#All 63 major Apple W

[awesomeblog-92]

The monitor on your rowing machine streams on-demand

NordicTrack RW900 Rower Resolution on the monitor is constrained. After all, it's a touchscreen. Additionally, it is directly related to the rower. Through HDMI, a second screen may be attached. You are unable to input data, nevertheless (like from an Apple TV or Blu-Ray player). IFit begins to load as soon as the display turns on. Whether or whether you have a subscription, this happens. Even without a membership, the monitor still has some features available. You'll need to remove every screw and void the guarantee before you can do anything with it. I purchased an iPad stand and fastened it to the rowing machine. I use my iPad to watch videos when I row alone (without a live trainer). created with the majority of users in mind: adjustable footrests, a 14-inch seat height, and an ergonomic handle You may monitor your development in real time with the Performance Monitor 5's reliable statistics (included). Self-calibrates for comparable outcomes and wirelessly links to heart rate applications and belts (not included). The maximum weight capacity is 500 pounds, and the ideal area for use is 9 feet by 4 feet. For this item, a longer 90-day return period is offered. 22-inch HD Interactive uchscreen The monitor on your rowing machine streams on-demand iFIT workouts into your house, and the movable console angle lets you train both on and off the machine for a variety of activities. Innovative Space-Saver Design: Your rower folds in half for convenient storage after use. Using Bluetooth headphones to connect: For a better experience, pair your Bluetooth headphones with your rower. User weight limit: 250 lbs. There are three warranties: a 10-year frame warranty, a 2-year component warranty, and a 1-year labor warranty. 50.4″ H x 22″ W x 86.5″ L Low-impact exercise that works the legs, core, and arms in a fluid, calorie-burning motion strengthens all the major muscle groups. For storage, it easily separates into two halves, is mobile thanks to caster wheels, and just eight screws are needed for assembly. Space Suggestions: (Assembled) 8 ft x 2 feet (244 cm x 61 cm). The storage space is 25 in. by 33 in. by 54 in (63. 5 cm x 83. 8 cm x 137. 2 cm). I use the Model D and Model E at the YMCA in my neighborhood. (That is why I'm here trying to find one.) If you need a more specific response, Concept2 states that the default monorail is made for clients with an inseam of 38" or fewer. You can, indeed. For wired earphones, there is a headphone port provided. Bluetooth cannot be used. However, I did spend $30 on a Bluetooth transmitter that I would plug into the headphone jack and use with wireless Bluetooth headphones. Digital resistance in 26 levels Your smart rower's resistance will be adjusted automatically by your iFIT Trainer to offer you the finest workout possible that meets your goals and actually simulates being on well-known bodies of water. A 30-day iFIT Family Membership is included. On your equipment, you may stream live and on-demand workouts with Global Exercises & Studio Classes. Your equipment is adjusted by elite trainers (a $39 value).

[brilliantsprout-blog]

All 63 major Apple W http://bit.ly/2EUSh2a

All 63 major Apple Watch apps to download at launch More

[bo0zey]

Pick your favorite questions from the list.

i will do them all for u 0.o

1. Name cianna [see-ah-nah]

2. Nationality mexican irish german romanian hungarian french

3. Age 20

4. Birthday december 17, 1999

5. Zodiac sign (or your primal zodiac sign) sun: sagittarius; ascendant: leo; moon: aries

6. Gender female

7. Sexuality uhhhhhhhhhhhh idk but i will willingly kiss either gender

8. Your looks (add a picture or describe yourself) /tagged/my-face or u could just google pictures of fat rats

9. What do you/did you study? I’m currently a sophomore nursing major!

10. What's your current job like?/What job would you like to have? I’m currently a microbiology TA and I love it :) My dream job would be something with animals, like a vet tech or veterinarian

11. Your birth order i’m the oldest!

12. How many siblings do you have? 2 younger brothers

13. Do you have good relations with your family? my mom was my best friend, my dad and i get along better now that i’m in college, my brothers and i get along pretty well & we’re staring to get closer now that they’re getting older n growing up n developing their own personalities lol

14. How many friends do you have? errrr idk this is a hard question. i have a lot of acquaintances but i’d say i have maybe like less than 10 real friends??

15. Your relationship status single :D

16. What do you look for in a SO? funny!!!!!!!!!must be humorous!!!!and sarcastic and a little weird w darker sense of humor so we can laugh n be dumb together!!!!!!! also i would like them to be kind to me and those around them bc mean ppl suck. also they have to like animals. also i would like them to be loyal and trustworthy and 110% in love w me. and for physical stuff idk kinda attractive but NOT CONVENTIONALLY ATTRACTIVE like i personally don't really like the typically ‘attractive’ person??? 

17. Do you have a crush? currently in love w the cute chinese boy who lives across from my dorm room even tho i have never even spoken to him n he is totally unaware of my existence!!!!!!!! hahah oops :D

18. When did you have your first kiss? i mean technically 3rd grade i think but that doesn't really count so like maybe 16????

19. Do you prefer serious and meaningful relationships or casual dating/one night stands? i mean in the long term i would definitely like to have a serious relationship but at the moment i’m only into casual stuff bc my heart isn't ready to be broken again sknfkjdbnkjd

20. What are your deal breakers? errrr i’m not sure....cheating is a no no, ppl that are interested in fucking every single person they see is a turn off, DUMB PEOPLE like ppl you can't even have a proper conversation with bc they're so DUMB, and ppl who r mean/judgmental/arrogant

21. How was your day? ok! accidentally slept thru my math class but caught a glimpse of my crush across campus when he was abt to smoke a cig and i got chipotle n i online shopped a ton from shein

22. Favourite food & drink deep dish spinach pizza from giordano’s & orange vitamin water

23. What position do you sleep in? i fall asleep on my left side hugging a body pillow

24. What was your last dream about? ate a braid of hair and inside the braid was bacon

25. Your fears not going to make it thru nursing school, not being financially stable as an adult, not having a family of my own, probably more but those r currently top 3

26. Your dreams i don't have any idk....maybe having like a house of my own and having as many animals as i want?? and i would like a loving partner with a daughter of our own

27. Your goals survive nursing school and lose 40 pounds and don't die before my cat

28. Any pets? i have a dog named cherry Cola, a cat named Leto, and a betta fish named Perc

29. What are your hobbies? writing stories about people in love, listening to music

30. Any cool places in your area? in my college town??? NO it sucks. in my hometown??? Not really it’s a small lil village with only restaurants and parks. but at home i’m near downtown chicago so that’s cool i guess

31. What was your last awkward situation? the first thing that comes to mind is my FIRST and so far ONLY encounter with my crush. we live in the same dorm building and i was wearing my nursing scrubs and had no make up on and about to go upstairs to my dorm, and then i heard footsteps and i was like ‘hahaha what if its my crush’ AND THEN HE FUCKIGJNG appeared from down the hallway to go back to HIS DORM [which is RIGHT ACROSS FROM MINE] and i literally STARED at him, then threw open the door and RAN UP THE STAIRS LIKE I LITERALLY DIDNT EVEN HOLD THE DOOR OPEN FOR ME AND HE WAS LIKE SO CLOSE BEHIND ME I WAS JUST SO NERVOUS MY FLIGHT OR FIGHT RESPONSE TOOK OVER AND I FUCKING FLED I LITERALLY RAN AWAY FROM HIM I AHTE MYSELF SO MUCH IM SUCH AN IDIOT!!!!!!!!!

32. What is your last regret? errrrr idk i regret a lot of dumb things.......

33. Language/s you can speak English n a LITTLE bit of Spanish

34. Do you believe in astrological stuff? (Zodiac, tarot, etc.) i’m really into zodiac stuff and i have got to say they are pretty spot on in accuracy idk

35. Have any quirks? ummmm ofc!!i am the quirkiest person i know hajnjfxbkjx like if u asked my roommates/friends they’d probably be better at answering this than me bc i don't see anything abt me as quirky but they always tell me i am quirky and do weird things but idk man I'm just existing 

36. Your pet peeves err idk currently its ppl that constantly brag about dumb shit

37. Ideal vacation somewhere warm with me + the ocean + the loml + unlimited alcohol

38. Any scars? yeah :D both emotional AND physical!!!!

39. What does your last text message say? ‘ok thats a more than fair statement’

40. Last 5 things from your search history how many carbs should i eat, chipotle bowl calories, is the grim reaper the angel of death, ceftriaxone adverse effects, red man syndrome

41. What's your [device] background? lockscreen is a peach-theme background i made and home screen is my weight loss goals

42. What do you daydream about? the characters in my stories.................and being skinny 

43. Describe your dream home pretty brick house??? flowers outside??? 3 floors--main floor, basement and upstairs??? 3 bedrooms n 3 bathrooms maybe??? master bedroom has its own bathroom!!! and open concept main floor. big kitchen and very homey n warm all around. as for like an apartment i want something cozy and aesthetically pleasing and warm 

44. What's your religion/Your thought about religion i don't have a religion but if ppl do have a religion then thats not my business

45. Your personality type entj but only bc i got 3% extraverted; i am very closely related to intj tho n i think i fit that one better

46. The most dangerous thing you've done uhhhhhh probably operating a vehicle while high out of my mind. definitely the dumbest thing i ever did 0/10 would recommend anyone ever doing that

47. Are you happy with your current life? its ok but it could probably be better. i want to be done w college and skip to the part where i have a successful career and my own home and i can lay up w the loml every night

48. Some things you've tried in your life alcohol???weed??gummy edibles....

49. What does your wardrobe consist of? sweaters/sweatshirts/leggings

50. Favourite colour to wear? black, maroon, peach, purple, gray, idk

51. How would you describe your style? oh jeez idk i wear whatever i want so like e-girl when i really try and basic white girl when i don't care

52. Are you happy with your current looks? no i hate everything about myself lol

53. If you could change/add something to your appearance - impossible or not - what would it be? more freckles on my face....also be thinner n have longer hair

54. Any tattoos or piercings? my nose and septum are pierced!

55. Do you get complimented often? kinda by my friends but i always yell at them to stop so they don't compliment like as much bc they know i hate it but they still do it sometimes idk

56. Favourite aesthetic? i wanna be an e-girl yo!!!!!!!!! 

57. A popular trend that you dislike nobody has a crush on me and i hate it

58. Songs you're currently obsessed with? pied piper by BTS

59. Song you normally wouldn't admit you like. anything by BTS lol i used to like be embarrassed for how much i like k pop but now i don't really care lol #stanBTS2020

60. Favourite genre? rap/r n b/alternative

61. Favourite artist/band/genre? i listen to every genre except country sooooooo yeah i really like billie eilish, BTS, the weeknd, juicewrld, lil nas x, trippie red, post malone,

62. Hated popular songs/artists? i don't rlly like selena gomez or justin bieber or taylor swift

63. Put your music on shuffle and list first 5 only - RY X i.f.l.y. - Bazzi novacane - frank ocean jungle - drake bang! - trippie redd

64. Can you sing or play any instruments? no and no

65. Do you like karaoke? no but i like to sing along to songs when I'm alone

66. Own any albums? haha noooo i got apple music son

67. Do you listen to radio? What stations? errr RARELY i used to listen to r n b stations tho

68. Favourite movie/series? idk donnie darko?? i also just finished tharntype n that was really good. also i liked tokyo ghoul. AND GIVEN IS REALLY GOOD

69. Favourite genre of movies/books/etc i like horror/scary/paranormal/funny movies and i like love stories in books

70. Your fictional crush/es danny phantom, ken kaneki

71. Which fictional character is you? uhhhh idk...

72. Are you a shipper? List your otps, if so frerard, ryden, taekook, mewgulf

73. Favourite greek god? idk they all kinda suck but maybe hades

74. A legend from where you live that you like i don't really know any:(

75. Do you like art? What's your favourite work or artist? i like to look at art! i think van gogh is cool

76. Can you share your other social media? ig: ciannnna venmo: ciannnna

77. Favourite youtubers? i don't really watch youtubers but maybe shane dawson and emma chamberlain

78. Favourite platform? twitter

79. How much time do you spend on the internet? too much time

80. What video games have you played? Which one's your favourite? i once played GTA5 that was fun!

81. Your favourite books (manga also counts) idk i don't really read anymore:/ i was into the hunger games and the twilight series when i was young. now i kinda read online manga and i really liked BJ Alex and killing stalking. and like for online books the unholyverse series, a splitting of the mind, the anatomy of a fall

82. Do you play board/card games? no but i like to play checkers and uno and cards against humanity

83. Have you ever been to a night marathon in cinema? nopee

84. Favourite holiday halloween is cool also christmas is alright bc gifts

85. Are you into dramas? i’ve been getting into thai boys love dramas lol sue me

86. Would you use death note, if you had one? um YES.

87. What changes would you make in the world, no matter how impossible, if you had the power to? everyone needs to be a little kinder and have a crush on me

88. Could you survive a zombie apocalypse? absolutely not I'm not physically fit and don't have useful skills

89. If you had to be turned into a paranormal being, what would it be? vampire duh [or maybe ghost]

90. What would you want to happen to you after your death? i want to see my mom

91. If you had to change your name, what would be your pick? idk something cool ... i love the name Daisy

92. Who would you switch your life with for a week? idk probably kylie jenner

93. Pick an emoji to be your tattoo idk the alien? 94. Write 3 things about yourself - only one of them must be true -im very productive with my time management skills -my favorite color is purple -i don't get nervous when I'm alone in public

95. Cold or hot? cold

96. Be a hero or be a villain? anti-hero

97. Sing everything you want to say or rhyme? sing if i’m good at it but if I'm not good then rhyme

98. Shapeshifting or controlling time? shapeshifting

99. Be immortal or be immune to everything aside from natural death?immortal

100. ..... or .....? ......?

