#also obviously i like this event and my only criticism as a vendor is that they always rent weirdly narrow tables

[toasterlock]

"This convention is fully volunteer-run, which means none of us get receive any money for the work we put in all year to host this; we do this out of passion and all the earnings go directly back into the next event" is maybe not the cool flex you think it is, maybe don't broadcast that over the event speakers twice

[selfskate56-blog]

How Anime Characters are Made?

I think it is usually important and fascinating to find out the fundamental factors with the environment that we most fancy, and one associated with the most critical concerns is: how is anime made? For me, especially recently, this is a burning up question and I ended up doing some detailed homework. For the sake connected with other anime fans with the same question, My spouse and i thought about sharing the results. So if anyone want the bullets to be able to fire again the up coming time you get trapped upward in a conversation concerning the merits of cartoons, or you want a new way to watch anime, I hope this article is helpful to you. In this last year possibly even, my own growing interest in this side of points seriously opened my eyes to be able to the natural talent, art work, appreciation, and splendor found in Japanese animation. This content will focus on anime-TV development, but the same basic course of action is applicable to motion pictures together with OVA. That stated, there can be many variations among studios plus individual productions.

https://www1.kissanime.li/Ani/Bleach/ The approach of building an anime is difficult, with many steps and periods. That graphic from the AIC English web site is the good image image involving what My spouse and i will explore: The cartoons manufacturing course of action. Preproduction: This process is determined by that promotes an concept together with who supports that, they are often animation studios, together with vendors, although numerous animes can be manga modifications or gentle novels, around which case upfront building costs (including costs). displayed on television stations). This production company (eg Aniplex) gathers employees, sponsors, and looks at advertisements in addition to merchandise. While a lot of persons describe the studios since cheap, only about half of the budget is often the cartoons studio, the relaxation is given to by presents and other contributing firms. Streaming costs will be surprisingly high, according to the cat blogger of approximately 60 million yen regarding an night time schedule throughout 5-7 posts for a good 52-episode set. You may see why anime is definitely an expensive business. For case in point, Total Metal Alchemist, which had the space upon Saturday from 6: 00 p. meters., had the total budget regarding 5 hundred million yen (before extra costs). When the central staff is arranged, they will meet and plan their particular anime, work on sequence structure (how the cartoons will play in each instance and throughout the series), and select much larger personnel, such as character or perhaps mecha designers.. One of the most critical workers is the director. To help understand the role involving film fans, you can consider of them since the administrators of a movie, yet instead of dealing having the stars, they package with the animators who make the characters within the movie. Their participation is usually attending appointments and building decisions to manage often the anime's schedule, budget, and level of quality. After the primary panoramic classes, models happen to be created (character, pieza, outfits, etc. ). Versions happen to be obviously a great important factor inside developing a good cartoons. Character designers are tasked with simplifying manga or example of this designs to turn out to be ideal for animation or, with regards to a good original anime, in order to make a innovative character arranged based on director / maker types. https://www1.kissanime.li/Anime/Death-Note/ Character developers frequently proceed to suggest animation company directors on movement fixes, which in turn must be made for you to stay near their personality models (in which event they are typically credited as animation representative with regard to the series). Once the tale and drawings will be attracted, the first show is managed. production: Often the first step is in order to write down thier script for the episode. Following a synopsis hcg diet plan plans for that episodes, the particular entire sets are usually published, possibly by anyone intended for the entire series, or perhaps simply by several different internet writers based on the facial lines of the script's standard boss (staff credit: structure from the Serie). The scenarios will be analyzed simply by typically the overseer, the suppliers, in addition to possibly because of the author regarding the original function ahead of it is completed (after 3 as well as 4 paintings, often). The episode representative, supervised by way of the CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, takes this backbone of the tv show and has in order to plan precisely how it will certainly truly look on tv screen. Even though the representative offers the last word plus participates in production group meetings, the episode director has the most involvement inside the development of often the show. kiss anime This stage can be expressed as a storyboard (a visual scenario), in addition to the storyboard marks often the beginning of actual toon manufacturing. to draw:

Usually the script is created by way of this director, which signifies that an tv show is really that director's eye-sight. But generally, especially around the television cartoons, separate storyboarders are used to attract them. This is definitely because the pieces of software normally take around several weeks to make a normal length television anime event. Artwork meetings and development gatherings are held using the episode director, series director, as well as others about this specific episode. The cases happen to be drawn on A-4 papers (in general) and even contain most of the critical pads of an anime: lower numbers, acting professional moves, camera movements, such since zoom or perhaps pan, discussion (taken from stage) together with the period of each one picture (or cut). ) throughout terms of seconds and even support frames (which we may make clear later). Because typically the number of drawings available for an episode is frequently determined for the cause associated with budget management, this number of casings is also carefully considered within the storyboard. The circumstances are definitely more or less drawn and are also genuinely the key for you to determining how an cartoons may play. The clippings send to the single photo via the camera, and a average television cartoons instance will generally include all around 300 discounts. More slashes don't necessarily mean a new better good quality event, but will generally suggest more work for the home / writer. Cases connected with storyboards from To Aru Kagaku no Railgun. Cartoons stories have 5 columns. From left to best suited: the cut number, the looks, the action, the dialog, and last but not least the runtime (in time and frames). Types are drawn nearly because they are managed by other designers in the next production step. aspects: Much less well known is often the set up process, which scars very early artsy production. Around simple terms, model growth refers to the setting on the cylinders to get used in the lower and the background technique that is required, offering typically the certain model of precisely what the final photograph will look like. Discounts happen to be made the identical size like the movement report plus include mobile phone location information, accurate information of video camera movement, and other options. Within cooperation with the director and maybe the producers, the lead computer animators draw models (or often employees are credited especially with type drawings), and the pictures are named where this heroes / characters is going to be found and how a cut can adhere to... to be framed. The basic structure of the background skill (for instance, a shrub here, the hill there) is drawn, plus the factors in the storyboard are indicated inside the design to assist describe the cut. Often many stages of the particular script could be expressed around a single drawing, provided that it's not too confusing. The pv cells are shaded around warm colors, the backdrops are usually dark in cool shades. Once approved by means of the home, these design templates are copied and converted in to the qualifications department (receiving originals) in addition to key animators. The artwork director and assistants work on painting the background is effective good model's rough sketches, while the rest of the particular production process continues in the same time. Presently the shape of each and every cut is decided: the opportunities of the characters, typically the setup, what they may do and how this photograph will be caught (camera angle, zoom and even panorama). Nevertheless one involving the most expressive together with vital parts of the production continues to be: animation.

[pipepump9-blog]

How animation work?

I think it is definitely important and interesting to find out the fundamental elements in the environment that we almost all like, and one regarding the most critical inquiries is: how is cartoons built? For me, mainly recently, it was a using up question and I ended right up doing some detailed research. For the sake connected with other anime lovers together with the same question, We thought about sharing our benefits. So if you want the bullets to fire again the subsequent time you get found way up in a dialogue concerning the merits of cartoons, or you want some sort of new solution to watch cartoons, I hope this article is valuable to you. In the last year possibly even, our growing interest in this kind of side of items actually opened my eyes to be able to the expertise, skill, love, and splendor found around Japanese animation. This content is going to focus on anime-TV creation, but the same general method does apply to videos and OVA. That mentioned, there can be quite a few variations in between studios together with individual stage shows. The approach of making an anime is intricate, with many steps and periods. That graphic from the AIC English web page is a good good visible image connected with what My partner and i will explore:

The anime development course of action. Preproduction: This process depends upon that promotes an concept in addition to who supports that, they can be animation dojos, alongside with vendors, yet quite a few animes are usually manga changes or mild novels, in which case advance building costs (including costs). displayed on television stations). Typically the production firm (eg Aniplex) gathers staff members, sponsors, and looks at ads and even merchandise. While quite a few folks describe the galleries like cheap, only about half of the budget is often the cartoons studio, the majority is passed on by shows and other adding corporations. Streaming costs are interestingly high, according to the cat blogger of about 50 million yen regarding an evening schedule around 5-7 posts for a good 52-episode set. You could see why anime can be an expensive business enterprise. For case in point, Entire Metal Alchemist, which usually acquired a new space about Saturday in 6: 00 p. e., had some sort of total budget regarding 500 million yen (before additional costs). When the primary staff is arranged, they meet and plan their particular anime, work on line composition (how the cartoons will play in each instance as well as throughout the series), and select larger staff members, such as character or perhaps mecha designers.. One of the most crucial employees is the director. To understand the role associated with administrators, you can assume of them as the administrators of a movie, nevertheless instead of dealing with the characters, they cope with the computer animators which make the characters within the movie. Their assistance is generally attending group meetings and doing decisions to manage typically the anime's schedule, budget, plus top quality. After the initial panoramic sessions, models happen to be created (character, espiga, fancy dress costumes, etc. ). Versions will be obviously a essential aspect within generating a good cartoons. Character designers are tasked with simplifying manga as well as illustration designs to get suitable for animation or maybe, in the matter of a great original anime, to be able to create a fresh character arranged based in director / manufacturer descriptions. Character makers frequently proceed to suggest animation administrators on cartoon fixes, which will must be made in order to stay nearly their identity models (in which case they are commonly awarded as animation home with regard to the series). Once often the tale and drawings happen to be sketched, the first event is sorted out. production: This first step is to help write the script for often the episode. Following synopsis / plans for your episodes, typically the entire sets are usually published, either by an individual regarding the entire series, or perhaps by way of several different internet writers based on the facial lines of the script's standard boss (staff credit: make up with the Serie). The situations will be analyzed by simply the particular representative, the makers, in addition to possibly by author of the original get the job done prior to it is completed (after 3 as well as 4 paintings, often). The episode home, supervised by the BOSS, takes this backbone from the show and has to plan just how it will certainly basically look on monitor. While the overseer offers the last word plus participates in production gatherings, the episode director provides the many involvement inside the development of the particular episode. This stage will be expressed as a storyboard (a visual scenario), plus the storyboard marks this beginning of actual movement production. to draw: Often the script is created simply by the particular director, which means that an episode will be really that director's perspective. But generally, especially around the television cartoons, different storyboarders are used to be able to attract them. This will be because the scripts commonly take around several months to make a normal length television anime episode. Fine art meetings and generation appointments are held along with the episode director, sequence director, as well as others about this particular episode. The examples will be drawn on A-4 paper (in general) and incorporate most of the important blocks of a good cartoons: trim numbers, movie star activities, photographic camera movements, such because zoom or perhaps pan, dialogue (taken from stage) and the period of each one image (or cut). ) in terms of seconds together with frames (which we will reveal later). Because often the number of drawings available for an episode is usually determined for the sake associated with budget management, typically the number of support frames is usually also carefully considered in the storyboard. The examples will be more or less drawn and are also really the key to be able to deciding how an cartoons may play. The clippings direct to the single photo from the camera, in addition to a average television anime show will generally include all-around 300 discounts. More slices don't necessarily mean a better quality event, although will generally suggest more work for the home / writer. Examples involving storyboards from To Aru Kagaku no Railgun. Anime stories have 5 posts. From left to right: the cut number, the appearance, the action, the discussion, and ultimately the runtime (in time and frames). Designs are drawn about because they are managed by some other designers in the future production step. aspects: Much less well known is often the design process, which marks the beginning of imaginative production. In simple terms, unit progress refers to the positioning on the cylinders to be used in the cut and the background procedure that is required, offering the defined model of precisely what the final photograph may look like. kiss anime Discounts are usually made the exact same size like the movement report in addition to include mobile location details, accurate explanations of photographic camera movement, and other judgements. In cooperation with this director and possibly the companies, the lead animators pull models (or sometimes staff members are credited particularly with type drawings), and the photographs are named where typically the character types / characters will be located and the way a cut can abide by... to be framed. The essential structure of the history art work (for instance, some sort of sapling here, the hill there) is drawn, in addition to the elements in this storyboard are stated inside the design to guide identify the cut. Occasionally several stages of this script can be expressed in a single drawing, so long as it's not too difficult. The cells are shaded around warm colors, the qualification are dark in awesome colorings. Once approved by way of the home, these layouts are duplicated and changed in to the qualifications department (receiving originals) and even key animators. The art work director and assistants work with painting the background is effective based on the model's rough drawings, even though the rest of the particular production process continues with the same time. Today the shape of each one slice is decided: the positions of the characters, this settings, what they will do and how the particular photograph will be caught (camera angle, zoom and even panorama). Nonetheless one associated with the most expressive plus vital parts of typically the production continues to be: animation.

[danielarzani78-blog]

Purchasing Automobiles

You will also discover that the automobile transportation prices are usually higher on a per-mile foundation for shorter distances shipping service, while they're cheaper for longer trips.  Electric automobiles still have a very long way to go before they get to the mainstream marketplace.  The vehicle removal provider in Gold coast can supply you reliable services of successful removal as well they pay you a nice volume.

Automobiles Explained

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As an example, the very best batteries can store just a small percent of the energy of a gallon of gasoline in the exact same volume. Most modern vehicles marketed towards the normal consumer has some kind of power steering installed. So by way of example if there's a problem with your brakes they can provide you advice on whether you want to replace the brakes, brake discs or brake pads. When you're deciding on the sort of alloy that you're going to opt to utilize it's important to pick the best one. Automobiles: the Ultimate Convenience! Even when you are below the typical factory warranty, a Mopar Vehicle Protection Plan can boost your coverage. Find out more about why you must choose National Transport here. Automotive technology proceeds to move forward into the upcoming huge innovation. Napleton Automotive has existed since 1931! New Holland Tractor Spare Part provides a best remedy to clients. 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The growth in popularity of the automobile allowed cities to sprawl, therefore encouraging more travel by car causing inactivity and obesity, which then can result in increased probability of a wide range of diseases. We've got a couple easy elements which make pricing easy. A Startling Fact about Automobiles Uncovered Many O-rings available on the market are sub-standard regarding quality. Nowadays, many suppliers are providing large quantities of spare parts with good quality to clients. A massive portion of Hyundai positioning their company on the market has been their capacity to support themselves. The Basic Facts of Automobiles It is possible to select spare parts depending on the model of tractor. The awful alternator diode can produce the circuit charge notwithstanding once the motor is closed off, and you wind up toward the start of the day with an automobile that won't begin. Now, the engine is in its idle speed, and can't pull the automobile up the slope in the event the clutch is engaged. No matter what kind of auto you might be interested in, while it's a bigger model that has lots of cargo space, or a new FIAT convertible which has a smooth design, or perhaps you're seeking that sporty ride for weekend driving. Thus, a compact sports car is going to have much lower drag when compared with a van for exactly the same velocity. In reality, the entire intention of the gear box is to ensure the engine works in the power band in any way times.

The Tried and True Method for Automobiles in Step by Step Detail

You have to obtain all of the necessary documents and license number to be certain your vehicle follow all legitimate policies while it's on road.  Recyclers collect used ATF so that it doesn't become leaked into the surroundings. Many automobile industries have a tendency to concentrate on identifying customer demands and fulfilling their requirements.

I also had to get in touch with Kia customer affairs to acquire my money reimbursed on account of their trip interruption policy and finally have a case manager for it.  Our finance department can adjust variables to be certain that your loan will fit the way you live.  Come to see our BusinessLink team prepared to serve all of your business requirements.

[seynabri]

Tokyo in Tulsa 2018

It is time for the story of Tokyo in Tulsa 2018. It all starts on a Wednesday....

Wednesday

The Wednesday was where all the craziness started. Being newly married and living in a house I was the one whose place was best suited for everyone staying over before leaving the next day. So that meant my brother, Kelsey, and Dani sleeping at my place. But wait! There's more! Skyler and Erin decided the drive from Minnesota to Tulsa was not something they wanted to do again. So they drove down to Omaha on Wednesday as well. To also stay with me! Full house!

So fun story about the korok costumes. While I went to church that night Dani and Kelsey went outside and spray painted the three of them and left them laying on the lawn. When you drive into our neighborhood toward our house there’s a part of the street where you can see our backyard. I look over. What are those colorful things on our lawn??? Those skiiiiins???

Well Dani came over first and we spent the day working on cosplay. Since you know... we're so great at getting things done on time. Kelsey came over a little later and... worked on cosplay. Then I had to leave for a bit. But then I came back and Brock arrived and we ate dinner and... worked on cosplay. Until eventually Dani and were like. Okay. We HAVE to get the skit audio recorded. Because it's not just cosplay that we do last minute.

Enter. The Husband. Remember the mention of newly married? Said husband has a little mini studio. Recording equipment. Instruments. Recording software. Clearly I married him so our skit audio could be better than previous years. (Like the time we used the mic on a pair of iphone earbuds in the hotel room closet. Good times.) So he got that all set up. And we proceeded to take several hours to record a 3 minute skit...

It was just so scary! Dani and I, two can't get any whiter girls, trying to rap the Zelda/Hamilton parody we had written. But honestly. The rapping wasn't the worst. It was when we got to the singing. No one in our group could get past the auditions on American Idol. Let's just say that. But being the least worst I got stuck with the singing. Which was... super fun. I maybe cringe a bit every time I hear the audio. But that could just be one of those "you're your own worst critic" scenarios.

Eventually Skyler and Erin showed up and we all talked and worked on stuff and got stuff ready and passed out way later than we should've. But we were ready! To go to Tulsa. Not.. the cosplays. But they were ready to be brought down to get finished!

