#it's a hecking tool as any other tool at your disposal

[visixv]

A small reminder that you don’t have to put a disclaimer or say where you got refs for whatever drawing or artpiece you’ve done.

Don’t play by the rules set by a nobody who thought they were in the right when they were not.

You don’t owe anything to anybody.

[writingforatwistedworld]

Phantom bride event-Player is their last option Pt.5

Characters: Epel Felmier, Ace Trappola, Riddle Rosehearts

Self-aware au

I do not take any responsibility for you reading this no matter which age group you are from!

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, violence, murder, killing, blood, death, possessiveness, imprisonment, kidnapping, obsession

Oh dear.... oh boy....

Ok, you enter, make him think he ascended to haven because he can see you in such clothing and then crashes like a caffeine addict after they don't get enough of their stuff after realizing that... well... you are more or less a sacrifice

So, Epel is panicking, you are proposing, the world ends in his eyes

All these hours upon hours upon hours of praying just to see his God die is something he had hoped to never witness

But, oh happy day, here we are

If you were just here proposing then he would just have the urge to... uh poison and put you into a glass coffin

But congrats! He is way too scared for your safety to do that

One good thing at least....

Epel is devastated

Even if he could move he would still be absolutely useless!

A small, weak guy like himself could never change anything about the situation

And look at the competition! She is literally royalty!

But, oh well, even royalty can be disposed off

The poisoned apple is a powerfull tool after all

Do not understimate him

Once he is free again he will find a way to harm her and keep you to himself. Only him. Him. Him alone. Did I mention he will find a way to bind you to him?

Oh uh…. how about we call a doctor?

My man over here looks everything else but good

Why? Can't you see the color of his face??!

All I can say that he plans to show Crowley his opinion on sending you as the last DEFENSELESS person

He painted the roses red, And many tears the crow shed, He dare not to stop, Or spare a drop, …. (Cheesus!!! What the heck did I create here??!)

But *ahem* bloodlust aside, he is terrefied

What if you get hurt?

Or even worse, you might even mean those words!!!

And he is also at fault for your situation!!!

If only he had tried harder! If only he didn’t try to act all above and better than her...

And also, for some reason he feels like he is failing you

Not only as a friend

But also if he was someone responsible for your safety

Then again, he was raised with the believe that you are the true ruler, the hidden monarch, of the Queendom of roses

So in other words, you got a friend who will end anbody if you wish so

Oh and also, he will lock you up for your own safety. Just some unimportant information here.... RUN!

I have never seen him so pale

No joke, all the blood which rushes up to his head when he is angry (QUESTION MARK) Gone.

My man has gone pale

Red Queen? More like white Queen!

*sigh* When will I ever get in my head that the live-action… ok, moving on

But then again you could die

So his worries are somewhat understandable

If only he wouldn’t feel so guilty….

He made a promise to Draconia, to save his dorm member and failed

Now you had to pay the price for his pathetic attempt at saving Lilia

Fire is a bit useless if your opponents are ghosts….

Oh and his dreams could die just now

Riddle knew that loving the hidden monarch was a bit much even for Queendom of Roses standarts but it is what it is

The Queen likes the crow red, If he saw black instead, He’d raise a fuss, And the crow under us, Would quickly loose his head…. God, I need to stop…

Safe to say that Crowley is in danger like never before….

And maybe uh... leave the place before he forces you upon that throne back home because then that was your last free second

[casinotipshehe]

Responsible Gambling: Enjoying the Casino Experience Mindfully

Ever had that exhilarating rush when hitting the jackpot on your favorite slot? Or perhaps the sheer anticipation while waiting for the roulette ball to land? I get it, trust me. Last weekend, I was deep diving into the mesmerizing world of Pokiemate casino. And while there's an undeniable thrill to the spin, click, and roll of the dice, it's essential to remember the golden mantra: Always play responsibly.

Why Play Mindfully? It's Not Just About the Money

Sure, you might be thinking it's just a few spins. What's the harm? But have you ever found yourself mindlessly hitting that "bet" button, chasing losses, or, dare I say, betting more than you planned? Responsible gambling isn't just about how much you spend; it's about how you spend your time. It's the difference between a fun evening and the start of a potentially dangerous path.

Tips to Keep Your Game in Check

Set a Budget & Stick to It Decide on an amount you're okay parting with – and no, "all my savings" is not a good number.

Time Out! Literally Allocate a fixed amount of time for gambling and set an alarm. When it rings, game over (until next time)!

The Buddy System Gambling with friends? Great! They can help ensure you don't go overboard. And heck, they might save you from that "just one more spin" trap.

Stay Sober Tipsy decisions might be funny at karaoke but not when betting your hard-earned cash.

Recognize the Signs

Remember Uncle Ben's iconic line from Spiderman? "With great power comes great responsibility." Well, with great fun at the casino, comes the great responsibility to recognize when it's turning into a problem. Some red flags:

Spending more than your set budget

Losing track of time frequently

Feeling restless or irritated when not gambling

Trying to chase losses or double winnings obsessively

If you or someone you know is showcasing these signs, it's crucial to seek help. And remember, there's no shame in reaching out.

Tools at Your Disposal

Most reputable online casinos, like Pokiemate casino, offer tools to promote responsible gambling. Features like deposit limits, time-outs, and self-exclusion can be game-changers (pun intended). Familiarize yourself with these tools and don't hesitate to use them!

Remember the Essence

At the end of the day, gambling is meant to be an enjoyable leisure activity – not a source of stress or financial woes. It's like indulging in your favorite ice cream. You know you shouldn't finish the entire tub (even though you really, really want to), but a scoop or two? Pure bliss.

The next time you find yourself at Pokiemate casino or any other gambling platform, remember to play mindfully. After all, the real joy of the game isn't just in winning; it's in the experience. So, here's to making every spin, every bet, and every moment count – responsibly! 🎰🍀💡

[superspunarticle]

3 Key Elements to Effectively Target Gen Z with Social Media Advertisting

Some advice about Video & Content Marketing.

Let’s cut straight to it. How the heck do we reach Gen-Z through social media advertising? It’s already halfway through 2022 and approaching this generation seems like the most daunting task. 

Gen-Z knows the ins and outs of the latest trends, are hyper-focused on digital, and undeniably has the shortest attention span of any other generation. With the rise in popularity of short-form video in TikTok and IG Reels – and we hate to say it too but, AUTHENTICITY, it’s not surprising that some brands are becoming obsessed with Gen-Z as they live in this space more than anyone else. 

If this isn’t surprising enough, taking time to understand what makes this generation click is a must if marketers want to take advantage of their massive spending power. Young, tech savvy, and socially-invested, Gen Z is by far the most racially and ethnically diverse generation ever with a spending power of over $140 billion and $360 billion in disposable income.

So although implementing them into your strategy may seem difficult, let’s dive into a few tips to help target Gen Z with social media advertising. 

Make Gen-Z Feel Included

This means ditching traditional advertising. We’re not saying it doesn’t work, but it’s probably not the best approach for Gen-Z. 

Gen-Z’ers do not like to feel marketed to. There’s a difference between us as brands selecting them to market to versus them feeling that way. They want to feel a part of something bigger than what you’re selling. What is it about your brand that can resonate with them? What values does your brand advocate and have passion for that you can use to create a niche? 

This generation is known for their proactiveness within their digital communities. So we strongly suggest that you find a way to hone in on a specific “community” in Gen-Z that resonates with your brand and start there. Whether it’s a passion for mental health, gaming, or avocado toast, there’s an unlimited number of sectors you can choose from. 

If your brand wants to take it a step further, rely on the help of micro-influencers since they specialize in niches. People speak to people better than words on an ad do. If you want to reach Gen-Z, there’s nothing more beneficial than utilizing a human being that they can connect with. 

Gen-Z just wants to be understood, not defined. Click To Tweet

Grab Their Attention, FAST

With an attention span of just 8 seconds, the content you are spewing out in your campaigns needs to work just as quickly as they lose interest. It’s no surprise that short-form video content has become the number one tool that nearly all social media platforms have implemented and prioritized. 

Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have revolutionized the world of short-form video content. In fact, by 2023, the amount of Gen-Z users in the U.S. on TikTok is expected to be around 43 million, with Instagram coming in close after at 41 million.

If you are working on utilizing short-form video content, here are three key things to keep in mind:

Whatever it is that you’re trying to sell, focus on the benefits and the experience they will get out of it. You do not need to spend half of your video explaining to Gen-Z who your brand is. They will likely do research on your brand on their own if they are interested in your product. Remember, for Gen-Z, its experience > product. 

Utilizing humor, trending audios, and influencers are great ways to add more depth and life to your short-form videos. Think of it as a conversation with your teenage kids. If you can’t picture them listening to you without getting bored, then you want to change up your approach. 

Do not make the mistake of trying to sell everything all at once. This is a huge perk of utilizing short-form videos because you can have each small aspect of what you’re selling shine on its own. Think of it this way: take each benefit that your brand or product has and use every short-form video you make act as a teaser or trailer for it.  

Optimize Mobile Experiences for Gen Z

With 98% of Gen-Z owning a smartphone, it’s imperative that your campaigns are mobile-friendly. Most of them grew up surrounded by the evolution of our mobile devices, making it one of the most effective ways to reach them through online advertising.

Here are important things to consider: 

Gen-Z loves to utilize GIFs and emojis as a way to communicate. It can easily be used as a way to speak to them without using any words at all. 

Make your content interactive

It’s important that your campaign is sharable so that they can show their peers. This feeds their desire to interact with brands that they love or have interest in. 

Remember online user experience

They love having quick access to almost everything online, which means they have high expectations for anything digital. Your campaign, website, or ad should be clear and responsive to live up to those expectations. 

How to Get it Right When Advertising to Gen-Z

With a massive purchasing power that’s only going to grow as Gen-Z matures in the workplace, don’t neglect them. No matter what industry your brand falls under, whether it be food & beverage, healthcare, or technology, there’s no doubt that a large group of Gen-Z’ers already have an existing passion and interest in it.

Gen-Z just wants to be understood, not defined. Once you recognize that difference, it’ll take your social media advertising initiatives to the next level. 

The above article “3 Key Elements to Effectively Target Gen Z with Social Media Advertisting” was first published here.

I hope that you found the article above of help and/or of interest. Similar content can be found on our main site: superspunarticle.com/blog Please let me have your feedback in the comments section below. Let us know what subjects we should cover for you in the future.

[avelera]

your thoughts on comedy being a humanizing factor for non-comedic characters were perfectly on the nose! do you have any tips on how best to do this? sorry to bother, I just think it's very interesting!

So one of the fundamental differences between comedy and drama is that comedy thrives when a character does not have the required tools in order to smoothly succeed at what they want to do. These tools can include social skills.

In a drama, when the lovers are reunited after many trials and stare deeply into each other's eyes, there's an assumption that a lot of invisible tools are at their disposal: like that they smell nice, and look pretty, and know what to do to sweep the other person off their feet and are, in fact, such a good kisser that they don't need to worry about whether or not they're a good kisser.

In a comedy, your character is allowed to not have all those tools. That is also closer to real life. So my breakdown for how to make sure your dramatic character is closer to realism is to use comedy tools to bring them closer to the "normal person" baseline, which means examining the tools you may have unconsciously given to navigate the plot with and asking "What if they didn't have this tool?" Or:

1) In a given scene, ask what you would do, honestly, if you were in the character's shoes.

2) Think about what tools the character has that you don't that would make them act differently than you would (with an eye for making their response more interesting than a normal person's would be, funnier or cooler or tougher, etc).

3) See if you can take any of those tools away to make them more realistic or to add more entertaining obstacles, and if so, how would their response change?

4) Write out what your character is thinking now that they don't have those tools, in their voice.

Now for an example: The hero is going to meet the king. In draft 1, he sweeps into the room, bows, and proudly announces that he has slain the dragon the king wanted dead. The king is impressed, the plot moves forward.

Step 1: What would you do? Probably be a bit nervous, if you were meeting the king for the first time. You might ask a guard if you have anything in your teeth or on your shirt. Double-check the proper way to address a king (or not, if you're anti-monarchy which is already a more complex and interesting baseline for the scene). Worry about how long you're supposed to talk. Maybe get annoyed if the line is long and you're standing around waiting and now your feet hurt. If you have an injury or any chronic pain (already a more complex/realistic situation) you might start getting irritable as time drags on. Perhaps you'd get more irritated if the king isn't all that interested in what you have to say, or dismisses you immediately after the introduction, even after you waited for hours because the dragon was just one of his many problems, or he has a party he wants to go to after this. Even if you are the hero he's been waiting to meet, and you do get his undivided attention, you can ask yourself if you would be all that impressed by this king or think he's shorter than you expected, or wonder why the heck he's in charge if you just killed a dragon and maybe unless he's a warrior king with a lot of accomplishments, you're not terribly impressed by a hereditary monarch who just sits around all day.