[hempworxofficial-blog]

CBD Interest Among Americans Surpasses Nearly All Other Health Products: 'This Generation's Snake Oil' - Study Finds

SAN DIEGO — Cannabidiol, better known as CBD, has undergone a meteoric rise in popularity over recent years. CBD is the second-most prevalent active compound found in marijuana, and is touted as a wonder drug of sorts capable of alleviating various conditions such as anxiety, depression, acne, pain, and even opioid addiction without the usual psychoactive “high” that comes along with traditional marijuana use. While the majority of these claims aren’t exactly backed by definitive scientific evidence, a new study conducted at the University of California, San Diego finds that Americans are more interested in CBD than most health products and fads on the market.

In fact, researchers say each month as many as 6.4 million Americans search Google for research or information on buying CBD products — eclipsing or equaling interest in most other alternative health products and subjects.

One of the features that makes CBD so appealing is its ability to be ingested or taken in a variety of ways, from traditional joints or cigarettes to massage oils, infused gummies, and even CBD ice cream. Still, most major U.S. health leaders, organizations, and departments have remained largely silent on CBD’s proposed benefits mostly due to an overall lack of data on just how popular the oil is, statically.

With this in mind, researchers set out to analyze U.S. Google search trends for CBD and related products between January 2004 and April 2019. Search trends up until December 2019 were also forecast by the research team.

“This big data strategy allowed us to directly observe public interest in CBD,” says lead author Dr. Eric Leas, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, in a release. “Rather than relying on self reports where some might not be willing to discuss CBD openly we directly observed millions of instances of people seeking out information or even shopping for CBD online.”

Amazingly, CBD search queries in the United States grew by 125% in 2017, followed by an additional 160% in 2018. In 2019, that statistic is expected to increase by another 180%. The phenomena isn’t contained to just one or two states or areas of the country either. Researchers say searches increased in every single U.S. state, ranging from a 211% increase in Oklahoma to a 605% increase in Alabama.

“CBD has become insanely popular,” says study co-author Dr. John W. Ayers, UC San Diego Vice Chief of Innovation in the Division of Infectious Disease and Global Public Health. “Three years ago, there was essentially no one searching about CBD online, but now there are an estimated 6.4 million unique searches each month.”

In order to gauge CBD’s popularity in comparison to other health & wellness products, researchers contrasted CBD search query volumes against those regarding other health products and alternative medicines. The results were definitive, to say the least. In comparison to acupuncture, CBD searches were more popular by 749%, 517% more popular than apple cider vinegar, 338% more than meditation searches, 63% more than vaccinations, 59% more than exercise, 13% more than regular marijuana, and 12% more than veganism.

“When talking to colleagues about our study we often play a game we call ‘CBD or’ and almost every time experts are shocked to learn that CBD is more popular or nearly as popular,” comments research fellow Dr. Alicia Nobles. “Consider this one example. For every two internet searches for dieting in the United States we found there is one for CBD!”

Despite this incredible boom in popularity and assumed subsequent use, the study’s authors caution that the jury is still very much out on whether or not CBD is actually effective.

“At this time there are no known benefits for taking CBD over-the-counter,” explains Dr. Davey Smith, Chief of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at UC San Diego. “CBD is this generation’s snake oil, where millions are engaging with the product without evidence of any benefit.”

In fact, in some cases CBD may actually prove harmful. Dr. Leas cited a few already documented cases in which CBD products contained potential poisons due to these products not being regulated by any federal entity.

“Moreover, some consumers might forgo seeing a physician or taking medications with known, tested and approved therapeutic benefits in favor of CBD and thereby become sicker or succumb to their illness,” Dr. Smith says.

“Now is the time to act,” Dr. Ayers concludes. “Government regulators must step up to the plate give CBD products the same level of scrutiny as other proven medications. Moreover, anyone considering taking CBD should know there are no proven over-the-counter health benefits.”

The study is published in JAMA Network Open.

Hempworx CBD Oil

[surveysonfleek]

1191.

1. Do you usually sleep with your closet door open or closed? closed, always. it just doesn’t feel right trying to sleep with it open.

2. Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotels? i usually do haha.

3. Have you ever ‘done it’ in a hotel room? yes.

4. Where is your next vacation? no idea! kinda sucks.

5. Have you ever stolen a street sign before? nope.

6. Who do you think reads these? other survey takers. no one from my personal life knows i do these lol.

7. Do you have a calendar in your room? yes.

8. Where are you? in my room.

9. What’s your plan for the day? today is over. i just had work.

10. Are you reading any books right now? nope.

11. Do you ever count your steps when you walk? no. i used to when i had my apple watch but it broke :(

12. Have you ever peed in the woods? yuuuup.

13. Do you ever dance even if there’s no music playing? haha no.

14. Do you chew your pens and pencils? nope.

15. What is your “Song of the Week”? throw a fit - tinashe.

16. Is it okay for guys to wear pink? sure.

17. Do you still watch cartoons? nope. when i’m in the mood i’ll watch the simpsons or family guy but i haven’t watched in forever.

18. What’s your favorite love movie? meet the parents. does that count?

19. What do you drink with dinner? water.

20. What do you dip Chicken Nuggets in? sweet and sour sauce.

21. What is your favorite food/cuisine? i love most japanese food. and western.

22. What movies could you watch over and over and still love? mean girls, white chicks, 40yo virgin. oh and a lot of disney.

23. Last person you hugged/kissed? my boyfriend.

24. Were you ever a boy/girl scout? nope.

25. Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine? hell no.

26. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper? it’s been years. probably when my boyfriend and i first started dating.

27. Can you change the oil on a car? no, i only know how to check my oil. my dad does it for me.

28. Ever gotten a speeding ticket? yep.

29. Run out of gas? yes, ugh. the gas thing was digital and wasn’t accurate :(

30. Favorite kind of sandwich? anything with avocado in it.

31. Best thing to eat for breakfast? a big breakfast. or eggs benedict.

32. What is your usual bedtime? about 4am.

33. Are you lazy? oh yes.

34. When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween? many things.

35. Do you have any magazine subscriptions? nope.

36. Which are better, legos or lincoln logs? legos.

37. Are you stubborn? yep.

38. Who is better…Leno or Letterman? i liked letterman better.

39. Ever watch soap operas? nope.

40. Afraid of heights? not really. i’m more afraid of the thought of falling.

41. Sing in the car? sometimes.

42. Dance in the shower? no.

43. Dance in the car? rarely.

44. Ever used a gun? yeah once. it was in the philippines, we were trying to shoot targets lol.

45. Do you think musicals are cheesy? haha some of them.

46. Is Christmas stressful? oh yes.

47. Ever eat a pierogi? i don’t think so?

48. Major annoyance right now? work.

49. Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? singer/actor. couldn’t do either haha.

50. Do you believe in ghosts? spirits maybe.

51. Ever have a deja-vu feeling? yeah.

52. Do you take a vitamin daily? no.

53. Wear slippers? nope.

54. Wear a bath robe? only in hotels lol.

55. What do you wear to bed? just an old tee.

56. Wal-Mart, Target or K-Mart? kmart because there’s no walmart here.

57. Nike or Adidas? nike.

58. Cheetos Or Fritos? cheetos.

59. Peanuts or Sunflower seeds? peanuts. but sunflower seeds are so good too.

60. Ever hear of, “gorp”? nope.

61. Ever taken karate? not karate. a different kind of martial arts.

62. Ever kissed someone of the same sex? only a peck on the lips.

63. Can you curl your tongue? yes.

64. Ever won a spelling bee? never been in one.

65. Ever cried because you were so happy? yes.

66. Own any record albums? nope.

67. Own a record player? no.

68. Regularly burn incense? no.

69. Ever been in love? yes.

70. Hot tea or cold tea: cold tea methinks.

71. Tea or coffee? tea.

72. Favorite kind of cookie? white choc chip and macadamia.

73. Can you swim well? not well but i can swim to save my life i guess.

74. Can you hold your breath w/o manually holding your nose? yes.

75. Are you patient? haha not really.

76. Ever won a contest? yes.

77. Ever had plastic surgery? nope.

78. Which are better black or green olives? i hate all olives.

79. Can you knit or crochet? nope.

80.  Washroom or bathroom? bathroom.

81. Do you want to get married? eventually.

82. Who was your High School crush? calvin haha.

83. Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way? nope.

84. Do you have kids? no.

85. Do you want kids? someday.

86. What kind of mom are you? no kids yet.

87. Do you miss anyone right now? no.

88. Who do you want to see right now? no one. i just want to sleep.

[pamphletstoinspire]

Porn’s Harm Is Changing Fast

Skeptics of pornography’s danger point out that porn has been around a long time. After all, the ancient Greeks painted sexual images on their pottery. But comparing paintings on Greek vases to today’s endless stream of live-action, hardcore videos is like comparing apples to…um…kumquats. Technology is changing not only the content of porn, but how, when, and at what age it’s being consumed.

The year was 1953, and Hugh Heffner had just published the first copy of Playboy.

Sex had just started to become a more prominent part of American’s cultural conversation, partly because of Dr. Alfred Kinsey who, five years earlier, had published a controversial but extremely popular book on sexuality. [1] He was heralded as one of the first scientists and writers to talk so openly about sexuality, and his books went flying off the shelves. [2]

Heffner saw a chance to make money from the changing cultural views about sex. But to maximize sales of his new magazine he had to change porn’s image from something your friend’s creepy relative might read to something sophisticated and mainstream. So Heffner put his pornographic photos next to essays and articles written by respected authors. In Playboy, porn started to look like nothing more than harmless pleasure engaged in by respectable and successful individuals.

Flash forward to the 1980s, when VCRs suddenly made it possible for people to watch movies at home. [3] For porn consumers, that meant that instead of having to go to seedy movie theaters on the wrong side of town, they just went to the back room at their local movie rental place. Sure, they still had to go out to find it, but porn was a lot more accessible.

And then the internet changed everything. [4][5]

Once porn hit the Web in the 1990s, suddenly there was nothing but a few keystrokes between anyone with an internet connection and the most graphic material available. [4] The online porn industry exploded. Between 1998 and 2007, the number of pornographic websites grew by 1,800%. [6] By 2004, porn sites were getting three times more visitors than Google, Yahoo!, and MSN Search put together. [7] It was “big business” in a way the world had never seen before. Thirty percent of all internet data was related to porn, [8] and worldwide porn revenues (including internet, sex shops, videos rented in hotel rooms, etc.) grew to exceed the incomes of Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo!, Apple, Netflix, and Earthlink combined! [9]

As internet porn grew more popular, it also turned darker, more graphic, and more extreme. (See Why Consuming Porn Is An Escalating Behavior.) With so much porn available, pornographers tried to compete for attention by constantly pushing the boundaries. [10] “Thirty years ago ‘hardcore’ pornography usually meant the explicit depiction of sexual intercourse,” writes Dr. Norman Doidge, a neuroscientist and author of The Brain That Changes Itself. “Now hardcore has evolved and is increasingly dominated by the sadomasochistic themes … all involving scripts fusing sex with hatred and humiliation.” [11] In our post-Playboy world, porn now features degradation, abuse, and humiliation of people in a way never before seen in the mass media. [12] “[S]oftcore is now what hardcore was a few decades ago,” Doidge explains. “The comparatively tame softcore pictures of yesteryear … now show up on mainstream media all day long, in the pornification of everything, including television, rock videos, soap operas, advertisements, and so on.” [13]

As the popularity of internet porn grew like wildfire, so did its influence. Network television shows, pay-per-view channel series, and movies began to up the ante with more and more graphic content as they scrambled to keep the attention of audiences accustomed to internet porn. [14] Between 1998 and 2005, the number of sex scenes on American TV shows nearly doubled, [15] and it wasn’t just happening on adult programs. In a study conducted in 2004 and 2005, 70% of the 20 TV shows most often watched by teens included sexual content, and nearly half showed sexual behavior. [16] And for the first time, porn was becoming a routine part of teen life and a major way adolescents learned about sex. [17]

By now, porn’s effects have soaked into every aspect of our lives. [18] Popular video games now feature full nudity. [19] Snowboards marketed to teens are plastered with images of porn performers. [20] Even children’s toys have become more sexualized. [21]

Technology has changed not only the content of the porn, but also how, when, and at what age they consume it. Young men and women are all presented with the issue of today’s porn, and studies show that by the time they turn 14 years old, two out of three boys in the U.S. have viewed porn in the last year, [22] and many are watching it on devices they have with them 24 hours a day.

