- 134. 

...And a sensible weight for someone in the military! A little googling tells me this BMI is in the normal range, if on the smaller side. No one has to give this OC a sandwich for her to run out and kick some tail.

Eye color- Emerald green. 

Mmm, unlike my fellow mods, I don’t think using specific descriptors for eyes is a dealbreaker or special snowflake. There’s a lot of shades of green out there. However, I would maybe pick something other than a precious gem to describe a character’s eye color. It’s become a bit of a dead horse at this point.

Hair color- Dark brown.

So far, everything is really good, very low-key. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop to explain why the hell this OC is doing on this page.

Where she serves- U.S. Army Ranger

Recent as it may be, women are slowly entering the ranks of the Rangers through the school, if not actually able to serve in its ranks. Assuming some level of research was put into what it would take for a female OC to break ground like this, we might be onto something.

Now, if you’re all prepared, the other shoe drops... now.

Position- Hired medic/Assassin

Well, medic OCs are old hat at this point, but as long as there’s real research and a plot, I’m not totally opposed to someone examining a side of canon that isn’t totally defined by missions and frontline action--

Wait.

A medic’s first rule is to do no harm... and she is an assassin. Does anyone else see the glaring lack of fundamental understanding of how the military works in that statement, or just me? I’m sure at some point in history or another, a killer has used the disguise of a medical personnel to get closer to a target, but that’s not exactly military standard, not in this day and age.

For that matter, why is the US Army hiring assassins when they have some of the most elite fighting forces on the planet? Any one of Ramirez’s team could easily take up a sniper rifle and hang out for a few hours waiting for a good shot. The Army does not need assassins in the classical sense. It would be much more sensible if this OC was freelance, PIC, or maybe even part of a CIA that is far darker than the average Modern Warfare civilian accounts for.

But for your baseline US Army attache, this is going well over the line. It renders basically all past praise I put upon the OCs design nearly moot. I can’t even imagine what an international DISASTER it would be if an American medic was outed as a professional, government-sanctioned assassin. It would change the face of warfare, totally flip centuries of regulations about medics and their role on its head. Everything would just go to absolute shit if people trusted to heal and stay out of trouble came out as paid professional killers operating with their government’s blessing. 

You can make an OC interesting without relying on secret identities or shocking swerves, or defying basic military roles that leave little hope for a character being an assassin.

History: Mira had never thought she could go to war-and at least experince anything, But now she's been sent over to work as a medic. She'll meet anyone and (oddly) enough; everyone. 

The Rangers, Shepherd, Allen, these are characters I can understand an OC rubbing elbows with, given the game and faction in question. Maybe even  a brush with Team Metal, if you want to broach MW3 and the fact both Rangers and Delta fought against the Russian invasion on the East Coast. Everyone, though? That’s pushing it. The 141 and the Rangers are never anywhere near each other in game proper to allow for meeting ‘everyone.’

Is Mira surprised? Kind of. Sure she has some crushes on certian people. But this is war, not the love boat. 

As opposed to OC/Canon shipping as many people are, so long as it’s not the focal point and overshadowing a much more interesting plot... I personally see no problem with mentioning a character might be interested in someone else. Especially if it’s buffered with the fact ‘hey there’s a war going on, let’s not worry about our alleged sexual tension and instead focus on not. fucking. dying.’

None of this excuses the walking International Shitshow Waiting To Happen, but it’s a surprising touch.

She also earned the name nickname 'Paws', from the wolf paws tatooed and her back, and two small ones on the back of her neck.

That’s not usually how callsign assignments work, it’s usually more of a callback to a memorable incident or a personality trait. 

For pure hypotheticals, let’s say Soap once slid off of something during training, or is very thorough about ‘cleaning’ out a room when on ops. Either of these things might lead to teammates alluding to him as ‘Soap,’ either due to his slippery fuck up, or his sheer ‘cleaning’ power. It’s not like teammates looked at Soap’s haircut and just decided ‘You’re Mohawk now.’ There’s more to callsigns and military culture than that.

