#i have met many people of many origins races ethnicities ages personalities etc. but this specific breed of human is insufferable to me

[lavendairs]

♚  ━━━  ❛ ALL ABOUT AUGUST.

G E N E R A L  —

NAME.         his full birth name is august ahn-evergreene, his last names being a combination of his maternal and paternal last names because his mother wasn’t going to allow her children to not have her last name in some fashion. however, in his twenties he drops evergreene and only uses ahn as his last name due to a rift with his mother / wanting an identity separate from her ( he’s not fond of his father either but he has a habit of leaving town so it’s easier for august to distance himself from that part of his family’s ‘legacy’ ).

AGE.         he appears in his late 20s ( 27-30 ) but is around 60 years old due to the extended lifespan of a mage.

HEIGHT.          he stands at 6′1 ( 185.42 ). no, he’s not a sloucher and is the type to internally judge people who do because stand up straight wtf?

WEIGHT.          170 pounds ( 77.1kg ). he’s lean and not overly muscular; doesn’t do much heavy physical activity anymore due to his current ‘condition’.

ETHNICITY.         korean-filipino american mage. he comes from a bloodline of magic-users. if commenting on his natural magical prowess, expect a dry ‘of course, i was breed to be.’ in response.

OCCUPATION.           he is what the people of crescent creek call ‘the overseer’, the highest sitting member of the council of novema ( or just ‘the council’ for short ). they are the ones who ‘govern’ the town and its people, establishing laws and stepping in to resolve high-level matters between residents if it should come to it. with the council needing to hear matters from the magi, vampires, fae, werewolves, and other beings, august has a constant headache.

GENDER.          cis-male.

SEXUAL & ROMANTIC ORIENTATION.         he would state that he’s heterosexual but admittedly he’s never fully explored his sexuality enough for that to be a definite statement. he hasn’t seriously dated in a very long time™ and it isn’t interested in changing that.

MBTI.         INTJ-A,  The  Architect  —  it can be lonely at the top. as one of the rarest personality types – and one of the most capable – architects ( INTJs ) know this all too well. rational and quick-witted, architects may struggle to find people who can keep up with their nonstop analysis of everything around them. these personalities can be both the boldest of dreamers and the bitterest of pessimists. architects believe that, through willpower and intelligence, they can achieve even the most challenging of goals. but they may be cynical about human nature more generally, assuming that most people are lazy, unimaginative, or simply doomed to mediocrity.

S P E C I F I C S  —

FAVOURITE  FOOD.           he’s very particular about getting his three meals a day in if he can but he probably has the most fondest for food that was often served at dinner time with his family or when all his cousins spent time at his lola’s house when they visited her. dishes such as bopis, kimchi, pancit canton, tocino and rice, korean styled steak, etc. are personal favorites.

FAVOURITE  DRINK.           his day isn’t complete without having a nice, chilled glass of vintage red wine during dinner ( and maybe just drinking straight from the bottle by the end of the night ). he does enjoy drinking rosé during a nice breakfast or lunch depending on the bottle.

FAVOURITE  HOBBY.          brooding. joking aside, he does enjoy sparring matches, ‘magical’ based sparring matches. he does practice taekkyeon ( korean martial arts ) and enjoys mixing spells in by shocking opponents, blocking their spells with his own wards, etc.

FAVOURITE  SCENT.             the smell of freshly cut grass as well as the scent of pomegranates, vanilla, cinnamon, and musk. the former is bittersweet and nostalgic, reminding of his years as a teen: when he was young, oblivious, and only had to be concerned about being late to football / soccer practice. the latter reminds him of someone he would rather forget.

FAVOURITE  PERSON.        i. his twin brother, ansel ahn. his death still hurts and he’ll always partially blame himself for it - despite the fact that there would’ve been nothing he could’ve done to change it. ( this is the part where that wand.avision quote is inserted in ). the loss of his brother dramatically changes the course of his life. ii. his lola, nora evergreene. she grounds him a lot. one of the few times he’s at peace is when he visits her for brunch every third saturday of the month. iii. his ex, audrey cramer. he would never admit it out loud though - at least not anymore.

T E N   F A C T S  —

he’s well versed in magical creatures : one of the 'gifts’ of being the overseer is the ability to traverse pass the veil - a barrier / entry way that exist between ‘earth’ and the many dimensions that exist beyond it. this ability, however, is one that has fallen out of use over the past few decades. ever the abnormally, august makes use of this ability for his own personal agenda. outside of the different races that already live within crescent creek ( witches, vampires, werewolves, fairies, etc. ), there are those that prefer to live freely in their own worlds rather than live in secrecy on earth. so yes, he has met unicorns and he thinks most of them are actually assholes.

on the nature of the veil : the origin of the veil itself is a mystery. all that is known that about its existence is that many millennium ago, those from different dimensions ( or ‘worlds’ ) were able to freely pass through it without the need of assistance or a spell. as time progressed and humanity began to rise, passage through the veil became increasingly more restricted, leading to entry ways within the veil being sealed and only accessible through the leader in each world ( ex. the overseer in crescent creek ). although the town of crescent creek has always traded with other towns, cities, etc. pass the veil, many of those trades have slowed to a stop entirely as those dimensions have become inaccessible. to somewhat ease panic and concern, the council has framed the issue being due to other dimensions permanently closing themselves off from earth ( a situation that has previously happened some worlds ). in truth, the veil itself has become 'infected’ by a foreign spell that’s led to the blocking of entry ways that lead into other worlds. due to not knowing the source of the spell and its affect on the veil, the knowledge of its presence is unknown to most people in crescent creek. // note: this is more of an overall ‘lore’ fact that explains the backdrop of what’s going on in this ‘world’ to understand other facts about him. in the grand scheme of things, this wouldn’t come up when interacting with him.

he doesn’t believe in astrologists, psychics, fortune tellers, etc. : which may seem contradictory considering he’s a literal magical being but in his experience, it’s typically humans pushing pseudoscience or mages using their magic to con clueless humans. people in that line of ‘work’ are hacks to him - especially since he’s seen it first hand with his own father’s profession.

over the past twenty years, he’s been continuing his brother’s research : ansel, his older, twin brother, had been studying the distortions within the veil in secret before his death a decade prior. although the status of the veil was supposed to be concealed to those outside of the council’s reach, ansel confided in his brother before his death. in august’s eyes, whatever spell that’s taken over the veil is an active threat and with the backing of onyx crane, a vampire on the council, and his cousin, faye evergreene, he began an almost obsessive-like determination to complete his brother’s work and find answers - even if it’s to his own detriment. // *note: with a big soap opera trope being people returning from the dead, it shouldn’t be shocking to discover that ansel, is in fact, not actually dead. he used a storm that hit the town as a means to fake his own death ( disasters that kill off characters is usually a soap opera storyline that happens during ‘sweeps’ period ) and left town for his own agenda.

the youngest overseer to sit in the council : his status as the overseer is one steeped in controversy due to...a variety of reasons: an overseer typically is replaced by another council member by vote or an apprentice to the overseer should they have one after an overseer’s death, resignation, or if they’ve been forcefully discharged from the position. none of these things applied to august’s own mother, tala ahn-evergreene, when he usurped her - blackmailing the council by threatening to expose the truth about the current threat of the veil. // *note: in every ( american ) soap opera, it is a staple to have a ‘thing’, whether it be a business, a central institution in town ( ex. a hospital ), or a position ( CEO of a company, chief of staff at a hospital, etc. ) that many of the characters are tied to or even fighting for control over. ELQ, the quartermaine’s family business on general hospital, often have storylines where family members are fighting over shares of the company, who should run it, or the family teaming up to oust an outsider that’s taken over the company ( funnily enough, there is a story like the latter happening on the show right now ). the point here is that being the overseer or even sitting on the council of novema is that ‘thing’ that people fight over to be on for various reason. 

he takes his personal upkeep very seriously : there’s a lot of things one could say about crescent creek’s current overseer but no one can ever say they’ve seen august ahn not look put together when he’s out and about ( this is him going out publicly basically ). as someone who values consistency and control in his life but pretty much never has it, august actually highly treasures the time spent doing his morning / nightly skincare routines, getting his acupuncture treatments, and so on. he supports the self care movement essentially.

he ( as well as his siblings ) once witnessed one of his father’s affairs : it was an awful experience. -10/10. doesn’t recommend. this incident shapes his attitude towards relationships in general and how he operates within them. august has a very black and white attitude about relationships: you are either with him 100% or you’re not with him at all. it’s unhealthy and he has to unpack that. // *fun fact: this is actually a real event that happened with this family back in the sims 2 over ten years ago - they just all had different names, were a different race, and so on at that point.. they’ve changed a lot:tm:. 

may be an active suspect for murder : it happens. when marlena cramer, a former council member, suddenly passes on, the town is overtaken by a wave of a grief...that soon becomes shock and suspicion when her death is rules to be from unnatural causes. between being one of the last people to see her alive and reports of him wanting her off the council, august becomes one of the prime suspects for her murder case. // *note: whodunit’s are probably up there with ‘who’s the daddy’ storylines in terms of being the most common soap opera staple ( ex. who shot j.r. on dallas ).

voted most likely to be successful in his HS yearbook : august was the picture perfect prom king, the jock that was friends with everyone on campus, and the one everyone expected ride off into the sunset with his hs sweetheart. on paper, august was well rounded - some would say outright perfect. today, those who knew him in high school would shake their heads and ask themselves what happened to the boy who always smiled at them when he passed you by in the hallway or whose laughter could easily be heard the loudest in a classroom. august, as he is now, is a stranger to those that once knew him.

it’s happening gradually but he is, in fact, dying : many of the worlds that had become unaccessible were not only blocked off but were actively decaying - many of its residents fleeing to other worlds before they were forever trapped in a dying one while others locked their entry ways to stop the spell from spreading to their own homes. the overseers in crescent creek were restricted from traversing the veil themselves due to the unknown risk of the spell, a rule that august actively ignores. every time he travels through the veil, the more the spell slowly eats away at him - a fact that he is well aware of and he has no desire to stop. he will keep traveling worlds ( and helping those he can ) until he finds the source of the spell and kills its caster himself.