All the above ramblings are going on the assumption of absent tools. You lack social graces, or bodily comfort, or knowledge of protocol, or patience. These are normal tools not to have. Maybe your character doesn't have them too.

Step 2: Adjust for your character, with an eye for making sure their response is more interesting than the average person. Maybe your character isn't worried about how to address the king because the king is his uncle. He knows all the protocols, he just chooses to ignore them, waltzes in and says, "Hey Uncle William, I killed that dragon for you, pay up." That adds the tool of knowledge or familiarity.

Step 3: Take some tools away. Your hero may be a skilled dragon slayer and be the nephew of the king, but he may still lack the tool of total mastery of the room. There might be people who are mad at him for being so casual, or for showing up unannounced, rather than charmed. We like characters who fail, in general, more than we like characters who effortlessly accomplish everything they set out to do and then some.

Paradoxically, we prefer characters who are competent in a skill set, not just bumbling incompetents who fail at everything. Where's the line there? I have no idea, it's a balancing act, but a character with no skills is much more frustrating to watch than a character with a few highly trained skills who nevertheless fails in situations where a normal person would also fail, and who knows they failed. See: the highly competent dragon slayer, nephew of the king, who tries to be cool and debonair when announcing his victory, only to piss off the whole room by showing up unannounced and realizing he fucked up in what should have been a moment of triumph. He still gets his reward but socially, he's now in the doghouse, which mitigates his victory and is already a more interesting, complex story.

Step 4: Write out the character's inner monologue in their voice for your own reference. Maybe it's just a few lines of "Hey, why did everyone go quiet, I thought there'd be cheering... oh shit." Maybe it makes it into the body of the story. Maybe it just helps you. But already, I hope, this is a useful example for how to bring an otherwise boring scene of a successful hero being successful at a cliche thing and makes it into a more complex one that shows us what the character is made of through his failures in a way that makes the story more fun and interesting.

[wisteria-lodge]

slightly burnt badger primary + bird secondary

I suppose my main question would be if I really have Bird in the Primary or Secondary or I just model them because I find Ravenclaw a cool house that I'd like to be in if Hogwarts was a thing. I have taken the tests, multiple times, multiple tests, and I usually get Ravenclaw. But I would be lying if I didn't say I'm not rigging them after figuring out Ravenclaw answers if I don't get Ravenclaw. I mean naturally Ravenclaw has got to be somewhere, either in a house or a model since I like it so much but the fact that I like it so much makes me distrustful of the results.

Bird is not Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw is like, Dark Academia aesthetic and drinking tea in front of rainy windows. 

Rigging house sorting quizzes usually means you’re... not a Badger or a Lion, the two secondaries most focused on personal authenticity. 

You can like a house and not have it. Maybe you model it, maybe you just like it. Both things are fine. :D

I'm warm, generally non-judgemental, understanding, generally fair if possible.  

... that’s just people stuff. Especially with all those wiggle words!

I strive to help whoever I can, if I can, in any way I can. 

Okay, that could be Badger primary, or Paragon Lion.

I am open, honest and expressive with my feelings. 

That’s also such people stuff. Everyone can be emotional, and I’d say most of the sortings do value honesty... the difference is they value honesty in different contexts, and for different reasons.

In a loyalist people sense, it is hard for me to tell if I prefer everyone or just a select few people. Most often, I don't care much about knowing the person to help them; if I can I just do. I don't often ask myself why, it comes for me pretty easily, but if I were to answer it, I would say simply because the world is a better place when we help each other. And kindness is so beautiful. At the same time, I know I would jump in more readily for my friends than a stranger.

But my guess is that you would feel a guilty about not helping the stranger, if they needed you more. This is a Badger primary answer.

(and at the same time, I struggle with the paranoia at the back of my head that even my closest friends could turn on me and betray me in some way, but I often ignore that).

Hmm. Is this a tiny bit of Burnt Badger that I see. You want to trust the community, but don’t 100% believe you can? 

I try to find multiple philosophies to guide me through life, but I often return to people in some form of another. (People are so beautiful and ugly and so worth it and undeserving but deserving ❤️ contradiction I know. But we wouldn't have many things without people. I mean we'd still have physics, chemistry and nature.)

‘People are important because they’re people.’ Classic Badger primary.

I am sorry, I am rambling so badly. If you've gotten to this point and didn't delete this yet thank you for your patience ☺️

Apologies = burnt secondary???  Or heck, sometimes that ‘Am I being a bother’ thing is a Burnt Badger primary thing.

Considering my Secondary.....it is hard. I am torn between Bird, Badger and Snake. I definitely like the Bird Secondary ideal, and my go to when I don't understand something is to either Google it (which I suppose would be Bird) or ask someone (Badger). 

Okay, so a Built secondary. Very good. 

But often in a crisis I end up thinking on the spot. Don't all people do it? It's more like "ok this didn't work, what could work? Would this work? Do I have the tools I need at disposal for this to work, can I use them or procure them or what can I do with the tools that I've got?" (Which from my understanding it would be Snake? Please correct me if I'm wrong).

What you are describing is Bird. Birds think in terms of tools. A snake would be more likely to think... am I even in the right environment right now?

I think that would be it. I don't know if this is sufficient data to extrapolate the necessary conclusions, but if you're not bored by it, I could try to be more concise. What would be your thoughts? Thank you for your time! ❤️

Honestly, this one was quite short. And from the information I have, I would say you sound like a Badger Bird. (or a Huffleclaw, in the old terminology) 

[soyouareandrewdobson]

…the ugly. SYAC: The Master Review 4

Last post I covered much of what I consider the good or passable strips of SYAC of the pre-Dobbear era. What I have admittedly not covered yet, were three certain characters of the strip that exist beside Dobson.

Persistent Pam

 Curmudgeonly Carl

And… this guy I am not even sure has a name.

No, seriously. He shows up in like the 61th strip of the series for the first time and yet I never see his name mentioned once

All I know is that he is an accountant, who pities Dobson (for good reason)

And despite Dobson not liking alcohol, they regularly meet up in a bar as if they are some late 80s comedy duo

Funnily enough, he shows up way before Pam, who would have her premiere in these strips

 And despite only showing up in a few strips after her premiere (mostly to make “fun” of overbearing and snarky commissioners I suppose…)

 She actually managed something no other character or series by Dobson managed to get: A fanclub

 Not that she would really be of any major importance afterwards.

As for Carl, he is supposed to be something like an antagonistic embodiment of Dobson’s “old” art teachers and people being stuck in old ways, who shows up for the following strips forming a sort of arc.

In addition, it is very obvious, that Carl is supposed to be a mockery of people flaming Dobson. Not helped by the fact that THIS character sheet of him made by Dobson assures us, that there were quite a few even less “endorsing” things he wanted to name the character.

Yet funnily enough, Carl turned into such a popular character with readers, Dobson was essentially “forced” to make him reappear in other strips. Not of the “classical” SYAC strips, but he showed up as the “antagonist” to Tenku in the storydriven multi pagers. Though even antagonist is a strong word, as he is essentially more of a jerkish art teacher and college advisor who is harsh on Tenku, but actually has his best interests in mind. To the point he even offers him to be his “harsher” art critic in the years till he enters college, because he wants to see him grow artistically.

 However, Carl was also more of an “accident”. Cause when it came otherwise to tackling criticism or things that irked Dobson (and were not anime related) he would end up more or less creating strips that painted him in a manner where he would supposedly always look like “the better” compared to his opposition or mock it. Which is where a lot of the irk Dobson would earn over the years eventually comes from.

Now to be fair, I do not want to call every comic in that regard “strawmanning”, nor do I want to say that Dobson doesn’t have the right to also mock to a certain extend the mentality of certain “snobs” and so on. For example…

On one hand, I know there are people out there who think they are “special” by having the best tools at their disposal. When in reality you can achieve good results also with less expensive stuff. So mocking that sort of attitude is fine to me to some extend

BUT, when you also make down the line a comic like this…

… essentially making yourself come off as a “better” artist or person than others because you have “chosen” the better mass produced crap (btw, that is coming from someone who types this review on a Mac that runs Windows) , then the hypocrisy ends up to be rather strong with you.

 Which is also essentially the biggest issue with the strips I am about to show. The hypocrisy of Andrew Dobson. And no, I do not mean the tumblr blog by that. I mean the simple fact, that the content of some of the soon to follow strips gets kinda muddled when you take into consideration some of the things real life Dobson had said and done either at the time or in the years to come. Well that and the way how he tries to mock issues people have with his work, not realizing how he is essentially just reassuring those “silly critics” in their opinions while making his flaws more obvious to people that may have been previously unaware of them.

But enough talk, let me just show you in quick succession examples to confirm said point.

Considering Dobson’s longterm disdain for DnD you have to wonder what the joke really is outside of him portraying DnD players as ugly nerds, supposedly too geeky even for him. Which is hilarious in hindsight as he would years later become a fan of TAZ among other things.

Less hypocritical but the set up is kinda flawed. Like, you are obviously at a convention trying to sell stuff. Why would some old dude not interested in “kids crap” be at the convention anyway? Is he just bringing someone there and just wants to go, but first needs time to belittle your life choices?

 Rather hilarious in hindsight to me. Cause for someone claiming he has ideas that last for a life time and who seems rather distraught on the idea of others giving their input, he turned out to be so in need of ideas. Alex ze Pirate e.g. became from 2015 onward only defined by Dobson talking about the sexualities of his characters (and not even in comic as by that point it was discontinued, but rather in tweets and so on). Formera, which ran heavily on cheap shonen anime tropes ended up cancelled after two volumes, Cabin Rest was a failure after 20 strips, 2019 he relied primarily on cheap comics about Miraculous Ladybug and his understanding of certain genres is so bad, he can’t even think up the most basic ideas for a magical girl story.

Weirdly enough, that pitch of a garbage truck driver who fights crime? I think that could make for an enjoyable short story about a vigilante a la the Punisher or Sin-City.

 The way Dobson perceives criticism, while also essentially giving a quick rundown how he appreciated criticism in his childhood way better than in adulthood. Yeah, because criticism by your parents as a kid was always VERY constructive. (looks back at certain drawings from own childhood) brrr. And sorry Dobson, but sometimes criticism by strangers is better than criticism from friends. Cause friends may mince their words. Plus people have over time given you quite some insightful criticism aside “U SUX” when it comes to comics. You were just never willing to listen

Hey Dobson, you hear that? That is the sound of your career, dying and no one caring.

Yeah, I think someone who made such “brilliant” comedy as in these comics, totally has the right not to listen to what seems to be solid theoretical advice.

BTW, that Talus comic… I swear to god the worst “joke” Dobson ever told.

 Wow. You essentially make a point why you suck at drawing. While still not trying to change.

And as someone else once said: Don’t play with fire if you can’t deal with the heat, BLOCK-son!

This is not how I perceived your shit over the years. See, on one hand it is true that Alex ze Pirate e.g. has its own webpage to read the comic for free. HOWEVER most of his comics Dobson would hide from the start behind a paywall. The idea being that he would e.g. put a small reading sample of 10-15 pages up somewhere and then expect people to buy his comic for full price to get the rest. And you know, if you are e.g. a professionally published writer, that is fine. But when your average art output looks like THIS

And you expect people to pay more than 10 dollars for something that is only around 70 pages long while most people can get 200+ pages for the same amount of money that look like this…

 You can frankly go and screw yourself.

On one hand I get that the joke is meant to be, that as an independent content creator you may find yourself in a weird spot where your “child friendly” work may be put in a palace between edgier stuff other creators sell at conventions. On the other hand, I find it rather insulting in hindsight, that self declared feminist Andrew Dobson portrays such competition as either psychopathic murderers or stereotypical cartoon bimbos. If modern day Dobson saw the same strip by any other person, he would be insulted on behalf of the female that she is portrayed as a bimbo, when she could also be a very smart and attractive woman who knows how to tell brave and sexy stories.

Also, I have read your “child friendly” stuff, Dobson. I would call Atea or Alex abusive bitches who like to bully orphans but child friendly? Not to forget that your work is so basic and shallow in depth, it’s like the someone tried to create a chimera out of some of the worst traits associated with Dora the Explorer, 80s toodler cartoons and the Fairly Oddparents.

I frankly hate this theory on comedy. It is true, a lot of comedy can be deprived from conflict, misunderstandings etc. Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry and other cartoons as well as screwball comedies such as Rat Race can depend on it. Heck, one of my favorite comedians of all time is Christopher Titus, who based his entire career on the misery and absurdity of his life.

But comedy is not just defined by misery and conflict.

There are for example also the following theories when it comes to comedy…

And to get back e.g. to Titus, yes, he has build a lot of his comedy on the bad stuff that happened in his life. But he is also someone who in his comedy has build a lot of punchlines on the absurdity of certain situations he has been in life but which in a way have enriched his life positively.

 What I am trying to say is, comedy (and entertainment in that regard) does not just have to be defined by misery. And all things considered Dobson, you could have really tried to also just make comics wherein either you or your characters are just happy with their situation in life.

