#if you panicked and left during either of the big controversies and are back now: welcome back! :)

[negativepeanuthoarder]

hot take: someone reacting poorly during a crisis is not them showing their “true colors”, it’s them showing how they react under stressful circumstances :)

[kybervisions]

slight obsessions [bucky]

summary: after months of obsessing over a senator, bucky is given the opportunity to save her. he then visits her in the hospital  

author’s note: warning, warning, this will feature aspects of the u.s government,,, \\ lil bit of fluff and mentions of torture ,, just a kidnapped senator and bucky pining  ,, requests are open :) 

The security footage of your kidnapping at the fundraiser was leaked to the media. Millions watched as a prominent U.S senator was ambushed and drugged before being dragged into an unmarked vehicle. Bucky’s heart ached. “We’ll find her,” Sam, well-aware of Bucky’s infatuation with you, promised his friend.  

Bucky was unprepared to find you in the state that you were, bloody and bruised. There was a cut above your eyebrow and blood dripped down your face. Your skin was riddled with red and purple. The metal cuffs around your wrists and ankles dug into your skin and caused you to bleed. There was track marks on your arms and your knee didn’t look too good either. 

You looked nearly unrecognizable — almost nothing like the senator that so adamantly advocated for his pardon. 

“Captain?” You mutterly weakly, barely recognizing the two figures near the doorway. The drugs they pumped into you fucked with your vision and made you feel absolutely sick. You could barely keep your eyes open. Everything hurt and you shivering from the lack of warmth. 

Sam quickly ran past Bucky and his fingers searched for a pulse on your neck. Weak, but it was something. Once up close, Sam could see the multitude of track marks on your skin and his fingers gently touched them, causing you to cry, something that completely shocked you. Zemo had stopped giving you water a few days ago. 

“We’re going to get you out of here, senator,” Sam pulled out a Widow’s Bite, which he had secretly stolen from Natasha, and used the electricity within the bite to override the power source of the cuffs.  

When the cuffs opens, you were released from the vertical interrogation chair. Before you fell on the concrete floor, Bucky quickly reached out to catch you. 

“Fuck!” You shouted and startled Bucky. You bit your lip in an attempt to silence your pain. After weeks of absolute hell, you were sensitive to touch. Tears filled your eyes and you weren’t strong enough to hold them back. “It hurts,” You whimpered. You felt sick. Cold and weak and wanting to puke but having nothing in your stomach to regurgitate.

A protectiveness he had not felt since before the war consumed Bucky. Seeing you so weak and in pain filled him with both anger and the need to make you feel better. Your big, soft, and tear-filled eyes awakened his primal instinct to defend and protect. 

He acknowledged there was still something wrong with him, because even in the state that you were in, Bucky wanted nothing more than to press his lips against yours and hold you against him. 

For a short second, while looking down into your eyes, the world was quiet. 

“C’mon, man,” Sam urged them. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be in here when the timer goes off,” 

“Alright, alright,” Bucky agreed. “Um, can you run?” He looked down at you again. You were smaller in person. The television must make everyone look like titans. On the screen, you had such a larger than life presence. Whether it was asking questions during committee hearings or speaking out against a bill, you were imposing. 

“She can barely stand,” Sam answered before you. With all the drugs in your system, you were nearly unresponsive. “Pick her up and let's go!” 

Once they reached the C.I.A medical facility, Sharon told a room full of reporters that the senator had been found and was being examined by professionals. She did not give too much information, which was typical for intelligence agencies. 

By “being examined by professionals”, Sharon meant you were undergoing surgery because whatever was injected into your body caused you to go under septic shock. She omitted that part, not wanting to give the public further cause to worry.  

After the surgery, only family was allowed to enter your hospital room. Some of your staff was able to bypass that rule. You were still recovering, but your top aide, Winnie, had begun planning your first public appearance. 

“You’re a certified badass now,” Winnie informed you, and it made you chuckle. Winnie had been by your side since you were a congressional freshman and you loved them to death. “The corpses will have to show you actual respect now,” They smiled, referring to your coworkers as corpses gives them a bit of joy. 

“I’m sure Stern will find a reason to call me a traitor to the country,” You replied. Your strong opposition of the intelligence agencies earned you a lot of enemies. 

“Yeah, well, he’ll — ”

The door had opened and there stood a “Hi, sorry. I, uh, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Bucky stopped at the doorway. He was holding a small bouquet of your favorite flowers and scratched the back of his head, avoiding eye contact. 

“Sergeant Barnes,” You smiled. Bucky looked to you, and he’d never seen or heard anything as beautiful. He had heard you say his name a thousand time over, but hearing it in person was just swell.  

“Bucky’s jus’ fine, senator,” Bucky returned a toothy grin. You swear you had died and gone to heaven. He was even more beautiful in person. 

“Bucky,” There was a shine in your eyes when you said his name. His name sounded so pretty coming from your mouth.  

“O-kay,” Winnie chuckled and their eyes bounced between yourself and the soldier, who was just a few feet away from them. “I’ll be back tomorrow to hash out the details,” They turned to look at you and gave you a small peck on your head. “Be careful,” It was a warning. 

Bucky stepped into the room, allowing Winnie to easily slip out. 