And for all of these changes to the nature and reach of today’s pornography, we haven’t even mentioned the most disturbing development of all: human trafficking. The modern-day slave trade (and there is one) is fueled by pornography. Over two-thirds of all calls to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center involve sex trafficking—an estimated 21 million victims worldwide [23], and in one survey, 63% of underage sex trafficking victims said they had been advertised or sold online [24].

This is not a Third World problem. Sex trafficking, and its dissemination through online pornographic sites, extends beyond prostitution and child trafficking rings to the many “revenge porn” sites, to the coercion, drugging, and/or physical abuse of porn performers, wannabe models, and runaways right here in the United States. Human trafficking includes any “commercial sex act induced by force, fraud, or coercion.” [25] (See How Porn Fuels Sex Trafficking.)

In fact, exposure to porn has been found, along with poverty, drug abuse, and homelessness, to be one of the most consistent risk factors associated with human trafficking. [26] And after victims are ensnared, porn is often used to desensitize them to the acts in which they will be forced to engage. Quite literally, porn feeds human trafficking and human trafficking feeds porn. [27]

The argument that porn is nothing new—that it’s been around forever and never caused any great harm—seems pretty silly when you think about how different today’s porn is from anything that existed before. Porn is incomparably more accessible, more widespread, and more extreme than anything that existed even a generation ago. Those centerfold magazines that were passed around among youth in previous generations were nothing compared to what youth have access to today, [28] and the consequences of looking today go far beyond young people hoping their parents don’t find out.

The good news is that in response to the unprecedented spread of pornography there are an unprecedented number of resources and people who want to help, whether by spreading facts about pornography or helping those who feel caught in its undertow. Today’s pornography is a new phenomenon, unlike anything humankind has ever seen, but the things that can push porn back are as old as humanity itself: wisdom, vigilance, and a commitment to real love.

Citations

[1] Brown, T. M., & Fee, E. (2003). Alfred C. Kinsey: A Pioneer Of Sex Research. American Journal Of Public Health 93(6), 896-897. Retrieved From Ncbi.Nlm.Nih.Go..cles/PMC1447862

[2] Mestel, R. (2004, November 15). The Kinsey Effect. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved From Articles.Latime..lth/He-Kinsey15

[3] Kalman, T.P. (2008). Clinical Encounters With Internet Pornography. Journal Of The American Academy Of Psychoanalysis And Dynamic Psychiatry, 36(4) 593-618. Doi:10.1521/Jaap.2008.36.4.593; McAline, D. (2001). Interview On American Porn. Frontline, PBS, August.

[4] Layden, M. A. (2010). Pornography And Violence: A New Look At The Research. In J. Stoner & D. Hughes (Eds.) The Social Costs Of Pornography: A Collection Of Papers (Pp. 57–68). Princeton, NJ: Witherspoon Institute; Kalman, T.P. (2008). Clinical Encounters With Internet Pornography. Journal Of The American Academy Of Psychoanalysis And Dynamic Psychiatry, 36(4) 593-618. Doi:10.1521/Jaap.2008.36.4.593;

[5] Paul, P. (2007). Pornified: How Pornography Is Transforming Our Lives, Our Relationships, And Our Families. New York: Henry Hold & Co., 3; McCarthy, B. W. (2002). The Wife’s Role In Facilitating Recovery From Male Compulsive Sexual Behavior. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity 9, 4: 275–84. Doi:10.1080/10720160216045; Schneider, J. P. (2000). Effects Of Cybersex Addiction On The Family: Results Of A Survey. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 7(1-2), 31–58. Retrieved From Jenniferschneid..sex_family.Html

[6] Websense Research Shows Online Pornography Sites Continue Strong Growth. (2004). PRNewswire.Com, April 4.

[7] Porn More Popular Than Search. (2004). InternetWeek.Com, June 4.

[8] Negash, S., Van Ness Sheppard, N., Lambert, N. M., & Fincham, F. D. (2016). Trading Later Rewards For Current Pleasure: Pornography Consumption And Delay Discounting. Journal Of Sex Research, 53(6), 689-700. Doi:10.1080/00224499.2015.1025123; Porn Sites Get More Visitors Each Month Than Netflix, Amazon, & Twitter Combined. (2013, May 4). Huffington Post. Retrieved From Huffingtonpost..._n_3187682.Html

[9] DeKeseredy, W. (2015). Critical Criminological Understandings Of Adult Pornography And Women Abuse: New Progressive Directions In Research And Theory. International Journal For Crime, Justice, And Social Democracy, 4(4) 4-21. Doi:10.5204/Ijcjsd.V4i4.184

[10] Woods, J. (2012). Jamie Is 13 And Hasn’t Even Kissed A Girl. But He’s Now On The Sex Offender Register After Online Porn Warped His Mind. Daily Mail (U.K.), April 25.

[11] Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain That Changes Itself. New York: Penguin Books.

[12] DeKeseredy, W. (2015). Critical Criminological Understandings Of Adult Pornography And Women Abuse: New Progressive Directions In Research And Theory. International Journal For Crime, Justice, And Social Democracy, 4(4) 4-21. Doi:10.5204/Ijcjsd.V4i4.184

[13] Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain That Changes Itself. New York: Penguin Books.

[14] Caro, M. (2004). The New Skin Trade. Chicago Tribune, September 19.

[15] Kunkel, D., Eyal, K., Finnerty, K., Biely, E., And Donnerstein, E. (2005). Sex On TV 4. Menlo Park, CA: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

[16] Peter, J. And Valkenburg, P. M. (2007). Adolescents’ Exposure To A Sexualized Media Environment And Their Notions Of Women As Sex Objects. Sex Roles 56,(5-6), Doi:381–95.10.1007/S11199-006-9176-Y

[17] Peter, J. & Valkenburg, P. M., (2016) Adolescents And Pornography: A Review Of 20 Years Of Research. Journal Of Sex Research, 53(4-5), 509-531. Doi:10.1080/00224499.2016.1143441; Rothman, E. F., Kaczmarsky, C., Burke, N., Jansen, E., & Baughman, A. (2015). “Without Porn…I Wouldn’t Know Half The Things I Know Now”: A Qualitative Study Of Pornography Use Among A Sample Of Urban, Low-Income, Black And Hispanic Youth. Journal Of Sex Research, 52(7), 736-746. Doi:10.1080/00224499.2014.960908; Paul, P. (2010). From Pornography To Porno To Porn: How Porn Became The Norm. In J. Stoner & D. Hughes (Eds.) The Social Costs Of Pornography: A Collection Of Papers (Pp. 3–20). Princeton, N.J.: Witherspoon Institute; Carroll, J. S., Padilla-Walker, L. M., And Nelson, L. J. (2008). Generation XXX: Pornography Acceptance And Use Among Emerging Adults. Journal Of Adolescent Research, 23(1), 6–30. Doi:10.1177/0743558407306348

[18] Bridges, A. J. (2010). Pornography’s Effect On Interpersonal Relationships. In J. Stoner And D. Hughes (Eds.) The Social Costs Of Pornography: A Collection Of Papers (Pp. 89-110). Princeton, NJ: Witherspoon Institute; Paul, P. (2010). From Pornography To Porno To Porn: How Porn Became The Norm. In J. Stoner And D. Hughes (Eds.) The Social Costs Of Pornography: A Collection Of Papers (Pp. 3–20). Princeton, N.J.: Witherspoon Institute; Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain That Changes Itself. New York: Penguin Books, 102; Caro, M. (2004). The New Skin Trade. Chicago Tribune, September 19.

[19] Paul, P. (2010). From Pornography To Porno To Porn: How Porn Became The Norm. In J. Stoner And D. Hughes (Eds.) The Social Costs Of Pornography: A Collection Of Papers (Pp. 3–20). Princeton, N.J.: Witherspoon Institute.

[20] Paul, P. (2010). From Pornography To Porno To Porn: How Porn Became The Norm. In J. Stoner And D. Hughes (Eds.) The Social Costs Of Pornography: A Collection Of Papers (Pp. 3–20). Princeton, N.J.: Witherspoon Institute.

[21] Bridges, A. J. (2010). Pornography’s Effect On Interpersonal Relationships. In J. Stoner And D. Hughes (Eds.) The Social Costs Of Pornography: A Collection Of Papers (Pp. 89-110). Princeton, NJ: Witherspoon Institute.

[22] Rothman, E. F., Kaczmarsky, C., Burke, N., Jansen, E., & Baughman, A. (2015). “Without Porn…I Wouldn’t Know Half The Things I Know Now”: A Qualitative Study Of Pornography Use Among A Sample Of Urban, Low-Income, Black And Hispanic Youth. Journal Of Sex Research, 52(7), 736-746. Doi:10.1080/00224499.2014.960908

[23] University Of New England, “Human Sex Trafficking: An Online Epidemic #Infographic” (2015). Retreived By Visualistan.Com..e-Epidemic.Html

[24] Thorn, “A Report On The Use Of Technology To Recruit, Groom, And Sell Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Victim (2015). Retrieved From Wearethorn.Org/..r_Survey_r5.Pdf

[25] Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) Of 2000. Pub. L. No. 106-386, Section 103 (8) (A).

[26] Countryman-Roswurm, Karen (2017). Primed For Perpetration: Porn And The Perpetuation Of Sex Trafficking. Guest Blog For FTND, Retrieved From Fightthenewdrug..ing-Pornography

[27] Dr. Karen Countryman-Roswurm, LMSW, Ph.D. Interview || Truth About Porn [Video File]. (2016, December 28). Retrieved From Vimeo.Com/190317258

[28] Price, J., Patterson, R., Regnerus, M., & Walley, J. (2016). How Much More XXX Is Generation X Consuming? Evidence Of Changing Attitudes And Behaviors Related To Pornography Since 1973. Journal Of Sex Research, 53(1), 12-20. Doi:10.1080/00224499.2014.1003773

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Welcome to Pollapalooza, our weekly polling roundup.

Poll of the week

We at FiveThirtyEight hope you had a very patriotic Fourth of July — whatever that means to you. A YouGov poll, released this week, checked in on Americans’ feelings on patriotism and revealed some stark differences along — what else? — partisan lines.

Overall, the survey found that 76 percent of Americans consider themselves “very” or “somewhat” patriotic. But between Republicans and Democrats, there were pretty big differences: A whopping 97 percent of Republicans placed themselves in the “very” or “somewhat” categories, compared with 71 percent of Democrats. That’s a gap of 26 percentage points. Even more starkly, 72 percent of Republicans consider themselves to be “very” patriotic (the highest level of patriotism), compared with 29 percent of Democrats — a 43-point gap.

The poll also suggests that Democrats may define patriotism differently than their conservative counterparts. Specifically, YouGov found that Democrats are more likely than Republicans to believe that patriotism can include dissent:

52 percent of Democrats told YouGov that someone can criticize U.S. leaders to foreigners and still be considered patriotic, compared with 35 percent of Republicans.

51 percent of Democrats say disobeying a law they think is immoral doesn’t detract from their patriotism, compared with 33 percent of Republicans.

34 percent of Democrats think a person can still be a patriot even if he or she burns the American flag in protest, compared with 10 percent of Republicans.

And 55 percent of Democrats think an American can refuse to serve in a war he or she opposes and still maintain his or her patriotism, compared with 25 percent of Republicans.1

The “patriotism gap” is nothing new. Gallup has asked its respondents how proud they are to be Americans periodically since 2001. According to those polls, one year after the Sept. 11 attacks, 93 percent of Democrats and 99 percent of Republicans said they were either “extremely” or “very” proud to be Americans. The GOP number stayed comfortably in the 90s for the duration of George W. Bush’s presidency, but by January 2007, amid an unpopular war in Iraq that sparked no small amount of liberal dissent, the share of Democrats who were “extremely” or “very” proud to be Americans had shrunk to 74 percent — 21 points lower than the Republican share (and, to that point, the widest gap since Gallup started asking the question). The Democratic share increased during Barack Obama’s presidency (reaching a high of 85 percent in 2013) but was still consistently lower than the GOP’s: The share of Republicans who said they were “extremely” or “very” proudly American never dipped below 89 percent despite the extremely low opinion GOP voters had of Obama.

After the election of Donald Trump, the share of “extremely” or “very” proudly American Republicans ticked upward,2 but the share of Democrats saying the same thing plunged to 67 percent in 2017 and 60 percent just last month (the chart above has not been updated with the 2018 data). The current 33-point gap now holds the record for the widest gap between the two parties since 2001. (YouGov’s data also seems to suggest that Trump is contributing to the patriotism gap: The difference between the shares of Democrats and Republicans who said they were “very” patriotic rose from 29 points in 2013 to the current 43-point difference.)

