Reshad is a 22-year-old photographer based in Saint Louis, Missouri. Initially using only his phone camera to snap shots of trees and flowers on his way back from school, Reshad now boasts over 20k followers on Twitter, where his eye-catching, kaleidoscopic work is recognised and celebrated. After purchasing his first camera, a Sony a6000, Reshad played around with floral photography and portraiture, but his signature feature soon became experimentation with colour. Inspired by infrared photography, Reshad would add unnatural reds and pinks to the natural elements in his creations. Over time, however, he started to widen the range of subject matter and play with colour in even more exciting ways. The photographer seeks to turn ordinary city scenes into something more vibrant and surreal, which he certainly achieves through the use of unnatural hues. Reshad’s work maintains a sense of balance, though: he is able to evoke a gentle sense of nostalgia by experimenting with warmer hues and incorporating sunsets and clouds into his shots. When asked about his sources of inspiration, Reshad cites Todd Hido, Julie Blackmon and Gregory Crewdson as creators that caught his attention. Their work, alongside other suburban photographers’ pieces on social media, pushed Reshad to re-evaluate and appreciate the genre of photography he once found boring. That being said, it was the pandemic that allowed him to finally experiment with taking photos of houses, given that portrait photography was no longer a valid option. Recently, Reshad has abeen fascinated by Akine Coco’s pastel scenery and Shiifoncake’s beautiful hues and infrared colours. In terms of current projects, the young photographer has been enjoying animating his images to make them even more lively. Having already released two pieces (Efflorescence and Amidst the Storm), Reshad is working on other solo and collaborative projects.
Mia Joy is the moniker of Chicago-based singer-songwriter Mia Rocha, who was raised in a creative household and started singing and making music from a young age. Following a series of releases that include her 2017 EP Gemini Moon, her debut album, Spirit Tamer, released last week via Fire Talk, is a spell-binding, intimate collection of tracks that were recorded over the course of several years and delve into themes of heartbreak, depression, and identity. Working with her friend and collaborator Michael Mac at Pallet Sound Studios, Rocha channels her musical curiosity and natural introversion to create a world that is both intensely private and ethereal, fluctuating between ambient-leaning, meditative soundscapes reminiscent of Grouper and Gia Margaret and a more direct indie rock sound. She finds strength in quiet vulnerability as much as playful self-awareness: ‘Freak’ references the title of Korn’s ‘Freak On A Leash’, but the song itself reflects an attempt to break free from a toxic relationship; on ‘Haha’, she sings, “I tried to keep my body in one piece/ My skin, its sheds in my sleep/ Turns out the joke is on me.” In evoking the things that permeate our mind when we’re not fully in control, Spirit Tamer sometimes resembles a dream state, but Rocha strikes a delicate balance – lulling you into a strange sense of comfort and then prodding you awake, as if with a soft light.
We caught up with Mia Joy for this edition of our Artist Spotlight interview series to talk about her artistic journey, her upbringing, Spirit Tamer, and more.
I read that writing was your first love before music. What was your relationship with writing at an early age?
I think singing was always my first love. I’ve been singing since I could talk. But I think when I started gaining my identity around middle school, I had a teacher that was very nurturing and supportive and told me I was a good writer and pushed me to keep writing. I got really into Emily Dickinson, because she was very emo and reclusive and like, kind of ambiguous. I really related to her as a middle school student and I liked that she didn’t always rhyme. So I just wrote a lot of poetry from middle school to high school, and I did a lot of creative writing classes in high school and college. And going back to that teacher, there was this mythology unit that we were learning and I really liked all the symbolism and the stories and I think that was also what started my interest in astrology. But I think that was the nucleus of what inspired me to write poetry and write stories.
Were there other writers besides Emily Dickinson that you identified with?
I feel like she was really the main person that I identified with, but there’s obviously other poets and writers that influenced me. I really liked Pablo Neruda and Octavio Paz because they’re extremely romantic, and really – I don’t know another word to say that, just kind of melancholy and there’s a lot of yearning. [laughs] I think that also spoke to me as a young sad recluse. And yeah, it was just another way of connecting to my culture. I still read those poetry books to this day.
You also grew up with musician and poet parents. How do you look back on your upbringing?
I realize that it’s not the most traditional way to be raised. I’m really grateful that my parents are artistically inclined. My mom, when she was young, she published a bunch of poems, but she is now in the education system. And she also paints – she’s a very talented painter. My father is a musician to this day, and I just talked to him yesterday and we were talking about my guitar and like, ways to fix the neck, and he’s been playing music for over 50 years. He’s the reason I got my first guitar and he taught me very basic chords and then I just ran with it. I think he has always been proud of me because it’s a piece of him in me, and his mother was a singer, and it feels like this really sacred lineage that’s been passed down to generations, this passion that we all have. But yeah, the home – there was always music playing, he had band practice in the basement, there’s studios in the basement. He would always, like, make me sing with him on his lap. It was just – I realize now that that’s not everybody’s experience, and I’m really grateful that it’s mine.