Personality: Mira is a kind, gentle, and calm soul. But if somthing goes wrong; she; like Dunn would freak out just the same. 

For both of her preposterous careers, staying cool is a part of the job description. 

A medic has to know how to perform under intense pressure, when the lives of their patients are on the line, sometimes in the middle of a firefight. The military medic career is not one you want to freak out in. 

Assassins must master the art of planning -- entrance, loadout, the exact moment they take down the target, and an exit strategy. They have to be veritable ghosts, leaving no trace of themselves, and with the patience to wait sometimes days for one brief moment and then a quick way out. A freak out at any stage of an assassination is a surefire bullet in the chest at best and a trip to a black site in your target’s home country at worst.

Also if shes meant to be calm why the hell would she freak out when a plan goes to shit? Why does everything about this OC oppose prior information?

She has an affectionate side, but tends not to use it. Theres moments where she can be totally awkward.

Why? Why any of that? I know I harp on explanations in just about every review I do, but I’m just really passionate about OC creators explaining to their audience how and why things work. Personality traits existing at odds with one another are a good reason to have explanations in your profile. If this OC is kind and gentle, why hide her affectionate side? Is she perhaps uncomfortable with overt displays of affection, while still being super sweet and kind to people? Is there a disconnect between her professional personality and her off-duty persona?

Hell if I know, that’s all that’s said for me to analyze.

Also, how awkward are we talking here? ‘My mouth sometimes moves faster than my brain’ awkward, or ‘I was apparently raised in a cave and have no understanding of several normal every day things’ awkward? Much like there are many different shades of green, there are many different flavors of awkward. 

Secrets: Mira is a So-Called 'Assassin', as she describes herself, but is labled as a Sniper by others(As she states during Modern Warfare) but tends to lie when someone questions her. 

A sniper is not an assassin in the classical sense. A sniper is a part of many military teams, and is in fact basic in certain circumstances. A sniper is a legitimate specialist and would never cross over with medical corps.

A lone sniper might well be an assassin, but a sniper on a military team is usually just that: a sniper. Not an assassin, sure as hell not a medic, but definitely a person who is good at waiting, communicating with their spotter, and shooting OpFor as needed.

This might come as a shock, but I don’t think this OC makes much sense, guys.

On that note, why the hell is she in the original Modern Warfare? The American faction in COD4 was the Marines, not Rangers.

She comes to the Army Rangers (In Modern Wafare 2) posing as a Medic, but still serves as a Sniper, she them keeps her position as an Assassin in Modern Warfare 3, where she is seperated and is now on the hunt for Vladimir Makarov.

If she ‘comes to’ the Rangers in MW2, who was she with originally in MW? Was she supposed to be a freelance assassin that the US Army looked at and said ‘good enough for us?’ I really don’t get this bit, I’m sincerely confused by the sequence of events now.

As for MW3... That’s just poor writing and we all know it. The implication Ramirez and company are out taking the Kremlin, and this OC gets separated from the real party. I’m offended for her.

Other: She hates the way anyone treats attack dogs, she has a way to avoid being attacked by them. In this case, she carries treats to throw them off. Even the most vicious dog can be strayed away when confronted by Mira.

No. No, actually, they can’t. These dogs are broken and remade into fur-covered death machines that exist only to destroy whatever they are pointed at. There is nothing you can do to ‘stray’ them, let along with treats. Maybe if you throw them fresher meat than you, but otherwise I have no idea what would even come close to swaying a legitimate dog of war. They would eat her alive, brutally, and then turn their attention to the other Rangers.

Gory, yes. True, also yes. Attack dogs are not misunderstood babies anymore. They are straight up gone, redesigned to do nothing but kill whoever their kennel master sics them on. Kill or be killed is the only way to deal with an enemy attack dog in the middle of battle. Now excuse me, I have to go hug my own dog for a little bit.

