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merrock · 2 years

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HAPPY FIRST OF MAY!

Good morning, Merrockites! Since it's the first of the month, I just thought I'd get into the habit of doing a post to kick things off and to remind people of things we have going on in town, any changes players should be aware of, and maybe a refresher of some rules that we need to work on all the way around.

HAPPENING IN MAY:

camping weekend (april 28 - may 2) -- wrapping up on Monday, all characters have been invited out to spend the weekend camping at The Glen. Starters can be done until Monday evening if you are interested in getting threads in for this event, and can be continued as long as you and your partner like.

flower festival (may 15 - may 21) -- happening at Lavender Lane, the flower festival will be full of work shops, games and activities, have lots of refreshments and snacks, and you'll be able to make some pretty things, too! not to mention having lots and lots of flowers to choose from to plant at home.

mini events -- on may 5th, cinco de mayo will be observed at paco's! for mother's day, bring your mom out to overlook for some brunch. everyone gets a pizza party sponsored by the benefactor on may 20th. and lastly, on may 30th, join us at cityview for a memorial day picnic! MORE INFO HERE!

EXTRA BIT OF FUN:

Although we've wrapped up our spring task, we've added May's development task to the list! These, as usual, can be done any time, they don't have to be completed by the end of the month, we just try our best to offer you something new to do each month to help you develop your characters and have a little bit of fun along the way. You can also check out February, March and April's prompts on this page, if you're interested!

RULE CHANGES AND REMINDERS:

i'll kick this one off by saying it's always a good idea to read over the rules if you're unsure of something, every group has different rules, so there's nothing wrong with asking questions if you have any.

please remember that while I absolutely don't mind chatting in messages, if you need something from me that requires me to be online, I prefer that you do so through the inbox/ask box. it's easiest for me to keep track of everything that needs done through there!

as mentioned last month, we made some small changes to new character pick-ups. roles 1-4 can be done within one week of each other, but to pick up role 5 and onwards, we're asking you to wait two weeks just to be sure your characters have settled in.

we have finalized our decision on activity checks / requirements! because of some concerns with activity lately, i am making the new requirement 1 week. if you haven't been active at all in one week, you will be placed on check and receive a strike (warnings are still five days). we do not have a requirement as to what is expected in that one week, but please note that if we see you are repeatedly logging in to only do one reply and then dip out, we will reach out to talk to you. it's okay if it happens every now and then! just not with every check. we just want to see everyone doing their part to keep this group active and fun!

THINGS BEHIND THE SCENES:

the residents page is being redone! kinda. and no, you won't see any changes if you go look, it's a secret. i'm just tweaking it aesthetically in my spare time and getting everything a lot more cohesive. once that's done, i promise to share it with you!

fun events are coming up, like a beach party, emergency services carnival, a big ole summer bash, and a very formal gala! i'm also tentatively beginning to plan our summer trip, and figuring out what we'll be doing for that, so stay tuned for more information.

our next kind of "team event" is being worked on, and is in early stages. it probably won't be a sport, but... does require some smarts. so think on that one for a little while!

and lastly, i am going to be working this week on a new promo blog. we've had a lot of writer spots open up over the past few days (it's okay! we're also hopeful to see some of our faces return!), and i want to really get us out there in a way that also isn't going to end in tumblr sniping us. but it's being worked on.

That's about it from May. I mean, oops, me. We're looking forward to a sunshiney, fun month ahead, and hope to see some new, exciting faces on our dash, and watch you guys grow and have fun, too! xx

#merrockadmin

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darkmachinedev · 5 years

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Dev Blog #1: Crabs?

Hey there! If you’re here, it’s probably because you’ve been following the game on some of my other social media platforms (AKA: @futilrevenge on twitter or reddit.com/r/warisshell), but if not, let me give you a primer!

War is Shell is a hermit crab PVP/PVE game where you play as cute hermit crabs doing hermit crab things. Here’s a gif of an ordinary day in the life of a crab:

And, er there are aliens invading. I guess.

And your shells are guns. That’s normal hermit crab stuff, right?

So whats the deal with these crabs?

Development of this game started around a year and a half ago. Since then it’s been a long road, but I’m really excited about these dang ol’ crabs and I just want to get them out there!

Even though it’s been in the oven for that long It’s still super early in development! I have a day job, and while I just took a new position that should be lighter on the hours this game still has a long way to go. But in the interest of transparency, and to kick my ass into high gear, I’ll be working to get these devblogs out every other Tuesday.

Just tell me about the crabs

Sorry to tangent there, here’s the deal with this game:

War is Shell is a Crab on Crab battle and survival game, where sessions are short and sweet, filled with action and ending before they become a slog. It’s visuals are primarily inspired by PS1 era games with vertex jitter and chunky polygons, with some fancy shader tricks thrown in to spice things up.

You play as an adorable hermit crab on various procedural islands using your claws, guns, rockets, saw-blades, laser beams, occult books, and magic wands to chop and blast your way to the top. Each session is unique, with different threats and mutators being combined to ensure that you are always on your feet. A Deathmatch might be interrupted by the lord of the sea rising, aliens may invade, your dead opponents may rise from their graves.

Maybe you need to team up for a moment to stop this boss from winning the match (And taking the win from any player!), before fighting over the spoils.

Or, maybe, you’ll team up with your friends to survive an onslaught, collecting components for your rocket to blast you all to the next island, where you’ll fight off even harder and harder monsters. How long can you survive, and what powers will you gain?

The game is split into two distinct modes of play:

PVP - War is Shell’s PVP modes consist of a number of gameplay variants, many of which are staples from the genre, while introducing some new others

Team Deathmatch & Deathmatch

King of The Cache

Rising Tide

Shiniest Shell

Longevity of these modes and the online community in general is a big sticking point in my mind. To supplement them, the game is built from the ground up with bot support and custom servers in mind (With server side modding planned)

If you want to host a server between you and your friends with some dumb bots to act as cannon fodder, or, you want to supplement your larger server with nasty machines that will act as a challenge for even experienced players, you will be able to!

Not to mention - the mutators, environmental hazards, map types, and more. I’ll be making a PVP specific post in the future, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

PVE - Co-operative play is my favorite aspect of online gaming, and over my years I have found myself drawn to these sorts of games more and more. Taking heavy inspiration from games such as Left 4 Dead and Risk of Rain, I really want the PVE aspects to shine. I’m going to make PVE it’s own post as well, so have your shells at the ready for that!

More info to come! Follow me here, on Twitter @Futilrevenge, or check out the Reddit: /r/WarIsShell

Any questions? Comment on this post and I’ll try to hit as many as I can in the next post. See you in two weeks!

#gamedev #indiedev #lowpoly #warisshell #crabs #hermitcrabs #lowres

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mtvswatches · 4 years

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Wynonna Earp 3x01 Blood Red and Going Down

Click here for previous recaps!

Stray thoughts

1) Oh, Wynonna…

She’s taking a holiday from dealing, happily vacationing in the land of Not Coping. When she breaks down, it’s going to be awful…

2) The idiot revenants are mocking her about her baby, they truly are stupid. Yep, she’s sweeping the floor with their asses.

3) Jeremy grew a mustache wtf.

He’s going full-blown bromance with Doc, isn’t he?

4) Doing a power walk with your posse…

EXPECTATION…

REALITY...

5) Who the fuck are these super extra, grill-wearing, purple-smoke hipsters?

The girl just touched the Sheriff and he invited them in and holy hell! They’re vampires! We got vampires! How did I not immediately guess they were vampires when I described them as extra and hipsters? Of course!

They’re very subtle…

So, just with a touch, they can glamour people? Is that it?

6) Waves and Nicole are in bed, and they’re all jokey about Nicole’s marriage and Waverly’s make-out sesh with Rosita, so I guess they’ve already worked through their issues. It would’ve been very interesting to actually see them work it out, and not just have this post-coital love bubble.

7) Why is this turning me on?

I guess it’s also turning them on a little bit, so we’re all on the same team… That is, until Doc brings up their baby, who is 19 weeks by now. Ouch.

8) She really wants to make things right with him… I guess my ship is not dead yet…

He won’t touch me unless we’re training and he won’t talk to me unless he’s angry. So I keep him training and angry.

So he’s obviously still not over the “giving up the baby” thing, which makes total sense. But how is Wynonna feeling? I’m guessing she’s absolutely wrecked, hence all the drinking and partying. I wonder when or how the show will address this.

9) Hmm. Waverly brings up a memory about their mother, but Wynonna doesn’t mention how she’s been seeing her. I’m guessing this is a Big Secret that’s bound to come out during this season, right? The question is, why did their mother leave and how and why did Wynonna keep in touch with her?