So do Democrats’ feelings of patriotism rise and fall depending simply on who is in the White House? Data that Pew Research Center collected from 1987 to 2003 suggests that might not be the case. Throughout that time period, more Republicans than Democrats told pollsters that they “completely” agreed with the statement, “I am very patriotic.” In 1987, 51 percent of Republicans completely agreed, compared with 40 percent of Democrats. The two ticked up in tandem to Gulf War-era highs in 1991, but then, during the Bill Clinton administration, the gap widened: Democrats fell back into the 40s, while Republican agreement with that statement remained around 60 percent.

So what accounts for the persistent difference? It could just be that Republicans are more comfortable with the most obvious manifestations of patriotism these days. Public displays of patriotism often assume a pro-military dimension (sometimes purposefully and tactically so), which may be more likely to appeal to Republicans (other polls show they are generally more hawkish than Democrats). Singing “God Bless America” and military flyovers at sporting events also first came into fashion in the years immediately following 9/11, when rallying around the flag coincided with rallying around a Republican president. By contrast, funding AmeriCorps or paying taxes probably aren’t the first things many people think of when they think of patriotism, but lots of Democrats would argue they should be. Even apple pie and baseball aren’t the unifiers they once were: Pumpkin pie beat out apple as Americans’ Thanksgiving dessert of choice in 2015, and football blasphemously beats out baseball as Americans’ favorite sport to watch, 37 percent to 9 percent. In sum, we’re a big country, and there are just as many ways to enjoy America as there are Americans.

Other polling nuggets

A Quinnipiac University poll found that 63 percent of registered voters (84 percent of Democrats and 36 percent of Republicans) agree with the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, which established a woman’s right to an abortion, while 31 percent disagree.

Quinnipiac also found that 91 percent of registered voters, including large majorities of Democrats and Republicans, think “the lack of civility in politics” is a serious problem. When asked who they blame more, “President Trump or the Democrats,” 85 percent of Democrats said Trump, and 76 percent of Republicans said the Democrats.

According to a SurveyMonkey poll, 62 percent of Americans believe the Senate should vote on President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court before the November elections. Sixty percent say the process of confirming nominees has become too partisan.

A YouGov poll found that 46 percent of Democrats support abolishing the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and replacing it with a different organization — a position that has been advocated by some Democratic lawmakers. Twenty-seven percent of Democrats said they opposed the move, and an additional 27 percent said they weren’t sure.

According to a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 76 percent of Americans said they’re in favor of requiring TV ads for prescription drugs to include a statement about how much they cost, a proposal that is part of the Trump administration’s plan for reducing drug prices.

43 percent of women say they do more than their fair share of house work in their households, according to a YouGov poll. That’s compared with 26 percent of men.

A Pew Research Center poll found that 24 percent of Americans say legal immigration should be decreased. That’s a significant decline since 2001, when 53 percent said so.

A Florida International University poll of 1,000 Puerto Ricans in Florida found that the majority have either a “good” or “very good” opinion of Republican Gov. Rick Scott despite very high levels of disapproval of the president, whom Scott was an early supporter of. People who moved to Florida between 2017 and 2018 were more likely to have a “very good” opinion of Scott than those who arrived earlier. Scott has repeatedly visited Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria hit the island in September 2017 and campaigned to welcome evacuees from the island.

A Gallup poll found that only 3 percent of India’s population was “thriving”[f00tnote]Gallup groups people into three categories: “thriving,” “struggling” and “suffering” based on their responses to two questions. The first asks people to rate their present life situation on a scale of 1 to 10, and the second asks them to use the same scale to assess their views on the next five years. Those who are categorized as “thriving” rate their present life situation as greater than or equal to 7 and their future as greater than or equal to 8. In 2017, Gallup found that 56 percent of Americans were “thriving.”[/footnote] in 2017. That’s an 11-point decrease from 2014, when 14 percent of the population was “thriving,” despite a 24 percent increase in GDP during that time.

Are you obsessed with polls? Check out FiveThirtyEight’s new polls dashboard, where we’re displaying all in one place the polls we’re collecting for the 2018 U.S. Senate, U.S. House and gubernatorial elections!

Trump approval

Trump’s approval rating is currently 41.9 percent, according to FiveThirtyEight’s tracker. His disapproval rating is 10.8 percentage points higher, at 52.7 percent. Trump’s job-approval numbers have generally held steady over the past month. One month ago today, his approval rating was 41.3 percent, and his disapproval rating was 52.6 percent (a net approval rating of -11.3 points). One week ago, his approval rating was 41.8 percent, and his disapproval rating was 52.3 percent (a net approval rating of -10.5 points).

Generic ballot

This week, Democrats are ahead in polls of the generic congressional ballot by an average of 47.3 percent to 39.6 percent — a 7.7-percentage-point lead, according to FiveThirtyEight’s model. One week ago, Democrats led 47.0 percent to 39.8 percent (a 7.2-point edge). One month ago, it was Democrats 46.3 percent and Republicans 39.9 percent (a 6.4-point edge).

[multipleservicelisting]

Trump Polls: What They Say About Impeachment and His Possible Removal

Americans are on high alert as the country seeks to regain its balance after the mob attack on the Capitol last week, according to a range of polls released in recent days that reveal a nation frustrated by the president’s actions and unsure of what comes next.

Three in four respondents to a nationwide CBS News/YouGov poll released Wednesday said it was at least somewhat likely that attempted violence could occur at President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s inauguration ceremony, which will take place on the Capitol steps just two weeks after armed extremists stormed the building.

A Quinnipiac University survey released this week found that 70 percent of voters expressed concern for the safety of elected officials in the country.

Clear majorities in those and other nationwide polls said President Trump bore the blame for the rioting at the Capitol last week, and his approval ratings have fallen to historic lows in his final days in office. But support for impeaching and removing him is not as widespread, although some polls do show a slim majority of the country backing it.

House Democrats, with the support of some Republicans, voted to impeach the president on Wednesday, the first time in history that a president has been impeached twice.

The CBS poll found 55 percent of Americans favoring his impeachment, and another survey out this week from Politico and Morning Consult showed 53 percent of voters supporting it. The Quinnipiac poll (conducted by phone, unlike the online-based CBS and Politico polls) found 52 percent of voters supporting the president’s removal from office.

Survey researchers of all methodologies went through a tough 2020, with polling systematically underestimating Mr. Trump’s support for the second time in two presidential elections. Pollsters haven’t conclusively determined what caused the failures, so it can be hard to be sure that support for Mr. Trump isn’t actually a few points stronger across the board.

Updated 

Jan. 13, 2021, 3:27 p.m. ET

But it is potentially more useful to watch for trends over time, which is more like comparing apples to apples. From this point of view, the public appears to be slightly — but meaningfully — more receptive to the idea of impeaching the president than it was at this time last year, when Democrats’ efforts to remove the president from office divided the country almost down the middle.

At that time, close to half of voters said they thought Democrats were pushing to remove the president for political reasons, and doubted that the charges against Mr. Trump were worth impeaching him for.

This time, the country is more broadly in agreement on the dire nature of what Mr. Trump has been accused of. Roughly six in 10 Americans said in the CBS poll that they thought the president had encouraged violence at the Capitol. A PBS NewsHour/Marist College survey conducted by phone on the day after the attack found 63 percent of the country saying the president bore considerable blame for the chaos.

The effects on Mr. Trump’s approval numbers have been severe. In all recent polls, his job approval is in the mid- to high 30s, with roughly three in five Americans disapproving of his performance.

While his unwavering support from about a third of the electorate has saved Mr. Trump from dipping into the 20s, where Richard M. Nixon and George W. Bush both were near the end of their presidencies, the latest numbers reflect his diminished support across the board, including among Republicans; his job approval among members of his own party, once almost universal, has dipped into the 70s.

Ed Goeas, a longtime Republican pollster, said that in recent weeks, Mr. Trump had scared away many of the last traditional-leaning, conservative G.O.P. voters who had remained in his corner.

“They’re the ones who have kind of moved to ‘This is just not true’ about what happened with the election being stolen,” Mr. Goeas said. “And then they see the events of last Wednesday, and I think they’re concerned.”

He added: “I think there’s a great deal of concern out there for what happens over the next eight days. What you’re going to see is the reality of: We now have more troops in D.C. than we have in Afghanistan. Kind of hard to miss.”

from Multiple Service Listing https://ift.tt/3bCUBLN

[danarglenn]

Eight High Frequency Indicators for the Economy

NOTE: I've added another indicator - the occupancy rate for office buildings with security from Kastle Systems (ht Burt). This is near the bottom. These indicators are mostly for travel and entertainment - some of the sectors that will recover very slowly.

----- Airlines: Transportation Security Administration ----- The TSA is providing daily travel numbers.

Click on graph for larger image. This data shows the seven day average of daily total traveler throughput from the TSA for 2019 (Blue) and 2020 (Red). The dashed line is the percent of last year for the seven day average. This data is as of Nov 1st. The seven day average is down 63% from last year (37% of last year). There has been a slow increase from the bottom. ----- Restaurants: OpenTable ----- The second graph shows the 7 day average of the year-over-year change in diners as tabulated by OpenTable for the US and several selected cities.

Thanks to OpenTable for providing this restaurant data: This data is updated through October 31, 2020. This data is "a sample of restaurants on the OpenTable network across all channels: online reservations, phone reservations, and walk-ins. For year-over-year comparisons by day, we compare to the same day of the week from the same week in the previous year." Note that this data is for "only the restaurants that have chosen to reopen in a given market". Since some restaurants have not reopened, the actual year-over-year decline is worse than shown. Note that dining is generally turning down in the northern states - Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York - but holding up in the southern states. ----- Movie Tickets: Box Office Mojo -----

This data shows domestic box office for each week (red) and the maximum and minimum for the previous four years.  Data is from BoxOfficeMojo through October 92th. Note that the data is usually noisy week-to-week and depends on when blockbusters are released. Movie ticket sales have picked up slightly over the last couple of months, and were at $12 million last week (compared to usually around $150 million per week in the early Fall). Some movie theaters have reopened (probably with limited seating). ----- Hotel Occupancy: STR -----

This graph shows the seasonal pattern for the hotel occupancy rate using the four week average. The red line is for 2020, dash light blue is 2019, blue is the median, and black is for 2009 (the worst year since the Great Depression for hotels - prior to 2020). This data is through October 24th. Hotel occupancy is currently down 31.7% year-over-year. Notes: Y-axis doesn't start at zero to better show the seasonal change. Since there is a seasonal pattern to the occupancy rate, we can track the year-over-year change in occupancy to look for any improvement. This table shows the year-over-year change since the week ending Sept 19, 2020:

Week EndingYoY Change, Occupancy Rate9/19-31.9%9/26-31.5%10/3-29.6%10/10-29.2%10/17-30.7%10/24-31.7%

This suggests no improvement over the last 6 weeks. So far there has been little business travel pickup that usually happens in the Fall. ----- Gasoline Supplied: Energy Information Administration -----

This graph, based on weekly data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), shows gasoline supplied compared to the same week last year of . At one point, gasoline supplied was off almost 50% YoY. As of October 23rd, gasoline supplied was off about 12.7% YoY (about 87.3% of last year). Note: I know several people that have driven to vacation spots - or to visit family - and they usually would have flown.   So this might have boosted gasoline consumption in the Summer and early Fall at the expense of air travel. ----- Transit: Apple Mobility ----- This graph is from Apple mobility. From Apple: "This data is generated by counting the number of requests made to Apple Maps for directions in select countries/regions, sub-regions, and cities." This is just a general guide - people that regularly commute probably don't ask for directions. There is also some great data on mobility from the Dallas Fed Mobility and Engagement Index. However the index is set "relative to its weekday-specific average over January–February", and is not seasonally adjusted, so we can't tell if an increase in mobility is due to recovery or just the normal increase in the Spring and Summer.

This data is through October 31st for the United States and several selected cities. The graph is the running 7 day average to remove the impact of weekends. IMPORTANT: All data is relative to January 13, 2020. This data is NOT Seasonally Adjusted. People walk and drive more when the weather is nice, so I'm just using the transit data. According to the Apple data directions requests, public transit in the 7 day average for the US is at 54% of the January level. It is at 44% in Chicago, and 57% in Houston - and declining slightly recently. ----- Office Building Occupancy ----- Note: This graph is from Kastle, and the data isn't available online to do a 7-day average. Here is some interesting data from Kastle Systems on office occupancy.

This is just a screen shot. Here is the interactive data. This data is through October 28th. Currently Office Occupancy is 27% of normal, with a low of 15% in San Francisco, and a high of 41% in Dallas. "View the average occupancy rate of commercial properties across 10 major U.S. cities, by each municipality and in aggregate, to show the pace of Americans returning to work based on daily unique access entries in Kastle-secured buildings across the nation." ----- New York City Subway Usage ----- Here is some interesting data on New York subway usage (HT BR).

