#i think a lot of the fuel for the action at least on tiktok comes from covid financial anxieties and not palestine

[afro-elf]

you can ignore this!

[praphit]

Shang-Chi! and the Rings of Daddy Murder Death!

When the trailer for this movie first came out, I was hyped! From the cast, to the bad ass bus scene, to Wong vs The Abomination,

 I was sold! 

Of course you had the people who came out saying "This is Marvel trying to be woke again. Hate crimes against Asian people on the rise, and here comes Marvel with Shang-Chi" We know this to be crazy, because Marvel already had this in the works, but certain people still reacted that way. But, even if that notion were true, would that be so bad?

It wouldn't absolve the ignorance, hatred, violence, and toxicity. But, if someone in Hollywood said "We've screwed over Asian people in films for like... ever. What if this time we choose a popular Asian character to base a movie on, and we DON'T do that?"

Now, (being that this movie supposedly leans on Chinese culture, with Shang-Chi being Chinese) China might argue that they still did them wrong (valid racist historical ptsd, cultural splicing, the whole martial arts thing, plus the main character is actually Canadian). It's not my place to weigh-in. But, I will say that making Shang-Chi Canadian, NOT a martial artist, but instead a hockey player, who loves Drake, and co-starring another Canadian, like Micheal Cera or someone 

probably wouldn't have worked as well for the MCU. Then, maybe Canada would have a problem with Marvel. I don’t envy movie-makers in this context. 

When I was a kid I was big into Black Belt Theater, Bruce Lee movies, 

Bruce Leroy, 

and within my love for martial arts and fighting entertainment was 

Shang-Frickin-Chi. 

I liked it, though I remember it being a lil racist. It's weird going back in time to see your fav childhood shows and books that wouldn't fly today:

I mean we've certainly been a lot more sensitive these days:

Regardless, Shang-Chi is here! (played by Canada's main man Simu Liu) He goes by the name of Shaun! 

Don't let that name fool you. Shaun will whup that ass! He says "Bleep all those super powers, and serums, a suits, and magic, and the rubber bones of Widow! That's some ol bullshit! All I need is my Wu-Tang style!" A style fueled by his daddy issues. And he's got some serious daddy issues. To be fair, his dad is the villain of the story. If your father was the active villain of your story, you'd also have issues.

Awkwafina is his sidekick

(much better than Michael Cera would be), she plays as Katy. That's fun. Every Katy I've ever known has been fun... and a heavy drinker:) This Katy is here to drive fast and crack jokes.

Ladies and Gentlemen, your new Marvel duo!

It's not just daddy issues for Shang-Chi, but mommy issues (she dead), avoidance issues, his sister kicks him in the balls. He didn't even seem shocked. I mean, his balls were shocked, for sure, but it seemed like she just did that all of the time. I'm imagining Christmas when they were kids. "Here's your gift, bro. KNEE TO THE NUTS Merry Christmas" What kind of relationship is that? And why?! - well, he did abandon her for like 10 years, but... you know, that's plenty of time for her to get over it, right?? So, we'll say sister issues, his daddy training him to be an assassin issues, and his friends have issues with him! - AND KATY! They don't respect Marvel's new duo. They think Shaun and Katy should be doing more with their lives.

They are both valets during the day, and at night they rock drunken karaoke. That seems like the perfect life to me.

But, Daddy and his power rings couldn't allow them to keep living the dream. I haven't mentioned the ten rings yet. 

They give him super-duper-magical martial arts powers, and make him eternal. AND made him an asshole.

To be fair, he was probably already an asshole before the powers. He's been killing a lot of people. You figure he's been around for 1000+ years. His wife is dead, and he has no hobbies. It's not like he kills a few people and then goes home to read a book, or play video games, or make TikTok videos. It's sunrise to sunset killing all day, every day for generations. Then, he forms an evil terrorist group called "Ten Rings" to amplify his killing.

"Murder Death Rings" are what they should be called.

"Daddy Death Punchy Time"

""Dead Doomy Rangs of Killer Dad"

"The Legendary Killer Rings of Deadly Death Death Murder Pops"

"The... " sorry, I've been drankin a lil bit while I write... I lost my place.

I like "Daddy Death" Where was I?

Right! He can't have Shaun being happy! We've gotta get this plot going, so he sends the only white dude he can find in this movie to start some trouble for them. I guess, there might have been a couple of more white people in the film, but they all got the snot beat out of them in that bus scene. This white dude's name is "Razor Fist", yep... "Razor Fist!". 

At least they didn't stick to the original design. 

Ridiculous. How does he use the bathroom?

He's played by Florian Munteanu, who is a former heavy weight boxer. Yeah! Was also in "Creed" his nickname is "The Big Nasty". Isn't that a drink? A bartender once offered me to sample a drink called "The Big Nasty". I chose to go with a drink that doesn't have "nasty" in its title. ... I think he was offering me a drink.

???

"Daddy Murder Death" and "Sharp Fisty Man" spark this thang. And Shaun becomes Shang-Chi, beater of ass!

The visuals in this movie are the best Marvel has done to date. The action is so good. I just got finished raving about the action in "Black Widow"; this surpasses that. I dug the cast. I know some people don't like Awkwafina, but... get over it. She was great in this; everybody was!

I loved the soundtrack! I'm not normally the "I loved the soundtrack guy" , but it was perfect. It begs to be mentioned.

No issues with the story. And the emotions that they're stirring in you. Whew!

One moment I'm enjoying the beater of ass, then Katy is making me laugh, then the slew of issues got me in my feelings, then the visuals wow me, then more swelling issues, back to ass beating - all the way through.

And the ending! True, Marvel has a formula (and this sticks to it), but if it ain't broken, why bleep with it?? The ending was Game of Thrones-ish, but with light so a brotha can see, and all the colors of the rainbow - like a Skittles commercial with martial arts.  Fun! - so not like GOT at all, I guess. The only fun they had was when there was torture or prostitution going on.

I don't have anything bad to say about the movie. They could have shaved 5-10 mins off, but I won't take off for that; there's just too much to love about this!

Grade: A+

Fun for the whole family! I can see the fam working through some issues after the watch.

Daughter: "You know, Dad. That asshole dad of Shang-Chi kinda reminds me of you."

Mom: "Daughter! You do NOT talk to your father that way!"

Daughter: “Just sayin...”

Dad: "That's interesting, cuz his ungrateful, bitch of a daughter reminds me of YOU!"

Mother and Daughter: *gasp

Son: *laughs

Dad: "All I want you to do is take your school work seriously and maybe date a guy who doesn't smell like weed!"

Daughter: "I'll have you know that's his natural smell! And maybe I'd focus more on school, if I didn't have to focus on YOU being such a BLEEPING ASSHOLE, DAD!"

See, that's healthy dialogue, right there. Maybe the family that watches this movie buys mommy a bunch of guns for protection, so she doesn't end up dead like the mommy in this movie. Like a ridiculous amount of guns!

And I could see brother and sister kicking each other in the crotch to resolve their differences. BUT, if they're close-by, fighting each other, then there's no time to abandon one another.

Marvel does it again!

Whichever of the Marvel films is your favorite, this one will probably be up there as well.

[fluggerbutterr]

one of us is going down — a self para

featuring @fluggerbutterr & @middleduckdewey

tw: fighting, violence, alcohol & blood

Randy was spiraling, but it was in a way different than usual. He was recently having lots of ups and downs, where he would drink to ignore his problems, then feel guilty about his mistakes and want to do better. He couldn’t decide why alcohol was the solution, why that was his go to, but it somehow worked; it made him both a better and a worse person at the same time.

He downed his last beer while texting Wendy, asking her to meet him at Litwack’s, knowing her company would help him feel a little less lonely. Would she be mad that he was drinking? He didn’t know, but he wasn’t drunk, at least he didn’t think he was.