10) Nedley is wearing a scarf around his neck and I’m guessing he’s been bitten.

11) Well, someone enjoyed a good ol’ feast, didn’t they?

Nedley was very adamant that “they didn’t do this”, that is to say, the vamps. And now Nicole is saying that these massacres have been happening since the 1920s, carried out by a group self-ascribed as the Cult of Bulshar. Cool. Cool cool cool.

12) Well, some light has been shined on those final scenes from the season 2 finale. Nicole, quite conveniently, waited nearly 5 months to tell Wynonna and Waverly that when Mercedes mentioned Bulshar it rang a bell, and Dolls gave her some BBD files – the ones we saw her holding in the last scene of the season 2 finale. Waverly seems to have no issue with this, but Wynonna is definitely taken aback by learning this information just now. I think she feels she hasn’t been let in on some key information about the demon that has been after her family for ages. Of course, Nicole and Dolls were probably just trying to protect the Earps and figure out if they could fight this demon without endangering them. But it is kind of odd that Dolls has chosen Nicole as his confidant and that he’s purposefully withholding information from Wynonna...

13) Nicole seems to be triggered watching the whole crime scene, which coupled with the fact that she mentioned having heard the name Bulshar before probably means she was either A) the daughter of one of the people attacked by the cult, or B) witnessed one of these massacres as a child, or C) both.

14) Cool, Waverly and Nicole have both been glamoured. And the vampire boss bitch told Waves she needs them as “tributes.” Is this some Hunger Games shit?

15) Oh, sweet tween Jeremy…

16) So…

Is their mom in a mental hospital or in prison? It looks like a prison, but she also looks a bit… deranged? But can it be a prison? We saw Wynonna meeting her in a mountain or something like that… Anyway, Wynonna keeps asking her to tell her more about Bulshar, but she won’t budge. She doesn’t trust Wynonna will be able to break the curse and she fears she might endanger Waverly.

17) The vampires want to turn Doc into one of their own. The only catch, in order to prove that it’s really him, he has to endure torture. I don’t know who is in charge of the recruiting division in this vampire undertaking but that’s not how you lure new recruits…

18) Okay, so it’s a prison. But what is she in prison for? And why does Waverly seem to believe she simply left them? Okay, Wynonna just answered my question – their Dad told them to hide the truth from Waverly, which makes sense when she was a little kid, but I’m betting she’ll be super pissed when she finds Wynonna has been keeping this tidbit of info for almost two decades?

19) Wait, what did I miss? Dolls just turned towards Wynonna all meaningful looks and what-not, he said “Wynonna”, they stared at each other, and then he just got off the car – and left his cheeseburger. Who the fuck does that? I hate it when characters do that shit with food in movies and TV shows! But seriously, what did I miss? Was this a “Dolls almost confessed his feelings but thought better of it” moment? Or was it just his lactose intolerance kicking in...?

20) Cool. So now, everyone but Wynonna and Doc is under the vampires’ influence.

21) So, the Vampire Boss Bitch and Doc have history. Go figure. She called him an asshole, so she must know him pretty well.

22)

23) So everyone has been glamoured, pimped up, and now they’re taking down Wynonna. I guess it’s all in Doc’s hands, now.

24) So, the vampires’ plan is to either turn or eat everyone in town. And everyone is super cool with it because they’ve been glamoured. Except Nicole seems to be remembering something, she’s called herself a survivor, the survivor… of one of the Cult of Bulshar’s massacres, maybe?

25)

I thought Dolls was glamoured, too. He’s either telling the truth or he’s setting Wynonna up.

26) “We’re gonna need more stakes.” Wynonna is going full Buffy and I’m fucking here for it!

27) Not… your best… zinger, Wynonna…

28) Vengabus, ooh, that reference is carbon-dated! And I instantly got it, what does that say about me?

29) OMFG, when these vampires get staked they turn into purple dust! But… wait… when they arrive, they do it surrounded by a cloud of purple fog? Does that mean they use other vampires’ ashes to give some pizzazz to their entrance?

And as each vampire gets staked, the glamoured people become unglamoured and they are starting to kick some vamp ass! I mean, look at Nedley!

30) “I will not get ate while tied to a stripper pole.” You know, good for you, Doc, we all need to set goals for ourselves. And that’s as good as any.

31) Oookay…?

She told him they’ve done things to her she doesn’t want done to him, and asked him to stay in the Vengabus, but of course, he didn’t.

32) He just jumped through a window and staked a vampire who was about to eat Nedley and now they’re smiling at each other and slowly walking towards each other and I’m dead!

They look so hot, why aren’t they kissing already?

33) Wait, is this Bulshar?

Is this how they’ve shown the face of the Big Bad? An underwhelming reveal with little warning?

34) These two…

They’re finally acting amicably, without angry training or silence treatment. Wynonna feels elated that he’s having a drink with her again like they used to, and they toast to Alice, which is the elephant in the room. I mean, who better to understand how each of them feels about giving up their daughter than each other? They really need to be each other’s person for this.

35) YES!!

My OTP is alive!

(it kind of looks like Wynonna has a mustache, though)

36) Hahahaha! Dolls’ face when Wynonna’s compares Waverly’s “warm and tingly” description to peeing in the shower…

37) So, Dolls is egging Wynonna on to talk to Waverly, I’m guessing about their mom, and he can’t help but take a jab at her for choosing Doc, and I thought he was over the whole fighting with Doc over Wynonna? I guess not.

38) Okay, I totally saw this coming:

NICOLE: I’m starting to think there was a Cult of Bulshar survivor once. And it was me.

39) And just when Wynonna was about to tell Waverly about their mother…

And now Waverly is being dragged from the wreck and taken away?!

I did not see that coming!

40) This was an interesting season opener, with a much lighter tone than I expected and barely touching on the unresolved issues from last season. Bulshar seems to be the Big Bad, but for one, his reveal was lackluster at best. Suddenly, the camera cut to his face and that was it. He was just standing there. Not too ominous for a Big Bad. Nicole is about to be given a Big Backstory, so I guess that will be interesting to find out, although I think I would’ve been completely fine with her just being a regular human who stumbled upon the supernatural, you know? Jeremy is still having a bro crush on Doc, and I love it, especially because it goes both ways (I totally caught Doc telling the revenant that Jeremy is a vegetarian, which continues to cement the fact that they know each other very well, they’re buddies!) Waverly and Nicole seem to be on solid ground, but I wonder how figuring out where she comes from will affect Waverly’s relationships with Nicole and Wynonna. All in all, a solid, fun episode, although probably not one of the show’s most memorable ones. Very excited to see where this season takes us, though.

40) Hope you enjoyed my recap, and, as usual, if you’ve got this far, thank you for reading! If you enjoy my recaps and my blog, please consider supporting it on ko-fi.Thanks!

#Wynonna Earp #Waverly Earp #Nicole Haught #Xavier Dolls #Doc Holliday #Wynonna Earp 3x01 #WE 3x01 #we recap #recap #mine

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thetitandiaries · 5 years

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Hi! I finally made the courage to make a request 😆. I decided to not be an anon cuz I think I will visit this blog a lot. I love your writing more than anything, really ! 💖🥰 Can I request an imagine, Modern AU with Levi having a really sad/ depressed S/O because her family left her? (Umm... lets say she had a big brother that she really loves, who left to another country and doesn’t reply to calls and texts for a long time, so she now feels really lonely and abandoned).

Hi! I’m so happy to see you in my inbox! It’s OK, if in future, you decide to send something anon. Some people are shy when it comes to requesting sexy fantasies and then again, some people are just plain ol’ shy. Most asks I get are anon ;) Doesn’t bother me one bit :)

I’m so happy that you enjoy my writing so much! Thank you SO much for reblogging my posts. I truly appreciate it!

I hope you enjoy this! <3

You heard the front door open and close. He’s home. Familiar footfalls sounded on the stairs heading for your bedroom. You rolled over, away from facing the door. He can’t see that I’ve been crying.

The door opened. Levi’s heavy sigh made you cringe. You felt the bed give a few seconds before his body stretched out next to yours. He put his arms around you and settled your body against his. He gave you a slight squeeze then relaxed.

The silence was so loud. You couldn’t stand it. And Levi was being so sweet and understanding. “He still hasn’t even bothered to call or text.” You voice was thick with tears being held back.

“I know.” He nuzzled the back of your neck. “He’s probably busy getting settled. It can’t be easy moving to a new country. Imagine all the crap he’s got to wade through. Hell, the paperwork alone is probably taking forever.”

“But, he’s got to see how much I’ve called; how much I’ve texted him.” You sounded shaky.

