#(but you can’t really tell from a catalog designed to sell you things how comfortable they really are)

[flashhwing]

looking at articles about the best office chairs and man. why are they so ugly

where’s the STYLE where’s the PANACHE. I don’t wanna put these things in my living room

[fandammit]

Look how long this love can hold its breath (3/?)

Alright, I officially do not know how long this is going to be. I had a plan at one point...like 4 thousand words ago. I have an ending in mind, now it’s just about writing Ben and Devi to get there in a way that makes sense. Strap in, folks -- and thanks for reading!

Part 1 || Part 2 || On Ao3

*******

“Is Shira, like, weirded out or anything that I’m staying over here?”

It’s the third night of Devi living with him, which is definitely a sentence he never in his life thought he’d say. They’re sitting across the table from each other working on their pre-cal homework, snacks strewn across the space between them.  

He glances up to see her chewing on her lip, waiting for his answer. For some reason, he doesn’t know quite how to say that the two of them aren’t together any more, so he just shrugs and looks away from her.

“It doesn’t matter.”

She sighs heavily and he hears her lean back against the chair.

“She’s pissed, huh.” She sounds genuinely upset, and he looks up and sees her chewing on the corner of her bottom lip. “I’m so sorry, Ben, I didn’t think about how she might feel about this.” She clears her throat. “I mean, did you tell her that, like, you and me, you know…” She gestures between them and shrugs.

It takes everything within him not to ask what she means by that. He’s trying to be normal, to pretend like he never tried to kiss her -- twice! -- to act like he never wanted to.

He thinks if things were like they used to be, he’d make some snide comment about how she should be so lucky to be here with him. If things were like it used to be, his reply would be designed to remind her that he was better than her, manufactured to make her feel small.

But if things were like they used to be, they’d never be in this position in the first place. He isn’t sure of a lot lately, but he’s sure that he doesn’t want them to go back to things as they used to be.

So he decides to go for a new normal.

“We, uh --.” He scratches the back of his head, then gives her a small, lopsided smile. “We broke up.”

“Oh.” She blinks rapidly, then leans forward with a sympathetic slant to her mouth. “I’m so sorry, Ben.”

And the thing is, she does sound genuinely sorry about it, and for some reason that makes him feel more than the actual breakup did.

He shrugs again.

“It’s no big deal.”

She tilts her head at him as though trying to figure out what he might really mean. But the truth is, that’s really what he means.

“I mean, you guys were together a while.”

He nods.

“We were but --.” He taps his fingers on the table, trying to put it in a way that doesn’t make both of them sound callous and shallow, even though that’s exactly what they are. “I think we liked the idea of one another more than who the other person actually was.”

It’s the softest way he can put the reality that Shira really only liked him for his money, and he mostly liked her for the simple fact that it meant that someone wanted him.  

“Huh.” She sits back in her chair and looks at him. “That’s deep, dude.”

“Yeah, well, you should know by now that I have stores of wisdom beyond your comprehension, David,” he drawls out, though it’s less cutting than it once would have been.

She rolls her eyes at him, but that motion, too, isn't as sharp as it used to be.

*******

“Jesus, Kevin McAllister’s kind of homicidal.”

It's Friday night and they’re only halfway through her very first showing of Home Alone, but he can tell by the tone of her voice that that’s the conclusion she’s come up with for the entire film.

“I mean, it’s a fun 90’s children's film that I don’t think we’re meant to take as having any bearing on real life,” he replies dryly. “But, yeah, he absolutely is.”

She’s curled up on the seat next to him in the screening room, her feet tucked in under her and a blanket draped across her legs.

They’re sitting in the exact same two seats they sat in during his party when he tried to kiss her, a fact that seems to bother her not at all and that he can’t get out of his mind for more than two minutes at a time.

Which means he’s spent a good duration of the movie being very aware of the placement of his arms, the movement of his limbs, the slant of his body. He’s also tried to make sure he hasn’t spent too much time looking at her, though that backfires when she asks why he keeps looking just past her right shoulder every time she talks.

He’s at least grateful that she’s somehow never seen Home Alone, because it means she hasn’t completely picked up on how incredibly weird he’s being.

“I mean, these guys should’ve been dead like, ten times over with all the shit he’s put them through.”

“Again -- children’s movie.” He grimaces as they watch Marv’s foot hover above a protruding nail on the stairs, then turns and faces Devi so he doesn’t have to see it. “You know, there was an article a few years back that theorized that Kevin McAllister grew up to be the villain for all the Saw movies.”

Her eyes go comically wide.

“Dude! I can totally see that.”

He takes out his phone and starts googling the article so that he can send it to her.

“I mean, I’ve never seen any of the Saw movies, but I know enough about them generally to think that it’s a pretty good theory.”

He feels Devi clamp onto his arm with her hand.

“Ben, how have you never seen any of the Saw movies?”

He looks down at where her hand is resting on his arm, then back up at her. Tries to focus on the incredulous look on her face rather than the warm pinpricks of her fingertips settling on his skin.

“I -- uh. Um. Well, I --.”

Oh dear God, he is such a mess.

“Are you trying to think of some excuse for why you haven’t seen a modern horror classic like Saw?” She says with a smirk, then (blissfully? unfortunately?) lifts her hand to cross her arms in front of her chest. “I can’t believe you made fun of me for not seeing Home Alone when you haven’t seen Saw.”

He breathes out a relieved sigh and turns into a scoff at the last moment.

“I’m not much of a horror movie guy.” He clears his throat. “Besides, Home Alone is a classic.”

“Saw is a classic!”

He rolls his eyes.

“I’m not sure that a movie about someone sawing off one of his own limbs could be considered a classic.” He quirks an eyebrow at her. “Or, you know, even good.”

Devi gives him an incredulous look.

“Uh, I believe 127 Hours was nominated for like six Academy Awards, Ben.”

“Yeah, I walked right into that one.” He turns to face her. “But, 127 Hours was an inspiring story of survival, humanity and hope. Saw is the story of some guy making people complete stupid tasks because he thinks it’ll teach them something. It’s basically a demented version of Mr. Shapiro’s class.”

Devi lets out a loud shout of laughter, and he feels a pleased grin spread across his face.

“You know what, I love that description so much I won’t even argue with you.”

“Finally ready to admit that I’m your intellectual superior?”

She rolls her eyes.

“You wish.” She gestures at the screen. “But no, you’re making me miss the movie.”

She settles back into the chair and turns to face the screen. They watch the last half hour in comfortable silence, and when it’s over, Devi turns to him.

“So one of your favorite childhood movies is about an 8 year old who terrorizes two grown men and probably gave them both traumatic brain injuries before sending them to jail?”

He huffs a small laugh.

“I think it was probably more getting to see the story of a kid being so important to his parents they flew home from Paris to be with him. Like, gee, wonder what that must be like.” The last part is as bitter as he’s let himself feel lately -- and definitely more bitter than he’s let himself say out loud. He regrets it when he glances over at Devi and sees her giving him a sympathetic look. It seems selfish and unfair to complain about his parents given what she’s been through, so he gives her a half-smile and a shrug. “It’s fine, Devi.”  

She shakes her head.

“It isn’t, but we don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want.” She gestures towards the screen. “So, given that you picked the first movie, the next movie choice should be mine.” She turns back to him and grins. “And my choice is Saw.”

He scoffs, but only to cover up the smile that is creeping up on him.

“So we’re doing a marathon now?”

“Two movies isn’t a marathon, Ben, it’s a double feature.” She stands up to grab the bowl of kettle corn she put on the floor earlier and puts it back on her lap. “I mean, really it’s like we’re watching the spiritual sequel to your favorite childhood movie, so I’m actually being pretty generous with my movie choice.”

“Wow, truly magnanimous of you, David. I’m so grateful.”  

“You’re welcome,” she says without a trace of irony, then gestures for him to pick up the iPad next to him so that he can start looking for the film. “And I know you’re used to watching movies in this dope setup, but I’m not, so we’re going to revel in the dopeness of it until I get tired of it, which will probably be never.”

They don’t own Saw because no one in his family would ever want to watch it, so he clicks over to their Amazon account to buy it.

“I actually don’t use this room all that much. It isn’t as fun by yourself, so, this is --.” He glances over at her and shrugs. “It’s nice.” She gives him a smile that might be described as soft, if he were doing such a thing as cataloging her smiles. He turns his attention back to the iPad screen before he can do anything stupid like tell her how pretty her smile is, and scrolls through the list. “There are eight Saw movies?” He says incredulously. “How are there eight Saw movies?”

Devi shrugs.

“They’re cheap to make and people keep watching them, hoping any one of them will be as good as the first one.” She takes a sip of her soda. “Spoiler alert, that hope remains unfulfilled.”

“Wow, you’re really doing a great job at selling me this franchise.”

“Hey,” she says, slapping him with the back of her hand. “I wasn’t trying to sell you the franchise, just the first movie.” She moves the popcorn bowl between them and settles back into her chair. “Now shut up and get ready to see the type of person Kevin McAllister became when he grew up.”

*******

They end up watching all of Paddington 2 (his choice, to scrub the horrifying but admittedly -- and surprisingly -- alright Saw from his memory) and Cabin in the Woods (Devi’s choice, as an example of -- in her words -- a legit awesome horror film, to which he finds himself agreeing).

By the time they finish it’s nearly 3 A.M., and they’ve eaten their way through two huge bowls  of kettle corn, an entire tub of Red Vines, and a mixed bag of mini candy bars.

“You wanna choose another movie?” Devi asks, even though she’s all curled up in the comfortable plush of the chair with her head pillowed on her arms.

“So I can sit here and watch it alone while you snore next to me?” He turns off the screen and climbs out of the chair, stretching his arms over his head. “C’mon.”

“You go,” Devi mutters, her eyes now closed. “I’m comfortable here.”

He gives a small chuckle.

“Yeah, well, you won’t be when you wake up in a few hours with a sore neck and numb feet.”

“Nuh uh,” she counters as she buries her face further into her arms. “I’m smaller than you, I can fit.”

“Devi, I know from experience that these chairs are deceptively comfortable now, but it’s killer for your back and neck.” He crouches down and attempts to tug the blanket off of her. “Besides, you’re not really that much smaller than me.”

Devi gives a tired smile, and he has to twist his hand into the blanket to keep himself from doing something truly idiotic like brush away the stray curl that’s fallen across her face.

“At dinner one night my mom asked why I let you rile me up so much when you’re like 5’2.”

She huffs a laugh, and he finds it so immediately and absurdly appealing that he can’t even find it in himself to be all that insulted.

“First of all,” he starts, once again trying to pull the blanket from her and getting a weary, half-assed scowl in return for his trouble. “I’m 5’5. Secondly, I’m glad you just admitted that you’re always talking about me at the dinner table. Not that I didn’t already know that you’re obsessed with me, but it’s nice to hear it straight from you.”

She opens one eye just so she can roll it at him.

“You’re the worst, Ben Gross.”

“I know you’re just saying that because I’m trying to get you out of this chair.”  

She groans and throws the blanket off of her, then lifts her head off her arms and sits up.

“But why make them so comfortable if they aren’t even good to sleep in?”

“Specifically to torture you, obviously.”

“Hrmph, you would.” Her eyes are half closed again, and she’s leaning dangerously to the side. He’s worried that she’s going to curl back up in the chair again, but then she lifts her arms out in front of her.

“Are you...doing your best zombie impression?”

She scowls at him -- or she tries to, at least. Her eyes are closed and it’s like her face is too tired to dedicate itself to the expression, so the result is much less menacing than it is adorable. He’s glad she can’t see him right now because he’s almost sure the look on his face would give it all away.

“Help me up, you dick,” she says, though there isn’t any heat in the words.  

“Oh well, geez, since you asked so nicely.”

She smiles sweetly at him, though her eyes are still closed.

“Help me up please, you dick.”

He huffs a laugh and hopes it sounds casual, which is how he should feel, instead of slightly panicked, which is how he actually feels.

He reaches down to grab both her hands in his and pulls her up. His brain is yelling at him to let go of her immediately, but his traitorous hands aren’t listening, and he just keeps them wrapped around hers as she sways unsteadily on her feet.

“Dunno why I’m so tired,” she mumbles, her head falling forward with her eyes still closed. Her face is half hidden by the wild mass of her hair and he feels his fingers twitch at the thought of gently tucking a wayward strand behind her ear. “Must be ‘cuz your movie commentary is so boring.”

He makes a noise that he intends to be a laugh, but it just comes out a breathy sigh instead. His hands are still loosely wrapped around hers, and she’s standing so close to him that a stray curl brushes across the edge of his chin every time she breathes.

“Yes, that must be the reason,” he murmurs, because speaking quietly seems like the only way to hide how he’s feeling right now.  “Not the fact that it’s 3 in the morning, we just watched four movies in a row or you’ve been sleeping in a bed that you aren’t used to.”

“The bed’s comfortable,” she says, her words slurred with sleep. She lifts her head at him with her eyes closed and wrinkles her nose as she smiles, then gently tips forward and rests her forehead on his shoulder.

He freezes, and it takes all of the self control he’s ever possessed to not wrap his arms around her shoulders, rest his cheek against the top of her head and just breath the moment in. He thinks he might want that more than he’s ever wanted anything in his entire life, and it feels particularly cruel of the universe to grant him that knowledge at the very same moment he has to fight to not have it.

Devi makes a motion that he can really only describe as nuzzling into his shoulder, which causes him to take a sharp intake of breath and then just...does not breath for the next half minute. He’s so acutely aware of his senses -- the softness of her palms against his fingertips, the scent of her lavender shampoo, the gentle slope of her cheek pressed against his chest -- that for one wild moment he seriously entertains the possibility that he’s developed superpowers.

“You’re more comfortable than you look,” she mumbles, the words muffled because she’s half saying them into his shirt. He thinks she must truly be on the verge of sleep to have said it at all and not immediately recoil in disgust at the words.

If he were not so focused on keeping his breath calm and even, on telling his arms to stay glued to either side of him, and devoting too much energy to keeping his fingers from interlacing with hers, he would say something quippy and casual about how there’s more to him than meets the eye, or gently teasing about the fact that she so clearly thinks about how comfortable he might look in the first place.

But he doesn’t have the focus or the will to be clever, and there’s nothing casual about what his heart is doing right now, so instead he just makes a strangled noise in the back of his throat and grits his teeth.

He takes a deep breath in and out again, slowly bringing the crashing wave of his feelings to a somewhat manageable level, then forces himself to let go of her hands.

He flexes his fingers a few times, then reaches up and sets his hands gently on her shoulders and takes a step back from her, the space between them allowing him to clear his head a bit.

Her head lolls forward against air, causing her to frown and flutter her eyes open momentarily.

“As much as I’d like to see you try to sleep standing up, I don’t think it’s humanly possible,” he says, smiling at her when she opens her eyes and gives him a bleary stare.

“You don’t know that,” she replies, opening and closing her eyes a few times to try and inject wakefulness into them. “I bet I could.”

He shrugs.

“Well, I bet you’d sleep better in a bed.”

She heaves a deep sigh, then gives him an inexplicable and lazy salute and a sleepy smile.

“See you in the morning, Ben.”

“Good night, Devi.”

[theonyxpath]

Yes, that’s right, we actually do not have a Kickstarter running this week. Weird, huh?

Legendlore just wrapped up with a very strong (and unexpected but delightful) final 48 hours last week, and we have not yet launched the They Came From Beyond the Grave! KS.

So instead, let me tell you about the guy I illustrated for the cover shown above. In-universe (or Continuum), that’s Duke Rollo, the gonzo journalist/commentator of the TC: Aberrant setting.

But.

He’s also Justin Achilli, who originated the character and wrote both small Duke Rollo books – one for first edition Aberrant and now the book pictured for Trinity Continuum: Aberrant.

I originally pictured him as Justin appeared back then, piercings and all, and with a very gonzo attitude to life, and work, and especially after-hours playtime. The version above was drawn to still be the same character, but seasoned. More experienced, but still railing against the inequities of the TC: Aberrant world.

I bring this up because real-world Justin has amassed even more experience and knowledge since the WW days, and has explored game design in the electronic gaming sphere very successfully, and yet has never stopped applying what he has learned to TTRPGs, and specifically the World of Darkness and Vampire: The Masquerade.

His experience with party deduction games led to his working with us on The Prince’s Gambit card game, for example. And his online design theory posts through the years are rife with game design theory that could be applied to electronic games, or right back in TTRPGs.

And in fact, he himself, is also right back in TTRPGs with last week’s announcement that Justin is the new Creative Lead for the WoD 5th Edition efforts over at Paradox!

Congrats, Justin!

Now, I have a long history with Justin, going back to when he was developing the RAGE card game at WW. (A “dragon biting some clown in half”, anybody?) He was developer and I was art director for years on VtM Revised, we worked on the late, lamented, WoD MMO together, and he was the first developer for V20, and then helmed many V20 books for Onyx Path.

And yet, even I really don’t know what he’s planning for V5. The Covid situation here and in Sweden, where Paradox is based, has complicated matters, so we’re still looking forward to what’s going to happen next.

As they say, more news when we have it!

Let the Streets Run Red art by Sam Denmark

Surely You Have Something Kickstarter-y?

OK. Fair enough, I hear ya!

You want to know more about They Came From Beyond the Grave!, especially since that’s going to be the subject of our next Kickstarter.

Well, it is the second game in the They Came From…! game line, and this time, rather than being based in the world of Sci-Fi movies of the 50s, TCFBtGrave! is set in two time periods favored by horror movies of the 60s and 70s: the Victorian Era and the late 60s into the 70s.

In fact, the game supports either era, or both with players swapping back and forth between the two. Hammer Horror is of course a huge influence, along with Roger Corman horror films, and even the Dark Shadows TV series.

Like TCFBtSea!, TCFBtGrave! uses the Storypath System plus Quip cards that allow players to contribute appropriate (or far more often extremely inappropriate) comments and dialogue that is often hilarious, but also can give mechanical benefits to the character. With the cards, the player doesn’t need to be funny, just how they use the quip.

Similarly, there are cards for filmic situations appropriate to the genre we’re emulating, like “The Devil Himself!”, or “Missing Scene” which allows for a miraculous escape that players can note as having happened during that scene. It was amazing, just a shame the scene is missing, but at least we’re all OK.

Honestly, we should have one titled “Christopher Lee’s Voice”, but that might be too powerful for players.

Keep an eye out on our social media as we continue to tease the game, and check out the actual play sessions that are available on our Twitch channel.

Pirates of Pugmire art by Pat McEvoy

Updates On Previous Mentions:

As I mentioned last week, we were looking to hire an out-of-house HR representative as a contact person for anyone with concerns on an HR level with Onyx Path. We indeed did hire Georgina who can be contacted at hr.onyxpath@gmail.com.

Scion Companion art by Shen Fei

Sorry to say it, but the pandemic is still affecting everyone – writers, printers, shippers – so while we are seeing some folks come back to business as sorta-normal, many others still can’t do that. Sometimes that’s our creators, and other times it’s our manufacturers and shippers. I’m currently waiting for at least five books worth of PoD proofs to get to me for approval so we can start selling them.

So, please hang in with us as we maneuver through this continuing alteration in our normal business practices. There’s a lot of things changing all across the world, and our little hobby isn’t in a bubble – and even if it was, we’re still going to be affected like I mention above. Just know that we are doing what we can to get you the materials so you can enjoy our:

Many Worlds, One Path!

Blurbs!

Kickstarter!

Next Up On Kickstarter: They Came From Beyond the Grave!

And keep your eyes open for:

Onyx Path Media!

This week: the Terrifically Terrible Trio chat about the Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention, and online TTRPG gaming in general!

As always, this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast will be on Podbean or your favorite podcast venue! https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

This week on Twitch, expect to see

V5 – Chicago by Night

Behind the Screen – Scion

They Came from Beneath the Sea! – They Came from Devil’s Reef!

Changeling: The Dreaming – The Last Faerie Tale

Mage: The Awakening – Occultists Anonymous

Scarred Lands – Purge of the Serpentholds

Get watching for some fantastic insight into how to run these wonderful games and subscribe to us on Twitch, over at twitch.tv/theonyxpath

Come take a look at our YouTube channel, youtube.com/user/theonyxpath, where you can find a whole load of videos of actual plays, dissections of our games, and more, including:

#OnyxPathCon | How to Write for TTRPGs [Panel]: https://youtu.be/UKmJQEhInP8

#OnyxPathCon | Consent & Safety Mechanics [Panel]: https://youtu.be/LljJV-TRLWA

Legendlore – The Metal Scourge: https://youtu.be/IrhhKnf6dHg

#OnyxPathCon | The Art of Onyx Path [Panel]:https://youtu.be/2mG_BqXzkfE

#OnyxPathCon | What’s Up with Onyx Path #2 [Panel]:https://youtu.be/GjukejNcCcc

#OnyxPathCon | Create Your Best Character [Panel]:https://youtu.be/UZIBL87hu6U

#OnyxPathCon | Onyx Pathcast Live [Panel]:https://youtu.be/XxNvUPUtC1o

Subscribe to our channel and click the bell icon if you want to be notified whenever new news videos and uploads come online!

Did you miss Occultists Anonymous‘ last episodes of their excellent Mage: The Awakening chronicle? Here they are:

Episode 108: Car-V Heist While Songbird prepares for a dangerous summoning, Atratus and Wyrd hit the junkyards with an overly elaborate plan to make an overly elaborate gift. How very Mage of them… https://youtu.be/wSy3c74jkfM

Episode 109: Crown of Blood Wyrd and Atratus enjoy the joy of a well-made gift and the good vibes that comes with that. Songbird joins together with Hadramiel to summon an Angel of Death to anoint a Vampire Prince in power. https://youtu.be/QxB6Ml6uStY

The Botch Pit have released an excellent overview of Mage: The Awakening right here. Do give them a like and a subscribe: https://youtu.be/D-0O1Nun6NA

Systematic Understanding of Everything is a new Exalted Explainer Podcast by Exalted Dev Monica Speca and Exalted Writer Chazz Kellner that is breaking down Creation in 45 minute chunks in preparation for Exalted Essence.