Thursday

So we got a later start than we usually do on Thursday. On purpose. We wanted sleep. And since Skyler and Erin came down and there were six of us we split between two cars. It was finally my year. Year nine of us going down and I was finally the one who had to drive. I mean. I did finally get a car last year. A Prius. With it's excellent gas milage. So naturally it was my turn. In my car we had myself... obviously, Kelsey, and Brock. So the other car was Skyler, Erin, and Dani.

Before leaving Omaha we hit up Walmart to get our groceries for the weekend. And then we were off! The usual, non eventful, drive down to Tulsa. Although Dani almost died so there was that. She was sitting in the back in the other car and Erin noticed the door open light was on. Dani's back there, leaning on the door, listening to music, no seatbelt, oblivious to the whistling from the door.... She survived though!

So we get to Tulsa, check into our hotel. Haul all our stuff up to the 3rd floor. And there was a lot of stuff. But the 3rd floor was great because it's only one floor above the floor that leads to the sky bridge that goes over to the convention center. So we basically got to avoid the elevators the whole weekend. Which if anyone here has been to a convention at a hotel with elevators you know how crazy those waits can get.

After getting a little settled Brock and I ran down to go pick up our badges. We were the only ones who happened to pre-register. Which ended up being not as convenient as it sounds because the line we ended up in because of our last names was the longest one. It took... a while. And then when the others got their badges the next morning they were back to fast. Jealous.

THIS MONSTROSITY

The rest of the night was working on cosplay. I still had my wig to finish but I pushed that one off until the next day and worked on some other miscellaneous things. Little things here and there with the other cosplays and painted the props for the skit with Erin. A few of our Tulsa friends also stopped by to say hello. Other than that it was a pretty chill night.

Friday

Friday morning, after waking up and treating ourselves to the free breakfast the hotel provided it was back to cosplay work! I actually worked on my wig this time and finally finished that monstrosity! When it was time to go down to the con I threw on my K-ON! uniform because it's comfy and I didn't know what else to bring for Friday. Dani was Tsukimi, Brock was Spider-Man, Kelsey was comfortable, and Skyler and Erin were casual Hawke and Fenris.

Aww yiss Fenris.

Friday was a lot of wandering and getting the lay of the land. We hit up the vendors room first and that might have been when I bought a couple of new phone charms. In the artist alley we found the cosplay contest sign up and went ahead and did that. Honestly I can't remember much of what we did on Friday at the convention center. I know there was a lot of finding each other, losing each other, and then window shopping. At one point, Kelsey, Brock and I spend a couple hours very slowly going through the artists alley making mental notes of what we liked.

The one picture I have of me from Friday.

After all that though we went back to the room to eat some food and continue our work on the costumes that needed to be ready for the next day. That's kinda how last minute we were. At some point we had to stop and go practice our skit. So it was down to our usual practice spot!

d’awwwww

I'd say this was the longest we spent practicing. We had a lot of blocking to do. We wanted to make sure we had movement and plenty of fun things to look at. Dani and I by the nature of our skit were mostly just standing to the sides for the whole thing so the two of us were the ones who stood back and did the blocking. I kind of felt like a crazy, demanding person telling people where to go and what to do. I'm sorry if I got a little bossy guys! But it was fun and I think it turned out very successful!

We were super mature about this way this looked...

Also I've heard that song we did so many times that I now sometimes mix the lyrics with the song it's actually based off of. Yikes. Afterwards we made sure we finished everything else that needed to be finished and then passed out so we could get up in time to go to pre-judging.

Saturday

So pre-judging! It was a mad dash getting ready in the morning. I had to get up particularly early because I hadn't had time to do a makeup practice. And my character had a mildly intricate design on the face. Which... mostly got covered up by the wig later. But it still looked cool, I promise! Our koroks got to get ready the quickest since they weren't going to be seen underneath the costume. On the flip side though because they were so covered they were dying from the heat the whole time they wore those things.

Paya is ready for her day!

Paya and Purah checking in!

Too much cute!

Selfie with the hero!

It was humid and boring while we waited. But we had our fun!

One of the few full body shots of me. All those layers killed any curves I have. I need to figure that out for next time. Paya most definitely has some definitive curves.

The Tator Jaegars!!!

So we go down to the convention center and... had to wait for a while before they opened it up. We get up to the room we'll be judged in and also where the contest will be and... more waiting. There was a shift in the cosplay staff this year and it definitely had some of those... transitioning feels. So not as smooth as we're used to but oh well. After a while the skits were called to go backstage and... guess what! More waiting! But eventually we did get to go on and perform and outside of a couple of timing issues it went pretty well!!

Practicing while we waited.

I love when we look nice and colorful!

Waiting backstage to perform.

Right afterwards we went back to the room. Our poor koroks were dying from the heat. We ate some food and our koroks changed to more comfortable clothes. And then... it's been a month since the con. I've been so busy that I've been writing this in little spurts. Stuff happened on Saturday! I know there was a lot of wandering around. I ordered a couple of commissions in the artist alley.

Caught!

Model alert!

Something about those eyes.....

Taking a quick break.

Hmm. What did we do. Mostly lots of walking around. We didn't go to a single panel. So we did a lot of shopping. Ate some Dippin' Dots at one point. Yum. Poor Dani wanted to go outside and take pictures but we kept getting distracted. And when we finally did make it outside we only got a couple of pictures in before. Dun dun DUUUUN. It started raining. And with the wigs Dani and I were wearing. Rain would have been disastrous. So we had to run inside. I'msorryDani.

The beautiful before the rain started pictures.

See! It exists!

So adorable!

Silly times in Hyrule....

Some pics from The photoshoot our Link and Purah did together!

Mmmmm.

I know we went to the hotel room then. I think we were hungry so we ate some food. And by then it was about time to be getting to the contest. After getting all ready we went down to the convention center and waited until we were let into the room. Unlike previous years the skits went backstage right away and got to hang out in this curtained off area. Which had a little bit of seating, which was nice. So we sat back there waiting to go on. Playing on our phones. Chatting. Peaking out at the walk on line every so often to see if it was getting close to the skits yet.

Speak no evil. Hear no evil. See no evil. :D

Guys! It’s picture time!

Yay!

Eventually it was time! As usual the time onstage was a bit of a blur. The thing I most distinctly remember was the clatter as Dani's chopsticks from her hair fell one by one and hit the stage. I don't think the audience heard it but I was definitely very confused for a minute there. Other than that though things went wonderfully! And after leaving stage we were pretty excited about getting through it and hearing the crowd cheer and laugh. After a bit we were escorted to the back of the room to watch the rest of the skits and the results.

They killed him. D:

No remorse.

Passionate pointing!

There he go.

git it gurl

YAAAAAH

Giving my to-do list to Link.

Link is not amused.

More pointing!

So we get to the results and as usual they announce the hall cosplay winners first and then get to the skits. This is where things got crazy! They announce third place and lo and behold it's the people who have won first place every year we've done this. We were shook. And let that little hope into our hearts. Although Dani and I kept looking at each other and saying not to get our hopes up. And then second place is announced. Not us. So we're like. Okay. There's no way. Right?? Right?!?!

BUT GUESS WHAT!!!!! WE GOT FIIIIIIIRST!!!! We were shooken as Dani says. We walk on upstage all smiles because OMGWEWON. And then we had to stand there for a while with our certificates but it was so awesome!!! Once they ended everything we had to go and get our prize (moniiies) and fill out forms for the best prize. Badges for next year!!! So that was pretty exciting!

So happy!!!

We went outside after to get some pictures of all of us. Finally got some outdoor pictures because it had stopped raining. Which was nice. After that we went up to the room to order our celebration pizza! Which we used the money we won to buy. And divided up the rest. Which... took me way longer than it should have. I'll admit that. Even with a calculator I was having a rough time. Mostly with how the bills were divided.

It’s research time!

Waiting for that hero to appear!

Creeeepyyyy.

FIRST PLAAAACE

Paya getting ready in the morning. :D

Some koroks are very close with each other..

Cuties. All of them.

fab

Super sneaky korok <_<

Oh boy. We all know what time it is! Climbing!

So now that’s it’s been announced officially online elsewhere. Kelsey is having a babyyyyyy!!!!!!! 

Anyway. We ate pizza. We watched tv. Our friends visited. We had a good time! By the end of the night I was exhausted. Somehow everyone else still had energy enough to go to the rave but I just couldn't. I really am the great grandma of the group. My age is showing! So I passed out while they went and did that.

The best my hair has ever looked after being under a wig all day. Plus a good shot of that makeup because I’m proud of it!

Sunday

Sunday, Sunday. The last day. I'll admit I was alone for most of Sunday. After getting all packed and checked out I wanted to do the last of my shopping. And I kept getting separated from everyone else so I kinda just wandered alone. I mostly bought stuff in the artist alley. Although I did get some stuff for my husband's birthday in the vendors room. I picked up a commission. Had some long, fun talks with some artists. Bought myself some more Dippin Dots. Just generally had a good time wandering around.

