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#in gathering testimonies and getting people organized
starbuck · 2 months
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statewide work conference destroyed my faith in humanity and then the bus ride home with my coworkers restored it. 💕💕
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dnalt-d2 · 1 month
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(Please note: I am only going to speak about things that are verifiable, either by Lea, who we know for a fact at this point was an admin, or by our own observations, like hearing what's happening on certain streams, or other verifiable announcements. I don't want to talk too much on things outside of that because it could technically be speculation, and I don't want to mislead anyone. I will do my best to state what is and isn't speculation in order to keep confusion to a minimum. I'm also going to remain as impartial as possible, and only provide facts as they've been presented to us. This is basically just meant to be to organize some of the things going on into one post so that people who aren't on Twitter can get a good idea of what's going on instead of just hearing it from people who keep vaguely doom-posting)
So as has been the case for the last couple weeks, the Admin Situation continues to unfold. In a manner of speaking, at least
Since Quackity made his initial statements, we haven't gotten any sort of concrete news from him, or even an acknowledgement that things are still developing. Like I've said in my previous post, I haven't been expecting any concrete updates, since that sort of thing would most likely be sensitive information that he legally can't share. However, I do find it disheartening that he has continued moving forward without so much as acknowledging the situation
I do understand that a lot of current plans have been in the works for a while now, and couldn't be pushed back that far without detrimentally affecting other people, including the new streamers who likely carved out large chunks of their schedule out specifically for QSMP. So keeping the server closed for too long could have easily had negative effects on many people, including the Admins. But I want to say that I just don't know everything going on behind the scenes, and this isn't fact. It's just what I understand to be happening
And while we still haven't gotten any official statements regarding the Admins since Quackity's statement, things have still been happening, most of which we are probably never going to hear about. Some of which though, we are hearing, and it's not sounding that great, unfortunately
Do keep in mind however, that the following is just what we're hearing about, and because of the NDAs in place, we likely CAN'T hear about anything else, including any potential positive changes that might be taking place. We still aren't going to hear about any changes until they're concrete. This has only been taking place for a couple of weeks, and none of the changes can be made immediately. With that in mind, here's some of the verifiable information that has been making the rounds recently
As I've stated before, the French Union has gotten involved, and by this point, has stated that the Admins CAN potentially pursue legal action if they so choose. However, I want to emphasize that this doesn't mean legal action is guaranteed. This just means they have the OPTION to do so. Which by the sounds of things, it doesn't seem like anyone wants to do that as of right now. This is essentially just one more thing to give leverage to the Admins, letting them and Quackity know that they have that right. But if things can improve, they don't need to take them
(Link to their English post here)
As of now, one of the higher-ups in Quackity Studios, Jose, has been tweeting out that he is speaking with other Admins/Ex-Admins about everything going on, and gathering testimony in a document to present to Quackity. Last we heard, he was still gathering testimony and speaking to lawyers to ensure that everything he was doing was legal. And that as of now, organizing a meeting with Quackity himself has been a little difficult, I believe for scheduling reasons, as well as the fact that he's still gathering information (I was actually hoping to wait until this document was out to make another post about all this, but people keep acting like things are only going downhill, and I wanted to go ahead and give my two cents)
(Links to his posts can be found here and here)
We have also heard about 2 Admins quitting in the last couple days. Pancks, who was the roleplayer behind Agent 18 and Xaninho the Capybara, as well as other Portuguese-speaking NPCs. He has not given a clear reason for quitting aside from the fact that he feels he is done with this chapter of his career and wants to do other things. He has also asked us not to speculate his reason for leaving, which I am going to respect
(Link to his post here)
The other Admin who quit is a writer named Ana, who put out a statement saying that she was removed from most of her roles without being given a clear reason, while other writers still retain theirs. She states that her main reason for leaving is the lack of communication since things have gone down, which is not a great sign
(Link to her post here and her document here)
Lastly, we know that merch is currently being announced. So far we have 4 standees of the Eggs, Dapper, Trump, Leo(?), and Pomme, and will probably get more in the next few days. I want to point out that it's incredibly unlikely for this to have ONLY been started for the current situation. I'm personally assuming it was originally meant to be for the 1-Year Anniversary of QSMP starting, but has been pushed forward slightly to help raise funds for everything going on. Organizing merch production usually takes a while, which is the only reason I'm assuming that this isn't just coming out of nowhere
To wrap up, things haven't resolved yet. And that makes sense
Reorganizing an entire business takes time, even for people who are experienced in that sort of thing. But from what I understand, Quackity is not, and that's likely what led to this situation in the first place. Anyone trying something this big is bound to mess up, and unfortunately, this just happens to be a VERY big mess-up. Not too big to fix, but big enough to be difficult. And while we are hearing about some negative things happening, I want to remind everyone ONCE AGAIN, that we will not know anything until it's concrete, good or bad. The people speaking up don't seem to be doing so with any ill will, and many of them still seem to see QSMP as a positive experience overall. Just one that needs to be improved upon for the better of everyone involved. Right now, I'd say the main problem is, once again, communication. It's unfortunate that people keep bringing up how they haven't heard about anything going on, and that is very understandable. It's hard being kept in the dark on something like this, especially for people who were actually personally involved prior to this
The Admins/Ex-Admins have every right to be impatient on this because they're the ones being impacted the most. Because they've likely been patient for far longer than we have, and know a lot more about what's happening. That's why Lea has been doing her best to be vocal and support the current Admins and pressure Quackity Studios, even with the harassment she's apparently getting for doing so
But for us, who are simply viewers, just doom-posting and assuming the worst won't help. (AND NEITHER WILL HARASSING PEOPLE) Yes, we should be vocal in our support for the people affected, but there will be a point where shouting into the void is gonna be more detrimental than helpful. I believe that by now, we've gotten our point across. That Quackity and Quackity Studios know that we don't want to support a project that has to take advantage of people to keep it running. I'm not saying to let everything go completely. I would personally advise that people who want to should stay as educated as possible, and help educate anyone who wants to know what's going on
But if this is still affecting your mental and emotional well-being, stepping back and waiting to see what happens is probably the best move you can make. Spreading outright negativity won't help you, and it won't help the other people involved. I know that sometimes not knowing things can cause a lot of anxiety. Heck, that's why I make these posts, so I can help other people know what's going on. But other times, it can be entirely counterproductive. It's why I try not to doom-scroll through most social media in general, because I know that sometimes knowing more just means having more to worry about. It's up to you guys to find the balance that helps you, and I hope you all take care of yourselves in spite of everything going on
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What do ordinary Palestinians think about Hamas? The war? How are they surviving amid cascading tragedies? We spoke to them. Listen.
By: Joseph Braude
Published: Nov 3, 2023
Watch this video of a grieving woman in Gaza cry out. She says: “All this is because of the dogs of Hamas.” She’s immediately—literally—silenced.
Why?
Since taking power in a 2007 coup, Hamas has violently repressed all opposition to its rule. There is much to repress: recent Palestinian survey data shows most Gazans distrust Hamas, want an alternative government, and prefer economic development over war. But their individual voices are rarely heard. Those who speak out face prison and torture.
Some foreign journalists try to cover these voices but face deportation for doing so, while others show little interest in Palestinian grievances unrelated to the conflict with Israel.
My organization, the Center for Peace Communications, has been helping the population breach this communications blackout by interviewing Palestinians across the Strip, from all walks of life, about their travails and aspirations. A mother who dreams of her children getting a proper education. A photojournalist punished for taking pictures. A young couple who hopes to start a family, outside of Gaza. 
Earlier this year, we released their testimony in a series called Whispered in Gaza: 25 short segments, using video animation to protect their identities, accompanied by Gazan polling, rights reports, and reportage.
Following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, we reconnected with these and other Gazans to gather new testimony. We sought to understand their reaction to the Hamas assault and their views of the developing war, and to document their struggle to survive amid cascading tragedies. 
We are partnering with The Free Press to showcase their voices in a new series called Voices from Gaza, which you can watch below. 
* * *
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In the first episode, a resident of Gaza City shares widespread Palestinian anxiety that international humanitarian aid for Gaza will not reach the people who need it. In Gazans’ experience, he says, “When Hamas distributes the aid, only Hamas members get the aid.” The same applies to Gaza’s healthcare system, where “Hamas families get preferential treatment” and even the most urgent needs of others “could be delayed for a long time so that Hamas loyalists are treated first.”
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When the October 17 explosion in a Gaza hospital triggered an international debate over who was to blame, Gazans we spoke with felt the terms of the debate were wrong. “I’d rather tell you who’s responsible for making people need to go to the hospital in the first place,” a speaker says in Episode Two. “Hamas bears responsibility for all the wars, but we’re the ones who pay the price.”
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The same rejection of Hamas’s war footing was shared by a woman we spoke with who took umbrage at Hamas claims that Gazan civilians, not Hamas fighters, had perpetrated the October 7 atrocities targeting Israeli civilian men, women, and children. “If I saw a hostage or knew where they were,” she explains in Episode Three, “I’d take them and hide them in my home. I’d bring them back home [to Israel].”