He paid his tab and left the bar, walking to the arcade and feeling a little edgy. Perhaps it was because of his last interaction at LitWack’s, how just a few days ago he had seen Tinsley kissing someone there right in front of him. It somehow struck a nerve, making him feel shittier than he already felt. He was kissing Wendy, though, so why did it matter? Didn’t he want her to move on? Deep down, he didn’t, because he hadn’t fully moved on, himself. He selfishly broke up with Tinsley, but also selfishly didn’t want her to find someone else.

It wasn’t just the kiss, though — it was the way she kissed him, the way she pressed herself against him as if her life depended on it. Was she doing it on purpose, because she knew he was there, or had she already truly moved on? The answer really didn’t matter, but something about it still didn’t sit with him well.

It was ironic that he was still thinking about this as he got to LitWack’s, because the person on the receiving end of the kiss was standing right outside the doors, leaned against the wall of the building and seemingly waiting for his ex.

Dewey had been invited to come back to LitWack’s by Tinsley, and he was waiting for her to get there. To kill some time, he was scrolling through TikTok on his phone, completely unaware that Tinsley’s ex boyfriend had just spotted him.

Randy felt a small fuel of hatred rise inside of him. 

“Waiting for someone?” Randy asked as he approached Dewey, despite already knowing the answer. Dewey’s focus was broken, and he looked up from his phone with narrowed eyebrows, stuffing his phone in his pocket. For a moment, neither of them said anything; Randy was staring intensely at Dewey, and Dewey was looking Randy up and down, judging everything about the guy. He wanted to fuck with him, to be a smart ass and piss him off further, even if that wasn’t the smartest idea.

“Hmmm.. Am I waiting for someone?” Dewey repeated sarcastically, bringing his hand to his chin and making his typical thinking face for a moment. “Hmm… Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Randy rolled his eyes, “Oh, you think you’re funny? Never thought Tinsley was into comedians.”

Dewey smirked, obviously enjoying this. If Randy Fluggerbutter was going to start something, Dewey would gladly finish it.

“Oh, she didn’t tell you? Maybe after you dumped her, she realized her type isn’t self-absorbed douche bags anymore,” Dewey snapped back, a little too quick to defend her but not caring. He barely knew Randy, but was already tired of him playing the victim, of causing all the chaos and letting Tinsley fall into the consequences of his actions.

Randy wasn’t sure what he expected when confronting Dewey; surely, though, it wasn’t this. Dewey obviously wasn’t aware that Randy had been drinking, but Randy didn’t need the guy to know that, knowing it would only cause more trouble.

Randy shook his head, unable to help himself as he brought up both hands and pushed Dewey, watching as his back hit the wall of LitWack’s. “You don’t even know what you’re talking about, dude.”

Dewey was taken by surprise as he was pushed into the wall; his back hit the building pretty hard, and he had to force himself to not let out a noise from the pain. “I don’t know what I’m talking about? I think Tinsley told me enough to understand the situation,” he answered as he bravely took a step forward, pushing Randy back.

Randy stumbled back a little bit, glaring at Dewey. If he wanted a war, he was going to get it. He was about ready to say something back when Dewey decided to chime in again, “All I’m saying is, I hope you don’t make the same mistake twice with this other girl, but it looks like you have a track record of fucking up.” Dewey shrugged his shoulders casually as he said this, but the moment Dewey brought Wendy into this, it was game over.

Randy brought up his fist and punched Dewey in the face, and Dewey barely had time to react. He stumbled back and covered his face with his hand, wincing at the immediate pain he felt. Randy shook his hand as he felt the pain in his knuckles, but he had a feeling this was only the beginning.

“What the fuck was that for?” Dewey asked, his hand covering one eye. He used his good eye to look at Randy, and part of him feared what was to come next. Dewey was an adventurer, but a fight was never really his thing. For Tinsley, though, he wouldn’t mind throwing a punch or two for her. 

Randy laughed at the question, and before he could say anything Dewey decided to get a hit on him, himself. He uncovered his eye and punched Randy in the jaw, watching the guy stumble back again. Randy hadn’t expected a hit back, but he still had more momentum in him to keep things going.

“You’re really in over your head,” Randy chuckled, stepping closer to Dewey and pushing him back against the wall. He had one hand holding Dewey by his t shirt now, looking into his smug face and continuing, “You’re so into Tinsley that you don’t even see what’s right in front of you. She’s crazy, bro. I’ve known her way longer than you have, so here’s some advice: get away from her while you still can. She’s gonna tear your life apart.”

Dewey was disgusted; not only could he now smell the alcohol on Randy’s breath, but he also thought that Randy just had a warped perception of Tinsley. To him, he sounded absolutely crazy. How could she tear him apart? So far, all she’d done was bring him back together, having been torn apart by Fawn ever since the break up.

Taking the chance while he could, Dewey quickly brought his leg up to knee Randy in the groin. A painful groan escaped Randy’s lips, and he let go of Dewey to kneel on the ground, his hands covering his crotch as he waited for the pain to subside.

Dewey had the upper hand now, he thought to himself, but he kept thinking about how he wasn’t a violent person like this. What would Tinsley think? He wanted to be on her good side, to treat her right and be happy with her. It seemed like the only one who would tear them apart was the person right in front of him, Tinsley’s drunk ex boyfriend.

Randy was still in pain, but his adrenaline was pumping and he wasn’t ready to let Dewey get away. Wincing, he stood up and pushed Dewey again, this time hard enough for him to fall to the ground. Randy kneeled back down, hovering over Dewey and punched him again, no longer needing any words to go along with the action. He was pushed to the point of no return, and after a few punches he could see blood trickling from Dewey’s nose. Dewey had no way of getting up or defending himself, trying to attempt to block his fist from his face but there was no use. People were beginning to circle the two outside of LitWack’s by now, and after a few more punches, someone was getting Randy off of Dewey and pulling him away. Dewey could barely see by now, squinting his eyes painfully as blood covered his face and stained his shirt. Instead of getting up, he stayed laying on the ground, accepting his loss and waiting for someone to help him up.

[alisinchainmail]

More from the crossover fanfic no one asked for but everyone's getting...

Kylo + Quinn: The Last Harlequin: Ch. 1.2

[Gif sources: Part 1, Part 2]

Writers' favorite excerpt from Kylo + Quinn Chapter 1.2 of The Last Harlequin:

He exhales sharply through his nose and straightens. "My Knights of Ren detected you in our no fly zone. You didn't respond to our warnings we sent, so we mistook you for a threat."

She rolls her eyes, annoyed at the jab. "I guess I'm going to have to forgive you and your little Space Knights of Ni for not knowing who I am..." She does a flashy roundoff back handspring and flips over him so she's between him and her bat. "Harley Quinn, nice to meet ya." She extends her now uncuffed hand to the dark knight.

Overcompensating with stillness to hide that he's impressed with the stunt from an Earth girl, he looks down his nose at her hand. "Kylo Ren," he says quietly, giving her the decency of a reply. 

Harley withdraws her hand, slightly offended he still doesn't seem to have heard of her, "Never heard of me? The Cupid of Crime? The Maiden of Mischief? Princess... of Darkness." She trails off on that last one, unsure if she recently lost that title. "Formerly..." she corrects it quickly.

Kylo plays her game, "Leader of the Knights of Ren, Champion of the First Order, and Apprentice to Supreme Leader Snoke." He takes a step towards her, towering over her. She tilts her head acknowledging she has no idea what any of that really means, either.

"You're not part of the Resistance," he states more than asks. "However, the vehicle you stole has connections to the Rebellion. How?"

Clearly there's a lot of space politics that is not public knowledge on Earth. Why would Bruce Wayne be involved in space wars? He's probably friends with that Elon Muskrat. He's pretty sus with all that Space X shit.

She responds innocently, "Look, I just saw the thing in some local billionaire's driveway, and thought, 'Why not go for a joy ride?'" Kylo steps closer studying her expressions. Harley squints, "What?!" 

