#obviously i will not be sharing the subject matter but it’s the first ‘productive’ hobby i’ve been able to engage with for a while

[sevenhorns]

Thank you, Taylor

I’ve been writing bits of this for the past few months, unsure as to whether I should actually post this. I don’t usually express myself online and, truth be told, I don’t really express myself massively in real life, either.

I do have a very active internal monologue, though, and on this subject, it’s been such a strong one that I’ve felt compelled to write it down - and now, to publish it. So here goes.

* * *

Over the past few years, I felt myself changing. Becoming more reserved. Feeling sad about things. Finding it hard to cope with seemingly insignificant moments. These were all aspects of my personality that were already there, but as I progressed towards the age of 30, were becoming considerably more amplified. I figured it was just a part of getting older - or at least, that’s what I told myself. There’s been so much talk about mental health and the efforts to destigmatise it (especially among men) that I figured I was associating with symptoms of depression because I was more aware of them, not because I actually had them. 

I was kidding myself.

To cut a long story short, I had a breakdown while working at a very public event and realised that something was very wrong with me. Even then, I tried to push it to the back of my mind, thinking that because I knew and accepted there was something wrong with me that it would somehow ‘cure’ me.

Obviously, I was once again kidding myself.

When work asked me to attend a similar event, I had another breakdown and realised I had to take action. I took time off from my job (who were incredibly supportive) while I took steps to combat my anxiety and depression. I went to the doctor, joined a gym, and found a therapist. For the first time in ages, I felt genuinely optimistic.

The feeling was short-lived. The pills my doctor gave me did nothing, the gym couldn’t fit me in for an induction for two weeks, and the therapist I saw was awful. He listened, but he didn’t hear what I was saying.

At the time all this was happening, Taylor Swift released Lover.

* * *

My journey to becoming a Taylor Swift fan was a slow burn. I wasn’t much into chart music in the late 2000s (I was far too busy being some sort of edgy emo/goth/rocker hybrid) and, being a Brit, Taylor’s music took a while to filter over here. But the moment I heard Love Story, I knew it was right up my street. Over the following years, I heard (by chance, rather than because I’d sought them out) YBWM, The Story of Us, and a couple of others. By the time Red came out, I had to accept that maybe I was just a massive Taylor Swift fan, so I bought all her albums - and loved pretty much all of the songs. 

Ever since, she’s been my absolute favourite artist, both because of her talents as an artist, and the fact that she just seems like a genuinely lovely human being. But I digress

* * *

When 1989 and Reputation released, I listened to them the moment I could. I’d pour myself a nice drink, stick on some headphones, and just listen. It was a new ritual, but one that I was nevertheless looking forward to doing with Lover. But I was in such a mental funk that the album sat on the shelf in its cellophane untouched. I just wasn’t in the mood to get excited about anything - even a new album from my favourite artist.

It was an odd time. I was signed off of work for mental health reasons, but none of the steps I was taking to improve things worked. While I was waiting for my gym induction and an appointment with a new therapist to open up, I was just spending days at home on my own with all this free time... and absolutely nothing to do with it. Wake up, have some breakfast, watch daytime TV, wait for my partner to get home from work, have dinner, go to bed. The breakdowns and anxiety attacks I’d had sucked, but the monotony of sitting around and waiting with nothing but my own broken thoughts for hours on end each day was horrendous. Wallowing in self pity had become a dreadful hobby.

One day, I was sitting at the computer, wasting time doing absolutely nothing productive, when I noticed that the early evening sun was really quite pretty. As I felt its warmth on my back and saw the long shadows being cast across the room, I had a brief moment of motivation: this seemed like as good a time as any to listen to Lover.

* * *

Good decision. I Forgot That You Existed was a solid start, and then came the absolute bop that is Cruel Summer. As that fantastic bridge hit, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony of how much I was enjoying a song called Cruel Summer when my own summer was being pretty cool to me, too.

By the time I hit Paper Rings and Cornelia Street, I realised I’d had a genuine grin on my face and energy in my body. It was the first genuinely positive emotion I’d felt in weeks that was wasn’t the double-edged sword of relief or security. I was happy for the sake of being happy.

By this point, I’d stopped faffing on the computer and was just sitting, watching the golden sunset out of the window. As Daylight finished up, I wiped the moisture from my eyes and played through the whole thing again - not just in the hope of prolonging my happy feelings, but because Lover is quite simply an incredible piece of work.

* * *

I know that saying ‘music cured my depression’ isn’t exactly an original position to be in - and I’m glad of that. I’m glad that music can be such a powerful tool when it comes to mental health that has helped many people. And I wouldn’t say that Taylor Swift and Lover cured my depression - mental health is an ongoing battle that requires some degree of constant effort to maintain and I’m not sure if it can ever truly be ‘cured’ - but it was absolutely a key moment it helping me to turn things around. 

Whenever I listen to it, I get the same feelings of happiness and joy, and all the great feelings of the love I have for my partner, and of how fortunate I am to have such an unbelievably loving and supportive family.

Most of all though, it takes me back to that sunny afternoon. It reminds me of the moment when I made a tiny bit of effort to improve my mental health - and it actually worked. After weeks of trying to help myself and failing each time, this action actually succeeded. It gave me hope that as long as I did the right things and put in the effort, maybe I could get some way back to being me again. That although I felt weak in my mind, I still had enough strength to fight my way out of the hole I found myself in. I was still in there somewhere

No matter the song, the time, or the place, Lover has managed to form a deeply personal connection to me in a way that no other music has ever come close to doing.

* * *

Nine months on and I’m like a different person. No, wait, that’s not right. I’m a different version of the same person. 

The second therapist has turned out to be an absolute gem. I still have low days, but thanks to her, I know how to help turn things around. I know where my fears and anxieties come from, what’s likely to trigger them, and how to try and manage my depression.

I fell in love with the gym. As a guy who used the same weak excuse for three years at school to get out of doing PE, I never saw myself as someone who’d voluntarily exercise, let along enjoy it. I’ve lost 40 lbs since September and no longer feel ashamed of the person I see in the mirror.

I’m not going to say that it’s all thanks to Taylor, because that would be doing a great disservice to the friends, family, co-workers, and health workers who have all been actively brilliant. Also to myself - forgive me some self-indulgence, but I’m also really proud of myself and the part I’ve had to play in improving as a person, and the truths I’ve had to admit (which, as a notoriously stubborn guy, wasn’t always easy!).

But in creating an album so beautifully crafted that it reminded me what happy emotions were, Taylor has been a significant part of my journey. I know the chances of her (or anyone else on the zero-follower blog I created as an output for these thoughts) seeing this are astronomically tiny. 

But on the off-chance that she somehow stumbles across this, I’d just like to say a wholehearted thank you. 

Thank you so much. 

Not only for inadvertently helping me, but for consistently creating such wonderful, expressive, and intelligent music; for speaking out and standing for important social issues; and for being a role model that so many people of all ages and cultures can look up to.

As a 30-something white bloke from the UK, I feel slightly awkward putting something like this out into the open... but then again, why should I? It’s OK to not be OK. It’s OK to be a man with vulnerabilities and emotions. It’s OK to like whatever you like - if it makes people think differently of you then that’s their problem, not yours. Embrace and share your passions and life becomes all the richer for it.

I really hope I’m able to make one of Taylor’s concerts one day. If you’re at one too, and you see an awkward-looking bloke quietly standing there, struggling to hold back happy tears during Afterglow, that might just be me. Feel free to say hi.

[jennifersylvesters]

give a little - part two

Pairing: Chris Evans / Sebastian Stan x fem!reader Word Count: 3.6k~ Warning: swearing Prompt: fake dating ( @petalparker and @suncitydanvers writing challenge ) A/N: /whispers: yeet yoot. new part done. another couple to go. ( if i forgot to tag you, i’m so sorry! i’m in a loopy state at the moment ) hope y’all enjoy! as always, feedback is appreciated and loved!

You never thought much about the idea of having two boyfriends. After all you were fortunate enough to just have one. So nothing could’ve prepared you for the certain problems that arose when dealing with Sebastian and Chris.

It turned out that Chris was quite demanding when he wasn’t the center of attention. “I need you to come over.” “Do you remember which Mexican restaurant is my favorite? Not fake Chris’s, but mine? Lucy will expect you to know this.” “Can you tell fake Chris to stop bothering you so you can help me with something?” He wasn’t one for sharing, insisting he needed your utmost attention. Whether or not that was the truth wasn’t his concern. His demanding behavior was taking a toll on Sebastian whose patience was running thin.

“If he calls me “fake Chris” one more time, I swear I’m gonna knock him out” Sebastian threatened as the two of you walked to the parking garage one morning. He grumbled about Chris being an absolute jackass and how he couldn’t understand how you put up with his whining. You wondered how two grown men could act like complete children.

You sympathized with Seb reminding him that it wouldn’t be much longer dealing with this fake relationship. Just one coffee date and it would all be over. He wouldn’t be burdened with this mess anymore.

Unlike Chris, Sebastian wasn’t needy. In fact Sebastian complied with whatever you asked. Would he gel his hair back? Sure. Could he wear that dark brown leather jacket for the date? Okay. Did he mind coming over to discuss certain details Jake would expect Sebastian to know? No problem at all.

The only thing that bothered you were his constant reminders of the inevitability you would get caught.

“Don’t tell Jake, and we won’t get caught” you would irritatedly counter back. Sometimes he sat too high on his moral pedestal that you wanted to give him a swift kick off. But he offered you help in one of your weakest moments so you weren’t in a position to say anything. At least not yet.

Twenty-seven steps forward. Swivel on the heel. And start all over again.

“You alright there?” Glancing up you spotted Sebastian leaning against his apartment door with an amused smile.

You had been pacing back and forth in the hallway waiting for him. Smoothing down your skirt, you flashed him a tense grin. It was a tricky question. Technically you were alright. You were in good health and looked nice. You made sure to doll up knowing you were meeting Jake today. This time you were fully prepared for anything.

Except there was a sickening feeling in your stomach that something would inevitably go wrong. It gnawed away as you muttered that you were fine. Concern visibly read on your face as Seb burst into laughter.

“I’m not gonna mess this up for you” he promised.

The two of you walked side by side towards the designated cafe in nervous silence. A couple blocks before you reached your destination, you suddenly took hold of his hand.

He stopped walking and stared down at your interlocked hands.

“It’s for the date! Fake dating obviously! Erm, gotta hold hands before we get there so that this looks authentic, y’know?” you babbled.

Feeling rather embarrassed you began to let go of his hand when he gripped back.

“Makes sense. I just...It caught me off guard that’s all.”

You nodded at him and he mirrored your action.

It was clear the two of you needed to focus. You asked him to repeat your favorite drink and pastry, which he recited quickly. He gave your hand a squeeze as if to say “we got this”. You began walking once more - this time hand in hand - confident this could work. The two of you could totally fake this.

And at first it seemed plausible. The two of you greeted Jake in unison with ridiculously chipper smiles. Seb ordered for you and scooted his chair close as the three of you conversed. He slung his arm around your shoulder, laughing at all the right times while agreeing with anything you said. Yet the finer details began showing cracks.

As Jake offered his extra pastry to Sebastian, you shook your head and placed a hand out.

“Oh, Chris actually doesn’t like that” you stated patting your fake boyfriend’s knee.

“I, uh, actually really like blueberry scones” Sebastian mumbled under his breath.

“Wait, so that was...other?” you whispered so Jake couldn’t hear. Were you thinking of the actual Chris?

Sebastian nodded his head. Crap.

“Shoot. I must’ve confused Chris with...my...grandmother.” Sebastian pursed his lips, trying his best not to laugh at your improvisation.

“You mistake your fake boyfriend for your grandmother often?” he whispered in your ear. There was no way he would let you forget that.

“Didn’t your grandma pass away two years ago?” Jake tapped his chin as he recalled the event. So he couldn’t remember your best friend’s birthday party, but he could remember your grandmother’s passing? How convenient.

“Yes...But my other grandma...She’s alive…And she doesn’t like blueberry scones” you managed to piece together. Sebastian bit down concealing a smile that threatened to pop out. Neither of you were particularly good liars, which made this interaction all the more difficult.

Jake asked “Chris” what he did in his spare time and the other man rattled off various hobbies. The two of them found they both enjoyed hiking launching into a discussion of the best trails.  

“Yeah, Y/N and I go hiking sometimes” Seb grinned causing your face to pale.

“Really? The last time I tried to do that, she was a wheezing mess when we finished. She told me that she’d rather have her foot sawed off than hike again” Jake raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

“Se-Chris and I only did it once” you quickly interjected.

“And she was very enthusiastic the whole time” Sebastian chirped.

You knew Sebastian was trying to make things better yet his additions only added to the cracks.

“Huh. That’s so funny. I tried seeing if she might give it a second chance at that path near Northview, and she told me she’d rather stab herself than hike again.” Fuck. Why was he fact checking so hard?

“Well, people do funny things for love” you replied, leaning into Seb. “Do not take me hiking” you hissed into his ear.

“Duly noted” he whispered back.

“What are you two lovebirds whispering about?” Jake forced a laugh as you both chimed it was nothing.

As the three of you continued chatting, you hadn’t noticed your best friend on the other side of the street waving in your direction. Tessa was about to shout your name when Sebastian pulled you close and whispered something in your ear. As you flirtatiously giggled in response, her jaw dropped. Who was this attractive man you were flirting with, and why wasn’t she informed about this sooner?

Despite her confrontational nature, she eyed the situation carefully. When she spotted Jake in the midst, she scowled. Something was definitely up.

Tessa decided she wouldn’t cause a scene. At least not today. She pulled out her phone and snapped a photo of you and Sebastian. She would ask when the time was right. Lucky for you, the two of you had plans to meet up on Friday.

Tessa’s presence never even registered on your radar, more preoccupied with muddling through this sticky situation.

As the conversation steered towards your job, you shared a concerned glance with your fake boyfriend. The two of you never discussed your careers. Hopefully Sebastian would keep quiet and let you handle the matter.

“Actually the reason I wanted to meet with you is because of your job at SHIELD Enterprises” Jake cleared his throat, straightening up as he placed his hands on the table.

“As you know both of our companies are launching co-branding products at the end of the month.” You nodded. Of course you knew. Your work inbox was full of constant reminders for the “monumental” launch. It was becoming so irritating that you resorted to sending those emails to your spam file.

You eyed Jake as he spoke about how excited he was for this launch, how good this would be for both companies. You weren’t sure if he was trying to convince you and Sebastian or speaking for the sake of filling space. Either way you wanted him to get to the point.

“I know both of our job’s departments will be working on a couple things as they finalize the deal.” You tried your best to keep a composed face even though this news took you by surprise. Perhaps you should’ve read all the updates.

“I just didn’t want things to become uncomfortable or turn unprofessional if we have to work together. And I know we didn’t end things on a great note-” You grunted, unable to contain your disdain about the subject. “-But I’m glad that you’re happy with Chris.” Sebastian mustered up a smile as he squeezed your hand. “And I can’t wait to see you both at the gala in a couple weeks.”

Wait. What?

“What gala?” you asked, head perking up at this news.

“Oh, you know. They’re planning on throwing a gala to celebrate the success of the co-branding. Everyone’s going to the party at The Ritz. I assume you’re attending?”

“I...am” you choked out. Suddenly those spam emails seemed more necessary than ever.

“And I’m sure Chris here is accompanying you” Jake added. Sebastian stared at your horrified expression that he didn’t notice Jake calling him. “Chris? Chris, buddy? You’re going, right?”

It wasn’t until Jake nudged Sebastian that he finally snapped out of it. “Oh. Yes. Me. I’m Chris. Yes” he rambled trying to focus on what had been said.

“You’re of course joining us at the gala, right?” Jake watched him expectantly. Sebastian froze. Jake’s question completely caught him off guard. He opened his mouth but nothing came out.

“You wouldn’t let your girlfriend attend that soirée all by her lonesome, would you?” Despite Jake’s teasing tone, there was an underlying challenge presented. “Chris” wouldn’t just abandon his girlfriend at one of her biggest work events, right?

“...O-Of course not. I’ll, uh, be there” Sebastian finally stammered out.

“Great!” Jake drummed his hands on the table as you and Sebastian stayed frozen in position. “Coffee’s on me. Can’t wait to see you both” he winked as he placed a couple twenties on the table. He pushed back his chair and walked out of the cafe leaving you both in a daze.

“So…” Sebastian started, unable to find the right words.

“So…” you echoed, staring down at your coffee. The two of you had been so close to pulling this off yet Jake pulled the rug right under at last minute.

You both internally questioned what this meant now.

“Guess I’m gonna be “Chris” for a little longer?” he realized out loud. Hearing the words slip out, he bobbed his head up and down. He didn’t like the idea of playing pretend - especially if that meant being Chris Evans - but he was starting to accept this sad reality.

“Guess we’re still fake dating then” you concluded as you slowly nodded your head along in rhythm.

“I guess so.”

The two of you continued nodding your heads, just a pair of idiotic bobbleheads stuck faking a relationship for a little bit longer.

So maybe you weren’t too confident you could pull this off.

“Too high. That’s too high.”

Chris scoffed at your comment, moving his hands down slightly. “How about now?”

“Still kinda high.”

“If I move my hand any further down, it might as well rest on your ass” he pointed out. You glared as he took his hand off your side only to hold both hands in the air. “I’m just saying…”

You shook your head muttering how unbelievable he was. Wheeling the grocery cart down the bakery section, you reckoned you should’ve just stayed home.

In fact you originally planned on relaxing after a long day at work, but Chris had other plans. He insisted the two of you needed to make the relationship look believable by spending more time together.

When he invited you to grocery shop with him, you initially declined. You didn’t have money to freely spend just to hang out with a fake boyfriend. That changed when he said he would pay for your groceries. Not a bad toss up.

Except it turned out that Chris could be annoyingly bossy. As much as you wanted free groceries, you weren’t sure it was worth dealing with his attitude.