Do you mind sharing some more memories that have stuck with you from that time?
This is a story my dad loves to tell. My dad used to play guitar on a beautiful sunny day on our steps in the neighborhood, and people would walk past us – you know, people with their strollers and there are just kids running around – and I would come outside, and then the neighbours would start chatting with my dad like, “Oh, that sounds really pretty,” and then my dad would be like, “And she can sing!” And then he would like, make me sing in front of strangers, and he said that I used to just belt like a Selena song and perform. And then I got a little bit older and a little bit more self-conscious, and I was like, “You can’t just tell me to perform at the drop of a hat.” [laughs] And then he got mad at me because he was like, “You used to love to sing, you used to just do it on the drop of a whim.” And then I just got really insecure and I was like, “No, I don’t want to do this anymore.” [laughs]
That’s really funny, and I think most people can relate to that kind of experience in some way. I’m wondering, when you started to develop that creative side, how much of that journey happened separately from your family as you became more self-conscious.
I think that manifested in my writing in middle school. I think I shrunk myself and I got very insecure and quiet and I stopped singing, which was devastating to my parents because I was always singing as a child. So I put all of that creative energy into writing, and I didn’t know that that was actually a huge component to what I needed to have later in life to be a songwriter. But it wasn’t until about halfway in high school that I started – well, actually, I was in the Chicago children’s choir in middle school, which is a pretty prestigious choir and you have to dress up very formally and you go on tour and you sing through all these cathedrals and temples and it was a lot of discipline. I learned so much; I learned how to read music and sing in different languages, and it taught me that music has a lot of work ethic. It definitely taught me my love of harmonies, which is such a big part of myself now. And there’s something really magical about singing with like 30 other people. Everybody’s singing their own part that you’ve worked so hard to master, and then when you’re in this beautiful cathedral, everything glows and it’s such a rewarding feeling.
Does performing now give you a similar feeling?
I wish, actually. [laughs] No, I kind of hate performing, but I think when I’m performing with my band or with multiple people, there’s this like calming wave over me, I think that goes back to choir. It’s just ironic that my musical project is about me and I’m the focal point, and that’s just something I need to work on, like, my nerves. But yeah, I want to get to a place where I feel as serene and confident as I was as a quiet kid.
Yeah, as you said, I think as we grow up we become more self-conscious and maybe that’s a part of it as well. We talked about writing and singing, but what were your first attempts at actually making music like?
So, I also have a brother who’s a musician, and he gave me this very cheap DAW. I had a very shitty computer at the time, I was about 18 or 19. And I just was fooling around, I had spent my money on some musical equipment and just locked myself in my room for like, all of that summer and all of that winter, because I had nothing better to do, really. I think I’m naturally reclusive and private, and it was a good way of kind of coping with things I was feeling and thinking. I was already just playing guitar and covering songs that I liked, but I knew that there was like a plethora of stuff inside that needed to come out. I just needed the physical tools to make them. And I’m still like that to this day; if I get new gear or something, I will lock myself in my room, just having fun exploring, and that’s kind of the way that I write music. It’s very freeform and unplanned.
Do you remember what you were drawn to writing about at the time?
At first, I was just inspired by some of the music I was listening to at the time, and I was just fooling around with tones and textures. I had no idea what words to put to this, I didn’t have a vision. I was more focused on getting used to composing the musical parts first. But then I realized that I had notebooks and notebooks of poetry from my youth. So, if you stalk my SoundCloud and you scroll all the way to the bottom, some of those first songs from like eight or nine years ago are me really roughly writing some musical arrangements and then applying old poems to them because I didn’t know what to write about.
You mentioned Selena before, but I’m curious how you got into the more shoegazy influences of your sound.
I didn’t have the internet growing up, or it was very spotty, which was hard as a millennial, so I had to go to my local library and I would rent a huge stack of DVDs and movies to burn on my computer. Because I was bored, and also, I knew that I liked certain bands and I wanted to expand my knowledge of things. I think Deerhunter was a huge influence for me, especially the first few Deerhunter albums are very avant-garde and wild and droney and [Bradford Cox]’s voice is like stretched out, which I found really alluring and cool. That was definitely the building blocks of how I was attempting approaching writing songs in a very kind of loose structured way. And then obviously My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive and Beach House were really big at the time, and [Victoria Legrand]’s voice is very inspirational to me.