Kylo shakes his head, "The Empire has no use for you then. We'll decide what to do with you, or what remains of you, when we're done searching the vehicle."

Harley squints at him, gathering a pretty clear psychological profile from that golden threat of a response, his list of self-important titles, and his demeanor. It all screams of daddy issues.

If he wanted to kill her, he would've done it already. Is he her enemy or a potential new ally? How far can she push this guy before she finds out the hard way? 

She smirks and fires off, "So...you're building a crown-rule empire because daddy kicked you out. And you think this is a big fuck you, but in actuality it's a very misguided attempt to win back his respect." Kylo grips his helmet, and narrows his eyes at her.

Harley slowly steps back towards her bat, she looks at his mask grinning, "Daddy wanted a son, so now he has to hide behind a mask...I get it!" Kylo slams his helmet down on a sidetable next to him. This was too easy!

Harley continues, "Awh it's ok! I bet your mom still loves you. Mom's usually do... if they have the time to notice you through your desperate attention-seeking behavior." He looks in shock. 

She's really hitting a nerve with this guy. How is he so easy to read? "Or maybe you're trying to destroy the very thing that distracted her from you in the first place. Classic only child syndrome. She's part of this rebellion thing isn't she? Gotta love a rebel girl." Kylo lurches at her.

Harley lunges for the bat, but Kylo quickly raises his hand at it, sending it flying across the room. Harley looks at her empty hand, then across the room where it landed. What is he? Some sort of space wizard?

Harley shakes off her confusion, "Won't let me play with your toys? What would I expect from an only child with deep-seated father issues?"

Kylo yells, "Stop...TALKING," as he grabs at Harley. She dodges. Time to go all in.

"Tell me, what did dear old dad do to you? Or was it someone else? Got an uncle who paid some unnecessary visits to your bedside when mommy and daddy were away?"

Kylo clenches his fist and rolls his eyes. That was a hit. Harley taunts, "Awwhhh did I sink your battleship?"

"ENOUGH," he roars, grabbing a handle from his hilt and firing out a massive red flaming greatsword.

Harley stares at the new weapon in disbelief. "Come on! Lazer swords?! At least let me use my dinky baseball bat. I'm Little League compared to that!"

Co-Writer's (Brian) Notes:

I love this as an introduction to their relationship. Harley always has to get the last word in and Kylo is always struggling to keep his composure. Both their characteristics make them butt heads, and also is why they work.

They’re always gonna have a back forth with their personalities. A yin and yang basically where he’ll constantly try and stay level and she’ll try to trip him up.

Writer's (Alisin) Notes:

I like this part of the scene for their chaotic, impulsive energy playing off each other in different ways. Also for her first exposure to the world of Star Wars, which her inexperience with the world helps me get away with the fact I still haven't seen all of the Star Wars franchise yet and am newer to the fandom. We're sort of figuring out the world together.

I wanted them to be fairly evenly matched, which — much like with Rey— is Kylo's first experience with someone on equal ground like that, so it throws him off at first.

Harley is skilled with getting in people's heads from a psychoanalytical standpoint, whereas Kylo uses more of a brute force approach later in the scene. Luke criticized the way the Knights of Ren use the dark side of the force as being unskilled "like a hammer". I bring that characterization into Kylo.

Kylo wields his emotions and fighting style with a lot of intensity rather than precision and agility. In spite of his bloodline making him a more powerful force wielder, he can be quite clumsy with it. As though his power is greater than himself and the conflict he carries disrupts his clarity in his actions, while also fueling the power of the dark side through his raw emotion.

With Harley, I like to keep her dancing in between both, since as a character she is more morally gray.

Her weapons of choice are sometimes literal hammers but her fighting style and wit can be very fluid and agile, similar to the fighting styles of those who utilize the light side of the force. Her actions are impulsive, but not clouded in self-judgements. Without the Joker's influence, she knows herself well enough to have some faith that her impulses are in alignment with her fluid morality.

And to bring it all back ti Brian's point:

Kylo is brute force like Harley’s weapon and she’s skilled and precise like a sword, his weapon. Neither will admit it but both could run into situations where the others methods work better. Harley has been forced to be chaotic in her approach for so long she’s sort of rebelling against it in her style. Kylo has been wielding the force like a hammer for so long that everything looks like a nail. This further adds to their yin and yang relationship dynamic and how they’ll be able to survive by adapting the others' strengths when they need them.

[GIF Source: Part 1, Part 2]

Check out the full chapter on Wattpad: The Last Harlequin. For mature audiences only.

Kylo and Harley's first meeting was originally going to be more simple, but then it just took a life of its own. This whole chapter was originally 4 parts for the Tiktok series, and now it's pushing 16 on Wattpad...and I'm still not done writing it. I have a drug trip scene in the works where they take an intense hallucinogen called Jabbawaska. Yes, this is how ridiculous the Wattpad gets. They're fun characters to write for and it's interesting to see how they bring new characteristics out of each other.

Episodes are currently being posted daily on Tiktok: @KyloQuinnCrossover. Chapter 1 exists in full on YouTube.

Part 1: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMePNHnKH/

Part 2: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMePNAJAE/

Part 3: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMePNGWTx/

Part 4: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMePNGwEn/

Ch.1.10 WP Promo: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMePN4pAy/

Ch.1.11 WP Promo: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMePNPmUS/

Ch.1.12 WP Promo: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMePNsnY7/

[wincore]

IT GETS BETTER WHEN I QUIT (╥_╥) until then i’ll just try my best 2 survive

“are you daring me to ruin my life for 2d men” yes 100% that’s exactly what i am saying. U GETTING 2D MEN BRAINROT... >>>>> ill seriously be waiting for the day 😌😌 atsumu is incredibly irritating u will love him. im going to manifest hq tiktok edits showing up in ur fyp JDJWJSJJ

OMGG i never watched coffee&vanilla but now i know not to so thank u LOL i can’t handle watching cringey dramas!! IM SO EXCITED FOR S2 TOO!! i’m not even a horror fan generally but the storyline was so different and mysterious i was hooked!! should i read the manga?? :o how diff would u say it was from the netflix adaptation?

NOO ME TOO!! watching a whole series takes so much brain power and attention 😭😭 esp when starting something new, sometimes i just don’t have the energy to learn abt new characters/a new world

I LOVE THE PREVIEW IM SO SO EXCITED!! “she wins mostly dw” WHEW!! we cannot have jaehyun winning this we can agree on 😫. LMFAOO WHEN I SAW DONGMIN I WAS LIKE :oooo No way.... no way.. that would hurt so bad for me 🙄🙄 perfect man is ur soulmate and u wont even end up together... goodbye.. (ok jaehyun u r ok as well i guess)

YES I REREAD 19K HDJWJJD IT WAS A POST-FINALS TREAT & U ARE AN ACTUAL AUTHOR!!!! also now im rlly curious abt what runway-taeyong’s yn will be like?!? esp in comparison to runway yn!!! give me crumbs pls

“i cannot picture him pissed off apart from that summer fight </3” STOPPPQJDJ ME TOO??? i think e2l with mark is impossible truly... it just doesnt make sense

“i love this characterization of him!!” IM SO GLAD LOL I WASNT SURE ABT MY WORDING!! sicheng rlly is perfect for these kinds of roles & im PUMPED for ceo sicheng for this very reason 👀👀

U HAD ME AT THEME SONG SINCERITY IS SCARY WTFFF!! “i don’t think i’m cut out to write that” i respect ur decision BUT im sure u are capable!!!! when u feel ready i will b here waiting bc i am in luv with just the vaguest concept of this piece! “so him having strong personality traits makes me go 🤔🤔 that man is overreacting” LMFAOOO NOT EVEN JK I AGREE... its disorienting to see him written as intense/broody when most of the time he’s just kinda has one main mode which is 🙂