Levi squeezed again, pressed a kiss to your shoulder, “I know you’re worried about him. And I know the dark place you’re going to too.” He turned you over to face him, “He hasn’t abandoned you.”

A few tears escaped and your face began to crumble. “But...” You couldn’t help it, there was no more holding back. The crying took over. Levi held you close and let you cry on his chest.

Finally, you calmed down, blew your nose in the tissues Levi grabbed off the nightstand. You tried to hand him the used tissues and he scowled, “You know better than that. I’m not touching those booger-rags. You’re upset, not crippled.”

You laughed, knowing full well he’d say something like that. You needed that laugh.

You tossed the tissues into the bin near your nightstand then returned to lay your head back on Levi’s chest. Your hand rested on his chest and he layed his over it, fingers tracing lazy patterns on your skin.

The cell on your nightstand began to ring. But, you didn’t move.

“Aren’t you going to see who’s calling?” Levi asked.

“No. It can go to voicemail. It’s probably some sales call or robo-call about my car warranty.”

“I think you should check it.”

It was the tone in his voice that made you roll over and grab the phone. The caller ID had your brother’s name. You answered immediately, your greeting laced with relief and anger. Your brother apologized. He had been so busy getting everything he needed, including a new cell company and number, that he’d forgotten to check his old cell. He made sure to give all his new info: Address, cell number, and work info. He regaled you with tales of all the craziness he’d gone through to get settled in a new country and the differences and similarities to what you were both used to.

Levi had left the room a few moments after the conversation had started. There was an empty tea pot in the kitchen and he meant to fill it.

You spent a long time catching up. Finally, it was time for the call to end. You and your brother set up a schedule for calls that would work for both of you because of the time difference. And, now that you had his new cell number, you two could trade texts more often.

“I’m so glad you finally called!” Your heart felt so much lighter.

He chuckled, “Well, I figured I better call after Levi tracked me down and called me at work. He told me if I didn’t call you he was getting on a plane to come kick my ass.”

#Attack on Titan imagines #Shingeki No Ryojin imagines #AoT #SNK #Levi Ackerman #Modern AU #The Titan Diaries drabble #darkwish112 #a little angsty #a little fluffy #totally sfw

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jtzvintagetamadrums · 6 years

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What does $50 buy on Facebook Marketplace these days?

Hello again and Happy New Year! I hope this post finds you enjoying a prosperous baby New Year. Hopefully all good things ahead in 2019!

Okay...so I’ve been away from the old blog and WAY away from drum parts and restoration for quite a while now. I gotta admit, it gets to be a pain in the ass tracking down orphan drums, sorting parts, tearing down, cleaning, cataloging and restoring...and most of all, fielding questions and parts requests from vintage Tama drum bros from all around the world. I’ve also taken a break from selling on eBay and Craigslist because we all know what a royal pain in the ass that can be...and with increasingly diminishing returns to be had nowadays. I seriously needed to step away from the game so no one got hurt!

So back to “biness”. I always enjoy adding a few extra bucks per month to the investment account from diligent drum parts schlepping...and lately my personal finance bottom line once again came a calling. I was feeling I needed something to jump start my epic return to the old grind. Maybe a cheap kit to restore? Nope...got too many of those and my wife would murder me in my sleep..again! Most likely a decent lot of roached orphan drums to part out and/or restore and flip. Well a few days ago I found just the ticket, oddly enough...on Facebook Marketplace.

So being the bottom feeder that I am, here’s what $50 bought me...

Yeah...I thought the same thing. At first glance, no big wowy zowy right? A roached King Beat snare and some other crap.

Break it down one time!

(1) 81′ Tama King Beat snare

I was obviously into this deal for just the snare alone. This features a surprisingly complete KG parallel strainer assembly (shocker…both knobs are there!). I’ll need to remember to reassemble the complete strainer on the shell to ensure full functionality prior to scrapping the shell. Up close, overall this is not as shitty as it looks. The shorty coffin lugs (always in demand) don’t seem all that pitted nor do the PC die cast hoops. When I say “not all that pitted”, I mean typical of the era. There’s even a nice clean badge to boot. The big knob muffler is complete but the felt has disintegrated. Sure the shell is toast and is headed to an artificial reef but otherwise…parts heaven.

Cha-to-the-ching!

(1) 98′ Spitfire by Slingerland 22″ kick drum

Wait what? A Spitfire by whoesy whatsit? Yeah I sure as hell never heard of them either. Not much info on these drums as they were a part of the tail end of the sad Slingerland demise and much akin to the Chinese import “Swingstar by Tama” entry level junk of the era. The wrap is a bit bubbly on this drum and it is missing both spur sets. It’s also sporting a pair of roached, previously chrome and otherwise pedestrian Rockstar looking hoops that have been painted black. These originally came with matching wrap inlay hoops similar to the Taiwan level early 90′s Tama Rockstar hoops. Me thinks to myself…”Self…hey…I have pair of black inlay Rockstar hoops! I also have a pair of telescoping, diamond bolt pattern mount plate “Camco by Tama” (yikes!) kick spurs somewhere in the workshop that might fit the bolt pattern. Maybe I can smack this beast in the face, get it back into player’s shape and get $50 for it or donate it to the church for a tax receipt”. Win-win!

Here’s a pic from an old Guitar Center listing of what a “Spitfire by Slingerland” kit should look like. I guess it’s your basic, late 90′s, Korean firewood shell, entry level beater you’d buy for your kid at Christmas that he then stops playing a week later. Again, standard Taiwan Rockstar style matchy matchy wrap inlay hoops and typical telescoping spurs of the 90′s era. Still sporting the vintage style Slingerland lugs all around though. Hmm.

(1) Mid 60′s 13″ Ludwig Keystone badge Rack Tom with Gold Sparkle Wrap

Okay so this one is a bit out of my wheelhouse. I’m no vintage Ludwig guy by any means, but this was kind of cool to stumble upon. Sadly painted black by some doofus from days of yore…there is clearly a vintage gold sparkle wrap that lurks beneath what looks like some black house paint hot mess. This drum does have the original tom mount intact, but is missing the bottom lugs and t rods so it is about 75% complete. I believe the bottom hoop was in the lot as well. The uber-fatty re-ring shell appears to be sound, in round and the “who knows how long it was exposed” bottom bearing edge doesn’t look all the bad surprisingly. The badge is a bit roached, but this drum is worth a re-wrap and resto by some eager Ludwig aficionado that has the parts and a shit load of free time on their hands. Heading directly to an eBay near you.

* 1/10/19 UPDATE! Upon closer inspection, what I thought was thick black paint turns out to be the same shitty contact paper/vinyl that is on the timbales mentioned below! I easily peeled some off this morning and the wrap looks pretty decent underneath.

So the plot thickens on this drum...resto or no?

(2) No name 60′s era Japanese 13″ and 14″ copper over steel Timbales

Ole!

Well now these are pretty f-ing cool. Listed as “no name concert toms” in the Facebook Marketplace ad, I was pleasantly surprised that these turned out to be steel shell timbales. Hell, who knows, they may be copper. Likely not…they look 60′s Japanese, which basically means they’re one step away from scrap steel. They’ve been wrapped in a flaking, deteriorated black contact paper (same doofus maybe?), but they appear to be your classic copper plate over steel finish beneath. I guess I’ll find out when I tear them down. Can’t really tell if it is all surface rust on the inside of the shells or just copper patina that gives it that “old penny” look. The lugs to me look like the pointy Japanese Star style lug common to the 60′s Star kits and similar Japanese stencil kits of the era. Regardless, I will likely keep these as I don’t actually own a set of timbales and they’d be fun to bang on. The t rods are pretty toasty so they’ll need to be addressed. Thankfully, the clip/slide mounts are intact as is the original dual mount that I can retrofit into something period correct or even a vintage Titan stand. If the shells are too crusty on the surface to recover the copper finish, I’ll have them media blasted locally and then send them to my nephew in Vermont to powder coat with a fun finish.

Also included was an orphan but nonetheless classic Ludwig dual tom mount whose length seems to indicate it was from a stand. Then again, WTF do I know about Ludwig hardware? Regardless…more eBay fodder for the Ludwig loonies.

Okay so it is time to break down the potential flippage numbers “American Pickers - Bundle Mania!” style. I’ll keep it on the lower end of the $ scale.