For example, this page from an Owl House fancomic?

I think it holds more entertainment value than your “joke” right here, despite not even telling a joke.

Simply because as a page overall, it tries to convey a positive emotion. Which is more than I can say about the strip.

Because of a lack of different level of thickness regarding your lines, which would trick people into perceiving depth, the fact that the fill bucket and shade layers can only do so much to cover for the rather monochromatic dull nature of your comic, the fact that your characters are not really all that complex and look rather simplicstic even compared to stuff from a comic like this…

And that is just coming from the top of my head as someone who never studied art. If any reader has something to add, I am willing to listen

And considering you could in later years never keep up to any release schedule, which among other things resulted in only three SYAC strips in total being released in 2016, I say go fuck yourself. Not to forget that even some of the worst newspaper comic strips out there tend to actually find a decent following and good jokes eventually, otherwise they would not manage to stay popular for years, if not even decades.

As someone who has worked internships a lot in life, I just want to say fuck you in all our names. Glad to see you having just as much respect for interns than any other scumbag on the planet. Probably even less respect, cause you know, in some places interns tend to get paid.

Also, there is supposedly an entire real world story going on about Dobson having worked at his former university at the time the comic came out and Chaz is based on a fellow intern.

Things are unfortunately rather vague in that regard and only hold up by demonstrative evidence such as the name of Chaz showing up in certain pages of the university and Dobson’s internship being mentioned somewhere.

Well, would you look at that: People have different opinions on your stuff.

There are ways to draw memes funny and then there are ways to fail at them

 You failed.

Funnily enough, that comic rings a lot truer to text than you expect. Considering how Dobson would often emulate certain aesthetics in his comics of shows that were rather passee by the time he published his stuff, plus how he will obsess over certain trends and games for years to come (like Skyrim or his Quiet Hate Boner) while also being unaware about current trends (how do you e.g. not have heard of My Hero Academia by 2018 at least once by accident?) Dobson has always been kinda late to the party. Missing the “zeitgeist” of nerd culture and as such never quite finding an audience.

Yeah, what Pam says. Not helped by the fact that yes, the floating eyebrows are real. Look at some earlier sketches or “professionally published” comics by his and you will see that each time characters get excited, their eyebrows will suddenly split into sets of three and float higher than Pennywise’s victims.

Ironically, that fits real life Dobson at the time and later on even more so than this comic version did. Sorry, but what am I supposed to call a person who has an hate boner on anime for years for superfluous reasons, made Danny and Spot a “gaming webcomic” deliberately to piss on non Nintendo fans and has admitted in some by now deleted youtube video, that he kept a list of usernames from an old forum just to remember even years later the people that were mean to him online?

 Fuck both of you. I do not expect the Sixtin Chapel in the background, but something to filll up the empty space behind you is at times needed.

The comic here is actually called politics. … ironic how things changed once a certain reality show host turned president.

Jesus Christ. I am not even that much of a Transformers fan (Prime fan for life however) but even I know that this is not supposed to be what you design the head of a Transformer like. Not even if they ever produce the Transformers equivalent of Teen Titans Go.

Too bad you still can’t stand the heat, otherwise you wouldn’t have completely disappeared last year.

When you know you are in a no win situation, and still manage to choose an even dumber option to escape. I really don’t get it. I just think the Portal reference makes the comic dated and Dobsn’s attempt at a smug face looks so stupid. Like his cheeks are falling in and his mouth is about ready to get raped by a garden hose or something.

Yeah, considering Dobson’s later constant need for safe spaces and to be in control of a situation and the narrative, which led to so many blocks over the years… if you know anything about Dobson, how this comic becomes harsher in hindsight is rather self explanatory. I just want to say one thing: There is a difference between genuine agoraphobia and just wanting to be by yourself. And I think Dobson just prefers the later on average. Which is okay, but humans still need to interact with other human beings in one form or another, even just for the sake of keeping their mental health stable. Why do you think are so many people getting depressed in times of covid lockdowns, despite many having all sorts of technical gimmicks at their disposal to at least keep boredom at bay?

And by putting himself into a bubble like that, I think Dobson has deprived himself of some of the most basic human interaction, which was likely a severe factor in his mental degeneration over the last years.

It is still a valid suggestion! Just draw some cartoon characters or a nice fantasy scenario on a mural and earn yourself some bucks. Just be sure they are not by Disney or the Mouse will tear down the school!

… Just google up the words Andrew Dobson and Samus Aran commission by ED and you will see how this comic just further shows how much Dobson seems to actually be proud of being an unproductive asshole.

 And by the way, I know that any form of artistic work takes time. Just writing these review posts takes a lot of time for me. But that doesn’t change the fact that people should post and create stuff in a timely fashion, especially when there are e.g. deadlines to hold up too. And by the way, Sloth’s don’t have fingers, they have claws!

And that is it.

Sorry if I missed anything folks, but I just saw how many pages in word this is already filling up, so I call quits for this part here right now. I think I made my point about how Dobson trying to badly deflect arguments people may make against his art and work ethics via jokes clear enough, while also showing some posts that are either harsher or hilarious in hindsight.

Next time we will however address one certain issue about our main character, that has been not directly addressed here. In the meantime, have a little fun video that shows hopefully how entertainment and a certain amount of comedy can be gained NOT via misery.

[greenleafpestcontrolservices]

Challenges with Commercial Food Audited Facilities and Food Inspection Pest Control Services

For 25+ years GreenLeaf Pest Control have serviced commercial audited facilities in Toronto, Kitchener and throughout the GTA.  Trust me when I say this: Kudos to the pest control professionals who dedicate countless hours protecting these facilities. As Protectors of Public Health, companies like Greenleaf Pest Control are indispensable!  We constantly pull our entire team off the road for training. It’s the vast knowledge on audit schemes, pest biology, microbiology, technology, pest control services, customer service, building construction and attention to details (that’s the hard one) that makes us great! As trained pest inspectors and as your pest management provider we must decipher the clues and stop pest issues before they happen….this is no easy task.  

What constitutes a commercial facility?

How do I define a commercial facility or client? Well, basically it’s everyone but residential. Recently while driving around Vaughan and Newmarket I looked around and jotted down the following spots in my handy notepad … a technician must have.

·              Food Service (Restaurants, Quick Serve Restaurants (QSRs), Bars, Institutional Kitchens, etc.)

·              Food and pharmaceutical processing and storage

·              Offices and Institutions

·              Schools and Daycares

·              Health Care Facilities

·              Industrial Plants

Food Facilities are unique, typically they follow GMP’s.

What are GMP’s or cGMP’s?

CGMP refers to the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations. The GMP requirements are ongoing measures designed to ensure an effective overall approach to product quality control and risk management. They do this by setting appropriate standards and practices for the manufacturing, packaging, labelling, and storing of goods. 

CGMPs provide systems that assure proper design, monitoring, and control of manufacturing processes and facilities. GMPs are a crucial link to avoiding adulteration and ensuring quality. The practices set a basic safety net of minimum facility sanitation practices to ensure goods are not indirectly contaminated. It also establishes a consistency that secures quality.

Adulteration = defined as intentionally or willingly degrading the quality of the food. Basically, the contamination of food.

Who can audit my facility?

I have provided a high-level list of the most common food safety and auditing bodies, both local and international. There are many more Toronto Facility Audits, but listed below are the most common.

Local Health Departments

Provincial and Federal Inspectors

American Institute of Baking (AIB)

BRC Global

FSSC 22000

NFC – Cook & Thurber

Primus GFS

SQF

Pro-Cert

CanadaGAP

Why hire a Pest Management Professional (PMP) for your facility?

In my opinion, it’s good to have these services provided by dedicated service technicians trained in pest management. We have the knowledge, insurance, the right equipment, and understand the rules and regulations. Our focus is ONLY pest management & pest prevention. Whereas maintenance staff are responsible for many job duties and not just pest management.

Many food plants use the services of various independent inspection services that provide a valuable and needed range of GMP and food safety audits to food-handling establishments of all types. Each auditing scheme has its own unique guidelines, a pest control company that specializes in commercial pest management will have the expertise to look after your facility.

Down to Business – What the heck are those black boxes around my facility?

One aspect of a proper pest prevention program is rodent control. Let’s start with a few basics on exterior rodent prevention – what should I expect for my facility?

Exterior rodent stations, or bait stations, are excellent tools to aid in both monitoring and controlling rodent pressure on the exterior of a facility. Rodenticide is the most associated monitoring and control tool used in exterior rodent stations.

There are some fantastic alternatives to rodent bait that can be used, depending on the facility’s specific regulatory needs, chemical use initiatives, like Organic Cert’s. As a trained pest control professional, it is vital to keep the food supply safe.

Rodenticides, when used correctly and on the exterior of the facility, provide a little risk to the interior food supply. Interior use of rodent bait is rarely a good option; the risk of contaminating the manufactured food is too great.

Rodents living outdoors around your building will eventually try to get inside, looking for warmth, food, water, and shelter. Warmth and basic needs to survive are located inside your facility! Exterior bait stations are an important tool as the first line of defence. Professional Exterior stations do exist. At GreenLeaf we install exteriors stations that look like hydro or cable boxes. Customers and employees usually don’t even know you have a rodent program at your facility.

GreenLeaf Pest Control only uses Tier #1 exterior bait stations that are designed to restrict access for children, pets, and wildlife. Our stations are secured and bolted to a block and locked with a proprietary key. The bait inside is also secured with a locking rod to ensure the bait does not come loose or get knocked out inadvertently. Every attempt is made to ensure safety and reduce risk and liability.

What does the technician inspect for when they perform the exterior rodent service visits?

First, the technician opens the station and scans the barcode. The electronic handheld device helps to record any feeding, pest activity and observations. This data is transparent to the client’s Q/A team.

The inside of the bait station should be reasonably clean. Plant material, droppings, dead rodents, debris from the bait needs to be swept and bagged for disposal.

If required, fresh new bait is threaded through the locking rod; it is important to secure the bait within the station.

It is critical that at every service the technician doesn’t just service the stations. After all, we/you are the pest detective. The GreenLeaf trained technician inspects for burrows along sidewalks, landscaping beds, ponds, etc. As well as look for other pest threats like wasps, ants, etc.

Document findings and discuss next steps with the client.

Liked what you read? Be sure to like, share, follow. Stay tuned for my next food safety blog. Our goal is for you to make an educated and informed decision when partnering with a Commercial Pest Management Company. Have any questions, give us a call at (416) 998-9473 or book a phone consultation.

About the Author:

Daniel Mackie, the Quality Assurance Director at Greenleaf Pest Control, is a Toronto, Kitchener / Waterloo, Vaughan and GTA pest control expert. Daniel is well-known as an industry go-to guy, an innovator of safe, effective pest control solutions, and is a regular guest on HGTV. Mackie, along with business partner Sandy Costa, were the first pest control professionals in Canada to use detection dogs and thermal remediation to eradicate bed bugs. In his free time, he is an avid gardener and beekeeper.

[animebw]

Binge-Watching: Haikyuu S2, Episodes 15-18

Today I discovered where this gif comes from, and all is right with the world.

Play Time’s Over

It’s officially back to the grindstone for Karasuno, as the spring prelims are well under way. And not a moment too soon either; as enjoyable as this middle stretch of the season has been, I’ll admit I was starting to get burned out on limp-wristed opponents who were obviously going to lose thanks to some major defect in their teamwork. Our boys deserve to go up against opponents that present them a serious challenge to overcome, and there have been far too few of those lately. Thankfully, now that we’re in the swing of things, the competition is just gonna keep heating up. Playtime’s officially over; it’s time to get serious.

And on the subject of playtime being over, it’s sort of funny that Karasuno’s last un-serious match was against an opponent who lost because they didn’t recognize that playtime was over. The boys of Johzenji make for a fascinating contrast to Karasuno, in that their ethos of play is almost completely opposite. Whereas Karasuno has learned to adjust and adapt to whatever situation they find themselves in, using a wide variety of tools at their disposal, Johzenji is completely scatterbrained, with no concentration but tons of passion for the game regardless. And Johzenji might lose by a wide margin, but they both still have something to take away from each other. As Ukai points out, there’s a particular kind of strength in being able to walk onto a competition floor and just be able to enjoy your time there. This is a game, after all; if you’re not having fun, you’ve come to the wrong place. Johzenji isn’t wrong to get so fired up and spirited, and it’s clear they’re having a blast on the field. Their only mistake is enjoying themselves so much that they forget to connect their head and their heart, getting so swept up in the momentary pleasure that they forget about the competition. As their beleaguered manager finally gets through to them (and dear lord, all the girls in this show deserve better: ”I will not spank you either.”), playing doesn’t mean you have to stop thinking. If you’ve having fun while keeping aware of while you’re doing so, you’ll play better in both senses of the word. Once Johzenji’s got some sort of rock to plant their feet on, they’re gonna be a heck of a force to be reckoned with.