This graph is from Todd W Schneider. This is weekly data for the last several years. This data is through Friday, October 30th. Schneider has graphs for each borough, and links to all the data sources. He notes: "Data updates weekly from the MTA’s public turnstile data, usually on Saturday mornings". from Calculated Risk http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2020/11/eight-high-frequency-indicators-for.html

[polixy]

Most Americans say social media companies have too much power, influence in politics

Most Americans say social media companies have too much power, influence in politics;

A majority of Americans think social media companies have too much power and influence in politics, and roughly half think these major technology companies should be regulated more than they are now, according to a new Pew Research Center survey that comes as four major tech executives prepare to testify before Congress about their firms’ role in the economy and society.

Overall, 72% of U.S. adults say social media companies have too much power and influence in politics today, according to the June 16-22 survey. Far fewer Americans believe the amount of political power these companies hold is about the right amount (21%) or not enough (6%).

Majorities of both Republicans and Democrats believe social media companies wield too much power, but Republicans are particularly likely to express this view. Roughly eight-in-ten Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (82%) think these companies have too much power and influence in politics, compared with 63% of Democrats and Democratic leaners. Democrats, on the other hand, are more likely than Republicans to say these companies have about the right amount of power and influence in politics (28% vs. 13%). Small shares in both parties believe these companies do not have enough power.

Pew Research Center conducted this study to understand Americans’ attitudes and views about major technology companies. For this analysis, we surveyed 4,708 U.S. adults from June 16 to June 22, 2020. Everyone who took part is a member of Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology.

Here are the questions used for this report, along with responses, and its methodology.

Partisan differences over tech companies also surfaced in a 2018 Center survey, which found that Republicans were more likely than Democrats to believe social media sites censor political viewpoints and that tech companies generally support liberal views over conservative ones.

The new survey also finds ideological differences within the parties. About nine-in-ten conservative Republicans (89%) think these companies have too much power, versus 74% of moderate or liberal Republicans. And liberal Democrats are somewhat more likely than moderate or conservative Democrats to agree with this assessment (68% vs. 60%).

As Silicon Valley has emerged as a powerful hub for tech innovation and a key player in the global market over the past two decades, critics have challenged some companies for what they perceive to be unfair practices. On July 27, the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google will appear together before Congress for the first time, testifying before the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee as part of its yearlong investigation into competition in the tech industry.

Beyond debates about fair business practices, the tech industry has also come under fire in recent months from a host of critics – from President Donald Trump to civil rights advocates and even tech companies’ own employees.  

Amid these concerns, Americans favor more, not less, regulation of major technology companies, according to the Center’s recent survey. Some 47% of the public thinks the government should be regulating major technology companies more than they are now, while just 11% think they should be regulated less. About four-in-ten (39%) believe regulation should stay at its current level.

While these overall views of the public are mostly on par with those in 2018, when the Center last asked this question, there have been some notable shifts by party and ideology. Similar shares of Republicans (48%) and Democrats (46%) now agree the government should regulate big technology companies more than is currently the case. This change has mostly been driven by declining Democratic support for increased regulation, which dropped 11 percentage points since 2018. By comparison, Republicans’ views overall on the issue are about the same today as they were two years ago.

Ideology is also a factor. About half of conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats alike are now supportive of more regulation. But this marks another change from 2018. The share of conservative Republicans who believe these companies should face more government regulation has increased from 42% to 53%. At the same time, the share of liberal Democrats who support more regulation of big technology firms has fallen from 65% to 52%. Conservative Republicans are the only ideological group who have become more likely to favor increased regulation.

As was true in 2018, moderate or liberal Republicans and moderate or conservative Democrats tend to hold similar views about regulating the tech industry. Today, 42% in each group say there should be more regulation of major tech companies, down from 55% among moderate or liberal Republicans and 54% among moderate or conservative Democrats in the earlier survey.

Note: Here are the questions used for this report, along with responses, and its methodology.

Monica Anderson  is an associate director of research at Pew Research Center.

; Blog (Fact Tank) – Pew Research Center; https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/07/22/most-americans-say-social-media-companies-have-too-much-power-influence-in-politics/; https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/FT_20.07.16_TechCompanies_feature.png?w=1200&h=628&crop=1; July 22, 2020 at 12:17PM

[drummingz]

1 through 200 BINCH TIME FOR PAYBACK

(( ask meme under cut !!! ))

200: My crush’s name is: dda;;a nNNy;y199: I was born in: the usa198: I am really: gay197: My cellphone company is: one that i hate196: My eye color is: hazel195: My shoe size is: 5 ½ apparently194: My ring size is: wat193: My height is: 5′1″192: I am allergic to: nothing191: My 1st car was: :)190: My 1st job was: :)189: Last book you read: waarrrrioorr  ca,,attss188: My bed is: decent . my mom got it w/out considering wat i thought was comfy so187: My pet: 4 dogs & 40 guinea pigs186: My best friend: ghsgg i cant decide i hav a lot of best friends 185: My favorite shampoo is: i184: Xbox or ps3: ps3183: Piggy banks are: functional but i only use them for cosmetics182: In my pockets: i dont have pockets atm181: On my calendar: i never mark my calender bc i always forget180: Marriage is: a possibility for the future179: Spongebob can: absorb water178: My mom: is an abusive sack of shit177: The last three songs I bought were? :3c176: Last YouTube video watched: grian build battle175: How many cousins do you have? i prob have more but ive only ever met like 2174: Do you have any siblings? yeah but theyre all half siblings & i never grew up with them173: Are your parents divorced? nah172: Are you taller than your mom? not by a long shot171: Do you play an instrument? i learned recorders in school … and i have a guitar …i dont rly play it tho170: What did you do yesterday? streamed w icey!!!! @god-kit & thn drew a bunch !!![ I Believe In ]169: Love at first sight: lol hell no168: Luck: kinda167: Fate: kinda166: Yourself: r u joking165: Aliens: yeah164: Heaven: eh163: Hell: eh162: God: kinda161: Horoscopes: kinda . i dont really believe it but its fun to find similarities in urself and ur zodiacs .160: Soul mates: kinda159: Ghosts: yeah158: Gay Marriage: um lmao yeah??? anyone who thinks otherwise pls unfollow me157: War: like ice said i dont believe it should happen but i know it still exists156: Orbs: oworbs?155: Magic: yeah my brothers a witch[ This or That ]154: Hugs or Kisses: both153: Drunk or High: high152: Phone or Online: online151: Red heads or Black haired: i dont have a preference150: Blondes or Brunettes: still dont have a preference149: Hot or cold: cold bc at least u can warm up . its much harder to cool down when ur hot148: Summer or winter: winter147: Autumn or Spring: autumn146: Chocolate or vanilla: chocolate145: Night or Day: both have their ups & downs144: Oranges or Apples: apples i hate oranges143: Curly or Straight hair: i dont have a preference142: McDonalds or Burger King: mcdonalds141: White Chocolate or Milk Chocolate: both140: Mac or PC: PC139: Flip flops or high heals: flips138: Ugly and rich OR sweet and poor: sweet & poor137: Coke or Pepsi: pepsi136: Hillary or Obama: i dont really get super involved in politics so i dont really have a preference135: Burried or cremated: cremated134: Singing or Dancing: singing even tho im bad @ that too133: Coach or Chanel: wh132: Kat McPhee or Taylor Hicks: r these celebrities131: Small town or Big city: big city130: Wal-Mart or Target: target bc wal-mart is smely & got rid of littlest pet shops >:(129: Ben Stiller or Adam Sandler: no one bc idk who ben stiller is128: Manicure or Pedicure: i never learned the difference so idk127: East Coast or West Coast: west coast bc west is a better word than east126: Your Birthday or Christmas: christmas125: Chocolate or Flowers: chocolate124: Disney or Six Flags: six flags123: Yankees or Red Sox: plz[ Here’s What I Think About ]122: War: i dont really have a fleshed out opinion on war i think its bad tho121: George Bush: dont wanna get into politics but i dont like him120: Gay Marriage: im 120% for it but it shouldnt Have to be a law to be a thing lmfao119: The presidential election: needs major improvement118: Abortion: its good for ppl who need or want the option!! pro choice !!!117: MySpace: YourSpace?116: Reality TV: i have a soft spot for reality shows115: Parents: ive never met good parents , only heard of them . good parents r cryptids114: Back stabbers: i hope they choke113: Ebay: its where i got my chowder keychain so its ok i guess112: Facebook: its boring111: Work: dont have an opinion yet110: My Neighbors: i dont trust them109: Gas Prices: i dont have a car so i dont really care108: Designer Clothes: i dont . care . theyre super overpriced tho & cater to skinny people107: College: wish it wasnt so expensive106: Sports: dont care105: My family: hate them104: The future: im not gonna have a future bc of my mom[ Last time I ]103: Hugged someone: 102: Last time you ate: yesterday101: Saw someone I haven’t seen in awhile: 100: Cried in front of someone: 99: Went to a movie theater: december 201698: Took a vacation: uhhh that was literal years ago & we just took a short trip to colorado springs for like a week97: Swam in a pool: i dont remember96: Changed a diaper: never95: Got my nails done: depends94: Went to a wedding: never93: Broke a bone: neVER AND I HOPE IT STAYS THAT WAY92: Got a peircing: april 201691: Broke the law:90: Texted: it depends[ MISC ]89: Who makes you laugh the most: danny88: Something I will really miss when I leave home is: my piggies & dogs87: The last movie I saw: a horror movie i dont remember the name of86: The thing that I’m looking forward to the most: nothing lol my lifes going nowhere85: The thing im not looking forward to: having to suffer through life84: People call me: grizz83: The most difficult thing to do is: be alive82: I have gotten a speeding ticket: no81: My zodiac sign is: scorpio (or virgo , depending on which version you use)80: The first person i talked to today was: icey @god-kit​79: First time you had a crush: first grade78: The one person who i can’t hide things from: icey @god-kit​, danny77: Last time someone said something you were thinking: idk76: Right now I am talking to: no one75: What are you going to do when you grow up: idk74: I have/will get a job: idk73: Tomorrow: idk72: Today: draw71: Next Summer: idk70: Next Weekend: idk69: I have these pets: 4 dogs & 40 guinea pigs68: The worst sound in the world: idk67: The person that makes me cry the most is: my mom i hate her66: People that make you happy: all of my friends65: Last time I cried: two nights ago64: My friends are: the best 63: My computer is: cool ig62: My School: LOL61: My Car: i dont have one60: I lose all respect for people who: are shitty59: The movie I cried at was: inside out58: Your hair color is: brown but its so dark it looks black57: TV shows you watch: we bare bears , chowder56: Favorite web site: sparklecare hospital55: Your dream vacation: idk54: The worst pain I was ever in was: being alive53: How do you like your steak cooked: idk52: My room is: messy51: My favorite celebrity is: no one50: Where would you like to be: in a grave49: Do you want children: maybe idk48: Ever been in love: yeah . and most of them were terrible47: Who’s your best friend: wasnt this question already asked46: More guy friends or girl friends: idk45: One thing that makes you feel great is: my friends being happy 44: One person that you wish you could see right now: danny , icey , panda43: Do you have a 5 year plan: no42: Have you made a list of things to do before you die: no41: Have you pre-named your children: no40: Last person I got mad at: idk39: I would like to move to: idk38: I wish I was a professional: artist[ My Favorites ]37: Candy: chocolate36: Vehicle: idk35: President: idk34: State visited: colorado33: Cellphone provider: sprint32: Athlete: idk31: Actor: idk30: Actress: idk29: Singer: owl city28: Band: imagine dragons27: Clothing store: idk26: Grocery store: idk25: TV show: chowder , we bare bears24: Movie: inside out23: Website: sparklecare hospital22: Animal: guinea pigs , bears , dogs21: Theme park: worlds of fun20: Holiday: christmas , halloween19: Sport to watch: idk18: Sport to play: wii tennis17: Magazine: woman’s world but only for the sudoku16: Book: i only ever got into magic tree house , warrior cats , and percy jackson so idk15: Day of the week: thursday14: Beach: idk13: Concert attended: never12: Thing to cook: i cant cook11: Food: spaghetti10: Restaurant: golden corral9: Radio station: idk8: Yankee candle scent: idk7: Perfume: idk6: Flower: idk5: Color: green4: Talk show host: idk3: Comedian: idk2: Dog breed: chow chows1: Did you answer all these truthfully? yeah

[whiskeytangofrogman]