Do you feel that you were discovering all these bands on your own? Because you said you weren’t really connected to the internet, which for a lot of people is an important social environment for music discovery.
I love that question. It was a bit of both, actually, because sometimes I was able to catch the internet in my house, and I had this music blog on Tumblr. I’ve always been, for lack of a better word, a music nerd, and I wanted to be a music encyclopedia and know as much as possible. And I would review albums on Tumblr and I would make friends and I kind of built a little community on there. And some of my Tumblr friends were like, “You should record your own stuff, because I know that you’re making stuff at home.” And they kind of pushed me to make my own SoundCloud, which is really sweet. But because I felt that the Internet was scarce, I was compensating with going to the library, and my friends with the internet were like, “How do you do that? I don’t even listen to that much music and I have the internet.” And I was just like, “I don’t know.” It was a fun challenge in a way, and I’m kind of grateful for it, because I really had to work for the knowledge that I had. I don’t have a degree in music, I didn’t study making music or composing music, so my education was really just going hard at the library and on the internet and just really studying the people that weren’t inspirational to me.
You made a reference to astrology earlier, and I was wondering if you could talk about the role spirituality plays in your music.
Going back to my middle school teacher that really influenced my writing and encouraged me to write, I think he was teaching a mythology course and I kind of ran with that. My mom is pretty religious, pretty Christian, and was like, not okay with the astrology part, so I had to hide how much I loved it and I would buy astrology books and hide them in my room. And it was another thing that I was just studying, I just loved the symbolism and the story backgrounds and it definitely influenced me as a person, but it also gave me some catalysts to write when I was looking for inspiration. After studying it for so long, it’s kind of hard not to involve it because it’s something I think about a lot.
In what way?
For me, it’s an ideology. It’s not something that I’m devout in, but it’s a tool that I use to understand the world and the people around me. What’s really important to me is connecting with folks in a way that feels authentic and not shallow. I really want to understand people for who they are and what they bring to the table. And I think what’s ironic to me is that like, my friends kind of made fun of me for liking this kind of esoteric, obscure, weird thing that a 13-year-old got really into and then all of a sudden it got really trendy about five or six years ago. But it’s also been around forever, and I think it’s really a beautiful way to understand each other.
Obviously, the album title relates to this as well, Spirit Tamer. I read that’s also from a poem you wrote, which you’ve said represents a kind of protection from outside forces. What are those forces?
Yeah, I think that quote is kind of ambiguous, so I’ll break it down. Spirit Tamer, to me, means me being in control and the master of my own healing, my own recovery, and collecting all of my moves and all of my experiences. I’m someone who lives with depression, and I kind of know and can feel episodes coming in and out. And so, music is really a coping mechanism in ways that I am trying to harness the ebbs and flows of how I’m feeling and how I’m living. I wanted it to be a symbol of self-autonomy and strength.
The album also kind of moves between more straightforward pop moments and more ambient, less structured compositions – is that intended as a reflection of those ebbs and flows?
So, because the album took so long to come together over a course of two or three years, I think there’s so many gaps of time that I was writing this and recording it and being influenced by different things. But also, I want it to be clear and I want to commit myself to not being pigeonholed to one sound or one genre, because it’s just not going to happen – I’m just way too curious to do so much more stuff. And I think the pretentious 14-year-old music nerd in me kind of flinches at the word “pop”, because I’m not well versed – I don’t listen to pop, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t respect and admire it. I think I just wanted to set up the stage for people to know that I’m gonna take many routes and paths when it comes to my sound palette and writing songs.
‘See Us’ is a moment that stands out to me, partly because there’s a kind of optimism to it and the promise of a better future. And the line “I can see us making a name for ourselves” made me wonder what that phrase means for you, or what it meant for you when you were writing it, especially when it comes to making art.
‘See Us’ is really the only happy love song I’ve ever written. I had just gone on a vacation with my partner at the time, and I was filled with optimism and seeing the world and feeling like I was like building a future with someone. And that person was also an artist, and it was kind of just like a love note that like, “You and I are going to get it out there and we are going to achieve our dreams.” I really wanted to write a love song that didn’t feel traditionally possessive like, “I love you, you love me,” but more like, “Life is really beautiful with you and our dreams are really possible.”
I assume that’s what making a name for yourself means in that context, like making art that is meaningful.
I think I want to dispel the idea that making a name for yourself means success or status; that’s not how I intended that to come out. I think now, almost two years later, it does take on a different meaning, especially in COVID. I think it’s more of a love note to my friends and my community and people I want to see well, and that the world feels very grim and very scary at times – most times – and it’s nice to have your loved ones or your friends’ voice in your ear saying, “I know that you can make it happen for you and that it’s possible.”