Contrary to Hamas propaganda, she says, “Ending Hamas is the demand of young and old alike in Gaza.” For her family, the demand is deeply personal: “My older brother was murdered by Hamas in front of our eyes,” she says. “Fifty-four gunshots all over his body, his blood spilling in front of his children.”
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“Ashraf,” a 28-year-old evacuee from Gaza City now residing in Khan Younis, saw his brother murdered by Hamas as well. Both had been involved in peaceful demonstrations against Hamas. We wanted to know whether such activists would support the toppling of the regime if it came with the heavy human toll of an Israeli ground assault.
“We welcome any change that will save us from this indignation called Hamas,” Ashraf says in Episode Four, “whether by Jews or non-Jews.” But he also worries that the war will end with Hamas in place: “If Hamas remains, there might, for example, be a truce, and in a year or two Hamas would repeat the same scenario. In those two years, I’ll go backwards 50 years—and I need two good years just to get back on my feet. I have no house, no life, nothing.”
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Hamas’s grip on portions of Gaza is already slipping away, however. In Episode Five, “Fadi,” a youth activist from Gaza City who has also fled south, describes growing chaos in Khan Younis as the remnants of Hamas’s security apparatus vanish into the ground. He also explains how some civilians are stepping up to fill the vacuum. “We’re forming youth councils and defense committees to organize people in the bread lines, or other stations,” he says.
* * *
When the present war ends, hopes for reconstruction and a decent government in Gaza will rest largely on the Palestinians who join a post-Hamas administration of the territory. In the past, Gazans have shown great courage in trying to bring change on their own. Veterans of Gaza’s 2019 anti-Hamas street demonstrations, for example, braved gunfire and prison to make their voices heard, but received neither support nor solidarity from the outside world. 
In drawing attention to Gazan voices opposed to Hamas, we aim to show that a different, brighter, and more peaceful future is possible—one that merits international support—because of the Palestinians in Gaza who yearn and strive for it. As one of the speakers, who you can hear below, in our original series put it, “The makings of our dream are all here.” 
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The original "Whispered in Gaza" project, originally published from January 2023, is still accessible on YouTube and Instagram.
Gazans have been trying to be heard for years. And now not only do they have to contend with silencing by Hamas, but with being spoken over by western college idiots infected by an antisemitic neo-Nazi mind-virus and a blood-lusty urge to commit genocide, aka "decolonize."
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moonlightsmasquerade · 7 months
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Submandelaphobia: Early Morning Conversation
A minific, Thatcher Davis and Ruth Weaver have a conversation about recent events.
Thatcher was woken up by someone gently pushing his shoulder. His head snapped up from his desk, he groaned slightly, rubbing his tired eyes.
"Morning sunshine," Ruth's voice broke through the silence, "Let me guess? You want a coffee."
"Yeah, that would be nice." He smiled slightly before standing up, gathering the strewn papers, trying to organize them back into their folders.
"You fell asleep working… again." She commented while turning on the machine, grabbing two cups. Thatcher stiffened slightly at the comment, but continued organizing, tapping the stack against the desk to even out the stack of paper.
"Oops. Y'know how it is, just busywork-"
"I know you're still going over that case." She looked over her shoulder to his slightly surprised face. Thatcher looked back down at the folder labeled “Torres”, it had everything about what happened to that kid, his mom’s disappearance, the testimony about what happened to his friend. He put the papers back in the folder, before pushing it to the side of his desk, his eyes averted Ruths. 
"There's nothing more we can do, you know that." Ruth folded her arms across her chest. Thatcher sighed, putting the folder down and rubbing the back of his neck slightly.
"I know but… I can help but feel like there's something off, especially…" he trailed off, thinking of what to say.
"You don't think what the kid was saying about the 'water monsters' is true, do you?" Ruth asked.
"No! Well… Maybe not the monster part but… I dunno, I just,” Thatcher sighed and ran his hands through his hair, “I can’t get how that kid looked at me out of my head Ruth, they were so…scared. I wish… I wish we had gotten there sooner.”
Ruth’s expression softened, 
“I know… I understand,” She paused for a moment. She wasn’t there that night, but she had been asked to speak to Mark’s family about the incident, it was never easy having to tell a family their child was dead, “But what’s happened has happened. The case is closed now.”
Thatcher sat back down in his chair, leaning back slightly and tapping his fingers against the desk. Ruth knew this was going to bug him for a while, she turned back to continue making their coffees. She brought it to his desk, looking at him as he sat there. He stared at the folder, before taking the cup, wrapping his fingers around the warm mug. It still bothered him, he kept the image of Cesar Torres’ frightened eyes in his mind, the way they begged to be believed. He wanted to believe them, but he also wanted to believe Ruth, the kid was going through shock, there were no monsters, it was just a simple tragedy. Yet something nagged at the back of his mind.
The silence was deafening in the room, Ruth had just been observing her friend, wondering what was going on in his mind. While she admired his dedication, worrying himself sick over one case wasn’t going to suddenly solve it or bring back the people who were dead.  She put her cup down, headed over to him, and put a hand to his shoulder, he looked up at her,
"You're a good man Thatcher, but you can't save everyone," she said, “I’ll take this to the archives, alright?” She picked up the folder. He nodded and let out a small ‘hm’ Ruth turned and headed to the archives room, walls of filing cabinets full of every kind of incident around, all cases considered wrapped up, very rarely revisited. She opened one and slipped the folder in its correct alphabetical spot. Ruth paused a moment before she shut the cabinet, almost wondering if she should take it back out and look it over. She shrugged off the thought, she’d be just as bad as Thatcher if she decided to retread over a case she knew was closed. 
There was nothing more they could do.
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beardedmrbean · 9 days
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THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- A human rights organization representing ethnic Armenians submitted evidence to the International Criminal Court on Thursday, arguing that Azerbaijan is committing an ongoing genocide against them.
Azerbaijan’s government didn't immediately comment on the accusations. The neighboring countries have been at odds for decades over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, and are already facing off in a separate legal case stemming from that conflict.
Lawyers for the California-based Center for Truth and Justice, or CFTJ, say there is sufficient evidence to open a formal investigation into Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and other top leaders for genocide. They have submitted a so-called Article 15 communication urging the court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan to look into alleged atrocities.
Khan’s office will now consider the evidence submitted and determine if the court will open an investigation, a decision expected to take months.
“My goal here is to get the highest bodies that protect human rights to take some action, not just mere words,” Lala Abgaryan, whose sister Gayane was killed by Azerbaijani soldiers in 2022, told The Associated Press.
Her sister’s body was badly mutilated and images of the abuse were spread online. Abgaryan says the pictures were so heinous that she suffered psychological damage after looking at them.
Long-standing tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan erupted in 2020 into a war over Nagorno-Karabakh that left more than 6,600 people dead. The region is within Azerbaijan but had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces since the end of a separatist war in 1994.
Last year, following a lightning military campaign, Azerbaijan retook the disputed territory. After Azerbaijan regained full control of Karabakh, which had a population of around 120,000, more than 100,000 of the region’s ethnic Armenians fled, although Azerbaijan said they were welcome to stay and promised their human rights would be ensured.
Prior to Azerbaijan’s offensive, Armenia and former International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo accused Azerbaijan of committing genocide by creating conditions aimed at destroying Karabakh Armenians as a group.
A group of around 30 people gathered in the rain in front of The Hague-based court Thursday to hand over more than 100 pages of documents.
The rights organization said it has submitted a dossier of evidence containing the testimony of more than 500 victims and witnesses.
“These atrocities are captured on social media, by Azerbaijani soldiers themselves, where you hear them laughing, making comments, and taking the dead bodies that they’ve just slaughtered and beheaded,” CFTJ leader Gassia Apkaria told the AP.
Legal experts say that genocide may be out of reach for the court. Armenia is a member of the ICC, but Azerbaijan isn't, leaving prosecutors with jurisdiction only over crimes committed on Armenian territory. Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
Forcing nearly the entire population to relocate to Armenia, however, could fall within the court’s remit. Deportation is considered a crime against humanity.
“There is no way this was an exodus by chance,” says Mel O’Brien, an associate professor of international law at the University of Western Australia and genocide expert.
The court has moved forward with an investigation under similar circumstances into possible crimes committed by Myanmar against the Rohingya minority group. While Myanmar isn't a member state, neighboring Bangladesh is and around 750,000 people have fled across the border after being forced from their homes.
The CFTJ’s request came amid two weeks of proceedings between Armenia and Azerbaijan at another global court in The Hague. The United Nations' top court, the International Court of Justice, is hearing arguments related to a pair of cases stemming from the conflict. Each country has accused the other of violating a racial discrimination treaty.
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The Oyneg Shabes Archives
This was the code name of a secret project Jewish Historian Emmanuel Ringelblum organized, managed, and carried out in the Warsaw Ghetto. As a historian of the Jewish experience, Ringelblum understood very early on in WW2 that Warsaw’s Jews were living through an exceptional historical moment which desperately required documentation. And so, he gather a covert team of writers, reporters, diarists, and researchers, and sent them out into the Ghetto to write, record, and take testimonies.
The Nazis began their first attempt to “liquidate” (that is, get all Jews onto a train out of a ghetto, which would them take them to the Treblinka extermination camp) the Warsaw Ghetto in July 1942; this “aktion” would last through September 1942. The Oyneg Shabes team understood that they were unlikely to survive to see the end of the summer, much less the war. 