Their most recent episode in on Creation and its history – https://anchor.fm/exaltcast/episodes/Trackless-Region-Navigation—What-is-Creation-eg2g9d

Get past episodes at http://www.exaltcast.com/

Please check these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games! We’d love to feature you!

Electronic Gaming!

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is awesome! (Seriously, you need to roll 100 dice for Exalted? This app has you covered.)

On Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue from which you bought it. Reviews really, really help us get folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these latest fiction books:

Our Sales Partners!

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost Second Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

Scion 2e books and other products are available now at Studio2: https://studio2publishing.com/blogs/new-releases/scion-second-edition-book-one-origin-now-available-at-your-local-retailer-or-online

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

And you can order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e at the same link! And now Scion Origin and Scion Hero and Trinity Continuum Core and Trinity Continuum: Aeon are available to order!

As always, you can find Onyx Path’s titles at DriveThruRPG.com!

On Sale This Week!

This Wednesday, to celebrate the arrival of Justin Achilli, we present V5 Chicago By Night electronic wallpaper and V20 Lore of the Clans Storyteller’s Screen PDF files, both on DTRPG!

Conventions!

Though dates for physical conventions are subject to change due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, here’s what’s left of our current list of upcoming conventions (and really, we’re just waiting for this last one to be cancelled even though it’s Nov/Dec). Instead, keep an eye out here for more virtual conventions we’re going to be involved with:

PAX Unplugged: https://unplugged.paxsite.com/

And now, the new project status updates!

Development Status from Eddy Webb! (Projects in bold have changed status since last week.):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep.)

Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)

Adversaries of the Righteous (Exalted 3rd Edition)

The Devoted Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)

Saints and Monsters (Scion 2nd Edition)

Trinity Continuum: Anima

M20 Technocracy Operative’s Dossier (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary)

Squeaks In The Deep (Realms of Pugmire)

Redlines

Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Hundred Devil’s Night Parade (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Novas Worldwide (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Exalted Essence Edition (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Wild Hunt (Scion 2nd Edition)

CtL 2e Novella Collection: Hollow Courts (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Second Draft

Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Mission Statements (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters (Chronicles of Darkness)

Trinity Continuum: Adventure! core (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)

Dead Man’s Rust (Scarred Lands)

The Clades Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)

V5 Forbidden Religions (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

M20 Rich Bastard’s Guide To Magick (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary)

V5 Children of the Blood (was The Faithful Undead) (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Development

TC: Aberrant Reference Screen (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)

Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Assassins (Trinity Continuum Core)

V5 Trails of Ash and Bone (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Manuscript Approval

Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Under Alien Skies (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Post-Approval Development

Editing

Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)

Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness)

TC: Aberrant Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum)

Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)

LARP Rules (Scion 2nd Edition)

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

The Book of Lasting Death (Mummy: The Curse 2e)

They Came From Beyond the Grave! (They Came From!)

Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)

Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)

Dearly Bleak – Novella (Deviant: The Renegades)

Post-Editing Development

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

W20 Shattered Dreams Gift Cards (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)

Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Legendlore core book (Legendlore)

Pirates of Pugmire KS-Added Adventure (Realms of Pugmire)

Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)

Indexing

Art Direction from Mike Chaney!

In Art Direction

Tales of Aquatic Terror – Handed off to Meredith to AD.

WoD Ghost Hunters (KS) – KS assets wrapped up.

Aberrant – AD’d. Checking with Gunship.

Hunter: The Vigil 2e

Mummy 2

Deviant

Legendlore – KS running.

Technocracy Reloaded (KS)

Cults of the Blood God – Rolling along.

Scion: Dragon (KS) – Waiting on art notes.

Masks of the Mythos (KS) – Getting the cover art going.

Scion: Demigod (KS) – Art rolling. KS assets AD’d.

They Came From Beyond the Grave! (KS) – Prepping KS assets.

TC: Adventure! (KS) – Shen Fei cover art finished by end of the month.

Geist: One Foot In the Grave – AD’d.

In Layout

Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad

Vigil Watch

TC Aeon Terra Firma

V5 Let the Streets Run Red – continued working it.

Pugmire Adventure – small project, knocking the layout together.

Scion Titanomachy

Proofing

Trinity Aeon Jumpstart – Errata gathering.

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate – Page XXs.

Contagion Chronicle – Backer PDF out to backers, closing errata.

Cavaliers of Mars: City of the Towered Tombs

Magic Item Decks (Scarred Lands)

Yugman’s Guide Support Decks (Scarred Lands)

Dark Eras 2 Screen and booklet

Scion Companion – Inputting changes from devs.

At Press

TCFBTS Heroic Land Dwellers – PoD files uploaded.

TCFBTS Screen and Booklet – Files at press.

They Came from Beneath the Sea! – Press proofs signed off on, PoD files uploaded.

Creature Collection 5e – PoD proof ordered. Traditional files sent to printer.

Pirates of Pugmire – Files at press. PoD proofs ordered.

Pirates of Pugmire Screen – Files at press.

Pugmire Buried Bones – PoD proof ordered.

Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition Dark Eras Compilation – Uploading PoD file.

Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

I’d really like to get back to needing to pull wacky things that happened on this date, but we need to celebrate the life of a towering giant in his field. Ennio Morricone, one of the greatest film composers, has left this earth he brought so much magic and passion and joy to. The Untouchables. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. The Mission. Once Upon A Time In the West. His film scores were the background music I played while illustrating all the way back to high school, and as late as two weeks ago I asked Alexa to “Play Ennio Morriconi music” as I wrote that week’s MMN blog. Not only was he a genius in composing instrumental scores, but he was willing to incorporate single instruments, or non-instruments, or inserted choral sections, or even compose an entire theme using fart sounds. Maybe not to everyone’s tastes, that last example, but my point is, he stretched what could be done with musical scores with a deft hand and a genius’s ear. His like will not be heard again.

[scottbakulanovastar]

Top 10 Sales Strategies

A sales strategy is defined as a documented plan for positioning and selling your product or service to qualified buyers in a way that differentiates your solution from your competitors.

Sales strategies are meant to provide clear objectives and guidance to your sales organization. They typically include key information like: growth goals, buyer personas, sales processes, team structure, competitive analysis, product positioning, and specific selling methodologies.

To truly be effective, your organization’s sales strategy needs to focus on customer conversations. These skillfully delivered conversations are what creates a distinctive purchase experience, creates value for your buyers, and separates your company from the competition.

With that in mind, here are 10 things to keep in mind when creating a sales strategy.

1. Build a Powerful Value Proposition in Your Messaging

Most prospects either don’t recognize or can’t articulate the root challenges they struggle with on a daily basis. So, even if you sell a truly remarkable product, your buyers probably won’t recognize the real value you offer to their organization. That’s why you need to create your value with a powerful and persuasive message.

2. Create the Urgency to Change

Most companies unknowingly position themselves for a competitive bake-off of features and benefits. They answer the “why should I choose you?” question for their prospects. But in doing so, they miss a critical first step.

The truth is that the majority of buyers prefer to do nothing instead of change. In fact, 60 percent of deals in the pipeline are lost to “no decision” rather than to competitors.

Staying the same is safe and comfortable, while change is associated with threat and risk. To break through status Quo Bias and get prospects to leave their current situation, you need to tell a story that makes a compelling case for why they should change, and why they should change now.

Successful sales strategy requires you to understand your real competitor—the status quo. Help your prospects make the decision to change before you help them make the decision to choose you. Answering these questions are what creates your unique value, differentiates your solution, and sets the tone for your buyer’s entire Deciding Journey.

3. Tell a Compelling and Memorable Story

When salespeople prepare for conversations with prospects, they usually focus on getting all the facts straight about their offerings. But the most accurate information in the world won’t resonate if you can’t connect with your customers in a memorable way.

Telling personal stories and using metaphors and analogies helps bring your message alive in a more compelling way than simply reciting facts and data. Storytelling paints a vivid picture for your buyers, illustrating the contrast between their current situation versus what’s possible, and connecting what you offer directly to their unique situation.

4. Speak to the Deciding Journey, Not Your Sales Process

A sales process is a set of repeatable steps that a salesperson uses to lead a prospect to purchase. Typically, the sales process involves several steps like prospecting, qualifying, discovering needs, negotiating, and closing. This would be an ideal checklist to follow if all your buyers were robots being taken through an assembly line. But that’s just not the reality.

Marketing and selling today isn’t a predictable progression that you’ve decided is how your prospects and customers should buy. What you’re really up against today is a customer deciding journey - a series of key questions your buyers are asking as they look to address specific business goals.

5. Don’t Rely on Buyer Personas in Your Sales Strategy

Customer profiles and buyer personas sound good in theory. The idea is to collect common demographic attributes, attitudes, and behaviors of your target audience to help frame and target your messages.

The real drivers behind behaviors and behavior change are the challenges within your buyer’s situation, not their professional disposition. So, instead of focusing your sales strategy on a lot of inconsequential attributes, speak to your buyer’s situation and why their current approach is putting their business at risk.

6. Avoid the “Commodity Trap” in Your Sales Strategy

Too often, sales people base their Marketing messaging on the needs that prospects tell them they have. Then, they connect those identified needs to corresponding capabilities, in standard “solution selling” fashion.

The problem with this approach? You fall into the trap of commodity messaging along with your competitors, who are likely constructing their value message in response to the same set of inputs. As a result, you sound just like everyone else, leaving your prospects indecisive and without any real urgency to change.

7. Lead with Insights, Not Discovery Questions

Many salespeople try to be a “trusted advisor”—asking their buyers discovery questions, diagnosing the customer’s needs, and then presenting a solution that fits the criteria. But this approach does you and your customer a disservice.

To be of real value to your buyers, it’s not enough to say, “Tell me what you want; I’ll get it for you.” Buyers want salespeople who will tell them what they should want. They want you to sift through all the information that’s out there and deliver insight into what they’re missing that will improve their performance.

This means more than just finding data and statistics online. A fact without a story is just a data point. To make it real for your buyer, wrap your insights in a story that connects the dots for them and provides context within their world.

8. Align Sales and Marketing

Too often, sales and marketing are siloed departments, each with individual goals that appear compatible. Marketing creates sales messaging and tools and generates leads for the sales team. Sales teams use the messaging and tools to transform those leads into revenue.  

You might hear the following complaint from both sides: “We’re doing our job, but they just don’t get it.” The problem with these goals is that they foster an us-versus-them attitude and miss the big picture. Sales is a design point for better marketing. If Sales is the storyteller of your organization, then Marketing is the story builder.

9. Tailor Your Sales Strategy for Customer Expansion

Most sales and marketing teams spend the majority of their budgets and effort on customer acquisition and demand generation. Meanwhile, the majority of your annual revenue likely comes from your existing customers, through renewals and upsells.

Nearly half of the companies surveyed by corporate visions invest less than 10 percent of their marketing budgets in customer retention and expansion. Clearly, your customers are highly underrated yet powerful growth engines within your company. And you shouldn’t overlook the potential of this untapped revenue stream.

The challenge is, retention and expansion require a distinct messaging and customer conversation approach. Existing customers are in a different position than your prospects—one that carries a unique buying psychology.

10. Enable Ongoing Situational Training

Most training and learning efforts are based on a collection of competencies, supported by a curriculum and catalog that gets scheduled on calendar-based interest and availability. But what does that have to do with helping the company’s business strategy, responding to shifting market demands and intervening to fix emergent needs when they arise?

To be as effective and efficient as you need to be today, your sales training has to rise to a new level of flexibility, customization, and situational relevance. Using a flexible, on demand training model enables you to deploy it at a moment’s notice to solve problems as they occur, and tackle initiatives as they arise. Training your sales team for situational agility equips them with the messaging and skills they need relative to the customer conversations they’re having.

[freewheelen]

Harley-Davidson vs. Millennials (from the POV of a Millennial)

As of late, there's been a lot of talk about the scourge of Millennials and how they're ruining everything from bars of soap to lotto scratchers.

"Millennials aren't buying diamonds." 

"They don't eat Big Macs."

"No of them watch cable."

And my favorite: "Millennials are killing Harley-Davidson."

As a Harley rider born between the years of 1981 and 1997, I feel obligated, no entitled, to lavish the internet with my opinion on the topic. Oh, coveted opinion, the most valid of all arguments.

I'm a new rider and when my bike search began, the choice was clear from the beginning: Harley-Davidson. I don't know if that decision is attributed to my obsession with Orange County Cycles when I was 13 or if I watched Terminator 2: Judgement Day one too many times as a kid, but nothing said motorcycle to me like a chopper. Long, relaxed, powerful. You had the perfect DNA for a mile-eater. A highway hauler. You had an American classic. 

It was that image - that mysticism of the open road, that promise of freedom - that pushed me toward my nearest Harley-Davidson dealership. And that's when reality sunk in. For those that don't know, Harley-Davidson is the antithesis of cheap. Don't get me wrong, they're amazing, reliable machines, but when an Ultra Limited costs more than a new Camaro, you need a large quantity of disposable income to justify the purchase. Definitely not a comfort I can claim, so I relegated my options to the smaller models and stayed away from the more 'luxury' cruisers.

And when you come to think of it, every item listed at the beginning of the post is considered just that, a luxury. Diamonds, Big Macs, shit, even cable isn't really considered a necessity for survival - and motorcycles are no exception. 

As a Millennial, I'm a big proponent of minimalism. Belonging to the generation that popularized tiny houses, it's probably no surprise that I live in a 300 sq ft studio apartment with my girlfriend and our dog. For context, that's like fitting your kitchen, closet, bath, living room and bed into a master suite. Far from palatial. Along those same lines, I only own a small selection of consumer goods. You can't own much when you don't have a place to put it. Due to the fact that I'm limited on quantity, I emphasize quality in the things I choose to buy, which are predominately American-made (Wolverine Boots, Gustin Denim, etc.).  

I grew up in a blue-collar family. My grandfather was a baker, my uncles moved furniture, and my grandmother delivered party supplies for a living. While I've only held white collar jobs (film industry), I want to do my part to support that dwindling workforce in this country, to support the communities I came from. I guess my allegiance to the MoCo [1] is based less on nationalism and more on classism. All that to say, when I saw H-D's prices, I figured, "you’re paying for quality labor," but that type of purchasing pattern and reasoning isn't shared among my cost-driven, globally-minded peers. Couple that fact with the influx of urban dwelling in the past decade and you have a perfect storm for Harley sales.

Due to the elevated level of congestion in major cities, Millennials have taken to more nimble, handling-oriented motorcycles that can slither through stagnant streets. In LA traffic, it's practically impossible to squeeze a big bike between lanes. The other day, I knocked a lady's side mirror off with my Sportster, and my bars measure 24 inches in width! If I had a Softail, I would have been the meat in a vehicle sandwich. Because of these close quarters, this environment makes perfect sense for an FZ-09 or KTM Duke 690. They're perfectly suited to the urban landscape with their sleek design, technological controls, and standard ABS, which explains the recent shift toward that streetfighter style.

In the time of the Boomers, the motorcycle field in America was much more limited. Not only were the options minimal, but America was the land of highways, stretching over 2,600 miles, coast-to-coast. With hundreds of miles between cities, choppers were the perfect tool for the job, not to mention the ultimate self-expression on two wheels. 

Nowadays, there are hundreds of brands to choose from and even more classes of motorcycles: Sport, Touring, Electric, Adventure, Scrambler, Literbike, Naked...GROM (just kidding). Back in the day, more people could also afford to live in the suburbs, allowing you to safely store your bike in a covered garage. But in the city, you have to worry about parallel parkers, drunk drivers, and thieves (I've seen 3 Softail theft ads in the past month in LA). You almost don't want to buy anything "too nice", including large $15,000 motorcycles. 

At the end of the day, it all comes down to price. That's something on which Millennials, Boomers, and even Gen-Xers can agree. With the death of the Dyna (RIP), Harley has essentially erased the only Big Twin [2] attainable by blue-collared folk, while the new Softail pricing only appeals to those with six-figure jobs without six-figure student loan debt. 

2018 Softail Fat Bob, courtesy of Harley-Davidson

On top of that, I have numerous friends that are entering the most terrifying and financially taxing stage of lives: parenthood. When all is said and done, motorcycles aren't even the main mode of transport for most people, especially if you have a kid on the way (that’d be something). I know a lot of buddies/peers that expressed wanting a motorcycle after I purchased my Sporty, but unlike me, they don't lead a careless, Peter Pan-esque lifestyles. Some things in life you just don't get to plan, certain stages have to take priority over others, and if that means waiting until your midlife crisis to buy that new Road King Special, then the MoCo will have to wait.

All this to say, Harley-Davidson bikes are luxury items. They are, as Blockhead [3] recently referred to them, the Apple of motorcycles. They utilize classic design, adopt technologies later than most, deliver less capable specs than competitors, and upcharge the consumer. They're a luxury brand selling a lifestyle, a culture, an image. They cram nostalgia into new packages and sell it by the thousands. They charge $40 bucks for a t-shirt, $400 for a quarter fairing, and $600 for a 10K service. They're as boujee as they come, they just happen to dress up in a greasy mechanic's shirt.

But with all that off my chest - and damn, it felt good - as long as Harley's providing blue-collared American jobs, I'm buying. If my peers understood that it's not just the bike you're purchasing, it's the intangibles that come with it, would they do the same? If they realized that there's an entire community that comes with the motorcycle, would they want one? If they could comprehend the fact that every time I've pulled to the side of the road another Harley rider has made sure I don't need any help with repairing the bike, would they throw a leg over?

I guess, only time will tell, and over the next 10 years, H-D plans to release 100 new models. That means a drastic overhaul of their entire lineup, and if the new Softails are any indication of what's to come, they're headed in the right direction. For evidence of that, we need to look no further than the American auto market. In the early 2000s, Chevy, Ford, and Dodge delivered muscle car essence in a modernized package. The fervor around those heritage pieces helped the auto companies recover from the recession and stabilize. 

If the MoCo can cater to the tastes of new riders while developing new technologies, there should be a healthy forecast for their future. With a new electric bike arriving in 2019 and models like the Bronx and Pan-America on the horizon, it feels as if Harley is listening to their fan-base and diversifying their portfolio. 

Project LiveWire, courtesy of the Los Angeles Times

America is a large land full of people that buy diamonds or sapphires, that eat Big Macs or arugula, that watch cable or Netflix, and the more Harley branches out, the more people will be able to enjoy it.

[1] Nickname for the Harley-Davidson Motor Company

[2] Nickname for the larger engine bikes in the Harley-Davidson catalog

[3] Motovlogger that owns numerous Harley-Davidsons

[studioserra]

A Complete Guide to Commercial Photography

Commercial photography is a genre you may have seen used often as a term, but you might not know precisely what it means or how to get into it. Commercial usually means relating to sales or the process of running a business, and this is precisely what you will expect from this photography genre as well.

Let’s dive into exploring what is commercial photography and what isn’t, as well as what you can expect if you start working in this area.

What is Commercial Photography?

As a commercial photographer, you will be taking photographs of products or individuals, that will be used to sell a product or a service. This could vary greatly: you could be shooting fashion models in designer gear for an advert, someone clicking away on a computer to sell a service or anything else that might appear on a business website, literature, or advert.

It’s actually rather difficult to pin down a commercial photography definition. Some people would say that it only applies to advertising shots, but others would include catalog work and e-commerce shots.

So, how can you tell if you are doing commercial photography? Usually, a commercial photographer is employed by a brand or a company, to promote their product or services. Let’s take the example of Ansel Adams. Most would say that he is a landscape photographer, and this is true. But when he was working for the Department of the Interior to photograph national parks for advertising purposes, it would be more accurate to describe him as a commercial photographer.

The main thing that sets commercial photographs apart from other genres is the intention behind the shot. Adams would normally take images to capture and preserve the beauty of nature in untouched areas. For those national park shots, however, the intention was to sell access tickets to tourists.

Types of Commercial Photography

Now that we know how broad the definition of what is commercial photography can be, it’s time to take a look at some of the types of assignments you might pick up. Commercial photography is one of the fastest-growing genres of photography. The multiple categories of Commercial Photography include, but are not limited to:

Advertising – anywhere that advertising can be seen, including billboards, posters, magazine pages, online adverts, and so on

Website images – such as those used to promote a new product launch, or included with a press release

Catalog and sales images – these will be images of a product in use and are often formulaic (for example, a clothing brand will usually want models wearing the clothes against a white background, showing both the front and back of the garment as well as any pertinent details). Think also of restaurant menus, as well as non-conventional ‘catalogs’ like Etsy or Facebook Marketplace

Product packaging – any images which go on the packaging, including products you may not think of at first: CD and DVD covers, tags, instructional guides, and so on

How can Commercial Photography Grow your Business?

As a photographer, commercial photography can seriously boost your photography business. Potential clients will be all around you, wherever you have a local or national company that you can contact. The work is available all year round, and the profits can be very lucrative. For a photographer, getting into commercial work is an opportunity for great success.

Your photography portfolio website is going to be the single, most important tool that would help you grow your business. Whatever the stage of your career, your website will always be the center of all your marketing strategies to grow your creative business. It is a great way to build your presence in the market. With clients continually looking for creatives who provide specific services, having a presence online will bring you to the forefront and help more customers discover you. Even while engaging and interacting on social media sites, having a dedicated professional portfolio website has more chances and benefits of visibility and growing your business' online. Pixpa is a portfolio website builder platform that is trusted by creative pros around the world. Here are some outstanding photography portfolio websites created on Pixpa to inspire you.

If you are a business owner, commercial photography is essential to growing your business online. If you want to sell your products or services online, you need high value-added content and stunning imagery. Images help us to visualize what we will receive. Without that reassurance, most people won’t buy. So if you are looking at growing your brand online, do read our step-by-step Guide to creating a successful small business website.

The difference between good and great commercial photography can also make a big difference to your sales. Great images make people want to finalize that sale right away. Poor images might actually sabotage the sale. That’s why it’s always worth shelling out for the right photographer who knows what they are doing.

Licenses and their Pricing

Licenses are a huge part of commercial photography, and you have to understand exactly what you are giving away when you sign a contract. If you aren’t aware of the different types of licenses out there, you might end up losing out on a lot of money.