The Tator Jaegers about to say goodbye to Tulsa for another year!

I did eventually meet up with Dani and Brock. And we sat around in the hallway exhausted and people watching. By the time we found everyone else we were also finding our Oklahoma friends. So there was some meeting and talking and we figured while we had everyone we may as well say our goodbyes and get going. So there were hugs and well wishes and we were off!

TULSA FRIIIIEEENDS!!!

Well. Off to find lunch. At Arby's! And then really on the road! For the most part it was uneventful. Until we drove through a storm. Which happened to also be when we had to take a detour. So that was interesting. Driving through small towns on an unknown road while it's storming. Apparently the other car saw a mini tornado! We didn't get anything quite as scary.

Otherwise we made it home okay and all was well. Another year of Tokyo in Tulsa. It had a slightly different vibe than previous years what with the staff changes. But otherwise it was a blast! Winning the skit contest was most definitely the highlight of the weekend! Thanks to everyone who made that possible. And just thanks to all my friends for being the best and making the con such a good time. I love you all and until next year!

Our short shenanigans video! 

[lacepaint08-blog]

‘Top Chef Kentucky’ Recap: A Chinese New Year Showdown in Macau

In the latest episode of Top Chef Kentucky, the action switches from the Bluegrass State to Macau, where the five remaining contestants compete in the finals — with a few surprise guests as their helpers.

At the start of the episode, the five remaining cheftestepants are clearly excited to have made it all the way to the finals. The stakes are perhaps highest for Michelle, who got eliminated earlier in the competition and then reentered the game via Last Chance Kitchen. “I fought my way back for a reason — I’m ready to kick some ass,” she says. Meanwhile, Eric is proud of the fact he’s been able to get to the finals by cooking West African-influenced food every step of the way. Adrienne remarks that this is the part of the competition where she needs to “start showcasing as a top performer.” Kelsey feels like people have underestimated her in the past, but now she says she’s “here to win big.” And Sara tells the camera, “I’m not going to be cocky about it, but yeah, I think I can beat them.”

After arriving at the fancy MGM Macau hotel, the five chefs give each other hugs and crack open a bottle of Champagne. In the morning, judge Graham Elliot, who owns a restaurant in Macau, arrives to take them on a tour of his favorite local markets. With umbrellas in hand, the chefs inspect various fruits, vegetables, and types of seafood at the market. “I’m soaking up every single thing he’s saying, because I’m either going to use it down the road, or I’m going to use it in the next 15 minutes for the Quickfire,” Kelsey says. And true to her prophecy, once the chefs arrive on the roof of the market, they are greeted by Padma Lakshmi — it’s Quickfire time.

For this challenge, the chefs must create a dish inspired by local market ingredients. Each of them will get to use one cut of the fish that they picked up with Graham as their protein, but they will need to find the rest of the ingredients down in the market. They have 45 minutes, total, to gather their ingredients and cook.

Despite the language barrier, the chefs mostly manage to find what they need in the market. Sara reveals that she actually tried to learn Cantonese before the trip, and Kelsey ends up befriending one vendor who enthusiastically helps her out with a bunch of ingredients, including a bag of mystery bag of white powder that turns out to be cornstarch — perfect for her fried gum fish dish. Although a few chefs struggle with their proteins, all of them manage to finish their dishes on time.

Graham loves Adrienne’s clam ceviche with watermelon, but thinks that Sara’s bowl of raw scallops with apples and water chestnuts is too soupy. Padma likes the flavor, but not the texture, of Eric’s snails with black bean sauce. And Kelsey’s fried gum fish and Michelle’s cuttlefish noodles with Chinese beans both get high marks from the judges. Graham tells the final five, “The person that wins the Quickfire obviously is the one that really embraced the challenge, and that person is Michelle.” A winner of several previous Quickfires, the San Francisco chef is thrilled by this victory. “It feels amazing to hit the ground running, and show the judges that I’m inspired by the things around me,” Michelle says.

Left to right: Brandon Rosen, Brian Young, David Viana, Eddie Konrad, Justin Sutherland, Michelle Minori, Eric Adjepong, Kelsey Barnard, Sara Bradley, and Adrienne Wright.

Carmo Correia/Bravo

After the Quickfire, Padma introduces Jowett Yu, the chef/proprietor of Hong Kong’s popular restaurant Ho Lee Fook. He will be one of the judges for a Chinese New Year-themed elimination challenge, where the chefs will have to cook a meal for 200 guests. After telling the chefs that they’re going to get “a little help” with this challenge, Padma then summons five eliminated Top Chef contestants — David, Justin, Brian, Brandon, and Eddie — onto the roof. Each of them are holding trays of ingredients adorned with fortune signs.

Since Michelle won the Quickfire, she not only gets to pick who will be her sous chef, but also the order in which the other chefs will get to pick their helpers. The match-ups are: Michelle and David; Adrienne and Brian; Sara and Eddie; Kelsey and Brandon; Eric and Justin. “There’s one more thing,” Padma tells the crew. “Since this is the Year of the Pig, it’s only right that you use pig as your main protein.” The chefs have 30 minutes to shop down at the market, and they will get four hours to cook for the event the next day.

After menu planning with their sous chefs, the final five contestants are treated to a surprise dinner at Five Foot Road, a ritzy restaurant in their hotel. During the meal, Sara reveals that she is going to be making a version of shrimp and grits using cauliflower instead of cornmeal, a move that sounds highly suspect to Adrienne. (As you may recall, they have an old rivalry, of sorts, dating back to the Rupp Arena challenge.) Meanwhile, Kelsey is frustrated to learn that Adrienne is planning to cook a pork belly dish with Brian the meat maestro, since she wanted to put slices of that protein on top of her pea dish.

During prep for the meal the next day, Eric tells Justin that he wants to “bring a little bit of Caribbean flavor to Macau flavor” with his curry. Kelsey is worried that she’s overcooked her peas. And Adrienne and Eddie run into some issues with their sticky rice bites. “There’s a lot of little projects that I wish we had time to finish in the back kitchen, so we are just cutting rice cakes and broccoli florets kind of to order,” she explains.

Left to right: Adrienne Wright, Padma Lakshmi, Jowett Yu.

Carmo Correia/Bravo

Service at the party goes relatively smoothly, although the judges dole out a bit more criticism than usual during this elimination round tasting. After sampling Eric’s curry, Padma tells the chef, “You’re a bit timid with the chiles — I mean, this is the area of the world that can really handle chiles.” Jowett asks Eric, “Do you think maybe some rice or something would be good to soak up something like this?” The chef explains that he thought about that, but wanted to “stay true to everything this challenge asked for.” Later in the evening, after taking a bite of Adrienne’s sticky rice, Padma tells the chef, “Well If you were trying to burn my palate, you succeeded.” She thought the dish was served too hot. Despite these remarks, it seems that the judges generally like what the chefs have put together.

“All you chefs picked up right where you left off,” Tom tells the gang at the judges’ table. “Food was really clean, really delicious, and also I like that most of you at least weaved your own tradition into the Chinese New Year tradition as well.” Graham adds, “It was great to see you guys get dropped into another part of the world and another culture, and infuse your own stories into the food.” The judges think there were two clear standout dishes from this challenge: Michelle’s pork lettuce wrap with a cold noodle salad, and Kelsey’s pea with mushroom broth and Portuguese sausage.

Because she used local ingredients that she was not familiar with in a dish that was both satisfying and soulful, Kelsey wins this round. “This is a very real surreal moment,” she says. “Being on the top for the Quickfire and then winning this challenge is exactly the pace I want to set. I definitely have a new confidence since coming to Macau — I feel like I could win the whole thing.”

Left to right: Adrienne Wright, Kelsey Barnard, Sara Bradley, Michelle Minori, Eric Adjepong.

Carmo Correia/Bravo

With the winner of this challenge announced, it’s time to move onto the bottom three dishes. While Tom liked Eric’s curry, Padma had some issues with this dish. “There was a lack of clarity to it,” she remarks. “It felt a little muddy. I couldn’t pick out the different spices or ingredients.” After hearing this feedback, Eric defend his dish choice. “Respectfully, I disagree,” he says. “You can have curries from anywhere, and when you can’t specifically pinpoint what you’re eating in a curry but it’s at least good to you, that to me is a good curry, because everybody and their mother makes a curry.” Tom jokes that his mother never made curry, and Padma responds, “It’s not that I have to be able to pick out every ingredient, but I want some complexity to that curry, and I think that’s what that curry needed.”

Tom liked Sara’s prawns but thought her cauliflower grits were lacking... something. Padma, on the other hand, found her broth to be a bit too salty. Meanwhile, Graham had problems with the composition of Adrienne’s sticky rice and pork dish. “Adrienne, to go and have the one bite for an event where you’re cooking for 200, it might make sense, but I think for the spirit of what Chinese New Year is, it was off the mark for that,” the judge says. Tom liked the dish more than Graham, but thought the ingredients didn’t really come together.

