#doubles as cunning self-promotion

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Inside the World of High-Stakes Gambling

In the fast-paced world of high-stakes gambling, where fortunes are won and lost in the blink of an eye, online casinos have emerged as the epicenter of excitement and intrigue. With just a click of a button, players can enter a virtual realm where the stakes are high, the adrenaline is pumping, and the rewards are potentially life-changing. Join us as we delve into the captivating universe of online casinos, where the allure of big wins collides with the ever-present risk of losing it all.

Online casinos have revolutionized the way people experience gambling, offering unprecedented convenience and accessibility. No longer bound by geographical constraints or limited operating hours, players can indulge in their favorite casino games anytime, anywhere, from the comfort of their own homes or even on the go. The proliferation of smartphones and high-speed internet connectivity has further fueled the growth of online gambling, attracting a diverse array of players from across the globe.

At the heart of the online casino experience lies the adrenaline rush of high-stakes gambling. Whether it's the thrill of spinning the roulette wheel, the strategic cunning of playing poker, or the sheer luck of hitting the jackpot on a slot machine, every game offers the promise of immense riches and the possibility of crushing defeat. For many players, the allure of high-stakes gambling lies in the tension between risk and reward, the excitement of chasing that elusive big win while knowing that at any moment, fortunes can change in an instant.

But with great risk comes great responsibility, and the world of high-stakes gambling is not without its dangers. The ease of access provided by bk8 casino philippines can be a double-edged sword, luring in players with the promise of quick riches while exposing them to the potential pitfalls of addiction and financial ruin. The anonymity of the internet can also breed a sense of detachment and impulsivity, leading players to make reckless decisions they might not otherwise make in a traditional casino setting.

Despite these risks, the appeal of high-stakes gambling remains undeniable, drawing in a dedicated community of players who thrive on the adrenaline-fueled excitement of the chase. For some, it's not just about the money, but the thrill of outsmarting opponents, mastering complex strategies, and pushing the limits of luck and skill. In the high-stakes world of online casinos, every wager is a calculated risk, every win a triumph, and every loss a lesson learned.

But amidst the glitz and glamour of high-stakes gambling, it's important to remember that not everyone emerges victorious. Behind every big win lurks countless tales of heartbreak and despair, of fortunes squandered and dreams shattered. The allure of the jackpot can be intoxicating, leading players to chase their losses in a never-ending cycle of hope and disappointment.

That's why responsible gambling practices are more important than ever, especially in the world of high-stakes online casinos. Setting limits, knowing when to walk away, and seeking help if gambling becomes a problem are essential steps in ensuring that the thrill of the game doesn't spiral into something more sinister. Online casinos themselves have a responsibility to promote responsible gaming practices, implementing measures such as age verification, self-exclusion programs, and limits on deposits and wagers to protect players from harm.

In conclusion, the world of high-stakes gambling is a thrilling and often perilous journey into the unknown, where fortunes are made and lost on a daily basis. Online casinos have opened up a world of opportunity for players around the globe, offering unprecedented access to the adrenaline-fueled excitement of high-stakes gaming. But with great opportunity comes great risk, and it's important for players to approach the virtual casino floor with caution and responsibility. By staying informed, setting limits, and knowing when to walk away, players can ensure that their online gambling experience remains enjoyable, thrilling, and above all, safe.

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Creative Ways To Use Silicone Keychains

The modern world is a synonym of innovation and creativity. Today not only me and you but everyone is searching for ways to express ourselves and make a statement. Thinking about being the reliable Silicone Keychain Manufacturers in Delhi, we are talking about such creativity and a modern world. So, the answer is quite simple. 

Whether it is through fashion, domestic decor, or even everyday gadgets, creativity knows no bounds. One regularly-disregarded canvas for self-expression is the standard Silicone Keychain that we manufacture. These versatile little add-ons may be transformed into precise and private gadgets that replicate your fashion and personality. Want to know how? Join us as we bring 8 innovative ways to use them to add a touch of individuality to your daily existence in this blog. 

What you guys are thinking? Let’s start this amazing trip full of thrill and creativity. Here we go:

Different Ways To Use Silicone Keychains:

•    Customized Bag Tags •    Promotional Merchandise •    Pet Identification Tags •    DIY Bracelets •    Cable Organizers •    Plant Pot Labels •    Unique Wine Glass Markers •    Gift Tags with a Twist, and more.

Customized Bag Tags: We all want our baggage to stand out in a sea of black and brown baggage at the airport carousel. They may be customized with your name, touch records, or maybe a favorite quote. Attach them to your bags, backpacks, or purses for an on-the-spot non-public touch. Not only do they make your bags smooth to identify, but in addition, they upload a dash of persona to your travel gear.

Promotional Merchandise: For companies, these PVC Keychains present a wonderful possibility for promotional products. Customize them with your agency logo, slogan, or touch data. These pleasing keychains may be distributed on occasions, trade suggests, or as part of promotional giveaways to enhance logo visibility and leave an enduring impression on potential customers and customers.

Pet Identification Tags: Our 4-legged buddies deserve a chunk of private aptitude too. They can double as puppy identity tags. Engrave your puppy's name and your touch info, connect it to their collar, and make certain they usually locate their manner back domestic. These colorful tags now not handiest serve a practical reason but also add a laugh detail to your pet's apparel.

DIY Bracelets: Wondering how it is possible to make a keychain bracelet? It’s quite possible. Get cunning and flip the Keychain into a statement bracelet. Mix and match one-of-a-kind colorings and shapes to create unique wristwear that complements your clothing. The flexibility and durability of silicone make those bracelets cushy to put on and proof against put on and tear, making them an elegant addition to your accent series. Amazing right?

Cable Organizers: Tired of tangled charging cables and earphones? They can be repurposed as cable organizers. Thread your cables through the keychain hollow, and voila! You have a nifty device to hold your cords prepared and without problems accessible. Say goodbye to the frustration of untangling knots.

Plant Pot Labels: Gardening lovers pay attention! As Rubber keychains are now here to be served as plant pot

labels. Write the names of your herbs, vegetation, or vegetables on these colorful tags, and stick them to your garden pots or plant beds. Not best do they assist you in staying organized, but in addition, they add a pop of coloration to your garden.

Unique Wine Glass Markers: Hosting a night meal or amassing? Yes, they do help in that too. They can be transformed into fashionable wine glass markers. Attach them to the stem of every glass and assign a one-of-a-kind color to each visitor. No more puzzling your Chardonnay with someone else's Merlot. It's a practical and elegant manner to preserve the song of your drink.

Gift Tags with a Twist: Elevate your present-giving game by way of the usage of custom keychains as present tags. Write a heartfelt message or the recipient's name on the keychain and fix it for your gift with a ribbon or wire. It's a considerate and reusable opportunity to standard paper present tags, and your family will admire the extra attempt.

Final Words:

Silicone Tags & keychains are more than just practical accessories; they're versatile gear for self-expression and creativity. Whether you are trying to add a personal contact to your property, sell your commercial enterprise, or without a doubt experience a few DIY crafting, those little wonders have been given you blanketed. So, the following time you notice a silicone keychain, don't underestimate its potential. Unlock your creativity and permit your imagination to run wild!

We, one of the top Keychain and Bar Mat Manufacturers in India, are always just a call away from you to assist you. Talk to us to enquire more, or drop your bulk demand via the enquiry form right away!

#Keychain #Silicone Keychain #Silicone Keychain manufacturers #Best Silicone Keychain #Top Silicone Keychain manufacturers #Jh Ads

[bloggish]

First Fic Lines Analysis Tag Meme

Tagged by @ofwickedlight​ <3

Rules: List the first lines of your last 10 published stories. See if there are any patterns yourself, or have other people say what they notice. Tag up to 10 friends! 

1. Jason doesn't know any of these people. He likes them well enough, but he doesn't know them. Well, he likes Mark and Howard. Gary seems very serious, and Rob seems very... young. But he doesn't have anything against either of them. But in any case, none of that's the point of it all, this is a way to use his dancing skills and whatever else he has going for him, to be something other than a painter and decorator, to help his mother and many siblings out as much as they need. They all seem nice enough he can put up with them for, well, as long as this lasts. (Madrigal, TT)

2. Jaime wishes that sword had never come back to King's Landing. (At the End of the Night, ASoIaF/GoT)

3. “Well, that was a funny thing to say.” (Bigger Is..., TT)

4. Gary does know him. (Opening Night, Closing Night, TT/1D)

5. Bran might have loved him once. (Beneath the Heart Tree, ASoIaF/GoT)

6. “Gaz, if you touch that stereo one more time, I'm going to tie you to the bed.” (When I Open My Eyes, TT)

7.  “Are you eating again?” (Cream, TT)

8. “It was brave of you to come back here.” (Lionheart, ASoIaF/GoT)

9. Sansa used to dream of a queen, with eyes like jewels and bright blonde hair shimmering in the against the sunlit snows, a queen who's every word dripped with power, and yet still looked as sweet as her lemon cakes. (Regina Rex, ASoIaF/GoT)

10. I'm going to break a fucking ankle. (Dress Code, TT)

So uh, with a couple of exceptions, my first lines to be short, pithy, and not make a lot of sense out of context. I think I’m working on the “hook the readers first, explain later” principle, whether or not it succeds, you will have to tell me. I’m also somewhat prone to starting with dialogue, particularly for smutty or somewhat smutty works. Perhaps that makes it easier to just start in the swing of things and go with it?

I generally hate tagging people because I’m shyyyyy~, but I will @owlsinathens. Hopefully she doesn’t mind. >.>

#writing #fanfic #doubles as cunning self-promotion #*puts on cunning face*

[eujazmine]

all gifs from christianscody !

JAZMINE HARPER - TV TROPES

manipulative bastard

The Manipulative Bastard is the master manipulator of people, in essence, a character who manipulates others through their emotions, perspectives, psychologies and any other way they can get them dancing to their tune. This is the guy or gal who gets off on playing head/mind games—clever and dangerous and lacking comedic overtones (usually). She always has a plan ready, but rather than do any work, the Manipulative Bastard prefers to play on other characters' emotions and mental states and then watch the victims destroy themselves as they waste their energy on fighting against fake dangers or their friends.

are we surprised? with a lack of loyalty to others, including her own family, jazmine will gladly step on others and use their weaknesses to her advantage to get what she wants. she’s been a manipulative bastard since she was a child, ever since she first discovered how much her mist control could control the perceptions of others. observant and resourceful, jazmine has no qualms using her talents to gain unauthorized information about others and using it for her personal gain. she views people as her pawns, and her selfish way of thinking gives her little guilt about physically or mentally forcing others into submission. this is a trait she’s picked up from her own father, which we will delve into in the next trope.

daddy’s little villain

mention of emotional abuse tw

She's the daughter of an Evil Overlord, who shares her parent's ambition, cunning, and cruelty. She could be anything from a simple Spoiled Brat to an Overlord in waiting. She's also likely to be a Princess (since even villainy is improved with that), although she will still prefer wearing black or dark colors over pink. 

jazmine’s mortal father can largely be thanked for the way she is now. from as young as she can remember, he was training jazmine to be a powerful force in both the demigod and mortal world. while he raised her to think she could accomplish anything she worked toward, she was mostly a pawn to satisfy his thirst for power. he didn’t care much for her as a daughter; mostly for what she could do for him. she started to recognize this during her formative middle school years, consequently turning her childhood role model into her worst enemy. when she started rebelling against him and acting out, he sent her away full-time to a camp on the other side of the globe. since then, the issues only progressed, eventually leading to a falling out in which she hasn’t seen or spoken to her mortal family in many years. 

this upbringing has fueled her desire to constantly be the best in her fields of expertise, which is partly why she quested for years in hopes of some type of recognition. with the heavily hidden hope that she could one day rub in his face that she had succeeded without him, all her life she has fought to try to ‘prove her worth’ to others despite being the daughter of a minor goddess (or titan). because her father only loved what she could do for him, she places everyone in two categories: the puppets, and the puppeteers. 

and she will never be the puppet again.

broken ace

He's tall, charming, strikingly good-looking, well-spoken in five languages, and classically trained in even more instruments. But inside, he's an ugly, writhing mass of self-hatred and Parental Issues. Expect him to have at least one bizarre trait or ability that should not be overlooked, as well as an unhealthy attitude about love, life, and humanity in general. He most likely doesn't have anyone that loves or respects him for what he really is. This may be justified. This character is usually male, but not always. Also, he may just be a perfectionist crumbling under his own standards. The chief difference between the Broken Ace and the usually female Stepford Smiler is that the Stepford Smiler wants to appear normal at all costs, often to the point of hurting herself emotionally (or because she's sociopathic). This guy has the same setup, but is more talented and wants to be the best, loved by all, and accepted.

although the timeline wasn’t as accelerated as she had hoped when she was a child, jazmine was making waves in the world of deities before her last quest against zeus had occurred. now, as a semi-retired quester, she is captain of the football team and starting to make a name for herself in the mortal fields of business and sports. despite the air of nonchalant superiority that she constantly tries to present, she is in a constant state of despair. right when she starts to undergo some development in her relationships with others, they leave, and she is constantly failing her own impossibly high standards. she’s crumbling, and at any point she is ready to run away again.

ice queen

Much like a Tomboy, the Ice Queen is a major character archetype which is somewhat hard to define. Her signature characteristic is that she is cold; the ambiguity comes from what "cold" means. She has a cold heart, a frosty demeanor and very often a resting bitch face; she attracts but will never be wooed. The Ice Queen is considered dangerous to love because she will not (or cannot) love back. She's not much for friendship either, preferring to be alone. Situations where an Ice Queen "thaws" and learns to enjoy the company of others are so common that they have their own trope.

she’s cold and takes no shit. she holds people at a distance, even those that could potentially be considered friends. she doesn’t believe in unconditional love, and she believes that most affection direct toward her is generally a ruse to get her guard down. she’s unnecessarily rude to others, almost relishing in the negative reactions at times, but to her, she’s just keeping it real.

the trickster

A trickster is a character who plays tricks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior. The Trickster openly questions and mocks authority, encourages impulse and enthusiasm, seeks out new ideas and experiences, destroys convention and complacency, and promotes chaos and unrest. At the same time, the trickster brings new knowledge, wisdom and many An Aesop. Even when punished horribly for his effrontery, his indomitable spirit (or plain sheer foolishness) keeps him coming back for more. Tricksters can be anything from gods of chaos, bedeviling heroes for a few laughs, to master manipulators who use cruel ploys and sadistic choices. They can also be heroes (or more likely Anti-Heroes) who make up for a lack of strength or bravery with manipulation, planning, or just plain cheating. The trickster is often a Master of Disguise and may have magical or super-powers. They're often found Walking the Earth.

although this description was much more relevant when she was younger, jazmine has a penchant for drama and chaos. she genuinely has fun engaging in pranks and tricks, and she gladly lifts a symbolic middle finger to authority in any chance that she gets. in middle school, she was nearly expelled from a mortal school because of all her tricks, and she spent a sizable portion of her adult years before eonia traveling and engaging in casual mayhem. when she isn’t getting revenge or fulfilling a paid request, she generally has fun toying with others.

deadpan snarker

A character prone to gnomic, sarcastic, sometimes bitter, occasionally whimsical asides. The Deadpan Snarker exists to deflate pomposity, point out the unlikelihood of certain plans, and deliver funny lines. Typically the most cynical supporting character. In most cases, it is implied that the snarker would make a good leader, strategist, or consultant given their ability to instantly see the flaws in a constructed plan. More often than not, their innate snarkiness is the only thing preventing the other characters from comprehending this for themselves. In other cases, the Deadpan Snarker resorts to sarcasm because they're the Only Sane Man. Tends to be shot a Death Glare when they go too far (and probably isn't without one of their own, either). Note that due to the definition evolving, the "Deadpan" part of the title has gradually become The Artifact and a deadpan delivery is no longer a necessary part of the trope.

jazmine is no stranger to delivering biting remarks coupled with foul language. she’s quick to point out flaws, opting for the brutally honest approach more times than not. she’s aware that her language can hurt others, but she finds it easier to escape the frivolities and get to the point. depending on the person, she exaggerates this trope by trying to draw out a bad response from them, mostly for her own entertainment. people already view her as heinous, so why not embrace the reputation, right?

survivor guilt

death mention tw

You might be the Last Of Your Kind or someone else made a Heroic Sacrifice for you or you lived through a Restricted Rescue Operation, but whatever the reason, you're going to feel a massive sense of guilt. 

although the quest with adelphie and celeste was technically a success, with the trident successfully being returned back to poseidon, the team had faced major losses. adelphie had lost her life, and celeste had suffered debilitating injuries. physically, jazmine suffered the least, and it’s a guilt that she continues to carry.

aloof big sister

to the majority of the hecate family, especially @rostameu

He's smarter, stronger, faster, more talented, and more refined than the hero, and — just to add insult to injury — he's probably sexier, too. His only problem seems to be moving his face out of that expression of bored, dignified disdain. And he just happens to be the elder brother of one of the main cast, which often gives them a raging inferiority complex. Will most likely double as the Ineffectual Loner and Noble Demon, thereby running the risk of becoming an Ensemble Darkhorse. May or may not be evil, strictly speaking, but is almost guaranteed to fight against the protagonists at one point, and spout off Cryptic Conversation to prove how much better informed he is. May or may not be a Stealth Mentor and/or consider his younger siblings annoying. Often an integral part of a mysterious organisation, and may be the Enigmatic Minion or even a Hero Antagonist in that case.