The kinds of licenses you will see are:

Usage – this determines how your images are permitted to be used, for example in a print media campaign

Copyright – this determines who will own the rights to the images after the photoshoot – you, or the client. You may grant a usage license without giving away your copyright. If your client has a usage license for print media but uses the images for an online campaign, you would be within your rights to demand further payment. Many clients will ask for copyright, and you should charge them more for this

Approved uses – this can differ slightly from the usage license. You might sell the images under the stipulation that they are NOT used in a certain way. For example, you might stipulate that your portraits are not used for promotion of pornographic materials – a very real issue that some photographers and models have faced in well-publicized cases

Period of time – how long can your client use the images for? Six months? A year? More?

The number of uses – how many times will the image be reproduced?

Based on the license that you eventually agree on, you will be able to come up with your pricing. You might want to read our Comprehensive Guide on Photography Pricing that will assist you in determining a competitive and winning pricing for your photography services. This isn’t always easy to do, so it’s a good idea to do some research.

Start with the amount of money you would be comfortable to make from the shoot. It’s that simple! There’s no set rule except for a price that you’re willing to work for, and the client is willing to pay. Variance can be massive between bids for the same project. You need confidence in yourself and what you are worth before you can demand it.

You will want to massively increase your fee to give away the copyright, as this limits your ability to make future earnings from the images, and you won’t even be able to use them for your own purposes. You may find that a time or usage-limited contract works best. This gives you the ability to re-charge the client for further uses beyond what you have agreed, meaning that you get paid multiple times from the same shoot. It is a good idea to read in detail about Photography Contracts. Properly drafted contracts set the right expectations and clearly outline deliverables and terms of service so that the client knows what he is paying for. Here are a few critical Things that You Must Include in Your Photography Contracts.  

There may even be circumstances in which you lower your fees. For example, if a brand allows you to retain copyright and even includes your name alongside the images everywhere they are produced, you might consider this enough exposure to charge them less.

However, you should never be tempted to work for free in exchange for exposure. This rarely helps you to put any money in your pocket at all. Any brand which is big enough to get your name out there in a helpful way will be big enough to have a budget set aside for photography. Know your worth, and don’t be persuaded into working for free – especially if they want to own the photographs afterward.

Equipment for Commercial Photography

There’s no easy list to churn out for the equipment used in commercial photography because it can differ from job to job. You might be shooting in a studio with all of the necessary lights and backdrops one week, then working out of a luxury hotel resort by the pool the next.

One thing is for sure: you need a good-quality, professional-level camera and lenses to get the job done. The higher the quality sensor, the better. It should be able to capture pin-sharp images across a large frame size, suitable for printing to a potentially huge canvas.

You also need either good retouching skills or a good retoucher on your team. This might not be ‘equipment’ per se, but it is definitely essential for commercial shots. Everything should be polished and clean, and you will often need to smooth skin, change the shape or color of things, remove reflections, and so on. Basic-level Photoshopping skills won’t cut it.

Tips to Get Started

We can’t really go back in time and ask what was the first commercial photography process because it’s not as cut and dried as other photographic genres. In the same way, you might experience a lot of confusion about how to go about entering the industry.

The best way to get started is to build up your experience and portfolio in one specific area. For example, you can work on product photography. This is perhaps the easiest and cheapest type of portfolio to build. You can create your own home studio with a torch, sheets of white paper, and cosmetics items from your bathroom. This will help you to get your first paid clients, which might be more on the personal side (for example, photographing items for insurance purposes). To level up and get commercial jobs, there are two directions to go in. One is to look for mid-level and small businesses which are talking about upcoming launches or whose imagery at the moment is not great, and make them a pitch. Another is to search for job boards and photography sites for available opportunities. Your online portfolio is the key to gaining new clients and growing your business.  Do read our comprehensive guide on tips to create a portfolio website. The guide is a step-by-step reference for creating a photography website that would be able to attract and impress potential employers, clients or collaborators. You also need to think out of the box, uncover your creative genius, find your expression and figure out how to present your work in the best way possible. Photography websites need to go beyond just showcasing your talent and images. It needs to present your vision for the future, with respect to the work you want to do, reflect your personality and your style and approach to work.

Make sure that the photography website builder you choose offers the flexibility, features, and ease-of-use you need to put together professional photography websites without requiring any coding knowledge.  That's where a bit of inspiration comes in handy.

Pixpa is a website builder platform that is trusted by creative pros around the world. Have a look at these inspiring portfolios of Photographers. These photographers have made excellent use of Pixpa, an easy to use website builder to showcase their photos. You can draw inspiration from these creative professionals and study their portfolios, to get a clearer idea of how you want to showcase your repertoire of work.

Once you have built your portfolio up and worked with a range of clients, including some higher-end businesses, you can consider looking for an agent. Joining an agency will give you new opportunities in terms of getting bigger clients without having to do the pitching yourself, though of course, you will have to split your earnings with your agent. You might have to make a lot of pitches before you actually get a bite. When you are just starting out, rejection is normal. Keep going and persevering.

Commercial Photography Jobs

Most of the photography industry is freelance, but you may be able to get commercial photography jobs as an in-house photographer if you are very lucky. These tend to be few and far between, and are most often in genres such as catalog photography, for brands who put out new products on a very regular basis. These jobs can vary, but will usually be salaried. Be sure to check the industry average – which can fluctuate – before accepting a position so that you know you are being paid fairly.

Cons of the Commercial Photography Industry

One of the downsides of commercial photography jobs is that you are really there to fulfill someone else’s vision. You don’t get the chance to express yourself and come up with your own ideas very often, though it can happen. Instead, you are just there to get the shot that the brand has been dreaming of – even if they haven’t made the right conditions for you to get it. Your job is to make it happen, no matter what, putting your own creative dreams aside.

Another downside might be pricing. There will always be photographers who don’t understand the value of commercial photography jobs, and who end up pitching low. If they are getting all the work that should be yours, this can be frustrating. But you have to stick to your guns and your pricing – otherwise, you will be talking yourself out of being paid what you’re worth.

You might also come across problems with getting paid. While it’s usual to ask for payment within 30 days of the work being done, clients know they can often stretch those terms and pay late because it’s too expensive to take someone to court over a single invoice. Get around this by adding specific terms in your contract about adding on extra fees for late payments. They’ll be sure to pay on time if they know it would be costing them more.

Commercial photography is a viable career path for the majority of photographers who want to make a full-time living. Those who consider themselves to be artists might struggle to give up control, however, and so it might not be best for them. In general, it’s a great way to earn a lot of money across fewer jobs than you might normally.

[wristwatchjournal]

No Longer Made: Sinn T2B (EZM 15) Watch

No Longer Made is a series done in collaboration with our partners at eBay, in which aBlogtoWatch editors feature their favorite watches that are no longer in production.

If there’s one watch I consider to be the cornerstone of my collection, it is, without question, the Sinn T2B. Though we typically write about new releases and loaners that we’re lucky enough to wear for a few weeks or months, today I’m reviewing a watch that’s been in my personal collection on and off (more on that in a minute) for several years. It’s the only watch I have that’s guaranteed to remain with me in perpetuity and is utterly safe from any purge of the watch box. Although I’m far from a “one-watch guy”— it would be pretty hard to write about watches if that were the case — it’s the one watch I consider unequivocally me.

I’ve always been a particular fan of German watches; from the function-first aesthetics to the tech to the value, German watches simply resonate with me. After making my way through several German tool watches (e.g., Stowa, Damasko, Limes), I came across the Sinn T2B, tucked quietly away deep in Sinn’s catalog. It’s cliché to say that it was love at first sight, but I was immediately smitten — 41mm, titanium, loaded with Sinn’s proprietary technology, but a blue dial and rounded lines that softened the severe mien that defines much of Sinn’s Einsatzzeitmesser (EZM, or mission timer) line. I had to have one. I sold off a couple watches, found a lightly used example at a fantastic price, and it was on my wrist. That was four years ago. I wore it more than any other watch — by far — and took it on adventures both local and global.

But then, the horological affliction that affects so many of us struck: I wanted a new watch. In particular, I wanted a blue Tudor Pelagos, but the only way that would happen was to sell the Sinn T2B. Stupidly, I did so. A year later, I couldn’t stop thinking about the Sinn and now word was out that the T2B was discontinued. So, the Pelagos went up for sale and I went on the hunt for another T2B. It took a fair bit longer this time, but I managed to track down a like-new example, albeit at a significantly higher price. Lesson learned. They say you should never get back with your ex, which is sound advice when it comes to dating, but I’d have to disagree when it comes to watches.

So, why am I so enamored of the Sinn T2B? Let’s start with the case. The Sinn T2B comes in a 41mm grade 5 titanium cushion case; the light weight of titanium coupled with the super short ~46mm lugs means the watch wears small and exceptionally comfortably. No hyperbole, it’s the most comfortable watch I own. By far. It makes the Pelagos feel heavy and unwieldy by comparison. At first glance, the watch is unassuming, but Sinn is packing a whole lot of heat in the T2B. When the watch comes from the factory, the case is filled with an inert gas. The Ar marking on the dial indicates the use of Sinn’s Ar-dehumidifying technology, though nitrogen is now used in lieu of argon. Inert gases less reactive than air, in theory maintaining the oils in the watch for longer, reducing degradation of the movement and increasing the service intervals. Next, Sinn adds a copper sulfate capsule, visible as a pale blue dot on the side of the case at 8 o’clock. Copper sulfate absorbs any water molecules that inevitably make their way into the watch. Mind you, I’m not talking about water leaks, but minuscule amounts of air that inevitably sneak past the gaskets. As copper sulfate absorbs water, it gets darker. Once it reaches a dark blue after a number of years, the copper sulfate has done its job — that doesn’t mean that your watch is now vulnerable but rather that it operates like a typical watch, albeit one that also features Sinn’s Extreme Diffusion-Reducing seals. Pretty sure the Sinn T2B will survive my trips to the pool.

And that’s just the start… Now, let’s check out the bezel. The Sinn T2B features a tegimented titanium captive safety bezel. It’s probably worth breaking down that word soup. First, the tegimented titanium. Tegimenting is a surface-hardening process used by Sinn that increases the hardness of the metal to upwards of 1,200 Hv. In practice, this means that the bezel is really, really hard to scratch. A nice change of pace if you’re used to aluminum bezels. Next, “captive” refers to the fact that that the bezel is secured by four small screws that keep it in place, but the “safety” is where it gets interesting.

In order to turn the bezel, you have to apply downward pressure, then turn. After you’ve set the bezel, it pops back up in place and can’t move unless you push and turn. It’s akin to childproof tops on medicine bottles (but easier to operate) and made with typical German precision. When you do set the bezel, its 60 clicks are solid with zero wiggle. In practice, it means that the bezel can’t be inadvertently knocked out of position. One last note on the bezel is its unusual scalloping. It’s a unique approach and is fairly grippy and certainly not something you see very often. Again, these soft lines are a design element that echoes throughout the piece.

Finally, there’s the 2000m of water resistance. Yes, 2000m in a 41mm, ultralight watch with a very modest 13.3mm case height. Completely absurd and excessive and about 1,995m more water resistance than I’ll ever need, but if you want assurance about the capability of the tool on your wrist, that should do the trick. And it’s this feature that makes me smile when people chalk up the bulk of dive watches to high water resistance (I’m looking at you, Tudor Pelagos, with your 500m water resistance). It’s not about size, but construction, design, and tolerance — something Sinn nails like few others.

A gaze through the double-domed sapphire reveals the most important aspect of this watch: the dial and hands. After all, this is a tool watch and its prime responsibility is to allow you to tell the time quickly and easily. And that it does. Sinn continues with the softened aesthetics, rounding both the hour markers and hands so that the hour markers have a stark white pill shape set off against the matte blue dial. Now, the hands are where things will get divisive. The hour hand is small (some would say stubby), but this is entirely intentional, as it allows the large arrow-shaped minute hand to become the focal point. In practice, this means that reading the minutes is instantaneous.

Finally, the watch features a white-on-black date window. I actually prefer the choice of a black date window over one color-matched to the dial since it complements the black Ar text at 9 o’clock and the black at the base of the hands. Sinn uses two colors of Super-LumiNova — green for the bezel pip, minutes, and seconds, and blue everywhere else. And there’s a lot of it. The watch is a torch at night, though the distinctness of the colors is lost after a short time. The two-tone lume is a fun feature but really only noticeable right after a full charge of the lume.

Depending on when the Sinn T2B was produced, it’ll feature either a Soprod A10-2 movement or an ETA 2892-2, which eventually replaced the Soprod. I’ve found both movements reliable and I’d be happy with either. My T2B has the Soprod, a Swiss automatic movement with 25 jewels that beats at 2.8.kbph, features a 42-hour power reserve, is anti-magnetic to DIN 8309 and anti-shock to DIN 8308. Both of the T2Bs I’ve owned ran within a few seconds/day with little positional variance, so no complaints on my end about the movement.

Some watches are described as strap monsters — watches that look great on almost anything, be it bracelet, leather, rubber, NATO or anything else you can imagine. The Omega Speedmaster and Rolex Explorer come instantly to mind. The Sinn T2B? Not so much. After buying more straps that I care to admit, I’ve come to the conclusion that the Sinn T2B works on exactly three straps: a Sinn titanium H-link bracelet, a Sinn silicone strap, and an admiralty grey Phenomenato strap. That’s it, at least in my eyes.

Let’s focus on the two stock options: Sinn’s H-link bracelet and silicone strap. The bracelet is extremely light and comfortable. It simply melts on the wrist and is a pleasure to wear; the H-link style is almost synonymous with Sinn at this point and it’s the combination I’ve worn more than any other. Unfortunately, at the >$3,000 retail price, the bracelet is undoubtedly a let-down. That’s mainly due to the clasp, which is simple, stamped titanium. In addition, the diver’s extension is weak and tends to pop open every time you take the watch on/off. The deficiency of the bracelet clasp is especially poignant once you’ve worn the Sinn silicone strap with the large titanium clasp, which is a solid piece of milled titanium with excellent tolerances and a secure push-button closure. In other words, Sinn knows how to make a stellar clasp, they just choose not to include it on their bracelets for some bizarre reason.

I acquired a blue Sinn silicone strap a few weeks ago and, simply put, it’s fantastic. I’ve already noted the excellent large, titanium clasp, but a compact butterfly clasp is also an option. The curved and fitted “end links” give the watch a finished look and feel and the strap is extraordinarily comfortable… if you happen to have the right wrist size. The clasp has no micro-adjust holes, so you’re stuck with cutting strap and hoping for a close fit. Luckily, I ended up with a spot-on fit on my 6.75” wrist, but if you cut the strap a bit short, you’re stuck buying a new one — luckily, replacement straps are also sold without the über-expensive clasp. I’ve haven’t taken the silicone strap off since it arrived, and I have a feeling it will stay on the T2B for the summer.

If we consider alternatives, there are plenty of tool divers to choose from, but there’s simply nothing quite like the T2B.  First up is the newly-released Sinn U50. Coming in at a similar 41mm case diameter, the U50 features a submarine steel case and bezel and a more attractive starting price of $2,180. The U50 features Sinn’s more classic and severe design language but lacks the much of the proprietary tech for which Sinn is known (plus, no blue colorway — yet, anyway). The other option, albeit in a larger 44.4mm size, is the $2,300 Tutima M2 Seven Seas: Titanium, blue dial, H-link bracelet, and a familiar overall aesthetic. Plus, I can attest that the bracelet and clasps on Tutima watches are fantastic. Last, but not least, there’s the T2B’s big brother, the $3,440 T1B. For the larger-wristed, the T1B gives you everything you get in the T2B, but in a larger 44mm case size.

The Sinn T2B is not a watch for everyone. You either love it or you just don’t get the appeal. Obviously, I love it, and, frankly, part of the charm to me is the fact that this is a watch that not everyone will like and it’s a watch I’m unlikely to see anywhere else, especially now that it’s been discontinued. The Sinn T2B was a daring departure for Sinn when it was first released, and it’s simply unlike anything else in the brand’s lineup — or anything else at all for that matter. The Sinn T2B retailed for $3,240 on strap or bracelet and a few straggler pieces can still be found new, though, depending on where you live, you’re likely going to have to look to eBay and the secondary market. These are not easy to come by, but it’s worth checking eBay for the broader Sinn T2 and keeping an eye on it. More information on the Sinn T2B can be found at sinn.de.

The post No Longer Made: Sinn T2B (EZM 15) Watch appeared first on Wristwatch Journal.

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Do Comedians Need Record Labels? by Jay Whitecotton

edited by Al Bahmani

Are you debating releasing an album? The idea of recording an album may be very overwhelming and you may be at a loss as to how to proceed, but I’m telling you- You can pull this off.  Before making any decisions or signing any contracts, collect as much information as you can before you both regret and literally pay for it.

Fair warning, this is going to be as thorough as I can be, trying to cover angles you might not have even considered. There will most likely be some run on sentences and editing mistakes because I tend to blank out anytime I’m doing something that feels like work. Avoiding work is what attracted me to Standup in the first place and I’m not the most disciplined of people.

Also - I’m told visuals help break up the monotony of long posts so I decided to use the same picture of Jon Hamm and a German Shepard mix to ease your reading experience.

Let’s start here:

Should you record an album?

It's on you to know whether or not you’re ready. Just please be ready and don’t be the ‘I have three hours of material’ fraud carrying pounds of notebooks, but struggles to fill a fifteen-minute spot with consistent laughs.

Do you need something to sell on the road?

Clubs are paying less and less, no longer putting up Features in hotels, and having something to sell is almost a necessity just to cover gas. Headliners are even feeling the pinch trying to scrounge up more credits just so clubs will feel comfortable booking them over rising YouTube stars or that host of the Mr. Sexy Murder Podcast.

Do people want this?

Having an album feels cool and may con your parents into covering your rent while you pursue your dumb dreams, but nothing is going to put you down to reality harder than when you do all this hard work just to find out the eight friends who always ask ‘when’s your next show’ and never go – can’t seem to justify paying $10 for your ‘art’.

(Let’s all take a second to reflect on all the idiot musicians who are in the same boat, but with thousands of dollars of burdensome equipment they have to lug around. Lol art sucks)

Finally

Are you actively being sweet talked by industry and label heads looking to profit on all the years of work you already did by yourself? This is your best sign that you are ready. When industry leeches smell a hint of hope and money on you, ya know you have a shot of making a go at this.

Label vs. Self-Distribution

First the positives. If a label can’t contractually guarantee you plays on Sirius/XM radio and expose you to a large audience of new fans with contractually agreed payments for advertising and marketing in places that will get you seen – then you don’t really need a label. (Most don’t really do these things)

Here’s the nitty-gritty. I’m telling you from experience and with the same level of lazy blindness when it comes to taking control of this side of the work that – you don’t need a record label. In fact, most people don’t need record labels. We live in the future. If you’ve already recorded and edited an album, you can put it out on all the avenues the labels use and get 100% of the profit from your laptop.

“But Jay, doesn’t a Label sound cool to consumers?”

Get over yourself. No one cares anymore. You just want things that sound cool to give you validation. Fuck your validation. It’s not real. Just be good, it’ll be fine.

“But Jay, a label will promote me to a huge fan base! I’ll get new fans and lots more places will book me!”

Nope. That’s not really what they do. They may promise that to you and something like Comedy Central Records may be a giant boon, but if Comedy Central is releasing your album, you’re probably already getting exposure on the channel or getting writing work and in no way reading this.

Very few labels exist for ‘the love of comedy’. It’s about money. Labels make a money from a few physical sales, mostly digital sales and plays and some by getting the comics to buy their bulk physical copies through them.

Here’s the digital breakdown.

There’s a thing called Sound Exchange. And when your comedy gets played, a fraction of cents gets divided into two piles: The Producer and The Artist. Periodically you will get a check (usually quarterly) and the Producer will get an equal amount separate from you. Both checks are equal in amount. (I have a friend signed to one label who doesn’t even get his artist check. That goes to the label as well and it’s becoming a thing he has to try and legally negotiate with them about. There’s a ton of free-floating confusion about this stuff, ask questions)

The money is based on your popularity and for some it’s great, others not so much. Most people tell me the pay seems less and less every year. It’s almost like these streaming services are designed to profit off the artists as well as the general public. WEIRD!

Here’s what this means. Basically – you as an individual have a ceiling of worth. When you release your album – the first three days is when you will pretty much get all your sales. You’ll promote it, you’ll have toured and built up a fan base interested in buying it, and when you release it – all their enthusiasm will come together in a big sales push to support you. After that – they move on to the millions of other shit in their lives. Welcome to the future! It’s a pool of nonsense swirling with illusion and you’re a drop of water.

The Label will have got their heavy cut purely on your years of hustle and work, then pretty much move on to another because that’s their grind.

You see – while you get that Sound Exchange, they also get one AND another for as many artists as they can gobble up. It’s not in their financial interest to take the time and help you build your fan base.

It’s in their interest to profit off you doing that work and the hundreds of other comedians trying to do the same thing for themselves. You understand? You get one check, but their goal is to get hundreds.

That’s the game.

If you’re still looking for a Label to validate you, look at the Label’s previous history of artists and promotion. How many likes or shares do their posts get? Chances are – you get way more. That means the Label is most likely profiting off of you more than you from them. It might be a silly thing to view social media likes as a barometer of interest to some, but really – you know what a post advertising your album with three likes on their page vs. 200 on your own personal page means.

Look at the roster. Ask people you may know about their experiences. Research how often the Label’s been sued. Seriously, that’s a thing. I almost released on one label that had a giant roster of my favorite comedians, only to find out most were one-and-done and more than a few ended up in court over the label’s shenanigans.

The Contract:

No contract is the same as the other and I’m not a lawyer, but here’s some sample verbiage you need to familiarize yourself with as to what it means to your career.

“Recording Costs and Procedures.  Each LP will be recorded at the sole expense of Label. Recording expenses shall include engineering, production, equipment, tape, editing and mastering expenses. None of these expenses will be charged to Artist’s account, nor will they be recouped from Artist’s royalties. Subject to any necessary third-party approval, Label will be allowed to record any performance of Artist during the Term, provided that Label gives Artist at least seven days notice of its intent to record.”