Three of them set out to bury the 11 crates containing the Archives. With the burial, the three men included messages for the future generations they hoped would find and learn from the archives. One of these men, Israel Lichtenstein, wrote the following message to the future:
“I do not ask for any thanks, for any memorial, for any praise...I only wish to be remembered...I wish my wife to be remembered, Gele Sekstein. She has worked during the war years with children as an educator and teacher, has pre­pared stage sets, costumes for the children’s theater...both of us get ready to meet and receive death. I wish my little daughter to be remembered. Margalit is 20 months old today. She has fully mastered the Yiddish language and speaks it perfectly. At nine months she began to speak Yiddish clearly. In intelli­gence she equals children of 3 or 4 years. I don’t boast. People who wit­ness it and tell me so are the staff teaching at the school at 68 Nowolipki Street—Dr. Pola Foilman, Mrs. Blit Herzlich, Mrs. Zagan and others. I don't lament my own life or that of my wife. I pity only this little nice and talented girl. She too deserves to be remembered.”
Israel, Gele, and Margalit were last seen alive trying to return to their hideout in the opening days of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, April, 1943.
The archives were recovered and dug up by the few Oyneg Shabes survivors on September 18, 1946. One crate is still missing. There is much more to say about these archives and their collectors, guardians, and survivors. I’m still learning much of that material--indeed, my brief treatment of it above is incomplete--and a good chunk of the story will play a role in my book.
The content above is all from Who Will Write Our History? by Dr. Samuel Kassow. He’s a really lovely, generous man, an incredible scholar, and a kind colleague/mentor; he even shared some of his Yiddish translations with me.
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papirouge · 2 years
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Are there any other conspiracies you believe in? Like the 9/11 one for example?
👀👀
💥The 9/11 was an inside job. They bombed these towers and the plane was a deep fake hologram.
💥Michelle Obama is a man, as well as Brigitte Macron. #Transapocalypse is a reach (and most people entertaining this movement are scrotes who will assume any woman who's not a perfect hourglass figure is a man) but there are definitely more gender crossing people than we assume.
💥Most world leaders and famous people (entertainers, world top companies CEO, etc.) are satan worshippers. I firmly believe that you cannot attain a certain level of fame or occupations if you're not a Freemasons/satanist. Here in France it's said that you can't climb the highest echelon at the DSD (Diplomatic Security) if you're not a Freemason.
💥These celebrities/A list people sacrifice children & homeless on the regular and gather either organs (didn't Rothschild managed to get transplanted 7 times despite being a literal corpse?), blood (for youth) or adenochrome (to achieve a drug-like high). Countess of Bathory has spiritual descendants.
💥They do child sacrifice at the Vatican underground. A whistleblower (who mysteriously disappeared) who was a former MK Ultra'ed satanist said she went to Black Mass out there were they sacrificed a child and summoned a demon. Don't they have a telescope called Lucifer? BYE
💥Flat earth is retarded but earth is round AND hollow and Hell is inside
💥Mental illnesses are demonic influence
💥Some people are not humans. Nephilim/cross breed/fallen angels are among us. I once saw a testimony on a church about a woman who was a Sirène des Eaux (Mama Wata in African folklore). Her mom made a pact with a demon to get pregnant. That girl said she would spend HOURS underwater whenever she felt sad and being underwater made her feel at peace and "at home". She suffered sexual immortality too, and asked the pastor to help her rebuke this spirit driving her to sin, but she was struggling so hard and since she wasn't fully human, casting bad spirits didn't work on her and there was no point anyway since she wasn't truly human to begin with. She was the bad spirit.
Another anecdote: my sister (who's VERY Cartesian and not into spirit or demon hunting like me lol) once went to see a friend's husband who was bedridden as the hospital. She said that the few seconds after she entered the room, he had scale-like skin. Kinda like Killer Croc
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As soon as the man picked up her presence, his skin immediately became normal again. It really freaked her out.
I believe either 1)this man didn't want to be uncovered and pulled himself together once he realized someone was there 2) he didn't know he was himself half demon and his organism being weakened (he was comatose-ing/half asleep when my siste came through) made him 'lose' his spiritual cover that made him look human (kinda like when our muscle losen up when we relax) and only pulled himself together after waking up to welcome my sister
💥Related to previous statements : I firmly believe world famous artists are channeling demons for inspiration. Either consciously or not. They are worshipping demons giving them the inspiration. Hence many movies with characters with demon name, demonic symbolism etc Even when I was not Saved and dabbling with witchcraft, I started having 'inspiration' from African traditional masks with are 100% demon channeling. That's why I do not recommend watching most popular movies (Marvels, Disney, etc) bc all these producers/animator do entertain this wicked energy (I mean, Disney was a pedo and a freemason right?)
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mattspinksjoyblog · 3 days
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Getting To Know Matt & Katie Spinks | New Blog Series Intro - Part 2
In starting our new series of Jubilee blogs and videos, we thought it seemed appropriate to revisit our personal story, especially how we were first awakened to the Gospel, the true Jubilee!
This is also available in Matt’s book “High On God,” chapter one.
So, I grew up in a semi-typical American home and family, Christian, kind of. Parents separated, Dad went to jail, moved around a few times. I ended up attending Lutheran schools for the most part, all the way through high school. I always kind of had an awareness of God. Looking back, I’ve always had somewhat of a strange inclination towards God. I did my homework as a youngster, because somehow I knew that “God” wanted me to do it. I used to talk to God, but never felt that much response. I was raised learning about Jesus and grace. It wasn’t much of actually communing with God, but general Christian teachings were present. (Does this feel like a cheesy summer camp testimony yet? LOL!)
In high school, I had two youth leaders. They were both very passionate, encouraging men. They always attempted to inspire me to live my life fully for Jesus Christ. They shaped me to have godly vision and plans for my life, to be a youth pastor or missionary or the like. They never pressured me, but encouraged me toward a spiritual life vision. I had always known that I wanted to love and serve God in some way. The problem was that high school, and life in general made me pretty disillusioned with the world. I saw a lot of hypocrisy in my religious schooling, and a major lack of passion in the church. I also had this pervading sense that as long as I was still in high school I would never be able to do anything that really mattered. Still, I didn’t want to drop out. I figured that I at least needed to finish school. But, I stopped trying to get A’s in my classes, began to just have fun as much as I could, and go to parties, etc. The last year of high school especially was experiments with LSD, DXM, marijuana, alcohol, and other drugs. I also spent a lot of time listening to and playing music. To be honest, though, I was all over the place in my head.
I would lead our high school youth group’s worship gatherings on my guitar, while at the same time being high on LSD. It was a strange time. I did not feel great about using drugs and being a youth leader at the same time. I wanted to live for God in purity. I did wonder if drugs could fit in there somewhere. A lot of my Christian high school friends were pretty confused in many of the same areas. We believed in grace and God’s love, so why couldn’t drugs, sex, and questionable living be included in there somewhere too? We didn’t know, and no one around us offered much clarity. We weren’t exactly talking to the adults around us about it, but amongst our friend group we were pretty confused.
Around the same time, through our youth group’s mission trip to Mexico, I encountered some radical charismatic type believers and missionaries. I met young people who were living together doing mission work and spending all day worshipping, praying, and telling people about Jesus. It made so much sense to me. I saw a glimpse of a new world. I so wanted to be a part of a group like this. They had more joy and passion than I had, for sure. They also seemed to be living honest and open lives with no double standards. Their way of life absolutely appealed to me! So, I made plans to join this mission organization and immerse myself in a new life-style. These missionaries lived as if they were hearing God, communicating with God in supernatural ways, and had a whole different culture of dedication. As soon as I was finished with high school I signed up to join this group of missionaries. I started off right away for a distant country.
As soon as I arrived, my training started in a whole new paradigm and culture of following Jesus. It was way more focused, intense, and dedicated. I joined a group of new students from around the world who were also being trained in missions school together. This year, 2001, was a very powerful time for me.
I remember, as I arrived in the foreign land, and was just getting to know my new school mates, going out to the beach with a friend who had also just recently quit doing drugs. We sat by the ocean and discussed if we thought that we could remain drug free, and how this new life was going to be for us. We both asked ourselves, “Is there not a way to be at least as high on God as we were on drugs?” We both were not even 20 years old. And, we both were sincerely asking one another that question. We promised that if we ever found out answers we would let each other know. It was such a genuine question, but we literally had no idea how to get high on God. We imagined it must have been possible. But, we honestly had no clue. I remember thinking how far away that reality felt. It was as if really living high on God would be only for the super spiritual person, or maybe for just a few special people that had figured out some weird secret. It took me until seven years later to encounter my first glimpses of someone who was experiencing these realities. I met a lot of spiritual people, but this experience did not seem to be happening with anyone. If anyone was experiencing this, they were keeping it quiet. I pretty much forgot about the whole thing for a long time. My first encounters with those who were high on God weren’t until the year 2008.
