Tag: psychic unicorns

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So Long Etsy

Last month I closed my Etsy store for good. Sales had been in the crapper for about two years so it was way past time to pull the trigger. Looking at the shop stats confirmed what I already knew and that was that out of 10 years on Etsy the shop only had 3 years where it was kinda profitable.

So, in August I moved the store to Weebly. It’s still a work in progress but so far I’m pleased with the results. Without the coattails of mother Etsy to hang onto, promoting the site is all on me now. IMO it can’t get worse since for the entire year of 2020 there were only 3 sales. Haven’t had numbers that bad since my first couple years on Etsy when it was just a whim and not a full time business.

I’m excited because this will force me to learn more about SEO and promoting on social media. Earlier this year I finally wiggled free of Godaddy’s slimy grip and found new web hosting. Right now this blog and alternativecitycomics.com have the same hosting while the store is hosted by Weebly. For now that works because they handle all the financial transactions since they are owned by Squarespace. Depending how things go I may move them all to the same host but for now it feels like we’re moving forward.

Check out the new Psychic Unicorns online store!

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The Force Awakens

Last night I went to the opening night of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Props to Terry Gant of Third Coast Comics who puts together a bunch of movie premiere parties as well as monthly meetups & Karaoke events that are awesome. Usually I’m the kind of person who waits a week or two then catches a matinee when a movie I like comes out, but this time I decided to be “among the first” to see this mega blockbuster.

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I had been to one of Terry’s premieres before (Guardians of the Galaxy) and had a good time but I remember having to get up during the flick to use the washroom because I’d had too many cocktails from our private bartender. I still don’t know how they escaped the prison! This time the plan was get there just before the movie starts, have one drink and nurse it through the movie. Turns out that wasn’t such a good idea because every seat was either taken or being “held” for folks who weren’t there. Luckily I was able to squeeze in between two middle aged ladies, one of whom was already half in the bag.

The movie itself was everything I had hoped it would be. I don’t have the same attachment many Star Wars fans have with the franchise since I was 20 when the first movie came out so even though I really liked it, it didn’t influence my childhood the way it does some of the die-hard fans. JJ Abrams is one of those fans and he has made a movie that is a love letter to the other fans who have been sadly and in some cases angrily disappointed by the films made since Return of the Jedi. Even tho this movie introduces the next generation of Star Wars characters, it has the advantage of having the original cast included thus giving their blessing, if you will to the youngbloods. As every beloved original cast member made their first screen appearance they were greeted by thunderous applause, like we were attending a live performance. I’m not going to give any spoilers because I HATE people who do that, but I can say that if the hardcore fans don’t like this one, just hang up your robe and lay down your light sabre.