What this is saying is that the label will take on the cost of hiring someone to bring all the necessary equipment to record your performance and then spend the time to edit and master it. You won’t ever be out of pocket for these expenses. This is a good and worthwhile thing as getting the best sound is crucial. However, what if the label hires someone who’s not good at this? Just because someone has a mic or two and a soundboard doesn’t mean they know how to record a proper standup show. I’ve heard many a mix where the audience is super quiet and the comedian very loud. This usually means that the sound person just mic’d up the comic and let the audience laughter bleed into his direct track. It’s lazy, poor quality and also doesn’t involve that much actual “mixing”.  Ask to hear the specific person recording’s previous work.

Just because they’re a professional Label, doesn’t guarantee you a professional recording! I’m looking at you Rooftop Records.

You need to make sure there’s a stage mic and that it’s recorded directly into the board, an area mic above the audience to capture their laughter and two mics towards the back wings of the crowd. Why so many? You want to get the best mix between the crowd and the comic to sound fresh on your album, but also able to tweak in the mix in case you need to hide an annoying weird laughter, somebody’s coughing fit, or worse – a drunken girlfriend trying to be supportive by answering all your rhetorical questions. All shit that can happen. All shit a proper sound engineer and label should expect if they actually care about you. Ask for it in your contract.

“Ownership of Recordings and Underlying Works.  All Recordings made by Label and released on any LP under this Agreement will be deemed “works made for hire” under the United States Copyright Act, and Label shall be the sole and exclusive owner of all right, title and interest in the Recordings, including all copyrights and reversions in the Recordings delivered by Artist under the terms of this Agreement.”

This means the Label owns your recorded material.

“Label, its successors, licensees and assigns shall have the exclusive worldwide right in perpetuity, to manufacture, sell, distribute, exhibit, publicize, market and advertise the Recordings by any means and in any format.”

The Label and anyone who buys their catalog can do whatever they want with it. It means if they want to put you on their ‘Now That’s What I Call Farts Vol. 5’ compilation – they can. You’ll still be owed money for listens and sales, but the label has this option. The keyword here that you have to be careful about is “in perpetuity” – that means forever. Permanent. You as an artist have the right to put a timetable on this. You can negotiate clauses. Just know, the likelihood of being on a NOW Farts compilation is highly unlikely.

“Notwithstanding the foregoing, Artist will retain all copyrights in the original material (i.e., all jokes, stories, comedic and other material included in Artist’s performance), provided that Artist agrees not to re-record any of the same material contained on LPs produced hereunder for release as an audio-only recording until 5 (FIVE) years shall have passed from the termination of this Agreement. Label will be the ‘publisher’ of the material and entitled to collect the publisher’s share of any analog public performance royalties payable to the publisher of the material. Artist will receive its own share of analog and digital public performance royalties and digital master public performance royalties directly from its affiliate performing rights organizations.”

Ok – this shit is important. It says that while you own your own words and act, if you re-record any of it again in a 5-year window, the Label is owed money. Which makes sense – why would they record you if you were to just put out other versions in a year? The “audio-only” is important as it gives you the right to film the material if you get that opportunity.

Say HBO gives you an hour special, or SeeSo rises from the dead to feast on your act – you SHOULD be good to go to record your act for video, but if they make an album out of it you may be stuck in litigation and have to pay the Label to buy yourself out. This could turn into a motherfucker. Ask questions. Write it down.

Look harder at these words: “until 5 (FIVE) years shall have passed from the termination of this Agreement.” Ask when the termination of this agreement ends. If there’s no set date - then that 5-year window doesn’t really matter. Its five years AFTER you both decide to end the agreement. Is it the date of release? The date of recording? This matters because – and this seriously happens – if you record your hour and they drag their feet in releasing it. That means they still own your material even if it never gets released. That’s that magical “in perpetuity” coming to fuck you. It’s a predatory language in a contract and if you’re currently stuck in one – may give you a legal way out of a bad deal. Again – not a lawyer, but you see why you may need one to go with the ‘convenience’ of a Label?

STORY TIME: say you record twenty minutes opening for someone else’s album recording and they get you to sign this deal saying they could get you some extra money if you’d like from online streaming. However – they never put it out and you don’t think twice about it because you’re a comedian, not a business nerd. Then – years later and after no communication with the label, your career starts to explode. You’re getting TV show stuff and decide to record your full hour and feel excited, but guess what – after years of silence, suddenly the Label dude announces that he owns that twenty minutes he oft handily recorded years ago and you can’t use any of it for the proper album you’d like to release. Not only that but for some reason, there was a clause in the contract you didn’t notice because “TL/DR” and now you owe the label three hour long albums! You know – that thing we all can just write and do. Then imagine you have to pay the Label that did nothing for you to let you go and because you seem successful, the asking price to buy you out suddenly becomes thousands and thousands of dollars.

This happens.

Now let’s look hard at the Term of Agreement.

“The Term of this Agreement will begin on the date on which it shall have been signed by both Label and Artist. The agreement will run for up to two (2) contract periods, one initial period, during which Artist will deliver one LP (LP1) and one (1) optional periods during which, if the option is exercised by Label at its sole discretion, Artist will deliver an additional LP (LP2). Within one year from the release date of each LP delivered hereunder, Label shall notify Artist in writing of its intent to exercise its option to record the next LP. The Term of this agreement will expire either: 1) nine (9) months after the release date of the last released LP; or, 2) when Label declines to exercise its option to record the next optional LP, whichever comes first.”

The word “period” is vague here. What measurement is a “contract period” much less two of them? At the end, it says “The Term of this agreement will expire either: 1) nine (9) months after the release date of the last released LP” meaning that it's over – only after the album is officially released. Meaning – in perpetuity – if not released. The other is a Label option for a second album after you record the first. That means the label can hold you to a second release even if you didn’t like how they handled the first, which may screw you if say you get interest from Comedy Central. Especially if you’re buyout clause from your agreement doesn’t have a set price like say $500 and a pizza.

Funny story. The above excerpt is from a contract that was sent to me by a stand-up record label. When I verbally agreed to work with them, I had specifically stated that the deal would be for one album with an artist option for a second. Meaning whether or not the process sucked or was good, I had the option to record another with them or not. However – they wrote it in the official contract as their option instead. Meaning I could be trapped in a bad deal owing them the second album.

Just because you agree in person means nothing if it’s not written down to reflect your spoken agreement.  Always put it in writing.

Artist’s Additional Rights.  

“Artist’s Right to Purchase Copies from Label.  Artist may also purchase an unlimited number of non-royalty bearing CD copies of the Recordings from Label for purposes of resale by Artist for Artist’s personal or promotional use at the price of five dollars ($5.00) per CD and ten dollars ($10.00) per LP, if manufactured by Label, (the “Artist Discount Rates”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, Label agrees to provide thirty (120) copies of the CD to Artist at no charge.”

This is about the physical copies. It means that if you’d like to sell them after your show you have to buy them from the Label. This is helpful because the label pays to have them made and you can sell them. However, $5 a copy? They are literally fucking you. There’s a whole bunch of services that charge way less to manufacture CD’s. (seen some as low as a $1 depending on quantity) Services the Label goes through themselves! That $5 is just another way the Label can profit off the comedians work.

Here’s a fun fact! It’s 2018 – who buys CD’s anymore? Do YOU buy CD’s? From experience, I’ve seen comedians sell less and less physical albums every year. Everything is about digital now. The audience wants to stream it and could give two fucks about physical copies after shows. They want T-Shirts. It sucks, but it’s true. Stand Up Comedy was invented by the T-Shirt companies to move product. If any label tries to push you into buying CD’s from them at $5 a pop – suspect everything they do.

Back story: In my contract, I negotiated down to $3.25, but found out from other people on the Label they were paying $5 while some were paying $3. This is shady shit and the Label head got super pissed we were talking to each other about it. Remember – If a Label head doesn’t want you talking to other artists about their contracts then they are trying to fuck you somewhere.

Digital Download Royalty Rates.  

“For each individual track from the Recordings (a “Single”) or complete album sold or streamed via Digital Download, Label will pay Artist a royalty equal to fifty (50%) of Label’s Net Receipts from such sale(s).  Label’s Net Receipts are defined as Label’s gross receipts from Digital Download sales of Artist’s Recordings, less any distributor charges for upload or file maintenance.”

Digital sales are everything you’re going to make here in the World of Tomorrow. That’s the bulk of what you get from iTunes, Bandcamp, Amazon, the whole bit. Here it says you get 50% of Net receipts from online sales.

Quick lesson: Gross sales are the grand total of all sale transactions reported in a period, without any deductions included within the figure. Net sales are defined as gross sales minus deductions.

Here’s what you need to iron out.

“…less any distributor charges for upload or file maintenance.”

Say your album is sold for $10. Well, iTunes can take 30 to 40% of your sales just for hosting it. That means you’re immediately making $6-7 on your album. Cut in half with the Label, 3 to $3.50. Think about this hard. Half your sales are going to a Label just because they spent an hour uploading it to a distribution site. Did the label bring you any extra sales or were they all from the audience you already created?

Did you not have the hour in your life to do it yourself?

Food for thought. Do you get your digital sales back after the agreement is over? Or does the label get 50% of your online sales (again the bulk of where you’ll make money) in perpetuity? This is a real thing that can happen if not written out. For instance, if you eventually get your album rights back – how will the Label transfer all your future sales back to you?

There’s a whole bunch more to this process, but essentially these things above are what you need to really get your head around. Some of you reading this may already be in bad contracts. You may have a few outs, depending on state laws and the verbiage. You may have good legal reasons to get out of it and take your career and art back into your hands from predators and dream fuckers. Talk to other comics, work together, it’s not that hard and most of you have nothing to lose.

They’re the ones with something to lose and us talking publically about these issues is how we protect ourselves from frauds.

Own your own hard work and make sure the people who get behind your talent are pushing it forward, instead of bleeding it out for their own profit.  

It sounds like you hate Labels, are you bitter?

I don’t hate labels, I hate frauds. My first album was put out by Sure Thing Records based out of Austin, TX. Not only are they good friends of mine, but also genuinely doing it for the sake of comedy. They gave me a great deal and were completely upfront with me about all the ins and outs, plus they had already signed comics I loved and respected. It was the perfect situation and if anyone asks me privately, I would recommend them wholeheartedly.

For my second release, I did it by myself for two reasons. One, because Sure Thing and I couldn’t match our release schedules (they put all their energy/promotion into one release at a time and were already releasing another) and two, I wanted to research how to do this alone specifically to show others who may not have had the options I had (or considering working with leeches), how to take control of this themselves.

It's crazy how there are so many options for comics to do this and yet we’re still resigned to banging our heads with car doors at the mere sound of handling business.

But Jay, how do I know if I can record an album by myself?No problem. Let’s go through that beat by beat.

Recording and mastering 

Do you know musicians? Podcasters? People who record with mics and equipment? Ask around. Get on Facebook and ask if anyone can help. This also helps in seeing if the general audience is hyped about you even doing an album. You will find plenty of people to talk to who’ll probably be down to do this. I was fortunate and had a friend named Jess who did professional commercial editing. He asked for $50, but I ended up paying him more because he was incredible and as obsessive as I was about the mix. Mastering is very important, but you can get that done later in the process. Stay tuned.

Pick a venue according to your audience needs. 

If you work mostly clubs, you’ll know which ones would love to have you record in their space, but keep in mind they’re pretty much bar/restaurants. You may not want the sound of waitresses barking orders or a random bridal party fucking up your shit. For my recording, I found a bar that had a separate basement that was carpeted so the sound wouldn’t bounce around like a warehouse. It fit 50 people comfortably and maxed out at 75.

Plan on two to three shows (four is most desirable). 

Hopefully, you got your shit down and can do a full hour, but that said – mistakes happen. Bad things always get in the way. Sometimes you’re sharper the second show because you were able to get your rhythm in the first. Or better yet – maybe you knock it out of the park the first show and can really relax and not be stressed out for the others. Maybe you think it sucks. You’ll probably think it sucks until you listen to it later and realize its fucking rad. Then – after tons of listens you’ll hate it and yourself again.

Promote.

Maybe do a suggested donation instead of an admission charge. You want the people who support you to come out excited to hear you record. Say it goes to pay for the recording. It's more legit then being one of those gofundme assholes.

After the recording.

Listen to it and mark notes if and when you hear a mistake or want to edit something out. Listen to all the shows. Pick what feels right. Do what matches your voice best. You or your editor can mix the tracks together on almost any audio program like Garageband, etc. Listen to it – take long breaks then come back to it. Don’t rush, you want to be proud of this thing that’s going to be in perpetuity. It’s your words, it’s your craft, whose hands do you want it to be in? Once you’re satisfied with the mix you’ll need to master. GET IT MASTERED. This makes the audio even without extreme volume peaks and quality for professional distribution.

I have my album and track listings, now what? 

You’ll need art. Put out the call on Facebook. Ask around, you probably know tons of artists or just use a clean headshot. I’ve designed tons of ideas on my phone just working with apps and being creative. Know anyone with photoshop skills? Put out the call, you’re friends want to help. Just don’t be too needy and reciprocate back. We all got to support each other. I was lucky to randomly scroll through Facebook and discover Brett Brock. He’s my favorite human being and a fantastic artist.

How do I self-release this thing I’m sick of now? 

There’s a ton of options and a lot of people have used sites like Tunecore and CD Baby. Both have their strengths and easy to research, but I’ll just cut the bullshit and recommend Distrokid. It was the simplest process, the best priced and gave me the options I needed for comedy. You literally upload your album and they host it for $19.99 a year. To put this into perspective, other places charge 2-3 times more to do the same thing. More perspective? No problem. For that $19.99 you can upload all the content you want, while the other places charge for each individual upload. Meaning that if you wanted to release multiple EP’s instead of one album, you still only pay $19.99 a year. Or pay $50 and Distrokid will never take it down if your membership lapses or you die. It’s kind of rad.Still want physical copies? No problem, there’s a ton of businesses who ship from everywhere in the country. I used https://www.affordablesound.com based out of Austin, TX and they were easy to work with. The price depends on the quantity you print, but keep in mind – people don’t really buy them anymore. 

Release Strategy

Ok, here comes some realities. What do you want out of this release? Only you can decide this. When you upload to Distrokid you can choose literally 150 or more platforms to put your album on. If its just about exposure then click all the boxes and have a drink, you’re done. If its about sales then I’d suggest not putting it out on Spotify or Pandora streaming sites as it means people will choose to do that over paying the $9.99 for your work. Later on, go ahead and steam it as you like. I waited a year myself, but before that I personally wanted to set a value to what I produced and genuinely feel streaming lessens the public’s perception of what you do. 

The fact is people don’t really want to pay for shit. Also - most of the people I know are broke, but that said - its up to you what your album is worth. There’s nothing wrong with saying your work is worth $10 and then putting it up on YouTube etc after a year as you move on to the next project. If your goal is to rank on iTunes, then make that push and promote the hell out of it on release day. I did that for my first album and got the #1 credit that pretty much no one cares about and does nothing for your career. For my second release, I first went through Bandcamp before Distrokid. I got paid quicker and got to see who and where was buying the album. It rocked, was easy and they only took 15% of each sale. You have to link it with Paypal and I’d advise paying the $10 to go with Bandcamp Pro. This will help you keep it from being a streaming release (and you can cancel after your sales die off). However, most people would rather click the ‘Buy’ button on iTunes and Amazon instead of filling out the credit card information on Bandcamp so eventually, you’re going to have to put it up through Distrokid anyways. You have options. Above all else make a list and look at what resources you have in your own community and decide for yourself what direction you’d like best to go. When do I see money from iTunes, Amazon, etc?

If you are on a label or doing it solo it takes 3-4 months to get your sales information back (unless you exclusively go through Bandcamp). Distrokid keeps track and will help you get paid. Do you work for Distrokid?

No. It was just so easy and convenient to use especially for standup that for the price and speed of service, I was pretty grateful they were an option.

Is this post just a way to promote your own shit?

Nope. This isn’t one of those dumb marketing things. Its just information for you to use or not. No twitter handles or links here.Most likely I’ll go back and edit this as more people either correct me or provide extra information that’s helpful to comics.

I hope this helps.

 Jay Whitecotton is a stand Up comedian from San Antonio, TX now living in Austin. He’s written columns for magazines without any journalistic credibility – toured professionally as a guitarist, despite no lessons – and sold a script that was never made into a movie… – He likes dragons. His album “Hi, Lonesome!” & “Monster Ballads” are available on iTunes, Bandcamp, Amazon and wherever fine albums are found.

[succorcreek]