Family: Both her parents died when she was 14, but she made friends with a kid named Chuck Seasons *Aka Chef* and the two became friends and have stayed that way ever since.

Let me guess, a member of this creators OC cadre? Did making friends with this kid cure the ache that is losing both of your parents and being made an orphan as a young teenager?

Animal Companions: Mira owns a black German Shepherd named 'Coach', after her famed basketball coach during middle school.

I’m not sure about this one, but I think this Coach guy’s parents really wanted him to be a coach.

So anyway, Mod M would like to posit this question: Why is it that the best/most down to earth designs always end up being tied to brain-breakingly out of touch with the real world OCs? For that matter, why am I always the one left holding the flaming bag that is these ocs?

#mod m #oc review

[nutritionlifesinger-blog]

Lesson Pl. 5 Part I - Facilitators make companies into better companies

  I picked the second offering in the vast lexicon (read three choices) of videos that were given in this week’s Inquiry and Analysis assignment.  This was a Ted talk by Linda Hill about innovation and companies that innovate ( https://www.ted.com/talks/linda_hill_how_to_manage_for_collective_creativity )The focus of her talk was how new and innovative companies thrive.  She has made her career studying business models and businesses not from the outside, but from the inside.  She visits companies and take feedback and data from them.  She gathered a lot of data on the subject and found that in some really great and innovative companies, like Google and Pixar, there are three things that create an environment for successful innovation and successful business enterprise.  She boiled it down to three categories, Creative Abrasion, Creative Agility and Creative Resolution.   She said “Pick people to hire who argue with you”. 

      Doesn’t that sound like the exact wrong thing to do?  Apparently, it works really well.  The basis that helps it survive is the idea that you can make mistakes and be open about them.  That nobody has to be right.  They take away the normal social imaginative process of determining there is a higher up and a lower down.  They reversed the order of the pyramid and put the power in the hands of those who were closest to the customers.  

       This is not the first time I have ever heard of this approach.  I worked in two companies who were investigating innovative business models and one who created their own, simply from a christian consciousness.  The first company that I worked for that created interesting internal innovation ideas was the South Carolina Electric and Gas company (SCE & G).  They were facing de-regulation and an uncertain future.  They had a horrible reputation that they owned fully as earned by their lack of concern for their customers.  In fact, in their not so distant past, they didn’t call them customers, they called them “rate payers”.  During this transition, they attempted to create the kind of innovative business model that you see here, but they stumbled massively over the social environment part.  People could not let go of their social idealizations of who they were in the company and of social time and place.  Once, I got in a lot of trouble because two men were talking in an office that I had to go into.  It was more like a cubby hole, than an office and I had to somehow get to one side and place the important papers in a bin and then leave that office.  I almost tripped and fell, my skirt hiking up to an unacceptable level in my attempt to get out of the office.  Neither man wanted to acknowledge that this lower down, was in trouble, nor did they feel any obligation to help the lower down, be polite, move or in any way try to help me get my papers placed and leave their office.  I found massive hypocrisy after massive hypocrisy, but they owned it.  They said things like “You can’t turn the titanic around quickly, it has to be turned around slowly”.    They did manage to turn things around, but being a temporary secretary there, I found myself so frustrated by how I was being treated, I ended up quitting one day, because I could not bring myself to walk into that company and be treated that way one single more day.  I had all I could take and I could not take any more of the hypocrisy while they were changing.  They also hired an outsider for the position that I had successfully filled for the year with someone who was more subordinate and wouldn’t argue with them.  