FIVE  THINGS  HE  LIKES.

visiting the sauna. the heat helps with his internal pain.

eating home-cooked meals.

getting hydrafacials ( james_franco_so_good.gif ).

smoking with his cousin, faye.

blasting emo music as he gets drunk, questions his life choices, and stares at the ceiling

FIVE  THINGS  HE  DISLIKES.

feeling used.

disloyal / uncommitted people

selfishness.

tough, chewy steak.

cheap wine.

COMMON  WORDS / PHRASES  THAT  ANNOY  THEM.         during a misunderstanding or argument, the worst thing to tell him is that he ‘doesn’t understand’. even if the person is somewhat correct, august is a person that prides himself on being an objective observer of a situation, rational in his thinking, and not someone who lets his emotions dictate his choices. saying something like that to him would just further annoy him.

PERSONALITY  TYPES  THEY  PREFER.        those who are smart, loyal, and efficient. those who are willing to dirty their hands on occasion, and believe that the ends do justify the means.

PERSONALITY  TYPES  THEY  AVOID.       selfish and incompetent people, those who proceed to waste his time, useless people in positions of powers, jerky unicorns.

WHAT  DO  YOU  FIND  DIFFERENT / DISTINCT  ABOUT  YOUR  PORTRAYAL?

         the whole concept of this ‘world’ is based around soap opera cliches and tropes so the character is intentionally ‘tropey’ and meant to pull from different fictional men from the genre - as well as outside of it. i would say him being the leading man is unique within itself because people of color in soaps ( at least within american soaps which this is all inspired by ) are generally never the leads or involved in what i actually watch soaps for: the drama, the love stories, the scheming, the cheating, etc. they’re usually the straight men to the white characters; living well off but boring lives and are rarely given front burner stories. all black people in a soap opera are usually always going to somehow know each other, only date each other, etc. you can switch black people out with latinos, asians, etc. and it would still be true. the characters of color are easily written off as a result of this.

        in general, soap operas are very white - and still are today. they have a history of casting white people as mexican characters, ex. lindsay hartley as theresa on passions. asian american soap characters are severly lacking - i could probably count the amount of i’ve seen on screen. a black actress formerly on general hospital mentioned how people jokingly called the show ‘generally white hospital’ behind the scenes. chad.wick bos.eman left all my children because of how much of a stereotype his character was - and he was right ( ironically, michael b. jord.an was his recast ). some shows are getting better, bold and beautiful currently has a story involving two characters cheating ( one of which is black ) and it’s hot af but it’s still not enough for the times we’re in. this isn’t a problem exclusive to soaps either - most media has a problem with this. people of color aren’t getting lead roles and especially not romantic lead roles - even if they do, the shows always make it a interracial romance with a white person ( ex. bridg/erton ) as if people of color of different races are incapable of dating each other.

         finally, i’ve noticed that you rarely see asian american men portrayed as romantic leads or desirable ( at least in a non-fetishized way ) in western media. that’s pretty lame:tm: so that was also a factor when i revamped audrey’s love interest ( parts of ‘old’ him still exist, ex. him being a jock / king of the school as a teen, a complicated relationship with his brother, etc ). anyway, stan august uwu.

tagged by:   i took it from myself. tagging:   anyone who wants to.

[streetkitten]

Regulation of the Black Woman

The original purpose of this topic was to express my annoyance with how people flock to “pro-black” comments made by non-black persons, but the same people who flock to those individuals have no real intention of supporting them unless they are speaking up for pro-blackness or are black themselves.

After going through the motions of trying to figure out why humans do this, I came across an age-old problem: black women.

Black women are a problem for society. If it’s not the skin color, it’s the hair, if its not the hair it’s the attitude, if it’s not the attitude it’s the body-types. No one is more scrutinized than the black woman. Period. Black women give and give in order to find acceptance in various communities only to be met with disdain when they want to voice opinions, thoughts and fears about themselves as black women.

Before I go any further, I need to explain a few things about the black community that is not always common knowledge to non-black individuals. These issues are not often addressed (outside the black community) nor taken seriously. So based on my original purpose for making this article, let me begin with the source: Interracial dating.

Interracial-dating is not always welcomed in the black community due to various OBVIOUS social issues. Even so, black men have more free-range to date outside of the black community than black women. More-so the same men who fawn over white, Asian and hispanic/Latino women will often times degrade a black woman for doing the same. This issue has become apparent to most in the anime community (Japanese animation), which has transferred into the kpop (South Korean music) community and beyond. We even see jokes about black women dating non-black women and see it promoted in non-black communities (Hollywood), whereas the black woman is rarely seen in interracial relationships.

Regulating “blackness”.  How did it stay strong well into 2017?

1.Black people constantly regulate each other’s “blackness” based on stereotypes- hiphop, having soul, chicken, slang, Beyonce vs, hood-movies, etc. such stereotypes were enforced through the decades by non-black individuals who thought they knew what it meant to be a black person.

2. Black people come up with things like “the black card” to determine if they are “black or not” based on stereotypes imposed on them by the white community, which we have reinforced & re-imaged for centuries.

3. A lot of Black people who are willingly to give up the “black card” to enjoy their hobbies with no regret, do so hoping other black people (and society in general) will stop making fun of them for it.

4.Even after black people accept their passions (by accepting I mean doing it publicly), they are then given “new names” like “weird black girl”,  “white Korean”. Black people are believed to operate under very basic guidelines of what it is to be black. Most guidelines consist of: hiphop, poor, overly sexual beings, dangerous, only support black products and black people, uneducated, etc.  Operating outside of those guidelines result in the above mentioned.

If you didn’t know white people appear to be given free-range to like and do essentially anything b/c they are involved in and have taken over a variety of industries. The black community is involved in other industries, but it is not often promoted or praised. When they are praised, it is solely because the individual a black. Meaning they are praised for doing something that goes against the “guidelines”.

What does this have to do with black women & kpop and some tweets?

1. As stated before, black men have more power to date outside the black community and receive less scrutiny (by both sexes). It has become a societal norm. Possibly related to men being allowed more independence than women? Maybe.

2. Black women dating outside the black community is met with severe scrutiny by men and sometimes by women (who uphold what most black men believe to be true.) If you notice AMBW FB groups and IG pages, it’s not purely out of fetish like many want to believe and enforce on others. These groups and pages are created due to stereotypes, prejudice & racism they receive from their peers and total strangers. This issue of scrutiny applies to all ethnicities of interracial dating, however the black community is criticized the most for doing so.

The Asian community is seen as odd & unattractive. Another ethnicity society says is undesirable. So often times, when you have two ethnicities deemed as undesired are with another the confusion is high. People who don’t know how to process this information, their immediate reaction is generally on the lines of “What? Do you see that? Why?”

So what does any of that have to do with black women and non-black hobbies? EVERYTHING!

1. Black women are known for being the loudest in the black community when it comes to black lives. They support other black women, black men, black babies, black causes, etc. But they rarely see the same support back.

2. Black women are heavily regulated & judged essentially by everyone- black men, white women, non-black men, gay men, etc. Black women  have to uphold standards place upon their heads by even other black women. But lets face it, those women are only mimicking what they’ve been taught by those already mentioned. 

3.You would think black women’s life-long efforts of supporting the black community would transcend as black women navigate away from black-stereotyped hobbies. Black women have “proven loyalty” to the black community time and time again. Often times, black men do not reciprocate that notion, and often times it is seen publicly by non-black communities. Which generally results in a further negative image on black women that easily reinforces the above mentioned stereotypes.

What more do you want from black women??

Their bodies apparently. Black women are one of the highest sexualized groups of individuals (Asian and Hispanic/Latino’s suffer as well, but not to the same degree) so it is no surprise when black women decide to do their own thing the black community gets upset. Protecting the queens? Maybe. Regardless, black women have found their independence and it seems everyone is out to stop it from happening.

The natual-hair trend is no longer a trend. It is becoming normalized in households. Skin-bleaching (colorism in the black community) has reportedly dropped in various countries over the last few years as women of color pursue their natural journey. Which means finding beauty in their natural-born looks and moving away from flat irons, relaxers and weave. Black-african hair is one of the most scrutinized on the planet. Where afro’s mean “black pride”, corn rows are “thugs” and “hiphop”, while dreads are “weed smokers” and “unkempt” beings along with short hair being a symbol for “tribal African” and black females having the inability to grow hair which is the sole-purpose of weave. Black-African hair can’t simply exist as hair like other ethnicities.

When beauty products come out that show black women as the target market, many believe black women are trying to be special and segregate themselves from other ethnicities. This is not the case. What many find offensive, are persons who are wholly responsible for the lack of diversity and representation, have the audacity to complain when a brand emerges with a target market that does not represent them.