OKAY, so the running joke with jazmine is that she dislikes her siblings, which is very true tbh. i’m not going to speak for rostam and say most of that stuff actually applies, but jazmine is very cold toward her younger brother and views herself as much better in every way. with loner tendencies, disdain toward her brother, and shady side hustles, she matches this trope very well, and it was only fitting to add a trope about disliking siblings to jazmine’s task. and yes, she’s technically one of the youngest right now but hush.

#eutropes #( tasks. ) #emotional abuse tw #death mention tw #whewww i didnt bother proofreading this but lmk if anything is just ... impossible to read LMAO

[whirlybirbs]

"let me buy you a drink" w/ punchy + drunk!poe

» BAR BRAWL!

summary: things were good, then an old friend of poe joins the resistance. sura likes jessika, poe likes you, you think poe like sura... it’s a mess. and then, enter gret franz. cue the bar brawl.pairing: poe dameron x cadet!reader, punchyrating: t for some drinking references, bar fights over a girla/n:  a drabble based off poe + punchy from pre-flight check! this operates along their story-line, after the mission and pre-getting-together! this got long so.... here we are.

The base’s cantina is where, at any give point on a Friday night, you can find nearly all of the Resistance's Starfighter Corp. Dagger, Stiletto, Cobalt and especially Black Squadron all operated under the age-old guise of: work hard, party harder.

Karé and Jessika insist you deserve a round or two on them after the bantha-shit you’d been dragged through all week; you’d been off your game ever since returning back from the Voss mission. Blame a certain Black Leader for that. You feel like you can’t go anywhere without --

“Look who it is!”

You try to avoid Poe’s gaze as you rendezvous with the other half of Black Squadron.

Snap Wexley greets Karé is a smile and a kiss. That riles a chorus of chirps and jeers from the squadron. You greet Oddy, L’ulo and Snap with quick knuckle bumps and high-fives (each personalized, of course), before offering Poe a curt nod from around Jessika. 

He swigs his beer. 

Awkward.

"Who are we toasting tonight?” Oddy chirps, eyes bright as he moves to toss a credit towards the bartender. 

Jessika’s hand come down on your shoulders and she shakes you in good fun. “We’re getting Punchy messed up tonight.”

“No, c’mon --” you mumble, raising your hands, “I’ve had a shit week enough --”

“No,” it’s Karé this time, “No backing out, you agreed to get wild with us -- girls night, remember?”

“Speaking of...” Snap leans, elbowing Poe in the ribs, “Look who just got here.”

You watch the exchange, eyes narrowing as you spot Poe’s brows dart upwards. The back door of the cantina swings open and through the dimly lit, crowded room, you see her.

Suralinda Javos is new. 

From what you were able to gather from Snap and L’ulo, she’s retired New Republic Navy -- she worked as a journalist for a bit and after a visit gone awry, Poe recruited her for the Resistance. There’s, apparently, a mixed history there. And that is cause enough for you to dislike her. 

God, you wish you could wipe that look off’s Poe face. She’s not even that great. Okay, fine, she’s beautiful. And tall. And lean and dangerous and cunning and...

You feel like a T-40 X-Wing, and she’s latest model when she walks in the room.

Not to mention the clash of personalities. 

She was promoted to Crimson Squadron’s flight commander in the matter of a week, no doubt for word down the chain.

You are, by no means, by the book -- but the Squamatan is chaos in the sky. You nearly throttled your helmet through your windshield after drills one day when you watched Poe leap from his cockpit, cheering and commending her and loving how reckless she was. 

So, yeah, there’s maybe a little jealousy there. Reckless was your thing. And when you were reckless, Poe just... got all huffy and did his usual ‘kid’ routine. 

“I could go for that round about now,” you deadpan, ignoring the way every pilot in the bar seems to gravitate to the teal-skinned Squamatan, “Anyone else?”

A gruff grunt. It’s Jessika. “Yep.”

“Count me in.”

Karé and Jessika had, really, been your saving grace post-Voss; they were kind enough to listen to you rant and rave -- and eventually help you navigate yourself to the point of, yeah, you didn’t hate Poe. The self-exploration stopped there, though. Whatever this was happened to be a bit more complicated than not-hate. You couldn’t say you you were excited to admit that you didn’t hate Poe at all, quite the opposite, because having feelings for your flight-Commander is so not good.

So, you shut up and pull your big-girl flight suit up, because you were content on just being good with Poe. 

No arguments, no side-hand comments, no butting-of-heads. You’d even smiled at him after drills; it was like the sweetest sucker punch in the world.

Until this week.

It was too good. And then Suralinda traipsed into it all.

Long story short, Jessika and Karé can’t stand her either. Which, honestly, is so not your vibe. You were very anti pitting-girls-against-girls because of shared interest in a man, but you’ve always been bullheaded and Jessika and Karé are good friends. 

And, right now, beside the very gorgeous Suralinda, you’re thankful for good friends. 

“Hey, you.”

You scoff at Poe’s greeting for the Crimson Leader. Suralinda offers a big smile, hand moving for his arm. “Hey!”

Jessika and Karé shoulder you, muscling you down the line and far from the interaction happening -- all before leaning over the bar and gesturing for a round of shots. And that is pretty much how the night goes. Little by little, the Squadron joins you and the girls.

Poe and Suralinda continue their cosmic level flirting, and you settle on joking with the rest of Black Squadron. 

You’re trying to stack shot glasses when a hand on your shoulder interrupts. 

You turn, buzz spinning the room in the best way. 

And there’s Gret Franz, Dagger Squadron’s offensive left-wing -- tall, dark, handsome. His smile is lopsided and dangerous and you’re hooked; everyone knows Gret is a flirt, but suddenly you’re in the spotlight and you can’t get enough of it.

And Poe? Poe’s all set, thanks. 

“What’s up with that?” Suralinda asks, brows quirked as she juts her chin to motion in your direction.

Poe’s entire face falls.

He hates how sweet your smile is then. It reminds him of the one you’d spared him on the space depot, all toothy and bright. Dimples dig into your cheeks and Poe watches as Gret Franz makes you laugh. Actually laugh. And makes half his squadron laugh, too. 

“You like her,” Sura chirps, “Don’t you?”

Poe’s known Suralinda since his first year in the academy -- and though L’ulo and Oddy like to tease, their friendship is only platonic; any romance was blasted out the airlock Poe’s second year when Suralinda shut him down hard and fast. 

Poe, it’s not you, really, she’d said one night, seriously, I don’t swing that way. 

Suralinda’s just trying to get an in to make moves on Jessika. All those risky flight maneuvers, all the lunches in the mess at Black Squadron’s table... and still, Jessika Pava is a little too busy being a good friend to even notice the advances. 

Nothing ever works smoothly with Resistance Starfighters and romance. It’s just not how the gears roll. 

“No,” he says it too fast. Sura rolls her eyes, “She’s... we’re just squad-mates.”

“Is that why you don’t like her?”

Yeah, duh, fraternization isn’t just a Navy rule. Poe says nothing, only moves from his post at the bar to shoulder his way down the line. 

Something spikes a hot anger in his gut when Gret’s hands move to your lower back, leaning over you to press his chest to your back. The proximity stirs a jealousy in him that he tries to push away, but... he’s tipsy. And ---

And Gret is a trash flight-leader.

Imagine your surprise when you’re suddenly not only the subject of Gret’s attention, but Poe’s -- the curly haired commander arrives at your other side, nudging you and offering a slow smile. Gret notes the man by your side and sudden center of your attention. 

Poe and Gret’s gazes connect.

At once, both of them blurt out:

“Let me buy you a drink.”

You have to do a double take. The Squadron behind you falls into a heavy silence at the sudden rivalry being created -- you turn to look at them both, shifting from foot to foot then, eyes darting between the flight-leaders. You blink, mouth falling open as you try to find the right words to say. 

The shots have your thoughts working slow, sticky like honey.

“Really --”

“No,” Poe laughs, “I insist, man --”

“I thought you were busy --” Gret chirps, “With Sura.”

“Sura and I --” Poe says with a tight smile, blinking up at the taller pilot, “... are just friends. So, why don’t you run along back to Dagger Squadron’s little corner and let me buy my Lieutenant a drink?”

The bar now, has their attention trained on the growing tension between the two men, voices stifled and eyes drawn. The bar seems to back up two paces, making room with the egos clashing. 

“Oh,” it’s a sharp laugh, “Big talk coming from you.”

“From me? Yeah?”

“Last I checked,” Gret jabs, “You got laid out by your Lieutenant. Twice.”

Poe’s jaw clenches. You can see the anger there. He wets his lips, swallowing before turning his head to shoot Snap a look; for a second, you think maybe Poe’s going to back off. And then, brown eyes land on you.

“She’s got a mean hook.”

There’s a beat of silence, and then Poe pokes the bear. 

“Too bad she’s not into academy drop-outs, Gret.”

Then, you watch Gret, aforementioned New Republic Navy Academy dropout, land a hit on Poe. You’re, honestly, blown by it -- mostly because starting fights was more your thing than it was Poe’s thing. Secondly, because the whole bar proceeds to erupt into a brawl, seemingly over the rivalry created in an instant over buying you a drink. Fittingly enough, though, when your brain and body decide to get it together through the haze of enough alcohol to knock a Tauntaun out, you’re the one that ends the fight.

“Enough!”

The shriek stills the bar as you pull Poe and Gret from each other. Black Squadron, in various ends of the cantina, cease their punching. The whole corp follows suite. 

You swallow, hair wild as you try and catch your breath. Standing and squaring your shoulders, you speak slowly.

Your speech is slurred, face hot. You jam your finger into Poe’s chest, ignoring the split lip. You lean, staggering a bit.

“I... will buy myself a drink.”

And like that, it’s settled.

You buy yourself a drink. And Poe goes home with his ego (and his jaw) bruised.

#poe dameron x reader #poe dameron x you #poe dameron imagine #punchy #star wars imagine #Anonymous

[psychicmedium14]

Your Yearly Chinese Horoscope - Year of the Pig

What will happen to you this year? What does your Chinese horoscope say about your future? Look to the 12 animals that make up the Chinese Zodiac. This is your chance to look at your future from another perspective! Before you dive into your horoscope for this year, refer to your birth year to discover your animal in the Chinese Zodiac.

🐀

Rat: The Rat is one of the most intelligent and cunning signs of the Chinese Zodiac. You love to learn new things – your curiosity has no limits. You’re extremely stubborn and sometimes selfish. You’re pretty charismatic, though: it’s easy for you to charm anybody you want.

According to the Chinese Horoscope, 2019 will be the year of change and transition. This year gives you an opportunity to analyze your past and get rid of your negative emotional baggage. It will allow you to make room for novelty in your life. You will also be able to organize your life better.

The year allows you to realize that you need to change your course and gives you an opportunity to do so. It will be possible for you to get a promotion or start working in a different field: some natives of your sign can even start their own successful business. The year will be positive for you.

🐂

Ox: This sign of the Chinese Zodiac is definitely one of the most conservative ones. You’re most attached to your family and your loved ones and you’re not really a fan of new things: you value traditions above all things. You sometimes can be carried away by your emotions, though, and hurt others.

The year of the Pig will bring you some jolts in your personal life, but you will manage to keep your determination and stay motivated throughout the whole year. It’s never too easy to pull the rug from under you, but this year your motivation and resistance will be exceptional.

This year will allow you to initiate many ambitious projects, and your investments will be profitable. It will be wise for you to start your own little business and pay attention to investments – you will be interested in finances this year. Luck will be on your side in the year of the Pig.

🐅

Tiger: The Tiger’s irresistible magnetism is something special: you’re probably one of the most stunning signs of the Chinese Zodiac. It’s unbelievably easy for you to charm anybody you want: sometimes it is even a bit scary. If this sign’s native wants to charm or impress you, there’s no escape.

The year of the Pig will be full of unexpected twists, but mostly it will be positive for you because the Pig is friendly to the Tiger. You should expect some major changes in your career path: a promotion is a possibility. All you need to do is be motivated and persistent.

It will be a favorable year for single Tigers who want to start a serious romance. If you gave up looking for a soulmate, this year will bring a pleasant surprise. There will be a lot of chances to find a person who is perfect for you – all you need to do is look around!

🐇

Rabbit: The Rabbit is one of the most conservative signs of the Chinese Zodiac. You are pretty reserved, calm, and always know what you want to achieve. You’re a very clever diplomatist: it’s easy for you to convince others. Some natives of your sign can be a bit snobbish and careless, though.

The year 2019 will be beneficial for you, especially on your family and personal relationships level. Your relationships with your family and your significant other will occupy a prominent place in your life: you will pay much attention to them and will be able to change them for the better.

The year of the Pig allows you to enjoy increased peace of mind: you will be able to have a break and analyze your emotional state and psyche. The spiritual side of your life will be especially interesting for you this year – this will allow you to become a more reserved, calmer person.

🐉

Dragon: The Dragon is probably the most magnificent, stunning, and flamboyant sign of the Chinese Zodiac. It’s easy for you to impress others – both with your skills and your looks. You’re a very talented speaker, too, - you feel comfortable around people and like to be the center of attention.

The year of the Pig brings prosperity, luck, and joy to you. You’re finally free from the chains that stopped you from being your usual magnificent self during the year 2018. You will return to normal in your personal life and in your career. You will find the hope and motivation again.

No isolation for you anymore – you will be in the spotlight during the year of the Pig. You will be motivated to meet a lot of new people and start tons of ambitious projects – and you will be lucky enough to succeed in almost all of these projects. It will be a positive year for you.

🐍

Snake: The Snake has many positive qualities – in fact, too many to list them all. The sign’s natives are charming, smart, passionate, and so on and so forth. They never doubt themselves. Their captivating beauty can easily turn other people’s heads. The Snakes can make good politicians and scientists.

According to the Chinese astrology, the year of the Pig will be a mixed period for you. The year will bring a lot of small annoying difficulties to you – they will not be too serious, though. Some disappointments are possible: don’t expect all your ambitious projects to be successful.

The year of the Pig will be quite demanding, too: you will have to double your efforts to achieve some things that seem quite easy to achieve. But there’s no need to worry: you’re motivated, persistent and strong enough to overcome all difficulties and emerge victorious.

🐎

Horse: This sign’s natives are always in motion and passionate for adventures. They are fearless and never scared of new things. They feel comfortable when surrounded by people and are very good and cultured speakers. Their only negative side is their carelessness and, sometimes, irresponsibility.

This year starts a cycle of hibernation for you: it will last two years. The year of the Pig will allow you to take stock of your last eleven years: you will be able to sort out your social relationships and upgrade them. Your relationships with your significant other will go to the next level.

This year also promises a lot of surprises, but these surprises will mostly be positive, so there’s no need to worry. There’s a high possibility of a positive change in your career sphere: you may find a new job in a new field and climb the career ladder very quickly.

🐐

Goat: The Goat is one of the most aesthete signs. The sign’s natives are very intelligent, insightful, and pragmatic, but at the same time, you have a great imagination. You may seem weak, but you’re actually very motivated and know what you want to achieve. You surely can defend your own interests.

The year of the Pig will be a favorable and stimulating period for you. You’re very much aware of your strengths as well as your weaknesses and know what to do to take advantage of this beneficial period. Your ability to plan beforehand will be especially rewarding this year.

A lot of trips and family reunions await you in the year of the Pig. Your relationships with your family will be better than ever. You will learn to trust your family members and accept their support. You will be able to improve your relationships with your significant other, too.

🐒

Monkey: The Monkey is probably one of the smartest signs: their ability to plan ahead is truly amazing sometimes. The Monkey’s mind is always sharp and alert. The sign’s natives are also very creative and are never out of ideas. The sign’s another special ability is detecting events before they happen.

The Chinese astrology tells that you can hope to pass a lucky 2019 year. You will have to overcome some difficulties in the professional sphere, but you will never lose your optimism and motivation. The year of the Pig will be a successful year for you – you will achieve a lot of your goals.

The year of the Pig will also give you a possibility to redo your address book: you will multiply your encounters, both in a personal and professional sphere. Your luck allows you to make friends with important people who can be useful for your career: you will find great business partners in them.

🐓

Rooster: The Rooster is flamboyant and conservative at the same time; some of the sign’s natives are even eccentric but also fond of morality. You are passionate truth fighters. You’re comfortable around other people and can be good spokesmen but you’re not very good at diplomacy or politics.