100 Questions

Tagged by @bookwyrmling​ 

below the cut

1. Coffee or tea? Tea for like, “I need to be awake but not THAT awake” and coffee for productivity, espresso for college. 2. Black and white or color? both duh 3. Drawings or paintings? I am but a humble wordsmith who loves all art stuff 4. Dresses or skirts? Booooooth 5. Books or movies? Different forms of media that I get different things out of. Movies for fun hangouts, books for interesting discussion. Also for my major lmfao 6. Pepsi or Coke? Dr. Pepper thanks 7. Chinese or Italian? Boooooooooooooooth 8. Early bird or night owl? Neither. Sleep when I need it, up when I’m up 9. Chocolate or vanilla? vaaaniiiilllllaaaaaaa 10. Introvert or extrovert? what is “extrovert”??? no but fr i’m like, 70/30 introvert 11. Hugs or kisses? hugs but only with people i’m like, comfortable with 12. Hunting or fishing? neither thanks 13. Winter or summer? i dont live in montana because i like sunshine and heat, that’s for sure 14. Spring or fall? fall. spring can eat me 15. Rural or urban? Urban please. I live rural-ish now and no thanks 16. PC or Mac? Unix can eat me too 17. Tan or pale? I love being tan but I also hate sun so. That’s a thing 18. Cake or pie? Cake with whipped or cream cheese frosting 19. Ice cream or yogurt? Froyoooo 20. Ketchup or mustard? Mustard hell yeah 21. Sweet pickles or dill pickles? Pickles, the third thing that can eat me 22. Comedy or mystery? love that comedy. 23. Boots or sandals? boots but also converse 24. Silver or gold? Silver. i’m a good slytherin 25. Pop or Rock? porque no los dos 26. Dancing or singing? I got like, five left feet, so singing. If you ask nicely i might show you a performance or two 27. Checkers or chess? Both 28. Board games or video games? VIDYA GAMES 29. Wine or beer? Eh, depends on mood and what I have, but usually beer 30. Freckles or dimples? I have neither but i love both 31. Honey mustard or BBQ sauce? fuck this question, ew 32. Body weight exercises or lifting weights? i am asthmatic 33. Baseball or basketball? Baseball I guess? Idk i’m not a Sport 34. Crossword puzzles or sudokus? Both pls 35. Facial hair or clean shaven? I like stubble but also like, whatever. the earth is doomed keep ur body hair where u want it 36. Crushed ice or cubed ice? Crushed fuck yeah 37. Skiing or snowboarding? staying inside and glaring at the snow 38. Smile or game face? why not both 39. Bracelet or necklace? rings 40. Fruit or vegetables? both 41. Sausage or bacon? i’m allergic to pork lmao 42. Scrambled or fried? frieeeeed 43. Dark chocolate or white chocolate? dark. 44. Tattoos or piercings? tattoos 45. Antique or brand new? does it matter 46. Dress up or dress down? i live in jeans and hoodies what do u think 47. Cowboys or aliens? SPACE WESTERNS 48. Cats or dogs? Cats! 49. Pancakes or waffles? PANCAKES. 50. Bond or Bourne? Kingsman 51. Sci-Fi or fantasy? Sci-fi and fantasy. In the same thing 52. Numbers or letters? Letters 53. Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings? Eh, probably hp 54. Fair or theme park? I’m a hoe for street fairs 55. Money or fame? CHASE THAT PAPER, SON 56. Washing dishes or doing laundry? Laundry. I hate wet food  57. Snakes or sharks? both lol 58. Orange juice or apple juice? cranapple for LIFE 59. Sunrise or sunset? Sunset 60. Slacker or over-achiever? Both, somehow. I’m like, a strategic slacker 61. Pen or pencil? Pen 62. Peanut butter or jelly? PB 63. Grammys or Oscars? i honestly don’t know the difference. the only award show i know for sure what it is are the tonys. I think the grammys are music, in which case that? 64. Detailed or abstract? In my life? Detailed. In my reading? Love that abstract 65. Multiple choice questions or essay questions? turning in an essay 66. Adventurous or cautious? boring 67. Saver or spender? depends 68. Glasses or contacts? Glasses 69. Laptop or desktop? Laptop 70. Classic or modern? depends. modern novels, classic decor 71. Personal chef or personal fitness trainer? gimme that good fooooood 72. Internet or cell phone? cell phone with internet? 73. Call or text? Call for big things, instant message for entertainment, text for only like i’m here texts 74. Curly hair or straight hair? my hair is a mass of curls upon waves upon curls 75. Shower in the morning or shower in the evening? Used to be morning until college, and now it’s evening  76. Spicy or mild? Spicy 77. Marvel or DC? Webcomics 78. Paying a mortgage or paying rent? Rent 79. Sky dive or bungee jump? fuck you 80. Oreos or Chips Ahoy? ew 81. Jello or pudding? ew ew 82. Truth or dare? neither. i am a mystery wrapped inside an enigma 83. Roller coaster or Ferris wheel? ferris wheel if i have to 84. Leather or denim? leather looks cooler, but i wear more denim 85. Stripes or solids? depends 86. Bagels or muffins? depends on my mood 87. Whole wheat or white? whole grain w/nuts 88. Beads or pearls? beads 89. Hardwood or carpet? depends, kitchen and bathroom are tile or hardwood, but i like how carpet feels on my feet 90. Bright colors or neutral tones? both 91. Be older than you are or younger than you are? little older if this also comes with having graduated 92. Raisins or nuts? both. trail mix. GORP 93. Picnic or nice restaurant? Restaurant! 94. Black leather or brown leather? boooooth 95. Long hair or short hair? at the shoulders 96. “Ready, aim, fire” or “Ready, fire, aim”? ?????????? who aims after they fire wtf lmao 97. Fiction or non-fiction? both 98. Smoking or non-smoking? i’m asthmatic 99. Think before you talk or talk before you think? how anxious am i at that exact moment lol 100. Asking questions or answering questions? both?

okay @iamneversleepingagain and @smol-lucio its ur turn (if u want to)

[bentfire]

85 questions game

Rules: Answer these 85 statements and tag 20 people

tagged by @madi-starlight  thanks!! i’m procrastinating and this was a v nice distraction

i’m gonna tag @zoetekohana @zaatanna @puddingmcmuffin @mininjas @fireonallwires @distopianpixie + anyone else who wants to, sry i’m shit at tagging people in these things

the last

01. drink: water

02. phone call: to a local restaurant for food delivery bc i was too lazy to cook

03. text message: one of my friends is obsessed w/ lisa frank so i sent her the link to the lf tarot cards

04. song you listened to: "dinosaur” - akmu

05. time you cried: last week probably. my best friend and i currently aren’t talking and i’ve been taking it pretty hard lately.

06. dated someone twice: yup

07. kissed someone and regretted it: not really

08. been cheated on: yuuuuup

09. lost someone special: my childhood dog, balki. i’ve lost all my grandparents, but none of those hit me anywhere near as hard as my dog, honestly.

10. been depressed: i mean i go through phases where i’m sad? but i think to say i was depressed would be embellishing it.

11. gotten drunk and thrown up: almost every time tbh. unless i’m home drinking alone, then i know when i’ve hit my limit. but if i’m out with friends i usually don’t realize i’m ~gone until like....... i’m way fuckin gone

3 favourite colours

12. turquoise!!

13. green

14. b l a c k

in the last year have you

15. made new friends: i don’t rly think so

16. fallen out of love: never been in love!

17. laughed until you cried: oh yeah

18. found out someone was talking about you: no! but i wouldn’t be surprised if my coworkers do lmao

19. met someone who changed you: nnnnnno

20. found out who your friends are: regrettably

21. kissed someone on your Facebook list: yup!

General:

22. how many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: the vast majority of them? i don’t use fb anymore but i honestly don’t think i added anyone on there i hadn’t met. OH there’s a few tumblr friends on there, but i think only three maybe that i haven’t actually met.

23. do you have any pets: yep! a dog, khloe.

24. do you want to change your name: i used to?? i mean. i’m not in love with my name. heather is kinda ..... lame tbh. but i mostly go by nicknames so it doesn’t bother me too much

25. what did you do for your last birthday: i don’t think i did anything, actually. 

26. what time did you wake up: noon. ooops. but i didn’t fall asleep until almost 5am soooo

27. what were you doing at midnight last night: probably working out. that’s usually the time of night i finally force myself to lmao

28. name something you can’t wait for: young justice!!!!! getting my hair/cut dyed in a couple days! i ordered new glasses and i’m excited for those to come in!!

29. when was the last time you saw your mom: a year and a half ago

31. what are you listening to right now: the crickets chirp 

32. have you ever talked to a person named tom: i work in a retail pharmacy so yaaaaa probably on a daily basis, there’s a zillion ppl named tom/thomas

33. something that is getting on your nerves: blogs w/ impossible to find back buttons!! i’m trying to scroll through your blog like pls don’t make me work for it

34. most visited website: tumblr, youtube, ulta

35. hair color: blonde

36. long or short hair: medium?? it’s a couple inches past my collarbone

37. do you have a crush on someone: vaaaaguely. there’s a dude i semi-work with and he’s just so gosh darn nice?? he’s coming back to work with us for a few days and its Glaringly Fucking Obvious to my coworkers i like him so when head boss dude told me he was coming back he announced it in front of allllll my coworkers so they could laugh at how badly i blushed. i hate that i’m fucking obvious!!! but at least he doesn’t know lmao

38. what do you like about yourself: i like to think i’m pretty funny. also my hair. eyes. booty. not to be totally self-involved but tbh i really love my toosh.

39. piercings: two in each ear and a nose ring!

40. blood type: i probably bleed kpop at this point

41. nickname: benny, peetah, pikachu, little bit

42. relationship status: single, thank fuck. i like my freedom too much.

43. zodiac: libra.

44. pronouns: she/her

45. favourite tv show: AVATAR: THE LAST DAMN AIRBENDER, young justice, voltron (i hate putting voltron next to those two though bc no offense but like....... voltron could never ever compare to how glorious a:tla/yj are)

46. tattoos: none! i’m debating getting one before my bday in october though

47. right or left handed: right

48. surgery: i had my gall bladder removed when i was 15

50. sport: i was a goalie in soccer for years!

51. vacation: like dream vacation?? australia. california. vegas. seoul. 

52. pair of trainers: apparently trainers = tennis shoes????? idek these things. i have a white pair of keds that i wear almost daily bc work

MORE GENERAL

53. eating: the last thing i ate was a couple apple slices?? idk what this is asking

54. drinking: waaaater

55. I’m about to: try to get some sleep

56. waiting for: sleepiness to hit me tbh

57. want: money. to kiss a pretty girl. to have my own house.

58. get married: maybe? i honestly can’t imagine myself caring about someone enough to wanna marry them though. and if i ever did no wedding pls thanks.

59. career: pharmacy technician!

WHICH IS BETTER:

60. hugs or kisses: hugs

61. lips or eyes: lips

62. shorter or taller: TALLER tho it aint hard bc im way too short

63. older or younger: i guess older? 

64. nice arms or nice stomach: arms

65. hookup or relationship: iiiiiii guess relationship? 

66. troublemaker or hesitant: troublemaker duh

HAVE YOU EVER:

67. kissed a stranger: i don’t think so

68. drank hard liquor: yaaaa

69. lost glasses/contact lenses: nope

70. turned someone down: yupyup

71. sex on the first date: lmao yes

73. had your heart broken: i’m currently mourning the loss of question 72 so yes?? but truthfully yeah. i wouldn’t say my heart was broken as that’s melodramatic af. but there was a dude i could’ve really seen myself falling for and it didn’t pan out and that was probably the saddest i’ve ever been over anyone.

74. been arrested: nope. but i have been pulled over by the cops five times in one night. four?? maybe it was four times idk

75. cried when someone died: my dog, yeah. 

76. fallen for a friend: i’ve had crushes but def never fallen.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:

77. yourself: sometimes

78. miracles: not really

79. love at first sight: lust, yeah. love, nope.

80. santa claus: nope

81. kiss on the first date: i actually used to be anti-anything on the first date, but that’s mostly bc it takes me a long time to warm up to people and feel comfortable enough around them to do anything. but the last girl i dated i did literally everything with on the first date so ?????? guess that shits out the door

82. angels: not so much

OTHER:

84. eye colour: mine?? blue. kind of a greyish blue.

85. favourite movie: the first thing that came to mind was ‘forgetting sarah marshall’ tbh

[nekrosoma]

am I going to be called a creepy stalker if I would say that I want you to answer all of these? ;;-; if you can't, just answer a few random

oh my no!! that is so sweet, i’ll try to answer all of them ; v ; 

1. What is you middle name?

Sophie! When I was young I didn’t really like it, but now I kinda love it.

2. How old are you?

I’m sweet 16. A lot of people think that I’m about 20 because I look older

3. When is your birthday?

March 29th!

4. What is your zodiac sign?

A fluffy Aries B ) 

5. What is your favorite color?

Aah I don’t have one I guess. Black of course, it’s witchy and edgy. Gold. I love golden jewelry. A burgundy! I have like ton of lipsticks in burgundy shade. It’s my fave trio.

6. What’s your lucky number?

18! I had an 18 as my number in school for like nine years and 18 is the age of majority in Poland. I’ll get my septum piercing and tattoo at 18 : D 

7. Do you have any pets?

I have a black old cat that is really mean and hates me : ( But we are thinking with my mom about a dog! Shiba Inu probably ; w ; 

8. Where are you from?

Poland. I really don’t like my country ah

9. How tall are you?

About 160 cm or something around 5′2. I’m smol 

10. What shoe size are you?

Europe 37/38, US 7 and UK 4 1/2 

11. How many pairs of shoes do you own?

I don’t really know. I wear just two of them. A black laced flat ballets and black oxfords. I’m going to buy classic adidas superstar shoes for Jo cosplay.