Brands like Rihanna’s Fenty, is doing what many black women and other women of color have been asking for for decades- a proper line that represents the diversity of melanated skin. Now that women of color have this brand, beauty corporations well-known for marketing to white and fair-skinned persons are surprised by how popular the darker tones are. How many times must women of color ask “white brands” for representation before they seek out whole new brands for their needs? Coincidentally enough these other brands seem to be releasing darker color palettes as well. It is interesting to see this all play out. It further proves the message many have been preaching for decades: black women really don’t matter. Unless of course it goes against the grain of what society has bestowed- worthless.

So with all that in mind. I would like for people to remove stereotypes and prejudice from themselves and simply allow black women (women in general, but that’s not really the point here) to do and be as they please. Black women are not created by a set of rules. Black women are not here to fit the needs of others. Black women can be educated, love anime, visit a country not in Africa, dance to kpop and more. No one needs approval from anyone, especially black men, to do as they see fit with themselves.

*This post partly unfinished due to what seems to be an unending battle between races, sexes and the uphill battle of being properly heard and respected. If you feel major points are missing that are very crucial for painting a bigger picture feel free to add on to your own post. Eventually this post will be edited. Thank you*

[nojapcap]

Final Blog Post!

Throughout the semester, I have learned a lot from Survey of Communications.  One of the topics that interested me the most was how society has shifted television. The history of television alone is vast and complex, though there are a few important changes that should be noted. Firstly, there are 3 ages of television. The first age of television was known as over the air free tv, or the network age. This took place from 1946-1976. Television was ultimately run by “The Big Three” NBC, ABC, and CBS. The cable and satellite age was from 1976-2006. The creation of geostationary satellites and fiber optics changed how people watched television. HBO was created in 1976, and soon followed ESPN, Discovery, MTV, etc. The third age of television, or the Digital Internet Age, began in the early 2000’s. Although technically the internet began in 1969, this age of television specifically began when Reed Hastings created Netflix. Streaming platforms completely changed how people across the world watch tv. Applications like Netflix and Hulu allow for viewers to watch seasons of a show or even movies commercial free, for a small monthly subscription fee. No longer do people have to worry about making it home in time to catch a certain show, we now have television at our fingertips. The same show that comes on weekly at 7pm on a wednesday evening, could now be viewed on the train or at the gym. This third age caused a lot of problems for bigger television networks, forcing them to “play the game” by allowing shows on their networks to be shown on these streaming platforms.

I feel like shows from 30-40 years ago rarely showed other cultures, but when they did, they were typically stereotypical elements that were included. The first example that comes to mind is the movie Full Metal Jacket, which takes place during the Vietnam War. There is a scene where a Vietnamese prostitute comes up to one of the soldiers and solicits him, saying “me love you long time”.

https://youtu.be/-L6__oz2S8s

This is a phrase that has become famous and is automatically associated with Asian women. At the time, it didn’t seem like a problem but as we progress as a society things like this probably would not be acceptable to put on television today. This is not to say that there aren’t other stereotypical things that occur on television today or within the past few decades. We often see characters in television that are recurring. The sassy Black girl, the smart Asian, and so on. These roles are a direct reflection of how society used to, and still views other races and cultures. With that being said, however, I do notice more representation on television shows such as Blackish, which is about an African American family (portrayed in a good light).

Originally posted by supagirl

The parents are well off and educated, their children are smart. 30 years ago black characters were usually only used for comedic relief. There is another show called Fresh off The Boat, which is loosely based around Eddie Huang’s childhood.

Originally posted by joaquins-phoenixs

It depicts his younger life growing up in Florida, dealing with Chinese tradition with his parents, but his love for Hip Hop. Decades ago, an Asian kid loving hip hop would never be on television. Two  things that do not seem to go together at all, combine and create content for other kids who may feel like they cannot listen to specific types of music because their families do not agree or because society tells them that it is not for them. There is also another show called Bob Hearts Abishola, which is fairly new (I think it comes on ABC).

(Photo from Google)

I do not watch the show but I’ve seen the first episode and ultimately it is about a White man (Bob) that falls for an African nurse (Abishola). This is another common occurrence on television that we did not see 30-40 years ago. Interracial dating is widely accepted now but also frowned upon by many. Overall, society’s tolerance has grown tremendously, and we are still breaking barriers for other cultures and underrepresented demographics.

Another topic that interested me was how the transgender community has been portrayed within recent years. How The Transgender Community Has Been Portrayed Within Recent Years. Within the past 30 years, the way the transgender community has been portrayed in the media has shifted tremendously. Being transgender is something that many people have yet to agree with, but also many people do not fully comprehend its meaning. Recently, we have seen a lot of transgender people gain media attention. For example, Laverne Cox rose to fame from her role on Orange is The New Black, where she plays a transgender woman who used to be a fire fighter, doing hair in a maximum security women’s prison. This sparked controversy because many people do not understand how she would be in a woman’s prison if she was technically born a man.

Another example of Transgender representation is the show Pose, which follows the lives of several LGBTQ+ youth surviving the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York City in the 1980’s. I do watch the show and personally I found it very eye opening to see how much Trans people are and have been discriminated against unnecessarily. They are not allowed in many establishments because of how they may physically present themselves. But the trans community was able to find solace in another community known as Ballroom. This is where voguing and other similar dances originated. The LGBTQ+ community is also responsible for many of the slang terms we use today such as “shade” or “tea” “hunty” etc.  Many people tend to ignore or downplay the role that Trans people have played or attempt to shut them out of history, which is a trend that we have seen, especially in America. This comes from fear of what they are and how that threatens someone else’s life.  

Originally posted by mega-sploosh

Billy Porter, who is also on Pose, is a well-known advocate for the community. This year he wore a dress to the Met Gala, which caught a lot of buzz. This is another issue that I constantly see being discussed on social media, specifically Twitter. Many people do not agree with men wearing dresses, and often the hypothetical “What would you do if your son wanted to wear a dress or play with a doll?” comes up. Answers are usually follwed by homophobic and transphobic statements, though it just shows how ignorant some people can be. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but people who often answer the question with a “no” tend to be attacked for having some kind of homophobic vendetta. I think that people should be able to voice their opinions without being attacked, though there also needs to be a certain level of respect for both sides. Sometimes, I wonder if companies truly care about representation, or they realize that transgender politics are “popular” and profitable, which makes it easier to market. Not only in terms of the trans community but for racial/ethnic inclusion in television. A lot of it seems to be forced because producers know what will get them ratings, rather than truly caring about a story or a group of people whose stories need to be shared.

Overall, the class has taught be a lot about communication beyond other courses I’ve taken before. We’ve explored topics that were international and gave examples beyond America, for example, the Harajuku trend in Japan, or ethnocentrism. Overall I have learned that my version of what communication looks like is not necessarily correct, it is just one way. I have also learned that some cultures have other ways of communication that may be completely opposite from my own values and beliefs, this does not make either side wrong, just different. There is something I enjoy and appreciate about learning aspects of other cultures that may seem weird to me, but are completely normal in that culture. Communication is about learning and understanding why people do what they do, say what they say, and act the way they do. There are no right or wrong answers. And by studying why people communicate the way they do, we can learn a lot about ourselves as well. It helps put life into perspective, from a lense that is not necessarily your own.

[interracial-datingproject-blog]

An Essay on Personal Conflicts

People say opposites attract, but if that was true, then why do we see so few interracial couples? Often, couples that come from different races bring together very different cultures and backgrounds, leading to a clash of ideals and ideas. This clashing is often much more than these couples can take, leading to early breakups on relationships packed with potential. However, when both partners manage to keep an open idea, something new and special can be created. Personal cultural differences can cause strains to appear in interracial relationships,  but compromises, patience, and acceptance of each other’s cultures will lead to a wonderful life together.

Interracial relationships can be a difficult thing to navigate. Every relationship requires compromise, but this may be even more true for those of different cultures. When choosing to be with someone of a different culture, one is opening themselves up to a different experience and outlook on life. As cited in Medley, B., Reviere, R., Stackman, V. (2016) Current national surveys indicate that about 85% of people ages 18 to 29 approve of interracial dating, and few young Americans say that similar racial and ethnic backgrounds are important in their choice of mates To see how many sacrifices, and what they entailed, anecdotal evidence was collected. Two people, both in interracial relationships, were asked about their experiences and compromises made within these relationships and how it has affected their lives. To keep anonymity the two women will be referred to as A and L. When asked how they met their significant other, A said that she had met him through her best friend while L said that they had met through work. A is a Hispanic woman who is currently in an interracial relationship with a Korean man. When asked about the first cultural differences she first experienced in their relationship she mentioned the food, “his family eats a lot of sushi, which I did not like when we first met but is now one of my favorite foods.”  She explained how she was sort of off-put by the new food experiences but that it eventually became part of her life as much as his. She had also explained how the language barrier was frightening at first. The grandmother of her significant other speaks little English while his mother does speak English, but often speaks in Korean. She talked about how it can be scary being around people you want to impress when you do not even speak their language. L, who is also a Hispanic woman, is in a relationship with a white woman and could not relate as much to experiencing new cultures. It was also asked how they dealt with these new changes and experiences. A said that she would “try to spend time with his grandma in order for her to get a sense of what kind of person I am” while L said that she tries to include her significant other in her family's traditions as she knows that her significant other does not have many of her own. It was also asked if they have incorporated any of their significant other traditions into their own daily lives. A said that she now eats tons of sushi and listens to KPOP, Korean Pop Music which she had not listened to before. Now she and her friends enjoy watching music videos and going to KPOP concerts. L said that there are not really any traditions for her to incorporate, but she has started to bring her significant other to her family’s special events, such as making tamales on Christmas. She said that she enjoys being able to show someone new experiences and cultures because it brings them closer. Overall, both women said that they are extremely happy in their relationships and that there must always be a compromise, but if you are open to new experiences then it may lead to new likings and hobbies of your own.