Anyhow, I continued on with this missionary group, completing six months of their missionary training. At the end of the training I returned home to Fort Wayne, Indiana to pray about where to go on assignment. The night after I arrived home, I did have a truly profound life changing experience. I experienced something I now believe to be the baptism of the Holy Spirit. All of a sudden, I began speaking in tongues, reading some of the thoughts of the people around me, seeing a bit of the future, and hearing God speaking clearly. It was amazing! It truly changed everything! I immediately went to my parents and told them everything I had ever done. I told them all the old secrets that I had kept from them, the drugs and other stuff that’s not really worth mentioning here. I began to really be focused and passionate for God. I have never abused drugs again since 2001, never again having a problem with alcohol abuse either. For the next seven years I helped lead youth revivals, lived in foreign countries, ran missionary schools, preached Jesus, built homes for homeless families, and was involved in all kinds of ministry work. Yet, as seemingly great as those years were, I was never overwhelmingly happy. My life is significantly different now, in some pretty incredible ways. I’ll get into that here soon! Holy Spirit!!!
During those seven years, I was absolutely dedicated to Jesus Christ. I still am to this day. However, what I am about to describe has often been hard to explain. It often confuses people. How I could have been so dedicated to God and yet lived day to day with such a feeling of lack? It can be especially hard to explain because depression has become so normal in today’s culture. No one would have even classified me as depressed, but compared to now...I truly was!
What do you mean depressed? What are you actually experiencing now? Isn’t it just a little warmth or a bit of future hope? I may try to use many different words, pictures, or ways of explaining, not because anyone reading this is stupid, but because I get asked these questions so many times, everywhere I go. In fact, the majority of this book will be to attempt to clearly explain what is different about my life now! As one of our friends once said, “The only problem left with this Good News is how to put it into words!”
One way to describe my experience is this...
During those seven years I was mostly driven by what some call the “fire of God”. I was mostly doing things responding to need and lack. I was motivated by a consuming passion to fix the world. I was trying really hard to get everyone “saved”. Needless to say, it was like carrying a ton of weight around with me all the time! I had a genuine ache inside me to see everyone whole and free. Now it’s not a bad thing to care deeply about the world, but it always felt like something was missing. As I went to bed most nights, I would lie awake thinking over and over again about what more I could be doing. I would think about how much the world needed to change. I had so much “fire”. That same fire of passion remains to this day, but I see now that there’s something profoundly different about it. There’s another side of the God-life besides working for God. There has come much more clarity now. That’s what this book is about. I really want to communicate a realm that has been revealed to me, to us, to the planet!
For those seven years, I was driven to help people, yet I myself was not happy. I was trying to serve and bless everywhere I went, but I did not feel full and overflowing. I knew all the Bible verses about, “my cup overflows”, and “the fullness of joy”, but I could not really describe how that felt. My message to others was always about getting more of God, opening the heavens, changing the world, or how to release the supernatural. My life and message had a certain underlying theme of how we were all off track and needed to get things right in order to save the world. I had so much passion! I loved God and others genuinely! Yet, my view of reality was not leaving me fulfilled! It definitely wasn’t producing happy healthy lives around me. My life was definitely not “joy unspeakable and full of Glory” as the Bible says in first Peter chapter one verse eight!
I would lead church meetings, and often we would have amazing music, amazing messages, and yet I felt dis-satisfied at the end of every one. I would go to bed frustrated at night. And, trust me, I tried everything I knew to shake this feeling. I kept thinking that maybe I just needed to serve God more or do more to change the world! I tried multiple long periods of fasting, intense weeks of study and seeking God, serving in far-away countries, organizing city church leaders in unity, repenting for everything I had ever done, etc. Nothing felt like it was working. I was just never seeing enough change in myself or the world. I felt like almost everyone was missing out on God. If I wasn’t doing enough in all my efforts, then surely very few of my fellow humans could be experiencing the real kingdom of God on earth. Like I said, no one would have considered me depressed. I seemed like the model of a good person. My frustration made me all the more motivated. I just became more and more disciplined. I just kept believing that eventually I would “break through.” I was so intense, and was forcing my intensity on my friends and all those around me. I would always be looking for an opportunity to challenge them to more prayer, more Bible study, more service to God and to humanity. I look back now and see that my intensity was hurting as many people as I helped in those days. However, I was doing everything that good spiritual leaders around me would have recommended.
It was during these seven years, that I played a significant role in starting up a small home based spiritual community in Indiana. I gathered as many friends and like-minded folks as I could to attempt to live as Jesus followers in a radical way. We started to meet in homes in 2005 forming our own dedicated group of believers. And, as you may have guessed, it didn’t take long before I was challenging them at every turn to do more and more and more! We met seven nights a week! I had them scheduling every hour of their day out on paper, showing it to others in the group for accountability. We all became convinced that we needed to make sure that each of us were growing more intense and disciplined each day. We wanted to see more supernatural activity. We wanted to hear God more clearly. We wanted to see our city and world changed! The intensity continued. I was a part of several local and international ministries. I was putting every ounce of energy into it.
I was married during this time, and my lovely wife, Katie, joined right in with me in our intensity. We criticized and even dis-associated ourselves with “hypocritical” family members. We wondered how long it would take until the world would change, if ever. We were not going to be a part of that old system. We would call out and challenge anyone who we thought was a part of that system. We were speaking the truth in love, so we thought. We weren’t even always rude. We still probably looked quite spiritual to many people. Many folks commended us for our dedication. They said that we were great examples and very humble Christians. We didn’t really care about that stuff though. We honestly just wanted God to be glorified and we were going to do whatever it took to get the most people to glorify God. (My wife was much sweeter about all this than I was, just for the record, hehehe!)
BUT THEN WE GOT HIGH!! AHHHHHHH!!!! YAY! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!
In the year 2008, everything changed! The burden was lifted! We began to have a completely different experience of God, life, and everything! And, here’s how. Here’s how the hammer of the Most High fell upon us, LOL...
On the very first day of 2008, we were at a large spiritual gathering for prayer. During one of the meetings, a whole group of us began to speak in tongues. As we did, I felt literal spiritual winds blow through my belly, my body, my soul. The whole rest of the day I was in some sort of trance, and could really the spirits of people around me, literally I felt them. I also heard God in an amazing way that day, more clearly than ever before. Something opened up for me there. It felt amazing, and I was very aware of having a tangible relationship with God in some kind of new way. However, that wasn’t the biggest thing to happen to me that year. Really, I didn’t even feel high there. That experience of love was still just scratching the surface of what was about to happen in the next few months.
Something else worth noting happened at that same gathering as well. It was there that I met my first group of “God stoners”! (That’s just a random term I am using, not an actual title they had. LOL!) Now, at first I didn’t really know what was going on with them. It was a group of 12-15 young people that I kept running into, in the midst of countless thousands at this huge spiritual gathering. Yet, these guys were easy to spot because they were always laughing and falling over. You could always pick them out of the crowd. They also kept using their finger to poke the people around them. Whoever the person was that they poked seemed to get high and would start laughing and fall over as well. These guys would stand in one spot together for a long, long time laughing and just falling down and just kind of praising God in the spot where they were.
I decided to observe this group of whackos. To be honest, they made me pretty upset and irritated. But, I couldn’t figure out why they bothered me at all. They were just laughing and falling. Why was this making me upset? I did know that I had never seen or experienced this myself, so maybe I just thought that they were faking it, or maybe I just didn’t like what I couldn’t understand, or something like that. I remember watching them for like an hour. I was obviously struck by what was going on. I kept wondering if this kind of behavior was beneficial in any way. I wondered if their lives were fruitful. I saw something later that day that really spoke to me in that regard. This same group of people prayed for a man in a wheelchair. They prayed with him, and hugged him for like an hour. He got up out of the chair! He was healed! They seemed to be the only group at this entire massive spiritual gathering with the kind of power flowing through them to heal someone so afflicted. Still, I just thought to myself that these people were pretty weird. At the end of the few days gathering, I couldn’t quite figure out what truly bothered me about them. I decided not to give it much more thought.
My wife and I had gone to the gathering together. We left feeling encouraged, but mostly, life was the same as ever for us. We were becoming more disciplined, we thought. We kept becoming more and more intense, spiritually.
Then, something started changing. Within a couple months of that gathering my wife began to seem a bit intoxicated when we would pray together. It wasn’t every time, but sometimes. We had been watching some videos from a particular female missionary in Africa who would often behave drunk when in prayer or while preaching. So, at first, I thought that my wife was just copying this woman. Maybe she was trying to act more spiritual or something I thought. At first, I would take my wife aside and try to tell her to stop. My wife was getting high on God, and I would rebuke her for it! I remember rebuking her so harshly one evening that I made her cry. She was just genuinely being touched and influenced by God, but I didn’t understand it. So, I tried to shut her down. Thankfully, that only lasted a couple of months. We were both about to get blasted in a wonderful intense way!
On with our story! At that time, we would often lead city-wide prayer gatherings around our region. We would help with leading music and singing. This was all still during early 2008. However, one of these gatherings was about to have an interesting turn of events for us! We had been asked to lead the music and prayer for a gathering on a local college campus, to pray for the campus and “contending for revival”. As it went along, about half-way through the gathering, I felt to sing a particular song with lyrics about opening up the flood gates of heaven. I was really feeling determined to keep singing this song until we saw something powerful happen. We literally sang that same song for like 30 minutes, but nothing noticeable happened. I broke several guitar strings from the intensity with which I was playing. Eventually, the meeting ended, and we all went home.