“We’re here celebrating Chinese New Year, and it kind of reminds me that all celebrations no matter what culture, it really revolves around food,” Tom tells the crew. “When you invite people into your home and you cook for them, it’s about as generous as it can be, and there was just one dish that just left us wanting for a little bit more.” And that dish was Adrienne’s sticky rice with pork. It’s time for the New England chef to pack her knives and go.

“This isn’t how I wanted finals to go for me, but there’s not much I regret about this cook today,” Adrienne says on her way out the door. “My future is really up in the air. I would love to go home to Goshen, Connecticut and be able to raise a family there, open a restaurant, and thrive in this community that’s meant so much to me. I don’t quite know exactly where I’m going to head yet, but I’m really excited about all the possibilities.”

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Source: https://www.eater.com/2019/3/1/18246088/top-chef-holy-macau-recap-season-16-episode-13

[tusharsinghshekhawat-blog1]

Tushar Singh Shekhawat: Tips on How to Employ a Wedding Event Organizer

It used to be that wedding organizers were considered a deluxe for the rich and/or celebs. Nothing can be better from the fact. If you are recently involved, and even one month from your wedding celebration as well as need a little assistance, right here is a practical, intelligent as well as actual guide to discovering that unique somebody that can get you down the aisle to your various other unique somebody with style. These are the quick, critical bullet points you require CURRENTLY:

Tushar Shekhawat

1) Speak with buddies, vendors and check out blogs as well as websites that you count on. Ask their referrals. Schedule conferences with a minimum of 3 extremely vetted consultants/planners after having a look at their internet sites and seeing their work. Come armed with inquiries and also use this as your guide. Above all, follow your digestive tract as well as see who you click with. Those examinations should be by consultation just as well as obviously, gratis!

  2) First question: do you like their style (of good manners, humour, outfit, company)? Does he or she make you smile/feel tranquility? If so, that's an excellent indicator you'll be a terrific team. Remember, a wedding event coordinator is part spending plan guru, part organizational ninja, component diminish, component style professional as well as part family members therapist. He or she (and their team) will be your sanity, your laugh, your reprieve and your guide. Choose intelligently!

  3) How much time has he/she been in business? The number of weddings has he/she performed? If the solution is "I intended my very own wedding event and also it was SO much enjoyable" or, ditto, "I prepared my daughter's wedding event as well as it was so meeting!" then, run. These are called hobbyists and also there are thousands of them masquerading as skilled pros. Taking a class in wedding celebration planning does not make a wedding event organizer, either. You wish to ensure your organizer has actually done at the very least 50 weddings. An excellent guideline is additionally a minimum of three years in organisation. Do they have any type of legal actions filed against them? Bad indicator. Do they obtain great deals of local and nationwide press? GREAT indication.

  4) Do they have a variety of methods to plan, such as full-service (best for the majority of brides), weekend break of as well as per hour? Are they reachable during most organisation hours and also some after hrs? Do not abuse it and call at 3 remain in a panic, however anticipate that they will certainly return to you promptly when you have shedding problems. Organizers reside on their mobile phones, so message and also e-mail too. They are very arranged!

  5) If they charge extra for practice session and also practice session supper, that's a red flag. Great wedding celebration coordinators will certainly likewise take care of that and brunch the day after. Your suitable planner might even offer to pack you for your honeymoon as well as make sure a car take you to the airport. Soup to nuts is why you pay a costs for quality! If you go with an extra abbreviated preparation experience, anticipate terrific interest and also excellence also. "Day of" is never really "Day Of" - your planner must start consulting with you a couple of weeks prior as well as recognize your wedding event like the palm of his/her hand, dual monitoring agreements, formulating timelines, vendor listings and being on-site for the big event, setup, breakdown and other events.

  6) Speaking of loan - more affordable is never ever much better with wedding celebration organizers. A fantastic wedding coordinator will certainly spend for him or herself given they have the partnerships with all the very best suppliers - they purchase in quantity and will certainly obtain FAR BETTER costs for you on cakes, website services, floral layout, stationery, digital photographers, catering services. They know the most effective vendors in business as well as will supply you numerous choices for each aspect of your wedding celebration. Regretfully, to a vendor, YOU are a one-trick horse (I recognize this seems extreme, but you only obtain married once, right?), however that organizer is their bread and butter and they will certainly go out of their way to please a planner. What may seem a little steep is really going to come out as a budget plan saver for you. Fantastic wedding celebration organizers will follow your budget word for word and keep you there. Amazing!

  7) To that point, a wedding event planner who takes kickbacks from suppliers is NOT ethical or for you. He/she is your advocate and also fees you adequate money. This additionally indicates he/she will use the very same vendors over and over, without regard for your individual design. Double-dipping to line their pockets? Escape. It's a legitimate concern to ask. It is dishonest as well as immoral.

Tushar Singh Shekhawat

8) Can your ideal prospects obtain you desired visits for the bridal style programs? Obtain you a final tasting at that wonderful food caterer? Take you out to see a desirable band or DJ? Obtain one of the most elegant papery swiftly, without drama? Produce the supports of your desires and provide them to the hotel or on a plane to your location? Select you to fittings as well as aid you with your registry? They have to have the ability to do this! They must also motivate you invest real time with your fiance as well as also get you to obtain massage therapies, go to dinner with your precious sans wedding talk and also get your workout and nourishment on the right track.

  9) Does he/she rapidly supply you with recommendations, a plan of action, an outline of his/her solutions that is crisp, professional and cosmetically pleasing? Are the agreements very easy to review and analyze? All excellent indications.

  10) Does he or she take greater than one wedding or occasion per weekend? Preferably, you would love to be the only one. Additionally, in checking out their on the internet profile, do you see several styles of weddings? The wedding event must be YOURS, not the organizer's design. This is so really essential. It's YOUR day - we are the worked with aid!

  11) Finally, do not be a queen. Having an organizer does not mean you can buy her around or belittle him or her. That's just bad manners as well as preference. She or he is your partner and also holds your wedding day in his/her capable hands. If you have worries, air them with poise as well as course. An organizer intends to please you, ensure an amazing as well as lovely wedding experience and she generally has the answers you look for! Currently go and discover your desire organizer!

  12) The best organizer should make you seem like his/her just client. Certainly. You might see that they are busy, yet you should constantly feel like top priority! Likewise, follow them on Facebook and Twitter to get some creative concepts! Great planners enjoy social media sites as well as place terrific things around for YOU!

  A fantastic wedding event coordinator can be a lifesaver. Do you really wish to stand there in your gown and also question if the cake arrived while obtaining your incorrect eyelashes used as well as listening to your mother ask about the escort card table? An excellent wedding coordinator will certainly no question have a substantial suitcase full of almost whatever to ward off dress tragedies, hangovers, busted nails and bothersome family members. They will order umbrellas if a downpour strikes in. They can bring heating units if a cold wave comes. They will certainly dry your tears as well as provide a gift to your bridegroom. They will certainly make your lovely day just lovely.

[kylewritesaboutthings]

Riot Fest 2016 - Day 2

Insanity, by Einstein’s definition, is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.  While this may or may not be a true attribution, it is a fair statement and the most accurate to how I approach any music festival. For those of you keeping track of my writing (see: my review of the Shaky Knees festival in May), you will know that my experience is a predictable one as shittily illustrated by the graph below.

Day 1 is a fury of alcohol, high fives, and shenanigans that usually peaks around 1:30am when I’m taking shot after shot before the bar closes because god forbid I want to feel like a real human being the next morning  or make the first batch of bands I want to see. And Riot Fest was no exception. Considering that I spent the previous day drinking crotch smuggled whiskey and drinking to easycore jams all night long, Saturday was set up to be a slow start. And that it was. Shooting well past the 12:30 and 1 o’clock start times of both Plague Vendor and Canadian darlings Fucked Up, we arrived to Douglas Park in time for two things: a press happy hour in which I could not bring myself to drink more than a single sip of beer and to lay in the grass and listen to hometown crooners, the Smoking Popes.

If you have never listed to the Popes picture the dadest punk band to ever happen. Like white, short sleeve button up shirts and cargo shorts. Wikipedia lists their influences as “crooners like Tony Bennett and Frank Sinantra”. They have been around since 1991 and while I am sure they were not actually dads back then, they have been dads the whole time. But please do not take this as any kind of slight on the band or their music…I’m merely setting the scene to say that they are the perfect band to listen to whilst sitting in a grassy field on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Always a solid live band, I highly recommend them for anyone looking to take a breather in between a full day of festival sets or, alternatively, those arriving late and hungover and looking to ease their way back into the real world. 