The struggles of being in an interracial relationship are also shown through popular social media sites like YouTube. A very popular one that I watched recently was Yappie, by WongFuProductions. The show contains a very realistic depiction of Black women dating an Asian man. One of the main issues they face in the show is the lack of respect of the boyfriend by the girlfriend’s friends. One of the girlfriend’s exes immediately started making racist jokes at the expense of the boyfriend, saying things like “Ching Chong” and “dog eater”. However, this couple got past this incident by leaving the premises and cutting off negative influences. Another friend told the boyfriend that not all people think like the ex; not that all people are that racist. Sometimes when there are negative influences in life, it is best to just cut them off. Another issue that this couple faces is the fact that all the boyfriend’s friends just assume that he is only dating the girl just because of her race. This issue is resolved by the friends, along with the members of the relationship, accepting everyone for who they are as individuals, rather than who they are as a race. This includes things like assuming that someone likes something or is good at something because of their race. Another YouTube video that describes how people get past culture differences is called “Intercultural Couples on Miscommunication”. The video starts off with people describing the problems they faced in the beginning of their relationships. This includes things ranging from thinking that hair is a weave to another race being a lot more adventurous in bed. A huge issue for all these couples was the language barrier. Different words have different connotations in different cultures. Sometimes, a sentence could be interpreted in a way that it wasn’t supposed to. The way that all these couples got past this is by being patient. Each of them was very understanding about these understandings, and after a while of being together, they eventually learned about each other’s quirks. With patience, any amount of differences can be overcome.

We can also find cross-cultural couples’ difficulty in the youtube video [Interracial Couples Talk Family] this video was about interracial couples share awkward moments and weird traditions'. It was pretty hilarious for me to watch this video and see slight conflicts between two people from different culture background. Personally, I think being with someone from a different country than yourself is quite amusing and interesting. It would never get boring, because of the differences in the 2 different countries, the culture, the language barrier, etc. interracial couple would always have something to giggle and laugh about. Also, the interracial couple can interact with other couples like them. It will certainly spread a positive effect on other people if a video like this talk about and share funny stories about each habit and manners and cultures from each country. However,  the video has also pointed out that sometimes interracial couples face some misunderstandings and little arguments, mostly because of the language barrier. Some couple in this video see this as a benefit because they can learn the other language, if you ever have children, they can be raised with more languages, we automatically get to know the other culture. It gives as the messages that all those great benefits can be a stressful disadvantage at the same time.

The level of difficulty of interracial marriages depends a great deal on the level of commitment, preparation, flexibility, patience, and effort of the people involved. The more of all of those things that are brought to the marriage, the less “difficult” it will be.

If you enter such a marriage without ever talking about ethnicity and culture with your intended, you are probably in for a bumpy road and difficult time. If you devote time and effort to understanding how your different ethnicities create different expectations of marriage and of the roles of each person in a marriage, you’ll be able to build a partnership that works for both of you. It also prepares each spouse to be able to run interference with their families of origin, in order to prevent unfair criticism from being leveled at their partners. That said, an interracial marriage can be a beautiful thing to experience. Aside from the benefits of companionship, affection, and care that are part of any marriage, interracial marriage brings a deep awareness of another culture, when done right.

Differences will eventually arise with every couple, but interracial couples have to deal with huge cultural differences that other couples do not have to. However, with a little patience and understanding, they will find that they can get past them. This is shown through interviews and online sources. All relationships will have bumps in the road, but how long they will last depends on how hard the partners are willing to fight.

References Stackman, V. R., Reviere, R., & Medley, B. C. (2016). Attitudes Toward Marriage, Partner Availability, and Interracial Dating Among Black College Students From Historically

Black and Predominantly White Institutions. Journal of Black Studies, 47(2), 169-192. doi:10.1177/0021934715623520

Videos of Interest

Yappie (Minutes 1:05-3:00)

Intercultural Miscommunication (Minutes 1:20-2:50)

[malapkv]

Being a  Kerala daughter-in-law!!

Etiquette lessons across the globe read as follows-

English Speaking countries

In most English-speaking countries, food is not a topic that you discuss with someone you have just met unless you meet them in a restaurant

Japan

In Japan-If you ask someone whether they like a food (that even many Japanese people do not like), it might seem as though you are trying to find differences. This is not a very friendly thing to do.

France

To the French, conversations are for exchanging points of view, not finding things in common, (the goal of conversation for North Americans).

In their new book, The Bonjour Effect: The Secret Codes of French Conversation Revealed, authors Julie Barlow and Jean-Benoît Nadeau elaborate on why you should never ask a French person about their work.

The reaction is not just about the conversation starter’s affront to egalitarianism (a concept the French value dearly, even if they don’t live it, Barlow says). Rather, the French frequently enjoy pretending that they don’t like their jobs.

So, just like money, work is a boring topic.

“They will be offended, believing you’re trying to put them into a box,” Barlow, a French-Canadian, tells Quartz. “And they just don’t think it’s interesting to work for a living. There are other things they’d much rather talk about.

Anywhere in the world

“Which part of the country are you from?” (Notably, it’s not “where are you from?” which, in France, could imply you are not French-. That could be a danger in the US, too, where immigration and citizenship have become fiercely debated topics.)

Employment legalities across the globe

The Equal Employment Opportunity Act (EEOA) prohibits you from asking questions that might lead to discrimination, or the appearance of discrimination.

Bottom line: you cannot ask questions that in any way relate to a candidate's:

• Age

• Race

• Ethnicity

• Color

• Gender

• Sex

• Sexual orientation or gender identity

• Country of origin

• Birthplace

• Religion

• Disability

• Marital status

• Family status

• Pregnancy

• Salary history (in some states)

Anywhere in the world

It is not polite to make comments about people’s bodies, even if you mean it in a good way. Comments like, “Wow, your eyes are so blue!” or “You are so big!” make people feel like zoo animals.

In most places in the world, asking a stranger what kind of work he or she does, especially without any pretext, is frowned upon. And now, “What do you do?” is finally becoming a tainted question in North America, too.

Me

I come from a Human Resources background, and I have also been involved in recruiting people during the early stages of my career.

In fact I used to be part of technical panels too, maybe as a measure to ensure that the candidate is comfortable, the right questions are asked, the candidate is never placed in discomfort and a fair chance is given for the candidate to speak.

I did a ‘work reconversion” recently and experienced life in a diplomatic mission. The word and the descriptor say it all- the keyword is diplomatic.

I have learnt to be extremely careful on what to say, what not to say, how it’s important to greet before starting a conversation etc

That it has become part of my nature to be very careful in “questioning’people, even in daily life.

I then enter, God’s Own Country and these are some of the questions that people around me generally asked

• Who is there at home ( Veetil aarund)

• And then we tell them who is there-they would go on to ask specific details- how many siblings, what do parents do...do I have a job etc

• After sometime it borders around “Is this your first marriage? Why have you been unmarried for so long?” and they gaze to see if you have any hip-belts (read disabilities) that disqualified you to get married when everyone else did.

• Sometimes they even ask you “have you always been this fat?”

And while you are still digesting these questions that come from “ your closed circle-read family and friends”, you decide to go to the local shop to buy a soap or take a stroll on the road because all those tall dense trees are novelty to you....you get stopped on the road or at the shop with the following questions

• Who are you-tourist??

• If you are not a tourist, who are you staying with?

• How are you related to the person you are staying with?

• What work do you do and what work does that person do?

• Is it your husband?How long have you been married for?

• How many children? Is that random boy with you, your child?

• How old are you again?

And if it’s a woman who is older than you, she would have no qualms in scanning your entire physical profile and even say “ are you wearing a purple slip?”Nice! (With real admiration)

In short, be prepared for random investigations that include your birth mark, family history, passport or even pass book information, health records, aadhar card and PAN card details to be demanded by any unknown person on the road- it's just the done thing and it means they are being nice to you, when they do this.

For the hitherto –I-Love-Kerala –because –its –green- me....this was so suffocating that I ran for life.....to the Kannur airport, where I was stopped by the Airport security guard who said “ Didn’t you come in through the same airport on Friday? I saw you” and proceeds to ask the same set of questions as above...Ouf!

[gabe-kroger]

HW7proj

My term project is going to be about affirmative action and why it is unethical.  I will analyze it from a deontological, utilitarian, and virtue ethics perspective, and explain how each perspective views it.  First, I should define what affirmative action is. According to https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/affirmative_action, affirmative action is “A set of procedures designed to eliminate unlawful discrimination among applicants, remedy the results of such prior discrimination, and prevent such discrimination in the future.”   The source also states that president John F. Kennedy made this an executive order in 1961.  The idea of helping and ensuring that those who are frequently discriminated against are protected from future discrimination is good and should be promoted.  Discrimination is terrible, so it should be prevented especially if it is unlawful. Although it should be prevented, there should not be any unethical actions taken to prevent it.  The problem with affirmative action is that in enforcing affirmative action, many universities or workplaces have actually caused even more discrimination in order to fight current discrimination.  Before elaborating on this topic, we should define what discrimination is. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, discrimination is “Unjust or prejudicial treatment of a person or group, esp. on the grounds of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.”  Anyone who receives any unjust treatment because of their race, creed, gender, etc, is experiencing discrimination. Because many universities offer scholarships and opportunities to people based on race or gender, they are, by definition, discriminating against people of other genders or races.  This falls under another definition of discrimination that the Oxford English Dictionary has, which is “favourable treatment of a person or group, in order to compensate for disadvantage or lack of privilege.” Whether someone is being mistreated because of their race, gender, etc, or being treated favorably for the same reason, unjust and unethical discrimination is taking place. 