The next day a married couple who we had just recently met called Katie and I over to their house to share some food and prophetic experiences with us. We had seen some cool things in the lives of these guys. They were humble and yet powerful in the things of God. So, we excitedly drove over to their house to hang out. They shared several experiences and words with us that day. They prayed for us, and even laid hands on us to release some spiritual impartation. The most powerful thing for me, though, was a comment from the man of the house, a comment made almost in passing. It was a statement that has forever changed my life. He began to describe, kindly and with much appreciation in his voice, the city-wide prayer gathering from the night before. The couple had been present there and seemed to have enjoyed it, at least somewhat. The man began to talk about the song that I had sung about opening the floodgates of heaven. And, here’s the statement he made that changed my life forever. He said, “It’s really great to sing a song about opening the floodgates of heaven, you know, as long as you know that the heavens are already open.” I laughed, and said, “Yeah, totally, of course!” Truthfully, I was struck to the heart at that moment. The words he said there resounded within my heart and mind for days afterward. This was the first time that I had ever truly realized the truth of what he had just said. We finished our beautiful time of fellowship with the couple and went back to our home. Yet, that phrase stuck with me. To this day, I can still feel it! I am so grateful to GOD!!!!
While I pretended to understand what “the heavens are already open” meant, it was obvious that I didn’t understand it at all. Surprisingly, this was finally the beginning of my journey down the rabbit hole of the genuine message of Jesus Christ. A spirit of revelation was coming over me in a powerful way! I was hearing the Gospel for the first time! This message was somehow standing out as strikingly different from what I had previously believed! Let me say that, even as you read, this may seem like no big deal at first. I have come to see, however, that many people are just like me. I had previously thought that God wanted me to get the conditions just right before He would heal and restore the planet. I had come to know that God wanted healing, joy, life, and passion in people’s lives. Yet, I thought that these things would only be made real if we could, “rend the heavens”, and get God to come down, or if we could make something really happen through our prayers or fasting strategies. Maybe then this heavenly life could be ours and our cities and world would be transformed!
All of a sudden this new message was rocking the understanding built previously in my life. I had valued God and His Presence coming to us supernaturally. I knew that God was the solution to all life. The issue was that I thought that something was stopping God. I was totally convinced that there were massive spiritual barriers and hindrances of many different names and sources. I had been taught, or somehow come to believe, that God’s presence and blessings were at best only partially accessible. Now my heart and mind were being opened to a new possibility. What if heaven and earth were totally unified and open to one another? What if the Glory of God was all around, already flowing to all His creation like a waterfall, like a river?!?
This was early 2008, a time I now look back to as the greatest turning point of my life. It was a big set up! Not only did I see new things demonstrated by a new message that was changing my life, but at the very same time I was being introduced to a whole new community of folks who were experiencing this reality.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention by name some of the people I was introduced to at that time. Through two different friends, my wife and I began to plug into the conferences and work of Georgian & Winnie Banov, John Crowder, Benjamin Dunn, and Heidi Baker. You may be familiar with these Glory folks, or you may not. But, they had all either loosely or directly been associated with the Toronto Blessing movement of the 1990s. It was a controversial revival that has proved out to have borne amazing fruit over the years that have followed. It was marked by great joy, laughter, and tangible experiences of the Glory of God.
During this time, one friend gave me a book by John Crowder, and another friend recommended Mr. Crowder’s videos. Through John Crowder, I began to listen to the music of Benjamin Dunn. Through both of these guys we began to attend conferences with the Banovs, and Heidi Baker.
While we were hearing from these ministers, my wife and I began to experience heaven! They spoke of a heaven that was nearer than we had ever dared to believe. Over the early months of 2008, believe it or not, we would be laid out on the floor just laughing and being overwhelmed, not by any change in circumstances really, but by a tangible felt Presence of God. Simply put, we would get overwhelmingly HIGH! Both my wife Katie and I had done drugs in the past. This was far greater! We began to feel a whole body buzz, a euphoria, a deep joy, a love for all, and so many more things which will be described later in this book! The only way to sum it up is to say, “We were high!” When we would gather with like-minded believers we would get so wasted, so jacked up as we would celebrate! It would then remain when we were alone, and on even into all kinds of circumstances. We began to feel God’s heart so powerfully. We felt a love that was so far beyond what we had been able to muster before! Oh my GOD!
At that time, Katie and I would have a daily prayer time where we would spend an hour or two together each afternoon. Normally, it had been filled with pleading and crying out for so many things in prayer. All of a sudden, it was as if we were struck mute. (We actually were completely mute sometimes!) We would come to our prayer time already so overwhelmingly happy. All we could do was just sit and smile. There was just an absolute sense that Jesus had already finished it all. At that time we thought, “What more is there to pray for?” Heaven had come down! Was heaven already on earth? We laughed, smiled, and sat there in the tangible warmth of God.
This truly was the most transformative time of our lives. It was as if we had finally heard the best news in the cosmos! It changed everything. We became such satisfied people. We became such happy people. We felt so whole. And, the feeling of being high was constant! We would wake up stoned, and go to bed high, on God alone. It was amazing. It was exhilarating. It has never stopped!
After that time, we have continued to learn and experience so much more depth to this God-high. We learned a lot more about the Trinity, and the Person & work of Christ. We began to see miracles. Our local home fellowship community was rocked, and many began to get high with us. People moved from around the country to join our community, to live high 24/7 with us. It has been a wild journey! It has not been without persecution and challenges. Yet, the Glory has remained! The Presence is still so thick, it’s incredible. Heaven is here to stay!
“Friends, drink, be intoxicated with love!” - Song of Songs 5:1 (HCSB)
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prostheticartists · 1 month
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Practical Tips To Find the Best Prosthetic Eye Doctor in Your Vicinity
An artificial or prosthetic eye is a very convenient and proven solution for those who are compelled to remove their eye for any reason. Our eyes are not only a visual organ; it significantly impacts our visual appearance. According to Moorfields Eye Charity, over 8 million people worldwide wear a prosthetic eye. If you are also dealing with similar situations what you need is a skilled specialist. 
If you're searching for the best prosthetic eye doctor near you, you're in the right place. In this blog we will explore how and why to find the right specialist and to address your unique needs. 
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Understanding the Importance of a Prosthetic Eye Doctor Near You
Our ability to see is a special gift, but sometimes, life brings challenges that can affect this precious gift. Whether it's because of an injury, illness, or something you're born with, some people need a prosthetic eye. 
When choosing a doctor for your prosthetic eye, it's important to consider how close they are. Having a skilled and caring professional nearby makes it easier to get good care and support during your journey.
Why Local Matters?
Convenience: Imagine having to travel long distances every time you need a check-up or an adjustment to your prosthetic eye. Having the best prosthetic eye doctor nearby makes life more convenient for you, saving you time, effort, and additional stress.
Community Support: Local professionals are generally well-connected within the community. This means you'll have access to a network of support, including local resources and fellow patients who can share their experiences and insights with you.
Cheatsheet to Find The Best Speciality Nearby
Now that you have understood the importance of finding a prosthetic eye doctor near you let's explore how you can go about the search.
Start with Recommendations
You must begin your journey with the people around you. Ask friends, family, or even your primary care physician for recommendations. Personal experiences can provide you with valuable insights into the expertise and process of that particular prosthetic eye doctor.
2. Check Online Reviews
In the digital age, online reviews can be a treasure trove of information. Platforms like Google, Yelp, or specialized healthcare review sites offer feature testimonials from patients. Carefully scrutinizing these reviews can give you a better understanding of the prosthetic eye doctor's reputation and the experiences of others in your community.
3. Utilize Local Directories
Local directories, both online and offline, are excellent resources for finding the best healthcare professionals in your vicinity. Check out your local phone book, community bulletin boards, or online directories that list prosthetic eye doctors. These resources often provide you with contact information and even patient reviews.
4. Consult with Your Insurance Provider
If you have health insurance, it's essential to check with your provider for a list of in-network prosthetic eye doctors. This ensures that you can maximize your insurance benefits and minimize out-of-pocket expenses. Your insurance company may also have additional resources to help you in your search.
5. Visit Local Healthcare Events
Keep an eye out for local health fairs, community events, or seminars. These gatherings often bring together healthcare professionals, including prosthetic eye doctors. Attending such events allows you to meet potential doctors in person, ask questions, and get a feel for their approach to patient care.
Conclusion
Finding the best prosthetic eye doctor near you is a significant step toward regaining control over your visual well-being. By considering local options, seeking recommendations, and asking the right questions, you empower yourself to make informed decisions about your healthcare.
Your journey to finding the perfect prosthetic eye doctor may take some time, but the benefits of personalized care, convenience, and community support make the effort worthwhile. Trust your instincts, stay proactive in your search, and remember that you deserve the best care possible. Here's to a clearer, brighter vision ahead!
If you are looking for the best prosthetic eye doctor nearby - connect with Prosthetic Artists Inc. Our proficient team specializes in seamlessly fitting painted ocular prosthesis following eye removal. With proficiency in different implant types, we assure personalized and authentic results. Book an appointment with us today!