Even though that’s maybe the only optimistic moment on the record, I still think there’s that sense of romanticism and yearning that you talked about in relation to your influences, which especially comes through on the final song. Why did you choose to end the album with a cover of Arthur Russell’s ‘Last Night Together’?
He – oh my god. So, during 2018 specifically, I was very heartbroken. And I’d say Russell really shaped my brain. He, like… Yeah, he changed my life. I think I love him so much because he has so much range, and when I heard his music for the first time, it was as if I’d always known. It felt very familiar, like I’d always known it, but it was also extremely invigorating and exciting, especially his avant-garde, cello, kind of synth-y dance music is beautiful and I definitely want to go in that direction as well. And his heartbreaking country folk ballads, which I feel are like subdivisions that live inside of me. Everybody in my life knows how much I stan him and how much I love him. [laughs]
I had experienced a moment in my life of saying goodbye to a person, and also just holding a lot of love and a lot of nostalgia. It’s just a bittersweet moment. And there was a really beautiful grand piano at the studio, and I was like, “Hey, look, I learned how to play this,” and it just was so haunting and beautiful that I wanted to add it to the record because I felt the message fit in there very well. It was kind of a spontaneous thing, and the version that you’re hearing on the album, we only tracked it like twice, so it was very live and very vulnerable, and I didn’t want to do it again, because I really liked the energy of that take.
Now that the album is out, what are some things that are inspiring you or that you’d like to explore more in the future?
I’m definitely moving out of the direction of making guitar-centric music and leaning more towards making more electronic ambient music. I think some of the interludes on the album are prefacing what’s to come for me. I’m really into house music and ambient music and global music, so I’m really curious to see what I’m going to be up to next year.
I think I’m still coming into my own with the new attention of the record, and it’s something that I’ve been dreaming about my entire life and it’s finally here, so it feels really surreal to soak in. But I also feel very grounded in my roots, as, you know, the shy choir kid, and I’m still locked away in my room, I’m still on the internet scoping for new music to be inspired by. And I’m just really grateful that people take the time to listen to it.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
There are a bunch of ways to improve your FIFA skills insanely fast. Even the best players know that playing FIFA is relatively easier than most people perceive it to be. This is because all you need is an understanding of the game and learning the basics, which will help you turn your draws into wins.
If you are struggling to win matches on FIFA 21 or 20, which are the latest games everyone indulges in, don’t yet lose hope. Sure, your friends might criticize your gaming skills continuously, but by following the following tips, you are guaranteed to score more goals the next time.
Most players are incapable of proceeding to the esports level, but that doesn’t mean you cannot turn more draws into wins along the way. With that said, here are a few essential tips you can use to become a FIFA legend.
Perfect Your Free Kicks
Practising free kicks can be daunting, and it may feel like a waste of time. But if you want to impress your friends, this is something you must practice now and then. If you are new to a game, you must do free kicks before attempting an actual match.
Quickly go through the menu and identify the skill games category. Go through the guidelines and ensure you complete all the levels, beginner and moderate.
Learn When to Fake Short and Drag Back
Another incredible way to improve your FIFA gaming skills is to learn when to take a fake short and drag back. This is relatively easy as almost any player can successfully manage to take a fake shot.
When taking a fake shot, all you have to do is kick the ball in a different direction and then give a short speed burst. But to achieve this effortlessly, you need 11th gen gaming processors to speed up your gaming and enhance your video and graphics performance.
After the fake shot, you may want to drag back the ball as quickly as possible to pull it away from your opponent, which allows you to kick it to another player. Mastering these two aspects can soon turn you into a FIFA expert player.
Create Your Ultimate Team
Some of the prime players in FIFA include La Liga, Bundesliga and Premier League, to mention a few. When selecting players, you want to ensure you form a team using prime players and any other league. You also want to identify other good players that are not in the famous clubs and combine them with those from popular leagues.
This allows you to form the best hybrid team that can motivate you to play better and make your gaming experiencing easy. Research beforehand and know some of the best players from the top and less famous leagues.
Use the Right Formation
Lastly, you want to ensure you use the proper formation when playing FIFA as a trick to help you win. There are basic formations to use, such as 4-3-3 and 4-4-2, but you can identify more intriguing formats such as 3-5-2. Find what format works best and ensure you position the right-wingers and strikers correctly.
Playing FIFA can be a great way to spend leisure time. And if you don’t want any form of frustration during your free time, ensure you use the above tips to win a game.
Though it was often originally derided as silly and unnecessary, modern video game streaming has become an inseparable part of the industry. Offering potential experiences which are only possible with new technology, the concept of game live streaming reaches back into classic video game appeal.