The year of the Pig will allow you to make your deepest dreams come true. Your past wounds will heal and your negative emotional baggage will disappear as if by magic. You can count on tremendous support of luck: you will be successful in almost everything you do, especially in the sphere of your career.

You have to be careful when it comes to your love life: if you don’t want your current relationships to end, you have to be patient and less demanding of your partner. Be tolerant, sincere and caring – these qualities will help you keep your relationships and even upgrade them.

🐕

Dog: According to the Chinese astrology, the Dog is a very intelligent and sympathetic sign. If you’re a native of this sign, you are a very good and loyal friend. If you make a promise, you will not break it no matter what. The Dog is clearly the most reliable sign of the Chinese Zodiac.

The year of the Pig allows you to place your home and family in the center of your concerns. You will pay much attention to your house and the way it looks: expect a lot of works in the house or in the garden. You will feel very motivated, so these activities will not tire you.

The year will also be a good period for you to take a necessary break and analyze yourself and your thoughts in peace. Don’t expect any serious progress in your career: this sphere will not be your main interest during the year of the Pig. Mostly you’ll concentrate on your family, home, and friends.

🐖

Pig: The Pig is loyal, stylish, hardworking, and smart. Their friends recognize their kindness and faithfulness. The sign’s natives are passionate, caring, and confident. So many positive qualities – the Pig is probably the best sign of the Chinese Zodiac. It’s impossible to hate this sign’s natives.

Obviously, the year of the Pig will benefit this sign’s natives. Everything you want to achieve or change will be successful. Nothing will stop you from pursuing your dreams – some minor difficulties will only make you stronger and more optimistic. Your optimism may even surprise people who know you!

This year will be your year to shine and make some people envious. Expect a promotion and a positive change in your family life: you will upgrade your relationships with your loved ones. New friends will come naturally and in great numbers – your lucky aura will attract them.

#chinese new year #animals #chinese zodiac #horoscopes #year of the pig

[elastigirl72]

Day 21: Shkoder>Lizbahd

620km to go...I’m finally in the mountains!

7 May: Shkoder 07:27am

Given I am a certified and ex practicing sports and rehab massage therapist who still actively promotes stretching and regular massage for active people, lying in my €35 spa having the massage of my life, I was alarmed to fail to recall without some effort my last similar session. It was well over a year ago. Also apparent was my failure on good, regular stretching. I’d been on a cycling yoga week last year, trying to will myself into better self-care with the lovely Sinead, cycling yoga star in Ireland. I am proud to have kept a few of hers, which should only be done in the confines of privacy as they could be taken as some sort of lap dance in the wrong setting. I have my own MASH stretch which I have to say is pretty damn awesome 😊. This young lady, who combined this job with school was one of the best therapists I’ve stumbled across, including myofascial release as part of her treatment. Weirdly, even knowing I was a cyclist, time ran out before she got to my quads. I paid her extra and she spent a good 15 minutes on each, each stroke reminding me how much abuse my legs had taken, largely over the last few weeks. I didn’t train hard for my adventure, and this was by design. Looking at my training log, you could be forgiven in thinking that I might have retired completely from cycling in November, only seeing an ember burning almost undetectable in January. Then, one dark, wet, typical Forest Saturday morning, making Kalamata olive ciabatta toast, I wondered “Where exactly is Kalamata?”. About an hour later, I not only knew where, I’d booked a return flight, and figured out a 2,200 mile route there in April, how long I’d ride each day, and about 1000 permutations of getting there. This was it. It was set. Only it wasn’t. Work threw in the possibility of a work event a day after I was due to fly back...and 3 days before setting off, it was confirmed as Istanbul.

Flying home from Kalamata on 11 May and back to Istanbul a day later would have meant a minimum of 16 hours travel doors to doors. The options I considered were to fly home, cycle to Istanbul, charter a yacht (yes, seriously, I did look into this!), get a bus from Athens to Istanbul (no pre-booking possible for the bike). After much deliberation, cogitation and planning, Athens won, with my bike case and work clothes being shipped to a hotel I booked on hotel rewords points. It seemed fitting too, as I’d never made it to the Athens Olympics as an athlete, but I got close, and next to qualifying, this trip is the biggest sporting conquest I’d attempted. It would be great to finish my ride at the Acropolis, but let’s see...thinking about how close I got to being an Olympian still is a bittersweet memory. Less than two minutes, a toilet stop in fact, and just a little bit faster and I’d have been there. But what I take from trying is that even though I ran my first marathon when I was 18, and didn’t think I was any good at running (this left it in the past until the months after my mum died in 1998, and from that event and to this day, sport has been my Lynch pin in coping with and celebrating life’s rollercoaster), I qualified as a mum o two young children, who to this day, probably still don’t see what hard work went in, and may well believe if you dream it, you can do it. It’s not a bad philosophy to have! That and blessed with good genes 😊.

And yet all so laughable! Here I sit, waiting for breakfast, the barista chuckling at my need for a third cappuccino (they’re tiny really, but delicious, and I giggle too, explaining I’m very tired 😆). I need it, it’s a big day today.

I’ve decided to cycle into the mountains, towards Pogradec, a village or town by a mountain lake. To check the route, I’ve planted in Athens a billion times and plotted by car (avoiding motorways, ferries and tolls) and by foot, put a pin in what looks like a country lane or a busy road to check the road conditions, and loosely made a plan: get past Tirana and head South East. It looks like I’ll spend another two nights before hitting Greece. Dare I say it, but the weather forecast and maps look fairly decent, but for now, the gear stays stuck on my back...

May 9: Librazhd - 05:19

Well, so much to digest from the last 40 or so hours in Albania. There’s still around 120km here to cover, and if my bike and body survive, we will make Greece today and my bed in Kastoria in around 100 miles...another big day - in the mountains.

In just 120 miles in this country, I have seen so much. The good, the bad, and yes, the ugly. Hearing that this is one country my pioneering explorer dad has not visited (I think this is a lifetime first between his coverage of the globe and mine) because its borders were closed when he ran is Overlander business, and learning from a Roman Empire history documentation that whilst the Roman Empire ruled all of the Mediterranean, except Albania, leads me to believe this country has an incredible past, and I need to investigate.

I learnt that Albanians have an industry built on roadside trade, most notably, car washes, petrol stations and attached to every petrol station, a hotel. Most of the people visible in daylight appear to be men; I barely saw a woman, either in the villages or city, and as a woman, this felt quite overwhelming, for no other reason than the imbalance. It meant that whilst the multitude of coffee shops were on offer, I didn’t want to stop. Already looking like an alien dropped from space, putting myself directly amongst gangs of rugged men who seemed to have nowhere to go and nothing to do was too much. That’s just me! But cycling past the many who stood at the side of the road and had stopped doing whatever they were doing, if in fact they were doing anything at all, they stood frozen, eyes and mouth agape. In no other country have I passed through have I had so many positive shouts and I guess, encouraging comments (for all I know they could have been shouting “loser!”). The contrast between those that have and have not was huge.

The road surfaces were very curious. In most places I’d visited, as you entered a town or city, the roads in Europe would be pothole free and markings better than the surrounding country roads. But in Albania, any town or city, the roads dissolved. A network of potholes you could disappear into and a patchwork of concrete “plasters”, and for no apparent reason, countless and pointless road jumps, unmarked, without any warning, which all cars, bling or ancient, rolled over so slowly, as if dampners and suspension were extinct and they had to maintain what they had.

Tirana, Albania’s capital, brought all my observations to a massive climax. Any Highway Code had not been introduced, and for a long time I decided they needed traffic lights at the very least (they did eventually appear). I saw the most insane driving I’ve ever seen in my life, making the film Ronin look like a police training video on how to drive safely around a city. At no other point during this trip had I felt as petrified for my safety as here. Checking my options at the worst point, I stopped at an intersection where coaches pulled up and double parked, a large verge, covered in mud, waste and men, sitting between and on it, police standing close, travellers trying to wheel suitcases over uneven verges, and me needing to make a decision on how the hell to get it out with my life. Google suggested what looked like the motorway, which started at this same junction. I confirmed with the police standing close by and they confirmed I could ride my bike on this road, and stopped the traffic to let me go. It was Russian roulette, but as soon as I hit the ring road’s massive hard shoulder, I felt my life had been saved and escape was nigh.

7km later, and I had reached the mountain road, SH3, the old Elbasan Road, replaced by the recently completed A3 that ran parallel. Order restored, the road started to climb. Given this was recently a major thoroughfare to the mountains, I wondered what would happen to the many restaurants and hotels that flowed with the road, through villages up towards the sky. It was quite haunting, and the stray dogs began to reveal themselves again. Children waved and one even raced me up a section, whilst another shouted “Hallo! Have an enjoyable day!” The climb was amazing, good road, and it felt like I owned it. I saw three cyclists in all, all heavily laden with panniers. I past cheerily one octogenarian going up and two coming the other way going down. It’s easy to see why they built a tunnel to take cars through the mountain, but it was their loss and my gain.

Here, in the land where I have seen more people walking their cow than their dogs, who in turn, run free , civic pride does not exist for what I have seen of Albania so far. It contrasts the most breathtaking landscapes, and shows diversity to the rest of Europe, yet fly-tipping is common, expected even, and mounds of wrecked cars are all to frequent. There are many ruined buildings and near Lehze, I passed what can only be described as a ghost town and factory, which was really sinister. Is this down to a poor state and government? Clearly there are people here who have wealth but the overriding feeling is this country is poor. It wants to be western but can’t quite bridge the gap. I feel very keen to explore its history.

Approaching the top of the mountain, which seemed like the top of the world, I happened upon the most cunning canine skullduggery I’ve ever witnessed. The mountaintop restaurant invited guests to it for 6km, and it was a real possibility that I might drop in. But as it appeared, there appeared to be a dead dog lying in the road directly in front of it, with two more dogs lying in wait to the side. Feeling both sad, but also danger, I pedalled slowly and quietly, not wanting to alarm the dogs to my side, and hoping to pass the dead dog without seeing too much gore. Then, just as I ran parallel, BOOM! he was up, his mates joining him in charging for me, up the remaining mountain! Luckily, I’d anticipated this ambush, and put down the biggest power of my life, as if being chased by a bear. I escaped, but my god! How brilliant of these stray masters of terror? Please, no more like this!

The climb was the day’s highlight, and telling myself that whatever hotel arrived at 100 miles, that’s where I was staying. As if my magic, a petrol station and a Swiss chalet looking hotel.

There’s not much to say about this place, except a stark contrast from the same priced oasis I had stayed at near Shkoder. Here, the food was bland and sparse, and the staff didn’t care as much as my last hotel. At Launi-A, seeing how much food I had put away the night before, at breakfast, they just kept bringing basket after basket of food! That hotel and its staff will keep me going for many years to come as the nicest surprise, and a great introduction to Albania.

And now, breakfast. A lovely Albanian who speaks good English and has lit the fire me and I have amazing coffee. It will be a good day! Ξεκίνα 😃 Even here, this far south, there’s snow on the mountains ahead! Titanium by David Gueta and Sia playing on the empty restaurant speakers...bring on the day 🌈

[ashleyschineselitblog]

10 fiction Chinese books

FICTION

The Three Body Problem- Liu Cixin

“The title is a reference to the three-body problem in orbital mechanics. The book is one of the most popular science fiction novels from China. The Three-Body Problem starts off in the age of China's cultural revolution, when academics are prosecuted for promoting science and teaching it to students.”

https://www.thehindu.com/books/liu-cixins-the-three-body-problem-holds-a-mirror-to-human-society/article22491136.ece#:~:text=The%20title%20is%20a%20reference,and%20teaching%20it%20to%20students.

Dream of Ding Village- Yan Lianke

“Officially censored upon its Chinese publication, Dream of Ding Village is the prescient story of the public health crisis of the 1990s when rural villages selling their blood led to an AIDS outbreak.”

https://humanities.wisc.edu/great-world-texts/ding

War Trash- Ha Jin

“Ha Jin’s masterful new novel casts a searchlight into a forgotten corner of modern history, the experience of Chinese soldiers held in U.S. POW camps during the Korean War. In 1951 Yu Yuan, a scholarly and self-effacing clerical officer in Mao’s “volunteer” army, is taken prisoner south of the 38th Parallel. Because he speaks English, he soon becomes an intermediary between his compatriots and their American captors.With Yuan as guide, we are ushered into the secret world behind the barbed wire, a world where kindness alternates with blinding cruelty and one has infinitely more to fear from one’s fellow prisoners than from the guards. Vivid in its historical detail, profound in its imaginative empathy, War Trash is Ha Jin’s most ambitious book to date.”

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14729.War_Trash

The Hundred Secret Senses- Amy Tan

“Set in San Francisco and in a remote village of Southwestern China, Amy Tan’s The Hundred Secret Senses is a tale of American assumptions shaken by Chinese ghosts and broadened with hope. In 1962, five-year-old Olivia meets the half-sister she never knew existed, eighteen-year-old Kwan from China, who sees ghosts with her “yin eyes.” Decades later, Olivia describes her complicated relationship with her sister and her failing marriage, as Kwan reveals her story, sweeping the reader into the splendor and violence of mid-nineteenth century China. With her characteristic wisdom, grace, and humor, Tan conjures up a story of the inheritance of love, its secrets and senses, its illusions and truths.”

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/308853/the-hundred-secret-senses-by-amy-tan/

TO LIVE - HUA YU

"To Live is the passionate telling of one man's life, family and country. ... "The novel To Live by Yu Hua is a story about the struggles of the Xu family through forty years of life in China as it evolves from World War 2 through the Cultural Revolution of Mao Zedong (Zetung) to the present Communist China”

https://web.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/hum210/coursepack/ToLivenovel.htm#:~:text=%22To%20Live%20is%20the%20passionate,man's%20life%2C%20family%20and%20country.&text=%22The%20novel%20To%20Live%20by,to%20the%20present%20Communist%20China.

DREAM OF THE RED CHAMBER - CAO XUEQIN

“The Dream of the Red Chamber is considered the greatest novel of Chinese literature. The son of a wealthy, noble family is born with a magic stone in his mouth. ... After his family crushes his romantic love affair with his favorite cousin, both lovers renounce earthly life.”

https://www.getabstract.com/en/summary/the-dream-of-the-red-chamber/35690#:~:text=The%20Dream%20of%20the%20Red%20Chamber%20is%20considered%20the%20greatest,magic%20stone%20in%20his%20mouth.&text=After%20his%20family%20crushes%20his,both%20lovers%20renounce%20earthly%20life.

RED SORGHUM- MO YAN

“Spanning three generations, this novel of family and myth is told through a series of flashbacks that depict events of staggering horror set against a landscape of gemlike beauty, as the Chinese battle both Japanese invaders and each other in the turbulent 1930s. A legend in China, where it won major literary awards and inspired an Oscar-nominated film directed by Zhang Yimou, Red Sorghum is a book in which fable and history collide to produce fiction that is entirely new—and unforgettable..”

https://www.amazon.com/Red-Sorghum-Novel-Mo-Yan/dp/0140168540

JOURNEY TO THE WEST- WU CHENG’EN 

The bulk of the novel recounts the 81 adventures that befall Tripitaka and his entourage of three animal spirits—the magically gifted Monkey, the slow-witted and clumsy Pigsy, and the fish spirit Sandy—on their journey to India and culminates in their attainment of the sacred scrolls.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Journey-to-the-West

ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS - LUO GUANZHONG 

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is one of China's greatest and most influential works of literature. It is an epic tale of war and heroes, loyalty, betrayal and cunning plans; of beleagured morality versus cruel political reality; and of what men are capable of doing in the pursuit of power.

https://randallwriting.com/three-kingdoms-chapter-summary-1/#:~:text=The%20Romance%20of%20the%20Three,in%20the%20pursuit%20of%20power.

DEATH’S END- LIU CIXIN

“A meditation on technology, progress, morality, extinction, and knowledge that doubles as a cosmos-in-the-balance thriller, Death's End is a testament to just how far his own towering imagination has taken him: Far beyond the borders of his country, and forever into the canon of science fiction.”

https://www.npr.org/2016/09/27/494927821/deaths-end-brings-an-epic-trilogy-to-a-satisfying-close#:~:text=A%20meditation%20on%20technology%2C%20progress,the%20canon%20of%20science%20fiction.

[rahirah]

Long ramble about personal fannish history of no interest to anyone except perhaps @fontfolly , who was There.  I mainly wrote this down to get it out of my system, and to put it down somewhere before I forget it all completely.

A few years before getting involved in Buffy fandom, I was involved in another fandom, where I was part of a writer's group for an ongoing shared world.  I really loved working with the group, and I really loved the world we created.   One of the other people in the group was someone I considered a good friend.  She was one of the founders and was an extremely prolific writer.  She controlled several important characters which held positions of power within the fictional universe, introduced many of the major storylines that affected everyone's characters, and wrote the story arc which was the major plot lynchpin for the entire series.  She was also the editor of the fanzine.