The other company that I worked for that had an innovative approach was another S named company called SouthEastern Freight Lines (SEFL).   I’ve mentioned this company prior about their TCS, SPC and VPC approach.  They also had a process where anyone could submit an idea that would make the company better.  They would evaluate the idea and sometimes even try it out with a test period before permanently implementing it . This worked really well and it was a wonderful company to work for.  Both companies soared and succeeded, regardless.  The power Company was regarded as too big to fail, but both faced challenges during a period of de-regulation that they successfully worked their way through, by trying new approaches.  The SCE & G began,in earnest to empower employees to do more problem solving on the front lines and SEFL continued it’s successful run as a trucking company and continues to this day.  They believed that success wasn’t always measured in dollars and cents, but the ability to stay afloat and provide a service that was invaluable to society.  They did a lot of things with their christian based business models, including donating enough money to run a nursing home.  But even at SEFL, one bad apple could ruin all the work that we did.  The boss that we worked under, did not embrace the company’s motto that they should Value People Completely (VPC) and we felt different than everyone else.  He did not acknowledge the company motto or live it like the rest of the company.  We felt for sure that they’d get rid of him, but they never did.  They also had a belief that they didn’t lay anyone off and nobody got fired without a really good reason.  They worked with him and his reviews showed the problems inherent in his department.  He felt they were the complaints of lazy people, but those reviewing it, did not.  Soon enough the recommendations of the reviewing committees, often included an edict that he work on the things that we were complaining about.  

    So, although this approach to creating innovation and new ideas can work, it is not without it’s issues.  You do have to be willing to put up with a lot of social discomfort to work in this environment.  You have to be able to know when to constructively criticize, and you have to be able to take constructive criticism.  If everyone has a voice, then the company can sing in harmony, but if one voice is off key, it can ruin the entire song.  

#sci201a

[itsfinancethings]

The TikTok-tivists are at it again.

Thousands of users of the popular video app flocked to the Apple App Store in the last few days to flood U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign app with negative reviews. On Wednesday alone 700 negative reviews were left on the Official Trump 2020 app and 26 positive ones, according to tracking firm Sensor Tower.

TikTok fans are retaliating for Trump’s threats of banning the app, which is owned by China’s Bytedance Ltd. and is hugely popular in the U.S., especially among teens. The thought of taking away a key social and entertainment hub in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic has led to outrage.

“For Gen Z and Millennials, TikTok is our clubhouse and Trump threatened it,” said Yori Blacc, a 19-year-old TikTok user in California who joined in the app protest. “If you’re going to mess with us, we will mess with you.”

Blacc said the movement gained steam Wednesday when a popular TikTok user, DeJuan Booker, called on his 750,000 followers to seek revenge. He posted a step-by-step primer on how to degrade the app’s rating, notching 5.6 million views. “Gen Z don’t go down without a fight,” said Booker, who goes by @unusualbeing on TikTok. “Let’s go to war.”

omg guys.. it would be so bad if we got the app store to delete trumps app definitely do NOT leave a one star review that would be so bad could u imagine pic.twitter.com/kHcidOR1H8

— 𝙜𝙞𝙖⁷ (@FL0WERH0YA) July 9, 2020

The efforts to push the app low enough so that Apple will remove it from the app store may be misguided. Apple doesn’t delete apps based on their popularity. The App Store may review those that violate its guidelines or are outdated, but not if their ratings sink. A similar tactic was tried in April to protest Google Classroom by kids frustrated with quarantine home-schooling.

But young people are looking for ways to make their voices heard, even if some of them can’t yet vote. Last month, many young people organized through TikTok to sign up to attend Trump’s first post-shutdown campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but then didn’t show up. The Trump campaign denied the online organizing effort contributed to lower-than-expected attendance.

The Trump campaign and Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. TikTok was experiencing connectivity issues on Thursday, according to Downdector, which measures web traffic.

Trump’s re-election smartphone app is a big part of the president’s unrivaled digital operation and was meant to circumvent tech companies like Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. and give the campaign a direct line to supporters. The app has helped the campaign engage Trump’s die-hard supporters, especially in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, by feeding them his latest tweets and promoting virtual events. Supporters can donate to the president’s campaign or earn rewards for recruiting friends like VIP seats to rallies or photos with the president.