Now that the blood and dirt had been washed out, Bucky could truly admire how striking you were. You were glowing. There were still bruises and healing wounds but they didn’t diminish your beauty. 

He set the flowers on the visitor’s chair. 

“I wanted to properly thank you and Mr. Wilson for saving my life,” You told him. He took a few more steps towards you. “W-Winnie has a press conference planned once I’m discharged, and there might be a Medal of Freedom in your future, after the Congressional Gold Medal, of course,” 

“What?” 

“Yeah,” You smiled. “It took a little bit of convincing but the bastard caved eventually,” 

Of course you had recommended him, and Sam, for such prestigious awards. It was further proof that he had been vindicated from the dark part of his history. You helped profoundly in his path to finally accepting himself, and for that, he would always love you. 

When the nightmares returned, Bucky would rewatch your old speeches for the campaign to pardon him. He felt pathetic — having to listen to a woman he had never met before passionately advocate for his freedom in order to feel better. You saw him as human, worthy of forgiveness. 

“I know they’re practically worthless in the age of superheroes, but I thought I would be nice,” 

It would be nice. “Thank you,” His smile slowly faded as the conversation took a serious turn. “For everything, the campaign and the pardon and now these medals,” A breathy chuckle escaped. “I...you never attended the ceremony,” He commented on your absence during his pardon. It had plagued his mind for countless nights. 

“I wasn’t invited,” You chuckled at the irony of it — having spent months working for his freedom only to not be present to watch it happen. “A picture leaked of me at a protest in college and they thought it would be too controversial for me to attend,” You shrugged it off. 

Ensuring Bucky’s freedom was all that mattered. Your acknowledgement was not important to you in the greater scope of things. 

“I’ll make sure you get invited this time,” Maybe you could give a speech before he’s awarded the medal. He could finally be present to hear you praise him. 

Bucky’s eyes lingered on your lips. Your nervousness returned. There was a distinct look in his eyes that terrified and excited you all the same. 

“Senator, time for your medication,” A nurse entered the room and pushed a cart with her. There was an IV set, some pills, and a cup of water on the cart and all that medicine made Bucky feel anxious. 

He was well aware of the dangers of so much medicine and he was scared. He couldn’t afford to lose you now. Not when he finally has you within his grasp. 

“The pills help with the pain and the IV gives me nutrients,” You noted the panicked look on Bucky’s face when he saw the cart. “Or so they claim,” You looked at the nurse, who was not entertained by your accusatory comment. 

“I should head out,” Bucky nodded. “And allow your drugs to be administered in peace,” You laughed, and he was quite proud of that. 

Feeling bolder, Bucky took a few final steps toward you. You offered your hand and he lightly held your wrist, stilled bruised, and bowed down to kiss your hand. It was a small and sweet gesture, but it left you an absolute mess. You held your breath and felt your heart in your throat. 

Bucky admired you once more before leaving the room. He nearly memorized how you radiated in spite of the harsh cold white light that illuminated the hospital. In that moment, he was certain you’d be his. 

[strawberry--souda]

Kaede Akamatsu Character Analysis (Spoilers!)

So, I know this isn’t the kind of thing I normally put on my blog, especially since I don’t exactly make content anyway. But inspiration struck me to do an analysis on one of my favorite characters of all time: Kaede Akamatsu from Danganronpa V3. I hear a lot of people say that Kaede is just Makoto and/or Chiaki 2.0, and I feel that this could not be further from the truth. So I’m hoping that this analysis gives somebody a new perspective on my favorite DR character. Needless to say, Danganronpa V3 spoilers abound.

Obtained Truth Bullet: The Protagonist of DRV3

So, let’s get the big one out of the way first, shall we? Kaede was heavily advertised as the protagonist of V3, and many people (myself included) were very excited about this. As opposed to the generally weak/easily pushed-around Makoto and Hajime, Kaede is a go-getter. She was considered new and refreshing, and even now there are still many people who would consider her more interesting or a better protagonist than Saihara.

The protagonist swap was (and still is) highly controversial, and the wrong opinion around the wrong people can cause quite a debate. The general consensus, however, is that it was an extremely well-executed twist, no matter who you favor as the protag. It was a true gut-punch even to people who may not have been that enthusiastic about either protagonist up until that point, and is typically considered one of the saddest moments in the series. The revelation that Kaede died for no reason really twisted the knife further, at a point in the game when many may have moved on and fully accepted Saihara as protagonist.

The twist was controversial for the aforementioned reason of Kaede being vastly different from the other protags personality-wise. Kaede is a natural leader. Friendly and cheerful, but fully capable of being assertive. Saihara, meanwhile, is shy, somewhat of a downer, and can have a hard time expressing himself. Both characters have their strengths as the protagonist, but after V3 people started getting tired of the standard Danganronpa formula, and Kaede continued to be viewed as new and refreshing. This is one of the strongest and most common arguments for why she should have been the protagonist. While I do recognize Saihara’s strengths, and I like him quite a bit as well, I ultimately agree with this point, and I think Kaede as the protagonist would have been very interesting.