YESSS FIC WISE BC OF U!!! im in the same boat abt it not working irl, i think if i had beef with a man i would just never interact with them ever again.... no man is worth the time... we are not gonna beef it out we will just cease to know each other. BUT YES BOTH TROPES WORK BETTER IN FIC LMFAO i love the #pining #hurt/comfort #angsttofluff HSJWJSJ

YESS THATS WHY UR VAMP FIC WAS SO REFRESHING!! BC IT WAS DIFFERENT!! if we simply stop pretending bites r enjoyable i think we can begin 2 reverse the damage that media has done to vampire aus

omg that’s a lot of things to do!! PLS MAKE SURE TO GET ENOUGH REST & EAT WELL TOO!! take care of yourself 🤍🤍🤍

- tata

i just started watching jujutsu kaisen and i might just ruin my life for 2d men once again <3 i feel like i wil have a whirlwind obsessive phase like my 15 year old self again goodbye (also. pls. this atsumu character is appealing to me way too much for someone with god level standards for irl men. every time a 2d man is annoying i go 😍💍👰💒 loml) ALSO OK WTF HOW DID YOU PREDICT THAT I’VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF HQ TIKTOKS IN MY FYP LATELY LIKE I SCROLLED THROUGH 8 CONSECUTIVE ONES 😭😭😭 TATA DID YOU HIJACK MY FYP

sdjgdjs i’ve only ever watched cringe dramas if the man is good looking (but like only clips in this case) or i need to make fun of it with my friends . i like to indulge in horror when i’m anxious bc it somehow makes it better like 😭 at least i have it better than THOSE guys lmfao <3 but also i don’t like heavy gore ahaha. 

some parts of the aib live action i liked WAY better especially bc the actors did so incredibly well portraying the characters (and the 7 of hearts game... bye i took so long coming to terms with it it’s WAY more emotional in the live) and i liked the first game (different in the manga) way more in the live. as for the manga i HATE the ending but also the manga introduces side characters and their stories and i really like that about it! the whole tunnel distance game was actually a side story in the manga and i kind of don’t like them centering the plot too much around arisu (but .. also.. it’s yamazaki kento... and i like that man too much for my dignity..) and also.... i don’t like how they left niragi and aguni’s status undisclosed like that??? like [LIGHT MANGA SPOILERS] they play a very key role in the manga so ?!?! i just hope s2 turns out well netflix i am begging u

ANDSDHSKDJDSL PLS I AM SO SORRY but dongmin is in love with another woman 😔 maybe in some other life. jaehyun is out there being a himbo though so choose carefully what you wish for 🤩 every time jaehyun wins i got mad at myself like no way pilsbury dough boy is winning against miss i know everything

SDHSJD so far lookbook-yn is way more confident and assertive than runway-yn but more in a.. himbo-like way LOL if that makes sense. runway-yn was kind of self conscious and fueled by passion and the need to stand out in their field of work but this yn is more comedic i think lol!! she’s kind of critical and clever in her own way but also she will confidently tell u the wrong directions to the nearest grocery store if u ask bc she thought she knew </3

SDFJGDSJ IT LITERALLY STARTED AS ME DAYDREAMING TO SINCERITY IS SCARY <3 i don’t even have a title yet 🤧 i feel like im favouring this bread man too much but it’s fun to characterize him so <33 i would love for him to be heartbroken and bitter for once 😌 “most of the time he’s just kinda has one main mode which is 🙂” that emoji TOOK ME OUT DSJKDHSD it’s literally him??

men r literally never worth the time </3 either be a lovable himbo or go away 😐 WAIT BC OF ME??? IM STILSLDSHDSKHKDSLJDS ily ❣🌼🌙

why would they make bites to be some sort of sensual thing like literally any other animal biting us for blood would be either horrifying (demon) or just annoying (mosquitoes)

you take care of yourself too!!!!!! hope your job loosens a bit on you and you excel in academics enough to not worry about it 😌 eat well sleep well ily ❤

[bthenoise]

We’re Starting To Lose It So We Made A Fake Music Award Show To Remember The Quarantine By

We are losing our minds and we aren’t talking figuratively like The Pixies. Every morning waking up in quarantine feels like an episode of Punk’d. 

Where is Aston Kutcher -- oh right, it’s 2020 -- Where is Chance The Rapper? we ask ourselves as we peel ourselves out of bed for what feels like the millionth time.   

Seriously, though. We know you guys are feeling the same way too. We read the tweets. We see the TikToks. Ya’ll are losing your goddamn minds just like us. 

The good thing is, to help with this sense of craziness as best as we possibly can (which isn’t saying much, we aren’t doctors after all -- shout out to all the amazing medical teams out there!) we have constructed the first and hopefully last 2020 Noise Quarantine Awards.

Featuring highly coveted awards such as Best Soundtrack To Fuel Your Hatred For The Government and Best Song To Steal Toilet Paper To, the awards below are meant to shine a light on all the positive things to come out of 2020. 

We know it sounds like an impossible task to put “2020″ and “postive” in the same sentence but somehow we did it. 

Check out the awards below.   

Fantastic Features Award

Silverstein - A Beautiful Place To Drown

Honestly, there are probably about ten different awards we could give Silverstein’s sensational LP A Beautiful Place To Drown. From start to finish, this is hands down one of the band’s best albums yet. However, for the sake of this very serious and very made-up award show, we are happy to present the scene staples with the Fantastic Features Award. 

Not only did the band include familiar favorites such as Beartooth’s Caleb Shomo, Simple Plan’s Pierre Bouvier and Underoath’s Aaron Gillespie, but they also went out of their way to include other artists such as emerging rapper Princess Nokia and Intervals’ guitarist Aaron Marshall. Now if that doesn’t deserve an award, we don’t know what does.  

Back Off Pit Daddies Cause This Song Slaps Award

A Day To Remember - “Mindreader”

But there’s no breakdown! How am I supposed to mosh to this? Would you quit your whining? It’s pretty much impossible for A Day To Remember to write a bad song. And sorry to break it to you pit warriors, they definitely didn’t start with their newest track “Mindreader.

Best Album To Eventually Soundtrack The Next Matrix Movie

Code Orange - Underneath 

Does this one really come as a surprise? Essentially creating their own genre of technology-influenced metalcore (computer core, maybe?), Code Orange’s Underneath is the perfect soundtrack to any type of action-packed, dark web-based, sci-fi thriller like The Matrix trilogy. Now would you like the red pill or the blue pill?  

The Welcome Back, We Fuckin’ Missed You Award

The Ghost Inside - “Aftermath”

A world without new music from The Ghost Inside is a world we don’t want any part of. Thankfully, for the first time since their tragic bus crash back in 2015, the metalcore maestros have returned with the hard-hitting and incredibly emotional track “Aftermath” taken from their soon-to-be-released self-titled album. So for that, the least we could do is present the band with the Welcome Back, We Fuckin’ Missed You Award.  

Honorable Mention: D.R.U.G.S (aka Craig Owens) - “King I Am”

Best Song To Listen To On Repeat And Realize You Successfully Killed Two And A Half Hours Of Your Quarantine

Loathe - “Screaming”

There is nothing made up about this whatsoever. We seriously thank Loathe for creating mind-altering music that transports you to a new dimension.  “Screaming” is a gem and the band deserves to be awarded for it. Oh, and also, I Let It In And It Took Everything is an amazing record everyone needs to hear ASAP.

Best Album To Get Drunk And Talk About Your Feelings To

Violent Soho - Everything Is A-OK

We’re not sure exactly what it is about Australia’s Violent Soho but they always seem to bring the deepest and darkest emotions out of us. Their latest LP Everything Is A-OK is no different. From track one to track ten, the band’s first new album since 2016 is an emotional magnet attracting feeling after feeling leaving us desperate for a drinking buddy and a good cry.

The If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It Award

August Burns Red - Guardians

August Burns Red has been a prominent staple of the heavy music scene for years. Since bursting out of Lancaster, PA with 2005′s Thrill Seeker, the two-time Grammy-nominated act has been a constant source of inspiration with their bruising, top-notch musicianship. Fifteen years later, with the release of their ninth studio album Guardians, the metalcore vets are still as heavy and hard-hitting as ever deserving of our If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It Award.   