In order to see both sides of this, I should explain the positive aspects of it.  The term Affirmative Action, which was originally coined by John F. Kennedy, was explained as a means of helping prevent discrimination in the workplace.  Because segregation and discrimination were both prevalent in the early 1960s, John F. Kennedy decided to address specifically the problem of discrimination in the workplace, as many employees were being treated unfairly as a result of their race, gender, etc.  This problem needed to be addressed and fixed, which is why Affirmative Action started.  Because of Affirmative Action, awareness of discrimination and an unequal opportunity among minorities was increased and eventually, businesses and universities started putting Affirmative Action into practice.  This has had a dramatic effect on minorities, especially in university settings.  According to https://www.census.gov/prod/99pubs/99statab/sec04.pdf, as seen in figure 1 during 1960 the percentage of black people that finished at least four years of college was less than four percent.  The figure also shows that the percentage of black people that finished four years of college in 1998 was almost fifteen percent.  Now, according to https://pnpi.org/african-american-students/, “23% of African Americans aged 25 to 29 held a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2018.″ We can denote from those statistics that Affirmative Action has helped encourage a higher percentage of minorities to enroll in universities and finish getting a degree.  In addition to an increase in minorities enrolling in and finishing college, many scholarships and other opportunities are offered specifically for underrepresented minorities.  Although there has been an increase in minorities enrolling in college, there is still a much larger percentage of white people in colleges than any other race.  According to an article on americanprogress.org “Students of color remain underrepresented on college campuses.”  The article then uses Mississippi as an example, stating that black students made up 50 percent of graduating high school students in 2015-2016, but only constituted 12.9 percent of University of Mississippi undergraduates.  There is a significantly lower percentage of black students enrolled in college as opposed to the amount of black high school graduates, but according to jacksonfreepress.com, the ACT scores in Mississippi during 2016 were much lower for black students, “with all black students posting an average score of 16.4,” while with “white students, the average score was 20.6.”  Because the average ACT score of black students was significantly lower than that of white students, it makes sense that the number of students enrolled at a University where the bottom 25 percent of students score a 21, has a lower amount of black students than white students.  Because the University of Mississippi requires students to have a higher ACT score in order to be accepted, the students who scored higher on the ACT were accepted, while the students who scored lower were either forced to go to colleges that require lower ACT scores or to not go to college at all.  

According to an article from americanprogress.org “Prioritizing diversity benefits students of all races.”  I think diversity definitely benefits not only students but people.  Some more concrete evidence that diversity benefits people is stated in an article from builtin.com.  This article states “Racially & ethnically diverse companies are 35% more likely to perform better.”  The article also states “Gender-diverse companies are 15% more likely to have higher performance.”  It seems obvious that diversity would have a positive impact in workplaces and in society, as minds from different cultures can bring more creativity as well as different perspectives, but does that mean that diversity should be forced?  The article also discusses gender diversity and states “Between 1967 and 2009, female college enrollment more than doubled—from 19 percent of all students to 44 percent.”  The majority of students in higher education institutions are now white females. The article also states that racial diversity “may translate to better economic outcomes and, among other payoffs, prepare students to work in a diverse global economy, increasing the productivity, effectiveness, and creativity of teams.”  Again, I think racial diversity is very important and if it occurs in the classroom, it will benefit students, but I do not think that prioritized diversity will help students. There are many other things that could be prioritized in order to benefit universities, such as intellectual diversity and true equal opportunity, rather than equal outcome, which is forced.  Also, I think diversity should occur naturally in the classroom, workplace, etc.  If diversity does not occur naturally, and certain individuals are both prioritized and shown partiality in order to have specific quotas met, how could this not be considered racist?  The article also states “ For example, students of color are less likely to be referred to “gifted and talented” programs.”  The article also states, “Schools are also more likely to suspend or expel students of color than white students.”  Black students, as well as students from other ethnicities, are doing more poorly in elementary, middle and high school, but is this a result of racism? According to a paper published in the academic journal Education Next, the academic journal states that In 2009  young adults who spent time living in single-parent families had completed 1.3 years less of schooling than their peers from two-parent families.  The paper also states that the college completion rate of students that are 24 years old was 26 percentage points lower if they came from a single-parent household.  Students coming from a two-parent household are far more likely to succeed in school and in life than their one-parent household peers.  According to datacenter.kidscount.org, in 2018, 65% of black or African American children lived in a single-parent household while only 24% of white children came from a single-parent household.  Aside from Pacific Islanders, whom only 15% came from a single-parent household, every other race had a significantly higher percentage of children that lived in a single-parent household.  Because the amount of dual-parent households is so much smaller for non-white ethnicities, they have a much greater chance of making poor grades, misbehaving in class and being suspended from school. They also have a much lower chance of attending college and becoming successful in the future.

There is much empirical evidence that diversity has positive impacts on society, such as increasing work production, but should other people be shown partiality simply because they are of a different race?  By definition, discrimination is showing unjust treatment to people for any reason, but most commonly because of race, gender or age.  Because the act of increasing diversity through Affirmative Action involves showing unjust partiality to a specific group of people, this meets the description of discrimination.  Of course, Affirmative Action has had positive effects on minorities.  According to the article Is Affirmative Action in college admissions ethical, in the 1960s, the percentage of African Americans in college was substantially low, but because of Affirmative Action, that number rose significantly through the 1970s.  Also, the article states that after Regents of the University of California v. Bakke Supreme Court “colleges could use race and ethnicity as a factor in admissions decisions but could not designate set numbers of spaces for members of specific ethnic and racial groups.”  Although limited space can not be allocated for specific ethicities or racial groups, this is hard to manage.  In 1997, there was a state ban passed in California stating “The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.“  The majority of people in California realized that any form of discrimination or “preferentail treatment” is unethical, and because of this the ban won the popular vote.  In February 2000, Florida established an admissions program in which “students who graduate in the top 20 percent of their high school classes would be eligible for admission to public institutions next fall, provided they had completed 10 required courses in high school.” This is a perfect example of how to ethically and justly establish equality.  Instead of basing success on race or gender, success in Florida is based on work ethic.  Because of the program in Florida, all students have to work harder if they want to succeed, regardless of their race or gender. 

One major reason I explained that Affirmative Action has a negative effect on society was because the act of increasing diversity through Affirmative Action involves showing unjust partiality to a specific group of people.  I realize now that I should elaborate on that sentence, as well as many other things in this blog.  In this blog, I will discuss what makes showing racial partiality unjust.  I will also discuss how Affirmative Action has lead to discrimination against Asian American students, and how this ironically benefits Caucasian students.  Treating every person equal is ethical and just.  If someone is being treated differently, whether it is in a positive manner or a negative manner, simply because of their race, that meets the definition of discrimination.  Because showing partiality to a certain race involves treating a person better simply because he/she is a different race, this is discriminating against people of other races and is considered unethical/unjust.  In many cases, people have reported and made accusations against Harvard, saying that it has discriminated against Asian Americans.  According to the article The Many Sins of College Admissions, “The remaining counts at trial, which took place in 2018, in federal district court in Boston, alleged that Harvard actually deviated from the Supreme Court’s requirements, by engaging in ‘racial balancing’—that is, seeking a specified racial composition of a class rather than using race merely as a ‘plus’ factor in evaluating an individual.”  According to the article Asian-American Harvard Admits Earned Highest Average SAT Score of Any Racial Group From 1995 to 2013, “ Over an 18-year period stretching from 1995 to 2013, Asian-American students admitted to Harvard scored higher on the SAT than did their peer admits from other racial groups.”  To show more specifically how Asian-Americans performed compared to other racial groups, the article continues to state that from the year 2000 to 2017, “ Asian-Americans admitted to Harvard earned an average SAT score of 767 across all sections. Every section of the SAT has a maximum score of 800.”  This number is astoundingly high for students.  The article continues to state, “white admits earned an average score of 745 across all sections, Hispanic-American admits earned an average of 718, Native-American and Native-Hawaiian admits an average of 712, and African-American admits an average of 704.”  As we can denote from this data, the SAT scores of Asian Americans were far higher than any other racial group for 17 consecutive years.  According to the article The Uncomfortable Truth About Affirmative Action and Asian-Americans, “Since the nineteen-nineties, the share of Asians in Harvard’s freshman class has remained stable, at between sixteen and nineteen per cent, while the percentage of Asians in the U.S. population more than doubled.”  The previous article also states that Harvard’s admissions program takes many things into account,  “including scores for extracurriculars and academics, in which Asian applicants did well.”(Gerson, 2019).  Although Asian-Americans are clearly being discriminated against, Harvard’s admissions program takes many different aspects of a student into account that allows discreet racial bias.  Harvard says they did not test as well because “they were dragged down by the personal rating, which, ‘by its very nature,’ included things that ‘cannot be fully captured by the statistical data,’ such as ‘integrity, helpfulness, courage, kindness.’  Although these characteristics are important, they cannot be easily measured or concretely proven, and are purely subjective.  If every objective statistic shows that Asian Americans are on average more qualified and harder working people to be admitted to Harvard than any other race, how could a simple subjective personality test not be considered racist?  Because Harvard takes personality and characteristics into account, this provides a way for Harvard to freely choose who they want, which allows them to discriminate against people without breaking the law.  A perfect world would not allow Affirmatie Action to have negative results on society, and Harvard’s admission system would not be flawed.  Also, Affirmative Action might actually have a major positive effect on society, but because we don’t live in a perfect society, and many aspects of Affirmative Action is flawed, we can see that Affirmative Action has had a mostly negative effect on soceity.