Obtained Truth Bullet: The Murder of Rantaro Amami

This is, of course, the other big one. It’s impossible to discuss Kaede as a character without bringing up her actions. As we know, in Chapter One, Kaede and Saihara set up a scene in the library made to discover the mastermind and end the game before any murders took place. However, Kaede altered this trap, fearing that catching the mastermind before the time limit would not be enough. To assuage her paranoia, and at great risk to herself, she set up a trap of her own. Something of a Rube Goldberg machine that was designed to kill the mastermind rather than trap them. This trap was set up at the same time as Saihara’s original plan. For those who may not remember, the trap involved rolling a shot-put ball along a carefully-aligned staircase of books, until it came down on the mastermind’s head.

Unfortunately, as we know, this trap failed, killing someone other than the intended target. Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate Survivor (initially known as the Ultimate ???) was killed in the midst of his own investigation, having known about the mastermind’s secret lair (and its entrance in the library) as well. And yet, the truth was that the shot missed. Rantaro survived, only to be killed by the mastermind right after. Nonetheless, Kaede, Saihara, and the others were thrown into a class trial to find out who killed the amnesiac Rantaro. Kaede initially used this as a chance to find out who the mastermind was, reasoning that the mastermind must have killed Rantaro. Ultimately, however, the case closed in on her, primarily due to the machinations of Ouma. Ouma was as unaware of the truth as everybody else, but called Kaede out on a lie she made. After trying to prove her lie, she ultimately had no choice but to admit to her crime, lest Saihara be convicted in her place. This is when the protagonist switch takes place.

And eventually, Kaede gets executed for her crime like every other blackened in the series, unaware of her innocence. So ends the story of Kaede Akamatsu, and begins the story of Shuichi Saihara. 

Obtained Truth Bullet: Ultimate Pianist

As anyone reading this probably knows, Kaede is the Ultimate Pianist. In other words, one of the greatest piano-players in the world. This has a large impact on who Kaede is, as any such major talent would define a person. Kaede is protective of her hands/fingers as a result, preferring to avoid cooking and sports for fear that they might damage her ability to play piano. During her trial she says her hands are only strong enough to play piano as a defense when she is accused of murder. Her talent is a part of how she dresses (skirt and hairpins), her habits (avoiding certain activities), and her conversational habits (casually mentioning piano songs and concepts in conversations). It is a substantial enough part of her that at the end of chapter one, what is heavily implied to be her ghost appears to play piano for Saihara in her Ultimate Lab.

Obtained Truth Bullet: Kaede’s Personality in the Game

As demonstrated during the events of the game, Kaede is a cheerful person. She is bright, friendly, and pleasant to be around. Overall a helpful person, and considered likable by all but her most troublesome classmates. However, she does tend to get too helpful at times. She can be quite pushy about her ideas, to the point of stubbornness. For example, in one conversation with Miu Iruma, Iruma discusses doing drugs. While Iruma is easily-distraught, Kaede pushes the idea that she shouldn’t do such things to the point of upsetting the inventor. In a more serious context, she refuses to doubt her plan to kill the mastermind until it actually fails, believing that it is the right thing to do beyond any doubt. This is one of Kaede’s greatest flaws; when she gets an idea, she convinces herself that she is correct, and can become very pushy and stubborn as a result.

Kaede is also shown to be a pragmatic and goal-oriented person when necessary, in accordance with her stubbornness. She loathed the idea of killing anyone, and hated herself for the time she had left after killing Rantaro, angrily declaring that she would never forgive his killer. Nonetheless, she still planned to kill the mastermind, despite the heavy toll that committing murder would take on her. Additionally, despite being uncomfortable with it, she lied in the class trial to protect Saihara and stall for time, making a claim that would make herself look suspicious. So despite her kind personality, Kaede will do what she feels she has to, even if she knows it is wrong.

On a lighter note, Kaede is shown to be silly and even perverted at times. She makes remarks a number of times about how ‘cute’ or ‘sexy’ other girls are, such as when she first meets Tsumugi and says she has a sexy aura. Saihara even comments at one point that she sounds like a creepy old man sometimes. She also does things such as poking Tsumugi’s cheek or touching Kiibo’s emergency button, showing that perhaps she is not the best with physical boundaries. Despite this, she tends to be fairly oblivious; during her Free Time Events with Tenko and Himiko, she doesn’t seem to realize what they mean by ‘playing for the other team’, nor does she really seem to comprehend the idea of homosexuality. Additionally, as shown in just about every interaction she has with Iruma, she is sensitive to and dislikes large amounts of vulgarity.

Interestingly, despite being an overall friendly person, Kaede has somewhat of a temper, and can get easily riled-up. Shortly after meeting Saihara, she told him to shut up in order to stop him from panicking, and later on even slapped him when he wasn’t responding to anyone. Additionally, she tells Himiko to shut up after the latter keeps talking about magic during the investigation of Rantaro’s murder. She tries to be patient with the more troublesome/hard to get along with classmates, such as Iruma and Ouma, but does lose her patience with them sometimes. She frequently calls Ouma out for being delusional, and after a particularly vulgar insult by Iruma, snaps back with an insult of her own. So while pleasant to be around, Kaede does have a short fuse at times, and can be easily agitated.