He was in the midst of figuring out how to make it seem like you two were a naturally loving couple instead of complete strangers. Yet whenever he touched you affectionately, you couldn’t help but jolt away or instantly freeze.

“Stop tensing up” he instructed as you whined that you were doing your best. His actions were far too intimate for someone you barely knew. Your suggestions of just an arm around your shoulder or even linking arms were vetoed immediately.

“That’s something I would do with my relatives. It has to be believable” he urged. You internally groaned as you rolled your eyes.

Every time he complained, you found yourself throwing something into the cart. Why not? He was paying after all. If he wanted to be annoying, two could play that game.

“I’m not made of money like Robert Downey Jr., y’know?” he reminded you after you tossed in two bags of Doritos.

You let out a snort. Despite knowing the logistical name of his job, you still weren’t sure what he actually did. “I’m not expecting you to be a tech billionaire, but you did say you were paying.”

“That’s when I didn’t think you were buying the whole store” he complained. Staring him dead in the eye, you swiped another bag of Doritos into the cart.

Chris rolled his eyes before wrapping his arms around your waist. You stiffened at his touch prompting him to laugh. “Most women would kill for this. You know that, right?”

Taking in his features, you understood why women liked him. He had that all-American charm and was certifiably handsome. But you were finding out that beneath the dreamy smile was a man with a lot more bite than you initially expected.

He kept hold on your waist as you realized he wasn’t wrong. Perhaps it was a conceited notion but you saw the way others gushed and pined over Chris. Other women wanted that domestic lifestyle with him yet he would never even think about that possibility. You pointed out that you were in this situation because one woman in particular would legitimately kill for this. 

“I’m gonna get murdered by her, aren’t I?” you worried out loud.

“I’ll start getting your funeral preparations ready. I’m sure one of these aisles has some flowers I can lay on your casket” he joked.

Meanwhile Tessa was doing grocery shopping of her own. As she debated whether she wanted carrots, broccoli, or to screw the healthy choices in general, she spotted you getting comfortable with Chris.

Her eyes widened witnessing him wrap his arms around you. He said something that must’ve been hilarious because you to burst into laughter. Tessa nearly toppled over the orange stand watching you flirt with another attractive man with such ease.

Taking out her phone, she snapped a couple of pics. The two of you had a lot to discuss this Friday.

Completely oblivious to your friend’s nearby presence, you gently shoved Chris away before turning back to the cart. He laid his head on your shoulders blowing a bit of air on the shell of your ear. Swatting him off, you began pushing the cart oblivious to Tessa rushing away. “You ever think that this Lucy situation might be a sign that you should settle down?” you questioned earning you a booming laugh.

“Absolutely not. If anything, it convinces me that I’d be stupid to do so.”

“Such an optimist.”

“I like to keep grounded in reality.”

“Then let me remind you that the reality is you have a stalker. And you probably should’ve reported her.” He laughed again and insisted you didn’t need to be so concerned. Chris never really worried seeing as he wasn’t on the receiving end of Lucy’s death glares. Lucky him. Kind of.

“Seriously, though. You really need to find a better girl” you advised.

“Too much work” he retorted tossing a box of cereal into the cart.

“Yet you’d put in the effort to have a fake girlfriend? Just imagine what you could get done if you actually tried.” Finding the box of protein bars on your shopping list, you placed it in the cart before wheeling around.

“You sound like my parents” he grunted, scratching the nape of his neck.

“Yes, that’s what every fake girlfriend likes to hear. She wants to know that she reminds you of your parents. God, that gets her all hot and bothered” you teased.

Chris gripped the cart near the handle, forcing you to stop moving. Had you gone too far?

Slowly he leaned in close making your heart beat quickly. With his serious manner, your mind went blank and got lost in those brilliantly blue eyes. His face was only inches away, his gaze never leaving yours.

He pulled away, revealing a can of pasta sauce in his hand. You turned your head realizing he grabbed the jar from behind you.

“Did that get you hot and bothered?” he cheekily asked with an eyebrow raised.

You scowled. Of course he was messing with you. Maybe men like Chris weren’t destined to settle down.

Grabbing the sauce from him, you put it in the cart before grabbing three more jars and two boxes of pasta. The only revenge you could do was to raise the bill. A cocky expression lingered on his face as he grinned at your flushed appearance.

“So it did?”

“Shut up, Chris.”

You typed away on your work keyboard, glancing at the clock every couple minutes. While you enjoyed Fridays, the anticipation for the weekend always made you antsy especially after lunch. The weekend was tangible but not in your grasp quite yet.

As five o’ clock rolled around, you quickly packed up and headed to your favorite cafe to meet up with your best friend. You hadn’t seen Tessa in a couple weeks so it was nice to finally catch up in person.

“Hey!” you threw your arms around Tessa, bringing her in for a tight hug.

The two of you settled into your seats before the waitress came by to take your order. Getting your usual, you asked Tessa how things were going. It was the typical response; everything was as good as they could be.

She watched you closely as the waitress set down glasses of water. “So...How are things with you?” she asked nonchalantly drumming her fingers across the table. You shrugged stating everything was relatively the same. The lie slipped out easier than you thought it would. While you didn’t like keeping secrets from her, the less people that knew about the circumstances the better.

“Are you seeing anyone?” she asked.

You hummed, bringing the cup to your mouth. “Not really” you played off casually.

“”Liar!” she shouted so loud causing you to choke. A couple people glanced your way but she paid no attention. Tessa yanked out her phone, smashing in her passcode before pulling up the photos of you with the two men.

You had two options: you could admit the truth or you could lie.For some reason you picked the latter. Trying to play it cool, you insisted that wasn’t you. “Th-That could be anyone” you nervously argued.

“Obviously that’s you” Tessa’s deadpan expression made it clear she wasn’t buying it. “You think I don’t know what my best friend looks like? Plus you’re wearing the skirt you borrowed from me two months ago with that coffee guy. I want that back by the way.”

You knew there was no point in denying any longer when she not only had proof but a tenacious attitude to back up her claims. So you admitted that you were in both those photos hoping she wouldn’t pry. Ever the optimistic thinking.

She stared at you expectantly, waiting for you to continue. There was no way she was dropping the matter without hearing a proper explanation. While she expected to hear that you were just getting back in the dating pool, her eyes widened at the elaborate schemes currently going on.

Tessa had you break down everything slowly so she could fully process the situation. She grimaced at the mention of Jake, sticking out her tongue in disgust. Even when you were dating, Tessa never liked him and made no effort to disguise her feelings. You ignored the her comment about how either men was an upgrade from your ex.

Once you finished, you looked fixedly at her waiting to hear her final thoughts.

“So you’re dating two men?” Tessa posited looking for clarity on the situation.

“Technically no” you answered slowly.

“Oh, so you’re…” she paused, raising her eyebrows with a smirk. With one hand, she held up her pointer finger. With the other, she made a small circle connecting her thumb to the other pointer finger. She proceeded gesture crudely in and out of the circle, causing your face to redden.

“No!” You swatted her hands as she giggled. “It’s not like that!” Your face heated up at the idea of doing anything sexual with either of them.

“I know there wasn’t much you could really do about the Chris situation, but you didn’t have to go that far with Sebastian.” You blinked, confused by her words. “You realize you could’ve just told Jake that “Chris” was sick, right?” You said nothing, letting this sink in.

She was right. There had been no reason to drag Sebastian this far along. It could’ve been a brief coffee meeting with a “see you at the mandatory meetings and then never again” ending. Perhaps both of you were absolute morons.

“So...Should I just attend the gala by myself then?” you wondered out loud.

“You could. But knowing Jake, he’ll probably give you grief about you being by yourself” Tessa pointed out. That sounded highly probable. You could imagine Jake acting sympathetic, He would shoot you “poor Y/N is all by herself” looks with his arm snaked around whatever hot chick he decided to bring that night.

“Honestly I think it’d be nice for you to have a bit of arm candy by your side. It’d probably drive Jake crazy. Plus it’d be a nice confidence boost” she suggested. You mulled the thought, figuring it would be a nice blow to Jake’s ego. “I’m sure both boys would look good in a tux. Well, whichever one you choose to bring to the gala” she added.

“Stop!” you smacked her arm.

With a tut and a shake of her head, she laughed “Y’all are messy.” She sipped her water as you heaved out a heavy breath. That was the understatement of the century.

tags list: @sleepybesson, @supernatural-girl97, @tomhaz, @sophiatomlinson23 | @achishisha, @almostrosadiazz, @allynalemons, @blueskiesbleakeyes, @jbarnes87, @kendratheweird, @kenzieiam (?), @sillydecoy

[fluentlanguage]

Language Coaches: What They Are and How to Work With Them

Language coaches are the hidden treasure of the language learning world.

An amazing coach can train you up, just like a sports coach, to be an incredible language learner.

But if you don't pick a great match (or don't work with them in the right way), you can end up frustrated and out a lot of money.

In this master post, you’ll find everything you need to figure out exactly what a language coach will do for you and how to get the most out of every session.

By the end of this guide, you will have:

an actionable plan to start with a language coach,

how to get the most out of your investment, and

how to use alternative products to get better at language learning.

What is a Language Coach?

Before we get into the super helpful topics on this list, let’s explain what a language coach is and isn't.

That's because there are a ton of misconceptions about what a language coach's responsibilities are and confusion about the differences between a language coach and language teacher.

Pretend you are an English speaker learning French. You would need a French teacher who also speaks French, right?

Well for a language coach, it doesn't matter if they speak French or not.

You could even be working on a language that that language coach had never even heard of before! That's because a coach isn't going to teach you any specific language skills.

So what are they going to teach you?

To put this into perspective, what sets strong adult language learners apart is their ability to troubleshoot their own problems; come up with unique solutions; and build strong study habits.

A language coach will help you become that strong language learner. Unless you bring up specific problems with grammar, vocabulary, or any language learning skills, those won't be the focus of your sessions.

Sure those rules can be broken, but in general, a teacher will help you catch and fix errors by explicitly telling you the "right" way to do something.

But because we are all individuals with our own personal learning styles, busy lives, language goals, and language anxieties, a language coach will more likely focus on solving your problems with you: but not necessarily telling you the one "right" way to do something.

There's also the question of what makes someone a language coach.

With language teachers, there are large institutes, recognized accreditation programs, and achievable diplomas to show a student that they are qualified to teach a certain language. Not all language teachers have these, but many do.

But with language coaches, there is no universally recognized accreditation or certification program.

So how do students decide if the coach is the best expert for them? All language coaches speak several languages so they know your struggle and have been in your shoes. They usually have blogs, YouTube channels, podcasts, or books on the subject so you can judge their expertise for yourself. Because of all of this, language coaches are a bit harder to qualify. (But don't worry: we'll give you some good tools for how to do so below.)

Finally, neither a language coach nor a language teacher can fix your problems themselves.

Language learning is one of the most egalitarian skills in this world because you cannot buy it from anyone.

Sure, people with more money may also have more time: but it's truly a question of who is willing to put in the effort.

So before you consider going any further, you must ask yourself: if I work with a language expert, am I willing to put in what it takes to train myself into an amazing language learner?

How to find a language coach you love

Now that we've cleared that up, follow this roadmap and you are bound to find a language coach that you love.

Follow along and see what your next steps might be:

The most important thing here is that you find the best-fit coach for you yourself.

So outside of a quick Google search, our advice is that you follow potential coaches outside of social media and see what they really have to say.

No matter what, we highly recommend learning more about language learning whether or not you find a coach.

To do so, check out The Fluent Show (a podcast about loving, living, and learning languages) or any other number of linguistics podcasts or linguistics books.

The most important thing you are building with a language coach is your metacognitive and metalinguistic skills - that means knowing more about how language learning works and how to set up the right study systems for yourself.

And while a coach can be an amazing investment along the way, ultimately it's up to the student to truly learn and practice their skills.

Next up, the best tips to help you prepare for a future coaching relationship.

But if you're looking for an alternative to language coaching, you’ll find those in the final section of this article.

What To Expect & How To Prepare for Working With A Language Coach

If you've never worked with a language coach before, it can feel vulnerable to open up about your problems to a stranger. Here’s what to expect from your first language coach meeting:

A Chat with Nicole: Illustrator and Language Coachee

Nicole began studying French at university, but after moving to the UK wanted to dedicate more time towards her language studies. Her problem? How to find time and dedication for solo learning after the beginning stages. How do you get really good?

If you're a podcast fan, listen to this Fluent Show episode either in-browser here or where ever you listen to your favourite podcasts. In it, Nicole and I talk more about what working together to solve Nicole's problems was like.

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A Talk with Suzanne: Grad Student and Language Coachee

Suzanne (@suzanne.linguist on Instagram) is a self-proclaimed language dabbler, who's hobby has always been trying out little bits of languages here and there.

But as she moves closer to finishing her Master's in Library Science, she wanted to take her linguistic curiosity to the next level and work towards fluency in several languages.

That's when she began working with me as her language coach. Here are some of the tips she laid out for anyone thinking about trying out coaching for the first time.

1. Feeling a little nervous is normal.

Suzanne admits she was excited, "and also feeling a little anxious." Not knowing what to expect is normal, and with time going into sessions will feel more and more natural.

2. When booking your session, leave a note to your coach about what you want to talk about.

When using an online booking platform, most coaches have a place where you can leave a note. If you have an idea of what you want to discuss during your session, you can drop it there for them to glance at before the session.

3. During the days before your session, reflect on your problem.

Suzanne's two biggest tips involve preparing yourself for your session.

"First and foremost, come with questions," she says. "Second, have some idea of your topic priorities. My best sessions with Kerstin are when I’m very well prepared."

And how can you go about thinking about those questions?

"I’ve tried different methods [of preparing]," says Suzanne. "I once did a mind map. Usually I brainstorm in a digital note. And always I ask a polyglot friend or two, which is invaluable, as they’ll remind of things I brought up but had forgotten about."

4. Be present and truthful.

There might be a bit of nervousness in the first session or two, Suzanne reflected. But she also joked: "Stay calm... you’re in good hands!"

Remember: language coaches have seen plenty of problems before, so if you openly share your roadblocks or frustrations with them, that's not admitting failure. In fact, it's the first step to fixing the problem!

Straying off-topic a bit of thinking out loud might be a normal part of this process. "I can get off on tangents," admits Suzanne.

But part of working through these problems is also helping you explore different angles while saying on the right path.

5. Have a scrap paper nearby, but don't worry about it.

"I don’t usually take notes," says Suzanne.

The goal is to be present and thoughtful. But jotting something down might be helpful every once in a while.

6. After your session, take time to reflect and plan.

Coaching tends to get your creative juices flowing. For some people, pausing post-session to journal or talk to someone can be a great extension of what you worked on with your coach.

"In the hours following a meeting, I often brief polyglot friends on any new ideas or directions," says Suzanne. "I also put any time-bound items in my task manager, which is where I organize my language hobby."

7. Use your new skills and solutions during the coming weeks

Remember: a language coach can't magically teach you a language. (Teaching you a language isn't even their job!)

So it's important to take ownership of your own learning process. See what works, see what doesn't, and see everything through.

Then, bring in those new experiments and experiences into your next session.

8. Connect with other language learners

Over and over in our interview, Suzanne kept bringing up one thing: the online language community.

First, and most obviously, there are the native speakers of the languages we want to learn.

"I'm motivated to learn modern languages because I'm fascinated by cultures and communities. Interacting with native speakers, I've learned so much about their lives and the way they think."

But outside of just language exchanges or tutoring relationships, there are also huge communities on Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, and Tumblr of other people who, regardless of language, want to connect with us.

"Language learning for me brings more joy when I can geek out with those who 'get' me," she says. "I love the mutual encouragement [and] the camaraderie."

With this community, you don't necessarily need to speak the same language--just love to talk about struggles, victories, and new experiences.

"Sometimes we're too close to ourselves to see the bigger picture," says Suzanne. "Language friends and coaches inspire and inform us!"

3 Alternatives to Language Coaching

If language coaching is out of your budget, that doesn't mean that you can't benefit from the advice of experts.

Here are the top 3 alternatives to language coaching.

1. Language podcasts

There are plenty of language learning podcasts hosted by experienced language learners and coaches who will fill your feed with awesome educational material.

PROS: My own podcast, the Fluent Show, has a massive back catalogue of over 200 episodes, many of which answer the most common questions you have about language learning. It's inspirational, educational, and will always be free.

CONS: Unlike one-on-one coaching, there's no one to address your specific problems or help with follow-up questions.

Click here to listen to The Fluent Show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or search your favourite podcast platform today.

2. Linguistics Books

Plenty of language learning experts have written some amazing linguistics books specifically for language learners.

PROS: Linguistics books are thoroughly researched and edited by professionals, meaning the quality of content and advice is going to be much higher than other platforms like YouTube.

CONS: Since your library is unlikely to stock this niche category of books, you'll likely have to invest a few dollars into buying them.

But as a starting point, check out these in-depth interviews with two awesome book authors who specialise in language learning!

Becoming Fluent by Dr Roger Kreuz

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Ultralearning by Scott Young

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Find more linguistics book recommendations for language learners here!.

3. The Language Habit Toolkit

Finally, there's the Language Habit Toolkit.

The Toolkit is designed to help students solve the 10 most common problems they are likely to see a language coach about, and costs less than a first coaching session might. It includes (1) a multimedia training on Teachable.com, (2) printable worksheets and accountability trackers, and (3) plenty of annual goodies like live trainings, study sessions, and pop-up community groups.

PROS: It will help you solve the most common problems language learners have for a price that's better than coaching. It's not only a training, but comes with monthly activities, planners, and trackers.

CONS: It requires more self-discipline than working with a coach since you have no human holding you to using it.

Conclusion: What Do You Do Next?

This article was designed to give you the most in-depth understanding possible of what language coaching is and how you could use it.

But ultimately, you won't know if it's a good fit for you until you try it out.