Similarly, the modern online casino development of live titles follows a relatable nostalgic track. In what could be seen as a form of convergent evolution, both of these avenues illustrate solutions to similar problems, and both are poised for considerable future success.
As They Exist
Having existed since the latter half of the 2010s, live casinos have expanded rapidly in a short amount of time. For a look at what’s on offer, those interested can visit https://games.paddypower.com/p/live-casino. Including typical casino games like roulette and blackjack, these live games now extend to more speciality titles such as Crazy Time, Monopoly Live, and Deal or No Deal. With dozens of tables to choose from, major websites will often feature live games as a cornerstone of the online casino experience.
In live streaming, the best example of the current state of affairs could be seen in the category section of the website Twitch at https://www.twitch.tv/directory. On this page, the most popular games and sections have tens or even hundreds of thousands of viewers. Enjoying a steady upward trajectory since its inception in 2011, Twitch exceeds even YouTube as a live streaming service.
Reasons for Popularity
Despite being quite different on the surface due to disparities in player control, the ideas behind online casino live games and Twitch streams are much the same. Foremost, both of these systems are built on emulating direct human interaction. As social creatures, this form of pseudo-connectedness affects us on a primal level, as explored at https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles.
For live titles, the parallel being drawn is one that combines the convenience of at-home play with the enjoyment that many players get from a more social environment. Playing on these tables means dealing with an intractable human, making it feel like users are really sitting at a table, even if they’re half a world away from the human host.
Video game streaming takes a similar humanistic approach, and again relates efforts to older existing methods of play. Most relevant to the streaming ideal is the couch-coop play that used to be the core of friendly gaming, but which became less popular as lamented by https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin. Many of us spent a lot of time hanging out and playing games with friends in person in the early video gaming days, but the age of the internet has diminished this former favourite. By streaming, viewers are essentially given a path back to the friendly banter and relaxed attitude of older gaming, which is evidently something we still crave.
In the grand scope of the market, the goal is to use technology to bring us together, combatting the fact that technology is what initially drove us apart. Over both live casino and video games, this push has proven immensely successful and looks to have carved out a path for future generations to follow. Plus, with VR and AR nipping at the heels of mainstream integration, these forms of play are only going to further evolve.
Tomorrow, Dessa – the rapper, singer, and writer who’s also a member of the Minneapolis-based hip-hop collective Doomtree – will be releasing a new song called ‘Talking Business’. Showcasing her lyrical dexterity as well as her knack for inventive storytelling, the cinematic track was produced by Paper Tiger, Andy Thompson, and Lazerbeak and marks the fifth instalment of her IDES singles series, which sees her sharing new music on the 15th of each month. ‘Talking Business’ arrives with a lyric video by Matthew Levine, which you can check out exclusively below ahead of its official release.
“I wanted to make a song that unfolded like a little film where the plot was revealed in a series of objects and still images,” Dessa explains. “I envisioned lipstick on the filter of a cigarette, a wig discarded in a hotel bathtub—all the action implied, just off-screen. I tinkered with the idea for years, but never quite got it running until I heard the beat from Michael Piroli—slinky and smoky with a little menace. To try to build a story in a flash of snapshots, I wrote the song without using any verbs. So the song unfurls with just a list, really: an inventory of telling items and a few frames of character frozen in a single moment. (And, for the ‘word nerdz’ eager to bust me—terms like ‘talk’ are used here as verbal nouns and the -ing words, like ‘missing’, are actually gerunds, a type of noun.)”
Henry K. Norvalls’ Sweet Things follows Anne as she navigates an interview for a photography house.
The awkward horror of job interviews is a near-universal experience, and this film details how that can intersect with misogyny and the imbalance of employer-employee dynamics. Norvalls’ brilliant direction showcases a clash in power: a young woman desperately trying to keep things together as her employer pushes grim boundaries of acceptable behaviour. Sweet Things perfectly captures the anxiety and discomfort felt by many women who have been subject to grotesque misconduct at work. With the delicate sound design and superbly framed cinematography, the film shares Anne’s perspective – bringing us closer to her dread and unease.
Cast
Renate Reinsve
Preben Hodneland
Per Magnus Barlaug
Ameli Isungset Agbota
Crew
Director: Henry K. Norvalls
Screenwriter: Line Dalheim
Producer: Petter Onstad Løkke
Co-producer: Grunde Tveiten
Director of Photography: Torfinn Rønning Sanderud
Production Designer: Mirjam Veske
Editor: Thomas Grotmol
Costume and Make-up: Sandra Krogh Rodum
Sound Designer: Inger Elise Holm
Colorist: Raymond Gangstad
Poker is one of those games everybody is bound to play at one time or another, and it is true to say that some people do rather quickly pick up the skill and art of playing and can go on to become something of a successful and profitable player too.