Best Album To Eventually Soundtrack The Next Season Of Black Mirror

Enter Shikari - Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible

Enter Shikari is easily one of the most unpredictable bands in our scene. One minute you think you have them and their eclectic sound pinned down, then the next they release their genre-shattering LP Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible. With cinematic twists and turns from the rock-oriented opener “THE GREAT UNKNOWN” to the cosmic tornado that is “{ The Dreamer’s Hotel }” and circus-themed “Waltzing Off The Face Of The Earth,” Enter Shikari’s spellbinding LP is a perfect fit for something just as fascinating as the next season of Netflix’s Black Mirror.

Best Album To Get Your Medical Degree To

Vermicide Violence - The Praxis Of Prophylaxis 

We understand it’s not easy to comprehend deathcore lyrics. However, if you’re in need of a good study buddy while you prepare for the boards, look no further than Jarrod Alonge’s new parody album The Praxis Of Prophylaxis. Covering high-end medical topics such as vaccines, gingivitis, asthma and more, Vermicide Violence’s new LP is sure to help a lot more than those Grey’s Anatomy re-runs.    

The Tasmanian Devil Award

Rotting Out - Ronin

The Tasmanian Devil award is a highly coveted prize (possibly one of our most coveted) given to the album with hands down the most circle-pit-inducing tracks. While there have been some pretty good options this year, the record that stands out the most is Rotting Out’s first new album in over seven years, Ronin. Without going too far into detail -- because honestly, it’s pretty obvious why we picked this record -- if you’re able to stand still while listening to these fiery ass songs, you’re probably a cop.

Best Album To Get Drunk And Talk About Your Feelings To Part Two

Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces, Everyone

Really? You’re gonna complain we used the same category twice in a made-up award show only created cause we’re stuck living fucking Groundhog Day over and over again? Instead, how about you put that same energy into enjoying Spanish Love Songs’ brilliant, tear-jerking album Brave Faces, Everyone. You won’t regret it.

Best Soundtrack To Fuel Your Hatred For The Government

Anti-Flag - 20/20 Vision

Regardless of if you’re really into politics or not, it’s practically impossible at this point to not swear at our so-called “leaders” up in Washington DC. So if you’re looking for the best album to fuel your hatred for the Head Cheeto In Charge and all his helpless minions, look no further than Anti-Flag’s powerful 20/20 Vision.

Honorable Mention: The Homeless Gospel Choir - This Land Is Your Landfill

The Album Most Likely To Get You Out Of Mosh Pit Retirement

Polaris - The Death Of Me

This record is the definition of “slaps.” From beginning to end, Polaris’ punishing new album The Death Of Me is a heavy-duty rollercoaster ride that will leave you with a melted off face and an endless desire to jump back in the pit and crack a few skulls.  

Best Album To Rip A Phat Riff To

Hot Mulligan - You’ll Be Fine

Hot Mulligan are a bunch of jokesters but there’s nothing funny about their new album You’ll Be Fine -- alright, maybe a few of the song titles are a little silly. The band’s latest release is a guitarist’s delight with ringing mathcore-like riffs that will leave you both jubilant and jealous. Case in point, give the infectious opener “OG Bule Sky” a spin and get back to us.   

Honestly, Fight Us, This Song Is A Bop Award

All Time Low feat Blackbear - “Monsters”

We know what some of you cool cats and kittens are thinking: But this isn’t pop-punk!? Since when does Blackbear get a scene pass? Listen up. No, this song isn’t “Dear Maria, Count Me In” but who cares? It’s 2020 and musical genres are dead. Enjoy the good music while you can before we’re all dead too, okay?

Honorable mention: PVRIS - “Deadweight”

Best Song To Steal Toilet Paper To

The Chats - “Drunk N Disorderly”

If you haven’t had the fear of potentially wiping your ass with a washcloth over the last few months, this award probably isn’t for you and your 30 extra rolls of toilet paper. However, for us regular folk who have a limited supply of TP, The Chats’ fast-paced High Risk Behavior track “Drunk N Disorderly” is the perfect song for stumbling into someone’s home and swiping a roll or two.  

Wow We Didn’t See That Coming Award

Falling In Reverse - “The Drug In Me Is Reimagined”

Ronnie Radke has never been afraid to push boundaries musically. Whether it’s rapping on a track or dropping an upbeat, synth-laced single like “Bad Girls Club,” the former Escape The Fate frontman always seems to have something new up his sleeve. This year, to help celebrate 2011′s The Drug In Me Is You becoming gold-certified, Radke and Co. released an epic piano-lead version of their fan-favorite title track. The results? A majestic dream-like experience worth repeating over and over again.

If You Hurt Mother Earth One More Time We Swear You’re Dead Award 

In Hearts Wake - “Worldwide Suicide”

There’s been a lot of talk about global warming over the past few years. Recently, while we’ve all been stuck at home, skies have become clearer than ever as wild animals roam the barren streets. This is a dream come true for earth-friendly metalcore act In Hearts Wake. 

Now as some cities start to reopen, let us remind you: If you even think about going back to your wasteful, pollution-heavy ways, we and In Hearts Wake will come for you with the same force and brutality as heard on their newest track “Worldwide Suicide.” Watch your back.

Sure It’s Different But Still Kicks Ass Award

The Used - Heartwork

This isn’t The Used you knew in junior high. Bert McCrackin and Co. have returned with a fresh-faced 2020 LP that is sure to make you feel some type of way. Featuring guest appearances from members of Blink-182, FEVER 333 and Beartooth, The Used’s latest is a heavy-yet-dancy addition to their beloved-and-never-stale catalog.  

Better Not Sleep On This Record Award

Charmer - Ivy

Look, you literally have nothing but time on your hands. Why not spend it discovering new music from bands who deserve your attention? Seriously, turn off Love Is Blind and Too Hot To Handle and give Charmer’s moody 11-track release Ivy a try. You can thank us later.

Honorable Mention: Big Loser - Love You, Barely Living

Holy Shit We Can’t Believe That Just Happened Award

Dance Gavin Dance - “Calentamiento Global”

Four words we’ve all been thinking since Dance Gavin Dance dropped their highly anticipated album Afterburner: Tilian can speak Spanish!?

Giving the entire Swancore community a jaw-dropping moment with their new experimental track “Calentamiento Global,” in the song, DGD’s brawny frontman shows a little latin flavor with lyrics like “Te adoro, mi reina. Eres la única que veo.” Unsurprisingly, like most Dance Gavin Dance (or should we say Baile Gavin Baile) experiments, the post-hardcore act totally nailed it. 

The Back To Basics Award

The Amity Affliction - Everyone Loves You... Once You Leave Them

The Amity Affliction caught a lot of flack for their experimental 2018 release Misery. While entirely unwarranted as the metalcore vets were just looking to expand their sound, for their 2020 LP Everyone Loves You... Once You Leave Them, the Aussie outfit returned to form with their breakdown-heavy musicianship and brooding lyricism. Still have doubts? How about you give “All My Friends Are Dead” a spin or two.  

Skankin’ Pickle Award

Skatune Network - Ska Goes Emo, Vol. 1

Here’s a fun one. Adding to the list of things we never thought we’d see in 2020, go ahead and add a ska record covering some of your emo favs like My Chemical Romance, Paramore and Blink-182. Already known for his creative covers, Skatune Network really outdid himself this time around with his Ska Goes Emo LP. Who would have guessed you could skank so well to “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)?” 

The 2020 Glow-Up Award

The Word Alive - Monomania

The Word Alive has seen a lot of change over the course of their ten-year career. From 2010′s hard-hitting album Deceiver to this year’s impressive LP Monomania, the band has really grown into who they are today. For the first time, instead of putting out the music they’re expected to release, the Arizona act really stepped out of their comfort zone and dropped the music they wanted to make resulting in one of this year’s freshest and best so far.