12. What was your last dream about?

I don’t have dreams lately : (

13. What talents do you have?

I can draw, sing, play some instruments. But I don’t really call them talents, just hobbies that I’m good at : > 

14. Are you psychic in any way?

Sometimes my dreams are prophetic and often I have a feeling that something is gonna happen if someone will do something? Like I once told my mom not to park our car in one place, she didn’t listen and she slightly crashed into other car

15. Favorite song?

Oh god. I don’t have just one. I love My Chemical Romance, Princess Chelsea, Postmodern Jukebox, all musical soundtracks. Now I am listening to The Squip Song from Be More Chill on loop

16. Favorite movie?

The Double [2013], Submarine [2010], Dunkirk [2017], Heathers [1988] I like weird movies and aesthetic movies. 

17. Who would be your ideal partner?

My genderbender. Kiddin’ Someone that likes the same things as me. Not all of them, but you know. I have a thing for blonde guys and girls. And I love dark colored eyes. But I think I’ll love anyone. They just have to have this thing.

18. Do you want children?

Hell no. Eventually I’ll adopt one. JUST ONE. 

19. Do you want a church wedding?

Nah, I don’t even can. 

20. Are you religious?

Nope. I believe in things I want to, but not in god. I believe in reincarnation for example : )

21. Have you ever been to the hospital?

Yes. When I was around 3 I broke my leg. And in May 2018 I’m going to have an operation : ( 

22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law?

Naah. I’m a good child.

23. Have you ever met any celebrities?

Nope. I mean some polish comic artists. Does this count?

24. Baths or showers?

Baths. I love to sleep in my bathroom in bath full of hot water.

25. What color socks are you wearing?

A colorful ones ; ) 

26. Have you ever been famous?

Idk. I have some ‘fans’ in Poland and some people call me their ‘senpai’, but I can’t call it being famous.

27. Would you like to be a big celebrity?

I want to be a famous comic artist or animator ; ; I think everyone wanted to be famous at least once in their lives.

28. What type of music do you like?

Anything that is edgy enough ; ) 

29. Have you ever been skinny dipping?

No, ew.

30. How many pillows do you sleep with?

Three or four? I like to have my head high when I sleep.

31. What position do you usually sleep in?

On my right or left side of the body. I can’t sleep on my back because it hurts me.

32. How big is your house?

I have a big flat I think.

33. What do you typically have for breakfast?

Nothing actually. I know it’s not healthy but I can’t eat in the morning : (

34. Have you ever fired a gun?

Never, but I would like to ; ) 

35. Have you ever tried archery?

Yes, but my hands are too weak for that : ( 

36. Favorite clean word?

‘totally’

37. Favorite swear word?

simply ‘fuck’ in a lot of variations : )

38. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep?

almost 50 hours, I was watching Gotham : D 

39. Do you have any scars?

On my right leg because of the splints in my leg when I was 3. And a little hole-thing??? On my nose bridge because of chickenpox!

40. Have you ever had a secret admirer?

Never. I am chubby and in Poland if you are chubby it equals being ugly ; ) 

41. Are you a good liar?

The best one >: )

42. Are you a good judge of character?

I think yes. I can sometimes tell what kind of person someone is just by looking at them. We don’t have to talk, I’m just guessing correctly by their attitude.

43. Can you do any other accents other than your own?

Yes, a lot of them actually.

44. Do you have a strong accent?

I don’t think so. I can imitate other accents really good if I practice so you can’t hear that polish accent.

45. What is your favorite accent?

I think russian, french and australian? 

46. What is your personality type?

Hmm. I am an introvert. I am really shy, I’m not good company at parties because I’m too scared to do funny things. But when you get to know me better I’m kinda funny person, I’m REALLY sarcastic and mean in that funny way. I’m just a little bit scared of people : ( 

47. What is your most expensive piece of clothing?

I have that one dress that was made for me and it was 400 pln, something around 112 usd 

48. Can you curl your tongue?

Yes I can!

49. Are you an innie or an outie?

Totally an innie. 

50. Left or right handed?

Right handed. I wish I could use both of my hands : / 

51. Are you scared of spiders?

Fucking yes. I scream really loud when I see them.

52. Favorite food?

Italian kitchen is my fave.

53. Favorite foreign food?

Only Italian. 

54. Are you a clean or messy person?

Both. I’m living in mess until I decide that this is too much and then my room is so clean you could eat from the floor.

55. Most used phrased?

I don’t have one I guess. I USE A LOT OF CAPS LOCK but in verval conversation there is none : / 

56. Most used word?

‘actually’ ‘totally’ 

57. How long does it take for you to get ready?

minimum one hour 

58. Do you have much of an ego?

I’m a little narcisstic ; ) 

59. Do you suck or bite lollipops?

suck ; )))) 

60. Do you talk to yourself?

A lot. Sometimes it looks like MPD.

61. Do you sing to yourself?

A lot yes. I am actually singing only to myself : )

62. Are you a good singer?

I think yes???

63. Biggest Fear?

Death and darkness

64. Are you a gossip?

A little. Everyone likes to talk about other people I think????

65. Best dramatic movie you’ve seen?

Is The Double dramatic? I guess so.

66. Do you like long or short hair?

Hmm I like short, but long hair can have a lot of cool hairstyles ; ; 

67. Can you name all 50 states of America?

Not really. But I’m gonna to learn all of them : D 

68. Favorite school subject?

Math and English

69. Extrovert or Introvert?

Introvert : ( 

70. Have you ever been scuba diving?

No, never. But I’d like to! I want to see cute fishes : ( 

71. What makes you nervous?

People.

72. Are you scared of the dark?

Freakin’ yes. I can’t walk in the dark alone because I’m so scared. I can’t even go to the bathroom in the middle of the night : (

73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes?

Sometimes

74. Are you ticklish?

Very. Please don��t try to tickle me EVER.

75. Have you ever started a rumor?

Never, I hate rumors. It is so stupid aaaAAAA

76. Have you ever been in a position of authority?

I don’t think so.

77. Have you ever drank underage?

Ye. On my friends parties ; ) 

78. Have you ever done drugs?

Never. And I don’t want to. 

79. Who was your first real crush?

A random boy at school idk.

80. How many piercings do you have?

Only ear piercing but I can’t really wear earrings : ( 

81. Can you roll your Rs?“

Oh yeah. I can roll my Rs really well. 

82. How fast can you type?

I don’t know. Kinda fast. Faster than my friends? 

83. How fast can you run?

I have asthma so. I can’t really run a lot. 

84. What color is your hair?

A greenish-bluish??? I’m going to buy a dark sea-green hair dye ; ; 

85. What color is your eyes?

Kinda green-gray I don’t really know. Sometimes they are blue.

86. What are you allergic to?

aAHHH a lot of things. Pollens, animal fur, apples, walnuts, hazelnuts : (

87. Do you keep a journal?

Naah. I’m keeping everything inside my heart and brain. I don’t need to write my thoughts on a paper

88. What do your parents do?

My mom is a dancer and she teaches modern dance in dance school. And my father is an acoustician.

89. Do you like your age?

Not really. Most of teens my age are so stupid ((AAA)) and most of my friends are older than me. 2 years, 4 years older, sometimes even more

90. What makes you angry?

People. When I lost a video game and when I have an artblock. When someone is hurting my friends > ( 

91. Do you like your own name?

I thinks so. I isn’t my favorite, but I don’t mind.

92. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they?

Can we stop. I really hate children aAAAAAAAA. And if I adopt a child they’ll have a name so??? I don’t really have a choice. 

93. Do you want a boy a girl for a child?

A boy. Girls are so annyoing until they get old. I know it by myself. I feel annoying too. And boys are stupid, but they aren’t that bitchy like girls : / 

94. What are you strengths?

I don’t know. I’m creative and If I decide something you can’t change my mind. 

95. What are your weaknesses?

My health : D And I’m really afraid of people in real life. 

96. How did you get your name?

Idk. My mom just liked Veronica. 

97. Were your ancestors royalty?

Ye. My grand-grandmom was from noble family. We even had some fancy crest??

98. Do you have any scars?

I already answered that question ; / 

99. Color of your bedspread?

Grey/white. 

100. Color of your room?

Black and white : ) 

DONE AAA thank you sweet anon. You are not creepy I love you. Also sorry for any mistakes I am stupid and can’t talk in english correctly : ( 

[tonyduncanbb73]

The Eater Boston Winter 2019 Dining Headquarters: What's #OpenInBOS?

Bookmark this page for weather-related openings, closures, and specials all winter long

Winter has held off as long as it could, but with snow in the forecast for the weekend — potentially a lot of it — it’s time for the reemergence of the annual Eater Boston Winter Dining Headquarters. This guide is here to help you find food in the event of a Nor’easter or Snowpocalypse or even a light dusting that somehow manages to shut down the city.

Here’s how this guide works: During major weekday storms, when numerous restaurants are altering their usual operating hours, the Eater Boston team will be frequently updating the #OpenInBOS and Confirmed Closures sections below to reflect what’s open and what’s not. Is your restaurant missing? Please email boston@eater.com with your hours, address, and any other pertinent snow day details, and you’ll be added to the list as quickly as possible. (Look for an announcement on Twitter on days that this section will be active.)

Other sections of the guide are updated periodically throughout the winter to let you know about things like weather-related specials, such as restaurants offering free hot chocolate when the temperature dips below freezing (restaurants, use that same email address above to submit details about your specials); recommended cold-weather dining; and other information to get you through the season well-fed.

Be safe, tip kindly, and perhaps eat some soup.

Originally published on January 7, 2019. This piece is updated frequently throughout the winter, and the date of the most recent update appears above.

#OpenInBOS

During major weekday storms, this section is actively updated throughout the day. Restaurants, email your storm day plans to boston@eater.com to be included. Not currently tracking information for a specific day, so the restaurants that currently appear here have said that they never close for storms (or, in some cases, only close in the rare event that the T shuts down).

Boston Proper

Beantown Pub (100 Tremont St., Downtown Crossing, Boston): “Snow doesn’t scare us, we never close down!”

Brassica Kitchen (3710 Washington St., Jamaica Plain, Boston): “Whatever the weather, we’re always open.”

Club Lounge (Yotel Boston, 65 Seaport Blvd., Seaport District, Boston): Open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 12 a.m.; never closes for storms.

Common Ground (85 Harvard Ave., Allston, Boston): Always stays open for storms, along with its Arlington sibling.

Durty Nelly’s (108 Blackstone St., Downtown Boston): “We never close and always there to warm the weary traveler.”

El Pelón Taqueria (2197 Commonwealth Ave., Brighton, Boston; 92 Peterborough St., Fenway, Boston): Both locations plan to stay open throughout any winter storms.

Galway House (710 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, Boston): “True story several years ago during a big don’t drive storm I closed early to get my employees home at maybe midnight. Next day someone came in told me they walked up there in the heavy snow only to find us closed. I promised then to NEVER close early again during a storm that people really do count on us to be here...So if you gotta get out we are here.”

The Haven (2 Perkins St., Jamaica Plain, Boston): “Despite millennial slacker attempts at sabotage the Haven has consistently remained open throughout every major snow storm 2010-2018. We...have free wifi and amazing winter drinks.”

Joe’s American Bar & Grill (181 Newbury St., Back Bay, Boston): Never closes for storms.

Lincoln Tavern & Restaurant (425 W. Broadway, South Boston): Count on Lincoln to stay open during any snowstorm unless the power is out or water’s coming through the ceiling.

Neptune Oyster (63 Salem St., North End, Boston): As long as the T is running, Neptune Oyster stays open. Regular hours are 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Oak Long Bar + Kitchen (Fairmont Copley Plaza, 138 St. James Ave., Back Bay, Boston): Never closes for storms, and since it’s in a hotel, it serves all meals. Regular hours are 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

Shabu-Zen (80 Brighton Ave., Allston; 16 Tyler St., Chinatown, Boston): Both locations remain open during storms as long as the T is running.

Waterline (Boston Marriott Long Wharf, 296 State St., Downtown Boston): Always open during storms. Two-hour complimentary valet parking with purchase of an entree.

Cambridge and Somerville

The Abbey (1755 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge): Open in all storms, typically 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Alden & Harlow (40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge): Never closes for storms and generally offers some storm-inspired specials.

The Automatic (50 Hampshire St., Kendall Square, Cambridge): Intends to stay open through all blizzards (keep an eye out for games, patio snowmen, hot drinks, and other specials.) “Neighborhood hangouts are the absolute best in snowstorms — it’s awesome to get everyone together,” says co-owner Dave Cagle.

Benedetto (Charles Hotel, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge): Only closes if the T shuts down.

Craigie on Main (853 Main St., Central Square, Cambridge): Craigie and sister restaurant the Kirkland Tap & Trotter don’t close for storms. Says chef-owner Tony Maws: “We are fortunate to have enough local staff who can come in, and actually want to come in during these crazy storms. There’s a whole lot of stories and great food and drink — it’s what neighborhood restaurants do!”