Obtained Truth Bullet: Kaede’s Personality Before the Game

Kaede’s personality before the game is shown to be more or less the total opposite of who she is now. She is shown to be a pessimistic person with a bleak outlook on life, and a hard time trusting/believing in others. She says she’s perfect for a killing game. Interestingly enough, some of the above-stated traits can be seen in the Kaede from the game to some extent. Kaede is paranoid enough about the time limit to doubt Saihara’s plan, enough that she would alter the scene to kill rather than expose the mastermind. And she is considered perfect for the killing game in-universe, with her leadership and forward personality having been intended to keep the game going. However, it is incredibly debatable how much of this is true, since the information about pre-game Kaede is revealed by the mastermind, a known employee of the greater-scope villains of the game, and therefore somebody with reason to lie and/or forge evidence if needed. This part is ultimately up to interpretation, but I personally believe that the mastermind was lying, albeit with some sprinkles of truth.

Obtained Truth Bullet: Kaede’s Interests

Kaede’s chief interest, as we know, is the piano. She cares deeply about music, and has been playing piano from a young age, even to the point of winning competitions. However, she does enjoy other things. For example, in Love Across the Universe, she expresses an enjoyment of manga, particularly when the plot involves music. She also enjoys drinking tea, and likes to relax in the sun, despite her hardworking and driven nature. In regards to her dislikes, she doesn’t have many shown or stated, but she seems to dislike bicycles. This is never actually elaborated on, but it is a strong enough dislike to be stated in her bio.

And that’s about all I have to say about the Ultimate Pianist, Kaede Akamatsu. My favorite character in Danganronpa, and one of my favorite characters of all time. I hope this gives anybody who didn’t like her much a new opinion, and that people who do like her enjoyed my analysis as well. I sadly don’t see myself doing another analysis like this, but this was a lot of fun to do. If you’ve read this far, thanks for reading, and I hope you had fun!

[wayneooverton]

Five Things Every New Diver Should Know

We’ve all been there, wide-eyed and excited on the first day of our dive course. This excitement is often mixed with a bit of anxiety, uncertainty and fear of the unknown, but armed with the right knowledge, the prospect of descending beneath the waves becomes more exciting. Here are five things every new diver should know as they begin their dive career.

Try and try and try again

Divers sometimes see courses as a pass/fail or may think that because they paid for the course they are entitled to the qualification. This often happens in holiday destinations, where resort courses average about four days long and students have limited time to complete the dive course.

Dive qualifications are earned and the only way you can certify is to become proficient in the skills required for each level. Because diving puts you in a strange environment, doing things that you wouldn’t do on the surface, you must train your body and brain to adapt to the new setting. This might come quicker to some than to others, and that is perfectly okay.

Not being able to do a skill or finish a training dive does not mean you failed; it means you need more practice. Get back into the pool or book a one-on-one session with an instructor until you feel comfortable enough that you’ll be able to perform the skill on your own.

No more fogging

You finally got your own mask — one that fits you well and feels comfortable. You’re excited to take it for a test spin, but there are a few steps you must complete before hitting the water. There is an invisible silicone film on your mask when it comes out of the box, which will cause it to fog up no matter how many times you clean it. Remove it before your first dive with an abrasive agent like white toothpaste (not gel). Add a small amount of toothpaste to each lens and get scrubbing. Use your thumbs and some elbow grease to work the toothpaste onto the lenses for a few minutes. Try to get as close to the skirt as possible to keep the edges of your mask from fogging up. Rinse your mask thoroughly afterwards.

Before the dive you can put a drop of baby shampoo on each lens. Rub it around and rinse it before you put on your mask. Many dive boats and operators also have dedicated mask defog for you to use. Make sure to choose an environmentally friendly, biodegradable product to protect the reef from harmful chemicals.

The tried-and-true method for defogging your mask will always be: spit. Mind you, use the thick stuff from the back of your throat as opposed to licking your finger and trying to spread it onto your lenses. No need to be embarrassed — we all know diving is more “wipe-snot-off-your-face” than surfacing looking like one of the models in dive magazines.

If all else fails, you can burn the protective layer off of the inside of your mask with a lighter. This is a bit controversial method as some say that the heat of the flame could compromise the strength of the tempered glass lenses so proceed with caution.

Even the most well-prepared mask can fog up if it or your face is warm when you get into cooler water. Keep your mask out of direct sunlight and splash your face with cool water before putting your mask on to minimize fogging.

You panicked…now what?

Because we are in a foreign environment with little idea, and probably experience, of how to deal with certain situations we might end up in a place of anxiety, fear or even the dreaded word — panic.

There is a split second before an uncomfortable situation turns into a panic situation. The moment where you either stop, breathe, think and act, or find yourself panicking. In that split second what you tell yourself can either help you to take control or escalate the situation.

As a new divemaster I had an experience that left me extremely anxious, especially with mask skills. I felt that students were looking up to me and I wasn’t supposed to show that I was scared — panicky even — especially when I needed to remove my mask. I faced my fear and practiced mask skill after mask skill until I felt confident and the skills became second nature to me.

Most divers experience these moments of panic during their dive careers. While some are able take control of the situation, others might experience a full-blown panic episode. That is okay. Do not judge yourself and your experience. Get back in the water with someone you trust and work on overcoming the negative thoughts and feelings that the experience created. Doing so will make you a safer diver. Most important — don’t give up. There are many, many wonderful dives awaiting you.