As you leave this article, consider reviewing the above flow chart and picking your next action based on what makes the most sense for you.

Click here to contact me about a trial session, click here for the Language Habit Toolkit, or check out The Fluent Show on your favourite podcasting platform.

[autstudy]

Study Monday #7: Maintaining a Work/Rest Balance

(or ‘how to get stuff done without being absolutely drained 24/7’)

Disclaimer! This post is written by an autistic student and is mostly aimed at other autistic students, but some of this advice can be applied to anyone who uses spoon theory of chronic illness. So if you’re not autistic, feel free to use this info and add your own advice, but keep in mind that my main target audience is autistic students.

 So tell me if this sounds familiar. You’re a disabled student in school/college/uni and your mental and physical energy is limited. You work hard to meet your goals and generally try your best to be a good student. Somehow, you never have days when everything goes exactly as you planned: you either get practically nothing done, or seriously overwork yourself – and it’s annoying. You read every single time management guide out there, but nothing written for neurotypical/abled people seems to work – and it’s frustrating. And it doesn’t stop.

While some of your classmates get straight As, have active social lives and three different hobbies, you have to work twice as hard just to pass all your classes. You get even less done on ‘bad’ days, and on ‘good’ days you try to catch up and push yourself beyond the point of no return into a void of exhaustion – a vicious cycle fueled by guilt and executive dysfunction. You fall sleep hugging your planner. Life outside academia? You don’t know her. Your soul has been replaced with ECTS points. You… okay, a bit of hyperbole there, but I think you got the point.

If this is relatable for you, congratulations, you are not alone – this basically describes my freshmen year of university. I was very motivated to be a perfect student, but the problem was, there is no definition of perfect student, and constantly comparing yourself to your classmates is a very bad idea. As a result, I was perpetually tired, often miserable, and definitely not getting the grades I wanted. Well, this year I am determined to not repeat my own mistakes. Here’s what I learned about balancing work and rest as an autistic student.

 First of all, you new study motto should be ‘Work smart, not hard’. The key to actually getting stuff done with limited energy is to get the most out of every minute. That means analyzing your to-do list and throwing out everything that is not necessary. That means focusing on active learning instead of repetition. That means being honest to yourself about your goals and abilities. Etc. You can read this post for more info.

Below are my tips, tricks and advice on how to apply that motto to studying. Obviously, everything I list here is subjective and I won’t guarantee it will work for you – try it for yourself to find out.

·        You know those hour approximations next to ECTS points in the syllabus? That’s useless information. They are written by professors who have no idea how much time it actually takes to prepare for tests/exams, and honestly, nobody can even make those approximations, since everyone learns very differently. The hour numbers, ignore them. The only thing they’re good for is estimating whether the subject is lecture/class based or homework based (like whether you should focus more on class attendance or your own research).

·        However it is a good idea to know approximately how much time it takes you to read a chapter or write 1000 words or solve a math problem. Measure the time needed to complete each task a couple times, get an average and write it down. Do that for as many tasks as you want. It will give you some idea of how time actually flows for you, since our brains aren’t always great at making estimations.

·        Start preparing for exams from day one. This is a piece of advice that annoys me a lot, but it is true. There should be a period of exam preparation (three weeks is what works for me), but you are much better off studying throughout the semester/year consistently. It is much easier to catch up on material if the exam is two months (and not two days) away. So try to create reliable study habits.

·        Find study methods that work for you. Try every single one if you need to until you find out what works for you. Focus on active learning: ask questions, research stuff, quiz yourself, etc. Everyone is different. I learn great at lectures, but some people get nothing out of them. I love rewriting my notes, but for many of you, it is a waste of time. Be wary of neurotypical study advice! Sometimes it is brilliant, and sometimes it is utterly useless. Unfortunately, you can only find out by trying.

·        Now we get to the tricky part. Thing is, energy levels and abilities fluctuate a lot from day to day, and there is no way of predicting where you will be tomorrow. Some day you might have all the time in the world, but no executive functioning. Some days you have energy to achieve so much, but no time to do it. And that’s why it is so easy to get caught into this cycle of either doing nothing or overworking yourself.

·        First thing you need to do to break out of that cycle is to realize that hard work isn’t always productive work. You can rewrite your entire textbook in perfect handwriting and that might do zero good. Often I end up doing useless work just because I feel guilty and feel like I need to do something to be productive – and I end up achieving nothing and feeling even more guilty. Part of that is unlearning ableist ideas! I might write a post about this in the future.

·        Now what I try to do is to decrease that gap between my good days and my bad days. I aim for getting more stuff done on days when I would otherwise procrastinate, and resting more on days when I would work non-stop till I collapse on my bed. And it is difficult, but achievable.

·        Again, study habits! For me it means re-reading my lecture/class notes every day before bed and typing them down on weekends. It also means doing my homework as soon as possible and setting my own deadlines closer than they are in reality. And it means not missing lectures and class, ever, because that’s where I learn best – and for me it is like 60% of passing my exams. Habits are great, because once they become part of your daily routine, it is much easier to do them.

·        Remember that you don’t just have deficits, you have superpowers as well. Embrace unusual study methods! It doesn’t matter how weird they are, as long as they work. Find your superpowers and use them. For example, I recall information better if I explain it to someone, or simply infodump about it, so I talk to myself a lot – and it works. Embrace the weird.

·        And finally, remember about self-care. That doesn’t mean eating a smoothie bowl for breakfast at 7am in the morning and writing in a journal about all the things you are grateful for (although if that works for you, sure keep doing that). Often it just means going to bed half an hour early, or dropping an optional class you don’t like, or asking people for help. In the long run, it will do more for you than making those flashcards even though you are exhausted. You will learn much better as a happy, well-rested human being.

 Conclusion:

When your energy is limited, a good work/rest balance isn’t always about keeping a bullet journal and getting up at 6am every day. It is about knowing your limits and using your abilities to the max. You need to be honest about your goals and remember that studying doesn’t look like those aesthetic photos in the studyblr tag. You aren’t perfect (nobody is), but you can achieve a lot. Even if you don’t get straight As. Even if on some days you feel like giving up. You survived every single bad day so far, and you can survive much more.

I hope this helped, at least a little. Have a great week.

 What are your thoughts on this topic? Share them in the replies and/or asks!

[love4study]

Step To Step Detail How Blogs Work and What is Blog

How Blogs Work and What Is Blog

Do You Know what this blogging is about, What is blog, How do bloggers make money in blogging? And how are blogs and websites different? You are not just with questions. I also had time.

I have been involved in web development for over 8 years. I felt that I never had a blog. I also remember telling my mother that I never had one. I can't figure out why anyone would have an online diary that other people could read. I started my first blog, a niche Tech blog. There is nothing like a diary blog that started this whole blogging. Why did I start my first blog? Entrepreneurial opportunities thrill me. I wonder if you can really make money blogging and how much. How are you? What is Blog? Are you curious too,

What Is Bolg?

Blogs are essentially online journals with entries known as posts. When you read a blog, you will see that the latest blog posts appear in reverse chronological order, with the most recent appearing posts. A typical blog post will usually include text and graphics. While videos and podcasts are less common, these forms of media are growing in popularity. In the 90s, blogs referred to as online diaries were called weblogs, which was later shortened to blogs. They have since evolved into a multibillion-dollar industry. Personal, non-commercial blogs still exist, but more often we find that blogs are being used by entrepreneurs. Blogs provide great benefits! For one, they provide entrepreneurs with a cost-effective platform for various marketing purposes.

Difference between Blog and Website

If you do not know the difference between a blog and a website, you are not alone. A common question I've heard is, "Should I start a blog or a website. Blogs and websites are often used for interchange. This causes confusion. Minimize the difference between a blog and a website.

A blog is a feature that can be added to the website if needed. It is like an online magazine with entries. These entries are usually called posts. You are currently reading a post on our blog which is part of our website. So, if someone says that they have a blog, they definitely have a website. A website can exist without a blog. But a blog cannot exist without a website. Many websites do not require a blog. So, if someone says that they have a website, they may or may not have a blog. There are three types of websites in relation to blogs: The website is a blog. There is a blog on the website. The website does not have a blog. Let's look at each of these websites in more detail. Website is blog and What is Blog Many websites, in this way, revolve around the content found in blogs, which contain other website content. These websites usually have a blog, about page, contact page, disclaimer page and anything else. They are often referred to as blog sites. Website has a Blog The blog is part of the website but not the main focus of the website. There are blogs from companies like Hostigier (our web host provider) and Amazon. You can find them in the footer menu under your websites. Obviously, the focus of these websites is not their blog. Their focus is on selling products and services. Many businesses use their blogs to help and inform their customers. Website does not have a blog Not much to explain here, right? The website does not have a blog. Most, if not all, no-blog websites cannot create a blog if they need to but for now, they simply have their own website. Why are starting a blog? Businesses create blogs to create blogs, share news, build relationships, and improve SEO (search engine optimization). How do SEOs improve? Search engines reward fresh, valuable content with high rankings. Higher search engine rankings should equal higher website traffic and better revenue. But why would someone want to create a blog?  A blog gives people a platform to: To express thoughts, opinions, and opinions. To raise social awareness. To find a better job. For networking. To improve writing skills Educating or influencing others. To show skill and talent. For accountability and self-motivation. To express creativity. For self-promotion. Expressing feelings for cathartic purposes. to resume. For networking. To connect with like-minded individuals. to make friends. To know about a subject. For accountability and self-motivation. To inspire others. To improve self-worth Creating web traffic for an event, institution, non-profit or business. To Make Money People blog for a lot of reasons. No matter what, most bloggers want to make money with their blogs. Let's take a look at how bloggers make money. How do bloggers make money blogs? What is Blog Bloggers make money blogging and you can too. First of all, you have to make high-quality content. Your content will help bring traffic to your blog and build trust with readers. Once you have visitors to your blog you have the ability to make money. Even modest blog traffic can bring in a good side income.

There are 3 main ways to earn money from your blog. Affiliate Marketing:- This is where you make a commission by promoting and selling other people's products and services. For many bloggers, the Amazon Associates Program is their first step into the world of affiliate marketing. Displaying Ads:- Most bloggers start showing advertisements using Google Adsense. When traffic increases enough, other advertising opportunities will likely outweigh the revenue from Google Adsense. Sell ​​your products and services:- Selling your products through your blog takes more time and effort than displaying advertisements or promoting affiliate products. It also offers a big reward! The low overhead involved in developing your own digital downloads and digital courses provide a particularly attractive opportunity! Most blogs are little more than hobbies, but a large number of bloggers make a significant income. Enough money to quit your job and focus full time on blogging. Many of these bloggers make six and seven figures! The main key to making money with a blog is to provide quality content. I really cannot emphasize this. People buy from people they trust. Quality content builds trust, reader loyalty, higher SEO capability, higher traffic, and more revenue. How to start a blog and Earn money If you have read it, you are probably interested in starting a blog. So, who can start a blog? Anyone can start a blog these days! You do not need to know the programming code. (you get what you see) editors do the coding for you. How cool is it ?! Writing your content is like using a word processing program. That said, there are some other things to learn but they are not really difficult. I will help you understand those things in time. The most common mistake new bloggers make is choosing the wrong blogging platform. You have not done that when you start because I guide you on your path. Choose the right self-hosted/Cloud Hosted/Share Hosting blogging platform Choosing the wrong blogging platform will limit the options, especially to make money with your blog. Some blog platforms impose restrictions that you can make with your blog.

The blog platform that you put restrictions on is called a hosted website platform. These will be Blogger, WordPress.com, Wix and similar networks. You have all the components needed for your blog in one place. Seems good and convenient, but if you are not planning to invest money on it then you do not want their restrictions. Hosted website platforms are used for personal blogs that are not commercialized. Remove the restrictions and protect your blog from being a self-hosted blog. To do this you will need a publishing platform to write your blog and a web host that will store your blog and serve it to everyone on the Internet. Where WordPress.org and Hostigier come from. Wordpress and Bluehost and Hostgator The best combination for a self-hosted blog is WordPress and Bluehost and Hostgator. This may sound confusing but there is a difference between the above mentioned WordPress.com and WordPress.com org. WordPress.org has a self-hosted version of its web publishing platform. To reiterate, you want to use the WordPress web publishing platform available through WordPress.com, not WordPress.com. Bonus! it's free! And it is very reliable! About 32% of all websites are built with WordPress. But don't rush to get it yet. First things first. To install that Hostigier on WordPress and you need a web host. WordPress also recommends that you use Hostigier, so there is no need to shop. You want Hostigier as your hosting provider. This is the best option. I know it can be confusing for those people blogging, but the good thing is that if you follow my guidance, you will never have to learn a lot of trivia, which will give you the road to success. But will slow down I want to see you get up and running with my blog ASAP. Ready to create your blog? You need to get started here Some say 30 minutes is less but give yourself extra time. A hosting account with Bluehost. This way you become a self-host. A domain name that you will get for free when you sign up on Hostiger. Remember I said that you are using WordPress? Ok, you only have to follow those signs. When you set up your Hostigier account and they will install WordPress for you. That is why I said that you do not need to go to WordPress.org first. Our Blogging Basics Series Not ready to start at all? Not to worry! I will cover each step of signing up with Hostigier and installing WordPress in an upcoming post. Sign up below and I'll let you know when next Not ready to start at all? not to worry! I will cover each step of signing up with Hostigier and installing WordPress in an upcoming post. Sign up below and I'll let you know when the next post is published. Don't want to wait on our series? Ready to run on the ground? Check out your blog course launched by our friends Alex and Lauren at Create & Go. They have amazing courses that are sure to help. He taught me a lot in his professional blogger course, Six-Figure Blogger. Btw, that's how easy affiliate marketing is to use. If you sign up for one of Create & Go's amazing courses, we receive a small commission to lead you to them. It can be helpful to recommend, trust and use the high-quality products you know and you can make a little money to boot. Advantage Deals! But do not recommend products that you will not use or use. No confidence has been built in this, readers will just feel used and burst which will hurt you in the long run. The conclusion Most people reading this article are probably interested in creating a blog site, a website that is primarily made up of content in the blog with a supporting page such as the one used to support the content of the blog it occurs. Many bloggers monetize their blogs and make a full-time income and with time and dedication, you can too! If you started your blog with Bluehost through the steps above. Your next step will be to adjust some WordPress settings, set up a theme, and write on your first blog post. This post, Blogging Basics What is Blog  And How Blogs Work is the first in a series of posts that help you set up your blog, monetize, drive traffic, and more through every stage of blogging. I will guide you.

Read the full article

[goldeagleprice]

Q. David Bowers on Bill Bierly’s In God We Trust

(Pelham, Alabama) — In November 2019 Whitman Publishing will release William Bierly’s In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion. The 352-page hardcover volume will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online. Here, numismatic historian Q. David Bowers shares his thoughts on the book.

Bill Bierly’s In God We Trust is one of the most detailed, intricate, and fascinating books in the field of American numismatics—and in American history in general.

The national motto “In God We Trust” is familiar to all of us. Look in your pocket change or wallet and you will find it on every United States coin and paper bill. Before reading the manuscript to Bierly’s book I thought I knew all about the subject.

1864 two-cent piece, PF-65. Hover to zoom.

Some years ago I wrote an article, “God in Your Pocket,” for my local Presbyterian Church, telling of the motto’s use on coins. I knew it appeared on pattern coins in 1863 and in 1864 made its first appearance on a circulating coin, the bronze two-cent piece, a new denomination introduced that year. I had the obscure knowledge that “In God We Trust” is the motto of the State of Florida and was used on certain National Bank notes issued in that state in the second half of the 19th century.

I also knew that the $5 Silver Certificates of the Series of 1886 illustrate the reverse of a Morgan silver dollar of that year, with the motto as part of the design.

But what I didn’t know were 101 other details—make that many more than 101 different details—as to how the motto came to be, how it was used over the years, and the wide cast of characters in the Treasury Department and elsewhere who participated in its use on money.

All too often, books, newspaper columns, and magazine articles about popular subjects lack many details. For Whitman Publishing I wrote a volume on President Ronald Reagan, and I read every book and important study I could find. There were very few details about his personal day-to-day life. Not to worry about the historical personalities involved with “In God We Trust.” While you might not learn the names of the protagonists’ pet cats or their favorite dime novels, there is not much else missing in Bierly’s excellent narrative. Dozens of cast members play cameo roles and small walk-on parts.

It is probably correct to say that no other researcher could add to Bill Bierly’s efforts! He collaborated with professional numismatists, leaving no stone (or coin) unturned in the creation of this book. Commonly believed myths and misunderstandings he examined, debunked, and corrected. Hundreds of historical images were collected, many of which have never been published in a numismatic reference, to which have been added beautiful photographs of rare coins, patterns, tokens, medals, and paper currency, including close-ups of important characteristics. All of this required a lot of work, creativity, and careful attention to detail.

Further on the subject of detail: I enjoy learning about and digging deeply into previously unexplored subjects. I have written books on the Waterford Water Cure (a health spa in Waterford, Maine, that counterstamped coins as advertisements), The Strange Career of Dr. G.G. Wilkins (about a countertstamper who was a dentist, also operated a restaurant with a caged bear in front, and was suspected of passing counterfeit money and also burning down a neighbor’s barn), and, for good measure, books about Alexandre Vattemare (a French numismatist who visited America and became important to the development of libraries here), and Augustus G. Heaton (the teenaged coin dealer who founded the American Numismatic Society in 1858).

Each of these books was popular in its time, despite their obviously obscure subjects. Readers find satisfaction in a well-told story that brings new depth and insight.

That is precisely what we get with In God We Trust, debuting this holiday season. Anyone with a combined interest in American history and numismatics will find a new world of important information, fascinating details, and previously unconnected relationships.

2009 Abraham Lincoln commemorative silver dollar Uncirculated obverse.

The motto “In God We Trust” is hardly history alone. It is so much more, and it means different things to different people. Today there are vocal critics who feel that it has no place on coins or paper currency. For that matter, some believe that God has no place in public (and in some cases, private) life. On the other hand, many more people do indeed believe in the Supreme Being. Sometimes it just seems the naysayers get all of the publicity.