The Official Trump 2020 app has been downloaded more than 500,000 times on Google’s Android store as of June 15. Apple doesn’t publish information on downloads.

Reviews with titles such as “Terrible App” or “Do Not Download!” have been flooding the App Store since late June. Official Trump 2020 now has more than 103,000 one-star reviews for an overall rating of 1.2.

But the uptick of activity has also caused the app to rise in rankings. Users have to download the app to review it, vaulting it to second place on the Apple store from No. 486 on Tuesday, according to Sensor Tower.

“Do I think that this is going to fundamentally change the election? No,” said Tim Lim, a veteran Democratic digital strategist. “But it goes to show that they are just as susceptible to these mass actions as anyone else. Trump is starting to see what it feels like to have a massive online army committed to defeating him.”

Trump earlier this week said his administration is considering banning TikTok as one way to retaliate against China over its handling of the coronavirus. Trump’s comments came after Secretary of State Michael Pompeo told Americans not to download the app unless they want to see their private information fall into “the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.” Bytedance is also facing a U.S. national security review for its acquisition of startup Musical.ly. It has denied allegations that it poses a threat to U.S. national security.

Trump didn’t offer specifics about a potential decision and Pompeo seemed to walk back the idea of a ban in a later statement, saying that the U.S. efforts to protect American consumers’ data don’t relate to any one particular company.

Many TikTok users say they care less about potential Chinese snooping and more about Trump taking away their digital hangout. In the U.S., TikTok has been downloaded more than 165 million times, according to Sensor Tower.

“I don’t believe Trump is trying to take TikTok away because of national security, but more to retaliate against activism on the app and all the videos about him that drag him through the mud,” said Darius Jackson, an 18-year-old TikTok user in Champagne, Illinois, who asked his followers Wednesday to give Trump’s app a one-star rating.

“This is the first year I’ll be able to vote and I think activism on TikTok is going to make a big difference,” Jackson said.

—With assistance from Mark Gurman.

#IFTTT #Blogger

[vashikaranspecialisttantrikbaba]