Trouble clearing your ears

How easily you equalize could change from one day to the next. There are two primary ways to equalize: pinching your nose and blowing lightly or pushing your tongue to the roof of your mouth and swallowing. Sometimes neither of these work and this could lead to frustration. The worst thing you can do is ignore the pain and continue down or forcefully blow to try and equalize.

If your ears do not equalize while using one of the above methods, ascend a few feet and try again. If this solves the problem, slow down your descent rate and equalize more often. If this doesn’t work, try wiggling your jaw and tilting your head from side-to-side. You can also rub the bit of skin at the opening of your ear or tug on your ear gently and try to equalize again.

Sometimes divers clench their jaws without realizing it. This tightens the muscles around your Eustachian tube, which could make it more difficult to push air into it for equalization. Focus on relaxing your jaw muscles and try again.

Finally, make sure your nasal passages are clear before going on a dive. A saltwater rinse works well, although it is a bit uncomfortable. If you’ve got a cold or are feeling congestion, it’s best to skip the dive. Most importantly, equalize early and often — before your ears feel the squeeze of increasing pressure.

What size wetsuit?

You’ve decided to buy your own wetsuit, but don’t know what size to get. Your wetsuit should fit like a glove — not too tight, nor too loose. It is normal to feel a bit uncomfortable in your wetsuit while you’re on the surface. It is, after all, a rubber suit designed to fit snugly and keep you warm. If, however, you feel too much constriction of movement or any difficulty in breathing, try a bigger size.

On the other hand, if your suit is too big and has air pockets in some places, water will circulate through. This will cool you down very quickly, making your wetsuit nearly useless.

The post Five Things Every New Diver Should Know appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

from Scuba Diver Life https://ift.tt/2MYezks

[mrbobgove]

Five Things Every New Diver Should Know

We’ve all been there, wide-eyed and excited on the first day of our dive course. This excitement is often mixed with a bit of anxiety, uncertainty and fear of the unknown, but armed with the right knowledge, the prospect of descending beneath the waves becomes more exciting. Here are five things every new diver should know as they begin their dive career.

Try and try and try again

Divers sometimes see courses as a pass/fail or may think that because they paid for the course they are entitled to the qualification. This often happens in holiday destinations, where resort courses average about four days long and students have limited time to complete the dive course.

Dive qualifications are earned and the only way you can certify is to become proficient in the skills required for each level. Because diving puts you in a strange environment, doing things that you wouldn’t do on the surface, you must train your body and brain to adapt to the new setting. This might come quicker to some than to others, and that is perfectly okay.

Not being able to do a skill or finish a training dive does not mean you failed; it means you need more practice. Get back into the pool or book a one-on-one session with an instructor until you feel comfortable enough that you’ll be able to perform the skill on your own.

No more fogging

You finally got your own mask — one that fits you well and feels comfortable. You’re excited to take it for a test spin, but there are a few steps you must complete before hitting the water. There is an invisible silicone film on your mask when it comes out of the box, which will cause it to fog up no matter how many times you clean it. Remove it before your first dive with an abrasive agent like white toothpaste (not gel). Add a small amount of toothpaste to each lens and get scrubbing. Use your thumbs and some elbow grease to work the toothpaste onto the lenses for a few minutes. Try to get as close to the skirt as possible to keep the edges of your mask from fogging up. Rinse your mask thoroughly afterwards.

Before the dive you can put a drop of baby shampoo on each lens. Rub it around and rinse it before you put on your mask. Many dive boats and operators also have dedicated mask defog for you to use. Make sure to choose an environmentally friendly, biodegradable product to protect the reef from harmful chemicals.

The tried-and-true method for defogging your mask will always be: spit. Mind you, use the thick stuff from the back of your throat as opposed to licking your finger and trying to spread it onto your lenses. No need to be embarrassed — we all know diving is more “wipe-snot-off-your-face” than surfacing looking like one of the models in dive magazines.

If all else fails, you can burn the protective layer off of the inside of your mask with a lighter. This is a bit controversial method as some say that the heat of the flame could compromise the strength of the tempered glass lenses so proceed with caution.

Even the most well-prepared mask can fog up if it or your face is warm when you get into cooler water. Keep your mask out of direct sunlight and splash your face with cool water before putting your mask on to minimize fogging.

You panicked…now what?

Because we are in a foreign environment with little idea, and probably experience, of how to deal with certain situations we might end up in a place of anxiety, fear or even the dreaded word — panic.

There is a split second before an uncomfortable situation turns into a panic situation. The moment where you either stop, breathe, think and act, or find yourself panicking. In that split second what you tell yourself can either help you to take control or escalate the situation.

As a new divemaster I had an experience that left me extremely anxious, especially with mask skills. I felt that students were looking up to me and I wasn’t supposed to show that I was scared — panicky even — especially when I needed to remove my mask. I faced my fear and practiced mask skill after mask skill until I felt confident and the skills became second nature to me.

Most divers experience these moments of panic during their dive careers. While some are able take control of the situation, others might experience a full-blown panic episode. That is okay. Do not judge yourself and your experience. Get back in the water with someone you trust and work on overcoming the negative thoughts and feelings that the experience created. Doing so will make you a safer diver. Most important — don’t give up. There are many, many wonderful dives awaiting you.