[asfeedin]

A Guide for SEO Beginners

We’ve all heard about Google’s Search Quality Raters Guidelines.

But let’s be honest: there’s a lot to digest in this 168-page document.

If you’ve been looking for a basic guide to Google’s Search Quality Raters Guidelines, then keep reading.

In this post, you’ll learn what is covered in Google’s Search Quality Raters Guidelines, how it impacts search, and what you need to know about the concept of E-A-T, which stands for:

Expertise

Authoritativeness

Trustworthiness

Let’s dive in…

What Are the Search Quality Raters Guidelines?

Google’s Search Quality Raters Guidelines are a document given to people that Google employs for the sole purpose of rating websites.

The guidelines outline the conditions and elements that need to be considered, and how the site should be rated, by that person.

In essence, Google has hired many thousands of people to rate websites and record whether the site is good or bad across a variety of areas.

Now, it is important to understand that these people have no impact on the rankings of the sites they rate.

A positive or negative rating by Quality Rater will not directly impact your position on Google.

One can argue (and I do) that their role is so much larger than that.

They don’t influence the rankings of the sites they rate.

They influence the rankings of every site.

How Does That Work?

I need to be clear here, I can’t pick up my Bat Phone and get confirmation on exactly how the algorithms work, directly from Google.

Like everyone else, I pay attention to what they say and make best guesstimates on how certain tasks will be best accomplished.

The most likely structure to make the feedback of ~10,000 quality raters actionable is to do it in the way that Google does best: algorithmically.

In the backend of the system, the raters are using a slider to assign values:

This is then made available to machine learning systems that use this to augment the algorithms based on known signal data.

For example, if a site or group of similar sites are consistently rated High or better, the system would review all the signal data from the site(s) to look for commonality.

The same would be true for site(s) with Low values.

With this, the system would likely:

Produce a set of results based on what the new algorithm produced across a variety of phrases and niches.

Send the top ranking sites in that set to the raters.

And, assuming it is better, put that into the global algorithms we all know and love.

So, while a Quality Rater does not impact an individual site’s ranking, they do impact the entire web.

Also Worth Noting

When you see a new SERP feature, or another change in how results are structured or displayed, it’s been put past the Quality Raters.

That’s right!

If something is deployed that you don’t like, you probably have these folks to blame.

What Are They Looking For?

Before we answer that let me be clear:

This article is meant to be a beginner’s guide.

As such, we are going to cover this area topically in hopes of providing a global understanding of what is going on.

Once you’ve completed this article and have the foundation, I highly recommend:

They’ll round-off a great starting point.

What Is Google Looking For?

When we’re looking at the areas the raters are instructed to look at, we’re essentially:

Looking at what Google wants the algorithm to produce.

Getting a glimpse of what their algorithms will focus on.

The guide states:

“As a Search Quality Rater, you will work on many different types of rating projects. The General Guidelines primarily cover Page Quality (PQ) rating and Needs Met (NM) rating; however, the concepts are also important for many other types of rating tasks.”

We won’t be looking at the tasks specifically here and will focus on the more important (from the context of this piece):

What do they mean?

Needs Met

Needs Met is a fairly straightforward concept… it means intent.

The question that raters would be asking themselves in assessing it is:

How helpful and satisfying is this result?

That’s it.

During this testing, a rater may visit a single page or visit a search results page and rate every result.

Either will send the signal to Google about the site structure, device, demographic, and location results differences, and I’m sure a number of other factors that apply to the grading of each result (there’s a reason they have more than 10,000 raters around the world).

This data will then be used to drive changes to improve the results to algorithmically determine which signals or signal combinations are common to the higher rankings results.

It’s important to note that as with the real world, the Needs Met rating does require decent Page Quality. In fact, the guidelines state it clearly:

“The Needs Met rating is based on both the query and the result.”

One can have a medium Needs Met with a low Page Quality, but it would be highly unlikely that they could get a high Needs Met rating.

After all, the user intent it’s satisfied if the searcher doesn’t trust the result.

Interpretation

One final element of Needs Met that is worth noting before we move on to Page Quality is the interpretation.

By this, we are to consider queries with multiple possible meanings such as the following, from the examples they give:

When the rater is assigning a Needs Met score, they are to give more weight to pages satisfying higher intents.

This prevents:

A “Highest” rating being given to an authoritative piece on Apple, Oklahoma.

Training algorithms to focus on the wrong signals for the majority of users.

Page Quality

Page Quality ratings are based on a number of factors, all of which interconnect (almost like a Google algorithm, right?).

And the weight given to each is based on the type of site and query (again … the similarity is uncanny).

The key ones noted in the guidelines are:

Your Money or Your Life (YMYL)

As Google words it, a YMYL site is one that:

“… potentially impact a person’s future happiness, health, financial stability, or safety.”

With YMYL sites, raters are directed to put more weight on E-A-T.

The guidelines categorize them as:

News and current events: News about important topics (e.g., international events, business, politics, science, technology). Keep in mind that not all news articles are necessarily considered YMYL (e.g., sports, entertainment, and everyday lifestyle topics are generally not YMYL). Use your judgment and knowledge of your locale.

Civics, government, and law: Information important to maintaining an informed citizenry, such as information about voting, government agencies, public institutions, social services, and legal issues (e.g., divorce, child custody, adoption, creating a will, etc.).

Finance: Financial advice or information regarding investments, taxes, retirement planning, loans, banking, or insurance, particularly webpages that allow people to make purchases or transfer money online.

Shopping: Information about or services related to research or purchase of goods/services, particularly webpages that allow people to make purchases online.

Health and safety: Advice or information about medical issues, drugs, hospitals, emergency preparedness, how dangerous an activity is, etc.

Groups of people: Information about or claims related to groups of people, including but not limited to those grouped on the basis of race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, age, nationality, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity.

Other: There are many other topics related to big decisions or important aspects of people’s lives which thus may be considered YMYL, such as fitness and nutrition, housing information, choosing a college, finding a job, etc.

Most people don’t think of shopping when they think of YMYL … but it’s in there.

Content Sections

According to the guidelines, the sections of a website can be classified into three main categories:

Main Content (MC): Main Content is any part of the page that directly helps the page achieve its purpose.

Supplemental Content (SC): Supplementary Content contributes to good user experience on the page but does not directly help the page achieve its purpose. The example they give is navigations links. Critical to the site, but not necessary to satisfy Needs Met.

Ads: Advertisements/Monetization (Ads) is content and/or links that are displayed for the purpose of monetizing (making money from) the page.

Following their direction, understanding a webpage is quite simple.

What’s outlined in blue in the screenshot below is Master Content.

What’s outlined in red in the screenshot below is Ads.

Everything that remains is Supplemental Content.

The ease-of-access and volume of the Main Content play their parts in Page Quality calculations.

It’s what assists the rater value on not just whether the need is met, but also how easily supplemental content is accessed, should it be desired.

E-A-T

E-A-T is certainly the most talked about section of the guidelines.

Before we dive into E-A-T, it’s incredibly important to understand one thing:

E-A-T is not a ranking factor.

Say it with me:

E-A-T is what the raters are looking for.

Raters use E-A-T to assist them in how they are rating websites.

It is in no way a part of any algorithm.

Here’s a tweet from Google’s Danny Sullivan that explains it well:

Our systems aren’t looking for EAT. Our raters are using that to see if our systems are working well to show good information. There are many different signals that, if we get it right, align with what a good human EAT assessment would be. See also: https://t.co/1fs2oJ9Gtl pic.twitter.com/GBbnYEjJUV

— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) February 19, 2020

It is not part of the algorithm.

The goal is that if the raters use it to judge websites, and Google uses their ratings to adjust their algorithm, in the end, the algorithm will align with the E-A-T principles.

So, E-A-T can well be used as a guiding principle for design, content creation, and supporting external signals.

You can’t optimize for it specifically.

Without getting into too much detail, they are basically:

Expertise

The expertise of the content creator. This is related only to the content of the page being judged, and not the site as a whole.

It does not have to be an author and the criteria are not set in stone.

When looking for information on lung cancer, an in-depth study on causes, impact, statistics, etc. from an important medical school or institution or government agency would likely get a high score.

If the searcher was looking for information on what’s it’s like to live with it, a personal account from a bank teller who’s partner lived with it for years would fulfill the Expertise criteria exceptionally.

It may be on an important site, or it may be an exceptional member of a forum answering questions.

It’s all about context and addressing with expertise, the need to be met.

Authority

The authority of the content is judged by the authority of the content itself as well as the domain.

In general, this would be based on external signals such as links and link quality, brand mentions, citations, etc. both to the content specifically, and the domain as a whole.

When thinking of authority I can’t help but think of a patent granted in 2015, Ranking Search Results Based On Entity Metrics.

In it, they discuss the following key metrics:

Relatedness: How related are two entities?

Example: Empire State Building and Skyscrapers

Notability: How notable is an entity in its domain?

Example: SEMrush is more notable in the SEO tools than the software domain

Contribution: How is an entity viewed by the world?