After cleansing my musical palate on the smooth tunes of the Smoking Popes, I was ready for the bitter sweet taste of Motion City Soundtracks large format farewell show. While they were set to play their officially official farewell the next night at the world famous Metro, I was not one of the luckily 1100 to get a ticket to that sad boy/girl fest. For me and the thousands gathered around the roots stage, the hour would be our goodbye to a band that was our introduction to a lot of the music we listen to day in and day out. In the wake of their decision to call it quits, Noisey published an article articulating just that…that Motion City dug their niche as an often underappreciated gateway band that really did much more than they were ever recognized for at the time.

It was with this mindset that I watched the Twin Cities catchiest export work their way through 60 minutes of perfect hooks, witty lyrics, and constant crowd singalongs. I kick myself for the years of “oh, I’ll see them next time they’re in town” and “yeah, I’ll get around to listening to the new album”. They only took a few short pauses in between songs to thank the audience and collect themselves, as singer/guitarist Justine Pierre was never one for the extravagant…just an earnest band trying to play as best and as much as possible in their given time.  Motion City was a truly special band and incredibly fun to watch live. I’ll especially miss the onstage energy and antics of keyboard player Jesse Johnson. RIP the days of keyboard stands. 

The end of their set, appropriately closed with “The Future Freaks Me Out”, left me a little sadder than I expected to be. But reprieve was in sight as The Hives were slated to start shortly after on the nearby rock stage. If you have written the The Hives off as ‘one of those bands that was popular when it was super popular to call your band The Somethings’ you are foolish and have done yourself a disservice. Garage rock at its rockiest, these Sweedes know how to perform at a level last seen in the 1970’s heyday of rock itself. Lead singer Howlin’ Pele Almqvist (I KNOW RIGHT? HOWLIN?!) is the closest we’ll get to seeing Mick Jagger strutting his stuff across the stage without the assistance of a walker or other mobility device. The ultimate showman, he knows how to work a crowd. Bouncing around all over the stage, climbing the side trusses, inciting cheers from “ladies, gentlemen, and everyone else” there was never a dull moment. Introducing the band at the start of the set, he let the crowd know that The Hives are here and we all had two wishes left. 

As a band, their stage presence can only be matched by the likes of Gwar…though obviously in a more subtle fashion than giant, mutoid, murderous space demons. The Hives take the black and white motif to an extreme that would make a 50’s diner jealous. Each member of the band donning a split black and white suit, playing black and white instruments (to include drumming with one black and one white stick), and having their stage techs dressed as one black and one white ninja while handing off freshly tuned guitars and adjusting drum kits before, during, and after the show. They are a monochromatic whirlwind of rock and roll fury and an absolute blast to watch live. As they do not play the states very often, with their last US performance coming in 2013, you should take every opportunity to see their show. Learn the lessons taught by Motion City Soundtrack.

With some time to kill before Brand New was set to make everyone sad again, our little band of hungover heroes sauntered over to the food vendor row in hopes of snacks and salvation. While browsing the selection of fried and un-fried items alike, I began to notice a sign posted to each vendor booth. These sheets were announcements that there was to be no meat cooked, served, or sold during Morrissey’s 2 hour set that evening. He has famously bared venues from even having meat in the building during his solo performance, so I’m not terribly surprised by this move. However, I do think that it is a complete and utter crock of shit. These are the same forced down the throat, boarder line fascist mentality of the fringe religious groups and other general nut jobs that hold a ‘holier than thou’ ideal to their beliefs. This move hurts every small business that spent massive amounts of money on vending space at the fest, for the will of one moody performer. While I agree that there needs to be more vegan friendly options at events like Riot Fest, this was not the way to go about it. But Morrissey has never been known for being a reasonable person, que sera sera.

Luckily it was about this time that I stumbled upon a stand serving plates of pierogis complete with sour cream and apple sauce. If anything can put out the fires of indignation in my soul, it is a belly full of doughy Polish delight. Making our way back towards Brand New I could feel life coming back to my liver. Knowing full well that press happy hour started just after the beginning of their set, we camped out on the right side of the riot stage in anticipation of the metaphorical dinner bell for all of us writers. If there is anything that can bring together a group of literary minded people: it is the promise of free booze. Of course we immediately found our other friends from For the Love of Punk and Punktastic waiting around for the same thing.

Brand New kicked off their set with a jolt, heading right into the familiar bass into to fan favorite “Sic Transit Gloria”. Hot damn! Jesse Lacy and company are known for their temperamental nature, especially in festival settings. Maybe this is growing up? As they rolled through the next two songs, also from Deja Entendu, were in shock. What is this? Where are the Daisy songs scattered in the set to break up the rhythm? Following up this run of hits with the acoustic “Mix Tape”, Jesse actually broke out a smile when getting to the line “and I’m sick of your tattoos and the way you always criticize the Smiths, and Morrissey”. I’m sure playing on the same stage that Morrissey would walk onto just an hour later (note: it would be two hours later because Morrissey is a fucking dick and was late to his headlining set) made his sad heart warm for just a moment. But the moment was fleeting as the set closed out with tracks from The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me and Daisy. During this time I sang my way back and forth from the press tent, shuttling free tallboys to my general admission friends and getting ready for the rest of the evening, which was to be the annual Pop Punk Pizza Party for my business, Soothsayer Hot Sauce.

After Brand New closed out, we started our stroll to the car as I wound through my mental checklist for the evening. Last year, in a fit of nerves, I threw up in a Walgreens parking lot before getting to the venue. This year I was doing much better, some jitters were called down through my Chief Sauce Operator/Right Hand Woman Rachel and the help of my good buddies Steph, Jim, and Travis. But I believe someone else has covered that show, so I’ll let you get the juicy details from them. To preview: amazing sets from Turnspit, Nervous Passenger, Devon Kay and the Solutions, and our secret guest…Bad Cop/Bad Cop! We ate close to 50 pizzas, drank enough malort to kill a small village, and named a dog.  Ya know, usual punk shit.

[technicaldr]

7 Ways to Improve Your Brand Perception with Reputation Management

Reputation management is a lot like the airbag in your vehicle — you hope you’ll never need it, and if you do, you’ll be thankful you have it and pray that it works in time to minimize damage.

This is an often misunderstood facet of digital marketing because the fact that someone needs to change what shows up in the search results for either their personal or business brand doesn’t always mean that they are unethical, dishonest, or trying to hide something.

More often than not, it’s a single upset customer, or in some cases, even a shady competitor causing a problem. Unfortunately, either case can result in tremendous loss of revenue and opportunity.

In other words, it’s an essential part of modern digital marketing.

Act Before a Problem Arises

Because it relies on SEO, reputation management tends not to be a fast process. That’s why it’s critical to be proactive.

If you can take over the first page, or better yet, the first few pages of the search results ahead of time, you’ll be in a much stronger position if and when a crisis does strike.

The importance of controlling how you are perceived online is obvious. The only real question is whether you should handle it yourself or hire a firm.

DIY vs. Hiring a Reputation Management Firm

You can take a DIY approach, especially if you have a fair understanding of SEO and aren’t already in the middle of a crisis.

You’ll just need to be prepared to invest the appropriate amount of time, and in some cases, money, to get the results you’re looking for. Sometimes this can be significant.

On the other hand, if you don’t understand SEO and/or are already facing a crisis, then you may be better off hiring a reputation management firm.

Even if you do choose to hire a firm, it’s still important to have an understanding of the process so you can effectively evaluate potential vendors.

Hiring a firm, however, opens up a different set of challenges.

The industry has earned a bad reputation, both because of the type of clientele they frequently work with and because of how they sometimes behave.

I’ll give you a couple of examples:

Solvera Group was hired by Texas Realtor, Tom Grisak, to remove a negative review posted about him.

Solvera then paid someone to post a second negative comment on that post, and hired a Texas attorney to file a defamation lawsuit against the poster, whom they claimed they had identified — even though it was the wrong person.

The firm then presented the courts with a falsified settlement agreement, and the judge signed a final judgment based on this misinformation, which ordered Google to deindex the post from their search results.

Throughout the process, all of the lawyers, clients, and judges involved were misled. Eventually, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton caught on and helped shut the operation down.

Managers of Status Labs, Darius Fisher and Jesse Boskoff, were sued for the equivalent of embezzlement of more than $1.5 million by one of their partners.

Rather than comply with the court order to stop stealing, Fisher and Boskoff instead set up a shell company, Blue Land Partners, moved the firm’s clients over and used their reputation management prowess to hide this fact from their new potential clients and their partner.

Fisher and Boskoff’s actions in plundering Status Labs were so egregious that the federal judge quoted John Wayne from the iconic movie, “The Sands of Iwo Jima”, saying: “Life is hard, but it’s even harder when you’re stupid.”

Fisher and Boskoff were later held in contempt for violating the judge’s order and were forced to return some of the stolen money to avoid jail time.

My point here is that if you do choose to hire a firm, you need to go into the relationship with your eyes wide open and do plenty of research to make sure you’re hiring a reputable firm.