However, there are of course many things that you will need to be aware of, much more so if you choose not to play in land based poker rooms and instead choose to play at any of the many online poker sites that are based in Canada.
This guide will give you a few pointers as to how you can improve your poker play and will also let you know what to look out for when choosing just which poker site to play at too, but keep in mind there are loads of different poker game variants available to you these days, and you could find you do enjoy playing one of them more than any other.
Plus, another benefit of playing poker online, is that you are not only going to be limited to playing cash ring poker games, but will also find no end of poker tournaments available to you too, some of which by the way are completely free of charge to enter, and offer you the chance of winning a huge cash prize if you make it to the final table of those tournaments and finish in one of the higher positions, so keep that in mind.
Are Poker Site Bonuses Worth Claiming
One question that I get asked time and time again, much more from first time online poker players in Canada is whether the bonuses that they will see advertised by many poker sites are real and whether they are worth claiming.
The simple answer to that is those bonuses are there to be claiming but be warned not each of them come with fair bonus terms and conditions, so read them through as that way you will see what you are agreeing to be bound by and what you must adhere to when claiming any of them.
Discover Your True Odds of Winning Any Hand
One thing that you will soon discover and notice when playing poker online for real money for the very first time is that some players seem to win more hands than they lose, and those players are of course the ones that know how to play each hand and whether to play or fold their hand too.
If you are new to the game and want some idea of whether to play your hand or not, then make use of a poker odds calculator as that way you are always going to know in advance whether your hand does have a realistic chance of winning or not.
Never Get Carried Away Playing Poker Online
I do need to reiterate that playing poker is something many players can never get the hang of, and as such and much more so due to the fact you will come up against some vastly experienced poker players online, you need to be aware of the risks associated with playing poker online and be aware that you will lose and not always win.
As there will of course be plenty of no limit poker game variants that you can get stuck into playing, those tables are high risk ones, and if you have not mastered playing poker and do not have any luck when playing you could soon completely bust out your poker site account balance and your bankroll too.
All poker sites are going to have plenty of responsible gambling tools available and by making use of them before you start to play you can set things such as a deposit limit, so if you do but out your initial deposit, as long as you have set a deposit limit you are never going to be put in the horrible position of continuing to make deposit after deposit and losing those deposits.
I’ve met a lot of tech-savvy people who dream about making money online without investing too much. Naturally, this is not an easy feat, and not everybody can reach their goals. However, one option combines both making money and having fun, and that’s online games. What’s more, these games are now available on mobile devices, so you can play them anywhere and anytime. But where to start?
We’ve spent a lot of time and effort researching the top mobile online games to play for money. So, if you’re interested in exploring this option, keep reading to find out more.
What to Know Before You Start
If you want to make money by playing online mobile games, you need to be willing to put down some of your own cash. Although many casino websites offer free-play versions of popular casino games, not many of them promise huge wins. If you’re more interested in making it big, you can start by depositing funds and playing some of the best slot apps for real money on sosgame.com — one of the best and most popular options out there.
On top of that, these types of games are available non-stop. That means you can play them 24/7 from any smartphone. All you need to do is decide whether you’re more into slots, table games, or live dealer options and start playing.
Also, remember to stop when you don’t feel like you’re on a good path. Playing responsibly with and for real money is extremely important.
Make sure to follow the tips below before you start playing to stay on the right track.
Take advantage of bonuses — Many online casino sites offer lucrative bonus deals to entice new players to join. These bonus packages will prove to be of great value once you start playing, as they’ll increase your bankroll.
Watch out for free spins — If you’re more into slots, you should keep an eye out for free spins deals. These promotions reward players with dozens or even hundreds of free spins to use on some of the most popular titles.
Know your bonus requirements — Claiming bonuses is the easy part, but make sure you know all about their requirements. If you don’t fulfill them, you won’t get paid even if you win.
Learn all the rules — Don’t invest any of your hard-earned money without knowing all the rules of the games you choose to play.
Get acquainted with the RTP — Return to player percentages are essential when playing online games. Make sure to research the game’s RTP before you dive in.
Top Online Mobile Games
If you’ve decided this is your calling, make sure you know all the available mobile online games that you can invest in.
Slots
Not only are slots one of the most popular entertainment options in the online world, but they’re also one of the most profitable. Players get to choose from various options, including video slots, progressive games, and jackpots.
Naturally, jackpots are most profitable, but they require the highest bets. You will win big by playing jackpots, but it will take some time. If you’re not sure about your capabilities, start small and work your way up. You can win some decent money by playing smaller slot titles.