Example: Does it have critical reviews, fame rankings, etc.?

Prizes: Has the entity received prizes?

Example: The types of awards and prizes an entity has received.

While there are certainly other characteristics, I find these helpful guides.

Trust

The trust of the content is judged again by the trust of the content specifically, as well as the trust of the domain.

Trust is similar to authority, but more pointed.

Where authority focuses more on the volume of quality references, trust focuses more on specific signals and sites.

An example they use in the guidelines is the BBB.

While they don’t talk about it being used as a positive signal, they do note that a bad rating based on a significant volume of users could be used as a negative.

Takeaway

If you’re just getting your feet wet, or just looking for a different point of view, I hope you’ve found this helpful.

I’ve tried to avoid getting into strategies around the subject, as that is relative to each niche, starting point, and current E-A-T.

This is an important document. It tells us where Google wants to go, and they’re throwing a lot of resources at it.

Below is some additional reading to help you further.

More Resources:

Image Credits

All screenshots taken by author, April 2020 In-Post Images: Adobe Stock / Modified by author, April 2020

if( !ss_u ){

!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '1321385257908563');

fbq('track', 'PageView');

fbq('trackSingle', '1321385257908563', 'ViewContent', { content_name: 'googles-search-quality-raters-guidelines-a-guide-for-seo-beginners', content_category: 'seo ' });

}// end of scroll user Source link

Tags: Beginners, Guide, SEO

from WordPress https://ift.tt/35cctrL via IFTTT

[theangelofuncertainty-blog]

Meet Angela

Basic Statistics

Name: Angela Lucille Dwyer Nickname:  A nickname that is often associated with her is Angel, but only a select few are allowed to call her that. Meaning of name: Angela- A messenger of God, Lucille- Light

Origin of name: David and Elisabeth Dwyer had lost all hope when it came to conceiving another child. They already had their son, Damien, but wanted a daughter to balance the family out. To their surprise, they got exactly what they wanted. A daughter of their own, their little angel. Her father called her that the moment he laid eyes on her, the name fitting for her. Lucille came from her mother’s obsession with I Love Lucy. Age: Twenty-Nine Years Old Sex: Female Blood type: O- Nationality: American Ethnicity: Caucasian Species: Human Political Party: Typically leans more to the left, but would never fully identify in any party in particular due to her job. Socioeconomic level as a child: Upper Class Socioeconomic level as an adult: Upper-Middle Class Birth date: November 8th, 1987 Birth place: Parkland Hospital- Dallas, Texas Current residence: Georgetown, Washington D.C. Describe their dwelling/house: Wanting to get away from the usual Texas scene, Angela moved to Washington D.C. after graduating with her bachelor’s degree. With a love for history she felt that this would be the ideal place. Her townhouse is on the smaller side, being that it’s in Georgetown she had to settle with that. She keeps everything neatly organized, some calling her compulsive with the way she constantly cleaned. Angela lives by herself with two cats named Thelma and Louise. Occupation: Contributor for The Washington Post as Well as a writer on her spare time. Hobbies/Pastimes: Despite it being her job, Angela really does find peace in just writing. When she is not doing that she enjoys knitting and sewing as well as scrap booking. Birth order: Angela is the youngest out of the two with her brother Damien being three years older. Family: Her father, David Dwyer (alive) is a successful corporate lawyer in Dallas,Texas. He met her mother Elisabeth (Anderson) Dwyer (alive) at a family event in the mid-70s and married her on October 18th, 1980 after he finished law school. She became a simple housewife, caring for their children while her husband worked. Her brother Damien was born January 18th,1984. As the two got older he began to resent his younger sister, feeling as if she was the child they wanted all along while he remained the “black sheep”. They never saw eye to eye, leading them to practically ignore each other the older they got. Past History: Angela was the typical “know it all” “goodie two shoes” that every parent wished their child would be. She maintained all As throughout her public school, graduating as class valedictorian in 2006. When she got into college, she forced herself to stay mainly in her dorms so she wouldn't get distracted. In her mind, she had to maintain this image she created in order to please both of her parents. With the help of taking college level courses her senior year of high school she managed to graduate when she was twenty-one years old with a degree in journalism and political science. While her father tried to persuade her to follow his footsteps and become a lawyer, Angela knew that her heart belonged to writing. Hometown: Angela grew up in Highland Park, close to downtown Dallas, Texas. First Memory: Though extremely vague, Angela has a memory of sitting next to her grandmother while she knitted when she was three years old. All she can really remember is her hands, so much experience allowed for the woman to knit at an extremely fast pace. Childhood: Angela had what most would consider a “perfect upbringing”. Her parents remained together, both showing a large amount of love for eachother that left a lasting impression on her. While she was a very quiet child, she had a group of close friends she continued to rely on as they got into high school. Most important childhood event that still affects her: The day her brother said he hated her at age thirteen. Why?: Angela never quite understood why Damien had so much resentment against her. It wasn't until she got older that she realized it wasn’t really her fault. Her father played favorites with them, causing him to take his anger out on her. To this day he has never apologized for it. Other memories that still affects her and why:

The day her grandmother died marked the first time she saw her father really cry. Even though she was six years old at the time, she still believed that he was the strongest man in her life. She felt that nothing could hurt him until that day. 

While she was in the fourth grade a group of girls made fun of the way her teeth looked, giving her the nickname “beaver” as a way to bring her down. When she told her mother she wanted to get her teeth fixed, she simply replied with a no. She wanted her daughter to grow up loving herself for who she was, not for what others wanted her to be. From then on she developed a sense of self confidence that continues to this day.

Past failures she would be embarrassed to have people know about and why: While it seems minor, Angela would never admit to anyone that she has cheated on a few test here and there. Favorite parent: Her father Why? : While Angela loves her parent equally, she will always have a special place for her father. He Made sure that he was there for everything big and small. T-ball games to her college graduation in Austin. His life revolved on making her happy, even if she lives thousands of miles away he is always a phone call away. Biggest role model: Eleanor Roosevelt Why?: The woman was smart, innovative and powerful.Even if she was the First Lady to President Franklin D. Roosevelt she managed to make an image of herself as an advocate for women’s rights

Physical Characteristics Height: Five feet Three inches Weight: One-Hundred and Fifteen pounds Posture: Extremely upright, almost uncomfortable Build: Petite Race/Species: White/Human Skin: Pale Hair: Brunette Eyes: Green

Face shape: Heart Expressions: Always has a hint of a smile even when she's not. Describe their smile: Her teeth are on the rather large side, showing especially when she smiles. Tattoos/Scars? : Has her ex-fiance’s name tattooed on her ring finger Glasses/Contacts?: Owns a pair of reading glasses she uses while writing. Left/Right handed? Right Distinguishing features: Her smile and bangs Who does she take after: Angela has been described as look just like her mother, but with her father’s eyes How does she dress: Angela doesn’t stick to a particular style now that she is grown up. Some days she wears dresses with heels, others she’ll wear an old pair of jeans with a band t-shirt. Whatever is most comfortable for her that day. Jewelry: Very minimalistic, does not like overly flashy things Weapons: Just a can of pepper spray Are they generally balanced or clumsy? : Very well balanced, even while wearing heels. Habits/OCDs/Obsessions: Angela will clean her small townhouse for a whole afternoon convinced its not done until the whole place smells like bleach. It’s a habit she picked up from her mother who would do the same thing before her kids would come home from school. Everything has a place it belongs to her. Health: Extremely health conscious.While she cannot make the full commitment, she tends to eat more vegan than anything else. She slips every other day, chicken being her weakness. Hygiene: Showers every day Speech Patterns: Has been told she speaks a little too fast, often causing her to have to repeat multiple times. Voice: Mezzo-soprano Describe their laugh: Contagious, when she laughs the whole room does. It can be described as a little obnoxious because she snorts here and there Style (Elegant, shabby, etc): Depends Intellectual/Mental/Personality Attributes and Attitudes Intelligence Level: IQ of 115

Known Languages: English Character's long-term goal: Angela hopes that she can be the perfect mix of both her parents. A hard worker like her father, someone who takes pride in what they do with their career. She wants to be like her mother when it comes to just being the perfect wife and mother. As of right now she has a problem trying to balance her ideal life out. Character's short-term goal in life: To Become a bestselling author- Angela has been working hard on a novel for the past year. While she has been told by multiple people to publish it she still feels it's not ready just yet. She wants to give them the best, not settling for anything under. Secret desires: Despite both of them wanting Nothing to do with each other, Angela really does hope one day Damien will forgive her. After her engagement shattered she has been trying hard to switch over to the New York Times so she could move away from D.C. And her ex. 