“In God We Trust” has appeared on American money since the Civil War. William Bierly tells how the national motto came to be. (Photographs courtesy of Stack’s Bowers Galleries and the United States Mint.)

Bill Bierly’s In God We Trust approaches the subject respectfully on all sides, with color, personality, dashes of humor, and dogged pursuit of the truth. He has given us a smorgasbord: There is a lot to choose from. If you are a collector and strictly so, with no interest in the million points where numismatics touches American history, you can simply immerse yourself in the coins, paper money, tokens, and medals. If you are like me, however, and enjoy every historical highway and byway connected to American money, you will read and find pleasure in the entire book from start to finish.

David Bowers is the award-winning author of more than 60 numismatic books ranging from 90-page monographs to 900-page encyclopedias, hundreds of auction and other catalogs, and several thousand articles including columns in Coin World, Paper Money, and The Numismatist. He is a past president of both the American Numismatic Association (1983–1985) and the Professional Numismatists Guild (1977–1979). In his 60-plus-year career in numismatics, he has earned most of the highest honors bestowed by the hobby community, including the ANA’s Lifetime Achievement Award and induction in the ANA Numismatic Hall of Fame.

In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion

By William Bierly; foreword by Q. David Bowers

ISBN 0794845282

Hardcover, 6 x 9 inches, 352 pages, full color

Retail $29.95 U.S.

About the Author

William (Bill) Bierly was raised on a farm near Walkerton, Indiana. As a child, he heard stories from his grandparents about two of his great-grandfathers who had served in the Civil War. This led to a lifelong interest in that war and that period of history. At about age eight, he began collecting coins from circulating change. Following high school Bierly attended Northwestern University for two years and then completed a degree in sociology and economic development with a minor in Chinese studies at Indiana University. He then worked in India for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in a dairy development project. Back in the United States, his interest in coins was rekindled. He soon went abroad again, working for three years in Osaka, Japan. Then in the United States, he operated a small business for five years, sold it, and entered graduate school, earning an MBA in finance from Indiana University and embarking on a 25-year career in commercial banking. With his overseas experience, Bierly focused on international banking, particularly Japanese corporate business and Asian correspondent banking. He began his career at the National Bank of Detroit, and he worked with J.P. Morgan Chase for much of his career; at various times at the bank’s Detroit, Chicago, and Columbus, Ohio, offices, as well as often traveling to Asia.

While thus engaged, Bierly continued to pursue his coin hobby, eventually specializing in Civil War–era coinage, in particular, pattern coins. Today he is active in several coin groups and clubs, most notably the Central States Numismatic Society, the American Numismatic Association, the American Numismatic Society, the Chicago Coin Club, the Michigan State Numismatic Society, and the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists, as well as the Civil War Token Society and the Liberty Seated Collectors Club. He sometimes exhibits his collection at major coin shows and frequently volunteers as an exhibit judge.

Bierly resides in LaPorte, Indiana. He has two children, Emma and Ken, as well as a granddaughter, Kiki.

About Whitman Publishing

Whitman Publishing is the world’s leading producer of numismatic reference books, supplies, and products to display and store coins and paper money. The company’s high-quality books educate readers in the rich, colorful history of American and world coinage and currency, and teach how to build great collections. Archival-quality Whitman folders, albums, cases, and other holders keep collectibles safe and allow them to be shown off to friends and family.

Whitman Publishing is the Official Supplier of the American Numismatic Association. As a benefit of membership in the ANA, members can borrow In God We Trust (and other Whitman books) for free from the Association’s Dwight N. Manley Numismatic Library, and also receive 10% off all Whitman purchases. Details are at the website of the ANA.

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Plus 5 more...

[legendofgrump]

For the ask meme- Snail: 12, 17, 50; Andy: 15, 20, 44; Rory: 1, 14, 26, 56; Cookie: 2, 29, 40; Lyar: 3, 7, 30, 45; Wolf: 14, 19, 24, 31; Ant: 43, 51; Gigi: 5, 23. Hope that's not too much, hahaha

never too many! I’m excited to go all in for this~ (I’ll put it under a cut because its soooo loooong haha)

Ask questions for my OCs!!

Snail

12. How would/does your character feel about roller coasters?

Haha Snail looooves roller coasters! They don’t get spooked by them at all really and they love to get onto them and scream super loud just for the fun of it. They almost always throw their arms up too. The only ones they don’t like are the ones that just go around in a bunch of circles (because it makes them feel super sick) and the boats that like go upside down and way too high up and shit because those are wild and SHOULDN’T EXIST.

17. Does your character have any irrational fears?

Those boat rides at amusement parks haha. Also they don’t particularly like elevators, especially glass ones. The way they move makes them feel a little...almost...lightheaded? And if they can see all the shit below them as it goes up it just makes it all worse. So it also kinda translates into a fear of heights, but it really only manifests in elevators. (Can you tell I’m talking from experience haha)

50. What is your favorite thing about your character?

Aww uh so much because they’re basically a self-insert haha. I mean, I really like their general laid-back aesthetic. And I really love how buff they are while still be soft and chubby. And I respect their confidence, even though it’s mostly outward and they have a lot of internal shit they need to work on haha.

Andy

15. What music genre would your character listen to?

Both on totally different ends of the spectrum: EDM and love songs! Andy really likes the heart and soul that goes into making love songs and of course they’re a hopeless romantic. But they also really just like the energy from EDM and its good to listen to when they’re trying to get things done and be productive!

20. What is the most surprising thing about your character?

Apparently they like EDM ;). But seriously I mean I’d have to say their origin I guess? I mean, it’s so hard to tell from how they act after they got socialized by their friends and (especially) Daniyal that they were made in a heavily capitalized industry that wanted them to be a living sex doll. And also all the abuse they faced in that time of their life, because they don’t see that it was abuse and so they don’t really seem “conventionally” affected by it. But if they told anyone what happened the other person would most likely be like “yo what the fuck” because stuff that happened then is Pretty Fucked Up.

44. What is your character proud of?

Andy is constantly proud of Daniyal!! The two of them are growing together all the time and they really love and respect how far he comes with conquering his fears and being better to himself and all. And after Zelda is born, they’re super proud of her too! Andy is very family-oriented so if there’s one thing they constantly talk about its their loved ones!

Rory

1. What is your character's biggest fear?

Some of these questions get real dark whoops. His biggest fear is honestly himself. Since he has the ability to see people’s death, but never really had the ability to come to terms with it, he struggles a lot with it. He doesn’t have any explanation for the ability, so he doesn’t know if he’s the one that triggers those events or if he has some ability to change it. And he’s also afraid of wasting that time he has with someone and trying to make every moment perfect, so when something goes wrong he feels like he failed.

14. What is the cutest thing your character has ever done?

When he was really little and lived with his Nana he used to hide under their kitchen table and considered that like his Fort. And he would hang out under there and play or make things and when his Nana walked by sometimes he’d pop out and surprise her with a big hug because he’s a big lovable boy. I think it’s really cute~ But he also calls Daniyal Daffodil which is a REALLY close second because G O D.

26. What is your favorite headcanon for your character?

Personally, it’s that he pierced his own ear with a cattle tag to make the other cows feel better about the fact that he had to put them on them too. When he first started farming cattle, he wanted them to know that they could trust him and that there was a sense of respect between him and all of them, so he felt like that if they were going to have to get tagged, then he might as well tag himself in an act of solidarity sorta. Haha he’s a big dweeb that loves his moo babies.

56. What's one of your character's quirks?

Well I mean he can see the moment people die that’s a pretty big quirk. But on a lighter note, since Rory can’t see he relies on his other senses obviously, but his favorite one is smell! He loves becoming familiar with smells! And he can 100% identify tons of things by their smell, like Daniyal or Andy (or most any of his friends honestly) and he even really likes the smell of cow, which probably isn’t that pleasant to most people.

Cookie

2. What is your character's favorite memory?

I think it’d be pretty hard for him to pick just one in particular, but anytime he worked in the kitchen with his mom would be something he looked back on fondly. No matter what, Cookie and his mom always bond and have a great time in the kitchen together and he finds cooking to be a very relaxing hobby anyway, so its always a fun, light, chill experience. Plus it’s just a really good time for them to talk and share stories and laugh with each other and it’s super good for both of them~

29. What would be your character's favorite food?

He’s definitely a baked goods boy~ I would think it’d probably be something like banana bread (his mom’s recipe because Of Course) because it seems like something he and his mom make together a lot. It’s probably a comfort food that he makes whenever he’s feeling down or when he wants to bring someone else’s mood up. And it always reminds him of home~

40. What would be your character's favorite school subject?

Cookie has a really good memory (unless he’s in Panic Mode) and he’s got a great knack for pneumonic devices so he’s actually really really good at history. But his FAVORITE subject was probably science, especially Biology/Zoology because he loves learning about animals. He’s not super science-minded, but he always loved learning things that would just make him go :O

Lyar

3. What is your character's least favorite memory?

Any kind of grooming his parents did to get him into the political realm. He hate hate hates formal dinner parties where he has to be nice and prim and proper with everyone. He doesn’t like Events or dances or anything where he has to wear attire for someone else. Not to say he doesn’t like to dress up, but he doesn’t like to wear it because someone expects him to or because if he doesn’t it’ll offend someone. He likes to do it because he wants to, y’know?

7. How does your character feel about their name?

Interesting...I feel like he likes it well enough. He’s kind of become numb to it, where he answers out of habit more than actually identifying with the name. But he doesn’t have any desire to change it, necessarily. Sometimes he’ll tell people different names when he introduces himself just because he’s a compulsive liar, but he never sticks to the same one and he just picks names off the top of his head not for any particular reason.

30. Would your character have any hobbies?

He really likes fashion!!! He loves seeing different ways of dress and style! He’s fascinated with makeup and jewelry too, just because they’re kind of like additional pieces to outfits. He likes to dress himself up, but he also really likes dressing other people and trying to make them look The Best. He’s extremely creative in this regard, too.

45. What would your character change about themselves?

He’d completely remove himself from the public eye, that’s for sure. He hates that everyone knows him as The Diplomat’s Son. He doesn’t want to be known and he sure as hell doesn’t want to be known for political affiliation. He prefers to be kind of faceless, just like an average someone that no one really bats an eye at.

Wolf

14. What is the cutest thing your character has ever done?

He wags his tail when he’s happy! And he’s actually very paternal, too. He’s very soft and loving around little kids (especially his little siblings) whereas he’s usually kind of cold and aloof in an attempt to not get anyone too close to him emotionally. But he will 100% go out of his way to protect, care for, and make sure little kids are happy. Which isn’t really like a Specific Thing he’s done, but it’s still really really cute.

19. What is your character's deepest, darkest secret?

Probably Fang. Not that he doesn’t necessarily want people to know about them, but the wound that losing them made is still so fresh and makes him so vulnerable that he doesn’t like to talk about it. He doesn’t like the very real possibility that people can use his loss and his feelings toward Fang to manipulate him and he’d much rather deal with the heartbreak and trauma on his own than risk opening up to someone and having it bite him in the ass, if that makes sense.

24. What prejudices does your character have

He actually has an extreme disposition of falling in love with vampires. He is pretty much almost exclusively attracted to vampires and he honestly couldn’t tell you why, probably wouldn’t even make the connection if no one pointed it out to him, it’s just his personal preference.

31. What social media would your character use?

Wolf would probably feel most at home on tumblr. It’s like a place where outcasts don’t have to be outcasts so.

Ant

43. What is your character insecure about?

Their level of usefulness. Ant very much measures their worth in how useful other people perceive them to be. If they feel like they don’t provide anything to a situation their brain starts to bombard them with insecurities about why they’re even there or what their purpose even is, so they feel much better when they have a sense of belonging.

51. What is your character's favorite animal?

Ant is more of an insect person soooo unsurprisingly ants. If they had to pick an “actual animal” probably rabbits. They like wild rabbits because they just eat grass and shit and are kinda skittish and fluffy. But ants are definitely the preferred haha.

Gigi

5. Describe your character's dream date.

Gigi’s dream date is Definitely Not With a Girl (totally with a girl) where she gets taken out for dinner and dancing. Gigi LOVES dancing so much, especially swing dance. (I’m probably mixing eras at this point but who caaares.) And she also loves comfy diners and that cliched sharing a milkshake trope because it’s Super Romantic. And then she’d love to finish it out with a movie at the drive in where they could hold hands and maybe (gasp) cuddle in the comfort of their car while they watch some romantic drama movie.

23. Is your character morally gray or black or white?

Well she’d like to believe she’s always morally on the Right Side. But she’s also fairly bigoted because of her background. I mean, she’s from a time period of active segregation and heavy, heavy racism and homophobia/transphobia (even more so than today yikes) and she’s a very socialized young white girl, so she’s conditioned to believe a lot of things that aren’t actually good to believe. It takes a lot of learning for her to even get on the right track (and a lot of self-discovery) but she does work toward correcting herself as she becomes more educated. But yeah, she’s definitely morally gray in that respect.

[awfully-sadistic]

“That’s starting to get annoying.”

The pen clicks stopped only for a split second before starting up again. It was obvious the comment slid off Fox’s back like no one had spoken at all. Lala glanced between siblings; Felina and Fox. Lala was seated on Fox’s left side and Felina was across from them. They had been seated in a restaurant, Fox having been deep in thought with his menu, clicking one of his drawing pens out of habit. A while before, he had been scribbling ideas down on a napkin thanks to Lala’s influence. Everyone around Fox had just been a ghost. In fact, Felina’s complaint might as well have been said by nobody since there wasn’t anybody in the Family that could reach Talalelei’s status and of course, no one can reach her status because Fox put her on the pedestal himself with the rest of his ridiculous high standards. Though… could anybody blame him?

 Talalelei was hard to describe in just one word and the way she made you feel was also hard to put into words. It was probably why Felina found herself ensnared by this young woman and tried to do everything within her power to ensure that Lala had her needs met to at least hold a candle up to what she gains from Lala. She was perhaps overcompensating in a way but it was the kind of relationship where Felina felt like she had never done enough every damn time no matter any reassurances from Lala’s end and Lala was always there to reassure her. But it was also understandable that other people would fall for Lala; Felina was a Frenzy with a stunted show of emotion. It was the same for any Frenzy had anyone given the chance to stay in a room with them for an evening. But with Lala, these emotions could blossom and often showed. Felina experienced this and soon enough, the change in her had been seen. It wasn’t an obvious show at first but as time went by, the other brood of Frenzy’s had started to notice and grew suspicious. But this was a time when the Frenzy’s were still a splintered brood and they minded their own business; Felina’s changed of behavior was weird, yes, but was it affecting them? No. Therefore no one said a damn thing but continued and for a while, Felina was content with the satisfaction that her beloved and cherished girlfriend would not have to meet her family after all. They seemed disinterested, right? So, why even bother? It would only embarrass her if she weren’t afraid of anyone gaining any unhealthy obsession with her girlfriend as she knows quite a bit of her brood to do. She just didn’t want to take the chance.

             But things changed around the time Felina’s twin brother had invited her out to lunch. But she also had a planned lunch date with Lala. Of course, she was all about blowing her twin off for her girlfriend when Lala suggested this would be a good opportunity to meet some of the Frenzy’s. Lala may not have understood why Felina never brought up family (to be fair, Lala did not either and since neither of them touched the subject, the subject never came up) but Felina brought up her brother for the first time and Lala grew curious. It was the first instance of hearing about another Frenzy and to hear that Felina had a twin had her heart flipping; was there another Frenzy out there that looked like her girlfriend? Acted like her girlfriend? There was two of them?! Since Felina could not say no to the look Lala was giving her, she caved in and arranged for a lunch date (+1).

 The initial greeting between siblings went well mainly because Lala had said she had forgotten her phone in the car and it would be no problem to meet up at the table. Felina was going to protest, wanting to wait for her, but Lala ushered Felina through the elevator from the parking garage. Lala could hear Felina yell through the elevator that it was dangerous to be in the parking lot by herself although it was well-lit and Lala was most definitely not by herself. There were people coming and going into the expensive looking restaurant and most likely five-star hotel so security was not a big deal. By the time the elevator dinged and Felina contemplated on stubbornly waiting for her girlfriend by the elevator, she got a text from her twin who seemed very annoyed. Even his buzzing ringtone sounded upset and Felina would rather not have him in a bad mood when he met Lala so she continued on to meet him.

 It was pleasantries at first, Fox standing to greet his sister and Felina giving him a couple of pecks on his cheeks. The twins did look alike with the same facial structure; full, pouty lips, fair skin, emerald eyes, sculpted brows, and a permanent frown. The only difference was height, the length of hair, and that perhaps Fox looked way overdressed to which Felina commented on right away.

 “Do you like?” he asked, turning around to showcase his hard work. “It’s from my new line.”

 “You look like a peacock.”

 “That’s a compliment. They’re very pretty birds.”

 Felina was about to open her mouth to argue that Lala doesn’t even like birds when she blinked and shut her mouth so quickly, her teeth met together in an audible “clack”. Fox perked a delicate brow never have seen this expression on his sister before.

 “What is the matter?” he asked, accent rich and thick like he had just stepped off the plane from Italy. He might have though the last time she heard, Fox was in Paris.

 Felina shook her head while clearing her throat. She reached over for the back of her chair to pull out from under the table before looking over to ensure there was a seat next to her. So Fox did pay attention to her plus one. He questioned about it now, gesturing with a gloved hand at the empty seat.

 “You know, when you said you were bringing a date, I was going to assume it was someone special. I assumed right. You’ve brought your invisible boyfriend.”

 “Very funny,” Felina snapped her napkin that matched her tone. Her shoulders relaxed as she referred to her date. “she’s getting her phone and will meet with us soon.”