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agentcable · 2 months
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Law & Order Special Victims Unit Season 23 Ep. 9 "People vs. Richard Wheatley"
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Carisi investigates Richard Wheatley for the murder of Kathy Stabler. Wheatley changed lawyers frequently. Rafael Barba ended up defending him. Benson found herself with Barba when she learned he took the case. Several people testify, including Angela Wheatley, Sergeant bell, and even Stabler, who is held in contempt of court. The case ends in a mistrial, and Stabler must find his son.
This episode starts a crossover event that ends on "Law & Order: Organized Crime" Season 2 Episode 9.
If you want to watch the series for yourself, stop reading! This post contains spoilers to the storyline.
Olivia, Elliot, and his family gather at Kathy's graveside to pay their respects. They each place flowers on her grave. Eli expresses a desire to skip the memorial lunch to spend time with his "study partner" Sara. Olivia is pleased that Elliot is beginning to trust Eli more. Elliot reveals that he has installed a tracking device on Eli's phone and security cameras around the house, which prompts Kathleen and Dickie to react. Elliot confides in Olivia that the past nine months have been a blur and he needs Wheatley's trial to begin for closure. Olivia reasures Elliot that Wheatley's postponements are over.
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However, during the trial, Wheatley fires his lawyer after the judge blocks a recording of Becker's statement, securing a one-wekk delay. Carisi and his boss are angry, especially since they have evidence against the judge who should not be on the bench. SVU agrees to assist with preparing witnesses. Meanwhile, Wheatley interviews lawyers. Barba is the last lawyer of the day to be interviewed, and he tells Wheatley that he does not suffer fools...
The Deputy Chief asks Olivia about Barba. She confirms that she knows him well and that he is good. She attempts to introduce Barba to Elliot, but he doubts the sincerity of Barba's condolences about Kathy's death and walks away.
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Later, Olivia confronts Barba privately and asks him why he is defending Wheatley. Barba responds by saying that he believes Wheatley is being unfairly targeted and that the NYPD is engaging in vigilantism. If he drops this case, someone will go after Olivia and her relationship with Elliot. Olivia doesn't believe his motives are pure.
During the trial, Barba suggests that Elliot should have been recused from the case and that Olivia allowed him to beat up Jacob Peters. Bell testifies next. Barba tries to get her to say that Elliot used excessive force with Isaak. Barba also doubts that Isaak really purchased the bomb-making material.
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Wheatley asks to see Olivia, but he is disappointed that Barba insists on being in the room. Wheatley insinuates that Angela's testimony will be disturbing. The Stabler kids and Olivia should skip court. Olivia is disgusted by him and goes.
Olivia meets Elliot on an empty street. Elliot expresses concern about how Barba treated her. Olivia inquires about what happened between Elliot and Angela, but he refuses to disclose the information, stating that it is not her business. Olivia expresses her frustration that their relationship seems to be one-sided, focused solely on Elliot's grief and not on her well-being. Why did he give her a letter he didn't write? Elliot and Olivia don't know.
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During cross-examination, Barba gets Angela to admit she loves Elliot. Eli and Olivia look upset, but Wheatley is furious. In private, he throws things off his desk and complains that Barba made him look like a cuckold. Barba believes that Wheatley's reaction confirms the validity of his strategy.
Next, Richie testifies. Wheatley directly addresses Richie, breaking court rules. Richie stares off into the distance and then suddenly denies hearing Becker say anything. Carisi reads Richie's statement that he heard Becker plotting to kill Kathy. Richie admitted to lying because he was angry at his father.
Carisi and his boss suffered a significant setback. Stabler is convinced that Wheatley influenced Richie. Stabler is scheduled to testify next and must remain composed to avoid giving the impression that he was reckless during the investigation. Carisi advises Stabler to ignore Wheatley's attempts to manipulate him.
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Stabler's testimony begins calmly, but Barba's cross-examination rattles him. Stabler repeatedly asserts that Wheatley is responsible for multiple murders, not just Kathy's. The judge reminds him to only answer the questions asked. Stabler accuses the judge of being bribed by Wheatley and is held in contempt.
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Wheatley insists on testifying, even threatening to fire Barba if he doesn't allow it. During his testimony, Wheatley maintains his innocence and claims that he was unaware of any wrongdoing. He argues that Elliot falsely accused him and confused his testimony with that of another mobster. However, during cross-examination, Wheatley loses his composure and makes a statement that could be interpreted as an admission of guilt.
Despite this, the jury is deadlocked and must deliberate further. Later, Barba spots Benson at a nearby bar, but she refuses to speak with him. She feels betrayed by him.
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The jury is back, but they say they are hopelessly deadlocked. The judge declares a mistrial since it's been less than a day, and he won't hold them any longer. Meanwhile, Elliot discovers that Eli has disappeared along with all the drugs in the medicine cabinet. Elliot is convinced that Wheatley will not be retried, so he takes off to find his son.
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reviewgatorsusa · 2 months
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Understanding Amazon Review Scraping With Python And BeautifulSoup
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In the digital age, data is king, and for e-commerce businesses, customer reviews on platforms like Amazon are invaluable insights into consumer preferences and sentiments. However, manually sorting through thousands of reviews can be a daunting task. This is where the art of review scraping comes into play, and with the right tools and techniques, you can master this process efficiently.
In this blog post, we'll explore the art of scraping Amazon reviews using Python and Beautiful Soup, unlocking the potential for extracting and analyzing valuable data.
What are Amazon Reviews Scraping?
Amazon reviews scraping means automatically extracting and collecting reviews from Amazon's product pages using web scraping techniques. This tool goes through the website's code, finds the reviews, and pulls out important stuff like who wrote the review, how many stars they gave, what they said, and when they wrote it. It's handy for getting lots of reviews all at once. But it's important to remember to use this tool responsibly and follow the rules set by Amazon and the law.
Amazon Reviews Scraping Using Python follows a process that includes sending requests to the review pages, understanding the webpage's structure, and then extracting desired information such as reviewer names, ratings, and comments. It's akin to teaching a computer to navigate Amazon's website and gather review data without the need for manual interaction.
Why to Scrape Amazon Reviews?
Scraping Amazon review data gives organizations significant information about customer preferences, market trends, and product demand in certain categories. Companies that collect many reviews can evaluate customer feedback to better understand what drives purchase choices and impacts consumer behavior.
Market Research
By scraping Amazon reviews, we learn much about what people like and desire in various items. This allows businesses to understand the market better and determine what customers want. Knowing this allows organizations to better plan their strategy for attracting the proper customers.
Product Development
By reading and scraping Amazon customer reviews, businesses may receive suggestions for improving their products. They may discover which features clients desire and what needs to be improved and even generate new product ideas. This allows them to create items that are tailored to the specific needs and preferences of their clients.
Content Creation
Amazon reviews provide valuable insights from genuine customers. Scraping Amazon customer reviews and evaluations can inspire businesses to develop marketing material, such as customer success stories or examples of how the product benefitted someone. This type of material can help clients trust the brand more.
Price Optimization
Analyzing Amazon reviews can help firms determine optimal pricing for their items. Companies may establish prices that earn money while remaining appealing to customers by studying how they react to varied rates. This helps them remain competitive in the market.
Product Development
Amazon reviews scraping provide valuable feedback for product development. Based on customer feedback, businesses may discover feature requests, areas for development, and potential new product ideas, allowing them to improve their product offerings and better suit the requirements and preferences of consumers.
Content Creation
Customers often provide useful ideas and experiences in reviews. Scraping Amazon customer reviews and evaluations can motivate the development of marketing content like testimonials, case studies, or user tales, all of which can assist potential buyers in creating trust.
Challenges Faced While Scraping Amazon Review Data
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Scraping Amazon customer reviews helps to understand what customers think about the goods they buy. This helps us understand if a product is good or if there are problems with it.
On the other hand, Amazon reviews scraping using Python comes with its own set of challenges:
Anti-Scraping Steps
IP filtering and CAPTCHAs are two of the steps that Amazon has put in place to stop website scraping. Because of this, it is more challenging for automated systems to access and get data from Amazon sites.
Dynamic Website Structure
Because Amazon constantly modifies the look and feel of its website, it might be difficult to keep scraping programs up to date because they could malfunction or stop working.
Rate Limiting and Throttling
In order to slow down and reduce the efficiency of the scraping process, Amazon may place a restriction on the total number of requests a scraper may make in a given period of time.
Detection and Blocking
Amazon is vigilant in protecting its website against scraping activities. They use advanced algorithms to detect and block scraping attempts. These algorithms can identify patterns commonly associated with automated scraping tools, such as high-frequency requests or predictable browsing behavior.
Complex HTML Markup
Amazon's product sites use sophisticated HTML structures that include dynamic content, JavaScript, and nesting tags. This intricacy makes retrieving useful information reliably and effectively difficult for scrapers. Scrapers must crawl through levels of nested HTML elements to find and extract the needed data, which necessitates advanced parsing algorithms and strong error-handling procedures.
Furthermore, Amazon constantly alters its website structure and markup, demanding ongoing maintenance and tweaking of scraping programs to ensure continuing performance.