How self-confident is the character?: Because of her mother’s raising, Angela has a lot of self-confidence. How does she see herself?: She sees herself as a hard worker, someone extremely dedicated to her career and moving on up. While she knows she’s not perfect, she reminds herself that nobody ever is. She has her moments when she wishes she can change certain parts in the past, it’s best to just move forward. How do they believe she is perceived by others? : She is perfectly aware that she is not everybody’s cup of tea. Many of her old friends would tell her she needs to focus on her social life every once in a while.   What is the character most proud of? Any time she gets an article published she will cut them out and put them in a scrapbook. What does the character like least about themselves? That she cannot be the best of both worlds, she cannot be her mother and father all at once. How do they express themselves? In her writing. The novel she is currently working on started after her failed engagement. Since then,it’s become a way to cope with it all. Patience level: on a level of 1 to 10?  10 being high, she knows that having patience and time makes perfect. Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof? When it comes her work life, always logically. She has no problem writing about anything. Her social/love life its a mix of both. Angela has a hard time showing enough emotion to act like she cares to the other person. While she may feel it, others think she's borderline heartless with it all. Most at ease when: Writing, her mind focuses only on that and nothing else. Ill at ease when: She’s on a train to work, she finds herself fidgeting with anything as it goes on. Describe their sense of humor: Very dry when it comes to trying to be funny herself, but appreciates a good joke when someone has it. If granted one wish, what would it be?: Angela would go back to the day her ex left. Why?: Ever since he moved out she noticed everything in her life not going as smoothly. The two balanced each other out perfectly, and she hasn’t felt right since. If they could be described with one of the seven virtues, which would it be? “Hope” She believes that eventually her future will work out in her favor

If they could be described with one of the seven sins, which would it be? “Pride” She knows she has a problem admitting when she is wrong. Optimist or Pessimist: Optimistic Introvert or extrovert: Introvert Greatest Fear: Allowing her work life to completely take over everything else. Other Fears/Insecurities/Phobias: She isn’t particularly scared of much, but snakes do frighten her after an incident she had when she was younger. Biggest regret: Letting her ex leave Other regrets: Not making time to see her family, especially her brother. Musical talents/instruments: Angela has played the viola since she was ten years old, while she hasn’t picked up in a few years she could easily re-teach herself. Favorite: Color: Yellow Clothing: An emerald green dress she wears only on special occasions. Place: Her heart will always be in Dallas Room in the house and why: The kitchen, she loves to write in there while cooking. Food/drinks: Unsweetened Iced or hot Tea (sweetened when she was younger, now has found a new taste in unsweetened) and cranberry orange scones. Music genre: Changes with her mood, but will always hold a special place for classic rock thanks to her father. Songs and Singers/Bands: A huge Janis Joplin fan, Me and Bobby McGee a staple. also loves Amy Winehouse   Movies/Tv Shows: While it may come to be a shock for those who know her, Angela has a deep love for Quentin Tarantino movies. Her favorite being Inglorious Bastards. This came about when she really studied the characters, noticing the strong female characters he had in every one of them. Actors: Adores Meg Ryan, despite the fact she hasn’t done much since the 90’s. Books: Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes Historical figure: Eleanor Roosevelt Subject in school: English and History Animal: Cats

Least Favorite: 

Clothing: Turtlenecks, the few she has owned just never look that great on her. Place: The National Mall as a whole because it’s crowded. When she plans on going she does so really early in the day. Food/drink: Overly sugary drinks and clams. Music genre: Despite being from Texas, she despises country music. Subject in school: Any sort of math, they were the harder subjects to pass. In Depth: Simple Pleasures: A cup of tea, her cats, a good book. Greater Pleasures: Exploring, Angela is no stranger to travel if her job ask for it. Where does this character like to hang out?: While she hates going to the national mall, she loves going to the Jefferson Library of Congress. Whenever she feels uninspired she will make a trip out there to just walk around. She has spent multiple hours just looking at all the book he personally owned himself even though she can’t touch them. Where is this character's dream place to live?: Eventually Angela would like to live somewhere in the U.K.when she can just focus on freelance writing. Motto/Personal quote: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent” - Eleanor Roosevelt

Mode of transportation: With the constant traveling and tourism in the Washington D.C area she felt that riding the trains and buses would be easier over a car. Most prized possession: Her grandmother’s knitting needles Why?: When she passed away her parents weren't sure what to give her from the will. In addition to the twenty-thousand dollars that was left for her to go to college she was given the same knitting needles she remembered her using. To this day she prefers those over any other. Relationships with others Relationship Skills: Some would consider Angela’s relationship skills to be very poor. She has her moments when she can be inconsiderate and not realize it at first. Loves: Despite wanting to admit she could careless about him, she still misses her ex fiancé. She isn’t entirely sure if she just misses him or the The love he gave, but she would never admit it either way. Lusts: No one Crushes: No one Girlfriend/Boyfriend(s): No one Other lover(s): None Marital status: Single

Connections: Best Friends: Friends: Hates:   Dislikes: Rivals: Pets: Two Burmese cats named Thelma and Louise. What kind of person would she consider to be the perfect partner?: Someone who would see her as an equal, not an asset. Angela always liked the idea of a power couple who could accomplish things together. Is the character judgmental of others and how so? : She doesn’t understand how people can be sometimes completely unmotivated. Sex/Romantic Life What do they consider to be a romantic setting/activity/date? Angela has no problem just staying at either her home or the date’s home. She prefers more intimate one on one time with people opposed to fancy dinners and dates. What did they do on her first date? Her first date was in her Junior year of high school at prom. She only went because he asked, and didn’t really enjoy herself the whole time. They both agreed to be just friends in the long run. How does a normal date go for this character? She has no problems talking to another person about things that interest her. She doesn't consider herself awkward in them, no real ‘gushing’ as she talks. If anything she’s almost too calm. How did/would they propose, or like to be proposed to? Just like her ideal date, she would want it to be something more private. Nothing too cliche like in the movies. Virgin? No Describe her sex life: Practically non existent now How often does this character have sex? Not very often How long can she go without sex? It's not something she needs constantly, so a while. How does this character feel emotionally, after sex? She’s always been more “loving” in a sense. She enjoys the company afterwards. Does this character have self control around the opposite sex? Very much. Does sex play an important role in their relationships, if so, how? It’s not always important to her, which is a downside to relationships with her. Turn-ons: An overall emotionally/mentally strong man, someone who holds himself up to a high standard. Turn-offs: Someone who considers her as an accessory, who doesn’t listen to her wants or needs. Dominant or Submissive? Mostly submissive   Describe their first sexual experience: The only person she has slept with was her ex-fiancé. They had dated for about six months before taking their relationship a step forward. At what age? 23 Was it planned/originally intended? They both mutually decided the time was right. Was it consensual? Yes How did they feel emotionally, afterwards? Completed. How has this affected the character, if substantially at all? She found herself a little more dependent on him afterwards, which led him to moving in a few months later. Have they ever impregnated someone, or been impregnated? No Emotional Characteristics How does this character act in public?: Does not usually act any different than she does at home. Keeps a calm demeanor the whole time. How does this character act around strangers vs how they act around friends?: She is on the quiet side when you first meet her, but as you get to know her you realize she can be a great person to be around. How does this character act at home?: Some would say a little odd at times, she often talks to her cats while writing as a way to sort out any issue she might have. How has this character most changed from youth?: She is not as perfect as she used to think she was. She knows it’s okay to make mistakes. How have they remained the same? She continues to strive for perfection despite knowing its not always achievable. How does this character deal with or react to: Anger:  When she is angry she usually keeps it to herself. Her body language does most of the talking as she crosses her arms and  will no longer keep eye contact with that person. Sadness:  Being told at a young age to hide when someone upsets you, she will hold it in until she’s alone and will cry. 

Conflict/Danger: Is a runner, will not stand up and fight. Rejection: Tries to not let it get to her too much, she knows she can't win everything in life. Fear: See conflict Change: Accepts change very well. Loss:  Still doesn’t quite understand loss just yet. Sex/Flirting: Usually very upfront with her intentions on flirting, sex she is more reserved. Pain: Hides it very well Stress: When she finds herself stressed out she takes a moment to catch her breath. She’ll usually knit or something to keep her mind off whatever it was that was bothering her. Peer pressure:  Never really was a victim of it, the only time she found herself in that situation was when she was sixteen years old and her friends convinced her to take a shot of vodka. Guilt: She will bottle stuff up until she no longer can, usually ends up crying over it. Being wrong: It’s hard for her to admit it, but will accept it when she has to. Being criticized: It’s something she definitely doesn’t enjoy but understands it. Praise: Will always accept it, smiles when it’s given. Love: Gives it back when she feels they’re worthy of it. Being hated: It’s no real skin off her back, while she’ll question why she tries her best to ignore it. Humiliation: A mixture between fear and sadness. What does this character think/feel about: Marriage: Wants to be married, but isn’t seeking out for just that in the world. Children: Eventually. Sex: Not willing unless it feels right. Love: Believes in it, had it, lost it, regrets it. Homosexuality: Love is love, it has no boundaries. Politics: Due to her job, she tries her hardest to maintain neutral with it. It’s not until women’s rights are in question that she openly voices her opinion. Religion: Open to all religions, not really sure what she herself believes in. Science/Technology: Accepts it as fact/avid technology user. Drugs and alcohol: The occasional glass of wine is ok, other then that isn’t big on either. Killing/Murder: .Never ok. How does the character view life? It’s precious, and people tend to take advantage of it in the worse way possible. She feels that her own is slowly slipping away with each year going by. How does the character view death? She isn’t sure how yet, the only death she has experienced is her grandmother’s. She is very fortunate that she hasn’t had to go through much since. How does the character view society? She often questions the decisions of others, doesn’t quite understand how they got to where they have with politics. How does the character imagine his/her own death? She prays it's quick, and many many years from now. Spiritual Characteristics Religion: Was raised Roman Catholic, but considers herself more agnostic now. Does the character believe in a god or goddess? She is open to the idea of it all. What are the character's spiritual beliefs? She believes that she needs to just be a good person in life. Is religion or spirituality an important part of this character's life? Not like it used to be. Superstitions: Occasionally will throw salt over her left shoulder as a joke Chinese Zodiac: Rabbit Astrological Zodiac: Scorpio Element: Water Other What song best fits this character? Cold Cold Heart by Norah Jones