 “Ah,” Fox looked amused at the mention of her girlfriend since Felina had only dated men before; how strange. But he made no mention about it but just asked, “how long have you two been together?”

 “A while.”

 “I am not Angelo or Alessio.” Fox stated from across the table, gloved hands now coming to rest under his chin while his elbows supported him. “There is no need to be hostile with me.”

 She hadn’t realized she had been hostile but he was right. Felina corrected, “It’s been years, honestly. I’m not good with dates, you know that. Nine? Maybe?”

 “Does she get upset with you when you forget?” Fox laughed then, a gentle sound that was entirely deceptive to his venomous personality. Felina matched it with a good-natured chuckle before shaking her head.

 “Of course not, she’s the perfect girl.”

 “Nonsense,” he waved his hand. “I’ve seen the so-called perfect girl. Believe me, they are not perfect. You’re quite obviously in the honeymoon phase.”

 “For nine years?”

 “You are known to hyper focus, so that’s not unusual.”

 Felina pursed her lips to the side. Although he was right about her hyper-focusing, it didn’t mean that what she felt for Lala was the product of that or even affected aspects of their relationship. She was perfect because she was Lala. Fox just didn’t understand because he didn’t know her but he was about to. Just then, Felina’s stomach dipped and she glanced across the table to her brother. He had such ridiculously high standards and of course, being surrounded by super models all day, it wasn’t unusual that he claimed to have known perfect girls. Given the fact that Fox doesn’t even get into relationships, he probably gave up the thought of a perfect woman (or man, truthfully, Fox didn’t care) existing. But was it that easy? Did she really have nothing to worry about? Now this was starting to feel like a bad idea. Felina was beginning to wonder what the perk was to introducing Lala to her twin brother. Was it because twins were supposed to be closer than any of their other siblings? Of course, there is a link there as there were with any set of twins; they had shared a placenta. They grew up together and experienced a lot of the same things and when she thought about it, she could admit that she was supposedly closer to Fox than any of the other siblings she had lying around but it was weird because they weren’t close, either. They hadn’t spoken since they were eighteen and branched off to do their own things. Fox was a very busy entrepreneur with his own successful clothing line and Empire to run that there was no catching up for lunches like this.

 “Why the lunch date?” Felina asked then that it seemed to have caught Fox off-guard. He covered it up quickly, though. He sniffed daintily and took a moment to play with one of the table forks before moving his hovering index finger over one of the dessert forks.

 “I suppose I can tell you,” he quietly put. “I’ve run out of ideas.”

 “Eh?” Felina asked, tilting her head to the side. “You need a break?”

 “I need a new muse or something,” he expressed, sighing in that dramatic way he does. “This may be the latest outfit but as I was sitting there trying to design a new one, nothing came to mind. I know you know how that feels. I thought it might be good to surround myself with someone who knows failure instead of surrounding myself with people who only kiss my ass.”

 Felina’s expression went blank because under that sweet voice and the sorrowful way he was spilling his woes, he had just insulted her. But that was Fox and she certainly didn’t take it to heart. “I don’t struggle with it as much,” Felina confessed. “Mainly because I’m too busy with work to keep up with any of my old hobbies.” She muttered tinted with regret and a hint of bitterness. But a thought presented itself to the forefront of her mind where Lala allowed her a space to unwind and supported her creative hobbies. A smile spread across her features that she didn’t even realize until Fox mentioned it.

 “You don’t seem too bent out of shape about it.”

 “Oh,” Felina begun to shake her head. “no, I mean like…” she paused as she took in a deep breath. What could she say? “So, all you’ve got is a creator’s block of some sort. It happens. There’s a lot of ways to deal with that.”

 “Yes, yes,” Fox waved a hand, sounding impatient. “Just push through it. Give yourself a break and come back to it later. Approach the subject from another angle. I’ve read all of those. But nothing seems to work. Although a change of scenery is always fine. Truthfully, I stopped by here on my way back to Paris from Italy and had a whim to see you.”

 “Ah, so you were back home?” Fox nodded and Felina continued, “So, how is everyone out there?”

 “Noisy, as always. Ripley sends her regards meaning the next time she sees you, she is going to deck you.” Fox pulled up a fist and smacked it into his free hand before lifting an index finger. “Her words, not mine.”

 “She never lets go of a grudge, does she?” Rolling her eyes, Felina snapped her gaze to her phone noting the time. Five minutes later and Lala still isn’t around. She was starting to get worried.

 “Your girlfriend got caught up?” Fox asked, noting the worried look and the glance to her cellphone. Felina’s gaze lifted as she shrugged.

 “I’ll give it another three minutes before I’ll search for her.”

 “Why not call her?”

 Felina laughed, “If there’s one thing you should know about my girlfriend is that you never call her. She won’t pick up.” she paused, “Well, if she loves you, she will.” She grinned because it was obvious that Felina was the only one who could get away with calling her and getting an answer. “But yes, I’ll call her while I get up and search for her.”

 “Quite overprotective with her, aren’t you?” Fox said, sounding amused. “I’ve never seen you like this before.”

 “That’s because Lala isn’t not just anybody.”

 “Ah yes, the perfect woman.” Fox announced as he turned his wrist in a flourish. “How about an announcement over the intercom?”

 “That’ll be mortifying for her,” Felina shook her head though she looked a little amused. “No, I wouldn’t do that to her. Though I suppose I can turn on her GPS tracker…”

 “Oh lord, you track her?”

 “You would too!” Felina shot, quite defensively that Fox’s eyebrows rose and he couldn’t hold back the grin on his face.

 “Now, this just makes me curious about what sort of woman you have landed this happens to be.” The look of panic flashed across Felina’s face so fast but Fox managed to catch it. “Oh ho… how interesting.”

 “No, shut up. She’s boring.”

 “Well, that’s rude, I’m only right here.” Felina paled as she recognized the melodious voice that was only right behind her. The tone had been teasing and certainly caught Fox’s attention as his gaze slowly trailed up from where he was gleefully staring at his sister to meet hazel hues where his jaw literally dropped, stupefied in his seat. His mind went blank and his eyes widened. Perhaps the most miraculous thing was that his still heart curiously stirred in his chest so suddenly that it caused him pain where he emitted a distressed sound in surprise. His hand flew to his throat, still staring wide-eyed at this wondrous stranger at his sister’s back and Felina? Felina didn’t need the look on his face to confirm her fears but this didn’t mean anything, correct?

 Fox was convinced he was staring at a goddess. At once, a torrent of images flooded his mind; it was like a faucet had turned on and the handle had broken; the water gushing, spilling forth on a barren and dry land where it had been so desperately thirsty before.

 “It’s you,” he stated in a dazed-like manner as he stood up from his seat so suddenly, it tipped back. He ignored it and continued walking around the table to take hold of Lala’s hands. She looked extremely surprised; she can admit that she had her own tunneling problems when dealing with loved ones because all she had seen was the back of Felina’s head, she hadn’t taken into consideration that Felina’s twin was right across from her. She had been so focused on her girlfriend that Fox’s striking appearance caught her breath when she realized he was standing in front of her now, holding her hands. Her eyes flashed down to her girlfriend who seemed to be at a loss of her own words.

 “A-Ah, Lala, this is my brother Fox. Fox… this is m-my girlfriend, T-Talalelei.” Felina gave a shaky introduction though Lala was the one who was struggling to keep her legs from matching.

 “D-Dot or L-Lala is fine,” she offered to the seemingly star-struck twin. She gave Felina a questioning look that asked “what’s wrong with him???” to which Felina could only shrug before reaching out to touch her brother’s elbow.

 “Fox?”

 “Felina, you are entirely selfish.” Fox snapped now, head aimed down at Felina who was wide-eyed and speechless. “You knew I was suffering and you were withholding my muse all along.”

 “You mean my girlfriend?” Felina asked, a little irked with her brother’s stupid declaration once she realized he was just being dramatic again. He was the selfish one! She placed her hands over theirs, trying to separate them. “And how was I supposed to know? You just told me right now, you’re bone dry.” She finished, smacking and pinching the top of Fox’s hand when it was clear he was not going to let go.

 “Don’t word it like that, it sounds so vulgar.”

 “Bone dry, bone dry. Fox is bone dry.”

 “Stop it!”

 Lala was speechless herself, not trying to move her hands because she was caught in the middle of the bickering siblings. Fox was looking at her again like she was the second coming, or his salvation more accurately, that she couldn’t really look him in the face. It was strange; she could look in Felina’s face all the time but Felina’s twin? Perhaps it was that intense gaze? Or his soft hands? The way that he was pleading with her now, that he desperately needed her?

 “You’re causing a scene,” Felina grit through clenched teeth whilst looking around. She laughed nervously, “Sorry about that, he’s just… so happy to see her.” For whatever reason… she thought. She could finally pry Fox’s hands away from Lala’s when she reminded him that this lunch date was cutting into time Lala needed to eat. Those hands of his flew down to the small of her back, however, while the other reached for the chair to which he pulled next to his seat. Felina was staring at him like the nerve as Lala sat down next to him—she really didn’t have a choice with how pushy Fox was being and the turning of butterflies that erupted from her tummy every time he touched her was distracting enough that everything seemed to happen in a breeze and she was carried along like a leaf. He had his hand permanently placed on the small of her back now and it was all she was feeling, seated at the table and across from a baffled girlfriend who had the tables turned on her so quickly

. Felina understood and gave her a sympathetic look as well as a mouthed ‘sorry’ to which Lala waved away, still looking nervous.

 “I am absolutely appalled by this.” Fox spoke up first once the table could get situated. Although the situation was still weird as shit, Fox seated next to Felina’s girlfriend and Felina across the table, it really didn’t bother Felina as much as she thought she’d be bothered. That twin link thing must really be the reason, she had thought as Fox continued. “When you mentioned the perfect woman, I brushed it off. I had no idea you would have existed.”

 “Bet you feel like a big dumb dope now, huh?” Felina asked, grinning as she twirled her straw in her water. She ignored the look on Fox’s face to favor how Lala looked in this situation. If there was anything to take away from this conversation at the end of the day, it was the fact that Fox would be able to flustered Lala like this. She was a hard woman to get, too. The thought manifested on her face as those twinkling eyes stared over at Lala and Lala recognized this; her own expression pursed and words didn’t need to pass between them for Lala to convey that once they were home, Felina was going to get it twofold.

 Felina tried to ignore that, switching her gaze to her brother. “So, when are you going to give me my girlfriend back?”

 “Never, if I get my way.”

 Felina’s hand smacked against the table, forgetting where she was for a moment. Her temper flared and it was directed at her selfish brother. “Fox, I’m being serious.”

 Lala tried to interrupt, laughing nervously but still sounding like she was having a good time though she just arrived. “H-How about some lunch?” she asked.

 Immediately, the twins turned their gaze upon her, concerned. “Are you hungry?”

 Lala blinked, noting how similar they looked when they stared at her like that. It was touching in a way, especially coming from someone like Fox whom she had never met before. But she did look a touch embarrassed at the way their gaze never lifted; their undivided attention was seemingly smothering her and she tried her best to ignore it, reaching for a menu. “A-Aren’t you guys?”

 “I suppose I could eat, I did invite you out here anyway.” Fox said.

 Felina nodded in agreement, picking up her menu as well. She lifted it to peruse and once she decided on something, she glanced over at Lala to ask what she wanted to eat, she noticed that Fox was sharing a menu with her.

 “Seriously?!”

 “What?” he asked, almost innocently. Except he was never innocent. Never in his goddamned life. “I am absolutely smitten with your girlfriend, Felina.”

 “Well, that’d be troublesome for me if I weren’t too concerned with you heading back to Paris, what? Later this afternoon?”

 “Oh, I’ll call that off. Unless…” Fox trailed off to turn his attention to Lala who slowly turned to wonder why there was a pause. An ‘oh’ sounded in her head when she realized he was staring at her and the pause was to get her attention. “Unless you wanted to go along with me. Have you ever been to Paris?”

 “No because the French are smelly and gross,” Felina said from behind her menu seemingly forgetting about the danger her girlfriend was in. She was about to be snatched away or staring in the next Taken movie starring Fox and Lala. That would mean Felina had Liam Neeson’s role and the thought almost made her laugh out loud had it not been for Fox’s pressing look into hearing an answer from her and not from his sister. In fact, he seemed to have tuned her out for now.

 “N-No. I haven’t,” she cleared her throat to stop all that painful stammering. She reached for her glass of water, noting the way that Fox pushed it over for her with a finger and a sweet smile that would have made her knees buckle had she not been seated. “but it does seem like a nice place to visit someday.”

 “I will take you,” Fox declared like he was going to take her with him that afternoon. He probably would have if given his way.

 “Some other time,” Felina amended before Fox snorted.

 “Sure. Some other time.” Fox turned back to Lala with an impish grin. “When Felina is at work, perhaps.”

 “But I work too,” Lala said.

 “You can take some time off, can’t you?”

 “Hmm, I don’t know…” Lala said as if she were thinking it over. Truth be told, she was her own boss. But he didn’t need to know that.

 “What are you talking about?” Felina asked, setting her menu back down as a rush of wind expelled from the gesture and fluttered their bangs. “Aren’t you your own boss?”

 Lala slowly exhaled and she could feel Fox’s gaze on her profile. If Felina would have looked (from the menu she kept playing with), she would have seen the look Lala was giving her. “Haha, yeah. She’s right. I’m my own boss.”

 “What a coincidence,” Fox enunciated the end of the word, a smirk curling his lips. “I am my own boss, as well. What does that mean? Surely something special, hm?”

 Lala was at a worse for words. She never would have imagined that her girlfriend’s brother would be hitting on her so blatantly in front of her girlfriend, his own sister.

 “Lala and I call that being soulmates.” Felina supplied.

 And Lala couldn’t really tell if her girlfriend was either helping her or working against her. In fact, Felina couldn’t really explain it herself, either. All she knew was that things were feeling alright; she wasn’t feeling the maddening jealousy she would feel if Lala were talking to anyone else and anyone else were foolish enough to flirt with her as openly as Fox was. But Fox was her brother.

 “Are you going back to Paris today or not?” Felina asked. Fox set aside a few seconds to painfully tear his gaze away from Lala’s profile he had been idolizing (much to her chagrin) to stare at his sister.

 “I may find it beneficial to stay here.” he sniffed. “I’m serious about losing my inspiration but…” he trailed off and he didn’t need to look at Lala for it to be obvious he meant her. “I think I’ve found it. So if it’s alright with you, let me stay at your place for a bit.”

 Felina immediately looked weary if not a little hesitant. “Well… I don’t live at the Estate anymore.” She divulged. “Lala and I actually live together.”

 Fox’s smile seemed calculating and truthfully, he probably accounted for the information. “After nine years, I would hope so.”

 Lala made a noise, looking over at Felina. “You did remember!”

 “Remember what?”

 “It’s our anniversary month!”

 Felina looked like a deer caught in headlights. “W-What, really?!”

 “Wonderful, your anniversary present to Lala can be your brother.”

 “I am going to leap over this table and beat your ass.”

 “Are you ready to order?” A voice interrupted the table; it must have looked a funny scene because Felina was half raised out of her seat, leaning over the table, and griping the front of Fox’s shirt while Lala looked on with wide eyes, having tried to move the glasses of water out of the way; Fox looked like he didn’t have a care in the world before all three set of eyes turned their attention to the waiter.

 “Uh, a few more minutes, sorry. Thanks.” Felina said, letting go of Fox. Her twin settled back in his seat and took out a pen and reached for one of the napkins that had been upset during the exchange.

 “In fact, come back in a few hours but also, bring out all of your appetizers.” He said earning looks from both Felina and Lala. Confused, yes, but Felina wasn’t unused to this behavior. Lala was new thought. She gestured at her brother.

 “He’s going to start working now; if you want to go home, we can.”

 “No!” Fox declared, placing a hand over Lala’s. “She cannot leave. She is the reason I can even work right now. You may go, however.”

 “I am not leaving my girlfriend alone with you.”

 “You’re going to have to use the bathroom sometime.”

 “Then I’ll take Lala with me.”

 “I’ll join you.”

 Felina’s mouth opened and closed. Fox has a heavy preference for using the women’s bathroom that it’s just normal for him to go in therefore it’s not a big deal him following them in there. It just irked her.

 “Fine!” she turned towards the waiter, still holding his pen up and looking really troubled and worried. “Bring all the appetizers. And then your most expensive dinners. Three plates. Then your most expensive desserts. This is going on his card so one check as well.”

 “You eat almost as much as Ripley now. Have I really been away that long?”

 “THAT—“ Felina sputtered before Lala giggled into her hand and asked.

 “Who’s Ripley?”

 “Our sister.” Felina sighed.

 “Elder sister,” Fox amended.

 “You’re going to hate her.” Of course, Felina had no way of knowing how well Lala might mesh with any of the other Frenzy family members but if it was going as good as this one was, well… there were a whole set of problems she would have to worry about instead of Fox staying with them for a couple of days. The irritating clicking of a pen caught her attention before she snapped.

 “That’s starting to get annoying.”

[thefloatingstone]

I know you're super into ponies, and I saw you reblogging something about how much the pony collectors community hates it when d/d/l/g or l/i/t/t/l/e/s/p/a/c/e blogs reblog yours stuff (added slashes so your blog won't show up under search for those tags). Why do they hate it so much? I'm not a part of any of these communities, and I'd like to understand. Thank you!

Hey there! :D That’s ok, I’m happy to try my best to explain!

The reason is actually pretty simple. Obviously I can only speak for myself but I imagine it’s the same for the other collectors as well (But if there is some different reasons I’m sure they’d be happy to add or correct me)

Basically, I collect the 80s My Little Ponies (although I won’t say no to the other generations and own ponies from all 4) I collect them because they were my favourite toys ever when I was small, and I loved the cartoon as a child. I liked it because it really was my first exposure to a high-fantasy setting. And it was done with really cute characters, in nice colours who were nice, sweet and kind to each other, but could still stop bad guys and work through bad situations and were very proactive characters.