Trouble clearing your ears

How easily you equalize could change from one day to the next. There are two primary ways to equalize: pinching your nose and blowing lightly or pushing your tongue to the roof of your mouth and swallowing. Sometimes neither of these work and this could lead to frustration. The worst thing you can do is ignore the pain and continue down or forcefully blow to try and equalize.

If your ears do not equalize while using one of the above methods, ascend a few feet and try again. If this solves the problem, slow down your descent rate and equalize more often. If this doesn’t work, try wiggling your jaw and tilting your head from side-to-side. You can also rub the bit of skin at the opening of your ear or tug on your ear gently and try to equalize again.

Sometimes divers clench their jaws without realizing it. This tightens the muscles around your Eustachian tube, which could make it more difficult to push air into it for equalization. Focus on relaxing your jaw muscles and try again.

Finally, make sure your nasal passages are clear before going on a dive. A saltwater rinse works well, although it is a bit uncomfortable. If you’ve got a cold or are feeling congestion, it’s best to skip the dive. Most importantly, equalize early and often — before your ears feel the squeeze of increasing pressure.

What size wetsuit?

You’ve decided to buy your own wetsuit, but don’t know what size to get. Your wetsuit should fit like a glove — not too tight, nor too loose. It is normal to feel a bit uncomfortable in your wetsuit while you’re on the surface. It is, after all, a rubber suit designed to fit snugly and keep you warm. If, however, you feel too much constriction of movement or any difficulty in breathing, try a bigger size.

On the other hand, if your suit is too big and has air pockets in some places, water will circulate through. This will cool you down very quickly, making your wetsuit nearly useless.

The post Five Things Every New Diver Should Know appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

from Scuba Diver Life https://ift.tt/2MYezks

[junker-town]

The NFL can't afford a weak response to Donald Trump

But, if recent history is any indication, they will probably drop the ball.

I probably should have left after their 1-15 season. If not then, one year of Jeff Fisher should’ve been enough to give me permission to leave Rams fandom behind for good. A football team is a hard thing to walk away from — a person’s identity is wrapped up in fandom. You’re part of a group of people coming together to celebrate, or commiserate in this case, and you’ve been conditioned into over years.

That’s a hard thing to leave behind. It finally took years of deceit from the team’s owner, relocation and that special brand of 7-9 bullshit (and the hubris that went with it) before I finally decided that enough was enough.

And that was just me swearing off the Rams. It’s another thing entirely to swear off the entire NFL.

With a few lines of coded racism and a string of angry tweets, the President of the United States got the bulk of the 37 percent or so of voters who still support him to do just that — to walk away from the NFL. A man who said he wanted to bring the country together has made professional football, America’s most popular sport, one of the most divisive brands in the country.

According to a new report, only four media companies -- and Trump Hotels — are more polarizing than the NFL.

The report, done by the New York Times and polling from Morning Consult, revealed that well over 60 percent of people who voted for Trump now have an unfavorable view of the NFL. That’s up from just over 20 percent of them at the end of September.

Trump blew his golden dog whistle and sent people stampeding away from football.

And it didn’t matter how the NFL bent over backwards to try and play both sides in this whole thing. Trump found a target, and it didn’t matter to his supporters if the NFL stood or kneeled or kneeled then stood or anything at all. They wanted blood.

Look at how clumsy this whole thing has been from the league. Whenever controversy finds the NFL, or when the NFL makes one for itself, chaos ensues. The league puts a finger into the air to gauge public sentiment and blindly fumbles around for the right response.

The league has had one concern from the moment Colin Kaepernick’s protest of police brutality and inequality started: the overall impact on its bottom line. When the president made the NFL a new front in the divisive politics of the culture war, it sent team owners into a panic.

You saw that in the “unity” displays the Sunday after Trump’s “son of a bitch” comment. ESPN’s story about the owner committee meetings and then again with players the week after that painted the picture of a league that didn’t know what to do in the wake of Trump’s attack.

And then you have the situation in Dallas. Jerry Jones and the Cowboys made a big deal out of their “unity” display during a Monday night game against the Cardinals, with Jones staring right at the camera as the team kneeled BEFORE the national anthem. They got booed anyway. This week, Jones, who spoke with Trump after that, made his comment threatening players who “disrespect the flag.”

Earlier this week, news leaked that the NFL would consider a rule that required players to stand for the national anthem. When that news was met with an approving tweet from a president desperate for a win, the league pushed back, suggesting that such a rule change might not be in the offing after all. The league just wanted to have a “discussion” of the issues at its owners meeting next week.

Whatever the league outwardly says it plans to do, all signs right now point to NFL owners eventually deciding to make players stand, opening up big problems on the legal front, creating a situation that the NFLPA will not let go unchallenged. That will draw out the issue even further, giving the MAGA crowd a limitless supply of ammunition to fight on this front of its culture war.

Along with that, the NFL sounds like it’s going to offer some kind of compromise, some tacit acknowledgement of the social issues — league owners and Roger Goodell noticeably don’t directly refer to police brutality or racial inequality — either with a window of time and/or a financial commitment to various causes.

Even the attempt to smother the issue with a weak compromise that like will still leave the right inflamed when players are still talking about racism and injustice.

You can be sure that the data revealed by the New York Times hasn’t gone unnoticed in the league office. The NFL obsesses over any threat, real or perceived, to its bottom line.

Hopefully, they read it all the way through. The data reveals that a rapid change in customer approval like the one the NFL is experiencing can be fleeting.

Remember when United Airlines violently dragged the guy off one of its planes because they needed the seat for a United employee? Almost everyone, whatever their party affiliation, had a negative view of the company after that. Six months later, United’s approval rating is just about what it was before the incident.

It takes years of conditioning to completely quit on a brand. And as the Rams have proven, it’s even harder to just suddenly stop being a fan.

All the NFL has to do here is not overreach. Don’t screw up by making a panicked move under toothless presidential pressure that will end up pissing even more people off and giving fans more reason to disapprove of the product.

Unfortunately, screwing up in the face of major controversies is very on brand for the NFL.

[tomasleexyz]

No Online/Offline Boundary

If you're in retail business or often read the retail business news, you must notice about a term called "O2O," especially in China, refers to either "Offline-to-Online" or "Online-to-Offline" business model. There has been a debate heating up about online business wl gradually conquer the entire retail market.

In US, the eCommerce business is about 10% of $4.78 Trillions total retail market, increased fr 7% in last year; Amazon (AMZN), as everyone's expected, dominates the entire online channel segment. And on the opposite side of the Pacific Ocean, $1.56 Trillions China's online retail sales grew to a third of its total retail market in 2015. Bc of the rapid significant growth in %, everyone in conventional retail is panicking. Many media and analysts predicted Brick-n-Mortar and Malls wl die. In fact, the 'Big Boy' retailers, like Sears, Macy's, JC Penny, Targets, Best Buy, Walmart & more, are all facing struggles (Read their latest earning statements & you'll figure out why they're all profoundly worrying); Some are even hanging at the edge of bankruptcy. But where's their problem? Some conventional retailers have been the core of US economy in the 30's & 40's until the late 90's when internet booms. Is it really a technology invasion caused a shift of consumer shopping behavior? Or something else? I believe it's the latter, and here's why.

First of all, the total retail market's growing, so we have to look into why the consumers shop less physically, but more online consequently.

Is it bc of limited selection and availability? Nope, this restraint only applies in certain type of goods, and doesnt valid if your products are scarce and exclusive. Besides the well-known term “Showrooming,” there is actually a reverse behavior called “Webrooming.” For example, big screen TV sold much, much more volume in Costco and BBY than the entire online channel (AMZN tried to crack into this problem). Consumers wl go studying all product specifications and comparing price online, then make purchase offline bc of worrying about freight damage and ease of RMA. They would rarely buy online even if today’s Samsung 55” 4K UHD costs $100 less online with ‘Free Door-to-Door Shipping’ offer. It’s just the consumer’s dilemma/confidence matter (Many online merchants and media tried to reverse that, but wasnt much succeeded).

Is it bc of price incentive? Nope, just explained. Plus, shopping online is not necessary cheaper, depending on the economy of scale the retailers we compare in here. Moreover, freight logistic cost (Labor, cost of maintenance & fuel) is progressively increasing thru time trajectory; AMZN is trying to 'w00t' everyone signs up their “Prime”, not only bc of increasing customer loyalty, # of purchase frequency, total revenue per customer & so forth, but to also fundamentally offload the baseline cost of logistic (Not gonna explain the detail math, maybe another time; Pls simply acknowledge the 2-days shipping costs AMZN less than a single package ground-shipped by consumer). Also, guess what? AMZN doesnt offer the best price in town according to many retail researches.

Is it then due to convenience and time saving? Yes, but not 100% relevant to the Cost of Productivity/Opportunity Cost/Product Lifetime Value. Each customer segment apparently has its own distinguishable psychological profile. Let's just say the Soccer Moms (Not saying their time is not important), would they rather go for shopping enjoyment or stay home waiting just for a 'brown-carton-box' delivery, under the circumstance all associated costs (Price, gas & mileage) in shopping online & offline are equivalent? Most would choose the former. In contrast, most married men wl likely make an inverse decision (Shopping is not in men's nature; Also, the reason why @MiserableMen got so popular on IG). Hope that answered you.

Of course, we can continue going on-n'-on to evaluate, review and debate in many more different aspects. But while wandering our answer, shall we first ask why the Homo Sapiens is shopping at the first place? In consumer psychology prospective, "The motivation for almost everything we buy has something to do with connecting with other human beings." You may argue online retailers do provide social marketing activities to form community bonding stronger ‘relationship’ with customers, dont they? Yes, but different from physical engagement. As a social species, we like to observe, talk, smell, touch and feel objects, and importantly gain recognition from another. Why is Apparel being such a big category? Bc we wanna be more appeal to others (Identity Crisis); otherwise, we can all wear a simple, plain white t-shirt at all time (In a fact, that's my signature dress style for a couple years in the past. Friends & collegues would come and ask if I washed my clothes. Haha… And look what FB’s Mark Zuckerberg wears on everyday now); therefore, technology delivers immersive experience, like VR, could be a real threat to all offline businesses. Alrighty, let’s get back to my topic “No Online/Offline Boundary.”  

Now, the question is whether today’s ‘Brick n' Mortar’ provide any incremental value to consumers? Yes, but not thoroughly. Like the famous A&F stores (Set aside its controversy), once every youngster loved, every merchandise, every interaction and every touch inside the retail store’s set systematically - very ‘robotic’. In each time walked by their stores’ window, you see the exact same set of seasonal clothing displayed; You’re then welcomed by their 'cloned' associates trained with a big sunny smile; You’ll always find the women session’s on the left, men’s on the right, and the sales session’s at the bottom-end of their stores (This precise 'uniform' floor plan was hyper-sensitively designed, not the work of laziness); You can ‘conveniently’ locate the exact style of clothing with different size and color at the same area in every store; Last but not least, you’ll be lining up in front of the POS counter before checkout. What an exhilarating shopping experience, isn't it?!

In contrary, let’s look at the “Think Different” Apple Store, whom turns 15yrs old & already earns $5,546/ sq. ft on the top of all retailers (Unfortunate AAPL decided not to disclose its stores performance from 2016 on), similar storefront can be found, but never identical. Every store may have familiar placement, but does keep its distinctive window displays and interior design. Not only your loved products can be checkout and pickup right away from any associate with POS machine, and your receipt/activity record wl be emailed and detail-documented in your Apple ID account (No paper waste). In additional, every online order you place can be picked up in any store at your convenience time during their hours. If needed a repair or product problem, you can either schedule online for an appointment or simply walk-in and drop-by the bar. An estimated repairing time’s given, and an txt message or email wl notify you when ready, so no valuable time's wasted. Beside that, new Apple application skills can be learnt for FREE or any in-store event can be participated by easily signing up on Apple.com. Moreover, their 'non-cookie cutting' associates (Their appearance never looks alike, even though wearing the same Apple t-shirt uniform) are very sociable, and they wont feel annoying if you have endless questions. Presently, they take one step further in their latest SF Union Square and NY WTC stores; Both stores turned into recreation park. Haha… Very spacey and lots of trees inside. There are even stools available for utilizing the way you like (I see people stack them up as table) or resting in front of their crystal-clear, gigantic display to watch their demos or just people-watching all day long. Furthermore, to enchant your visit, there’s a beautiful garden for you to enjoy the wonderful sunshine (I dont think you can do picnic yet). You'll also find the design language of their ‘Store’ pulled in sync with their web site. It’s a successful role model for every retailer to follow.

How about AMZN? Do you feel engaged with their brand? I know I dont (Wasnt bc I worked at their rival, EGG, in before. LOL). They’re literally a cold-hearted marketplace for trading products only. Once you find what the product you need, you leave. Dislike a product, write a nasty review and the seller wl compensate you or contact AMZN for a refund, and pretty much about it (Very soon 'Alexa' wl call you for satisfaction survey). Shoppers have no sense of emotion attachment with this brand. And that’s why AMZN, the ‘800lbs Gorilla’, once single-handedly wiped out the entire bookstore industry (Still remember the Borders and Barnes & Noble stories, anyone?), starts building the “Bookstore” again. First experimented the campus stores at the Purdue University and UC Davis, now in Seattle, San Diego and Portland, and more to come soon. In stores, they thoughtfully use the AI algorithms to place selective best selling books in the limited retail space, and display their latest electronic gadgets like the Kindle, Fire Series, and Echo withal. Most importantly, the stores provide the “Order online, Pick up here” service (AMZN Locker) to connect the dots between its online and offline business. But why, if the ‘Retail Stores is Going to Die”? Online business would never survive without offline presence, so does the other way around (Read the KPCB Internet Trends Report 2016 below to understand more).

You see where I’ve been guiding you to? If still not following, how about a last example in shopping 3D technology products online? Please try visualizing the three-dimensional effect of video content (Or now VR) on the flat 2D monitor screen you’re staring at now. It’s just not possible, and that’s why the 3D TV category failed online miserably. Consumers just cant relate to the stunting visual experience and see the value of that technology. (3D TV failure in mass adoption's mainly caused by its immature technology). As you may see, online retailers, as well, have its own limitation and boundary. On the other hand, the arisen of VR technology wl write a new chapter in retail history if intelligently submerged into shopping experience (Again, another topic yet another time). Then, the landscape of online vs offline business may change.

In a conclusion, why today’s offline retailers failed is the lack of presence customer experience, but not by the influence of online business. Brick-n-Mortar can competently fix this problem and captivate better shopping experience by integrating the concurrent technologies, such as Beacon, Chatbot, AI and Machine Learning. The problem I see yonder in those offline-retail corporate giants is the poor resource allocation planning, deficient technology-integrated infrastructure and bureaucracy.

Highly satisfied Customer Experience (CX) is the key to open the door of success to all businesses.

Hope this post gives you a different viewpoint about retail business. I would also like to hear your opinions below. Thanks for reading.

Ref. 

1.The Case for the American Mall

2. http://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/here-comes-the-modern-chinese-consumer

3. http://www.slideshare.net/kleinerperkins/2016-internet-trends-report