King Beat snare parts:

Coffin lugs, sold in pairs @ $15 clear, assuming 4 good pairs ( I’ll keep a pair) - $60.00

KG strainer assembly, hopefully complete, the original extended snares were coiled up inside the shell and bent so I’ll keep those and try to salvage them.- $75.00

Muffler - I have broken tone control arms with good felt so I’ll fix this one, keep it and sell a good one - $50.00

PC die cast hoops - generally fetch in the neighborhood of $45.00 each - $90.00

Imperialstar badge with or without salvage grommet - $10.00

T Rods and washers - two sets of ten at $10.00 each clear - $20.00

Snare total salvage - $305.00

Slingerland Kick drum:

Parts needed are zero cost, sell or church tax receipt donation - $50.00

Kick total salvage - $50.00

Ludwig 13″ Rack tom and mount:

Sell as is or attempt to remove the black paint with citrus stripper, then sell on an eBay auction style listing starting at $25.00..maybe I’ll clear - $40.00

Tom mount is missing one L arm but in nice shape. might clear - $15.00

Ludwig total salvage - $55.00

Timbales :

I’ll keep these, will cost a bit to restore, random value at $75.00.

Timbale total salvage value - $75.00

So the total comes in at around $485.00 on a good day. Backing out my $50 cash outlay and the $75 value of the keeper timbales…with a little luck, I could potentially clear at least $350 on this lot. Not too shabby, considering the seller pretty much brought the drums to me right around the corner from where I work.

Now all I need is some free time, a whole hell of a lot elbow grease and the boundless patience for the eternal agony that is eBay and Craigslist.

Thanks for taking a look and maybe I will post a follow up on this lot. Some fun stuff in this batch for sure!

Cheers to a Happy New Year!

- jt

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daddyconfessions · 5 years

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daddy’s journal 3/16/16

daddy’s journal 3/8

Thursday Mar 2nd Bubbles hit me up today around 9am and told me she couldn’t make it. She’d gone out with Piper and had stayed out too late. Her and Piper had been hanging out a lot. I guess that explained all the drunk texts she’d sent the other night. I couldn’t be bothered though. I was busy looking at job ads.

I had a lot on my mind. The more I looked at jobs the more I realized I desperately needed to get in with some recruiters if I wanted to improve my chances. I hit up Firecracker to let her know I was free. She told me she couldn’t make it and had plans to volunteer somewhere. About an hour later she asked if she could have extra money. Something about needing to buy a ticket for a trip with her friends. I told her it was cool. Then a couple of hours after that, she texted me again to tell me she was having a weird discharge and needed to go to the doc and get it checked out.

I asked if she had a STD. That didn’t go over well. We got into an argument, mostly her calling me out for thinking of her that way as well as her making it very clear no one was hitting the kitty uncovered. She stopped texting me suddenly. I figured she was mad so I left it alone. I had always used a condom so I wasn’t really too worried. Still she was acting weird af.

Napoleon came into my office not too long after that. We had a brief discussion about the next meeting with the Russian’s as well as the Board of Directors meeting next week. He seemed jovial with me, not at all like a guy who wanted me gone. Maybe I was just being paranoid about my job. Still when he left, I got up and cleaned my office some more. Tomorrow could be the big day.

Later that evening, I went home and spent about an hour with the family before I poured myself some Crown Royal and coke, grabbed a Cohiba and went out on the front porch. Nothing clears the mind like a little crown and coke and some of Cuba’s finest. I was feeling sporty after that. My mind was clear. FC was tripping. Bubbles cancelling left and right. What’s a SD to do? Time to get online.

I played around on CL for kicks. I didn’t expect much. Usually sugardaddy posts get deleted within the first hour of being posted. But I came up with a snazzy title that would pass cursory inspection and posted it. Then I got back on SA, paid for my membership. Then I logged into SD.com and looked around. I toyed with the idea of going to this bar known for being a sugarbabe hook up spot. But I needed to get a bit prepared for that so I passed. Truthfully, I can’t handle another SB but the way FC and Bubbles are going, it’ll be over soon.

While I was playing around, FC got back to me telling me she didn’t have any STDs and then launched into some long tirade about the doc saying her body was going through changes, hormonal and what not, and reacting to the weight gain she’d had as well as her period being out of sync. I apologized for insinuating she might’ve had something. She told me she needed a break to let things clear up. It all sounded suspicious to me. But in the absence of more info, I had to go along with it.

Friday Mar 4th The big day. My office is clean af. If I get sliced all I needed to do is grab some pics and a bag and I’m out.

10am. 11am. Noon. Nothing. 1pm. Still nothing.

I get text from FC saying her period finally started. I didn’t even respond. I’m starting feel like I’m in a chess game.

2pm. I realized my boss had gone home for the day. Guess I wasn’t getting fired after all. I get a text from Bubbles. Hadn’t thought much about our date that day. I took a Lamar Odom and an hour later I was heading out the door to meet her. Can’t believe I overreacted like that about my job. Guess my paranoia got the better of me. But Bubbles hadn’t cancelled again so not a bad end to the week. It dawned on me that I hadn’t had any kitty all week.

When I got to the restaurant Bubbles had already gotten the table/booth. I like that shit. Most SBs will be late. Or if they get there first they’ll stay in the car until you arrive or wait in the sitting area. No way their getting a table and you ain’t there. Not Bubbles. I liked her style. The way the booth was made it sat sideways so you could see the whole restaurant. We sat back and people watched while we sipped our drinks, ate and kissed. Bubbles doesn’t have any problem with PDA. We must have tongued each other down several times throughout the early dinner. Sharing the sweet taste of our drinks on each others lips and tongue. Several other tables kept looking over at us. It was kind of fun. Wild. Definitely a thrill. An elderly couple kept looking over too. Not in disgust more out of curiosity. Bubbles is a pretty girl. She’s skinny as a toothpick but she’s pretty af. The old heads were probably wondering why an old scrub like me was getting that young kitty….$$$$

Bubbles kept checking her phone. She apologized. Told me her son had a fever from some shots he’d just gotten and she was constantly checking on him. I honestly keep forgetting she has a 6 month old. You’d never know she had a newborn the way she looked. She doesn’t have a stretch mark on her body. Her stomach was flat as a board. I asked Bubbles about the other night with her girlfriend. She and Piper had gone out with some rich record exec. You’d probably know him or one of his artists if I mentioned them. Pipers the type that can’t handle her alcohol though so when she got drunk she started fighting with everyone including Bubbles. Bubbles was trying to calm her down and talk sense into her. Piper hadn’t backed down, got mad at Bubbles and took her phone and threw it across the room, shattering the screen. Some other stuff happened including Piper cursing out some of the security guards and other guys at the table. The big Exec told security to throw her out but they didn’t want Bubbles to go. They wanted her pretty little ass to stay. Bubbles couldn’t let her friend be outside, drunk, by herself so she went with her even though the entourage wanted her to say. They took uber to get there and hate to wait until another Uber to come which was almost an hour later.

I took the opportunity to bring up some serious concerns. “I’m don’t know if I can compete with your circle of friends,” I told her. “You’re hanging out with rich dudes. Famous and shit. Not to mention they know other famous people. Money aside, I couldn’t come close to that kind of lifestyle.” She touched my hand and pursed her lips. “Oh babe its not like that. Those guys aren’t my type. I’m not into the thugged out, gold chain wearing, baggy pants type of guys. These guys got tats everywhere and they treat girls like shit. Besides, just because they have money doesn’t mean they’re going to be doing anything for you. I keep telling Piper that. They just want some pussy and when their done with you you’re gone.”

“Well I was just wanting to bring it up,” I said. Truth is I’m tired. In the old days a bloke could shell out some cash and have a good time with a girl. Spoil her to death and not worry about all the drama the sugarbowl has now. But now its mad drama and all this unnecessary competition. Not to mention all the games both SBs and SDs try to do to each other. Its enough to drive a man crazy. I told her what I was thinking and added, “I know hanging with Piper gets you into the inner circle and all that. But from my past experiences, its tiring competing with celebrities. Not to mention the lifestyle they have to offer. It gives me a headache just thinking about it.”

She shook her head. “No. Piper’s just a groupie. She’s my girl but I gotta be honest. Besides, since I’m not doing anything when we go out its getting harder and harder to hang with her. I’m like the 3rd wheel. And all of these guys don’t give a shit about her. They even hit on me in front of her and she just laughs it off. Honestly, I’m sort of getting tired of it but Piper’s my girl. And she knows people that knows people. If we ever needed to get into a club, backstage at a concert, all we have to do is ask her.”

“The benefits of being a groupie,” I said. We both laughed. She put her hand on my thigh and rubbed it. “But really babe, you don’t have anything to worry about. I already have my lover.” She lifted her glass and said, “To us.” I lifted mine and we clicked glasses. Then we kissed again, the sweet taste of the drinks on our lips made the kisses that much sweeter.

We talked a bit more about Piper, celebs and our situation. Suddenly, Bart was hard as a rock. The Lamar Odom’s had kicked in. I was ready to fuck.