Giulia (1682 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard/Porter Square, Cambridge): Only closes if the T shuts down.

The Kirkland Tap & Trotter (425 Washington St., Somerville): As noted for the Craigie on Main listing above, Craigie and the Tap & Trotter don’t close for storms.

Everywhere Else

The Abbey (1657 Beacon St., Washington Square, Brookline): Open in all storms, typically 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Common Ground (319 Broadway, Arlington): Always stays open for storms, along with its Allston sibling.

Matadora (Hilton Boston/Woburn, 2 Forbes Rd., Woburn): Open daily for breakfast 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and dinner 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; never closes for storms.

Confirmed Closures

During major storms, this section is actively updated throughout the day. Restaurants, email your storm day plans to boston@eater.com to be included. (Not currently tracking information for a specific day.)

Ongoing Cold-Weather Specials

Some restaurants offer winter-long but weather-dependent specials, e.g. free hot chocolate if the temperature drops below freezing. Restaurants, email your details to boston@eater.com to be included. Note: Inclusion in this section doesn’t necessarily mean that the restaurant is open on a major storm day; consult the lists above or the restaurant’s social media channels to make sure.

Bistro du Midi (272 Boylston St., Back Bay, Boston): Whenever there is a winter storm advisory in effect this winter, Bistro du Midi will add a couple specials to the menu: a Scituate lobster poutine (Gruyere, vanilla-infused lobster “gravy”) for $23 and white sturgeon caviar flatbread (smoked bacon, creme fraiche, fingerling potatoes, oyster crackers) for $23.

Grill 23 (161 Berkeley St., Back Bay, Boston): Whenever there is a winter storm advisory in effect this winter, Grill 23 will add a couple specials to the menu: a crab cake sandwich on toasted brioche with pickled onion tartare and Old Bay french fries for $21 and loaded tots with cheese sauce, bacon, sour cream, and chives for $17.

Post 390 (406 Stuart St., Back Bay, Boston): Whenever there is a winter storm advisory in effect this winter, Post 390 will add a special to the menu: crispy beer-braised pork knuckle with apple cider mustard, roasted Brussels sprouts, and pommes puree for $18.

Puritan & Co. (1166 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge): Whenever it snows more than three inches this winter, Puritan will serve a three-course storm menu (appetizer, entree, and dessert) for $35.

Sonsie (327 Newbury St., Back Bay, Boston): On snow days, Sonsie will offer a soup-and-cider combo, a bowl of chowder and a hot mulled and rum-infused cider for $12.

Ward 8 (90 N. Washington St., West End/North End, Boston): Any day that it snows, Ward 8 will serve $10 portions of its forthcoming sister restaurant Tony & Elaine’s spaghetti and meatballs.

Outdoor-ish Winter Pop-ups

Rooftop igloos, ski lodge-inspired courtyards, heated patio beer halls, and more: Consult the full round-up here.

Recommended Winter Dining and Drinking

Here are a few Eater Boston maps to keep you warm.

Superb Soups Around Boston

Warm up at These Ramen Destinations

Where to Eat Dumplings in and Around Boston

Top-Notch Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Around Boston

Solid All-You-Can-Eat Meal Deals in Boston

Boston’s Best Hangover Cures

Where to Eat Hot Pot in and Around Boston

Delivery Options

Don’t want to leave your home? Many delivery companies have a Boston presence. Please tip well.

Caviar

DoorDash

Drizly (booze)

GoPuff (convenience items and more)

GrubHub (note: If you were a Foodler fan, it’s now part of GrubHub)

HappySpeedy (convenience items and more)

Instacart (groceries)

Postmates

Uber Eats

Food TV Shows and Movies to Stream

If you’re staying in, you might as well catch up on some great food-related programs. Check out some of the recommendations below, and sign up for Eater’s weekly “Eat, Drink, Watch” newsletter for more.

Salt Fat Acid Heat — This four-part series follows chef and food writer Samin Nosrat as she travels the world and explores four of the building blocks of cooking (salt, fat, acid, and heat). Find it on Netflix.

Chef’s Table — From Jiro Dreams of Sushi director David Gelb comes a series that profiles several acclaimed chefs, including Dan Barber, Francis Mallmann, Dominique Crenn, and more. Netflix has five seasons as well as the Chef’s Table France spin-off.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi — If you’re going to watch Chef’s Table, you might as well watch Jiro as well. It’s available on Netflix.

Cooked — Michael Pollan’s Netflix documentary series explores the power of cooking and compels viewers to get back into the kitchen to renew ties to our history and to each other. Each of the four episodes takes its cue from an element — fire, water, air, earth.

The Great British Baking Show — PBS.org has five seasons of the best cooking competition show ever aired. Netflix has six seasons and several different spinoffs, such as “Masterclass.”

MasterChef Junior — Want to see the nurturing side of Gordon Ramsay as precocious kids compete adorably to become the next MasterChef Junior? Hulu’s got six seasons, and they will make you cry many happy and sad tears and also wonder how these kids can do so much more in the kitchen than you can. Hulu also has many seasons of Top Chef, Kitchen Nightmares, and Hell’s Kitchen.

Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories — This Netflix original is a favorite among Eater staff. Per Netflix: “Tucked into the corner of a Tokyo street, this diner opens at midnight and the Master serves any food you want. One bite might just change your life.”

The Mind of a Chef — With narration by the late Anthony Bourdain, The Mind of a Chef follows several well-known chefs on various explorations. In the series premiere, for example, watch David Chang travel to Japan for a bowl of the original tsukemen.

Samurai Gourmet — Per Eater’s resident food television enthusiast Greg Morabito: “Samurai Gourmet follows the culinary adventures of a 60-year-old recent retiree named Takeshi Kasumi. An avid fan of samurai comics, Kasumi often envisions how an ancient warrior would navigate tricky situations in his own life. Once per episode, Kasumi’s world briefly turns into a samurai story — usually when he’s in the middle of a meal.” Watch it on Netflix.

Two Fat Ladies — A classic BBC cooking show from the late ’90s. Find many episodes on YouTube.

[preciousmetals0]

While Wall Street Falls, Great Stuff Goes Alpha

While Wall Street Falls, Great Stuff Goes Alpha:

Friday Four Play: The “Get a Leg up” Edition

It’s no secret … I like being right. But to reference a line from The Matrix: “Not like this. Not like this.”

So far this week, the Dow is off 3,200 points … and counting. Wall Street’s favorite barometer is down roughly 13% from its February 12 high, putting the Dow firmly in correction territory. And with COVID-19 continuing to spread around the globe — U.S. readers, please be careful … it’s here in the wild now — the end of this correction appears to still be a way off.

Yes, this correction is painful — but you are Great Stuff readers. You were prepared. You moved a sizable portion of your portfolio into gold, currencies and other safe-haven investments back in January … right?

You also had a leg up on the rest of the market with Great Stuff’s “4 Stocks to Beat the Wuhan Virus.” And my, what a fine leg that is. “It’s a major award!” (Yes, I’m making a Christmas Story reference in February … so what?)

Let’s take a look at the returns on those four recommendations, shall we?

How do you like them apples?

All returns are calculated as of yesterday’s close, bringing your total average return to 89.5%. It looks even better when you compare it to the S&P 500 Index’s loss of 8.3% for the same period. (Are you guys feeling a little better now?)

As of today, ABBV is in negative territory versus your potential entry point. The company’s $63 billion acquisition of Allergan PLC (NYSE: AGN) overshadows any coronavirus benefits right now, but it’ll straighten itself out eventually.

However, the rest are going gangbusters. Alpha Pro Tech, in particular, is on fire! Remember: The company makes face masks, gowns and various other infection-control items for both the medical industry and the general public. So, you know it’s doing well in corona world.

For caution’s sake, if you bought into APT following Great Stuff’s recommendation, we officially recommend that you sell today.

There’s no need to be greedy after a win like this. Be like Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue — take the money and run!

But if you’re worried about “opportunity cost” or want to keep exposure through the rest of this COVID-19 outbreak, take at least half of your position off the table. That guarantees you a win on this trade.

Either way, congratulations are in order! Good job, you!

And now for something completely different … here’s your Friday Four Play:

No. 1: Beyond Crazy

Beyond Meat Inc. (Nasdaq: BYND) investors got something to cheer about today —whether they know it or not.

The veggie burger maker reported that retail sales surged 198% and food service/restaurant revenue spiked 223%! How’s that for beyond?

But … BYND shares are plummeting today.

Why? Well, Beyond posted a surprise loss of a penny per share, versus expectations for a gain of a penny. Furthermore, guidance was well short of Wall Street’s target. Beyond expects earnings of $25.3 million, while the consensus looked for $50.2 million.

Two things to note here:

One, Beyond is conservative with guidance due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Two, the company is spending money on growth … and it needs to.

“We would be crazy not to invest in growth right now,” said CEO Ethan Brown. “There is just so much opportunity right now. We want to make sure we move as fast as we can to open up these markets.”

Sure, BYND trades at elevated valuations that, honestly, seem a bit beyond belief. However, the company is part of mega trends in sustainability and alternative foods. It needs to be proactive now. As a result of that proactive attitude, Beyond is getting punished.

If you were looking to invest in BYND but missed the initial rally, this sell-off is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.

No. 2: I Want to Ride My Bicycle

I want to ride it where I like … not in my living room. That’s the message that Wall Street is sending Peloton Interactive Inc. (Nasdaq: PTON) this week.

Analysts have repeatedly pushed the idea that Peloton will benefit from the COVID-19 outbreak as people stay home to avoid becoming a statistic. “We believe certain U.S. consumers will be less comfortable over time going to their gym and more likely to order a Peloton bike to stay home,” said Needham analyst Laura Martin in a note to clients this week.

Additionally, Peloton announced yesterday that it reached a settlement with the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA). The company was using music with its streamed workout sessions without the proper licensing. That’s copyright infringement, and the NMPA initially sued Peloton for $300 million because of it.

But the two have since made up. Peloton even agreed to collaborate with NMPA to “further optimize” the music-licensing process.

Despite today’s sharp decline, PTON is still up more than 5% on the week. So, at least the stock isn’t spinning its wheels.

No. 3: The Mouse’s House Is Cheap

The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) has had a rough week. (Haven’t we all?)

The stock initially dove on news that CEO Bob Iger would step down immediately. Then, as coronavirus fears accelerated, Tokyo Disneyland announced it was closing through mid-March. Analysts started questioning theme park revenue for Disney, and the shares fell further.

But BMO Capital Markets sees this dip in DIS as an opportunity. This morning, the ratings firm named Disney its top pick, ousting Netflix Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) from that lofty position.

BMO said that DIS is “increasingly baking in more challenges already. We would use any near-term weakness related to COVID-19 virus as an opportunity to build long-term positions.”

Remember, kids: Disney isn’t going anywhere. The company dominated the silver screen last year, and it’s poised to dominate video streaming in the years to come. I have to agree with BMO. This dip is an opportunity.

No. 4: No Fair

If you ever wondered what an online version of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (Nasdaq: BBBY) would look like … look no further than Wayfair Inc. (NYSE: W).

The company sells about 14 million products online, including furniture, décor, decorative accents … etcetera. It’s basically Bed Bath & Online with a fancier name. If you remember how BBBY’s earnings turned out, you can guess how Wayfair’s doing today.

The company reported a wider-than-expected quarterly loss of $2.80 per share, missed on revenue and reported that revenue growth trended below 20% — the company’s historical norm.

Guidance was also well below expectations, with first-quarter margins in the negative 7.3% to 7.8% range. Yes … negative margins.

Remember that lesson from the dot-com bust? Just because a company operates online doesn���t mean it’s automatically better.

Great Stuff: Congratulates YOU!

Did you crack open the champagne yet? No? Well, what’s stopping you?! Congratulations are in order, I tell you.

It’s not every week that you can boast about a 300%-plus gain … especially in the same week both the Dow and S&P 500 shed over 10%.

You won’t find any “I told you so!” here … this win is all about you, dear readers. If you took Great Stuff’s advice on buying when others were fearful — and oh, how fearful they were — you should be sitting on fresh gains while the rest of the market sees red.

Be the envy of your friends and fellow investors. Hey, if you don’t brag to them, why not brag to us? We’d love to hear how you’ve fared with Great Stuff picks. Shoot us a message at GreatStuffToday@banyanhill.com and let us know what’s up!

If there’s one single thing to take away from this crazy week, it’s this…

Your gain on APT just shows that there’s no shortage of good buys in today’s market … and there are discounts just waiting for you to find them. Whether you made bank on APT or not, don’t give up on finding your next bargain.

Jeff Yastine’s research can show you how. Jeff sifts through the market with a fine-toothed comb — hey, just like Great Stuff! — to find well-run, growing businesses that trade for pennies on the dollar. These are the solid businesses that will survive this outbreak, no matter how bad the sell-off makes it seem.

Click here to learn more about Jeff Yastine’s research.

That’s all for this week. But don’t fret, you can get more meme-y market goodness by following us on Facebook and Twitter!

Until next time, good trading!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff