Catchy motto

My 11 Mystic (?) Tenets

2024.05.31 08:02 DylanSchreiner My 11 Mystic (?) Tenets

UPDATED: 17 MYSTIC TENETS

Quotes or Mottoes have yet to be wrested from the Aether.
Emerald Tablet

LOWER Number = More CONTROL

1. MYTH
2. Deluge
3. Circulate
4. Conceive
5. Involve
6. Nuclear Fusion & Fission

MIDDER Number = More EGO

7. Coronal Ejection
8. Caricature
9. Indulge
10. Deliberate
11. Elaborate

HIGHER Number = More EXPLODE

12. Author
13. Amuse
14. Corral
15. Center
16. Consolidate
17. PRIME

https://preview.redd.it/1p7ohkhzdd5d1.jpg?width=942&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f47989451575010da2b3744ea5799fe384bdcadf

Which Should You Focus On?

Some Definitions:

Affine Tenet == Tenet you have affinity with . . . it's Yours, basically.
Focal Tenet == Tenet you should focus on . . . it's Your Transformation or Potential, basically.

Organizing Laws:

The lower the numbered Affine Tenet (such as 2. Deluge), the more middler numbered Focal Tenet (such as 9. Indulge),
The middler the numbered Affine Tenet (such as 9. Indulge), the higher numbered Focal Tenet (such as 16. Consolidate),
The higher the numbered Affine Tenet (such as 16. Consolidate), the lower numbered Focal Tenet (such as 2. Deluge).

AFFINE ===>> FOCAL TENET COMBINATIONS LISTED BELOW

1. MYTH and 17. PRIME are optional experimental.
1. MYTH should focus on => 9. Indulge, 2. Deluge should focus on => 9. Indulge.
3. Circulate should focus on => 8. Caricature, 4. Conceive should focus on => 10. Deliberate.
5. Involve focus on => 7. Coronal Ejection, 6. Nuclear Fusion & Fission focus on => 11. Elaborate.
7. Coronal Ejection ===>> 13. Amuse, 11. Elaborate ===>> 12. Author.

Caricature ===>> 15. Center, 10. Deliberate ===>> 14. Corral.

9. Indulge ===>> 16. Consolidate or 17. PRIME,

Author ===>> 6. Nuclear Fusion & Fission, 13. Amuse ===>> 5. Involve.

Corral ===>> 4. Conceive, 15. Center ===>> 3. Circulate.

Consolidate ===>> 2. Deluge, 17. PRIME ===>> 2. Deluge or 1. MYTH.

Fictional Characters:

VEGETA: 9. Indulge ===>> 16. Consolidate [Ultra Ego]

Vegeta is naturally Indulgent enough to easily Consolidate what is going on without and within. The consolidation of others simply does not compare, given the lack of total indulgence in self and circumstances. They are like phantoms compared to Vegeta, whom lives in the real circumstances of life more viscerally.

GOKU: 8. Caricature ===>> 15. Center [Ultra Instinct]

Goku is enough of a Caricature that he can easily Center himself. It's the kind of half-assery that never gets too invested in any one thing while having some grasp of everything, so the person can easily return to and stay Centered.

PICCOLO: 10. Deliberate ===>> 14. Corral [Piccolo Orange]

Piccolo is a very deliberate, contemplative individual. His critical faculties are pretty strong. He somehow fuses with others and uh . . . I guess corrals them inside of him to suppress their personality without crushing them.
He can regenerate & stretch his limbs like a rubber toy, suggesting that his body is loosely 'corralled' together, able to expand and contract without completely falling apart. The cells are 'penned' like a herd of sheep, rather than iron-locked together when he needs to be 'flexible'.
A Deliberate person may seem tight & bound up, too serious, yet they are capable of thoughtful control because of how they are.
Overall a Deliberate person can 'Harness' or 'Corral' their energy & body in a thoughtful manner. Given this character is a Mystic with the power to create, the loose yet harmonious energies seem to be 'real' (yes it's fiction).
A careless person cannot herd sheep, and cannot catch a fly from the air. The fly's path will seem too chaotic, and even if they close their hand around the fly, the air will likely push the fly out of their closing hand. If you consider these flies as a metaphor . . . then the capacity to carefully gather energy and the harness the cells of Piccolo's body makes some sense.
His power ups & especially his major power up ORANGE was a result of his serious creations . . . his hens coming back home to roost. He is like a shepherd, even carefully training Goku's son Gohan for many many years. His garb even alludes to shepherds.
This Namekian sows seeds, rears young. He is Orange like Orange Juice.

FRIEZA: 13. Amuse ===>> 5. Involve

He does it because he can. Because he's a go-getter.

BUU: 6. Nuclear Fusion & Fission ===>> 11. Elaborate

He splits up and stuff. I think he's an atheist.

https://preview.redd.it/bp571rsbed5d1.jpg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cb87d45f4e3e676a8374a2b74aa175e783b0ad52

TENET CIRCUITS

START with your AFFINE TENET
THEN Go-To your FOCAL TENET
THEN Go-To the Focal Tenet of your Focal Tenet . . . .
FINALLY the Focal Tenet of your Focal Tenet . . . will have your AFFINE TENET as ITS Focal Tenet.
This is basically a Circuit. It loops around on itself. These Circuits are composed of 3 Tenets

The 5 Normal Circuits

Soft Power, Soft Circuits:

1. Deluge => Indulge => Consolidate = Red 'Water'
2. Caricature => Center => Circulate = Blue 'Earth'
3. Corral => Conceive => Deliberate = Green 'Plant'

Hard Power, Hard Circuits:

4. Involve => Coronal Ejection => Amuse = Black 'Metal'
5. Elaborate => Author => Nuclear Fusion & Fission = White 'Fire'

The 1 Legendary Circuit:

6. Indulge => PRIME => MYTH

Unnatural Tenets

Tenets everyone is born with an Affinity to (available to everyone) are called Natural Tenets.
Tenets that require some focused work to develop affinity to, or special circumstances, are called Unnatural Tenets.

Natural Tenets:

Deluge
Conceive
Involve
Coronal Ejection
Caricature
Deliberate
Elaborate
Amuse
Corral
Consolidate

Unnatural Tenets:

Circulate
Nuclear Fusion & Fission
Indulge
Author
Center

Impossible Tenets:

MYTH
PRIME

Gunna Fire

Nuclear Fusion & Fission is the only Unnatural Tenet with another Unnatural Tenet focused on it. That other tenet is Author. Thus, someone with affinity to Elaborate must focus on Author, and then focus on Nuclear Fusion & Fission down the road.
Of course someone 'Elaborate' likes fanciful design, or one that loves to 'elaborate' on some topic would make a great Author.
The March of Progress necessitates then pulling apart or putting together the smallest 'indivisible' units . . . changing matter like in alchemy, or precisely crafting. Painstaking effort. Wresting from the Aether. Commanding Angels & Devils.
There might be an extra step involved but such people are not lesser for it.

With enough development in the Focal Tenet, other Tenets can come into play and supplement one's Power.
This might be the Focal Tenet becoming 'Affine' and seeking to progress in its own Focal Tenet . . . such as Elaborate focusing on Author, then focusing on Nuclear Fusion & Fission . . . or it might be a lot more obscure.

Cell Max

GENETICS

My Super Special Chinese Fortune Telling called BaZi => I am Yin Water

Look up your Super Special Chinese Fortune Telling based on birthday here:
https://www.mingli.info/bazi
Wow! Deluge it up! My Magical Tenet is DELUGE! That's like a Flood! Maybe I mixed up the yin yangs of tenets . . . maybe not!
If you link Element to Personality type using the previous information, you will find your Type and also the Other Elements/Personality type involved.
Your WEAKEST Elements/Personality types may be what you focus on developing in life. For me, this would be Earth & Metal.

Elite Genetics

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONALITY TYPE?

Each is listed YIN FIRST, DAO SECOND, YANG THIRD. Dao is Mid!
https://preview.redd.it/u3x93hr92f5d1.png?width=793&format=png&auto=webp&s=fb528b2b684483615fe54c241f328148cdf9f53b
Jungian Type Explained Correctly
Their catchy titles like Mystic, Analyst, Explorer etc are not Ironclad truth, just conventional.
Important: Each Type’s Most Machiavellian Trait 16 Personalities
Important: How the 16 Personalities Make Decisions
Yes I incorporated YouTube/ MMA content, such as The Archetypes of Fighting and 16 Personalities as Types of Fighters
Yes I incorporated Dungreed, the 2D korean dungeon crawling video game: TRANSLATED WIKI OF DUNGREED: ABILITIES

https://preview.redd.it/blvmbofcyd5d1.jpg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=548d42374a11ed8de12373abe6bc486d42cc3000

Cultivation Paths

MYTH

Bored? Try meditating. Or listen to this. Do you even know how to make shit up?
Maybe you do. Maybe you know how to invent shit. But shit is not a great Myth. A great Myth fosters the Life within from the quality of the Myth. You must also recognize great Myth. Myth must foster within.
If you cannot create or be improved by good Myth, you will not make progress in this Magical Tenet.
This tenet is only Good for The Most Explosive.

Forget about it

MOVING ON -- KUNG FU FIGHTING:
I have integrated some Magic: The Gathering card game & Chinese Mysticisms

Deluge, Conceive, Circulate = Red Mana Freedom/ Chinese Water -- Will, Combined, Control

Red

DELUGE

MYTH comes to its own end. . . . and then . . . IT IS DUNKED -- RIGHT INTO THE FLOOD.
Welcome to Reality.
With each step myth is undone. With each step work can be done. Sweet nectar of dreams awakens the living. A foundation can be laid ever-better, ever-more developed. At its peak, it overflows into the next stage of development.
Kamaro's Dance from Majora's Mask

a. Meditation

When the emptiness is your enemy, and you want for endless beginning . . . to overflow like a flood -- you will Meditate.

1. Discovery? 2. Trace? 3. Gather? 4. Circulate? 5. Direct? 6. Conserve? 7. Store? 8. Transform? 9. Dissolve?

b. Mindfulness

At the end of Meditation, if taken to the point of overflowing to the next stage, everything is contextualized by this meditation -- and a reliance on mindfulness begins.

c. Mundanity

At the end of Mindfulness, if taken to the point of overflowing to the next stage, everything is contextualized by this mindfulness -- and a reliance on mundanity begins.

d. Personal Struggle

At the end of Mundanity, if taken to the point of overflowing to the next stage, everything is contextualized by this mundanity -- and a reliance on personal struggle begins.

e. Last Stronggle

At the end of all Personal Struggle, if taken to the point of overflowing to the next stage, everything is contextualized by this personal struggle -- and a reliance on instinctual strength struggle begins. Survival of that which may end, for living.

Onto something EGOIC, the Focal Tenet of the Deluge affine
https://reddit.com/link/1d4op1i/video/qml6kcldwy4d1/player

Caricature,Indulge,Deliberate=Blue Mana Knowledge/Chinese Earth--Gather,Combined, Transport

Blue

INDULGENCE

Gaze Upon these Strange Indulgers:

@ Orbitaldropkick on Twitter, who worked on the Lancer TTRPG

Do these not appear like Deliberate Caricatures of & for the Ego?
Aren't these the tools of an Egomaniac?

Imagine mastering Tension. Just giving and taking tension whenever however. Basically a Vegeta thing, the Self-Indulgent Ultra Ego extraordinaire.

Yes, it is first, suggesting it is the first layer when laying down a foundation.

EXPLODE
Explosive is the Vegetable Kingdom. You want to learn about growing Plants? You want to learn about Nature?
Building Great Soil Starts with Adding Plants (Don't Overthink It!)
PHC Film: Soil is a living organism
SHOCKER! Plants Do MORE For The Soil Than YOU
Designing a New Compost Bioreactor DESIGN SPECS and QUESTIONS ANSWERED

The Explode of Nature begins with carefully securing resources, as all individual efforts are generally futile without All Else that enables their success, their continuity. Without energy and matter what can you do.

very green

Corral, Center, Consolidate=Green Mana Nature/ Chinese Plant-- Planning, Combined, Decision

Green

CONSOLIDATE

There are [7 Layers] to Consolidate: __The first is "LOST IN THE SAUCE: The First Tree"

There are 13 sub-layers or DAYS to The First Tree, and they are attitudes or 'personality' down to how you use your body, where and how you hold tension, circulation, a lot of stuff.
^{In the Bible, Days are often written & interpreted as meaning Years. The sense of scale is big, understand?}
^{Then again, we could be talking about fractions of a second. . . digesting and assimilating the smallest minutia, comprehending the hustle & flow of vibe & aura. . . the plot thickens}
REAL -> Predigestiny -> Precline -> Recline -> Incline -> Disincline -> Decline -> Connections -> Curriculum -> Creative -> Appraisal -> Commission -> GAME
Try walking with the following attitudes if you need a practical sense of each:
>First Day: REAL is as real as it gets.
>Second Day: Progestive Predigestiny is the mind-body-spirit 'digestion' of everything that requires 'predigestion' before it can be turned into something useful for oneself. This can be comprehension of what something is, gestures that promote elucidation such as turning an object in the hand, the changes of mind that highlight or diminish aspects of perception, physiological states that make certain things easier or more difficult . . . and so on. A bit topsy turvy.
>Third Day: Preclusive Preclination is a clear attitude of following one's preclinations (often termed inclinations & proclivities), and the preclinations offered by circumstance, matter, energy, whatever; adjusting and evolving into more reliable, nimble or better preclinations over time. Much of this relates to "not including" considerations . . . a lack of wandering & distraction . . . a preclusive state of preclining, focusing by cultivating preclinations that preclude inclinations that are 'ignorant'.
>Fourth Day: Reclusive Recline is a clear attitude of holding out or retracting from things, but not as independent from reality. Restraint where preclinations may scatter or fall into distraction. Developing easy patterns. Like leisure. Meditative. Circulating in place. Fundamental.
>Fifth Day: Inclusive Incline is a clear attitude of meandering towards something new or out of comfort and moving quickly through easier stuff. Includes more of reality. Dynamic. Vibrant. Fundamental.
>Sixth Day: Exclusive Disincline is a clear attitude of resisting trouble, reducing problems. Jackie Chan: I don't want any trouble.
>Seventh Day: Conclusive Decline is a clear attitude of removing problems and making valuable ways of doing things more clear. It's like pruning weeds from a garden. Jackie Chan: Caught stealing, sent to Shaolin temple for religious discipline.
>Eighth Day: Compounding Connections is a clear attitude of difficulty. Relying on good patterns, making sure they become even more reliable. Jackie Chan: Training-arc.
>Ninth Day: Caricature's Curriculum is a clear attitude of mastery & expansion. Think of all the possibilities. Jackie Chan: Wooden men trial. Drunken monkey style fighting. Other: The Robot. The Cha-Cha.
>Tenth Day: Copious Creativity is a clear attitude of friction & germination. Pattern vs pattern friction and spontaneous creativity. Jackie Chan: Ladder factory & Chair shop. Sparring.
>Eleventh Day: Appraiser's Appraisal is a clear attitude of evaluating and valuating one's own skills & efforts, and others' too. Moreso physically, there's the weight, rhythm, timing, measure, and big picture of one's efforts & skills or others'. Socially, there may be friction or opportunity for organization & influence. The development is in accurate or profound appraisal, especially whilst under-pressure or fatigued.
>Twelfth Day: Commissioner's Commission is a clear attitude of blessed 'miseration', blessed with some task, some mission. This is broadening of the Picture into a Bigger Picture, where one's actions may work for a larger and sophisticated structure and organization. It is also the focused creative or destructive task. The development is in remaining focused and powerfully diligent, while still in harmony with the significant motive.
>Thirteenth Day: GAME

Thus Concludes The First Circuit

Here is my basic concept of Author:

Numeric (Exhaustion)
Ideogram (Promotion)
Logogram (Authority)

Me explaining 'Things'

I'm moving on from Cultivation Paths now.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

In life, indifferent reality & living beings can work around your STRENGTHS and go for your WEAKNESSES:

Why would vulnerability not be guarded if critically necessary or weak, like organs, or if they are not so closely guarded they must be like your eyes, an important sense?

Frog Punch by Aoki, from Hajime no Ippo
Let's assume the main Big Functions of a person are: Mind & Body; Think, Feel, Sense, and Intuit.

Here I will show you an example of a Personality Type (ESTJ Practitioner) and their Big Functions overlaying the Mind-Body Duality (Body is the Vital Physicality, perhaps Ki).

Let it be noted that every Function can be situated in the Body or the Mind, they don't necessarily belong to one in particular but Life Itself is more like 1 Personality Type than any other . . . yet to be Revealed.

HERE:
E= extravert, I= introvert

Mind STRONG: 1 E Think [Pragmatic], 2 I Sense [Perceive]
Mind weak: 3 E Feel [Emotion], 4 I Intuition [Telos]
CENTER ~5 E Destiny
Body weak: 6 I Feel [Relations], 7 E Intuition [Ideas]
Body STRONG: 8 I Think [Law], 9 E Sense [Force]

I made up the the CENTER thing but I think it is pretty good.
-EXPLAINED CORRECTLY:
VIDEO BREAKDOWN OF ESTJ BY EXTROVERTED THINKER CONCEPTUALIZER [ENTP]

I believe the 'Destiny' mentioned is what you could really Mentor on.

The kind of 'Mentor' depends on the Type. This is not to say everyone becomes a Mentor, but it is something each Type has natural talent & potential in.
Below I have attached an image that shows some 'Types' from a different Typology way of thinking. In the center is 'Mentor'.
All the types that are on the Middle horizontal or vertical line are what I believe to be the kind of 'Mentor' a person/Jung Type can be good at.

Monkaap's Types from Neurotyping with the middle 9 from user catten

The Top 2 are Introverted Judgers _______IXXJ
The Right 2 are Introverted Perceivers .IXXP
The Bot 2 are Extroverted Perceivers __EXXP
The Left 2 are Extroverted Judgers ____EXXJ
The Middle 4 are Feelers
The Outer 4 are Thinkers
Sensors have affinity with the type Clockwise to its Middle 'Mentor' Type.
Intuitor have affinity with the type Counter-Clockwise to its Middle 'Mentor' Type.

The 4 Corners and Center are "Weird":

Newtype = Plant Element Computer = Fire Element Mentor = Earth Element Bookkeeper = Metal Element Instinctual = Water Element

Less Control:

Involve,N.Fusion & Fiss,C.Eject=Black Mana Power/Chinese Metal--Cleanse, Combined, Excrete

Black
https://i.redd.it/zwwdmfqbt35d1.gif
https://reddit.com/link/1d4op1i/video/121sbjr0wy4d1/player

BRIGHT LIGHTS

Elaborate, Author, Amuse= White Mana Peace/ Chinese Fire -- Command, Combined, Sort

Off - White
https://reddit.com/link/1d4op1i/video/6mu8q4kq3z4d1/player

submitted by DylanSchreiner to TrainingToFight [link] [comments]

2024.05.25 02:02 next3days Memorial Day Weekend Events in Blacksburg....

For those in town, here's 25 local events in Blacksburg and across the New River Valley you can enjoy this Memorial Day Weekend.
Weekend Rundown of Fun: 1. Double Feature: "Kingdom of the Planet Apes" and "If" Starlite Drive-In Theatre, Christiansburg Friday, May 24, 2024 - Sunday, May 26, 2025, 6:30 PM - 12:40 AM Adults: $10.00, Kids Ages 6-12: $6.00, Kids Ages 5 & Under: Free The Starlite Drive-In Theatre presents a Double Feature starting with "Kingdom of the Planet Apes" and followed by "If". "Kingdom of the Planet Apes" is a 2024 action, sci-fi adventure starring Owen Teague, Freya Allan and Kevin Durand. The film is rated PG-13 and the runtime is two hours and 25 minutes. Film Synopsis: Many years after the reign of Caesar, a young ape goes on a journey that will lead him to question everything he's been taught about the past and make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike. "If" is a partially animated comedy drama starring Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds and John Krasinski who also wrote & directed the film. The film is rated PG and the runtime is one hour and 44 minutes. Film Synopsis: A young girl who goes through a difficult experience begins to see everyone's imaginary friends who have been left behind as their real-life friends have grown up. Gates open at 6:30 PM and the first movie is expected to start around 8:30 PM each night. Audio can be heard on your vehicles radio on 90.3FM. Cash or card accepted. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777988
2. Four Band Concert with Her Majesty, Hutcheson Drive, Dumpster Raccoons & Beep The Milk Parlor, Blacksburg Friday, May 24, 2024, 9:00 PM - 01:00 AM Ages 21 & Up: $5.00, Ages 18-20: $8.00 Her Majesty is a punk-rock trio from Virginia. With musical influence from artists like The Smashing Pumpkins, Metallica, and The White Stripes, the three piece brings an original & explosive blend between elements of punk, grunge, alt rock and metal. Their melodies and lyrics will have you singing along to every track. The band Hutcheson Drive, composed of Virginia natives, is a multi-genre group of dedicated musicians that play with fervor and conviction that evokes a feeling like no other. Dumpster Raccoons and Beep are Blacksburg, VA based bands. Doors open at 8:00 PM and music starts at 9:00 PM. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777769
3. 2024 Wilderness Road Ride Bisset Park, Radford Saturday, May 25, 2024, 6:45 AM - TBD Adults (age 18+): 26 & 34 Milers: $60.00, 55, 76 & Century Milers: $75.00, Youth Up To Age of 17: $60.00, Family of 3-5: $165.00 FCA Endurance SW Virginia presents the 33rd Annual Wilderness Road Ride titled "A Gran Fondo" starting and ending at Bisset Park's Shelter #2. The Wilderness Road Ride is a scenic and historical adventure through Southwest Virginia’s beautiful New River Valley, the ride follows part of Daniel Boone’s Wilderness Road. This is a recreational ride for all cycling levels and all ages to enjoy, with something for everyone, five routes to choose from ranging from a 26 mile relaxed journey for novices, to a century challenge for the fittest cyclist. Routes Available are 26 Mile Route, 34 Mile Route, 55 Mile Route, 76 Mile Route and 100 Mile Route. The start will be a rolling start open from 6:45-8:30 AM. Riders may also gather in front of Bisset Park Shelter #2 at the starting line at a designated time for an optional group start times at 7:00, 7:10, 7:20, 7:30, 7:40 and 8:00 AM. Those who sign up for the century and 80 miler must leave no later than 7:30 AM. This year there will also be an e-bike option for the 26-mile route that will start at 7:30 AM. Day of registration is available. All pre-registered riders are guaranteed a technical t-shirt and other goodies. ANSI or Snell Certified helmets are required. Riders under 16 must be accompanied by an adult and riders under 8 years old must have permission from the event director. Please remember, this is not a race. All traffic laws, signals, and signs must be obeyed. Fully supported aid stations will be positioned at regular intervals along the course and the start/finish location. Aid stations will be supplied with Heed Hammer Nutrition fuel as well as water and plenty of other snacks. SAG vehicles will be on the course for emergencies. The event is held rain or shine. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777967
4. Blacksburg Farmers Market with Music from Tim Thornton Market Square Park, Blacksburg Saturday, May 25, 2024, 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM Admission: Free The Blacksburg Farmers Market hosts their Saturday Market with the regular farmers market vendors featuring live music from Tim Thornton from 9:30-11:30 AM. The Blacksburg Farmers Market offers local meats, organic produce, baked goods, crafts, flowers and more in the heart of downtown Blacksburg. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777984
5. 2024 Color Me Cameron 5K Color Run / Walk (Final Event) Randolph Park, Dublin Saturday, May 25, 2024, 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM Adults: $30.00, Kids 10 and Under: Free with a Paid Adult The Cameron Fitzwater Memorial Scholarship Foundation presents the 10th Annual and Final Color Me Cameron 5K Color Run / Walk. The "Color Me Cameron" is a Celebration of Life with a whirlwind of color that will blow you away. There will be 10 color stations with over 5,000 pounds of color. The "Color Me Cameron" is completely representative of Cameron Fitzwater and was created to Celebrate the Life of Cameron Taylor Fitzwater while raising money for scholarships each year. In Cameron’s memory, four $1,000 scholarships are awarded annually. It is about turning tragedy into triumph and building community spirit. All participant registrations go directly to the scholarships. T-shirts are included in registration for adults and kid t-shirts can be ordered for $5.00 each for orders placed by May 8th. T-shirts will not be provided for registrations after May 8th. Day of registration will be available. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=775315
6. Story Tour: More Than a Fraction Historic Smithfield, Blacksburg Saturday, May 25, 2024, 10:00 - 11:30 AM Admission: Free Join Historic Smithfield for an adult story time, a walkthrough of Historic Smithfield that’s a step above a traditional tour of historic facts. Let your imagination collide with your tour as author Kerri Moseley-Hobbs reads excerpts from her book "More Than A Fraction" which explores the personality, internal thoughts, lives, and experiences of the Fraction family who were enslaved at Smithfield. Accompany Kerri as she moves throughout the rooms and the grounds of Smithfield, reading excerpts that are set at each place, allowing attendees to visualize the stories as they unfold. No sign up or ticket purchase is necessary. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777972
7. Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad 2024 Open House Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad, Blacksburg Saturday, May 25, 2024, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM Admission: Free Get a tour of their ambulances and see some of the special equipment the rescue squad carries and enjoy technical rescue demonstrations plus enjoy food including burgers, hot dogs & cake, and face painting. This event is free and open to all community members, friends, guests, family and students. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777475
8. Bottling Time at the Winery JBR Vineyards LLC, Pearisburg Saturday, May 25, 2024, 12:00 - 5:00 PM and Sunday, May 26, 2024, 1:00 - 5:00 PM Admission: Free Wine Pricing: Tasting: $5.00, Glass of Wine: $5.00, Bottles of Wine: $15.00-$20.00 plus tax JBR Vineyards is buzzing with excitement as the much-anticipated 2023 vintage is ready for bottling. The wine has been nurtured since last year. The wine promises to be extraordinary. Come to the winery and see the equipment used and the steps involved in making our excellent wines. Credit cards and cash accepted. Dogs and kids welcome. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777755
9. 2024 NRV Youth Film Festival Lyric Theatre, Blacksburg Saturday, May 25, 2024, 2:00 - 3:30 PM Admission: Free See amazing films by talented young filmmakers in the New River Valley and from around the world. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777944
10. Broadway Lights & Blue Ridge Sights Free Concert Christiansburg Huckleberry Park's Playground Pavilion, Christiansburg Saturday, May 25, 2024, 3:00 - 5:00 PM Admission: Free Join Blue Ridge Vocal Connection and Wilderness Road Chorus for a joint concert of your favorite tunes from Broadway. This family friendly event is free to the public, and will draw from enduring musicals like Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Rent, Sound of Music and more. Blue Ridge Vocal Connection is based in the New River Valley region of Virginia. The group sings together because they appreciate the joy and art of choral singing. They purpose to perpetuate the love of singing together and fellowship in our community by performing concerts that inspire and entertain. The Wilderness Road Chorus is an all female chorus that performs barbershop-style musical harmony throughout the New River Valley. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777749
11. 2024 Claytor Lake Music Festival Rock House Marina, Pulaski Saturday, May 25, 2024, 4:00 - 7:00 PM (The Shoobies) Sunday, May 26, 2024, 4:00 - 7:00 PM (The Ambassador) Monday, May 27, 2024, 3:00 - 6:00 PM (Father Sun) Admission for All Shows: Free Join Rock House Marina on the waterfront for five days filled with great music. Sail away on a musical escape to a tropical paradise with the Shoobies! They are a cover band from Roanoke, VA performing tunes in the style of Jimmy Buffett and other beach cover songs such as The Beach Boys and the Zac Brown Band. Soul, rock and reggae artist The Ambassador stands out among others by displaying a strong, soulful vocal presence combined with addictive, upbeat rhythms. His music flows seamlessly from stock reggae beats to bluesy grooves infused with rock and hip-hop. The Ambassador couples catchy hooks and danceable music with intelligent lyrics and a positive message bringing fans of all ages and walks of life. The high-energy performances will keep you bouncing hours after the show’s end. Father Sun embodies the true spirit of reggae with a blend of experienced artistry and youthful energy. Father Sun’s repertoire encompasses reggae covers and original compositions, each note carrying the authentic vibe of the genre. Their performances are not mere musical exhibitions; they are heartfelt celebrations of life and the universal language of music. Join Father Sun on their musical odyssey, where the essence of reggae is embraced and shared, connecting soul and spreading positivity wherever their music is heard. There is no cover and food & drinks will be available for purchase for all days of the festival. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/VenueEventListing.cfm?V=1256
12. Indian Run Stringband in Concert Rising Silo Farm Brewery, Blacksburg Saturday, May 25, 2024, 6:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free The Indian Run Stringband from Blacksburg, VA plays fiddle and banjo foot stomping dance tunes and sings traditional songs with old time harmonies perfect for dancing the two step. From dance tunes to the blues, the Indian Run Stringband plays with love and abandon. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777768
13. Heavy Metal Show with Four Bands The Milk Parlor, Blacksburg Saturday, May 25, 2024, 8:00 PM - 01:00 AM Admission: $10.00 The Ziggurat (Radford Mythos Metal), Angel Massacre (North Carolina Black Metal), Sever The Wicked (West Virginia Death Metal) and CH0D3 (New River Valley PUnk) will absolutely destroy Blacksburg. For ages 18 and up. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777974
14. Blacksburg Vintage Market Market Square Park, Blacksburg Sunday, May 26, 2024, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Admission: Free Vendors will be selling all things vintage from clothes, jewelry, vinyl records, and more. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777949
15. Summer Kick-off Party with Velvet Spruce Group and Untrained Professionals Mountain Lake Lodge, Pembroke Sunday, May 26, 2024, 3:00 - 8:30 PM Admission: Free Enjoy live music at our Summer Kick-off Party featuring live music from Velvet Spruce Group from 3:00-5:00 PM and Untrained Professionals from 5:30-8:30 PM. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. The Untrained Professionals (UP) are a talented musical duo hailing from Dublin, VA. Clinton Scott and Chris Huddle, both seasoned music veterans, have captivated audiences with their mesmerizing harmonies and instrumental prowess. Velvet Spruce is a band performing Americana. Special three-night lodging packages are also available for Memorial Day Weekend. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=776812
16. Gearheads For A Cause 2024 Season Car Show Kickoff "Advancing the Vision at Blue Ridge Church" Blue Ridge Church, Christiansburg Sunday, May 26, 2024, 3:00 - 7:00 PM Admission: Free Gearheads For A Cause presents their 4th Season Car Show Kickoff titled "Advancing the Vision at Blue Ridge Church". Blue Ridge Church plays a large role with Gearheads For A Cause so Gearheads For A Cause is giving back by having a Car Show Event to raise awareness and funds to support their crucial work and their "Advancing the Vision" Campaign. Award Plaques will be awarded for 20 different vehicle categories including: Best Modern, Best Classic, Best Rat Rod, Best Paint, Best Jeep, Best Mini Truck, Best Motorcycle, Best Euro and more. There is no registration free for those who want to bring their vehicle and participate. Registration is from 2:00-4:00 PM. Blue Ridge Church is home to around 3,000 members, this leads to many Sundays with no parking available. Advancing the Vision Campaign is to raise money to continue the work started in this church in 2010. This campaign will allow Blue Ridge Church to expand their current parking facilities from 230 spaces to 382. Existing bathrooms will be remodeled and a new entrance to the building. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777424
17. May IFPA Pinball Tournament Blue Ridge AXEcade - Blacksburg, Blacksburg Sunday, May 26, 2024, 6:00 PM - TBD Admission: $20.00 Blue Ridge AXEcade - Blacksburg presents their May IFPA Pinball Tournament. Whether you're a seasoned pinball wizard or a newcomer to the game, IFPA tournaments offer a unique and thrilling experience for all participants. Joining Blue Ridge AxeCade IFPA tournament is a great way to connect with the pinball community, improve your skills, and enjoy the excitement of competitive pinball play. The prize pool is half of the entry fee and none added from the house. So if 10 people play, the pool is $100. Prize Pool Winnings: 1st Place: 50% of prize pool, 2nd Place: 30% of prize pool and 3rd Place: 20% of prize pool. There is no qualifying, this is strictly a Double Elimination Finals. Practice starts at 6:00 PM and the tournament starts at 7:00 PM. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777773
18. Mark & Maggie O'Connor: Life After Life Concert Tour Floyd Country Store, Floyd Sunday, May 26, 2024, 7:30 - 10:00 PM General Admission: $32.00, Reserved Seating: $36.00 The Floyd Country Store presents Mark & Maggie O'Connor on their "Life After Life" Spring Concert Tour. Mark and Maggie have been existing in an uninterrupted musical collaboration since the day they met ten years ago in 2014. As they were perfecting the finer points of Mark’s American Classical violin duos, it got so good that they decided to get married. The next stage of their musical journey turned into a larger family collaboration for which they each took home a Grammy for playing bluegrass in the O’Connor Band. Now, they have turned yet another musical corner. With a year-and-a-half of isolation from touring during the world-wide pandemic, they dedicated their days and nights towards further musical growth together. The couple workshopped new songs during seventy weekly online concerts from home; Mondays with Mark and Maggie. A group of dedicated viewers watched as they made their musical experiments. What came out of this exploration is an Americana album project titled "Life After Life" of mostly original vocal songs they sing together, other popular songs reimagined, and all of them supported by a small universe of acoustic instruments they’ve brushed up on in the time off the road. The album reveals the pair’s most sincere and deeply personal work yet. The doors open at 6:30 PM and the music starts at 7:30 PM. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777763
19. 2024 Jimmyfest Cruise-In & Cook Out Jones Car Company, Shawsville Monday, May 27, 2024, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Admission: Free Jones Car Company presents the 3rd Annual Jimmyfest Cruise-In and Cook Out to celebrate the life of James "Jimmy" Buriak. Time to shine the tires and bring your ride to Shawsville. Classic cruisers, muscle cars, off road SUVs, lifted trucks, euro specialties, and everything in between are welcome. No entry fees or awards, this is just for fun to show off what you’ve got. Jones Car Company will be providing free hot dogs, chips and non-alcoholic beverages for all attendees. Music and yard games will also be on site. Donations will be gladly accepted for the AWS1 James Buriak Foundation. The foundation was created by Jimmy's wife Megan as an all-volunteer military and military spouse organization dedicated to providing pre-mishap education and immediate post-mishap support for the Navy and Marine Corps Aviation community and their families. AWS1 James "Jimmy" Philip Buriak, USN, died 31 August 2021 in a Naval helicopter crash on the coast of San Diego, where he served as a naval aircrewman rescue swimmer (AWS) with HSC-8. Jimmy served as a rescue swimmer whose motto is, "So others may live". Jimmy was a graduate of Salem High School. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777982
20. 2024 Memorial Day Ceremony Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery, Dublin Monday, May 27, 2024, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Admission: Free The Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery presents their 2024 Memorial Day Ceremony. The public is invited and encouraged to attend this tribute to honor and remember the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our Nation. The keynote speaker will be Vice Admiral Evan M. Chanik, (U.S. Navy, Retired). To commemorate Memorial Day, American flags will be placed on all grave sites and the Avenue of Flags will be erected along the circle drive. The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) recommends that attendees arrive 30 minutes early to allow for parking and to be seated prior the start of the ceremony. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777979
21. Doubles Day 2024 Blue Ridge AXEcade - Blacksburg, Blacksburg Monday, May 27, 2024, 12:00 - 10:00 PM Axe Throwing: Two throwers for $28.00, Double Game Cards: You choose the amount On Doubles Day, Blue Ridge AXEcade is open double the hours for double the fun. The guests in the arcade get double the credits when purchasing the fun cards. Guests get to choose the amount to purchase. Axe-throwing guests will get double the throwers for the price of one. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777738
22. Field of Honor Dedication Ceremony Glencoe Mansion, Museum & Gallery, Radford Monday, May 27, 2024, 2:00 - 3:00 PM Admission: Free The Radford Noon Rotary will host a dedication of the "Field of Honor" on the grounds of Glencoe Mansion. The event will be the official start of the Field of Honor display of American flags sponsored to honor heroes of all types from service members to individuals who have made an impact on someone’s life. The ceremony will include remarks from multiple members of the community. Master of Ceremonies Dr. Richard Harshberger will lead the program, which will include Mayor David Horton, Radford VFW Commander Gary Harris, Grove United Methodist Church Rev. Dr Jan C. Nicholson Angle, and Virginia Delegate Jason Ballard. A 21-gun salute will be provided by the Dublin American Legion Post 58. The event is meant as a dedication ceremony that provides a way to honor heroes of all types, from service members to individuals who have made an impact on someone’s life. The Field of Honor display, which the Radford Noon Rotary plans to be an annual project, will be on display from Memorial Day through the end of July. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777780
23. 2024 Narrows Memorial Day Parade Downtown Narrows, Narrows Monday, May 27, 2024, 3:00 - 4:00 PM Admission: Free The Narrows Memorial Day Committee and Town of Narrows presents the Annual Narrows Memorial Day Parade featuring floats, bands, cars, trucks, bikes, military & emergency vehicles and more. Following the parade, there will be a Hero's Dinners for all local doctors, nurses, EMTs, fire, rescue, veterans and active duty personnel / members and their families. The annual Narrows Memorial Day Cruise-In and Car Show will be held from 12:00-3:00 PM at the Narrows Fire Department Parking Lot on Center Street. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777986
24. Memorial Day Celebration Sunset Cemetery, Christiansburg Monday, May 27, 2024, 6:00 - 7:30 PM Admission: Free American Legion Post 59 presents a Memorial Day Celebration at the flagpole in Sunset Cemetery in Christiansburg, VA. The program includes an invocation, music, anthems, special speaker and recognitions. Be sure to bring a chair. All are welcome. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777776
25. Free Country 2 Step Class The Milk Parlor, Blacksburg Monday, May 27, 2024, 6:00 - 8:00 PM Admission: Free Join the free Country 2 Step class from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM. And, then stay afterwards for open dance from 7:00-8:00 PM. All ages are welcome. Tips are appreciated for the host. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777975
Thanks for reading and have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

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2024.04.19 02:10 Critical_Dealer9971 5 Ways Pharrell Williams Is Changing The Face Of Virginia Beach

Pharrell Williams is a musical icon, artist, and fashion designer. But did you know that he grew up here in Virginia Beach and is doing things right now as we speak to make our great city even greater? Yes, it’s true!

Who Is Pharrell Williams?

Pharrell Williams is a multi-talented American musician, singer, songwriter, and producer renowned for his contributions to contemporary music. Born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1973, Williams rose to prominence as one half of the acclaimed production duo The Neptunes, alongside Chad Hugo.
The duo met at a gifted camp for kids right now here Virginia Beach as well and even went to the same high school I went to, Princess Anne High School.
With a unique blend of hip-hop, R&B, and pop influences, Williams has produced numerous chart-topping hits for artists ranging from Jay-Z to Britney Spears.
Beyond his production work, Pharrell Williams has also achieved solo success with chart-topping singles like “Happy,” showcasing his versatile talent as a performer. Additionally, he has been involved in fashion, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy, making him a widely respected figure in both the music industry and popular culture.

1. Something In The Water Music Festival

What better way to bring people together and put Virginia Beach on the map than a great music festival with great performances RIGHT ON THE BEACH! Usually an annual event, the people that come down and enjoy the festival also bring their money and word of mouth.
This year, the festival will be done at a later date vs. the usual April time frame due to the rain that every year has cancelled or delayed performances. I remember the first time Pharrell had the festival and big name people headlined such as Snoop Dogg, Ashanti & Jarule, Usher and many other famous artists!
VB related content:

2. Atlantic Park

Another way Pharrell is changing Virginia Beach is that he’s creating a wonderful SURF park!
So far, it’s cost $350 million, it’s one of the largest public-private partnership in the City of Virginia Beach’s history. The vision of this place is having a new entertainment district with an indoooutdoor concert venue, apartments, office space, restaurants, and retail space.
This place will be a destination for families and people from all over just to enjoy this unique experience.

3. Promoting Small Virginia Beach Businesses

During Something in the Water, Pharrell paid close attention to the businesses affect by the traffic change from Something in the Water.
He held multiple local events that showcased a collection of local vendors, merchants, entrepreneurs, and entertainers representing the 757’s vibrant culture.
I really liked how he showed his roots and remembered the buy local motto. For this year’s festival, the layout will be a little different due to the local businesses stating their case about the lack of foot traffic to their establishment.
The final plans have not been announced yet but keep checking back here for all the info!

4. Team Yellow

The Yellow Project by Pharrell Williams is a creative project that aims to foster learning and personal growth in young kids.
It encompasses various initiatives, including the Yellow Ball, an event that combines music, art, and entertainment to benefit the Young Audiences Arts for Learning.
This Team Yellow also supports arts education and provides opportunities for artistic expression among kids. The center of learning is the child, and the instructors take each unique quality of the child and helps them succeed!

5. Pharrell Filming A Movie In Virginia Beach

This is the most recent development of the project, but it has been announced that Pharrell Williams will be filming a coming-of-age movie loosely based on his life.
Even the governor had a press release stating the movie will hire local talent as well as Virginia resources resulting in multiple high paying jobs! How cool is that!

Final Splash

If you enjoy Pharrell Williams music, now you know there is more to him than just catchy tunes! He is truly an entrepreneur. I’m hoping we will hear something soon about this year’s Something in the Water festival because I love seeing what big names will pop up here in Virginia Beach.
I foresee Virginia Beach being a beacon of great music and wonderful festivals!

#teamocean
5 Ways Pharrell Williams is Changing the Face of Virginia Beach - Beach Kids Club

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2024.04.11 12:20 thecre8iveskill Why Custom Embroidered Keychain Patches Are Good For Branding?

What have you always wanted for the business you run? Growth and success, right?' To realize your desired business goals, it's crucial to be open to trying out various expansion strategies and tactics. Similarly, the key to success lies in embracing a wide array of marketing tools that perfectly align your marketing strategies, be it through innovative online technology or time-tested offline advertising. Regardless of how effective marketing techniques are, you must understand that they may not always yield the expected outcomes for your brand. In such scenarios, thinking outside the box and embracing fun yet versatile tools like custom embroidered keychain patches could significantly help you.
Indeed, you read it right! And If you're intrigued by the idea of leveraging these tiny and versatile custom keychain patches as effective branding tools to increase your brand's visibility, keep reading, as you will learn their true significance in this blog.

Advantages of Custom-Embroidered Keychain Patches

Customization:

Logos and taglines, as you already know, are two of the most significant aspects in terms of effective visual representation and further explanation of a brand's identity and ultimate objective. Now, imagine the difference you may make in your attempts to leave a positive first impression by getting both of these elements onto tiny pieces together with the charm of embroidery.
Choosing colors and designs that reflect your business's personality and values is crucial when customizing these keychain custom embroidered patches.
For example, if you own a jewelry brand, you should use gold and silver colors and abstract patterns for custom keychain patches; however, if you lead a technological firm, blue and green colors, and triangular-shaped keychains would be great for branding.

The Versatile Medium To Increase Brand Visibility And Recognition

Keychain patches are small, lightweight, portable, and can be attached to a variety of items, from keys to backpacks. This means they travel with the recipients everywhere they go. That way, your brand's logo or message is constantly noticed by others, making them one of the most versatile methods to communicate your brand's values and identity to a wider audience.

Higher Retention Rate And Collectible Items

While their primary role is to keep keys in order, keychains also attract individuals who like to attach them to frequently used items. Thus, they have a greater retention rate compared to other promotional goods.
Additionally, there is a growing trend among people to collect beautiful custom keychains. This is especially true for a keychain with an embroidered logo and an interesting design, further increasing the chances of your brand being displayed and shared.

Emotional Connection

And don't think of embroidered keychain patches as just physical items! As they are part of people's daily lives, this frequent interaction creates a habitual connection over time. Hence, the act of offering keychains, whether it's with a cleverly embroidered logo or a catchy slogan, could serve as an effective way to evoke positive emotions about your brand's identity.
Once your target customers get emotionally connected, they are more likely to choose your brand over competitors, advocate for your brand, and engage in long-term relationships.

Benefits Of Including Custom Embroidered Keychain Patches in Your Branding Strategy?

Tactical Promotion

There are different ways to promote your brands and business using custom patches, but tactical promotions are the most significant aspects of embroidered keychains. The tactical nature of these patches adds a dynamic and engaging dimension to your brand marketing strategies. They serve as fascinating mediums that your potential customers can feel and see, providing a physical and sensory interaction that engages potential customers. This engagement helps leave a lasting impression, make your brand more memorable, and foster brand loyalty.

Target Marketing

Whether it's a particular age group, professionals, hobbyists, or a niche community, strategically customizing and distributing embroidered keychains is going to increase the likelihood of engagement and conversion among those you are trying to reach. The intriguing and distinctive nature of these tools sparks conversations, and when people who share similar interests begin talking about them, your brand gains organic exposure.
You can make these tiny mediums more effective by using the insights gathered from audience research and incorporating designs, colors, and other elements that perfectly match the interests and preferences of each segment. For example, Custom embroidered keychains in modern and sleek patterns with blue and green colors will be great if you're reaching out to tech-savvy individuals.

Cost-Effectiveness

In comparison to other branding tools such as mugs, bags, t-shirts, pens, and so on, the materials required for embroidered keychains, such as fabric and thread, are often economical. Advances in machine embroidery technology and techniques have made it possible to produce these items on a large scale with ease. As a result, the overall production costs are often low, and many renowned embroidered keychain patch vendors such as Cre8iveSkill offer substantial savings on keychain patches, especially for larger quantities.
Plus, these patches are often made of durable materials that can withstand daily use. This longevity ensures that your branding message remains visible for an extended period of time and offers more value for your investment than other short-lived giveaways without incurring additional costs.
Ways to Integrate Custom Embroidered Keychains in Your Marketing Strategy.

Trade Shows And Events

Trade shows and events often attract a lot of foot traffic and what could be better than leaving a lasting impression on visitors who stop by your booth by offering dazzling embroidered keychain patches displaying a logo, motto, or design that perfectly represents your brand? This tangible and useful giveaway can draw attention to your booth while also creating a positive connection with your brand.
You can also include an interactive element at the booth related to these items. For example, you can set up a customization station where visitors can choose from a variety of patterns, colors, and attachments to create their unique patches. This interactive experience allows visitors to connect with your brand on a deeper level and take home a keepsake that they will cherish.

The Power of Event Sponsorship and Swag Bags

Another way to get the most out of custom keychains is to sponsor or participate in events relevant to your industry. By carefully planning, creatively executing, and focusing on engaging attendees, you can make the most of these promotional items through exciting giveaways.
Gifting patches at such events is a great way to create memorable takeaways that attendees will continue to use long after the event. Every time they see or use the patch, your brand will be reinforced in their minds.

Customer Loyalty Programs

Regular and loyal customers are the lifeblood of any business, and rewarding them with captivating and unique freebies undoubtedly enhances their positive experiences and strengthens their connection with your brand. Embroidered keychains are a great way to reward devoted customers, and many well-known brands, such as Disney, Nike, Apple, and Airbnb, have already been using them in creative ways.
Similarly, In your quest to build customer loyalty and a stronger brand identity, you can infuse your customer loyalty program with creative ideas. For example, reward customers for hitting significant milestones, such as their first purchase, referring your products and services, writing product reviews, reaching a certain number of points, or completing a set number of transactions.

Wrapping Up

In the dynamic world of business growth, success hinges on embracing diverse strategies. Among these tactics, the role of custom-embroidered keychain patches emerges as a beacon of uniqueness and versatility. These intricately designed patches encapsulate your brand's essence, leaving an indelible mark on first impressions. With the power of portability, they become ubiquitous brand ambassadors, forging lasting connections and evoking positive emotions.
Now, if you are wondering, "Where can I get custom keychains made?", Cre8iveSkill is the answer. We combine speed and precision to deliver top-notch custom keychain patches tailored to your business needs. With an array of designs, colors, and materials, we craft cost-effective solutions without compromising quality.
Source: https://www.cre8iveskill.com/blog/embroidered-keychain-patches-a-powerful-way-to-promote-your-brand

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2024.04.01 23:04 WhatIf321Go Self-affirmations in a healthy way?

What do you find useful that doesn't feed your false-ego or make you internally roll your eyes at how silly it seems? I like mottos, and little catchy phrases, a solid Thought Terminating Cliché is always good, especially for motivation.... But it seems like all of mine are in service of my false-ego, gotta ditch 'em.
What helps you heal to say to yourself?

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2024.02.25 21:15 KnockyRocky Tangent Time! Vol: 1

“We… still don’t fully appreciate it sometimes. It’s gradual: eventually it becomes something we get used to. The nagging - ahem the helpful tips for self improvement - is always noticed! Our language of thanking our wonderful women :)”
Let’s follow my brain when it yanks the wheel!
Point is, we learn valuable life lessons: order, compromise, new activities, general hygiene (some of us, at least). Our ability to empathize reaches new heights. Most importantly? All of that comes with communication and support we just can’t replace outside of a relationship like she can. A huge complaint from women is a lack of effort; a huge complaint from guys is a lack of emotional connection. Those are areas that kill relationships from each side, respectively. It’s what all my prior advice really stems from: ladies need to see that effort without sex, gentlemen need to make sure he desires her communication on a level worth pressing pause on instincts we really, really don’t want to do. Do that effectively? You’ll establish something worth keeping.
Women… have established the qualities listed above long before they meet the right guy. They get a project worth keeping - in return, we add fun into your lives! Okay, that’s not always true - cmon though, be honest with yourselves. …
Moving on. While that last paragraph might have some holes, a healthy relationship for her involves appreciation. Romantically, that’s a huge difference. This will sound horrible… but her body is enough for us to say “oh, she values the effort I’ve been putting in.” Obviously sometimes we all just need it… but it won’t happen no matter what if he turns appreciation into disrespect. In general, we simply don’t care - she can 🫰 instantly end a fight in a way we can’t match. I’ll admit life definitely tips the scale of difficulty towards women: urinals are awesome! Society definitely plays a giant role there. However, don’t confuse that with: “it’s easy being a guy.” Moments of appreciation are so few and far between - there’s always the expectation of “more.” We get numb to it. It’s a big reason for perceived lack of effort in a relationship - it’s normal for us. In our eyes, us guys give more appreciation to her than anyone else… but it’s still not enough for her. There are factors and unfairness tilted toward each of us in life. That’s… okay! We’re different - the key is finding the 50-50 amount of bs we have to deal with.
It’s amazing how far women have come in 100 years - there’s still more to go. We (America) are setting that back a ton with our political actions - those are driven by such a small minority of people in the country. Politics are so extreme these days: I’m always concerned about the polarity and disconnect growing between everything on opposite sides. Men and women certainly have an obvious two sides. We’re… meant to be together (viewing from my perspective - different sexual orientation doesn’t need to worry about it! 🎉). We each provide irreplaceable change to each other’s lives. It’s great for people to do what they want here! It’s frustrating to see someone disregard that principle (if it’s desired) just because they want to make a statement.
Specifically? I’m referring to the modern woman’s motto: “I don’t need no man.” A phrase that brings joy, a smile, and maybe some laughter into my life. I mean… duh! That’s been true since the dawn of humanity. I hear it as “a police car has a siren.” Societal pressures have been “women are expected to get married” for a reason: in general, guys need that relationship (not necessarily marriage) in their lives.
In general, women have more natural control of their lives. What does bringing order to a guy’s life mean? It’s a skill they are teaching us. The reaction to that phrase is my issue - implied expectations to resist something she might want. There’s no soul searching with that phrase. I’d be so happy to hear “women don’t need a man… but I’ve thought about it and I want that dynamic because it’s fulfilling to my life.” Admittedly not as catchy.

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2024.01.16 20:04 thisusernameisntlong r/popheads AOTY #13: Leah Kate - Super Over

Artist: Leah Kate
Album: Super Over
Genre: Electropop, pop rock
Tracklist & Lyrics: Genius
Release date: September 15, 2023 ([FRESH] thread)
Label: Self-released
Listen: Spotify - Apple Music - Tidal - YouTube Music

Damn. I got it bad.

If you’re familiar with the format of these writeups (and I would judge you if the one about Leah Kate of all people was the one that interested you the most), you probably notice a pattern where first, the artist is introduced to the reader in a sort of new historicist way: background information about the artist, their prior career, scenes they were a part of, the album rollout and so on; followed by the project, presented as a culmination of their efforts thus far. Yet, such an approach with Leah Kate would require a writer who is familiar with the platform that gave her fame, an app I have never installed: TikTok.
My dad likes to browse Reels, and my mom occasionally watches Shorts. I like to chat on our Discord’s #rates channels (which you’re welcome to join! It’s very fun. Currently open All Stars 7 rate is a great start) and browse Reddit, and as terminally online as I am already, I’ve been avoiding an extra time sink in my life in the form of TikTok and the like. The platform’s impact on music has only been growing, however, with some of this year’s biggest hits first picking up steam on the app: Escapism, Water, Nanana… the list goes on. Let’s not even start on the Duster stuff. What I’m getting at is, even a year ago, the songs I associated with TikTok were different, they felt more like songs FOR TikTok, by TikTok. Remember abcdefu? Well, for Leah Kate, that song was Twinkle Twinkle.
Think of the worst song you’ve ever heard (and if you thought of Twinkle x2, think a bit harder) and there is a solid chance the YouTube comments are overflowing with positivity. Twinkle Twinkle is an exception! The way the internet reacted to it reminds me of Friday, and in fairness to Friday, that song has always been a bop, whereas Twinkle x2 is ~~BAD~~ deserved much of its mockery. I don’t think it is as bad as Leah Kate’s follow-up parody, My Bed, which takes the pop divinity of Kylie’s Can’t Get You Out of My Head and desecrates it, getting me way more riled up than Twinkle x2 ever could (sidenote: you can check the YT comments for a demonstration of my earlier hypothesis). Fortunately for Leah, she has been using the trolls for her advantage, or at least that’s what Glamour Magazine says. There is a semblance of truth to that, I think. The day Super Over dropped, I was chatting with a couple of friends about how they’re kinda excited a new Leah Kate album, and how the singles were surprisingly good. I thought they had to be kidding, yet, curiosity persists. It was barely past midnight in my timezone and I’d had a particularly frustrating day at uni. I put the album on, half curious, half dismissive, thinking that at worst it’d be a nice distraction from my daily worries. Oh, it turned out to be so much more.

Your faves are OVER.

Out of all the albums in the writeup series, Super Over has been the one I relistened to the most this year. Over time, I have realized that my feelings toward it changed from getting a kick out of the novelty of “that TikTok girl releasing actually decent music” to thinking “this is just one of the most enjoyable releases of 2023”. So what makes it so good?
Many of the highlights of this album tap into a sound which I’ve been missing for a while: they sound like Icona Pop’s I Love It. The songs are petty, wordy, but also brought together not by any kind of enticing, personal lyricism (like the stuff many other “alt-pop” artists are going for); but by how catchy the beats and the riffs are. The silly lyrics, the obnoxiously loud, distorted vocals and the 128kbps sounding electric guitar riffs make for a very trashy (complimentary) package. The first two songs are the best examples and the perfect one-two punch to open the album. The title track is a result of Leah thinking that she doesn’t have a proper “breakup anthem” (I guess F U Anthem didn’t count?) and Space has a similar theme: one guy needed space, so she moved on to another guy who’s all over her (like, physically, there is no space. lol). The on the nose, or as Leah herself puts it “brutally honest”, lyrics are not that different from her older, pop punk songs like 10 Things I Hate About You. But the pivot from pop punk to “electroclash” gives these songs a different flair, another way to channel the angst out, which (to me) is infinitely more fun, both as a listening experience and as songs to sing along. Let me be brutally honest and say that, if these songs were still pop punk, I don’t think Leah Kate has the “personality” to make them interesting. The magic of electropop, then, is how it kind of adds a layer where the songs can revel in their “personality-lessness” without losing their identity. I don’t know if that argument made sense. I just know Leah Kate slayed. Hard.
By the next two tracks, Leah has already forgotten that this was her album of breakup anthems. In some of the most insane 180° tracklisting I’ve seen, the third track on this is called Unbreakup. You can’t be serious. This one doesn’t commit to the electropop thing I mentioned above as much, in one interview with the Grammys (yeah, the Grammys. I didn't even know they did interviews. Where was the nomination for Super Over guys), Leah called it a sad song, I guess that’s why it’s more similar to her past songs. It’s not as good as the first two songs. It’s probably straight up not good, but this album wormed its way into my brain so I enjoy every song to a certain degree now. Desperate is similarly a song where she reminisces about an ex that she is desperate to forget. Four songs later, we have a song called I Forgot. Can you tell how much fun I’m having writing this? Anyway, Desperate has this underlying bass beat and when the guitars come in with the chorus it’s so good. It’s definitely a return to boppery after Unbreakup.
Then we have the biggest curveball in the album, which is Brainwash. Brainwash, instrumentally, reminds me of Twenty One Pilots’ Blurryface singles like Stressed Out and Ride with its underlying reggae inspiration. It also has one of my favorite hooks in the album, with Leah Kate using the term very literally: I need to wash out my dirty thoughts, is the idea. But what makes it fun to me is how the dirty thoughts escalate during the chorus, and then there is this brief stop as she comes back to Earth and repeats the “God I need a brainwash” line. It's weirdly successful in capturing the feeling of getting lost in your fantasies. Maybe Leah's brutally honest lyrics made a point here.
Next song, Get In Loser is weirdly “relevant” right now, with the new Mean Girls movie that came out recently. As you can understand from the title, it quotes Mean Girls (bonus footage of me doing writeup research). It’s one of the louder songs in the album and I love loudness!! It has an f-bomb that doesn’t really land unfortunately, but it also has a very short and silly pre-chorus that’s just “Let’s G.T.F.O.” and I love that, so she's forgiven for the clunky f-bomb.
Bored is her take on the nu-disco/synthwave revival, which is not unfamiliar territory to Leah if you look at some of her songs before 10 Things took off and she hopped on the pop punk trend. Thankfully it doesn’t stray too far from the core sound of the album and strikes a nice balance between nu-disco sheen and the rougher rock edges, making it one of the best songs here imo. “At least with me you’ll never be bored” is the motto here, well, I’m realistically never gonna hang out with her but at least it applies to her album!
Then you have Weird! which I find similar to the 00s rock revival thing Olivia Rodrigo went with this year. If you liked that, you might find this song interesting! For me it’s all about the way the second chorus has a deeper mix, which, alongside the outro, makes the song one of the more memorable cuts here despite its short runtime. Neither Leah nor Olivia have got shit on this banger though. It’s followed up by Bad Taste, which is the closest song here to We Are Never Getting Back Together, or some other Taylor song from that period. I can’t pinpoint the exact song this reminds me of, it just gives Taylor vibes to me. It’s a fine song which I mainly enjoy because the lyrics are so ??? but I’ll get to that later.
Speaking of songs that sound like other songs, 911 is Charli XCX’s Good Ones. Clearly Leah Kate didn’t watch that 4 hour Hbomberguy video. Okay despite the near-identical instrumental, the songs do have their differences, and the main one is how the chorus goes. Whereas Charli XCX lets the chorus go, Leah stays on it going wee-woo-wee-woo like a police car, and I find 911 to be more fun simply for that reason! It doesn’t seem to lose its momentum the way Good Ones does for me (not that I dislike Good Ones btw). If you clicked on the fresh thread for this album, you might have seen me strike a comparison (albeit jokingly) between this album and Crash. I felt there was a point to be made here, so I dug a little and found this interview with Charli where the author writes “Aitchison had framed it as a response to the escalating obsession with authenticity in pop music” and there is this quote from Charli: “Obviously with Crash, the whole idea was I wanted to make the most major label album I could possibly make. But by the time it came out, I was really just drained from that. It kind of showed me that actually, like, maybe that’s not where I thrive. To make that kind of music in that way, it became an interesting social experiment for me.” Now full respect to Charli, I love most of her songs, but I was disappointed with Crash because I felt like it tried too hard to flex its creative muscle despite being a sellout album; if that makes sense. Maybe I just wanted Charli to find inspiration in her older material like SuperLove and was disappointed with getting something else. In a way, Super Over finds that inspiration in SuperLove, in I Love It, and it sounds like the sellout album I wanted: it is the proof that pop music doesn’t need to be authentic to be good. Now, one other key difference here is Charli tried specifically not being authentic, whereas I don’t think Leah is unauthentic in any of these songs: if anything she talks about being “brutally honest” in her songwriting all the time. But I don’t tune into Super Over because I find Leah’s songwriting relatable or anything of that sort, I tune into it because it is a banger buffet!
That would be a nice point to end, but we have more songs to go through, starting with the next track Lucky! If Brainwash was 21p-esque alternative pop reggae, Lucky is full-on Ace of Base and other silly Eurodance people type pop reggae. Which is my favorite kind of white people doing pop reggae! This is my favorite turn-my-brain-off and bop music and Leah Kate does it justice with having all these silly rhymes that elevate it to another level. I just can’t have an unbiased take on this. Not that I can do that with anything, but with Lucky, I can’t even try. Only thing this song is missing is a dubstep drop and then it'd be the song of the decade in my book.
Rounding up the album, we have Liar and Happy. Liar is boring and my only skip in the album. Happy supposedly interpolates Eminem’s My Name Is but doesn’t interpolate (or at least I can’t hear it) Labi Siffre’s I Got The…, the song Eminem sampled in his song. I guess the “interpolation” here is just because of the lyrics but I won’t lie, if it sampled Siffre it would be an improvement. It’s not a particularly striking closer. Oh and I forgot about I Forgot, like how Leah forgot to forget her ex. I actually didn’t forget it, I only wanted to do a bit. That song is good. My favorite thing about it is–

Only The Most Nonsense Lyrics (Cuz In America They Stand For Something Different)

Hey, tomorrow, set a reminder to Stop being such a dumb bitch Take the trash out, that’s a metaphor for you Guess that makes me a hypocrite (na-na-na-na-naa)

I Forgot

I’m looking through your phone cuz I’m so insecure So-so so insecure S^oo^oo^oo so insecure I might just start a fight in the middle of the store Mi-mi middle of the store Mi^mimi^mi middle of the store

Bored

He’s a hot drummer, fuckboy summer Kinda guy you’d never introduce to your mother Got a big ego, even bigger, you know I come over and over, but then I go home emo

Bad Taste (honestly any part of this song)

It’s giving go home, giving american psycho It’s giving no one’s ever said no to you, have they? (I guess not) I’m getting socio vibes, kinda guy where your mom’s your type She don’t care if you cheat and lie, does she? … (manbaby)

Lucky

911, I’mma set your heart on fire (ooh-wee-ooh, ooh-wee-ooh) Make it hurt so much, worse than when I slashed your tires (ooh-wee-ooh, ooh-wee-ooh)

911

Hi, my name is, what? My name's "Fuck you!" And I don't ever wanna see you happy Keep crying, I'm laughing (Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha)

Happy

Listen to the album first! You can think later

Did you like the album? What songs stuck out to you, as good or bad? Are you converted into being part of the Leah Nation?
How much do prior expectations affect your enjoyment of an album?
I’ve jokingly referred to several other artists who I associate with TikTok fame in the writeup, but it seems to me that TikTok is slowly becoming the only viable method of growing your popularity as an up-and-coming popstar. Are there any artists where you think they should be on people’s radars, despite being labeled as “just another pretty girl on social media”?
What do you think about the authenticity “problem” in pop? I say “problem” with Charli’s quote in mind, but you don’t have to think of it as necessarily a negative thing.
Will we see Gayle drop AOTY 2024?

submitted by thisusernameisntlong to popheads [link] [comments]

2023.11.12 07:22 XfoXshoreX Humans are the Reluctant Masters of Warfare Chapter 11

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A/N - A rare intro author's note. I am writing this on the off chance someone returns to re-read the chapter and gets the feeling something is missing. This chapter has been edited. It previously contained some controversial content pertaining to real life events. By itself, this would not be a problem to me (the content being controversial and/or pertaining to real life events that is) but after some closer looks at the Rules and Guidelines and more thought, I have decided to remove this content. I do not agree with censorship. However, I do not feel that this is censorship as I am removing this of my own free will as I was already somewhat hesitant with posting it as it was as even though there are sections I have planned that are to be quite dark, I am still largely writing this as entertainment, not to remind people of bad times they may have experienced in our real life history. Nothing in the Rules or Guidelines outright stated said I could not use that kind of content itself but I feel that as the content was not advancing any major plot points, as the Rules and Guidelines encourage, that its inclusion, while technically ok, was not needed and would cause unneeded problems and so it has been removed. I'll see you in the outro AN.
My name is Anthony Cooper, currently a Major General commanding the 2nd Armored Division, 6th Army, 10th Army Group. Back when the war first broke out however, I was just a Captain commanding Bravo Troop, 5th Squadron, 10th Regiment, 2nd Armored Division, 9th Army. I had been in the army for about seven years when the Hadzai took over Hyades. When it happened, the whole military went to Threat Condition 1, meaning all bases were restricted to military personnel only and all security personnel like the MPs were to be on their highest alert. If you farted weird, they were to question you. That’s the kind of alert I’m talking about.
Most armies, including the 9th, also went to Combat Condition 3. Half the unit was preparing equipment and the other half resting while waiting to take over for the other half and the entire unit had to be ready to move within a day. We knew, though, that it’d be a bit before anything major happened. Had to give time for diplomatic solutions. Still, best to be ready to go when we needed to.
Something I’ve not seen talked about much is what happened to all our military bases in the Hyades Cluster when the Hadzai came knocking. Well if we knew how things would’ve gone, we might’ve put up a fight. Try and stop them right there. As it was, the forward most bases tried to evacuate as many as they could. Being mostly anti-piracy and law enforcement units, they didn’t have much in the way of heavy equipment. Only about 1 in 5 were meant to be proper military bases, with actual warships and heavy equipment like armor. Even then, it wasn’t much, mainly stuff to defend themselves until reinforcements got there. Good old War Contingency Yellow. Those bases that were too vulnerable would be evacuated to those that weren’t and everyone would essentially hold the line until the main forces from The Core could come to the rescue.
Of course, with the speed and size of the Hadzai advance, it was clear that wouldn’t work so instead, War Contingency Black was prepared for. Pull back to The Core and by that time, it would be determined how things would go. Several of the forward most bases just couldn’t get out of the way in time. We don’t have too much to go off of but we do know at least a few of them had fought back since their units never reported in.
The most well known one of these was a fight over one of them that was practically right on the border, in the system we called Frontier. It wasn’t the first hit but it didn’t take long before they knew what was going on. They didn’t know which War Contingency was to be implemented but it wasn’t of much concern once a Hadzai cruiser entered into the system. There were two civilian outposts in the system. Not too big but big enough it’d take a day to get out. They’d only just begun evac’ing when the cruiser showed. This base, Outpost 2222, was only one of the minor ones. About a dozen patrol boats was all they had available. Certainly not enough to do any real damage to a cruiser.
Still, the commander of Outpost 3222, Colonel Hargrove McDonald, sent his boats out and managed to delay the cruiser until the last of the civilians had managed to escape. Then, with only three boats left, ordered the remaining two out while he delayed the enemy. Took his boat on a suicide run right into the cruiser. Didn’t outright destroy it but the collision was enough to get the cruiser written off as a total loss. Somewhat fitting that the first Medal of the Emperor’s Recognition, the highest award a UEE service member can receive, of the war was awarded to Colonel McDonald, someone who barely even got to see the war start.
On the whole though, most of the forward outposts either got out or were captured. Further back from the border, proper organized evacuations were possible. It was a hell of an undertaking, especially without the material benefits we’d have once everything got geared up. Moving billions of people and tens of billions of tons of equipment within a few weeks over hundreds of light years was tough but we did it. However, we did know that billions more were now held captive by the Hadzai. We got ready to get them back. If only we’d been faster…
We waited those anxious first weeks to see how things would play out. We’d gone to Combat Condition 3 a few times in response to possible wars but always ended up standing down after about a week and a half. This time, when the third week passed without a stand down order, we really started putting serious effort into our preparations. Then came Mourning Day. Obviously, we watched The Speech live. A minute or two after it was over, the Command Sergeant Major for the 5th peaked his head into the doorway of our motor pool. His words were simple and unemotional yet conveyed all that needed to be said. “Captain Cooper, get your troop together and mount up. Time to get to work.”
We did as we were told. As the guys on hand jumped up to get the vehicles ready, I got on the COM and roused those who weren't already present, which wasn’t much. Everyone else in the 5th did the same and we were ready to go within an hour. We got everyone in line to take transports from the 2nd Armored’s staging base in Rome to the 9th Army’s staging point at Cairo. Due to the 2nd Armored’s history, whatever army we were a part of would stage there so that when the entire army got moved to the transports waiting in space, the division would be “seen off” by the Emperor in his Tomb. The 1st Infantry Division, the oldest division in the UEE, also got that honor. While they were the oldest division overall, the 2nd Armored was the oldest armored division, though the 1st has the 2nd beat by a few decades and they’ve never let us forget it.
It took a few hours but the 9th Army was soon assembled in Cairo. The men loaded up onto shuttles while our vehicles were transported separately. As we lifted off, I took a moment to look out the window. The Tomb stood there, imposing and silent, but I could almost feel a sense that the Emperor was watching us. The time he hoped would never come had done so. The time when his children were forced to take up arms again. It felt like he was wishing us luck. It made me feel good.
When we reached the freighter that would be transporting us, the CSM gathered all the squadron’s ranking officers together and we held a meeting with Donald McBrindle, our LtCol. We were informed of all the happenings thus far and that we were currently on our way to meet up with the 13th Fleet to then move on to wherever higher command decided we needed to go. We were also told the 9th Army would join the 45th, 91st, and 57th Armies to form the 10th Army Group. Aside from that, he gave us an attempt at an inspirational speech but failed horribly, which he acknowledged with “I hate speeches because I suck at them.” That got a chuckle from us.
Then it was just waiting. Lots of rechecking equipment. I’m proud to say that my troop’s vehicles were in parade condition. Wouldn’t last for long but showed how serious we took our jobs. After a couple days, we joined the 13th over Huttal Station, the largest of the outposts in the Alpha Centauri system. We stayed there for about a week before we finally got orders. The 10th AG would retake the Armani system. Two semi-habitable planets and a dozen asteroid outposts. With the size of the pre-war army being what it was, it was a bit surprising we’d be going after a system so far from The Core with just a single Army Group but far be it from us to question orders. The idea was apparently to set up a central point that we could get to with little difficulty, supply it, and then launch multiple attacks in all directions.
Once we arrived in system, a few meetings took place where the plan was explained. The 45th and 9th armies would be taking care of the smaller of the two habitable planets while the other half of the 10th AG would be taking on the larger one. It was expected that the 45th and 9th would finish up quickly and go on to help the 91st and 57th if they needed and if they didn’t, we’d go on to start taking the asteroids.
Now, I don’t want to toot any horns but I like to think that our invasion, which was to be the beginning of the retaking of the Hyades, is the cause of the Hadzai’s decision to implement their Burn and Run strategy and their use of the Altar jammers because our attack on Atara, that smaller planet, was just about as perfect as you could’ve gotten. When we got into orbit, we found that large tracts of the planet were plains. When we in the 2nd Armored heard that, we started to get “that” feeling. The plan was simple. The 9th would land in the northern plains and the 45th would go to the southern plains, both locations being out of range of any SSM or SAM sites on the planet. An infantry division would be the first to land and would secure an LZ to bring in the rest of the army. From there, the armored divisions of the 9th and 45th would take the lead and do what we do best. Steamroll.
The only two cities on the planet were in the southeast and east side of the plains and recon showed that’s where most of the million and a half garrison was and where their defenses were. We’d charge in from the north of our city and the 45th would do the same to the south of theirs. From there, the infantry and artillery divisions would largely take over for us in clearing the cities. Normally, you’d want a four to one advantage in numbers when assaulting a prepared position but it was believed that not enough time had passed between the invasion and now for the Hadzai to have entrenched themselves that deeply. Plus it was their first time fighting us and we hoped that our tactics would be enough of a surprise to carry us through these first fights.
We had a pre-war army of 800 million but a lot of them were spread out throughout the rest of the Empire to protect against any other possible attacks, even though we highly doubted there would be. We also had chosen to go straight through the Hadzai defenses, even where they were strongest and it was probably a better idea to try and flank them, for the sheer intimidation value of them being assaulted by tanks storming right at them, something our intelligence said they hadn’t really experienced, at least for a long time. I won’t lie, we were getting excited. Our M6 MBTs and M8 IFVs were capable of over 55 miles an hour on proper ground. We had trained for this and were starting to get itching to put our training into practice.
We got the signal to go and our vehicles loaded onto the dropships. When we landed, I was impressed by the staging base the infantry had managed to get up within a couple days. Barracks, fuel depots, power stations. It was like a mini version of one of our bases back on Earth. It took another day or two to get the rest of the division down from orbit. From there, some more recon occurred and we confirmed our plan was sound. Once everything was ready, we moved out. It was as amazing of a sight as always. Hundreds of tanks and IFVs powering over green fields at 40 miles an hour. We’d all seen the sight before during major exercises but you never quite got over the feeling of power such a maneuver emitted.
The 2nd Armored came from the northern plains so we went for the eastern city. Being about 500 miles away, we only needed to stop once, at roughly 50 miles from the enemy, to refuel our vehicles. I’ve always wondered if we’ll ever get those proposed nuclear powered tanks because issues with consumables like food and ammo aside, biogas is the biggest limit on how far we can go. After refueling, we set up an FOB to give a place for supplies brought in from the staging area to reduce the length of our supply line. It was getting dark so most of us slept in our tanks, if we slept at all. As you can imagine, it was quite hard to get sleep knowing that tomorrow was the big day.
My crew didn’t. We were up for most of the night, talking about the attack coming in the morning. The entire division’s orders were simple. Attack, attack, attack. Shoot left, right, and center but don’t let off the gas. If the tank in front of you gets hit, go around or push it out of the way. Whatever you do, do NOT stop. Three infantry divisions, I should mention now that all of the UEE’s infantry divisions were mechanized so they could keep up with the tanks, would follow us with one on either side of and one behind to protect the flanks and rear and the artillery division, which was also mechanized, would follow behind them to support us if and when we needed it. The last infantry division would be left behind to guard both the landing zone and our FOB just in case recon was wrong and there were Hadzai units outside of the cities. The 45th Army would mirror us to the south.
The Hadzai had little to no air support and a peculiar quirk of theirs for the first few years of the war was they had no artillery. They had mass accelerator anti-tank weapons and these strange mortar like things for direct fire use against infantry and bunkers and the like but no big guns for firing high explosives rounds indirectly. They didn’t even have tanks. We guessed they’d come to rely on air support so much that they no longer saw a need for big guns and figured we’d roll over and so didn’t supply many aircraft to lesser planets. Heh, I know they would soon wish they had some. The defenses consisted of machine gun and anti-tank positions, trenches, and other groundworks. We didn’t expect much trouble. If they realized who they were coming up against, they might have tried to adopt a more maneuver based defense instead of trying to be a wall our speeding car would stop cold against.
We did finally get some sleep but only an hour or two. Thankfully, the army had found solutions for such situations. When we woke up, we popped a dose of the special, non-addictive pills we were issued for short term use in order to kickstart the day if we didn’t get proper sleep the night before. We jokingly called them “vitamins”. Not sure what was in them but they did their job well. After about 15-20 minutes, you’d feel like you’d had a good night’s sleep. Awareness is sharp, your mind and body doesn’t feel off. It’s literally just an acceleration of your normal process of waking up. As I said, they were non-addictive but that fact itself made them prone to abuse. If you know the pick me up doesn’t hurt you, you have less of a tendency to moderate your use of it. We would find out eventually that our “vitamins” weren’t completely harmless.
For the moment though, they were just what we needed. We just got awake when the order came over the radio to start engines. I poked my head out of the turret and looked around. I saw the squadron’s attached mechanized infantry troop slinging on their packs and climbing into the back of their M8s, their big, bulky green shapes blending well with the terrain and the sleeker, more angular shapes of the M6s. In the distance, I could make out other commanders in the other squadrons also poking their heads up as the light colored puffs of exhaust blew out of their exhausts. I gave the order for ours to start and that lovely whine quickly built up behind me from our multi-fuel engine and was joined by 13 others. The more guttural grunt of our troop’s supply truck made itself known briefly over the M6s.
Then the LtCol came over the net and reiterated the no stopping order before ordering us into combat spread. I relayed it to my troop and we moved with the squadron out of the FOB’s outer barrier into the open field, arraying ourselves with both tank troops forward and the infantry troop behind us. The other two squadrons of the regiment did the same to either side of us. After a little while, I could see in the distance as the other two tank regiments laid themselves out on either side of ours. It was a magnificent display of coordination and power. The division’s artillery, protection, and sustainment regiments of all the divisions fell in with the artillery division and would follow us at quite a distance for their own protection.
“This is it, gentlemen. Keep your heads down and feet on the gas. We’ll show the Hadzai who they’ve screwed with. Now then, 2nd Armored, roll out!” That was all the incentive we needed. “Connor, advance!” I shouted to my driver and he hit the accelerator. The 75 ton beast jerked forward and picked up speed. All around us, our fellow tankers did the same. The roar of hundreds of engines coming to full power was deafening, even over our headsets. We quickly kicked up a dust trail behind us. We must’ve looked like quite the sight on the horizon. It took about an hour but we soon could see the Hadzai’s defenses outside of the city, which we could just make out in the background. Without missing a beat, the LtCol called in the opening air strike. I popped back out of the turret just in time to see the near literal storm of A-100s coming in. Thanks to jamming, the Hadzai’s handful of mobile SAM launchers barely even had a chance to aim before they were destroyed via a flurry of air-to-ground missiles. Even more AGMs took out bunkers and a storm of rockets streaked to the ground and hit their mark, assuredly blowing apart anyone outside of the trenches. Bombs were not used in an attempt to preserve as much of the narrow trenches as possible to make it easier for our tanks to cross.
We came to a small hill that temporarily obscured all sight of the defense. As we came over the top, we got a good view of the destruction. The mangled mess of bunkers, the craters between the trench lines from the rockets. We could see the small dots of Hadzai infantry scurrying through the trenches trying to find a haven from the aerial barrage. Our self propelled artillery and the various support units would hold on the hill till we were through. Without stopping, we charged down this hill. The bumps in the terrain shook us around but our suspension handled it well and our guns’ stabilizers kept their barrels pointed right where we wanted them. I gave James, our gunner, the instruction to take aim at whatever he thought needed a dose of HE. When we got within two miles, we got the order to fire at will. The sound of hundreds of 130mm guns firing almost simultaneously is something I’ll never forget. The defenses in front of us just disappeared in a poof of dust and smoke. Then they went off again. Then again. Again and again and again, the entire division fired our main guns, shredding what was left of their defense lines.
Going 50 miles an hour, we quickly reached the line and, aiming our tanks for the intact portions of the trenches which were narrow enough we could cross them without getting stuck, we plowed over them. I got on the M2A7 .50 cal attached to the rotatable ring of my hatch and did my best to get any infantry that remained in the open. It didn’t take long before we were through the first line. Once we were, the LtCol reminded us to stay on our toes as the next line of defense was only 15 minutes ahead. He then called on air support again, though before he even finished the transmission, more A-100s streaked in and unleashed hell. Once more, we opened fire at two miles and once more, we stormed up and over the Hadzai defenses. The speed of our advance was just too fast for them. These men in the second line had barely even begun to understand what was going on when our tanks cleared their trenches with machine gun fire and blew their dugouts apart with 130mm shells. We did start to encounter their anti-tank guns more and made sure to target them first if they weren’t already taken out by the A-100s.
It had only been about an hour since we charged down that hill but we were already coming up on the third and last line of defense. Once we broke through, we’d be only 20 miles from the city outskirts. The third line had barely more time to prepare than the second but they did seem to use it as best they could and being the last line, had the heaviest emplacements. When we went to open fire after the quick flyover by the A-100s, we got return fire from some very well concealed anti-tank guns that survived the air attack. The tank beside ours took a hit to the turret which somehow managed to ricochet off. One shot went past me and I will not lie to save face, I did in fact piss myself slightly. Once you’ve heard the crack of a hypervelocity round snap past you just feet away, you’ll know what fear feels like. Thankfully, James had seen the small puff of dust that got kicked up when the gun fired and managed to put a shell into its bunker and silenced it.
It was about this time when I actually took the chance to look around. I don’t even really have the words to describe the scene. Huge armored beasts racing along over trenches, spewing machine gun fire in every direction. I managed to catch a glimpse of a Hadzai that attempted to clamber out of his trench just in time to get crushed under the treads of an M8. I turned to the other side and just managed to get the fifty around and fire a burst at another Hadzai that had leaned out from around a boulder to try and somehow sling some kind of grenade in front of us. I believe only one of my rounds hit him but it hit him center mass. He just exploded into a mist of blood and meaty chunks and right after, his grenade went off and blew the boulder apart.
Then, just before we cleared the defenses, we took the first loss. One last AT gun that managed to go undetected got a bead on his target and fired. The sixth tank to our right just detonated as the round cut through its armor and ignited its biogas fuel tank. Our vehicles were designed to try and compartmentalize ammo or fuel explosions but sometimes things just don’t go your way. His squadron mates didn’t take kindly to their friends’ deaths, however, and at least seven of them all fired at this gun and it simply disappeared in the combined explosions of seven 130mm rounds. In keeping with our orders, we didn’t slow down and with the last of the third line behind us, we were now in the open ground between it and the city.
Men from the following infantry division would stop to clear out the stragglers of each line to secure our rear before catching up. We moved onto the city to keep the momentum going but even at 50 miles an hour, the 20 miles would take us nearly half an hour to reach it. Recon showed that, compared to the defense lines, the city didn't have much in the way of defenses but even just a couple divisions of infantry could hold an entire army group for weeks if they used the buildings and narrow alleyways right and these guys would have time to prepare much more than the defense lines did.
We came to the top of a small hill that overlooked the city. What we saw astonished us. The Hadzai had knocked down some of the skyscrapers to block streets and create prepared killing zones but the Hadzai infantry themselves were casually strolling around like nothing was amiss. The vehicles they did have were still lined up neatly in a motor pool. We knew we’d moved fast but not that fast. It was almost like looking into the recent past. It was eerie. The division stopped for a moment while we figured out what we wanted to do. It was during this break that we noticed that the Hadzai seemed to be finally reacting to our breakthrough. Thanks to the speed of our advance, we still had plenty of daylight to work with so it was quickly decided to continue the attack with the armor to keep the momentum going. The infantry would follow and slowly break down into company sized units to start clearing the buildings as the armor passed by. Judging by the downed buildings, it seemed that the Hadzai had decided to turn the city into a defense in depth situation, closing off streets and alleyways in such a way that we’d have to follow a certain path. They hadn’t seemed to have accounted for air support though. As we made our way through, we called for heavy bombing of the blockages. A-100s dropped precision guided 2,000 pound bombs with delay fuses into the mass piles of debris, blowing them apart while leaving any other buildings near them intact. And this is how we cleared the city. Precision bombs to clear roadblocks, tank fire to clear strongpoints, and infantry to root anyone left out of their hidey holes.
It took us the rest of the month but the city did eventually fall. All in all, it was figured that we had killed about 265,000 Hadzai between the prepared defense lines and the city fighting. On top of that, when the remaining garrison of the city finally surrendered, our tally of enemy captured reached 535,000. The 45th had similar success, though we did have to send one of our infantry divisions over for extra manpower clearing their city, which was more resistant. Still, it was only an extra week and the Hadzai facing them surrendered as well, adding another 275,000 dead and 425,000 prisoners to the tally for a total of 540,000 dead and 960,000 captured. All in just a month. As for us, we lost about 100,000 men, about 40 tanks, and around 110 other armored vehicles, with 95% of that from the city fighting. Regardless of that, it was a stunning victory however you looked at it.
Now an interesting tidbit is we found out that during that lull while we overlooked the city and decided how to proceed, some Hadzai transmissions had been intercepted where their commanders were attempting to sort out what was going on. Between our assault and the 45th’s, there was mass confusion. Somewhere in all of it, somehow, they had managed to identify our division via markings on the tanks. Their problem was the armored division attached to the 45th Army also had very similar markings. So to the Hadzai commanders, it was as if the 2nd Armored had been in multiple places at once and at times that should’ve been impossible. It was in this mess where one of the Hadzai commanders said something that’s gone down in 2nd Armored history and from which we got our famous nickname. His actual statement slash question was “This 2nd Armored Division isn’t some supernatural phantom division, it can’t be in two places at once. Are we sure it’s one division and not two?” One of the guys got on the intercom and said about how “Phantom Division'' sounded cool. Another countered him and said it wasn’t catchy. The first guy replied back, “What about Ghost Division then? After all, phantoms are ghosts.”
Thus, from this campaign onward, the 2nd Armored Division earned the nickname slash title of “The Ghost Division” and our motto became “One Division, Two Places”. We did some research and found that a similar attack had been carried out centuries ago, during the second of our three world wars, where an armored division broke through enemy defenses far faster than expected and caused enough chaos and confusion to be called a ghost division. Difference was that the attack had taken place over a longer time period and didn’t involve being confused with another armored division. Despite that division having been a part of an army led by some very evil people, we decided we’d still take pride in the name. After all, we had earned it.
After securing Atara, we found that the 91st and 57th had cleared their planet a few weeks before we’d secured ours. So it was then decided that they would clear the asteroids while the 9th and 45th moved on. We took a few more systems but the Hadzai had started to get a grip on the situation and changed their tactics, implementing Burn and Run as well as the jammers. It’d take us about a year and a half but like the rest of the UEE military, we soon found ourselves on the border between Human and Hadzai space. It was during one of clearing campaigns out there that the war would start to deteriorate from a clean fight to the horrific slaughterfest it has come to be remembered as.
A/N - Oh sweet Jesus, I did it again. Broke another promise. I swear on my mother's life, I do not plan to string people along like this. I fully intended to post more chapters in the last three months. It was just that around when I was finishing this chapter up that I really put effort into trying to find a new job and ended up returning to my old one. I really just kind of psyched myself out and should have just taken an unpaid week off to get my mind right. Thus the last six weeks have been a stress filled fog of trying to get back into the swing of things. Anyway, all I can do is apologize again for the big delay. We are getting ready to get stuck into the gritty part of the war though so that should be interesting. I've only got maybe one more main character to introduce and I'm not even really sure if I will as I've already got four MCs (Jenta, Honcho, Reed, and now Cooper) who've all seen plenty to fill out the rest of the story. I am not George Martin. I can't properly keep track of too many characters while still giving them proper time. Speaking of him, he once said that there are two types of writers. Gardeners and Architects. I am quite clearly of the former variety. I have the general idea and a few certain scenes and just let things grow from there. Which is funny because I generally like structure. It helps keep my autistic brain (not a joke, btw) focused. I reference him frequently as I admire his writing ability and try to adhere to some of the advice he has given out on writing. I also apologize if the ending seems abrupt. I kinda ran out of stuff for this section and I wanted to finally get this out and do so before I go to sleep (it's 0125 EST right now) so I ended it as best I could. I know the last line seems like a cliffhanger but please don't take it as such. It was just the best way I could think to say we'd see more from this character without saying that. I guess that's all I have to say really. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Do let me know if you notice a drop off in the quality of the writing. I know where I stopped writing this chapter and considering the main reason I finished it up today is because I've kept you all waiting so long as it is and not because I really felt like writing, I'm curious to see if any one notices a quality drop off at that point. Can't tell you when though since that'd turn your brain on to trying to find that point. I'll quit blathering and get some sleep. Hope to see you again real soon.
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2023.10.13 10:29 Artigraphics Branding Beyond Taste: How Printed Promotions Elevate Your Restaurant

Starting a restaurant is an amazing adventure filled with culinary accomplishments and the hope of satisfied, returning customers. However, in the middle of the excitement, great marketing often fades into the background. Creating a brand experience is very crucial for successful restaurant advertising, andprinted promotional materials can help a lot with this. These tangible products leave a visual impact on your customers and potential customers. We’ll show new restaurant owners how to use printed materials creatively to improve their marketing strategy in this blog post.

Paper Bags as Silent Ambassadors

Paper bags are the unsung heroes of branding. They become valuable assets for promoting your restaurant in addition to their basic function. When professionally crafted, these bags reflect your restaurant's unique style and its culinary personality. They not only hold your customers' meals, but they also carry your brand into the world, acting as a walking billboard for your culinary goods. Potential customers can be drawn in by a well-designed bag, potentially converting them into future consumers.
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The material of the bag itself can convey a message. Consider using eco-friendly, recyclable, or biodegradable materials to not only promote your restaurant but also showcase your commitment to environmental responsibility. Additionally, including a clever or catchy tagline on the bag can leave a memorable impression, making potential customers curious about your offerings.

Tissues & Napkins: Small yet Significant

While seemingly trivial, branded napkins and tissues demonstrate your restaurant's attention to detail and quality. By imprinting your restaurant's logo, motto, or even a QR code linking to your website on these everyday items, you successfully communicate your restaurant's message with every eating experience. These seemingly tiny elements contribute to a consistent brand identity and indicate your restaurant's commitment to branding in all aspects.📷 Consider using napkins as a platform for more than just branding. Printing interesting facts about food, snippets of your restaurant's history, or even short quotes can engage customers during their dining experience. It adds a unique touch, creating a memorable and educational aspect to their visit.

Drink Cups and Lids: Satisfying Thirsts and Promoting Brands

Custom-designed cups and lids provide an artistic canvas for your imagination. Don't pass up this fantastic branding opportunity. Make sure your logo and design are prominently displayed on these surfaces, turning every drink into an advertisement for your business. Whether customers are drinking in-house or on the go, your brand is with them, possibly reaching new eyes and leaving a lasting impression.
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Beyond branding, consider using cups to encourage repeat business. Implement a loyalty program where customers receive a stamp or code with each purchase, eventually earning a free beverage. Print the details of this program on the cups, enticing customers to return and collect their rewards.

A Touch of Elegance in Cutlery & Utensils

To add a professional touch to each meal and reinforce your brand identification, print your restaurant's logo or name on flatware. It's a subtle yet effective technique to remind customers of their pleasant dining experience. When people see your logo on kitchenware, it functions as a slight nudge, maybe leading to a repeat visit or recommendations to friends and family.
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Consider taking this branding opportunity a step further by designing unique utensils that align with your restaurant's theme. For instance, if your restaurant has a nautical theme, utensils shaped like anchors or sailboats could add a delightful touch, making the dining experience more memorable.

Food Wraps: A Branding Opportunity

Custom food wraps offer two functions: they keep food fresh and serve as a canvas for your brand. Use this area to display your logo, website, special offers, or a catchy motto. Your brand is front and centre with each unwrap, leaving a great impression on the customer.
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Experiment with the design of the food wraps to enhance the overall dining experience. Include puzzles, riddles, or interesting facts related to your cuisine. Engaging customers in this way can make waiting for their meal more enjoyable and interactive.

Labels and Stickers: The Imaginative Promoters

Stickers and labels are versatile promotional tools. They can be used to seal to-go boxes, identify special items, or promote upcoming events or promotions. Creatively created stickers not only provide critical information but also add a playful and personalised touch to your gift, making your brand more memorable.
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Incorporate a call-to-action on your stickers. Direct customers to your social media pages, encouraging them to share their dining experience online using a specific hashtag. This not only increases your restaurant's visibility but also creates a sense of community among your patrons.

Beyond the Transaction: Receipts and Packaging Inserts

Utilise receipts and packing inserts as great promotional real estate. In addition to providing transaction details, include discounts for the next visit, information about forthcoming events, or social media handles. These thoughtful touches can easily convert into greater consumer loyalty and brand recognition.
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Consider using these inserts to tell your restaurant's story. Share anecdotes about the chef, the inspiration behind the restaurant, or the sourcing of key ingredients. Engaging customers in your restaurant's narrative can forge a stronger emotional connection, making them more likely to return and recommend your establishment.

Delivery Bags/Boxes: Extending the Reach of Your Brand

Branded delivery bags or boxes enhance your restaurant's uniqueness. They ensure that your brand's spirit and message are conveyed via the meal. When customers receive a well-branded box, it helps to promote your restaurant's positive image and enhances the likelihood that they will return.
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Make use of the space on these bags or boxes to show not only your logo and contact details, but also your restaurant's mission statement or a brief description of what distinguishes your culinary offerings. Customers may be influenced to dine with you again if you provide a glimpse of your restaurant's ideals and commitments.

The Culinary Storytellers: Menu Cards

Your menu is an effective tool for showing your offerings as well as advertising your business. Create aesthetically appealing menus that are consistent with your brand's identity. A careful attention to high-quality printing and an orderly layout can enrich your guests' dining experience,increasing their likelihood of recalling and suggesting your business.
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Make your menu an interactive experience. QR codes next to selected dishes that, when scanned, reveal interesting behind-the-scenes footage of the dish being prepared, or testimonials from happy customers. This interactive element can enhance the dining experience by introducing a technological twist to the traditional menu.

Conclusion

In the highly competitive restaurant industry, strategic marketing is the key to success. Printed promotional materials are critical components in projecting a professional and polished image for your business. From paper bags to menu cards, every item provides an opportunity to showcase your business and entice customers. Don't undervalue the impact that these tangible elements can have on your clientele.

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2023.07.17 16:17 joellee1 How to create a website for a travel agency?

As you know, in today's digital era having a professional and user-friendly website is very much necessary for a business like a travel agency. A website becomes the ultimate gateway for many customers.
Creating a travel website might feel like a hefty task, but it is not like that. With proper guidance, it will be a successful business outcome. We will be learning more about creating a potential website for travel agency services. A well-designed professional website will surely attract your website visitors. But always note that a website should only not be visually appealing, but also it should be user-friendly and easy to navigate.
A travel website should be easily accessible so that visitors can easily get into pages like booking without any hurdles. They should have a good and hurdle-free browning experience. Not only that, proper usage of Search engine optimization techniques will help your website to get more visitors and may also help you to rank at the top of the search results.
So now that you got some proper information about how to host a travel agency website let us dive into how to create a website in a detailed way.

Creation of a travel agency website

1. Understand your website objective or motto

Well, first and foremost, always prepare your website goals and objectives, like thinking about what a person needs when he is going to start a travel website, showcasing travel packages, attracting new customers, and do provide a hassle-free booking experience.

2. Choose a proper domain name and hosting provider

Select a domain name that reflects your travel agency business brand vitally. Always choose a name that is easy to remember and spell. Once you choose a domain name, the next task is to choose a hosting provider to choose a provider that fits your budget and needs.

3. Select a CMS

The best CMS simplifies the website creation process, even for those who don't have technical knowledge. Wordpress is one of the best and most popular CMS that offers a wide range of themes and plugins. Especially you can also have a whole different section to design your whole travel website properly. It allows easy customization and management and make it easy for beginners.

4. Install and customize your theme

Once you install your wordpress, you can select your theme and then align them as you wish. But remember to consider your travel theme and features related to it responsive design, and proper customization options.

5. Add Essential pages

To provide relevant information to your visitors, you should include relevant information like

Home page for a proper introduction and highlighting your key specification
Create a different section showcasing your popular travel destination with an attractive image and brief description.
Include your travel package and also your services like accommodation, transportation, and activities.
Share information about your agency's history.
Have a contact us page so that people can easily get in touch with you.

6. Try to create an SEO-friendly website

Increase your website visibility with search engine results. It is very much necessary to optimize your website with a search engine. Do consider the following things:

Research and pick the relevant keywords that would fit your website and travel agency business and use them in your website content.
Always target an eye catchy and easily understandable meta title and description. So that each and every user who is visiting your website can easily understand what's actually on your website.
Properly optimize your website page speed by compressing images and using fast domain hosting.
See that your website is mobile-friendly and is giving the audience a seamless mobile experience.

7. Provide a Well maintained booking system:

Last but not least, provide a well-maintained booking page for your clients or website visitors. Ensure that all the links which they are clicking are going to relevant pages or not. Also, ensure having a secure payment gateway so that people can have ultimate trust in your website while paying.

Conclusion

Well, these where some of the things you need to keep in mind while creating a travel agency website. Otherwise, all your customers might jump to your competitor's website, and you may lose the lead.

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2023.07.08 16:21 Sir_Toaster_9330 Why do they say "Your heart and soul to the cause" and not "Dedicate your heart"

In the dub, they say "Your heart and soul to the cause" when doing the salute, but why? That sounds mouthy and long, it's not even a catchy motto. In comparison to "Dedicate your heart" which is literally the iconic salute of Paradis.
So why doesn't the dub just say "Dedicate Your Heart" seems a lot simpler?
I love the dub, but it's just annoying.

submitted by Sir_Toaster_9330 to attackontitan [link] [comments]

2023.07.07 06:16 The_Book_Crusader (OC) The DUFF: The Designated Ugly Fat Friend Pitch Meeting

Little Brown and Company, New York City, 2010.
Publishing Guy: So, you have a young adult novel for me?
Editor Guy: Yes, sir, I do! It’s called The DUFF: The Designated Ugly Fat Friend. It was written by a 17-year-old named Kody Keplinger.
Publishing Guy: Oh boy. So what kind of novel are we talking about?
Editor Guy: You know the unapologetic wish-fulfillment genre? The genre filled with stories about the average girl getting the perfect guy? The kind of story that you can easily find and read for free on any major fanfiction website? The kind of story that we couldn’t possibly justify charging money for?
Publishing Guy: *tugs his collar* Are you telling me that that’s what this story is?
Editor Guy: It was, but with my careful editing and guidance, most of which involved working closely with the author, I managed to really polish this story up.
Publishing Guy: Oh, so it’s no longer an unapologetic wish-fulfillment story?
Editor Guy: No, it still is, but it’s a polished one. That means we can justify charging money for it.
Publishing Guy: I didn’t like the sound of that first part, but I really liked it when you said that we can charge people money for it, so I’m gonna keep listening. Anyway, what’s this story about? Who’s our protagonist?
Editor Guy: It’s about a 17-year-old named Bianca Piper. Her mother is never home, she realizes that her parents are likely going to get a divorce, and she discovers that she is the Duff—the designated ugly fat friend—to her two more conventionally attractive best friends.
Publishing Guy: How does she discover this?
Editor Guy: A guy straight up tells her that she is the designated ugly fat friend to her two more conventionally attractive best friends.
Publishing Guy: That’ll do it. So, Bianca isn’t conventionally attractive?
Editor Guy: Shortly after Bianca is told that she’s the Duff, she goes on an exposition rant and reveals that she has uncontrollable wavy auburn hair, a long nose, big thigs, and small boobs. She will also refer to herself as chubby and complain that she’s a fat-ass on a few occasions.
Publishing Guy: It sure was considerate of her to rant in detail about her appearance for the sake of the audience painting a more concise picture of the person they are reading about.
Editor Guy: *nods* It sure was, sir.
Publishing Guy: Since she’s not conventionally attractive on the outside, which she clearly spelled out for us, does that mean she’s beautiful on the inside? Isn’t that the way it usually goes in these types of stories?
Editor Guy: Not only is Bianca whiny, self-absorbed, and an all-around bitch, but she pretty much complains about everything. And when she’s not complaining, she’s judging everyone around her. The novel even opens with her complaining and judging her two best friends for wanting to spend Saturday night dancing at their local hangout.
Publishing Guy: Yikes! I guess that won’t be too awful to read if we don’t overdo it.
Editor Guy: Oh, we’re going to overdo it. Bianca is going to spend the first 6 chapters, which account for almost a fifth of the book, complaining and judging. And the thing she will complain about the most is Wesley Rush—the guy who told her she was the Duff in the first place.
Publishing Guy: And what’s Wesley Rush’s deal?
Editor Guy: He’s what would happen if you ordered a young adult love interest with a double shot of all the clichés. He’s super good looking, tall, has the body of Adonis, is filthy rich, lives in a house that’s practically a mansion, drives a Porsche, and can effortlessly get just about any girl he wants with his cocky grin and bad boy demeanor. He even has a personal motto of—Wesley doesn’t chase girls, they chase him.
Publishing Guy: What about…down there?
Editor Guy: At one point, he will very unsubtly imply that he has a large penis.
Publishing Guy: Oh, unsubtly implying that you have a large penis is TIGHT! Which reminds me, I really need to start buying underwear with way more room in the crotch area. And I mean WAY more room.
Editor Guy: *makes a disgusted face then shakes his head several times* So, anyway, Wesley and Bianca are going to have a few encounters throughout the beginning of the book. The first one ends with her tossing her Coke in his face after he tells her that she’s the Duff, and the second one ends with her slapping him after he cops a feel during the make-out session that she initiated in her attempt to forgot about the fact that her mother is never home.
Publishing Guy: *eyes wide* Go on…
Editor Guy: And then they get paired up together for an English assignment, she goes over to his house, she kisses him again, they start an even heavier make-out session, and clothes start coming off.
Publishing Guy: *eye even wider* Then what happens? Do they have the only kind of sex acceptable in a young adult novel?!
Editor Guy: *nods* They have the only kind of sex acceptable in a young adult novel—fade-to-black sex.
Publishing Guy: Oh, two protagonists having fade-to-black sex in a young adult novel is TIGHT! And it pushes the boundary to better differentiate itself from the pre-teen genre, thus making it more appealing to older teens without alienating anyone who wouldn’t want to read anything explicit. But mostly it’s TIGHT!
Editor Guy: So, then Bianca’s mother sends her father divorce papers through the mail, causing her father to throw away 18 years of sobriety. And Bianca decides to deal with this news by tracking Wesley down at lunch and leading him to an unused janitor’s closet for yet another make-out session that gets hot and heavy fast.
Publishing Guy: Do they have fade-to-black sex in there?
Editor Guy: No, but they do agree to meet at his house after school. And while Bianca is on her way to his house, she has a back-and-forth with herself about how wrong and unhealthy it is to use sex to escape her problems…especially when the guy providing the sex is a womanizer who makes her skin crawl.
Publishing Guy: And then she has off-screen sex with him anyway?
Editor Guy: And then she has off-screen sex with him anyway. And as Bianca is leaving his place, she proposes that they have a fling, no strings attached, and Wesley immediately agrees.
Publishing Guy: I thought you said Wesley can effortlessly get just about any girl he wants with his cocky grin and bad boy demeanor? Can he get girls to go out with him but not get sex out of it?
Editor Guy: No, he can. He’s extremely well established as the school’s man-whore.
Publishing Guy: Wait, so you are telling me that even though he’s an established man-whore who can get just about any girl he wants, he immediately agrees to a no strings attached fling with the average looking girl? The girl who’s chubby with small boobs? The girl he considers the Duff?
Editor Guy: I have the answer to that in my hands. *he flips through several pages of paper that he is holding for an extended period of time before finally taking one out and reading from it* Reason 1—Bianca is the main character. Reason 2—so the story can happen. Reason 3—because.
Publishing Guy: I just feel that the audience will be unable to accept an established man-whore like Wesley agreeing so suddenly to this. I’m not saying it can’t happen, I just think you and the author need to better sell the idea of Wesley agreeing to it by going back and—
Editor Guy: Ring, ring. That’s my phone. *takes his phone out and pretends to answer it* Oh, hello there, average customer of this particular brand of young adult literature. What’s that, you like what you’ve heard so far and now want to give this company money in exchange for a copy of it?
Publishing Guy: *eyes wide* I want to accept that money! Please give me that money! I really want you to give me that money!
Editor Guy: *still pretending to talk on the phone* But he must do something for you in exchange for that money?
Publishing Guy: Whatever it is, I will do it. I will do anything for that money. And I mean anything. I seriously cannot emphasize enough how I will do anything for that money.
Editor Guy: That’s great, sir, because the customer just told me that they will happily give you the money if you—GET ALL THE WAY OFF MY BACK about the established man-whore unrealistically agreeing to a no strings attached fling with the girl he considers the Duff.
Publishing Guy: For the sake of that money that I really, really want, let me get off of that thing.
Editor Guy: Fantastic! Anyway, over the next month, life at home gets even worse for Bianca. Her mom comes back to talk to her dad about why she sent him the divorce papers, but that just makes her dad spiral even further with his drinking. He even starts missing work.
Publishing Guy: Oh no! What does Bianca do to get her father help? Does she call someone who works with an alcohol rehabilitation program?
Editor Guy: No, Bianca decides that the best course of action is to continue to have hot sex with Wesley Rush and hope that the problems with her father just sort themselves out.
Publishing Guy: Sure, that might as well happen.
Editor Guy: Oh, it’s gonna. I should also mention that Bianca’s friends have no idea that she’s spending almost all of her free time with Wesley, because Bianca’s been keeping everything a secret from them and making really lame excuses every time they question her about it or attempt to have a girls’ night with her. And Casey—who’s Bianca’s oldest friend and the one who’s always been there for her—finally has enough of the excuses and calls her out.
Publishing Guy: And how does Bianca react? Is she super apologetic?
Editor Guy: Bianca calls Casey a bitch and a preppy cheerleader snob.
Publishing Guy: *sticks his pinkie in his ear and wiggles it around for a few seconds before pulling it back out* Did I hear you correctly? Bianca thinks that Casey is the one in the wrong? Even though Bianca is the one who is lying and bailing on their plans?
Editor Guy: You heard me correctly, sir. And after her fight, Bianca is forced to accept a ride home with Wesley and his sister, Amy. And this ride will completely change how Bianca views Wesley Rush as a character.
Publishing Guy: Oh, it will?
Editor Guy: Bianca, along with the audience, will learn that Wesley barely ever gets to see Amy, who stays with their grandmother whenever their parents are out of town, which is almost always. We also learn that Grandma Rush doesn’t approve of Wesley’s promiscuous lifestyle and has no problem letting him know this every time she sees him. She even tells Wesley that she doesn’t want him to drop Amy off anymore. And these issues cause Bianca to realize that she and Wesley are more alike than she thought. Bianca even finds herself feeling sympathy for the filthy rich, super good looking, womanizing man-whore.
Publishing Guy: I’m so glad Bianca accepted that informative and plot driven ride home!
Editor Guy: Same here, sir, and it gets better! Once Wesley takes Bianca home, she invites him up to her bedroom and they start fooling around. And after a few minutes of that, he attempts to innocently ask her a question, but she hastily assumes that he’s asking her to give him a blow job and yells at him that that is never going to happen.
Publishing Guy: I can relate. *looks off, dejected* She won’t even do it to me on my birthday. *turns his head back* Does Wesley also react by sobbing on the toilet while eating a family sized tub of coleslaw that he stores under the sink?
Editor Guy: *makes a gagging face before regaining his composure* No, he’s super unphased. He claims that it’s a little disappointing, but that doesn’t stop him from asking her what she’s trying to escape from. And he remains unphased when she snaps at him and tells him that it’s none of his business. Oh, and he also turns down sex so that he can perform oral sex on here. You know—the very act that she just vocally proclaimed that she would never perform on him.
Publishing Guy: Did Wesley just turn into a Nicholas Spark protagonist? Have you been pitching me a Nicholas Sparks novel this entire time? Are you Nicholas Sparks in disguise. Are you wearing one of those Mission Impossible masks that you peel off to reveal a totally different person underneath?
Editor Guy: To answer your questions—no, no, no, and…no comment. So, anyway, Bianca’s father suddenly comes home and Wesley and Bianca both panic and stop what they were doing and spend the next four-and-half hours playing Scrabble. And once they’ve had enough of that, Bianca attempts to sneak Wesley past her super drunk father, but he catches them.
Publishing Guy: Oh, whoops!
Editor Guy: Whoopsie! Bianca does manage to snatch her father’s booze from him, but that just makes him call her a whore…and pimp slap her.
Publishing Guy: Oh no! How does Wesley respond to this?
Editor Guy: By punching Bianca’s father square on the jaw.
Publishing Guy: Hell yeah! So, is Bianca going to abandon her strategy of hoping that her father’s problems solve themselves and finally get him some help?
Editor Guy: No, she is going to leave with Wesley. And once they are back at his place, he comforts her, she realizes that they understand each other because they both come from messed up homes, and she starts kissing him passionately. But this time they don’t have fade-to-back sex. *pauses for several seconds* This time they fade-to-black make love!
Publishing Guy: Amazing! Now that they understand each other and have made love and all that romantic stuff that people pay me money to read about, I imagine they are an official couple?
Editor Guy: Yeah, yeah…no. Bianca decides to end things the very next morning.
Publishing Guy: But they just made love! Bianca just realized that they understand one another! Why would she end things now?
Editor Guy: Because we need a big second act breakup so we can have a big third act reunion. Haven’t you ever watched a rom-com?
Publishing Guy: *nods* My wife has forced me to watch every romantic-comedy created in the last 10 years. *stares off into the distance yet again* And she has never once given me a blow job for my troubles! Not even when I had to sit through Legally Blonde 2—the sequel that no one asked for or wanted. The first movie wrapped up so perfectly. *finally turns back around* Anyway, what were we talking about? Oh yeah, if you want to do the second act break-up, third act reunion cliché then you need to at least give the audience a justifiable reason for Bianca breaking up with Wesley.
Editor Guy: *flips through the pages for several seconds before taking a page out* Here it is! *starts reading from the page* Bianca decides that Wesley can’t possibly feel the same way about her that she does about him. You know, on account of her being the Duff and him being Wesley Rush—womanizing man-whore. There you go. There’s your reason.
Publishing Guy: I guess that makes sense. I mean, you could go back and work with the author to think up a much better reason for her to end things. I know you’re not gonna, but I’m just putting it out there that you could.
Editor Guy: You’re correct, sir—I could do that. And you are also correct that I’m not gonna. So, anyway, now we can focus on Bianca’s other love interest and get the plot with the love triangle going.
Publishing Guy: There’s another love interest? Why haven’t you mentioned him before?
Editor Guy: Toby Tucker. He’s a nerdy classmate of hers. She’s had a crush on him for three years. They’ve interacted twice already in the story. I didn’t mention him before because I honestly didn’t care.
Publishing Guy: Do we really need to focus on another love interest? Shouldn’t we be focusing on Bianca’s troubles with her father’s drinking? Or her strained relationship with Casey?
Editor Guy: Oh, we will. In fact, we tackle both of those problems as soon as she leaves Wesley’s place after the breakup.
Publishing Guy: Is it going to be difficult to do?
Editor Guy: Actually, it’s going to be super easy, barely an inconvenience.
Publishing Guy: Oh really?
Editor Guy: You know the classic heart-to-heart conversation plot device that shows like Full House use to abruptly wrap up conflict when there’s less than two minutes left in the episode?
Publishing Guy: Of course, I freakin’ hate it and wish that it would die a fiery death.
Editor Guy: That’s too bad, because Bianca and Casey do exactly that and then they’re all good. Casey claims that she’s still mad at her, but trust me, they’re all good.
Publishing Guy: Oh, a very lazy copout. But what about the problem with Bianca’s father and his drinking?
Editor Guy: Heart-to-heart chat. He realizes how much he messed up. Bianca forgives him. He gives up drinking. They’re all good.
Publishing Guy: The last time Bianca and her father were in a room together he called her a whore and pimp slapped her. You’re telling me that one heart-to-heart conversation was enough to make him see the error of his ways, quit drinking, and mend his relationship with his daughter? The daughter he called a whore and pimp slapped?
Editor Guy: Listen, sir, I really want to focus the remainder of the novel on Bianca’s relationship with Toby Tucker and the eventual Bianca-Toby-Wesley love triangle, so I would appreciate it if you would GET ALL THE WAY OFF MY BACK about how quickly and unrealistically the conflict with her father’s drinking was resolved.
Publishing Guy: Let me get off of that thing. I guess we’re going to focus on Bianca’s relationship with Toby Tucker and introduce a love triangle? Is that at least going to be interesting to read about?
Editor Guy: I can say with absolute honesty…that it will be the worst part of the story to read. You thought six straight chapters of whining were bad—you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. There will be page after page of—Toby’s so nice and polite and perfect, so why am I not happy. There will also be page after page of—Wesley’s such an asshole, so why do I still get all tingly down there for him?
Publishing Guy: Why are you pushing so hard for a love triangle when it seems to be dragging the story down. Unless you can give me a valid reason to include it, I will have to insist that you go back and—
Editor Guy: Ring, ring. It’s my phone again. *pretends to answer* Yes, Twilight, Hunger Games, and the later Harry Potter books did all have love triangles and made money? How much money? A whole lotta money.
Publishing Guy: *eyes wide and mouth agape* That’s my favorite amount of money! So, there’s going to be a love triangle…and it’s going to make me a whole lotta money. Does anything else happen?
Editor Guy: Near the end of the book, Bianca is going to have an epiphany about how judging people, especially when you don’t know their circumstances, is wrong. Which means that it cancels out all the previous judging that she did throughout the book.
Publishing Guy: Is that how that works?
Editor Guy: It is. She’s a good person now.
Publishing Guy: Well okay then. And how does this novel end?
Editor Guy: Bianca decides that as hot as Wesley is, she’s better off choosing the nice guy over the bad-boy. She lets Wesley down gently, her and Toby share a kiss, and the novel ends with Bianca unsure but excited about her future.
Publishing Guy: *eyes wider than they’ve ever been* Really?!
Editor Guy: Nah, I just wanted to see your reaction. Bianca and Toby end things on good terms, Bianca and Wesley reunite, and Bianca tells Wesley that their relationship is going to move at the speed of a regular high school relationship.
Publishing Guy: *looking dejected* No more fade-to-black sex?
Editor Guy: *shakes his head* No more fade-to-black sex.
Publishing Guy: *makes a whimpering sound* How does a man-whore like Wesley Rush take that news?
Editor Guy: He’s fine with it. Oh, and I forgot to mention it, because I didn’t care, but Wesley is no longer a man-whore. Having sex with Bianca for a month and then getting dumped by her caused him to renounce his womanizing and promiscuous ways. He’s now one hundred percent committed to Bianca and has absolutely no interest in other women.
Publishing Guy: Are you messing with me again? That can’t be what the author actually wrote?
Editor Guy: That is what she actually wrote. But don’t worry…it gets worse! Bianca goes on to tell Wesley that she’s going to be a bitch to him, yell at him, and throw drinks on him. And then she tells him that she’s not changing for anyone and that he has to deal with it.
Publishing Guy: Does any of that make Wesley finally come to his senses and get the hell out of there? For what’s left of my sanity, please tell me that’s what happens.
Editor Guy: *shakes his head* It does not. It does, however, make Wesley want to kiss her. And he does. And then they embrace. And then he tells Bianca that she looks beautiful. And that’s it. The End. So, what do you think? Think those two will make it?
Publishing Guy: Okay, just so we’re clear, Bianca’s getting a boyfriend who is tall, super good looking, built like Adonis, has a large penis, and eagerly performs oral sex? Meanwhile, Wesley is getting an average looking, chubby, small boobed, bitchy girlfriend…who has made it abundantly clear that she won’t perform oral sex?
Editor Guy: That’s what we’re going with.
Publishing Guy: I just feel like one of them is getting a slightly better deal than the other one. I also think that, even for wish-fulfillment, this is pushing the envelope too far out of the realm of believability and that even people who enjoy this particular genre would be turned off by the implausibility of such a one-sided relationship. I really do think you need to go back and work with the author to make the Bianca and Wesley relationship far less one-sided and far more believable. It’ll be a lot of work, but ultimately—
Editor Guy: Ring, ring. *pretends to answer phone* You want this book to stay exactly the way it is or you will go spend your money on another unapologetic wish-fulfillment young adult novel? Yes, Simon and Schuster does have a large catalogue of—
Publishing Guy: Or just leave it exactly the way it is.
Editor Guy: Glad you agree, sir. And who knows, with a title as catchy as The DUFF, we may end up getting a movie deal out of this.
Publishing Guy: *scoffs* A movie. Based on this source material. Good look adapting this to the big screen.

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2023.07.07 05:09 The_Book_Crusader (OC) The DUFF: The Designated Ugly Fat Friend Pitch Meeting

Little Brown and Company, New York City, 2010.
Publishing Guy: So, you have a young adult novel for me?
Editor Guy: Yes, sir, I do! It’s called The DUFF: The Designated Ugly Fat Friend. It was written by a 17-year-old named Kody Keplinger.
Publishing Guy: Oh boy. So what kind of novel are we talking about?
Editor Guy: You know the unapologetic wish-fulfillment genre? The genre filled with stories about the average girl getting the perfect guy? The kind of story that you can easily find and read for free on any major fanfiction website? The kind of story that we couldn’t possibly justify charging money for?
Publishing Guy: *tugs his collar* Are you telling me that that’s what this story is?
Editor Guy: It was, but with my careful editing and guidance, most of which involved working closely with the author, I managed to really polish this story up.
Publishing Guy: Oh, so it’s no longer an unapologetic wish-fulfillment story?
Editor Guy: No, it still is, but it’s a polished one. That means we can justify charging money for it.
Publishing Guy: I didn’t like the sound of that first part, but I really liked it when you said that we can charge people money for it, so I’m gonna keep listening. Anyway, what’s this story about? Who’s our protagonist?
Editor Guy: It’s about a 17-year-old named Bianca Piper. Her mother is never home, she realizes that her parents are likely going to get a divorce, and she discovers that she is the Duff—the designated ugly fat friend—to her two more conventionally attractive best friends.
Publishing Guy: How does she discover this?
Editor Guy: A guy straight up tells her that she is the designated ugly fat friend to her two more conventionally attractive best friends.
Publishing Guy: That’ll do it. So, Bianca isn’t conventionally attractive?
Editor Guy: Shortly after Bianca is told that she’s the Duff, she goes on an exposition rant and reveals that she has uncontrollable wavy auburn hair, a long nose, big thigs, and small boobs. She will also refer to herself as chubby and complain that she’s a fat-ass on a few occasions.
Publishing Guy: It sure was considerate of her to rant in detail about her appearance for the sake of the audience painting a more concise picture of the person they are reading about.
Editor Guy: *nods* It sure was, sir.
Publishing Guy: Since she’s not conventionally attractive on the outside, which she clearly spelled out for us, does that mean she’s beautiful on the inside? Isn’t that the way it usually goes in these types of stories?
Editor Guy: Not only is Bianca whiny, self-absorbed, and an all-around bitch, but she pretty much complains about everything. And when she’s not complaining, she’s judging everyone around her. The novel even opens with her complaining and judging her two best friends for wanting to spend Saturday night dancing at their local hangout.
Publishing Guy: Yikes! I guess that won’t be too awful to read if we don’t overdo it.
Editor Guy: Oh, we’re going to overdo it. Bianca is going to spend the first 6 chapters, which account for almost a fifth of the book, complaining and judging. And the thing she will complain about the most is Wesley Rush—the guy who told her she was the Duff in the first place.
Publishing Guy: And what’s Wesley Rush’s deal?
Editor Guy: He’s what would happen if you ordered a young adult love interest with a double shot of all the clichés. He’s super good looking, tall, has the body of Adonis, is filthy rich, lives in a house that’s practically a mansion, drives a Porsche, and can effortlessly get just about any girl he wants with his cocky grin and bad boy demeanor. He even has a personal motto of—Wesley doesn’t chase girls, they chase him.
Publishing Guy: What about…down there?
Editor Guy: At one point, he will very unsubtly imply that he has a large penis.
Publishing Guy: Oh, unsubtly implying that you have a large penis is TIGHT! Which reminds me, I really need to start buying underwear with way more room in the crotch area. And I mean WAY more room.
Editor Guy: *makes a disgusted face then shakes his head several times* So, anyway, Wesley and Bianca are going to have a few encounters throughout the beginning of the book. The first one ends with her tossing her Coke in his face after he tells her that she’s the Duff, and the second one ends with her slapping him after he cops a feel during the make-out session that she initiated in her attempt to forgot about the fact that her mother is never home.
Publishing Guy: *eyes wide* Go on…
Editor Guy: And then they get paired up together for an English assignment, she goes over to his house, she kisses him again, they start an even heavier make-out session, and clothes start coming off.
Publishing Guy: *eye even wider* Then what happens? Do they have the only kind of sex acceptable in a young adult novel?!
Editor Guy: *nods* They have the only kind of sex acceptable in a young adult novel—fade-to-black sex.
Publishing Guy: Oh, two protagonists having fade-to-black sex in a young adult novel is TIGHT! And it pushes the boundary to better differentiate itself from the pre-teen genre, thus making it more appealing to older teens without alienating anyone who wouldn’t want to read anything explicit. But mostly it’s TIGHT!
Editor Guy: So, then Bianca’s mother sends her father divorce papers through the mail, causing her father to throw away 18 years of sobriety. And Bianca decides to deal with this news by tracking Wesley down at lunch and leading him to an unused janitor’s closet for yet another make-out session that gets hot and heavy fast.
Publishing Guy: Do they have fade-to-black sex in there?
Editor Guy: No, but they do agree to meet at his house after school. And while Bianca is on her way to his house, she has a back-and-forth with herself about how wrong and unhealthy it is to use sex to escape her problems…especially when the guy providing the sex is a womanizer who makes her skin crawl.
Publishing Guy: And then she has off-screen sex with him anyway?
Editor Guy: And then she has off-screen sex with him anyway. And as Bianca is leaving his place, she proposes that they have a fling, no strings attached, and Wesley immediately agrees.
Publishing Guy: I thought you said Wesley can effortlessly get just about any girl he wants with his cocky grin and bad boy demeanor? Can he get girls to go out with him but not get sex out of it?
Editor Guy: No, he can. He’s extremely well established as the school’s man-whore.
Publishing Guy: Wait, so you are telling me that even though he’s an established man-whore who can get just about any girl he wants, he immediately agrees to a no strings attached fling with the average looking girl? The girl who’s chubby with small boobs? The girl he considers the Duff?
Editor Guy: I have the answer to that in my hands. *he flips through several pages of paper that he is holding for an extended period of time before finally taking one out and reading from it* Reason 1—Bianca is the main character. Reason 2—so the story can happen. Reason 3—because.
Publishing Guy: I just feel that the audience will be unable to accept an established man-whore like Wesley agreeing so suddenly to this. I’m not saying it can’t happen, I just think you and the author need to better sell the idea of Wesley agreeing to it by going back and—
Editor Guy: Ring, ring. That’s my phone. *takes his phone out and pretends to answer it* Oh, hello there, average customer of this particular brand of young adult literature. What’s that, you like what you’ve heard so far and now want to give this company money in exchange for a copy of it?
Publishing Guy: *eyes wide* I want to accept that money! Please give me that money! I really want you to give me that money!
Editor Guy: *still pretending to talk on the phone* But he must do something for you in exchange for that money?
Publishing Guy: Whatever it is, I will do it. I will do anything for that money. And I mean anything. I seriously cannot emphasize enough how I will do anything for that money.
Editor Guy: That’s great, sir, because the customer just told me that they will happily give you the money if you—GET ALL THE WAY OFF MY BACK about the established man-whore unrealistically agreeing to a no strings attached fling with the girl he considers the Duff.
Publishing Guy: For the sake of that money that I really, really want, let me get off of that thing.
Editor Guy: Fantastic! Anyway, over the next month, life at home gets even worse for Bianca. Her mom comes back to talk to her dad about why she sent him the divorce papers, but that just makes her dad spiral even further with his drinking. He even starts missing work.
Publishing Guy: Oh no! What does Bianca do to get her father help? Does she call someone who works with an alcohol rehabilitation program?
Editor Guy: No, Bianca decides that the best course of action is to continue to have hot sex with Wesley Rush and hope that the problems with her father just sort themselves out.
Publishing Guy: Sure, that might as well happen.
Editor Guy: Oh, it’s gonna. I should also mention that Bianca’s friends have no idea that she’s spending almost all of her free time with Wesley, because Bianca’s been keeping everything a secret from them and making really lame excuses every time they question her about it or attempt to have a girls’ night with her. And Casey—who’s Bianca’s oldest friend and the one who’s always been there for her—finally has enough of the excuses and calls her out.
Publishing Guy: And how does Bianca react? Is she super apologetic?
Editor Guy: Bianca calls Casey a bitch and a preppy cheerleader snob.
Publishing Guy: *sticks his pinkie in his ear and wiggles it around for a few seconds before pulling it back out* Did I hear you correctly? Bianca thinks that Casey is the one in the wrong? Even though Bianca is the one who is lying and bailing on their plans?
Editor Guy: You heard me correctly, sir. And after her fight, Bianca is forced to accept a ride home with Wesley and his sister, Amy. And this ride will completely change how Bianca views Wesley Rush as a character.
Publishing Guy: Oh, it will?
Editor Guy: Bianca, along with the audience, will learn that Wesley barely ever gets to see Amy, who stays with their grandmother whenever their parents are out of town, which is almost always. We also learn that Grandma Rush doesn’t approve of Wesley’s promiscuous lifestyle and has no problem letting him know this every time she sees him. She even tells Wesley that she doesn’t want him to drop Amy off anymore. And these issues cause Bianca to realize that she and Wesley are more alike than she thought. Bianca even finds herself feeling sympathy for the filthy rich, super good looking, womanizing man-whore.
Publishing Guy: I’m so glad Bianca accepted that informative and plot driven ride home!
Editor Guy: Same here, sir, and it gets better! Once Wesley takes Bianca home, she invites him up to her bedroom and they start fooling around. And after a few minutes of that, he attempts to innocently ask her a question, but she hastily assumes that he’s asking her to give him a blow job and yells at him that that is never going to happen.
Publishing Guy: I can relate. *looks off, dejected* She won’t even do it to me on my birthday. *turns his head back* Does Wesley also react by sobbing on the toilet while eating a family sized tub of coleslaw that he stores under the sink?
Editor Guy: *makes a gagging face before regaining his composure* No, he’s super unphased. He claims that it’s a little disappointing, but that doesn’t stop him from asking her what she’s trying to escape from. And he remains unphased when she snaps at him and tells him that it’s none of his business. Oh, and he also turns down sex so that he can perform oral sex on here. You know—the very act that she just vocally proclaimed that she would never perform on him.
Publishing Guy: Did Wesley just turn into a Nicholas Spark protagonist? Have you been pitching me a Nicholas Sparks novel this entire time? Are you Nicholas Sparks in disguise. Are you wearing one of those Mission Impossible masks that you peel off to reveal a totally different person underneath?
Editor Guy: To answer your questions—no, no, no, and…no comment. So, anyway, Bianca’s father suddenly comes home and Wesley and Bianca both panic and stop what they were doing and spend the next four-and-half hours playing Scrabble. And once they’ve had enough of that, Bianca attempts to sneak Wesley past her super drunk father, but he catches them.
Publishing Guy: Oh, whoops!
Editor Guy: Whoopsie! Bianca does manage to snatch her father’s booze from him, but that just makes him call her a whore…and pimp slap her.
Publishing Guy: Oh no! How does Wesley respond to this?
Editor Guy: By punching Bianca’s father square on the jaw.
Publishing Guy: Hell yeah! So, is Bianca going to abandon her strategy of hoping that her father’s problems solve themselves and finally get him some help?
Editor Guy: No, she is going to leave with Wesley. And once they are back at his place, he comforts her, she realizes that they understand each other because they both come from messed up homes, and she starts kissing him passionately. But this time they don’t have fade-to-back sex. *pauses for several seconds* This time they fade-to-black make love!
Publishing Guy: Amazing! Now that they understand each other and have made love and all that romantic stuff that people pay me money to read about, I imagine they are an official couple?
Editor Guy: Yeah, yeah…no. Bianca decides to end things the very next morning.
Publishing Guy: But they just made love! Bianca just realized that they understand one another! Why would she end things now?
Editor Guy: Because we need a big second act breakup so we can have a big third act reunion. Haven’t you ever watched a rom-com?
Publishing Guy: *nods* My wife has forced me to watch every romantic-comedy created in the last 10 years. *stares off into the distance yet again* And she has never once given me a blow job for my troubles! Not even when I had to sit through Legally Blonde 2—the sequel that no one asked for or wanted. The first movie wrapped up so perfectly. *finally turns back around* Anyway, what were we talking about? Oh yeah, if you want to do the second act break-up, third act reunion cliché then you need to at least give the audience a justifiable reason for Bianca breaking up with Wesley.
Editor Guy: *flips through the pages for several seconds before taking a page out* Here it is! *starts reading from the page* Bianca decides that Wesley can’t possibly feel the same way about her that she does about him. You know, on account of her being the Duff and him being Wesley Rush—womanizing man-whore. There you go. There’s your reason.
Publishing Guy: I guess that makes sense. I mean, you could go back and work with the author to think up a much better reason for her to end things. I know you’re not gonna, but I’m just putting it out there that you could.
Editor Guy: You’re correct, sir—I could do that. And you are also correct that I’m not gonna. So, anyway, now we can focus on Bianca’s other love interest and get the plot with the love triangle going.
Publishing Guy: There’s another love interest? Why haven’t you mentioned him before?
Editor Guy: Toby Tucker. He’s a nerdy classmate of hers. She’s had a crush on him for three years. They’ve interacted twice already in the story. I didn’t mention him before because I honestly didn’t care.
Publishing Guy: Do we really need to focus on another love interest? Shouldn’t we be focusing on Bianca’s troubles with her father’s drinking? Or her strained relationship with Casey?
Editor Guy: Oh, we will. In fact, we tackle both of those problems as soon as she leaves Wesley’s place after the breakup.
Publishing Guy: Is it going to be difficult to do?
Editor Guy: Actually, it’s going to be super easy, barely an inconvenience.
Publishing Guy: Oh really?
Editor Guy: You know the classic heart-to-heart conversation plot device that shows like Full House use to abruptly wrap up conflict when there’s less than two minutes left in the episode?
Publishing Guy: Of course, I freakin’ hate it and wish that it would die a fiery death.
Editor Guy: That’s too bad, because Bianca and Casey do exactly that and then they’re all good. Casey claims that she’s still mad at her, but trust me, they’re all good.
Publishing Guy: Oh, a very lazy copout. But what about the problem with Bianca’s father and his drinking?
Editor Guy: Heart-to-heart chat. He realizes how much he messed up. Bianca forgives him. He gives up drinking. They’re all good.
Publishing Guy: The last time Bianca and her father were in a room together he called her a whore and pimp slapped her. You’re telling me that one heart-to-heart conversation was enough to make him see the error of his ways, quit drinking, and mend his relationship with his daughter? The daughter he called a whore and pimp slapped?
Editor Guy: Listen, sir, I really want to focus the remainder of the novel on Bianca’s relationship with Toby Tucker and the eventual Bianca-Toby-Wesley love triangle, so I would appreciate it if you would GET ALL THE WAY OFF MY BACK about how quickly and unrealistically the conflict with her father’s drinking was resolved.
Publishing Guy: Let me get off of that thing. I guess we’re going to focus on Bianca’s relationship with Toby Tucker and introduce a love triangle? Is that at least going to be interesting to read about?
Editor Guy: I can say with absolute honesty…that it will be the worst part of the story to read. You thought six straight chapters of whining were bad—you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. There will be page after page of—Toby’s so nice and polite and perfect, so why am I not happy. There will also be page after page of—Wesley’s such an asshole, so why do I still get all tingly down there for him?
Publishing Guy: Why are you pushing so hard for a love triangle when it seems to be dragging the story down. Unless you can give me a valid reason to include it, I will have to insist that you go back and—
Editor Guy: Ring, ring. It’s my phone again. *pretends to answer* Yes, Twilight, Hunger Games, and the later Harry Potter books did all have love triangles and made money? How much money? A whole lotta money.
Publishing Guy: *eyes wide and mouth agape* That’s my favorite amount of money! So, there’s going to be a love triangle…and it’s going to make me a whole lotta money. Does anything else happen?
Editor Guy: Near the end of the book, Bianca is going to have an epiphany about how judging people, especially when you don’t know their circumstances, is wrong. Which means that it cancels out all the previous judging that she did throughout the book.
Publishing Guy: Is that how that works?
Editor Guy: It is. She’s a good person now.
Publishing Guy: Well okay then. And how does this novel end?
Editor Guy: Bianca decides that as hot as Wesley is, she’s better off choosing the nice guy over the bad-boy. She lets Wesley down gently, her and Toby share a kiss, and the novel ends with Bianca unsure but excited about her future.
Publishing Guy: *eyes wider than they’ve ever been* Really?!
Editor Guy: Nah, I just wanted to see your reaction. Bianca and Toby end things on good terms, Bianca and Wesley reunite, and Bianca tells Wesley that their relationship is going to move at the speed of a regular high school relationship.
Publishing Guy: *looking dejected* No more fade-to-black sex?
Editor Guy: *shakes his head* No more fade-to-black sex.
Publishing Guy: *makes a whimpering sound* How does a man-whore like Wesley Rush take that news?
Editor Guy: He’s fine with it. Oh, and I forgot to mention it, because I didn’t care, but Wesley is no longer a man-whore. Having sex with Bianca for a month and then getting dumped by her caused him to renounce his womanizing and promiscuous ways. He’s now one hundred percent committed to Bianca and has absolutely no interest in other women.
Publishing Guy: Are you messing with me again? That can’t be what the author actually wrote?
Editor Guy: That is what she actually wrote. But don’t worry…it gets worse! Bianca goes on to tell Wesley that she’s going to be a bitch to him, yell at him, and throw drinks on him. And then she tells him that she’s not changing for anyone and that he has to deal with it.
Publishing Guy: Does any of that make Wesley finally come to his senses and get the hell out of there? For what’s left of my sanity, please tell me that’s what happens.
Editor Guy: *shakes his head* It does not. It does, however, make Wesley want to kiss her. And he does. And then they embrace. And then he tells Bianca that she looks beautiful. And that’s it. The End. So, what do you think? Think those two will make it?
Publishing Guy: Okay, just so we’re clear, Bianca’s getting a boyfriend who is tall, super good looking, built like Adonis, has a large penis, and eagerly performs oral sex? Meanwhile, Wesley is getting an average looking, chubby, small boobed, bitchy girlfriend…who has made it abundantly clear that she won’t perform oral sex?
Editor Guy: That’s what we’re going with.
Publishing Guy: I just feel like one of them is getting a slightly better deal than the other one. I also think that, even for wish-fulfillment, this is pushing the envelope too far out of the realm of believability and that even people who enjoy this particular genre would be turned off by the implausibility of such a one-sided relationship. I really do think you need to go back and work with the author to make the Bianca and Wesley relationship far less one-sided and far more believable. It’ll be a lot of work, but ultimately—
Editor Guy: Ring, ring. *pretends to answer phone* You want this book to stay exactly the way it is or you will go spend your money on another unapologetic wish-fulfillment young adult novel? Yes, Simon and Schuster does have a large catalogue of—
Publishing Guy: Or just leave it exactly the way it is.
Editor Guy: Glad you agree, sir. And who knows, with a title as catchy as The DUFF, we may end up getting a movie deal out of this.
Publishing Guy: *scoffs* A movie. Based on this source material. Good look adapting this to the big screen.

https://preview.redd.it/q2edvp9zmgab1.jpg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cc867cea1ed25c641a10cb124b028b0f541ecc96

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2023.07.05 17:23 Hiei80 The Daily Dogelon - Wednesday, July 5th, 2023

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2023.06.13 01:52 mysticrat Is Andy's Job Safe?? Will the computers take over leaving him more time for cricket statistics??

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2023.06.05 04:33 smolcrackheadenergy TWICE's Between 1&2 💞 11th Mini Album Review

Hello, kpopthoughts! Originally this was posted in twice but one of my friends said I should crosspost it here — so here this album review is.

Intro

To preface the review, I just need to say that this is going to be a very long read. Going through it myself for the fun of it takes around 30 minutes — it's almost 7k words, including lyrical references. So for the best experience, listen to the album beforehand to understand what the hell I was thinking when I wrote this, play the album while reading, and set a good amount of time aside.
And yes, this is 9 months late 😭 I'm not sorry — when I find an album review online it's always around a paragraph per song or even shorter. It makes sense from a journalistic perspective, but I want to do this album justice, hence taking 7 months to write out all my thoughts.
This shit is comprehensive and definitely overanalyzed, especially in Talk that Talk and Trouble. Each song review will compose of my commentary, noting the details I noticed through months of listening, then a conclusion. Also, mild swearing warning, I like implementing a touch of "French" when I'm very emotional about something. Anyway, onto the review!

Between 1&2 💞

Album Review

TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT
TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED

Talk that Talk 🎙

Producers by collapsedone and MRCH

One of the most perfect TWICE songs.
I think this is one of TWICE’s best-sounding title tracks. Warm modulated synths, a thrumming bass line, distant bells, shimmering synths — the purpose of this song is to be fun and my god is it excellent at it, like, Sana and Chaeyoung are saying knock-knock-knock and beep-beep-beep as if they’re some kind of car. So much fun.
Further along in the verse, Dahyun’s voice sounds so full and smooth with that layered harmony. Tzuyu coming with the Yes or Yes, Push & Pull, and 1 to 10 references — these are 5 years of song references. And Jeongyeon closes the pre-chorus accompanied by a rising synth to drop into chorus one. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
The drums accelerate, the synths start blasting, and Jihyo opens to that party of a chorus with her godly vocals,

Tell me what you want
Tell me what you need
A to Z da malhaebwa
But shijageun ireoke have
Talk that Talk ttak han madi
Talk that Talk L-O-V-E
deullyeojweo ooh
Now now now now now yeah~

During Sana's Talk that Talk~ lines there’s this gentle ascending synth bell that rings with the descending melody and it sounds absolutely gorgeous. And the choreography during that part of the chorus is so so so so fun: the talking hands bit, spelling L-O-V-E, concluding with the deullyeojweo ooh! Oh my Jihyo the deullyeojweo ooh…
Have I mentioned this song is fun?
Speeding through verse 2; Chaeyoung’s part with the cat ears popping in the music video is adorable; Momo her stretching her arms out looks so damn cool; and Dahyun with her replay part sounds so lovely — although I think it sonically sounds a touch random, it makes sense thematically.
And now for this pre-chorus. Mina and Jihyo leading into it sound great BUT JEONGYEON… Now, she is my ult bias, and this pre-chorus sounds almost identical to the first one, but the way she holds that final note, inflecting and holding that now~ for one more beat before the chorus drops sounds so perfect — the song teeters on a cliff edge. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
Dropping into the second chorus and man the way Nayeon delivers it just hits different. She has this indescribable “pop” voice (I promise this wasn't on purpose) that shouts out loud that this is THE chorus. This is especially apparent in how both lead their choruses where Jihyo starts at 120% power while Nayeon waits until [Tell me] WHAT YOU WANT to full-send it. The production also helps with this effect, cutting out during what you to emphasize Nayeon's voice before crashing back down, double the pause at Jihyo's intro.
Another deullyeojweo ooh! Nayeon travels to Narnia, and Mina the engineer strikes again in this heavenly, underwater-esque bridge,

The simple words “I love you”
That’s all I wanna hear
Without hesitation, I’ll go up to you
I’ll make it simple
And just tell you I love you

The word “love” is said for the first time in the song. There’s a funky keyboard instrument behind Chaeyoung’s part. Jihyo, Chaeyoung, and Nayeon take the initiative in their lyrics, professing their love before closing the bridge.
And now for the pièce-de-résistance: this final double chorus is exceptional — 40 seconds of crack-laced euphoria; Jihyo switches up the chorus and the choreo, Dahyun chimes in with her fluttery Talk that Talk, Momo comes out of nowhere with oh yeah it sounds so good! — you’re damn right it does, and this is where the song SOARS.

han beon deo~ haejweo
geurae banggeum geu mal~

Nayeon outright shouts Tell me what you need and then Jeongyeon sings the above lines in such an ethereal, warm way where the first line ascends while the second descends, causing a lull in the song before the finale with Tzuyu and Nayeon, finishing off the song with the final deullyeojweo ooh!
What a party. What a song.

THE GOOD

The synths of all time
The chimes during Talk-that-talk~
Jeongyeon’s pre-chorus going into Nayeon’s chorus
Rich harmonies and fun ad-libs
The entirety of that magical final chorus and outro

Needs Work

The opening hook (Tell me what you want) and accompanying choreography could be “catchier”

Core Memory

Singing (and dancing) my heart out when this song played at a K-pop club

Lyrics and theme-wise, if this were to have been TWICE’s last comeback, they’ve once again built upon the theme they've been doing since debut: a Bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story.
This song’s chorus is honest yet simple; it asks the listener, in this case, the other half of the relationship, to be more upfront and open with their love (never be scared of love), that before the relationship can continue and flourish, there has to be a foundation and commitment of love between each other.
TWICE debuted with a song about making your crush go ooh ahh. Years later, they started pondering What is Love? and imagining their crush responding with Yes when asking them out — and now concluding with the phrase Talk that Talk, [Talk that] L-O-V-E, being upfront with the relationship, wishing their partner to also be happy, to commit to them, to feel the love that they want to impart on them. From gawking like ooh-ahh to talking out your shared love like adults — to having a true relationship between (one and) two.
And can I just say before finishing off Talk that Talk's review that this is such a fun and repeatable song with many little intricacies hidden in the nonet’s vocals and the song's production. This is the third draft I’m writing about Talk that Talk and its original word count pretty much quadrupled.
Harkening back to TWICE’s roots by combining mature thinking with youthful character, an incredible ending to look forward to, and just simply being a club-banger that’s easy to listen to, TTT is an easy 10/10.

WATCH ME GO WATCH ME GO
RULE THE WORLD

Queen of Hearts 👑

Produced by LDN Noise

If there was one B-side to promote in a live clip, this was a solid choice.
Helmed by LDN Noise going headlong into the Western boy-group rock-band aesthetic, Queen of Hearts is a boom-boom-clap song through and through. The drums are very prominent throughout the song, only giving room to riffs of electric guitar in the chorus to drive and continue the momentum of the music.
And speaking of the chorus, vocal line each got a chorus to flex and they did not fuck around,

You ain’t ready for it
Watch me go~ watch me go~
Rule the world
Know you never doubted baby
I’mma go run the whole universe~

Cymbals crashing, drums booming, and 3MIX belting all just so sound so good.

Baby I was born to rule~~
Yeah I’m the Queen, I’m the Queen
And it’s all because of you~~
That I’m the Queen of Hearts

These long, held-out notes performed by Jihyo and Nayeon are simply exquisite. Along with the shredding guitar, the drum set coming in full, and the interludes by Dahyun, Momo, and Chaeyoung, this is the part of the song that always, always, gives me goosebumps — it sounds so visceral, so energetic, so fun, so triumphant. Boom-boom-clap songs can be hit or miss with people, but there's no denying the payoff from the first part of the chorus to the second part is worth the wait.
The theme of the song so far has been kind of spread around the song. The chorus alludes to it with the line And it’s all because of you. But Mina shows more sides of it in the second verse, especially with the phrase,

And now that I’m surrounded by all my girls
We be shining bright like diamonds and pearls

It sounds really lovely — in a very cheesy and affectionate kind of way, as it rightfully should — the song is about the girls and their fans. But the bridge is where the song indeed shows its colours

Screaming out my name
See it in the stage lights
Feel so lucky just to have ya
Cause I know deep down I was meant for something bigger! Greater!
I know you’re seeing what I see
Yeah I’ll be everything you need
I know I’m gonna walk the walk
And talk the talk to be~ [the Queen of Hearts]

This is a song CONCEIVED TO BE PERFORMED FOR THE FANS. It’s meant to be loud. It’s meant to be unapologetic. It’s meant to be sappy. And it’s all the more wonderful for it.
This is the TWICEiest shit ever.
Like Talk that Talk, Queen of Hearts also has a killer closer. The production already started to grow from the bridge, but now the guitarist finally went Super Saiyan and instead of supporting the drums, they both take the centre stage in tandem.
Then finally, the closing moments of the song even manage to squeeze in some more sappiness.

So thank you for the memories
You’re all the ones who made me~
So thank you for the memories
That I’m the Queen of Hearts

I still can’t believe that this banger is a FAN SONG out of all things. Truly, the TWICEiest shit ever.

THE GOOD

Adorable fucking lyrics
Unrelenting, roaring chorus
English and vocal flex
Intoxicating guitar riffs

Needs Work

Chaeyoung rapping in English in their Korean songs somehow slaps harder than her English rapping in their English songs, nonetheless, in QoH, it fits with the sound of the song

Core Memory

Walking home from a K-pop festival with this song playing, felt like a Queen of Hearts

I love these types of rock songs with how grunge and head-bang-able they are, there is just a certain nostalgic and cheesy quality to them that feels so cozy. I don’t love putting them on repeat, because in this case, I do believe there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Perhaps more shredding, maybe a guitar solo to rock out to, or an accompaniment(!) of ad-libs from 3MIX to support Jihyo’s final chorus? A ONCE can dream of a truly bombastic rock song from TWICE. But then again that distracts from the core of what this song is: a fan song disguised as a rock song.
Queen of Hearts has so much sweetness in its lyrics and message that it's overflowing. The drums, guitar, and vocals can be as loud and intricate as they can, but the theme of this song is what makes it special from TWICE’s other rock songs — it’s a 9/10 for me.

I WANNA WANNA WANNA
TAKE YOU TO THE BASICS

Basics 🌈

Lyrics by Chaeyoung

Quite possibly the jammiest (pun intended) song of the album.
A song written by the Strawberry Princess herself — an event similar in frequency to other artists' releases with her last song being 2020’s silky Handle It — Basics first starts with an understated and dreamy delivery. After the first stanza, however, a bouncy Miami bass line emerges, revealing the true nature of the song: this is a classic summer bop! Especially in the first rap,

dareun aedeulgwaneun dalla
Ain’t beggin’ for love
nappeun geon anijana ige naraseo
eodiro twilji molla
Like rainbow bubble gum
geureoni nal kkwak butjabadweo

Syllables are pronounced in a relaxed nature, bars often starting with an "ah" sound, flirty lines in English — this rap features a production full of pop with R&B flourishes and, in my opinion, this is Chaeyoung’s bag. Also, the line rainbow bubblegum is so adorable and so Chaeyoung.

I wanna wanna wanna take it to the Basics
da weonhae weonhae weonhae? seodureuji ma Baby
ppeonhae ppeonhae malhae mweohae da al tende
Ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah

That chorus is pure pop with a Miami bass backing; you better be bopping your head to the melody, if not booty poppin' to the bassline. Chaeyoung loves rhyming in the first half of the chorus to enhance its catchiness and it's damn incredible: wanna, weonhae, and ppeonhae all create these imperfect rhymes that continue momentum without feeling repetitive.
After the very Boy With Luv-sounding ah yeah ah yeah, ah yeah ah yeah comes an 8-bar split half and half between Chaeyoung and Momo. Coming from the chorus, the production completely cuts out for the first 2 bars. This adds tension; the song yearns to have that bass beat thumping again and all we have in the audio space in those 2 bars is Chaeyoung spittin' and she delivered.

taneun deut tteugeoun samak wie
yeppeuge pieonan jangmi gata
joshimseure naege dagaol ttae
nado moreuge jjilleobeoril tende

Translating to:

Above the hot, burning desert
It’s like a rose that bloomed beautifully
When you come to me slowly
I will prick you unconsciously

The rap feels slick, effortless, and confident. Her diction remains sharp when enunciating each syllable but she doesn’t let the flow of her rap waver or build as her 4 bars go by, it’s just smooth consistency throughout. Even the lyrics possess an aura of laid-back collectedness that is just so her. The things Chaeyoung can do when given her pen.

THE GOOD

That sweet summer vibe of a chorus
The spaceship post-chorus is killer
Chaeyoung devoured this song
Sure-footed, confident lyrics

Needs Work

Perhaps an alteration of that ah yeah ah yeah line
The way Jihyo did her pre-chorus line is good, but Mina’s is great

Core Memory

After donating my hair, walking down the rainbow-coloured areas of downtown Toronto with this song playing was very… fitting

This song is summer bliss distilled into 2:56. It’s dreamy, the raps are satisfying, and the ending is charming. I will say that although the second half of the song adds the stunning spaceship post-choruses and a floaty bridge with an incredible drumbeat drop into the final chorus, the raps of the song make it feel a bit front-loaded. And in an album stacked with awesome finishers, it feels more apparent.
With that said, it’s an 8/10 bop for me. This song is so easy to put on and it feels exactly what Chaeyoung would make if given the reins to produce a pop song all on her own. The lyrics are nonchalant but full of conviction, the wordplay is intricate, and the production playful but not too bombastic — it's just a nice vibe. Songs like Basics are the standard for good, simple, repeatable pop music and I’m happy that Chaeyoung got to test her pen in this genre.

BABY WE’RE IN
TROUBLE TROUBLE

Trouble 💃

Lyrics, vocal direction, and background vocals by Jihyo
Produced by Jihyo and earattack

One of the most enjoyable songs I’ve heard in a while.
There is an underlying tension within the first 4 bars of the song, Jihyo and Nayeon confidently open it to a nondescript array of synths and then the stanza ends, Momo announces Let’s go, the beat drops and it hits you: this is a club song.
Dahyun's relaxed delivery contrasting with Jeongyeon's staccato flow, the wobbly synth beat mixed with a sprinkle of house piano, Sana dramatically slowing down the song only for Tzuyu to build it back up until the chorus drops,

Nayeon opens it using a breathy tone, with vocal chops serving as harmonies
The blooming of the house piano takes centre stage and the song ascends into euphoria
A random drum roll capped off by a cymbal crash
Jeongyeon’s growling pronunciation of the word Trouble
Chaeyoung slyly admitting I like this Trouble
The entirety of Tzuyu’s tro~oh~oh~ouble yeah~
Sana using her deep voice for the na~na~na~na
Jihyo leading the vocals during the synchronized T W I C E chant

This chorus is perfect. Toronto’s residential market needs this song injected into its veins because god damn this song has SO much house in it. And then, ANOTHER KILLING PART: this rap fucking slaps.

gamchweo bwatja geugeon Fake
ppajin hamjeongeun Sweet cake

During the first 2 bars, Chaeyoung is keeping it calm because that trip of a chorus just ended and the song needs a breather, but I don't think anyone expected her to SNAP this hard afterwards:

You cannot resist this
Cannot miss this, such a bliss
Ima put it down down
Oh yeah, better kiss kiss

Below is the structure of her this portion of the rap, I’m not that well versed in this technical aspect of music theory but I digress, this is all in the span of around 5 seconds where it’s:

Triplet-triplet
Quadruplet-triplet
Quadruplet-doublet
Doublet-quadruplet

Now, 25/5 = 5 syllables per second isn’t groundbreaking, but goddamn it these 2 bars sound so nice — if there is one part in this album that I always repeat, it’s this. The addition of that first quadruplet for cannot miss this in the midst of the triplets sticks out and accelerates the flow of the rap while the following doublets and quadruplets destabilize and slow the rap down as the verse closes. And can I just point out:
THE MAIN VOCALIST WROTE, DIRECTED, AND COMPOSED THIS SONG ‼
Chaeyoung of course delivered the fuck out of her verse but THIS is what you get when you have a member not only write the words they’re saying but also the melody and flow with which they sing it, when that member knows the others so well that when they write a song they know how to make the group exceed. This is what you get when the artists you stan love doing artist shit.
And. AND. That's not all — with how much I mentioned I love a good outro to close a song, this outro slaps as well:

Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this Trouble be-be
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this Trouble bay-be
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this Trouble bay-beh
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this Trou-ble

Like, come on, Nayeon’s imitating a police siren for crying out loud. And this is all after her ad-libs in the final post-chorus; after the pianist going full tilt and playing that piano as if it was their last chance to ever play; after that final T W I C E chant by all the members come these blissful 20 seconds at the very end. What a song.

THE GOOD

The theme of relishing in an uncontrolled love
Sana and Mina’s melody in the pre-chorus
Whole neighbourhoods full of house
You cannot resist this, cannot miss this, such a bliss
Wees and woos

Needs Work

Mina’s line of falling down, falling down, falling down low in verse 2 feels a bit too abrupt of a change

Core Memory

While writing Trouble's review I had this song on repeat for my whole subway commute and I must've been so distracting, just head-bopping and being so invested in my enjoyment

Need I say more, easy 9/10. The only reason I place Talk that Talk above Trouble is because of what that song represents but besides that, this is one of the best “international” sounds they’ve put out. Actually, I haven’t listened to Eyes wide open in a while but this song is up there with one of the most sonically pleasing pieces of work they’ve done.
Clubbing TWICE has always been a thing since TT was birthed in 2016, and has been a staple of their discography since 2019’s Fancy You and Feel Special mini albums, but Trouble unapologetically dives into and fits the house genre so well you’d think that this is TWICE’s bread and butter sound.
Trouble is Jihyo’s magnum opus. What a song.

BRAVE BRAVE BRAVE
FOR YOU

Brave 💖

Produced by Slow Rabbit

I first thought this was just a good song, then I read the lyrics.
Gentle guitar plucks, shimmering synths, a distant keyboard in the right ear, in the left a glockenspiel, the melodic oohs from the members — this song is PRETTY.

The night that was unusually dark
Above this terrifying world, felt so lonely
The world has grown in the time of wandering
So hard to breathe

Mina and Chaeyoung open the song with how they feel lonely, that it's hard to breathe and now suddenly the song feels bittersweet — I was not expecting the song to become this emotional. Brave describes a situation where the singer is in a darker place in life and it isn't until another person gives them hope by calling them Brave that they find the drive to keep going.
Once the chorus hits, the melodies pick up, more guitars get added — there’s even an electric guitar hidden in the mix somewhere, and the song drops the emotional front to reveal a mid-tempo pop song to dance to while crying in the club. The song as a whole still carries this melancholy feeling, but now with the added support of the chorus, acting as a light amongst the gloom.
Continuing on in the second verse there's this gorgeous, well-placed break in the song that just lets it settle after that chorus. Only a seasoned producer would risk this much empty space in a song and Slow Rabbit went to fill those shoes.
Back to the chorus, I'll take this moment to once again commend Slow Rabbit with the mixing of the song, because 4MIX undoubtedly sounds good in the chorus, and the interludes from Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Mina also sound really good, but the clear highlight of the choruses are these lines:

Oh na na na neon nal naige hae
On and on and on
Brave Brave Brave for ya
Oh na na na neon nal sum shwige hae
On and on and on oh trust me babe

Momo, Sana, and Tzuyu form this beautiful, surprisingly catchy, second half of the chorus accompanied by a guitar drop. It should not turn out this well with how conflicting the "na"s are with the guitar melody but it creates this gentle bopping ebb and flow that feels so lush and mellow.
Diving into the bridge reveals that the listener of the song is revealed not only capable of supporting the singer through direct words but also through their thoughts and dreams. As can be discerned, this can be a song interpreted to be about ONCEs, about how they push TWICE to be their best selves despite the breathless hardships they face. It's a very sweet and touching song.

THE GOOD

Special lyrics
Pleasant sound to vibe out to
That gentle break after the first chorus
3MIX poppin' off at the end
Just very pretty vocals throughout

Needs Work

Potentially hard to comprehend without translating the Korean lyrics

Core Memory

Form of Therapy’s life motto revolves around the word “brave” — I don’t know where I got that from, but I remembered it right before watching his album reaction (yes, this is very random)

I’m actually spoiled with the TWICE members’ easy-to-understand songwriting that when a song like this pops up where it's not written by a member and the thematic bits are mostly in Korean, I tend to put it aside in favour of the other songs on the album. And, especially for a song focusing on a theme like this where the English phrases don’t do the Korean lyrics enough justice, it does place a bit of a barrier on the listening experience, dropping it down to a 7/10 from an 8/10.
With that anecdote out of the way, this song is just such a vibe, man. I know that sounds super hippy to say but Brave is so mellow and smooth that I can’t help but sway a little when that chorus hits. And then I remember what the lyrics say and I tear up a bit on the inside. This song is so pure, raw, and full of heart — we need more songs like these where they just reminisce about life while putting up an upbeat front. Don't mind me just crying while dancing the night away.
With that said, this isn't the first time this theme has been sung by TWICE either, they've long trodden this path of supportive, confiding, up-lifting songs with Young & Wild, Rainbow, Queen, Go Hard, Depend on You, even this album's Queen of Hearts, and, of course, Feel Special. Brave just adds another on top of an already stacked lineup, unique with its mellow somberness.
Also now feels like a good time to get into my rating system:

7/10s are songs are ones that are simply good throughout or great songs with apparent flaws
8/10s are great songs with distinct killing parts
9/10s are borderline perfect songs where I sometimes can't comprehend how great they are
And 10/10s are the best of an artist's discography, songs that encapsulate their ethos perfectly or expand upon them in a meaningful way

I SEE THE LIES
ON THE TIP OF YOUR TONGUE

Gone 💨

Lyrics by Dahyun

Who the fuck pissed off Dubu this time??
It’s getting quite rare to see TWICE pull off brand new sounds because, with now 190 original songs under their belt as of this review, they’ve done so many genres and sub-genres varying from hyper pop, to bossa nova, to whatever 2020’s Go Hard is. So it’s surprising to see they’ve still got tricks up their sleeves and Gone is one of them.
The song starts with strings swinging back and forth and vocal chops dancing from ear to ear, teasing what’s yet to come. Jihyo enters the song with a whisper and the song sets its pace. A stagnant drum pad moves the song along and typical song progression would have Mina continue the build, but — it doesn’t. The song simmers, adding a hint of high hat to the pot. And then Sana and Tzuyu come on and surely the buildup must boil over right?
Silence, until…

I see the LIES on the top of your tongue

The strings emerge again on full blast, the simmer rolls to a boil, and the anger of the song is revealed,

All the fate I had towards you
Fades like a fog, Gone, Gone
Your flipping mind of doing this and that
I’m tired of it, it’s meaningless
In the beginning, it was hard to believe
With that, hatred increases

The singer is so scorned and burned from this relationship that they reminisce about all the effort they’ve put in since the beginning, but their “partner” is so unconcerned that they’ve just about had enough of the relationship altogether.
This has been Dahyun’s thing since 2020’s Bring It Back, 2021’s Cruel, 2022’s That’s all I’m saying, and even 2023's Don't Blame It On Me — emotionally charged breakup songs that make you feel as if she’s survived through a dozen bad relationships. Dispatch, do try to do your job better.
Another highlight of the song is the post-chorus going into the bridge. This segment reiterates the structure from the first post-chorus — a barrage of drums supported by the rhythmic strumming of a bass guitar along with a consistent synth filling out the soundscape. But this time, it’s Dahyun and Chaeyoung on the rap:

I can’t stand it anymore
My patience, invisible
I can’t find it, it’s all Gone
Even if I try to turn back, it’s too late
There’s no use anymore
It has left, it’s long Gone
You, with flipping mind, you are out
I know that you know what I’m talking about
Nothing you could say that could turn this around
I’m Gone

Building upon the disrespected theme of the song, Dahyun notes that she’s finally had enough with Chaeyoung adding that there’s no point salvaging what love was once there. Momo and Dahyun round it off by telling the listener that there’s no point trying to reason with them or playing naive, they fucked up and there’s no coming back.
Can I just say, it's a bit of a shame that Chaeyoung’s rapping popped off in this album while Dahyun only has this one verse that she shares with Chaeyoung, but it just sounds so good how Dahyun eases in after the chorus with her light rapping tone transitioning into her singing. She even holds the Gone in a little crescendo for some added pizzazz.
And, there’s no way I’m not going to talk about Momo’s vocals in this bridge. Damned if she only got 1 line to use it in, her lower register is incredible. She sounds so smooth singing in this tone. All of TWICE do in particular and there is nary a weak vocal performance in this album.
To close the song off, a wash of synths gets to have their shine in the spotlight, showered with Nayeon’s belting, signifying the dramatic and drawn-out conclusion of this partnership.

THE GOOD

They’ve still got their surprises
Thundering chorus
2nd rap and bridge combo
A bitter, crumbling relationship theme

Needs Work

I’m not a huge fan of the mixing during the first post-chorus, where Momo's vocals were fighting with the production, which is disappointing because Momo is capable of an insane flow
The post-chorus in general, specifically the first one, can be a bit tiring on repeat listens

Core Memory

Actually, I think this song sounds like a mix between GOT7's Not By The Moon, BLACKPINK’s Love To Hate Me, and Dahyun’s Bring It Back. I don’t know where I got this thought came from, but it stuck

Going back to that point about the first post-chorus as a whole; songs that have the production continue unchanged into the post-chorus/2nd verse are very hit or miss for me — see TWICE's Don't Call Me Again for an overbearing example. The post-chorus going into the bridge contrasts Dahyun’s light tone nicely with the hard-hitting production, continuing the energy until it slowly fades into silence at the end of the bridge.
Back to the song as a whole, as much as TWICE has been experimenting with their sound for the past 4 years now, I’m happy they’re still finding new ways to explore what they’re capable of. And for that alone, even though I’m not a big fan of songs like these where they rely on sounding “big”, Dahyun’s lyricism and the thrill I receive every time I indulge myself in this song elevates it to an 8/10. Keep on breaking hearts, Dubu.

INVINCIBLE
SUPERHEROES

When We Were Kids 🧸

Lyrics by Dahyun

Press play to reminisce, pull up lyrics to cry.
This song is so beautiful. I’m totally not writing this song review, crying on the bus reminiscing about my childhood, while just having turned 21. I don’t know if these are happy or sad tears but this song is so beautiful either way.
Warm synths, muted piano, a gentle high hat, the younger members starting off the song — this has to be up there for one of the softest TWICE songs ever. And as it should, it’s one of the TWICEiest songs ever. And then Nayeon comes in:

Invincible superheroes, we wanted to be adults
To the higher, clearer world

The chords start swelling, the high hat keeps pace, and the harmonies pour in.

Remember When We Were Kids
When We Were Kids, we didn’t know
If we could go back
I will love it even more
Remember When We Were Kids

Jihyo takes up the second half of the chorus as it drops, trading the strings for an almost R&B synth production — if choir R&B takes off, this song started it. The song relishes in this cacophony of warm sounds until returning to its sparse and peaceful verses.
This time, the hints of piano are louder, little twinkling synths begin to shimmer, the drum buildup comes and Jeongyeon drives the song straight into the chorus. No time for the strings to build like in Nayeon’s — this song loves its chorus so much.
And I'll just take this time to appreciate the amount and range of Jeongyeon vocals in this album. Her voice is so textured, stable, and projected — but also more tender and soft compared to the more pronounced tones of Nayeon and Jihyo.
The bridge comes in, repeating the phrase:

I wish that I could meet
Could meet the younger me

Giving the song time to rest, before building back up to the last chorus — this time led by Jihyo, completing the 3MIX trifecta. And interestingly enough, Chaeyoung follows up in the second half of the chorus, rather than another member of the vocal line. She really did pop off in this album.
As the last chorus begins to close, the percussion at its strongest, the harmonies on blast, the background vocals cranked up to their Sunday best, is the song going to end? Of course not! This is an album full of banger endings as if the songs don’t want to end, and When We Were Kids being the album closer very much indulges in that feeling.
After a brief refrain, accented by Nayeon’s high note with a touch of vibrato, the song almost dives back into a fourth chorus. Nayeon and Jeongyeon harmonize — a rare and heavenly moment. And the song repeats the bridge, reiterating that they want to meet their younger selves, this time with the lush chorus production before closing with silence, a few piano notes, and Tzuyu singing the last line of the song:

Oh, we were kids

Reflection, acceptance, hope. What a song.

THE GOOD

Heavenly vocals throughout
Relatable, heartfelt lyrics
Euphoric chorus
Great closer to the album

Needs Work

Refrain after the last chorus, Back When We Were Kids, could’ve been executed better

Core Memory

For an album titled Between 1&2, I don’t think anything hits harder than finishing the song reviews, with this song in particular, during your 21st birthday

I wrote the first part of this review in November 2022. Then university, life, and other things got in the way of my headspace for me to feel confident about wrapping all of this up. In a way, I felt like I just didn’t want this review to end because of the joy that writing gives me — I didn’t want the happiness to end. And then it hit me, after watching a YouTuber rank animated movies and them placing Spirited Away at the top and explaining 'why' reminded me of just how important growing up is, and by extension this song.
This theme is important for both the rookie TWICE members in 2015 and the teenagers who would follow their journey and grow up with them, facing life’s obstacles along the way. Hardships that used to only involve family, crushes, and social media, evolve into work, commitments and all the struggles that adult life brings. Being a kid and enjoying the simple things in life is one of the most sought-after moments we want to relive because we took growing up for granted. The only thing we can do now is look back on ourselves with fondness and rose-tinted lenses.
TWICE’s original meaning was to resonate with people through their senses and their hearts. That was during their debut, and I think it still holds up today. In my opinion, touching people through their emotions is what TWICE does best and makes them one of K-pop’s all-time greats. It was never about having the best numbers — it was about being the best idols. And to think that this journey of maturation and growth would occur from 2015 all the way to this song, being a fitting nod to TWICE’s 7th anniversary, I don’t think anyone at the company nor the group would ever imagine that they would get this far. It’s these nine women or none — 9/10.
This song honestly deserves a 10/10 with how much I noticed other people reminiscing their childhoods after I heard this song, it is such a widely-relatable message, but I am determined to limit myself to one 10/10 song per album and if I were to pick between TTT and WWWK, I'd give it to the one's that's more repeatable — Talk that Talk just has this electric energy about it.

Epilogue

And finally here is the end. If you made it in one sitting then I commend you, because I could not write this mess in one sitting. As alluded to, I started writing this album review sometime in October, after a series of edits the first draft was finished in March, and now here's the final draft in June.
I love this album. It got me through some important parts of my life, both good and bad, and it's just a wonderful listen throughout. Reliving this album again before finally completing the review has been an exciting journey. Brave hit me harder this time, after being overshadowed by the other gems of this album, and WWWK finally got me to tear up and not just be emotionally satisfied.
I feel like there's something for everyone on this album. From the exhilarating thrills of TTT to the anthemic euphoria of QoH, the clubbing dichotomy of Trouble and Brave to the blissful glee of Basics, and the sweet reminiscence of WWWK to the thundering anger that is Gone. Like Eyes wide open, I liken Between 1&2 to a pop music taste platter — there's such an eclectic mix of pop music in this album that there's bound to be a song that someone will love, like, and dislike.
Is this album perfect? I don't think so, but it's close — it was certainly my 2022 AOTY. Was this review biased? Absolutely. I've been a fan since 2019 and with the themes in this album, I also feel like it was biased towards me as a ONCE. And how would I rank the album in TWICE's catalogue? It's honestly at the top, at least with EPs — I also felt that way towards Feel Special but then this album was birthed so I'm excited for TWICE's future.
Ready To Be was also a stunning album and Eyes wide open frankly also deserved the spotlight that Formula of Love received so I might hit those next but no promises; this album took long enough to bake.
As for the performances, I've only seen Twitter clips (no fancams to not spoil myself) and I am SO EXCITED to finally see them in July. QoH was as glorious as expected, Brave was a delightful surprise, and WWWK, while not being the concert closer everyone expected it to be, paired up nicely with Crazy Stupid Love. And of course the bombastic addition of the dance break to TTT. But, this is not a concert review, and here is where this album review ends.
Feel free to comment with any thoughts regarding the album, other TWICE albums, and any suggestions for my writing in general. Congrats again on making it this far!
God, I love this album.

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2023.06.03 22:56 smolcrackheadenergy Between 1&2 💞 Album Review

Intro

To preface this review, I just need to say that this is going to be a very, long read. Going through it myself just for the fun of it takes around 30 minutes — it's almost 7k words of text, including lyrical references. So for the best experience, listen to the album beforehand to understand what the hell I was thinking when I wrote this review, play the album while reading, and set a good amount of time aside.
And yes, this is 9 months late 😭 I'm not sorry — when I find an album review online it's always around a paragraph per song or even shorter. It makes sense from a journalistic perspective, but I want to do this album justice, hence taking 7 months to write out all my thoughts.
This shit is comprehensive and definitely overanalyzed, especially in Talk that Talk and Trouble. Each song review will compose of my commentary going over the song, noting the details I noticed through months of listening, then a conclusion. Also, mild swearing warning, I like implementing a touch of "French" when I'm very emotional about something. Anyway, onto the review!

Between 1&2 💞

Album Review

TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT
TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED

Talk that Talk 🎙

Lead producer: collapsedone

One of the most perfect TWICE songs.
I think this is one of TWICE’s best-sounding title tracks. Warm modulated synths, a thrumming bass line, distant bells, shimmering synths — the purpose of this song is to be fun and my god is it excellent at it, like… Sana and Chaeyoung are saying knock-knock-knock and beep-beep-beep as if they’re some kind of car. So much fun.
Further along in the verse, Dahyun’s voice sounds so full and smooth with that layered harmony. Tzuyu coming with the Yes or Yes, Push & Pull, and 1 to 10 references — these are 5 years of song references. And Jeongyeon closes the pre-chorus accompanied by a rising synth to drop into chorus one. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
The drums accelerate, the synths start blasting, and Jihyo opens to that party of a chorus with her godly vocals,

Tell me what you want
Tell me what you need
A to Z da malhaebwa
But shijageun ireoke have
Talk that talk ttak han madi
Talk that talk L-O-V-E
deullyeojweo ooh
Now now now now now yeah~

During Sana's Talk that Talk~ lines there’s this gentle ascending synth bell that rings with the descending melody and it sounds absolutely gorgeous. And the choreography during that part of the chorus is so so so so fun: the talking hands bit, spelling L-O-V-E, concluding with the deullyeojweo ooh! Oh my Jihyo the deullyeojweo ooh…
Have I mentioned this song is fun?
Speeding through verse 2; Chaeyoung’s part with the cat ears popping in the music video is adorable; Momo her stretching her arms out looks so damn cool; and Dahyun with her replay part sounds so lovely — although I think it sonically sounds a touch random, it makes sense thematically.
And now for this pre-chorus. Mina and Jihyo leading into it sound great BUT JEONGYEON… Now, she is my ult bias, and this pre-chorus sounds almost identical to the first one, but the way she holds that final note, enunciating and holding that now~ for one more beat before the chorus drops sounds so perfect — the song teeters on a cliff edge. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
Dropping into the second chorus and man, Jihyo powered through that first chorus, but the way Nayeon delivers it just hits different. She has this indescribable “pop” voice (I promise this wasn't on purpose) that stands out and shouts this is THE chorus. I think this is especially apparent in how both lead their choruses where Jihyo starts at 120% power while Nayeon waits until [Tell me] WHAT YOU WANT to full-send it. She also highlights “malhaebwa” in a similar way later in the chorus.
Another deullyeojweo ooh! Nayeon travels to Narnia, and Mina the engineer strikes again in this heavenly, underwater-esque bridge,

The simple words “I love you”
That’s all I wanna hear
Without hesitation, I’ll go up to you
I’ll make it simple
And just tell you I love you

The word “love” is said for the first time in the song. There’s a funky keyboard instrument behind Chaeyoung’s part. Jihyo, Chaeyoung, and Nayeon take the initiative in their lyrics, professing their love before closing the bridge.
And now for the pièce-de-résistance: this final double chorus is exceptional — 40 seconds of crack-laced euphoria; Jihyo switches up the chorus and the choreo, Dahyun chimes in with her fluttery “Talk that Talk”, Momo comes out of nowhere with “oh yeah it sounds so good!” — you’re damn right it does, and this is where the song SOARS.

han beon deo~ haejweo
geurae banggeum geu mal~

Nayeon outright shouts “Tell me what you need” and then Jeongyeon sings the above lines in such an ethereal, warm way where the first line ascends while the second line descends, causing a lull in the song before the finale with Nayeon, finishing off the song with the final deullyeojweo ooh! What a party. What a song.

THE GOOD

The synths of all time
The chimes during Talk-that-talk~
Jeongyeon’s pre-chorus going into Nayeon’s chorus
The entirety of that magical, final chorus and outro

Needs Work

The opening hook (Tell me what you want) and accompanying choreography could be “catchier”

Core Memory

Singing (and dancing) my heart out when this song played at a K-pop club

Lyrics and theme-wise, if this were to have been TWICE’s last comeback, they’ve once again built upon the theme they've been doing since debut: a Bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story.
This song’s chorus is honest yet simple; it asks the listener, in this case, the other half of the relationship, to be more upfront and open with their love (never be scared of love), that before the relationship can continue and flourish there has to be a foundation and commitment of love between each other.
TWICE debuted with a song about making your crush go ooh ahh. Years later, they started pondering “What is love?” and imagining their crush responding with “yes” when asking them out — and now concluding with the phrase “Talk that talk, [talk that] L-O-V-E”, being upfront with the relationship, wishing their partner to also be happy, to commit to them, to feel the love that they want to impart on them. From gawking like ooh-ahh to talking out your shared love like adults — to having a true relationship between (one and) two.
And can I just say before finishing off Talk that Talk's review that this is such a fun and repeatable song with many little intricacies hidden in the nonet’s vocals and the production. This is the third draft I’m writing about Talk that Talk and its original word count pretty much quadrupled.
Harkening back to TWICE’s roots by combining mature thinking with youthful character, an incredible ending to look forward to, and just simply being a club-banger that’s easy to listen to, TTT is an easy 10/10.

WATCH ME GO WATCH ME GO
RULE THE WORLD

Queen of Hearts 👑

Lead producer: LDN Noise of SM

If there was one B-side to promote in a live clip, this was a solid choice.
Helmed by LDN Noise going headlong into the Western boy-group rock-band aesthetic, Queen of Hearts is a boom-boom-clap song through and through. The drums are very prominent throughout the song, only giving room to riffs of electric guitar in the chorus to drive and continue the momentum of the music.
And speaking of the chorus, vocal line each got a chorus to flex and they did not fuck around,

You ain’t ready for it
Watch me go~ watch me go~
Rule the world
Know you never doubted baby
I’mma go run the whole universe~

Cymbals crashing, drums booming, and 3MIX belting all just so sound so good.

Baby I was born to rule~~
Yeah I’m the queen, I’m the queen
And it’s all because of you~~
That I’m the Queen of Hearts

These long, held-out notes performed by Jihyo and Nayeon are simply exquisite. Along with the shredding guitar, the drum set coming in full, and the interludes by Dahyun, Momo, and Chaeyoung, this is the part of the song that always, always, gives me goosebumps — it sounds so visceral, so energetic, so fun, so triumphant. Boom-boom-clap songs can be hit or miss with people, but there's no denying the payoff from the first part of the chorus to the second part is worth the wait.
The theme of the song so far has been kind of spread around the song. The chorus alludes to it with the line "And it’s all because of you." But Mina shows more sides of it in the second verse, especially with the phrase,

And now that I’m surrounded by all my girls
We be shining bright like diamonds and pearls

Screaming out my name
See it in the stage lights
Feel so lucky just to have ya
Cause I know deep down I was meant for something bigger! Greater!
I know you’re seeing what I see
Yeah I’ll be everything you need
I know I’m gonna walk the walk
And talk the talk to be~ [the Queen of Hearts]

This is a song CONCEIVED TO BE PERFORMED FOR THE FANS. It’s meant to be loud. It’s meant to be unapologetic. It’s meant to be sappy. And it’s all the more wonderful for it.
This is the TWICEiest shit ever.
Like Talk that Talk, Queen of Hearts also has a killer closer. The production already started to grow from the bridge, but now the guitarist finally went Super Saiyan and instead of supporting the drums, they both take the centrepiece in tandem.
Then finally, the closing moments of the song even manage to squeeze in some more sappiness.

So thank you for the memories
You’re all the ones who made me~
So thank you for the memories
That I’m the Queen of Hearts

I still can’t believe that this banger is a FAN SONG out of all things. Truly, the TWICEiest shit ever.

THE GOOD

Adorable fucking lyrics
Unrelenting, roaring chorus
English and vocal flex
Addicting guitar riffs

Needs Work

Chaeyoung rapping in English in their Korean songs somehow slaps harder than her English rapping in their English songs, nonetheless, in QoH, it fits with the sound of the song

Life Highlight

Walking home from a K-pop festival with this song playing, felt like a Queen of Hearts

I love these types of rock songs with how grunge and head-bang-able they are, there is just a certain nostalgic and cheesy quality to them that feels so cozy. I don’t love putting them on repeat, because in this case, I do believe there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Perhaps more shredding, maybe a guitar solo to rock out to, or an accompaniment(!) of ad-libs from 3MIX to support Jihyo’s final chorus? A ONCE can dream of a truly bombastic rock song from TWICE. But then again that distracts from the core of what this song is: a fan song disguised as a rock song.
Queen of Hearts has so much sweetness in its lyrics and message that it's overflowing. The drums, guitar, and vocals can be as loud and intricate as they can, but the theme of this song is what makes it special from TWICE’s other rock songs — it’s a 9/10 for me.

I WANNA WANNA WANNA
TAKE YOU TO THE BASICS

Basics 🌈

Sole lyricist credit: Chaeyoung

Quite possibly the jammiest (pun intended) song of the album.
A song written by the Strawberry Princess herself — an event similar in frequency to other artists' releases with her last song being 2020’s silky Handle It — Basics first starts with an understated and dreamy delivery. After the first stanza, however, a bouncy Miami bass line emerges, revealing the true nature of the song: this is a classic summer bop! Especially in the first rap,

dareun aedeulgwaneun dalla
Ain’t beggin’ for love
nappeun geon anijana ige naraseo
eodiro twilji molla
Like rainbow bubble gum
geureoni nal kkwak butjabadweo

Syllables are pronounced in a relaxed nature, bars often starting with an "ah" sound, flirty lines in English — this rap features a production full of pop with R&B flourishes and, in my opinion, this is Chaeyoung’s bag. Also, the line "rainbow bubblegum" is so adorable and so Chaeyoung.

I wanna wanna wanna take it to the basics
da weonhae weonhae weonhae? seodureuji ma Baby
ppeonhae ppeonhae malhae mweohae da al tende
Ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah

That chorus is pure pop with a Miami bass backing; you better be bopping your head to the melody, if not booty poppin' to the bassline. Chaeyoung loves rhyming in the first half of the chorus to enhance its catchiness and it's damn incredible: the “wanna”, “weonhae”, and “ppeonhae” all create these imperfect rhymes that continue momentum without feeling repetitive.
After the very Boy With Luv-sounding “ah yeah ah yeah, ah yeah ah yeah” comes an 8-bar split half and half between Chaeyoung and Momo. Coming from the chorus, the production completely cuts out for the first 2 bars. This adds tension; the song yearns to have that bass beat thumping again and all we have in the audio space in those 2 bars is Chaeyoung spittin' and she delivered.

taneun deut tteugeoun samak wie
yeppeuge pieonan jangmi gata
joshimseure naege dagaol ttae
nado moreuge jjilleobeoril tende

Translating to:

Above the hot, burning desert
It’s like a rose that bloomed beautifully
When you come to me slowly
I will prick you unconsciously

That sweet summer vibe of a chorus
The “spaceship” post-chorus is killer
Chaeyoung devoured this song
Sure-footed, confident lyrics

Needs Work

Perhaps an alteration of that ah yeah ah yeah line
The way Jihyo did her pre-chorus line is good, but Mina’s is great

Core Memory

After donating my hair, walking down the rainbow-coloured areas of downtown Toronto with this song playing was very… fitting

This song is summer bliss distilled into 2:56. It’s dreamy, the raps are satisfying, and the ending is charming. I will say that although the second half of the song adds the stunning “spaceship” post-choruses and a floaty bridge with an incredible drumbeat drop into the final chorus, the raps of the song make it feel a bit front-loaded. And in an album stacked with awesome finishers, it feels more apparent.
With that said, it’s an 8/10 bop for me. This song is so easy to put on and it feels exactly what Chaeyoung would make if given the reins to produce a pop song all on her own. The lyrics are nonchalant but full of conviction, the wordplay is intricate, and the production playful but not too bombastic — it's just a nice vibe. Songs like Basics are the standard for good, simple, repeatable pop music and I’m happy that Chaeyoung got to test her pen in this genre.

BABY WE’RE IN
TROUBLE TROUBLE

Trouble 💃

Sole lyricist credit: Jihyo
Background vocals: Jihyo
Lead composer credit: Jihyo
Vocal director credit: Jihyo (an assumption given her contributions in First Time)

One of the most enjoyable songs I’ve heard in a while.
There is an underlying tension within the first 4 bars of the song, Jihyo and Nayeon confidently open it to a nondescript array of synths and then the stanza ends, Momo announces “Let’s go”, the beat drops and it hits you: this is a club song.
Dahyun's relaxed delivery contrasted with Jeongyeon's staccato flow, the wobbly synth beat with sprinkle of house piano, Sana dramatically slowing down the song only for Tzuyu to build it back up until the chorus drops,

Nayeon opens it using a breathy tone, with vocal chops serving as harmonies
The blooming of the house piano takes centre stage and the song ascends into euphoria
A random drum roll capped off by a cymbal crash
Jeongyeon’s pronunciation of the word “trouble” almost being a growl
Chaeyoung slyly admitting “I like this trouble”
The entirety of Tzuyu’s tro~oh~oh~ouble yeah~
Sana using her deep voice for the na~na~na~na
Jihyo leading the vocals during the synchronized T W I C E chant

gamchweo bwatja geugeon Fake
ppajin hamjeongeun Sweet cake

During the first 2 bars, Chaeyoung is keeping it calm because that trip of a chorus just ended and the song needs a breather, but I don't think anyone expected her to SNAP this hard afterwards:

You cannot resist this
Cannot miss this, such a bliss
Ima put it down down
Oh yeah, better kiss kiss

Below is the structure of her this portion of the rap, I’m not that well versed in this technical aspect of music theory but I digress, this is all in the span of around 5 seconds where it’s:

Triplet-triplet
Quadruplet-triplet
Quadruplet-doublet
Doublet-quadruplet

Now, 25/5 = 5 syllables per second isn’t groundbreaking, but goddamn it these 2 bars sound so nice — if there is one part in this album that I always repeat, it’s this. The addition of that first quadruplet for “cannot miss this” in the midst of the triplets sticks out and accelerates the flow of the rap while the following doublets and quadruplets destabilize and slow the rap down as the verse closes. And can I just point out:
THE MAIN VOCALIST WROTE, DIRECTED, AND COMPOSED THIS SONG ‼
Chaeyoung of course delivered the fuck out of her verse but THIS is what you get when you have a member not only write the words they’re saying but also the melody and flow with which they sing it, when that member knows the others so well that when they write a song they know how to make the group exceed. This is what you get when the artists you stan love doing artist shit.
And. AND. That's not all — with how much I mentioned I love a good outro to close a song, this outro slaps as well:

Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trouble be-be
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trouble bay-be
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trouble bay-beh
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trou-ble

The theme of relishing in an uncontrolled love
Sana and Mina’s melody in the pre-chorus
Chorus
Rap
Outro
Wees and woos

Needs Work

Mina’s line of “falling down, falling down, falling down low” in verse 2 feels a bit too abrupt of a change

Core Memory

While writing Trouble's review I had this song on repeat for my whole subway commute and I must've been so distracting, just head-bopping and being so invested in enjoying a song

Brave 💖

Main producer: Slow Rabbit of HYBE

I first thought this was just a good song, then I read the lyrics.
Gentle guitar plucks, shimmering synths, a distant keyboard in the right ear, in the left a glockenspiel, the melodic oohs from the members — this song is PRETTY.

The night that was unusually dark
Above this terrifying world, felt so lonely
The world has grown in the time of wandering
So hard to breathe

Mina and Chaeyoung open the song with how they feel lonely and that it's hard to breathe and now suddenly the song feels bittersweet — I was not expecting the song to be this emotional. Brave describes a situation where the singer is in a darker place in life and it isn't until another person gives them hope by calling them 'brave' that they find the drive to keep going.
Once the chorus hits, the melodies pick up, more guitars get added — there’s even an electric guitar hidden in the mix somewhere, and the song drops the emotional front to reveal a mid-tempo pop song to dance to while crying in the club. The song as a whole still carries this melancholy feeling, but now with the added support of this chorus acting as a light amongst the gloom.
Continuing on in the second verse there's this gorgeous, well-placed break in the song that just lets it settle after that chorus. Only a seasoned producer would risk this much empty space in a song and Slow Rabbit went to fill those shoes.
Back to the chorus, I'll take this moment to once again commend Slow Rabbit with the mixing of the song, because 4MIX undoubtedly sounds good in the chorus, and the interludes from Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Mina also sound really good, but the clear highlight of the choruses are these lines:

Oh na na na neon nal naige hae [Momo, then Tzuyu, then Momo]
On and on and on
Brave brave brave for ya [Dahyun, then Chaeyoung, then Mina]
Oh na na na neon nal sum shwige hae [Sana, then Momo, then Sana]
On and on and on oh trust me babe

Special lyrics
Pleasant sound to vibe out to
That gentle break after the first chorus
Jihyo’s high note at the end
A Nayeon Jeongyeon joint high note ⁉️
Just pretty vocals throughout

Needs Work

Potentially hard to comprehend without translating the Korean lyrics

Core Memory

Form of Therapy’s life motto revolves around the word “brave”. I don’t know where I got that from, but I remembered it right before watching his album reaction

7/10s are songs are ones that are simply good throughout or great songs with apparent flaws
8/10s are great songs with standout characteristics
9/10s are borderline perfect songs where I sometimes can't comprehend how great they are
And 10/10s are the best of an artist's discography, songs that encapsulate their ethos perfectly or expand upon them in a meaningful way

I SEE THE LIES
ON THE TIP OF YOUR TONGUE

Gone 💨

Sole lyricist credit: Dahyun

Who the fuck pissed off Dubu this time??
It’s getting quite rare to see TWICE pull off brand new sounds because, with now 190 original songs under their belt, they’ve done so many genres and sub-genres varying from hyper pop, to bossa nova, to whatever 2020’s Go Hard is. So it’s surprising to see they’ve still got tricks up their sleeves and Gone is one of them.
The song starts with strings swinging back and forth and vocal chops dancing from ear to ear, teasing what’s yet to come. Jihyo enters the song with a whisper and the song sets its pace. A stagnant drum pad moves the song along and typical song progression would have Mina continue the build but — it doesn’t. The song simmers, adding a hint of high hat to the pot. And then, Sana and Tzuyu come on and surely the buildup must boil over right?
Silence, until…

I see the LIES on the top of your tongue

The strings emerge again on full blast, the simmer rolls to a boil, and the anger of the song is revealed,

All the fate I had towards you
Fades like a fog, gone, gone
Your flipping mind of doing this and that
I’m tired of it, it’s meaningless
In the beginning, it was hard to believe
With that, hatred increases

The singer is so scorned and burned from this relationship that they reminisce about all the effort they’ve put in since the beginning, but their “partner” is so unconcerned that they’ve just about had enough of the relationship altogether.
This has been Dahyun’s thing since 2020’s Bring It Back, 2021’s Cruel, 2022’s That’s all I’m saying, and even 2023's Don't Blame It On Me — emotionally charged breakup songs that make you feel as if she’s gone through a dozen bad relationships. Dispatch, do your job better, or don't.
Another highlight of the song is the post-chorus going into the bridge. This segment reiterates the structure from the first post-chorus — a barrage of drums supported by the rhythmic strumming of a bass guitar along with a consistent synth filling out the soundscape. But this time, it’s Dahyun and Chaeyoung on the rap:

I can’t stand it anymore [Dahyun]
My patience, invisible
I can’t find it, it’s all gone
Even if I try to turn back, it’s too late [Chaeyoung]
There’s no use anymore
It has left, it’s long gone
You, with flipping mind, you are out [Momo]
I know that you know what I’m talking about [Dahyun]
Nothing you could say that could turn this around
I’m gone

Continuing the disrespected theme of the song, Dahyun notes that she’s finally had enough with Chaeyoung adding that there’s no point salvaging what was once there for all of it is long gone. Momo and Dahyun round it off by telling the listener that there’s no point trying to reason with them or playing naive, they fucked up and there’s no coming back.
Can I just say, it's a bit of a shame that Chaeyoung’s rapping popped off in this album while Dahyun only has this one verse that she shares with Chaeyoung, but it just sounds so good how Dahyun eases in after the chorus with her light rapping tone transitioning into her singing. She even holds the “gone” in a little crescendo for some added pizzazz.
And, there’s no way I’m not going to talk about Momo’s vocals in this bridge. Damned if she only got 1 line to use it in, her lower register is incredible. She sounds so smooth singing in this tone. All of TWICE do in particular and there is nary a weak vocal performance in this album.
To close the song off, a wash of synths gets to have their shine in the spotlight, showered with Nayeon’s belting, signifying the dramatic and drawn-out conclusion of this partnership.

THE GOOD

They’ve still got their surprises
Thundering chorus
2nd rap and bridge combo
A bitter, crumbling relationship theme

Needs Work

I’m not a huge fan of the mixing during the first post-chorus, where Momo's vocals were fighting with the production, which is disappointing because Momo is capable of an insane flow
The post-chorus in general, specifically the first one, can be a bit tiring on repeat listens

Core Memory

Actually, I think this song sounds like a mix between GOT7's Not By The Moon, BLACKPINK’s Love To Hate Me, and Dahyun’s Bring It Back. I don’t know where I got this thought came from, but it stuck

Going back to that point about the first post-chorus as a whole; songs that have the production continue unchanged into the post-chorus/2nd verse are very hit or miss for me — see TWICE's Don't Call Me Again for an overbearing example. The post-chorus going into the bridge contrasts Dahyun’s light tone nicely with the hard-hitting production, continuing the energy until it slowly fades into silence at the end of the bridge.
Back to the song as a whole, as much as TWICE has been experimenting with their sound for the past 4 years now, I’m happy they’re still finding new ways to explore what they’re capable of. And for that alone, even though I’m not a big fan of songs like these where they rely on sounding “big”, Dahyun’s lyricism and the thrill I receive every time I indulge myself in this song when I listen to it for the first time in a while elevates it to an 8/10. Keep on breaking hearts, Dubu.

INVINCIBLE
SUPERHEROES

When We Were Kids 🧸

Sole lyricist credit: Dahyun

Press play to reminisce, pull up lyrics to cry.
This song is so beautiful. I’m totally not writing this song review, crying on the bus reminiscing about my childhood, while just having turned 21. I don’t know if these are happy or sad tears but this song is so beautiful either way.
Warm synths, muted piano, a gentle high hat, the younger members starting off the song — this has to be up there for one of the softest TWICE songs ever. And as it should, it’s one of the TWICEiest songs ever. And then Nayeon comes in,

Invincible superheroes, we wanted to be adults
To the higher, clearer world

The chords start swelling, the high hat keeps pace, and the harmonies come in,

Remember when we were kids
When we were kids, we didn’t know
If we could go back
I will love it even more
Remember when we were kids

Jihyo takes up the second half of the chorus as it drops, trading the strings for an almost R&B synth production — if choir R&B takes off, this song started it. The song relishes in this cacophony of warm sounds until returning to its sparse and peaceful verses.
This time, the hints of piano are louder, little twinkling synths begin to shimmer, the drum buildup comes and Jeongyeon drives the song straight into the chorus. No time for the strings to build like in Nayeon’s — this song loves its chorus so much.
And I'll just take this time to appreciate the amount of Jeongyeon vocals in this album. Her voice is so clean, stable, and projected — but also more tender and soft compared to the more pronounced tones of Nayeon and Jihyo.
The bridge comes in, repeating the phrase:

I wish that I could meet
Could meet the younger me

Oh, we were kids

Reflection, acceptance, hope. What a song.

THE GOOD

Heavenly vocals throughout
Relatable, heartfelt lyrics
Euphoric chorus
Great closer to the album

Needs Work

Refrain after the last chorus, "Back when we were kids," could’ve been executed better

Core Memory

For an album titled Between 1&2, I don’t think anything hits harder than finishing the song reviews, with this song in particular, during your 21st birthday

I wrote the first part of this review in November 2022. Then university, life, and other things got in the way of my headspace for me to feel confident about wrapping all of this up. In a way, I felt like I just didn’t want this review to end because of the joy that writing gives me — I didn’t want the happiness to end. And then it hit me, after watching a YouTuber rank animated movies and them placing Spirited Away at the top and explaining 'why' reminded me of just how important growing up is, and by extension this song.
This theme is important for both the rookie TWICE members in 2015 and the teenagers who would follow their journey and grow up with them, facing life’s obstacles along the way. Hardships that used to only involve family, crushes, and social media, evolve into work, commitments and all the struggles that adult life brings. Being a kid and enjoying the simple things in life is one of the most sought-after moments we want to relive because we took growing up for granted. The only thing we can do now is look back on ourselves with fondness and rose-tinted lenses.
TWICE’s original marketing was to resonate with people through their senses and their hearts. That was during their debut, and I think it still holds up today. In my opinion, touching people through their emotions is what TWICE does best and makes them one of K-pop’s all-time greats. It was never about having the best numbers — it was always about being the best idols. And to think that this journey of maturation and growth would occur from 2015 all the way to this song, being a fitting nod to TWICE’s 7th anniversary, I don’t think anyone at the company nor the group would ever imagine that they would get this far. It’s these nine women or none — 9/10.
This song honestly deserves a 10/10 with how much I noticed other people reminiscing their childhoods after I heard this song, it is such a widely-relatable message, but I am determined to limit myself to one 10/10 song per album and if I were to pick between TTT and WWWK, I'd give it to the one's that's more repeatable — Talk that Talk just has this electric energy about it.

Epilogue

And finally here is the end. If you made it in one sitting then I commend you, because I could not write this mess in one sitting. As alluded to, I started writing this album review sometime in October, after a series of edits the first draft was finished in March, and now here's the final draft in June.
I love this album. It got me through some important parts of my life, both good and bad, and it's just a wonderful listen throughout. Reliving this album again before finally completing the review has been an exciting journey. Brave hit me harder this time, after being overshadowed by the other gems of this album, and WWWK finally got me to tear up and not just be emotionally satisfied.
I feel like there's something for everyone on this album. From the exhilarating thrills of TTT to the anthemic euphoria of QoH, the clubbing dichotomy of Trouble and Brave to the blissful glee of Basics, and the sweet reminiscence of WWWK to the thundering anger that is Gone. Like Eyes wide open, I liken Between 1&2 to a pop music taste platter — there's such an eclectic mix of pop, music in this album that there's bound to be a song that someone will love, like, and dislike.
Is this album perfect? I don't think so, but it's close — it was certainly my 2022 AOTY. Was this review biased? Absolutely. I've been a fan since 2019 and with the themes in this album, I also feel like it was biased towards me as a ONCE. And how would I rank the album in TWICE's catalogue? It's honestly at the top, at least with EPs — I also felt that way towards Feel Special but then this album was birthed so I'm excited for TWICE's future.
Ready To Be was also a stunning album and Eyes wide open frankly also deserved the spotlight that Formula of Love received so I might hit those next but no promises; this album took long enough to bake.
As for the performances, I've only seen Twitter clips (no fancams to not spoil myself) and I am SO EXCITED to finally see them in July. QoH was as glorious as expected, Brave was a delightful surprise, and WWWK, while not being the concert closer everyone expected it to be, paired up nicely with Crazy Stupid Love. And of course the bombastic addition of the dance break to TTT. But, this is not a concert review, and this is where this album review ends.
Feel free to comment with any thoughts regarding the album, other TWICE albums, and any suggestions for my writing in general. Congrats again on making it this far!
God, I love this album.

submitted by smolcrackheadenergy to twice [link] [comments]

2023.06.02 23:47 smolcrackheadenergy TWICE Between 1&2 Album Review

Intro

Between 1&2 💞

Album Review

TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT
TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED

Talk that Talk 🎙

Tell me what you want
Tell me what you need
A to Z da malhaebwa
But shijageun ireoke have
Talk that talk ttak han madi
Talk that talk L-O-V-E
deullyeojweo ooh
Now now now now now yeah~

During Sana's Talk that Talk~ lines there’s this gentle ascending synth bell that rings with the descending melody and it sounds absolutely gorgeous. And the choreography during that part of the chorus is so so so so fun: the talking hands bit, spelling L-O-V-E, concluding with the deullyeojweo ooh! Oh my Jihyo the deullyeojweo ooh…
Have I mentioned this song is fun?
Speeding through verse 2; Chaeyoung’s part with the cat ears popping in the music video is adorable; Momo her stretching her arms out looks so damn cool; and Dahyun with her replay part sounds so lovely — although I think it sonically sounds a touch random, it makes sense thematically.
And now for this pre-chorus. Mina and Jihyo leading into it sound great BUT JEONGYEON… Now, she is my ult bias, and this pre-chorus sounds almost identical to the first one, but the way she holds that final note, enunciating and holding that now~ for one more beat before the chorus drops sounds so perfect — the song teeters on a cliff edge. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
Dropping into the second chorus and man, Jihyo powered through that first chorus, but the way Nayeon delivers it just hits different. She has this indescribable “pop” voice (I promise this wasn't on purpose) that stands out and shouts this is THE chorus. I think this is especially apparent in how both lead their choruses where Jihyo starts at 120% power while Nayeon waits until [Tell me] WHAT YOU WANT to full-send it. She also highlights “malhaebwa” in a similar way later in the chorus.
Another deullyeojweo ooh! Nayeon travels to Narnia, and Mina the engineer strikes again in this heavenly, underwater-esque bridge,

The simple words “I love you”
That’s all I wanna hear
Without hesitation, I’ll go up to you
I’ll make it simple
And just tell you I love you

The word “love” is said for the first time in the song. There’s a funky keyboard instrument behind Chaeyoung’s part. Jihyo, Chaeyoung, and Nayeon take the initiative in their lyrics, professing their love before closing the bridge.
And now for the pièce-de-résistance: this final double chorus is exceptional — 40 seconds of crack-laced euphoria; Jihyo switches up the chorus and the choreo, Dahyun chimes in with her fluttery “Talk that Talk”, Momo comes out of nowhere with “oh yeah it sounds so good!” — you’re damn right it does, and this is where the song SOARS.

han beon deo~ haejweo
geurae banggeum geu mal~

The synths of all time
The chimes during Talk-that-talk~
Jeongyeon’s pre-chorus going into Nayeon’s chorus
The entirety of that magical, final chorus and outro

Needs Work

The opening hook (Tell me what you want) and accompanying choreography could be “catchier”

Core Memory

Singing (and dancing) my heart out when this song played at a K-pop club

Lyrics and theme-wise, if this were to have been TWICE’s last comeback, they’ve once again built upon the theme they've been doing since debut: a Bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story.
This song’s chorus is honest yet simple; it asks the listener, in this case, the other half of the relationship, to be more upfront and open with their love (never be scared of love), that before the relationship can continue and flourish there has to be a foundation and commitment of love between each other.
TWICE debuted with a song about making your crush go ooh ahh. Years later, they started pondering “What is love?” and imagining their crush responding with “yes” when asking them out — and now concluding with the phrase “Talk that talk, [talk that] L-O-V-E”, being upfront with the relationship, wishing their partner to also be happy, to commit to them, to feel the love that they want to impart on them. From gawking like ooh-ahh to talking out your shared love like adults — to having a true relationship between (one and) two.
And can I just say before finishing off Talk that Talk's review that this is such a fun and repeatable song with many little intricacies hidden in the nonet’s vocals and the production. This is the third draft I’m writing about Talk that Talk and its original word count pretty much quadrupled.
Harkening back to TWICE’s roots by combining mature thinking with youthful character, an incredible ending to look forward to, and just simply being a club-banger that’s easy to listen to, TTT is an easy 10/10.

WATCH ME GO WATCH ME GO
RULE THE WORLD

Queen of Hearts 👑

You ain’t ready for it
Watch me go~ watch me go~
Rule the world
Know you never doubted baby
I’mma go run the whole universe~

Cymbals crashing, drums booming, and 3MIX belting all just so sound so good.

Baby I was born to rule~~
Yeah I’m the queen, I’m the queen
And it’s all because of you~~
That I’m the Queen of Hearts

These long, held-out notes performed by Jihyo and Nayeon are simply exquisite. Along with the shredding guitar, the drum set coming in full, and the interludes by Dahyun, Momo, and Chaeyoung, this is the part of the song that always, always, gives me goosebumps — it sounds so visceral, so energetic, so fun, so triumphant. Boom-boom-clap songs can be hit or miss with people, but there's no denying the payoff from the first part of the chorus to the second part is worth the wait.
The theme of the song so far has been kind of spread around the song. The chorus alludes to it with the line "And it’s all because of you." But Mina shows more sides of it in the second verse, especially with the phrase,

And now that I’m surrounded by all my girls
We be shining bright like diamonds and pearls

Screaming out my name
See it in the stage lights
Feel so lucky just to have ya
Cause I know deep down I was meant for something bigger! Greater!
I know you’re seeing what I see
Yeah I’ll be everything you need
I know I’m gonna walk the walk
And talk the talk to be~ [the Queen of Hearts]

This is a song CONCEIVED TO BE PERFORMED FOR THE FANS. It’s meant to be loud. It’s meant to be unapologetic. It’s meant to be sappy. And it’s all the more wonderful for it.
This is the TWICEiest shit ever.
Like Talk that Talk, Queen of Hearts also has a killer closer. The production already started to grow from the bridge, but now the guitarist finally went Super Saiyan and instead of supporting the drums, they both take the centrepiece in tandem.
Then finally, the closing moments of the song even manage to squeeze in some more sappiness.

So thank you for the memories
You’re all the ones who made me~
So thank you for the memories
That I’m the Queen of Hearts

I still can’t believe that this banger is a FAN SONG out of all things. Truly, the TWICEiest shit ever.

THE GOOD

Adorable fucking lyrics
Unrelenting, roaring chorus
English and vocal flex
Addicting guitar riffs

Needs Work

Chaeyoung rapping in English in their Korean songs somehow slaps harder than her English rapping in their English songs, nonetheless, in QoH, it fits with the sound of the song

Life Highlight

Walking home from a K-pop festival with this song playing, felt like a Queen of Hearts

I love these types of rock songs with how grunge and head-bang-able they are, there is just a certain nostalgic and cheesy quality to them that feels so cozy. I don’t love putting them on repeat, because in this case, I do believe there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Perhaps more shredding, maybe a guitar solo to rock out to, or an accompaniment(!) of ad-libs from 3MIX to support Jihyo’s final chorus? A ONCE can dream of a truly bombastic rock song from TWICE. But then again that distracts from the core of what this song is: a fan song disguised as a rock song.
Queen of Hearts has so much sweetness in its lyrics and message that it's overflowing. The drums, guitar, and vocals can be as loud and intricate as they can, but the theme of this song is what makes it special from TWICE’s other rock songs — it’s a 9/10 for me.

I WANNA WANNA WANNA
TAKE YOU TO THE BASICS

Basics 🌈

dareun aedeulgwaneun dalla
Ain’t beggin’ for love
nappeun geon anijana ige naraseo
eodiro twilji molla
Like rainbow bubble gum
geureoni nal kkwak butjabadweo

Syllables are pronounced in a relaxed nature, bars often starting with an "ah" sound, flirty lines in English — this rap features a production full of pop with R&B flourishes and, in my opinion, this is Chaeyoung’s bag. Also, the line "rainbow bubblegum" is so adorable and so Chaeyoung.

I wanna wanna wanna take it to the basics
da weonhae weonhae weonhae? seodureuji ma Baby
ppeonhae ppeonhae malhae mweohae da al tende
Ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah

That chorus is pure pop with a Miami bass backing; you better be bopping your head to the melody, if not booty poppin' to the bassline. Chaeyoung loves rhyming in the first half of the chorus to enhance its catchiness and it's damn incredible: the “wanna”, “weonhae”, and “ppeonhae” all create these imperfect rhymes that continue momentum without feeling repetitive.
After the very Boy With Luv-sounding “ah yeah ah yeah, ah yeah ah yeah” comes an 8-bar split half and half between Chaeyoung and Momo. Coming from the chorus, the production completely cuts out for the first 2 bars. This adds tension; the song yearns to have that bass beat thumping again and all we have in the audio space in those 2 bars is Chaeyoung spittin' and she delivered.

taneun deut tteugeoun samak wie
yeppeuge pieonan jangmi gata
joshimseure naege dagaol ttae
nado moreuge jjilleobeoril tende

Translating to:

Above the hot, burning desert
It’s like a rose that bloomed beautifully
When you come to me slowly
I will prick you unconsciously

That sweet summer vibe of a chorus
The “spaceship” post-chorus is killer
Chaeyoung devoured this song
Sure-footed, confident lyrics

Needs Work

Perhaps an alteration of that ah yeah ah yeah line
The way Jihyo did her pre-chorus line is good, but Mina’s is great

Core Memory

After donating my hair, walking down the rainbow-coloured areas of downtown Toronto with this song playing was very… fitting

This song is summer bliss distilled into 2:56. It’s dreamy, the raps are satisfying, and the ending is charming. I will say that although the second half of the song adds the stunning “spaceship” post-choruses and a floaty bridge with an incredible drumbeat drop into the final chorus, the raps of the song make it feel a bit front-loaded. And in an album stacked with awesome finishers, it feels more apparent.
With that said, it’s an 8/10 bop for me. This song is so easy to put on and it feels exactly what Chaeyoung would make if given the reins to produce a pop song all on her own. The lyrics are nonchalant but full of conviction, the wordplay is intricate, and the production playful but not too bombastic — it's just a nice vibe. Songs like Basics are the standard for good, simple, repeatable pop music and I’m happy that Chaeyoung got to test her pen in this genre.

BABY WE’RE IN
TROUBLE TROUBLE

Trouble 💃

Nayeon opens it using a breathy tone, with vocal chops serving as harmonies
The blooming of the house piano takes centre stage and the song ascends into euphoria
A random drum roll capped off by a cymbal crash
Jeongyeon’s pronunciation of the word “trouble” almost being a growl
Chaeyoung slyly admitting “I like this trouble”
The entirety of Tzuyu’s tro~oh~oh~ouble yeah~
Sana using her deep voice for the na~na~na~na
Jihyo leading the vocals during the synchronized T W I C E chant

gamchweo bwatja geugeon Fake
ppajin hamjeongeun Sweet cake

During the first 2 bars, Chaeyoung is keeping it calm because that trip of a chorus just ended and the song needs a breather, but I don't think anyone expected her to SNAP this hard afterwards:

You cannot resist this
Cannot miss this, such a bliss
Ima put it down down
Oh yeah, better kiss kiss

Below is the structure of her this portion of the rap, I’m not that well versed in this technical aspect of music theory but I digress, this is all in the span of around 5 seconds where it’s:

Triplet-triplet
Quadruplet-triplet
Quadruplet-doublet
Doublet-quadruplet

Now, 25/5 = 5 syllables per second isn’t groundbreaking, but goddamn it these 2 bars sound so nice — if there is one part in this album that I always repeat, it’s this. The addition of that first quadruplet for “cannot miss this” in the midst of the triplets sticks out and accelerates the flow of the rap while the following doublets and quadruplets destabilize and slow the rap down as the verse closes. And can I just point out:
THE MAIN VOCALIST WROTE, DIRECTED, AND COMPOSED THIS SONG ‼
Chaeyoung of course delivered the fuck out of her verse but THIS is what you get when you have a member not only write the words they’re saying but also the melody and flow with which they sing it, when that member knows the others so well that when they write a song they know how to make the group exceed. This is what you get when the artists you stan love doing artist shit.
And. AND. That's not all — with how much I mentioned I love a good outro to close a song, this outro slaps as well:

Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trouble be-be
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trouble bay-be
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trouble bay-beh
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trou-ble

The theme of relishing in an uncontrolled love
Sana and Mina’s melody in the pre-chorus
Chorus
Rap
Outro
Wees and woos

Needs Work

Mina’s line of “falling down, falling down, falling down low” in verse 2 feels a bit too abrupt of a change

Core Memory

While writing Trouble's review I had this song on repeat for my whole subway commute and I must've been so distracting, just head-bopping and being so invested in enjoying a song

Brave 💖

The night that was unusually dark
Above this terrifying world, felt so lonely
The world has grown in the time of wandering
So hard to breathe

Oh na na na neon nal naige hae [Momo, then Tzuyu, then Momo]
On and on and on
Brave brave brave for ya [Dahyun, then Chaeyoung, then Mina]
Oh na na na neon nal sum shwige hae [Sana, then Momo, then Sana]
On and on and on oh trust me babe

Special lyrics
Pleasant sound to vibe out to
That gentle break after the first chorus
Jihyo’s high note at the end
A Nayeon Jeongyeon joint high note ⁉️
Just pretty vocals throughout

Needs Work

Potentially hard to comprehend without translating the Korean lyrics

Core Memory

Form of Therapy’s life motto revolves around the word “brave”. I don’t know where I got that from, but I remembered it right before watching his album reaction

7/10s are songs are ones that are simply good throughout or great songs with apparent flaws
8/10s are great songs with standout characteristics
9/10s are borderline perfect songs where I sometimes can't comprehend how great they are
And 10/10s are the best of an artist's discography, songs that encapsulate their ethos perfectly or expand upon them in a meaningful way

I SEE THE LIES
ON THE TIP OF YOUR TONGUE

Gone 💨

I see the LIES on the top of your tongue

The strings emerge again on full blast, the simmer rolls to a boil, and the anger of the song is revealed,

All the fate I had towards you
Fades like a fog, gone, gone
Your flipping mind of doing this and that
I’m tired of it, it’s meaningless
In the beginning, it was hard to believe
With that, hatred increases

The singer is so scorned and burned from this relationship that they reminisce about all the effort they’ve put in since the beginning, but their “partner” is so unconcerned that they’ve just about had enough of the relationship altogether.
This has been Dahyun’s thing since 2020’s Bring It Back, 2021’s Cruel, 2022’s That’s all I’m saying, and even 2023's Don't Blame It On Me — emotionally charged breakup songs that make you feel as if she’s gone through a dozen bad relationships. Dispatch, do your job better, or don't.
Another highlight of the song is the post-chorus going into the bridge. This segment reiterates the structure from the first post-chorus — a barrage of drums supported by the rhythmic strumming of a bass guitar along with a consistent synth filling out the soundscape. But this time, it’s Dahyun and Chaeyoung on the rap:

I can’t stand it anymore [Dahyun]
My patience, invisible
I can’t find it, it’s all gone
Even if I try to turn back, it’s too late [Chaeyoung]
There’s no use anymore
It has left, it’s long gone
You, with flipping mind, you are out [Momo]
I know that you know what I’m talking about [Dahyun]
Nothing you could say that could turn this around
I’m gone

They’ve still got their surprises
Thundering chorus
2nd rap and bridge combo
A bitter, crumbling relationship theme

Needs Work

I’m not a huge fan of the mixing during the first post-chorus, where Momo's vocals were fighting with the production, which is disappointing because Momo is capable of an insane flow
The post-chorus in general, specifically the first one, can be a bit tiring on repeat listens

Core Memory

Actually, I think this song sounds like a mix between GOT7's Not By The Moon, BLACKPINK’s Love To Hate Me, and Dahyun’s Bring It Back. I don’t know where I got this thought came from, but it stuck

Going back to that point about the first post-chorus as a whole; songs that have the production continue unchanged into the post-chorus/2nd verse are very hit or miss for me — see TWICE's Don't Call Me Again for an overbearing example. The post-chorus going into the bridge contrasts Dahyun’s light tone nicely with the hard-hitting production, continuing the energy until it slowly fades into silence at the end of the bridge.
Back to the song as a whole, as much as TWICE has been experimenting with their sound for the past 4 years now, I’m happy they’re still finding new ways to explore what they’re capable of. And for that alone, even though I’m not a big fan of songs like these where they rely on sounding “big”, Dahyun’s lyricism and the thrill I receive every time I indulge myself in this song when I listen to it for the first time in a while elevates it to an 8/10. Keep on breaking hearts, Dubu.

INVINCIBLE
SUPERHEROES

When We Were Kids 🧸

Invincible superheroes, we wanted to be adults
To the higher, clearer world

The chords start swelling, the high hat keeps pace, and the harmonies come in,

Remember when we were kids
When we were kids, we didn’t know
If we could go back
I will love it even more
Remember when we were kids

Jihyo takes up the second half of the chorus as it drops, trading the strings for an almost R&B synth production — if choir R&B takes off, this song started it. The song relishes in this cacophony of warm sounds until returning to its sparse and peaceful verses.
This time, the hints of piano are louder, little twinkling synths begin to shimmer, the drum buildup comes and Jeongyeon drives the song straight into the chorus. No time for the strings to build like in Nayeon’s — this song loves its chorus so much.
And I'll just take this time to appreciate the amount of Jeongyeon vocals in this album. Her voice is so clean, stable, and projected — but also more tender and soft compared to the more pronounced tones of Nayeon and Jihyo.
The bridge comes in, repeating the phrase:

I wish that I could meet
Could meet the younger me

Oh, we were kids

Reflection, acceptance, hope. What a song.

THE GOOD

Heavenly vocals throughout
Relatable, heartfelt lyrics
Euphoric chorus
Great closer to the album

Needs Work

Refrain after the last chorus, "Back when we were kids," could’ve been executed better

Core Memory

For an album titled Between 1&2, I don’t think anything hits harder than finishing the song reviews, with this song in particular, during your 21st birthday

I wrote the first part of this review in November 2022. Then university, life, and other things got in the way of my headspace for me to feel confident about wrapping all of this up. In a way, I felt like I just didn’t want this review to end because of the joy that writing gives me — I didn’t want the happiness to end. And then it hit me, after watching a YouTuber rank animated movies and them placing Spirited Away at the top and explaining 'why' reminded me of just how important growing up is, and by extension this song.
This theme is important for both the rookie TWICE members in 2015 and the teenagers who would follow their journey and grow up with them, facing life’s obstacles along the way. Hardships that used to only involve family, crushes, and social media, evolve into work, commitments and all the struggles that adult life brings. Being a kid and enjoying the simple things in life is one of the most sought-after moments we want to relive because we took growing up for granted. The only thing we can do now is look back on ourselves with fondness and rose-tinted lenses.
TWICE’s original marketing was to resonate with people through their senses and their hearts. That was during their debut, and I think it still holds up today. In my opinion, touching people through their emotions is what TWICE does best and makes them one of K-pop’s all-time greats. It was never about having the best numbers — it was always about being the best idols. And to think that this journey of maturation and growth would occur from 2015 all the way to this song, being a fitting nod to TWICE’s 7th anniversary, I don’t think anyone at the company nor the group would ever imagine that they would get this far. It’s these nine women or none — 9/10.
This song honestly deserves a 10/10 with how much I noticed other people reminiscing their childhoods after I heard this song, it is such a widely-relatable message, but I am determined to limit myself to one 10/10 song per album and if I were to pick between TTT and WWWK, I'd give it to the one's that's more repeatable — Talk that Talk just has this electric energy about it.

Epilogue

And finally here is the end. If you made it in one sitting then I commend you, because I could not write this mess in one sitting. As alluded to, I started writing this album review sometime in October, after a series of edits the first draft was finished in March, and now here's the final draft in June.
I love this album. It got me through some important parts of my life, both good and bad, and it's just a wonderful listen throughout. Reliving this album again before finally completing the review has been an exciting journey. Brave hit me harder this time, after being overshadowed by the other gems of this album, and WWWK finally got me to tear up and not just be emotionally satisfied.
I feel like there's something for everyone on this album. From the exhilarating thrills of TTT to the anthemic euphoria of QoH, the clubbing dichotomy of Trouble and Brave to the blissful glee of Basics, and the sweet reminiscence of WWWK to the thundering anger that is Gone. Like Eyes wide open, I liken Between 1&2 to a pop music taste platter — there's such an eclectic mix of pop, music in this album that there's bound to be a song that someone will love, like, and dislike.
Is this album perfect? I don't think so, but it's close — it was certainly my 2022 AOTY. Was this review biased? Absolutely. I've been a fan since 2019 and with the themes in this album, I also feel like it was biased towards me as a ONCE. And how would I rank the album in TWICE's catalogue? It's honestly at the top, at least with EPs — I also felt that way towards Feel Special but then this album was birthed so I'm excited for TWICE's future.
Ready To Be was also a stunning album and Eyes wide open frankly also deserved the spotlight that Formula of Love received so I might hit those next but no promises; this album took long enough to bake.
As for the performances, I've only seen Twitter clips (no fancams to not spoil myself) and I am SO EXCITED to finally see them in July. QoH was as glorious as expected, Brave was a delightful surprise, and WWWK, while not being the concert closer everyone expected it to be, paired up nicely with Crazy Stupid Love. And of course the bombastic addition of the dance break to TTT. But, this is not a concert review, and this is where this album review ends.
Feel free to comment with any thoughts regarding the album, other TWICE albums, and any suggestions for my writing in general. Congrats again on making it this far!
God, I love this album.

submitted by smolcrackheadenergy to u/smolcrackheadenergy [link] [comments]

2023.05.25 23:42 spiritus_dei Veronica Wu and the corporate cancel culture.

Back in 2020 a successful venture capitalist named Veronica Wu wrote an internal email to a co-worker stating that she felt that Black Lives Matter were the true racists. Back then the public wasn’t aware of the shenanigans of the Black Lives Matter organization. Its leaders were pilfering millions of dollars and buying multi-million-dollar mansions all in the name of “racism”.
Worse, their founders were communists who hated America and were hiding behind a catchy slogan.
Source: https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/black-lives-matter-leaders-arent-capitalist-converts-they-still-want
Black Lives Matter was just another con job. Although most people (including Conservatives) agreed with the motto “Black Lives Matter”, not everyone knew there was a non-profit organization behind the scenes fleecing donors.
Liberals who want to cancel conservatives are usually not good students of history. The Republican Party was formed to end slavery and it was patriotic abolitionist Republicans that left the farms and factories and marched to Civil War battlefields to end the scourge of slavery. There was never any question whether Republicans believed that “Black Lives Matter”. Without them, slavery would have remained a sacred Southern institution. On the other side were the Southern Democrats who were willing to fight and die to continue the injustice of slavery.
The liberal media, many of them black female journalists, decided to make Veronica Wu a sacrificial lamb and cancel her. It didn’t matter that Veronica Wu was perhaps the most successful venture capitalist in the United States at the time helping to create thousands upon thousands of high paying jobs in Silicon Valley.
It didn't matter that Veronica Wu was herself a female minority. Veronica Wu had crossed the line and had the audacity to stand up against the dogma of the liberal left. And she would be pay dearly.
This was surprising because Veronica Wu wasn't a media personality. Unless you worked in the venture capital space you probably had never heard of her. And Veronica Wu didn't post her disdain for the Black Lives Matter organization on a public forum or blog -- it was a private email to a co-worker who later became disgruntled.
The disgruntled co-worker knew exactly how to game the system. The co-worker was also a female minority. She simply took the email and shared it with black female journalists who were only too happy to take the bait and destroy the career of our one our best and brightest minds.
Veronica Wu is an immigrant from China and attended Yale and later received a Ph.D Berkeley. She worked alongside some of the most well-known names in technology including Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. Veronica helped form Tesla China and hired the person who is currently overseeing everything Tesla does in China. And before that she was a leader at Apple overseeing an Asian division that increased 50x under her leadership and generated over a billion dollars in revenue.
Her track record as a venture capitalist was even more impressive and included over 34 unicorns that became $1+ billion dollar companies. The journalists never interviewed Veronica. They simply took the word of a disgruntled co-worker and posted Veronica's private email.
Here is the email that incensed the liberal media and corporate America:

https://preview.redd.it/k5kkg5se932b1.jpg?width=786&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6228034042d82acf9daa2bd124900ee750b2bfeb
Source: https://www.axios.com/2021/09/02/venture-capital-investor-racism
The great irony is that everything Veronica Wu said is accurate! We should live in a meritocracy. On a sidenote, the groups that are being discriminated against academically are Asians due to equal opportunity bias toward other minority groups.
If anyone should be complaining about discrimination it is high achieving Asians who are held to a different standard.
These journalists, again many of them black females, contacted all the boards where Veronica Wu was a director. This included VF corporation and Capgemini. And did those corporations defend Veronica Wu and tell these angry liberals to stop defaming members of their team?
Of course not, the minute the liberal media began pounding on the door Veronica Wu was forced to step down. And the liberal media gleefully covered the story of VF Corporation forcing Veronica out the door. VF Corporation owns such brands as North Face, Vans, and Supreme.
Source: https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/veronica-wu-vf-corp/
Axios, Business Insider, Yahoo News, and other liberal rags pulled off a hit job and the conservatives were silent. They just let it happen and didn't complain. You could hear a pin drop. And the result is that all of these so called "news organizations" are allowed to participate in career assassination with impunity. And companies like VF Corporation and Capgemini are co-conspirators and allowed to push the left's agenda without any response from the right.
But as the Bob Dylan song goes, "The times they are changin'." The Black Lives Matter organization has been exposed for the fraud that it is, but that's not enough. Instead of punishing people like Veronica Wu for sharing the truth, we should reward them.
Instead of being canceled by angry racists, their voices should amplified.
We should take the time to bring this injustice in the light of day. Everyone should know what VF Corporation and Capgemini did to Veronica. And that the liberals in San Francisco continue to punish Veronica Wu to this day -- banning her from events the minute they read that she questioned the conventional wisdom regarding the fraud ridden organization Black Lives Matter.
Conservative CEOs should seek out people like Veronica Wu and other who has stand up against the real racism in America. Instead of turning our backs on those willing to voice the truth we should embrace them.
I hope you will share this story with others. Thank you.

submitted by spiritus_dei to Capitalism [link] [comments]

2023.05.25 19:44 spiritus_dei Veronica Wu and the corporate cancel culture.

This is where I'm particularly not supportive. I have lived in the country as a minority and a woman for my entire life. I have not experienced much racism or discrimination as a minority or female. By and large, I was able to get opportunities to compete as fairly as I think. I truly believe this country by and large is not a racist country. Not to say there are not people who might be (there might be minority and some extremists), but it is by far not the biggest issue this country is facing. The more we try to make it an issue only aggravates the situation by making people more aware of the difference. This country is great because it is a meritocracy. If people are truly color blind then they would just stop talking about color and pay attention to the quality of the work. If we judge racism by requiring every job has to be based on a racial proportion vs. merits, then the NBA should not have so many black players. I don't see people complaining about that.
I don't believe in Black Lives Matter. If anything I think they are the true racists trying to stir up things to make this country go to socialism or even communism potentially. That would be truly sad. I am a patriot. I appreciate all this country has given me, and believe it is a place where meritocracy thrives which is why it is such a great country. I don't appreciate those who try to undermine the meritocracy principles and try to stick to some race quota. This happens to be something I deeply believe in. Sorry, I am not supporting this. Plus it is not really our decision. As it is a CSC company I don't believe we can just make this decision. (emphasis mine)

Source: https://www.axios.com/2021/09/02/venture-capital-investor-racism
The great irony is that everything Veronica Wu said is accurate! We should live in a meritocracy. On a sidenote, the groups that are being discriminated against academically are Asians due to affirmative action bias toward other minority groups.
If anyone should be complaining about discrimination it is high achieving Asians who are held to a different standard.
These journalists, again many of them black females, contacted all the boards where Veronica Wu was a director. This included VF corporation and Capgemini. And did those corporations defend Veronica Wu and tell these angry liberals to stop defaming members of their team?
Of course not, the minute the liberal media began pounding on the door Veronica Wu was forced to step down. And the liberal media gleefully covered the story of VF Corporation forcing Veronica out the door. VF Corporation owns such brands as North Face, Vans, and Supreme.
Source: https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/veronica-wu-vf-corp/
Axios, Business Insider, Yahoo News, and other liberal rags pulled off a hit job and the conservatives were silent. They just let it happen and didn't complain. You could hear a pin drop. And the result is that all of these so called "news organizations" are allowed to participate in career assassination with impunity. And companies like VF Corporation and Capgemini are co-conspirators and allowed to push the left's agenda without any response from the right.
But as the Bob Dylan song goes, "The times they are changin'." The Black Lives Matter organization has been exposed for the fraud that it is, but that's not enough. Instead of punishing people like Veronica Wu for sharing the truth, we should reward them.
Instead of being canceled by angry racists, their voices should amplified.
We should take the time to bring this injustice in the light of day. Everyone should know what VF Corporation and Capgemini did to Veronica. And that the liberals in San Francisco continue to punish Veronica Wu to this day -- banning her from events the minute they read that she questioned the conventional wisdom regarding the fraud ridden organization Black Lives Matter.
Conservative CEOs should seek out people like Veronica Wu and other who has stand up against the real racism in America. Instead of turning our backs on those willing to voice the truth we should embrace them.
I hope you will share this story with others. Thank you.

submitted by spiritus_dei to walkaway [link] [comments]

2023.05.25 19:33 spiritus_dei Veronica Wu and the corporate cancel culture.

Back in 2020 a successful venture capitalist named Veronica Wu wrote an internal email to a co-worker stating that she felt that Black Lives Matter were the true racists. Back then the public wasn’t aware of the shenanigans of the Black Lives Matter organization. Its leaders were pilfering millions of dollars and buying multi-million-dollar mansions all in the name of “racism”.
Worse, their founders were communists who hated America and were hiding behind a catchy slogan.
Source: https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/black-lives-matter-leaders-arent-capitalist-converts-they-still-want
Black Lives Matter was just another con job. Although most people (including Conservatives) agreed with the motto “Black Lives Matter”, not everyone knew there was a non-profit organization behind the scenes fleecing donors.
Liberals who want to cancel conservatives are usually not good students of history. The Republican Party was formed to end slavery and it was patriotic abolitionist Republicans that left the farms and factories and marched to Civil War battlefields to end the scourge of slavery. There was never any question whether Republicans believed that “Black Lives Matter”. Without them, slavery would have remained a sacred Southern institution. On the other side were the Southern Democrats who were willing to fight and die to continue the injustice of slavery.
The liberal media, many of them black female journalists, decided to make Veronica Wu a sacrificial lamb and cancel her. It didn’t matter that Veronica Wu was perhaps the most successful venture capitalist in the United States at the time helping to create thousands upon thousands of high paying jobs in Silicon Valley.
It didn't matter that Veronica Wu was herself a female minority. Veronica Wu had crossed the line and had the audacity to stand up against the dogma of the liberal left. And she would be pay dearly.
This was surprising because Veronica Wu wasn't a media personality. Unless you worked in the venture capital space you probably had never heard of her. And Veronica Wu didn't post her disdain for the Black Lives Matter organization on a public forum or blog -- it was a private email to a co-worker who later became disgruntled.
The disgruntled co-worker knew exactly how to game the system. The co-worker was also a female minority. She simply took the email and shared it with black female journalists who were only too happy to take the bait and destroy the career of our one our best and brightest minds.
Veronica Wu is an immigrant from China and attended Yale and later received a Ph.D Berkeley. She worked alongside some of the most well-known names in technology including Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. Veronica helped form Tesla China and hired the person who is currently overseeing everything Tesla does in China. And before that she was a leader at Apple overseeing an Asian division that increased 50x under her leadership and generated over a billion dollars in revenue.
Her track record as a venture capitalist was even more impressive and included over 34 unicorns that became $1+ billion dollar companies. The journalists never interviewed Veronica. They simply took the word of a disgruntled co-worker and posted Veronica's private email.
Here is the email that incensed the liberal media and corporate America:

https://preview.redd.it/73mqqfwnt12b1.png?width=828&format=png&auto=webp&s=c9e58702e8f67d2c07e13ce4344cdbb60d56e13e
Source: https://www.axios.com/2021/09/02/venture-capital-investor-racism
The great irony is that everything Veronica Wu said is accurate! We should live in a meritocracy. On a sidenote, the groups that are being discriminated against academically are Asians due to affirmative action bias toward other minority groups.
If anyone should be complaining about discrimination it is high achieving Asians who are held to a different standard.
These journalists, again many of them black females, contacted all the boards where Veronica Wu was a director. This included VF corporation and Capgemini. And did those corporations defend Veronica Wu and tell these angry liberals to stop defaming members of their team?
Of course not, the minute the liberal media began pounding on the door Veronica Wu was forced to step down. And the liberal media gleefully covered the story of VF Corporation forcing Veronica out the door. VF Corporation owns such brands as North Face, Vans, and Supreme.
Source: https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/veronica-wu-vf-corp/
Axios, Business Insider, Yahoo News, and other liberal rags pulled off a hit job and the conservatives were silent. They just let it happen and didn't complain. You could hear a pin drop. And the result is that all of these so called "news organizations" are allowed to participate in career assassination with impunity. And companies like VF Corporation and Capgemini are co-conspirators and allowed to push the left's agenda without any response from the right.
But as the Bob Dylan song goes, "The times they are changin'." The Black Lives Matter organization has been exposed for the fraud that it is, but that's not enough. Instead of punishing people like Veronica Wu for sharing the truth, we should reward them.
Instead of being canceled by angry racists, their voices should amplified.
We should take the time to bring this injustice in the light of day. Everyone should know what VF Corporation and Capgemini did to Veronica. And that the liberals in San Francisco continue to punish Veronica Wu to this day -- banning her from events the minute they read that she questioned the conventional wisdom regarding the fraud ridden organization Black Lives Matter.
Conservative CEOs should seek out people like Veronica Wu and other who has stand up against the real racism in America. Instead of turning our backs on those willing to voice the truth we should embrace them.
I hope you will share this story with others. Thank you.

submitted by spiritus_dei to Republican [link] [comments]

2023.05.16 18:41 WarKingTate How to pass a prop firm challenge GUARANTEED [Ultimate Prop firm challenge passing strategy]

Welcome to The Ultimate Prop Firm Challenge Blueprint: Unlocking Funded Accounts.
Skip out on the tutorial and use the same prop firm company that passed for me and got me funded $300k

The Ultimate Guide to Successfully Passing Prop Firm Challenges

In the world of forex trading, one common hurdle for many up-and-coming traders is learning how to "pass prop firm challenges". These challenges act as crucial gatekeepers to a potentially lucrative career in the dynamic world of proprietary trading.
One such challenge that traders often encounter is the FTMO challenge, an evaluation process used by the Forex Traders Money Office (FTMO) to screen potential proprietary traders. Many aspirants are constantly in search for reliable methods to pass your FTMO challenge.
What's unique about our guide is that it is specially designed to help you pass prop firm challenge scenarios, with a strong emphasis on the FTMO challenge. The guide contains tried-and-tested strategies, risk management techniques, and emotional resilience building tactics to bolster your trading performance.
The need for a specific guide to pass prop firm challenges cannot be overstated. Every prop firm has its unique trading conditions, rules, and profit targets, making each challenge distinct. Our guide offers tailored advice, helping you navigate these hurdles efficiently.
For those specifically looking to ftmo pass, our guide delves deeper into the structure of the FTMO challenge, examining its two-step evaluation process: the FTMO Challenge and the Verification stage. It offers strategic tips and tricks that are critical to success, not only focusing on market knowledge but also on mental and psychological preparation.
Our motto is "we pass your FTMO challenge". This is more than just a catchy phrase; it’s a testament to our confidence in the effectiveness of our strategies. With this guide, we work closely with you, providing personalized advice and mentorship, aiming to increase your chances of passing the challenge.
In essence, passing prop firm challenge scenarios is not an impossible task. With the right resources, like our comprehensive guide, and a healthy dose of determination, you can definitely cross this milestone in your forex trading career. Remember, the road to success in proprietary trading often starts with conquering these challenges.
This premium guide offers not just a roadmap to navigate and conquer prop firm challenges, but it also serves as a comprehensive toolset to empower your trading journey, from the initial steps to managing a funded account. Each page of this book is crafted with meticulous detail, informed by years of industry experience, and shaped by countless successes in the prop trading arena.
This eBook is designed for a broad audience. Whether you're just getting started in trading or you're an experienced trader looking to refine your skills and broaden your horizons, this guide promises to bring substantial value to your trading experience. For beginners, it will demystify the complexities of prop trading and provide a solid foundation on which to build a successful trading career. For seasoned traders, it will offer new perspectives, refine your strategies, and perhaps most importantly, show you how to consistently navigate and pass prop firm challenges.
It's not just the content within these pages that will change your trading journey, but also the mindset it fosters. Prop trading is not just about knowing the market trends; it's equally about understanding the psychological aspects of trading, managing risks effectively, and developing a consistent, disciplined approach. This book aims to inculcate this holistic perspective, creating traders who are balanced, informed, and successful.
The value of this premium guide lies in the wealth of information it offers. It doesn't just stop at helping you pass the prop firm challenges; it goes beyond that. It shows you how to maintain consistency in your profits, manage your funded account responsibly, and make strategic decisions for long-term success. The knowledge you'll gain from this book is equivalent to years of industry experience, offering you a shortcut to a successful trading career.
Every aspect of this book, from the detailed explanation of trading concepts to the carefully chosen case studies, is aimed at empowering you with a strong knowledge base and practical skills. We are confident that it's an investment that will pay for itself many times over.
Embark on this journey with confidence and enthusiasm. The challenges you'll face are stepping stones, and the knowledge you'll gain will be your most valuable asset. By the end of this guide, you'll have the keys to unlock a successful and lucrative career in prop trading. Let's get started.
How Hard is It to Pass the Prop Firm Challenge?
In the world of trading and financial services, proprietary (prop) trading firms represent a unique arena for those seeking to make a career in the financial markets. These firms trade their own capital rather than that of clients, creating a distinctively competitive and potentially lucrative environment for traders. However, getting a seat at the table requires prospective traders to pass what's known as a prop firm challenge. So, just how hard is it to pass this challenge? Let's delve into it.
What is a Prop Firm Challenge?
A prop firm challenge is a screening process used by proprietary trading firms to assess a candidate's trading ability before they are offered a funded account. The specifics of the challenge vary from firm to firm, but typically involve simulated trading scenarios where candidates must meet specific performance goals without exceeding risk limits. These tests are designed to measure a candidate's understanding of markets, risk management, and profitability.
What Does it Take to Pass?

Understanding Market Behaviour: Proprietary trading firms are looking for traders who can understand and predict market behavior. This requires a deep understanding of technical and fundamental analysis, market indicators, and economic events. Firms will also assess a candidate's ability to formulate and implement trading strategies effectively.
Risk Management Skills: One of the primary components of the prop firm challenge is demonstrating risk management skills. Candidates are required to show that they can protect capital and limit losses while seeking profitable trades. This involves setting stop-loss points, managing leverage, and diversifying trades.
Consistent Profitability: Simply put, prop firms are looking for traders who can make money. However, consistent profitability is key. Candidates are often expected to reach certain profit targets over a given period without exceeding predefined drawdown limits.
Emotional Resilience: Trading is as much about psychology as it is about numbers. The ability to remain calm under pressure, to avoid impulsive decisions, and to maintain discipline are crucial traits firms look for. Though harder to quantify, these aspects of trading psychology are usually reflected in a trader's performance during the challenge.

The Difficulty Level
As you can imagine, the prop firm challenge is designed to be rigorous and demanding. Prospective traders are often pushed to their limits, testing their knowledge, skill, and emotional resilience. Furthermore, because real money is at stake once a trader is accepted into a firm, the pressure to perform well in the challenge is significant.
Statistically, the majority of candidates do not pass the prop firm challenge on their first attempt. However, this should not discourage aspiring traders. The challenge is a learning opportunity, and many traders find that even if they don't pass initially, they gain valuable insight and experience.
The difficulty level of the challenge also means that those who do pass can be confident in their trading abilities. Making it through the prop firm challenge is a strong indicator of a trader's potential to succeed in the high-stakes world of proprietary trading.
Chapter 1: The Proven Strategy: Our Secret to Consistent Profits
Welcome to the heart of our guide: the proven strategy that has consistently led us to success in passing prop firm challenges. This strategy is born out of years of hard work, refining, testing, and adapting to ever-changing market conditions. It's a comprehensive approach that combines key elements of risk management with the identification of profitable trade setups. Let's delve into the details.
Understanding the Strategy
At its core, our strategy is based on three fundamental pillars:

Strong Technical Analysis: We heavily rely on price action and major technical indicators to identify high-probability trade setups. The technical analysis helps us understand market trends, identify potential reversal points, and forecast price movements.
Effective Risk Management: Each trade we enter adheres to strict risk management principles to protect our trading capital. This includes setting stop losses, managing leverage effectively, and never risking more than a set percentage of our capital on a single trade.
Emotion-free Trading: We believe in following the strategy and the numbers, not emotions. All trades are based on technical analysis and predefined rules, not on gut feelings or emotional reactions to market fluctuations.

Step 1: Market Analysis
Before we even consider entering a trade, we start with an in-depth market analysis. This includes analyzing macroeconomic news, understanding the overall market sentiment, and performing technical analysis on multiple time frames. We look for major trends, support and resistance levels, chart patterns, and key technical indicators.
Step 2: Trade Identification
Using our technical analysis, we identify potential trade setups. This could be a price bouncing off a key support level, a recognized chart pattern (like a head and shoulders or double top), or an indicator signaling a potential price reversal.
Step 3: Risk Assessment and Trade Setup
Once a potential trade is identified, we assess the risk associated with the trade. We look at the potential profit target (where we anticipate the price will go) and the stop loss (where we will exit the trade if the market moves against us). We follow a strict rule of only entering trades where the potential profit is at least twice as much as the potential loss (a 2:1 reward-to-risk ratio).
Step 4: Trade Execution
With the trade setup and risk parameters defined, we execute the trade at the right moment. This could be a market order (buying or selling immediately) or a pending order (buying or selling when the price reaches a specific level).
Step 5: Trade Management
Once the trade is live, we monitor its progress, ready to adjust our stop loss or take profit levels if necessary. If the market moves in our favor, we may employ techniques like trailing stop losses to lock in profits. If the market moves against us, our pre-set stop loss will automatically close the trade, limiting our loss to the predefined amount.
Step 6: Review and Learn
After a trade is closed, whether it's a win or a loss, we review the trade to understand what went well and what could be improved. This continuous learning process helps us refine our strategy and improve our trading skills.
Our strategy's beauty lies in its simplicity and effectiveness. It might not promise the allure of 'get-rich-quick' schemes, but it offers something much better: a proven, consistent approach to trading that protects your capital while delivering steady profits. Stick to the plan, respect the market, manage your risks, and the market will reward you. Happy trading!

Chapter 2: Small Risk, High Reward Setups: The Art of Identifying Opportunities
Welcome to the second chapter in our strategy blueprint. In this section, we will focus on one of the most critical skills a trader must master: identifying high-reward, low-risk trade setups. These are the trades that offer the potential for significant profit while limiting the potential for loss. By mastering this skill, you will be able to grow your account steadily while keeping your risk under control.
Understanding Risk-Reward Ratio
Before we dive into identifying these opportunities, it's crucial to understand the concept of the risk-reward ratio. This is a measure used by traders to compare the expected returns of an investment to the potential risk undertaken to capture these returns.
A risk-reward ratio of 1:2 means that for every $1 risked, the anticipated return is $2. In this case, even if you were to lose on more trades than you win, you would still be profitable overall.
Step 1: Identifying High-Profit Potential Trades
The first step in finding high-reward, low-risk trade setups is to identify trades with high-profit potential. This typically involves comprehensive technical analysis to identify trending markets or potential reversal points.

Trending Markets: In a trending market, the adage 'the trend is your friend' rings true. Identifying a strong trend can offer multiple opportunities to enter trades in the direction of the trend, each with the potential for significant profit.
Reversal Points: These are points in the market where the price is likely to reverse direction. They can often be identified by key support and resistance levels, chart patterns (like double tops or double bottoms), or divergence on technical indicators.

Step 2: Defining Your Risk
Once you've identified a potential trade setup, the next step is to define your risk. This usually involves setting a stop loss – a point at which you will exit the trade if the market moves against you. Your stop loss should be set at a level that, if reached, indicates that your initial trade idea was wrong.
Step 3: Evaluating the Risk-Reward Ratio
With your potential profit target and stop loss defined, you can now evaluate the risk-reward ratio. If the potential profit is at least twice as much as the potential loss (a 2:1 risk-reward ratio), the trade can be considered a high-reward, low-risk setup.
Step 4: Trade Execution
If the trade setup meets your criteria for a high-reward, low-risk opportunity, you can execute the trade. It's crucial to follow your trading plan and not let emotions dictate your decisions at this stage.
Step 5: Trade Management
Once your trade is live, it's essential to manage it effectively. This may involve moving your stop loss to break even once the trade is sufficiently in profit, or using a trailing stop loss to lock in profits as the price moves in your favor.
Finding high-reward, low-risk trade setups is a skill that can dramatically improve your trading results. It requires practice and patience, but with the right tools and mindset, you can master this skill and significantly enhance your trading performance. Remember, the key is consistency – not every trade will be a winner, but with a good risk-reward ratio, you can be profitable in the long run.
Chapter 3: Case Studies: Successful Trades Explained
In this chapter, we'll examine real-world trades that beautifully illustrate the application of the strategies and techniques covered so far. These case studies will provide you with valuable insights and a comprehensive understanding of successful trading.
Case Study 1: Riding the Trend
In this first case, we'll study a successful trade where we rode a strong trend. The asset in question had been in a significant uptrend, consistently forming higher highs and higher lows – a clear indication of bullish sentiment.
We identified the trade setup using a combination of moving averages and a momentum indicator. The moving averages had just crossed over, signaling a possible continuation of the uptrend, and the momentum indicator was also showing strong upward momentum.
We set our stop loss below the recent swing low, ensuring that we would be taken out of the trade only if the uptrend was genuinely reversing. Our profit target was set at a level where the asset had previously encountered resistance, offering a risk-reward ratio of more than 2:1.
The asset price continued its upward trend, and we eventually hit our profit target, resulting in a profitable trade.
Case Study 2: Catching a Reversal
In this second case, we'll look at a trade where we successfully caught a market reversal. The asset had been in a sustained downtrend but was approaching a significant support level.
We observed a bullish divergence on the RSI, a technical indicator that can signal potential reversals. This divergence, combined with the approach to the support level, suggested that the downtrend might be running out of steam.
We entered a long trade, setting our stop loss below the support level. Our profit target was set at a previous level of resistance, offering a risk-reward ratio of 3:1.
In the following days, the asset price reversed and began to climb, eventually hitting our profit target and resulting in a substantial profit.
Case Study 3: Navigating a Range-Bound Market
In this final case study, we'll explore a successful trade in a range-bound market. The asset price had been bouncing between a level of support and resistance, neither gaining nor losing significant ground.
We identified a potential short trade when the price rebounded off the resistance level, confirmed by a bearish candlestick pattern. We set our stop loss above the resistance level and our profit target at the support level, offering a risk-reward ratio of 2.5:1.
The asset price subsequently fell back towards the support level, hitting our profit target and resulting in another successful trade.
Each of these case studies illustrates how the strategy and techniques we've discussed can be applied in different market scenarios. The critical lesson is to be patient, let the market come to you, and only enter trades when the setup meets your predefined criteria. By doing this, you can increase your chances of trading success and achieve consistent profitability.
Chapter 4: The Pitfalls to Avoid: How Not to Blow Your Account
Every journey has its stumbling blocks, and trading is no different. In this chapter, we will shine a light on the common pitfalls that traders often encounter, especially when dealing with prop firm challenges. By understanding these mistakes and learning how to avoid them, you can protect your account from unnecessary losses and keep your trading career on a steady path.
Pitfall 1: Overtrading
Overtrading occurs when a trader makes too many trades, often as a result of impatience or a desire to quickly recoup losses. This can lead to a significant drain on your account as losses from unsuccessful trades add up.
Solution: Stick to your trading plan and only enter trades when the setup meets your predefined criteria. Remember, in trading, patience is a virtue. Sometimes, the best trade is no trade at all.
Pitfall 2: Neglecting Risk Management
Some traders are so focused on potential profits that they neglect risk management, failing to set stop losses or risking too much capital on a single trade. This can lead to catastrophic losses that can wipe out your account.
Solution: Always adhere to your risk management rules. Set a stop loss for every trade, never risk more than a set percentage of your account on a single trade, and aim for trades with a good risk-reward ratio.
Pitfall 3: Trading Based on Emotion
Many traders let their emotions guide their trading decisions, leading to impulsive trades that deviate from their trading plan. Fear and greed can be particularly destructive, causing traders to hold onto losing trades too long or to chase after unrealistic profits.
Solution: Develop a disciplined mindset and stick to your trading plan. Don't let fear or greed dictate your trading decisions. Instead, base your decisions on sound analysis and predefined rules.
Pitfall 4: Failing to Learn from Mistakes
All traders make mistakes, but successful traders view these mistakes as learning opportunities. If you ignore your mistakes or refuse to accept responsibility for them, you're doomed to repeat them.
Solution: After each trade, take the time to review and analyze what happened. Learn from your mistakes and use them to refine and improve your trading strategy.
Pitfall 5: Unrealistic Expectations
Many traders enter the market with unrealistic expectations, hoping to turn a small account into a fortune overnight. These traders often take excessive risks in pursuit of quick profits, which can lead to significant losses.
Solution: Understand that trading is a marathon, not a sprint. Set realistic goals and focus on achieving consistent profitability rather than chasing after 'home run' trades.
By understanding these common pitfalls and how to avoid them, you can greatly enhance your trading performance and protect your account from significant losses. Remember, successful trading is not just about making profits; it's also about preserving your capital and managing your risks effectively.

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