From there we headed to the hotel. Lots of kissing and tonging before we moved to the bed. I couldn’t wait to lick the kitty. But she stopped me. Told me she was still spotting. Damn. Can a Daddy get a break this week? WTF? I couldn’t even hit it. She decided to just give me fellatio. I’d love to blog about how I licked the kitty. Sucked the clit. But no. No fun filled evening of me trying to get inside that tight kitty. She gave me brains, but I wasn’t that into it tbh. I wanted some kitty. “I’m sorry baby,” she said, stopping, my tip less than an inch from those pretty lips. “I’m not usually this bad of a fuck. Its just that I haven’t been that active…” Poor girl had to work hard to get ol Bart to cum. And when I came it was nothing spectacular. I can’t say she did a bad job…more like I was just wanting more that evening.

“I’m sorry. I promise I’m not this bad…” she kept saying. She said two more times and then, “I promise I’m not usually this lousy. I switched BC and its got my body all weird. That’s why I’m spotting.” For a minute I was thinking her and Firecracker were collaborating. “I’m sorry if I keep cancelling. It’s just hard with my work, my son and my friends.” The look on Bubbles face was of pure worry. I could tell she really felt like she was disappointing me. I told her to relax. I was patient. Low key I suspected a threesome was in my future. The thought alone of a 3 way was enough to make even the most impatient man wait. Then she promised things would be better tomorrow. But that would never happen….

Saturday Mar 5th By noon Bubbles cancelled again. Her son was still running a fever and she didn’t feel right leaving him again. It was cool. She was probably still spotting. I also had several messages from my CL ad and some hits of SA. I’d forgotten I had even been playing around on the sites.

No point in wasting a perfectly good Saturday afternoon : ) I poured myself some more Crown & Coke, sat down in my office and I spent the afternoon talking to some POTs. The stuff from CL was admittedly just garbage. Mostly girls looking to catch a date. The only hopeful one was this mid 40’s chick. She was kind of liking the fact that I was so young. Her last SD was in his mid 50s so she was interested in seeing how this would turn out. She was ready to meet to. Said she was going out with the girls and wondered if I could meet her at the bar. Old cougar. I call her Tigress. I declined to meet though. I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to go that route. Old chicks be on something else. And, its been awhile since I was involved with someone over 30.

Sunday Mar 6th FC texted me and she felt like things were over. I took that as an indication she wanted to end things. She told me she felt guilty the last few weeks. That was right around the time I’d bought her a new Louis bag. I recalled she had been shocked I had bought it. She was happy too but I could see something in her eyes that something was wrong. Now it all made sense. She felt like she hadn’t deserved it. “I just don’t feel like I can give you everything you want,” she said.

The funny thing this all I ever really wanted was her. It was never something complicated.

But I was tired. Whatever was going on with her had taken its toll on me. I figured she had a new SD or a new fuckboy. Either way it was probably best to end things. I cared for Firecracker but I wouldn’t be a fool for her. Not with so much other kitty around me. She told me she wanted to remain friends and that if I wanted to have lunch or sex one day then to hit her up. We sort of ended it right there.

I was sad. I even posted this journal entry just to vent. She was my princess and now she was gone….

The week was off to a fucked up start.

#sugar tales #daddy's journals

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iimmcrtalis-archive · 7 years

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DA verse

a summary post of all my active muses verse(s) in dragon age because i’m f EELING IT BOYS. except terry for rn bc it’ll be Hard. one day. gonna try and go in a from least knowledge bout their verse to extensive knowledge of ‘em so. ayy

this is a pretty long post i apologize to those on mobile!!

Nova; mage(???), human ( ? ), possibly a distant noble

probably a mage? because blue space magic is her jam. though she’s actually more of a combat & tech. she was like well rounded in that regard so i’m considering iunno??? battlemage maybe w/ lockpicking who knows. she’s a sneaky mage that can stab u real good.

would probably also assume she’s pretty good as inquisitor because she would treat it as her role and thing she still has to bare and takes it seriously. like nova is no nonsense as inquisitor but absolute nonsense when she’s not playing that role lmao.

Morgan; mage?? human af ye. defo a noble blood t BH.

i unno man. iunno. is he a mage? yeah probably. would he be a legit battlemage + arcane warrior? probably. Would i say he uses a real sword? pro b ab ly. like listen he’s a beefy mage who wears normal armor and probably looks like a fckn non mage but bOOM SUDDENLY LIGHTNING FROM HIS HAND W H AT

iunno he’s a mage and he’s aggressive as FUCKKKK. aggro as fuck. probably sides withhh iunno both he’d want both and think it’s wasted potential to only have one lmao. iunno he’s hard to figure out man. he’d ultimately probably be like templars because actual ppl who know how to fight. but also wouldn’t wanna condemn the mageS??? so who knows who knows.

anyways he probably likes blackwall and the iron bull and viv and cass?? and just ye. chills w/ them a lot probably. probably would flirt w/ cass tho god. butw/e no he’s uhhhh real aggressive as a fckn inquisitor like every body getting beheaded. except a few probably.. he would probably make uh... whats his name... tranquil tbh. worse fate than death that yes he would wish on his enemies bc otherwise they get what they want & too risky otherwise.

Igne; old af elf, probably an assassin combo w/ magic??

like listen if you tell me that they can’t be both ima fckn punt u bc really that’s dumb. defeats the point of multiclassing in the fantasy genre of g am es. anyways really tho they’re old. old as balls. probably? iunno. probably served like... andruil for a while or somethin! got a lil lil corrupted but didn’t want it and wanted freedom so they were like FUCK THIS SHIT IM OUTTIE

how’d they live? no idea. not a single clue bc i just don’t know jackshit bout ancient elf shit anymore (when did i ever) but honestly. it’s probably a thing right? old af elves everywhere. but no no they’d probably even annoy sera bc like they’re literally?? nonsense. violent af nonsense. hanging off a roof with a fckn potato in their mouth & lookin ready to murder.

it’s a look™ but nah thinkin that u hhh corruption shit is probably what gave them a red eye ayyy

inquisitor igne is like dagger eyes at solas but doesn’t snitch on him ever not even once. she’s got his back man. she’d be like cool i’ll plaY BOTH SIDES SUre. sure. no mercy run on ppl tho god

EVELYN / ISENE; old af elf. got that fckn combo again

it’s a theme really, combo classes. all my muses? multiclassed fuckers. for a detailed everything, please refer to her old blog bc this is gonna be a stupid summary of it so ayyy.

old as dicks dude. lost her arm in the rebellion, against the rebellion. served elgar’nan because he fits her the most tbh. still sort of serves him i guess. like if he showed up she wouldn’t hesitate to follow his orders is what i mean here. otherwise she keeps up the facade of being a former dalish elf mercenary. and definitely doesn’t shy away from admitting she’s got magic. never calls herself a mage because like lmao

she has a fckn big ol sword she carries around one handed? and if ur like UR JUST A MAGE she’s gonna use said big ol sword to chop ur head off. not a fan of modern mages tho lmao. at all. like not a lot of sympathy for them. but she would also just kick a circles door in and be like cool leave gtfo you weaklin lil fucks jfc go learn somethin.

would fight solas in a denny’s parking lot at 2am if she knew jack shit. but she really doesn’t so she’s like ur weird and i dont trust you butyeah lm ao

Eludysia; ngl i unno if she’s old old but she’s Old. Old seer lady.

honestly i think she’s not gonna have much of a da verse in general but it exists enough that i feel like i should cover it here. but essentially she’s an old elf seer in rivain. leader of a port side town. No chantry or qunari around its a lot of elves tho. refugees and what not from kirkwall and stuff.

i unno if she’s an ancient elf but i know she’s old. like real old. so who knows

if she is ancient she probably woulda been like a priestess to ?? falon’din or dirthamen??? because seer shit but like even in a current state she’s fairly devoted to on e o f them or both? probably both lmao. so it’s w/e.

she’s the former keeper of the clan revas got sent to, which is where revas’ mom is also from and how she gets to that clan. but she was keeper of the clan for like.. a long time like a long time. like that bald fuck from da:o but without plaguing people with a curse. iunno how she did it but magic and better than that shit.

more important if revas is inquisitor because lmao she’d probably be like.. welp im gonna come guide you?? probably. shit she’s probably like emerald knights old tho shit but no fuckin!!! probably comes to be an advisor.

i think if u go revas as commander/advisor or inquisitor in a thread eludysia’s probs gonna show up and be like sup but otherwise she’s mainly just a contact in rivain for info and resources!! no special quest or anything u can just contact her for stuff.

Warren; half-elf, half-qunari. big man w/ a bow.