Daichi the Rock

And that’s where Karasuno’s strength really comes through; not in the flashiness of their crazy plays, but the stability of the ground that lifts them all up. It’s easy to overlook the stoic, congenial Daichi in a show full of far more abrasive, exuberant personalities; hell, one of the Johzenji boys literally calls him “boring” at one point. But these episodes remind us in no uncertain terms just how important Karasuno’s captain is. He’s the rock that grounds this entire team, not exceptional in any one regard but excellent at everything. Hinata’s stunning quicks, Azumane’s power-bomb spikes, Kageyama’s lighting serves would all be nothing if Daichi wasn’t there at the center, keeping the ball in motion and directing it where it needs to go. Everyone’s only able to reach their full potential because Daichi gives them the opportunity to do so. He’s no slouch on the attack either; he responds to his opponent’s insult simply by blocking his next flashy move with the power of his stubborn tenacity. But his real talent comes from how well he understands his teammates and how well he’s able to inspire them to be their best. He knows exactly what buttons to press to get them riled up in exactly the way he needs them to, calming down Hinata’s rising exasperation before it turns into a liability and re-directing it into a passionate, but controlled, offense. When things are going south and prospects are looking grim, it’s his incredible focus that keeps the team fighting as one, pushing through to the other side however they can.

So you can imagine the shock that ran through me when, right after the current match was built up as a battle of the solid team ringleaders, Daichi takes an elbow to the face and has to sit the rest of the match out. Jesus, that was unexpectedly brutal. See, this is why I don’t play sports; no matter how fun they seem on the outside, I’m always terrified of getting bruised up in the heat of the moment. It’s not even that bad an injury, but because of how goddamn spectacular this show has been at grounding its stakes in reality, that momentary head bruise lands like a sucker punch to the sternum. Anime is lousy with people taking incredible beatings and perking right back up, but it takes an extremely confident storyteller to effectively capture how unsettling and scary such a mundane injury can be, a sharp red blade that cuts through the air and knocks the wind out of you. It’s a reality check not just for Karasuno, but for Haikyuu as a whole. Break time’s over, and from here on out, every battle is a showdown to the end. Here’s hoping our boys are ready for it.

Welcome to the Field

Thankfully, if there’s one good thing to come out of Daichi’s temporary injury, it finally allows for Haikyuu to make good on a promise it’s been building up to for a long time; letting some of the benched players finally get a chance to shine. Good lord, we’re finally getting names for some of these nameless second years! And backstories! And personality! God damn, it’s good to finally see the entire flock of crows squawking their loudest. It makes the entire team feel more complete just by virtue of acknowledging its entire context; even the players we haven’t seen in action yet are important facets of this effort, with their own stories to tell as the tournament wears on. And Ennoshita’s brief stint as substitute captain is exactly the shake-up Haikyuu needed to wake itself back up heading into the final quarter of season 2. He very much feels like a proto-Daichi in his own right, with the right attitudes about how to inspire his team and keep them grounded, but not always the experience to make good on them himself. His nerves get to him and he starts panicking when he falls short, but he’s quick to catch his teammates stumblings and put them right back up on their feet. That moment where he stops Ukai from chewing a stressed Yamaguchi out because he knows that Yamaguchi’s beating himself up over his missteps more than anyone and doesn’t need anymore pressure? Jesus, man, where has this guy been all my life? He’s going to do his senpai very proud one day.

On that same topic, one thing I really appreciate about Ennoshita’s backstory is how it acknowledges the difficulty of doing something this taxing. Sports are hard work, and not everyone is gonna want to commit to something so demanding, especially when you’re surrounded by people far more passionate than you. The other first-years who quit thanks to Grandpa Ukai’s intense coaching weren’t in the wrong, they just decided they’d be more fulfilled doing something else, which is where I found myself after a couple unmemorable soccer matches way back when. Of course, Ennoshita decided that the reward was worth the effort for him, which is what drove him back despite the exhaustion, but he never fully let go of that feeling of running away. Does he really have what it takes to be part of this team, to commit to it with all he’s got, when he’s not at the same level as everyone else? But of course, he just needs a minute to find his footing and- like everyone else we’ve been following since the beginning of the show- figure out where he needs to improve and what weaknesses he needs to cover for so he can turn in tandem with the rest of the gears making up this machine. And something tells me that with a little more experience, he’s gonna fit in just fine.

Odds and Ends

-”With those on, blocking with your face isn’t scary!” “Uh, yes it it.” Ah, siblings.

-”He’s spider-man!” akjdshasd oh my GOD Hinata I could kiss you

-”Hey, Kageyama, we can’t just sit here losing!” But I repeat myself.

-WHY IS EVERYBODY GETTING IT IN THE FACE TODAY I SWEAR TO GOD

-”My nose isn’t bleeding!” HE WANTS TO KEEP PLAYING SO BAD OH MY GOD

-askdhasd use your words big guy

-”Eeeeeaaaaaaay!” I swear, the sounds that come out of her mouth.

-”His family came to cheer him on?” Aw, how wholesome.

-OH HELL YES MORE SAEKO

-”I know that! In my head.” But your body doesn’t always believe you. Don’t worry, Hinata, I know exactly how that feels.

-And that’s why you don’t fist-bump too hard.

-”Wait, you just ate that popsicle in two bites.” Did you expect any different?

-”I feel sick.” askjdhasd it’s spreading

-”Why must you always break my heart like that?” Because he loves you, natch.

-”Don’t try to use the brain you don’t have!” But I repeat myself.

-JEEEESUS HINATA ALWAYS WITH THE LAST MINUTE DAREDEVIL ACTION

-”Getting hit by a guy that light is nothing!” OH JUST KISS HIM ALREADY

Onward and upward, folks. See you next time for Dateko to get stomped by Aoba Josei!

[lichlairs]

Checkout our new post over at https://lichlair.com/daily-monster-52

Daily Monster #52:

Today we’re going to be taking a look at another one of those monsters that have been a part of the world of Dungeons and Dragons for a very long like. Tired of never hitting the fighter and the cleric? Why not try the…

Rust Monster

The basics

As far as stats go, these creatures are fairly straight forward. Rust Monsters have a very average stat array with +1s to most stats except for CHA and INT, which are a -2 and -4 respectively.

Likewise, they don’t really get much in the way of languages or saves, or anything like that. The only perk they enjoy is having a Darkvision of 60ft, which, I suppose is better than what some playable races get.

“I-I don’t wanna talk about it.”

These creatures are considered medium monstrosities and are usually unaligned. They have an AC of 14, a slightly above average movement speed of 40ft, and a hit point pool of 5d8+5.

What makes these creatures interesting is their affinity (or lack thereof) with metals. In fact, the Rust Monster is able to smell the location of any metals within 30ft of it.

Yeah, even that thing that the rogue stole from that town two sessions ago.

I imagine this next feature doesn’t come as a surprise either but, thanks to their Rust Metal feature, any non-magical weapon that manages to land a hit on this creature suffers permanent damage to the point where it can end up being destroyed. Likewise, our Rust Monster can take its action to use its Antennae to corrode metal objects within 5ft on a failed DEX save. Unfortunately for the heavy armored adventurers, this definitely includes armor and shields, which, similarly to weapons, take permanent damage on a fail save and can also be completely destroyed.

Other than making the righteous Paladin quake in their boots at the prospect of losing their favorite sword these creatures don’t get much else; their only output for actual damage is a single Bite attack that does as much damage as you’d expect for a CR 1/2 creature.

The lore

In the world of Dungeons and Dragons, a big majority of the monsters that we stumble upon as in fact versions of creatures detailed in the various mythologies of the world. The Rust Monster, however, isn’t one of them. Although it has been a part of the game for all of its iterations, we can at most speculate that they were the result of taking inspiration from a box of children’s toys.

But what do we know for certain about these creatures? Well, for starters they’re giant bug like monsters roughly about the size of a pony, with chitinous armor and two antennae that grow from the sides of their heads. These are the most important feature of a Rust Monster and what allows that very particular ability to turn the strongest of metals into a pile of mush. It’s not only the antennae that have a rusting property; it’s a very specific combination of bacteria in their blood, which is also the reason why cutting into these things doesn’t bode well for metal weapons.

Rust Monsters are, for the most part, extremely docile creatures that will not attack anyone who isn’t carrying metal. In fact, even if you are carrying metal, it is likely that they would simply ignore you and go straight for the metallic item instead.

Since these creatures prefer to inhabit underground areas, it’s not unlikely to come across them while in a mine shaft. This is one of the reasons why dwarves and other mining races have developed ingenious traps and systems to maintain the Rust Monster population on the lower side of things.

Thanks to their mostly non-aggressive natures, it’s not unheard of for individuals to use them in the disposal of old metal items and similar tasks. Races like the Kobold have even learned how to use them as mounts to ride into battle and, unfortunately for the Rust Monster, their antennae are crucial ingredients in the making of various magical items.

The execution

There’s a few ways to go about this one, the first is to simply have the party be tasked with harvesting a number of antennae for the creation of a magical item, whether that be the cost of creating an item of their choosing or simply a quest from an NPC that’s up to you. I’ve done this for my Ghost of Saltmarsh campaign on several occasions and it always turns out pretty well.

Another alternative is to have the group learn about (or run into) a convoy of miners that urgently need the party’s assistance in dealing with this creature. Hells, we even have a module with the word “mine” in it so this encounter should be easy enough to set up. Just for the heck of it, we could even have this be a rescue mission; maybe one of the least experienced miners found themselves terrified at the sight of these creatures, panickedly ran, and climbed up a pillar or something.

This is exactly what miners look like where I’m from.

Depending on how prepared you want your players to be for this one, they could have little information about the “strange bug creatures” that are harassing the miners. Remember that, if the wizard rolls a good history check to recall information about these creatures or if the miners simply supplies the party with information, it is likely that this encounter wouldn’t turn to combat at all, but rather become a game of persuading the trapped individual into calming down and relinquishing their metal tools.

In terms of combat, it’s important to remember that these creatures won’t actually use their bite attacks unless cornered and extremely hurt and that they will simply try to get at the biggest source of metal that they can find. Rust Monsters might not be exactly a lethal encounter, but they are certain to test your players’ mettle.

If you enjoyed this article and don’t hate me for writing that pun, do make sure to head over to our social media so we can let you know when we post new articles. We have new content for every day of the week and some exciting news to come!

[helsaguy]

Best Disney Live Action to date.

This is my opinion and mine alone. You have your own. Watch out for spoilers if you haven't seen the movie yet.

What a ride. What a surprise. What a delight this movie actually is. The first promotional content did nothing, or very little to excite me about this movie. I was really gonna watch it just to see Will Smith’s work. Then good reviews started to pop out and those truly gave me hope. I still kept my expectations relatively low. But now I was excited to watch it. The idea was to watch the movie on Saturday, but stuff came up and couldn't be. Anyways, two great things happened about watching it on Sunday: First I got to watch it with more family members. I’m so happy they didn't miss this movie, you just can’t miss it. And second, I got to watch it in its original language! I'm sure the dub would have been good, but I really needed to hear the actors’ voices, the dialogues and more than anything the songs in their original language. It’s important to me.

I had my doubts about almost everyone in the cast. But in the end, if anyone made a mistake (which mistakes can totally happen and maybe they happened) I think they were so minor that I didn’t care if there was something off. The whole movie is just so good. I couldn’t care less about any mistake or off thing that could have been going on.

What I’m about to write may be weird. I felt that every character was very different to its animated counterpart. The story was pretty much the same, and of course the characters are the same (except for a couple of funny and good additions) yet they felt different to me. They felt very down-to-earth, very grounded, very fleshed out, very real. Which I think that's the whole point of these live action movies; or at least I think it should be that way. 

So far I enjoyed and liked all the live actions I've seen (Maleficent, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, The Jungle Book). But so far only Aladdin although being fair, Maleficent has it's own category has added content that served perfectly to enrich the movie and its characters. I see it that way anyway. It left me wanting to see more of them. I wanna see this gang again. Heck, I wanna watch the movie again. I really think it should have a sequel. More than anything I think this live action has established enough content to continue with another movie.

On a side note. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite animated Disney movie and if the live action doesn't make a sequel, I'm honestly not complaining. Here I am, perfectly well without a live action Beauty and the Beast sequel. And about Maleficent. I never thought it would have a sequel, and when I heard there would be one I was like: Ok. Maleficent is a whole other take on the Sleeping Beauty movie. A pretty interesting take if you ask me. And I’m curious to see how the sequel turns out. I loved Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent and I don’t mind seeing more of that. I think it'll be worth it.