Little Golden Book Art of the Steal NSFW Fantasies Well it had been one of those personal delays: I'd put off reviewing Donald Trump's books on his life and business. But I'm finally in them.....or since there is really nothing there but braggadocio in the books and out quickly. Reception and legacy The reviews of the books by professional writers: boyish see in the topic cloud below these 2 topics: age regressed 12 year old "ultra regression" and age regressed 17 year old teen goals language and ideas ((15 articles related to this and included in all 13 books in the catalog tab above) shows ignorance of his own life at the time of writing: repeated bankruptcies greed demonstrated and personified greed is the goal it is good and is morally good in his world view exaggerations and "alternative facts are good" boasting grandiose self-focused he feels he is better than others superficial relationships: others are to be used or if not useful ignored (marginalized) one called it a "morality play" meaning that it was like a play about darkness a lesson about immorality and not really anything moral or ethical Donald Trump based much of this book on the Stolen material from Norman Vincent Peale's The Power of Positive Thinking. Trump's steps are: Think big Protect the downside and the upside will take care of itself Maximize your options Know your market Use your leverage Enhance your location Get the word out Fight back Deliver the goods Contain the costs Have fun How many times we've heard: "I love them (fill in blank) so so much". What is we borrowed our Little Golden Book fantasy and rewrote the Trump Art of the Steal in 21 points??? 1. Revenge is perty fun. This is how I'd like to get back at some of my enemies like McCain and Joe Biden . 2. Women can aspire to become nurses because they wear those cute outfit. 3. most people should have this in their home library . because and it's really really bigly sad: 3. Make lots of jobs for others and tell the media you did it 4. Dang another nurse pix. But it shows I do so like the womenes.... 4. Always tell the truth the awful alternate truth 5. Don't let others steal your own thunder. Act now. 5. Mind your own business and focus focus focus on your own work. 7. Use a big powerful and unabashed vocabulary. It'll make others think highly of you. 8. Meditate daily. Meditation is best without the noise of nature. 9. We're going to reduce the National Monuments and National Parks plus sell off Alaska. It's such a fire hazard. Keep your kids out. 10. I like to use simple guidelines to select my staff generals consultants and Supreme Court Nominees. I get my info from this entertaining book: 11. Wherever I go I find cats and dogs. Don't like those dogs. But pussies are every where. You can't love a pussy too much. If people in your past and Hillary accuse you of that just tell them we have secret photos of them to release to the media soon. That'll make them shake in their boots. 12. Be firm in what you do. Don't be a wet dish rag. 13. Tell them about your products and goods. They'll be impressed. They'll buy it. 14. Keep good notes on those who are helpful and those who are not. 15. Buy properties because it's a fun investment: 16. Choose your White Supremacy Racists buds well. 18. Indians blech. Keep away cause they have small pox. 19. Be realistic with dreamers and 99% of the population. The truth counts. 20. Communicate well and all the time. Tell people they better support your plans or there could be harm. 21. Give your wife and kids a balance of affection. There is always the risk of too much love. I only give Baron one of these Facehugs once a week so he doesn't become dependent on me. Here are the steps as writen earlier by Norman Vincent Peale in The Power of Positive Thinking. This is helpful information followed by millions. 1. Believe in YourselfIt is appalling to realize the number of pathetic people who are hampered and made miserable by the malady popularly called the inferiority complex. But you need not suffer from this trouble. When proper steps are taken it can be overcome. You can develop creative faith in yourselffaith that is justified. The combined use of holy mantras for immediate comfort and strength and psychological analysis to get to the bottom of why feelings of inferiority might plague us is Peales basic recipe for fostering self-confidence. He emphasizes that it is important to immerse ones mind in spiritual thought and Bible scripture in order to push out negative thoughts that stem from a feeling of insecurity. Deep analysis of ones psyche also must be done to pinpoint the root cause of an inferiority complex. There are various causes of inferiority feelings and not a few stem from childhood. Peale offers his own personal example of inferiority feelings that plagued him throughout his youth. From his early years he was insecure about being very thin and conversely when he reached age 30 years of over-consumption caught up with him and resulted in a weight problem. In the second place...I was a ministers son and was constantly reminded of that fact Peale wrote. Everybody else could do everything but if I did even the slightest little thingAh you are a preachers son. So I didnt want to be a preachers son for preachers sons are supposed to be nice and namby-pamby. I wanted to be known as a hard-boiled fellow...I vowed there was one thing I would never do and that was to become a preacher. (Peale The Power of Positive Thinking) He also developed a fear of public speaking because it was common practice by most of his family members who forced Peal to do it despite his fear and insecurities. Faith techniques found in the Bible brought Peale out of his low-self-esteem doldrums. The greatest secret for eliminating the inferiority complex...is to fill your mind to overflowing with faith. Develop a tremendous faith in God and that will give you a humble yet soundly realistic faith in yourself. The acquiring of dynamic faith is accomplished by prayer lots of prayer by reading and mentally absorbing the Bible and by practicing its faith techniques. (Peale The Power of Positive Thinking) Deep meaningful and powerful prayer techniques subvert feelings of inadequacy. Surface skimming formalistic and perfunctory prayer is not sufficiently powerful Peale wrote. The larger the problem that confronts a person the deeper their level of prayer must be. If your mind is obsessed by thoughts of insecurity and inadequacy it is of course due to the fact that such ideas have dominated your thinking over a long period of time. Another and more positive pattern of ideas must be given the mind and that is accomplished by repetitive suggestion or confidence ideas...It is possible even in the midst of your daily work to drive confident thoughts into consciousness. Peale provides 10 rules designed to assist people in vanquishing thoughts that hold them back from happiness and success and promote low self-esteem: Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Immediately contest negative thoughts about ones personal powers with a deliberately placed positive counterpoint. Do not build up obstacles in your imagination. Depreciate every so-called obstacle. Minimize them. Difficulties must be studied and efficiently dealt with to be eliminated but they must be seen for only what they are. They must not be inflated by fear thoughts. Dont let people who impress you cause you to be awestruck and inclined to copy them because the reality is they are likely just as subject to fear and insecurity as you are. Ten times a day repeat these dynamic words If God be forus who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). Connect with a competent psychological counselor to help you understand the reasons for your self-doubt because the cure for insecurity is knowledge of its causes that usually begin during childhood. Ten times each day practice the following affirmation repeating it out loud if possible. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Philippians 4:13)...That magic statement is the most powerful antidote on earth to inferiority thoughts. Come up with an accurate estimation of your own ability then increase it 10 percent. Avoid egotism but be sure to develop a healthy sense of self-respect. Put yourself in Gods hands. To do that simply state I am in Gods hands. Then believe you are NOW receiving all the power you need. Feel it flowing into you Affirm that the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21) in the form of adequate power to meet lifes demands. Remind yourself that God is with you and nothing can defeat you. Believe that you nowRECEIVE power from him (Peale The Power of Positive Thinking). 2. A Peaceful Mind Generates PowerThe Life of strain is difficult. The life of inner peace being harmonious and without stress is the easiest type of existence. The chief struggle then in gaining mental peace is the effort of revamping your thinking to the relaxed attitude of acceptance of Gods gift of peace. Peale outlines the technique of emptying the mind which involves releasing fears hates insecurities regrets and guilt feelings (The Power of Positive Thinking). During a religious service on a voyage to Hawaii Peale told attendees to drop their worries overboard and watch them disappear in the wake of the ship. Consciously letting go of negative thoughts inevitably brings relief. At intervals during the day practice thinking a carefully selected series of peaceful thoughts. Let mental pictures of the most peaceful scenes you have ever witnessed pass across your mind as for example some beautiful valley filled with the hush of evening time as the shadows lengthen and the sun sinks to waters or emember the sea washing gently upon soft shores of sand. Such peaceful thought images will work upon your mind as a healing medicine. (Peale The Power of Positive Thinking) Peale also suggests a technique called suggestive articulation. Audibly repeat words that carry peaceful connotation. Words have profound suggestive power and there is healing in the very saying of them. He suggests using words as tranquillity and serenity and to say them slowly and repetitively. Lines of poetry or Scripture passages have the same effect. Conversation speech is another conscious way to put the mind at ease. By our speech we can...achieve quiet reactions. Talk peaceful to be peaceful. Eliminating negative ideas from conversations will prevent them from producing inner tension. Although there is an appropriate time and place for confronting negative subjects in general ...to have peace of mind fill your personal and group conversations with positive happy optimistic satisfying expressions. The daily practice of silence is yet another path toward having a peaceful mind. Everyone should insist upon not less than a quarter of an hour of absolute quiet every twenty-four hours. Go alone into the quietest place available to you and sit or lie down for fifteen minutes and practice the art of silence. Do not talk to anyone. Do not write. Do not read. Think as little as possible. Throw your mind into neutral...When you have attained a quiescent state then begin to listen for the deeper sounds of harmony and beauty and of God that are to be found in the essence of silence. These techniques require steady practice and are not easy to instantly conjure into workable fruition for those who are novice to such meditation and conscious control of their conversational speech. Peale also observes that there are self-imposed obstacles to inner peace in the form of haunting guilt. ...[T]here is a curious quirk within the human mind whereby sometimes an individual will not forgive himself...Peace of mind under such circumstances is available by yielding the guilt as well as the tension it produces to the healing therapy of Christ. 3. How to Have Constant EnergyHow we think we feel has a definite effect on how we actually feel physically. If your mind tells you that you are tired the body mechanism the nerves and the muscles accept the fact. If your mind is intensely interested you can keep on at an activity indefinitely. Religion functions through our thoughts in fact it is a system of thought discipline. By supplying attitudes of faith to the mind it can increase energy. It helps you to accomplish prodigious activity by suggesting that you have ample support and resources of power. God isthe source of all energyenergy in the universe atomic energy electrical energy and spiritual energy; indeed every form of energy derives from the Creator. So tapping the infinite power and energy of the Almighty is the best means humans can utilize toward keeping themselves properly energized. When in spiritual contact with God through our thought processes the Divine energy flows through the personality automatically renewing the original creative act. When contact with the Divine energy is broken the personality gradually becomes depleted from the body mind and spirit. On the physical level maintaining a constantly rejuvenating energy supply requires a person is in tune with nature and their emotional stability. Stress angst and negativity all hamper this rejuvenation. This can lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed by ones workload or daily responsibilities. It is fear resentment the projection of parental faults upon people when they are children inner conflicts and obsessions that throw off balance the finely equated nature thus causing expenditure of natural force. The fast pace and chaotic habits of the modern age have a disastrous effect on emotional stability and thus ones energy level. Synchronicity with the natural tempo of Gods creation is the key to filtering out the distractions of overly fast modernity. Peal advice: lie down on the ground on a warm day and listen to the natural sounds of the earth. Get your ear close down to the ground and listen. You will hear all manner of sounds. You will hear the sound of the wind in the trees and the murmur of insects and you will discover presently that there is in all these sounds a well-regulated tempo. This divine tempo is present in the word of God and hymns sung in church and we can also find it in factory if so inclined to look for it. The trick is to feel your way into the rhythm of God and all his creations including machines and tools that mankind has devised. To accomplish this relax physically. Then conceive of your mind as likewise relaxing. Follow this mentally by visualizing the soul as becoming quiescent then pray as follows: Dear God You are the source of all energy. You are the source of the energy in the sun in the atom in all flesh in the bloodstream in the mind. I hereby draw energy from You as from an illimitable source. Then practice believing that you receive energy. Keep in tune with the Infinite. (Peale The Power of Positive Thinking) Boredom as well as monotonous daily responsibilities are other major causes energy depletion. It is important to develop interests that inspire us and make us passionate about life. This excitement and stimulation breeds energy as opposed to sitting around lamenting about lack of action. Clearly doing nothing is equivalent to stagnation which wholly coincides with feeling drained and listless. Finally getting a handle on emotional troubles namely fear and guilt is essential to maintaining a good energy level. The effect of guilt and fear feelings on energy is widely recognized by all authorities having to do with the problems of human nature. The quantity of vital force required to give the personality relief from either guilt or fear or a combination of each is so great that often only a fraction of energy remains for the discharge of the functions of living. The author claims putting the consequences of ones actions in Gods hands are the key to breaking the energy-sapping bonds of guilt and fear. 4. Try Prayer PowerPrayer power is a manifestation of energy. Just as there exist scientific techniques for the release of atomic energy so are there scientific procedures for the release of spiritual energy through the mechanism of prayer. Exciting demonstrations of this energizing force are evident. Peale claims prayer power is the greatest power of all. It can guide the outcome of everything from decision making to the aging process. When deeply ingrained into ones subconscious prayer power can transform an individual emotionally physically and keep energy freely flowing. In terms of prayer techniques it is essential to keep things fresh. It is well to study prayer from an efficiency point of view. Usually the emphasis is entirely religious though no cleavage exists between the two concepts. Scientific spiritual practice rules out stereotyped procedure even as it does in general science...Get new insights; practice new skills to attain greatest results...Any method through which you can stimulate the power of God to flow into your mind is legitimate and usable. The author provides a prayer-power formula devised by a friend of his who uses it to overcome problems and attain success: Prayerize: practice a daily regimen of creative prayer communication with God in an effort to solve problems and make wise decisions. Not the kind of prayer that places God on a far-off lofty pedestal but rather acknowledges his close presence everywhere we go and in everything we do. Picturize: When failure or success is picturized it strongly tends to actualize in terms equivalent to the mental image pictured. To assure something worth while happening first pray about it and test it according to Gods will; then print a picture of it on your mind as happening holding the picture firmly in consciousness. Continue to surrender the picture to Gods willthat is to say put the matter in Gods handsand follow Gods guidance. Actualize: Creative prayer and picturing success and positivity results in actualresults in real life. I have personally practiced this three-point prayer method and find great power in it. It has been suggested to others who have likewise reported that it released creative power into their experience. Another powerful creative prayer method is called flash prayers. Developed by Frank Laubach in the book Prayer the Mightiest Power in the World it involves bombarding random people in public places with prayerful thoughts of love and good will. Here are 10 rules for yielding effective results via prayer: Set aside a few minutes every day to silently think about God in order to make the mind spiritually receptive. Pray orally with simple natural language telling God whatever is on your mind. Pray throughout the course of the workday in public places. At times close your eyes to block out the worlds distractions and briefly concentrate on Gods presence. Dont always make requests of God. Instead give thanks and confirm your belief that He will undoubtedly grant blessings. Pray with the belief that sincere prayers can reach out and surround your loved ones with Gods love and protection. Never use a negative thought in prayer. Only positive thoughts get results. Always be willing to adhere to Gods will. Ask for what you want but be willing to take what God gives you. It may be better than what you ask for. Become practiced at putting all happenings in Gods hands by seeking the ability to do your best but trusting the outcomes to God. Pray for people you do not like or who have mistreated you. Resentment is blockade number one of spiritual power. Create a list of people for whom you must pray. The more you pray for others the more positive results from praying will come back to you. 5. How to Create Your Own HappinessYou can be unhappy if you want to be. It is the easiest thing in the world to accomplish. Just choose unhappiness. Go around telling yourself that things arent going well that nothing is satisfactory and you can be quite sure of being unhappy. But say to yourself Things are going nicely. Life is good. I choose happiness and you can be quite certain of having your choice. It is crucial to stay in touch with the childlike truly happy spirit which God has endowed in each person from youth to adulthood. Children are very adept at happiness compared with adults and their example of how to appreciate the simple most purely real things in life that are most important to happiness should be closely emulated by the grown-up population. In other words never get old or dull or jaded in spirit. Dont become super-sophisticated. In spite of social conditions that undeniably hinder personal happiness through our thoughts and attitudes about what life throws our way we manufacture our own state of happiness or unhappiness. ...[A] very large proportion of the unhappiness of the average individual is self-manufactured. Some have the ability to take things as they come and not let relatively small things upset them while others create a bad mood at the drop of a hat. How foolish to manufacture personal unhappiness to add to all the other difficulties over which you have little or no control! Once again the negative feelings of resentment jealousy fear ill will and hate enter the mix as major obstacles to happiness. They block the minds attempt to feel at ease and focus on the positive things that foster happiness. In order to encourage a state of personal happiness despite lifes challenges and stresses people must develop what Peale calls the happiness habit. This simply means systematically thinking happy thoughts. As previously noted picturization comes into play here this time referencing images that inspire joy as the minds-eye mantra for practitioners to utilize. Do this every morning when you awake and see how your mood is shaped for the rest of the day. When you arise say out loud three times this on sentence This is the day that the Lord has made;...I will rejoice and be glad in it. This follows suit with the power of suggestion that words naturally have. Continually affirm to yourself that happiness abounds and that Gods loving power is the force through which this is possible. It is astonishing how people can become inoculated with happiness through an inner experience of spiritual change. 6. Stop Fuming and FrettingMany People make life unnecessarily difficult for themselves by dissipating power and energy through fuming and fretting. This chapter keys in on how to avoid letting anger get the best of us as well as how to avoid the childish act of fretting which Peale describes as being ...reminiscent of a sick child in the night a petulant half-cry half-whine. It ceases only to begin again. It has an irritating annoying penetrating quality. To fret is a childish term but it describes the emotional reaction of many adults. Peales first bit of advice is to slow down. That means stop rushing stop being both physically and emotionally impatient. The pace of modern life must be reduced if we are not to suffer profoundly from its debilitating over-stimulation and super-excitement. This over-stimulation produces toxic poisons in the body and creates emotional illness. City dwellers should nurture and appreciation for the natural quiet and peaceful sounds of natural settings. The tempo of the woods and other undeveloped areas reflect the essence of God and should garner dedicated attention from those seeking emotional and physical peace. Regular peaceful thoughts are Peales prescription for quelling fuming and fretting. Even during the busiest time of the day it is highly advisable to take time out to practice serenity. Attention to avoiding fuming and fretting has beneficial health implications. Being high-strung nervous and perpetually in a rush can lead to many physical and mental health problems. So getting in control of ones emotions are very important to maintaining ones overall good health. ...[T]he body responds sensitively to the type of thoughts that pass through the mind. It is also true that the mind can be quieted by first making the body quiet. That is to say a physical attitude can induce desired mental attitudes. Peale offers six points to practice in the interest of putting an end to fuming and fretting: Sit in a chair and relax your body from head to toe. State out loud that your toes fingers and facial muscles are indeed relaxed. Imagine your mind is just like the surface of a lake during a storm full of rough waves and tumult. But now the storm has passed and the lake surface is calm. Allow two or three minutes to picture the most beautiful serene scenes from nature that you have ever experienced and relive these scenes in your memory. Slowly deliberately repeat out loud words such as tranquility serenity and quietness. Make a mental list of times in your life when you have been conscious of Gods watchful care and recall how when you were worried and anxious He brought things out right and took care of you. Then recite aloud this line from an old hymn So long Thy power hath kept me sure it STILL will lead me on. Repeat the following as many times a day as possible: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee. (Isaiah 26:3)...This is the best-known medicine for taking tension from the mind (Peale The Power of Positive Thinking). 7. & 8. Expect the Best and Get It & I Dont Believe in DefeatLearn to expect not to doubt. In so doing you bring everything into the realm of possibility. In reference to the quote above early on in the chapter Peale levies this disclaimer to guard against setting oneself up for disappointment if things dont turn out according to ones preconceived notions: This does not mean that by believing you are necessarily going to get everything you want or think you want. Perhaps that would not be good for you. When you put your trust in God He guides your mind so that you do not want things that are not good for you or that are inharmonious with Gods will. Faith in Gods infinite and creative will is the crux in expecting the best outcome and having it actually come to fruition. Start reading the New Testament and notice the number of times it refers to faith. Select a dozen of the strongest statements about faith the ones that you like the best. Then memorize each one. Let these faith concepts drop into your conscious mind. Say them over and over again especially just before going to sleep at night. Give your all to whatever you do in the professional realm dont hold back. Putting your whole hearts worth of drive and passion is the key to success. Failure unfortunately is borne of holding back of keeping a portion of the entirety of ones energy in reserve. As a wise teacher once told a struggling student: Throw your heart over the bar and your body will follow. The Gospel of Mark chapter 11 is a significant reference point for accentuating the positive through faith in Gods benevolence and wisdom. Chapter 8 focuses on developing a spirit that perseveres and doesnt easily give up when the going gets tough. Obstacles are part of life and for those not armed with a sound spiritual foundation they can cause people to lose self-confidence and sight of their true abilities. So the first thing to do about an obstacle is simply to stand up to it and not complain about it or whine under it but forthrightly attack it. Dont go crawling through life...half-defeated. Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they havent half the strength you think they have. Conditioning the subconscious to reflect positivity rather than negative self-doubt is the way to defeating defeatism. One means to this end is to eliminate little negatives such as insecure expressions of self-doubt from everyday conversation. These add up and amount to a subconscious outlook that sets individuals up for defeat. 9. How to Break the Worry HabitYou do not need to be a victim of worry. Reduced to its simplest form what is worry? It is simply an unhealthy and destructive mental habit. You were not born with the worry habit. You acquired it. And because you can change any habit and any acquired attitude you can cast worry from your mind. Aggressive direct action is essential to eliminating worry says Peale. Confronting fear is the only way to conquer it. Otherwise it unavoidably builds up and causes significant mental and physical health problems. Many respected accomplished psychiatrists and physicians have observed that worry accompanies a plethora of physical health problems. These sufferers have been unable to expel their anxieties which have turned inward on the personality causing many forms of ill-health. To eliminate worry and prevent build-up a person should empty his or her mind every day preferably at bedtime. Creative imagination is Peales technique for mind drainage. Conceive of yourself as actually emptying your mind of all anxiety and fear...Repeat the following affirmation during this visualization: With Gods help I am now emptying my mind of all anxiety all fear all sense of insecurity...So the process isempty the mind and cauterize it with Gods grace then practice filling your mind with faith and you will break the worry habit. Peale concludes Chapter 9 with a 10-point formula: Say to yourself: Worry is just a very bad mental habit. And I can change any habit with Gods help (Peale The Power of Positive Thinking). Start putting faith into action because just as worrying is ones own choice so is the antidote to it. Every morning say aloud I believe three times. Pray using this formula I place this day my life my loved ones my work in the Lords hands. There is no harm in the Lords hands only good. Whatever happens whatever results if I am in the Lords hands it is the Lords will and it is good. Speak positively especially about that which has been causing you to worry. Dont ever participate in a worry conversation with others. A group of people talking pessimistically can infect every person in the group with negativism. Because as a worrier your mind is full of negative thoughts to counter this you should mark every Bible passage ...that speaks of faith hope happiness glory radiance Develop friendships with positive hopeful people. Help other overcome worry. Every day of your life conceive of yourself as living in partnership and companionship with Jesus Christ...[S]ay to yourself He is with me. Affirm aloud I am with you always. Then change it to say He is with me now. Repeat that affirmation three times every day 10. Power to Solve Personal ProblemsPractice believing that God is as real and actual as your wife or your business partner or your closest friend. Practice talking matters over with Him; believe that he hears and gives thought to your problem. Assume that He impresses upon your mind through consciousness the proper ideas and insights necessary to solve your problems. Definitely believe that in these solutions there will be no error but that you will be guided to actions according to truth which results in right outcomes. Accepting Gods will as wholly positive and the right course of action is the most direct way to deal with ones personal troubles. A partnership with God allows humans to connect with the divine energy and wisdom that leads to successful problem solving. Peale strongly emphasizes his support for this spiritual technique aimed at fostering personal well-being and happiness in the long run. In addition to the method of two or three praying together in the surrender to God technique and that of establishing a partnership with God and the importance of a plan to tap and utilize emergency inner powers there is still another tremendous techniquethat of practicing faith attitudes. Faith attitudes is a term that refers to applying ones faith in God to the entire scope of their everyday life from basic morality to business decisions. Peale concludes this chapter with a 10-point list for solving problems: Believe every problem has a solution. Remain calm because tenseness prevents the flow of brain power. Dont try to force an answer. Keep your mind relaxed so that the solution will open up and become clear. Assemble all the facts impartially impersonally and judicially. Write a list of these facts which clarifies your thinking. Pray about your problem affirming that God will flash illumination into your mind. Believe in and seek Gods guidance on the promise of the 73rd Psalm Thou wilt guide me by thy counsel. Trust in the human abilities of insight and intuition. Attend church and allow your subconscious to work on the problem at hand as you tune into the spiritual mood of the worship service. Creative spiritual thinking has amazing power to give right answers. (Peale The Power of Positive Thinking). If you follow these steps faithfully then the answer that develops in your mind or comes to pass is the right answer to your problem. 11. & 12. How to Use Faith in Healing & When Vitality Sags Try This Health FormulaIs religious faith a factor in healing? Important evidence indicates that it is. There was a time in my own experience when I was not convinced of this but now I am and that very definitely. I have seen too many evidences to believe otherwise. Peale connects bodily health with a persons mental state which is greatly affected by ones level of faith-driven peace of mind. This chapter features many anecdotal cases where faith in God and the associated release of hate and fear significantly aided a sick person through the healing process. Peale also quotes many medical doctors who prescribe spirituality as a treatment for patients in need of guidance on how to live a healthy life. Present-day medicine emphasizes psychosomatic factors in healing thus recognizing the relationship of mental states to bodily health. Modern medical practice realizes and takes into consideration the close connection between how a man thinks and how he feels. Since religion deals with thought and feeling and basic attitudes it is only natural that the science of faith should be important in the healing process. Fear resentment hate guilt and feelings of inferiority again resurface in Peales discourse this time as the culprits that cause psychosomatic illnesses. A clearer understanding of our own emotions and returning to faith in God seem to create the combination that provides the best chance of permanent help to any of us with health issues. In all of the investigations I have made into successful cases of healing there seem to be certain factors present. First a complete willingness to surrender oneself into the hands of God. Second a complete letting go of all error such as sin in any form and a desire to be cleansed in the soul. Third belief and faith in that combined therapy of medical science in harmony with the healing power of God. Fourth a sincere willingness to accept Gods answer whatever it may be and no irritation or bitterness against His will. Fifth a substantial unquestioning faith that God can heal. Another list concludes Chapter 11 this one on how to constructively deal with an illness that you or a loved one suffers: ...[B]elieve that spiritual forces as well as medical technique are important to healing. Pray for the doctor. Do not become fearful because this will create negative destructive thoughts. God has arranged two remedies for all illness. One is healing through natural laws applicable by science and the other brings healing by spiritual law applicable through faith. Completely surrender your loved one into the hands of God...This is difficult to understand and equally difficult to perform but it is a fact that if the great desire for the loved one to live is matched with an equally great willingness to relinquish him to God healing powers are amazingly set in motion. Spiritual harmony must prevail within the family. Disharmony and disease are apparently kindred. Mentally picture your loved one as being perfectly healthy. Be perfectly natural. Ask God to heal your loved on. That is what you want with all your heart so ask Him please to do it but we suggest that you say PLEASE just once. Thereafter in your prayer thank Him for His goodness. This affirmative faith will help to release deep spiritual poer and also joy through reassurance of Gods loving care. This joy will sustain you and remember that joy itself possess healing power. It has been variously computed that from 50 to 75 per cent of present-day people are ill because of the influence of improper mental states on their emotional and physical make-up. Therefore [psychosomatic] medicine is of great importance. Many people who are below par will find that there is a health formula which in addition to the services of their physicians can be of great value to them. Checking ones anger is the most important way to prevent sagging vitality. Peale suggests painstakingly identifying then rooting out with prayer each minute aspect of life that causes anger or irritation. Targeting prayers to each of these bits of anger will promote physical health and energy in addition to emotional well-being. 13. Inflow of New Thoughts Can Remake YouIt has been said that thoughts are things that they actually possess dynamic power. Judged by the power they exercise one can readily accept such an appraisal. You can actually think yourself into or out of situations...Conditions are created by thoughts far more powerfully than conditions create thoughts. Peale revisits the concepts of Chapter 4 with further elaboration on how to pray your way to success and happiness in your professional and personal life. Its all about mental pictures of desired outcomes when seeking the Lords assistance...visualize prayerize and finally actualize (Peale The Power of Positive Thinking). The author stresses the need to change ones thinking in order to change present circumstances. People should seek to reduce the error within themselves and connect with an increased sense of truth. An inflow of new right health-laden thoughts through the mind creatively affects the circumstances of life for truth always produces right procedures and therefore right results (Peale The Power of Positive Thinking). A list of seven steps toward changing ones mentality from negative to positive attitudes concludes the chapter: For the next twenty-four hours deliberately speak hopefully about everything about your job about your health about your future. After doing this continue for an entire week. Then allow yourself to be realistic for a couple of days and you will see that this realism was actually pessimism and negativity. Today begin to shift your mindset from negativity to positivity. Start at the beginning of the New Testament and underscore every sentence about Faith.Continue until you have marked every such portion of the four gospels and take special note of Mark 11:2224. Memorize the underscored passages one each day until you can recite all of them from memory. Create a list of friends and determine who is the most positive thinker. Dont desert your negative pals but strengthen your bond with those who have a positive outlook. Then return to being among your negative friends and share your newfound positive point of view without gleaning their negativity. Avoid argument but whenever a negative attitude is expressed counter with a positive and optimistic opinion. Pray often and be sure to thank God for the blessings he has and will bestow upon you. God will not give you any greater blessing than you can believe in. He wants to give you great things but even He cannot make you take anything greater than you are equipped by faith to receive. 14. Relax for Easy PowerOne of the simplest methods for reducing tension is to practice the easy-does-it attitude. Do everything more slowly less hectically and without pressure. As in Chapter 6 Peale reasserts the need to slow down and live life at a more natural tempo. This will free the mind and spirit to be more receptive to that which is right for us and enable the mind to better achieve wisdom that will lead to better choices. Peale also revisits the connection between science and Christianity. In explaining why his church has staff psychiatrists the author states: Why psychiatrists on the staff of a church? The answer is that psychiatry is a science...Christianity may also be thought of as a science...[because] it is based upon a book which contains a system of techniques and formulas designed for the understanding and treatment of human nature. The laws are so precise and have been so often demonstrated when proper conditions of understanding belief and practice are applied that religion may be said to form an exact science (Peale The Power of Positive Thinking). Ten rules on how to work hard with ease and relax with easy power conclude Chapter 14: Dont overdo it and dont take yourself too seriously. Make it a point to enjoy your work. Plan your workwork your plan. Lack of system produces that Im swamped feeling. Dont try to do too many tasks at once. Get a correct mental attitude remembering that ease or difficulty in your work depends upon how you think about it. Work efficiently and know your job well. Practice relaxation. Dont force things take it all in stride. Dont procrastinate and allow job tasks to pile up. Keep your work on schedule. Pray about your work. You will get relaxed efficiency by so doing (Peale The Power of Positive Thinking). Make God your unseen partner. It is surprising the load He will take off you (Peale The Power of Positive Thinking). 15. How to Get People to Like YouTo be a master of popularity be artless. Strive deliberately after popularity and the chances are you will never attain it. But become one of those rare personalities about whom people say He certainly has something and you can be certain you are on the way to having people like you. While not everybody will like you due to the unfortunate often inexplicable fact of human nature that for whatever reason some people will never click there are techniques that can make you likable by most. This is essential because friendship and good relations with others are essential to remaining psychologically sound. The feeling of not being wanted or needed is one of the most devastating of all human reactions. Peale breaks it down simple: be easy-going as opposed to rigid and aloof and project a genuine love for other people with a propensity for boosting rather than deflating other peoples egos. Essentially getting people to like you is merely the other side of liking them. Peal gives us 10 rules toward attaining popularity: Remember names. Inefficiency at this point may indicate that your interest is not sufficiently outgoing. A mans name is very important to him. Be a comfortable easy-going person so there is no hassle involved with being with you. Acquire the quality of relaxed easy-goingness so that things do not ruffle you. Avoid egotism and coming off as a know-it-all. Be natural and normally humble. Cultivate the quality of being interesting so that people will want to be with you and get something of stimulating value from their association with you. Do an analysis of the unlikable aspects of your personality including those that may escape your consciousness. Wholeheartedly attempt to make right every misunderstanding you have or once had. Practice liking others until it becomes your genuine style of living. Never miss an opportunity to say a word of congratulation upon anyones achievement or express sympathy in sorrow or disappointment. Gain a deep-seated sense of spiritual experience so that youll be able to give strength to others. They in turn will give affection back to you. 16. Prescription for HeartacheThere is indeed a prescription for heartache. One element in the prescription is physical activity...Muscular activity utilizes another part of the brain and therefore shifts the strain and gives relief...Another profoundly creative element in the prescription for heartache is to gain a sound and satisfying philosophy of life and death and deathlessness. Whatever ails your emotions one of the first steps toward resolution is to remove yourself from whatever defeatist situation has formed around yourself and get back into the regular swing of things. Immerse yourself in worthwhile activities but avoid those that are superficial such as feverish partying or drinking. Dont try to suppress grief. There is a foolish point of view...that one should not show grief. that it is not proper to cry or express oneself through the natural mechanism of tears and sobbing. This is a denial of the law of nature...It is a relief mechanism provided in the body by Almighty God and should be used. With regard to the philosophy of life and death and deathlessness the author states that while such a philosophical handle on things wont repel the sorrow that is the natural extension of losing a loved one and physical separation it will remove and dispel grief. Peales deep faith in the infinite nature of God inspires his advice that a loved one who has passed away is not gone from us but rather has transcended earthly bounds and is one with God. Live on this faith and you will be at peace and the ache will leave your heart. Read and believe the Bible as it tells about the goodness of God and the immortality of the soul. Pray sincerely and with faith. Make prayer and faith the habit of your life. Learn to have real fellowship with God and with Jesus Christ. As you do this you will find a deep conviction welling up in your mind that these wonderful things are true indeed (Peale The Power of Positive Thinking). 17. How to Draw upon That Higher PowerThere is a Higher Power that can do everything for you. Draw upon it and experience its great helpfulness. Gods power is always unfailingly available to anyone who seeks it with an open heart. It is such a powerful force that its sudden arrival casts out all negativity replacing what pains you with strength health goodness and happiness. Peale uses several examples of how the Higher Power delivered individuals from the depths of alcoholism as an example of Gods infinite strength. I cite these experiences to show conclusively that if there is a Power able to deliver a person from alcoholism this same Power can help any other person to overcome any other form of defeat he may face. There is nothing more difficult to overcome than the problem of alcoholism. The success stories revealed in this chapter indicate ...that if there is deep desire intensity of longing and a sincere reaching out after the Power that it will be given. Faith positive thinking and prayer is the simple triumvirate people can utilize to deal effectively with what pains them. This is Peales recipe for a happy healthy life filled with good energy and lots of love and personal satisfaction. A world filled with people of this mind set is indeed a beautiful place to be. rest of this article click here:http://ift.tt/2zk9lsL Psychopaths Pirates Vampires and more: Run flee tell others! 300 topics on this listed below in the Cloud Archive: Click Here: Catalog of 100 Books Kindle Hypnosis Binaural Subliminal CDs age regressed behavior goals thoughts language art of the steal dick and jane little golden books Mad Magazine parody trump misogynist ultra age regression of 12 year old boy video youtube #trumpbully #stopbully #trumpmentalhealth http://bit.ly/2rZ1vSp

Little Golden Book A

[independentstudy-mb-blog]

a feminist perspective: an interview

M: Could you tell me about growing up in Iran

F: Ok. What would you like to know, in respect to what?

M: In respects to what sparked your desire to move to America or tell me about the influences growing up, whether that be parents of siblings. Whatever comes to mind when you think about your childhood and your inspiration to immigrate.

F: Sure, sure. Well, the reason I came to America, well not me, but all of my siblings, our parents send us all abroad to go to college after high school, mainly because there were not enough universities in Iran at that time. So, after you graduate from high school, there was a very slim chance you’d get into college, because there are so few of them. So I grew up with this idea of college being something I’d have to leave for. The universities had too many applicants, so therefore that’s what made me want to come to the states. And my parents wanted me to have higher education, and they knew I couldn't have it in Iran, so therefore they sent us abroad and of course, to California with some other cousins that had already came to California, so it was easy to follow them. I grew up with the idea of this trajectory thanks to my older cousins.

I was the middle child and my two oldest brothers and sisters, they were quite older than me, and they had come to the United States much earlier, and then my younger brother and my sister came after me. We grew up with the idea of immigrating.

In Iran, of course, at the time, and even now, women really don’t have much of a voice, as you know. However, my parents, I was lucky enough, that they did not see any difference between a man and a woman. Therefore, they treated their kids, a boy and a girl, the exact same way.

M: That’s wonderful.

F: Yes, it’s awesome. It is part of me, you know, because I grew up that way. And I never saw any difference between myself and my brother. We are thirteen months apart. So, whatever they did for him, they did for me also. Exact same thing. No difference. So that empowered me somehow. I never saw any difference myself, and to me, it was ridiculous coming here and noticing when entering the workforce and even college, that there is a difference, between men and women and how they’re treated. When I was in high school and as a child, I really didn’t know because you don’t notice it in school, but when you’re in the workforce or in the real world of a foreign place, that’s when you notice it, and in university. But that’s why I came to the U.S., to go to university, which I did, and just like my other siblings, we all came here and went to universities and graduated. All of my brothers and sisters actually, with the exception of myself, went back to Iran after they finished college. But, I did go. I never wanted to go back again (Laughs). I loved California. So I was the black sheep. (Laughs). So I stayed. And of course, after the revolution in Iran, which was ’77, all of my siblings and my parents, they all came back to the states. They migrated here. Which was wonderful for me because I was here, and then they came and we reunited. And now, we are all in California right now.

M: You had mentioned that when you came to the U.S. you were shocked to see that there was a difference between how men and women were treated, would you mind speaking to that? Also if there are any other challenges you particularly felt a an immigrant woman?

F: I really truly didn’t experience it myself while I was in university at least. But I heard about it. I didn’t experience it at school mainly because I was, well first, an advertising major, which at that time, being an artist type or art schools, there really were not many men. But from peers and other friends that were in say, enginerring, or business, different academic parts of the college, that’s were I heard about a discrimination based on their sex. Which I personally did not experience myself, but was shocked to learn of this situation. After art school I went to San Francisco State and  went into fashion design and merchandising which was mostly women anyways.

M: When you started university had you already know English?

F: No (laughs). I had to learn it here. I did not speak a word of English when I came here. I immediately enrolled, at that time I stayed with my older sister who was in Los Angeles, and her husband was a professor in UCLA at that time, so he arranged to take some English as a foreign language at UCLA, which I was attending in the mornings, and then in the afternoon, they enrolled me in another English for adults school. I did that for about three or four months until I had some sort of an English learning type of situation. But I realized I wasn’t very good at it. And it was really hard, because I worked so hard to get my projects or homework going, and then the next day I would be so embarrassed to even show my projects, I’d hide my face from the others! But the teachers helped me, that’s how fantastic they were. I was really aware that I wasn’t strong in English. That helped me decide that I wanted to change my major to fashion design and merchandising mainly because I was good in fashion before when I came to states and I thought those skills translated well even though I wasn’t proficient in English. My mom always took me to the tailor and said, “Ok you go ahead and design whatever you want.” From teenage years. It was always a passion.

M: Is your interest in fashion mainly in women’s fashion? If yes, why do you think that is?

F: No I always have done women’s clothes.

M: Do you ever feel a connection between the clothes you design and they type of woman you’re designing for?

F: Certainly, I see it as a type of empowerment. I will send you a catalog of our newest collection.

M: Oh great, thank you!

F: If you notice, the designs that I have are mostly for women that are in the workforce. “Young executives” I call them (Laughs).  Someone who wants to be empowered and wants to dress right. To me, it’s very important how people dress for interviews. People can get more business if they present themselves well, once they are dressed properly. That’s how I grew up, thinking you are who you represent. That makes a big difference in life. I’m sure a lot of people have told you that. Especially in the states. People are getting more comfortable with what they’re wearing. But if you want to be an executive, you need to feel that, and represent it. Dress for the job you want. That’s whom I’m designing for. For women to empower themselves with their self-presentation and representation.

M: When you started your designs and your company, how did you start, what catalyzed your ideas to become your own boss?

F: Well when I was young, I got married very early. Like, first, second year I came to states, so I was really a freshman in college when I started my own designs in San Francisco. And my ex-husband was in shoe business. He had many shoe stores. And having that background and seeing his idea, made me want to open my own clothing store. So, that’s when I started to get into fashion business. I opened my first store, and I started buying from small designers and retailing stores. After a while, I started to say, ok I’m going to design a small collection for my own stores only, which I did, and it was so successful, that a few representatives from New York approached me to design a collection and give them the samples so they could sell them. So I did. And my God, they kept on bringing me orders and orders and orders (laughs), so that’s how I really got into wholesaling and designing and manufacturing, because the demand was there. People loved the clothes and bought from me and I sold more and more every year. It keep on expanding. So I kept my stores, because I enjoy having them and they’re my flagships, but the major parts of my business comes from this network of designing and wholesaling. We wholesale to 700-800 specialty shops around the U.S. and Canada.

M: What is the most empowering part of being a female business owner?

F: Getting to see other women get involved in business and help them along the way. People think women can’t operate companies, but we’re great at it! We just need to inspire each other to get out of that mindset. I get to be a part of that inspiration every day, and it’s amazing.

M: What is the most challenging?

F: It’s challenging when you realize that the system of America isn’t designed for women’s success. It really isn’t. And it’s a challenge because you just can’t let that mindset get in the way.

M: When you said that you felt as if there was a demand for the clothes you were designing, do you think there was a need for these clothes is connected to the growing demographic of female “young executives”? Do you see a connection between the demand you felt from your work and maybe a trajectory that women are taking?

F: Yes. Of course the collection has evolved from being just a jacket-type of a business. I started with jackets and I was only doing jackets. But now, business has evolved and the women who are my muse a different than the jacket type of attire I used to design. I design shirts, we mostly only make shirts basically now. The shirt business was designed for women at work. The shirt that I designed, they are very special, they are hand crinkled, or pleated if you want to call it. And the fabric has a memory that keeps the crinkle in it, and it will never come out. If you hand-wash and drip dry, it will always be the right. This was, to me, a sense, ideal for women who are in the workforce and travel a lot, and they don’t have time to futz with ironing their shirt or going to the dry cleaning all the time. Very low maintenance. It makes looking professional more accessible for the women. They’re easy to wear and they always look good too because they keep their shape perfectly. And it’s a day to evening design too. You could wear it with jeans or with a formal skirt. It’s versatile and professional, liberating and accessible.

One of the most important aspects of this shirt is that you don’t have to dry clean it and spend so much on dry cleaning every month. That obstacle for looking professional is just unfair to women starting out in business. This shirt is meant to help make it easier. And also for traveling, it’s perfect.

M: When you had originally started your company, did you feel like you faced any challenges as trying to become a business owner as a woman?

F: Well the fashion industry is a little different, but I did feel a sort of strangeness from males around me who noticed my dedication and determination for my business. I felt like a black sheep again (laughs).

M: Shifting gears, how does being a mother influence your sense of urgency towards women’s rights and feminist thinking?

F: I have always been a feminist in my life. I have always believed in women. I believe they are a lot smarter and could do a lot more if they had the opportunity and it is sad that we still have to fight for our rights. Especially when it come to the choice of abortion- I’m truly pro-choice- and I think, to fight for that all the time is s dedication women must have. And I want my daughters to feel that commitment too. To always fight for all women, and believe in us.

M: Do you think, well today we are in a very unique political climate, which has lead to people feeling a sense of urgency towards women’s rights, do you feel any sense of change as times have shifted? Do you feel more inclined to speak out?

F: Absolutely. This is the time, thanks to other powerful women such as Dianne Feinstein and others such as Nancy Pelosi, they have paved the way for us, and we have to take it on now. And respond, and more forward and support each other. Until we get our basic rights that men have always enjoyed.

M: As a women who works in business and immigrated here from Iran, what do you think is most unique about your feminist perspective? How has your identity as an immigrant feminist shaped your experience in America?

F: Since I came from a difference country, I see the U.S. in a different eye than you would if you grew up here. And, to me, it is a lot easier to see things that someone who grew up here in this country would see it. I noticed things a lot fasters than others did. It’s quite different once you are not from this country and all of the sudden you come into this country and think, oh my God, it’s such a difference. If you grew up here, you’ve been exposed to it your whole life, inadvertently. So it’s not that noticeable. To me, it’s extremely important, for my own children, my daughters, to make sure they will go through life being able to notice the transgression and mistreatment and feel the empowerment to overcome it.

M: How do you feel like your feminism is expressed on a daily basis?

F: On a day to day basis, I try to empower my own employees, they’re all mostly women. I’m no help unless I help as much as I can. I try to help them as much as I can to help them get on the right track in life and feel empowered. I try to hire women, I definitely put weight on hiring a woman over a man if I can. Of course, I don’t want to be prejudice in that sense either, but I think women do a great job and are great workers. I truly believe in that. Day to day I try to have customers even, if they have their won stores, I talk to them and help them and try to get them into stores of the contacts that I know. Make sure they’re alright in their business. Since I have a retail background as well, the people that actually buy from us, they’re retailers and they’re mostly women. Mainly small shop owners, so I try my best to make sure they stay in business. By giving them all of my experience basically, and I’ve seen many many people actually follow my direction and they’re doing great.

M: That’s great. And everyday to try to lift other women up and support female business owners is a great way to slowly chip away at the sexism that is inherently a part of capitalism.

F: It’s the best way to support unity.

M: Who would you say is your role model, or models if it’s multiple? How are they influential? How did they support you in your migration?

F: I have an older sister who has been a great role model for me. She’s a fashion designer. She was the head of the fashion design department at Santa Monica college for many years, and she just retired. She has always been a good role model for me, and she helped me so much when I was acclimating to the States. I must say she has the influence on me in many parts of my life. In fashion, in business and in feminism. I always admired Nancy Pelosi. I follow her and she is a great lady and has done a lot for women. Same with Dianne Feinstein. Both are role models for all of us.

M: What sort of advice would you give a young woman who was in the same path as you in terms of immigration, what would you tell her?

F: (Pause) Stay focused. Don’t rely on men (laughs). Make a life for yourself, rather than relying on men to make a life for you, and you could do anything you want as long as you want to do it. Just be empowered just by being woman. And I’m sure we could do just as well if not better than men could do (Laughs). Don’t be afraid. If you fall once, that’s fine, get up and go again. We all go through different experiences during different times in our lives. Don’t let one incident stop you from going forward. And more than anything, help other women along the way.

(Long Pause)

The only thing that I’m hoping is that we all should know, don’t give up, fight for your rights and never let anybody step over you and always fight your way above. If men could do it, you could do it.

[theonyxpath]

Although it’s April 1st as I write this, we’re not joking around about The Contagion Chronicle‘s Kickstarter. (As for other jokes, check out the Reason To Celebrate at the end of this blog for our thoughts on this here Fool’s Day).

As Matthew Dawkins, developer of the project and the in-famous Gentleman Gamer, said in our Monday Meeting today, he’s thrilled and proud of the response The Contagion Chronicle is getting, and I think he’s speaking for all of us.

I know it sounds strange after having done something like 35 Kickstarters, but I’m always uncertain that a project will fund – at least until the pledges start coming in at a pace I can start to judge.

So when you have an unusual project that is about all of the Chronicles of Darkness gamelines (even ones not out yet), but isn’t solely about any of them, it’s hard to guess which way folks will react.

Book of Oblivion art by Drew Tucker

What we’re seeing with this Contagion Chronicle Kickstarter is that a lot of folks are cautious. The sections of the text are coming out through the entirety of the KS, and so nobody has the full picture in their heads yet as to the whole project – well, except Matthew, I guess. So that’s a reason to be a bit cautious.

Another reason is that some of our audience aren’t sure that the approach we decided to go with is the way they want a crossover project to deliver the info they are looking for.

As I’ve mentioned in the last two MMN blogs, we have gone with the Chronicle format of providing a whole setting that holds together as a demonstration of how a total CofD crossover could work, and is there for folks to pick and choose from as they “look under the hood” at what Matthew and his awesome writing team have accomplished.

Which leads to some prospective backers holding off or just backing for the PDF, or whatever, as they see exactly what kind of “crunch” is getting delivered.

Now what is cool is that we’re seeing a lot of conversations about these aspects of the text as it is being delivered, and how this is a month-long process that’s gonna give folks, the hesitant and early adopters alike, a chance to read through everything and modify their pledges as they see fit.

Of course, we’d prefer that folks like what they see so much that they up their pledges to at least the physical book level – remember: the more physical books pledged for, the more we print for the backers and thus, the more we print additional for stores to sell.

But, if the unfortunate occurs and folks minimize or drop their pledges..that’s OK too! Part of releasing the full text is the ongoing conversations that develop when we release the text over the course of the KS (as opposed to one big file), but the other part is that we want folks to have the info so that they can pledge in a way that makes them glad that they did.

Fewer pledged books being printed might mean fewer available to go into stores, but DTRPG is always there so the project will definitely be available in PDF and PoD versions, at least.

The Realm art by Gong Studios

So please, come check out the Contagion Chronicle KS! Whatever amount you pledge for, you’ll be able to read the text as it is delivered and judge for yourself. Over 1,000 backers are already able to, and there’s a lot of great commentary up already.

Another thing came up in the meeting today, which was telling the whole crew why we held off on putting the Exalted 3rd‘s Dragon-Blooded PDF and PoDs up for sale last Wednesday.

(For those of you disappointed when we did that, my sincere apologies. As you’ll see, there was a reason).

We discovered early last week that a section of the book had dropped its text formatting, so that section did not have a header and had stacked info instead of the format the rest of the sections were in.