Chocolate Covered Cranberries Award

Four Year Strong - Brain Games

For five long grueling years, we went without new music from easycore noisemakers Four Year Strong. This February, that all changed with the release of the band’s killer seventh studio album Brain Pain. Bringing the guitar-lead heaviness fans have come to love over the years along with their infectious pop-punk-leaning songwriting, Four Year Strong’s new record is the perfect balance of sour and sweet -- like chocolate covered cranberries! Who’s hungry?    

[itsconstructiondigitalmarketing]

Top 10 most effective social media tips & tricks

You know it: as an entrepreneur you regularly see tips that you can use for your social media. Often there are so many tips that you can no longer see the forest for the trees and may therefore not be in action mode. Using social media in the right way is not about quantity, but about quality. In this blog I share 10 effective social media tips & tricks that you should know to use your social media well for optimal visibility of your company.

1. Bring focus

If you shoot at random, you won't hit anything. This also applies online. The social media is bursting at the seams with posts and contributions. The busier it gets, the more difficult it is to be found and seen. To ensure that you can still reach your ideal customers, you need to know everything about them.

This is possible, for example, with personal marketing. That is marketing aimed at one or more specific people in your audience. To do this, you create a fictional person on paper (or your computer) and bring it 'to life', as it were. You are very specific in the description of this person, your ideal customer.

In this way you get to know this fictional person so well that you know exactly what the person needs, wants, wants to read, wants to buy, wants to learn, what problems he / she has, what questions are involved, etc.

In addition to the target group you are targeting, the topic you post about is also important. Preferably choose a niche within your field about which you often share your expertise. It is not wise to talk about everything by betting broadly. Keep it small and go for that niche.

Have you not yet clarified your niche? Or do you want to refine your existing niche? Then answer the following questions

What topics am I passionate about?

In which fields do I see myself as an expert?

Which questions (within my field) are often asked of me?

2. It's all about timing

When is the best time to post a post or contribution? Actually, the answer to this question is different for everyone. In any case, it is important that you do not just put the posts online, but that you focus on certain moments that have been considered.

It is a matter of investigating for yourself when your target audience is online. Put yourself here again in your fans and followers. What does their daily routine look like? Take the persona you created again as a reference (see tip 1). What time does your persona get up? Does your persona work in the office or at home? How does your persona go to work? Does your persona have children? At what times are they likely to be online?

Then check when your posts get the most views and interaction. Test that for a while. Publish your content once on different days and times (morning or evening). Compare the results of your research and then draw your conclusions.

Different social platforms are also frequently visited at different times. Of course, there has been some research into the best times to post. This shows that it is best to post a message on LinkedIn, for example, on Thursday. The best times are between 7am and 8am in the morning or between 5pm and 6pm in the evening. Monday and Friday seem to be relatively less convenient.

Facebook peaks at around 9 a.m. and one at around 10 p.m. In winter, it is a little earlier in the evening.

Finally, you can also analyze the statistics. This gives you important information, such as about the times when your posts were viewed.

3. Vary the shape of your content

Use the different forms to make your content as attractive as possible to everyone. One prefers to watch videos, the other prefers to read and yet someone else would like to listen to your story in a podcast.

I will comment on videos here. Because using videos is a golden move on social media. They also say: content is king and video is queen. Because image and sound ensure that you attract plenty of attention. Provide content that stimulates your target group.

Or - even better - go for live videos: they provide much more interaction than regular videos. That doesn't have to be complicated. For example, answer a frequently asked question in a live video. You can create a series of single questions and answer a question every day in a live video. Simple, but effective.

By the way, pay attention to the use of links in your posts. The social media platforms preferably want the user to remain active on the platform for as long as possible. With a link in the post, the user may be gone in no time. So don't put too often links in your posts.

4. The title is gold

The title of your post or blog is very important. The reader decides at a glance whether he wants to continue reading or not. Therefore, use power words in the title. These attract attention, so that the reader 'lingers' and becomes curious. That is exactly what we want.

Power words often seem a bit exaggerated to you, but they do work. So use them. Take this title, for example: "7 Free Blogging Tools You Must Have Tried". You guessed the power words in this title. 'Free' and 'absolute' and indeed, 'must'.

The words in the example work as follows

personal: (which you absolutely ...).

decided: ('must have tried'). You are convinced.

emotional: absolutely.

powerful: Free.

Make sure every title you publish immediately contains at least one strong word or phrase. Finally, it is smart to include a good keyword in the title, which is searched by your target group.

5. Use exclusivity in a targeted manner

Exclusivity (or scarcity) is a very powerful marketing ploy. This principle works like a charm. Just add a counter to your offer that counts down. Scarcity fuels the well-known fear of missing out (or: FOMO). That's the fact that you can regret something you didn't do (quickly enough). Shops use it day in, day out. Because people start stocking up as soon as there is (in their opinion) a shortage. Just think of the recent events surrounding toilet paper in connection with Corona 😉

You can already create that scarcity with words in your text or on your image that reflect exclusivity for a certain group of people. For example, consider the following:

Only a limited number of places available.

Exclusive access.

Pre-order.

Only for members.

By only giving a certain group access to something, this group feels privileged. The same also applies to discounts, events or products that are made available exclusively for a specific target group. The great thing is that people from this group unconsciously associate this exclusivity with a positive feeling about you and your business.

You can also use scarcity to promote your product / service. Imagine you are giving training soon. By indicating that only 7 places are available (of the 25), you create scarcity. People are now going to register earlier than they would if this was not listed.

You can also use special words with your promotion or offer. These are words that evoke a feeling of scarcity: think of 'limited edition', 'one-off offer' or 'only valid for 1 day'. After all, discounts are always good, as long as they are valid for a certain period. Pay attention to this and state this clearly. Make the most of this handy and simple social media marketing trick.

6. Make grateful and smart use of hook-up moments

Catch up moments are days on which you as an entrepreneur can jump in. A very famous one is of course Black Friday, or think of the usual holidays. Did you know that there are countless other options that you can tap into as an entrepreneur?

Keeping up with current events is a great smart way to work on your online visibility. Catch up moments are useful anyway to give you inspiration about which to post. In addition, current topics often have a higher reach. Social media - such as Facebook - often give priority to personal posts with current content.

It does require some creativity in the beginning, but you can probably find a hook for certain days on which you can pick up from your business. Often there is a twist.

7. Spread your opportunities and bet on multiple social media channels

There are now many different social media platforms on which you can work on your visibility with your ideal customer. Think of Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest. Even TikTok is already used for business.

Your ideal target group can often be found on multiple platforms. Make sure you can be found there and post regularly. Some entrepreneurs are only on LinkedIn, because according to them the target group is there.

Take HR managers, for example. You will indeed find it on LinkedIn. But: in their spare time they may also spend a lot of time on Pinterest for their hobby. Or on Facebook for social contacts or Instagram for inspiration. If they come across interesting information there for their work, it will certainly attract their attention (even if it is outside working hours).

Spread your opportunities and go for optimal visibility by profiling yourself on different platforms. It will take you more time, but if you do it right, it will definitely pay off.

In addition, it is not inconceivable that at some point a social platform can disappear again. Think of MySpace or Hyves. They were successful, but eventually stopped. That is another reason to spread your activities on social media platforms.

8. Interaction is the keyword

With interaction you involve your fans / followers in your company and that is of course what you want. Whatever you put in your post; always give people the opportunity to respond to that. There are many ways to generate interaction. You can do this in a simple way by asking a question . If you do not do this in your post, you deprive your fans / followers of the opportunity to respond.

Try to keep the question you ask accessible. As a rule, easy questions are always more responsive than difficult questions:

Who gives you inspiration?

What are you going to do this weekend?

Who would you prefer ...

Presenting a dilemma always works very well. That can be a dilemma of your own. Or a dilemma that one of your customers or your employees is struggling with. For example: which color, which slogan or which location. If you have physical products, it is nice to show pictures of the products.