Whether you’ve chosen the DIY approach or have decided to hire a firm, it’s important to understand exactly what goes into it.

This ensures that you have a solid action plan in the event that you’re doing the work yourself, or, if you’re hiring a firm, it helps you to better evaluate which ones are competent and trustworthy.

1. Optimize Your Own Website

Reputation managements starts with your own website because you have complete control over it.

Obviously, you’ll want to pay close attention to the technical SEO, especially semantic markup and internal links, but don’t stop there.

It’s equally important to publish content and earn links that will make Google view your website as an authoritative result for your name.

The most logical way to do this is to publish articles on your website. Lots of articles.

But it’s important not to put quantity over quality. As you build a library of useful content, your author pages on your website will become significantly more authoritative for your name.

From here, it’s also wise to build quality links to your author page. Unless you share a name with someone famous, it usually won’t take very many.

In most cases, if you have at least a few dozen quality posts on your website, then you can probably get by with less than a dozen quality links. That’s easily achievable by guest posting on other relevant, high-quality websites.

2. Contribute to Industry Publications

Major industry publications tend to be authoritative because they publish a large volume of high-quality content, and that content, relative to similar content on other websites, tends to earn more links.

This makes these publications incredibly powerful assets.

As with publishing content on your own website, the goal here is to rank your author page on industry publications on the first page of the search results.

What you want to do is contact the editors of two or three major publications in your industry to pitch the idea of you submitting an article.

If you have any contacts in common with the editors, it would be a smart move to ask for an introduction, but let’s not put the cart before the horse.

First, make sure you can answer these questions so you can pitch in a way that presents maximum value:

Who Is Their Typical Audience?

Is their audience mainly other people in your industry or to the end consumer? That will usually make a big difference in the type of content will resonate well with them.

You would write a completely different article when writing for an audience of your peers compared to writing for potential customers.

You can look at my writing as an example. When I write for publications like Search Engine Journal, I tend to write at a far deeper technical level because the readers here usually understand it.

On the other hand, when I write about digital marketing for publications in the construction industry, I try to simplify my writing because my audience there doesn’t typically have the same level of knowledge on these topics.

Why Does Your Opinion Matter?

If the internet has taught us anything, it’s that everyone has an opinion about almost everything, and most of these opinions are worthless.

So why should they listen to you?

What knowledge and experience do you have that qualifies you to share your opinion m on a particular topic?

This is an essential part of pitching an editor on your idea for an article.

What Will the Reader Gain From Your Article?

Your article needs to provide tremendous value, in the form of:

Unique and original insight.

Detailed instructions on how to do something.

A comprehensive resource that is unavailable elsewhere.

Skip the shameless self-promotion.

The publisher wants to provide value to their readers in order to ensure that they will return, and they’ll only do that if they gain something from the content on that website.

3. Optimize Your Social Profiles

Social profiles such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook are relatively easy to rank, which makes them another valuable asset.

Your profiles on social networks should include all relevant information, including your:

Hours of operation.

Phone number.

Address.

URL.

Etc.

Your social profiles should also be properly branded with your logo, brand colors, and appropriate header images.

The information included makes it more relevant to search engines, helping the profile to rank higher, while the branding increases engagement with real people.

Some of the social networks you should consider might include:

Facebook.

Twitter.

Google My Business.

Instagram.

YouTube.

Pinterest.

LinkedIn.

You don’t have to do everything all at once. In fact, you can’t do everything well all at once unless you have a massive budget and enough employees to perform the work.

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I recommend starting with between one to three social networks and create a following there before branching out into others.

While I don’t suggest trying to use every social network at once, you should secure your profile on every network so it’s available when you’re ready to use it.

4. Leverage Public Relations

As an experienced expert in your field, I’ll assume you probably have something valuable to say.

If you can leverage your insight into positive media coverage, you can create a valuable asset in your reputation management efforts. And the beauty is that it’s infinitely repeatable.

Large publications like Entrepreneur, Inc., and Fast Company are authoritative and tend to rank more easily. Especially for your own name.

  It’s essential to approach PR with the intent to add tremendous value to the editor, contributor, and audience. The mistake most people fall into is trying to make it all about themselves. This is a surefire way to get ignored.

  Unless you’ve done something truly monumental, like launching a car into space, no large publication is going to write a feature story about you. It just isn’t going to happen.

  Instead, figure out what the audience wants, and find a way to deliver that in a way that includes you, and pitch that to the editor or contributor.

  The editor wants more eyeballs on their content. The contributor does too, but they also want to simplify their job of writing the article. Especially when you consider that most contributors aren’t paid for their work.

An effective way to do this is to leverage newsworthy topics. You can see examples of this in articles where I was quoted on the gun control debate in The Business Journal, and on Ja Rule’s failed event in Forbes.

  “The key to maximizing reputation in PR is to provide remarks or content that provides high value in terms of being something the readers didn’t know and wouldn’t likely have guessed, such as a surprising insight, backed by data (with the data properly linked and sourced), and perhaps some color and complexion around an example of how that surprising finding plays out in real life,” according to thought leadership and crisis PR expert Cheryl Snapp Conner, of SnappConner PR.

  “Include your characterization as an expert and whatever link is best for people to use to find out more about you. That leads people to the right association with you, as opposed to, perhaps being linked for contributing a ‘sky is blue’ quote to an article on something unrelated to your expertise, such as tips for closing a deal on a golf course,” she said.

  You won’t have a lot of control over how a contributor writes their article, so it probably won’t be optimized specifically to rank for your name. That’s OK, though.

  It may rank on its own without any additional work, but if not, simply earn a few quality links to it and it should easily land on the first page.

5. Earn Positive Reviews

If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you probably already realize that trying to please everyone all the time is about as difficult as trying to make a pile of water.

This sometimes results in negative reviews. One way to combat that, however, is a large volume of legitimate positive reviews.

Earning those reviews is simple, but not easy. Let me explain what I mean by that.

  It’s simple because you just need to ask your satisfied customers to post a review on websites where your new potential customers may see them. That’s simple.

But it’s not easy because you must provide an exceptional product or service. Not average, not pretty good — but exceptional. That is difficult. Especially in today’s highly competitive market.

I can’t help you provide an exceptional product or service. That’s all on you.

  I can, however, help you to earn those reviews once you have. I’ll do that by sharing the email script that we use, along with our follow-up process.

  That process is critical because while these reviews are monumentally important to you, they aren’t to your customers. I’m sorry, but they just aren’t.

  Your customer is busy running their business, and they’ll only help you if you can make it easy for them, and even then, you’ll probably still have to remind them a few times.

  OK, for the email, it’s simple:

I’d like to ask you to do a favor for me…positive reviews help us to build trust and bring on new clients. Would you mind posting a quick review about your experience working with us? If you want, I’ll even draft something that you can edit as you see fit. Just let me know if you want me to do that to make it easier and faster for you.

  The links for Google and Facebook are below

Google: [Link to your Google My Business listing]

Facebook: [Link to the reviews tab of your Facebook business page]

The follow up is simple, too. My agency uses a tool called Boomerang for Gmail because we run on G Suite. We will set a reminder for one week, and if we haven’t received a review by then, we will send a reminder email that simply says:

  Just sending a reminder in case this got buried.

We usually give it another week and send another email with the same message. If that still doesn’t produce a review, then it’s time to pick up the phone.

  But before asking them for a review this time, first ask something along the lines of this:

  Hey, I know you’ve probably been really busy lately, but since you haven’t posted a review yet, I just wanted to make sure do anything wrong or leave anything hanging. Was there anything we should talk about?

  Usually, they will apologize and explain that they’ve just been busy. In most cases, they will post it shortly after this call. But in the rare cases where something was wrong, you’ve just bought yourself the perfect opportunity to fix it.

One quick note on this — I highly recommend placing positive reviews on your website as well, and where applicable, including Schema markup.

6. Launch a Podcast

Your podcast page on Apple’s website will generally be viewed as authoritative just based on the domain it resides on. This makes it an effective tool in your reputation management efforts.

Add some quality links into the mix and it can rise to the first page rather quickly.

This tactic isn’t a band-aid though, because maintaining a podcast requires a tremendous amount of effort. I recently learned this when I launched my own podcast.

I point this out because I want to emphasize that if you’re not prepared to invest the ongoing time, effort, and expense of creating a worthwhile podcast, it isn’t something you should start in the first place.

If you’re going to do this, I suggest committing to at least one year of weekly episodes. Anything short of that and you’re wasting your time.

7. Buy Relevant Domains

If you’re facing or anticipating particularly aggressive attacks, buying relevant domains is a wise tactic.

You probably have already registered the .com for your name and/or company name, but what about the almost countless other extensions available today?

At the very least, you should register the .net and .org, but I would also consider other domain extensions that may make sense for your company.