Roulette
Roulette is one of the most popular table games that hasn’t lost its charm in decades. This game is perfect for impatient people and those quick on their toes. Besides being available as a free game in some online casinos, you can also play a live dealer version or video roulette.
American and European roulette are the two most popular options. The former has a 94.7% RTP and the latter 97%. Make sure you go through some tips and tricks before you start playing, but remember that roulette is a game purely based on luck.
Blackjack
Many online casinos offer live dealer blackjack as it’s one of the most intriguing card games. Your skills as a player determine the RTP, meaning your decisions influence the game a lot. Interestingly, the game’s RTP can be close to 100%, making it one of the most sought-after games online. Although it sounds tempting, don’t dive in headfirst. Set aside time for practice before you start investing.
Poker
You probably know everything there is about poker. However, you might be surprised by the number of poker variants online casinos offer. If you decide poker is your calling, remember to differentiate these games and learn all you can about poker strategy. The RTP of live poker depends on the player’s skills and strategy, but video poker has a high RTP if live games are not your cup of tea. Once acquainted with the game, you can participate in online poker tournaments and win big at one of the most well-known games in the world.
It has been more than a year now since the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic. The constant state of uncertainty and anxiety left most of us seeking lighthearted entertainment. The gaming industry experienced a significant shift thanks to the emergence of wholesome games. Video games that are not stressful improve mood and lower stress levels. Indeed, we still need these even though the world is slowly healing from the damage.
Another thing that could be stressful is cybersecurity, especially while gaming. It doesn’t matter if you game on a PC, console, or phone – having a VPN service active is highly recommended. A VPN service delivers privacy and protects your personal information by encrypting the connection. Your data will be safe with a VPN service, and that means a lot nowadays.
If you want to try wholesome games yourself, here are some feel-good titles that will get you started.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing blew up at the beginning of the pandemic, and it is clear why the game has so many fans worldwide. While this title has FarmVille vibes, the gameplay is quite different. You play a human character living on a deserted island. As the game progresses, you create your small world by planting trees, gardening, decorating your home, and so much more. Your neighbors are cute little animals that interact with you daily.
Exclusive to Nintendo Switch, Animal Crossing also lets you customize your character and purchase various outfits from the shop. Not to forget that some of these garments and furniture could be a bit expensive. This game became a phenomenon in such a small amount of time. It is also a great way to communicate and keep in touch with your friends during the lockdown.
Calico
If you ever had a chance to visit a cat café, you know it is a unique and relaxing experience. Calico encaptures this feeling through the gameplay. As you might have guessed by now, the developer of this game is a cat lover, and she set out to create a cozy and wholesome title that will appeal to everyone. Players run a cat café in a small town and fill up space with cats and other adorable creatures.
While it could look a bit like Animal Crossing because players may decorate their cafés as they like, Calico is an entirely different game. It has aspects of magic in it since players can use potions to change the appearance of everything around them, including cats. Moreover, the town is inhabited by adorable witches and helpful residents who help you out every step of the way. Developed by Peachy Keen Games, Calico is available on Steam, Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Stardew Valley
If you love gardening and wish to live on a farm one day, Stardew Valley is the title for you. Players start this game as a former city dweller who arrives at their grandfather’s property in a place called Stardew Valley. The farm needs work and repairs, so you set out to grow crops, mine ores, raise livestock, and many more.
Of course, players can interact with other nearby farmers and create a whole new life away from the city noise. This beloved 16-bit RPG already has a cult status, and players come back to it thanks to the seemingly endless content. There is always something to do in Stardew Valley, so it is one of the best wholesome video games out there right now. Created by Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, you can play Stardew Valley on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and all operating systems, including Android.
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles
Besides the breathtaking and colorful graphics, Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is a beautiful open-world game for all adventurers out there. The game is set in Gemea, a world that lies on an island filled with natural wonders. However, not everything is idyllic in Gemea, as players will soon learn. The main character is a hero, who wants to help his world and banish the Murk.
Your goal is to explore this wonderful land and find Sprites, creatures who give you the power to eliminate the Murk. During your travels, you pass through settlements and towns, make friends with the local people, learn how to craft, and even gain sweet animal friends. Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles was developed by Prideful Sloth and is available on Windows, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
Little Witch in The Woods
Longing for a bit of magic in your life? Meet a sweet little witch named Elle, the star of Little Witch in The Woods, who is about to graduate from a witch school. But before she becomes a real witch, Elle needs to be an apprentice. She moves to a town surrounded by the woods but soon discovers that the place is not what she had imagined. Elle is determined, so you need to help her gather materials for her potions.
Quests will lead you to a village, and Elle will meet the mysterious neighbors who might not be human. These residents have fascinating backstories, and you can help them build and expand their village while still working on your magic skills. Little Witch in The Woods hasn’t been released yet. The team of developers from Sunny Side Up is promising an early access launch in 2021. It will be available on Steam first, with plans to release this title on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation.