Just ask for a like or comment. For some it can sometimes still be a barrier to ask for a like or a response. This is experienced as a bit loud and intrusive. In my experience, posts that explicitly ask for a like or comment have much higher engagement than comparable posts that don't.

Finally, a type of message with which you can also make nice posts: the 'Fill in on the dotted line' post . You start a sentence that ends with an open part. Then you ask your fans to complete this sentence. They feel heard and involved.

My favorite soup is …….

I like the summer because ……

My favorite relaxation time is….

The first thing I'm going to do in the garden this weekend is ……

Responses guaranteed!

9. You are your company

People do business with people. Everything you do (or don't do), say or write affects your audience. Your audience is going to like you, your company, your product, your brand if you are personal and yourself.

You are a brand yourself. This also applies to a company with several employees and even a large company. Because a company also has character. Just think of HEMA or Coca Cola.

So: your marketing stands or falls with… you! You are very important in your marketing. So stay authentic and be yourself. On social media it is very much appreciated when people are themselves. If they share joys and sorrows (personally and professionally). Because the more personal you are in your posts, the more comments, likes and shares you will get.

Just follow your intuition and let your 'authentic you' come back in all your content. Make sure you have a certain degree of recognizably. This can be done by choosing specific subjects and by using your corporate identity.

10. Use the power of repetition

Did you know that the best marketing has one central message, which is then explained in different perspectives, points of interest, interests and substantiation? In order to really stick, a message has to arrive at the recipient several times. If you want people to remember your message, you have to repeat it (more often).

Entrepreneurs think far too often: I have already posted that on my social media. Or: I've already written about that. Often a specific subject is only highlighted once. That's a shame. Because you can endlessly repeat your central message that you wanted to share.

You can easily reposition something that worked well. Look in your statistics for your posts that received a lot of responses and engagement. If necessary, take a different angle on that topic and post it again. Remember that your potential customer needs repetition to go for you.

Repetition also saves you a lot of work. Since those posts were already doing well, they will likely be well-received.

Repetition is a really powerful persuasion technique. Take advantage of that! Because repeating your message ensures that your audience will remember it better and it can help to convince them to go for your product / service. In addition, you create a positive feeling with your fans / followers with subtle repetition.

[usgag]

Robinhood app luring and robbing amateurs — like in the dot-com era

The 1990s were simpler times. The news was dominated by Bill Clinton’s various sexual escapades, but also a bubble in internet-related stocks that was partly fueled by the democratization of stock trading.

The latter inflated the stock market generally, and if you’re old enough to remember, pretty much crashed it. Newbie investors took the brunt of the crash, with some losing their lifesavings, well after professional traders had sold their positions.

Now history may be repeating itself in the form of Robinhood, a stock-trading app that has become something of a cultural phenomenon during the pandemic.

Robinhood now boasts 13 million users and growing — about 3 million of those joined since COVID-19 hit. Bars and gyms are closed, people are in lockdown, but Robinhood gives you a chance to make money — and a way to alleviate boredom.

It’s aided and abetted by the massive government economic-relief effort that appears to make trading a no-lose proposition, enticing retail investors to flip stocks just like they did two decades ago.

During the dot-com era, there was a famous commercial of an office clerk teaching a C-suite executive how to trade online. Meanwhile, Robinhood is so easy to use that even a Luddite like me can set up an account and start trading stocks, options or cryptocurrencies in a matter of minutes, as I did in preparation for this story.

Plus it’s free, or at least that’s the impression the company wants to give (there are no commissions, but I’ll explain how the company makes money later).

There’s a lot to like about Robinhood. It’s a clean, easy-to-use interface. You can even get a free stock for signing up. I received a free share of a company called Agenus, trading under the symbol of AGEN for $3.28, a company described in my Robinhood portfolio as a “clinical-stage immuno-oncology company.”

Robinhood users have none of the resources, insights or knowledge professional traders do.AP

But the lure of Robinhood is also the lure of the roulette wheel — you can make a lot of money, but you can also lose a lot because trading isn’t easy. It’s something that is honed and perfected and even the best go through periods of ­losing money.

Of course, I found none of this on Robinhood’s website. Nowhere does it tell me that my free share of stock is described by Wall Street pros as a speculative “penny stock” because it trades ­below $5 a share.

And that gets to the problem with Robinhood — it’s built for the person who doesn’t know a lot about the markets and doesn’t ask a lot of questions.

It’s also built for people who think they can trade like the big guys, people like Steve Cohen, Dan Loeb, Ken Griffin. To arm you against the professional, Robinhood gives users access to research and reporting in its news feed, but again, when much of this type of news hits the tape, the pros have already traded on it.

That’s not insider information, but the way the Wall Street information mill works. The big guys who pay the biggest commissions get the best info, not some guy trading a few shares of AGEN.

Robinhood is now valued at around $8 billion given its recent success, meaning it’s heading for a big IPO payday itself. You might ask how it makes money without charging brokerage commissions, and the simple answer is that it sells its trading-order flow to third parties that match buyers and sellers, a practice known as payment for order flow.

Big brokers pay Robinhood for order flow because they can trade out of these orders at huge profits, and given all the action on Robinhood, brokerages are clamoring for this business. In other words, nothing comes for free, and Robinhood users are the product, just like they are on Facebook.

I’m not a Robinhood hater. Founders Baiju Bhatt and Vlad Tenev come from immigrant families and met at Stanford and created a great business designed to “bring in those who’ve been left out of the system by making investing more approachable,” a company spokesman tells me. Moreover investing is a worthwhile pursuit, and that’s why there are mutual funds and index funds for the masses.

But there is a learning curve to buying and selling individual stocks, which isn’t investing but the profession of trading. That’s how Steve Cohen makes $1 billion a year and can afford to buy the Mets.

Many eye ‘Tik’ing a chance

The Microsoft bid to buy controversial social-media app TikTok is far from over, but already the tech giant is receiving interest from outside investors to join its bidding group, sources tell me.

These potential co-investors include General Atlantic Partners and Sequoia Capital, both current investors in TikTok’s Beijing-based parent, ByteDance, sources with knowledge of the matter say. In addition, don’t be surprised if a big private-equity firm jumps into the group.

Keep in mind, a lot can happen between now and the time that Microsoft actually makes a bid. It is currently focused on TikTok’s US operations — around 100 million monthly users, mainly Gen-Zers and social-media influencers in this country who use the short-video app to post everything from dance videos to commentary to political satire. But TikTok’s audience is expected to expand; sports franchises are said to be interested in posting.

That said, a Microsoft bid is far from a done deal. The company has looked at whether buying just the US portion makes sense since TikTok has 800 million ­users globally. Moreover, it will have to convince President Trump that the app is secure from Chinese influence.

While all this plays out, TikTok’s future in the US is ticking away.

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The Importance of Digital Marketing in 2020 to grow your business

Have you ever calculated the time you spend online? I’m not just talking about social media but otherwise also. Whether you are looking for a place for dinner, join a class on a personal hobby or simply booking tickets for an event, you always use online space to execute these tasks.

33% of the time of the customers is spent on social media. Around 16% is used for online TV & streaming, 16% music streaming, 13% online press and almost 22% for other sources. This shows that a business needs to crawl in this 33% and make best use of it.

So if people are relying so much on online space then it’s equally important for businesses to move online too. They need to have an online identity so that when their target customers are surfing they can discover the brands they love.

This is how important digital marketing has become. The only way brands are able to capture the attention of their prospects is by creating a strong digital presence so that their target customers are well informed.

As a business, you can inform your customer of any new updates whether there is a sale in stores, you are giving a free demo of a product, organizing an event or launching a campaign. Reaching to your target audience through digital means is much easier than offline means.

A brand is as good as customers recognizing it. If you are not making enough buzz in the market then you are working in vain away from practicality. Your efforts should get results in the form of new leads, conversions or downloads, subscribers, etc.