As an adult, I can see the flaws in the show now, but I still think it’s highly immaginative with its ideas, and I still love the colours and that the characters don’t have to be snarky or aggressive to be heroic. As for the toys, I’ve always kept my childhood ones. I like them the best because again, I am a big fan of 80s and early 90s colour schemes, which I felt were better harmonised than the 2000s. And I also really liked that they resembled real ponies and weren’t AS stylized as how thy became later.

It’s also fun to be a collector. Because you’re constantly on a treasure hunt! Toys that were a big deal in pop-culture when they came out, and really represent what it meant growing up during that time period. And people don’t fully understand the value of “old toys”. So you’re always hunting at flea markets and thrift stores and some of the strangest places! Looking for collector’s items that the owner doesn’t have any attachment to and only sees as ‘an old toy’. In a way it’s like collecting bone china tea cups while they were still being made in England (before the 60s) or Medallions and medals. They are all a kind of time-capsule to a very specific era, and with ponies, they happen to have faces and be characters. So it’s fun to think of each pony as a little personality you’re finiding somewhere, taking home, cleaning up, and displaying.

These blogs that regblog these things however, have absolutely no interest in the individual items they are reblogging. Because to them, it only represents a sexual kink. Specifically the submissive pastel cutsey ‘Daddy’s Little Girl’ kink. And look, a kink is nothing to be ashamed of as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone. Honest. But the problem comes from the fact that we share photos, screenshots and gifs of these things because we’re honestly interested in the product. Whereas when they then take that post and reblog it, it’s for no reason other than to be part of a bigger kink to get themselves off on. The toys and collectors’ items because a sex toy, basically. Even if just in terms of visuals. It robs the post of its original intention and turns it into smut.

Smut is fine. But in this case it feels like someone has taken something that makes you happy and that you wanted to share with your fellow toy collectors and made it all about getting sexual satisfaction off of it based on what it represents to them; the idea of a girl being in the submissive position of ‘Daddy’s little girl’

It doesn’t become about ponies, or collecting, or showing off the value of a specific item, or about the episode or the character. Honestly the gif could be about anything in the kink blog’s eyes, as long as it fits into the kink they’re into. t robs the post of meaning, and turns it into something dirty.

I’ve recently had some porn blogs reblog some of my artwork by their bots and add things to it like ‘Hey I just got home, wanna chat?’ and ‘Hey I’m gonna be undressing for the camera, here’s a link!” and it has 0 to do with the picture. it’s just a way to promote their porn. And it feels icky you know? You feel taken advantage of. And they’re using your silly drawings to do it, not because they’re drawings, but because they happen to be getting a certain number of notes and reblogs. Your posts are being used and marked with something you’re uncomfortable with without your consent.

It’s the same thing :\ It also bugs a lot of my collector friends because they do their best to plaster their pages with “please don’t interact” banners, headers, tags, and sometimes within the images themselves, and the kink blogs completely ignore it. “consent” is a bit of a hot-button word because of its connotations, but that’s really what it is, isn’t it? “Please don’t reblog this as something to masturbate to.” “I’m gonna do it anyway and pretend you didn’t say ‘no’“

It’s just… it takes a hobby and turns it into something dirty. And then whether we like it or not, it makes us seem like we’re doing it for kinky, smutty purposes, all based on the nature of the toy (in this case, ponies). It builds an association.

If we were collecting wall-mounted plates none of us would be having this problem.

Anyway, sorry for the long reply. And I apologise if I got anything wrong. But this is my stance and experience with the matter. And why I personally really don’t like it. I imagine it’s very similar for a lot of collectors.

We collect the toys because it happens to be something we enjoy doing as an activity, from finding, to restoration to displaying on a shelf and looking at and being impressed by each others’ collections.

We share items among each other and trade, and help restore, and share tips on preservation and fixing problems. Some of my collector friends have kids who like playing with the toys themselves. We form friendships based on mutual interests, and its fun to hear each others’ collection adventures and childhood ties with the toyline.

and then someone reblogs it to their kink-specific blog with “dude I could totally masturbate to this.” Even after we have asked nicely “please don’t”

Also I’m sorry if this annoys anyone. I know kinks and stuff are a difficult topic on the internet as a whole, let alone tumblr. And I stand by the opinion that having a kink is fine if it doesn’t hurt anyone. But there is a level of selfish disregard here, and that is the main problem. It’s not all about the nature of sex, but more the active and decided action to ignore the OP’s feelings and requests and just do whatever you want. Until you start feeling like nothing but a ‘gold mine’ for kink blogs. And then you don’t even want to do it any more in the end.

Please help me guys! I’m talking about difficult subjects and I might be wording it wrong! I don’t want to insult anyone by accident ^^; I’m just trying to explain!

[charlieharry1]

Google has now disconnected google+ from google my business neighborhood listing pages, so much of this text can be  Digital Marketing Company Newcastle vain now. Wager i used to be incorrect approximately google+! 

5 motives nearby groups need to keep in mind leveraging google+

the motive of this put up is to outline a few motives why companies targeting local markets on-line should actually take into account allocating resources to advertising and marketing on google’s social network, google+. No, google+ does not (at this point in time) have the energetic, engaged consumer base of a facebook or twitter. But, there are very robust reasons why i propose that any nearby advertising strategy ought to consist of a google+ aspect. Presently, there’s in reality 5 middle reasons i'm able to think about why google+ plus will let you develop your business’ nearby digital presence. 1. Google+ activity can assist your natural search ratings (seo)

Read Also:-  Effective Time Management Strategies For Digital Marketers

this is my primary motive for leveraging google’s social community. There was a few research now which have shown positive correlation between commercial enterprise’ natural search rankings and google+ social hobby. Of course there’s been no confirmation of this ranking element from google, but think about it this way – in case your nearby enterprise has 1000 real followers on google+ – and your competition have subsequent to 0 – wouldn’t this present google’s ranking set of rules robots with a truthful indication that your business is popular? And in case your google+ page is often being up to date with high-quality blog posts & pictures and many others, wouldn’t this display which you’re committed to generating beneficial content for your clients and google’s users? Google these days re-branded their google+ enterprise providing as google my business. This new assignment offers a easy, socially integrated manner for any business to be listed on google. In case you haven’t claimed your list yet, move accomplish that here free of charge. Note: your google my business web page & it’s posts are listed by means of the hunt engine. You may be competing in a marketplace with a variety of local competition who've a comparable website fine, similar oneway link & citations portfolios, and so on. Google+ pastime will be the threshold you need to get the soar on your nearby competition inside the search effects. Given the fee of ranking relatively in google’s neighborhood search results, this cause on my own ought to be enough to convince you that google+ have to be part of your digital advertising approach. Don’t fear about the research, just make a dedication to turning into active at the social community and you’ll more than probable gain a few rating advantage in google seek. 2. Maintain on top of your customer evaluations on google

google+ makes it first rate easy to screen, manipulate & respond to the reviews your clients leave about your commercial enterprise on google. You may be conscious that users have the capacity to depart critiques approximately any enterprise indexed on google my enterprise (formerly google locations). As google+ is a social community, you may of route interact with human beings who've left a assessment on your web page. Whether or not the evaluation be bad or high-quality, you have got the opportunity to reply according with your enterprise’ brand hints & show the relaxation of the web the way you deal with your customers. Be aware: awful reviews show up. Don’t run away from them and surely don’t “pick up the brick” and get argumentative with reviewers. Live professional, beneficial & recognition on showing your preference to make matters right for a person who has had a poor experience together with your business. (even if you suspect they haven’t or they’re simply “whinging”). Google-my-business-reviews-control-screenshot

 The screenshot under demonstrates the power of getting a strong reviews strategy in region when ability customers are searching for your products & services on-line. Which groups could you be extra at ease doing commercial enterprise with? Those without a evaluations, or those with positive remarks from previous clients? Wollongong-eating places-google-opinions

Having a solid evaluations portfolio also facilitates together with your natural seek rankings. Enough stated. Need ideas on the way to legitimately generate extra awesome opinions from your customers on google? Examine this text. 3. Google+ is a pride to use! From a person interface attitude, the functionality & layout of the google+ social platform is great. It’s very easy to apply and has a beautiful format. Additionally, in all likelihood because of the fact that there aren’t as many people using the community as fb, you’ll discover there may be much less litter and meme unsolicited mail and so forth. I find google+ to be a far cleanser opportunity that helps me hold updated on the topics & articles i’m in reality interested in. After i’m on fb, i’m continuously being bombarded with distracting stuff. I’ve made a factor to simplest comply with people & pages on google+ that i’m definitely inquisitive about getting to know from. The google+ cell app experience is also mind blowing. 4. Google+ authorship

in case you’re now not certain what that is, cross do a google search for a certain subject matter you’re interested by. You’ll observe a few listing have a “through john smith” snippet beneath them. This suggests that google+ authorship has been applied on that particualar page. Authorship is google’s way of telling what content became posted through who first. They need to recognise who the authotitative humans are in any given area of interest, so that you can continue to serve up authentic, useful content to customers. You’d higher believe that google will rank articles better if they’ve been posted by way of an creator who has proven their knowledge thru consitent, splendid content material over the years. In case your business enterprise is doing any form of running a blog, i’d recommend you place your author/s up with google+ authorship. Your net developer ought to understand how to implement this without difficulty for you. Five. Connections! Google+ is a social community. Currently, their target market is predominantly business savvy group of human beings. Why not use google+ to head and observe your colleagues, competitors & commercial enterprise humans you appearance up to? Social media is about man or woman-to-individual interaction. Google+ is simply any other medium to construct your phrase of mouth. So obviously time can be a constraint when it comes to honestly ‘getting round’ to enforcing google+ in your local virtual advertising and marketing strategy. Of direction, you could rent any person that will help you do it. Any other very simple method that i for my part use to hold energetic on google+ day by day is that this:

Ensure you’re always signed in on your google account on each browser & tool you operate frequently. Make it a habit to “+1″ (google+’s model of a facebook like” every article you examine on-line. Each time you finished studying an article which you loved, click on the +1 button (or the google+ proportion button) and this can feed thru to your google+ private account. To leverage this shared content material to your enterprise’ google+ presence, book in 5 minutes each week to head and login on your private google+ account, then re-submit the ones beneficial articles onto your  Digital Marketing Agencies Newcastle google my enterprise web page (if they’re relevant to your commercial enterprise’ target market). Hope this helps, feel loose to sing out if you have any questions. If you may think of any additional great reasons to apply google+ for local on-line marketing, pleae proportion them within the feedback section under!

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[isearchgoood]

What Readers Want During COVID-19: Content Ideas for Every Niche

Posted by amandamilligan

This is a stressful time to say the least. Everything is impacted by COVID-19 in some way, including our work.

Once we’ve taken time to acknowledge how lucky we are to work in digital, it’s time to assess if our current content strategy needs any adjusting based on current events.

Many marketers are finding themselves:

Wanting to write about something topical

Needing to add more content to their calendars

At a loss for how to contribute at a time like this

So, I spent hours using Ubersuggest, putting myself in the shoes of various Americans. I tested a variety of keywords to see which ones have exhibited a trend during the COVID-19 outbreak and might warrant some attention from content marketers.

The results below are for the term “Coronavirus,” so for the other keywords identified, I looked for a noticeable spike in the months of January, February, and March to make sure they matched up accordingly.

My findings reveal potential topic ideas for several primary industries. See if any provide inspiration for high-quality content you can create in the coming months.

Travel

I’ll start with one of the industries hardest hit by this pandemic: travel. This was a tough one, as more and more people are understandably opting for driving, walking, or biking to get around, and are no longer relying on air travel or public transportation as trips and work get cancelled. However, I identified a few key opportunities.

Travel insurance

While it had an increase in the summer months, interest in the topic of travel insurance has risen back up again. Perhaps those who have to travel want to make sure they’re covered if they get sick, or maybe those who canceled travel want to see what their insurance covers.

In either case, people are looking for information about travel insurance and how it can help them.

Train travel

It seems that train travel falls into an ambiguous category that people are asking about. I’m not here to say whether it’s safe or not (as that is obviously not my area of expertise). As we’ve all heard, it’s best not to travel at all, but perhaps your brand can offer some clarity in this regard and offer alternatives.

Virtual travel

For everyone stuck at home but still grappling with wanderlust, how can they still explore from the couch? Virtual travel seems to be gaining popularity as more people find themselves stuck at home.

Work and education

In some cases, companies and schools have gone from in-person to virtual nearly overnight. It’s been a huge shakeup across the board, and relevant topics are trending accordingly.

Homeschooling

Many kids are home from school, and their parents are suddenly and unexpectedly in the position of teaching them. They’re sure to have a lot of questions! Note how the search level now is the same as the summer months, when kids are also home.

Free online courses

With all plans essentially cancelled as a result of “social distancing,” people are looking for ways to spend their time at home. If you offer online courses, consider amplifying them and explaining their value. If you don’t, consider whether it makes sense to create one.

Working from home tips

Executives and staff alike are looking for advice on how to improve productivity while working from home, perhaps for the first time. Consider creating content with suggestions on how to set up a home office or maintain a schedule while dealing with at-home distractions.

How to stay focused

Whether it’s because people are working or studying at home for the first time or because they’re anxious and distracted by the developing events, more and more people are struggling to stay focused. Can your brand offer anything by way of motivation or tools for focus and efficiency?

Entertainment

Everyone’s at home either trying to distract themselves from the stressful reality of the world or looking to cure their boredom. As a result, online entertainment is on the rise. Can you offer the entertainment itself, or maybe guides on how to choose the best entertainment?

Free streaming

We’re stuck with digital for now, and people are looking for new media to consume. What can your brand provide? Also trending: “cheap digital games” and “best multiplayer video games”.

Learn to play piano online

Some folks are using their newfound free time to work on hobbies and skills they haven’t had the chance to pursue in the past. Can your brand teach them anything?

Best online shopping deals

This is particularly interesting to me. Keyword rates for this term are as high as they were over the holidays. I’m wondering if people who still have disposable income will pass the time online shopping, while others who are more financially impacted will cut back, leaving things at a net equal?

Finance

Aside from the health and safety of the population, finance cuts most to the emotional core of this pandemic. Many people are laid off or can’t work, and financial worry is skyrocketing. What can you do to provide guidance or relief?

Unemployment

Many people are unexpectedly looking to file unemployment, and plenty of those people have no idea how to do it, how much money they’ll get, or how to get that information. Informative guides and tips could be hugely helpful in this area.

Budgeting tips

With layoffs and pay cuts, people are scrambling to find new ways to save money. Also trending with the same graph results: “How to invest money wisely” -- most likely because of the fluctuating stock market. Can you provide insight?

Relationships

When tensions run high, it’s important to pay attention to all the relationships in your life, meaning several subtopics in this vertical can be of vital importance.

At home date ideas

Couples stuck inside are looking for ways to keep up their romantic lives. Does it make sense for your brand to provide dating or relationships tips at an unprecedented time like this?

Reconnecting with friends

Physically, we’re all practicing social distancing, but we shouldn’t be virtually disconnecting from the people in our lives. It looks like people are wondering if they should take advantage of this free time to reconnect with old friends. Can your brand offer advice on the topic, or possibly a forum for those connections to happen?

How to make your parents understand how you feel

There are a lot of jokes going around about Gen Zs and Millennials trying to convince their Boomer parents to stay inside. But the jokes are for a reason: Many people are having tough conversations for the first time with family that they aren’t entirely sure how to navigate. Could you provide some helpful tips to approach these conversations?

Health and fitness

Health is, unsurprisingly, a vital category right now. Rather than getting into some of the most obvious things (like hand washing, hand sanitizer, etc.), I’ll try to cover some other popular topics that might be useful.

How to get health insurance

Similar to “unemployment” above, this is probably a response to people losing their jobs who are now unsure how they can get health insurance. What other concerns might these people have that you can help with?

Indoor workouts

People might have to stay home, but they’re also trying to stay healthy. How can you assist them in this endeavor?

Also trending: “how to start running”, indicating that solitary outdoor exercise is key, too.

How to strengthen immune system

People are concerned about their health and want to do whatever they can to protect themselves from COVID-19. However, only dive into this subject matter if your brand is a legitimate medical expert. False information can damage lives.

Also trending: “healthy diet”.

Journaling

Don’t forget about mental health, which is also being affected by the pandemic. People are stressed, anxious, worried, and, well, scared. Does it make sense for your brand to provide guidance on how to emotionally or mentally approach this day and age?

Also trending: “meditation”.

Home and family

In many cases, entire families are at home, every day, for the first time since the kids were old enough to be in school. That can lead to some interesting challenges.

Natural cleaning products

In an effort to keep the house clean, people may be looking for guidance on the best type of supplies to use. Could you make a list of the most effective products?

Also trending: “organic cleaning products”.

Family recipes

Everyone’s at home for all their meals and trying to avoid restaurants, so they probably need more recipes in their arsenal. Maybe your employees have favorite family recipes you could share with your readers.

Games to play with kids

Parents are used to this over the summer, but not when it’s sprung on them for an indefinite period of time. How can your brand give them ideas and tools to entertain their kids while they’re home?

Also trending: “family conversation starters”.

Conclusion

To round out this study, I want to show the results for “uplifting stories.”

If you’re not responsible for delivering breaking news or important COVID-19 updates, look for opportunities to amplify joy, gratitude, hope, or any other positive emotion. People are looking for health and safety updates, but they’re looking for inspiration, too.

Consider how any of these topics might apply to your brand, do some further exploring in the Moz Keyword Explorer, and focus on creating a content plan you feel confident in.

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

via Blogger https://ift.tt/2ymkSwk #blogger #bloggingtips #bloggerlife #bloggersgetsocial #ontheblog #writersofinstagram #writingprompt #instapoetry #writerscommunity #writersofig #writersblock #writerlife #writtenword #instawriters #spilledink #wordgasm #creativewriting #poetsofinstagram #blackoutpoetry #poetsofig

[evempierson]

What Readers Want During COVID-19: Content Ideas for Every Niche

Posted by amandamilligan

This is a stressful time to say the least. Everything is impacted by COVID-19 in some way, including our work.