The fortune of many humans and dogs has been known to be entangled for centuries. Nowadays, many breeds from the Canis lupus familiaris are in existence today because of the canine’s adaptability and the fluidity in their genes. You can choose from various dogs with different temperaments, colors, sizes, and shapes today, and some of this diversity has been owed through selective breeding.
However, the practice of selective breeding may have yielded unfavorable results in some offspring. Those with incompatible genes may have resulted in unfavorable genes where an increased chance of deformities, defects, and infirmities have been associated with a breed.
You may want to know the most common breeds today and the potential issues that have been plaguing them for centuries. Read more information on dog breeds – type of dogs where you can get more tips on making them healthier. With this said, here are the common types of canines that are usually associated with a specific medical condition.
Labrador Retriever
This is highly prized and one of the favorites of many pet lovers around the world. The Labrador retriever is well-known for its affectionate and intelligent nature, and they are ideal for families. Their qualities include loyalty, playfulness, and gentleness that may not be present with other breeds.
The health issues of Labrador retrievers may be few as long as this pet is getting their daily exercises. Some of the under-exercised ones may be prone to elbow or hip dysplasia. Many of the inherited diseases can include progressive retinal atrophy that can ultimately result in blindness if not treated early.
Basset Hounds
Basset hounds have endearing sad-sack eyes and droopy ears, but they are plagued with issues that are related to their adorable qualities. You can know more about basset hounds on this page. Sometimes, the droopy skin can interfere with the vision, and the floppy ears are known to get infections now and then. They require thorough cleaning and inspection.
They have a penchant for enthusiastic and constant sniffing because of their short legs. Due to this, the basset hounds are generally suffering from spine diseases and intervertebral disc conditions. If these conditions are left untreated, the dogs’ movements may become more difficult and painful in the long run.
Jack Russell Terrier
These intelligent and very energetic terriers are known for their good health, and some have notable qualities of long life. While the larger breeds like the Jack Russell can live up to 12 years, the smaller ones may suffer from inherited diseases. The ones that are closely linked to the Parson Russell Terriers may have life spans of 14 to 16 years as long as they have regular and adequate exercises. Most of the common medical conditions that owners should watch out for is the possible loss of vision for these breeds.
Irish Setter
Although many people may not generally prefer Irish setters, and their popularity may be fading, these pets are still ranking higher in the affection and playfulness categories. They are very lovable redheads, and they love their parents hard. Although these redheads are considered hardy, it’s still possible for them to have a hereditary disease. Some of the medical conditions common to Irish Setters are bloating, hip dysplasia, bone cancer, and progressive retinal atrophy.
Yorkshire Terrier
The Yorkshire terriers have their nicknames like Yorkies, and they usually come in undersized packages, but they have flounced on many owners’ hearts. They are very popular, and with their tan and silky blue coats, some think it’s just right for them to have a terrier attitude. They are considered mini divas, and they love their roles.
However, the yorkies are known to have digestive problems, and this is why owners should carefully monitor their diet. As with any other dogs, they can experience a tracheal collapse, and some of the signs can include excessive coughing.
Some of the defects may tend to decrease the optimum function of their liver, and they may have portosystemic shunt conditions where the toxins can accumulate in the blood. If they show some symptoms of medical conditions, it’s better if you’ll immediately check with their vets for a more accurate diagnosis of their possible diseases.
Dalmatians
Dalmatians are infamous because of their stint in the movie world and since they are often associated with firefighters. Learn more about dalmatians in this link: https://kids.kiddle.co/Dalmatian_(dog). They are the fictional heroes in Disney movies, and in real life, they are also hardy, gentle, and patient.
However, one of the most common hereditary defects that they may be experiencing is deafness. They are known to be reported by reputable breeders across the world, and some are working on solutions to remove this problem. Other than deafness, dalmatians may be prone to develop bladder or kidney stones that can result in a condition called urolithiasis. This often requires corrective surgery and a special diet.
Cocker Spaniel
Cocker spaniels are a favorite among dog lovers. They have supermodel tresses, flowing coats, and a regal look on them. However, they may be pricey, and their maintenance may be costly for some. They require frequent brushing and bathing, and they may need pet sitters to ensure that the hairs are free from tangles.
The cocker spaniels are susceptible to epilepsy, cataracts, glaucoma, heart diseases, and more. The ears should also be cleaned regularly to prevent them from getting infections. They may be susceptible, but it doesn’t mean that they will have these conditions when they are older. Through proper care, you may be able to prevent these canines from experiencing medical conditions that are prone to their breeds.