&& a thick af accent let’s be real here.

i haven’t made a post about his shit yet so! this one might be a lil longer!!

grew up in/around starkhaven. in an alienage somewhere really! but he’s got that starkhaven accent. probably just fumbled his way there because honestly he got fucking ditched by his people and has no idea who his parents are lmao. just knows his mom died during child birth and he was fuckin cursed essentially via his?? clan or something. that qunari bit of him is real obvious as his horns grew out and probably had a harsh life in an alienage.

because he’s not an elf. but he’s not human. and he’s not a qunari. so he’s just. him.

eventually falls in with some ppl who teach him to steal. so he does a lot and then gets busted and they fckn break his horns off and chop his ears!!! and throw him the fuck out. as you do. but they taught him to use a bow so he’s good with that. and knives. good at close quarters and a long range.

gets better with a bow. real top knotch stuff. ends up in a mercenary crew (same one as qunari inquisitor? probably.) enjoys his merc lifestyle ya know has a good time killin shit

anyways. companion warren is p much like ‘Strength & force.’ because he has no tact and doesn’t care about politics. like one day i’ll have his approval / disapproval shit. but today is not that day.

but the same applies to his inquisitor shit. he’s fucking brutal as an inquisitor. cares about the little people but FUCK the rich. takes the well for himself ( tho if i would also say revas is there bc i can and she’d take it) but generally just!! give him power and let him kill shit!! that’s all he cares about. tho he wouldn’t kill samson or calpernia bc he doesn’t see them as enemies or villains truly? just pawns in a big scheme and he’d probably stare corypheus in the face and be like get fucked you saggy fuck

he’s great, great guy.

Revas: Keeper. Dreamer. Dalish elf.

literally like most people know Revas’ Dragon Age basics!! but if you don’t i’ll just direct you to her old blog, so you know what’s up. i’ll put it into a summary the best i can tho!

Backstory: short and simple? #fucked. expanded? she was born to the lavellan clan to one of the head hunters & warriors. ended up having magic so she was sort of training to become second, or first, till her moms old clan was like hey we need a new first so uhhhh help us out. and they traded some goods and revas went on her way. ended up being a fucked up situation where the previous first was murdered by two clanmates who eventually tried ( and did) murder revas but she came back bc lmao spirit help & ended up killing them and leaving for her actions.

Dragon Age: Awakening: full page about it Takes place shortly after this event happened. she lived on her own for awhile, protecting people as much as she could from darkspawn during the blight. ends up going to the wardens because someone doesn’t appreciate her help since she’s a Mage. The choices made by the warden in regards to her effect how she becomes a warden and the rest of the timeline. Sort of a branch off feel. highly recommend taking a look at the page and also this post.

DA 2: If not in the Awakening verse, Revas travels around to the clans. becoming a traveling keeper & helping the clans the best she can. As well as finding ruins and exploring man memories from lost objects. Eventually finds her way to Kirkwall to actually speak with Merrill. But some other shenanigans play out and some stuff goes down. Ends up helping in the fight at the end and leaving with Zevran ( @allurfavesrqueer‘s zevran only lmao. )

DA:I Companion: Shows up in fereldan with some tree peeps. gets some elvhen shit. offers her services to the inquisition bc that’s what her spirit told her to do. and ya know real fucky. shares some approvals as solas but usually has some pretty contrasting opinions on things! Will defo take on the role of like older sibling or sibling figure with the inquisitor if they’re close enough. Be kind to elves & mages and you’re good. ( also she’s an option to take the well if the inquisitor doesn’t want it)

Advisor: Takes up an offer by the inquistor to become an advisor which is more or less her using her network with the elves around the countries to do certain objectives and what not. acts a bit like an ambassador for the elves & mages in the meetings to give them a voice and remind the human board of trusteeeess that they’re fucking not the only ones around :))

Commander: Mainly with @desiderrium‘s Cullen. Basically Revas takes over for Cullen? at his request kinda because she’s like what the fuck you’re whAT. and gets pissed at everyone else for keeping him on when he’s Not Okay even if she’d rather kick his teeth in 99% of the time. why revas take over? because she’s actually p fuckin qualified, gestures vaguely towards being a first and the advisor au. like she knows how to lead ppl so ayy.

Inquisitor: Same ish backstory happens except her parents died to the blight and she left the clan for the other and ye same shit happens. but the clans ask her to go check shit out for them and shes like of course and gets caught up in the mess so.

ALRIGHTY !!

so that got long but yea!! hopefully this is a more condensed version of stuff and good for reference later.

#:: ooc #:: condensed stuff #i'd tag all the characters involved but nah #ima link it somewhere tho #long post /

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andrewdburton · 5 years

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The Best Time to Buy a TV

For most of my twenties, I didn’t have a TV.

Me and my long-time girlfriend huddled over a laptop and watched Netflix as we ate dinner.

We did this for YEARS.

When I finally got a TV, I realized I should have gotten one way earlier. While I typically prefer to spend money on experiences rather than things, a TV made a huge difference in my daily quality of life.

TV technology has rapidly advanced in the last few years too. It’s now possible to get a crazy good TV for $300-$500.

And if you buy during the right time of year, you can get a massive discount on the latest models. Here’s the best times to buy a TV during the year.

The Best Times of the Year to Purchase a TV

1: Black Friday

With Black Friday being the biggest shopping day of the entire year for all items, it’s a natural place to start our list. TVs are one of the most popular items to receive massive discounts from retailers. They’re often used to entice shoppers to visit in person or online, according to Consumer Reports, hoping to sell additional items.

Understand that manufacturers often limit quantities on Black Friday and only offer certain TVs at discounts of 20% to 50%. Do your homework to find the best deal for the TV size and model you want. Then be prepared to stand in line with (and possibly wrestle with) other bargain hunters. Since TVs are so popular on Black Friday, you’ll have to beat other shoppers to them.

2: Cyber Monday

If you prefer to purchase a TV online, Cyber Monday is made for you.

Cyber Monday’s popularity continues to grow, setting records year after year, according to Forbes. Retailers respond by offering many items, including TVs, at big discounts. Again, like Black Friday, retailers only discount certain models and they may limit quantities. But you should find some TVs at discounts of 20% to 50%.

It’s not a bad idea to figure out the exact hour that Cyber Monday deals go live for your retailer. You can also use tricks like making sure your account and payment info is ready to go to speed up checkout. Also try adding the TV that you want to your cart ahead of time. And if the deals go live in the middle of the night, set your alarm. The really great deals don’t last long.

3: Late January/Early February (Super Bowl)

A common reason people like to upgrade to a bigger TV is to watch the Super Bowl in early February. Retailers take advantage of this by offering discounts on televisions, especially those with large screen sizes, in the week or two leading up to the Super Bowl.

Discounts may range from 10% to 30% in this time frame. If you’re looking for a small size TV, though, these sales are not made for you. After all, the Super Bowl is all about big food, big commercials, big football players, and big TVs.

4: Amazon Prime Day

If Amazon is your go-to retailer for any item, shopping for a TV on Amazon Prime Day is the way to go. The giant online retailer delivers amazing deals on a variety of products for roughly 36 hours in mid-July for subscribers to its Prime service. Some of these deals will apply to TVs.

Amazon Prime Day has become so big that competitors like Walmart and Best Buy also offer their own online deals on those days, holding what amounts to an anti-Prime Day sale.

You can expect to save 10% to 40% on certain TV models during the Amazon Prime Day time frame, whether you’re shopping at Amazon or one of its competitors.

5: Mid-to-Late August

Back-to-school shoppers may commonly focus on lunchboxes, pencils, new shoes, and glue sticks, but you can find TV deals at this time of the year too.

This may be the best time of the year to buy a TV with a smaller screen size, as retailers focus on televisions that will work well in a dorm room or bedroom. Savings aren’t as good as other times of the year, but you can save 10% to 25% with the right model.

6: Early Spring

In the early spring, television manufacturers begin selling the new TV models that they introduced at trade shows (like CES in early January). Unfortunately, the new cutting-edge models are extremely expensive.

This creates an opportunity for two types of people.

If you’re the type of person that needs the absolute latest gadget and has the budget to support it, this is when you want to buy your TV. You’ll get the latest models and newest tech before anyone else does.

If you’d rather get a TV at a great discount, look for last year’s models during this time. You’ll find discounts anywhere from 10% to 75% as retailers offload old inventory.

7: Dec. 26 to Dec. 31

Immediately after Christmas, some good TV deals exist. You may find some “open box” TVs that people have returned after the holidays, giving you a nice savings of 25% to 50% over a new model.

However, because people are looking to spend holiday cash and gift cards at this time of the year, retailers typically do not offer as many TV bargain deals as you might think. They’ll try to charge full price instead, taking advantage of the cash burning holes in shoppers’ pockets.

When NOT to Buy a TV

Although there are quite a few great times to buy a TV throughout the year, the opposite is true as well. There are certain times when you should not buy a TV:

After an event: Retailers that offer bargains and discounts leading up to an event like the Super Bowl will return to normal prices after the event. As we mentioned earlier, don’t expect to find many bargains on new TVs immediately after Christmas, either.

Without doing your homework: Don’t assume that the first sale price you see on a TV during Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day is automatically the best sale price. Some retailers may take advantage of the idea that these are the days shoppers expect to find good bargains. So they create a “sale” price that isn’t all that much of a bargain. Check the price at a few different places to make sure you’re receiving a good deal.

October and Early November: Thanksgiving kicks off one of the biggest discount seasons of the year. There’s absolutely no reason to buy a TV before late November since the odds of being able to get a discount are quite high. If you want a new TV, figure out the model that you want and then wait to see if there’s a discount during Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

What to Check for Before Buying a TV

Before you purchase a TV, you do need to understand a few things. For example, you should study the jargon used in television specifications, so you understand what you’re buying. Here are some quick tips to follow before buying a television.

Look for 4K: Most TV shows currently use HD resolution (1920×1080 pixels). To future-proof your purchase, pick a TV with a 4K maximum display resolution (3840×2160). You probably don’t need to spend extra money for 6K or 8K TVs just yet, though.

Get HDR: HDR is a type of technology that you will want in your new TV. HDR, short for high dynamic range, delivers more realistic colors than TVs without HDR.

Check Dimensions: A manufacturer measures screen size on a television from one corner to the opposite corner. The television’s dimensions are different than its screen size. Even though several TVs have the same screen size, they won’t all have the same dimensions. This means you could end up with a TV that doesn’t fit your space. Pay attention to dimensions, not screen size.

Decide if You Want a Smart TV: A smart TV is simply one that can connect to the Internet and use apps to access content. It’s like having a Roku or Apple TV built-in. Keep in mind that the interface won’t be as high quality, you can get bombarded with ads, and some TVs sell your viewing data. For my, I ignore Smart TVs and use my Roku instead.

Know Your TV Types: LCD, or liquid crystal display, is the most common display technology in a TV screen. An LED TV refers to one that uses LED backlighting behind the LCD screen. A full-array LED is better than an edge LED design. An OLED TV uses organic LEDs as the backlight, lighting individual pixels to create better picture quality than an LED TV. Other acronyms, like QLED, are marketing terms certain manufacturers use, but they don’t represent a new display technology.

Get a TV with the VESA Standard: Most of us install TVs with wall mounts these days. As long as the TV and the mounting bracket you pick both are compatible with the VESA standard, they should work together.

Pay less attention to specifications like contrast ratio or refresh rate. These items were important several years ago, but nearly all modern TVs are strong performers in these areas.

Have a Plan in Place

Ultimately, a TV is a major purchase, so receiving a good deal will save you quite a bit of money. This makes it worth your time to shop around a bit to find the best model at the best price. It’s one of the purchases where it does make sense to hunt for a discount.

Because there are best times of the year to buy a TV, you will want to make a plan for purchasing the television. Prepare a few days or weeks beforehand, figuring out which models you want to consider. Then on the day that you’ve chosen to shop, you’ll be ready to collect your savings.

Saving a few hundred dollars on a TV purchase certainly helps you achieve financial goals faster than saving a nickel at a time on gas.

The Best Time to Buy a TV is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Finance https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/best-time-to-buy-a-tv/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

0 notes

samuelfields · 5 years

Text

The Best Time to Buy a TV

For most of my twenties, I didn’t have a TV.

Me and my long-time girlfriend huddled over a laptop and watched Netflix as we ate dinner.

We did this for YEARS.

TV technology has rapidly advanced in the last few years too. It’s now possible to get a crazy good TV for $300-$500.

And if you buy during the right time of year, you can get a massive discount on the latest models. Here’s the best times to buy a TV during the year.

The Best Times of the Year to Purchase a TV

1: Black Friday

2: Cyber Monday

If you prefer to purchase a TV online, Cyber Monday is made for you.

3: Late January/Early February (Super Bowl)

4: Amazon Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day has become so big that competitors like Walmart and Best Buy also offer their own online deals on those days, holding what amounts to an anti-Prime Day sale.

You can expect to save 10% to 40% on certain TV models during the Amazon Prime Day time frame, whether you’re shopping at Amazon or one of its competitors.

5: Mid-to-Late August

Back-to-school shoppers may commonly focus on lunchboxes, pencils, new shoes, and glue sticks, but you can find TV deals at this time of the year too.

6: Early Spring

This creates an opportunity for two types of people.

If you’d rather get a TV at a great discount, look for last year’s models during this time. You’ll find discounts anywhere from 10% to 75% as retailers offload old inventory.

7: Dec. 26 to Dec. 31

Immediately after Christmas, some good TV deals exist. You may find some “open box” TVs that people have returned after the holidays, giving you a nice savings of 25% to 50% over a new model.

When NOT to Buy a TV

Although there are quite a few great times to buy a TV throughout the year, the opposite is true as well. There are certain times when you should not buy a TV:

What to Check for Before Buying a TV

Get HDR: HDR is a type of technology that you will want in your new TV. HDR, short for high dynamic range, delivers more realistic colors than TVs without HDR.

Pay less attention to specifications like contrast ratio or refresh rate. These items were important several years ago, but nearly all modern TVs are strong performers in these areas.

Have a Plan in Place

Saving a few hundred dollars on a TV purchase certainly helps you achieve financial goals faster than saving a nickel at a time on gas.

The Best Time to Buy a TV is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Finance https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/best-time-to-buy-a-tv/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

0 notes

mcjoelcain · 5 years

Text

The Best Time to Buy a TV

For most of my twenties, I didn’t have a TV.

Me and my long-time girlfriend huddled over a laptop and watched Netflix as we ate dinner.

We did this for YEARS.

TV technology has rapidly advanced in the last few years too. It’s now possible to get a crazy good TV for $300-$500.

And if you buy during the right time of year, you can get a massive discount on the latest models. Here’s the best times to buy a TV during the year.

The Best Times of the Year to Purchase a TV

1: Black Friday

2: Cyber Monday

If you prefer to purchase a TV online, Cyber Monday is made for you.

3: Late January/Early February (Super Bowl)

4: Amazon Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day has become so big that competitors like Walmart and Best Buy also offer their own online deals on those days, holding what amounts to an anti-Prime Day sale.

You can expect to save 10% to 40% on certain TV models during the Amazon Prime Day time frame, whether you’re shopping at Amazon or one of its competitors.

5: Mid-to-Late August

Back-to-school shoppers may commonly focus on lunchboxes, pencils, new shoes, and glue sticks, but you can find TV deals at this time of the year too.

6: Early Spring

This creates an opportunity for two types of people.

If you’d rather get a TV at a great discount, look for last year’s models during this time. You’ll find discounts anywhere from 10% to 75% as retailers offload old inventory.

7: Dec. 26 to Dec. 31

Immediately after Christmas, some good TV deals exist. You may find some “open box” TVs that people have returned after the holidays, giving you a nice savings of 25% to 50% over a new model.

When NOT to Buy a TV

Although there are quite a few great times to buy a TV throughout the year, the opposite is true as well. There are certain times when you should not buy a TV:

What to Check for Before Buying a TV

Get HDR: HDR is a type of technology that you will want in your new TV. HDR, short for high dynamic range, delivers more realistic colors than TVs without HDR.

Pay less attention to specifications like contrast ratio or refresh rate. These items were important several years ago, but nearly all modern TVs are strong performers in these areas.

Have a Plan in Place

Saving a few hundred dollars on a TV purchase certainly helps you achieve financial goals faster than saving a nickel at a time on gas.

The Best Time to Buy a TV is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Money https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/best-time-to-buy-a-tv/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

0 notes

paulckrueger · 5 years

Text

The Best Time to Buy a TV

For most of my twenties, I didn’t have a TV.

Me and my long-time girlfriend huddled over a laptop and watched Netflix as we ate dinner.

We did this for YEARS.

TV technology has rapidly advanced in the last few years too. It’s now possible to get a crazy good TV for $300-$500.

And if you buy during the right time of year, you can get a massive discount on the latest models. Here’s the best times to buy a TV during the year.

The Best Times of the Year to Purchase a TV

1: Black Friday

2: Cyber Monday

If you prefer to purchase a TV online, Cyber Monday is made for you.