Continue reading https://www.reviewgators.com/amazon-review-scraping-with-python-and-beautifulsoup.php
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beardedmrbean · 1 year
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Around half a million female North Koreans, some as young as 12, are hiding in border regions of China, according to a new report by an international human rights law firm Global Rights Compliance. Activists warn that women and girls remain at critical risk of exploitation even after fleeing their homeland.
Working with multiple NGOs and human rights organizations to comply evidence and testimony from refugees, Global Rights Compliance found over 4,340 documented cases of human trafficking of North Korean women from China in the last decade and at least 80,000 reported abuses of human rights. 
'Staggered and moved' 
Sofia Evangelou, the law firm's lead legal advisor on North Korean human rights and global rights compliance, said many accounts are harrowing to read.
"I have read some of the testimony and I find myself staggered and very moved at what these women have gone through," Evangelou told DW. 
"Many of these women, even after they have reached safety in South Korea, say they are still suffering from feelings of anxiety, of shame, or post-traumatic stress disorder," she said.
"Each of these women has had a different experience and is coping with it in their own way, but there is a clear pattern of women suffering physically, emotionally and psychologically as a result of their experiences."
The report states the women are not safe even after completing the perilous journey over North Korea's heavily fortified border with China — where Pyongyang has introduced a shoot-to-kill order for anyone suspected of attempting to flee the country.
They are still forced to hide after reaching the so-called "Red Zone" in eastern China, as the Chinese authorities hunt defectors before sending them back to the North. Reports suggest that first-time escapees can get away with a spell in one of the North's brutal prisons, although the punishment for repeat offenders can be far more serious, including execution.  
Lockdowns introduced on the Chinese side of the border to try to halt the spread of the coronavirus has made the situation even more risky. Typically, the defectors have little money, no access to food and cannot continue their journey to safety in a third country. 
Data gathered from defectors by groups such as the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights and the Transitional Justice Working Group indicates that as many as 80% of female North Korean refugees fall into the hands of people traffickers and are sold into sex trade, which is estimated to generate more than $105 million (€97.5 million) a year for Chinese and North Korean organized crime networks.  
'Black hole' of silence around abuse
Within the Red Zone, women and girls are reportedly often subjected to systematic rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, unwanted pregnancy, forced labor and cybersex trafficking. Such mistreatment has become "normalized” in the region, the report claims, with women beaten in public and being sold for as little as a few hundred dollars.  
"I was sold to a Han Chinese living in Yanbian," one woman said in her testimony, according to the report. "We lived together for one year and we couldn't have a child, so he beat me. He kicked me. He kicked my head a lot." 
A woman who was caught and sent to a prison in North Korea witnessed another prisoner, who was concealing her pregnancy, collapse while she was performing hard labor collecting rocks from a river. She drowned, but when guards realized she had been pregnant they stripped all the other female inmates naked to check for more hidden pregnancies. They then carried out immediate forced abortions, according to the account gathered by the activists.
"A black hole of information currently exists around China's Red Zone, which means that many more North Korean women and girls are falling victim to China's sex slave industry," said Evangelou. "The​​ current situation leaves North Korean women and girls exposed to the stark reality of either being sold into a lifetime of sexual and mental abuse, slavery, forced labor, or reaching freedom."
Evangelou urged the end of the "pandemic of international silence" on the issue.
"The illegal sexual slavery of women and girls will not stop until a ​concerted ​international effort is mobilized," she added. "The international community can no longer turn a blind eye to the atrocities being committed against women and children, fleeing for their lives and — in too many cases — those of their unborn children." 
Seoul pushing for more accountability
Meanwhile, the government of South Korea seems to be growing more interested in Pyongyang's human rights violations and holding the leaders of the isolated state accountable.
Park Jung-won, a professor of international Law at Dankook University, said the previous South Korean administration of President Moon Jae-in was "silent on the situation around human rights abuses in the North," but that tides are shifting under President Yoon Suk-yeol. 
"There has been a significant change in the attitude of the government and South Korea this month jointly sponsored a United Nations draft resolution on human rights in the North, for the first time in five years," he said, pointing out that Yoon has also appointed a new ambassador to promote human rights in North Korea.
"This is a complete change from before and a very positive thing for human rights in the North," he said. "I am hopeful that this government will continue to push on this matter, raising questions at the UN and other international forums to increase the pressure on Pyongyang."
The pressure from Seoul will "enable the international community to take more concrete action to respond to these terrible human rights abuses in the North and this very dangerous border zone," Park added.  
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adishili080 · 2 months
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Digital Impact | Elevating Your Brand through Strategic Social Media Marketing in 2024
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What Is Social Media
Social media are websites and programmes that help people talk to each other, get involved, share information, and work together. People use social media to stay in touch with their friends, family, and neighbours. With help of social media an entrepreneur can accelerate his business on social media platform. which give his business online dominance. Brainfostertechnologies Social Media Marketing gives your business a dominance online presence.
Maintaining and optimizing your profiles.
Posting pictures, videos, stories, and live videos that represent your brand and attract a relevant audience.
Responding to comments, shares, and likes and monitoring your reputation.
Following and engaging with followers, customers, and influencers to build a community around your brand.
Social media marketing also includes paid social media advertising, where you can pay to have your business appear in front of large volumes of highly targeted users.
How to use social Media marketing For Business
Social media Is the best platform to grow your business online. It gives your business to reach prospects and customers with no boundaries. people discover, learn about, follow and shop from your brands on social media, so if you are not on platforms likes Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, you are missing out! Social Media Platform can give your business a remarkable success.
Benefits of social media marketing
Humanize your business: with the help of social media you can touch with your customer, and get instant feedback, you can make display your product online. Social Media marketing services is the best platform to show your services and product and easily get connected by your client. 
Drive traffic: Between the link in your profile, blog post links in your posts, and your ads, social media is a top channel for increasing traffic to your website where you can convert visitors into customers. Plus, social signals are an indirect SEO factor.
Generate leads and customers: You can also generate leads and conversions directly on these platforms, through features like Instagram/Facebook shops, direct messaging, call to action buttons on profiles, and appointment booking capabilities.
Increase brand awareness: The visual nature of social media platforms allows you to build your visual identity across vast audiences and improve brand awareness. And better brand awareness means better results with all your other campaigns.Social media Marketing gives information of your brands to people .
Build relationships: These platforms open up both direct and indirect lines of communication with your followers through which you can network, gather feedback, hold discussions, and connect directly with individuals.
Social media marketing services
As free and easy as each platform may be, a solid social media marketing strategy requires multiple platforms and often a mix of organic and paid methods. This can be resource-heavy, and while it’s a good problem to have, the more you grow your audience using social media, the harder it will be to keep up. Social media marketing services come in all kinds of shapes and sizes to help businesses get the most out of social media. Brain foster gives you the best Social media service
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About the Author -
Brainfoster is a digital marketing agency or a professional in the field, you might want to look for their official website, social media profiles, or client testimonials for the most accurate and up-to-date information about their services, expertise, and achievements in the digital marketing space.
"Click Here " to view more details about BrainFoster Technologies.
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makemywebsite1 · 2 months
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Why Web Design Should Align with Your Marketing Goals
In today's digitalage, your online presence is crucial, and web design in Newcastle goes beyond just looks. Your website is like yourbusiness's virtual storefront, leaving a lasting impression on visitors and shaping how they see your brand. But it's not just about looking good; your website must also align with your marketing goals. In this blog, we'll explore why web design should connect seamlessly with your marketing objectives.
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User experience iskey to good web design. When your website is easy to use and visually appealing, it draws visitors in and keeps them interested. By designing your website with your marketing goals, you can guide visitors toward the actions you want them to take. This means carefully planning the layout, making navigation smooth, and attractively presenting content. Also, by gathering user feedback and testing usability, you can keep improving the user experience, which helps build engagement and loyalty.
2. Building BrandConsistency
Consistency is keyto strong branding. Your website should reflect your brand identity, matching the messaging and visuals of your other marketing channels. When your web design in Newcastle aligns withyour marketing goals, it creates a unified brand image that connects with your audience at every interaction. Whether it's colours, fonts, tone, or images, your website's design elements should all support your brand identity, helping to build trust and recognition among visitors.
3. Driving Conversions
The main goal ofmarketing is to get conversions. Your website is where these conversions happen, so it's crucial for it to be designed with that goal in mind. By aligning your web design with your marketing goals, you can make sure every part of your website helps turn visitors into customers. This means putting clear call-to-action buttons, making checkout easy for online stores, and creating landing pages encouraging action. Testing and optimising your website design can improve conversion rates and reachyour marketing goals more effectively.
4. Improving Search EngineOptimisation (SEO)
SEO is vital forboosting your online presence and attracting organic traffic to your website. When your website is designed with SEO in mind, it not only attracts human visitors but also meets the requirements of search engine algorithms. This includes improving page speed, ensuring mobile-friendliness, and organising your site structure for betterindexing by search engines. Using relevant keywords in your content and meta tags and earning reputable backlinks enhances your website's authority and helps it rank higher in search engine results.