Once we’ve taken time to acknowledge how lucky we are to work in digital, it’s time to assess if our current content strategy needs any adjusting based on current events.

Many marketers are finding themselves:

Wanting to write about something topical

Needing to add more content to their calendars

At a loss for how to contribute at a time like this

So, I spent hours using Ubersuggest, putting myself in the shoes of various Americans. I tested a variety of keywords to see which ones have exhibited a trend during the COVID-19 outbreak and might warrant some attention from content marketers.

The results below are for the term “Coronavirus,” so for the other keywords identified, I looked for a noticeable spike in the months of January, February, and March to make sure they matched up accordingly.

My findings reveal potential topic ideas for several primary industries. See if any provide inspiration for high-quality content you can create in the coming months.

Travel

I’ll start with one of the industries hardest hit by this pandemic: travel. This was a tough one, as more and more people are understandably opting for driving, walking, or biking to get around, and are no longer relying on air travel or public transportation as trips and work get cancelled. However, I identified a few key opportunities.

Travel insurance

While it had an increase in the summer months, interest in the topic of travel insurance has risen back up again. Perhaps those who have to travel want to make sure they’re covered if they get sick, or maybe those who canceled travel want to see what their insurance covers.

In either case, people are looking for information about travel insurance and how it can help them.

Train travel

It seems that train travel falls into an ambiguous category that people are asking about. I’m not here to say whether it’s safe or not (as that is obviously not my area of expertise). As we’ve all heard, it’s best not to travel at all, but perhaps your brand can offer some clarity in this regard and offer alternatives.

Virtual travel

For everyone stuck at home but still grappling with wanderlust, how can they still explore from the couch? Virtual travel seems to be gaining popularity as more people find themselves stuck at home.

Work and education

In some cases, companies and schools have gone from in-person to virtual nearly overnight. It’s been a huge shakeup across the board, and relevant topics are trending accordingly.

Homeschooling

Many kids are home from school, and their parents are suddenly and unexpectedly in the position of teaching them. They’re sure to have a lot of questions! Note how the search level now is the same as the summer months, when kids are also home.

Free online courses

With all plans essentially cancelled as a result of “social distancing,” people are looking for ways to spend their time at home. If you offer online courses, consider amplifying them and explaining their value. If you don’t, consider whether it makes sense to create one.

Working from home tips

Executives and staff alike are looking for advice on how to improve productivity while working from home, perhaps for the first time. Consider creating content with suggestions on how to set up a home office or maintain a schedule while dealing with at-home distractions.

How to stay focused

Whether it’s because people are working or studying at home for the first time or because they’re anxious and distracted by the developing events, more and more people are struggling to stay focused. Can your brand offer anything by way of motivation or tools for focus and efficiency?

Entertainment

Everyone’s at home either trying to distract themselves from the stressful reality of the world or looking to cure their boredom. As a result, online entertainment is on the rise. Can you offer the entertainment itself, or maybe guides on how to choose the best entertainment?

Free streaming

We’re stuck with digital for now, and people are looking for new media to consume. What can your brand provide? Also trending: “cheap digital games” and “best multiplayer video games”.

Learn to play piano online

Some folks are using their newfound free time to work on hobbies and skills they haven’t had the chance to pursue in the past. Can your brand teach them anything?

Best online shopping deals

This is particularly interesting to me. Keyword rates for this term are as high as they were over the holidays. I’m wondering if people who still have disposable income will pass the time online shopping, while others who are more financially impacted will cut back, leaving things at a net equal?

Finance

Aside from the health and safety of the population, finance cuts most to the emotional core of this pandemic. Many people are laid off or can’t work, and financial worry is skyrocketing. What can you do to provide guidance or relief?

Unemployment

Many people are unexpectedly looking to file unemployment, and plenty of those people have no idea how to do it, how much money they’ll get, or how to get that information. Informative guides and tips could be hugely helpful in this area.

Budgeting tips

With layoffs and pay cuts, people are scrambling to find new ways to save money. Also trending with the same graph results: “How to invest money wisely” -- most likely because of the fluctuating stock market. Can you provide insight?

Relationships

When tensions run high, it’s important to pay attention to all the relationships in your life, meaning several subtopics in this vertical can be of vital importance.

At home date ideas

Couples stuck inside are looking for ways to keep up their romantic lives. Does it make sense for your brand to provide dating or relationships tips at an unprecedented time like this?

Reconnecting with friends

Physically, we’re all practicing social distancing, but we shouldn’t be virtually disconnecting from the people in our lives. It looks like people are wondering if they should take advantage of this free time to reconnect with old friends. Can your brand offer advice on the topic, or possibly a forum for those connections to happen?

How to make your parents understand how you feel

There are a lot of jokes going around about Gen Zs and Millennials trying to convince their Boomer parents to stay inside. But the jokes are for a reason: Many people are having tough conversations for the first time with family that they aren’t entirely sure how to navigate. Could you provide some helpful tips to approach these conversations?

Health and fitness

Health is, unsurprisingly, a vital category right now. Rather than getting into some of the most obvious things (like hand washing, hand sanitizer, etc.), I’ll try to cover some other popular topics that might be useful.

How to get health insurance

Similar to “unemployment” above, this is probably a response to people losing their jobs who are now unsure how they can get health insurance. What other concerns might these people have that you can help with?

Indoor workouts

People might have to stay home, but they’re also trying to stay healthy. How can you assist them in this endeavor?

Also trending: “how to start running”, indicating that solitary outdoor exercise is key, too.

How to strengthen immune system

People are concerned about their health and want to do whatever they can to protect themselves from COVID-19. However, only dive into this subject matter if your brand is a legitimate medical expert. False information can damage lives.

Also trending: “healthy diet”.

Journaling

Don’t forget about mental health, which is also being affected by the pandemic. People are stressed, anxious, worried, and, well, scared. Does it make sense for your brand to provide guidance on how to emotionally or mentally approach this day and age?

Also trending: “meditation”.

Home and family

In many cases, entire families are at home, every day, for the first time since the kids were old enough to be in school. That can lead to some interesting challenges.

Natural cleaning products

In an effort to keep the house clean, people may be looking for guidance on the best type of supplies to use. Could you make a list of the most effective products?

Also trending: “organic cleaning products”.

Family recipes

Everyone’s at home for all their meals and trying to avoid restaurants, so they probably need more recipes in their arsenal. Maybe your employees have favorite family recipes you could share with your readers.

Games to play with kids

Parents are used to this over the summer, but not when it’s sprung on them for an indefinite period of time. How can your brand give them ideas and tools to entertain their kids while they’re home?

Also trending: “family conversation starters”.

Conclusion

To round out this study, I want to show the results for “uplifting stories.”

If you’re not responsible for delivering breaking news or important COVID-19 updates, look for opportunities to amplify joy, gratitude, hope, or any other positive emotion. People are looking for health and safety updates, but they’re looking for inspiration, too.

Consider how any of these topics might apply to your brand, do some further exploring in the Moz Keyword Explorer, and focus on creating a content plan you feel confident in.

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

[ductrungnguyen87]

What Readers Want During COVID-19: Content Ideas for Every Niche

Posted by amandamilligan

This is a stressful time to say the least. Everything is impacted by COVID-19 in some way, including our work.

Once we’ve taken time to acknowledge how lucky we are to work in digital, it’s time to assess if our current content strategy needs any adjusting based on current events.

Many marketers are finding themselves:

Wanting to write about something topical

Needing to add more content to their calendars

At a loss for how to contribute at a time like this

So, I spent hours using Ubersuggest, putting myself in the shoes of various Americans. I tested a variety of keywords to see which ones have exhibited a trend during the COVID-19 outbreak and might warrant some attention from content marketers.

The results below are for the term “Coronavirus,” so for the other keywords identified, I looked for a noticeable spike in the months of January, February, and March to make sure they matched up accordingly.

My findings reveal potential topic ideas for several primary industries. See if any provide inspiration for high-quality content you can create in the coming months.

Travel

I’ll start with one of the industries hardest hit by this pandemic: travel. This was a tough one, as more and more people are understandably opting for driving, walking, or biking to get around, and are no longer relying on air travel or public transportation as trips and work get cancelled. However, I identified a few key opportunities.

Travel insurance

While it had an increase in the summer months, interest in the topic of travel insurance has risen back up again. Perhaps those who have to travel want to make sure they’re covered if they get sick, or maybe those who canceled travel want to see what their insurance covers.

In either case, people are looking for information about travel insurance and how it can help them.

Train travel

It seems that train travel falls into an ambiguous category that people are asking about. I’m not here to say whether it’s safe or not (as that is obviously not my area of expertise). As we’ve all heard, it’s best not to travel at all, but perhaps your brand can offer some clarity in this regard and offer alternatives.

Virtual travel

For everyone stuck at home but still grappling with wanderlust, how can they still explore from the couch? Virtual travel seems to be gaining popularity as more people find themselves stuck at home.

Work and education

In some cases, companies and schools have gone from in-person to virtual nearly overnight. It’s been a huge shakeup across the board, and relevant topics are trending accordingly.

Homeschooling

Many kids are home from school, and their parents are suddenly and unexpectedly in the position of teaching them. They’re sure to have a lot of questions! Note how the search level now is the same as the summer months, when kids are also home.

Free online courses

With all plans essentially cancelled as a result of “social distancing,” people are looking for ways to spend their time at home. If you offer online courses, consider amplifying them and explaining their value. If you don’t, consider whether it makes sense to create one.

Working from home tips

Executives and staff alike are looking for advice on how to improve productivity while working from home, perhaps for the first time. Consider creating content with suggestions on how to set up a home office or maintain a schedule while dealing with at-home distractions.

How to stay focused

Whether it’s because people are working or studying at home for the first time or because they’re anxious and distracted by the developing events, more and more people are struggling to stay focused. Can your brand offer anything by way of motivation or tools for focus and efficiency?

Entertainment

Everyone’s at home either trying to distract themselves from the stressful reality of the world or looking to cure their boredom. As a result, online entertainment is on the rise. Can you offer the entertainment itself, or maybe guides on how to choose the best entertainment?

Free streaming

We’re stuck with digital for now, and people are looking for new media to consume. What can your brand provide? Also trending: “cheap digital games” and “best multiplayer video games”.

Learn to play piano online

Some folks are using their newfound free time to work on hobbies and skills they haven’t had the chance to pursue in the past. Can your brand teach them anything?

Best online shopping deals

This is particularly interesting to me. Keyword rates for this term are as high as they were over the holidays. I’m wondering if people who still have disposable income will pass the time online shopping, while others who are more financially impacted will cut back, leaving things at a net equal?

Finance

Aside from the health and safety of the population, finance cuts most to the emotional core of this pandemic. Many people are laid off or can’t work, and financial worry is skyrocketing. What can you do to provide guidance or relief?

Unemployment

Many people are unexpectedly looking to file unemployment, and plenty of those people have no idea how to do it, how much money they’ll get, or how to get that information. Informative guides and tips could be hugely helpful in this area.

Budgeting tips

With layoffs and pay cuts, people are scrambling to find new ways to save money. Also trending with the same graph results: “How to invest money wisely” -- most likely because of the fluctuating stock market. Can you provide insight?

Relationships

When tensions run high, it’s important to pay attention to all the relationships in your life, meaning several subtopics in this vertical can be of vital importance.

At home date ideas

Couples stuck inside are looking for ways to keep up their romantic lives. Does it make sense for your brand to provide dating or relationships tips at an unprecedented time like this?

Reconnecting with friends

Physically, we’re all practicing social distancing, but we shouldn’t be virtually disconnecting from the people in our lives. It looks like people are wondering if they should take advantage of this free time to reconnect with old friends. Can your brand offer advice on the topic, or possibly a forum for those connections to happen?

How to make your parents understand how you feel

There are a lot of jokes going around about Gen Zs and Millennials trying to convince their Boomer parents to stay inside. But the jokes are for a reason: Many people are having tough conversations for the first time with family that they aren’t entirely sure how to navigate. Could you provide some helpful tips to approach these conversations?

Health and fitness

Health is, unsurprisingly, a vital category right now. Rather than getting into some of the most obvious things (like hand washing, hand sanitizer, etc.), I’ll try to cover some other popular topics that might be useful.

How to get health insurance

Similar to “unemployment” above, this is probably a response to people losing their jobs who are now unsure how they can get health insurance. What other concerns might these people have that you can help with?

Indoor workouts

People might have to stay home, but they’re also trying to stay healthy. How can you assist them in this endeavor?

Also trending: “how to start running”, indicating that solitary outdoor exercise is key, too.

How to strengthen immune system

People are concerned about their health and want to do whatever they can to protect themselves from COVID-19. However, only dive into this subject matter if your brand is a legitimate medical expert. False information can damage lives.

Also trending: “healthy diet”.

Journaling

Don’t forget about mental health, which is also being affected by the pandemic. People are stressed, anxious, worried, and, well, scared. Does it make sense for your brand to provide guidance on how to emotionally or mentally approach this day and age?

Also trending: “meditation”.

Home and family

In many cases, entire families are at home, every day, for the first time since the kids were old enough to be in school. That can lead to some interesting challenges.

Natural cleaning products

In an effort to keep the house clean, people may be looking for guidance on the best type of supplies to use. Could you make a list of the most effective products?

Also trending: “organic cleaning products”.

Family recipes

Everyone’s at home for all their meals and trying to avoid restaurants, so they probably need more recipes in their arsenal. Maybe your employees have favorite family recipes you could share with your readers.

Games to play with kids

Parents are used to this over the summer, but not when it’s sprung on them for an indefinite period of time. How can your brand give them ideas and tools to entertain their kids while they’re home?

Also trending: “family conversation starters”.

Conclusion

To round out this study, I want to show the results for “uplifting stories.”

If you’re not responsible for delivering breaking news or important COVID-19 updates, look for opportunities to amplify joy, gratitude, hope, or any other positive emotion. People are looking for health and safety updates, but they’re looking for inspiration, too.

Consider how any of these topics might apply to your brand, do some further exploring in the Moz Keyword Explorer, and focus on creating a content plan you feel confident in.

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

[gamebazu]

What Readers Want During COVID-19: Content Ideas for Every Niche

Posted by amandamilligan

This is a stressful time to say the least. Everything is impacted by COVID-19 in some way, including our work.

Once we’ve taken time to acknowledge how lucky we are to work in digital, it’s time to assess if our current content strategy needs any adjusting based on current events.

Many marketers are finding themselves:

Wanting to write about something topical

Needing to add more content to their calendars

At a loss for how to contribute at a time like this

So, I spent hours using Ubersuggest, putting myself in the shoes of various Americans. I tested a variety of keywords to see which ones have exhibited a trend during the COVID-19 outbreak and might warrant some attention from content marketers.

The results below are for the term “Coronavirus,” so for the other keywords identified, I looked for a noticeable spike in the months of January, February, and March to make sure they matched up accordingly.

My findings reveal potential topic ideas for several primary industries. See if any provide inspiration for high-quality content you can create in the coming months.

Travel

I’ll start with one of the industries hardest hit by this pandemic: travel. This was a tough one, as more and more people are understandably opting for driving, walking, or biking to get around, and are no longer relying on air travel or public transportation as trips and work get cancelled. However, I identified a few key opportunities.

Travel insurance

While it had an increase in the summer months, interest in the topic of travel insurance has risen back up again. Perhaps those who have to travel want to make sure they’re covered if they get sick, or maybe those who canceled travel want to see what their insurance covers.

In either case, people are looking for information about travel insurance and how it can help them.

Train travel

It seems that train travel falls into an ambiguous category that people are asking about. I’m not here to say whether it’s safe or not (as that is obviously not my area of expertise). As we’ve all heard, it’s best not to travel at all, but perhaps your brand can offer some clarity in this regard and offer alternatives.

Virtual travel

For everyone stuck at home but still grappling with wanderlust, how can they still explore from the couch? Virtual travel seems to be gaining popularity as more people find themselves stuck at home.

Work and education

In some cases, companies and schools have gone from in-person to virtual nearly overnight. It’s been a huge shakeup across the board, and relevant topics are trending accordingly.

Homeschooling

Many kids are home from school, and their parents are suddenly and unexpectedly in the position of teaching them. They’re sure to have a lot of questions! Note how the search level now is the same as the summer months, when kids are also home.

Free online courses

With all plans essentially cancelled as a result of “social distancing,” people are looking for ways to spend their time at home. If you offer online courses, consider amplifying them and explaining their value. If you don’t, consider whether it makes sense to create one.

Working from home tips

Executives and staff alike are looking for advice on how to improve productivity while working from home, perhaps for the first time. Consider creating content with suggestions on how to set up a home office or maintain a schedule while dealing with at-home distractions.

How to stay focused

Whether it’s because people are working or studying at home for the first time or because they’re anxious and distracted by the developing events, more and more people are struggling to stay focused. Can your brand offer anything by way of motivation or tools for focus and efficiency?

Entertainment

Everyone’s at home either trying to distract themselves from the stressful reality of the world or looking to cure their boredom. As a result, online entertainment is on the rise. Can you offer the entertainment itself, or maybe guides on how to choose the best entertainment?

Free streaming

We’re stuck with digital for now, and people are looking for new media to consume. What can your brand provide? Also trending: “cheap digital games” and “best multiplayer video games”.

Learn to play piano online

Some folks are using their newfound free time to work on hobbies and skills they haven’t had the chance to pursue in the past. Can your brand teach them anything?

Best online shopping deals

This is particularly interesting to me. Keyword rates for this term are as high as they were over the holidays. I’m wondering if people who still have disposable income will pass the time online shopping, while others who are more financially impacted will cut back, leaving things at a net equal?