Vashikaran Reviews and Feedback

Mansi Aggarwal, Haryana, INDIA I got married in the Year 2014 and for 2 months I enjoyed my married life so much but while i was pregnant, I found that my husband is having an affair with another lady. That was not only shocking for me but also bad for my health in case of pregnancy. My health was going down day by day because of worry. My husband started to hide his face from me. One of my friend referred me to Acharya Narayan Shastri ji for Husband Vashikaran. Initially i was scared in taking help of vashikaran but when i contacted baba ji i found that vashikaran is totally safe and stable solution. Amazingly, within 3-4 days of vashikaran i started seeing change in my husband's behavior he started caring of me better than ever before and also totally stopped affair with that lady. Now, it's been 4 years and i am enjoying my married life to fullest. Arijit Singh, Chandigarh, Punjab, INDIA Many thanks to Baba ji for getting rid of my enemies by stopping them to harm me. I am a Property dealer in Chandigarh. I did a property deal but unfortunately, the deal got canceled. The buyer and seller started to blame me for cancellation but there was no fault from my side. They started to abuse me and my family every then and now. Many times they threatened me to harm me and my family in many ways. Finally, I decided to search for a Tantrik or Astrologer on the internet who could solve my problem. Luckily, I found the number of Baba ji and contact him on 09643933763. Baba ji suggested me a tantrik solution and now my enemies are totally away from me. Ayushman Rupani, Gujrat, INDIA I work as a Pilot in a reputed airlines company and i was in affair with one of my colleague. Everything was going fine until I found that one guy is approaching her daily to leave me and engage with him. I talked about this with my girlfriend but she didn't seem interested to talk about this. That day, i knew that something is definitely wrong or suspicious. I love my girlfriend a lot and can't live without her. She understands me better than anyone. I was searching for some spiritual solution to my problem and got the number of baba ji after searching a lot. I contacted many vashikaran specialists but only baba ji was completely convincing to me. Thank god, my decision was totally right. After getting vashikaran done on my girlfriend, she is now totally mine and never ever thinks of any other guy. Pihu Arora, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA Mai apne boyfriend se love marriage karna chahti thi but mere parents ne saaf mana kar diya. Main apne 8 saal ke relation to aise hi kaise khatam kar sakti thi aur mai to kisi aur ladke ko apna life partner banane ke baare me soch bhi nahi sakti thi. Meri ek saheli ne bataya ki vashikaran hota hai. Isliye maine internet pe Acharya Narayan Shastri ji ko call kiya. Baba ji ne kaha ki chinta na karo parents maan jayenge. Baba Ji ki adbhut puja se mere parents ne khud mujhe bulakar mere boyfriend se baat karne ko kaha aur jab wo log mile to ek hafte ke adar hi humari shadi karwa di. Aaj mere parents ke ashirwad aur baba ji ki kripa se mai apne pati ke sath khush hoon. George, Australia Hi, i was searching for an Indian Tantrik online for getting my lost love back. My girlfriend left me because of some silly reasons. I heard earlier that Indian Tantriks are so powerful therefore I contacted Acharya Narayan Shastri ji. Baba Analyzed my details and thereafter suggested me to take help of a lost love vashikaran ritual. He told me that it is powerful than any love spell or binding spell. After some hesitation, I finally decided to proceed with the process of vashikaran because I was not able to sleep and work because of breakup. After 3 days of vashikaran EIRUlmy girlfriend send me msg on whatsapp after unblocking me. She approached me to meet her and settle the issue. I went to her and amazingly she started to understand me much better and somehow blindly started to believe me. Manju Rao, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA Only one word for baba Ji - "Incredible". Yes, because I took help of almost 10 vashikaran and astrologers but all of them failed to bring my husband back. Actually, I divorced my husband in years 2010 but after some months I started feeling alone and my parents also wanted me to marry someone else. I wanted to give another chance to live a happy married life with my ex-husband. So, I sent msg to baba ji on whatsapp and then called him directly. Baba Ji advised me some simple totke and bring him back. Within one week my husband came back with a proposal to marry again and he saw much more interested than I was. I furiously agreed for re-marriage and now till date, we didn't fight or even argued on any matter. I have 2 kids, one girl and boy, now. Roby, Mumbai, Maharashtra, INDIA I am a gay and my partner stopped making relation with me. He became so rigid to me. I was so worried because of his behaviour. I was doubel tensed because i was not able to even talk about this matter to anyone, not even friends because they would definitely laugh at me. So, i decied to find some tantrik solution for that. On the top of google search result i found babaji's contact number for gay vashikaran and binding spells. Wow, that was luckiest day of my life. Baba Ji done a vashikaran puja for me and brought him back with much more love and attraction for me. Thank you thank you so much Baba Ji. Read the full article

[shirlleycoyle]

Trump’s Executive Order Could Ruin the Internet Over a Twitter Beef

Over the past week, the president of the United States has been in a protracted meltdown after Twitter appended one of his outrageously false missives with a meekly-worded notification to "get the facts."

On Thursday, the White House said, Donald Trump will fire back in what is essentially a deeply personal and petty fight with an executive order from the highest office in the land. The order, a draft of which was circulated on Wednesday night by content moderation expert Kate Klonick seeks to clarify section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to remove liability protection for digital communications services if they restrict content in a way that is "deceptive," "pretextual," inconsistent with the platform's terms of service, or if it has been done without adequate notice or explanation, or without a "meaningful opportunity to be heard."

Section 230 is a bedrock piece of internet legislation that allows service providers to engage in "Good Samaritan" blocking and screening of content that it deems to be lewd, harassing, or just distasteful in some way, even if it is constitutionally protected speech. As far as legislation goes, the first subsection of 230 is concise and powerful: "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider."