Was it something that would have made the book unusable? No, but it was an error that happened at the last stage of the process that slipped through and we knew about it before releasing the final PDF and the PoD versions.

I thought it better to fix it, and to delay putting things on sale (and making them available to backers), than to leave an error we knew was in there. There are plenty of errors that we frustratingly just can’t fix after a certain stage – a printed book is printed that way forever, after all – but this was not one of those.

Geist 2e art by Luis Sanz

Hopefully, not a call that will be necessary to make very often.

While nobody is perfect, nor any piece of art, as Bernie Harmon used to say, we do try and give our community as tight a final project as possible. It doesn’t always work, but we keep trying anyway. That way you know that we’re looking out for you, as you travel to our:

Many Worlds, One Path!

BLURBS!

KICKSTARTER:

The Contagion Chronicle Kickstarter has funded, and rolls forward infecting all in its path with more and more Stretch Goals!

Matthew Dawkins has also started running the Contagion Chronicle for some of the members of his Discord, via Google Hangouts! Follow along to get some sneak peeks of the content coming up in the Contagion Chronicle Kickstarter: https://youtu.be/dFMjit-YTwQ

He also asks for your Contagion Chronicle-related questions here: https://youtu.be/axvrFeQOvEg

ONYX PATH MEDIA

Illustration by Charles Bates

On this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast, our team interviews Chris Spivey, award winning author, game designer, and developer of Harlem Unbound, and our own upcoming Masks of the Mythos for Scion! https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

And Here’s More Media About Our Worlds:

Matthew Dawkins returns with the Onyx Path News to discuss the Contagion Chronicle and new releases here: https://youtu.be/_GBzk0pR-D4

And he’s not done, because he asks for your Contagion Chronicle-related questions here: https://youtu.be/axvrFeQOvEg

If YOU have a podcast, YouTube or Twitch channel, or talk about games on a blog or other website, and want to perform actual plays or make reviews of our games, please reach out to the Gentleman Gamer on the Onyx Path forum. From there we’ll share emails and get you started, so when you do start producing content we’ll be able to promote it on our blog and YouTube channel!

We’ve just uploaded the finale to Red Moon Roleplaying‘s long actual play of They Came from Beneath the Sea!, so if you want to watch every part of this ten-part series, please check it out on our channel or via Red Moon Roleplaying: https://youtu.be/EdJYtTEhymE

The Story Told Podcast just commenced their Dragon-Blooded actual play, which by the sounds of it is great fun! This is just part one, with more episodes to follow: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/

Devil’s Luck Gaming continue with their fantastic Scarred Lands actual play, which continues to blow the competition out of the water: https://www.twitch.tv/DEVILSLUCKGAMING

Caffeinated Conquests recently uploaded their review of Scion and we’d love for you to check it out: https://youtu.be/gC-RSdGLC_A

And here’s a different one! If you’re on the lookout for White Wolf and Onyx Path actual plays and reviews and are a Facebook user, give this group a look: https://www.facebook.com/groups/862703457198327/

Please check any of these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games!

ELECTRONIC GAMING:

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is now live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is both rolling and rocking!

Here’s an update from the App devs:

Onyx Dice!  We’ve recently released the Changeling: The Lost, Trinity Continuum: Aeon dice, and now the Geist dice.  Next up on our radar is: Demon: The Fallen,  Mummy: The Resurrection,  Kindred of the East, Vampire Dark Ages, and Mummy: The Curse.

We have a serious issue on the Pixel and Motorola phones that prevent the user from using the app correctly.  A fix is coming shortly.  A temporary workaround is to minimize the app without shutting it down, and then restore it.

ON AMAZON AND BARNES & NOBLE:

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue you bought it from. Reviews really, really help us with getting folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these fiction books:

OUR SALES PARTNERS:

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the Screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

And you can now order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=296

And available this week! Deluxe Changeling: The Dreaming and Deluxe Beckett’s Jyhad Diary! The additional books we have after the Kickstarter ship-outs are done are now at IPR!

DRIVETHRURPG.COM:

On Sale This Week!

This Wednesday, we’re really going to put up Dragon-Blooded: What Fire Has Wrought, in PDF and physical book PoD versions on DTRPG!

CONVENTIONS

UK Games Expo: May 31st – June 2nd From the US comes Eddy Webb, Matt McElroy, and Rich Thomas to join with Matthew Dawkins, Steffie de Vann, John Burke, Chris Allen, and Klara Herbol! Gen Con: August 1st – August 4th Save Against Fear: Oct 12-14 GameHoleCon: October 31st – November 3rd We’ll also be back at PAX Unplugged later this year.

And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM FAST EDDY WEBB (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

Geist2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)

Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)

Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum Core)

TC: Aeon Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)

Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)

Wraith20 Fiction Anthology (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)

Blood Sea Guides for 5e (Scarred Lands)

DR:E Jumpstart (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

DR:E Threat Guide (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

Redlines

Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)

Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Legendlore core book (Legendlore)

TC: Aeon Ready Made Characters (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Heroic Land Dwellers (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Second Draft

Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)

Creatures of the World Bestiary (Scion 2nd Edition)

Let The Streets Run Red (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #1 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Chicago Folio/Dossier (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Development

Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Oak, Ash, and Thorn: Changeling: The Lost 2nd Companion (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

Memento Mori: the GtSE 2e Companion (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Pirates of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)

Distant Worlds (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Scion Ready Made Characters (Scion 2nd Edition)

Manuscript Approval:

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Editing:

V5 Chicago By Night (Vampire: The Masquerade)

V5 Chicago By Night Screen (Vampire: The Masquerade)

Spilled Blood (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)

CofD Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Witch-Queen of the Shadowed Citadel (Cavaliers of Mars)

CofD Dark Eras 2 (Chronicles of Darkness)

Post-Editing Development:

Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

Tales of Excellent Cats (Monarchies of Mau)

C20 Novel: Cup of Dreams (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Scion Jumpstart (Scion 2nd Edition)

Indexing:

Trinity Core

ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

In Art Direction

Ex3 Monthly Stuff  

Chicago By Night – Gaydos getting finals in.

Aeon Aexpansion

They Came From Beneath the Sea! – Art coming in.

EX3 Lunars

Hunter: The Vigil 2

Contagion Chronicle – AD’d for KS- starting this week.

Scion Jumpstart

VtR Spilled Blood – Hiring artists.

M20 Book of the Fallen – Pinging artists.

Dark Eras 2 – Getting artnotes in from devs.

Marketing Stuff

In Layout

Dystopia Rising: Evolution

Signs of Sorcery

Shunned By the Moon

Proofing

M20: Gods and Monsters – PoD proof on the way.

Adventures for Curious Cats – Waiting on maps.

Trinity Aeon – Page XXing.

Geist 2e – To WW for approval.

C20 Player’s Guide – Almost ready for WW approval.

In Media Res – Page XXing.

The Realm – Proof comments in, need inputting.

Book of Oblivion

At Press

Scion Hero – Shipping from printer to fulfillment shipper this week.

Scion Origin – Shipping from printer to fulfillment shipper this week.

Scion Dice – At Studio2.

Scion Screen – At Studio2.

Fetch Quest – Shipping to backers.

Ex3 Dragon Blooded – PDF and PoD versions on sale Wednesday on DTRPG. Backer PoD coupons before that and the Deluxe files are going to press. No seriously, it’s happening this week!

TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: 

We’re being bought by a fundamentalist church! We’re combining Scion and the Trinity Continuum! DUDES OF LEGEND! We have Paths of Storytelling Vampire you can follow but not achieve the good ending! We’re a happy, happy, Path! SeXXXalted! Frost Giant Butt Warriors! Bax Masterson! Shadows Over Iceland! We didn’t do an April 1st thing this year, as we just didn’t want to blind-side anybody considering the tumultuous last couple years…but let’s hear it for the “wacky” gags from years past!

[succorcreek]

Little Golden Book Art of the Steal, NSFW Fantasies

Well, it had been one of those personal delays: I'd put off reviewing Donald Trump's books on his life and business. But, I'm finally in them.....or since there is really nothing there but braggadocio, in the books and out quickly. Reception and legacy The reviews of the books, by professional writers: **boyish, see in the topic cloud below these 2 topics: **age regressed 12 year old "ultra regression" and **age regressed 17 year old teen goals, language and ideas ((15 articles related to this and included in all 13 books in the catalog tab above) **shows ignorance of his own life at the time of writing: repeated bankruptcies **greed demonstrated and personified **greed is the goal, it is good and is morally good in his world view **exaggerations and "alternative facts are good" **boasting, grandiose, self-focused, he feels he is better than others **superficial relationships: others are to be used or if not useful, ignored (marginalized) **one called it a "morality play", meaning that it was like a play about darkness, a lesson about immorality and not really anything moral or ethical

Donald Trump based much of this book on the Stolen material from Norman Vincent Peale's The Power of Positive Thinking. Trump's steps are:

    Think big

    Protect the downside and the upside will take care of itself

    Maximize your options

    Know your market

    Use your leverage

    Enhance your location

    Get the word out

    Fight back

    Deliver the goods

    Contain the costs

    Have fun

How many times we've heard: "I love them (fill in blank) so so much".

What is we borrowed our Little Golden Book fantasy and rewrote the Trump Art of the Steal in 21 points???

1. Revenge is perty fun. This is how I'd like to get back at some of my enemies, like McCain and Joe Biden

.

2. Women can aspire to become nurses, because they wear those cute outfit.

3. most people should have this in their home library

.

because, and it's really really bigly sad:

3. Make lots of jobs for others and tell the media you did it

4. Dang, another nurse pix. But, it shows I do so like the womenes.... 

4. Always tell the truth, the awful alternate truth

5. Don't let others steal your own thunder. Act now.

 5. Mind your own business and focus focus focus on your own work.

7. Use a big powerful and unabashed vocabulary. It'll make others think highly of you.

8. Meditate daily. Meditation is best without the noise of nature.

9. We're going to reduce the National Monuments and National Parks, plus sell off Alaska. It's such a fire hazard. Keep your kids out.

10. I like to use simple guidelines to select my staff, generals, consultants, and Supreme Court Nominees. I get my info from this entertaining book:

11. Wherever I go, I find cats and dogs. Don't like those dogs. But, pussies are every where. You can't love a pussy too much. If people in your past and Hillary accuse you of that, just tell them we have secret photos of them to release to the media soon. That'll make them shake in their boots. 

12. Be firm in what you do. Don't be a wet dish rag. 

 13. Tell them about your products and goods. They'll be impressed. They'll buy it.

14. Keep good notes on those who are helpful and those who are not.

15. Buy properties because it's a fun investment:

16. Choose your White Supremacy Racists buds well.

18. Indians, blech. Keep away cause they have small pox.

19. Be realistic with dreamers and 99% of the population. The truth counts.

20. Communicate well and all the time. Tell people they better support your plans or there could be harm.

21. Give your wife and kids a balance of affection. There is always the risk of too much love. I only give Baron one of these Facehugs once a week so he doesn't become dependent on me.

Here are the steps, as writen earlier by Norman Vincent Peale in The Power of Positive Thinking. This is helpful information, followed by millions. 1. Believe in Yourself It is appalling to realize the number of pathetic people who are hampered and made miserable by the malady popularly called the inferiority complex. But you need not suffer from this trouble. When proper steps are taken, it can be overcome. You can develop creative faith in yourself—faith that is justified. The combined use of holy mantras for immediate comfort and strength and psychological analysis to get to the bottom of why feelings of inferiority might plague us is Peale’s basic recipe for fostering self-confidence. He emphasizes that it is important to immerse one’s mind in spiritual thought and Bible scripture in order to push out negative thoughts that stem from a feeling of insecurity. Deep analysis of one’s psyche also must be done to pinpoint the root cause of an inferiority complex. “There are various causes of inferiority feelings, and not a few stem from childhood.” Peale offers his own personal example of inferiority feelings that plagued him throughout his youth. From his early years, he was insecure about being very thin, and conversely when he reached age 30, years of over-consumption caught up with him and resulted in a weight problem. “In the second place...I was a minister’s son and was constantly reminded of that fact,” Peale wrote. “Everybody else could do everything, but if I did even the slightest little thing—’Ah, you are a preacher’s son.’ So I didn’t want to be a preacher’s son, for preacher’s sons are supposed to be nice and namby-pamby. I wanted to be known as a hard-boiled fellow...I vowed there was one thing I would never do, and that was to become a preacher.” (Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking) He also developed a fear of public speaking because it was common practice by most of his family members, who forced Peal to do it despite his fear and insecurities. Faith techniques found in the Bible brought Peale out of his low-self-esteem doldrums. “The greatest secret for eliminating the inferiority complex...is to fill your mind to overflowing with faith. Develop a tremendous faith in God and that will give you a humble yet soundly realistic faith in yourself. The acquiring of dynamic faith is accomplished by prayer, lots of prayer, by reading and mentally absorbing the Bible and by practicing its faith techniques. (Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking) Deep, meaningful and powerful prayer techniques subvert feelings of inadequacy. “Surface skimming, formalistic and perfunctory prayer is not sufficiently powerful,” Peale wrote. The larger the problem that confronts a person, the deeper their level of prayer must be. “If your mind is obsessed by thoughts of insecurity and inadequacy it is, of course, due to the fact that such ideas have dominated your thinking over a long period of time. Another and more positive pattern of ideas must be given the mind, and that is accomplished by repetitive suggestion or confidence ideas...It is possible, even in the midst of your daily work, to drive confident thoughts into consciousness.” Peale provides 10 rules designed to assist people in vanquishing thoughts that hold them back from happiness and success and promote low self-esteem:

“Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding.”

Immediately contest negative thoughts about one’s personal powers with a deliberately placed positive counterpoint.

“Do not build up obstacles in your imagination. Depreciate every so-called obstacle. Minimize them. Difficulties must be studied and efficiently dealt with to be eliminated, but they must be seen for only what they are. They must not be inflated by fear thoughts.”

Don’t let people who impress you cause you to be awestruck and inclined to copy them because the reality is they are likely just as subject to fear and insecurity as you are.

“Ten times a day repeat these dynamic words, ‘If God be for us who can be against us?’ (Romans 8:31).”

Connect with a competent psychological counselor to help you understand the reasons for your self-doubt because the cure for insecurity is knowledge of its causes that usually begin during childhood.

“Ten times each day practice the following affirmation, repeating it out loud if possible. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Philippians 4:13)...That magic statement is the most powerful antidote on earth to inferiority thoughts.”

Come up with an accurate estimation of your own ability, then increase it 10 percent. Avoid egotism, but be sure to develop a healthy sense of self-respect.

“Put yourself in God’s hands. To do that simply state, ‘I am in God’s hands.’ Then believe you are NOW receiving all the power you need. ‘Feel’ it flowing into you Affirm that ‘the kingdom of God is within you’ (Luke 17:21) in the form of adequate power to meet life’s demands.”

“Remind yourself that God is with you and nothing can defeat you. Believe that you now RECEIVE power from him” (Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking).

2. A Peaceful Mind Generates Power The Life of strain is difficult. The life of inner peace, being harmonious and without stress, is the easiest type of existence. The chief struggle then in gaining mental peace is the effort of revamping your thinking to the relaxed attitude of acceptance of God’s gift of peace. Peale outlines the technique of “emptying the mind,” which involves releasing “fears, hates, insecurities, regrets, and guilt feelings” (The Power of Positive Thinking). During a religious service on a voyage to Hawaii, Peale told attendees to drop their worries overboard and watch them disappear in the wake of the ship. Consciously letting go of negative thoughts inevitably brings relief. “At intervals during the day practice thinking a carefully selected series of peaceful thoughts. Let mental pictures of the most peaceful scenes you have ever witnessed pass across your mind, as, for example, some beautiful valley filled with the hush of evening time, as the shadows lengthen and the sun sinks to waters, or emember the sea washing gently upon soft shores of sand. Such peaceful thought images will work upon your mind as a healing medicine.” (Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking) Peale also suggests a technique called “suggestive articulation.” Audibly repeat words that carry peaceful connotation. “Words have profound suggestive power, and there is healing in the very saying of them.” He suggests using words as “tranquillity” and “serenity” and to say them slowly and repetitively. Lines of poetry or Scripture passages have the same effect. Conversation speech is another conscious way to put the mind at ease. “By our speech we can...achieve quiet reactions. Talk peaceful to be peaceful.” Eliminating negative ideas from conversations will prevent them from producing inner tension. Although, there is an appropriate time and place for confronting negative subjects, in general “...to have peace of mind, fill your personal and group conversations with positive, happy, optimistic, satisfying expressions.” The daily practice of silence is yet another path toward having a peaceful mind. “Everyone should insist upon not less than a quarter of an hour of absolute quiet every twenty-four hours. Go alone into the quietest place available to you and sit or lie down for fifteen minutes and practice the art of silence. Do not talk to anyone. Do not write. Do not read. Think as little as possible. Throw your mind into neutral...When you have attained a quiescent state, then begin to listen for the deeper sounds of harmony and beauty and of God that are to be found in the essence of silence.” These techniques require steady practice and are not easy to instantly conjure into workable fruition for those who are novice to such meditation and conscious control of their conversational speech. Peale also observes that there are self-imposed obstacles to inner peace in the form of haunting guilt. “...[T]here is a curious quirk within the human mind whereby sometimes an individual will not forgive himself...Peace of mind under such circumstances is available by yielding the guilt as well as the tension it produces to the healing therapy of Christ.” 3. How to Have Constant Energy How we think we feel has a definite effect on how we actually feel physically. If your mind tells you that you are tired, the body mechanism, the nerves, and the muscles accept the fact. If your mind is intensely interested, you can keep on at an activity indefinitely. Religion functions through our thoughts, in fact, it is a system of thought discipline. By supplying attitudes of faith to the mind it can increase energy. It helps you to accomplish prodigious activity by suggesting that you have ample support and resources of power. “God is the source of all energy—energy in the universe, atomic energy, electrical energy, and spiritual energy; indeed every form of energy derives from the Creator.” So, tapping the infinite power and energy of the Almighty is the best means humans can utilize toward keeping themselves properly energized. “When in spiritual contact with God through our thought processes, the Divine energy flows through the personality, automatically renewing the original creative act. When contact with the Divine energy is broken, the personality gradually becomes depleted from the body, mind, and spirit.” On the physical level, maintaining a constantly rejuvenating energy supply requires a person is in tune with nature and their emotional stability. Stress, angst, and negativity all hamper this rejuvenation. This can lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed by one’s workload or daily responsibilities. “It is fear, resentment, the projection of parental faults upon people when they are children, inner conflicts and obsessions that throw off balance the finely equated nature, thus causing expenditure of natural force.” The fast pace and chaotic habits of the modern age have a disastrous effect on emotional stability and thus one’s energy level. Synchronicity with the natural tempo of God’s creation is the key to filtering out the distractions of overly fast modernity. Peal advice: lie down on the ground on a warm day and listen to the natural sounds of the earth. “Get your ear close down to the ground and listen. You will hear all manner of sounds. You will hear the sound of the wind in the trees and the murmur of insects, and you will discover presently that there is in all these sounds a well-regulated tempo.” This divine tempo is present in the word of God and hymns sung in church, and we can also find it in factory if so inclined to look for it. The trick is to feel your way into the rhythm of God and all his creations, including machines and tools that mankind has devised. “To accomplish this, relax physically. Then conceive of your mind as likewise relaxing. Follow this mentally by visualizing the soul as becoming quiescent, then pray as follows: ‘Dear God, You are the source of all energy. You are the source of the energy in the sun, in the atom, in all flesh, in the bloodstream, in the mind. I hereby draw energy from You as from an illimitable source.’ Then practice believing that you receive energy. Keep in tune with the Infinite.” (Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking) Boredom, as well as monotonous daily responsibilities, are other major causes energy depletion. It is important to develop interests that inspire us and make us passionate about life. This excitement and stimulation breeds energy, as opposed to sitting around lamenting about lack of action. Clearly doing nothing is equivalent to stagnation, which wholly coincides with feeling drained and listless. Finally, getting a handle on emotional troubles, namely fear and guilt, is essential to maintaining a good energy level. “The effect of guilt and fear feelings on energy is widely recognized by all authorities having to do with the problems of human nature. The quantity of vital force required to give the personality relief from either guilt or fear or a combination of each is so great that often only a fraction of energy remains for the discharge of the functions of living.” The author claims putting the consequences of one’s actions in God’s hands are the key to breaking the energy-sapping bonds of guilt and fear. 4. Try Prayer Power Prayer power is a manifestation of energy. Just as there exist scientific techniques for the release of atomic energy, so are there scientific procedures for the release of spiritual energy through the mechanism of prayer. Exciting demonstrations of this energizing force are evident. Peale claims prayer power is the greatest power of all. It can guide the outcome of everything from decision making to the aging process. When deeply ingrained into one’s subconscious, prayer power can transform an individual emotionally, physically, and keep energy freely flowing. In terms of prayer techniques, it is essential to keep things fresh. “It is well to study prayer from an efficiency point of view. Usually the emphasis is entirely religious though no cleavage exists between the two concepts. Scientific spiritual practice rules out stereotyped procedure even as it does in general science...Get new insights; practice new skills to attain greatest results...Any method through which you can stimulate the power of God to flow into your mind is legitimate and usable.” The author provides a prayer-power formula devised by a friend of his who uses it to overcome problems and attain success:

Prayerize: practice a daily regimen of creative prayer, communication with God in an effort to solve problems and make wise decisions. Not the kind of prayer that places God on a far-off, lofty pedestal, but rather acknowledges his close presence everywhere we go and in everything we do.

Picturize: “When failure or success is picturized it strongly tends to actualize in terms equivalent to the mental image pictured. To assure something worth while happening, first pray about it and test it according to God’s will; then print a picture of it on your mind as happening, holding the picture firmly in consciousness. Continue to surrender the picture to God’s will—that is to say, put the matter in God’s hands—and follow God’s guidance.”

Actualize: Creative prayer and picturing success and positivity results in actual results in real life. “I have personally practiced this three-point prayer method and find great power in it. It has been suggested to others who have likewise reported that it released creative power into their experience.”