Finance

Aside from the health and safety of the population, finance cuts most to the emotional core of this pandemic. Many people are laid off or can’t work, and financial worry is skyrocketing. What can you do to provide guidance or relief?

Unemployment

Many people are unexpectedly looking to file unemployment, and plenty of those people have no idea how to do it, how much money they’ll get, or how to get that information. Informative guides and tips could be hugely helpful in this area.

Budgeting tips

With layoffs and pay cuts, people are scrambling to find new ways to save money. Also trending with the same graph results: “How to invest money wisely” -- most likely because of the fluctuating stock market. Can you provide insight?

Relationships

When tensions run high, it’s important to pay attention to all the relationships in your life, meaning several subtopics in this vertical can be of vital importance.

At home date ideas

Couples stuck inside are looking for ways to keep up their romantic lives. Does it make sense for your brand to provide dating or relationships tips at an unprecedented time like this?

Reconnecting with friends

Physically, we’re all practicing social distancing, but we shouldn’t be virtually disconnecting from the people in our lives. It looks like people are wondering if they should take advantage of this free time to reconnect with old friends. Can your brand offer advice on the topic, or possibly a forum for those connections to happen?

How to make your parents understand how you feel

There are a lot of jokes going around about Gen Zs and Millennials trying to convince their Boomer parents to stay inside. But the jokes are for a reason: Many people are having tough conversations for the first time with family that they aren’t entirely sure how to navigate. Could you provide some helpful tips to approach these conversations?

Health and fitness

Health is, unsurprisingly, a vital category right now. Rather than getting into some of the most obvious things (like hand washing, hand sanitizer, etc.), I’ll try to cover some other popular topics that might be useful.

How to get health insurance

Similar to “unemployment” above, this is probably a response to people losing their jobs who are now unsure how they can get health insurance. What other concerns might these people have that you can help with?

Indoor workouts

People might have to stay home, but they’re also trying to stay healthy. How can you assist them in this endeavor?

Also trending: “how to start running”, indicating that solitary outdoor exercise is key, too.

How to strengthen immune system

People are concerned about their health and want to do whatever they can to protect themselves from COVID-19. However, only dive into this subject matter if your brand is a legitimate medical expert. False information can damage lives.

Also trending: “healthy diet”.

Journaling

Don’t forget about mental health, which is also being affected by the pandemic. People are stressed, anxious, worried, and, well, scared. Does it make sense for your brand to provide guidance on how to emotionally or mentally approach this day and age?

Also trending: “meditation”.

Home and family

In many cases, entire families are at home, every day, for the first time since the kids were old enough to be in school. That can lead to some interesting challenges.

Natural cleaning products

In an effort to keep the house clean, people may be looking for guidance on the best type of supplies to use. Could you make a list of the most effective products?

Also trending: “organic cleaning products”.

Family recipes

Everyone’s at home for all their meals and trying to avoid restaurants, so they probably need more recipes in their arsenal. Maybe your employees have favorite family recipes you could share with your readers.

Games to play with kids

Parents are used to this over the summer, but not when it’s sprung on them for an indefinite period of time. How can your brand give them ideas and tools to entertain their kids while they’re home?

Also trending: “family conversation starters”.

Conclusion

To round out this study, I want to show the results for “uplifting stories.”

If you’re not responsible for delivering breaking news or important COVID-19 updates, look for opportunities to amplify joy, gratitude, hope, or any other positive emotion. People are looking for health and safety updates, but they’re looking for inspiration, too.

Consider how any of these topics might apply to your brand, do some further exploring in the Moz Keyword Explorer, and focus on creating a content plan you feel confident in.

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

[goldeagleprice]

Q. David Bowers on Bill Bierly’s In God We Trust

(Pelham, Alabama) — In November 2019 Whitman Publishing will release William Bierly’s In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion. The 352-page hardcover volume will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online. Here, numismatic historian Q. David Bowers shares his thoughts on the book.

Bill Bierly’s In God We Trust is one of the most detailed, intricate, and fascinating books in the field of American numismatics—and in American history in general.

The national motto “In God We Trust” is familiar to all of us. Look in your pocket change or wallet and you will find it on every United States coin and paper bill. Before reading the manuscript to Bierly’s book I thought I knew all about the subject.

1864 two-cent piece, PF-65. Hover to zoom.

Some years ago I wrote an article, “God in Your Pocket,” for my local Presbyterian Church, telling of the motto’s use on coins. I knew it appeared on pattern coins in 1863 and in 1864 made its first appearance on a circulating coin, the bronze two-cent piece, a new denomination introduced that year. I had the obscure knowledge that “In God We Trust” is the motto of the State of Florida and was used on certain National Bank notes issued in that state in the second half of the 19th century.

I also knew that the $5 Silver Certificates of the Series of 1886 illustrate the reverse of a Morgan silver dollar of that year, with the motto as part of the design.

But what I didn’t know were 101 other details—make that many more than 101 different details—as to how the motto came to be, how it was used over the years, and the wide cast of characters in the Treasury Department and elsewhere who participated in its use on money.

All too often, books, newspaper columns, and magazine articles about popular subjects lack many details. For Whitman Publishing I wrote a volume on President Ronald Reagan, and I read every book and important study I could find. There were very few details about his personal day-to-day life. Not to worry about the historical personalities involved with “In God We Trust.” While you might not learn the names of the protagonists’ pet cats or their favorite dime novels, there is not much else missing in Bierly’s excellent narrative. Dozens of cast members play cameo roles and small walk-on parts.

It is probably correct to say that no other researcher could add to Bill Bierly’s efforts! He collaborated with professional numismatists, leaving no stone (or coin) unturned in the creation of this book. Commonly believed myths and misunderstandings he examined, debunked, and corrected. Hundreds of historical images were collected, many of which have never been published in a numismatic reference, to which have been added beautiful photographs of rare coins, patterns, tokens, medals, and paper currency, including close-ups of important characteristics. All of this required a lot of work, creativity, and careful attention to detail.

Further on the subject of detail: I enjoy learning about and digging deeply into previously unexplored subjects. I have written books on the Waterford Water Cure (a health spa in Waterford, Maine, that counterstamped coins as advertisements), The Strange Career of Dr. G.G. Wilkins (about a countertstamper who was a dentist, also operated a restaurant with a caged bear in front, and was suspected of passing counterfeit money and also burning down a neighbor’s barn), and, for good measure, books about Alexandre Vattemare (a French numismatist who visited America and became important to the development of libraries here), and Augustus G. Heaton (the teenaged coin dealer who founded the American Numismatic Society in 1858).

Each of these books was popular in its time, despite their obviously obscure subjects. Readers find satisfaction in a well-told story that brings new depth and insight.

That is precisely what we get with In God We Trust, debuting this holiday season. Anyone with a combined interest in American history and numismatics will find a new world of important information, fascinating details, and previously unconnected relationships.

2009 Abraham Lincoln commemorative silver dollar Uncirculated obverse.

The motto “In God We Trust” is hardly history alone. It is so much more, and it means different things to different people. Today there are vocal critics who feel that it has no place on coins or paper currency. For that matter, some believe that God has no place in public (and in some cases, private) life. On the other hand, many more people do indeed believe in the Supreme Being. Sometimes it just seems the naysayers get all of the publicity.

“In God We Trust” has appeared on American money since the Civil War. William Bierly tells how the national motto came to be. (Photographs courtesy of Stack’s Bowers Galleries and the United States Mint.)

Bill Bierly’s In God We Trust approaches the subject respectfully on all sides, with color, personality, dashes of humor, and dogged pursuit of the truth. He has given us a smorgasbord: There is a lot to choose from. If you are a collector and strictly so, with no interest in the million points where numismatics touches American history, you can simply immerse yourself in the coins, paper money, tokens, and medals. If you are like me, however, and enjoy every historical highway and byway connected to American money, you will read and find pleasure in the entire book from start to finish.

David Bowers is the award-winning author of more than 60 numismatic books ranging from 90-page monographs to 900-page encyclopedias, hundreds of auction and other catalogs, and several thousand articles including columns in Coin World, Paper Money, and The Numismatist. He is a past president of both the American Numismatic Association (1983–1985) and the Professional Numismatists Guild (1977–1979). In his 60-plus-year career in numismatics, he has earned most of the highest honors bestowed by the hobby community, including the ANA’s Lifetime Achievement Award and induction in the ANA Numismatic Hall of Fame.

In God We Trust: The American Civil War, Money, Banking, and Religion

By William Bierly; foreword by Q. David Bowers

ISBN 0794845282

Hardcover, 6 x 9 inches, 352 pages, full color

Retail $29.95 U.S.

About the Author

William (Bill) Bierly was raised on a farm near Walkerton, Indiana. As a child, he heard stories from his grandparents about two of his great-grandfathers who had served in the Civil War. This led to a lifelong interest in that war and that period of history. At about age eight, he began collecting coins from circulating change. Following high school Bierly attended Northwestern University for two years and then completed a degree in sociology and economic development with a minor in Chinese studies at Indiana University. He then worked in India for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in a dairy development project. Back in the United States, his interest in coins was rekindled. He soon went abroad again, working for three years in Osaka, Japan. Then in the United States, he operated a small business for five years, sold it, and entered graduate school, earning an MBA in finance from Indiana University and embarking on a 25-year career in commercial banking. With his overseas experience, Bierly focused on international banking, particularly Japanese corporate business and Asian correspondent banking. He began his career at the National Bank of Detroit, and he worked with J.P. Morgan Chase for much of his career; at various times at the bank’s Detroit, Chicago, and Columbus, Ohio, offices, as well as often traveling to Asia.

While thus engaged, Bierly continued to pursue his coin hobby, eventually specializing in Civil War–era coinage, in particular, pattern coins. Today he is active in several coin groups and clubs, most notably the Central States Numismatic Society, the American Numismatic Association, the American Numismatic Society, the Chicago Coin Club, the Michigan State Numismatic Society, and the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists, as well as the Civil War Token Society and the Liberty Seated Collectors Club. He sometimes exhibits his collection at major coin shows and frequently volunteers as an exhibit judge.

Bierly resides in LaPorte, Indiana. He has two children, Emma and Ken, as well as a granddaughter, Kiki.

About Whitman Publishing

Whitman Publishing is the world’s leading producer of numismatic reference books, supplies, and products to display and store coins and paper money. The company’s high-quality books educate readers in the rich, colorful history of American and world coinage and currency, and teach how to build great collections. Archival-quality Whitman folders, albums, cases, and other holders keep collectibles safe and allow them to be shown off to friends and family.

Whitman Publishing is the Official Supplier of the American Numismatic Association. As a benefit of membership in the ANA, members can borrow In God We Trust (and other Whitman books) for free from the Association’s Dwight N. Manley Numismatic Library, and also receive 10% off all Whitman purchases. Details are at the website of the ANA.

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Mr Bowers, I'm thinking about buying the book after your ... by So Krates

[epackingvietnam]

What Readers Want During COVID-19: Content Ideas for Every Niche

Posted by amandamilligan

This is a stressful time to say the least. Everything is impacted by COVID-19 in some way, including our work.

Once we’ve taken time to acknowledge how lucky we are to work in digital, it’s time to assess if our current content strategy needs any adjusting based on current events.

Many marketers are finding themselves:

Wanting to write about something topical

Needing to add more content to their calendars

At a loss for how to contribute at a time like this

So, I spent hours using Ubersuggest, putting myself in the shoes of various Americans. I tested a variety of keywords to see which ones have exhibited a trend during the COVID-19 outbreak and might warrant some attention from content marketers.

The results below are for the term “Coronavirus,” so for the other keywords identified, I looked for a noticeable spike in the months of January, February, and March to make sure they matched up accordingly.

My findings reveal potential topic ideas for several primary industries. See if any provide inspiration for high-quality content you can create in the coming months.

Travel

I’ll start with one of the industries hardest hit by this pandemic: travel. This was a tough one, as more and more people are understandably opting for driving, walking, or biking to get around, and are no longer relying on air travel or public transportation as trips and work get cancelled. However, I identified a few key opportunities.

Travel insurance

While it had an increase in the summer months, interest in the topic of travel insurance has risen back up again. Perhaps those who have to travel want to make sure they’re covered if they get sick, or maybe those who canceled travel want to see what their insurance covers.

In either case, people are looking for information about travel insurance and how it can help them.

Train travel

It seems that train travel falls into an ambiguous category that people are asking about. I’m not here to say whether it’s safe or not (as that is obviously not my area of expertise). As we’ve all heard, it’s best not to travel at all, but perhaps your brand can offer some clarity in this regard and offer alternatives.

Virtual travel

For everyone stuck at home but still grappling with wanderlust, how can they still explore from the couch? Virtual travel seems to be gaining popularity as more people find themselves stuck at home.

Work and education

In some cases, companies and schools have gone from in-person to virtual nearly overnight. It’s been a huge shakeup across the board, and relevant topics are trending accordingly.

Homeschooling

Many kids are home from school, and their parents are suddenly and unexpectedly in the position of teaching them. They’re sure to have a lot of questions! Note how the search level now is the same as the summer months, when kids are also home.

Free online courses

With all plans essentially cancelled as a result of “social distancing,” people are looking for ways to spend their time at home. If you offer online courses, consider amplifying them and explaining their value. If you don’t, consider whether it makes sense to create one.

Working from home tips

Executives and staff alike are looking for advice on how to improve productivity while working from home, perhaps for the first time. Consider creating content with suggestions on how to set up a home office or maintain a schedule while dealing with at-home distractions.

How to stay focused

Whether it’s because people are working or studying at home for the first time or because they’re anxious and distracted by the developing events, more and more people are struggling to stay focused. Can your brand offer anything by way of motivation or tools for focus and efficiency?

Entertainment

Everyone’s at home either trying to distract themselves from the stressful reality of the world or looking to cure their boredom. As a result, online entertainment is on the rise. Can you offer the entertainment itself, or maybe guides on how to choose the best entertainment?

Free streaming

We’re stuck with digital for now, and people are looking for new media to consume. What can your brand provide? Also trending: “cheap digital games” and “best multiplayer video games”.

Learn to play piano online

Some folks are using their newfound free time to work on hobbies and skills they haven’t had the chance to pursue in the past. Can your brand teach them anything?

Best online shopping deals

This is particularly interesting to me. Keyword rates for this term are as high as they were over the holidays. I’m wondering if people who still have disposable income will pass the time online shopping, while others who are more financially impacted will cut back, leaving things at a net equal?

Finance

Aside from the health and safety of the population, finance cuts most to the emotional core of this pandemic. Many people are laid off or can’t work, and financial worry is skyrocketing. What can you do to provide guidance or relief?

Unemployment

Many people are unexpectedly looking to file unemployment, and plenty of those people have no idea how to do it, how much money they’ll get, or how to get that information. Informative guides and tips could be hugely helpful in this area.

Budgeting tips

With layoffs and pay cuts, people are scrambling to find new ways to save money. Also trending with the same graph results: “How to invest money wisely” -- most likely because of the fluctuating stock market. Can you provide insight?

Relationships

When tensions run high, it’s important to pay attention to all the relationships in your life, meaning several subtopics in this vertical can be of vital importance.

At home date ideas

Couples stuck inside are looking for ways to keep up their romantic lives. Does it make sense for your brand to provide dating or relationships tips at an unprecedented time like this?

Reconnecting with friends

Physically, we’re all practicing social distancing, but we shouldn’t be virtually disconnecting from the people in our lives. It looks like people are wondering if they should take advantage of this free time to reconnect with old friends. Can your brand offer advice on the topic, or possibly a forum for those connections to happen?

How to make your parents understand how you feel

There are a lot of jokes going around about Gen Zs and Millennials trying to convince their Boomer parents to stay inside. But the jokes are for a reason: Many people are having tough conversations for the first time with family that they aren’t entirely sure how to navigate. Could you provide some helpful tips to approach these conversations?

Health and fitness

Health is, unsurprisingly, a vital category right now. Rather than getting into some of the most obvious things (like hand washing, hand sanitizer, etc.), I’ll try to cover some other popular topics that might be useful.

How to get health insurance

Similar to “unemployment” above, this is probably a response to people losing their jobs who are now unsure how they can get health insurance. What other concerns might these people have that you can help with?

Indoor workouts

People might have to stay home, but they’re also trying to stay healthy. How can you assist them in this endeavor?

Also trending: “how to start running”, indicating that solitary outdoor exercise is key, too.

How to strengthen immune system

People are concerned about their health and want to do whatever they can to protect themselves from COVID-19. However, only dive into this subject matter if your brand is a legitimate medical expert. False information can damage lives.

Also trending: “healthy diet”.

Journaling

Don’t forget about mental health, which is also being affected by the pandemic. People are stressed, anxious, worried, and, well, scared. Does it make sense for your brand to provide guidance on how to emotionally or mentally approach this day and age?

Also trending: “meditation”.

Home and family

In many cases, entire families are at home, every day, for the first time since the kids were old enough to be in school. That can lead to some interesting challenges.

Natural cleaning products

In an effort to keep the house clean, people may be looking for guidance on the best type of supplies to use. Could you make a list of the most effective products?

Also trending: “organic cleaning products”.

Family recipes

Everyone’s at home for all their meals and trying to avoid restaurants, so they probably need more recipes in their arsenal. Maybe your employees have favorite family recipes you could share with your readers.

Games to play with kids

Parents are used to this over the summer, but not when it’s sprung on them for an indefinite period of time. How can your brand give them ideas and tools to entertain their kids while they’re home?

Also trending: “family conversation starters”.

Conclusion

To round out this study, I want to show the results for “uplifting stories.”

If you’re not responsible for delivering breaking news or important COVID-19 updates, look for opportunities to amplify joy, gratitude, hope, or any other positive emotion. People are looking for health and safety updates, but they’re looking for inspiration, too.

Consider how any of these topics might apply to your brand, do some further exploring in the Moz Keyword Explorer, and focus on creating a content plan you feel confident in.

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

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