In the order, Trump also makes the argument that social media companies' actions should not "infringe on protected speech," which would be a massive change from Section 230 as it's currently worded, which makes an explicit carve-out for restricting protected speech. This will, unequivocally, change the internet as a whole and make it worse. Straight-up neo-Nazi propaganda might be constitutionally protected speech, for example, but social media companies currently regularly remove such content. Right now, those people simply congregate on the platforms that do choose to leave such content up, and they do exist. If all protected speech was allowed on all platforms, it would get very ugly very quickly.

The order also asks the government to engage in a review of so-called deceptive or unfair practices by social media companies, and says that the government will not spend advertising dollars on any site that runs afoul of this edict.

There are massive problems with this order, not least that the president is using the power of his office and the laws of the land to settle a clearly personal beef. The underlying research cited by the order is also a highly informal, unscientific, and politically targeted poll that the White House ran in May 2019. Cries of social media "censorship" targeting conservatives have been a popular talking point of Trump, prominent lawmakers like Ted Cruz, and right-wing media outlets for several years now, but there's very little evidence to suggest that social media companies are targeting conservatives any more than they're targeting anyone else, and there are many examples of platforms deleting content about, for example, police brutality.

Content moderation experts immediately pilloried the order.

“Trump simply wants to intimidate twitter into not fact checking him. The rest is fog," David Kaye, a free expression expert for the United Nations tweeted. “Trump wants to draw everyone into what looks like a policy debate about the scope of platform immunity. But it’s not that! It’s a ploy for him to dominate and eviscerate public oversight of his lies.”

Daphne Keller, of the Stanford Cyber Policy Center, annotated a copy of the order on Google Docs. In her annotation, Keller notes that much of the order is, in her mind, legally dubious, outright posturing, or politically motivated. Other parts could drastically change how the internet works. For example, the order invokes the First Amendment; she worries that the order attempts to put all First Amendment-protected speech on a level footing (i.e., that it attempts to limit what speech platforms can moderate). "If this really means that *all* First Amendment-permitted speech must be given equal footing on major platforms, this is a radical proposition," she wrote. "It would change the Internet as we know it, and undermine calls to remove widely reviled material like the Christchurch massacre video."

It is true, of course, that social media companies inconsistently apply their terms of service (mostly, to the benefit of the rightwing) and have engaged in unfair practices such as letting advertisers target ads for jobs or housing away from minorities. Companies have secrets, and many of them are bad. It is also true that Section 230 is in need of reform.

Because of its broad protections against liability for social media companies, Section 230 generally allows social media companies to take a laissez-faire attitude toward content moderation. This has allowed social media to be wacky and weird (because users, not companies like Facebook and Twitter) are liable for what they publish—this is why social media companies call themselves "platforms," rather than publishers. Though Section 230 is a short piece of legislation, its enforcement and interpretation is deeply complicated, and politicians across the spectrum have suggested that it needs reform. But that reform needs to be based in reality, and shouldn't come because of a personal Twitter beef from the president.

Trump's order isn't about any of that, though, and nowhere is "deceptive" or "pretextual" defined in the order as it relates to restricting content from "certain viewpoints," as the order puts it. The closest we get to a definition is if companies "restrict speech in ways that do not align with those entities' public representations about those practices," which is just a vague allusion to a secret agenda. This is so vague that it could be dangerous, as one only has to look at Kellyanne Conway siccing the president's acolytes on a Jewish Twitter employee on television to see where it leads. Ultimately, the order leaves it up to the FCC to determine what constitutes such behaviour.

This all, of course, ignores the fact that social media companies have bent over backwards to accommodate Trump, such as by letting him have a platform even though he violates the site's TOS constantly. Social media companies will surely fight this in court, so we're in for what looks to be a long, exhausting battle.

Trump’s Executive Order Could Ruin the Internet Over a Twitter Beef syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/