Another powerful, creative prayer method is called “flash prayers.” Developed by Frank Laubach in the book Prayer, the Mightiest Power in the World, it involves bombarding random people in public places with prayerful thoughts of love and good will. Here are 10 rules for yielding effective results via prayer:

Set aside a few minutes every day to silently think about God in order to make the mind spiritually receptive.

Pray orally with simple, natural language, telling God whatever is on your mind.

Pray throughout the course of the workday in public places. At times close your eyes to block out the world’s distractions and briefly concentrate on God’s presence.

Don’t always make requests of God. Instead, give thanks and confirm your belief that He will undoubtedly grant blessings.

“Pray with the belief that sincere prayers can reach out and surround your loved ones with God’s love and protection.”

“Never use a negative thought in prayer. Only positive thoughts get results.”

Always be willing to adhere to God’s will. “Ask for what you want, but be willing to take what God gives you. It may be better than what you ask for.”

Become practiced at putting all happenings in God’s hands by seeking the ability to do your best but trusting the outcomes to God.

“Pray for people you do not like or who have mistreated you. Resentment is blockade number one of spiritual power.”

Create a list of people for whom you must pray. The more you pray for others, the more positive results from praying will come back to you.

5. How to Create Your Own Happiness You can be unhappy if you want to be. It is the easiest thing in the world to accomplish. Just choose unhappiness. Go around telling yourself that things aren’t going well, that nothing is satisfactory, and you can be quite sure of being unhappy. But say to yourself, “Things are going nicely. Life is good. I choose happiness,” and you can be quite certain of having your choice. It is crucial to stay in touch with the childlike, truly happy spirit which God has endowed in each person from youth to adulthood. Children are very adept at happiness compared with adults, and their example of how to appreciate the simple, most purely real things in life that are most important to happiness should be closely emulated by the grown-up population. “In other words, never get old or dull or jaded in spirit. Don’t become super-sophisticated.” In spite of social conditions that undeniably hinder personal happiness, through our thoughts and attitudes about what life throws our way we manufacture our own state of happiness or unhappiness. “...[A] very large proportion of the unhappiness of the average individual is self-manufactured.” Some have the ability to take things as they come and not let relatively small things upset them, while others create a bad mood at the drop of a hat. “How foolish to manufacture personal unhappiness to add to all the other difficulties over which you have little or no control!” Once again, the negative feelings of resentment, jealousy, fear, ill will, and hate enter the mix as major obstacles to happiness. They block the mind’s attempt to feel at ease and focus on the positive things that foster happiness. In order to encourage a state of personal happiness despite life’s challenges and stresses, people must develop what Peale calls the “happiness habit.” This simply means systematically thinking happy thoughts. As previously noted, picturization comes into play here, this time referencing images that inspire joy as the mind’s-eye mantra for practitioners to utilize. Do this every morning when you awake and see how your mood is shaped for the rest of the day. “When you arise, say out loud three times this on sentence, ‘This is the day that the Lord has made;...I will rejoice and be glad in it.’” This follows suit with the power of suggestion that words naturally have. Continually affirm to yourself that happiness abounds and that God’s loving power is the force through which this is possible. “It is astonishing how people can become inoculated with happiness through an inner experience of spiritual change.” 6. Stop Fuming and Fretting Many People make life unnecessarily difficult for themselves by dissipating power and energy through fuming and fretting. This chapter keys in on how to avoid letting anger get the best of us as well as how to avoid the childish act of “fretting,” which Peale describes as being “...reminiscent of a sick child in the night, a petulant half-cry, half-whine. It ceases, only to begin again. It has an irritating, annoying, penetrating quality. To fret is a childish term, but it describes the emotional reaction of many adults.” Peale’s first bit of advice is to slow down. That means stop rushing, stop being both physically and emotionally impatient. “The pace of modern life must be reduced if we are not to suffer profoundly from its debilitating over-stimulation and super-excitement. This over-stimulation produces toxic poisons in the body and creates emotional illness.” City dwellers should nurture and appreciation for the natural quiet and peaceful sounds of natural settings. The tempo of the woods and other undeveloped areas reflect the essence of God and should garner dedicated attention from those seeking emotional and physical peace. Regular peaceful thoughts are Peale’s prescription for quelling fuming and fretting. Even during the busiest time of the day, it is highly advisable to take time out to practice serenity. Attention to avoiding fuming and fretting has beneficial health implications. Being high-strung, nervous, and perpetually in a rush can lead to many physical and mental health problems. So getting in control of one’s emotions are very important to maintaining one’s overall good health. “...[T]he body responds sensitively to the type of thoughts that pass through the mind. It is also true that the mind can be quieted by first making the body quiet. That is to say, a physical attitude can induce desired mental attitudes.” Peale offers six points to practice in the interest of putting an end to fuming and fretting:

Sit in a chair and relax your body from head to toe. State out loud that your toes, fingers, and facial muscles are indeed relaxed.

Imagine your mind is just like the surface of a lake during a storm, full of rough waves and tumult. But now the storm has passed and the lake surface is calm.

Allow two or three minutes to picture the most beautiful, serene scenes from nature that you have ever experienced and relive these scenes in your memory.

Slowly, deliberately repeat out loud words such as “tranquility,” “serenity,” and “quietness.”

“Make a mental list of times in your life when you have been conscious of God’s watchful care and recall how, when you were worried and anxious, He brought things out right and took care of you. Then recite aloud this line from an old hymn, ‘So long Thy power hath kept me, sure it STILL will lead me on.’”

Repeat the following as many times a day as possible: “‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.’ (Isaiah 26:3)...This is the best-known medicine for taking tension from the mind” (Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking).

7. & 8. Expect the Best and Get It & I Don’t Believe in Defeat Learn to expect, not to doubt. In so doing you bring everything into the realm of possibility. In reference to the quote above, early on in the chapter Peale levies this disclaimer to guard against setting oneself up for disappointment if things don’t turn out according to one’s preconceived notions: “This does not mean that by believing you are necessarily going to get everything you want or think you want. Perhaps that would not be good for you. When you put your trust in God, He guides your mind so that you do not want things that are not good for you or that are inharmonious with God’s will.” Faith in God’s infinite and creative will is the crux in expecting the best outcome and having it actually come to fruition. “Start reading the New Testament and notice the number of times it refers to faith. Select a dozen of the strongest statements about faith, the ones that you like the best. Then memorize each one. Let these faith concepts drop into your conscious mind. Say them over and over again, especially just before going to sleep at night.” Give your all to whatever you do in the professional realm, don’t hold back. Putting your whole heart’s worth of drive and passion is the key to success. Failure, unfortunately, is borne of holding back, of keeping a portion of the entirety of one’s energy in reserve. As a wise teacher once told a struggling student: “‘Throw your heart over the bar and your body will follow.’” The Gospel of Mark, chapter 11 is a significant reference point for accentuating the positive through faith in God’s benevolence and wisdom. Chapter 8 focuses on developing a spirit that perseveres and doesn’t easily give up when the going gets tough. Obstacles are part of life, and for those not armed with a sound spiritual foundation they can cause people to lose self-confidence and sight of their true abilities. “So the first thing to do about an obstacle is simply to stand up to it and not complain about it or whine under it but forthrightly attack it. Don’t go crawling through life...half-defeated. Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have.” Conditioning the subconscious to reflect positivity rather than negative self-doubt is the way to defeating defeatism. One means to this end is to eliminate “little negatives” such as insecure expressions of self-doubt from everyday conversation. These add up and amount to a subconscious outlook that sets individuals up for defeat. 9. How to Break the Worry Habit You do not need to be a victim of worry. Reduced to its simplest form, what is worry? It is simply an unhealthy and destructive mental habit. You were not born with the worry habit. You acquired it. And because you can change any habit and any acquired attitude, you can cast worry from your mind. “Aggressive, direct action is essential” to eliminating worry, says Peale. Confronting fear is the only way to conquer it. Otherwise, it unavoidably builds up and causes significant mental and physical health problems. Many respected, accomplished psychiatrists and physicians have observed that worry accompanies a plethora of physical health problems. “These sufferers have been unable to expel their anxieties which have turned inward on the personality, causing many forms of ill-health.” To eliminate worry and prevent build-up, a person should empty his or her mind every day, preferably at bedtime. “Creative imagination” is Peale’s technique for mind drainage. “Conceive of yourself as actually emptying your mind of all anxiety and fear...Repeat the following affirmation during this visualization: ‘With God’s help I am now emptying my mind of all anxiety, all fear, all sense of insecurity’...So the process is—empty the mind and cauterize it with God’s grace, then practice filling your mind with faith and you will break the worry habit.” Peale concludes Chapter 9 with a 10-point formula:

“Say to yourself: ‘Worry is just a very bad mental habit. And I can change any habit with God’s help’” (Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking).

Start putting faith into action because just as worrying is one’s own choice, so is the antidote to it.

Every morning say aloud “I believe” three times.

“Pray, using this formula, ‘I place this day, my life, my loved ones, my work in the Lord’s hands. There is no harm in the Lord’s hands, only good. Whatever happens, whatever results, if I am in the Lord’s hands it is the Lord’s will and it is good.’”

Speak positively, especially about that which has been causing you to worry.

Don’t ever participate in a worry conversation with others. “A group of people talking pessimistically can infect every person in the group with negativism.”

Because as a worrier your mind is full of negative thoughts, to counter this you should mark every Bible passage “...that speaks of faith, hope, happiness, glory, radiance”

Develop friendships with positive, hopeful people.

Help other overcome worry.

“Every day of your life conceive of yourself as living in partnership and companionship with Jesus Christ...[S]ay to yourself, ‘He is with me.’ Affirm aloud ‘I am with you always.’ Then change it to say, ‘He is with me now.’ Repeat that affirmation three times every day”

10. Power to Solve Personal Problems Practice believing that God is as real and actual as your wife, or your business partner, or your closest friend. Practice talking matters over with Him; believe that he hears and gives thought to your problem. Assume that He impresses upon your mind through consciousness the proper ideas and insights necessary to solve your problems. Definitely believe that in these solutions there will be no error, but that you will be guided to actions according to truth which results in right outcomes.  Accepting God’s will as wholly positive and the right course of action is the most direct way to deal with one’s personal troubles. A partnership with God allows humans to connect with the divine energy and wisdom that leads to successful problem solving. Peale strongly emphasizes his support for this spiritual technique aimed at fostering personal well-being and happiness in the long run. “In addition to the method of two or three praying together in the ‘surrender to God’ technique and that of establishing a partnership with God and the importance of a plan to tap and utilize emergency inner powers, there is still another tremendous technique—that of practicing faith attitudes.” “Faith attitudes” is a term that refers to applying one’s faith in God to the entire scope of their everyday life, from basic morality to business decisions. Peale concludes this chapter with a 10-point list for solving problems:

Believe every problem has a solution.

Remain calm because tenseness prevents the flow of brain power.

“Don’t try to force an answer. Keep your mind relaxed so that the solution will open up and become clear.”

“Assemble all the facts impartially, impersonally, and judicially.”

Write a list of these facts, which clarifies your thinking.

“Pray about your problem, affirming that God will flash illumination into your mind.”

“Believe in and seek God’s guidance on the promise of the 73rd Psalm, ‘Thou wilt guide me by thy counsel.’”

Trust in the human abilities of insight and intuition.

Attend church and allow your subconscious to work on the problem at hand as you tune into the spiritual mood of the worship service. “Creative spiritual thinking has amazing power to give ‘right’ answers.” (Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking).

“If you follow these steps faithfully, then the answer that develops in your mind, or comes to pass, is the right answer to your problem.”

11. & 12. How to Use Faith in Healing & When Vitality Sags, Try This Health Formula Is religious faith a factor in healing? Important evidence indicates that it is. There was a time in my own experience when I was not convinced of this, but now I am, and that very definitely. I have seen too many evidences to believe otherwise. Peale connects bodily health with a person’s mental state, which is greatly affected by one’s level of faith-driven peace of mind. This chapter features many anecdotal cases where faith in God and the associated release of hate and fear significantly aided a sick person through the healing process. Peale also quotes many medical doctors who prescribe spirituality as a treatment for patients in need of guidance on how to live a healthy life. “Present-day medicine emphasizes psychosomatic factors in healing, thus recognizing the relationship of mental states to bodily health. Modern medical practice realizes and takes into consideration the close connection between how a man thinks and how he feels. Since religion deals with thought and feeling and basic attitudes, it is only natural that the science of faith should be important in the healing process.” Fear, resentment, hate, guilt, and feelings of inferiority again resurface in Peale’s discourse, this time as the culprits that cause psychosomatic illnesses. A clearer understanding of our own emotions and returning to faith in God seem to create the combination that provides the best chance of permanent help to any of us with health issues. “In all of the investigations I have made into successful cases of healing, there seem to be certain factors present. First, a complete willingness to surrender oneself into the hands of God. Second, a complete letting go of all error such as sin in any form and a desire to be cleansed in the soul. Third, belief and faith in that combined therapy of medical science in harmony with the healing power of God. Fourth, a sincere willingness to accept God’s answer, whatever it may be, and no irritation or bitterness against His will. Fifth, a substantial, unquestioning faith that God can heal.” Another list concludes Chapter 11, this one on how to constructively deal with an illness that you or a loved one suffers:

“...[B]elieve that spiritual forces as well as medical technique are important to healing.”

“Pray for the doctor.”

Do not become fearful because this will create negative, destructive thoughts.

“God has arranged two remedies for all illness. One is healing through natural laws applicable by science, and the other brings healing by spiritual law applicable through faith.”

“Completely surrender your loved one into the hands of God...This is difficult to understand and equally difficult to perform, but it is a fact that if the great desire for the loved one to live is matched with an equally great willingness to relinquish him to God, healing powers are amazingly set in motion.”

Spiritual harmony must prevail within the family. Disharmony and disease are apparently kindred.

Mentally picture your loved one as being perfectly healthy.

“Be perfectly natural. Ask God to heal your loved on. That is what you want with all your heart, so ask Him please to do it, but we suggest that you say PLEASE just once. Thereafter in your prayer thank Him for His goodness. This affirmative faith will help to release deep spiritual poer and also joy through reassurance of God’s loving care. This joy will sustain you, and remember that joy itself possess healing power.”

“It has been variously computed that from 50 to 75 per cent of present-day people are ill because of the influence of improper mental states on their emotional and physical make-up. Therefore [psychosomatic] medicine is of great importance. Many people who are below par will find that there is a health formula which, in addition to the services of their physicians, can be of great value to them.” Checking one’s anger is the most important way to prevent sagging vitality. Peale suggests painstakingly identifying, then rooting out with prayer each minute aspect of life that causes anger or irritation. Targeting prayers to each of these bits of anger will promote physical health and energy in addition to emotional well-being. 13. Inflow of New Thoughts Can Remake You It has been said that thoughts are things, that they actually possess dynamic power. Judged by the power they exercise one can readily accept such an appraisal. You can actually think yourself into or out of situations...Conditions are created by thoughts far more powerfully than conditions create thoughts. Peale revisits the concepts of Chapter 4 with further elaboration on how to pray your way to success and happiness in your professional and personal life. It’s all about mental pictures of desired outcomes when seeking the Lord’s assistance—”...visualize, prayerize, and finally actualize” (Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking). The author stresses the need to change one’s thinking in order to change present circumstances. People should seek to reduce the error within themselves and connect with an increased sense of truth. “An inflow of new, right, health-laden thoughts through the mind creatively affects the circumstances of life, for truth always produces right procedures and therefore right results” (Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking). A list of seven steps toward changing one’s mentality from negative to positive attitudes concludes the chapter:

“For the next twenty-four hours, deliberately speak hopefully about everything, about your job, about your health, about your future.”

After doing this, continue for an entire week. Then allow yourself to be “realistic” for a couple of days, and you will see that this realism was actually pessimism and negativity.

Today begin to shift your mindset from negativity to positivity. “Start at the beginning of the New Testament and underscore every sentence about Faith.” Continue until you have marked every such portion of the four gospels, and take special note of Mark 11:22–24.

Memorize the underscored passages, one each day until you can recite all of them from memory.

Create a list of friends and determine who is the most positive thinker. Don’t desert your negative pals, but strengthen your bond with those who have a positive outlook. Then return to being among your negative friends and share your newfound positive point of view without gleaning their negativity.

“Avoid argument, but whenever a negative attitude is expressed, counter with a positive and optimistic opinion.”

Pray often and be sure to thank God for the blessings he has and will bestow upon you. “God will not give you any greater blessing than you can believe in. He wants to give you great things, but even He cannot make you take anything greater than you are equipped by faith to receive.”

14. Relax for Easy Power One of the simplest methods for reducing tension is to practice the easy-does-it attitude. Do everything more slowly, less hectically, and without pressure. As in Chapter 6, Peale reasserts the need to slow down and live life at a more natural tempo. This will free the mind and spirit to be more receptive to that which is right for us, and enable the mind to better achieve wisdom that will lead to better choices. Peale also revisits the connection between science and Christianity. In explaining why his church has staff psychiatrists, the author states: “Why psychiatrists on the staff of a church? The answer is that psychiatry is a science...Christianity may also be thought of as a science...[because] it is based upon a book which contains a system of techniques and formulas designed for the understanding and treatment of human nature. The laws are so precise and have been so often demonstrated when proper conditions of understanding, belief, and practice are applied that religion may be said to form an exact science” (Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking). Ten rules on how to work hard with ease and relax with easy power conclude Chapter 14:

Don’t overdo it, and don’t take yourself too seriously.

Make it a point to enjoy your work.

“Plan your work—work your plan. Lack of system produces that ‘I’m swamped’ feeling.”

Don’t try to do too many tasks at once.

“Get a correct mental attitude, remembering that ease or difficulty in your work depends upon how you think about it.”

Work efficiently and know your job well.

Practice relaxation. Don’t force things, take it all in stride.

Don’t procrastinate and allow job tasks to pile up. Keep your work on schedule.

“Pray about your work. You will get relaxed efficiency by so doing” (Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking).

Make God your “‘unseen partner.’ It is surprising the load He will take off you” (Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking).

15. How to Get People to Like You To be a master of popularity, be artless. Strive deliberately after popularity and the chances are you will never attain it. But become one of those rare personalities about whom people say, ‘He certainly has something,’ and you can be certain you are on the way to having people like you. While not everybody will like you due to the unfortunate, often inexplicable fact of human nature that for whatever reason some people will never “click,” there are techniques that can make you likable by most. This is essential because friendship and good relations with others are essential to remaining psychologically sound. “The feeling of not being wanted or needed is one of the most devastating of all human reactions.” Peale breaks it down simple: be easy-going as opposed to rigid and aloof, and project a genuine love for other people with a propensity for boosting, rather than deflating, other people’s egos. “Essentially, getting people to like you is merely the other side of liking them.” Peal gives us 10 rules toward attaining popularity:

Remember names. “Inefficiency at this point may indicate that your interest is not sufficiently outgoing. A man’s name is very important to him.”

Be a comfortable, easy-going person so there is no hassle involved with being with you.

“Acquire the quality of relaxed easy-goingness so that things do not ruffle you.”

Avoid egotism and coming off as a know-it-all. “Be natural and normally humble.”

“Cultivate the quality of being interesting so that people will want to be with you and get something of stimulating value from their association with you.”

Do an analysis of the unlikable aspects of your personality including those that may escape your consciousness.

Wholeheartedly attempt to make right every misunderstanding you have or once had.

Practice liking others until it becomes your genuine style of living.

“Never miss an opportunity to say a word of congratulation upon anyone’s achievement, or express sympathy in sorrow or disappointment.”

Gain a deep-seated sense of spiritual experience so that you‘ll be able to give strength to others. They, in turn, will give affection back to you.

16. Prescription for Heartache There is indeed a “prescription” for heartache. One element in the prescription is physical activity...Muscular activity utilizes another part of the brain and therefore shifts the strain and gives relief...Another profoundly creative element in the prescription for heartache is to gain a sound and satisfying philosophy of life and death and deathlessness. Whatever ails your emotions, one of the first steps toward resolution is to remove yourself from whatever “defeatist situation” has formed around yourself and get back into the regular swing of things. Immerse yourself in worthwhile activities but avoid those that are superficial such as feverish partying or drinking. Don’t try to suppress grief. “There is a foolish point of view...that one should not show grief. that it is not proper to cry or express oneself through the natural mechanism of tears and sobbing. This is a denial of the law of nature...It is a relief mechanism provided in the body by Almighty God and should be used.” With regard to the “philosophy of life and death and deathlessness,” the author states that while such a philosophical handle on things won’t repel the sorrow that is the natural extension of losing a loved one and physical separation, it will remove and dispel grief. Peale’s deep faith in the infinite nature of God inspires his advice that a loved one who has passed away is not gone from us, but rather has transcended earthly bounds and is one with God. “Live on this faith and you will be at peace and the ache will leave your heart.” “Read and believe the Bible as it tells about the goodness of God and the immortality of the soul. Pray sincerely and with faith. Make prayer and faith the habit of your life. Learn to have real fellowship with God and with Jesus Christ. As you do this you will find a deep conviction welling up in your mind that these wonderful things are true indeed” (Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking). 17. How to Draw upon That Higher Power There is a Higher Power that can do everything for you. Draw upon it and experience its great helpfulness. God’s power is always, unfailingly available to anyone who seeks it with an open heart. It is such a powerful force that its sudden arrival casts out all negativity, replacing what pains you with strength, health, goodness, and happiness. Peale uses several examples of how the Higher Power delivered individuals from the depths of alcoholism as an example of God’s infinite strength. “I cite these experiences to show conclusively that if there is a Power able to deliver a person from alcoholism, this same Power can help any other person to overcome any other form of defeat he may face. There is nothing more difficult to overcome than the problem of alcoholism.” The success stories revealed in this chapter indicate “...that if there is deep desire, intensity of longing, and a sincere reaching out after the Power that it will be given.” Faith, positive thinking, and prayer is the simple triumvirate people can utilize to deal effectively with what pains them. This is Peale’s recipe for a happy, healthy life filled with good energy and lots of love and personal satisfaction. A world filled with people of this mind set is indeed a beautiful place to be. rest of this article, click here: http://ift.tt/2zk9lsL Psychopaths, Pirates, Vampires, and more:

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