3: Late January/Early February (Super Bowl)

4: Amazon Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day has become so big that competitors like Walmart and Best Buy also offer their own online deals on those days, holding what amounts to an anti-Prime Day sale.

You can expect to save 10% to 40% on certain TV models during the Amazon Prime Day time frame, whether you’re shopping at Amazon or one of its competitors.

5: Mid-to-Late August

Back-to-school shoppers may commonly focus on lunchboxes, pencils, new shoes, and glue sticks, but you can find TV deals at this time of the year too.

6: Early Spring

This creates an opportunity for two types of people.

If you’d rather get a TV at a great discount, look for last year’s models during this time. You’ll find discounts anywhere from 10% to 75% as retailers offload old inventory.

7: Dec. 26 to Dec. 31

Immediately after Christmas, some good TV deals exist. You may find some “open box” TVs that people have returned after the holidays, giving you a nice savings of 25% to 50% over a new model.

When NOT to Buy a TV

Although there are quite a few great times to buy a TV throughout the year, the opposite is true as well. There are certain times when you should not buy a TV:

What to Check for Before Buying a TV

Get HDR: HDR is a type of technology that you will want in your new TV. HDR, short for high dynamic range, delivers more realistic colors than TVs without HDR.

Pay less attention to specifications like contrast ratio or refresh rate. These items were important several years ago, but nearly all modern TVs are strong performers in these areas.

Have a Plan in Place

Saving a few hundred dollars on a TV purchase certainly helps you achieve financial goals faster than saving a nickel at a time on gas.

The Best Time to Buy a TV is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Surety Bond Brokers? Business https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/best-time-to-buy-a-tv/

0 notes

christophergill8 · 6 years

Text

Standard & itemized tax deductions for the 2019 tax year

Welcome to Part 2 of the ol' blog's 2019 series on tax inflation adjustments. We started on Nov. 15 with a look at next year's income tax brackets and rates. Today we look at standard and itemized deductions, personal exemptions and limitations on these tax situations that apply to some taxpayers. Note: The 2019 figures apply to 2019 returns to be filed in 2020. For comparison purposes, you'll also find 2018 amounts to be used in filing 2018 returns due April 15, 2019.

Internal Revenue Service data show that year after year, around 70 percent of filers claim the standard deduction on their tax returns instead of itemizing.

Look for that percentage to increase in 2019 when 2018 returns are submitted.

The main reason is that claiming the standard deduction easier. There aren't any receipts and statements to keep. All you do is just look at your tax form and use the standard deduction amount for your filing status shown there.

And beginning with 2018 returns, the standard amounts now are substantially larger. They were almost doubled by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), aka Republican tax reform that took effect in 2018.

Adding to the standard deduction appeals is the IRS' annual inflation adjustments. The deduction amounts are bumped up a bit more for the 2019 tax year.

Inflation deduction increase: For 2019 returns that are due in 2020, the standard deduction amounts for most taxpayers younger than 65 are:

$12,200 for single taxpayers

$18,350 for heads of household

$24,400 for married filing jointly couples and surviving spouses

$12,200 for married filing separately taxpayers

The table below shows the 2109 standard deduction amounts and, for comparison, the amounts you can claim on your 2018 return you file next year.

Filing Status

2019 Standard Deductions Use these amounts to file 2019 taxes in 2020

2018 Standard Deductions Use these amounts to file 2018 taxes in 2019

Single

$12,200

$12,000

Head of Household

$18,350

$18,000

Married Filing Jointly

$24,400

$24,000

Qualifying Widow or Widower (Surviving Spouse)

$24,400

$24,000

Married Filing Separately

$12,200

$12,000

Age adds to deductions: I've been doing this long enough now to know that readers of the ol' blog caught my earlier reference to "most taxpayers younger than 65" when it comes to standard deduction amounts.

The age distinction is important because tax code allows older filers and those who are visually impaired to claim additional standard deduction amounts. You do so by ticking a checkbox on your tax return.

Quick note about new tax returns: It looks like there will be just one Form 1040 thanks to the TCJA. The other versions will be around, sort of, in the form of added schedules.

Each added standard deduction amount option is separate for each filer, meaning that an older married couple could check up to four boxes on their joint return. The total number of boxes checked then is used to determine the filer(s) standard deduction amount.

For the 2019 tax year, aged or blind filers get an additional standard deduction amount of $1,300. That's the same as it was for 2018 taxes.

This added standard deduction amount increases to $1,650 if the individual also is unmarried and not a surviving spouse. That's a $50 tick upward from the 2018 amount.

And if you're a tax filer who also can be claimed as a dependent of another taxpayer, in 2019 your standard deduction amount cannot be more than the greater of either $1,100 or $350 plus your earned income. Again, inflation bumps this up a bit from 2018's dependent standard deduction amount of $1,050 or $350 plus your earned income.

Since you don't have to worry about 2019 standard deduction amounts, why even take note so early of these inflation changes? Because knowing the amounts can help in your tax planning.

Itemized deduction issues: Part of your annual tax planning is determining whether you'd be better off claiming the standard deduction or itemizing the expenses you can claim on Schedule A.

While the TCJA changes mean most filers will take the easier standard deduction route, don't assume. You know that old tax saying: Assuming can get your a$$ kicked by the IRS in the form of a higher tax bill. Or something like that.

You always want to use the deduction method that gives you the larger amount to offset your income. You're not locked into any one way. It's a decision you make each tax year. One year, itemizing might be better. The next year, it's wise to take the standard deduction.

So knowing what's available on the standard side gives you a baseline to use in measuring your potential itemized expenses.

For some folks, even under the new tax law, their total itemized deduction amount will still be more than their standard deduction amount. In these cases, by all means itemize.

Limits on itemized expenses: One good thing about itemized deductions under the TCJA is that there no longer is any limit on your total Schedule A claims based on your income.

This so-called Pease limitation, one of several laws named after their advocates, in this case the late Rep. Don Pease (D-Ohio) who championed the deduction limits on higher-income taxpayers, was repealed for tax years 2018 through 2025.

But there are a couple of bad things about itemized deductions under the new tax law.

You no longer can claim miscellaneous expenses. This means employees who paid for some business expenses and weren't reimbursed by their bosses now don't have a tax way to recoup these costs.

Also, there's a cap on how much state and local taxes (SALT) you can claim on Schedule A. It's $10,000.

If you're a homeowner with a big local real estate tax bill, you're already painfully aware of this change. Some states are trying to work around the limit with charitable tax credit programs since the charitable donations remain unlimited. But this effort is tied up in IRS proposed SALT regulations and a pending court case. To be safe in your tax planning, count on that hard 10 grand cap.

That $10,000 cap also covers deductible state income and sales tax amounts. So if you live in a state with a high income tax, you could be hit here, too.

The end of exemptions, sort of: In addition to the major changes to itemized deductions, taxpayers also lost a major way to reduce their income to a lower taxable amount. We no longer, at least not from 2018 through 2025, can claim personal exemptions.

Exemptions were a specific dollar amount, adjusted annually for inflation, that taxpayers could claim for themselves, their spouses if filing jointly and dependents. The exemptions total helped reduce the amount of filers' income subject to tax.

TCJA supporters say the exemption elimination isn't a big deal. It's offset, they argue, by the new larger standard deduction amounts and expansion of the child tax credit. Some filers with larger families disagree, but that's an issue for future tax policy debates on Capitol Hill.

As for exemptions and inflation, this special personal amount still comes into play. This is true in those tax situations where determining eligibility for or how much of a tax break you get depends on the old, now-gone exemption amount.

Since the tax law changes didn't mean to invalidate these cases, the IRS says that to deal with the now zero exemption amount it will use pre-TCJA exemption data. Specifically for tax years 2018 through 2025 (or longer pending possible Tax Reform 2.0), the IRS will continue to calculate annual inflation amount for technically non-existent exemptions which must be used in these other tax cases.

For the 2018 tax year, the deemed exemption amount is $4,150. Inflation adjustments push that up to $4,200 for tax year 2019.

More inflation info on the way: Yes, this second on the 2019 tax inflation adjustments series does contain a lot a numbers. Again, that's why I'm breaking it up into separate series posts. Even my eyes, those of a dedicated tax geek, glaze over after a certain point.

But I do hope that these tables and explanations of how both the 2018 and 2019 tax years and we filers are affected by inflation help when you file your 2018 return next year and also make moves to lower your 2019 tax bill.

And stayed tuned! More inflation figures are on the way.

As noted in the intro to this post, you can read the first part of the 2019 tax inflation series with details on next year's tax rates and income brackets.

You'll also find at the end of that post an index of what's coming up, along with links to inflation pieces already published.