How Digital Marketing Can Transform Your Business?

Before we state the benefits, let’s discuss some influential statistics of how digital marketing has impacted businesses in the last few years.

(Source: Lyfe Marketing)

72% customers want their favourite brands to update information on discounts and promotions on social media.

Out of 5, at least 4 businesses go for Google Ads for PPC campaigns.

If a business spends $1 spent on Google Ads, the average revenue they make is $2.”

The conversion rate from a smartphone has increased to 64%.

The purchase of 64% of consumers is influenced after watching a Facebook video

Globally, 3.03 billion people are active on social channels.

These numbers signify that most consumers have migrated online and are consuming new products and services online daily. Especially smartphones are playing a big role in bringing conversions and new leads. Social channels are helping brands reach out to their favourite brands and this calls business to be active on social networks too.

Digital marketing has taken over way too much in the last 5 years and the results-driven from it are strong when compared to traditional marketing efforts. So, let's go ahead and discuss all the strengths of digital marketing:

1. Get High-Rate Conversions

Why do businesses do marketing and advertising? It’s because the ultimate goal for any marketer is to get conversions. These conversions are the real results that business counts on and comes in the form of leads, subscribers, no. of sales, and traffic, etc.

With digital marketing activities, you can optimize your conversion rate by advertising and running campaigns online. When we say digital tools, it means email marketing, SEO, SMM, and SEM, etc. Thus, for high-conversion rates, most businesses in 2020 should work on their digital strategies.

2.Interact With Target Audience

This is one of the core strengths of digital marketing i.e. reaching the target audience. A billboard or a normal piece of the pamphlet may reach only a small portion of the target audience and often gets unnoticed or blurred in the process but an ad does otherwise. An ad is targeted only to certain demographics, which makes it take control.

As a marketer, you always want to engage and interact only with people who are interested in your product or brand else you will be losing your dollars and would end up with no leads at all.

For instance, if you sell a luxury brand where each product costs around 5-10 lakhs then advertising it in an age group of 15-22 or people with jobs won’t help the brand. But, precise demographics targeting can do wonders. This is the power of digital.

3. Build Brand Reputation

Being in touch with your customers on a regular basis is important especially after selling your product or introducing it in the market. Interacting with users gives you a chance to take feedback from the market of how your product or service is performing.

You can build a great brand reputation by caring about your customers. By immediately replying to their issues and paying attention to any discomfort your end-user is facing you can show you deliver what you guaranteed and anything out of line will be taken care of.

Since your competitors are online too they will woo your customers if you fail to be in contact with your target audience. A reputation is affected not because your brand didn’t nail the expectation in one go but because after selling you didn’t care about the people who bought your product. Digital marketing gives you the opportunity to be in contact with your audience always.

4.Earn Trust From Your Audience

Though digital platforms open endless opportunities for businesses, they can equally harm a brand’s reputation if not handled well. With a strong website and social media channels, you can create a trust in the market.

A consumer should feel that they could reach out to a brand whenever they feel like. Also, if people get to see your ads, videos, social campaigns, and emails every single day, they will know that you are active and will appear in their feed all day and every day.

Collect feedback, surveys, testimonials, etc. on your Google My Business and social channels, as it will bring a sense of security for your customers.

5.Generate Better Revenues

Businesses using campaigns and optimization of their brands generate better revenues than ones without any digital presence. Digital is game-changing for many reasons. Firstly, you are reaching out to your customers. Secondly, you are informing them about your brand or service. Lastly, you are prompting them to take action.

If you can continue this process, you will generate consistent leads and will start getting more conversions. One thing that digital marketing does is reaching out to prospects in any geography. So it’s a limitation that a business can take care of in minutes.

You don’t have to reach them personally instead interact and engage with your users globally through digital tools. Digital marketing is more like fuel for a business as it resolves many challenges and gives a head start to sales and marketing.

6.Cost-Effective Strategies

Businesses who are working with limited capital and workforce can make use of digital strategies to get better leads. The promotion and launch of a product get easy with online advertising and feel light on pockets.

Also, small and mid-sized businesses can use automation for most of their marketing strategies rather than establishing an in-house team of experts.

7. Reach Mobile Consumers

Around 51% smartphone consumers discover a new brand product online while surfing.

Mobile marketing and ad optimization cannot be simply ignored given the number of mobile users increasing every day.

Thus, optimize your brand for social media, email marketing, ads, etc. Optimize your website and content and make it mobile-friendly so that people surfing on their smartphones can see your campaigns, videos, and blogs and discover or follow your brand regularly.

8.Let Your Audience Take Desired Action

The best thing about using digital marketing is by introducing your users to your product and service and asking them to take action.

If you want your users to share your blog or video online you add a line at the end or mention it within your video. This is called prompting your users to take the desired action or an action that you want them to take.

This is also called as CTA or Call-To-Action which is added in your ad campaigns, email campaigns, etc. so that you can specify what exactly you want your user to do. CTA’s can be to fill a form, buy a product or submit an email ID, subscribe to a channel, etc.

Top Digital Marketing Trends for 2020 That Businesses Should Implement

I think 2019 was a lot about videos and influencers and we believe some trends would follow in 2020 too. Here is a list of trends that would do great in 2020.

-Influencer Marketing rocked in 2019 and will continue to bring results in 2020. If you are not convinced then check out hundreds of influencers on Instagram and YouTube working for renowned brands.

-Content Marketing is going to rule the roost for this year. Customized content in different content forms is creating a great impact and we can’t deny it.

-Social Media Marketing: Social networks will continue to thrive in 2020. Especially platforms like TikTok and Instagram will do exceptionally well. Even messenger marketing will be mainstream this year. Whatsapp’s new catalog management for small businesses will be revolutionary.

-Video Marketing- Videos are gaining more and more traction and the fewer audience is relying on written content. A great and optimized video can get a higher reach and therefore video ads will do much better in 2020 on all platforms i.e. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc.

-Consumer Engagement Strategy: By creating campaigns around sensitive subjects, brands not get a chance to market their product or service but also spread awareness about a sensitive matter. Ads revolving around topics like breast cancer, dyslexia (coco-cola), etc. are creating an emotional pull.

-Mobile marketing like SMS marketing is still effective for a few business models.

-Email Marketing through newsletters helps in connecting with the audience on a regular basis.

-PPC Advertising is here to stay for long. With paid advertisement, it is difficult to reach a humungous audience. Paid ads on social networks and Google are effective and should be run by a company to attract new audiences every now and then.

Things Businesses Should Pay Attention To

If businesses are looking to switch to digital and turn to online marketing strategies then they should pay attention to the following things:

Maintain an online presence on channels best for brand

Optimize all their channels for devices and browsers

Interact & engage with their audience regularly

Stay up-to-date on digital trends

Do Search Engine Optimization

Update Website for sales and offers

Develop landing pages with CTA’s to get more conversions

Work on 3-4 campaigns a quarter to get instant results

Try automation to avoid any gaps

Build an email list of loyal customers

If you are using digital strategies work on your buyer persona and collect data from analytics to find the perfect demographics to target. Only a targeted approach will get maximum conversions and high-revenues. It’s best to work with experts or outsource the digital marketing process to agencies that perform the activities on a daily basis and have far more experience to optimize the campaigns.

When compared to traditional marketing, digital campaigns can fetch quick results.

Conclusion

Businesses at small, medium or enterprise levels must focus on following best digital marketing practices. Go in-depth of who you are reaching out to for promoting your work/services? Digital marketing in 2020 will yield you results only if you are loud enough and active. Don’t for a second go back foot because your competitors have taken that space.

You need not try all digital mediums at once. Plan your content and campaigns based on your audience and their demographics. Discuss it with experts and rely on statistics to guide you. I know a team sounds fancy but outsourcing digital activities to experts are the right thing to do when you can’t afford a team.

Hope 2020 will prove beneficial for your brand and business. Go digital. Be Strong.