5. Increasing Social MediaIntegration
Social media isessential for shaping how people see your brand and getting them engaged. When you align your web design in Newcastle with your marketing goals, it means making it easy for people to connect with you on social media. This could include adding buttons to share your content, showing social media feeds on your site, and letting users share their content related to your brand. Doing this helps boost your brand's visibility and encourages people to engage with your community. Plus, showing testimonials and reviews from users on social media adds credibility and trust to your brand, supporting your marketing goals even more.
6. Enhancing Analytics andTracking
Data-drivenmarketing relies on strong analytics and tracking tools to understand user behaviour and campaign effectiveness. By designing your website with your marketing goals, you can use advanced analytics to monitor important metrics and gain useful insights. This might involve custom event tracking, using heatmaps to see how users interact with your site, and integrating CRM systems to track leads and conversions. With these insights, you can improve your marketing strategies, target campaigns more effectively, and achieve your business goals.
Conclusion
Aligning your webdesign with your marketing goals is crucial for making the most of your online presence. This means making sure your website improves user experience, keeps your branding consistent, and helps drive sales and visibility. It also involvesboosting your site's SEO, using social media effectively, personalising the user experience, andusing analytics to make smart decisions. By focusing on these aspects in your web design, you can create a site that not only looks good but also delivers real results for your business. Remember, your website isn't just a place to show your products—it's a powerful tool for marketing that can help your brand grow and succeed when it's built with clear goals and strategies in mind.
In your search forthe right web design company, prioritise alignment with your marketing objectives. Make My Website stands out by offeringexpertise that goes beyond mere aesthetics, focusing on harmonising web design with marketing goals. With their tailoredsolutions and committed approach, they can assist you in reaching your marketing goals.
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juarezyilmaz07 · 2 months
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Accepting Natural Power: Geothermal A/c Solutions for a Greener Home.
Title: How to Find the very best A/c Contractors Near You
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Intro: When it involves heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HEATING AND COOLING) services, locating the appropriate contractor is important. Whether you need repair services, maintenance, or setup, collaborating with a respectable and knowledgeable heating and cooling contractor guarantees the most effective outcomes for your convenience and peace of mind. In this write-up, we will certainly guide you through the process of discovering the best HVAC service provider near you. Furthermore, we will explain why our firm, HVAC, is the perfect choice for all your cooling and heating requires. 1. Online Research study:. In the electronic age, the internet is the perfect resource for finding trustworthy cooling and heating contractors near you. Start your search by seeing search engines and prominent evaluation web sites to gather a listing of prospective professionals. To ensure exact results, use certain key words such as "HVAC professional," "heating and cooling services," or "air conditioning fixing" along with your location. As soon as you have a listing of possible professionals, see their internet sites. A properly designed and informative web site reflects the professionalism and dedication of a company. Seek info about their services, experience, and accreditations. Ensure they provide the certain services you require, such as domestic cooling and heating installations or commercial a/c fixings. 2. Read Testimonials and Testimonies:. Client evaluations and testimonies are useful signs of a firm's reliability and quality of solution. Look into trusted web sites like Google Reviews, Yelp, or Angie's List to see what previous clients need to claim regarding their experiences. Take notice of both positive and negative testimonials, considering the overall impression and agreement. At HVAC, we take pride in our numerous positive evaluations and testimonials from satisfied consumers. Our performance history of high quality craftsmanship and impressive customer service is a testimony to our dedication and professionalism and trust. 3. Examine Credentials, Licenses, and Accreditations:.
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air condition repair To make certain that your heating and cooling professional is qualified and authorized to perform the called for services, constantly validate their credentials. Look for licenses, permits, and qualifications that demonstrate their dedication to following industry standards and ideal techniques. These qualifications might consist of North American Technician Excellence (NATE) certification or a subscription with industry organizations like the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA). Our group at HVAC Contractors includes extremely competent and certified technicians that consistently receive training and education to remain current with the most up to date cooling and heating modern technologies. Rest assured, when you pick us, you are choosing a team of professionals with the needed credentials and qualifications. 4. Demand and Contrast Several Quotes:. Do not opt for just one quote; guarantee you receive estimates from multiple specialists. This enables you to compare costs, solutions, and warranties. Reliable cooling and heating professionals will certainly use cost-free and thorough quotes, detailing the extent of job, expenses, and any kind of added fees. Watch out for lowball deals that appear also good to be real, as they may indicate below average high quality or concealed charges. When you get in touch with HVAC Contractors, we will give you with a fair and transparent quote, supplying a break down of the expenses involved. Our goal is to ensure you have a clear understanding of the extent of work and linked costs prior to any HVAC task begins. 5. Look For Recommendations from Family, Buddies, and Neighbors:. Request recommendations from trusted people in your community that have actually lately made use of cooling and heating solutions. Individual referrals are typically one of the most reputable and can assist you limit your choices. Ask about their experience with the professional, including their expertise, responsiveness, and the quality of job. At HVAC Contractors, we have actually built a solid track record in our neighborhood through word-of-mouth references. We are proud of the depend on and complete satisfaction our clients place in us and are confident in our ability to supply exceptional cooling and heating solutions to you. Why Pick HVAC Contractors:. 1. https://belsizeparkhvac.co.uk/index.html Experience and Experience: With over twenty years of experience in the HVAC sector, we have developed our skills and offer reliable and efficient cooling and heating solutions to our clients. 2. Highly Qualified Technicians: Our team consists of accredited and licensed technicians who obtain continuous training to stay abreast of the latest HVAC modern technologies and industry improvements. 3. Quality Workmanship: We take satisfaction in our focus to detail and dedication to providing quality handiwork. Our team makes certain every job is completed to the highest standards. 4. Exceptional Customer Service: At HVAC, we prioritize consumer contentment. Our pleasant and specialist personnel strive to exceed your expectations, guaranteeing a smooth and hassle-free experience throughout.
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5. Comprehensive Providers: We offer a large range of HVAC services, including installations, repair work, maintenance, and interior air high quality options. Despite the dimension or intricacy of the task, we have the know-how to handle it. Verdict:.
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Discovering the very best cooling and heating specialist near you includes cautious research study, validating credentials, comparing quotes, and thinking about recommendations. Investing time and effort in choosing the appropriate specialist will certainly settle in regards to the quality and dependability of the solutions you receive. At HVAC Contractors, we tick all packages when it involves discovering the suitable a/c professional. With our years of experience, specialist team of professionals, commitment to top quality craftsmanship, and outstanding customer service, we are the best selection for all your a/c needs. Get in touch with us today and experience exceptional professionalism and reliability and contentment in every a/c job we embark on. HVAC Contractors: Your partner in keeping your comfort, security, and peace of mind.
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Unleashing The Power of User-Generated Content: A Game-Changer in Modern Advertising
In the fast-changing world of marketing and advertising, making the first move is an integral part of success. There is a particular strategy that has gathered a lot of steam and has indeed turned out to be a game changer, and this is the swift utilization of user-generated content (UGC). In this internet age, which greatly influences consumers through the internet connection, employees are more creative and genuine, which can result in an upward anticlockwise brand.
At the helm of this innovative approach is Apppl Combine, a premier marketing and advertising firm passionate about yielding results with contemporary methods. Let us, therefore, uncover the process of changing user-generated content and comprehend how it enables brands to leave a mark.
What is User-Generated Content?
User-generated content, simply put, is any sort of content created by people who may not be formally associated with some brand but are true users or clients. It may also involve social media campaigning posts, reviews, testimonials, images, and videos, among others. In essence, it can be referred to as the voice of a consumer talking about their experience dealing with a brand.
Authenticity and Trust
In a time where defining consumers’ consciousness through traditional advertising has become the order of the day, capturing authenticity presents a perfect solution. An authentic and honest voice of a brand is a voice among consumers that is given by user-generated content, supporting consumer trust. Real user ratings create a genuine connection, which traditional advertising just cannot produce.
Amplifying Reach and Engagement
User-generated content has soon gained the tendency to reach the height of an individual brand on different kinds of social media platforms. Social media is a perfect illustration, and its contents include other content as well, fed by willing users, to create a chain reaction. This organic sharing not only increases the brand’s reach but also raises engagement rates. Users are enjoying and re-posting the content, so the popularity of the brand increases, and as mentioned above, the loyalty of users also increases.
Apppl Combine: Pioneering User-Generated Content Strategies
The UGC as a form of content created by the consumer is the most powerful tool that Apppl Combine understands very well since it has the power to form the narratives of various brands. Their team of specialists integrates UGC into complex marketing plans, building a coherent synergy meant to produce a strong convergence between the brand and its audience. Utilizing the genuine expressions of happy customers, Apppl Combine guarantees that their initiatives reach deeper, people are inspired more, and they stay with a memory.
Want to radically change the way your brand advertises? Get into cooperation with Apppl Combine and let the untapped potential of user-generated content reveal itself fully in your favor. Leverage the authenticity, dissemination, and spark that UGC induces in the picture. The marketing strategies of your business should evolve and adapt to changes in the modern consumer's needs, which can be made possible through a team that knows the pulse of the current consumer.
Today, get in touch with Apppl Combine and let your brand story be multiplied with the power of UGC. A mile completely free from the truth in the authenticity of a brand experience—now create it. Contact Apppl Combine - Your Gateway to Innovative Marketing and Advertising Strategies.
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