About how I felt these characters were different to their animated counterparts. I think the most obvious is the Sultan. But man what a great change. I think every character was very likeable. Every good character that is. And the Sultan is so likable as a ruler and as a father. Of course he is a little flawed in those regards, but he grows and learns accordingly. I think everyone can or should understand where he’s coming from. It isn’t hard to understand his position. I'm not very comfortable comparing the live action to the animation. And I hope I won't do it (or do it much) writing further. But I think I dare say I liked this version of the Sultan better than the animated one. I just really cared more about him as a character and as a person. He even got a little action in the confrontation with Jafar and the dancing at the end of the movie. Way to go Sultan! He is a caring and loving father to Jasmine and father-daughter relationships are kind of my Achilles heel on Disney movies (Belle and Maurice, Ariel and Triton). Quite frankly, I never really cared for this father-daughter relationship with the animated movie, I'm guilty of that. But the live action version of these characters are a whole other story. The Sultan was overall a far more competent character and I loved it.

Oh boy I had so many doubts with Naomi Scott as Jasmine. But seeing her first interactions with Aladdin at the market place and at Aladdin’s street rat home, I was so charmed by her acting and charisma. Not to mention her beautiful hair and those beautiful, beatiful brown eyes of hers. Jasmine got quite the changes too, and I think most were very well done. This Jasmine is truly a ruler and leader in the making. Ready to be the first Sultana (that’s the proper term) of the land. She lacks some experience, of course, but she has all the tools she needs. I was impressed with all the knowledge this girl has at her disposal. Although, she's a Princess, of course she knows her studies. While the animated Jasmine feels rebellious “not wanting to be a Princess” and seems to ponder too much on the freedom she’s missing; live action Jasmine shows great conviction on wanting to help and better her people, her country and kingdom. She doesn't know much of Agrabah's outsides but once she gets out there and sees the market place full of people working and coexisting, she sees the community that lives under the Sultan's care and understands that those people are what make Agrabah so precious. Even from her balcony Jasmine gets to see her people's lives and how much they deserve to live happily and without fear of wars and losing loved ones (like she and the Sultan lost Jasmine's mother). Agrabah was done so lively that it’s easy to see why Jasmine wants so badly to be the next one on taking care of the kingdom and its people. She wants to make them happy and prosperous. Again, she is very likable. And most importantly, if some think these changes are to push some agenda (I thought that at first), well, if they are at least they don't feel forced. I think all these changes added a lot of depth and character to the character. To me they made Jasmine richer and a better role model.

Again someone that surprised me. Mena Massoud’s Aladdin turned out to be quite refreshing to me. In all honesty I wish I could explain better why I think this Aladdin differs from the animated one, but I lack the words. What I value the most of this interpretation is the simplicity and humility in character. He is more aware of himself. And while he does say the line “When you don’t have anything, you have to act as if you own everything.”, this guy doesn't feel pretentious at all. He is still very much down-to-earth and it shows greatly when he becomes Prince Ali. At least for the first part. I loved how awkward and/or insecure he is as Prince Ali during the Prince Ali musical number and when meeting the Sultan and Princess Jasmine. That scene is truly hilarious, with all the right jokes and all the right faux pas. Then there's the moment when the Prince gig gets to his head and is so believable how he gets lost in that lie and that facade, that it made me feel bad for him. In a pitiful way. Whereas in the animated movie I felt Aladdin was being a jerk to Genie and it made me think he deserved to be left alone. I definitely sympathize better with this Aladdin. Great chemistry between him and Jasmine from start to finish. Also I think it was very adorable to have Jasmine pretend to be the Princess' servant when she meets Aladdin for the first time. It made the blooming relationship more endearing and natural. Very appreciated. The animated movie honestly only makes me care about the Genie, but this live action truly made me care about every character. The good ones that is.

I still think Marwan Kenzari’s voice doesn’t fit Jafar at all. But this Jafar is still a good villain. I think he felt more cold blooded to me. He had a little background that benefited the character, not like they tried to do with Gaston on the Beauty and the Beast live action. And this depth not only made Jafar a little more interesting, it helped Aladdin's character as well. Jafar's past as a thief not only gives reason for his ambitions and goals, it’s also a good example of what our hero Aladdin could have become if he kept on the abusive/ambitious path of power. I think that provided quite the scare in thinking that if Jafar went through this manipulative, power hungry way; that could very well happen to Aladdin. This Jafar lacks the animated one’s theatrics but I still consider him a descent villain.

Very much like Robin Williams’ Genie is the heart and soul of the animated classic. Will Smith’s Genie is the heart and soul of this live action. Hands down my favorite character in the whole movie. Robin (R.I.P.) must be very proud with everything Will did. He was so charismatic, sympathetic, funny, charming, such a lovable character I swear to God. No one will ever convince me that this Genie wasn't perfect in every way, shape, or form. I loved how at the party in the palace he kept telling Ali to not ruin it for him. He's been trapped inside a lamp for thousands of years and he really wanted to enjoy a good party. The character with the most heart in the film and with powerful lessons to teach. Two of those will stay with me forever. The first, and I believe the intentional one, is that no matter how much riches you possess; no money, or jewels, or power will ever satisfy you nor make you happy. I wish more people in the world would see and understand that... And second, and this is I think more my interpretation than the movie's intention, to be human is what makes someone truly free. Although "being human" is such a vast term. I hope you understand what I mean. Anyways, what a freaking powerful message. This Genie wishes freedom. But that freedom isn't just to not be his master's slave or the lamp's slave. This Genie wishes to be human; he doesn't want to be an all powerful being for all eternity. And something happened in this movie that helped in a very sweet way to make this Genie even more human.

And that is Dalia. What a revelation this character is. Best addition to a live action adaptation ever. To be honest when I first heard of the character I really thought this live action would be ruined from the start. Who was this Dalia? Why Jasmine needed a handmaiden? Why was she white? Truth is Dalia is a much needed character. Also Nasim Pedrad who portrays Dalia was born on Iran to Iranian parents, and that made me more comfortable about her as a character in this movie. Dalia is a much welcomed addition to the colorful cast. Her character feels organic in this well known tale. She's not only Jasmine’s handmaiden but is also a true friend and her loyal confidant. And not to offend my favorite tiger, but the Princess really needed some human friend to talk to. Sure Dalia is a servant, but never once she complains about her place; even if it shows that on the inside she would like to enjoy more of the outside world as well as the Princess and have a life of her own. Dalia is quite insightful, she knows the Princess very well, she's very funny, and charming. We get to see how much and how well she cares for Jasmine and quickly becomes an endearing character. That scene where she pretends to be the Princess in favor of Jasmine being able to play the handmaiden character with Aladdin a little longer was incredibly funny. Not just she makes Jasmine a more well round character, she helps the Genie as well with their little romance. Such good content with these two. One of my favorite scenes was when the Genie wanted to ask Dalia out on an evening stroll and he, much like Prince Ali meeting the Princess, got all awkward and even mentions that Aladdin's behavior is contagious. Obviously he knows how to treat women right, with delicacy and respect. But also he's been imprisoned for so long that it isn't hard to see how he would be a bit clumsy when trying to court a girl he really felt infatuated with. Their interactions are just really sweet and charming.

The best part happens when Aladdin wishes for Genie's freedom and he does become human. And it is because of the lamp's very specific instructions that I believe a message for this movie is how being human makes us free beings. When making a wish Genie can't stress enough to Aladdin that he has to be very specific with his words, there's a lot of grey areas in wishes and he must wish carefully. Aladdin's third wish is of course to set Genie free, but he mentions nothing about making the Genie human. Still, the moment Aladdin wishes for Genie to be free he is turned human. And that's a very powerful message, even more so these days. It is the lessons this movie shows through Genie that truly capture the heart of the movie. Another example is when human Genie at the end of the movie asks for another chance to court Dalia. The affection is very much returned by the handmaiden and while she says that she is new at this dating stuff, she says that she accepts and that she wants to get married, have kids, and a boat. And all of that actually happens. And this is one more powerful message that I chose to interprete this movie tried to tell: even without being an all powerful being, humans are able to make their dreams/wishes come true. Genie and Dalia do get married, they have two kids a boy and a girl like she wanted, and they get a small boat like he wanted. Humans can make their wishes come true even without some magical help and that's Disney at it's best.

Let’s talk a little about the “sidekicks”. I enjoyed Abu being less caricaturistic. I know people adore Abu’s personality in the animation. But I think since this Aladdin was more serene in attitude, this Abu accompanied him very well. I adored Rajah. I'm very happy he showed up as much as he did. I honestly thought he wouldn't have as much screen time. I love his protectiveness over Jasmine most of all, but I also appreciate his good judge of character. Carpet was perfect. I think he suffered no change at all from the animated movie. So full of personality. I liked very much how during conversations the Genie would include Carpet and Abu into the chat. It made the monkey and carpet feel all the more real. Also, it hurt to see Carpet all torn when he was trying to escape giant Iago. And speaking of Iago. One of my favorite villainous sidekicks in Disney movies. This Iago is so not like the animated one. But that isn’t a bad thing. This bird looked creepy, and while it lacked all of Gilbert Gottfried’s personality, it made up in competence. This Iago is as cold blooded as his master, quite the spy, and a very effective giant boss fight. Thank you so much for keeping him a talking parrot. Very pleased with Alan Tudyk‘s work. And even if Iago's role is minor in the live action, he still serves very well his purpose.

Let's wrap this up with the music! Overall I loved it. Sure there are weak moments, but I think that didn't damage the movie at all. The film was just oh so entertaining on its own. Jasmine's new song Speechless is quite good. But the reprise was a little poorly executed visually-wise. I also think it sounds too pop-ish for it's own good. One Jump Ahead was weak in comparison to the original. The singing was pretty good, the music well "updated", but Aladdin was too relaxed walking here and there instead of running for his life. I liked a lot that Jasmine was part of the scene though. And congratulations to the woman with the "Still I think he's rather tasty" line, what a voice, and she was gorgeous. A Whole New World is very much the same and that's good. Both actors did great singing, Naomi's voice is incredible and Mena really surprised me as a good singer. That song doesn't need to be touched and they didn't touch it. Some may complain that Carpet didn't take Aladdin and Jasmine around the world, but I don't think it was needed. This Jasmine cared too much for her land that it was very sweet of Aladdin and Carpet to take Jasmine around Agrabah. She even admitted that Prince Ali knows more of Agrabah in the "few days" he's been to the kingdom than she has known all her life. It was fitting in my opinion to keep the ride to Agrabah. What was leaked of the Prince Ali performance doesn't make the whole thing justice. Sure it isn't as big scaled as the animated one, but is still a good show. And Oh My God WILL SMITH DID THE IN DRAG GAG!!!!!! I completely thought they wouldn't do it and Jesus Christ I laughed so hard, and was so happy they did it!!! He looked great, it was so funny. That alone made the song a success to me I swear. I couldn't ask for more. A Friend Like Me is another hit. A lot of detail, energy, I think the special effects were great. My favorite song from the animated movie and one of my top favorites in this live action. I think the new adaptation that takes the cake is Arabian Nights. Loved the longer lyrics, the visuals, and Will Smith being the one to sing it. We have Will Smith portraying a fisherman at the start of the movie. Then two adorable children ask their father to tell a story, and they prefer he sings the story. At first the fisherman says no singing since it's been a long day, but he soon indulge his kids and begins singing the opening number. The camera goes over Agrabah, we get glimpses of the characters in the tale. The Sultan in the palace, the Princess by he fountain with her tiger, a somber figure before the Cave of Wonders. We hear of the diamond in the rough requirement and go back to Agrabah. The way everything is presented feels so fairy tale like. And the opening number gets even better when right at the end we get the hint and confirmation that the fisherman and the kids are actually Genie and his and Dalia's kids. In all honesty I thought Will Smith was playing a whole different character with he fisherman. And even though we see the fisherman's wife from he back on the boat nd we hear her voice, I couldn't guess it was them till the end of the movie. Needless to say that revelation was fantastic.

I apologize for any typos. I know there's stuff I didn't write about like the couple of dance numbers going on, but they were great. I loved how gorgeous Jasmine looked at the palace's party. Her dancing was mesmerizing too. Hooray for the Jasmine and Aladdin wedding at the end! I made this long enough and whatever topic you wanna talk about, hit my ask box anytime.

Best Disney live action to date everyone. Highly recommend.

[wutbju]

The Times They Showed Their Quality: My own experience with Liberty University’s treatment of faculty BRIAN MELTON·MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2019 Clarification: This note was written in direct response to comments from Liberty’s provost in a recent Christianity Today article claiming that the relationship between the LU administration and its faculty staff is “healthy”, and that the faculty is “completely comfortable with what [the administration] is doing,” and it should be read in that context. I offer this as a simple statement of my experience to serve as a corrective in honor of the many people whom I know wish they could speak out but can’t. Thanks in advance for taking this as nothing more or less than it claims to be. --Brian Anyone who is paying attention to criticisms of Liberty University these days is well familiar with the charge of “Fake News.” It is a common and mindless refrain, parroted back in obedience to The Donald’s talking points and it somehow resonates with otherwise intelligent people. It is also an easy charge to levy, as most of the time when people not connected to LU hear about nefarious happenings and underhanded actions, it is as “something that happened to this guy I heard about” or the like thanks to LU’s use of non-disclosure agreements. I never signed an NDA. So, I thought I might skip the rumor mill and share my own direct, first-hand experience with the administration’s behavior. What I can attest to is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg and not as bad as what has happened to others, but it marked the transition when, after fifteen years, I finally came to the definite conclusion that the upper administration at LU wasn’t simply self-serving or even inept, but fundamentally duplicitous. Worse, it demonstrated to me that they acted this way intentionally and with malice aforethought.

In 2014 my family and I moved back to the Lynchburg area, where I occupied a position as an Instructional Mentor, acting as a bridge between the College of General Studies and the College of Arts and Sciences. Previously, I had worked for LU full time residentially for over ten years. I served as a professor, chair of the curriculum committee, and moderator of the faculty senate during that time. I liked and respected (I still do) the people in those schools I worked with directly, and at the time we intended to spend the rest of our lives there. I figured whatever else happened, we would muddle through it and I would retire from LU when the time came. My point is that though I of course had my frustrations with the administration on some issues, but there was no ill will and I hoped to keep working for them for years to come.

One peculiarity of my position at the time was that it was “part-time full time.” Technically, I was a part time worker and I received none of the benefits that other faculty did, while at the same time I was counted as a “full time” faculty with a terminal degree for SACS purposes via a “limited benefit” contract (the sole “benefit” was that after filling out paperwork I could receive up to $400 a year to join professional associations).  I knew there would be none of the standard health or life insurance, tuition assistance, etc. going into the position and was fine with it, as we were allowed to take extra classes and make a comfortable sum that allowed me to pay for all the extras out of pocket. I recall speaking with my associate dean as late as 2015 and telling him that I would be happy doing this job until I retired.

Of course, the lack of medical coverage in particular was a complaint that many had, but I did not see it as a significant obstacle. Yes, it was on the unfair side to be a second-class faculty member who did not get the coverage others did, even though I did as much work, and getting on the school insurance would be a significant boon to our family. Still, I worked from home, was paid well, and just accepted it as a known downside of the specific job I had agreed to do. There had been constant rumors that the administration appreciated us and was taking steps to give us coverage, but nothing ever came of it. Until the Fall of 2016, that is.

That fall I received an email on a Friday afternoon (when few people would be expected to look at it, of course) informing me that I had worked enough to qualify for medical coverage under the university. I had one week to respond. If I didn’t I would immediately and permanently forfeit any claim to coverage now or in the future. As you can imagine, I didn’t wait! I responded immediately that I was grateful for the opportunity and to put me down for it. I also contacted both of my bosses, who were happy to hear that I had received coverage. Both promised to do everything they could do to make sure I kept it by giving me the required amount of work.The next week I called Human Resources to find out more. I spoke with the benefits coordinator, and told him how much I appreciated the gesture. He replied that he was glad to hear it and that LU was always happy to help its people. As he explained the details of the coverage, he was careful to sneak in a comment that if I ever happened to fall below the required line, I would lose my coverage. “Well,” I thought, “that’s fair.” And so I asked what I thought would be the obvious question: “Where is the line? How much do I have to work in order to rate coverage?” His reply was shady, and you could tell by the uncomfortable tone of his voice that he knew it too. “That’s proprietary information,” he said, “I can’t release it.”  “You can’t tell me at all?” I asked. “No” was the answer. My bosses, good people that they are, also both followed up with HR and they were both given the same answer.

From that moment, I knew that this was, in reality, nothing but an intentional set up. The reason they would tell no one where the line lay was because it was mobile--no one would ever cross it again. No matter how much we worked, it would always be “unfortunately” short of the goal. In fact, Liberty had obfuscated on Obamacare as long as they could, and now they were being forced to offer coverage to all full time workers. Rather than be frank about it, they were playing the situation off like this was a friendly and helpful boon to their employees, all the while laying plans to revoke the coverage at the first opportunity and blame it on said employees. It was as dishonest as it was obvious.

Sure enough, within a month, we began to get notifications of sudden “policy changes” that cut the financial rug out from under whole classes of faithful employees. My own turn at this came in December. In a move worthy of the counting house of Ebenezer Scrooge, four days before Christmas, I received an email informing me that I was to be locked out of any and all overload teaching effective January 1. For me, that amounted to an immediate pay cut of approximately a third of my yearly LU income. I was given approximately two weeks--including Christmas Eve and Day--to make adjustments. Never was an apology expressed, regrets offered, or even an acknowledgment made by anyone beyond my immediate superiors (who had no say in the matter) for the obvious effect this had on people’s lives or for the manner in which it was rolled out.  Over the next quarter, chaos ensued as the administration waffled back and forth about what to do next and my hapless bosses could only report what the whim of the day happened to be. One day I was looking at a 50% pay cut. A week later, the rumor was that my position was being eliminated. A week after that, it was 20%. Then 30%. etc. etc. etc.The following Fall, things finally settled out--as much as they do at Liberty, where things are constantly in flux as the latest disposable “rock star” tries to leave his mark. I ended up losing about 25% of my previous income potential and we were limited to a theoretical 30 hours per week of work. I emphasize “theoretical” because in fact no effort was made to track anything outside of teaching hours, which represented the hours for which we were actually paid. At the same time, Liberty’s “Co-Provost” announced sweeping changes to our positions requiring substantially more administrative work. Since administrative hours were never counted or totaled nor paid individually, in fact our workload as a whole went up substantially while our overall pay potential dropped significantly. Perhaps worse, we were now charged with tracing faculty compliance via a tool called the “FAR” which tracked and logged every single time a faculty member was late doing anything. While that information had been available to chairs and deans for years, now it was forced down to even the adjunct level and I, as an Instructional Mentor, was required to contact the faculty under me and ask for an explanation any and every time I saw a “red flag.” Miss posting your Monday announcement by five minutes this week? I have to demand a justification that I would log with the university on your record. Are you a little late in grading the papers the university suddenly required you to return to the students two days earlier than before? I’ll be checking up on you for an excuse why you shouldn’t be fired. And with the “Co-Provost” (What the heck is that, anyway? The real provost pretending to not be? The actual provost’s personal assistant?) constantly haranguing us with threats that there were “hundreds of people lined up for your job”, threats so thinly veiled that they insulted your intelligence as much as they frightened you, there was plenty of angst to go around.And so I found myself in an interesting position: I was working full time hours at a part time job that had at least full time expectations, being told that I could get in trouble if I didn’t accomplish my full time work in my part time hours. I operated on a one year contract with no job security under implied threats of “non-renewal” delivered via smarmy video messages that tracked how much of each you watched. I was part of an increasingly Orwellian surveillance system that meant I was party to inflicting all of this onto others. (Let us not forget academic standards that had fallen dramatically over recent years and about which I could perhaps write another whole article.) And I was supposed to be happy about it--sacrificing my time and my family for the university, but not being able to expect a scrap of loyalty or genuine appreciation out of anyone above the deans’ level in return. The only safe words that could be used to express serious dissent were, “Thank you sir! May I have another?” All of this was happening in the name of Christ, and every complaint was expected to be excused for the sake of the mission, a mission that it was increasingly clear the school’s own president regarded as secondary to making money and winning football games (since confirmed directly in a recent tweet). It should come as no surprise, then, that in the summer of 2017, when I was approached about an opportunity to teach in Europe, I decided to leave. And the medical coverage? In September of 2017 I received the equivalent of a medical “Dear John” letter, regretfully informing me that since I simply hadn’t worked hard enough in the past year, the university had no choice but to end my medical coverage. At the time, my wife and I were actively being treated with expensive anti-biotics for Lyme Disease and a malarial-type infection she had picked up on a mission trip. My new chair in LUO (my previous one had quit in disgust) went on the line for me to try to reverse the decision, but was told to sit down and be quiet--the administration didn’t care and he was risking his own position by speaking up.  In the final tally, I most likely could have made ends meet on the new salary they were offering, but money wasn’t the central problem. Neither was the still-absent medical coverage; we had lived without it before and could again. The most important issue for me was character. I had to be able to rely on Liberty University to treat me and others fairly and honestly if I were to bank my family’s welfare on working for them. My own personal narrative aside, I knew of many other people treated worse than I was--a whole list of persons I liked and respected. If the last few years had taught me anything, it was that while there are still many excellent people to be found there, Liberty University as a whole was as shifty, dishonorable, unprincipled, and hypocritical a work environment as could be offered. I could not trust my family to them, and I increasingly found it hard to have my reputation associated with an organization that had proved itself so often without honor. (Yes, I’m old fashioned that way.)  It was a hard decision. We love our friends in the Lynchburg area very much and we love the Virginia mountains. We love our church, and, as I said, we planned to grow old and die there. We miss them all badly, even as we travel and experience Europe. Unfortunately, Liberty’s behavior and lack of honor made it virtually impossible to stay--for us at least.

Moving into 2018, I learned that more cuts were likely. (Despite what Provost Hicks asserts, it is a relatively recent thing for faculty to be completely surprised by their non-renewal. At one point there was a written agreement that faculty would be notified by January if it were a possibility, and even later people were unofficially informed.) I approached my bosses and let them know I would be leaving at the end of the year in the hopes that if they knew it, someone else’s job might be secure (I was told that it did save a position). In true LU style, I later received official notification in a boiler plate email that they had regretfully decided not to renew the contract I had already informed them I wasn’t seeking. I arrived at LU in the Fall of 2003 to find an earnest, if humanly fallible university making its very best effort to transform itself into the Notre Dame of Evangelicalism. I left a financially successful behemoth where real ministry and Christian charity is carried out by earnest believers in spite of the effort and example of its upper administration to the contrary. Increasingly, LU is becoming more the Harvard of Evangelicalism than the Notre Dame (academic standards definitely not withstanding). It is a university where the original mission has been sacrificed in favor of a political agenda and a secular system of situational morality, Liberty falling to the right wing in counterpoint to Harvard’s left. Though the campus may be bigger and more beautiful than ever before, sadly, thanks to the trajectory of its current administration, its reflection of Christ is not. 

[howtohero]

#206 Rural Superheroes

When most of picture superheroes they picture brooding men and women with capes draped around their shoulders and standing on buildings doing their best gargoyle impressions. Or you see them swinging and slinging around crowded streets using buildings as anchors. Or you see them hunched in a sewer eating pizza with their sewer-gator sidekicks after a long day of fighting crime. You definitely don’t imagine them standing next to a big pile of hay and holding a pitchfork and wearing overalls. (Guys I’m talking a huge pile of hay. Like the kind that looks like it’d be amazing to be dropped out of an airplane onto.) If you’ve never imagined a superhero stopping some disgraced middle school guidance counselor from rewriting reality and then going back home to milk the cows and tend to the corn then you’re just part of the problem. You need to reevaluate your personal biases. That’s right people, you heard it hear first! Superheroes can be countryfolk! And that’s a fact!

For some reason, lots of people think that the only reason any superhero would be in a rural area was if they were like, I don’t know, hiding their secret family on a secret farm. But that’s simply not true! In fact, that’s a terrible idea! Rural areas are not a safer place for your family to be, you know what kind of crimes go down in rural areas? Really weird ones. I’m talking like cow-related crimes. (Once the evil Cowcatcher built a giant cow robot to roam about rural Kansas just mooing really really loudly and scaring the stuffing out of everyone! That was a heck of a Thursday!) That’s just not normal! Don’t set up a secret farm to keep your family safe, just have a normal secret identity like everyone else and your family will be fine. 

So if you live in a rural area and have been looking around at all the insane cow-crimes that happen in your neighborhood and felt that you had no choice except to throw your hands up, shake your head, and exclaim “Aw shucks, if only there could be superheroes in rural areas!” Then you’re in luck! There can be superheroes in rural areas! I’m serious, we had our interns check the laws and there’s nothing saying that it can’t be done! (Except for the laws about vigilantism and stuff but they’ve got those laws in the cities too and nobody seems to care!). 

If you’re going to be a rural superhero though, you need to know that you’re going to have to operate a little bit differently than an urban crime fighter, but that doesn’t make you any less super! (What makes rural heroes less super is the fact that their are just less toxic-waste corporations in Middleofnowheresville, USA than there are in Heartoftheactionsville, USA.) For starters, you’re going to have an entirely different wardrobe in the country. Instead of grays and blacks you’re going to want to go with beautiful verdant greens and some mud-like gritty browns. If you’re going to be prowling around vast empty fields patrolling for cow-tippers and and goat-suckers, you’re going to want to look like a field. Glue bits of grass onto your costume, tape a live pig to your back, roll around in some manure. If you’re going to protect the farm you need to become the farm. 

Living in a rural area also drastically changes the options for both superhero hideouts and supervillain lairs. While urban heroes might find their superhero adventures taking place in corporate offices with mysterious secret floors or abandoned subway tunnels that have become home to an evil rat hive mind, for rural heroes it’s gonna be all barns all the time. Barns make for rather spacious superhero hideouts, there’s plenty of room for any gear or computers you might need for crime stopping and conducting illegal investigations, you can convert any stables into holding cells or trophy cases, and if any civilians wander on by all you need to do is cover everything with a layer of hay and no one will be the wiser! Rural supervillains are also very likely to use barns as their lairs, their’s will just be littered with disemboweled animals and fake cobwebs from the halloween popup store because they have a taste for the creepier things in life. While a barn might not be as glamorous as a time-displaced spaceship or a high-tech cave, they are competent and cost-effective hideouts and are good enough for any countryside-crusader. The only think you have to look out for is Jhonny McBarnburner whose entire thing is burning barns and would probably be more than happy to set a superhero’s barn on fire. That’s like a double-whammy, and such opportunities are rare in Jhonny McBarnburner’s life. Honestly, you should’ve been there when he first discovered that some barns were actually secret superhero hideouts. It was actually kind of adorable. His whole entire face lit up, it was as though he’d finally be validated for his extremely niche modus operandi after all these years. So honestly, I say you capitalize on his newfound enthusiasm for barn burning and frame uninhabited barns for being superhero hideouts. This can be as simple as just putting a sign in the ground that says “superhero hideout” in front of random abandoned barns. That should throw him off your scent for a while.

Getting around rural areas is very different from getting around crowded cities. There’s not a lot of people around so you’re not likely to run into a lot of traffic, but at the same time, populated areas are very far from each other. Even the distance between individual houses is much larger than the distance between any manmade structures in a big city. There are also a lot less superheroes per capita. All of this means you’re going to be responsible for protecting a very large open area. Which means you’re going to need a very specific kind of super-vehicle. You need something that’s fast, something bright so people will see it on poorly lit country roads, something that’s doused in cow-repellant or whatever to keep animals out of your way. It needs to have off-road capabilities, because if there’s a crime being committed in the middle of a farm or on top of a mountain, you don’t want to have to ditch your vehicle and jog to the crime. That’s a great way for crimes to happen. You really should not put so much faith in your jogging abilities. You can’t jog up a mountain, but you can drive an obscene vehicle up one. That’s what makes it obscene. You also might as well drive something fuel efficient, something that runs off of vegetable oil or something, there’s plenty of it around. 

Rural superheroes are also often, believe it or not, the first heroes on Earth to encounter alien invaders. Aliens just love alerting mankind to their presence through carving crop-circles and stealing cows. Depending on the species this can be anything from a harmless prank to a signed declaration of war. (Often the cow thing is because to most alien species, cows appear to be the most intelligent species on Earth. I mean, they live in their food, that’s just smart.) So you need to be prepared to single-handedly fight off an invading force at a moment’s notice. So I hope you’ve got some corn-powered laser blasters at your disposal, because you’re gonna need them sooner rather than later.

When it comes to crime fighting partners, you may find yourself in short supply. Heroes like Old MacDonald-Man or Crop-Top describe the loneliness as the most difficult part of rural crime fighting. In big cities you can’t walk more than five feet before bumping into someone who spends their nights wearing spandex and laying the smackdown on evil puzzle enthusiasts or finger-puppeteers. But in the country you’re likely to never run into another superhero in your neighborhood. That’s why you need to take on an animal sidekick. Fortunately, rural communities are a great place to find some domesticated animals that would be down to come fight crimes with you. In order to determine which farm animals would be the best crime fighting partners we actually took a husbandry course. (Ok, you got us, Dr. Brainwave got engaged and we all chipped in and paid for him to go to a husbandry course so he could learn how to be a good husband and the rest of us went for emotional support but it turns out none of knew what husbandry was and we were not in the right place but we learned a lot and had fun and it turned out that Dr. Brainwave’s engagement was fake and part of some villainous scheme to poison the concept of weddings or something so it didn’t matter anyway.) During this course we learned a lot about the breeding of crops and animals and we have scientifically determined that the best possible animal sidekick for a rural superhero is a goat on roller blades. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Are you idiots joking? You guys go on and on and on and on about how roosters are the best animal sidekicks and now you’re going to come at me and say that goats are the best animal sidekick for a rural superhero? Are you kidding me? Is this a joke?” First of all, yeah, everything we say is a joke. This is a comedy blog. And second of all, hey tone back the attitude why don’t you? Gosh you’re being real hostile about this. Roosters are the ideal superhero sidekick for urban or space-faring superheroes. But they’re useless for rural superheroes. Roosters are great for waking you up? Rural-superheroes already wake up with the sun to tend to their crops, don’t need a rooster. Roosters can fly? No crimes are committed in the skyline of a rural community. There is no skyline. Anybody can scramble to the roof of the local post office or pitchfork wholesaler, don’t need a rooster. Roosters can attack your enemies with their sharp beaks and talons? Uh, hello, pitchfork wholesaler? There’s no shortage of sharp farming tools that rural superheroes can use in lieu of a beak or talons, don’t need a rooster. A goat on roller blades on the other hand, can thoroughly mess a criminal up. Imagine all the rage and power of a common goat, but with the speed of roller blades? You rural criminals may as well just pack it in, you’re not getting away with anything with Thunderbolt Cannonberg, goat superhero, on the scene. 

Crime is everywhere, even in the idyllic countryside. So don’t be afraid to be the change you’d like to see in your community and start fighting back against the chupacabra or Terrence, the kid who steals pigs. If you follow these tips, and take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the land and sky around you every once in a while, you should have a wonderful and productive career as a sylvan superhero.

[astainedteamug]

Getting Rid of that Holiday Stress Ahead of Time

If you are finding yourself worried about the holidays, then you and I are in the same boat. And so is everybody else. Legitimately, everybody. Even the lady at work who always has a perfect party and she never has a hair out of place, she’s worried if her quiche will burn or if she will have enough decorations. Everybody has some kind of stress going on right now.

Some people are triple checking their travel plans to make sure everybody has a ticket and if they have a big enough budget. Some people are checking their list of people to give a gift to and realizing that they STILL don’t know what to get their mom for Christmas.

But whatever it is you are going through right now, you should take a minute off of your feet to read through this and see if one of these could help you.

1. The Clutter

It is amazingly easy to hold on to things in the modern world. And you don’t even know why. Especially after Halloween, there are candy wrappers, fairy wings, tiny toys, and just all around mess. The birthdays of the year have left you with gifts that you never wanted and you couldn’t return, so they wound up shoved in a corner to never be used or seen again.

But for some reason, you find yourself stressed out about it. That thing Jim gave you at your office party that was so ugly you didn’t even want it in your car. It’s bothering you that it’s still here, yet it has to take the back burner. And pretty soon, you start to feel like your house looks something like this:

Yeah, I know!

But between work and school and getting everything ready, you just don’t feel like you have the time to go through all of it.

Behold, my friends, the beauty of November. This is a beautiful grace period that most people will skip over to start putting up decorations for Christmas, thinking it will help them not be stressed about the decorations. But they are wasting perfectly good cleaning time. It’s time for a detox, and your house is begging you to do it, just this once.

Now wait just a minute, this isn’t an excuse to throw out your wife’s figurines that you hate but she loves, in fact I don’t recommend throwing much away at all. Go through your things first and donate what you can.

Old clothing, shoes, toys, books, purses or bags, and even movies. This is a great time of year to donate those things and let somebody else enjoy them. Old dishes can be sold or donated, dog and cat toys can get washed and de-stinkified. Candles that have been sitting around for years can get burned and help get any unpleasant smells out of your house while freeing up cabinet space for candles to come. Old mail and documents can get shredded and recycled, or even stocked up as fire starters for your fireplace. And those decorations that “complete the room” can be stowed away until they are needed again. Don’t let them jumble you up and stand in the way.

And this is an excellent way to see what you need around the house. Maybe you didn’t know the drill was broken, but now you know what to get your husband for Christmas. Or maybe the kids need new pjs. And that new coat would look great in place of your old one.

And once you’re done with the clutter aspect of all of this, then it’s time to move into phase two.

2. The Mess

It is entirely possible that the corner of your living room behind your television hasn’t been dusted in months, correct? It’s an easy thing to forget. It’s an easy thing to push aside, or to say to yourself “would anybody really notice?” Aunt Barbara might when she visits on thanksgiving with her specialty cranberry stuffing. And you would never hear the end of it. Okay, now punch your anxiety in the face and pick up a duster.

It really isn’t that big of a deal which corner is dusted and which one isn’t, but November is a wonderful time of peace before the holiday guests arrive, so why not make sure the house is nice so you aren’t worried about it. They’ll make a mess when they get there anyways, you may as well conquer what you can now. Get those expired bath products and cleaning concoctions out of your house before area 51 gets involved. Soap is NOT good forever!

Move around your furniture to sweep under it, dig out all of those coins and wrappers in the couch, dust off your movie and CD collection so you can pick out the holiday films for when everyone is over. You may as well put one on while you vacuum your floors, those corners and your ceiling fans and vents. Heck, you can even wash your carpets if your feeling REALLY festive!

There really isn’t any point to making the holidays harder on yourself than they already can be, so why not get a head start on all of that mess and just get rid of it? It can be a good excuse to have your kids wash the windows or clean their bathrooms, or even go through their clothes and toys and put everything they don’t use into one bag to donate. And with your mess all taken care of, you can take a breath and relax before you begin part three of this holiday mission.

3. The Food

This is the biggest time of year for food sales for home baking. Which also means the fire department is busy too. Please be careful whenever you are in the kitchen with loved ones and keep the heat down, your sockets dust free, and make sure all handles are out of reach of little ones. And remember, a falling knife has no handle.

All of those vegetables that are going into your casseroles and soups, or getting turned into a side, you know you can use your freezer, right? Chopping them up now and freezing them in the measurements that you need is an excellent time and mess saver for your holiday baking. Those fruits that you bought too early, go ahead and chop those up too and freeze them until the day you need them for your pies and fruit salads. And honestly, why did you buy SO MANY cranberries? Nobody eats them! Stop doing this to your wallet and to yourself.

Over spending on food and wasting it is another stupidly easy thing to do. Half of it rots away before it even sees the cutting board. You can stop yourself from doing this with a few easy tools, like shopping lists, dates, and coordination with the other cooks in your family.

Everybody should bring a dish to thanksgiving. Whether it’s a pie, some creamed corn, or even something to drink. You won’t be the only cook during the week leading up to thanksgiving. So coordinating with your relatives about who is bringing what will save everybody from making the same thing and will make sure nobody is confused about what they’re doing and keeps you from making too much of one thing if not everybody is able to come. Especially if Kenny is the only person who is vegan and gluten intolerant, then his special dish doesn’t need to be fussed over this year. And everyone can bring something, even if uncle Dave just brings the disposable cups so grandma doesn’t have to do a million dishes with the grandkids later. And yes, everybody needs to do their share of work after dinner. A good rule of thumb is to clean up dishes before dessert.

But before the baking even begins, you need to figure out what ingredients you will need to buy to make that food. And some ingredients can be nearly impossible to get your hands on. You would not believe how difficult it was for me to find rhubarb for my pie this year. I had to google where I could get it, and it took me a few hours to get ahold of it. So making that shopping list can save you lots of time and hassle when it gets down to the wire. And having the dates of parties and holidays next to you makes it easy to know when you’ll need to shop for that food and save space in your fridge.

Ah yes, the fridge. Your old pal, full of old take out containers, a few odds and ends when it comes to ingredients, expired dairy products, and an endless assortment of condiments. Why do we do this? The fridge looks full, yet there’s nothing to eat.

Clean it! That smell can be taken care of with a box of baking soda. Just leave it open in he back corner and it will absorb it for you. Take your trash can and have it ready for the avalanche of forgotten meals it will need to hold. The old products and empty cartons need to get thrown out now so you can have space for leftovers during the holidays, but you’re much less likely to forget about those. Once you’ve emptied out all of the rotten veggies and old yogurts, now is the time to wash the shelves and clean it up in there to get a head start on the dishes.

Bravo. You have earned another break. But you are so far from being done.

4. The Yard

This is an ongoing task, and I’m afraid not much can be done that will stay done. Especially if you live somewhere the leaves turn red and then fall every time the wind blows. Honestly, it can’t really all be done at once. But after it snows, it has to stay there. That stick could trip you if your boot snags it and you forgot it was there. Those leaves will kill your lawn if they stand as a frozen barrier between the grass and the snow. And the weeds will only populate while they can.

Head to a hardware store and grab some tools if you need them. And get some gloves too, those thorns can be vicious. Taking care of lawn maintenance before you decorate should be high on your list of to-do’s, yet many people skip it all together. Clean out your gutters and send your hubby on the roof with a broom before you send him up with lights and a fake santa. It’s safer and it can actually save your roof from too much damage all at once.

Mow the grass while you can, trim your bushes before they get lined with lights, and rake those leaves up before they have to stay put for the next four months.

And if you have a dog, this is your last chance to double check nothing was left behind when your kids last took them outside.

5. The Car

If you’re traveling with your family, you have to clean out your car now! The tissues, old receipts that need to be organized, wrappers, straws, socks, and crumbs all need to go.

Suitcases and crock pots will soon take their place as well as bored kiddos and grumpy adults just trying to drive through the traffic. Pack those CDs into the car, download some podcasts, or get some audio books to help pass the time. But make sure the smell is gone too. Get a new air freshener and some febreeze. It’s amazing how much smell can come from one toddlers sock.

6. Finances and Documents

That giant pile of papers in your room, on your desk, or in your coffee table? Yeah, it won’t take care of itself. And during the holidays. The last thing you want to worry about is knocking it over so it isn’t 'organized’ anymore. Go through it now.

This will give you the chance to get your finances in order before you spend three hundred dollars on lights for the tree when really you can only spend thirty. I found a paper I wrote in fifth grade the other day, and tossed it right out. Honestly, why do we cling to these things? It has been in my life for ten years, and it has served its purpose. Now it’s time to go. This frees up space not only in your desk, but in your mind as well. It was one of those little things that you had been worried about for far too long. And now it’s finally gone.

7. The Decorations

Now is the time, folks, to get your final affairs in order. We are now approaching the holidays so please prepare for landing.

Decorations are the easiest thing in the world to freak out over when you get down to the wire. You count the lights, you measure for garland, you buy the plates and the napkins and even special straws that are made of paper. Candy canes are beautiful on a tree, but the tree isn’t up yet. Not to worry though. Your shopping list is that much smaller because you already took care of it.

Buying what you can ahead of time is something I’ve been doing since April. Buying candles, drinks, and even some gifts before they’re at their holiday prices is something I do to avoid the crowds and the chaos. Yes, I’m on a budget and I know how to work the system to my favor. Buying discount wrapping paper and tinsel the year before is nothing to hide, and props to you if you make your own decorations.

That’s what I did. Wreaths can be up to $70 when they come pre decorated. I bought one for ten and put my own decorations and lights on it for less than forty dollars. And I’ll use it over and over again. Making decorations can also help tame that beast inside of you that is screaming at you to put up the lights now! It’s not even thanksgiving, calm down you little elf.

Once you’ve ticked all of these things off of your list, you’ll find it much easier to breathe while you wrap gifts or wade through the sea of people at the mall. Having your lists organized, your budget in mind, and the peace of mind that your house is organized and ready, you’ll be unstoppable this holiday season!

Happy holidays everybody!

[superspunarticle]

3 Key Elements to Effectively Target Gen Z with Social Media Advertising

Tutorials & tips on Content & Video Marketing.

Let’s cut straight to it. How the heck do we reach Gen-Z through social media advertising? It’s already halfway through 2022 and approaching this generation seems like the most daunting task. 

Gen-Z knows the ins and outs of the latest trends, are hyper-focused on digital, and undeniably has the shortest attention span of any other generation. With the rise in popularity of short-form video in TikTok and IG Reels – and we hate to say it too but, AUTHENTICITY, it’s not surprising that some brands are becoming obsessed with Gen-Z as they live in this space more than anyone else. 

If this isn’t surprising enough, taking time to understand what makes this generation click is a must if marketers want to take advantage of their massive spending power. Young, tech savvy, and socially-invested, Gen Z is by far the most racially and ethnically diverse generation ever with a spending power of over $140 billion and $360 billion in disposable income.

So although implementing them into your strategy may seem difficult, let’s dive into a few tips to help target Gen Z with social media advertising. 

Make Gen-Z Feel Included

This means ditching traditional advertising. We’re not saying it doesn’t work, but it’s probably not the best approach for Gen-Z. 

Gen-Z’ers do not like to feel marketed to. There’s a difference between us as brands selecting them to market to versus them feeling that way. They want to feel a part of something bigger than what you’re selling. What is it about your brand that can resonate with them? What values does your brand advocate and have passion for that you can use to create a niche? 

This generation is known for their proactiveness within their digital communities. So we strongly suggest that you find a way to hone in on a specific “community” in Gen-Z that resonates with your brand and start there. Whether it’s a passion for mental health, gaming, or avocado toast, there’s an unlimited number of sectors you can choose from. 

If your brand wants to take it a step further, rely on the help of micro-influencers since they specialize in niches. People speak to people better than words on an ad do. If you want to reach Gen-Z, there’s nothing more beneficial than utilizing a human being that they can connect with. 

Gen-Z just wants to be understood, not defined. Click To Tweet

Grab Their Attention, FAST

With an attention span of just 8 seconds, the content you are spewing out in your campaigns needs to work just as quickly as they lose interest. It’s no surprise that short-form video content has become the number one tool that nearly all social media platforms have implemented and prioritized. 

Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have revolutionized the world of short-form video content. In fact, by 2023, the amount of Gen-Z users in the U.S. on TikTok is expected to be around 43 million, with Instagram coming in close after at 41 million.

If you are working on utilizing short-form video content, here are three key things to keep in mind:

Whatever it is that you’re trying to sell, focus on the benefits and the experience they will get out of it. You do not need to spend half of your video explaining to Gen-Z who your brand is. They will likely do research on your brand on their own if they are interested in your product. Remember, for Gen-Z, its experience > product. 

Utilizing humor, trending audios, and influencers are great ways to add more depth and life to your short-form videos. Think of it as a conversation with your teenage kids. If you can’t picture them listening to you without getting bored, then you want to change up your approach. 

Do not make the mistake of trying to sell everything all at once. This is a huge perk of utilizing short-form videos because you can have each small aspect of what you’re selling shine on its own. Think of it this way: take each benefit that your brand or product has and use every short-form video you make act as a teaser or trailer for it.  

Optimize Mobile Experiences for Gen Z

With 98% of Gen-Z owning a smartphone, it’s imperative that your campaigns are mobile-friendly. Most of them grew up surrounded by the evolution of our mobile devices, making it one of the most effective ways to reach them through online advertising.

Here are important things to consider: 

Gen-Z loves to utilize GIFs and emojis as a way to communicate. It can easily be used as a way to speak to them without using any words at all. 

Make your content interactive

It’s important that your campaign is sharable so that they can show their peers. This feeds their desire to interact with brands that they love or have interest in. 

Remember online user experience

They love having quick access to almost everything online, which means they have high expectations for anything digital. Your campaign, website, or ad should be clear and responsive to live up to those expectations. 

How to Get it Right When Advertising to Gen-Z

With a massive purchasing power that’s only going to grow as Gen-Z matures in the workplace, don’t neglect them. No matter what industry your brand falls under, whether it be food & beverage, healthcare, or technology, there’s no doubt that a large group of Gen-Z’ers already have an existing passion and interest in it.

Gen-Z just wants to be understood, not defined. Once you recognize that difference, it’ll take your social media advertising initiatives to the next level. 

This article “3 Key Elements to Effectively Target Gen Z with Social Media Advertising” was 1st provided here.

We trust you found the post above useful and/or of interest. You can find similar content on our main site here: superspunarticle.com/blog Let me have your feedback below in the comments section. Let us know what subjects we should cover for you in future.

[grimoireofuisce]

I've been having mixed feelings and really weird dreams about my ex. I've talked to people about it, but i'm not really getting an answer on how to handle the feelings and thoughts. Everyone just says to stay away from things that remind me about them, and that doesn't work for me, cuz they tainted everything in me life. I can't look at anything without them being there in my mind. Do you have any suggestions or advice? Thank you!! I send warm thoughts and good feels.

I’m sorry you’re dealing with this, and I’m sorry no one has given such great advice! :( I’ll try my best. Here’s what I’d do in your situation.

Cutting Ties

STEP ONE - CLEAN YOUR SPACE

What they say about your space helping your mental health is true. If your space is cluttered and messy, you’re more likely to experience stress and anxiety. The same principle applies to removing someone from your life. You may not realize just how much of the other person still lingers in your space.

Tidy the space - do a quick clean up, picking anything up off the floor, clearing off counter spaces, etc

Rearrange things - Move your bed to a new corner of your room, change around the furniture, decorate in new ways that you haven’t before

Do a thorough clean - take some cleaning wipes to the surfaces, do a load of laundry, vacuum the floor, mop, dust. Make that place shine like the top of the empire state

NOTE: Turn on some dance music while you’re cleaning. Dancing is a great way to get rid of negative vibes, and it’ll help you feel better physically, too. I’ve definitely had some Glee dance sessions alone in my living room and I always come out of it feeling a million times better than I did.

STEP TWO - CLEANSE YOUR MENTAL SPACE

This step may be a bit uncomfortable, but the hope is that you’ll come out of it feeling renewed and with a better flow of your energy. You can do the first few parts of this step while CLEANING your space, but I wouldn’t suggest doing so unless you are experienced in energy work and meditation.

Meditate - find a safe space, one with little to no negative energy, and begin meditating. Scan your body then focus on your mind, what you are thinking about, how your thoughts form, what control you have over those thoughts, etc

Think of the person you’re cutting from your life - this may seem counterproductive, and it may hurt, but let them enter your thoughts. Gather all of your thoughts of them and imagine them forming a big ball of energy. Any time new thoughts of them form, don’t linger on the specific thought too long, just shove it on into the energy ball

Release the energy - take their energy that is stored inside you and picture it releasing from the top of your head. Don’t stop there, because you don’t want the energy lingering around in your space. Push the energy far away from you, up into the sky, beyond the atmosphere and out into space. Somewhere where you will never have to deal with it again

Scan once more - do another scan of your thoughts, how they are forming, and if you notice a difference in how you are feeling both mentally and physically. Do a few stretches and really let yourself feel the lightness of your thoughts and body now

STEP THREE - CLEANSE YOUR PHYSICAL SPACE

Don’t forget little nooks and crannies around the house. Closets, under the sink, the junk drawer that you haven’t opened in literal years that now has battery acid from old batteries all over, literally every space in your home. I’ll list a few methods of cleansing below, but if you’re unable to do these things or don’t have the tools, I would suggest looking up different ways of cleansing a space without using too much of your own energy. This exercise is draining enough as it is, you don’t need that.

Smoke cleansing - this can be done with incense or a bundle of dried herbs. The idea is to light the herbs/incense and wave the smoke around. Smoke is a great way of getting rid of negative energies and entities

Rosemary spray - this one is soooooo easy. Literally just steep some rosemary in water as if you’re making tea, throw it in a spray bottle and start spraying the heck out of everything. Spray it in the air as a freshener, spray surfaces (but be sure to wipe things down with a cloth if you’re doing this), etc

Crystal grid - if you’ve got an abundance of crystals, a good way to get negative energies out is to literally channel them out using a crystal grid. Using stones like Citrine and Selenite as a center help capture the negative energies and send them on their way along the grid. I’d say leave this over night then line windows and doorways with onyx or obsidian or black tourmaline. Black tourmaline would be perfect for this

STEP FOUR - GIVE THANKS

There’s really no way to go about this in this situation, and you definitely don’t have to do this step if you don’t want to, I just think that part of the healing process and letting go of someone is mentally thanking them for the lessons they taught you. I don’t believe in coincidences. Everything happens for a reason, and specifically with people, most that don’t stay in our lives served the purpose of teaching us something, either about the world, other people, or ourselves.

OPTIONAL - A SPELL TO CUT TIES

I don’t perform a lot of spells. Most of my magick is done through energy work and crystals, not really any sort of ritual. However, I heard of a spell similar to this years ago when I first started my path with witchcraft and it stuck with me through all the twists and turns.

You will need:

2 black candles

string

scissors

lighter/matches

knife or other etching tool

To perform:

Carve your name on one candle and the other person’s name on the other

Place them before you and tie the candles together near the middle

Light the candles all while keeping them in your thoughts, but not in the forefront. Imagine you are both in a crowded room on opposite ends of it, hardly even noticing the other is there

As you imagine them walking out the door, cut the string that connects the candles. Think to yourself or say out loud “I am no longer burdened by _____’s presence”

Let the candles die out on there own, dispose of the string remnants somewhere away from your space (maybe take a nice walk to a local business or something)

The true key to letting go of them is changing the way you respond to thoughts of them. Instead of letting them be negative and painful thoughts, try working toward using the thoughts as a reminder of the good that came from the relationship (ie. the lessons you learned and how you grew as a person because of their presence in your life). I went through something like this with my ex girlfriend. I couldn’t get her out of my head, the pain of thinking of her was becoming physical, my depression was at its worst because of what had happened between us. But over time I learned that I grew so much as a person from being with her. I learned so much about myself, the type of person I am, and how to love myself. This list isn’t a comprehensive cure-all. It may still take time for the pain to go away, but know that one day you’ll be able to think back on these experiences and appreciate them for the life experience they gave you.

I hope this helped, and I hope things get easier for you soon, friend. If you need someone to talk to please please please don’t hesitate to send us a message.

Love and light xoxo

- Mod K Hart