Some years into the project, Founder #1 stepped down as editor, ostensibly to work on original fiction, and passed the editorship on to Founder #2.  However, because Founder #2 was reluctant to say no to a friend and fellow founder, Founder #1 kept control of her powerful characters, and got special treatment when it came to getting storylines approved.  

Founder #3 was the zine's treasurer, and he got similar special treatment, even though he was far less prolific, and in fact finished only... one or two short stories in the entire time I was with the project?  He was also forced to step down as treasurer after several failures to send people the fanzines they'd ordered.  This behavior on his part, and Founder #2's reluctance to censure him in any way, stirred up a lot of bad blood among the rank and file members of the project, which would become important later.

Founder #4 was an artist, and her professional career was taking off at about this time.  She really didn't have time to contribute much, but she had a sentimental fondness for the project and didn't want to give up HER powerful characters.  She had vision problems and didn't like writing or responding to letters, which were our main form of communication at the time, until I set up an email server for the project through my work.  (At the time, I was working at a place which didn't mind if you did things like that.)  She liked email even less.  If you wanted to contact her with any hope of a quick response, you had to phone her, and hope she'd have time to talk to you, (which she often didn't, because art career) and tough luck for the people like me who hated making phone calls to relative strangers.

In the early days, Founders #1 and #3 kept in regular contact with #4 by phone.  However, as time went on, Founder #1 (and to a lesser extent Founder #3) dropped out of contact with the friends she used to write and phone, communicating only with those of us on the email server.  She stopped responding to requests for character Oks and plot consultations.  She also stopped work on the main story arc, complaining that so many other members had written stories around it, and added so many subplots and sequels and spin-offs, that she'd lost any desire to finish it.  Instead, she got involved in creating yet another monster plotline with Founder #3, set several decades in the future of the original story, which would have major (and often unpleasant) repercussions for everyone else's characters.

Since other people riffing on your stories is the whole point of a shared world, I thought this was very unreasonable of her.  The group, by this time, had a lot more members in it who weren't personal friends of the founders, and many of them were chafing at the fact that the main storyline was apparently a perpetual WIP.   At one point, I offered to finish it for her, just to get them off our backs, of course giving her full veto/approval/rewrite power over anything I produced.  She refused.  

Things continued in this vein for awhile, with more and more members getting annoyed at #1 and #3, and annoyed at #2 for enabling them.  #1's old friends were hurt and angry that she'd stopped talking to them and stopped collaborating with them.  In the absence of communication from #1 and #3, one of the newer members of the project cozied up to #4, becoming her liaison to the rest of the project members, and becoming the power behind the throne (literally, as one of #4's characters was the ruler).  This newer member was one of the people who'd been screwed over by #3 when he was the treasurer, so she hated him, and set out to amass as much power as possible by making alliances with other newer members and convincing them to have their characters oppose things that the characters of #1 and #3 were doing.  (I suspect that what she really wanted was to oust #1 and #3 from the project entirely,  but things never got that far.)  And the new Monster Plotline that #1 and #3 had concocted was making everyone angry, as it basically involved some of their villain characters running roughshod over everyone else.

Through all of this, I was desperately trying to play peacemaker among all these factions.  Back in the real world, I was having huge problems at work, chronic health issues, a major creative slump, and going through a very rough patch in my relationship with my then-girlfriend-now-wife.  This project had been my retreat from all that, and I wanted to keep it that way – but it was quickly becoming as stressful as everything else in my life.

At some point in here, Founder #1 told the small group of people with whom she was still communicating that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and that was why she had stopped talking to most of her old friends.  She was in a depressive phase.  I tried to convince her that she should at least tell those old friends what was going on, but she refused, and told me that (and I'm paraphrasing some here, but not much) she had a chronic, incurable disease, and no matter how much therapy and medication she got, she was always going to be at the mercy of her biochemistry, so she couldn't be held responsible for making people hurt or angry.  Furthermore, this same disease meant that she didn't have the emotional energy to make apologies or amends.  Instead, she strongly implied, it was my responsibility as the Neurotypical Friend to intercede on her behalf with the people who were hurt and angry, and prevent any consequences of her actions (or lack thereof) from coming home to roost.  Nor could I take any hurt or offence myself if I wanted to consider myself a real friend.

(For the next several years, I tried to do exactly that.  Needless to say, I failed.)

After #1 revealed this, #3 decided that he was going to give his favorite character a Cool New Backstory: all her villainous deeds were because she had bipolar depression AND her cold, demanding mother had pushed her into Rebellion!  

Now, you gotta understand that Favorite Character was already roundly hated by almost everyone (both writers and characters) except #1 and #2.  Mainly, this was because #3 seemed incapable of writing her without applying a +10 Cloak of One-Upsmanship.  Most of us were writing power fantasy characters of one sort or another, but Favorite was incredibly irritating because #3 fondly imagined she was not just a good fighter and a powerful magic user, but a brilliant strategist, a cunning tactician, and a wildly charismatic leader fully capable of forging a new nation on her own.  And was totally incapable of WRITING her as anything more than an egotistical and/or self-pitying bully.   Because he got preferential treatment from #2, #3 had been able to foist several Favorite Character Is Better Than You plotlines of the group as a whole, which had not endeared either him or Favorite Character to anyone.  His new character concept would have been a hard enough sell under the best of circumstances.  Unfortunately, he failed to consult the person who controlled his character's mother, and she was not at all happy to be informed that her character was now a terrible mother – AND she was the best friend of Power Behind the Throne.   They pushed back, and hard.

So #1 undertook to write a story about Favorite Character and one of her own characters which would convince everyone that Favorite Character and the plotline everyone hated were both awesome.   She not only undertook to write the story, she sneered at people on the public email list who'd been complaining about edits, saying that she'd post it for everyone to take a crack at beta reading it, because she was a Real Writer who could take it.   I had deep reservations abut this, but I couldn't stop her.  And she WAS a good writer, and she DID know how to take critique.  Or she used to.  So she wrote it, and posted it.  It was... not good.  It wasn't terrible.  But it was far from her best work, and it did not in any way sell a skeptical, much less a hostile, reader on the idea that Favorite Character had redeeming qualities.  It was critiqued.  Roundly, and deservedly.  And #1 had a full-blown screaming meltdown.

Things went downhill after that.  Later, #1 said that she reacted badly to critique of Favorite Character because #3 had given Favorite Character the same emotional issue she had.  So if people hated Favorite Character, then they hated all people with mental/emotional disorders in general, and her in particular.   Critique of Favorite Character was a personal attack on her.  And instead of recognizing that as an emotional reaction which she shouldn't treat as gospel truth (even if she couldn't help feeling it), she doubled down on it. #1 became grimly determined to promote Favorite Character as the greatest thing since sliced bread, with #3's enthusiastic support, writing her into more and more of the Monster Plotline.

I tried, and tried, and tried to get #1 and #3 to see things from the perspective of the people who were angry at them, and vice versa.  I had so many Fraught Conversations – over email, on the phone, via letter.  I'd go to bed emotionally exhausted and wake up rehearsing arguments.  #2 genuinely liked Favorite Character, and didn't really understand why everyone else hated her so much, and never liked conflict anyway.  She couldn't say no to #3 and #1, though she knew she really ought to.  She started to fade out, and eventually handed over the editorship to me.  

So I was left with a project which had ground to a halt, immobilized by feuds and bitterness, and far too many friendships which had been irreparably tarnished by the same.  (Believe me, this account doesn't cover half of what was going on.)  For another year or two I tried my damnedest to get everyone to work together, because I really did love the project.  I made a lot of mistakes, and had blind spots and indulgences of my own, and in the end, I realized that this thing I loved was killing me.  I announced my own resignation, killed off or gave away all my characters, handed the reins over to someone else, and escaped to Buffy fandom.  Within a year of my leaving, the project collapsed.

Flash forward to S6.  I was seeing a lot of meta and discussion to the effect that Buffy wasn't responsible for her actions, because she was depressed.  She was in a bad place.   Besides, Spike was evil, and he deserved to be treated badly.  He probably enjoyed it.  Regardless, Buffy shouldn't have to apologize for anything she'd done.  The authors identified with Buffy because they were depressed too, and if you criticized Buffy in anyway, you were making a personal attack on them.

I'd read this stuff, and I'd find myself shaking with fury.  Literally, physically shaking.  I eventually realized that it was because the fans' justification of Buffy treating Spike like crap was reminding me of #3's justifications of Favorite Character treating everyone like crap, and even more, of #1's justification for treating the other members of the project like crap and treating Favorite Character as her personal avatar.  She was depressed.  She couldn't help it.  She never has to apologize for anything.  She can destroy everything you love, and you've just gotta take it.   You never get to be angry at her; you just have to suck everything up, you stupid <s>neurotypical</s> vampire; you can never understand her pain because <s>you're not chronically depressed</s> you don't have a soul, and your pain doesn't matter.

I recognize that this is an emotional reaction on my part.  (And it's faded over the years, thankfully.)  But it shows how one's personal baggage affects one's perceptions in new situations.  Buffy's a character I loved before S6, and I've very slowly come around to loving her again, but S6 had some unexpected parallels with a previous bad experience – not even so much the story itself, but the fannish reaction to it – which turned me off of her, at least in canon.   I'm grateful that I was still able to love her in fanfic, and that kept me around until I was able to love her in canon again – both because she changed, and because I have.  

It hasn't been as easy for me to forgive #1.  We're still in sporadic contact, but I don't really keep up with her or her life any longer.  I don't wish her any ill, but I don't want to get sucked into her orbit again, either, because I don't think she ever realized how badly she... well, used me.  And I suspect that if I tried to explain it, she'd be angry and offended, because She Was Depressed, It Wasn't Her Fault.  Better to let sleeping dogs lie.  But I do miss the project we worked on, sometimes.  Just the other day I caught myself mulling over some of the dropped plotlines, pondering ways they might work out.  And regardless of the rest, I can be grateful to #1, #2, #3, and #4 for creating it.  

#personal

[bo-sin-limite]

The Marketing serpent

Dr. Kaufmann: As Head of Innovation and Agile Project Development, it’s my job to make sure our business has a future.

Bo: As in making money? Future money?

Dr. Kaufmann: Profitability is just the tip of the iceberg. Really it’s about providing a service that will still be required in the future, and providing it in a better way than others. “Today’s future” is about making the business more digital and more sustainable.

Bo: I have been listening to companies talk about sustainability for decades, but everywhere I go I see the worst of human impact - if anything it’s accelerating. Every great landscape and every cool species comes with a bitter flavor - everything beautiful has a little disclaimer on it saying “enjoy it now, because it will be extinct in 30 years”. Have you watched Planet Earth?

Dr. Kaufmann: I love that show - it really helps me switch off after a full day at the office.

Bo: I love it too - but actually it’s a tragedy! They have to send their teams to the most remote places of the earth for months, just to find what remains of the natural world...THE WILD USED TO BE EVERYWHERE with a view islands of human civilization in between. And now it’s reversed: every place we found useful has been transformed to serve humanity, except for a few tiny corners termed “Nature reserves” - it’s insane!

Adam and Eve got kicked out of paradise for eating a single apple from the tree of wisdom...today that wisdom is long gone: The whole forest got chopped down to grow palm oil, so our Adams and Eves can eat potato chips while watching television.  

Millions of years of evolution run into the ground in a few decades? It’s fucking crazy - and all in the name of growth, of making more than last year? I dare you to watch Terra and talk about the need for a higher GDP!

Dr. Kaufmann: Everybody knows the craze has to end, the hard question is how to end it. That’s why all the children are demanding change and the grown-ups ignore it. Because the adults can’t figure out how to build a new system. For our entire lives we have been taught to think that material wealth, production, consumption - that this defines us not just as a group, but even comparatively versus other individuals. You are what you consume. Not surprising all we do is buy stuff. How do you change that mindset? You can’t just forbid humans to exist, you can’t tell them to stop engaging in any kind of economic activitiy.

Bo: I am not. It’s just that the current levels or production are not sustainable. It’s like we are cutting meat from our legs to put it on our barbecue. I just can’t believe how the industry is doing this. It’s like they don’t care they are destroying the planet.  

Dr. Kaufmann. I for one am always stunned how consumers raise their hands in innocence and point at the industry. “I just chose the product, bought it, used it and threw it away. But these other guys, the producers, they are evil, because they made money of it! I didn’t know this was bad for the environment.”

When you think about it, companies don’t really choose what to produce. They just guess what people want and then make whatever people buy.

It’s that people buy all this stuff they don’t need. How did people get so addicted to stuff?

Bo: The capitalist agenda - turning people into consumption zombies...

Dr. Kaufmann: Well like all of humanity’s most horrible creations, initially capitalism was a pretty good idea: a genius system of facilitating cooperation in large groups. Instead of everybody just trying to hold their own and solve problems DIY-style, individuals would specialize and trade with other specialists. The heyday of capitalism really came about as production techniques became more sophisticated - suddenly you could produce almost everything faster and cheaper using big machines. This didn’t make production more fun, but it did make many formerly exclusive luxury products affordable enough for most people. And that was actually a good thing - reducing inequality.

So rather then some government planning bureau deciding what’s what, you got this thing Adam Smith called the invisible hand:

The entire economy would arrange itself to help the people, to make what they want. Notwithstanding the accumulation of ownership, now each purchase became a political vote in a democratic control of the production assets.

Bo: But then the capitalist system was highjacked by its own success: They just got so good at producing things, they were suddenly in a position to make more than what was needed. And you would think “Mission accomplished, we did it”. Why not stop there?

Dr. Kaufmann: The system developed a will of its own and became self-perpetuating. The main driver of low cost per unit is producing at scale - and this became its predicament: It’s called a “winner takes all”-market. In capitalism the lowest-price producer gets to sell all of his units, before the next-cheapest competitor gets to sell a single unit.

In order to be cheaper than competitors, you have to produce more units. So the thing grows on itself - like cancer.

Bo: But what’s the point of producing more than people need?

Dr. Kaufmann: Even at overproduction, due to the aforementioned cost-dilemma, reducing the volume was no option - instead producers found another solution. What you would call overproduction, economist called a “lack of demand”. In a legendary 180° twist of the system’s original idea, the solution was to “produce demand” - they just had to convince more people to buy more stuff...

It’s not like producers had aimed for this, but their role changed from being faithful servants of peoples’ wants into meddling hypnotic influencers. Enter “Marketing” - this really is capitalism’s original sin. Or to come back to your analogy on the Garden of Eden -

Marketing is the serpent, "a deceptive creature or trickster, who promotes as good what God had forbidden and shows particular cunning in its deception.”

Bo: So its not a natural human urge for more? You are saying we are driven by some fancy commercials?

Dr. Kaufmann: Just look at cars - a machine that delivers freedom of movement? Great fucking invention! Should humans build them - FUCK YES. But take a look at the trajectory: From just the ultrawealthy people having a car in its first days, the producers were able to reduce cost so much that most households could afford one...bringing mobility to all and delivering freedom. Good so far? Okay, so today your household “needs” several cars...because taking a 5 minute detour to carpool with your colleague seems too inconvenient. Or you should buy one at double the price - to show people you can afford it. They even convince people to buy a new car every 3 years, although the product lasts 20 years without any loss of performance - and really the benefit of a car (mobility) has not fundamentally improved in decades. They don’t even pretend it’s better, by now they just tell you to want it, because it’s “new”. Same thing with perfumes, or sports shoes, i-phones and jackets. The products you buy and the reasons you buy them have transcended the original need that the products were invented for.

Bo: So now we are back to victimizing the poor consumers being forced to take all this stuff that companies are shoving down their throat? The consumers are at the very least co-dependent addicts of this whole demise. They care, but only until caring collides with the convenience, cost or quality they have come to expect. That is why they believe the consumer brands’ simplistic little corporate responsibility stories. They want the easy way out, they want to believe them.

A consumer perspective in which sustainability is not a must, but one criteria out of many, where preserving the world is a nice-to-have - this is where we are raping earth, this is where we butcher natural life, this is where sell out our existence for a bunch of one-way plastics.

We don’t have to be superheroes, we don’t have to save the world. All we have to do is not destroy it ourselves.

#marketing #capitalism #original sin #unsustainable #consumers #trick #conned #suicide #end of the world #deceptive #growth #gdp

[barbecuedphoenix]

In the last oneshot/drabble you posted (which was very interesting and fun to read) you mentioned "Nevra fighting his dark instinct", do you have any headcanons on how he fights it during a long mission where he doesn't really have a variety of choices and his everyday life

As a matter of fact, I’ve got plenty of headcanons on Nevra livinglife as a vampire. ;) He’s not just a gorgeous man with pointy teeth and Spock-worthyears. So thanks for bringing this to my inbox, Anon.

Though technically, that lastrequest is a scenario: a really unrefined draft of a one-shot without properdialogue, action sequence, or description. But your thoughts are well and truly appreciated.^_^

(For anyone interested in reading that particular request, check it outhere. Warning: it’s shamelessly NSFW. Don’t take a cue from the characters andtry reading it in public.)  

Anyway. To answer your question, Anon, I like to imagine that Eldaryavampires still retain a few traits of traditional vampires from folklore… andthat there’s a valid reason for why they were feared by humans (and possibly more) back in the day.While Nevra has naturalized himself (very successfully) to El’s non-vampirecommunity, I won’t be surprised if it’s still an ongoing battle for him tooverride millions of years of evolution. And if so, he probably hopes in one corner of his psyche that his fans at HQ remain oblivious to some of hismost basic urges. Otherwise, where will he get his love?

…Because some of his most basic urges outside the bedroom aren’t very sexy by non-vampire standards.Thank you.  

Warning: What you’re about toread is at least 99% pure headcanon. Sadly, we still know zilch about the pure vampirelifestyle in El. :(

The Lure of Blood

To the average vampire, fresh blood sparks a powerful visceral reactionacross several levels: it stokes their appetite as a food source, fires theirlibido as a medium for sexual communion, and magnifies their senses as abiological meter for their own health and those around them– either friend,foe, or prey. If willingly provided by a clan-member or a longtime donor, thetaste of blood also fosters deep comfort and a sense of ‘home’. But if spilledfrom an enemy, a quarry, or themselves when they’re wounded, then the smell ofblood alone can trigger a berserker-worthy adrenaline rush. All this is theresult of millions of years of highly-specialized evolution, where blood advancedbeyond simple ‘food source’ to also become a medium for social affirmation, anda complex physical, sensory, and chemical language shared between predator, prey, and kin.

Not surprisingly, vampires encounter friction from other species who a.)don’t share the same evolutionary toolkit with blood, b.) keep culturallynarrow views on blood, and c.) have even less tolerance for blood-feeding (whichsome of them, understandably, still associate with being preyed on). Thiscultural clash is why vampires outside their clans typically avoid the medical,culinary, and military/mercenary professions, where blood contact happensfrequently and nervous non-vampires panic at seeing their eyes dilate at thefirst flash of red.  

None of this has discouraged Nevra though from joining the Shadow Guardof El, where spilled blood is an unfortunate but necessary feature of fieldwork. The main reason: he has a steely confidence in his own self-control, anarguably-stronger loyalty to El… and no small amount of pragmatism in adjustingor smoothing over his ancestral instincts whenever they flare to life. Afterall, he cares about winning his colleagues’ trust, even if– a few eons back–he would have called them his ‘dinner’ in a very literal sense. So he follows aset of strict personal protocols, starting with…

Rule #1: Stay Neat onthe Field

It’s not just because Nevra is vain about his appearance; reducing bloodcontact on the field helps minimize the risk of losing his focus.

Because if he smells a fatal or near-fatal volume of fresh blood concentrated in onearea, at close quarters, and in a hostile situation away from home, he’s hit by amassive adrenaline spike: his already-keen reaction times sharpen, his physicalstrength and speed double, and his immunity to pain stiffens into a veritablelayer of armor over his skin. The world– to him– suddenly becomes six timesmore vivid across all senses, with the passage of seconds seeming to stretchinto minutes. This might seem like a boon for a field agent– and Nevra infact has tapped into this adrenaline spike to close in on a frustrating target or escapelife-threatening situations– but it comes at the cost of abandoning allcaution to the wind: his ability to restrain himself and move tactically arereduced (if not temporarily suspended). And once his adrenaline spike ebbs, hemight physically collapse after spending all his bodily reserves. Worse still,receiving cuts and smelling his own blood actually increases his aggression and fighting resolve, instead of promotingthe instinct to escape. Thus, too much blood exposure in combat will actuallymake this vampire more bestial than cunning, more a berserker than anassassin… and more dead than a hero.

This is why Nevra avoids open battlefields: instead listening to thesounds of battle, and sniffing out blood at range to detect and circumvent thereal slaughter zones. (Then let someone much less reactive, like Valkyon, enterto clean up instead.) He also applies a healthy amount of stealth and guerillatactics to tip the scales in his favor, and thus end a confrontation quickly(or at least, leave himself openings to escape the fray if it becomes too messy).Especially for someone like him, there’s a time limit to how long he can remainin a skirmish. But if direct combat is inevitable, he resorts to daggers only if heneeds to attack at range and/or subdue a very dangerous foe, otherwise takingthem down with bloodless judo(style) kicks, joint locks (or snaps), and whisper-silentnerve strikes.

It’s no light matter for him to whip out the daggers. When he does, he knows he has tofollow…

Rule #2: Be a Gentlemanwith Your Knife

The easiest solution to avoid the vampire blood-frenzy is to not spill blood in a fray. Right?

Well in Nevra’s book, the answer isn’t quite so simple: a sharp knife ismore precise, more concealable, and more merciful than a heavy bludgeoninginstrument. Also, heavier fights can be averted by a little psychologicalmeddling… like smiling at them when holding a dagger at their throat. Few thingsunnerve non-vampires more than spilling blood in front of a piqued vampire onfull sensory alert. They don’t knowhis steely restraint over himself; they can only assume that there’s realpredatory intent in the gleam of his eye, the flaring of his nostrils, and theway he sometimes licks his lips at them, flashing the points of his fangs thatmight just be sharper than that blade.  

But. On the occasions whenhe does have to use the knife, Nevra stillabides by a code of conduct bred into his bones by his own people, and temperedfurther by (many) years of training: respect your prey and don’t allow them tosuffer for long. Kill with as few strikes as possible, as cleanly as possible.And when it’s done, leave the body in peace as soon as you can. Beneath themoral rhetoric though, this practice helps to minimize the gore on thebattlefield that will trigger the infamous blood-frenzies, and automaticallydistances the executioner from what blood continues to flow from the fatalwound. As well as from vindictive enemy clan-members, who’ll come flying in atsmelling the death of their kin on the wind.

There is a very realevolutionary benefit with being able to scent blood from over a quarter mileaway: it’s to be able to track your quarry, or find your clan members who’re indire need of your help. And if Nevra does find a ‘clan’ member (i.e. any of hiscolleagues in El) who’s missing a few scraps of skin at least, he knows he hasto adhere to…

Rule #3: Be Discreet inTouching the Wounded  

Contrary to popular belief, the sight of a fresh wound does not arouse vampires all the time; themethod of skin penetration makes all the difference to the vampire brain. So ifNevra spies telltale toothmarks– or needle-like marks, at least– on the skin,he instinctively grows both hungry and aroused. (After all, this is the vampireequivalent of watching someone walk out of the bedroom, sans underwear.) But if something else has broken the skin– leaving aninjury–, a sense of distress pulls him hard to port instead, all sexual and feedinginstincts automatically capped by an urge to help: in other words, he reactslike any other sentient species does when encountering the wounded.

To most vampires, the difference between a fresh wound from a bite and afresh wound from a knife is as stark as the difference between a naked andaroused person, and a naked and terrified person. And it’s just as lurid asight. Even under his dismay and his overriding drive to help, Nevra won’t beable to help feeling acutely conscious of the victim’s body, what with thesmell of fresh blood lying thick on his palate and already waking his salivaryglands, his senses automatically piqued and tingling on high alert.

Still, it’s a matter of honor not to even stare. So when treating a fresh wound, he wills himself to enter a detached,clinical state of mind, focusing on only the depth of the wound, its chances ofinfection or contamination by poison, the chances of recovery, and especiallywhat pain it’s currently causing the victim. And he’ll minimize direct skincontact with their blood out of respect, then wash his hands afterwards: bloodin this case can’t be treated as a sexual communion, no more than a surgeon canlust after a patient on their operating table. Doing otherwise would be a gross impropriety. If amongother vampires though, Nevra might do a clinical smell of the bloodsample to check for signs of poison, disease, and so forth; that’ll be the limitof his direct contact.

Notall blood that’s spilled by the body is harmful, per se. So when Nevra catchesthat telltale tang of iron in the air athome, he knows he has to follow…

Rule #4: Watch Your StepWhen Blood is Spilled at Home

Back in the clan, blood is spilled in small increments on a regularbasis: it’s equal parts social exchange, sexual exchange, health check, andsnack. The usual shenanigans of a sociable house. So it took Nevra a short, butsobering period of adjustment in his early days in El to realize that blood spilledin a non-vampire home might mean somethingmore serious. And then he realized a new level to his parental instincts:now every snatch of blood he smells at HQ carries at least a 50% chance of trouble,far higher than it ever was where he grew up.

Still, he can’t afford to knock down doors to investigate, not withoutseriously alarming– and potentially embarrassing– his colleagues (who have noidea how he knows they’re bleeding, from across HQ). Instead,he has to play the off-duty detective whenever his infamous nose is triggered,stepping carefully between inquiry and eavesdropping.

Nevra has already learnt to give the infirmary a wide berth whenever he scents blood coming from thatvicinity; blood is to be expected there, and it’s under Ewelein’s jurisdiction. The line isn’t quite so clear though whenever thatsmell emanates from the barracks or showers. Fortunately, this is where being aspymaster comes in handy: it’s never too hard to get the ‘unofficial’ healthrecords he needs. (Gossip, when enough is collected from many sources, saysplenty.) And in case he needs to confirm a few murky facts for himself, he’llmake a series of ‘casual’ strolls through the area to pinpoint the precisesource of the smell (which he won’t mention to anyone just yet). If he traces it to a female recruit’sdoor or shower stall, and listens in to find the occupant isn’t under any particulardistress– or might even be enjoying the company of a first-time partner–,then he keeps walking. Maybe with a ghost of a smile.

One of the consequences ofhaving a vampire’s sense of smell is that feminine biology has given up itssecrets to Nevra long ago. He’s fine with it.

None of the vampire folklore I’ve found mentions anything about why they need blood/qi/life-force/etc., beyond the catch-all explanation that it’s because the undead don’t quite like being dead. (And that biting the neck is a disturbing way to combine sex with death.) 

So I jumped off in a different direction entirely: what evolutionary benefits might a taste for blood offer, for a live species that enjoys necking each other?

…All right, I might have gone overboard again with spinning vampire headcanons. That’s bio-anthropology for you. :/

(Though if you’re interested in reading aboutthe more romantic side to blood-drinking, check out the equally-overboard analysis/headcanon forNevra here.)

Regardless, please read, enjoy (hopefully), and review. Any and allfeedback is appreciated. :)

#Eldarya #request #headcanon #Nevra

[funkymbtifiction]

Fringe: Olivia Dunham [INFJ]

OFFICIAL TYPING by Charity / The Mod

Functional Order: Ni-Fe-Ti-Se

Perceiving Functional Axis:

Introverted Intuition (Ni) / Extroverted Sensing (Se)

Olivia’s intuition guides her in every situation; she often has a “sense” of what will happen next, that she finds difficult to explain to others (“Have you ever met him before? Who is he?” “I don’t know, but I think he’s going to kill me.”). She comes to accurate conclusions and predictions based on small amounts of information; to others, it looks like she pulls wild theories out of thin air. She focuses on the big picture at all times and is non-sentimental. Her futuristic focus and discernment makes her careful in the choices she makes and cautious in entering new relationships. Olivia has a knack for reading people and does not trust easily (especially Nina) but can sometimes become so focused on someone, she fails to take into account the external details (she does not realize her partner’s true intentions or identity, due to low Se / sexual involvement).  Her poor sensory awareness (not seeing a low oxygen sign) almost get her killed in the alternate universe; she surprises herself one day when she makes a difficult shot (since that isn’t like her). Olivia risks her entire career, her professional life, and her future by becoming sexually involved with her partner. She repeatedly fails and/or finds herself in danger when forced to heavily interact with or improvise in a sensory environment.

Judging Functional Axis:

Extroverted Feeling (Fe) / Introverted Thinking (Ti)

She struggles mightily with her emotions, waffling between hatred for their intensity and a belief that they help her connect to and understand others. Olivia does not mind being confrontational with her feelings, or asserting them to others (she tells Walter how she feels about what his experiments did to her life, and how wrong he was; and she tells Astrid that she cannot stand being in her apartment, sleeping in her bed, using the same clothes her “alternate” self used in her place). She confronts Peter for his inability to tell her and her alternate self apart (because she would, with Ni/Fe). She also defends herself when her boss accuses her of being emotional, and tells him it makes her good at her job. Olivia good at instinctively understanding the needs of others. Even though he often frustrates her, she’s patient with Walter, able to calm him down whenever he’s upset and focus him on his work. She’s sensitive toward the needs of others, and her greatest desire is to “protect” them. Her ability to use creative logic helps her theorize new possibilities and grasp what may be possible; Olivia never believes the logic in front of her, but instead seeks out ways to challenge and redefine it, with an emphasis on knowing why people make the decisions they do (why did Walter take Peter? How did it happen? Why did he and William Bell test their drugs on kids?). She wants to understand everything, in order to be more accurate in her predictions; her methods of problem solving are often creative, instead of driven to an immediate solution.

Hogwarts House: Slytherin

House Traits: cunning, resourcefulness, and ambition.

Olivia is hard-working to the point of where her sister asks her if she even came home from work the night before. She tends to have passion and zeal for changing the world and correcting wrongs, and comes down hard on those who break the law or hurt other people. But she’s also ambitious and not afraid to take down or challenge those in power over her, whom she feels are using their office for personal vendettas. She’s not above breaking the rules or bending them to catch someone, either.

Enneagram: 1w2 so/sx

Tritype: 135 The Technical Expert [1w2 3w2 5w6]

Olivia is incredibly driven and resourceful, but also focused on mostly doing things “the right way.” She is hard on herself for not seeing through John Scott and judging him for his behaviors as a double-agent; she is also extremely hard on Peter for failing to sense that “she” was not the “right” Olivia. She doggedly pursued and tried to imprison a sexual abuser in the department, and then when he’s placed in charge of her task force, has no problem questioning his authority or insinuating he’s using his job to sabotage her for revenge purposes; when Broyles complains about her trying to take out “a respected man in this department,” Olivia counters with it was the right thing to do, and he should be held accountable for his predatory behavior. She often urges people to do “the right thing,” and casts shade on them for hiding, concealing, or avoiding the truth. Her 9 wing shows in her continual suppression of her feelings, and her saying “it’s fine” even when it’s not (she’s angry about Peter and Alternate Olivia, but denies it repeatedly and makes it all “okay” in conversations with him). Her 3 fix makes her more aggressive, workaholic, and detached from her feelings. She never knows when to take breaks, and is self-promoting, in not wanting others to get the wrong impression of her. She can also put aside her personal feelings to get the job done. Her 5 fix makes her self-reliant, trusting of her hunches and have a need for privacy; she does not trust easily.

#fringe #olivia dunham #infj #c: infj #f: infj #mbti #official typing #slytherin #enneagram #c: enneagram #enneagram 1 #1w9 #c: 1w9 #infj x 1w9 #so/sx #1w9 so/sx #c: 135 #the technical expert #character typing

[liarscheatersrus]

Grant Cardone – An Arrogant, Self-Obsessed Narcissist

Do you know what a narcissist is? If you don’t know then take a look at some of the content of Grant Cardone and you will understand the meaning of this word easily. Grant Cardone is a self-obsessed, egoistic, greedy guy who tries every possible tactic to get money from you. Like many other BS-selling motivational gurus, Grant Cardone’s products contain no value and cost a ton.     Scientologist Grant Cardone Showers in the Nude with His Nine Year Old Daughter Days Before His “10X Growth Conference 3” with Spanx CEO Sarah Blakely and Others.After briefly showing Grant filming himself on his phone, she later shows off their shower area, and asks Grant to “cover yourself up.” We then see Cardone under a double shower head, holding a towel in front of himself. Elena then asks their naked 9-year-old daughter to peek out behind her father, and points out that they’re showering together. “This is living, ha boo?” Elena says. Now, in some cultures it might not be too unusual for a man to be showering with his 9-year-old daughter, but for Americans like the Cardones, it seems a little off-putting, to say the least. And we can’t help thinking about Scientology’s dictum that children are actually ancient beings in small packages. You buy a GC course and you get nothing. How can I say all this? Because I had the subscription of the f*cking Grant Cardone University for my entire team. It cost me a lot. This f*cking thief stole money from me through his fake promises and made up lies. I wish I never bought that course. It only got me entrapped in Grant Cardone’s nonsensical rubbish. It is important that you know the reality of Grant Cardone. Because if you don’t then you can also fall prey to this depraved and aggressive assh*le. I’m certain that you won’t be able to find anything negative for this guy, which is concrete and convincing. I WOULD NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH GRANT CARDONE. His staff is always pre-occupied and they don’t have time to hear your side or your problems. NOOOO! They only want you to buy something from them. Yes, whenever you talk to them, it should be about making a deal. If you don’t buy something from Grant Cardone, you will be spammed 24/7. I always curse the day when I first contacted these guys for getting me the course. It didn’t take them long to ruin my enthusiasm and show their true colours. My experience with this largely headed drug-addict has been torturing. I wish those days never existed. Alas, I can’t change history. But I hope to alert anybody else who is thinking of becoming a GC student or thinking of working with (or for) Grant Cardone. If you don’t want to read the entire complaint, you can simply read the following sentence: “Stay away from Grant Cardone”. If you have sufficient time, please take a look at my experiences. You can thank me later when you save those thousands of dollars in the future.   https://youtu.be/uTvAmIItzPY   GC University is Overpriced Trash (My Experience) If you take any interest in entrepreneurship or business growth, Grant Cardone will begin to pop up in your feed. Whether it’s on YouTube or Instagram, Grant Cardone succeeds in finding his way in your feed. He claims to own real estate worth in hundreds of millions of dollars. He claims to be one of the best marketers present on this planet and he also claims to be the best salesperson. He is a total jerk who never hesitates in rubbing his success on someone’s face. I had seen some of his content and one of my team members was a fan of this guy. Why? Because Grant says that chasing money isn’t wrong. That’s a good view but having a unique perspective on things doesn’t allow the guy to start lying and start scamming people. That’s what Grant does. He scams people. He is so full of himself that he doesn’t even care about his customers. His employees follow his footsteps and they behave the same way. They don’t hesitate to use cuss words with their customers. I remember hearing a customer support representative saying, “I will keep f*cking calling you until you give me your business, sir.” What the hell is that? No f*cking customer support executive talks to the customers like that. Grant’s staff should know better, after all, they work under the biggest marketer on the planet. Well, my team member who was also the fan of Grant wanted me to try his content. I wasn’t interested. No, I wasn’t interested in this guy at all. Then he started telling me how Grant has built a huge empire through his cunning and intelligence and how his knowledge can benefit our company. Now, he had got my attention. My sales weren’t looking good so I thought I should get a training course. I guess he had brought up the point at that time because he knows I was looking for some training material. Anyway, I visited the website of Grant Cardone University and I was amazed to see so many experts there. There were plenty of positive testimonials present on the website praising the course in numerous ways so I thought it would be perfect for my team. Now, Grant Cardone University is quite costly. Even for a single individual, it charges around $10,000 for a year’s access. Even after the discount, the amount drops to $1000 but that still is a considerable investment for a person. If the individual plan alone costs this much, you can imagine how expensive the corporate plan was. However, there weren’t any popular trainers available at the moment and from what I saw, Grant Cardone was looking quite legitimate. The cost for their corporate plan is not disclosed on their website and because they had made me sign a huge T&Cs document, I don’t know if I should mention its cost price here. So, I won’t mention the amount. However, you should that it was in tens of thousands of dollars. When I bought the course, it was full of a lot of lessons and programs. It was just too much for a person to consume but I had already made a staggering investment and I couldn’t back down, right? If I had any f*cking idea that the course will turn out to be a hoax, I would have never made such a huge investment. I lost a huge sum, I tell you. If I had spent that money on something worthy, my business would have seen some real growth. I kept up with the course for around 2-3 months. Corporate training consisted of no valuable information. There were some titbits which seemed to be of value but they were just the ideas which Grant believed in. And if you would take a look at his YouTube content, you’ll guess what those ideas are. I had bought the subscription for 5 months. After 3 months, I realized that I don’t need to keep the course so I asked them to cancel my subscription. This is where they made the biggest mistake. They told me that I should hang on to the course and buy a year’s subscription for my team. The whole course is online and told me that it has a lot of content to offer. But I had already made up my mind. I didn’t want to waste any more time of my team on some nonsensical course which never made any sense in the first place. I told them to cancel my subscription and after a little arguing, they did it. But they didn’t give me a refund. You know why? Because Grant Cardone University DOESN’T HAVE A REFUND POLICY! I wasn’t asking for a refund of the three months I had used the course fro. No, I was asking for the refund for the two months which I had bought but didn’t use. Their no refund policy is mentioned somewhere in their gigantic Terms and Conditions. My torture had only started. Soon, my email and my phone were spammed continuously by Grant’s people. My feed was filled with Grant’s content. I was as if I had hit a beehive because a swarm was chasing me. His salespeople kept pressuring me to buy more of his products or services. My experience has been pitiful and full of disappointment. I can tell you one thing: Never do business with any of Cardone’s products. You will only hurt yourself.   About Grant Cardone So Grant has his own Wikipedia page, which states that he was born on 21st March 1958 in Louisiana (Lake Charles). He graduated from the LaGrange High School in 1976and went to McNeese State University for 4 years after which he got his Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Grant Cardone knows how to build a brand for himself and he has done exactly that with his brand. He has a fabricated story which he uses EVERYWHERE. This story has been published on Inc., Investopedia and many other places. Grant has many connections in high places which he uses for the sole purpose of self-promotion. All these stories say that Grant used to do a lot of drugs (which can definitely be true) until the age of 24, after which he changed his life completely. He started working as a car salesman after college, where he sucked. He claims that he changed his whole life with hard work and passion, but I don’t think that it is the case. One thing is for sure, Cardone is a high-pressure drug addict who earns money by deceiving people. In one of his videos, he claims he uses TRT and steroids. There are so many things wrong about Grant and the worst thing is that people listen to him and follow him blindly. The kind of attitude which Grant is promoting is certainly not healthy. His fake persona on the internet is really harmful to the youth and the millennials. Other people who have suffered because of Grant Cardone I found out that I’m not the only one who has dealt with the real side of Grant Cardone. There are quite a lot of people who have suffered because of him. Cardone is a really selfish guy and if anyone tries to tell the truth about him or his company, he attacks them with his full potential. Most of the critical reviews on Grant Cardone or Cardone Industries are taken down by the reputation management team of Cardone. This way, they keep running their syndicate without any hiccups or potential problems. Most of the complaints that are against his companies are removed but with more and more people telling the truth, Grant’s rep management team has failed to remove a few of the complaints from the internet.   Remove me from the marketing list I want to be removed from the marketing list of Cardone Training Technologies! I was contacted by the sales and marketing team of Cardone Training Technologies this week and I clearly told them that I don’t want to be part of their program. Even then he contacted me almost immediately after that and I said the same thing, I don’t want to be on your list. But guess what? He called me 5 times more and I repeated the same sh*t over and over again. And he STILL didn’t remove me from the list. I didn’t have any interest whatsoever in their program but I’m part of their list, every after asking them a dozen times. I know that Grant uses high-pressure sales techniques but this is just too much. All I request is to be removed from the marketing list so I can live a disturbance-free life.   They charged me without asking me I had to pay for their live show passes without my consent. I only clicked on their link and they automatically used the credit card that was linked to my profile. This is totally unethical and I want my money back. I bought the book of Grant Cardone which only required me to pay for the shipping, but they kept my credit card info with them and charged me! I only wanted to see what the price was and they instantly charged my credit card without even asking me. This type of stuff shouldn’t be allowed and Grant’s company is just stealing people’s money.   What do his employees think about him? So it seems that Grant Cardone treats his employees like shit. My own experience with Cardone’s employees has been disgusting. They lack professionalism and basic manners. However, after own experience with Grant Cardone, I decided to search this thing up and I found out A TON of reviews on Cardone Industries. And while some of them gave it 3-4 stars, most of the reviews are of 1-star reviews. This shows the management style and attitude of Cardone. He is not a positive person and the way he tells his management to treat his employees is just unbearable.         One employee posted his review of Cardone Industries on Glassdoor.com with a 1-star rating. He says that the only benefit of working at the Cardone Industries is that it is based in Philadelphia and the co-workers are friendly. However, there are many things that he did not like about this company. The interview process of this company is painfully long and they have unpredictable hiring cycles. The vision of the company is quite religious and they often do prayers during and between the meetings. They made him sign a 50+ page TnC document, which simply left him with no rights for himself. I believe this guy really knows what he is talking about as he has been working for Cardone Industries for 30 years. A current employee working at Cardone Industries said in her review that the management does not treat everyone equally and the women and minorities are given poorer treatment. The pay here is also one of the worst in the market and growth prospects are almost zero if you aren’t a “family” member. They have a narrow mindset which ensures that this company will not grow. There is a lot of inner politics in the workplace and it is extremely distracting. And that’s not it, the management is going to behave to you much differently if you aren’t a kissass. Another review I found quite interesting was of another current employee of Cardone Industries which was posted on 14th November 2016. It is also a 1-star review on Glassdoor.com and I really sympathize with this guy. He is a current sales employee at Cardone Industries and he has not received ANY of his commission checks. The CEO does not answer his appeal and simply ignores it. He mentions that the check he is talking about is from 2015 which is a year before this review was posted. In the last section, he adds that his fellow sales co-workers haven’t got their commissions as well. All these reviews show how poorly Grant Cardone treats his employees. His management techniques are harming the society, forcing work on people and NOT paying them is completely unacceptable. I think some legal action should be taken against this crazy f*cking maniac. The type of managers he is hiring are diplomatic idiots who do not care about hard work and only want people sucking up to them. In other words, Cardone hires those types of managers who are like him; it is as simple as that.  

What he sells

  Cardone University Grant has a big brand online and he monetizes it fully. Cardone University is one of his main products which fund his lavish lifestyle. It costs up to $19,815and one thing you should know is that IT IS NOT WORTH IT. Why? Because I had bought one of his courses and my experience was pathetic. I strongly advise you to look the other way whenever you see the “GC” icon imprinted on a product. It’s never worth it. Well, Cardone is a salesman and he sells a book for cheap to increase his influence. Once you will buy his books and/or start listening to him, he is going to impress you with his “stories”. And after that, he will give you a “call to action” which will either be to buy his other books, hire him or to join the Cardone University. As you will be impressed with Grant you will not hesitate to pay the crazy amount of money GC is asking and what you will get is, disappointment. He just tells the same stuff over and over again in all his content and the Cardone University is not an exception. Many people have done the mistake of joining his University and trust me, they regret it a lot. If you really want to know the advance sales techniques then buy other courses, books and podcasts online. There are much more efficient and affordable sources out there which are certainly going to help you.   Books All his books are just full of life coaching BS and if you want some motivational content for entertainment, then go ahead and buy all his books. But if you really want some quality non-fiction technical books, I would advise you not to get GC’s books. His most popular books are the “10X Rule” and “Be Obsessed or Be Average”. Both of these books promote the reader to do an unhealthy amount of work with no planning. Hard work does not mean success but Grant will not tell you this, because his brand relies on it. He has constructed his books in such a way that they motivate the reader to buy Cardone’s other products. It is just a sales loop that he wants to trap you in and if you have a couple of thousand dollars to waste then I will not stop you from buying his books. How do I know all this? Because I found their reviews and one of my employees had bought the book “Be Obsessed or Be Average” when I had bought the course for my team. The numerous bad experiences of me and my fellow businessmen have taught us that Grant Cardone is a high-level thief and one should always stay wary of any of his companies or products.  

Just avoid this guy!

Overall, Grant Cardone is running a huge scam. His products don’t deliver what they promise and his salespeople don’t know any manners or ethics. Cardone will go to any limits to steal money from you. I despise the day I had bought the course from GC University. I wish my experiences and others’ stories helped you gain an idea of how Grant Cardone is deceiving everyone and running a huge scam. Even now, do you really think Grant Cardone is legit?    

          Read the full article

#Aventura #FL #UnitedStates

[verifiedcomplaints-blog]

Grant Cardone – An Arrogant, Self-Obsessed Narcissist

Do you know what a narcissist is? If you don’t know then take a look at some of the content of Grant Cardone and you will understand the meaning of this word easily. Grant Cardone is a self-obsessed, egoistic, greedy guy who tries every possible tactic to get money from you. Like many other BS-selling motivational gurus, Grant Cardone’s products contain no value and cost a ton.     Scientologist Grant Cardone Showers in the Nude with His Nine Year Old Daughter Days Before His “10X Growth Conference 3” with Spanx CEO Sarah Blakely and Others.After briefly showing Grant filming himself on his phone, she later shows off their shower area, and asks Grant to “cover yourself up.” We then see Cardone under a double shower head, holding a towel in front of himself. Elena then asks their naked 9-year-old daughter to peek out behind her father, and points out that they’re showering together. “This is living, ha boo?” Elena says. Now, in some cultures it might not be too unusual for a man to be showering with his 9-year-old daughter, but for Americans like the Cardones, it seems a little off-putting, to say the least. And we can’t help thinking about Scientology’s dictum that children are actually ancient beings in small packages. You buy a GC course and you get nothing. How can I say all this? Because I had the subscription of the f*cking Grant Cardone University for my entire team. It cost me a lot. This f*cking thief stole money from me through his fake promises and made up lies. I wish I never bought that course. It only got me entrapped in Grant Cardone’s nonsensical rubbish. It is important that you know the reality of Grant Cardone. Because if you don’t then you can also fall prey to this depraved and aggressive assh*le. I’m certain that you won’t be able to find anything negative for this guy, which is concrete and convincing. I WOULD NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH GRANT CARDONE. His staff is always pre-occupied and they don’t have time to hear your side or your problems. NOOOO! They only want you to buy something from them. Yes, whenever you talk to them, it should be about making a deal. If you don’t buy something from Grant Cardone, you will be spammed 24/7. I always curse the day when I first contacted these guys for getting me the course. It didn’t take them long to ruin my enthusiasm and show their true colours. My experience with this largely headed drug-addict has been torturing. I wish those days never existed. Alas, I can’t change history. But I hope to alert anybody else who is thinking of becoming a GC student or thinking of working with (or for) Grant Cardone. If you don’t want to read the entire complaint, you can simply read the following sentence: “Stay away from Grant Cardone”. If you have sufficient time, please take a look at my experiences. You can thank me later when you save those thousands of dollars in the future.   https://youtu.be/uTvAmIItzPY   GC University is Overpriced Trash (My Experience) If you take any interest in entrepreneurship or business growth, Grant Cardone will begin to pop up in your feed. Whether it’s on YouTube or Instagram, Grant Cardone succeeds in finding his way in your feed. He claims to own real estate worth in hundreds of millions of dollars. He claims to be one of the best marketers present on this planet and he also claims to be the best salesperson. He is a total jerk who never hesitates in rubbing his success on someone’s face. I had seen some of his content and one of my team members was a fan of this guy. Why? Because Grant says that chasing money isn’t wrong. That’s a good view but having a unique perspective on things doesn’t allow the guy to start lying and start scamming people. That’s what Grant does. He scams people. He is so full of himself that he doesn’t even care about his customers. His employees follow his footsteps and they behave the same way. They don’t hesitate to use cuss words with their customers. I remember hearing a customer support representative saying, “I will keep f*cking calling you until you give me your business, sir.” What the hell is that? No f*cking customer support executive talks to the customers like that. Grant’s staff should know better, after all, they work under the biggest marketer on the planet. Well, my team member who was also the fan of Grant wanted me to try his content. I wasn’t interested. No, I wasn’t interested in this guy at all. Then he started telling me how Grant has built a huge empire through his cunning and intelligence and how his knowledge can benefit our company. Now, he had got my attention. My sales weren’t looking good so I thought I should get a training course. I guess he had brought up the point at that time because he knows I was looking for some training material. Anyway, I visited the website of Grant Cardone University and I was amazed to see so many experts there. There were plenty of positive testimonials present on the website praising the course in numerous ways so I thought it would be perfect for my team. Now, Grant Cardone University is quite costly. Even for a single individual, it charges around $10,000 for a year’s access. Even after the discount, the amount drops to $1000 but that still is a considerable investment for a person. If the individual plan alone costs this much, you can imagine how expensive the corporate plan was. However, there weren’t any popular trainers available at the moment and from what I saw, Grant Cardone was looking quite legitimate. The cost for their corporate plan is not disclosed on their website and because they had made me sign a huge T&Cs document, I don’t know if I should mention its cost price here. So, I won’t mention the amount. However, you should that it was in tens of thousands of dollars. When I bought the course, it was full of a lot of lessons and programs. It was just too much for a person to consume but I had already made a staggering investment and I couldn’t back down, right? If I had any f*cking idea that the course will turn out to be a hoax, I would have never made such a huge investment. I lost a huge sum, I tell you. If I had spent that money on something worthy, my business would have seen some real growth. I kept up with the course for around 2-3 months. Corporate training consisted of no valuable information. There were some titbits which seemed to be of value but they were just the ideas which Grant believed in. And if you would take a look at his YouTube content, you’ll guess what those ideas are. I had bought the subscription for 5 months. After 3 months, I realized that I don’t need to keep the course so I asked them to cancel my subscription. This is where they made the biggest mistake. They told me that I should hang on to the course and buy a year’s subscription for my team. The whole course is online and told me that it has a lot of content to offer. But I had already made up my mind. I didn’t want to waste any more time of my team on some nonsensical course which never made any sense in the first place. I told them to cancel my subscription and after a little arguing, they did it. But they didn’t give me a refund. You know why? Because Grant Cardone University DOESN’T HAVE A REFUND POLICY! I wasn’t asking for a refund of the three months I had used the course fro. No, I was asking for the refund for the two months which I had bought but didn’t use. Their no refund policy is mentioned somewhere in their gigantic Terms and Conditions. My torture had only started. Soon, my email and my phone were spammed continuously by Grant’s people. My feed was filled with Grant’s content. I was as if I had hit a beehive because a swarm was chasing me. His salespeople kept pressuring me to buy more of his products or services. My experience has been pitiful and full of disappointment. I can tell you one thing: Never do business with any of Cardone’s products. You will only hurt yourself.   About Grant Cardone So Grant has his own Wikipedia page, which states that he was born on 21st March 1958 in Louisiana (Lake Charles). He graduated from the LaGrange High School in 1976and went to McNeese State University for 4 years after which he got his Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Grant Cardone knows how to build a brand for himself and he has done exactly that with his brand. He has a fabricated story which he uses EVERYWHERE. This story has been published on Inc., Investopedia and many other places. Grant has many connections in high places which he uses for the sole purpose of self-promotion. All these stories say that Grant used to do a lot of drugs (which can definitely be true) until the age of 24, after which he changed his life completely. He started working as a car salesman after college, where he sucked. He claims that he changed his whole life with hard work and passion, but I don’t think that it is the case. One thing is for sure, Cardone is a high-pressure drug addict who earns money by deceiving people. In one of his videos, he claims he uses TRT and steroids. There are so many things wrong about Grant and the worst thing is that people listen to him and follow him blindly. The kind of attitude which Grant is promoting is certainly not healthy. His fake persona on the internet is really harmful to the youth and the millennials. Other people who have suffered because of Grant Cardone I found out that I’m not the only one who has dealt with the real side of Grant Cardone. There are quite a lot of people who have suffered because of him. Cardone is a really selfish guy and if anyone tries to tell the truth about him or his company, he attacks them with his full potential. Most of the critical reviews on Grant Cardone or Cardone Industries are taken down by the reputation management team of Cardone. This way, they keep running their syndicate without any hiccups or potential problems. Most of the complaints that are against his companies are removed but with more and more people telling the truth, Grant’s rep management team has failed to remove a few of the complaints from the internet.   Remove me from the marketing list I want to be removed from the marketing list of Cardone Training Technologies! I was contacted by the sales and marketing team of Cardone Training Technologies this week and I clearly told them that I don’t want to be part of their program. Even then he contacted me almost immediately after that and I said the same thing, I don’t want to be on your list. But guess what? He called me 5 times more and I repeated the same sh*t over and over again. And he STILL didn’t remove me from the list. I didn’t have any interest whatsoever in their program but I’m part of their list, every after asking them a dozen times. I know that Grant uses high-pressure sales techniques but this is just too much. All I request is to be removed from the marketing list so I can live a disturbance-free life.   They charged me without asking me I had to pay for their live show passes without my consent. I only clicked on their link and they automatically used the credit card that was linked to my profile. This is totally unethical and I want my money back. I bought the book of Grant Cardone which only required me to pay for the shipping, but they kept my credit card info with them and charged me! I only wanted to see what the price was and they instantly charged my credit card without even asking me. This type of stuff shouldn’t be allowed and Grant’s company is just stealing people’s money.   What do his employees think about him? So it seems that Grant Cardone treats his employees like shit. My own experience with Cardone’s employees has been disgusting. They lack professionalism and basic manners. However, after own experience with Grant Cardone, I decided to search this thing up and I found out A TON of reviews on Cardone Industries. And while some of them gave it 3-4 stars, most of the reviews are of 1-star reviews. This shows the management style and attitude of Cardone. He is not a positive person and the way he tells his management to treat his employees is just unbearable.         One employee posted his review of Cardone Industries on Glassdoor.com with a 1-star rating. He says that the only benefit of working at the Cardone Industries is that it is based in Philadelphia and the co-workers are friendly. However, there are many things that he did not like about this company. The interview process of this company is painfully long and they have unpredictable hiring cycles. The vision of the company is quite religious and they often do prayers during and between the meetings. They made him sign a 50+ page TnC document, which simply left him with no rights for himself. I believe this guy really knows what he is talking about as he has been working for Cardone Industries for 30 years. A current employee working at Cardone Industries said in her review that the management does not treat everyone equally and the women and minorities are given poorer treatment. The pay here is also one of the worst in the market and growth prospects are almost zero if you aren’t a “family” member. They have a narrow mindset which ensures that this company will not grow. There is a lot of inner politics in the workplace and it is extremely distracting. And that’s not it, the management is going to behave to you much differently if you aren’t a kissass. Another review I found quite interesting was of another current employee of Cardone Industries which was posted on 14th November 2016. It is also a 1-star review on Glassdoor.com and I really sympathize with this guy. He is a current sales employee at Cardone Industries and he has not received ANY of his commission checks. The CEO does not answer his appeal and simply ignores it. He mentions that the check he is talking about is from 2015 which is a year before this review was posted. In the last section, he adds that his fellow sales co-workers haven’t got their commissions as well. All these reviews show how poorly Grant Cardone treats his employees. His management techniques are harming the society, forcing work on people and NOT paying them is completely unacceptable. I think some legal action should be taken against this crazy f*cking maniac. The type of managers he is hiring are diplomatic idiots who do not care about hard work and only want people sucking up to them. In other words, Cardone hires those types of managers who are like him; it is as simple as that.  

What he sells

  Cardone University Grant has a big brand online and he monetizes it fully. Cardone University is one of his main products which fund his lavish lifestyle. It costs up to $19,815and one thing you should know is that IT IS NOT WORTH IT. Why? Because I had bought one of his courses and my experience was pathetic. I strongly advise you to look the other way whenever you see the “GC” icon imprinted on a product. It’s never worth it. Well, Cardone is a salesman and he sells a book for cheap to increase his influence. Once you will buy his books and/or start listening to him, he is going to impress you with his “stories”. And after that, he will give you a “call to action” which will either be to buy his other books, hire him or to join the Cardone University. As you will be impressed with Grant you will not hesitate to pay the crazy amount of money GC is asking and what you will get is, disappointment. He just tells the same stuff over and over again in all his content and the Cardone University is not an exception. Many people have done the mistake of joining his University and trust me, they regret it a lot. If you really want to know the advance sales techniques then buy other courses, books and podcasts online. There are much more efficient and affordable sources out there which are certainly going to help you.   Books All his books are just full of life coaching BS and if you want some motivational content for entertainment, then go ahead and buy all his books. But if you really want some quality non-fiction technical books, I would advise you not to get GC’s books. His most popular books are the “10X Rule” and “Be Obsessed or Be Average”. Both of these books promote the reader to do an unhealthy amount of work with no planning. Hard work does not mean success but Grant will not tell you this, because his brand relies on it. He has constructed his books in such a way that they motivate the reader to buy Cardone’s other products. It is just a sales loop that he wants to trap you in and if you have a couple of thousand dollars to waste then I will not stop you from buying his books. How do I know all this? Because I found their reviews and one of my employees had bought the book “Be Obsessed or Be Average” when I had bought the course for my team. The numerous bad experiences of me and my fellow businessmen have taught us that Grant Cardone is a high-level thief and one should always stay wary of any of his companies or products.  

Just avoid this guy!

Overall, Grant Cardone is running a huge scam. His products don’t deliver what they promise and his salespeople don’t know any manners or ethics. Cardone will go to any limits to steal money from you. I despise the day I had bought the course from GC University. I wish my experiences and others’ stories helped you gain an idea of how Grant Cardone is deceiving everyone and running a huge scam. Even now, do you really think Grant Cardone is legit?    

          Read the full article

#Aventura #FL #UnitedStates

[topscammers-blog]

Grant Cardone – An Arrogant, Self-Obsessed Narcissist

Do you know what a narcissist is? If you don’t know then take a look at some of the content of Grant Cardone and you will understand the meaning of this word easily. Grant Cardone is a self-obsessed, egoistic, greedy guy who tries every possible tactic to get money from you. Like many other BS-selling motivational gurus, Grant Cardone’s products contain no value and cost a ton.     Scientologist Grant Cardone Showers in the Nude with His Nine Year Old Daughter Days Before His “10X Growth Conference 3” with Spanx CEO Sarah Blakely and Others.After briefly showing Grant filming himself on his phone, she later shows off their shower area, and asks Grant to “cover yourself up.” We then see Cardone under a double shower head, holding a towel in front of himself. Elena then asks their naked 9-year-old daughter to peek out behind her father, and points out that they’re showering together. “This is living, ha boo?” Elena says. Now, in some cultures it might not be too unusual for a man to be showering with his 9-year-old daughter, but for Americans like the Cardones, it seems a little off-putting, to say the least. And we can’t help thinking about Scientology’s dictum that children are actually ancient beings in small packages. You buy a GC course and you get nothing. How can I say all this? Because I had the subscription of the f*cking Grant Cardone University for my entire team. It cost me a lot. This f*cking thief stole money from me through his fake promises and made up lies. I wish I never bought that course. It only got me entrapped in Grant Cardone’s nonsensical rubbish. It is important that you know the reality of Grant Cardone. Because if you don’t then you can also fall prey to this depraved and aggressive assh*le. I’m certain that you won’t be able to find anything negative for this guy, which is concrete and convincing. I WOULD NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH GRANT CARDONE. His staff is always pre-occupied and they don’t have time to hear your side or your problems. NOOOO! They only want you to buy something from them. Yes, whenever you talk to them, it should be about making a deal. If you don’t buy something from Grant Cardone, you will be spammed 24/7. I always curse the day when I first contacted these guys for getting me the course. It didn’t take them long to ruin my enthusiasm and show their true colours. My experience with this largely headed drug-addict has been torturing. I wish those days never existed. Alas, I can’t change history. But I hope to alert anybody else who is thinking of becoming a GC student or thinking of working with (or for) Grant Cardone. If you don’t want to read the entire complaint, you can simply read the following sentence: “Stay away from Grant Cardone”. If you have sufficient time, please take a look at my experiences. You can thank me later when you save those thousands of dollars in the future.   https://youtu.be/uTvAmIItzPY   GC University is Overpriced Trash (My Experience) If you take any interest in entrepreneurship or business growth, Grant Cardone will begin to pop up in your feed. Whether it’s on YouTube or Instagram, Grant Cardone succeeds in finding his way in your feed. He claims to own real estate worth in hundreds of millions of dollars. He claims to be one of the best marketers present on this planet and he also claims to be the best salesperson. He is a total jerk who never hesitates in rubbing his success on someone’s face. I had seen some of his content and one of my team members was a fan of this guy. Why? Because Grant says that chasing money isn’t wrong. That’s a good view but having a unique perspective on things doesn’t allow the guy to start lying and start scamming people. That’s what Grant does. He scams people. He is so full of himself that he doesn’t even care about his customers. His employees follow his footsteps and they behave the same way. They don’t hesitate to use cuss words with their customers. I remember hearing a customer support representative saying, “I will keep f*cking calling you until you give me your business, sir.” What the hell is that? No f*cking customer support executive talks to the customers like that. Grant’s staff should know better, after all, they work under the biggest marketer on the planet. Well, my team member who was also the fan of Grant wanted me to try his content. I wasn’t interested. No, I wasn’t interested in this guy at all. Then he started telling me how Grant has built a huge empire through his cunning and intelligence and how his knowledge can benefit our company. Now, he had got my attention. My sales weren’t looking good so I thought I should get a training course. I guess he had brought up the point at that time because he knows I was looking for some training material. Anyway, I visited the website of Grant Cardone University and I was amazed to see so many experts there. There were plenty of positive testimonials present on the website praising the course in numerous ways so I thought it would be perfect for my team. Now, Grant Cardone University is quite costly. Even for a single individual, it charges around $10,000 for a year’s access. Even after the discount, the amount drops to $1000 but that still is a considerable investment for a person. If the individual plan alone costs this much, you can imagine how expensive the corporate plan was. However, there weren’t any popular trainers available at the moment and from what I saw, Grant Cardone was looking quite legitimate. The cost for their corporate plan is not disclosed on their website and because they had made me sign a huge T&Cs document, I don’t know if I should mention its cost price here. So, I won’t mention the amount. However, you should that it was in tens of thousands of dollars. When I bought the course, it was full of a lot of lessons and programs. It was just too much for a person to consume but I had already made a staggering investment and I couldn’t back down, right? If I had any f*cking idea that the course will turn out to be a hoax, I would have never made such a huge investment. I lost a huge sum, I tell you. If I had spent that money on something worthy, my business would have seen some real growth. I kept up with the course for around 2-3 months. Corporate training consisted of no valuable information. There were some titbits which seemed to be of value but they were just the ideas which Grant believed in. And if you would take a look at his YouTube content, you’ll guess what those ideas are. I had bought the subscription for 5 months. After 3 months, I realized that I don’t need to keep the course so I asked them to cancel my subscription. This is where they made the biggest mistake. They told me that I should hang on to the course and buy a year’s subscription for my team. The whole course is online and told me that it has a lot of content to offer. But I had already made up my mind. I didn’t want to waste any more time of my team on some nonsensical course which never made any sense in the first place. I told them to cancel my subscription and after a little arguing, they did it. But they didn’t give me a refund. You know why? Because Grant Cardone University DOESN’T HAVE A REFUND POLICY! I wasn’t asking for a refund of the three months I had used the course fro. No, I was asking for the refund for the two months which I had bought but didn’t use. Their no refund policy is mentioned somewhere in their gigantic Terms and Conditions. My torture had only started. Soon, my email and my phone were spammed continuously by Grant’s people. My feed was filled with Grant’s content. I was as if I had hit a beehive because a swarm was chasing me. His salespeople kept pressuring me to buy more of his products or services. My experience has been pitiful and full of disappointment. I can tell you one thing: Never do business with any of Cardone’s products. You will only hurt yourself.   About Grant Cardone So Grant has his own Wikipedia page, which states that he was born on 21st March 1958 in Louisiana (Lake Charles). He graduated from the LaGrange High School in 1976and went to McNeese State University for 4 years after which he got his Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Grant Cardone knows how to build a brand for himself and he has done exactly that with his brand. He has a fabricated story which he uses EVERYWHERE. This story has been published on Inc., Investopedia and many other places. Grant has many connections in high places which he uses for the sole purpose of self-promotion. All these stories say that Grant used to do a lot of drugs (which can definitely be true) until the age of 24, after which he changed his life completely. He started working as a car salesman after college, where he sucked. He claims that he changed his whole life with hard work and passion, but I don’t think that it is the case. One thing is for sure, Cardone is a high-pressure drug addict who earns money by deceiving people. In one of his videos, he claims he uses TRT and steroids. There are so many things wrong about Grant and the worst thing is that people listen to him and follow him blindly. The kind of attitude which Grant is promoting is certainly not healthy. His fake persona on the internet is really harmful to the youth and the millennials. Other people who have suffered because of Grant Cardone I found out that I’m not the only one who has dealt with the real side of Grant Cardone. There are quite a lot of people who have suffered because of him. Cardone is a really selfish guy and if anyone tries to tell the truth about him or his company, he attacks them with his full potential. Most of the critical reviews on Grant Cardone or Cardone Industries are taken down by the reputation management team of Cardone. This way, they keep running their syndicate without any hiccups or potential problems. Most of the complaints that are against his companies are removed but with more and more people telling the truth, Grant’s rep management team has failed to remove a few of the complaints from the internet.   Remove me from the marketing list I want to be removed from the marketing list of Cardone Training Technologies! I was contacted by the sales and marketing team of Cardone Training Technologies this week and I clearly told them that I don’t want to be part of their program. Even then he contacted me almost immediately after that and I said the same thing, I don’t want to be on your list. But guess what? He called me 5 times more and I repeated the same sh*t over and over again. And he STILL didn’t remove me from the list. I didn’t have any interest whatsoever in their program but I’m part of their list, every after asking them a dozen times. I know that Grant uses high-pressure sales techniques but this is just too much. All I request is to be removed from the marketing list so I can live a disturbance-free life.   They charged me without asking me I had to pay for their live show passes without my consent. I only clicked on their link and they automatically used the credit card that was linked to my profile. This is totally unethical and I want my money back. I bought the book of Grant Cardone which only required me to pay for the shipping, but they kept my credit card info with them and charged me! I only wanted to see what the price was and they instantly charged my credit card without even asking me. This type of stuff shouldn’t be allowed and Grant’s company is just stealing people’s money.   What do his employees think about him? So it seems that Grant Cardone treats his employees like shit. My own experience with Cardone’s employees has been disgusting. They lack professionalism and basic manners. However, after own experience with Grant Cardone, I decided to search this thing up and I found out A TON of reviews on Cardone Industries. And while some of them gave it 3-4 stars, most of the reviews are of 1-star reviews. This shows the management style and attitude of Cardone. He is not a positive person and the way he tells his management to treat his employees is just unbearable.         One employee posted his review of Cardone Industries on Glassdoor.com with a 1-star rating. He says that the only benefit of working at the Cardone Industries is that it is based in Philadelphia and the co-workers are friendly. However, there are many things that he did not like about this company. The interview process of this company is painfully long and they have unpredictable hiring cycles. The vision of the company is quite religious and they often do prayers during and between the meetings. They made him sign a 50+ page TnC document, which simply left him with no rights for himself. I believe this guy really knows what he is talking about as he has been working for Cardone Industries for 30 years. A current employee working at Cardone Industries said in her review that the management does not treat everyone equally and the women and minorities are given poorer treatment. The pay here is also one of the worst in the market and growth prospects are almost zero if you aren’t a “family” member. They have a narrow mindset which ensures that this company will not grow. There is a lot of inner politics in the workplace and it is extremely distracting. And that’s not it, the management is going to behave to you much differently if you aren’t a kissass. Another review I found quite interesting was of another current employee of Cardone Industries which was posted on 14th November 2016. It is also a 1-star review on Glassdoor.com and I really sympathize with this guy. He is a current sales employee at Cardone Industries and he has not received ANY of his commission checks. The CEO does not answer his appeal and simply ignores it. He mentions that the check he is talking about is from 2015 which is a year before this review was posted. In the last section, he adds that his fellow sales co-workers haven’t got their commissions as well. All these reviews show how poorly Grant Cardone treats his employees. His management techniques are harming the society, forcing work on people and NOT paying them is completely unacceptable. I think some legal action should be taken against this crazy f*cking maniac. The type of managers he is hiring are diplomatic idiots who do not care about hard work and only want people sucking up to them. In other words, Cardone hires those types of managers who are like him; it is as simple as that.  

What he sells

  Cardone University Grant has a big brand online and he monetizes it fully. Cardone University is one of his main products which fund his lavish lifestyle. It costs up to $19,815and one thing you should know is that IT IS NOT WORTH IT. Why? Because I had bought one of his courses and my experience was pathetic. I strongly advise you to look the other way whenever you see the “GC” icon imprinted on a product. It’s never worth it. Well, Cardone is a salesman and he sells a book for cheap to increase his influence. Once you will buy his books and/or start listening to him, he is going to impress you with his “stories”. And after that, he will give you a “call to action” which will either be to buy his other books, hire him or to join the Cardone University. As you will be impressed with Grant you will not hesitate to pay the crazy amount of money GC is asking and what you will get is, disappointment. He just tells the same stuff over and over again in all his content and the Cardone University is not an exception. Many people have done the mistake of joining his University and trust me, they regret it a lot. If you really want to know the advance sales techniques then buy other courses, books and podcasts online. There are much more efficient and affordable sources out there which are certainly going to help you.   Books All his books are just full of life coaching BS and if you want some motivational content for entertainment, then go ahead and buy all his books. But if you really want some quality non-fiction technical books, I would advise you not to get GC’s books. His most popular books are the “10X Rule” and “Be Obsessed or Be Average”. Both of these books promote the reader to do an unhealthy amount of work with no planning. Hard work does not mean success but Grant will not tell you this, because his brand relies on it. He has constructed his books in such a way that they motivate the reader to buy Cardone’s other products. It is just a sales loop that he wants to trap you in and if you have a couple of thousand dollars to waste then I will not stop you from buying his books. How do I know all this? Because I found their reviews and one of my employees had bought the book “Be Obsessed or Be Average” when I had bought the course for my team. The numerous bad experiences of me and my fellow businessmen have taught us that Grant Cardone is a high-level thief and one should always stay wary of any of his companies or products.  

Just avoid this guy!

Overall, Grant Cardone is running a huge scam. His products don’t deliver what they promise and his salespeople don’t know any manners or ethics. Cardone will go to any limits to steal money from you. I despise the day I had bought the course from GC University. I wish my experiences and others’ stories helped you gain an idea of how Grant Cardone is deceiving everyone and running a huge scam. Even now, do you really think Grant Cardone is legit?    

          Read the full article

#Aventura #FL #UnitedStates

[unhappyclient-blog]

Grant Cardone – An Arrogant, Self-Obsessed Narcissist

Do you know what a narcissist is? If you don’t know then take a look at some of the content of Grant Cardone and you will understand the meaning of this word easily. Grant Cardone is a self-obsessed, egoistic, greedy guy who tries every possible tactic to get money from you. Like many other BS-selling motivational gurus, Grant Cardone’s products contain no value and cost a ton.     Scientologist Grant Cardone Showers in the Nude with His Nine Year Old Daughter Days Before His “10X Growth Conference 3” with Spanx CEO Sarah Blakely and Others.After briefly showing Grant filming himself on his phone, she later shows off their shower area, and asks Grant to “cover yourself up.” We then see Cardone under a double shower head, holding a towel in front of himself. Elena then asks their naked 9-year-old daughter to peek out behind her father, and points out that they’re showering together. “This is living, ha boo?” Elena says. Now, in some cultures it might not be too unusual for a man to be showering with his 9-year-old daughter, but for Americans like the Cardones, it seems a little off-putting, to say the least. And we can’t help thinking about Scientology’s dictum that children are actually ancient beings in small packages. You buy a GC course and you get nothing. How can I say all this? Because I had the subscription of the f*cking Grant Cardone University for my entire team. It cost me a lot. This f*cking thief stole money from me through his fake promises and made up lies. I wish I never bought that course. It only got me entrapped in Grant Cardone’s nonsensical rubbish. It is important that you know the reality of Grant Cardone. Because if you don’t then you can also fall prey to this depraved and aggressive assh*le. I’m certain that you won’t be able to find anything negative for this guy, which is concrete and convincing. I WOULD NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH GRANT CARDONE. His staff is always pre-occupied and they don’t have time to hear your side or your problems. NOOOO! They only want you to buy something from them. Yes, whenever you talk to them, it should be about making a deal. If you don’t buy something from Grant Cardone, you will be spammed 24/7. I always curse the day when I first contacted these guys for getting me the course. It didn’t take them long to ruin my enthusiasm and show their true colours. My experience with this largely headed drug-addict has been torturing. I wish those days never existed. Alas, I can’t change history. But I hope to alert anybody else who is thinking of becoming a GC student or thinking of working with (or for) Grant Cardone. If you don’t want to read the entire complaint, you can simply read the following sentence: “Stay away from Grant Cardone”. If you have sufficient time, please take a look at my experiences. You can thank me later when you save those thousands of dollars in the future.   https://youtu.be/uTvAmIItzPY   GC University is Overpriced Trash (My Experience) If you take any interest in entrepreneurship or business growth, Grant Cardone will begin to pop up in your feed. Whether it’s on YouTube or Instagram, Grant Cardone succeeds in finding his way in your feed. He claims to own real estate worth in hundreds of millions of dollars. He claims to be one of the best marketers present on this planet and he also claims to be the best salesperson. He is a total jerk who never hesitates in rubbing his success on someone’s face. I had seen some of his content and one of my team members was a fan of this guy. Why? Because Grant says that chasing money isn’t wrong. That’s a good view but having a unique perspective on things doesn’t allow the guy to start lying and start scamming people. That’s what Grant does. He scams people. He is so full of himself that he doesn’t even care about his customers. His employees follow his footsteps and they behave the same way. They don’t hesitate to use cuss words with their customers. I remember hearing a customer support representative saying, “I will keep f*cking calling you until you give me your business, sir.” What the hell is that? No f*cking customer support executive talks to the customers like that. Grant’s staff should know better, after all, they work under the biggest marketer on the planet. Well, my team member who was also the fan of Grant wanted me to try his content. I wasn’t interested. No, I wasn’t interested in this guy at all. Then he started telling me how Grant has built a huge empire through his cunning and intelligence and how his knowledge can benefit our company. Now, he had got my attention. My sales weren’t looking good so I thought I should get a training course. I guess he had brought up the point at that time because he knows I was looking for some training material. Anyway, I visited the website of Grant Cardone University and I was amazed to see so many experts there. There were plenty of positive testimonials present on the website praising the course in numerous ways so I thought it would be perfect for my team. Now, Grant Cardone University is quite costly. Even for a single individual, it charges around $10,000 for a year’s access. Even after the discount, the amount drops to $1000 but that still is a considerable investment for a person. If the individual plan alone costs this much, you can imagine how expensive the corporate plan was. However, there weren’t any popular trainers available at the moment and from what I saw, Grant Cardone was looking quite legitimate. The cost for their corporate plan is not disclosed on their website and because they had made me sign a huge T&Cs document, I don’t know if I should mention its cost price here. So, I won’t mention the amount. However, you should that it was in tens of thousands of dollars. When I bought the course, it was full of a lot of lessons and programs. It was just too much for a person to consume but I had already made a staggering investment and I couldn’t back down, right? If I had any f*cking idea that the course will turn out to be a hoax, I would have never made such a huge investment. I lost a huge sum, I tell you. If I had spent that money on something worthy, my business would have seen some real growth. I kept up with the course for around 2-3 months. Corporate training consisted of no valuable information. There were some titbits which seemed to be of value but they were just the ideas which Grant believed in. And if you would take a look at his YouTube content, you’ll guess what those ideas are. I had bought the subscription for 5 months. After 3 months, I realized that I don’t need to keep the course so I asked them to cancel my subscription. This is where they made the biggest mistake. They told me that I should hang on to the course and buy a year’s subscription for my team. The whole course is online and told me that it has a lot of content to offer. But I had already made up my mind. I didn’t want to waste any more time of my team on some nonsensical course which never made any sense in the first place. I told them to cancel my subscription and after a little arguing, they did it. But they didn’t give me a refund. You know why? Because Grant Cardone University DOESN’T HAVE A REFUND POLICY! I wasn’t asking for a refund of the three months I had used the course fro. No, I was asking for the refund for the two months which I had bought but didn’t use. Their no refund policy is mentioned somewhere in their gigantic Terms and Conditions. My torture had only started. Soon, my email and my phone were spammed continuously by Grant’s people. My feed was filled with Grant’s content. I was as if I had hit a beehive because a swarm was chasing me. His salespeople kept pressuring me to buy more of his products or services. My experience has been pitiful and full of disappointment. I can tell you one thing: Never do business with any of Cardone’s products. You will only hurt yourself.   About Grant Cardone So Grant has his own Wikipedia page, which states that he was born on 21st March 1958 in Louisiana (Lake Charles). He graduated from the LaGrange High School in 1976and went to McNeese State University for 4 years after which he got his Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Grant Cardone knows how to build a brand for himself and he has done exactly that with his brand. He has a fabricated story which he uses EVERYWHERE. This story has been published on Inc., Investopedia and many other places. Grant has many connections in high places which he uses for the sole purpose of self-promotion. All these stories say that Grant used to do a lot of drugs (which can definitely be true) until the age of 24, after which he changed his life completely. He started working as a car salesman after college, where he sucked. He claims that he changed his whole life with hard work and passion, but I don’t think that it is the case. One thing is for sure, Cardone is a high-pressure drug addict who earns money by deceiving people. In one of his videos, he claims he uses TRT and steroids. There are so many things wrong about Grant and the worst thing is that people listen to him and follow him blindly. The kind of attitude which Grant is promoting is certainly not healthy. His fake persona on the internet is really harmful to the youth and the millennials. Other people who have suffered because of Grant Cardone I found out that I’m not the only one who has dealt with the real side of Grant Cardone. There are quite a lot of people who have suffered because of him. Cardone is a really selfish guy and if anyone tries to tell the truth about him or his company, he attacks them with his full potential. Most of the critical reviews on Grant Cardone or Cardone Industries are taken down by the reputation management team of Cardone. This way, they keep running their syndicate without any hiccups or potential problems. Most of the complaints that are against his companies are removed but with more and more people telling the truth, Grant’s rep management team has failed to remove a few of the complaints from the internet.   Remove me from the marketing list I want to be removed from the marketing list of Cardone Training Technologies! I was contacted by the sales and marketing team of Cardone Training Technologies this week and I clearly told them that I don’t want to be part of their program. Even then he contacted me almost immediately after that and I said the same thing, I don’t want to be on your list. But guess what? He called me 5 times more and I repeated the same sh*t over and over again. And he STILL didn’t remove me from the list. I didn’t have any interest whatsoever in their program but I’m part of their list, every after asking them a dozen times. I know that Grant uses high-pressure sales techniques but this is just too much. All I request is to be removed from the marketing list so I can live a disturbance-free life.   They charged me without asking me I had to pay for their live show passes without my consent. I only clicked on their link and they automatically used the credit card that was linked to my profile. This is totally unethical and I want my money back. I bought the book of Grant Cardone which only required me to pay for the shipping, but they kept my credit card info with them and charged me! I only wanted to see what the price was and they instantly charged my credit card without even asking me. This type of stuff shouldn’t be allowed and Grant’s company is just stealing people’s money.   What do his employees think about him? So it seems that Grant Cardone treats his employees like shit. My own experience with Cardone’s employees has been disgusting. They lack professionalism and basic manners. However, after own experience with Grant Cardone, I decided to search this thing up and I found out A TON of reviews on Cardone Industries. And while some of them gave it 3-4 stars, most of the reviews are of 1-star reviews. This shows the management style and attitude of Cardone. He is not a positive person and the way he tells his management to treat his employees is just unbearable.         One employee posted his review of Cardone Industries on Glassdoor.com with a 1-star rating. He says that the only benefit of working at the Cardone Industries is that it is based in Philadelphia and the co-workers are friendly. However, there are many things that he did not like about this company. The interview process of this company is painfully long and they have unpredictable hiring cycles. The vision of the company is quite religious and they often do prayers during and between the meetings. They made him sign a 50+ page TnC document, which simply left him with no rights for himself. I believe this guy really knows what he is talking about as he has been working for Cardone Industries for 30 years. A current employee working at Cardone Industries said in her review that the management does not treat everyone equally and the women and minorities are given poorer treatment. The pay here is also one of the worst in the market and growth prospects are almost zero if you aren’t a “family” member. They have a narrow mindset which ensures that this company will not grow. There is a lot of inner politics in the workplace and it is extremely distracting. And that’s not it, the management is going to behave to you much differently if you aren’t a kissass. Another review I found quite interesting was of another current employee of Cardone Industries which was posted on 14th November 2016. It is also a 1-star review on Glassdoor.com and I really sympathize with this guy. He is a current sales employee at Cardone Industries and he has not received ANY of his commission checks. The CEO does not answer his appeal and simply ignores it. He mentions that the check he is talking about is from 2015 which is a year before this review was posted. In the last section, he adds that his fellow sales co-workers haven’t got their commissions as well. All these reviews show how poorly Grant Cardone treats his employees. His management techniques are harming the society, forcing work on people and NOT paying them is completely unacceptable. I think some legal action should be taken against this crazy f*cking maniac. The type of managers he is hiring are diplomatic idiots who do not care about hard work and only want people sucking up to them. In other words, Cardone hires those types of managers who are like him; it is as simple as that.  

What he sells

  Cardone University Grant has a big brand online and he monetizes it fully. Cardone University is one of his main products which fund his lavish lifestyle. It costs up to $19,815and one thing you should know is that IT IS NOT WORTH IT. Why? Because I had bought one of his courses and my experience was pathetic. I strongly advise you to look the other way whenever you see the “GC” icon imprinted on a product. It’s never worth it. Well, Cardone is a salesman and he sells a book for cheap to increase his influence. Once you will buy his books and/or start listening to him, he is going to impress you with his “stories”. And after that, he will give you a “call to action” which will either be to buy his other books, hire him or to join the Cardone University. As you will be impressed with Grant you will not hesitate to pay the crazy amount of money GC is asking and what you will get is, disappointment. He just tells the same stuff over and over again in all his content and the Cardone University is not an exception. Many people have done the mistake of joining his University and trust me, they regret it a lot. If you really want to know the advance sales techniques then buy other courses, books and podcasts online. There are much more efficient and affordable sources out there which are certainly going to help you.   Books All his books are just full of life coaching BS and if you want some motivational content for entertainment, then go ahead and buy all his books. But if you really want some quality non-fiction technical books, I would advise you not to get GC’s books. His most popular books are the “10X Rule” and “Be Obsessed or Be Average”. Both of these books promote the reader to do an unhealthy amount of work with no planning. Hard work does not mean success but Grant will not tell you this, because his brand relies on it. He has constructed his books in such a way that they motivate the reader to buy Cardone’s other products. It is just a sales loop that he wants to trap you in and if you have a couple of thousand dollars to waste then I will not stop you from buying his books. How do I know all this? Because I found their reviews and one of my employees had bought the book “Be Obsessed or Be Average” when I had bought the course for my team. The numerous bad experiences of me and my fellow businessmen have taught us that Grant Cardone is a high-level thief and one should always stay wary of any of his companies or products.  

Just avoid this guy!

Overall, Grant Cardone is running a huge scam. His products don’t deliver what they promise and his salespeople don’t know any manners or ethics. Cardone will go to any limits to steal money from you. I despise the day I had bought the course from GC University. I wish my experiences and others’ stories helped you gain an idea of how Grant Cardone is deceiving everyone and running a huge scam. Even now, do you really think Grant Cardone is legit?    

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