There are more than 1,000 extensions available, so be thorough but try not to go overboard. The idea here is just to prevent others from posing as you and/or your company.

Next, look at domains that could be used against you. For example:

CompanyNameSucks.com

CompanyNameComplaints.com

CompanyNameReviews.com

I would especially make it a point to include a few non-standard extensions, like .online, .club, or .reviews because they tend to outrank comparable websites with traditional extensions.

This can come in handy if there is significant search volume for complaints or reviews for a name, whether it’s a company or a person.

  You don’t need a website for each domain. In fact, in most cases, you won’t need a website for any of them unless things get really nasty. This may happen if you run into a particularly vindictive former customer or competitor.

  Only once in nearly two decades have I personally run into a situation where creating additional websites to target visitors searching for reviews or complaints was necessary.

Technical Dr. Inc.'s insight:

Contact Details :

inquiry@technicaldr.com or 877-910-0004 www.technicaldr.com

[cameronwjones]

Event Heroes: How to Create a Blockbuster Conference

Each month we interview an events professional who is breaking the mold. This month we spoke with Stephanie Hannah, the Director of Strategic Marketing at Trace3, about growing an event, running an awards show, and delivering a blockbuster conference experience.

IT teams are what keep a business running, but they don’trace always get the recognition that they deserve. Trace3, a leading provider of IT solutions, developed their Evolve conference in response to this trend.

Stephanie Hannah has overseen the conference’s growth from 280 attendees to over 1,000 attendees. She also created and scale the Outliers Awards gala, which has become a flagship component of the conference.

Before leading the Evolve Conference, Stephanie ran high-level events at Dolphin Stadium and an array of B2B, B2C and nonprofit organizations. Throughout all of her events, high-production value and incredible attendee experience have been a constant.

In this Event Heroes Spotlight we discuss:

Taking ownership of an existing event series

Proving value to attendees and other stakeholders

Producing a star-studded awards show

Bringing an event vision to life

Learning the art of negotiation from the royal family

Brandon: You’ve been involved in creating unforgettable experiences in a number of different ways. Could you tell us a little about your career and how it lead you to your current role at Trace3?

Stephanie: I have spent the last 20 years producing television and live events. I originally contracted with Trace3 in 2011 to produce their annual EBC (Executive Briefing Conference) and the first Outlier Award Gala.

Due to my relationships and resources, I was able to pull together a high-quality team to help me early on and deliver a show that exceeded expectations and created a standard for the direction Trace3 wanted to take the conference in the future.  

Under my leadership, my team has fostered strong relationships with a broad network of talented professionals and trusted vendors. I have a passion for sophistication and style consistently placing our events on the cutting edge, but it is my personal touch and drive to over-perform for our clients, that sets my team and I apart. We approach each new event as an opportunity to improve on our past work, expanding our resources and stockpiling fresh ideas, guaranteeing our clients innovative solutions and dramatic results.

"I maintain a big picture philosophy with a focus on the goals and critical eye on the details."

We execute exceptional meetings and events that achieve business objectives and exceed expectations—all with seeming easy and efficient.

Brandon: The Trace3 Evolve Conference has been around since 2012. Could you tell us a little bit about what the process was like for launching the conference? Is there a specific challenge that comes to mind? If so, how did you surmount it?

Stephanie: The process of launching Evolve begins a week after the previous event ends. We start with the theme and move to creating an agenda of speakers, breakouts that are all aligned to the theme. Once that is established, I divide the workload amongst teammates, we begin looking for speakers, creating graphics, looking for partners to sponsor, create invitations, update websites and the mobile app and a year’s worth of communications all set to a launching schedule.

I create a workload spreadsheet for each person and we have weekly calls to make sure each person is tracking to their tasks.

I think my biggest challenge this year was that we created the staging 7-8 months prior to the event and about 3 weeks before the event the production team came back and said, the stage was not going to work. We pulled together and changed the stage design and the exhibit booths all in a matter of a few days. This was stressful prior to the event, but worked out in the end.

I like to make sure that, once we are on site, everything runs like clockwork. I have my team come in 3 days before the event starts to get ready and practice what they are to do until they are comfortable and are knowledgeable of their job.

Brandon: What about the conference has changed since its earliest days? Are there any particular strategies or initiatives that have enabled it to scale?

Stephanie: The Evolve Conference has significantly grown from 2012. Not only by size but by scope of the event. We started with approximately 280 attendees and a small ballroom with pipe and drape and two breakout rooms. Now we are well over 1,000 people and have a stage that is designed with the latest technologies to support the Evolve conference and the Outlier Awards Show (which includes Las Vegas caliber performances).

We’ve managed to do this without going outside of our customer base. That's without us doing any advertising for outside people to be involved at all. We're getting to the place where we would love for Evolve to become an industry standard event.

One of the key successes to our growth is partner participation. This has allowed us to have amazing leadership and technology speakers, the VIP (very important partners) lounge, along with a new implementation of interactive experiences such as the escape room (Rogue AI) and the latest in VR and AR.

"Without our partners we really wouldn't be where we are. So we create things that are of value to them, that create the most ROI for their business."

It's promoting them. It's having branding throughout the event space. It's creating experiences for our partners with our sales reps and their customers through executive dinners. We make sure that they get the same white-glove service that our customers do. The goal is that they feel that it was good use of their money and that they feel valued.

Another key to our growth has been our dynamic presentations from leading business enablers and industry leaders. Often at technology conferences, you go and there's one keynote speaker and then you're in breakout for the rest of the day. 

At the Evolve Conference, you register, you check into your room, you have a nice lunch. And then at 1:00pm we start. Our CEO kicks off and launches the theme for the rest of the day. And then we have actually 6 speakers throughout that day till about 5:00. They all are relevant to leadership and technology, and are focused on driving real business outcomes.

Brandon: You’ve mentioned that the attendee experience is integral to your approach to event planning. With the Evolve Conference, what are some ways that you’ve brought this attendee-first approach to life?

Stephanie: One of the things that drives me, is the hospitality of any event. Im passionate about the content, but I also care deeply about the attendee’s overall experience.

Our approach is always the customer comes first. Throughout the 48 hours of the event our goal is to create what we call TCE or total customer experience. Once they come to event check in, every customer is given white-glove treatment and made to feel as they are the only customer. As we have grown, it has gotten harder and harder, but we are committed to excellent customer service.  

Brandon: One pivotal component of Evolve Conference is the Outlier Awards Gala. It’s practically an event within an event. What’s the process like for organizing the gala? How do you feel the gala has contributed to Evolve Conference’s overall brand?

Stephanie: The Outlier is a beast in itself, while I’m planning the Evolve conference, I have nominees and judges to work with. The Evolve conference was developed to empower IT leaders. We connect them with the latest technologies and we provide ways to implement change from the server room to the board room. That is why the culmination of the Evolve show ends with the Outlier gala to honor individuals who consistently deliver dynamic innovation and outstanding leadership in the field of information technology.

I think after the first year people really caught the vision.

Brandon: You’ve mentioned that one of your strengths is creating a strong vision and being able to communicate that vision to your team. Bridging the gap from ideation to production is no small challenge. What’s your secret?

Stephanie: With my past television and film production experience I have learned that surrounding myself with people who are good at their craft, allows me to move forward with confidence with knowing that my vision will be executed properly. Another secret is, I start creation of the stage and the vision for the Outlier Gala a year in advance. We ideate the big vision on paper and then we continue to stream line until we are within our event budget. All while trying to hold on to the original integrity of the vision.

Brandon: How do you stay inspired and keep your creative instincts fresh?

Stephanie: Creatively one of the advantages I had was that I took over Evolve and Outlier very much in the infant stage, so I have had a lot of room to grow over the years.  One of the main driving forces I have is to out-produce my budget. I want Evolve and Outlier to rival the best conferences in the industry, and obviously I only have a fraction of the budget.

Brandon: When you’re not running out-of-this-world events you like spending time with your family and watching Netflix (in careful moderation). What are you watching right now?

Stephanie: Like half the world, after royal wedding between Harry and Megan Markle, I discovered SUITS. There were 7 seasons and I have been binge-watching on the weekends, to get caught up to season 8. The one thing I love about this show, they are all great negotiators and it completely motivates me while putting together my event contracts.

Brandon: If you had to give one tip to someone who is running a conference like Evolve, what would it be?

Stephanie: Running a conference is a lot of work so having a team you trust and that are in their element of strength is probably the biggest help you can have. Another important thing is to start early and be completely prepared, a week or two before the event. Always, have a back-up plan in case anything goes wrong.

That's all for this spotlight, but you may be interested in checking out these other Event Heroes:

Cathy McPhillips (Content Marketing World)

Vasil Azarov (Growth Marketing Conference)

Dayna Rothman (SaaStr)

from Cameron Jones Updates http://bizzabo-318095.hs-sites.com/event-heroes-stephanie-hannah